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Cincinnati Bell rolls out HSPA+ service, speeds past other 4G competition
Regional carriers don't often get to brag about their accomplishments. It's even rarer that their services best a handful of wireless industry titans, but Cincinnati Bell's managed to do both with its recent rollout of 4G service. Available to subscribers in the Greater Cincinnati area, the operator's HSPA+ offers download speeds up to 10Mbps -- that's twice as fast as T-Mobile's similar network, as well as 4G from Sprint and AT&T. If you've got an AWS-capable HSPA+ smartphone lying around -- like the HTC Sensation -- now would be the time to unlock it. And don't worry about having a limited service area, the carrier's inked deals with national wireless operators to ensure you cruise the 4G wave even while you roam. To get you hooked on the speedy new service, Cincinnati Bell's offering a limited time 'buy one, get one' for the Huawei Ascend X 4G (say that three times fast). Sure, the Froyo handset may not be the envy of high-end, dual-core Android purists, but its 1GHz Snapdragon processor will do -- until the operator expands its offerings, that is. Celebratory press release after the break.
AT&T launches USBConnect Force 4G USB modem, offers it for zilch on contract
You'd better be darn sure AT&T's data service is solid in your neck of the woods before making the leap, but if you've managed to survive this long sans a USB WWAN dongle... well, here's your chance to grow that much more connected to your inbox. Ma Bell has just issued its latest USB modem, the USBConnect Force 4G. Priced at a downright delicious $0.00 with a two-year contract (or $89.99 straight-up), the Huawei-built stick supports the carrier's "4G" (read: HSPA+) services and offers a microSD slot for good measure. Interestingly, AT&T's allowing users to buy this with post-paid and prepaid options, and of course, data roaming's available in over 200 nations for those insane enough to pay for it. If you're going post-paid, you'll get 5GB of data for $50 / month, while prepaid buyers can select 100MB for $15 (day package), 300MB for $30 (weekly package) or 1GB for $50 (month package). It'll operate with both Mac and PC platforms, and should be on store shelves by July 17th.
Rep. Eshoo intros 4G disclosure act, hopes to turn consumers into techies
We're gonna shoot from the hip here -- wireless carriers have gotten a little out-of-hand with their 4G marketing. Even industry standard setter, the ITU, can't figure out a way to keep the story straight. This consumer disinformation loop is exactly what Rep. Anna Eshoo plans to undo with her "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act." Like its title says, the bill would force carriers to be absolutely, unfalteringly crystal clear on minimum data speeds, network reliability, accessible coverage maps, and, of course, the technology being used. Think the T-Mobile girl can handle that in thirty seconds? We didn't think so, either. Retailers tried a similar consumer hand-holding effort during the DTV transition, although that came without a regulatory shove. Hit the source for legalese in all its undisturbed glory, and while you wait for Uncle Sam to act, you can clear up any lingering confusion by diving into our primer. [Image credit via Going WiMax]
Cisco Cius on AT&T: crystal clear corporate communication coming this fall
Cisco's Cius hopped on Big Red's bandwagon a few months back, and now it's bringing its high-def corporate communications skills to AT&T. And not only will Ma Bell be selling the seven-inch slate, its AT&T Foundry division will make business-friendly apps for the device. Don't go bugging the bossman for one just yet, however, as the Cius won't be riding AT&T's waves of 4G HSPA+ until this fall. PR's after the break.
Sierra Wireless intros dual-carrier HSPA+ / LTE AirCard 753S and 754S, with 319U and 320U in tow
Thanks to Verizon's blowout at CES, we've already been treated to a couple of LTE-friendly mobile hotspots from the likes of Samsung and Novatel Wireless, but Sierra Wireless is joining the crowd here at Mobile World Congress. The outfit has just revealed its two newest mobile hotpots, the AirCard 754S and 753S. The former supports dual-carrier LTE, while the latter handles dual-carrier HSPA+, enabling up to five WiFi devices to surf on either of the fastest two mobile superhighways. We're told that the 753S can hit downlink rates as high as 42Mbps (and upload rates near 5.76Mbps) on a DC-HSPA+ network, while the 754S can reach 100Mbps (down) / 50Mbps (up) while operating on an LTE network. Both of these are right around the size of a deck of cards, and no software installation is required to get 'em working. There's also an integrated LCD that provides a look at WiFi access information, battery life, network signal strength, and the number of devices connected, with audible alerts and a web admin interface available as well. The duo is expected to ship at some point during 2011's second quarter, but there's no news yet on which (if any) carriers will be picking them up. Moving right along, Canada's own Telus will be offering yet another new one from Sierra Wireless this March: the AirCard 319U USB modem, a device we recently spotted in the FCC's database. This one promises download speeds of up to 42Mbps and upload speeds approaching 5.76Mbps, with a swiveling design that allows the body of the modem to be tucked up against the side of the notebook and protects it from being damaged by accidental bumps. The LTE-friendly AirCard 320U is the USB version of the 754S hotspot shown above, with an articulating and pivoting hinge that works with the widest possible variety of USB port placements, and if all goes well, it'll ship during Q2 2011 for an undisclosed rate. Sierra plans on having Mac and PC support for the whole lot, and we'll be digging for details surrounding price and availability. %Gallery-116575%
Qualcomm ships dual-mode Gobi3000 WWAN chip, intros LTE / HSPA+ chipsets galore
Qualcomm just refined the term "blowout" here at Mobile World Congress. It's obviously a critical show for the wireless supplier, and while the 2.5GHz Snapdragon CPU is the undisputed highlight, there's quite a bit of chipset action worth paying attention to if you'd prefer that your next handset / mobile hotspot be capable of handling the world's most advanced network technologies. First off, there's the Gobi3000 modules, which Qualcomm just announced were shipping en masse. Compared to the Gobi2000 that has been infiltrating laptops and MiFi devices for the past year, this one doubles the HSPA downlink speed and enhances the Gobi common application programming interface (API) functionality for enterprise applications. The design supports single-mode (UMTS) and multi-mode designs (CDMA / UMTS), and should be popping up soon in devices from Huawei, Novatel Wireless, Option, Sierra Wireless and ZTE. Next up are the MDM9625 and MDM9225 chipsets, which are designed to support LTE data rates as high as 150Mbps within mobile broadband devices. These guys are fabricated using the 28nm technology node, and are backwards compatible with previous generations of LTE and other wireless broadband standards, giving consumers using USB modems powered by the MDM9625 or MDM9225 chipsets an uninterrupted broadband data connection on nearly any network around the world. These are being launched alongside the MDM9615 and MDM8215, which are similar chips designed to support multi-mode LTE and dual-carrier HSPA+, respectively. As for the MDM8225? That's being released today to support HSPA+ Release 9 (the latest version, obviously), which will support 84Mbps on the downslope (not to mention dual-carrier HSUPA operation) and should fit into at least a couple of T-Mobile USA devices by 2012. Finally, Qualcomm has nailed down a deal that'll enable all future Snapdragon-powered Android devices to "have access to instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix." Just sounds like a pre-loaded installation to us, but hey, we'll take all the optimization we can get when it comes to streaming video on the mobile.
RIM BlackBerry 4G PlayBook tablet now in delicious LTE and HSPA+ flavors (updated)
Count 'em, because RIM has now announced four varieties of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. As of today, we've got the PlayBook with WiFi + LTE and WiFi + HSPA+ models joining the previously announced PlayBook with WiFi and PlayBook with WiFi + WiMax. As such, there's a pretty good chance that your carrier will have a 7-inch dual-core PlayBook with the QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS on offer at some point in the future, no matter how it chooses to define "4G." Unfortunately, RIM says that its LTE and HSPA+ models won't be coming until the second half of 2011. Update: RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie was particularly chatty after the announcement of the new 4G PlayBook models. The takeaway is that RIM expects to price that BlackBerry tablet at less than $500 (WiFi-only model, presumably) -- much less with any carrier subsidies. He's also expecting to followup the Sprint deal in the US with similar signings of AT&T and Verizon Wireless. "All of our carrier partners want [PlayBook]," said Balsillie, referencing the 580 carrier partners that RIM enjoys in 165 countries. While Balsillie refused to comment on the PlayBook's rumored ability to run Android apps, he did confirm that RIM's new tablet was on track for a March or April release.
Samsung's Galaxy S 4G for T-Mobile going for $149 at Walmart
It may be a Vibrant with Froyo, a front-facing camera and a thing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but it's still downright enviable when you consider the Galaxy S 4G's innate support for 21Mbps downloads. As of today, neither Samsung nor T-Mobile USA have been perfectly clear about how much they'd be demanding for this guy, but thanks to a leaked pricing sheet from Walmart, it looks as if it'll be a solid $50 less than most new smartphones. Those who waltz into Wally World later this month will be able to take one home for $148.88 with a two-year service agreement, or if you're the No Strings Attached kind of individual, $650. Ah, the choices we're saddled with.
T-Mobile's upcoming HSPA+ WWAN offerings get leaked, comical codenames revealed
It's been a hot minute since the folks at T-Mobile have introduced a new USB WWAN modem, but if the document above is to be believed, that could be changing in short order. As the Jet ages, it looks like a few others -- codenamed Kitty Hawk, Washington and Wayne -- could be swooping in to take things from here. The former is rumored to hit shelves in March, offering HSPA+ speeds of 21Mbps and the ability to solve most of the world's problems. As for Washington? That'll be T-Mob's first USB modem to offer HSPA+ speeds approaching 42Mbps, and if all goes well, this guy will also splash down next month. Moving on, there's a pair of Waynes that'll serve as the carrier's first mobile hotspots, enabling five WiFi-enabled devices to mooch off of a 21Mbps (Lil' Wayne) or 42Mbps (Big Wayne) connection. Here's hoping T-Mobile does the smart thing and sticks with the codenames -- the marketing exec in us just knows it's the right thing to do.
Motorola's Atrix 4G coming to AT&T on March 6th for $200, bundled with Laptop Dock for $500
Don't ever say Ma Bell lacks cahones. On the same day that existing Verizon customers began pre-ordering the CDMA'd iPhone 4, AT&T has come clean with what's next on America's largest GSM network. While announced at CES 2011, pricing and release information had eluded the luscious Atrix 4G... until now, that is. AT&T will begin pre-sales for the Froyo-powered Motorola Atrix 4G Android superphone on February 13th, with the standard $199.99 + two-year contract ($50 more than we were led to believe, mind you) getting one into your grubby mitts. We're told to expect general availability on March 6th "or earlier," putting it just about in line with the date we'd heard rumored. Moreover, those looking to buy will should have a difficult time laying off of the Laptop Dock bundle, which nets you an Atrix 4G as well as a $499.99 dock for the grand total of $499.99 on contract. You heard right -- those who opt to buy the dock at a later time will be asked to shell out five Benjamins, whereas that same tally on day one will also include the phone. It should be noted, however, that the bundle only applies if you also sign your name to a Data Pro plan and tethering add-on, so be sure you're down for that monthly hit before committing in haste. Oh, and just in case you simply can't stop spending, the carrier is also offering an Entertainment Access Kit for Atrix 4G customers which includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and a remote control for $189.99.
Ericsson does HSPA+ plus some, achieves 168Mbps downloads
Back in 2009, we squealed like giddy schoolgirls when the hotshots over at Ericsson crushed standard HSPA+ speeds with 56Mbps downloads, but even then we wondered if the standard would last much longer. Two years later, HSPA+ is still around and Ericsson is still crushing records -- three records, to be exact. At a recent demonstration in Stockholm, the company showed off multi-carrier HSPA with 168Mbps downlinks and 24Mbps uplinks, dual-carrier HSPA with peak speeds of 84Mbps, and single-carrier HSPA sporting 42Mbps. We'll admit, we're impressed, but considering Korean researchers have hit speeds of 600Mbps on LTE, we're afraid we won't be busting out the Cristal for this one. Ericsson expects to roll out single-carrier HSPA with 42Mbps and dual-carrier HSPA with 84Mbps sometime later this year.
Qik integrates deeply into myTouch 4G's hardware, Android contact book
Surely you've heard of Qik by now, right? It's most closely linked to Sprint's EVO 4G, but it looks as if the video calling service is now siding with another "4G" carrier: T-Mobile USA. Shortly after T-Mob tossed off the gloves and proclaimed to be "America's largest 4G carrier," Qik has come forward with an interesting tidbit about the newfangled myTouch 4G. According to it, the "integrated T-Mobile Video Chat powered by Qik will be the first to offer integration into the native Android address book with the benefit of indicating live presence allowing customers to connect with friends and family through live video conversations and video messaging over T-Mobile's network and WiFi." We're even assured that T-Mobile Video Chat will offer "dramatically improved video quality and frame rates compared to other video calling solutions on the marketplace through deep hardware integration," and users can even see if folks in their contact book are able to video chat at a glance -- no trial and error necessary. We'll be testing this stuff out in our upcoming myTouch 4G review, but be sure to let us know how it's treating you in comments below. You know, if you're an "early adopter."
T-Mobile exec downplays need for LTE, calls WiMAX 'niche'
LTE? WiMAX? T-Mobile USA's Neville Ray isn't as interested in these technologies as the competition. In an interview with BusinessWeek, the Chief Network Officer said, "we'll look towards LTE at the right point in time for us... that ecosystem is going to be much richer than the competing one from [WiMAX], which is really a niche play." A niche play, you say? Network burn! What isn't clear from the BW piece -- and it's something we're painfully curious about -- is if Ray himself used the term 4G as interchangeably as the article implies. After all, the company line is that it's already got a 4G technology in (the theoretically slower) HSPA+, as it's claimed as recently as the G2 announcement. We're guessing not, but all the same, we wouldn't hold our breath for any radical new cell towers in T-Mo's immediate future -- and we'd expect nothing less from AT&T than to continue to sneer at its use of the 4G term in its press materials.
Netgear's HBR1210 HSPA+ / 802.11n mobile router pings the FCC
What's this? The best of both worlds, wrapped neatly into one elegant mobile router? Sure looks that way, as Netgear's HBR1210 looks to have support for HSPA+ mobile networks as well as traditional 802.11n WiFi for the home. Based on the FCC filing (which seems down at the moment), there's a foursome of gigabit Ethernet jacks, a SIM card slot, an external antenna port and a chassis that looks to be around 9.8- x 7.9-inches. In other words, we wouldn't expect a Rover here, but we suppose "mobile" can mean lots of things to lots of people. We'll keep you posted once an official release date and price falls into our lap.
Ericsson's new mobile broadband modules: one for Oak Trail tablets, one supports remote kill
You may not expect a company like Ericsson to be making ways at Intel's Developer Forum, but that's exactly what's going down today in the City by the Bay. First up is the second generation F3307 mobile broadband module, which was designed to bring the goodness of 3G to upcoming Oak Trail tablets. It'll come pre-certified with the planet's largest HSPA networks, and we're told that it's engineered to sip (read: not gulp) energy while regaining connections just moments after a device snaps out of sleep mode. More interesting, however, is the October-bound F5521gw, which is hailed as the world's first embedded mobile broadband module "specifically designed for notebooks and other consumer electronics to support 21Mbps HSPA Evolution networks." The real kicker, however, is that it's interoperable with Intel Anti-Theft Technology, which enables an encrypted SMS to remotely disable the host machine... even when the OS isn't running. Hit the source links for all the nitty-gritty, or hop on past the break for the highlights. %Gallery-102171%
Qualcomm to ship 1.5GHz QSD8672 Snapdragon processor in Q4
And you thought a dual-core 1.2GHz chip was quick. If all goes to plan (that's a big "if," by the way), Qualcomm will one-up its Computex standout before the end of this year, with vice president of product management Mark Frankel affirming that his company is on track to ship a 1.5GHz dual-core QSD8672 chip prior to the dawn of 2011. He's quoted as saying that the blazing new Snapdragon could find a home in smartphones, low-cost laptops and tablet PCs, and while we're led to believe that the vast majority of said products won't actually greet consumers until early next year, a few aggressive partners may get wares out "by Christmas." For those unfamiliar, the fancy new 8672 is based on an ARM design and will be crafted using a 45nm process technology, and the individual voltage scaling will enable each core to be clocked independently of the other in order to maximize battery life and performance. Naturally, 1080p video playback will be supported, as will DDR2, DDR3 and HDMI interfaces. Oh, and don't sweat it -- you've still got plenty of time to get on Santa's 'good' list.
Purported myTouch HD leaks out alongside promise of T-Mobile's first HSPA+ smartphone
Someone should really tell T-Mobile USA it's got a rather large hole that needs plugged. Hot on the heels of the (presumably) T-Mob-bound G1 Blaze leak comes this duo, which includes a purported leak of the myTouch HD (or 3G HD) as well as a web portal that quite clearly prepares us for the launch of the carrier's first HSPA+ smartphone. Of course, there's no official confirmation that the handset you're peering at above is anything more than a fan render, but it certainly has a look of authenticity to it; sadly, there aren't any rumored specifications to tag alongside the JPG, but it's a pretty safe bet that this one will run some flavor of Android and rely heavily on screen presses for letter input. As for the promo page? Scrutineers have drawn a link between it and the Vanguard that we peeked a few weeks back, so feel free to let your imagination run a bit wild there. Looks like it's gearing up to be quite the second half for America's number two GSM operator. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile webConnect Rocket 2.0 USB WWAN modem now on sale
Timely, no? In concert with its HSPA+ expansion, T-Mobile USA has decided to come clean with that webConnect Rocket 2.0 that we peeked a few weeks ago courtesy of a leaked presentation slide. Said device isn't drastically different than the original, offering a mildly overhauled design and "a new rotating swivel USB form factor." The bigger news is the expanded platform support, with this bugger now playing nice with Windows 7, XP, Vista and any version of OS X since 10.4. It's up for grabs right now via the source link if you're in the mood for those so-called "4G speeds," with an on-contract stick costing absolutely nothing and a no-strings-attached version running $199.99. Update: We've updated the post with a new image of the actual device, though it's not quite ready for primetime on T-Mobile's site just yet. When it hits, it'll run $49.99 on contract, with the 1.0 version going for zilch on contract.
T-Mobile webConnect Rocket 2.0 leaks out, brings along Mac support and microSDHC slot
T-Mobile's webConnect Rocket has only been delivering "4G speeds" to users in search of mobile internet for a handful of months now, but already the company looks to have a successor on deck. If a pair of leaked slides are to be believed, the webConnect Rocket 2.0 is mildly overhauled version of the original USB WWAN modem, capable of delivering HSPA+ speeds on both PC and Mac platforms. There's also a nifty microSDHC slot for loading up to 16GB of storage, but outside of that, little else is known. We're still waiting patiently for a price and release date to come our way, but in the meantime, feel free to slam the brakes on that impending Rocket 1.0 purchase.
Qualcomm ships first dual-core Snapdragon chipsets clocking 1.2GHz
Oh yeah baby, Qualcomm's finally shipping its first dual-core Snapdragons. To whom, is the big question. Its third-generation Mobile Station Modem MSM8260 and MSM8660 Snapdragon chipsets for high-end smartphones -- originally announced in February 2009 -- are now sampling and capable of running at up to 1.2GHz. The MSM8260 supports HSPA+, while the MSM8660 brings support for multi-mode HSPA+ and 1xEV-DO Rev. B. Both integrate GPS, a GPU with 2D / 3D acceleration engines for Open GL ES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1, 1080p video encoding and decoding, a dedicated low-power audio engine, and support for 24-bit WXGA 1,280 x 800 pixel displays. Anybody at Computex care to step forward with a reference design? Update: We just spoke with company representatives here at the show, and try as we may, we couldn't convince anyone at the company to show off a dual-core reference design. We were flat-out told that the only people at Computex getting a glimpse at the new silicon were prospective customers, though we did manage to pry out a few interesting details about the chip itself and the future of the line. For one, these new chips have two application cores and a single modem core, whereas existing chips have a single application core alongside a single modem core. We were also told in no uncertain terms that an even quicker version of the Snapdragon would be launched before the year's end, and as you'd likely surmise, it'll be aimed at "larger screen" devices -- you know, like slates and tablet PCs. [Image courtesy of Carina Larsson]
