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Tag: Verizon

  • iPhone for Verizon Coming February 10

    Apple and Verizon officially announced the iPhone 4 for Verizon today. Verizon includes the tagline, "The phone that changed everything. Coming to America’s most reliable network."

    The iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10, and qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the opportunity to pre-order it online on February 3.

    "We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network," said Lowell McAdam, president and COO of Verizon. "This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century."

    iPhone Comes to Verizon

    "Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it," added Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. "We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers."

    Pricing starts at $199.99 for 16GB with a new 2-year activation (data pak required).

  • Netflix Spotted on Android Device, Doesn’t Mean Yours Will Get It

    A Netflix app for Android was spotted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which wrapped up yesterday. Verizon, showing off its new LG Revolution 4G phone with Android, showed evidence that the app is indeed in existence. 

    Android users have been waiting for a Netflix app for quite some time, and have had to wait idly by while apps for the iPhone, iPad, and even Windows Phone 7 were released. UnwiredView.com posted the following video of the demo, which is now making the rounds: 
     

    Unfortunately, we don’t really get to see the Netflix app in action, but can see clearly that it does in fact exist. "Netflix – preinstalled. Imagine, Netflix coming to you in 4G. That’s goin to be fantastic. You’re not going to have to worry about much buffering speeds anymore," the person showing off the phone says. 

    Greg Peters from Netflix product development explained why it has taken so long for Netflix to bring its service to Android a couple months ago. "The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android," he said. "The same security issues that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it difficult for us to secure a common Digital Rights Management (DRM) system on these devices."

    "Setting aside the debate around the value of content protection and DRM, they are requirements we must fulfill in order to obtain content from major studios for our subscribers to enjoy," Peters added. "Although we don’t have a common platform security mechanism and DRM, we are able to work with individual handset manufacturers to add content protection to their devices. Unfortunately, this is a much slower approach and leads to a fragmented experience on Android, in which some handsets will have access to Netflix and others won’t. This clearly is not the preferred solution, and we regret the confusion it might create for consumers. However, we believe that providing the service for some Android device owners is better than denying it to everyone."

    In other words, don’t take this video to necessarily mean that you’re about to get Netflix on your own Android device.

     

  • Verizon to Offer Unlimited Data Plans for iPhone?

    Verizon Wireless subscribers have been waiting a long time for the iPhone to come to the carrier, and soon they will be waiting no longer, as Verizon is expected to offer Apple’s game-changing device within the next several weeks.

    Verizon knows it will be a hot seller, and that along with massive amounts of sales, will come massive amounts of data use, but the carrier is prepared for that, and the solution, at least at this point, isn’t tiered data plans. A Wall Street Journal piece, co-authored by Spencer E. Ante and Yukari Iwatani Kane reports:

    Verizon Wireless has been beefing up its network and believes it will have no problem handling iPhone-type loads, a claim that could be put to the test this year if the carrier signs up millions of subscribers using the Apple Inc. device.

    Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest wireless carrier, is confident enough in its network that it will offer unlimited data-use plans when it starts selling the iPhone around the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter said. Such plans would provide a key means of distinguishing its service from rival AT&T Inc., which limits how much Internet data such as videos and photos its customers may use each month.

    Recent reports indicate that Android devices have surpassed iPhones in the U.S. (comScore), in terms of smartphone subscriptions, but so far, iPhones have only been available through AT&T. The addition of just one more carrier in Verizion could give Apple a big boost in momentum.

    Smartphone subscribers - Android overtakes iPhone

    As far as the unlimited data plans go, don’t expect Verizon to offer them forever. As the WSJ points out, the company has indicated in the past that the industry as a whole needs to move in the tiered-pricing direction. The initial unlimited plans are likely a way to boost sales to the max, as the iPhone comes to Verizon.

  • Buzz Predicts Three Versions Of iPad 2

    Better products often offer consumers more choices.  Compare the original Model T (which Henry Ford supposedly approved in "any color so long as it’s black") to a modern Rolls Royce (available in thousands of paint, leather, and trim combinations), for example.  And now a rumor claims three versions of the iPad 2 will be produced.

    Joseph Tsai reported this morning, "Apple is expected to release three versions of iPad 2, supporting either or a combination of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA, for 2011 with mass production to start as early as the later half of January.  Apple will ship about 500,000-530,000 units to channels in January with shipment ratio of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models at 3:4:3, according to industry sources, citing upstream component makers."

    That CDMA version is significant, allowing the iPad to follow the iPhone onto the Verizon network, and potentially helping the device appeal to a whole new audience.

    Then here are a couple other interesting points: "Apple is also working on strengthening the iPad 2’s anti-smudge and anti-reflective treatments in order to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers, the sources noted."

    Anyway, according to Tsai’s sources, total iPad 2 shipments in 2011 are then supposed to number near 40 million.

    This should all constitute very good (though unconfirmed) news for Apple fans.

  • iPad Gets Verizon FiOS Mobile App

    iPad Gets Verizon FiOS Mobile App

    Verizon announced today that it is extending its free FiOS mobile app to the iPad. With this, FiOS customers with iPads can remotely control their DVRs, and use the iPad as a TV remote control. 

    "Verizon is pushing the boundaries of TV with innovative technology that continues to spur the industry’s evolution," said Eric Bruno, vice president of product management for Verizon.  "We’re giving customers more control over their TV entertainment whenever and wherever they want it.  Extending our FiOS Mobile app to customers using iPads gives more subscribers more ways to conveniently manage their FiOS TV services."

    Verizon FiOS Remote appThe app will automatically personalize options based on the tablet connected to the set-top box, with customized favorites and other preferences. Verizon says it has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS TV remote.  

    "Customers can change channels; manage parental controls; and pause, rewind and fast forward or record a TV show," the company explains. "Subscribers can also click on the video-on-demand (VOD) button and browse and search on-demand titles; or click on the FiOS TV button and jump to live TV when watching recorded programs."

    The feature is available on over 40 mobile devices including Android, iPhone, and iPod Touch. 

    Verizon says more features will come to the app soon. 

  • Google Secures Verizon FiOS TV As TV Ads Partner

    The last time we wrote about Google TV Ads, it was due to a defeat: NBC Universal had ended an advertising partnership.  But it looks like that wasn’t entirely indicative of things to come, as Google announced today that it’s managed to sign a partnership with Verizon FiOS TV.

    Google’s more than a little excited about this development, and it has good reason to be.  Mark Piesanen, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Google TV Ads, characterized Verizon FiOS TV as "one of the fastest growing television providers with the largest fiber-optic network in the US."

    In a post on the Google TV Ads Blog, Piesanen then continued, "By adding over 50 networks on Verizon FiOS TV across 3.3 million homes, we can offer you growing access to the audiences you want to reach on television."

    Indeed, that means Google TV Ads should be able to offer advertisers a way of reaching around 35 million households by early next year, which is rather impressive.  And, since months have gone by since NBC Universal decided on another approach and no other partners have left, the word "should" doesn’t seem like a matter of wishful thinking.

    Perhaps Google will even be able to collect another partner or two before that time.  Its Google TV efforts are likely to introduce employees to new contacts, after all.

    The Google TV Ads team deserves a pat on the back for the Verizon FiOS TV partnership, regardless.

  • AT&T And Verizon Aim To Create Mobile Payment Network

     AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have announced the formation of a joint venture called ISIS, a mobile payments network.

    Discover Financial Services and Barclays Plc are also participating in the joint venture which will allow people to pay for purchases with their smartphones.  ISIS is expected to be introduced in larger markets during the next 18 months.

    ISIS Michael Abbott has been named as Chief Executive Officer of Isis. Formerly with GE Capital, Abbott is a veteran financial services executive with experience in the payment and technology industries.

    “Our mobile commerce network, through relationships with merchants, will provide an enhanced, more convenient, more personalized shopping experience for consumers,” said Michael Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Isis.

    “While mobile payments will be at the core of our offering, it is only the start. We plan to create a mobile wallet that ultimately eliminates the need for consumers to carry cash, credit and debit cards, reward cards, coupons, tickets and transit passes.”

  • Nexus Two Rumored To Be Coming In Less Than 2 Weeks

    Rumor has it that the Nexus Two will be announced at a press conference on November 8th in New York. The announcement would come from Google and Samsung together, and the device would be he first to ship with the next version of Android – version 2.3 aka: Gingerbread. It would also be available on more than one carrier. 

    Again, this is all rumor, coming from Taylor Wimberly at Android and Me, who says he has spoken with "multiple, trusted sources familiar with the project who have shared the same story with me. They wish to remain anonymous."

    Today, Verizon Wireless and Apple began selling iPads at over 2,000 Verizon stores. Verizon is offering three bundles, all featuring an iPad Wi-Fi model and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, for a suggested retail price of $629.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi. Verizon is offering a monthly access plan to iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for $20 a month. In addition, Verizon is offering all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis.

    iPad availability expanding

    AT&T is trying out direct carrier billing with Zong, BilltoMobile and Boku, according to GigaOm. "This could be a major turning point in helping accelerate the growth of mobile payments, a market that could be worth an estimated $633.4 billion by 2014," says Ryan Kim.

    According to Stacey Higginbotham, also at GigaOm, sources inside European carriers say that Apple has been working with SIM-card manufacturer Gemalto to create a special SIM card that would let people in Europe buy a phone no the web or at an Apple Store and get phones working using Apple’s App Store.   

    Roku will reportedly start licensing its software, and NetGear will be the first partner to take advantage. According to Silicon Alley Insider, Roku was forced into this strategy, but it could ultimately mean more people using Roku’s service. 

    Gawker’s Valleywag reports that Google is providing "servants" to its employees. Actually, Google is providing "runners" to help employees with errands. Employees get credits on TaskRabbit, which brokers odd jobs. 

    Oracle has already had a lawsuit against Google for Java code used in Android. Now, the company has reportedly updated the suit, saying that Google "directly copied" code. 

    A company called Proview has threatened to sue Apple over the iPad name. The company tried to market a tablet computer called the I-Pad over a decade ago, according to Financial Times.

    Mozilla announced that Firefox 4 won’t be available until next year, according to ComputerWorld. 

  • Verizon Adds Kindle App To Android

    Verizon Adds Kindle App To Android

    Verizon Wireless said today it will begin pre-loading Amazon’s Kindle app on some of its Android phones.

    Verizon will pre-load the Kindle app on the new Samsung Fascinate, Droid 2 by Motorola and the Motorola Droid X.

    Features of the Kindle app for Android include:

    *The ability to synch bookmarks across devices so users can pick up where they left off.

     

    Verizon-Kindle-app

     

    *Books purchased from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online, where they can be re-downloaded.

    *The U.S. Kindle now has more than700,000 books, with 575,00 books for under $9.99 or less.

    "We’re very excited to bring Kindle for Android directly to Verizon Wireless customers," said Jennifer Byrne, executive director, business development and partnerships for Verizon Wireless.  

    "Our smartphones come with great screens that make buying and reading books simple and easy, and Amazon’s commitment to reading and offering a seamless customer experience is directly in line with what our customers want."

     

     

  • Verizon Wireless Readies Refunds for Wireless Customers

    Verizon Wireless reportedly intends to pay millions of dollars in customer refunds to customers who were charged for unintended web access and/or data usage. Amounts vary by source. The Wall Street Journal pegs the total at about $50 million. Some have the total as high as $90 million.

    Verizon says the charges occurred as a result of software on some phones, but apparently only decided to issue the refunds after the FCC started poking around. Matthew Lasar at Ars Technica quotes a statement from FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Michele Ellison:

    "We can confirm reports of an FCC investigation into mystery fees that appeared on Verizon Wireless bills costing over 15 million Americans tens of millions of dollars…Questions remain as to why it took Verizon two years to reimburse its customers and why greater disclosure and other corrective actions did not come much, much sooner."

    We are addressing billing error. Affected customers will get average of $2 to $6 refund on their Oct. or Nov. bill. http://bit.ly/bkmKHuMon Oct 04 11:01:04 via webVerizon Wireless
    VerizonWireless

    The company will notify affected customers of the charges and the forthcoming refunds over the next couple months, and they’ll receive $2 – $6 credits on their phone bills. Here’s Verizon’s official statement from Mary Coyne, General Counsel:

    In October and November, we are notifying about 15 million customers, through their regular bill messages, that we are applying credits to their accounts due to mistaken past data charges. We will mail former customers refund checks. In most cases, these credits are in the $2 to $6 range; some will receive larger credits or refunds.

    As we reviewed customer accounts, we discovered that over the past several years approximately 15 million customers who did not have data plans were billed for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate. These customers would normally have been billed at the standard rate of $1.99 per megabyte for any data they chose to access from their phones. The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others included accessing certain web links, which should not have incurred charges. We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future.

    Verizon Wireless issues credits to customers from time to time based on regular review and monitoring. When we identify errors, we remedy them as quickly as possible. Our goal is to maintain our customers’ trust and ensure they receive the best experience possible.

    The story seems to indicate that it pays to complain. It certainly looks as if the FCC’s investigation (sparked by numerous customer complaints) is what got the ball rolling on these refunds. 

  • White Spaces, Verizon Tiered Data Plans & Facebook Troubles

    The FCC voted today on rules that will enable the use of TV white spaces to provide wireless broadband connectivity. Google and Microsoft both issued updates applauding the ruling. 

    "As more people access information via mobile and other intelligent devices, additional strain is being put on existing wireless networks," said Craig Mundie, Microsoft’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer. "Microsoft appreciates the hard work by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and the other FCC Commissioners and Congress leading up to this vote. Their action will deliver greater broadband connectivity to consumers, and promote growth and investment in a new generation of wireless broadband technologies."

    Google’s Richard Whitt said, "Today’s order finally sets the stage for the next generation of wireless technologies to emerge, and is an important victory for Internet users across the country."

    Verizon to Launch Tiered Data plansAccording to the Wall Street Journal, Verizon will introduce tiered data pricing over the next four to six months. It might go about it in a different way than AT&T, however. The details have not been ironed out. 

    Facebook has been experiencing some technical difficulties. A lot of users have repeatedly had trouble accessing the site. The company gave the following statement (via TechCrunch):

    We’re currently experiencing some site issues causing Facebook to be slow or unavailable for some users.  We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

    Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy. Here’s the announcement on that.

  • Verizon and RIM Announce BlackBerry Curve 3G

    Verizon and Research in Motion (RIM) announced a new 3G version of the BlackBerry Curve today. It will become available on September 16 in business sales channels, and through Verizon in the coming weeks. 

    The device comes in charcoal or fuchsia red. Here are the features and specs as noted in the announcement:

     

    Stylish new design (4.3" x 2.4" x .55" and 3.7 oz.) with face finished in a mirror-like trim; black, soft-touch sides; and textured back for a comfortable, secure feel in the hand

    35-key full QWERTY backlit keyboard for fast, accurate typing and optical trackpad for easy and fluid navigation

    Dedicated media keys integrated along the top of the smartphone, so music lovers can easily access their tunes while on the go

    BlackBerry(R) Media Sync to easily sync music as well as photos with the smartphone*

    512 MB Flash memory and microSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32 GB memory cards for media storage

    Built-in GPS with support for geo-tagging and location-based applications, including VZ Navigator(R), which provides audible turn-by-turn directions to millions of points of interest and the option to share the directions with others

    Built-in Wi-Fi(R) (802.11 b/g) for fast browsing; smooth music streaming; and the ability to talk on the phone while browsing the Web, instant message with BBM(TM) (BlackBerry(R) Messenger), and share location with friends on popular social networking sites

    Camera with video recording (requires a separately sold microSD card)

    Industry-leading BlackBerry e-mail and messaging capabilities

    Easy mobile access to Facebook(R), Twitter(TM), MySpace(TM) and Flickr(R) as well as popular instant messaging services

    Support for BlackBerry App World(TM), featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones

    Premium phone features, including voice-activated dialing, speakerphone, and Bluetooth(R) (2.1)

    BlackBerry Curve 3G From Verizon

    The BlackBerrry Curve 3TG will cost $29.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an Email and Web feature or an Email and Web for BlackBerry plan. Data plans begin at $29.99 when added to any nationwide voice plan.

  • Bing App Comes to Verizon Android Devices

    Microsoft has announced the launch of its first Bing for Mobile Android app for Verizon customers. The app is available for download in the Android Marketplace on Verizon Android devices.

    The app homepage will look somewhat familiar to Bing users, as it will include the Bing image of the day with the clickable hotspots, much like the desktop version. You can swipe through past images.

    The endless scrolling of the image search also makes the transition to the app. In fact, endless scrolling is functional with any search result.

    Bing for Mobile Comes to Android on Verizon

    The app also supports voice search, which Android users are already familiar with through Google’s offerings.

    "Voice search is also great when it comes to your local business listings," says Bing’s Andy Chu. "Give it a try, even something complex, hold the phone to your ear and speak, or press the mic button—it’s that simple."

    "The Android app also has a pretty smooth mapping feature," adds Chu. "First, Bing will automatically find your current location. You can then easily discover new places by category such as restaurants, banks, theaters and you can choose whether you want walking or driving directions. Swipe through each step of your directions, and check out how fast the map pans and zooms.  For times when you only have one hand free and can’t pinch, there is the handy zoom-out button."

    Other features of the app include local listing reviews, ratings, and news.

  • AT&T Sells Centennial Comm. Assets to Verizon

    AT&T announced that it has completed the sale of certain wireless assets of Centennial Communications to Verizon Wireless. The release says:

    Under terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless acquired former Centennial wireless properties, including licenses, network assets and more than 117,000 current subscribers, in six service areas in Louisiana and Mississippi. The service areas are Lafayette, La., LA-5 (Beauregard), LA-6 (Iberville), LA-7 (West Feliciana), MS-8 (Claiborne) and MS-9 (Copiah).

    AT&T previously divested former Centennial properties in Alexandra, La. and LA-3 (DeSoto) to MTPCS. With the completion of the sale to Verizon Wireless, valued at $235 million, AT&T has satisfied the divestiture requirements of the Centennial acquisition.

    Centennial Communications

    AT&T completed its acquisition of Centennial last November. In May, it was revealed that Verizon would purchase a portion of the company from AT&T. This came as AT&T announced that it would purchase a portion of Verizon’s divested Alltel assets.

  • Verizon Revamps its On-Demand Games App

    Verizon Revamps its On-Demand Games App

    Verizon has launched a new, enhanced version of its Verizon Games portal and app. Based on feedback, Verizon says the new design caters to a more interactive experience.

    Verizon describes the new experience as more game-like and more engaging. The company says it is designed to appeal not just to hard core gamers, but to first-time players as well.

    "The early positive feedback from our test gamers has been overwhelming, and we’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to open up the new Verizon Games experience to all of our customers," said Jason Henderson, games product manager at Verizon. "With the new app and website, people will get the same unparalleled customer experience from their PC games service as they do from Verizon’s TV, Internet and phone services."

    Verizon Games gets a makeover

    Verizon worked with digital entertainment media company Exent on the redesign. The firm specializes in marketing, merchandising, and broadband distribution of video games.

    "The Verizon Games platform is the result of much end-user research," said Jason Akel, VP/general manager of Exent. "We are quite proud of the resulting interface, which is highly accessible to gamers of all types. At the same time, it was important to us that the interface emphasizes function over form so as not to distract from what the users are really there for — the world’s largest catalog of PC downloadable games."

    Verizon is giving new customers a 14-day free trial of the service, with unlimited access to all of the games it provides.

  • The G2 to Deliver “Tight Integration” with Google Services

    A teaser page for G2 from T-Mobile was discovered. It says, "The T-Mobile G2 will deliver tight integration with Google services and break new ground as the first smartphone designed to run at 4G speeds on our new HSPA+ network. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details about the G2 and offer exclusive first access to current T-Mobile customers."

    The G1 was of course the first Android phone, which launched 2 years ago.

    9to5Mac points to Microsoft talking about its compatibility efforts in Office 2011 for Mac:

    Speaking of Microsoft, Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7 will feature Bing Maps. Bing’s Chris Pendleton writes:

    With the impending release of Windows Phone 7, I’ve been working with both the Windows Phone and XNA teams on creating experiences that will involve Bing Maps. As a preview, Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst is the first game to be shown and announced to use an XNA control with Bing Maps for Windows Phone 7. Hot. The game uses Bing Maps as a backdrop for an attack and tank-like game for blowing stuff up (or protecting stuff). Here are a couple screenshots used from within the game.

    Speaking of Bing, it’s still in third place in the U.S. search market according to data released by Hitwise today. However, Yahoo has begun putting Bing into its search results this week, so that should be significantly different next month.

    NewTeeVee reports that Verizon has unveiled a series of new video apps to bring Live TV to the iPad.

  • Skype Mobile Comes to More Verizon Devices

    Skype announced today that Skype mobile is now available on more devices on Verizon – the LG enV Touch, the LG Chocolate Touch, and the Samsung Reality.

    Skype mobile lets users make free calls to landlines and mobile phones internationally, as well as send IMS to other Skype users. Skype-to-Skype calls are free and don’t count towards Verizon Wireless minutes.

    Calls o other mobile or landline numbers in the U.S. do count toward Verizon’s minutes. Calls to international mobile or landline numbers can be paid for using Skype Credit or other subscriptions.

    Skype Mobile

    Skype mobile for these devices can be found at the Verizon Media Store. Users can also text SKYPE to 2255 to get a download link. The service is also available for Android and Blackberry (on some devices) on Verizon.

    Skype recently filed for its IPO and launched "Click to Call" ads for businesses to place around the web. In addition, the company has picked up Yahoo’s VP of Engineering and expanded its operations in Silicon Valley, while facing growing competition from companies like Google.

  • Chrome OS Tablet May Debut On Black Friday

    Fans of Google, tablets, and/or good deals will want to visit a Verizon store in late November, judging from a new report.  A Chrome OS tablet is supposed to debut at that time, and it’s probably going to offer consumers a lot of tech for a low price.

    Lee Mathews heard from a source that the tablet will go on sale on November 26th, which is Black Friday.  That’s clever in the sense that many people will have the day off and dedicate it to shopping; the potential downside is if folks don’t want to spend hours waiting for the tablet when they could be snatching up dozens of products at Walmart.

    Google ChromeOtherwise, Mathews indicated that HTC, which put together the Nexus One, will also build the Chrome OS tablet.

    Then, with regards to specs, he wrote, "It’ll likely be based on Nvidia’s Tegra 2 platform and sport a 1280×720 multitouch display, 2GB of RAM, minimum 32GB SSD, WiFi/Bluetooth/3G connectivity, GPS, webcam, and possibly expandable storage via a multi-card reader."

    Finally, Mathews speculated, "You can bet Google’s Chrome OS tablet will be heavily subsidized, and I’d go so far as to say it will be substantially cheaper than the iPad – if not totally free – with a Verizon data contract."

    Let’s hope the tablet lives up to expectations (and turns out to be real in the first place).

  • Google Aims to Separate Fact from Fiction Around Net Neutrality Proposal

    Google Aims to Separate Fact from Fiction Around Net Neutrality Proposal

    Update: Wired is reporting that Net neutrality group Free Press and MoveOn.org will lead a protest at Google’s headquarters Friday.

    Orginal Article: Google has posted a lengthy article about "myths and facts" surrounding the net neutrality proposal it introduced with Verizon this week. This proposal has been controversial to say the least, and while this may not be enough to change all minds, it is certainly worth taking look at.

    First off, let’s look at what Google says are "myths" about the policy. These include:

    1. Google has "sold out" on network neutrality.
    2. This proposal represents a step backwards for the open Internet.
    3. This proposal would eliminate network neutrality over wireless.
    4. This proposal will allow broadband providers to "cannibalize" the public Internet.
    5. Google is working with Verizon on this because of Android.
    6. Two corporations are legislating the future of the Internet.

    I think most opponents of the proposal will be most interested in what Google has to say around numbers  3 and 5. The whole wireless being treated differently thing seems to be rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. That combined with the fact that Google has a growing interest in the mobile space (not to mention Verizon’s even more obvious interest) just hasn’t sat well with everybody.

    Open - How Open is Google/Verizon's proposal?First of all, as far as Android is concerned, Google says, "This is a policy proposal – not a business deal. Of course, Google has a close business relationship with Verizon, but ultimately this proposal has nothing to do with Android. Folks certainly should not be surprised by the announcement of this proposal, given our prior public policy work with Verizon on network neutrality, going back to our October 2009 blog post, our January 2010 joint FCC filing, and our April 2010 op-ed."

    Google maintains that the wireless market is more competitive than the wireline market, giving consumers more choices among providers. Another factor the company brings up is that wireless networks employ airwaves, as opposed to wires, and "share constrained capacity among man users.

    "In our proposal, we agreed that the best first step is for wireless providers to be fully transparent with users about how network traffic is managed to avoid congestion, or prioritized for certain applications and content," the company says. "Our proposal also asks the Federal government to monitor and report regularly on the state of the wireless broadband market. Importantly, Congress would always have the ability to step in and impose new safeguards on wireless broadband providers to protect consumers’ interests."

    That’s really just the tip of the iceberg of what Google has to say on this matter. Read the whole piece here. Have they said anything to change your mind? 

  • AT&T: Yep, Wireless is Different

    AT&T: Yep, Wireless is Different

    The net neutrality debate sparked (most recently) by Google and Verizon earlier this week continues. Now AT&T has weighed in, and unsurprisingly it appears to agree with the companies.

    One of the biggest controversies of the Google/Verizon policy proposal is that wireless is being treated differently. AT&T says, "Wireless is different." In a post on the company’s public policy blog, they write:

    Data traffic on wireless networks continues to explode.  And this is not only being driven by the ever-increasing use of smartphones.  The per unit sales of wirelessly enabled portable devices (think netbooks, E-books, E-tablets and navigation devices) is expected to grow from approximately 6M in 2008 to 86M in 2014.  It’s not surprising that mobile broadband data traffic is on a similar trajectory.  The 90,000 terabytes of traffic per month that was carried on wireless networks in 2009 will mushroom to 3,600,000 TBs/month by 2014.

    iPhone 4 Pitted against this insatiable demand are wireless networks of finite and shared resources.  Wireless networks simply cannot provide the same amount of capacity as wireline networks (i.e., DSL and cable).  Fiber is to a wireline network what spectrum is to a wireless network, and as a transmission medium, the two simply do not compare.  The theoretical top speed of a LTE carrier is 100 Mbps.  By contrast, theoretical transmission speeds on fiber can reach as high as 25,000,000 Mbps.  The 5 extra zeros tell the story. 

    We are constantly striving to increase the efficiency of our spectrum resources, but the amount of available spectrum in any given market is finite.  And while we regularly split cell sectors and add additional cell towers, there are very real limits placed on cell site construction by zoning and local approval boards.

    AT&T says its doing its part by accelerating network efficiencies through network upgrades, capitalizing on complementary network infrastructure like WiFi and microcells, and deploying more cell sites while adding capacity to backhaul facilities.

    The company also says that policymakers can help by reallocating more spectrum for CMRS use, and protecting wireless broadband networks from "onerous new net neutrality regulations". AT&T says that’s vital to the growth of the industry.

    Thoughts?
     

  • Apple TV to Be Called iTV, Could Google TV Eventually Expand to DirecTV?

    Apple’s TV project has been renamed iTV, according to a report from Engadget, and it will run apps, much like the iPhone/iPad. Joshua Topolsky says, "it’s unclear if there will be cross-pollination between iPad and iPhone / iPod touch offerings and new Apple TV applications." It will apparently cost $99, but it reportedly won’t be able to handle 1080i or 1080p video.

    DirecTV and Google have entered into an ad sales partnership involving Google TV ads. It would be very interesting if the relationship between these two companies evolved to include a Google TV partnership, which would give that platform (along with Android) potentially much greater reach, building on Google’s existing relationship with Dish Network.

    Google and Verizon have dominated the tech web headlines this week with news and discussion around their "open web" proposal. Facebook has weighed in on the subject, indicating that they’re on a different page with the companies’ stance on wireless networks.

    Google announced a new beta version of Chrome with more speed, a new user interface, and a new autofill feature.

    Google is also sharing a case study from Samsung about how it has utilized AdMob mobile ads to target male sports fans, increasing purchase intent.

    Gizmodo points to a Firefox add-on that provides an alarm every time "Google spies on you". It screams at you and shows you an alert when personal information is sent to Google servers. "Since this happens almost everywhere—thanks to spying bugs like Google Analytics, AdSense, YouTube embeds, Google API calls, and who knows what else—you may just want to look at the demo," writes Jesus Diaz.

    Google Alarm from Jamie Dubs on Vimeo.

    Ars Technica has a startling story about how cars can be hacked into through wireless tire sensors, which could potentially give those with malicious intent the ability to annoy drivers or even endanger them.