BROWSING: LTE

Feds call for LTE-U input, Wi-Fi vs. LTE lines drawn

Promise of increased spectral efficiency with LTE-U small cell deployments is balanced with potential for Wi-Fi interference WASHINGTON – Earlier this week federal regulators solicited input from telecom stakeholders regarding feedback on LTE-Unlicensed, particularly as the emerging technology relates to Wi-Fi networks. LTE-U, which was developed...

Report: AT&T in talks to tap Mexico towers

AT&T is reportedly talking with Telesites to lease Mexico towers AT&T’s push into Mexico is reportedly set to include a tower agreement with rival America Móvil’s recently spun off Telesites business. Bloomberg recently reported that the two companies were in talks over a leasing agreement that...

Reality Check: Top Q2 trends (Part 1) – Hablamos su lengua

Deciphering the top trends of any quarter is difficult, and the second quarter of 2015 is no exception. There’s a lot of “reading between the lines” to figure out what’s really going to move the needle. This week’s trends are based on several conversations...

By 2020, 70% of global population will use smartphones

Ericsson Mobility Report: As the decade ends, 90% of the globe will have access to mobile broadband networks In the mobile technology landscape, 2020 is poised to be a big year. The latest Ericsson Mobility Report projects that by the end of the decade, 70%...

Reader Forum: Taking INs out – next-generation BSS for LTE

One of the biggest challenges facing communications service providers today is how to best monetize mobile data and avoid data becoming a commodity. To do so effectively, CSPs need to look at the value that data enables and not just think of pricing based...

Test and Measurement: LTE drives network monitoring, optimization

A new report from ABI Research concludes that the adoption of LTE is driving the market for network monitoring and optimization, and the market's size will reach more than $40 billion over the next five years. "Mobile optimization is more important than ever," ABI noted, adding...

T-Mobile US extends Verizon Wireless targeted attack

T-Mobile US extends its “Never Settle for Verizon Wireless” campaign T-Mobile US has extended the life of its narrowly focused attack on rival Verizon Wireless, with CEO John Legere taking to Twitter to announce the extension of its “Never Settle for Verizon Wireless” campaign through...

Sprint counters T-Mobile US, AT&T with prepaid data rollover

Sprint touts data rollover advantages, launches Boost TV service Sprint has jumped on the rollover data bandwagon by kicking off the ability for prepaid customers to keep up to 30 gigabytes of unused data for an unlimited amount of time. Sprint said that beginning this week, customers signing...

PSAC gets initial reports on FirstNet pilot projects

The 40-member Public Safety Advisory Committee received its first formal update on the status of FirstNet pilot projects around the country in the ongoing effort to lay the groundwork for a national LTE network for public safety broadband. The PSAC was formed to provide the...

Tale of two markets: network backbone and RAN

Telco equipment spending is posting double-digit gains, driven by purchases of network backbone equipment and data center solutions as the radio access equipment market levels off. U.S. telecommunications network equipment spending rose 8.9% to $279.3 billion, according to the Telecommunication Industry Association's annual ICT market...

AOptix laser-radio technology connects underserved markets

AOptix solutions provide ultra-high-capacity wireless communications through the use of laser-radio technology, which the company invented. LRT integrates free space optics with millimeter wave radio frequency technology, allowing for carrier-grade performance with 2Gbps throughput capacity to be supported for up to 10 kilometers. Initially developed and...

Kagan: Winners in wireless networks

If we asked who the winners in wireless on the handset side eight years ago were, we would have said BlackBerry and Nokia. Today’s leaders are Apple iPhone and Google Android on phones like the Samsung Galaxy. The wireless world completely changed over the...

EMEA: Germany starts Europe’s first 700 MHz auction

Germany’s telecom regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, this week began the bidding process for spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band, becoming the first European country to open up the spectrum band deemed ideal for broad LTE deployments. Also on the block are spectrum licenses in the 900...

Reality Check: RF spectrum as an innovative element in Paraguay

RF spectrum paramount for continued LTE expansion across Latin America LTE has been fast to arrive in Latin America if compared to the time from the first launches of GSM and UMTS worldwide to their landing in the region. While it took 2G and 3G...

CDMA remains on Verizon Wireless radar; 600 MHz auction strategy in flux

Verizon Wireless said CDMA to continue supporting IoT, connected devices While LTE is the network of now and the future at Verizon Wireless, the carrier expects to continue supporting its legacy CDMA operations for the foreseeable future to handle connected devices as part of the...

Reality Check: Mobile first – what does it mean and why does it matter?

This was a very active week in telecom, with AT&T extending its termination date on its DirecTV merger to the end of June; Charlie Ergen making headlines defending the designated entity structure for the latest wireless auction (CNBC interview here); Google releasing its self-driving car on California...

Shentel rumored acquisition of Ntelos questioned

Analyst thinks Shentel lacks funds, does not need Ntelos deal Recent reports about a potential Shenandoah Telecommunications acquisition of fellow regional telecom operator Ntelos may have impacted stock prices, but some investors are not moved. Macquarie Capital analyst Kevin Smithen noted in a recent research report...

AT&T, DirecTV file ‘short’ extension on $48.5B deal

AT&T remains confident of midyear close Despite countless delays, AT&T’s pending $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV looks to remain on track as the companies filed extensions on the “termination date” of the planned deal as it has now passed the one-year mark since it was...

Sprint adds data, cuts prices for Virgin Mobile USA

Sprint changes exclusive to Wal-Mart distribution Sprint over the weekend updated pricing for its Virgin Mobile USA brand, cutting prices and adding data exclusively for service activated through Wal-Mart locations. The changed include the Data Done Right Single Line offer, which cuts prices by $5 per...

Analyst Angle: Learning from Wi-Fi, working toward coexistence with LTE in unlicensed 5 GHz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCbQnAsvwc A conversation with Edgar Figueroa, President and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance Download a transcript of the complete interview and the complete report. Wi-Fi Alliance has an unmatched experience in managing the coexistence of multiple networks in unlicensed spectrum. Certification ensures that multiple Wi-Fi devices meet standards requirements and behave...

Ntelos results impacted by realigned business focus

Ntelos reports steep customer defections, improved financials as it exits markets Ntelos’ recently refocused operating efforts showed in its recently released first-quarter results where a dramatic decrease in its customer base was offset by an improved bottom line. The regional carrier said it lost 34,200 customers...

U.S. Cellular boosted by lower churn, focused on improving financials

U.S. Cellular posted improved churn that offset lower gross additions U.S. Cellular continued to show its ability to grow its customers despite an increasingly competitive environment, results boosted by lower churn. The regional carrier said it added 21,000 net customers during the first quarter of the...

Reader Forum: Preparing for 5G trends in the real world

  Current state of 5G trends What is "5G?" Many organizations and entities with a stake in the outcome are attempting to answer that question. A useful example is the push by the GSMA for international, industrywide agreement on a 5G definition and a set of...

Verizon Wireless offers prepaid extra data for auto pay

Verizon Wireless prepaid customers can snag 1 GB of extra data Verizon Wireless is looking to attract prepaid customers to its automatic payment program by offering extra data access. The carrier said that for a “limited time” prepaid customers signing up for its auto pay service...