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In Mobile Notes earlier this week, we came across an item saying Sprint was trying to attract customers with their phone selection. A company rep gave quick reasons why people choose the other carriers, and said that no on really gives much consideration to Sprint. So they’re looking to grab the device market. Kind of tough to do without the iPhone and its endless hype, but give them some credit for trying.

Meanwhile, it can make you wonder: Why do people choose certain carriers? Clearly, local coverage is an enormous consideration. But what if all of the top six U.S. carriers are available, or at least a few of them? So let’s dig into this and see where each carrier has an advantage.

Read the rest of What the major carriers bring to the table…

One of the greatest advances that came with the introduction of cell phones was free long distance. It was so strange at the time, too. I often fretted about calling another area code, as I would with my parents’ landline, even though I knew that I wouldn’t be charged for it. Another area that has made some progress is international calling. Rates can be much lower on your cell phone for international calls…if you know how to use it. So let’s take a look at international calling.

Read the rest of Calling internationally on your cell phone…

What does it mean when a company says that they plan to “explore wireless options”?. It would probably mean just that under normal circumstances. However, given that Comcast has ditched Pivot, their wireless service offering via Sprint, and that they have hired Dave Williams, former CTO of Telefonica O2 Europe, it seems that they’re pretty serious.

Read the rest of Comcast about to enter wireless industry?…

Please, oh please let this happen. A bill was introduced in the House yesterday which would disallow any in-flight voice calling. It’s deemed the HANG UP Act, and yeah, I’m totally on board. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore), co-sponsor of the bill, notes that people do not want to be bothered by those around them talking — especially on a packed flight, which could be traveling for many hours. But he says that the bill is also to “ensure that financially strapped airlines don’t drive us towards this noisome disruption in search of further revenue.” That’s something I hadn’t considered, but also support.

Read the rest of Bill introduced to ban in-flight calls…

Between this site and our sister site Prepaid Reviews, I get a good deal of questions about cellular service. The questions run the gamut from devices to service. But the most frequent query I see is, “What can I do if I don’t get cell reception in my house, but get it right outside my house?” That’s always a tough one, because there are really only two answers. One, deal with it. Two, buy one of those $300 to $500 antennas you mount on the outside of your house. However, over the past year we’ve been seeing femtocell projects. This is a technology that uses your home Internet service to augment cellular service. Sprint has been running trials of it, and it appears Verizon will soon be running their own.
Read the rest of No cell reception in your house? Verizon has a solution…

Well, I won’t be flying in Europe anytime soon. The European Commission has allowed for in-flight calls while over European airspace. This service is actually expected to roll out as early as next month. It will be available once the plane hits heights of 3,000 meters, which is I-don’t-know-how-many feet, since we’re America and don’t bother with a system of measurement based on units of 10. Anyway, the idea is to put a small cellular transmitter on the plane, which will cover all passengers on board. Kinda sounds like Femtocel.
Read the rest of In-flight calling to be offered in Europe…

Yes, it’s that time a year again. J.D. Power and his associates have released their first customer service survey for the wireless industry in 2008. The survey is broken down into regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest, and West. I’ll wait until after the jump to post the winners. But here’s a bit of a spoiler: Sprint didn’t win any. Okay, so maybe that was a bit predictable. How about this? AT&T didn’t win any. Ooh. Good one.
Read the rest of J.D. Power finds Spint, AT&T lacking…

Going green. It’s a phrase I’ve seen at least once a day since last summer. It might sound like a trend — it might even be a trend. But at least it’s one that’s aimed to benefit us all. We’re seeing research done on alternative fuels and energy sources, from powering generators to fueling cars. The wireless industry is getting in on this, too, as a number of researchers are looking into wind and solar power for cell sites. Currently (heh, pun), they run on electric power. However, the bigger development is that of backup power. At least two major wireless carriers have tested hydrogen fuel cells as backup energy sources.
Read the rest of Seeking alternative energy for cell sites…

Yes, you read the headline right. Roughly a third of the U.S. population has completely ditched their landline in favor of a cell phone only lifestyle. I count myself among them. In fact, many 20-somethings fall into this new category. We’ve become so used to using our cell phones that having a second line that no one calls seems a bit pointless. And you know what? With the unlimited plans hitting the major carriers, people now have more of an incentive to ditch the landline. The $99 per month fee might seem steep, but consider that you’re also cutting out the landline bill. After all, why pay for two phones when one gives you unlimited calling?
Read the rest of Cell phone only population grows to 33 million…

If you believe those AT&T commercials, we’re all in tune with acronyms. Unfortunately, not all of them are as straightforward as “IDK” and “BFF.” In the mobile industry, acronyms are everywhere — and I’m not even talking about as they relate to text messages. I’m talking particularly about GSM and CDMA. These two acronyms are at the very core of cellular communications, and are essential for a basic understanding of the industry. It doesn’t help that many writers use the terms as if they’re familiar to everyone. So today I’m going to explain what the two are, and what they mean to your mobile experience.
Read the rest of GSM, CDMA, and how it affects your mobile experience…