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Category: 5GRevolution

5GRevolution

  • FCC to Boost Cellular/Satellite Communication Adoption

    FCC to Boost Cellular/Satellite Communication Adoption

    T-Mobile and SpaceX’s efforts to join cellular and satellite phone service are getting a bit of help from the FCC.

    The FCC has unveiled “a new regulatory framework to facilitate innovative collaborations between satellite operators and wireless companies.” The framework will help cellular operators better tap into the growing network of satellites being used for internet service.

    T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a deal for the nation’s second-largest carrier to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation to help provide coast-to-coast coverage in the US.

    “We’ve always thought differently about what it means to keep customers connected, and that’s why we’re working with the best to deliver coverage above and beyond anything customers have ever seen before,” said Mike Sievert, CEO and president of T-Mobile, said at the time of the announcement. “More than just a groundbreaking alliance, this represents two industry-shaking innovators challenging the old ways of doing things to create something entirely new that will further connect customers and scare competitors.”

    The FCC’s proposed framework would make it easier for T-Mobile, SpaceX, and other companies to integrate their services:

    The FCC proposes allowing authorized non-geostationary orbit satellite operators to apply to access terrestrial spectrum if certain prerequisites are met, including a lease from the terrestrial licensee within a specified geographic area. A satellite operator could then serve a wireless provider’s customers should they need connectivity in remote areas, for example in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, Lake Michigan, the 100-Mile Wilderness, or the Uinta Mountains.

    “We are fast heading to a world where next-generation wireless networks will connect everyone and everything around us,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “They will open up possibilities for communications that we cannot even fully imagine today. But we will not be successful in our effort to make this always-on connectivity available to everyone, everywhere if we limit ourselves to using only one technology. We are going to need it all—fiber networks, licensed terrestrial wireless systems, next-generation unlicensed technology, and satellite broadband. But if we do this right, these networks will seamlessly interact in a way that is invisible to the user. We won’t need to think about what network, where, and what services are available. Connections will just work everywhere, all the time. “

  • T-Mobile Acquiring Mint Mobile, Bringing Ryan Reynolds Onboard

    T-Mobile Acquiring Mint Mobile, Bringing Ryan Reynolds Onboard

    T-Mobile has announced a deal to acquire Ka’ena Corporation, the parent company of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile.

    Mint Mobile is the successful budget carrier owned by Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds serves as the company’s pitchman, bringing his unique blend of humor to the role. That humor was on full display in the announcement revealing the deal:

    “Mint Mobile is the best deal in wireless and today’s news only enhances our ability to deliver for our customers. We are so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom Tammy Reynolds as we believe the excellence of their 5G network will provide a better strategic fit than my mom’s slightly-above-average mahjong skills. I am so proud of the entire Mint team and so excited for what’s to come,” said Ryan Reynolds.

    “Mint has built an incredibly successful digital direct-to-consumer business that continues to deliver for customers on the Un-carrier’s leading 5G network and now we are excited to use our scale and owners’ economics to help supercharge it – and Ultra Mobile – into the future,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Over the long-term, we’ll also benefit from applying the marketing formula Mint has become famous for across more parts of T-Mobile. We think customers are really going to win with a more competitive and expansive Mint and Ultra.”

    “Our brands have thrived on the T-Mobile network, and we are thrilled that this agreement will take them even further, bringing the many benefits of 5G to even more Americans,” said David Glickman, founder and CEO of Mint, Ultra and Plum. “This transaction validates our meteoric success and will unite two proven industry innovators committed to doing things differently in the wireless industry.”

    Following the deal’s close, David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim will continue to manage the brand, which will largely remain independent. Reynolds will continue in his creative role, likely serving as the brand’s pitchman for years to come.

    The deal is worth up to $1.35 billion, a combination of 39% cash and 61% stock, and is expected to close later in 2023.

  • IBM and Nokia to Deliver Private 5G Environments

    IBM and Nokia to Deliver Private 5G Environments

    IBM and Nokia are working together to give customers the ability to design and deploy private 5G environments.

    While consumer tech often takes the 5G spotlight, the wireless tech is already revolutionizing industries, powering edge computing and delivering high-speed connectivity in under-served areas. Private networks are one area where 5G shines, giving companies a high-speed network they have complete control over.

    IBM and Nokia are working to deliver such a solution, one that will give customers the ability to manage their 5G environments using a unified management stack:

    IBM and Nokia have a history of collaborating to support enterprise customers. In 2020, we extended the collaboration to IBM Cloud technology and we now intend to build a seamless, simplified private 5G managed service offering to ultimately deliver private 5G solutions on IBM Cloud Satellite to enterprise customers. As clients innovate at the edge, IBM Cloud Satellite helps provide enhanced resiliency, performance, security and compliance capabilities.

    Additionally, we intend to explore ways to enable CSPs to design, automatically build, instantly connect, as well as operate and observe their private 5G environments using a unified management stack. Supported by IBM Consulting’s systems integration expertise Nokia intends to integrate IBM’s Cloud Pak for Network Automation solution into our current joint offering, which IBM has validated for the deployment of IBM Cloud Satellite. CSPs may be able to address new connectivity demands in a flexible, simplified, automated way that provides them with the ability to potentially offer enterprise connectivity solutions at scale. Enterprises may benefit from a secure, customized connectivity services enabled by a highly available 5G Cloud network.

    The collaboration between IBM and Nokia is good news for customers looking for strong 5G options.

  • Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband Now Covers 200 Million

    Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband Now Covers 200 Million

    Verizon announced that it now covers 200 million people with its fastest 5G Ultra Wideband.

    Verizon uses the “5G Ultra Wideband” label to describe its mid and high-band 5G. High-band is the fastest flavor, but has very limited range. Mid-band, on the other hand, offers excellent range and speeds far in excess of 4G and most broadband, .

    Verizon has been working to roll out its midband 5G after spending billions buying spectrum at FCC auctions. The company just crossed a major milestone, now covering 200 million people with 5G Ultra Wideband.

    “Passing this new milestone provides more customers in more places with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband mobile capabilities and fixed broadband,” said Joe Russo, EVP and President, Global Networks and Technology for Verizon. “For years we have been building the most reliable multi-purpose 5G network. In addition to mobility service, this expansion allows us to be aggressive insurgents in home and business broadband internet markets across the nation, offering customers choice and superior services.”

    In addition to its phone service, the company is also using its 5G Ultra Wideband to help power its Home Internet service.

    Verizon Home Internet is reliable and fast enough to power the connected devices in the home: smart TVs, tablets, phones, gaming consoles and more. With 5G service now in more communities with no required wires running to the home, customers have a choice in their home broadband service provider, giving residential customers the broadband speeds they need with the reliability from Verizon they have come to expect.

    Verizon may have started out behind T-Mobile in the 5G race, but the company is quickly catching up.

  • Germany Poised to Ban Huawei and ZTE From 5G Networks

    Germany Poised to Ban Huawei and ZTE From 5G Networks

    Germany is poised to ban Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from participating in its 5G networks, dealing another blow to the firms.

    The US has already banned Huawei and ZTE, and has been pressuring its allies to do the same. Intelligence agencies have long expressed concerns over the companies’ ties to Beijing and their obligation to assist China’s foreign surveillance efforts.

    According to Reuters, Germany is preparing to ban the two companies, prohibiting telecom operators from using their equipment. In addition, Germany may even require operators to remove existing equipment manufactured by Huawei and ZTE, similar to measures taken in the US.

    Interestingly, although Huawei would not publicly speculate on Germany’s actions, a spokesperson told Reuters that the company had a “very good security record.”

    Of course, that statement ignores the fact that Huawei had the ability to monitor calls on one of the largest Dutch wireless networks, even raising the possibility that it could have monitored the calls of then prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

  • Qualcomm: Phone Makers to Unveil iPhone-Style Satellite Tech

    Qualcomm: Phone Makers to Unveil iPhone-Style Satellite Tech

    Qualcomm has said more phone manufacturers plan to roll out satellite connectivity, much like Apple’s latest iPhone.

    The iPhone 14 included a first for Apple’s phone: the ability to send an emergency SOS via satellite. According to PCMag, Qualcomm has revealed that Honor, Motorola, Nothing, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi plan to use the company’s tech to bring similar features to their own phones.

    Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Satellite relies on Iridium, a leading satellite communications provider. The company also claims its chips will enable emergency SOS support worldwide, as opposed to the iPhone 14, which only offers the ability in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe.

  • Dish.com Is Down, Employees Unable to Work

    Dish.com Is Down, Employees Unable to Work

    Dish Network is experiencing a major outage, one that has crippled its website and stopped employees from working.

    According to The Verge, Dish began experiencing issues Thursday morning. The company’s website displays a notice saying it is experiencing problems, and the company’s internal apps and customer support systems are also impacted. What’s more, employees are reportedly being kept in the dark about what is going on.

    The outage began around the same time as the company’s Q4 earnings, giving CEO Erik Carlson an opportunity to address the problems. He said that Dish, Sling, and the company’s wireless network are operational, but that “internal communications, customer care functions, Internet sites” are all down.

    The Verge also goes on to point out that customers are unable to pay their bills, although company reps are assuring customers they won’t lose service if they can’t pay their bill as a result of the outage:

  • Ericsson Laying Off 8,500 Employees

    Ericsson Laying Off 8,500 Employees

    Ericsson is joining the list of tech companies laying off staff, with CEO Borje Ekholm saying 8,500 employees will be laid off.

    The tech sector has been especially hard-hit by the economic downturn, with companies large and small laying off workers. Ericsson is the latest to announce job cuts, according to Reuters, with Ekholm sending a memo to employees to inform them of the company’s plans.

    “The way headcount reductions will be managed will differ depending on local country practice,” Ekholm wrote in the memo.

    “In several countries the headcount reductions have already been communicated this week,” he said.

    Ericsson did not specify which regions would be most impacted, but analysts have predicted that North America would likely be one of the hardest hit.

    Ekholm said the layoffs were necessary to help the company remain competitive.

    “It is our obligation to take this cost out to remain competitive,” Ekholm said in the memo. “Our biggest enemy right now may be complacency.”

  • Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G Subs Top One Billion in 2022

    Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G Subs Top One Billion in 2022

    5G subscriptions hit a major milestone in 2022, topping one billion globally and growing by 136 million in Q4.

    Ericsson just released its Ericsson Mobility Report Q4 2022 Update, detailing the state of the wireless industry around the world. Globally, mobile subscriptions hit 8.4 billion, with mobile broadband accounting for 86% of all mobile subscriptions.

    According to the report, 5G not tops one billion subscriptions globally. Some 235 service providers are now offering commercial 5G services, with 35 providers offering 5G standalone (SA) networks.

    Interestingly, while there are 8.4 billion mobile subscriptions, only 6.1 billion of them are unique mobile subscribers. Ericsson says the difference is attributed to some individuals having multiple devices, subscriptions that are optimized for different types of calls, as well as some inactive subscriptions.

    Overall, however, the report shows the speed with which 5G is being adopted, outpacing its predecessor.

  • iOS 16.4 May Unlock 3Gbps 5G Speeds

    iOS 16.4 May Unlock 3Gbps 5G Speeds

    Apple’s iOS 16.4 may bring a nice surprise for iPhone users, potentially unlocking 3Gbps 5G speeds.

    Apple just released the first beta of iOS 16.4. The new version brings a number of new features including Web Push, a new way of implementing push notifications for web apps.

    According to 9to5Mac, another new feature is vastly improved 5G speeds:

    Among the new features and changes with the first developer beta of iOS 16.4, a new toggle has arrived in the Cellular settings for iPhone. The new option brings support for the 5G Standalone (SA) service offered by T-Mobile. Notably, 5G SA can deliver wildly fast speeds up to 3Gbps and it looks like iPhone could be the next device to take advantage of the tech.

    T-Mobile is already leading the US 5G race. Having the iPhone support its latest network technology will be a big win for the magenta carrier, and could help drive even more defections from other carriers.

  • Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Is Retiring

    Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Is Retiring

    Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, is retiring after 23 years of leading some of the company’s biggest innovations.

    T-Mobile announced Ray’s intention to retire by Fall 2023, with Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer Ulf Ewaldsson taking his place. Throughout his tenure, Ray helped the company transition from a 2G carrier to the 5G powerhouse it is today.

    During that time, Ray was a fixture in the company’s commercials, quarterly calls with investors, and the company’s biggest product announcements.

    “Under Neville’s network leadership we have accomplished so much together, and it’s amazing to think that milestones he’s helped T-Mobile achieve – the many network firsts, breakthroughs and innovations – have brought us to where we are today, taking the crown as the nation’s overall network leader,” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. “There are so many things Neville has contributed to this company but one of the most important has been his commitment to building the best, most effective Technology team in this industry that will continue to deliver for our future. Neville and his team have worked tirelessly to bring the Un-carrier from last to best in network performance and made T-Mobile’s network a true competitive weapon. What’s even more exciting is that we’re just getting started! As this next chapter of the Un-carrier story is beginning to unfold, we owe a lot of gratitude to Neville for all he’s done to carve this path that will continue to lead us into the future!”

    Sievert continued, “This has been a thoughtfully planned succession and I am thrilled we have an excellent leader in Ulf Ewaldsson to lead our Technology teams. When Ulf joined T-Mobile four years ago, he brought years of experience and deep network strategy leadership capabilities that allowed him to hit the ground running and bring our leading 5G network to life. That’s exactly what he did – and what he will continue to do as President of Technology, leading the best team in our industry! Our goal is always to build a strong bench of leaders who are ready to fill key positions when they’re needed, and this is a perfect example of that approach.”

    Ewaldsson joined the company in 2019 after a 27-year career at Ericsson. He was quickly promoted to EVP and Chief Network Officer in 2021. Ewaldsson has played a crucial role in helping T-Mobile achieve many of its recent milestones, especially in the 5G race. There’s no doubt Ray will be missed, although Ewaldsson certainly has the experience needed to succeed him.

  • T-Mobile Is Ending AutoPay Discount for Credit Cards

    T-Mobile Is Ending AutoPay Discount for Credit Cards

    T-Mobile is ending its AutoPay discount for accounts paying via a credit card, requiring a debit card or bank account instead.

    T-Mobile offers a $5 discount per line for accounts that have AutoPay enabled. The company currently offers the discount regardless of how a customer chooses to pay.

    According to CNET, however, the magenta carrier is ending AutoPay support for accounts being paid with a credit card. As early as May, customers will need to switch to a debit card or bank account to keep their discount.

    A T-Mobile spokesperson told the outlet it was making the change to “continue providing customers with the best value in wireless,” adding that the “majority of our customers use their bank account or debit card for AutoPay and will continue to get a discount on top of an already great rate plan value.”

  • Visible Will Cover Customers’ Phone Bills if They Are Laid Off

    Visible Will Cover Customers’ Phone Bills if They Are Laid Off

    Visible is taking customer service to an all-new high, offering to cover customers’ phone bills if they are laid off.

    Visible is a Verizon-owned wireless carrier, focusing on an all-digital experience with unlimited plans. The company’s goal is to simplify wireless and offer premium services at a much lower price than traditional carriers.

    Visible is taking it a step further, however, offering to help out customers who have lost their job amid the recent economic downturn. The program is called Connection Protection and is a partnership between Visible and Empower Work.

    Through the program, Visible, the Verizon-owned all-digital wireless carrier, will help people stay connected by providing three months of cell phone service to those experiencing a work setback. And Empower Work, a national nonprofit, will provide support via our worker text line for people to process their job loss, think through their job search, and work on a plan to land their next job.

    If you’ve lost your job, had your hours cut, or are between jobs, you can apply for Connection Protection starting right now.

    The program is available to new and existing Visible customers who have been laid off, are not employed, and actively looking for work.

    Customers can find out more information here…

  • T-Mobile Is Finally Killing Off Sprint SIM Cards

    T-Mobile Is Finally Killing Off Sprint SIM Cards

    T-Mobile is finally killing off Sprint SIM cards, some three years after the magenta carrier purchased its rival.

    T-Mobile purchased Sprint in April 2020, creating the second-largest carrier in the US. Despite T-Mobile’s efforts to migrate Sprint customers to T-Mobile SIMs, some Sprint customers have continued to hold on to their legacy cards.

    According to The T-Mo Report, T-Mobile finally forcing the issue, with May 1 as the final deadline for customers with a Sprint SIM. The company is sending out notices to customers, informing them of the deadline:

    T-Mobile Sprint SIM Card Notice – Credit The T-Mo Report

    T-Mobile customers that want to continue service after May 1 will need to take action or switch to another carrier.

  • T-Mobile Was 2022’s Undisputed Wireless and Broadband Winner

    T-Mobile Was 2022’s Undisputed Wireless and Broadband Winner

    T-Mobile has released its fourth quarter and year-end results, and it is abundantly clear the magenta carrier is the undisputed winner of 2022.

    T-Mobile reported 314,000 net account additions in Q4 2022, totaling 1.4 million for all of 2022. Net customer additions came in at 1.8 million for Q4 and 3.1 million for 2022. Notably, this makes T-Mobile the only operator to post year-over-year growth.

    The magenta carrier was also the only one to improve its churn rate — the rate of customers that switch from one carrier to another — posting a 0.92% churn rate for Q4 and 0.88% for the year.

    The company’s High Speed Internet was a major hit, adding 524,000 customers in Q4 and 2.0 million for the year, another industry-best.

    The company’s net income increased 250% year-over-year, hitting $1.5 billion in Q4. Net income for the year did decrease by 14% year-over-year, but that was attributed to merger-related costs, as well as loses related to the sale of the wireline business.

    “With record postpaid account and customer net adds that translated into industry-leading postpaid service revenue and cash flow growth, T-Mobile absolutely smashed 2022 by once again focusing on putting customers first,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “In true Un-carrier fashion, we have no plans to slow down in 2023. Now that we are being recognized as not only the 5G leader but the clear overall network leader in the U.S., our differentiated and sustainable growth strategy is opening up even bigger pathways for our future!”

    T-Mobile’s turnaround, from a struggling fourth-place carrier to its current position, is truly remarkable and a testament to what can happen when a company puts its customers first.

  • FCC Sends Cease & Desists to More Providers Over Robocalls

    FCC Sends Cease & Desists to More Providers Over Robocalls

    The Federal Communications Commission’s war on robocallers continues, with the agency sending cease & desists to more providers.

    The FCC passed rules requiring phone carriers to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol in an effort to fight robocalls. The protocol allows carriers to verify the authenticity of a caller, pass that verification on to the next carrier for confirmation, and so on. Carriers were given a deadline to implement the protocol or be blacklisted, with the first such carrier blocked in November.

    The FCC has now sent cease & desist orders to two additional companies the agency says has been supporting “illegal robocall traffic.” This brings the number of cease & desists to twenty, with the majority complying and cutting off robocall assistance.

    The latest cease & desists, sent to SIPphony LLC and Vultik, Inc, included a warning that their traffic could be permanently blocked by downstream providers if they failed to comply.

    “You should investigate the identified traffic and take the steps …, including blocking the traffic if necessary, and take steps to prevent your network from continuing to be a source of apparently illegal robocalls,” wrote FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal. “Failure to comply with the steps outlined in this letter may result in downstream voice service providers blocking all of [SIPphony LLC and Vultik, Inc] traffic, permanently.”

    “Scam robocalls are more than just a nuisance, they waste our time and resources and destroy trust in our communications networks,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “We will continue to use every tool we have to go after this fraud and stop the bad actors responsible for these calls in their tracks.”

  • Airlines Have Until 2024 to Mitigate 5G Issues

    Airlines Have Until 2024 to Mitigate 5G Issues

    The Federal Aviation Administration has given airlines until 2024 to install equipment to mitigate issues caused by 5G.

    Verizon and AT&T spent tens of billions to purchase mid-band spectrum for their 5G rollout. Unfortunately, the spectrum is very close to that used by aircraft altimeters, leading to concerns that 5G could cause dangerous interference with flights.

    After negotiations and multiple concessions, Verizon and AT&T agreed to limit their mid-band 5G deployment around airports for a limited time, but the airline industry was unable to meet the agreed upon deadline of July 2023.

    According to a notice of proposed rule making, the FAA wants to make February 1, 2024 the new deadline for aircraft to be retrofitted.

    Non-radio altimeter tolerant airplanes can operate under part 121 subject to the revised AFM limitations until February 1, 2024, without meeting the radio altimeter performance requirements proposed in this AD. If this AD is finalized as proposed, after February 1, 2024, airplanes operating under part 121 must meet the radio altimeter tolerant requirements specified.

    The FAA is also concerned that errors — even minor ones — occurring as a result of 5G interference could lead to “desensitization” of the crew to error messages, increasing the chance of something important being missed.

    The FAA has assessed the cumulative effects of increasing numbers of erroneous warnings across the fleet of transport and commuter airplanes. Although they may seem minor in isolation such that some may consider them a mere nuisance, these warnings have safety implications over time. The erroneous warnings increase flightcrew workload as they try to ascertain the validity of the warning. Repeated determinations that the warning occurred in error will lead to flightcrew desensitization to warnings from these safety systems. In other words, as the flightcrew becomes more desensitized to erroneous warnings, they are less likely to react to an accurate warning, negating the safety benefits of the warning altogether and likely leading to a catastrophic incident.

    The FAA is clearly ready to put the whole 5G fiasco behind it, while Verizon and AT&T are eager to use the spectrum they spent billions acquiring. It appears all parties may be satisfied early next year.

  • Apple Plans to Drop Broadcom & Qualcomm With In-House Chips

    Apple Plans to Drop Broadcom & Qualcomm With In-House Chips

    Apple is continuing with its goal to bring its modems in-house, reportedly planning to replace both Broadcom and Qualcomm.

    Apple has been working to end its dependence on Qualcomm and Broadcom, duplicating the success it’s had replacing Intel chips with its own custom silicon. The company was rumored to be planning on replacing Qualcomm and using its own baseband chip in the 2024 iPhone SE 4, but the latest report indicates Apple has scrapped the iPhone SE 4 altogether.

    According to a new report by Bloomberg, via The Verge, Apple plans to begin using its own in-house chip to replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip it currently sources from Broadcom. The company still hopes to also replace Qualcomm’s modem with one of its own.

    It seems Apple is shooting for 2025 as the year it replaces Broadcom, and Qualcomm told The Verge it expects to lose most of Apple’s business in 2025 as well.

    “For Apple product revenue, we now expect to have the vast majority of share of 5G modems for the 2023 iPhone launch, up from our previous 20% assumption. Beyond this, there are no changes to our planning assumption, and we are assuming minimal contribution from Apple product revenues in fiscal ‘25.”

  • Delta SkyMiles Members to Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi, Courtesy of T-Mobile

    Delta SkyMiles Members to Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi, Courtesy of T-Mobile

    T-Mobile and Delta Airlines have announced a partnership to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, regardless of the customer’s carrier of choice.

    T-Mobile customers have enjoyed free in-flight Wi-Fi for some time, but now Delta SkyMiles members will receive the same benefit. The expanded partnership between the two companies goes into effect February 1.

    “At T-Mobile, we believe staying connected while traveling should be an easy, seamless experience,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “T-Mobile customers already get free in-flight Wi-Fi, and now we’re partnering with Delta to bring that experience to all SkyMiles Members so that anyone flying Delta can enjoy online access from takeoff to touchdown.”

    The service will first be available on domestic mainline Delta flights, with some 700 aircraft equipped by the end of 2023. The service will expand to include international and regional flights by the end of 2024.

    “The ability to stay connected while seeing the world is simply foundational. Delta’s new partnership with T-Mobile signifies another exciting step forward as we lead the industry in delivering a differentiated onboard experience that’s as comfortable and personalized as sitting in your own living room,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

  • Kuo: 2024 Edition of iPhone SE 4 Cancelled, Qualcomm Benefits

    Kuo: 2024 Edition of iPhone SE 4 Cancelled, Qualcomm Benefits

    Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple will not release the iPhone SE 4 in 2024, greatly benefiting Qualcomm in the process.

    The iPhone SE is Apple’s budget iPhone. Apple was expected to release the next version in 2024, with its connectivity powered by Apple’s in-house baseband chip. Apple has been working to build its own cellular chips and end its dependence on Qualcomm, but Kuo says it had concerns that its in-house chips might not be ready to go toe-to-toe with Qualcomm’s offerings. As a result, Apple was expected to use its in-house chips in the budget-level iPhone SE where lower performance would not be as big of an issue.

    According to Kuo, however, Apple cancelling the iPhone SE 4 means that Qualcomm will remain the exclusive provider of baseband chips for the iPhone.

    However, the cancelation of the iPhone SE 4 has significantly increased the chances of Qualcomm remaining the exclusive supplier of baseband chips for the 2H24 new iPhone 16 series, which is better than the market consensus that Qualcomm will start losing iPhone orders in 2024.

    Despite Apple’s desire to rid itself of its dependence on Qualcomm, the company is clearly having trouble achieving its goals.

  • T-Mobile Delivers Record-Breaking Results in 2023

    T-Mobile Delivers Record-Breaking Results in 2023

    T-Mobile has given a glimpse into its full-year performance, handily beating both Verizon and AT&T while delivering record results.

    T-Mobile says it added 1.4 million postpaid net accounts and 6.4 million postpaid net customers over the course of 2023, both of which were a record high and best in industry results. The company also added 3.1 million postpaid phone net customers, its best performance since its merger with Sprint.

    Even more impressive, the company added 2 million net High Speed Internet customers, more than Charter, Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon combined.

    “2022 was definitely the year of the Un-carrier as T-Mobile just posted amazing results — our highest ever postpaid account net adds (the best measure of our industry-leading growth in customer relationships), both postpaid customer net adds and broadband customer growth that are expected to lead the industry, and our lowest-ever churn numbers,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “It’s clear that T-Mobile’s ability to offer both the best network and value is bringing new customers to the Un-carrier and enticing those who join us to stay. And our momentum won’t stop as we continue to translate our long-established 5G lead into overall network leadership and execute on our unique growth strategy. We are perfectly positioned to profitably take further market share in 2023 and beyond!”