AT&T

Nortel teams with Alvarion on WiMAX; focus moves to LTE

Sue Marek — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:04:13 -0400

When it comes to 4G, Nortel Networks is putting its R&D efforts behind LTE and teaming with Alvarion to come up with an end-to-end mobile WiMAX solution. The shift is notable because in the past Nortel has touted its extensive WiMAX patent portfolio. Now the company says it will focus its R&D on LTE where it believes demand is emerging faster than predicted.

Nortel's LTE focus is timely considering major operators such as Verizon Wireless, Vodafone and AT&T have recently said that they plan to migrate to LTE technology. Verizon has said that it is currently trialing different LTE technologies.

On the mobile WiMAX front, Nortel will work with Alvarion to combine Alvarion's radio access network technology with Nortel's core network elements, backhaul solutions and applications such as VOIP, streaming music and video. The collaboration also will include Nortel's consulting services and its network design and management expertise.

For more:
- see this press release
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)

Related stories:
Following IPR agreement, Nortel publishes LTE rates
On The Hot Seat: Nortel's Richard Lowe

AT&T rebrands Edge Wireless stores

Sue Marek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:25:27 -0400

AT&T, which completed its acquisition of regional wireless operator Edge Wireless last month, has started converting Edge stores to AT&T stores and offering its services and products such as the popular iPhone in former Edge markets in Oregon, northern California, Idaho and Wyoming. Demand for the iPhone has been high at many of the former Edge Wireless retail stores.

For more:
- see this story

Related story:
AT&T cutbacks lead to mobility gains. Read this Edge Wireless story.

"Free" WiFi at Starbucks comes with a price

Sue Marek — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:22:31 -0400

Yesterday Starbucks began offering free WiFi to coffee drinkers who visited its Card Reward webpage to either sign up for a $5 rewards card or register an existing gift card. Users who sign up before July 14 get a free drink and everyone who signs up can use two hours of AT&T WiFi in Starbucks shops free every day. The only catch is that Card Reward users have to make a purchase with their card at least once a month.

But this plan was complicated when customers overwhelmed the Card Reward site yesterday causing the company to put up a message saying that they were working on the problem and to please check back later. This morning the site was operational.

This latest offer follows Starbucks' announcement earlier this year that AT&T would start providing WiFi service in Starbucks stores. T-Mobile USA, however, continues to offer the service as well.

For more:
- see this story

Related stories:
T-Mobile USA: WiFi subs can still use Starbucks. Read about T-Mobile's WiFi deal with Starbucks.
Starbucks snubs T-Mobile, signs WiFi deal with AT&T. Read about Starbucks WiFi deal with AT&T

AT&T settles content lawsuits

Sue Marek — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:24:55 -0400

AT&T has settled a class-action lawsuit in which customers were receiving mysterious charges for ringtones and other third party content. The suit, which was approved by a Georgia court last Friday, says that the third-party content providers involved in the lawsuit had customers sign up for their content by entering their phone numbers on websites or by sending text messages. The charges, which were poorly explained or hidden, appeared on customers' cell phone bills, often as a recurring monthly charge.

Customers will be able to claim refunds for charges that appeared on up to three of their monthly bills between Jan. 1, 2004 and May 30, 2008.

This is believed to be the first nationwide settlement over third-party content lawsuits, however, similar suits have been filed against Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA. AT&T now requires that customers who purchase content through third-party vendors must confirm that they have done so by replying to a text message. Content providers are also required to send monthly reminders to customers telling them how to unsubscribe from the services.

For more:
- see this AP story
- see this press release

Related articles:
Seven operators named in latest class action suit
T-Mobile USA faces mobile billing lawsuit
Sprint sued over unauthorized mobile content fee

AT&T goes back to basics with "simple" phone

Sue Marek — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:26:40 -0400

With a penetration rate approaching 85 percent there probably aren't too many novice wireless users in the U.S. Nevertheless, AT&T has debuted a phone geared toward first-time phone subscribers and others who want a simple phone with a large keypad and uncluttered design. The Pantech Breeze comes with three pre-programmable quick-call buttons that let users quick-call contacts and press the send button to start a call. In addition, the phone has a large font menu screen and easy-to-use oversize buttons.

The Pantech Breeze will be available starting today at AT&T stores and online for $49.99 after a two-year service agreement and a $30 mail-in rebate or $124.99 after a $30 mail-in rebate for customers who prefer to use AT&T's Pick Your Plan or Pay As You Go GoPhone prepaid plans.

For more:
- see this release

Related stories:
AT&T debuts new phones, senior plan. See this Pantech story.
Cingular launches 'World's Smallest' flip phone. See this Pantech story.

"American Idol" generates 78 million SMS messages

Sue Marek — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:24:25 -0400

AT&T is touting its text messaging traffic surge generated by "American Idol" fans who used their cell phones to vote for their pick. This season's show generated more than 78 million text messages for AT&T, which is the exclusive sponsor of the show. During the previous season, the show generated 64.5 million text messages. The carrier added new elements to this year's contest by using text messaging to inform the final three contestants of the Producer's Choice selection via their Apple iPhones.

Not to be outdone by its competitor, Verizon Wireless decided to promote its text messaging volumes today. The carrier announced that it delivered 58 billion text messages during the first quarter of 2008.

For more:
- see this release
- see this Verizon statement

Related stories:
AT&T tunes up for another season of Idol. See this AT&T story.
American Idol sets SMS record. See this AT&T story.

Some AT&T laptop customers get free WiFi

Sue Marek — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:55:05 -0400

AT&T LaptopConnect customers that are on the operator's $59.99 per month or higher data plans will now get access to more than 17,000 WiFi hot spots for free. The carrier announced that LaptopConnect customers will automatically receive a pop-up message alerting them to WiFi availability when they are in range of an AT&T hotspot. Subscribers just have to download the latest version of the AT&T Communications manager software to their laptop to start getting the alerts.

When customers are not in a hot spot area, they will continue to connect via the AT&T HSPA and EDGE network.

For more:
- See this press release

Related stories:
Starbucks ditches T-Mobile's WiFi for AT&T's. See this AT&T story.
AT&T's HSUPA deployment is nearly complete. See this AT&T story.

Vodafone, AT&T reportedly interested in Huawei handset business stake

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:21:20 -0400

Vodafone and AT&T are reportedly the possible buyers for a 50 percent stake in Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies' handset business, which the company offered for sale last week. Huawei is looking to raise some $2 billion from the sale. Huawei also wants to allay U.S. fears over security when it comes to operators dealing with the vendor and its Chinese owners.

According to the South China Morning Post, AT&T, Vodafone and a host of private equity firms that include Blackstone, TPG and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts have expressed interest. Why would AT&T and Vodafone, and by extension Verizon, be interested in Huawei's handset business? As Nokia, Motorola and other handset vendors look to assert their individuality by marketing directly to consumers and offering their own branded services, companies like Vodafone are looking to step up with their own branded handset. Huawei's handset division is reportedly profitable, and the vendor is looking for more funds to increase its handset production to 50 million devices a year. A major problem with granting an ownership stake to an operator, however, is whether other operators would want to buy devices from Huawei.

To find out more about Huawei's handset aspirations:
- take a look at this cellular.news article (with a link to the South China Morning Post article)

Alltel joins AT&T, Verizon Wireless with LTE roadmap

Brian Dolan — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:47:35 -0400

During its first quarter conference call with investors, Alltel announced that it was committed to evolving its network to LTE over the next five years. The move makes Alltel the second biggest CDMA carrier in the U.S., after Verizon Wireless, to commit to the LTE standard, even though LTE was originally on the GSM evolution path.

"We do currently plan to move towards LTE in the three-to-five year timeframe vs. WiMAX, but we're still early in that," President and CEO Scott Ford said during the call.

Alltel's COO Jeff Fox, however, noted that the carrier won't be talking seriously about LTE this year. "We are working through our planning phase and will be talking to our board about all that over the next two quarters," Fox said. "Certainly there's no money for 4G evolution anytime in our near-term plans, and so I think from a cash-flow perspective you should not expect to see us talking about 4G anytime at least in 2008."

For more on Alltel's LTE choice:
- read this RCR article

AT&T: HSPA will provide 20 Mbps data speeds

Sue Marek — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:42:15 -0400

During a presentation this morning at Morgan Stanley's 13th Annual Communications Conference in Washington, D.C, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said that he believes AT&T has a time-to-market advantage over WiMAX with its HSPA technology. De la Vega said that HSPA Release 7 will give the company 7 Mbps to 20 Mbps data speeds within the next two years and the company will only have to deploy a software upgrade. "When people talk about future technologies like WiMAX, they don't realize it doesn't do any good to just have it in the network. They have to have devices, coverage and the entire ecosystem," he said. "We have the best broadband network with the best throughput today. And it will get better in the short term." Of course, the company does plan to migrate to LTE technology in 2010, bringing data speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

De la Vega also touted the company's exclusive deal with RIM to distribute its new Blackberry Bold device, which he believes that along with the Apple iPhone and other advanced devices will help increase the number of postpaid subscribers using integrated devices on the AT&T network. Currently 16 percent of postpaid subscribers on AT&T have integrated devices but de la Vega said this figure will grow substantially in the year ahead. "We have seen that when you give integrated devices to customers, the ARPU is double what you get with an average phone," he said. "If you make the devices easier to use and more intuitive to the user, you will see the usage go up."

For more:
- see the replay of de la Vega's presentation here.

Related stories:
AT&T to launch 3G BlackBerry Bold. See this Blackberry Bold story
AT&T extends 3G deployments, backs LTE for 4G. See this AT&T LTE story