First filed four years ago, Apple was granted a patent to track and geofence cellular dead zones, capturing the information in a crowdsourced database.…
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Qualcomm will no longer track trucks, selling off its first-ever business Omnitracs
Long before Qualcomm made its first phone chip, it was tracking 18-wheeled rigs as they criss-crossed the continent. Omnitracs, Qualcomm's original business, is being sold to Vista Equity Partners for $800 million.…
Read MoreWhite spaces networks are not “super” nor even Wi-Fi
The government is hoping that making a band of unlicensed spectrum available as part of the upcoming incentive auctions will help build a nationwide wireless network. Is that the best use of that spectrum?…
Read MoreNokia Siemens makes mobile apps and cellular networks play nice
At Mobile World Congress, NSN announced plans to embed IBM application servers into its base stations. The radio and services networks have always been separate, but NSN is making a case to merge them.…
Read MoreIs Cisco stacking the deck with its mobile data numbers?
To hear Cisco tell it, the world is quickly running out of wireless spectrum. Tim Farrar, of TMF associates, says a look at the numbers shows that Cisco first overstated them, then revised them, and is now overstating them again.…
Read More2013: The year carriers choose whether Wi-Fi is friend or foe
Will 2013 see carriers eyeing their Wi-Fi offload strategies with suspicion? As consumers turn more to ubiquitous Wi-Fi networks, will that threaten carrier's data revenue, and if so, what will carriers do about that? Expect a subtle war to control Wi-Fi in the coming year.…
Read MoreDoes the internet of things need its own internet?
Mobile operators believe their networks will enjoy a second life as the backbone of the internet of things, but a French startup Sigfox begs to differ. It's building a dedicated network in France designed to connect objects and machines, not people.…
Read MoreWebRTC could be a weapon for innovative carriers
WebRTC is positioned to be a major disruption in mobile as web-based apps gain traction. But traditional mobile network operators should be considering ways to make WebRTC a weapon in their battle against OTT service providers.…
Read MoreWi-Fi’s annoying little secret: Not all Wi-Fi is created equal
We love Wi-Fi, but we don't always understand it. Just because we have a Wi-Fi connection doesn't mean we'll get the same awesome experience we get at home or in our offices. Here's why your airplane or Amtrak Wi-Fi is both pricey and slow.…
Read MoreDefcon’s NinjaTel cell network could solve real-world problems
The Defcon security and hacker conference in Las Vegas is home to a unique cell network built using GSM and Wi-Fi. The private network was built for fun, but it could have a serious purpose when governments try to lock down cellular communications.…
Read MoreWe already use Wi-Fi more than cellular; Why not continue the trend?
In terms of mobile data, our smartphones are far more reliant on Wi-Fi. So why are carriers so single-mindedly focused on acquiring new licensed spectrum and building expensive 3G and 4G networks, when they could implement more Wi-Fi and tap into other sources of unlicensed spectrum?…
Read MoreWe called it: Ericsson to buy BelAir Networks
Ericsson has agreed to purchase BelAir Networks to help boost its Wi-Fi credentials, just as we said it would. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but this deal was all about Wi-Fi and the changing needs of the mobile operator.…
Read MoreToday in Cleantech
The idea of using solar power for off the grid electricity is not new. But the Econet Home Power Station, being developed…
Read MoreHow Apple played it smart with iPhone exclusivity
Apple may be on the verge of opening its Japanese iPhone sales to another cellular service provider, ending SoftBank's exclusive hold on the popular smartphone. It's the latest in a series of exclusivity-ending deals from Apple, and it's the culmination of an elaborate marketing plan.…
Read MoreVerizon’s got half the country covered with LTE
Verizon's turning on its LTE network in 15 cities and expanding 4G coverage in 10 cities, bringing more than half the U.S. population under its next-generation wireless network on Thursday. Since its launch in December, Verizon's LTE network now covers 160 million people in 117 cities.…
Read MoreToday in Mobile
The European digital music service Spotify finally launched today in the U.S., and reviewers seem pretty impressed. But while Spotify has a…
Read MoreThe Bright Future of Distributed Antenna Systems
Crown Castle last week completed its $115 million acquisition of NewPath Networks, which builds and operators distributed antenna systems (DAS) networks. The deal, among others, underscores the increasing importance this technology will play in the future deployment of mobile services.…
Read MoreCan Ads Drive Mobile Music Revenues?
The ailing music industry is increasingly looking to offset plummeting CD revenues by leveraging phones as digital-age retail counters. But as ringtone sales continue to slide and full-track downloads struggle to get legs, advertising dollars may be the last, best hope for the record labels.…
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