Headcount: Firings, Hirings, and Retirings — December 2019

Here are some of the latest executive hirings, promotions, and staff changes that happened in December. If you’d like SDxCentral to report on your company’s movers and shakers, or if you’ve got a tip about layoffs and restructuring, please send the information to Sydney Sawaya (ssawaya@sdxcentral.com).

AT&T on target for virtualizing 75% of its network by 2020

Consider 2019 a lag putt for AT&T's stated goal of having 75% of its network virtualized by 2020, but the telco plans to drain the remaining short putt by year's end.

Wireless could get caught in privacy crosshairs in the 2020s

According to a survey conducted by Chetan Sharma Consulting, the top three mobile stories of 2020 were the launching of 5G; the tech wars between the United States and China; and privacy backlash. While the first two are fairly obvious, privacy backlash is more ambiguous.

mmWave auction to resume, on path to $6B

The United States’ third millimeter wave spectrum auction is set to resume Monday, having already garnered over $5.7 billion ahead of the holidays.  

NFL and NBA teams put ADARA's software through its paces

ADARA announced on Friday that it's working with the NFL's New Orleans Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans on evaluating production use cases for its software.

Cowen sees court blocking T-Mobile/Sprint deal

After attending most of the T-Mobile/Sprint trial last month, analysts at Cowen believe the state attorneys general (AGs) will prevail in their suit to block the transaction.

WOW names former Time Warner Cable exec as its new CTO

WOW announced it has hired former Time Warner Cable executive Henry Hryckiewicz as its new CTO. Hryckiewicz's hiring came on the heels of WOW promoting Bill Case to the position of chief information officer last September. WOW also announced in September the departure of former chief technology officer Matt Bell.

Malaysia outlines complicated plan for 5G spectrum allocation

The Malaysian Government has released complicated plans to allocate spectrum ahead of 5G deployment in the country in an effort to ensure the greatest efficiencies.

TDS completes $80M deal to buy North Carolina-based Continuum

TDS Broadband Service has wrapped up its $80 million deal to buy all of the cable, broadband and business assets of Continuum.

Wi-Fi Alliance introduces Wi-Fi 6E into lexicon

With an eye toward seeing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocate spectrum in the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi Alliance today announced it is introducing new terminology to distinguish Wi-Fi 6 devices that are capable of using the 6 GHz band once it becomes available.

Cellnex finds another €800m to expand tower empire into Portugal

Cellnex has expanded its European footprint once again through the acquisition of Omtel, taking the infrastructure giants into the Portuguese market.

Sunrise and CEO Swantee abruptly part ways

Sunrise has entered 2020 with the surprise announcement that Olaf Swantee, previously one of the favourites to take over the top-job at BT, will no-longer be CEO.

Samsung claims the 5G lead after 6.7 million shipments

It might be nothing more than a symbolic milestone for the moment, though Samsung us claiming it is leading the way for 5G device shipments at the close of 2019.

Verizon seeks experimental license to test 37 GHz products

Verizon Wireless is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to use a portion of the 37.6-40 GHz band in part of northwest Arkansas for testing purposes.

Samsung Brings 5G to World by Shipping More than 6.7 Million Galaxy 5G Devices in 2019

Samsung Electronics today announced that in 2019 it shipped more than 6.7 million Galaxy 5G smartphones globally, giving consumers the ability to experience next-generation speed and performance.1 As of November 2019, Samsung accounted for 53.9% of the global 5G smartphone market2 and led the industry in offering consumers five Galaxy 5G devices globally, including the Galaxy S10 5G, Note10 5G and Note10+ 5G, as well as the recently launched Galaxy A90 5G and Galaxy Fold 5G.

MTA Seeks Cell Service Provider for Major NYC Subway Tunnel

The MTA has issued an RFP for companies that want to install cell service in the L train tunnel under the East River, building on existing service in underground subway stations.

AT&T Misses Network Virtualization Goal

AT&T failed to meet its long-held goal to virtualize at least 75% of its network functions before 2020. It now aims to hit that mark by year’s end.

Inspur's Edge Servers Boast Nvidia EGX, NGC-Ready Certification

Inspur today announced that its edge computing servers, first unveiled at GTC China in 2019, support Nvidia’s EGX cloud-native platform and have obtained NGC-Ready for Edge certification.

TikiLive Sues Investors & Law Firm Linked to Omniverse

TikiLive, a former Omniverse streaming partner, also claims it had a $40 million deal on the table before the Omniverse situation went south.

Can Telcos Be Major IoT Service Providers?

Many telcos want to be major players in the IoT services market, but do they have what it takes? We asked the industry and our survey results show increasing faith in the telcos' ability to deliver.

VMware Closes $2.7B Pivotal Acquisition

The acquisition is a big step in VMware's march from virtual machines to containers.

Eurobites: Swantee Quits as Sunrise CEO

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Net Insight sells consumer streaming unit to Amazon; Cellnex continues shopping spree; Europe ahead in smart street lighting.

Cellular IoT Gateway Market Still Growing – Berg Insight

Devices still needed to connect major industrial equipment, buses and more, to 4G cellular networks.

VMware's Wolf predicts edge solutions will come to life in 2020

While a large chunk of last year was spent hyping edge use cases, solutions and definitions, this year will get down to the brass tacks of the deployments, according to VMware's Chris Wolf.

App economy hauls in $277mn on Christmas Day

Some are preoccupied by presents, others by the mountains of food, and a few are even napping in the comfy sofa, but more of us are spending money on in-app purchases on Christmas Day.

Xiaomi makes big noises with $7bn 5G, AI and IOT plan

In an open letter from its CEO, Xiaomi has promised to increase its R&D investments in 5G, AI and IOT to $7.18 billion.

Former DT exec Clauberg lands new job at AWS

SDN and NFV pioneer Axel Clauberg has exited Deutsche Telekom in favor of a new job at Amazon Web Services as Solutions Architect Leader in Germany, according to his LinkedIn profile. Clauberg started his new job at AWS this month. Light Reading first reported Clauberg's new gig Thursday morning.

What AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile don’t want you to know about 5G

For all the talk about 5G, operators still prefer to keep some things to themselves, such as exactly how many 5G cell sites they’re deploying.

India risks US wrath after Huawei thumbs up

India’s decision to allow Huawei to participate in 5G trials is certainly a win for the vendor, but it does add further strain to an already tenuous relationship with the US.

Former CEO Post steps down from CenturyLink's board of directors

After serving for 34 years as a CenturyLink director, former CEO Glen Post has decided not to seek re-election to the company's board.

President Trump signs TRACED Act into law to combat robocalls

President Trump this week signed the anti-robocall TRACED Act into law, supporting bipartisan legislative efforts to beat back the flood of robocalls that plague Americans daily.

The five biggest wireless tech developments of the last decade

In early 2010 LTE was getting started, network congestion was becoming a big issue, and software-defined networking was just a group of protocols without a concrete mission.

Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo create ‘Peer-to-Peer Transmission Alliance’

Three Chinese smartphone vendors have created a cross-brand alliance to enable wireless file transfer without needing the internet.

Could streetlights make sense for small cell deployments?

The startup Ubicquia is touting its streetlight-powered small cell as a relatively easy way to deploy small cells for LTE densification and for 5G because streetlights are already permitted with municipalities. In addition, streetlights come with electricity, and they’re often in close proximity to fiber for backhaul.

India greenlights Huawei as CEO warns of a tough year

The Indian Government has said it will not exclude Huawei from its 5G trials, as the country sets a 2021 deadline to launch commercial service.

Imagination re-wins Apple as customer

Almost three years ago, Apple decided it could get by without Imagination Technologies as a supplier, but 2020 gets off to a flier for the UK chip firm resigning a licencing agreement.

Security is a Glaring, Moving Target for IoT

IoT isn’t all upside. As the world of connected things grows, operators, vendors, government agencies, and other players in the value chain will face unprecedented levels of security threats.

Judge Will Block Sprint/T-Mobile Merger, Cowen Analysts Predict

A Wall Street analyst firm sat through the antitrust 'trial of the century' last month, and reached a firm conclusion: The judge in the case will probably block the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile.

Ahead of CES, Dell Promises 5G Laptop

Dell said its new Latitude 9510 laptop will support 5G. But 5G providers shouldn't expect a boost to their revenues just yet.

Amazon Claims FedRAMP Compliance for a Spate of Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) rang in the new year with a renewed commitment to help organizations run sensitive workloads in the cloud and announced Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorizations across a spate of services.

Taiwan's Telcos Seek Govt. Help as 5G Auction Blows Out

Taiwan's operators are seeking government assurances as 5G spectrum auction bids near $3 billion.

France Finally Jumps on 5G Bandwagon

France is finally gearing up to lay the foundation for 5G. The country’s communications regulatory agency kicked off the year with a call for network operators to apply for new spectrum licenses in the 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz bands.

Axel Clauberg Quits DT to Join AWS

Prominent next-generation networking executive leaves Deutsche Telekom to join Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Should Telcos Become Banks?

Orange has leaped into banking – should other telcos follow? Industry leaders respond in a Light Reading survey.

Comcast in Exclusive Talks to Acquire Xumo – Report

Xumo's free, ad-supported video streaming service has already been integrated with Comcast's X1 video platform.

Eurobites: Imagination Strikes New Licensing Deal With Apple

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Iliad completes towers sale; Portuguese spectrum auction coming soon; O2 spreads the 5G love in the UK.

Huawei, ZTE Get Green Light From Indian Authorities for 5G Trials

The Indian government has given the Chinese vendors a new year's gift.

SDxCentral’s Top 10 Articles — December 2019

Check out our top 10 articles for December 2019, covering the SDxCentral universe of SDN, NFV, and related topics. Rankings are based on unique visitors aggregated during the month.

GlobalData: expect a flood of 5G devices in 2020

5G networks have been launched, though uptake has been questionable, but this is set to change in 2020 according to research firm GlobalData.

5G Put Down International Roots in 2019

5G was a nearly worldwide phenomenon in 2019. It was a year of many firsts in the United States and much of the rest of the world. Bragging rights are still very much tinted by the eyes of the beholder. The United States, China, South Korea, and some European countries are effectively battling for the lead and many others are close behind.

Juniper SD-WAN Demo Lets Customers Try Before They Buy

It seems SD-WAN vendors are finally getting wise to just how confusing the crowded market has become. Juniper Networks today announced a virtual tour of its Contrail SD-WAN platform designed to make it easier for customers to buy with confidence.

Cisco’s 2019 was Flush With 5G, Security, and SD-WAN

Cisco exerted considerable influence across the 5G, security, and SD-WAN markets in 2019. The vendor’s considerable berth allows it to play in those highly competitive ecosystems with its experience bringing along serious clout.

SD-WAN: It's Not Just for Scrooges Anymore

SD-WAN has emerged as the essential glue connecting services running in the public cloud, as well as emerging 5G and Internet of Things applications.

Huawei Braces for 'Difficult' 2020 After Q4 Slowdown

Despite fourth quarter slowdown, Huawei's 2019 full year revenues are still on course to increase by 18% to around $122 billion.

AT&T, Verizon light up 5G in more markets

AT&T and Verizon have each expanded their respective 5G reach, launching service in additional cities ahead of the new year.  

VMware wraps up its $2.7 billion Pivotal deal

VMware is closing out the year by putting a bow on its $2.7 billion deal to buy Pivotal Software, which was first announced in August.

FierceTelecom's 10 most-read stories of 2019

As the year comes to a close, FierceTelecom is taking a look back at some of its most-read stories from 2019.

Brookfield snaps up Cincinnati Bell for $2.6 billion

Toronto-based conglomerate Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP has struck a deal to buy Cincinnati Bell for $2.6 billion. Under the terms of the cash-and-debt deal, Cincinnati Bell shareholders would receive $10.50 in cash for each share of common stock, or 36% above the company's $7.72 closing price on December 20.

Top 10 FierceWireless stories in 2019

Not surprisingly, the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint garnered a lot of interest during 2019. News about Dish possibly entering the wireless market and upstart Rakuten also commanded readers' attention. These were some of the top stories on FierceWireless in 2019. 

2020: convergence, divestment, disappointment and political posturing

With 2020 drawing to a close, it’s only fair to have a look at how the industry has been shaped over the last few months, and what to expect in the build up to Mobile World Congress.

Happy New Year, Europe! And let’s learn AI

Finland is offering free AI primer to all EU countries, aiming to provide basic AI literacy to 1% of the Union’s total population by 2021.

Vodafone Australia Blames 5G Delays on Huawei Ban

Australia’s third-largest mobile network operator signed a five-year contract with Nokia for the procurement and delivery of 5G equipment. Vodafone Hutchison Australia said it plans to begin deploying 5G services in the first half of 2020.

VMware Folds Pivotal Into New Modern App Biz Unit

VMware closed on its $2.7 billion purchase of Pivotal, folding those operations into a new business unit headed by a long-time VMware executive. The move also sets VMware up to take advantage of its newly acquired Kubernetes assets heading into 2020.

MNJ Demo Lab Gives Customers an SD-WAN Speed Dating Experience

With a glut of SD-WAN vendors crowding the market, it can often be difficult for enterprises, especially smaller ones, to choose the best vendor for their needs.

5G & Huawei Dominated Asia in 2019

Two main topics, sometimes combined, dominated Asia's telecoms sector news during the past 12 months.

Cisco's Big 'Silicon One' Bet

Cisco is fundamentally changing its business strategy to support selling disaggregated components, in addition to integrated solutions, in a bid to win business from hyperclouds such as Amazon and Microsoft.

SDxCentral’s Top 10 Articles of 2019

Check out our top 10 articles of 2019, covering the SDxCentral universe of SDN, NFV, and related topics. Rankings are based on unique visitors aggregated during the year.

2019: The Year US Carriers Waged a 5G Advertising War

Although 5G deployments during 2019 were relatively uninspiring, operators in the US spared no expense when it came to advertising their 5G efforts.

What's Bright, Shiny & Not GEM?

Cable operators are expanding their business services reach well beyond the traditional government, education and medical sectors to take in verticals like hospitality, agribusiness and even e-gaming.

Five IoT Startups to Watch in 2020

Here are some of the IoT startups making waves in 2020.