During T-Mobile’s fourth-quarter 2018 results call, executives maintained that they’re "ready and excited for the launch of the company’s nationwide 5G network." T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray said the company is adding "thousands upon thousands of new sites with 600Mhz capability," already leading to the highest network capacity and lowest tower congestion in the company’s history. When asked about 5G handset availability, Ray noted "some T-Mobile 5G phones will be available in the first half of 2019, but phones with both 600Mhz and millimeter wave support are ‘strong possibilities’ for the second half of 2019."
State’s fiber investments bring speed, reliability and recognition
Crown Castle is investing in speed upgrades in Wilmington, Delaware, moving from 10gbps to 100 gbps, said Stephen Barnosky, account executive in enterprise fiber. Crown laid down its first Delaware fiber in 2005 and now has a network of more than 600 route miles statewide. To compensate for th...
Speakers warn labor shortages could hamper 5G rollout
Last week, several speakers addressed the tower labor shortages and provided solutions in sessions held at the South Wireless Summit in Nashville. Crown Castle’s Jay Brown said labor shortages will get worse in the future, and he recounted a conversation with a Federal Reserve banker who...
NFL taps Verizon to create 5G services for football fans
Verizon is working with the NFL to create 5G wireless mobile games and augmented-reality services, "aiming to make football more engaging for fans." As part of the agreement, Verizon will be the "official 5G innovation partner" of the NFL. In an interview, Verizon’s Chief Ex...
Rep. Anderson files bills to move needle on rural broadband access
Texas State Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson, R-Waco, filed two bills this legislative session that aim to increase broadband access for people who live where access to reliable internet service is limited, largely in rural areas. The proposals "call for the creation of a broadband off...
FCC spectrum auction tops $1 billion
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...
How Forsyth County is getting ready for 5G
As small cell towers go up in Forsyth County and the city of Cumming, GA, Scott Evans, senior technology manager for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce said 5G "is increasing its potential footprint beyond major cities." However, he noted that, right now, "5G is just k...