Hasta La Gadget!

Soon enough, the UK will have more than one choice for 4G data. Come August 29th, O2 will offer LTE in London, Leeds and Bradford, with expansion plans for an additional 13 cities by year’s end. Rates start a £26 per month — current provider EE’s cheapest is £21 — and you get a 30 day “Happiness Guarantee” when ordering directly from O2. If that isn’t enough of an incentive to buy direct (and pay a higher monthly price), the service provider is throwing in 12 months of free music content too. Keeping with the music theme, the telco is hosting a launch concert at its Sheperd’s Bush Empire venue, and will stream it to billboards across London. Who’s headlining the event is anyone’s guess at this point, as are full details on data package speeds, bandwidth caps and other pricing tiers.

Update: In case you were wondering, those who use O2’s network via Tesco Mobile or Giffgaff will also get the option of LTE, according to CNET, although it’s apparently too early to say when or for how much.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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It hasn’t been easy to bridge differing LTE network types in one phone; ZTE’s attempt requires a reboot, for example. Samsung claims to have solved that problem with new dual-mode LTE versions of the Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S4 Mini. Both devices can switch between the common FDD-LTE standard and TDD-LTE without restarting, and they’ll automatically hand over any ongoing data sessions or voice calls. The advantages are potentially huge for both roaming and bandwidth — travelers are more likely to stay on 4G, and providers running both FDD and TDD can switch customers to whatever network has the most capacity. Samsung hasn’t said where and when the dual-mode Galaxies will be available, although TDD-LTE’s worldwide reach (including the US) suggests that the smartphones could soon be commonplace.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Samsung

We’ve already seen a wealth of different Galaxy S 4 variants pop up throughout the summer, but Samsung is continuing the trend with new models of the Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy S 4 mini by adding dual-mode LTE. Samsung says these phones are the world’s first handsets to support both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE, but

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We know, we know, Google has the whole hot air balloon thing covered. But this idea is a bit different. It consists of a group of “helikites,” or small load-bearing balloon-kite hybrids, which can quickly be launched to form a network of LTE or WLAN masts up to an altitude of 2.5 miles, providing data coverage following an earthquake or tsunami. A standalone rugged suitcase, or “Portable Land Rapid Deployment Unit,” contains everything needed for activation in tough conditions. Researchers behind the project, including German R&D firm TriaGnoSys, have even found a way to integrate the temporary network with existing cell towers that remain in tact on the ground — a feature that makes the system suitable not only for emergencies, but also for expanding mobile coverage during planned events in remote locations. Of course, the helikites would eventually drift apart and lose connectivity, probably after around four days depending on the wind, but these things never travel quite as far as you’d expect.

Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Internet, Alt

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Via: Technology Review

Source: EAI PSATS (PDF download)

AT&T has added to its in-home wireless offerings with new Wireless Home Phone and Internet plans that utilize the carrier’s LTE and HSPA networks. For now the service is only being offered in the eastern United States, but could eventually be rolled out to subscribers across the nation. Furthermore, it can be tacked on to an existing Mobile Share plan.

The plans are currently being offered to markets in Maryland, Eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Virginia, Washington D.C., and select areas along the east coast. The plans start at $20 per month, which allows for unlimited calls in the US. From there, it goes up to 10GB of data for the Internet aspect of the service for $60 monthly, and capping out at 30GB a month at $120. After the maximum data for the user’s plan is reached, there’s a $10 charge per extra GB.

As for the system itself, it is as simple as you’d imagine a wireless setup to be: there’s a modem, which plugs into a power outlet, as well as a phone jack for connecting a wired home phone. The phone then works as a standard telephone, and the modem serves as a wireless modem for using the Internet. Up to 10 devices can be connected to the network.

Likewise, because of the portable nature of the system, it can be moved and used in whatever location the user prefers as long as there’s the carrier’s network available. As mentioned, the service can be used in conjunction with a Mobile Share plan for those who find that more convenient, with the price coming in at $30 a month for voice service and up to 10GB of data.

AT&T isn’t the first to offer such a service, and Verizon has one that is very similar called HomeFusion Broadband. As Fierce Wireless noted, the pricing for AT&T’s new service is identical to the pricing of Verizon’s HomeFusion, which lacks the voice functionality. For those who want a home phone and Internet that’s easy to take anywhere, this is certainly an option, but those who use a lot of data will find the 30GB data cap very limiting.

SOURCE: Fierce Wireless

AT&T unveils LTE wireless home phone and Internet plans in eastern U.S. is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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