European carriers want content companies and smartphone makers to pay network usage fees
How do you start a net neutrality debate without ever saying "net neutrality?" If you're a European wireless carrier like France Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, or Vodafone, you do it by just getting straight to the point: you say companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook need to start paying for continued network access because their devices and services use too much bandwidth. Yep, that's a straight-up network neutrality issue, but the carriers are framing it like it's an accounting problem -- and they're not being shy about wanting more cash to even out the books as they invest in next-gen networks.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: apple, Carrier, cesar alierta, france, francetelecom, italia, stephane, stephane richard, stephanerichard, telecom-italia, telecomitalia, yep
Verizon 3G network goes down nationwide, everybody panic!
Is your Droid not finding its way to the internet mothership?
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: Carrier, country, disconnected, down-nationwide, engadget, everybody-panic, result, solutions, soon-as-things
MetroPCS takes LTE live in San Francisco
Hey, it's not just Verizon making waves in the LTE arena today: MetroPCS -- which gets to lay claim to having the first commercial LTE network in the US -- has flipped the switch on its next-gen network in San Francisco, offering the same Samsung Craft handset that it's been selling in its other LTE markets so far for $299 (expensive for a dumbphone, absolutely, but you get it contract-free) with plans running $55 to $60 a month depending on whether you want access to the carrier's video-on-demand service. We're still holding out for a USB stick ourselves -- or at least an honest-to-goodness smartphone -- and now that Verizon's live, that might just force MetroPCS' hand.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: Carrier, engadget-mobile, entry, francisco, metropcs, month-depending, press, result, samsung, stick-ourselves, verizon, video
Kyocera Rio hits Cricket today for $130
Alright, we know what you're thinking, so let's just clear this up at the outset: it ain't Android . That being said, Kyocera's new Rio for regional carrier Cricket features a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen, 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD expansion up to 16GB, a 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth, and an optical trackpad -- a rather unusual touch for this market segment. Of course, Cricket likes to play the no-contract game, and sure enough, the $129.99 that the carrier is asking nets you the Rio without a commitment.
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone Tags: 5mm, bluetooth, Carrier, cricket, engadget-mobile, kyocera, mobile, nov, outset, regional, rio, segment, stereo, trackpad, unusual
Eric Schmidt shows off a Nexus S at the Web 2.0 summit, says Gingerbread coming in ‘next few weeks’
We had a feeling Eric Schmidt would be doing something surprising at the Web 2.0 summit, and the man didn't disappoint -- he just showed off the Nexus S running on T-Mobile, and revealed it has NFC features, a technology he thinks will eventually replace credit cards. Unfortunately, he also called it an "unannounced phone" from an "announced manufacturer," and the logo was taped over, so we're not any closer to a release date here. Update: We've added some more pics to the gallery, including some close-ups that show the carrier is indeed T-Mo
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: breakingnews, cards, Carrier, entry, eric-schmidt, gingerbread, including-some, mobile, more-details, nexus s, release, schmidt, summit, Ups, web2.0summit
White HTC EVO 4G leaves the Best Buy nest, migrates to Sprint stores
Once a Best Buy exclusive , the white version of HTC's still-badass EVO 4G is finally making its way into actual Sprint retail locations, the carrier's website, and other third party stores for the same $199 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate as usual. Gives us a good opportunity to levy the same complaint we'd levied before -- that the front of the phone should be white, not just the back -- but hey, at least passers-by will know you're stylin' when you've got it held to your face. White HTC EVO 4G leaves the Best Buy nest, migrates to Sprint stores originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:25:00 EST
Categories: Android, htc, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: buy, Carrier, engadget, entry, evo4g, finally-making, htc, leaves-the-best, party, phone, rebate-as-usual, retail, sprint, the-carrier
US Cellular: LTE trial in late 2011, full deployment in 2012
Though fellow regional carrier MetroPCS has been arguably the most aggressive carrier in all of North America in getting LTE live , it looks like US Cellular is taking a slightly more laid-back approach. At a conference in New York today, USCC's CFO announced that they're looking at deploying one LTE test market in the latter part of 2011, moving on to a full-force launch in 2012.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: Carrier, cellular, force, full-deployment, lte, metropcs, most-aggressive, north, result, uscellular, words, york
Nokia N8 nearing release on Rogers, rumored to be $80 on three-year term, $449 off-contract (update: official!)
Rogers still hasn't officially confirmed that it will be carrying it, but all signs are pointing to the Nokia N8 launching on the carrier, and soon. According to MobileSyrup , the phones are now already arriving at Rogers stores across Canada, and it will apparently run just $80 on a three-year term or $449 off-contract (one and two-year plans are decidedly less attractive). Those numbers are further backed up by a leaked Rogers roadmap recently turned up by BGR , although it doesn't get any more specific than Q4 when it comes to a launch date
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: Carrier, engadget-mobile, mobile, more-specific, nearing-release, nokian8, result, roadmap, roger goodell, rogers, stores-starting
NTT DoCoMo launches, no joke, 28 phones; pegs December 24th for LTE launch
NTT DoCoMo and its Japanese competitors have a long, rich history of announcing dozens of new phones in one fell swoop, but the carrier is saying that its latest line -- comprised of a mind-bending 28 devices -- is its largest single launch ever.
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: 1080P, Carrier, competitors, consumer, docomo, engadget, hotspots, Modem, notables, touchscreens, unlimited-data
BlackBerry Torch now burns in red and white hues at AT&T stores
Right on schedule , a day before Windows Phone 7 hits its stores in force , AT&T is letting a couple of new BlackBerry Torch SKUs out to play. They're basic repaint jobs, described by the carrier as Sunset Red and Pure White, the latter of which almost lives up to its name by including a white keyboard but falters by sticking to the noir optical pad.
Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile Phone Tags: att, BlackBerry, Carrier, colors, qwerty slider, qwertyslider, result, white, white-keyboard, windows