Charter is selling spectrum, but may offer wireless service using Verizon’s spectrum
1. T-Mobile US is buying Charter Communications’ 700 MHz A-Block spectrum in eastern Montana. The carrier has been steadily adding low-block spectrum to its portfolio, and said its 700 megahertz-based LTE network now covers 215 million potential customers. T-Mobile US is adding 600,000 potential customers covered with the latest purchase from Charter.
Although Charter is selling spectrum, it likes the name. The company has started marketing cable and Internet services under the Spectrum brand, after completing its merger with Time Warner Cable and its acquisition of Bright House Networks. In the future, one of Spectrum’s offerings may be wireless service. Charter is reportedly talking to Verizon Wireless about activating a mobile virtual network operator agreement with the carrier.
2. Nokia will design and deliver the infrastructure to test and develop drones for smart city traffic management in Europe. The company said it is the only communications vendor currently building and testing a system for intelligent traffic control using drones.
The Finnish company signed a memorandum of understanding with municipal authorities in Twente, the Netherlands. The tests will use real-life simulations and commercial demonstrations at Twente Airport. Nokia’s unmanned aerial system traffic management modem is composed of an LTE modem, a GPS transceiver and other telemetry modules.
3. Apple is hiring health care experts in an effort to turn its HealthKit app into a diagnostic tool, according to Bloomberg. CEO Tim Cook has said he wants Apple devices to not only track biometrics, but also analyze them so that they can alert users of potential health problems.
4. AT&T is adding channel partners to its planned streaming video service, DirecTV Now. The latest reported partner is A+E Networks, which would bring AT&T viewers The History Channel, Lifetime and FYI.
AT&T is expected enter the streaming-video market with low price points since it will not need to sell set-top boxes in order to deliver its service. Those boxes, however, are not as costly as they once were. Roku just introduced an entry-level box that costs less than $30.
5. Shares of Twitter gave up some of Friday’s big gains today, as investors weigh reports of a possible takeover. Late last week, reports that Google or Salesforce might buy the social media company sent the stock price soaring. Twitter is said to be working with investment bankers from Goldman Sachs and Allen & Company as it explores the best options for its shareholders. The company is still growing, but not nearly as fast as Facebook and Snapchat.
