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AT&T adds 2 cell sites in Irvine, Orange

April 9th, 2010, 7:27 am by

AT&T has added new 3G wireless cell sites in Irvine and Orange. The company could not provide details on the locations.

The 3G cell sites includes the recent upgrade to High-Speed Packet Access 7.2 technology, which should speed up Internet browsing and data transmission on the cellular network.

The company also announced new sites in San Bernardino and Chino and one in Kern County’s Shafter.

AT&T plans to add 200 cell sites in California, which should be good news to local iPhone users.

Latest news on cell sites:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • | 23 Comments »

Sprint’s new policy: Play with any phone for 30 days for “free”

March 31st, 2010, 3:58 pm by

If you’ve been curious about one of the new Sprint wireless phones now on the market, Sprint is launching a new policy Thursday (April 1) with a money back guarantee if you’re not “completely satisfied” within 30 days.

This could come in handy when Sprint finally launches its 4G wireless Internet service here in Orange County later this year. Users will be able to see if the new wireless service is really as fast as it’s touted. The offer is available to all new customers and existing customers who are adding a new line of service. If you’re unhappy with your Sprint service today, you’re out of luck on this one.

Sprint isn’t alone in offering a 30-day money back guarantee. All the wireless companies have a similar return policy here in California (see earlier story, “How any consumer can ‘test’ a cell phone“).

But Sprint’s new guarantee goes  further. It will reimburse customers for the device, activation fee, monthly plan and all associated taxes and surcharges. Other companies’ 30-day return policies still try to get the customer to pay for calls made, taxes and surcharges. Plus there may be a restocking fee.

The fine print of the Sprint Free Guarantee? Customers must pay upfront so you’d better have some cash available. And while there’s no restocking fee for new customers who cancel, existing customers may get charged a $35 restocking fee unless you exchange it for a new device. Customers who return the phone will have to pay for any usage that wasn’t part of their monthly service plan, such as song purchases and digital downloads. You’re also responsible for any international charges and associated taxes, plus third-party billing.

Don’t forget to save the box and all packaging. And, of course, the phone must still work.  Sprint will return your money anywhere from the same day to up to three billing cycles, depending on how you paid for it. If you don’t cancel within 30 days, your contract kicks in and canceling it before it expires could cost you $200.

While these fees sound reasonable, definitely read the fine print before committing to any new contract. Here’s the fine print for the new policy.

Previously on Sprint:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • | 17 Comments »

AT&T confirms wireless ‘disruption’ today

March 25th, 2010, 5:05 pm by

FYI: For Orange County AT&T mobile users who had unusually spotty service today, it’s all been fixed, the company said.

“Due to an equipment issue earlier this afternoon, some area AT&T customers may have experienced wireless service disruption. AT&T technicians resolved the issue at approximately 3:45 p.m. PT. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers,” said the company.

I’m not an iPhone or AT&T customer, but I heard that some people had major issues with 3G Internet today. If issues continue, let me know.

More on cell phone service:

Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • | 13 Comments »

Cox’s mobile phone update: Can you hear me now Omaha?

March 25th, 2010, 8:02 am by

Despite a marketing campaign to promote the March launch of a new mobile phone service, consumers in the only city where Cox Communications actually launched service probably have no clue it exists.

That’s because in Omaha, Nebraska, only paying Cox employees there can get the service, said Jill Ullman, with Cox’s public affairs department. She declined to share prices, features or any other useful information.

Orange County was supposed to join Omaha this month as one of three areas nationwide that would get Cox’s “unbelievably fair” service first. But as we learned earlier this week, Cox nixed that launch in Orange County  in order to put “the final touches on the Cox Wireless,” said a spokesperson (see earlier story: What happened to Cox Cable’s mobile phone service?).

Around the Web, other news sites are reporting that Cox is gearing up to launch mobile service for business customers. Multichannel News says phone service is available in the three communities but only for “friendly” customers and testers.

If there are any “friendly” readers out there who are testing Cox’s mobile service in Orange County, please share your experience.

Earlier on Cox’s mobile phone service:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 2 Comments »

Get your own personal AT&T cell tower next month

March 24th, 2010, 3:15 pm by

If you’re tired of waiting for AT&T to build a new cell tower in your neighborhood, you will soon be able to buy your own mini tower to improve cellular coverage at home.

The AT&T 3G MicroCell, which launched last fall in test markets like San Diego, is now ready for its national roll out. The product goes on sale in mid-April. No cities were announced, but the company plans an aggressive launch.

These MicroCell devices, generically called femtocells, still require separate broadband Internet service. Wireless calls are routed over the home’s broadband connection to produce a stronger signal for a clearer conversation. If your calls are scratchy due to concrete walls, nearby mountains and other terrain, this is something to consider.

The AT&T’ MicroCell also supports 3G data and was developed with Cisco. More details: www.att.com/3gmicrocell.

The device will be $149.99, which may seem high considering you’re already paying a monthly bill. But that’s about the going rate for MicroCells. Verizon Wireless charges $249.99 for its “network extender.” Sprint’s Airave is $99.99. T-Mobile no longer offers its HotSpot @Home service, at least to new customers.

AT&T is offering mail-in-rebates to get the cost down to nothing. If you add a MicroCell monthly plan of $19.99, you’ll get unlimited calls when using the MicroCell to connect. That also qualifies for a $100 rebate. Add in AT&T DSL or U-verse Internet service and there’s an additional $50 rebate.

Related:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • | 14 Comments »

What happened to Cox Cable’s mobile phone service?

March 24th, 2010, 7:12 am by

March is almost over and the “unbelievably fair” mobile phone service from Cox Communications has failed to make its debut in Orange County, which was one of three regions nationwide picked for the cable TV provider’s mobile debut.

The launch has been delayed indefinitely, said Lana Ong, the spokesperson for the local Cox operation.

“We didn’t launch Cox Wireless widely to the public on March 8 because we are taking a very deliberate approach to introduce new products and services to the marketplace to ensure an experience that customers expect from Cox,” she replied.

She continues, “We realize many customers were looking forward to it however, the most important thing to note is Cox is putting the final touches on the Cox Wireless experience. Holding true to our customers is our number one priority and Cox Wireless will be here soon.  We’re asking that interested customers visit unbelievablyfair.com if they want to be the first to learn more about Cox Wireless – and don’t renew that contract!”

That’s a tough request, even for people who can’t wait to ditch their own wireless provider.

At this point, all we know is that Cox was building a mobile-phone network that uses Sprint’s CDMA 3G network. It would do away with overage fees, vanishing minutes and other consumer outrages. You don’t have to be a Cox TV subscriber. The company even produced commercials about it, which it’ll have to reshoot since they tout a March launch.

Orange County was one of three regions picked to be the first to get service. Hampton Roads, Va. and Omaha, Neb. were the other two areas.

Omaha, however, did launch, Ong said.

“While we don’t have a set date yet for our official wireless launch to the public, our Omaha system launched Cox Wireless in limited availability earlier this month,” she said.

In the mid 1990s, Cox tapped Omaha as a city it planned to launched cellular service using existing its fiber-optic cable network, according to a story in the Omaha World Herald. The service was pitched as something that would cost half the price of existing cellular service. The effort was later dropped.

Related stories:

Posted in: Cell phones • Video & TV • • • • • • • | 27 Comments »

Who will offer fastest wireless Internet?

March 23rd, 2010, 4:32 pm by

It’s a big week for mobile Internet, as nearly every wireless company is at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas and unveiling plans for cell phone customers in the U.S. But is there anything we should really care about?

More people are moving to smartphones and rely on cellular-based wireless for Internet. The mobile Web needs to speed up, big time.

Currently 3rd-generation (3G) Internet speeds are around 1 megabit per second. The coming 4G technology promises much faster service.  Sprint and T-Mobile announced their upgrades today. Verizon’s is coming tomorrow.

If you’re trying to sort out what mobile service is in your future, here’s what it comes down to:

► T-Mobile: Announced “Rollout the Nation’s Fastest 3G Wireless Network.”
Speeds: Using a technology called HSPA+, T-Mobile  says its mobile Internet will jump to speeds of 21 megabits per second. The announcement Tuesday included a “coming soon” for Los Angeles (and Orange County) users.
Reality: 21 mbps is a theoretical speed. As with every wireless Internet, speed will vary based on “location, device, and overall traffic on the local wireless network,” which T-Mobile does note. How slow? One reviewer seemed impressed when he squeezed 3 mbps out of T-Mobile’s service. Users also must upgrade to a HSPA device (here’s a list) and, ultimately, this is 3G and not 4G technology. However, it’s one of the fastest wireless technologies available today and should be everywhere by end of year.

► Sprint: Expanded its limited 4G wireless Internet to more areas, including North Orange County later this year.
Speeds: Using 4G Wimax technology, Sprint says its mobile Internet is 3 to 6 mbps, which is “up to 10 times faster” than today’s existing 3G speeds of around 600 kilobits per second, says Sprint.
Reality: The same reviewer who tested T-Mobile’s HSPA+ discovered Sprint’s 4G speed was slower, at 2.25 mbps. Other 4G user forums mention how it’s slower than 3G. But there are no caps on usage, and it’s the only 4G service publicly available.

► Verizon: Still waiting to hear Verizon’s update, which is coming Wednesday.
Speeds: Its mobile Internet service using Long Term Evolution technology (LTE) is on track for this year. Peak download of 40 to 50 mbps; upload speed of 20 to 25 mbps.
Reality: Since speed is reliant on environment and other users, Verizon says the average download speed is more like 5 to 12 mbps, while upload speed is 2 to 5 mbps.

► AT&T: Appears to be concentrating on other news this week and announced connected digital photo frames and GPS-enabled dog collars. The company, which is sticking with HSPA for now until it moves to LTE, did express disbelief as to whether LTE is ready for prime time.

More CTIA news:

  • Verizon Wireless smartphone customers can add Skype beginning Thursday. Calls to other Skype users won’t affect available minutes. Read details
  • First Android phone with 4G and 3G service coming from Sprint this summer. The HTC Evo even has its own site: www.sprint.com/evo.  Read details
  • T-Mobile announces first netbook. Read details

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • • • | 5 Comments »

Sprint takes lead to get 4G wireless Internet to O.C.

March 23rd, 2010, 8:46 am by

In the race to get faster wireless Internet to Orange County, Sprint took the lead Tuesday by naming our area as one of seven new markets it plans to launch service by the end of the year.

By the end of 2010, Sprint plans to offer 4th-generation wireless service in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and St. Louis. It previously announced that service would also begin this year in Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Specifically, Sprint tells me that 4G service will cover most of North Orange County and down to Irvine. At least that’s the plan through the end of 2010.

But that’s the 4G race report as of Tuesday, 8:22 a.m. The other prime contender is Verizon, which plans to launch its own version of 4G wireless Internet this year. The company hasn’t named Orange County as a target for its Long Term Evolution (LTE) service but last week said that it’s on track to launch 4G in up to 30 unnamed markets. We may hear more from Verizon, being that this week happens to be the CTIA Show, the annual wireless convention in Las Vegas.

Back to Sprint’s big news, the company is indeed the first in the U.S. to offer a fourth-generation of wireless Internet and phone service. Teaming up with Clearwire, Sprint launched its 4G service in September 2008 and it’s currently available in 25 cities nationwide.

Using a technology called Wimax, Sprint says that its wireless speeds are 3 to 6 megabits per second, which is “up to 10 times faster” than today’s existing 3G speeds of around 600 kilobits per second.

What’s the big deal? 4G service allows your phone, laptop or other portable 4G device to stream HD movies, download large files and create a home wireless Internet so you can skip slower DSL, according to Sprint.  Sprint set up a 4G site with more information for customers here: sprint.com/4G

More from the web:

Mobile Broadband: You’re Gonna Pay for the Convenience (GigaOm)

Previous 4G news:

Posted in: Cell phones • Internet • • • • • | 12 Comments »

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