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 the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
CommScope goes on a shopping spree, picks up Airvana
Less than two weeks after completing its purchase of TE Connectivity’s wireless business, CommScope has announced an agreement to buy small cell vendor Airvana for an undisclosed amount. Airvana makes 3G and LTE small cells and has shipped more than 1.5 million small cells to date. Its solutions are deployed primarily in stadiums and office buildings. Airvana’s OneCell solution has completed interoperability testing with Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung, Ericsson, Cisco, Huawei. It is called OneCell because it is a one-sector solution, a choice made by Airvana to eliminate handovers and interference. Airvana separates the baseband unit from the radio in a centralized RAN architecture, but unlike many C-RAN small cell solutions, Airvana uses Ethernet instead of fiber for the fronthaul. This could make the company an especially good fit for CommScope, a leading provider of broadband cable … Read more
Don’t call Vodafone’s network ‘unbeatable’
A recent print and Web advertising campaign by Vodafone makes claims about the carrier’s U.K. voice service that the Advertisement Standards Authority this week banned. Specifically, Vodafone marketing materials boasted that, “Our network is unbeatable at connecting calls …” According to the ASA, “consumers were likely to interpret the claims as top parity ones, which meant that Vodafone was as good as other [mobile network operators]in respect of performance on call connection and dropped calls. We expected to see robust evidence to support the claims.” That evidence was apparently not forthcoming as evidenced in the ASA’s final judgment … Read more
Go90, Go90, Go90, Go!
Verizon Wireless began initial trials of its mobile-first Go90 video service, rolling out a teaser website claiming a game-changing service. The website is sparse on details, but does state the service is in “beta” and hints at a compelling offering. Recent reports indicate the service will launch initially with a truncated content offering, including content from AOL, DreamWorks Animation SKG’s Awesomeness TV, Vice Media and Viacom. Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo previously stated the carrier’s initial launch would likely be a limited offering in terms of content. “This is a lineup that is really around all live-type news clips and sports and events, so very different than what anyone else is bringing to the marketplace,” Shammo explained. Go90 also is expected to take advantage of its LTE Multicast technology, which Verizon has been trialling for a couple of years at major sporting events … Read more
SK Telecom gets a jump on smart home
South Korean operator SK Telecom has unveiled a cooperation agreement with compatriot companies Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics to interconnect its smart home platform with respective smart home platforms of Samsung and LG. Once the agreement is fully completed, SK Telecom’s smart home users will be able to control and monitor Samsung and LG’s electronic products equipped with their own smart home capabilities via SK Telecom’s smart home app. Under the terms of the cooperation deal, SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics have agreed to realize interworking between their respective smart home platforms within this year. As a result, consumer electronic products – including refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, air purifiers, robot vacuum cleaners and ovens – equipped with Samsung Electronics’ smart home capability can be controlled via SK Telecom’s app.The South Korean telecom operator also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with LG Electronics to cooperate in the smart home field. The two companies will work together to realize seamless interworking between their respective smart home platforms within this year. … Read more
Tower Cloud boosts Florida fiber network
LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Tower Cloud, a broadband infrastructure service provider, will expand its dark fiber network by 1,300 miles in Florida. At the CTIA Super Mobility 2015 Tower & Small Cell Summit, the company announced it has signed a new contract with one of the four major U.S. carriers to carry out the expansion.
The deal will make Tower Cloud one of the largest high-speed networking and wireless backhaul providers in the Southeastern U.S. with over 6,800 miles of installed fiber. It also gives the company the most expansive dark fiber network in the region, which includes 56 cities. “Florida is a booming market, with growing demand for a more robust fiber infrastructure to support mobile expansion,” Ron Mudry, Founder and CEO for Tower Cloud said. “This latest carrier agreement will allow us to expand our dark fiber network to offer customers state-of-the-art connectivity with the capacity to grow with their needs” … Read more
Verizon sells off assets in CA, FL and TX to Frontier
Verizon Communications sale of its local wireline network assets and operations in California, Florida and Texas to Frontier Communications for $10.54 billion is a go. The Federal Communications Commission on Sept. 2 gave the sale a green light, and the transaction is expected to close by the end of first-quarter 2016. As of midday Thursday (Sept. 3), shares of Frontier Communications were up 5.6% to $5.50 on news of the FCC approval. “We appreciate the FCC’s thorough review and timely approval, which confirms that this transaction is in the public interest and will benefit customers in California, Florida and Texas,” said Michael Glover, Verizon Communications’ SVP and deputy general counsel of public policy and government affairs, in a statement. “Last May, the U.S. Department of Justice also reviewed and cleared the proposed sale, further confirming that the transaction does not present market competition issues. With these approvals in hand, we look forward to promptly receiving the remaining regulatory approvals in the coming months.” … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
