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A new approach is needed for policy and charging in 5G (Reader Forum)

Globally, telecoms spent over $8 billion in 5G infrastructure last year, while in the U.S. alone operators spent more than $80 billion on 5G spectrum. The key to unlocking a return on investment will depend on how effectively telecom service providers can monetize those...

Osterthaler elevated to FirstNet board chair

The First Responders Network Authority board has a new chair: Robert Tipton "Tip" Osterthaler was nominated to the position today by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Osterthaler is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general and former CEO of satellite services provider SES Government Solutions. He...

Amdocs pays $180 million for BSS specialist Openet

Amdocs gaining deeper bench in 5G policy, charging and data management Amdocs announced on July 23 it will acquire Openet for $180 million with the transaction slated for completion before the end of the year. Amdocs, which counts more than 350 service provider customers around...

Orange Poland integrates Openet virtual solutions

Orange Poland virtualizes business and customer support systems to compete in digital market Openet, Ireland’s largest privately held tech firm that develops software for telecom service providers, recently announced Orange Poland, a Polish telecommunications provider, has started using virtualized versions of its policy manager and...

AT&T touts ECOMP policy control, automation advances

Policy control and increased reliance on automation seen as key operational goals for AT&T ECOMP initiative AT&T continues to tout the abilities of its enhanced control, orchestration, management and policy project, known as ECOMP, with the latest link connected to policy management. Jen Yates, assistant VP...

Analyst Angle: Wireless charging provides convenience and easy experience for consumers

Battery life is an essential feature that directly influences a consumer’s purchase decision, brand choice and subsequent usage of a wearable device. A wearable device’s small size and mobile nature limits manufacturers' ability to use bigger or more densely packed battery cells. On the...

Kagan: Wireless carriers simplify price models

Wireless and telecom bills have historically been large and confusing. So much so that it created an entire cottage industry of bill auditors. However, over the last few years we have seen carriers move to simplify their plans. I am not sure whether this...

Comcast expanding data cap policy

Consumer watchdog group calls out Comcast for engaging in monopolistic business After trying out capping customer data use at 300 gigabytes per month, Comcast is expanding the practice to new markets in 12 states. The data caps, which Comcast refers to as "trials," are already in effect in...

Broadband, fiber deployments get push by feds

Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2015 emphasizes expanding broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural America The federal government, of late, has pushed hard to expand high-speed broadband access through rural America; the latest push is the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2015, which calls for fiber...

Boost Mobile rewards on-time payment with free data

In a new promotion, mobile virtual network operator and Sprint subsidiary Boost Mobile is rewarding customers who pay their bill on time with access to more mobile data for free. Subscribers can get up to 3 gigabytes of additional mobile data when monthly payments arrive...

Verizon Wireless sends Oregon couple $2M bill

A Damascus, Oregon, couple has gained national media attention after Verizon Wireless sent them a bill for cellular service totaling a whopping $2,156,593.64. Ken Slusher and his partner opened the account in November, received the bill, closed the account in December and began trying to...

T-Mobile US takes aim at data abusers

CEO John Legere says some customers with unlimited data plans are abusing policy related to tethering devices Apparently some users are actively subverting T-Mobile US’ policy regarding use of tethering devices by customers with unlimited data plans. And T-Mobile US CEO John Legere said of...

Comcast VP says data cap has no point

Some Comcast customers are subject to 300 GB per month data cap Many customers may just now be finding out that Comcast caps home Internet use to 300 gigabytes per month. Perhaps more surprising is the company’s rationale. According to a Comcast VP, the practice...

Video: Alepo discusses Wi-Fi solutions

Partnership with UhuruOne in Tanzania brings citywide Wi-Fi service Austin, Texas-based Alepo, which specializes in software solutions for communications service providers, was on hand for the grand opening of the RCRatx Studio lounge to discuss a recent deployment in Tanzania. Derrick Gross, director of business development...

NFV/SDN Reality Check – Episode 13: Combining network functions to meet carrier-grade needs

On this week’s NFV/SDN Reality Check we talked with Thomas Vasen, subscriber experience evangelist at Procera Networks, and Gerry Donohoe, director of solutions engineering at Openet, about the impact network functions virtualization is having on policy and charging systems. https://youtu.be/T7klZF6g8Ao With virtualization already...

New FCC broadband standard looks to boost rural connectivity

FCC ups minimum speeds required for broadband standard The Federal Communications Commission redefined broadband speeds in a statement that also detailed the failure of broadband development in rural America to keep pace with the rest of the country. A report that studies whether “broadband is being...

Sonus bolsters SBC platform, talks increased virtualization

The ongoing move toward virtualizing network functions is growing to include such services as policy, routing and diameter. This move is seen as ideal for such functions, which are becoming increasingly taxed by the growth in mobile data traffic. Oracle recently estimated that worldwide LTE...

CCA: Monetization next step in LTE revolution

LAS VEGAS — Now that LTE deployments have become nearly ubiquitous among the nation’s larger operators, the next challenge for operators is how to drive more revenues from those deployments. Having spent billions of dollars in acquiring the necessary wireless spectrum and costs associated with...

Reader Forum: Roaming in an LTE world

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reader Forum section. In an attempt to broaden our interaction with our readers we have created this forum for those with something meaningful to say to the wireless industry. We want to keep this as open as possible,...

SoftBank Mobile taps Ericsson for policy (RCR Mobile Minute)

Mobile Minute: Keeping data flowing in even in the most crowded environments is an important goal for Japan's SoftBank Mobile, and to that end the company has partnered with Ericsson. SoftBank Mobile will deploy Ericsson's "mobility-based" policy solution, which directly connects the mobility management entity...

Software: Openet virtualizes BSS platform; Genband joins Intel’s SDN, NFV program

Software is becoming an increasingly important part of telecommunication networks and deployments as both wired and wireless carriers look to add functionality to operations while increasing simplicity and reducing costs. RCR Wireless News is keeping an eye on recent developments through its weekly “Software”...

Comptel sees new business growth

Comptel reported 17%  growth in new business during the most recent quarter, although its net sales were largely flat. Juhani Hintikka, president and CEO of Comptel, said that the company won five new customers during the first half of the year, compared to a total of...

Oracle: Leveraging network data for monetization

Liam Maxwell, VP of products for Oracle Communications, talked with RCR Wireless News about big data from the network, and how that ties into Oracle's marketing automation service Eloqua and its communications portfolio. In the video below, Maxwell touches on how last year's acquisitions of diameter signalling and...

Signaling storm or false alarm?

Each time we use our mobile devices we can generate multiple signaling events within the mobile core. As a result, signaling traffic has risen at a faster clip than traditional mobile network traffic. "The volume of signaling traffic is high, certainly, but it's nothing that...