Items tagged with NYSE: VZ
AT&T and Verizon have struck the latest blow in the battle between themselves and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC had given the telecommunication corporations until December 15th to respond to its concerns over net neutrality and zero-rating services. AT&T and Verizon have spat out their vituperative responses. First off, what is “zero-rating”? Zero-rating is when mobile network operators (MNOs) and ISPs do not charge customers for data used by specific applications or internet services through their network, in limited or metered data plans. According to the FCC, AT&T's Sponsored Data program “denies unaffiliated third parties the same ability to compete over...
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Apple Reportedly Throttling iPhone 7 Models With Qualcomm Modems To Match Versions With Intel Modems
This week, a report ousted Apple's decision to throttle the Qualcomm modem found in most of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models to match the performance of the Intel modem found in other versions. Now, according to sources close to the matter, it's absolutely the case but is there a real issue? The issue involves Apple's need to dual-source the iPhone 7's modem block with either a Qualcomm X12 LTE modem or an Intel XMM 7360 chip. As a company that sells millions upon millions of smartphones, Apple needs to plan every launch and production roll-out very strategically and supply chain consistency is critical, hence the need for multiple sources of key components. Further, even...
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Verizon just launched LTE Advanced technology to bring 50% faster peak wireless data speeds. This launch includes 288 million people in 461 cities across the United States. Customers will be able to experience faster music, video, gaming, and VR streaming. How does Verizon’s LTE Advanced work? Verizon utilizes software that combines two or three bandwidth channels into one larger channel. This channel then sends out data sessions through the most efficient “route”. The technology is often referred to as “carrier aggregation” and it employs a combination of 700 MHz, AWS, and PCS spectrum. Two-channel carrier aggregations can produce peak download speeds of 225 Mbps, while three-channel carrier...
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If you're one of those rare folks that happen to have an unlimited plan without any caveats, you're in a very enviable situation. It's clear that most carriers don't want to offer unlimited packages at all, and if they do, they typically raise the price enough over time to encourage subscribers hop over to a metered package. And then we have those carriers that like to call packages "unlimited" when they're anything but. Are we ever going to live in a world where unlimited mobile data doesn't seem like such a luxury? Not if Verizon Chief Financial Officer Francis Shammo has anything to do with it. He's gone on record to say, "I've been pretty public saying the unlimited model does not work in...
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Since net neutrality rules went into effect last summer, some telecom companies have skirted the line of what's legal, but Verizon becomes the first to outright defy the rules, and now the world wonders whether this will be the straw that breaks the camel's (FCC's) back. When T-Mobile launched its Binge On service this past fall, some net neutrality backers claimed that it went against the spirit of the rules, given that select consumers would be given select content to be "zero-rated" - that is, data not counted towards the monthly limit. Where T-Mobile seems to be safe, though, is that this service is a major benefit to customers who have the right packages, so for many, having Binge On...
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T-Mobile might be the third largest carrier in the US, but looking at things through different angles can make it #1. We can see this with the help of the latest results out of OpenSignal, a firm that collects data through real users (who opt-in to use its mobile app). For overall coverage, Verizon reigns supreme. It also does well in overall download speeds, tying with T-Mobile. Beyond that, T-Mobile shows the best latency and download speeds over 3G, which gives it enough of an edge to beat out Verizon, and AT&T and Sprint, for that matter. In LTE speeds, T-Mobile also topped Verizon with average download speeds of 12.26Mbps versus 11.98Mbps. Out of five metrics, AT&T didn't place...
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It appears that Verizon's supercookie is indeed "super", as we're still unable to escape it. Earlier this year, Verizon came under fire for making use of a cookie that works even when offline, and was impossible to disable. After a bit of prodding, the company decided to let users disable it, but not without getting them to jump through some hoops. The reason this "cookie" is so notable is because it can send back a wealth of information to Verizon and its partners. This goes as far as being able to identify which apps you're using on your mobile phone, and where you use them. Simply put, the amount of information that can be gathered on you is quite outrageous, and the fact that it can...
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It might have taken just short of "forever", but Verizon has finally opened up its arms to unlocked iPhone and Nexus 6 owners who want to activate their device on the carrier's network. It seems the fact that the company was effectively pushing customers away got to be too much, so it's reversed course. Flickr: Robert Scoble In order for someone to bring their iPhone or Nexus 6 in to Verizon and activate it successfully, it has to be unlocked. If you've never gone through the process of unlocking your device before and are not sure whether it actually is locked, you can use Verizon's activation tool to find out for sure. If you discover that your phone isn't unlocked, you'll have to get...
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Well, it sure didn't take long for the complaints to roll in. On Friday, we reported that Verizon would begin allowing FiOS TV customers to pick and choose channels on an a la carte basis, which is a great thing. Interestingly, the Canadian CRTC last month announced that beginning in 2016, cable providers would be required to offer a la carte offerings, so the appeal is clear. And let's face it, with the advent of services like Netflix, that might be the only way these cable providers could possibly attract new customers. Nonetheless, ESPN is raising a stink about Verizon's move, as it says it would be in breach of contract. The Wall Street Journal writes, "ESPN said that Verizon does not have...
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Now that Microsoft has fully consumed Nokia's mobile product division, this could go down as one of the final pieces of hardware to ever ship with the Nokia brand name on it. After years of catering solely to the smartphone market, Nokia has extended the reach of the Lumia line to cover tablets, too. The Lumia 2520 is one of the more eye-catching Windows 8.1 RT slates on the market, shipping with a full copy of Office 2013 Home & Student as well as Outlook RT. The tablet will be shipping to Verizon stores on November 21st, replete with 4G LTE and an off-contract price of $500. That's impressive for one major reason: it wasn't too long ago that tablets were being sold for nearly as much on-contract,...
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When my contract with Verizon Wireless expired a few months ago, I hightailed it over to Sprint, lured to the nation's third largest carrier by its guarantee of unlimited data for life. I could have had something similar with Verizon, as I had been grandfathered into the carrier's unlimited data plan, but that meant paying full price for a phone upgrade. So, I jumped ship, and according to Verizon chief Lowell McAdam, I'll sink with my new carrier because unlimited data just isn't feasible. During an investor conference today, he talked about how the wireless world is becoming more heavily focused on video, which is one of the reasons why unlimited data plans aren't sustainable. "With unlimited,...
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Good news, Verizon Wireless subscribers, the wait is over if you've been itching to get your hands on Motorola's Moto X smartphone. Big Red two days ago confirmed in a Twitter post it would be offering the Moto X online beginning August 29th (today) and in stores in the coming weeks for $200 with a two-year service agreement, and true to its word, the smartphone device is now available to purchase. This is a welcome site for VZW subscribers, considering their smartphone carrier isn't always the first to every smartphone party. Verizon was especially late in getting its hands on the HTC One and apparently was determined not to do the same with the Moto X. The caveat to owning a Moto X through...
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The HTC One has become something of a comeback device for a company that has stumbled upon tough times. While the HTC First has been forgotten, the HTC One has received tons of praise from both the technology press and consumers alike. That said, one giant American carrier has yet to carry the phone, which has no doubt hindered its ability to truly rival handsets such as the iPhone and Galaxy S4 in terms of raw unit sales. That carrier is Verizon Wireless, and it's finally hopping onto the HTC One bandwagon. Starting August 22, the LTE-enabled, Android-powered phone will hit Verizon shelves. The price? $199.99 on a new or renewed 2-year contract. Otherwise, specifications remain the same as what...
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Anyone who has tried to host their own website from home likely knows all-too-well the hassles that ISPs can cause. Simply put, ISPs generally don't want you to do that, preferring you to move up to a business package (aka: more expensive). Not surprisingly, the EFF doesn't like these rules, which seem to exist only to upsell you a product, and it's making its complaints very public. This time around, Google's Fiber service is targeted, as it's the latest ISP of the bunch to say "No!" to running your own "server" from home. The problem, though, is that all ISPs are deliberately vague about what qualifies as a "server". Admittedly, when I hear the word "server", I think of a Web server, one...
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