AT&T slinging HSPA 7.2 to six cities this year, adding backhaul capacity too

If there’s one thing AT&T’s network could use, it’s more network. Particularly in major cities (we’re looking at you and your dastardly street parking situation, San Francisco), AT&T’s 3G network is perpetually overwhelmed, oftentimes forcing users to switch to EDGE just to tweet about how awful the coverage is. Thankfully, the operator is making good on its earlier promise to roll out HSPA 7.2Mbps to select cities, with Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami now destined to get lit this year. Potentially more interesting, however, is the deployment of “additional backhaul capacity to cell sites,” which will also support LTE when the time comes. All told, around 2,000 new cell sites should be added before the year’s end, and at least a half dozen 7.2Mbps-capable smartphones should be in AT&T’s portfolio by the same deadline. Feel free to express your joy in comments below — that is, if you can get comments to load on your existing 3G connection.

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AT&T slinging HSPA 7.2 to six cities this year, adding backhaul capacity too originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clearwire goes live with WiMAX service in ten new markets

Just as we expected, Clearwire has lit up its CLEAR WiMAX services in ten new markets. Beginning today, those with a thirst for ultra-speedy mobile broadband can sink their teeth into those delicious 4G airwaves so long as you call one of the following locales home: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls, Texas; Bellingham, Wash; or Boise, Idaho. We fully expect a smattering of other markets to see similar launches as the Fall progresses, but if you just can’t wait, well — there’s always vacation.

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Clearwire goes live with WiMAX service in ten new markets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Novatel Wireless’ GSM MiFi 2352 launches on Telefonica Espana

Remember that Novatel MiFi 2352 we got our hands on a few months back? Well, it looks like it got a little makeover just in time for yesterday’s launch on Telefonica Espana. While we’re digging the look of the thing, it’s what’s going on under the hood that really piqued our interest: Adding to the usual WiFi connectivity and encryption, this guy sports two processors, a separate Linux OS and additional flash RAM for hosting and running third party apps accessible to its WiFi clients. If anything, this suggests that Novatel has “big plans for the platform,” as SlashGear notes. While available apps are currently limited to Alcatel-Lucent’s Nonstop Laptop Guardian (a user admin package for enterprise users) we’re looking forward to seeing what the company and its partners cook up in the future. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s commence with the unboxing. Shall we? Video’s after the break.

Continue reading Video: Novatel Wireless’ GSM MiFi 2352 launches on Telefonica Espana

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Video: Novatel Wireless’ GSM MiFi 2352 launches on Telefonica Espana originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clearwire’s WiMAX ordained with official Atlanta launch

Sure, Clearwire has actually been running its WiMAX network in Atlanta for six weeks already, but that technicality isn’t stopping the company from deciding now is the time to “launch” the service in the metro area, with an appropriately-sized marketing blitz to boot. Portland travelers already using the service should feel at home now with their own personal 4G network to keep them company while they engorge on the recommended dosage of Chik-Fil-A sandwiches and Varsity chili dogs. Prices are identical to what we’ve already heard and, yes, even though the company just quietly launched the service in Las Vegas, expect to see the delayed red carpet rollout for that city sometime later this Summer.

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Clearwire’s WiMAX ordained with official Atlanta launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clearwire sneaks WiMAX into Las Vegas, won’t admit it until Summer

Clearwire‘s been slowly planting its WiMAX seeds around the country, and with nary a peep, it’s rolled out the service into the Las Vegas area, designated by the image above. According to a company rep, the “official” launch — including new store openings and a marketing blitz — will begin this summer, but for now, it’s operational and ready for those in the know. Portland and Atlanta vacationers, you can now watch your online bank account dwindle faster than you ever could before.

[Via Fierce Wireless; thanks, Zachery]

Read – Clearwire Goes Soft in Vegas
Read – Clear coverage map

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Clearwire sneaks WiMAX into Las Vegas, won’t admit it until Summer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Wi-SKY promises in-flight 45Mbps downloads, does nothing for your troubled conscience

So, we know you’re as giddy as a child on Christmas morn’ every time one of your flights turns out to have WiFi. But what if we told you that those puny 900+kbps transfers could soon be dwarfed by download rates as high as 45Mbps? This is Wi-SKY’s claim, made during a presentation at the Immarsat Aeronautical Conference. According to Electronista, the technology relies on a series of radio towers that are each capable of broadcasting a distance of up to 54 miles. The company has yet to announce any airline partnerships or a timeline for deployment, so don’t expect to do any bandwidth-intensive tech blogging from the skies over Laramie any time soon. But we do have an octane-fueled, high-adrenaline video for you. Peep it after the break.

Continue reading Video: Wi-SKY promises in-flight 45Mbps downloads, does nothing for your troubled conscience

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Video: Wi-SKY promises in-flight 45Mbps downloads, does nothing for your troubled conscience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft showing off Windows 7-powered Viliv S5 MID at Computex

Being that Release Candidate 1 just hit the tubes, we weren’t really expecting a big Windows 7 presence at Computex this year. Much to our surprise, Viliv has announced that it will be showcasing the first official Win7-powered MID at the Taiwan-based show later this week. The heralded S5 will be the lucky device, with a duo of WiMAX-equipped cousins (X70 EX and S7) hanging around to demonstrate live video streaming. Needless to say, we’ll be doing everything we can to drop by and see how things are going.

[Via CNET]

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Microsoft showing off Windows 7-powered Viliv S5 MID at Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 May 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T announces 7.2Mbps HSPA rollout plans

We knew AT&T had an HSPA upgrade in the works, and now the company has announced its plans, with initial rollout beginning later this year and reaching completion in 2011. That will overlap only slightly with LTE, which AT&T plans to put into trials in 2010 and start melting our faces in 2011. The HSPA upgrade takes the network from 3.6Mbps to 7.2Mbps in theoretical speed, and AT&T also plans to nearly double the amount of wireless spectrum it dedicates to 3G in metropolitan areas — which should come as a relief to city dwellers who haven’t managed more than a couple minutes of sustained conversation since mid-2008. To support the increased bandwidth of HSPA, AT&T also plans on adding thousands of new cell site backhaul connections, while also rolling out 3G service to 20 new metro areas and deploying 2,100 new cell sites in total. HSPA-sporting mobile data cards and smartphones will be available “later this year.”

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AT&T announces 7.2Mbps HSPA rollout plans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 May 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Labs: The best mobile broadband carrier in America

When T-Mobile finally decided to join the 3G data card bandwagon earlier this year, we figured it prudent to grab a few sticks from the likes of T-Mob, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and AT&T in order to see which carrier provides the most bang for the buck in the mobile data arena. And trust us, it’s about more than just uplink and downlink rates in 2G / 3G regions these days — it’s about figuring out which operator provides the coverage you need at the price you can afford, all while dodging those precarious overage charges and finding yourself out of luck when traveling overseas. Join us after the break as we delve into the deep, murky realm that is mobile broadband, and prepare to have your every preconceived notion about this stuff utterly destroyed.

Continue reading Engadget Labs: The best mobile broadband carrier in America

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Engadget Labs: The best mobile broadband carrier in America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ericsson and TeliaSonera reveals world’s first commercial LTE site in Stockholm

Mmm, the sweet smell of mobile data burning up the pipes in the morning. Gets us every time. Evidently, the same aroma does something to the brains of Ericsson and TeliaSonera, who have taken their January agreement to the next level by introducing the planet’s first commercial Long-Term Evolution (LTE) site in Stockholm, Sweden. Mind you, we’ve seen lots of trial runs over the past year and change, but this one’s no test. Rather, this site will become part of a commercial network scheduled to go live in 2010, bringing wicked fast mobile transfers to Stockholmers everywhere. Now, let’s hope these American carriers get jealous, and fast.

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Ericsson and TeliaSonera reveals world’s first commercial LTE site in Stockholm originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 May 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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