Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Last Updated: March 16, 2018

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Earlier this week, the president issued an executive order killing the prospective merger between Broadcom and mobile chipmaker, Qualcomm. The reason behind this move relates to fostering the growth of 5G technology across the country. National security concerns also lie at the heart of the decision.

The Qualcomm logo. Image copyright Qualcomm.

News about the blocked Qualcomm purchase appeared this week in CNET among other sources. Let’s look at the details to see if it influences when 5G wireless technology arrives in your city.

Protecting US 5G Technology Innovation

President Trump’s decision follows a report from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS). Their government analysis stated the Singapore-based Broadcom buying the American Qualcomm puts us at risk regarding mobile 5G technology. The country obviously places much importance in the growth of 5G over the next decade.

While 5G networks offer the potential for faster mobile wireless voice and Internet service, it also lies at the heart of innovations in self-driving cars, remote surgery, and more. In short, Qualcomm’s technology is important to the country in a myriad of ways.

The company remains the world’s leading manufacturer of the chips used in mobile phones as well as 4G LTE tech. They are currently investing in the research of 5G networking. Qualcomm’s R&D work puts it ahead of other foreign technology firms.

The Future of Mobile 5G gets closer

These other countries, however, are upping their games when it comes to 5G research. Just last week, we reported on the Chinese phone-maker, Huawei, and their recent 5G smartphone announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Additionally, the CFIUS report mentioned Huawei by name.

American microprocessor technology giant, Intel, previously tried to buy Qualcomm. The blocking of the Broadcom purchase attempt by the U.S. Government might lead to Intel taking another shot. AT&T, Verizon, and other mobile technology firms rely on Qualcomm‘s work, making them attractive to Intel.

If anything, this presidential executive order dovetails nicely with their plans to build a federal 5G network that we reported on earlier. Letting Qualcomm innovate appears to be the ultimate goal.

With AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile all announcing 5G wireless networks by the end of this year, it is obvious this new age of wireless mobile technology is reaching a critical mass. The benefits go beyond faster mobile Internet access. Expect to read more about the continued adoption of 5G here at Bandwidth Place as it happens.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

5G News from Mobile World Congress 2018

Last Updated: March 9, 2018

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The recent Mobile World Congress is one of the highlights of the technology industry. As usual, this year’s event took place in Barcelona; click here to read our coverage of the coolest mobile devices announced at MWC. This time out, we look at some of the interesting 5G news announcements.

mobile-world-congress-830x398 — Mobile World Congress 2018 featured a host of 5G news. Logo copyright GSMA.

With AT&T scheduled to bring 5G service to 12 cities by the end of the year, are 5G smartphones expected as well? Let’s take a look at what MWC 2018 told us.

Sprint and T-Mobile adding 5G Networks

Not content to let AT&T steal all the thunder, Sprint and T-Mobile both announced plans to bring 5G service to a variety of U.S. cities over the next two years. News about these new networks appeared in ZDNet. Neither company released anything about 5G smartphones.

Sprint revealed that Los Angeles, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston are expected to receive 5G service sometime this year. T-Mobile’s plans involve building 5G networks in 30 cities with Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Dallas slated for the service by the end of 2018. In both cases, finding enough spectrum is a key factor in bringing 5G to more locations.

What about 5G Smartphones?

Frankly, what good is 5G wireless service without the mobile devices able to use it? News about 5G smartphones at Mobile World Congress seemed a little slim. Many companies are working on the technology, but little concrete information on availability exists.

Huawei introduced a 5G chipset and plans on releasing a 5G smartphone using it in the second half of 2018. The company said its chipset is the first commercially available using the new technology. CNBC and other sources reported on this news.

Additionally, that network reported on a new initiative from Intel to include its 5G modem technology in laptops by Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. The computer makers announced no release dates for these new devices. For their part, both AT&T and Verizon divulged they plan on bringing 5G hotspots to the marketplace before smartphones.

The Dawn of the 5G Era still a Year or Two in the Future

A lack of spectrum and compatible devices places the true emergence of 5G into 2019 at the earliest. The early focus on hotspots and internal modem tech hints at data being the dominant driver instead of voice. Expect to read more about 5G in the coming months here at Bandwidth Place.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Elon Musk making Satellite Internet more Viable?

Last Updated: March 2, 2018

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In a sense, satellite Internet service is the red-headed stepchild of the industry. While it allows those in underserved rural regions to enjoy access to the Web, generally poor speeds combined with monthly bandwidth limits hamper the quality of service to those users. Some satellite ISPs even place additional bandwidth caps on their customers during peak usage hours.

Elon_Musk_in_Mission_Control_at_SpaceX — Elon Musk in Mission Control at SpaceX. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Well, it looks like the market for satellite Internet might be changing, due to the work of Elon Musk and the talented engineers at SpaceX. Let’s look more closely at the details to see if viable satellite ISPs are in your future.

SpaceX launches Two Experimental Broadband Satellites

In mid-February, SpaceX launched two satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. These experimental satellites focus on providing broadband Internet services; part of Musk’s plans for a worldwide satellite-based Internet network. News about the SpaceX launches appeared in the Washington Post, among other sources.

Musk’s primary focus is providing Internet access to developing countries across the world – essentially an orbital version of Google’s SkyBender initiative. Still, wealthier countries also stand to benefit, including the United States. The traditional rule about competition lowering prices and improving service applies in this case.

A Lower Orbit improves Latency

These new SpaceX satellites operate at a lower orbit compared to the others used for Internet access. This means signals are able to be transmitted significantly faster. This brings the potential to greatly improve the poor latency current hampering satellite Internet service.

With more gaming and Internet of Things applications requiring low latency values, SpaceX’s efforts might truly revolutionize this form of Internet service. Other companies are also working on similar technology.

Spurring the Growth of Broadband Internet Service

The SpaceX initiative is also similar to Microsoft’s efforts to deliver broadband to rural America, known as CAN (Connect America Now). The cost of installing fiber hampers the spread of high-speed Internet in rural regions in the United States. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at the New America Foundation, commented on the influence of these innovations.

“For competition, it’s particularly good, because it’ll allow these guys to overbuild — in other words, to become a competitive provider at relatively low capital cost,” said Calabrese. Stay tuned to see if Elon Musk’s efforts change the telecommunications industry and improve Internet access across the globe.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Best Internet Speed for 4K Gaming

Last Updated: February 28, 2018

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In terms of screen resolution, 4K is the next level after most TVs went began to support 1080p in the past decade. DirecTV was the first TV provider to offer 4K content through on-demand and it picked up steam with sports programming where viewers could now stream matches in 4K live. Since YouTube now supports 8K video content, 4K video streaming is now becoming more common.

xbox-one-x-image — Microsoft’s new Xbox One X video game system. Image copyright Microsoft.

4K is here to stay for TV and video so it’s no surprise that video games would follow suit. The PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S consoles were released in 2016. Both are capable of supporting 4K videogaming by upscaling the resolution. In late 2017, Microsoft released first 4K-native console, the Xbox One X.

The Difference between 1080p and 4K Resolution

While the upgrade from 1080p to 4K may not be materially different viewed side by side due to the visual acuity limits, 4K has become popular for games with immersive and cinematic experiences that take place on large screens (at least 55 inches.) Most consoles were only structured for generating enough pixels for 720-1080p game assets and this makes running a game at 4K significantly more difficult if using a non-native console aside from the PS 4 Pro or Xbox One S. You will also need an extremely robust Internet connection in order to get the best possible gaming experience in 4K.

Boost your Internet Speed for 4K Gaming

First, you’re going to want to get the game to run at least 60 FPS. An Internet speed of 100 Mbps would be the absolute minimum for 4K videogaming content with a dual-GPU setup. The latest graphics cards can help you attain 60 fps in most modern PC games that demand a lot of resources, but a dual-GPU setup is the ticket to reaching that frame rate consistently. Without dual-GPU, it would literally be impossible for PC gaming at lower speeds than that.

For online multiplayer games relying on consoles, 100 Mbps is the initial ideal speed to aim for after accounting for bandwidth priority, and if other people are using the same connection for transmitting large amounts of data like streaming videos. By running a speed test, you can find out what speed you are hitting based on how much bandwidth your ISP has allocated to your area.

Get the Right Internet Plan from your ISP

If you’re looking to start playing 4K games or streaming 4K content on a regular basis, you need to find out what your particular service package covers since a fast and reliable connection capable of at least 100mbps is needed for the best quality. You also need to find out where gaming servers are located, because 4K servers can result in high latency when located too far from them. It will also result in a reduced frame rate that makes for a poor experience. 4K-native devices can make this easier but ultimately, server location matters as does the bandwidth.

All around though, 60 Mbps is a good place to start for video streaming but 100 Mbps is the bare minimum to aim for in 4K gaming. As long as your Internet speed is significantly higher than the streaming content’s bit rate and your hardware is capable of handling high-end content, 4K videogaming shouldn’t be that difficult.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

AT&T announces First Cities to receive Mobile 5G

Last Updated: February 23, 2018

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The commercial rollout of mobile 5G wireless service continues to become a reality. This week, AT&T stepped up to plate by naming three of the first 12 cities to receive its 5G wireless service. We previously reported on the telecommunications giant’s 5G trials taking place in Waco, Texas.

News about the cities scheduled to receive AT&T mobile 5G appeared Wednesday in TechCrunch among other sources. Read further to see if the next level of wireless Internet service is slated to arrive in your location.

AT&T Mobile 5G headed for Texas and Atlanta

Not surprisingly considering the current trials, Waco tops the AT&T list of the cities slated to receive mobile 5G. Dallas also made the top three, leaving Houston and San Antonio out for the time being. The company named Atlanta as the other city in this week’s announcement.

Since AT&T plans on rolling out mobile 5G to 12 cities by the end of this year, expect the other nine locations to be named shortly. This initial rollout uses the 3GPP standard; operating on the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. In addition to faster Internet speed, the 5G technology boasts smaller latency, making the wireless tech useful for home automation and online gaming applications.

Igal Elbaz, SVP of Wireless Network Architecture and Design at AT&T, commented on the upcoming rollout. “After significantly contributing to the first phase of 5G standards, conducting multi-city trials, and literally transforming our network for the future, we’re planning to be the first carrier to deliver standards-based mobile 5G — and do it much sooner than most people thought possible,” said Elbaz.

What about 5G Smartphones and Tablets?

As TechCrunch notes, the appearance of 5G wireless service predates the availability of smartphones able to take advantage of the new technology. With the Mobile World Congress on the docket for next week, expect some 5G product announcements. Still, limited network availability probably hampers customer interest until 2019 and beyond.

Expect additional coverage on any news about new 5G smartphones over the next few weeks. Also, stay tuned for AT&T’s announcement about the other nine cities to receive mobile 5G this year. Of course, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint probably have similar announcements planned for sometime in 2018.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

The PlayStation 4 Pro and 4K Internet Bandwidth

Last Updated: February 21, 2018

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Midpoint consoles usually flop, as they offer no new real advantage over the basic current-gen console that would keep a customer from waiting for the proper next generation market entry. The PlayStation 4 Pro, with 70 million worldwide sales before the beginning of 2018, blew that assumption out of the water.

Why?

The PS4 Pro finally made 4K gaming a reality for the average console gamer.

4K Videogaming is an Emerging Reality

First of all, the PS4 Pro was the first generation of console to destroy the notion of console generations – the Pro is actually the first real instance of iterative hardware that supports all previous titles with new features. Compared to the PS4 proper, the Pro runs at well over twice the GPU speed and gives total power of 4.2 teraflops. This is just the beginning.

ps4-pro-image — The PlayStation 4 Pro. Image copyright Sony.

Although the PS4 Pro has the same amount of memory as the PS4 (8 GB GDDR5), the greater speed of the Pro allows the performance of that memory to improve. Additionally, the Pro give you an additional 1 GB to quarantine non gaming applications such as Netflix. This means multiple applications will not slow down your gaming, and you can switch between your gaming and non gaming apps more quickly.

The PS4 Pro sports an Impressive Microprocessor

The PS4 Pro CPU is a 2.1GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar, another improvement over the 1.6GHz of the PS4. What does all of this mean in gaming performance?

What you see from these hardware improvements depends on the game you are playing. Most game devs are using the extra power to bring a higher resolution experience to people with 4K televisions. Graphics can also be made to look more realistic, adding lighting and shadows without slowing the pace of the game.

However, the most graphic intensive games still do not run at a true 4K, because the demands of gameplay are too severe. Many games actually upscale to 4K, and because the mainstream has not truly become acclimated to 4K, most gamers cannot tell the difference. Most people simply do not have the full hardware chain to take advantage of 4K tech, and this will probably be the case for at least the next couple of years.

Internet Speed Requirements for 4K Online Gaming

You begin to see the cutting edge nature of 4K when you consider the bandwidth considerations for a decent online gaming experience. If you want to run a true 4K game at 60 frames per second (fps), you really need a connection of at least 100Mbps or more. This assumes that the PS4 Pro has priority access and a modem/router that doesn’t drop your speed.

This is actually much easier than you might think if you are engaged in an online multiplayer experience, and not so simple if you are looking to Cloud game. Because the PS4 Pro deals with the former, the average gamer should be able to render 4K graphics with a good connection. In rural areas, 100Mbps may be a bit difficult to achieve, but the technology is coming. Look to the PlayStation 4 Pro to maintain its position as the premier online gaming system until the infrastructure and mainstream hardware catches up.

Bandwidth Place is a great location to check your resources before beginning a heavy gaming session – especially one that may reflect on your public record for a favored game. Make no mistake – winning those in game trophies starts with your Internet connection!

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Latency for Gaming: What is a Good Latency for Online Gaming?

Last Updated: February 14, 2018

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When it comes to Internet speed and online gaming, latency is a term that frequently gets thrown around.

game-controller-flickr — Photo Courtesy Mark Bonica, Flickr.

What is latency in online video games? Latency, measured as ping, refers to the average total time that it takes your gaming device to send data to the game server, and back to your device. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms) so if your ping is 100ms then it takes 100 milliseconds for your computer to respond to a request from the game server.

Why is Latency Relevant to Gameplay?

Low latency or ping is desirable to achieve smoother gameplay and a user experience without lagging. If the ping is around 1000ms or higher, it’s definitely going to result in players suddenly appearing or disappearing and overall gameplay running incredibly slow. Additionally, games where timing is crucial, like FPS and racing games, suffer a greatly diminished experience with high latency. In short, time lags from high latency make gaming far less enjoyable.

How to Achieve Low Latency

Contrary to popular belief, a fast and responsive Internet connection with fast upload and download speeds isn’t all there is to keeping latency low. You can have a pretty fast connection and even an incredibly fast custom PC designed especially for online gaming but still face horrendous ping values.

So first, you need to run a speed test. Some games will show your ping speed alongside other players but for those that don’t, you definitely need to run a speed test first. A ping value of 20ms or less means you have an excellent latency rate. A rate from 20 to 100ms will still equal enjoyable gameplay, but not give you maximum performance for games where timing is everything. A slower but still workable ping is 100-150ms but anything over 150ms is definitely going to result in a noticeable lag causing a lot of frustration.

Then you need to rule out ISP issues. You need a stable Internet connection above 2Mbps for the best performance in online gaming and a wired connection is imperative. Wireless routers and devices may be fine for routine Internet use but they don’t provide the stability that a perpetually-connected online game requires. If you’re connecting via wire and operating at 2Mbps or greater, first try resetting your modem or router and see if that fixes the lags. Failing that, contact your ISP to find out if you’re having signal troubles or if this is a widespread issue in your area at the moment.

Is the Game Server Slow?

Sometimes, the game server runs slow. Check in with other players to see if they’re having the same problem regardless of connectivity to determine if the latency issues are being caused at the server level. Server location also increases ping (such as if you are playing in the United States but the server is located in Australia.)

After ruling out ISP and game server issues, you’ll want to make sure there’s nothing else running in the background and see if your computer specs (especially graphics cards) are up to par for the game’s system requirements.

Following these steps helps achieve superior ping rates.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Is the New ESPN Plus Streaming Service a Gamechanger?

Last Updated: February 9, 2018

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News hit this week about ESPN introducing a new content streaming service. The fact ESPN Plus costs only $5 per month raised the eyebrows and hopes of many sports fans. This price undercuts the $8 estimated monthly fee cable and satellite subscribers pay for the family of sports channels – whether wanted or not.

Let’s take a closer look at the details to see if ESPN Plus at a monthly price of $5 makes sense as part of your cord-cutting diet. Does it provide enough sports content to warrant a subscription?

Reviews are Mixed on ESPN Plus

The biggest downside to ESPN Plus appears to be the lack of content from the sports channel’s major channels – most notably ESPN and ESPN 2. “What’s the point” – you are probably asking. In essence, subscribers are paying for a separate version of ESPN 3.

ESPN logo. Copyright ESPN.

ESPN’s own marketing verbiage better explains what Plus provides:

“This subscription service will feature thousands of additional live events, giving fans access to more leagues, more teams and more games than ever before, including Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the NHL, along with a rich array of college sports, as well as Grand Slam Tennis, Boxing, Golf, Rugby and Cricket, that aren’t available on the ESPN linear networks.

Additionally, ESPN Plus will feature the full library of ESPN Films, including the highly acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series; and we’re also creating a robust slate of high-quality original content exclusively for this platform.”

So, fans of soccer and other more niche sports will likely find some value in their subscription. This isn’t, however, a gamechanger for cord-cutters. Expect to still pay upwards of $30-40 per month for a streaming package that includes the regular ESPN offerings.

A Streaming Trial for Disney?

BGR feels ESPN Plus essentially serves as a beta test for the upcoming Disney streaming channels. Star Wars and Marvel Comics offerings are expected from the company within the next two years. Rich Greenfield, a media and technology analyst for the brokerage firm BTIG, isn’t impressed.

“If they were including the core ESPN at a higher price, I think there would be a lot of demand. I honestly think it’s a very niche audience. They either have to be all in on streaming, or they’re going to fail,” said Greenfield to CNN.

ESPN Plus becomes available later this spring, if you remain interested. Also, make sure your Internet speed is fast enough to stream HD content.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Dragonball FighterZ and your Internet Performance

Last Updated: February 7, 2018

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The FGC (Fighting Game Community) has been looking for a new flagship since the disappointing launch of Street Fighter V, and we may have it in Dragonball FighterZ (pronounced “Fighters”). The game is relevant, up to date with the Dragonball Super storyline, and has an absolutely incredible look. I will never get tired of the insanely awesome graphic that shows a new fighter flying in throwing an introductory right hook after the active fighter is downed.

Most importantly, however, Dragonball FighterZ is the first AAA fighting game in YEARS to give us an almost perfect combat system – complete with new gameplay elements that are unique to the Dragonball series.

Continuing the comparisons to Street Fighter V, it is quite important to note that on day one FighterZ came out as a full single player and multiplayer experience. Currently, there is talk of the game being promoted as a feature act on the pro fighting game circuit. Take notes, Capcom: you don’t have to rush a game and come out with a barebones day one farce just to get tournament support.

How much Internet Speed do you need for Dragonball FighterZ?

As always, I used Bandwidth Place to check my specs before testing Dragonball multiplayer (I am playing on the PS4). Here were my results:

Ping – 205 ms
DL Speed – 1.34 Mbps
UL Speed – 0.41 Mbps

These were pretty good stats; actually a bit better than I usually get. With the silky smooth 60 fps and beautiful art of Dragonball in full effect with FighterZ, I can’t help but get excited about this experience.

The action here will have you thinking you are in control of a Dragonball cartoon. It’s that good. The FighterZ team did an incredible job of condensing the overpowered nature of Dragonball characters into a workable control scheme. Somehow you don’t feel as though any character got “nerfed” for the sake of balance or gameplay. Special moves are incredibly simple to do, but Street Fighter purists can’t say too much, as you still need a great deal of skill to pull off some of the bigger combos in the game.

Dragonball’s New Game Mechanics

The new mechanics are the star of this show. For example: instead of throws, you get the famous “infinite strike animation” when you come into throw range and execute successfully. Super dashes, sparking blasts, ki charges and vanishes are universal controls that don’t feel cheap, because if you are fast enough, you can counter them. The result is a game that matches the intense speed of the Dragonball series without losing any gameplay.

First player story mode is surprisingly intriguing and complete (taking notes, Capcom?). You actually get a brand new story based around an entirely new character who is trying to, well, kill everyone else. This new force requires old enemies to become friends for their own survival. Without revealing too much about the three story arcs, just know that Android 21 is a force to be reckoned with.

However, the real gem here is multiplayer. This is three on three action that runs flawlessly at 60 fps even during the most intense graphic sequences. Basically, Dragonball FighterZ is what Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite would have been with a development team that cared. The bottom line – Dragonball FighterZ is the new standard for 2.5D fighters.

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Learn 5G Technology behind the Killing of the Deal between Qualcomm and Broadcom

Federal Government considers building a Nationwide 5G Network

Last Updated: February 2, 2018

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One of most surprising pieces of recent telecommunications news involves the U.S. Government’s desire to build its own 5G network. The Trump administration’s focus is cybersecurity, especially against foreign hackers. Not surprisingly, a wide range of industry groups and the FCC are against the concept.

Photo copyright 3GPP.

News about the potential of a federal government 5G network appeared earlier this week in Bloomberg among other sources. Let’s look more closely at the story to see if government provided 5G wireless is in your future.

FCC Chair, Ajit Pai against Government 5G Network

Considering the recent FCC repeal of Net Neutrality, it’s not a surprise Chairman Ajit Pai opposes any government 5G network. “I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network. Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future,” said Pai.

Obviously, Pai feels the wireless industry offers the best chance at providing the technical innovations necessary for a nationwide 5G network. Still, local municipalities successfully manage their own high-speed Internet services, most notably in Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, any national Internet network raises a whole other set of issues.

Telecom Industry doesn’t want Federal 5G

Of course, key companies in the telecommunications industry also strongly oppose the Trump administration’s 5G plans. An industry trade group including AT&T and Verizon Wireless share Pai’s opinion that private industry is the best way to bring 5G to the public. We previously covered the AT&T trials of their new network technology in Texas.

Next Steps for the Federal Government and 5G

The U.S. Government is currently speaking with American and European providers of wireless technology, with no news about the next steps. It is hoped a final decision gets made by September of this year. The White House Press Secretary echoed this fact: “There’s been absolutely no decision made other than the fact, the need for a secure network.”

Ultimately, with strong industry and FCC opposition, a federally-controlled 5G network looks unlikely. This doesn’t even consider the opinions of other groups strongly against any government control of the media. A final question likely applies in this case: does the potential specter of foreign cybercrime outweigh a free Internet?

Stay tuned to Bandwidth Place for additional coverage of this important issue as warranted.