Research report projects 13.3 million public Wi-Fi hot spots by 2020
A new report from market analysis firm ABI Research tallies a total of 5.69 million public Wi-Fi hot spots currently deployed worldwide by mobile and fixed-line carriers, as well as third-party service providers.
Looking at...
China Mobile network build-out contributed to profit loss
China Mobile, which reported a 10% decrease in profits for 2014, plans to cut back on its capital expenditures for 2015.
In 2014, China Mobile, the largest carrier in China and the world, spent big on expanding its...
MTN Group looks to support growing demand driven by mobile banking
WASHINGTON – In an effort to support skyrocketing demand, South African telecom player MTN Group on March 20 announced plans to invest $123 million in upgrading and expanding its mobile data network in Ghana.
Subsidiary...
Vertical Bridge gains over 200 tower sites
Independent wireless infrastructure company CiG Wireless announced it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by an affiliate company of Vertical Bridge Holdings. CiG Wireless' tower portfolio, which includes more than 200 geographically widespread tower sites, will be...
The Small Cell Forum recently released numbers showing that more than 10 million small cells have shipped to date. Analyst Stefan Pongratz of Dell'Oro Group said that small cells saw a "modest ramp" at the end of last year and are expected to gain...
Nokia radio access equipment covered by 7-year agreement
Russian carrier MegaFon will expand its LTE footprint through a 7-year deal with Nokia Networks, which will provide the mobile network operator with radio access equipment.
Nokia and MegaFon announced the agreement on March 11. MegaFon subscribers in...
The market for wireless backhaul solutions is growing as operators explore LTE and small cell deployments in areas that are not served by fiber. There are several approaches to wireless backhaul, and now two companies with different solutions are joining forces.
Fastback Networks offers a...
2,200 positions cut in Sweden, now 71 cuts in Ireland
After announcing plans to cut 2,200 jobs in Sweden earlier this month, networking/software company Ericsson last week told staff at its Dublin facility that 71 more cuts would impact its local workforce.
Ericsson has about 1,500...
Telecom Italia modernizing network
Telecom Italia has returned to profit for the first time in three years, reports the Financial Times.
Net income climbed to $1.5 billion in 2014 after a loss of $735 million the year before when results were impacted by an impairment charge....
TD-LTE network build contributes in part to China Mobile profit loss
China Mobile’s 2014 profit fell 10%, slightly below market expectations and marking the company’s biggest annual profit drop since 1999.
Large expenditures on next-generation network development were the biggest culprits behind the declined earnings. Profit...
Wireless infrastructure expected to continue growth track
CEO of Digital Bridge Marc Ganzi, gave a state of the union of sorts for the wireless infrastructure industry in his keynote address at the South Wireless Summit.
He spoke about the robust growth expected in the industry over the next few...
LAS VEGAS – The early pioneers in public safety LTE broadband shared some of their experiences in a panel discussion at IWCE 2015, and some of their pain points – probably unsurprisingly – sounded like those of commercial mobile operators, including opposition to tower siting impacting...
South Wireless Summit discusses carrier activity, market opportunity
The fourth annual South Wireless Summit took place this week in Nashville, Tenn. The event, hosted by the South Wireless Summit Association, focuses on educating members of the wireless community. This year there was a heavy focus on...
Hello! And welcome to our Friday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
ExteNet providing hardware for $32.5M upgrade
Distributed antenna system vendor ExteNet Systems will contribute to the Chicago Transit Authority’s project to bring 4G LTE to the Windy City’s subway.
City leaders announced the project back in February; the DAS will cover the blue and red lines...
Carrier Aggregation is now widely deployed as a key LTE-Advanced technique for exploiting fragmented spectrum, increasing peak data rates and improving network capacity. In this webinar we will examine the evolution from two to three carriers and beyond.
You will gain insights into:
• The...
Some 75 mobile network operators have deployed small cells
As carriers race to create true heterogeneous networks for consumers, the Small Cell Forum reported that some 10 million small cells have been shipped to mobile network operators.
Specifically, a market report commissioned by the industry group...
LAS VEGAS – The First Responders Network Authority, or FirstNet, continues to gather input on the planning and implementation of a nationwide LTE network for public safety and is aiming to issue a final request for proposals as soon as this year.
Representatives from FirstNet...
Payment is part of new LightSquared restructuring plan
Three years into a bankruptcy filing, would-be wireless network operator LightSquared this week laid out a plan that would repay investor Charles Ergen, chairman of Dish Network, $1.5 billion.
LightSquared raised significant financing for its plan to offer...
Ericsson buys Chinese IT firm Sunrise Technology
WASHINGTON – Swedish telecom equipment and infrastructure provider Ericsson announced earlier this week its purchase of the mobile unit of Chinese IT firm Sunrise Technology.
The move adds more than 1,000 Chinese employees to Ericsson’s payroll even as the...
TxtmeQuick seeing adoption from Fortune 500 companies
WASHINGTON – Virginia-based TxtmeQuick said it's using digital technology to capitalize on legacy tech that has become largely ignored.
Ray Bolouri founded the company in 2010 when he realized there was a way to facilitate better communication between enterprises...
Kevin Fitchard previews panel on future of the Internet
Kevin Fitchard, formerly of Giga Om, discussed with RCR Wireless News how the Internet could philosophically change as private interests foster more accessibility, particularly to underserved populations.
Fitchard previewed a panel discussion that also included Micha Benoliel,...
FCC planning reverse, forward auctions of Super Wi-Fi in 2016
AUSTIN, Texas – Unused television broadcast spectrum, sometimes referred to as super Wi-Fi, could be used to provide Internet access to otherwise underserved communities, according to panelists at South by Southwest.
Mary Ellen Carroll, a designer,...
Japanese organization beams wireless power
WASHINGTON – The possibility of transmitting wireless electrical power, via microwaves, has long been theorized and proven to be scientifically possible in limited laboratory settings. Although the amount transmitted has never been enough to justify large-scale development, new research may...
