AT&T prepaid brand Cricket Wireless recently unveiled a new $30 entry-level service plan that offers unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of high speed data.
The new plan brings Cricket’s low-end plans in line with those offered by T-Mobile prepaid brand MetroPCS and marks an extension of the Tier-1 carriers’ battle for the market. In the second quarter, T-Mobile only narrowly edged out AT&T to capture the most prepaid net additions.
Cricket also said it is planning to carry the newly launched Apple iPhone 7, but has not yet released details around pricing and availability.
Nokia said it conducted successful 5G trials with Sonera, the Finnish arm of the leading Nordic operator Telia Company, to deliver high resolution video and speeds of more than 4.5 gbps.
Nokia said the August trial tested both 5G mobile networking and new copper cable technologies capable of delivering data speeds of up to 10 gbps. The wireless test was built around a 5G-ready network using Nokia’s commercially available AirScale Base Station and Cloud Packet Core solution. The trial employed the use of MIMO antenna technology on the 4.5 GHz frequency, Nokai said.
Sonera also tested Nokia’s XG-FAST solution, the fixed broadband technology developed by Nokia Bell Labs which allows existing copper cables to deliver high-speed fixed broadband at transmission speeds of up to 10 gbps. The solution is intended for short copper loops.
Exalt Wireless, a creator of next-generation wireless connectivity systems for private networks and Internet infrastructures, announced the launch of ExtendAir G2 6 GHz.
Exalt said the solution is designed for long range packet microwave backhaul and fixed wireless access applications, and covers the range from 5.925 GHz to 6.425 GHz (lower 6 GHz band) and 6.525 GHz to 6.875 GHz (upper 6 GHz band). Exalt said ExtendAir G2 6GHz delivers a guaranteed aggregate user throughput of 740 mbps (370 mbps full duplex) in a single 56 MHz ETSI or 60 MHz FCC channel pair.
The company said the solution presents the opportunity to reap capex and opex savings from the ability to use smaller antennas for backhaul or fixed access.
[24]7, a provider of customer engagement solutions, announced a strategic partnership with Amdocs, a provider of customer experience software for the communications industry, to deliver intelligent, personalized customer support across all service channels including chat, email, voice and web, while reducing the costs and time associated with deploying consumer self-service.
The combined offering integrates Amdocs Customer Care, Omni-Channel Experience and Digital Care and Commerce solutions with [24]7’s Virtual Agent technology and [24]7 Speech, which allows consumers to manage their billing needs through phone self-service, including customer service, account balance and payment inquiries.
The joint offering has already been selected by a leading wireless service provider, and that organization is already achieving significant reduction in calls to its contact center, the companies said.
Amdocs this week also announced its acquisition of three cloud-based billing companies, including Vindicia, Brite:Bill, and Pontis. The three companies will be acquired for a combined amount of approximately $260 million in cash, and are expected to contribute 1.5-2% to total company revenue for the 2017 fiscal year.
