Verizon Expands Ultra Wideband 5G Network Despite FAA Delays

While Verizon is dealing with more delays from the FAA on 5G’s C-Band spectrum rollout, they are continuing to push through what service they can. On Tuesday, they unveiled its updated 5G plan, including tweaked plans for wireless and home internet users. 

This month, more than 100 million people in 1,700-plus cities around the nation will have access to speeds up to 10x faster than 4G LTE via Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network. This means nearly one in three Americans live in areas where they could experience the transformative speed, reliability and power of 5G Ultra Wideband on the go, or at their homes or business.

Along with 5G UWB (Ultra Wideband) for devices like iPhone 12 and 13, Verizon’s latest-gen cellular is already available in over 60 US cities with 5G Home Internet and 5G Business Internet and that’s going to grow quickly later in January. Verizon has improved its 5G smartphone plans with up to 6 free entertainment subscriptions and is now offering customers up to 50% off its 5G Home Internet. This also includes other features like no contract and average speeds of 300 Mbps.

In addition to these announcements, the press release also discusses some highlights from their “5G Ultra Show.” The 5G Ultra Show debuted today on youTube and is hosted by Elizabeth Banks. For a replay and highlights, visit Youtube.com/Verizon.

Highlights include how 5G Ultra Wideband transforms how people connect in crowded areas such as stadiums, including SoFi Stadium, home of Super Bowl LVI; how users can download the highest definition movies in minutes, import songs to giant CAD files, download huge documents and more — up to 10x faster than before; how it allows for more seamless HD audio and video streaming, including video chats, video conferencing and FaceTime calls with clear sound and video; and how 5G Ultra Wideband is faster and safer than public WiFi.*

For more information on the press release, see here.

*Public Wifi speeds from March 2021 based on Opensignal independent analysis of measurements recorded during the period December 19, 2020 – March 19, 2021 © Opensignal Limited.

Xfinity Mobile told to stop ads for “Unlimited 5G”

Like other cable MVNOs, more competitive data plans were released to customers last year. Comcast’s service was included, however, their Xfinity Mobile was recently challenged by T-Mobile for certain ad claims about “unlimited 5G.” 

T-Mobile went to the National Advertising Division (NAD), who then recommended Comcast stop advertising plans as “unlimited 5G” and using messages that it has the “best price” for 5G plans. 

Specifically, NAD determined that Comcast shouldn’t use the term “unlimited 5G” because speeds are reduced to 3G after users reach a 20GB data threshold. They also noted that speed reductions contradicted the specific “unlimited 5G” message to consumers. This means it couldn’t be fixed by disclosing this in the fine print of their ad as they sometimes do.

In regards to cable MVNOs, analysts at MoffettNathanson took note Charter and Comcast’s throttled speeds, both of which run off of the Verizon network.

“After 20 GBs, Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile service is actually throttled, to a maximum download speed of 1.5 Mbps,” wrote analyst Craig Moffett in a December 8 research note to investors. In comparison, Charter’s Spectrum Mobile service is also throttled for unlimited plan subscribers after 20GB, but drops to 600 kbps maximum downloads. “This is obviously a much more aggressive limitation than a simple de-prioritization,” the firm continued.

Back to the advertising, a number of Comcast’s “best price” claims were also challenged by T-Mobile and didn’t pass inspection from NAD. They refer to Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited family plans that cost $30 per month, per line with four lines. NAD said ads (like get the best price for “unlimited 5G” and “Switch to Xfinity Mobile and get the best price for Unlimited”) conveyed an unfounded message that Xfinity Mobile plans were cheaper than competitors’ four-line plans on the market at the time – specifically noting a T-Mobile promo offer for $25 per line on its Essential plans.

That said, NAD acknowledged Comcast’s ads could use adjustments in the future that clarifies its pricing is the best when compared to other non-promotional rates.

Comcast, in an advertiser’s statement, said it would follow NAD’s recommendations and also “agrees that an appropriate disclosure can make clear to consumers the basis of comparison (including comparisons which exclude temporary promotional pricing) and will comply with NAD’s recommendation in future advertising.”

Verizon and AT&T agree to additional C-Band delay

In early 2021, an FCC auction sold Verizon and AT&T rights to use “C-band” frequencies at a price of almost $70 billion. The carriers are certainly eager to roll out the service, not only to catch up to T-Mobile, but because the new spectrum will provide in-between performance over much wider coverage areas. T-Mobile is unaffected currently since it uses mid-band spectrum that isn’t in the C-band.

Since our update on C-Band delays yesterday, we understand that both carriers have agreed to the additional 2 week delay.

Verizon:

“We’ve agreed to a two-week delay which promises the certainty of bringing this nation our game-changing 5G network in January, delivered over America’s best and most reliable network.”

AT&T:

“At Secretary Buttigieg’s request, we have voluntarily agreed to one additional two-week delay of our deployment of C-Band 5G services. We also remain committed to the six-month protection zone mitigations we outlined in our letter. We know aviation safety and 5G can co-exist and we are confident further collaboration and technical assessment will allay any issues.”

We’ve also learned that FAA Communications deputy assistant administrator Jeannie Shiffer provided a statement to The Verge saying, “Safety is the core of our mission and this guides all of our decisions. The FAA thanks AT&T and Verizon for agreeing to a voluntary delay and for their proposed mitigations. We look forward to using the additional time and space to reduce flight disruptions associated with this 5G deployment.”

Per the agreement, she adds that companies will use mitigations similar to those already in place in European countries. The deal will see those mitigations put in place around 50 airports for six months. The FAA says, “While U.S. standards and operating environments are unique, we believe this could substantially reduce the disruptions to air operations.”

AT&T and Verizon reject U.S. request to delay 5G deployment

January 5th is fast approaching. This is the date in which carriers, AT&T and Verizon, were instructed to delay 5G rollout on the C-Band spectrum. If you’re not already aware, this is because of possible interference on these frequencies with aircraft safety tools. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson sent out a request to delay 5G rollout, again, this time for another 2 weeks. This request was sent to the CEOs from AT&T and Verizon, who have responded in a joint letter as of yesterday. 

“Commercial C-band service would begin as planned in January with certain exceptions around priority airports,” states the request. 

The request comes two days after the trade group Airlines for America (A4A) asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop the wireless industry from turning on C-band spectrum for commercial deployment on January 5. The airline group has said it may go to court today if the FCC does not act.

Per the FAA, they need the additional two weeks to “identify the priority airports.” The FAA also needs the extra time to approve certain high-performing radio altimeters to operate at those airports.

“This will allow for 5G C-band to deploy around these priority airports on a rolling basis, such that C-Band planned locations will be activated by the end of March 2022, barring unforeseen technical challenges or new safety concerns,” said the request.

The previous delay request was to limit coverage around airports for at least 6 months. The carriers agreed to this, but in their response, denied any broader limitation on using C-Band spectrum. They said the Transportation Department proposal would be “an irresponsible abdication of the operating control required to deploy world-class and globally competitive communications networks.”

AT&T and Verizon also proposed a new exclusion zone in their response. The exclusion zone is currently in use in France, the carriers said, “with slight adaption” reflecting “modest technical differences in how C-band is being deployed.” Per FAA officials, France uses spectrum for 5G that sits further away from spectrum used for radio altimeters and uses lower power levels for 5G than those authorized in the United States.

“The laws of physics are the same in the United States and France,” the CEOs wrote. “If U.S. airlines are permitted to operate flights every day in France, then the same operating conditions should allow them to do so in the United States.” 

Verizon states they will only use spectrum in the same range as used in France, but they plan to use additional spectrum in the coming years. The larger U.S. exclusion zone around U.S. airports is “to make up for the slight difference in power levels between the two nations,” Verizon added. 

Regarding the new exclusion zones, government and industry officials say it is not as large as what the FAA had suggested earlier.

The FAA and Buttigieg on Friday proposed identifying priority airports “where a buffer zone would permit aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA completes its assessments of the interference potential.”

An FCC spokesperson said Sunday the agency is “optimistic that by working together we can both advance the wireless economy and ensure aviation safety.”

Wireless industry group CTIA said 5G is safe and spectrum is being used in about 40 other countries.

Digi International to Showcase Innovations at CES 2022

Digi International® is a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity products and services. They were recently named a CES® 2022 Innovation Awards honoree in the Smart Cities category and today announced it will showcase new innovations and share expertise at CES 2022 (booth number 10239).

The company plans on showcasing the new Digi EX50 5G cellular router and demonstrating the capabilities of its interactive Digi XBee® Earth Rover robot. It will also highlight its technologies developed to advance precision agriculture. 

Harald Remmert, Digi’s CTO, Cellular Solutions, will be part of the IMC Smart Cities panel on Jan. 6 at 12 p.m. in the CES IoT Infrastructure Pavilion.

“Connectivity has become the foundation of exciting new consumer products and industrial IoT applications that change the way we work, live and communicate,” says Remmert. “For over 35 years, Digi has been at the forefront of this evolution, developing connectivity and remote management solutions, including medical, retail, energy, transportation, agriculture and manufacturing. With CES expanding into new IoT and automation-driven categories, this is the perfect stage to present our innovative solutions and share our expertise and insights.”

Digi’s CES 2022 lineup includes:

  • Digi EX50 5GDigi EX50 has 5G/4G dual connectivity and Wi-Fi 6. It will be a great solution for users who require fast, reliable, and secure primary or backup Internet. Integrating with Digi Remote Manager® and Digi TrustFence,® Digi EX50 5G with the power of 5G future-proofs the network and allows IT staff to easily deploy, monitor, and manage the hardware.
  • Digi TX64 5GDigi TX64 is a high performance, ruggedized 5G router with dual redundant communications for complex transit, transportation and rail systems. This router combines dual 5G and 4G LTE-Advanced Pro cellular technology and dual Wi-Fi radios with enterprise-class routing, security, firewall, and integrated VPN. It also offers flexible connectivity to other onboard systems through USB, serial, Ethernet, dead reckoning GNSS and Bluetooth®.
  • Digi XBee® Earth Rover – CES attendees will have an opportunity to control Digi’s robot via their smartphones. Through the Digi XBee cellular smart module, users can connect to the robot from anywhere in the world through 4G LTE-M cellular networks. Simple text commands move the robot, and sensors on the robot provide data for remote monitoring. In 2022, the Digi XBee Earth Rover will power STEM workshops for middle and high schools, simulating the challenge of communicating and collecting information from NASA’s Mars Rover, and challenging students to explore the tools and find innovative solutions.
  • Precision Agriculture Demonstration – Digi’s demonstration simulates a complete IoT ecosystem for precision agriculture powered by Digi wireless products. This end-to-end solution provides crop managers with real-time weather conditions, which they can use to provide the precise amount of water required for optimal yields, controlling many farms from a central location.

“This is an exciting time for Digi considering the tremendous growth we experienced in 2021,” Remmert says. “In addition to Haxiot and Ctek, Digi acquired Ventus Holdings, a leader in Managed Network-as-a-Service (MNaaS) solutions that simplify the complexity of enterprise wide area network (WAN) connectivity. The acquisition – the largest in Digi’s history – enables us to provide software and subscription service plans and award-winning hardware to supply complete, high-value networking solutions. We envision 2022 to be even more exciting as we grow and expand into new markets.”

For more information about Digi, check out: www.digi.com.

5Gstore Closed New Years Eve

Happy New Years from the 5Gstore family!

We hope you and your friends and family have a safe and prosperous 2022!

Remember that our store will be closed in observance of New Years Day on Friday 12/31. We’ll be back in the office on Monday 1/3 assist you with any needs!

5G Frequency Band Information

With the growing 5G coverage and release of more 5G modems on the router market, we thought it would be nice to ring in the new year with some facts about 5G frequency bands. 

  • Low-band 5G operates between 600-850 MHz. This is similar to what 4G networks currently use and is only moderately faster than 4G, between 50-250 Mbps offering similar coverage areas for each cell tower. Not all cities and regional operators are deploying low-band 5G towers; some are opting to start with mid-band towers. Even so, it’s possible for a 5G device to connect to a low-band 5G network and achieve speeds similar to 4G/LTE.                                                                       
  • Mid-band 5G operates in the 2.5-3.7 GHz range and delivers speeds between 100-900 Mbps. While offering less range per cell tower, this type of 5G is going to be the most common implementation of 5G networks for many years to come. It’s a reasonable compromise between network speed and range in both medium-density urban areas and less dense rural regions. 
  • High-band 5G is the band that is most commonly associated with 5G. Operating at 25-39 GHz, this is known as the “millimeter wave” spectrum and delivers gigabit speeds (some tests have shown as high as 3 Gbps). The tradeoff is that millimeter wave transmitters have very limited range and require the deployment of many small transmitters, so it’s only viable in urban areas where transmitters can be near closely spaced homes and buildings.
  • ISM Band (Industrial, Scientific and Medical band) This is not usually discussed, but it is a part of the radio spectrum that can be used for any purpose without a license in most countries. In the US, the 902-928 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.7-5.8 GHz bands were initially used for machines that emitted radio frequencies, such as RF welders, industrial heaters and microwave ovens, but not for radio communications. In 1985, the FCC Rules (Part 15.247) opened up the ISM bands for wireless LANs and mobile communications. In 1997, it added additional bands in the 5 GHz range under Part 15.407, known as the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII). Europe’s HIPERLAN wireless LANs use the same 5 GHz bands, which are titled the “Broadband Radio Access Network.” Numerous applications use the ISM/U-NII bands, including cordless phones, wireless garage door openers, wireless microphones, vehicle tracking and amateur radio.

5G C-Band Effects in 2021 & 2022

It’s almost 2022 and the C-Band spectrum for 5G is still a hot topic. Amongst large sums of money AT&T and Verizon have spent on obtaining C-Band, and delays due to FAA concerns, the carriers are pressing on to continue rollout on January 5th. 

Agreements were made to limit the amount of signal broadcasted on these frequencies around airports. These limitations will last for at least six months. The FAA also recently posted newly published documents, which provide further information about steps that will be required in areas potentially affected by 5G C-band interference.

The threat to airline safety remains the subject of debate. Aviation officials have even said that turning on C-band spectrum could lead to delays in air travel for passengers and cargo. A question of why it took this long to issue warnings is also something of debate now. After all, there were folks who voiced concerns over the 3.7GHz C-Band back in 2018. At that time they said radio altimeters operating in the adjacent 4.2-4.4 GHz radio frequency could be compromised.

In the FCC’s written decision about repurposing the C-band for 5G, the commission noted that a 220-megahertz guard band would protect radio altimeters in the 4.2-4.4 GHz band – this is double the minimum guard band requirement initially discussed by Boeing and other aviation officials.  

In response to this, CTIA, the wireless industry trade group, pointed out that nearly 40 countries already are safely using these and similar radio waves for 5G. That is, at similar power levels, and with no evidence of harmful interference with aviation equipment.

Last week, CTIA issued a joint statement with the Aerospace Industries Association and Airlines for America about their “ongoing collaboration to find a data-driven solution” to deploy 5G while ensuring aviation safety. CTIA reiterated the wireless industry’s plan to launch 5G in the C-band on January 5, 2022.

“We are pleased that after productive discussions we will be working together to share the available data from all parties to identify the specific areas of concern for aviation. The best technical experts from across both industries will be working collectively to identify a path forward, in coordination with the FAA and FCC,” the groups stated. “Our belief is that by working collaboratively in good faith on a data-driven solution, we can achieve our shared goal of deploying 5G while preserving aviation safety.”

Happy Holidays from 5Gstore!

From our family to yours, we’d like to wish everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday! We’d also like to remind everyone that our store will be closed in observance of Christmas on Friday 12/24. We’ll return Monday 12/27 to assist you with any needs. Thanks, from the 5Gstore team!