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Editor's Corner:  Justin Bieber, the cloud and the quest for virtualization Also Noted: Oracle
Spotlight On... Sprint hops aboard NYC subway DAS project
FCC approves first phone supporting Sprint's LTE frequency bands; Cisco says multimode small cells will arrive in early 2014 and much more...
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Industry Voices:
 Kovacs: Designing a spectrum-auction for maximum proceeds
The FCC is preparing the most complex spectrum auction it has ever run, the upcoming 600 MHz auction. It will simultaneously run a reverse auction to buy back spectrum from broadcasters and a forward auction to sell that spectrum to wireless carriers. Read more News From the Fierce Network:
1. Verizon, AT&T continue bickering over 'most reliable' LTE network claims
2. U.S. broadband speeds increase 27 percent, but EU countries lead growth
3. Madden: Consumer femtocell shipments have stalled at around 2M per year
More headlines...
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Justin Bieber, the cloud and the quest for virtualization
Justin Bieber is a mobile network's worst nightmare. A little more than a year ago, the teen heartthrob temporarily took down Norway's mobile networks by performing a short concert in central Oslo, prompting frantic teens to share images of the landmark event via their smartphones with friends, neighbors and anyone else who might be interested. That the pandemonium occurred in Oslo was serendipity, but mobile industry players based in the area, including Opera Software, surely took note. Perhaps that's why nine months after the Bieber-driven network-crippling incident, Opera acquired Skyfire, adding the Mountain View, Calif., company's video-optimization and smartphone monetization products to Opera's operator business unit. Jeff Glueck, CEO of Skyfire and now executive vice president of Opera Software, said one-time events such as the free Bieber concert are the kinds of things that make life difficult for network planners. Skyfire has been working to deal with such unanticipated situations, delving into software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV). "It's not just about moving to standardized hardware, but thanks to the cloud and virtualization, you can double your capacity in minutes," said Glueck. Though some carriers and vendors believe SDN and NFV will hit mobile networks in 2015 or 2016, Skyfire is already working with mobile operators to implement these technologies.  Continue reading this Editor's Corner online
Read more about: Justin Bieber, Opera Software, SDN
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Today's Top News 1. Google ponies up $600,000 for free Wi-Fi in San Francisco
Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) offered to donate $600,000 to install free Wi-Fi hotspots in 31 public spaces around San Francisco, but the city, concerned about ongoing costs it might have to shoulder, is approaching the offer cautiously. The donation would only cover equipment, installation, and maintenance of the wireless network for two years, after which the city would have to come up with some way of funding ongoing network maintenance, estimated to cost $50,000 per year. If approved, installation of the hotspots will commence in December and the 31 sites, which include parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers, will begin this December. All 31 would then be available for use in spring 2014. This is not Google's first public Wi-Fi outreach effort in San Francisco. Back in 2005, the company joined with Earthlink on a bid to build a San Francisco-wide free Wi-Fi network. The San Francisco Municipal Wireless network, as it was called, was proposed by former city mayor Gavin Newsom during the first heyday of municipal Wi-Fi deployments. The plan was put to rest in September 2007 as muni Wi-Fi networks showed signs of struggle and Earthlink bailed on the project. Unlike the free Wi-Fi network Google rolled out years ago in its hometown of Mountain View, Calif.--which some local citizens contend has become increasingly unreliable--Google does not intend to own or manage the San Francisco network. Angel investor Ron Conway, described as a political ally of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, is coordinating the project through his nonprofit San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology and Innovation (sf.citi). Equipment installation will be handled by iNet using existing city infrastructure such as utility poles, fiber-optic cables and radio towers, said the San Francisco Examiner. Upon full deployment, the system would be handed over to the Department of Technology as a gift. It is surprising to some that a world business and tourist destination such as San Francisco does not have any free city-sponsored Wi-Fi services, though there are plenty of cafes and other locations that do offer free Wi-Fi. "There are cities not only here in the U.S. but in many, many foreign countries where free Wi-Fi is ubiquitous. We have a lot of work to do," city Supervisor Mark Farrell told Reuters. Google's grant offer to San Francisco is part of an ongoing campaign by the company to encourage public Wi-Fi deployments, particularly near areas where Google has offices and data centers. One of the most publicized deployments announced this year is in Manhattan's southwest Chelsea neighborhood, where Google's second-largest office, sometimes referred to as Googleplex East, is located. Google collaborated with nonprofit neighborhood redevelopment corporation The Chelsea Improvement Company on the project, which will become the first wired neighborhood in Manhattan and the largest contiguous Wi-Fi network in New York City. On the same day the San Francisco Wi-Fi offer was announced, Bloomberg reported that Google has agreed to expand its San Francisco office space at Morgan Stanley's Hills Plaza building. A person described as having direct knowledge of the deal said it would be the city's biggest lease transaction of 2013. The planned 10-year lease for 350,000 square feet will increase Google's space at the waterfront location by 25 percent, said the person. Katelin Jabbari, a Google spokeswoman, declined to comment to Bloomberg regarding the company's lease plans. For more:
- see this San Francisco Board of Supervisors release
- see this San Francisco Examiner article
- see this Reuters article
- see this PCMag article
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this TechCrunch article Related articles:
Google continues shotgun public Wi-Fi initiatives
Google's free Wi-Fi network bogging down due to traffic
Google brings free Wi-Fi to New York neighborhood
Google sponsoring free summer Wi-Fi in Brazilian bars
Google, Boingo Wireless extend ad-supported Wi-Fi to malls and airports
Google, Boingo bring free Wi-Fi to Big Apple Read more about: san francisco, Free Wi-Fi
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2. FirstNet: Mississippi halts BTOP program, Motorola Solutions accused of unsavory lobbying
Frustrated over lack of access to 700 MHz spectrum now under the control of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), Mississippi's Wireless Communications Commission froze construction on its $56 million LTE network for public safety, a project that was nearly 80 percent complete. "We cannot operate the system without spectrum," Vicki Helfrich, the wireless commission's executive officer, told the Sun Herald. Motorola Solutions is supplying Mississippi's public-safety broadband network. The vendor has recently been accused of trying to derail FirstNet through a concerted lobbying campaign. The Executive Office of the State of Mississippi was one of seven Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant recipients whose funding was halted last year by the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration due to concerns the BTOP public-safety projects might be incompatible with the nationwide public safety broadband network being crafted by FirstNet. To restart funding, the BTOPs must finalize lease agreements with FirstNet to use its 700 MHz spectrum and win approval for their individual projects from NTIA, which oversees FirstNet. The latest spectrum-lease negotiation deadline expired July 12, with only the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority (LA-RICS) gaining access to FirstNet's 700 MHz frequencies. Since then, FirstNet has not officially extended the negotiations deadline, which has been extended twice before. A FirstNet official who requested anonymity told the Sun Herald the board is expected to extend the negotiations deadline into August. It is unclear whether Motorola Solutions influenced Mississippi's decision to suspend its LTE network rollout. The move might have been unavoidable given that the state's wireless commission faces a significant shortfall in its operating budget. According to two articles in Politico, the company has lobbied certain Republican state attorneys general to oppose the nationwide network and has also encouraged firefighters and police officers to criticize FirstNet. Among other things, Motorola Solutions is said to have supplied first responders with a sample letter that charges FirstNet with disregarding public-safety needs, lacking transparency and exhibiting conflicts of interest. Those charges echo similar allegations voiced by FirstNet board member Paul Fitzgerald during the group's April 23 meeting, which resulted in creation of an internal Special Review Committee, headed by board member Wellington Webb, a Democrat and former mayor of Denver. Politico implied that Motorola Solutions is concerned about losing its traditional public-safety communications revenues to companies that supply networks to commercial wireless operators, which the news site said have "significant openings to ink new business" from FirstNet. Independent consultant Michael Myers recently contended in his Advancing Telecom blog, "FirstNet has positioned themselves to give the $7 billion in taxpayer money to help harden the carrier class networks so that they can install their own antennas then interface with the commercial carriers to deliver their own 'service' functionality to the First Responders and Public Safety users." Politico said Motorola Solutions declined to comment on its lobbying activities, though the company said it has "worked closely with public safety" for years and noted it is "frequently asked to provide its real-life insight" regarding communications systems and services for first responders. Asked about the Politico articles, a FirstNet official, without specifying any companies, said some vendors are protecting their corporate interests and defending their bottom lines. FirstNet board member Jeff Johnson, who has led FirstNet's outreach programs, told Urgent Communications, "When we say that FirstNet will change everything, we need to be cognizant of the fact that some people don't want everything to change." For more:
- see this Sun Herald article
- see this Politico article and this article
- see this Urgent Communications article
- see this Advancing Telecom blog post Related articles:
FirstNet OKs first spectrum-lease pact, short-term staffing strategy
FirstNet: How many good ideas are too many?
FirstNet board OKs spending increase, continues special review process
FirstNet's future depends on state and local support, says Harris exec
FirstNet appoints special review committee to investigate its practices
Mutiny at FirstNet as board member alleges improprieties Read more about: BTOP
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3. Ericsson cuts deal for BSS consultancy Telcocell, expands North American foothold
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) continues to build up its services business, agreeing to acquire Toronto-based consulting company Telcocell, which specializes in business support systems (BSS), Amdocs platforms, custom development and sotware as a service (SaaS).  | | Borgklint (Image source: Ericsson) | Ericsson said it will absorb some 200 Telcocell employees when the acquisition closes next quarter. Financial terms of the purchase were not disclosed. The Telcocell acquisition complements Ericsson's earlier takeover of operational support system (OSS) and BSS vendor Telcordia via a $1.15 billion agreeement announced in June 2011. Further, this most recent deal highlights how Ericsson continues to expand its reach while rival infrastructure providers contract their offerings to focus to a few core competencies. Nokia Siemens Networks, for example, sold off its BSS unit to Toronto-based Redknee in March 2013. The Telcocell takeover is strategic for Ericsson. Not only is the company building up its software and services offerings as the traditional telecom hardware market continues to slide, but it is also forging a stronger presence in North America. "The acquisition complements Ericsson's offering to telecom and cable customers particularly in North America," said the company. Also reflecting the growing importance of the region to Ericsson, the vendor announced last week that it will base Per Borgklint, head of its support solutions business unit and a member of the company's executive leadership team, in Silicon Valley. The support solutions unit develops software-based solutions for operations and business support systems (OSS and BSS), real-time enablement, multi-screen and on-demand TV, compression and m-commerce. "North America is the driver behind much of the innovation in the ongoing convergence of telecom, IT and media. Our operations in Silicon Valley, where the important ecosystem of software developers, media and other key players are present, ensure that we can fully explore the opportunities for Ericsson across our entire business," said Hans Vestberg, company president and CEO. According to Borgklint, 20 percent of the support solutions business unit's sales came from North America during 2012. "With the acquisitions of ConceptWave, Telcordia and most recently Mediaroom, our overall operations in North America are growing in significance," he added. Ericsson has some 15,000 employees in North America, with more than 1,100 in Silicon Valley. For more:
- see this Ericsson release and this release Related articles:
Ericsson posts weak Q2 results, but looks to China and Europe for growth
Ericsson touts 1B subscribers covered by managed services deals
Ericsson shines in North America, but restructuring nails earnings
Nokia Siemens: Business as usual for now
Ericsson CEO: 90% of network traffic will be video
Ericsson's Q4 turnaround driven by booming N. American sales
Redknee strikes deal to acquire Nokia Siemens Networks' BSS unit
Ericsson scoops up OSS/BSS vendor Telcordia for $1.15B Read more about: Silicon Valley, North America
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4. Ruckus buys YFind, navigates its way into indoor-positioning market
In a terse announcement, Wi-Fi services provider Ruckus Wireless disclosed that it acquired privately held indoor-positioning company YFind Technologies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ruckus said it intends to use YFind's location-based services (LBS) and analytical capabilities in combination with Ruckus' Smart Wi-Fi technology, "transforming Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi networks into location-intelligent infrastructures." YFind was founded in 2010 and based in Singapore, where the government initially granted it more than $600,000 in seed money. During June 2012, the company attracted around $1.2 million in additional funding from Innosight Ventures and Walden International. The basis for YFind's business was its YFind Positioning System (YPS), which uses Wi-Fi to detect and position mobile devices. This past May, YFind announced TheRetailHQ analytics service, which tracks visitors with Wi-Fi active on their handsets as they move through a mall. On its website, Ruckus described a suite of Wi-Fi enabled applications that will be part of its new LBS focus. These include provision of indoor navigation tools for both customers and employees in complex environments and geo-targeted advertising and couponing. The company said related analytics can help companies understand in-facility customer behavior and gauge how much of their in-person business stems from repeat customers. "With accurate indoor positioning--that is cost-effective, simple to deploy and use--enterprises can now create the right indoor contexts for marketing campaigns, develop comprehensive footfall analysis and provide varied forms of digital concierge services to customers and employees," said Ruckus. Verticals targeted for Ruckus' indoor LBS applications include retail, hospitality, schools, healthcare, warehousing, smart cities plus convention and event logistics. Indoor positioning is climbing up the hype curve, with numerous companies touting technologies aimed at going beyond outdoor GPS positioning and tracking to bring LBS inside of buildings. Companies offering indoor-positioning products include Cisco, which is working with Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) to leverage the latter's IZat platform. Among the numerous other companies, big and small, that are getting in on the indoor LBS action are Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Aruba Networks, Euclid, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), IndoorAtlas, iSign, Walkbase and Wifarer. In addition, Nokia (NYSE:NOK), Qualcomm and Samsung spearheaded formation of the In-Location Alliance last summer. For more:
- see this Ruckus release and webpage
- see this GigaOM article Related articles:
Location-aware ad firm expanding to 6,600 U.S. convenience stores
Aruba buys Meridian in latest indoor-positioning land grab
Senator Franken targets indoor-positioning firm Euclid's privacy practices
Apple pays $20M for indoor-location firm WifiSLAM
IR-UWB installed on single chip for indoor positioning
IndoorAtlas magnetically attracts $640,000 seed round
Qualcomm and Cisco hype the indoor Hotspot 2.0 experience
Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung spearhead indoor navigation alliance
Google Maps for Android adds museum guide features Read more about: analytics, M&A
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5. Cablevision's OMGFAST broadband service bites the dust
Cablevision's short-lived OMGFAST foray into fixed wireless broadband service--which relied upon licenses the company sold to, and then leased back from, Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH)--is coming to an end next month. Our sister publication FierceCable reported that an outgoing message on the OMGFAST customer line indicates the wireless Internet and telephone service will be discontinued in 19 Florida markets on or after Aug. 19, including Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes, Miami Gardens, and Miramar. The product was available to 90,000 homes in Broward and Palm Beach counties and delivered data speeds of up to 50 Mbps. Cablevision launched the $29.95 monthly Internet service one year ago, using Multichannel Video and Data Distribution (MVDDS) spectrum that it acquired through an FCC auction in 2004. However, Cablevision sold all 500 MHz of its MVDDS spectrum, which covered 150 million people in 45 U.S. metropolitan areas, to Dish last fall for $80 million. The deal, which made Dish the nation's largest MVDDS spectrum holder, came about as part of a total $700 million settlement of a breach-of-contract lawsuit that Cablevision and former subsidiary AMC Networks had been waging against Dish. Since the sale, Cablevision had been leasing the spectrum licenses from Dish in order to operate OMGFAST. OMGFAST had about 3,000 customers in February 2013, according to Multichannel News. The news outlet cited an October 2012 report from telecommunications analyst Craig Moffet, who suggested at the time that Cablevision may have built out OMGFAST as a way to hold onto its MVDDS spectrum licenses by meeting minimum buildout requirements mandated by the FCC. The company was required to show "substantial service" using the spectrum by September 2014. Dish has not said what it intends to do with the MVDDS spectrum it holds, though analysts have noted it is suitable for backhaul and fixed broadband use. According to the FCC, MVDDS licensees "may use spectrum in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band for any digital fixed non-broadcast service including one-way direct-to-home/office wireless service." In May, Dish announced a deal with Virginia-based regional carrier nTelos to develop a fixed wireless broadband service that some thought might be based on upon the MVDDS spectrum. However, Dish recently confirmed that it completed a test of an LTE fixed broadband service using Telos' 2.5 GHz BRS spectrum. For more:
- see this FierceCable article
- see this Multichannel News article Related articles:
Cablevision reportedly lays off employees at OMGFAST unit
Ntelos CEO talks up value of spectrum in light of AT&T/Leap deal
Dish poised to monetize MVDDS spectrum with nTelos deal
Dish's newest spectrum suited for backhaul, fixed broadband
Cablevision launches 'OMGFAST' wireless broadband service Read more about: Dish Network, fixed broadband
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is Oracle. |  | Whitepaper: Customer Experience for Service
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SPOTLIGHT ON... Sprint hops aboard NYC subway DAS project Sprint agreed to a contract that will enable it to use Transit Wireless' distributed antenna system (DAS), which is being rolled out across the New York City subway system. Wireless customers of Sprint and its sub-brands--Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile--can expect to begin receiving coverage underground in the 36 stations already online in midtown Manhattan and Chelsea by early 2014. Sprint will also engage in phase two of Transit's DAS project, which will comprise 40 new stations including Grand Central Station and is slated for completion in early 2014. Sprint expects to participate as Transit expands DAS coverage to all 277 underground subway stations.
In April, Transit announced that its neutral-host DAS had already signed as anchor tenants AT&T and T-Mobile US. Sprint and Verizon Wireless were said to be finalizing contracts to deliver their services via the DAS. A follow-up announcement regarding Verizon has yet to be made. Boingo Wireless is also using Transit's DAS to expand its sponsored Wi-Fi hotspot offering within the New York City subway system. For more, see this joint release. Broadband wireless news from around the Web. > The FCC approved LG's LS-980, the first phone supporting Sprint's three LTE frequency bands. Article > The newly formed Alaska Wireless Network will provide LTE services to its owners, Alaska Communications and GCI. Release > Telefonica Brazil subsidiary Vivo selected Ceragon as wireless backhaul partner for the next phase of its nationwide LTE network. Release > With FCC's modernized E-rate program, schools could see more funding for student Wi-Fi. Article > Cisco says multimode small cells will arrive early next year. Article > The Open Networking Foundation unveiled its OpenFlow conformance program. Release And finally… Determined dolphin breaks free, tracks down its family after years of captivity. Article News From the Fierce Network:
> DukeNet joins ranks of MEF 2.0 certified providers Post
> Google releases Android 4.3 with user profiles, gaming enhancements Post
> Entone, LG push for cut of cable set-top business Post
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