Let’s look at the all the spectrum T-Mobile is getting from AT&T

With the AT&T/T-Mobile merger dead, AT&T is readying to compensate T-Mobile with precious mobile spectrum that covers 128 cellular market areas. But what exactly does that look like on the U.S. map?

The fine folks at GigaOM and spectrum expert Andrew Shepherd have developed a handy map, shown above, that shows exactly where T-Mobile will be getting new spectrum additions, which will help the company improve its own 4G offerings.

As noted on the map, … Continue Reading

AT&T could buy Dish to gobble up its precious wireless spectrum

After conspicuously losing its bid to acquire T-Mobile, AT&T is still out in the cold when it comes to wireless spectrum. But a new report says the telecom company could now buy Dish Network at a considerable premium to obtain its highly coveted spectrum.

AT&T’s primary motivation to buy T-Mobile USA was to get access to that company’s spectrum, a high-value commodity that makes it possible for customers to make calls and send and receive … Continue Reading

Our test for the best cell phone service provider at CES 2012

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, everybody wanted to talk. And when they talked on their mobile phones, they put a great deal of stress on the mobile phone carriers. We tried to figure out who handled the load the best.

CES is the biggest technology convention in the US. This year it once again broke attendance records with 153,000 analysts, exhibitors, and journalists. Regardless of your place in the industry, having mobile … Continue Reading

Enterprise software player Splunk files for $125M IPO

Enterprise data software company Splunk has filed for a $125 million initial public offering, according to its SEC S-1 form.

San Francisco-based Splunk offers businesses software to better analyze and interpret their data. The company’s mission is to “make machine data accessible, usable and valuable to everyone.” The company claims that more than 3,300 customers, including most of the Fortune 100 and various government agencies, use Splunk’s software. Companies such as Bank of America, Salesforce, … Continue Reading

T-Mobile expands 4G network, launches cross-platform Bobsled Messenger

T-Mobile may have lost out on getting acquired by AT&T, but it’s not giving up the fight to survive in the U.S. just yet.

The carrier announced today at a small CES gathering that it has widened the availability of its fast 42-megabits-per-second 4G network to 12 new markets, which now covers a total of 184 million consumers in 175 markets.

Additionally, T-Mobile has launched Bobsled Messenger, a new cross-platform group messaging service that will … Continue Reading

The top 5 CES trends that will matter in 2012

If you couldn’t tell by the avalanche of product news hitting VentureBeat over the past few weeks, the next Consumer Electronics Show is almost upon us. The annual trade show, which has been held in Las Vegas for more than a decade, is where many of the world’s biggest electronics companies debut their new products, announce major news, and desperately try to remind us that they exist.

A flood of news is par for the … Continue Reading

In AT&T breakup, T-Mobile gets 3G roaming deal and wireless spectrum

The dust is settling from yesterday’s news that AT&T has given up its T-Mobile acquisition plans, and it turns out even a failed merger is quite expensive.

Because its proposed $39 billion merger fell through, AT&T now has to give up piles of cash and benefits to T-Mobile. AT&T will enter into a 7-year 3G roaming agreement that will boost T-Mobile coverage, and it has to give up a valuable package of AWS (Advanced Wireless … Continue Reading

T-Mobile has “no Plan B” after AT&T deal falls apart

T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom apparently put all of its eggs in AT&T’s basket. Now that AT&T’s $39 billion T-Mobile purchase has been squashed, thanks to pushback from the US government, DT is scrambling once again to find additional funds for its US carrier.

“There’s no Plan B,” T-Mobile spokesman Andreas Fuchs said, according to the New York Times. “We’re back at the starting point.”

Deutsche Telekom will receive $4 billion in spectrum and assets … Continue Reading

AT&T gives up on T-Mobile merger, will be charged $4B

AT&T has abandoned its plans to take over T-Mobile due to too much opposition from the FCC and the Department of Justice, the company announced this afternoon.

AT&T sought to buy T-Mobile from its parent, Deutsche Telekom, for $39 billion, but lawsuits and vocal opposition from the U.S. government have been piling up. On top of an lawsuit issued by the DOJ in August, the FCC went on the record in late November by saying … Continue Reading

T-Mobile makes its Lumia 710 official, coming January 11 for $50

Confirming not-so-secret rumors, T-Mobile announced today that it will offer Nokia’s Lumia 710 Windows Phone, making it the first U.S. carrier to offer Nokia’s new line of smartphones.

The Lumia 710 will be available on T-Mobile on January 11 for a mere $49.99 with contract. In its press release today, T-Mobile said that the phone is aimed at the 150 million Americans who haven’t yet jumped on the smartphone bandwagon.

And at just $50, I … Continue Reading

With grand wireless plans, Dish wants to buddy up with T-Mobile if AT&T deal fails

T-Mobile certainly won’t be lacking in suitors if AT&T’s $39 billion acquisition falls through. Dish Network is interested in partnering with T-Mobile for a wireless network of its own, if AT&T can’t seal the deal, Dish CEO Joseph Clayton said in an interview today.

Clayton joined Dish earlier this year with the promise of upping acquisitions and creating a streaming-video competitor to Netflix. He says that the company could combine its newfound wireless spectrum — … Continue Reading

Samsung sold more than 300M phones in 2011

Samsung has sold over 300 million phones for 2011, a first for the company’s history, the company said Sunday.

The news tops off an incredible year for Samsung, which became the top smartphone manufacturer in the world in late October. Apple held the title for a single quarter earlier in the year, and Nokia held it before Apple. Samsung shipped 27.8 million smartphones in the third quarter alone, accounting for 23.8 percent of the smartphone … Continue Reading

Nokia’s lesser Windows Phone, the Lumia 710, starts shipping — headed to T-Mobile

If you’ve been dying to get your hands on Nokia’s Lumia 710, the company’s low-end Windows Phone device, today is a very good day indeed. Nokia has begun shipping the Lumia 710 to Asian countries as it begins the phone’s global roll-out.

And this time around, US consumers won’t have to wait too long for a new Nokia phone. T-Mobile has a New York City press event scheduled for next week, and it’s clear at … Continue Reading

Consumer Reports and Facebook users agree: AT&T is America’s worst wireless service

America’s most unpopular cell phone company has hit a new low. AT&T Wireless was rated last in customer experience by subscribers of Consumer Reports for the second year in a row.

And people don’t like AT&T on Facebook very much, either.

Consumer Reports surveyed  66,000 magazine subscribers who responded with their experiences using contract and non-contract wireless service. Twenty two carriers were  evaluated overall, but only four provide service nationwide: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.… Continue Reading

Mobile payments war escalates as Verizon blocks Google Wallet on Galaxy Nexus

Verizon wants to own your mobile identity, which may be why the company has blocked the Google Wallet mobile payments app on the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

Verizon is instead banking on the Isis mobile payments platform, which was jointly developed by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. Isis was  conceived as a nationwide “mobile commerce network” to replace physical wallets with the phones people already have in their pockets.

“Verizon asked us not to include … Continue Reading

AT&T and T-Mobile discussing joint venture if merger fails

Contrary to previous statements, AT&T and Deutsche Telekom are working on a backup plan that would take place if U.S. regulators don’t approve the $39 million sale of T-Mobile.

The “Plan B” both companies are discussing involves forming a joint venture that would pool wireless network assets, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cites unnamed sources familiar with the matter. A joint venture of this nature has the potential to expand AT&T’s wireless … Continue Reading

FCC report blasts T-Mobile merger, AT&T cries about it

The Federal Communications Commission last night released a damning 157-page report (PDF) against AT&T’s proposed $39 billion T-Mobile takeover, which concludes that the merger would ultimately hurt US consumers and the wireless market.

AT&T, not surprisingly, is none too pleased. The company objected to the release of the report, calling it merely a “draft” that doesn’t have any legal standing, reports Politico. AT&T also took issue with the fact that it didn’t get to see … Continue Reading

AT&T hopes a deal with Leap Wireless will save T-Mobile merger

AT&T is hoping that a new deal with Leap Wireless will save its plans of merging with Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile USA.

The deal would see Leap purchasing both T-Mobile’s customer base and most of its wireless spectrum, while AT&T would retain a smaller portion of the spectrum, according to a New York Times report yesterday.

It’s unclear exactly how an AT&T/Leap deal would divide up T-Mobile’s assets, since those details haven’t been released. But VentureBeat … Continue Reading

AT&T willing to divest more of T-Mobile’s assets to ensure merger

Telcom AT&T may divest a significantly larger portion of assets to ensure that the company’s merger with T-Mobile is completed, according to a Bloomberg report that cites unnamed people familiar with the matter.

AT&T and Deutsche Telekom first announced plans for AT&T to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in March 2011. T-Mobile, which is the fourth largest wireless carrier, has struggled to compete against Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. So, selling to a competitor for … Continue Reading

AT&T and Deutsche Telekom kill FCC application for T-Mobile merger

Question: What costs over $4 billion and a coveted slice of wireless spectrum? Answer: The stipulation included in AT&T’s bid to purchase rival carrier T-Mobile USA in the event the sale doesn’t go through.

Today, AT&T and current T-Mobile USA owner Deutsche Telekom announced that they are withdrawing the application for the merger, which was pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. As a cautionary measure, AT&T has listed the $4 billion pretax charge on … Continue Reading