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August 30, 2011
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AT&T's 4G LTE network alive and kicking in Atlanta; images show 25Mbps speeds

By on August 30, 2011 at 11:00 AM.

AT&T's 4G LTE network alive and kicking in Atlanta; images show 25Mbps speeds

Following BGR’s exclusive report on Monday revealing that AT&T’s 4G LTE network has gone live in Chicago, we have received new images confirming that the network is alive and kicking in Atlanta as well. A source has provided BGR with multiple images of AT&T’s 4G LTE service in action, and we have verified that the tester is indeed located in Atlanta, Georgia. Our source in Chicago had trouble finding full service, but Atlanta seems to be blanketed a bit better at this pre-launch stage. Using an AT&T Elevate 4G LTE mobile hotspot, our tester in Atlanta saw download speeds approach 25Mbps and upload speeds in excess of 8Mbps — much faster than the already speedy tests we saw up north. Again, these pre-launch tests do not necessarily represent the data speeds AT&T subscribers will see when the 4G LTE network officially goes live this summer. And just as was the case in Chicago, it is unclear if AT&T’s 4G LTE network has been soft launched in Atlanta or if service will only appear intermittently while the network is being tested. Images showing AT&T 4G LTE speed tests in Atlanta can be seen in our photo gallery, which is linked below.

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Exclusive
August 29, 2011
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AT&T's 4G LTE network goes live in Chicago; images reveal impressive speeds

By on August 29, 2011 at 2:10 PM.

AT&T's 4G LTE network goes live in Chicago; images reveal impressive speeds

AT&T’s 4G LTE network went live this past weekend in the Chicago area, and initial speed tests reveal impressive download speeds. AT&T has yet to announce the availability of LTE service in Chicago or any other launch market, but BGR has obtained exclusive images and speed test results from a source who has tested the network there. Ahead of an official launch, AT&T 4G LTE service is likely to be available only intermittently during testing, though it is also possible that Chicago has been soft launched following the launch of AT&T’s first two 4G LTE devices last week. Read on for more.

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Mobile
August 10, 2011
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AT&T's first 4G LTE smartphone due by year-end

By on August 10, 2011 at 10:24 PM.

AT&T's first 4G LTE smartphone due by year-end


AT&T senior vice president of mobility and consumer markets Pete Ritcher took the stage during the Oppenheimer Technology and Communications Conference on Wednesday, where he confirmed that AT&T will launch its first 4G LTE smartphone by the end of this year. Ritcher reaffirmed AT&T’s intention to deploy its LTE network in 15 markets covering 70 million people by the end of 2011, and it hopes to continue its roll-out on a market-by-market basis, Fierce Wireless reported. AT&T will initially only offer laptop cards alongside the new LTE network, and AT&T is expected to launch 4G LTE in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio this summer. “We are the only carrier with LTE and HSPA+,” Ritcher said. “When you don’t have LTE you will fall back to faster speeds than our competitors,” he added, noting that Verizon’s 4G customers fall back to the slower EV-DO network when LTE is not available. More →

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Mobile
August 2, 2011
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Sprint now selling 4G WiMAX to wholesale customers

By on August 2, 2011 at 9:05 PM.

Sprint now selling 4G WiMAX to wholesale customers

Sprint announced on Tuesday that it is now selling access to its 4G WiMAX network, currently available in 71 markets across the United States, to its wholesale customers. Typically the carrier only sells its 3G network to wholesaler customers and it is now the first U.S. carrier to sell 4G wholesale. Sprint said that it will offer its customers the Sierra Wireless 250U 3G/4G data card as well as the HTC Detail 4G handset and the EVO Shift 4G. Mitel is among the first of Sprint’s wholesale customers to deploy a 4G network. Read on for the full press release from Sprint. More →

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Mobile
July 18, 2011
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Verizon to activate 28 new 4G LTE markets on Thursday, expand others

By on July 18, 2011 at 9:40 PM.

Verizon to activate 28 new 4G LTE markets on Thursday, expand others

Verizon Wireless just announced that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 28 new markets on Thursday. The new markets include Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lakeland and Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida; Augusta, Georgia; Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului-Wailuku and Lahaina, Hawaii; Carbondale, Illinois; Wichita, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge and Hammond, Louisiana; Springfield, Massachusetts.; Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma.; Portland, Oregon; Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; Olympia and Tacoma, Washington; and Charleston, West Virginia. Verizon Wireless also said that it will expand the 4G LTE footprints already available in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Diego, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Northern New Jersey; Dallas-Forth Worth and San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Washington. On Thursday, the carrier’s LTE network will be available in a total of 102 markets. Read on for the full press release. More →

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General
July 14, 2011
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Sprint to reveal 4G LTE network plans later this month, report claims

By on July 14, 2011 at 9:01 AM.

Sprint to reveal 4G LTE network plans later this month, report claims

Later this month, Sprint will formally announce its plans to bring 4G LTE service to its subscribers via a network-sharing deal with Virginia-based LightSquared, CNET reports. The move, seen as inevitable by some, was outed last month when LightSquared owner Philip Falcone revealed the deal in a letter to Harbinger Capital Partners investors. “Sprint will become a significant customer of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network,” Falcone stated in the letter. The deal, which could be worth as much as $20 billion over the next 15 years according to an earlier report, will let Sprint’s U.S. network be used as the backbone for LightSquared’s 4G LTE buildout. CNET says the deal will be revealed on July 28th when Sprint reports its earnings for the June quarter. More →

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Mobile
July 13, 2011
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Nokia, Siemens bail on effort to sell Nokia Siemens Networks

By on July 13, 2011 at 11:00 PM.

Nokia, Siemens bail on effort to sell Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia and Siemens have given up efforts to sell Nokia Siemens Networks, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The firms had been trying to sell the joint venture, which has had troubles reporting a profit, for the past year. “The timing for selling the unit could hardly have been worse; there are clear signs from companies like LG and ASML of European handset market descending into a slump and selling a mobile network company on the eve of a handset market downturn is a tough challenge,” MKM Partners analyst Tero Kuittinen told Reuters. Reportedly, a Siemens spokesperson also said that the firm was still looking to get out of NSN “sooner than later.” The Nokia Siemens joint venture was formed in 2007. More →

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Mobile
July 13, 2011
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Sprint, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable boost New York City’s 4G WiMAX footprint by 21%

By on July 13, 2011 at 5:01 AM.

Sprint, Clearwire, Time Warner Cable boost New York City’s 4G WiMAX footprint by 21%

Sprint, Clearwire and Time Warner Cable announced on Tuesday that the current 4G WiMAX footprint in New York City has been expanded by 21%. The network now covers an additional 91,363 people across the New York metropolitan area in Alpine, Bayonne, Elizabeth, Fair Lawn, Newark, Paramus, Secaucus and Union, New Jersey; and Hartsdale, New Rochelle, New York, Rockville Centre and Yonkers, New York. Clearwire’s 4G network currently covers more than 130 million U.S. residents, including a total of 11,927,000 people in the New York City area. Read on for the full press release. More →

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Business
July 12, 2011
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Analyst calls for RIM to break apart handset, network businesses

By on July 12, 2011 at 9:00 AM.

Analyst calls for RIM to break apart handset, network businesses

With Research In Motion’s annual shareholder meeting scheduled to take place later today, one popular RIM-focused analyst is calling for the company to split its handset and network businesses into two separate companies. “RIM’s organization, like its handsets, needs modernization. By acting now, splitting RIM into network and handset businesses may target opportunities and unlock significant shareholder value,” RBC Capital Markets Managing Director Mike Abramsky wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday. “RIM’s end-to-end solution was conceived when data devices and networks were nascent — but times have changed,” the analyst continued. Abramsky believes the standalone network business can target a market of roughly 400 million Android devices, Windows Phones, tablets and other devices with “affordable, efficient, cross-platform mobile push messaging, social networking, cloud and business data services (and software)” that is already interconnected with 595 carriers around the globe. On the other end, splitting off RIM’s devices business could accelerate handset innovation, strengthen developer relationships and help the company prioritize its customers and developers over its carrier partners — a sentiment thought by some to be paramount to RIM’s success moving forward. Abramsky reiterated his price target of $35 for RIM stock, noting above-average risk.

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Mobile
July 8, 2011
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Rogers deploys Canada’s first 4G LTE network in Ottawa

By on July 8, 2011 at 2:42 AM.

Rogers deploys Canada’s first 4G LTE network in Ottawa

On Thursday, Rogers and Ericsson officially activated the first Canadian 4G LTE network in Ottawa. “This network will power the next generation of innovative products and services in ways we’ve never seen before,” Rob Bruce, Rogers’ president of communications said. “[It] will be the backbone of Canada’s digital economy as we continue to move from a wired to a wireless world. We’re thrilled to welcome Ottawa — and Canada — to the future of the fast.” Rogers currently does not offer any 4G LTE smartphones but it is expected to launch devices from HTC and Samsung later this year, Toronto Sun reported. Rogers also said it will roll out its 4G LTE network to a total of 21 markets in 2012, starting with Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver this fall. More →

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Security
June 29, 2011
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AntiSec hacks Universal and Viacom; leaks user data, passwords

By on June 29, 2011 at 8:15 PM.

AntiSec hacks Universal and Viacom; leaks user data, passwords

A hacking group named LulzSec made headlines recently for attacking high visibility targets, including Sony and the U.S. government. LulzSec announced earlier this week that it was stopping its operations, and rumor has it many of the members joined up with Anonymous’ “AntiSec” hacking group. Now that group is making its own headlines. On Tuesday AntiSec claimed responsibility for attacks against Universal and Viacom. According to The Wall Street Journal, the hackers released personal data, including passwords, from the Universal Music Website. It also obtained and leaked information about Viacom’s network. It’s unclear how many users were affected by the security breach, although we hope to hear an official word from both firms in the near future. More →

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Mobile
June 21, 2011
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Verizon expanding 4G LTE footprint on July 21st

By on June 21, 2011 at 6:52 PM.

Verizon expanding 4G LTE footprint on July 21st

Verizon Wireless announced on Tuesday that it will expand its 4G LTE network to cover several new markets on July 21st. The following areas will receive coverage at that time: Huntsville, Alabama.; Augusta, Georgia.; Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.; Springfield, Massachusetts.; Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro-Winston, and Salem-High Point, North Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The carrier also said that it will expand the size of its current 4G LTE network in San Diego and Los Angeles. Read on for a press release describing Verizon’s California expansion. More →

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Business
June 21, 2011
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Sprint to AT&T: You’re doing it wrong

By on June 21, 2011 at 12:01 PM.

Sprint to AT&T: You’re doing it wrong

Following the lead set by its chief executive Dan Hesse, Sprint has been one of the most outspoken opponents of AT&T’s proposed $39 billion T-Mobile USA takeover. Hesse said the deal would “stifle innovation” and hurt U.S. wireless subscribers, and Sprint subsequently voiced its concerns formally on numerous occasions. Among AT&T’s main arguments are the deal’s potential to bring high-speed 4G LTE coverage to over 95% of the U.S. population, and the fact that it needs T-Mobile’s spectrum in order to curtail the massive strain on its network. In a new filing with the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, however, Sprint explained that AT&T’s acquisition is not necessary in order for the carrier to alleviate its network woes. Sprint contends that AT&T could increase its network capacity by more than 600% over the next three years simply by putting its current resources to better use. “AT&T could increase its capacity by developing its warehoused spectrum, accelerating its 4G network buildout, and implementing a more efficient network architecture,” Sprint said in a statement. But AT&T responded immediately by questioning Sprint’s knowledge on the subject considering the carrier outsources the management of its own network to Ericsson. “A company that has outsourced the management of its own network shouldn’t be giving advice to others,” an AT&T spokesman said. More →

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