Wireless Internet

NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), in collaboration with the Department of Defense’s FutureG Office, recently hosted the RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) Forum in Dallas, Texas. The demonstrations and high engagement from attendees underscored why the RIC Forum is drawing such a high level of international attention and interest.

The pace of US broadband subscriber growth slowed considerably in the first quarter of 2024 as fiber, fixed wireless access (FWA) and cable broadband service providers collectively turned in results that were worse than what they posted in the year-ago period. Total industry net additions, including or excluding FWA and geosynchronous (GEO) satellite broadband providers, decelerated noticeably in Q1 2024.

On May 15, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel spoke about the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. She spoke about some of the actions the FCC has taken to help and protect survivors of domestic abuse, including requiring phone carriers to "swiftly and securely separate phone lines of survivors from family plans." The Chairwoman also spoke about action the FCC is taking to prevent internet connected cars from being used by abusers to stalk and harass survivors. "I don’t think that answer is good enough.

AT&T and AST SpaceMobile have entered a definitive commercial agreement to provide a space-based broadband network direct to everyday cell phones. This agreement extends until 2030. Previously the companies were working together under a Memorandum of Understanding. This is not just one small step, but one giant leap towards enhanced connectivity for consumers and businesses across the country. In the summer of 2024, AST SpaceMobile plans to deliver its first commercial satellites to Cape Canaveral for launch into low Earth orbit.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) new round of funding from the $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund presents a unique opportunity to advance spectrum-sensing technology, in turn potentially driving more efficient use of airwaves for the public and private sectors. Spectrum sharing is an effective way to increase commercial access to spectrum resources while protecting and enhancing government operations. One objective of this funding opportunity’

Can cable get its groove back? It’s a common question as operators wade their way through a sea of fiber and fixed wireless access (FWA) competition. Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts talked about where the company stands in the broadband space and how it sees itself. Roberts described Comcast as “more of a consumer innovation and technology driven company.” Analyst Craig Moffett asked Roberts to delve into the elephant in the room – broadband.

According to new figures from Rewheel, T-Mobile's purchase of Sprint in 2020 helped to keep mobile prices in the US sky high. "Five years on, the Sprint / T-Mobile 4-to-3 mobile merger made the US one of the most expensive mobile markets in the world," the Finland-based research firm wrote in a new report.

The cable industry hasn’t been doing too great with keeping broadband subscribers, and Charter is no different. CEO Chris Winfrey’s take on the situation?

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) and a multistate, bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general secured more than $10.22 million from AT&T Mobility and its subsidiary Cricket Wireless; T-Mobile; and Cellco Partnership and its subsidiary TracFone Wireless for deceptively marketing wireless service plans for years.

T-Mobile acquired a boatload of 2.5 GHz spectrum when it acquired Sprint in 2020, and it paid $304 million to win the lion’s share of licenses in the Federal Communications Commission’s Auction 108. Now it’s involved in a spectrum swap with SoniqWave Network to get even more 2.5 GHz spectrum.