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Clear Talk latest beneficiary of Verizon's 700MHz spectrum fire sale
After horse-trading with the FCC and DOJ to gain AWS spectrum from cable venture SpectrumCo in exchange for its 700MHz A and B bands, Verizon has found another taker: Clear Talk, who just signed an agreement to purchase 10 lower B-block licenses. That follows an agreement with Nortex in Texas along with Panhandle Telecom in Oklahoma, and will cover Clear Talk's markets in Maryland, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. Big Red is evaluating other bids for its lower 700MHz licenses and is also leasing upper C-block frequencies to 20 operators in order "to jumpstart the delivery of 4G LTE in rural areas." Verizon's tat for that tit will be that it can wholesale its services to cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner, making it well worth the company's while, we can imagine.
Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile review
<p class="image-container" style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Samsung Galaxy Note II for TMobile review" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/10/dsc02462-1350970023.jpg"/> </p><div class="more-info"><h3>More Info</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/08/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-review/">Samsung Galaxy Note II (N7100) review</a></li> <li> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-for-t-mobile-hands-on/">Samsung Galaxy Note II (T-Mobile) hands-on</a></li> <li> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/04/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-for-atandt-hands-on-an-s-pen-phablet-with/">Samsung Galaxy Note II (AT&T) hands-on</a></li> </ul></div><p> The <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/08/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-review/">Samsung Galaxy Note II</a> is coming to <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/samsung-confirms-october-24th-event-is-for-the-us-galaxy-note-ii/">America</a>, and unlike its predecessor, it's not being as quiet about the move. In a completely unprecedented feat, the mammoth smartphone not only won over the hearts of four national American carriers and one regional network, it did so without having to make sacrifices in its design, specs or even its name. This is a considerable amount of progress when taking into account the fact that only two mobile operators adopted the original <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/28/samsung-galaxy-note-review/">Galaxy Note</a> -- the inaugural phablet, if you will -- and they did so months after its global launch. Heck, T-Mobile released <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/30/samsung-galaxy-note-for-t-mobile-review/">its variant</a> of the Note just <i>three</i> months ago, which likely will be a sour point to early adopters for a long time to come.<br /> <br /> As you may have seen in our review of the global Note II, there's a reason for all of the buzz circulating around this new flagship device; it's good. It's very good. Once you get used to the idea of a 5.5-inch smartphone with an included <strike>stylus</strike> S Pen, you'll take heed of the incredibly fast quad-core processor, the latest version of Android, the high-end camera and the litany of other top-notch features that have helped the device become worthy of our praise.<br /> <br /> This review, as you see it today, discusses our impressions of <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-for-t-mobile-hands-on/">T-Mobile's version</a> of the Note II and how it sizes up against the global model (the N7100), but we're changing things up this time around. Since there will be very few differences across the five different versions offered on US carriers, we're simply going to add our reviews of each carrier-specific unit to this space as we go along. The idea is that this review will encompass every Galaxy Note II sold stateside. Enjoy the galleries below, and continue past the break as we dig into Samsung's latest flagship... again.</p><p> %Gallery-168986%</p>
Nokia Lumia 820, 920 for AT&T swing through the FCC
Hopefully AT&T subscribers weren't spooked when the Nokia Lumia 920 first passed through the FCC in only its non-US guise, and its lower-end 820 cousin only as the (currently unofficial) Verizon-ready Lumia 822. The two Windows Phone 8 flagships have had follow-up approvals in GSM versions that are unmistakably destined for AT&T and Canadian carriers. Never mind the slightly distracting RM-820 model number on the Lumia 920; it reveals the 920's distinctive curved design, 700MHz LTE in AT&T's range and AWS-based LTE for both AT&T as well as its Canadian neighbor. The Lumia 820 is equally identifiable as the RM-824, even if it limits the LTE access to AT&T's network. We haven't seen any shocking revelations from either device, although we weren't expecting any from phones that hew so closely to the original templates. The filings mostly set expectations for Microsoft's October 29th event -- now that the likely stars of the show are cleared to make their appearances, the companies involved should breathe more easily.
Likely HTC Windows Phone 8X with AT&T-friendly LTE surfaces at the FCC, just in time
Isn't that convenient. With only weeks left to go before the official Windows Phone 8 launch event, what's likely a version of the HTC Windows Phone 8X with North American LTE support has stopped by the FCC for approval. The PM23300 variant we see here (the international 8X is the PM23200) supports both the needed 700MHz LTE band for its eventual appearance at AT&T as well as AWS for wider AT&T coverage and the big three Canadian carriers. All are good signs that HTC is just about ready, although T-Mobile and Verizon subscribers might not want to get overly excited just yet -- there's no AWS 3G, CDMA or Verizon-ready 700MHz LTE to be found on this 8X, which shows that any US launch will still demand multiple editions. The others won't be far behind in the FCC race with that November release window already locked in.
Leap Wireless swaps spectrum with T-Mobile, buys all of Savary Island
Leap Wireless can go ahead and pop the champagne, as it has just completed the spectrum transactions announced earlier this year that will hopefully lead to larger LTE growth. Leap's own Savary Island Wireless exchanged spectrum with T-Mobile USA and Cook Inlet/VS GSM VII PCS LLC (itself a T-Mo business), resulting in Cricket's parent company acquiring 10MHz of additional AWS spectrum in Phoenix, AZ and Houston, Galveston and Bryan-College Station, TX, among others. In return, T-Mobile received spectrum in various markets in Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin. There are also several intra-market exchanges in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Atlantic City, New Mexico, and Texas. In addition to the spectrum exchange, Leap also formally acquired the entirety of Savary Island Wireless for around $5.3 million (It previously only owned an 85 percent share) so the company has even more cause for celebration. Just don't overindulge on the Cristal, okay Leap?
Samsung Galaxy Note II variants for AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon possibly caught at the FCC
It's no secret that Samsung plans to bring the Galaxy Note II to many US carriers by mid-fall. Even so, getting there requires the FCC's blessing -- which makes us glad to see the regulator approve what might be three carriers' variants of the giant Android phone. The SGH-i317 looks to be the model for AT&T and Canadian carriers, having been greenlit for their key 3G and 4G bands while lining up with a briefly available benchmark of the device sharing the Note II's HD screen and use of Jelly Bean. The SCH-i605? Based on its inclusions of both CDMA and GSM, a lone 700MHz LTE band and a past screen capture leak, it's a dual-mode Note II destined for Verizon. As for the SGH-T889, it's even more conspicuous beyond what we've already seen: the T889's HSPA includes the 1,700MHz AWS frequency that T-Mobile will still call home for a long while. LTE likewise exists on the 1,700MHz and roaming-friendly 700MHz bands in possible instances of futureproofing. While we rarely want to say a mobile device is confirmed until we see it first-hand, the convenient timing and natures of the three FCC approvals only help to fuel suspicions that Samsung's pen-focused event on October 24th is all about the Note II's American launch.
FCC chairman green-lights AT&T's use of WCS spectrum for LTE with proposed order
AT&T is close to securing a major victory in its battle against the spectrum crunch. While it's not quite a done deal, FCC chairman Genachowski has submitted a proposed order to FCC commissioners that would authorize AT&T's deployment of its LTE service within a 20MHz portion of the 2.3GHz (WCS) band. The deal is unique in that the spectrum is currently reserved for satellite radio, and the reallocation would mark the first of its kind within the WCS band. As you may recall, AT&T previously conceded to a 5MHz dead zone on both ends of Sirius XM's operating frequency in order to mitigate interference concerns, and it seems the move was sufficient to gain the chairman's support. Also looming on the FCC's to-do list is the decision of whether to approve AT&T's purchase NextWave and its unused WCS spectrum. If it's any indication, however, Chairman Genachowski seems bullish on the reallocation and has suggested that the agency may authorize another 30MHz of the WCS band for mobile broadband use. AT&T has previously said that it could feasibly deploy LTE over the 2.3GHz spectrum within the next three years. One group fighting the deal is the Competitive Carrier Association, which posits that AT&T's purchase of such a significant chunk of spectrum on the secondary market is anti-competitive in nature. It'll no doubt be interesting to see if the argument gains any traction with the FCC. In the meantime, you can view remarks from the agency's spokesperson after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 17th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Sprint hit more than one milestone that it just had to share and Nokia teased the latest app that's exclusive to Lumia owners. We then discovered a very rare BlackBerry and also learned of the latest city to get prepped for T-Mobile's LTE service. Hell, we even stumbled on a new smartphone for old people! These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 17th, 2012.
Sony Xperia T lands at the FCC, lets us peek under the hood
There isn't much mystery left to an FCC-bound phone that's already been announced and thoroughly handled, but we must admit that Sony does a pretty good job at making the federal approval documents more exciting than most. How? More often than not, the confidentiality request has already been lifted, leaving us with a user manual and a full trove of teardown photos. Such is the case with the Xperia T, announced recently at IFA 2012. Aside from these additional elements, there likely isn't much for the average gadget-loving American to geek out about -- this particular model offers pentaband HSPA+ / UMTS but lacks LTE, which means it's probably only going to find its way to purple mountains majesty through the efforts of T-Mobile (or importers, worst-case) -- we're still holding out hope for the AT&T-branded version that leaked a few days ago, however. No matter its fate, follow us below for a gallery full of revealing photos. %Gallery-165231%
Motorola RAZR HD global edition hits FCC with LTE included
The global edition of the still-unannounced Motorola Droid RAZR HD, also known as the XT925, was just seen getting FCC approval. This likely won't come as a shocker to many, since this device (alongside its Verizon counterpart) has been the victim of numerous leaks. What we did find as a little surprise, however, was the inclusion of LTE radios, specifically in bands 4 (AWS) and 17 (700MHz). Of course, we're not expecting to see AT&T (the US carrier that utilizes both bands) pick this particular device up -- especially since it recently launched the similarly specced Atrix HD -- but it'll be great for importers. The presence of AWS LTE indicates we'll likely be seeing the XT925 flourish in Canada, and the 2G / 3G bands will certainly make it a prime candidate for sales in other markets around the world. Head to the source link to take a look at the docs, and the More Coverage section to view the XT925's User Agent Profile. We're still expecting to see Verizon's variant (the XT926) on September 5th, though we'll likely see the global version pop up pretty soon afterward.
Verizon and Leap Wireless announce $120 million spectrum swap in wake of FCC approval
Go ahead and put a bow on it, as Verizon Wireless and Leap Wireless (the parent company of Cricket), have announced a successful spectrum swap. The agreement follows the recent stamp of approval from the FCC, which was issued as part of a larger deal between Verizon Wireless, SpectrumCo and Cox. For its part, Leap will divest itself of excess AWS and PCS spectrum across the US; in exchange, Verizon will pay $120 million to Leap and provide it with 12MHz of A Block 700MHz spectrum in Chicago. Leap will use the new holdings to supplement its existing 10MHz of the A Block within the Windy City, and will use the cash to build up its LTE infrastructure across the US. The company currently expects to provide LTE coverage to at least two-thirds of Cricket's current footprint over the next three years -- or, maybe sooner. Just check the PR to watch the company waffle.
FCC approves Verizon deal to buy cable company spectrum, asks for concessions
Verizon received the Department of Justice's blessing for its cable company spectrum purchase last week, and now it's the FCC's turn to rubber stamp the plan. The agency has followed Chairman Julius Genachowski's recommendation and voted that Verizon can snap up the relevant AWS airspace as part of its LTE network expansion. Some riders are attached to the deal, although they're not all weighty. Verizon has to make an "unprecedented divestiture" of spectrum to T-Mobile in addition to its swap with Leap, promise certain coverage levels in the newly acquired zones at 3- and 7-year milestones, guarantee some roaming deals and provide updates on how its DSL service adoption is impacted by all that 4G. That Verizon has 45 days to finalize the T-Mobile deal gives some idea of how quickly everything has to move, although it could be a long while before we see AWS-ready Verizon devices in the shops. To no one's surprise, advocacy groups are still upset: the Alliance for Broadband Competition believes the FCC decision "does not go far enough" to keep a level playing field, for example, and wants to voice its problems to the FCC. Anxiety still exists that just about any deal concentrates too much spectrum in the hands of Big Red. Still, there's a sense among groups like these that Verizon has had to at least partially address worries over unfair competition.
Amazon launches Glacier archiving service, a cheap way to put your files on ice
Amazon's S3 cloud service has proved a popular proposition, with many large web enterprises happily depending on it (most of the time) to serve up its content. Now, the internet retail giant is offering a similar product, aimed squarely at archives, called Glacier. The idea seems pretty simple, starting from a penny, you can store 1GB of data on the firm's servers for one month. You'll only pay for what you store, and there are no upfront costs. Thinking this sounds like a cheap way to host your website? Well, maybe not, as retrieval requests are sent to a queue, and won't be available to download for a few hours. There's no limit on the amount of data you can store though, which is not surprising, but each individual archive does have a 40TB limit -- so those DNA back-ups are off the menu. Retrieval is priced differently, with 5 percent of your storage (pro rata) downloadable for free, but beyond that you'll have to pay. The service is available from today, with storage locations in the US, Europe and Japan. Full details of pricing can be found via the source.
DOJ, FCC clear Verizon buyout of cable companies' spectrum, require giving up some airwaves (update: not quite for the FCC)
Verizon has been fighting hard to get its acquisition of cable companies' wireless frequencies past legal hurdles, and it just surged over the most important of the bunch: both the Department of Justice and the FCC have signed off on the agreement. To get the $3.9 billion deal through the door, Big Red will have to offload some of its spectrum to other companies, the FCC argues. The DOJ, meanwhile, is more concerned that Verizon is getting a little too cozy with Bright House, Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable in terms of marketing and reselling bundles that include cellular and cable access. Closing the deal also requires setting up a new joint venture in technology research. We're still working to learn the full details of the deal, but the spectrum handover will likely give a swift kick to Verizon's 4G capacity -- and anger a few rivals who wouldn't have wanted any handover to go through. Update: Since we posted, it's become clearer that FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has only recommended a vote in favor of the deal; the agency hasn't formally greenlit the deal just yet.
T-Mobile USA Q2 2012 results show net customer losses of 205k, progress on LTE and AWS
The results for T-Mobile USA's second quarter of 2012 are in and first up is the bad news -- reported net customer losses of 205,000 are more than the 50,000 lost in the same period last year, and more than give back the growth reported in Q1. Of course, the carrier is banking on strategic initiatives to launch LTE service and expand coverage thanks to that AWS spectrum its receiving from AT&T and Verizon (if the deal is approved) to turn all that around, and those plans are still on track. Other high points for the quarter included the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Note and Galaxy S III, as well as a host of other handsets. Also it announced the opening of it's 1,000 T-Mobile Premium Retailer store, started pushing its prepaid and Monthly4G services at Dollar General Stores, launched two new mobile broadband data plans and added two MVNO partners. All the details are in the press release after the break, although it seems that as busy as T-Mobile has been putting pen to paper, investors will have to keep waiting to see the benefits.
AT&T agrees to acquire NextWave for $600 million, gobbles up WCS and AWS spectrum
AT&T's making no secret of the fact it wants to snatch up as much spectrum as it possibly can, so news of the company's proposed acquisition of NextWave Wireless doesn't result in much of a shock. AT&T has agreed to purchase the company -- and all of its WCS (Wireless Communication Service) and AWS spectrum licenses and equity along with it -- for $25 million, pending FCC approval. If you count $25 million in contingency costs and the outstanding debt the big blue globe has also picked up, however, the total bill climbs to $600 million. The deal comes shortly after AT&T partnered with Sirius XM to petition the FCC in the hopes that it would allow WCS (2.3GHz) spectrum to be opened up for LTE use -- mobile data is currently restricted by the federal body to prevent any interference with satellite radio. The government hasn't given the green light for this proposal yet (additionally, the NextWave deal isn't likely to be approved until later this year), but that's not stopping AT&T from its preparations just in case -- it plans to have WCS LTE ready for deployment in three years if everything works out in the carrier's favor.
Samsung Galaxy Note for T-Mobile review
More Info Samsung Galaxy Note review AT&T Galaxy Note review T-Mobile officially confirms Samsung Galaxy Note, more details in coming weeks The Samsung Galaxy Note is among a rare breed of smartphones that need no introduction. It's polarizing, memorable and single-handedly responsible for the popularization of the term "phablet." It's also the indisputable king of that category, having recently defended its throne against LG's Optimus Vu. Aside from the Note's sprawling display, much of its appeal lies in the tight software integration with the S Pen stylus, which endows the phone with notepad-like functionality. The first (and second) time we reviewed the Galaxy Note, it featured Android 2.3. Since then, it's received an update to Android 4.0, along with a new set of productivity apps dubbed the Premium Suite. Now as the phone arrives at T-Mobile (for $250 with a contract and after a $50 rebate), we're taking the opportunity to review not just the new variant, but in this case, the latest OS as well. You already know much of the Galaxy Note's story, but now the question remains: just how much of the text has been re-written? Let's find out.%Gallery-161343%
Samsung T699 passes federal inspection, lacks naming conviction
The obtusely-named Galaxy S Blaze Q rumored to be coming to a T-Mobile store near you, has appeared at the FCC labs. It tallies with the magenta mobile network, packing AWS, GPRS 850 and 1900 radio bands. No disassembly shots this time, so you'll have to combine the above body outline with your imagination to make a stab at how the rest of the handset will look. As we saw earlier, the phone is set to pack a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, while a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and 720p display should ensure the rest of the hardware passes muster. A launch is rumored for next month, but until then, schematics and radiowave tests are yours to explore; hit up the source for the full filing.
Don't worry, you're not the only one: Netflix is currently down, admins hard at work (Update: back up)
What to do on this Friday night? If your answer to that age old question was "Netflix," then you likely received a bit of a rude shock this evening upon discovery that the company's video streaming service is currently out-of-whack. If you're wondering why that is, it appears to be tied to some of Amazon's EC2 servers in Virginia losing power due to the bad weather there. As VentureBeat notes, it's a problem which is also affecting sites like Instagram and Pinterest at the moment. For its part, Netflix has acknowledged the issue via its Twitter account, to which it states, "We're aware that some members are experiencing issues streaming movies and TV shows. We're working to resolve the problem." So, there you have it. Now the only question that remains is whether you'll break out one of those red envelopes, fire up Hulu Plus or venture out to the theater to satiate your movie desires. Update: @Netflix just tweeted that everyone should be back up, or will be shortly. The Amazon AWS dashboard indicates it's recovering as of 3:13AM, so all should be ready for your tilt-shifted Saturday brunch pics and subsequent dream board updates. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mobilicity to upgrade network to HSPA+ 21Mbps later this year
Canadian AWS provider Mobilicity is moving up in this world -- up in speeds, at least. The carrier announced its intentions to upgrade its network to "4G" later this year, offering peak download speeds of 21Mbps. When we reached out for clarification, we were informed that Mobilicity is actually deploying HSPA+ 21Mbps: according to a spokesperson, it "will leverage the full capabilities of our HSPA+ network." It's a hefty improvement over its current 7.2Mbps status, but the usual "4G or faux-G" argument still applies here. No specifics on exact timing or breadth of coverage were given, but feel free to peruse the press release below.
