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 those sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Is throttling necessary?
Recently both Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile US have said that under certain conditions they will “throttle” some customers who are on unlimited data plans. Verizon’s announcement caught the FCC’s attention and the throttling issue is one we are all likely to hear more about in the months ahead. RCR Wireless News spoke about the issue with Gerry Purdy, chief mobile analyst at Compass Intelligence. Purdy said that in a world of high demand and limited bandwidth, carriers may decide that they have to throttle some users. “The drivers for this come about because we have demand going up and we want to be able to see people be able to get services that they want when they want them, and the question is how do you economically provide that and make it fair,” said Purdy. Purdy said making more bandwidth available to wireless carriers is the only long-term solution, but in the short term more unpopular solutions may be necessary. “In the short term the demand is so high that we’re going to have things happening that maybe not everybody’s going to be happy about, because you can’t instantly create more bandwidth, it’s going to take a long time,” he said. Some throttling primarily affects “bandwidth hogs,” or those who use disproportionate amounts of mobile data. Some of these data users are not large customers, but individuals who use a mobile device for tethering or peering. “If I am in charge of a network I’ve got to make sure I’m at least viable, particularly for the business customer, and if my consumers are hogging the entire network, what am I going to do?” said Purdy. When some consumers take more than their share of mobile data, others may have a bad experience. … Read more
iPhone 6 display reportedly causing delay
Problems with the backlight for the display on Apple’s upcoming iPhone reportedly stopped production during part of June and July. That does not mean that Apple won’t be ready to announce a new iPhone at its Sept. 9 media event, but it could mean the company will have problems meeting demand for the new smartphone. Apple is widely expected to announce two new phones on Sept. 9, one with a 4.7-inch screen and one with a huge 5.5-inch screen. (The 5s and 5c have 4-inch screens.) Apple’s traditional screen suppliers are Sharp, LG Display and Japan Display. According to Reuters, a supply chain source said that Apple delayed itself by trying to make a thinner phone. The company reportedly tried to produce the 4.7-inch model with one layer of backlight film instead of the standard two layers. The screen was too dark, and production had to stop while the backlight was re-engineered to include two layers. This is not the first time that screen problems have surfaced shortly before the launch of a new iPhone. … Read more
SRG tests VoLTE
With voice-over-LTE networks slowly coming to market, focus is now turning to just how those networks perform compared with legacy circuit switched-based voice offerings. And, according to a new report, it appears that the performance benefit is clearly in the lap of VoLTE services. In a new report from Signals Research Group, commercially deployed VoLTE networks are already providing better call quality, faster connectivity and proving to be less taxing on device battery life than legacy systems. The firm conducted trials on VoLTE services in June and July, comparing performance with 3G-based circuit-switched networks and Skype’s voice-over-IP solution. Results from the testing showed a “measurable” improvement in call quality for VoLTE; improved device data performance for VoLTE compared with Skype; VoLTE call set-up times twice as fast as circuit-switched networks; and VoLTE’s need for fewer device resources and thus improved battery life compared with Skype. Perhaps most important to end users, the testing showed successful handoffs between VoLTE service and legacy circuit-switched services as devices transferred between the two networks. “Based on our analysis of the data, VoLTE lived up to expectations,” said Michael Thelander, CEO and founder of Signals Research. “VoLTE delivered a consistently higher call quality than circuit-switched voice and over-the-top applications. While other network or background traffic downloading on a smartphone could bring Skype voice to its knees, there was no indication that it impacted the VoLTE call. In addition, VoLTE really shined when it came to its network requirements, consuming far less than a Skype voice call which translates into a meaningfully longer smartphone battery life.” … Read more
Test & measurement acquisitions of 2014
The network test and measurement space is one where significant consolidation has been occurring over the years, or where major international companies such as Danaher (owner of testing companies Fluke Networks and Tektronix) and Cobham plc have made purchases in order to extend or expand their footprint in the telecom industry. There were a series of significant purchases in 2010, and 2014 is seeing another uptick in network test and measurement acquisitions. Here are some of the major deals in 2014: The biggest public deal so far this year has been Cobham’s purchase of test and measurement company Aeroflex for $1.46 billion, announced in May and expected to close in the third quarter. The Aeroflex purchase extends Cobham’s foothold in the wireless industry, and follows on its acquisition of DAS vendor Axell Wireless in 2013. Cobham, based in the U.K., does about half of its business in the U.S. market. Aeroflex itself had been making purchases before Cobham snapped it up. In February, it bought Dublin, Ireland-based Shenick Network Systems, paying $27.1 million for the company and its technology in virtualized testing for software-defined networking. Tektronix kicked off 2014 with the purchase of Boulder, Colo.-based Picosecond Pulse Labs in January to strengthen its offerings in testing instruments for 100G/400G applications.Of particular interest are the acquisitions that add more analytics capabilities to test and measurement companies. This is an area that has been gaining increasing investment, particularly by companies like EXFO. … Read more
Cisco makes jobs cuts as it shifts skill mix
Cisco says it will end the year with roughly the same headcount it started with, but the mix will be different. Cisco wants to become more of a software company, and that means employees in some legacy businesses will lose their jobs. Today the networking giant said that it will cut 6,000 jobs to make room for new hires in its software, security, cloud and data center business lines. Cisco did not say exactly which areas would be cut. The company did say that some emerging markets have performed poorly, leading to speculation that these areas may be targeted. This is the second summer in a row that Cisco has announced job cuts along with its fiscal fourth quarter results. At this time last year, Cisco said it would cut 4,000 jobs. That followed 11,500 cuts announced in 2011. Right now the company employs roughly 75,000 people. Cisco CEO John Chambers reportedly said during the company’s earnings call yesterday that Cisco expects to end this year with about the same headcount it had at the beginning of the year. But the mix of employees will be different as the company shifts more resources to software. Cisco also said during its earnings call yesterday that sales of both routers and switches declined during the most recent quarter. On the telecom and wireless side, some analysts are predicting a weak second half for router sales as companies try to move to more software-based networking solutions. … Read more
T-Mo objects to 600 MHz auction rules
T-Mobile US says the Federal Communications Commission needs to stand by its recent comments on carrier competition by revisiting its rules for the 600 MHz spectrum auction. Less than a week after asking the FCC to approve its purchase of more 700 MHz spectrum, T-Mobile US is asking the agency to reconsider the rules for its upcoming auction of more low-band spectrum. This auction, currently scheduled for the middle of next year, will enable wireless carriers to bid on spectrum that is to be released by TV broadcasters.
T-Mobile US wants the FCC to reserve more low-band spectrum for non-nationwide carriers and those that do not already have at least 45 megahertz of low-band holdings in a particular partial economic area. The FCC’s current proposed reserve amounts are explained in the chart below, in which the initial clearing target refers to the amount of spectrum released by broadcasters. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
