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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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

AT&T moving to one phone charger fits all, plus conserve power

March 17th, 2010, 2:45 pm by

A special new phone charger from AT&T could help customers save money on their electric bill and waste less energy to boot.

The AT&T Zero Charger automatically senses when a mobile phone is no longer plugged in and cuts off power from the wall socket. Another eco-friendly aspect? It has a mini-USB port so it can be reused with a customer’s next phone.

AT&T worked with Irwindale-based Superior Communications on the charger, which will sell for $29.99 beginning in May. Interested customers can sign up HERE to be notified when it becomes available.

The world will likely see more of these chargers. It’s part of an effort by GSM World, a global organization supporting wireless technologies used by companies like AT&T. The Universal Charging Solution Initiative, which launched in February 2009, aimed to create a universal power supply for all cell phones (thank goodness!). No more searching for the right cable or adapter.

The new universal charger standard, approved last October, relies on USB technology to connect a phone to a charger. The technology inside reduces standby energy consumption.

Of course, iPhone owners won’t be able to use it unless they buy a micro-USB adapter cable. Perhaps Apple will join the effort and offer a universal power adapter as well.

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Posted in: Gadgets • news • • • • • • • • | 7 Comments »

AT&T upgrades mobile coverage in San Clemente, Laguna Hills

March 11th, 2010, 1:44 pm by

Two more cell sites just got powered on in Orange County that should help ease the pain of dropped calls and poor coverage for local AT&T customers.

AT&T said Thursday that the two new sites are part of four 3G sites in the Los Angeles area to “improve mobile coverage for area residents and businesses.”

In Orange County, the new sites are near these intersections:

  • San Clemente: Near the intersection of Portico Del Norte and Camino De Los Mares
  • Laguna Hills: Near the intersection of Moulton Parkway and Ridge Route Drive

The other new sites are located in Fontana and Temecula.

The upgrades are part of the company’s plan to add 200 new cell sites in California this year.

Other new cell sites:

►  Older posts on cell sites in Orange County

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

AT&T adds socially connected Android ‘Backflip’ phone

February 18th, 2010, 10:52 am by

AT&T said today that its first Google’s Android phone, the Motorola BACKFLIP, joins the company on March 7.

The Motorola Backflip will be one of AT&T’s few HSPA 7.2 capable phones so it can take advantage of the faster Internet speeds of up to 7.2 mbps.

AT&T has been upgrading most of its cell sites in Orange County to add this faster technology. This will be AT&T’s 6th HSPA phone. Others include the iPhone 3GS, HTC PURE, HTC Tilt2, Samsung Jack and the LG eXpo.

It’s called the Backflip because underneath the 3.1-inch screen is a full QWERTY keyboard that flips out so the phone looks like a mini laptop. The keyboard can also flip around to prop up the phone like an alarm clock.

Also, directly behind the screen is a touchpad, dubbed the “‘Backtrack,” (image on left) that lets you move around the screen with your finger touching behind it without smudging the actual screen.

Hard to imagine? Watch the AT&T’s demonstration video of the Backflip below: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • Gadgets • • • • • • • | 8 Comments »

Are AT&T’s MicroCells in O.C. or not?

January 25th, 2010, 5:36 pm by

UPDATE: Looks like the answer is no. See below in bold for more details.
——————————

AT&T's MicrocellPoor cellular coverage at home can be solved with a MicroCell, a portable cell tower built for the home. It’s a solution that could help many in Orange County who have indoor reception issues with AT&T and, most likely, their iPhone. The promise? 5 bars anywhere inside the house!

While AT&T’s MicroCell experiment began a year ago, the service is available in certain areas like San Diego County. The company has still not officially launched the service, which uses a home’s high-speed Internet to improve cellular reception indoors. Tech sites criticized AT&T since the belief was AT&T would offer the MicroCell by the end of 2009.

But spotted on a user message board, at least one poster who said he’s from Irvine, said his MicroCell was turned on in Irvine. Has anyone else had success? Share the details please!

UPDATE: One reader has left a comment below saying he is the guy who posted that he got a MicroCell in Irvine. Way too much trouble. See his comment. (Updated at 11:57 a.m. Jan. 26)

Of course, AT&T officials won’t confirm it. This is all they would tell me:

“We recently began a controlled rollout of AT&T MicroCell, but we have not yet announced a date for the wider launch. Our AT&T 3G MicroCell pilot program is currently being conducted in San Diego and in parts of North Carolina (including Charlotte and Raleigh), South Carolina (including Columbia) and Georgia (including Atlanta). We will certainly keep you updated when service becomes available in Orange County.”

While the AT&T stores in Orange County aren’t selling MicroCells, you may be able to convince a store in San Diego to let you get one. Here’s a list of San Diego stores that AT&T’s web site says will sell you one:

AT&T store with MicroCell Phone Number
1560 Leucadia Blvd. Ste D, Encinitas, CA 92024 760-635-4363
1268 Auto Parkway, Ste. B, Escondido, CA 92029 760-432-4200
2011 Camino del Este North, San Diego, CA 92108 619-293-4630
12873 El Camino Real, Ste M-1, San Diego, CA 92130 858-793-4888
50 Town Center Pkwy, Unit A, Santee, CA 92071 619-448-1798
2883 Jamacha Blvd., El Cajon, CA 92019 619-660-6075
555 Broadway, Ste. 1070, Chula Vista, CA 91910 619-427-0126

More on cell sites:

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • | 24 Comments »

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