Carl Weinschenk
Wireless Spectrum Lending is the Latest Trend in COVID-19 Response
With wireless use set to spike as more people work from home during the coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, wireless spectrum holders are working together to most efficiently use the available spectrum. That has led carriers and spectrum holders to temporarily put competition aside and enter wireless spectrum lending arrangements. The goal is to expand voice, video and data capacity where it is needed as work, as education and as commerce shifts to the home from the office, school and store.
Latest Telco and Electric Cooperative Fiber Broadband Partnership Offers a Unique Model
Smithville Communications and SCI REMC–a rural telecommunications provider and an electric cooperative, respectively–are teaming to build fiber-based broadband infrastructure to serve their common Indiana service areas. The telco electric cooperative fiber partnership project will serve about 3,400 residents and businesses in Ellettsville, Lake Monroe and Gosport (IN) communities with homes served by copper-based services.
Wisconsin Offers Tax Breaks for Rural Broadband Investments
The newly enacted 2019 Wisconsin Act 128 incentivizes rural broadband investment through targeted tax exemptions. Telephone companies will get an exemption for property used to provide broadband service in rural or underserved areas. Most Wisconsin property taxes are paid to local governments. The telephone company property tax, however, is paid to and controlled by the state. This means that the bill will have no fiscal impact on local governments, according to a press release from WSTA — Wisconsin’s Broadband Association.
C Spire Works with Entergy Mississippi On $11 Million Broadband Project in the State
C Spire, Entergy Mississippi, and the Mississippi Public Service Commission commemorated the completion of a project that will bring advanced broadband services to rural Mississippians. The $11 million project took 18 months to complete. It spans more than 300 miles in 15 counties and is aimed at helping to meet the state’s education and healthcare needs.
Amidst 5G Rush, 17% of US Subscribers Still on 3G
Almost 20% of Americans are still on 3G networks – even as many of these networks face decommissioning next year, according to Opensignal. Only 4.1% of the approximately 30 million Americans who still use 3G do not have a 4G-capable device. This is “unsurprising,” according to Opensignal, because most carriers have sold nothing but 4G-capable phones for years as a way to accelerate the move of subscribers away from older networks. In all, 83% of users still served by 3G have 4G-capable devices but do not have a 4G plan.
Gigabit Availability Report: 1 in 5 People Worldwide Can Get 1 Gbps Broadband
The United States leads the world in gigabit broadband, with 68.5 million people having the service available to them, according to a gigabit availability report from VIAVI Solutions. Gigabit connectivity is available for 354 million people across 51 countries worldwide. This is about five percent of the global population. At 61.5 million people, China has moved ahead of South Korea as the country with the second most people with gigabit availability. That total represents an increase of over 41 million with access in August 2019.
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Vertical Assets Inventory Aims to Attract Broadband Wireless Providers
The Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG), in conjunction with Connected Nation Michigan, has created a vertical asset inventory for the region, which is largely rural. The project identifies and catalogs publicly and privately held assets upon which wireless equipment can be mounted. These structures include silos, water towers and the like. The interactive tool can be accessed at Discover Northeast Michigan. Identifying these assets is vital in rural areas that long have lagged in broadband penetration.
Microsoft Airband Nextlink Partnership Targets Rural Broadband in Six States
A partnership between Nextlink Internet and Microsoft aims to bring broadband to hundreds of rural communities in six states through the Microsoft Airband program. The partnership will provide broadband in IA, IL, KS, NEB, OK, and TX. “This partnership will enable the coming of precision agriculture, IoT, digital healthcare, access to higher education and overall economic growth,” said Ted Osborn, Nextlink’s Senior Vice President of Strategy & Regulatory Affairs.
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NCREN Fiber Expansion Focuses on Agricultural Industry and Rural Markets
The North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), a regional fiber network, is expanding, according to MCNC, the non-profit that operates it. The network operates in southeastern North Carolina. The expansion will connect communities between Sanford and Farmville in Greene, Harnett, Johnston and Wayne counties. The Golden LEAF Foundation is contributing $1,327,130 to the project, which has an estimated total cost of $2.5 million.
T-Mobile and Partners Hit 5G 600 MHz Milestone
T-Mobile, Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson have completed what they say is the first 5G low-band data session on a commercial 5G modem. The 5G 600 MHz session was conducted at T-Mobile’s lab in Bellevue (WA). The 600 MHz spectrum band is what T-Mobile will use for its nationwide 5G rollout. “This is a key step toward achieving our vision of 5G for All,” said T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray. “This modem will power devices that tap into the 600 MHz low-band spectrum we’ll use to blanket the country with 5G."