Editor’s Note: Wireless operators are a busy bunch, and as such RCR Wireless News will attempt to gather some of the important announcements that may slip through the cracks from the world’s largest carriers in a weekly wrap-up. Enjoy!
–U.K.-based wireless operator EE said this week it launched LTE-Advanced services covering portions of London, with plans for further expansion next year. The carrier said the network provides throughput speeds of up to 300 megabits per second and uses network equipment from Chinese vendor Huawei.
The network is using carrier aggregation capabilities embedded in the LTE-A standard to combine 20 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.8 GHz band and 20 megahertz in the 2.6 GHz band to supply a total of 40 megahertz to the offering.
The initial service will be limited to a select number of companies in London’s Tech City using a Huawei-supplied wireless router, with commercial services and compatible devices expected to come online beginning mid-2014.
EE recently announced that its LTE network covered 105 markets at the end of August, or 60% of the U.K.’s population. The network was initially launched last October, with the carrier announcing surpassing the 500,000 customer mark this past June. In addition to expanding LTE coverage, EE announced it had turned on its so-called “double-speed” LTE services in five new markets, pushing coverage to 20 markets. EE noted that the “double-speed” LTE service provides customers with average downlink speeds of up to 30 megabits per second. The higher speeds are provided through the doubling of the spectrum supporting those services with the increase of 1.8 GHz spectrum dedicated to its offering from the current 10 megahertz to 20 megahertz.
–Beleagured spectrum holder LightSquared has reportedly contacted more than 90 potential interested parties looking for a partner to invest in the bankrupt company, according to a Bloomberg report.
The story indicated that LightSquared was seeking an alternative to the $2.2 billion cash offer on the table from Dish Network, which has drawn scrutiny tied to Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen’s perceived conflict of interest in the matter. LightSquared owner Harbinger Capital filed a lawsuit in August claiming Ergen has enacted a fraudulent scheme in attempting to acquire LightSquared’s debt and thus assume control over its operations.
A bankruptcy auction of LightSquared’s assets, which includes spectrum in the 1.6 GHz band, is scheduled for Dec. 6.
–AT&T reported this week that it has expanded LTE coverage to 14 new markets, pushing total coverage to 461 markets covering more than 250 million potential customers. The new markets include Fairbanks Metropolitan Area, Ark.; Galesburg, Macomb and Peoria, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; Maysville and Madisonville, Ky.; Cumberland, Md.; St. Cloud, Minn.; St. Joseph, Mo.; Roanoke Rapids, N.C.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Big Spring, Texas; and Winchester, Va.
AT&T said it expects to expand LTE coverage to 270 million pops by the end of the year on its way to “substantially complete” coverage by mid-2014. AT&T has been busy as of late acquiring spectrum resources in order to feed its LTE network that is currently relying on a limited amount of 700 MHz spectrum.
AT&T Mobility rival Verizon Wireless remains the coverage champ when it comes to LTE service, having surpassed 500 markets and 298 million pops covered at mid-year on its way to mirroring its current 3G coverage by the end of this year.
–Regional telecommunications provider C Spire announced the nine markets in the running to be the first with the company’s C Spire Fiber to the Home network that is expected to deliver wired network speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. The nine finalists are all in C Spire’s home state of Mississippi and include Batesville, Clinton, Corinth, Hattiesburg, Horn Lake, McComb, Quitman, Ridgeland and Starkville.
The fiber offering is set to include Internet service priced at $80 per month; Internet and home phone service for $100 per month; Internet and television service for $140 per month; or Internet, home phone and television service for $160 per month. C Spire wireless customers would be eligible for a $10 discount per month.
–U.S. Cellular and Boost Mobile announced pricing for their pending launches of Apple products set for Nov. 8.
U.S. Cellular said it will offer the iPhone 5S beginning at $200, the iPhone 5C beginning at $100, and the legacy iPhone 4S for one cent, all with a two-year contract and $35 activation fee. The carrier also said it will allow customers to trade-in legacy 4S models on a new 5S, bringing the price of that device down to $35.
For U.S. Cellular, which last week posted results from a tough third quarter, the iPhone launch will be its initial foray into offering Apple’s product line after the carrier had initially passed on providing the subsidy-rich device to its customers. Another consideration for U.S. Cellular has been the lack of device support for its unique LTE deployment plans. While the carrier could have offered an iPhone running across its CDMA-based 3G network, something a number of regional carriers have decided to do, it appears to be more interested in waiting until its LTE network is more robust. U.S. Cellular’s current LTE deployment is running across its 850 MHz and lower 700 MHz spectrum holdings. The 850 MHz spectrum has been supported by previous iPhone models, though the lower 700 MHz spectrum, and more specifically Band Class 12, has so far and continues to not be embedded in the Apple product line. U.S. Cellular noted that the iPhone products will tap into its 850 MHz LTE deployments.
Boost Mobile said it will offer the iPhone 5S beginning at $550, the iPhone 5C beginning at $450 and the iPhone 4S for $300. Boost’s prices do not require a contract and tap into Sprint’s CDMA/LTE network. Rate plans for the device will be the same as other smartphones available from the company, which start at $55 per month for unlimited voice, messaging and speed-capped data services, with prices dropping $5 per month for every six on-time payments down to a minimum of $40 per month.
Boost does not yet carry Apple products, though its stable-mate in Sprint’s prepaid barn Virgin Mobile USA does carry the Apple portfolio, including the latest 5S and 5C models.
Additional carrier news can be found on the RCR Wireless News “Carriers” page.
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