How to Stay Smart in the Coming Era of IoT 5GSprinkled across the 5G landscape, the Internet of Things (IoT) introduces a jumble of acronyms that have left us all in a collective mental haze. As with every new technology, we must do a bit of work to make quick sense of the changes if we want to keep up. So, get familiar with some of the names for new technologies and they will start to make more sense.

What is 3GPP—and What Is It Doing in Your Phone?
3GPP, or the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). There you are, with your smartphone in your grasp. The fact is, it is also in the grasp of 3GPP. This group, originally established in December of 1998 by AT&T Wireless and Nortel Networks, today unites 7 telecommunications standard development organizations, including: for Japan (ARIB & TTC), for USA (ATIS), for China (CCSA), for Europe (ETSI), for India (TSDSI) and for South Korea (TTA). They are known as organizational partners and they provide guidance moving global cellular wireless standards forward, using its Technical Specification Groups (TSGs) in Radio Access Networks (RAN), Services and Systems Aspects (SA) and Core Network and Terminals (CT).

Who Makes the 5G Rules?
3GPP sets the standards, or Releases for all mobile wireless worldwide. These standards make their way into devices like smart phones and into operator/carrier network towers and much more. You will start to see references in discussions and in the blogosphere in general, to many of the acronyms that emerge from these Releases.

Release 13 in Q1-2016 included:

  • Long-Term Evolution (LTE) in unlicensed spectrum, LTE enhancements for Machine Type Communication (MTC), Elevation Beamforming/Full-Dimension MIMI, Indoor Positioning and LTE-Advanced Pro.

Release 14 Q2-2017 included:

  • Energy Efficiency, Location Services (LCS), Mission Critical Data over LTE, Mission Critical Video over LTE, Flexible Mobile Service Steering (FMSS), Multimedia Broadcast Supplement for Public Warning System (MBSP), enhancement for TV service, massive Internet of Things, Cell Broadcast Service (CBS).

Release 15, Q3-2018 includes:

  • Support for 5G Vehicle-to-x service, IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS), and Future Railway Mobile Communication System.

IoT is growing fast. At the end of 2017, AT&T alone had 38 million cellular IoT devices on its network – 47% of those (about 18 million) were connected automobiles. What lies ahead is truly exciting!
5G LTE—at Last
Our desire for faster, better, cheaper wireless is never-ending. Wireless technology has consumed us, and we are always ready to consume more, as wireless is everywhere today.
The bulk of smartphones that are 5G capable will come to market powered by both Intel and Qualcomm chipsets in 2018. Most carriers expect 5G to be in full swing by 2020, with the number of mobile connected devices rising from six billion today to 20 billion.

  • Verizon: for its initial 5G launch in 2018, Verizon selected 11 markets including Ann Arbor, MI; Bernardsville, NJ; Brockton, MA; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Miami, FL; Sacramento, CA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, D.C. where they have 28-GHz (“millimeter wave”) spectrum available via the Verizon acquisition of XO Communications.
  • AT&T: the focus has been on testing their 5G network for streaming videos through DirecTV in Austin, TX. Although 5G at 39GHz is slated as a 1gbps technology, AT&T says its 5G service has hit speeds of up to 14 gigabits per second in lab tests, significantly faster than the current 4G network. For many carriers, 5G seems to be a strategy to take them “head to head with the cable companies”.
  • T-Mobile is the only big carrier to win 45% of the new 600MHz spectrum which cost it $8B in the FCC Spectrum Auction. Over the next 2.5 years, TV stations currently using this spectrum will drop off, and T-Mobile will fire up its 5G; just in time for 2020.

5G is a millimeter waves (MMW) technology. Briefly, millimeter-length electromagnetic waves have a wavelength from 1 millimeter (infrared) to 10 millimeters (microwave). Compared with visible light and infrared rays, the millimeter waves could penetrate the most non-metallic of materials (better coverage from within buildings) while being harmless to the human body, and at a scanning electromagnetic radiation of one one-thousandth that of cell phone radiation.

5G will be the wireless carrier’s weapon of choice against cable broadbandFor the first time, you will see 5G wireless data plans intended and priced for primary use. These will enable always-on internet from your business, home or mobile environment. In the interim, carriers like AT&T have dramatically lowered the price of their ASE (AT&T Switched Ethernet) product to fill the competitive gap while we wait.

How fast is 5G?
In March 2018 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Qualcomm released tests modeled after real-world conditions in Frankfurt and San Francisco, based on the location of existing cell towers and spectrum allocations in both cities. The results? Frankfurt’s 5G simulation yielded speeds of 100-490Mbps vs. the current 4G speeds of 8-56Mbps users get today. In San Francisco, 5G simulation yielded speeds of 186-1400Mbps (yes 1.4Gbps) vs. the current 4G speeds of 10-71Mbps users get today.  Video was able to hit 8K (aka 4320p or 7680 x 4320 pixels), 120 FPS (frames per second), 10-bit color while streaming. Impressive!

5G’s Kryptonite
While 5G may be the future super-hero of the wireless world, every super-hero has their weakness and 5G is no exception. 5G’s strength can be reduced due to vulnerabilities against gases, rain and humidity absorption, all of which can cause significant attenuation (signal loss). Such factors limit millimeter wavelength reach to only a few kilometers (1 kilometer = .62 miles or 3,280 feet). For 5G to be prevalent, a lot of mini-cell towers will have to pop up everywhere.

Wireless for the Internet of Things (IOT): LTE-M vs. NB-IOT
IOT has 4 main ingredients: a) things—or the devices themselves, b) connectivity, c) management platform, d) analytics/business intelligence engine. Sites like jasper.com give you an idea of what much of this is all about.

Today, the most recurrent trend resulting from IoT is entire companies popping up around ONE thing or IOT device. As a result, any self-respecting Silicon Valley venture capitalist wants to invest in companies that solve just one problem for 100 million people (not companies that solve 100 million problems for one person).

As 5G rolls out high-speed wireless, the need for low-speed wireless emerges via two standards: LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines) and NB-IOT (Narrow Band Internet of Things). Note: LTE-M has a few aliases: eMTC, LTE-CAT M1, and others.

NB-IoT Specs – technology is 3GPP standards-based, and coexists with 3G and 4G cellular networks, it doesn’t share the spectrum resources. NB-IoT speeds are about one-third those of LTE-M. Does not support mobility or voice, uses one antenna and will initially roll out in Europe via various carriers, then here in North America via T-Mobile and Verizon.

LTE-M – technology is part of the 3GPP standard and uses licensed spectrum. Supports Mobility and Voice, uses one antenna and will initially roll out in North America and Mexico via carriers like AT&T.

AT&T has an IoT lab in Plano, TX at their Foundry location. It’s impressive, with many examples of IoT technology as well as the ability to fabricate, test and certify devices. AT&T offers developer tools, including an IoT “starter kit” and a wide array of knowledgeable staff to collaborate with, in order to make your IoT dream a reality.

Companies like AireSpring, as one of AT&T’s top Platinum APEX Partners in the United States, at airespring.com can get you started with AT&T’s IoT today.

Conclusion
Now that you know the source of 5G-related standards, the pros and cons of each and which carriers are rolling them out, you will be better prepared to start making use of the coming technologies. In addition, with help from AireSpring and services like the AT&T IOT Starter Kit, you’ve got a way to make your own IOT ideas a reality.

 –Mike Chase, J.D., CCIE# 7226
AireSpring Senior VP of Solutions Engineering
mike.chase@airespring.com

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Steve Pasmanik

SENIOR VP OF SERVICE DELIVERY
Steve Pasmanik is a highly accomplished, forward-looking business professional with a progressive and diverse background encompassing Operations, Sales, Strategy Development, Marketing, Customer Care, and Product Management. He currently leads AireSpring’s Service Delivery and Service Assurance teams. Prior to joining AireSpring, Steve enjoyed a wide-ranging career with AT&T where he held various management leadership positions. Steve served as Assistant Vice President for AT&T’s Partner Solutions Team where he led their multi-billion-dollar service management organization across the Alliance, ACC, AT&T Partner Solutions and Wholesale division in support of AT&T’s post-sale indirect organization. Previously, Steve served as the Assistant Vice President for AT&T’s Centralized Sales Operations Team for Global Business Solutions. Steve also led the governance and operational management for the 6,000+ employee sales organization overseeing sales operations for $40B+ of annualized revenue. Prior to this assignment, Steve led AT&T’s Premier Client Groups Sales Operations and Channel Marketing, AT&T’s Select Sales Performance and Effectiveness Organization.

Mike Chase

SENIOR VP OF SOLUTIONS ENGINEERING
Mike Chase serves on AireSpring’s executive team in the role of Senior VP of Solutions Engineering. He is a telecom veteran with deep expertise in advanced SD-WAN networking and related technologies. Mike leads AireSpring’s Solutions Engineering team which serves as a full-service network engineering resource to our channel partners and their enterprise clients. Mike brings experience across a vast portfolio of other telecom/VoIP, networking, datacenter and cloud services enterprises. He has over 25 years of experience designing complex datacenters worldwide during his work with such firms as Wells Fargo Bank, IBM, Mobil Oil Corporation, Union Oil, LA Cellular, Capitol Records, Equant, AT&T, Broadcom, Experian, tamCloud, dinCloud and others. In addition, Mike, also known as Dr. Cloud, is a published author of many online magazine articles, columns and blogs. He holds 20+ industry certifications, such as the prestigious Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE# 7226), Linux LPIC3, VMware Certified Professional (VCP #26676) and others, along with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in law from California Southern University. He previously co-founded and was former CTO of several cloud ventures, including one of the first Cloud Service Providers (CSP) to offer hosted virtual desktops worldwide.

Ellen Cahill

SENIOR VP MARKETING

Ellen Cahill is a strategic marketing expert with more than 20 years of proven results in the technology and software industry. She has served as Vice President of Marketing for Natural MD Search, VP of Product Marketing for IT Security provider Beyond Trust, and VP of Marketing for mobile solutions provider Thinque. Ellen is accomplished in relaunching acquired companies under new corporate brands to accelerate revenue and integrating products lines into existing product portfolios. She is recognized as a highly savvy marketing guru with specialties including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), cloud computing, enterprise software, product marketing, lead generation and social media.

Rod Rummelsburg

GENERAL COUNSEL

Rod Rummelsburg brings extensive experience in intellectual property, corporate and commercial Law, litigation and alternative dispute resolution to AireSpring including over 15 years of managing the transactional, litigation, negotiation and IP/patent needs of several domestic and international telecommunications and Internet companies.   Mr. Rummelsburg has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in multimillion dollar litigation matters in California, numerous state and federal courts and various appellate courts including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.  As in-house counsel at American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT), formerly Interpacket Networks, Inc., Mr. Rummelsburg managed telecommunications, regulatory, and legal issues for subsidiaries and customers in approximately 125 countries.  Additionally, Mr. Rummelsburg has negotiated and structured telecommunication deals with numerous foreign government-owned utility companies.  Mr. Rummelsburg is admitted to practice law in all federal and state courts in California and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.   Mr. Rummelsburg has a comprehensive understanding of all phases of software development, having worked for many years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, TRW and Hughes Aircraft designing and developing software communications and information systems.  After earning a BA from UCLA, Mr. Rummelsburg graduated with honors from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA with a MS in Computer Science and earned a J.D. degree with honors from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA.

David Lonstein

EXECUTIVE VP PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Mr. Lonstein previously ran the Customer Service Division at ADDTEL Communications and has 20 years of experience in all aspects of the telecommunications industry, including customer service, repair, and product management. Since joining AireSpring, he has been deeply involved in the company’s growth as the Director of Customer Service and later the Vice President of Carrier Relations. In his current role as Executive Vice President of Product Management, Mr. Lonstein oversees product development and management, special pricing, and the QuoteSpring proposal generation platform.

Tony C. Lonstein

EXECUTIVE VP

With over 30 years experience in international trading, Mr. Lonstein was the former co-founder and Chairman of ADDTEL Communications. Mr. Lonstein was responsible for the overall strategic direction for ADDTEL. Mr. Lonstein was involved in extensive negotiations with major carriers, including AT&T and MCI, as well as with major customers, which included such company as Earthlink Network. Mr. Lonstein’s prior experience includes the complex structure of several multinational trading agreements, as well as international import/export and commodities trading.

Russ Shipley

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Russ Shipley is a seasoned leader in the industry with 35+ years of experience. Prior to joining AireSpring, Russ held a variety of executive positions at TPx (formerly TelePacific), most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to assuming the COO role, Russ  served as the Executive Senior Vice President of Wholesale, Engineering and Operations and Network Services at TPx,  providing senior leadership at TPx for over 15 years. Before to joining TPx, Russ served as President of Wholesale, Chief Network Services and as New Technology Officer at Mpower Communications Corporation. Russ has also held several leadership positions with Global Crossing, Frontier Corporation and Rochester Telephone Corporation with a dedicated focus in service, operations, engineering, technology, construction, sales, and business development groups. Russ holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and an MBA with a concentration in Operations Management from the University of Rochester.

Arno Vigen

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Mr. Vigen has 30 years of experience in financial and executive management positions, including as the Chief Operating Officer of Justice Technology, which was named the Inc. 500 Winner for #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in the USA 1999. He also served as the Vice President of Finance for GSM and national carriers overseas. Mr. Vigen oversaw acquisitions by IDB Communications of FTC Communications – France Telecom (USA) and World Communications (formerly part of ITT – International Telephone and Telegraph), as well as the sale of IDB itself to LDDS.

Daniel Lonstein

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Daniel Lonstein is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AireSpring, including the sales and marketing of its award-winning cloud communications solutions. He possesses extensive experience in the sales process both inside and outside of the communications industry. Since AireSpring was founded in 2001, Mr. Lonstein has consistently anticipated and led the transition from legacy services to VoIP and cloud solutions. Mr. Lonstein draws upon his over twenty-five years of experience in the telecommunications and high tech industries to create cutting edge products, direct sales and channel programs, and the operational teams necessary to support the delivery of mission critical products and services to small businesses and Fortune 100 brands alike in the highly competitive Unified Communications and Contact Center industries.
In his position at the forefront of change in the industry, Mr. Lonstein has participated in multiple panels and published numerous articles on the latest products and technology trends in the US and abroad. He has lived and worked in Japan, Israel, and South Africa. Prior to AireSpring, Mr. Lonstein was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of ADDTEL Communications and has previously held positions at On Target Market Research and Tel-Aviv based USTM Partners, as well as consulting for various international telecommunications conglomerates on how to export high tech and telecom products to the US.

Avi Lonstein

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Avi Lonstein has been a telecom entrepreneur for over 25 years. In 1989, Mr. Lonstein co-founded ADDTEL Communications. As President of ADDTEL, he was directly responsible for growing the company from a start-up operation to one of the country’s most successful nationwide long distance resellers. Under Mr. Lonstein’s direction, ADDTEL was recognized as one of the telecom industry’s most innovative and well-managed companies, and experienced substantial growth during his tenure. Mr. Lonstein’s next entrepreneurial venture was AireSpring which he co-founded in 2001. Mr. Lonstein and his team foresaw the massive changes in telecom technology, and rapidly built AireSpring’s own next-generation IP network to become a full-fledged VoIP carrier, offering a range of SIP Trunking and telephony services. Mr. Lonstein later spearheaded development of the company’s own nationwide MPLS network and created an innovative Mesh MPLS product that has won several awards. As chief executive officer for AireSpring, Mr. Lonstein is responsible for the company’s operations, strategy, and transformation into a nationwide provider of managed services for IP communications, intelligent networking and cloud computing applications and services. He continues to lead AireSpring as the company expands its portfolio of award-winning services and applications to keep it on the cutting edge.

Ken Bisnoff

SENIOR VP OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS

Ken Bisnoff has over 30 years of experience leading high-performing organizations through periods of rapid organizational growth and expansion. As a founding member of the TPx Communications executive team, he played a pivotal role in that company's explosive growth and transformation from a small startup regional CLEC to a billion-dollar national managed services provider.

Ken has a deep understanding of industry trends, sales processes, business communications, and strategic and tactical execution. During his time at TPx, Ken held various roles that included leading direct and indirect sales, human resources, and marketing communications as well as guiding sales teams through market, tech, and M&A transformations. Ken’s track record of achievement as a channel leader includes recognition by CRN magazine as a Top 50 Most Influential “Channel Chief” in 2023, and from 2017 to 2019. He also earned the Circle of Excellence Award in 2017 from Channel Partners Magazine. Ken has served on the advisory boards of both the Technology Channel Association and Channel Partners.

Before joining AireSpring, Ken served as Senior Vice President and Channel Chief Americas at GTT.  Bisnoff was also a co-founder of leading telecom industry consultancy Eagleteq Advisors (now X4 Advisors). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

David Hess

SENIOR VP OF MOBILITY

David Hess serves Senior Vice President of Mobility. David spearheads AireSpring’s expanding mobility strategy targeting Wireless WAN, IoT, Data, Voice, and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) solutions.

David is a seasoned telecommunications leader with an influential level of experience within the Virtual Mobile Operator (VNO) sector. He has held prominent positions in the industry, most recently as the Senior Vice President of North America Sales for Pareteum, where he created and grew a sizeable business unit within that organization, targeting the IoT and VNO segments.

David’s accomplishments in the telecommunication industry are highlighted with many success stories related to driving growth and building value for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) both in the US and globally. Starting his career in sales, Hess then moved rapidly up into notable executive level roles, with companies such as KDDI & Telia as well as other emerging telecommunication service providers.

David brings over 22 years of success leading operations and sales in the telecommunication, cloud infrastructure, and managed service provider markets. His accomplishments in the telecommunication industry are highlighted by many success stories related to driving growth and building value for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) both in the US and globally.

Yang Yu

SENIOR VP OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Yang Yu is a highly regarded technology executive who spent over 15 years in various roles with IBM, rising from Systems Engineer with IBM Global Services to Delivery Project Executive, and ultimately Group CIO. In his role as Delivery Project Executive for IBM’s Business Transformation Program, Yang was responsible for implementation of the Blue Harmony software application throughout IBM worldwide. Following the success of this project, Mr. Yang was promoted to IBM Greater China Group CIO for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Following his tenure at IBM, Yang accepted a position as CIO with Prolacta Bioscience, a pioneer in providing human milk-based nutritional products for premature infants in the neonatal ICU.

Mr. Yu’s role at AireSpring incorporates his background in solution architecture and strategy, resource management and more. His deep experience in global markets and technology is instrumental in creating the innovative, adaptive environment that will best serve our partners and customers into the future. Yang holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of California, Riverside, as well as an MBA with emphasis in Management Information Systems (MIS) and Finance from the prestigious Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Additionally, Mr. Yu has added certifications including the Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, and certification in IT Architecture from The Open Group, a global technology standards consortium.

John Young

SENIOR VP OF CHANNEL SALES

John Young is a highly respected telecom industry executive, with a deep record of innovation and  leadership in both direct and channel sales. John joined AireSpring after more than 13 years at NetFortris where he was Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Global Channel Chief. His broad range of responsibilities there included both Enterprise and Channel Sales, Channel Marketing and Account Management. John previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Fonality (acquired by NetFortris in 2018) where he developed the North American and international sales teams and programs from the ground up, managing a large team of global Enterprise, Channel and Account Management sales reps, directors and VPs. During his career John has been invaluable in developing many unique partnerships with VARs, master agencies and sub-agents.

Darren Sandford

SENIOR VP OPERATIONS

Darren Sandford has over two decades of experience building and operating telecommunication networks across the United States of America and Canada. Darren has recognized expertise in innovating and launching unique products into the marketplace, optimizing significant annual budgets for operational and financial success, and assisting executives in developing and implementing corporate strategies. He has previously held senior management and executive roles at various national and global telecom corporations, including Covad Communications, Pac-West Telecomm, and Primus Telecommunications, and also served as the Vice President for Technology Deployment at the California Emerging Technology Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides statewide leadership to close the “digital divide.”

Wendell Nelson

SENIOR VP STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Wendell Nelson is a telecom industry veteran, with more than 25 years in the industry, successfully managing teams and building partnerships that deliver results. He has served as Vice President of Corporate Development at TailWind Voice & Data, expanding their opportunities beyond national technical support and dispatch services and into the connectivity business. Previously, he ran wholesale sales for Global Capacity, MegaPath and Covad Communications, building a reputation for success as an executive in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, finance, engineering, sales and operations.