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!
iPad makes its debut
Depending on your expectations, Apple Inc.’s latest wonder device is either a major let down or about what was expected from a company that has made billions of dollars off its iPhone franchise. Following weeks of “official” anticipation, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs strutted on stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco this morning and unveiled the company’s oddly named iPad device. Looking like a XXL version of an iPhone, the iPad features an updated version of the iPhone’s operating system working through a 9.7-inch touchscreen and powered by an Apple developed 1 GHz processor. For wireless fiends, the device follows the lead of the iPhone sporting 3G capabilities compatible with 850/1900/2100 MHz networks using GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA technology, which means domestic support for AT&T Mobility’s network. Apple did note that models shipping with 3G support would be unlocked allowing customers to swap out SIM cards for different carriers, but for U.S. customers the technology support leaves AT&T Mobility as the only real option. The reliance on the same wireless technology as the current iPhone 3GS could be seen as a disappointment to some that were looking to break out of their current network issues at the hands of AT&T Mobility’s overburdened 3G network. The carrier has repeatedly said it was upgrading its 3G capabilities to handle the increased load being placed on it by the iPhone and other data hungry smartphones. … Read more
Ain’t no party like an iPhone availability party
HONG KONG – SmarTone-Vodafone kicked off its iPhone launch late last week at New Town Plaza in Hong Kong, with a party that included live performances from popular artists and the familiar lineup of Apple Inc. customers waiting to get their hands on the new Apple 3GS and iPhone 3G devices. Apple’s initial strategy of launching the product with one operator is waning as the handset manufacturer expands its business. Competitor 3 was the first Hong Kong operator to carry the iPhone. However, a SmarTone-Vodafone executive noted about 30,000 unlocked devices already ran on the operator’s HSPA network before the official Jan. 23 launch.
“We are delighted to bring iPhone to our customers in Hong Kong,” Douglas Li, CEO of SmarTone-Vodafone, said in a prepared statement. “They will enjoy an exceptional experience with iPhone on our powerful network, as well as easy access to our many exclusive services.” Li seemed to enjoy lingering with customers in the store and was trying to visit as many of the company’s 37 retail outlets during the launch. … Read more
Apple reports record iPhone sales
Just days ahead of planned products announcements that are expected to broaden the breadth of its lineup, Apple Inc. announced strong financial results including record iPhone sales and profits. During its first fiscal quarter ended Dec. 26, 2009, Apple said it sold more than 8.7 million iPhones, which was a 100% increase compared with the previous year. The sales results were boosted by an increase in availability of the device in new markets as well as Apple breaking out of its single carrier per market strategy that it initially deployed. Apple said it added 17 new carriers during the quarter and that the device is now officially available in 86 countries. Unofficially, the iPhone has found its way across most countries. Apple only recently made the device available in China, but iPhones have been found across the country over the past several years. Apple said that since the official launch in China the company has sold more than 200,000 units in the world’s largest market across more than 1,500 official points of sale. While the number was a record for Apple, some analysts were expecting the company to sell in excess of 9 million units during the quarter. A component shortage was noted as a possible reason for the shortfall. Apple relies on a number of proprietary components as well as more widely available flash memory components for the iPhone. Apple also boosted its inventory channels during the quarter saying the number of devices in inventory jumped from about 230,000 units at the beginning of its first fiscal quarter to 2.7 million units at the end. … Read more
Cox tests LTE
Cable telecommunications provider Cox Communications Inc. said it successfully completed voice calling and high definition video streaming using LTE technology in the Phoenix and San Diego markets. The company said the trial involved the company’s 1.7/2.1 GHz AWS and 700 MHz spectrum holdings. The trial was conducted in collaboration with Cox’s technology partners Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. using the 3GPP Release 8 standard of the LTE technology. The trial comes on the heels of Cox’s announcement last month of the launch of its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO-based wireless network in Hampton Roads, Va.; Orange County, Calif.; and Omaha, Neb. Cox said it plans commercial offering of the 3G-based service in the coming months. … Read more
FCC works on national broadband plan
Staff working on the proposed National Broadband Plan are hoping to wrap up the final comments cycle by Jan. 27, Phoebe Yang, chief counsel and senior advisor to the Omnibus Broadband Initative, told the Federal Communications Commission at its monthly meeting today. To date, 69,002 pages of comments have been filed, including 1,500 proposals and thousands of recommendations. The commission’s legal advisors can expect to begin being briefed on the iniative next week and the staff expects to make a presentation at the FCC’s meeting next month, Yang said.
The FCC has been given a one-month extension as it develops the plan, which President Obama called for last year. … Read more
Assessing wireless’ recovery after the Great Recession
The wireless sector probably didn’t fare as poorly as some industries in 2009, but nevertheless, telecom companies and individual employees felt the pain of the recession. The outlook for 2010 promises to be better as wireless carriers get ready to build out new networks, expand their third-generation systems and upgrade capabilities on existing networks. 2009 was a mixed year for wireless; WiMAX operator Clearwire Corp. embarked on an aggressive buildout strategy and new entrant Cox Communications Inc. started cobbling together a new wireless network at 700 MHz, resulting in substantial hiring at those companies as well as network providers Huawei and other contractors that won a piece of the business. Yet telecom providers AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. announced layoffs of 16,000 employees and contractors and at least 14,000, respectively, as did Rogers Canada, as wireline businesses lost traction with customers. Globally, poor financials at Nokia Siemens Networks resulted in an announcement of nearly 6,000 planned reductions. Closer to home, Sprint Nextel Corp. announced plans to lay off between 2,000 and 2,500 employees in order to reduce costs. Staffing at the beginning of 2009 was light, but ticked up in the second half, said Tim Siebes, director, communications services, TEKsystems, a technology staffing and services company that staffs about 70,000 technology professionals each year. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
