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IT certifications offer a quick and relatively inexpensive way to enter or enhance an IT career. These credentials may focus on entry-level fundamentals or system and network concentrations for management and specialized careers.Information technology certifications can provide professionals with the training, skills, and credentials necessary to enter the IT field or move within it. Today, skilled IT professionals are in high demand and benefit from remote working opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 13% growth for all computer occupations between 2020 and 2030. The computer and information technology sector pays median annual wages of $91,250. Throughout this page, we explore the value of IT certifications and examine some of the leading credentials for entry-level and experienced IT professionals, plus the certifications with the highest earning potential.What is information technology?Information technology includes the hardware, software, and devices that store, process, and manage information. Studies in this field cover the uses, implementation, and optimization of these technologies.Within many organizations, IT departments take on responsibilities including: Operations: Operations professionals focus on providing technical support to users, managing and maintaining network performance, and device management. 

Infrastructure installation and maintenance: Infrastructure professionals implement and configure systems and devices. They provide troubleshooting and maintenance when required. Governance: Governance professionals oversee the IT policies and procedures within an organization. They establish IT strategies and goals and provide leadership.What is an IT certification?IT certifications exhibit a professional’s mastery over a specific discipline, technology, or field. The credentials may feature both condensed training and an exam or only one of these components. IT certifications may provide entry-level, intermediate, or advanced training and credentials.Professionals can pursue certifications to enter the IT field, change positions, or advance their careers. The credentials can showcase a professional’s expertise with a specific vendor’s technology, which may be extremely valuable for employers who use those systems.They also demonstrate determination and drive for personal and professional improvement. IT certification costThe cost of an IT certification varies. Some platforms feature a monthly fee, such as Coursera, which charges between $29-$99. First-time participants can get a free trial period.Most certifications have an exam fee between $99-$999. These credentials often allow candidates to study on their own for free, though paid study materials or instructor-led classes are usually available. What’s the difference between certifications and degrees in information technology?Though they can have similar outcomes, IT certifications and degrees feature significant differences. In contrast to highly focused and accelerated certifications, degrees combine general education and core training over 2- to 4-year periods. Many degrees offer specialization options and courses like information systems fundamentals, enterprise network design, and cybersecurity. While both associate degrees and certain certifications can lead to entry-level careers, many advanced and high-paying IT roles require a bachelor’s degree in IT or higher. What’s the difference between information technology certificates and certifications?An information technology certificate is an education program that trains learners in a specific IT field. Compared to degree-granting IT programs, an information technology certificate takes less time and does not include general education courses. Most certificate programs take 4-12 months. Certifications are granted by third-party providers who meet industry-wide specifications, while a certificate is generally earned through a college or other learning platform. Both undergraduate and graduate certificates are available. By comparison, a certification generally does not require classes. Instead, candidates meet experience or education prerequisites and pass an examination. Some certificate programs offer a credential upon completion, including the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate in the list below.Must-have certifications in 2021With so many certifications to choose from, IT professionals can find the selection process challenging. To help simplify matters, we picked out the most widely recognized and sought-after credentials available. The following lists highlight some of the best entry-level, specialized, and high-earning certifications on the market.Entry-level IT certificationsEntry-level certifications can open the door to the IT industry for aspiring professionals without any previous education or experience. With a mixture of foundational and specialized training, these credentials may help candidates change careers and can lead to more advanced training and credentials in the future. 

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Time to complete: Approximately six monthsCost: $39/month Exam required? NoDesigned to prepare graduates for entry-level IT support positions, this certificate equips participants with troubleshooting, debugging, and program installation skills. The training covers Linux, Domain Name Systems, and cloud computing. No previous experience is required. 

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Time to complete: Approximately eight monthsCost: $39/monthExam required? NoThis certificate teaches aspiring IT support specialists how to write Python script that automates IT solutions and administrative tasks. The training also covers Git, GitHub, IT resource management, and troubleshooting and debugging. No previous experience is required.

Time to complete: Eight days + 120-minute examCost: $300Exam required? YesDeveloped for aspiring IT and networking professionals, this certification provides participants with knowledge of Cisco network components, IP services, and security. Candidates often possess Cisco solutions experience and knowledge of network fundamentals and IP addressing.  

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Time to complete: VariesCost: $127Exam required? YesMicrosoft Technology Associate certifications cover infrastructure fundamentals in areas including operating systems, networking, Windows server administration, and security. These certifications can lead to careers in IT support and administration for desktop, cloud computing, and servers. Candidates taking each exam should have experience and familiarity with the major concepts and fundamentals.

Cloud technology certificationsCloud technologies give users access to various computing services whenever and wherever they need them. Certified professionals in this field can access some of the most in-demand computer occupations. The following are some of the best certifications in this field.

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Time to complete: Two days + 45-minute examCost: $99Exam required? YesThis certification acknowledges professionals with knowledge of Microsoft Azure services, support, and security. Candidates possess an understanding of the integrated management tools and solutions, along with the network and compliance features. There are no exam prerequisites other than understanding the material.

Time to complete: VariesCost: $165Exam required? YesThis certification prepares professionals to govern an organization’s cloud infrastructure and resources. It demonstrates skills in implementing and managing Microsoft Azure environments.  Candidates should possess at least six months of experience using Microsoft Azure and related systems.

IT security certificationsIT security certifications credentials prepare professionals to protect organizational information, develop advanced security programs, and establish risk management strategies. Certified professionals can pursue roles in management or as cybersecurity specialists. 

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Time to complete: Approximately eight months + examCost: $49/monthExam required? YesDesigned for cybersecurity analysts, this certification prepares professionals to protect data and endpoints, collect security data, and leverage open source tools. Certificate-holders learn to identify database vulnerabilities, prevent malware attacks, and detect and handle cyberthreats. No previous experience is required. 

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Time to complete: 90-minute exam + study timeCost: $370 – $949Exam required? Ideal for IT professionals who want to demonstrate cybersecurity expertise, this certification covers threat and vulnerability detection, program design and implementation, and incident response. Certified professionals also master organizational risk management & regulations compliance. Experience is not mandatory, but two years of IT and security experience is recommended.

Network certificationsNetwork certifications focus on improving business communications and networks. Credentialed professionals know how to design, implement, manage, and optimize networks for organizations, leading to careers in network administration, analysis, and management.

Time to complete: Approximately 16 days of training + two 120-minute examsCost: $400Exam required? YesThis certification prepares professionals to take on roles dedicated to enterprise networking technologies. The core training and exam equip learners to handle dual-stack architecture, network assurance, and security. Concentrations are available in advanced routing, wireless networks, and automation. There are no prerequisites, but many candidates possess between 3-5 years of experience with enterprise networking solutions. 

Time to complete: Recommended three-day course + 90-minute examCost: $200Exam required? YesMade for networking professionals, this certification covers the Juniper Networks Junos operating system. The credential recognizes those who understand the system fundamentals and interfaces, can configure Junos devices, and can identify routing concepts and policies. An optional training course is recommended prior to taking the exam. 

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Time to complete: 90 minutes + study timeCost: $338 – $999Exam required? YesBuilt for aspiring network troubleshooters and administrators, this certification recognizes professionals who have a grasp of networking concepts, devices, security, and operations. CompTIA recommends test-takers have nine months of networking experience and a solid handle on the exam material before testing.

Highest Paying IT CertificationsMany IT certifications lead to promising careers, but some offer greater financial rewards than others. Through a survey with 3,700 U.S.-based respondents, Global Knowledge found professionals holding the following IT certifications reported the best ROI and highest average salaries. Readers should note that salaries may be dependent on experience, employers, performance, and location. 

Time to complete: Two-hour exam + study timeCost: $200Exam required? YesAverage salary: $171,749Created to recognize data engineering expertise, this certification acknowledges professionals who can design, build, and manage data processing systems. The credential focuses on machine learning models, compliance, and security. Google recommends that test-takers possess at least three years of professional experience and one year of experience with Google Cloud.

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Time to complete: Two-hour exam + study timeCost: $200Exam required? YesAverage salary: $169,029This certification acknowledges professionals who provide business solutions using Google Cloud technologies. The exam covers cloud solutions design and planning, security, reliability, and management. Google recommends that professionals possess at least three years of industry experience and one year of Google Cloud experience before testing.

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Time to complete: 130-minute exam + study timeCost: $150Exam required? Average salary: $159,033This certification affirms professionals’ skills in AWS cloud systems and solutions. The exam covers designing and implementation of distributed systems, including AWS security, networking, and compliance requirements. AWS recommends that test-takers have at least one year of experience using AWS technologies. 

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Time to complete: Four-hour exam + study timeCost: $575 for members and $760 for non-membersExam required? YesAverage salary: $151,995Developed for IT risk management and security professionals, this certification demonstrates an understanding of risk monitoring and threat mitigation. The credential covers information systems governance, assessment, security, and risk response and reporting. For certification, professionals need at least three years of relevant professional experience.

Time to complete: Three-hour exam + study timeCost: $749Exam required? YesAverage salary: $151,853Awarded to IT professionals who can design and manage effective cybersecurity programs, this certification covers risk management, architecture and engineering, assessment and testing, and software development. The requirements for certification include a minimum of five years of experience in at least two CISSP domains. 

Time to complete: Four-hour exam + study timeCost: $575 for members and $760 for non-membersExam required? YesAverage salary: $149,246This certification recognizes professionals who can design and manage information security programs. The credential also covers governance, risk and incident management, and compliance. Qualifying for certification requires at least five years of information security management experience.

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Time to complete: 35 contact hours of training + 230-minute exam + study timeCost: $405 for members and $555 for non-membersExam required? YesAverage salary: $148,906Built for experienced project managers, this certification acknowledges professionals with skills using predictive, Agile, and hybrid management methodologies. Certified professionals demonstrate expertise in planning, controlling, and closing projects. For eligibility, professionals need a four-year degree and three years of management experience or 60 months of management experience. 

Nutanix

Time to complete: Two-hour exam + study timeCost: $199Exam required? YesAverage salary: $142,810This certification validates a professional’s abilities to manage and troubleshoot Nutanix AOS 5.15. The exam tests on enterprise cloud concepts and managing and securing clusters. Though not required, ideal candidates have at least 3-6 months of experience with AOS and 1-2 years of experience with general systems.

Time to complete: Four-hour exam + study timeCost: $575 for members and $760 for non-membersExam required? YesAverage salary: $134,460Acknowledging professionals who monitor, control, and assess business IT systems, this certification covers the auditing process, IT governance, systems development and implementation, and asset protection. For certification, professionals need at least five years of auditing or related experience. 

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Time to complete: 130-minute exam + study timeCost: $250Exam required? YesAverage salary: $132,947This certification demonstrates an understanding of vSphere infrastructure best practices, implementation, and management skills. Credentialed professionals can install, configure, troubleshoot, and secure the virtualization platform. 

Which IT certification is right for you?When choosing between the many IT certifications, candidates should consider multiple factors to ensure they pick the best-suited option for them. First, they should evaluate their current level and strengths. Next, they should think about their career goals and identify what credentials and training they need in order to reach that level. Equipped with that information, candidates can search the available certifications, sorting by relevance, industry recognition and acceptance of the credential, cost, and delivery format. While IT certifications do not typically pursue or receive accreditation, they may still be recognized by noteworthy organizations, such as professional industry associations or specific vendors. Candidates can research what type of industry recognition certifications have received to ensure they get the best credential available.

What are the best IT certs to get?

The best IT certifications depend on the candidate’s career goals. Many employers rank certain certifications above others depending on their usefulness to the organization, such as those that provide relevant vendor- and system-specific training. 

Can you get an IT job with just certifications?

Yes. Professionals with an IT certification as their only relevant training can access some entry-level IT careers.

What IT certifications pay the most?

The highest-paying IT certifications depend on the credentialed professional’s experience, employer, and location. According to Global Knowledge, professionals holding a Google Certified Professional Data Engineer credential report some of the highest average wages at $171,749.

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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has laid out the rules for small carriers that are applying to access a pot of $1.9 billion to rip out and replace network equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE. The rules state that carriers will need to have under 10 million customers and allow for the possibility of some schools, libraries, and health care providers gaining access to funds if they provide broadband services. For the purposes of the program, equipment would need to be capable of speeds above 200kbps in either direction. “The reimbursement program will reimburse eligible providers of advanced communications services for costs reasonably incurred for the removal, replacement, and disposal of their Huawei and ZTE equipment and services obtained on or before June 30, 2020,” the FCC said. “RRD costs incurred prior to April 17, 2018 will not be reimbursable.” The FCC said in the cases of older network, replacing like-for-like may not be possible, and instances such as ripping out an older mobile network to be replaced by LTE or 5G-ready equipment would be allowed. Those receiving the funds will not be able to replace microwave backhaul or fixed wireless links with fibre links. If a tower is not capable of holding replacement equipment, the cost of a new tower would be considered on a case-by-case basis, the regulator said. Applicants for the funds will be able to claim vendor travel expenses and salary costs of internal employees dedicated purely to the replacement program.

“Separately, the commission has determined that the replacement of non-Huawei or ZTE mobile handsets and other customer premises equipment, including Internet of Things devices, used by end users to access and utilise advanced communications services are not reasonably necessary to the removal, replacement, and disposal of covered communications equipment or service,” it said. The window for applying runs from October 29 to January 14, with successful applicants expected to be informed in early Q2 2022. The program has been in the works for two years, with the FCC officially designating Huawei and ZTE as national security threats in July 2020. Separately, over the weekend, the US Justice Department and Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou cut a deal to end an extradition lawsuit that ran for nearly three years. Meng admitted only to misleading global financial institutions, and did not plead guilty to the various fraud charges imposed against her. Without even trying to hide its hostage diplomacy tactics, Beijing subsequently released two Canadians who were detained shortly after Meng’s arrest and kept in Chinese prisons.By contrast, Meng was able to live under house arrest in one of her two Vancouver homes. Related Coverage More

It used to be that we could do okay with less than 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) internet.  That was before we filled our evenings with streaming movies and TV shows and our days with working from home on Zoom meetings and Software-as-a-Service applications. Now, we need at least 25 Mbps, the more the better.Fiber internet offers the best speeds for those lucky enough to have it, and cable is the second-best option. After that, it’s a real drop-off. For example, DSL tops out, in theory, at 100 Mbps, but in practice it maxes out at 25 Mbps. It’s also on its way out, with big providers like AT&T no longer offering it. There are other alternatives such as Wireless ISPs (WISP), 4G-based internet, the old and slow satellite internet services, and the fast (but difficult to get installed) low-earth orbit (LEO) Starlink. Now there’s a new wireless internet alternative to add to the mix: 5G internet. 5G home internet uses the same signals as 5G phones, but it is a fixed wireless internet service. WISPs have been around for decades — I installed one in the 80s from an off-campus site to Goddard Space Flight Center — but these services tend to be point-to-point. That means they use a line of sight between their antennas and yours for the connection. 5G internet doesn’t need a line of sight connection. It does require an indoor or outdoor 5G receiver at your home to pick up the signal. Once there, you’ll also need a router to get the signal to your PCs and smart devices. You also should know that just because you’re using your smartphone’s 5G network, you can’t move it. Your gateway is locked to your location and cannot be used elsewhere.5G internet is very much a work in progress. For example, AT&T offers a 5G mobile service and fixed wireless internet, but the two aren’t connected. For now, their wireless internet service doesn’t use its 5G network.One company, FreedomFi, is working on a do-it-yourself 5G network. You can expect to see smaller companies offering local 5G internet services using their open-source technology within the next 12-months. In the meantime, there are three major 5G internet providers: Starry Internet, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon 5G Internet.

Wireless ISP meets 5G

CNET

Spec Category: 5G Internet| Spec Category: Internet |  Price: $30 |Starry Internet lives between old-school WISP and 5G. It uses the high-frequency bands in the 24 and 37GHz range to deliver your Internet. Within that range, it uses 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) technology. But, unlike Verizon, which uses mmWave for its Ultra Wideband short-range 5GT-Mobile Home Internet phone service, thanks to its point-to-point approach Starry has considerably more range. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Starry is still unavailable in most locations. By 2022, the company plans to expand from Denver, LA, and cities in the NorthEast corridor to tens of millions of users.Starry developed and manufactured every part of its offering. Everything from the antennas, the base stations, the receivers, and even the Wi-Fi router is all the company’s own design and work. It’s all built to work well together for the best possible performance. Starry users tell me that the service delivers the promised speeds.Like satellite services, users I know who have Starry report that rainy or snowy weather can sometimes slow down or even knock the connection. On the other hand, they also report that Starry has excellent customer service. And, when was the last time you heard anyone say that about an ISP?All of Starry’s plans come with unlimited data, no equipment fees, and no contracts. These plans start with Starry Basic, which comes with 50Mbps up and down services for $30 a month. Starry Plus, which is widely available, provides 200Mbps down and 100Mbps up, costs $50 a month. There are other, faster and more expensive packages. These top out at a Gigabit per second (Gbps) down and 500Mbps up for $80 a month. But, these service offerings are not widely available. Starry also offers an affordable internet plan for seniors, students, and low-income households. This option, Starry Connect, costs $15 per month, for symmetrical upload and download speeds of 30Mbps. Starry Internet is currently available in Boston; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Los Angeles; New York City, and Washington, DC. Its 2022 expansion roadmap includes approximately 30 million households in such cities as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Memphis, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle.If you can get it, Starry is well worth checking out.   Pros:   Excellent price.   No data cap   Good customer supportCons:   Very limited availability

Easily the most widely available 5G Internet service

CNET

Spec Category: 5G Internet| Spec Category: Internet |  Price: $60 |T-Mobile says you’ll automatically receive the best speeds is by far the most widely available 5G internet service. There’s really no comparison. That’s because T-Mobile both bought Sprint and thus got its 5G bandwidth allotments and it’s worked hard on its mid-range 5G deployment.  For you, that means even if you live way out in the country, odds are good you’ll get reasonably fast internet.True, T-Mobile’s not the fastest 5G service around. That’s because depending on where you live and how much bandwidth all the other T-Mobile customers are using, your service will switch between 4G LTE and 5G. Today, T-Mobile expects you’ll get up to 100Mbps download speeds. CNET recently tested T-Mobile’s service and reached a high of 132Mbps. The company warns that the “vast majority of our customers experience speeds of 25Mbps or more.” The company doesn’t offer tiered speeds or pricing today. T-Mobile says you’ll automatically receive the best speeds available at your address. As better speeds are available, you’ll automatically get them for no additional cost.On the other hand, T-Mobile has no data caps whatsoever. You can use all the internet you want without worrying about running out of bandwidth. T-Mobile Home Internet is just $60 all in with AutoPay for customers who already have (or switch to) a tax-included plan. This also includes all setup fees and taxes and has no annual contract. You can currently, available through the end of 2021, get $10 off Google’s YouTube TV if you’re a new subscriber.For rural users, T-Mobile is a no-brainer. It’s far better than most countryside ISP choices. Pros:   Good price.   No data cap   Wide availabilityCons:   Limited speed

Verizon’s internet speeds claims exaggerated

Verizon

Spec Category: 5G Internet| Spec Category: Internet |  Price: $70 |Let’s get straight to the point. Verizon 5G Internet claims you can get from 300Mbps to 1Gbps with its service. I know of no one — No One — who gets anything close to that speed. They make that claim because if you’re within a few dozen yards of one of their 5G Ultra Wideband towers you may see those speeds. If you look at Verizon’s fine print you’ll find “5G Ultra Wideband is available only in parts of select cities.” But, when you’re living somewhere like that chances are you can already get high-speed cable or fiber.For the rest of us, you’re stuck with 5G Nationwide, which uses Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS). This is only 5G for advertising purposes. It actually uses the 4G LTE spectrum and has almost identical speeds. These speeds typically come in around 25 Mbps. But, Verizon is also using its recently acquired Citizens Broadband Radio Service   (CBRS) to speed up its 4G LTE and Nationwide offerings. Early CBRS deployments are hitting speeds of 700Mbps. Verizon also recently bought the right to use the C-band spectrum. This will also increase its 5G Nationwide range and speed. Verizon 5G Home Internet pricing is $70 a month, or $50 a month for Verizon mobile customers who already pay at least $30 a month. For this, you also get your equipment, setup fees, and taxes.  It also doesn’t have a data cap.  Verizon’s 5G Home Internet is currently offered in parts of 57 different markets, including Akron, Ohio; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Arlington, Texas; Anaheim, California; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Des Moines, Iowa; Detroit; Durham, North Carolina; Fremont, California; Fresno, California; Greensboro, North Carolina; Gresham, Oregon; Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Los Angeles; Louisville, Kentucky; Memphis, Tennessee; Miami; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; Nashville; New Orleans; Niagara Falls, New York; Omaha, Nebraska; Orlando; Pensacola, Florida; Phoenix; Raleigh, North Carolina; Riverside, California; Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose, California; Sarasota, Florida; Seattle; Spokane, Washington; St. Louis; St. Petersburg, Florida; Tampa, Florida; and Tucson, Arizona. That’s a long list, but note they say “parts” of markets. You can literally get a signal in one block and bupkis in the next one.Now you may be lucky enough to live next door to a Verizon  5G Internet tower. In that case, you’ll see great speed and little latency. But, for most of us, Verizon’s not impressive. That said, by this time next year it may be a different story. Verizon’s new technologies should boost its average speed and range considerably. Check in next fall and Verizon may be the best 5G internet option around. Pros:   Good price.   No data capCons:   High speed has very limited availability

Three kinds of 5G

You may think 5G is one technology. It’s not. 5G is an umbrella term for three different kinds of 5G. These are mmWave, midband, and low-band 5G. These are all very different from each other. What Verizon wants to sell you, mmWave, under the tag line, “This is 5G built right,” is only “built” today in a handful of places. It currently runs on 24 and 28 GHz bands and won’t be spreading anytime soon. That’s because its range isn’t much more than Wi-Fi’s range. Sure, you can cover a stadium with it, but city blocks? Dream on.Besides mmWave’s limited range, it has no penetration to speak of. Your office’s walls will block it. Heck, even leaves and windows can seriously slow it down. So, sure outside while you’re cheering on your team you may see Gigabit speeds — so long as not too many of your fellow fans are using up the bandwidth — but in your business or home? Forget about it. The only way you’ll see 5G inside most buildings is the same way you get Wi-Fi in them: By filling them with access points.Midband, which can run between 1 GHz and 6 GHz has more coverage and penetration than mmWave. Sprint, now owned by T-Mobile, was the first to roll it out at 2.5 GHz. Midband averages real-world speeds of over 100Mbps downloads. By comparison, 4G LTE averages just over 20 Mbps. Its range varies depending on exactly which frequency it uses, but it will be considerably more than mmWave and about half that of 4G LTE.Low-band 5G, which T-Mobile launched on Dec. 6, 2019, lives in the 600 MHz spectrum. If you’re an old-school TV watcher of a certain age, that’s where your UHF TV channels 38-51 live. This kind of 5G has a far greater range than the others or 4G LTE. A single tower can cover hundreds of square miles. Its performance will vary, but it’s usually at least as fast as 4G LTE’s 20+ Mbps and can reach speeds of up to 250 Mbps.That sounds great, and if you live in rural America, low-band 5G is going to be a game-changer. If you live in a city it may be a different story. Depending on how the spectrum is divided up between the mobile carriers, there may not be enough spectrum for T-Mobile’s 5G to show to its best advantage.Verizon also advertises what it calls 5G Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS). This is not really 5G. It’s just marketing. Verizon admits that all you really get from 5G DSS is about the same range and performance as you’re already getting from Verizon 4G LTE connection.Finally, your Wi-Fi router’s 5GHz is not the same thing as 5G. Wi-Fi uses short-range radio frequencies, 2.4 or 5Ghz to transmit your internet signal from your ISP to your home or office devices. While techies can use Wi-Fi to link networks over long distances, your router’s 5Ghz is in no way a last-mile internet connection. 

What internet speed is right for you?

Your ISP will tell you one thing on their websites but remember they want to sell you more bandwidth. ISPs can also mislead you about what they can actually deliver. Over the years, I’ve been told by ISPs they could hook me up with connections they literally couldn’t deliver. And let’s not even talk about their speed guarantees, which more often than not are wishful thinking. To see what you really get from any given connection, run one of these internet speed tests.The following is a useful list to see how much bandwidth you need from your internet. Keep in mind, though, that these are additive. For example, if you’re video-conferencing in HD (20 Mbps), while your partner’s watching Dune in 4K on HBO Max (35Mbps), and your kids are playing Fortnite (35 Mbps), you’ll need 90 Mbps to keep everyone happy. But, wait, there’s more. For example, even if you only have one or two people in your home, there are more than 10 internet-connected devices in the average US home. Besides the ones you first think of — computers, streaming devices, and gaming consoles — there are also smartwatches, Internet of Things gadgets, and even pet-tracking devices. If you’re using these devices all the time, then you’ll want to have enough bandwidth to power all of them.For example, in my computer-happy home office, I have over 30 internet-connected devices. If you’re a faithful ZDNet reader, chances are you too have a house filled with net-connected devices. So, to account for all those internet-connected devices, I’d add another 10 Mbps to your account. In my hypothetical family that brings your total required bandwidth to 100 Mbps. 

How much are 5G upload speeds?

Not so long ago, most homeowners didn’t care that much about upload speeds. Then, we all started working from home. Now it’s a different story.  We need good upload speeds for our video-conferencing and work. Except on fiber internet connections, most internet technologies offer far lower upstream speeds than down. For example, my cable Gigabit plan gives me in real life no more than 800Mbps down, but only 40Mbps up. Yes, that still sounds fast, but if you’re doing a lot of online classes or video-conferencing you can run right into those limits and end up with a bad connection. Generally speaking, 5G services ratios are better. Technically, 5G services provide half the upstream speeds they offer downstream. So, a 600 Mbps hookup should give you 300 Mbps uploads. As always, check the fine print, if upload speeds are a critical concern for you. 

Will you get advertised speeds?

Speaking of fine print, what ISPs promise they’ll deliver in the way of bandwidth often isn’t what you get. For example, the Federal Trade Commission, along with law enforcement agencies from six states, recently sued Frontier Communications, alleging that the company didn’t provide many consumers with the internet speeds it promised them. And, adding insult to injury, the company charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service than was actually provided.  In my experience, this is all too common. According to AllConnect, a company that promises to help you find the best telecommunication deals, “15% of internet users, or 45 million people, are getting less than their advertised speeds.” Of those, “Fiber and cable internet have the biggest gap – with most people getting, on average, about 55% of the speeds they pay for.” In the case of 5G what speeds you actually get also depends on how far you are away from the tower. And, if your ISP has oversold your local connection, your speeds will also be slower when everyone tries to use it at once. The short tell for this is if during prime TV watching time your connection starts to slow down. All those streaming shows eat up a lot of the available bandwidth.  

Internet connection factors besides speed to worry about

Sure, if all you do is e-mail then you can get by with 6 Mbps or less. But, if you’re routinely transferring large files, having video conferences, or streaming 4K video, you need all the speed you can get. But, there’s more to the matter than just raw speed.If you need fast throughput, you also need the highest data cap you can get. It doesn’t matter how quick your connection is if your service drops your speed to a crawl. For example, the satellite ISP HughesNet’s speed maxes out at 25 Mbp, that’s not great, but you might be able to live with it. However, once you’ve gone over 10 GB–50 GB of data depending on your plan, speed is cut drastically. Or, other plans let you keep your speed, but they start charging you extra. For instance,  AT&T’s fixed-wireless internet plan—which is available to rural internet customers in remote areas has a 350 GB data cap. When you go over it, it costs $10 for every additional 50 GB. Because data caps vary, be certain to check the fine print. ISPs make a point of not sharing this information so double-check if you think you’re using so much data that you might break your provider’s data cap. 

How to choose  

Which 5G internet provider is right for you?Start by using the provider’s online form to see if service is available at your address. It’s also wise to ask neighbors who already have a connection how well it works for them. ISPs have been known to promise more than they can deliver and you don’t want to be trapped in a bad deal. You should also look at any available add-ons. Besides voice phone service, some provide discounted rates for streaming services. AT&T, for example, bundles HBO Max with some high-end internet packages. ISPs also commonly offer e-mail services and some offer virtual private networks (VPN) services.

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Next to social networks and texting, email — at about 293 billion sent per day — is the most utilized cloud service in the world. Don’t believe anybody who tells you that email is dead or dying. It’s not, and it won’t fade away for a long while — it’s too valuable a service, especially for business. Starting back in the mid-’90s with AOL, Yahoo, and Microsoft’s Hotmail and continuing through the present time with Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Outlook, and a long list of others, free-of-charge cloud-based email has been a mainstay of daily work for more than a generation.

Email used to be a simple system to send messages over the internet instead of through the mail. Since its creation in 1971, email has been quietly moving into many aspects of our daily lives, such as automated notifications for medical and automotive check-ups, home security monitoring, and company collaboration. It’s become a way of automating our lives.

Hosted commercial email services also use cloud connections and offer add-on services as needed by users mostly employed in enterprises. Here’s a compilation of what you need to know about selecting and using a cloud-based email service — and, yes, you may not know everything.

Data Point No. 1: Email using any kind of cloud exchange is separated from an enterprise’s private communication infrastructure. 

InfoSec specialists prefer to distrust any outside service that carries a business’s private information. This is why an increasing number of government, military, scientific, and highly-regulated enterprises are moving to private interconnect systems that operate outside the public internet. This isn’t so much the case, however, with enterprises of all sizes. Using a publicly available cloud-based email service means that your ability to email and connect with your colleagues continues through the internet in the event an internal server fails. In contrast, a private exchange is built into the internal infrastructure, making workplace collaboration completely dependent on the internal connection. If the internal server goes down, so does email.

A benefit of hosting your own email is that messages are sent within the office, making the transfer a little quicker than with the cloud. With a cloud exchange, emails are sent outside the office for storage and are then brought back inside to the recipient’s inbox, slowing down exchange speed. In addition to swift email transfer, private exchange offers settings to enhance workplace collaboration, such as setting custom email sending size and security restrictions. These settings are unique to private exchange and represent a glaring contrast to the one size fits all approach of cloud-based exchange.

Whether your business decides to use a private or cloud exchange, it’s important to understand the upside and downside of each exchange system. Your business and day-to-day operations will determine which exchange is best for you. With the rapid development of this and edge computing, how will your business use email for optimal performance? That’s the important question.

Data Point No. 2: Top five most-deployed free cloud-based email services

Chances are high that you use one of the following email accounts:

Google Gmail: It’s reliable, quick-reacting, has plenty of options, and Is intuitive to learn. According to Androidpolice, Gmail is the most used service worldwide. As of early 2021, Gmail had about 1 billion registrants and 750,000 active users. Disclosure: Strings of email conversations can be hard to follow; it can take a bit of search to find the latest comments. Like anything else, the more one uses it, the more automatic the navigation becomes.

Microsoft Outlook: It’s in second place with 400 million active users. It can be used independently from the Office 365 platform and has big advantage in that it is pre-installed in Windows PCs. It’s very responsive and intuitive to use.

Yahoo Mail: No. 3 with nearly 230 million active users. Many of these are old-schoolers who started using Yahoo Mail back in the 1990s, when it and AOL owned the market before Google and Microsoft forged ahead in the early 2000s. Not known as the fastest-reacting email service in the past, it has made improvements recently.

Yandex Mail: Yandex is a popular search engine for news reading, claiming about 85 million monthly users.

Mozilla Thunderbird:  Thunderbird’s team has been working to improve the service’s user interface and UX, with better Gmail support and native notifications for Windows, Mac and Linux — the three operating systems Thunderbird supports for its 25 million users.

Additional cloud email items: 

NetEase Mail: The Chinese internet company, born in 1997, mainly competes in the online gaming business but also provided email for a reported 300 million users in 2017. However, those numbers were difficult to verify. The company does see continuous strong growth in Asia in 2021, and the market estimates are that it now serves about 500 million users for games and email.

AOL: The iconic market leader in the early days of the internet is being phased out as Verizon sells its media assets to Apollo Global Management. But the iconic America Online brand, the gateway to the web in the 1990s, is officially no more. 

Data Point No. 3: Top commercial cloud email services

iCloud Mail is easy to use, reasonably priced with good storage limits, and has a useful web interface, which means it can be used on any device. It also has decent spam filtering and tight integration with Apple products.The cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. launched on October 12, 2011. As of 2020, the service had an estimated 900 million users, up from 782 million users in 2016. A 5GB mail storage account is free of charge, 50GB is 99 cents per month, 200GB is $2.99 per month, and 2TB costs $9.99 per month.

Workspace (formerly G Suite) now has 2 billion users as of early 2021. Gmail is a central service. Google Workspace plans start as low as $6 per user per month for Business Starter, $12 per user per month for Business Standard, and $18 per user per month for Business Plus. 

According to Microsoft, Office 365 now has about 300 million monthly active users. Growth has remained constant at about 3 million users per month since November 2015. Users can share a Microsoft 365 Family subscription with up to five other people. Each person will use their own Microsoft account to install Office on all their devices and be signed in to five at the same time. Office 2019 Home & Business costs $249.99, up 9 percent from the $229 Microsoft asked for Office 2016 Home and Business. Office 2019 Professional now costs $439.99, up 10 percent from the $399 that Office 2016 Professional costed. Both of these can be used in commercial contexts.

Users can get a business mailbox starting at $3.19 per month in Yahoo Small Business. Five mailboxes cost $1.39 per mailbox, and the price goes down to $1.19 per box each for 10 users.

This is a secure and reliable business email solution featuring advanced collaboration features. A free forever plan is available, and the paid plans are competitively priced: 5GB ($1/month), 50GB ($4/month), 100GB ($6/month); all are billed annually. Users set up an email account through the Zoho Mail client, and the email is then sent through Gmail’s server. Users get the ease of Zoho Mail and the security and storage space that comes along with Google Workspace.

This is strictly a business operation. Starting at $499 per month per server and capping at $1,249, Rackspace’s dedicated servers are priced according to the server space users require. Rackspace account managers will assess the services required based on your business needs and recommend an hourly rate for your plan.

Data Point No. 4:  The most secure free cloud email providers

End-to-end encryption is provided by all of the following. List is by industry analyst PrivacySavvy.

ProtonMail: High-security cloud-based email provider. Per-user pricing is $6.25/month when paid annually, and $8/month when paid on a month-to-month basis.

Tutanota: Europe-based provider offering both individual and businesses accounts. Flexible pricing plans enable secure mailboxes with custom domain support starting at €1 per month.

Mailfence: Mailfence pricing starts at $2.50/month as a flat rate. There is a free version, and the company offers a free trial.

Hushmail: Encrypted email. One user costs $9.99/month with a 10GB storage capacity and up to five users cost $19.99/month with a 15GB storage capacity. The price and GB storage increases with the number of users. Companies with 100+ employees must contact Hushmail for a custom quote.

Email facts and statistics

Statistics, extrapolations, and counts by the Radicati Group found the following:

More than half of the world’s population used email in 2020.

The number of worldwide email users is expected to grow to more than 4.3 billion by the end of 2023.

The total number of business and consumer emails sent and received per day exceeded 293 billion in 2019 and is forecast to grow to more than 347 billion by the end of 2023.

DMR has curated these other facts about email:

The first email system was developed in 1971.

Ray Tomlinson is generally credited as having sent the first email across a network, initiating the use of the “@” sign to separate the names of the user and the user’s machine in 1971, when he sent a message from one Digital Equipment Corporation DEC-10 computer to another DEC-10.

The first email standard was proposed in 1973 at DARPA and finalized within Arpanet in 1977, including common things such as the to and from fields and the ability to forward emails to others who were not initially a recipient.

Each day, the average office worker receives 150 emails.

The click-through rate for email sent in North America is 3.1%.

The average click-through rate on desktop computers is 13.3% and, on mobile devices, it’s 12.7%.

The average amount of overall emails opened on desktop computers is 16%, on mobile devices is 55.6%, and on webmail is 28%.

The open rate increases by 17% when the subject line is personalized.

Forty-two percent of Americans admit to checking email in the bathroom, and 50% do so while in bed.

The average open rate for retail emails is 20.96%, and for political emails is 22.23%.

The top spam content category in 2017 was healthcare, followed by malware.

The top reason U.S. internet users unsubscribe from email lists is: “I get too many emails in general.”

According to Statista, the most popular email client is Apple iPhone, followed closely by Gmail. 

99Firms has its own curated list that includes the following facts:

Despite the rise of social messaging apps, 78% of teenagers use email.

A majority (62.86%) of business professionals prefer email to communicate for business purposes.

Ninety percent of workers check their personal email at least every few hours.

Email click rates increase by up to 300% if a video is included.

The best times to send email are between 10:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. More

Image: Chris Duckett/ZDNet
The CEOs of Telstra, Optus, TPG, Vocus, and Aussie Broadband have written to NBN asking for the national broadband wholesaler to do more than the current CVC relief program is offering, citing increasing costs to acquire capacity. The telcos say the current program does not come close to covering CVC cost increases that have been experienced since lockdowns hit primarily New South Wales and Victoria, and costs to retailers have risen each month at an “unmanageable rate”. The telcos are asking for a retrospective change to the program to have May 2021 usage as a baseline, and to calculate the credit on each telco’s individual overage charge and not on the overall industry overage, as it currently occurs. The group says that failure to do so would lead to poorer consumer outcomes. “We write to appeal to NBN Co’s social responsibility towards all Australians and request NBN Co provide additional broadband capacity in their time of need,” the telcos said. Vocus CEO Kevin Russell said NBN was failing its social responsibility. “NBN is profiteering from lockdowns,” he said. “Simple fact: NBN makes more money today with Australians forced to work from home than they did three months ago before lockdowns.”

For its part, NBN said it was “unfair and unrealistic” for the telcos to expect Australian taxpayers to stump up additional subsidies and provide bigger profits to telcos. The company allocated AU$5.2 million in credit for July, AU$3.7 million in August, and has previously said it would have further credit available for September and October if usage was above the long-term trend. “Our monitoring of the network saw data usage flatten over August, particularly towards the end of the month. Average usage across the entire network during busy hours for the month of August grew just 2.5%, compared to 7% in the month of July,” an NBN spokesperson said. In its recent corporate plan, NBN forecast lower revenue and earnings than in its plan a year prior. “Once lockdowns are eased, we anticipate data usage during the busy hour will fall significantly. This will result in reduced revenue for NBN Co in the second half of the year and is the principle reason why revenue for FY22 has been guided at a level below last year’s corporate plan,” the spokesperson added. “In other words, rather than profiteering, we have reduced FY22 revenue and earnings expectations as a result of the impact of COVID-19.” Last month, Telstra CEO Andy Penn laid blame for a trio of telcos being hauled into Federal Court over allegations of making misleading NBN FttN speed claims at the feet of NBN Co. “When you sign up for the NBN you tell us what speed you want. However, when we connect you for the first time, NBN can’t tell us what speeds you’ll get. Despite this, we still have an obligation to provide you the speed you’ve chosen,” Penn said on Twitter. “The root cause is at the beginning. We need NBN to tell us what its network is capable of for customers upfront, before we connect and for regulators to impose on NBN the same obligations we have to meet. That’s how we’ll get this right for customers once and for all.” Related Coverage More

Chromium browser maker, Brave, has unveiled Brave Talk, a video service based on an implementation of the open source video meeting platform Jitsi. 

Brave is one of over dozen Chromium-based browsers vying for a space on desktops and mobile devices as an alternative window to the web beyond Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. It’s now, perhaps rather belatedly, jumping on the video conference bandwagon to join Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex with Brave Talk. Brave bills itself as a privacy-focused browser. It arrived in 2016 with the promise of tracking protection, an ad blocker, and HTTPS Everywhere. While it is a popular Chrome alternative, its crypto methods of monetizing the software with ads has annoyed some users. Nonetheless, the company is taking the same privacy message to the video meeting space. It argues that many other video conferencing providers monitor calls, metadata, and images, and the records of that data can be sold or shared without user consent. “Brave Talk users can enable multiple layers of encryption on calls, so an eavesdropper cannot listen in on users’ calls, and our servers don’t save metadata, so calls, images, and activities are never recorded or shared without user consent.” Brave Talk is underpinned by 8×8, a video meeting service provider that uses the Jitsi video meeting platform and the WebRTC (Web real time communications) standard for video codecs in browsers.   

With apps like Zoom and Teams already well-entrenched among consumers and businesses, it’s going to be hard for something like Brave Talk to break through, but it’s another tool for those who use Brave for privacy reasons at a time when video meetings are crucial for day-to-day life. 

see also

The best browsers for privacy

If you’re like most people, you’re probably using Google Chrome as your default browser. It’s hard to fault Google’s record on security and patching but privacy is another matter for the online ad giant.

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Brave in February claimed to have 25 million active users and now says it has 36 million users. Brave Talk free to for one-to-one video calls. It also features video groupwatch, YouTube livestreaming, and unlimited call times for free version users. There is a paid-for version too: group calls with three or more people need to pay $7 a month. The paid-service includes call recordings, muting and entry passcodes, and calls with larger groups. In coming weeks, Brave plans to launch a free version of Brave Talk in the Android and iOS apps. More

Dell Technologies is expanding support for Dell EMC CloudIQ, a cloud application that’s a steppingstone to creating autonomous infrastructure. The effort is part of an effort to create autonomous operations starting with CloudIQ, which includes AIOps tools to manage issues before they become critical. Dell Technologies rolled out its Apex portfolio as a service effort and fleshed out plans introduced in 2020. Like Cisco and HPE, Dell sees its future riding along with recurring revenue, financing and as-a-service offerings. The move is likely to speed up automation in data centers and infrastructure. Dell Technologies will roll out Dell EMC CloudIQ at an Autonomous Operations event hosted by Mark Hamill. As part of the presentation, Dell Technologies will outline a Level 1 to level 5 framework for autonomous operations. The framework, which rhymes with SAE International’s levels of autonomous driving, starts with partial automation at level 2 and rises to full autonomy at level 5. At level 5, human reliance to run infrastructure is minimal and a system can handle all operations without exception.
Dell Technologies
×dell-cloudiq-levels.pngAccording to Dell, CloudIQ will cover the entire Dell EMC portfolio including hyperconverged infrastructure, compute, storage, networking and data protection. Support for PowerEdge and PowerSwitch gear is included. In a video interview, Dell Technologies CTO John Roese and Jeff Boudreau, general manager of Dell Infrastructure Solutions Group, said intuitive monitoring will be key toward becoming more autonomous. For Dell, the plan is to leverage CloudIQ with its APEX Console and APEX Data Storage Services. APEX is Dell’s primary vehicle to offer its products as-a-service.

CloudIQ and Dell EMC infrastructure supports up to level 3 of its autonomous operations model. The roadmap for Dell will bring its infrastructure to level 5 in years to come. Dell executives said that CloudIQ can integrate insights from third-party vendors including ServiceNow, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Ansible and vRealize. More

StarHub is forking out up to $162.8 million to acquire a 50.1% stake in MyRepublic’s broadband business in Singapore, taking out the latter’s 6% share in the local market. This will see the MyRepublic business unit subsumed as a StarHub subsidiary when the transaction is finalised. MyRepublic carved out a new entity, called MyRepublic Broadband, for the transaction, which would encompass its consumer and enterprise customers in the city-state. StarHub Online, which comprises the telco’s broadband business, would acquire the MyRepublic shares. The acquisition would push StarHub’s share of the local broadband market to 40%, the two companies said in a joint statement Wednesday. MyRepublic currently has a 6% share of the market. 

In an email reply to ZDNet, MyRepublic’s chief investor relations officer Jeannie Ong confirmed the deal would only cover its broadband business in Singapore, and would not impact its mobile business here, as well as its platform business and other overseas entities. Its franchise partnership with Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group also remains unchanged. “We continue to retain 100% ownership of these,” Ong said. “Naturally, the transaction impacts all our businesses favourably, as the capital raised will be used to accelerate our plans in all markets and also for our platform business.”In a June 2021 report, MyRepublic told ZDNet it was looking for new revenue in Singapore’s enterprise space, with plans to ramp up its service offerings with particular focus on cybersecurity, where it might look to make acquisitions to plug product gaps. It also had eyes on growing its enterprise business, where it saw large margins and growth potential. MyRepublic then had some 6,000 enterprise customers including small and midsize businesses and large organisations, as well as 85,000 broadband subscribers in Singapore. As at May 2021, it also had 70,000 mobile subscribers. It launched its mobile business here in 2018.

The Singapore market remains the main revenue source for the operator, which also offers broadband services in Australia and New Zealand. StarHub’s investment would include an initial consideration of $70.8 million for the 50.1% stake and a $92 million deferred consideration dependent on future financial performance. The Singapore telco also would refinance $74.2 million of debt for MyRepublic over a span of three years, upon completion of the transaction. The latter would retain 49.9% share, with its senior management team including co-founder and CEO Malcolm Rodrigues remaining in his role. The acquisition was slated to be completed by end-December, subject to the usual regulatory approvals. The acquisition would provide MyRepublic customers access to StarHub’s range of consumer and business offerings, including over-the-top content and online games. The two companies added that they also would achieve cost savings, scale, and synergies through joint go-to-market opportunities and wholesale service offerings. StarHub CEO Nikhil Eapen said in the statement: “We intend to scale up and deliver better and faster services to our customers, while realising high-quality earnings accretion. We stand to mutually benefit from StarHub’s digital-first technology platforms, our challenger mindset in innovation and customer-centricity, and MyRepublic’s lean operating model and experiences in regional markets.”Rodrigues said: “This milestone propels us forward in MyRepublic’s journey towards IPO. With StarHub onboard as a key investor, we are charting a new course for the long-term direction of the industry.”In a note to MyRepublic’s broadband customers in Singapore, Rodrigues described the deal as a “historical moment” for the company, after a decade of operations here. He said the investment put the company in “a stronger financial position” for IPO and enable it to scale up operations.”In due course, more details will be released on the additional access for myRepublic broadband customers as a result of this partnership,” he added.  MyRepublic earlier this month suffered a third-party security breach that compromised personal data of 79,388 mobile subscribers. The mobile operator had declined to reveal further details about how the data breach was discovered, saying only that it was informed of the incident by “an unknown external party” on August 29. When asked, Ong said it would work closely with StarHub as part of the due diligence process under the acquisition agreement. She added that they would work to gather information about MyRepublic’s data privacy and security compliance as well as to safeguard StarHub’s interests as an investor. “The recent data breach incident affects MyRepublic’s mobile business in Singapore and MyRepublic has taken all the necessary steps to respond to the incident appropriately,” she said, noting that it still was working with the relevant authorities on the investigations. “Our data breach incident has had no bearing on the partnership with StarHub, which follows comprehensive due diligence, review, and evaluation of the relevant synergies between both parties.”RELATED COVERAGE More