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Wireless Giants Split on FCC’s Phone Unlocking Policy

Broadband Breakfast

WASHINGTON, September 11, 2024 – The Federal Communications Commission’s latest proposal to standardize phone unlocking policies has divided the nation’s largest wireless carriers.   "Handset locking is crucial for providers to offer promotions and zero-interest financing," AT&T explained.

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T-Mobile: Unlocking Phones After 60 Days a ‘Major Question’

Broadband Breakfast

T-Mobile met with agency staff last week to reiterate its position that the rule would block a planned phone unlocking mandate. T-Mobile generally locks phones until they’re paid off but committed to unlocking Mint Mobile phones after 60 days as a merger condition. The deal closed in May. 

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NCTA Warns 60-Day Phone Unlocking Rule Could Fuel Billions in Fraud

Broadband Breakfast

22, 2024 – A major cable industry group is warning that a proposed 60-day mobile phone unlocking standard could open the door to billions of dollars in fraud. “Handset fraud has blossomed into a billion-dollar industry: criminals obtain handsets under a subsidized/financed arrangement in the U.S., WASHINGTON, Oct.

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IHS considers exiting Rwanda and Zambia

Total Telecom

In summer last year, however, the company was dealt a major blow to its finances when the new Nigerian government relaxed foreign exchange restrictions, leading to the rapid devaluation of the naira. Since the start of the 2020s, IHS has been on an M&A spree, buying up thousands of towers, most notably in Africa and Brazil.

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Gigs Raises $73 Million To Enable Tech Companies To Launch Their Own Mobile Service

Total Telecom

Hermann Frank, co-founder and CEO at Gigs: We believe that getting a phone plan should be as easy as ordering an Uber, not as complicated as leasing a car at a dealership. The truth, however, is that phone plans are stuck in the past: analog, uniform, and, frankly, unloved. For more information, visit gigs.com.

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Bell expands into US market with $7 billion Ziply Fiber acquisition 

Total Telecom

The deal will be financed through the proceeds from BCE’s sale of its Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment stake, alongside a discounted Dividend Reinvestment Plan. Earlier this year, BCE announced it would cut 4,800 jobs, roughly 9% of the company’s 44,610 workforce, as the company reported “declining legacy phone and news business”.

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AT&T Wants Two Years to Comply FCC’s Mobile Phone Unlocking Proposal

Broadband Breakfast

14, 2024 – AT&T has pushed back against a consumer-focused proposal from federal regulators to unlock mobile phones within 60 days, citing potential legal overreach. WASHINGTON, Nov. In a recent filing to the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T argued that the FCC lacked explicit authority to enforce such a mandate.

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