Monica Alleven

Both AT&T and Verizon are pointing out how reliant their 5G wireless networks are on fiber – and how they’re reinforcing their investments to handle all the 5G data traffic that’s coming down the pike. Verizon said it’s “supercharging” the core of its fiber network by upgrading older router equipment with new gear provided by Juniper Networks. When it’s done, the upgrade will significantly increase the bandwidth needed to support wireless, home internet, enterprise, small business and its FIOS customers. Rival AT&T has been talking about its fiber expansion for a while now.

The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, a group that includes Dish Network, RS Access [and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society], said that it wants to set the record straight on Starlink’s “misinformation campaign.” The most recent spat started when SpaceX encouraged Starlink users to send messages to the Federal Communications Commission and lawmakers about the 12 GHz proceeding.

AT&T’s early move to counteract inflation and raise prices was the right thing to do, according to AT&T Communications COO Jeff McElfresh. McElfresh said it’s always hard to raise prices, but AT&T’s price increase was for a segment of customers on the oldest rate plans that didn’t have access to 5G or the latest and greatest features and benefits. “We didn’t do a broad stroke across the entire customer base,” he said.

So much for the “win-win-win” scenario that Dish Network envisioned for the 12 GHz band. Dish and RS Access have argued that the 12 GHz band can be used by both satellite players like SpaceX’s Starlink and by companies like Dish that want to use it for 5G, all for the public’s benefit.

In May 2022, Verizon said it was making fee “adjustments,” which included an administrative charge increase of $1.35 per voice line to $3.30. The carrier recently confirmed to CNET that it’s raising rates for older, shared data plans as well, and those are very similar to what AT&T announced.

Since it acquired the 2.5 GHz assets from Sprint, T-Mobile has been going gangbusters on 5G, to the point that it now covers 225 million points of presence (PoPs) and is well on its way to reach 260 million by the end of 2022. By the end of 2023, it expects to reach a population of 300 million with the “Ultra Capacity” 5G that relies on 2.5 GHz. In the short term, completing the integration with Sprint is job number. 1. “This is a big, big year for us from an integration perspective,” with network decommissioning.

As Dish Network prepares to show how it’s meeting its June 14th requirement of offering 5G to 20 percent of the US population, the satellite TV operator is battling new allegations from SpaceX over the 12 GHz band. Dish and SpaceX have been at odds over the 12 GHz band for over a year now. The conflict between the two ratcheted up recently when SpaceX accused Dish of meddling in its attempt to help people in Ukraine.

Dish Network sent a letter May 27 to SpaceX demanding that the company retract statements that it says could trigger interference with Dish satellite TV services. The letter came after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that Starlink is available for RVs, campers and other large vehicle users but didn’t state that the service can’t be used on moving vehicles.

Judging by what T-Mobile executives have shared publicly, the integration of Sprint into the T-Mobile sphere is going swimmingly. But if you’re the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the whole thing stinks. T-Mobile said it plans to finish transitioning all Sprint customers to the T-Mobile network over the next few months. The company also is on track to upgrade or decommission substantially all Sprint sites in 2022.

Given T-Mobile’s recent history of arguing for more licensed spectrum, it’s easy to forget how much unlicensed spectrum plays into its overall strategy. But a recent application before the Federal Communications Commission serves as a reminder of that. T-Mobile is asking for special temporary authority (STA) to operate on spectrum in the 6110-6190 MHz portion of the 5925-7125 MHz (6 GHz) band in and around the areas of Alexandria and Falls Church (VA).