Rural broadband wireless provider KeyOn Communications said this week it has received a cash infusion in the form of $2.6 million in a secured convertible note that is held by an entity controlled by KeyOn’s chief investor, an intriguing physician, scientist and philanthropist named Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. (more…)
Unfiltered
Frank discussion with telecom's most experienced editors
Archive for the ‘3G/4G’ Category
LightSquared’s customers keep coming despite network uncertainty
Even as LightSquared braces for a report this week that might spell doom for its network plans (Unfiltered: The LightSquared waiting game), it’s continuing its strategy of signing up future wholesale customers. The latest is netTalk, a company that sells low-cost VoIP services and devices and plans to launch its own voice and broadband service over LightSquared’s jeopardized long-term evolution (LTE) network. (more…)
Ericsson moves a step closer to LTE-Advanced (or did it?)
Industry gadflies have been clamoring for ‘real’ 4G ever since they started poking holes in operators’ mobile broadband marketing claims.
Today Ericsson delivered it, demoing in Sweden a live LTE-Advanced network in a mobile environment that surpassed the International Telecommunication Union’s minimum threshold for 4G downlink capacity of 1 Gb/s.
M2M: The next big thing with Sprint ‘in Command’?
We read and hear that M2M is going to be the ‘next big thing’, the thing that will (once again) revolutionize telecom and its OSS and BSS assets. Doubtless, discussions and presentations will multiple at the same rate as the emergence of the market itself.
Sprint recently launched its Command Center, a customizable self-service portal designed to provide complete control over Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices and services. One of its first targets is healthcare.
This ‘third way’ for telcos has been covered here before (CP: Evolving opportunities for telcos: Finding the ‘third way’), with M2M offering a major opportunity for carriers to leverage their network assets – albeit in altogether new ways. (more…)
FCC wireless competition report is inconclusive–are we surprised?
Anyone who was looking to the FCC’s annual wireless competition report for a hint about how the commission might rule on AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile will be disappointed. This year’s 300-page report—like last year’s–(CP: With wireless report, did FCC just fire warning shot at mobile industry?) fails to reach a conclusion about whether or not the U.S. wireless industry is competitive. (more…)
Ixia picks up wireless tester as networks continue to converge
With mobile data offload emerging as a key tactic for operators dealing with overflowing networks, test vendor Ixia today acquired VeriWave, which specializes in performance testing for Wi-Fi networks and devices. While such capabilities will help it win enterprise business as well, on the carrier side the Wi-Fi testing capabilities — especially with a focus on service performance — will be important for carriers building converged wireless/wireline IP networks. (more…)
Waiting on winners of Nortel patent treasure trove
Bidding started Monday in a New York law office for a portfolio of more than 6000 patents from bankrupt Nortel, including key patents that could influence the future of mobile computing. It’s a secretive process, so not only do we not know the winners yet, we don’t even know all of the bidders. But supposedly there are five: Google, Apple, Intel and two consortia (one of which apparently includes Microsoft which doesn’t want the patents so much as the whole patent sale overturned). (more…)
Could Congress hamstring LightSquared network build?
LightSquared is already trying to convince the FCC, the GPS Industry and government agencies it proposed wholesale long-term evolution network won’t wash out nearby GPS signals. Now it has to convince Congress, too. On Thursday, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed a measure that would hamstring any LightSquared effort to build its network without providing proof that it wouldn’t interfere with GPS (PCWorld: Lawmakers want to block LightSquared approval). (more…)
Mobile broadband bill thankfully avoids defining 4G and instead focuses on the details
We already know that all 4Gs are not created equal (CP: Let’s just chuck the term 4G—it’s meaningless). If legislation sponsored by California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo becomes law, consumers will know it, too. The Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act would require operators to be upfront with customers about how they define 4G and what speeds, coverage and performance they can reasonably expect. (more…)
Will Apple battle Nokia at the low-end too with lower-cost iPhone?
Since Apple’s 2007 introduction of the iPhone, it has steadily nibbled away at Nokia’s leading handset position, ultimately contributing to the collapse of its throne (CP: Android passes Nokia as top smartphone — that didn’t take long). Looking to pick itself up, Nokia — which it’s no secret has been hard pressed to create a high-end smartphone that could get consumers queuing up — has decided to instead focus on the mid and lower tiers of the market (CP: With new (including non-smartphone) devices, Nokia takes first steps toward its future). (more…)