MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Samsung are the three primary 5G modem makers, with Qualcomm often considered the industry leader. Google currently uses the Exynos Modem 5400 in its Pixel 9 lineup. According to Android Authority, however, Google plans to switch to MediaTek’s model in the Pixel 10.

There’s no reason given as to why Google is making the switch, as the Pixel 9 has acceptable 5G performance and has not received criticism on that front. Having said that, MediaTek has a solid reputation for delivering high-quality chips that offer solid performance and energy efficiency.

It’s not really a surprise that Google is eschewing Qualcomm’s offerings, as Qualcomm historically has a reputation for charging more for its components than its rivals, based largely on the performance advantages it offers. Google’s Pixel phones, however, are often priced significantly less than Apple’s iPhones or Samsung’s flagship devices, making a less expensive 5G modem an appealing option.

MediaTek also benefits from using TSMC to manufacture its chips, whereas Samsung traditionally manufactures its chips in-house. As a result, Samsung has struggled at times to offer the same level of power efficiency as MediaTek, with its Exynos chips being criticized for running hotter and using more power.

Overall, the switch from Samsung to MediaTek could provide a welcome upgrade to the Pixel lineup.

A New Telecom Giant Emerges

By merging, Vodafone and Three will unite their customer bases to serve around 27 million subscribers, overtaking existing leaders like EE and Virgin Media O2, thus reducing the number of major mobile operators from four to three. Vodafone will control 51% of the new entity, while CK Hutchison, Three’s parent company, will own 49%.

Regulatory Conditions and Commitments

The CMA’s approval is contingent upon strict conditions to protect consumer interests and ensure competitive dynamics:

• The merged company has committed to a £11 billion investment over eight years to build an advanced 5G network across the UK, aimed at improving network quality and coverage.
• To prevent price hikes, the CMA requires the company to cap certain tariffs and data plans for three years. Furthermore, it must offer pre-determined prices and contract terms to mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to support smaller providers.

Implications for the UK Wireless Market

This merger could have profound effects:

• Enhanced Network Infrastructure: The substantial investment in 5G is set to speed up the deployment of high-speed mobile services, potentially making the UK a frontrunner in digital connectivity, in line with government goals for widespread 5G coverage, possibly boosting economic growth through enhanced digital services.
• Competitive Dynamics: The creation of a stronger competitor might heighten competition, spurring innovation and better consumer deals, although it also raises questions about market concentration and future consumer choices.
• Impact on MVNOs: Guarantees for MVNOs are vital for sustaining market diversity, ensuring these smaller operators can compete by securing favorable wholesale terms.

Industry Reactions

Margherita Della Valle, CEO of Vodafone, was optimistic, stating, “This merger creates a new force in the UK’s telecoms market and unlocks the investment needed to build the network infrastructure the country deserves.”

However, consumer advocacy groups have expressed caution. Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, stressed the importance of regulatory vigilance.

“A good mobile connection is essential to everyday modern life, and this merger between Vodafone and Three will have a significant impact on the telecoms market,” she said.

“Reducing the number of network providers from four to three risks reducing the choices available to consumers, raising prices and lowering the quality of services available,” she added.

Looking Ahead

The merger is slated for completion in early 2025, with close scrutiny from the CMA and Ofcom on the fulfillment of commitments. The outcome of this merger will hinge on the new company’s adherence to its investment pledges and the regulatory framework’s ability to foster a competitive, consumer-oriented market.

As the UK’s telecom sector evolves through this merger, stakeholders will watch closely to see how it affects service quality, pricing, and the broader digital economy. The challenge will be balancing significant infrastructure investment with maintaining vigorous competition for the benefit of UK consumers and businesses.

No Dead Zones, No Problem

Mobile users have long grappled with the frustration of losing service in remote areas, whether it’s during a mountain hike, a road trip through rural regions, or a fishing expedition miles offshore. T-Mobile’s collaboration with SpaceX is set to solve this once and for all. By leveraging Starlink’s advanced satellite network, unmodified smartphones will be able to communicate directly with satellites in orbit, filling the gaps where traditional cell towers can’t reach.

The FCC’s Stamp of Approval

The FCC’s approval highlights the critical role this technology could play in expanding coverage and enhancing public safety. Imagine being stranded in a remote location without cell service—this direct-to-cell solution could allow users to send a text or call for help, regardless of their proximity to a tower. It’s a leap forward not just for convenience but for emergency response as well.

How It Works

The service will roll out in stages, starting with text and MMS messaging. Voice and data are set to follow as the technology matures. T-Mobile plans to utilize its mid-band PCS spectrum, ensuring that customers won’t need to upgrade their devices to tap into the service. The beauty of this partnership lies in its simplicity: no new phones, no added hardware—just better coverage.

Challenges on the Horizon

While the FCC’s green light is a significant milestone, there are still hurdles to clear. For one, the technical complexities of enabling real-time voice and video calls via satellite remain a work in progress. Additionally, some competitors have raised concerns about potential interference with existing cellular networks, which regulators will need to address carefully.

But these challenges are unlikely to dampen the momentum. With an ambitious roadmap and a shared commitment to innovation, T-Mobile and SpaceX are well-positioned to navigate these obstacles and bring their vision to life.

The Bigger Picture

This partnership isn’t happening in a vacuum. The race to integrate satellite and terrestrial networks is heating up, with companies like AST SpaceMobile and Apple exploring similar capabilities. Starlink and T-Mobile, however, may have an edge thanks to their combined resources and proven track records in delivering scalable solutions.

The implications stretch far beyond U.S. borders. If successful, this technology could be exported globally, extending connectivity to the 2.5 billion people who currently lack reliable mobile service. It’s not just about convenience—it’s about leveling the playing field for communication access.

The Future of Connectivity

With the FCC’s blessing, T-Mobile and SpaceX are on track to reshape the mobile landscape. Whether it’s texting from the wilderness or accessing critical services during emergencies, this technology has the potential to bring us closer together—literally.

The days of “no service” may finally be numbered. For T-Mobile and SpaceX, it’s not just a win for connectivity—it’s a win for everyone.

Messages+ is a text messaging app Verizon provides to its customers, giving them the ability to sync messages across devices, much like iMessage or WhatsApp. With the advent of RCS, however, Messages+ has largely become redundant. As a result, Verizon announced in September that it would shut down the app in November.

Verizon announced it is extending the shutdown deadline, likely because the original deadline was too short and surprised many users. The company has set December 9 as the new deadline.

The company made the announcement in a support article:

Important: Verizon will start to shut down the Message+ app on 10/2/24. The app will be fully discontinued on 12/9/24.

Verizon will start to shut down the Message+ app on 10/2/24. The app will be fully discontinued on 12/9/24.

When the Message+ app is shut down:

• You won’t be able to use the Message+ app to send and receive messages.
• Any Message+ messages you previously scheduled to be sent on or after 12/9/24 will not be sent.
• You won’t be able to view the Message+ app in the Apple app® store or Google Play Store.

During the shutdown, users who are part of group texts will likely see a strange code, indicating they are no longer part of the group.

Good to know: During system maintenance before Message+ shuts down, your group texts may see messages with a 588 area code which means that your number has “left the group”. This doesn’t need any action on your part. You can delete or ignore these network notification texts.

Verizon recommends that Android users switch to Google Messages, while Apple users should continue using Apple Messages.

T-Mobile and UScellular announced a deal in late May for the magenta carrier to purchase the regional wireless provider. The deal will T-Mobile bolster its coverage in rural regions, an area where it has traditionally lagged behind rival Verizon. In a letter to the FCC aimed at heading off regulatory challenges, UScellular said the T-Mobile deal was necessary to stave off an impending death spiral.

While the deal with T-Mobile continues to move forward, UScellular has continued with its plan to monetize assets and spectrum that T-Mobile is not interested in. As part of those efforts, the company has sold $1.018 billion of spectrum licenses to AT&T.

“We are pleased with the significant value that will be realized in the various transactions recently announced,” said Laurent C. Therivel, UScellular President and CEO. “This agreement adds a fourth mobile network operator, in addition to T-Mobile, to the list of those whose subscribers will benefit from the sale of our spectrum licenses. As with the other mobile network operators, we are confident that AT&T can put it to productive use in communities throughout the U.S. Furthermore, the terms of the agreement will ensure that there will be continued, uninterrupted service for UScellular customers in the interim.”

The deal helps UScellular cross the halfway point in its efforts to monetize spectrum that is not included in the T-Mobile deal.

Following this transaction, as well as those previously announced, UScellular will have reached definitive agreements to monetize approximately 55%, measured on a MHz-Pops basis, of the spectrum holdings (excluding mmWave) that were excluded from the proposed sale to T-Mobile, for a total consideration of approximately $2.02 billion. Including the proposed T-Mobile transaction, UScellular will have reached agreements to monetize approximately 70% of its total spectrum holdings (excluding mmWave), measured on a MHz-Pops basis.

“After our proposed sales, we will be left with 1.86 billion MHz-Pops of low and mid-band spectrum, as well as 17.2 billion MHz-Pops of mmWave spectrum, with the substantial majority of retained value in the C-band spectrum,” added Therivel.

“The C-band licenses have a number of attributes that we believe are favorable to their long-term value. First, our C-band licenses are positioned in an attractive mid-band frequency that can deliver outstanding speed and capacity. Second, there is a substantial 5G ecosystem of equipment vendors and existing infrastructure that uses C-band. Finally, they have a lengthy build-out timeline, with first and second build-out dates of 2029 and 2033, respectively. This provides ample time and optionality for us to either monetize or deploy the spectrum in the future. We will continue to look for ways to opportunistically monetize the C-band, as well as the other remaining spectrum.”

The deal will give AT&T spectrum in the low and midband range.

The agreement with AT&T includes the sale of 1,250 million MHz-Pops of 3.45 GHz and 331 million MHz-Pops of 700 MHz B/C block licenses for a total of $1.018 billion. The purchase price is payable in cash and subject to certain potential adjustments, as specified in the purchase agreement.

The midband, in particular, is coveted spectrum since it provides the best balance of speed, range, and building penetration for 5G networks. AT&T has lagged behind T-Mobile and Verizon in its 5G deployment, so the new spectrum should help boost its efforts.

T-Mobile has long offered users the ability to suspend a line, a useful tool when a customer knows they won’t be using it for a month or two, but still want to keep their phone number. Traditionally, suspending a line cost the customer $10, but paused the line’s normal monthly costs.

In an update to its support page, T-Mobile announced users will now continue to pay full price for the line, even when temporarily suspending it.

You may voluntarily suspend your account twice a year for a maximum period of 90 consecutive days for each suspension. During a seasonal suspension, your account must remain current. You can suspend individual lines of an account, while other lines remain active. If you previously suspended your line within the last 12 months as a Seasonal Suspend, the option to suspend the line on My T-Mobile will not be displayed until the end of the 12-month period.

While a line is suspended, you’re still responsible for paying your bill and if applicable, your monthly device payment and device protection charges.

• The account will be billed the plan’s regular monthly charge, including any data add-ons or additional features.
• AutoPay discount will be applied while on suspended when an eligible payment method is used.
• Suspending and restoring your lines is available through T-Life app and myT-Mobile.com.

Needless to say, the revelation is not going over well with T-Mobile customers. In a Reddit thread dicussing the change, one use said customers should just leave T-Mobile and then come back every six months to a year to benefit from new customer promotions, adding that T-Mobile deserves it with this kind of behavior.

“Its not even that they deserve it,” replied DismalPassenger4069. “They are straight up telling you to go else where and and take advantage of their new customer benefits. Come back latter and we will treat you like a new customer and give you all sorts of perks. Hell of a business model.”

T-Mobile has made a number of controversial moves since the company bought Sprint and John Legere was replaced by Mike Sievert as CEO. In many ways, the company is barely recognizable from the scrappy third-place Un-carrier that was hell-bent on treating customers right and proving how all the other carriers were getting it wrong.

Nowadays, many believe T-Mobile has moved into first place as the worst of the lot, in terms of how it treats customers.

T-Mobile announced in May that it had reached a deal to purchase UScellular for approximately $4.4 billion. The deal was for the bulk of UScellular’s wireless operations, including customers and “certain specified spectrum assets.”

Given the size of the deal, and the ongoing consolidation of the US wireless market, regulatory approval could be a major sticking point. T-Mobile acquired Sprint, effectively reducing the number of nationwide carriers from four to three. While a regulators were keen to see Dish Network become a new fourth carrier, the company has failed to live up to the promise, leaving Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T as the nation’s largest carriers. While UScellular is considered a regional operation, it still has a large enough presence and user base for regulatory scrutiny to possibly be a factor.

In an effort to head off any issues, UScellular has written a letter to the FCC detailing its current condition and its prospects if the merger falls through.

UScellular representatives reviewed the company’s recent operational and financial challenges and their path forward absent this transaction, as detailed in the Public Interest Statement and the Declarations of Laurent Therivel and Michael Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of UScellular. They explained that:

• UScellular has consistently lost subscribers in recent years despite deploying a variety of strategies to attempt to arrest that decline. 6 Subscriber losses accelerated in 2022, a year that UScellular invested heavily on promotions.7 UScellular anticipates that it will continue to lose subscribers going forward.8 The acceleration of subscriber losses is attributable to multiple factors:

• Competitive intensity has ramped up in UScellular’s footprint, with both traditional wireless providers and cable wireless providers increasing their competitive presence.9 That intensity has, in turn, led to aggressive pricing and promotions—and further challenged UScellular’s subscriber numbers and financials.
• UScellular took on significant debt to purchase the mid-band spectrum needed to compete in 5G.11 Declining subscriber revenue means that the cash to pay back that debt needs to come from reduced spending in UScellular’s operations. As a result, UScellular has reduced spending on its network12 and foregone certain other investments.
• While UScellular has been pulling back on its network investments, its competitors have been spending more to expand their networks and enhance their network quality and customer experience in UScellular’s footprint. UScellular has fallen behind its competitors and the gap is continuing to grow.
• In other words, fewer subscribers mean less revenue to spend on network improvements and the customer experience; that spend is further decreased by the need to pay back debt; and the resulting network experience in turn leads to even fewer subscribers.
• UScellular representatives noted additional challenges created by the structural disadvantages of its dispersed footprint, including its lack of scale, and described the company’s extensive review of strategic alternatives. UScellular determined that it could not reorganize itself out of these disadvantages and that its efforts to remain competitive would not materially improve its position.

The letter then goes on to tout the benefits to both companies’ subscribers if a deal goes through, providing better network coverage and data speeds. The letter also says that existing UScellular customers will have the option of staying on their existing plans or moving to a low-cost T-Mobile one.

The letter could go a long way toward alleviating regulatory concerns, as it paints a picture of a company on the verge of a death spiral.

Verizon suffered a major outage Monday, September 30. Downdetector showed a massive spike of users reporting issues. The majority of impacted users were not able to make calls, send texts, or access their mobile data.

Catch our chat on Verizon restoring service after a massive outage!

Fortunately, Verizon says it has fixed the issue.

Unfortunately, however, Verizon has still not said anything about what caused the issue, nor has the company said what it will do to prevent the issue from happening in the future.

The days of a cell phone being a convenience are long past. Today, cell phones are a necessity of life, with many relying on them for work, for family obligations, and for emergencies.

For the largest carrier to experience a nationwide outage that impacted millions, and then say nothing about the cause or the steps being taken to prevent it from happening again is, quite frankly, unconscionable. Verizon’s customers deserve better.

The only silver lining is that the outage will likely result in an FCC investigation, an investigation that will likely provide answers Verizon has failed to do.

According to Downdetector.com, users started reporting an uptick of problems shortly after 8:00 AM ET. The issues peaked shortly before noon, with more than 105,000 reports. Although the reports have begun to subside, the majority of users are still unable to connect to the network, with their phones remaining in SOS mode.

Catch our chat on Verizon’s massive network outage!

Verizon posted on X that it is aware of the issue and its engineers are working on a solution.

We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.

— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) September 30, 2024

At the time of writing, there is no word on what caused the outage, or when it will be resolved.

In the meantime, users should enable Wi-Fi calling in their network settings so they can make calls and receive texts when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Verizon was close to a deal, although the terms were not known at the time. Given Frontier’s market valuation of more than $7 billion, any deal was clearly going to be an expensive one.

According to Verizon, the two companies have reached a definitive agreement for the nation’s largest wireless carrier to purchase the internet company for $20 billion, in an all-cash transaction. The deal will give Verizon an additional 2.2 million fiber subscribers, as well as Verizon network reach to 25 million premises in 31 states. Verizon currently only covers nine states with its Fios internet, although it has 7.4 million Fios customers.

“Connectivity is essential in nearly every part of our lives and work, and no one delivers better than Verizon,” said Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg. “Verizon offers more choice, flexibility and value, and we continuously look for ways to provide the best product and network experience to our customers as we bolster our position as the provider of choice.”

Vestberg added: “The acquisition of Frontier is a strategic fit. It will build on Verizon’s two decades of leadership at the forefront of fiber and is an opportunity to become more competitive in more markets throughout the United States, enhancing our ability to deliver premium offerings to millions more customers across a combined fiber network.”

“Less than four years ago, we set out an ambitious plan to Build Gigabit America, the digital infrastructure this country needs to thrive for generations to come,” said Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier. “Today’s announcement is recognition of our progress building a best-in-class fiber network and delivering reliable, high-speed broadband to millions of customers across the country. It’s also a vote of confidence for the future of fiber. I am confident that this delivers a significant and certain cash premium to Frontier’s shareholders, while creating exciting new opportunities for our employees and expanding access to reliable connectivity for more Americans.”

The deal represents a 43.7% premium over Frontier’s 90-day average share price, and was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Frontier shareholders still must approve the deal, although neither company expects opposition.

Frontier is a popular broadband provider, serving customers in 25 states in the US. According to The Wall Street Journal, talks between the two companies are in the advanced stages. Frontier’s market value is upwards of $7 billion, making any deal a substantial commitment on Verizon’s part.

As the outlet points out, Verizon sold network infrastructure to Frontier in 2016, meaning a deal would bring those assets back to the nation’s largest wireless carrier.

Verizon has been increasing its broadband business, both its Fios Home Internet, 5G Home Internet, and LTE Home Internet. A deal with Frontier would bolster the carrier’s broadband offerings and help it compete with T-Mobile’s popular home internet service, a service that has a larger footprint than Verizon’s wireless home internet options.

The deal also comes at a time when Frontier is vulnerable to a takeover. As WSJ points out, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020. Although it came out of that a leaner company, Frontier is facing an expensive upgrade cycle as it converts from copper to fiber. With the state of the economy, investors have grown increasingly concerned that the cost of the network infrastructure upgrades could lead to a repeat of 2020.

Wireless companies have been teaming up with satellite providers in an effort to improve coverage in areas where traditional cell towers are sparse, especially for emergency situations. T-Mobile partnered with SpaceX in mid-2022, and AT&T made a deal with AST SpaceMobile earlier this year.

Verizon is now joining its rivals, tapping Skylo as its satellite partner. According to the company, customers on certain devices will have access later this fall to emergency messaging, as well as location sharing, regardless of whether or not they have traditional network coverage.

“Verizon has been driving innovation in the use of supplemental satellite capabilities for years using satellite connections for cell tower rapid deployments, emergency response and temporary solutions. We are encouraged by the progress being made in satellite to device communications for consumers and are equally excited to be driving technical innovation trials in the space of satellite IoT solutions,” said Srini Kalapala, Senior Vice President of Technology and Product Development for Verizon.

“Our work with Verizon strengthens our belief in network convergence between satellite and cellular, and now this vision is a reality today for both consumers and enterprises. Satellite access isn’t just about reaching out when you’re in trouble; it’s connectivity for staying in touch with your loved ones wherever they are. We are excited to partner with the carrier known globally for its powerful performance and reliable service as we bring a new level of connectivity from space,” said Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO & co-founder of Skylo.“

Kalapala emphasized that Verizon’s traditional network covers 99% of the US population, but the deal would help ensure people can reach the help they need in areas where there is no coverage.

“Verizon’s network boasts an exceptionally large terrestrial cellular network and covers more than 99% of the population in the United States. However, there are occasional enterprise needs for IoT devices in places where people don’t live or regularly visit. Satellite IoT in combination with Verizon’s terrestrial assets creates the perfect combination for IoT solutions in the most remote parts of the country and over land, air and sea without having to use a separate physical device,” said Kalapala.

Verizon has not provided any details on what phone will automatically be covered by the deal.

T-Mobile is the current 5G leader among US carriers but, Talk Android points out, it’s also the last one to have a functional 2G network. According to the company’s T-Mobile Network Evolution page, T-Mobile plans to start phasing out its 2G network starting in September.

Capacity and coverage of T-Mobile’s 2G (GSM) network is expected to change starting as early as September 1, 2024.

2G has historically been used to provide coverage in areas newer technologies don’t yet cover. Given how ubiquitous 4G has become, and with 5G coverage growing quickly, there is virtually no need for 2G any more.

T-Mobile announced in May that it was raising prices on some legacy plans, including those previously covered by the company’s price guarantee. In some cases, the price hike was as much as $5 per line per month, as well as $2 per line per month for connected devices.

The magenta carrier is now facing a lawsuit claiming that it reneged on its promises:

Based upon T-Mobile’s representations that the rates offered with respect to certain plans were guaranteed to last for life or as long as the customer wanted to remain with that plan, each Plaintiff and the Class Members agreed to these plans for wireless cellphone service from T-Mobile. However, in May 2024, T-Mobile, Unilaterally did away with these legacy phone plans and switched Plaintiffs and the Class to more expensive plans without their consent.

The lawsuit then goes on to quote then-CEO John Legere’s promise to customers when the Un-contract price guarantee was introduced in 2017 (before being replaced by Price Lock in 2022):

Today, T-Mobile introduced the Un-contract for T-Mobile ONE — and notched another industry first with the first-ever price guarantee on an unlimited 4G LTE plan. With the Un-contract, T-Mobile signs, and the customers hold all the power. Now, T-Mobile ONE customers keep their price until THEY decide to change it. T-Mobile will never change the price you pay for your T-Mobile ONE plan. When you sign up for T-Mobile ONE, only you have the power to change the price you pay.

Given T-Mobile’s marketing surrounding its pricing guarantee, the BBB’s National Advertising Division (NAD) recommended that T-Mobile stop using “Price Lock” to describe its plans.

In each of the challenged advertisements, the description of the “Price Lock” policy appears in text below the claim and states, with some variation, “Get your last month of service on us if we ever raise your internet rate.” NAD found that a disclosure that “Price Lock” does not lock the price but gives consumers one month of free service if certain conditions are met contradicts the main message of the “Price Lock” claim.

Following our initial coverage of the NAD’s decision, a T-Mobile spokesperson reached out to WPN to share a statement disputing the NAD’s conclusion:

We believe the challenged ads clearly communicated our generous Price Lock benefit, which offers customers on eligible rate plans the opportunity to get their final month’s service charges paid by us if their price changes and they let us know they’ve chosen to leave. We will continue to offer Price Lock to customers but will take the NAD’s recommendations for clarifying the offer into consideration.

While that may be T-Mobile’s current explanation of what the Price Lock guarantees (and the plan has changed over the years) , that is most certainly not what Legere vocalized in 2017, nor is it line with some of the company’s other statements.

“Wireless consumers pay Billions extra every year in added surcharges, taxes, monthly fees and carrier price hikes. It’s reached epidemic proportions! And, the carriers just keep inventing new ways to make their customers pay. So, the Un-carrier’s putting an end to it,” said John Legere, then T-Mobile president and CEO in a company press release.

T-Mobile’s marketing and stance was very clear: Other companies hike prices, but we won’t. What customers didn’t realize is that promise only applied until it didn’t.

Apple has been working on its own 5G chip for years, eager to end its dependence on Qualcomm. The two companies have been acrimonious partners, with a history of lawsuits between them. Despite ongoing efforts to switch to its own chips, Apple’s plans have repeatedly been delayed due to the challenges involved.

In a post on X, however, Kuo says Apple is finally ready to make the switch:

Apple is accelerating its move away from reliance on Qualcomm. In 2025, two new iPhone models will ditch Qualcomm’s 5G chips and adopt Apple’s in-house 5G chips: the iPhone SE4 (1Q25) and the ultra-slim iPhone 17 (3Q25).

Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) | July 24, 2024

If Kuo is right, and Apple is finally able to switch to its own 5G chips, it would put a significant dent in Qualcomm’s business.

According to the FCC, some 92 million calls were blocked during the outage, including more than 25,000 attempted 911 calls. The agency said all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands were impacted.

“When you sign-up for wireless service, you expect it will be available when you need it – especially for emergencies,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “This ‘sunny day’ outage prevented consumers across the country from communicating, including by blocking 911 calls, and stopped public safety personnel from using FirstNet. We take this incident seriously and are working to provide accountability for this lapse in service and prevent similar outages in the future.”

The agency’s investigation revealed the following findings:

• The outage affected users in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All voice and 5G data services for AT&T wireless customers were unavailable, affecting more than 125 million devices, blocking more than 92 million voice calls, and preventing more than 25,000 calls to 911 call centers.
• Voice and 5G data services were unavailable to customers of other wireless providers that regularly use or were roaming on AT&T’s network.
• It took AT&T at least 12 hours to fully restore service.
• The outage also cut off service to devices operated by public safety users of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). AT&T prioritized the restoration of FirstNet before other services but did not notify FirstNet customers of the outage until three hours after it began, and nearly one hour after service was restored.
• The incident began after AT&T implemented a network change with an equipment configuration error. The report details numerous factors that resulted in the extensive scope and duration of the outage, and it cites the corrective actions since taken by AT&T to prevent a reoccurrence.

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, the division that handled the investigation, has turned the matter over to the Enforcement Bureau. If the Enforcement Bureau finds that AT&T violated FCC rules, the carrier could face penalties.

The US has engaged in a long campaign to isolate Huawei and other Chinese networking companies. The US has worked to eliminate Chinese equipment and components from US networks, and US lawmakers have pressured the country’s allies to do the same, with many following suit.

According to Reuters, Germany has been in talks with its own phone carriers to phase out Huawei and ZTE equipment from the country’s networks, with the initial focus on ridding Huawei from the core network of 5G data centers in 2026. The second phase would see the company’s equipment removed from antennas, towers, and transmission lines by 2029.

“The government is acting on the basis of the national security strategy and China strategy to reduce possible security risks and dependencies,” a government spokesperson told Reuters.

Verizon’s logo has changed a couple of times over the last decade, with the current incarnation being a refinement of previous versions designed to represent the scope of Verizon’s services.

The company is introducing a new logo: a red V with a yellow glow, which anchors in the Verizon name – Veritas (truth) and Horizon (the future of possibility). The refreshed design system reflects that energy with new color palettes, photography, and new TV and digital formats that reflect the way people live, work and play. These changes will roll out across marketing, digital properties, including the website and apps, and in retail stores in the coming years. This supports the momentum in the business while staying within current investments.

The company touts its new myHome plan combines home internet and entertainment options.

Now, all Verizon Home Internet customers can also benefit from choice, flexibility and value with the launch of myHome: a one-stop shop for internet, entertainment and connected home offerings. Choose content perks from top streaming services for just $10/month. That means great value on Netflix & Max (with ads), Disney Bundle (including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), YouTube Premium, and Walmart+ membership with an included Paramount+ subscription. Get Apple One and Apple Music Family coming later this summer. With fast, reliable home internet coverage, guaranteed pricing for up to 4 years, no hidden fees, no equipment charges and major savings on the entertainment customers love, myHome brings customers the choice, flexibility, value and most of all, simplicity.

Verizon is improving its trade-in program, accepting any smartphone in any condition as a trade-in across all myPlan unlimited tiers. The company is also launching Verizon Access, a program that rewards customers with pre-sales tickets, giveaways, and more.

Finally, Verizon Business launched an end-to-end smartphone management solution.

“Verizon is one of the most recognizable brands. By listening to our customers, we continue to significantly evolve our offerings and brand promise to connect people when it matters most on our reliable network,” said Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg. “We never stop pushing the industry forward and delivering more value to all of our customers. This next chapter is a continuation of our journey of service and innovation.”

“Verizon is a strong, trusted brand that plays a critical role in people’s lives, but most of what we do is often invisible and behind the scenes. We want to make the invisible, visible,” says Leslie Berland, Verizon Chief Marketing Officer. “The new logo, design system and creative approach pulls inspiration from the company’s heritage while infusing the energy, vibrancy, and experience of life powered by everything Verizon offers.”

According to the FCC, Verizon failed to deliver 911 calls in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee during the period in question. As a result, Verizon has agreed to the fine, as well as a Consent Decree involving a compliance plan to ensure such a failure does not happen again.

The FCC says the December failure resulted in hundreds of 911 calls not going through, and followed another outage in October 2022. Following the October outage, Verizon made improvements to address the issue, but failed to completely fix it.

“When you call 911 in an emergency, it’s critical that your call goes through,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Today’s action is part of the FCC’s ongoing effort to ensure that the public has reliable communications, including access to 911.”

“The Enforcement Bureau takes any potential violations of the Commission’s 911 rules extremely seriously. Sunny day outages, as occurred here, can be especially troubling because they occur when the public and 911 call centers least expect it,” said Loyaan A. Egal, Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. “We are committed to ensuring communications providers uphold their responsibilities in providing critical 911 services to the American public.”

Moving forward, Verizon will be required to perform risk assessments and establish “enhanced processes for implementing security policy updates” in an effort to ensure such an outage doesn’t happen again.

T-Mobile announced plans in April to crack down on users that were using Home Internet outside of approved coverage areas. While the service will often work in areas the company doesn’t officially support, using it in such areas can overload the network and result in poor performance.

Despite the company’s plans to implement address verification months ago, the company reportedly held up until it could implement a new Away plan, according to The Mobile Report.

It’s still unclear exactly how T-Mobile’s location verification will work, but users that are outside of coverage will need to cancel their service or switch to the Away plan, designed for people on-the-go.