G2 on 5G Podcast: Episode 207 - AT&T's Leadership Shift, SpaceX & T-Mobile's Emergency Tech, Nokia & NTT's 5G Partnership, KT's NTN Breakthrough, Verizon's New CTO, and Apple's Upcoming 5G Modem Debut

Episode 207: G2 on 5G - Insights and Updates

Welcome and Introduction

- Hosts Will Townsend and Anshel Sag kick off the episode with a light-hearted discussion about recent baseball games, highlighting the Padres' performance and the Astros' unexpected exit.

AT&T Leadership Change

- Will Townsend discusses the surprising departure of Chris Sambar, AT&T's network president, after over 20 years with the company.

- Speculation around the reasons for his departure, with insights into potential management disagreements.

- Discussion on Chris Sambar's future prospects and his potential move to AST Space Mobile.

SpaceX and T-Mobile's Emergency Authorization

- Anshel Sag covers the emergency authorization granted to SpaceX and T-Mobile for direct-to-cell technology in North Carolina.

- The focus is on enabling basic SMS communication in areas lacking cell coverage, particularly for disaster recovery efforts.

- Discussion on the temporary nature of this authorization and its potential future implications.

Nokia and NTT Partnership on Private 5G

- Will Townsend highlights the formal partnership between Nokia and NTT Data on private 5G networks.

- Insights into the partnership's impact on smart city deployments, particularly in Brownsville, Texas.

- Discussion on the flexibility and benefits of having multiple partners like Celona and Cisco for diverse use cases.

KT and KTSAT's NTN Technology Milestone

- Anshel Sag explains KT and KTSAT's claim of being the first to integrate a commercial 5G network with a geostationary satellite using NTN technology.

- Discussion on the significance of this development and its potential impact on future satellite communications.

Verizon's Restructuring and New CTO

- Will Townsend discusses Verizon's recent restructuring, including the appointment of a new CTO from Vodafone and a reduction in workforce.

- Insights into the strategic shifts at Verizon, particularly in relation to standalone 5G and millimeter wave technology.

Apple's Upcoming 5G Modem

- Anshel Sag shares insights on Apple's expected launch of its first 5G modem in the iPhone SE next year.

- Discussion on the strategic reasons for launching the modem in the SE model and the potential implications for Apple's product lineup.

Conclusion

- The hosts wrap up the episode, inviting listeners to provide feedback and suggest topics for future episodes.

- Encouragement to rate, subscribe, and tune in for the next episode.