The FCC is dragging its feet on wireless spectrum, says AT&T

Echoing the sentiments of its competitors, AT&T today discussed the growing need for more wireless spectrum in the US and criticized the FCC’s inability to open up more spectrum, in its fourth quarter earnings call.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said the wireless industry is in the midst of tremendous growth, but “this growth cannot continue without more spectrum being cleared and brought to market.” He pointed out that the last big spectrum auction by the … Continue Reading

Let’s look at the all the spectrum T-Mobile is getting from AT&T

With the AT&T/T-Mobile merger dead, AT&T is readying to compensate T-Mobile with precious mobile spectrum that covers 128 cellular market areas. But what exactly does that look like on the U.S. map?

The fine folks at GigaOM and spectrum expert Andrew Shepherd have developed a handy map, shown above, that shows exactly where T-Mobile will be getting new spectrum additions, which will help the company improve its own 4G offerings.

As noted on the map, … Continue Reading

AT&T could buy Dish to gobble up its precious wireless spectrum

After conspicuously losing its bid to acquire T-Mobile, AT&T is still out in the cold when it comes to wireless spectrum. But a new report says the telecom company could now buy Dish Network at a considerable premium to obtain its highly coveted spectrum.

AT&T’s primary motivation to buy T-Mobile USA was to get access to that company’s spectrum, a high-value commodity that makes it possible for customers to make calls and send and receive … Continue Reading

FCC gives the nod to AT&T’s $1.9B Qualcomm spectrum deal

Sure, AT&T’s grand plan to take over T-Mobile has fallen on its face, but at least the company now has more spectrum available for its budding 4G LTE network, thanks to government approval for a deal announced last year.

The FCC has approved AT&T’s $1.92 billion purchase of Qualcomm’s 700 megahertz spectrum, originally meant for the company’s failed FLO TV project, which AT&T will use to strengthen its LTE network.

Verizon is in the midst … Continue Reading

In AT&T breakup, T-Mobile gets 3G roaming deal and wireless spectrum

The dust is settling from yesterday’s news that AT&T has given up its T-Mobile acquisition plans, and it turns out even a failed merger is quite expensive.

Because its proposed $39 billion merger fell through, AT&T now has to give up piles of cash and benefits to T-Mobile. AT&T will enter into a 7-year 3G roaming agreement that will boost T-Mobile coverage, and it has to give up a valuable package of AWS (Advanced Wireless … Continue Reading

With grand wireless plans, Dish wants to buddy up with T-Mobile if AT&T deal fails

T-Mobile certainly won’t be lacking in suitors if AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition falls through. Dish Network is interested in partnering with T-Mobile for a wireless network of its own, if AT&T can’t seal the deal, Dish CEO Joseph Clayton said in an interview today.

Clayton joined Dish earlier this year with the promise of upping acquisitions and creating a streaming-video competitor to Netflix. He says that the company could combine its newfound wireless spectrum — … Continue Reading

LightSquared’s LTE network disrupts 75% of GPS devices in tests

Mobile broadband startup LightSquared’s GPS interference troubles aren’t over yet. The company’s LTE network has been found to disrupt 75 percent of GPS devices in a government test, Bloomberg reports.

The test, conducted by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Systems Engineering Forum, found that 69 of 92 selected GPS devices “experienced harmful interference” within 100 meters of a LightSquared base station.

“LightSquared signals caused harmful interference to majority of GPS receivers tested,” … Continue Reading

Verizon ponies up $3.6B for cable co’s wireless spectrum

In a bid to shore up its 4G wireless network, Verizon has agreed to buy 122 wireless services licenses from Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, the company announced today.

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks initially set up a wireless venture called SpectrumCo in 2007. But because the venture didn’t turn into anything substantial, the companies are cutting their loses and selling the assets to Verizon. The deal stipulates that … Continue Reading

Verizon CEO defends AT&T/T-Mobile merger, says it’s “like gravity”

Of all the people to defend AT&T’s $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam comes as one of the biggest surprises.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs investor conference on Wednesday, McAdam said the massive deal has to occur, unless the government can better focus on giving telecoms more wireless spectrum, according to the mobile site Boy Genius Report.

“I have taken the position that the AT&T merger with T-Mobile was kind of like … Continue Reading

LightSquared files proposal for new spectrum block

Wholesale wireless network provider LightSquared will move the launch of its wireless network to a new block of spectrum after tests showed its current network plans interfered with GPS-enabled devices, the company announced Thursday.

LightSquared filed a proposal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch its network on a lower block of the wireless spectrum than initially planned. The company said its revised plans for the network introduce a new system that does not … Continue Reading

FCC boss says wireless spectrum allocation is key to making mobile broadband competitive

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said today he is hopeful that the government will be able to reallocate spectrum to satisfy the insatiable appetite for mobile broadband capacity.

But rather than seize the spectrum outright, Genachowski wants Congress to approve a plan that would allow the current owners of the spectrum to share in the proceeds as the government auctions it off to infrastructure companies. Once that spectrum is in the right hands, Genachowski … Continue Reading

AT&T snags more bandwidth for 4G: Buys Qualcomm's FLO TV wireless spectrum for $1.9B

After shutting down its ailing FLO TV wireless video service in October, Qualcomm announced today that it will be selling the service’s precious 700 megahertz wireless spectrum to AT&T for around $1.9 billion to bolster its 4G network.

The deal, which is still pending regulatory approval, is perhaps the best possible outcome for Qualcomm, which never managed to find success with FLO TV. The company learned the hard way that consumers would rather watch video … Continue Reading

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says U.S. could lead in mobile broadband

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, wants the U.S. to catch up with other countries in making sure a high percentage of the population has access to broadband communications. He believes the way to do that is to set aside more of the radio spectrum for mobile broadband services than is currently allotted. Speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday, Genachowski talked about how to maximize investment in broadband … Continue Reading

FCC votes to open up empty broadcast TV spectrum for "Super-WiFi"

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously today to open up empty broadcast TV spectrum — so-called “white spaces” which exist between TV channels — for a next-generation mobile broadband technology it’s calling “Super-WiFi.”

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that white space networks will “open a new platform for American innovation“ and lead to billions of dollars in industry investment.

Companies like Google, Microsoft, Dell, and HP have been planning on ways to use the … Continue Reading

Google earmarks $4.6 billion for wireless bid, backs Ubiquisys

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously today to open up empty broadcast TV spectrum — so-called “white spaces” which exist between TV channels — for a next-generation mobile broadband technology it’s calling “Super-WiFi.”

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that white space networks will “open a new platform for American innovation“ and lead to billions of dollars in industry investment.

Companies like Google, Microsoft, Dell, and HP have been planning on ways to use the … Continue Reading