Network Service Providers

I’ve just read from PC World that Verizon, with its big subscriber base, has tested its LTE (Long Term Evolution) / 4G network in Boston and Seattle. Looks like carriers are already looking into the 4th generation mobile technology these days. This is actually happening while AT&T is trying to cope up with it’s 3G bandwidth woes with Apple users.

Adoption of LTE/4G will allow mobile users to use devices that are truly IP based. This should also help bandwidth hogging applications such as video streaming to become mainstream since 4G will be able to support those requirements. What I’m excited about is the fact that once we start using LTE/4G we will now have mobile phones that are truly connected phones that totally removes the line between a mobile phone and a computer with a modem. Just imagine I will be able to watch movies, television, surf the web, do email, make voice calls, update my blog a whole lot of other stuff using a computer that I can put in my pocket!

AppleInsider is reporting that talks between Apple and AT & T are in the works for AT & T to maintain its exclusivity on the iPhone up to 2011. Although AT & T is subsidizing the iPhone to probably the tune of $1.3 billion to date, the estimated 4 million users paying $60 per month coming into 2009 will be producing another quarter of a billion dollars in subscription income. This is above what AT&T is getting from all those voice calls over the free voice call minutes from the millions of iPhone users.

If the current growth of US iPhone users continue to increase AT & T will continue to rake in those communication dollars going into 2010 when the US carriers will start implementing network upgrades that will use the LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology. I’m pretting excited with the technology since it’s a truly IP connected phone that people will be using when that happens.

T-Mobile, the first network provider to use the Android open mobile platform, has revealed its plans of using Android on netbooks. This will bring us closer to truly blurring the line between a mobile phone and a computer bring the advent of a really connected phone in the horizon.

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