Report: DOJ Probes Verizon, AT&T, GSMA Collusion over eSIM Technology

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Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating allegations of collusion by the U.S.’s two largest wireless carriers and a global industry group.  The New York Times reported Friday that Justice Department antitrust investigators are looking into whether Verizon, AT&T and GSMA colluded to undermine eSIM, a technology introduced in 2016 that eliminates the need for SIM cards in mobile devices.

The probe centers on whether Verizon and AT&T sought to establish standards that would allow carriers to lock devices to their networks even if they had embedded eSIM technology — and whether they unfairly sought to maintain their market positions, hurt consumers or competition or curb wireless innovation.  One source told the paper that the investigation could also include other top U.S. carriers.

Most phones currently require a SIM card to work with a particular carrier, but eSIM, the report noted, would make it possible for people to switch carriers without buying a new SIM card.

Read More from Wireless Week Here

Uber Plans to Stop Giving Drivers a Log of Your Exact Pickup and Drop-Off Locations

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In a pilot program launching soon, Uber will begin obscuring riders’ exact pickup and drop-off locations in the trip history displayed to drivers. Instead, it will display a broader location area.  The change is intended to enhance rider privacy and safety, the first of several upcoming changes Uber is making to limit the exposure of users’ location data.

 Currently, Uber drivers are given a record of the precise drop-off and pickup addresses in their trip history. The addresses are stored indefinitely in a driver’s trip history, which enables them go back at any time and look at a rider’s address. That data is maintained even if a rider deletes their account and data from Uber.
Read More from Gizmodo Here

Detectives detail how Boulder police traced murder suspect Adam Densmore’s movements

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The second week of testimony in the trial of Adam Densmore,accused of killing and dismembering Ashley Mead, began Monday with a Boulder police recounting their efforts to trace Densmore’s movements from Colorado to Oklahoma over the days following Mead’s disappearance.

Densmore, 33, is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a corpse, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The only witness to take the stand during the morning session Monday was Boulder police Detective Owen McKinney, who was tasked with getting location data from Densmore’s phone and tablet. McKinney said that using a combination of location data from Google and call data from Sprint, he was able to track Densmore’s movements from the day before Mead was last seen up until the point of Densmore’s arrest in Oklahoma several days later.

On the night of Feb. 11, 2017, McKinney said he tracked Densmore at three different bars before he returned to the 690 Manhattan Drive apartment he shared with Mead, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his 1-year-old child Winter Daisy, at about 2 a.m. Feb. 12.

Read More from The Daily Camera Here

T-Mobile, Sprint Again Discussing Possible Merger, Report Says

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Two of the nation’s four major wireless carriers are reportedly in merger talks — again. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported Tuesday that T-Mobile and Sprint were involved in preliminary discussions about combining the companies.

The report comes more than five months after their previous negotiations ended without a merger announcement. Proponents of the long-sought merger argue a combined company, which would leapfrog AT&T to the No. 2 position in the market, would help both save billions in annual costs, the Journal noted. Both sides were rumored to be near an agreement last year before Japanese tech giant — and Sprint controlling stakeholder — SoftBank Group balked about giving T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom control of the company.

Executives from each carrier were predictably bullish about going it alone after the talks collapsed, but neither company closed the door on future talks at the time. Should the latest talks finally produce an agreement, it still remains unclear whether antitrust regulators would approve a deal to trim the domestic mobile sector from four major carriers to three.

Read More from wirelessweek.com Here

Salt Lake City, New York City to support wireless test beds that go beyond 5G

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More groundbreaking research promises to be in store for researchers in Salt Lake City and New York, thanks to support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The NSF, in collaboration with an industry consortium of 28 networking companies and associations, announced it is supporting the development and deployment of the first two Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) projects, based in Salt Lake City and New York City. The goal is to advance the state of the art for wireless technology beyond today’s 4G, LTE and emerging 5G capabilities.

“The platforms announced today will enable cutting-edge research in living laboratories across the country, which is a new and important milestone for advancing wireless capabilities,” said Jim Kurose, head of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate at NSF, in the announcement. “Innovative wireless networks, technology and applications are key to achieving the vision of future, smart communities.”

NSF has committed $50 million toward the research platforms over the next seven years and expects to announce the development and deployment of additional platforms next year. The PAWR Industry Consortium, consisting of equipment vendors, device manufacturers and wireless carriers, has committed $50 million in cash and in-kind contributions that include equipment, expertise and human resources.

Read More from Fierce Wireless Here