It’s increasingly challenging to operate as a mobile wireless carrier today, said Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, citing regulatory pressures and the high costs of upgrading to 4G networks that are creating serious difficulties for telecom companies worldwide. “It is very difficult to be a telecom operator right now,” Schmidt told a packed Mobile World … Read more
Geolocation plays a central role in how the internet operates today. What was once imagined as a universally open and transparent global network has increasingly been segmented by services that tailor content based on a user’s physical location. That location-based filtering creates digital information silos that can limit the free exchange of ideas, reduce cultural … Read more
Ofcom has revoked the UK broadcast licence of Russian state news outlet RT with immediate effect. Under UK broadcasting rules, impartiality is a legal requirement. Ofcom says it currently has 29 open investigations into RT’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid concerns the channel is being used to disseminate Kremlin propaganda. The regulator explained … Read more
According to the GSMA’s “State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024” report, 43% of the world’s population—about 3.45 billion people—still lack access to mobile internet. The report shows that although mobile internet adoption continues to grow, the rate of new users has slowed. In 2023, 160 million people came online—matching 2022’s increase but notably lower than … Read more
On the fifth anniversary of the Skolkovo Foundation, Russia’s former president reflected on the foundation’s role in advancing technological innovation and on how scientific collaboration can sustain international ties even during politically turbulent times. Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012, signed the legislation that established the non-profit Skolkovo Foundation, which now … Read more
(c)iStock.com/nadla 4G Americas has published a comprehensive whitepaper detailing how the mobile broadband industry is deploying unlicensed spectrum to enhance connectivity for both consumers and enterprises. The document examines technical approaches, standards activity and practical considerations for integrating unlicensed bands alongside licensed spectrum to improve capacity, coverage and user experience. Standards bodies and industry forums … Read more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined several major U.S. wireless carriers for illegally selling their subscribers’ location data to third-party data brokers. In an FCC statement, the agency said AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile US were ordered to pay penalties of $57 million, $47 million, $12 million, and $80 million, respectively, for improperly sharing … Read more
T-Mobile and SpaceX’s Starlink are partnering to eliminate mobile dead zones by delivering satellite connectivity directly to standard smartphones, with no extra hardware required. The service uses specially configured satellites orbiting more than 200 miles above Earth at speeds exceeding 17,000 miles per hour to send cellular signals to areas where conventional towers cannot reach. … Read more
Four major telecommunications trade associations in the United States are urging federal authorities to strengthen protections for the nation’s communications infrastructure, following a rising wave of theft and sabotage targeting network equipment and lines. In a joint letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the FBI, the groups warn that attacks … Read more
New smartphone sales continued to weaken in the latest industry analysis from CCS Insight. The global technology research firm forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments of about 1.8 billion units for 2019, a decline of approximately 3% compared with 2018. This downturn reflects several persistent headwinds, including longer handset replacement cycles, a slowdown in the Chinese economy, … Read more