RalphDeLaVega
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AT&T's de la Vega: HSPA+ coming 'in certain locations'
AT&T hasn't been quite as forthcoming with the exact details of its next-gen network plans as T-Mobile and Verizon have been recently, but FierceBroadbandWireless appears to have wrested a tidbit from wireless boss Ralph de la Vega in a recent interview. Though the standard HSPA 7.2Mbps deployment is still AT&T's short-term focus, HSPA+ -- which can theoretically take HSPA to 21Mbps and beyond -- is clearly still on its radar prior to LTE. "We will also deploy HSPA+ in certain locations," de la Vega said on no uncertain terms -- without revealing even a hint about where those "certain locations" might be, unfortunately. Speaking of LTE, the 4G tech still seems to be on AT&T's back burner for the moment with the first commercial markets not scheduled to light up until 2011, a strategy that seems pretty difficult to argue with considering HSPA's considerable room to grow from its current speeds and the lack of LTE devices in the pipeline. Of course, that could end up really hurting these guys a few years down the line when the first generation of LTE is in its prime and they've given Verizon about a year's head start, but -- and this is a huge "but" -- if they can save up some cash by rolling cheaper HSPA upgrades now and really dump unheard-of levels of cash into the network when they're good and ready, it's conceivable that they'll be able to build out a big footprint in short order. Ralph, can we recommend you look to Bell and Telus for inspiration on how to pull that off?
Ralph de la Vega: AT&T launching two webOS devices!
Whoa -- Ralph de la Vega just announced that AT&T will have not one but two webOS devices in the first half of 2010! And... that's all we have for now, but you know we're digging for more. Stay tuned, friends. Stay tuned.
iPhone reception issues plague O2... too (updated with AT&T's response)
It would appear that AT&T isn't the only carrier in the world suffering from a horrible and nagging case of the iPhones. In an interview with the Financial Times, O2 head Ronan Dunne apologized to customers for the poor performance the network has been experiencing since the introduction of the iPhone 3GS to its airwaves this summer. Just as US customers (particularly those in dense, urban areas) have learned to struggle through dropped calls, the inability to make or receive calls, or weak data connections, our brethren on the other side of the pond have felt a similar sting. Says Dunne, "Where we haven't met our own high standards then there's no question, we apologise to customers for that fact," adding that the carrier had fixes at the ready and that the issues would be "more than addressed" shortly. Unlike the widespread problems here, the O2 mess seems to be relegated largely to London, though it's curious to know that AT&T isn't alone in being hamstrung by a network clearly not prepared for the onslaught of data being pushed up and down its virtual pipes. Also unlike the AT&T situation is the fact that O2 has solutions in mind (including the installation of 200 additional mobile base stations in London), and they're clearly taking ownership of the situation. Ahem, Ralph. Update: AT&T responded and let us know they had fixes underway too. Here's an outline of forthcoming changes the carrier says it's making. We are nearly doubling the wireless spectrum serving 3G customers in hundreds of markets across the country, using high-quality 850 MHz spectrum. This additional spectrum expands overall network capacity and improves in-building reception. We are adding about 2,000 new cell sites, expanding service to new cities and improving coverage in other areas. We're adding about 100,000 new backhaul connections, which add critical capacity between cell sites and the global IP backbone network. We're enabling widespread access to our Wi-Fi network – the largest in the country with more than 20,000 hotspots in all 50 states – allowing them to take advantage of the best available AT&T mobile broadband connection. We're rolling out even faster 3G speeds with deployment of HSPA 7.2 technology, with initial availability in six markets planned by the end of the year.
AT&T to offer 'incentives' to customers willing to limit data usage
AT&T exec #1: You know, our network's really getting slammed with all these people using their unlimited data plans to download things and do stuff online all the time. Any ideas how we can fix it? AT&T exec #2: We could put out more WiFi hotspots. People seem to use those. Sometimes. AT&T exec #1: Sure, but that's not going to make a dent in places like New York City. I mean, have you used an iPhone there? AT&T exec #2: We have these things called MicroCells that people can use at home, if they live in North Carolina. Maybe more people could use those? AT&T exec #1: Yeah, that's good. But people like to use their cellphones outside their house too. What happens then? AT&T exec #2: Well, what if we offered customers incentives to use less data? AT&T exec #1: Now you're talking! What sort of incentives could get them to do that? AT&T exec #2: Hmm.... Well, readers, are there any incentives that would get you to use less data? Feel free to offer your suggestions for AT&T in the comments below. And don't worry about actually paying more for data (yet, anyway), as AT&T 's Ralph de la Vega is now saying that "we have not made any decision to implement tiered pricing," which is a slight backtrack from previous hints to the contrary.
Ralph de la Vega promises fix for San Francisco and Manhattan coverage, plans to 'address' heaviest data users
Love that Pandora app? Well, we've got good news and bad news for you. The good news is that AT&T's wireless head honcho Ralph de la Vega says it's hard at work at improving service in San Francisco and Manhattan, where it sees especially high smartphone penetration -- and coincidentally a higher concentration of whiny tech journalists. The bad news, though, is that it might end up hitting you in the pocketbook. Speaking to investors today, de la Vega mentioned that the company is well aware that downtown New Yorkers are suffering, specifically calling out the area for "performing at levels below [its] standards" expressing confidence that it's going to get the problem resolved. In the same breath, though, he assured attendees that independent testing conducted by Global Wireless Solutions shows that a test of over 415 markets (which probably means 416 markets) has AT&T coming out on top for network speed -- something that we found in our testing as well -- and is "within two-tenths of 1 percent of the highest score among major providers" for dropped calls at 1.32 percent averaged nationally. Anyway, about that bad news -- the company has noticed that a huge chunk (some 40 percent) of its broadband is consumed by just 3 percent of smartphone users, and it's suggesting that it'll "address" that through a combination of usage meters (no complaints there) and likely a tiered pricing model that sticks it to the heaviest users "in a way that's consistent with net-neutrality and FCC regulations." At a glance, that sounds "fair" -- we'd rather they not increase data fees across the board to average out a very small number of users -- but the long-lost term "unlimited" still gives us a warm fuzzy that we're hoping to win back sooner or later. When LTE shows up, perhaps?
AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end... sometime
Well, it's not much, but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega doesn't exactly have to go too far out on a limb to attract attention when he's talking about something as big as an end to iPhone exclusivity. His latest, and seemingly most extensive ruminations on the matter came during a conference call with analysts this week, where he reportedly said that AT&T has a "legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," and that he thinks AT&T's ability to drive results "will continue after the iPhone." He did seem to dial things back a bit later in the call, however, switching to langauge like "even if we lose exclusivity" instead of "after the iPhone," and going on to extol the virtues of the iPhone, noting that "others will try to emulate them [Apple], but that device by far is the best in terms of ease of use."
Caption contest: Big Four's CEOs finally united by a very large check
The CEOs of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- Lowell McAdam, Ralph de la Vega, Dan Hesse, and Robert Dotson -- came together on stage for a fleeting moment at CTIA today to present a $1 million donation to nonprofit organization One Economy. It was a PR opportunity, yes, but what was really going on in their minds? Chris: "Dan, seriously, will you come off the stilts for 20 seconds?" Nilay: "One Economy will of course have to pay a $40,000 activation fee." Joe: "Not to be outdone, Boost Mobile extends One Economy a gift certificate for one free Kid Cudi ringtone." Josh T.: "Here, enjoy 0.1 percent of our collective salary." Richard: "Do you think they're standing in order of who has the most bars?"
The Engadget Interview: Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility
We had an opportunity to sit down with AT&T's Ralph de la Vega last week -- one of the most influential individuals in the wireless world today -- at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for a nice little chat covering all the topics that have been burning in our minds the last few months: Android, the Pre, LTE, and more. Read on!
Ralph de la Vega says he was misquoted, doesn't know of a Dell smartphone
We just spoke with AT&T's Ralph de la Vega who says that he's been misquoted about Dell's rumored aspirations to enter the smartphone market. As we suspected might be the case, he claims he'd been referring to the fact that he'd heard rumors of a Dell phone -- you know, the same rumors we've all been hearing -- and was simply commenting on that fact. Either that, or there's a Dell smartphone running some futuristic S60 / Android hybrid in his pocket as we speak... one of the two.
AT&T Mobility's CEO seems to confirm Dell is working on a smartphone
Dell hasn't made an announcement, but it turns out that CEOs love spilling each others' secrets -- and to that end, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega has just mentioned during a Mobile World Congress panel that Dell has "announced they're entering the smartphone market." Maybe he got a bit confused about the announcement date or time -- or perhaps he's confusing the countless rumors with official details -- but either way, all eyes should be on Round Rock, Texas for the next few hours (or days, or weeks, or months) to see if anything shakes out.
Not so fast: Android isn't coming to AT&T just yet
There's been a flurry of chatter over a rumor that AT&T's Ralph de la Vega, CEO of the company's Mobility and Consumer markets announced that the carrier would be releasing an Android-based phone in the near future. We'd love to be able to confirm that info, but according to an article just published on the San Francisco Chronicle's site, de la Vega has feelings that seem to run quite contrary to the sentiment. According to the paper:"De la Vega said AT&T continues to look at Google's Android operating system but is not prepared to make any moves to carry any Android phones. He said the platform is still evolving and needs to open up even more to offer a wider array of non-Google applications."As much as we want to see this thing happen, it looks like the boys at AT&T aren't feeling Google's insistence on intrinsically linking devices to its web apps. Haven't you heard guys? The future is in the cloud. Oh, and open.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
AT&T's Ralph de la Vega says iPhone tethering coming "soon"
There's not exactly a lot of details to go on here (or any, really), but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega has just confirmed during an interview at the Web 2.0 Summit that an AT&T-approved iPhone tethering option will indeed be available "soon." That lack of detail includes any word on pricing or, of course, an actual release date, though MacRumors is reporting separately that it's hearing the tethering capability will be built into the 2.2 firmware, which seems like at least a reasonable guess.[Via MacRumors]
AT&T reorganizes, Ralph De La Vega now in charge of consumer services
The internals of AT&T's org chart aren't really hot news, but the company just reshuffled all its consumer services into a new division headed by Ralph De La Vega, who used to head up AT&T Wireless. Ralph now also oversees internet, TV and landline phones in addition to wireless, so he's got a bunch more on his plate -- the goal is be more aggressive bundling up more quadruple-play packages, which hopefully means lower pricing. We'll see -- we've heard these promises before.
AT&T's 3G comes out on top in speed tests, will only get faster in 2009
The folks over at Computerworld just ran the current 3G providers in America through their paces, only to discover that AT&T came out on top in almost every category. Well, it appears the monolithic telco plans to keep its edge (er...) on the competition -- by upping its HSPA service to a whopping 20Mbps come 2009. Our main man Ralph de la Vega said that the process wouldn't require a major overhaul to the provider's infrastructure, and that they're already working on punching up the current 3.6Mbps speeds to 7.2Mbps "in the labs." Apparently, this won't stall plans for forthcoming 4G / 700MHz / LTE service from the company -- it'll just be icing on the cake.Read - Which 3G network is the best?Read - AT&T plans 20-megabit 3G by 2009
Android phones in AT&T's future? Hey, anything's possible!
Sure, Ralph de la Vega was chatty at yesterday's AT&T luncheon during CTIA, but with the scattered reports you've probably seen, it's hard to keep tabs on it all. On the topic of Android -- the Google OS which the company had been reluctant to make a definitive ruling on -- de la Vega seemed to soften up to the possibility. According to the exec, meetings with the search giant have reassured him that carriers will be able to equip handsets with their own applications, not just Google's tools. "That's attractive to us. We were concerned that maybe the focus was just on Google apps," he said. Of course, other than vague pleasantries about the possibilities of the operating system, de la Vega wasn't concrete about actual Android phones in the pipeline, saying, "If it's good for customers we'll offer it like any other OS." Bottom line? They're not exactly storming into the OHA, but if they see something they like, they won't look the other way.[Thanks, bdawg]
AT&T Mobility CEO: all smartphones to be 3G within "months" -- including iPhone and Centro?
At AT&T's press feast today, the focus was unquestionably the trial deployment of Microsoft's Surface kiosks to stores later this month -- the presence of Microsoft's own Robbie Bach was testament to that fact. But there was more to the action by the time the show was over. Deployment of 3G and 4G services was a hot topic both during CEO Ralph de la Vega's presentation and in the post-conference Q&A (one member of the press lamented the fact that AT&T's BlackBerrys still lack HSDPA), and at one point he mentioned that all of the carrier's smartphones would be 3G within a matter of mere "months." We figure that instantly thrusts several devices onto (and off of) AT&T's roadmap in the very near future, including a 3G iPhone and the BlackBerry 9000 we recently saw strutting its stuff. Of course, that would also preclude the just-introduced Palm Centrofrom hanging around for very long, since it tops out with EDGE speeds; last time we checked Garnet had a hard time handling HSDPA, so something's got to give. We're not writing the obit just yet -- CEOs' statements are often a mere shadow of reality, after all -- but it's certainly food for thought.
AT&T claims completely open network, too -- "the most open," even!
Who'd have thought the end of 2007 would see US cellphone carrier heavyweights duking it out with PR one-upsmanship to be... open? Seriously, someone pinch us, it's as amazing as it is farcical. So the latest development in big network "openness" has USA Today running off in the opposite direction with AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega's comments that "You can use any handset on our network you want... We don't prohibit it, or even police it. ... We are the most open wireless company in the industry." We think the headline "AT&T flings cellphone network wide open" kind of says it all.The reality of the situation? Nothing has changed between yesterday and today, and, as de la Vega told us a couple of weeks ago, AT&T customers can continue expect the status quo from the nation's largest carrier in terms of their level of openness and flexibility. Granted, it's one thing for Verizon to say they're going wide open (especially being ridiculously closed CDMA carrier they are), but it's quite another for AT&T to lay claims as though it's somehow more open than any other carrier in the world when that argument comes as an extension of its core network technology. Yes, you can take your AT&T SIM, put it in an unlocked device, and run it on their network without much hassle -- but that doesn't make AT&T any more "open" than the final-say testing facility Verizon intends to use in "openly" making approvals (and disapprovals) of devices and software.[Thanks, epi117]
Engadget interviews AT&T Mobility's Ralph de la Vega
Android, HSUPA, unlocking -- Engadget hit up AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega with all the tough questions. Go read up, why don't you?
