Nokia's Big Move, AT&T's 5G RedCap, FCC's Unlock Rule, India's Auction, Verizon's Concerns, Rel. 18

Introduction
00:00:00 - Welcome to episode 197 of the G2 on 5G. It's the latest inside scoop on everything 5G. We cover six topics in about 20 minutes, and it's brought to you by More Insights and Strategy. I'm Will Townsend, and joining me again this week is fellow analyst Anshel Sag.
Topics
00:01:52 - Nokia's Acquisition of Infinera: Will Townsend discusses Nokia's recent announcement to acquire Infinera, an optical company, for over $2 billion. The acquisition aims to strengthen Nokia's optical networking business and expand its market reach in North America.
00:05:08 - 3GPP Release 18 and 5G Advanced: Anshel Sag talks about the finalization of the 3GPP Release 18 standards, marking the beginning of the 5G Advanced era. He highlights the potential impact on IoT applications, XR technology, and AI/ML implementations.
00:08:46 - AT&T's 5G RedCap Launch: Will Townsend covers AT&T's soft launch of 5G RedCap in select areas of the Dallas metropolitan area. He discusses the potential applications in IoT and the benefits of improved performance and lower latency.
00:15:13 - FCC's Proposed Rule on Unlocking Phones: Anshel Sag explains the FCC's proposed rule to require mobile providers to unlock consumers' phones within 60 days of activation. He weighs the pros and cons, especially concerning postpaid and prepaid customers.
00:18:24 - India's Recent 5G Spectrum Auction: Will Townsend analyzes the recent 5G spectrum auction in India, which netted only $1.3 billion compared to $18 billion two years ago. He explores the reasons behind the lackluster auction and its implications for India's 5G rollout.
00:23:50 - Verizon's Concerns Over 4.9 GHz Spectrum Allocation: Anshel Sag discusses Verizon's opposition to the FCC potentially giving 4.9 GHz spectrum to AT&T for FirstNet. He evaluates the spectrum's value and its potential impact on the competitive landscape.
Outro
00:27:50 - Outro and Final Thoughts: Will Townsend and Anshel Sag share their upcoming travel plans and wish everyone a happy 4th of July. They remind listeners to rate and subscribe to the podcast and look forward to returning with more insights in the next episode.

[@drdoc7508]

This should have been done years ago. We buy these phones. lets us do as we please with them.