BROWSING: Opinion

Addressing the threats posed by 5G (Reader Forum)

Promising super-fast download speeds, ultra-low latency, and increased connectivity, the imminent rollout of 5G network technology is set to deliver a host of benefits to consumers, businesses, and mobile operators alike. In addition to these advantages, however, the introduction of 5G will bring with...

T-Mobile and Sprint to strengthen prepaid competition and accelerate nationwide 5G (Reader Forum)

As the CEO and founder of a medium-sized prepaid wireless business, I’m thrilled about the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. T-Mobile’s growth over the last six years has been one of the great American success stories. The “Un-Carrier” has taken on AT&T and Verizon,...

Gaining clarity within the middleprise market mirage (Reader Forum)

For many years, the in-building wireless industry has coveted the mid-sized enterprise or “Middleprise” market opportunity. After all, the vast majority of cellular users are found not in large public venues such as stadiums or airports but, instead, in buildings used for offices, hotels,...

A new hope for the 5G transition (Reality Check)

This October, North American operator Verizon launched the first 5G fixed wireless access service, making it very clear that 5G is closer than you think. 5G is set to promise speed, greater network efficiency, reduced latency and above all, an enhanced user experience. But...

Why the world isn’t truly connected…yet (Reader Forum)

Even though it may seem like we are living in a completely connected world, we’re not. And, as the Internet of Things dramatically expands the number and scope of connected devices, the traditional communications connectivity model no longer delivers the kind of flexibility and...

Kagan: Visible is a new wireless service from Verizon

Visible is a new wireless brand using a great wireless network, but I’ll bet you never heard of them before. Well, if you are a young adult, you will very likely be hearing about Visible as they are getting busy marketing on social networks....

Today’s assurance vs. tomorrow’s assured networks, Part 2 (Reality Check)

In part 1 of this series, we discussed the state of networks heading into 5G, and why we’ll need to move beyond today’s concept of assurance. To achieve tomorrow’s agile, self-organizing networks that can uphold absolute assurance, we’ll need five key components: AI, a...

Unleashing the potential of NFV (Reality Check)

Network Function Virtualization — NFV — promises much. NFV is the next generation of network architecture, replacing software running on dedicated hardware with virtual appliances running on commodity hardware. NFV should mean the ability to deploy software functions on any hardware at any time...

The pathway for indoor 5G is paved by hybrid DAS and small cells (Reader Forum)

By 2020, large-scale 5G commercial deployments are expected to begin with faster data speeds, increased bandwidth per unit, lower latency, and support for more connected devices. Before these deployments make their way across the U.S. and the world, there must be a standardized approach...

Exploring the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 (Reader Forum)

The Wi-Fi landscape is rapidly evolving and its growth continues unabated. A ubiquitous amenity, Wi-Fi is routinely offered across a wide range of locations including carpeted enterprises, school/college/office campuses, stadiums, airports, hotels, MDUs, and transportation hubs. Fast and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity is now considered...

Kagan: Why so much of CES 2019 is tied to 5G wireless

CES 2019 is just a few weeks away and I’ve noticed something very interesting. So much of the innovation and new ideas at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show center around wireless. As 5G comes into play, even more will use wireless. Since I have...

Solving the e911 problem: Locating emergency callers accurately (Reader Forum)

Nearly 80 percent of all 911 calls originate from a wireless device. This is not surprising, given that over half of households in the U.S. have given up landline phones and rely solely on wireless devices. This is a rapid increase from 15 percent...

A new hope for the 5G transition (Reader Forum)

This October, North American operator Verizon launched the first 5G fixed wireless access service, making it very clear that 5G is closer than you think. 5G is set to promise speed, greater network efficiency, reduced latency and above all, an enhanced user experience. But...

Top 5G myths enterprises need to know (Reader Forum)

5G has been billed as the magic bullet for many of today’s wireless network challenges. It’s expected to bring greater bandwidth, coverage and capacity for mobile computing. While enterprise users can expect to see performance improvement for real-time apps and during peak usage times...

How intent-based networking provides business value (Reality Check)

The new network is different than the old network. And the way it’s managed is different, too. Until now, management has been on a device-by-device basis, but volume and complexity have made that method unsustainable. Automation and orchestration drive network management today, bringing greater...

New considerations for deploying fronthaul to Small Cells (Reader Forum)

As revenue per bit falls and demand rises, mobile network operators (MNOs) are looking for ways to increase network capacity and reduce cost.  Trends for accomplishing this include densification, e.g., small cells, cloudification for resource “elasticity”, and centralization of the RAN, i.e., C-RAN.  A...

Kagan: Wireless cloud getting better, strong, safer year after year

When the cloud first popped up on our radar several years ago, there was plenty to get excited about. However, in those early days there was also plenty to be concerned about. We didn’t know what to be on the lookout for. There were...

The erosion of trust in voice calling (Reader Forum)

  For anyone who owns a smartphone, it will come as little surprise that robocalling activity is up 15% year to date. The jump follows an increase in robocall complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 3.4 million robocalls in 2016 to 4.5 million...

Kagan: Comparing AT&T, Verizon and the state of 5G

While 5G is not only going to change wireless and impact every company in every industry, it is still just at the very beginning of its long journey. At the network level, the leader today in 5G is clearly AT&T Mobility. Verizon Wireless comes...

Analyst Angle: Did Intel’s failure to deliver on XMM 8060 make Apple delay iPhone 5G?

In my stint as an analyst, as well as in my long career as an engineer and a marketer in large corporations, I have developed a believability yardstick: believe less than 50% of what you are told, about 60% of what you are shown,...

Kagan: How 5G wireless will impact you and your company

Wireless is about to go through an enormous transformation that will impact every user, every company and every industry. Are you prepared for this next change wave? How will it impact you, your business and your industry? As a wireless analyst for more than...

Free trade in tech helps economies grow (Reader Forum)

Over the past few decades, the liberalization of trade has allowed small and mid-sized enterprises to expand into global markets, while information communications technology (ICT) has become a key driver of global competitiveness, both for individual companies and for countries seeking to grow their...

Kagan: Bell Mobility offers Siyata Mobile PPT device in Canada

Last week Siyata Mobile said Bell Mobility is now offering the Uniden UV350 push-to-talk device in Canada. Siyata has been testing their devices and software for a while on the Bell Mobility network, so winning this approval is important. So, if that’s the case,...

3 ways network operators can capture 5G success (Reality Check)

Smartphone usage. Voluminous streaming data. Multiple mobile devices tethered together. All of these activities are expected to have much smoother connections once 5G is rolled out. Because it’s touted as the answer to latency or slow speeds, network operators are anxious to get started...