Forbes, 1/9/2012

AT&T switched on 4G access in 11 areas over the holidays, but speedy service is likely to strain spectrum and raise prices for users.

AT&T Business Solutions chief John Stankey announced AT&T 4G now reaches New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Austin, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh and San Diego, as the company marches to complete total coverage by the end of 2013.

However, Stankey also echoed the industry’s concerns about spectrum pressures caused by increasing wireless demands, and warned if the situation remains unchanged, pricing will rise.

Like other carriers, AT&T is scrambling for options as the spectrum crunch looms, but the company’s one big attempt to shore up its airwave allocation by purchasing T-Mobile was scuttled by federal regulators, citing antitrust concerns late last year.

The Federal Communications Commission did, however, approve the smaller, $1.9 billion deal for the Dallas, Texas-based company to buy spectrum from Qualcomm.

AT&T will gain much-needed spectrum from its Qualcomm purchase, but the carrier is expected to seek out other deals, including a rumored scaled-back joint venture with T-Mobile or an acquisition of another company like Dish Network.

Dish has broadband spectrum to spare since it acquired two satellite networks last year, and the satellite television provider is expected to explore its options in 2012. A deal with Dish, which isn’t direct-carrier competition, will likely invite less regulatory scrutiny, a reason other carriers are likely eyeing the company.

Stankey pointed out customers’ video streaming represents 30 percent of mobile data traffic, an amount he characterized as “unsustainable” because of costs.

Stankey, speaking at the Citi Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Conference, questioned how much longer consumer demand can exceed capacity without affecting pricing, hinting the carrier will have to raise prices to manage the spectrum shortfall.

Still, the 4G expansion will help AT&T catch up with number-one carrier Verizon, whose high-speed network covers 200 million people and continues to expand.

Verizon’s network is growing ahead of schedule, giving it a distinct competitive edge, but recent 4G outages in December raise speculation the carrier is building out too quickly, creating a possible opportunity for rival carriers like AT&T to gain ground this year.

Related posts:

1. CTIA To FCC: Without More Wireless Spectrum, ‘Demand May Outpace Supply’ Tricia Duryee, MocoNews, 9/29/2009 With the FCC cracking down on...
2. Wireless carriers beg FCC for spectrum, blame smartphones Nate Anderson, Ars Techinca,9/26/2009 Mobile carriers in the US have...
3. The FCC Struggles to Meet Smartphone Wireless Spectrum Needs Jason Mick, Daily Tech, 1/13/2011 Spectrum demands are rapidly rising,...

Nancy Gohring, IDG News Servic, 1/9/2012

The operator also said it plans to launch an online store for HTML5 apps this year

AT&T is hoping to encourage developers to use HTML5 with the release of a new API platform. “It’s essentially a rich set of APIs and tools aimed at furthering the HTML5 appeal as an app development choice,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer at AT&T. “Why are we focusing on HTML5? We think it has the potential to address fragmentation.” He spoke Monday at the AT&T Developer Summit in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Developers must rewrite native applications to run on iPhones, Android phones, Windows Phones, and BlackBerry phones. HTML5 simplifies things for developers by letting them instead build apps that run in a browser accessible by any smartphone. HTML5 apps look and act similar to a native app. By 2016, 85 percent of smartphones will have browsers capable of running HTML5, Christopher said, citing a prediction made by Strategy Analytics.

A spokewoman told InfoWorld she was not sure whether the APIs could be used for apps expected to run on devices provisioned by any carrier — the norm in most companies given the mix of corporate-supplied and employee-owned devices — or just on devices running on the AT&T network.

The new API (application programming interface) catalog includes APIs for MMS, SMS, location, and mobile-health capabilities. In addition, it allows developers to let users make payments in the app that appear on their AT&T bill. It also includes technologies that sense what capabilities a smartphone has to optimize the app for the individual smartphone.

The APIs are hosted on cloud services, including Heroku and Microsoft’s Azure. Developers must pay a $99 registration fee to start using the APIs.

AT&T also said it plans to launch an online store for HTML5 apps this year. It will initially be accessible by Android and iPhone users but will expand to include other phones, said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices for AT&T. “The two things that are the biggest challenges for HTML5 to reach its full potential are distribution and monetization,” he said. The API platform and the new app center are designed to address these challenges, he said.

The operator hopes to take a fresh approach to app stores with the store. Rather than simply listing apps by category, like most app stores do today, it will have a “magazine-like” format, he said. Developers can sign up to be part of the beta of the new app store at developer.att.com/appcenter.

Related posts:

1. New MobiUs Browser For iOS Makes Mobile Web Apps Act More Like Native Apps Sarah Perez, TechCrunch, 10/31/2011 Mobile development firm appMobi is launching...
2. How HTML5 may become the standard for apps Roger Cheng, CNETnews, 9/12/2011 The mass adoption of HTML5 as...
3. RIM Touting HTML5 Capable WebKit Browser, Will it Finally Bring Mobile Web Apps? Ronen Halevy, BerryReview, 8/19/2010 I have to say I have...

Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 12/5/2011

Apple, Motorola, and three major wireless carriers are the latest to face a class-action lawsuit over a smartphone privacy scandal, with Carrier IQ, HTC, and Samsung also facing allegations that they spy on users with software installed on smartphones. While Carrier IQ makes the software, it is installed on phones manufactured by hardware companies and sold by carriers, providing plenty of targets for lawsuits.

We noted the existence of two class-action lawsuits targeting Carrier IQ, HTC, and Samsung last week. Another was filed in US District Court in Delaware Friday against a bigger roster including Carrier IQ, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, HTC, Apple, Samsung, and Motorola Mobility. Filed on behalf of four plaintiffs who are iPhone, HTC, and Samsung phone users and also customers of AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, the suit notes that “defendants Samsung, Apple, Motorola, and HTC pre-install Carrier IQ software on cell phones used by its customers on the AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint networks.”

Carrier IQ and its customers say the software only collects diagnostic information to help them improve service, but the lawsuit says that “[i]n addition to collecting device and service-related data, Carrier IQ’s software can collect data about a user’s location, application use, Web browsing habits, videos watched, texts read and even the keys they press.” The suit claims violations of the Federal Wiretap Act, Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, while demanding monetary compensation as well as a permanent order preventing the defendants “from installing software on cell phones that could track the users’ information in violation of federal law.”

Whether the charges can be proven is unclear. Customers must assent to smartphone privacy agreements that typically allow some sort of data collection, and some security researchers have disputed the claim that Carrier IQ software collects more than is lawful. Carrier IQ has denied any invasion of users’ privacy, while Apple told Ars last week that it used Carrier IQ to record diagnostic information anonymously, and “did not record keystrokes, messages or any personal information for the diagnostic data.” AT&T and Sprint have also told us their use of Carrier IQ software is aimed at gathering information to improve device and network performance, and that they do not collect personal information, like text messages or photos.

Related posts:

1. Leading Mobile Device Makers Pledge Support For Carrier-Led NFC Venture Isis Sarah Perez, TechCrunch, 9/27/2011 Isis, the carrier-led joint venture between...
2. Carrier IQ: How To Find It, And How To Deal With It Chris Velazco, TechCrunch, 12/1/2011 By now, you’ve probably heard all...
3. New Google Phone would challenge US carrier model Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica, 12/14/2009 The long-rumored Google Phone appears...

Chris Velazco, TechCrunch, 12/1/2011

By now, you’ve probably heard all about Carrier IQ, the mobile logging software that an intrepid researcher named Trevor Eckhart found lurking on a number smartphones from multiple manufacturers and carriers.

According to Eckhart’s research, Carrier IQ is capable of tracking what apps you’re running to where your phone is to what buttons are being pressed — it sounds scary, but Carrier IQ claims that collecting that information ultimately helps end-users.

Carrier IQ maintains they summarize performance information to help improve the quality of a carrier’s customer experiences, but what if you don’t want anyone else to have access to the sort of fine-grained data that Carrier IQ is capable of accessing? Here’s how you can figure out if your phone is affected, and how to go about fixing things if it is.

Does your phone have Carrier IQ?

Eckhart’s original report has shown that Carrier IQ has been discovered on HTC and Samsung devices, and that CarrierIQ counts Sprint among their domestic carrier clients. AT&T also appears to use Carrier IQ on their devices: a member of the XDA-dev forums called AT&T and was told that Carrier IQ is indeed preloaded on the HTC Vivid. Other carriers, including Verizon, Vodafone, and O2 have all denied that they use Carrier IQ on their devices.

Nokia and RIM were also among the companies that Eckhart claimed CarrierIQ provided their “mobile intelligence” services to, but they have vociferously denied the connection. The Verge also reports that the three devices in Google’s Nexus line are free of the logging service, so Nexus devotees can rest easy.

Fortunately, you don’t have to take their word for it, as it’s fairly simple to find out if your device has the tracking service running on it. If you’ve got a rooted device, all it takes is a quick download of Eckhart’s free Logging Test app (currently in its 7th revision). Once installed, hit ‘CIQ Checks,’ and you’ll know almost immediately whether or not your device is affected.

Rooting your device will also be required if you want to get rid of Carrier IQ on an affected device, so do look into it. The ease of the process will depend on your phone — for some its a total breeze while for others (usually newer devices) it can be a bit hairier. A quick Google search for “your device name + root” should get you pointed in the right direction.

What about iPhones?

Most of the original furor around Carrier IQ stemmed from its appearance on Android devices, but recent findings from iOS hacker chpwn has revealed that CarrierIQ exists in one form or another in versions of iOS as early as 3.1.3. For what it’s worth, it seems much less nosy than its Android cousin: chpwn seems fairly convinced that the iPhone variant isn’t able to access “typed text, web history, passwords, browsing history, or text messages,” and therefore isn’t able to send that data along.

While the iOS 5 version seems pretty toothless, chpwn admits that earlier versions of iOS “may send back information in more cases,” so the truly worried should make sure they’re diligent about updates.

What do I do about it?

Well, you could just live with it, but I’ll admit that it’s not a terribly appealing option. iOS users who want to disable logging have it pretty easy here: chpwn believes that in iOS 5, CarrierIQ is enabled during the initial setup process if you opt-in to sending log back to Apple. Since that’s the case, all it takes to disable Carrier IQ is to jump into Settings/About/Diagnostics & Usage, and change the setting to “Don’t send.”

If you’re an Android user and the thought of CarrierIQ unnerves you to no end, you have two options to rid yourself of it.

Uninstall Carrier IQ with the Logging Test app

This is about as straightforward as the process gets: once you’ve installed the aforementioned app, pay the $1 for the Pro key in the Android Market. Once you’ve done that, the option to remove Carrier IQ will be unlocked in the app, although ExtremeTech notes that the process may not always be successful.

Flash a custom ROM

This is a bit more extreme a solution than simply uninstalling the service, but it has its benefits: since many custom ROMs are based of the of the open-source Android code provided by Google, carrier-mandated services like Carrier IQ aren’t an issue. On top of that, a good custom ROM can also help give your aging hardware a shot in the arm thanks to software tweaks and features it may not get otherwise.

This process also requires you to root your device, and can be very tricky for first-time modders. If you decide to go this route, check out the XDA-developer forums for more information on what it takes for your specific device. CyanogenMod is a great first ROM for beginners, and they have a pretty extensive list of supported devices along with tutorials on getting it running.

Related posts:

1. Leading Mobile Device Makers Pledge Support For Carrier-Led NFC Venture Isis Sarah Perez, TechCrunch, 9/27/2011 Isis, the carrier-led joint venture between...
2. Apple, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile latest to be sued over Carrier IQ tracking Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 12/5/2011 Apple, Motorola, and three major wireless...
3. AT&T Says It Will Be “Premier” Windows Phone 7 Carrier Jason Mick, DailyTech, 7/29/2010 Phone is months from launch, but...

Eric M. Zeman, Phone Scoop, 11/8/2011

AT&T announced the availability of a new application today called AT&T Call International. This application allows AT&T smartphones to make VoIP-based calls over Wi-Fi to international numbers at low/reduced rates. The application also works abroad, and will let AT&T smartphone customers make calls from foreign countries to the U.S. via Wi-Fi for rates that are lower than its standard roaming cellular voice minutes. The application itself is free to download, and is available from the Android Market, BlackBerry App World, and the iPhone App Store. Calling rates vary by country, and are billed directly to customers’ credit cards.

Related posts:

1. Vonage Offers Unlimited International Calling for Mobile Users Nathan Eddy, eWeek, 12/24/2009 Voice and messaging services provider Vonage...
2. Cisco, T-Mobile team up for Wi-Fi Calling for Business system Matt Hamblen, Computer World, 12/15/2010 It’s designed to ensure reliable...
3. iPhone and BlackBerry Get Mobile Calling App from Vonage Eric M. Zeman, PhoneScoop, 10/5/2009 Today Vonage announced a new...

Marguerite Reardon, CNETnews, 10/24/2011

Related posts:

1. AT&T touts WiFi usage: 25.4M connections in Q3 Sue Marek, FierceWireless, 10/23/2009 AT&T sees WiFi usage rapidly increasing...
2. AT&T’s Latest Hotspot Usage Statistics Glenn Fleishman, WiFi Net News, 10/23/2009 AT&T may be crying...
3. AT&T: Tighter control of cell data usage ahead Peter Svensson, MSNBC, 12/9/2009 Company: 3 percent of smartphone users...

Roger Chen, CNET, 10/9/2011

AT&T today unveiled AT&T Toggle, a service that allows you to create two separate and distinct identities on your smartphone or tablet. The first would be a personal account where you can freely browse the Internet, text your friends, and watch videos. A second, more secure identity would house your business apps and documents and can be managed by your company’s IT department

The service will help aid the trend of individuals bringing their own devices to work, which kicked off with the iPhone a few years back and has spread to other smartphones and tablets. The announcement comes ahead of the CTIA Enterprise & Applications conference, which kicks off tomorrow in San Diego.

“When it comes to connected devices, one size doesn’t fit all,” said Chris Hill, vice president of advanced mobility services in AT&T’s business services group. “People want to use their own smartphones and tablets for work, but that practice can create major headaches for businesses’ IT departments.”

Individuals like it because they’re no longer constrained to the few options that companies give them on smartphones. Companies like it because they no longer have to bear the financial burden of outfitting their employees with mobile devices.

AT&T is hoping Toggle will provide a boost to this trend. The service will be available by the end of the year to phones running on Android 2.2, also known as Froyo, or higher. AT&T said it plans to expand the accessibility to other mobile operating systems next year.

Companies using the service will be able to allow certain employees the ability to access corporate data depending on their responsibilities. They will also be able to add, update or delete business applications on their employees’ personal devices, and remotely wipe corporate information on the device if it is lost or stolen.

AT&T said some of its corporate customers have already expressed interest in the service.

The distinct sides, however, may be a bother for workers who already used to using one phone for work and personal use. That’s because the person has to manually shift to work mode to access their corporate account, and vice versa.

The smartphones has become an increasingly important tool in the workplace. AT&T said more than 18,000 of its business customers have adopted mobile applications, a rise of nearly 400 percent since the first quarter of the year.

Hitting the “bring your own device” trend harder, AT&T plans to launch a series of additional services and features that will help workers rid themselves of company-issued devices.

Related posts:

1. Smartphones Usher in Mobile Security Dilemmas Mobile Tech Today, 3/10/2011 According to security firm Symantec, 54...
2. Carriers split on support for tethering Mike Dano, FierceWireless, 12/2/2009 With all of the interest in...
3. Skype For Mobile Devices Paul Barraza, LifeOnMyMobile, 2/12/2010 Looking for the best way to...

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch, 9/27/2011

Isis, the carrier-led joint venture between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, is today announcing support for its mobile wallet system from the majority of leading device makers, including HTC, LG, Motorola, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, as well as from NFC hardware provider Device Fidelity.

All of the handset makers are now committed to introducing handsets that will include Isis’ NFC and related technology standards.

Isis represents the carriers’ attempt at inserting themselves into the mobile wallet and mobile payments space in order to compete head on with other mobile wallet providers, including those from credit card companies, banks and platform providers, like Google with its Google Wallet program for Android handsets.

The technology in Isis’ mobile wallet uses NFC, or “near field communication,” which enables short-range wireless transactions at point-of-sale. Instead of swiping a credit card, consumers will be able to simply tap or wave their phone at the payment terminal at checkout in order to complete a transaction, and in some cases, even receive coupons or offers from the merchant.

NFC forecasts vary, with ABI Research estimating 35 million handsets shipped this year, and double that next year. IHS iSuppli has forecasted nearly 550 million handsets by 2015. Meanwhile, Berg Insight AB expects there to be 400 million by 2015. Whatever the true number may be, the consensus is that the technology is years out from consumer adoption.

However, the launch of the Apple iPhone 5 is right around the corner, and it will be a key turning point for NFC’s future, potentially shaking up those analyst estimates. If the iPhone 5 does not include NFC support, then adoption of NFC will lag. If it does offer NFC, the movement will continue its current forward momentum, and likely at a faster pace.

Today’s news from Isis supports the latter theory, given its seemingly reactionary nature. If Apple is moving forward with NFC, competing handset makers would have no choice but to also participate by offering NFC support in their handsets as well. That support doesn’t necessarily have to include a partnership with Isis, of course, but Isis is one of the leading movements in the space.

As for DeviceFidelty, it’s no surprise to see it also officially named as one of the companies powering the Isis mobile wallet, given its position as a leader in contactless technologies, including NFC.

It’s also interesting to hear this news now, when just yesterday, disruptive mobile payments company Square’s COO Keith Rabois boldly declared NFC as having no value, citing lack of merchant interest in the technology. The “merchant adoption” hurdle is valid, of course, but contactless infrastructure is already in more locations than consumers may realize, even if it’s somewhat underused. As of this spring, for example, MasterCard claimed it had approximately 88 million PayPass cards (contactless credit cards) and devices in use at 276,000 merchant locations, plus trials and rollouts underway in 36 countries, including at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, KFC and Taco Bell, plus retailers like Sports Authority, Best Buy, and gas stations like BP and Hess. Visa offers a similar contactless support through payWave, with over 150,000 merchant locations in the U.S. and over 300,000 locations worldwide.

Contactless infrastructure is an important part to NFC’s adoption because NFC is based on the existing contactless infrastructure around the world. In other words, where there’s contactless support, there can be support for NFC too. This is, of course, assuming that the device in question offers “card emulation” mode, which lets the NFC device behave like an existing contactless card. But that’s the most logical onramp in the contactless to NFC transition, so that will likely be the case with most mobile wallet initiatives.

Related posts:

1. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless Announce Joint Venture to Build National Mobile Commerce Network Mobile Tech News, 11/16/2010 AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon...
2. Big Cellphone Makers Shifting to Android System Saul Hansell, The New York Times, 10/25/2009 Since 1996, Microsoft...
3. Apple, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile latest to be sued over Carrier IQ tracking Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 12/5/2011 Apple, Motorola, and three major wireless...

Dan Seifert, MobileBurn, 9/18/2012

Today is the day that AT&T has said that its 4G LTE network would become operational and available to general consumers in the five test markets previously announced.

Residents in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio should be able to take advantage of AT&T’s flavor of LTE today. AT&T is the third carrier in the U.S. to launch and LTE network, behind MetroPCS and Verizon Wireless. Currently, AT&T does not offer any smartphones that can take advantage of the faster, next-generation network, but it does sell the USBConnect Momentum 4G modem, Elevate 4G mobile hotspot, and HTC Jetstream Android Honeycomb tablet that can connect to it. Plans for the USB modem and mobile hotspot start at $50 per month for 5GB of data usage, with $10 per GB overage fees. The Jetstream plans cost $14.99 for 250MB of data usage, or $25 for 2GB of usage.

AT&T has committed to launching LTE in 15 markets and covering 70 million residents by the end of the year.

Related posts:

1. Google Phone Unveiled Today Sam Churchill, DailyWireless, 1/5/2010 Google’s Nexus One handset, made by...
2. T-Mobile USA to double network speeds 1/6/2011 T-Mobile USA plans to start doubling the speed of...
3. AT&T’s first LTE-capable device won’t roam onto Verizon’s LTE network Mike Dano, FierceWireless, 10/26/2010 AT&T Mobility’s recently announced LTE-capable USB...

Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer, 9/7/2011

Satellite phone company Iridium Communications Inc. said Wednesday that it is launching a cigarette-pack-sized box that connects to an Iridium phone.

The box produces a Wi-Fi hotspot that smartphones and tablet computers can connect to. The phone relays that connection to satellites overhead, which then shunt the signal to a ground station connected to the Internet.

The data speeds will be slower than dial-up, but they should be good enough for meaningful use of email, Iridium CEO Matt Desch said.

Iridium, which is based in McLean, Va., said the AxcessPoint will cost less than $200, but it needs to be paired with a phone that costs about $1,000. The data connection will cost about $1 per minute.

Iridium phones can already connect laptops to the Internet, through the use of a cable.

AT&T Inc. sells an alternative solution for those who need Internet access where there are zero bars of regular coverage: a “Genus” smartphone that connects directly to a satellite. However, that satellite covers only North America, while the Iridium network of 66 satellites spans the entire world.

Related posts:

1. AT&T launches satellite phone Lance Whitney, CNETNews, 9/21/2010 AT&T has unveiled a new satellite...
2. Using the Personal Hotspot on your AT&T iPhone Glenn Fleishman, Macworld.com, 3/15/2011 Throw away your MiFi! Forego the...
3. Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot: Take Your Wi-Fi With You Charles Hamilton, WebWorkerDaily, 4/16/2010 If you’re always looking for a...