T
AT&T points to FCC changes as it bails out on utility private networking
plans
- AT&T (NYSE:T) had years of effort built up teaming up with Nokia (NYSE:
NOK) on a project to sell private wireless networks to the nation's
utilities - an increasingly important use case for industrial
applications.
- But the telecom giant says those ambitions were dashed by changes at
the FCC, as LightReading's Mike Dano explains.
- In 2019, AT&T counted contracts with 15 different utility companies
across 18 states, and another 14 pending, to use spectrum in AT&T's WCS C
and D Blocks for private networking applications such as smart grids.
- But "other spectrum became available to utilities, causing them to
alter or reconsider their interest in leasing AT&T's WCS spectrum" due to
FCC action, AT&T explained in a letter to the commission uncovered by
Allnet Insights & Analytics.
- Specifically, it notes the FCC moved to auction 3.5 GHz CBRS licenses
and decided to allow LTE operations in the 900 MHz band - and following
that, utility providers jumped to bid in the CBRS auction and use 900 MHz
licenses from Anterix.
- And that appears to have brought to an end a last-ditch effort to make
money out of those blocks, which AT&T bought from NextWave Wireless in
2012
as part of a broader deal valued up to $600M.
- It originally planned to leave them vacant to prevent interference
with mobile LT in WCS A and B block spectrum, but in time it tried to use
the airwaves for services including fixed wireless local loop service;
reconfiguring the 2.3 GHz band; low-power network overlays for IoT-like
devices; more CMRS capacity in indoor spaces; supplemental downlink; LTE
Direct; air-to-ground service; wireless backhaul; and CMRS mobile
broadband.
- With the Nokia utility effort failing, AT&T has a deal to transfer the
licenses to Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI), which plans to offer service to
public safety organizations for emergency communications.
|Today, 11:02 AM
AT&T points to FCC changes as it bails out on utility private networking
plans
- AT&T (NYSE:T) had years of effort built up teaming up with Nokia (NYSE:
NOK) on a project to sell private wireless networks to the nation's
utilities - an increasingly important use case for industrial
applications.
- But the telecom giant says those ambitions were dashed by changes at
the FCC, as LightReading's Mike Dano explains.
- In 2019, AT&T counted contracts with 15 different utility companies
across 18 states, and another 14 pending, to use spectrum in AT&T's WCS C
and D Blocks for private networking applications such as smart grids.
- But "other spectrum became available to utilities, causing them to
alter or reconsider their interest in leasing AT&T's WCS spectrum" due to
FCC action, AT&T explained in a letter to the commission uncovered by
Allnet Insights & Analytics.
- Specifically, it notes the FCC moved to auction 3.5 GHz CBRS licenses
and decided to allow LTE operations in the 900 MHz band - and following
that, utility providers jumped to bid in the CBRS auction and use 900 MHz
licenses from Anterix.
- And that appears to have brought to an end a last-ditch effort to make
money out of those blocks, which AT&T bought from NextWave Wireless in
2012
as part of a broader deal valued up to $600M.
- It originally planned to leave them vacant to prevent interference
with mobile LT in WCS A and B block spectrum, but in time it tried to use
the airwaves for services including fixed wireless local loop service;
reconfiguring the 2.3 GHz band; low-power network overlays for IoT-like
devices; more CMRS capacity in indoor spaces; supplemental downlink; LTE
Direct; air-to-ground service; wireless backhaul; and CMRS mobile
broadband.
- With the Nokia utility effort failing, AT&T has a deal to transfer the
licenses to Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI), which plans to offer service to
public safety organizations for emergency communications.
|Today, 11:02 AM
Comments
Post a Comment