11/02, 11:20am
Sprint 4G finally active in Dallas and NC
Sprint began the week by bringing its 4G WiMAX service into action for several key areas promised earlier. The Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth areas as well as several North Carolina cities, including Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, High Point, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, all now have access to the wide-area wireless. The carrier still promises downstream speeds of about 3Mbps to 6Mbps in real situations, all of which allow VoIP, video and other tasks normally off-limits to 3G.
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10/29, 3:55pm
ASUS e-book readers due in 2009, sport WiMAX
ASUS has plans to introduce e-book readers that have 3G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX mobile data network access technologies to market this year. CENS on Wednesday reported that the devices will sport expected 9-inch screens but that they will ship to Europe and North America at about the same time. They will also be offered at cellular carriers starting in March of next year, likely at subsidized prices.
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10/27, 3:15pm
Tiny NEC WiMAX router has Wi-Fi support
NEC Japan has introduced the world's smallest WiMAX router with Wi-Fi capability on Tuesday. The Aterm WM3300R is battery-powered but can still reach 40Mbps downstream and 10Mbps upstream when on a suitably fast 4G network. The pocketable device is meant to share access through Wi-Fi but can also be plugged into a PC using a USB adapter for mobile Internet access on a specific system.
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10/15, 4:10pm
KT to bring WiBro-compatible Samsung handset
Korean wireless provider KT is planning on releasing a smartphone that supports the country's WiBro mobile broadband network, which is the equivalent of WiMAX in Korea. The smartphone will be made by Samsung and go by the SPH-M8400 model name. Other than WiBro, it will also have WCDMA (3G) network support and a Wi-Fi connection, which earns it the 3W designation from KT. The photo of the M8400 also reveals it will run on a Windows Mobile operating system.
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10/09, 3:20pm
Intel deal forces Clearwire to stay WiMAX
National 4G provider Clearwire is bound to keep using WiMAX for its network until at least 2011, an SEC filing discovered this week has found. The carrier is now known to have struck a deal with Intel that requires it use WiMAX for at least the next two years in exchange for marketing help from the chipmaker. Clearwire also has to share revenue whenever the subscriber's device is Intel-based as well as pay a limited number of activation fees.
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09/18, 3:05pm
Sprint 4G WiMax in Chicago on Oct. 6th
Sprint will sell its 4G WiMAX mobile broadband service to Chicago residents starting on October 6th, when it will officially be announced during a press event. A Friday story from BBR maintains Sprint has been sending out invitations to members of the press for the event, where it will demonstrate the network's speeds in addition to formally launching the network.
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09/16, 5:00pm
Comcast to offer TV cellphone, 4G services
Cable provider Comcast on Wednesday announced it would offer its subscribers a service that would allow them to view TV shows on their cellphones. The shows will be delivered via a wireless Internet service, which would require Comcast to provide a voice service and compete with the likes of AT&T and Verizon. Comcast has recently rolled out WiMAX wireless Internet services in certain large US cities under a joint venture with Clearwire.
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09/14, 5:15pm
Clearwire begins plans for global WiMAX roaming
Clearwire Communications on Monday announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with WiMAX operators UQ Communications of Japan and Yota of Russia to allow international roaming. This would involve the three parties collaborating on business and technical aspects, as well as other WiMAX operators and Clearwire's Global Alliance Partner Program members.
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08/17, 2:55pm
Sprint 4G ATL Port Vegas
Sprint this afternoon switched on its promised WiMAX-based 4G Internet service in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland. The wide-area wireless gives users peak download speeds of more than 10Mbps and real-world averages of between 3Mbps and 6Mbps. Subscriptions vary depending on whether the device is static and range from $25 per month for a fixed-in-place connection to $30 for mobile and $50 for both services at once.
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08/14, 3:25pm
Verizon LTE trials in 2009
Verizon Wireless will debut its next-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G data network in trials in the metropolitan Boston and Seattle areas before year's end, according recent according to recent comments by carrier president Denny Strigl. Beyond that, the carrier plans to bring the ultra high-speed wireless data network standard to as many as 30 markets, Strigl said. By the end of 2013, Verizon hopes to offer the service in all of its markets.
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08/05, 10:10am
Sprint 4G Pocket Routers
Sprint this morning gave its WiMAX-based 4G service a boost by introducing two new routers to bridge the mobile Internet connection to a local network. The Cradlepoint MBR1000 takes any of Sprint's 3G or 4G ExpressCard and USB modems, including all-in-one modems, and shares the connection over 802.11g or n Wi-Fi to as many as 32 different devices. Unlike most cellular routers, it has three large antennas to boost the range as much as with most landline routers.
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08/03, 3:50pm
Clearwire 4G launch
Clearwire has announced that it is set to launch its 4G WiMAX service in ten new markets spread across Idaho, Washington and Texas beginning September 1st. The company's mobile Internet network is currently available in four locations including Atlanta; Baltimore, Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon.
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07/30, 10:30am
Time Warner Cable WiMAX
Time Warner Cable has recently reported its earnings for the second quarter, which revealed an unexpected increase in profit of about 4 percent. At the same time, the cable company's CEO, Glenn Britt, told attendees that mobile WiMAX is coming soon from the provider. Britt promised more details are forthcoming, but went on record to say that a mobile broadband network will be released in the fall, naming Charlotte and Dallas as the first cities to get it. Time Warner was an early investor in Clearwire's WiMAX network, along with rival Comcast, and is therefore authorized to resell the service.
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07/21, 4:35pm
Sprint to add 4G markets
Wireless provider Sprint on Tuesday announced that it will launch its WiMAX mobile broadband service concurrently in Atlanta, GA, Portland, OR and Las Vegas, NV starting in August. Sprint says the new generation network will allow users to access data between three and five times faster than current 3G networks, with peak download speeds faster than 10Mbps, and averages of between 3 and 6Mbps.
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07/09, 4:05pm
Sony VAIO P to get WiMAX
Sony Japan has recently announced its VAIO P netbook will get a WiMAX option by month's end. Pre-orders will begin on July 27th, with the netbook shipping just three days later, on July 30th. The option will add the equivalent of $108 to the price of the VAIO P plus a monthly subscription fee for the service itself. The WiMAX module will allow users to access the Internet away from Wi-Fi at broadband speeds of about 12Mbps. The system in the US and Japan normally has built-in 3G.
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07/07, 4:15pm
Viliv S7 UMPC shipping
First shown last summer, Viliv's S7 UMPC is now available for purchase in the company's home market of Korea. Viliv is offering three versions, all powered by a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 with 1GB of RAM and running on Windows XP. The lowest-end model includes a 60GB hard drive, the mid-range model includes a 32GB solid state drive (SSD) with the flagship adding a DMB digital TV tuner to the SSD model.
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07/07, 11:00am
Vodafone on 4G at 15Mbps
Vodafone's research director Professor Michael Walker today told the Wireless 2.0 conference that 4G cellular data based on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard is not only better at keeping speeds in the real world but has the potential to replace wired Internet access. The official explained that the average download bandwidth in a recent field trial was about 15Mbps, or several times faster than good 3G access. While well short of the 100Mbps theoretical peak, he added that it was much improved over 3G behavior, where actual speeds have often been further away from the 3.6Mbps and higher often promised for those networks.
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06/29, 3:35pm
Comcast High Speed 2Go
Comcast on Monday marked the launch of its own 4G Internet access in the form of High-Speed 2go [currently a sign-in page]. The service depends on Clearwire's WiMAX network and supplies peak real-world speeds of about 4Mbps downstream anywhere within the coverage range. Like service from Clearwire or Sprint, it's not locked to a particular location and can be had either for mobile use or else as a fixed install at home.
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06/25, 4:50pm
Sprint to get Hero, WiMAX
Wireless provider Sprint is reportedly currently testing the HTC Hero before its release at the end of the year, as well as a portable WiMAX device from Samsung which could be the touchscreen Mondi. According to a Thursday PhoneNews leak, the WiMAX device will ship with the Android operating system, just like the HTC Hero, instead of a Windows Mobile OS, like reported earlier.
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06/17, 4:00pm
Intel announces rebranding
Intel's corporate communications manager Bill Calder, in a Wednesday post on the company's corporate blog, informed readers of forthcoming changes in the chipmaker's brand structure. Calder admits Intel's current complex structure has too many platform brands, and product names and brands, which confuses customers. This will start with leading with Intel and what it has done for technology, with Calder pointing to the company's Sponsors of Tomorrow ad campaign.
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06/16, 1:15pm
Clearwire 4G in Atlanta
Clearwire on Tuesday officially released its 4G WiMAX wireless broadband network in Atlanta, making it the largest city in the US to offer the service. The service, CLEAR, is available to about three million people in a 1,200-square mile area, offering users DSL-like cable speeds wherever they are, wirelessly. Running on a WiMAX radio system from Motorola, the service is said to deliver realistic download speeds between 4 and 6Mbps, with burst speeds greater than 15Mbps. In comparison, existing 3G networks provide download speeds between 1 and 1.7Mbps.
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06/10, 12:35pm
Clearwire WiMax in Vegas
Internet provider Clearwire has recently began offering its high-speed mobile WiMAX services in Las Vegas, before it performs an official, full commercial launch later this summer. Residents of the Nevada city can now order it online, even before storefronts and ads are built and placed. This is the third city Clearwire has launched WiMAX in, following Atlanta, and Portland, Oregon releases earlier this year.
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05/06, 8:25am
Dell WiMAX Studio Notebook
Dell this morning said it had added a WiMAX choice for three of its higher-end home notebooks. The Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 will all have a $60 or less upgrade that offers 4G speeds on either the Clearwire or Sprint 4G networks in Atlanta, Baltimore and Portland. In peak conditions, this lets the portables connect at up to 13Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream. Typical speeds are still faster than 3G with downloads between 2Mbps and 4Mbps.
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05/01, 4:20pm
Court allows iPCS lawsuit
iPCS, an affiliate of Sprint, announced on Friday that the Cook County Circuit Court has denied Sprint's motion to dismiss parts of iPCS's lawsuit against Sprint for violating its exclusivity agreement with iPCS. Back in May of 2008, Sprint and Clearwire formed a partnership that would see the joint company provide access to the next-generation 4G WiMAX network to its customers. iPCS' lawsuit aims to block Sprint from receiving benefits from its Clearwire deal unless it shares these benefits with its affiliates.
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04/08, 11:25am
Acer Aspire notebooks
At the same time as it announced the Aspire One 11.6-inch netbook on Tuesday, Acer also said it would soon release the 13.3-inch Acer Aspire 3935 notebook, the 15.6-inch Aspire 5935 and 18.4-inch Aspire 8935. The ultra-portable 3935 will be less than one-inch thick and available only in a golden brown color. To make typing easier and more comfortable, Acer gives the Aspire 3935 the same larger "chiclet" keyboard as the Timeline, along with touch-sensitive shortcut keys. Like in the Aspire One and Timeline, the 3935 has a multi-touch trackpad for pinch and other gestures.
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04/02, 10:35pm
Clearwire
Clearwire at CTIA launched the Spot, a personal hotspot device that connects to the company's WiMAX network and provides Internet via Wi-Fi. The 3-inch by 5-inch router is manufactured by CradlePoint and matches the appearance of the PHS300. Users must insert a CLEAR USB modem into the port on the side of the router. The Spot contains a lithium ion battery that powers the USB modem.
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04/01, 2:50pm
MSI Wind U123, X-Slim spec
At the CTIA show in Vegas that kicked off today, MSI is showing off its new Wind U123 netbook along with a pair of new X-series Ultra-Slim notebooks and has released the specs and pricing information for its portable PCs. The new 10.2-inch Wind model is powered by Intel's 1.66GHz Atom N280 CPU and is the first Wind netbook to offer a 3G data network module and a TV Tuner. For security, the netbook will have MSI's EasyFace software that will read a user's facial features via its 1.3-megapixel camera before granting access. Another first in the Wind range is the U123's availability in a range of colors, adding blue and red in addition to white and gray.
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03/31, 9:30pm
Samsung Mondi WiMAX device
Samsung Mobile on Tuesday announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Mondi, its first mobile WiMAX-enabled handheld device in the U.S. The touchscreen Mondi. Designed for use with the Clear mobile WiMAX service, the slider-based Windows Mobile device offers GPS Navigation (provided by Route 66), a full QWERTY keyboard, the full Opera 9.5 browser, a 3.0 megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, and a 4.3-inch touch-enabled screen. The Mondi offers location-based services, instant access to social networking websites, and support for multiple video and audio player formats.
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03/25, 10:20am
Sprint WiMAX Rollouts 2009
Sprint today outlined its expansion plans for its WiMAX 4G service for the next year as well as some early hints of its 2010 plans. The carrier now hopes to launch its wide-area wireless in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle at varying points throughout the year. It has also pushed back its originally planned Washington DC introduction to 2010 and expects to reserve other major cities for service next year, including Boston, Houston, New York and San Francisco.
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03/20, 5:30pm
ASUS prices Shell for UK
Styled like the MacBook Air, the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA that debuted at CeBIT early in March was given pricing information on Friday for the UK market. The 10-inch netbook will cost the equivalent of about $518 including applicable taxes when it launches in the market at an unspecified date in April. The ultra-thin netbook, dubbed Seashell for its shape, weighs just 2.4lbs and is just one inch thick at its edges.
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02/19, 10:25am
ASUS ends 8.9-inch Eee PCs
ASUS, maker of the popular Eee PC range of netbooks that arguably pioneered the category, will phase out the production of nearly all of its 8.9-inch Eee PC netbooks, DigiTimes has reported on Thursday. The news came from the company's Asia-Pacific division president, Benson Lin, who says the move is due to the growing popularity and consumer demand for 10-inch models that will become the focus at ASUS.
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02/19, 8:40am
Sprint Q4 2008 Results
Sprint on Thursday reported continued losses in income and customers in its results for the last quarter of 2008. The cell carrier says it shifted to a $257 million loss from a $325 million profit the year before and has dropped below 50 million cellphone subscribers for the first time in years, falling from 53.8 million users in December 2007 to 49.3 million by the end of the past year. This was also down 1.3 million users from the summer.
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02/17, 3:05pm
ASUS Eee PC 1000HG
Countering its rival LG's own introduction at Mobile World Congress, ASUS has taken its turn at revealing a new Eee PC with wide-area wireless. The 1000HG will have a built-in WiMAX modem that lets it connect to 4G services in the US and elsewhere while still preserving 802.11n Wi-Fi for short-range networking. As suggested by the name, the netbook will also have a 10-inch display and share a similar design with most other Eee PC 1000 models.
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01/23, 7:45am
Acer Aspire 103 Official
Acer on Friday marked the UK launch of the 10-inch Aspire One, its first direct push into the larger netbook market. Aside from the larger but same-resolution (1024x600) display, the new model has a reworked visual design with a brushed metal palm rest and other slightly more upscale touches. The system also skews towards the high end of netbook specifications with options for 3G and WiMAX access and a 6-cell battery pack that Acer claims lasts for up to 7 hours on a charge.
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01/14, 10:00am
Clearwire WiMax router
After the official launch of the Clearwire WiMAX service in Portland, the company's chief strategy officer announced plans and showed a prototype of a portable WiMAX/Wi-Fi router that enables access to the 4G mobile broadband network from Wi-Fi enabled devices. The pre-production version of the router uses a Motorola WiMAX USB stick and will allow multiple users to connect through it. Richardson foresees every iPhone user opting to use the Clearwire router for faster data speeds than the device's built-in 3G access.
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12/31, 2:55pm
India postpones 3G auction
India has postponed the auction of its 3G spectrum from an original date of January 16th to the 30th, following requests from potential bidders to have more time to review related documents and rules. At the same time, the deadline for applications to become a bidder has been extended from the 5th to the 15th. The auction will give domestic and foreign companies the option to acquire the 2.1GHz wireless frequency, used for HSPA-based 3G data network services.
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12/17, 7:50am
Sprint 3G 4G USB Modem
Sprint today claimed to be the first US carrier to offer a device with both 3G and 4G Internet access. The USB Modem U300 gives access to Sprint's recently launched WiMAX network for full 4G access but also carries support for the broader, original-spec EVDO network. The option lets users connect between 2Mbps and 4Mbps in the current 4G coverage area but still get roughly 600Kbps to 1.4Mbps elsewhere.
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12/12, 3:00pm
India 3G Auction
The Indian government today said it would hold auctions starting on January 16th that will provide the south Asian country its first true 3G service as well as provide headroom for possible 4G networks. The auctions will let both domestic and foreign companies bid on both the 2.1GHz wireless frequency, often used for HSPA-based 3G elsewhere in the world, as well as the 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz bands most commonly used for WiMAX.
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12/05, 4:45pm
Sprint CDMA, WiMAX phones
Wireless provider Sprint Nextel will offer handsets that can switch from the existing CDMA network to the WiMAX mobile broadband network currently being built up across the United States by Sprint's recent partner, Clearwire. Apart from the handsets, Sprint will carry other WiMAX products and services, including the first hybrid CDMA/mobile WiMAX modem. All will be branded as Sprint 4G, replacing the existing Xohm brand name for the existing high-speed mobile broadband gear.
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12/01, 2:25pm
Clearwire WiMAX as Clear
Clearwire today said its recently completed deal with Sprint for WiMAX will use the "Clear" name on its own side of the network rather than use Sprint's Xohm naming scheme. Worth about $14.5 billion, the agreement will effectively replace Xohm on Clearwire's portion of the network rather than see the two provide a united naming scheme.
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12/01, 11:10am
Nokia Tablet Tip at UBS
Nokia could be developing a new, much larger portable device that sits above its Internet Tablets in features, a new research note by UBS analyst Maynard Um says. Where the existing N810 has just a 4.1-inch display, investigations by Um point to the existence of either a notebook or tablet with a 9- or 10-inch display and features that have never existed on an Nseries tablet, such as a touchpad for input, HDMI out, a secondary OLED screen and Near Field Communication (NFC) for very close-range wireless links.
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11/21, 4:15pm
MSI Wind U120
MSI in a late weekday announcement announced its long-promised US version of the Wind U120. The update to has the same features of higher-spec U100 models with a 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of memory, a six-cell battery and a 160GB hard drive but brings in a sleeker design and the option of either 3G cellular Internet access over HSPA or WiMAX for 4G-grade access over networks from Clearwire or Sprint.
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11/20, 4:45pm
Clearwire Sprint deal a go
A merger between telecommunications companies Sprint and Clearwire announced back in May could be completed before year's end, as Clearwire's shareholders have approved the deal today, according to a Thursday report. Earlier this month, the FCC approved the merger as well, bringing the $14.6 billion venture one step closer to completion. The new company, also called Clearwire, will work on developing a mobile network based on WiMAX technology that promises wireless data transfer rates faster than any current network, approaching wired broadband speeds.
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11/17, 4:05pm
Dmedia G400 to offer WiMAX
Taiwan's dmedia System has recently showcased its G400 WiMAX mobile Internet device (MID). The G400 is to include a 3.8- or 4.3-inch, 800x480-pixel touchscreen via which users will be able to access the Internet and many applications it makes possible, including VoIP, streaming video and video conferencing, as well as NextWave's MXtv mobile broadcast service. Apart from access to the high-speed WiMAX mobile broadband network, the G400 also promises to bring with it Bluetooth support, a built-in GPS sensor and HSPDA/WCDMA data network access.
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11/13, 3:50pm
Qualcomm Kills UMB
In tandem with its Snapdragon news, Qualcomm today said it was cancelling development on its Ultra-Mobile Broadband (UMB) technology as a path to 4G Internet access. The move is a reaction to news that Verizon, Bell, Telus and other predominantly CDMA carriers are instead switching to the rival Long Term Evolution (LTE) format that has already been labeled the choice for 4G on GSM networks.
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11/12, 2:05pm
HTC MAX 4G
HTC on Wednesday rounded out the last of its major touchscreen phone introductions with its highest-performing device yet. The MAX 4G is the production version of the T8290 and shares the 3.8-inch, 800x480 screen of the Touch HD but adds a WiMAX connection for 4G-level Internet access in the multi-megabit range. A GSM connection is still built in to make conventional phone calls.
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11/05, 2:10pm
Sprint Clearwire Approved
The FCC late yesterday approved Sprint's deal with Clearwire for a national WiMAX network. The deal will allow the two to spread an effectively unified 4G wireless Internet service across the US that should cover as many as 140 million users by the end of 2010. FCC Commissioners, including Chairman Kevin Martin, describe the approval in historic terms and suggest it will create a genuine new competitor for high-speed Internet access in the US.
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11/05, 10:30am
Hybrid LTE and WiMAX Chips
Next year will bring devices that have two competing 4G data formats at once, a note from ABI Research. Company principal analyst Philip Solis explains that multiple carriers have expressed interest in supporting both Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMAX on the same chipset, letting them support either standard depending on the provider and region. The move would let carriers such as KDDI and Vodafone serve both their own services, which will prefer LTE, without the cost of building a second device for a WiMAX network in another country or a related provider.
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10/30, 12:40pm
AT&T/Lenovo 3G notebooks
Carrier AT&T and PC builder Lenovo say they have collaborated on a project meant to drive down the cost of 3G broadband on notebooks. Buyers of Lenovo notebooks in the ThinkPad T, X and SL series will get a free 30 days of AT&T's DataConnect service, if they sign up for a two-year contract; more critically, models with the necessary Ericsson module will not cost any more than a regular version, which the companies claim will save as much as $150 per computer. The arrangement is being targeted mainly at small- to medium-sized businesses.
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10/22, 1:10pm
Apricot drops Linux
Linux is no longer a choice of operating system on the Picobook Pro, according to Apricot. Although the netbook was only released last week, Apricot has decided to remove the option of SuSE Linux Enterprise Edition, which cost only £279 ($454) instead of the £328 ($534) for a Windows XP system. In compensation the company has lowered the price of the latter, which is now £299 ($487).
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