Before we turn the page on 2013, we thought we would take a look back at the past 12 months by highlighting what we felt were the top 100 stories across the mobile space. Since it would be foolish to rank these in order of “importance,” we have instead laid them out in chronological order. Please check back tomorrow for the next round of stories that shaped the wireless world in 2013.
Also, please make sure to check back beginning Jan. 2 as we begin posting predictions for 2014 from executives across various channels of the mobile space.
Sprint rolls out new rate plans, guarantees ‘unlimited’ access
Fresh off the heels of its acquisition by Softbank and acquisition of Clearwire, Sprint unveiled new rate plans looking to tap into the unlimited everything model embraced by carriers looking to gain a competitive advantage. … Read More
T-Mobile US hits 157M pops covered with LTE, hints at stealing customers from rivals
T-Mobile US is looking to keep the pedal to the metal in its attempts to carve market share out of its larger rivals, announcing today a host network and marketing enhancements designed to attract disgruntled wireless customers as well as hints that it was set to post strong second quarter results. … Read More
Ballmer’s exit could accelerate Microsoft’s move to mobility
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said today that he will retire within a year, and that could open the door for the software giant to replace Ballmer with a new executive more focused on mobility. … Read More
China Mobile awards 4G contracts
The world’s largest wireless carrier has awarded more than $3 billion in 4G contracts, with a slice of the business going to non-Chinese firms. … Read More
Cisco to lay off 4,000 people
Cisco is clearly in the process of transforming its business, and the changes are prompting the networking giant to shift its workforce. … Read More
T-Mobile US posts industry leading Q2 customer growth
Backing up previous hints of a strong quarter, T-Mobile US posted robust operational results for the second quarter, which was its first as a combined entity with MetroPCS. … Read More
NSN becomes Nokia Solutions and Networks
NSN is losing the Siemens name without sacrificing the NSN acronym. The world’s second largest maker of mobile broadband equipment has changed its name to Nokia Solutions and Networks. … Read More
Motorola unveils Moto X flagship
Search engine giant Google is hoping that an individualized, hands-free, voice-responsive Moto X will attract high-end U.S. smartphone users. … Read More
BlackBerry to go private in $4.7 billion deal
BlackBerry says it has a plan to be acquired by a group led by Fairfax Financial in a $4.7 billion deal. … Read More
15 set to contest Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum auction
Canada’s plans to auction 700 MHz spectrum licenses will be contested by 15 entities looking to get their hands on wide-reaching spectrum set to be up for bidding beginning Jan. 14. … Read More
PCIA: Wireless infrastructure investment to produce $1.2T in economic growth, 1.2M new jobs
Wireless infrastructure industry trade organization PCIA funded a report put together by Information Age Economics showing that over the next five years private investments in wireless infrastructure will produce up to $1.2 trillion in economic growth and create 1.2 million new jobs. … Read More
BlackBerry confirms job cuts, delays BBM launch
The contrast could not be more stark: This weekend while Apple was selling a record nine million iPhones and while 200 million iOS users were downloading iOS 7, the company that once dominated the smartphone business announced 4,500 layoffs, postponed the promised launch of its BlackBerry Messenger app for iOS and Android, and said it lost almost $1 billion during the most recent quarter. … Read More
FCC to auction H-Block spectrum Jan. 14; lining up potential players
The Federal Communications Commission has set Jan. 14 as the day it plans to begin auctioning off 10 megahertz of spectrum in the upper 1.9 GHz band, also known as the H-Block. … Read More
AT&T commits to work with FCC on 700 MHz interoperability, with conditions
The heated battle over 700 MHz interoperability may be set to cool as AT&T announced it would be willing to work the Federal Communications Commission and current lower 700 MHz license holders on a solution to disputed interference concerns. … Read More
Apple launches iPhone 5S and 5C
Apple unveiled two new iPhones today: the 5S and the 5C. The 5S is the successor to the iPhone 5, and the 5C is a lower-cost version that offers many of the same features found in the iPhone 5, and comes with Apple’s new iOS 7 operating system. … Read More
American Tower to acquire Global Tower for $4.8B
Consolidation is set to strike the tower space as American Tower announced this morning plans to acquire smaller rival Global Tower Partners’ parent company Macquarie Infrastructure Partners Tower Holdings for approximately $4.8 billion. … Read More
Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear, Note 3, and 2014 Galaxy Note
Samsung took the wraps off its Galaxy Gear smartwatch today in Berlin. … Read More
Microsoft to buy Nokia’s smartphone business
Microsoft is spending $7.2 billion to buy Nokia’s smartphone business. … Read More
Verizon picks up full control of Verizon Wireless for $130B
Following years of speculations, Verizon Communications has finally gained full control of its wireless division, announcing a deal to purchase Vodafone’s 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for $130 billion. … Read More
Sprint injects speed into the LTE argument with Spark plans
Sprint looks finally set to take advantage of its recently bolstered spectrum position in an attempt to move the LTE discussion away from outright coverage to that of network speed. … Read More
Wheeler, O’Rielly FCC nominations approved
The Federal Communications Commission finally received official new leadership late Tuesday as the U.S. Senate approved the nomination of long-time telecommunications veteran Tom Wheeler as the new chairman of the FCC. … Read More
Largent to leave CTIA by end of 2014
Wireless trade association CTIA announced today that current president and CEO Steve Largent would be leaving the group at the end of next year when his current contract expires. … Read More
T-Mobile US adds tablets to ‘un-carrier’ mix
T-Mobile US added a second phase to the third phase of its “un-carrier” marketing initiative, announcing the addition of tablet devices to its previously announced device payment model. … Read More
Apple launches 1 pound iPad Air, iPad Mini with retina display
Apple has launched new iPads and revamped its tablet product line, discontinuing the iPad 3 and the iPad 4 in order to focus on the new iPad Air and the new iPad Mini. … Read More
FCC delays H-Block spectrum auction, cites shutdown
Citing the recently ended government shutdown, the Federal Communications Commission has delayed the beginning of the H-Block spectrum auction by eight days, pushing the start date back from Jan. 14 to Jan. 22. … Read More
