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Dish was recently given a thumbs up by the FCC to build its own LTE network, but the company is up against some stiff obstacles along the way.

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission granted Dish's request to allow it to use 40 MHz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band to create a 4G LTE network. At the time, the FCC indicated that some restrictions would apply, though it didn't reveal the specifics... until now.

The satellite TV provider must finish 40 percent of its LTE network within the next four years, and 70 percent within seven … Read more

Verizon has added 29 new LTE markets to its service.

The company announced today that Selma, Ala., and Port Angeles, Wash., are among the many markets getting access to its LTE service today. With those cities added, Verizon now offers its LTE service in 470 markets across the U.S. Verizon said today that it's also expanding its LTE availability in 36 existing markets, bringing its total coverage to more than 250 million people.

Verizon's announcement comes just a couple of days after AT&T announced that it has brought its LTE network to five cities, bringing … Read more

Shipments of 4G LTE smartphones will triple next year, research firm Strategy Analytics predicts.

The research firm sees shipments rising to 275 million next year from this year's 91 million, a rise of 203 percent resulting in a record year for LTE phone vendors. Companies that stand to benefit the most include Apple, Samsung, and LG, with the iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 among the most popular handsets.

But other vendors will participate in the LTE push, such as Nokia, HTC, Motorola, Blackberry, Huawei, ZTE, and Pantech. Growth in LTE smartphones will be driven by demand in … Read more

Sprint announced 4G LTE coverage today in six new areas, bringing the total to 49 markets.

Effective immediately, subscribers in parts of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and California will find the faster data speeds awaiting them.

Reaching 49 markets in total, Indianapolis/Carmel, Ind.; Santa Rosa/Petaluma, Calif.; Vallejo/Fairfield, Calif.; York/Hanover, Pa.; and Franklin County, Pa. are the newest members of the club. Parts of southern Puerto Rico, including Ponce, Coamo, and Guayama are also seeing 4G LTE coverage today. In addition to these new cities, Sprint is also celebrating expanded LTE coverage in Chicago.

After having just launched the … Read more

AT&T said today that it has brought its faster 4G LTE network to five more cities, as well as expanded coverage in a few major cities.

Green Bay, Wis.; Springfield, Mass.; Tucson, Ariz.; Melbourne, Fla.; and Oxford, Miss. are the newest additions to AT&T's LTE network. That brings the total to 125 cities.

Customers in Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, and Salt Lake City should all benefit from better coverage as well.

The faster connection enabled by a 4G LTE network has been a chief selling point for the carriers this year. Verizon, however, has … Read more

Sprint Nextel took another step toward securing its future by coming to an agreement with Clearwire to buy all of the remaining shares it doesn't already own.

The deal gives Sprint full control of Clearwire's impressive swath of spectrum, as well as its existing 4G WiMax network, which the company was planning to upgrade to 4G LTE next year. It also ends years of drama between the two companies, with Clearwire getting absorbed into Sprint.

So why does this matter? This deal has ramifications for consumers of both Sprint and Clearwire, and could have an impact on the … Read more

The HTC Evo 4G LTE is the newest member of the Sprint family to receive an Android 4.1.1 update.

Sprint will release Jelly Bean in stages over the next few weeks, but anxious users can manually install the update starting today.

As is the case with other 4.1 updates of its kind, the Sprint smartphone will see new features such as enhanced notifications, camera improvements, and a smarter keyboard.

The Evo 4G LTE will get a few HTC-specific tweaks as well, such as the Tap and Go function that pairs the handset with select Beats Audio speakers. … Read more

The holiday season may be in full swing, but that hasn't stopped AT&T from keeping busy. The carrier announced today that it has expanded its 4G LTE data network to seven additional metropolitan areas.

Ma Bell's most advanced cellular network now covers Reno, Nevada; Richmond, Virginia; Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Hattiesburg and Starkvillle, Mississippi; Moscow, Idaho; and Pullman, Washington. That's not a bad day's work. Still, while AT&T says it now blankets 3,000 cities more than its arch-rival Verizon with 4G, an area that includes over 160 million people. That claims AT&… Read more

Talks between Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are heating up.

Sprint confirmed via a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made public today that it is in talks with Clearwire to buy out the remaining stake in the upstart wireless provider that it doesn't already own.

The company said it believes that it would cost $2.1 billion to buy out the remaining 49 percent stake in Clearwire, valuing the company at $2.90 a share, or a 5.5 percent premium to its closing price on Wednesday.

Clearwire also submitted a filing confirming the talks, but declined to … Read more