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	<title>TechTag: wireless service providers &#124; Tech &#124; TIME.com</title>
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		<title>TechTag: wireless service providers &#124; Tech &#124; TIME.com</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com</link>
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		<title>FreedomPop&#8217;s Free Mobile Data Plans: What You Need to Know</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2012/10/03/freedompops-free-mobile-data-plans-what-you-need-to-know/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2012/10/03/freedompops-free-mobile-data-plans-what-you-need-to-know/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ask TIME Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless carriers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=147514</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A new company called FreedomPop is offering something that seems too good to be true: 500 MB of free mobile data per month through your choice of a wireless hotspot or USB stick. That all sounds pretty great, but there are some things you should know before jumping on board.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=147514&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Gadgets</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/reviews-features/gadgets-reviews-features/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/freedompopsleeve.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>4G Reality Check: Here&#8217;s Where a 4G LTE iPhone Would Actually Matter</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2012/09/07/4g-lte-reality-check-where-a-4g-iphone-would-matter/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2012/09/07/4g-lte-reality-check-where-a-4g-iphone-would-matter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ask TIME Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sprint]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T-Mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verizon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[4G LTE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone 5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless carriers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=145260</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While the new iPhone may support 4G LTE, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll get faster speeds in your area. Here's a rundown on the state of 4G LTE for all four major wireless carriers, and how to find out if you're covered.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=145260&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/4gltereality.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">verizon4g</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Lingering Questions About Shared Data Plans</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2012/05/23/5-lingering-questions-about-shared-data-plans/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2012/05/23/5-lingering-questions-about-shared-data-plans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 10:45:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews & Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tablets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tablets & Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verizon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data plans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=133093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The demise of all-you-can-eat data might not be all bad news. Shared data plans could be money savers by letting families draw from one data pool, and by letting power users connect several devices without buying a separate plan for each one. But some big questions still linger.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=133093&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Tablets &amp; Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/reviews-features/tablets-smartphones/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/verizonstore.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Verizon Store</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>AT&amp;T Kills $5 Incentive for Data Cap, Adds Data</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2012/01/19/att-kills-5-incentive-for-data-cap/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2012/01/19/att-kills-5-incentive-for-data-cap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Companies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=115147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The days when AT&#38;T customers could save $5 per month by giving up their unlimited data plans will soon be over.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=115147&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://techland.time.com/2012/01/19/att-kills-5-incentive-for-data-cap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>AT&amp;T</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/companies-2/att/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/attlogo.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">attlogo</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ting: A Wireless Carrier that Isn&#8217;t Your Enemy</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/12/05/ting-wireless-carrier-isnt-your-enemy/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/12/05/ting-wireless-carrier-isnt-your-enemy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=108555</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While most wireless carriers take every opportunity to overcharge their customers, Ting wants to do things differently.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=108555&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ting.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">ting</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Republic Wireless: $19 per Month for Voice, Text and Data</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/11/08/republic-wireless-19-per-month-for-voice-text-and-data/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/11/08/republic-wireless-19-per-month-for-voice-text-and-data/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:05:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=102194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A new carrier called Republic Wireless is enlisting the help of Wi-Fi networks to sell insanely cheap smartphone service. Republic Wireless offers voice, text and data for $19 per month, with no annual contract. That&#8217;s roughly a quarter of the price of coverage plans on AT&#38;T and Verizon Wireless. (MORE: T-Mobile&#8217;s No-Contract 4G Android Phone Doesn&#8217;t Look Terrible) Of course, there&#8217;s a catch: Republic Wireless uses a &#8220;Hybrid Calling&#8221; system that automatically places calls over Wi-Fi when possible. A cellular network is available for backup—Sprint&#8217;s network, to be exact—but Republic expects its customers to be on Wi-Fi most of the time. So although Republic Wireless claims to offer &#8220;unlimited&#8221; voice, text and data, it also reserves the right to kick out bandwidth hogs. Exact limits may vary, but in general users can expect warnings if they exceed 550 minutes, 150 texts or 300 megabytes of cellular data. Also, Republic Wireless only offers one phone for now, LG&#8217;s Optimus, which is a low-end Android 2.3 handset with a 3.2-inch touch screen. It&#8217;s included in the $199 start-up fee ($99 if you use the promo code welcome19 by November 27), and is pre-loaded with Republic&#8217;s Hybrid Calling system. As The Verge&#8217;s Jamie Keene points out, the software-driven system could drain the phone&#8217;s battery in a hurry. Obviously, this isn&#8217;t for everyone. If you crave the latest and greatest smartphones, you&#8217;ll have to look elsewhere. If you use lots of data on the road—for example, by streaming music in the car on your daily commute—you&#8217;ll have to look elsewhere. If you&#8217;ve got slow and unreliable home Internet service that can&#8217;t handle VoIP services like Skype, this isn&#8217;t for you. But for people who want a basic smartphone and the cheapest service possible, Republic Wireless looks promising. And I like the carrier&#8217;s activist bent, likening its service to a hybrid car and its traditional wireless carrier rivals to the oil companies. Republic&#8217;s website even refers to the established industry as &#8220;Big Cell&#8221; at one point. Sure, it&#8217;s a bit disingenuous when Republic relies on Sprint<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=102194&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link>
		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/34fc7597b770639d5945b0edb9b542a5?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bill Shock Be Gone: FCC, Wireless Carriers Strike a Deal</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/10/17/bill-shock-be-gone-fcc-wireless-carriers-strike-a-deal/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/10/17/bill-shock-be-gone-fcc-wireless-carriers-strike-a-deal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:04:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=99950</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rather than face regulation, wireless service providers have struck a deal with the Federal Communications Commission to warn customers about impending overage charges for voice, text and data use. Customers will receive free text alerts in real-time when they&#8217;re about to exceed their limits, CNET reports. The move is supposed to cut down on the &#8220;bill shock&#8221; people may feel when hit with sky-high rates for extra usage. Wireless carriers will also warn customers who travel overseas about the additional fees they may incur. (MORE: Overage Fees Are Good for You, Says the Wireless Industry) The FCC has been talking about bill shock countermeasures for over a year. In May 2010, an FCC survey found that 17% of mobile customers have seen unexpected spikes in their bills, and that most of those people weren&#8217;t alerted ahead of time. In October, the commission proposed rules that included the warnings wireless carriers are now implementing voluntarily. The FCC also considered mandating an easy way for customers to cap their own usage, so they&#8217;d never get hit with overage charges. I&#8217;m guessing wireless providers struck a deal to avoid that mandate. The wireless industry loves overage fees, and the huge amounts of money they bring in. Earlier this year, the industry even tried to argue that overage fees are good for you, which of course is totally crazy, but shows how badly the industry doesn&#8217;t want those charges to go away. Under the volunteer measures, wireless carriers have 18 months to put their warning systems in place. Yes, government is that slow. Some providers, including AT&#38;T and Verizon Wireless, already warn their customers as their data use approaches the limit. However, these warnings may be delayed. AT&#38;T, for example, takes 24 hours. The agreement for real-time alerts may require wireless providers to speed up their systems. As CNET points out, several apps are available for monitoring your own usage, including DataMan Pro, 3G Watchdog and Onavo, in case you don&#8217;t feel like waiting for wireless carriers. MORE: Are Texting Apps a Real Threat to<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=99950&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>AT&amp;T Texting Plans Whittled to Unlimited and Pay-Per-Text</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/08/18/att-text-messaging-plans-unlimited-and-pay-per-text/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/08/18/att-text-messaging-plans-unlimited-and-pay-per-text/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:03:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[text messaging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[texting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=94174</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On August 21, AT&#38;T will once again &#8220;streamline&#8221; its text messaging plans, leaving only unlimited and pay-per-text options for new subscribers. AT&#38;T is removing a plan that offered 1,000 text messages for $10 per month plus 10 cents for additional messages. AT&#38;T&#8217;s other texting prices will remain the same, at $20 per month for unlimited messages (or $30 per month for families) and 20 cents per text message without an unlimited plan (or 30 cents for MMS). (MORE:&#160;Consumer Reports Names AT&#38;T Worst Wireless Service Provider) Existing customers will be able to keep whatever plan they&#8217;re already using, even if they upgrade to a new phone. This is the second time AT&#38;T has eliminated some of its text messaging plans this year. In January, the carrier stopped offering 200 messages for $5 per month and 1500 messages for $15 per month to new subscribers. Again, existing customers were grandfathered in to their old plans. A representative for AT&#38;T offered the following explanation to Engadget: &#8220;The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers.&#8221; Don&#8217;t let that quote fool you into thinking AT&#38;T needs to push people toward more expensive texting plans to pay for higher demand. As Public Knowledge&#160;pointed out in January, text messages cost very little to transmit. This is simply an attempt to siphon more money out of new subscribers. AT&#38;T has every right to do so, of course,&#160; but it doesn&#8217;t look good when T-Mobile—which AT&#38;T wants to acquire—bundles unlimited text messaging with most of its plans at no extra charge. The good news for smartphone users is that between Facebook, Twitter, IM apps and Apple&#8217;s upcoming iMessage, it may some day be possible to whittle down your own text messaging until you don&#8217;t need an unlimited plan. But when that happens, you can be sure carriers will find some other way to tip the scales in their favor. MORE:&#160;What the AT&#38;T &#38; T-Mobile Acquisition Means for Everyone<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=94174&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>How an &#8216;Apple Wireless&#8217; Provider Could Sell You More Hardware</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/08/15/how-an-apple-wireless-could-sell-you-more-hardware/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/08/15/how-an-apple-wireless-could-sell-you-more-hardware/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:15:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apple rumors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=93766</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Apple&#8217;s huge successes with the iPhone and iPad have allowed the company to amass $76 billion in cash. While no one outside Apple knows what the company will do with this Scrooge McDuck-like money pile, Jean-Louis Gassée has an interesting theory: Apple should buy a wireless carrier, such as T-Mobile. (LIST: Top 10 Apple Moments) Gassée makes a compelling case (Apple could finally control its entire smartphone business and optimize service for iPhones) while acknowledging the reasons why it may never happen (regulatory hurdles, relatively low return on equity and friction with other wireless carriers). The whole piece makes for great reading. But in the end, Gassée dismisses his theory as a fantasy for one big reason: Apple is primarily in the business of selling hardware, and owning a wireless carrier doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean more hardware sales. &#8220;A wireless carrier owned, operated and integrated by Apple would only take two or three years to generate (much) more revenue than iTunes,&#8221; he writes. &#8220;But would it sell twice as many iPhones? Probably not.&#8221; He&#8217;s right—assuming that an Apple-controlled wireless carrier would model itself after its competitors. But because Apple is in the business of selling hardware, rather than selling service, an &#8220;Apple Wireless&#8221; could operate in a completely different way. Instead of selling coverage for individual devices, Apple could offer coverage on a per-user basis, with the goal of selling as many connected iPhones, iPads and MacBooks as possible. I&#8217;ve dreamed of this scenario for years. Instead of paying $30 per month for a smartphone data plan, plus $30 for a tablet data plan, plus $30 for a connected laptop, you&#8217;d connect all of your devices for one flat monthly rate. In other words, you&#8217;d buy a single bucket of data that all your devices may use at no extra charge. (MORE: Why the iPhone 3GS May Still Be Worth Buying) Under the status quo, wireless carriers have no incentive to do this, because they don&#8217;t make money when you buy a phone, a tablet or a computer. They only stand to<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=93766&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Smartphones</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/smartphones/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Seriously, Who Buys Tablets with Wireless Data Plans?</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/07/13/tablet-data-plans/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/07/13/tablet-data-plans/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:30:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tablets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=90039</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AT&#38;T has proudly announced that it&#8217;s the exclusive 4G wireless carrier for Sony&#8217;s upcoming S2 dual-screen tablet. I&#8217;m proud to announce that I couldn&#8217;t care less. Honestly, any time I hear about this or that wireless carrier selling this or that tablet, I wonder, who&#8217;s actually interested? Do people really want to pay upwards of $20 per month for a bucket of data that can only be used on a single device? Apparently not. Although sales figures for 3G tablets are hard to find, IDG Analyst Bob O&#8217;Donnell recently told Computerworld that sales are very slow, and that hundreds of thousands of 3G-ready tablets are sitting unsold on store shelves. He drew that conclusion from interviews with Motorola, Samsung and other tablet vendors. &#8220;The 3G thing on tablets is bogus,&#8221; O&#8217;Donnell said. &#8220;Nobody wants to pay for that data.&#8221; (MORE: The Apps That Eat Your Wireless Data) And yet, carriers persist. Just this week, AT&#38;T locked down another exclusive in the HP TouchPad, which will launch with 4G coverage this summer. Sprint sells the Evo View, a 4G version of HTC&#8217;s Flyer tablet. Verizon and AT&#38;T both sell a 3G iPad. I suppose if even a few people lock themselves into a new data plan, that&#8217;s more money in carriers&#8217; pockets. But unless a tablet is the only device you plan to connect to the Internet, better options are available. Most modern smartphones can act as Wi-Fi hotspots for any device, often at a lower cost than a separate tablet data plan. And don&#8217;t forget about the Wi-Fi hotspots all around you. Lots of coffee shops will connect you for free, and the cost of buying Internet access on an airplane or at the airport should be less than the monthly costs of wireless carriers if you&#8217;re not a frequent traveler. So with all due respect to AT&#38;T and Sony, thanks, but no thanks. Show me a crazy dual-screen folding tablet that isn&#8217;t shackled by an absurd monthly data plan &#8212; in other words, let me use a share of<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=90039&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Tablets</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/tablets/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>BlackBerry PlayBook Smacked Down by Wireless Carrier</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/06/17/blackberry-playbook-smacked-down-by-wireless-carrier/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/06/17/blackberry-playbook-smacked-down-by-wireless-carrier/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:12:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jared Newman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tablets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry playbook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=86943</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Research in Motion&#8217;s BlackBerry PlayBook just isn&#8217;t getting the love from wireless carriers. In the United Kingdom, O2 has scrapped plans to carry the 7-inch tablet, reportedly telling customers that &#8220;there are some issues with the end to end customer experience.&#8221; O2 hasn&#8217;t ruled out selling the PlayBook down the line and may work with RIM on future PlayBook products, but confirmed to Engadget that it has no plans to sell the PlayBook at this time. (MORE: Blackberry Playbook Flopped Hard, Says Retail Source) In general, carriers have responded to the PlayBook with mixed reactions. Verizon Wireless said in April that it&#8217;s &#8220;still evaluating&#8221; whether it wants to sell the tablet, and T-Mobile hasn&#8217;t commented on the matter. Only Sprint has committed to selling the PlayBook, but has delayed its launch several times. It&#8217;s not clear exactly why wireless carriers haven&#8217;t warmed to RIM&#8217;s tablet, but it&#8217;s easy to guess a few reasons: The tablet lacks native e-mail and calendar apps, which could be a big turnoff to customers, and there aren&#8217;t a lot of third-party apps available right now. Also, the PlayBook&#8217;s BlackBerry Bridge feature, which lets users tether their BlackBerry phones to check e-mail, messages and calendar, undermines carriers&#8217; ability to sell additional data plans for tablets. That may explain why AT&#38;T blocked the Bridge app on its BlackBerry phones. I hope RIM can eventually turn the PlayBook. Despite its early woes, I like how it uses finger swipes for navigation, and it&#8217;s the only tablet that can truly run apps in the background without suspending them or shutting them down. But at the moment, I don&#8217;t blame carriers for holding off. LIST: All-Time 100 Gadgets<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=86943&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Tablets</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/gadgets/tablets/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">Jared Newman</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>AT&amp;T Defends T-Mobile Merger: It&#8217;s a Good Thing, Really!</title>
		<link>http://techland.time.com/2011/04/01/att-defends-t-mobile-merger-its-a-good-thing-really/</link>
		<comments>http://techland.time.com/2011/04/01/att-defends-t-mobile-merger-its-a-good-thing-really/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michelle Castillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AT&T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T-Mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AT&T T-Mobile Merger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless service providers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://techland.time.com/?p=74094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In case you hadn&#8217;t heard, AT&#38;T and T-Mobile could soon become one. But what does that mean for the rest of us? All good news for AT&#38;T customers, says AT&#38;T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson, so, you know, take the following comments with a grain of salt. Stephenson says that if the merger is approved, the network will improve up to 30 percent in some of the biggest U.S. cities, including New York City where wireless service is sometimes so bad you might as well jump on the subway and wait to chat in person. Those exorbitant charges for overseas roaming will come down, too, thanks to the much larger combined worldwide network. And in an appeal to your charitable side, AT&#38;T’s merger will help with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission goal of making broadband widely available to everyone by offering the company’s Long-Term Evolution or LTE Technology to 46.5 million additional customers. Better service is great, but the real concern for most AT&#38;T customers (and frankly anyone who uses a cell phone) is how the merger would affect contract prices. Some parties are worried that by narrowing the competition floor to three companies, your monthly bill could skyrocket. Let&#8217;s give that a number: 80 percent of wireless cellular service would fall under AT&#38;T-Mobile (see what we did there?) and Verizon. No surprise then that Sprint&#8217;s been especially vocal in opposing the merger, saying &#8220;The transaction…would reverse nearly three decades of actions by the U.S. government and the courts that modernized and opened U.S. communications markets to competition. The wireless industry…could be undone by this transaction.” In response, AT&#38;T&#8217;s Stephenson argues that higher-bill phobia isn&#8217;t justified. When asked if there needed to be price restrictions in place for the merger to be approved by both the FCC and the Justice Department, Stephenson said “This is an intensely competitive industry&#8230; It is intense before we do this transaction, it will be intense after we do this transaction.” He also claims that over the last decade, prices fell on average 50 percent, despite five wireless provider<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=techland.time.com&#038;blog=5290478&#038;post=74094&#038;subd=timenerdworld&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>T-Mobile</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://techland.time.com/category/companies-2/t-mobile/</primary_category_link>
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			<media:title type="html">mishscastillo</media:title>
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