TV broadcasters and programmers must embrace a new set of video-delivery techniques to reach consumers today. Online delivery to so many types of consumer devices means that video programmers must produce multiple internet-streaming formats that use different types of security and different ways of inserting ads. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
HTC is going big with a stunning 1080p 5-inch Droid DNA, which will be offered through Verizon Wireless. The $199 device puts out 440 pixels per inch, sports a Snapdragon quad-core processor and also includes wireless charging. Read more »
AT&T’s news yesterday that it wanted to shut down its circuit switched network is a big moment in telecommunications — and could be a big deal to consumers, even if they have already ditched their landlines. Here’s why it matters. Read more »
Two new LTE handsets running Windows Phone 8 are heading to Verizon with pre-orders beginning tomorrow. The Nokia Lumia 822, a mid-range handset, will cost $99.99 after rebate while HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is $199.99. Both handset prices are with a new two-year agreement. Read more »
AT&T is going all-in on IP – the Internet Protocol, and cutting the cord with its past. Instead, it will push newer, faster broadband via a hybrid of fiber-and-copper technologies. And what that means is end of the line for classic DSL. Nothing wrong with it. Read more »
AT&T will invest $14 billion in its networks as it tries to maximize the use of LTE in combination with small cells. By the end of 2014, the carrier expects to blanket 300 million people with this approach, which includes more than 1,000 distributed antenna systems. Read more »
The purpose of the on-screen guide has shifted. By connecting the guide to content-recommendation engines and advertising platforms, service providers and connected-TV device manufacturers are using the EPG as an access point for understanding consumers and reaching out to them to own the living room. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Data centers up and down the eastern seaboard went into emergency mode to keep up and running as Hurricane Sandy churned northwards. But the key to survivabilty is not last-minute prep but long-running practices. Read more »
Isis hasn’t taken Austin by storm, but it’s not a bad experience. A mobile payments platform should either be super convenient or replace my wallet and for me, Isis doesn’t do either. But depending on where you shop it may offer more for you. Read more »
Following an investor call where it reported another loss on $8.7 billion in revenues, Sprint announced a special-offer on smaller tablet plans to help retain customers. New 100 MB and 1 GB tablet plan start next month for $10 and $15 respectively, with no activation fee. Read more »
AT&T reported flat revenue and income growth for the third quarter of 2012, but behind those numbers is a business changing its strategy in wireless to deal with a saturated market. The goal will be new plans and new services so customers spend more. Read more »
Isis, the mobile payment effort launched by the carriers, has launched in Austin, Texas, but I couldn’t find many places that knew about the program or said they accepted Isis payments, despite being listed as participating merchants. This wasn’t the launch I was looking for. Read more »
Google’s new Chromebook debuted in a Wi-Fi only model, leaving many to wonder if there would eventually be a 3G model. Turns out, there already is. Verizon’s 3G network is supported on the $329.99 device and includes 100 MB of monthly data at no extra charge. Read more »
Verizon activated 4.5 million LTE devices in the third quarter, an increase of 1.3 million over Q2. While the iPhone 5 was introduced only 10 days before the close of the quarter the new LTE-powered Apple phone contributed to that growth. Read more »
Apple stole the spotlight in the third quarter with the release of its iPhone 5, Amazon pursued the tablet market aggressively with a new line of tablets, and Microsoft prepped to launch Windows 8 and the highly anticipated Surface tablet. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Japanese mobile operator SoftBank plans to acquire a 70 percent stake in Sprint for $20.1 billion. The deal would give the cash-strapped U.S. carrier an $8 billion cash infusion and gives the Japanese carrier a foothold and spectrum in the valuable U.S. mobile market. Read more »
U.S. carriers like working out exclusive handset deals with hardware makers – such as the Lumia 920 with AT&T — but who benefits? Consumers really don’t, hardware makers might, but it’s the network operators that benefit most. Here I thought competition in the U.S. was good! Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web that you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: fixing a major Verizon iPhone 5 bug, the enormous task of improving Maps, decrease in work hours for Apple suppliers, App Store changes in iOS 6, and more. Read more »
The connected home — which would let you control your thermostat from your phone, check on the dog while you’re traveling, automate the downloads of your favorite entertainment — is getting closer, but it ain’t here yet. Here’s why. Read more »
Whether it’s the iPhone 5, the importance of LTE, or BYOD trends disrupting the enterprise, there are always technologies, trends, and companies changing the way we define mobile. Here are some noteworthy segments to watch in the coming months, from location-based shopping to apps to wireless networks. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Six rural carriers will have launched LTE networks by the end of 2012 thanks to Verizon’s LTE in Rural America program. That will give Verizon customers 4G service in small towns well beyond its 400 market footprint. But the Verizon’s rural partners benefit plenty as well. Read more »
U.S. carriers have a love-hate relationship with the iPhone and an analyst downgrade for AT&T and Verizon after the iPhone 5 went on sale illustrates why. Carriers may get customers, but they also have to shell out hundreds on a subsidy that cuts into their margins. Read more »
Here’s our daily pick of stories about Apple from around the web that you shouldn’t miss. Today’s installment: the best use case for major U.S. 4G operators selling the iPhone 5, Sprint won’t have “wideband audio,” crunching the iPhone 5 rollout numbers, and more. Read more »
Carriers are struggling to match the demand for data with pricing plans that keep their profits up. Over the top services like Viber and WhatsApp are causing even more pain, but 3 Hong Kong may have found a solution that would work for everyone. Read more »
Amazon — which knows a thing or two about online marketplaces — is launching one for Amazon Web Services customers who may have over-provisioned their EC2 reserved instances. Now they can buy or sell those instances with other AWS customers Read more »
Sprint’s timetable is vague, but Monday it listed the 100 cities that will soon have LTE service. The carrier had an early 4G advantage if you count WiMAX in 2008, but has been lapped since then. Unlimited data is nice, but customers want more speed. Read more »
Many cable TV operators still argue that cord cutting doesn’t exist, but Verizon’s FIOS TV director Maitreyi Krishnaswamy thinks it’s real, and growing. But that’s not all: Krishnaswamy is also arguing that it might change the industry by putting pressure on studios. Read more »
Motorola, now owned by Google, unveiled a trio of Razr devices that are big and small. The Razr HD and Razr HD Maxx offer big 4.7 inch screens with large batteries while the Razr M goes for a smaller profile but a big screen and battery. Read more »
Verizon must believe in the Internet of Things because it has pre-certified LTE chips from Altair Semiconductor. The action means that companies can build sensors and devices containing Altair’s chip and then avoid the lengthy testing process in order to get their gadgets on Verizon’s network. Read more »
Mobile phones and the rise of broadband means that fewer and fewer people need a landline. The baby bells are feeling the impact and here are two charts that highlight this precipitous decline. Of course, cable guys are doing fine, thanks to triple play offers. Read more »
Radical virtual network operator Ting is at it again. The company with innovative cellular plans will let customers bring their own Sprint device to the service. But that’s short term; long term, Ting could add support for devices from other carriers in the U.S. too. Read more »
The FCC doesn’t seem to realize it’s summer. The regulatory agency has been issuing decisions like crazy. And this week it also released a series of questions that indicate the FCC is thinking about the need for faster broadband speeds and questioning caps. Read more »
The FCC halted the deregulation of special access charges, prices companies like Sprint and T-Mobile pay to connect their wireless networks to the Internet. Verizon and AT&T own those circuits, and the FCC wants to know if they charge their competitors a fair rate. Read more »
After selling 500,000 units of its Optimus Vu, LG is reportedly partnering with Verizon to bring the 5-inch smartphone to the U.S. The timing is odd, as is the phone’s 4 : 3 aspect ratio, given the success of the Galaxy Note and its coming soon successor. Read more »
In blocking Apple’s FaceTime application from its cellular network for certain customers, AT&T is trying to drive customers to new plans and change the debate when it comes to network neutrality. If Ma Bell succeeds it looks like consumers and maybe app developers could lose. Read more »
After mainly sitting out from offering cutting-edge Windows Phone handsets, Verizon Wireless appears to be ready to help Microsoft and Nokia: The largest U.S. carrier is expected — possibly in a few weeks — to launch a Nokia smartphone running the newest version of Windows Phone this year. Read more »
With the addition of 34 new markets on Thursday, Verizon’s LTE network will envelope 235 million Americans or three-quarters of the country population. Four months before the end of the year it’s within spitting distance of reaching its 4G coverage goals, while competitors play catch-up. Read more »
Network operators selling tablets in the past faced a significant hurdle: the monthly cost of data. With the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Verizon is ready to take advantage of its new Share Everything plans that let you use the tablet on 4G for $10 per month. Read more »
The decline of DSL in the US has life tough for the phone companies – who in total lost 70,000 subscribers during the second quarter of 2012. Winner: cable companies in general and Comcast in specific as 260,000 new folks signed up for broadband in the US. Read more »
Some of the biggest players in the mobile payment space including the four U.S. mobile carriers, Google, Isis, VeriFone and Intuit are joining a new mobile payment committee within the Electronic Transactions Association. It’s still too early to say what this cooperation will yield. Read more »
