Wireless Internet Reviews Blog

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

How far away is LTE?

Joe — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:36:40 +0000

For the past few years we’ve heard cell phone carriers tout the virtues of LTE to us. Most of them have hopped on the bandwagon, and Verizon claims they’ll have North America’s first LTE network running early this year. We haven’t heard many specifics from their testing, but we did hear something about TeliaSonera’s LTE network. The news, unfortunately, was not all good. While they did get a nice, speedy 5Mbps upstream, they couldn’t get the downstream to exceed 12Mbps. With T-Mobile and AT&T looking to release 21Mbps HSPA+ networks, that speed just won’t cut it. Again, that’s not necessarily indicative of Verizon’s network, but it certainly raises concerns about when we’ll actually see them deploy LTE in the States.

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

How far away is LTE?

Verizon hints at usage-based pricing for LTE network

Joe — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:00:44 +0000

The prospect of a fourth-generation network and the opportunities it can bring to modern technology has excited many. Verizon Wireless plans to launch the nation’s first commercial LTE 4G network this year, which could kickstart a wave of products developed with Internet capabilities. In fact, that’s what Verizon plans to do. They want third-party developers to create products that can connect to their network. But consumers shouldn’t get too hopeful yet. The connectivity might not justify the cost.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Verizon Wireless CTO Dick Lynch spoke to the issue of pricing the company’s 4G network. It sounds like they won’t use the same flat-rate pricing employed on their 3G CDMA network.

“The problem we have today with flat-based usage is that you are trying to encourage customers to be efficient in use and applications but you are getting some people who are bandwidth hogs using gigabytes a month and they are paying something like megabytes a month. That isn’t long-term sustainable. Why should customers using an average amount of bandwidth be subsidizing bandwidth hogs?”

Lynch barks up the wrong tree with his last line. Many successful companies offer affordable services because they employ a user subsidy model. Gyms, for instance, couldn’t offer you your current rate if all members used the gym every day. They wouldn’t have the space. Those who don’t use the gym often subsidize those who do. Netflix is another example. Those who go through two movies a month subsidize those who go through a dozen or more. If everyone rented 15 movies per month, Netflix could not sustain itself.

Perhaps the most glaring example comes from one of Verizon’s endeavors, cable TV. I present a perfect example here. Other than a few random games here or there, I watch baseball games exclusively. Why should I pay for all the channels I don’t use? Because I’m subsidizing the people who watch all the channels.

As for the bandwidth hogs, this seems like a PR play by broadband companies to paint heavy users as the bad guys. It’s not the carrier at fault, it’s that guy who sits on the Internet all day streaming YouTube and who knows what else. By creating this strawman, carriers are then open to set low caps on service, charging heavy users far more than is reasonable. Time Warner recently tried a metered billing system, whereby it put a 5GB cap on users. Using 5GB from a smartphone, or from occasional laptop use, isn’t big. But many users, especially families, go well over 5GB per month on their home computers.

Again, Verizon and other carriers have shown their intent to anyone paying attention. They’re foisting the bad guy status on other users so they can raise prices. When they do, they’ll explain how it’s fair. Except it’s not fair. It’s just another money grab.

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

Verizon hints at usage-based pricing for LTE network

Sprint releases hybrid 3G/4G router

Joe — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:17 +0000

One of the most difficult aspects of launching a 4G network is the transition. How does a carrier get its customers, already equipped with 3G devices, to sign up for 4G plans? Sprint thinks it has the answer. They’ve been releasing hybrid devices that can capture both 3G and 4G signal. This not only opens up 4G for more customers, but it allows customers in 3G markets to prepare for a 4G upgrade. Their latest, the Overdrive, is more than that. It’s a mobile hotspot, much like the MiFi that Verizon launched earlier this year. The device can send a 3G or 4G signal to up to five devices. It requires a contract, though — a two-year commitment to a service plan of $59, plus $99 for the device after a $50 mail-in rebate. It will be available January 10.

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

Sprint releases hybrid 3G/4G router

Is DataJack too good to be true?

Joe — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:09 +0000

When shopping for a 3G mobile broadband package, consumers should expect two things: high prices, low caps. It’s not an ideal scenario, but it’s the situation we’re stuck with. That’s why we view the new DataJack mobile broadband plans with a twinge of skepticism. The company will launch the service at CES with an initial price of $39.99 per month, or about $20 less than the big carriers. While that by itself might be conceivable, the further details are not. There is no usage cap, and it doesn’t require a contract. So how is DataJack going to get away with this?

For starters, I imagine they’d have to use another company’s 3G network. Since they’re advertising GSM 3G and EDGE, it sounds like T-Mobile or AT&T. Since it’s 5.76Mbps to 7.2Mbps in speed, it sounds like T-Mobile — though I could be wrong. In any case, you can probably see the issue here. If T-Mobile is capping usage for its own customers, why would it allow a company renting its spectrum to allow unlimited usage to its customers?

We’ll see what comes of DataJack, but I’m not optimistic. As they say, when something looks too good to be true, chances are it is.

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

Is DataJack too good to be true?

Good news for you: mobile broadband pricing could decline

Joe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:14:45 +0000

Every price decrease has to start somewhere. For mobile broadband, it might have started with T-Mobile. The last major U.S. carrier to offer mobile broadband services, T-Mobile stuck with the industry-wide cap of 5GB, but undercut its competitors by $10 per month, offering theirs at $50. They’re officially the cheapest of the Big Four now, and when one company lowers its price, the rest usually follow. So why haven’t we seen AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint knocking down their $60 monthly plans? Because T-Mobile, in terms of 3G, isn’t yet on the same level.

T-Mobile only started deploying a 3G network last year, which is long after the other three. That puts them at an immediate disadvantage. Plus, they don’t cover the entire nation, so frequent travelers, who are the typical user of mobile broadband services, might not find T-Mobile’s offering as useful.

Another disadvantage for T-Mobile is that the other carriers hook customers with a two-year contract. So even if T-Mobile’s service, at $50, was attractive to some customers, they might not be able to do anything until their contract expires. This leaves the other three carriers in the driver’s seat.

Soon, though, T-Mobile will upgrade its 3G networks to 7Mbps, a project AT&T won’t complete until 2011. They then plan up upgrade that to 21Mbps sometime next year. That’s going to make their service even more attractive to consumers. If still offered at $50, it could make a huge dent. People will still have to wait out their contracts, but with prorated early termination fees, perhaps they’ll cancel a few months early.

A hat tip to FierceWireless for the idea.

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

Good news for you: mobile broadband pricing could decline

What exactly does 3G coverage mean?

Joe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:16:31 +0000

One of the biggest stories in the cellular world over the past few weeks is the spat between Verizon Wireless and AT&T. It started when Verizon ran ads mocking AT&T’s 3G coverage, noting that they cover much, much more of the country with 3G than AT&T. The two sides argued, with AT&T eventually filing suit against Verizon. In question is the definition of 3G coverage. Technically, by the accepted definition of 3G, Verizon did not lie in their ads. The truth, however, is not as clear cut.

While Verizon might be technically correct with their 3G claims, AT&T actually provides faster overall 3G speeds than Verizon. It’s true that AT&T doesn’t have as much coverage with 3G than Verizon, but it does cover most major markets in the U.S. Where it doesn’t have 3G coverage, AT&T offers EDGE, which is considered 2.5G. Apple Insider explains the situation.

Part of the problem is that the advertised 3G speeds are based on ideal conditions. Those rarely exist. There are always factors that obstruct coverage, and network capacity always plays a part. Apple Insider looks at the typical speed of Verizon’s 3G vs. Verizon’s EVDO 3G, and finds that typical speeds aren’t that much higher on Verizon.

Of course, ideal coverage is much faster with Verizon, but if people are getting “typical” speeds most of the time the difference is not as pronounced. The most interesting part of the graph is how much faster AT&T’s 3G coverage is.

Does Verizon make a valid point? In a way. They’re not technically lying. What they’re really doing is calling into question the definition of 3G. Since many people who watch these commercials don’t know what it means, the ads end up misleading some. AT&T provides fast coverage in major markets, and in most other areas it provides speeds comparable to typical Verizon 3G speeds. So how should they rule on this one?

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

What exactly does 3G coverage mean?

4G technology will extend beyond phones, laptops

Joe — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:30 +0000

As it currently stands, 3G wireless services are used mainly on two devices: cell phones and laptops (including netbooks). This is mainly due to limitations of 3G networks. Yes, they can cover large areas, but they’re limited in speed and capacity. This has led to a number of restrictions on their usage — companies limit both the types of devices which can connect to the network and the consumption levels of end users, usually capping them at 5GB per month. That could all change with more widespread 4G technology.

While it’s exciting to think about how a 4G network can power your camera, your ebook reader, or even your car, it’s even more exciting to think about how this will change pricing schemes. As Sprint president of network operations Steve Elfman notes, “You’re used to paying full price” for gadgets like digital cameras. If cell phone companies can no longer tie you to their network with a subsidized handset, the opportunities for connectivity can grow.

(And if AT&T can prove price fixing in the LCD screen industry, we could see a drop in handset pricing, too.)

It’s still easiest to think of 4G as having better coverage and faster speeds for laptop data, but it can be so much more than that. With higher capacity networks that run faster, developers can hook all kinds of devices up to the Internet. It will create a new level of connectivity that could spark even further innovation.

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

4G technology will extend beyond phones, laptops

Mobile broadband growth outpacing fixed line

Joe — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:32:03 +0000

Despite worldwide financial shakiness, mobile broadband remains a growth industry. While that rate isn’t quite as high in America, across the Atlantic people are signing up for mobile broadband plans faster than ever. A recent study shows that mobile broadband subscriptions are outpacing their fixed line counterparts. This is no insignificant number: mobile broadband subscriptions project to around 600 million worldwide by the end of the year, while fixed line connections should number 500 million. Europe brings up the number, as around 1 in 5 people have mobile broadband connections. This signals the possibility of even greater growth over the next five years than originally projected.

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

Mobile broadband growth outpacing fixed line