AT&T reiterated its support for tax reform Thursday, just as President Donald Trump laid out a broad-strokes plan to slash rates and alleviate what he called “the crushing tax burden” holding back companies and workers. During a speech in Springfield, Missouri, Trump pitched four principles to reform the current tax system. Those included making the…
T-Mobile Gets First 600 MHz-Capable Device in LG’s V30
Two weeks after T-Mobile began lighting up its first 600 MHz sites in Wyoming, the Un-carrier on Thursday announced the first handset that will actually be capable of supporting those new airwaves: LG’s V30. Unveiled at IFA2017 in Berlin, the new V30 smartphone is packed with high-end device features, including a 6-inch OLED display, Android…
Ericsson Debuts Three New Small Cell Solutions as Densification Efforts Roll
Ericsson on Wednesday debuted three new small cell solutions that offer options for multi-vendor and zero-footprint deployments. The scalable solutions include the Multi-Operator Dot and the Multi-Dot Enclosure for indoor deployments, as well as the Strand-Mount Unit for outdoor use. The Multi-Operator Dot offering includes a set of Radio Dots that can be shared by…
Digging into the Rise of VoLTE and How It’s Changing Carrier Networks
Voice over LTE. VoLTe. You’ve no doubt heard of it by now, and chances are many of your calls utilize the technology. But why is VoLTE so huge and why are carriers rushing to roll it out across their networks? To dig a little deeper, Wireless Week got in touch with John Wick, SVP and GM of…
Verizon Demos LTE Carrier Ag on CBRS Spectrum with Federated Wireless, Ericsson
Verizon might be one of many pushing for rule changes in the 3.5 GHz CBRS band, but the carrier isn’t stalling its work with those airwaves while that debate plays out. The carrier on Monday said it achieved the first ever use of CBRS band 48 spectrum in an LTE-Advanced demonstration of carrier aggregation working…
Nokia Offloading Over 6,000 Patents Related to 4G, 5G, SDN, VR, and More
Telecom equipment giant Nokia is offloading more than 6,000 patents related to 4G, 5G, SDN, VR, and more in the wake of its recent merger deal with Alcatel-Lucent. According to a listing from transaction firm Aqua Licensing LLC, which was first spotted by Law360, Nokia is selling a portfolio containing 6,069 granted patents and 734…
NAB Fires Back After Tech Execs Support Microsoft’s White Space Plan
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is urging federal regulators and legislators not to be fooled by “empty promises” this week, after a group of technology executives issued a letter of support for Microsoft’s plan to use TV white spaces for broadband. “Using even the most wildly optimistic TVWS database numbers, TVWS advocates just need…
Verizon, AT&T Rollouts to Drive Fixed 5G Service Revenues to $1B Before 2020
There’s been a bit of debate among U.S. wireless carriers about the value of fixed wireless deployments of 5G technology. At Mobile World Congress earlier this year, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray dismissed the approach as a “niche” application. But Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam has contended the technology offers the carrier the chance to massively expand…
AT&T’s Time Warner Merger Hits a Snag with Brazilian Regulators
Brazilian regulators have raised the red flag on AT&T’s proposed Time Warner merger, saying the deal poses risks to competition. In a decision released Tuesday, the country’s antitrust branch – known as Cade – indicated the transaction would align the interests of two significant market powers and create incentives for the combined company to corner…
Brazil Regulators Say AT&T, Time Warner Deal Poses Competitive Risks
Brazilian regulators have raised the red flag on AT&T’s proposed Time Warner merger, saying the deal poses risks to competition. In a decision released Tuesday, the country’s antitrust branch – known as Cade – indicates the transaction would align the interests of two significant market powers and create incentives for the combined company to corner the…
Tuesdays with Roger: Is Change Ahead for CBRS?
Roger circles back to CBRS, taking a look at the current debate about changing the rules in the 3.5 GHz band and what consequences any alterations might have. On the run? Catch Tuesdays with Roger episodes in podcast form here! Also, follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to…
Should AT&T Worry in the Wake of Mexican Court’s America Movil Decision?
Mexico’s Supreme Court this week handed south-of-the-border telecom giant America Movil a victory, ruling legislation blocking the carrier from charging interconnection fees to rivals was unconstitutional. The court’s five justices voted unanimously that such rate rules must be set instead by the country’s regulatory body, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT). The rules in question were…
AT&T Making Headway in Time Warner Talks with DOJ, Report Says
AT&T and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are reportedly making headway in their discussions about the former’s Time Warner merger despite the Senate’s failure to confirm an antitrust chief for the agency and President Donald Trump’s previous opposition to the deal. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, discussions between AT&T and…
AT&T Using AI and Drones to Make Automated Tower Inspections a Reality
AT&T has already engaged with contractors to use drones for cell tower inspections, but the carrier said this week it wants to use artificial intelligence to automate that process entirely. AT&T said its AT&T Labs video analytics team is currently working with the carrier’s National Drone Team to further develop a deep learning-based algorithm that…
Verizon Ups Ante as FirstNet Alternative with Dedicated Network for Responders
Verizon on Wednesday announced plans to build a dedicated network core for first responders, boosting its efforts in the public safety sector and setting the stage for a fight with FirstNet contractor AT&T. The carrier said it will build and operate its own private network core for public safety communications, and will offer priority access…
Verizon, Apple, Google Want Supreme Court to Update Privacy Rules Around Cellular Data
Tech titans Apple and Google, companies behind the major two smartphone operating systems, urged the Supreme Court this week to update its interpretation of Fourth Amendment privacy protections for the digital age. In a briefing filed Monday night, the companies, alongside the likes of Cisco, Facebook, Microsoft, Verizon’s Oath, and Tier-1 U.S. wireless carrier Verizon…
T-Mobile’s First 600 MHz Sites Go Live in Wyoming with More on the Way
T-Mobile promised a “record-breaking” rollout of its new 600 MHz airwaves, and it seems it’s keeping its word. Less than six months following the close of the FCC’s spectrum incentive auction, the Un-carrier announced it has turned up its first 600 MHz sites in Cheyenne, Wyoming using equipment from Nokia. T-Mobile also revealed that additional 600 MHz deployments…
Tuesdays with Roger: What’s the Fuss about Gigabit LTE?
Roger digs into the topic of gigabit LTE, explaining what all the fuss is about and why operators are so eager to move forward with this technology. More in-depth information on Gigabit LTE, and how it figures into the 5G roadmap, can be found here. Want to listen on the go? Tune in to Tuesdays with…
Massachusetts Ditches Plan for Commuter WiFi After Pole Complaints
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority last week announced it is ditching a plan to expand WiFi access across all its commuter rail lines after residents expressed concern about the monopoles that would be used to provide connectivity. According to Boston news station WCVB, locals and lawmakers were worried about the height of the proposed poles.…
Nokia Wants To Demo Its Small Cell Technology for Comcast
It’s no secret that Comcast is looking to make a play in the mobile space. The cable company has previously announced both its intention to activate its MVNO agreement with Verizon and a deal to work with fellow operator Charter on all things wireless. But a new experimental application filed with the FCC sheds some…
Beyond Millimeter Wave: Researchers Hit 50 Gbps Using Terahertz Multiplexing
The wireless industry has been abuzz of late as carriers across the globe push toward the 1 Gbps milestone using a combination of carrier aggregation, MIMO, and 256-QAM in the march toward 5G. But even more ambitious goals on that front – like Sprint’s plan to deliver 3-6 Gbps in the coming years – pale…
Google Resists As Carriers, Vendors Renew Push for Rule Changes in 3.5 GHz Band
The battle over the future of the CBRS band continued this week, with a fresh round of comments that pitted Google against telecom stakeholders like Verizon, AT&T, GSMA, and Nokia. The FCC’s rules for the CBRS band as they stand today call for small area, short-term licensing (known as Priority Access Licenses) as well as…
FCC Looking Into Use of 900 MHz Band for Broadband, IoT
The Federal Communications Commission is continuing its quest to open up as much spectrum as possible for mobile broadband with a new Notice of Inquiry examining the 900 MHz band. With the NOI, the FCC is looking for more information on three potential new approaches to the band. Those include rearranging the band to make…
T-Mobile to Light Up Large Swaths of Western U.S. with 600 MHz This Year
T-Mobile appears to be on track to light up large swaths of the western United States with its newly won 600 MHz spectrum later this year. In an ex part filing with the FCC, T-Mobile noted that keeping the spectrum transition on schedule will help it expand wireless broadband across the nation, particularly in the…
Samsung, American Tower Join MulteFire Alliance for Unlicensed LTE
Industry giants Samsung and American Tower were among the latest group of companies to join the MulteFire Alliance, joining the likes of founding members Qualcomm, Ericsson, Nokia, and Intel. H3C and InterDigital Communications also became Alliance members. “At Samsung, we believe that enterprises can provide employees and customers with telco-grade mobile connectivity within their facility…