Forty-nine percent of mobile customers say they would stick with their current mobile carrier if they found out it was working with the government to monitor mobile usage in search of terrorist activities, said a KPMG Consumer survey. But 82 percent said they would leave if they found the carrier was “simply accumulating personal information for other reasons without their knowledge.” KPMG surveyed 449 consumers. “With today’s global uncertainty and the fear that Americans can be placed in harm’s way at any moment, it’s not surprising that nearly half of consumers would be comfortable with, and even expectant of, the government monitoring mobile usage in order to catch terrorists before they act,” said Paul Wissmann, national sector leader with KPMG’s Media and Telecommunications practice. “What consumers should be wary of is if the government, or a mobile carrier, begins collecting our personal information for reasons beyond protecting our physical safety. Doing so can directly lead to consumer outrage and can be devastating to mobile carriers’ bottom line.”
GSMA released a final agenda for its GSMA Mobility-Live show, which starts next week in Atlanta. The two-day conference begins with a state of the industry keynote Nov. 1, headlined by Glenn Lurie, CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Operations, and John Dwyer, president of Cricket Wireless. GSMA is sponsoring a new trade show in partnership with CTIA, next year in San Francisco (see 1610070023).
The worldwide smartwatch market experienced “growing pains” in Q3, plummeting 52 percent from the year-ago quarter to 2.7 million units, IDC reported Monday. The second-generation Apple Watch, with a new look and feel, didn’t hit the market until the end of September, noted analyst Ramon Llamas, also citing Google’s decision to hold back Android Wear 2.0, while Samsung’s Gear S3 isn't released. Differentiating the smartwatch experience from that of the smartphone “will be key,” analyst Jitesh Ubrani said. Early signs of differentiation are emerging as cellular integration is increasing among commercial users, Ubrani said.
Towerstream, a fixed-wireless fiber provider, expects to have added 170 buildings to the number it serves by the end of the year, the company said in a news release Monday. “This is expected to result in a nearly 70 percent increase in the total number of businesses in the company’s On-Net buildings able to purchase its On-Net services,” the company said. Towerstream said it expects to end 2016 with 437 buildings using its On-Net service. “There is momentum in our business now,” said Arthur Giftakis, chief operating officer. “More and more companies are recognizing the benefits of our network. When we reached positive EBITDA in Q2, it marked a turning point in the company’s development, and we expect continued improvements in our operating metrics going forward.”
German office furniture company Sedus Stoll will demonstrate what it called the first integrated wireless charging for laptops at Orgatec 2016 Tuesday-Saturday in Cologne, Germany. It will spotlight ZENS-based Qi-based wireless charging for HP laptops, and furniture in the Sedus booth will be outfitted with Qi wireless charging for smartphones, smartwatches and tablets, it said.
Qualcomm filed a complaint Oct. 14 asking the International Trade Commission to begin a Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into allegations that imports of mobile devices, including smartphones, infringe its patents. Qualcomm says Meizu, Dest Technologies, LGYD and Overseas Electronics are manufacturing and importing Meizu smartphones that copy its patented designs, including the Meizu m1 note, m1 metal, m2, m2 note, M3S, MX4, MX5, MX6, me note and PRO 6. Qualcomm seeks a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders banning import and sale of infringing Meizu devices. The ITC is seeking comments by Oct. 31, it said in Friday's Federal Register. Meizu didn't comment.
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved waivers, on a limited basis, allowing General Communication Inc. to use the 6425-6525, 6525-6875 and 6875-7125 MHz bands to substantially increase the capacity of the company’s rural broadband system. “GCI has demonstrated that it would be unduly burdensome to lay fiber underground in extremely rural areas of Alaska or to use other spectrum, such as the 11 GHz band, to increase its capacity; and that for the provision of wireless backhaul in the Upper 6 GHz band, GCI has no reasonable alternative to using the 6 GHz band with the requested channelization and other modifications,” the bureau said in a Friday order in docket 16-209. The waiver applies only to an already listed group of sites. “If GCI expands its network in the future, GCI should attach a similarly detailed waiver request to each site-based application,” the order said. “Assuming these sites are similarly situated to those for which GCI has been granted waivers, we anticipate a similar waiver would likely be appropriate.”
The Rural Wireless Association said representatives were at the FCC in recent days to meet with aides to all five commissioners and staff from the Wireless and Wireline bureaus on a new mobility fund. Chairman Tom Wheeler, in a keynote speech last month at the Competitive Carriers Association’s annual meeting, said he would push forward on Phase II of a mobility fund (see 1609200058). RWA “discussed its support for the creation of a mechanism that will sustain and advance the availability of mobile services in high-cost areas,” said a filing in docket 10-208. RWA also offered a short audiovisual presentation during the meetings “that highlights the importance of mobile wireless networks to precision agriculture, energy production, telehealth, and public safety in rural areas,” the group said. “The presentation also discussed the importance of these rural industries to urban America -- noting that an investment made in rural America benefits all of America.”
T-Mobile customers can now use their wireless devices in Cuba, the carrier said Friday. “Customers can now talk for $2.00 a minute, send text and multimedia messages for $0.50 per message and receive them for free, and use data for $2.00 per MB while roaming in Cuba.” Calling back to the U.S. and Wi-Fi calling are free. “The opening of Cuba has been historic -- and we’re excited to do our part to help people connect,” said CEO John Legere in a news release. Earlier in the week, AT&T said subscribers can roam in Cuba. “Our customers want uninterrupted connectivity and a continuous mobile experience. This is especially true as more visit Cuba,” said Bill Hague, executive vice president-AT&T Global Connection Management. The AT&T rates are $3 a minute for voice calls, 50 cents per simple text, $1.30 per multimedia text and $2.05 per MB of data.
Samsung hosted the first Silicon Valley 5G Summit, at Samsung Research America in San Jose, the company said in a news release. “Expected to become an annual event, [it] brought together global telecommunications industry leaders from across the value chain to lay the foundation for an open end-to-end ecosystem for fifth generation networks.” Julius Knapp, chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, keynoted Wednesday's event. “It is time to come together and shape the new era of 5G and, to that goal, it is critical to build a sustainable ecosystem by inviting all industry stakeholders to share their perspectives on how 5G will develop over the next few years,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, head of Samsung’s Next Generation Communications Business Team.