wireless broadband

A growing number of Congressional leaders and state officials are urging the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with its review of LightSquared, the controversial startup that plans to build a national wireless broadband network using satellite spectrum.

Last week, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) sent a letter to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski in support of the company and its plans.

"I write to express concern about delays in the approval process involving LightSquared's proposed 4G-LTE wireless broadband network," Conyers wrote in a letter sent last week. "I strongly urge the Commission to move with urgency to … Read more

Confused about which 4G wireless broadband service really is the fastest? U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) wants wireless operators to disclose the true speeds of their self-proclaimed "4G" services.

The congresswoman today introduced a billed called the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which, if passed, would require carriers to inform consumers at the point of sale of the minimum data speeds, network reliability, and coverage of their advertised 4G services.

"Consumers deserve to know exactly what they're getting for their money when they sign-up for a 4G data plan," Eshoo, said in … Read more

An Australian woman was reportedly sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing a SIM card from a utility meter and racking up more than $190,000 in charges.

Kylie Maree Monks, 33, pleaded guilty to computer-related fraud, receiving stolen property, and one count of making a false declaration, according to a report in Australian newspaper The Mercury. Monks reportedly stole a SIM card from a power meter that had a wireless data connection to Telstra's wireless broadband network.

Aurora Energy, the power company that owned the meter, became aware that the SIM (subscriber identity module) card had been … Read more

If you hadn't noticed from all the advertisements on TV, the age of 4G wireless is here.

Verizon Wireless will be the latest company to launch its shiny, new 4G network. Starting Sunday, roughly 110 million people in 38 cities will have the opportunity to subscribe to this new generation of wireless service from the nation's largest cell phone operator.

But Verizon isn't the only wireless carrier with a next-generation wireless network. T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel also have new networks they are aggressively marketing. And AT&T, which has upgraded 80 percent of its network … Read more

The federal government has taken the first step in freeing up more spectrum for wireless broadband services in the United States.

On Monday, the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration issued a report identifying 115MHz of wireless spectrum that can be shared among federal agencies and commercial users.

The report proposes that the spectrum be reallocated for commercial wireless broadband use within five years. The report and the reallocation proposal are part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to free up 500MHz of wireless spectrum to be used for new emerging wireless services.

In June, President Obama … Read more

Broadcom announced today that it plans to acquire 4G chip maker Beceem Communications for $316 million in cash as it tries to get a leg up on supplying the next generation of wireless technology to companies making wireless infrastructure products as well as those making cell phones, computers, and other consumer electronics.

Broadcom said that the acquisition would accelerate its "time-to-market in 4G by adding a talented team" of engineers. Broadcom already offers chips that enable several types of network connectivity technology, including 2G/3G cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Ethernet switching. Adding Beceem's 4G technology will … Read more

Almost everywhere you turn, one major wireless carrier or another is talking about its 4G wireless network.

Verizon Wireless says it will launch its 4G network by the end of the year. Sprint Nextel has been touting its 4G network for more than a year. And now all of a sudden T-Mobile, which on a few years ago didn't even have 3G service, is talking about 4G speeds on its network.

One reader wants to know what it all means. Another reader wants to know when Verizon will actually start selling 4G wireless smartphones. And finally I try to … Read more

When it comes to wireless services, sometimes unlimited doesn't really mean unlimited.

Wireless is a competitive business, and sometimes operators say almost anything to get consumers to sign up for their service. Over the last few years, outraged customers have forced wireless carriers to stop throwing around the "unlimited" term so freely. As a result, a lot of mobile broadband services note in fine print that they are not, in fact, "unlimited."

But what if you truly want to pay for an unlimited data service? Do any even exist? I have answered this very question … Read more

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--As data traffic explodes on wireless networks thanks to smartphones and other connected mobile devices, 4G wireless technology is expected to solve mobile operators' network congestion problems. But is 4G really the savior so many people expect it to be?

At the Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT here this week, experts in the wireless industry warned that it will take more than the next generation of network technology to keep up with traffic demand. Wireless operators need to think differently about how they build and manage their network as well as how they develop applications that use the … Read more