Verizon
AT&T Bumps Upgrade Wait From 20 Months to Two Years
June 10, 2013 10:00 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAT&T has extended the waiting period for upgrades on phones from 20 months to two years. In a blog post Sunday, the company said the new upgrade policy will apply to new contracts and any existing contracts ending March 2014 and later.
Report: NSA Collects Data From AT&T, Sprint, Google, Apple and More
June 7, 2013 10:01 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAfter yesterday’s public reveal of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) demands for Verizon customers’ data, more information is coming out suggesting the NSA’s casting a much bigger net. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the NSA’s operations, reports that the same initiative targeting Verizon data is also collecting similar information from AT&T and Sprint.
Report: Verizon Handing Over All U.S. Call Records to NSA
June 6, 2013 10:19 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe Guardian has received and published the order which outlines that Verizon is to deliver to the NSA the numbers of both parties, location data, identifiers like IMSI and IMEI numbers, and time and duration of calls. The order has been in place since April and has demanded Verizon give over the requisite information for both international calls originating in the U.S. and calls made within the U.S.
Verizon, NFL Expand and Extend Mobile Agreement
June 4, 2013 11:14 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe National Football League (NFL) and Verizon have announced a renewed and expanded contract to eventually bring all NFL games to Verizon Wireless customers' mobile devices. Until now, a limited nummber of games were available through the Verizon Wireless' package...
HTC Loses Another Exec but May Sales Pick Up
June 4, 2013 9:38 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe high-level exodus continues for the flailing HTC as COO Matthew Costello has stepped down. Bloomberg reports that Fred Liu, president of engineering and operations, will have his duties expanded to cover the responsibilities of the departing Costello. This makes four senior executives who have left the company in the past two years.
Verizon Smartphone Sales Grow on Windows Popularity
June 3, 2013 10:23 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon took the lion's share of smarpthone sales in the United States, due in part to the growth of Windows Phone, according to new numbers from Kantar Worldpanel Comtech. Of the carriers, Verizon grabbed 36.3 percent of smartphones sold, an annual increase of 1.8 percent. Sprint Nextel accounted for 13.1 percent of smartphones sold...
Verizon's Shammo Says T-Mobile, Sprint Not Threats
May 31, 2013 10:15 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsFran Shammo, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Verizon, says the strengthening positions of Sprint and T-Mobile will be mitigated by continued growth in connected devices. Speaking yesterday at the Nomura Global Media & Telecom conference...
Americans Talk, Surf More than Europeans on Cells
May 30, 2013 9:06 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAmericans pay more for their cell service than Europeans, but they're getting a lot more use out of their phones, a global wireless trade group said Wednesday. In releasing the report, GSM Association urged European regulators to take cues from the U.S...
Viva Móvil Could Be a Step in the Right Direction
May 29, 2013 5:13 pm | by Ben Munson | Blogs | CommentsWhen Jennifer Lopez last week showed up at CTIA to announce the new wireless Latino-targeted retailer Viva Móvil, the first question from the audience was about how this could translate to the retail experience for all Verizon customers. The question seemed to suggest, “It’s great what you’re doing for the Latino population, but what can be done do make the wireless retail experience more tolerable for all humans?”
Galaxy S4 to be First Device on Verizon’s AWS Spectrum
May 29, 2013 10:32 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the first handset to take advantage of Verizon’s LTE network upgrade. Speaking with Bloomberg, Verizon vice president of network support Mike Haberman said the device will receive an over-the-air software update that will allow it to use Verizon’s AWS airwaves.
Jennifer Lopez, Verizon Announce Viva Movil
May 22, 2013 3:12 pm | by Ben Munson | News | Comments(LAS VEGAS) — Jennifer Lopez and Verizon Wireless CMO Marni Walden took the stage Wednesday at CTIA to announce Viva Movil, a new wireless retailer that will offer Verizon LTE service and devices that will gear its experience toward the U.S. Latino population.
Stephenson: AT&T's 1Q was Disappointing
May 15, 2013 10:56 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsAT&T CEO Randall Stephenson says he expects the company's mobility business to improve "markedly" in the coming quarter. Delivering the morning keynote at the J.P. Morgan investor conference that was broadcast online, Stephenson covered a number of topics...
Verizon and VMware Launch Dual Persona Solution for Enterprise
May 15, 2013 9:36 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon is looking to offer its customers a way to keep business and pleasure separate, at least so far as their devices as concerned. Verizon Enterprise Solutions and VMware today announced availability of VMware Horizon Mobile, a dual persona solution for Verizon's enterprise customers...
Big 4 Cellphone Carriers Unite on Anti-Texting Ads
May 14, 2013 9:54 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer. AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile will...
VZW Makes $7 Billion Distribution
May 14, 2013 9:16 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon Wireless today announced a $7 billion cash distribution to its owners, Vodafone and Verizon. The payment will be made on June 25 and will see Verizon getting $3.85 billion, while Vodafone will take $3.15 billion. The move comes after speculation...
First News Briefs for May 6, 2013
May 6, 2013 10:47 am | by Wireless Week Staff | News | CommentsSprint and Time Inc. today announced a mobile content, advertising and retail alliance. As part of the arrangement, Time Inc. will deliver its branded content within a customizable section of the SprintZone application on select Sprint devices. Customers can expect the latest entertainment, lifestyle, sports and business news.
Report: McAdam Hints at Withholding Vodafone Payments
May 3, 2013 10:25 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon Wireless may be tightening the screws on Vodafone, in an effort to force the European carrier to sell off its 45 percent of the Verizon Wireless joint venture. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam hinted...
Report: Investors Pan Rumored $100B Verizon Bid for Vodafone's Share in VZW
April 29, 2013 10:12 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsA Reuters report from Wednesday that claimed Verizon had hired advisers to prepare a $100 billion bid for Vodafone's 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless was apparently credible enough to provoke a response from major Vodafone investors...
Petition Urging Verizon to Drop Contracts Nears 100,000 Signatures
April 19, 2013 10:48 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsA petition on Change.org that urges Verizon Wireless to do away with two-year contracts has notched nearly 100,000 signatures in less than two weeks. Mike Beauchamp, Verizon customer and blogger for online tech store Zagg, wrote that he does not anticipate leaving the carrier but that he wants that choice for himself.
Verizon Reports Strong 1Q, Looks to Maintain Record Margins
April 18, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon today reported a strong first quarter that was once again driven by wireless, with 677,000 retail postpaid net additions, up 35 percent annually. Margins were especially impressive. The company reported 32.9 percent operating income margin and 50.4 percent segment EBITDA margin...
Report: Clearwire Might Default if Sprint Bid Not Approved Soon
April 16, 2013 9:23 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsClearwire is considering defaulting on a $255 million interest payment due in June, which is based on nearly $4.5 billion in debt. Reuters dug into the company’s proxy filing from last week and saw that the company might consider bankruptcy if Sprint’s proposed acquisition is not approved by shareholders.
Verizon to Extend Phone-Upgrade Waiting Period
April 15, 2013 9:03 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsVerizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone carrier, on Friday said that it is extending the time it takes to earn a subsidized phone upgrade from 20 months on contract to 24 months. The move will save Verizon money, since it subsidizes each new smartphone...
Verizon Denies Vodafone Buyout Rumors
April 3, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsVerizon today denied a Financial Times report that surfaced yesterday claiming the carrier is teaming up with AT&T on a possible buyout of Vodafone. A post on the Financial Times' Alaphaville blog yesterday cited "usually reliable people"...
Verizon Acquires Mohave Wireless
April 2, 2013 10:40 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsVerizon now owns 100 percent of Mohave Wireless, having completed its purchase of the regional wireless provider from Frontier Communications and Rio Virgin Telephone. Verizon announced in a statement that it plans to integrate Mohave’s EV-DO 3G network, covering approximately 203,000 customers, and deploy LTE on the spectrum in the future.
Report: VZW, AT&T Crafting Bid to Buy Vodafone
April 2, 2013 10:31 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsTalk of a joint Verizon, AT&T buyout of Vodafone today bumped shares of the European carrier 6 percent in early trading. According to a post from the Financial Times' Alaphaville blog that cites "usually reliable people," Verizon Communications and AT&T are mulling a breakup bid...
