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Tag: sprint

  • Sprint inches closer to voice-over-LTE, selecting Broadsoft for VoIP

    In addition to the VoIP service that Sprint provides, Broadsoft’s server will enable them to add layers on messaging, video and other IP communications which is a move in the right direction and commendable.

    MetroPCS have failed to deliver on their service with the strike they had with voice-over-LTE where the long awaited migration of mobile voice calls to 4G data networks has not yet happened which is very disappointing but things are looking better for the VoLTE service especially with the coming in of Sprint.

    Sprint is keen on upgrading their VoIP services and has strategically made the important move of partnering with BroadSoft as a service provider. According to BroadSoft on Wednesday, its server for BroadWorks IP applications will be used to run VoLTE services coming in the foreseeable future.

    Sprint have a very well established 2G network that is well spread and optimal for voice calls but since their interest is not only in voice, investing and upgrading to VoLTE is a decision that was long anticipated. BroadWorks will enable Sprint to combine web interfaces and enterprise PBX systems with the VoLTE to be implemented on top of layering on the video, presence and messaging that already exists with them.

    We are still waiting on word on the official VoLTE commercial launch date but judging from the time consuming LTE rollout by Sprint, we could assume that the CDMA – LTE voice transition will not be happening in the near future. But still, getting together with Broadsoft looks like a light at the end of the tunnel because of the high quality features it provides. Sprint’s communications platform could be made more effective when unified through efforts and innovations brought by broadsoft to serve its enterprise customers some time soon.

  • Sprint Opposes Proposed AT&T Acquisition of T-Mobile USA

    Sprint has announced its opposition to AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA. According to Sprint, the transaction, which requires the approval of the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, and will likely spark a host of hearings in the U.S. Congress, "would reverse nearly three decades of actions by the U.S. government and the courts that modernized and opened U.S. communications markets to competition."

    "The wireless industry has sparked unprecedented levels of competition, innovation, job creation and investment for the American economy, all of which could be undone by this transaction," as the company claims.

    AT&T and Verizon are already by far the largest wireless providers. If approved, the proposed acquisition would create a combined company that would be almost three times the size of Sprint in terms of wireless revenue and would entrench AT&T’s and Verizon’s duopoly control over the wireless market. According to Sprint, the wireless industry moving forward would be dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically integrated companies with unprecedented control over the U.S. wireless post-paid market, as well as the availability and price of key inputs, such as backhaul and access needed by other wireless companies to compete.

    “Sprint urges the United States government to block this anti-competitive acquisition,” said Vonya McCann, senior vice president, Government Affairs at Sprint.

    “This transaction will harm consumers and harm competition at a time when this country can least afford it. As the first national carrier to roll out 4G services and handsets and the carrier that brought simple unlimited pricing to the marketplace, Sprint stands ready to compete in a truly dynamic marketplace. So on behalf of our customers, our industry and our country, Sprint will fight this attempt by AT&T to undo the progress of the past 25 years and create a new Ma Bell duopoly.”

  • Google Nexus S 4G Coming to Sprint

    Sprint has announced the upcoming availability of Nexus S 4G from Google. Coming to Sprint this spring, this Android 2.3-powered device features 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, Super AMOLED 4” display, Google Voice integration, NFC support and Mobile Hotspot capability.

    Manufactured by Samsung, Nexus S 4G comes packed with a "pure Google experience" using Android 2.3, Gingerbread, the fastest version of Android available for smartphones. It is powered by a 1GHz Samsung application processor that produces rich 3D-like graphics, faster upload and download times and supports HD-like multimedia content along with a dedicated GPU. 

    It is designed with Samsung’s Super AMOLED touchscreen technology. The 4-inch Contour Display features a curved design "for a more comfortable look and feel in the user’s hand or along the side of the face." It also offers a screen that is bright with higher color contrast, meaning colors are vibrant and text is crisp at any size and produces less glare than on other smartphone displays when outdoors.

    Nexus S 4G also features a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and camcorder and front-facing VGA camera.

    Additional key features include:

    • 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability, supporting up to six Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
    • Android Market for access to more than 150,000 applications
    • Google mobile services such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps with Navigation, syncing with Google Calendar, Voice Actions and YouTube
    • Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®), personal (POP & IMAP) email and instant messaging
    • Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allows the device to read information from everyday objects, like stickers and posters embedded with NFC chips
    • 16GB Internal Memory (ROM)/512MB (RAM)
    • Wi-Fi® – 802.11 b/g/n
    • Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR
    • Integrated GPS
    • 1500 mAh Lithium-ion battery

    Sprint Nexus S 4G customers will be among the first to receive Android software upgrades and new Google mobile apps. In many cases, the device will get the updates and new apps as soon as they are available.

    "Nexus S 4G shows the strong commitment Sprint has to Android, and when combined with our 4G network capabilities, it gives customers the option of a pure Google experience," said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. "As the first 4G smartphone with Android 2.3, Nexus S 4G delivers on the promise of the advanced data capabilities of 4G to deliver an incredible Web browsing experience, offers quick and easy access to future Android updates and access to the services built into Google Voice."

    Andy Rubin, vice president of Engineering at Google, stated: "We’re excited to partner with Sprint on Nexus S 4G, which brings innovative hardware by Samsung and innovations on the Android platform, to create a powerful smartphone experience,"

    Nexus S 4G will be available exclusively from Sprint this spring for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade.

  • Clearwire and Sprint to Launch 4G in NYC, LA and SF This Year

    Clearwire and Sprint today announced plans to launch their respective 4G mobile internet services in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco later this year. Each of the companies will offer 4G services under their own 4G brand.

    Clearwire, Sprint and Time Warner Cable will each launch commercial 4G service in New York City on November 1. The service in Los Angeles will be launch on December 1. In cooperation with Comcast, the companies will launch 4G service in the San Francisco Bay Area in late December.

    The 4G customer experience from Clearwire and Sprint is similar to Wi-Fi but without the short-range limitations. The network uses wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi because it provides service areas measured in miles, not feet. Outside the 4G service area, dual-mode 4G/3G modems keep users continually connected by leveraging Sprint’s 3G data network.

    According to the companies, customers in these three cities “will now be able to increase their mobility and productivity in many ways: from instantly downloading large files to get work done on the run, to browsing the web just like at home from across the city, or watching online videos and movies nearly anywhere around town.”

    Subscribers will also be able to purchase a wide range of 4G devices, including: compact USB modems, numerous Intel embedded WiMAX laptops and netbooks, portable Wi-Fi/4G hotspots, and other wireless devices, all aimed at making lives in 4G cities more mobile and efficient.

    Related news
    Sprint and Virgin Mobile Introduce "Beyond Talk" Unlimited Data Prepaid Plans
    Sprint Announces First 4G Handset in the U.S. – the HTC EVO 4G
    MWC 2010: Interview with Anton Porter of ClearWire

  • Microsoft Unveils Windows Phone 7 Global Portfolio

    Microsoft announced nine new Windows Phone 7 handsets that will be available this October and November from over 60 mobile operators in 30 countries in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

    Windows Phone 7 will be available in a variety of form factors from device-makers such as Dell, HTC Corp., LG and Samsung, and from mobile operators including América Móvil, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Movistar, O2, Orange, SFR, SingTel, Telstra, TELUS, T-Mobile USA and Vodafone.

    All Windows Phone 7 phones will include the Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. A broad selection of phones will begin shipping in October 2010 with more arriving in 2011, including phones from Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

    The following devices will come to North America, Europe and Asia Pacific in the holiday 2010 timeframe.

    In North America:

    AT&T
    • HTC Surround, United States
    • Samsung Focus, United States
    • LG Quantum, United States

    T-Mobile USA
    • HTC HD7, United States
    • Dell Venue Pro, United States

    TELUS
    • HTC 7 Surround, Canada
    • LG Optimus 7, Canada

    América Móvil
    • LG Optimus 7, Mexico

    In Europe:

    O2
    • HTC HD7, United Kingdom, Germany

    Orange
    • HTC 7 Mozart, including France, United Kingdom
    • Samsung OMNIA 7, including France, United Kingdom

    SFR
    • HTC 7 Trophy, France
    • Samsung OMNIA 7, France

    Movistar
    • LG Optimus 7, Spain
    • HTC HD7, Spain
    • Samsung OMNIA 7, Spain

    Deutsche Telekom AG
    • HTC 7 Mozart, Germany
    • Samsung OMNIA 7, Germany

    Vodafone
    • HTC 7 Trophy, including Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
    • LG Optimus 7, including Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

    In Asia Pacific:

    SingTel
    • HTC HD 7, Singapore
    • LG Optimus 7, Singapore

    Telstra
    • HTC 7 Mozart, Australia
    • LG Optimus 7Q, Australia

    Vodafone
    • HTC 7 Trophy, including Australia

    “We have a beautiful lineup in this first wave of Windows Phone 7 handsets,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience — one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.”

  • America's First 4G Phone, HTC EVO, Debuts on June 4

    Sprint announced that it will start selling its highly anticipated HTC EVO 4G on June 4. The company will price the device at $199.99 with a two-year service agreement with a new line activation or eligible upgrade.

    HTC EVO 4G will use Sprint’s Everything Data or Business Advantage Messaging and Data plans. Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month. Mandatory $10 per month Premium Data add-on will allow costumers to use WiMAX when they’re in a Sprint 4G market.

    Additionally, an optional pricing add-on will turn HTC EVO 4G into a mobile hotspot connecting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices (laptops, gaming devices and digital cameras) simultaneously at 4G speeds where available and at 3G speeds anywhere on the Sprint 3G network for $29.99 per month.

    Sprint launched first U.S. 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. According to the company, today, Sprint 4G covers 41 million people and expects to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010.

    "HTC EVO 4G is a fantastic 3G device, but when you use it in our growing 4G coverage area, it becomes a multimedia powerhouse," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.

    HTC EVO 4G features Android 2.1, the newest version of the HTC Sense, simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4.3 inch display, two cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, built-in mobile hotspot functionality allowing up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G and integrated HD video capture.

    "The EVO 4G experience is much like going from TV to HDTV. But EVO has more than just an impressive list of features – it is also fun to use with remarkable gaming, video and web-browsing capabilities," Hesse added.

    With the launch of HTC EVO 4G, Sprint is also launching new video chat service: Qik. The two-way voice and video capability will be available as an upgrade to the preloaded Qik app on HTC EVO 4G to enable conversational, interactive, real-time sharing between mobile devices or from mobile-to-desktop.

    Related articles
    Sprint Announces First 4G Handset in the U.S. – the HTC EVO 4G
    ABI Research: 4G Mobile Consumer Service Revenue Will Exceed $70 Billion in 2014
    MWC 2010: Interview with Ashis Sharma, VP of Marketing at Alvarion

  • Sprint and Virgin Mobile Introduce "Beyond Talk" Unlimited Data Prepaid Plans

    Since Sprint’s acquisition of Virgin Mobile, the company has rolled out a series of new prepaid products, and today Sprint officially unveiled its new comprehensive multi-segment approach to the prepaid wireless marketplace.

    On May 12, Virgin Mobile will unveil three new "Beyond Talk" plans that all include unlimited messaging, email, data and web:

    • The $25 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 300 minutes of voice per month;
    • The $40 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with 1,200 minutes of voice per month;
    • The $60 plan includes unlimited messaging, email, data and web with unlimited voice.

    Virgin Mobile customers can add Blackberry data service to any of these plans for $10 more, enabling $35 plan consisting of both voice calling and Blackberry data service.

    Virgin will also introduce new handset lineup that will include: Blackberry Curve 8530 (available for $299.99 at the end of May), LG Rumor Touch ($149.99; only available without a contract on "Beyond Talk" plans), LG Rumor 2 QWERTY ($89.99; also only available without a contract) and Kyocera Loft QWERTY ($69.99).

    Sprint’s prepaid portfolio will initially be driven by four brands (Virgin Mobile, Broadband2Go, Boost Mobile and Assurance Gíreles) with each focused on a specific audience. "The launch of this portfolio goes far beyond changing prices," explained Dan Schulman, president of Sprint’s prepaid group.

    "We are introducing innovative and attractive offers for specific groups of customers based on usage and habits – from those who are on limited budgets and use their phones infrequently to those who want high-end devices to use for all their communications, entertainment and social networking."

    According to him, this is the year that prepaid moves to the forefront of the wireless industry.

    "In the first quarter of 2010, more than half of the mobile gross additions in the U.S. selected prepaid, and we predict that approximately 70% of the net adds in 2010 will choose plans without a contract," he said.

    "With almost 60 million people now on prepaid service," Schulman continued, "the no-contract market has clearly moved beyond the credit-challenged and lower income segments. The prepaid market has changed dramatically, with customers across multiple demographics and lifestyles demanding a wide variety of handsets, features, and plans tailored to their specific needs and wants."

  • Sprint Announces First 4G Handset in the U.S. – the HTC EVO 4G

    Sprint and HTC announced summer availability of the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, HTC EVO 4G.

    It runs Android OS 2.1 with Sense UI and features 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4.3 inches 480 x 800 TFT display, 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder (720p), forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera, HDMI out and GPS.

    It also comes with 1GB of built-in memory (8GB microSD card in the box!) and 512MB of RAM as well as with built-in mobile hotspot functionality, allowing up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience.

    According to Sprint, the custom Web browser is optimized for HTC EVO 4G’s large display. It supports Adobe Flash and features automatic text reflowing.

    The new HTC device features the newest version of theHTC Sense user experience. Along with all of the HTC Sense features it adds a number of new features, including Friend Stream, which aggregates multiple social communication channels including Facebook and Twitter into one organized flow of updates; a "Leap" thumbnail view to easily switch between home screen "panels"; the ability to download new, interactive widgets; and a "polite" ringer, which quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.

    Sprint said that in addition to today’s Android apps, the performance of which will be enhanced by 4G speed, application developers will be introducing new apps that take advantage of 4G power in new ways – games and communications tools and other apps that bring together video, presence and location simultaneously.

    “For example, an application developer might create an app that allows a customer to simultaneously watch a streaming sporting event while pulling down stats and conducting a video chat with a friend,” says Sprint.

    "The Android platform was developed to give people unmatched mobile connectivity to the Internet. By combining this vision with the promise of Sprint’s first-to-market 4G technology, HTC EVO 4G makes accessing thousands of applications from Android Market, using Google) services like Google Goggles, Google Earthand the all-new Gesture Search, or simply browsing the Web faster, easier and more enjoyable than ever before," said Andy Rubin, vice president, mobile platforms at Google.

    Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO, said, "Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level."

    Pre-registration started yesterday. The company informed that pricing will be announced at a later date.

    Today, Sprint offers wireless 4G service in 27 markets covering more than 30 million people. They expect to have up to 120 million people covered by the end of 2010. Sprint says their 4G network is up to 10 times faster than any 3G network.

  • Palm Entrusts Pre Success to New CEO Rubinstein


    Palm has appointed Jon Rubinstein, the man credited with delivering Apple’s iPod and iMac. as its new CEO amd chairman.

    He replaces Ed Colligan, who is stepping down after sixteen years leading the company.

    The executive changes come just a few days after Palm launched its Pre smartphone.

    Rubinstein, who joined Palm as Executive Chairman in October 2007 to help bring innovation back to the company, assumes his role as CEO on June 12.

    In his time with Palm he has been instrumental in the development and launch of the Pre and webOS.

    Palm said Colligan plans to take some time off, then join Elevation Partners, a major financial backer of Palm.

    Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is claiming that Verizon will end Sprint’s exclusive deal with the Palm Pre in January 2010.

  • Palm Preparing Second Pre-like Smartphone For 2009


    With a launch date for Palm’s much anticipated Pre still to be announced along comes news that Palm is preparing a second Pre-like handset for release this year.

    The smaller and slimmer device will be pitched at a different part of the smartphone market, according to Techcrunch.

    Palm is said to be "very far along" on its second Pre-like handset, which will run the new WebOS operating system.

    Spec details – such as whether it will have a touchscreen keyboard – are unknown.

    Equally unclear is what effect a second device, launched so soon after the Pre, will have on the flagship smartphone’s sales.

    Elsewhere, more information has been emerging on the Pre this week, with iSuppli estimating that the Palm smartphone costs around USD $170 to make.

    The calculation is based on the device’s hardware and manufacturing costs using second-quarter component and assembly pricing.

    The breakdown of the USD $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of USD $137.83, manufacturing and basic test costs of USD $9.58, and software and licensing costs of USD $22.61.

    The analysis does not include shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.

    iSuppli expects Palm will try to sell the Pre to wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp for about USD $300.

    But the analysts said the actual cost to consumers will be around USD $200 due to an expected carrier subsidy.

    Just when the Pre will be released is still largely a mystery, although the latest projection is 7th June.

    An interesting choice, if correct, as this is the day before Apple holds its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC).

    And that is where the next generation iPhone is widely believed to be set for release.