August 2023

As fires and floods rage, Facebook and Twitter are missing in action

As wildfires ravage western Canada, Canadians can’t read the news about them on Facebook or Instagram.

5G small cell deployments will likely get a boost

Some experts anticipate that US mobile operators will spend more on their small cell deployments in the coming months and use the technology to fill in coverage gaps and boost capacity in their 5G networks. Joe Madden, founder and lead analyst at Mobile Experts predicts that now that operators have deployed much of their 5G macro network, they will turn their attention to small cells and use the technology to fill in coverage gaps, solve capacity issues and provide in-building coverage. Although small cell deployments didn’t get a lot of attention in 2022, industry trade group CTIA reported

Oklahoma Broadband Office Launches Interactive Internet Service Map

The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) has launched an interactive online map detailing availability of high-speed internet service throughout the state. The Oklahoma Broadband Map offers Oklahomans a way to track improvements in broadband infrastructure as federal grant funds are deployed statewide over the coming years. Developed using federal grant funds appropriated by the Legislature, the state map offers information and functions not available in either of two maps maintained by the Federal Communications Commission – one showing service availab

Federated CEO refutes those CBRS slams

In 2022, a study commissioned by CTIA basically called Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) a failure, in part due to its low power levels and limited use cases. Some saw it as a smear campaign against CBRS because CTIA would prefer the 3.1-3.45 GHz band to be licensed rather than end up looking more like CBRS, which involves a three-tiered sharing system to protect Department of Defense (DoD) incumbents. Federated Wireless 

T-Mobile cuts its workforce by 7 percent, about 5,000 jobs

T-Mobile announced to its employees that it is planning to reduce its workforce by about 7%, which equates to about 5,000 jobs. In a letter sent to employees, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert wrote that the cuts will impact employees in locations across the country, primarily in corporate and back-office, and some technology roles. This round of cuts will not affect retail and consumer care employees. “After this process is complete, I do not envision any additional widespread company reductions again in the foreseeable future,” wrote Sievert.

Can Congress fill the broadband labor pool?

In 2023, American employers were anticipated to need an additional 500,000 positions across all construction industries on top of normal hiring levels.

Local Philadelphia advocates explain why affordable internet is important for digital equity

The Federal Communications Commission announced that over 20 million households across the country are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Between this push to spread the word about ACP and the billions of dollars that will be put toward broadband infrastructure expansion, the federal government is investing mightily in digital access. At a local level, even if there is broadband infrastructure in Philadelphia (PA), thousands of families still can’t afford to pay for internet service.