Quick news from around the Web.
Auction Watch: After 110 rounds, the last of which included 53 new bids, the FCC's AWS-3 auction has raised a total of $ 44.288 billion in provisionally winning bids. Page. AWS-3 auction primer.
MT: We don't know what a 5G sub will be yet!-PG ABI: 5G in 2020 Will Be Rare; Over 100 Million Subscribers by 2025 http://t.co/7HvbRNpQH0
— FierceWireless (@FierceWireless) December 18, 2014
> SouthernLINC said Ericsson will build its LTE network in the major metro and rural areas of Alabama, Georgia, southeast Mississippi and northwest Florida. The carrier said its LTE network will run over its 800 MHz network and is scheduled to be complete by 2018. Release
> Moody's downgraded its rating on Sprint with a negative outlook. Release
> Viaero Wireless said it has finished its 4G network buildout across parts of Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. Article
> Microsoft said it will sell its MixRadio service to Line. Article
> A new Lenovo phone carries both Intel's processor and its LTE modem. Article
> A new report indicates Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad has installed a backdoor into its devices. Article
> Apple's Product Red campaign during the holidays has raised $20 million for AIDS research. Article
> Xavier Niel's NJJ Capital will buy Orange Switzerland for $2.9 billion. Article
> MTV added a live feed to its Android and iOS apps. Article
> Alcatel-Lucent's shared jumped on rumors that it is in merger negotiations with Nokia. Article
Wireless Tech News
> Timed to coincide with the holiday travel season, Boingo Wireless and Time Warner Cable announced that Passpoint roaming is now available to their subscribers in the first such reciprocal Passpoint roaming of its kind. Article
> Swedish start-up Anyfi Networks says its Wi-Fi architecture is very much inspired by software-defined networking (SDN) principles. The company announced this week the general availability of its Carrier Wi-Fi System. Article
Telecom News
> Frontier Communications acknowledges that while there are clearly going to be challenges in meeting the FCC's new requirement to deliver 10 Mbps of broadband service in rural areas under Phase II of the Connect America Fund (CAF), the service provider is confident it can meet the challenge. Article
> Consumer demand for a growing array of third-party over-the-top (OTT) content won't be satisfied by a 3 Mbps connection, says a new U.S. Commerce Department report. Article
Cable News
> Comcast has become the second pay-TV operator to begin offering customers programming in the 4K/Ultra High Definition format. Article
> With most of the large U.S. theater chains backing away from its mid-budget comedy feature The Interview amid an unprecedented global computer hacking threat, might Sony consider releasing the $42 million film via online streaming or pay-TV VOD? Article
And finally… These new pants are designed to prevent wireless hacks. Article