Send Us Tips!

Clear Talk Acquires 700 Mhz Spectrum From Verizon

0

by Roy Alugbue on
tagged , ,

 

In an effort to consolidate its massive network just slightly, Verizon recently sold 10 lower 700 MHz B-block licenses to wireless service provider Clear Talk. I’m sure many of you are wondering what the significance of this recent deal is, right? It’s simple really: Verizon wanted to sell its lower 700 MHz spectrum licenses to rationalize its spectrum holdings and enable more spectrum to reach the marketplace where it can be used for the benefit of customers. In other words— Verizon feels that more of its spectrum can indirectly reach a wider range of customers through a sale to another operator, which is significant because the spectrum covers additional areas in Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico.

If you happen to be a Clear Talk subscriber or customer, it’s looking more and more like you have a lot to look forward to— especially if you’re itching to jump on one of those awesome 4G LTE devices.

source: Verizon Wireless News Center

LG Spectrum Ice Cream Sandwich will start rolling out tomorrow

2

by Winston Gordon on
tagged , , ,

Starting tomorrow owners of the LG Spectrum will be able to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich and I think the only thing that can come to mind for these owners is FINALLY. From the original leak of the update back in May to finding out Saturday that Verizon has finally approved the update, Spectrum owners have been patiently waiting for the Ice Cream Sandwich experience. Well starting tomorrow the wait will be over and owners can rejoice in the improvement that is Ice Cream Sandwich. It may sting to know that they are getting this update well after Jelly Bean has been released and with the anticipation of Android 4.2 growing, but better late than never right?

 Source: Verizon

LG Spectrum’s ICS update finally approved by Verizon; Should arrive in a couple of days

0

by Macky Evangelista on
tagged , , , , ,

It took quite a bit of time, but I suppose it’s better late than never right? It looks like Verizon’s LG Spectrum ICS update has finally been approved by Big Red and should hit devices shortly. The build is VS920ZV7 and should start hitting devices in a matter of a couple days. You can also check out the source link for Verizon’s page the details the update and shows off the new features that you’ll be receiving!

source: Verizon

UK 4G ready for widespread rollout after agreement between regulators, providers

0

by Jeff Causey on
tagged , , , , , ,

Several UK mobile network providers, the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom, and other government officials have announced a deal that will accelerate the rollout of 4G LTE services throughout the UK. The settlement means carriers like O2 and Vodafone will likely be able to start deploying their 4G LTE networks in early 2013, about six months earlier than originally thought.

UK carrier EE was previously granted permission to use some of their existing 1800 MHz spectrum for 4G LTE network purposes and they were expected to start that rollout this fall. However, other UK carriers like O2 and Vodafone had been threatening to launch legal action claiming the permission to use the spectrum for 4G services was improper and that EE was being given an unfair advantage. Ofcom has now agreed to accelerate the approval process for 4G LTE services for other carriers after a planned January action of old analog television spectrum occurs in January 2013.

With the agreement, EE is anticipated to announce the imminent launch of their 4G LTE network. They have indicated they have plans to deploy the service to 16 UK cities before the end of the year and to 98% of the UK by 2014. Other carriers will be behind with their deployments which should now occur sometime in early 2013, but with the agreement the head start that EE gets will not be as great.

The settlement means the UK will be able to start to catch back up to other countries that already have 4G LTE services well established. As Ed Richards, Ofcom’s chief executive notes, consumers are the big winners as they will not have to wait for “a considerable period for the next generation of mobile broadband services.”

source: BBC

Verizon Cable Spectrum Purchase Approved By FCC

1

by Ed Caggiani on
tagged , , , ,

Verizon’s $3.9 billion deal to acquire AWS spectrum licenses has now been approved by the FCC. Along with this approval also comes a few other interesting deals, including a spectrum swap with Leap Wireless and a transfer of some of the AWS holdings to T-Mobile. All Big Red needs to do is the following:

  • Verizon must complete the transfer of spectrum to T-Mobile within 45 days after the cable company deal has closed.
  • Within three years, they have to provide service to at least 30% of the areas covered by the new spectrum, and 70% within seven years.
  • Roaming agreements must remain in effect for five years in the newly-acquired spectrum coverage areas.

T-Mobile voiced their opposition about the Verizon/AWS deal early on, but with the later agreement with Verizon, both companies are getting some of what they want.

source: fcc

LG Spectrum’s Ice Cream Sandwich Update Ready To Go, Awaiting Verizon’s Approval

2

by Macky Evangelista on
tagged , , , ,

A little less than two months ago we reported of an Ice Cream Sandwich build that leaked for the Verizon LG Spectrum. Now it seems as if the official ICS update is just around the corner. According to an LG rep over at LG’s support forum, ICS for the Spectrum is very close:

Keep an eye on our “Company Updates” which shows up on the home page 

It’s getting very close…can’t wait to get the official word to post it! I think we’re just waiting on Verizon to set a FOTA schedule. :)

Needless to say, the wait shouldn’t be that much longer my friends. Any LG Spectrum owners still out there?

source: LG Support

T-Mobile And Verizon Ink Deal To Swap Spectrum

3

by Roy Alugbue on
tagged , , , , ,

You’ve got to hand it to T-Mobile and Verizon— each wireless carrier is positioning itself to have the best wireless technology possible for its customers. Both carriers signed a landmark AWS spectrum purchase and exchange agreement. For T-Mobile specifically, the deal would allow it to acquire additional spectrum, while simultaneously realigning its current spectrum holdings. The deal would cover 15 markets and allow T-Mo to grab spectrum which covers over 60 million people. If or when the deal is approved by the FCC, this technology will allow T-Mo to use the spectrum for it’s existing 4G HSPA+ network as well as its upcoming LTE-Advanced network, which of course is due next year. Don’t think Verizon is left cut and dry from this deal too as it too gets what it’s ultimately looking for. For Big Red, it’ll stand to gain spectrum from T-Mo which covers 22 million people and “cash consideration” from this deal.

While this deal is indeed exciting, it could possibly face numerous challenges or obstacles which could prevent it from going through. The biggest issue is well, the FCC has to ok the deal first and you can bet the FCC certainly hasn’t forgotten about a certain deal T-Mobile was recently part of. The second is some of the spectrum is owned by SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap— and those individual deals must be approved first before T-Mo’s part can go through. Still, you can’t not be excited at the prospect of T-Mobile’s seemingly inevitable growth. After all, it is seeing the “modernization of 37,000 cell sites, launching 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band and deployment of LTE in 2013″.

Hit the break to see the full presser from T-Mobile. » Read the rest

Ice Cream Sandwich for the LG Spectrum leaks

0

by Robert Nazarian on
tagged , ,

It’s been a little over 7 months since the Ice Cream Sandwich SDK  was released, but there are still plenty of phones waiting for the update. Those of you who own the LG Spectrum will be happy to know that the ICS update leaked. We know it’s an official update, but we don’t know if it’s the final version. What does this mean? It means we have no idea when the Spectrum will get ICS. If you can’t wait any longer, you can certainly hit the source link and try to apply it, but from what I’m seeing, other users aren’t having all that much luck.

source: xda

 

As the quest for more spectrum continues, opponents ask the FCC to check Verizon

0

by Emily Aquin on
tagged , , , ,

As our need for more data grows, so does the need for more wireless spectrum. As a result, cell phone companies have been squabbling over the acquisition of the spectrum. The most recent development in this saga is a letter to the Federal Communications Commission by Verizon’s opponents, asking the FCC to halt the review of a purchase of spectrum for $3.9 billion by Verizon until certain documents are made public.

The center of this controversy is a deal that Verizon struck up last December to purchase Advanced Wireless Systems (AWS) spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo, LLC, a joint effort from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. Verizon would pay $3.9 billion for acquiring the spectrum, allowing them to expand their LTE network.

Other companies have been calling foul on this deal. T-Mobile had already requested that the FCC halt Verizon’s purchase of spectrum. They argued that this would give Verizon an excessive amount of wireless spectrum that they wouldn’t even use in the foreseeable future. T-Mobile claimed the Verizon/cable company deal would hurt competition and was not in the public’s best interest.

Verizon responded to these accusations by stating that their current spectrum holdings would no longer support the increase in LTE data traffic by the end of 2015.

There are several redacted sections in this response, however. Sentences marked “highly confidential” would seemingly contain information about Verizon’s plans to build out its networks.

This has caused several companies, such as Sprint, DirecTV, and T-Mobile, along with advocacy groups like Public Knowledge and Media Access Project, to request for those redacted segments to be publicly shared before the FCC can proceed in their review of Verizon’s deal.

“As an institutional matter, the Commission cannot allow Verizon and the cable companies to make unilateral determinations that certain information is not relevant to Commission’s public interest determination or is too sensitive to be sufficiently protected by Commission safeguards,” they wrote. “As a policy matter, the Commission cannot allow the applicants to deny production of evidence for the record without which interested parties would be unable to submit … fully informed analyses.”

We’re hoping at Talk Android that the FCC will require that all relevant information is made public, and that the ruling of this deal will be in the best interest of the consumer, not just large corporations.

source: IT World

Growing Data Demands Are Trouble For Verizon, LTE Capacity Nearing Limits

1

by Ed Caggiani on
tagged , , , , , ,

In a filing made to the FCC in support of Verizon’s planned $3.9 billion purchase of nationwide AWS spectrum licenses held by SpectrumCo, Big Red’s executive director of network strategy Bill Stone said that Verizon’s current spectrum holdings do not provide enough capacity to meet growing 4G demands, in some places hitting full capacity by 2013. More places will hit capacity by 2015.

“Our usage projections suggest that traffic on our LTE network will surpass data usage on our EV-DO network in early 2013. By year-end 2015 our LTE data traffic is projected to be 5 times the peak data traffic ever carried on our 3G EV-DO network. The impact of that growth rate compounds, resulting in a more than 20-fold increase in LTE data traffic from year-end 2011 to year-end 2015.“

Currently, only 5 percent of Verizon’s customers use LTE, but the company is trying to migrate as many customers to LTE as possible. Even though Verizon is trying to move more users to their LTE network, their EV-DO network is not seeing a drop in usage either. Stone stated:

“…overall traffic continues to increase on the EV-DO network even as some customers migrate to the LTE network. Thus while traffic is migrating to LTE, spectrum deployed for EV-DO is not fallow, but is filled by the growing data demands of remaining users. Put another way, customers are not yet moving to LTE fast enough to stop, and reverse, EV-DO traffic growth.“

» Read the rest

123