Wireless Telecommunications

Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure paid a visit to the office of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and others to talk about eliminating barriers to Sprint’s 4G and 5G deployments, among other topics. Sprint referenced barriers that Sprint and others in the industry face as part of their efforts to deploy 4G and 5G services. Sprint urged the commission to quickly address the regulatory obstacles that make the densification of wireless networks so difficult.

Verizon said that it would begin locking the phones it sells to consumers, which will prevent them from using a SIM card from another carrier. Initially, the phones will be unlocked as soon as a customer signs up and activates the service. But later in the spring, the company will begin the practice of keeping the phone locked for a period of time after the purchase -- in line with the rest of the industry. 

"It has long been customary at the Federal Communications Commission for Bureaus planning to issue significant orders on delegated authority to provide those items to Commissioners 48 hours prior to their scheduled release. Then, if anyone Commissioner asked for the Order to be brought up to the Commission level for a vote, that request would be honored." That is a direct quote from then-Commissioner Ajit Pai during testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee on March 18, 2015.

Cheap wireless plans might be harder to find in 2018. The two most aggressive US wireless carriers, Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc,  are signaling they will scale back discounting this year after a failed attempt to combine their businesses. Sprint, the No. 4 carrier by subscribers, said that it would only chase new customers it considers profitable. No.

[Commentary]  As communities across the United States wait to learn how high-speed mobile networks will figure in a long-promised infrastructure plan, some cities are already attracting private investment in next-generation 5G networks. They are doing so by finding new ways to collaborate with network and equipment providers, creating a set of “best practices” that other local governments can follow. Forward-thinking officials at the federal, state and local levels are hurrying to update their processes, looking for new approaches that maximize community value and minimize delay.

[Commentary] The solution to the country’s digital divide isn’t going to come from private-market competition, but rather from massive government mobilization. Just don’t call it “nationalization.”

Allow me to highlight where the current Federal Communications Commission’s competition policy needs a makeover, and round things out with a couple of bright spots that are ripe for addressing in a bipartisan way. This Administration seems to only pay lip service, when it comes to ensuring competition, and, what is worse, it has a particularly creative view of what kind of services actually “count” as competitive. But I always seek out a silver lining no matter how gray or thick the cloud formation. First, we can take action to unleash competition in multiple-tenant environments. Second, re

AT&T has expanded its fixed wireless Internet infrastructure in four states. AT&T fixed wireless is now available in 33 counties serving more than 37,000 locations in AL, 40 counties serving more than 26,000 locations in AR, 46 counties serving more than 27,000 locations in GA and 51 counties serving more than 37,000 locations in TN.

House Communications Subcommittee Vice Chair Leonard Lance (R-NJ) is joining subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA) in introducing bipartisan legislation that will help bring 5G wireless service closer to reality and help close the digital divide.  The "Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum", or AIRWAVES Act, will encourage the federal government to free up more spectrum for commercial licensed and unlicensed use.  More spectrum will improve data service from all providers and help close geographic gaps in coverage.

Today I'm going to talk about what the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NDIA) and the Administration are doing to help promote investment in broadband and ensure that all Americans have access to the connectivity they need to meaningfully participate in the modern economy.