4G - 5/12 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

[Update: Verizon Clarifies] Verizon Will End Unlimited Data Grandfathering If You Buy A 4G Phone From This Summer Onward

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, News, Verizon Wireless

Update: In response to the rather vocal outcries of many of its subscribers on the web, Verizon has clarified what will happen to 3G/4G data plans explicitly. The takeaway is this: anyone purchasing a smartphone from this summer forward on subsidy pricing will be pushed into tiered/shared data. If you choose not to buy a smartphone on subsidy, you can keep your unlimited plan if you choose to.

This means if you renew your 2-year agreement, from this summer forward, on any line by buying a "discounted" phone, you lose unlimited.

Here are the exact statements:

Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans.

Apr

Verizon Announces 27 New LTE Markets, 44 Expansions For April 19th

Posted by Cameron Summerson in 4G, News, Verizon Wireless

It's the third-ish week of the month, so you know what time is: time for new Verizon LTE markets. This month, Big Red decided to go big by activating LTE in 27 new markets on April 19th. Not only that, but it's expanding current LTE coverage in 44 additional markets. Without further ado, here's that monstrous list:

New Markets

Auburn and Tuscaloosa, AL
Pine Bluff, Siloam Springs, and Van Buren, AR
Brunswick, LaGrange, and Macron/Warner Robins, GA
Peoria, IL
Kokomo/Logansport and Marion, IN
Salisbury, MD
Cattaraugus/Allegany, NY
Sandusky, OH
Ardmore and Ponca City, OK
Salem/Albany/Corvallis, OR
Pierre, SD
Big Springs and Tyler, TX

Expansions

Phoenix and Tucson, AZ
Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Sacramento, Salinas/Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo and Stockton, CA
Colorado Springs and Fort Collins/Loveland, CO
Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
Boise/Nampa, ID
Carbondale/Marion and Rockford, IL
Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, IN
Des Moines, IA
Boston and Worcester, MA
Detroit, MI
St.

Apr

Verizon Announces Expansions To A Ton Of California Markets, Including Fresno, Sacramento, And San Francisco Bay Area (Plus Reno)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in 4G, News, Verizon Wireless

Say what you will about Verizon's data plan costs (and we all will), but at least the company works for that money. The LTE rollout continues as Verizon announces expansions to what professionals are calling "a whole lot" of California markets, as well as Reno, Nevada. Most have already had LTE, but if you've ever yelled in frustration when you lose that precious LTE signal while driving down Highway 99 in Fresno, your commute is about to get easier.

The list of markets that are getting expanded coverage areas include:

Additionally, Reno is receiving some expanded coverage.

Apr

[Updated x2: Staten Island, St. Louis Now Live] AT&T Set To Activate LTE In 12 New Markets

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in 4G, AT&T, News

AT&T's long, drawn out game of catch-up with Verizon is moving one step closer to completion. According to AT&T, Cleveland, New Orleans, Staten Island, and 9 other cities will be added to the list that will taste the sweet LTE waters "soon." The 12 markets are scheduled to receive LTE in "April, May and into the early summer."

Update 4/3/12: Muncie, Bloomington, Bryan-College Station are live.

Update 4/11/12: St. Louis and Staten Island are live.

The list of new markets includes (bold = markets that went live since the original post date):

Akron, OH
Canton, OH
Cleveland, OH
Naples, FL
Bloomington, IN
Lafayette, IN
Muncie, IN
Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans, LA
St.

Apr

AT&T Bringing LTE To Muncie, IN; Bloomington, IN; And Bryan-College Station, TX On April 8th

Posted by Cameron Summerson in 4G, AT&T, News

Mid-last month, AT&T announced that it would bringing LTE to 12 new markets in "April, May, and into early summer." It appears to be making good on those plans beginning now, as it's going to flip the switch in three new markets on April 8th:

Muncie, IN
Bloomington, IN
Bryan-College Station, TX

This gives AT&T a total of 31 LTE markets now, putting it pretty far behind Verizon's "more than 200 cities."

There's no word as to when it should roll out the rest of the promised markets, but it's nice to see it getting an early start delivering the goods.

Mar

Sprint And HTC To Make Announcement On April 4th, Will Almost Certainly Be Sprint Version Of The One X

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, HTC, News, One X (Endeavor), Sprint

Update: We've blurred out some information from the invite at Sprint's request. Excuse the artistic license taken. By the way, the announcement will take place in New York City and starts at 5:30PM EST sharp. Oh, and the blurred out part at the bottom said "click here." In case you were wondering.

A handful of media outlets have begun receiving invitations to an event showcasing HTC and Sprint's "latest collaboration," and if it's anything other than an EVO-branded version of HTC's new flagship device, the One X, we'll be thoroughly surprised.

What do we know about the Sprint version of the One X?

Mar

[Updated: LG Viper Too] Rumor: Sprint's Galaxy Nexus And LG Viper Poised For An April 15th Release

Posted by Liam Spradlin in 4G, Galaxy Nexus, LG, News, Rumors, Sprint, Viper

Going on a tip received from within Sprint's Product Development division, S4GRU, a site pretty well connected with Sprint's insiders, has reported that the third largest wireless network in the US is aiming to get the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on shelves beginning April 15th.

The mid-April date has been rumored for some time now, as it coincides with the end of Sprint's Data Storm contest, and several WiMax device promotions which end on or around April 14th. You may remember that Sprint's Galaxy Nexus also just got through the FCC, making a not-too-distant release even more plausible.

Update: LG Viper is also supposed to come out on the same April 15th date.

Mar

Sprint Ends LTE Agreement With Lightsquared, Says Its Network Vision Plan Is Still 'On Schedule'

Posted by Cameron Summerson in 4G, News, Sprint

Back in July of '11, Sprint entered into an agreement with Lightsquared to provide 4G LTE to its network on the 1.6GHz spectrum. Lightsqaured was given until March 15, 2012 to work out the potential kinks (mostly dealing with GPS interference) but was unable to deliver on this deadline. As such, The Now Network had to call it quits.

Sprint has been and continues to be supportive of LightSquared’s business plans and appreciates the company’s efforts to find a resolution to the interference issues impacting its ability to offer service on the 1.6 GHz spectrum. However, due to these unresolved issues, and subject to the provisions of the agreement, Sprint has elected to exercise its right to terminate the agreement announced last summer.

Mar

Verizon Announces Seven New LTE Markets, Expansion In 17 More On March 15th

Posted by Cameron Summerson in 4G, News, Verizon Wireless

If you haven't already been touched by Verizon's stupid-fast 4G LTE network, then tomorrow may be the day. Big Red will flip the switch on seven new markets, including:

Dothan and Enterprise, AL
Naples, FL
Greenville, NC
Altus and Durant, OK
Longview/Marshall, TX

Also on its quest for world domination (at least on the cellular level), VZW will expand its LTE market in 17 existing markets:

Washington D.C.
Elkhart, IN
Baltimore, MD
Columbus, MS
Northern NJ
Wilmington, NC
Duncan, OK
Allentown/Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA
Hilton Head, SC
Cleveland, TN
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Kenosha, Madison, and Milwaukee, WI

This puts Verizon at a little over 200 markets (203 to be exact), and it shows no plans of slowing any time soon.

Feb

[Rumor] Sprint Adds Los Angeles To List Of Planned Network Vision/LTE Markets For 2012

Posted by Liam Spradlin in 4G, Rumors, Sprint

Just a few days after allegedly adding its NYC market to the list of 2012 LTE rollout locations, Sprint has evidently begun planning to light up the Los Angeles Metro area by the end of 2012 as well.

Sprint's Los Angeles Metro market currently spans all of Los Angeles County, including Avalon and Santa Catalina. According to S4GRU, Orange County, North LA, Riverside/San Bernardino, San Diego, and Lower Central Valley are included in different markets, and are expected to deploy some time after Los Angeles.

S4GRU also notes that while converting the necessary sites to Network Vision standards will take over 8 months, individual sites will be activated on a monthly basis, meaning customers who purchase Sprint's first round of 4G LTE-enabled devices will still have a chance of enjoying enhanced data speeds.