Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
AT&T Mobility gives smaller families price break
The domestic pricing battle among wireless carriers continues to heat up as just a day after T-Mobile US released adjustments to its plans, AT&T Mobility announced changes of its own. AT&T Mobility said that beginning this weekend, customers will be able to sign up for a single line of service for $65 per month that will include unlimited calling, messaging and two gigabytes of un-throttled LTE data for $65 per month. An additional line of service to share that same 2 GB of data is another $25. … Read More
T-Mobile US bolsters entry-level data buckets, increases cost on unlimited
T-Mobile US tightened up the data offerings on its Simple Choice rate plans, offering entry-level and mid-tier users a bit more to play with while charging heavy users a bigger toll. The announcement came late Friday afternoon, a time when companies typically look to hide announcements, though these plans could have more to do with recent knocks against the carrier’s network quality. T-Mobile US said that beginning later this month current Simple Choice customers will see their included data allotment doubled from 500 megabytes to one gigabyte. That will result in single-line plans now including unlimited calling, messaging and 1 GB of data for $50 per month. For family plans, the second line will remain an additional $30 with the expanded data allotment, with lines three-through-five priced at the same $10 per line. … Read More
Son claims Sprint can turn around US inferior broadband service
Following a week of build up, Sprint and Softbank Chairman Masayoshi Son took to the stage in front of the Washington D.C. Chamber of Commerce in a presentation detailing where the United States is falling behind in terms of broadband service, but decidedly absent of any talk regarding a potential Sprint offer to acquire smaller rival T-Mobile US. Son used a number of charts and graphs to highlight where the United States ranked among other countries in offering high-speed broadband services, while also pointing out the leadership position of his home country of Japan. In terms of wireless performance, the United States was shown to be far down the list, offering averaged weighted download LTE speeds of 6.5 megabits per second. By comparison, Son’s Softbank operations, which were the only separate company on the chart comparing countries, posted a speed of 21.3 Mbps, while the entirety of Japan was at 11.8 Mbps. … Read More
EE dominates RootMetrics UK test; Vodafone cries foul
RootMetrics took its road show to the United Kingdom during the second half of last year, returning with network quality data claiming a solid win for operator EE, and excuses from last-place finisher Vodafone. RootMetrics said that it tested wireless networks for U.K. operators EE, O2, Three and Vodafone across 23,390 miles of drive testing and at more than 1,000 indoor locations using “off-the-shelf” smartphones. The tests included what it termed reliability, speed, mobile Internet performance, call performance and text performance tapping into operators’ 2G, 3G and LTE networks. … Read More
AT&T dives deeper into SDN tech
AT&T is the latest member of the telecom industry to make a strong push into the development of software-defined networking solutions. Delivering the keynote address at the recent Open Networking Summit in Santa Clara, Calif, the carrier’s senior executive vice president of technology and network operations, John Donovan, confirmed AT&T’s dedication to SDN. As IDG News Service noted, AT&T previously declared its interest in creating an SDN-enabled network when it announced its Domain 2.0 initiative in 2013. That process included reaching out to various vendors to determine which ones would be interested in pursuing SDN and network functions virtualization. Donovan used the occasion to reaffirm the carrier’s intent to migrate to an SDN-based network structure, beginning with critical processes and functions such as authentication before incorporating less immediate needs in the future. … Read More
British, Germans partner on ‘5G,’ ‘Internet of Things’
Speaking at the CeBIT conference in Hanover, Germany this week, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a collaboration with Germany to drive research on so-called “5G” technology and the “Internet of things.” Cameron also called on improving the European telecommunications single market. Cameron told the U.K’s “German friends” that “We want to work with you to pool ideas, share data, innovate, to lead on the next big ideas.” … Read More
SxSW 2014: Monetizing the second screen
With mobile advertising projected to hit $18 billion this year, service providers are increasingly eyeing mobile devices as a potential source of “second screen” revenue. Nielsen reports that 85% of Americans watch television with a smartphone or tablet in hand, and 91% are viewing asynchronous content. “Your experience within your second screen application might actually take more of your attention than the actual show you’re watching,” said Jesse Redniss, chief strategy officer at Mass Relevance. Redniss joined Greg Consiglio, president and COO at Viggle, in leading a SXSW Interactive panel entitled “How to Monetize the Second Screen Evolution.” The panelists began by highlighting recent consolidation in the second screen application space, noting that many early entrants failed to find workable business models. Viggle appears to be an exception; the app allows users to redeem loyalty points they earn by “checking in” on mobile devices while watching shows on television. Advertisers are interested, and mobile operators recognize the app as a way to get subscribers onto the network while they’re watching television. … Read More
HetNet News: Qualcomm, Sprint demo small cells at NASCAR
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Sprint Corp. recently demonstrated phase two of an over-the-air trial of TD-LTE small cells at the Phoenix International Raceway in Phoenix during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The venue was selected for the trial because of large fan attendance and high mobile data demand during races, Qualcomm said, as well as challenging radio frequency conditions. Qualcomm installed 31 of Airspan’s AirSynergy 2000 LTE-Advanced pico base stations in the track’s garage area, which use the company’s small cell chipsets and self-organizing network (SON) technology. According to Qualcomm, the small cell network has an equivalent density of 1,000 cells per square kilometer operating in Sprint’s band 41 TD-LTE spectrum. Phase one of the trial, which demonstrated the company’s UltraSON technology for improving data performance and quality of service in small cell networks, was completed last November. Phase two focuses on capacity gains using small cells compared to existing macro cellular technology. … Read More
Leap’s swan song a mess, AT&T acquisition can’t come soon enough
With its pending acquisition by AT&T set to close this month, Leap Wireless released what is likely its last report as an independent carrier on its operational performance. And from looking at the results, operations have been running thin for the one-time no-contract leader. According to a 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Leap said it lost $181 million during the fourth quarter, which was more than double the $74.3 million it lost during the final three months of 2012. The increased losses were connected with a near 10% decrease in revenues, which came in at $682.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. … Read More
Tablet growth expected to slow
The white-hot tablet market may have peaked, according to the analysts at IDC. The research firm is lowering its projected growth rate for the global tablet market to 19.4% — still a rate that vendors of other connected devices would love to reach. In comparison, the tablet market grew 51.6% last year. “In mature markets, where many buyers have purchased higher-end products from market leaders, consumers are deciding that their current tablets are good enough for the way they use them. Few are feeling compelled to upgrade the same way they did in years past, and that’s having an impact on growth rates,” said IDC’s Tom Mainelli, IDC’s program vice president for devices and displays. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
