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Tag: 5G

  • APAC Region Accounts for 60% of Mobile Gaming Revenue

    APAC Region Accounts for 60% of Mobile Gaming Revenue

    According to new research, the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region accounted for the lion’s share of the mobile gaming market, coming in at 60%.

    It’s not uncommon for many games to debut in China or other APAC countries, much to the disappointment of US and European games. According to research from GlobalData, however, companies are just following the money.

    GlobalData’s study found that China alone accounted for 35% of mobile gaming revenue. The US came in second with 20%. Combining the rest of the APAC region with China, however, accounted for a whopping 60% of the entire market.

    “Boasting a huge proportion of both mobile and 5G subscribers, it is certain that the APAC region will continue to lead the mobile gaming market in the 5G era,” Rupantar Guha, Associate Project Manager for Thematic Research at GlobalData says. “This is especially considering the presence of established market players such as Tencent being joined by popular non-gaming companies such as Byetedance, which is anticipated to continue making gaming acquisitions in the coming years.”

    “The APAC region’s dominance in the mobile gaming market is primarily attributable to its nearly four billion consumer mobile subscribers, which represents more than 50% of total mobile subscribers globally,” Guha continues. “Further, access to 5G networks is also supporting the growth of mobile gaming in the region.”

  • Verizon Makes 5G Push With ‘Biggest Upgrade Campaign Ever’

    Verizon Makes 5G Push With ‘Biggest Upgrade Campaign Ever’

    Verizon is working hard to migrate its customer base to 5G, with its biggest “5G upgrade campaign ever.”

    Like carriers around the world, Verizon is rushing to deploy its 5G network, and working to convince customers to switch over. In addition to the benefits to consumers, in the form of higher speeds and lower latency, 5G has significant benefits to carriers.

    The improved architecture of 5G networks allows carriers to better deal with usage spikes, and the spectrum is better future-proofed to account for growth. The faster speeds also put carriers in the position to better compete with traditional internet service providers, as well as be the go-to solution for edge computing solutions.

    Of course, in order to benefit from 5G, carriers need to convince users to make the switch. Verizon is pulling out all the stops to do just that.

    Starting today, every customer —new and existing, consumers and businesses — can trade in an old phone and get a 5G phone on Verizon. That includes trading in a cracked or broken phone. Verizon will even help cover the cost of switching for new customers.

    The upgrade event promises to be a major event for the carrier, and a good deal for customers.

  • Ericsson Warns of Increased Risk of 5G Retaliation from Beijing

    Ericsson Warns of Increased Risk of 5G Retaliation from Beijing

    As 5G has increasingly become a geopolitical issue, Ericsson is warning it will likely be caught in the crossfire in China.

    Countries around the world are racing to deploy 5G networks. Once one of the leading equipment providers, Chinese firm Huawei has been under siege for the last couple of years as the US and its allies have leveled sanctions against the company, accusing it of being a national security risk.

    One of the countries that banned Huawei from participating in its 5G networks is Sweden, the home country of Ericsson. Huawei challenged the ruling, but lost on appeal.

    Ericsson is now warning that Beijing may retaliate, excluding the company from participating in 5G network deployments in China. Even if Ericsson is allowed to participate, it does not believe it will maintain the same market share as in times past.

    While Ericsson is invited to various ongoing tender processes in China, the final outcome remains uncertain and it is the company’s current assessment that the risk has increased that Ericsson will in those tenders be allocated a significantly lower market share than its current market share.
    The company sees the issue having “a material and potentially lasting adverse impact on our business, including sales, market share, market access and supply chain and R&D activities, our financial condition and results of operations.”

  • Huawei Founder Wants Company to Pivot to Software Amid Sanctions

    Huawei Founder Wants Company to Pivot to Software Amid Sanctions

    Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei is calling on the company to pivot to software as sanctions against its hardware business have crippled it.

    Huawei was one of the leading 5G network equipment providers in the world, in addition to being one of the top smartphone manufacturers. Concerns over its ties to Beijing, however, have led countries around the world to ban the company from participating in their 5G networks.

    To make matters worse, the US led a successful effort to cut the company off from semiconductor manufacturing resources, effectively crippling its smartphone business. As a result, Huawei sold its Honor brand of smartphones, and warned that shipments of its flagship line would be significantly lower going forward.

    Zhengfei believes the company’s path forward lies with software, according to a memo seen by Reuters, with him calling on the company to “dare to lead the world” in software. Zhengfei specifically highlighted his belief that the future of software development was “outside of U.S. control and we will have greater independence and autonomy.”

    It’s a safe bet many countries and jurisdictions will be equally concerned about software provided by Huawei, but the lower cost involved in software vs hardware will still be a major benefit for the company.

  • Verizon Exclusive Partner of 15 NBA Teams

    Verizon Exclusive Partner of 15 NBA Teams

    Verizon has announced it is the exclusive partner of 15 NBA teams, and now has its Ultra Wideband 5G deployed in 60+ stadiums.

    Ultra Wideband is Verizon’s name for the fastest flavor of 5G, mmWave. It offers speed measured in gigabits, and opens a world of new possibilities. The company is helping NBA teams use the technology to create more immersive experiences for fans in attendance. As one example, fans will be able to point their phones at a player and seen their stats and information on their screens, get shot/miss projections and more.

    Verizon and the NBA teams clearly see such experiences as a key element to luring people back to in-person events.

    “As fans return to live events, the need to reimagine the in-arena experience and operations has accelerated and 5G Ultra Wideband is a critical component,” said Brian Mecum, Vice President of Device Technology for Verizon. “The deployment of 5G in these arenas is the foundation for unlocking future fan experiences and solutions for venue operations.”

    Below is a list of partner teams:

    • Cleveland Cavaliers – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
    • Denver Nuggets – Ball Arena
    • Detroit Pistons – Little Caesars Arena
    • Golden State Warriors – Chase Center
    • LA Clippers
    • Los Angeles Lakers
    • Memphis Grizzlies – FedExForum
    • New York Knicks – Madison Square Garden
    • Oklahoma City Thunder – Chesapeake Energy Arena
    • Phoenix Suns – Phoenix Suns Arena
    • Portland Trail Blazers – Moda Center
    • Sacramento Kings – Golden 1 Center
    • Utah Jazz – Vivint Arena
    • Washington Wizards – Capital One Arena
  • Huawei Sees Cloud Success Wooing Government Buyers

    Huawei Sees Cloud Success Wooing Government Buyers

    Huawei is seeing early success with its pivot to cloud computing, despite concerns about the potential security threat it poses.

    Huawei was one of the leading telecom firms in the world, making a popular line of smartphones and leading the industry in wireless network equipment. The company increasingly found itself under scrutiny from governments and intelligence agencies around the world, with concerns it provided an avenue for Beijing to spy on others.

    The US, in particular, took an aggressive stance against the Chinese firm, banning it from networks and pressuring allies to do the same. Around the world, countries followed suit, excluding Huawei from 5G rollouts, or explicitly banning it altogether. The US also successfully cut the firm off from much of its semiconductor supply, putting its smartphone business in jeopardy.

    Huawei began pivoting to other businesses, including cloud computing, in an effort to diversify and offset its losses. It appears the strategy is paying off, as governments around the world are embracing the company’s cloud offerings.

    According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Reconnecting Asia Project, developing economies and emerging markets are especially welcoming of Huawei.

    Emerging markets focus: The majority of deals (57 percent) are in countries that are middle-income and partly-free or not free. Africa leads the way with 36 percent of deals, followed by Asia (20 percent), the Americas (17 percent), Europe (17 percent), and the Middle East (10 percent).

    It appears Huawei is finding success bundling its services as part of a larger package, including giving customers access to funding from Chinese banks.

    Effective sales pitch: Huawei promises major commercial benefits to prospective customers, usually packages the delivery of hard infrastructure with services (60 percent of deals), and harnesses financing from Chinese policy banks to sweeten offers (nearly all deals for which financing could be identified).

    Interestingly, although perhaps not surprisingly, many of the countries embracing Huawei are ones that are considered “not free” or “partly free.”

    Non-liberal: 77 percent of deals are located in countries that are considered either “not free” (34 percent) or “partly free” (43 percent) according to Freedom House ratings.

    Huawei is clearly looking to achieve a degree of immunity from sanctions and bans from the West. It appears to have found a niche that is allowing it to do just that.

  • Ericsson Debuts Indoor 5G Antennas for mmWave and Mid-Band

    Ericsson Debuts Indoor 5G Antennas for mmWave and Mid-Band

    Ericsson has announced indoor 5G antennas, for both mmWave and mid-band 5G.

    As carriers roll out 5G service, indoor reception continues to be an issue, especially for the high-band mmWave variety. mmWave is the fastest flavor of 5G, but it suffers from extremely limited range and poor building penetration. As a result, base stations and antennas must be used to ensure good indoor coverage.

    In contrast, mid-band spectrum is considered the sweet spot for 5G. While not as fast as mmWave, it still offers speeds in excess of 1 Gbps. Similarly, while the range and coverage is not as good as low-band 5G, it’s still a significant improvement over mmWave. Even so, mid-band can still benefit from indoor antennas for maximum performance.

    Ericsson has announced two antennas, both aimed at the US market: the Ericsson Indoor AIR 1279 and Ericsson Radio Dot 4459 small-cell radio.

    The Indoor AIR 1279 is “the world’s first indoor 800MHz Antenna Integrated Radio (AIR).” It offers double the performance of existing solutions, making it an ideal option for bringing mmWave 5G to the full range of indoor venues.

    In contrast, the Ericsson Radio Dot 4459 supports mid-band 5G, and builds on the success the company has had with its Radio Dot line of indoor antennas.

    “The quality of 5G service indoors is equally important to Ericsson as the user experience outdoors,” said Jessey Huang, Head of Ericsson’s Indoor Product Line. “We know what a differentiator great indoor 5G experiences are to subscribers, enterprise and industry. Therefore, we want our customers to be able to deliver that – in the best way possible. Ericsson is fortifying our 5G indoor portfolio, making it the simplest and most flexible product range on the market. We deliver a high-performing and dependable solution that is cost efficient and easy to deploy.”

  • Huawei and ZTE Excluded From India’s 5G Trials

    Huawei and ZTE Excluded From India’s 5G Trials

    Huawei and ZTE are in an all-too-familiar situation, both of them being excluded from a country’s 5G trials.

    Huawei and ZTE have both been under international scrutiny over their ties to Beijing. Governments and intelligence agencies around the world have warned that the companies, especially Huawei, pose a threat to national security and could be an avenue for the Chinese government to spy on others.

    The US, in particular, has been aggressive in its dealings with both companies. The firms are banned from US networks, and officials have pressured allies to do the same — often with great success.

    Although India has not officially banned any company from its wireless networks, BBC News is reporting Huawei and ZTE were not included in 5G trials involving a dozen other companies. Despite not implementing an outright ban, Delhi has indicated it would focus more on security and “trusted” vendors for telecom equipment rollouts.

    India’s stand is another blow to the Chinese firms, and illustrates why Huawei is increasingly looking to diversify outside the telecoms industry.

  • T-Mobile Reports Quarterly Results, Smashes Estimates

    T-Mobile Reports Quarterly Results, Smashes Estimates

    T-Mobile has reported its quarterly results, beating analysts’ estimates and reporting strong subscriber growth.

    T-Mobile is known for large gains in the subscriber department, and this quarter was no exception. The company posted 1.4 million net additions, beating both AT&T and Verizon.

    The company also posted $19.76 billion in revenue, up from $11.11 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 78% increase. Net profit came in at $933 million, or $0.74 a share. In contrast, analysts were expecting $0.54 a share.

    T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint is moving ahead, with roughly 20% of Sprint customers already moved over to the T-Mobile network. In addition, 50% of Sprint customer traffic is now on the T-Mobile network.

    “T-Mobile puts customers at the center of everything we do by giving them the best network, value and experience all at once – and this quarter’s stellar, industry-leading results prove that they’re noticing,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “We just keep pushing further ahead of the competition. Our network leadership is fueling customer momentum, delivering merger synergies and expanding our addressable markets for growth. We have so much confidence that we are raising 2021 guidance just one quarter into the year. Our mission is to be the very best at connecting customers to their world and we’re delivering on it.”

  • Qualcomm Demonstrates mmWave 5G 16x Faster Than Sub-6 GHz

    Qualcomm Demonstrates mmWave 5G 16x Faster Than Sub-6 GHz

    Qualcomm has announced a major milestone for 5G, demonstrating how fast mmWave 5G is compared with slower varieties.

    There are several flavors of 5G being rolled out. All three major carriers in the US have rolled out nationwide 5G networks, using low-band spectrum. Low-band provides the best range, coverage and building penetration, but is only marginally faster than 4G LTE. Mid-band spectrum provides a good mix of speed, range and coverage, and can deliver speed in excess of 1 Gbps.

    The fastest flavor of 5G is mmWave. Unlike low and mid-band, mmWave uses spectrum in the 6 GHz and above range. It is also the fastest flavor of 5G, clocking in at several gigabits per second. Unfortunately, because mmWave uses high-band spectrum, its range and penetration are extremely limited. Nonetheless, its speed makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, such as secure private networks, and carriers are racing to roll out it.

    Qualcomm has announced real-world tests showing mmWave 5G is up to 16 times faster than 5G in the sub-6 GHz frequencies, such as low and mid-band. The data was based on user-initiated Ookla Speedtests on commercial devices.

    “Our end-to-end modem to antenna solution brings together all the key 5G breakthroughs to optimize 5G connectivity using the massive bandwidth of mmWave,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With almost every major OEM offering 5G commercial devices globally, we’re playing a critical role in enabling 5G to live up to its promise of speed and power. This not only redefines the smartphone experience, but also paves the road for endless possibilities, including the further expansion of 5G into fixed wireless access, 5G private networks, compute, XR, and Industrial IoT.”

  • T-Mobile Joins FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

    T-Mobile Joins FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

    T-Mobile has announced it is joining the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, to provide low-cost service.

    The FCC announced its Emergency Broadband Benefit program will start on May 12. The program is designed to provide a discount of up to $50 ($75 on tribal lands) to help low-income families have access to broadband internet. High-speed internet access is more important than ever, as countless individuals work from home and engage in remote learning.

    T-Mobile has joined the FCC’s program, making its services available under its main brand, as well as subsidiaries.

    When enrollment opens on May 12, qualified T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Assurance Wireless and Sprint brand consumer and government customers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands may be eligible for an up to $50 discount (up to $75 on tribal lands) per household on service each month on qualified plans for the duration of the program.

  • GE Partners Uses Verizon 5G to Power Cross-Industry Testbed

    GE Partners Uses Verizon 5G to Power Cross-Industry Testbed

    GE Research and Verizon have partnered to power a cross-industry GE testbed with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband.

    Verizon’s Ultra Wideband, also known as mmWave, is the fastest flavor of 5G. It offers revolutionary speed, measured in gigabits. This makes it ideal for data-intensive applications that require high speeds and low latency.

    GE’s testbed will tackle a range of industries, including wireless, remote patient monitoring, predictive maintenance of aircraft engines and real-time control of wind farms.

    “Together with Verizon, we are leading the way in innovating on 5G,” said Vic Abate, GE’s Chief Technology Officer. “It marks a pivotal moment for the industrial world, as we finally have a wireless network platform that delivers the speed, scale, reliability and flexibility to connect industrial devices in a truly transformative way.”

    “Verizon’s 5G platform capabilities provide the perfect testbed for GE’s research team to build the next-generation, real-time solutions that will transform every industry,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “There’s never been a more critical time to build the 21st century infrastructure built on mobility, broadband and cloud and our 5G sits right at the epicenter.”

  • Apple Reports Record March Quarter

    Apple Reports Record March Quarter

    Apple has reported its quarterly results, delivering an astounding 54% year-over-year revenue growth.

    The March quarter is not traditionally one of Apple’s strongest. This year, however, the company had a number of factors in its favor. The iPhone 12, with 5G support, was expected to cause a “super cycle” upgrade as individuals traded in older phones for the revolutionary new feature the 12 offered. Similarly, Apple’s move to its own custom silicon for its Mac line of computers have led to renewed demand.

    The company also benefited from the transition to remote work, as Macs, iPhones and iPads saw increased demand among remote employees and students.

    These factors resulted in a quarter that exceeded analysts expectations across the board, and accounted for revenue of $89.6 billion. The iPhone accounted for $47.9 billion, a 66% increase. The Mac saw a 70% increase, coming in at $9.1 billion. The iPad accounted for $7.8 billion, or a 35% increase.

    “This quarter reflects both the enduring ways our products have helped our users meet this moment in their own lives, as well as the optimism consumers seem to feel about better days ahead for all of us,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple is in a period of sweeping innovation across our product lineup, and we’re keeping focus on how we can help our teams and the communities where we work emerge from this pandemic into a better world. That certainly begins with products like the all-new iMac and iPad Pro, but it extends to efforts like the 8 gigawatts of new clean energy we’ll help bring onto the grid and our $430 billion investment in the United States over the next 5 years.”

    “We are proud of our March quarter performance, which included revenue records in each of our geographic segments and strong double-digit growth in each of our product categories, driving our installed base of active devices to an all-time high,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “These results allowed us to generate operating cash flow of $24 billion and return nearly $23 billion to shareholders during the quarter. We are confident in our future and continue to make significant investments to support our long-term plans and enrich our customers’ lives.”

  • T-Mobile and Zyter Partner on Telehealth

    T-Mobile and Zyter Partner on Telehealth

    T-Mobile has announced it is partnering with Zyter to provide telehealth options.

    Telehealth and telemedicine are growing in popularity as a result of the pandemic. As regions were in quarantine and lockdown, many turned to telehealth for their healthcare. Many viewed telehealth as a safer alternative than in-person doctor’s visits for non-critical medical needs.

    Unfortunately, successful deployment and use of telehealth programs requires quality internet access, specifically internet that allows videoconferencing. To help address this, T-Mobile has partnered with Zyter, a leading provider of software as a service (SaaS) digital health products.

    “We believe that every American has the right to quality healthcare that is safe and secure,” said Mike Katz, EVP, T-Mobile. “By partnering with Zyter, we can outfit healthcare organizations of all sizes with solutions that reach more people and enable faster and more reliable virtual care through familiar devices like smartphones and tablets.”

    The two companies will work together to help healthcare companies care for their patients remotely, using 4G LTE and 5G.

    “This is a significant agreement for Zyter as it enables us to leverage the vast resources and footprint of T-Mobile to make our digital health solutions more accessible to more patients,” said Sanjay Govil, founder and CEO of Zyter, Inc. “By working together, we can help organizations improve patient satisfaction while maintaining care quality and lowering costs.”

  • Huawei Could Monitor Calls on One of the Largest Dutch Wireless Networks

    Huawei Could Monitor Calls on One of the Largest Dutch Wireless Networks

    Huawei is facing accusations that it had the access and ability to monitor all the calls made on KPN’s wireless network, one of the largest in the Netherlands.

    Huawei has been facing accusations for years that it serves as a conduit for Beijing to spy on governments and companies around the world. The US ultimately banned the Chinese firm from participating in its networks, and many of its allies did the same.

    Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant saw a confidential report prepared for KPN in 2010 by the Capgemini consultancy firm. According to The Guardian, the report found that Huawei and China could have monitored calls by then prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, as well as Chinese dissidents.

    KPN has downplayed the report, saying it “never observed that Huawei took client information.” At the same time, it did acknowledge that one of its suppliers had “unauthorised, uncontrolled or unlimited access to our networks and systems”.

    The report was originally commissioned after the Dutch intelligence service warned of potential espionage. Despite the findings, KPN continued to use Huawei for its 3G and 4G deployments, although it excluded the company from its 5G network.

    The report concluded that the findings put “the continued existence of KPN Mobile in serious danger” since customers “may lose confidence … if it becomes known the Chinese government can monitor KPN mobile numbers.”

    It remains to be seen what fallout KPN may still face now that the report has become public.

  • Apple ‘Spring Loaded’ Event: iPad Pro and M1 Mac

    Apple ‘Spring Loaded’ Event: iPad Pro and M1 Mac

    Apple uses its “Spring Loaded” event to unveil the new iPad Pro and an M1 iMac.

    iMac

    New iMac - Credit Apple
    New iMac – Credit Apple

    Cook highlighted the revolutionary impact of the transition to Apple’s custom M1 silicon, before giving the stage to John Ternus to discuss the latest addition to the M1 family: the iMac.

    The new iMac is a throwback to the original iMac, coming in seven different colors. Unlike previous generations, however, the M1 allows the iMac to achieve an all new degree of thinness. In fact, the new model is only 11.5 millimeters thick.

    iMac stays under 10 decimals under most situations, barely audible to the human ear.

    Navpreet Koloty showed off the progress Apple has made on the iMac’s cameras, the best the company has ever put in a Mac. Cameras were always a weak point for the Mac, something that became more apparent during the pandemic, as people started relying on videoconferencing.

    The iMac’s speakers and microphones also received a major upgrade, resulting in the best sound system ever put in a Mac.

    The new machines are up to 85% faster than previous models, with up to 2x faster GPU performance and up to 50% faster than the fastest discrete graphics iMacs. Machine learning is up to 3x faster.

    The iMac is the first desktop to offer Touch ID. Touch ID can be used to log in, make purchases and activate fast user switching, to switch between user accounts.

    iPad Pro

    iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard
    iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard – Credit Apple

    Raja Bose took the stage to announce the iPad Pro now has the M1 chip as well. The M1 in the iPad Pro delivers 50% faster performance than the previous generation. The 8-core GPU delivers up to 40% faster GPU performance than the previous model.

    The new model includes support for the latest Playstation and Xbox controls, complete with haptic feedback.

    The new iPad Pro has 2x faster storage access, and is now available with up to 2TB storage. New model includes Thunderbolt support with USB 4.

    The new iPad Pro supports 5G, including mmWave in the US, giving it the ability to have 4Gbps download under ideal conditions.

    iPad Pro Center Stage - Credit Apple
    iPad Pro Center Stage – Credit Apple

    Fiona O’Leary showed the improvements Apple has made to the cameras. One of the biggest announcements was the introduction of Center Stage. Using the new 122-degree, Ultra-Wide camera and machine learning, Center Stage keeps the user in the center of the view, addressing one of the biggest complaints of the iPad’s current cameras.

    The new models also include the much anticipated mini-LED display, complete Liquid Retina XDR, a first for the tablet line. The Magic Keyboard is also available in white.

    The 11-inch model starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch starts at $1,099.

  • iPhone 13 to Bring mmWave Support to International Models

    iPhone 13 to Bring mmWave Support to International Models

    The iPhone 13 will reportedly widen support for mmWave, brining it to iPhones sold internationally, rather than just the US models.

    mmWave is the fastest flavor of 5G, although it has limited range and building penetration. When the iPhone 12 was released, it only supported mmWave 5G in the US. International models only support 5G bands in the sub-6GHz range.

    According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, via MacRumors, Apple is set to change that with the iPhone 13.

    While 5G smartphone shipments increased significantly in 2020, most of them only supported Sub-6 GHz. We believe that mmWave will create more diverse applications than Sub-6 GHz because of the benefits of faster speed and lower latency. The mmWave model of the ‌iPhone 12‌ only supports the US market, and the shipment allocation of the total ‌iPhone 12‌ is about 30–35%. We predict that the ‌iPhone 13‌ mmWave models will be available in more countries (e.g., Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European mobile operators), so the shipment allocation of ‌iPhone 13‌ mmWave models will increase substantially to 55–60%.

    Kuo has a solid track record predicting Apple’s next moves. His latest prediction is good news for international iPhone users.

  • Ookla Releases Latest Wireless Report, T-Mobile Comes Out on Top

    Ookla Releases Latest Wireless Report, T-Mobile Comes Out on Top

    Ookla, the maker of the popular Speedtest app, has released its latest report and T-Mobile has come out as the big winner in wireless.

    Thanks to its Speedtest app, Ookla is in a unique position to compile reports based on organic user data, rather than rigid, pre-defined studies. The company gives each provider a “Speed Score,” which is based on the provider’s upload and download speeds. Because download speed has a far greater impact on a user’s experience, 90% of the score is attributed to download speed, with the remaining 10% attributed to upload.

    Its latest report covers Q1 2021, and T-Mobile has come out on top in almost every category.

    Overall Speed

    In terms of overall speed, T-Mobile scored first place with a score of 50.21. AT&T came in second with 48.38 and Verizon came in third with 41.25.

    Consistency

    Ookla’s Consistency test measures providers’ ability to deliver consistent speeds. T-Mobile came in first, providing download speeds of at least 5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 1 Mbps 84.8% of the time. AT&T came in second at 83.5% and Verizon came in third at 81.6% of the time.

    5G Speed

    When looking exclusively at 5G speed, T-Mobile was again the clear winner, with an average download speed of 82.35 Mbps. AT&T was again second with 76.60 Mbps, and Verizon came in third at 67.24 Mbps.

    5G Time Spent (5G Availability)

    Ookla’s Time Spent test measures how much time phones are connected to 5G, giving a look into a provider’s 5G coverage and availability. T-Mobile came in first with 65.4%. Verizon came in second with 36.2% and AT&T was third with 31.0%.

    Latency

    Latency tests were the only tests were T-Mobile didn’t score first place. AT&T and Verizon tied at 32 ms, while T-Mobile had 33 ms.

    T-Mobile touted the results as validation of its 5G strategy, one that has helped it become the company to beat in the 5G race.

    “Ookla’s report is just the latest to prove T-Mobile is America’s leader in 5G, with real customer data showing T-Mobile delivers the fastest 5G speeds and a 5G signal more often,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “While the other networks play catch up, T-Mobile 5G will keep layering on even more capacity and speed to the nation’s largest 5G network.”

  • Honda and Verizon Working Together to Use 5G to Improve Road Safety

    Honda and Verizon Working Together to Use 5G to Improve Road Safety

    Verizon and Honda are working together, in cooperation with the University of Michigan’s Mcity, to improve road safety with the help of 5G.

    Honda has been on the forefront of autonomous vehicle research, recently releasing the world’s first Level 3 autonomous car. The company is working with Verizon to see if 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) can improve road safety, while reducing the need for onboard AI processing.

    The goal is to use 5G and MEC to help vehicles better communicate with other vehicles, road infrastructure and pedestrians to better avoid collisions. For example, if a pedestrian is crossing the road, but obscured from view by a building or parked vehicle, smart intersection cameras could alert oncoming drivers of the danger.

    “Honda’s research collaboration with Verizon is an important step in our multi-year effort to develop connected vehicle safety technology to realize our vision for a collision-free society,” said Ehsan Moradi Pari, Ph.D, research group lead at Honda’s Advanced Technology Research Division. “While the research is preliminary and not intended as a product feature at this time, 5G-enabled vehicle communication and MEC have the potential to advance safety for everyone sharing the road.”

    “The ability to move computing power to the edge of our 5G network is an essential building block for autonomous and connected vehicles, helping cars to communicate with each other in near real-time and with sensors and cameras installed in streets and traffic lights,” said Sanyogita Shamsunder, vice president of Technology Development and 5G Labs at Verizon. “When you consider that roughly 42,000 people were killed in car accidents last year and 94% of accidents are caused by human error, our new technologies including 5G and MEC can help drivers ‘see’ things before the human eye can register and react helping to prevent collisions and save lives.”

    The collaboration is further evidence of the far-reaching impact 5G, AI and edge computing will have on a wide range of industries.

  • T-Mobile Unveils 5G Home Internet

    T-Mobile Unveils 5G Home Internet

    T-Mobile has unveiled its next Un-carrier move, #5GforAll, including 5G home internet.

    T-Mobile has been rolling out its home internet service for some time, although it has primarily been deployed on the company’s 4G LTE network.

    The company is now significantly upgrading the service, providing 5G home internet for $60 per month. Like all T-Mobile’s wireless services, that price includes taxes and fees. Some 30 million households are eligible for the service, which the company is quick to point out is more than Verizon hopes to cover by the end of 2023.

    T-Mobile is especially positioning the service as an option for addressing the “digital divide,” the term for the huge disparity in internet service available in the US. While cities and urban areas have ready access to high-speed broadband, many rural areas have few, if any, good options. Such options are especially important now, at a time when remote work has become the new normal.

    “Since the beginning of the digital age, connectivity for rural America has been an afterthought,” said T-Mobile Senior Vice President Edwige Robinson. “One of our most important goals is to ensure that small town America is not left behind during the transition to 5G. This is why 5G for All will span across the country — small towns as well as big cities, rural communities as well as the suburbs.”

    Customers can expect an average of 100 Mbps download, along with unlimited data and no data caps.

  • T-Mobile Takes ‘Most Reliable 5G Network’ Title in Latest Report

    T-Mobile Takes ‘Most Reliable 5G Network’ Title in Latest Report

    T-Mobile continues to be the carrier to beat in the US 5G race, adding “most reliable 5G” to its list of accolades.

    The magenta carrier established an early lead in 5G coverage, thanks to being the first company to roll out a nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile used its 600 MHz spectrum to power the nationwide network, spectrum that gives it excellent range and penetration.

    In contrast, Verizon focused almost exclusively on high-band mmWave spectrum in its initial rollout. mmWave offers spectacular speed, but very poor coverage and penetration. As a result, Verizon was the undisputed king of 5G speed in the early days of the rollout.

    In January, however, T-Mobile took the 5G speed crown from Verizon, and now the company’s network has been named the most reliable 5G as well.

    Independent research firm umlaut examined 35 million data samples from more than 55,000 5G users. According to umlaut’s research, T-Mobile ranks first in 5G overall in 44 states. In addition, the company earned top marks for 5G coverage, reliability and speed.

    “Time and time again, the independent network benchmarking reports prove there’s one clear leader in 5G, and that’s T-Mobile,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “With the largest, fastest and now most reliable 5G network in the country, our sights are firmly set on what’s next in 5G, while the competition plays catch-up!!”