The United States House of Representatives approved the Wireless Tax Fairness Act on Tuesday, an initiative that prevents new local and state taxes on wireless bills for the next five years. “We need to encourage the development and adoption of wireless broadband, not tax it out of existence,” Representative Zoe Lofgren said. The average tax rate on goods and services in the United States is 7.4% but consumers with wireless contracts pay an average of 16.4% in taxes and fees, WirelessWeek said. “The exorbitant discriminatory taxes on wireless customers are not only unfair, they are counterintuitive, adding another costly impediment to the success of so many American businesses who are struggling in the midst of a prolonged recession,” Representative Trent Franks argued. Read on for more.

Representative Judy Chu from California was the sole Representative who held out on voting in support of the act. “This will deny states the flexibility to respond to economic downturns during the moratorium and therefore undermine the ability of states to pay for essential services,” Chu said.

“On behalf of the 300 million wireless customers in the U.S., CTIA applauds the Wireless Tax Fairness Act’s lead sponsors, Representatives Lofgren and Franks, who worked tirelessly to get the bill approved in the House,” the CTIA said in a statement. “Today’s vote is a crucial step toward providing wireless subscribers with some much needed relief by putting a five-year freeze on new, discriminatory taxes and fees on their monthly bills. In light of the challenging economy, we hope the U.S. Senate moves swiftly to pass the companion bill.”

[Via Phone Scoop]

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We just met with Motorola in San Diego during the CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011 trade show to get a first-hand look at the newly announced Motorola ATRIX 2, and we love what we see so far. The phone is made of plastic, and while we generally prefer more high-end materials such as aluminum, it feels weighty and solid in the hand. We also appreciate that Motorola added a dedicated camera button this time around, which makes it easy to launch the camera app for quick photo taking. The ATRIX 2 is also equipped with a beautiful 4.3-inch qHD display that was very sharp, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and support for AT&T’s HSPA+ 21 network. Additionally, it runs the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system. The ATRIX 2 will be available on Sunday, October 16th for $99.99 with a new two-year contract. We’ll reserve final judgements until we write our full review, but we’re definitely respecting the high-spec build-out at an affordable price point. Be sure to check out our gallery below.

For the first time, the number of wireless devices connecting to cellular networks in the United States and its territories over the past six months has surpassed the country’s total population. A semi-annual survey conducted by the CTIA found that wireless subscriber connections now total 327.6 million while the population of the U.S. and its territories is now 315.5 million people. This means the wireless penetration rate in the U.S. in now 103.9% according to the CTIA, marking the first time that wireless penetration has surpassed 100% in the U.S. The CTIA also noted that wireless data connections increased 111% compared to its previous semi-annual survey, and wireless service revenue in the U.S. totaled $164.6 billion during the 12-month period ending June 2011, up 6% from the same period in 2010. The association’s full press release follows below.

CTIA-The Wireless Association® Semi-Annual Survey Reveals Historical Wireless Trend

U.S. Wireless Subscriber Connections Surpassed U.S. Population for First Time

Wireless Network Data Traffic Increased 111 percent and Highlights Industry Need for More Spectrum

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — For the first time in history, the semi-annual survey conducted by CTIA-The Wireless Association® shows the number of wireless subscriber connections (327.6 million) has surpassed the population (315.5 million) in the United States and its territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands), which means the wireless penetration rate in the U.S. is 103.9 percent. The survey, released today at CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ 2011, tracks U.S. wireless trends including subscribership, usage, revenue and investment from January 2011to June 2011. The survey also showed a 111 percent increase in wireless data traffic. The tremendous increase in data usage, wireless subscriber connections and other metrics from the survey underscore the industry’s need to purchase more spectrum from the federal government to meet the significant demands by consumers and businesses so Americans continue to lead the world with the best wireless products and services.

The January 2011-June 2011 wireless survey results are:

• Wireless subscriber connections: 327.6 million; mid-year 2010: 300.5 million (9 percent increase).
• Wireless network data traffic: 341.2 billion megabytes; mid-year 2010: 161.5 billion megabytes (111 percent increase).
• Average local monthly wireless bill (includes voice and data service): $47.23; mid-year 2010:$47.47 (less than 1 percent decrease).
• Number of active smartphones and wireless-enabled PDAs: 95.8 million; mid-year 2010: 61.2 million (57 percent increase).
• Number of active data-capable devices: 278.3 million; mid-year 2010: 264.5 million (5 percent increase).
• Wireless-enabled tablets, laptops and modems: 15.2 million; mid-year 2010: 12.9 million (17 percent increase).
• Minutes of Use (MOU): 1.148 trillion; mid-year 2010: 1.138 trillion (1 percent increase).
• SMS sent and received: 1.138 trillion; mid-year 2010: 982.9 billion (16 percent increase).
• MMS sent and received: 28.2 billion; mid-year 2010: 32.1 billion.

In order to try to meet the demand for wireless devices and services by consumers and businesses, CTIA’s provider members continued their investments in their networks and infrastructure to improve their customers’ coverage and speeds. From June 2010-June 2011, the annual capital investment increased by 28 percent to $27.5 billion. Since 2001, wireless companies have reported a cumulative total investment of $223 billion. These figures do not include the billions our carrier members paid to the U.S. government for spectrum.

“CTIA’s semi-annual survey proves that Americans love wireless and continue to rely on the most cutting-edge and innovative devices and services in the world. Clearly, we’re using wireless more every day, and the consensus of experts is that demand will continue to skyrocket by more than 50 times within the next five years. These are the reasons why our members need more spectrum,” said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA. “By making underutilized or unused spectrum available for auction, carriers will continue to invest billions of dollars in their infrastructure, generate hundreds of billions of dollars in benefit to our economy and create up to a half a million new jobs while ensuring the U.S. maintains its position as the world’s wireless leader.”

Wireless annual service revenue was $164.6 billion in the 12 months ending June 2011, up 6 percent from the same period in 2010.

To see a summary of the report or to purchase the full report from the CTIA Research eStore, please visit: http://www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/10316.

San Francisco approved the ordinance in July, which passed in a 10-1 vote, and asked retailers to post “general warnings” about risks. However, the CTIA says the city may actually be causing users to rethink using their cell phones during an emergency. “The City’s warning materials create the false impression that the FCC’s standards are insufficient, suggest that phones are dangerous, and urge consumers to limit their use and turn them off when not in use,” the CTIA said. “If the millions of wireless subscribers in the Bay Area heed the City’s misguided warning to avoid cell phones, use them less, and turn them off when not in use, it will limit the value and convenience cell phones provide and impact public safety by limiting access to 911 and emergency alerts that can save lives in emergencies.”

The World Health Organization recently said cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic,” but The Economist quickly shot the report down and said devices do not cause cancer. Researchers who studied the WHO report also said there is evidence “increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults.” The CTIA’s full press release follows below.

CTIA-The Wireless Association® Files Challenge to San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” Ordinance

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 – Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® asked a federal court to block the enforcement of San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” ordinance. CTIA’s challenge argues that the Ordinance is barred under the First Amendment and conflicts with federal law governing the safety of wireless devices.

As CTIA explains in its motion, the Ordinance requires retailers to distribute misleading statements and graphics that send the false message that cell phones approved by the FCC are not safe.   In fact, the FCC limits radiofrequency emissions from cell phones to ensure that phones sold in the U.S. emit RF energy far below levels shown in scientific testing to have any adverse health effects.  The FCC’s standard includes a wide margin of safety for all users.  Last year the FDA categorically concluded that there is “No Evidence Linking Cell Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumors,” and earlier this year the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, said that he was “confident that [the FCC's] standards are protecting the health of people.”

CTIA-The Wireless Association Vice President of Public Affairs John Walls released the following statement:

“The materials the City would require be posted and handed out at retail stores are both alarmist and false.  The FCC and FDA have repeatedly found that cell phone use does not pose a danger to human health.  The Ordinance recommends such things as turning the phone off when not in use, a suggestion that would render critical emergency communications unavailable to San Francisco residents.”

BACKGROUND

In July 2010, CTIA filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging an earlier version of the Ordinance that would have required retailers to post misleading information about the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values for each cell phone they sold.  In response to the lawsuit, the City amended the Ordinance to eliminate the SAR disclosure requirement.  But the City’s second version of the law is even worse than its first.  The new Ordinance directly challenges the FCC’s determination that wireless handsets are safe by mandating that retailers tell consumers that there are “potential health effects” from FCC-compliant cell phones and that they should use their phones less and keep them turned off.  It also requires that retailers post and distribute alarmist graphics and misleading statements that send a clear message that the RF energy emitted from these phones is dangerous and should be avoided.

CTIA seeks a preliminary injunction from the Court because the City has set the compliance date for later this month.  The City’s warning materials create the false impression that the FCC’s standards are insufficient, suggest that phones are dangerous, and urge consumers to limit their use and turn them off when not in use.  The materials also suggest, without any credible scientific basis, that children are at special risk.  If the millions of wireless subscribers in the Bay Area heed the City’s misguided warning to avoid cell phones, use them less, and turn them off when not in use, it will limit the value and convenience cell phones provide and impact public safety by limiting access to 911 and emergency alerts that can save lives in emergencies.

Samsung has just announced that the product launch event at CTIA Fall planned for next week with Google won’t be happening. Here’s Samsung’s statement:

Samsung and Google have decided to postpone the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event during the CTIA in San Diego, previously scheduled for Oct. 11. Under the current circumstances, both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product. We would ask for the understanding of our clients and media for any inconvenience caused. We will announce a new date and venue in due course.”

We know the Google and Samsung teams have been working around the clock on the Galaxy Nexus, but a postponement a few days before the event doesn’t make too much sense. We’ve reached out to Samsung and Google for further clarification, but it looks like we’ll have to keep re-watching that leaked video from this morning over and over for a bit longer now.

UPDATE: Updated with newer statement from Samsung.

Samsung recently sent out press invites to an event on October 11th during which Google’s next Android iteration, Ice Cream Sandwich, and the Nexus Prime are expected to be unveiled. Samsung’s invite is titled “Google Episode” and it promises “a look at what’s new from Android.” We reported exclusively in June that the Nexus Prime is manufactured by Samsung, much like the Nexus S was, and we expect it will be packed with high-end hardware. Our sources said the device will likely be powered by a OMAP4460 processor, will be equipped with a large 720p display 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel camera with advanced low-light performance and a 4G LTE radio. Reportedly, Google has been working with multiple carriers on the device and early rumors suggested it will hit the market this month, too. BGR will be reporting live from the Samsung event, so tune in for all the news as it breaks on October 11th.

The city of San Francisco has approved an ordinance that will require cell phone retailers to warn customers about the dangers of cell phone radiation, the Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday. The ordinance, which was passed in a 10-1 vote, asks that phone retailers “post general warnings” about risks. It’s unclear what exactly will be required of the retailers, and researchers have flip-flopped on whether or not there are any real risks associated with mobile wireless devices. On May 31st, the World Health Organization published a report that said cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic,” but The Economist fired back shortly after and said there’s no way the devices cause cancer. A second group wrote published a separate report in an issue of Environmental Health Perspectives and argued there is evidence “increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults.” A similar law was passed last year that required cell phone makers to publish specific absorption rate (SAR) figures on boxes of cell phones, but the CTIA sued before the law took effect. 

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Mickey Mouse and pals stepped aside this week in sunny Orlando, Florida to make way for the latest and greatest gear wireless companies had to offer. After a killer Consumer Electronics Show in January and an action-packed Mobile World Congress in February, we wondered if our favorite brands had enough juice left in the tank for CTIA Wireless 2011 this week. While there weren’t quite as many announcements as in other shows this year, we definitely saw some exciting new devices showcased by companies like Sprint, HTC, Samsung and more. Hit the break for a rundown of all the biggest announcements from this year’s show.

We kicked the show off this year with the Nokia Astound, a sleek Symbian smartphone set to launch on T-Mobile early next month. We didn’t see much more from Nokia at the show this year, but the Finnish giant will likely be relatively quite for most of 2011 as it transitions to Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. In fact, the Astound could very well be one of the last Symbian smartphones pushed out by a U.S. carrier. We’ll pour some out.

Another company that didn’t make much of a showing at CTIA Wireless this year was Sony Ericsson. The Swedish joint venture did have some representation at the show, however. Sony Ericsson’s beast of a gaming phone — the Xperia PLAY — was found lurking at the show dressed in Verizon Wireless branding, and we spent s few minutes putting it through the paces. This gaming Goliath definitely packs a punch, and we can’t wait to get our hands on a review unit. Bonus: if you missed them earlier, you need to watch these Xperia PLAY promo videos recently released by Sony Ericsson.

T-Mobile didn’t stop at the Astound, of course, as the soon to be acquired carrier announced several new devices at the show. The dual-core processor packing T-Mobile G2x by LG was definitely one of the stars of the show for us, and we can’t wait for it to launch. T-Mobile also had its upcoming Sidekick 4G and LG G-Slate on hand at the show, and we enjoyed taking both devices for test spins. Don’t forget to check out our video hands-on with the Sidekick 4G, the T-Mobile G2x and the LG G-Slate.

Samsung came to CTIA Wireless packing two new tablets this year — the Galaxy Tab 8.9 and a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1. These puppies are thin and sleek, and they definitely represent a nice step up from the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab. We also spent some time looking at Samsung’s TouchWiz UX, which will be the first custom UI layer for Google’s Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) platform when Samsung begins pushing it out later this year.

Next up was Sprint’s event, and it was easily one of the biggest shindigs at the show this year. Sprint unveiled two terrific new devices by HTC — the HTC EVO 3D and the HTC EVO View 4G tablet — which were among our favorite new gadgets shown off at CTIA. The EVO 3D will be the the first device to launch in the U.S. with a glasses-free 3D display, and it sports top of the line specs that rival any smartphone on the market. The EVO View 4G will be a WiMAX-equipped rebranded version of HTC’s Flyer tablet, and while there are definitely still a few wrinkles to iron out, this 7-inch slate has a lot to offer. Sprint also showed off a new version of Google’s latest smartphone — the Nexus S 4G — which is just like the original save for the addition of a WiMAX radio. Be sure to check out our hands-on videos of the HTC EVO 3D and HTC EVO View 4G if you haven’t already — and check out our new hands-on with the Kyocera Echo as well.

Not one to be left out of the fun, AT&T brought a few new devices to the show… which were all likely overshadowed by the recent announcement that it plans to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion. The carrier unveiled two new smartphones to the show — the Windows Phone 7-powered HTC HD7S and the LG Thrill Android phone. The HD7S was the only new Windows Phone announced this week, though it will be AT&T’s version of the HTC HD7 currently offered by T-Mobile so it isn’t even really new. The LG Thrill is a rebranded LG Optimus 3D and it features an awesome 3D display along with solid build and high-end specs. Finally, AT&T noted that it will launch the 10-inch Acer Iconia Tab A501 Android tablet this coming summer. We shot some hands-on video of the HTC HD7S and the LG Thrill on Wednesday, so don’t forget to check them out.

We met up with LG on Tuesday to check out its inductive Wireless Charging Pad, which it hopes will compete against competitors like Powermat. During our hands-on, we weren’t able to test the device — it seems someone forgot to charge the charger — but we were able to get a feel for its size, weight and some of its features. The Wireless Charging Pad has a power indicator that alerts you just how much power is left, and LG says it takes about two hours to charge itself up fully. All you have to do once it’s juiced up is pop a special back onto your smartphone and drop it onto the charging pad. In our eyes, the Wireless Charging Pad wasn’t a whole lot different than the Powermat; it’s light in the hand and can easily be packed in a briefcase, backpack or even a Florida tourist-friendly oversized fanny pack. LG hasn’t said which of its phones the Wireless Charging Pad will be compatible with just yet, but we think it’s a little counter intuitive for LG to make it only compatible with LG phones. Don’t forget to check out our photo gallery below!

We stopped by Kyocera’s CTIA booth to get a second tour of the dual-screen Echo from Sprint. The device, which will be available on April 17th for $199.99 with a 2-year agreement, really does have some innovative features. Applications and games that are optimized for the echo can leverage the second screen to display an enormous, thumb-friendly keyboard, provide more on-screen information, and enhance game-play. Kyocera assured us that the hinge on the device is ready for battle, and should stand up to most of the use and abuse inflicted by teens and tweens — the two main groups the phone will be marketed towards. The hinge itself was a bit finicky when we handled the device, however. Hit the break for more, including a video, and don’t forget to check out our Kyocera Echo photo gallery.

The phone is designed to be used in three positions: closed, which gives the device one usable screen, candybar layout; opened, which is what you see above; and tilted, which allows the use of both screens with one screen tilted towards you — similar to the HTC Arrive. When in the opened and tilted positions, you can shake the phone and feel a fair amount of play in the hinge. We’re not exactly sure how an OEM would make a hinge capable of doing all the things the Echo does without a little wiggle, but it is definitely something discerning customers will notice. The phone is — without a doubt — a first, and while the Echo is a Sprint exclusive, Kyocera says it is the first in a line of dual-screen phones that it plans on producing.

After our initial caffeine-fueled lap around the Orange County Connection Center, we made the rounds one more time to collect some videos for your scrutiny. One device on our hit-list was the HTC HD7S, AT&T’s third Windows Phone 7 smartphone. If you’re a Windows Phone fan, this one is sure to be up your alley. Its 4.3-inch screen was bright and its build was solid thanks to thick plastic and metal accents. We do feel the design is getting a bit stale, though, given that it has a body that’s very similar to the HD7 on T-Mobile and the EVO 4G on Sprint. It even features the same kickstand, which is good if you want to watch movies and set the device in landscape mode on your desk, but it also adds some bulk. The HD7S would be our top choice of Windows Phone 7 devices on AT&T too, because it has the latest NoDo update that includes copy/paste functionality. Hit the jump to see what the HD7S is all about, and check out our photo gallery as well.

We swung by Samsung’s booth at CTIA Wireless on Wednesday to get some more hands-on time with the Sidekick 4G, soon to launch on T-Mobile. Somewhere in the back of our minds we still had the stigma that the Sidekick was a dead messaging phone of yesteryear, but that’s not really the case. The Sidekick 4G rocks Android 2.2 (Froyo) with a custom user interface that has more neon than a 1980′s themed frat-party, and, believe it or not, that’s actually what makes the phone pretty compelling. The screen is bright, and the colors remind us that the Sidekick 4G is all about being a party in your pocket. The keyboard was easy to type on and Sidekick fans will definitely feel right at home. The device’s pop-out hinge felt sturdy and has a nice snap to it, and we really like the overall build quality. Seriously, if you’ve been missing your Sidekick like the deserts miss the rain, this handset is going to be right up your alley. For a more in-depth read, check out our hands-on from Tuesday. Otherwise, hit the jump for a video tour of the Sidekick 4G in action.

We hit every booth on the show floor yesterday for a first go at every new phone and tablet we could find. Today, we made the rounds again, like the mad men we are, to shoot some video of the newest phones and tablets. Now, we present you with video of the LG G-Slate, which is headed to T-Mobile soon with a $529.99 price tag. The G-Slate has a real premium feel to it thanks to the metal back side, and its display was large and bright even under the lights here. While it’s not as sexy as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 that was just announced at CTIA and measures just 8.6mm thin, it’s going to hit the U.S. market first, making it that much more attractive. There are a lot of compelling features too, like its dual 5-megapixel cameras for shooting HD and 3D video — but it’s a bit of a letdown the G-Slate doesn’t have a 3D display for viewing that content first-hand. Enough of the nitty gritty, you can read our hands-on text from yesterday for more details and thoughts. Hit the jump for our video and definitely check out our gallery, too.

T-Mobile’s G2x could shape up to be one of T-Mobile’s hottest smartphones when it launches, so we figured we’d swing by LG’s booth again to bring you a closer look at the G2x and its beefy hardware — this time on video. As we said in our initial hands-on, we found the G2x to be seriously fast thanks to the 1GHz dual-core  Nvidia Tegra 2 processor under the hood. But while the phone was fast, the plastic back felt a bit cheap and we wish there was more metal or texture to give it a more premium feel. Also, it’s going to launch with Android 2.2 (Froyo) instead of the newer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system, and that’s kind of a bummer. Alas, you can’t have everything. Hit the jump and check out our G2x video and don’t forget to stop by our photo gallery on the way there.

We already brought you a photo-centric hands-on of Sprint’s brand-spankin-new HTC EVO View 4G tablet, but we thought we would get a little closer to the sexy slab with a hands-on video. The 7-inch tablet reminds us a bit of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, however the View 4G does run Google’s Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) mobile operating system. HTC also added its solid Sense user interface to the View that makes the whole experience a bit more enjoyable — the 1.5GHz processor purring under the hood helps too. Throw in an innovative stylus, the HTC Scribe, and you have a pretty compelling package. Hit the jump for a video walk-through of the hardware and UI.