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Kagan: If T-Mobile, Sprint merger is denied, how will they compete in 5G?

Is the T-Mobile, Sprint merger still on track? Good question. Let’s take a closer look. It’s currently on hold at the FCC level. They have been getting major push-back from a variety of interests. So, what happens if it’s denied? Let’s take a look...

Analyst Angle: The case for managed Wi-Fi solutions in retail and restaurants

Brick and mortar retailers and restaurants are facing tremendous competition from online giants while having to adapt to fast-changing customer needs quickly. The rapidly expanding ownership of smartphones and other handheld devices is revolutionizing the retail and restaurant industries, and consumers are increasingly relying on...

Kagan: Claure of Sprint discusses T-Mobile merger, 5G at MWCA 2018

Last week, Marcelo Claure of Sprint discussed the merger with T-Mobile US and the industry transformation to 5G and AI at the Mobile World Congress Americas 2018 conference. I thought many of his comments on the changing industry were right on target but others...

Analyst Angle: Are you skeptical about 5G millimeter wave?

If you are, think again! In the cellular value chain, the most conservative and last holdouts in making any kind of public announcements are usually operators. Vendors could make all the noise they want, but nothing gives, unless and until operators endorse it. And...

Analyst Angle: Is this the last major step before the commercial 5G smartphone?

Qualcomm and Ericsson make 5G-NR call with test smartphone Amidst a barrage of unending announcements of “5G firsts” that we have heard and keep hearing, there was a gem,  announced on Sep 6. Qualcomm and Ericsson said they successfully completed the first over the air...

Kagan: T-Mobile US tries to win users with “uncarrier” care

Great customer care and customer service is a winning strategy for any company. All the great companies have a strong focus on this area. Seeing this as a way to strengthen their own customer relationships, T-Mobile saw this as an opportunity. So, their most...

Kagan: Why Verizon throttled wireless data speed of firefighters

Shame on Verizon Wireless for throttling the wireless data speed of the smartphones used by West Coast forest firefighters. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the stories. Imagine, firefighters risking their lives to save the lives and property of others, hindered when they...

Analyst Angle: Smartphones adopting AI engines

Smartphones are getting smarter using artificial intelligence, which means smartphone-processor vendors must improve their AI platforms. To do so, the latest round of premium smartphones implement hardware-based AI accelerators, including Apple’s neural engine, Huawei’s neural-processing unit, and Qualcomm’s Artificial Intelligence Engine, which features the...

Kagan: How 5G will change pay TV and internet

5G is more than just faster wireless service. It is transformative. It will transform the way we use wireless and expand what we can do over it. Over the next few years, 5G wireless will open new doors and create a completely different experience...

Analyst Angle: Microwave sharpens its edge for 5G backhaul

Last year, Sky Light Research wrote a paper on microwave being able to meet the requirements of 5G.  That paper explored various benchmarks that microwave needs to meet for 5G to be successful - capacity, low latency, high cell densification, and flexible OAM through...

Analyst Angle: AI, specious tech races, and the dangers of being first

A lot was made last week of Samsung's large investment into AI research, and a media-fueled 5G tech race between China and the United States.  While wholly separate subjects, the notion that all sea change-type technology developments are a race could be especially dangerous...

Kagan: Frontier AnyWare lets you manage your company from the cloud

Frontier Business is expanding their AnyWare business service offering. They let users manage their company’s usage through the Frontier Cloud. This service is growing into a fully integrated set of services that is easy to manage for any business over the cloud. Let’s take...

Analyst Angle: Lenovo’s Moto Mod is a 5G mythbuster

If you are in the telecom world and have not heard about the recent announcement of the Motorola z3, and more importantly, its Moto Mod 5G add-on, you must be hiding under a rock. Jointly announced by Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and Lenovo (HKSE: 0992.HK),...

IoT: The solution for warehouse operations

Internet of Things (IoT) is playing an important role in the modern warehouses by helping in automating the warehouse operations, such as packing, put away, goods receiving, and kitting to outbound logistics using connected devices, such as RFIDs. Supply chain management plays a crucial role...

Kagan: Why the T-Mobile US, Sprint merger seems tougher than ever

T-Mobile US and Sprint have been trying to merge for more years than I can count. There have been issues and roadblocks from the government, regulators and the companies themselves. So, why has it been so difficult for these two to actually get together?...

Kagan: The Charter Spectrum Mobile wireless growth plan

Craig Cowden, the Senior Vice President of wireless for Charter explained some of their interesting growth plans at a recent US Senate hearing. I think it’s important for all of us to take a moment and pull the camera back. Let’s think about where...

Kagan: The Charter Spectrum Mobile wireless growth plan

Craig Cowden, the Senior Vice President of wireless for Charter, explained some of their interesting growth plans at a recent U.S. Senate hearing. I think it’s important for all of us to take a moment and pull the camera back. Let’s think about where...

Analyst Angle: Smartphone teardowns reveal radio frequency challenges ahead of 5G deployments

Components in smartphones that relate to the Radio Frequency (RF) Front End (RFFE)—i.e., that provide the link between the modem/RF transceivers and antennas—are expanding exponentially as new network technologies (such as Multiple Input, Multiple Output , Long-Term Evolution- -Advanced Pro, and beyond to 5G)...

Analyst Angle: 5G transport achieves big 3 status alongside RAN and core

As commercial 5G deployments at scale become more a question of “when” rather than “if”, the industry is taking a more holistic view of 5G transport requirements. Even as capacity requirements have increased exponentially with each successive mobile technology generation, mobile backhaul has typically been...

Kagan: Pack mentality is key to successful marketing

Let me share a secret with you—something every very successful marketer uses, but they may not think of it this way. Something I learned from my pet dog. I call it pack mentality. As human beings, we are animals. As animals, there are many...

Kagan: Don’t let Hilton wireless Digital Key lock you out

Many hotels like Hilton are doing something new. The cutting edge can be exciting, but it does come with risk. I want to teach you an important lesson about using your iPhone or Android smartphone as your key to open your hotel room door....

Analyst Angle: Rural connectivity hinges on software as much as access

Rural connectivity schemes typically focus on on overcoming last mile issues, oftentimes at the expense of figuring out answers to the myriad of other challenges related to backhaul, core, OSS/BSS With 5G being seen as a way of enabling gigabit fixed wireless connectivity, there seems...

Analyst Angle: Effective management of Wi-Fi networks to enable the smart home

With the proliferation of devices, the home is rapidly becoming a dense environment requiring a new level of Wi-Fi performance and coverage. The wireless footprint of these devices varies considerably and, unless some order is established, is a sure way towards an inconsistent Wi-Fi...

Kagan: Why Apple iPhone and MacBook performance is so poor lately

Come on Apple, you’re better than this. I’ve used Microsoft Windows computers for more years than I can remember. Then a few years ago I switched to Apple MacBook when Microsoft was forcing users to the new Windows 10 format. I figured that I...