Learn 8K Video Devices hitting the Market – Is it Too Soon?

8K Video Devices hitting the Market – Is it Too Soon?

Last Updated: January 24, 2018

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Technology waits for no man – sometimes not even the consumer. 8K video devices from some very forward thinking companies are currently hitting the market, even before the mainstream has had time to fully consider 4K. A simple Google search will reveal articles dating back to 2015 detailing the rollout of 8K TVs and smartphones. However, articles on the same topic in 2017 and 2018 tend to replay the same material, as the industry seems not to have moved.

Let’s take a look at the current market for 8K to see if everyone is jumping the gun, or if we are just around the corner from yet another visual revolution.

Does anyone actually need an 8K Compatible TV, Console or Smartphone?

Did you know that YouTube now supports 8K uploads? If you didn’t, you’re not the only one. Most content creators don’t even bother trying to record at that level. If you run across a video with an 8K option, good luck playing it (here is the first ever 8K YouTube video upload, by the way). AAA movies and most network and cable TV programs are shot on cameras that can deliver 8K; however, many of the video distributors still shy away from offering it simply because there are enough 8K televisions in the market to justify the cost.

What does Streaming 8K Video Demand?

Tests show that streaming 8K video requires around 50 Mbps speed on your broadband. Only the latest and greatest laptops have the ability to render the content without endless buffering. You will need a video card like the AMD RX 480 with DisplayPort 1.4 capabilities, and CPU power at the level of an i5/i7 Intel depending on your video codec. In short, either your CPU or your GPU should have some sort of video acceleration capability in order for you to even think about playing 8K. Essentially, Internet speed is the least of your concerns.

Is the Market for 4K Saturated?

The market for 4K streaming is far from saturated. The video gaming industry, by far the largest chunk of the modern entertainment business, still views 1080p and 60 frames per second as its standard operating rate. You can bet that if the industry with the most money has not moved even to 4K, movies and music will probably lag behind.

Many of the largest electronics companies, including giants Samsung and Sony, have yet to fully commit to pushing 4K into the mainstream market. With this in mind, it will likely be a few years before we see any kind of push for 8K.

Should you invest in 8K Devices Now or Later?

If you absolutely have to be the standard-bearer in your neighborhood, you can find 8K devices for your home or office. However, there are very few applications or content that you will be able to actually play on these devices. This includes applications and content in highly specialized niche industries that would actually benefit from the use of 8K visuals and streaming capabilities, such as landscaping and geo-positioning.

You can bet that the market will eventually catch up and begin to use 8K streaming and 8K devices commercially. Technology tends to find a use for its leading-edge products at some point in time or another. However, no one knows when this wonderful day will be. While waiting, you will probably be paying quite cost premium for the privilege of being on the cutting edge, even if it is so far out as to be invisible from the rest of the field.

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Learn 8K Video Devices hitting the Market – Is it Too Soon?

Google Project Fi – Now with Unlimited Data

Last Updated: January 19, 2018

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Google Project Fi is a low-cost wireless service we talked about previously. While it doesn’t get as much buzz as their Fiber Internet service, it offers consumers a potentially cheaper alternative to other wireless carriers. Some tech industry pundits feel Project Fi serves to disrupt the wireless world in a similar manner as Google Fiber itself.

project-fi-image — Project Fi may be a worthy wireless option for you. Logo copyright Google.

News appeared this week in Fortune about Project Fi now offering unlimited data. Let’s train our eye on the details to see if Fi makes sense as your wireless service.

Project Fi’s Data Plans benefit the Consumer

Even without offering unlimited data, Project Fi provides customers with data policies unique to the industry. For example, users only pay for the actual data they use. In short, they receive a monthly credit for unused data.

Their new unlimited data plan costs $60 per month. Customers keep the option for staying with their cheaper plan, with the unlimited data price kicking in once they reach that data threshold. One user pays $10 per gigabyte, so essentially they never pay more than that $60 per month no matter their data usage.

For more details, check out the Google page explaining Project Fi’s plan pricing model. Plans for multiple users also exist. Families with six users pay no more than $180 for unlimited data. There is also a $20 monthly line fee no matter the number of users.

For its part, Google calls their unlimited data plan, “Bill Protection.” It is essentially a policy transparent to the user. In short, you pay for the data you use – and only that data. One caveat to note: Google may throttle your download speed if using more than 15GB per line in one month.

What about the Project Fi Wireless Speed?

A Project Fi plan also includes international roaming with high-speed data at no additional cost. But how fast is the Internet speed when using Fi? Google partners with T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular, so expect similar 4G speeds as provided by those carriers’ networks.

If you are interested in checking out Google Project Fi, chances are good coverage is available in your area. Once again, Google piggybacks on the networks of the three carriers mentioned earlier. A compatible device is another requirement. These include the Pixel, Android One Moto X4, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6.

Stay tuned to Bandwidth Place for additional news and insights from the telecommunications world.

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Learn 8K Video Devices hitting the Market – Is it Too Soon?

Senate Vote on Net Neutrality Repeal Override Looms

Last Updated: January 12, 2018

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The Congressional fight over the Net Neutrality repeal continues unabated. Senator Ed Markey’s resolution to override the recent FCC repeal of Net Neutrality principles received its 30^th cosponsor. That simple fact now forces a full – and public – Senate floor vote on the resolution.

The FCC’s newest logo.

Read on for additional details on this important vote affecting every American’s Internet usage.

The Importance of a Public Senate Vote on Net Neutrality

When Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri agreed to cosponsor the Markey resolution, it triggered a Senate rule requiring a public floor vote. Typically, a Senate committee approves a bill first before a public vote.

In an election year, the stakes for the Senate just went through the roof. A polled supermajority of Americans – spanning both political parties – supports Net Neutrality. Therefore, expect senators up for reelection in November to see their vote used in election advertising.

“We’ve reached the magic number of 30 to secure a vote on the Senate floor, and that number will only continue to climb. Republicans are faced with a choice — be on the right side of history and stand with the American people who support a free and open internet, or hold hands with the special interests who want to control the internet for their own profit,” said Senator Markey.

A Republican Senator supports the Markey Resolution

Chances for the Markey resolution’s success improved when Maine’s Republican senator, Susan Collins, announced support for the bill. “Senator Collins does not support the FCC’s recent decision to repeal net neutrality rules, and she will support Senator Markey’s legislation that would overturn the FCC’s vote,” said Collins’s spokeswoman to The Hill.

Still even with Collins’s support, another Republican senator needs to cross the aisle, assuming all Democrats vote in lockstep. A successful vote for the resolution sends the bill to the House and potentially the President’s desk. Of course, a final approval is unlikely. Nonetheless, getting congressional votes regarding Net Neutrality on the public record is the key in this mid-term election year.

“It will be a major issue in the 2018 campaigns,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer commented on Tuesday. Expect the vote to happen in a few months. As always, be sure to stay tuned to Bandwidth Place for additional coverage of the Net Neutrality repeal.

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AT&T bringing Mobile 5G Service to the Marketplace

Last Updated: January 5, 2018

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Armed with a new set of radio standards from the regulatory body, 3GPP, AT&T recently announced plans on rolling out mobile 5G wireless service to 12 American markets in 2018. This news comes hot on the heels of their fixed 5G trials in Waco, Texas. ZDNet – among other sources – published this story earlier this week.

So let’s take a closer look at the details of the AT&T announcement. Is mobile 5G coming to your city in 2018?

New 5G Radio Standards the Key to Faster Mobile Rollout

The fresh 3GPP radio standard for 5G is leading to faster deployment of the new wireless technology on a global basis. The standards group tweeted the good news in late December. “NSA 5G NR specs were approved today at RAN#78. Balazs Bertenyi, RAN chair, called it ‘an impressive achievement in a remarkably short time, with credit due particularly to the working groups’,” said their tweet.

A joint media release from practically every large telecommunications company in the world offered a hint at the future. “This standard completion is an essential milestone to enable cost-effective and full-scale development of 5G NR (New Radio), which will greatly enhance the capabilities of 3GPP systems, as well as facilitate the creation of vertical market opportunities,” the statement said.

Most notably, 3GPP introduced these new standards six months earlier than expected. This likely led to AT&T’s faster schedule for its own mobile 5G rollout.

AT&T’s Plans for 5G Wireless in 2018

Stating their 5G rollout plans for 2018 are ambitious, AT&T realizes the transformational potential provided by this new wireless technology. “With faster speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will ultimately deliver and enhance experiences like virtual reality, future driverless cars, immersive 4K video, and more,” said the company’s president of Technology and Operations, Melissa Arnoldi.

AT&T’s 5G Evolution network technology is already installed in 23 markets all across the country. They expect to bring it to hundreds of new American markets this year. This state of the art network backbone is a predecessor for installing the mobile 5G service.

AT&T remains tightlipped about the 12 markets slated to receive mobile 5G in the coming year. The markets currently with the Evolution network tech in place include Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, San Diego, Louisville, Nashville, and Pittsburgh, among others. With many more locales on the docket for 2018, predicting those “lucky 12” remains difficult.

So, stay tuned to Bandwidth Place, as we cover the emergence of 5G from AT&T, Verizon, and others.

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Microsoft introduces Rural Broadband Initiative

Last Updated: January 3, 2018

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The tech industry’s largest purveyors of software typically desire the highest possible number of customers. This remains one of the reasons Google, Facebook, and Microsoft tend to support Net Neutrality and various rural broadband projects. In fact, Google Fiber is only one of the search giant’s initiatives for boosting Internet access.

The CAN logo. Image copyright CAN.

For its own part, Microsoft kicked off 2018 by announcing a new group aimed at boosting Internet access in the rural hinterlands. Called “Connect Americans Now (CAN),” this advocacy group hopes to bridge the digital divide in the underserved parts of the country. News about the new group appeared this week at VentureBeat.

Breaking Down Barriers limiting Rural Internet Access

Besides Microsoft, CAN’s members include a mixture of software industry firms along with other national advocacy groups, like the National Rural Education Association. Various regional associations from across the country are also part of the team.

The goal of CAN simply states a desire to “engage policymakers in a meaningful dialogue on the most effective ways to ensure that all American communities – not just those tied to metropolitan areas – can benefit from high-speed broadband coverage.”

Simple statistics reveal the scope of the broadband access issue in the country. According to data presented by CAN, 34 million Americans lack a reliable and affordable broadband Internet service. Over 23 million of that group currently live in rural areas.

CAN’s Plan for improving Rural Internet Access

The CAN plan for expanding broadband access in the rural regions of the country includes multiple technical initiatives. They hope to leverage the white space spectrum formerly used by over the air television. This approach is combined with improving wireless access, additional fixed wireless LTE services, and satellite coverage.

CAN feels offering this multi-faceted approach helps to lower the overall cost of the Internet service expansion. Obviously, the economic benefits to these regions are numerous. They include everything from improved educational opportunities for children to small businesses being able to expand their customer base.

Communities are also better able to attract new industries – and their high-paying jobs – when providing high-speed Internet service. In short, CAN hopes to ensure the digital divide no longer keeps one part of the country behind the rest.

Microsoft expects to provide personnel and capital expenditures to help bootstrap the effort. Additionally, any profits the company earns from CAN are expected to be reinvested into the network. Stay tuned to Bandwidth Place as we continue to cover CAN’s progress on their goal of championing rural broadband.

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AT&T ramping up WiFi 5G Wireless Trials

Last Updated: December 29, 2017

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The race to bring 5G wireless service to consumers continues on an upwards trend. Previously, we told you about Verizon’s plans to rollout 5G service to residential customers across the country. Now, AT&T is ramping up its own 5G trials in Waco, Texas.

News about AT&T latest 5G efforts in the Lone Star State appeared earlier this week at Telecompetitor.

Fixed 5G Wireless is the Current Focus

AT&T’s Waco trials involve the use of a fixed 5G wireless service delivered over WiFi. Users are able to access the service by connecting to it using their smartphone or other mobile device. The Verizon 5G rollout mentioned earlier uses a fixed 5G signal sent using millimeter wave technology suitable for multi-dwelling locations like apartments and condos.

The Waco effort is expected to be AT&T’s largest to date using 5G technology. The technology surrounding fixed 5G is more mature, so Verizon, AT&T, and others in the industry continue to focus on that area. Unfortunately, actually receiving mobile 5G wireless to your smartphone remains a few years away.

Details on the AT&T 5G Waco Trial

For its Waco trial, AT&T is temporarily installing a 5G service at a local shopping establishment called The Silos. This setup includes a variety of WiFi access points where users are able to log on to the service using their mobile device. Marachel Knight, senior vice president, Technology Planning and Engineering, AT&T commented on the trial.

“Taking our 5G tests out of the lab and into real, high-traffic environments like the Silos will bring a fantastic customer experience while helping us learn even more about building a 5G network of the future for both consumers and businesses,” said Knight.

In addition to shoppers accessing the 5G service, vendors and businesses at the Silos will also be able to use the service on their mobile point of sale systems. AT&T gains the benefit of testing their millimeter wave 5G technology in a real usage scenario. The company is also using its new network function virtualization platform – FlexWare – to serve at the router for the trial.

AT&T plans on leveraging the results from the Waco trial to speed up its efforts to offer 5G service to customers by the end of 2018. With the industry’s biggest players moving this new technology out of the lab, there’s little doubt the 5G Wars approach. Stay tuned to Bandwidth Place for additional coverage now and in the future.

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Net Neutrality Repealed – Now What?

Last Updated: December 15, 2017

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As expected, the FCC repealed the Net Neutrality principles voted in by the Tom Wheeler-led commission in 2015. Also as expected, the vote was on party lines, with the three Republican commissioners voting to repeal, while the two Democrat commissioners dissented. Since this outcome surprised no one, a singular question remains: what’s next?

The FCC’s newest logo.

This remains an important issue; likely influencing how you consume bandwidth in your household. What follows is a quick analysis of the ruling and its expected effects on the Internet in the United States. Also, check out our previous coverage of the topic to learn more about its underlying concepts.

Can the FTC Police Internet Providers?

One of the major points behind Ajit Pai’s repeal involves ISPs self-policing the potential blocking of websites, creating paid Internet “fast lanes,” or throttling bandwidth. The plan is to engage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ensure Internet providers keep their promises. Dissenting FCC Commissioner, Jessica Rosenworcel is skeptical.

“But the FTC is not the expert agency for communications. It has authority over unfair and deceptive practices. But to evade FTC review, all any broadband provider will need to do is add new provisions to the fine print in its terms of service. In addition, it is both costly and impractical to report difficulties to the FTC,” said Rosenworcel.

Michael Powell, president of Internet and Television Association, an industry trade group, feels the worries about bandwidth throttling and fast lanes are misplaced. “None of the fire-and-brimstone predictions will come to pass. The nation’s broadband providers have lived the principles of net neutrality for years,” said Powell.

Net Neutrality remains Popular – Congress to the Rescue?

The principles of Net Neutrality remain popular with the public – 84 percent support them according to one poll by the University of Maryland – and both sides of the aisle in Congress. In fact, Republican Senator, Susan Collins of Maine, tried to get the FCC to delay their vote. Nonetheless, bipartisan legislation is likely to cement some of the concepts of the “Free Internet” into law.

Before that happens, expect the lawsuits to fly, with industry giants, like Amazon, Google, and others expected to take part. Part of their reasoning includes the fact this repeal took place only two years after the original FCC ruling in favor of Net Neutrality. In short, it is an “arbitrary and capricious” move violating the Administrative Procedures Act.

A potential congressional law could give the FCC the authority to enforce some Net Neutrality concepts without the reclassification of Internet service as a utility. Pai and others felt that latter part of the 2015 ruling overreached the FCC’s authority. Ultimately, pay close attention to see how this vital issue continues to evolve throughout next year and beyond.

Count on us to continue covering Net Neutrality as it continues to affect your Internet usage.

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Optimum’s Policies on Data Caps and Bandwidth Throttling

Last Updated: December 13, 2017

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Optimum Online, an Altice network, is also known as Cablevision and offers mass market broadband services. Altice services 4.9 million residential and business customers throughout 21 states, but the company’s presence is mostly in the New York tri-state area along with some Midwestern and Southern states.

optimum-image — Optimum: an Internet provider in the Eastern United States. Image copyright Optimum.

With growing concerns about bandwidth throttling and data usage in the current debates on Net Neutrality, here are the current policies Optimum enforces and what their stances are regarding Internet content.

Optimum Data Caps and Usage

Per the company’s open Internet disclosure required by the FCC, Optimum enforces an excessive use policy on subscribers that limits data consumption which inhibits other users’ network usage. Users can get their connections severed for putting strain on the network using peer-to-peer applications like BitTorrent and performing FTP transfers of numerous and/or incredibly large files. Subscribers receive a fixed amount of bandwidth for peer-to-peer uploads during peak periods. In scenarios without excessive bandwidth consumption, no data capping happens.

Optimum’s parent company Altice doesn’t specifically block users from viewing content that is lawful. However, their network management policies expressly prohibit unlawful activity such as transferring ransomware or viruses.

Bandwidth Throttling on Optimum

As far as connection speed, Optimum appeals to users who want to upgrade from DSL, but choose not to spend on fiber Internet service. The ISP offers service packages that vary by region, along with different tiers offering speeds appropriate for real-time applications. Their flat rate pricing includes prices directly tied to connection speed. Subscribers receive cable modems able to handle their chosen service tier.

While Optimum hasn’t confirmed whether they were throttling certain types of content (such as Netflix and YouTube), some users reported problems with content streaming websites.

Optimum doesn’t specifically have a policy surrounding throttling, as their disclosure statement states that performance varies by device, cable modem, and high Internet traffic. User reports of throttling on specific sites possibly are linked to the company’s traffic shaping based on predictions on how much traffic certain sites are receiving.

In light of the recent debates on Net Neutrality, at the time of this writing Optimum hasn’t made any comments on plans to switch to usage-based billing, or breaking up services to be sold in bundles as opposed to a unified subscription rate.

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Verizon 5G planning a Residential Rollout

Last Updated: December 8, 2017

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It appears 5G wireless technology is poised to move from the laboratory to the real world as Verizon Wireless announced plans to reach 30 million residences with their new service. Note that “5G” – just like 4G, 3G, etc. – remains a marketing term rather than a hard technical standard. Nonetheless, fixed wireless Internet service at gigabit speeds looks to be coming sooner than later.

News about this planned Verizon Wireless’ 5G rollout first appeared in Telecompetitor. Now let’s take a closer look at the details to see if and when Verizon 5G is coming to your city.

Verizon 5G expanding outside FiOS Service Areas

The new service areas targeted by Verizon for their 5G service lie outside of the regions currently receiving Big Red’s FiOS fiber offering. The company expects the full rollout to take a few years, with some customers likely able to sign up for the service in 2018. This is faster than previously expected due to Verizon’s successful trials with the millimeter wave technology used to transmit 5G wireless signals.

Verizon noted their millimeter wave trails achieved gigabyte speeds over distances of 2,000 feet. Vertical coverage extending up to 20 stories makes this fixed wireless service especially suitable for apartments, condominiums, and other multi-dwelling developments.

5G Service Bundles planned by Verizon

As with other Verizon product offerings, Big Red plans on offering 5G service bundled with voice and digital TV. They expect to attract bundled service customers from other providers. Of course, standalone service will be available as well.

The fact Verizon plans its initial 5G rollout for areas not currently serviced by FiOS reveals the company’s competitive streak. In short, they mean business. Big Red largely stayed out of the fiber gigabit battle between AT&T and Google, but it looks like they are placing their bets on 5G network technology.

Customers in regions already served by Verizon needn’t worry, as the company plans on bringing 5G service to those areas. Initially, their focus appears to be outside their current customer base, as noted earlier.

Sacramento and three to four other unannounced areas begin receiving the fixed wireless service in 2018. Verizon plans a full rollout for the following year. Mobile 5G service is also in the works, along with an IoT product.

Stay tuned to Bandwidth Place for additional news on Internet service providers across the country.

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Xfinity Data Cap: What is Comcast Internet’s Data Cap?

Last Updated: December 6, 2017

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With Net Neutrality hitting the front pages again, it’s a great time to go over the nuances of your Internet policy. Trust us – there are nuances. Let’s take the Comcast (XFINITY) policy, for example.

comcast-image — The Comcast Logo. Image copyright Comcast.

Comcast offers three major plans – its Terabyte Internet Usage Plan, the Unlimited Data plan, and a Flexible Data Option. According to the Comcast website, the Flexible Data Option is meant for people who use less than 5 GB per month. The Terabyte Internet Usage Plan is fairly straightforward about the amount of data it allows – 1 TB. (We say “fairly straightforward” because the site details limitations on this service as well, such as suspending it in Maine).

Exercising Semantics in the Comcast Unlimited Data Plan

First of all, you must understand that Comcast is playing with words from the very beginning. As a consumer, you probably assume that “unlimited data” means that you get premium service regardless of any data caps. However, Comcast defines “unlimited data” as simply providing the opportunity to you for unlimited data. The site says it all:

“Your use of the XFINITY Internet service must be consistent with our Acceptable Use Policies for residential services and network management system.”

In short, Comcast retains the right to throttle an Unlimited Data plan for reasons listed in its Acceptable Use Policies. Arguably, the most flexible language is contained in the policy’s assertions users can’t infringe on the experience of other users. In most cases, neighbors may only affect each other’s experience through more use of data. The language that is actually used in the agreement is as follows:

“[No user may] restrict, inhibit, interfere with, or otherwise disrupt or cause a performance degradation, regardless of intent, purpose or knowledge, to the Service.”

While most of the media focused on the Terabyte program, Comcast has basically included language in its Agreements that allows it to throttle users who are on its Unlimited Data plan. Users are responsible for their “own compliance,” eliminating the ability of customers to blame service errors on a data spike.

Comcast also holds the right to suspend or “apply other interim measures” to accounts in violation of its policies. While it does not name throttling in its list of tactics, news sources have outed that the throttling tends to begin around 20 GB of usage. Throttling of cellular speeds happens if the user provides services to mobile devices through a home Internet plan.

Pay Attention to the Quality of Service you receive from your ISP

The FCC, which once chastised Comcast to open up its data spigot on behalf of peer to peer networking apps, now appears poised to help Comcast segment its users into more tiers than ever before.

Regardless of any company’s data caps and bandwidth policies, regularly check for throttling. One visit to our website will let you know your download and upload speeds – so if you have to call your ISP you can do so with the right information on hand. Check out our article on Spectrum’s data cap policies for information on another Internet provider.