Wireless Internet

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.

A director at the US National Science Foundation has harsh words for the country’s telecommunications companies: We’ve lost the 5G race. But the Next-G game is just getting started, and US companies can win by playing to American strengths, said Sudharman Jayaweera, a program director at the National Science Foundation. In addition to telephone companies lagging, no US vendor has significant market share in the 5G infrastructure equipment market, which is dominated by Huawei, ZTE and other companies, Jayaweera said. The US lags in both research and true 5G networks.

Los Angeles County has started work on a wireless broadband network that will deliver high-speed connections for as little as $25 a month. The county signed a contract with WeLink of Lehi, Utah, to build the network and offer the service in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles.

In 2021, Los Angeles County leaders decided they wanted to close the digital divide in some underserved areas. So, the county issued a request for proposal, soliciting bids from broadband providers. Surprisingly, WeLink, a relatively unknown fixed wireless access (FWA) provider, won the contract, beating out incumbents such as AT&T and Charter Communications.

As a national leader in developing the broadband workforce, the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) is proud to announce it has launched a new Connecting Minority Communities Apprenticeship Consortium (CMCAC) with three HBCUs: Central State University, Tennessee State University, and Virginia State University. Apprenticeships are a proven model for building a diverse and highly skilled workforce to meet the demands of broadband and 5G buildout.

The U.S. is in an era of high-stakes technology development. From artificial intelligence to semiconductor manufacturing, whoever leads in innovation will lead the world in economic growth and national security.  The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a comprehensive approach to advancing network infrastructure through the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act], the CHIPS and Science Act, NTIA’s Wireless Innovation Fund (established under that Act), and other federal grant programs....  When it comes to the wireless space, the U.S. has always been the leader.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that up to $420 million in funding will be made available to build the radio equipment needed to advance open network adoption in the US and abroad. This is the second Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund and this NOFO aims to drive commercialization and innovation in open radio units.

I write [to the Secretary of Defense] regarding my concern about a new report that black market middlemen “have proliferated in recent months to buy [Starlink] user terminals and ship them to Russian forces,” illustrating that, “a shadowy supply chain exists for Starlink hardware that has fed backroom deals in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the United Arab Emirates, putting thousands of the …devices into the hands of some American adversaries and accused war criminals.” According to the report, this ongoing evasion of US sanctions and export controls has “eroded a battlefield advantage once en

In celebration of Military Appreciation Month, Comcast NBCUniversal unveiled several initiatives to bolster support for veterans, service members, and military families. New and existing military-connected customers can enjoy our Xfinity Military Benefits. Comcast NBCUniversal continues its commitment to advancing digital equity for veterans, service members, and their families.

This report summarizes information about Internet access in the United States as of June 30, 2022, as collected by FCC Form 477 and the Broadband Data Collection (BDC). [For purposes of this report, Internet access is defined as a service that allows information to be sent to or received from the Internet with a speed of at least 200 kilobits per second.] Total connections increased by about 3.4% between June 2021 and June 2022 to 517 million.