4G in Jamaica
Jamaica will have a 4G phone network from the second quarter of 2010. The service will be provided by Jamaican mobile phone provider Digicel after it won a licence to bring four generation WiMAX phone services to the island.
By using mobile WiMAX technology, Digicel will effectively turn cities and towns in Jamaica into huge mobile broadband Wi-Fi hotspots.
Deployment will begin this month and the 4G service will cover 60% of the island on initial launch, with more coverage being added according to user demand.
Clear 4G in Texas and Beyond
Clear has launched 10 new 4G phone markets across the US.
The new areas where the WiMAX service is available are: Boise (Idaho), Bellingham (Washington) and the following markets in Texas: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland / Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls.
Clear 4G is currently available in 14 markets covering more than 10 million potential 4G cell phone users.
LG: 4G & 3G Data Transfers Work
LG Electronics, already turning out chipsets for the new generation of 4G phones, has announced it has demonstrated a way to transfer data between 4G LTE technology and old style 3G CDMA technology.
This means that online activities like video downloads can be maintained as a cell phone user moves between 4G coverage and 3G coverage areas with a 4G phone.
LG says the new technology will make it easier for mobile phone operators – especially those in North America – to gradually phase in 4G phone services on top of 3G networks.
Free International Phone Calls With 4G?
Interesting article in Wired on 4G VoIP and what it might mean to you, me, the mobile phone companies and the world of 4G.
Samsung Launches first 4G WiMax Tablet
Described by Samsung as “the most advanced mobile WiMAX enabled handheld device in the US”, the Samsung Mondi 4G mobile tablet is available to customers of Clear’s 4G mobile internet service in Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Portland.
Samsung 4G Tablet
Although the Samsung Mondi has a microphone it cannot be used to make regular phone calls. Instead, the Samsung Mondi supports services like Fring – the free voice over IP service (think Skype) – and is also jam-packed with multimedia features for email, web, video and audio use.
The Mondi also comes with a ready-to-go GPS navigation system and QWERTY keyboard.
For more tech specs and pictures see the 4G Phones review of the Samsung Mondi.
Music Library for HTC MAX 4G
The HTC MAX 4G phone now comes with 600,000 music tracks on the Yota network.
The Russian mobile phone operator has made its Yota Music catalog available for direct download to the HTC MAX 4G phone, without the need to use a PC.
Any Yota subscriber on the Yota Mini or Yota Max plans can download any number of music tracks for no extra cost. The DRM licensed music can be played for as long as the user remains subscribed to Yota.
One nifty feature of the service when used on a HTC Max 4G phone is music caching – allowing music being played from a live channel to continue playing even if the user leaves the coverage area by entering a subway, for example.
Android 4G Phone on Sprint
What fun is having a blog if you can’t publish an unsubstantiated rumor every now and then?
Phone News is reporting that Sprint will soon have not one but two Android 4G phones available in the shape of the HTC Hero and a mystery Samsung WiMAX / CDMA mobile device.
Sprint is apparently testing the HTC Hero at the moment and is expected to make it available before the end of the year.
The Samsung 4G phone is thought to be coming out in 2010.
First 4G Phone: HTC Max 4G
HTC Max 4G phone
Yes, it’s true those stores are in Russia – but presumably other markets will follow.
Quick lowdown:
* It’s world’s first integrated GSM / WiMAX mobile phone
* 3.8-inch 800×480 WVGA touchscreen display
* 8GB of built in memory
* Windows Mobile 6.1
More: HTC Max 4G review
