Items tagged with 4G
For years, Verizon and the other telcos have imposed limits on supposedly "Unlimited" data plans and justified those limits with dubious appeals to network quality of service. While throttling data usage makes a great deal of sense in certain contexts (downtown rush hour being an excellent example), most companies don't throttle based on time of day or local conditions. Verizon's latest attempt to slice off a bit more profit for itself may have been a bridge too far, however, as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has gotten involved with investigating the company's practices. As we covered earlier this week, Verizon recently announced that it would "extend its network optimization policy to the data users...
Read more...
Verizon Wireless has a message for data hogs subscribed to its unlimited 4G LTE service, and to paraphrase, it goes something like this: 'Slow your roll, or we'll slow it for you.' To be more specific, starting in October of this year, Verizon will begin throttling the data connections of users who fall within the top 5 percent of data users subscribed to an unlimited plan using a 4G LTE device. This is essentially the same policy Verizon rolled out to its 3G subscribers three years ago. Now that more people are hopping onto 4G LTE networks, Verizon is trying to make sure that a relative few don't ruin experience for the masses. Image Source: Flickr (Mike Mozart) "We understand that our customers...
Read more...
This week, Broadcom announced that it would exit the LTE modem market and shut down its LTE research division. The move comes less than a year after Broadcom bought Renesas' (formerly known as NEC) LTE modem -- and that purchase was supposed to give Broadcom a leg up in modem design after its own in-house LTE product had failed to ship. With Broadcom gone, Qualcomm is, for all intents and purposes, the Emperor of LTE mountain. The market shift has happened quickly -- look at where revenue share sat in 2009, when 4G was still on the horizon and 3G modems were the norm. Qualcomm is still the leading provider, no question, but ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments, MediaTek, and Infineon all have...
Read more...
Intel has announced a new partnership with mobile SoC developer Rockchip, with plans to bring new Android products to China beginning in the first half of 2015. The partnership will use Intel's SoFIA platform with an integrated 3G radio and Atom processor initially, though Intel does plan to deliver a follow-up version of that platform with LTE connectivity later next year. The idea behind the partnership, according to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, is to leverage Rockchip's market penetration and channel sales and combine them with Intel's own CPU technology. When asked, Krzanich indicated that Rockchip would provide certain supplementary technology, possibly including the GPU, and said that Intel...
Read more...
Securing patents is an important part of doing business in today's corporate world. Lenovo understands this, hence why it just agreed to purchase a portfolio of mobile technology patents from Unwired Planet for $100 million dollars in cash, the two companies announced. The deal also gives Lenovo a term-based license to Unwired Planet's patent portfolio. In total, Lenovo gains access to 21 patent families owned by Unwired Planet, the most important of which are for certain 3G and LTE mobile technologies. "This investment is an extension of Lenovo's existing intellectual property portfolio," said Jay Clemens, General Counsel of Lenovo. "It will serve the company well as we grow and develop our...
Read more...
The FCC has approved an AT&T acquisition of Leap Wireless, which includes Cricket and all of its 4.6 million customers--but the agency did not greenlight the deal without caveats. AT&T does get all of Leap Wireless’ spectrum, networking equipment, and “other assets”, but the company will have to divest spectrum in some markets to avoid anti-competition problems. More notably, AT&T has agreed to launch LTE service using Leap Wireless’ unused spectrum within 90 days so that the latter’s (former) customers get access to AT&T’s 4G network, and LTE service will come to six markets in Texas within 18 months. Current Cricket coverage map But wait,...
Read more...
Technology development company MagnaCom thinks it has a new wireless approach that could revolutionize wireless communication. That's the bottom-line takeaway from the company's presentation (in-person demonstrations will be given at CES in January). With a sheaf of freshly minted patents and an impressive pitch, MagnaCom is claiming that its use of WAve Modulation (WAM) instead of the current QAM (Quadrature Modulation) will provide the bandwidth next-generation content networks desperately need. WAM vs. QAM To understand what MagnaCom is claiming, we need to first talk about the current system. All existing cellular technology is based on QAM. In QAM, data streams are amplitude modulated --...
Read more...
Like a lot of companies in the run-up to CES in January (brace yourselves for the onslaught in the next few weeks), HP is announcing a fleet of new computers. The new machines are in HP’s portfolio of “Elite”-branded products and include a pair of notebooks, a pair of desktops, a touchscreen monitor, and education and configuration/deployment services for businesses. The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 ($1,299) is a 14-inch (1080p HD) notebook that’s just 15.9mm thick, weighs 3.3 pounds, dual-core Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, and 4G LTE. The display offers optional touch capabilities, and there’s a handy Ultraslim Side Docking Station for easy peripherals connectivity....
Read more...
When considering the physical design of a smartphone, there’s one key dimension that often matters most to the majority of users: thickness. No one wants to carry around a thick, clunky smartphone. Manufacturers realize thin devices sell, which is why it seems every time we turn around they’re constantly fighting for the title of thinnest device. The current title-holder is the Motorola Droid Ultra, which is billed as the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone. It measures just 0.28 inches thick and is available exclusively through Verizon Wireless. Motorola Droid Ultra Review: Ultra Thin LTE Smartphone...
Read more...
When considering the physical design of a smartphone, there’s one key dimension that often matters most to the majority of users: thickness. No one wants to carry around a thick, clunky smartphone. Manufacturers realize thin devices sell, which is why it seems every time we turn around they’re constantly fighting for the title of thinnest device. The current title-holder is the Motorola Droid Ultra, which is billed as the thinnest 4G LTE smartphone. It measures just 0.28 inches thick and is available exclusively through Verizon Wireless. The Droid Ultra was announced alongside the Droid Maxx and the Droid Mini. Falling in the middle of this trio, the Droid Ultra has a lot to...
Read more...
We were effusive in our acclaim over Republic Wireless’ astonishingly inexpensive mobile service, and the company is making more headway in the mobile market now that it’s added the Moto X to its offerings. The Moto X (review here), which you can snag for $299 through Republic Wireless, brings a higher-end handset option to the service and should pull in many more customers than the old $249 Motorola Defy XT. You can opt for a black or white version of the new phone. Along with the availability of the Moto X, Republic Wireless is launching its new service plans. You still don’t need a contract, and you can change up your plan up to twice per month if you need to scale your options...
Read more...
Sprint customers can snag a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 for $49.99 starting on October 11th with a new line or eligible upgrade and a 2-year service agreement. Unlike the WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Tab 3 we’ve reported on before, this little number offers 4G LTE. The device will come in white initially with a black version available by the holidays, and it runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of onboard storage. It also has 3MP rear/1.3MP front cameras, Samsung Hub, an IR blaster, Polaris Office, SAFE enterprise security if you’re BYOD-ing at work. You can add a Galaxy Tab 3 to your existing plan for as little as an extra $5 per month plus taxes and...
Read more...
It only makes sense that a high-speed train would provide wireless service that's also high-speed right? In that case, all aboard! Amtrak this week announced an upgrade to its AmtrakConnect cellular-based Wi-Fi service to take advantage of 4G technologies. Amtrak says the 4G upgrade is already in place on Acela Express and California-supported Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfline, and San Joaquin services, and will be rolled out to its remaining fleet of Wi-Fi equipped trains by late summer. "We continue to place a strong focus on improving customer satisfaction, and this upgrade is delivering the improved speeds and connectivity required to maintain a competitive edge," said Deborah Stone-Wulf,...
Read more...
Samsung has done an exceptional job the past few years building interest and recognition for their Galaxy-branded smartphones. The fervor isn’t quite on the level of Apple's iPhone launches, but if the attendance of their “Samsung Unpacked” event at Radio City Music Hall and the buzz on-line for today’s introduction is any indicator, Samsung has tapped into something big and earned a cult following, very much like Apple has over the years. And the sales figures back this up, of course, all of which show Samsung dominating the Android-based smartphone market. When a company is clearly on top, people tend to scrutinize every move a little (or lot) more closely, depending...
Read more...
