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Your Wireless Connection
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Washington Reporter – America’s wireless airwaves are our country’s invisible infrastructure, as essential to the modern economy as roads, bridges, and power lines. For years, a portion of these licensed airwaves — a precious public resource — sat underutilized, failing to deliver the connectivity Americans were promised. This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its Chairman, Brendan Carr, took a big step to change that. On Tuesday, the FCC approved an over $40 billion sale of spectrum licenses from EchoStar and its subsidiary DISH to AT&T and SpaceX, while requiring that funds be set aside to ensure that the builders of that network are protected. It was a landmark decision — one that put spectrum back to work for the American public while holding corporations accountable. Read More |
Fierce Network – The FCC gave its blessing to EchoStar’s $40 billion spectrum sales to AT&T and SpaceX, with the condition that EchoStar establish an escrow account of $2.4 billion. The escrow account is key because EchoStar subsidiary Dish last year quit paying its network vendors and partners. Tower companies, contractors and other affected entities filed myriad lawsuits against the company for refusing to pay its bills. Read More
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AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon – AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have an agreement in principle to form a new JV which aims to help end wireless dead zones in the U.S., including in rural areas, by pooling limited spectrum resources to increase capacity, improve the customer experience, and help satellite providers reach more customers through a unified platform. The JV remains subject to negotiating definitive agreements between the parties and satisfying customary closing conditions. Read More
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RCR Wireless News – The edge has been a conference talking point for the better part of a decade, but a panel at Connect (X) made a pretty convincing case that the conversation has finally moved past theory. Read More
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Inside Towers – NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth says the agency is making progress on a number of spectrum fronts. Last year, Congress told NTIA to identify 500 MHz of federal spectrum for commercial use in five years, including at least 200 MHz within two years. Read More
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RCR Wireless News – Verizon is accelerating its network build activity by over 20% year-on-year, pushing past 30 million fiber premises passed with the Frontier acquisition, and betting heavily on AI and edge computing as the foundation for what comes after 5G. Read More
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WIA – Connect (X) is heading to Phoenix on May 10-12, 2027! Registration for Connect (X) 2027 is now open with special discounted rates available for a limited time. Don’t wait — your discount expires on May 22, so secure your spot early to take advantage of the best available pricing. Read More
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ICYMI Innovation & Technology Council In-Building Forum
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Upcoming Events State Wireless Association Events
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 This newsletter is brought to you by the Wireless Infrastructure Association. Click here to subscribe. For information or association membership, email membership@wia.org For information on Connect (X) email Sarah.Channon@wia.org For information on Training and Education, email Alexander.Golden@wia.org For TIRAP Apprenticeship information, contact Deb.Bennett@wia.org |
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