BROWSING: Opinion

Fob replication, software patching and the future of connected car security (Reader Forum)

Connectivity is a key aspect of daily lives for many of us and this is increasingly true of our vehicles as well. This is emphasized by Counterpoint Research’s Internet of Things Tracker, which forecasts that more than 125 million passenger cars with embedded connectivity...

Automating the network—let’s go! (Reader Forum)

Virtualization and software-defined networks have been the industry’s pre-occupation for almost a decade. It’s all part of a journey toward the deployment of 5G, which will be our next focus for the coming decade. Along the way, one of the key dimensions of the...

Performance management is not enough: Analytics and automation define the new service assurance platform (Reader Forum)

Digital transformation for communication service providers(CSPs) can be tedious to achieve if not supported through efficient transformation tools. Compared to the existing provisioning and management of services (service lifecycle), the digital environment requires a real-time engagement with the customer and a real-time management of...

The edge internet: Balancing the market power in the mobile internet value chain (Reality Check)

June 29th, 2007, a day of infamy in the world of telco’s.  On that day, the vestiges of “walled gardens” and premium data services crumbled like the Berlin wall did 16 years earlier. On that last Friday of June, the iPhone was first released in...

Analyst Angle: Thoughts from the edge–the IoT edge that is

What is the IoT edge?  Where is the IoT edge? I want to put a stake in the sand on my definition of this oft misunderstood term. Having just completed a podcast with Qualcomm discussing IoT edge computing (take a listen here), I was struck...

Kagan: Use wireless to grow your Twitter, LinkedIn follower list

So, you want more social media followers? Who doesn’t? Whether you use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or any other platform, it seems everyone is focused on building their social media follower list. I have had discussions with many successful people who have earned tens...

Will operators miss the 5G mobile video gold rush? (Reality Check)

On October 18, a group of operators including BT, EE, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, MTS, Telus, KPN, Orange and Vodafone gathered in London for the Mobile Video Industry Council (MVC) to debate the future of mobile video and 5G. ABI Research, Strategy Analytics and Analysys...

Addressing the threats posed by 5G (Reader Forum)

Promising super-fast download speeds, ultra-low latency, and increased connectivity, the imminent rollout of 5G network technology is set to deliver a host of benefits to consumers, businesses, and mobile operators alike. In addition to these advantages, however, the introduction of 5G will bring with...

T-Mobile and Sprint to strengthen prepaid competition and accelerate nationwide 5G (Reader Forum)

As the CEO and founder of a medium-sized prepaid wireless business, I’m thrilled about the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. T-Mobile’s growth over the last six years has been one of the great American success stories. The “Un-Carrier” has taken on AT&T and Verizon,...

Gaining clarity within the middleprise market mirage (Reader Forum)

For many years, the in-building wireless industry has coveted the mid-sized enterprise or “Middleprise” market opportunity. After all, the vast majority of cellular users are found not in large public venues such as stadiums or airports but, instead, in buildings used for offices, hotels,...

A new hope for the 5G transition (Reality Check)

This October, North American operator Verizon launched the first 5G fixed wireless access service, making it very clear that 5G is closer than you think. 5G is set to promise speed, greater network efficiency, reduced latency and above all, an enhanced user experience. But...

Why the world isn’t truly connected…yet (Reader Forum)

Even though it may seem like we are living in a completely connected world, we’re not. And, as the Internet of Things dramatically expands the number and scope of connected devices, the traditional communications connectivity model no longer delivers the kind of flexibility and...

Kagan: Visible is a new wireless service from Verizon

Visible is a new wireless brand using a great wireless network, but I’ll bet you never heard of them before. Well, if you are a young adult, you will very likely be hearing about Visible as they are getting busy marketing on social networks....

Today’s assurance vs. tomorrow’s assured networks, Part 2 (Reality Check)

In part 1 of this series, we discussed the state of networks heading into 5G, and why we’ll need to move beyond today’s concept of assurance. To achieve tomorrow’s agile, self-organizing networks that can uphold absolute assurance, we’ll need five key components: AI, a...

Unleashing the potential of NFV (Reality Check)

Network Function Virtualization — NFV — promises much. NFV is the next generation of network architecture, replacing software running on dedicated hardware with virtual appliances running on commodity hardware. NFV should mean the ability to deploy software functions on any hardware at any time...

The pathway for indoor 5G is paved by hybrid DAS and small cells (Reader Forum)

By 2020, large-scale 5G commercial deployments are expected to begin with faster data speeds, increased bandwidth per unit, lower latency, and support for more connected devices. Before these deployments make their way across the U.S. and the world, there must be a standardized approach...

Exploring the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 (Reader Forum)

The Wi-Fi landscape is rapidly evolving and its growth continues unabated. A ubiquitous amenity, Wi-Fi is routinely offered across a wide range of locations including carpeted enterprises, school/college/office campuses, stadiums, airports, hotels, MDUs, and transportation hubs. Fast and reliable Wi-Fi connectivity is now considered...

Kagan: Why so much of CES 2019 is tied to 5G wireless

CES 2019 is just a few weeks away and I’ve noticed something very interesting. So much of the innovation and new ideas at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show center around wireless. As 5G comes into play, even more will use wireless. Since I have...

Solving the e911 problem: Locating emergency callers accurately (Reader Forum)

Nearly 80 percent of all 911 calls originate from a wireless device. This is not surprising, given that over half of households in the U.S. have given up landline phones and rely solely on wireless devices. This is a rapid increase from 15 percent...

A new hope for the 5G transition (Reader Forum)

This October, North American operator Verizon launched the first 5G fixed wireless access service, making it very clear that 5G is closer than you think. 5G is set to promise speed, greater network efficiency, reduced latency and above all, an enhanced user experience. But...

Top 5G myths enterprises need to know (Reader Forum)

5G has been billed as the magic bullet for many of today’s wireless network challenges. It’s expected to bring greater bandwidth, coverage and capacity for mobile computing. While enterprise users can expect to see performance improvement for real-time apps and during peak usage times...

How intent-based networking provides business value (Reality Check)

The new network is different than the old network. And the way it’s managed is different, too. Until now, management has been on a device-by-device basis, but volume and complexity have made that method unsustainable. Automation and orchestration drive network management today, bringing greater...

New considerations for deploying fronthaul to Small Cells (Reader Forum)

As revenue per bit falls and demand rises, mobile network operators (MNOs) are looking for ways to increase network capacity and reduce cost.  Trends for accomplishing this include densification, e.g., small cells, cloudification for resource “elasticity”, and centralization of the RAN, i.e., C-RAN.  A...

Kagan: Wireless cloud getting better, strong, safer year after year

When the cloud first popped up on our radar several years ago, there was plenty to get excited about. However, in those early days there was also plenty to be concerned about. We didn’t know what to be on the lookout for. There were...