Dish Partners with Samsung on 5G, EU Targets Apple on Antitrust, Mediacom Extends Fiber in Iowa

May 3, 2022 – Samsung Electronics has been selected Dish Network to help develop the company’s 5G network, according to a Tuesday press release.

According to the multi-year agreement, Samsung will provide its open access 5G radio equipment for coverage across the United States.

“Our work with DISH Wireless is bringing many of Samsung’s innovative mobile products and services to even more customers on the DISH Wireless network” said Jude Buckley, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics.

Dish is using the Samsung Galaxy S22 and other Samsung phones as a reference platform throughout the network deployment process. Samsung is a sponsor of Broadband Breakfast.

Since acquiring mobile assets from the T-Mobile acquisition of Sprint, the Colorado-based company has been moving to grow its 5G network, including partnering with Intel on its open access network and testing the network in certain locations.

European Commission accuses Apple of hampering competition on mobile payments

The European Union said Monday that it told Apple it is of the “preliminary view” that the company limited access to technology used for contactless payments with mobile devices in stores, according to a statement of objections, thus “abusing its dominant position” in that market.

The statement accuses the company of preventing third-party developers on Apple devices from accessing Apple’s hardware and software to allow for contactless payments, thus giving an advantage to Apple Pay.

“Mobile payments play a rapidly growing role in our digital economy,” Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s digital chief, in the statement. “It is important for the integration of European Payments markets that consumers benefit from a competitive and innovative payments landscape.

“If confirmed, such a conduct would be illegal under our competition rules.”

Apple said in a statement, according to CNN, that Apple Pay is just “one of many options,” but that it will “continue to engage with the Commission to ensure European consumers have access to the payment option of their choice in a safe and secure environment.”

The company will have an opportunity to submit a response in writing and request an oral hearing to present its case before commission representatives and national competition authorities, according to the statement.

Mediacom extends fiber network to five rural Iowa communities

Mediacom Communications announced Thursday it has extended its high-speed fiber network to five rural communities in West Des Moines, Iowa.

To expand broadband access, Mediacom utilizes public-private partnerships to close digital gaps. As such, the telecom combined more than $1 million of its own money with funds from the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program to extend the network to five underserved communities in Deloit, Kiron, Keswick, South English, and Webster.

The new network reaches nearly 600 residential and commercial locations with download speeds of up to 1 Gigabit-per-second, according to an April 28 press release.

“With this investment, residents can now connect to the super-fast internet and cutting-edge services that Mediacom customers in other Iowa communities have enjoyed for many years,” Mediacom’s Group Vice President Steve Purcell said in a release. “Gig Internet provides a huge amount of bandwidth to a home network – allowing multiple users to surf, stream, download and game at the same time.”