Linda Hardesty

Dish said it will be lending 20 MHz of its AWS-4 (Band 66) and all of its 700 MHz spectrum to AT&T, starting immediately. Dish will provide the spectrum to AT&T at no cost for 60 days. AT&T will be able to deploy the AWS-4 spectrum quickly and easily using its AWS-1 and AWS-3 equipment. In addition, AT&T can use Dish’s 700 MHz E-Block in conjunction with the D-Block that AT&T has started deploying in some markets.

Analysts are speculating that these loans during a time of crisis might later be turned into ongoing leases.

T-Mobile worked with a variety of other providers to rustle up additional 600 MHz spectrum to help it meet increased customer demand for wireless broadband, as people are forced to work and learn from home. The companies that have agreed to contribute spectrum are Dish, Comcast, NewLevel, LB License Co, Channel 51, Omega, Bluewater and TStar License Holdings.  

CenturyLink has benefited the most from the Connect America Fund (CAF) II, a Federal Communications Commission program that has awarded Universal Service Funds to telecommunication operators to build broadband in unserved and underserved areas of the US, especially rural areas. CenturyLink has received $506 million per year since 2015 in CAF II awards, which will total more than $3 billion over the six-year period from 2015 to 2020. Now, the FCC has proposed a follow-on program to CAF.

Dish Networks Chairman Charlie Ergen pointed out that DISH’s new 5G network will be a greenfield network and should not be evaluated in the same way as an incumbent’s network. He said DISH’s network would cost less than other carriers’ networks because DISH plans to use next-generation technology, which relies much more on software than on expensive, proprietary hardware. “The cost structure goes down,” he said. “The vast majority of capex for the incumbents is not for 5G, it’s to maintain the legacy.

Twenty-five states, including NY and CA, have not adopted the Federal Communications Commission’s new rule regarding the deployment of new small cell equipment. And, a couple of states are appealing the FCC’s rule in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which is taking up the question of whether the FCC has authority in the matter. Now, Sens John Thune (R-SD) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) have introduced a bill that would codify many parts of the FCC’s rule.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said the company’s first 5G customers are businesses that are using 5G as a replacement for their wired local area network (LAN) technology. “Right now, from 5G what we’re seeing is exclusively businesses,” said Stephenson.

Fixed wireless has garnered a lot of attention lately because both Verizon and AT&T are deploying the technology as a first step in their 5G networks. Not only does fixed wireless provide a first step in the evolution to 5G, but the technology can also be used for urban densification. And carriers can use it to “overbuild” in their competitor’s territory as well. For instance, Verizon has a lot of fiber in New York City, but with fixed 5G and its higher speeds, AT&T could poach some of Verizon’s broadband customers.

An indictment unsealed on Jan 28 claims that telecommunication equipment vendor Huawei stole trade secrets from Bellevue (WA)-based T-Mobile USA and then obstructed justice when T-Mobile threatened to sue Huawei in US District Court in Seattle.