The Wi-Fi Alliance on Wednesday revealed its plans to begin certifying devices under its new Passport initiative, which ensures mobile phones – among other things – can log into Wi-Fi networks seamlessly. Now it’s the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s turn to pick up where its partner left off, integrating those devices and the access points into the mobile operator’s network. The WBA has...
read moreUpdated. Verizon’s continuing struggle to keep its LTE network running consistently has landed it in the news again. Wednesday morning, Verizon Wireless reported on its Twitter feed that it is looking into customer complaints about its 4G service going down, and Engadget and Phandroid are reporting network outages in several markets ranging from Phoenix, Ariz., to Indianapolis, Ind. According...
read moreEver wondered why your phone is lot faster downloading data than uploading it? It has to do with transmit power. The cell tower is hooked into the electrical power grid, allowing it to pump out signals at hundreds of watts. The wee lithium-ion battery in your device can’t keep up, and it’s probably a good thing unless you want to your phone to double as a BBQ grill. Consequently your phone...
read moreI know we’re freaked out about spectrum shortages in the U.S. as we clutch our iPhones and download the latest cute kitten video on YouTube, but new advances in chip technology could help alleviate these concerns. Thanks to recent research at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Semiconductor Research Corporation, we may soon be able to tap into the terahertz wavelengths that are hovering...
read moreIn the near future, getting your smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot won’t be an exercise in frustration or require annoying pop-up log-in screens. The Wi-Fi Alliance will begin to certify wireless devices for its industry-wide Passpoint initiative this July. With devices using the Passpoint standard, users will be able to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots without having to enter...
read moreVoice-over-Wi-Fi pioneer Kineto Wireless is trying to convince operators that if they can’t beat the over-the-top VoIP challengers like Skype, they might as well join them. Kineto is now selling a VoIP client and platform to operators that would allow them to bypass their own voice networks and offer their own cheap IP telephony services over Wi-Fi, LTE and even 3G. ATT has already started...
read more