Filed under: Wireless

We knew they didn’t like it, and now they’re going out of their way to prove it. After FCC chairman Kevin Martin set forth a proposal to use the freed spectrum from the forthcoming 2009 digital TV transition for bringing mobile broadband to more locales, broadcasters who’d rather not deal with the trouble are stepping in with a collective “nuh uh!” Station owners and the four television networks filed an “emergency request” on Friday afternoon in hopes of convincing the FCC to hold off on its plan to vote on white space rules until “everyone had a chance to comment on the findings.” The report that’s mentioned found that no significant interference would come into play should the waves be opened up for unlicensed devices, but a spokeswoman for the National Association of Broadcasters stated that “the FCC is misinterpreting the actual data collected by their own engineers.” Whether or not NAB will get the 45-day grace period it’s asking for, however, remains to be seen.

[Via Mobile Tech Today, image courtesy of Orbitcast]

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Filed under: Wireless

Good news, folks — Kevin Martin believes that more mobile broadband is good for this nation. And we’re all about getting the WiFi to the people. Just as expected, the FCC chairman has voiced his support for using vacant airwaves from the looming 2009 digital TV transition to bring mobile broadband to more areas. According to Martin: “No one should ever underestimate the potential that new technologies and innovations may bring to society.” His proposal was issued ahead of an official report asserting that potential interference with existing infrastructure could be avoided if “technical safeguards” were put in place to prevent it. Sounds good from here, now go ‘head with your bad self, Mr. Martin.

[Image courtesy of TechLuver]

Read - Proposal
Read - Official interference report

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Filed under: Wireless

While Sprint’s XOHM network is sticking to the bustling metropolises of the US, Redline is looking to bring the wonders of 4G to those sitting in rural America. Granted, this here deployment isn’t the first we’ve seen in a less-than-dense locale, but thanks to its RedMAX infrastructure products and Nex-Tech’s desire to spread the love, a number of cities in the Sunflower State are about to get blanketed with WiMAX. More specifically, we’re told that Hays (see above) and Great Bend will get covered by next month, but we’re left to assume, er, hope that neighboring towns will fall under the umbrella in due time.

[Via InformationWeek, image courtesy of AirForceBase]

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Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals, Wireless

Yesterday was a pretty big day for Sprint (along with a number of laptop manufacturers), as America’s had its first major glimpse at widespread WiMAX. A few other tidbits lingering from the mayhem were the obligatory speed tests — which were decidedly average — and what’s believed to be a prototype Aspire One with inbuilt WiMAX capabilities. Said netbook was residing within an Intel-branded van, and while it wasn’t made clear if Acer had any plans of bringing such a beast to the commercial realm, the folks at Laptop found the WiMAX surfing to be respectable, but not mind-blowing, as the New York Times homepage took around 15 seconds to load completely. Mr. Dave Zatz was able to pull down around 4,600kbps (and 1,519kbps up) in an impromptu speed test, while Kevin over at jkOnTheRun only managed 3,435kbps down / 1,555kbps up. As always, YMMV.

Read - Hands-on with WiMAX-enabled Aspire One
Read - XOHM Speed Test I
Read - XOHM Speed Test II

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Filed under: Wireless

Hot on the heels of Lenovo comes Acer, which is somehow claiming “first!11one!” in the US market with WiMAX-enabled laptops. Introduced today in Baltimore in conjunction with the formal unveiling of Sprint’s XOHM network, the Aspire 4930-6862 and Aspire 6930-6771 both include the innate ability to hop on a WiMAX network and surf at 4G speeds. As for specs, the former packs a 14.1-inch WXGA panel, 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7350 CPU, 3GB of RAM, WiFi / WiMAX capability, integrated graphics, a dual-layer DVD writer, 320GB SATA HDD, 5-in-1 card reader, built-in webcam, Windows Vista Premium and an $899.99 sticker. The larger 6930 differs only in the 16-inch 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, as everything else (price included) remains the same. Charm City residents can snatch ‘em up right now at NewEgg and TigerDirect.

[Via DigitalTrends]

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Filed under: Laptops, Wireless

It’s a big day in Baltimore with the proper launch of Sprint’s XOHM WiMAX network, and Lenovo’s making sure it snags a bit of that limelight to announce this. Starting today, prospective customers can snatch up a ThinkPad SL300, SL500, X301 and T400 with integrated WiMAX capability, meaning that you can hop on the ultra-fast mobile internet highway in Baltimore and elsewhere if you’re really lucky. Later this year, the laptop maker will be adding the option on its business-focused ThinkPad W500, W700, SL400 and X200 models as well as the consumer-minded IdeaPad Y530. There’s no word on how much this capability adds to the cost of a machine, but WiMAX-enabled lappies can be had starting at $720 right now.

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Filed under: Wireless

Not too keen on snatching your WiMAX via ExpressCard? Fret not, as ZTE’s TU25 (which was leaked early last month) is fast approaching. Hailed as the only USB modem available (and certified, no less) for the launch of the XOHM network, the TU25 presumably allows users to plug it into a spare USB port, wave a magic wand and begin surfing the mobile broadband superhighway in Baltimore (and a few other places, we hear). There’s a frighteningly small amount of details on this thing right now, but hopefully we’ll have some of the more crucial aspects (price, release date, etc.) sooner rather than later.

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Filed under: Laptops, Wireless

Laptops with built-in WWAN modems aren’t anything new, but there’s a hodgepodge of hardware and services available — a situaton the GSM Association is trying to simplify with the new Mobile Broadband standardization initiative. Sure, it’s mostly an excuse to get another sticker on your gear, but companies like Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, Toshiba, Qualcomm and a bunch of carriers are on board to ensure that Mobile Broadband-certified machines will be ready and able to connect in some 91 countries around the world — and what’s more, they’re committed to spending a cool billion dollars in the next year promoting MB as a “compelling alternative” to WiFi and WiMAX. That should be an interesting dilemma for the carriers that also run hotspot networks, but we’ve got a feeling everyone’s happy as long as the sub fees keep rolling in.

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Filed under: Laptops

AT&T has freely supported Panasonic’s WWAN-enabled Toughbook 19 / 30 on its mobile broadband network for nearly a year now, and for those worried that the two may break things off when Gobi entered the picture can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Qualcomm’s hybrid-3G technology (which goes from EV-DO to HSPA with the flip of a software switch), has just been certified for use on the carrier’s nationwide network, and sure enough, Panny has decided to offer it on “all” new Toughbook machines. Gobified Toughbooks should be on store shelves this October, though we’re not sure just how costly the option will be.

Read - AT&T certifies Gobi technology
Read - Panasonic offers Gobi on Toughbooks

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Just over a year ago, we were all making bitter beer faces at FCC chairman Kevin Martin for not going along with a delightful sounding “free internet” plan. Now, it seems the main man’s tune has changed. During a recent interview, Martin stated that there was a “social obligation in making sure everybody could participate in the next generation of broadband services because, increasingly, that’s what people want.” He’s reportedly looking to attach a free mobile broadband requirement to the AWS-3 spectrum that’s set to be auctioned next year, which would require the winner to allocate 25% for gratis access. ‘Course, we wouldn’t get our hopes us for this to actually go down like it surely is playing out in your mind just now, but we won’t fault you for dreamin’.

[Via phonescoop]

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Filed under: Wireless

While much of the world rallies around LTE, Intel’s still doing its thang with WiMAX. According to Garth Collier, general manager of WiMax at Intel Asia-Pacific, the outfit is gearing up to “start supporting other markets outside of the US at 2.5GHz and in other spectrum profiles.” As it stands, the Centrino 2 chip package supports a version of the technology that uses the 2.5GHz spectrum, and while Mr. Collier didn’t specify which WiMAX profile would be added in 2009, deductive reasoning leads us to believe that 2.3GHz (used in South Korea) and 3.5GHz (used in Pakistan) are in the cards. Beyond that, details are few and far between, but we’d expect to hear something a bit more solid at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

[Via InfoWorld, image courtesy of CNET]

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Filed under: Transportation, Wireless

Wait, wait. Something that was promised for next year is arriving… this year? Be still our hearts! Chrysler will reportedly offer up its in-car EV-DO solution (dubbed Uconnect Web) starting on August 25th, and owners of 2009 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles (along with a few “earlier models”) will be able to have the $499 box retrofitted into their rides. Apparently the auto maker isn’t planning to install the units directly at the factory, so those who want it will be forced to pay an additional $35 to $50 installation charge, a $35 activation fee and a $29 monthly subscription fee. The service is said to provide download speeds between 400Kbps and 800Kbps with uploads hovering around 400Kbps, and provider Autonet Mobile has promised that you’ll “never lose the connection.” That’s a pretty bold claim — thankfully we’ll be able to test it out in just a few weeks.

[Via CrunchGear, image courtesy of Flickr]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Networking

Yeah, travel routers are still a rare breed, but when the entire family (or team, for you suits) needs to hop online in the hotel which conveniently provides absolutely no WiFi, it’s a real gem to have around. CradlePoint’s recently introduced 3G-ready CTR500 was taken for a test drive over at PC Perspective, and all in all, the unit performed as advertised. For those unfamiliar, it simply enables USB or ExpressCard-based WWAN modems to be connected, and from there, a variety of computers can retrieve WiFi from it. Better still, the unit did equally well when acting as a traditional WLAN router. The only real dig was the $179.99 price tag, which seemed a bit steep for the majority of folks who “probably would not need the functionality it offers.” Give the full writeup a look in the read link below.

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Filed under: Wireless

Talk about putting the cart before the horse. Without a bona fide WiMAX network for mass consumer use up and running yet here in America, Siemens is making sure you’re really ready for its onset by announcing its first WiMAX ExpressCard. The Gigaset SE68 WiMAX is based on the IEEE 802.16-2005 standard and complies with Wave 2 specifications (including MIMO A / B), supports beamforming and has actually been demonstrated as functional way over in Singapore. With a network in place, users can expect mobile broadband speeds of up to 20Mbps, and while no price is given, you can just circle the entire summer of 2008 in anticipation of its arrival.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

We’ve been hearing that China Mobile would have its act together and get TD-SCDMA ready well in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics since last November, and with merely months to spare, it seems things just may work out. Reportedly, the carrier is all set to begin commercial trials of the home cooked 3G standard on April 1st, where it will be tested in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Qinhuangdao and of course, Beijing. Initially, China Mobile Group will provide 20,000 lucky souls with free TD-SCDMA phones and subsidies of 800 yuan per month, while folks outside of that group can also walk into retail outlets and pick up discounted handsets on a whim. Maybe it’s just us, but we’d probably hold off until those guinea pigs gave everyone else a heads-up of the network quality before we went dropping our own change on it.

[Via mocoNews]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Good news for those in Pakistan hungry for another link to the ‘net: Wateen Telecom has officially launched its WiMAX / HFC services for the consumer market. Reportedly, Motorola played a huge role in deploying the “first 802.16e commercial WiMAX network in Pakistan,” and according to Wateen, it’s the largest WiMAX network “ever installed.” In case you hadn’t already guessed, Wateen Telecom is indeed a Abu Dhabi venture, and the service will initially be made available in 22 cities. For more details on exact coverage and rate plans, be sure and check out Wateen’s website.

[Via Metroblogging Karachi, thanks Zainuddin Z.]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones

Merely months after cranking out the CTR-350, CradlePoint has upped the ante with the even more portable PHS300. This bugger enables a selection of handsets and USB cellular modems to create a “personal WiFi hotspot,” and unlike its sibling, this one sports a built-in Li-ion to keep the connection alive (for a few hours, anyway) where there’s no AC outlet in sight. Furthermore, you’ll find WEP / WPA security features, an integrated firewall and the ability to charge up your phone via USB if necessary. Sound like just the thing you need? If so, you can drop your pre-order in now for $179.99 and patiently await the December 20th ship date.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

A 20-year old EU legislation is on the brink of being abandoned, and it’s good news for those wanting more 3G across the pond. Reportedly, European Union telecom ministers supported proposals to “open radio frequencies allocated exclusively for GSM mobile phone services to other technologies, such as 3G mobile data.” If approved by the European Parliament, creating a 3G network in the 900MHz band could provide “up to 40-percent greater coverage than one in the 2,100MHz band for the same capital expenditure,” according to the GSM Association. Furthermore, some 300 million more individuals across Asia, Europe and Africa could purportedly have access to mobile broadband by 2012 if operators could use the 900MHz spectrum for 3G services. Sounds good from here, but we’ve no idea how long it’ll take to hear a final decision on all this.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Still waiting around to hop on the Rev. A highway? Although last week would’ve been a swell time to do so, now’s not too bad either, and Verizon Wireless customers have yet another option at their fingertips. The Kyocera KPC680 ExpressCard is available now for anyone interested, and enables BroadbandAccess users to reach average download speeds of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps and upload speeds that range from 500kbps to 800kbps when situated in a Rev. A area. Additionally, this thing sports a “breakthrough” (ahem) antenna design that “moves the antenna away from the device as it is opened, providing greater sensitivity, dual external antenna ports for signal flexibility and a compact form factor.” Get yours now for just $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and throwing your John Hancock on a two-year agreement.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

We’ve already seen a number of ultra-high speed alternatives to LTE trialed and drooled over, so it’s about time that Long Term Evolution had its 15 minutes, too. The LTE / SAE Trial Initiative, founded by a gaggle of companies including Nokia, has recently revealed that initial testing “confirmed that the technology will deliver high levels of data throughput both for stationary and mobile devices.” More specifically, it was suggested that peak 100Mbps downlink / 50Mbps uplink rates could indeed be met, and we’re told that confirmation was “achieved using an agreed set of common transmission profiles, test procedures, and analysis methods.” Beyond the hip, hip, hooray, there’s not a lot of details to share, but those interested in basking in the glory of one darn fine trial can hit the read link and have at it.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of LetsGoMobile]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!