Amazon could bundle wireless plans with Prime

Amazon is reportedly gearing up to offer wireless plans alongside its Prime subscriptions in the United States.

According to a Bloomberg report, the e-commerce giant has engaged in negotiations with major US operators including Verizon, T-Mobile, Dish, and AT&T to explore the possibility of leveraging their networks to provide wireless services.

The report further stated that Amazon could offer this service to Prime subscribers either as part of their existing...

5 June 2023 | 5G

Verizon finally shutters its 3G network

Verizon has switched off its 3G network following years of warnings to holdouts still relying on the legacy network.

Any customer using a 3G CDMA device that does not support newer technologies “will be suspended without billing and will lose the ability to call, text, or use data.”

The operator is the last of the US big three carriers to switch off its 3G network. The spectrum used for the network will be repurposed for newer technologies.

Customers have...

3 January 2023 | Networks

Verizon’s 5G UWB is now available in 1,700 cities

Verizon has officially launched its 5G Ultra Wideband (UWB) network, expanding coverage to parts of 1,700 cities.

The operator announced the “historic” day after switching on its C-band deployment which uses mid-band frequencies that it spent $52.9 billion acquiring in an auction back in March 2021.

Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon, said:

“This massive launch will put incredible speeds, reliability and security in the hands of our customers and...

20 January 2022 | 5G

FAA eases 5G C-band restrictions but airlines warn of imminent chaos

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared around 45 percent of US commercial planes for low-visibility landings at some airports where 5G C-band will be deployed but airlines have warned that a “catastrophic” aviation crisis is now imminent.

Last week, the FAA issued more than 1,400 warnings to pilots that onboard aviation systems could be disrupted by 5G C-band operations. On Sunday, the agency approved two radio altimeter models that are installed in a wide...

18 January 2022 | 5G

Airlines warn upcoming 5G deployment will interfere with radio altimeters

Airline industry executives have ramped up their warnings that an upcoming type of 5G service will interfere with radio altimeters.

Radio altimeters measure the altitude above the terrain beneath an aircraft by timing how long it takes a beam of radio waves to travel to ground, reflect, and return to the craft. They are, of course, a key safety feature.

In February, the FCC completed a “C-band” (3.7–3.98 GHz) auction and issued licenses to several wireless network...

17 December 2021 | 5G

FCC: Verizon can acquire TracFone subject to ‘demanding conditions’

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Verizon approval to acquire TracFone, but it will be subject to “demanding conditions”.

Verizon announced its intention to acquire TracFone Wireless for $6.25B back in September 2020.

TracFone is the largest reseller of wireless services in the US and has around 21 million subscribers. The proposed deal naturally caught the eye of regulators.

One of the major concerns is that Verizon could hike prices...

23 November 2021 | Legislation & Government

Opensignal: T-Mobile maintains 5G lead in the US while AT&T struggles

Opensignal’s latest independent report into the performance of US mobile networks shows a continued lead for T-Mobile in 5G while AT&T struggles.

T-Mobile wins the award for 5G download speed with an average of 118.7 Mbps, more than double Verizon and AT&T which scored 56 Mbps and 51.5 Mbps respectively.

It’s the fourth win in a row for T-Mobile in the 5G download speed category. Even more impressively, the operator extended its lead from 35.2 Mbps in...

15 October 2021 | 5G

Verizon and AWS deploy MEC to cover 13 metropolitan areas

The addition of three new locations means that 13 metropolitan areas now support mobile edge computing (MEC) applications on Verizon’s network.

As of this week, developers and businesses can now build and deploy edge applications in: Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix. These locations join the ten existing areas of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Sampath Sowmyanarayan, Chief...

6 August 2021 | IoT

GWS: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile achieved 1Gbps+ 5G speeds at Super Bowl LV

Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has released its latest analysis of how the major US networks handled the Super Bowl.

Network test specialists were on-site with Samsung Note 20 5G devices on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Tests were conducted throughout the day’s festivities, including during the Gameday Fan Plaza before the game.

GWS notes that all the operators were ready for the big day and their investments in coverage and technology in and around the stadium...

11 February 2021 | AT&T

Verizon CEO: 5G is ‘the platform that makes other innovations possible’

During the opening keynote of this year’s CES, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg took the opportunity to hype 5G’s potential.

5G is “the platform that makes other innovations possible,” Vestberg said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UtCumF6W0g

Verizon made several announcements, including a collaboration between the company’s subsidiary Skyward and UPS Flight Forward.

The companies are working together on delivery drones which will use 4G at first...

12 January 2021 | IoT