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92 'LTE' stories August 2011 - December 2013

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Verizon is almost fixed in New York as AT&T announces LTE roaming in Canada on Rogers

Ben Lovejoy Dec 9 2013 - 7:06 am PT

Verizon’s problems with LTE capacity in NY are almost at an end, claimed CEO Lowell McAdam during an investor conference on Monday. Describing the issues as “a short-term blip,” he said the company was “now back to where we want to be.”

Verizon identified 49 cell sites in the New York area where capacity was insufficient, and said that all but seven of them had been strengthened.

AT&T, meantime, said that it has become the first U.S. carrier to offer international LTE roaming thanks to an agreement with Rogers Communications to allow customers access to LTE data when visiting Canada. The Rogers LTE network covers approximately 70 percent of Canada.

Roaming is not, however, cheap. For occasional use, you’re charged $15.36/MB. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Data Global Add-on packages at $30/month for 120MB, $60/month for 300MB or $120/month for 800MB. The two more expensive packages also give you 1GB of wifi usage where available.

Full AT&T press release below …
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T-Mobile finally takes advantage of MetroPCS merger, will use new spectrum to enhance LTE network

Mike Beasley Dec 6 2013 - 4:45 pm PT

All Things D reports that T-Mobile is finally taking advantage of this year’s MetroPCS merger. The fourth-largest mobile carrier in the U.S. plans to use the new spectrum to offer even faster speeds on its LTE network nationwide. Some markets are already seeing an increase in speed, and more will see faster service next year. The company says it hopes to cover up to 90% of its current subscriber base with improved service.

In direct contrast to this data network improvement, T-Mobile is also planning to launch new pre-paid plans with no data allowance included, according to TMo News. The carrier confirmed that the new plans will come with unlimited talk and text, but will not include any data. These new pre-paid plans will be available on December 8th, the the same day AT&T is launching its new selection of plans.

Review roundup: The Retina iPad mini verdict is ‘pricey but best small tablet ever’

Ben Lovejoy Nov 15 2013 - 5:26 am PT

A Retina display may have been some time coming on the iPad mini, but the general verdict appears to be that it was worth the wait.

Many are querying the price, especially now that the full-size iPad Air is so much smaller and lighter than its predecessors, and costs just $100 more. But if portability is key, reviewers seem every bit as impressed by the iPad mini as I was by the Air.

Read on for the conclusions from five early reviews …
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Verizon no longer the gold standard for mobile data?

Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2013 - 5:05 am PT

Photo: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Verizon Wireless, once the gold standard for LTE, has admitted that it is struggling to keep up with demand in the big cities – with some users being dropped down to slower 3G speeds. The carrier’s Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said yesterday:

There are certain pockets where we’re absolutely going to experience that down tick from the LTE network down to 3G because of capacity constraints …
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iPad Air off to a good start as early usage outpaces previous models 4-to-1

Ben Lovejoy Nov 4 2013 - 4:08 am PT

Tracking data from Fiksu suggests that iPad Air adoption may be outpacing both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini by around four to one. The numbers are as yet very small, but three days in, iPad Air usage hit 0.8 percent of active devices versus less than 0.2 percent for the iPad 4 by the same time …

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U.S. Cellular, the country’s fifth largest carrier, to begin selling iPad Air Nov. 8

Mark Gurman Oct 25 2013 - 2:35 pm PT

U.S. Cellular has informed us that it will begin carrying the iPad Air on November 8th. This morning, we reported that multiple regional cellular providers in the United States will begin carrying the iPad Air “in the coming weeks,” but U.S. Cellular’s announcement is more notable in that the carrier is the nation’s fifth largest and because a firm launch date has been provided.

U.S. Cellular today announced that iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available online on November 8. U.S. Cellular will offer iPad Air with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast 4G LTE network with speeds up to ten times faster than 3G.

The carrier promises “attractive data plans” on its 4G LTE network. Last week, we reported that U.S. Cellular, too, will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on November 8th.

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Regional U.S. carriers begin announcing iPad Air availability in ‘coming weeks’

Mark Gurman Oct 25 2013 - 8:40 am PT

Ahead of next week’s iPad Air launch, dozens of countries across the world, regional carriers within the United States have begun announcing their plans for carrying the LTE-capable version of the tablet. While major carriers AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and Sprint will begin selling the iPad Air on Friday, November 1st, these smaller, region-specific networks say that they will start selling the device in the “coming weeks.”

So far, Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire are the two regional carriers to announce iPad Air plans, and other carriers will likely share their own announcements in the coming days and weeks. Bluegrass Cellular operates in Kentucky while C Spire is based in Mississippi. Both of these carriers began carrying the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c earlier this month alongside several other regional providers…

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Verizon confirms software glitch allowed upgraders to keep unlimited plan, but deal will be honored

Ben Lovejoy Oct 1 2013 - 3:51 am PT

AllThingsD has confirmed our suspicion that it was a software glitch that allowed iPhone upgraders to keep their unlimited data plans.

There is, however, good news for those lucky enough to have upgraded their phones before the glitch was caught:

[Verizon] said it would honor the unlimited plans of those customers who managed to upgrade while Verizon was working to fix its software.

Samsung responds to new iPhones: will focus on China, says 64-bit chips coming for Galaxy phones

Benjamin Mayo Sep 12 2013 - 4:21 am PT

In an interview with the Korea Times, Samsung executives respond to Apple’s recent announcements in typical Samsung fashion. In order to better compete with Apple in China, Samsung confirmed that it would focus more on the huge Mainland market.

For example, the company says it has received clearance from Chinese authorities to sell TDD-LTE devices, to enable Samsung to offer phones that work on the world’s largest carrier, China Mobile. As a result of “changing market situations” (i.e. Apple), Samsung is accelerating its schedule for releasing these Chinese-friendly devices. Apple is expected to announce a partnership with China Mobile to sell the iPhone before the end of the year.

In addition, Shin, Samsung’s co-CEO announced that Samsung’s next Galaxy phones will feature 64-bit architectures, to rival the A7 in the iPhone 5s.

“Not in the shortest time. But yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality,” Shin said, adding he followed the media coverage of Apple’s new iPhone.

Shin’s noncommittal reply indicates that although 64-bit chips are on the roadmap, they will not arrive this year. Meanwhile, the iPhone 5s ships on September 20th.
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Apple brings iPhone 5s & 5c to Japan’s NTT DOCOMO, consolidates models with more LTE bands

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 1:30 pm PT

As rumored leading up to today’s event, Apple announced today that it has struck a deal with NTT DOCOMO to bring its new iPhone lineup to Japan’s largest carrier when the device launches in multiple countries later this month. On September 20th the iPhone will launch on the carrier for the first time and Apple will also launch a single model of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s in Japan for KDDI and Softbank. Thanks to an increase to 13 LTE bands with the new iPhone 5s and 5c— which Apple says is more than any other smartphone– it will also be able to consolidate various models of iPhones for multiple carriers in other countries.

More LTE bands means that Apple will now be offering a single iPhone 5s and 5c model for AT&T and Verizon in the US (Sprint will still get its own model), while customers in the UK will be able to use a single iPhone model for EE, Vodafone, and Three’s upcoming LTE network. Apple will also have an TD-LTE compatible version of the new iPhones, but rumors of a deal with the world’s largest telecom, China Mobile, have not yet been confirmed.

Apple does plan to launch the new iPhones in China on September 20th alongside launches in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Singapore, UK, and Japan.

NTT DOCOMO & Apple Team Up to Offer iPhone in Japan on Friday, September 20

TOKYO and CUPERTINO, California—September 10, 2013—NTT DOCOMO and Apple® today announced that iPhone® 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colorful iPhone yet, will be available on the DOCOMO network beginning on Friday, September 20. iPhone 5s features an all-new A7 chip, making iPhone 5s the world’s first smartphone with 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance, an all-new 8 megapixel iSight® camera and introduces Touch ID™, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your iPhone. iPhone 5c features an all-new design, packed with incredible features that people know and love, in five gorgeous colors—blue, green, pink, yellow and white.

“We’re thrilled to offer the incredible new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to our customers,” said Kaoru Kato, President and CEO of NTT DOCOMO, Inc. “We know our customers will enjoy the amazing experience of iPhone on DOCOMO’s high-quality network.”

“NTT DOCOMO has built an impressive network, the largest in the nation with over 60 million customers,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve enjoyed tremendous success with iPhone in Japan, in fact it’s the top selling smartphone in the country, and we look forward to delivering iPhone into even more customers’ hands through NTT DOCOMO.”

With the launch of the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iOS 7, Apple is ushering in the next generation of mobile computing, delivering an incredible new hardware and software experience that only Apple could create. iPhone 5s redefines the best smartphone experience in the world with amazing new features all packed into a remarkable thin and light design, including the Apple-designed A7 64-bit chip, all-new 8 megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash and introducing Touch ID, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your phone with just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5c features an all new-design, packed with features people know and love like the beautiful 4-inch Retina® display, blazing fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight camera—all while delivering great battery life.¹ iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both offer more LTE bands² than any other smartphone in the world and include all-new FaceTime® HD cameras.

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c feature iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop®, enhanced Photos, Safari®, Siri® and introduces iTunes Radio℠, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.³

Beginning on Friday, September 13, customers can pre-order iPhone 5c at DOCOMO dealers⁴ and the first 30,000 docomo Premier Club Premier Stage⁵ customers can pre-order from DOCOMO’s website.⁶

Deutsche Telekom statement adds to speculation that iPhone 5S may support LTE-A (aka LTE+)

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 6:28 am PT

Samsung is so far the only company to announce an LTE-A compatible phone

A statement by Deutsche Telekom is adding to speculation that at least the European model of the iPhone 5S may support the high-speed LTE-A standard (also known as LTE+). The prospect of the 5S supporting the faster version of LTE had first been suggested back in July.

In announcing that the carrier will be launching its high-speed LTE-A data service this month, offering speeds of up to 150MBit/s, the company said:

Samsung will offer an updated version of the Galaxy S4 with LTE +. Appropriate devices from other manufacturers will follow the end of September.

Given the timing, some are suggesting that one of the ‘other manufacturers’ may be Apple …
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AT&T’s LTE coming to 50 more parts of the USA by the end of the year

Ben Lovejoy Aug 21 2013 - 5:44 am PT

Photo: forbes.com

AT&T, which claims to have the fastest and most reliable LTE service, is planning to expand its coverage to 50 more parts of the USA by the end of the year. This is expected to boost access from 225M people at present to 270M by the end of 2013.

The new areas are:

1. Fairbanks, AK
2. Dothan, AL
3. Selma, AL
4. Redding, CA
5. Durango, CO
6. Pueblo, CO
7. Tifton, GA
8. Waycross, GA
9. Kauai, HI
10. The Big Island, HI
11. Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
12. Twin Falls, ID
13. Lewiston, ID-WA
14. Decatur, IL
15. Kankakee-Bradley, IL
16. Peoria, IL
17. Paducah, KY-IL
18. Alexandria, LA
19. Lake Charles, LA
20. Lewiston-Auburn, ME
21. Battle Creek, MI
22. Jackson, MI
23. Joplin, MO
24. Poplar Bluff, MO
25. Rolla, MO
26. Brookhaven, MS
27. McComb, MS
28. Natchez, MS-LA
29. Kalispell, MT
30. Greenville, NC
31. Jacksonville, NC
32. Fargo, ND-MN
33. Elmira, NY
34. Utica-Rome, NY
35. Portsmouth, OH
36. Sandusky, OH
37. East Stroudsburg, PA
38. Pottsville, PA
39. Abilene, TX
40. Amarillo, TX
41. Longview, TX
42. Marshall, TX
43. San Angelo, TX
44. Tyler, TX
45. Port Angeles, WA
46. Appleton, WI
47. Fond du Lac, WI
48. Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
49. Gillette, WY
50. Sheridan, WY

Over the past five years, AT&T invested nearly $98 billion into operations, and claims to have invested more into the U.S. economy than any other corporation, getting top-ranking in the Progressive Policy Institute’s list of U.S. Investment Heroes.

Developer claims Apple is throttling iPhone/iPad data speeds on AT&T, Sprint, & Verizon (updated)

Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2013 - 11:34 am PT

Update: a person in the know has pointed out a few problems with Brown’s post:

It was taken down and is currently down.
If you look at one of the lines of Apple’s code that he uses to allege throttling, it doesn’t even have anything to do with throttling internet speed. It’s just the term, used to talk about how often a phone should ping the network when it doesn’t encounter a signal, or something like that.
AnandTech posted a lengthy article explaining why it just isn’t true.

Joseph Brown, the developer behind the hacked carrier updates floating around for AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile, just posted a lengthy blog post detailing how he claims “Apple limits devices to even out” the networks of its carrier partners. Specifically, Brown says that Apple is limiting the iPhone 5 to Category 10 (14.4Mbps) HSDPA despite the device’s support for category 24 (42.2Mbps) DC-HSDPA+ and the AT&T network supporting up to Category 14 (21.1Mbps) HSDPA+:

Here we can see what is quite obvious to, really, anyone at this point from being jerked around so much by carriers. Yes folks, this is throttling coding. When we made the AT&T Hacked Carrier Update, this was the first line of coding to be scrapped when the project started. Immediately, through my testing on an AT&T iPhone 5 and iPad 4th generation, there were significant and noticeable results. There is no argueing or disputing that this is clear evidence you are purposely, 24/7, being throttled, even if you haven’t used more data than your authorized to use or that you’ve purchased with your hard earned money. AT&T users, do you think this is fair?

The theory is that Apple limits the capabilities of the device in order to combat the large amount of data/bandwidth iOS device users consume and ease congestion on carrier networks. Brown found signs of throttling data speeds for Verizon and Sprint too. The only carrier that is apparently not limiting the iPhone 5’s capabilities is T-Mobile.

Brown also says “Apple has band preferences set for T-Mobile and AT&T causing signal issues” that could be easily fixed.

Here’s what Brown found in his analysis of the other carriers:
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Verizon’s ‘ItsOn’ MVNO and AT&T’s ‘All in One’ to take on simplified billing/pre-paid space

Jordan Kahn May 3 2013 - 11:49 am PT

ItsOn, a company building software for carriers that provides users with dynamic pricing plans on mobile devices, last year announced plans to partner with one of the big U.S. carriers for its launch early this year. We’ve since learned that the carrier is likely Verizon, and that ItsOn will be launching as a consumer facing MVNO later this month (Verizon and Vodafone who both share ownership of Verizon Wireless are both investors).

There’s no word on exactly what the announcement will consist of or what the ItsOn service will include, but based on the company’s software we expect to see flexible pricing plans that, of course, run on Verizon’s robust LTE network. Despite executives expressing doubts about the service running on iOS devices in previous interviews, we also believe that an iOS version of the service is indeed coming, but at launch the service will initially be limited to other smartphones (likely Android-based).
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U.S. Cellular announces plans to carry Apple products later this year

Jordan Kahn May 3 2013 - 6:44 am PT

U.S. Cellular, the Chicago-based carrier serving around 5.8 million customers in 126 markets, will likely start offering the iPhone later this year, possibly in addition to other iOS devices. The carrier announced today in its first quarter results that it will soon begin carrying Apple products, but didn’t provide any further information regarding when or what specific products it might launch:

“We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year. By further strengthening our device portfolio, we’ll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve. Our smartphone penetration is currently 43 percent of core market customers and growing quickly. We believe there will be strong, ongoing demand for smartphones and data products and services from our customers, and we have significant room for growth in this area.

You might remember a couple years back U.S. Cellular claimed it said no to the iPhone 4S with CEO Mary Dillon at the time saying Apple’s “terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint.” Later, CEO of the cellular provider’s parent company TDS hinted that the carrier would wait until Apple unveiled an LTE capable device, which was of course before the unveiling of Apple’s LTE iPhone 5.

After it decided not to carry the iPhone 4S, it soon after launched its Wonderphone ad campaign that were seen by many as mocking the iPhone.

U.S. Celluar today reported service revenues for the first quarter of $996.3 million and noted that it plans to roll out its 4G LTE service to 87 percent of its subscribers this year. The carrier also said it plans to close its $480 million deal to sell its Chicago, St. Louis, central Illinois and other markets to Sprint in the second quarter of 2013.
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FreedomPop announces network expansion for nationwide coverage alongside new 3G/4G ‘Overdrive Pro’ hotspot

Jordan Kahn Apr 24 2013 - 6:27 am PT

Update: A 9to5Mac reader has chimed in clarifying that the new hotspot only offers the free 500MB plan on the new Sprint-enabled 4G service. For 3G coverage, users will have to pay an additional $3.99 per month:

Although their website and press release say the new Overdrive comes with free data every month, there’s apparently a string. Apparently only the 4G data is free, see my email thread with customer service below. This is wholly inconsistent with what their website or press release indicates… This tactic is as deceptive as when FreedomPop first went live. At that time, they said the devices were “free with deposit” but it now turns out that if you keep the device for 12 months or more, the deposit is forfeited. That forfeiture is buried deep within the TOS, and not likely understood by consumers until it’s time to return their hardware.

Wireless provider FreedomPop, the company providing access to free monthly data plans through a number of hotspot devices and iOS device accessories, today announced it is expanding its 3G coverage through Sprint’s network to provide nationwide coverage to its customers.

“The biggest criticism with our service to date has been the coverage gaps in certain parts of the country,” said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop’s CEO. “Starting today, FreedomPop users can connect to the Internet across the entire nation leaving no reason to continue paying high monthly Internet bills for Internet from large, expensive carriers.”

In addition to the network expansion, it is also now accepting preorders for its latest hotspot device dubbed “Overdrive Pro” (pictured above):

The FreedomPop Overdrive Pro becomes the company’s first device to run on Sprint’s network. The Overdrive Pro will allow up to five devices to connect to it and get speeds up to 8 mbps down. In addition to FreedomPop’s free 500 MB plan, users can also purchase a 2 GB or 4 GB 4G/3G plan with no contract or annual commitment at rates up to 50 percent less than major carriers.

FreedomPop offers users free data (with the option to purchase more) ranging from 500MB to 2GB per month through devices such as its $99 WiMAX sleeve for iPod touch or the recently announced $89 Burst 4G home wireless router. It also has an iPhone 4/4S case that is awaiting Federal Communication Commission approval and told us in February it plans to roll out LTE service and a new LTE iPad clip later this year.

Jailbreak tweak purports to let AT&T iPhone 5s jump on T-Mobile’s LTE without update

Jordan Kahn Mar 28 2013 - 10:04 am PT

While Apple confirmed that purchasing a new AWS-enabled variant of the iPhone 5 was necessary to get on T-Mobile’s network, a new jaibreak hack claims to enable LTE at 1700mhz by loading a custom carrier firmware on an existing, unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 (A1428). Leimobile.com posted the full instructions:

Now that you have an unlocked AT&T model A1428 or an officially unlocked model A1428 you can proceed to follow the instructions below to load a custom carrier file onto your iPhone and enable LTE. This will only work on A1428 model iPhone 5′s.

To be clear, this enables LTE AWS support for T-Mobile. It won’t allow you to access HSPA+ 42Mbps on 1700mhz like Apple’s new A1428 variant…

T-Mobile officially unveiled on Tuesday its plans to carry the iPhone on its new no-contract, no-subsidy, monthly installment plans starting at $99 down for the iPhone 5. Following the announcement, Engadget confirmed with Apple that the existing A1428 model iPhone 5 for AT&T would not support the necessary AWS bands to access T-Mobile’s network. Apple said it would phase out the existing A1428 iPhone, meaning new devices would support both AT&T and T-Mobile, but it will be doing so through a firmware update at the factory. In other words, a software update for A1428 iPhone owners isn’t possible and existing AT&T iPhone 5 owners are out of luck when it comes to support on T-Mobile’s network.

The hack above, which we haven’t tested first hand, of course won’t work for the Verizon iPhone, as it does not support the correct LTE bands.

FreedomPop now lets users roll over unused data from one month to the next

Jordan Kahn Mar 14 2013 - 2:37 pm PT

Ahead of the company’s plans to roll out LTE service and a new iPad clip through Sprint’s network later this year, wireless provider FreedomPop announced today a new rollover data feature that allows users to keep their unused data from one month to the next. As to be expected from FreedomPop, the service will also let users share data with friends as part of its social broadband feature that it enhanced last month.

FreedomPop told us the new rollover data feature is now available to all users. It also said “30 percent of FreedomPop’s users have opted into this value-added service within the first 24 hours it’s been live.”

FreedomPop is a wireless provider offering customers free 500MB to 1GB per month data plans through devices such as its $99 WiMAX sleeve for iPod touch or the recently announced $89 Burst 4G home wireless router. It also has an iPhone 4/4S case that is awaiting Federal Communication Commission approval. Last month, the company announced an extra $4.3 million in Series A1 funding, increased additional data rewarded for referrals from 10MB to 50MB, and it expanded its social broadband sharing platform.

T-Mobile/Solavei roll out iPhone-compatible HSPA+ to 14 new metro areas, as Verizon LTE arrives in 29 markets

Jordan Kahn Dec 20 2012 - 9:49 am PT

T-Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray announced on the company’s blog today that 14 new metro areas are getting access to its iPhone-compatible HSPA+ 4G network. The updates are hitting areas such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Texas, Florida, and San Antonio, following rollouts to Chicago, California, and elsewhere earlier this month.

The carrier also said enhancements to its network in additional areas like Los Angeles and San Diego have already started. This means that customers on Solavei, the new, no-contract T-Mobile MVNO offering of $49 per month unlimited, will also get coverage for unlocked iPhones in the new areas. A full list is below:

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Sprint opens LTE in 11 ‘cities’

Élyse Betters Nov 26 2012 - 7:44 am PT

Sprint just announced the expansion of its 4G LTE data network to 11 new cities in eight states, but the term “cities” is a little stretched in this instance as each population is either near or well below the 50,000 mark.

Sprint offers the iPhone but does not carry the 4G LTE iPad partly due to its thin LTE spread, although it has steadily tried to thicken 4G LTE data coverage in recent months. The carrier even rolled out 4G LTE data to 100 additional U.S. cities this past fall.

According to Sprint’s the press release:

We continue to make progress with the rollout of our all-new, high-speed data network. Today, Sprint is delivering 4G LTE to 11 new cities and counties. Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 43 markets[1]. The 4G LTE network build is under way in more than 115 cities within the existing Sprint nationwide 3G footprint, including Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.

The full list of new areas:

Anderson, Ind.
Clarke County, Va./Jefferson County, W.Va.
Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.
Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.Va.
Harrisonburg, Va.
Muncie, Ind.
Peabody, Mass.
Salina, Kan.
Shenandoah County, Va.
South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.
Winchester, Va.

Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G (WiMAX) service in 2008, and it expects to light up the above areas in “the coming weeks and months.” The carrier further revealed upcoming improvements for its 3G customers, including: wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls.

Sprint previously said it planned to complete the nationwide build out of its 4G network by the end of 2013.

Get the full press release below.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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AT&T’s LTE to blanket 103 markets, with 24 new markets announced this week

Élyse Betters Nov 16 2012 - 7:24 am PT

AT&T just revealed its 4G LTE now blankets over 150 million people across the United States, more than doubling where it stood at the end of 2011 in terms of people covered, and now it plans to push full steam ahead by expanding to 103 markets total, with more expected by the end of 2012.

The carrier further noted its 4G LTE coverage is “part of the nation’s largest 4G network” that services 3,000 more 4G areas than Verizon currently does (although much of that is slower HSPA 4G).

Moreover, as AT&T’s 4G LTE coverage continues to widen, customers can access 4G speeds “outside of 4G LTE areas on the nation’s largest 4G network, unlike competitors, whose smartphone customers fall back to slower 3G technologies when outside of LTE coverage.”

4G LTE expansions announced today:

Charleston, S.C.
Columbia, S.C.
Greenville, S.C.
Columbus, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Corvallis, Ore.
Eugene, Ore.
El Paso, Texas
Jonesboro, Ark.
Mobile, Ala.
Pensacola, Fla.
Portland, Maine
Saratoga Springs, N.Y,
South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind.
Bridgeport, CT expansion (in Fairfield County/Danbury)
South Detroit expansion (in Monroe/Downriver)

Today’s expansion notice comes just two days after the carrier also announced its 4G LTE network would light up in Daytona Beach, Fla. Denver, Colo., Louisville, K.Y., Milwaukee, Wis., Provo-Orem, Utah, Tacoma, Wash., York, Pa., and Washington D.C.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

Get the full press release below.

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Some LTE iPads getting delivered as early as Friday, Nov. 16

Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2012 - 5:57 am PT

Late last week, Apple started notifying customers that orders of LTE iPad minis would begin shipping within 5 business days. Those same customers were also reporting updated shipping times ranging from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23. As for the new iPad 4 with Retina display, Apple recently updated its website with an estimated shipping time of “7 business days,” but today we get word from several readers that existing orders of the device are set to arrive as early as Nov. 16.

The actual arrival time of the iPad 4 with LTE is a moving target, with earlier reports pointing to next week. However, with the release of the LTE iPad firmware on Apple’s servers on Nov. 8, it is likely that the review units are already in reviewers’ hands. So, a release this week isn’t out of the question.

The Nov. 16 date would line up nicely with Apple’s original promise to ship the LTE models of its new iPads within roughly 2 weeks of the Nov. 2 Wi-Fi-only launches. It looks like Apple might not be able to get out new orders of LTE iPad minis as quickly as the iPad 4, however, as its website currently lists the LTE capable minis as shipping in “2 weeks”.

Other rumors have also pointed to a Nov. 16 launch of in-store sales of the new LTE iPads at AT&T.

We’re sure to hear more. Another image below:

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Report: Korean carriers in talks with Apple over LTE-equipped next-gen iPhone

Jordan Kahn Aug 15 2012 - 6:24 am PT

While most are expecting Apple to include the rumored LTE connectivity in the upcoming next-gen iPhone, we get word from Korea Times today that Korean carriers SK Telecom and KT have revealed they are currently in talks with Apple to carry a new iPhone on their LTE networks:

SK Telecom and KT are in talks to offer long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity on Apple’s next handset, tentatively named the iPhone 5, officials from the companies said Wednesday…The two local telecom companies are authorized Korean partners to sell the American firm’s i-branded devices here. The smallest carrier LG Uplus is unable to sell Apple’s products as it doesn’t own a suitable frequency.

According to an official at KT, which is home to roughly 1.4 million users compared to SK Telecom’s 4 million LTE subscribers, the carrier is in talks “with Apple to persuade the latter to support KT’s 1.8-gigahertz frequency in Korea for the upcoming iPhone.” Although it’s unclear exactly what type of negotiations might be taking place, we know the current third-gen LTE iPad supports only AT&T, Verizon, and a few Canadian carriers on 700 MHz and 2100 MHz frequency bands. If the talks are indeed to discuss launching an LTE iPhone with support for the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, it’s importnat to note that many other markets also operate over those bands including Australia and parts of Europe.

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Denver Broncos swap 500-page playbooks for iPads

Jordan Kahn Apr 23 2012 - 12:09 pm PT

While the Phoenix Suns decided earlier this month to purchase Samsung’s Galaxy Tab for interactive playbooks, a report from Denver Post this morning detailed the Denver Bronco’s decision to switch its 500-page playbooks to iPad versions.

This season, the team will hand out iPads that feature the week’s game plan, scouting reports, video clips and other relevant data… A key component to the software is that it runs in the background even when a player is not reviewing the playbook, enabling the app to determine when a coach has an update to push to players, such as a new short-yardage and goal-line package… When a player isn’t connected to Wi-Fi, the app will update using the iPad’s high-speed connection on Verizon’s LTE network.

How long until the quarterback’s wrist playbook is an iPhone?

Phoenix Suns fully integrate Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1, playbooks to interactive ticketholder presentations (9to5google.com)