Sprint is known for its unlimited data plans and it is currently the only major carrier that doesn’t throttle excessive data use. Following the announcement that Sprint planned to discontinue its WiMAX buildout and switch to the more widely used LTE standard, however, the company never mentioned whether its upcoming LTE network would continue to offer unlimited data plans. To clarify the issue, Sprint on Tuesday confirmed to TechHog that its 4G LTE devices “will be available on Sprint’s network featuring unlimited data.” While the carrier’s initial 4G LTE rollout will be limited, data-hungry users who are not pleased with AT&T and Verizon’s 2GB and 5GB plans may be tempted to switch to Sprint when the carrier’s LTE services begin to go live in the coming weeks and months.

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While speaking at the Competitive Carriers Global Expo, Sprint’s senior vice president of networks Bob Azzi said that while the company has experienced success with its WiMAX handsets, it will not launch any additional WiMAX devices. The announcement comes after Sprint previously confirmed that it would continue to offer 4G WiMAX devices through 2012 and support the service through 2015. Instead, the company plans to focus on its Network Vision project and upcoming 4G LTE netowrk, Fierce Wireless reported on Thursday. “We are wrapping up final field integration tests,” Azzi said. “The technology works and delivers more benefits than we expected.” The executive noted that the company’s Network Vision project will result in a 50% reduction in cost-per-gigabyte to deliver data and cost-per-minute to deliver voice. “This is a huge benefit to us,” he said, adding that there are between 5,000 to 6,000 people devoted to the project, which is slated to be completed by the end of 2013.

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The United States Department of Commerce and National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Tuesday announced that the federal government has repurposed 95MHz of “prime spectrum” within the 1755-1850MHz band. As per President Obama’s request, the NTIA has been collaborating with the FCC in an effort to make 500MHz of spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, nearly doubling the amount currently available. “Today’s report sets a path for putting prime spectrum into commercial wireless broadband use, in support of the Obama Administration’s goal to encourage investment and innovation while enhancing America’s economic competitiveness,” said NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling. The NTIA has previously recommended the reallocation of 115 MHz of spectrum, and with today’s announcement, federal agencies have contributed 40% of spectrum to the President’s goal. “Spectrum is a finite resource in growing demand, and we need to focus on new ways to maximize its use,” said Strickling. “By working with the FCC, other federal agencies, and the industry, we can make more spectrum available to fuel innovation and preserve America’s technological leadership while protecting vital government missions.” Read on for the NTIA’s press release.

Department of Commerce Takes Next Step in Unleashing Wireless Broadband Revolution
NTIA Issues Report Setting Path to Make Prime Spectrum Available

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), today announced its finding that 95 megahertz (MHz) of prime spectrum could be repurposed for wireless broadband use. Reallocation of this spectrum would represent significant progress towards achieving President Obama’s goal to nearly double the amount of commercial spectrum available this decade. The President’s initiative will spur investment, economic growth, and job creation while supporting the growing demand by consumers and businesses for wireless broadband services.

“Today’s report sets a path for putting prime spectrum into commercial wireless broadband use, in support of the Obama Administration’s goal to encourage investment and innovation while enhancing America’s economic competitiveness,” said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling.

NTIA, working with federal agencies, evaluated the potential of the 1755–1850 MHz band to accommodate commercial wireless broadband service. This spectrum band is of great interest to the wireless industry. However, over 20 federal agencies currently hold more than 3,100 individual frequency assignments in this band to perform a host of mission-critical functions, including law enforcement surveillance, military tactical communications, air combat training, and precision-guided munitions.

While NTIA’s analysis shows it is possible to repurpose all 95 MHz of spectrum for commercial wireless broadband, there are several challenges that need to be met before making a formal recommendation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In the past, the federal government has freed up spectrum for exclusive commercial use by clearing a spectrum band of federal users, who typically relocated to other bands. However, given the growing demand for spectrum by both industry and the federal agencies, it is increasingly difficult to find desirable spectrum that can be vacated by federal users as well as spectrum in which to relocate these federal users. Due to the scarcity of spectrum, the complexity of federal operations, and the time and cost of relocating federal users, the old approach alone is no longer feasible.

In addition, NTIA’s analysis of the cost of a complete relocation raises questions as to whether the proceeds from auctioning the 1755-1850 MHz band for commercial use will exceed federal relocation costs, as required by law. Moreover, some of the federal systems in this band may require more than a decade to relocate, which could further complicate deployment of commercial services.

Accordingly, in the report issued today, NTIA proposes a new path forward for spectrum repurposing that relies on a combination of relocating federal users and sharing spectrum between federal agencies and commercial users. Spectrum sharing will be a vital component to satisfying the growing demand for spectrum, and federal and non-federal users will need to adopt innovative spectrum-sharing techniques to accommodate this demand. NTIA proposes convening discussions between industry and the relevant federal agencies under the auspices of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee, with the goal of finding ways to work together through sharing or other means to reduce the time and expense of repurposing the 1755-1850 MHz band, while maintaining essential Federal capabilities and maximizing commercial utilization.

“Spectrum is a finite resource in growing demand, and we need to focus on new ways to maximize its use,” said Strickling. “By working with the FCC, other federal agencies, and the industry, we can make more spectrum available to fuel innovation and preserve America’s technological leadership while protecting vital government missions.”

Today’s report is in response to a June 2010 Presidential Memorandum that directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to collaborate with the FCC to make available an additional 500 MHz of spectrum over the next 10 years for commercial wireless broadband service. In November 2010, NTIA released a 10-year plan and timetable for meeting the President’s goal. NTIA identified 2,200 MHz of spectrum for evaluation, the process for evaluating these candidate bands, and the steps necessary to make the selected spectrum available for wireless broadband. In addition, NTIA identified some nearer-term spectrum reallocation opportunities, recommending a total of 115 MHz of spectrum that could be made available for wireless broadband use within five years.

Repurposing the 95 MHz of spectrum at 1755-1850 MHz, combined with NTIA’s prior recommendation to reallocate 115 MHz of spectrum, would bring federal agencies’ contribution to 40 percent of the President’s goal. NTIA is committed to finding ways to maximize the economic potential of this spectrum in a cost-effective manner, while maintaining essential Federal missions.

Executive assistant director of the FBI Shawn Henry, who after more than two decades is preparing to leave the bureau, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that computer criminals are too talented and current defensive measures are too weak to stop them. “We’re not winning,” he said, claiming that the current public and private approach to fighting off hackers is “unsustainable.” Congress is currently considering two competing bills that are designed to strengthen critical U.S. infrastructures such as power plants and nuclear reactors. Henry believes that companies must make major changes in the way they use computer networks to avoid further damage to national security and the economy, however. He said too many companies don’t recognize the financial and legal risks they are taking by operating vulnerable networks. “I don’t see how we ever come out of this without changes in technology or changes in behavior, because with the status quo, it’s an unsustainable model,” Henry said. “Unsustainable in that you never get ahead, never become secure, never have a reasonable expectation of privacy or security.”

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According to a purported T-Mobile memo obtained by TmoNews, the nation’s No.4 carrier may be looking to increase the price of its premium 5GB and ultra 10GB unlimited data packages. The change could go into effect as early as April 4th and would add an additional $5 to the cost each plan. The 5GB plan will jump from $35 to $40 per month and the 10GB plan will increase from $65 to $70. T-Mobile’s Value Plan pricing will remain unchanged. The premium and ultra plan increases will only apply to customers who sign up for service after the effective date, however. The price increase comes as the carrier is looking to restructure and in doing so, will also cut 5% of its workforce and close seven call centers over the next three months. A second leaked T-Mobile image can be found after the break.

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Shares of Sprint stock fell 4.5% Monday morning after an analyst said there is an increasing risk that the nation’s third largest wireless carrier could file for bankruptcy. The company is facing increased competition, growing debt and steep costs, with flops in Clearwire’s WiMAX technology, a failed LightSquared partnership and a risky $15.5 billion gamble on Apple’s iPhone further complicating its position. Read on for more.

Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett downgraded Sprint shares to Underperform from Market-perform, stating that the company will face “new and larger risks” if Apple launches a 4G LTE-enabled iPhone later this year, a technology which rival networks have more widely available. “To be clear, we are not predicting a Sprint bankruptcy,” Moffett said in a note to investors according to Reuters. “We are merely acknowledging that it is a very legitimate risk. And notwithstanding a recent rally in Sprint shares, we believe that risk is rising.”

While Moffett doesn’t expect Sprint to file for bankruptcy any time soon, he did caution that the network is set to repay $2.6 billion of its debt in 2015, the same year the company will acquire $3 billion in debt from Clearwire. Several other analysts have said that they do not see Sprint filing for bankruptcy in the next few years, however.

“The risk they could go bankrupt has gone up but that’s a very very low risk,” said Pacific Crest analyst Steve Clement. Clement does note that there is a risk Sprint’s planned network upgrades might not work out as planned, but he believes “it’s a decent bet they can pull it off.”

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Philip Falcone’s startup LightSquared planned to deploy a nationwide 4G LTE network in the United States. The firm’s service was found to cause interference with spectrum used by various GPS navigation and tracking solutions, however, forcing the Federal Communications Commission to block the network’s launch. Dish Network is looking to build a similar network and is currently awaiting government approval. Executives and analysts have said that Dish will probably avoid the interference concerns that killed LightSquared’s network, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The satellite company’s frequencies, which are above 2GHz, are far away from those used by GPS devices and Lightsquared’s 1600Mhz band, and are less likely to interfere. “It’s not as close to GPS, so it’s unlikely to interfere,” said Matthew Desch, chief executive officer of Iridium Communications, which operates more than 60 satellites. “But the approval is going to take some time. The FCC is going to make sure they don’t have another LightSquared problem on their hands.” Bryan Kraft, an analyst at Evercore Partners, believes that Dish will gain FCC approval in 6 to 12 months.

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Sprint on Friday announced that it has terminated its agreement with LightSquared. The two companies agreed last June to an 11-year deal that would share network expansion costs and equipment if LightSquared could secure regulatory approval for its 4G LTE network build-out. “Sprint has been and continues to be supportive of LightSquared’s business plans and appreciates the company’s efforts to find a resolution to the interference issues impacting its ability to offer service on the 1.6 GHz spectrum,” the company said in a press release. “However, due to these unresolved issues, and subject to the provisions of the agreement, Sprint has elected to exercise its right to terminate the agreement announced last summer. We remain open to considering future spectrum hosting agreements with LightSquared, should they resolve these interference issues, as well as other interested spectrum holders.”  The FCC blocked LightSquared’s LTE network in February due to concerns that it was interfering with GPS systems. Sprint then gave the company until March 15th to gain approval — which it did not. “Per the terms of the agreement, Sprint has returned $65 million in prepayments LightSquared made to cover costs that were not ultimately incurred by Sprint,” the company said. Read on for Sprint’s press release.

Sprint Elects to Terminate Spectrum Hosting Agreement with LightSquared

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 16, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today issued the following statement regarding the spectrum hosting agreement it signed with LightSquared in June 2011. Per the agreement, Sprint agreed to deploy and operate an LTE network capable of utilizing the 1.6 GHz spectrum licensed to or available to LightSquared. The agreement contained contingencies related to possible interference issues with LightSquared’s spectrum, including Sprint’s right to terminate the agreement if certain conditions were not met by LightSquared.

“Sprint has been and continues to be supportive of LightSquared’s business plans and appreciates the company’s efforts to find a resolution to the interference issues impacting its ability to offer service on the 1.6 GHz spectrum. However, due to these unresolved issues, and subject to the provisions of the agreement, Sprint has elected to exercise its right to terminate the agreement announced last summer. We remain open to considering future spectrum hosting agreements with LightSquared, should they resolve these interference issues, as well as other interested spectrum holders.

“Late last year, both companies agreed to halt deployment design and implementation of LightSquared’s network to ensure that Sprint’s Network Vision project remained on schedule. While unfortunate, termination of the agreement will have no impact on Sprint’s current customers and is not material to Sprint’s ongoing business operations. Network Vision remains on schedule and on budget, and we look forward to begin launching our 4G LTE network mid-year.

“Per the terms of the agreement, Sprint has returned $65 million in prepayments LightSquared made to cover costs that were not ultimately incurred by Sprint.”

Verizon Wireless on Wednesday announced it will add seven new markets to its nationwide 4G LTE network and expand the service in 17 current markets on March 15th. The company’s 200th LTE market will be Dothan, Alabama, where customers will soon be able to take advantage of the high-speed network. Other markets include Enterprise, Ala.; Naples, Fla.; Greenville, N.C.; Altus and Durant, Okla.; and Longview/Marshall, Texas. Verizon currently offers more than 20 4G LTE devices and plans to double the number of its 4G LTE markets to 400 by the end of the year. ”Our plans to double our 4G LTE network coverage from the end of 2011 to the end of 2012 align with the aggressive and rapid deployment strategy we have taken with our 4G LTE network,” said David Small, Verizon’s chief technical officer. “Our commitment to expanding and enhancing our 4G LTE network is enabling more customers across the country to enjoy the benefits of the most popular wireless devices. We will continue investing in our 4G LTE network and working with key partners to ensure our customers have access to the best products and services available.” Read on for Verizon’s press release.

Verizon To Launch Its 200th 4G LTE Market On March 15

Company Plans to Double 4G LTE Markets by End of 2012; Offers the Widest Array of Popular 4G LTE Devices, Including Tablets and Smartphones

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner of the nation’s fastest 4G network, today announced its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network will cover 203 markets on March 15 when it launches service in seven new markets and expands in 17 markets across the United States. Following the launches on March 15, including the 200th market in Dothan, Ala., customers on the nation’s largest 4G LTE network can take advantage of the speed and connectivity with more than 20 4G LTE devices, including tablets and smartphones.

Verizon Wireless plans to more than double the number of its 4G LTE markets, bringing the total markets to more than 400, by the end of the year. With the additional new markets and continued expansions, the company’s 4G LTE network will cover more than 260 million people in the United States by the end of 2012.

“Our plans to double our 4G LTE network coverage from the end of 2011 to the end of 2012 align with the aggressive and rapid deployment strategy we have taken with our 4G LTE network,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless. “Our commitment to expanding and enhancing our 4G LTE network is enabling more customers across the country to enjoy the benefits of the most popular wireless devices. We will continue investing in our 4G LTE network and working with key partners to ensure our customers have access to the best products and services available.”

On Thursday, March 15, the company will introduce its 4G LTE network in Dothan and Enterprise, Ala.; Naples, Fla.; Greenville, N.C.; Altus and Durant, Okla.; and Longview/Marshall, Texas. The company will also expand its 4G LTE network in Washington, D.C.; Elkhart, Ind.; Baltimore, Md.; Columbus, Miss.; Northern N.J.; Wilmington, N.C.; Duncan, Okla.; Allentown/Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Hilton Head, S.C.; Cleveland, Tenn.; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; and Kenosha, Madison and Milwaukee, Wis.

4G LTE Speed

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 4G LTE coverage areas, 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 high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their area or when they travel to areas already covered by 4G LTE.

4G LTE Markets

On March 15, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will be available in 203 markets. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for a full list of 4G LTE markets and additional information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

Sprint is reportedly planning to walk away from its planned network-sharing deal with LightSquared as early as next week, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Sprint and LightSquared in June agreed to an 11-year deal that would share network expansion costs and equipment if LightSquared could secure regulatory approval for its 4G LTE network build-out. The carrier first gave LightSquared until the end of 2011 to receive FCC approval, and then extended the deadline to March 15th. The FCC blocked LightSquared’s LTE network in February, however, due to concerns that it was interfering with GPS systems. Meanwhile, LightSquared repeatedly claimed that the blame lies with the GPS industry. According to the Bloomberg’s sources, Sprint has no plans to extend the March 15th deadline and will instead kill its deal with LightSquared. Sprint is expected to return $74 million of the $310 million it has collected from LightSquared so far once the deal is terminated.

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AT&T is preparing a service that will let mobile app developers pay for the mobile data used by their applications, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. AT&T’s network and technology head John Donovan compared the service to toll-free calling for the mobile-broadband world. “A feature that we’re hoping to have out sometime next year is the equivalent of 800 numbers that would say, if you take this app, this app will come without any network usage,” said Donovan. Customers are now more concerned than ever when it comes to monthly data allowances, and they might be more likely to purchase an app or a movie if the content provider covered the price of the data associated with using the app or streaming content. “It’d be like freight included,” Donovan noted.

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T-Mobile will have 10 LTE devices available by the end of 2013, and it will also roll out “4G” service that is compatible with Apple’s iPhone. The carrier’s 4G LTE network will span across 50 markets and utilize the 10MHz spectrum to support speeds up to 72Mbps, according to SlashGear. “Our 4G network will be compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone” CTO Neville Ray said on Thursday, although he wasn’t clear on whether he was referring to HSPA+ “4G,” which might be compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and future iPhone handsets, or 4G LTE. The carrier will be shifting its HSPA+ network to the 1900MHz bands, however, which should increase compatibility with HSPA+ devices used on AT&T’s network including the iPhone. T-Mobile reported earnings for the fourth quarter on Thursday, during which the carrier shed 802,000 contract customers, a stat the carrier blamed on Apple’s iPhone.

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We have received a number of reports this morning from Verizon Wireless customers complaining that the carrier’s 4G LTE network was down in various parts of the country. The carrier’s support forums have also been flooded with complaints from irate users who claim the service is down across the country, and Verizon customers service representatives have reportedly confirmed the outage to a number of subscribers. Verizon customers have suffered from data problems before — the carrier recently had three massive outages in a single month.

UPDATE: Verizon says all issues have been resolved and its 4G LTE network came back up around 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

Verizon Wireless is kicking off 2012 by flipping the LTE switch in five new markets and expanding in three current markets. On Thursday, January 19th, the company will turn on its 4G LTE network in Glens Falls and Utica, NY; Lawton, OK; and Brownsville and McAllen, TX. Verizon will also be expanding its network in Atlanta, Houston and Spokane. “As we enter 2012, Verizon’s 4G LTE network remains the largest by far in the United States, and we continue to grow the network and bring Verizon’s unparalleled 4G LTE services to more and more people,” said Verizon’s chief technical officer David Small. Verizon’s 4G LTE network now covers more than 200 million people in 195 different markets. Read on for the carrier’s press release.

Verizon Continues To Grow Its 4G LTE Network, Launching Service In Five New Markets And Expanding In Three Others On Jan. 19 

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner of the nation’s fastest 4G network, is kicking off 2012 by turning on 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) in five new markets and expanding the network in three others on Jan. 19. The continued growth of the 4G LTE network represents Verizon’s commitment to strengthening and enhancing the network and delivering the highest performance and reliability for its customers.

Following the launches on Jan. 19, more than 200 million people in 195 markets across the United States can take advantage of the blazingly fast speeds offered by Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Customers can choose from a wide variety of 4G LTE devices, including the Spectrum™ by LG, available starting tomorrow. The Spectrum by LG was one of six new 4G LTE devices announced at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From the expanded 4G LTE DROID family, to the new Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 7.7 and the Verizon Jetpacks™, Verizon Wireless now offers something for everyone on its 4G LTE network.

On Thursday, Jan. 19, the company will turn on its 4G LTE network in Glens Falls and Utica, N.Y.; Lawton, Okla.; and Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. The company is also expanding its network on Jan. 19 in Atlanta, Houston and Spokane, Wash.

“As we enter 2012, Verizon’s 4G LTE network remains the largest by far in the United States, and we continue to grow the network and bring Verizon’s unparalleled 4G LTE services to more and more people,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.

4G LTE Speed and Coverage

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 LTE coverage area, 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 high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their area, or when they travel to an area already covered by 4G LTE.

Apple’s iPad is currently responsible for 15% of all mobile traffic according to new research published recently by Chitika. While the iPad’s lead in the tablet market is obvious, it’s becoming more clear there’s strong competition for market share below it. The Amazon Kindle Fire represented an average of 2.4 ad impressions on Chitikas network for every 100 iPad impressions, but RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook wasn’t far behind; it viewed an average of 1.8 ad impressions for every 100 iPad impressions on Chitika’s mobile ad network. That’s followed closely by the Samsung Galaxy with 1.6 ad impressions and the Motorola XOOM with 1.55 ad impressions. Chitika wasn’t clear which Samsung model was included in the study but we presume it was the Galaxy Tab 10.1. ”Despite the iPad’s stronghold in the tablet market, other tablets are continuing to carve out and hold their own places – a trend that is continuing even past the expected gains that the holiday season brought,” Chitika said. “It has taken some time for other players to elbow their way in to the market, but with these tablets paving the way and the demand for tablets continuing to grow, perhaps the coming year will bring more opportunities for other players to enter the field and bring their own innovations to the table.”

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