AT&T and Amazon Launch Alexa-Based Calls

U.S. operator AT&T and Amazon have reached an agreement to enable the operator’s customers to make and receive phone calls via their Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays, according to a news report. Customers simply have to link their existing AT&T phone numbers to their Alexa account to receive hands-free calls directly on their Echo devices just as they would use their regular AT&T phones.

This is the first time Alexa-based direct calling has been offered in the U.S., although Amazon already introduced the feature for Vodafone OneNumber customers in the U.K. and Germany as well as for EE mobile customers in the U.K. 

All incoming calls on the Echo device come with caller ID and can be snoozed by activating Amazon’s existing Away Mode or switched off at night with Alexa Routines. 

This initiative seems promising in that it offers a level of convenience, co-branding between two very large and instantly recognizable companies and first-mover advantage in the U.S. market.

While most people have their smartphone handy most of the time, being able to simply ask Alexa to initiate a call by talking to a smart speaker is likely to be attractive to many users because it allows for an experience that is not only hands-free but also screen-free. Considering how much time users spend in front of screens, it may in fact be an attractive relief to be able to use voice only. The enhanced sound quality of an Echo speaker compared to a phone may also be perceived as a boon by customers.

The partnership between AT&T and Amazon may bear fruit over time in ways that go beyond simply Echo-enabled voice calling. Amazon may find new ways to enhance sales of products through its connection with AT&T subscribers, and AT&T may be able to extend its own marketing reach through its relationship with Amazon.

One thing that both companies should be aware of is the possibility of customers feeling some trepidation with regard to security. They may wonder whether Alexa is fully protected against eavesdropping or other invasions of privacy, if calls are going to be made from it. AT&T and Amazon will do well to address the point and reassure potential users. 

Tarifica is a global SaaS company and a market leader in the real-time collection, analysis and delivery of telecom plan and pricing data worldwide. Through a mix of AI, modeling and market expertise, Tarifica tracks hundreds of thousands of plan and pricing data points daily. No other company tracks more. Tarifica's mission is to continuously convert data into the dynamic intelligence that fuels opportunities for its clients, the world's leading operators, regulators and consultants.
Learn more about Tarifica at www.tarifica.com.

AT&T and Accenture Create Private Mobile Network for Phillips 66

U.S. operator AT&T and professional services company Accenture are working with the American multinational energy company Phillips 66 to create industrial mobile wireless connectivity via the development of a private mobile network platform. The platform will lay the foundation for potential future 5G use, including support for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and low-latency applications. Phillips 66 invited Accenture to address mobile performance gaps with its existing public mobile network near one of its refineries in Belle Chasse, Louisiana.

The private mobile network was selected as a proof of concept to demonstrate the ability to handle increased mobile connectivity needs from the ongoing Phillips 66 digital transformation initiatives. The proof-of-concept private network was designed from the ground up to address Phillips 66’s industrial digital requirements. AT&T was selected as the telecommunications provider to create the necessary engineering for a dedicated mobile network platform, using multi-access edge compute across licensed spectrum. 

Despite the great strides being made in mobile network technology, including 5G, there are circumstances in which normal public networks do not fully meet the needs of enterprise customers. For heavy-industry companies such as Phillips 66, which rely on constant communication between workers on oil refineries and other large installations, as well as IoT applications, a private mobile network may be a better solution. Free of interference and potential narrowing of bandwidth due to other users, a private network delivers greater reliability and high-quality connectivity.

In consultation with Accenture, Phillips 66 decided to choose AT&T as its MNO partner in developing such a network. And while the project is still in the proof-of-concept phase, Phillips has described the results as “promising.” At present, the solution is filling in gaps in coverage; in future, it can be extended to include IIoT and 5G applications. Phillips also expects it to be expanded to include other locations within the company’s ecosystem.

For major mobile operators like AT&T, such special projects represent a very lucrative and exciting opportunity. Developing a private network for a large enterprise of course brings in significant revenue, in terms of project fees and future network usage charges, but it also allows the operator to explore possibilities for innovation that may not at present be affordable or even possible for a public network. In essence, a private network may be a laboratory of sorts for the development and testing of possibilities that one day will be made more widely available.

Tarifica is a global SaaS company and a market leader in the real-time collection, analysis and delivery of telecom plan and pricing data worldwide. Through a mix of AI, modeling and market expertise, Tarifica tracks hundreds of thousands of plan and pricing data points daily. No other company tracks more. Tarifica's mission is to continuously convert data into the dynamic intelligence that fuels opportunities for its clients, the world's leading operators, regulators and consultants. 

Learn more about Tarifica at www.tarifica.com.

Verizon Wins 5G Speed Race

Verizon is best for 5G speeds in the U.S., while T-Mobile US comes first in 5G availability, according to the latest user experience tests by Opensignal. The results are based on nearly 16 million measurements by 2.4 million devices in the period from 16 March to 13 June. 

Verizon delivered by far the fastest 5G download speed in the country—and indeed across all countries measured by Opensignal. It averaged 494.7 Mbps, compared to 60.8 Mbps for AT&T and just over 49 Mbps for T-Mobile and Sprint. The faster experience at Verizon is largely due to its wider use of mmWave spectrum. 

T-Mobile won in the 5G availability category, as its customers with 5G devices were connected to the 5G network 22.5 percent of the time. Sprint came second with 5G available 14.1 percent of the time, AT&T was at 10.3 percent, and Verizon was at only 0.4 percent, due to the short range of its mmWave spectrum. 

As 5G networks are rolled out across the developed markets, the speed race is on. That is, of course, understandable given that the next-generation technology’s bragging rights are chiefly due to speed. And with ever-greater challenges to bandwidth in the form of video, gaming, music streaming and IoT applications, very high download and upload speeds are bound to be attractive, market-relevant and even essential for many users, both consumer and business.

Verizon’s domination of the U.S. market in terms of speed is certainly striking—nearly 500 Mbps, with its nearest rival at only 60 Mbps. And while many users will not be able to make full use of such a number, or even notice any difference between it and AT&T’s figures in real-life scenarios, it is an impressive achievement that should boost the operator in the marketplace.

However, it appears that the very technology that enables Verizon to leap so far ahead in terms of speed causes a concomitant shortfall in terms of availability, leaving it dead last among the four major U.S. operators. The double-edged sword, so to speak, of mmWave spectrum could cut Verizon cruelly in the 5G wars.

Tarifica is a global SaaS company and a market leader in the real-time collection, analysis and delivery of telecom plan and pricing data worldwide. Through a mix of AI, modeling and market expertise, Tarifica tracks hundreds of thousands of plan and pricing data points daily. No other company tracks more. Tarifica's mission is to continuously convert data into the dynamic intelligence that fuels opportunities for its clients, the world's leading operators, regulators and consultants. 

Learn more about Tarifica at www.tarifica.com.

AT&T Mexico Offers Video Bundle for Top-Ups

AT&T Mexico has recently launched a new offer in which all prepaid customers who top up by at least MXN 100.00 (US $4.63) will receive a free 7 GB data bundle for streaming video content. The bundle is advertised as being for use on YouTube, but it can also be used to access other platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO Go, albeit at 480p rather than HD quality. The promotion will run until 9 January 2020.

The U.S.-based operator added 668,000 Mexican prepaid customers from September 2018 to September 2019 to reach an overall customer base of 18.6 million, up 7.6 percent year on year.

Formed from the merger of operators Iusacell and Nextel under the aegis of the U.S. operator AT&T, AT&T Mexico has been in business for five years and during that time has come to control the majority of the country’s spectrum. The operator has achieved success in part by leveraging the close ties between Mexico and the U.S., offering customers on either side of the border advantageous deals on service and effectively unifying the two countries into one service area.

As Mexico is a developing market, there is strong support among customers for prepaid service, and AT&T has seen a significant uptake in that regard, with 668,000 new prepaid customers added over the past year, approximately. However, one issue with prepaid customers is that while they technically have the service, they may not be using it very much or even at all. Having the holders of AT&T SIMs not using those accounts is a problem that the operator seeks to remedy by incentivizing those subscribers to utilize the network.

Under the current offering, the incentive to spend at least MXN 100.00 is the gift of 7 GB of free data. That is a generous offer, in our view, especially given the fact that the amount of money in question is actually fairly modest. Promoting the data as being specifically for YouTube and then allowing it to be used for other streaming services is a clever approach, as it creates the feeling that the other uses are above and beyond expectations. Ordinarily, the lack of HD would be a distinct strike against this offering, but in context we do not think that it will be. These prepaid customers who make little use of their service are likely to be relatively undemanding in terms of image quality and will probably be thankful to have a free 7 GB of access to video streaming content.

If the offering proves persuasive, it should have the effect not only of stimulating spending on the part of the prepaid customer base but also of maximizing utilization of AT&T’s network, which is of course a desideratum for any mobile operator.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

AT&T Launches Alert Service for Hotel Industry

U.S. operator AT&T is offering an integrated wearable device that will help hotel employees request emergency assistance in threatening situations. The device is part of a service offering called AT&T Staff Alert Service that is designed to meet the safety needs of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and major hotel brands.

The compact, lightweight device activates an alert whenever an employee presses its button. The employee’s exact location is then transmitted to hotel security for immediate assistance.

The AT&T Staff Alert Service provides micro-location data by means of a combination of Bluetooth, ultrasound and LTE connectivity. This methodology reduces the risk from congestion on the Wi-Fi network and enables for alerts in nearly real time. The service can be customized and is also interoperable with other IoT applications in a hotel, such as building management and asset tracking, according to AT&T.

AT&T’s IoT Professional Services organization is working with major hotel brands to deploy the platform across the U.S.

This offering from AT&T, one of the U.S.’s top two operators, is a signal example of the type of non-traditional, targeted service that can do a great deal to diversify an operator’s business, give it competitive edge and help maintain its relevance in an ever-more-complex marketplace. We have written previously about the benefits for operators of developing solutions and branding technological developments; while consumers are interested in such things, when they are targeted at enterprises, as in this case, the revenue potential is generally greater.

Doing an exclusive deal with an industry-wide group such as the AHLA gives AT&T instant access to a large number of corporate clients that can pay for a cutting-edge technology and the connectivity needed to power it. The Staff Alert Service fulfills a necessary function, that of preserving the safety of hotel employees, who work in an environment where they are exposed to a wide sector of the public at all times of day and may well come under threat or become aware of a threat to others within the hotel. Therefore, this service boasts a high degree of utility, which indicates a likely high level of demand.

Not only has AT&T created a system tailored to the needs of a particular type of business, but it has also constructed a networking solution to power it. Combining its own pre-existing national LTE network with local Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the operator is aiming to provide the most effective, reliable low-latency connectivity for near-instant communication in a potential situation of danger and urgency. This aspect of the system distinguishes the product from a hypothetical third-party offering that would provide the security alerts and the device but not its own signal. For a major operator like AT&T, the ability to offer all aspects of the solution is a major strength to be exploited whenever and wherever possible. 

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

AT&T, Badger Technologies Partner on 5G-Enabled Autonomous Robots for Retail

U.S. operator AT&T and Badger Technologies, a division of U.S.-based Jabil Inc., are working together to spread retail automation by means of autonomous robots with 5G wireless networks.

Badger Technologies’ robots empower retailers to improve operational efficiencies and customer experiences by identifying out-of-stock, mispriced or misplaced inventory, as well as hazards within stores. These advanced mobile-data collection systems can fill major gaps in the collection and sharing of in-store data and images, but can also tax a store’s existing Wi-Fi network.

To better enable seamless, uninterrupted network connectivity, AT&T is testing 5G connectivity with Badger Technologies’ robots in a multi-access edge computing (MEC) environment. The goal is to demonstrate the ways in which 5G—using millimeter wave spectrum and edge computing—could provide Badger Technologies as well as retailers with the low latency and high throughput required to process and share vast amounts of data while running concurrently with other in-store network applications.

AT&T’s multi-access edge computing products could also help Badger Technologies increase hyper-local data processing by providing a more private network connection than typically associated with in-store Wi-Fi.

While 5G’s speed advantages for consumer smartphones remain to seen as networks are rolled out, it is incontrovertible that the next-generation network can deliver great improvements in data transmission for IoT and related automation applications. The use of robotics in retail stores is a relatively new technology that, while its kinks are still being ironed out, is clearly going to be important in the near future and can deliver many kinds of benefits, for example, in stocking, inventory management, in-store safety and cleanup. Controlling and communicating with these robots via 5G instead of in-store Wi-Fi is desirable in terms of speed and cybersecurity.

AT&T, by providing 5G network service to retailers and working with an appropriate technology partner, will be injecting itself into this sector in a way that promises growth in revenue and in business opportunities. While ultimately, AT&T—as well as other MNOs—will be able to provide 5G in automated environments to a variety of systems without necessarily partnering with all the robotics technology providers that are involved, partnering with Badger Technologies now is an excellent idea in that it allows the operator to demonstrate its 5G capabilities and thereby promote future business of this type.

5G in combination with edge computing allows for improved response times because the data is brought into closer physical proximity to the locations where it is used. Sharing greater and greater amounts of data between robots and control centers, without interfering with other in-store network-based tasks is very desirable to retailers, and achieving this would do much to sell the product. In addition, the fact that this 5G network would likely have more privacy protection than the relatively permeable in-store Wi-Fi adds to the appeal.

Tarifica’s products and services are powered by large-scale data from the global telecom industry and a deep level of expertise gained from our singular focus. We leverage these core attributes to help our clients understand their markets and answer their most challenging questions. Our team of analysts, software engineers and data scientists deliver real-time dynamic solutions for the telecom industry. Our software and state of the art data extraction techniques enable our clients to make smart decisions in real-time based on insightful, actionable data. 

We are the telecom plan & pricing experts.

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

AT&T to offer 4G/LTE connectivity for Recreational Vehicles

U.S. operator AT&T is partnering with technology developer Togo to offer exclusive 4G/LTE connectivity to recreational vehicles in the U.S. Togo Roadlink will bring AT&T’s high-speed network to RVers using any make, model or year of recreational vehicle. Togo is a division of TH2, a global technology-focused joint venture between U.S.-based Thor Industries and New Zealand-based Thl.

The Roadlink C2 connectivity app turns any RV into a Wi-Fi hotspot through an installed hardware system. Multiple tablets and smartphones can be connected using Roadlink C2.

The announcement builds on the collaboration between AT&T and Airstream, a Thor Industries subsidiary and maker of the iconic “silver bullet”-styled travel trailer. In 2018, Airstream and AT&T partnered to offer 4G/LTE connectivity to any Airstream vehicle.

While the market segment being targeted by AT&T with this technology partnership is doubtless quite small, it is an interesting niche market because of its particular nature. RV users like to spend vacations or retirements going on very long-range road trips in these special vehicles, which are equipped such that the travelers can live out of the vehicle and do not need to stay in hotels or any other accommodations. As a result, they will usually not be using hotel Wi-Fi or other local connectivity options, and in addition—and more importantly—they will frequently be driving through remote regions where cellular coverage is likely to be poor or non-existent.

AT&T correctly saw this as a market opportunity. If RVs are often in places where those on board cannot get a cellular signal, the operator will get their business by enabling to get connectivity through installed hardware providing Wi-Fi via a route other than ordinary cellular service.

If AT&T makes Roadlink C2 available to non-AT&T subscribers, that will constitute an opportunity for the operator to enlarge its customer base for regular mobile service, in that it could help them win subscribers among satisfied RVers, when they are not on their RVs. The expansion of the technology from just one kind of RV to virtually all indicates the growth-oriented point of view of the operator in this market sector.

Tarifica’s products and services are powered by large-scale data from the global telecom industry and a deep level of expertise gained from our singular focus. We leverage these core attributes to help our clients understand their markets and answer their most challenging questions. Our team of analysts, software engineers and data scientists deliver real-time dynamic solutions for the telecom industry. Our software and state of the art data extraction techniques enable our clients to make smart decisions in real-time based on insightful, actionable data.

We are the telecom plan & pricing experts.

 If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact our Editor-in-chief John Dorfman at jdorfman@tarifica.com

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

AT&T Launches First 5G Mobile Service in the U.S.

AT&T has claimed a first with the launch of a commercial, standards-based mobile 5G mobile network in the U.S. The service is initially available in 12 cities, but only via a mobile hotspot device, not a mobile phone. The network is live in parts of Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., San Antonio and Waco, Texas. AT&T said that its service will “evolve very quickly,” and that it plans to expand the service in the first half of 2019 to parts of seven additional cities: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, California.

As no 5G phones are yet available, customers can use the service for mobile broadband only. The first supporting device is the Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot, previewed by AT&T in October using millimeter wave spectrum. AT&T has said it plans to launch two 5G smartphones in 2019, to be made by Samsung.  

The operator is offering a select group of businesses and consumers the 5G device plus data usage at no cost for at least 90 days. In the spring of 2019, customers will be able to get the hotspot for US $499.00 upfront and 15 GB of 5G data for US $70.00 a month with no annual commitment.

AT&T’s offering of mobile 5G service may perhaps only generously be termed a “launch,” given that there is no compatible smartphone yet, but it is still meaningful as a harbinger of the coming sea change in high-speed mobile service in the country. It is also meaningful as a show of marketing moxie on the part of the operator, which is now able to claim the honor of being the first U.S. operator to offer mobile 5G, albeit only to laptops.

It is indeed a first, despite Verizon’s launch in October of fixed wireless 5G service. For one thing, the Verizon network is not accessible via mobile hotspots, only via home-based routers, and for another, Verizon’s 5G network is based on a proprietary standard, not the one that the mobile industry worldwide is coming to agree upon, called 5G NR. AT&T’s network uses the 5G NR standards.

AT&T’s offering could be viewed as premature given the lack of device support, but it could also be seen as a way of gradually moving into the new wireless era, to make sure that when the time comes, it will have trouble-shot the system and adjusted it appropriately to users’ needs. Thus the rollout to a select group of businesses and consumers, which can presumably be asked for feedback to be studied carefully.

Offering the service free for 90 days or thereabouts is, of course, a good way to encourage uptake and start building goodwill. After that, the pricing appears to be at a level that will be attractive. Currently, AT&T’s 4G/LTE hotspot package costs US $50.00 a month, versus US $70.00 for the 5G, with 10 GB of data versus 15 GB. In comparing 4G and 5G pricing, though, the key question of real-world speed remains essentially unanswered and, for now, unanswerable. AT&T has stated that the theoretical speed of its 5G is 1.2 Gbps, while acknowledging that actual speeds will be “much slower.” How much slower will become clearer the more the service is used, but at a demonstration at a forum hosted by Qualcomm in Hawaii in early December, AT&T’s 5G signal delivered around 130–140 Mbps, according to a report.

That should not be considered a prediction of what AT&T users will experience in the coming months, because the operator will have far more bandwidth at its disposal with which to achieve higher speeds. Nonetheless, the reception of 5G in the marketplace will hinge on just how fast and consistent its speeds turn out to be in comparison with 4G.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.  

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Verizon Wireless to Stop Throttling Video Speeds on Unlimited Plans

U.S. MNO Verizon Wireless has announced that starting on 3 November it is removing restrictions on video speeds for subscribers to its unlimited-data plans. In late August, the operator imposed limits on video streaming, with the lower-priced GoUnlimited offering 480p and the higher-priced BeyondUnlimited offering 780p. The 1080p speed was no longer available on any smartphones, even those with the capability of accommodating it; only on tablets would subscribers be able to access 1080p video. Now Verizon is allowing video streaming up to the maximum possible for any given device, as a plan add-on, at the cost of US 10.00 per month.
 
While the cost of this add-on will not break the bank for high-end users already paying for “unlimited” data and running sophisticated devices, it may annoy some, in that the operator is now charging customers for a service that was free and taken for granted only several months ago. Presumably Verizon heard complaints from users about lower video quality due to speed limits, but rather than simply restoring them it decided to impose a charge. The charge could have the positive effects for the operator such as bringing in revenue, discouraging network congestion, or both, but it could also create some bad publicity for it.
 
Criticism of U.S. operators for plans that are advertised as “unlimited” but actually contain limits has been ongoing for a while now, and U.S. regulators have warned them not to throttle ordinary data speeds. Limiting video quality (“DVD-quality” versus various degrees of “HD”) is in a different category, but the practice nonetheless strikes many consumers as undesirable. With continuous increases in smartphone quality, more and more users are watching video on these devices, and demand for a high-quality moving image is increasing accordingly. Therefore, charging for a feature that used to be free is an issue that will affect a significant number of customers and so could have a negative effect on perceptions of Verizon.
 
On the other hand, Verizon is not alone in charging extra for high-definition video streaming. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint all do so, and the pricing is comparable to Verizon’s. Perhaps, then, unlimited access to video speed at no extra charge is a thing of the past, and U.S. customers will simply have to get used to paying extra for the highest quality. 

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. 

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Connected-Energy Market Expected to Reach US $26 Billion By 2026

Mobile operators deploying IoT networks in Europe will be able to benefit from a connected energy market that could be worth US $26 billion by 2026, GSMA said, citing a research report. The emerging connected-energy market is expected to connect 158 million new smart meters on low-power wide-area (LPWA) networks across the continent. The current connected-energy market, which includes applications related to the generation and transportation of energy, microgeneration, smart grid and distribution monitoring and smart metering, is worth an estimated US $11.7 billion. The European connected-energy market represents 21 percent of all global revenues, with Asia-Pacific taking 54 percent and the Americas 21 percent.

The European Commission recently published a proposal indicating that 200 million electricity smart meters and 45 million gas meters will be rolled out by 2020. The EC also estimates that by 2020, 72 percent of European customers will have a smart meter for electricity and about 40 percent will have one for gas.

In their ongoing quest for new sources not only of revenue but of relevance in an age of looming commodification of mobile services, operators have some fresh choices. One of those is connected energy, one of a number of IoT systems that are gaining traction globally. Unlike some IoT applications such as smart home and various other consumer gadgets, energy is an essential service for industry and consumers alike. Therefore, the revenue potential is very high, as indicated by the figures arrived at in the European study cited by GSMA. As Europe accounts for just about one fifth of the world market for connected energy, the global potential is truly enormous.

As such, we think the development of connected-energy networks should be a priority for MNOs in the coming years. Those operators that have the resources to do so would be very well served by partnering with the appropriate entities to not only devise innovative systems for energy generation, distribution, and monitoring but also to build out the kinds of networks that are necessary for functionality via the IoT.

Examples of this kind of development that could serve as models for mobile operators include the following: In the Netherlands, Deutsche Telekom has deployed NB-IoT networks for smart metering and smart lighting solutions in several municipalities; Vodafone is developing several NB-IoT initiatives, including a water metering project in Valencia, Spain; in the U.S., AT&T is partnering with Capstone Metering to monitor water usage using LTE-M, another IoT standard that uses low-power signals over broadband. China Mobile is exploring NB-IoT for water quality monitoring, while China Unicom is using NB-IoT to take readings from energy and water meters and is partnering with an energy company on a smart cities project. 

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. 

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Virgin Mobile USA Offers a Year of Service for US $1.00

The MVNO Virgin Mobile USA has launched a new iPhone-only offer in which customers will get one year of unlimited talk, text and data on Virgin Mobile’s nationwide network for US $1.00. That offer is valid through 31 July; those who join after that will get six months of service for the same price. After the promotional service periods end, the service will cost US $50.00 per month.
 
For a limited time, members of Virgin Mobile’s “Inner Circle” loyalty program will also be able enjoy a number of benefits including a round-trip companion ticket to the U.K. on Virgin Atlantic, one night’s stay at Virgin Hotels, savings of US $170.00 on an introductory offer to Virgin’s wine club, up to 20 percent off Virgin America flights and 20 percent off the Virgin Sport San Francisco Festival of Fitness.
 
With this offer, Virgin becomes the latest operator to sell its service in Apple stores and through Apple’s website, and it becomes the first iPhone-only operator in the United States.
 
 
Virgin is making a bold, attention-getting move to jump ahead in the U.S. MVNO market, in which its competitors include AT&T’s Cricket Wireless and T-Mobile’s MetroPCS. Without a doubt, a nearly-free-of-charge offer of a year’s unlimited service should make potential customers sit up and take notice, and the tight deadline for the full 12-month promotional period is obviously designed to pull in the lion’s share of new subscribers rapidly. If those subscribers can be converted to US $50.00-per-month subscribers after a year, the operator will have scored a significant victory.
 
In order to do that, though, Virgin Mobile will need to meet subscriber needs over time in ways other than just price. And in this respect, we are not sure whether they will be able to do so. For one thing, the term “unlimited” for this service is a bit of a misnomer—the speeds of customers who use more than 23 GB of data during a single billing cycle will be throttled as needed, depending on usage in the customer’s geographical area. In addition, there are concerns about domestic roaming: For areas to which Virgin’s coverage (on Sprint’s network) does not extend, subscribers will get 800 roaming voice minutes and 100 MB of roaming data, so subscribers would end up paying potentially hefty roaming surcharges after these modest limits are reached.
 
Another caveat: Until now, Virgin Mobile offered only Android phones to new subscribers, so the exclusive focus on the iPhone marks a major direction change that could positively affect the operator’s market position. However, the available iPhone models will be offered at retail price through Apple, not at a discount. In light of the extremely low introductory price of the plan, that may not be a problem, but then again it could be, simply in terms of cash flow, if payment has to be made in full up front as opposed to spread out over a 12- or 24-month period as with some of the major U.S. operators.
 
Finally, the incentives pertaining to the larger Virgin company’s non-mobile products and services, while no doubt appealing to some, are not likely, in our view, to be a major contributor to subscriber uptake, because of the fact that they are limited to just one brand. 







Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. 

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

T-Mobile Bids Big in U.S. Spectrum Auction

When the 600 MHz broadband auction held by the United States regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), closed late last week, T-Mobile US was the biggest winner, having bid US $8 billion for over 1,500 wireless licenses. In doing so, the operator acquired 45 percent of all the low-band spectrum sold, more than any other company (competitors Verizon and Sprint declined to bid, while Dish Network spent US $6.2 billion). According to T-Mobile, the purchase will quadruple its low-band holdings and allow it to cover 100 percent of the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The operator also said that it will be putting some of this new spectrum to use during 2017.
 
This major investment shows that T-Mobile is planning to take its fight against the big two of AT&T and Verizon Wireless to the next level. After years of unconventional, aggressive “Un-carrier” moves to gain market share, the operator now needs to consolidate its gains. Unlimited data offers, low prices, and a plethora of marketing bells and whistles have pushed T-Mobile from fourth place to third among U.S. mobile operators. Now, in order to have any chance of going farther, the company must provide better connectivity, since network quality and coverage have been the most important factors in motivating AT&T and Verizon customers to resist T-Mobile’s siren call.
 
In his characteristic hyperbolic style, T-Mobile President and CEO John Legere said, “This spectrum sets us up to bring the Un-carrier—and REAL competition—to wireless customers everywhere, many of whom have never had real choices in wireless. If the duopoly [meaning AT&T and Verizon] thought things were rough before—well, just wait!”
 
Legere went on to characterize T-Mobile’s spectrum acquisition as putting it ahead of the competition in terms of technology. Its customers, he said, “will be able to speed on a brand-new, wide-open wireless freeway, while carrier customers have to crawl along on their clogged, congested, low-band freeways.” Low-band spectrum is indeed valuable because of its ability to travel great distances and penetrate structures, and T-Mobile claims that it “now has significantly more low-band spectrum per customer than any other major provider and nearly TRIPLE the low-band spectrum per customer than Verizon.”
 
Of course, it should be kept in mind that T-Mobile’s customer base is smaller than those of the “duopoly.” Regardless of whether the claims about spectrum per customer are accurate, the fact remains that in making this US $8 billion investment, T-Mobile is playing catch-up. To challenge the big two, it must bring high-quality LTE coverage to more people in more geographic regions.

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