Joan Engebretson

Dish and T-Mobile Set to Expand 5G Agreement

Dish said that it has reached an agreement with T-Mobile to use the T-Mobile Ultra Capacity 5G network to provide connectivity to Dish mobile customers and to customers of Dish’s retail wireless brands, including Boost Mobile. The agreement requires Department of Justice (DOJ) approval, and the DOJ must make a decision no later than August 14, 2022.

Verizon and T-Mobile Advance 5G Strategy with CBRS, Carrier Aggregation Moves

The highly competitive nature of the US mobile wireless business continues as Verizon announced that it is deploying 5G in the CBRS spectrum band and T-Mobile said it achieved speeds above 3 Gbps on a production network using 5G carrier aggregation. Verizon said it worked with Ericsson to complete a 5G data session using CBRS General Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum, which is mid-band spectrum that is essentially available on an unlicensed basis.

Starry CEO: Customers “Couldn’t Give Two Hoots” About Fiber

Starry emerged a few years as a fixed wireless broadband provider targeting large multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and has had considerable success in that market, averaging 25% take rates within the first year, when the company aims to reach payback on its investment. The company developed its own technology, which is rather different from that of other fixed wireless providers in that it can use coaxial distribution infrastructure within a building to distribute service.

UScellular Reveals its Mid-Band 5G Plans

UScellular announced that it will roll out 5G service using mid-band spectrum by the end of 2023. The company previously rolled out 5G service in some areas using millimeter wave spectrum, which supports the highest speeds but over relatively short distances, and in low-band spectrum, which provides excellent coverage but relatively low speeds. Mid-band spectrum is widely considered to provide the optimum mixture of coverage and speed for 5G.

Meet Diamond State Networks, an Arkansas Statewide Fiber Network

Thirteen Arkansas electric cooperatives have come together to establish Diamond State Networks, a fiber network that covers more than 64 percent of the state’s land mass. The network was created by interconnecting existing networks operated by the 13 companies. Plans include offering wholesale connectivity on the network to other service providers, as well as further network expansion. Collectively, the companies have invested or plan to invest more than $1.66 billion in fiber network infrastructure, which will serve nearly 600,000 potential customer locations.

Faster Verizon Fixed Wireless Speed May Soon Come Thanks to C-Band

Verizon currently cites a speed of 300 Mbps for its 5G fixed wireless offering. That speed could increase beginning as early as 2023 when the company gains access to additional spectrum that it won in the 2021 C-band auction, said Matt Ellis, Verizon executive vice president and chief financial officer. The company was the biggest winner in 2021’s C-band auction.

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Winning Bidder Nextlink Reveals Gigabit Fixed Wireless Speed in 6 GHz Band

Nextlink Internet, which was one of the biggest winning bidders in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, said it has achieved speeds of 1 Gbps doanload and 500 Mbps upload using fixed wireless equipment in the 6 GHz band. The performance was achieved using a 160 MHz channel over distances of two miles, the company said.

AT&T Hopes Indiana Public Private Partnerships Will Be the First of Many

The two public private partnerships that AT&T has announced in Indiana, including one expected with the City of Boonville (IN), could be the first of many, said Jeff Luong, AT&T president for broadband access and adoption initiatives. “We’re having discussions with communities across the country,” said Luong.

Explosive Fiber Broadband Expansion Drives Need for Fiber Technician Training Programs

As fiber sees record-setting deployment levels, the demand for fiber optic technicians is stronger than ever. To meet this demand, we’re seeing a slew of training programs nationwide. Community colleges will play an important role in training a new generation of fiber technicians. In one example, the State University of New York Westchester Community College (SUNYWCC) offers a three-day fiber technician training course that does not require participants to be enrolled in a degree program.

FCC to Consider More Money and Faster Speeds for A-CAM Rural Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission will vote in late May 2022 on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking input on a proposal to establish higher speed goals for small rural providers that receive broadband funding through the Alternative Connect America Model (A-CAM) program. The proposal was made by the A-CAM Broadband Coalition, a group of providers that receive funding through the program. According to the FCC, 447 providers receive a combined $1.1 billion annually in A-CAM support, which runs through 2028 for most participants.