carriers

Online video startup Qwilt raises $24 million

As consumers turn more to mobile devices to watch Internet video, the greater the burden that traffic places on wireless carriers and Internet service providers.

Qwilt, a provider of video-infrastructure products, aims to ease that burden by preparing networks for the expected explosion in Internet video traffic. The company announced today it has raised $24 million in two rounds of funding from Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Crescent Point Group, and Real Networks founder Rob Glaser.

"The explosion of Internet video viewed through all types of Web-enabled devices, from smartphones to iPads, calls for new technology to help the consumer … Read more

Sprint's iPhone 4S SIM unlock a limited affair

If you were planning to buy a Sprint iPhone 4S with hopes of using its unlocked micro-SIM card slot to dodge international roaming charges, that now appears to be a limited time offer.

Macworld this afternoon relays a statement from Sprint, with the carrier saying it plans to lock the iPhone 4S' Micro-SIM slot as part of an update that will go out to buyers "shortly." Those customers can then request an unlock from the carrier if they're "in good standing."

Customers could use the unlocked slot with a prepaid Micro-SIM card in order to … Read more

iPhone 4S carrier preorders sold out in U.S.? Not so fast

One day before Apple's iPhone 4S goes on sale, a new report claims U.S. carriers have sold out of preorders.

Bloomberg today points to AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint's online stores as being "sold out," yet only mentions Verizon and Sprint as listing "no immediate stock" of the entry-level 16GB model.

A quick check on the carrier sites tells a different story: people can still pre-order most models of Apple's new iPhone, but there's no longer the guarantee they'll get it by tomorrow, something that's been the case … Read more

The real reason there's no iPhone 5: The carriers

In retrospect, it shouldn't be a surprise that Apple released a half-step iPhone this week, instead of a revolutionary and redesigned iPhone 5. Think about it--the real reason for the iPhone 4S is the same as for the iPhone 3GS: carrier contracts are two years long.

The 4S isn't meant to be an upgrade for iPhone 4 users--it's a lure to get new iPhone users in the door, and you iPhone 4 folks will get your iPhone 5 upgrade just in time for a new contract. And if you decide you can't wait and spend big … Read more

How to pick a carrier for the iPhone 4S (infographic)

After a year and a half of silence, Apple announced the latest iPhone: the iPhone 4S. The new phone will be available October 14, with preorders starting October 7.

But this time, the iPhone 4S is available on three carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

If you're one of those people who's been saving your upgrade, it's a good time to rethink your cell phone provider. Each carrier offers a unique advantage--like unlimited data or lightning-fast downloads--so you'll have to decide based on your lifestyle and needs.

To help you pick, we put together this … Read more

iPhone 5: No clear winner among mobile carriers

The iPhone 5 will benefit three of the top four U.S. mobile carriers, but no clear winner is yet seen among them, according to a report by ComScore.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and reportedly Sprint each stand to grab a healthy slice of the market demand for the new iPhone. But each carrier brings something different to the table, making it difficult to predict which one might benefit the most, says ComScore.

Dialed In 192: Verizon may choke you

Verizon Wireless doesn't like to use the word "throttle" when describing how it will restrict heavy data users, but it has no problem with the word "choke." And as Jessica tells us, that's exactly what the carrier is starting to do for the "most active five percent of its 3G data customers." No, it's not very convenient, but at least the carrier is trying to be polite about it.

Elsewhere in the podcast, we tackle a new female-oriented phone from HTC that may have Rhyme, though it's without any real … Read more

T-Mobile executive squashes iPhone 5 rumor

If you were a T-Mobile USA customer hoping to get your hands on Apple's next-generation iPhone this year, that prospect now looks dimmer.

A purportedly leaked shot of T-Mobile's internal blog, sent to TmoNews, depicts a rundown of a town hall meeting last week, wherein Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman told employees that an iPhone 5 was not in the cards for the company--at least not this year.

The post reads:

"Our business is working very hard to improve performance over the last couple of years and we've had some great success," said Brodman. New … Read more

Why companies test phones in the wild

As CNET reported yesterday, a second unreleased Apple iPhone has gone astray. The secret device was lost at a San Francisco bar in late July, CNET reporters Declan McCullagh and Greg Sandoval wrote, and Apple quickly conducted an aggressive campaign to find it.

If it sounds familiar, that's because it is. Remember that last year, an Apple computer engineer accidentally left a prototype iPhone 4 in a German beer garden in Redwood City, Calif. And just today, the two men who allegedly sold the device to tech blog Gizmodo pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges at an arraignment.

If … Read more

Cell phone networks unscathed by Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene has come and gone, and despite widespread power losses up and down the Eastern U.S., wireless networks performed well.

Cell phone operators said they had been preparing for days for the hurricane, which hit North Carolina on Saturday and hugged the Atlantic coastline up to New York City where it turned into a tropical storm before making landfall early Sunday morning. The preparation paid off as all four major operators reported that their equipment for the most part held up well in the storm.

While some customers may have experienced some disruption, for the most part, the … Read more