Google’s first trial to use the unused channels in the broadcast TV spectrum to provide wireless broadband access launched in 2010 in Logan, Ohio. Since then, Google has shown a lot of interest in this topic and today it is launching its second trial. This time it is in Cape Town, South Africa, where Google partnered with a number of local organizations to connect 10 schools to the new wireless… → Read More
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has just announced the winners of the UK spectrum auctions for 4G spectrum on the low-frequency 800MHz band, used for LTE and other mobile broadband services. The list is an attempt at playing fair: it includes fixed line incumbent BT; major mobile carriers Vodafone, Telefonica/O2, and EE; as well as smaller mobile upstart Three. → Read More
The fallout from Ofcom’s March 2012 decision to allow the company now known as EE to refarm existing 2G spectrum to build a 4G network continues. Now EE’s rivals, Vodafone and Three, have asked the U.K. telecoms regulator to liberalise their existing spectrum holdings to allow them to run 4G services too. → Read More
Shutterstock is a major hub for designers, photographers, and companies. Not only can image enthusiasts upload their work to the site for perusal by others, but many users of the service find inspiration from the site’s troves of photos. Of course, with a library of over 22 million photos, search can become a bit difficult.
To put an end to this dilemma, Shutterstock is launching a new search… → Read More
AT&T has announced a deal with Verizon Wireless that will allow the company to continue to build out its 4G LTE network in the U.S., through the acquisition of 700 MHz spectrum from Verizon Wireless. The 700 MHz band was originally used to broadcast analog TV channels, but the transition to digital TV made them available for auction in 2008. Verizon won Block A during that auction, along with… → Read More
The U.K.’s 4G auction process has kicked off, with bidders having until 16:00 GMT today to submit their bids, along with a £100,000 deposit. The window for bidders to submit opened at 10:00 GMT this morning. The spectrum going under the hammer sits in the 800MHZ and 2.6GHz bands — and has been deemed suitable for 4G/LTE services. → Read More
The U.K. government has already put a price on the sale of 4G spectrum frequencies — due to kick off in January next year. Chancellor George Osborne is factoring into his policy decisions the sum of £3.5 billion which he expects to be raised by next year’s 4G spectrum sale. → Read More
The U.K.’s first 4G network has only just got up and running but telecoms regulator Ofcom is already looking beyond 4G to form a plan for the next generation of mobile network technology — potentially 5G — looking at where the spectrum will come from to support future mobile network capacity needs. → Read More
Sprint today announced that it has made an arrangement with U.S. Cellular to acquire PCS spectrum and also wireless network customers for $480 million in cash, and Sprint’s taking over of “certain liabilities” on behalf of U.S. Cellular. The arrangement will help Sprint bolster its own network as it rolls out LTE nationally, the company said in a press release, helping to beef up network capacity. → Read More
Google and Microsoft are sniffing around white spaces spectrum in the U.K., according to a Telegraph report, with a view to possibly offering free built-in wi-fi for mobile devices running their software. The paper does not have explicit details of the pair’s plans but rather quotes government sources saying the two companies have expressed “extreme interest” in the unused airwaves. → Read More
The EC has decided Europe needs more 4G/LTE spectrum to run all the high speed mobile data services citizens in member states will require in the coming years. Today it’s announced a plan to refarm 120MHz of spectrum around the 2GHz band for 4G services. The decision makes it mandatory for member states to liberalise the spectrum — currently licensed for 3G services — for 4G use by June 2014. → Read More
After years of planning and step-by-step engineering, the U.K.’s switchover from analogue to digital-terrestrial TV broadcasts has finally been completed — marking the end of more than 70 years of analogue broadcasting in the U.K and opening the door for the launch of 4G mobile services in spectrum previously used by TV broadcasters. → Read More
The LG Spectrum has spent a long while with me. In fact, LG’s asking for it back, saying that my review period has come to an end. I didn’t get around to the full review until now because (to be perfectly honest with you) I didn’t really want to sit down and talk about the LG Spectrum for X amount of hours.
True, there’s nothing necessarily “wrong” with the phone. It’s got solid specs… → Read More
The LG Spectrum isn’t necessarily my favorite phone. It’s got pretty nice specs and a killer screen, but there’s something to be said about the way a phone draws you in from across the room. I don’t mean to get all romantic or dramatic about it, but it’s still true: appearance matters. Windows Phones have that engaging, compelling live tile interface. The iPhone has its stunning design and piano… → Read More
The Spectrum has been a busy little diva the last few days, strutting in and out of our NYC studio like she belongs there. So much in fact, that I’ve given her a gender and started to refer to her in gender-specific pronouns. A scary thought, to say the least.
Matt seems less perturbed by her presence, though I was (and still am) more than willing to duke it out with him over the value of this… → Read More
Let me just start by saying that so far, I’m not a fan. But, these are just initial impressions so we’ll see how my relationship with the Spectrum progresses over time.
Sure, the LG Spectrum has a stunning 4.5-inch 720p display, Verizon 4G LTE, and all the innards of what could be a great smartphone. But so far I’m not ready to call it a great smartphone. → Read More
Those reveling in the thumb-in-the-eye the DOJ gave to AT&T over the T-Mobile merger should pause a moment to consider the politics of spectrum allocation in the US.
Anyone who has an iPhone on AT&T knows they need spectrum. Spectrum is a finite resource of airwaves allocated by the federal government (FCC) to businesses based on a bidding process that necessitates demonstrated consumer… → Read More
The absurdity of this issue, I swear. Get this: churches (and other deals like outdoor events) have been using microphones that operate on the 700MHz spectrum since, like, forever. It turns out that that part of the spectrum, 700MHz, is to be set aside for over-the-air digital TV broadcasts. You see where this is going: churches all over the country are going to have to upgrade their microphones… → Read More
More FCC news for you, this Wednesday morning (and before Droid news consumes us all). The agency is considering taking some of the bandwidth that is currently allocated to digital television, and auctioning it off so that broadband companies can bid on it. The point, of course, is to increase the availability of wireless broadband. → Read More
Google must be pretty happy this morning. Not only because its preferred candidate is now president-elect, but because the Federal Communications Commission green-lighted the opening of the so-called white space spectrum. In short, when television stations move to digital next year a whole swath of spectrum is freed up—what to do with it? If you’re Google (or Motorola or any number of… → Read More
So a Michigan congressman is accusing Google of “gaming” last month’s spectrum auction. The congressman, Michigan’s Fred Upton, who is a Republican, says Google bid just enough to trigger those pesky open access rules. He also called the way the auction was set up a big exercise in social engineering. Isn’t “social engineering” just a fancy way to say… → Read More
Verizon Wireless wants you to know, paying customer, that it’s got your back. All that spectrum it won last month? It’s totally going to use it to “further [its] broadband strategy.” I do wonder if *its* strategy will be good for *us* or just another money grab. For those of you bored at your desk this Friday afternoon, VZW just posted a powerfully worded PowerPoint… → Read More
[photopress:attpayment.jpg,full,center] Just how does AT&T plan to pay for the swarth of spectrum (public airwaves, anyone?) it won yesterday? Creatively! Reuters reports that everyone’s favorite iPhone provider will use a “combination of funds from operations and debt” to pay the bill, which totals around $6.64 billion. It’s got 10 days to pay the down payment of $1.33… → Read More
Earlier today the FCC announced the winners of the 700MHz auction and AT&T swooped up the B-block in case you were wondering about the image. Instead of AT&T’s logo I decided to give you folks some eye candy. “AT&T’s strong spectrum holdings position the company to further enhance the quality and reliability of existing wireless broadband and voice services, and to set the… → Read More
[photopress:no3gip.jpg,full,right] Interesting bit of speculation over at Macenstein. That is, what if Apple doesn’t release a 3G iPhonethis year, if ever? That would annoy people who said “non!” to the current iPhone in hopes of buying one that’s not stupid slow. At the same time, it may play right into both Apple and AT&T’s hands. Take AT&T. The corp just… → Read More
The big auction is in full swing, and the anonymous bids are flowing in. After two weeks of bidding, the FCC is set to receive more than $12 billion for the various blocks of spectrum, with the valuable C block bringing in $4.7b of that with the most recent bid. Breaking the reserve means that the restrictions Google suggested — making the spectrum open to outside devices and applications —… → Read More
The big day is almost here! All the heavy tele-hitters will be making offers on the chunk of wireless spectrum being made available by the FCC. There are 5 blocks, A through E. A and B are regional and may be bought by carriers hoping to strengthen their coverage in certain areas. E is one-way, so it’s useless for cool stuff like email, mobile web, and so on. C and D are where the action… → Read More
Finally, the FCC is showing some sense. The agency said yesterday that one-third of the spectrum that will be auctioned off early next year will have to go toward the creation of an open wireless network. This is a victory for Google and a setback for the likes of AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which wanted the whole of the soon-to-be unused spectrum to continue to be closed. (You can only use… → Read More
Google doesn’t want to do any evil. Google, does, however, want to buy up a large swath of the public airwaves in order to A) become richer and B) prevent the likes of AT&T and Verizon from gouging us, the consumer, any further. The Federal Communications Commission will vote tomorrow, Tuesday, on how to handle the upcoming auction of unlicensed, unused spectrum. Google wants the… → Read More
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has a dream. He envisions an America where the 700MHz spectrum that’s being auctioned off soon goes to the people, not a company full of rules and restrictions. Gone are the days of locked phones and lengthy contracts. Instead we all live in a place where any device can be used to tap into a mobile broadband network. Rock and Roll Fantasy aside, it would be great if… → Read More
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