Items tagged with (NYSE:T)
The Galaxy Note 7 might be a lost cause for Samsung. Following a global recall due to overheating batteries and a report of a replacement device going up in smoke on a grounded Southwest Airlines plane, AT&T, the second largest wireless carrier in the United States behind Verizon, is considering halting sales of Galaxy Note 7 devices altogether. Sprint, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the U.S., recently announced it would exchange replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices with any other smartphone. But if AT&T decides to go ahead and yank the troubled smartphone from its shelves, it's easy to envision other carriers following suit. Even if they don't, losing AT&T's sales would be a...
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Image Source: Flickr (Mike Mozart)The race is on to bring gigabit Internet service to as many residential homes across the nation as possible. One of the participants is AT&T, which announced plans to expand its fiber-optic network to 11 more metro areas. The expansion is part of a broader initiative to bring AT&T Fiber, the new name for what was previously known as GigaPower, to at least 67 metro areas, including 45 metro areas by the end of the year. "Customer demand for high-speed connectivity is exceeding even our high expectations. Today we’re also introducing the AT&T Fiber umbrella brand, which lets us bring ultra-fast internet to even more residential and business customers...
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Deploying fiber cabling throughout cities across the United States isn’t cheap, especially when we’re talking about the “last mile” of fiber that goes directly to homes and businesses. Alphabet arguably got the ball rolling with its Google Fiber rollouts across the country, followed by Comcast and AT&T countering with their own (sometimes faster) fiber services. AT&T this week announced that it is looking to speed up its rollout of gigabit internet throughout the country at a lower cost. The telecommunications company is doing so using what it calls AirGig, which will deliver multi-gigabit speeds wirelessly using existing power lines. AT&T is using low-cost plastic antennas that...
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We hope you do not mind if we drone on about drones. AT&T and Qualcomm announced that they will soon test Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, operating via commercial 4G LTE networks.Chris Penrose, Senior Vice President of loT Solutions at AT&T, noted, “With a focus on both regulatory and commercial needs, LTE connectivity has the potential to deliver optimal flight plans, transmit flight clearances, track drone location and adjust flight routes in near real-time.” The fact of the matter is that radio links and Wi-Fi are simply not powerful or reliable enough to guarantee a safe drone flight over long distances. The United States does not currently permit pilots to fly drones...
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As we’ve reported on a number of occasions in the past several weeks, Google Fiber has encountered an incredibly rough patch with deployments. This has been especially true in Nashville, Tennessee where the company has not only faced challenges with the geography of the region (it’s not exactly easy to bury fiber cable in limestone rock), but also from firmly entrenched competition like AT&T and Comcast. AT&T hasn’t made it easy for Google Fiber to simply roll in to cities across the country and provide gigabit internet speeds to residents. In fact, AT&T has done its best to stomp out any competition — including from municipal broadband — that could pose a threat to its business....
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It’s fair to say that AT&T pays close attention when the number one wireless carrier makes changes to its data plans (and vice versa). Last month, Verizon Wireless raised prices, bumped up its data buckets, and eliminated overages fees. Today, AT&T is making those same changes to its own mobile plans. First of all, AT&T’s mobile data plans are getting a name change from Mobile Share Value to Mobile Share Advantage. And in most cases, AT&T is giving you more data for less money, although there are a few instances where you’re paying the same money for less data (like the new $30 1GB plan).Mobile Share Value “We now offer a new 25GB plan for $190 per month for 4 smartphone lines...
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If you’re a tech nerd like all of us here at HotHardware, you crave speed. Faster graphics cards, faster processors, faster SSDs, faster smartphones — you get the idea. And of course, who wouldn’t want faster internet at relatively reasonable prices? In markets around the United States where there is little to no competition in the ISP arena, customers are usually stuck with just one broadband provider (meaning that you have no choice but to accept their data speeds and prices). It is because of this dark cloud surrounding the U.S. broadband internet industry that many enthusiasts become positively giddy about the prospects of Google Fiber coming to town (for reference, I pay $70 a month for...
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Usually when there's an announcement about data caps, it's bad news for subscribers. Refreshingly, that isn't the case with AT&T, which is raising the ceiling on the amount of data its U-verse customers are able to use. It's a welcome acknowledgement that the Internet is growing and that, collectively, users are spending more time streaming, downloading, and even uploading content.AT&T says as much in its blog post announcing the change, and for that it deserves some amount of kudos. How much kudos? That depends on how happy you are with raising the monthly allowance of data to 1 terabyte on standard U-verse plans with speed tiers up to and including 300 megabits per second. That effectively...
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The Federal Communications Commission pointed its finger at the telecommunications industry over the weekend and asked for decisive action to be taken against the growing problem of robocalls, a move that prompted AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to respond by spearheading a new Robocalling Strike Force. Sounds intimidating, doesn't it? AT&T says the Strike Force's mission will be to "accelerate the development and adoption of new tools and solutions to abate the proliferation of robocoalls and to make recommendations to the FCC on the role government can play in this battle." It almost sounds like a declaration of war. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler probably didn't have this kind of rhetoric in...
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The use of aerial drones has exploded in recent years thanks to lower pricing (making them devices more affordable for the general public), ease of use (thanks to more automation for flight controls), and the ability to pop off magnificent aerial footage (which has done wonders in the film industry). Predictably, drones have also found use in surveying operations, and even search and rescue missions. AT&T, however, has another use in mind for drones — expanding service coverage following a natural disaster. AT&T calls these devices Flying COWs or “Cell on Wings”. The COWs could be deployed, for example, after a flood or a tornado has ransacked a populated area. As the company explains,...
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AT&T launched its Next program as an economical way for customers to purchase/upgrade to a new smartphone without going the two-year contract route or paying the full device cost up front. However, over the years, Next has grown to encompasses a total of four options including Next 12, Next 18, Next 24, and Next with Down Payment. The United States’ No. 2 wireless carrier has heard the cries from its customers to make things simpler, and it has obliged by reducing Next to just two options: Next and Next Every Year. AT&T Next will see customers spreading the cost of a new smartphone over the course of 30 equal monthly payments. However, after 24 payments have been made (covering roughly...
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If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you have a new option when it comes to tapping into high-speed fiber internet. AT&T announced this week that its 1Gbps GigaPower fiber internet service is now available in the area. More specially, AT&T GigaPower will be available to residents of San Francisco, San Jose, Dublin, Mountain View, Santa Clara and San Ramon. AT&T joins Comcast, which brought its 2Gbps Gigabit Pro fiber internet service to the San Francisco Bay Area last year. Interestingly enough, Google is the laggard here, as the Mountain View company has yet to launch its Google Fiber service in the San Francisco Bay Area. And even when it does launch, it will be limited to...
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T-Mobile’s brash CEO John Legere relishes the idea of trashing competitors (especially Verizon Wireless) and touting the superiority of his plans and features that are aimed at pleasing customers rather than shareholders. But criticism is a two-way street, and AT&T is looking for a little bit of vengeance via its Cricket Wireless prepaid wireless service. Cricket Wireless today announced a new $70 plan that gives you unlimited talk, text and data. Cricket Wireless called out T-Mobile quite a few times when announcing the new plan, noting that T-Mobile charges customer $25 more per month for the same privilege. It will even give you a $5 monthly credit if you use Auto Pay, bringing the price...
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AT&T just bumped its wireless activation and upgrade fee to $20 per smartphone on several of its plans, a 33 percent increase from its previous $15 charge, though save some of your outrage for Verizon. It was Big Red that rolled out a new $20 upgrade fee earlier this week, which AT&T apparently took as an opening to do the same. Sure, we're just talking about a $5 price hike here, but what's annoying about the fee increase is that it's an arbitrary bump on top of what's an arbitrary charge to begin with. Does it really cost $15 or $20 for the dude in a blue shirt standing behind the counter to punch a few keys and click the mouse a couple of times en route to activating your overpriced...
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While it might have been difficult to imagine 15 years ago, so much of our daily lives are now dependent on the Internet. This has led to a surge in data hogging products and services, like high-definition and even 4K video streams, massive game downloads, and so forth. Data caps are inherently at odds with this transition from offline to online experiences, and if you're an AT&T U-verse subscriber, you'll soon have the option of removing yours, for a fee.Beginning May 23rd, AT&T will roll out a new unlimited data option for its U-verse home Internet customers. For an extra $30 per month, AT&T will remove your data cap so you can roam the Internet and partake in its many offerings...
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We’ve seen some obvious cases of companies fleecing (or at least attempting to fleece) the American people and the U.S. Government in the past, but AT&T appears to be going for bonus points with its newest proposal to hook up parts of California with outdated DSL service. And AT&T isn’t going to provide the infrastructure for DSL service out the goodness of its heart; it’s asking California taxpayers to fork over upwards $100 million to get the job done. That’s right, AT&T is asking taxpayers to foot a $100 million bill for Internet service that at best will get customers 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up. The California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), provides grants to Internet service providers...
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Following the terrorist bombings in Brussels on Tuesday that killed over 30 people and left many others injured, all four major wireless carriers in the United States—AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon— are offering customers free phone calling and text messaging services to Belgium for various periods of time. As it stands right now, Sprint is offering the longest period of free calls and texting. The wireless carrier said it will lift fees for calls and texts made from the U.S. to Belgium up through March 31. In addition, calling and texting charges for customers internationally roaming in Belgium will be waived. This applies to Sprint, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, and Sprint Prepaid...
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AT&T has just announced a couple of great deals involving LG's brand-new G5 smartphone and Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE smartwatch. With the former, AT&T is offering a second G5 for free, as part of a buy-one-get-one free promotion. That assumes that you'll be signing up to AT&T Next with both devices; once the credit hits $689, that second device becomes free. If that sounds a little too good to be true, it isn't, but, because of how the mechanics works, both phones need to purchased at the same time, which is quite a bit to shell out initially. But, if you take advantage of the deal and feel you're not spending quite enough money, you might be interested in a side deal...
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Wireless carriers are tripping over themselves trying to lure customers with special offers and promotions, but AT&T's newest deal might be the one to beat. Ma Bell's pitch is simple—purchase either of Samsung's fancy new Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge handsets and get a free Galaxy S7 when adding a second line and buying both through AT&T's Next program. That's a pretty sweet deal considering how expensive smartphones are these days, Samsung's new flagship Galaxy handsets included. The way this new promotion works is the first phone must be a new line or an upgrade. As for the second phone, it must be a new line and purchased on AT&T Next 24. Add both phones to a qualified plan and...
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Have you ever noticed that your online activities affect the types of advertising you see when surfing the web and using online services? That's called targeted advertising (or stalking, if you prefer), and AT&T's partnering up with a company called Videology to bring the same type of creepiness to television. I'm calling it creepy because advertisers sometimes tend to know and share more than they should. This is anecdotal, but I recently typed the world "Mucinex" in an email to colleagues (it was in reference to me being sick) and later that day my Facebook feed was splattered with sponsored ads for Mucinex. Go figure. Let's give AT&T the benefit of the doubt that it's not going to...
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As more and more people cut the cable cord, cable companies, media companies and content creators alike are scrambling to make sure that those who want access to their services have it. Over the past couple of years, we've seen many examples of companies dropping their cable TV exclusivity, with Dish being one of the most notable. Last February, the Dish released a $20/mo package through Sling TV, and without much of a delay, AMC jumped on board, and so did HBO. With that kind of content support, it's of little surprise that other big media and major carriers wants a bit of the online action as well. That includes AT&T, which has just announced that it also will be offering premium content...
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The wireless wars are quickly heating up, with even the big players getting roped into battle. It used to be just T-Mobile handing out enticing deals to persuade people to leave their current wireless carrier, but Verizon entered the fray in December. And now, AT&T is offering up a “switch” offer of its own. “AT&T is offering you up to $650 in credits to help you switch your wireless service to us. Simply purchase a new smartphone on AT&T Next, activate eligible service, port your number, and trade-in your current eligible smartphone.” $650 is a healthy upgrade from AT&T’s previous offer which gave switchers up to $300 in credit for leaving their existing carrier. But of course,...
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