wireless service

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Airlines Have a Dire Warning on 5G Rollout

They say it could lead to 'catastrophic' flight disruptions

(Newser) - Verizon and AT&T are set to deploy new 5G service Wednesday—and in a letter to federal officials Monday, major airlines warned there could be "catastrophic" consequences. As Axios notes, the dispute between the airlines and the wireless companies has been going on a while, with the aviation...

DOJ Approves $26.5B Deal. Now, a 'Disruptive Force in Wireless'

T-Mobile greenlit to take over Sprint, while Dish now enters the arena as 4th big wireless company

(Newser) - US regulators are approving T-Mobile's $26.5 billion takeover of rival Sprint, despite fears of higher prices and job cuts. Friday's approval by the Justice Department and five state attorneys general comes after Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to conditions that would set up satellite-TV provider Dish as a...

Your Milk May Soon Come From Cows That Can Text

Sensor can track basic health metrics, predict pregnancy with 95% accuracy

(Newser) - Cows across 350 farms in nearly two dozen countries around the world are now embedded with hot-dog-sized wireless sensors in their stomachs. It may sound a bit Orwellian to some, but the idea is to help larger farms better manage their herds—by catching major health changes early and then...

Government to Auction Off Public Airwaves

Payroll tax compromise could lead to faster wireless speeds

(Newser) - Congress is expected to approve a bill that would sell off public airwaves currently used for television to wireless Internet companies, speeding up broadband for mobile devices across the country, while at the same time creating a long-sought-after national communications network for emergency services. What is this revolutionary communications bill?...

Family Fights $18K Verizon Bill

The fine print gets you every time

(Newser) - A Massachusetts family is locked in a standoff with Verizon over an $18,000 bill they accidentally racked up in just over a month. When the St. Germain family signed on with Verizon, they received 2 years of unlimited downloads as part of a promotion, the Boston Globe explains. When...

AT&T Offers $150 Fix for Patchy Coverage

3G MicroCell is like a mini cell tower

(Newser) - AT&T knows its cellular and 3G service isn’t quite up to par, and it’s going to help you fix it—for $150. Enter the 3G MicroCell, a sort of miniature cell tower. The so-called “femtocell” uses your home or business broadband connection to beam out a...

Straighten Out Your Finances in 2010
 Straighten Out 
 Your Finances 
 in 2010 
resolutions

Straighten Out Your Finances in 2010

Some simple moves can net $1K or more

(Newser) - On the eve of the first serious workday of the New Year, take a hard look at your finances and see where you can cut back in 2010. A relatively small investment in time can result in some serious savings, Kathy Kristof writes for the Los Angeles Times :
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Dow Dips 81 on Autos, Building
Dow Dips 81 on Autos, Building 
MARKETS

Dow Dips 81 on Autos, Building

Several wireless and financial firms fall after downgrades

(Newser) - Stocks fell today as the markets digested poor, but better-than-forecast, reports in auto sales and construction spending, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though the Dow rose to an 8-week high Friday, it fell 81.80 today to close at 8,952.89. The Nasdaq lost 4.18, closing at 1,...

AT&T Rivals Pounce on iPhone Glitches

Dropped calls ring up a marketing opportunity for other networks

(Newser) - Glitches have plagued the new iPhone since its release and AT&T's rivals are gleefully capitalizing on customers' griping, the New York Times reports. It's still unclear whether Apple or the wireless network is to blame, but companies like Verizon aren't letting the opportunity slip by. “A phone is...

Verizon Seeks Alltel Deal, Challenge to Top Dog AT&T

Wireless companies are in negotiations to cover 80 million customers

(Newser) - Verizon Communications is in negotiations to buy wireless carrier Alltel, a merger that would cover 80 million US subscribers and create the nation's biggest cell-phone company, the Wall Street Journal reports—though the potential $27 billion deal could easily fall through. But if it's consummated, and the feds see no...

Yes On Phones, No On Talking: Poll

Passengers would use cell's silent features, don't want neighbor yammering in their ear

(Newser) - Americans want wireless service on airplanes, but not voice calls, PC World reports. A survey finds 60% would use silent features like texting and email, but 74% think that no matter what, conversations shouldn’t be allowed. Americans "don't want to be forced to listen to the conversation of...

Cellphone Sales Drop
 Cellphone Sales Drop 

Cellphone Sales Drop

Recession driving down sales

(Newser) - The cellphone market is experiencing a significant sales slide, with the most serious decline so far among lower-income users, reports the Wall Street Journal. Studies reveal first quarter sales dips ranging from 5% to  22%. Analysts expect growth to slow even further. The market may be reaching saturation with 83%...

TV Newbie Verizon to FCC: Help Cable Users Switch

Move highlights telecom turf war

(Newser) - As Verizon rolls out its subscription-TV service, the company has asked the FCC to make the switch from cable easier for consumers, the Washington Post reports. In its petition, Verizon asked for the authority to shut off its customers’ cable services on their behalf, arguing that the switchover process is...

Sprint Nextel Takes $29B Loss as Customers Walk

Loss includes huge one-time writedown; company announces cover-everything plan

(Newser) - Sprint Nextel posted a net fourth-quarter loss of $29.45 billion and doesn’t expect a quick recovery, the Wall Street Journal reports. The No. 3 US wireless company will hold off dividend payments and draw down credit lines for protection as more customers leave the service. It has also...

Android Bugs Developers
Android Bugs Developers

Android Bugs Developers

Google's mobile phone software is proving to be tough to work with

(Newser) - Google may have millions of answers, but software developers say the company’s ballyhooed mobile phone software, Android, misses the mark. “It’s clearly not ready for primetime,” says one Seattle-based designer who’s struggled for weeks with bugs and poor documentation, reports the Wall Street Journal. He’...

Paul Allen to Bid in FCC Wireless Airwaves Auction

Airwave auction draws applications from a diverse group from Google to Chevron to AT&T

(Newser) - Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is joining the competition for wireless airwaves being auctioned by the FCC next month. Allen’s firm, Vulcan Spectrum, applied, as have Google, Verizon, AT&T and others, to bid for the 700-megahertz spectrum that goes on the block Jan. 24, reports Reuters. Allen's investment company,...

Wireless Giants Blocking New Mobile Services

Verizon, AT&T, keep competitors away

(Newser) - Wireless service giants AT&T and Verizon may be blocking other companies' devices and applications to defeat potential competition. Business Week reports that a discount international cell phone service, a wireless banking service, and PayPal, trying to bring its online payment service to wireless, were all obstructed by one or...

JetBlue Launches In-Flight Email
JetBlue Launches In-Flight Email

JetBlue Launches In-Flight Email

Airline pairs with Yahoo, Blackberry to bring the (limited) Net onboard

(Newser) - JetBlue is offering email and instant messaging services on an A320 test flight, in a move to equip its whole fleet with wireless access. The tech-savvy, low-budget airline has paired up with Yahoo and Research in Motion to give passengers with laptops or Blackberries the possibility of plugging in, in-flight....

Meet Prof Who Gave Google Its Big Ideas

Tim Wu pioneered net neutrality, inspired new smartphone initiative

(Newser) - Google’s newly revealed Open Handset Alliance, which gives smartphone developers and consumers new freedom to match phones, carriers, and apps, found inspiration in the philosophy of cyberlaw trailblazer Tim Wu. The Columbia Law professor is on the vanguard of the net-neutrality conversation, arguing that Internet providers and wireless networks...

MetroPCs Bid For Leap Falls
MetroPCs Bid For Leap Falls

MetroPCs Bid For Leap Falls

Withdraws $4.7B offer for rival

(Newser) - The proposed multi-billion dollar merger of rival discount wireless service providers has collapsed amid acrimony. AP reports MetroPCS Communications is withdrawing it's $4.7 Billion bid for Leap Wireless International. The Leap board had rejected the bid as "financially inadequate." Both companies allow customers to pay up front...

20 Stories