AT&T and Verizon have reportedly lobbied to deregulate spectrum auctions and reduce the Federal Communication Commission's role in managing spectrum allocation between carriers. The companies are accused of pushing legislators to add a special provision to the JOBS Act (PDF) that would bar the FCC from excluding a company from bidding.
LG has leaked information on its upcoming Optimus 2 smartphone through its own US website. The 3.2-inch, 320x480 touchscreen phone will run Android 2.3. It would get a speed up but still stay modest, with an 800MHz processor instead of the original's 600MHz.
Cricket became the next US carrier to switch on LTE on Wednesday with a launch in Tucson. Its 4G network is estimated to run about five to ten times faster than its EVDO-based 3G. In an unusual step, Cricket keeps the 5GB cap the same and bases price on speed: a $50 plan provides a more 3G-like 3Mbps, while subscribers need to pay $60 to get 6Mbps.
Cricket on Monday revealed it will soon carry the Huawei Mercury. Now the most powerful handset offered by the carrier, the mid-range Android phone gets a single-core 1.4GHz processor and a four-inch, 854x480 touchscreen display. There is 2GB of built-in storage along with a microSD memory card slot, and an eight-megapixel rear camera along with a VGA front camera.
AT&T isn't making any progress in its attempts to sell T-Mobile assets to rescue its attempted buyout of T-Mobile, insiders uncovered Sunday. Discussions with smaller carriers have reportedly "gone cold," the Wall Street Journal heard. Among other problems, attempts to sell assets to Leap for its Cricket service fell as doubts existed that even this could salvage AT&T's proposed T-Mobile merger.
Prepaid carrier Cricket has entered tablets for the first time by offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to its wireless subscribers. The company is reselling the Wi-Fi model, but not the 3G version. This means that Cricket's users cannot directly connect the tablet to the company's 3G network, but must use a hotspot or a smartphone instead.
AT&T has raised the idea with T-Mobile's parent Deutsche Telekom of a network joint venture if the now doubtful T-Mobile merger isn't approved, insiders divulged Wednesday. The two are purportedly in early talks that the Wall Street Journal understood would see them share parts of each other's network, even as they ran separate competitive businesses. The deal is considered a "back burner" option but was gaining momentum as resistance grew to the merger.
Verizon and Leap, the owner of Cricket, have asked the FCC to approve an exchange of LTE and EVDO spectrum. Once completed, the deal would let Leap offer LTE service in Chicago. Verizon, in return would get locations that service areas including Spokane, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Fresno.
Huawei has made it official that it will soon begin shipping its new Android-based Honor smartphone in December. The vendor has incorporated a proprietary UI, Huawei Android Platform 5.1 (HAP 5.1), to run on top of Android 2.3.5. Its standout is a high-capacity, 1,930mAh battery pack that's said to last as long as three days, far longer than most modern smartphones.
Cricket CEO Doug Hutcheson has proclaimed that the company is preparing to begin its LTE network deployment. In a conference call outlining quarterly financial information, he noted that the company is ready to launch its first LTE trial market "shortly."
Cricket has launched a new Android smartphone. Focused on frequent texting from its younger users and their unlimited messaging plans, the Transfix takes on a sliding QWERTY keyboard form factor. It runs Android 2.3 on top of a modest but capable 800MHz processor and a 3.2-inch, 320x480 main display.
The Huawei Honor has reached the FCC in a filing. Documents included in the post have revealed that the phone should hit the streets in the US first through Cricket, where it will be branded the Glory. The prepaid wireless carrier is expected to start selling the phone in November.
Cricket made a big push to get prominence as a US cell carrier Thursday by unveiling a new Android smartphone as part of a larger push. The ZTE Score fits in the current entry level with a 3.5-inch, 320x480 capacitive touchscreen, a 600MHz processor, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It carries a partly customized Android 2.3 but claims Cricket's Muve Music as its real advantage, with unlimited song and ringtone downloads when using the $55 combined data, text, and voice smartphone plan.
Largely unknown patent holder LVL Patent Group late last week quietly sued much of the US cellphone business and beyond for alleged patent violations (below). It claims that the iPhone, many Android devices, Symbian, and basic feature phones as well as their carriers violate one or more of a group of four generic patents, including data transaction servers and devices for entering transactions. Most of the patents were issued in or before 2000, but one of the device patents was only live on September 13, two days before the lawsuit was filed.
AT&T is now talking directly with MetroPCS and Cricket's parent company Leap in an attempt to save its now seriously threatened buyout of T-Mobile, a pair of sources divulged Monday. The carrier is hoping to sell customer bases and wireless spectrum licenses to its smaller sometime-competitors in hopes of reaching a settlement, Bloomberg said. Bank of America is being tapped specifically to help negotiate the deal.
Cricket Wireless has announced that it is set to launch Samsung's Vitality handset, which will be the company's first Android device to offer Muve Music service. The introduction confirms earlier rumors pointing to a new handset that is nearly identical to the Admire handset offered through competing carrier MetroPCS.
A new Samsung phone, the Vitality, has shown up in a computer-based Cricket training manual and has been shared online by Engadget. It's a near-twin to MetroPCS' Admire, sharing the same 800MHz CPU, 3.5-inch 320x480 touchscreen and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It will run on Android 2.3.
The FCC on Wednesday asked AT&T for evidence to justify its view that its $39 billion buyout of T-Mobile was necessary for its LTE network. Following an inadvertent leak by AT&T's lawyers that revealed it only needed $3.8 billion to reach its touted 95 to 97 percent coverage of the US population, agency officials wanted to know what the T-Mobile merger would do that the much cheaper proposal would not. Concerns exist that AT&T is using rural 4G expansion as a pretext for an ultimate goal of eliminating a major competitor.
Wireless provider Cricket has formally unwrapped the Huawei Ascend II smartphone. It will replace the carrier's lowest-priced Android handset, the original Ascend, which was also its best-selling smartphone. The new device has some marked improvements, including a faster 600MHz processor, a five-megapixel camera and Android 2.3
Huawei announced it will supply prepaid carrier Cricket with the Huawei Glory (M886), Huawei's first high-end Android phone. The Glory is a candybar form smartphone that will run Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread), and upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich when it becomes available. It centers on a four-inch, 854x480 TFT LCD screen that a hands-on preview by PCMag noted was exceptionally bright and easy to see outdoors. The Glory uses a 1.4-GHz Qualcomm MSM8655T Snapdragon processor and a heavy duty, 1,900mAh battery. The phone has 2GB of RAM, an expansion slot, and an eight megapixel camera with LED flash.
The FCC on Monday sent out a request (PDF) to carriers asking them for information to help its investigation into the AT&T and T-Mobile deal. Verizon, Sprint, and regional carriers like Cellular South and US Cellular were all asked to provide responses to the deal and supporting evidence. Each got the same nine questions relating to coverage, cell site ownership, expansion, relationships with AT&T, their future spectrum plans, billing, and competitive reports.
California has become the second major state to formally move towards investigating AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile. On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission began preparing a proposal for assessing the $39 billion deal. Its move might raise challenges to the deal beyond what the Department of Justice and FCC will offer as part of their formal investigations.
Non-contributing patent holder Visual Interactive Phone Concepts has sued Apple, AT&T, and US Cellular for allegedly violating two patents for video phones. The three Michigan-based lawsuits claim that the three companies violate the patents, both describing a "videophone interactive mailbox facility system," but through questionable means. Apple was accused of violating the patent simply for making a video-capable phone in the iPhone and offering services like the App Store, iTunes, and the iBookstore; AT&T and US Cellular were both targeted for having music and video services as well as content stores that happened to be on video phones.
Cricket's parent company Leap Wireless provided its own objection on Tuesday to AT&T's proposed buyout of T-Mobile. The carrier suggested that letting the deal go through would lead to "alarming concentration" by putting too much power in the hands of two carriers, AT&T and Verizon. A merger would only hurt customers, it said.
Cricket Communications today announced that its Muve Music plan is now available in all its markets nationwide. The $55 monthly wireless plan includes unlimited calling, text messaging, and mobile Web. Previously, the plan was only available in thirteen of its major markets.
LG's Optimus One handset will soon arrive at AT&T, according to a leaked image at PocketNow. It may be called the Optimus A and joins other variants of the same device already on offer for a long time at Sprint (LG Optimus S), T-Mobile (Optimus T), Verizon (Vortex) and Cricket (Optimus C). The phone is an entry-level Android device with a 600MHz processor, a 3.2-megapixel camera and a 3.2-inch touchscreen.
Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin claimed on Thursday that Sprint would have its deal with LightSquared and a new deal with Clearwire could be ready in weeks. He expected the deal, which would let LightSquared lease access to all of Sprint's cell sites for an LTE-based 4G network, would be done within a month. Clearwire's deal would focus on getting new wholesale pricing and would probably follow afterwards.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Tuesday that his office would investigate AT&T's buyout of T-Mobile. He promised a "thorough review" and stressed that it was important to have low-cost service that might be at risk after AT&T bought out the usually more affordable smaller carrier. New York also had its state-specific issues, as Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse were limited in their competitive choices, a fact AT&T largely sidestepped in its merger presentation.
Leap Wireless, parent company of no-contract carrier Cricket, has reached an agreement with wholesale wireless broadband provider LightSquared to provide roaming LTE 4G access. The deal will allow Cricket to serve customers in a broader footprint, as well as strengthen wireless service in areas served by Cricket's own LTE network. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. [via Engadget]
Verizon's wireless chief Dan Mead in a talk downplayed speculation that his network might buy Sprint as a response to the AT&T buyout of T-Mobile. He argued that Verizon wanted to be profitable first rather than try for more market share. He added to Reuters that Verizon wouldn't stand in the way of the merger, in part because Verizon officials "don't need them" at Sprint but also because he thought the Department of Justice and FCC might force AT&T to give up too many cell sites or privileges to make it worthwhile.
Contract-free provider Cricket is now offering its own version of LG's Optimus One smartphone. Called the Optimus C, it comes technically identical to the original, so it gets a 600MHz CPU, 3.2-inch, 480x320 touchscreen and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The Android 2.2 OS gets some slight tweaks to tailor it to Cricket.
An informal coalition of smaller US carriers has pushed for the FCC to require data roaming agreements with AT&T and Verizon. Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket, and carriers in the Rural Cellular Association have argued that they need a guarantee their subscribers can run data on these networks, not just voice, when they can't be on their native networks. They asked the FCC to "promptly move forward" and were hoping to get it on the FCC's meeting agendas as soon as April, Politico said.
The CDMA version of the iPhone 4 can be made to work on unsupported carriers, evidence has uncovered. While the device is only officially intended for Verizon at the moment, one person claims to have got it working on budget carrier Cricket Wireless. Likely preventing widespread switching is the need to jailbreak an iPhone, install third-party MMS software and then find someone from Cricket willing to perform a flash.
Cricket Wireless has now launched its Muve Music service in Las Vegas. Introduced one month ago, the $55 per month all-in phone service will include unlimited music downloads that users can keep in addition to unlimited calls and data. Thus far, it's only available on the Samsung Suede handset.
Cricket this morning took an unusual strategy in linking cellphone service to unlimited music. A new Muve Music plan is the first in the US users not just unlimited calling, messaging and data but also unlimited music downloads, similar to Nokia's Comes With Music. The $55 rate gives access to tracks from all four major labels as well as free ringtones and ringbacks.
Cricket has made good on its promise of shipping the Crosswave mobile hotspot. It can share its 3G data connection by way of 802.11b/g Wi-Fi with up to three devices and a fourth that's hard-wired. It gets a 33-foot range and can support download speeds of up to 3.1Mbps and upload speeds of 1.8Mbps.
Cricket has listed the Crosswave MiFi for pre-order on its website. The device is manufactured by Huawei technologies and offers high-speed internet access for up to four devices (3 wireless) at once. It has a 33 feet range and is capable of downlink speeds of 3.1Mbps and uplink speeds of 1.8Mbps.
Wireless provider Cricket on Wednesday said it will soon launch the Huawei Ascend Android-powered handset. Calling it the first low-cost Android smartphone in the US, Cricket says the phone sports a 3.5-inch, 640x240 touchscreen, Wi-Fi, a 3.2-megapixel camera and MP3 playback capability. Storage comes from microSD memory cards, and Android 2.1 is onboard.
At a pre-IFA media event today, Huawei introduced its first Android-powered handset, the Ideos. It will be sold in Europe, Asia and the Americas and be made in both CDMA and GSM configurations. Android 2.2 is preloaded, and the GSM-based U8150 will support 850/1900/2100MHz HSPA networks for most Canadian carriers and AT&T.
Cricket Wireless has slipped out the MSGM8 II, a new text-centric sequel to the original MSGM8 in line with a leak reported earlier this year. Designed to be finger-friendly, the new MSGM8 II (pronounced ‘message mate 2’) features a larger QWERTY keyboard and dedicated keys for messaging and scheduling.
Cricket on Tuesday revamped pricing for its data plans, introducing three tiered plans rather than one all-encompassing option. All plans are now capped but are tiered with more bandwidth than other carriers. An entry 2.5GB plan costs $40 per month; 5GB is available for $50 per month, and 7.5GB is on offer for $60 per month. Rather than charge overage fees, Cricket will throttle down the download speed for those that surpass their caps.
Cricket Wireless has begun accepting reservations for Kyocera's Zio smartphone, which was first unveiled early this year at CTIA. The handset represents Kyocera's first Android offering and a return to the smartphone arena after several years.
HTC today said that it would bring the Desire to the US in August. Much of the launch is a mystery, but multiple "regional carriers" are said to be launching the range-topping Android phone. More info should surface closer to the release.
AT&T claimed the title of the fastest 3G network in the US today through a new study that also showed its absolute control coming to an end. The iPhone carrier had both the highest average download speed, at 1.79Mbps, as well as the highest maximum speed (2.75Mbps). The HSPA network had the best performance in six of the 18 different cities covered by PCMag, including the surprise of San Francisco.
The FCC has recently tested an unnamed Nokia handset for approval in the US, though very little information about the device is known. The handset, codenamed QTKRM-658 by the FCC, will support T-Mobile's 1,700 and 2,100MHz 3G bands and confirms it as the only possible carrier.
A leaked set of slides from pay-as-you-go carrier Cricket reveal prices and approximate release dates for upcoming hardware from the carrier. The highlight is Cricket's first Android-powered smartphone, Kyocera's Zio M6000 introduced at CTIA. The slides reveal the 3.5-inch device will arrive at Cricket sometime in July and be priced at $300. It is otherwise expected to be preloaded with Android 1.6.
Kyocera held the unexpected in store today with word that it's launching its first Android phone. The Zio M6000 is not only its first phone using the Google OS but its first smartphone in several years, and promises to catch the company up in features. It centers on a 3.5-inch, 800x480 touchscreen with trackball and should run at least Android 2.0.
Leap Wireless, the company behind Cricket's cellphone services, on Wednesday announced it will soon offer two new, all-inclusive nationwide Cricket monthly plans that for the first time include taxes and other fees as part of the actual price. A $40 per month plan will include unlimited minutes throughout the continental US, access to the provider's premium extended calling area and both domestic and international text and picture messaging. A $45 plan adds 'unlimited' mobile web access and directory assistance.
Wireless providers Cricket and MetroPCS announced on Wednesday they will both add the Samsung Messager II, or SCH-R560, handset to their respective lineups in the very near future. The device, a sequel to the original Messager, also sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, bumps up the camera resolution to 2-megapixels from 1.3 and adds video capture. It keeps the same access to e-mail and web browsing using 3G EVDO networks. There is also an MP3 player built into the Messager II, with Cricket's version getting the carrier's MyHomeScreen interface.
Cricket on Tuesday announced it is now offering a new handset, the TXTM8. Like some other Cricket devices, the TXTM8 sports a QWERTY keyboard hidden behind the horizontally sliding front face that features a 2.2-inch display. The tri-band device can also connect to the Internet, can sync e-mail addresses and access social networks. The Cricket MyHomeScreen gives users quick access to news and weather information.
