Verizon Communications committed $45 billion for 5G wireless airwaves in a government auction that attracted record bidding as the largest U.S. mobile carriers race to build faster networks. From a report: At $23 billion, AT&T was the second-highest bidder, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which ran the auction. Participants also included T-Mobile US Inc. and pay-TV providers such as Dish…
Tag: AT&T
Verizon Indefinitely Delays 3G Network Shutdown
Verizon has backtracked on its plan to turn off its 3G network by the end of 2020. Light Reading reports: In response to questions from Light Reading, Verizon spokesperson Kevin King said “our 3G network is operational and we don’t have a plan to shut it down at this time. We’ll work with customers to move them to newer technology.” That’s…
5G Auction Shatters Record as Bidding Tops $66 Billion
The Federal Communications Commission’s ongoing sale of wireless licenses has fetched more than $66.4 billion after three weeks of bidding, a record sum that could alter cellphone carriers’ prospects for the next decade. From a report: The auction proceeds have already topped the $44.9 billion raised in 2015 by an earlier sale of midrange cellular licenses, which U.S. cellphone carriers used…
Here’s the 5G Glossary Every American is Apparently Going To Need
T-Mobile last week introduced the market’s newest 5G moniker: “Ultra Capacity.” The label, writes blog LightReading, will stew alongside “5G Ultra Wideband,” “Extended Range 5G,” “5G+,” “5Ge,” “5GTF,” “5G Nationwide” and plain-old “5G” in the US wireless industry, ensuring that if American mobile customers aren’t confused yet, it’s only a matter of time before they’re hopelessly bewildered by operators’ thesaurus-toting marketing…
The US Could Soon Ban the Selling of Carrier-Locked Phones
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: In the U.S., a complicated combination of corporate interests and pre-smartphone era legislation has resulted in more than two decades of back and forth about the legality of phone locking. It’s looking like that battle could ramp up again next year. The transition to a Biden administration could shake up the regulatory body…
The Tech Antitrust Problem No One Is Talking About: US Broadband Providers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: After years of building political pressure for antitrust scrutiny of major tech companies, this month Congress and the US government delivered. The House Antitrust Subcommittee released a report accusing Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook of monopolistic behavior. The Department of Justice filed a complaint against Google alleging the company prevents consumers from…
FCC Funding Aims To Guarantee 100 Mbps Internet Throughout Puerto Rico
On Monday, the FCC’s Wireless Competition Board announced that newly allocated financing part of Stage Two of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico fund will ensure that every location across Puerto Rico will have access to broadband internet with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps, with one-third of the territory getting 1 Gbps internet. From a report: The milestone will come…
Sony Close To Buying Crunchyroll For Nearly $1 Billion
According to Nikkei, Sony is close to acquiring U.S. anime-streaming service Crunchyroll for more than $957 million. From the report: Sony has its own popular anime, titles like “Demon Slayer” and “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” but has been licensing it to streaming services. Sony’s Aniplex, the studio behind “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” has a variety of content, including movies and music, that is…
AT&T’s CEO Predicts That Millions More Will Cut the Cord
TV cord-cutting is picking up steam, and AT&T’s CEO predicts there’s a long way to go before it stops. From a report: On an earnings call Thursday, AT&T Chief Executive Officer John Stankey said “we’re probably going to see a little bit of a plateauing” when the number of homes subscribing to pay TV hits 55 million to 60 million. Most…
AT&T Finally Stops Selling DSL
“One of America’s largest internet providers is uploading its oldest broadband technology into the sunset,” reports USA Today, complaining that AT&T will be leaving some future customers without any choices for wired broadband. “We’re beginning to phase out outdated services like DSL and new orders for the service will no longer be supported after October 1,” a corporate statement sent beforehand…