Tammy Parker
Monica Paolini
Peter Jarich
MaravedisStudy: Wi-Fi more cost-effective than small cells
Per-bit total cost of ownership of Wi-Fi hotspots is about half that of small cells for LTE and 10 percent of 3G small cells, according to a new report developed by Senza Fili Consulting and commissioned by Wi-Fi Alliance.
Examining the business case behind small cell deployments
The small cell hype is finally beginning to waiver as reality sets in about the costs associated with deploying thousands of these diminutive base stations. The benefits of small cell technology are clear, but issues such as power and backhaul are challenging and not easily resolved.
Huawei, ZTE officially cited for European trade violations
European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht cited Huawei and ZTE for engaging in unfair trade practices, specifically naming the companies for the first time and saying that if negotiations with China fail to produce a resolution, the EU is ready to move against the telecom equipment vendors.
Google's free Wi-Fi network bogging down due to traffic
The free Wi-Fi network Google deployed in its hometown of Mountain View, Calif., more than six years ago is choking on increased traffic and, according to reports, not only slows down but shuts down on occasion in certain locations.
Amtrak improving Wi-Fi experience with LTE upgrade
Amtrak announced that its rail network's AmtrackConnect Wi-Fi service should be fully upgraded to use LTE backhaul by summer's end.
Aruba buys Meridian in latest indoor-positioning land grab
Highlighting the growing excitement surrounding technologies for positioning people and assets inside of buildings, Wi-Fi gear provider Aruba Networks has acquired indoor-location system developer Meridian Apps.
FCC seeks input on alternative band plans for 600 MHz auction
The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) is seeking additional input on band plans for the upcoming 600 MHz auction, but an FCC commissioner indicated the unexpected notice threatens agency plans to hold the auction in 2014.
Wireless speed record of 40 Gbps claimed by German researchers
A wireless speed record was set in Germany, where researchers used 240 GHz spectrum to deliver a peak data speed of 40 Gbps over a distance of one kilometer. The speed record is said to equal the transmission of a complete DVD in less than one second.
Slideshow: FirstNet's ace in the hole is the PSCR labs
At the time of FierceBroadbandWireless' visit to the PSCR labs in early May 2013, seven eNodeB vendors' equipment were being tested on site. PSCR also operates off-site systems scattered around Boulder County: Green Mountain, Table Mountain (one of the two "RF quiet zones" in the nation managed by NTIA) and a COW (cell site on wheels) in Gunbarrel. All of the sites use duplicate equipment from the same vendors--including the antenna systems, backhaul and RF switches--to provide apples-to-apples comparisons in different environments and enable repeatable results.
PSCR labs ready to share test results with FirstNet
Though they're in my own backyard, I only recently got a chance to tour the Public Safety Communications Research laboratories in Boulder, Colo. And now I realize what a big deal they are. PSCR is a joint effort of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. It has been instrumental in performing interoperability research on behalf of the First Responders Network Authority (FirstNet), which is overseen by NTIA and is charged with putting together the National Public Safety Broadband Network.
Nokia Siemens CEO: Little revenue from small cells till after 2015
Large-scale rollouts of small cells in the United States will likely start next year, but Nokia Siemens Networks' CEO Rajeev Suri believes it will be a couple of years at least before sales of the diminutive base stations deliver sizable sales revenues.
Advanced Wireless Group expanding free Wi-Fi in Detroit's airport
The Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) selected Advanced Wireless Group (AWG) to upgrade and expand the existing free Wi-Fi service at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
IHS: 70% of handsets sold in 2015 will include Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi offloading from cellular networks is clearly no longer an afterthought, as evidenced by IHS iSuppli's forecast that nearly 1.2 billion handsets out of a total of 1.9 billion produced in 2015 will include Wi-Fi functionality.
Cablevision bullish about Wi-Fi but not smartphones
Commenting that he's "not a big believer in the quad play," Gregg Siebert, CFO of Cablevision, said the cable company abandoned the notion of marketing a smartphone that would leverage cellular networks as well Cablevision's network of 80,000 hotspots.
Connectify returns to Kickstarter to enable channel bonding in the cloud
Building on its earlier crowdfunding success, Connectify is trying to raise $100,000 via Kickstarter to boost development efforts for Connectify Switchboard, a cloud service that will let Mac and PC users combine multiple Internet connections for faster speeds and increased reliability.
Report: U.S. LTE opex to outpace capex starting in 2015
As U.S. mobile operators watch their LTE subscribers grow, they are also seeing their LTE operating expenses take off, meaning their opex will outpace capex spending starting in 2015, according to a new report from iGR.
T-Mobile iPhone 5 users get faster HSPA+ speeds via hacked software
Two hackers claim they can boost HSPA+ data speeds on Apple iPhone 5 smartphones being used on the T-Mobile US refarmed PCS 1900 MHz network.
FirstNet's future depends on state and local support, says Harris exec
For the First Responders Network Authority (FirstNet) to achieve success in building the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN), it must meet the mission-critical needs of public safety, remain financially viable and ensure state and local buy-in for the network, according to Dennis Martinez, CTO of Harris' RF communications division, who helped craft the NPSBN's interoperability requirements.
Cablevision nears Wi-Fi deployments on trains in three states
Cablevision is close to wrapping up negotiations that will allow it to deploy Wi-Fi service on commuter trains in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
Startup touts microwave LOS 4x4 MIMO for last-mile LTE backhaul
South Africa-based MIMOtech took the wraps of its Starburst Janus packet radio, which employs microwave line-of-sight (LoS) 4x4 MIMO multi-antenna technology and parallel radio processing.
