Wireless Internet

Cogent to Buy T-Mobile Wireline Business: What’s That? You Ask

Competitive fiber network operator Cogent Communications reached a definitive agreement to buy T-Mobile’s wireline business.

FirstNet Authority’s Broadband Integration Guide, Collaboration with Indian Gaming Association

The First Responder Network Authority has made it a priority to bring broadband to all first responders — local, state, federal and tribal — in rural and urban areas.

How Seattle Public Library’s Wi-Fi hot spot program has fared

Seattle residents don’t have to be at a Seattle Public Library (SPL) branch to use the internet.

Federal Communications Commission Authorizes Additional $800 Million for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

The Federal Communications Commission authorize $791,604,299 through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to six providers to fund new broadband deployments to over 350,000 estimated locations in 19 states. The top three states receiving funding include Illinois, $212 million, Arizona, $140 million, and Iowa, $113 million. This round of funding supports projects using a range of network technologies, including gigabit service hybrid fiber/fixed wireless deployments that will provide end-user locations with either fiber or fixed wireless network service using licensed spectrum.

Comcast and Charter face a grim new reality: actual competition

Comcast and other cable companies have leaned on a simple strategy to offset the effects of cord-cutting: Charge a steep price on home internet service, and enjoy soaring profits thanks to little or no competition. That strategy may now be in jeopardy. Comcast’s internet subscriber growth was essentially flat last quarter, while Charter lost 21,000 Spectrum internet subscribers.

EducationSuperHighway and Massachusetts Connect Residents To Affordable Broadband

With President Biden signing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law in November 2021 and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) subsequently releasing Notices of Funding Opportunity which outline the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Digital Equity Act (DEA), and Enabling Middle Mile Grant Infrastructure Program in May 2022, EducationSuperHighway and various organizations across Massachusetts are working to bring affordable broadband to the State. The organization has partnered with Springfield and Worcester (MA) Publ

Auction 108 of 2.5 GHz Spectrum Closes, Raising Less Than $428 Million

Auction 108 of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band closed after raising less than $428 million, a considerably lower amount in comparison with what we have seen in other recent auctions. The spectrum is considered mid-band, which is widely seen as supporting the optimum mixture of speed and coverage for 5G.

Bringing mobile connectivity to nowhere

T-Mobile and Space X announced their “Coverage Above & Beyond” partnership to bring about the “end of mobile dead zones.” It is one of a growing number of announced partnerships, ventures and rumors of similar nature and purpose of expanding the frontier of connectivity where it hasn’t gone before. “Coverage Above & Beyond” promises to provide satellite-based cellular connectivity directly to T-Mobile’s current smartphones thereby providing coverage anywhere in the U.S., its territories, as well as the vast unregulated oceans. However, much of the technical burden seems to rest on t

Charter: Third Parties Don't Get Subscribers' Geolocation Information, Period

Charter's Spectrum Mobile service only uses geolocation information to optimize its service and does not sell to or share it with third parties, including advertisers, the company told the Federal Communications Commission. Charter assured Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel that the company has been, and will continue to be, completely transparent about its privacy practices, and explicitly requests permission to collect customer geolocation data—which Charter limits to data that will "optimize service." 

SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to bring wireless phone service to remote areas

SpaceX and T-Mobile are partnering to bring wireless phone service to remote areas with spotty coverage. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced the collaboration August 25, claiming the service will roll out in 2023 and work with existing phones. They're planning to provide text coverage "practically everywhere" in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and territorial waters, according to T-Mobile. The companies will create a new network broadcast from Starlink’s satellites using T-Mobile bandwidth.

Chairwoman Rosenworcel Shares Mobile Carrier Responses to Data Privacy Probe

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared the responses from the nation’s 15 top mobile carriers following a request for information about their data retention and data privacy policies and practices. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said:

Right to Place Telecommunication Infrastructure

A legal decision in New York State found that the Village of Flower Hill reserved the right to deny ExteNet, an agent of Verizon Wireless, from placing small cell sites within the Village. The decision raises interesting legal and other issues about telecommunications infrastructure. ExteNet was hired by Verizon Wireless to place 66 small cells site in and around the Village, including 18 within the Village, for the stated purpose of strengthening the existing 4GLTE network.

Scuffle over 6 GHz band raises questions about Wi-Fi 6E

In April 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to free up 1,200 megahertz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, earning cheers from Wi-Fi and fixed wireless groups. But more than two years on, scuffles between industry associations representing cable, broadcasting, utility and public safety interests have left the future of the 6 GHz band in limbo. The spectrum is extremely important to cable operators and operators in general because it enables cable companies to offer the fastest service not only to your home but within your home via Wi-Fi technology.

The 12 GHz Band Is the Easy Case for Spectrum Sharing. Let the FCC Do Its Job.

The “future of spectrum is sharing.” Basically, the airwaves are now so crowded that the old model of “clear and auction” federal spectrum is unsustainable for a society as connected as ours. With Wi-Fi 7 coming up, we will need channel sizes of 320 MHz of contiguous spectrum to get the benefits. Despite doomsday predictions from incumbents that any change in existing spectrum rules would cause massive destructive interference with valuable existing services, the Federal Communication Commission's engineers successfully evaluated the evidence and created rules that brought us new wireless s

T-Mobile, cable likely big winners in recession

New Street Research believes that, as the economy takes a turn for the worse, postpaid cellphone plans are a better value than prepaid phone plans. New Street named T-Mobile and cable companies as the main beneficiaries of this trend – at the expense of AT&T and Verizon. “Competition has driven down the price of postpaid plans, while eliminating barriers to adoption (contracts; credit thresholds),” wrote New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin and Philip Burnett.

T-Mobile told to stop with its ‘Save Up to 50%’ Home Internet claim

T-Mobile has been advised to stop implying that a consumer can save up to 50% on their home internet services compared to major competitors like Verizon. The recommendation comes from the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) National Programs.

Fort Worth, Texas, Partners With Cisco to Expand Wi-Fi Connectivity

Fort Worth, Texas, is partnering with Cisco Systems to offer free Wi-Fi within five of the city's underserved neighborhoods, potentially providing Internet access to as many as 40,000 residents this fall. The outbreak of COVID-19 exposed connectivity challenges in Fort Worth, illustrating the importance of residents having access to a reliable Internet connection at home to participate in education, healthcare and employment opportunities.

Dish sets sights on high power Citizens Broadband Radio Service tests

Dish Wireless is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to conduct field experiments to evaluate high power Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) operations and its impact on current operations in the band. The application is notable given that Dish was the second largest bidder in the CBRS auction in 2020 and has been lobbying for a higher power level for the band

Omnispace aims to connect 5G mobile phones to satellite network

Omnispace, based in Tysons, Virginia, wants to be the first company to deliver a global 5G non-terrestrial network with connectivity directly to mobile devices from its low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The company believes the future of communications is hybrid — where satellites extend and augment terrestrial mobile networks.

Purdue's smart city microcosm includes private wireless and a neutral host fiber network

Municipal leaders worldwide are educating themselves about the potential of wireless connectivity, sensors and artificial intelligence to make their cities safer, cleaner, richer and easier to navigate. But when it comes to actually implementing new technology, many are challenged by integration with existing systems, networks and processes. This was not a problem for David Broecker, chief innovation and commercial officer at Purdue Research Foundation (PRF).

T-Mobile forks over $3.5 billion for more 600 MHz spectrum

T-Mobile informed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it is buying additional 600 MHz spectrum from Channel 51 License and LB License for a total cost of $3.5 billion. About $1.9 billion will be paid to 51 License, and about $1.6 billion will be paid to LB License. The licenses range from 10 MHz to 30 MHz per market and cover over 108 million points-of-presence, or about one-third of the US population. The licenses are already being used by T-Mobile through exclusive leasing arrangements with the sellers.

Starry analysis shows buildings become profitable in a year or less

Executives from fixed wireless provider Starry said that the company is performing well despite the tough macro-economic environment. The reasons it’s immune to the today’s economic climate? It’s better, faster and cheaper, said Starry co-founder and CEO Chet Kanojia, adding that because the company’s fixed wireless access (FWA) service is positioned well is because it is prepaid and therefore has minimal bad debt exposure.

T-Mobile Makes Its Home Internet Open to Everyone, but With Data Limit Catch

T-Mobile is expanding its Home Internet product, announcing that it is opening it up to anyone who can get T-Mobile service where they live. The new service, called Home Internet Lite, starts at the same $50 per month T-Mobile has previously charged. However, with Lite your data cap at that price is 100GB per month. When you are within the data cap you will not be restricted on the speed of your connection.