4G Global Update - June 21, 2011

 

Ofcom Green-Lights Spectrum Trading, Everything Everywhere Frequency Sale

TeleGeography

U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom has given permission for mobile operators to trade wireless spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands between themselves, effective from June 20 onwards. In a statement, the watchdog declared: "By allowing operators to trade their spectrum, Ofcom believes that there will be greater opportunity to use it more efficiently. Ultimately, it is believed that this will bring benefits to citizens and consumers in terms of improved mobile services." The move follows a consultation begun in February 2011. More

 

Draft Bill Seeks to Reform US FCC

Politico

Rep. Greg Walden is circulating a discussion draft of a bill that aims for greater transparency and efficiency in U.S. FCC procedures. Walden, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, lists FCC reform as one of his priorities this year. The bill, called the FCC Process Reform Act of 2011, will be discussed at a hearing June 22. More

 

LightSquared Offers Plan to Minimize GPS Interference

PC Magazine

LightSquared confirmed Monday that its controversial LTE wholesale network does impact GPS receivers, and the company said it would shift its spectrum rollout plan to minimize GPS interference. Under the new plan, only a "limited number of high precision GPS receivers that are specifically designed to rely on LightSquared's spectrum" will be affected by interference, the company said. More

 

China Mobile Side-Steps LTE Compatibility With Cross-Standard Hardware

GoMo News

If you're in any way confused about the different standards for LTE, then it only means you're sane. It's a bit of a mess for the average consumer to understand — there are multiple releases of LTE, differing standards, and even some debate over what 4G is and is not. China Mobile (partly responsible for the mess thanks to its own LTE standard called TD LTE) is trying to enable phone makers to get around the issue by releasing an antenna that will allow their devices cater to any existing form of LTE. More

 

Sprint: AT&T Doesn't Need T-Mobile to Improve Network

Broadband DSL Reports

Sprint continues to battle AT&T's $39 billion planned acquisition of T-Mobile by noting that AT&T really doesn't need the deal to improve network performance, something that's at the heart of AT&T's defense of the deal. In a new filing with the U.S. FCC this week, Sprint argues (not for the first time) that AT&T's network shortcomings are their own fault, noting that Verizon has less spectrum and more users — yet doesn't run into the kind of issues AT&T has. More

 

AzQtel to Boost Baku WiMAX Coverage in Azerbaijan

TeleGeography

Azeri WiMAX operator AzQtel, which provides services under the SAZZ brand, is looking to increase its coverage of the country's capital Baku in the coming months. Azerbaijan Business Center reports that the company plans to complete the installation of WiMAX base stations around the city by the end of September, with the aim of expanding network coverage and improving service quality. More