Meter plans to be implemented by Verizon Wireless
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Metered plans are likely to be put in place eventually by Verizon Wireless. According to Verizon Wireless chief technology officer Dick Lynch, flat-based usage encourages customers to be efficient in use and applications.
But there are some people who are bandwidth hogs using gigabytes a month and they are paying something like megabytes a month. This unlimited data is not sustainable in the long run.
As soon as the Long Term Evolution network starts working, a general data access fee would be charged by the company. After this, usage-based model will be used to calculate monthly bills.
Wireless business model unlikely to be affected by Nexus One
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Wireless business model of carrier-device monogamy in the US is unlikely to break up by the selling of Nexus One smartphone directly to consumers by Google. According to Allen Nogee, principal analyst at In-Stat, the operators would continue to have control not only because of pricing and subsidization but also because they all use different frequencies and technologies.
The fairly limited spectrum in the US could also be blamed for the scenario. Nexus One is incompatible with 1900 MHz band used by Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint for their 3G networks. Unlocked or carrier-neutral Nexus One cost $529 when bought directly from Google.
T-Mobile contract on the other hand cuts that down to $179 and guarantees the phone will work on its network.
Usage-based pricing for LTE network eyed by Verizon
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to Verizon wireless, the flat-rate plans may soon become a matter of past at least for its coming LTE mobile broadband network. The new network will be capable of running all kinds of devices, as well as multiple devices in one household.
A base rate will be charged by the company instead of flat rate, for its users allowing multiple authenticated devices to be attached to its network. The company will then charge as per the business model known as usage-based pricing in which the user will pay on the basis of the amount of bandwidth used.
According to the CTO of the company, Dick Lynch, it’s an open development initiative encouraging third-party developers to deploy devices on Verizon’s network.
Verizon’s LTE markets have already been launched in Boston and Seattle but they are still not ready for the customers.
App store to be launched, says Verizon Wireless
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: As an answer to the wildly successful Apple App Store for the iPhone, Verizon Wireless is all set to launch its own branded app store.
According to Verizon’s director of business development, Todd Murphy, the carrier’s VCast Application Store would initially be provided to five of the carrier’s BlackBerry Smartphone: the Storm 1 and 2, the Curve 1 and 2, and the BlackBerry Tour.
Initially the company had announced about its application store intentions in July and had promised to launch it by the fourth quarter of the last year. However after that Murphy indicated about the delay in the launch to ensure that the store contained enough applications to make it worthwhile.
Currently, the carrier has 3500 developers registered into its program and thousands of application concepts for its store. The application store would be initially available for Blackberry devices and later on in the middle of the year would launch on Windows Mobile devices.
T-Mobile UK, 3UK in discussion to sell Google’s Nexus One
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Confirming the discussion over the sale of Google’s first own-branded Android smartfone, Nexus One, in the UK, the spokesmen of T-Mobile and 3 UK informed that the companies will be making a formal announcement soon.
According to the Head of Internet services at 3UK, David Kerrigan, T-mobile is a great internet phone and the company expects plenty of people to import it to UK.
On Tuesday Google launched Nexus One, its new Android powered and HTC made handset. Nexus one will be available to consumers directly from Google unlike other Smartphone’s running the Internet giant’s mobile OS.
In US, SIM- free Nexus One is available for $529 and for $179 on T- Mobile USA. A CDMA version of the phone is also heading to Verizon Wireless, while Vodafone will offer the device in Europe from spring 2010. Vodafone is yet to announce the launch date however a spokesman of the company informed that it will offer the Nexus One to UK consumer first.
Meanwhile O2 UK stated that it had no plans to sell Nexus One. Despite Google was offering to ship Nexus One SIM-free internationally, O2 did not sound keen on the idea.
Palm WebOS to be supported by AT&T in 2010
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Two Palm devices will be supported by AT&T in the first half of the year. Palm is expected to officially announce devices for Verizon Wireless as well.
The company has enjoyed the mild success of its Pre and Pixi at Sprint Nextel Corp. last year and is expecting a considerable boost as country’s two largest wireless carriers are backing it.
According to Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T Mobility, operation of the Palm devices on their network will give the customers a better 3G experience. Palm devices in addition to five Android devices expected in the first half of the year was also announced by the company. Initially, Android phone made by Dell Inc would be sold by AT&T.
Nexus One smartphone unveiled by Google
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Nexus One, Google’s first mobile phone has been launched by the company along with its own web store to market the device. The online cost of the device will be USD 529 while a subsidized version for USD 179 will be offered by T-Mobile USA with a two-year service plan.
The CDMA version of the phone developed by Google will be soon offered by Verizon Wireless in the US. Besides, the handset will also be launched shortly in the UK and other European markets in 2010.
Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and a 3.7-inch Amoled touch screen are some of the exclusive features of HTC made Nexus One. Besides, this 130g, 11.5mm phone also features a 5 megapixel camera with auto zoom, GPS, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, a 4GB memory card expandable to 32 GB, trackball navigation, HSPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Android 2.1 operating system runs the phone along with the full range of Google services installed, access to the Google Market, speech recognition for voice commands and integrated messaging and contacts list.
Online orders will be taken from the US, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore initially and the company plans expand its web store to more countries in future.
Smartphones costlier: Verizon tells FCC
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to break service contracts for smart phones, Verizon Wireless has doubled the fees on the customers. According to Verizon, the difference between what it pays manufacturers for phones and what it
charges contract customers is more than twice as large for smart phones as it is for standard cell phones.
The explanation was given after Federal Communications Commission asked the carrier to tell the reason behind doubling the maximum early termination fee for smart phones to $350 from $175. Earlier, Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said the FCC needs to increase its oversight of the wireless industry and improve its enforcement of consumer protection rules.
Smartphones takes more time for sales and customer service workers to help customers understand advanced features and functions on the handsets, thereby increasing the cost. Verizon has also been inquired by FCC about $1.99-a-megabyte data access fees that have appeared on the bills of customers who don’t have data plans but who accidentally initiate data access by pressing a button on their phones.
In reply, Verizon has said when customer starts using a data service but then quickly shuts it off, the fees is not charged.
Bing becomes the default search engine of Verizon’s Blackberries
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Wikipedia and Google would be replaced by Bing as the default search engine on some of the Blackberry smartphones of Verizon Wireless under a search agreement inked between Verizon and Microsoft in January.
According to Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson, in order to use the search engine of their choice, the subscribers will have to simply type in the URL of the search engine they prefer, mark it as a “favorite” and *SNAP* . The carrier’s action covers several BlackBerry models and the update affects the devices’ Web browser.
The change was first noticed by CrackBerry.com when the users of the site reported Microsoft’s Bing as the only available search provider. However, a cursory test showed that Google and other options as still available.
Earlier, Verizon Wireless in July remotely pushed the Slacker Radio application to subscribers toting the BlackBerry Storm.
Verizon introduces Wi-Fi service
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Wi-Fi service for mobile broadband customers has been unveiled by Verizon Wireless to access thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional charges. Besides, the customers can also move from the 3G network to those hotspots.
Customers can use VZAccess Manager to connect with a Wi-Fi-enabled notebook or netbook computer within the range of a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot. They can switch back to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, if they want the added security of the Verizon Wireless network.
In order to use Verizon Wi-Fi, customers are required to have VZAccess Manager Version 7.2 or higher installed on their PCs.
The service will be available across the USA including airports, bookstores, coffee shops, hotels and other public locations and also in Canada and Mexico.
