July 2019

FirstNet Chair Keynotes 2019 Public Safety Communications Research Meeting (First Responder Network Authority)

Submitted by Robbie McBeath on Wed, 07/10/2019 - 15:25

'Do not tweet': Speaker Pelosi scolds progressives in closed-door meeting (Politico)

Submitted by benton on Wed, 07/10/2019 - 15:23

Facebook’s Digital Currency Could Pose a Systemic Risk, Fed’s Powell Says (Morning Consult)

Submitted by benton on Wed, 07/10/2019 - 15:22

Ookla US Speed Test: As 5G dawns, US mobile download speeds jump, uploads stay slow

No matter how you look at it, mobile network performance has improved in the US thus far in 2019. In Q1-Q2 2019, the US ranked 40th in the world for mean download speed over mobile, which positions the country between Spain and Saudi Arabia. Mean download speed over mobile in the US increased 24.0% between the same quarter in 2018, to 33.88 Mbps. This raised the US three spots in world rankings for mobile download speed over the prior year. The US ranked 94th for mean upload speed, between Angola and Poland.

Verification of Mobile Wireless Service in Puerto Rico Post Hurricane Maria

The Universal Service Administrative Company used airborne drones to measure mobile wireless coverage in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. USAC’s vendor conducted a total of 20 drone tests in Puerto Rico; one of which was overlapped by a drive test in order to compare relative performance. The remaining 19 drone tests were conducted in impassible areas. Within Puerto Rico, the test evidence suggests that drones are capable of quickly surveying smaller areas, but may not be as useful for surveying larger areas in a cost-effective manner at this time.