Wireless Spectrum Trails
One of the fastest internet providers in the United States, CenturyLink® is seeking the approval of FCC to conduct new trails of 3.4 to 3.7 GHz fixed wireless spectrum bands. Reports from reliable sources claim that the telecom company is conducting trials in order to extend their broadband internet service to hard-to-reach rural parts where the company is unable to extend wireline facilities.
The officials from CenturyLink® refused to share any further details on the 3.4 to 3.7 GHz trail to the public. However, in the FCC filing, the telecom company stated that they want to see how they could use these wireless spectrum bands to offer broadband internet service to their customers.
In the filing, CenturyLink® said, “In its experimental license application, CenturyLink seeks a license to conduct fixed testing in the 3.54 GHz to 3.70 GHz frequency band. The testing seeks to understand the viability of new technologies in this band that may be useful in providing fixed broadband services.”
Officials from the company also added, “CenturyLink® seeks confidential treatment for the Exhibit on the basis that it contains confidential commercial information, technical data, and trade secrets concerning CenturyLink® services under development and related testing processes, all of which CenturyLink® customarily guards from public disclosure.”
Wireless Build-Outs
In addition to the above-mentioned wireless spectrum bands of 3.4-3.7 GHz, the telecom giant is also planning to look at how this could work other wireless providers who have started to roll out the future wireless networks to their customers. The CEO of CenturyLink®, Glen Post recently confirmed that they are open to new partnerships that will help them to boost the speed at which they are currently rolling out service to rural parts of the country.
Post said, “On the wireless side, we want to partner with 5G providers and other wireless providers where we can bring higher speeds to customers at less costs. If some of the proposed wireless build-outs occur in the CAF-II areas we cover, we think it will be a lower-cost opportunity to reach those customers and cover higher speeds for a lot more customers with that type of technology.”
CenturyLink® is not the only telecom company who is planning to offer better broadband access to customers in rural areas. Fellow rural-centric providers such as Windstream®, Consolidated®, and Frontier® are also trying to expand their broadband service.
