O2 backtracks over network outage comments

Written by: Paul Withers Posted on: 12 February 2013. Tags: Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure, O2, Vodafone

Operator says reports that customers could be without service for up to eight hours are “misleading”

O2 has backtracked on claims its staff made at a distributor conference last month that customers would face outages as it begins its network share agreement with Vodafone.

At the ‘Avenir Telecom 2013: The Year Ahead’ event on January 16 in Burton-on-Trent, the operator said its customers may face up to eight hours of service disruption as the first clusters of the new network are switched on.

O2 had told dealers customers would receive a text message to inform them of the outage.

A document was also sent to dealers on behalf of network-share JV firm Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure, warning of possible disruption to the network.

It informed them coverage capacity might be reduced on the day of a site upgrade while work is carried out and that customers might also experience dropped calls during the transition period, but that this would only affect them if they were on the move.

However, O2 said in response to the article: “Reports that our customers will be out of service for eight hours at a time are misleading. We are conducting our upgrades on a site-by-site basis, which means that in that majority of cases a neighbouring site will provide sufficient coverage to support customers in the area.

“As ever, our first priority when undertaking any network maintenance is to keep the customer impact to an absolute minimum. We list all our planned network maintenance on our online Network Checker, which can be found at status.o2.co.uk.”

O2 also dismissed comments made by its staff that spectrum could be available for the operator to go live with a 4G network by July.

Related posts:

Theft and vandalism causes O2 network outageO2 offers customers compensation after network outageO2 suffers network outage in areas spread across the UKO2 outage enters fourth day for ‘small number of customers’O2 confirms outage affected around a third of customers

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Dish Network has 7 years to build out 70% of its LTE network

It is not uncommon for performance goals to be mandated when a regulatory body grants an enterprise permission to embark on a project. Such as the case with the FCC, who just gave Dish Network the green light to use some of its spectrum holdings for purposes of building out a terrestrial LTE network. 

In addition to the expected power considerations that would be required, the FCC further released more details that Dish Network must adhere to in order to keep its licenses valid. The company, or soon to be “carrier,” will have to build out 70% of its network within 7 years, or 10% per year.

There are other performance metrics contained within that 7 year time frame. If the company is not on track with 40% completion in four years, then the remaining 30% will have to be completed within the following two years. Dish’s licenses to remaining uncovered areas (like the final 30%) will expire if the 70% completion threshold is not met.  While there is no direct financial impact, the prospect of licensing at risk is indeed a very strong revenue generating motivator. 

We do not have any inside knowledge of Dish’s project plan, but think this goal is attainable. Dish has the benefit in many areas where it will not need to build out infrastructure from the ground-up. Tower space is leased all the time, and there are infrastructure owners, like Crown Castle International that own and maintain tens-of-thousands of towers across the US for nearly every carrier. So yes, we think this is within Dish’s reach, even more so if rumored partnerships develop.

source: FCC (1, 2) via Engadget and Electronista

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hoodcast 1.1 for iOS – Social Cast Network: Easily Report + Receive News

Istanbul, Turkey – Indie developers Hayati Guvence & Enes Kilic today are pleased to announce hoodcast 1.1 for iOS, an update to their application featuring the latest technology in newscasting. The app allows users to become reporters and communicate the latest news in their location to other members. The social news network spreads important information quickly; someone’s cast created in one location will live on through other users. This system creates a safe and user-friendly way to manage news on local, national, and worldwide levels. At the same time, it provides a chance for all users to get involved and broadcast their own news out in the world.

Feature Highlights:
* Members post news, pictures, and location with a simple tap
* Slide touch to adjust for local, national, and worldwide news
* Easy scroll through existing casts
* Casts spread and live on through others
* Elegant and inviting layout
* Now add up to 5 photos to cast
* Edit profile or location with a tap
* Customized notification settings
* Automatic Facebook integration
* Now compatible with iOS 6 and iPhone 5

Users will find it easy to become reporters and share their local news with the compose button in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Here they can tap to compose their newscast, adding a title if they wish and a description. They can then choose pictures from their library or take new photos that will be displayed on the news feed. In the latest version of hoodcast, up to five photos can be attributed to each new cast.

By tapping the location button, users can also specify their exact location to add to the newscasting experience. The app uses the device’s advanced location technology to pinpoint the caster’s location and add it to the post. When viewed on the home screen, each cast displays the location near the bottom of the post.

From the app’s home screen, users can view all the casts of their fellow reporters across the globe. The beautiful view shows large, clear moving pictures for each story. Over each colorful story, the title is written and the caster’s name and profile picture can be seen.

Users can customize their own newsfeed through a sliding bar at the bottom of the screen. They slide their finger to the left for more local news; all the way to the left will pinpoint news events exactly in the user’s location. All the way to the right will show users all events in the world, and in between they can view news that is countywide, statewide, nationwide, or global.

With one tap, members can view the page of a particularly interesting story. Here they can view an enlarged version of the picture along with a concise, effective description of the event, location, and the caster’s name and profile information. The app offers space for users to comment on events, allowing for intelligent, quick, and easy discourse on local as well as national news.

If users come across events that they have been to or are certain have occurred, they can tap the Witness button on the story’s page. This increases the caster’s credibility, and users can also view how many witnesses a story or caster has to easily determine the most reliable news sources. Users can also favorite news stories for easy access later. These favorited stories will appear on the user’s personal profile.

hoodcast lends large space to high-quality photos with concise descriptions, creating an appealing and engaging layout that makes users eager to search for news stories and publish their own. The social app lets users stay connected locally as well as on a national level, now with automatic Facebook sharing capabilities.

“By providing independent newscasting opportunities, hoodcast offers a chance to broadcast news without the administrative restrictions found in other sources,” said developer Hayati Guvence. “Everyone can stay connected with important news from home, even from the other side of the world!”

Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation) and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular
* Requires iOS 5.0 or later
* 10.0 MB

Pricing and Availability:
hoodcast 1.1 is free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the News category.

Based in Istanbul, Turkey, independent developers Hayati Guvence & Enes Kilic launched their newscasting portal, hoodcast, in 2012. Copyright (C) 2012 Hayati Guvence & Enes Kilic. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

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FCC allows Dish Network to use spectrum for cellular network

Taking one giant step toward its goal of becoming a major mobile carrier, Dish Network received approval from the FCC to change some of its spectrum used for satellite transmissions, into spectrum for a land based cellular network. The spectrum owned by the satellite content provider, 40MHz in the AWS-4 band, isn't considered the best for celllular transmissions, but is usable. On Tuesday, a Dish spokesman said the company will "consider its strategic options and the optimal approach to put this spectrum to use for the benefit of consumers." The FCC did put some conditions on Dish. Sprint, which had been against giving Dish this permission in the first place, uses the spectrum near AWS-4 and as a result the FCC limited how much spectrum Dish can use. The FCC also limited Dish's power levels as well so as to prevent its signal from interfering with nearby signals from other carriers. The result is that Dish will have a smaller amount of spectrum it can use when it launches its network. And as part of the deal, the FCC will auction off spectrum in the AWS-H Block which is close to Dish's holdings and has been eyed by Sprint. The whole story is no surprise since last month FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said that he would sign off on Dish's request to use the spectrum for cellular service if Dish would lower the power levels. Genachowski will testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday about the deal and about a proposal to auction off spectrum belonging to broadcasters in 2014.

With outspoken Dish Network Chairman Charles Egren's dream of owning a mobile operator coming closer to becoming a reality, Dish could seek a partner like Google. With Japan's Softbank buying 70% of Sprint and T-Mobile merging with MetroPCS, toss in a new carrier led by Dish and the U.S. mobile carrier industry could look quite different at this time next year.

source: FCC via Reuters
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
December 11, 2012 Justin Cole, 202-418-8191
Email: justin.cole@fcc.gov
Commission Announces the Adoption of AWS-4 Order and H Block NPRM
Statement from Tammy Sun, FCC Director of Communications
Today the Commission took two actions significantly advancing the President’s goal of freeing
up 500 MHz of spectrum for broadband by 2020.
These actions will help meet skyrocketing consumer demand and promote private investment,
innovation, and competition, while unlocking billions of dollars of value.
The Commission unanimously approved freeing up 40 MHz of underutilized satellite spectrum
for land-based mobile broadband, including 4G LTE. We accomplished this by removing
regulatory barriers that limited this spectrum to satellite use. Carefully balanced technical
requirements will unlock tremendous value in both the AWS-4 band and the 10 MHz H Block,
which Congress directed us to auction.
The Commission also unanimously approved a proposal setting the stage for an auction of the H
Block in 2013. Proceeds from this auction will help fund a nationwide Public Safety Network
for our first responders and reduce the deficit.
-FCC-
News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found
on the Commission’s web site www.fcc.gov.

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