Apple’s next huge move isn’t into the television or banking industries according to one expert. Instead, Apple will take on carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless by becoming a direct mobile service provider. Veteran wireless industry strategist Whitey Bluestein, who has managed strategic deals for the likes of AT&T, Intel, T-Mobile, Verizon, Microsoft, Nokia and Best Buy, says Apple will soon begin to offer wireless service directly to iPhone and iPad users. Apple has the distribution channels, digital content portfolio and customer base to make the move, Bluestein says, and it also has more than 250 million credit cards on file for iTunes users who could be billed directly for wireless service.

“The battleground is set, but Apple will be the first mover,” Bluestein said while speaking at the Informa MVNO Industry Summit in Barcelona. “Google will have to scramble because it lacks retail distribution, experience with subscriber services and the iTunes ecosystem of content. iTunes and the iTunes Store provide Apple with one-click buying and customer care. Google can acquire most of these capabilities, as it has before, but it is not a core competency of the company.”

Bluestein also notes that Apple has patent-pending network architecture, with patents filed in 2006, that will empower its move into the mobile service provider industry. Apple’s biggest barrier thus far has been the large subsidies carriers pay to keep end-user iPhone pricing affordable, however Apple’s huge cash reserves could be used to remove that road block completely.

“What has been holding Apple back from becoming a wireless provider already, according to Bluestein, are the enormous handset subsidies paid by mobile operators (AT&T, VZW and Sprint in the US), which amount to about $381 for each iPhone sold today,” Bluestein noted. ”That has been a short-term stumbling block for Apple, but the company has its well-known cash reserves and could seize the initiative at any point.”

Such a move could help Apple avoid a potential threat from wireless carriers, though Apple CEO Tim Cook said his company is not concerned with the possibility of carrier’s squeezing subsidies.

Best-Ever Mobile Broadband Sales and Strong Cash Flows Highlight AT&T’s Fourth-Quarter Results; Stock Buyback Begins on Previous 300 Million Share Authorization

2012 Outlook: Solid Revenue, Margins and Earnings Growth with Strong Free Cash Flow

Dallas, Texas, January 26, 2012

• $(1.12) diluted EPS in fourth quarter compared to $0.18 diluted EPS in the year-ago period. Excluding significant items for both quarters, EPS of $0.42 compared to $0.55 in the year-ago quarter, driven by the company’s best-ever quarter for smartphone activations — up nearly 60 percent year over year
• Consolidated revenues of $32.5 billion, up $1.1 billion, or 3.6 percent, versus the year-earlier period
• In 2011, AT&T’s growth engines — wireless, wireline data and managed services — represented 76 percent of total revenues and grew 7.5 percent versus 2010, led in the fourth quarter by:
  • 10.0 percent growth in wireless revenues
  • 19.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, up $956 million versus the year-earlier quarter
  • 16.4 percent growth in strategic business services revenues
  • 43.7 percent growth in consumer U-verse revenues
• 9.4 million smartphone sales, best-ever quarter and 50 percent more than previous quarterly record and nearly double 3Q11 sales; 82 percent of postpaid sales were smartphones
• 717,000 wireless postpaid net adds, the largest increase in five quarters; 2.5 million increase in total net wireless subscribers, with gains in every customer category
• Best-ever quarter for Android and Apple smartphones, including 7.6 million iPhone activations
• 571,000 branded computing device (tablets, aircards, etc.) sales, best-ever quarter to reach 5.1 million total subscribers; up almost 70 percent from a year ago
• 12th consecutive quarter with a year-over-year increase in postpaid wireless subscriber ARPU (average monthly revenues per subscriber), up 1.4 percent to $63.76 — more than $6 higher than nearest competitor’s ARPU
• Second consecutive quarter of sequential growth in wireline business revenues
• Sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues, driven by AT&T U-verse^® services
• 208,000 net gain in AT&T U-verse TV subscribers to reach 3.8 million in service, with continued high broadband and voice attach rates

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today reported fourth-quarter results highlighted by record sales, strong wireless network performance and improved wireline revenue trends.

“We had a tremendous year in terms of execution, and we have excellent momentum across our growth platforms,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer.”This was a blowout quarter for sales. Our network performance is at a high level on voice quality and best-in-class mobile download speeds. Sales continue to be strong and business revenue trends are on a good track.

“Looking ahead, we start 2012 with the best visibility we’ve had in some time, and we’re well positioned to deliver solid results — including continued revenue growth with margin expansion, solid earnings per share growth and strong cash flow,” Stephenson said.”In short order, we will begin share repurchases to deliver significant value to our owners.”

Fourth-Quarter Financial Results
For the quarter ended December 31, 2011, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $32.5 billion, up $1.1 billion, or 3.6 percent, versus the year-earlier quarter.

Compared with the fourth quarter of 2010, operating expenses were $41.5 billion versus $29.3 billion; operating loss was $9.0 billion, compared to operating income of $2.1 billion; and AT&T’s operating income margin was (27.7) percent, compared to 6.7 percent. Excluding fourth-quarter significant items, operating expenses were $28.1 billion versus $25.8 billion; operating income was $4.4 billion, compared to $5.6 billion; and operating income margin was 13.5 percent, compared to 17.7 percent.

Fourth-quarter 2011 net income attributable to AT&T totaled $(6.7) billion, or $(1.12) per diluted share. Excluding significant non-cash charges of $0.65 from the actuarial loss on benefit plans and $0.48 for directory asset impairments, along with a one-time charge of $0.44 for termination of the T-Mobile USA acquisition and a one-time gain of $0.03 from a tax settlement, adjusted earnings per share was $0.42.

(The actuarial loss on benefit plans was driven by a reduction in the discount rate from 5.8 percent to 5.3 percent. While our investment returns were better than the overall market, they were less than expectations; this was largely offset by better-than-expected force and medical cost management. The directory asset impairment resulted from an annual review of intangible assets compared to fair value.)

These results compare with reported net income attributable to AT&T of $1.1 billion, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2010. Excluding significant items, earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $0.55 per diluted share.

Fourth-quarter 2011 cash from operating activities totaled $7.5 billion, and capital expenditures totaled $5.5 billion. Also included in the fourth quarter, the company made a $1.0 billion contribution to the company’s pension fund. No additional funding is required in 2012. Free cash flow — cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures — totaled $2.0 billion.

Full-Year Results
For the full year 2011, compared with 2010 results, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $126.7 billion versus $124.3 billion, up 2.0 percent; operating expenses were $117.5 billion, compared with $104.7 billion; net income attributable to AT&T was $3.9 billion versus $19.9 billion; and earnings per diluted share was $0.66 compared with $3.35. Excluding significant items, earnings per share totaled $2.20, compared with $2.29.

Compared with 2010 results, AT&T’s full-year cash from operating activities totaled $34.6 billion, down from $35.0 billion. Capital expenditures, including capitalized interest, totaled $20.3 billion versus $20.3 billion, including a 6.4 percent increase in wireless-related capital investment versus 2010, as AT&T aggressively deployed next-generation mobile broadband networks. Free cash flow totaled $14.4 billion, compared with $14.7 billion.

Outlook
AT&T is well positioned to deliver solid revenue and earnings growth with improving margins while returning substantial value to shareowners. In 2012, AT&T expects continued consolidated revenue growth, including postpaid wireless ARPU growth around 2 percent for the year. The company also expects to expand consolidated and wireless margins while keeping wireline margins stable. Achieving these targets will lead to mid-single-digit or better earnings growth with an opportunity to accelerate earnings growth beyond 2012. Outlook excludes any significant items. Importantly, little economic lift is assumed with these expectations.

AT&T expects capital expenditures to be about $20 billion, stable with 2011, as increases in wireless spending offset declines in wireline capital expenditures. The company also expects strong free cash flow, with full-year free cash flow in the $15 to $16 billion range, and plans to begin execution of its existing 300 million share repurchase authorization immediately.

WIRELESS OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Record-setting mobile broadband sales and the company’s best postpaid subscriber growth in five quarters drove double-digit wireless revenue growth. AT&T continues to lead the industry in smartphone penetration, mobile broadband sales and postpaid ARPU. Highlights included:

Best Postpaid Growth in Five Quarters. AT&T posted a net increase in total wireless subscribers of 2.5 million in the fourth quarter to reach 103.2 million in service. This included gains in every customer category. Subscriber additions for the quarter include postpaid net adds of 717,000, the best gain in five quarters. Prepaid net adds were 159,000, connected device net adds were 1,029,000 and reseller net adds were 592,000. Fourth-quarter net adds reflect accelerated adoption of smartphones, including the October launch of iPhone 4S, increases in prepaid and reseller subscribers and sales of tablets and connected devices such as automobile monitoring systems, security systems and a host of other emerging products.

Record Quarter for Smartphone Sales. AT&T delivered its best-ever smartphone sales quarter — up nearly 60 percent from the year-ago period. (Smartphones are devices with voice and data capabilities and an advanced operating system to better manage data and Internet access.) In the fourth quarter, the company set a new record with 9.4 million smartphones sold, nearly double the number sold in the third quarter and 50 percent more than the previous quarterly record. Fourth-quarter smartphone sales represented more than 80 percent of postpaid device sales. Both iPhone and Android device sales set records. During the quarter, more than 7.6 million iPhones were activated, the majority of which were iPhone 4S, which went on sale Oct. 14, and more than twice as many Android smartphones were sold versus the fourth quarter a year ago. iPhone sales were helped by a superior customer experience, with AT&T delivering download speeds up to three-times faster than on other U.S. carriers’ networks.

At the end of the quarter, 56.8 percent of AT&T’s 69.3 million postpaid subscribers had smartphones, up from 42.7 percent a year earlier and 32.8 percent two years ago. The average ARPU for smartphones on AT&T’s network is 1.9 times that of the company’s non-smartphone devices. About 87 percent of smartphone subscribers are on FamilyTalk^® or business plans. Churn levels for these subscribers are significantly lower than for other postpaid subscribers.

Best-Ever Quarter for Branded Computing Device Sales. AT&T had its best sales quarter ever for branded computing subscribers, a new growth area for the company that includes tablets, aircards, mobile devices, tethering plans and other data-only devices. AT&T added 571,000 of these devices to reach 5.1 million, an almost 70 percent increase in total subscribers from a year ago. Most of those new subscribers were tablets, with 311,000 added in the quarter, more than half of which were postpaid.

Double-Digit Growth for Wireless Revenues. Total wireless revenues, which include equipment sales, were up 10.0 percent year over year to $16.7 billion. Wireless service revenues increased 4.0 percent, to $14.3 billion, in the fourth quarter.

Wireless Data Revenues Increase 19.4 Percent. Wireless data revenues — driven by Internet access, access to applications, messaging and related services — increased by $956 million, or 19.4 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $5.9 billion. AT&T’s postpaid wireless subscribers on monthly data plans increased by 16.4 percent over the past year. The number of subscribers on tiered data plans also continues to increase. About 22 million, or 56 percent, of all smartphone subscribers are on tiered data plans, and about 70 percent have chosen the higher-tier plans.

Industry-Leading Postpaid ARPU Continues Growth. Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $63.76. This marked the 12th consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. AT&T continues to lead the industry with postpaid subscriber ARPU about $6 higher than the nearest competitor. Postpaid data ARPU reached $26.01, up 14.9 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.

Postpaid Churn Up Only Slightly. Despite record smartphone sales and the first holiday sales period since the loss of AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity, postpaid churn was up only slightly at 1.21 percent, compared to 1.15 percent in both the year-ago fourth quarter and in the third quarter of 2011. Total churn was up slightly at 1.39 percent versus 1.32 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 1.28 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

Wireless Margins Reflect Record Sales. Fourth-quarter wireless margins reflect record-setting smartphone sales and customer upgrade levels. This was offset in part by improved operating efficiencies and further revenue gains from the company’s growing base of high-quality smartphone subscribers.

AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireless operating income margin was 15.2 percent versus 22.9 percent in the year-earlier quarter, and AT&T’s wireless EBITDA service margin was 28.7 percent, compared with 37.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. (EBITDA service margin is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, divided by total service revenues.) Fourth-quarter wireless operating expenses totaled $14.2 billion, up 20.9 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, and wireless operating income was $2.5 billion, down 27.0 percent year over year.

WIRELINE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireline results were highlighted by the second consecutive quarter of sequential wireline business revenue growth, a 44 percent increase in U-verse revenues and solid cost management:

Sequential Wireline Business Revenue Growth Continues. Total business revenues grew sequentially for the second consecutive quarter. Revenues were $9.3 billion, down 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter but a slight increase over the third quarter of 2011. The year-over-year decline reflects economic conditions and weakness in voice and legacy data products somewhat offset by growth in IP data. Business service revenues, which exclude CPE, declined 1.2 percent year over year, compared to a year-over-year decline of 4.3 percent in the year-ago quarter and were essentially flat sequentially, despite fewer business days in the fourth quarter.

Robust Strategic Business Services Revenues. Revenues from the new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T’s most advanced business solutions — including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and — grew 16.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, continuing strong trends in this area. This now represents a nearly $6 billion annualized revenue stream.

VPN Growth Drives Business IP Revenues. Total business IP data revenues grew 9.2 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter, led by growth in VPN revenues. IP-based solutions allow customers to easily add managed services such as network security, cloud services and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures. Total business data revenues grew 1.3 percent year over year.

Wireline Consumer Revenues Continue Growth. Driven by strength in IP data services, revenues from residential customers totaled $5.3 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent versus the fourth quarter a year ago. The fourth quarter marked the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

208,000 U-verse Net Adds. AT&T U-verse TV added 208,000 subscribers to reach 3.8 million in service. As U-verse scales, its margins improve, contributing to profitability. In the fourth quarter, the AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet attach rate was 90 percent and about half of new subscribers took AT&T U-verse Voice. About three-fourths of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers have a triple- or quad-play option from AT&T. ARPU for U-verse triple-play customers was almost $170, up 2.5 percent year over year.

AT&T’s U-verse deployment has reached its goal of passing 30 million living units. Companywide penetration of eligible living units continues to grow and was at 15.9 percent in the fourth quarter, and 25.0 percent across areas marketed to for 36 months or more. AT&T’s total video subscribers, which combine the company’s U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 5.6 million at the end of the quarter, representing 23.9 percent of households served.

U-verse Broadband Continues Strong Growth. AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet delivered a fourth-quarter net gain of 587,000 subscribers to reach a total of 5.2 million, helping offset losses from DSL. Overall, AT&T lost 49,000 wireline broadband connections. About 74 percent of consumers have a broadband plan delivering speeds of 3 Mbps or higher versus 65 percent in the year-ago quarter.

U-verse Drives Consumer Revenue Transformation. U-verse continues to drive a transformation in wireline consumer, reflected by the fact that consumer IP revenues now represent 53.2 percent of wireline consumer revenues, up from 45.0 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Increased AT&T U-verse penetration and a significant number of subscribers on triple- or quad-play options drove 18.7 percent year-over-year growth in IP revenues from residential customers (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice) and 4.3 percent sequential growth. U-verse revenues grew 43.7 percent compared with the year-ago fourth quarter and were up 8.6 percent versus the third quarter of 2011.

Growth in Revenues Per Household Continues. Wireline revenues per household served increased 7.0 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter and were up 2.3 percent sequentially (average revenues per household is total wireline consumer revenues divided by the average monthly households in service), driven by AT&T U-verse services. This marked AT&T’s 16th consecutive quarter with year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues per household as U-verse scales and represents a larger portion of this category.

Consumer Connection Trends. In the fourth quarter, AT&T posted a decline in total consumer revenue connections primarily due to expected declines in traditional voice access lines, consistent with broader industry trends and somewhat offset by increases in U-verse TV and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 136,000 in the quarter and 598,000 over the past four quarters. Total consumer revenue connections at the end of the fourth quarter were 41.3 million, compared with 43.4 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 and 41.9 million at the end of the third quarter of 2011.

Wireline Revenues Down Slightly. Total fourth-quarter wireline revenues were $14.9 billion, down 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter and down slightly sequentially. Fourth-quarter wireline operating expenses were $13.1 billion, down 0.2 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2010 and down 0.1 percent sequentially. Wireline operating income totaled $1.8 billion, down from $2.0 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 and down versus the third quarter of 2011. AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireline operating income margin was 11.9 percent, compared to 13.0 percent in the year-earlier quarter and down slightly from 12.1 percent in the third quarter of 2011. Improved consumer and business IP data revenue trends and execution of cost initiatives helped to partially offset declines in voice revenues.

 

SIMPLE Mobile recently introduced two new international calling plans. Customers can now opt to sign up for a $10 unlimited international long distance plan or a $10 pay-as-you-go option. The $10 monthly unlimited plan allows customers to place calls to more than 50 countries including to Canada, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The $10 pay-as-you-go option can be used to place calls to any country in the world at low per-minute rates, and the full list is available on SIMPLE Mobile’s website. The carrier also noted that international text messaging is included. “We continue to offer free international text messaging with all our current plans and our totally new international calling plans are the perfect compliment to that feature,” SIMPLE Mobile senior vice president of marketing Tim Garrett said. “The majority of SIMPLE Mobile customers have friends and family outside of the US, so these upgrades will definitely appeal to them.” Simple Mobile’s full press release follows after the break.

SIMPLE Mobile® Launches New Unlimited International Long Distance Plan To Revolutionize The Industry

Irvine, CA ­ (December 22, 2011) ­ SIMPLE Mobile®

(www.mysimplemobile.com) is shaking up the wireless world again by offering two new international long distance options. New and existing SIMPLE Mobile users can upgrade their unlimited domestic calling plans with the company’s new $10 Unlimited International Long Distance or $10 Pay-As-You-Go International Flexibility supplemental features. As with all of SIMPLE Mobile¹s plans, unlimited international text messaging is also included.

The $10 Unlimited International Long Distance Plan is ideal for those people who frequently make international calls to any of the more than 50 countries the plan is compatible with, including Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. For people looking to make calls to a broader range of countries, the $10 Pay-As-You-Go International Flexibility Plan offers amazing rates to every country worldwide. A full list of countries and features supported through international calling plans is available online at http://www.mysimplemobile.com/ILD.

“We continue to offer free international text messaging with all our current plans and our totally new international calling plans are the perfect compliment to that feature,² commented Tim Garrett, SVP of Marketing for SIMPLE Mobile, ³The majority of SIMPLE Mobile customers have friends and family outside of the US, so these upgrades will definitely appeal to them. The revolutionary $10 Unlimited and Pay-As-You-Go options can cover our customers¹ international calling needs through the same dependable, hassle free style of wireless service SIMPLE Mobile has been providing them with domestically.”

More information on SIMPLE Mobile and the company¹s unlimited

wireless plans can be found online at http://www.mysimplemobile.com.

International Long Distance service provided by Elite Telecom. To see complete Terms & Conditions and determine eligibility to principle cities and landline destinations, visit www.mysimplemobile.com/ildterms

About SIMPLE Mobile

SIMPLE Mobile® (http://www.mysimplemobile.com) is, well, simple. They offer the hottest new unlimited wireless service, outstanding.

During the Law Seminars International event in Seattle on Tuesday, Trilogy Partners chairman John Stanton said he spoke frequently with Steve Jobs about Jobs’s dream to create a wireless network owned and operated by Apple. “He wanted to replace carriers,” Stanton explained. “He and I spent a lot of time talking about whether synthetically you could create a carrier using Wi-Fi spectrum. That was part of his vision,” Stanton added, noting that he worked with Steve Jobs from 2005 through 2007. Jobs originally wanted to take advantage of unlicensed spectrum that Wi-Fi networks use, although it is unclear how advanced his plans or intentions for such a project were. Jobs reportedly nixed the idea in 2007 and, four years later, the iPhone is now available on three major U.S. wireless carriers and one regional carrier. IDG, which first reported the story, said Stanton was the former head of Voicestream before it became T-Mobile, and he also worked for McCaw Cellular, which later became AT&T.

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Australian Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett has ruled that Apple must show Samsung its contracts with Vodafone, SingTel and Telstra if it cannot reach an agreement on Samsung’s accusations that the iPhone maker contractually forces the carriers to subsidize the iPhone. Samsung has also argued that the Apple iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and iPhone 3GS infringe on its patents, and has sought to ban sales of the devices in Australia. Apple, however, has already successfully banned Samsung’s Australia-based subsidiaries from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. “We will resist any attempts by our friends to push us into a corner,” Apple lawyer Andrew Fox said. “This is quite clearly a fishing expedition.” Earlier this month, Samsung requested the iPhone 4S source code and, according to Bloomberg, Apple provided the company with 220 pages of code, but left out one file. Samsung also has ongoing lawsuits with Apple in Japan, Germany, France and the United States.

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T-Mobile announced on Tuesday that it will expand its Direct Carrier Billing option to support more digital products. The service allows T-Mobile customers to make purchases directly from their web browsers and charge them to their monthly T-Mobile bills. Customers can purchase music, games, social networking credits and more from their phones, T-Mobile tablets, or any of their computers connected to a T-Mobile network. Direct Carrier Billing will be available later this month, and once it is active, customers will see the option from participating providers during checkout. There is no additional fee for Direct Carrier Billing and customers can opt-out by contacting T-Mobile support. Read on for the full press release.

T-Mobile USA to Extend Direct Carrier Billing to Digital Content and Services

BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced Direct Carrier Billing – a nationwide purchasing program to provide customers the convenience of securely purchasing digital content and services from their web-enabled device. With Direct Carrier Billing, T-Mobile customers can conveniently charge online purchases of digital games, gaming and social networking credits, music, videos and other digital content offerings directly to their existing T-Mobile account right from the Web browser of their connected device – whether a PC, smartphone, netbook or tablet.

“In 2009, T-Mobile was the first U.S. carrier to offer direct carrier billing for the Android Market. With this new program, we’re extending the hassle-free payment experience to browser-based purchases from virtually any online source and across a variety of mobile devices, delivering more purchasing power to mobile-centric consumers.”

“As the growth in mobile purchasing explodes, we want to be at the forefront in helping customers more easily purchase digital content and services,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president of value added services, T-Mobile, USA. “In 2009, T-Mobile was the first U.S. carrier to offer direct carrier billing for the Android Market. With this new program, we’re extending the hassle-free payment experience to browser-based purchases from virtually any online source and across a variety of mobile devices, delivering more purchasing power to mobile-centric consumers.”

T-Mobile Direct Carrier Billing, which will initially utilize billing services provided by BilltoMobile, Boku, OpenMarket, Payfone, and Zong, simplifies the browse-to-purchase experience for consumers, eliminating the need to manually enter credit card information.

T-Mobile subscribers will be able to visit a wide variety of trusted online storefronts and merchant websites to make secure purchases and have those transactions appear on their monthly T-Mobile bill. As the new offering continues to expand, additional strategic billing service partners and content providers will be added to the program.

Payments that are processed using direct carrier billing will be secured and monitored by both T-Mobile and the billing service partners. Extensive fraud controls, age-appropriate content blocking and spending limit management tools will be available to provide T-Mobile customer with a secure environment for purchasing premium content from trusted brands and merchants. In addition, a two-step customer authentication and purchase verification process will ensure a secure transaction. Purchases will also be detailed on the customer’s monthly T-Mobile bill so they know exactly what they are paying for.

Pricing and Availability:

Direct Carrier Billing is expected to be available later this month. Once available, T-Mobile customers will simply be presented with this option when purchasing online content from participating providers using their mobile device. While standard data and text rates apply, there is no additional fee for T-Mobile subscribers to use Direct Carrier Billing. T-Mobile customers may opt-out of Direct Carrier Billing at no additional charge by contacting T-Mobile’s Customer Care.

Microsoft’s final build of Windows Phone Mango has been rubber stamped and released to manufacturers and wireless carriers according to Windows Phone Dev Podcast. The move is among the final steps before Microsoft delivers the Mango release to customers. The most recent reports have suggested that Microsoft will update current Windows Phone devices in September, although winrumors says the update could be pushed out as soon as August. Microsoft’s Windows Phone partners include HTC, LG, Samsung, Dell, Acer, Fujitsu, ZTE Corporation and Nokia, and we should see a number of new devices from those companies in the fall time frame. Mango was officially announced in May and Microsoft has promised that it will deliver more than 500 new features to the platform.

UPDATE: Microsoft’s Senior Director of Communications Bill Cox has stated that Windows Phone 7.5 Mango has not yet reached RTM, as Windows Phone Dev Podcast reported.

[via winrumors]

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AT&T reported its second quarter results on Thursday. The company’s consolidated revenues were $31.5 billion, up 2.2% ($680 million) from the same quarter last year. AT&T’s wireless, wireline data and managed services were responsible for 76% of those revenues, and that figure is growing at a rate of 8.3% year-over-year. AT&T Mobility added a total of 1.1 million subscribers during the quarter, including 331,000 net postpaid adds, and it now serves a total of 98.6 million subscribers. The carrier also noted that it had its best-ever second quarter for smartphone sales: it sold 5.6 million total smartphones, up 43% year-over-year. AT&T activated 3.6 million iPhones during the quarter, more than half of the smartphones sold, and said that nearly 25% of the iPhone activations were from new subscribers. AT&T also noted that its planned acquisition of T-Mobile is still on track for closure during the first quarter of next year. Read on for the full press release.

AT&T Reports Strong Wireless Gains, Record Mobile Broadband Sales and Continued Strength in U-verse and Strategic Business Services in Second-Quarter Results

$0.60 diluted EPS, compared to $0.67 diluted EPS, and $0.60 per diluted share when excluding a significant item in the second quarter of 2010

Consolidated revenues of $31.5 billion in the second quarter, up more than $680 million, or 2.2 percent, versus the year-earlier period

9.5 percent growth in wireless revenues, with a 7.4 percent increase in wireless service revenues

Total wireless subscribers up 1.1 million to reach 98.6 million subscribers in service, with gains in every customer category including 331,000 postpaid net adds

Best-ever second-quarter smartphone sales of 5.6 million; nearly 70 percent of total postpaid sales were smartphones

iPhone activations remain strong at 3.6 million, with 24 percent of subscribers new to AT&T; iPhone subscriber churn down slightly sequentially

Sales of Android and other smartphones doubled year over year; more than 40 percent of smartphone sales in the quarter

Branded computing subscribers (includes tablets, aircards, MiFi devices, tethering plans and other data-only devices) up 545,000, almost doubling since the second quarter of 2010 to reach 4.0 million

23.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, up $1 billion versus the year-earlier quarter

Postpaid subscriber ARPU (average monthly revenues per subscriber) up 2.0 percent to $63.87, the tenth consecutive quarter with a year-over-year increase

Fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues, driven by AT&T U-verse^® services

202,000 net gain in AT&T U-verse TV subscribers to reach 3.4 million in service, with continued high broadband and voice attach rates

21.9 percent growth in wireline consumer Internet Protocol (IP) data revenues to reach nearly half of consumer revenue, driven by continued AT&T U-verse expansion

Continued increase in strategic business services revenues, up 19.4 percent year over year, their strongest growth in six quarters

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Note: AT&T’s second-quarter earnings conference call will be broadcast live via the Internet at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 21, 2011, at www.att.com/investor.relations.

Consolidated Statements of Income

Statements of Segment Income

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Supplementary Operating and Financial Data

Reconciliation of EBITDA

Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow

Reconciliation of Annualized Net-Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio

EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Discussions

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today reported second-quarter results, highlighted by robust mobile broadband growth, record second-quarter smartphone sales and stable sequential wireline revenues.

“We delivered another strong quarter capping a solid first half of the year,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer. “Mobile broadband growth continues to be robust, and we are seeing encouraging signs in wireline revenues. This adds to our confidence as we look ahead.

“Mobile broadband with IP infrastructure and cloud services are transforming our industry and are creating unprecedented opportunity. AT&T is strongly positioned to lead in this new era,” Stephenson said. “Our planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA will accelerate development of next-generation capabilities, and it will lay the groundwork for continued high-tech innovation for years to come.”

Second-Quarter Financial Results
For the quarter ended June 30, 2011, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $31.5 billion, up more than $680 million, or 2.2 percent, versus the year-earlier quarter, marking the company’s sixth consecutive quarter with a year-over-year revenue increase.

Compared with results for the second quarter of 2010, AT&T’s operating income margin was 19.6 percent, compared to 19.7 percent; and operating expenses were $25.3 billion versus $24.7 billion; operating income was $6.2 billion, up from $6.1 billion.

Second-quarter 2011 net income attributable to AT&T totaled $3.6 billion, or $0.60 per diluted share. These results compare with reported net income attributable to AT&T of $4.0 billion, or $0.67 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2010. Earnings per share for the second quarter of 2011 matched earnings per share excluding the Telmex Internacional transaction in the year-ago second quarter.

Second-quarter 2011 cash from operating activities totaled $9.0 billion, and capital expenditures totaled $5.3 billion. Free cash flow — cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures — totaled $3.7 billion.

Compared with results for the first half of 2010, year to date through the second quarter, cash from operating activities totaled $16.8 billion versus $15.8 billion; capital expenditures totaled $9.5 billion compared to $8.2 billion; and free cash flow totaled $7.3 billion versus $7.6 billion.

Updating Outlook
Led by increased wireless demand, AT&T now expects capital expenditures in the $20 billion range for full-year 2011. Previously, the company expected capital expenditures in the low-to-mid $19 billion range. Free cash flow guidance remains unchanged, with expected growth over 2010 levels.

WIRELESS OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Led by continued strong performance in mobile broadband in the second quarter, AT&T delivered solid growth in its wireless business, including strong revenue growth, record second-quarter smartphone gains and strong net adds including postpaid and branded computing devices. Highlights included:

Postpaid Leads Solid Subscriber Gains.
AT&T posted a net gain in total wireless subscribers of 1.1 million, to reach 98.6 million in service. This included gains in every customer category. Net adds for the quarter include postpaid net adds of 331,000. Excluding the impacts of the Alltel and Centennial integration migrations, postpaid net adds were 504,000. Prepaid net adds were 137,000, connected device net adds were 379,000 and reseller net adds were 248,000. Second-quarter net adds reflect adoption of smartphones, increases in prepaid subscribers and sales of tablets and connected devices such as automobile monitoring systems, security systems and a host of other products.

Strongest Quarter Ever for Branded Computing Device Sales.
AT&T had a record quarter with branded computing subscribers, a new growth area for the company that includes tablets, aircards, MiFi devices, tethering plans and other data-only devices. AT&T added 545,000 of these devices to reach 4.0 million, nearly twice as many in service as a year ago. Most of those new subscribers were tablets, with 377,000 added in the quarter, of which 30 percent were postpaid.

Postpaid Churn Remains Stable.
Total churn was 1.43 percent versus 1.29 percent in the second quarter of 2010 and 1.36 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Postpaid churn was 1.15 percent, compared to 1.01 percent in the year-ago second quarter and 1.18 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Excluding the impacts of the Alltel and Centennial migrations, postpaid churn of 1.06 percent for the quarter was relatively stable with 0.99 percent in the year-ago quarter and better than the 1.12 percent in the first quarter of 2011.

Smartphones Near 70 Percent of Postpaid Sales.
AT&T continues to deliver robust smartphone sales. (Smartphones are voice and data devices with an advanced operating system to better manage data and Internet access.) In the second quarter, 5.6 million smartphones were sold, a second-quarter record and the third-highest quarter ever. Smartphone sales also increased more than 43 percent year over year. Sales of non-iPhone smartphones more than doubled year over year. Nearly 70 percent of postpaid device sales were smartphones. During the quarter, 3.6 million iPhones were activated.

At the end of the quarter, 49.9 percent of AT&T’s 68.4 million postpaid subscribers had smartphones, up from 35.8 percent a year earlier. The average ARPU for smartphones on AT&T’s network is 1.8 times that of the company’s non-smartphone devices. More than 85 percent of smartphone subscribers are on FamilyTalk or business plans. Churn levels for these subscribers are significantly lower than for other postpaid subscribers.

Strong Wireless Revenue Growth Continues.
Total wireless revenues, which include equipment sales, were up 9.5 percent year over year to $15.6 billion. Wireless service revenues increased 7.4 percent, to $14.2 billion, in the second quarter.

Wireless Data Revenues Lead Growth.
Wireless data revenues — driven by Internet access,  access to applications, messaging and related services — increased more than $1 billion, or 23.4 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $5.4 billion. AT&T’s postpaid wireless subscribers on monthly data plans increased by 19.5 percent over the past year. Versus the year-earlier quarter, total text messages carried on the AT&T network increased by 24 percent to 190.8 billion, and multimedia messages increased by 54 percent to 4.0 billion.

Postpaid ARPU Expansion.
Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 2.0 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $63.87. This marked the tenth consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. Postpaid data ARPU reached $24.57, up 16.6 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.

Wireless Margins Expand Sequentially Even with Strong Smartphone Sales.
Second-quarter wireless margins reflect increased operating costs associated with strong smartphone sales, high customer upgrade levels and the Alltel and Centennial merger costs, offset in part by improved operating efficiencies and further revenue growth from the company’s growing base of high-quality smartphone subscribers. AT&T’s second-quarter wireless operating income margin was 27.0 percent versus 28.9 percent in the year-earlier quarter, and AT&T’s wireless EBITDA service margin was 41.1 percent, compared with 43.1 percent in the second quarter of 2010. Without customer migration and integration costs from the Alltel and Centennial mergers, the service margin would have been 42.0 percent. (EBITDA service margin is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, divided by total service revenues.) Second-quarter wireless operating expenses totaled $11.4 billion, up 12.5 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, and wireless operating income was $4.2 billion, up 2.3 percent year over year.

WIRELINE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
AT&T’s second-quarter wireline results were highlighted by stable sequential revenues, the fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year wireline consumer growth and stabilizing wireline business revenues. Other highlights included:

Wireline Consumer Revenues Grow for Fourth Consecutive Quarter.
Driven by strength in IP data services, revenues from residential customers totaled $5.4 billion in the second quarter. Versus the second quarter of 2010, consumer wireline revenues increased 0.1 percent, the fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth, and revenues also increased sequentially.

U-verse TV and ARPU Continue Gains.
AT&T U-verse TV added 202,000 subscribers to reach 3.4 million in service. In the second quarter, the AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet attach rate continued to run above 90 percent and 55 percent of new subscribers took AT&T U-verse Voice. Three-fourths of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers have a triple- or quad-play option from AT&T. ARPU for U-verse triple-play customers was $170, up 8.3 percent year over year.

AT&T’s U-verse deployment now reaches 29 million living units. Companywide penetration of eligible living units is 15.5 percent, and overall penetration is 25.0 percent across areas marketed to for 36 months or more. AT&T’s total video subscribers, which combine the company’s U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 5.3 million at the end of the quarter, representing 21.5 percent of households served.

U-verse Broadband Continues Strong Growth.
AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet delivered a second-quarter gain of 439,000 subscribers to reach a total of 4.1 million, helping offset losses from DSL. At the end of the second quarter, AT&T had 16.5 million total wired consumer broadband connections, up 3.3 percent over the past year and down slightly from first-quarter 2011 levels largely due to seasonality. About 70 percent of consumers have a broadband plan of 3 Mbps or higher.

IP Data Nears Half of Consumer Revenues.
U-verse continues to drive a transformation in AT&T’s consumer business, reflected by the fact that consumer IP revenues now represent 49.2 percent of AT&T’s wireline consumer revenues, up from 40.4 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Increased AT&T U-verse penetration and a significant number of subscribers on triple- or quad-play options drove 21.9 percent year-over-year growth in IP revenues from residential customers (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice) and 5.6 percent sequential growth. U-verse revenues grew 57.0 percent compared with the year-ago second quarter and 10.7 percent versus the first quarter of 2011.

Growth in Revenues Per Household.
Wireline revenues per household served increased 5.2 percent versus the year-earlier second quarter and were up 1.8 percent sequentially (average revenue per household is total consumer wireline revenues divided by the average monthly households in service), driven by AT&T U-verse services. This marked AT&T’s 14th consecutive quarter with year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues per household.

Consumer Connection Trends Continue.
In the second quarter, AT&T posted a decline in total consumer revenue connections primarily due to expected declines in traditional voice access lines, consistent with broader industry trends and somewhat offset by increases in U-verse TV, broadband and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 162,000 in the quarter and 695,000 over the past four quarters. Total consumer revenue connections at the end of the second quarter were 42.5 million, compared with 44.3 million at the end of the second quarter of 2010 and 43.1 million at the end of the first quarter of 2011.

Wireline Business Revenues Stable Sequentially.
Total business revenues were $9.3 billion, declining 0.3 percent sequentially and down 4.1 percent versus the year-earlier quarter. The year-over-year decline reflects economic weakness in voice and legacy data products somewhat offset by growth in IP data. Excluding the effect of the third-quarter 2010 sale of Japan assets, business service revenues, which exclude CPE, declined 3.2 percent year over year, compared to a year-over-year decline of 4.0 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Strong Strategic Business Services Revenue Growth Continues.
Revenues from the new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T’s most advanced business solutions — including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and application services — grew 19.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter continuing strong trends in this area. This now represents a more than $5.5 billion annualized revenue stream.

VPN Growth Drives Business IP Revenues.
Total business IP data revenues grew 8.8 percent versus the year-earlier second quarter, led by growth in VPN revenues. IP-based solutions allow customers to easily add managed services such as network security, cloud services and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures. Total business data revenues grew 0.4 percent year over year and grew 0.9 percent sequentially.

Wireline Revenue Trends Stabilizing.
AT&T’s second-quarter wireline operating income margin was 13.1 percent, down slightly compared to 13.2 percent in the year-earlier quarter and up from 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Improved consumer and business IP data revenue trends and execution of cost initiatives helped to partially offset declines in voice revenues. Second-quarter total wireline revenues were $14.9 billion, down 3.2 percent versus the year-earlier quarter and stable sequentially. Second-quarter wireline operating expenses were $13.0 billion, down 3.1 percent versus the second quarter of 2010 and down 1.8 percent sequentially. Wireline operating income totaled $2.0 billion, down versus the second quarter of 2010 and up from $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2011.

Verizon Wireless just announced that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 28 new markets on Thursday. The new markets include Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lakeland and Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida; Augusta, Georgia; Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului-Wailuku and Lahaina, Hawaii; Carbondale, Illinois; Wichita, Kansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge and Hammond, Louisiana; Springfield, Massachusetts.; Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Oklahoma.; Portland, Oregon; Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee; Olympia and Tacoma, Washington; and Charleston, West Virginia. Verizon Wireless also said that it will expand the 4G LTE footprints already available in Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles and San Diego, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Northern New Jersey; Dallas-Forth Worth and San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Washington. On Thursday, the carrier’s LTE network will be available in a total of 102 markets. Read on for the full press release.

ON THURSDAY, VERIZON WIRELESS’ 4G LTE NETWORK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MORE THAN 100 MARKETS

Wireless Leader Turns On 28 Additional 4G LTE Markets and Expands Its 4G LTE Network in Eight Cities On July 21

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless is turning on the world’s most advanced wireless network in 28 additional markets this week, bringing the blazingly fast speed of 4G LTE to a total of 102 cities across the country.  Today, consumers and businesses can choose from nine 4G devices – including three smartphones, a tablet, two hotspots and three USB modems – to connect to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country.

The new areas where Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will be available Thursday include Decatur and Huntsville, Ala.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Lakeland and Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.; Augusta, Ga.; Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului-Wailuku and Lahaina, Hawaii; Carbondale, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; Baton Rouge and Hammond, La.; Springfield, Mass.; Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.; Portland, Ore.; Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.; Charleston, S.C.; Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn.; Olympia and Tacoma, Wash; and Charleston, W.Va.  The company is also expanding its 4G LTE network in Phoenix, Ariz.; Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Northern New Jersey;  Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Wash.

“On Thursday, when we light up 28 additional 4G LTE markets, we will offer consumers and businesses in 102 metropolitan areas the most advanced 4G wireless network on the planet, while continuing to offer the nation’s most reliable 3G network coast to coast,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.  “In fewer than eight months we have introduced our 4G LTE network to more than 100 markets and we are continuing to aggressively expand our 4G LTE network; by the end of 2013 we plan to bring 4G LTE mobile broadband to our entire 3G coverage area.”

4G LTE Devices

Consumers can choose from several devices to access the blazingly fast speeds of the 4G LTE network, including the Revolution™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt™ by HTC smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1, as well as the MiFi® 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.  Laptop users can enjoy speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G network with three USB modems from Novatel, Pantech and LG.  In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

When customers travel outside of a 4G coverage area, the devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.  Verizon Wireless’ 3G network is the most reliable network in the country, allowing customers with laptops and smartphones to download and use cool apps – from mobile social networking platforms to GPS-enabled maps – rapidly browse the Web to keep up with news, sports and stock quotes and stream must-see video and customized radio stations.  Customers in 3G coverage areas today who purchase 4G devices will be able to take advantage of 4G speeds when the faster network becomes available in their areas.

Reliability: In and Beyond Major Cities

As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy game-changing 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G network with the same performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized.  Verizon Wireless’ consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.  The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

Verizon Wireless’ vision also includes bringing its 4G LTE network beyond major cities.  The company is working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum.  Already, 10 rural companies have announced their participation in the LTE in Rural America program and have leased spectrum covering, in total, more than 2.1 million people in rural communities and nearly 62,000 square miles.  These companies include: Bluegrass Cellular, Cross Telephone, Pioneer Cellular, Cellcom, Thumb Cellular, Strata Networks, S&R Communications, Carolina West/Clear Stream, Custer Telephone Cooperative and Convergence Technologies.

4G LTE Markets as of July 21, 2011

While Verizon Wireless’ 3G network covers more than 290 million Americans, the company’s 4G LTE network will be available in 102 areas on Thursday, including:

·        Decatur, Ala.
·        Huntsville, Ala.
·        Mobile, Ala.
·        Montgomery, Ala.
·        Phoenix, Ariz.
·        Fresno, Calif.
·        Los Angeles, Calif.
·        Oakland, Calif.
·        San Diego, Calif.
·        San Francisco, Calif.
·        San Jose, Calif.
·        Sacramento, Calif.
·        Colorado Springs, Colo.
·        Denver, Colo.
·        Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.
·        Hartford, Conn.
·        Washington, D.C.
·        Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
·        Gainesville, Fla.
·        Jacksonville, Fla.
·        Lakeland, Fla.
·        Miami, Fla.
·        Orlando, Fla.
·        Pensacola, Fla.
·        Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
·        Tallahassee, Fla.
·        Tampa, Fla.
·        West Palm Beach, Fla.
·        Athens, Ga.
·        Atlanta, Ga.
·        Augusta, Ga.
·        Hilo, Hawaii
·        Honolulu, Hawaii
·        Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii
·        Lahaina, Hawaii
·        Boise, Idaho
·        Carbondale, Ill.
·        Chicago, Ill.
·        Fort Wayne, Ind.
·        Indianapolis, Ind.
·        West Lafayette, Ind.
·        Wichita, Kan.
·        Louisville, Ky.
·        Baton Rouge, La.
·        Hammond, La.
·        New Orleans, La.
·        Baltimore, Md.
·        Boston, Mass.
·        Springfield, Mass.
·        Detroit, Mich.
·        Flint, Mich.
·        Grand Rapids, Mich.
·        Lansing, Mich.
·        Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
·        St. Louis, Mo.
·        Las Vegas, Nev.
·        New York, N.Y.
·        Rochester, N.Y.
·        Charlotte, N.C.
·        Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C.
·        Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.
·        Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
·        Wilmington, N.C.
·        Akron, Ohio
·        Cincinnati, Ohio
·        Cleveland, Ohio
·        Columbus, Ohio
·        Dayton, Ohio
·        Toledo, Ohio
·        Oklahoma City, Okla.
·        Tulsa, Okla.
·        Portland, Ore.
·        Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa.
·        Erie, Pa.
·        Harrisburg, Pa.
·        Philadelphia, Pa.
·        Pittsburgh, Pa.
·        Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
·        State College, Pa.
·        Charleston, S.C.
·        Columbia, S.C.
·        Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
·        Hilton Head, S.C.
·        Sioux Falls, S.D.
·        Chattanooga, Tenn.
·        Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, Ky.
·        Cleveland, Tenn.
·        Knoxville, Tenn.
·        Nashville, Tenn.
·        Bryan-College Station, Texas
·        Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
·        Houston, Texas
·        San Antonio, Texas
·        Temple-Killeen, Texas
·        Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah
·        Olympia, Wash.
·        Seattle, Wash.
·        Spokane, Wash.
·        Tacoma, Wash.
·        Charleston, W.Va.
·        Madison, Wis.
·        Milwaukee, Wis.

Since 2007, when Verizon Wireless jump-started the global 4G LTE ecosystem with its selection of LTE for its 4G technology, the company has developed deep partnerships to spearhead a broad LTE ecosystem, with many being fostered at the LTE Innovation Center, which was officially opened in Waltham, Mass. on July 12, and the Application Innovation Center, slated to open in San Francisco later this year.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

A Dutch Apple blog named AppleSpot reported on Friday that Apple will launch a new 3G iPod touch in September. Similar to options available for the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, users would have the option of purchasing the 3G iPod touch directly from a wireless carrier with a data plan. We’re expecting a possible iPod/iPhone/iPad refresh in September, and so it’s entirely possible that Apple is considering creating a version with a 3G radio. Such a device could also help carriers lock in more data plans and would continue to boost Apple’s presence among the flood of new Android handsets. Our only gripe with the whole story is that AppleSpot doesn’t have a proven track record reporting on Apple rumors. Plus, a 3G iPod touch would be just a little weird given that we expect every major U.S. wireless carrier to announce the next generation iPhone.

[Via 9to5 Mac]

Read [Translated]

In what is no doubt a response to Sprint’s statement Tuesday morning that AT&T is increasing its spectrum the wrong way by purchasing T-Mobile, T-Mobile’s senior vice president of government affairs, Tom Sugure, has issued a formal statement to those who oppose the acquisition. “The opponents of the AT&T-T-Mobile merger have had their final say as part of the FCC’s formal pleading cycle and, not surprisingly, they have failed to offer any credible arguments to support their view that the Commission should deny the transaction,” Sugrue said in the statement. Sprint, which has lashed back at the acquisition from the get-go has said the purchase will stifle innovation. ”What is surprising, however, is their repeated head-in-the-sand insistence that no spectrum crisis exists,” Sugrue added. “As part of their application, AT&T and T-Mobile provided a compelling showing of their need for more spectrum to continue to provide quality service to customers and roll out new technologies in the future. And the two companies have demonstrated that a combination of their networks and spectrum holdings is by far the best way to solve this problem and ensure improved service and enhanced innovation. The FCC has long acknowledged the harmful consequences of ignoring the spectrum crunch, and we are confident it will approve our proposed market-based solution.”

T-Mobile introduced a new Android application on Wednesday called “More for Me.” The app offers T-Mobile customers with phones running Android 1.6 or later, daily deals based upon their preferences, location, and interests. Discounts are provided by sites such as LivingSocial, which is available in more than 260 markets, but there are also exclusive discounts from T-Mobile or its partners. T-Mobile customers simply need to install the T-Mobile More for Me app from the Android Market to get started. Read on for the full press release.

T-Mobile Launches More for Me — Combines Daily Deal Offers Into One Easy Place for Consumers

The beta version of the T-Mobile More for Me application for Android provides personalized offers, discounts and deals to consumers on any mobile operator

BELLEVUE, Wash. — June 15, 2011 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced More for Me™, a nationwide aggregation service that offers consumers the best in daily deals. The service is completely free. Beginning today, consumers using nearly any Android™-powered smartphone can download the beta version of the T-Mobile More for Me application from Android Market™ to get the best and timely offers, discounts and deals from some of the biggest names in daily deals tailored to their preferences, location and interests.

More for Me is the first nationwide daily deal aggregation service of its kind from a national wireless carrier. Discounts and deals are generated from popular social buying sites, such as LivingSocial – the online source for handpicked experiences at a great value – as well as exclusive offers from T-Mobile and its partners. Customers can get discounts on a wide variety of products and services, making it easier than ever for people to save money while on the go.

“Consumers are constantly looking for ways to save money and are turning to social buying apps in droves,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, value added services marketing,
T-Mobile USA. “With T-Mobile’s More for Me application for Android smartphones, we’re bringing together the leading daily deal sites into one easy-to-navigate place so consumers spend less time searching and more time saving.”

The T-Mobile More for Me application is customizable, enabling consumers to find the most relevant deals, closest to their exact location. Users have the opportunity to see deals from a variety of retailers, in nearly any city, with many deals tailored to meet their specific interests and preferences.

“LivingSocial works directly with merchants in all of our 260+ global markets to craft great deals that drive our valuable members through their door,” said Jake Maas, senior vice president, corporate and business development, LivingSocial. “We are excited to bring our handpicked experiences to the millions of consumers who will enjoy T-Mobile’s new More for Me app.”

T-Mobile Android customers, and anyone with an Android-powered mobile phone using Android 1.6 or higher, can download the More for Me application from Android Market for free today.

In partnership with Out There Media, a global leader in mobile advertising, T-Mobile will expand More for Me to reach virtually all of its customers, regardless of phone type, by offering them the option of receiving free text messages of exclusive offers, discounts and deals. The T-Mobile More for Me application is also expected to be built for other popular mobile operating systems later this summer.

In both the application and opt-in text message experience, T-Mobile More for Me enables consumers to specify their interests and demographic information in order to receive the most relevant offers, deals and discounts.

More information on the T-Mobile More for Me application is available at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.tmobile.moreforme.

During Google’s I/O conference in San Francisco today, Google confirmed that it has activated more than 100 million Android devices worldwide across 36 OEM’s and 215 carriers. There are now more than 310 Android devices in 112 countries and Google activates 400,000 Android devices each day. Similarly, there are 450,000 Android developers and more than 200,000 applications available in the Android market. 4.5 billion apps have been installed to date.

Verizon Wireless has confirmed to BGR that it will eliminate the option to sign on for a 1-year contract beginning on April 17th. “The reason behind the change is the greater majority of customers sign up for a 2 year contract and take advantage of the discounted (promotion) price,” a Verizon Wireless spokesperson told BGR in an email. “Customers will still have the option of choosing month to month, prepaid or service with a two year contract.” Verizon’s one-year contract option allowed subscribers to halve the length of their contracts by paying a price with a lower subsidy than the fully-subsidized two-year price. After April 17th, a customer purchasing a new device must either sign a two-year agreement and pay the standard advertised price, or pay the full cost of a handset, which is typically several hundred dollars above advertised two-year contract pricing.

T-Mobile on Tuesday announced that its 4G HSPA+ network is now available in 10 new markets including Ames, Iowa; Anderson, Indiana; Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and Jackson, Michigan; Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado; Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas; Springfield, Illinois and Wichita Falls, Texas. T-Mobile also reaffirmed that it will soon double the speed of its 4G network from 21Mbps to a theoretical download speed of 42Mbps in Las Vegas, New York and Orlando. Chicago, Long Island, N.Y. and Northern New Jersey are scheduled to get the speed boost shortly after, and the carrier says it hopes to deliver those speeds to more than 140 million Americans in 25 markets by mid-year. T-Mobile’s 4G network now covers 167 U.S. markets and more than 200 million people nationwide. Hit the jump for the full release.

T-Mobile Welcomes New Markets to America’s Largest 4G Network

Today, T-Mobile USA announced the continued expansion of its nationwide 4G mobile broadband network to 10 new markets. America’s Largest 4G Network now reaches 167 markets and more than 200 million people nationwide – offering a 4G experience to even more of its customers where they live, work and play.

New 4G markets include Ames, Iowa; Anderson, Indiana; Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and Jackson, Michigan; Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado; Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas; Springfield, Illinois and Wichita Falls, Texas. A complete list of all the markets where T-Mobile’s 4G network is live can be found online at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/4g-fact-sheet.

With nationwide 4G and a great selection of 4G devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S™ 4G, T-Mobile® myTouch® 4G, T-Mobile®, Dell™ Streak™ 7, as well as the upcoming T-Mobile® G-Slate™ with Google™ by LG and T-Mobile Sidekick® 4G™ by Samsung, T-Mobile customers can upload videos and pictures to their favorite social media sites, get directions and stream video – and more – all while on the go.

Additionally, in 2011, T-Mobile is doubling the speed of its 4G network to achieve a theoretical download speed of 42 Mbps. T-Mobile customers in Las Vegas, New York and Orlando, Fla., are the first in the country to experience the increased 4G speeds (HSPA+ 42), followed closely by Chicago and further expansion of the New York network into Long Island, N.Y., and Northern New Jersey. By mid-year, T-Mobile expects more than 140 million Americans in over 25 markets to have access to these increased 4G speeds.