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!
Wheeler steps down to make way for Pai
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced plans to leave the agency on Jan. 20, the same day President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sworn into office replacing current President Barack Obama, who had initially appointed Wheeler to the post in 2013. “Serving as FCC Chairman during this period of historic technological change has been the greatest honor of my professional life. I am deeply grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity,” Wheeler noted in a statement. “I am especially thankful to the talented commission staff for their service and sacrifice during my tenure. Their achievements have contributed to a thriving communications sector, where robust investment and world-leading innovation continue to drive our economy and meaningful improvements in the lives of the American people. It has been a privilege to work with my fellow commissioners to help protect consumers, strengthen public safety and cybersecurity, and ensure fast, fair and open networks for all Americans.” The move was not unexpected as a change in presidential political affiliation typically includes a change at the head of many government agencies. Former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin stepped down from the position in 2009, in line with President Obama being sworn in. While serving for just under four years, Wheeler oversaw a number of impactful decisions by the FCC in regards to the telecommunications space. … Read more
What went wrong at Google Fiber
Google is one of those company names that everyone recognizes. In fact, Google is the No. 2 most recognized brand in the world according to Interbrand. From Google Analytics and Adwords, to phones, tablets, glasses, Chrome and Chromecast, the tech giant has delivered countless products to people everywhere. Google has dominated the tech field and continues to do so with their innovations, but not all products are a home run. Google Fiber, the ultra-fast internet service offering 1-gigabit-per-second Internet connection for $70 per month, is one such product some would argue has all but failed. Starting out in Kansas City in 2012, Fiber has since expanded to Atlanta; Austin and San Antonia, Texas; Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Nashville; San Francisco and Los Angeles. Considering the service started only four years ago, Google has expanded quickly, but is likely as far as it will go. Companies like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon Communications, Time Warner Cable and Spectrum have dominated national market for years. But, with a name like Google, you would expect people to jump at the opportunity to sign up for faster internet service. Unfortunately, they haven’t and there are a number of contributing factors. … Read more
Chinese LTE subs hit 700 million
China’s three largest mobile telecom operators ended October with approximately 704.3 million LTE subscribers, according to the latest available figures from carriers China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. During the first 10 months of the year, the operators added approximately 289.3 million LTE connections. The world’s largest mobile operator, China Mobile, ended October with 497.3 million LTE connections, having added approximately 185 million new connections this year. The carrier claimed 845.8 million total connections at the end of October. China Mobile initially launched commercial LTE services in December 2013, and currently supports services with spectrum in the 1900 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands. Meanwhile, China Telecom ended October with nearly 113 million LTE connections, having posted 54.5 million net additions through the first 10 months of the year. … Read more
Google Things debuts
Google is giving developers a preview of a new “internet of things” operating system, Android Things, and plans to enable IoT updates directly from Google to improve security.Google launched the developer preview for the Android Things OS and said the solution already is supported by Intel Edison, NXP Pico and Raspberry Pi 3 hardware so developers can start building projects. Qualcomm also said it will support the platform (full story here).The rebrands Google’s Project Brillo, which was announced in the spring of 2015, as the company’s foray into an OS for IoT – a stripped-down version of Android designed to support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Brillo gained a number of significant partners, including automotive supplier Harman, Asus and LG in early 2016, which were announced at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show … Read more
AWS hits the U.K.
Amazon Web Services launched its first data center in the U.K., enabling local cloud storage for its 100,000 U.K.-based customers. AWS said it now manages three data center facilities in Europe, including those in Ireland and Germany. “Our customers and [AWS Partner Network] Partners asked us to build an AWS Region in the U.K. so they can run their mission-critical workloads and store sensitive data on AWS infrastructure locally,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS. “For the past decade, we’ve had an enthusiastic base of customers in the U.K. choosing to build their businesses on the AWS Cloud. A local AWS Region will serve as the foundation for even more innovative cloud initiatives from the U.K. that can transform business, customer experiences and enhance the local economy.” … Read more
Nokia talks 4.5, 4.9G
Nokia said it has signed contracts for the rollout of “4.5G” networks with 110 service providers, according to international press reports. “If you want to create a fully autonomous environment then you need ‘5G’ for the latency, but if you want to support video downloads and mundane mobile broadband services then 4.5G, 4.5G Pro and 4.9G can provide significant capabilities for that,” Samih Elhage, president of Nokia’s mobile networks business, was quoted as saying. Nokia previously said 4.5G Pro technology can provide 10-times the speed of initial 4G networks by allowing service providers to combine paired, unpaired and unlicensed spectrum. The firm is also working on a technology dubbed 4.9G, which is said to allow users to maintain a continuous 5G service experience using an evolved LTE network to complement 5G radio coverage. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
