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Sprint introduces Spark enhanced LTE, promises unprecedented speed, futuristic app support
Sprint may have lost 360,000 customers over the last quarter, but it's looking to stem that tide with the introduction of Sprint Spark, an enhanced LTE service it says will deliver "unprecedented speeds" to its cellphone users. The company demoed the service running at 1Gbps this morning, however, customers can expect "50-60 Megabits per second (Mbps) peak speeds today with increasing speed potential over time." Sprint says the service will not only enhance video and bandwidth-hogging apps, but says it's ready to take on virtual reality and "futuristic apps" -- whatever those might be. Spark is dependent on tri-band wireless devices, which are intended to seamlessly switch between Sprint's 800MHz, 1.9GHz and 2.5GHz cellular bands, depending on your location and which apps you're using. The rollout begins today with limited availability in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa and Miami, though Sprint promises to extend that service to 100 US cities by 2016. The first Spark-supported phones, Samsung's Galaxy Mega and Galaxy S 4 mini and LG's G2, will be available on Sprint's network on November 8th. Software updates for Samsungs' handsets will enable tri-band "shortly after launch," with a similar update scheduled for early 2014 for the G2. The HTC One Max will also support Spark, but Sprint has yet to announce availability. Update: This post originally listed tri-band support for all Spark-enabled handsets as November 8th.
Hurricane Sandy has knocked out 25 percent of all cell towers, cable services in 10 states
Julius Genachowski has revealed that Hurricane Sandy has knocked out a full quarter of cellphone towers and cable services in the 10 most affected states. The FCC chief believes that, as more towers expend their battery back-ups and the storm's continued presence, the situation's going to get worse before it gets better. He's also reiterated that users should avoid making non-essential calls and use e-mail or social media to avoid overloading the straining networks. One point of interest in the call, was that land line phone outages were much less widespread -- which might be something to remember if you've ever considered cutting the cord.
Ask Engadget: best NYC wireless carrier?
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.
NetZero launches '4G' wireless service, we go hands-on
Remember NetZero? Today the company announced that it's launching NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband, a wireless service rolling out in 80 US cities and offering value-priced monthly data plans without activation fees, contracts, commitments or overage charges. Customers can chose between two levels of service -- Lightspeed (up to 1Mbps down / 384Kbps up) to conserve data and Warpspeed (up to 10Mbps down / 1.5Mbps up) for maximum performance -- and can switch back and forth by simply logging into NetZero's website (this can take up to 15 minutes). Five monthly data plans are available: Free, $0, 200MB (limited to Lightspeed and limited to one year) Basic, $9.95, 500MB (limited to Lightspeed) Plus, $19.95, 1GB Pro, $34.95, 2GB Platinum, $49.95, 4GBTwo devices are offered -- the NetZero 4G Stick ($49.95 + shipping) is a Windows and OS X-compatible USB modem and the NetZero 4G Hotspot ($99.95 + shipping) is an eight device-capable WiFi hotspot with an LCD and a 2,200mAh battery.So far, so good -- NetZero is becoming an MVNO. Yet strangely, there's no mention in any of the PR as to which network the company is using. We test drove NetZero's new wireless service over the weekend using the WiFi hotspot and figured out that it's using Clearwire's WiMAX network. In fact NetZero's 4G Stick is identical to the Clear 4G Mobile USB modem (manufactured by Ubee), and its 4G Hotspot is the same as the Clear Spot Apollo (a rather bulky unit made by Gemtek)-- see the FCC links below and read on for our impressions after the break.
