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Tag: FCC

  • FCC Auctioning New Mid-Band 5G Spectrum Auction

    FCC Auctioning New Mid-Band 5G Spectrum Auction

    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.”

  • Carriers Must Block Other Carriers Not Listed in FCC Robocall Mitigation Database

    Carriers Must Block Other Carriers Not Listed in FCC Robocall Mitigation Database

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now requiring phone carriers to block other carriers that have not implemented anti-robocall features.

    The FCC has been cracking down on robocalls, requiring carriers to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol. STIR/SHAKEN is a way for carriers to verify the authenticity of a call, pass that check on to the next carrier for further verification, and then confirming to the recipient that the call is verified or possibly spam.

    The FCC previously set September 28 as the deadline for carriers to have the mitigation efforts in place. Now that the deadline has arrived, carriers will be required block those carriers that have failed to meet the FCC’s deadline.

    “The FCC is using every tool we can to combat malicious robocalls and spoofing – from substantial fines on bad actors to policy changes to technical innovations like STIR/SHAKEN,” said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “Today’s deadline establishes a very powerful tool for blocking unlawful robocalls. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect consumers against scammers who flood our homes and businesses with spoofed robocalls.”

  • FCC Investigating If Tenants Are Paying Too Much for Broadband

    FCC Investigating If Tenants Are Paying Too Much for Broadband

    The Federal Communications Commission is investigating if apartment and office tenants are paying too much for broadband.

    With a large portion of the US population living in Multiple Tenant Environment (MTE) buildings, there’s an increased risk of diminished competition. In many cases, MTE owners work out a profit-sharing agreement with a service provider, potentially limiting the choice for any of the building’s tenants. Similarly, some MTE owners have exclusive wiring arrangements, or exclusive marketing arrangements.

    These factors may lead to tenants paying more, or having subpar service, compared to what is generally available in their market.

    “Across the country throughout the pandemic, the need for more and better broadband access has never been clearer,” said Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “With more than one-third of the U.S. population living in condos and apartment buildings, it’s time to take a fresh look at how exclusive agreements between carriers and building owners could lock out broadband competition and consumer choice.  I look forward to reviewing the record.”

    The FCC “is inviting a new round of comments in a proceeding” to better understand the scope of the problem, and what measures may need to be taken.

  • T-Mobile Verizon and AT&T Complete STIR/SHAKEN Implementation

    T-Mobile Verizon and AT&T Complete STIR/SHAKEN Implementation

    T-Mobile and Verizon have both announced they have fully implemented the STIR/SHAKEN protocol to combat scams, meeting the FCC’s deadline.

    The Federal Communications Commission set June 30th as the deadline to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocols for the largest wireless carriers. The protocols provide a framework for a carrier to verify the authenticity of a call, pass that on to the next carrier(s) for verification, and then pass on the verification to the recipient phone. When the call comes through, the recipient will see whether the number is verified or suspect.

    The protocols are designed to help fight scammers and robocallers that often mask their phone number to make it appear as if they’re calling from the same area code or exchange as the recipient. This can create a false sense of security, as the recipient believes the call is local.

    T-Mobile and Verizon have both fully implemented STIR/SHAKEN, providing their customers an extra layer of protection.

    “Number Verification, along with Caller ID, and the scam identification and blocking tools in Scam Shield, gives our customers the industry’s most comprehensive free scam and spam protection,” said Jon Freier, Executive Vice President, T-Mobile Consumer Group at T-Mobile​. “We were first to implement number verification in 2019 and today, all calls originating on the T-Mobile network are 100% STIR/SHAKEN compliant, giving our customers peace of mind that their calls are protected against scammers and spammers.”

    While not issuing a press release, as T-Mobile and Verizon did, AT&T did confirm to The Verge that it has also met the FCC’s deadline.

  • ISPs Spent $8.2 Million Buying Fake Anti-Net Neutrality Comments

    ISPs Spent $8.2 Million Buying Fake Anti-Net Neutrality Comments

    A new report by the New York Attorney General shows the largest US ISPs funded a campaign that resulted in millions of fake comments opposing net neutrality.

    Net neutrality legislation is designed to prevent companies, especially ISPs, from favoring one service over another, or throttling a competing service. For example, net neutrality would prevent AT&T from throttling Netflix, or charging it more, just because it competes with AT&T’s HBO Max streaming service.

    Net neutrality rules were passed during the Obama administration, and promptly rescinded during the Trump administration. A coalition of companies unsuccessfully fought to prevent their demise, although individual states were granted the right to implement their own rules. As part of the FCC’s decision to rescind net neutrality, it solicited comments from the public.

    According to a new report, however, “the Office of the New York Attorney General (OAG) found that fake comments accounted for nearly 18 million of the more than 22 million comments the FCC received during its 2017 rulemaking.”

    There also appears to be significant amount of collaboration among the various players in the broadband industry, all with the goal of swaying the decisions on net neutrality.

    Internal emails and other documents that the OAG reviewed in its investigation show that, in April 2017, the country’s largest broadband companies banded together to fund a campaign to generate millions of comments for the FCC’s 2017 net neutrality rulemaking proceeding. The primary funders included an industry trade group and three companies that are among the biggest players in the United States internet, phone, and cable market, with more than 65 million American subscribers among them and a combined market value of approximately half a trillion dollars. The effort was intended to create the appearance of widespread grassroots opposition to existing net neutrality rules, which — as described in an internal campaign planning document — would help provide “cover” for the FCC’s proposed repeal. The broadband industry hid its role in the campaign by recruiting anti-regulation advocacy groups, unrelated to the industry, to serve as the campaign’s public face. Budget documents show that, in all, the broadband industry players that funded the campaign spent $4.2 million generating and submitting more than 8.5 million fake comments to the FCC.

    The campaign was run through Broadband for America, a non-profit organization that includes AT&T, Charter Comcast, Cox and CenturyLink.

    The AG did not find any evidence of fraud on the part of the ISPs, thanks to their using an outside group to run the campaign. Nonetheless, the AG’s report calls for change.

    As this report makes clear, deception and fraud have infected public policymaking by agencies and legislatures, drowning out citizens’ voices with manufactured and fraudulent public comments, letters, and petitions (collectively referred to as “comments and messages” in this Recommendations section of the report). Reform is badly needed.

  • 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.

  • FCC Announces Start Date for Emergency Broadband Program

    FCC Announces Start Date for Emergency Broadband Program

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the start date of its emergency broadband program.

    The FCC proposed emergency broadband measures to help low-income families have reliable internet access. The global pandemic has shone a spotlight on the need for high-speed access, although the cost associated with it can be a challenge.

    To combat this problem, Congress authorized the creation of a $3.2 billion initiative in 2020. The program will provide up to $50 for low-income households, and up to $75 for those on Tribal lands. The FCC has announced the program will begin on May 12.

    “Families in every corner of the country have been struggling to get online throughout this pandemic,” said Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “For those families, we now say help is around the corner. In less than two weeks, we will have a new way for disconnected Americans to access the internet to carry out their day- to-day life, so they can reach the virtual classroom, take advantage of telehealth, and seek new employment opportunities. I’m proud of the work we’ve done as an agency to get this program off the ground in record time.”

  • FCC Approves Additional Starlink Satellites at Lower Altitudes

    FCC Approves Additional Starlink Satellites at Lower Altitudes

    The Federal Communications Commission has granted SpaceX permission to launch satellites at a lower altitude.

    SpaceX has been deploying its Starlink satellite constellation with the goal of providing high-speed internet access to underserved communities around the world. The company has received extra impetus as a result of the pandemic, as many individuals in remote areas have struggled with reliable broadband.

    The majority of the Starlink constellation operates in the 1,100 – 1,300 km range, but SpaceX is wanting to launch 2,814 satellites at a much lower range — 540 – 570 km. The FCC has agreed to the request.

    Specifically, we modify the license by reducing the number of satellites from 4,409 to 4,408; modifying the primary operational altitude specified for 2,814 satellites, to change it from the 1,100-1,300 km range to the 540-570 km range

    Deploying satellites in lower orbit will help improve the speed and latency of the internet access, as it shortens the distance data must travel to and from the satellite to Earth-bound base stations.

    As part of the agreement, SpaceX had to agree to accept interference from Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation, which already had permission to operate in the lower altitude.

    SpaceX has since agreed to accept interference from the Kuiper system as well with respect to its Ka-band uplinks, where operating SpaceX’s satellites at lower altitudes will potentially make SpaceX more susceptible to interference.

  • FCC Releases Its Own Internet Speed Test App

    FCC Releases Its Own Internet Speed Test App

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released its own internet speed test app in an effort improve its data on the state of US broadband.

    The FCC has made eliminating the digital divide a major priority. For decades, there has been a huge disparity between the speed and quality of internet options available in urban vs rural areas. With the pandemic leading to record numbers of people working and learning from home, the real-world impact of the digital divide is more apparent than ever.

    A major step in close the gap is understanding where the gap is, identifying communities and regions with subpar broadband service. The FCC’s new app will help the agency gain a clearer picture of the issues, and what is needed to address them.

    “To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability. Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we’re developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States,” said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel.

    More information is available on the FCC website, and the app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

  • Supreme Court Upholds FCC Local Media Regulation

    Supreme Court Upholds FCC Local Media Regulation

    The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to ease local media ownership rules.

    In 2017, the FCC eased rules that regulated local media ownership. The regulations prohibited one entity from owning a newspaper, as well as a TV or radio station in the same market. The regulations were enacted before the internet, and were viewed as outdated by many.

    Critics argued that easing the restrictions would hurt minority and female ownership of media stations, according to The Seattle Times. The FCC’s decision was challenged, with a federal appeals court blocking the decision and forcing it to the Supreme Court.

    Despite the FCC voting 3-2, along party lines, the Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of the FCC’s decision.

    “The FCC considered the record evidence on competition, localism, viewpoint diversity, and minority and female ownership, and reasonably concluded that the three ownership rules no longer serve the public interest,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court.

  • FCC Asks For Consumer Input On Their Internet

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants feedback on people’s broadband internet as the agency works to close the digital divide.

    The US has had a digital divide for years, with there being a chasm between the quality of internet in cities vs rural areas. The FCC is now asking users to provide feedback on their broadband experience.

    “Far too many Americans are left behind in access to jobs, education, and healthcare if they do not have access to broadband,” said Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Collecting data from consumers who are directly affected by the lack of access to broadband will help inform the FCC’s mapping efforts and future decisions about where service is needed.”

    The agency has set up a new webpage, www.fcc.gov/BroadbandDatato provide consumers with information regarding the work of the FCC’s Broadband Data Task Force. Consumers can also submit their experience via the form.

    The global pandemic, and the unprecedented reliance on the internet for remote work and learning, has emphasized how large the digital divide really is. Hopefully the FCC’s efforts will help close it, and ensure all households have access to high-speed internet.

  • Mozilla Leads the Charge For Net Neutrality’s Reinstatement

    Mozilla Leads the Charge For Net Neutrality’s Reinstatement

    Mozilla, along with a coalition of companies, has sent a letter to the FCC asking for the reinstatement of net neutrality.

    Net neutrality rules were passed during the Obama administration and repealed during the Trump administration. Net neutrality prohibits companies from treating different services or types of internet traffic by different standards, or setting up internet “fast lanes” for companies that pay more.

    For example, AT&T customers were able to watch HBO Max — which AT&T owns — on their mobile devices without the streaming counting against their data plans. In contrast, competing streaming services did count. If this type of practice became widespread, it could cause users to gravitate toward or away from certain services, based solely on the whims of the carriers and internet providers with a financial motivation to push or punish a particular service.

    In the case of AT&T, they announced they are dropping their preferential treatment of HBO Max as a result of California’s net neutrality legislation. While net neutrality was killed on a national level, individual states are free to impose their own rules, setting up a potential legislative quagmire.

    Mozilla, ADT, Dropbox, Eventbrite, Reddit, Vimeo and Wikimedia have now sent a letter to the FCC asking the agency to reinstate federal-level net neutrality.

    We are writing to express our support for the reinstatement of net neutrality protections through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action. As leading internet-based businesses and organizations, we believe that these fundamental safeguards are critical for preserving the internet as a free and open medium that promotes innovation and spurs economic growth. Net neutrality enjoys bipartisan support among the American public, and many may need to rely on protections enforced by the FCC as more offices and classrooms continue to shift to online settings during the pandemic. By using its authority to restore net neutrality at the federal level, the FCC can help protect families and businesses across the country that rely on high-speed broadband access and help spark our recovery.

    Net neutrality simply preserves the environment that has allowed the internet to become an engine for economic growth. The rules serve as protections that users have in their relationship with internet service providers, preventing ISPs from blocking, throttling, or prioritizing traffic for payment. And in an environment where users frequently lack meaningful choices between ISPs, net neutrality can ultimately encourage greater long-term investment across the network stack by promoting broadband buildout, faster service, and new applications.

    While the current administration has not commented on its intentions, some experts believe it is only a matter of time before net neutrality is reinstated. Given the digital transformation underway, such legislation would go a long way toward protecting all users and companies.

  • Nokia Signs Five-Year Deal With AT&T For C-Band 5G Equipment

    Nokia Signs Five-Year Deal With AT&T For C-Band 5G Equipment

    Nokia has scored a big win, signing a five-year deal with AT&T to provide 5G equipment for the carrier’s C-Band spectrum rollout.

    AT&T recently spent $23,406,860,839 at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction for C-Band spectrum. C-Band is mid-band spectrum, ideal for 5G. The company has turned to Nokia for the equipment necessary to deploy its spectrum, signing a five-year deal.

    “AT&T is committed to bringing the power of 5G to businesses and communities across the nation, and our C-Band deployments with Nokia will help add 5G capacity where it’s needed,” said Igal Elbaz, Senior Vice President of Wireless and Access Technology AT&T. “Nokia has been our trusted collaborator for more than 20 years as we’ve rolled out each generation of wireless technology, and its C-Band portfolio brings the right capabilities to help enable AT&T to deliver an exciting and powerful 5G experience that our subscribers have come to expect from us.”

    “Nokia is ready to support the launch of 5G services into this valuable new spectrum on our customers’ timelines by leveraging our powerful portfolio of C-Band solutions and by being the first to demonstrate a live C-Band network in the U.S. in 2020,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America. “Our flexible and comprehensive portfolio will enable AT&T to enhance its 5G services in areas across the nation.”

    Last year Nokia was considering a merger or asset sale, and more recently indicated it was facing “meaningful headwinds” in 2021. Earlier this week, the company announced it is cutting 10,000 jobs. The AT&T contract is a welcome win for Nokia, at a time when its needed most.

  • FCC Banning Three Chinese Wireless Carriers

    FCC Banning Three Chinese Wireless Carriers

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking action to ban three Chinese wireless carriers: China Unicom, Pacific Networks and ComNet.

    The US has been banning multiple Chinese firms, especially in the telecommunications space. Officials have accused the companies of being a threat to national security and consumer privacy as a result of their ties to Beijing.

    In two separate statements about the three wireless carriers, the FCC used the same language, saying all three companies “are indirectly and ultimately owned and controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.” China Unicom, as well as Pacific Networks and its subsidiary, ComNet, were all asked last year to make a case as to why they don’t pose a threat and shouldn’t be banned.

    “In 2019, when we blocked China Mobile USA from entering the U.S. market based on national security concerns, I said it was time for a top to bottom review of every telecom carrier with ties to the communist regime in China,” said Commissioner Brendan Carr. “Many of these firms were authorized to operate in the U.S. decades ago and the security threats have evolved substantially in the intervening years. With that type of review in mind, the FCC opened investigations into several carriers—including the carriers at issue here, China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks, and ComNet. We have provided them with the process necessary for the FCC to identify and eliminate any threats they may pose to America’s national security.

    “These three carriers provided incomplete and inconsistent responses that failed to address these threats and in turn raised fresh concerns about their ability to follow FCC rules. The Executive Branch agencies with responsibility for national security reviews have echoed these concerns and advise that traffic on these networks ‘remains subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government.’ I therefore agree with the Commission’s determination today. The potential national security threats posed by these carriers requires the FCC to initiate revocation proceedings.”

    Any hope Chinese companies had of being under less scrutiny with the Biden administration appears to be fading fast.

  • FCC Votes to Free Military Spectrum for 5G

    FCC Votes to Free Military Spectrum for 5G

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to free up additional mid-band spectrum, once reserved for the military, for 5G.

    Mid-band spectrum is the holy grail for 5G, offering the best combination of speed and building penetration. The FCC’s recent $81 billion auction was for spectrum in the 3.7 Ghz to 4.2 Ghz range.

    The FCC has now voted to free up the 3.45 Ghz to 3.55 Ghz spectrum, spectrum the military has used for radar applications.

    “Back to the here and now. Most of the country has yet to experience the benefits of a true 5G network,” said Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “The out-there innovations it can deliver are still a ways off because so many of them are not about connectivity delivered via phones. Plus, for so many consumers, the present is confusing, with carriers providing different versions of 5G, which can sometimes feel a lot like the 4G they already have. In part, this is due to the fact that carriers don’t always have the airwaves they need to provide consistent and widespread coverage at this time.

    “Today we take action to change that. We take action that will move us closer to 5G service that is fast, secure, resilient, and—most importantly—available everywhere in the country. We accomplish that by adopting rules and auction procedures that will make available 100 megahertz of prime mid-band spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for 5G this year. This offers real opportunity because during the past few years the United States was slow, relative to other countries, to recognize the importance of mid-band spectrum for 5G. This meant we were late to bring these airwaves to market. So mid-band spectrum has been the critical component that is missing and our action here helps fix that.”

    Freeing up the additional spectrum will be a major boon for carriers as they continue to roll out 5G networks.

  • AT&T Will Start Counting HBO Max Against Data Plans

    AT&T Will Start Counting HBO Max Against Data Plans

    AT&T has announced it will start counting HBO Max against wireless data plans, ending a previous exemption.

    Streaming HBO Max did not previously count against an individual’s data plan. No matter how much a person streamed the service on their phone or tablet, it had no bearing on their wireless plan’s data limits. In contrast, competing services such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, fuboTV and others counted.

    AT&T is now ending that exemption, beginning March 25, citing California’s net neutrality law.

    “A state-by-state approach to ‘net neutrality’ is unworkable,” AT&T said in a statement, according to CNBC. “A patchwork of state regulations, many of them overly restrictive, creates roadblocks to creative and pro-consumer solutions.”

    Net neutrality laws are designed to make sure all services are treated fairly, with no service being given an unfair advantage. Although the FCC reversed the Obama-era net neutrality rules, a court ruled that individual states could enact their own.

  • FCC Issues Record-Breaking $225 Million Robocall Fine

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a whopping $225 million fine to two telemarketing firms in Texas.

    John C. Spiller and Jakob A. Mears used a number of business names in their operation, including Rising Eagle and JSquared Telecom, spoofing robocalls during the first four and a half months of 2019. They falsely claimed to offer health insurance from well-known providers. To make matters worse, the telemarketers intentionally broke the law in an effort to be more profitable.

    Mr. Spiller admitted to the USTelecom Industry Traceback Group that he made millions of spoofed calls per day and knowingly called consumers on the Do Not Call list as he believed that it was more profitable to target these consumers.

    The companies made some 23.6 million robocalls per day, across the nation’s four largest wireless carriers (since the calls happened before T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger).

    “This isn’t just frustrating—it’s dangerous,” said Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “When we can’t trust that the number we see is the number that is truly calling, we’re less likely to pick up the phone and more likely to miss important calls from those we really care about.”

    Rosenworcel also announce the creation of a dedicated Robocall Response Team at the FCC, consisting “of over 50 attorneys, economists, engineers, and analysts from the agency, including the Enforcement Bureau, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, the International Bureau, the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Office of Economics and Analytics, and the Office of General Counsel.”

    Hopefully the FCC’s record-breaking fine will discourage other telemarketers from engaging in such behavior.

  • T-Mobile Touts Its 5G Following FCC Auction

    T-Mobile Touts Its 5G Following FCC Auction

    T-Mobile is touting the strength of its 5G network following a record-breaking FCC auction of coveted mid-range spectrum.

    Experts expected the FCC auction to fetch as much as $47 billion. Instead, it topped a whopping $81 billion. The spectrum auctioned was mid-range C-band, desperately needed by both Verizon and AT&T to help roll out their 5G networks. Both companies spent appropriately, with Verizon coming in at more than $45 billion and AT&T spending more than $23 billion.

    In contrast, T-Mobile only spent a little more than $9 billion, largely thanks to its strong spectrum portfolio. Thanks to its merger with Sprint, T-Mobile aready had a wealth of mid-band spectrum — considered the ideal spectrum for 5G — which it has been rapidly deploying. Providing a good blend of range and building penetration, T-Mobile has already achieved speeds in excess of 1 Gbps using its mid-band spectrum. Thanks to its position, T-Mobile only bought spectrum in top urban and suburban markets to help round out its existing holdings.

    In its latest post, however, T-Mobile also highlighted the advantage its mid-band spectrum has over the C-band spectrum the FCC was auctioning. With wireless spectrum, the lower the frequency, the longer the range it provides and the better it penetrates obstacles, such as buildings.

    T-Mobile’s current mid-band spectrum is primarily in the 2.5 Ghz range. In contrast, the C-band spectrum just auctioned is in the 3.7 Ghz to 4.2 Ghz range. In other words, the spectrum Verizon and AT&T spent more than $68 billion on is more than a full gigahertz higher than T-Mobile’s primary mid-band, meaning it will offer less range and worse penetration. This will, in turn, result in higher deployment costs for those companies, as T-Mobile points out:

    In the mid-band range, C-Band offers a great mix of coverage and speed, but there are some key differences from 2.5 GHz, the mid-band spectrum T-Mobile is primarily using to roll out Ultra Capacity 5G. Most notably, it doesn’t travel as far. T-Mobile engineers estimate it will require 50% more cell sites for meaningful and continuous coverage, and in some areas, for example in-building, the required densification can be 4x higher than 2.5 GHz. That’s why T-Mobile strategically invested in C-Band to supplement its much broader 2.5 GHz footprint in select urban and suburban areas where it already has a dense network. This will allow for the spectrum to quickly be deployed and provide a more meaningful performance boost for customers.

    C-Band vs 2.5GHz Comparison
    C-Band vs 2.5GHz Comparison

    The company promises it will continue with its 5G deployment, covering 200 million with its high-speed Ultra Capacity 5G this year.

    “T-Mobile customers are the clear winners in this auction. Our already industry-leading 5G network enabled us to be highly selective and strategic, concentrating our wins in top markets nationwide,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “As I predicted last fall, the other guys spent an unbelievable amount — because they had to. And even then, the truth is that C-Band is best for urban areas because it doesn’t propagate as well as T-Mobile’s substantial existing mid-band frequencies. For us, C-Band makes a great story even better, and we are incredibly pleased with our clear success in this auction. Our competitors had no choice but to go all in with a break-the-bank attempt to remain relevant in the 5G era.”

  • SpaceX Wants to Beam Starlink Internet to Planes, Ships and Trucks

    SpaceX Wants to Beam Starlink Internet to Planes, Ships and Trucks

    SpaceX wants to expand its Starlink internet access to moving vehicles, including planes, ships, trucks and RVs.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that provide internet access to remote and underserved communities. The service has already met with favorable reviews, providing internet speeds that were previously unavailable to many of its customers.

    In order to work, the satellite constellation is paired with ground antennas. SpaceX is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to install its satellite receivers on moving vehicles to provide them with internet access.

    Consumers are interacting with broadband platforms in an increasing variety of ways. No longer are users willing to forego connectivity while on the move, whether driving a truck across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight.

    Elon Musk clarified the service is not aimed at cars, but is intended for larger vehicles.

  • Senators Want High-Speed Internet Threshold Quadrupled

    Senators Want High-Speed Internet Threshold Quadrupled

    In a letter to several government agencies, a bipartisan group of senators is calling for the definition of “high-speed” internet to be quadrupled.

    Under former Chairman Ajit Pai, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload as the definition of high-speed internet. To matters worse, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines high-speed access as 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps uploading.

    In comparison, the top five countries in the world, in terms of internet speed, range from an average of 226.6 to 175.22 Mbps. The FCC and USDA’s definition seems glacial when placed against that backdrop.

    Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Angus King (I-ME) and Rob Portman (R-OH) are calling on the FCC, USDA, Department of Commerce and National Economic Council to take action. As the senators point out in their letter, the global pandemic has exacerbated the situation, forcing record numbers of individuals to work and learn from home. The abysmal upload speeds, in particular, are a major bottleneck for videoconferencing and other necessary services.

    Ask any senior who connects with their physician via telemedicine, any farmer hoping to unlock the benefits of precision agriculture, any student who receives livestreamed instruction, or any family where both parents telework and multiple children are remote learning, and they will tell you that many networks fail to come close to “high-speed” in the year 2021. For any of these functions, upload speeds far greater than 3 Mbps are particularly critical.

    The senators make the case that government agencies should agreed to a common definition and — since federal funding is being used to improve the nation’s broadband — to significantly increase that definition to a usable threshold.

    Going forward, we should make every effort to spend limited federal dollars on broadband networks capable of providing sufficient download and upload speeds and quality, including low latency, high reliability, and low network jitter, for modern and emerging uses, like two-way videoconferencing, telehealth, remote learning, health IoT, and smart grid applications. Our goal for new deployment should be symmetrical speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps), allowing for limited variation when dictated by geography, topography, or unreasonable cost.

  • Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile Won Big at FCC 5G Auction

    Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile Won Big at FCC 5G Auction

    The FCC has finally revealed the winners of its mid-band spectrum auction, and Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile came out on top.

    Mid-band spectrum is the most coveted type of spectrum for 5G. High-band, otherwise known as mmWave, offers the fastest speeds, but its range is extremely limited, as is its ability to penetrate objects. Low-band spectrum offers the best range and penetration, but its speeds are only marginally faster than the fastest 4G. Mid-band spectrum offers the best of both worlds, providing speeds upwards of 1 Gbps, while still offering decent range and penetration.

    Of the three major US carriers, Verizon and AT&T need mid-band spectrum the most. T-Mobile has a wealth of it from its merger with Sprint, spectrum it has been rolling out at a record pace. The other two carriers, on the other hand, have not been able to match T-Mobile’s 5G rollout, largely because of not having enough mid-band spectrum.

    It’s little wonder the spending at the FCC’s auction far exceeded estimates. Analysts had originally predicted spending would reach $47 billion, but the total topped $81 billion.

    Not surprisingly, Verizon (listed in FCC docs as Cellco Partnership, its legal name) was the biggest bidder, coming in at $45,454,843,197. AT&T came in second, spending $23,406,860,839. T-Mobile rounded out the top three at $9,336,125,147.

    While T-Mobile needed, and spent, the least, the company was believed to be buying spectrum to round out its portfolio, further boost its spectrum in heavily populated areas and drive the bidding higher so Verizon and AT&T didn’t get a free ride.