Carriers

FreedomPop Calls for Mobile Revolution
June 07, 2013

Homing in on consumers' frustration with the escalating costs of wireless services, FreedomPop this week announced a mobile plan that offers voice, text and data -- for free. The FreedomPop service utilizes mobile VoIP on Sprint's cellular network. The company will offer a number of Android phones for purchase, or subscribers can use their own compatible phones.

Government Prying Into Verizon Customer Records Exposed
June 06, 2013

The National Security Agency reportedly has been collecting the phone records of millions of Verizon users in the United States under a secret court order. Specifically, Verizon has been required to provide an ongoing account of all telephone calls on its systems, including those inside the U.S. and between the U.S. and other countries.

No 'Big Yellow Duck' on Chinese Twitter
June 04, 2013

The anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 has prompted Chinese authorities to expand the list of words and phrases barred from Sina Weibo, the country's Twitter-like platform. This is par for the course in China, where in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 -- basically every year social media has been huge -- the Net police have exerted extra authority to squelch conversation about the event.

SoftBank, US Forge National Security Deal
May 30, 2013

SoftBank has reached a national security agreement with U.S. authorities, perhaps clearing the way for the Japanese company to purchase Sprint Nextel. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about potential ties between SoftBank and Chinese telecommunications firms like Huawei. Chinese telecoms drew the ire of Congress in late 2012, and security rhetoric has recently ratcheted up.

Mobile Industry Castigated for Limp Response to Cellphone Theft
May 03, 2013

The mobile industry isn't doing enough to prevent cellphone theft or to help its victims, critics allege. Theft of mobile devices is on the rise. In some cities, notably Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, it represents a significant portion of all robberies. Device manufacturers could offer tech solutions to help quickly trace devices or disable them once they are reported stolen.

Wall Street Gives New T-Mobile Thumbs-up
May 01, 2013

T-Mobile on Wednesday announced that it had completed its merger with MetroPCS. The new company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "TMUS," ringing in a new start for the No. 4 U.S. mobile carrier. The merger gives T-Mobile an additional 9 million subscribers, for a total of 43 million.

MetroPCS Shareholders Bless T-Mobile Union
April 25, 2013

T-Mobile can breathe a sigh of relief: After an initial show of reluctance by MetroPCS Communication investors, 80 percent approved its sale to T-Mobile at a special shareholder meeting held on Wednesday. T-Mobile reportedly sweetened its bid for the company to bring on board those shareholders who felt the original offer undervalued MetroPCS.

Q1 Wireless Gains Can't Help AT&T Chase Down Verizon
April 24, 2013

AT&T slightly missed analyst expectations on its first quarter earnings report this week, despite solid growth on the wireless data side of the business and record smartphone sales. The company reported net income of $3.7 billion, a slight increase from the $3.6 billion it reported a year earlier. At $31.34 billion, revenues were down 1.4 percent from the previous year.

Aussie Police Nab Possible Lulzsec Ringleader
April 24, 2013

Police in Australia have arrested a 24-year-old who claims to be a high-level member of the international hacking collective Lulzsec. The IT worker was charged with two counts of unauthorized modification of data and one count of unauthorized access to/modification of restricted data. In other words, he attacked and defaced a government website.

Verizon May Have Finagled a Less Taxing Way to Buy Out Vodafone
April 19, 2013

Verizon Communications, which posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on the performance of its wireless business, has increased the pressure on Vodafone Group to sell its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless. The sale would give Verizon Communications full control of the largest mobile carrier in the United States. "There has been a lot of speculation about the tax consequences of a purchase of this 45 percent," noted Verizon CFO Francis Shammo.

Preparing for a Disaster: Keeping Communications Alive
April 19, 2013

Disaster communications tech has become a hot topic, spurred in part by last fall's Hurricane Sandy, where major swaths of New York City were rendered without some business-level communications such as those provided by cell networks. Just how does a business approach mid- to long-term communications continuity in the event of a natural disaster?

Wireless: Fertile Ground for Wheeling and Dealing
April 18, 2013

Thanks to countless conversations with reporters, I have developed a crystal clear idea of why Dish Network and SoftBank want to acquire Sprint Nextel. It has less to do with wireless carrier ambitions, and much more to do with the future -- being leaders in a new space that's still largely under the radar. When wireless took off, it is was all about voice calls. Then the industry realized if it wanted to continue strong growth, it had to be about more.

Dish Stirs the Pot With $25B Sprint Bid
April 16, 2013

Dish Network set up a battle with SoftBank for ownership of Sprint after it bid $25.5 billion for the company on Monday. The bid consists of $17.3 billion in cash and $8.2 billion in stock. That works out to a combined premium of 13 percent over what SoftBank is offering. The merger will create an industry-leading spectrum portfolio, Dish Network said.

It's Time for Aereo to Soar
April 04, 2013

Aereo streams television over the Internet for a fee -- so far only in the New York City region. Its expected rapid rollout has not happened over the past year. Why? One reason is that Aereo was being sued by various broadcasters. However, the decision handed down this week from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals looks good for Aereo.

Tibet-Documentary Filmmakers Draw Ire of Chinese Hackers
April 01, 2013

Members of a film crew working on State of Control, a documentary about Tibet, are convinced that the Chinese government is behind cyberattacks on their computers. They've been faced with unknown parties taking external control over a computer's cursor; abrupt log-offs; at least one fried operating system; and DDoS attacks.

T-Mobile's No-Contract Revolution
March 28, 2013

When new T-Mobile CEO John Legere was trash-talking the cellular service competition by characterizing their contract plans as "bullsh*t," it took me a couple of days to realize there was far more to his new no-contract iPhone plan than gleeful profanity. T-Mobile is the last of the big four U.S. cellular service companies to offer the iPhone.

T-Mobile Finally Gets Some Respect
March 26, 2013

After six years of watching helplessly as competing providers basked in the iPhone's glory, T-Mobile is going to start offering the coveted device as well. The carrier made the much-anticipated announcement at an event Tuesday morning, where it also revealed plans to step up its 4G network rollout. The announcement about the iPhone, though, was the headliner.

FCC Chair Genachowski Calls It Quits
March 22, 2013

Julius Genachowski said Friday that he is stepping down as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, a post he has held since 2009. During his tenure, Genachowski faced a number of important issues, including media consolidation, cable and telecom industry competition and cooperation -- and, most notably, a sharp debate over broadband spectrum.

T-Mobile Deal's Fate Now in MetroPCS Investors' Hands
March 13, 2013

Following Tuesday's final approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, the focus now shifts to some MetroPCS shareholders who have raised last-minute objections to their proposed merger with T-Mobile. The wireless carriers announced the deal in October, claiming it would create a "bigger, better, bolder" network that would keep the T-Mobile name.

BlackBerry Z10 May Arrive With a Lot of ZZZs
March 11, 2013

There may be a big red circle around March 22 on the calendars in BlackBerry's offices. That is when it will release its Z10 handset in the U.S., widely regarded as a do-or-die effort. The new touchscreen-enabled device will be available from AT&T for pre-order on March 12. The BlackBerry Z10 will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract and will be the first BlackBerry handset to operate on the carrier's 4G LTE network.