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Tag: T-Mobile

  • 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.”

  • Only Verizon’s Premium Customers Will Have High-Speed 5G

    Only Verizon’s Premium Customers Will Have High-Speed 5G

    Verizon has made it clear that only their premium customers will have access to high-speed 5G, with lower tiers stuck on their slow nationwide 5G network.

    Verizon recently bid $45.4 billion on mid-range spectrum at the FCC’s auction. Mid-band spectrum is considered the sweet spot for 5G range and performance. Until Verizon finishes rolling out the spectrum it bid on, the company is stuck offering high-speed mmWave and low-band nationwide 5G. The mmWave 5G is exceptionally fast, but has extremely limited range and availability. Verizon’s nationwide 5G network is so slow that experts recommend turning it off — the company’s 4G is much faster.

    Unfortunately for Verizon customers, only those on one of its upper-tier premium plans will be able to access its faster 5G networks, both the fastest mmWave and the new mid-band spectrum the company will soon deploy. Customers on metered plans or the company’s Start Unlimited basic plan will be limited to the company’s nationwide 5G network.

    Much of the reason Verizon’s low-band network is so slow is because it uses Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS). Because Verizon’s low-band spectrum is tied up with its 4G network, the company didn’t have enough spectrum to roll out a dedicated low-band network. As a result, Verizon had to resort to DSS to allow towers to switch back and forth between 4G and 5G, depending on what device is connected. Because the company has to share its spectrum between the two protocols, the nationwide 5G is essentially crippled, slower than its 4G.

    For Verizon customers, this means they will have to pay for a premium plan in order to have any meaningful access to 5G. In contrast, T-Mobile has been praised for its 5G plans, providing 5G on all of its Magenta plans and even eliminating any throttling on its Magenta MAX.

  • T-Mobile’s Privacy-Threatening Ads Are Decidedly ‘Carrier’

    T-Mobile’s Privacy-Threatening Ads Are Decidedly ‘Carrier’

    T-Mobile prides itself on being the “Un-carrier,” but its latest advertising move is decidedly “Carrier” and threatens its users’ privacy.

    T-Mobile’s turnaround has been so successful that it will be studied in business school for years to come. Once the fourth-largest carrier, and facing major challenges, the company moved into second place after surpassing Sprint for third and then buying them out. T-Mobile now finds itself as a leader in 5G and the company to beat in the wireless industry.

    Much of that success stems from its Un-carrier status, with an emphasis on giving customers what they want. Unlimited data, taxes and fees included in the final price, international texting and data, as well as free calling to and from Canada and Mexico are just a few of the features the magenta carrier pioneered or reintroduced to the market.

    The company’s customer-focused approach makes its latest decision all the more difficult to understand, as it is automatically opting customers into targeted advertising that will use their data.

    Under T-Mobile’s personalized ads program, we use and analyze data from things like device and network diagnostic information (Android users only), apps on your device, and broadband information. This data helps us understand more about user interests (e.g., sports enthusiast, loves cooking, etc.). Using this information, we create groups known as “audience segments,” which may be used by T-Mobile or sold to third parties to make ads more relevant to you. When we sell audience segments, we do not sell information that directly identifies customers, like name, address, or email. Rather, audience segments are associated with mobile advertising IDs, which are long set of numbers and letters. For example, this might say something like “2drdn43np2cMapen084″ is a sports enthusiast.” Take a look at our Advertising and Analytics article and T-Mobile privacy policy for details.

    A spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal that the company had “heard many say they prefer more relevant ads so we’re defaulting to this setting.”

    The company claims that the information is not identifiable and can’t be linked to a specific user. Unfortunately, that claim doesn’t even begin to hold water.

    “It’s hard to say with a straight face, ‘We’re not going to share your name with it,’ ” Aaron Mackey, a lawyer for the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the WSJ. “This type of data is very personal and revealing, and it’s trivial to link that deidentified info back to you.”

    While Verizon and AT&T both sell customer data to advertisers, they both take the extra step of pooling the data together to make it much more difficult, if not impossible, to identify specific profiles. Both companies also have more detailed targeted ad programs, like T-Mobile’s, that share far more personal data. However, these programs are opt-in programs— not on by default like T-Mobile’s.

    Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to opt-out of T-Mobile’s targeted ads. Simply go to T-Mobile.com, click on Account > Profiles > Privacy and Notifications > Advertising & Analytics and toggle “Use my data to make ads more relevant to me” to “Off.”

    While it may be easy to turn the feature off, that doesn’t change the fact it should never have been an opt-out proposition. It’s one thing for free services, such as Facebook and Google, to make money off of targeted ads that use personal data and infringe on privacy, but it’s quite another for a paid service to presume to do the same. For a company that prides itself on protecting the consumer to do so…well, that’s just unconscionable.

    T-Mobile’s actions in this instance are more “Carrier” than the two wireless carriers it constantly mocks.

  • Dish Network Acquiring Republic Wireless

    Dish Network Acquiring Republic Wireless

    Dish Network has announced a deal to acquire Republic Wireless as the company moves to become the nation’s fourth wireless carrier.

    Dish has been moving into the wireless space for some time. It received a big boost from the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, as regulators were concerned about the industry consolidating around just three companies. As a result, T-Mobile was required to sell off some prepaid assets and grant Dish a least to piggyback off of its spectrum for a period of time.

    Since the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Dish has been moving ahead at full speed, signing deals and building its network. The latest is a deal to purchase Republic Wireless, which would bring 200,000 customers to the new carrier.

    “Republic has created a loyal following and established a brand known for innovation, customer service and value. We plan to build upon that strong foundation,” said John Swieringa, group president, Retail Wireless and DISH COO. “As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs. We look forward to welcoming Republic customers to the DISH family.”

    The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval. Republic’s Relay division, which provides communication solutions to frontline teams, will continue as a standalone company and be a wholesale customer for Dish’s 5G network.

  • T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile WFX Challenges Verizon and AT&T for the Enterprise

    T-Mobile launched T-Mobile WFX, its latest Un-carrier move aimed at helping businesses embrace the digital transformation.

    CEO Mike Sievert opened the event, highlighting the company’s unrivaled 5G network, which is currently 2.5x larger than AT&T’s and 4x larger than Verizon’s. Sievert then talked about how having the largest 5G network put T-Mobile in a position to help address business pain points, especially in the midst of a pandemic-driven shift to remote work.

    “The pandemic pushed the fast forward button on the future of work, giving us a decade’s worth of progress in a year’s time. And it’s clear that work will never be the same,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile CEO. “Tomorrow’s workplace won’t be anything like the old work from office (WFO) world, and it won’t be like today’s work from home (WFH) world. It’ll be something new: the work from anywhere (WFX) world. And T-Mobile WFX and our 5G network arrive at the right time to help businesses meet this moment head on … and come out the other side stronger.”

    The result is T-Mobile WFX, comprised of three services: T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited, T-Mobile Home Office Internet and T-Mobile Collaborate.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited

    The company points out that Verizon and AT&T has 50% of enterprise employees locked into limited data plans, requiring customers to estimate how much data they’ll use and pay for overages. With data usage expected to increase with 5G, businesses will spend some $2.5 billion over the next five years just in overages.

    T-Mobile Enterprise Unlimited is a new plan for businesses to give them unlimited 4G and 5G data at the same or better price than Verizon and AT&T charge for limited, shared pools of data.

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet

    T-Mobile Home Office Internet is aimed squarely at the remote worker, providing a fast, secure connection for employees. The included router prioritizes employee devices and filters non-business activity, so the connection remains fast and stable. Meanwhile, family members can continue browsing, gaming and watching videos without being impacted.

    The device also includes enterprise-grade security, greatly improving security over a standard home WiFi router.

    T-Mobile Collaborate

    T-Mobile Collaborate is a new product the company is introducing, designed to replace legacy phone systems with a modern, mobile-first, cloud-driven approach.

    The service is an enterprise-grade phone system that provides video and voice conferencing. It includes a built-in AI assistant that can take notes and follow up on items, and features integration with Microsoft 365 and other workplace apps.

    “From our experience, T-Mobile Collaborate is a modern, cost effective platform that scales with City of Los Angeles employees, so they can do the critical work needed to create a safe, livable, and prosperous city,” said Ted Ross, Chief Technology Officer, City of Los Angeles.

    The new service is powered by Dialpad, and T-Mobile has made an equity investment in the company via T-Mobile Ventures.

    Pricing

    T-Mobile WFX starts at $90 per line per month, while Enterprise Unlimited with T-Mobile Collaborate can be added together starting at $37 per line per month.

  • T-Mobile Announces Its Next 5G Event

    T-Mobile Announces Its Next 5G Event

    T-Mobile has announced its next major event, scheduled for March 4, where it plans on unveiling its next 5G move.

    T-Mobile owes much of its recent success to its “Un-carrier” status. The company built a business being the rebel among wireless carriers, offering features, pricing and an experience that customers wanted.

    T-Mobile was the first to bring back unlimited data, and started including taxes and fees in its advertised prices. The company has also branched into other businesses, such as banking and its TVision streaming TV service. In the case of the later, the company isn’t looking to make money off TVision. Instead, it sees the service as a way to address a pain point for customers, while drawing people to its network.

    When it comes to networks, T-Mobile is widely seen as the carrier to beat in the 5G race. Its investment in 600 MHz spectrum several years ago — when Verizon was content to sit on its own status as the network leader — enabled it to build the largest low-band, nationwide 5G network. At the same time, its acquisition of Sprint provided it with a massive amount of mid-band spectrum, considered the sweet spot for 5G.

    The company has not been shy about leveraging its 5G lead, recently unveiling a truly unlimited 5G plan, with no throttling, at an affordable price.

    It’s hard to say exactly what T-Mobile is planning for its latest event, but it’s sure to be good news for 5G customers.

  • 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.

  • Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G Subscriptions Top 220 Million

    Ericsson Mobility Report: 5G Subscriptions Top 220 Million

    Ericsson has released its Q4 2020 Ericsson Mobility Report, finding a total of 220 million 5G subscriptions worldwide.

    The Ericsson Mobility Report (PDF) provides valuable insight into the wireless industry, including the adoption of new technologies and trends. The biggest factor currently impacting the industry is the rollout of 5G networks around the globe.

    According to the latest report, Q4 2020 saw 70 million 5G subscription additions, bringing the total to 220 million. Roughly 130 service providers are now offering 5G.

    Interestingly, 4G LTE subscriptions increased by some 90 million, bringing the LTE total to more than 4.5 billion, or 57% of all mobile subscriptions. Ericsson estimates there are 8 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, representing 6 billion unique subscribers.

    This latest report shows the tremendous growth opportunity for wireless carriers, and the long way 5G has to go before it supplants 4G. Carriers are working overtime to roll out the new technology, although some efforts have been hampered by lack of available spectrum. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile spent big at the recent FCC auction that freed up valuable mid-band spectrum.

    Compelling 5G plans have also been a sticking point for many consumers, with T-Mobile’s recent Magenta Max plan widely viewed as the best 5G plan among the US carriers.

  • T-Mobile Rolling Out Magenta MAX Plan, Unlimited 5G

    T-Mobile Rolling Out Magenta MAX Plan, Unlimited 5G

    T-Mobile is upping the ante with its latest Magenta plan, Magenta MAX, featuring unlimited 4G and 5G with no throttling.

    T-Mobile is currently the leader in the US 5G race. The company has a wealth of 5G spectrum, thanks to its merger with Sprint, and it has been using that spectrum to take a commanding lead over its rivals. The company has unveiled a new plan designed to take full advantage of its 5G network: Magenta MAX.

    Magenta MAX takes the place of the existing Magenta Plus plan, bringing many of the same upgrades over the basic Magenta option. The MAX plan, however, also includes a number of major improvements over its predecessor.

    Magenta vs Magenta MAX
    Magenta vs Magenta MAX

    One of the biggest improvements is the removal of any throttling. While all carriers provide unlimited data, they do reserve the right to throttle speeds once a certain threshold is crossed. In T-Mobile’s case, that threshold has been 50 GB. If a line uses more than 50 GB of data in one month, and is currently on a congested tower, T-Mobile reserves the right to throttle that line’s data speeds.

    With the MAX plan, however, that throttling limit is completely removed. In addition, even the base Magenta plan sees its throttling threshold go from 50 GB to 100 GB. The new limits, or lack thereof with the MAX plan, apply to both 4G and 5G data.

    The MAX plan also includes 40 GB of hotspot data, up from the 20 GB the Magenta Plus plan, or the 5 GB of the new base Magenta option. The plan also includes unlimited Gogo in-flight texting and WiFi, 2x international data speeds in 210 countries, Scam Shield Premium, Netflix Basic on a single line and Netflix Standard on a family plan. Max also includes unlimited UHD streaming, with up to 4K UHD resolution.

    The new plan normally comes in at $57/mo for three lines with autopay active but, for a limited time, T-Mobile is offering it for $47/mo. As usual, that includes taxes and fees. The plan will be available starting February 24.

    “We just joined forces with Sprint, and we’re already America’s 5G coverage and speed leader. Magenta MAX is just a first taste of what our network capacity allows us to do!” said T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. “When you’re a heavy data user with a super-fast 5G smartphone, you don’t want to be hit with speed bumps. It’s like having a Ferrari and being forced to drive it in the school zone. Well, now it’s time to open ‘er up on the wide open magenta road! And we are just getting started. Buckle up!”

  • Dish Network Moves Ahead With 5G, Signing Seven New Tower Deals

    Dish Network Moves Ahead With 5G, Signing Seven New Tower Deals

    Dish Network has signed seven new wireless tower deals, as it moves ahead to become the fourth largest carrier in the US.

    Dish Network has primarily been known for satellite TV service. Under current leadership, however, the company has been working to become a wireless carrier. When T-Mobile bought out Sprint, one of the government’s conditions of the merger was selling off some of their prepaid assets, which Dish bought as well as licensing spectrum to the company. Regulators were worried about the implications of the market going to three carriers, and wanted Dish to become a viable fourth option.

    Dish has been been moving full-steam-ahead as it works to build a wireless network from scratch. In its latest efforts, it has signed tower deals with Harmoni Towers, Mobilitie, Parallel Infrastructure, Phoenix Tower International (PTI), Tillman Infrastructure, Tower Ventures and Vogue Towers. This will provide Dish with access to over 4,000 towers and wireless sites, coast-to-coast, in addition to its spectrum agreements with T-Mobile.

    “Securing strong tower partners is a key component of any network expansion, and is tremendously important for DISH’s rapid roll-out of a new, nationwide 5G network,” said Dave Mayo, DISH Executive Vice President of Network Development. “Each of these new tower partners will play an important role in bringing our network to life, connecting next-generation wireless service to American consumers and enterprises.”

    “We are excited to partner with DISH and look forward to being a part of their nationwide 5G network deployment,” stated Lawrence Gleason, President, Harmoni Towers. “We believe our growing portfolio of newly constructed towers provides a unique opportunity to quickly and efficiently deliver the wireless infrastructure solutions DISH requires.”

  • T-Mobile Experiencing Outages Due to Severe Weather

    T-Mobile Experiencing Outages Due to Severe Weather

    As severe weather pummels much of the US, T-Mobile is experiencing outages throughout the country and especially in Texas.

    The US is currently in the midst of a record-breaking cold snap, leading to snow, ice and other severe weather in portions of the country that rarely see such events. Texas has been particularly hard-hit, with millions of people without power.

    T-Mobile, and to a lesser extent Verizon and AT&T, is experiencing outages as a result of the weather, with DownDetector showing a spike in outage reports beginning late-morning.

    Neville Ray, T-Mobile’s President of Technology, acknowledged the issue via Twitter.

    The company is facing some backlash from upset customers, some of whom are saying the company should invest more in generators for its cell towers.

    https://twitter.com/white_boy65/status/1361380906632679427?s=20

    Given how much T-Mobile touts its network superiority over Verizon and AT&T, losing service due to power outages and bad weather is certainly not a good look.

  • Google Fi VPN Expanding to Support iPhones

    Google Fi VPN Expanding to Support iPhones

    Google is expanding its VPN for its Google Fi cell service to iPhone users, as well as bringing the Android version out of beta.

    Google Fi is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) cellular service, first established in 2015. Google Fi piggybacks on T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular’s networks. In 2018, the company unveiled Fi VPN, allowing users to protect their calls and privacy. Originally, however, the VPN service was only available for Android.

    According to a blog post, the company is bringing the Fi VPN service to iPhone users in the spring.

    Everyone should have easy access to tools that protect their personal information. That’s why we’re expanding access to the VPN to iPhone®, so that it will be available for all users on Fi. We plan to roll out the VPN to iPhone® users starting this spring.

    In addition, the Android version of Fi VPN is finally leaving beta, after more than two years. Google’s updates to Fi VPN should help keep users protected, regardless of their phone platform of choice.

  • T-Mobile Has Best Year Ever on Strong Q4 Results

    T-Mobile Has Best Year Ever on Strong Q4 Results

    T-Mobile has beat estimates in its Q4 results, topping off the company’s best year ever.

    T-Mobile reported earnings of $750 million on $20.3 billion in revenue. That comes out to 60¢ a share, up from the $19.9 billion and 51¢ a share analyst were expecting. The company brought in $68.4 billion for all of 2020, with $3.1 billion of net income for the year.

    Similarly, T-Mobile added a total of 1.7 million net additions in Q4, the best among US carriers. Overall, the company added 5.6 million for the entire year.

    T-Mobile also took the opportunity to tout their 5G network, an area where it has a significant advantage over its competitors. The company’s nationwide 5G network now covers 280 million people, nearly 4x more than Verizon and nearly 2.5x more than AT&T. T-Mobile’s faster Ultra Capacity 5G “covers 106 million people, over 50x more than Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband,” and is expected t cover 200 million by the end of the year.

    “These results show that we’re pulling way ahead of the pack on what matters – overall 5G network performance – and executing to stay ahead,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “And customers are noticing. 2020 was quite simply our best year yet, with our highest EVER total postpaid net additions of 5.5 million. Our team delivered – leading the industry on customer growth, while being the ONLY major player to grow profitability as well, with our synergy-backed business model. The best team, the best assets, the best 5G network. We’re positioned to create enormous value. I like the hand we’re holding!”

  • Carriers Go All-In On Mid-Band 5G

    Carriers Go All-In On Mid-Band 5G

    The FCC’s mid-band spectrum auction has concluded its initial phase, and the bidding reveals carriers are all-in on mid-band.

    Throughout much of the world, mid-band spectrum has been the cornerstone of 5G rollouts. In the US, however, the Big Three carriers have focused on low and high-band. The only exception is T-Mobile, which inherited a wealth of mid-band spectrum from its acquisition of Sprint, and immediately began deploying it.

    As Forbes’ Bob O’Donnell points out, all three carriers have spent big at the FCC auction, speaking volumes about their view of the 5G market. Verizon has spent approximately $30 billion, AT&T has spent $20 billion and T-Mobile has spent $10 billion.

    As O’Donnell points out, regardless of how much each carrier has been touting their low-band network for its coverage, or their high-band mmWave network for its speed, mid-band is clearly where it’s at. Mid-band is widely seen as the sweet spot for 5G, offering a good balance of coverage and speed. In fact, T-Mobile has even demonstrated speeds of 1 Gps using its current mid-band spectrum. At the same time, mid-band offers far better coverage than the couple of hundred meters that mmWave offers.

    Another benefit of US carriers rallying around mid-band is that it helps phone and cellphone radio makers consolidate the number of frequencies they have to support.

    Either way, the investment is good news for customers.

  • Sling TV Raises Prices, Adds DVR Storage

    Sling TV Raises Prices, Adds DVR Storage

    One of the best deals in streaming is getting a bit more expensive, as Sling TV is announcing a price hike combined with larger DVR options.

    Streaming TV services have been raising prices across the board. YouTube TV announced increases in July, Hulu in November and fuboTV announced a pricing bump when it struck a deal to carry Disney’s catalog. In fact, price increases among streaming providers have become so common that T-Mobile specifically advertised “no exploding plans” when it unveiled its TVision streaming service.

    Long considered one of the cheapest streaming options available, Sling TV is joining the ranks of its competitors in raising prices. The company has announced that new customers will be charged $35 for either the Sling Orange or Sling Blue plans, up $5/mo over previous pricing. When bundled together, the two packages will cost $50 per month, also an increase of $5.

    Many of the company’s various extra packages are also increasing $1 or $2 per month. Existing customers will not seen any price increases through July 2021, as part of the company’s 1-Year Price Guarantee.

    “Unfortunately, we are forced to raise prices because the television networks keep charging us more, but we fight hard to get the best deal for our customers. The proof of our commitment is apparent, as SLING TV is still the best deal in the market, keeping our prices much lower than cable and other live streaming services. SLING TV customers can rest assured that we’ll continue to offer the best combination of live news, sports and entertainment cable channels at the best value,” said Michael Schwimmer, group president, SLING TV.

    Fortunately, the company is also addressing one of its biggest pain points, namely the size of its included DVR service. Previously Sling only offered 10 GB for free, with 50 GB available for $5 extra. With other services starting at 100 GB and going up to 1,000 GB, or even unlimited, Sling’s DVR options were anemic, to put it mildly. With the new plans, all customers will now have 50 GB of DVR storage for free, with $5 bringing that up to 200 GB.

    “A robust DVR feature is a must-have for a premium entertainment experience — customers have told us they want more, and we delivered,” said Schwimmer. “By more than quadrupling DVR for all customers at no charge, SLING TV continues to provide the best value for pay-TV in the industry.”

  • Verizon and Unity Partner On 5G, MEC and Digital Experiences

    Verizon and Unity Partner On 5G, MEC and Digital Experiences

    Verizon has announced it is partnering with Unity to help drive 5G-powered digital experiences and mobile edge computing (MEC).

    5G is the next generation of wireless technology that promises revolutionary speeds, opening up a whole new world of digital possibilities. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, autonomous driving and much more all benefit from the speeds 5G can provide. Edge computing and MEC is another area where 5G can make a big difference, allowing data to be processed faster at or near the point of collection.

    Verizon has been investing heavily in its 5G network. Until recently, it had primarily focused on the fastest variety of 5G, the high-band mmWave, which Verizon calls Ultra Wideband. The company has also spent big at the FCC auction for coveted mid-band spectrum, often considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a good combination of speed and coverage.

    Unity, on the other hand, is the maker of the popular Unity game engine, as well as the creator of the popular Fortnite game. Unity’s engine is also one of the leading VR platforms. This portfolio makes Unity a natural choice for Verizon to partner with to provide 5G content.

    “We are entering an era of technology-led disruption where 5G and MEC will not only transform the full enterprise lifecycle, it will change the way consumers experience gaming and entertainment,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Every business is accelerating the shift to digital for their employees, supply chain or end-customer experience. So whether you’re an enterprise reimaging how you do business using predictive real time insights, computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, or a mobile gamer who simply wants to download the hottest new game in seconds and enjoy data intensive, multiplayer games conventionally reserved for consoles, the future is happening right now.”

    “We know the world is demanding high-speed, AAA content, whether it’s an educational augmented reality application or a robot running a simulation of a digital twin,” said Ryan Peterson, VP, Solutions, at Unity. “5G is the key piece for us to facilitate these real-time 3D experiences broadly and to better meet the demands of the real-time economy.”

    This partnership further illustrates the emphasis wireless companies are placing on providing content that aligns with their core business. In October, T-Mobile announced TVision, its foray into streaming TV. Similarly, AT&T has its own streaming service. In an industry known for its churn — where customers switch from one company to another — providing high-quality digital experiences may play a big role in increasing brand loyalty.

     

    Image Credit: Unity & Verizon

  • 19 Devices Will Stop Working on T-Mobile’s Network

    19 Devices Will Stop Working on T-Mobile’s Network

    T-Mobile has confirmed that 19 devices will stop working on its network at the end of the month.

    Wireless carriers routinely push out software and network updates to connected devices. In the case of some older devices, however, they are not always compatible with these updates.

    The carrier has a planned update on January 29, 2021 that will render 19 such devices obsolete.

    As a result of the network update going into place on 1/29/2021, we identified a small number of older devices that are not able to receive a manufacturer software update and as a result, these devices will be unable to establish a network connection.

    While most of the devices in question are at least five years old, the company is trying to minimize disruptions, and is touting new offers that will help those impacted.

    T-Mobile has some exciting new offers that will be available for some impacted customers. To see what offers are available, reach out to your Team of Experts.

    Check out the list of impacted devices here.

  • AT&T Reportedly Wants to Raise $14 Billion For 5G Auction

    AT&T Reportedly Wants to Raise $14 Billion For 5G Auction

    AT&T is reportedly looking to raise $14 billion to help it buy spectrum in the current auction.

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently auctioning 5G spectrum, with wireless carriers spending heavily to secure additional resources. While analysts expected it to hit $47 billion, the auction has already crossed $81 billion with several rounds left to go.

    According to the TheStreet, AT&T is looking to raise some $14 billion to continue bidding. The auction is critical for AT&T, as well as Verizon, as the 5G wars heat up.

    T-Mobile is widely seen as the 5G leader among US carriers. It has a wealth of spectrum, both from past auctions and its recent merger with Sprint. Most importantly, T-Mobile has ample spectrum in the mid-band range, considered the sweet spot for 5G.

    The current FCC auction is for that all-important mid-band spectrum. Unlike Verizon, however, some analysts questioned whether AT&T had the financial resources to make the necessary investment it would need to stay relevant. The company’s move to sell DirecTV was seen as a way to raise the needed capital.

    In that context, it’s not surprising AT&T is possibly looking to raise $14 billion, although the company has yet to confirm the reports.

  • Verizon Changes Direction on 3G Shutdown

    Verizon Changes Direction on 3G Shutdown

    Verizon has announced it is delaying the shutdown of its 3G network indefinitely.

    Verizon had previously committed to shutting down its network at the end of 2020, after postponing it from the original date at the end of 2019. According to Light Reading, the company has now delayed its plans indefinitely.

    While the company did not give a reason for the decision, the most likely reason is because of the number of subscribers it still has on the aging technology.

    Verizon’s competitors are also planning on shutting down their 3G networks, with AT&T slated to do so in early 2022. T-Mobile, meanwhile, has only said its shutdown would occur over the next several years, but has not divulged a timeline.

    Wireless carriers have quite a bit of incentive to repurpose the spectrum being used for their 3G networks. Verizon, in particular, uses 850 and 1900 MHz spectrum for its 3G network. The company has struggled with its nationwide 5G network, which uses low-band spectrum to provide widespread coverage. Because Verizon’s 700 MHz spectrum is tied up with its 4G LTE network, it has had to rely on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) to use that spectrum for both 4G and 5G traffic. Freeing up spectrum would give Verizon more options, especially with its low-band 850 MHz.

    Nonetheless, it looks like Verizon’s 3G customers have earned a reprieve for the time being.

  • 5G Auction Blows Past $76 Billion, Shattering Estimates

    5G Auction Blows Past $76 Billion, Shattering Estimates

    The auction for 5G spectrum in the US has shattered estimates, passing $76 billion as of Monday.

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is holding the auction for mid-band spectrum. The spectrum is especially valuable for wireless companies, as it is seen as the sweet spot for 5G. While low-band offers excellent range and building penetration, its speed is only marginally better than 4G LTE. High-band, also known as mmWave, offers speeds in the gigabits, but is limited by extremely short range and poor penetration. Mid-band spectrum offers speeds in excess of 1 Gbps, while still providing reasonable range and penetration.

    Verizon and AT&T are especially in need of mid-band spectrum, as neither company has the enough to bridge the gap between their low and high-band 5G networks. T-Mobile, in contrast, inherited a wealth of mid-band as a result of their merger with Sprint, making the company the one to beat in the 5G market.

    As Bloomberg points out, analysts had predicted the auction could go as high as $47 billion, a figure that is now in the distant rear-view. Verizon has been the biggest bidder so far, and will likely continue to dominate the auction. The company cannot afford to walk away without massive gains if it expects to remain competitive.

    AT&T’s need is just as dire, but the company doesn’t have the resources to spend as heavily as Verizon. Some experts believe AT&T’s recent efforts to sell DirecTV may be to raise the necessary money to purchase a meaningful share of 5G spectrum.

    While T-Mobile is the company that is currently the most spectrum rich, it may want to bolster its holdings even more, especially in cities and heavily populated areas where networks can become bogged down more easily. The company also has an interest in bidding to help drive the price up, ensuring Verizon and AT&T don’t walk away with huge swaths of spectrum for a bargain basement price.

    It remains to be seen just how high the bidding will go, but the current price gives a small glimpse into just how committed US wireless carriers are to their 5G rollouts.