Adam Hotchkiss

This is a great article about #SuperBundling, well done Avi Greengart

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Because of recent personal issues, I missed the announcement by T-Mobile & KKR about their joint acquisition of US #FTTP specialist Metronet. This is a major US #fiber ISP, with more than 2m homes passed across 17 states. It follows other recent moves by T-Mo into the fibre space. Two key lines in the announcement: "Metronet will become a wholesale services provider for its retail customers & 100% of its residential fiber retail operations and customers will transition to T-Mobile" "complementary to T-Mobile’s already existing 5G Home offering, a fixed wireless solution currently being used in more than 5m households and businesses using fallow network capacity" It follows a growing trend of major telcos partnering with #privateequity firms to acquire or build large fibre networks, with an emphasis on wholesale and #openaccess business models. There's a few variants: - Acquiring an existing retail-centric network and turning it into a wholesale model allows the acquirer (T-Mo here) to become an anchor tenant retail ISP, generating cashflow to help fund accelerated deployment. - KKR has done something similar in Chile with Telefonica but that involved its existing fibre, not an acquisition. - Gigapower, the JV between AT&T and BlackRock, is building out greenfield open-access networks in various parts of the US. - nexfibre is a wholesale JV between UK cable incumbent Virgin Media O2's two owners Telefónica and Liberty Global, plus InfraVia Capital Partners. It is building out in areas not covered by VMO2's DOCSIS cable footprint, which is separately being upgraded to XGS-PON, but not open for wholesale access. - GlasfaserPlus GmbH is rural FTTP JV in Germany between Deutsche Telekom and IFM Investors, again focused on open-access with DT as an anchor Some takeouts: - Major investors seem deeply focused on wholesale models for FTTP - Getting other ISPs to sign up as retailers may be a tricky sell, as there needs to be clarity that the large incumbent anchor tenant doesn't compromise "openness" or non-discrimination policies. - While major operators seem to be happy to be sellers of wholesale FTTP, they don't seem to want to be retail buyers of other wholesale networks - I'm not sure regulators and policymakers always have the right KPIs and data to gauge the impact of wholesale networks on competition - I don't think macro financial analysis of telco capex / revenues captures external investors and JVs like these in most charts and aggregated data - As per a recent post, I expect to see mobile evolve towards open-access or #neutralhost approaches as well, perhaps via similar JVs and investors. I'm thinking beyond towers, infra-sharing and spectrum-sharing to genuine wholesale cellular, more like an Open #MVNO philosophy. - #FWA has limits, even in the US. T-Mo's adjective "fallow" is an interesting choice, as it implies "temporarily unused", not permanently surplus. 2030s telecoms will be radically restructured compared to 2010s & 2020s.

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RCS will be included in iOS 18. We have an official confirmation from Apple. It is a whisper but it is all needed to open an important chapter for messaging. On the iMessage summary slide at WWDC, RCS Support was included as a bullet point. Yes, there was no commentary no words spoken. The focus was still on innovations for the iMessage experience. Apple is opening up to RCS, but it is not embracing it with the same love it has for its products. The important thing was reported separately, Apple has now confirmed that it will support the latest GSMA standard (e.g. Universal Profile). This confirms that business messaging features will be supported by Apple too. North American and European carriers have been working towards a launch, and we should expect some more information towards Q4 2024. Interestingly the differences between Google RCS (where messages are encrypted) and Apple RCS (where messages are not encrypted as by GSMA standard) leave questions unanswered still. It will take some time to get the full pictures and details - if you are a member of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum you should expect plenty of actions and a new specific working group to discover and clarify all issues. A quiet revolution, but one nevertheless!

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Neutral Host Network, NHNs support various levels of infrastructure sharing including distributed antenna systems (DAS), shared radios, and basebands. Successfully navigating this market requires selecting the right technology and ensuring clear economic logic for all supply chain participants. Key sections of the 5GAmericas white paper include: 🔍 Opportunities and Benefits of NHNs:  NHNs can offer improved connectivity, coverage, favorable economics and management overhead. Significant benefits may include enhanced service quality and new revenue opportunities driven by the growth of private networks, the availability of shared spectrum, and innovative partnership models. 🔍 Market Size, Growth, and Trends:  According to some analysts, the global neutral hosting market may reach $8.7 billion by 2028, driven by surging indoor data traffic and the growing adoption of private networks, particularly in sectors such as #manufacturing, #education, #healthcare, and #retail. 🔍 Network Sharing Architectures and Technological Innovations: examination of three primary NHN architecture models, including Site Sharing, Shared Radio, and Shared RAN, as well as enabling technologies, such Distributed Antenna Systems (#DAS), small cells, repeaters, Open #RAN, virtualization, cloudification, private networks, and network slicing. 🔍 Economic and Regulatory Challenges: headwinds include declining DAS equipment sales, security risks, energy costs, and regulatory barriers. 🔍 Future-Ready for 6G: potential new applications, spectrum requirements, and technological advancements will shape the future of NHNs. Neutral host networks represent a significant #opportunity for the #telecommunications industry. By leveraging shared infrastructure, NHNs can deliver superior #connectivity and #coverage, driving #economic #growth and technological innovation Follow us on Kaneshwaran Govindasamy and Global 5G Evolution Check out this week's #5G #conference, Infobip's API updates! A must watch! click comment box! ⬇💡

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A better solution than the FCC ULS for finding specific applications.

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Excellent post by Javier Domínguez Lacasa about spectrum policy for midband Midband is the lifeline for Telcos to provide high-speed and reliable data services. There is no other spectrum band that offers the reach, bandwidth, and properties like midband. Unfortunately, this is a scarce resource and extremely expensive. As a scarce resource, regulators need to prioritize the benefits of the majority of users who connect daily to these services. Consider this: effective spectrum allocation can enhance network capacity by up to 50%, which directly improves service quality and user satisfaction. With 5G technology expected to cover one-third of the world’s population by 2025, the efficient use of midband spectrum becomes even more crucial. This band is essential for enabling advancements in IoT, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles, and its optimal use could significantly boost these developments. Moreover, the economic implications are substantial. A 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration can lead to a 1.5% rise in GDP in developing economies. This highlights the critical role of midband spectrum in driving not only technological innovation but also economic growth and digital inclusion. https://lnkd.in/gYtybk_s #Telecommunications #Midband #SpectrumPolicy #Connectivity #Innovation

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Delivering consistency in device behavior and performance in real-world scenarios is a strategic imperative for the Wi-Fi industry, and Wi-Fi Alliance is leading the way. Through member activities like the roaming event below, Wi-Fi Alliance proactively identifies potential user experience issues and their underlying causes to support industry work on establishing implementation best practices. The insights developed through this work ultimately make their way into Wi-Fi Alliance initiatives such as our quarterly Interoperability Insights Report and the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program to drive the experiences demanded by consumers, enterprises, and service providers. Device vendors and service providers who aren't participating in these activities are missing a valuable opportunity. #WiFiCERTIFIED #WiFi

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The #lack of #progress in #standalone #5G #deployments highlighted in the GSA May 2024 Market Snapshot Report is a point worth noting. Stalled #Standalone 5G -The report indicates that the number of operators with deployed standalone 5G networks hasn't increased since the end of 2023 (at 49). This suggests a #slowdown in the #rollout of the next-generation 5G technology. Expectations vs. Reality- Standalone 5G promises significant #improvements in network #performance, #efficiency, and #flexibility. The lack of progress could be due to various factors like technical challenges, regulatory hurdles, investment considerations, infrastructure limitations, or delays in developing applications that fully utilize standalone 5G capabilities. Additionally, the transition to standalone 5G networks requires substantial infrastructure upgrades and investments, which can be both costly and time-consuming for operators. Some operators might be in the process of deploying standalone 5G networks that haven't been publicly announced yet. What are your thoughts? 🤔🧐 Follow us on Kaneshwaran Govindasamy & Global 5G Evolution Click comment box. #subscribe our #youtube channel #5g #sa #nsa #telecom #connectivity #csp #mno #telco #telcos #SA #NSA

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This is a major announcement for T-Mobile, as it indicates its progressing to become the primary all-mode #communications supplier for both #consumers and #business users. Adding the Lumos Fiber assets for #Fiber #broadband connectivity enables T-Mobile and especially T-Mobile For Business to become a bundled provider of #mobile, #FWA over #5G, and #fiber #internet and #communications services. And while the acquired fiber assets are currently regional and in a relatively limited area, there is no doubt T-Mobile plans to invest to greatly expand the fiber infrastructure. Given T-Mobile's aggressive pricing and marketing, this a warning to Verizon and AT&T that T-Mobile is coming for their customers. #Uncarrier

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Fixed wireless and fiber subscriber growth slowed in Q1 2024, creating a supposed positive trend for US cable. However, cable broadband losses accelerated in the quarter amid slower housing formation and a halt on ACP enrollments. https://lnkd.in/eUrdki-q

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$527/month for 1 analog line That is the highest I have seen YET When was the last time you check your analog line pricing? As of August 2023, your analog lines are unregulated Which in short means = THE PRICE IS GOING UP Get with me to find out what other options you have

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It may be a little early to put a nail in this coffin, but the device upgrade "super cycle" seems to be eluding US carriers. Was this to be expected? With #AI trending across tech sectors throughout 2024, software is being used more and more to differentiate products. Are customers ready for that? Are customer using it? Are sales reps in retail location equipped to sell? Devices *used* to be different because of the hardware - memory, battery life, camera, form factor, etc - but more and more software is the driver. Selling software is a much different process than selling hardware. I, for one, use a fraction of my smartphone's capabilities...and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. So what gives first? Can hardware become a differentiator again? Or can sales channels (and users) be trained to use their devices enough that they can realize the differentiation? #ATT #Verizon #supercycle #upgrade https://lnkd.in/gK8D7wpW

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Our latest webinar "The 3rd Inning of 5G Deployment is Over - Now What?" is now free to watch on-demand. Hop on our Webinar Library to listen to insightful discussions on what's happening in the telecom industry and why. #telecom #wireless

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States need read this important report: Here is a subset: Why Requiring Unit-Level Connectivity Matters Addressing Digital Inequity and Connecting Unconnected Households For households living in multi-family and public housing, the inability to connect to reliable, affordable broadband is a significant barrier to fully participating in 21st-century society. Unserved and underserved MDUs often house some of the most vulnerable populations, including low-income families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. The lack of connectivity exacerbates long-standing inequities in access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and training, and other vital assistance programs. By requiring eligible BEAD subgrantees to demonstrate how their proposals will ensure unit-level connectivity, state broadband offices can directly address the digital divide within these communities and achieve the objectives of the BEAD Program.  Without ensuring unit-level connectivity, you risk leaving thousands of households in your state without access. Ensuring that each unit has access to high-speed internet means providing these residents with the tools they need to participate fully in the digital economy and access remote learning, telehealth, and other essential online services. Unit-level connectivity requirements, either through direct fiber connections or managed Wi-Fi solutions, ensure that every residential end-user has access. This leads to more reliable and consistent internet performance, and the state ensures no home is left offline. Collaboration between eligible subgrantees will also be key to the successful BEAD-funded broadband deployment. States should encourage BEAD applicants, especially traditional Internet Service Providers (ISPs), to explore partnerships with managed service providers (MSPs) to reach individual residential units effectively. By leveraging the expertise of specialized providers, such as MSPs, states can ensure comprehensive coverage and competition in the marketplace.

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Rakuten Symphony is so appreciative to AT&T for being included in its network simplification transformation program. Thank you to all the AT&T executives who have given us this chance to be part of an industry-changing program. Mike Dano's article captures so many aspects of what is required to be successful in an undertaking like this. It starts with the fundamentals of using different words to describe what is being done. "I think the word 'cell site' goes away," AT&T's Todd Zeiler said. "I think this pivots to a world of CU, DU, RU. Servers and access points." Before we built mobile networks. Today we start building distributed data center operations where the primary user is a mobile network. We see so many parallels between how AT&T is approaching this and how Rakuten Symphony already approached it. The hope is we can discover an industry blueprint that can make sense for the whole of telecom to be able to follow and accelerate the change to being a truly software-driven cloud-native operation. From Mike Dano's below article when describing the vendors involved "One is Japan's Rakuten Symphony. According to The Mobile Network, AT&T counts roughly 7,000 users of Rakuten Symphony's Site Manager software within its own and its contractor construction teams. The software automates parts of AT&T's site deployment processes." To listen to the full discussion between Yigal Elbaz and Sharad Sriwastawa at MWC BCN this year click here https://lnkd.in/e5ErFYJg To learn more about Rakuten Symphony Site Management solution click here https://lnkd.in/eq8Bsx27

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Separating content and display resolution is a given, but really the focus for broadcasters is on improving quality through frame rate, dynamic range and color gamut improvements as that matters more than the use of 4K.

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I’ve written another piece on US #spectrum policy & #mobile bands - and what should be done in preparation for #WRC27 over the next 3 years. This is part of my ongoing focus on global spectrum-sharing policy, as well as my advisory work with SFTF. This time it has been published via Fierce Network. My view is that the US should directly engage with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) process at multiple levels, to push for greater understanding and technological innovation in sharing approaches. In particular the focus of IMT (ie #5G & #6G) spectrum should be on regulators assuming a “sharing-native” future in the 2030s, instead of the historic focus of assigning exclusive licences. This should be reflected in any figure IMT identifications & footnotes. In addition, it should be a core part of the various study groups and working parties’ efforts. There also needs to be far more realism about mobile traffic on the international stage - its flattening growth, the many non-credible forecasts, its localisation to specific areas & the impact of aspects such as FWA and indoor use. A critical aspect is dealing with the proposed IMT study bands for WRC-27, which seem “coincidentally” to be exactly the same as those used within NATO for military communications. At the moment, the US #CBRS band is one of the leading examples of dynamic spectrum sharing in practice. The work by NTIA & NSF is also advancing the technological base, including the role of AI. It should be advocating this work more globally, especially at ITU. But first, the mainstream US mobile industry needs to get onboard. #spectrumpolicy #telecompolicy #technology #regulation

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Download the report on CPaaS API vs Network APIs     This report, written by Dean Bubley at Disruptive Analysis, clears the industry's confusion about CPaaS APIs vs. #NetworkAPIs and explains their roles in unleashing programmable network capabilities.

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The US wireless market has seen its share of turbulence, with recent times hinting at a cooling trend. But beneath the surface, intriguing currents are at play. Despite the slower growth, and falling net-adds, operators had yet another $50B service revenue quarter and postpaid revenue continues to show positive growth. https://lnkd.in/gDfYKf_n

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