Just another WordPress weblog

The FCC is looking to rule on the issue of Comcast stifling peer to peer traffic on their network. For those not on the up and up regarding Internet usage, the story is that Comcast decided to drastically lower the transfer speeds of customers using peer to peer filing sharing software, such at bit torrent programs. Apparently, though, Comcast isn’t the worst of them. Via Techdirt, w learn that AT&T has an outstanding threat to remove anyone using P2P software from their 3G network. Ouch, iPhone users. They claim they haven’t actually kicked anyone off yet, but you can bet they will eventually.

Read the rest of AT&T will kick you off the network for using P2P programs…

We heard rumblings earlier in the month that T-Mobile would roll out their 3G network in a ton of markets on October 1. As you can see from this twice-watermarked picture, via TmoNews, it’s looking pretty official. Then again, it’s hard to tell where this poster is taped. To the right, you might notice what appears to be salt and pepper shakers. Anyway, see all those dots on the map? We’ll paste the list after the jump.

Read the rest of Sign advertises T-Mobile 3G on October 1…

A delicate balance exists in the world of discount wireless. On one side is the perilous two-year contract. Who wants to make that kind of commitment to phone service? While most companies are now prorating their early termination fees, that doesn’t amount to a whole lot of savings if you want to dump your service in month ten. On the other side is the benefit of signing a contract: cheap and/or free phones. They might not be of the best quality, but you can still usually find a good deal for under $20.

So here’s what we’re looking for. Major carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mo, Alltel), cheap phone (cheapest they’ve got; you’ll see that they can’t all be free), most possible features. Or, in one case, not the most features, just an interesting concept.

Read the rest of Cheap cell phone solutions from major carriers…

It’s a little later than expected, but via Phone Scoop we learn that Sprint has launched its AIRAVE femtocell router across the U.S. Covering a radius of 5,000 square feet, the femtocell router allows Sprint customers to make and receive unlimited free calls when in range. Calls will then transfer to your normal Sprint network when your roam off the router. Like T-Mobile @Home, it works in conjunction with your home Internet connection.

Read the rest of Sprint AIRAVE router now available nationwide…

Long wait times. Voice-driven menus. Uncaring customer service reps. Yep, there are plenty of reasons we hate calling customer service lines. If only it were easier. If only it were an application, rather than a phone number. It seems Nuance Communications is on board with this thought process. According to WirelessWeek, they’ve launched a customer service mobile application. Not only that, but they’ve partner with a carrier, though the exact one will remain anonymous for the time being. They’re calling it “revolutionary.” I’m still waiting to see it in action.

Read the rest of Will new application revolutionize customer service?…

Who likes ads? No one, that’s who. So when we hear that advertisers are having a heard time breaking into the mobile sector, it is cause for some of us to rejoice. Others, according to mocoNews.net’s James Quintana Pearce, think it will impede the progress of the industry. Either way you want to look at it, mobile ads aren’t having an easy time finding your phone, and I’m sure that you, the consumer, are enjoying the peace. Advertisers are working at a compromise, but it’s going to be a slippery situation, considering the intimacy with which we regard our mobile phones.

Read the rest of Opt-in policy hurting mobile ads…

Did you know that AT&T is going to see $450 million in subsidies this year? As if their income and profits weren’t enough.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit misleading. This subsidy, of which AT&T will receive more than any other wireless company, aims to compensate carriers for building networks in areas where they might not recoup their losses. It’s basically the government acknowledging that AT&T won’t build a network unless it makes money, and handing them a bag with a dollar sign on it so that they’ll get to work.

Now the House is taking a look into these subsidies. Don’t Chairman Harvey Waxman (D-CA) wrong, though. He’s not looking for wrongdoing. He’s just trying to see how this all works. (Riiiight)

Read the rest of House Oversight looks into telecom subsidies…

Every day when going through reams of information, I stumble across various cell site openings. While this can sometimes be considered news, I’m certainly not going to dedicate an entire post to new coverage in X area. However, putting them all together isn’t a bad idea. Hey, people want to know when there’s better service in their area, right? So I’m going to save them up until I have three or four, and then let you know where there is new and improved service. Up today, Verizon Wireless. Their new sites are after the jump.

Read the rest of New Verizon cellular coverage…

If you’re not familiar with Sprint’s SERO, you better ax someone. It stands for Sprint Employee Referral Offer, and it’s basically what the name implies. If you know a Sprint employee, they can give you their email address and last three digits of their employee ID, and you’re eligible for discounts on Sprint service. The best part is there are plenty of places you can obtain these IDs, even if you don’t know a Sprint employee. Via IntoMobile, we learn that VP of strategy is offering his info for the Everything Plus plan, which can give you 500 anytime minutes, along with unlimited messaging, mobile Web, Sprint TV, music, and navigation.

Read the rest of Sprint offers 500 minutes, unlimited everything…

Last week, we learned that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wanted to revisit a commission mandate regarding carrier roaming. While the idea was to force carriers to provide roaming services to rivals, an exception was made for companies who owned spectrum in a market, but hadn’t built out a network. The clear intention is to prod these companies into actually building the network. However, given the recent spectrum auctions, the commission is looking into the exception again. Leap Wireless, one company gradually rolling out networks with newly-acquired spectrum, has filed an ex parte letter with the FCC regarding this exception, according to Wireless Week.

Read the rest of Leap Wireless fires back on in-market roaming…