Google Renames MVNO Service Google Fi, Expands Device Support

/in /by

Google’s three-year-old MVNO service Project Fi has been renamed Google Fi and now works with more smartphones including iPhones and most Android devices.

Google announced its Project Fi MVNO service in 2015, promising a seamless experience, automatically connecting users to the strongest available signal by switching between WiFi and LTE using Sprint and T-Mobile’s respective LTE networks. In 2016, Google added U.S. Cellular as a network partner.

Notably, seamless switching between multiple cellular networks isn’t supported on most BYOD phones, according to a blog post by Simon Arscott, director of Project Fi.

Read More from Wireless Week Here

T-Mobile CFO Talks Sprint Deal, Fixed Wireless Broadband

/in /by

Speaking at an investor conference last week, T-Mobile CFO Braxton Carter discussed the approval timeline for the carrier’s proposed $26 billion deal with Sprint, as well the 5G opportunity for fixed wireless broadband.

Carter said the Sprint merger, which is currently under review by the FCC and DOJ, could close as early as the first quarter of 2019, though second quarter is more likely.

“The only remaining thing that’s happening is depositions with the DOJ, which have started, and will be complete in a few weeks,” Carter said at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference in Barcelona on Friday, according to a transcript. “And what we’re hopeful is we get some early indications of where these regulatory agencies are at by the end of this year.”

Carter reiterated that T-Mobile is “very optimistic” about approval, and noted the company has provided the DOJ with 25 million pages of documents, filed a 600-page public interest statement with the FCC, and engaged in numerous meetings with additional government agencies.

However, in outlining key takeaways from a recent antitrust and public policy summit hosted by MoffettNathanson, senior analyst Craig Moffett said regulatory approval of the T-Mobile/Sprint deal is not automatic, with several event panelists pegging the odds of approval at 50-50.

Read More From ECN Here

Verizon’s Latest 5G Lab Focused on First Responders

/in /by

Verizon announced its latest 5G incubator lab, this time with a focus on use-cases for public safety.

The 5G First Responder Lab, located in Washington, D.C., will provide a workspace for 15 first responder technology developers to test and develop public safety applications using 5G network technology.

Three separate cohorts, each consisting of five developers, can innovate in the lab and create go-to-market strategies over a three-month period.

“As Verizon deploys 5G, it is critical that we look beyond the launch for consumers and consider how users in public safety can leverage this revolutionary technology,” said Nick Nilan, director of public sector product strategy for Verizon, in a statement. “5G will enable technology for first responders that hasn’t been imagined yet, and this 5G First Responder Lab will help lead the creation of life-saving innovations.”

Read More from Wireless Week Here

Apple confirms Group FaceTime, dual-SIM support to arrive alongside iOS 12.1

/in /by

Available for free through Apple Books, the revised “iPhone User Guide for iOS 12.1” is largely unchanged from a previous version created for iOS 12. There are, however, two major additions that confirm upcoming availability of features teased at WWDC 2018 in June and Apple’s iPhone unveiling last month.

The e-book, which serves as a digital manual for new iPhone users, now lists Group FaceTime as a iOS 12.1 feature. Introduced at WWDC, Group FaceTime allows users to conduct FaceTime video conference calls with up to 32 participants.

Originally slated for release with iOS 12 in September, Apple postponed launch in August. The feature returned for testing in the first iOS 12.1 beta issued to developers last month, prompting speculation of its inclusion in a final build this fall.

In addition to Group FaceTime, the user guide also notes dual-SIM functionality for iPhone XR, XS and XS Max will go live when the iOS point update sees release.

Read More from Apple Insider Here

Cell phone mapping used in capital murder trial

/in /by

Prosecutors spent much of Monday morning using cell phone tracking data to build their case against Howard Wayne Lewis.

Lewis is on trial in Walker County for the murder of his 16-month-old son Aiyden Lewis and the child’s grandmother Shanta Faye Crawford. Their bodies were found in the afternoon of July 24, 2013 at their home on M. Williams Rd., west of Huntsville.

On the sixth day of the capital murder trial, Walker County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. John Davila testified that he noticed a near five hour gap in tower pings from Lewis’ phone on the morning of the double-homicide.

Davila — who was accepted as an expert in cell phone forensic extraction — testified that there was a pattern with the long gaps in usage from someone that was shown to be an “avid phone user.” According to Davila’s testimony, Lewis’ T-Mobile phone pinged off a cell tower near Hutchins at 7:44 a.m. and the next one would not come until 12:57 p.m. on the western side of Dallas, near Red Raider Ln.

Read More from The Huntsville Item Here