FCC Sets Rules for New 3G Spectrum

Sep 15, 2021
T-Mobile phones will soon display a new icon in the status bar to indicate when they are connected to 5G in a higher frequency band that offers faster data speeds. The icon will appear first on the newest iPhones, and the company is working with phone makers "to include this update on as many devices as possible".

Jul 14, 2021
AT&T today shared an update on the expansion of its 5G network, and shared plans for its 5G network going forward. The company's sub-6 GHz 5G network now covers 250 million people nationwide.

Jul 29, 2021
As T-Mobile continues to expand its 5G network, PCMag reports that the company has updated its coverage maps to differentiate between its faster "Ultra Capacity" 5G and its slower but more widely-available "Extended Range" 5G. T-Mobile's 5G Ultra Capacity network uses a mid-band frequency (2.5 GHz, AKA band 41, which was inherited from Sprint) that offers faster data speeds than most sub-6 GHz 5G, and much better coverage than mmWave 5G.

Oct 1, 2021
The FCC has proposed new rules for wireless telecom carriers to require best practices for authenticating customers who are attempting to move service to a new phone or new carrier. The rules are an attempt to crack down on SIM swap fraud and port-out fraud, where a bad actor impersonates a wireless customer in order to take over their phone number.

Jan 2, 2022
Verizon and AT&T this morning refused a request by federal transportation officials to delay this week's planned launch of 5G service in the critical new C Band. [Update: By evening, the two companies agreed to a two-week delay.] The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) insists that the service could potentially interfere with radio altimeters that planes use to measure distance to the ground in poor weather.