Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Cisco acquires Jasper for IoT
Cisco Systems said it’s acquiring “the industry’s leading IoT service platform” with its purchase of Silicon Valley’s Jasper Technologies for $1.4 billion. Jasper’s “Internet of Things” platform is designed to automate the management of IoT services across devices connected to cellular networks. The company works with 3,500 enterprises and 27 mobile network groups worldwide, according to Cisco. Jasper Technologies counts AT&T, China Unicom, Claro, 02, KPN and NTT DoCoMo as customers, as well as many smaller operators. Last year AT&T tapped Jasper to provide software for its AT&T Drive connected car solution. “AT&T is a significant customer and we believe the acquisition will help Cisco support more of AT&T’s Domain 2.0 vision,” said Raymond James analyst Simon Leopold. New IoT services such as enterprise Wi-Fi, security for connected devices and advanced analytics to better manage device usage are among the capabilities Cisco says it can add to Jasper’s platform. “Carriers will no longer have to worry about under-investment in IoT connectivity management,” said Steve Hilton, IoT analyst at MachNation. … Read more
Qualcomm, Intel collaborate on WiGig
WiGig, or 802.11ad Wi-Fi, promises speeds of up to 4.6 gigabits per second, according to Qualcomm and Intel. Today, the two chipmakers said they have demonstrated interoperability between their WiGig solutions, laying the groundwork for an 802.11ad ecosystem. The companies said 802.11ad will enable high-speed cellular offload and tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 60 GHz) Wi-Fi networking. “Bringing the vast, new spectrum in 60 GHz band to Wi-Fi’s fold, 802.11ad will be one of the potent tools to address burgeoning data demand in homes, enterprises and carrier networks,” the companies said in a joint statement. WiGig could become increasingly important to Wi-Fi access point makers as they will not have to share the 60 GHz band with cellular. The 5 GHz band used by 802.11ac is turning into something of a battleground as mobile operators experiment with LTE in this unlicensed spectrum. Within the last week, the Federal Communications Commission cleared Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm to conduct field tests of LTE in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U). Qualcomm in particular has a lot to gain by fostering an 802.11ad ecosystem. As the leading maker of LTE modems, the chipmaker has been a pioneer in the development of LTE-U, but it also has a significant Wi-Fi business. … Read more
AT&T dips its toes into 5G
Despite claims of skepticism regarding upcoming launch plans from rival Verizon Wireless, AT&T appears set to begin its own “5G” network trials in Austin, Texas. According to a Twitter post from wireless consultant Steve Crowley, AT&T has filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission seeking an experimental license to conduct 5G technology trials using spectrum in the 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.7-4.2 GHz, 14.5-15.35 GHz and 27.5-28.5 GHz bands. The carrier said the testing would be used to test “experimental equipment” in support of “potential (5G) multi-gigabyte per second applications for fixed and mobile wireless communication networks at higher transmission rates and lower latency than is currently available,” and supporting voice, video and data. “Applicant’s proposed experiments would involve base stations that would transmit signals to and receive signals from experimental equipment located onboard mobile vehicles and on fixed stations in and within 5 kilometers of the Austin area,” the filing requests. The license request is for a three-year period, with expectations of 5G standards to be set by 2019. AT&T last September expressed doubts over news from Verizon Wireless that it planned to begin trialling 5G technology as soon as this year. … Read more
Verizon interested in Yahoo
Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, in an interview with Jim Cramer on CNBC’s Mad Money, confirmed the carrier’s interest in a potential acquisition of Yahoo. The discussion started with talk about Verizon’s acquisition of AOL. Last year Verizon paid $4.4 billion for AOL with an eye on boosting its LTE wireless video business, its “over-the-top” video offerings and creating “a growth platform from wireless to IoT for consumers and businesses.” AOL invested in a digital advertising platform and also owns valuable content brands, including Huffington Post, Engadget, TechCrunch and Makers. For Verizon, this is the latest in a string of acquisitions aimed at beefing up its digital media business. Last year the carrier bought Intel Media for Internet video technology, content delivery network EdgeCast Networks, and live video encoder UpLynk. “We had to really transform ourself,” McAdam said of Verizon in 2015. “We bought AOL. We think that can turn into a real growth engine for us.” “Why not add Yahoo,” Cramer asked, noting that the company was nearly being “given away. You can’t rule it out. It’s too good a property.” … Read more
Carriers gear up for 600 MHz auction
The Federal Communications Commission’s highly anticipated 600 MHz incentive auction is soon set to start, with the non-traditional reverse auction proceedings set to begin on March 29, followed by the more traditional forward auction process. With less than two months to go before the festivities begin, Berge Ayvazian, senior analyst and consultant at Wireless 20/20, joined this week’s Carrier Wrap to provide his thoughts into how the FCC has managed to corral the necessary broadcaster participation essential to freeing up spectrum that will in turn be auctioned off for commercial wireless service. Ayvazian also touched on potential bidding strategies for established telecom players like Verizon Communications, AT&T and T-Mobile US, which are expected to bid between $23 billion and $25 billion combined in the auction, as well as the potential for non-traditional companies like Comcast and Google may partake in the proceedings. Ayvazian also said he would not be surprised to see some participation from a handful of startups that have expressed interest in the auction process, including startup Rama, which plans to bid up to $10 billion to win enough spectrum to launch a wireless network. … Read more
Verizon tests LTE-U
Verizon Wireless said it will test LTE in the 5 GHz band using the indoor small cell solution developed by SpiderCloud Wireless. The Silicon Valley company is developing a new radio for LTE-U, and trials are expected to start in the third quarter of this year. SpiderCloud said its LTE-U solution will be commercially available starting in early 2017, and CEO Mike Gallagher said he is highly confident that the Federal Communications Commission will not create regulatory hurdles to the technology. The solution SpiderCloud is developing for Verizon will support LTE in licensed spectrum on one band and in unlicensed spectrum on the other. The company said its self-organizing network (SON) software enables its system to coexist with hundreds of Wi-Fi access points. Companies that make Wi-Fi access points have expressed concern that LTE-U will create significant interference with Wi-Fi. Gallagher said his company’s small cell solution is ideal for unlicensed spectrum because it was developed from the beginning to behave like Wi-Fi in many respects. The solution is comprised of dual-band radio nodes supported by a local control point that sits on an enterprise customer’s Ethernet network. The control point can support up to 100 radio nodes. Each SpiderCloud node includes a baseband unit, meaning that the radios can “self-organize” in order to maximize throughput and avoid interference. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.