Wireless Telecommunications

T-Mobile released its third-quarter earnings for 2023. The company reported postpaid net account additions of 386,000 and postpaid net customer additions of 1.2 million, a decrease of 401,000 year-over-year. The company's postpaid phone net customer additions totaled 850,000. T-Mobile saw 557,000 high-speed internet customer additions, a decrease of 21,000 year-over-year. Total net customer additions were listed as 1.3 million, which decreased by 427,000 year-over-year. The total customer count increased to a company-record high of 117.9 million.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) awarded a total of $12 million through the Cell Towers Grant Program for 29 projects. Grant awards will be used to construct new towers that provide quality cellular service and greater 911 connectivity to high-cost areas. The program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), is focused on investing in the expansion of cellular service statewide.

Here’s everything we have on deck for our November Open Meeting.

T-Mobile has achieved its year-end goal of covering 300 million people with Ultra Capacity 5G ahead of schedule. With additional network enhancements made, T-Mobile’s overall 5G footprint has expanded as well, now covering more than 330 million people or 98 percent of the population. Currently, more than 116 million people are relying on T-Mobile’s network nationwide. "We have been leaders in the 5G era from the start, deploying the largest, fastest, most awarded and most advanced 5G network in the country faster than anyone else," said Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology at T-Mobile.

Verizon released its third-quarter earnings and subscriber numbers for 2023. The company ended the quarter with approximately 10.3 million broadband subscribers, an increase of nearly 21 percent year over year. Total broadband net additions were 434,000, representing the fourth consecutive quarter that Verizon reported more than 400,000 broadband net additions. Total broadband net additions included 384,000 fixed wireless net additions, an increase of 42,000 fixed wireless net additions from third-quarter 2022. Verizon now has nearly 2.7 million subscribers on its fixed wireless service.

Policymakers inundated with self-serving arguments for specific spectrum allocation need ways to evaluate which actually advance the public interest. By focusing on the goal of productive spectrum use, one can differentiate between reasoning that would enhance productivity and that which would only advance private interests.

Dish and T-Mobile have resolved their dispute over 800 MHz spectrum, with Dish agreeing to pay $100 million now toward the spectrum, in exchange for an extension to buy the spectrum fully. Dish made an SEC filing on October 19, saying the two companies entered into an amendment to their License Purchase Agreement, extending the date by which Dish may purchase the 800 MHz spectrum to April 1, 2024.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to improve Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) by making WEA messages available in more than a dozen additional languages, including American Sign Language; adding increased functionality; and providing public information on where and how WEA is available. At present, WEA messages are available only in English or Spanish. In a new Order, the FCC required wireless providers that participate in WEA to support messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the US as well as English and American Sign Language.

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeks to partner with any entities that have a solution for delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts to mobile devices that are not connected to functioning cell towers. The Bureau asked interested parties to submit detailed information about their solution, including whether it would work with mobile devices currently in use by consumers, how to address any issues with delivering geographically targeted alerts, and how best testing should be conducted.

The Federal Communications Commission kicked off a rulemaking to explore how the universal service high-cost support program can continue funding fixed and mobile broadband services in Alaska—one of the hardest-to-serve areas in the country. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on a number of issues to help the FCC determine the most effective methodologies and uses for future universal service funding for high-cost fixed and mobile services in Alaska.