The US wireless market is more competitive than ever, which is great news for consumers who have lots of choices when it comes choosing a service provider. But one barrier still exists when trying to switch carriers: the locked smartphone. The end of wireless contracts marked a watershed trend for consumers because it finally opened …
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It doesn’t seem that long ago that owning a mobile phone meant roping yourself into a two-year carrier contract, to the tune of at least $70 per month. Barf. These days, you can skip the contract and pay considerably less, especially if you choose an MVNO — a mobile virtual network operator. These carriers lease bandwidth from the Big Four …
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Verizon is taking an extra step to protect its phones. The nation’s largest wireless carrier said Monday that it would begin locking the phones it sells to consumers, which will prevent them from using a SIM card from another carrier. Initially, the phones will be unlocked as soon as a customer signs up and activates the service. But later in …
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Given T-Mobile’s track record, there’s no surprise that it’s led the industry in growth. The question is how it will keep the engine going at the same pace. The fourth-quarter report for the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier included a forecast for branded postpaid net customer additions of 2 million to 3 million, down from 2017’s 3.6 million tally. T-Mobile has …
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The promise that we’ll see the first 5G phones by 2019 has now become even more of a sure thing. Eighteen global carriers will start 5G speed trials in 2018, using a new Qualcomm modem that’s built to handle huge amounts of data at almost instantaneous speeds — at least theoretically. The list includes Verizon, AT&T and Sprint in the …
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Verizon has still got it. For the ninth time in a row, the nation’s largest wireless network has taken the top spot in overall network performance, according to independent testing firm RootMetrics. In its latest test of the four major wireless carriers, RootMetrics rated Verizon tops in all six categories for the second half of 2017. When it came to …
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Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives. He just can’t help sniping at Verizon. CNBC I wanted to believe in a hopeful new world. The one T-Mobile presented during the Super Bowl, that is. There, the company ran an ad expressing hope we can change. The company wants babies born today to grow …
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There is no white knight for Sprint. The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier by subscribers spent much of 2017 in preparation for a merger with No. 3 T-Mobile, only for the companies to walk away from the deal in November. It was a shocking development because most in the industry believed the deal made sense, creating a larger combined player to …
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Sprint believes it can take the checkered flag when it comes to the great 5G race. The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier by subscribers has set a goal of building the first nationwide mobile 5G network by early 2019, CEO Marcelo Claure said on a conference call with analysts on Friday. He added that the company plans to launch commercial service …
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