Verizon Wireless plans to launch femtocell products by 2009. ‘We are looking at femtocell technology and will soon be performing user tests,’ a Verizon spokesperson told Unstrung. ‘We could well have a product on the market early next year, but we have made no public announcements about that yet,’ he added. Unstrung reports that a Verizon-branded ‘Ubicell’ femtocell product from Samsung is yet to be approved by Federal Communication Commission.
Wireless Federation » archive for 'FCC'
Verizon to launch femtocell products by 2009, awaits FCC approval (USA)
- October 30th, 2008
- 8:40 am
Sprint makes a move to reduce early termination fees (USA)
- October 30th, 2008
- 5:14 am
Sprint Nextel is in line with other three incumbent operators in cutting the penalties it imposes on customers who choose to end their contracts with the company early. It is anticipated that the operator’s early termination fees will be cut for each month the customer completes of heir contract. According to Sprint chief executive Dan Hesse, the lowered prices could be introduced as soon as December. The Federal Communications Communications (FCC) said that the early termination fees probably contravene state law.
The wireless operator says that the the fees were necessary to allow them to recoup the subsidies they pay towards handsets and service set-up costs.
FCC confirms the approval of Verizon-Alltel deal (USA)
- October 20th, 2008
- 12:50 pm
At a meeting on 4th November, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will cast its vote on Verizon Wireless’ proposed USD28.1 billion buyout of smaller rival Alltel . The regulator’s chairman, Kevin Martin, disclosed that he will give his approval to the deal if Verizon agrees to divest wireless spectrum if five more markets on top of the 100 markets where it has already agreed to offload assets. If the deal takes a concrete shape, this will create the largest cellular operators in the US in terms of subscribers, with more than 82 million customers nationwide.
FCC positive about approving the Verizon-Alltel deal by year-end (USA)
- September 30th, 2008
- 5:48 am
FCC, the US telecom regulator, said it will be completing the review of two major telcos tie-ups before before year end. FCC, is presently, studying Verizon’s proposed USD28 billion acquisition of Alltel and is also looking at the planned WiMAX joint venture between Sprint Nextel and Clearwire. If it recives the approval, the Verizon-Alltel deal will create the nation’s largest cellular operator, with nearly 82 million subscribers by June-end.
On the other hand, print and Clearwire are deploying separate mobile WiMAX networks in major cities but plan to create an umbrella company which will be able to provide a nationwide wireless broadband service.
Samsung A837, heads for AT&T network (USA)
- September 9th, 2008
- 10:36 am
FCC reveals a new Samsung handset, the Samsung A837, heading for the AT&T network.
Specifications:
- Ruggedised clamshell
- Dual-band 850/1900MHz radios & WCDMA 3G
- 1.3 megapixel camera
- Large speaker phone
- Bluetooth 2.0 & A2DP Bluetooth
- MicroSD expansion slot
- Push to talk
FCC to test for the free Wi-Fi (USA)
- September 3rd, 2008
- 11:14 am
FCC, in order to lead to free Wi-Fi across the USA, will be conducting tests this week to check if the service interferes with T-Mobile’s spectrum.
The agency has proposed to combine the 2155-2175 MHz band with the 2175-2180 MHz band to create a 25-MHz block of spectrum for a single nationwide license.This will then be auctioned off with the stipulation that the winner will have to use part of the spectrum to provide free wireless broadband.
The Wi-Fi can also be ad -supported, and the provider would have to “provide a network-based filtering mechanism for the free Internet service in order to protect children and families, and a requirement that the network allow for the use of open devices,” the agency said in a written statement.
T-Mobile is fearing the free Wi-Fi may interfere with the devices it has running on its Advanced Wireless Services spectrum, also known as AWS. T-Mobile which has spent more than $4 billion in 2006 to acquire this spectrum, and it is currently using it to roll out its UTMS/HSDPA 3G network.
FCC to revise roaming rules before Verizon-Alltel deal (USA)
- August 25th, 2008
- 7:30 am
Federal Communications Commission has put on hold a plan to revise the rules governing the right of small wireless phone carriers to “roam” on the networks of larger rivals. The issue is whether carriers should be allowed to roam in areas where they own airwaves, but have not built networks. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had proposed guaranteeing that carriers who owned unused spectrum could continue roaming for four years before they lost roaming rights. But he withdrew the proposal before a meeting of the FCC’s because they had not reached an agreement on the issue. “At this point, I’m not sure I see a consensus for how the commission ends up addressing it,” Martin said.
FCC to advertise digital TV switch over (USA)
- August 19th, 2008
- 7:40 am
Members of the Federal Communications Commission reportedly will appear at meetings and other public events in 80 cities around the United States in an effort to publicize the switch to digital signals from traditional analog service on February 17. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that We intend to take whatever actions are necessary to try to continue to minimize the burden that’s going to be placed on average consumers around the country. FCC’s Five Commissioners will going to make personal visits to cities like Atlanta and Chicago to Anchorage Alaska and El Paso, Texas. To test whether the consumers are willing for the switch over, this campaign may also include a soft test. As per the test, local TV stations will briefly switch off their analog signals to check the switch.
Even Congress has ordered the switch to digital television to free public airwaves for other uses such as police and fire departments. Campaign is going to target the local markets that includes 100,000 households, or at least 15 percent of the households, rely solely on over-the-air signals for television. They are aiming at those group who are most likely to be affected by the switch-over, such as older viewers, or the poor or disabled, as well as those who live in rural areas or do not speak English. Broadcasters are also coming forward in creating awareness about the approaching switch over. They have also promised to air more than $327 million worth of television spots as part of the effort.
Verizon and Rural Cellular Corp merger gets a thumbs up (USA)
- August 4th, 2008
- 2:12 pm
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given a thumbs up to the proposed merger between Verizon Wireless and Rural Cellular Corp, completing the of the USD2.67 billion deal. Verizin has already agreed to part from some of it’s spectrum assets in six markets in Vermont, New York and Washington.
No P2P applications reveals AT&T to FCC (US)
- August 1st, 2008
- 1:25 pm
No P2P applications for mobile subscribers as they have detrimental effect on network capacity. AT&T revealed to the Fedral Communication Commission (FCC) and also issued a written warning to any customers it finds using the applications and if the breach continues it will terminate the user’s contract. Currently FCC is investigating the accused cable operators who are blocking P2P traffic. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin consider it as a possible infringement of its net neutrality principles.
