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!
Comcast makes mobile moves
Comcast continues to make moves that signal a possible future entrance in the mobile carrier space. In the latest, the Philadelphia-based MSO has reportedly created a new mobile division and shuffled executives to support the new business. As originally reported by Multichannel News, Greg Butz, former EVP of sales and marketing, will head the new mobile unit, while EVP and chief network officer John Schanz and EVP and cable chief financial officer Cathy Avgiris are both being transitioned to new positions. Adding to the mobile emphasis is long-held speculation that Comcast could leverage its extensive network of Wi-Fi hot spots, both public and in subscribers homes, to launch a mobile virtual network operator play. Further, in October Comcast notified Verizon Wireless that it plans to activate a years old agreement to use the carrier’s spectrum. Verizon Wireless made a deal with several cable companies back in 2012 in which they agreed to a $3.6 billion deal to buy spectrum from Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House Networks. As part of the deal,each of the cable companies was provided “with the option, after approximately four years, to become resellers of Verizon Wireless’s services.” … Read more
Digging into carrier claims
In an attempt to gain an advantage over rivals, domestic wireless carriers have turned more aggressively to claims of superior network performance based on various testing methodologies performed by a growing number of companies. These results can be seen in just about any commercial or advertisement, with every carrier claiming their network has some sort of coverage or performance advantage. Whether its Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile US, Sprint or AT&T Mobility, it’s not hard to find at least one “independent” network performance test claiming an advantage. But, just what do all these claims mean, and which – if any – can be trusted? In an attempt to clear the air a bit, on this week’s Carrier Wrap we spoke with Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, to dig into the various testing methodologies. In the interview, Carter looked at what GWS terms uncontrolled crowdsource testing; controlled application testing; and controlled rigorous benchmarking using test equipment. … Read more
Inside Olympic telecom tech in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian Elly Resende is leading the orchestration of all information technology and communication infrastructure providers for the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics. Less than a month from the opening ceremony of the major event, the technology director said information and communications technology deployments are following the established schedule, with 80% delivered. Resende spoke with RCR Wireless News in a video interview during a visit to the Rio Olympics headquarters in July. With more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunication and IT sectors, the CIO conducts daily meetings to make sure all details are taken care of ahead of the games. … Read more
AT&T, Orange eye open NFV, SDN standards
AT&T signed a deal with European operator Orange to work on open source and standardization initiatives linked to the carrier’s push toward increasing control of its network resources using software-defined networking and network functions virtualization technology. The agreement calls for both operators to align on “a strategic vision to move intelligence from customer hardware to the network” in a move designed to trim costs and complexity. The firms said they will work with “appropriate” forums for standardization discussions, which they claim can eventually lead to shorter deployment cycles and a faster pace of development. Specific areas of focus named include the creation of common specifications for premise-based devices to work in different network service provider environments and network function software providers; work designed to streamline the onboarding process for virtual network functions; and the development of standardized APIs in support of interoperable SDN architectures. “Building SDN and NFV technologies on common, open and interoperable standards will help solve today’s challenges by delivering highly secure, intelligent, application-aware networking,” the carriers claimed in a statement connected with the announcement. … Read more
Teeing up the 600 MHz auction
The Federal Communications Commission said 62 companies have qualified to participate in the forward-auction portion of its 600 MHz incentive auction process, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 16. Qualified bidders include three of the nation’s four largest operators, as well as a number of rural operators and designated entities. Those qualified include Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US, U.S. Cellular and C Spire, as well as some international interest in the form of Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, which is expected to bid on FCC controlled licenses covering Pacific islands. The FCC previously said it will set aside 30 megahertz of the repackaged spectrum for carriers that do not already control a significant amount of sub-1 GHz spectrum holdings, which is predominately made up of AT&T and Verizon Communications. T-Mobile US is expected to be the most aggressive bidder for the set-aside spectrum, with some predicting the carrier could spend up to $10 billion on licenses. While not eligible for the set-aside licenses, analysts predict AT&T could bid between $10 billion and $15 billion for licenses – having committed to at least $9 billion in bids as part of gaining approval of its DirecTV acquisition – while Verizon is predicted to bid around $10 billion. Verizon Wireless is also expected to bid up to $10 billion on spectrum. … Read more
Gotta catch ’em all!
If you’ve seen people walking around staring even more intently at their smartphones than usual lately, there’s a good chance that it’s because of Pokémon Go. The massively popular augmented reality game transposes virtual creatures into real-world environments and lets users capture them via mobile devices. It was launched last week and immediately raced to the top of popular app download lists both for iOS and Android. SimilarWeb reported that as of Monday, Pokémon Go had been downloaded on to more than 10% of U.S. Android devices, and that nearly 6% of U.S. Android users played the game that day. SurveyMonkey posted data that as of this past Tuesday, the game had more than 21 million daily users in the U.S., making it the biggest mobile game in U.S. history. The intersection of mobile app and reality has led to reports of everything from people falling off ocean bluffs while hunting Pokémon, to robbers using the game as a way to target victims, and at least one car accident. Two different players have stumbled across dead bodies while playing, and a couple in the Detroit area spotted a house fire, saving a dog. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Arlington National Cemetery have both made public requests for players to stop playing the game on their grounds. Neil Mawston, executive director for wireless device strategies at Strategy Analytics called it “the world’s first ‘killer app’ for AR phones … Read more
Obama White House sets up public-private wireless research partnerships
The Obama administration announced new funding and private-sector partnerships for wireless research to build on the Federal Communication Commission’s approval of high-band spectrum for the development of “5G” services. The $400 million initiative will be led by the National Science Foundation, which plans to invest $350 million over the next five years in testing platforms developed through an $85 million public-private partnership. The government plans to contribute $50 million to the partnership, with another $35 million in cash and in-kind support set to come from these companies and associations: AT&T said it will provide on-site mobile connectivity in the cities selected as testing grounds for advanced wireless platform research. Carlson Wireless Technologies plans to contribute equipment, technology and expertise in TV white spaces and dynamic spectrum sharing, allowing researchers to examine a variety of use cases including residential broadband and the “internet of things.” CommScope, in support of the testing platforms, said it will contribute connectivity solutions such as antennas, radio frequency cabling, cabinets, small cells and fiber optics. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
