Telefonica is today announcing a deal with Samsung that will see it make an even bigger move into the area of carrier billing: Samsung will integrate the carrier’s billing back-end directly into its own mobile services, meaning that consumers who are customers of Telefonica’s (it has 316 million worldwide) who use the Samsung Hub and Samsung Apps portals on Samsung smartphones will be able to buy apps, music, videos, books, games and more and charge them directly on to their phone bills.
Tag Archives: carrier
Telefonica Adds Samsung As A Carrier Billing OEM For Apps, Games, Music And More
Posted by Gsurface
on May 16, 2013
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Carrier GIV Mobile promises 8 percent of revenue to charity
Posted by Gsurface
on May 15, 2013
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The new prepaid wireless service provider promises to give up to $ 50 a year per customer to charities. [Read more]
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iPhone 5 sees faster data speeds on T-Mobile after hacked carrier update
Posted by Gsurface
on May 12, 2013
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Are you using an iPhone 5 on T-Mobile? Are you in an area with re-farmed 1900MHz HSPA+ spectrum? Well rejoice! Some enterprising folks over at TmoNews have hacked Apple’s carrier update for T-Mobile to boost data speeds on the 1900MHz (PCS) HSPA+ band. Better yet, this tweak applies to both T-Mobile’s iPhone 5 and the AT&T / unlocked versions — no jailbreak required. White the official carrier update enabled LTE for the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile, it also decreased data speeds on re-farmed PCS HSPA+ spectrum for many users. The hacked file makes a number of adjustments: it enables Release 9 for dual-carrier HSPA+ and sets the band preference to “auto” from AWS. Follow the source link below for more details and step-by-step instructions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: TmoNews
Sprint allows its prepaid carrier partners to de-brand Android phones, rid devices of bloatware
Posted by Gsurface
on March 20, 2013
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In a move that could only be viewed as a step in the right direction, Sprint has just made a major move in the battle against bloatware. It’s newly-unveiled Custom Branded Device Program is being introduced just as prepaid carriers are beginning to see something of a resurgence. In a nutshell, the initiative enables its MVNO partners (carriers like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to customize white-label Android phones. In case you needed to hear it another way, it’ll give those partners the ability to “completely de-brand devices from Sprint.” Of course, this opens the door for said partners to litter these phones with their own software, but it also provides an option to see phones in a manner that Americans rarely see unless they opt for pricier global (and unlocked) models.
Sprint is hoping that the program will allow its MVNO partners — carriers who sell phones under their own brand but actually rely on Sprint’s network for service — to “have greater, and potentially quicker, access to a large selection of completely de-branded marquee Android handsets out of Sprint and Boost Mobile device inventory with volume pricing included.” Presently, Sprint has three devices available for this program — LG Optimus G, LG Mach and Sprint Flash — but additional devices are expected to be added by the month’s end. Perhaps most interestingly, we reported back in July of 2011 that Sprint was making a “conscious decision to scale back bloatware on smartphones.” Here’s hoping that decision is soon realized.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
Source: Sprint
Carrier App Stores Suck, So Japan’s KDDI Did Something Different And Is Pulling In $250M A Year For Apps
Posted by Gsurface
on March 16, 2013
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When Apple launched its app store about five years ago, the company had no idea it would become the success it is today. It disintermediated carriers from what would become a lucrative revenue stream, one that’s brought Apple more than $ 11 billion in gross revenue (based on the $ 8 billion figure that CEO Tim Cook said the company had paid out to developers by last month).- In the old feature phone world, developers used to have to beg and plead with the carriers for pre-install deals on phones. But these days, they just go straight through Apple’s review process or directly into Google Play. Some carriers have tried to run app stores over the years like Verizon’s Vcast app store, but they haven’t exactly been successful. Because Google Play and the iOS app store are still the main channels for downloading apps, how do carriers cope and stay relevant? Instead of starting another old app store, Japan’s second largest carrier KDDI launched a subscription program for a collection of about 500 apps last year. Called the AU Smart Pass, it comes pre-installed on its Android phones. At 5 million users per month paying 399 yen ($ 4.20) each, that’s up to $ 250 million in annualized revenue to pay out to developers. It’s definitely a unique model. KDDI partners with developers to bring apps into the AU Smart Pass but they often ask for premium or special unlocked content. For example, Japan’s hit messaging app Line, which has more than 120 million users, gives away exclusive stickers. Many of the other apps are normally paid ones. Then KDDI splits overall subscription revenues back with developers based on monthly active usage. Developers can also offer in-app purchases, but they get to keep 80 to 90 percent of revenue instead of the standard 70 percent that Google Play or Apple’s app store gives them. “We needed to invent a new model and we wanted to manage the shift from feature phones to smartphones,” said Kazuhito Shimizu, who oversees mobile business development for KDDI in the U.S. He oversees a $ 60 million corporate venture fund that has taken stakes in companies like New York-based taxi and transportation startup Hailo. “This is kind of like Netflix for apps,” he added, saying that consumers would get confused if there were two app stores — Google Play and a branded KDDI store — on their Android phones. The
TechCrunch
iPhone users, U.K. carrier report bugs after iOS 6.1 upgrade
Posted by Gsurface
on February 9, 2013
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Battery drain and problems with Microsoft Exchange, plus 3G service on one European carrier, are causing headaches for iPhone users. [Read more]
CNET News
Bango Adds Telefonica To Its List Of Mobile Carrier Billing Partners For Facebook And Beyond
Posted by Gsurface
on January 17, 2013
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Mobile payments company Bango — partner to Facebook, Amazon, BlackBerry and others to enable app and content charges directly to your mobile phone bill — has announced another major carrier partner: Telefonica is enabling Bango payments via its payment API.
TechCrunch
South Korea frowns on steep phone subsidies, bans new carrier customers for most of January
Posted by Gsurface
on December 28, 2012
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South Korea is an ocean apart from North America in more ways than one. Where US and Canadian carriers virtually center their businesses around heavily subsidized phones, the Korea Communications Commission is discouraging the idea. The agency isn’t just fining KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom for offering device discounts beyond 270,000 won ($ 252), it’s banning those networks from taking new subscribers for as many as 24 days in January — they’ll have no choice but to serve their existing bases for most of the month. The providers are unsurprisingly miffed, although the punishment may be a win for customers who won’t necessarily be as indebted to their carriers when they spring for a Galaxy Note II or Optimus G.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Unwired View
Source: Telecompaper
Rhapsody Adds AT&T And Verizon Carrier Billing To Get A Beat On Spotify And MOG
Posted by Gsurface
on December 20, 2012
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Veteran music streaming service Rhapsody has been around for over a decade. It’s managed to survive in a turbulent (and oftentimes) crowded market, even as it has been eclipsed in popularity by services like Rdio and Spotify. In fact, Rhapsody was the first on-demand service to offer unlimited access to a substantial catalog of music for a flat monthly subscription fee, paving the way for startups like Spotify.
TechCrunch
AT&T yet again the worst-rated carrier in U.S.
Posted by Gsurface
on November 29, 2012
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The carrier was far behind the leading major carrier, Verizon, which won out on voice and data services in a new Consumer Reports study. [Read more]
CNET News
Nexus 4 shown working on Canadian LTE through simple carrier menu code (video)
Posted by Gsurface
on November 23, 2012
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Want LTE on your new Nexus 4? Well, you might have to move country. Unless it’s some elaborate post-Thanksgiving hoax from our Canadian neighbors, several Telus customers have demonstrated that the LTE chip hiding inside the Nexus 4 does work, and connect to some impressive 4G data speeds. While we’ve so far been unable to replicate it in the UK, which doesn’t use the same Band 4 LTE (1700MHz and 2100MHz) of Canadian carriers Bell and Telus, two working videos are already doing the rounds. We’ve included them both below.
[Thanks Kaung]
Continue reading Nexus 4 shown working on Canadian LTE through simple carrier menu code (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, LG
Via: Tekgadg, XDA Developers (1), (2)
FCC chair backs Dish Network as wireless carrier, but with a catch
Posted by Gsurface
on November 21, 2012
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The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission favors Dish’s plan to become a wireless provider but may impose power limits on the company’s network. [Read more]
CNET News
Facebook Turns On Carrier Billing Mobile Payments In France With Orange France And Bango
Posted by Gsurface
on November 19, 2012
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Another step in Facebook’s plans to make more money out of its mobile business: the company is now accepting mobile payments in France, covering services like virtual gifts and game credits for its HTML5-based content, which can now be billed directly to a user’s mobile bill rather than via premium SMS or credit cards. France comes on the heels of an the initial rollout of the service in the U.S., UK and Germany that went live earlier this year.
TechCrunch
Sprint adding Spotify Premium to carrier billing for Android customers starting November 11th
Posted by Gsurface
on November 10, 2012
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A few months back Sprint’s Android customers gained the option to charge Google Play purchases to their monthly wireless bill. In an effort to keep the carrier billing party going, the Now Network will soon be adding this option for Spotify Premium customers. An anonymous tipster has shared with us that starting on November 11th, Sprint’s Android clientele will be able to add the music streaming service’s $ 10 monthly charge to their bill. While we’re sure that some customers will take advantage of this new option, we can’t help but long for the good old days when people could bill a new phone to their account. Ah, Sprint giveth and taketh away.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sprint
Sprint adding Spotify Premium to carrier billing for Android customers starting November 11th originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Silicon Valley Telecom Entrepreneurs Pivot: New Business Models Win 58% Of VC Investment And Carrier Revenues
Posted by Gsurface
on November 4, 2012
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Editor’s note: Steve Patterson’s observations and writing are based on his 20 years working in the primordial ooze of start-ups in Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Silicon Valley leads the nation with more than 50 percent of telecom venture investments, and its share is growing. The reason for this is that companies such as Google, Apple, VMware and Salesforce have redefined the meaning of the telecom carriers business to include Internet, mobile and cloud with wireless, terrestrial and satellite transmission of voice and data.
TechCrunch
BlackBerry 10 enters testing with RIM’s carrier partners
Posted by Gsurface
on October 31, 2012
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While there’s still a lot we don’t know about BlackBerry 10 (like its release date), RIM CEO Thorsten Heins delivered some very encouraging news today. In a new statement, RIM’s head honcho said that the new mobile operating system and some of the devices it runs on have entered testing with a number of the
Google Play carrier billing goes live for impulse buyers on Verizon
Posted by Gsurface
on October 31, 2012
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Google gave the broadest of targets when it said Google Play carrier billing would reach Verizon in the “coming weeks” — those last two words are often hints from companies that we shouldn’t hold our breath. Call us surprised, then, when Google quietly takes the option live two weeks later. At least one Droid-Life reader has discovered that it’s now possible to load as many as $ 25 in purchases per month on an existing Big Red smartphone bill and pay through just the one channel. The move puts all four major US carriers on the same page, and gives Verizon subscribers an incentive to splurge on apps and movies for that new Droid RAZR HD… so long as they remember to deal with the financial fallout afterwards.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Verizon
Google Play carrier billing goes live for impulse buyers on Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Japan’s Softbank Buying Sprint, Creating Third-Largest Global Carrier
Posted by Gsurface
on October 16, 2012
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First time accepted submitter metallurge writes “Japan’s third-largest wireless carrier intends to acquire Sprint, the third-largest U.S. carrier for 20.1 Billion U.S. dollars, creating the third-largest global carrier. After the transaction is completed, Softbank will own 70% of the newly-created ‘New Sprint,’ which will maintain current Sprint CEO Dan Hesse in that role. How this will affect Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile’s attempt to merge with Sprint reseller MetroPCS is unclear.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sprint confirms it is in talks with Japanese carrier Softbank
Posted by Gsurface
on October 11, 2012
No comments
If Japan’s third-largest wireless carrier Softbank negotiates successfully to buy a majority interest in Sprint, the deal could be a good fit for their technologies and attention to customer service, analysts said.
Computerworld News
Sprint Confirms Talks With Japanese Wireless Carrier Softbank Corp
Posted by Gsurface
on October 11, 2012
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Sprint has confirmed that it is, in fact, in talks with Japanese mobile carrier Softbank. The news leaked earlier today that Softbank may be making a $ 12.8 billion investment in Sprint, which “could involve a change of control of Sprint.”
Ask Slashdot: Best Cell Phone Carrier In the US?
Posted by Gsurface
on October 3, 2012
No comments
martypantsROK writes “After nearly seven years of living abroad, I’m planning to return to the U.S. in early 2013. Last time I lived there, smart phones weren’t out yet. Dropped calls were common, and poor reception (can you hear me now?) was an ad campaign. I’m used to South Korea’s wicked speeds, both for internet and wireless networks, and I’m wondering what the Slashdot community believes to be best carrier in the U.S. Which is fastest? Which offers the best deal for lots of data? Nationwide roaming and coverage? Prices? Service?”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
AT&T HTC One X+ and One VX equip carrier with full range
Posted by Gsurface
on October 2, 2012
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Charger Not Included: U.K. Carrier O2 To Sell HTC Phone With USB Cable But No Plug
Posted by Gsurface
on September 26, 2012
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Peer into the drawers of the average gadget addict and you’re sure to find a tangled mess of unused chargers gathering dust. Mobile phones are a prime offender in creating redundant gadget junk, with new models released every few months to drive upgrades. Indeed, U.K. carrier O2 calculates there are now more than 100 million unused phone chargers languishing in Brits’ drawers — which is why it says it’s decided to sell a smartphone without a charger in the box.
TechCrunch
Ask Engadget: best Philadelphia wireless carrier?
Posted by Gsurface
on September 23, 2012
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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Is from Joe, who has helped inspire a regular feature and also wants to know which carrier he should pick for Philadelphia. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“Hey! I loved your question about NYC carriers and thought it would be a great idea to let your visitors sound off on other major cities. I’d love to hear opinions on Philadelphia carriers myself, so if you could possibly consider adding this, I think it would be appreciated by many.”
Way back in April, we asked you about which carrier rules the roost in NYC and it caused a little sensation, with hundreds of you bombarding the Ask Engadget inbox to ask if we’d do your city or state. We’ll be sprinkling them in every now and again to let you sound off about the coverage in your local area, so if you live in Philadelphia and have world-class (or world’s worst) signal, let us know in the comments below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Ask Engadget: best Philadelphia wireless carrier? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Preventing Another Carrier IQ: Introducing the Mobile Device Privacy Act
Posted by Gsurface
on September 14, 2012
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MrSeb writes “Lawmakers in Washington have turned their sights on mobile device tracking, proposing legislation aimed at making it much harder for companies to track you without consent. The Mobile Device Privacy Act (PDF) makes it illegal for companies to monitor device users without their expressed consent. The bill was introduced Thursday by Massachusetts Democrat Representative Edward Markey, co-Chair of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. Much of the impetus for the bill came from last year’s Carrier IQ debacle, where it emerged that the company’s software was found to exist on both iOS and Android devices on AT&T and Sprint’s networks. While the company denied any wrongdoing, the software captured keystrokes and sent the details of your device usage back to the carriers. If passed, the legislation would require the disclosure of including tracking software at the time of the purchase of the phone, or during ownership if a software update or app would add such software to the device, and the consumer gains the right to refuse to be tracked. This disclosure must include what types of information is collected, who it is transmitted to, and how it will be used.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
How Your Wireless Carrier Overcharges You
Posted by Gsurface
on September 14, 2012
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Bad coverage and streaming video can confuse carriers into making you pay for data you never receive.
When your wireless carrier charges you for the amount of data you used on your cell phone in a given month, how do you know the bill is accurate? It very well might not be, according to a new study.
How Your Wireless Carrier Gets Your Data Usage Wrong
Posted by Gsurface
on September 14, 2012
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American Airlines becomes first FAA-friendly carrier to use iPads through whole flights
Posted by Gsurface
on September 12, 2012
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You don’t have to wait for an FAA rethink to use your iPad on an airliner below 10,000 feet — if you’re part of an American Airlines crew, that is. As of this month, the air carrier is the first cleared by the FAA to use iPads in the cockpit at every point during a flight. The program starts just with Boeing 777 pilots at first, but it should eventually grow to save $ 1.2 million in weight-related fuel costs per year across the airline, not to mention a few trees and the strain of 35-pound flight bags. American is confident enough in the tablet switchover that it plans to stop handing out any paper updates to its charts and manuals as of January, just days after its entire fleet gets the regulatory nod for iPads at the end of this year. We just wouldn’t anticipate Android or Windows tablet rollouts anytime soon. American isn’t opposed to the concept, but it’s only promising that slates beyond the iPad will be “evaluated for use” if and when the FAA applies its rubber stamp.
Filed under: Tablets
American Airlines becomes first FAA-friendly carrier to use iPads through whole flights originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
UK carrier in talks to make Nokia Lumia 920 a British LTE exclusive, says Financial Times
Posted by Gsurface
on September 10, 2012
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We’re hoping for big news from UK carrier partnership Everything Everywhere over the next couple of months — not just the first real LTE service in the British Isles (as if that wasn’t enough), but also new handsets to put that bandwidth to use. According to the Financial Times, the conglomerate is now in talks with Nokia to make that happen, with the LTE-sporting Lumia 920 standing to become an Everything Everywhere exclusive if the negotiations end happily. There’s nothing official to confirm it at this point, but Nokia struggled to win over some carriers with its last batch of Lumias and has now made it clear that it’s open to alternative strategies, just as it already has a special relationship with AT&T in the States. Of course, by the time the Lumia 920 reaches the UK — likely in early November — there could well be another honest-to-goodness 4G superphone in its midst.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
UK carrier in talks to make Nokia Lumia 920 a British LTE exclusive, says Financial Times originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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NokiaPowerUser, WSJ | 
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Social Gaming, Dating Account For The Biggest Growth In Carrier Billing
Posted by Gsurface
on September 3, 2012
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Over the last year, we have seen some notable advances in mobile carrier billing — which lets people pay for services and content on their phones by charging it to their carrier bills: Google expanded its carrier billing services to music and more; Facebook joined the ranks of those offering it, and Amazon has a deal with a company that could help it potentially roll out such services, too. (Noticeably absent is Apple; more on that below.) Now, data shared with TechCrunch by U.S./German carrier billing company mopay provides a look at just how much money these kinds of services are making.
With Galaxy S III, startup carrier Ting goes live on Sprint's LTE network
Posted by Gsurface
on September 1, 2012
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Mobile startup Ting, which delivers its voice, text and data offerings over Sprint Nextel's network, has become the newest LTE service provider by shipping its first device that uses the fast 4G technology.
Computerworld News
Why you can’t take your unlocked iPhone 4S to another U.S. carrier
Posted by Gsurface
on August 17, 2012
No comments
In this edition of Ask Maggie, CNET’s Marguerite Reardon explains how wireless operators have manipulated the market to ensure you can’t take your iPhone 4S to any other U.S. carrier you want.
[Read more]
CNET News
Apple study reveals carrier loyalty to be main reason for Android buys
Posted by Gsurface
on August 14, 2012
No comments
There’s an Apple internal study out there, and revealed today by Samsung, that says your choice of an Android smartphone was likely made because you’re loyal to your mobile carrier. In this study, Apple asked consumers back in 2010 why they purchase an Android device. One of the least chosen answers, believe it or not,
Telefonica partners with Facebook, Google, Microsoft and RIM for global carrier billing
Posted by Gsurface
on July 5, 2012
No comments
Making a half dozen attempts to guess your login info or typing each digit of a credit card account certainly can get in the way of following through on impulse purchases, which is exactly how you’d categorize FarmVille cash or a featured flick that you know you may not have time to watch within the month. The solution is carrier billing, eliminating those precious seconds between impulse and reconsideration, and Telefonica has just signed on to offer the service to Facebook, Google, Microsoft and RIM account holders. The partnerships will enable O2 users in Germany or Movistar subscribers in Spain to charge purchases to their mobile phone accounts, for example — in total, 14 Telefonica subsidiaries should be up and running with carrier billing by the end of the year, though some services, such as Google Play and Facebook, have already begun to roll out. Click through to the PR after the break for the full breakdown.
Telefonica partners with Facebook, Google, Microsoft and RIM for global carrier billing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink The Next Web | Telefonica (PDF) | Email this | Comments
Engadget
T-Mobile 1,900MHz 3G lights up Moscone West in time for WWDC, carrier swears it’s a happy accident
Posted by Gsurface
on June 8, 2012
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T-Mobile may be planning to deploy 1,900MHz HSPA+ across the whole of its network, but it sure has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. The carrier has confirmed that it just recently started testing the refarmed frequency for 3G in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West — you know, where a certain Apple conference will be taking place next week. While no one is realistically expecting Apple to unveil a T-Mobile iPhone deal at WWDC, the testing will conveniently let anyone with an iPhone on T-Mobile (whether international or US unlocked) get data at full blast while they’re learning about Xcode updates and Gatekeeper. A spokesperson tells 9to5 Mac that the expanded access is “just coincidental,” and we’re inclined to believe the statement. Just don’t be caught off guard if San Francisco is blanketed in 1,900MHz T-Mobile 3G by the time a new iPhone model swings around.
[Image credit: Scott Schiller, Flickr]
T-Mobile 1,900MHz 3G lights up Moscone West in time for WWDC, carrier swears it’s a happy accident originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 21:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sprint’s Android users get carrier billing in Google Play
Posted by Gsurface
on May 17, 2012
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American Android users started getting carrier billing in Google Play early this month through T-Mobile (and later AT&T), and now Sprint can join the party. Any app, book, music or video purchase can be tacked on to the monthly bill for your EVO 4G LTE instead of going through Google. The move leaves Verizon as the only major US carrier without a carrier billing option, so you’ll have to sit tight if you own the original US Galaxy Nexus and hate the thought of a separate download bill. We’ve also heard nothing about regional carriers being on the roadmap, but we’ll keep you posted.
Sprint’s Android users get carrier billing in Google Play originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Vodafone Buys Cable & Wireless For $1.7B, Gives Mobile Carrier Bigger Window On Enterprise, Broadband
Posted by Gsurface
on April 23, 2012
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Big news from the UK this morning: Vodafone, one of Europe’s biggest mobile operators, has made a formal offer to buy up the assets of Cable & Wireless for £1 billion ($ 1.7 billion), a deal that catapults Vodafone into running its own fixed line network in the UK and specifically will give it a much bigger view on to winning enterprise business — a big challenge to BT.
Cable & Wireless, once one of the biggest operators in Europe, has fallen on hard times more recently and has run through three chief executives since a restructuring in 2010.
TechCrunch
Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?
Posted by Gsurface
on April 8, 2012
No comments
We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from Is from MigFig who’s relocating to the five boroughs and is worried about his cellphone service. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
“Hi guys, I’m moving to NYC next month and wanted to know if I should stick with Sprint or switch carriers. I’m aware Sprint’s cheaper to AT&T and Verizon and I like unlimited plans. Thing is, coverage is spotty where I am right now, 3G is a joke (no 4G, either). Will this get better when I’m in the city or should I start shopping around for a new carrier? Thank you, Engadget!”
So, New York residing Engadgeteers, let’s tear up the cellphone coverage maps and tell us which one you can really trust when you’re wandering around mid-town. Chime in with your real-world experience down there in the comments section, where it’s nice and warm.
Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
How Your Mobile Carrier Decides Whether to Pamper You
Posted by Gsurface
on March 15, 2012
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Carriers are turning to sophisticated data analytics to give better service to high-paying customers.
The controversy over “data throttling” has drawn attention to the way mobile carriers manage their networks: they target heavy users—the ones with unlimited data plans—by slowing down data-transfer speeds after they hit a certain threshold.
Another European Carrier Goes VC: Orange Partners With Publicis, Iris In $400M Fund
Posted by Gsurface
on March 12, 2012
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Today sees the launch of one more venture capital fund backed by a large European telecoms carrier: Orange, the retail face of France Telecom, is teaming up with the advertising giant Publicis and Iris Capital Management to start OP Ventures Growth, a new $ 400-million-plus fund to back French and other European technology startups.
Orange and Publicis are contributing half of those funds, $ 200 million (€150 million) with the total to be used both for seed capital/early stage investments, as well as later rounds; and the deal will see the carrier and ad giant effectively become minority partners (24.5 percent each) in Iris.
The move underscores how the older guard of media and communications are continuing to invest to make sure that they, too, are in the thick of newer innovations — and they are using the vehicle of VC cash to get there. The move comes just a week after Telefonica also announced more startup activities — the launch of its Wayra incubator — and amidst reports that the Spanish carrier is gearing up, within days, to announce another significant investment in a startup.
TechCrunch
Leveraging Zong, PayPal Gets Serious About Mobile Carrier Payments
Posted by Gsurface
on February 27, 2012
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Back in July, PayPal shelled out over $ 200 million for payments platform Zong, as a way to boost mobile payments technology. As you may know, Zong lets you pay for things, particularly virtual goods online, via direct billing to your mobile phone. According to an announcement made by eBay today, PayPal is looking to make these mobile carrier payments more available for online merchants.
According to a blog post from Zong founder and PayPal Mobile VP David Marcus, PayPal is launching an initiative to help increase the usage of carrier payments. One of the main barriers to carrier payments are lofty carrier rates. Wireless carriers have charged roughly 30% to 40% to process transactions made via mobile phone accounts, making it very difficult for mobile payment companies like Zong and competitor Boku to scale beyond virtual goods.
Compact One V last to join HTC line up sans carrier
Posted by Gsurface
on February 26, 2012
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Of HTC’s three fresh new handsets, only the pint-sized One V lacks a carrier deal.
[Read more]
CNET News
Carrier Ethernet 2 Aims For Global Connectivity
Posted by Gsurface
on February 23, 2012
No comments
alphadogg provides this extract from Network World: “The Metro Ethernet Forum has updated its Carrier Ethernet specification, hoping to standardize the use of Ethernet for global multicarrier services. ‘With Carrier Ethernet 2, we’re expanding Quality-of-Service [QoS] well beyond best efforts, and will now allow carriers to interconnect to provide worldwide [Ethernet] service,’ said Bob Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet, during a Metro Ethernet Forum Web conference held Thursday to announce the specification. The forum introduced Carrier Ethernet in 2005 as a set of extensions that describe how data communications carriers should use Ethernet in a consistent manner. The new specification, Carrier Ethernet 2, establishes an additional set of rules.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Russian carrier gives $5,000 vacation to its most data hungry customer
Posted by Gsurface
on February 6, 2012
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Use more data, win more prizes. It may sound counterintuitive, but that’s exactly what Russian operator MegaFon is offering to its subscribers, as part of a curious 3G promotion. It all began back in November, when the provider announced a rather straightforward contest: customers who downloaded the most data with their 3G modems would be awarded prizes worth up to one million rubles (about $ 33,000), including a $ 5,000 vacation. According to Russian news site C News, MegaFon launched the campaign in order to showcase the expanse of its data network, which apparently covers more than 80 percent of northwestern Russia and offers speeds of up to 21Mbps. The promotion came to an official close on January 31st, with the coronation of a lucky winner who, over the course of a single week, managed to scarf down 419GB of data on the company’s 3G network. MegaFon didn’t offer usage statistics on the second and third place winners, nor did it say what they won for their efforts, if you wanna call them that.
Russian carrier gives $ 5,000 vacation to its most data hungry customer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Tucows Officially Launches Ting, A More Thoughtful Wireless Carrier
Posted by Gsurface
on February 2, 2012
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Tucows is probably best known for their slew of web services and their extensive reseller network, but CEO Elliot Noss sees room to grow in another space: mobile. After spending the past few months conducting a private beta for a hundred users, Tucows has officially opened up their Ting wireless service to all comers. The goal? To offer wireless customers “a whole different type of carrier relationship.”
“Big name carriers have services meant to maximize their profitability, not their service to customers,” Noss told me.
TechCrunch
Lawmaker pushes consumer notification bill in wake of Carrier IQ concerns
Posted by Gsurface
on January 31, 2012
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U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has proposed a bill that would require all phone companies to notify consumers of any user tracking and monitoring software in their cell phones.
Computerworld News
HTC And Sprint Working On Software Updates That Remove Carrier IQ
Posted by Gsurface
on January 17, 2012
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Most of the furor surrounding the Carrier IQ diagnostic software has wound down by now, but that doesn’t mean that the companies involved have already forgotten. HTC has confirmed to The Verge that they were working with Sprint to push out maintenance updates that would remove the Carrier IQ software from affected devices.
TechCrunch
Google’s Schmidt calls Carrier IQ software a keylogger
Posted by Gsurface
on December 9, 2011
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Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt today distanced his company from Carrier IQ’s software, even as he described the technology as a keylogger. Schmidt’s comments came at an Internet freedom conference in the Netherlands.
Computerworld News
Carrier IQ Not Alone: Most Smartphones Will Track You
Posted by Gsurface
on December 8, 2011
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AT&T Repeats As Lowest-Rated Wireless Carrier
Posted by Gsurface
on December 7, 2011
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redletterdave writes “Consumer Reports’ latest ratings survey of cell phone carriers revealed that Verizon Wireless scored the highest satisfaction score out of the four major U.S. service providers, earning particularly high grades for texting and data service. Verizon was followed closely by Sprint and T-Mobile USA, but all three companies earned scores lower overall than their figures from last year. AT&T was at the very bottom of the list for the second year in a row. While AT&T’s satisfaction score in 2011 wasn’t as bad as its score from 2010, the Dallas-based cell phone provider, which recently discontinued its bid to acquire its better rival T-Mobile, still ranked at the bottom of the pack. Last year, AT&T was the only carrier for the Apple iPhone, but still managed to receive the lowest scores.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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