Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Monica Alleven

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Tue, 04/16/2024

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Daily Digest 4/15/2024

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Mon, 04/15/2024

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Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

Upcoming policy issue

Department of Defense outlines spectrum moonshot endeavor during eclipse

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 21:45:15 +0000

They’re calling it a moonshot—akin to sending men to the moon in the 1960s. It’s all about developing a dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) framework to share spectrum between the Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial wireless users. Establishing a secure, nationwide DSS system that operates at light speed will be challenging and require some super brainy people, but DoD Chief Information Officer John Sherman said he’s motivated by it all. The moonshot will be focused initially on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, led by the DoD and National Information and Telecommunications Administration (NTIA) with participation from academia and industry. It follows on the Biden Administration’s National Spectrum Strategy and implementation plan for it, as well as the Emerging Mid-Band Radar Spectrum Sharing, or EMBRSS effort, and the Partnering on Advanced and Holistic Spectrum Solution, or PATHSS. One of the objectives of the government’s DSS effort is the development of a next-generation spectrum sharing prototype. They’re also talking about leveraging open Radio Access Network (RAN) and more specifically, the Radio Intelligent Controller (RIC) to ensure that sharing is quickly and efficiently implemented in commercial networks and that existing infrastructure is part of the process.

Benton Content:

https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/dod-outlines-spectrum-moonshot-plan-duri…

Teaser:

Over the next 12-18 months, the DoD and other government stakeholders will work on potential spectrum sharing solutions for the lower 3 GHz band

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Wed, 04/10/2024

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Daily Digest 4/9/2024

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Tue, 04/09/2024

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Upcoming policy issue

T-Mobile eyes auction for 800 MHz spectrum that Dish can’t buy

zwalker@benton.org — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 21:40:44 +0000

Now that Dish Network has said it will not be buying the 13.5 MHz chunk of nationwide 800 MHz spectrum from T-Mobile that it was entitled to for $3.59 billion, all eyes are on the upcoming auction. Technically, Dish has until April 1 to exercise its option to buy the 800 MHz spectrum. Should April 1 come and go without Dish exercising its option, T-Mobile is obligated to take the spectrum to auction with a floor price of just under $3.6 billion. “We haven't commenced that auction yet, but should they choose not to exercise it, that'll be the next step for us,” he said. The deadline for the auction is this fall, and any restrictions on who is eligible to bid on the spectrum will be up to the Federal Communications Commission. Other parties have expressed interest in the spectrum, including Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, which could use it to deploy wireless broadband networks for electric utilities.

Benton Content:

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/t-mobile-eyes-auction-800-mhz-spectrum-d…

Teaser:

Dish parent EchoStar revealed that it will not get the financing necessary to pay T-Mobile for the 800 MHz spectrum licenses by the April 1 deadline

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Thu, 03/07/2024

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Daily Digest 3/6/2024

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Wed, 03/06/2024

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https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/uscellular-grapples-rise-cable-wireless

UScellular grapples with cable's rise in wireless

zwalker@benton.org — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:20:38 +0000

The good news is UScellular ended 2023 with 114,000 fixed wireless access (FWA) customers. The bad news? The company lost about 53,000 postpaid phone customers, exacerbating a string of previous losses. Besides competing with the Big 3 mobile carriers, UScellular, a regional wireless carrier, is grappling with the rise of cable companies in wireless. “The thing that has driven the slowdown in gross adds is a pretty simple equation and it’s been the expansion and rise of the cable wireless players,” UScellular President and CEO Laurent Therivel said. A few years ago, cable had essentially zero market share in UScellular’s markets. It now sees cable competing in about two-thirds of its footprint. And while the wireless market share of the cable companies—led by Comcast and Charter Communications—is still only about 3 to 4 percent, their share of the gross adds is a lot larger.

Benton Content:

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UScellular sees cable competing in about two-thirds of its footprint

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Tue, 02/20/2024

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Daily Digest 2/16/2024

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Fri, 02/16/2024

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Internet/Broadband

Competition/Antitrust

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/consumer-groups-seek-unlocked-phone-cond…

Consumer groups seek unlocked phone condition as part of T-Mobile/Mint deal

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 22:03:08 +0000

Consumer advocates want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to impose a phone unlocking condition on T-Mobile’s proposed acquisition of Mint Mobile, the operator made famous by part owner Ryan Reynolds. T-Mobile struck an agreement in 2023 with Ka’ena Corporation to acquire Mint Mobile and its affiliate brands, Ultra Mobile and Plum, for up to $1.35 billion. The acquisition remains pending. Four consumer groups—Consumer Reports, Public Knowledge, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and the Open Technology Institute at New America—suggest an unlocking condition could be modeled after a commitment that was tied to Verizon’s 2021 acquisition of TracFone. The consumer advocates say the FCC should require T-Mobile to commit to a shorter unlocking period for all devices activated on its network.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Consumer groups want an unlocking policy to apply to all new devices activated on T-Mobile's network

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Fri, 02/09/2024

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Daily Digest 2/8/2024

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Thu, 02/08/2024

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Devices

Level of Government

Federal

Ownership

https://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/t-mobiles-network-chief-ready-roll-remaining…

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Benton Foundation

T-Mobile’s network chief awaits remaining 2.5 GHz

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 20:34:12 +0000

T-Mobile has yet to take possession of the 2.5 GHz spectrum that it acquired via auction in 2022 to fill holes in rural territories across the US, but it’s ready to roll when the spectrum does become available. Congress passed legislation requiring the Federal Communications Commission to release the 2.5 GHz spectrum from Auction 108 and President Joe Biden signed the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act into law in December 2023. However, the process allowed for a 90-day window for the licenses to actually be distributed, so T-Mobile is still waiting. T-Mobile President of Technology Ulf Ewaldsson said he and his team have every expectation that the allocation will get done within the 90-day timeframe, when they’ll finally be able to use the spectrum as it was intended—and quickly. The company won't need to invest in any equipment to use the spectrum. Ewaldsoson says it’s just a matter of changing some software on gear that’s already deployed.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

T-Mobile is ready to roll when it takes possession of the 2.5 GHz spectrum that it acquired via auction in 202

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Fri, 02/02/2024

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Daily Digest 2/1/2024

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Thu, 02/01/2024

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https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/dish-cuts-more-jobs-amid-spectrum-reshuf…

Dish cuts more jobs amid spectrum reshuffle

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:26:00 +0000

Dish Network already is spinning more heads than some companies do in an entire year. Among the revelations: More layoffs at Dish Network, affecting employees at its Colorado headquarters. Dish is transferring certain spectrum licenses to an EchoStar holding company. And the company has hired financial and legal advisors to evaluate “potential strategic alternatives.” The spectrum transactions are designed to “further unlock incremental strategic, financial and operating flexibility for its business following completion of its merger with Dish Network." Amid all of the financial and spectrum wrangling, Dish submitted a letter to the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment on January 8 informing of layoffs that will affect more than 150 people.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Dish Network is starting 2024 by shaking things up

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Wed, 01/17/2024

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Daily Digest 1/16/2024

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Tue, 01/16/2024

Coverage Type:

Labor

Spectrum

https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/t-mobile-chronicles-5g-achievements-sprint-mer…

T-Mobile chronicles 5G achievements since Sprint merger

zwalker@benton.org — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:51:32 +0000

There’s not much new in T-Mobile’s latest report to the Federal Communications Commission on the progress it’s made since its merger with Sprint. The report, submitted on January 2, centers on the network milestones that T-Mobile has accomplished with respect to its 3-year commitments for nationwide 5G deployment, which includes low-band and mid-band 5G coverage, 5G sites, download speeds and more. Some of the more interesting tidbits about T-Mobile’s 5G deployment – such as the number of 5G sites it’s deployed nationwide and specifically, the number of 5G sites deployed in rural areas – are redacted in the report. T-Mobile requested confidential treatment of that information. But it did reveal some details about the drive testing done to verify compliance with 5G speed commitments. The report states that T-Mobile collected “an unprecedented” number of speed measurements – or about 5 million in total, representing 10 times the industry average. The drive tests were done under terms agreed upon with the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

T-Mobile releases report to FCC on its progress since its merger with Sprint.

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Tue, 01/09/2024

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Daily Digest 1/8/2024

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Mon, 01/08/2024

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Internet/Broadband

Infrastructure

Competition/Antitrust

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/lack-auction-authority-stymied-fcc-2023

Lack of auction authority stymied FCC in 2023

zwalker@benton.org — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 21:49:33 +0000

Although the Federal Communications Commission did not have its auction authority for most of 2023, some important events came to pass. The wireless industry lobbied much of the year for reallocation of spectrum in the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, which didn’t happen. The Biden Administration delivered a plan for a National Spectrum Strategy, which includes further study of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band. And Congress agreed to legislation so that T-Mobile can take possession of the 2.5 GHz licenses that it bought and paid for. Although CTIA and other entities spent considerable time and money lobbying for a section of the lower 3 GHz band to be teed up for the wireless industry, the Department of Defense (DoD) dug in its heels and refused to budge. The DoD is the sole user of that spectrum and doesn’t want to give it up. The National Spectrum Strategy identified four other bands for near-term study, including in the 5 GHz range, the 7-8 GHz range, the 18 GHz band and the 37 GHz band. While wireless carriers always argue that they need more spectrum immediately, the industry still needs time to pay down debt incurred in prior auctions, noted New Street Research (NSR) policy analyst Blair Levin. NSR believes the study period for these bands will be several years, with the auction planning adding another couple, putting the next big spectrum auction occurring no earlier than the second half of the next Administration, or the 2027-2028 time frame.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

The next big spectrum auction opportunity could be in the 2027-2028 time frame

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Send date:

Wed, 01/03/2024

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Daily Digest 1/2/2024

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Tue, 01/02/2024

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Upcoming policy issue

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/dish-cites-t-mobiles-low-band-spectrum-s…

Dish cites T-Mobile’s low-band spectrum stash in bid for new FCC policies

zwalker@benton.org — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:51:36 +0000

Dish Network is re-upping its calls for the Federal Communications Commission to update spectrum holding policies, saying the agency’s current spectrum procedures have enabled incumbents like T-Mobile to amass too much low-band spectrum to the detriment of new competitors and regional carriers. Dish EVP of External & Legislative Affairs Jeff Blum and other Dish lawyers met with FCC representatives to discuss the current competitive landscape and importance of spectrum availability in giving new entrants a chance to compete. Dish pointed to comments from AT&T, Public Knowledge, and Open Technology Institute at New America to show support for updating the FCC’s spectrum policies. However, the Competitive Carriers Association told the FCC that the most immediate pressing spectrum policy need is for the FCC to focus on reinstating the agency’s auction authority and getting new spectrum in the auction pipeline when the auction authority is reinstated.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Dish reiterated its request for the FCC to open a rulemaking to review spectrum holding policies, including taking into account spectrum contiguity

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