China Telecom is moving ahead with plans to pursue an MVNO service in the U.S. starting next year. A China Telecom executive said the branded cellular service will start early next year and will target tourists and travelers who fly between China and the U.S. frequently.… Read More »
Tech
Tech-savvy smartphone users are the least likely to stick with their carrier, and 31 percent of U.S. consumers are ready to switch wireless providers for better or improved services, says a recent Nokia Siemens Networks survey. Is the smartphone starting to render carrier loyalty obsolete? Read More »
Mobile video could receive a big boost over the next few weeks as users tune in to watch the action on their phones. But carriers must be able to shoulder the data load if they’re to turn those fans into long-term viewers. Read More »
Mobile penetration in the U.S. is nearing 100 percent, leading some to wonder whether we’re near a saturation point. But as connectivity expands to a wide range of devices that aren’t phones, “handset penetration” won’t really matter anyway. Read More »
Operators are increasingly looking to machine-to-machine services to help offset a saturated handset market and data congestion on their networks. But the new world of M2M will require the emergence of new partnerships and business models. Read More »
AT&T this morning confirmed it will carry Palm’s webOS devices, in addition to Dell’s Android-based Aero. Still, the network operator’s strategy is all about the iPhone. Here’s a quick breakdown of tier-one carriers’ current strategies. Read More »
Deep discounts are helping to push smartphones beyond early adopters and hardcore business users and into the hands of mainstream U.S. consumers, but they’re also stalling revenue growth, and demand for the sophisticated handsets may suffer once network operators do away with all-you-can-eat data plans. Read More »
Apple has patented a system that would enable consumers to use their phones to replace keys for the cars, homes and offices. It’s an effort that could finally move the needle for NFC, which has failed to gain any real traction at the retail counter. Read More »
Mobile data consumption continues to surge, as Chetan Sharma notes in his latest update of the U.S. mobile industry, but data revenues aren’t keeping pace. That explains why AT&T and Verizon — which dominate mobile the mobile data market — are moving toward metered billing. Read More »
The prepaid market continued to expand in the fourth quarter of 2009 thanks to a price war that seems to get more brutal by the week. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon Wireless built on their dominance with postpaid subscribers. Read More »
MetroPCS’s quarterly profit beat expectations, an indication that the carrier is holding its own in the brutal prepaid market. But if it can begin to lure postpaid consumers instead of poaching users of other prepaid services, it could begin to truly separate itself from the pack. Read More »
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski today outlined the commission’s plans to create a blueprint for mobile broadband for the next 10 years as part of the National Broadband Plan. But just how effective the FCC can be in freeing up spectrum is far from clear. Read More »
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