Wireless Internet

WebTV founder's decade-long quest to improve wireless

For nearly a decade, veteran technologist Steve Perlman has been

Let's Keep Driving Forward on Connected Cars & Next-Gen Wi-Fi

These days, there isn’t a lot of harmony in the world of technology policy. But there is a bright spot of bipartisanship in a section of our airwaves: the 5.9 GHz band. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to modernize the rules in this spectrum to allow both Wi-Fi and automotive safety tech to operate. This win-win was celebrated by proponents of car safety and broadband alike. But now the Department of Transportation (DOT) is working on a study that may purposely have been designed to undo this decision.

RWA Emphasizes Importance of Wireless Deployments in Closing Digital Divide

In a meeting with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Rural Wireless Association discussed the important role of fixed and mobile wireless solutions in the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. RWA stressed how factors such as serving difficult terrain, speed of deployment, lower construction costs, and future-proofing networks through network virtualization are all strong reasons to include funding for wireless networks.

Rural Precision Playbook is T-Mobile’s Fixed Wireless Secret Sauce

T-Mobile has a secret sauce for selling T-Mobile Home fixed wireless service in rural areas that involves a granular competitive analysis of 775 sub-markets, said CEO Mike Sievert. The company is seeing strong growth for the fixed wireless offering, having reached 1 million subscribers in less than a year.

NTIA and Department of Defense Select 5G Challenge Contestants from Early-Bird Entries

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), in Boulder (CO) in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD), announced 5G Challenge contestants selected from Early-Bird entries. This prize competition aims to accelerate the adoption of open interfaces, interoperable components, and multi-vendor solutions toward the development of an open 5G ecosystem.

Verizon sees strong wireless growth in 2022

Verizon reported first-quarter 2022 results that showed strong growth in its wireless business. Consolidated revenues for first-quarter 2022 totaled $33.6 billion, up 2.1 percent from first-quarter 2021. Verizon's growth in first-quarter 2022 was driven by the first full quarter of ownership of TracFone Wireless, higher equipment revenue, and strong wireless service revenue growth. The company saw a total wireless service revenue of $18.3 billion, a 9.5 percent increase year over year.

Mobile phones, mobile Internet, and employment in Uganda

This research analyzes the relation between mobile phone use – mobile Internet in particular – and employment, self-employment and job regularity in Uganda. It finds no evidence of any positive impact of mobile Internet use on employment or job quality, suggesting that either respondents do not use mobile Internet for job search practices or as a job tool, or that these uses are ineffective.

Verizon Broadband Business is Now Very Much a Fixed Wireless Story

Verizon was a pioneer in fiber broadband with its Fios product, having launched it well over 15 years ahead of the fiber frenzy we now find ourselves in. Fios was very much the heart of Verizon broadband, but that appears to be changing. Today, and from all indications, the future of Verizon broadband is very much centered on its emerging fixed wireless business. Out of the 229,000 net broadband adds Verizon gained in Q1 2022, roughly 85 percent came from fixed wireless. In 2021, fixed wireless only accounted for 20 percent of the company’s net broadband adds.

Request for Comments on Competition in the Mobile App Ecosystem

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is requesting comments on competition in the mobile application ecosystem.

FCC Proposes Public Wireless Emergency Alerts Performance Reporting

The Federal Communications Commission proposed to strengthen the effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts, including through public reporting on the reliability, speed, and accuracy of these messages. The FCC seeks comment on:

T-Mobile Reports 1 Million Fixed Wireless Subscribers

T-Mobile announced that the company has reached 1 million fixed wireless customers after launching the service commercially in 2021. In addition, 10 million additional homes nationwide are now eligible for 5G Home Internet, bringing the total number of eligible households to more than 40 million, all covered with 5G. In Q4 of 2021, T-Mobile added more broadband customers than any other internet service provider (ISP) in the US, the company said.

Speedtest Releases US Global Index Market Analyses

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses from Ookla identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter Ookla has provided updated analyses for 44 markets that include details on fastest mobile and fixed broadband providers, performance of most popular devices and chipsets and internet speeds in cities.

T-Mobile eyes 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi tests, cites fixed wireless service

Given T-Mobile’s recent history of arguing for more licensed spectrum, it’s easy to forget how much unlicensed spectrum plays into its overall strategy. But a recent application before the Federal Communications Commission serves as a reminder of that. T-Mobile is asking for special temporary authority (STA) to operate on spectrum in the 6110-6190 MHz portion of the 5925-7125 MHz (6 GHz) band in and around the areas of Alexandria and Falls Church (VA).

T-Mobile Fixed Wireless is Overperforming in Rural Markets

One-third of T-Mobile fixed wireless access (FWA) subscribers are in rural areas, according to an estimate from telecom financial analysts at MoffettNathanson. It’s a surprising finding, considering that the analysts estimate that only 6 percent of locations that can get T-Mobile fixed wireless are in rural areas. Forty-four percent of T-Mobile fixed wireless subscribers are in urban census blocks, which represent 74 percent of locations that can get T-Mobile fixed wireless, according to the estimates.

Do 5G providers need to own a fiber network too?

AT&T and Verizon – two of the nation's biggest 5G mobile network operators – own extensive fiber holdings around the country, and both argue that such ownership is critical to their long-term success. T-Mobile and Dish Network, on the other hand, are building extensive 5G mobile networks (though Dish hasn't yet switched on commercial services) without owning any fiber whatsoever. And, according to both Dish and T-Mobile, that's just fine. So, which side is right?

NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and Department of Defense Launch 5G Challenge

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) announced the launch of the 5G Challenge in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD). ITS, the US’s Spectrum and Communications Lab, supports the Department of Defense 5G Initiative through a combination of its subject matter experts in 5G and its research, development, test, and evaluation laboratory infrastructure in Boulder (CO).

Dish–The New Broadband Player

Dish Network has been quietly building out its new cellular networks and plans to launch in 25 major markets and over one hundred smaller markets before June 2022. This company is shooting to stay on track for its commitment to the Federal Communications Commission to cover 20% of the US population by this summer and 70% by June 2023.

Competitive Carriers Association: bringing fiber to rural doesn't bring mobile

Steven Berry, CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association, said smaller carriers are happy, along with everyone else, that billions of dollars of government funding will be poured into closing the digital divide. But he stressed that bringing fiber to rural areas is not the same as bringing mobile. “Fiber to the home is not mobile,” said Berry. “The Biden administration is going to spend $42.5 billion on fiber to the home. Great.

The Discovery Park District's Digital Trust Initiative at Purdue

About one-third of smart city projects fail and around 80 percent of prototypes don’t scale and reach their desired scope.(1) Poorly implemented smart city investments undercut civic trust and can have far-reaching economic and social consequences. US Ignite’s Fostering Civic Trust guide purports an ecosystem of trust that places people at the core of the smart city movement by focusing on five policy domains: (i) Data Governance; (ii) Cybersecurit

12 GHz band: ‘Our best engineers’ are on it, says FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s response to a question about the 12 GHz band during an FCC oversight hearing March 31 is giving hope to the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition. The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition (which includes the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society) has been urging the commission to change the rules for the 12 GHz band so it can be used for two-way 5G communications.

Quantifying the impact of C-band on 5G mobile experience in the US

In this analysis, Opensignal takes its first look at the impact of AT&T and Verizon's C-band launches on the 5G mobile experience. We analyzed the 5G speeds seen on the US carriers when connected to mid-band 5G spectrum, using T-Mobile’s 5G experience on the 2.5 GHz band for comparison because T-Mobile is using 2.5 GHz for a similar purpose to C-band.

Verizon mid-band spectrum lifts 5G speeds as it chases T-Mobile

Verizon’s deployment of mid-band spectrum for 5G is delivering boosts to download speeds for users connected to C-band, according to new analysis from Opensignal –  getting the carrier closer as it works to catch up to speed leader T-Mobile. Verizon and AT&T both started activating C-band spectrum in the 3.7 GHz range on January 19.