Defining broadband based on symmetrical speeds could lead to "some areas being unnecessarily overbuilt while leaving fewer dollars to support areas in greater need," blogged Joan Marsh, AT&T executive vice president-federal regulatory. "Accurately defining unserved locations is essential to efficiently targeting subsidy dollars to those areas most in need of connectivity, including sparsely populated areas where there are currently no fixed broadband solutions at all," Marsh said Friday. Flexibility is necessary in the next generation of fixed wireless technologies, she said, because "wireless networks are not built to deliver symmetrical speeds, so any mandate around symmetrical performance could undermine delivery." NCTA expressed similar concerns earlier this month. The cable group said symmetrical speeds are "attractive on paper, but the idea that symmetry is required as a minimum standard for receiving public support is incongruous with the reality of how customers use broadband and the bandwidth needs of real-world applications."
The U.S. and European Commission will “intensify” negotiations on an “enhanced” EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework to comply with the Schrems II decision (see 2101150016), Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced Thursday with European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders. The negotiations “underscore our shared commitment to privacy, data protection and the rule of law and our mutual recognition of the importance of transatlantic data flows to our respective citizens, economies, and societies,” they said. Also Thursday, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said the U.S. and EU should forge a "pragmatic" digital alliance for data transfers (see 2103250004).
Non-standalone 5G offers up to 1.7 Gbps of throughput, slightly better than the fastest LTE, said Samer Geissah, Telus director-technology strategy and architecture, during a Fierce Wireless webinar Wednesday. “We see a lot of usage on video, we see a lot of usage on downloads.” Since the Canadian provider has been enhancing its 4G network, faster speeds won’t immediately be the main selling point for 5G, but it will become faster when stand-alone networks are fully deployed, he said. Advances “will come in waves,” he said. Many uses being studied look at video analytics and how fifth-generation can be used to “more efficiently to do what we currently do otherwise,” Geissah said. Streetlight traffic control systems used to use sensors embedded in the ground, he said: “Now, with a connected camera, you literally have to just do some software adaptations.” The biggest fifth-gen challenge is the ecosystem's complexity, said Tony Montalvo, Analog Devices vice president-technology for automotive, communications and aerospace. “It used to be we had quite a small number of very large customers,” he said: With open radio access networks, the company has to work with many more companies. “There are more bands, wider bands, more complex band combinations … plus an explosion in the number of antennas,” he said. Crown Castle sees growing opportunities from private networks and use of citizens broadband radio service spectrum, said Vice President-Technology Strategy Mark Reudink.
Consumers who do primary grocery shopping in store vs. online inched up to 71.5% from 71.2% a month ago, Resonate reported Tuesday of a survey fielded Feb. 22-March 10, after 107 million COVID-19 vaccines were administered. The in-store grocery portion rose from 68.6% in December and 61.9% in June. Just over 24% of respondents would buy electronics in store vs. online, up from 18.8% in August. Some 55% aren't going to crowded activities such as movie theaters or concerts until the coronavirus is under control.
The Commerce Department should expand export restrictions on China’s top chipmaker to prevent it from accessing more manufacturing equipment, wrote Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Their letter last week to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo asked the agency to apply the foreign direct product rule to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., which would restrict the company’s ability to import certain foreign-made semiconductor equipment with U.S. technology. SMIC would face similar restrictions imposed by the Bureau of Industry and Security on others on the entity list, including Huawei. The department and SMIC didn't comment Monday.
New York state will provide free internet access to 50,000 students in low-income school districts, using AT&T hot spots and data plans, from May 2021 through June 2022, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the Reimagine New York Commission Friday. The Ford Foundation and Google ex-CEO Eric Schmidt’s Schmidt Futures will fund ConnectED NY, the governor’s office said.
The pandemic forced companies “to simultaneously transform multiple parts" and "reskill" staff in what would have been "sequential programs,” said Accenture CEO Julie Sweet on a fiscal Q2 call Thursday. The quarter that ended Feb. 28 had a return “to pre-COVID-level financial results a quarter earlier than we expected," she said. Revenue increased 8% to $12.1 billion. COVID-19 “hit a giant fast-forward button to the future,” Sweet said. “Demand to innovate at unprecedented speed and scale with rapid adoption of cloud, AI and other disruptive technologies, is accelerating.” And “digital laggards" are "determined to not simply catch up, but to leapfrog” their rivals, she said. “The move from approximately 20% to 80% in the cloud alone is a huge undertaking, and it is just the start, as companies will then continue to invest to grow and innovate on their new cloud foundations.”
AT&T is discontinuing certain "sponsored data" services that allowed video providers to pay for customers' data usage, the company announced Wednesday, saying it's in response to California's net neutrality law. "We regret the inconvenience to customers caused by California's new 'net neutrality' law" (see 2102230072), it said. The company said halting its service will affect customers in other states and called on Congress to pass "clear, consistent, and permanent net neutrality rules."
A digital ad tax proposed in Connecticut is “simply a bad idea,” the Association of National Advertisers said Tuesday. SB-821 would impose 10% tax on “annual gross revenues derived from digital advertising services in the state for any business with annual world-wide gross revenues exceeding $10 billion.” ANA Group Executive Vice President-Government Relations Dan Jaffe urged legislators to reject the bill. Connecticut’s Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding considered the proposal at a hearing Monday.
The Telecommunications Industry Association is developing a standard to ensure information and communications technology supply chain security. “The SCS 9001 standard will provide the means for service providers and manufacturers to demonstrate and ensure that their supply chains meet the critical benchmarks needed,” TIA said Monday: “This will ultimately increase trust in the ICT supply chain, while preventing exposure to cyberattacks.”