By Alana Grelyak and Tim Young
The race for broadband stimulus is a source of much attention in the United States. Leap Wireless, partnering with One Economy, applied for a grant in order to provide wireless broadband in five cities to low-income individuals. Level 3 has plans to apply under the plan of providing service to underserved regions. Larger companies, like Qwest, AT&T, Comcast, have decided not to apply for funding. Verizon Wireless is also unlikely to apply. Still, all told, 2,200 applicants have submitted applications for a total of 28 Billion USD. The stimulus funds available are approximately one quarter of that amount, meaning that more than a few companies are going to be less-than-stimulated after funding wraps.
Verizon Wireless recently completed the first trials of LTE 4G data calls in Boston and Seattle under the 3GPP Release 8 standard and using the 700 MHz spectrum. Tony Melone, senior vice president and chief technical officer at Verizon Wireless, said, “Verizon Wireless, with outstanding cooperation from our partner suppliers, is fully committed to harnessing the power of LTE over our 700 MHz spectrum. This combination of state-of-the-art technology and prime spectrum will soon make a ubiquitous,
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The stimulus funds available are approximately ¼ of the requested amount, so more than a few companies are going to be less-than-stimulated. |
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The carrier will be refunding the customers who were erroneously charged. The entire episode demonstrates the widespread effect a simple billing error can have, as well as the additional attention being paid to such issues by end-users, surely due, at least in part, to a still-unsteady economy and an increasing number of higher-profile billing glitches.
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highly mobile, super-fast broadband experience a reality for customers. This significant milestone in our LTE 4G network testing, exemplified by the first data calls in Boston and Seattle, further validates our early support and decision to select LTE as the standard for our next-generation wireless broadband network.” With Verizon taking steps toward pushing 4G technology into the foreseeable future, wireless users across the country will likely be demanding it and competing carriers are going to have to make sure they keep up.
Verizon is also in the news this month as it took responsibility for billing errors that caused customers nationwide to be charges $1.99 for wireless data services they were not using.
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Qwest issued a 60 day notice to its wireless subscribers stating that they must find another carrier due to Qwest’s decision to discontinue its wireless service on October 31st, 2009. While the subscribers have a say in who their new carrier will be, Qwest is encouraging them to choose Verizon Wireless and offering a combined billing incentive for those that do. Qwest’s intent to being offering Verizon Wireless services to its customers was announced officially in 2008. Customers will be able to keep their numbers and will not suffer any early termination fees. Since we mentioned above that Verizon Wireless is working on the 4G network, customers interested in that will have even more impetus to choose Verizon.
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