Wireless Internet
Thermostats, Locks and Lights: Digital Tools of Domestic Abuse
Internet-connected locks, speakers, thermostats, lights and cameras that have been marketed as the newest conveniences are now also being used as a means for harassment, monitoring, revenge and control. In more than 30 interviews with The New York Times, domestic abuse victims, their lawyers, shelter workers and emergency responders described how the technology was becoming an alarming new tool.
Fixed wireless is becoming a serious contender in the growing broadband access market. Fixed wireless economics and technology improvements are giving carriers a new option versus fiber for both OSP backhaul and direct access applications. Technology advancements in the sub 6Ghz and mmWave space have reduced the size and cost, and increased bandwidth of fixed wireless products.
Fifth generation wireless broadband technology—or 5G—is expected to revolutionize communication and transform numerous industries when fully deployed. Compared to 4G LTE, 5G will not only enable higher speeds for video traffic, especially video streaming, conferencing, and virtual reality, it will also become the choice network for the internet of things, artificial intelligence applications, and other broadband-enabled functions.
Disruptive Competition in 5G: T-Mobile and Sprint Submit Their Public Interest Statement
On April 29, 2018, T-Mobile US and Sprint announced that the companies would merge. In the telecom world, an announcement like this always means at least one thing: a really long engagement. After the companies come to a merger agreement, regulators get a chance to review the deal.
How Phone Companies Share Your Data
Carriers get requests for their customers’ whereabouts from all sorts of places. How they handle them depends on who is asking. 1) Each carrier has a dedicated legal team that evaluates the requests of law-enforcement officers. 2) Emergency calls are routed to public-safety answering points, which can obtain the caller’s location without affirmative consent. 3) Middlemen like LocationSmart and Zumigo can access information on cellphone users’ whereabouts in situations where the company seeking the information might not know which carrier to ask.
FCC Commissioner Carr Remarks at Senate Broadband Caucus -- "Agriculture and Broadband for Strong Rural Communities"
We know the need for broadband in rural America. And we know the lost productivity and the lost job opportunities when fast connections are lacking.
FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Staff Submits Comment on Internet of Things and Consumer Product Hazards
In a comment to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) about potential safety issues associated with Internet-connected consumer products, staff of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) warned that poorly secured Internet of Things (IoT) devices could pose a consumer safety hazard and outlined ways to mitigate such risks. BCP Staff submitted a response to the CPSC as part of the agency’s Request for Comments on potential safety issues and hazards associated with Internet-connected consumer products.
San Jose plans smart city infrastructure with Verizon and AT&T
AT&T and San Jose (CA) have added a public-private partnership to their existing small cell agreement. The new agreement calls for San Jose to trial AT&T's smart city solutions. AT&T's digital infrastructure, which the company has described as a "smartphone for cities," is connected hardware with integrated sensors that can be attached to lamp posts to capture information about the environment. AT&T said the solutions it plans to trial with San Jose may include LED smart lighting, public Wi-Fi, digital infrastructure and structure monitoring.
The 5G standard is finally finished with new standalone specification
There's finally a finished 5G standard. The 3GPP — the international group that governs cellular standards — officially signed off on the standalone 5G New Radio (NR) spec. It’s another major step toward next-generation cellular networks finally becoming a reality. There’s still more work to be done to finalize things. The real work will be waiting for the entire industry to build the hardware, infrastructure, chips, modems, phones, and antennas that will actually work with 5G. Don’t forget the massive undertaking of actually rolling out those new networks across the globe.