Sprint And Dish To Trial LTE 4G Broadband To Homes

Sprint today announced that it is partnering with Dish Networks to offer LTE 4G-based broadband in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dish will be responsible for installing the satellite dish and in-home networking gear, and Sprint will deliver TDD-LTE via its 2.5GHz spectrum. Sprint expects the trial to be up and running by the middle of 2014. The companies will consider expanding the service to other markets depending on the success of the trial. Clearwire, which Sprint now owns, offered similar in-home broadband service over its WiMax network.

Karma Wants To Make 4G Mobile Hotspots Social

Wireless startup Karma is offering a hotspot that accesses Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network but allows users to open it up to the public.

According to a report from The Verge, the company's model works fairly simply. Users pay $69 to buy a mobile hotspot and then pay $14 per GB of data. The catch is that the hotspot is then opened up to the public, and when a new user joins, that user is taken to a page about the owner of the hotspot. Public users attached to the hotspot then can then sign in with their Facebook account to get 100 MB of free browsing. The key part of the setup is that for every new user who signs in, the owner of the hotspot gets 100 MB of free data credited to their account. Karma calls the scheme "social telecom."

 "Something is fundamentally broken in the market for mobile providers," Robert Gaal, one of the founders of Karma, told The Verge. "We want to give everyone a mobile, 4G hotspot that lives in their pocket. It's open to everyone, and lets you pay as you go. Best of all it works no matter what carrier or what device you're using."

Data sharing has been a hot topic of late, with much commentary this week focused on Verizon Wireless' launch of its Share Everything plans. However, other companies have focused on the issue as well. Ting, a Sprint Nextel MVNO run by Internet domain company Tucows, has offered shared data plans since February. FreeomPop, the forthcoming mobile broadband startup that also uses Clearwire's network, has discussed the idea of its users sharing data as well.

Karma is Clearwire's latest wholesale customer, and another in a long string of small startups.

Voyager Mobile Officially Up And Running, A Few Days Behind Schedule

It's tough being the new kid in town ask Voyager Mobile, an up and coming MVNO that had its launch delayed by a "malicious network attack" last week. The tenacious firm may have missed its planned May 15th launch, but managed to pull things together in time for the weekend, piggybacking unlimited talk, text and data off of Sprint's CDMA and WiMAX network for $40 a month. A basic unlimited voice plan is also available to the tune of $20, without data allowances, of course. Phones are available too, albeit without subsidies Samsung's Epic 4G Touch or Galaxy S II will each set you back $550, though an assortment of more affordable devices can be had from $120 and up. 

Check out the official Voyager Mobile website.

Boost Mobile Will Begin Carrying The HTC EVO Design 4G Starting May 31st

Sprint's prepaid subsidiary Boost Mobile, will carry the HTC EVO Design 4G, like its counterpart on Virgin Mobile, the device will launch on May 31 with Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 3.6, leading many to believe that Sprint's version of the EVO Design 4G will also receive this update before the end of the month. The device will operate on Sprint's 4G WiMAX network and will be compatible with Boost's $55 unlimited plan with shrinking payments. The plan provides unlimited talk, text, and web and lowers one's monthly payments by $5 after six monthly on-time payments, until hitting a bottom of $40/month.

The device will keep its WiFi hotspot capabilities for an additional plan add-on of only $10/month, although Boost plans to eventually throttle data speeds in the future once a customer hits 2.5GB. The EVO Design 4G will also come with visual voicemail, which is a first for Boost customers.

HTC EVO V 4G Will Launch May 31 On Virgin Mobile

Previous rumors regarding a launch of the HTC EVO 3D on prepaid Sprint MVNO Virgin Mobile have now been confirmed. The device will be rebranded the HTC EVO V 4G and take advantage of Virgin Mobile's new 4G Beyond Talk plans.

The prepaid carrier will make use of Sprint and Clearwire's WiMAX network to offer unlimited 4G data, along with unlimited text and 300 voice minutes, all for $35/month. The device will sell for $299.99 with no commitment.

Interestingly enough, Sprint implies in its press release that the EVO V 4G will launch with Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 3.6. Hopefully, this means that Sprint-branded EVO 3D handsets will also receive the update before May 31.

Best Buy Connect To Disconnect On June 1st

It is just short of two years since Best Buy launched its mobile broadband service, Best Buy Connect. Apparently, Best Buy has decided to abruptly pull the plug on the service completely.

New activations will cease effective immediately and the service will be shut down completely on June 1st.  Obviously, all early terminations fees will be waived. WiMAX 4G customers will have the option to transition their service to CLEAR.

Existing customers whose accounts are in good standing will receive a $125 or $150 gift card, depending on their service, by email on April 27th to help offset the cost of finding a new provider. Those with overdue accounts that address the balance will receive their gift cards on June 20th.

Best Buy simply states that it feels it “can achieve greater growth by delivering mobile broadband support in ways other than an exclusive Best Buy-branded service.”

Clearwire Launching TD-LTE In Early 2013

Clearwire is preparing to upgrade its 2.5GHz WiMAX network to support a variant of LTE, TD-LTE, that it's co-developing with China Mobile and the broadband wholesaler has just announced that it'll kick off that upgrade in 31 "hot zones" where wireless service is most crunched. Most of those markets have yet to be announced, but it has teased five today: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, all of which are expected to start going live in early 2013; "remaining markets" will come online by the middle of the year.

Sprint, which owns a significant chunk of Clearwire, is underwriting a portion of the company's LTE upgrade costs and is expected to take advantage of the service once it's available. In the meantime, it's using both 1900MHz and freed 800MHz iDEN spectrum for its initial LTE deployment (which is using the more common FDD flavor shared by Verizon, AT&T, and others).

The news comes as Clearwire has announced its Q1 2012 earnings which tell a mixed tale it wasn't long ago that the company nearly missed making interest payments on its debt, and it's got a long way to go to become a profitable organization. Revenue is up 36 percent year over year to $322.6 million from 11 million subscribers, up from 6.1 million a year prior; that's good, but revenue is actually down about $39 million from Q4 2011. Overall, it chalked up an operating loss of some $422.9 million, slightly better than last quarter's $433.1 million. Importantly, cash on hand is on an upward trend: it's now at $1.433 billion between cash, cash equivalents, and investments, likely thanks in no small part to a capital infusion from Sprint.

Sprint To Extend WiMax Device Roster To Boost And Virgin

Sprint said today during a call with reporters that it intends to offer its WiMax 4G network to its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA pre-paid businesses. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that the service would launch for Boost and Virgin later this year, though he didn't provide specific details regarding timing nor the handsets involved. Sprint has a number of WiMax handsets still in service while it transitions to LTE 4G. Sprint has already made several LTE-capable handsets for sale, though its LTE network isn't expected to launch until mid-year. Sprint mentioned earlier this year that it will no longer sell WiMax handsets to its own customers.

Sprint Won't Be Releasing New WiMAX Devices

Sprint has changed its stance on WiMax devices and no longer plans to bring new WiMax gear to the market, said Bob Azzi, Sprint's senior vice president of networks. Earlier this year, Sprint said that it would offer both CDMA/WiMax and CDMA/LTE devices through 2012, and that it would stop selling WiMax devices by the end of the year. Azzi's comments reflect a change in the company's position. 


Azzi noted that the company will use the G-Block of its 1900MHz spectrum to launch LTE by the middle of the year. "We are wrapping up final field integration tests," Azzi said. "The technology works and delivers more benefits than we expected." Sprint will have 15 LTE devices available by the end of the year, including smartphones, tablets, and mobile hotspots. The company also plans to refarm portions of its 800MHz spectrum for use with LTE. It is currently transitioning its iDEN customers to its CDMA network, and will eventually use that freed-up spectrum for LTE. 


Considering that Sprint is planning to roll out LTE service by mid-2012 and will be releasing around 15 LTE-capable devices by the end of the year, it makes sense that the carrier would decide to cease launching new WiMAX products. Sprint has yet to say when it'll be releasing its new LTE devices like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper, saying only that availability information will be revealed closer to launch, but a recent rumor claimed that the Galaxy Nexus could be here as soon as the middle of April. How many of you are considering checking out one of Sprint's LTE devices once they finally hit?

FreedomPop Rumored To Introduce iPhone Case With Free WiMAX Service

An insider at FreedomPop is now suggesting that it'll debut a case for the iPhone 4 / 4S that features a WiMAX radio, hotspot capabilities and delivers a free (albeit, limited) data service. This rumored accessory would complement the company's two previously known devices, which include a USB dongle and a dedicated hotspot. For those unfamiliar, FreedomPop aims to take on a role similar to NetZero -- it's said the company will offer each customer 1GB of free data per month, where each megabyte consumed beyond that limit will cost one penny. That's not to suggest that everything is free, however: the insider also states that customers will need to front a $100 deposit for this alleged case, although that money can be retrieved at any point, so long as the product is returned in good condition.  Airwaves supplier is Clearwire, and, while its WiMAX coverage is less than stellar compared to what the big boys are offering, it still beats 3G speeds by a large margin. The catch? You can't do voice calls over the cellular network with the case.

Google Takes a $453 Million Loss, Sells Its Ownership Stakes In Clearwire

Things just don't look too good for Clearwire. Even though the HTC EVO 4G was America's first 4G phone, and made use of Clearwire's 4G network, WiMAX never really seemed to catch on. To make matters worse, as Clear's finances became murkier, the 4G rollout came to a screeching halt and left lots of EVO users behind on Sprint's sometimes-awesome-sometimes-terrible 3G network.

And now, the latest news is that Google is selling its ownership stake in the company and will take around a $453 million loss. (Google originally invested about $500 million in the company, and is selling its shares for $47 million.) And Google's lack of confidence in the company is obviously affecting others' confidence in the company, as it closed down almost 7% Friday afternoon.

Sprint Announces First Four LTE Markets

Sprint's making the jump from Wimax to LTE in 2012 (Wimax will continue to work for some time), and CEO Dan Hesse just annouced the first markets for the new brand of 4G. They are:

• Atlanta
• Dallas
• Houston
• San Antonio

Rumor, Galaxy Note Heading to Sprint

Though the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is still absent from Sprint’s rich roster of smartphones, it appears that another Samsung giant may be on the way. A proven source close to SprintFeed states that the Samsung Galaxy Note is set to make its way to the Now Network. They were not able provide release specifics, but suspect that CES might be the platform used to announce the Note’s U.S. arrival.

The Sprint variant of the Galaxy Note is said to carry similar specs to its cousin from across the pond. It remains unsure if this device will sport an ill fated WiMAX connection, but LTE is pretty much out of the question. No matter what the Note’s connection turns out to be, the question is, would you buy a 5.3-inch phone/tablet hybrid? For those of you that are somehow unfamiliar with what the Samsung Galaxy Note is, we’ve tacked on a brief promo video for your viewing pleasure.

Nexus S 4G Gets a treat with Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs

If you’re the proud owner of a Nexus S 4G and you’re craving a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, then tonight you just may very well get your just desserts!  Just in time for the new year, some crafty developers have compiled a pair of working Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs for Sprint’s lone purebred Google phone.

Offering a near-stock Android 4.0 experience, AOSP 4.0.3 brings face lock, beam and every other ICS feature to your Nexus S 4G. If you’re looking for something different, there’s also a port of the latest MIUI ROM that plays nice with the Nexus S 4G. Everything appears to be working fine with this ROM with the exception of WiMAX, which doesn’t matter to a fair share of you anyway.

If you’re rooted and up to the challenge, you can grab download mirrors and install details via the links below. As always with any new ROM or software update, if you take the plunge, let us know how things work out.

MIUI ROM

AOSP ROM

US HTC Flyer officially discontinued, will the HTC EVO View 4G?

It's official: The US WiFi-only version of the HTC Flyer is no longer being sold by Best Buy, which was the only official retailer of the 7-inch tablet stateside. Since the HTC EVO View 4G is basically just a WiMAX variant of the Flyer - identical to the Flyer in almost every other way - the question remains: what are Sprint's ultimate plans for the EVO View? Leave your comments.

Clearwire scores $715.5 million

                

Clearwire’s a bit of a funny compny. Sprint has a majority stake in them, yet they treat Clearwire like they’re some sort of distant relative that’s not really a relative at all. Thing is Sprint can’t actually function with Clearwire because Clearwire is responsible for delivering Sprint’s WiMAX network, the one that Sprint called 4G before Americans even heard the term 4G. Now the sad thing about WiMAX is that it doesn’t really deliver the kind of speeds that you’d actually call 4G. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network runs faster. Verizon’s LTE network is faster. Even AT&T’s insanely congested 3G network is faster. Clearwire clearly knows this,and they’ve said that they’re going to transition to LTE. Said transition doesn’t come cheap however, so the company recently tried to secure some funding by offering some shares. The market took the bait and Clearwire is now $715.5 million richer. It should be noted that Sprint is responsible for $331.4 million of that. Erik Prusch, the CEO of Clearwire, had this to say about the new round of funding:

“This equity raise is a critical step for Clearwire to achieve its long-term business plan of creating the first wide-channel TDD-LTE 4G network in the U.S. The added resources will enable us to continue delivering 4G mobile broadband service to meet the rapidly growing demand in the industry. We remain ideally and uniquely positioned to serve both wholesale and retail customers well into the future.”

So when will this network be up and running and just how fast will it be? Sprint’s saying that everything should be good to go by the second half of 2012. And as for the speed, back in January Clearwire uploaded a video showing a test LTE network they setup delivering 90 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up. Here’s hoping they can actually deliver on that, because the 5 Mbps to barely 10 Mbps on a good day they’re delivering now just doesn’t cut it.

Sprint gives Clearwire $1.6 billion golden parachute

LTE may be Sprint's future network of choice, but WiMAX will be with us for a while longer. Clearwire provides the Now Network's waves of WiMAX, but it's had recent financial troubles that it claimed could prevent it from making a required $237 million interest payment due today. However, Sprint has come to Clearwire's rescue by agreeing to pay $926 million to keep the WiMAX network running through 2015. It also pledged to kick in $350 million to help fund the firm's shift to LTE, plus another $347 million in equity funding if Clearwire can raise more than $400 million on its own. 

Is Clearwire facing bankruptcy

Clearwire may be in a heap of trouble. The wireless carrier is planning to strategically delay paying a $237 million debt payment that is due December 1st says a Wall Street Journal report. The payment would put a significant dent in the company’s cash reserves and hurt future expansion plans. The WiMAX company currently has about $698 million in cash and short-term investments that it needs to invest wisely if its 4G network is going to compete with Verizon and AT&T.

Clearwire has a 30-day grace period to make the payment which gives it some breathing room. Chief Executive Erik Prusch is reportedly going to use that time to secure more funding and sign new service deals. Delaying the payment is a last ditch effort to keep the company afloat and what happens in the next month may decide the company’s future..

To  make matters worse, Clearwire’s future with Sprint is uncertain. Sprint owns 54% of Clearwire and is using WiMAX as its 4G solution. Recently, Sprint said it was considering a switch to LTE, the major competitor to Clearwire’s WiMAX network. Sprint also agreed to carry the iPhone, a handset that is not and probably never will be compatible with WiMAX.

Though Clearwire did not mention it, the Wall Street Journal Report did bring up the “B” word – bankruptcy. If Clearwire fails to come up with this payment, the company may be forced to file for bankruptcy so it can restructure its debts. A person familiar with Sprint said the carrier would not buy out Clearwire just to keep it out of bankruptcy. Without the backing of Sprint, Clearwire’s future looks dim.

Clearwire inks wholesale deal with NetZero's United Online

Mobile WiMAX carrier Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) announced a five-year wholesale deal with United Online, the company behind the NetZero Internet service brand, extending its wholesale umbrella at a time when it is shuttering its own branded postpaid service.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. NetZero customers will be able to access Clearwire's network in early 2012, though the companies did not say exactly when the service will become available.

Clearwire and United Online said that consumers will be able to access the service by purchasing either a NetZero USB modem or a NetZero personal hotspot that can connect up to 8 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. Clearwire's network currently covers around 130 million POPs. Clearwire spokesman Mike DiGioia directed questions on pricing, availability and devices to a United Online spokesman, who declined to comment.

NetZero started in 1998 offering free dial-up Internet, and in 2003 it launched NetZero Hi-Speed, which was the fastest dial-up service offered at that time. However, NetZero is clearly looking to expand, and noted Clearwire's WiMAX network provides speeds of 6 to 10 Mbps with a wider range than Wi-Fi.

Clearwire's NetZero deal comes after Clearwire disclosed that it will streamline its Clear-branded service to offer unlimited prepaid Internet service at $50 per month. The move essentially removes its previous postpaid service plan options along with device leasing, activation fees, early termination fees and restocking fees.

Moreover, Clearwire plans to move to LTE-Advanced network technology, but that action is contingent on the carrier obtaining another $600 million in financing. Further, the carrier has said it needs between $150 million and $300 million to maintain its existing WiMAX network.

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), Clearwire's majority owner and largest wholesale customer, recently announced its own 4G plans that involve building its own LTE network on its 1900 MHz spectrum--plans that did not include any mention of Clearwire. However, Sprint recently disclosed a non-binding agreement with Clearwire under which the companies will work to develop LTE roaming between their planned networks. Clearwire reports its third-quarter earnings after the market closes Wednesday.

Is a Comcast or Google buyout in Sprint's future

I happened to have an interesting conversation with a Sprintengineer today. This gentleman had a very interesting point.

His point was what if the T-Mobile/AT&T merger does gothru (by some odd chance)? That would put Sprint still as the number threecarrier, but far behind the likes of Verizon and AT&T.  

Not to mention the $15.5M iPhone deal Sprint just inked, networkvision's estimated cost of $7B, and don’t forget the $13B Lightsquared deal. Now withall of this said, Sprint has made it known publicly that they will have to raise$5B-$7B in cash flow to be able to fund the three deals they have committedto. 

Does this make Sprint a prime candidate for asale/buyout.

The first candidate that was tossed around in ourconversation was Comcast, the point that was made Comcast has beenlooking to venture out into the mobile world for some time now.

The second being Google, mind you Google has its ownoperating system Android that has been nothing but a success; just boughtMotorola mobility all Google needs now is a phone manufacture.

The question that come up…. Will Sprint be a prime candidatefor Google or Comcast if the T-Mobile/AT&T merger goes thru?

Sound off, leave us your comments. What do you think? Could there be any truth the the meaningless talk?