Verizon Wireless is planning to conduct an open sale of all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses in an effort to rationalize its spectrum holdings. The carrier obtained the 700 MHz A and B licenses — as well as a nationwide 700 MHz upper C license, which is currently used for its 4G LTE service — in an auction through the Federal Communication Commission. Verizon is in the midst of acquiring additional Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses that it plans to use in conjunction with its 700 MHz upper C spectrum to deploy additional LTE markets, and this proposed 700MHz A and B sale will only be conducted if Verizon’s AWS acquisition is successful. The spectrum licenses cover dozens of major markets such as New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Verizon’s press release follows below.

Verizon Wireless To Conduct Spectrum License Sale

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced plans to conduct an open sale process for all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses in order to rationalize its spectrum holdings. The licenses cover dozens of major cities across the country, as well as a number of smaller and rural markets.

Verizon Wireless obtained the 700 MHz A and B licenses, as well as nationwide 700 MHz upper C licenses (with the exception of Alaska which has since been acquired), in FCC Auction 73 in 2008. Verizon Wireless is deploying its 4G LTE network, which currently covers more than 200 million people, on its nationwide 700 MHz upper C spectrum. If Verizon Wireless is successful in acquiring additional AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) spectrum licenses, it will use AWS spectrum in conjunction with its 700 MHz upper C band spectrum to deploy additional LTE capacity.

Accordingly, the sale of the A and B licenses is contingent on the close of Verizon Wireless’ pending purchases of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo (an entity jointly owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks), Cox and Leap Wireless. These transactions are at varying stages of review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and are expected to close by mid-summer.

The company is announcing the sale plans now and will begin the process of soliciting interest from potential buyers to ensure the process can move forward quickly once the AWS license transfers have been completed.

“Since wireless operators, large and small, have expressed concern about the availability of high-quality spectrum, we believe our 700 MHz licenses will be attractive to a wide range of buyers,” said Molly Feldman, vice president of Business Development for Verizon Wireless. “Moreover, provided our acquisition of AWS spectrum is approved, our open sale process will ensure these A and B spectrum licenses are quickly and fairly made available for the benefit of other carriers and their customers.”

Stephens Inc., a nationally recognized, independent financial services firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been engaged to manage the offering process. Interested parties may contact Stephens Inc. at vz_spectrum@stephens.com or 501-377-8134. Stephens Inc. will later release information about efforts to reach out to potential bidders, including minority-owned and female-owned businesses, to participate in the process. All sales will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

Following is a list of the markets covered by the 700 MHz A and B licenses:

A Block Licenses (Economic Areas)

New York, Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio (CMA area only), Denver, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco and Sacramento

B Block (Cellular Market Areas)

Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Cincinnati, Rochester, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Greensboro-Winston Salem, Charlotte, Youngstown, Raleigh-Durham, West Palm Beach, Fort Collins, Pueblo and Colorado 4 – Park; Bradenton and Florida 3- Hardee; Athens, GA; Idaho 5 – Butte; Lake Charles, Alexandria, Louisiana 1- Claiborne, Louisiana 2 – Morehouse and Louisiana 3 – De Soto; Maryland 3 – Frederick; Billings, Great Falls, Montana 8 – Beaverhead, and Montana 9 – Carbon; Nevada 3 – Storey; New Mexico 5 – Grant and New Mexico 6 – Lincoln; Rapid City and South Dakota 1 – Harding; Lubbock, Amarillo, Waco, Longview-Marshall, Tyler, Texarkana, Odessa, Laredo, Midland, Texas 2 – Hansford, Texas 6 – Jack and Texas 18 – Edwards; Utah 1 – Box Elder, Utah 4 – Beaver, Utah 5 – Daggett and Utah 6 – Piute; Virginia 10 – Frederick; Washington 2 – Okanogan; Casper and Wyoming 2 – Sheridan

AOL and Microsoft on Monday announced an agreement in which the software giant will purchase 800 patents from AOL in a $1.056 billion cash deal. Microsoft will also license more than 300 additional patents from AOL as part of the agreement. “The agreement with Microsoft represents the culmination of a robust auction process for our patent portfolio,” said Tim Armstrong, AOL’s chairman and CEO. “We continue to hold a valuable patent portfolio as highlighted by the license we entered into with Microsoft. The combined sale and licensing arrangement unlocks current dollar value for our shareholders and enables AOL to continue to aggressively execute on our strategy to create long-term shareholder value.” The portfolio sold relates to advertising, search, content generation and management, social networking, mapping, multimedia/streaming and security. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, pending regulatory approval. Read on for AOL’s press release.

AOL and Microsoft Announce $1.056 Billion Patent Deal

AOL to sell more than 800 patents to Microsoft; Microsoft to license more than 300 additional patents and patent applications from AOL

Transaction is tax-efficient for AOL

Upon closing, AOL expects to return a significant portion of the proceeds to shareholders

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) (the “Company”) today announced that the Company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell over 800 of its patents and their related patent applications to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) (“Microsoft”) and to grant Microsoft a non-exclusive license to its retained patent portfolio for aggregate proceeds of $1.056 billion in cash.

“The agreement with Microsoft represents the culmination of a robust auction process for our patent portfolio”

Following the sale, AOL will continue to hold a significant patent portfolio of over 300 patents and patent applications spanning core and strategic technologies, including advertising, search, content generation/management, social networking, mapping, multimedia/streaming, and security among others. AOL also received a license to the patents being sold to Microsoft.

The patent sale includes the sale of the stock of an AOL subsidiary upon which AOL expects to record a capital loss for tax purposes and as a result, cash taxes in connection with the sale should be immaterial. Additionally, AOL expects to utilize approximately $40 million of its existing deferred tax assets, representing approximately 20 percent of its total deferred tax assets, to offset any ordinary income taxes resulting from the license of its remaining patent portfolio.

AOL management and its Board of Directors intend to return a significant portion of the sale proceeds to shareholders and will determine the most efficient and effective method to do so prior to the closing of the transaction. Pro forma for the sale and license, as of December 31, 2011, AOL would have had approximately $15 per share of cash on hand.

“The agreement with Microsoft represents the culmination of a robust auction process for our patent portfolio,” said Tim Armstrong, AOL’s Chairman and CEO. “We continue to hold a valuable patent portfolio as highlighted by the license we entered into with Microsoft. The combined sale and licensing arrangement unlocks current dollar value for our shareholders and enables AOL to continue to aggressively execute on our strategy to create long-term shareholder value.”

“This is a valuable portfolio that we have been following for years and analyzing in detail for several months,” said Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft. “AOL ran a competitive auction and by participating, Microsoft was able to achieve our two primary goals: obtaining a durable license to the full AOL portfolio and ownership of certain patents that complement our existing portfolio.”

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, upon the satisfaction of customary conditions and regulatory approvals, including expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.

Evercore Partners and Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisors and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner acted as legal counsel to AOL in connection with the transaction.

Research In Motion has made drastic cuts to BlackBerry smartphone prices in India just one day before the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor is scheduled to report its results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Several analysts expect RIM to miss Wall Street’s consensus when it announces its earnings results on Thursday, despite having issued lower than expected fourth-quarter guidance. The struggling smartphone vendor dropped prices on multiple models in India by up to 26%, BGR sister site BGR.in reported on Wednesday. Devices that have received price cuts include the BlackBerry Curve 9360, the Curve 9380, the Torch 9860 and the Curve 8520, RIM’s best-selling smartphone in India. RIM beat expectations in the third fiscal quarter when it reported revenue of $5.2 billion and earnings of $1.27 per share, but analysts are bracing themselves for a disappointing fourth quarter.

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Apple is all but confirmed to be planning a press conference for March 7th during which it will unveil its next-generation iPad tablet. The iPad 3 is expected to feature a high-definition 2,048 x 1,536-pixel Retina Display along with a faster quad-core Apple A6 processor, embedded 4G LTE, an upgraded rear camera and a redesigned case. There is no question that the new iPad will be a significant upgrade compared to the current model, but not everyone needs the latest and greatest. For those willing to forgo the added speed, embedded LTE and HD display, Best Buy is now offering $50 off every iPad 2 model it carries. Of course buying the iPad 2 now at a $50 discount is a risky move — a number of reports have suggested that Apple will continue to sell its current tablet at a discount of $100 or more once the next-generation iPad 3 launches next month.

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If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer or looking to become one, the carrier is offering two of its latest 4G LTE handsets, the LG Spectrum and HTC Rezound, for $99.99 each with a two-year agreement. Both handsets run a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and impressive qHD displays. When BGR reviewed the Rezound last November, we were impressed with the overall performance of the device and with the gorgeous high definition display in particular. It was recommended over Motorola’s DROID RAZR and Samsung’s Galaxy S II, although due to its lack of Ice Cream Sandwich it fell short compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus. Subscribers will have until Monday, February 28th to take advantage of Verizon’s deals on the Rezound and Spectrum, which are only available online. 

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T-Mobile announced on Tuesday the company’s Valentine’s Day sale on all 4G smartphones and tablets. “T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said T-Mobile’s senior vice president of marketing, John Clelland. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.” The carrier is offering the Samsung Galaxy S II, BlackBerry Bold 9900, HTC Amaze 4G, Lumia 710, SpringBoard tablet and other 4G devices for free with a new two-year agreement. This one-day sale is scheduled for this Saturday, February 11th. Read on for T-Mobile’s press release.

Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s

For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network® such as the Samsung Galaxy S™ II1 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ with Google™.

New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value™3 Plan.

“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”

A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.

Microsoft may be planning to launch a special bundle that includes the Nokia Lumia 800 and several accessories for $899. Citing unnamed industry sources, The Verge said the deal will kick off on February 14th and will include a Bluetooth headset, a Purity HD stereo headset and Nokia’s Play 360 wireless speaker. Microsoft will reportedly not be offering the Lumia 800 as a stand-alone product. $899 seems a bit steep to us, even considering that consumers will be getting an unlocked device and a bundle of solid accessories. After all, AT&T will be launching the sub-$100 Lumia 900 with 4G LTE support and a bigger screen just one month later.

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The world’s first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphone is currently on sale at a huge discount from retail giant Amazon. The company’s wireless arm is currently offering Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone for as little as $99.99 with a new Verizon Wireless contract, and Amazon is even throwing in free two-day shipping for good measure. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for Samsung’s sleek pure Google phone, and it is only available while supplies last according to an Amazon spokesperson. BGR reviewed the Galaxy Nexus this past November and we called it our favorite Android device in the world at that time. The handset features a massive 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with HD 720p resolution, 4G LTE, a 5-megapixel camera and NFC capabilities.

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Struggling smartphone vendor Research In Motion is still a solid takeover target according to a new report, but only at a deep discount below RIM’s already low market value. RIM has lost 75% of its value over the past year but Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu says RIM’s true value lies below its current market capitalization, which sits at approximately $8.7 billion. Logical buyers according to Wu include Samsung — though the company has gone on record instating it is not interested in acquiring RIM — as well as Amazon, Microsoft and maybe even Facebook. Read on for more.

“While we believe there is some intrinsic value in RIMM as an acquisition target with its 75 million subscribers, patent portfolio, BlackBerry OS, and push network, we are unsure if a price of over $10 billion makes sense,” Wu wrote in a note to investors on Wednesday. “Currently, the company has a market capitalization of $9.2 billion, meaning upside could be limited.”

Breaking down RIM’s worth to potential buyers, the analyst sees $5 billion to $7 billion in real value, or between $9 and $13 per share. “We believe its most valuable assets are arguably its patent portfolio and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app,” Wu wrote. “We estimate its patent portfolio could be worth $2-$3 billion assuming the prices that an AAPL led team paid (which RIMM was part of) for Nortel assets and GOOG for MMI. For BBM with its 45 million users, we estimate it could be worth $2-$3 billion.”

Wu continued, noting that RIM’s push network and BlackBerry OS likely wouldn’t have much value in a market dominated by Google and Apple. “We believe the value of its push network and BlackBerry OS are more questionable given competitive issues both have had in the marketplace but nonetheless, we assign a value of $1 billion (the price paid for PALM). This gives us a valuation of $5-$7 billion, meaning a stock price of $9-$13, which is a bit below where it is currently trading.”

Sterne Agee reiterated its Neutral rating on RIM stock with no price target.

Verizon announced on Tuesday that the Motorola DROID RAZR, which originally launched a few months back for $299.99, is now available for $199.99 with a new two-year contract. The DROID RAZR is equipped with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video and more. The slim smartphone will also become available in new white or purple color options on January 23rd. Verizon’s full press release follows after the break.

DROID RAZR™ By Motorola Now Available For $199.99 Online On The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network 

Customer Inquiries

The DROID RAZR™ by Motorola in Black is now available online atwww.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. Equipped with 16 GB on-board memory, the DROID RAZR is 7.1 mm thin, made with KEVLAR® fiber for strength and Corning® Gorilla® Glass for scratch resistance. DROID RAZR customers can expect to rip through the Web at blazing speeds with a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and Verizon Wireless 4G LTE. Verizon Wireless leads the way in 4G with the fastest and most reliable 4G network in the United States, covering more than 200 million people in 190 markets.

Additional features:

• Powered by Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, upgradable to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization technology for crisp and clear videos
• Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
• 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot capable – customers can share 4G LTE speed with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts, as well as voice and video chat conferencing
• 16 GB on-board memory
• microSD™ card slot with support for up to 32 GB memory card

The DROID RAZR in White and Purple will be also available for $199.99 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online atwww.verizonwireless.com on Jan. 23.

Customers that purchase a DROID RAZR will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Research In Motion is currently weighing every single option it can think of in an effort to reverse a negative trend that is approaching a boiling point for investors. Reports that RIM is currently in talks to license its software to other vendors are accurate according to our trusted sources, though we have been told that RIM is most likely leaning toward an outright sale of one or more divisions, or even the whole company. The front runner, we have been told by a trusted source with knowledge of the situation, is Samsung, which might be interested in RIM for a number of reasons.

One of the biggest assets RIM has is BlackBerry Messenger, and it would be a smart way for Samsung to differentiate itself inside the Android ecosystem. HTC has its Sense suite and it recently bought into Beats by Dr. Dre. Samsung could buy RIM, or a part of the company, and integrate not only BBM but also several other enterprise features into Android to make its devices an even bigger threat to competitors. This could also help Samsung better differentiate itself on the software and OS level, pulling more control into its hands and away from Google.

We have heard that Jim Balsillie is actively meeting with almost every company that might be interested in either a part or all of RIM, in addition to having talks about licensing. “Jim is going hard after Samsung,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations. One of the reasons no deal has been struck, however, is that RIM’s co-CEOs are asking for way too much.

We have heard the company is looking for more than $10 billion for a full sale, likely somewhere in the $12 billion to $15 billion range, or between approximately $22.90 and $28.60 per share. RIM’s market capitalization currently sits at about $8.5 billion, though several analysts think that even $8.5 billion is more than an interested party would consider bidding at the moment.

Samsung declined to comment and a spokesperson for RIM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s certainly an interesting time at Research In Motion, and we’ll have much more on RIM in the coming days.

UPDATE: In a statement provided to Reuters Wednesday evening, a Samsung spokesman said the company is not interested in an outright purchase of Research In Motion. The spokesman did not address reports that Samsung is considering licensing RIM’s software, however, or purchasing a portion of RIM’s assets.

Nokia’s first Windows Phone-powered smartphone to launch in the United States is already available for free on contract. Nokia and T-Mobile unveiled the Nokia Lumia 710 last month and confirmed that while the handset is certainly not a flagship device, it will play an important role for Nokia as it re-enters the U.S. market. The 710 can’t hold a candle to the Lumia 900 Nokia and AT&T will be launching in March, but at $50, the Lumia 710 is an excellent entry-level smartphone. And at $0 on contract, the price Walmart is currently asking from new customers, the 710 is an unbelievable value. BGR reviewed the Lumia 710 earlier this month and we thought the phone could indeed be a great tool for Nokia and T-Mobile as they tries to convert feature phone users into smartphone customers.

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Research In Motion’s debut tablet has been something of a disappointment for the Waterloo, Ontario-based vendor. While the slate showed promise, it failed to offer potential users a compelling reason to choose it over the iPad or an Android tablet, and RIM would end up taking a $485 million charge in the third fiscal quarter due to unsold PlayBook inventory. Sale pricing ahead of the holidays last year seemingly helped RIM and its distribution partners clear out some stock, however, as the company is once again offering discounts on its QNX-based tablet. While pricing starts at $299 rather than $199 this time around, all three PlayBook models cost $299, which means the 64GB version can be had for a deep $400 discount. RIM’s first major update for its tablet OS set to bring native email and more next month.

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Apple on Monday released the 2012 edition of its “12 Days of Christmas” application for iOS devices. From December 26th through January 6th, Apple is giving away free iTunes content including songs, music videos, apps and books to iOS device owners. New content is accessible through the app each day and free downloads will expire after 24 hours. Monday kicks things off with several Coldplay songs and videos, which can be downloaded for free until new downloads are made available on Tuesday. Apple’s 12 Days of Christmas app is compatible with the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2 and iPad as well as the third and fourth-generation iPod touch devices, so users of older iOS device models are out of luck this holiday season. The app is currently available in the U.K. with U.S. availability expected at a later point in time.

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Amazon made a name for itself by undercutting the competition, and the retailer has come through once again to offer the best price we’ve seen so far on Verizon Wireless’s brand new Samsung Galaxy Nexus. BGR reported last night that mobile retailer LetsTalk was offering the Galaxy Nexus for just $154.99 thanks to a $75 coupon. Not to be outdone, AmazonWireless is now selling the sleek Android 4.0 phone for just $149.99 with a new two-year contract, no coupon needed. Amazon is also offering free two-day shipping, though the Galaxy Nexus is currently backordered with new purchases expected to ship in 8 to 9 days. This deal is only available for a limited time and it is only available for new activations — existing customers looking to upgrade will have to pay $249.99, $75 more than LetsTalk is currently charging.

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