Wireless carriers have traditionally made money off lengthy two-year service agreements, rather than physical device sales. In the age of smartphones, however, carriers are footing the bill for expensive handsets that result in smaller margins, while phone makers such as Apple reap the benefits. To combat traditional phone subsidies, carriers in the U.S. have continued to raise monthly rates and employ new and higher fees. In Europe, service providers are taking more aggressive measures, with some carriers refusing to subsidize devices for new customers. The carriers’ latest cries of resistance are drawing applause from investors and analysts alike, who say carriers could benefit more from the smartphone boom if they raise contract prices and slow the rate at which customers buy new phones.

“Optimism has increased that we are witnessing the leading edge of a more disciplined, and more profitable, future,” Craig Moffett, a telecom analyst at Bernstein Research, wrote in a research note obtained by The Wall Street Journal. The analyst went on to question the difficulty carriers face when increasing prices due to “increased discipline and pricing power.”

Spain’s two largest wireless service providers, Telefonica and Vodaphone, no longer offer phone subsidies to new customers. The carriers are eventually hoping to retain customers, however, and then continue to offer phone discounts to existing subscribers who are looking upgraded their devices. Telefonica allows users to either pay nearly $800 for new smartphone, or sign up for an installment plan that adds 18 monthly payments of about $45 to their bills. The change in policy has resulted in 25% reduced spending on device subsidies.

Verizon Wireless chief executive officer Lowell McAdam previously mentioned Telefonica’s installment-plan and said the nation’s largest carrier may follow. “We’ll probably offer some things like that, and then we’ll see what the adoption is like,” the executive said. “You can’t push this on customers before customers are ready for it”

Wall Street has taken notice of the carrier’s concerns, and shares of Apple recently plummeted on concerns that carriers may soon squeeze iPhone subsidies. During the company’s earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook downplayed carrier subsidy concerns and told analysts that carriers will continue supporting the iPhone because carriers “want to provide what their customers want to buy.”

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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.

Apple may be looking to incorporate support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi specification into the company’s products this year, according to a report from AppleInsider. The new standard offers three times the speed of the 802.11n standard, capable of achieving speeds of over 1 Gigabit per second. The Cupertino-based company is expected to “rapidly deploy support” of the new standard into AirPort base stations, Time Capsules, the Apple TV, notebooks and possibly mobile devices, according to the report. Even though the official standard has yet to be finalized, multiple suppliers have already announced chipsets supporting it — one of those is key Apple component maker Broadcom, which announced chips supporting the standard earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. In addition to faster speeds, 802.11ac promises better networking range, improved reliability and more power efficient chips due to advances in reducing chip size and enhanced power management.

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LightSquared and former FCC chief engineer Edmond Thomas on Wednesday said the GPS test devices that were used by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) to test its new network were rigged by “manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results.” The company said that devices from GPS manufacturers, which have claimed LightSquared’s network interferes with GPS communications, were “cherry picked” in secret and that independent authorities were not allowed to partake or oversee the tests or test results. In addition, LightSquared said the tests focused on obsolete technology that is only used in “niche market devices” and that are “least able to withstand potential interference” from wireless networks. Read on for more.

After a list of the test devices was released to LightSquared, the company found that the only mass market device that reportedly failed the government’s tests actually “performed flawlessly during Technical Working Group” testing. The government also reportedly tested LightSquared’s network at a power level that is 32-times greater than the level at which it will actually operate.

LightSquared is relying on FCC approval to solidify a contract with Sprint to help build out the carrier’s 4G LTE network. Sprint most recently gave LightSquared an additional 30 days to gain FCC approval, but the government has said none of LightSquared’s proposed fixes will help it gain approval.

“Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. “LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.” LightSquared’s full press release follows below.

Former FCC Chief Engineer and LightSquared Question Validity of Test Results Rigged by GPS Industry Insiders

After learning that some devices tested have been out of production for over a decade, the parties call on NTIA to objectively audit testing and apply proposed mitigation standards

RESTON, Va., January 18, 2012 – LightSquared said today that the process used to test GPS devices by Air Force Space Command on behalf of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results, and revealed details of the testing to document its accusations.

PNT EXCOM advises and coordinates among U.S. government agencies on GPS matters and is comprised of representatives from those agencies with GPS expertise. LightSquared has called on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to objectively re-evaluate this initial round of testing and also to evaluate mitigation proposals the company has proposed. Additionally, the company has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the NTIA to conduct the second round of tests on high-precision devices at an independent laboratory to ensure objectivity and transparency.

In a call with reporters, Jeff Carlisle, LightSquared’s Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy; and Geoff Stearn, LightSquared’s Vice President for Spectrum Development; outlined how GPS industry insiders and government end users manipulated the latest round of tests to generate biased results. Also on the call was Edmond Thomas, former chief engineer at the FCC who explained how fair and accurate testing should be conducted.

1. Testing was shrouded in secrecy, no transparency. The GPS manufacturers cherry-picked the devices in secret without any independent oversight authority in place or input from LightSquared. The GPS manufacturers and the government end users put non-disclosure agreements in place for the PNT EXCOM’s tests, preventing any input by an independent authority or from LightSquared before the tests began. This secrecy made it impossible for independent experts to properly oversee or challenge the process and results, thereby leaving taxpayers who paid for the testing no option but to take the PNT EXCOM’s word for it.

2. The testing protocol deliberately focused on obsolete and niche market devices that were least able to withstand potential interference. When LightSquared finally obtained a list of the devices tested, after all testing in this first phase of tests had been completed, it was able to determine that the testing included many discontinued or niche market devices with poor filters or no filters. The units tested represent less than one percent of the contemporary universe of GPS devices. In fact, the only mass market device alleged to “fail” during this round of testing performed flawlessly during the Technical Working Group testing, which used best practice protocols agreed to by all parties, thus raising doubts about the integrity of PNT EXCOM’s process.

3. The testing standard does not reflect reality. To guarantee favorable results, the PNT EXCOM selected an extremely conservative definition of failure – one dB of interference. Independent experts agree that a one dB threshold can only be detected in laboratory settings and has no impact on GPS positional accuracy or user experience. In fact, GPS devices are designed with the ability to withstand eight dB or more of loss of sensitivity due to man-caused and natural interference. By setting the definition of interference at one dB, the testing was rigged to ensure that most receivers would fail. It should be noted that PNT EXCOM and others have justified the one dB threshold by citing an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard. However, that standard explicitly states that it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers.

GPS and government end users should have opened the process for transparent review, chosen a representative sample of devices that reflect the scope of general purpose GPS receivers in the marketplace today, applied best practice standards to the testing protocol, and – most importantly, the tests should have been conducted by an independent laboratory rather than by the GPS manufacturers themselves, since they had a large incentive to ensure that the tested receivers would not pass the testing.

LightSquared recommends that reporters consider asking PNT EXCOM the following questions to ensure accountability:

Why did the government choose to ignore LightSquared’s proposed power levels?

Why did the government choose a power level 32 times greater than the level at which LightSquared will operate?

Why did the test protocol select the 1dB degradation to noise as the interference standard, since it does not apply to general purpose GPS receivers and GPS units are typically designed with an 8dB level of tolerance?

Who determined what acceptable interference is for the current round of testing?

What is that standard?

Why was the testing conducted using outdated/discontinued devices rather than a representative sample of what is currently in the market?

Isn’t it a violation of conflict of interest laws for representatives of GPS manufacturers to sit on the PNT advisory board and play a central role in its consideration of LightSquared when those companies are actively lobbying on the same issue?

Is it fair that taxpayers funded a testing regime they cannot review?

LightSquared has agreed to meet every technical guideline requested by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FCC and NTIA and will continue to work in collaboration with the federal government to resolve the GPS interference issues. The secretive behavior of the PNT EXCOM indicates a co-opted process. The inappropriate influence of the private sector on their decision-making has been brought to the attention of NASA’s Inspector General in a separate conflict of interest complaint filed by LightSquared.

LightSquared is asking for fair and transparent oversight of the testing process by the FCC and NTIA, much like the agencies provided in the first round of testing that was openly agreed to by all parties. Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests. LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.

More than 50% of all phones sold this year will be capable of running on 4G or 3G data networks, according to a new report from ABI Research. “As the festive cheer of the holiday season dies away, the mood among handset vendors remains quietly confident regarding 2012,” Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting for ABI Research said. “The outlook will yield growth in the order of 8%, netting 1.67 billion handsets shipped worldwide by the end of 2012. Particularly notable is for the first time, 3G and 4G handset shipments will capture more than 50% of total handsets shipped.” Read on for more.

ABI Research also said Samsung has continued to push its smartphones into emerging markets while Apple is targeting South America and Brazil and seeing more success in China than it has in India. “North America may only represent 15% of feature and smartphone units shipped globally, but due to the high proportion of high-end smartphone sales, it constitutes 40% of total smartphones sold by value. It underscores what is at stake in the patent battles between Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Google, HTC, Microsoft, and even British Telecom,” says Kevin Burden, vice president and practice director, mobile devices.

3G and 4G Handsets Will Capture More than 50% of Handset Sales in 2012

SINGAPORE – January 5, 2012

“As the festive cheer of the holiday season dies away, the mood among handset vendors remains quietly confident regarding 2012,” observes Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting. “The outlook will yield growth in the order of 8%, netting 1.67 billion handsets shipped worldwide by the end of 2012. Particularly notable is for the first time, 3G and 4G handset shipments will capture more than 50% of total handsets shipped.”
In the second half of 2011, tier one smartphone vendors began redoubling efforts to promote their smartphone line-up to upwardly mobile, aspirational smartphone owners in emerging markets. Samsung, with its varied smartphone segmentation strategy, has been making substantial inroads into the emerging country smartphone market. Apple is expanding sales channels in emerging markets, with greater success in China than it’s having in India, but is also targeting South American markets such as Brazil. HTC is gaining traction in China, but developed markets such as North America and Europe continue to be the mainstay of its “ship into” markets. RIM, despite its weakness in apps-capable smartphone markets, continues to do well in messaging-centric emerging markets such as Indonesia. Nokia hopes to benefit from Windows Phone 7 Lumia series launches in India (Dec-2011) and China (in 1Q-2012).

The North American handset market, driven primarily by smartphones, is proving oblivious to the Euroland debt crisis. North America is estimated to have closed 2011 with 228 million handsets shipped, for a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 14%, the region’s highest YoY growth in more than five years.

“North America may only represent 15% of feature and smartphone units shipped globally, but due to the high proportion of high-end smartphone sales, it constitutes 40% of total smartphones sold by value. It underscores what is at stake in the patent battles between Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Google, HTC, Microsoft, and even British Telecom,” says Kevin Burden, vice president and practice director, mobile devices.

ABI Research’s new study, “Mobile Device Shipment Market Data,” provides critical data on vendor market share, vendor ASPs, and handset shipments.

It is part of the firm’s Smartphones & Mobile Devices Research Service.

Worldwide telecommunications industry revenue is set to reach $2.1 trillion this year according to market research firm Insight Research Corp. Despite the rocky global economy, industry revenue will grow further at an average annual rate of 5.3% to $2.7 trillion in 2017. The Asian region is seen as a key market and wireless revenue there is expected to grow 64%. Mobile broadband services and the transition from 3G to 4G will also be key growth drivers. “Despite global economic uncertainty, the telecommunications industry is showing strong revenue growth, which is being driven by consumer Internet usage and business mobility solutions. These are enabling new applications,” Insight Research analyst Fran Caulfield said in a statement. “Even amidst so much economic uncertainty, the fact remains that telecommunications is a key factor in economic growth. Telecommunications facilitates socio-economic advancement and is a critical utility for economic development, much like water and energy.” The firm’s full press release follows below.

Worldwide Telecommunications Industry Revenue to Reach $2.7 Trillion by 2017, says Insight Research Corp.

MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J., Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The global telecommunications industry continues to expand as spending by consumers and businesses for wireless services fuels industry revenue growth, says a new market analysis report from The Insight Research Corporation. According to the new industry market study, telecommunications services revenue on a worldwide basis will grow from $2.1 trillion in 2012 to $2.7 trillion in 2017 at a combined average growth rate of 5.3 percent.

“The 2012 Telecommunications Industry Review: An Anthology of Market Facts and Forecasts” notes that wireless subscriber growth, particularly in Asia and other emerging markets, will raise wireless revenues by 64 percent from current levels, while wireline revenues show only modest growth. Nearly all of the growth in both sectors is expected to occur in broadband services, with wireless 3G and 4G broadband services projected to grow at a compounded rate of 24 percent over the forecast period and wireline broadband services projected to grow at a 13 percent compounded rate over the same forecast horizon.

“Despite global economic uncertainty, the telecommunications industry is showing strong revenue growth, which is being driven by consumer Internet usage and business mobility solutions. These are enabling new applications,” says Fran Caulfield, Research Director for Insight Research. ”Even amidst so much economic uncertainty, the fact remains that telecommunications is a key factor in economic growth. Telecommunications facilitates socio-economic advancement and is a critical utility for economic development, much like water and energy,” Caulfield concluded.

In addition to regional and sector forecasts, the report provides an assessment of the key drivers of this growth, including industry trends, network infrastructure and access technologies, telecom services, and enterprise telecom markets. An excerpt, table of contents, and ordering information are available online at http://www.insight-corp.com/reports/review12.asp.

Apple iOS users have long been able to take advantage of the company’s wireless streaming feature, AirPlay, that is built into all iPads, iPhones, and iPod touch devices. Airtight is a new app that just arrived in the Android Market, and it gives Android users the same wireless streaming capacity. The app is available for Google TV boxes running at least Android 3.0, and will allow users to stream content from their iOS devices right to their televisions using AirPlay. While Airtight will allow users to stream photos and videos, full mirroring of a device and DRM-protected media is unsupported in the current version. Airtight’s developers plan to further expand the capabilities of the app and are looking to include music as well as the rest of AirPlay’s functionality in the future. Airtight is available immediately for $0.99 in the Android Market.

[Via 9to5Google]

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LTE quickly became one of the most talked about wireless topics this year, but before 2011 it was a term most consumers probably had never heard of. A standard developed by the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), long-term evolution (LTE) is a progression of UMTS/HSPA and GSM/EDGE networks. Just a year ago, 4G LTE wasn’t available to the general U.S. public and now, as we begin to enter 2012, a massive chunk of the U.S. population has access to it. 4G spread like a wildfire during 2011, so let’s take a look at some of this year’s LTE highlights.

Verizon Wireless kicked off the year with a handful of 4G LTE announcements during the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Two months later, in March, it became the first major U.S. wireless network to launch a 4G LTE handset, the HTC ThunderBolt. AT&T and T-Mobile meanwhile struggled to compete with Verizon’s 4G marketing and as a result, they advertised their slower HSPA+ networks as “4G.” That move no doubt contributed to the confusion surrounding 4G.

As the year went on, Verizon’s network continued to expand. The HTC ThunderBolt received praise for its speed, although it was clear that the technology needed to move LTE’s faster data took a toll on the phone’s battery life. Data speeds shocked reviewers, which noted that in some cases, Verizon’s network was capable of outpacing an average home’s cable Internet connection. Verizon maintained its momentum all year long and it blanketed the United States with its new network quicker than it had originally planned. Verizon now covers 200 million people in 190 markets with 4G LTE service.

AT&T wasn’t sitting still in 2011, either. It followed Verizon by launching its first LTE markets in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, San Antonio, Boston and Washington, D.C. While Verizon offers a larger network, AT&T’s has been ruled faster in at least one study, but it’s not uncommon for AT&T or Verizon users to see speeds nearly 10-times that of 3G networks. AT&T only offers three 4G LTE handsets right now, although we expect that figure to increase rapidly next year.

Sprint lagged behind Verizon and AT&T in 2011, both in terms of 4G and overall data speeds, but it now has a strategy in place to switch from WiMAX to LTE. The carrier will deploy its own 4G LTE network next year and has promised to launch several handsets by the second half of 2012. Sprint has already hit a few snags along the way, however. It’s planning to deploy at least part of the new network in the 1600MHz frequency spectrum in partnership with LightSquared, which has been the subject of GPS interference concerns for years now. While LightSquared has argued that it already fixed GPS interference problems, the U.S. government still refuses to grant the company its safety blessing. Luckily, Sprint has a new 4G LTE agreement with Clearwire, too.

T-Mobile was the only major U.S. carrier that failed to discuss its 4G LTE plans in 2011. Its efforts were no doubt stifled by AT&T’s failed acquisition of the carrier from Deutsche Telekom. Thankfully, AT&T’s breakup fee includes $3 billion in cash, fresh AWS spectrum and a 7-year 3G roaming agreement with AT&T. Perhaps it can use those assets to work towards deploying an LTE network of its own.

The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show was just a sample of 4G LTE. Here we are nearly 12 months later and more than two-thirds of the U.S. population has access to the faster data network. We’ll no doubt see dozens of new handsets and plenty of other products taking advantage of 4G LTE during this year’s show, which begins in a few short weeks.

It will be exciting to watch 4G expand in 2012 as AT&T and Verizon continue to add markets and Sprint’s LTE network begins to roll out. We also might finally see a 4G iPhone launch in 2012 — we know that Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 platform, which Apple has reportedly been waiting for, recently started shipping to manufacturers — and both RIM and Microsoft will see the first round of 4G LTE smartphones launch on each of their platforms this year.

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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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.

LightSquared Announces Collaboration with Sharp® on L-Band Smartphone and Tablet Product Development

LightSquared will provide device solutions for its network partners using Sharp’s leading-edge smartphone and tablet technologies.

RESTON, Va., October 3, 2011 – LightSquared™, which is building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will drive consumer choice and industry innovation, has announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Sharp®, a worldwide leader in consumer electronic products and solutions.

LightSquared has selected Sharp as its first manufacturer to provide advanced smartphones and tablets which will operate on its 4G-LTE network. The goal of the agreement is to leverage Sharp’s leading-edge product solutions to develop a range of innovative devices which will incorporate an extensive selection of unique device components, such as Sharp’s advanced LCD panel and camera module, for LightSquared’s 4G-LTE network partners including carriers, retailers and others.

This agreement underscores how LightSquared’s open network and growing ecosystem can help manufacturers expand their wireless offerings and develop innovative products without restrictions.

LightSquared will showcase devices during CTIA Enterprise & Applications, October 11-13, in San Diego.

“Sharp has a rich history of producing unique products that push the extremes of design and functionality, and we’re proud that they will be developing innovative devices for LightSquared’s 4G-LTE network,” said Sanjiv Ahuja, chief executive officer of LightSquared. “LightSquared’s wholesale-only business model and open network will provide Sharp with a platform from which they can aggressively expand into the U.S. wireless market with an exciting portfolio of smartphones and tablets.”

Verizon Wireless announced on Wednesday that it will activate its 4G LTE network in 26 new markets on Thursday, September 15th. The new areas include Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Michigan; Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead Minnesota; Canton, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio; Reno, Nevada; Iowa City, Iowa; Fort Smith and Jonesboro, Arkansas; Daytona, Florida; Shreveport, Louisiana; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Dyersburg, Tennessee; the Tri-Cities in Tennessee and Virginia; Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Wichita Falls and El Paso, Texas; San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, California; Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana, Rockford, Springfield and Quad Cities, Illinois. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network now covers more than 160 million U.S. residents in 143 markets, and the carrier hopes to cover 185 million Americans by the end of this year. Read on for a press release of Verizon’s expansion in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota.

VERIZON WIRELESS LAUNCHES 4G LTE IN 26 NEW MARKETS AND MAKES MAJOR EXPANSIONS IN 3 CITIES ON SEPTEMBER 15

With the Introduction of the new DROID BIONIC^™ by Motorola, Verizon Wireless Offers 11 Cutting-edge 4G LTE Devices

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless is turning on the world’s most advanced wireless network in 26 additional cities and expanding its network in San Francisco, Indianapolis and Cleveland/Akron on Thursday, Sept. 15, bringing the blazingly fast speed of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) to a total of 143 markets across the United States.  Consumers and businesses can choose from 11 4G LTE-enabled devices to connect to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country, including the new DROID BIONIC^™ by Motorola which is the first Verizon Wireless smartphone to combine 4G LTE with the power of dual-core 1 GHz processors, 1 GB of RAM and a stunning 4.3-inch qHD display.

Starting Thursday, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network will be available in Fort Smith and Jonesboro, Ark.; San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, Calif.; Daytona, Fla.; Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana, Rockford and Springfield, Ill.; the Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Shreveport, La.; Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Mich.; Reno, Nev.; Las Cruces, N.M.; Fargo, N.D.; Canton, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio; Dyersburg, Tenn.; the Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.; and Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Wichita Falls and El Paso, Texas.  The company is also making major 4G LTE expansions on Thursday in San Francisco, Indianapolis and Cleveland/Akron.

“We’ve followed an aggressive roll out plan for our 4G LTE network, and consumers and businesses can connect today to the fastest 4G LTE network in the country with nearly a dozen devices,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.  “Speed matters, and it matters when you’re in your hometown as well as when you’re on the road.  That’s why it’s important that you can connect over 4G LTE in 143 markets, from New York to San Francisco, and from Miami to Las Vegas.”

4G LTE Devices, Speed and Coverage

Consumers can choose from 11 devices to access the blazingly fast speeds of the 4G LTE network, including:

·        Smartphones: DROID BIONIC by Motorola, Revolution^™ by LG, DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt^™ by HTC

·        Tablets: Samsung Galaxy Tab^™ 10.1 with 4G LTE

·        Notebooks and Netbooks: HP^® Pavilion dm1-3010nr Entertainment PC and Compaq^™ Mini CQ10-688nr with built-in 4G LTE

·        Hotspots: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi^™ 4510L and Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11

·        Modems: Verizon Wireless 4G LTE USB Modem 551L and Pantech UML290 USB modem

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, 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 and allows customers in 3G coverage areas today who purchase 4G LTE devices to take advantage of 4G LTE 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 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G LTE 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 LTE, 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 LTE 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, 11 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, Carolina West/Clear Stream, Cellcom, Chariton Valley, Convergence Technologies, Cross Telephone, Custer Telephone Cooperative, Pioneer Cellular, S&R Communications, Strata Networks and Thumb Cellular.

4G LTE Markets as of Sept. 15, 2011

While Verizon Wireless’ 3G network covers more than 290 million Americans, the company’s 4G LTE network covers more than 160 million Americans and will be available in 143 cities on Thursday, including:

·        Decatur, Ala.

·        Huntsville, Ala.

·        Mobile, Ala.

·        Montgomery, Ala.

·        Phoenix, Ariz.

·        Tucson, Ariz.

·        Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, Ark.

·        Fort Smith, Ark.

·        Jonesboro, Ark.

·        Bakersfield, Calif.

·        Fresno, Calif.

·        Los Angeles, Calif.

·        Oakland, Calif.

·        Sacramento, Calif.

·        Salinas/Monterey/Seaside, Calif.

·        San Diego, Calif.

·        San Francisco, Calif.

·        San Jose, Calif.

·        San Luis Obispo, Calif.

·        Santa Barbara, Calif.

·        Colorado Springs, Colo.

·        Denver, Colo.

·        Fort Collins, Colo.

·        Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.

·        Hartford, Conn.

·        Washington, D.C.

·        Daytona, Fla.

·        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

·        Bloomington, Ill.

·        Carbondale, Ill.

·        Champaign/Urbana, Ill.

·        Chicago, Ill.

·        Rockford, Ill.

·        Springfield, Ill.

·        Fort Wayne, Ind.

·        Indianapolis, Ind.

·        West Lafayette, Ind.

·        The Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa

·        Iowa City, Iowa

·        Wichita, Kan.

·        Louisville, Ky.

·        Baton Rouge, La.

·        Hammond, La.

·        New Orleans, La.

·        Shreveport, La.

·        Baltimore, Md.

·        Frederick, Md.

·        Boston, Mass.

·        Springfield, Mass.

·        Worcester, Mass.

·        Detroit, Mich.

·        Flint, Mich.

·        Grand Rapids, Mich.

·        Kalamazoo, Mich.

·        Lansing, Mich.

·        Saginaw, Mich.

·        Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

·        St. Louis, Mo.

·        Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb.

·        Las Vegas, Nev.

·        Reno, Nev.

·        Las Cruces, N.M.

·        Albany, N.Y.

·        Ithaca, N.Y.

·        New York, N.Y.

·        Rochester, N.Y.

·        Syracuse, N.Y.

·        Charlotte, N.C.

·        Fayetteville/Lumberton, N.C.

·        Greensboro/Winston Salem/High Point, N.C.

·        Raleigh/Durham, N.C.

·        Wilmington, N.C.

·        Fargo, N.D.

·        Akron, Ohio

·        Canton, Ohio

·        Cincinnati, Ohio

·        Cleveland, Ohio

·        Columbus, Ohio

·        Dayton, Ohio

·        Lima, Ohio

·        Mansfield, Ohio

·        Toledo, Ohio

·        Oklahoma City, Okla.

·        Tulsa, Okla.

·        Portland, Ore.

·        Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa.

·        Altoona, Pa.

·        Erie, Pa.

·        Harrisburg, Pa.

·        Johnstown, 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.

·        Dyersburg, Tenn.

·        The Tri-Cities, Tenn./Va.

·        Knoxville, Tenn.

·        Memphis, Tenn.

·        Nashville, Tenn.

·        Austin, Texas

·        Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas

·        Bryan/College Station, Texas

·        Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas

·        El Paso, Texas

·        Houston, Texas

·        San Antonio, Texas

·        Temple/Killeen, Texas

·        Wichita Falls, Texas

·        Provo, Utah

·        Salt Lake City, Utah

·        Olympia, Wash.

·        Seattle, Wash.

·        Spokane, Wash.

·        Tacoma, Wash.

·        Charleston, W.Va.

·        Madison, Wis.

·        Milwaukee, Wis.

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

Wireless carriers around the world are digging themselves into a deeper hole by neglecting to experiment with innovative pricing models for 4G LTE services. While consumers have exhibited concern surrounding tiered data plans and bandwidth throttling, Ovum believes such models are necessary to combat the growing capacity crunch plaguing cellular service providers. This crunch, of course, is serious enough that AT&T is hoping to soon $39 billion in order to acquire T-Mobile USA and use the carrier’s precious spectrum for its 4G LTE network build-out. Smartphone and mobile broadband users are pumping more data over wireless networks than ever before, and speedier 4G LTE service only stands to exacerbate the situation. Additionally, carriers are missing the opportunity to find new ways to squeeze more revenue out of this new premium high-speed service. “We looked at the LTE pricing strategies of operators in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the US, and were disappointed with our findings,” Ovum analyst Nicole McCormick said in a statement. “LTE provides operators with the opportunity to experiment with new and innovative pricing models, which allows them to find the best way of deriving revenues from the premium service. However, most operators have not grasped this opportunity. Instead, LTE tariffs in the regions Ovum analysed are dominated by unlimited offerings and large data buckets, which can be problematic.” Ovum’s full press release follows below.

Lack of innovation in LTE pricing models, report finds

5 August 2011 | Published by Ovum

Operators that offer high-speed mobile broadband technology LTE are failing to deliver innovative pricing models, according to Ovum.

In a new report*, the independent telecoms analyst firm claims that there is a lack of new and innovative LTE (long term evolution) tariffs, which is a missed opportunity for operators given that LTE is a new service in the eyes of consumers.

Nicole McCormick, Ovum senior analyst and author of the report, commented: “We looked at the LTE pricing strategies of operators in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and theUS, and were disappointed with our findings.

“LTE provides operators with the opportunity to experiment with new and innovative pricing models, which allows them to find the best way of deriving revenues from the premium service.

“However, most operators have not grasped this opportunity. Instead, LTE tariffs in the regions Ovum analysed are dominated by unlimited offerings and large data buckets, which can be problematic.”

According to the report, unlimited data plans for LTE can present significant problems for operators, especially if they are accompanied by a lenient fair usage policy.

McCormick commented: “Operators should not offer unlimited LTE tariffs without some sort of deterrent as they could have an impact on the quality of the service given LTE’s data-intensive nature. However, we note that some leading operators –Verizon Wireless,SKTelecom, NTT DoCoMo and LG U+ – have steered clear of unlimited LTE offerings despite offering such packages in the 3G arena.”

The report also found that charging high premiums for LTE is unsustainable in the long-term due to competitive pressures in the industry and increased migration to 4G services. McCormick added: “Operators will need to be careful not to alienate high-end customers that have paid a premium for a fast, high-quality service by reducing LTE tariffs too quickly or drastically.”

Mobile data connections are poised grow 11% in 2011, driving global mobile data revenue to $314.7 billion. Market research firm Gartner on Thursday said mobile data connections will reach 5.6 billion this year compared to 5 billion in 2010, driving global revenue from mobile data up 22.5% from the $257 billion earned last year. “Mobile data traffic will increase significantly as more people will have access to mobile data networks, there is a migration toward smartphones and an increase in sales of media tablets,” said Gartner analyst Jessica Ekholm in a statement. “Mobile data volumes will continue to grow as mobile data networks become faster and more ubiquitous, while at the same time the number of data users and data usage per user is expected to grow.” Gartner sees global mobile data connections growing steadily over the next few years, reaching 7.4 billion in 2015 creating $552 billion in revenue. Preparing networks for this growth is something carriers need to focus on. “What carriers currently need are innovative ways to increase data revenue while finding smart solutions to manage a growing demand in data,” said Gartner research director Sylvain Fabre. “Ultimately, it will be the consumer who chooses the content he or she wants to use, and carriers need to ensure that the quality of experience is good. A substandard user experience may lead to higher churn.” Gartner’s full press release follows below.

Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Connections Will Reach 5.6 Billion in 2011 as Mobile Data Services Revenue Totals $314.7 Billion

STAMFORD, Conn., August 4, 2011—

Worldwide mobile connections will reach 5.6 billion in 2011, up 11 percent from 5 billion connections in 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. Mobile data services revenue will total $314.7 billion in 2011, a 22.5 percent increase from 2010 revenue of $257 billion.

“Mobile data traffic will increase significantly as more people will have access to mobile data networks, there is a migration toward smartphones and an increase in sales of media tablets,” said Jessica Ekholm, principal research analyst at Gartner. “Mobile data volumes will continue to grow as mobile data networks become faster and more ubiquitous, while at the same time the number of data users and data usage per user is expected to grow.”

“Data revenue will continue to grow but at a much slower rate,” Ms. Ekholm said. “This is causing a decoupling between revenue and data traffic, and it is also creating an increase in network costs for carriers as they try to sustain growing data traffic.”

Worldwide mobile connections will experience steady growth through 2015 when mobile connections are forecast to reach 7.4 billion, and mobile data revenue will reach $552 billion.

In calculating its forecast, Gartner assumed there are four major mobile data traffic drivers: growth in the number of mobile connections, increasing availability of higher-speed data-centric mobile networks, smartphones, and data-consuming content and applications.

A growing number of mobile connections will lead to higher demands on communication service providers’ (CSPs’) data networks as more people access the networks to use mobile data and to send text messages. In addition to the total number of connections growing, Gartner also expects that mobile data usage per connection will increase throughout the forecast period and that there will be a shift in mobile users’ perception of mobile data around the world, as data plans go from being seen as a luxury, to being considered a nice-to-have service, to finally being perceived as potentially essential.

Gartner expects communications service providers (CSPs) to increasingly start moving toward offering more flexible and more personalized data plans, which should help capture a larger mobile data user base. CSPs have also upgraded their networks by offering faster download and upload speeds to consumers, which have helped improve the general perception of data quality and thus led to increased data uptake.

“What carriers currently need are innovative ways to increase data revenue while finding smart solutions to manage a growing demand in data,” said Sylvain Fabre, research director at Gartner. “Ultimately, it will be the consumer who chooses the content he or she wants to use, and carriers need to ensure that the quality of experience is good. A substandard user experience may lead to higher churn.”

Gartner analysts said carriers should investigate the pros and the cons of more customized pricing plans, such as tiered pricing, a la carte and usage-based plans, carefully weighing additional costs and future benefits. Additionally, CSPs should look to offer increased flexibility in pricing and introduce add-on pricing models, in which users are able to add data access when they want to. These add-on pricing models could include paying for additional usage and additional speed, and charging a fee for voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or for gaming.

“Carriers should focus on increasing the level of clarity and the transparency of their mobile data contracts in order to make the majority of customers feel more at ease in using data services. This is particularly important when it comes to data roaming,” Ms. Ekholm said. “Offering clients various ways of being able to track and monitor their data usage would help carriers receive a larger amount of revenue from more profitable lower-usage, medium-pay users.”

Additional information is available in the Gartner report “Forecast: Mobile Data Traffic and Revenue, Worldwide, 2010-2015″ at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1737114.