Only seven business days after it began, the FCC’s 24 GHz spectrum auction “blow past the $1 billion mark Friday (March 22).” The FCC is auctioning the spectrum “to free up more bandwidth for 5G wireless broadband, to help close the rural digital divide, and to make wireless a stronger competitor to wired broadband. New York and L.A. continue to lead, with bids on licenses there of $28,080,000 and $21,606,000, respectively, with Chicago in distant third with $10,436,000.”
Sprint preps Atlanta for 5G with massive MIMO deployment
Sprint’s "bridge to 5G"—a technology known as Massive MIMO—is going to be out in full force during the Super Bowl in Atlanta next month. "It’s full of all kinds of goodness," said Heather Campbell, network director for the southeast region at Sprint. "It’s allowi...
Germany weighs banning Huawei from 5G amid heightened scrutiny
Germany is exploring ways to ban the use of Huawei Technologies Co. products in the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, according to a government official, extending the Western backlash against the Chinese tech firm over security concerns. The official stated that ...
FCC’s 5G order withstands initial legal challenge
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a motion to stay the FCC decision, but Brian Namey of the National Association of Counties, said "the challenge will continue." Namey noted "we share the FCC’s goal of expanding broadband access for every American; howev...
Surgeon performs world’s first remote operation using '5G surgery' on animal in China
A surgeon in China has performed the world's first remote operation using 5G technology. The doctor in the southeastern province of Fujian used the next-generation network to control robotic arms while performing surgery on an animal. During the 8 January operation, the surgeon re...
Broadband expert says USDA shutdown is hurting rural internet expansion
Through its Rural Utilities Service program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides rural development grants to municipalities and local governments applying to expand or construct broadband infrastructure, and the agency invested $228 million last year across 22 states. But ...
Aspen readies itself for 5G and small cell technology
The city of Aspen is working to update its rules governing wireless infrastructure in the wake of a Federal Communications Commission edict that streamlines the process for deploying new antennas for 5G wireless service.The FCC order, which was handed down in September and took ef...