Vodafone Idea (Vi) is looking for a third-party provider of 5G equipment in an effort to avoid an Ericsson/Nokia duopoly.
Ericsson and Nokia are the two main 5G equipment manufacturers in the world. Huawei was once in the top three, but global sanctions have crippled the company’s ability to compete.
Despite there being two companies to choose from, Indian telecom company Vi is eager to avoid a duopoly, and is looking to source 5G equipment from a third company, according to TelecomTalk. The company is looking at both local and international vendors.
Despite its desire to avoid a duopoly, it’s unlikely Huawei or ZTE will be able to take advantage of the situation. The Indian government has been among those excluding Huawei from its 5G network rollout.
Verizon and AT&T have volunteered to limit their 5G networks in an effort to address concerns over air traffic safety.
Verizon and AT&T spent a small fortune — to the tune of nearly $69 billion — to purchase C-Band spectrum for their 5G networks. C-Band, falling in the mid-range of available spectrum, is considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a solid blend of speed, range and penetration.
Unfortunately, the spectrum Verizon and AT&T purchased is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2-4.4 GHz range that airline altimeters run on. As a result, there have been concerns that Verizon and AT&T’s 5G could negatively impact airline safety, leading both companies to delay their C-Band rollout.
Verizon and AT&T are now voluntarily offering to limit their rollout of the C-Band 5G spectrum in an effort to mitigate potential issues.
“We have voluntarily agreed to certain precautionary protection measures for 5G networks in the C-band while additional evidence from radio altimeter manufacturers is evaluated,” AT&T said in a statement, according to The Hill. “Though there is no credible evidence that a legitimate interference problem exists, we agreed to take these additional steps to alleviate any safety concerns from the FAA.”
Despite their willingness to cripple their 5G, as Telecoms.com points out, it’s obvious by the wording of their statement that Verizon and AT&T are not happy with the current state of affairs. Their statement is a not-so-subtle way of pointing out that, after spending tens of billions, they shouldn’t have to take the steps they’re taking.
“Wireless carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, paid over $80 billion for C-band spectrum—and have committed to pay another $15 billion to satellite users for early access to those licenses—and made those investments in reliance on a set of technical ground rules that were expressly found by the FCC to protect other spectrum users.”
Verizon and AT&T’s issues are yet another win for T-Mobile, which has already established itself as the 5G leader in the US market. T-Mobile’s mid-band spectrum falls in the 2.5 GHz range, which is still in the sweet spot for 5G but far enough away from the spectrum airline altimeters use to not be a concern. As a result, T-Mobile has been unaffected by the issues Verizon and AT&T are facing.
T-Mobile has reached its goal of covering 200 million people with its Ultra Capacity 5G by the end of 2021.
Ultra Capacity 5G is the term T-Mobile uses for its 5G running on the mid-band 2.5 GHz spectrum. Unlike the faster mmWave, which is in the 6 GHz range, T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity can reach farther and penetrate obstacles better. Despite being slower than mmWave, T-Mobile has achieved speeds in excess of 1 Gbps with its mid-band spectrum.
The company had set a goal of reaching 200 million people by the end of 2021, a goal it has already achieved.
“We’re delivering game changing Ultra Capacity 5G to people across the country at an unprecedented pace, putting us in a network leadership position with a two-year head start on the competition. And that gap is only getting wider as we speed up,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Only T-Mobile is delivering a 5G network capable of truly transforming the smartphone experience – 5G’s first killer app – and that’s just the beginning. With Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide, we’re unleashing innovators across the country to build new 5G applications that will change the world.”
In the meantime, Verizon and AT&T have both paused their mid-band spectrum rollout over concerns of interference with aviation altimeters. Verizon and AT&T’s mid-band spectrum is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz range of altimeters. In contrast, T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz spectrum is far enough away to not pose any concern.
Huawei has sold its x86 server business, another step in the firm’s efforts to insulate itself from sanctions.
Huawei has been struggling to reinvent itself following crippling sanctions at the hands of the US and its allies. The company has repeatedly been accused of aiding Beijing’s spying efforts, leading countries around the world to ban it from participating in their 5G networks. The US has even taken measures to cut Huawei off from the chips it uses to manufacture its devices.
The company had previously sold off its Honor brand of smartphones, and has now sold its x86 business to a state-owned company, according to LightReading. The business was struggling to secure enough chips to meet demand, given that it was cut off from buying Intel’s chips.
Huawei’s founder has said the company needs to pivot to software, a field less likely to be impacted by sanctions. This latest move is another step toward that goal.
Concerns over possible interference between mid-band 5G and aviation altimeters has caused Verizon and AT&T to delay their 5G deployment.
Verizon and AT&T recently spent billions to acquire mid-band spectrum, specifically the C-Band, in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range. The spectrum is considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a combination of speed, range and building penetration. Unfortunately, radar altimeters run in the 4.2-4.4 GHz range, making them dangerously close to the C-Band spectrum.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has voiced concern over whether a nearby cell tower could negatively impact altimeters, potentially causing major safety issues for the airline industry.
As a result of the concerns, both Verizon and AT&T have pushed back deployment of their C-Band spectrum by a month, to allow time to address the concerns.
The big winner in the entire situation is T-Mobile. While the second-largest carrier bought some C-Band spectrum at the latest auction, the bulk of its 5G spectrum is in the 2.5 GHz range, far enough for there to be no concerns about interfering with altimeters.
Some experts are already predicting the month-long delay on the part of Verizon and AT&T will only serve to help T-Mobile grow its 5G lead even more.
Huawei sales are down 32% from last year as the company continues to struggle with sanctions from the US and its allies.
Once a leader in the network equipment and smartphone markets, Huawei came under scrutiny for its close ties to Beijing and the Chinese intelligence community. US intelligence agencies, as well as those from other countries, viewed the company as a threat to national security and took steps to ban it from participating in 5G network rollouts.
The US also took action to cut Huawei off from the semiconductors and supplies it needed to build its own line of smartphones, crippling the company to the point that it ended up selling off Honor, one of its smartphone brands.
According to The Seattle Times, the various sanctions have had a devastating impact, with Huawei’s sales down 32% in the first nine months of 2021, compared with last year.
Huawei has been pivoting to other businesses, such as cloud computing and software, areas less vulnerable to sanctions, but those endeavors have yet to make up for the company’s lost business.
Verizon and Amazon have announced a partnership to use the latter’s Project Kuiper satellites to deliver internet access to underserved communities.
Many companies and organizations are working to address the US “digital divide,” the difference in available internet access for rural vs urban areas. Verizon has been rolling out its Home Internet solution, which uses the company’s wireless service to provide internet access.
In its latest move, Verizon is turning to Amazon’s Project Kuiper to help extend its existing network and serve as the backend for its efforts. Project Kuiper will deliver broadband internet via a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The company received FCC clearance in July 2020 to launch as many as 3,236 satellites. The approval was conditioned on the company launching at least half that number by July 2026. To date, however, not a single satellite has been launched.
Despite that, it appears Verizon has confidence in Project Kuiper.
“Project Kuiper offers flexibility and unique capabilities for a LEO satellite system, and we’re excited about the prospect of adding a complementary connectivity layer to our existing partnership with Amazon,” Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg said. “We know the future will be built on our leading 5G network, designed for mobility, fixed wireless access and real-time cloud compute. More importantly, we believe that the power of this technology must be accessible for all. Today’s announcement will help us explore ways to bridge that divide and accelerate the benefits and innovation of wireless connectivity, helping benefit our customers on both a global and local scale.”
“There are billions of people without reliable broadband access, and no single company will close the digital divide on its own,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said. “Verizon is a leader in wireless technology and infrastructure, and we’re proud to be working together to explore bringing fast, reliable broadband to the customers and communities who need it most. We look forward to partnering with companies and organizations around the world who share this commitment.”
Verizon is already struggling to play catchup to T-Mobile’s 5G network. It remains to be seen if hitching its rural endeavors to a company that has yet to deliver will pay off.
T-Mobile has announced it will delay the planned shutdown of Sprint’s CDMA network by three months.
T-Mobile purchased Sprint in April 2020, and quickly began integrating the carrier’s spectrum into its own network. T-Mobile had originally planned on shutting down Sprint’s CDMA network effective January 1, 2022, but the company now says it will delay the shutdown till March 31, 2022.
“To build out our revolutionary network that will deliver the broadest and deepest 5G experience FOR ALL across the country, we need to sunset outdated CDMA technologies as soon as possible so every consumer, no matter their circumstances, will have access to the best connectivity and best experience,” the company writes in a blog post. “This is why we have aggressively executed on plans to take care of transitioning our impacted Sprint CDMA customers by the end of this year and provided our partners plenty of time and resources to take care of their customers as well.
“Recently it’s become increasingly clear that some of those partners haven’t followed through on their responsibility to help their customers through this shift. So, we’re stepping up on their behalf. We have made the decision to extend our deadline for the CDMA sunset by three months to March 31, 2022.”
The company says the delay will have no impact on its 5G rollout and, at the same time, called out its partners for dragging their feet.
“There should be no more room for excuses. We have provided even more time and those partners can follow suit with the effort that is needed to ensure no one is left on the wrong side of the digital divide.”
T-Mobile has been making headlines for its industry-leading 5G network, but how does its 5G Home Internet offering stack up?
We take a look at T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet solution to see how it stacks up against traditional broadband, and whether it provides a viable solution for customers.
Why 5G Home Internet Matters
Reliable, high-speed internet access is front-and-center on the minds of consumers and regulators alike. The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly turned millions of homes into offices, complete with videoconferencing, file-sharing, meetings and more.
Unfortunately, the United States has long suffered a “digital divide,” a major disparity between the internet access available in urban areas, versus what is available in sparsely populated rural regions.
A couple of years ago, just before the pandemic, my wife and I bought a house in the country, away from the conveniences of urban life. While not being able to get a pizza delivered is unfortunate, the complete lack of any high-speed internet or TV service (barring satellite) was a major issue.
We initially tried several services that buy up unused cellular data and resell them as home internet solutions. We used both Blazing Hog and UnlimitedToGo, but both services were expensive and it was virtually impossible to watch streaming TV, since the data packages both services provided seemed to throttle video.
When T-Mobile began offering their 5G Home Internet solution, we jumped at the opportunity.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: The Lowdown
T-Mobile is widely viewed as the 5G market leader in the US. The company has a wealth of spectrum at its disposal, thanks to wise purchases at FCC spectrum auctions and its acquisition of Sprint.
Thanks to the spectrum at its disposal, the company is offering its Home Internet service as a way of tackling the digital divide that impacts so many. In typical T-Mobile fashion, the company is also offering the service with a degree of panache, offering it at a rock-bottom, no-fees price that is a slap in the face to the rest of the internet service provider industry, an industry that made $9 billion from fees in a single year.
T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is available for $50 per month, no equipment fees, all other taxes and fees included. $50 is all the customer pays. Best of all, the company promises there are no data caps.
It is possible for data to be de-prioritized, if a tower is struggling with heavy demand. After months of use, however, I personally have yet to see this happen.
Real-World Results
So exactly how fast is T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet?
It’s important to have reasonable expectations. While the fastest flavor of 5G is capable of delivering speeds measures in gigabits, there’s almost no chance of getting those speeds with the company’s 5G Home Internet. The spectrum capable of delivering those speeds has extremely limited range — just a couple of hundred meters per base station — meaning it wouldn’t work for the vast majority of T-Mobile’s customers.
Instead, the company is largely using its low and mid-band 5G spectrum to power 5G Home Internet. That means customers will see speeds ranging from roughly equivalent to 4G LTE on up to 300 Mbps.
My house is located roughly 1.5 miles from the closest T-Mobile tower, separated by acres and acres of forest. In spite of that, my speeds are consistently over 100 Mbps. Here’s a breakdown of my last five Speedtest.net results:
138 Mbps download, 51.3 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
124 Mbps download, 55.7 Mbps upload, 25 ms ping
133 Mbps download, 54.9 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
140 Mbps download, 41.7 Mbps upload, 27 ms ping
126 Mbps download, 52.6 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
In contrast, the median speeds for traditional broadband in the US is 115.22 Mbps down, 17.18 Mbps up and 14 ms latency. While T-Mobile 5G Internet may have slightly higher ping, it’s still low enough for everything from streaming TV to videoconferencing to video gaming. In terms of speed, it easily beats traditional broadband, at least in my case.
The Router
The T-mobile 4G Home Internet router (which I used before the 5G version was available at my address) was nothing to write home about. Each WiFi band — 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz — only supported 10 clients each. Going past, or even hitting, the limit would cause the service to crash.
The router’s WiFi range was also very limited, making it hard to reach the entire house, depending on where it was placed. The admin features also left a lot to be desired, and the router didn’t have the processing power or memory to support multiple devices very well, leading to slowdowns. I ultimately ended up turning off WiFi and plugging a wireless access point directly into the 4G router.
Fortunately, the 5G router fixes all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. By default, each WiFi band supports 128 clients, although it can be set higher. The WiFi range is strong enough to be accessible over 200 feet away from the house, through trees no less. The new router also includes enough processing power to handle two computers, three iPhones, an Apple TV, an Air TV and an iRobot vacuum, all without slowing down. The 5G router is so powerful, I no longer use a dedicated access point with it, relying directly on the router instead.
Setup was also a cinch. The router has a QR code on the bottom. Simply download the T-Mobile Home Internet app and point your smartphone’s camera at the QR code to start the setup process.
That being said, the first router I received died unexpectedly. While irritating, T-Mobile quickly sent a replacement free of charge. Unfortunately, a look at T-Mobile’s forums show that the problem is not an isolated one, with numerous customers needing their devices replaced.
The Fine Print
There are some issues with the router and service, although they are workable.
The biggest, and really only, major problem is interference. Because mid-band 5G doesn’t have the same ability to penetrate buildings as well as low-band 5G, or 4G LTE, the 5G router is more sensitive to where it’s placed and the construction of the building it’s placed in.
For example, placing the router in my garage — metal roof and vinyl siding — yielded similar speeds to those listed above. Unfortunately, my garage is not insulated, which means the router can’t stay there in the summer.
Moving the router to the kitchen window, nearest the tower, yields the above results, with one big caveat: the kitchen window must remain open. If it’s closed, speeds drop to 20 or 30 Mbps, indicating the router is likely pulling a 4G signal instead of the faster 5G. Because the house is brick, putting it next to a wall doesn’t work any better, unlike being in the vinyl-sided garage.
Obviously, leaving the window open all the time isn’t an option, anymore than being in an uninsulated garage. As a result, I will need to install an electronics enclosure designed to allow electronics to be mounted on the outside of a building, while still maintaining an acceptable internal temperature.
In areas where a customer may be closer to a 5G tower, with fewer obstructions and a stronger signal, there may not be the same issues with achieving perfect router placement. On the plus side, at least the router will fall back to 4G internet if 5G is unavailable.
Alternatives
The main alternative to T-Mobile’s solution, especially for rural clients, is Starlink satellite internet service. Unfortunately, the service is twice the cost of T-Mobile’s offering, coming in at $99 per month — after paying a $500 deposit.
In addition, Starlink requires clear line of sight to the satellites. Because the satellites are in low Earth orbit, it doesn’t take much for something to block the signal.
The company provides an app so you can test how the service will work at your location before paying for the service. In my case, the Starlink app predicts that my service would drop every one minute, due to the trees on my property.
In comparison, although trees may interfere with the signal to a degree, T-Mobile’s service is a much better option than Starlink for many customers.
Conclusion
All-in-all, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a game-changer for customers like me, ones who have limited options for high-speed internet. At only $50 per month, the service is a bargain compared to the third-party solutions I was previously using, and is competitive with traditional broadband — if that was even an option at my location.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet easily supports multiple devices being on Zoom simultaneously, streaming Sling TV at the highest quality setting, video gaming and more, all without slowing down.
Obviously, each customer’s mileage will vary, depending on how close they are to a 5G tower and the construction of their home/building. Nonetheless, T-Mobile is providing a game-changing solution that rivals traditional broadband at a competitive price.
Pros
High-speed comparable with broadband
Low price with taxes and fees included
Powerful router
Excellent WiFi range
Router will fall back to 4G LTE if 5G is unavailable
Cons
5G reception can be weak
Questions about the long-term reliability of the router
Ericsson reported its third-quarter results, beating expectations despite taking a hit in China.
Ericsson is one of the leading providers of telecom equipment. The company is currently working to help carriers transition to 5G. Ericsson has been warning, however, that loss of market share in China would negatively impact the company. The company has lost market share as a result of China retaliating against foreign companies whose countries banned Huawei.
Despite the challenges, Ericsson has managed to beat revenue expectations, reporting earnings of 8.8 billion Swedish crowns, or $1.02 billion.
The company blamed China, as well as some supply chain issues, for its negative growth in organic sales.
“While we continued to gain share in a growing market, the expected sales reduction in Mainland China, lower variable sales in Managed Services and some supply chain disturbances, led to a negative organic sales development of -1%.”
All-in-all, however, the results were welcome news for the company.
A new report by Accedian says that 76% of manufacturers will be using private 5G networks by 2024.
The lion’s share of the media coverage surrounding 5G often focuses on the latest phones and consumer 5G options and wireless providers. Many companies, however, see private 5G networks as a revolutionary option, providing the speed and security they need.
According to Accedian, private 5G is becoming so popular that 76% of manufacturers are expected to adopt the technology by 2024.
Industrial companies are willing to implement private 5G networks to enable more flexible and automated operations and digital business processes. Reliability of application and network performance and security of 5G are critical criteria influencing the type of private network deployment.
Accedian’s full report is well-worth a read and illustrates how the next-gen wireless technology is changing industries.
The next generation iPhone SE will receive a major upgrade, becoming the latest iPhone to get the 5G treatment.
Carriers and phone makers around the world are racing to adopt 5G, as the next-gen wireless technology delivers revolutionary performance, compared to previous generations. Starting with the iPhone 12, Apple has begun including 5G on iPhone and iPad models.
The iPhone SE is Apple’s budget iPhone, but it’s due for a high-end upgrade. According to Japanese Apple blog Macotakara, via Gizmodo, the next iPhone SE will receive 5G, along with a spec boost.
Customers looking for a redesign, including a larger screen, may be in for a disappointment, as Macotakara says the SE’s form factor will remain the same for the time being.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is auctioning off a new round of mid-band spectrum for 5G.
Mid-band spectrum is the most coveted type of spectrum for 5G. Low-band — below 1 GHz — offers coverage on par with 4G LTE, but provides only marginally better speeds. High-band mmWave — over 6 GHz — offers speeds measured in gigabits, but has extremely limited range. Repeaters and base stations must be placed every couple of hundred meters to maintain coverage.
Mid-band, in contrast, offers speeds in excess of 1 Gbps, and provides far better coverage than mmWave. T-Mobile gained a wealth of mid-band spectrum when it purchased Sprint. Verizon and AT&T spent over $68 million at the last mid-band spectrum auction, while T-Mobile only spent $9 billion to round out its existing spectrum.
The FCC is now auctioning off a new round, specifically 100 MHz of the 3.45 GHz band. Starting Tuesday, October 5, the auction has a reserve price of $14,775,354,330 that must be met. There’s almost no chance the reserve price won’t be met, as Fierce Wireless says the final price is estimated to be $31 billion, with a reasonable chance of reaching $40 billion. Verizon and AT&T are both seen as the most likely big spenders, as both companies still have a ways to go before they catch up to T-Mobile’s spectrum holdings.
“We are moving with record speed and collaboration to free up more mid-band spectrum for 5G,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “These airwaves are a critical part of unlocking the 5G promise everywhere in the country. I want to thank the FCC staff who have worked so hard to start this auction this year. And I want to thank our partners at NTIA and the Department of Defense for working with us to free up this spectrum for 5G.”
T-Mobile is making its 5G Home Internet even better, lowering the price from $60 a month to $50.
T-Mobile Home Internet is the company’s competitor to broadband and satellite internet. Users receive a modem/router gateway that relies on T-Mobile’s 5G and/or 4G towers to provide service. Most customers get anywhere from 35 to 115 Mbps download speed (this writer consistently gets 90 to 120 Mbps down, and 20 to 40 Mbps up).
T-Mobile has made a name for itself providing simple plans with taxes and fees included. The company is applying that same methodology to its Home Internet, setting itself apart from an industry that made a whopping $9 billion in fees alone in a single year.
“It’s almost hard to fathom that Americans paid ISPs over $9 billion in monthly fees in just one year,” said Dow Draper, Executive Vice President of Emerging Products at T-Mobile. “All that money is above and beyond what people already pay in service costs for something that’s never been more critical. It’s wrong, it’s unnecessary and we’re tackling it head on. Not only do we not charge ANY add-on fees, but we’re also making a change to our price, giving customers $10 off to make up for other ISPs’ long-held backwards practices. We’re bringing an affordable, reliable option to an industry in desperate need of change.”
With no data caps and broadband speeds, T-Mobile Home Internet was already proving to be a game-changer for users living in areas without traditional internet coverage. Add in no contracts and only $50 a month and the company’s service may be ready to take on traditional broadband on its home turf.
Dish Network has selected 10x People, LLC to manage its 5G phone number inventory as the company builds out its 5G network.
Dish has been steadily working to deploy its 5G network, with a beta available at the end of September. The company is looking to become the fourth nationwide carrier, replacing Sprint after it was bought out by T-Mobile. The move is important for the company, providing it a way to diversify beyond its satellite TV business, especially as more consumers turn to TV streaming options.
As part of the process, Dish must have a way to manage its inventory of phone numbers, and is tapping 10x People to provide the solution.
“As we continue to build our innovative 5G network, 10x People will play a central role in our number management process as we track, monitor and report this important part of our inventory,” said Atilla Tinic, chief information officer, DISH. “10x People’s cloud-native solution will seamlessly integrate with our other OSS/BSS systems, extend our TN management capabilities as we roll out new areas of service, and serve as an innovative platform for the ongoing evolution of our subscriber identity management.”
“10x People is committed to helping connect end users to DISH’s fully-virtualized, first-of-its-kind network through telephone number solutions,” said Lisa Marie Maxson, CEO, 10x People. “Being selected as a TN management supplier by a technology innovator like DISH is an honor and speaks to our position as a leader in scalable numbering solutions for 5G networks.”
Verizon and Mastercard are partnering to bring the benefits of 5G to the payments industry.
5G stands poised to revolutionize numerous industries, not the least of which is the financial sector. Like most carriers, Verizon has been moving ahead at full-speed in its efforts to deploy its 5G network.
The two companies plan to use 5G to help “drive transformational solutions for the global payments and commerce ecosystem.” The next-gen wireless technology will help revolutionize new areas of the commerce industry, including contactless payments and autonomous checkout.
In particular, the two companies’ efforts will help advance the use of smartphones for making and accepting payments, providing touchless retail experiences, VR/AR shopping and creating new ways to consume digital content.
“Business needs and consumer demands constantly fluctuate. Critical components of long-term success are the ability to remain agile and align with strategic financial and payments partners that have the tools and capabilities to drive industries forward,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, CRO, Verizon Business. “Coupling Verizon’s leading global IP network and transformative 5G technology with Mastercard’s deep industry expertise, leading services and solutions, and a strong commitment to innovate, is a partnership that aligns perfectly with what we are striving to achieve at Verizon and one that can create game-changing solutions.”
T-Mobile is preparing to update the icon they display for iPhone users when they’re on 5G, showing them when they’re using the fastest flavors.
T-Mobile uses three different varieties of 5G: low-band for long-range, widespread coverage; mid-band for the best combination of speed and coverage; and mmWave for providing the fastest speeds in dense, urban areas.
Together, the mid-band and mmWave are what T-Mobile refers to as its Ultra Capacity 5G. Without doing a speed test, however, there has been no easy way to know which flavor of 5G a phone was using.
According to T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Neville Ray, the company is updating their 5G icon with a “UC” to indicate when the iPhone is connected to Ultra Capacity 5G.
#iPhone13 and #iPhone13Pro will let @TMobile customers know when they are in an area with⚡️💪 fast speeds with Ultra Capacity 5G!
Just keep an eye out for the below icon. 📱 users will see it more and more as we continue to rapidly roll out this 🔥🔥spectrum combo. pic.twitter.com/EirfCk8pjl
UScellular has extended a contract with Nokia for the Finnish company to provide its 5G standalone core.
UScellular is a regional carrier in the US, and currently the fourth-largest in the country, behind Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. Like most carriers, the company is rolling out its 5G network and has tapped Nokia for its rollout. Nokia will provide its AirScale radios, which will provide both high-speed mmWave and widespread low-band 5G.
“As we continue to expand and enhance our 5G network, we value the innovation and support that Nokia provides to help us deliver a superior wireless experience to our residential and business customers,” said Mike Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, UScellular. “As we deploy 5G SA core, Nokia brings expertise, technology excellence and the right mix of hardware, software and services to meet our requirements for high performance and low latency.”
“We are thrilled to be selected by UScellular to deliver a full 5G experience to its customers,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America. “Our 5G SA core and 5G radios provide not only new capabilities, scale, operational efficiencies, and revenue opportunities, but drive a far better user experience that customers expect. Working with UScellular to provide the core network function software and cloud infrastructure continues our momentum in the North American standalone 5G core market.”
The contract is a big win for Nokia as the company continues to fight for its share of the 5G market.
Verizon and the NFL have extended their 5G partnership for another 10 years, bringing 5G innovations to NFL stadiums around the US.
Verizon has been working with the NFL for years to help transform all aspects of the game, from 5G-powered AR to improved coaching, scouting, training and more.
The two organizations have extended their partnership for another 10-years, opening the door for even more innovation in the coming decade.
“The NFL has embraced innovation for decades to bring fans closer to the game, from instant replay technology to outfitting players with microphones,” said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO Verizon. “Our longstanding relationship, and swift delivery of 5G connectivity in 25 stadiums, has created new ways to bring fans even closer to the action. As we embark on the next 10 years, our work with the NFL will continue to enhance and transform not only the fan experience, but also has the potential to improve player training and overall venue operations.”
“For the past decade, Verizon has been one of our key technology partners, helping with everything from digital distribution of NFL content, engaging our fans at the NFL’s biggest events, enhancing communications throughout the NFL ecosystem and upgrading technology within stadiums across the League,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “As we look to the next decade with our trusted partner, Verizon will help us capitalize on the promise of 5G technology, paving the way for the future of the game and delivering incredible experiences for millions of NFL fans.”
Microsoft and Verizon are deepening their partnership, announcing Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge.
While 5G is often thought of in the context of cell phones, tablets and computers, some of its greatest promise is in the realm of edge computing. With its high speeds and low latency, 5G allows data to be processed at the edge, greatly improving response times for mission-critical applications. Private 5G networks also allow for greater security.
As one of the leading cloud computing platforms, bringing 5G edge computing to Microsoft Azure is a game-changer for many of Microsoft’s customers.
“Our partnership with Microsoft brings 5G Edge to enterprises, dropping latency at the edge, helping critical, performance-impacting applications respond more quickly and efficiently,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, Chief Revenue Officer of Verizon Business. “5G is ushering in next-generation business applications, from core connectivity to real-time edge compute and new applications and solutions that take advantage of AI transforming nearly every industry.”
“Business innovation demands powerful technology solutions and central to this is the intersection between the network and edge” said Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president Azure for Operators at Microsoft. “Through our partnership with Verizon, we are providing customers with powerful compute and storage service capabilities at the edge of customers’ networks, enabling robust application experiences with increased security.”
The US has cleared the way for Huawei to purchase chips for its auto component business, giving the company a bit of a reprieve.
Huawei has been reeling from sanctions and bans imposed by the US government and its allies over the last couple of years. The company is widely seen by intelligence agencies around the world as a threat to national security, thanks in large part to its close ties to Beijing. While the company’s woes began during the Trump administration, the Biden administration has continued applying pressure to the beleaguered company.
With its core business in jeopardy, Huawei has been looking to pivot to new markets, such as software and the automotive industry, in the hopes of better insulating itself from US actions.
According to Reuters, the US has approved supplier licenses that would allow Huawei to purchase the chips it needs for the auto industry. While the US went to great lengths to cut the company off from semiconductors for its smartphones and networking equipment, automotive chips are much simpler and aren’t seen as representing the same threat to national security as the general purpose, high-tech chips used in electronics.
It remains to be seen if Huawei will be able to capitalize on this reprieve, but it’s certainly some of the best news — and biggest opportunity — the company has had in years.
