AT&T reported late last week that it had closed on the sale of its incumbent local exchange operations in Connecticut to Frontier Communications. The $2 billion deal also includes the transfer of approximately 2,500 employees to Frontier.
The deal, which was announced late last year, includes wireline network assets and consumer, business and wholesale customer relationships. AT&T said it will continue to provide wireless services in the state, as well as “networking, application solutions and professional services for consumers and business customers.”
AT&T said it plans to use proceeds from the sale to fund its Project Velocity IP program that will see the company expand services in IP, cloud and wireless.
The move bolsters Frontier’s wireline operations, which currently extend across 27 states. The company announced in 2009 plans to acquire Verizon Communications’ local wireline operations across 14 states for $8.6 billion, a deal that, when it closed in mid-2010, made Frontier the largest pure rural telecommunications carrier in the United States.
— T-Mobile US this week announced that its LTE network now covers 250 million potential customers, ahead of its year-end projections. The carrier added that it plans to cover 280 million pops by mid-2015, with 300 million pops covered with LTE service by the end of next year.
That expanded coverage will come from the use of 700 MHz spectrum assets T-Mobile US has recently begun to aggregate as well as continued re-farming of its 1.9 GHz spectrum that is currently used to support legacy 2G and 3G services for its LTE network. The LTE network currently relies on T-Mobile US’ 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum licenses.
T-Mobile US CTO Neville Ray noted in a blog post that the carrier is also continuing to expand its “wideband” LTE service, which is the carrier’s plan to provide more than 20 megahertz of spectrum support for LTE services. That program currently covers 19 markets, with plans to cover 26 markets by the end of the year.
Verizon Wireless has reported that its LTE network covers nearly 310 million potential customers, or virtually parity with its legacy CDMA-based legacy network. AT&T Mobility recently announced that its LTE network coverage surpassed 300 million pops, while Sprint has reported LTE coverage surpassing 254 million pops.
— TracFone Wireless’ Straight Talk brand late last week began offering Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices to customers through its website and distribution arrangement with Walmart.
The device is compatible with Straight Talk’s no-contract service, which begin at $45 per month for unlimited domestic voice calling, text messaging and 3 gigabytes of un-throttled data access. For $60 per month, customers also receive unlimited international calling to “more than 1,000 destinations in Mexico, Canada, India and other countries.”
The iPhone models begin at $649 for the 16 GB iPhone 6 and $749 for the 16 GB iPhone 6 Plus. Customers can also take advantage of Walmart’s 24-month no-interest offer.
Straight Talk had initially begun offering Apple’s smartphone lineup in early 2013 with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. TracFone is owned by Latin American telecom giant America Movil.
–Ultra Mobile, which offers international calling focused services, unveiled its new UltraUp service plan that allows customers to customize their calling services at any point during a billing cycle.
Subscribers can alter the amount of calling minutes, data services or international credits. Those alterations can be made using text messaging from their mobile device, by accessing their account online or visiting a retailer. Customers that add credit to their international calling accounts will also receive 25% in free credit. Customers can also check LTE data usage via text messaging or through their online account.
Ultra Mobile, which offers domestic services through an arrangement with T-Mobile US, earlier this year launched a $19 plan that includes unlimited voice calling and text messaging throughout the U.S. and to 10 countries.
–Sprint today announced a partnership with wireless sensing and monitoring platform provider Monnit that will provide Sprint customers with access to Monnit’s solutions.
The platform targets enterprise customers that need to monitor site functions, with Monnit providing access to more than 40 different types of wireless sensors for both commercial and industrial applications. Those sensors can monitor temperature, humidity, access, motion, water, light, voltage and vibration. The sensors connect to an online, self-monitored sensor platform via a cellular gateway designed for Sprint’s wireless network.
Sprint has been aggressively targeting the M2M space, touting its long-term plans to support legacy 2G and 3G systems that the carrier has said provide all the speed many M2M systems need with the benefit of lower module costs.
–AT&T Mobility’s controversial sponsored data plans received new support as Syntonic launched its Freeway service that taps into AT&T Mobility’s network to provide consumers with unlimited access to select mobile content, including Expedia’s online travel site and the movie “Frank vs. God.”
The Syntonic offering is supported on Google’s Android operating system and Apple’s iOS-powered devices, and is free to AT&T Mobility customers.
AT&T Mobility launched its sponsored data program earlier this year, allowing sponsors to offer videos and other selected content to its customers. The program has drawn criticism from some who note that the carrier is selling premium access to its customers that could disadvantage those “sponsors” not able to afford the program.
Additional carrier news can be found on the RCR Wireless News “Carriers” page.
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