Wireless Internet Reviews Blog

AT&T uses Wi-Fi to ease pressure on mobile network

Joe — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:26:17 +0000

Can mobile networks handle the increasing mobile broadband traffic? In many, and perhaps most, markets the answer is yes. Some have seen problems in this regard, and AT&T’s network in New York City might be the preeminent case. Many of the island’s 8 million inhabitants, plus more than a handful of business commuters, use the iPhone, which can lead to heavy data consumption. This has led to less than optimal network function, especially during peak hours. It affects not only iPhone users, but anyone using data on AT&T, which includes BlackBerry and laptop modem users. It appears as though the company has found a temporary solution, which is to offer free Wi-Fi access.

AT&T has many Wi-Fi hotspots around the city that its mobile broadband and iPhone customers can use, but those networks aren’t available on a widespread basis. The new offering includes a newly set-up Wi-Fi network in Times Square, running between 45th and 47th Streets on Seventh Avenue. This becomes a high-traffic area because of its nature. Mayor Michael Bloomberg closed Broadway in that area and replaced the roadway with tables and benches. Businesspeople and tourists alike can take a load off and use their mobile devices in the area.

Now they’ll use a faster Wi-Fi connection at no extra charge. AT&T thinks this is a viable solution to their network traffic problems, and if they’re proven right they’ll expand the offering to other markets. It seems like a good idea, but it further illustrates the limitations of Wi-Fi. While the covered area in NYC is a highly trafficked one, it still constitutes a small portion of it. Will Wi-Fi in a three-block span help reduce traffic on its entire NYC network? I’m a skeptic.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

AT&T uses Wi-Fi to ease pressure on mobile network

Verizon plans to license 4G network to small carriers

Joe — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:25:40 +0000

Part of the problem with broadband is delivering it to small, rural markets. Wireless, then, might be the solution. Without the need to run millions of dollars worth of cable to a sparsely populated area, carriers can simply deliver the signal through wireless towers. Yet there’s still a problem there, in that small carriers do not own, and likely will not own any time soon, 4G networks. It looks like Verizon might step in and help out. The company is negotiating licensing agreements with small carriers that would enable them to supply their customers with broadband services.

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam tried to sound as altruistic as possible. “This is not something we’re looking to make a lot of money from,” he said. Whether that’s true we don’t know. But a licensing agreement will certainly be a boon to rural carriers and the customers they serve. It will also go a long way in blanketing the country with broadband services, a goal for FCC chair Julius Genachowski.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

Verizon plans to license 4G network to small carriers

Sprint and Clearwire to increase WiMax presence this summer

Joe — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:25:11 +0000

What’s the point of having a 4G network if it’s not available in all major markets? It means, for the time being at least, creating hybrid devices that function on both 3G and 4G. It has also left handheld devices out of the equation (that is, until the EVO 4G release). Clearwire and Sprint have done a good job of getting their 4G WiMax network set up in certain markets, but still have a long way go to. They’ll continue that expansion this summer, moving into about a dozen new areas during the next few months.

Look for new WiMax networks in Nashville, TN.; Daytona, Orlando and Tampa, FL.; Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y.; Merced, Modesto, Stockton, and Visalia, CA.; Wilmington, DE.; Grand Rapids, MI.; Eugene, OR; and Yamika and the Tri-Cities in Washington.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

Sprint and Clearwire to increase WiMax presence this summer

No more overage charges at T-Mobile — with a catch

Joe — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:23:36 +0000

We’re not too far removed from a time when carriers still advertised unlimited data plans, even though they didn’t really mean it. Verizon came under fire in late 2007 for booting users from its network because they exceeded a 5GB cap about which they were not aware. That led to carriers actually advertising their 5GB caps. Users who exceeded that amount paid an overage charge. T-Mobile has changed that, though. Instead of charging 10 to 20 cents per megabyte for overages, they’ll simply throttle data speeds once users exceed their cap.

This applies to the 5GB monthly webConnect data plan. Users can consume as much data as they like, but once they hit that cap they’ll see their transfer speed drop. There is no word on exactly how slow the plans will go. Unless they’re in the double-digit Kbps range, users will find it a mere annoyance. It certainly will be preferable to the overage charges.

Those using T-Mobile’s 200MB plan will continue to pay overage charges. That makes enough sense. Otherwise they’d have plenty of people who can tolerate lower speeds on their 200MB plan, plodding through the data consumed above the limit. The overage charge, however, has been reduced from 20 cents to 10 cents, a nice bonus for the lower-tier data users.

This new consumption structure is available now.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

No more overage charges at T-Mobile — with a catch

Is iPad trouble a bad sign for the future?

Joe — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:58:41 +0000

AT&T has experienced plenty of problems with its 3G network. In New York many consumers complain of subpar service, which AT&T has blamed on excessive data usage by iPhone users. Yet the company will now allow iPad users to take advantage of its unlimited data plans as well. While the company doesn’t think it will affect the network much — they believe that most will use faster Wi-Fi connections when browsing the internet — others think that the strain could be greater than expected. As analyst Craig Moffett says, the iPad is “extremely bandwidth-intensive.” If people do choose the 3G route, which would allow them to take advantage of the iPads myriad features in more locations, AT&T could be in for another big crunch.

The greater size, and therefore resolution, on the iPad presents the primary problem. Frost & Sullivan consultant James Brehm tells it like it is:

Still, many users could consume large amounts of bandwidth by watching videos on the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen. A two-hour movie would likely send three to five times more data to the iPad than watching a similar video file on an iPhone or iPod would

While many figure to use the iPad as an ebook reader, it can do so much more. As an ultra-portable multimedia panacea, it could cause huge strains for wireless internet networks. While Apple and AT&T are underplaying that effect right now, I hope they have a plan in place should it become a larger issue.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

Is iPad trouble a bad sign for the future?

National Broadband plan appears to not change much

Joe — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:52:01 +0000

The FCC remains confident that its National Broadband plan can succeed in delivering high-speed internet to the masses, but after unveiling their plan they’ve invited the skeptics. Rob Pegoraro of The Washington Post gives his take, and it’s not very optimistic. The plan is slow-moving and relies upon many assumptions. Yet the toughest criticism to answer is the cost of the plan. In order to cobble together spectrum and offer it at a low cost to consumers, the plan needs plenty of funding. Where is this money going to come from? Another issue: the providers. We’ll still be stuck with the same options as today. They might have faster service, which might make people happy, but at what cost? Will consumers bear the burden for this plan? If so, then why not let private entities take care of it? These are all questions that the FCC will answer as they implement their plan. The first phase is due in five years, though, so they’ll have plenty of time to think on it.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

National Broadband plan appears to not change much

How likely is the National Broadband plan?

Joe — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:41:39 +0000

Over the past few weeks and months we’ve heard plenty about the Federal Communications Commission, headed by Chairman Julius Genachowski, and their plan to provide free wireless broadband to the entire country, especially the 35 percent who currently lack it. The goal is to get 90 percent of the population covered, using partnerships with entities both private and public. The plan sounds aggressive, and it represents an idealistic vision. But we’ve seen many plans like this die before. Will the National Broadband fall victim to a difficult bureaucratic process?

It’s unknown at this point exactly how Genachowski will present his vision, but it will likely involve using white spaces. The best analogy I can come up with here is HD radio. White spaces would utilize the unused portions between spectrum bands to provide low-cost internet. This is especially important in rural areas, which suffer from last-mile issues that plague most new technological developments.

There will likely be some kind of backlash from private businesses seeking to profit from wireless spectrum. If the FCC’s plan involves a base level of usage, however — perhaps akin to EDGE data, or low-level EVDO, then perhaps private companies will be less concerned. That would allow them to continue offering a premium service. With 4G networks around the corner, the public and private entities could coexist.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

How likely is the National Broadband plan?

Amtrak to implement Wi-Fi on some trains

Joe — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:29:35 +0000

Mass transit has never experienced mass appeal in the U.S., but with Wi-Fi networks gaining traction that might change. If people can get work done while commuting or traveling, perhaps they’ll choose to take the train instead of driving. We’ve seen services like this, most notably on the Bolt Bus. The latest on the bandwagon is Amtrak, which will install Wi-Fi on its Northeast Corridor trains. This includes its 20 high-speed Acela Express trains, which hit major East Coast destinations like Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston among others. Wi-Fi will be free during a trial period, after which Amtrak will review and see if charging might work better. The cheaper the Wi-Fi, though, the greater advantage the company will see from it.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

Amtrak to implement Wi-Fi on some trains

AT&T winning the broadband speed game

Joe — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:13:10 +0000

Which of the major mobile provides has the fastest transfer speeds? We’ve seen a number of attempts to nail this down, and it seems that each time we get a different answer. A Gizmodo survey said Sprint. Another said AT&T. So which is it? PC World got into the game, and has found that AT&T is the fastest. This isn’t by any insignificant margin, either. Their average download speed is 60 percent faster than the next closest competitor, Verizon, and the average upload speed is 78 percent faster

Surprisingly, according to PC World AT&T’s speeds tested three times faster in New York than they did in the spring. So perhaps the company really is working to improve its network. Or perhaps enough people got frustrated and switched that it feed up bandwidth. Who knows.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

AT&T winning the broadband speed game

NETGEAR and Ericsson release 3G wireless router

Joe — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:54:04 +0000

We’ve seen a number of 3G routers released over the past year or so, mostly tied to specific carriers. This latest one, from NETGEAR and Ericsson, could be among the best. It combines an internal 3G radio with a traditional wireless router to provide customers with a primary or backup option for their Internet needs. After the jump, we’ll touch on some of the specifics.

Like most 3G routers, this model works best as a backup. There are some areas where you just can’t access a wireless network. In some situations you can tether your mobile device, but that won’t help if multiple people need the network. Wireless 3G routers help in this situation by providing service.

Some people, especially light users, find it useful as an alternative to DSL and cable plans. Depending on how heavily a person uses the internet, he or she can cancel primary service and work off just the 3G mobile connection, meaning one internet bill every month rather than two.

As a primary connection, 3G mobile broadband plans, at least in America, come with heavy restrictions, usually 5GB per month. I go through 5GB in most weeks. Again, this is better for light users. But even then, people might find themselves coming up close to data caps. This NETGEAR router, however, employs a metering system that lets you know how close you are to your limits. That’s a pretty essential feature nowadays.

This post originated at: WirelessInternetReviews.com - The premiere resource for information on mobile broadband providers like Cricket Wireless.

NETGEAR and Ericsson release 3G wireless router