NetAmerica Begins Testing Newly Installed SuperCenter
Posted by Steve Fravel on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 · 
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Last week NetAmerica Alliance announced that it would begin testing its recently completed SuperCenter and Network Operations Center (NOC) in Dallas, Texas.
The SuperCenter is home to the alliance’s IP Multimedia System (IMS) framework. A recent press release to announce completion of the SuperCenter describes the IMS as the key element in the delivery of a “full range of integrated Internet Protocol (IP) based multimedia services.” The IMS core allows the independent carriers who make up the alliance to offer high-quality features and applications and a 4G LTE service to their customers in each member’s license area. Read more
Sen. Grassley Continues, LightSquared and Others on Hold
Posted by Steve Fravel on Thursday, January 12, 2012 · ·
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), has requested information from GPS companies in regard to communications between the investment group (Harbinger Capital Partners), the FCC and the White House prior to the granting of an ancillary terrestrial waiver to LightSquared. Sen. Grassely has given the GPS group, which includes Garmin and John Deere, a deadline of January 25. He has requested the same info from the FCC and Harbinger Capital Partners. Read more
AT&T and Sprint Add LTE Buildouts
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, January 9, 2012 · ·
AT&T and Sprint Nextel, in separate announcements last week, indicated that both would be picking up speed in the deployment of new 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks.
AT&T announced the launch of LTE service in 11 new markets last Thursday, adding San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. AT&T indicated that it had completed construction projects in 2011 ahead of schedule, and it is well positioned to reach 74 million potential subscribers. AT&T is set to complete the 4G upgrade near the end of 2013. Read more
AT&T Acquires Qualcomm’s 700 MHZ Spectrum
Posted by Steve Fravel on Friday, December 23, 2011 · ·
Although not the same magnitude as the T-Mobile merger, yesterday the FCC approved the sale of Qualcomm’s 700 MHz spectrum to AT&T. The commission attached a few conditions to the sale. The highly technical and specific conditions concerning interoperability and interference are described by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski as potentially helpful to smaller operators.
The 700 MHz spectrum was originally purchased and used by Qualcomm to support its Media FLO TV product, a mobile video service which it shuttered in 2010. As such, the ironic aspect to this purchase is the increasing demand for additional bandwidth by consumers for watching video on AT&T’s mobile phones.
Tilting at GPS? What About the Airplanes?
Posted by Steve Fravel on Friday, December 23, 2011 · ·
“The one inescapable conclusion from two rounds of independent testing is that the incompatibility is not caused by LightSquared’s network,” said Jeff Carlisle, executive vice president – regulatory affairs at LightSquared following the filing of a petition for a declaratory ruling at the FCC earlier this week. The filing asks the commission to rule that Global Positioning System (GPS) devices do not have a right to interference protection from the LightSquared network. In addition, it asks that the FCC make clear that the cost of ensuring that GPS devices operate without interference is the sole responsibility of the device owner and not LightSquared. Read more
LightSquared Testing Results – Conflicting Findings?
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, December 19, 2011 · (2) ·
Last week we covered a new deal between LightSquared and FreedomPop, in addition to a list of concerns and adverse findings which could be damaging to the launch of service by LightSquared.
We noted that LightSquared appeared to be buoyed by testing resulted provided by Alcatel-Lucent. We also noted that an early draft of testing performed by the U.S. government contained information contrary to the Alcatel test. The National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), which represents eight government agencies with GPS interest, performed the testing.
At this point, the government testing appears to agree with the LightSquared results in regard to cellular interference: using the spectrum further from GPS traffic, at lower power, LightSquared does not interfere with GPS service obtained via cellular devices.
However, in a statement released last Wednesday, federal officials indicated that LightSquared’s proposed mobile satellite network would interfere with the “majority” of other tested general purposed GPS receivers, and pose dangerous disruption to airline safety systems. LightSquared is on record disagreeing with the new test result findings. Read more
First ‘LTE in Rural America’ Participant Completes Network Test
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, December 19, 2011 · ·
Pioneer Cellular, one of 13 participants in the Verizon Wireless LTE in Rural America program, announced December 16 that it has successfully completed end-to-end data testing over its new 4G LTE network in preparation for a commercial launch next spring for customers in central and western Oklahoma.
Pioneer announced its participation in the LTE in Rural America program last December. During the past year, the operator has constructed cell towers, laid fiber optic cable, and installed network hardware and software, working closely with Verizon Wireless engineers. Pioneer is now testing its new network and trial devices for speed, reliability and ease of use. Pioneer’s 4G LTE network covers more than 260,000 people in 21 counties across nearly 17,000 miles of central and western Oklahoma. Pioneer appears to be the furthest along of Verizon’s rural LTE program participants. Read more