Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on those sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Verizon expands initial FWA markets
Verizon’s initial foray into commercial 5G services came in late 2018 with the deployment of a millimeter wave-based fixed wireless home broadband service in parts of four markets–Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Since then, 5G Home has been built out in Chicago and, as of June 10, in Detroit. The initial rollout was based on the Verizon Technical Forum 5G standard, which was developed largely in-house. The newest markets use network and CPE equipment based on the global 5G New Radio standard developed through the 3GPP. Indy and LA are also currently being upgraded from the proprietary to the global standard. According to Verizon, the latest 5G Home offering comes with a Wi-Fi 6-compatible router that has Amazon’s voice assistant built in; also notable, the latest iteration of the offering is self-install rather than the significantly more expensive technician installs the earlier version required. Verizon’s stated goal is to add four more 5G Home markets by the end of 2020. At the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Communications Conference, CEO Hans Vestberg said, “Theoretically we can have 5G Home or 5G fixed wireless access in all of them. But we need the next-generation chipset in order to have a CP that is really giving the right type of intelligence with the network.” … Read more
Bell Canada launches 5G
Canadian telecommunications operator Bell announced the launch of its commercial 5G service in the country. In a release, the carrier said that the 5G service is already available in Montréal, the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Bell also said its initial 5G service will expand to more cities across the country in the coming months. “The COVID-19 crisis has clearly underscored the critical importance of high-quality networks to keeping consumers, businesses and governments connected and informed, and Bell remains committed to building the best as we take wireless into the next generation,” said Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada. Earlier this month, Bell Canada selected Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology to support its nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless access deployment. The carrier had started the construction of its 5G network this year, using equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia. Rival operator Rogers Communications had already begun rolling out 5G network in select cities around Canada using equipment from Swedish vendor Ericsson. … Read more
Bidders gear up for the CBRS PALs auction
Mobile network operators, cable companies and network providers large and small are set to compete for spectrum in the upcoming Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum auction, and they’re being joined by universities, oil and gas companies and other unconventional players who are interested in CBRS.The Priority Access License auction will begin July 23, after being pushed back about a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Communications Commission has released a list of 106 applications that were successfully completed for the CBRS auction — though more than twice as many, 242 applications, were received but are considered incomplete. The 106 complete applicants will become qualified bidders so long as they provide an upfront payment to the FCC by June 19; the others can correct their applications and get the payment in by the same date, so the number of complete applications is likely to expand. A final list of qualified bidders will be released prior to the auction. On the completed application list: AT&T, US Cellular, Cincinnati Bell, and smaller cellular operators such as Carolina West Wireless; and dozens of other small telecom companies, utility companies and rural electric cooperatives. Cox Communications, cable provider Mediacom and Shenandoah Cable Television are set to bid. So are Windstream and Frontier Communications, which are both in bankruptcy proceedings. Nontraditional bidders who have complete applications include oil and gas company Chevron USA, Texas A&M University – College Station and the University of Virginia Foundation. … Read more
Nokia study finds 5G FWA appeals to consumers
According to a Nokia study, which surveyed 3,000 consumers in the U.K., U.S. and South Korea, 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) is the most desirable consumer use case for the next-gen technology. 5G FWA was only one of six use cases presented on the survey, but with 75% of respondents citing it as the most appealing of the use cases, it certainly proved to be the most popular. The study, conducted in partnership with Parks Associates, further revealed that 66% of respondents claimed that they would switch to 5G FWA if it proves to be cost-efficient and offers better or the same performance as their existing broadband connection, indicating a significant opportunity for mobile operators to compete with broadband provider in this space. Because 41% of respondents said — and resented — that they only have a single choice when selecting a broadband provider, mobile operators have the chance to move in and offer a much-needed alternative to traditional broadband services. A specific area in which consumers wanted to see a connectivity improvement was, unsurprisingly, in the category of quality video calls. In fact, 90% of respondents noted “high-quality, uninterrupted video streams” as a “very valuable” aspect of 5G. … Read more
Intelsat sets its sights on rapid C-Band clearing
Intelsat said that it has contracted for six new satellites in order to meet the Federal Communication Commission’s accelerated spectrum-clearing timeline for the C-Band. The company recently went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, and said that “one of the primary catalysts” for the timing was its desire to participate in the FCC’s accelerated spectrum clearing effort and reduce its debt. It said that it would have to spend more than $1 billion in clearing costs in order to be eligible to eventually receive $4.87 billion in payments for the accelerated clearing. Intelsat said it had secured a commitment for $1 billion in financing to fund its operations and spectrum clearing. The FCC is seeking rapid clearing of 280 megahertz of C-Band spectrum, plus a 20-megahertz guard band; satellite operators will have to transition existing services out of the lower portion of the band into the upper 200 megahertz of the band, which extends from 3.7-4.2 GHz. The FCC wants to make the midband spectrum available quickly for terrestrial 5G services, since there is a dearth of midband 5G spectrum available in the United States. To facilitate faster clearing, the federal agency has proposed lump-sum payments to satellite operators who commit to voluntarily relocating their operations in the band in two phases, with a first clearing phase deadline of December 5, 2021 and a second-phase deadline of December 5, 2023. … Read more
AT&T makes job cuts, store closings as part of effort to reduce costs
AT&T has confirmed that it will lay off around 4,700 employees and close 250 retail stores permanently. The Communications Workers of American union said that it was informed by AT&T that the carrier plans to cut 3,400 technician and clerical jobs across the country over the next few weeks. AT&T also told the union that it plans to permanently close more than 250 AT&T Mobility and Cricket Wireless stores, which will impact 1,300 retail jobs. “If we are in a war to keep our economy going during this crisis, why is AT&T dismissing the troops?” said Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton, citing comments made by AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson during an interview on CNN last month that referred to the COVID-19 crisis as a “war”. “CWA and AT&T have been working together to protect worker and customer health and safety and to provide premium pay for essential workers. The company showed an interest in investing in its workers and its network by cancelling planned stock buybacks. AT&T could help lead the country toward recovery by partnering with its workforce to build next generation networks. Instead the company is adding to the pain of the recession already underway.” “These actions align with our focus on growth areas along with lower customer demand for some legacy products and the economic impact and changed customer behaviors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” an AT&T spokesperson said in a statement to RCR Wireless News. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
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