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Verizon’s $3.6 billion spectrum deal: Who wins and who loses?

Verizon Wireless’ move to buy 20MHz of AWS wireless spectrum from cable operators has caused a seismic shift in the wireless industry. The deal announced today will give Verizon access to spectrum licenses that cover about 259 million potential customers. The company plans to pay the cable consortium SpectrumCo–which consists of Comcast, Time Warner, and Bright House Networks–$3.6 billion for …

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House subcommittee advances spectrum bill

A spectrum bill has passed through a subcommittee in the House of Representatives that authorizes FCC incentive auctions and also allocates spectrum to public safety. On Thursday, the communications and technology subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum Act (JOBS Act). The legislation authorizes the Federal Communications Commission to create an auction …

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Minor update for Xoom adds pay

Motorola and Verizon may be prepping a pair of new 4G LTE tablets for release later this month, but that doesn’t mean the companies have stopped supporting their first collaboration. A new software update (PDF) is supposed to begin rolling out to the Motorola Xoom, an update that will allow customers to purchase no-contract 4G data service on a month-to-month …

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Kindle Fire already headed for No. 2 in the tablet biz

Well, it certainly didn’t take long for Amazon’s Kindle Fire to bring on the heat. After only two weeks in the market, the Kindle Fire has skyrocketed ahead of many of its tablet competitors, according to IHS iSuppli. The market researcher is so confident in the Kindle Fire’s success, that is already projecting it as the second-most popular tablet in …

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus volume bug fix tested

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus volume bug has been patched. We’ve tested the fix, and it works. That means we’ll be updating our review of the Galaxy Nexus, to reflect the fact that it’s no longer rubbish. The Galaxy Nexus is the first Android phone to arrive running Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. But its …

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Verizon’s big plans for 4G next year

Verizon Wireless is keeping its foot firmly planted on the pedal when it comes to 4G LTE. Verizon has an aggressive slate of 4G products in the works for next year–including the vast majority of its smartphones. The carrier also plans to make more 4G devices affordable, further driving adoption. That’ll be key to Verizon’s effort to further extend its …

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Comcast, Time Warner preparing to bid farewell to Clearwire

Cable providers Comcast and Time Warner Cable will stop reselling Clearwire’s 4G wireless service following their agreement to hand off their unused mobile spectrum to Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion, CNET has learned. Clearwire is losing a few of its key wholesale customers. Part of the Verizon deal gives the cable companies the right to resell Verizon’s wireless service, which …

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