Five Generations of Wireless Technology
The term “generations” has been applied to wireless technology classifications as a way to refer to the major disruptions and innovations in the state of mobile technology and associated services. These innovations include the move to data and the Internet protocols associated with convergence of multiple forms of communications media (cable, mobile, wireline) and the wide array of services that are becoming increasingly available on portable devices like laptops and smartphones. We are now on the cusp of the 5th generation rollout of wireless services with intriguing implications for enterprise mobility, “m-commerce,” public safety and a wide array of new entertainment and personal productivity services.
Starlink and the Return of Satellite Internet Service
In this post, I look at a new satellite system being put into place by Elon Musk and his SpaceX operations and how it can reach remote locations traditionally underserved by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The International Politics of Domain Name Governance, Part One: The Czar
An ongoing global concern deals with the control and management of the World Wide Web’s Domain Name System (DNS). The basic issue is whether the address you put into your browser connects to the right computer and retrieves the right information.
HOW THE US MOBILE INDUSTRY CAME TOGETHER, PART III: JUNK BONDS CONSOLIDATE THE NETWORK
In 1986, McCaw Cellular approached financier Michael Milken for capital to compete against AT&T with a wireless network. The McCaw family wanted the money to purchase cellular licenses and to buy MCI Wireless for nearly $2 billion.
How the US Mobile Industry Came Together, Part II: The Grand Alliance
Much like J.P. Morgan’s creation of telephone industry giant AT&T, the wireless industry was one of the information industries (along with cable TV, fiber optics and satellite TV) created mainly through the efforts of financier Michael Milken of the defunct investment firm Drexel Burnham Lambert. Milken helped the McCaw family assemble the wireless industry during […]
How the US Mobile Industry Came Together, Part I: Transformation of the Network
The ubiquity, ease and sophistication of mobile “smartphone” services has proven to be an extraordinarily popular addition to modern social and productive life. We are now on the cusp of the 5th generation (5G) rollout of wireless services. It is different to gauge the characteristics of social change in the midst of such dramatic technological […]
Java Continues to be the Most Popular Programming Language
It has been a while since I reviewed the most popular programming languages. The top 10 most popular programming languages according to the statistics gathered for the TIOBE Index for May 2018 are: Java C C++ Python C# Visual Basic .Net PHP Javascript SQL Ruby R The TIOBE Index uses several search engines to calculate […]
Auctioning Radio Spectrum for Mobile Services and Public Safety
The breakup of AT&T in the 1980s created new opportunities for new companies to emerge and offer new services, including wireless or mobile telecommunications. Wireless systems lacked the spectrum or infrastructure for broadband and telcos were restricted by their “common carrier” status from carrying content at the time. Government policy needed to address the issue […]
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About Me
Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Korea since 2016. Moved to Austin, Texas in August 2012 to join the Digital Media Management program at St. Edwards University. Spent the previous decade on the faculty at New York University teaching and researching information systems, digital economics, and strategic communications.
You can reach me at:
apennings70@gmail.com
anthony.pennings@sunykorea.ac.kr
About me
Writings by Category
- automatrix
- books and films
- characteristics of digital media
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