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!
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. Along with the ability to pay for a device over a 24-month period, T-Mobile US also said that customers that purchase a tablet or bring a tablet to the carrier will receive 200 megabytes of data over the carrier’s LTE network for free each month. Citing a report that claims 90% of tablet data usage is over a Wi-Fi connection, T-Mobile US claims its “Un-carrier 3.0 Pt. II” move will encourage more customers to tap into the cellular capabilities of those devices once the offer starts on Nov. 1. For what is supposed to be a “simple” plan, there are quite a few details. … 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. The iPad Air, which goes on sale Nov. 1, is billed as the lightest tablet in the world and weighs in at exactly one pound. Philip Schiller, SVP of worldwide marketing at Apple, said his engineering team has been on a “relentless path” to make the iPad smaller and lighter. “The team has been remarkable in finding every tenth and every hundredth of a millimeter [to eliminate],” Schiller told his audience at Apple’s launch event. “We started years ago, designing and engineering the new technologies that would be necessary,” said Jonathan Ive, Apple’s SVP of design. Compared to the iPad 4, the new iPad Air is 20% thinner and the bezel is 43% smaller. Apple claims that the smaller size does not mean a less powerful battery, and says the iPad Air will deliver 10 hours of battery life. … Read More
Nokia launches LTE tablet, supersize smartphones
Nokia has unveiled some of the new products that were in the works before the company announced the sale of its device business to Microsoft. For the first time, Nokia is launching a tablet: the Lumia 2520. The colorful Windows LTE tablet sports a 10.1-inch high-definition screen and runs Windows RT 8.1. It will retail for $499 before subsidies, and will be sold with a $149 keyboard option. Color choices are red and white or cyan and black, and although it supports Wi-Fi there is no Wi-Fi-only model. “The fact that all Lumia 2520 variants will be LTE-capable and there will be no Wi-Fi-only variant means Nokia aims to use operators as the primary channel for its tablets,” said Malik Saadi, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless are both expected to carry the tablet in the United States. The Lumia 2520 supports FDD-LTE network bands 2 (1.9 GHz), 4 (1.7/2.1 GHz), 5 (850 MHz) and 17 (lower 700 MHz); and W-CDMA 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2100 MHz. … Read More
Leap postpones AT&T vote, earnings release
Leap Wireless today postponed a planned vote by shareholders on its pending acquisition by AT&T and the release of its third quarter financial results citing the need to file amendments to past Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Leap said the shareholder vote was moved from Oct. 24 to Oct. 30, while the financial release was moved from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8. Leap explained that the vote and earnings release delay were needed to allow time to file amendments to its full-year 2012 10-K and quarterly 10-Q filings for the first and second quarters of this year. Those amendments are “to address a classification error in the presentation of certain capital expenditures in the consolidated statements of cash flows.” … 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. The H-Block auction, which will be known as Auction 96, will include 10 megahertz of spectrum in the 1915-1920/1995-2000 MHz bands. “These schedule changes are necessary to give potential bidders and commission staff additional time for planning and preparation for Auction 96 upon the resumption of regular commission operations,” the FCC noted in a public notice announcing the delay. … Read More
Crown Castle picks up AT&T towers for $4.85B
Following weeks of speculation, Crown Castle announced it has agreed to purchase lease rights to 9,700 towers from AT&T for $4.85 billion in cash. The deal, which was thought to be close to completion during the recent PCIA Wireless Infrastructure show, calls for Crown Castle to have the exclusive right to lease and operate the towers for an average term of 28 years, with Crown Castle then having the option to purchase the towers for $4.2 billion. For Crown Castle, the move solidifies its place as the domestic markets largest tower owner, pushing its tower total to nearly 40,000 sites. The company noted that nearly half of the new tower assets were located in the nation’s top 50 markets, and with an average of 1.7 existing tenants per site should provide for ample opportunity to add new tenants. Crown Castle noted that the sites had sufficient capacity for at least one additional tenant per site. … Read More
Fight over 600 MHz auction rules moves to the masses
Wireless carriers and trade associations looking to limit the level of participation of Verizon Wireless and AT&T’s in the planned 600 MHz incentive auction have increased their consumer-facing efforts with the launch of a new website mobilebroadbandcompetition.com. The site, which is backed by among others the Competitive Carriers Association, Computer & Communications Industry Association, C Spire, Dish Network, Rural Wireless Association, Sprint, T-Mobile US and U.S. Cellular, looks to reinforce claims that the nation’s two largest operators should not be allowed unfettered bidding access during the auction. The Federal Communications Commission has said it plans to conduct the auction by the end of 2014, though many don’t expect the bidding to kick off until early 2015. … Read More
Softbank to purchase 57% stake in Brightstar for $1.26B
Japan’s Softbank moved forward with its investment in device logistics provider Brightstar, pouring $1.26 billion into the company for a 57% share of the operation. Softbank earlier this week was reported to be in talks regarding the investment in a deal worth north of $1 billion. Softbank noted that the deal would be financed by cash on hand with plans increase its ownership stake in Brightstar to 70% over the next five years. The deal values the privately held Brightstar at approximately $2.2 billion. … Read More
Network densification, VoLTE central for Verizon Wireless; cable partnership trimmed
As somewhat of a leader in the domestic wireless space, Verizon Wireless is looked upon by many as the carrier to watch when it comes to the latest network initiatives. During the carrier’s third quarter conference call, company executives provided insight into a number of network plans the carrier is currently juggling, including network densification, voice over LTE and how it looks at the prepaid market. Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo noted during the earnings call that beginning with the third quarter “all of our efforts have gone into the capacity and densification,” with those efforts focused on markets being impacted, including Chicago, San Francisco and New York. The carrier reported an increase in wireless capital expenditures for the quarter to $2.45 billion, which was its highest quarterly capex spend for the year to date and comes as the carrier is aggressively beginning to layer in LTE capacity support through its 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum holdings. … Read More
América Móvil backs away from KPN bid
América Móvil has backed away from its $10 billion offer to acquire a controlling interest in Dutch wireless operator KPN even though the deal had gained approval from Dutch regulators. That deal had originally been announced in August and called for América Móvil intention to make a voluntary cash tender offer for the outstanding ordinary shares of KPN at a price of $3.20 per share, which was a 35.4% premium over the average closing price of KPN’s ordinary shares on Euronext Amsterdam for the previous 30 trading days. In a statement, América Móvil noted that the way KPN’s ownership is currently structured it would not be able to gain a controlling interest in the operations and thus has removed the offer from the table. América Móvil noted last month that it was looking at removing the offer to acquire KPN following moves by KPN’s supervisory board to block such an attempt. … Read More
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