Amazon appears to be the latest party interested in buying Sprint’s Boost Mobile prepaid brand, according to a new Reuters report citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Divesting Boost is one of the concessions T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to as the nation’s third and fourth largest wireless providers continue to negotiate for regulatory approval…
Sprint Launches Mid-Band 5G in 4 Markets
Sprint on Thursday announced its mobile 5G network is now live in four markets, covering nearly 3.6 million people from the onset. Coverage in today’s launch cities of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Kansas City, Mo., extends across about 1,115 square miles, with plans to expand to five additional markets in the coming weeks. Verizon…
FCC 24 GHz Auction Wraps Up, Raising More than $2B
The FCC on Tuesday announced the conclusion of its second high-band 5G spectrum auction, with all but five of nearly 3,000 offered licenses in the 24 GHz band securing winning bids. The assignment phase of the 24 GHz auction wrapped up this week, following the earlier conclusion of clock-phase bidding on April 17. In…
Tuesdays with Roger: Speed Tests Impress on Verizon 5G, plus T-Mobile’s Aggressive Discount Match Offer
This week Recon Analytics’ Roger Entner comments on Verizon’s 5G network improvements, plus could T-Mobile’s new discount match offer spark a wave of competing promotions? And don’t forget Huawei – Entner shares insights as problems for the tech giant continue. Follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to date…
T-Mobile Targets Rivals’ Subs with New Discount Match Offer
T-Mobile is going after rival carriers’ customers with an aggressive new offer promising to match or beat wireless discounts when eligible subscribers switch from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. T-Mobile announced Thursday it will match discounts dollar for dollar via bill credits up to $15 for one line and $30 total for two lines or more,…
Qualcomm to Appeal Judge’s Ruling in FTC Antitrust Case
Qualcomm plans to seek an immediate stay and appeal of a federal judge’s ruling that the company violated antitrust law related to its licensing practices. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh sided with the Federal Trade Commission in her decision finding Qualcomm unlawfully “strangled competition” in the modem chip market by charging excessive licensing fees and…
Oculus Quest Standalone VR Headset Launches
Facebook-owned Oculus launched the fully standalone Oculus Quest VR headset today, hoping to generate mainstream appeal for VR, a technology that has not quite garnered the widespread adoption some had hyped. An Oculus Blog calls the headset an all-in-one, fully immersive 6DOF (Six Degrees of Freedom) VR gaming system that comes with touch controllers…
Tuesdays with Roger: FCC Officials Give Nod to T-Mobile/Sprint Deal
Tune in this week as Recon Analytics’ Roger Entner dives into the latest on T-Mobile’s proposed takeover of Sprint, plus Huawei and the impact of U.S. export ban. Follow Roger on Twitter at @RogerEntner for more insights throughout the week, and stay up to date on the latest industry news by following Wireless Week at @WirelessWeek. You can also keep…
Rural Wireless Groups React to Pai Endorsement of T-Mobile/Sprint Deal
FCC’s Pai Backs T-Mobile-Sprint Merger
In a major win for T-Mobile and Sprint, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Monday announced he intends to recommend approval of the pair’s proposed $26 billion merger, citing commitments that include rural 5G buildouts and the divestiture of Sprint’s Boost Mobile prepaid brand. In addition to the Boost concession, T-Mobile today formally announced and reiterated…