Sprint – New 4G Data Plans
Sprint has started trialling two new 4G only mobile broadband plans for customers in some of its sixty-nine 4G phone markets.
Sprint’s 4G Mobile Broadband Connect data plan costs $50 per month which is $10 less than its regular combined 3G / 4G monthly data plan. The plan can be used with the Sprint U1901 USB modem in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Greensboro, N.C., Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
There’s also a 4G Desktop Modem Connection Plan – meant as a replacement for fixed line broadband connections – for $45 per month. Users can also share their 4G connection throughout their home or office by using the CPEi25150 desktop modem as a broadband router.
Sprint Zone App for 4G Phones
Sprint has launched the Sprint Zone app for the HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Intercept and BlackBerry Bold. The new Sprint Zone mobile app allows customers to use their handset to pay bills, monitor mobile usage and get deals on new products.
The app is preloaded on the home screen of 4G devices like the Epic 4G and Motorola i1.
Other mobile phone carriers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have similar apps available.
Best Buy 4G Mobile Broadband Laptops Now Available
Clearwire has teamed up with Best Buy to offer laptops embedded with 4G mobile broadband technology.
The 4G technology will be embedded into many laptops, notebooks and netbooks including popular models like the Dell Inspiron 14, Dell Inspiron 15, Dell Mini 10 and Toshiba Satellite M645. The 4G mobile broadband services will be available in areas where CLEAR 4G is available.
CLEAR 4G data plans start from $40 a month – but there also saving, deals and offers on many of the 4G mobile broadband devices on sale at Best Buy.
Sprint 4G Offer for iPad
Sprint is getting in on the iPad action by offering a free iPad case with Overdrive, its 4G WiFi router.
By setting up a Sprint 4G phone connection via Overdrive, iPad users will be able to enjoy always on 4G connections on their device. Several mobile devices can be connected at once.
The Sprint iPad cases come with a pouch on the side to hold the Overdrive and are available when you buy via participating Best Buy stores.
Sprint 4G Overdrive – Firmware Update
Another firmware update (1.07) has been released by Sprint for the Sprint Overdrive. The update promises to bring:
* Better Wi-Fi usage and throughput, especially when used with devices with a power save mode like the iPhone, iPod Touch and Windows XP.
* More stable downloads over 3G connections.
* Fixes to the Wi-Fi driver to prevent freezing & crashing.
Why The 4G Phone Will Kill Pay By Minute Calls
4G phones are coming and both WiMAX and LTE variations of the service will soon be able to deliver high quality voice calls over an IP network, rather than a standard mobile phone network. That means that rather than pay by the minute, we could soon be paying a flat rate for all 4G calls.
It’s the like the difference between using Skype and a normal pay as you go landline.
Analysts predict flat rate mobile phone calls on a 4G phone will be commonplace within three years. Even if mobile operators would prefer to continue charging by the minute, the availability of flat rate services like Skype and TruPhone via their own 4G network means they’ll have no choice but to offer flat rate phone calls themselves.
4G WiMAX Coverage – Billion by end of 2011
The WiMAX Forum reports that 4G WiMAX technology is expected to extend coverage to one billion mobile phone users by the end of next year.
Even by the end of this year the WiMAX Forum says 4G WiMAX coverage should reach around 800 million phone users.
WiMAX technology is currently in use in 147 countries and is available to 620 million people. A further boost to the numbers will come this year when Clearwire and other US mobile phone companies launch 4G in large metro areas like New York, San Francisco and Houston.
Ericsson Breaks 4G Speed Record
Mobile phone company Ericsson set a world record at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona when it showcased a LTE / 4G phone with a download speed of 1 GB per second.
The high download speed is possible by combining two types of 4G technology: Multi Carrier technology and Multiple Input Multiple Output.
Ericsson has already signed commercial contracts with five major mobile phone operator – AT&T, Verizon and MetroPCS in the US, TeliaSonera in Norway and Sweden and NTT DoCoMo in Japan.
