With only four major U.S. wireless providers (and possibly three, if T-Mobile and Sprint merge), and a growing number of Americans whose primary connection to the world is through their phones, it makes sense that traditional cable operators are realizing they need to go mobile to reach cord-cutters and cord-nevers. Altice, the Dutch parent company of Cablevision and Suddenlink, is the latest cable biggie to say it may jump into the wireless fray stateside.
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mobile broadband
Cablevision, Suddenlink Owner Altice May Join U.S. Cell Phone Market
By 5.23.17
If You Actually Want Comcast To Be Your Mobile Provider, 2017’s Your Year
By 9.20.16
If you really want more Comcast in your life, and you’re tired of all the options you already have for mobile phone service, well, Comcast’s CEO has some good news for you. Coming soon, the cable company America most loves to hate is cutting its own cord, and going wireless. [More]
Americans Using Incredible Volume Of Mobile Data, Don’t Look To Be Slowing Down Any Time Soon
By 5.24.16
When businesses, consumer advocates, and government reports all say that the use of mobile data is skyrocketing, they aren’t kidding. An annual survey of the wireless industry shows that we are using more mobile everything, all the time, everywhere — and that the trend shows no signs of slowing down. [More]
FCC Announces Official Lifeline Modernization Proposal, Will Vote On It This Month
By 3.8.16
Internet access is a necessity, but it’s also kind of a luxury: the poorer you are, the less likely you are to be able to have it. Even while, to keep living in the always-on, always-connected world of the 21st century, you really need it. [More]
The FCC Wants To Know How Mobile Data, Broadband Caps, And High Prices Shape Broadband Access
By 8.7.15
It’s the FCC’s job to determine if broadband internet service is reaching enough people, quickly enough and competitively enough. To make that determination, every year they issue a report looking at the current state of broadband and how it’s changed. But broadband isn’t about wires anymore; it’s about wireless data and how quickly that moves (or doesn’t), too. And so the commission is considering a big change to their standards for the next go-around — one that would take a hard look at your cell service, too. [More]
Letting Sprint Buy T-Mobile Will Fix Broadband Competition, According To Sprint Chairman
By 5.30.14
Yesterday at the Code Conference, Sprint chairman Masayoshi Son spoke about the (terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad) state of internet service in the United States. But there was a distinctly self-serving undercurrent to Son’s speech. [More]
Don’t Believe Comcast… Mobile Broadband Is Not Competition For Cable Internet
By 4.24.14
Merger-mad Comcast and Time Warner Cable would have you believe that they are in direct competition with mobile broadband. And Verizon has successfully misled the state of New Jersey into thinking that accessing the web on your phone is the same as having a high-speed data connection to your home. Both of these conceits may someday be accurate, but the reality of the here-and-now is quite different. [More]
Comcast Officially Files for TWC Merger, Claims Broadband Competition Is Fine Because You Have A Smartphone
By 4.8.14
It’s a big day for Comcast: not only did they win a big old golden poo this morning, but also they formally took the first step in the regulatory dance that stands between them and their purchase of Time Warner Cable by filing a mountain of paperwork with the FCC. The massive document contains all of Comcast’s explanations for why the merger is the best idea ever… and it’s a doozy. Let’s take a closer look at their arguments, shall we? [More]
FCC Android App Lets You Test Wireless Broadband Speeds
By 11.14.13
In an effort to include more wireless data in its periodic reports on the state of broadband in America, the Federal Communications Commission has released an Android app that lets consumers test the speed and quality of their wireless provider (and of course shares that data with the FCC). [More]
Why Did Hurricane Sandy Knock Out My Virgin Mobile Broadband For Almost 2 Weeks?
By 11.6.12
Last week, Hurricane Sandy flooded and took out power in many areas of the Northeast. Compared to the devastation in other areas, damage in Philadelphia was pretty minimal. Dorothy is lucky, considering. What she can’t understand, though, is why her mobile broadband device from Virgin Mobile will be down until Saturday, November 10. [More]
FCC To Test Mobile Broadband Speeds… In Due Time
By 9.5.12
For two years now, the Federal Communications Commission has been looking at terrestrial broadband services to see which DSL/cable/fiber/string-and-cans providers are actually delivering the speeds they promise. So it only makes sense for the FCC to start looking at just how quickly U.S. consumers are able to download data over mobile networks. Unfortunately, the federal government still moves at the speed of a crappy dial-up line. [More]
Sprint Nixes Unlimited 4G For Mobile Broadband & Hotspot Users
By 10.21.11
While Sprint continues — for now — to offer smartphone users unlimited data plans without overage charges or throttling, the company has announced that customers with unlimited 4G plans for mobile broadband and mobile hotspot devices will have very definite limits starting in November. [More]
Virgin Mobile And Walmart Team Up To Make Great Mobile Broadband Plan Disappear
By 12.1.10
Scott tried to do a nice thing and buy a low-cost, low-bandwidth mobile Internet plan for his mother. Unfortunately, there’s some confusion between Virgin and Walmart, and the plan that Scott thought he was buying has disappeared into a reality vortex. One where customer service reps insist that he purchased the item from Walmart.com when he didn’t. [More]
Best Buy To Peddle Its Own Mobile Broadband Service
By 6.29.10
In a recent Sunday ad, Best Buy pimped Best Buy Connect, its upcoming mobile internet service. [More]
Here's What The New FCC Net Neutrality Rules Mean
By 10.23.09
Yesterday the FCC announced new, expanded rules enforcing net neutrality, and they’ve set aside the next 60 days for public debate. Get ready to hear all sorts of creative end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it arguments from opponents like AT&T. We’ve checked out the official document (pdf) and below we summarize the changes that are open to public discussion for the next two months.
Sprint's Special Low Price For One Month Of Mobile Broadband: $14,062.27
By 12.30.07
Krystyl signed up for Sprint’s $59.99 unlimited Mobile Broadband plan and isn’t sure why she just received a bill for $14,062.27.
