Tag Archives: chl

Verizon, Vodafone, China Mobile Surface in Different 5G Camps

Will Verizon Communications ( VZ ) and Vodafone Group, one-time partners, be on different sides in the 5G wireless standards debate? Next-generation 5G services were a hot topic at last week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Vodafone ( VOD ) surfaced as a surprise member of a group of wireless phone companies aiming to meld two variants of LTE (long-term evolution) technology as a path to 5G. Those companies include China Mobile ( CHL ), India’s Bharti Airtel, South Korea’s KT ( KT ), Japan’s SoftBank ( SFTBY ) and Vodafone. SoftBank controls U.S.-based Sprint ( S ). Verizon, on the other hand, said at the MWC that it will cooperate with Japan’s NTT Docomo ( DCM ), KT and SK Telecom on possibly different  5G specifications . Verizon in early 2014 bought out Vodafone’s 45% stake in their U.S. wireless joint venture, Verizon Wireless, for $130 billion. Two variants of LTE have existed in 4G networks worldwide. China Mobile, with the government’s backing, developed the “TD” variant, which stands for “time division” communications. Most of the world, including Verizon and Vodafone, used “FD,” or “frequency division” communications, in their networks, constructed starting in 2008. U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm ( QCOM ) has intellectual property tied to the “FD” LTE variant. China’s government, meanwhile, has been keen on harmonizing the TD and FD variants, aiming to help companies such as Huawei sell network equipment and mobile phones abroad. In India and China, mobile phone makers have sold 4G devices that support multiple transmission modes. India’s biggest wireless firm, Bharti Airtel, and Japan’s SoftBank were earlier adopters of TD-LTE. Vodafone, meanwhile, has been working with Sweden-based telecom gear maker  Ericsson ( ERIC ) and Huawei in some countries to meld the FD and TD technologies. At MWC, the five wireless firms — China Mobile, Vodafone, Bharti, KT and SoftBank — said they would support a five-year strategic plan to build a 5G “ecosystem” and converge the TD and FD technologies. Verizon, NTT and their partners, meanwhile, set technical trials for 2016 through 2018. Verizon’s 5G partners include Alcatel-Lucent ( ALU ), Ericsson, Cisco Systems ( CSCO ), Nokia ( NOK ), Qualcomm and Samsung.

Mobile World Congress: 5G, IoT, Virtual Reality Grab Spotlight

Next-generation 5G wireless technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality are dominant topics at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, one of the biggest wireless industry trade shows. The 5G wireless networks are expected to be 50 to 100 times faster than the 4G LTE networks now utilized. IoT refers to wireless technology that connects industrial, medical, automotive and consumer devices to the Web. VR refers to computer-generated artificial environments. Among developments at the Mobile World Congress: — Sweden’s Ericsson ( ERIC ), Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) and Intel ( INTC ) said they would cooperate to develop a 5G network router for business and residential services. The three companies belong to Verizon Communications ’ ( VZ ) 5G technology forum . — Ericsson also said it’s collaborating with AT&T ( T ) to bring its “Digital Life” home security and automation platform to more service providers outside the U.S. AT&T recently licensed Digital Life to British wireless firm O2, owned by Spain’s  Telefonica ( TEF ). — China Mobile ( CHL ) and Nokia Networks demonstrated some industrial automation and robotics applications for 5G technologies. — Nokia ( NOK ) also demonstrated virtual reality applications for 5G technology. — Facebook ( FB ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, appearing during Samsung’s keynote address at MWC, called VR the next big social network platform. “Zuckerberg thinks that VR can be a social platform, starting with 360 videos and pushing forward to more immersive content,” said Brian Pitz, a Jefferies analyst, in a research report about the Mobile World Congress.  “Zuckerberg discussed the partnership between Samsung and Facebook (through the Oculus platform) to bring the VR experience at a reasonable price point to consumers.”

Verizon Edges AT&T As Top Telecom Brand; Comcast Xfinity In Top 10

Verizon Communications ( VZ ) once again had the top-ranked global telecom brand among service providers, though cable firm Comcast ’s ( CMCSA ) Xfinity service cracked the top 10 for the first time, according to U.K.-based research firm Brand Finance. Among telecom network gear makers, China’s Huawei overtook Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) for the top spot worldwide, Brand Finance said. Verizon’s brand is ranked No. 6 globally among all technology companies, behind Apple ( AAPL ), Alphabet ‘s ( GOOGL ) Google, Samsung, Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ). In the U.S., Verizon edged out AT&T ( T ) in branding power. Wireless service providers are among the biggest advertisers. AT&T, which acquired satellite TV broadcaster DirecTV in July, has so far kept the DirecTV brand in its marketing. Comcast’s Xfinity ranked No. 10 globally in the Brand Finance report. Analysts credit Comcast’s Xfinity service platform with improving video subscriber results, owing to video-on-demand and cloud DVR features. Verizon has ramped up marketing for its new Go90 mobile video service, including live concerts and billboards, but Verizon’s own brand doesn’t appear in its Go90 commercials. The mobile video service can be downloaded as a mobile app by non-Verizon subscribers, though some features and perks are available only to Verizon customers. “Verizon’s most important milestone after the last year was the completion of its acquisition of AOL , a deal which significantly bolsters Verizon’s potential content offering. It is also reinforcing its established mobile dominance by pioneering the use of 5G,” said the Brand Finance report. The top 10 global telecom service brands also include: China Mobile ( CHL ), Deutsche Telekom ( DTEGY ), Vodafone Group ( VOD ), Softbank ( SFTBY ), Orange, BT and Japan’s NTT ( NTT ).