AT&T LTE Mid 2011

[mike123abc]

DailyTech - Playing Catch-up to Verizon, AT&T Announces LTE Rollout for Mid-2011

Interesting AT&T to launch LTE middle of next year. In time for iPhone 5 or perhaps iPhone 4S?

also interesting quote at the end from AT&T

"Of the four major carriers in the U.S., we carry half of the mobile data traffic. So, we put a lot of cars on our freeway and we are trying to build bigger, faster freeways really fast."

 

[navychop]

Good. So they'll have a year to expand it before I'm ready to skip a gen and move to the iPhone 4S/5/Next.

 

[goaliebob99]

Too little too late, Iphone should hit Sprint and Verizon in January. I think once the Iphone is off of its network and on more than one network, ATT will loose signifigantly in the market.

 

[diogen]

I think once the Iphone is off of its network and on more than one network, ATT will loose signifigantly in the market.

In terms of traffic share? Not likely.
Android was on par with iPhone - in terms of traffic - 7 months ago and rising...
http://www.satelliteguys.us/phone-zone/205263-another-rant-i-hate-blackberry-3.html#post2155639

Diogen.

 

[JAG72]

I am very interested in the AT&T LTE trails. I already get speeds better than what Sprint is saying is 4G so I can't wait to see what the LTE will provide.

 

[Ramy]

When is Verizon supposed to go to LTE?

 

[goaliebob99]

In terms of traffic share? Not likely.
Android was on par with iPhone - in terms of traffic - 7 months ago and rising...
http://www.satelliteguys.us/phone-zone/205263-another-rant-i-hate-blackberry-3.html#post2155639

Diogen.

No, as traffic share will be shared with verizon, I meant in terms of customer base.

 

[mike123abc]

When is Verizon supposed to go to LTE?

End of this year. They are about 6 months ahead of AT&T.

 

[diogen]

No, as traffic share will be shared with verizon, I meant in terms of customer base.

Could be. But I wouldn't consider it a given...

I think companies learned a lot from Apple since the early iPod days...
In that market Apple took the lead and held on to it while redefining the digital audio market. And making a pile of ca$h....

It looks like this won't be repeated in smartphone- and tablet-land...
Everybody is jumping on-board not even always understanding what this is about: just because Apple is doing it!

And the "White Knight" in the form of Android certainly makes this easier!

This won't prevent Apple from making money but will most likely move their market share numbers closer to the PC market than iPod...

Diogen.

 

[riffjim4069]

Sprint 4G (call it what you wish) absolutely flies in both Dallas and DC. Sprint is actually adding customers to its ranks once again and I expect this trend to continue for the next 18-months since they have two top-ranked 4G smartphones and a big lead on their 4G deployment over Verizon and AT&T. While Sprint may not take on the big boys, they are holding their own.

 

[riffjim4069]

I am very interested in the AT&T LTE trails. I already get speeds better than what Sprint is saying is 4G so I can't wait to see what the LTE will provide.

Perhaps in Toledo, but my iPhone buddies are getting 700-800K here in the DC area, while my EVO buddy is getting over 5Mb. Likewise, my New York city and Chicago iPhone buddies have numerious problems with the AT&T network (i.e., slow speeds, delays, disconnects, etc.). Of course, some have noticed that Sprint appears to be capping their 3G upload speeds in certain areas...probably to get people to upgrade to a 4G phone.

 

[navychop]

As the "real" 4G networks deploy, with faster speeds than Sprint, I'm sure that draw for Sprint will fade real fast.

I can only assume Verizon and AT&T lawyers considered lawsuits over Sprint's use the the "4G" label, and concluded there was nothing to be gained. Or they are timing it to coincide with their 4G rollouts.

 

[TheForce]

Future predictor news was released this morning.

Wall street analysts have acknowledged Verizon to get iphone in 2011 but have upgraded AT&T since their numbers indicate it will not impact AT&T in a negative way as much as was previously predicted. AT&T stock continues to climb. But so does Verizon which hit is't low of $25.99 a share after selling off wired division in 10 markets to Frontier earlier this summer. While AT&T rose $3 a share, Verizon rose about $6 a share or almost double. What analysts see in the numbers is that Verizon will gain much more than AT&T will lose as a result of the iphone exclusivity loss. Verizon has not been upgraded as a result of any rumors of iphone in 2011 but the stock appears quite solid. However, the biggest winner in the stock game is still Apple which is up 56% in a year.

The biggest problem I see with the position Sprint has taken is by having the two biggest carriers using a similar broadband technology, and Sprint using a different technology, phone manufacturers may choose to not build phones for them as the ROI will be less. Sprint was able to be first by teaming up with Clearwire technology but they may not last if the numbers remain small.

 

[JAG72]

Perhaps in Toledo

Sorry but I am not in the Toledo market. I am also getting on average 3 M with top of 5.5 M on the crappy AT&T network.

 

[riffjim4069]

As the "real" 4G networks deploy, with faster speeds than Sprint, I'm sure that draw for Sprint will fade real fast.

I can only assume Verizon and AT&T lawyers considered lawsuits over Sprint's use the the "4G" label, and concluded there was nothing to be gained. Or they are timing it to coincide with their 4G rollouts.

Sprint is already considering adding LTE-based 4G on top of Clearwire's WiMax. If Dish Network and DirecTV can sell their HD-Lite television to the public as HD (a permitted practice for the past 5-years) then I don't see Sprint doing anything different. Regardless, I will use Sprint's 4G-Lite network (still the fastest available today) for the next year and see what the playing field looks like next fall when the others catch-up or surpass them. I know some people aren't happy with Sprint's 4G/WiMax flavor, but there is little doubt they are pushing Verizon and AT&T to deploy 4G en masse and not piecemeal their 4G deployments (we hope!). Also, there is little doubt that Verizon and AT&T will blow past Sprint rather quickly. That's why Sprint needs to differentiate themselves by being a value leader and not shackling customers with overpriced data plans and other limitations. I have a been a critical (at times) Sprint customer, but they taken several steps in the right direction over the past year.

 

[riffjim4069]

Sorry but I am not in the Toledo market. I am also getting on average 3 M with top of 5.5 M on the crappy AT&T network.

Sorry...I though you were in that market. : I just had my iPhone 4 buddy pull out his phone and he was getting 930K down from here in Arlington, VA - about 7-miles from Capitol Hill. Are you sure you're not on a Wi-Fi hotspot? Most people I know on an AT&T 3G network are getting 1G or less...

 

[JAG72]

I will use Sprint's 4G-Lite network (still the fastest available today) for the next year and see what the playing field looks like next fall when the others catch-up or surpass them. ;

Is Sprint the fastest today? Sprint claims that you will get 4G speeds of 3 to 6 mbps. What about AT&T and T-Mobile with their HSDPA deployments. I know that HSDPA is not deployed everywhere but Sprint 4G isn't either. Will the deployment of HSDPA 7.2 be a saving grace to AT&T since they will be a couple of months behind on 4G deployment?

 

[JAG72]

Sorry...I though you were in that market. : I just had my iPhone 4 buddy pull out his phone and he was getting 930K down from here in Arlington, VA - about 7-miles from Capitol Hill. Are you sure you're not on a Wi-Fi hotspot? Most people I know on an AT&T 3G network are getting 1G or less...

Not on a Wi-Fi hotspot. I am beginning to wonder if they have not deployed the HSDPA here.

 

[riffjim4069]

Not on a Wi-Fi hotspot. I am beginning to wonder if they have not deployed the HSDPA here.

I'm not sure, but my iPhone pals would bleed through their eye-sockets for 5Mb down...expecially since the EVO guys were getting 7Mb last week. Personally, I only download 15MB per month with my Sprint Mogul (mostly email and SatelliteGuys PDA Mode) so I'll probably go a little crazy when I pickup my EVO. Regardless, it's all good stuff for consumers.