AT&T buys Qualcomm’s FLO TV spectrum for a cool $1.9b, promises 4G awesomeness
Qualcomm and AT&T are no longer talking about a deal , they've agreed to one: pending regulatory checks and other closing conditions, the wireless spectrum that was once dedicated to FLO TV will now be transferred into AT&T's ownership in a $1.925 billion deal. Located in the lower 700MHz range, this bit of wireless space is said to cover more than 300 million people nationwide and AT&T expects it to play an important role in its future 4G network rollout and development
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: agreement, entry, million-people, network, qualcomm, take-the-two, wireless, wireless spectrum
Apple secrets leaked early by inside traders, arrests reveal
We don't normally cover the "business crime" beat, but there's a pretty interesting gadget angle here. As part of a larger crack down on insider trading, three technology executives and a "salesman for an 'expert network'" have been arrested for leaking confidential tips to hedge funds.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: apple, arrests-reveal, business, crime, expert, Illegal, insider, insidertrading, k48, network, normally-cover, semiconductor, walter-shimoon
MetroPCS brings its LTE network to Boston, Sacramento, and New York City
Regional carrier MetroPCS is ticking three more checkboxes today as it keeps pushing its ongoing LTE network rollout, and they're big ones: on top of Sacramento, they've added Boston and none other than New York City. That makes the carrier second to launch LTE in the Big Apple -- Verizon's already there -- but you can't take away from the fact that MetroPCS beat the big guys with their first live commercial markets by several months.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: big, carrier-second, keeps-pushing, metropcs, network, new-york, release, result
Sprint phasing out Nextel’s iDEN network, selects vendors for $5b network upgrade project
Looks like the Motorola i1 Android set ( not pictured above) will stand as the highest-end Nextel phone ever -- Sprint just announced that it's phasing out the iDEN network sometime in 2013 as it begins a new four to five billion dollar network enhancement project called "Network Vision." We've expected this for a while -- the Sprint / Nextel merger has been beset by subscriber losses and rumors of a breakup for years now -- but this is the first time we've gotten a date. Sprint's rolling out push-to-talk on its own network to support its 10.6 million Nextel customers, but we don't have a schedule for that yet. Sprint's also announcing vendors for Network Vision: Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung, and Ericsson will each handle a region and be tasked with expanding and fortifying Sprint's existing 1900MHz 3G network while buying 800MHz, 1900MHz, and 2.5GHz spectrum for future use.
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone Tags: alcatel-lucent, enhancement, ericsson, network, network-upgrade, network-vision, networkvision, sprint, underdog, upgrade, vision
Verizon’s LTE network announcement event live at 12:00 ET!
So as you probably know, today's the day that Verizon comes clean with all the details on the commercial launch of its LTE network, having scheduled a press conference for noon Eastern Time. We already know many of the details , but we're crossing our fingers for some juicy extras in the event, namely any hints of information on when we'll see LTE-enabled handsets in the marketplace like the rumored HTC Mecha and that unnamed LG . Oh..
Categories: Android, htc, Mobile Phone Tags: details, entry, launch, lte, marketplace, network, pricing, pricing-details, rumored, the-commercial, verizon, verizon-wireless
Dish Network remote access app comes to Android, your Harmony groans
Dish Network took another step towards its ambitious TV Everywhere plans -- not to be confused with Comcast's and Time Warner's TV Everywhere partnership -- by releasing the Android version of its Dish remote access app late last week. This nicely completes the provider's suite of mobile offerings, which have already been available on the iPhone, iPad and certain BlackBerry phones
Categories: Android, BlackBerry, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: access, black, dishnetworkremoteaccess, feature, hardware-though, ipad apps, iphoneapplications, iphoneapps, network, remote, remote access, remotedvrscheduling, slingbox, slingmedia, slingplayermobile
Samsung Ch@t 335 looks like a winner, if you’re into QWERTY and slow data
Following the Ch@t 322's lead last month, rumor has it that Samsung is gearing up to add another model to the low-end portrait QWERTY lineup, the S3350 Ch@t 335. PortableGear.nl has this one pegged for an initial launch in Belgium with WiFi, social network integration, a 2 megapixel cam, FM radio, and 3.5mm headphone jack, but it'll be lacking 3G -- a telltale sign that it's gunning for the bottom of the market
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: belgium, chat335, entry, Headphone, headphone jack, jack, launch, network, s3350, social-network, trackpad
T-Mobile starts up 4G ad campaign by poking a stiletto into AT&T’s network (video)
We suspected T-Mobile's new advertising campaign would ruffle some feathers , but we weren't ready for quite such brazen trash-talking right off the bat. Of course, it's trash talk dressed up in a pretty white and Magenta dress and delivered in the most angelic of voices, but T-Mobile makes its point to AT&T subscribers loud and clear: we got 4G, you don't. Whether you consider the network's current 21Mbps theoretical max a true representation of 4G or not, we'll leave up to you; just make sure to join us past the break for the Apple-scented commercial, which also teases the myTouch 4G, a HSPA+ handset that T-Mobile happens to be launching today .
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: 4gnetwork, advert, att, Carrier, commercial, mockery, mocking, mytouch4g, network, network speed, networkspeed, past-the-break, trash, videocalling
Sprint fails to impress Wall Street with Q3 2010 earnings, still notches 644k net adds
Sprint certainly isn't out of the woods yet, but at least it's picking up customers from somewhere. The company's Q3 2010 earnings were ushered out today, and while its stock fell around ten percent on the news, a few silver linings were present. The carrier saw postpaid subscriber losses of 107,000, but that's an 87 percent improvement compared to Q3 2009.
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: 2010, 2010-earnings, cdma, earning, earnings, linings, network, news, operator, q32010, quickly-fade, specifics, still-notches
MetroPCS goes live with LTE in Detroit
Verizon has yet to go live with its 4G network in even a single market, but regional carrier MetroPCS is now on its third -- and yes, it's still the only company in the country with any commercial LTE presence whatsoever. Having already taken Vegas and Dallas to the promised land, Detroit is the latest city to sup on the sweet, sweet nectar that only a next-generation network can provide; unfortunately, MetroPCS has yet to deliver any smartphones or modems capable of taking advantage of it, but that's another story for another time.
Categories: Mobile Phone, Other Tags: Carrier, detroit, engadget-mobile, keyboard, landscape, market, mobile, modems-capable, network, presence, start-out-slow, time, verizon