Alaska Communications has launched LTE in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, a service that will eventually become part of a statewide network operated together with General Communications. Alaska Communications’ LTE coverage is still fairly limited, with service concentrated around Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. “We’ve seen the demand for mobile broadband grow dramatically,” said Mike Todd, Alaska […]
Verizon accelerates LTE build
Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo told analysts yesterday that the company is accelerating the deployment of its LTE network, which already has a wide lead over AT&T’s LTE coverage. Verizon Wireless now plans to complete its LTE rollout by the middle of next year, two quarters ahead of its previous goal to blanket its 3G […]
Sprint buys U.S. Cellular’s Midwest markets for $480M
U.S. Cellular is selling five top Midwest markets, including Chicago and St. Louis, to Sprint for $480 million as it continues to fall further behind national competitors. The regional wireless provider announced the sale during its third-quarter earnings this morning, when it continued a multi-quarter trend of losing money-making postpaid customers and gaining less profitable […]
AT&T broadens LTE plans in 22 states
AT&T is leveraging its extensive wireline infrastructure to expand its LTE network into new markets across nearly two dozen states. The LTE service will cover 99 percent of “customer locations” across AT&T’s 22-state wireline area, growing to rural markets it may have otherwise left unserved. The operator now estimates its LTE network will cover 300 […]
Wireless ops report progress on post-hurricane repairs
Wireless providers on the East Coast report that progress is being made to restore service after major damage from Hurricane Sandy last week. Cell towers and other infrastructure were hit hard by flooding and power outages, particularly in New Jersey and New York. The FCC estimated that 25 percent of cell sites in the path […]
Europe opens 2 GHz band for LTE
Wireless providers in Europe will be able to access spectrum in the 2 GHz band for LTE service under a new decision from the European Commission. The rule changes remove restrictions that limited the band to 3G service, effectively opening an additional 120 MHz for LTE. “On this basis, the EU will enjoy up to […]
@ 4G World: 3GPP reports progress on LTE Release 12
The chairman of the 3GPP’s project coordination group told 4G World attendees on Thursday that the standards body is making progress on LTE Release 12. Speaking during a panel discussion on the future of LTE, Asok Chatterjee said the standard’s update is set to include Wi-Fi offload, methods to minimize drive tests, enhanced self-organizing network […]
@ 4G World: AT&T exec dishes on small cells, SON, DAS
AT&T network technology executive Kris Rinne told a packed crowd yesterday that the operator’s early small cell deployments showed promise, but some hurdles still remain. “There’s still a lot of optimization that needs to be done,” Rinne said, citing interference management, backhaul, and issues related to local zoning and regulations. AT&T has begun its initial […]
MetroPCS 1st op with RCS service on LTE
MetroPCS today became the world’s first operator to go live with commercially available Rich Communications Services on an LTE network. “We believe RCS is a tremendous differentiator among prepaid and postpaid competitors alike and recognize that achieving interoperability across U.S. 4G LTE networks is the next key step to paving the way for more innovative […]
Syniverse: LTE roaming trials underway
Seven top-tier operators in the United States and abroad have participated in successful LTE roaming trials, reports Syniverse, whose platform is being used in the effort. “We’re addressing everything that’s possible to be addressed outside of the frequencies,” Syniverse senior vice president Mary Clark says, referring to the incompatibilities between various bands used for LTE, […]