Welcome to Part 2 of our analysis of the regional cellular scene in the United States!
In this installment, we scrutinize some of the most interesting cellcos operating in far-flung corners of rural America.
If you missed Part 1 of our deep dive, you can catch up here.
The U.S. mobile market is notoriously ultra-competitive, and household names like Sprint aren't the only ones to have been squeezed out in recent years.
Since 2020, Verizon Wireless has snapped up regional players such as Chat Mobility, Bluegrass Cellular, Triangle Mobile, and Chariton Valley Communications.
Tellingly, all four operators were participants in the telecom giant’s “LTE in Rural America” program, which leased 700MHz of spectrum to regional players in areas where Verizon had no intention of deploying infrastructure. After going live in 2010, the project was completed in October 2015, when all 21 participants were confirmed to be operational.
At the program’s peak, operators collectively covered more than 2.7 million people across 169 rural counties in 15 states.
Despite Verizon’s low-key takeover spree, dozens of smaller players continue to thrive in the U.S. This week we take a deep dive into the regional cellular scene and uncover the cellcos serving rural America.
We recently took a look at Ukrainian operators and their relative positions in the country’s telecom market.
As the Russian invasion continues, we turn our attention to the efforts of Ukrainian telcos, who are attempting to keep communications online under the most difficult circumstances.
Due to the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian operators are suffering cyberattacks and physical network damage.
Below, we take a look at who those operators are and their relative positions in the country’s telecom market.
Brazil’s long-awaited 5G spectrum auction drew to a close in November. It generated total commitments of BRL47.2 billion ($8.5 billion).
Alongside bids from major players Telefonica Brasil (Vivo), Claro Brasil, and TIM Brasil—and established regional players like Algar Telecom and Sercomtel—the auction featured a number of lesser-known participants.
Today we scrutinize the other companies that scooped up 5G frequencies and examine their plans.
According to a study commissioned by Swedish equipment vendor Ericsson, 5G connectivity could be fundamental to Europe achieving future climate targets.
The study finds that until 2030, at least 40% of the EU’s carbon reduction solutions will rely on fixed line and mobile connectivity. 5G will play a major part in this trend.
Starlink—the satellite broadband venture established by Elon Musk’s SpaceX business—has attracted plenty of attention this year, especially as the outspoken entrepreneur continues to share his company’s ambitious plans on social media.
With fellow tycoon Jeff Bezos plotting an alternative satellite broadband launch via Project Kuiper, the two billionaires have become embroiled in an increasingly bitter public feud in recent months.
But these two heavyweights aren’t the only parties determined to enter the satellite broadband sector. From China, to Canada, to the UK, let’s break down the key international players targeting the low earth orbit (LEO) sector to see how their respective proposals stack up.
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