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Wireless


AT&T, VERIZON AGREE TO C-BAND POWER LIMITATIONS FOR 6 MONTHS

By
Monica Alleven
   |  
Nov 24, 2021

The operators outlined their plan in a November 24 letter to FCC Chairwoman
Jessica Rosenworcel. (Pixabay)

Acknowledging the desire by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to
continue analyzing the impact of C-band deployments on air safety, AT&T and
Verizon agreed to a 6-month period whereby they’ll minimize power coming from
C-band base stations.



Their pledge pertains to base stations both on a nationwide basis and to an even
greater degree, around public airports and heliports.

The operators outlined their plan in a November 24 letter to Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, first reported
by The Wall Street Journal. The letter was submitted by Joan Marsh, EVP of
federal regulatory relations at AT&T, and Kathleen Grillo, SVP, public policy
and government affairs at Verizon.




“AT&T and Verizon are voluntarily adopting the precautionary measures described
below despite the absence of any credible evidence that 5G deployments in the
C-band will adversely affect radio altimeters in aircraft, as is confirmed by
real-world experience around the globe,” they wrote.

Earlier this month, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay their commercial C-band
launches by a month, until January 5. That came after the FAA issued a warning
over potential interference to airplane safety systems from upcoming 5G
deployments in C-band frequencies.  

Big C-band bucks

Verizon and AT&T were big spenders in the FCC’s C-band auction, which brought in
a record $81 billion to U.S. coffers. Verizon spent about $45.5 billion, and
AT&T spent about $23.4 billion for C-band licenses. Initial deployments in major
U.S. markets were expected on December 5 – until the FAA sounded the alarm.



RELATED: FAA issues warning on potential safety risks from 5G C-band

In their November 24 letter to Chairwoman Rocenworcel, AT&T and Verizon said
they remain confident that 5G poses no risk to air safety. “5G systems have been
deployed in the C-band in nearly 40 countries—with hundreds of thousands of
operating base stations—without any reported incidents of harmful interference
to radio altimeters and without the FAA expressing any concern regarding the
safety of U.S.- registered aircraft operating in those locations,” they wrote.

However, they’re sensitive to the FAA’s concerns and are voluntarily adopting
additional precautionary measures to supplement the protections already covered
in the FCC’s rules. Since deferring the commercial launch by 30 days, AT&T and
Verizon have met with FAA representatives on numerous occasions and “raced to
provide the FAA with extraordinary access to their 5G network deployment
designs, radiofrequency planning, and equipment performance,” the carriers
wrote.

AT&T and Verizon also said they’re committed to continuing to work with the FAA
and radio altimeter stakeholders in modeling and testing going forward.

Meanwhile, to alleviate any safety concerns, they worked with FCC staff and
agreed on this set of measures that will last for six months – expiring July 6,
2022 – “unless credible evidence emerges that real-world interference would
occur if the measures were relaxed.”

Those technical measures include limiting C-band effective isotropic radiated
power (EIRP) on 5G base stations to no more than the lesser of: (a) 62 dBm/MHz
or (b) 48 + 20 × log10(1/sin(Ɵ)) dBm/MHz, where Ɵ is the elevation angle above
the horizontal plane of the base station antenna.

In addition, they’ll limit C-band EIRP for all 5G base stations to no more than
62 dBm/MHz, as well as impose a series of limits near public airports with paved
runways.

Analysts assess economic impacts

In a Wednesday note for investors, analysts at New Street Research said from
what they can tell, none of the commitments will have a long-term impact on the
carriers’ 5G economic performance.  

“That is, we don’t think the limitations will affect customers’ general
perception of the service and therefore will not affect the value proposition
that the customers will assign to the service. Further, given the evidence in
the record to date, we don’t think the commitments will continue past July,”
wrote New Street’s Blair Levin.

The outstanding question remains whether the FAA is now willing to signal that
its concerns have been met, he said. “As we have written before, the FAA has
problematic incentives in terms of resolving this dispute, but we think the
letter, in conjunction with significant support, we believe, from the White
House and the Hill, should move the FAA to declare victory and move on,” he
added. “But it may be a week or more before we learn how the FAA views the
contents of the letter.”

The fracas over C-band renewed concerns about ongoing problems between federal
agencies about spectrum policies. The C-band dispute is the latest example of
federal agencies second-guessing the FCC’s decisions on spectrum.




READ MORE ON

Wireless
AT&T
Verizon
C-band
FCC
FAA
5G
Jessica Rosenworcel




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Wireless


JIO HIKES PREPAID PRICES, DENIES INTEREST IN BT

By
Linda Hardesty
   |  
Nov 29, 2021

The hike has basically restored Jio's price discount compared to its two main
competitors. (Getty Images)

India’s Reliance Jio has raised its prepaid mobile prices 20%, following similar
moves by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea last week.



The hike has basically restored Jio's price discount compared to Bharti in terms
of one prepaid plan. However, the company did not raise prices for the other
four types of plans it offers.

It should be noted, however, that prepaid is extremely popular in
India, constituting almost 95% of the total Indian market.




The analysts at Jefferies, led by Akshat Agarwal, were optimistic about the
effects of the price hike on the one prepaid plan. They see it as a positive
that all three main carriers have raised prices. At the same time, Jio can still
attract new users because of the discount in comparison to the other carriers’
plans.

“Reliance Jio's tariff hikes have brought its discount back to 13-21% vs. Bharti
in the prepaid smartphone segment,” wrote Jefferies. “This should keep Jio's
subscriber momentum intact. With most Jio phone tariffs unchanged, Jio's
subscriber traction should remain strong. Jio's willingness to increase
smartphone tariffs bodes well for Bharti/Jio's longer-term revenue/margin
outlook.”

RELATED: India’s Airtel, Vodafone Idea hike prepaid prices by 20-25%



Jio’s price hike goes into effect December 1.

Jio has been grabbing market share in India ever since its inception as a
company, with its super cheap discounts on LTE service. But many industry
experts have said such low tariffs in India are not sustainable for any of the
country’s mobile operators.

BT rumors

In other news, an article in The Economic Times today indicated that Reliance
Jio's parent company was mulling a bid for the U.K.’s BT Group. The article
stated that Reliance Industries might make an unsolicited offer to buy into BT
Group or try to get a controlling share in it. The article added that Reliance
may also propose to partner with BT's fiber arm, Openreach, and fund its
expansion plans.

But Reliance Industries quickly smacked down that story.

“We categorically deny any intent to bid for the U.K. telecoms group, BT,
formerly British Telecom,” wrote Reliance Industries in a brief announcement.
“The article is completely speculative and baseless.”




READ MORE ON

Wireless
Reliance Jio
BT
bharti airtel
Vodafone Idea
Jefferies
prepaid wireless

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Wireless


TELECOM ITALIA CEO EXITS AMID KKR INTEREST

By
Bevin Fletcher
   |  
Nov 29, 2021

Last week TIM acknowledged a non-binding indication of interest from U.S.-based
investment firm KKR. ((Getty Images))

Telecom Italia CEO Luigi Gubitosi has resigned from his post, as the Italian
telecom operator mulls a proposal from U.S.-based investment firm Kohlberg
Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) to take the company private.



TIM has a domestic fixed line and mobile business in Italy, as well as
operations in Brazil.  

TIM’s board of director’s accepted the exit on November 26, relieving Gubitosi
of his chief executive and general manager duties. The board appointed Pietro
Labriola, CEO of subsidiary TIM S.A. (TIM Brasil), as general manager for the
time being for continued operations. Gubitosi, who took the helm in 2018, is
still a member of the board of directors.




TIM Chairman Salvatore Rossi has taken over responsibility for remaining aspects
including, partnerships and alliances, institutional communications,
sustainability projects and sponsorship, public affairs, and management of TIM’s
assets and activities for Italy’s national defense and security systems.

RELATED: TIM, Ericsson, Qualcomm achieve 1 Gbps on 5G mmWave fixed wireless
access

Earlier in the week TIM acknowledged a non-binding approach by KKR, made
November 19, to delist the public company for a cash price valued at about EUR
10.8 billion ($12 billion). The so-called “Indication of Interest” by KKR was
categorized as “friendly” with the aim of securing approval from TIM’s board and
support by management. In addition to the board, it would need approval from
Italy’s government.



In announcing Gubitosi’s resignation, TIM also said it formed an ad hoc
committee led by Rossi and four independent directors, with support of advisors,
to start up preliminary activities in preparation to review KKR’s interest.

As for Gubitosi, Reuters reported last week that the now former chief executive
had told TIM’s board he was willing to step down to help accelerate a decision
on KKR. Gubitosi has reportedly been facing heat from TIM’s largest single
shareholder French media company Vivendi, which questioned his role and strategy
amid poor financial results.

In the third quarter TIM saw revenue declines of 2.1% year over year and
recorded net profit of EUR 200 million. The company’s net debt stood at EUR 22.2
billion.

RELATED: TIM passes 2 Gbps barrier, claims European 5G speed record

In his letter to the board last week, detailed by Reuters, Gubitosi said it was
time to take steps regarding KKR and added that access to TIM’s books to conduct
due diligence could technically be ready within 48-72 hours.

“Time-wasting attitudes by the board that could be interpreted as aimed at
defending the interests of certain shareholders are to be avoided,” Gubitosi
said in the letter.

KKR isn’t a stranger to TIM investments. KKR Infrastructure previously acquired
37.5% of FiberCorp (which includes TIM’s last-mile network) for EUR 1.8 billion.

TIM is the largest telephony operator in Italy and holder of telecommunications
infrastructure.  The mobile operator launched initial 5G service in the country
using 3.7 GHz spectrum and gear from Ericsson.

In acknowledging KKR’s interest in TIM, Italy’s economy and finance ministry
called it “positive news for the country.”

The government said it would carefully evaluate as it follows developments,
particularly with regard to infrastructure-related projects to ensure
compatibility with Italy’s plans for expanding ultra-fast broadband connections.




READ MORE ON

Wireless
Telecom Italia
mergers and acquisitions
regulation




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Wireless


INDIA’S AIRTEL, VODAFONE IDEA HIKE PRE-PAID PRICES BY 20-25%

By
Gagandeep Kaur
   |  
Nov 24, 2021

Prepaid constitutes almost 95% of the total Indian market. (Getty Images)

After almost two years, India’s second-largest service provider, Bharti Airtel,
decided to increase the price of all its pre-paid plans by up to 25%. This was
followed by Vodafone Idea, which also announced an increase in rates of pre-paid
packages.



The price increase by Airtel is significant considering that it already has the
highest Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of INR 153 ($2.09) in India as per
September results. On the other hand, Reliance Jio recorded an ARPU of INR 144
($1.93) and Vodafone Idea of INR 109 ($1.46). 

Prepaid constitutes almost 95% of the total Indian market. Significantly, the
Airtel increase is sharpest for the 2G package, from INR 79 ($1.06) to INR 99
($1.32). “With the increasing proportion of data subscribers as a proportion of
total subscriber base (August 2021: 66.5%, March 2021: 64%, March 2020: 57.7%),
this move is also possibly aiming to shift non-data customers to data customers,
which can lead to higher ARPU for the industry. Furthermore, a lower proportion
of voice-only customers can help telcos in re-farming some of the 2G/3G spectrum
to 4G data usage, which can reduce operating expenses as well as reduce the
requirement of further spectrum,” says India Ratings agency.




RELATED: India's Airtel looks to raise funds, possibly from Google

This is in line with the stress in India to upgrade more than 300 million 2G
subscribers to the 4G network. Jio has been asking for a policy change to
realize the mission of 2G-mukt Bharat (2G-free India), making it easier for 2G
users to move to a 4G network. By increasing the pricing of the voice-only
package, Airtel seeks to make it more appealing for this segment to start using
4G.

This price increase will help the industry, which is reeling under massive
debts, to generate funds for network modernization and the upcoming 5G auctions
in the coming year. India may witness an increase in capex as two of the top
three telcos increase rates.



On several occasions, Airtel has said the tariffs in India are not sustainable
and has called on the industry to increase the prices. “Bharti Airtel has always
maintained that the mobile Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) needs to be at INR
200 ($2.68) and ultimately at INR 300 ($4.03), so as to provide a reasonable
return on capital that allows for a financially healthy business model,” says
the statement issued by Airtel.

The price hike was long overdue because of the poor financial health of the
Indian telcos. Airtel reported a loss of INR 7630 million ($102.5 million) while
Vodafone Idea recorded a loss of INR 71320 million ($958.67 million) in the
September quarter. Though they have got moratorium for four years, both Airtel
and Vodafone Idea have to clear massive dues to the government. 

Earlier this year, Airtel had increased the rates of its post-paid plans. While
just 5% of the company’s users are in this segment, they contribute 20% of its
revenue. This was considered safe as, typically, churn is limited in this
segment. 

The price increase is significant for Vodafone Idea as it still struggles to
find investment. Over the last year, it has witnessed a shrinking of its
subscriber base. This increase will help it invest in network modernization to
provide better services and generate funds for the 5G spectrum auction.  

The Jio factor

India has one of the lowest rates for voice and data services, but the
competitive intensity has ensured that price increase is a rare phenomenon in
the country. This is more so after the disruptive entry of Mukesh Ambani-led
Reliance Jio Infocomm in 2016.

RELATED: Jio made a big splash in India, now what?

The predatory pricing by India’s only pure-play 4G service provider, offering
free 4G services for the first six months of its operations, forced the service
providers to reduce their rates. Even as it introduced Indians from all segments
of society to data services, telcos struggled to maintain profitability. At one
time, the industry ARPU had dropped to just INR 79 ($1.06)  in 2017.

Jio's entry also led to massive consolidation in the industry bringing down the
number of telcos from 10 to 12 in every circle (service area) to just four
(three private and one state-owned telco).

Now, even as Airtel and Vodafone Idea have increased pre-paid prices, it remains
to be seen whether Jio will also follow suit. Jio has recently lost a
significant number of subscribers, and it may like to continue with
lower-than-market prices to improve its appeal to the new subscribers. 




READ MORE ON

Wireless
prepaid
prepaid wireless
bharti airtel
Vodafone Idea
Reliance Jio




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