Today marks the launch of the
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet, Mobile
EE switches on 4G in 11 UK cities, offers fiber broadband to 11 million sites and opens 700 stores originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ve seen the speeds, we know the handsets and now we know how much it’ll cost you to be among the first to try 4G in the UK. EE has outlined its contract and handset pricing from October 30th, with all of the bundles including unlimited calls and texts. Yep, the new carrier is breaking it down by data, with its entry-level 500MB bundle starting at £36 for 24 months. You’ll have to make an initial payment for most handsets, although the Ascend P1 will be free from the 1GB bundle upwards. Data allowances go up to 8GB for £56 per month, although users can add even more, with an extra 50MB costing £3, or up to 4GB for £20.
Now, if you’re looking to get Apple’s latest on 4G, it’ll set you back at least £20 on the highest data plan. Already got your LTE-ready iPhone 5? Then you’ll have to wait until 9th November, when the network will start offering SIM-only 12-month plans priced from £21. The 4G network will also offer its phones on 12 month contracts for an additional £10 on top of the prices shown above. EE will let users who bought comparable non-4G versions in the last six months (like the One X or Galaxy S III) to exchange their devices for a one-off payment of £100. Alongside the all these pricing details, the Orange/ T-Mobile team-up also spilled the beans on some service features for its new customers — and we’ve got it all covered after the break, including a quick hands-on with its Film store service.
Continue reading EE details UK 4G pricing: Unlimited calls, texts and 500MB of data starts at £36
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
EE details UK 4G pricing: Unlimited calls, texts and 500MB of data starts at £36 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’re one of Virgin Media’s top-tier internet customers, you may soon see your service getting a little speedier. The Branson-backed company is boosting its top speed from 100Mbps to 120Mbps, thanks to a £110 million ($169 million) infrastructure investment. The majority of the network — around 60 percent — has yet to be supercharged, but you can use the coverage checker linked below to see if you’re in-line for an early Christmas present from Sir Richard.
Continue reading Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain’s delight
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking, Internet, HD
Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain’s delight originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We New Yorkers who are stuck with unreliable Time Warner Cable got a postcard in the mail yesterday informing us that we will now have to pay $4 per month to rent the cable modem necessary to use its crappy internet. Here’s how to buy your own modem and stick it to the man, no matter where you live. Because screw you, Time Warner. More »
On the same day that Dish’s new satellite broadband service kicks off, partner Hughes is upgrading its own offering with even faster speeds. HughesNet Gen4 offers downloads of up to 15 Mbps to the 19 million (or so) Americans who can’t get high-speed fixed-line broadband services. $50 a month will get customers 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload with a 20GB data cap, while $80 a month offers a 30GB limit and 2 Mbps upload — but for high-rolling hermits, $100 a month gets you the full 15 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up and a 40GB allowance. Current users wanting in on the action aren’t excluded from the program, and can register their interest at our More Coverage link.
Continue reading Hughes updates its HughesNet satellite broadband with Gen4 service
Filed under: Internet
Hughes updates its HughesNet satellite broadband with Gen4 service originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A surprising number of people live out in rural areas — places where the high-speed broadband sun don’t shine. Dish is looking to change that up a bit by launching a new nation-wide satellite broadband service aimed for rural areas. The company plans to unleash this new service starting on October 1.
The new service is called DishNet and it will offer two main packages. The cheapest plan will cost $39.99 per month and it will offer 5Mbps down and 1Mbps up internet access with a 10GB data cap. You can bump the speeds up to 10Mbps with a 20GB data cap for $49.99 per month. However, in order to get these prices, you’ll have to sign a two-year contract and bundle the internet plan with at least Dish’s “America’s top 120″ TV package or any other TV plan that’s more expensive.
You’ll have to pay equipment fees, but installation can be free for both new and existing Dish customers if they bundle up with a TV package. Otherwise, installation will cost $99. That’s not a bad price to pay anyway, seeing how installation fees for other companies can cost upwards of $200 to $300.
DishNet will be available nation-wide, but its aimed and focused on rural areas that don’t have access to high-speed broadband internet. The data caps are definitely a bummer, seeing as other internet service providers usually provide a more generous cap (especially in the city) or no cap at all even. However, if you’re not one to download and stream a bunch of video content, we think you’ll be fine with the small data caps.
[via The Verge]
Dish to launch satellite broadband service for rural areas on October 1 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
If Rahm Emanuel has his way, then Chicago’s broadband access may very well give Kansas City a run for its money. The mayor of the Windy City has now revealed a rather ambitious initiative that would (ideally) overhaul the city’s broadband infrastructure and provide affordable, gigabit-class fiber internet to areas that primarily serve industry, higher education and entrepreneurial startups. The idea came to Emanuel through Eric Schmidt, who suggested the upgrade be coordinated alongside the city’s overhaul of its aging water / sewer system. Before any of this can happen, however, Chicago must first secure commitments from companies that would be willing to install and pay for the new upgrades. As a potential incentive, it’s been suggested by Crain’s Chicago Business that the city may offer some of its own unused fiber resources on a favorable lease.
In addition to the hopes for ultra-fast broadband, Emanuel’s project, dubbed the Chicago Broadband Challenge, also seeks to extend low-cost, high-speed internet to underserved areas of the city and to bring free WiFi access to all public spaces such as parks and plazas. Although mostly a token gesture, mayor Emanuel announced the immediate availability of free WiFi in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The city is currently soliciting plans and proposals of how to approach the ambitious project, and you’re invited to become a bit more familiar with these grand ambitions with the PR and source links below.
[Chicago photo credit: Nimesh M / Flickr]
Continue reading Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks
Filed under: Internet
Chicago mayor targets affordable gigabit broadband, free WiFi throughout city parks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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EarthLink is a name I haven’t thought of since the mid-90s when dial-up Internet access was all I could get. EarthLink has announced plans to offer fixed and wireless 4G broadband access to customers. The company will offer the 4G mobile and fixed access over the Clearwire WiMax network.
To begin with, EarthLink will start with fixed wireless service in consumers’ homes and will later expand to include mobile devices. That sounds rather odd considering wireless broadband is typically associated with mobile devices more than home Internet access. EarthLink will offer the service using a WiMax USB dongle for computers, and mobile phones later.
While EarthLink’s 4G service will start using the Clearwire WiMax network, both EarthLink and Clearwire say that the 4G access will be offered via Clearwire’s LTE network when it launches sometime next year. EarthLink today sells Internet service using DSL more than the dial-up access were familiar with from the past.
EarthLink is Clearwire’s latest wholesale customer, and Clearwire counts Sprint and prepaid mobile companies Jolt Mobile and Cricket Communications as customers as well. While Clearwire plans to roll out a LTE network, it will not discontinue its WiMax network. Sprint has an agreement in place with Clearwire that allows Sprint continue to use the WiMax network through 2015. There are no pricing or availability details on the new EarthLink service right now.
[via Computuer World]
EarthLink plans to offer fixed and wireless 4G broadband is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
EarthLink has been laying low since its Philly-wide WiFi project failed all those years ago, but now it’s back in the limelight with Clearwire’s 4G network under-arm. The companies have struck a deal for EarthLink to access Clearwire’s WiMAX infrastructure, initially to offer wireless, in-home broadband. This is expected to launch in early 2013, with mobile and small business markets being future goals. An LTE network is also in the pipeline, don’t forget, and when it goes live, EarthLink is likely to expand the agreement to cover it. The ISP is obviously putting its eggs in the 4G basket, because no one wants wires anymore, do they?
Continue reading EarthLink inks deal with Clearwire to use its 4G WiMAX network
Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet, Mobile
EarthLink inks deal with Clearwire to use its 4G WiMAX network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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One thing that most Americans have in common is that they have no support for new taxes. The FCC is reportedly backing away from a proposal that would add a new tax on broadband Internet service due to public outcry. Public outcry on the issue has left FCC Democrats and Republicans pointing the finger at each other for floating the idea to begin with.
Robert McDowell, who happens to be the only Republican on the FCC commission, has rejected the idea that he supported taxing the Internet. He went so far as to say that he is unsure that the FCC has the legal authority to tax broadband service. The row started when the FCC was urged to broaden the base of contributions that flow into the Universal Service fee.
In the past money in the fund was used to pay for phone service for the poor. With more and more people not using traditional home phones, the funds going into the service have significantly shrunk. Last year, the Universal Service Fund was overhauled and turned into the Connect America Fund, which would also use money to subsidize the construction of broadband networks to American communities that lack them.
Obviously, if the FCC wants to broaden the base of contributions into the Connect America Fund, services not currently taxed would have to be taxed. One unnamed FCC official has stated that broadband is the biggest and most obvious option for expanding the base. However, a spokesman for FCC Chairman Genachowski says that he is skeptical about a broadband tax because it may discourage people from adopting broadband.
[via TheHill]
FCC backs away from taxing the Internet is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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