Network management

Across America, 5G mobile networks are going up, which eventually will supplant the internet backbone we use for nearly all communications. With minor changes, the Pentagon’s ongoing 5G demonstrations, 2020's appropriations to replace Chinese network equipment, and the proposed Infrastructure and Jobs Act could combine to spur deployment of open 5G architectures that would create a market for US telecommunications equipment builders and installers.

SK Broadband, wholly owned by South Korea’s largest mobile carrier SK Telecom, thinks Netflix should pay a congestion charge for hit shows like the streaming service's recently released "Squid Game." The company says the traffic that Netflix generates on its network has surged to 1.2tn bits of data processed per second as of September 2021, the month of Squid Game’s release, a 24-fold increase over three years. It has had to upgrade its network twice to accommodate the traffic surge caused by the show.

The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) filed an ex parte to apprise the Federal Communications Commission of the results of RWA’s member survey concerning the ongoing impact of the 3G sunset on rural consumers, and of the need for the carriers to implement Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) roaming before 3G is shut down nationwide.

Microsoft wants to be the global wide area network (WAN) for 5G. Victor Bahl, chief technology officer of Azure for Operators, noted that while 5G offers big boosts in speed, those speeds get watered down because “every network operator ultimately depends on the internet at some point.” Bahl said ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) within the 5G New Radio standard is nice; its delay specification can be anywhere from one to four msec on-air latency.

Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that they will introduce bipartisan legislation to restore competition online by establishing commonsense rules of the road for dominant digital platforms to prevent them from abusing their market power to harm competition, online businesses, and consumers. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act will:

Nokia is throwing its weight behind an initiative it calls Broadband Zero, aiming to help connect as many people as possible with a minimal impact on the environment. Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said the company’s Broadband Zero campaign is based on four key pillars: zero left behind, zero limits, zero touch and zero waste. She explained the first pillar is focused on applying fiber and fixed wireless access (FWA) technologies to connect every home and building as quickly as possible.

These days, everything lives in the cloud. Increasingly, mobile networks are doing their work there, too. That is especially true for wireless networks being built by upstart operators such as Dish Network and Rakuten Group that are trying to get a cost edge over bigger, more established rivals. The expense of installing and maintaining customized network equipment—made by suppliers such as Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei—helps explain why the bill for an unlimited monthly cellular data plan can top $70.

As major tech companies have announced policy changes intended to protect young users online in response to a new United Kingdom children’s privacy law, Sen Edward Markey (D-MA) and Reps Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) wrote to the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to use its full authority—including its authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act—to ensure these companies comply with their new policies.

Chariton Valley Wireless, a provider in Northeastern Missouri, is selling its wireless assets to Verizon, AT&T and USCelluar. According to Federal Communications Commission filings, Verizon will receive 2 AWS-1 licenses and 2 cellular licenses. AT&T will receive 3 - 700 MHz band licenses. US Cellular will receive 2 PCS licenses.

Missouri’s Public Service Commission (PSC) is allowing Ameren Missouri to lease a section of unused fiber to another company seeking to expand broadband coverage. Ameren sought a 20-year “dark fiber” lease agreement with MCC Network Services to provide internet service along a 1.6 mile stretch between where the Mississippi River crosses from Missouri to Illinois.