May 23rd sounds a lot better than indefinitely!

Thanks to Inside Sprint Now for a little hope.

Sprint was one of the first carriers to push “4G” when they announced their WiMAX network. One of their hottest selling phones was the HTC Evo 4G. Now that almost every other carrier has announced their dedication to LTE for 4G, Sprint has been making the switch to LTE as well. Today, Bob Azzi, Senior VP of Networks, announced that Sprint will no longer be launching any new WiMAX phones to the market. Previously, Sprint has said that it would release WiMAX devices through 2012.

He also said that LTE will launch on their 1900MHz spectrum, but that they will also repurpose its 800MHz spectrum as old Nextel iDEN users are transitioned to their CDMA Direct Connect service.

Earlier this year, they announced that they would be releasing LTE devices by mid-2012 and they would have 15 devices (phones, tablets, data cards) coming throughout the year.

Source: FierceWireless

In the next few days, Sprint will be rolling out some updates for these devices. Most are pretty minimal. The “Security Update” could be to remove the controversial CarrierIQ software. Here’s what’s included in the updates:

HTC Evo 4G
Security Update
Updated Peep client (to align with Twitter)
Battery life improvements

HTC EVO Design 4G
Security Update
Updated Peep and Sprint Zone clients
Battery life improvements
3LM Enterprise Tool Access (no user interface changes)

Samsung Epic 4G
Security update
Speaker feedback fix
The QIK and Asphalt 5 applications are no longer preloaded – when tapping on their icons you will be redirected to the Android market to download them from there.

Source: IntoMobile

Earlier this week we wrote about the Carrier IQ ordeal, we should have know it was only a matter of time with all the media hype and internet buzz before this whole thing started getting out of hand.

Senator Al Franken is demanding the company provide details about what data it collects and how it’s used and has given the company until December 14^th to respond. Massachusetts congressman Edward Markey has asked the FTC to open an investigation into Carrier IQ. Markey wants the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether or not the rootkit and its creators have violated the privacy of millions of cellphone users and federal wiretap laws.

A class action lawsuit has also been filed against Carrier IQ, HTC and Samsung. The class action lawsuits are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of all U.S. residents. All three companies have been accused of violating the Federal Wiretap Act which “protects
 the
 privacy
 of
 wire,
 oral,
 and
 electronic
 communications” of all Americans. A St. Louis lawsuit against HTC states the following:

Plaintiff, Erin Janek owns an HTC Android phone using the Sprint network. At all relevant times Plaintiff used her phone to electronically send over her cell phone network various types of private data. This data was not readily accessible to the general public. She did not know that Defendants were surreptitiously monitoring and collecting this data, nor did she give them permission to do so.

 
So far none of the phone carriers have been included in this class action lawsuit but we have a feeling that may change of the course of the next few days. Sprint and AT&T have both admitted to using the application, and other carriers likely use similar services, but both carriers have denied taking advantage of the software’s ability to spy on customers. Stay tuned for more detail, we have a feeling things are going to get real interesting.

Sprint, being the 3rd largest US Carrier is always looking for a way to undercut Verizon and AT&T, has just announced two new mobile broadband data plans that give you more bang for your buck. Customers can now play with 6GB of data per month for $49.99, while the truly adventurous can have 12GB of data per month for $79.99.

Hotspot and tablet-specific data plans have been reconfigured as well: tablet customers can score 1GB of data for $19.99 per month, while 3GB will cost users $34.99.

“Sprint is committed to delivering exceptional value to its customers, and our new 3G/4G Mobile Broadband plans are the latest example of that,” said Will Souder, vice president of pricing for Sprint. “Sprint gives customers more data at lower prices than competitors, so they can do more with their mobile broadband devices on Sprint’s 3G and 4G networks.”

To accompany their new broadband plans, Sprint has also pulled back the curtains on a new Huawei mobile hotspot. Dubbed the Express, this no-nonsense hotspot is priced to move at $29 so certain Sprint customers will just be swimming in savings.

Sprint’s new data plans certainly seem like a better value than comparable plans on AT&T and Verizon, but there’s a catch: Sprint’s 4G WiMax network has seen better days. While Sprint has more-or-less confirmed that they and network partner Clearwire would continue working together for at least a little while longer, the rollout of new WiMax markets was slowed down dramatically in recent months. Long story short: if you don’t have Sprint’s 4G WiMax service already, there’s a very real chance that you won’t get it at all.

Still, it’s not a shabby deal if you’ve been bathing in Sprint’s WiMax signal for a while now. The plans are available to all new and existing mobile broadband customers, so you data-hungry Sprint customers should get on the horn and renegotiate your plans.

 
[showhide type=”pressrelease” more_text=”Show Press Release” less_text=”Hide Press Release ” hidden=”yes”]

[/showhide]

The end of WiMAX, the first 4G technology in America launched by Sprint and Clearwire in 2008, looks to be two years away.

At the “Sprint Network Vision Strategy Update” in New York, Sprint executives announced the aggressive rollout of a 4G LTE network to the end of 2013, the fastest 4G standard available in the U.S. today offered by both AT&T and Verizon.

Sprint will “continue selling WiMAX devices throughout 2012,” said Steve Elfman, president of network operations and wholesale, leaving many to conclude that the WiMAX product roadmap would not go any further.

For an idea of how Sprint’s support for LTE will trump WiMAX, Sprint said that by the by end of 2012 it will cover 120 million people and 250 million by the end of 2013.

The announcement adds to a big week for Sprint. The company became the latest carrier to offer the iPhone, joining larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless, when Apple unveiled its iPhone 4S on Tuesday. Elfman said he believes the network will be able to handle the increased traffic that comes with the iPhone.

Sprint plans to to launch 15 dual-mode 4G LTE/CDMA smartphone and tablets by mid 2012.

 For Sprint iPhone enthusiast yesterday was a day of good news, it was finally confirmed the third largest carrier in the U.S. would now carry the iPhone.

As promised, Apple shows off its latest iPhone Tuesday at “Let’s Talk iPhone Event”, and although the new handset was packed with new features and hardware like a new chip and improved camera, the general reaction was less than spectacular. Many had hoped to see the new rumored iPhone 5 released but this was not the case.

 On the carrier front, Sprint will become the third U.S. wireless provider to carry the iPhone, but it won’t come easy for the company. Like the other carriers, Sprint will have to buy the phones for around US$600 each, and then sell them at the suggested retail prices, starting at $199 with a two-year contract.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Sprint — the third-largest carrier in the U.S. and in a more difficult financial position relative to rivals AT&T and Verizon — made a commitment to purchase more than 30 million iPhones over the next four years. Neither Apple nor Sprint has confirmed that number.

The move has the potential to be a lifesaver for Sprint, especially as future iPhones with more advanced wireless capabilities come along. However, the initial capital could put a strain on current balance sheets.

John Feland, CEO of Argus Insights, said “It would make sense strategically for both companies. Sprint has the most mature and widespread true 4G network in the U.S. They are in desperate need of a winner. Apple needs a 4G network to push new experiences out to the iPhone faithful, especially in the face of competition heating up from Amazon.”

It’s a risky move for the company, but it’s the kind that can pay off well, especially when the company is in the position of going big or going home.

Another industry first comes out of Overland park Kansas; where Sprint has announced that it will offer wholesale 4G sales. What does this mean exactly? Well it just means that it will allow other ISP or cable companies to use their system to offer 4G services. they will be providing the HTC Detail 3G/4G handset (same features as the HTC Evo Shift 4G) and the Sierra Wireless 250U 3G/4G data card.

In their press release Sprint goes on to say:

“Customers looking for a large and established 4G ecosystem should consider Sprint, as we offer access to more than 120 ecosystem partners, including chipset vendors, device and equipment manufacturers, applications developers, machine-to-machine solutions providers and more,” said Matt Carter, president Sprint Wholesale Solutions and New Ventures. “With Sprint 4G, the possibilities for our customers are endless. 4G is another fine example of the complete solutions we offer to help our customers harness their full potential.”

As other businesses try to compete in the wireless 4G markets (think Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable) they are met with challenges of how to provide service. This is one way that Sprint can stay ahead of the game (and ahead of Verizon, and AT&T) to give themselves a nice boost in revenue.

To me this is just one way that Sprint can help Clearwire in their LTE-Advanced roll out. Remember that Sprint 4G service is really just Clearwire’s WiMax…With that said I can see that companies that want to get an edge up on competition and offer 4G wireless Internet everywhere possible – can now look at Sprint for a helping hand. This should help the revenue of both Sprint and Clearwire, and possible help Clearwire expand their LTE-Advanced fantasy sooner…

What are your thoughts on this PPCGeeks? Is Sprint making the right move here? Do you see it helping out the masses? Just what does this mean for Sprint in the long run? Tell me the answers and give my your insight to what you think might happen with Sprint offering wholesale 4G service.

Source: Sprint

Special thanks goes to darren.wlsn1 for giving us the tip on this article. thanks!

Well what a shocker we have here today! We all knew that Clearwire has been struggling to keep WiMax working properly; and we also knew that they were testing LTE technology at one point in Arizona. But what we did not expect to see was this! Clearwire says that this fall they are going to be releasing LTE-Advanced!

Dan Hesse did say we would have something “spectacular” coming this fall. This could be it. Clearwire is going to stop building out WiMax and start switching to LTE- Advanced. LTE-Advanced is the next step up from LTE, and could deliver download speeds of 120Mbps! Now don’t worry Evo, Epic, Evo 3D lovers – Clearwire will be keeping WiMax around – but will soon be switching it out it sounds like. They are going to start in areas that are already deployed with WiMax but has high demand of 4G. 

Dr. John Saw, Clearwire’s Cheif Technolog Officer, confesses:

“This is the future of mobile broadband. Our extensive trial has clearly shown that our ‘LTE Advanced-ready’ network design, which leverages our deep spectrum with wide channels, can achieve far greater speeds and capacity than any other network that exists today. Clearwire is the only carrier with the unencumbered spectrum portfolio required to achieve this level of speed and capacity in the United States. In addition, the 2.5GHz spectrum band in which we operate is widely allocated worldwide for 4G deployments, enabling a potentially robust, cost effective and global ecosystem that could serve billions of devices. And, since we currently support millions of customers in the 2.5 GHz band, we know that our LTE network won’t present harmful interference issues with GPS or other sensitive spectrum bands.”

This is no doubt why we have not seen any WiMax roll outs planned for Clearwire this year (2011). They did go on to say that they have to wait for additional funding to make their LTE-Advanced fantacy come true. Then they stated that they will be using multicarrier, or multichannel, wideband radios that will be carrier aggregation capable. This sounds like they are going to market to the masses of carriers – not just Sprint.

Now you might be saying “Jason – Sprint just signed a partnership deal with Lightsquared – how is this love triangle going to work?” Well all I have to say is it will be tricky but I bet we see that this love triangle will fester and bloom into a oozing pot of LTE goodness for all of us. Remember that Lightsquared is still face with issues regarding GPS – so this gives Sprint that one way out.

You tell me PPCGeeks, what do you think of this news? Does this spell “Love” for Sprint, or does it put a nail in their casket? Tell me below!

Source: Engadget

Samsung Galaxy S II will have:

both CDMA and WiMAX radios
8 megapixel rear camera
2 megapixel front camera
Full HD 1080P video at 30fps
4.27” WVGA super AMOLED Plus screen (800 x 480)
1.2GHz Dual Core Snapdragon CPU
1GB of RAM
16GB of Internal Memory (that is impressive)
Bluetooth 3.0+HS
Wi-Fi Direct for connectivity to Wi-Fi enable computers for communication
and much more…..

The rounded edges should make this new device easy on the hands and the 8meg camera/flash lineup is vertical, giving it a different look from the Galaxy S.

On a side note, even being very happy with my Incredible, I am hoping VZW gets something like this!!

The Samsung Galaxy S II sounds like a feature packed device that will be converting a lot of people over to Android! Will this be the new ‘go-to’ device for Sprint or will people be left waiting for the next one to come around the corner? What is your favorite feature ( mine would have to be the increased internal memory….never have enough of that!!)? Anything missing that is a ‘must have’ in a new device?

Sources: Engadget , Phone Arena , This Is My Next, Technobuffalo

WOOONELLY! Looks like the Cell Phone Gods have blessed Sprint customers! This document says it was last updated on July 22nd, so if that is true then this should give all you Sprint (and not Sprint) customers something to look forward too! It is always changing so please take this with a grain of salt but it looks to be a lot of phones! We are going to list them all out for you in a lovely bullet list…. Why? Because I want to and I like to break it all down for you!

• Samsung D600: Also known as the Conquer 4G, it’s currently slated to arrive August 21st.

• BlackBerry Bold 3: Also known as the Bold 9900/9930.
• Kyocera KYC5120: No word yet on exactly what this handset may be, but the fact that it’s due to replace the aging Samsung Intercept suggests that the 5120 is an Android phone of some kind. May be due on September 9th, which is a couple of days earlier than the previously-leaked September 11th launch. It’s worth mentioning that September 11th is a Sunday, which is the day of the week that Sprint normally launches phones on
• BlackBerry Curve 4: We’ve known this handset as the Curve 9350 and Apollo in the past. Also reportedly due to hit Sprint on September 9th.
• Motorola XT603: Mysterious device that may hit Sprint on October 2nd
• Motorola MB855: Also goes by the name Photon 4G, coming July 31st.
• Sprint M650: Said to be the Huawei M650, another smartphone that we know little about as of now. Reportedly coming on October 30th.
• ZTE V55 tablet: Sounds like a tablet, no? Not much is known about the device, but it could be launching in the first quarter of next year.

But WAIT! That’s not all for the next Quarter we get word that Sprint is going ot be launching their NEW Direct Connect push to talk network! This is to replace the old and dieing iDEN network set to be killed off in 2013!  Their Direct Connect is Sprints vision to grow PPT to 2.7 Million miles up from the 908,370 square miles iDEN covers now. The first two handsets, the Kyocera DuraMax and DuraCore, will feature a rugged construction and will be out later this year along with a Motorola-made smartphone. Sprints Official News Brief is below – enjoy the reading!

So with all this great Sprint love how does this make you feel??  Yea well for me I feel good knowing the Now Network is stepping up and going to release an onslaught of devices, even if it is Blackberrys, and Android (now WP7 love)… But you know they start somewhere and finish with the best plans, and now phones! Tell me what you think PPCG Sprint Lovers!

Source: Phonedog

Sprint Prepares for 4Q Launch of Sprint Direct Connect with Feature-Rich, CDMA Handsets

First phones come packed with broadband capabilities and next-generation functionality; New phones will operate on push-to-talk footprint that’s triple the size of Sprint’s current one

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 25, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced the initial phones it plans to deploy in the fourth quarter when the company launches its next-generation, push-to-talk service powered by Sprint’s broadband CDMA network. The new service – Sprint® Direct Connect – will deliver higher bandwidth capacity to keep up with customers’ data demands and is expected to extend the company’s push-to-talk coverage to almost triple the square miles of the company’s current push-to-talk offering.

The Sprint Direct Connect phones to be introduced this fall will be the Kyocera DuraCore and the Kyocera DuraMax. As previously announced, a third handset — a Motorola smartphone — will be described closer to the launch of Sprint Direct Connect. The devices will feature most of the capabilities available on current Sprint push-to-talk phones plus next-generation, push-to-talk applications and functionality. Specific availability dates and pricing for each device will be released later.

“Sprint is thrilled to launch Sprint Direct Connect with a strong starting lineup of phones,” said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of product development. “These devices represent the new gold standard in push-to-talk technology.”

Devices in 2011

Kyocera DuraMax brings customers advanced technology wrapped in a rugged exterior with a clamshell form factor. It offers military-grade durability, including water resistance when submerged up to one meter for up to 30 minutes. DuraMax comes with an integrated 3.2-megapixel camera and camcorder. The 32GB expandable microSD memory card slot provides the storage capacity required to manage large files on-the-go. Additional key features include:

* 2.0-inch QVGA TFT main display
* Military standard 810G specifications for dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain and immersion
* Encased in rubber, non-slip Dura-Grip® material for sure hold and extra durability
* Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology
* 2.5mm stereo headphone jack (supports PTT headsets)
* 1GB microSD memory card
* Large-font menu option
* GPS navigation enabled
* Supports SMS and MMS messaging and third-party data applications

Kyocera DuraCore is an affordable, high-impact solution for a mobile workforce that relies on push-to-talk. Additional features of this rugged, clamshell-style phone:

* Military standard 810G specifications for dust, shock and vibration
* Encased in rubber, non-slip Dura-Grip material for sure hold and extra durability
* Bi-directional speakerphone
* Bluetooth wireless technology
* 2.5mm mono headphone jack (supports PTT headsets)
* Large-font menu option
* GPS navigation enabled
* Supports SMS and MMS messaging and third-party data applications

In addition to Direct Connect® and group calling options, the devices are expected to enable Land Mobile Radio (LMR) interoperability, simultaneous data and push to talk, and availability notification. In early 2012, Sprint Direct Connect will offer additional capabilities, including international push-to-talk.

Sprint continues to involve developers in the creation of new applications through its Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program. The program provides information, support and tools needed for developers to port applications to Sprint Direct Connect devices and to create innovative applications.

Sprint Gets Rugged application developer program also will be featured at the Sprint Open Solutions Conference, Nov. 2-4, in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information or to register for the conference, please visit http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2011.

More information on the Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program can be found at http://developer.sprint.com/SprintGetsRugged.

Better Coverage and Capacity

Sprint Direct Connect marks a tangible initial benefit of Network Vision, Sprint’s blueprint to deploy a cost-effective and innovative network. Announced in December, Network Vision is expected to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network, resulting in enhanced coverage, quality and speed; better network flexibility; reduced operating costs; and improved environmental sustainability. The plan includes a complete upgrade of Sprint’s wireless networks accompanied by changes in device chipsets and network infrastructure.

The expected benefits of Network Vision to Sprint’s push-to-talk customers will be wide-ranging:

* Push-to-talk coverage footprint is planned to increase to nearly 2.7 million square miles and is expected to cover a population of 309 million (with the addition of 1xRTT and roaming coverage) – an increase from the iDEN network’s 908,370 square miles covering a population 278 million.
* In-building coverage is expected to improve significantly through investment in the most advanced CDMA technology and radio equipment.
* Voice and data capacity is expected to increase significantly as Sprint will be able to fully leverage its industry leading spectrum holdings in 800MHz, 1.9GHz, and – through its relationship with Clearwire – 2.5GHz.

“Our customers are asking for broadband push-to-talk now,” said Paget Alves, president-Sprint Business. “We’ve seen steadily increasing demand for faster data speeds, better and broader coverage, and more applications on push-to-talk devices. Sprint Direct Connect is designed to solve for all three and is expected to come with sub-second push-to-talk call setup time initially in Sprint CDMA Rev. A (3G) coverage areas. Sub-second call setup is expected to expand across the United States with the implementation of Network Vision.”

During the nationwide implementation of Network Vision, Sprint expects to continue operating the iDEN network at current best-ever performance levels. As the customer base shifts to more broadband-centric push-to-talk applications on the CDMA network and Sprint launches Sprint Direct Connect, iDEN cell sites are expected to be phased out in 2013. Sprint account executives will work with customers to provide a smooth transition with personalized upgrade assistance. Sprint also plans to offer current Nextel Direct Connect customers attractive device pricing to help transition to Sprint Direct Connect.

So PPCGeeks, today we hear that Sprint is not going to get the Pre3 by HP. As many of you know they offer the Palm Pixi, which I would like to add is for free (but what shouldn’t be for a legacy device? This does seem to be a death blow for the Pre series on the 3rd largest carrier in the US. T-Mobile does not offer WebOS at all.

The reason that Sprint is not getting the new WebOS device is that they have been burned in very high hardware failure rates and users saying the OS is laggy as well as very high cost for webOS handsets…Which raises a question – what is the initial cost of the device, and why so high?

So I ask this PPCGeeks, does Sprint need WebOS? Would you buy it? What advantages would Sprint have to get the WebOS device(s)? Let’s Discuss I will be surfing the comments and commenting back as time goes on…

Source: WMPU

The PPCGP, All the Mobile News You’ll Ever Need!

Season 2, Episode 25

Be sure to follow us on twitter!

Host: Laos101 AKA Joshua Sherman

Guests: Our Newsies! Hoodracer, and News Manager Jason Fieldz

Topics:
Data data data – how much data are YOU using?

Verizon claims it will expand 4G network even more – Sprint lagging behind (2.5 million sq mile rumor)

Lightsquared pushing out 4G – Sprint too?!

Sprint and AT&T bickering over T-Mobile Buyout

Verizon’s Tiered Data is here! Get your unlimited plans while they last!

With this being the year of the Tablets, BET Awards went along with the trend. The presenters used the HTC Evo View 4G from Sprint to reveal the winners rather than the traditional envelopes of yesteryear.

BET worked its way into a major social media rampage leading up to Sunday night’s BET AWARDS 2011, with plans including on-air Twitter and Facebook integration, a “social media lounge” on premises hosted by Lala and a car giveaway for fans that use a secret hashtag, #BETAwards. Another “secret” hashtag was also introduced at the top of the show.

The first presenter to use the HTC Evo View 4G was Taraji P. Henson for the Male R&B Artist of the Year. Before she revealed the winner (Chris Brown), she messed around for a few minutes checking her Twitter page and made fun of a Twitpic that she had received. That was much more exciting than the regular fumbling with the envelope. Maybe other awards shows will start using tablets to reveal winners as well. Or will this just be another temporary movement? We think tablets are here to stay.

The 7-inch tablet is set to launch this weekend, and the BET Awards was the first place that the HTC Evo View 4G from Sprint was to be seen live in action. The show was broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA, with Kevin Hart as the host this year.

Evo View 4G (Sprint) Specs:

• Manufacturer: HTC
• Part Number: ATP515CKIT

General

• Product Type – Web tablet
• Service Provider – Sprint

Display

• Display Type – 7 in TFT active matrix

Memory

• Flash Memory – 32 GB Integrated
• RAM – 1 GB
• Supported Flash Memory Cards – microSD,
microSDHC

Processor

• Processor – MSM8655 (1.5 GHz processor) + SQN1210 (WiMAX)

Digital Camera

• Rear-facing Camera – Yes
• Sensor Resolution – 5 megapixels
• Features – Video recording
• Front-facing Camera – 1.3 Megapixel

GPS System

• GPS Navigation – GPS receiver

Input Device

• Type – Stylus,
Touch-screen

Battery

• Technology / Form Factor – Lithium polymer
• Capacity – 4000 mAh

Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slot(s) – 1 x microSDHC
• Interfaces – 1 x Headset – Mini-phone 3.5 mm,
1 x USB

Miscellaneous

• Sensors –
Proximity sensor,
Digital compass,
Accelerometer,
Ambient light sensor

What do you think? Is this new high-tech method, the wave of the future for award presentations?
What are your thoughts on this use of the device and the novelty factor for entertainment value?
Are you planning on picking up an Evo View 4G for yourself anytime soon?
Is the HTC Sense UI and the Scribe technology of this tablet enough to set it apart in a crowded market?
*Note…Sprint is giving you the Scribe pen for free now with a 2 year contract.
(beats paying for it separately if you’re do for a renewal or are jumping ship to Sprint anyhow)

source: mashable

LightSquared has been plagued with issues as they build out their own LTE network. LightSquared will be a wholesale LTE provider (think Clearwire). In fact they just signed a $20 billion contact as reported here by Lives2Learn. Well in light of all that they have had a major GPS interference issue – one that would stop them cold in their tracks. Well they announced they have found a way to fix it.

The company, which owns spectrum in the L-band (1525 through 1559 MHz and 1626.6 to 1660.5 MHz) has found a way to push through and past the GPS issues. Basically their initial idea was to run on the lower 10 MHz block of the L-Band. This is close enough to GPS that they caused issues and in some cases cancelled each other out. Now the company [LightSquared] has come out to say that they are going to use the higher 10 MHz for deployment. They state that they were saving this resource for future expansion but given light to the issues that they will just stop development in that lower range and go to the higher range; this in return seems to resolve any GPS issues they were having. To see the full press release click here.

So PPCGeekers does this mean that you will want to trust their decision and use them for LTE? Do you think this will eventually re-pop up if they expand and need that other 10 MHz band? Tell me down below – as it has me pondering what will happen in a few years when Sprint grows their LTE network using LightSquared technology.

Source: fierceWireless

So I have not wrote about the Sprint and AT&T merger in a couple weeks – but lets be clear – it is still in the heat of all things cell phone. Yesterday Sprint told the FCC that AT&T can expand without buying T-Mobile in a move that I would say is bold at the least. They [Sprint] claim that AT&T could see a 600% increase in network and save themselves a bunch of money because it would cost less to revamp then buy.

“AT&T could increase its network capacity by more than 600 percent by 2015 without subjecting the country to the anti-competitive and anti-consumer harms associated with its proposed takeover of T-Mobile,’ says SVP for Government Affairs Vonya B McCann. “This capacity increase could more than meet AT&T’s projected data service demand growth through and beyond 2015 for a fraction of the cost of its proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile.”

“AT&T has not, and cannot, demonstrate that its proposed takeover of T-Mobile is in the public interest,” insists Sprint

Sprint has been the most vocal of all the carriers in the USA about this merger. Sprint claims that it would stifle innovation, and cause prices to rise as AT&T (and Verizon) play games with each other. Remember that if this goes through that AT&T and Verizon would own about 80% of all customers in the nation. Leaving Sprint in a distant 3rd for the major carriers.

An AT&T spokesman responded by criticizing Sprint’s transfer of its network management to Ericsson (ERICb.ST). “A company that has outsourced the management of its own network shouldn’t be giving advice to others.”

So what do you say PPCGeeks – what do you want Verizon & AT&T&T? Does this even really matter in the bigger picture? Tell us below. I for one say it should not go through, as I see my chocies of carriers drop and my prices rise – I ask myself if cell phones are even worth it at a high price.

source: dslreports and BGR

Sprint Nextel Corp and LightSquared Inc. are joining forces to provided Sprint users with a better high-speed wireless experience. Philip Falcone (owner of LightSquared Inc.) announced to his investors that the companies were discussing a $20 billion deal.  For Falcone, this deal is very important. He is basically gambling 60% of his trust fund on this project. But if this pays off like Falcone is expecting, it will have been worth the risk. Investors are excited about the deal with sprint. They were quoted, “It’s a step in the right direction given all the uncertainty around this investment.”

Investors are referring to the challenge that Falcone laid out regarding Verizon Wireless and ATT about networks and rivaling their wireless networks.

The plan is that Sprint and LightSquared will jointly develop the 4G LTE network. Obviously since Sprint is helping to develop the network they are going to be the main customer of the 4G LTE network.

For Sprint this is  a BIG deal. If they are able to build up this 4G LTE network, then Sprint, who is currently the third largest US wireless company, will be even better suited to keep up/surpass ATT. The hope with this merger with LightSquared is that it will lessen the load on Sprints current data servers. Many sprint customers may be finding their data running a bit slower than they like (something most of us can relate too) this is due to the high volume of data usage on the Sprint Network. Which is most likely due to Sprints Unlimited Data plans (which in the humble opinion of this writer is freaking sweet and is something that carriers like ATT should really look in to)

There is still some work to be done both by Sprint and by LightSquared Inc. For instance, there is a study due to release around July 1 about whether or not this new system would interfere with global-positioning systems. But if they can iron out the issues, this could mean much better network speeds for Sprint users.

Source: Fiercewireless

It looks like the Evo Shift 4G will be receiving the Gingerbread treatment that many have been hoping for. According to some new information from Sprint, you can expect to start seeing the update available on your Evo Shift as of June 17th. Sprint will be sending out software update notifications to Evo Shift owners but you can just keep checking for the software update from the settings menu, when that day arrives.

Having come from a qwerty device previously myself, I can see why some users just may see this as a superior device to its’ keyless cousin. Especially seeing how the Shift already has Sense 2.1. Perhaps HTC will keep this in mind when they hit users with the maintenance release for the original Evo 4G.

There is already a leaked version of this Gingerbread update. It is currently available in a rooted version, for the original HTC Evo 4G and runs quite well on the device.
Aside from the standard Gingerbread goodies and fixes, this update includes Swype as the default keyboard, a download manager, and a fix for some known streaming media issues.

With the Shift getting Sense 2.1, do you think HTC will skip giving the Evo 4G(original) Sense 2.1, in efforts to keep everyone upgrading?
Do you look forward to some Gingerbread sweetness on your Evo Shift 4G?
Are there bugs you hope to see corrected in this release?
Let me know what you think.

source: Android Police

On Sprint handhelds, there is a Sprint ID app, which contains a menu for downloading the Sprint Employee Pack for Sprint ID. The employee ID packs were announced to employees in the retail playbook a few weeks ago. They contain links to sales tips and facts about devices. Before it will allow you to download this pack, you are prompted to specify which device you have. Well it appears that there are currently a few new names in this list.

• LG Optimus B
• LG Q
• Samsung Chief
• Motorola Sunfire

Image courtesy of androidcentral

Per the roadmap leak:
o LG Q – is the Optimus Slider/Gelato Q
o Samsung Chief – is the SPHD600BKS, sometimes referred to as the Within, Galaxy S2, Conquer, etc…
o Optimus B – Don’t know, but I’m thinking it’s the Optimus Black
o Moto Sunfire – Probably the new Photon 4G
o Epic 2.3 seen in the image – is likely the Gingerbread update coming very soon.

source: androidcentral

This is a move that I think we all saw coming eventually. Sprint has reduced it’s stake in clear wire from 50% to 49.8%. A move that makes Sprint less likely to be held accountable if Clearwire defaults. Most importantly though is that Sprint maintains 54% of the economic stake in Clearwire. See what was happening was investors were worried that if Clearwire was to default (go under) that Sprint would end up having to pay that money back.

With them removing themselves as a power player in voting they can now say – “Hey we had nothing to do with them going under”… By Sprint also doing this action Sprint is proactively providing protection and flexibility with respects to its debt agreement and eliminating ongoing investor concerns about any potential cross-default risk.

This action only affects Sprint’s voting interest as a shareholder of Clearwire and does not affect Sprint’s other governance rights, nor does it reduce Sprint’s economic interest in Clearwire, which remains the same.

So PPCGeeks, that should not come as a shock to you. Sprint has been in talks of making LTE based moves – could this be the first sign? Tell us your thoughts and opinions about this move. Do you think it has any merit as to what Sprint will do with WiMax or LTE? Tell us below….

Source: fiercewireless