Wireless

mobile
October 11, 2011
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There are now more wireless subscriber connections in the U.S. than people

By on October 11, 2011 at 2:30 PM.

There are now more wireless subscriber connections in the U.S. than people

For the first time, the number of wireless devices connecting to cellular networks in the United States and its territories over the past six months has surpassed the country’s total population. A semi-annual survey conducted by the CTIA found that wireless subscriber connections now total 327.6 million while the population of the U.S. and its territories is now 315.5 million people. This means the wireless penetration rate in the U.S. in now 103.9% according to the CTIA, marking the first time that wireless penetration has surpassed 100% in the U.S. The CTIA also noted that wireless data connections increased 111% compared to its previous semi-annual survey, and wireless service revenue in the U.S. totaled $164.6 billion during the 12-month period ending June 2011, up 6% from the same period in 2010. The association’s full press release follows below. More →

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mobile
October 3, 2011
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Sharp to manufacture smartphones and tablets for LightSquared’s 4G LTE network

By on October 3, 2011 at 6:20 PM.

Sharp to manufacture smartphones and tablets for LightSquared’s 4G LTE network

Wholesale wireless reseller LightSquared announced on Monday that Sharp will manufacture smartphones and tablets capable of running on its 4G LTE network. LightSquared said that it will demo the first devices during the upcoming CTIA Wireless trade show in San Diego, California. “Sharp has a rich history of producing unique products that push the extremes of design and functionality, and we’re proud that they will be developing innovative devices for LightSquared’s 4G-LTE network,” LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja said. “LightSquared’s wholesale-only business model and open network will provide Sharp with a platform from which they can aggressively expand into the U.S. wireless market with an exciting portfolio of smartphones and tablets.” Sprint announced an LTE partnership with LightSquared on July 28th, and we expect to hear more about its 4G LTE plans on Friday during its Strategy Media Update event in New York City. Read on for the full press release from LightSquared. More →

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mobile
September 14, 2011
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Verizon finally launches 4G LTE in Kalamazoo (and 25 other markets)

By on September 14, 2011 at 9:40 PM.

Verizon finally launches 4G LTE in Kalamazoo (and 25 other markets)

Verizon Wireless announced on Wednesday that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 26 new markets on Thursday, September 15th. The new areas include Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Michigan; Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead Minnesota; Canton, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio; Reno, Nevada; Iowa City, Iowa; Fort Smith and Jonesboro, Arkansas; Daytona, Florida; Shreveport, Louisiana; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Dyersburg, Tennessee; the Tri-Cities in Tennessee and Virginia; Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Wichita Falls and El Paso, Texas; San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, California; Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana, Rockford, Springfield and Quad Cities, Illinois. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network now covers more than 160 million U.S. residents in 143 markets, and the carrier hopes to cover 185 million Americans by the end of this year. Read on for a press release of Verizon’s expansion in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. More →

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Services
August 9, 2011
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Carriers dig deeper hole with lack of innovative 4G LTE pricing, Ovum says

By on August 9, 2011 at 7:01 AM.

Carriers dig deeper hole with lack of innovative 4G LTE pricing, Ovum says

Wireless carriers around the world are digging themselves into a deeper hole by neglecting to experiment with innovative pricing models for 4G LTE services. While consumers have exhibited concern surrounding tiered data plans and bandwidth throttling, Ovum believes such models are necessary to combat the growing capacity crunch plaguing cellular service providers. This crunch, of course, is serious enough that AT&T is hoping to soon $39 billion in order to acquire T-Mobile USA and use the carrier’s precious spectrum for its 4G LTE network build-out. Smartphone and mobile broadband users are pumping more data over wireless networks than ever before, and speedier 4G LTE service only stands to exacerbate the situation. Additionally, carriers are missing the opportunity to find new ways to squeeze more revenue out of this new premium high-speed service. “We looked at the LTE pricing strategies of operators in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the US, and were disappointed with our findings,” Ovum analyst Nicole McCormick said in a statement. “LTE provides operators with the opportunity to experiment with new and innovative pricing models, which allows them to find the best way of deriving revenues from the premium service. However, most operators have not grasped this opportunity. Instead, LTE tariffs in the regions Ovum analysed are dominated by unlimited offerings and large data buckets, which can be problematic.” Ovum’s full press release follows below. More →

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Business
August 5, 2011
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Mobile data revenue will grow 23% to $315 billion this year, Gartner says

By on August 5, 2011 at 7:11 AM.

Mobile data revenue will grow 23% to $315 billion this year, Gartner says

Mobile data connections are poised grow 11% in 2011, driving global mobile data revenue to $314.7 billion. Market research firm Gartner on Thursday said mobile data connections will reach 5.6 billion this year compared to 5 billion in 2010, driving global revenue from mobile data up 22.5% from the $257 billion earned last year. “Mobile data traffic will increase significantly as more people will have access to mobile data networks, there is a migration toward smartphones and an increase in sales of media tablets,” said Gartner analyst Jessica Ekholm in a statement. “Mobile data volumes will continue to grow as mobile data networks become faster and more ubiquitous, while at the same time the number of data users and data usage per user is expected to grow.” Gartner sees global mobile data connections growing steadily over the next few years, reaching 7.4 billion in 2015 creating $552 billion in revenue. Preparing networks for this growth is something carriers need to focus on. “What carriers currently need are innovative ways to increase data revenue while finding smart solutions to manage a growing demand in data,” said Gartner research director Sylvain Fabre. “Ultimately, it will be the consumer who chooses the content he or she wants to use, and carriers need to ensure that the quality of experience is good. A substandard user experience may lead to higher churn.” Gartner’s full press release follows below. More →

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mobile
August 3, 2011
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Samsung, Apple and Google considering bids on InterDigital's patent portfolio

By on August 3, 2011 at 11:41 PM.

Samsung, Apple and Google considering bids on InterDigital's patent portfolio

Apple, Google and Samsung are examining InterDigital and its 8,800-patent portfolio, and at least one is expected to bid on the company, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. InterDigital is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and analysts from Algorithm Capital and Dougherty & Co. said the firm could be worth as much as $5 billion. InterDigital owns patents related to transferring data over wireless networks and its inventions have been used in Android and BlackBerry smartphones as well as the iPhone, Bloomberg said. “The fight between Apple and Samsung is getting serious, so if the assets go to Apple, it could be pretty risky for Samsung,” Shinyoung Securities Co. analyst Lee Seung Woo told Bloomberg. “To hedge the risk, Samsung could go ahead with bidding, although they may have to pay a big premium.” All three companies are beefing up existing patent portfolios as the legal battles between each company heat up. Most recently, Samsung acquired memory maker Grandis and Google purchased 1,000 patents from IBM. More →

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mobile
August 2, 2011
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T-Mobile to extend direct carrier billing to more digital products and services

By on August 2, 2011 at 10:00 PM.

T-Mobile to extend direct carrier billing to more digital products and services

T-Mobile announced on Tuesday that it will expand its Direct Carrier Billing option to support more digital products. The service allows T-Mobile customers to make purchases directly from their web browsers and charge them to their monthly T-Mobile bills. Customers can purchase music, games, social networking credits and more from their phones, T-Mobile tablets, or any of their computers connected to a T-Mobile network. Direct Carrier Billing will be available later this month, and once it is active, customers will see the option from participating providers during checkout. There is no additional fee for Direct Carrier Billing and customers can opt-out by contacting T-Mobile support. Read on for the full press release. More →

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General
July 21, 2011
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AT&T revenue up 2.2% in Q2; 3.6 million iPhones activated

By on July 21, 2011 at 8:40 AM.

AT&T revenue up 2.2% in Q2; 3.6 million iPhones activated

AT&T reported its second quarter results on Thursday. The company’s consolidated revenues were $31.5 billion, up 2.2% ($680 million) from the same quarter last year. AT&T’s wireless, wireline data and managed services were responsible for 76% of those revenues, and that figure is growing at a rate of 8.3% year-over-year. AT&T Mobility added a total of 1.1 million subscribers during the quarter, including 331,000 net postpaid adds, and it now serves a total of 98.6 million subscribers. The carrier also noted that it had its best-ever second quarter for smartphone sales: it sold 5.6 million total smartphones, up 43% year-over-year. AT&T activated 3.6 million iPhones during the quarter, more than half of the smartphones sold, and said that nearly 25% of the iPhone activations were from new subscribers. AT&T also noted that its planned acquisition of T-Mobile is still on track for closure during the first quarter of next year. Read on for the full press release.
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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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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‘Confusion and skepticism’ could turn users away from 4G, study says

By on July 13, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

‘Confusion and skepticism’ could turn users away from 4G, study says

According to a new report from Retrevo, consumer “confusion and skepticism” could impede the adoption of 4G devices. We’re not surprised. The labeling on 4G devices is apparently so confusing that 34% of iPhone 4 owners and 24% of BlackBerry users actually believe they have a 4G-capable device, but neither RIM nor Apple currently offer a phone capable of running on any 4G networks. 30% of those polled said data plans currently cost too much for them to upgrade to 4G, and 19% said they didn’t know enough about the new technology. The study also found that less than 25% of the respondents had plans to jump to using a new 4G device or network in the near future. Retrevo’s report came from an online survey of more than 1,000 people across the United States. More →

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mobile
July 8, 2011
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Apple may launch 3G iPod touch in September, rumor claims

By on July 8, 2011 at 7:55 PM.

Apple may launch 3G iPod touch in September, rumor claims

A Dutch Apple blog named AppleSpot reported on Friday that Apple will launch a new 3G iPod touch in September. Similar to options available for the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, users would have the option of purchasing the 3G iPod touch directly from a wireless carrier with a data plan. We’re expecting a possible iPod/iPhone/iPad refresh in September, and so it’s entirely possible that Apple is considering creating a version with a 3G radio. Such a device could also help carriers lock in more data plans and would continue to boost Apple’s presence among the flood of new Android handsets. Our only gripe with the whole story is that AppleSpot doesn’t have a proven track record reporting on Apple rumors. Plus, a 3G iPod touch would be just a little weird given that we expect every major U.S. wireless carrier to announce the next generation iPhone. More →

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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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