Wireless Federation

AT&T’s LTE service expected to begin in Chicago (USA)

On 09.01.11, In Mobile Operators, By Editor

AT&T, the second largest carrier in the U.S., had planned to introduce its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network by this summer, but subscribers are still waiting for its official launch. However, sources claim that it may be possible to connect to an AT&T LTE service in Chicago by using the company’s terminal devices – the Momentum 4G dongle and the Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G.

According to reports, presently the network coverage available delivers a download speed of around 13Mbps and an upload speed of 2Mbps, similar to the real world speeds available on Verizon Wireless. Rumours suggest that the Samsung Impulse 4G will be the first LTE enabled smartphone to appear in the network.

T-Mobile USA begins to offer 42Mbps download speed

On 03.22.11, In Mobile, By Editor

T-Mobile USA has announced that it has upgraded its HSPA network in selected areas to support a peak-rate download speed of up to 42Mbps. T-Mobile customers in Las Vegas, New York and Orlando, will be the first in the country to experience the increased speed, followed closely by Chicago and further expansion of the New York network.

By mid-year, T-Mobile expects 140 million Americans in 25 markets to have access to increased mobile download speeds.

According to Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile USA, as T-Mobile continues the aggressive expansion of America’s largest 4G network, they are doubling their maximum speed in more than two dozen markets, starting with three important cities today. They will continue to build on their 4G network advantage this year, providing customers with an industry-leading mobile data experience.

As T-Mobile’s 4G network continues to expand and become faster, the company’s portfolio of 4G products is also growing. T-Mobile has announced plans to deliver 25 HSPA+ capable devices this year and this spring will introduce seven new 4G-capable devices.

According to Cole Brodman, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile USA, access to mobile content is central to the experience on a vast and growing number of consumer devices, exponentially increasing the demand for fast 4G mobile broadband connections. In fact, data traffic on T-Mobile’s network is quadrupled year over year.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 42Mbps • 4G • America • Chicago • chief technology officer • HSPA • Las Vegas • Neville Ray • New York • operator • Orlando • T-Mobile • T-Mobile USA • USA

AT&T introduces ShopAlert to offer special deals on mobile (US)

On 03.02.11, In Mobile, By Editor

US mobile phone carrier AT&T has launched a new location-based ad service, called ShopAlert, to allow customers receive text ads promoting special deals whenever they are near a participating store.

ShopAlert, the free opt-in service, will send retail coupons & rewards to customers in four US cities- New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

Developed with Placecast, the new service has been launched with the backing of Kmart, JetBlue Airways Corporation, SC Johnson, Hewlett-Packard, Kibbles â€˜n Bits and the like.

According to researchers, this is part of a larger push to regain relevance with consumers. The carriers are determined to regain some of the ground lost over the past years.

According to Senior Vice President Greg McCastle, of AT&T Advanced Ad Solutions, the service would also be rolled out in other US cities if it attains desired feedback from brands and customers.

Currently, the mobile ads business is comparatively petite, but it is growing at an unprecedented rate. As per researcher estimates, the US mobile ads business will be worth $1.1 billion in 2011.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: AT&T • Chicago • Hewlett Packard • JetBlue Airways Corporation • Kibbles â€˜n Bits • Kmart • location-based ad service • Los Angeles • Mobile • mobile phone carrier • New York • Placecast • San Francisco • SC Johnson • Senior Vice President Greg McCastle • ShopAlert • special deals • text ads • the like • U.S

Miami, New York and LA top the stolen phone charts in the US

On 02.09.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Miami, New York and Los Angeles have become a hub for cell phone theft in the USA, according to a survey. The survey found that 36% of US consumers have become victim to cell phone loss or theft.

In the survey, Miami is claimed as the city with the highest rate of cell phone loss or theft against the 20 most populated cities in the U.S. In fact, over half (52%) of respondents in Miami have experienced cell phone loss/theft. New York and Los Angeles were at the second and third slot in the survey with 49% and 44% of respondents experiencing loss/theft respectively.

Frustration was the most dominant feeling that consumers experienced when their mobile phone was lost or stolen, likely because 87% could neither remotely lock nor remotely wipe their phone’s memory afterwards and more than half (54 percent) of all smartphone users did not password protect their phones. An overwhelming majority of respondents contacted their mobile service provider to resolve the situation as the first step and ultimately reported that it cost an average of $125.30 to resolve.

Top 20 US Cities For Cell Phone Loss/Theft:

1. Miami – 52%
2. New York- 49%
3. Los Angeles- 44%
4. Phoenix- 41%
5. Sacramento- 41%
6. Chicago- 40%
7. Dallas- 39%
8. Houston- 37%
9. Philadelphia- 36%
10. Tampa- 36%
11. Cleveland- 36%
12. Boston- 35%
13. San Francisco- 35%
14. Atlanta- 34%
15. Orlando- 34%
16. Denver- 34%
17. Washington DC- 31%
18. Seattle- 31%
19. Detroit- 31%
20. Minneapolis – 29%

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Boston • cell phone loss • Chicago • Cleveland • Dallas • Denver • Detroit • Houston • Los Angeles • Miami • Minneapolis • Mobile • New York • Orlando • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Sacramento • San Francisco Atlanta • Seattle • Tampa • theft • USA • Washington DC

Huawei sues Motorola over unit sale

On 01.25.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Huawei Technologies Co. has sued Motorola claiming that it would improperly transfer the Chinese company’s intellectual property.

Motorola has since split into two companies, agreed in July to sell the bulk of its network-equipment business to Nokia Siemens Networks for $1.2 billion.

In a suit filed Monday in federal court in Chicago, Huawei has asked a judge to hold up the sale until its intellectual property claim can go through arbitration.

According to Nokia Siemens previous statements, Motorola’s deal with Nokia Siemens, originally expected to close last year, has been delayed into the current quarter, as the antitrust arm of China’s Ministry of Commerce reviews the transaction. Huawei was among the companies that explored buying the business.

According to the Chinese company, Motorola has sold rebranded Huawei equipment since 2000; and Huawei argues the Nokia Siemen’s deal would turn its technology over to one of its biggest competitors.

According to Bill Plummer, Vice President of External Affairs for Huawei, the company has had a 10 year agreement with Motorola but they have no agreement that allows them to deliver their intellectual property to any third party.

As per Huawei, it signed deals under which Motorola rebranded and sold $878 million worth of Huawei technology over roughly the past decade. The technology involves equipment for GSM network technology, as well as for advanced UMTS networks, that Motorola sold in markets including China, Russia and Ukraine. The agreements require that disputes be settled through arbitration at a tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Bill Plummer • Chicago • China • federal court • GSM • Huawei Technologies Co • intellectual property • International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva • Mobile • Motorola • Nokia Siemens Networks • Russia • Ukraine • UMTS networks • Vice President of External Affairs

Sprint launches 4G in San Francisco (USA)

On 12.29.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Sprint Nextel has launched its WiMAX network in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service will initially be available in San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto and Oakland. Nationwide the WiMAX network is available in 71 markets across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City.

According to Matt Carter, President-Sprint 4G, the Bay Area is responsible for creating so much new technology and today they are bringing the power of 4G to their customers in that region who are hungry for fast mobile broadband. The introduction of Sprint 4G will be a great asset for this area, and they encourage customers to try it by using one of their well-regarded 4G mobile devices.

Sprint first launched its 4G network in Baltimore in September 2008.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 4G • Atlanta • Boston • Chicago • Dallas • Los Angeles • Mobile • New York City • Palo Alto • San Francisco • San Jose • Sprint • USA • WiMAX network

Verizon reveals Plans for 4G Network

On 10.14.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Verizon Wireless has unveiled plans for the release of its faster and futuristic mobile device Internet service.

Verizon was trying to improve and increase its cellular infrastructure to make its network available in over 38 cities in the United States with the help of its 4G data network. The plan is expected be completed by the end of this year. The cities to be covered include Los Angeles, California; New York; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Francisco, California.

The 4G wireless network of the company is capable of transmitting data ten times quicker than the 3G signal. The 4G network of Verizon is expected to be faster than T-Mobile’s HSPA+ and Sprint’s 4G networks. On the other hand, AT&T has admitted they would launch their 4G service in 2011.

The continuous efforts of all wireless carriers to offer faster networks have been the result of the consumers’ increasing demand for smartphones, which have the ability to download apps, stream music and video, and exchange photos.

According to the new Chief Operating Officer of Verizon Communications, Lowell McAdam, the company was excited and proud to be the first to launch a 4G network. They had waited for years to finally offer their customers the chance to use the best in wireless network.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 38 cities • 3G • 4G Network • AT&T • Atlanta • California • Chicago • Georgia • HSPA • Illinois • internet service • Los Angeles • Mobile • New York • San Francisco • T-Mobile • United States • Verizon

Twentieth Century Fox SMS campaign violates law, says Federal Court

On 04.09.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

Twentieth Century Fox potentially violated federal law by allegedly sending consumers unsolicited text messages marketing DVDs of the film “Robots,” a federal judge has ruled.

Interestingly, last month a Chicago court held that SMS messages that are sent without the consumer’s consent could violate the TCPA. Consent is absolutely essential for SMS marketing.

According to Gonzalo E. Mon, attorney at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, the TCPA generally prohibits the use of an automatic telephone dialing system to place calls to a mobile number without the prior express consent of the recipient.

In his opinion, an ATDS is equipment that has the capacity to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator and to dial such numbers.

As per the court, it is not necessary to prove that the sender actually used the equipment’s automatic capacity, only that the equipment had that capacity.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: ATDS • Chicago • Essar • Fox • Gonzalo • Mobile • phone • SMS • TCPA

Nokia acquires Novarra

On 03.29.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

Novarra, the mobile browser and service platform from Chicago has been acquired by Nokia. According to Nokia, the company will use Novarra’s platform to deliver enhanced Internet experiences on Nokia mobile devices.

In the opinion of Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President, Services, Nokia, connecting the next billion consumers to the Internet will happen primarily on mobile devices and the mission of the company is to deliver an optimized internet experience on their devices.

The company is driving innovation in all segments of their portfolio in order to build one of the largest consumer audiences for web services and content.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: Chicago • Nokia • RIM

Chicago court rules TCPA applies to SMS

On 03.22.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

According to a federal district court in Chicago the SMS messages that are sent to consumers without their consent could violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The decision reminds of the conclusions in the previous Ninth Circuit opinion and underscores the importance of getting express consent from consumers before sending SMS messages.

According to Gonzalo E. Mon, attorney at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Washington, mobile marketers would be well-advised to get express consent before sending text messages to consumers. Without the consent of the consumer, the marketers are likely to face complains, lawsuits and significant settlement costs.

In the last few years there has been a considerable rise in the number of people filing lawsuits against companies that failed to get consent from consumers before sending them text messages.

The primary law in the US which is governing the conduct of telephone solicitations is TCPA and it restricts the use of automatic dialing systems, artificial or prerecorded voice messages SMS text messages received by mobile phones and the use of fax machines to send unsolicited advertisements.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: Chicago • fax • LLP • Mobile • Mobile Phone • phone • RIM • TCPA • Telephone • Washington