Bitcoin is apparently not just disruptive to the financial status quo — Bitcoin mining was the culprit in disrupting T-Mobile US’ network in New York, according to an enforcement letter from the Federal Communications Commission.
According to the letter, T-Mobile US was having problems with interference at 700 MHz in Brooklyn and reported it to the FCC, which in late November pinpointed a residence where the occupant was operating an Antminer s5 Bitcoin Miner– and once it was turned off, the interference stopped. The FCC letter sent this week was a follow-up to get more information from the resident about the device (which the FCC was quick to add may not be representative of all Antminer s5s in terms of producing interference) and make sure it was no longer causing problems.
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel made note of the incident on Twitter, calling it “very 2018”:
Okay, this @FCC letter has it all: #bitcoin mining, computing power needed for #blockchain computation and #wireless #broadband interference. It all seems so very 2018. https://t.co/EaXxmBAMXH
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) February 15, 2018
You can read the full letter here (pdf).
Elsewhere on Twitter this week, I think this might be my favorite 5G article ever:
Wild boars in South Korea will be among the first to experience the power of 5G https://t.co/lGliND4PmK via @tictoc pic.twitter.com/pB4lMVBFCV
— Bloomberg (@business) February 14, 2018
A glimpse at some of Sprint’s fancy new antennas, courtesy of CTO John Saw:
Our 9 beam antenna is now up and running at the @RichmondRaceway. This multi-beam antenna can provide separate beams of @Sprint’s 2.GHz & 3CA to amplify the #SprintNetwork for our customers at both the race track and parking lot. pic.twitter.com/ZeOpfTC6Qs
— John Saw (@JohnSaw) February 16, 2018
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure says he is feeling confident about Sprint’s 5G prospects after meetings in Korea. (I’ll believe it when I see it.)
Spent the day in Korea meeting with Korean carriers and Korean manufacturers. Now more than ever I can say that Sprint will Be 1st in the US with a real 5G nationwide coverage and maybe 1st in the world. pic.twitter.com/akCYYVrymR
— Marcelo Claure (@marceloclaure) February 14, 2018
Meanwhile, Ericsson touts new “Super Towers” that look a lot like mini-blimps, to be used for connecting rural areas with wireless broadband. Didn’t Google already do this with Project Loon balloons?
.@Ericsson partners with @AltaerosWind to launch Wireless SuperTowers that connect rural areas with mobile broadband. https://t.co/SFAgnj0dbw pic.twitter.com/pbycrgnfb0
— Ericsson N. America (@EricssonNA) February 15, 2018
You know, when I saw pictures of a passenger drone from CES, I didn’t realize that these things were to the point of test-flights with actual people in China. The future is now, I guess.
1st time ever! 184 @eHang Aerial #AutonomousVehicle demonstrates test flight carrying two #Humans! #AI #MachineLearning #Drones #ArtificialIntelligence #Drone #Robotics #China pic.twitter.com/w7pbTPV5m9
— Mike Quindazzi ✨ (@MikeQuindazzi) February 15, 2018
