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Tag: Verizon

  • FCC Moving to Require Carriers to Fight Robocalls

    FCC Moving to Require Carriers to Fight Robocalls

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has unveiled a proposal to require carriers and telephone providers to fight robocalls, after being disappointed some did not voluntarily do so.

    “All of us are fed up with robocalls—including me,” said Chairman Pai. “We’ve taken many steps to stem the tide of spoofed robocalls. I’m excited about the proposal I’m advancing today: requiring phone companies to adopt a caller ID authentication framework called STIR/SHAKEN. Widespread implementation will give American consumers a lot more peace of mind when they pick up the phone. Last year, I demanded that major phone companies voluntarily deploy STIR/SHAKEN, and a number of them did. But it’s clear that FCC action is needed to spur across-the-board deployment of this important technology. There is no silver bullet when it comes to eradicating robocalls, but this is a critical shot at the target.”

    Spoofing is a favorite of robocallers who will make their number appear as if it is from the same area code or exchange as the person they’re calling, making it more likely the receiver will pick up. STIR/SHAKEN is a protocol that helps carriers verify the identify of a caller to ensure the number is not being spoofed. If the call spans carriers, the originating carrier passes on the verification to the receiving carrier, and a “Call Verified” badge will show up on the receiver’s caller ID.

    The FCC had previously recommended that carriers begin implementing STIR/SHAKEN but, based on Chairman Pai’s proposal, some of them did not comply. Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have all committed to supporting the protocol.

  • FCC Announces Carrier Fines For Selling Customer Data

    FCC Announces Carrier Fines For Selling Customer Data

    The FCC has officially unveiled its proposed fines for wireless carriers over selling customer data to third parties, with T-Mobile receiving the highest fines.

    The FCC’s announcement (PDF) comes after all four major carriers were found guilty of selling customer location data to third parties without consent. This arrangement violated the requirement that telecom companies be the sole gateway for the government to conduct lawful surveillance.

    In at least one instance, “a Missouri Sheriff, Cory Hutcheson, used a ‘location-finding service’ operated by Securus, a provider of communications services to correctional facilities, to access the location information of the wireless carriers’ customers without their consent between 2014 and 2017. In some cases, Hutcheson provided Securus with irrelevant documents like his health insurance policy, his auto insurance policy, and pages from Sheriff training manuals as evidence of his authorization to access wireless customer location data.”

    In response to public outcry from journalists, privacy advocates and lawmakers, the FCC investigated, resulting in the proposed fines. The FCC proposes fining T-Mobile $91 million, AT&T $57 million, Verizon $48 million and Sprint more than $12 million. While the proposed fines are a significant amount of money, critics have already denounced them as not going far enough.

    Senator Ron Wyden, a well-known privacy advocate, was scathing in his response:

    If reports are true, then Ajit Pai has failed to protect consumers at every turn. This issue came to light after my office and dedicated journalists discovered how wireless carriers shared Americans’ locations without consent. He investigated only after public pressure mounted.

    — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 27, 2020

    It remains to be seen if the carriers will appeal the fines. Given the reaction that is already building, they may do well to simply pay the fines and move on. Meanwhile, other companies should take a lesson that it’s never a good idea to try to double-dip by surreptitiously selling the data of paying customers who expect far better for the money they’re spending.

  • FCC Set to Fine Carriers For Sharing Location Data

    FCC Set to Fine Carriers For Sharing Location Data

    Following an investigation in which the FCC found carriers broke the law by selling customer location data, the agency is poised to levy significant fines.

    It first came to light in 2018 that carriers were selling customer location data to third-party companies that turned around and resold it again, or even gave it away. Privacy advocates and lawmakers alike raised the alarm, especially since it provided a legal loophole around the requirement that carriers be the sole gateway for the government to access such information.

    As a result of the outcry, Verizon was the first to stop sharing customer data, with the other three carriers following suit shortly thereafter. Even so, the FCC launched an investigation into the practice, concluding “that one or more wireless carriers apparently violated federal law.”

    Now, according to Reuters, the FCC is expected to announce fines on Friday, with the total amount likely to exceed $200 million. The carriers, of course, may appeal the fines or negotiate to reduce the amount.

  • Verizon Hits 4.2Gbps 5G Speeds

    Verizon Hits 4.2Gbps 5G Speeds

    Verizon achieved an industry first, hitting 4.2Gbps speeds on its live 5G network.

    Ericsson was recently in the news for achieving 4.3Gbps 5G speeds, setting a new record. One big difference, however, is that Ericsson’s results were achieved in a lab, whereas Verizon’s 4.2Gbps was achieved on a live network. Verizon conducted the test in partnership with Samsung, Motorola and Qualcomm.

    “We’re continuing to expand our 5G Ultra Wideband network, built to enable unique and transformational experiences for our customers,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning at Verizon. “We are only beginning to scratch the surface of what 5G can do, demonstrated by this latest milestone.

    “We continue to innovate and introduce advanced technologies on our 5G network that will help us reach never-before seen mobile capabilities and create new and exciting use cases across the consumer and enterprise landscape. Using 5G carrier aggregation, we are able to achieve unprecedented mobile speeds and bring the massive bandwidth available with mmWave spectrum to life.”

    The fastest type of 5G, mmWave, has held the promise of gigabit speeds. It’s good to see Verizon delivering on that promise.

  • Companies Pull Out Of RSA Conference 2020 Due To Coronavirus

    Companies Pull Out Of RSA Conference 2020 Due To Coronavirus

    RSA Conference 2020 is one of the biggest security conferences of the year, but it will have to go on without some major backers due to the coronavirus.

    According to organizers, Verizon, IBM and AT&T Cybersecurity have pulled out of the conference amid concerns over the virus. In total, that brings the count to 14 companies who have withdrawn, including six from China, seven from the U.S. and one from Canada.

    San Francisco Mayor London Breed has tried to reassure attendees, emphasizing that the “risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 in San Francisco is low, as the virus is not circulating within our community.”

    Overall, only an estimated 1.2 percent of expected attendees have canceled. In the meantime, organizers provided the following recommendations for those attending:

    “In addition to following CDC recommendations like frequent hand washing, RSA Conference reminds attendees that other preventive measures have been put in place to help reduce the risk of infection. The Moscone Center is following recommendations in the US EPA’s Emerging Pathogen Policy regarding the use of cleaning disinfectants effective against the coronavirus and CDC health screenings for qualified travelers arriving from international destinations at the San Francisco International Airport.“

  • Deutsche Telekom CEO Promises the ‘Best 5G Network’

    Deutsche Telekom CEO Promises the ‘Best 5G Network’

    Timotheus Hottges, CEO of T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom left no room for ambiguity regarding the company’s 5G plans.

    In an interview with CNBC, Hottges was asked about the ongoing merger negotiations following the court victory allowing it to move forward. There have been multiple reports that Deutsche Telekom was renegotiating Sprint’s price, given how much the company had dropped since the deal was initially made.

    Although Hottges could not comment on internal negotiations, he was very optimistic about the future of his company’s 5G rollout and the benefits of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

    “This is a unique story. And for us…that is the biggest transaction ever made from a German company in the U.S.,” said Hottges. “This is…the biggest transaction in the telco space over the last ten years.

    “And this is creating super relevant impact for customers. We’re going to build the best 5G network. We’re going to have double the amount of spectrum, so we can be very aggressive on pricing and on AT&T and Verizon, perspectively.

    “And, on top of that, it’s creating 43 billion of synergies, bringing the two networks of Sprint and T-Mobile together. So this is creating a lot of, let’s say, possibilities for us and we are intrigued by the strategic benefits of this this transaction.”

    Based on Hottges’ comments, it seems T-Mobile’s aggressive pricing and customer-first attitude aren’t going away anytime soon.

  • Verizon and NASCAR Partner to Deliver 5G and WiFi to Racetracks

    Verizon and NASCAR Partner to Deliver 5G and WiFi to Racetracks

    Verizon and NASCAR have partnered to bring improved WiFi and 5G connectivity to 12 NASCAR-owned racetracks around the country.

    The two companies’ goal is to modernize the 12 racetracks, providing improved connectivity to drivers, teams and fans, starting with improved WiFi. The partnership sees Verizon become the Official Wireless Telecommunications and 5G Mobility Partner of NASCAR. The company will also be the Official At-Track Wi-Fi Partner of the 12 racetracks.

    “The thousands of fans attending NASCAR events across the country need reliable connectivity to share and send photos and videos of races in real-time, stay up-to-date on their favorite drivers, and connect with fellow fans inside and outside the track,” said George Fischer, Senior Vice President, 5G Ecosystems and Alliances for Verizon Business Group. “As the official wireless provider for NASCAR, we are looking forward to enhancing the fan experience today and working together to revolutionize the future of the racing experience for drivers and fans.”

    The news comes on the heals of Verizon investing $80 million to improve their 5G network in Miami in preparation for the Super Bowl. With these moves, its obvious Verizon is focusing on high-concentration areas and venues with their 5G rollout.

  • Ericsson Researchers Set New 5G Speed Record

    Ericsson Researchers Set New 5G Speed Record

    Ericsson researchers have set a new record for mmWave 5G, hitting 4.3Gbps download speeds.

    mmWave is the fastest variety of 5G, and offers revolutionary speeds compared to 4G. Speeds are so fast that experts have long said it could disrupt entire industries, making things possible that could never be done with previous technology. Artificial intelligence, autonomous cars, mobile gaming, virtual and augmented reality are just a few of the industries 5G stands to have a major impact on.

    Ericsson’s researchers have just displayed some of that promise, achieving a whopping 4.3Gbps downlink with mmWave 5G.

    “This is a fantastic achievement,” said Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks. “To put 4.3Gbps in context, that is the equivalent of downloading one hour of ultra-high-definition, or 4K, content from a streaming service in just 14 seconds. Ericsson is taking the next steps in ensuring service providers can deliver the best capacity and data rates over millimeter wave 5G. The 8CC aggregation solution we have successfully tested will enable not only higher speeds but also large-scale 5G deployments and new business opportunities.”

    In the U.S., T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have all deployed mmWave 5G in parts of the country, although rollout is slow as a result of the frequency’s extremely short range. This has led T-Mobile and AT&T to complement their mmWave service with low-band 5G, which has far better range and coverage but offers speeds similar to 4G.

    Ericsson’s announcement also lends weight to CEO Borje Ekholm’s recent comments that his company is at the forefront of 5G, both in terms of technology and scalability. In that interview, he said: “I find it’s a bit difficult to say that we’re behind when I see no one ahead of us.”

    When it comes to download speeds—he’s right.

  • T-Mobile and Sprint Win Case, Can Move Forward With Merger

    T-Mobile and Sprint Win Case, Can Move Forward With Merger

    As predicted, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero has ruled in favor of T-Mobile and Sprint, clearing the way for the two companies to merge, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    In his ruling, Judge Marrero rejected the two main arguments put forth by the states seeking to block the merger, namely that Sprint could effectively compete without it and that it would inherently lead to a less competitive landscape. Throughout the trial, T-Mobile and Sprint’s attorneys had argued that without a merger, the latter would no longer be able to compete on the same national level as Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile and would drop to a regional carrier. The two companies also argued that their combined resources would enable them to compete with Verizon and AT&T even more, not less, especially in the competitive 5G market.

    “T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes,” the judge wrote, agreeing with T-Mobile’s argument. He said the deal would help extend “T-Mobile’s undeniably successful business strategy for the foreseeable future.”

    The ruling is good news for both T-Mobile and Sprint customers. T-Mobile will gain access to the wealth of spectrum Sprint owns, but has not had the money to utilize, as it continues its 5G rollout. Sprint customers, in turn, will benefit from the superior coverage and speed T-Mobile’s network offers. Shares of both companies were up in premarket trading.

  • T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Expected to Gain Approval

    T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Expected to Gain Approval

    The Wall Street Journal is reporting that people familiar with the matter expect U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero to rule in favor of the planned T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

    The third and fourth wireless carriers have been fighting to gain approval for a merger for months, with both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) supporting the merger. In spite of that, a coalition of states sued to prevent the merger, citing the belief that it would negatively impact the competitive landscape.

    T-Mobile and Sprint have both argued the merger was necessary to take on larger rivals, Verizon and AT&T, and have insisted consumers would ultimately benefit. Especially as carriers work to roll out 5G networks, the combination of the third and fourth largest carriers would give the combined company the scale necessary to offer customers the best 5G experience.

    There are also significant legal ramifications for the case. If the states prevail in their argument, it will give individual states unprecedented power to stop mergers—despite federal approval.

    We will continue to provide updates as the story develops.

  • T-Mobile Posts Another Record Quarter

    T-Mobile Posts Another Record Quarter

    T-Mobile released its quarterly earnings report Thursday and, once again, turned in a record quarter that beat estimates.

    The company posted $11.9 billion in revenue in Q4 2019, up 4% from the year-ago quarter, and beating analysts’ estimates. The company also added 1 million net total subscribers, the 27th quarter in a row the company has added at least 1 million subscribers.

    CEO John Legere touted the fact that the company was able to report such positive results, all the while investing in its 5G network. To put that in perspective, Verizon recently missed earnings estimates in large part because of its own 5G rollout.

    “T-Mobile continues to deliver incredible results quarter after quarter! In Q4 we set new financial records across the board and recorded our 27th consecutive quarter with over 1 million total net customer additions,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. “We achieved these spectacular results all while launching the first and only nationwide 5G network, announcing Un-carrier 1.0 for New T-Mobile, and delivering a compelling and fact-based argument in court to support our pending merger. Our results continue to show that the Un-carrier strategy works, and it delivers for both customers and shareholders. I couldn’t be more confident and excited about our future and We Won’t Stop!”

  • Huawei Takes Legal Action Against Verizon Alleging Patent Infringement

    Huawei Takes Legal Action Against Verizon Alleging Patent Infringement

    Huawei has announced it is taking legal action against Verizon, alleging patent infringement by the wireless carrier, according to a company press release.

    The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and seeks compensation for Verizon’s alleged use of 12 patents.

    “Verizon’s products and services have benefited from patented technology that Huawei developed over many years of research and development,” said Dr. Song Liuping, Huawei’s Chief Legal Officer.

    Huawei claims it tried negotiating with Verizon “for a significant period of time” prior to filing the lawsuits, but that the two companies were unable to reach an agreement on license terms.”

    In the midst of the other legal challenges Huawei is facing, it will be interesting to see if its claims against Verizon hold up in court.

  • Walmart, Verizon, BMW Having Success With STRIVR Virtual Reality Training Technology

    Walmart, Verizon, BMW Having Success With STRIVR Virtual Reality Training Technology

    “We started the rollout to all of the Walmart retail environments at the end of 2019 and so far so good,” says STRIVR CEO Derek Belch. “We’ve had almost a million Associates go through different training modules. Doug McMillon actually in their earnings report a month ago did reference employee training as being one of the reasons that their earnings are what they are. So it’s definitely something that we’re seeing have a very positive effect as it relates to placing employees in these simulation-based learning environments that virtual reality affords.”

    Derek Belch, founder and CEO of STRIVR, discusses the success that enterprise companies such as Walmart, Verizon, and BMW are having with their virtual reality employee training technology in an interview on CNBC:

    Walmart VR Training Positively Impacting Earnings

    We started the rollout to all of the Walmart retail environments at the end of 2019 and so far so good. We’ve had almost a million Associates go through different training modules. Doug McMillon actually in their earnings report a month ago did reference employee training as being one of the reasons that their earnings are what they are. So it’s definitely something that we’re seeing have a very positive effect as it relates to placing employees in these simulation-based learning environments that virtual reality affords. It’s been really cool.

    Walmart VR Training – Oculus x Walmart x STRIVR

    We have about 30 customers in the Fortune 500 right now. It’s definitely crossing the chasm. We’re still on our way up here in the early adopters’ phase but we’re seeing this catch on. There’s definitely product-market fit for immersive learning as we call it. This is the real deal. This is very similar to pilots in a flight simulator. Historically, we’ve trained employees or we’ve assessed employees via PowerPoint’s, videos, and lectures. Candidly, we don’t know if people are half asleep or if they’re actually engaged. 

    Now with virtual reality, we’re able to put people through simulation-based learning, simulation-based training, simulation-based assessment, and it’s catching on. I think by this time next year if you’re not doing something (with VR training) you’re behind in the Fortune 500. We’re seeing that this is the real deal.

    VR Technology Finding Its Legs As a Useful Tool In the Enterprise

    At this point, we’ve talked to everybody. There isn’t a company in the Fortune 500 that we have not talked to in some way, shape, or form. We are not working with Amazon currently. We have talked to them on and off and we’ll see where that goes. To be honest, I’m not really worried about anyone doing this themselves. This is still the very early days of virtual reality. We work very closely with Oculus, which is owned by Facebook, they’re a great partner of ours. 

    We take a lot of pride at STRIVR and what we call the end-to-end solution which is basically, hey,  in the early days while you’re an early adopter and the technology is certainly viable and ready it’s also really difficult to scale. So we do a lot of heavy lifting for our partners, Walmart being one of them along with Verizon and BMW. We just do a lot of work for them up front while the technology is finding its legs to get to the point where computers, iPads, and cell phones are right now as a useful tool in the enterprise. I’m not worried about anybody in the next 18 months or so doing this on their own but certainly, we’ll see as the ecosystem evolves where it goes from there.

    STRIVR VR Technology Being Used by Verizon

    As it relates to the viability of using this as a predictive tool, this is how the Walmart use case came about with using this for assessments. Were actually patent pending right now on what we call an engagement algorithm to see how engaged somebody is during a simulation. We tell our partners all the things we’re working on behind the scenes and Walmart said they wanted to test that out to see if this would be a good use case for them. 

    We Take Pride That Our VR Experiences Won’t Lead To Nausea

    This (disorientation) is an issue for sure. That question always comes up in every demo. “Hey, am I going to get sick? Oh, I’m good, I don’t need to put it on. I got sick last time.” This is all about how the brain works and your equilibrium. If you’re sitting or you’re standing and you put on a headset and now you’re on a rollercoaster or you’re running through an active shooter game or something like that, yeah you’re going to get nauseous because your body is static but your brain thinks that it’s doing something else.

    We take a lot of pride in making sure that the experiences we build along with some of the subtle things we do in the software aren’t going to lead to nausea.

    Walmart, Verizon, BMW Having Success With Virtual Reality Training Technology – STRIVR CEO Derek Belch
  • FCC Finds Carriers Broke the Law by Selling Location Data

    FCC Finds Carriers Broke the Law by Selling Location Data

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has found that wireless carriers violated federal law in selling customer location data to third-parties.

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has sent a letter to several lawmakers informing them of the results of the agency’s investigation. According to Engadget, in 2018 it first came to light that wireless carriers were selling “their customers’ real-time location data to aggregators, which then resold it to other companies or even gave it away.”

    Senator Ron Wyden brought to Chairman Pai’s attention the case of prison phone company Securus Technologies. Securus was buying wireless location data and providing “that information, via a self-service web portal, to the government for nothing more than the legal equivalent of a pinky promise. This practice skirts wireless carrier’s legal obligation to be the sole conduit by which the government conducts surveillance of Americans’ phone records, and needless exposes million of Americans to potential abuse and surveillance by the government.”

    Once the information came to light, Verizon was the first to promise to stop the practice, with the other three carriers following suit. Even so, the FCC launched an investigation to determine if federal laws were broken, and it appears they were.

    In the letters, Chairman Pai said:

    “Fulfilling the commitment I made in that letter, I wish to inform you that the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has completed its extensive investigation and that it has concluded that one or more wireless carriers apparently violated federal law.

    “I am committed to ensuring that all entities subject to our jurisdiction comply with the Communications Act and the FCC’s rules, including those that protect consumers’ sensitive information, such as real-time location data. Accordingly, in the coming days, I intend to circulate to my fellow Commissioners for their consideration one or more Notice(s) of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in connection with the apparent violation(s).”

    That last part, in particular, is an indication the FCC will take some form of action against the offending parties.

    It’s one thing when companies offering a free service look for ways to profit off of their customers’ data—with the proper disclosures, of course. It’s quite another when companies that already charge for the service they offer then proceed to double-dip by selling their customers’ data, let alone doing it without properly disclosing it. It’s nice to see the FCC agrees such behavior is illegal, not to mention unethical.

  • Verizon 5G Roll Out Marches On, Hits 34 Cities

    Verizon 5G Roll Out Marches On, Hits 34 Cities

    Verizon has now hit 34 cities with its 5G roll out, adding Cincinnati, Little Rock and Kansas City, according to a company press release.

    Verizon made headlines at the end of last year for meeting, and surpassing, its goal of rolling out 5G in 30 cities by year end. By the end of 2019, it had reached 31 cities. In the first month of 2020, the company has now hit 34.

    Because Verizon is focusing on high-band, mmWave 5G, the new service does not cover all areas of the cities. While mmWave is the fastest flavor of 5G, with speeds measured in gigabits, it has very limited range and building penetration. As a result, only parts of the new cities have coverage.

    Cincinnati’s coverage is “concentrated in parts of Downtown, Mt. Adams, West End, Evanston, Walnut Hills, Corryville, Clifton, Price Hill, Over-The-Rhine, Mt Auburn, Avondale, Newport (KY), Dayton (KY), Bellevue (KY) near landmarks such as: Great American Ballpark, Duke Energy Convention Center, Serpentine Wall, City Hall, Xavier University, Cincinnati Zoo, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati Christian University and Newport Waterfront (KY).”

    In Kansas City, service is based “in parts of Downtown, Midtown-Westport, Plaza Midtown, Olathe and near landmarks such as: The Garment District, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Rockhurst University as well as inside and around the professional football stadium.”

    In Little Rock, service is “concentrated in parts of Midtown, University District, Birchwood, Otter Creek and near landmarks such as: UAMS College of Medicine, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Rock Creek Square Plaza Shopping Center, and Outlets of Little Rock.”

    Once customers move outside of 5G range, their devices will automatically transition back to 4G LTE. Even with the geographically-limited rollout, however, Verizon’s 5G will bring a welcome performance boost to customers, as well as help ease the strain on their 4G network in heavily populated areas.

  • Verizon and Honeywell Partner to Deliver Smart Utilities

    Verizon and Honeywell Partner to Deliver Smart Utilities

    Verizon has announced a partnership with Honeywell “to help utilities speed up and simplify the deployment of new communication-enabled, intelligent sensors and controls for the smart electric grid.”

    Honeywell is one of the leading makers of building control systems, with their equipment powering some 10 million buildings. In recent years, the company has been pushing into Internet of Things (IoT) territory, working to deliver smart building and utilities technology. The partnership with Verizon is a significant step in that direction, providing the telecommunications component the company needs.

    “Working with Honeywell on these next-generation solutions will enable the reliability and scalability of the communications needed to deliver smart metering, manage distributed energy resources, conserve water, and make the digital world work better for utilities and consumers,” said Jay Olearain, director, Enterprise Products and IoT at Verizon. “Our Connected Utilities solutions bring connectivity and computing capabilities to all kinds of IoT devices, helping companies like Honeywell grow their leadership positions in the utilities space and expand their business models into new market opportunities.”

    Verizon says its edge computing will help Honeywell integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into meters. This will open a whole new world of opportunities for utilities to better manage the grid and energy demands moving forward.

    “The Honeywell portfolio of utility applications and analytics expands with the new capabilities of wireless IoT,” said Ann Perreault, director, Connected Utilities, Honeywell Smart Energy. “By taking advantage of an already built, cellular infrastructure, our utility customers can more quickly deploy new capabilities based on interoperable communications, allowing them to facilitate innovation. This means that it is easier and more cost effective for utilities to apply analytics to plan for energy demand and to integrate emerging new technologies including micro-renewable generation, electric vehicles, battery storage and semi-autonomous control into the next evolution of the grid.”

    The partnership will initially involve Verizon’s LTE, but the companies are exploring the benefits 5G can bring to the table as it becomes more widely available.

  • FCC Frees Up 3.5GHz Mid-Band For Wireless Use

    FCC Frees Up 3.5GHz Mid-Band For Wireless Use

    The Federal Communications Commission has authorized the commercial use of the mid-range 3.5GHz spectrum, according to a press release by the CBRS Alliance.

    The 3.5GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum is being marketed under the name OnGo. Up until this ruling, the spectrum was reserved exclusively for the Department of Defense (DoD) and used extensively by the Navy.

    OnGo is a pivotal piece of the U.S. 5G rollout, as it sits squarely in what is considered mid-band spectrum. Low-band spectrum, such as that being heavily deployed by T-Mobile, has the advantage of offering long range and excellent building penetration, but offers only marginally faster speeds than 4G LTE. High-band, mmWave spectrum offers speeds measured in gigabits but has extremely poor range and penetration. This is what Verizon has primarily invested in.

    Mid-range spectrum, such as OnGo, can be used to improve speed and signal strength, first on 4G and then on 5G. The spectrum will effectively help bridge the gap between the long-range but slower low-band and the high-speed, mmWave spectrum.

    According to the press release, “consumers now have access to improved wireless connectivity through OnGo-compatible mobile devices, including the Google Pixel 4, Motorola’s 5G Moto Mod, Samsung Galaxy S10, Apple iPhone 11, LG G8 ThinQ, and OnePlus 7 Pro, all of which are on the market today. The OnGo ecosystem is vast and opens a brand-new market for wireless communications and 5G services in the United States, touching rural broadband via fixed wireless providers (WISPs), enterprise IT, hospitality, retail, real estate, industrial IoT, and transportation, among other sectors.”

    Because of OnGo’s previous status as protected spectrum, it can still be used by the DoD in times of emergency.

    “To ensure that the DoD has continued access to the band, Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) networks have been deployed along the U.S. coast. The ESC networks operated by CommScope, Federated Wireless, and Google inform the SAS administrators to activate a protection zone and dynamically reassign users in the area to other parts of the band, thus protecting the incumbent’s use of the spectrum while maximizing availability of CBRS spectrum across coastal areas.”

    The FCC’s decision is good news for consumers and businesses alike and will open up a wide range of wireless opportunities.

  • Verizon Takes The Lead In Creating 5G Future Forum

    Verizon Takes The Lead In Creating 5G Future Forum

    Verizon has issued a press release announcing the creation of the 5G Future Forum, a coalition of global 5G leaders.

    The growth of 5G has been hampered by multiple bands of 5G service. The fastest high-frequency mmWave bands offer speed measured in gigabits, but offer exceptionally poor range and building penetration. Low-band spectrum that many companies are rolling out offers only minor speed improvements over 4G LTE, but far better range and penetration. Mid-range spectrum lands somewhere in the middle and is being used by some companies to bridge the gap between mmWave and low-band networks.

    Unfortunately, the splintered 5G landscape makes it difficult for phone manufacturers to support 5G. Not only must they choose which type of 5G network to support, but they also have to support the individual frequencies different carriers may be using within the broad mmWave, low or mid-band varieties.

    The 5G Future Forum aims to address those issues, according to the press release:

    “5G and mobile-edge computing deliver lowest latency networks to mobile and connected devices while improving data throughput, reliability, power efficiency and security. This gives organizations worldwide the ability to deliver a wide range of transformative business and consumer use cases, like machine learning at the edge, autonomous industrial equipment, smart cars and cities, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality, and more.

    “The 5G Future Forum will focus on the creation of uniform interoperability specifications to improve speed to market for developers and multinational enterprises working on 5G-enabled solutions. In addition, Forum participants will develop public and private marketplaces to enhance developer and customer access to 5G, and will share global best practices in technology deployment.”

    “This forum of global leaders in 5G marks an important step in ensuring edge computing works seamlessly for our customers,” said Vinod Kumar, CEO of Vodafone Business. “These new specifications will allow us to offer services that work consistently across the globe and support devices moving between countries. 5G opens up a wealth of opportunities for new solutions and business models and we’re excited to play a role in bringing them to life.”

    The 5G Future Forum announcement is a welcome one at a time when the new technology is beginning to take off. The more “uniform interoperability” that carriers can agree on, the faster the technology will be able to be deployed and supported by phone manufacturers.

  • Verizon Launches OneSearch, A Privacy-Focused Search Engine

    Verizon Launches OneSearch, A Privacy-Focused Search Engine

    Verizon has announced the launch of OneSearch, a brand-new search engine focused on privacy, according to a press release.

    Privacy is increasingly becoming a major factor for tech companies, governments and users alike. The European Union’s Genera Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy law went into effect in 2018. As of January 1, 2020, California implemented the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPR), the most comprehensive privacy law in the U.S. The increased regulation, not to mention increasing consumer demand, has created both challenges and opportunities for tech companies.

    Verizon’s solution seems to be a search engine, powered by Bing, that caters toward privacy-conscious users. According to Verizon’s press release, “available for free today on desktop and mobile web at www.onesearch.com, OneSearch doesn’t track, store, or share personal or search data with advertisers, giving users greater control of their personal information in a search context. Businesses with an interest in security can partner with Verizon Media to integrate OneSearch into their privacy and security products, giving their customers another measure of control.”

    The search engine has additional advanced features, such as temporary link sharing. When Advanced Privacy Mode is enabled, any links to search results will expire in one hour.

    Users will still see ads when searching, but they will not be customized or based on the person’s search or browsing habits.

    “To allow for a free search engine experience, OneSearch is an ad-supported platform. Ads will be contextual, based on factors like search keywords, not cookies or browsing history. For example, if someone searches for ‘flights to Paris,’ they may see ads for travel booking sites or airlines that travel to Paris.”

    OneSearch does use some personal information. For example, a person’s IP address does provide general location information that can be used to provide location-specific results. Personal data is obfuscated and is never shared with search partners.

    While it is always nice to see tech giants embrace privacy, it’s hard to see the benefits of OneSearch over DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo has a long-standing track record of providing private search. As CNET points out, the move is also interesting coming from Verizon Media, the branch of the telecommunications company “that runs an extensive ad network with more than 70,000 web publishers and apps as customers. While the search engine aims to attract users by turning on privacy features by default, OneSearch will also let Verizon Media hone its ad-matching powers on a search engine it owns. (Verizon also owns the Yahoo search engine.)”

    It will be interesting to see what becomes of OneSearch and if it lives up to its promise of respecting people’s privacy. In the meantime, most users will probably be better off using DuckDuckGo.

  • Verizon Delays 5G Home Rollout While It Waits For More Powerful Equipment

    Verizon Delays 5G Home Rollout While It Waits For More Powerful Equipment

    One of the biggest promises of 5G is the ability to deliver broadband-class internet to homes, especially those in remote or rural locations. Unfortunately, Verizon customers will have to wait, as the company has once again delayed 5G Home rollout.

    According to Light Reading, Verizon is waiting for more powerful equipment that won’t be available until the second half of 2020. The high-powered customer premises equipment (CPE) has much longer range than current equipment, which will be a significant factor in practical adoption of the technology. In contrast, current devices use smartphone chipsets, which give them far shorter range.

    Ultimately Verizon’s goal is to cover 30 million households, but Verizon’s Ronan Dunne admits it may take five to seven years before that goal is realized. As he told Light Reading, this is partly because of where Verizon is focusing its 5G deployment efforts.

    Unlike T-Mobile or AT&T, Verizon is focusing exclusively on mmWave 5G deployment. This high-frequency 5G has the fastest speed—often measured in gigabits—but has very limited range and building penetration. As a result, cell towers and base stations must be placed within a couple hundred meters of each other to achieve coverage. Due to this limitation, Verizon is focusing primarily on urban areas that are often “low residential.”

    Hopefully the newer, more powerful equipment Verizon is waiting on will help address some of these limitations and enable the carrier to start rolling out 5G Home to a wider market.

  • CES 2020: Verizon Plans To Release 20 5G Phones In 2020

    CES 2020: Verizon Plans To Release 20 5G Phones In 2020

    Verizon has set a bold goal for itself with plans to release 20 5G phones in 2020, according to CNET.

    Verizon Wireless CEO Ronan Dunne announced the company’s plans during an interview at CES 2020. At four times the number of 5G phones the company released in 2019, 20 represents a significant uptick. In spite of that, Dunne told CNET “he had to turn down vendor partners wanting to build 5G phones.”

    Currently, mmWave is the fastest 5G available—with speed measured in gigabits rather than megabits—but has very limited range and building penetration. T-Mobile and AT&T have both opted to build out low-band 5G networks, in addition to their mmWave offerings. Low-band is slower, but has far better range and penetration. Verizon, however, is focusing almost exclusively on mmWave. As a result, their 5G network does not have the nationwide coverage T-Mobile currently has.

    Since device manufacturers build phones that will appeal to the widest audience, it makes sense that many would prioritize phones that take advantage of the low-band spectrum. As CNET points out, the fact that Verizon has already had to turn down vendors is especially reassuring given their focus on the mmWave variety of 5G.