Nokia, DISH to Deploy 5G Standalone Core in Public Cloud

 By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor Nokia has said it will deploy a 5G Standalone (SA) Core for DISH Network using Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) public cloud, supporting DISH's cloud-native, OpenRAN-based 5G network.

Nokia is providing voice core, cloud packet core, subscriber data management, device management, as well as professional end-to-end security services, which will allow cost-effective management of the 5G network, according to DISH. The 5G SA Core on AWS will also enable automation required to meet evolving customer needs, allowing DISH to support new enterprise and consumer 5G use cases, including network slicing, quickly and securely across multiple cloud stacks at end-customer premises. Continue Reading

SpaceX Targets September for Starlink Debut

 SpaceX says its low-earth orbit Starlink satellite broadband service could be operational in September. That’s according to President/COO Gwynne Shotwell.
 
"We've successfully deployed 1,800 or so satellites, and once all those satellites reach their operational orbit we will have continuous global coverage so that should be [in the] September timeframe," Shotwell told the virtual Macquarie Technology Summit.
 
The company still needs regulatory approval from any given country to be able to provide telecom services, she said, according to ZDNet. Continue Reading

3GPP Greenlights Ligado’s L-Band Spectrum for 5G

 By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the wireless industry’s global standard-setting body, has approved the new technical specification that will allow mobile communications company Ligado Networks to deploy 5G networks in its L-band spectrum.

The approval marks the next step in Ligado’s efforts to deploy a mobile private network solution designed to bring next-generation networks to the energy, manufacturing, health care, transportation, and other critical infrastructure sectors.

In April 2020, the FCC authorized Ligado to deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network on 35 megahertz of spectrum bands that will primarily support Internet of Things (IoT) services in the 1526-1536 MHz, 1627.5-1637.5 MHz, and 1646.5-1656.5 MHz bands, known as Band 24. Continue Reading

NTIA’s New Broadband Map Shows Digital Gaps

  The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a new publicly available digital map that displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country. NTIA says this is the first interactive, public map that enables users to explore different datasets about where people do not have quality internet access.  
 
The public “Indicators of Broadband Need” tool also puts data from both public and private sources on one map, which NTIA claims is also a first. It contains data aggregated at the county, census tract, and census block level from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FCC, M-Lab, Ookla and Microsoft. Speed-test data provided by M-Lab and Ookla help to illustrate the reality that communities experience when going online, with many parts of the country reporting speeds that fall below the FCC’s current benchmark for fixed broadband service of 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload. This is also the first map that allows users to graphically compare and contrast these different data sources, according to NTIA. Continue Reading

FCC Votes to Tighten Net Against Suspect Telecom Gear

 By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief The FCC on Thursday voted to widen the ban against telecom equipment deemed to pose a threat to American national security. Under proposed rules that won initial approval, the Commission could revoke prior equipment authorizations issued to such companies.

To date, the FCC has prohibited the use of support from the Universal Service Fund to buy equipment that could pose a national security threat to the United States. Under the law, this includes communications gear and services from Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE. 

Yet despite identifying security concerns with this telecom equipment, the agency continues to approve such gear through its equipment certification process. During the 4-0 vote, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the Commission has okayed more than 3,000 applications from Huawei alone since 2018. “Once an entity lands on our [banned] list, there does not appear to be any reason why the FCC should continue to review that gear and offer the FCC seal of approval,” he said. Continue Reading

5G Subs Growing at Record Pace: Ericsson Mobility Report

 By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor DISH’s 5G network is in its early days, AT&T and Verizon won’t have mid-band spectrum built out until 2023, T-Mobile is going great guns at low-band and mid-band but its millimeter wave coverage -- the icing on the spectrum layer cake -- is thin. Still, Ericsson projects that 5G mobile subscriptions are growing at a record pace and will exceed 580 million globally by the end of 2021, driven by an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day.

The forecast in the latest Ericsson Mobility Report projects 5G will be the fastest adopted mobile generation in history with 3.5 billion subscriptions and 60 percent population coverage by the end of 2026. That said, the pace of adoption varies widely by region, with China, North America and the Middle East leading the way. Europe is lagging. Northeast Asia is expected to account for the largest share of 5G subscriptions by 2026, with an estimated 1.4 billion 5G subscriptions.

“5G is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G LTE timeline for the same milestone,” the report said. “Key factors behind that include China’s earlier commitment to 5G and the earlier availability and increasing affordability of commercial 5G devices.” The number of 5G smartphones currently tops 300. Continue Reading

State's Attempt to Cap Broadband Prices Loses in Court

 A move that was designed to force providers to offer lower rates has been found to be punitive to some telecoms, according to The Register. New York lawmakers had attempted to mandate a low cost $15 per month fee for qualified households, but United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley on Friday ruled in favor of the trade associations who brought the suit. Industry trade groups CTIA, the New York State Telecommunications Association and USTelecom took the state to court in April, contending they lacked the authority to determine broadband prices.
 
"While a telecommunications giant like Verizon may be able to absorb such a loss, others may not: the Champlain Telephone Company, for example, estimates that nearly half [approximately 48 percent] of [its] existing broadband customers will qualify for ‘discounted rates, with each such customer’ caus[ing] a ‘monetary loss,’" states the legal action presented by the telcos. If compelled to accept minimal fees, the providers would "suffer unrecoverable losses increasing with time" and the "bulk of these losses will stem from lost income," the argument read. Continue Reading