AT&T launching 4G LTE powered Wi-Fi and expanding AT&T U-Verse - AT&T offensive as Google sprouts 1 Gigabit IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi Protocol as Jamaica catches up

“Everyone wants access to high-speed, reliable mobile Internet wherever they are, including at 5,000 feet. We are building on AT&T's significant strengths to develop in-flight connectivity technology unlike any other that exists today, based on 4G LTE standards. We believe this will enable airlines and passengers to benefit from reliable high speeds and a better experience. We expect this service to transform connectivity in the aviation industry -- we are truly mobilizing the sky.”

Chief Strategy Officer at AT&T, John Stankey, in a press release on Sunday April 29^th 2014

Telecom Provider AT&T is taking GoGo In-Flight Wi-Fi to Church.

On Sunday April 29^th 2014, Telecom Provider AT&T announced that they’re going into the In-Flight Wireless Broadband Business with the intention to introduce 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) to airline passengers as stated in “AT&T to take on Gogo with in-flight Wi-fi service”, published April 28, 2014 5:07 PM PDT by Donna Tam, CNET News and “AT&T lays out plan for gigabit Internet dominance, setting up Google Fiber showdown”, published April 21, 2014 3:20 PM by Anthony Domanico, Techhive.

The excerpt above says it all. GoGo, a name that makes me think of girls dancing on poles on a plane, Iron Man Style, is going to get some serious competition by the Third Quarter of 2015 from 4G LTE Wielding Telecom Provider AT&T.

Interestingly, Telecom Provider AT&T is partnering with Honeywell, who are already in partnership with Immarsat to provide In-Flight Satellite Broadband as reported back in April 2012 as stated in my blog article entitled “Honeywell partners with Immarsat for In-Flight Satellite Broadband in 2013AD - Konshens Gal a Bubble for Qualcomm Airplane Broadband”. 

=Possibly, they’ll be in a three-way partnership with Honeywell and Immarsat using unused 14 MHz Spectrum with tech provided by Qualcomm to provision Airplane Wi-Fi called Next Gen-AG as described in my blog article entitled “Qualcomm to create Airplane Wi-Fi named Next Gen-AG using 500MHz of unused 14GHz Spectrum - 300MBps in the Mile High Club”.

This as it’s not really 4G LTE that the passengers on board the airplane will be using. Rather, Telecom Provider AT&T will most likely install 4G LTE BTS (Base Transceiver Stations) and provision BBU (Base Band Units) at the Airport on these Cell Towers. Then, they’ll install 4G LTE-to-Wi-Fi Routers in the airplanes as well as in the Airport buildings to convert the 4G LTE Wireless Broadband signal to Wi-Fi. 

The Wi-Fi protocol they’ll most likely use is the 1 Gigabit capable IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi Protocol. The 4G LTE-to-Wi-Fi Routers will receive the 4G LTE signal and to handle the conversion of 4G LTE signal from their Cell Towers transmitted over the 14 GHz Spectrum to Wi-Fi, making it possible for airplanes in the air to receive Broadband Speed Internet on a plane

A process no different from my idea for the JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) to install MiFi Routers in their Buses to provide Wi-Fi and get the sex crazed unruly children to go home and stop loitering in Half-Way-Tree as stated in my blog article entitled “Unruly High School Students Making out and having sex in the JUTC Half-Way-Tree Transport Center - How wi-Fi in Buses can lead to Solar Power, LPG and the smarterCard Cashless system”.

Google Fiber vs AT&T U-Verse - AT&T offensive as Google sprouts 1 Gigabit IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi Protocol

Interestingly too, this isn’t the first time Telecom Provider AT&T is responding to a growing threat, as they’re also ramping up their offer of 1 Gbps Fiber Optic Internet to counter competition from Google Fiber as stated in “AT&T Eyes Major Gigabit Internet Expansion”, published APRIL 21, 2014 03:02PM EST BY STEPHANIE MLOT, PCMag.

AT&T U-Verse is being expanded to approximately 21 cities in the US of A as listed below:

1.      Atlanta

2.      Augusta

3.      Charlotte

4.      Chicago

5.      Cleveland

6.      Fort Lauderdale

7.      Fort Worth

8.      Greensboro

9.      Houston

10.  Jacksonville

11.  Kansas City

12.  Los Angeles

13.  Miami

14.  Nashville

15.  Oakland,

16.  Orlando

17.  San Antonio

18.  San Diego

19.  San Francisco

20.  San Jose

21.  St. Louis

Not really sure where half of these places are (I’m straight up like that!) but it you’re in the US of A reading this, then note I’m very jealous. Google Fiber apparently is the reason for this sudden push.

Since February 2014, 34 other cities in 9 States other than Kansas (I have no idea where that is….Missouri, maybe?) are already courting Google Fiber in their State and city as stated in “34 Cities Working to Land Google Fiber”, published FEBRUARY 19, 2014 03:43PM EST BY STEPHANIE MLOT, PcWorld and “Google Fiber bulks up with plans for 9 more regions”, published February 19, 2014 11:36 AM PST by Seth Rosenblatt, CNET News.

Google Fiber is also packing 1Gbps IEEE802.11ac Wi-Fi as stated in “Google may bestow Wi-Fi in its Google Fiber cities”, published April 24, 2014 6:57 PM PDT by Dara Kerr, CNET News. So no surprise as many Americans want Google Fiber in their cities. Wishing this was in Jamaica as well!

Jamaica’s Broadband Internet Plan – Playing catch-up but ahead with the latest Technology

Jamaica by comparison is slowly playing catch-up thanks to Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME.

We just made the decision to go supersonic earlier on Thursday April 3^rd, 2014 with the sale of 700 MHz Spectrum to Telecom Provider Digicel and AWS Spectrum to Telecom Provider LIME. This in a bid to provision 4G LTE Wireless Broadband in the next 18 months for Jamaicans to access High-Speed Internet as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME and Digicel have purchase AWS and 700 MHZ Spectrum for 4G LTE - Spectrum Purchase by the Number with Strings Attached as Ministry gets kitty donations from Local Telcos”.

 Telecom Provider Digicel is slowly switching over to 4G LTE with plans to increase the contribution of ICT (Information and Computer Technology) to their Profits by 25% via introducing various VAS (Value Added Services) powered by 4G LTE as stated in my blog article entitled “Digicel to invest US$85 million in 4G LTE Network - 25% of Total revenue from ICT as 4G LTE Investments designed to weather the coming Summer WhatsApp Storm”.

Telecom Provider LIME, on the other hand is using AWS Spectrum to provide 4G LTE and has the advantage of more bandwidth, suggesting that they may use if for LIME TV as predicted in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses AWS for 4G LTE – AWS  Link Budget difference reduces Shadowing as It’s all about Optimization and Human Nature”.

Mobile Money and Streaming TV coming - In-Flight 4G LTE and FTTH possibly by 2015-2017

There is the possibility that they may BOTH be dabbling with the idea of Mobile Money Services, based on reports that Telecom Provider Digicel has plans to do so as stated in “Digicel To Roll Out E-Money Service In Jamaica”, Published Wednesday April 23, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Telecom Provider Digicel is also dabbling with the idea of Streaming Television in the Caribbean, based on the recent acquisition of a small Cable Provider in Dominica in February 2014 that also has a Fiber Optic Network as stated in “Digicel Acquires Cable TV Operation”, Published Wednesday February 19, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Later on April 1^st 2014 , General Manager, Digicel Turks and Caicos E Jay Saunders  announced that they’d purchased WIV Cable TV and TCT, operators of the Broadband Cable service TCExpress in Turks and Caicos as stated in “DIGICEL ACQUIRES WIV”, viewed Friday April 17th 2014, Turks and Caicos Sun and “Digicel acquires Turks and Caicos television station”, published Wednesday, April 09, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

So it’s not so bad, as albeit we’re behind, we’re at least catching up via the use of the latest Technology. Most of what’s being installed is the Best Technology that Telecom Equipment Provider Ericsson or Telecom Equipment Provider Huawei have in stock to sell to the Telecom Providers.

It’s now just a matter of wait-and-see to see as to who will be given the contract to provide the Telecom Equiptment to Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME as well as what plans they have for VAS.

Hopefully In-Flight 4G LTE and FTTH (Fiber to the House) may be in the mix by 2015-2017 as our economy improves and becomes affluent enough to afford these high-end services.