Before we turn the page on 2015, we thought we would take a look back at the past 12 months by highlighting what we felt were the top 100 stories of 2015 across the mobile space. Since it would be foolish to rank these in order of “importance,” we have instead laid them out in chronological order.
Check our previously posted Pt. 1, Pt. 2 and Pt. 3.
Also, make sure to check back beginning Jan. 4 as we begin posting predictions for 2016 from executives across various channels of the mobile space.
Oct. 1:
T-Mobile customers data hacked; Social Security numbers among data breached
T-Mobile US has been hit by hackers in an attack that includes personal identification information for approximately 15 million people who applied for postpaid services or device financing between Sept. 1, 2013, and Sept. 16, 2015. The carrier noted those impacted could include people who did not become T-Mobile US customers. … Read More
Oct. 2:
Sprint to cut jobs in effort to save $2.5B
Citing an internal memo circulated this week, The Wall Street Journal reports Sprint, the U.S. carrier owned by Japan’s SoftBank, is planning $2.5 billion in cost cuts over the next six months, which will include job reductions and a hiring freeze. … Read More
Oct. 8:
Verizon unlimited data set for $20 price increase
Verizon Wireless is reportedly set to turn the screws on current “unlimited” data customers with plans to increase the per-line charge for the bottomless bucket by $20 per month. … Read More
Oct. 14:
Verizon expands SDN-powered cloud service
Verizon Communications is expanding the availability of its software-defined networking powered Secure Cloud Interconnect service to the public sector across 30 countries. The company’s Enterprise Solutions division said the platform provides a secure, private Internet connection with consumption-based bandwidth, preprovisioned on-demand resources, application performance, various service classes and usage-based billing that can be managed through a centralized online portal. … Read More
Verizon capex seen favoring wireless, DAS vendors
Verizon Communications’ decision to sell wireline assets to Frontier Communications seems to have freed up more capital for investment in wireless. During the telecom operator’s earnings call, the company said wireless capital spending totaled $2.9 billion in the quarter and $8.5 billion year-to-date, up 8.4% from a year ago. … Read More
Oct. 28:
Verizon to cut jobs as part of regional restructuring
Verizon Communications is reportedly set to cut an undisclosed number of jobs in its wireless division as part of a regional restructuring program. … Read More
Nov. 2:
Google Project Loon looks to connect 100M in Indonesia
Google Project Loon, in partnership with service providers Indosat, Telkomsel and XL Axiata, plans to begin testing delivery of LTE Internet access via balloons floating over Indonesia in 2016. … Read More
Nov. 5:
Sprint WiMAX shutdown put on hold
A Massachusetts court ruled Sprint must maintain its WiMAX network for at least another 90 days in support of more than 300,000 customers still using the network to access the Internet. Sprint was scheduled to fully shutter its WiMAX operations by Nov. 6. … Read More
Nov. 6:
Comcast expanding data cap policy
After trying out capping customer data use at 300 gigabytes per month, Comcast is expanding the practice to new markets in 12 states. … Read More
Nov. 10:
Ericsson and Cisco will target competitors
The motivation for Ericsson’s new partnership with Cisco was crystal clear today at the company’s annual capital markets day in Sweden. Ericsson is telling investors that it expects the total network equipment market to grow at a compound annual rate of just 1-3% during the years 2014-2018, with the telecom services market growing 3-5% during the same period. Ericsson said it wants to grow faster than the overall market. … Read More
T-Mobile taps video, Simple Choice changes for ‘Un-carrier X’ event
T-Mobile US continued its assault on mobile industry norms, announcing it will provide customers on higher-tiered data plans with unlimited access to a handful of streaming-video services. The announcement came as part of the carrier’s Los Angeles-based “Un-carrier X” event. … Read More
Nov. 12:
Ingenu is creating an IoT-specific machine network
A company dedicated to connecting machines, Ingenu, announced this week the rollout of an “Internet of Things” exclusive network in 30 U.S. metropolitan areas. The company said once the network is operational, it will cover 100,000 square miles and connect 100 million domestic users. … Read More
Startup aims to throw billions at spectrum auction
A startup called Rama plans to bid in next year’s auction of broadcast frequency bands, and hopes to use the spectrum to launch a microcell network. Rama founder Chamath Palihapitiya told Re/code he thinks it will cost $4 billion to $10 billion to win enough spectrum to launch a wireless network, and once he secures the spectrum he will begin building a network. … Read More
New LTE-U, Wi-Fi coexistence tests show promise, but controversy continues
Dueling test results for LTE-Unlicensed/Wi-Fi coexistence continue with a newly released data set from Qualcomm developed with input from CableLabs, which Qualcomm says confirm fair coexistence between LTE-U and Wi-Fi. … Read More
Nov. 18:
Sprint slashes T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T with latest promotion
Sprint is bringing back a promotion from the past, announcing today that customers coming to the carrier from Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility or T-Mobile US will be offered a comparable rate plan at half the price they are currently paying. … Read More
Nov. 20:
Sprint device leasing moves to Mobile Leasing Solutions division
Sprint released details of its highly anticipated device leasing division, which it formed with parent company SoftBank and will operate under the Mobile Leasing Solutions name. … Read More
Nov. 24:
Test and Measurement: ITU harmonizes spectrum for global mobile broadband
The International Telecommunications Union is wrapping up its month-long World Radiocommunications Conference in Geneva this week and has officially harmonized the use of 700 MHz spectrum for global mobile broadband use. … Read More
Dec. 2:
Samsung shakes up leadership
As part of its annual year-end evaluation, Samsung has chosen a new leader of its handset division. Koh Dong Jin, who had been in charge of Samsung’s research and development division will take over for long-time Samsung Mobile head JK Shin. … Read More
Dec. 16:
Crown Castle spends more on small cells than on new towers
Outdoor small cell deployments have been more complicated and expensive than network operators expected, but they remain the most viable option for carriers faced with intense data demand in dense urban environments. Now that most Americans have smartphones, new tower construction is leveling off, but small cell demand is accelerating as carriers face the fact smartphone users are generating more data traffic each month. … Read More
Dec. 17:
Shaw to purchase Wind Mobile for $1.1B, re-enter cellular space
Canadian telecom provider Shaw Communications is set to re-enter the mobile space, announcing plans to acquire Wind Mobile as part of a larger purchase valued at $1.1 billion ($1.6 billion Canadian dollars). … Read More
Dec. 21:
LightSquared spectrum issues near resolution with GPS deals
Beleaguered spectrum holder LightSquared said it reached an agreement with Garmin on spectrum use parameters for terrestrial service in the 1.6 GHz L-Band that could eventually lead to freeing up more than 50 megahertz of spectrum for commercial cellular use. … Read More
Ericsson and Apple settle patent dispute
Effectively ending an international investigation and lawsuits in four countries, Ericsson and Apple this week announced a seven-year agreement covering technology licensure. … Read More
Dec. 22:
Sprint job cuts begin, set to cost carrier $150M
Sprint recently moved on its latest plans to cut jobs, noting in a government filing its “workforce reduction” program began Dec. 16 and would cost the company approximately $150 million. … Read More
Dec. 23:
T-Mobile Binge On draws sting of YouTube over throttling concerns
T-Mobile US’ Binge On video offering has reportedly drawn criticism from YouTube, which claims the unlimited streaming service is interfering with YouTube’s video traffic. … Read More
Dec. 29:
FCC mobile competition report vague on findings
Despite its stated goal of ensuring a competitive domestic mobile telecom market, the Federal Communications Commission’s latest annual report on the subject did not provide any definitive conclusion as to whether the market is indeed competitive. … Read More
