Cellular One Joins Verizon's Rural LTE Initiative
Nov 9, 2012, 3:47 PM by Eric M. Zeman
Cellular One today announced that it plans to participate in Verizon Wireless's LTE in Rural America program. Under the terms of the agreement, Cellular One will lease access to Verizon's 700MHz spectrum in parts of Angelina, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Sabine, and San Augustine Counties in Texas. It will then use its own telecommunications equipment to build out an LTE 4G network in those markets for its customers. Cellular One did not say when it expects to offer the LTE service. Verizon Wireless has signed up more than a dozen such partners across the U.S. in order to offer LTE to rural populations.
source: Cellular One
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Comments
Leasing spectrum
to other companies where Verizon won't make any money building their own network on one hand while crying to the FCC that they need more spectrum on the other sounds a little fishy.
It isn't "fishy." Verizon is leasing out spectrum in areas where they don't have a license to operate which means they cant put their own towers there per government regulations.
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Rural LTE
Whoever thinks Verizon has the spectrum but doesn't have a "license to broadcast" is delirious. Owning the lease on the spectrum is all the license they need to use it.
Like all wireless companies, Verizon has coverage partners. Lets use Bluegrass as an example. Verizon coverage in large parts of Kentucky is provided by Bluegrass. Bluegrass may have their own spectrum, use Verizons, or often some of both, but Bluegrass runs the network and has their own customers under their own brand as well. Verizon customers use Bluegrass' network and never know the difference. Bluegrass customers roam on Verizon and never know the difference
Spectrum is licensed to carriers in very large swaths of area in rural areas. It is often not possible t...
(continues)
Like all wireless companies, Verizon has coverage partners. Lets use Bluegrass as an example. Verizon coverage in large parts of Kentucky is provided by Bluegrass. Bluegrass may have their own spectrum, use Verizons, or often some of both, but Bluegrass runs the network and has their own customers under their own brand as well. Verizon customers use Bluegrass' network and never know the difference. Bluegrass customers roam on Verizon and never know the difference
Spectrum is licensed to carriers in very large swaths of area in rural areas. It is often not possible t...
(continues)
Sneak Attack
The FCC better be watching this initiative very closely. Verizon holds the upper hand in bargaining their spectrum holdings. The little guys spend the money to buildout a network for LTE using Verizon's spectrum. Once completed, Verizon now has total control of leveraging a fail in part to these smaller carriers.
While the benefits appear jubilant, I fear of massive takeover by Verizon down the road.
How convenient to have the little guys build and then Verizon ambushes with a purchase once the smaller can no longer sustain the cost of leasing.
John B.
While the benefits appear jubilant, I fear of massive takeover by Verizon down the road.
How convenient to have the little guys build and then Verizon ambushes with a purchase once the smaller can no longer sustain the cost of leasing.
John B.
