Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
FirstNet opt-ins begin with Virginia
Less than a month after state plans were released, the first state has decided to opt in to the national public safety LTE network that will be built by AT&T: Virginia’s governor has declared his intent to participate in the First Responders Network Authority’s network. Taking advantage of FirstNet and AT&T’s early opt-in option, Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a letter of intent on Monday “declaring that the Commonwealth of Virginia will allow the First Responder Network Authority and AT&T to proceed with the deployment of the of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Virginia,” according to a press release. “I am proud that Virginia is the first state in the nation to opt in to this program that will help our first responders communicate during times of emergency,” said McAuliffe in a statement. “While this is only the beginning of the process, I look forward to the continued coordinated efforts among Virginia, FirstNet, and AT&T to provide public safety officials with innovative new technologies that will help them keep Virginians safe.” … Read more
Looking forward to CBRS, the “innovation band”
The Internet of Things has delivered on its promises perhaps faster than any buzzword in recent memory: by 2014, we hit a milestone of more connected devices than people in the world, and we’ve shown no sign of slowing down. By 2020, we’re likely to have 50 billion IoT devices deployed. These devices and services are in use across all industries—from smart cities, energy, and agriculture to transportation, healthcare, and home monitoring. According to CrunchBase, at least $1.94B is being invested in startups whose core business models rely on enabling the Internet of Things. In 2017, this space remains one of the most promising for continued American innovation and entrepreneurship. But there are also no shortage of obstacles for this trend. Chief amongst these obstacles is ensuring that there is a sufficient amount of wireless spectrum available to meet the exponentially increasing demand for it. Spectrum powers everything from mobile phones, to Wi-Fi networks, to the sensors embedded in the increasing number of devices we’d like to be networked. There’s just one small issue—spectrum is a finite resource, the vast majority of which is held (and often underutilized) by the government. It is estimated that federal agencies hold between 60 and 70 percent of the spectrum best suited for broadband technologies. But there’s a bright spot here: two years ago, the Federal Communications Commission, along with interested parties that included many startups, created the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), a rule that would open up the 3550-3650 MHz band of spectrum to anyone, or any company, to create their own wireless backbone between Wi-Fi access points. … Read more
China cracks down on mobile internet access
China has reportedly told its three nationwide carriers that within seven months they will need to suspend customers’ access to major websites hosted outside the country. Google, Facebook and U.S. news sites are currently available to Chinese citizens who access them via virtual private networks, but the government is reportedly set to crack down on carriers who do not suspend access to VPNs by February 1, 2018. China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom offer monthly data packages to their customers, and many customers use some of their monthly data to access VPNs. Loss of access to these sites could prompt some consumers to buy less data. At the same time, it opens up opportunities for Chinese carriers to monetize more of their own content, since they will face less competition if they prohibit VPN access. Acccording to Bloomberg, international companies with Chinese operations are expected to still be able to access the broader internet by leasing landline connections and registering those connections with the government. … Read more
UK invests in 5G, fiber
With a major donation to local universities, as well as a separate investment in growing it’s fiber optic infrastructure, United Kingdom leaders are working to lay the groundwork for 5G technologies. The University of Bristol, the University of Surrey and King’s College London will share nearly $21 million in funding intended to support a 5G test network with the goal of rapid commercialization of the next-generation mobile tech, which is still being standardized by international group 3GPP. “We want to be at the head of the field in 5G,” U.K. Minister for Digital Matt Hancock said. “this funding will support the pioneering research needed to ensure we can harness the potential of this technology to spark innovation, create new jobs and boost the economy.” The ultimate goal is an end-to-end 5G trial network deployed in early 2018. Although it’s not standardized, it’s clear that 5G will require upgrades to existing network infrastructure, both in terms of hardware and density, as well as more easily accessible fiber optic cabling to support both fronthaul–think a small cell cluster based on a C-RAN architecture, and backhaul to transfer data into the core network. In support of the fiber piece of the 5G equation, the U.K.’s Digital Infrastructure Investment has earmarked $515 million to develop what Hancock called a “full fiber” network; the public investment will be matched by private investment, according to media reports. … Read more
Qualcomm vs. Apple
Qualcomm is asking U.S. trade authorities to potentially ban the sale of iPhones that do not use Qualcomm’s baseband processors. The chipmaker is calling for an import ban, as well as an order that would prevent the sale of phones that are already in the country. Such a ban could keep Apple from selling the iPhone 7 models that work on the AT&T and T-Mobile US networks, since those phones use Intel baseband processors. For Qualcomm, keeping iPhone 7 devices out of the U.S. is not the end game. The chipmaker is trying to force Apple to admit that all iPhones, even those that don’t include Qualcomm modems, use important Qualcomm technologies that Apple should be paying for. According to Qualcomm, Apple is using its key smartphone technologies without remitting licensing fees. Qualcomm says Apple started the legal fight, and that the iPhone maker continues to use Qualcomm’s technology without paying. The company listed six patents that it said Apple should be paying for each time it sells an iPhone. The first patent highlighted by Qualcomm extends battery life by building intelligence into the system so the antenna is always using just the right amount of battery power to transmit. The second improves graphics for mobile games without draining a smartphone battery. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
