Carrier Wrap: Verizon set to test 3.5 GHz interoperability

Editor’s Note: Wireless operators are a busy bunch, and as such RCR Wireless News will attempt to gather some of the important announcements that may slip through the cracks from the world’s largest carriers in a weekly wrap-up. Enjoy!
—Verizon Communications threw its support behind the Federal Communications Commission’s plans to open up the 3.5 GHz spectrum band for small cell and unlicensed services, announcing it had filed applications with the FCC to conduct field trials with spectrum-sharing technology in the 3550-3650 MHz band at several potential locations. That filing was made in partnership with Qualcomm and Ericsson.
Verizon said the trials will combine the 3.5 GHz spectrum configured as LTE supplemental downlink with the carrier’s existing LTE network “to enable the addition of 3.5 GHZ capacity to an existing lower band coverage network.”
“These trials are constructed to evaluate the benefits of adding 3.5 GHz spectrum to Verizon’s network with a specific focus on understanding the propagation characteristics of 3.5 GHz spectrum in a real-world environment,” explained Patrick Welsh, director of Federal Government Affairs at Verizon, noted in a blog post.
Verizon noted that later this month it planned to conduct lab testing of “authorized shared access/licensed shared access” technologies at Ericsson’s Plano, Texas, facilities in an attempt to demonstrate “how spectrum sharing can complement Verizon’s LTE network while protecting government operations from harmful interference.”
The FCC earlier this year offered up a notice of proposed rulemaking to provide a “three-tiered access and sharing model comprised of federal and non-federal incumbents, priority access licensees and general authorized access users.” Access would be under a flexible model taking advantage of technology to reduce interference between users.
“Federal and non-federal incumbents would be protected from harmful interference from [CBRS] users,” the FCC explained. “Targeted priority access licenses would be made available for a variety of uses, including mobile broadband. General authorized access use would be permitted in a reserved amount of spectrum and on an opportunistic basis for a variety of consumer or business-oriented purposes, including advanced home wireless networking.”
AT&T in late May offered up cautious approval of the proposal, noting that the FCC needs to ensure the licensed aspect of its 3.5 GHz plans are protected if it wants wireless carriers to move forward with investing in new small cell deployments designed to take advantage of that band.
–Software-based networking solutions provider Mavenir Systems, announced that its IMS core network and Telephony Application Server was being used by T-Mobile US as part of the carrier’s recently launched voice over LTE service. Mavenir said its platform is designed to ensure compatibility between VoLTE and voice over Wi-Fi solutions with legacy network services.
T-Mobile US first tapped into the Mavenir platform when it launched Wi-Fi calling services in 2011. The carrier recently announced it had expanded VoLTE to 15 total markets covering 107 million potential customers.
–Regional telecommunications provider Ntelos said it would include access to its recently launched LTE network in its existing NControl wireless rate plans. Ntelos launched LTE services earlier this year, and had expanded service to a number of markets across portions of Virginia and West Virginia.
Ntelos was part of Sprint’s announcement last month that it had signed LTE roaming agreements with a dozen rural operators. The agreement expanded a deal between Sprint and Ntelos announced in May to extend their long-term “strategic network alliance.”
—C Spire unveiled its Home suite of services, offering customers home automation, security and monitoring services. The platform taps into the telecom operators expanding C Spire Fiber to the Home broadband service.
Pricing for the home automation services have not been released, though the fiber offering is priced at $80 per month for Internet service; Internet and home phone service for $100 per month; Internet and television service for $140 per month; or Internet, home phone and television service for $160 per month. C Spire wireless customers would be eligible for a $10 discount per month.
—Globecomm said it has begun offering worldwide mobile virtual network operator services using its existing infrastructure and MBox platform. The offering targets “business-to-business focused MVNOs, enterprises and government organizations.”
Globecomm said it will handle all back-office operations, including core network operations and business support systems.
Additional carrier news can be found on the RCR Wireless News “Carriers” page.
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