In a previous post I wrote a bit about UMTS being switched-off in Germany by two network operators in mid-2021, less than a year from now. While other network operators have similar plans I found it quite interesting that Swisscom has decided to do the opposite. Instead of switching-off UMTS soon, they have decided to … Continue reading Swisscom Goes the Other Way – GSM on the Way Out
Recently, two German network operators publicly stated that they will switch-off their UMTS networks in Germany in mid-2021. I’ve heard about such intentions before from other network operators in Europe a few years ago but their switch-off date at the time was ‘far’ in the future. But mid-next year is pretty much around the corner … Continue reading The End Of UMTS Is Near… Those Where the Days
A practical tip today: When I am abroad (o.k. that doesn’t happen a lot right now…) I do tend to occasionally change the network I am roaming in for a number of reasons. Unfortunately that usually takes a long time as the device searches in lots of bands for 3 different network technologies. But this … Continue reading How To Speed Up Cellular Network Search
Over the years I kept upgrading my VDSL line and also my Wi-Fi network setup to benefit from increasing data rates offered by my fixed line carrier. With 802.11ac, I get around 350 Mbit/s in the downlink direction and 200 Mbit/s in the uplink direction with my Lenovo X250 notebook at my desk. When I … Continue reading 800 Mbit/s Over Wi-Fi At Home Now!
Most cellular network operators around the world still have a circuit switched core network today for voice and SMS services for their 2G/3G access networks. There are a few exceptions like one operator in India that launched with an LTE-only VoLTE network a few years ago. But apart from a few, that is the status … Continue reading Verizon: The End Of Circuit Switching – The End Of An Era
So there we go, the Conversations XMPP messaging app has voice and video calls now. A dream come true! Pretty much everyone I used it with so far was stunned by the audio and video quality of the calls. So I was highly interested, of course, to have a closer look at the data rates … Continue reading Conversations – The Data Rate of Voice and Video Calls
I have a cell site sitting on the building right across the street and two years ago I had a post here with some pictures of how the site has changed over the past 10 years. On average, changes are done every two years. So I guess it was time again when things were once … Continue reading Base Station Changes Over The Years
When LTE was launched a decade ago, setting up measurements was a simple thing. When a connection is established, the network typically instructs the mobile device to measure the signal strength of the currently serving cell and the signal strength of neighboring cells. The result is either reported periodically or when predefined events occur. When … Continue reading LTE Event A6 for Carrier Aggregation
5G is slowly making its way into Cologne with incredible date rates. Recently, however, I discovered just what it means to have a simple insulating window between you and the network outside.
Happy New Year 2020 to all of you! It’s the time of the year again when it makes sense to take a look back at the last 12 months of 2019 to see which tech things and events ‘have moved me’ during the course of the year. Like in the previous years, it is once … Continue reading Things That Moved Me in 2019