British Telecom will be using the spectrum it picked up in the United Kingdom's 4G spectrum auction to start up its own 4G network. BT CEO Ian Livingston claims it is "highly possible" that BT-branded SIM cards could be issued out to customers by this time next year, with the cellular usage being paid for through current landline bills.
AT&T has added to its range of 4G LTE connectivity devices with a built-in display. The AT&T Beam from Sierra Wireless is a USB modem that connects to the carrier's 4G LTE network, and like the MiFi Liberate, it comes with its own LCD panel to provide important details, such as the strength of the signal and how much data is remaining in the monthly allowance.
SoftBank's CEO is continuing to talk-up his company's $20.1 billion offer to buy out Sprint, by claiming SoftBank's experience with 4G will help the US carrier. Network enhancements, such as SoftBank's single frequency network technology for reducing interference, will help Sprint in the long run alongside other benefits, according to CEO Masayoshi Son.
Sprint has expanded its 4G LTE network to cover another 21 markets, the same locations detailed in a leak last week. The carrier is also adding another 34 markets to its existing 170-market LTE-rollout roadmap, which means that its 88 currently-active LTE markets will be joined by another 204 areas by the end of this year.
Sprint is rolling out its 4G LTE network in a number of new markets later today, according to a leak. The network, which is said to offer speeds between 6 to 8Mbps and a peak of 25Mbps, may end up being turned on with little to no fanfare in a similar way to how areas of New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco quietly went live in February.
Shortly after stating it will build a Gigabit fiber network to compete against Google in Austin, AT&T has expanded its 4G LTE network into six new markets. While this means the carrier is currently covering 182 different markets, AT&T also plans to add another 77 markets to the list by this summer, as the carrier tries to catch up to Verizon Wireless and its 4G LTE network.
British carrier EE is planning to double its spectrum allocation and increase its 4G speed in the country, before other phone networks are able to launch their own 4G LTE offerings. It plans to roll out its expanded spectrum service to 10 cities by June, and to trial carrier aggregation in an effort to provide even more bandwidth to its service.
Vodafone is to launch its 4G services to Australian customers in June. The initial rollout will see Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Wollongong, Newcastle, and the Gold Coast covered with 4G service, according to ZDNet. Tests on the 4G signal shows it as having a download speed of 80Mbps and an upload of 20Mbps, with a claimed maximum of 150Mbps possible for some customers. Like its competitors, national carriers Telstra and Optus, Vodafone will be keeping its 4G service charges the same as its 3G access, and hopes to have 1,000 4G sites operational by the end of 2013.
T-Mobile has formally announced that it will carry the iPhone 5, as well as the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, at its "Uncarrier" media event. At the same time, the carrier has turned on its LTE 4G network in a number of markets, announced other devices that the phone network will offer in the future, and reiterated its new Simple Choice plans.
T-Mobile has made its new "UnCarrier" contract-free prices official in the United States. The new plans, doing away with the two-year contracts and generally streamlining prices for all future customers, has been unveiled just days before the carrier was due to host a special event, where it is still expected to turn on its 4G LTE network.
A number of cities may have been identified as launch locations for T-Mobile's 4G LTE roll-out. Details picked up by crowdsourced network coverage map service OpenSignal suggests that it could launch in nine different cities in the United States, when the carrier is expected to launch the network upgrade later this month.
MetroPCS has added to its roster of 4G LTE devices with a new smartphone from Huawei, following on from the $150 Activa 4G launched by the carrier last year. The Premia 4G has a 4-inch touchscreen display than its predecessor, with an 800x480-pixel resolution and Gorilla Glass protection, and is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor with 1GB of RAM.
T-Mobile will be activating its 4G LTE network in the United States by the end of this month, according to reports. An over-the-air update is being sent to Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphones to activate the LTE radio in preparation for the LTE turn-on, which is expected to be at the same time as the BlackBerry Z10 becomes available through the carrier.
The Mannheim Regional Court in Germany has ruled in an LTE patent suit brought by Huawei against ZTE, with Huawei has winning an injunction in the country against ZTE. The ruling prevents it from selling LTE base stations in Germany. Despite the injunction, a minor victory was won by ZTE, as it is still allowed to sell USB "4G" modems. The devices were deemed to be not infringing, and cleared by the court.
Huawei took advantage of Mobile World Congress to demonstrate what it calls the "world's fastest 4G LTE smartphone." The Ascend P2, officially unveiled yesterday by the company, is the first with LTE Category 4 support for theoretical maximum download speeds of up to 150Mbps. Electronista took a few moments to get an overall feel for the high-speed mobile phone on the Barcelona show floor.
UK regulator Ofcom has closed its 4G spectrum auction earlier than anticipated. Mainstream British carriers Vodafone, Telefonica, Everything Everywhere, and Three, as well as BT subsidiary Niche Spectrum Ventures, have won various sections of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands, though the money earned by the UK Treasury through the auction is far below what it expected.
Sprint is enabling its 4G LTE network in areas, without officially announcing a market as "live." Areas including New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco are finding some locations are getting 4G LTE service, though not a blanket coverage of entire areas as usually associated with normal network rollouts.
US Cellular has revealed the next markets that will receive its 4G LTE service. The introduction of 4G LTE service and the expansion of existing high-speed connections will see the carrier expand it's 4G LTE coverage of its customers from the current 61-percent to around 87-percent by the end of this year.
British carrier Three is planning to offer 4G service without requiring any changes to existing contracts, including those with an unlimited data allowance. Customers will be able to access the 4G signal on current 3G contracts without needing to pay a premium or lose any of their existing data allowance, so long as they are using smartphones capable of connecting to it, and are in an area covered by the signal.
United Kingdom telecommunications regulator Ofcom is considering the prospect of allowing carriers to reuse existing spectrum for LTE-based services, such as those offered by EE. Such a proposal from Ofcom would potentially offer more spectrum for the faster network services than its current 4G spectrum auction could provide, with little in the way of extra licensing cost for phone networks.
MetroPCS has added the LG Spirit 4G to its growing roster of LTE-capable smartphones. The spiritual successor to the LG Motion 4G, Esteem, and Connect 4G, the Spirit 4G offers a 4.5-inch touchscreen with a 960x540-resolution and protection via Gorilla Glass, as well as connectivity to the carrier's 4G LTE network.
American carrier AT&T is looking towards expanding into Europe, according to insiders. The telecommunications giant may be making a bid to buy a mobile phone network, with the likelihood that the company will upgrade older generations of technology and improve the slow rate of 4G rollouts, as well as moving towards more modern pricing structures of contracts.
MetroPCS has announced a set of wireless contracts for 4G LTE with a focus on simplicity, including one with unlimited data. The new mobile phone plans all include unlimited voice minutes and texts, and offer three different tiers of service, with the only differentiation being the amount of 4G data usage is permitted each month on the subscription.
T-Mobile has partnered with MLB in a multi-million dollar deal. T-Mobile will provide MLB with an on-field communication system powered by its 4G network. Among other uses, the first use will be to allow managers to communicate with coaches in dugouts.
Wilson Electronics has updated its Sleek cellphone signal amplifier, adding support for 4G standards used by a wide range of carriers. Electronista took an early look at the Sleek 4G at a media event in Las Vegas ahead of CES, while we wait for the US and Canadian variants to arrive on the market.
AT&T has rolled out its 4G LTE network in 15 new markets in the United States, and expanded network coverage in a number of already-live locations. Ten have gone live today, while five others were launched earlier this week -- pushing the total overall number of markets AT&T's 4G LTE network is operational in to 124.
T-Mobile announced today that it would be closing out 2012 by expanding its 4G coverage to 14 new metropolitan areas. The expansion is part of an ongoing $4 billion plan to advance T-Mobile's high speed network, which now offers enhanced coverage for more than 100 million people across the United States. T-Mobile's network is compatible with unlocked AT&T devices, and the company is actively encouraging AT&T customers to make the switch, advertising savings of up to $50 a month.
UK regulator of communications Ofcom has revealed the companies that can bid in its oncoming 4G spectrum auction. The list of seven companies that have qualified in order to take part includes all of the major phone networks in the UK, as well as two that do not currently operate as mobile carriers in the United Kingdom.
The first 4G-based carrier in the United Kingdom has announced its network expansion plans for early 2013. An extra 17 towns will receive the high-speed mobile access from Everything Everywhere, now EE, by March, on top of the 14 existing towns and cities that it has launched in, and the four areas set to go live before the end of this year.
A version of the Samsung Galaxy Camera with 4G LTE connectivity will be heading to Verizon, if a recent FCC filing is to be believed. Using LTE access in Verizon's section of the 700Mhz band, the camera appeared under the model number EK-GC120, a slight change from the EK-GC100 name the HSPA+ model used when it was certified.
Sprint announced today the expansion of its 4G LTE network to customers in 11 new cities and counties. The network expansion will allow customers in Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Virginia to access Sprint's 4G LTE speeds on devices such as the Galaxy S III, Evo 4G LTE, and cellular-connected iPads. Sprint now offers 4G LTE service in 43 markets.
An LTE network in a city could be taken down by $650 worth of equipment, according to researchers. The team at Virginia Tech believes that a battery-operated transmitter the size of a small briefcase could, if operated correctly, knock out 4G coverage for miles around a large base station, cutting off communications for thousands of users.
UK regulator Ofcom has issued rules for the upcoming 4G spectrum auction in the country. The newly-released timetable will see network operators such as Vodafone and O2 submit bids for spectrum from January onwards, with the combined reserve prices for the 800MHz and 2.6GHz ranges being auctioned totaling over £1.3 billion ($2 billion).
US Cellular will be increasing its LTE network coverage in the US on Monday. The upgrade on November 5th will see the carrier expand 4G LTE signal to a further 30 new markets across 11 states, while further expansion plans to a number of other markets have also been announced, though without a firm schedule.
MetroPCS has passed the 1 million 4G LTE subscriber barrier, according to its third quarter results. The milestone represents approximately 12-percent of the company's total subscriber base of 9 million, itself lower than the previous quarter by over 312,000 customers, down 2-percent from the same quarter last year.
Everything Everywhere has turned on its 4G network in the UK. The new network, jointly created by Orange and T-Mobile, has gone live in 11 cities across the country, in the first wave of the carrier's national rollout that will see 98 percent of the UK population covered by the end of the year 2014.
The UK may have a quicker overall rollout of faster mobile network services than previously thought. Mobile carriers Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone, and Three have stopped their legal threats, and have joined together to create a company specifically to aid in deploying LTE services in the 800MHz band by clearing it of TV signals.
Verizon and AT&T have announced their latest LTE rollout locations, bringing 4G service to a long list of new cities ahead of the iPhone 5 launch. Verizon leads the current push, deploying LTE for the first time in 19 cities and expanding the existing footprint in an additional 21 locations. AT&T, in contrast, plans to activate LTE service this week in just nine cities.
China may be getting 4G LTE considerably earlier than previously suggested by the government. The Minister for Information and IT, Miao Wei, had previously told regional carriers that 4G permits would not be issued until 2014, however a report by Chinese state press Xinhua claims he is instead preparing to issue 4G permits next year.
The UK's first 4G service has officially been announced. Everything Everywhere, formed by the combination of carriers Orange and T-Mobile, has named the new network EE, turning the network on today. The service stands to offer not only 4G LTE services to customers, but also a fibre broadband service that will reach 11 million homes and businesses by the end of the year.
Australia’s Telstra and Optus networks have landed the 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III that also carries Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ and a LTE-compatible variant of the Exynos quad-core processor. Optus customers will be the first to get their hands on the eagerly awaited iteration and will get to try it out on the just launched Optus 4G network from the middle of September. Telstra customers will have to wait it out until later in October.
Sprint has expanded its 4G LTE service into four more markets and boosted its 3G efforts in three. Users in Baltimore, Md., Gainesville, Ga,. Manhattan/Junction City, Kan., and Sedalia, Mo. will be able to take advantage of the high-speed service from this week onwards, as Sprint moves towards its goal of putting LTE into 120 cities by the end of the year.
Wireless network carrier Fido is turning on 4G LTE for some of its Canadian customers. Users of the carrier are able to use LTE devices at speeds theoretically up to 150Mbps in Calgary, Montreal, Ottowa, St. John's, Toronto, and Vancouver from today onwards, with no added costs for people using their own LTE-capable smartphones.
Wireless provider T-Mobile has announced an industry-first nationwide unlimited "4G" data plan for the United States. The new plan commences September 5, and can be added to an existing package for as low as $20. T-Mobile claims there are no caps or speed throttling with the new plan.
Ofcom is allowing Everything Everywhere to use its existing spectrum for 4G services in the UK, despite carrier resentment. The statement on the regulator's website approves Everything Everywhere's rebranding request, which would see the 1,800MHz spectrum used for the 4G rollout from September 11 this year, well before the expected start of 4G services next year by other carriers.
AT&T will be shutting down its 2G bands by the start of 2017, according to a mention in a recent SEC filing picked up by the Wall Street Journal. The carrier gave New Year's Day, 2017 as a deadline to discontinue its 2G service to customers, which allows nearly four and a half years for the carrier to transition its 2G customer base to 3G and "4G" devices.
The blame for the slow creation of a 4G network in the UK lies with carriers, according to a government minister. Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, told the Future of Entertainment summit in London that repeated legal threats to Ofcom from mobile service providers are causing delays, as opposed to government interference. Vaizey referred to the continued problems Ofcom faces from carriers, saying “Every single one is threatening to sue, not Ofcom, if they get it wrong, which is continuing to prolong the roll out of 4G in Britain.”
Best Buy is now offering the HTC One S on T-Mobile for $99, half off the original price when it debuted on the network in April. Off-contract, the handset still sells for its regular price of $650.
T-Mobile has detailed its network improvement plans, including LTE rollout for 2013. The carrier is preparing to modernize 37,000 cell sites, including several thousand to be revamped this summer. Additional HSPA+ expansion will occur ahead of LTE trials this summer, before the company formally deploys LTE service next year.
Startup company Karma is creating a service offering pay-as-you-go 4G wireless hotspots with a social element. The unit will charge by the gigabyte, but in a move similar to Fon, will be open to public use, according to The Verge. Users without an account accessing it gets 100mb of free service and also credits the hotspot owner by an equal amount.
