AT&T confirmed today that it will begin throttling the heaviest data users of its wireless network starting October 1. The new policy will affect only customers who still have an unlimited data plan, and only apply to the top 5 percent of that base. Throttling is when a carrier will slow down the connection of …

Verizon Wireless said yesterday it plans to pay a $10 billion dividend to its two parents, Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group, early next year. Verizon Wireless The long-awaited payout comes after years of clamoring from Vodafone shareholders, who felt they had received little from the cash-generating machine that is Verizon Wireless. Over the past few years, Verizon, which owns a …

Apple, followed closely by Samsung Electronics, overtook Nokia in global smartphone market share during the second quarter. Apple controlled nearly a fifth of the smartphone market, or a share of 18.5 percent, as it shipped more than 20 million iPhones, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. Samsung Electronics wasn’t far behind, with 17.5 percent of the market share and …

commentary The vice is just starting to clamp down on Sprint Nextel. Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse Marguerite Reardon/CNET In a clear indication of increasing competitive pressure, the wireless carrier stepped up its spending on promotions in the second quarter, including an instant rebate and cash-back programs to lure in customers from rival carriers. On a conference call today to …

Sprint Nextel and LightSquared today confirmed a long-anticipated network-sharing deal designed to spur the creation of a 4G network. LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja delivers a speech at CTIA 2011. CNET/Marguerite Reardon Under the terms of the 15-year deal, LightSquared will pay Sprint $9 billion in cash and an estimated $4.5 billion in credits for LTE and satellite equipment. In exchange, …

Sprint Nextel said today it fell further into the red in the second quarter as a result of losses related to bad stock investments. Sprint also said it lost 101,000 contract subscribers in the period. The company was likely hit by the double whammy of the Apple iPhone being available at both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, while speed freaks who …

Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Sanjay Jha said he is planning a healthy product lineup including a pair of tablets and two 4G LTE smartphones in the second half. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha at CES in 2010. Bonnie Cha/CNET Among other products, the company is planning to introduce its much-delayed Droid Bionic in September, Jha told CNET in an interview. After …

Tablets–largely consisting of Apple’s iPad–have become the main engine of growth for mobile broadband devices, according to a study released today by IHS iSuppli. Apple The firm estimates that 157.9 million mobile broadband devices, which consist of products including tablets, notebooks, Netbook computers, and electronic readers, will be sold this year. That’s up nearly 60 percent from the 100.1 million …

LG Electronics posted a sharp decline in its second-quarter profit today, but managed to reverse a recent string of losses as its turnaround efforts begin to take effect. Roger Cheng/CNET The consumer electronics giant posted a profit of nearly $100 million, compared with a year-ago profit of $736 million, when it counted results from a business in which it no …

Companies hopping into the payments business–with particular focus on mobile–will face unexpected challenges as PayPal did in its early days, according to an executive for the digital payments service provider. PayPal’s Laura Chambers demonstrates the tap-and-pay move at the MobileBeat conference earlier this month in San Francisco with VentureBeat editor in chief and moderator Matt Marshall. James Martin/CNET “Being in …