Broadband Wireless Access » broadband news

Apple Grabs 17% of Worldwide Smartphone Market

bbwa — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:23:34 +0000

Even as overall sales for mobile phones remained flat for the third quarter, smartphone sales continue to show double digit growth—as they have ever since the market was redefined by Apple’s iPhone. Apple’s share of the market continues to climb and is edging close to rival RIM, while market leader Nokia continues its slow decline according to the latest data from market research firm Gartner.

Read the full story here!

Motorola Droid Comes to Verizon

bbwa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:32 +0000

Today is droid day, the day that the Motorola Droid hits the marketplace, available through Verizon Wireless. This phone marks Motorola’s plunge into using Google’s Android operating system on a phone, a trend that seems to be getting stronger all the time. In fact, the hubbub over the Droid phone is putting the hurt on Blackberry, who’s new smartphone offerings are getting lost on the editing room floor. There are a number of reviews of the Motorola Droid Phone, and generally they look very positive indeed!

Sony Ericsson Shows First Android Phone

bbwa — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:17:31 +0000

Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X10 introduces an open and integrated world of social media, communication and entertainment

* XPERIA™ X10 is the flagship phone in a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in Q1 2010
* New UX (user experience) platform lets consumers organise everything and discover more with the most open, human and intuitive user experience yet

London – November 3 2009 – Sony Ericsson today unveils the XPERIA™ X10, the first phone in a family of phones to deliver a consistent user experience where communication truly becomes entertainment. Building on Sony Ericsson’s entertainment heritage and combining rich graphics with intelligence capabilities, the XPERIA™ X10 introduces a new UX platform that will evolve across the product portfolio and expand over time continuously introducing new features and capabilities.

The UX platform builds on top of the Open OS and creates a unique Sony Ericsson user experience by combining best-in-class entertainment features with signature applications, unrivalled integration of social media services and a rich graphical user interface. The XPERIA™ X10 is the first mobile phone to truly humanise the way people interact with their phones.

Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson said, “The XPERIA™ X10 and the family of phones launching in the first half of 2010 underpin our commitment to an open and multi-platform strategy that maximises choice for the consumer and delivers the best possible consumer experience. The reaction from our global operator partners to the XPERIA X10 has been extremely positive and we will be rolling out across the world including Japan from the first half of 2010.”

Rikko Sakaguchi, EVP and Chief Creation Officer, Sony Ericsson said, “The XPERIA™ X10 is a fantastic example of our make.believe philosophy because we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and demonstrating that anything consumers can imagine, we can make possible. With the X10, we are raising the bar we have set ourselves with entertainment-rich phones like Aino and Satio by making communication more fun and playful, multiplying and enriching opportunities to connect.”

More info here.

Novatel First MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot

bbwa — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:56:08 +0000

US : Novatel Wireless unveiled MiFi, an unprecedented line of Intelligent Mobile Hotspots. Together with a rich applications environment for enterprises and consumers, MiFi drives a new ecosystem of broadband connectivity. Unlike existing router solutions that require an external broadband modem and serve only to provide connectivity, the MiFi line creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be easily shared between multiple users and Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, cameras, gaming devices and multimedia players. The MiFi products serve as an intelligent, open platform capable of hosting advanced software applications and flexible enough to address the continued evolution of mobile broadband.

“With the pocket-sized MiFi device, Novatel Wireless has invented a new category of mobile broadband solutions, pushing the envelope in design and performance and ushering in the next era of the mobile broadband experience,” said Peter Leparulo, chairman and CEO of Novatel Wireless. “Our carrier partners will now be able to provide new wireless solutions and bundles for consumer and enterprise users. This will contribute to the continued growth of the addressable broadband market and create a unique opportunity for carriers to generate additional revenue per user through the deployment of innovative value-add applications and services.”

Rogers Wireless Launches HP Mini 110 3.5G Netbook Computer

bbwa — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:11:28 +0000

Canada’s biggest cell phone operator, Rogers Wireless, has launched what will likely be the first in a new class of products: web-ready netbooks with built-in 3.5G (HSPA) mobile broadband chips.

Iphone comes to Canada

bbwa — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:30:48 +0000

The good news for Canadians who have been waiting for the Iphone is that it is finally just about here. Rogers has struck a deal with Apple, and now you will be able to actually get the phone in Canada without hitting the greay market or getting a modded phone.

The downside? Well, Rogers isn’t exactly known for their generous pricing programs, and the Iphone is no exception. In the US, most users get an unlimited plan that allows plenty of data to flow. But Rogers has gone with a limited capped deal that could end up costing Iphone users in canada a ton of money. In this story from the Globe and Mail, some users are suggesting that access fees could exceed $1000 a year for the Iphone, which is out of reach for many potential users.

Earthlink re-thinks the municipal Wi-Fi plans

bbwa — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:55:24 +0000

While they aren’t exactly explains all of the reasons, it would appear that high costs and the high number of installations required has put the brakes on 802.11 style wi-fi wireless setups for cities, at least as far as Earthlink is concerned.

More information, click here

City-Wide Wi-Fi not connecting with the users

bbwa — Tue, 22 May 2007 22:15:11 +0000

Interesting story on CNN about Wi-Fi in the city. The issue is that the density of equipment to provide truly seamless wifi over a large area is just way too pricey. At this point, once city is running one access point every 500 feet, which means that many users just can’t get a signal indoors or near the edges of the service circle. To shrink that down to every 250 feet, they would have to install 4 times the equipment, which is just not cost effective.

This may be proof that the city wide wireless access maybe slightly ahead of it’s time.

Read the story on CNN, click here

IEEE restarts 802.20 group

bbwa — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 04:12:55 +0000

After a layoff to sort out political infighting and potential issues of bias by members, the IEEE has restarted the group to bring a solid standard to broadband wireless, specifically called 802.20.

802.20 is very similar to the “WiMAX” standard 802.16e, but differs on some methods. The goal of 802.20 is to provide 1mps service even in a fast moving car or train.

More info about 802.20, click here

Bellsouth Expands WIMAX Footprint

bbwa — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 04:08:31 +0000

Bellsouth continues on thier roll out of WiMAX service, adding in the areas of Albany, Ga. and Paducah, Ky. This brings to 10 the areas served by their WiMAX product base:

North Charleston, S.C.; Melbourne, Fla.; Greenville, Miss.; and Chattanooga, Tenn. The RBOC also offers wireless broadband service in Athens, Ga.; Palatka, Fla.; DeLand, Fla. BellSouth plans to expand the service to additional cities throughout 2006.

Read the whole story, click here