Page 34 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

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AT&T Tees up 24 GHz for Drive Tests

AT&T is asking the Federal Communications said it plans to roll out 5G services on with federal partners and made public for a
Commission (FCC) for a Special Temporary 24 GHz “as soon as practicable,” and it’s long time before the auction, officials from
Authority (STA) to conduct drive testing in asking for the STA to facilitate a rapid the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
the 24 GHz band in order to calibrate its planned deployment. “Although AT&T has Administration (NOAA) were still telling
propagation models for 5G deployments. developed network planning models for 24 members of Congress in May that 5G
AT&T Spectrum Frontiers, an affiliate GHz, the band is new and the propagation deployments using 24 GHz spectrum could
of AT&T, was the high bidder in Auction models will need to be tuned for specific negatively impact weather forecasting. The
102 and walked away with 831 licenses combinations of terrain and clutter/land FCC, however, has said it is confident that it
covering 383 partial economic areas use,” the operator explained. AT&T said can protect passive weather sensors while
(PEAs). As part of its application, AT&T the proposed operations, which would use facilitating widespread 5G deployments.
spectrum that’s already destined to be Millimeter wave bands generally can only
licensed to its affiliate, pose no tangible risk transmit signals relatively short distances
of interference to any licensed operations, whereas traditional mid-band or low-band
and would promote the public interest by spectrum can transmit signals several
expediting the rollout of 5G services to the miles or more, depending on operators’
public. Keysight is listed on the application technologies and spectrum configurations.
as the supplier of the RF signal generator However, the higher bands provide great
and Sage Millimeter is to supply the power capacity. New Street Research analysts in
amplifier. The 24 GHz auction raised more a report to investors last week said they
than $2 billion when it closed earlier this believe AT&T’s low frequency 700 MHz D
year, with 29 bidders winning a total of Block spectrum from FirstNet provides
2,904 licenses. AT&T bid over $982 million excellent coverage, while its mid-band
for its licenses, while T-Mobile pledged AWS-3 spectrum provides good capacity
over $803 million for its 1,346 24 GHz and coverage and its high frequency WCS
licenses. Even though the FCC’s rules for provides great capacity.
millimeter wave bands were coordinated

AT&T Extends LTE-M Roaming to Canada

Businesses will be able to operate Internet applications with lower costs, compact Mexico. We also launched a nationwide
of Things devices and applications across modules, longer battery life and coverage NB-IoT network in the U.S. in the second
Canada and the U.S. now that AT&T extension. The network operates within quarter of 2019 and expect to begin
has signed separate reciprocal roaming licensed spectrum with carrier-grade deployment in Mexico by the end of 2019.
agreements with Bell, Rogers and TELUS. security and can support firmware and NB-IoT is a complementary low-power
Bell, Rogers and TELUS operate cellular software updates, mobility and voice-over IoT network. LTE-M network deployments
networks that cover most of the 37 million LTE services. LTE-M will be compatible have grown globally during the last several
people in Canada. Each have LTE-M up with 5G deployments. “More and more of years to enable a new generation of IoT
and running across their national 4G our enterprise customers are launching applications and services AT&T, KPN,
LTE networks. In addition to enabling IoT applications across international Orange and Swisscom activated LTE-M
AT&T customers to roam into each of boundaries. Having access to the first roaming across their respective IoT
their respective regions in Canada, these North American footprint for LTE-M networks in Europe and North America
reciprocal agreements also enable Bell, through these roaming agreements will earlier this year. AT&T’s LTE-M network
Rogers and TELUS to expand their LTE-M help them simplify deployments, scale their and roaming agreements now cover the
footprint into the U.S. This will allow IoT plans, and put them on the path to 5G,” U.S., Canada and Mexico. Combined
low-power IoT devices such as smart said Chris Penrose, President, Advanced with existing roaming agreements
wearables, kitchen appliances, trackers, Mobility and Enterprise Solutions, AT&T. covering parts of Europe, AT&T enterprise
patient monitors and alarm panels to “This is an important milestone toward customers now have access to the largest
operate continent-wide in tandem with a globalized IoT.” AT&T launched LTE-M LTE-M ecosystem in the world.
AT&T. LTE-M enables a host of IoT across the U.S. in 2017, followed by

34 SEPTEMBER 2019