Sprint Boosts Network, Creating 500 Jobs by Adding 105 New Stores

The free Government cell phones provider, Sprint, is planning to open 105 new mobile stores in locations, like Rosemont, Schaumburg, Skokie and Oak Lawn. It will hire 500 employees to staff in these stores.

“We knew we had to add more Sprint and Boost Mobile stores for both our postpaid and prepaid customers,” Jim Mills, Sprint president of Illinois and Wisconsin, said in a statement. “Chicagoans are seeing our network and customer care improvements.”

This Government assistance cell phone company requires more brick-and-mortar stores to meet the growing demands of the people.

Sprint will also augment its Chicago regional network by providing customers the Sprint Magic Box. This device is a wireless small cell that can boost the ability of the network to download and upload data inside homes and businesses.

The first test site for its upgraded network was the Lombard suburb of Chicago with Magic Boxes for outdoor use, indoor small cells and other network advancements. This device allows faster data downloads, thereby, showing significant improvement for video streaming.

“The combination of all of these new technologies will help Sprint densify quicker and it will provide customers an improved experience inside their business and homes while on the Sprint network,” Scott Santi, Sprint vice president of network for Central Area, said in a statement. “We’re extremely excited about the results we’ve already seen in Lombard and nationally.”

Sprint is looking to compete with other giant free Government cell phones providers by providing assistance to customers having several smart devices in their homes or businesses. According to Sprint, data usage of its customers has risen over 1,254 percent in the last five years in the Chicagoland area.

Sprint, AT&T and other wireless providers are striving hard to augment network capacity in order to cover consumer demand, particularly of people using many devices in the same household or business.

The added cells and network enhancements at Sprint is a great step to offer faster downloads for data, particularly better streaming for video without delaying.

The network improvements around the region, and countrywide will take place in the next 24 months. These upgrades may lay the foundation for the coming of 5G, or the next generation of wireless.

See Also: T-Mobile, Government Cell Phone Service Firm Starting 5G in US in 2019

"We need to add these steps now to the foundation in order to go to 5G," said Brian Moran, director of site development for Sprint.

Subscribers who want to enjoy the benefits of the Sprint Magic Box would need to fill out a form. The box is free, Moran said.

Sprint’s new mobile stores will provide employment to a large number of people. Additionally, its efforts to offer an advanced network consisting of alluring features will engage an enormous number of customers.

Verizon Amazed All by Not Buying 600 MHz Spectrum

The results of a 600 MHz incentive auction has been declared by the FCC and, a surprising thing is observed. The cellular phone service provider, Verizon, didn’t participate at all! This means that this Government cell phone service firm cannot increase its present coverage with the low-band 600 MHz licenses, which are perfect for reaching inside buildings and covering large geographic areas.

"Verizon cannot comment on the results because the FCC’s mandated quiet period continues to apply until down payments are due, which is not for a couple of weeks," a Verizon spokesman replied when asked why the carrier didn't get any spectrum in the auction. "Verizon is confident, however, in its network position, including its approach to acquiring, managing, and re-framing its spectrum assets to support the network that continues to generate top ratings for customer performance."

Verizon is a well-known Government assisted cell phone company, and its non-participation in the auction is quite surprising. The cellular phone service provider has launched unlimited data plans a few weeks ago that will further affect its wireless network.

Till now, Verizon has been a prime participant in every FCC spectrum auction. In 2008’s FCC low-band spectrum auction, the company’s initial LTE network was set up, i.e. 700 MHz C Block spectrum for about $10 billion.

Verizon has spent around $10.4 billion recently on the midband AWS-3 spectrum, which was auctioned by the FCC around three years ago. The carrier further purchased a midband spectrum in 2011 offered by a group of cable operators.

Verizon’s top management chose not to purchase 600 MHz licenses as they have enormous options when it comes to spectrum. For several years, analysts have talked about the possibility of Verizon signing an agreement with Dish Network.

Now, it has become clear that Dish is spending a lot on its spectrum-collection strategy. The company has been doling out more than $6 billion for additional spectrum.

While Dish has given some hint of using its vast spectrum trove to make some kind of internet-of-things network, possibly with the help of NB-IoT network technology. Many industries believe that Dish may ink a spectrum sale or lease an agreement with a company like one of the large cellular phone service providers, i.e. T-Mobile or Verizon.

See Also: Sprint Cuts Price on Unlimited Data Plan

Verizon might not be interested in purchasing low-band spectrum. It has already bought XO Communications to get high-band, millimeter-wave spectrum licenses. This renowned cellular phone service provider has installed fixed 5G equipment in over 10 cities across the country to offer superfast, and short-range wireless connections.

"What is most interesting to us was VZ was nowhere to be found. While it does have a tremendous amount of 700MHz spectrum (upper C block), we continue to believe VZ's interests lay in the higher band spectrum assets (2GHz and higher)," wrote Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche to investors after the FCC’s auction results were out.

Verizon might not require any additional spectrum in the near future. It might move toward C-RAN network architecture and other modern network technologies, such as two- and three-carrier aggregation, MIMO and LTE-Unlicensed.

Verizon, an Elite Government Cell Phone Service Provider Brings Back the Unlimited Plan

Verizon is an elite Government cell phone service provider and has now resurrected their unlimited data plan, which hasn’t been available since July 2011. This Government assistance cell phone service provider reintroduces this plan to remain in the league of the fierce competition between the top cell phone service companies.

David Eger, a senior equity analyst with Edwards Jones says “Verizon was sitting out here as the only one that didn’t have an offering,” since all the giant cell phone service companies, like AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile offer unlimited plans.

What Drives Verizon to Come Out With this Plan?

Verizon is bringing back unlimited data, and its general competitive strategy due to last quarter’s statics. The report says that T-Mobile has added 857,000 and Sprint added 347,000 customers, while Verizon lost 36,000 subscribers. So, the company is expecting that their new plan will significantly bestow a positive impact in the upcoming quarter.

Price Comparisons between Different Government Cell Phone Service Providers

The price of the Government cell phone service provider Verizon’s new plan is $80 for one line and $180 for four lines. It is more costly than Sprint and T-Mobile that offer the single line for $60 and $70 and the 4 lines for $160. AT&T has a single line price of $100, whereas for four lines, the customers will pay $180.

People’s response to the Verizon’s Unlimited Plan

Investors see many benefits of this cell phone service company’s new plan. People are excited about the new plan, leading to new customers. Though this plan has only been around for a very short time, Verizon’s President of Operations John Stratton at a Deutsche Bank conference said “we’ve seen a pretty huge rush to unlimited.” Today, people do not look for a cell phone service carrier offering the maximum data, but go for the fastest and most reliable service provider. And Verizon outshines in this scenario as the company has been getting a lot more attention from customers, investors, and the media due to satisfactory services.

See Also: How Government Cell Phone Service Provider Verizon’s Unlimited Plan Affects T-Mobile

Drawbacks for Verizon due to its Unlimited Plan

Undoubtedly, the cell phone service company Verizon will get more customers, but its top paying customers’ bills will go down significantly. Customers using enormous data and paying penalties frequently due to exceeded data allowance can now pay a flat fee for the unlimited data and avoid all penalties. Also, Verizon will have to spend a hefty amount of money on maintaining a superfast network. The company will be spending $11.3 billion in the upcoming months to maintain the high speed network. This is much more than T-Mobile, which is spending $5.1 billion.

Conclusion   

The Verizon unlimited plan is more expensive than T-Mobile, but it is justified due to the superior network. People are flocking to its new plan due to the exceptional benefits. The appetite of customers to watch YouTube videos, go on Facebook, and send Snapchats will keep increasing in the future. At a time when data usage is on the rise, providing an unlimited data plan is inherently risky, but Verizon made the move to remain competitive.

AT&T Launches Stream Saver Video Regulating Feature

AT&T is an elite name, offering exceptional cell phone service and other plans to its customers. Recently, this cellular phone service provider has launched a new Stream Saver feature for its customers.

Details About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation, located at Whitacre Tower in downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the second largest mobile telephone services provider and the largest fixed telephone services provider in the United States. It is the largest telecommunications company in the world by revenue. AT&T has maintained a good name by offering exceptional cell phone service and other plans to its customers. It also offers broadband subscription television services through DirecTV. 

AT&T is the third largest company in Texas, and as of February 2017, it is the 12th largest company globally as analyzed by a composite of revenues, assets, profits, and market value, and the 12th largest non-oil company. As of 2017, it is also the 18th-largest mobile telecom operator worldwide, with 135 million mobile customers. It was ranked at 4 as the world's most valuable brands published by Brand Finance for the year 2017.

AT&T Inc. started its foundation as Southwestern Bell Corporation, one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies formed in 1983 in the divestiture of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company following the 1982 United States v. AT&T antitrust lawsuit. In the year 1995, Southwestern Bell transformed its name to SBC Communications Inc. In 2005, SBC bought previous parent AT&T Corp. and took on its branding, with the combined entity naming itself AT&T Inc. and using the iconic AT&T Corp. logo and stock-trading symbol.

This is the brief history of the renowned cellular phone service provider,  AT&T. Now, let’s talk about its latest stream saver video regulating feature:

Back in November we heard the first news of AT&T's Stream Saver feature. When it is activated, the HD video (720p) is reduced to standard video (480p), offering DVD quality video. In this way, the users with a data bucket can save some data while viewing streaming videos. This feature is now automatically enabled on AT&T and GoPhone pre-paid plans.

The stream saver video regulating feature is on by default. So, customers can turn Stream Saver off by visiting the AT&T website and its “Manage my data” account page. Once it is turned off, wait for five minutes and then perform a complete smartphone reboot for the change to fully take effect.

You can even sign up to use AT&T’s standalone unlimited plans. This will consist of the carrier’s $90 a month Unlimited Plus plan, supporting HD video streaming, though total download speeds are reduced for the rest of the month after consuming over 22GB data per billing cycle.

See Also: Get Verizon's 5G broadband service for Free

If you are using the carrier's Unlimited Plus data plan, you will want to disable Stream Saver immediately  because it streams video without limits at a 720p resolution. If you are subscribed to AT&T Unlimited Choice, you do not have to make any changes since streaming is done at 480p.

There is a mixed response to AT&T’s new feature. Let see how it works in the future.

Verizon All Set to Conquer Market by Bringing Back Unlimited Data Plan

As the competition is soaring high, network providers are backing off from the monthly limited plans - the most hated practice of the industry. Why should Verizon stay behind? The network provider is all set to conquer the market by bringing back its unlimited data plan. If you are looking for a free government cell phone plan, here’s why Verizon’s new offering is a thing to rejoice over. 

In re-introducing an unlimited data plan, the carrier has joined the rest of industry in this offering. Last summer, T-Mobile and Sprint introduced unlimited data plans at cheaper prices, which helped them attract millions of new customers. On the other hand, Verizon made it clear that it had no interest in offering unlimited plans which consequently resulted in insignificant customer growth for its wireless subscriber base by the end of the year. So, in order to improve its customer base, the carrier is bringing back its unlimited data, starting February 13th 2017.

Some of the government assistance cellphone service providers predicted that Verizon would not offer an unlimited data as it has relatively less available spectrum per subscriber than the smaller carriers. When a customer is on an unlimited data plan, it is likely that they will use more data which will result in crowding of Verizon’s network.  But, a recent statement made by a company representative, Mr. Ronan Dunne, the president of Verizon Wireless says something else- "We’ve built our network so we can manage all the activity that customers undertake and handle the traffic.”

In January, Matthew Ellis, Verizon's chief financial officer, told analysts during an earnings call on Jan 24, "We constantly look at... what's out there. Unlimited is one of the things that some of our competition has at this point of time. That's not something we feel the need to do."

"But as I say, we continually monitor the market and we will see where we head in the future," he added.

What is Verizon Unlimited?

Under the Verizon’s unlimited plan, the customer will get unlimited access to data, text and talk just like the other two network operators. However, the download rates may be slowed down after 22GB per line per month- the limits are quite similar to the ones offered by Sprint and T-Mobile. Also, there are a few features and signs that don’t make it exactly unlimited. 

See Also: Get the Earnings Preview and Know What to Expect From Sprint

In a statement, the company representative said, “With Verizon Unlimited, cellular users would get unlimited data use on smartphones and tablets, in addition to video streaming, hotspot and calls to both Mexico and Canada. The plan, which will launch on Monday and Verizon called a ‘great value’ will cost $80 for unlimited data, calls and texting; or $45 per line for four separate lines carrying the same features.” Also, the operator has said that unlike Sprint and T-Mobile, it would not degrade the quality of streaming video for the unlimited plans. 

But, as a customer it’s your choice

As you know there are a number of service providers who offer free government cell phone plans and as a customer it’s your choice which one you want to go with. Same implies here, you should know how much your actual data usage is and if you are paying overage charges. According to a 2014 study, smartphone users in US over paid around $45 billion annually, mostly because they were not able to pick the right monthly plan.

FCC Claims Verizon and AT&T are Violating Net Neutrality Laws

The Federal Communications Commission issued a report claiming Verizon Wireless and AT&T’s ‘zero-rated’ services desecrated net neutrality plans. Tom Wheeler, the Chairman of the FCC, was the main supporter of the report, published by the Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Many people consider this policy review as one last rebellious shout before the Trump administration takes office on January 20, and Wheeler deserts his post as the head of the Government agency.

Verizon Wireless and AT&T Dismiss Allegations:

On the other hand, both Verizon Wireless and AT&T (Government cell phone service providers) have dismissed the FCC’s allegations, saying their business models only encourage competition in the market without causing any harm to the customers. Before covering all relevant details, it is essential for you to know about ‘zero-rated’ services, offered by both the Government cell phone service providers.

So, let’s gain some knowledge about zero-rated services:

In the case of wireless mobile carriers, ‘Zero-rated’ services are plans for consumers to stream content from some platforms without paying for the data they consume.

AT&T’s DirecTV Now and Verizon’s FreeBee Data 360 are subsidized data programs that offer access to certain platforms and services virtually free of data consumption charges. In the case of AT&T, the benefit to subscribers is enormous since the DirecTV catalog is immense, and the content they stream does not register on their monthly data cap. Similar is the case, but to a lesser extent with Verizon’s Go90 platform.

This Practice is Rapidly Spreading Across the Industry:

Evidently, the practice is against the Open Internet Order of 2015, which supports net neutrality above biased business practices and non-ethical competition in the consumer market. The FCC report is futile without legal action. Also, several outlets have said, the latest report by the FCC lacks purpose since the present leadership has not much time to take tangible steps against these companies and their misconduct.

See Also: T-Mobile Introduces Low Cost IoT Packs Offering Wireless Data

Bernie Sanders Supports it:

Bernie Sanders is one of many Democrats who support the FCC's report. Upon learning of the FCC policy review, a Democrat parliamentary block headed by Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts (D) issued a statement supporting Commission’s conclusions on ‘zero-rated’ programs. Al Franken of Minnesota, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut backed Markey’s official statement.

At Last:

It is too early to come to a conclusion on how this will play out. Come back to this website to stay updated in this regard.

Attention AT&T Users: Get Ready to Pay Another $5 Rate Hike on Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans

AT&T, cellular phone service provider, is augmenting the price of its grandfathered unlimited data plans by $5 per month from March 2017. This is the second such increase in the past 12 months. This price hike will affect the longtime mobile users who are availing the unlimited data plans for years after the company restricted selling them to new subscribers.

Know the AT&T's Statement on the New Pricing:

“Our Mobile Share Advantage plans and our AT&T Unlimited Plan provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn't. If you have a legacy unlimited data plan, you can keep it; however, beginning in March 2017, it will increase by $5 per month”.

Further details of the unlimited data rate per month:

The unlimited data rate had been $30 per month for seven years, until AT&T upturned it to $35 in February 2016. Now, the price will come up to $40. This amount is for data only, including voice and texting, and it will be around $90 a month for the smartphone plans.

The company no longer provides separate unlimited data plans to its customers, but several people still hold to its unlimited data plans that were purchased before AT&T discontinued them in 2010. Those plans allow them to use unlimited data, but regulating does occur with excessive data usage.

Over last several years, AT&T has used data caps, and price hikes to encourage its grandfathered unlimited customers to switch to new plans. In the year 2014, the FTC propelled a federal court complaint against AT&T for its throttling practices leading AT&T to measure them back. In the beginning of 2016, AT&T reintroduced $100 unlimited data plans for its AT&T DirecTV or AT&T U-Verse plan subscribers.

AT&T, cellular phone service provider, encouraged customers to move to its new plans, having data limits, saying the newer packages "provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn’t." For example, with its newer plans, users can share the Internet services with another device through mobile hotspot connections. AT&T had stopped selling unlimited smartphone data to new customers and for people who are switching plans. However, last year, they introduced a new unlimited plan, which is available to people who also subscribe to U-verse TV or DirecTV.

While Verizon Wireless encourages users to stop availing unlimited data plans if they use more than 200GB a month, AT&T has used several other tactics to limit the usefulness of the grandfathered plans. In 2011, AT&T started withdrawing unlimited data plans from customers who escape iPhones to use illegal tethering services. This cellular phone service provider also used to control unlimited data customers for the rest of the month when they used more than 3GB or 5GB, depending on what device they had. AT&T has made the throttling less disciplinary, now applying it after users use at least 22GB in a month, and even then only when customers connect to a congested cell tower. The Government agencies try to penalize AT&T for unlimited data throttling have so far come up empty.

T-Mobile Introduces Low Cost IoT Packs Offering Wireless Data

Cell phone service providers are doing everything to ensure considerable growth in the wireless sector. They are launching new devices and many kinds of schemes to attract new customers. T-Mobile, one of the four major cell phone service providers in United States, has gone a step further in this regard.

IoT (Internet of Things) Packs launched:

The company had been investing a lot of time and money to promote IoT (Internet of Things) for more than a year. The company is still making efforts in this direction.  T-Mobile has introduced two very affordable IoT access packs offering enough data for wireless service subscribers. The company has introduced these two IoT access packs with the objective of making it very easy to get IoT Devices online.

The Base Plan:

T-Mobile cell phone service subscribers can subscribe to this plan by paying just $20 for a year to get 5 MB data per device on monthly basis. This fee will get reduced to only $6 per year to get the same amount of data per device on a monthly basis. For this purpose, customers will have to complete a one year subscription successfully.

The Step-Up Plan:

This is the second IoT Access Pack introduced by T-Mobile. The company is offering unlimited data to its cellular phone service users at the speed of 64Kbps. As far as the fee for this plan is concerned, it will not exceed $25 per device for an entire year. The company also seems to be executing a marketing strategy on a psychological level by offering $5 off for every device for the first year. It is a limited time offer with the Step-Up Plan.

There are Plenty of Reasons for the Plan:

1. “Like everything they do, the carriers overcomplicate the Internet of Things, and that leads to more hassle and cost for customers,” says Mr. Doug Chartier, the Senior Vice-President at T-Mobile.
2. Usually cell phone makers get wireless modules from one vendor.
3. They also have to buy a data plan from a cellular phone service provider in order to be able to introduce their IoT solutions in market.
4. These plans offered by cell phone service providers are heavily overpriced.
5. All these things together make the process very complex for all device makers active in the market at present.
6. All customers using T-Mobile cell phone services will get modules and data for the development of the next great solution related to The Internet of Things.

What Else?

The company has announced covering the cost of the Sequans Cat1 Module through bill credits regardless of the plan chosen by cellular phone service users.

The T-Mobile think tank continuously is working on Category M and Narrowband IoT next generation modules capable of making use of T-Mobile’s LTE coverage to the fullest.

These next generation IoT modules are also capable of helping IoT customers using T-Mobile cell phone service get options for longer lifecycles and faster data as compared to 2G Networks.

A Few Words about This Announcement by T-Mobile:

The launch of the Base Plan and Step-Up plan for IoT customers, the latest effort by T-Mobile, is to be a recognized part of the fast growing IoT market. Partnerships with companies like Twilio, Sequans and Novatel Wireless proves it perfectly. Now we just need to wait and watch the impact of these IoT plans on the T-Mobile customer base and ROI. It won’t take much time.

Keep coming back to our website and stay updated in this regard.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless Agree on the Deployment of Initial 5G Models; Standards Timing Becomes an Issue

It looks as if both AT&T and Verizon Wireless are getting on the same page about the initial 5G deployment models. Last week, representatives from both companies discussed this thoroughly during the 5G North America event. The Event kicked off with a keynote address and panel discussion specifically directed towards 5G’s current state.

Detail of the Event’s Key Highlights

Talking about 5G deployments, they were mainly expected to center on the fixed use of broadband. It was mainly noted during the early panel discussion conducted on topic. Its main purpose is to help carriers make use of technical specifications for powering technically superior equipment capable of supporting both higher speed of data and greater capacity for the government cellphone plans and the rest of the users.
 

Representatives from both companies welcomed this agreement. They openly spoke their mind in this regard.

Mr. Brian Daly Says…

According to Mr. Brian Daly, the director of core government and regulatory standards at AT&T, the company was waiting for such a fantastic opportunity to get some command on consistently increasing demand for video streaming services. Taking video support into consideration, it was perhaps one of the big use cases that all of us see. Moreover, the company was thinking about taking advantage of its diverse portfolio of fixed, mobile and satellite assets for meeting the demands of government cellphone plan users.

Mr. Alexander Khalin Says…

According to Mr. Alexander Khalin, the Director of Corporate Strategy at Verizon Wireless, the company agreed on initial development plans about all sorts of fixed wireless broadband services.

Twist in the Tale:

Recently, there has been a controversy between the companies about the move towards 5G standards and, the perceived difference of opinions in terms of timing for those standards is mainly responsible.

AT&T Asked for Some Extra Time:

According to some reports, AT&T has led a group at a recently conducted standards meeting for securing some form of 5G standards booked by the end of 2017. It is way ahead of the initial timeline finalized for the third-generation partnership projects of mid-2018. AT&T explained this move as the company requires some extra time for testing some standards to get ready for further testing and commercial deployments by mid-2018 for government cellphone service and other users.

Verizon Wants to Keep the Schedule as is:

The company seems to have its eyes set on promoting its own 5G agenda related to plans for network trials starting in 2017. This is why the company has come up with a counter proposal stating it would like to keep the schedule totally unchanged. Mr. Khalin did not comment on this week’s event.         

AT&T’s Explanation            

The company was waiting for an opportunity to get some form of standard committed between the time period of December 2017 and March 2018. It could possibly be for a non-standalone radio specification to help inform silicon vendors as they get ready for the development of chipsets early to support network trials. AT&T mentioned this effort under the guise of a carrier waiting for an opportunity to ensure “Learnings” from all of the existing and thought-out trials for 5G networks that could possibly be driven into a kind of standards process.

Summary of the Story:

If everything goes right, then the government cellphone service subscribers of both the companies would benefit. However, fortunes don’t seem to be supporting both the companies in this regard. It is turning out to be full of controversy between the two largest cell phone service providers in the US. It will be very interesting to see which way the decisions go.

AT&T Planning to Limit Video Quality by Default Even for Unlimited Cell Phone Plan Users

The wind does not seem to be blowing in the favor of AT&T cellular phone service users. Now the company has decided to limit the quality of videos on mobile for all of its customers. This is likely to happen in early 2017. The company is all set make good use of a new feature called the Stream Saver for controlling the quality of videos on mobile to DVD resolution of about 480p.

What is the Big Deal?

AT&T Cellular Phone service subscribers definitely have something to worry about in this news. Users can opt out of Stream Saver. However, it is surely going to be enabled for customers by default. Even customers with an unlimited data plan have not been spared.

Reason:

This decision by AT&T is nothing less than Donald Trump’s shocking win in the US Presidential election. AT&T has solid reasons of its own for making this decision. Let’s take a good look at all of them below:
•    AT&T Cellular Phone Service customers will be able to keep their data usage under 22 GB.
•    The company reserves the right of reducing unlimited data plans when any customers exceeds the data usage of 22 GB a month.

AT&T Says…

The company will surely notify users after their Saver has been activated. According to the announcement made by AT&T, all the users will also be guided about how to switch the Stream Saver off and back on. AT&T customers using an unlimited data plan may welcome this feature wholeheartedly as it helps them keep their data usage way less than 22 GB every month.

"It’s your choice. You can still stream video in higher resolution, when available, whenever you choose," Says AT&T. "You control Stream Saver and can turn it off or back on for any qualified line at any time at myAT&T or Premier for business customers. There is no charge to disable or enable Stream Saver."

Coming to the multi-line accounts, it will feasible to turn Stream Saver off for some lines only. It is likely to be available both for AT&T’s postpaid cell phone plan and AT&T GoPhone prepaid plans.

In addition, Stream Saver will play a huge role in the process of limiting the quality of most video. Some content owners can be held responsible for this decision taken by AT&T. They provide content in a way that Stream Saver fails to detect and then optimize the entire video for its cell phone plan users, said AT&T. Stream Saver is applicable only to cell phone plans. Therefore, video will stream in normal quality through Wi-Fi or residential internet connections.

Summary of the Story:

Stream Saver is very much similar to the system applied by T-Mobile for controlling the quality of video. Stream Saver is here to stay. This is why AT&T cell phone plan users will have the luxury of saving their preferences until you decide to change them. This is going to be a very impactful decision for its customers. And it will be very interesting to see the kind of response this decision gets from customers.
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Verizon Wireless Plans to Launch LG V20 Ahead of Other Carriers

Some of the major US carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T have already been expecting a significant number of pre-orders related to LG V20. On the other hand, another major US carrier named Sprint is yet to start taking pre-orders for the same phone until 21st October, 2016.

Although T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T might be releasing the LG V20 on 28th October 2016, Verizon Wireless seems to have some other plans. The company is all set to make the competition fierce. Verizon Wireless has announced the launch of the LG V20 on Thursday October 20, 2016 for its Nevada phone service users. The company has also decided to release the phones for users in its stores a day earlier to beat the competition. The company plans to do it ahead of other carriers in order to seek new growth in the wireless sector. The company announced the availability of LG V20 this week.

The Exact Date of Availability in Stores:   

LG’s V20 is surely going to be ahead of the other carriers as it is likely to be available on Verizon Wireless this week. According to the report by Droid Life, Nevada phone service users will be able to get this phone in Verizon Wireless stores on 27th October, 2016. Otherwise, users can buy this phone on the Verizon Wireless’ website before the date specified.

The Price of LG V20:

Coming to the price, the company has not revealed it yet. However, according to some rumors doing rounds on internet in this regard, the device is likely to cost around $769 to $800. In addition to that, the company plans to offer a free pair of B&O Play earphones to Nevada phone service users who buy LG’s V20. Needless to say, every cellular phone service subscriber in Nevada must be expecting slightly higher prices as compared to the prices set by the other carriers.

The Purpose of launching LG V20 Ahead of Other Carriers:

The company has been struggling to gain new growth in the wireless sector for a long time. Therefore, launching LG V20 ahead of the other carriers in the United States could give Verizon Wireless an opportunity to seek new growth in the wireless sector. This is possible only when the company beats other carriers to the punch. And this might just be a perfect opportunity for the company.

This Is Exactly What Phone Service Subscribers in Nevada Will Get in the LG V20:

At this juncture, it is worth stating that there will surely be some promotions by the company about the handset. Users can expect a 5.7 inch display that is very much capable of supporting 1,440x2560 resolution. It has 4 GB of RAM, a powerful Snapdragon 820 processor and a 3200 mAh Battery. The phone has plenty of other features too.

Coming back to the point, the company may have decided to seek new growth in the wireless sector, yet it will not be easy for Verizon Wireless in the presence of other strong carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint etc.

Keep coming back to our website as we will keep posting all sorts of latest news in this regard. 

Enjoy HD Videos, Superfast Tethering and Internet with T-Mobile and Sprint's Expensive Unlimited Data Plan

These days wireless customers seem to be very fond of high quality video content. Considering their penchant for high quality videos, T-Mobile and Sprint Communications, two of the premiere government cell phone service carriers in the United States, are ready to thrive on this craze of their valuable customers.

They are Heeding Calls:

Both of the premiere government cell phone service carriers have introduced “Easy to Afford” unlimited data plans for cellular phone service users with some compromises.  Sprint Communications added more expensive data plans offering less compromises. Similarly, T-Mobile also followed the footsteps of Sprint Communications and came up with a bit more expensive of a data plan for all of its customers on Monday. 

These new, expensive data plans offered by both of the companies to the users differ in terms of data and other things currently on offer. Let’s see what both of the companies are offering to their valuable customers in these expensive data plans.

T-Mobile One Plus Data Plan:

The company has launched the One Plus data plan during the month of August 2016. It was initially priced at $70 per month. As T-Mobile noticed that some of the cellular phone service users are ready to pay an extra amount of money for enjoying high quality video content, it now has increased this plan price up to $95.

What Is the Difference Between This Expensive Data Plan and more Affordable Data Plans of T-Mobile?

Expensive Data Plan

There is some difference between T-Mobile’s recently launched expensive data plan and the other cheap data plans for cellular service users.

·        Consumers willing to pay more money for the best video content experience can relish full HD videos on their mobile phones.

·       They will be able to use their phone to connect or tether other devices such as a laptop for enjoying superfast internet speed.

Cheap Data Plan:

Coming to the cheap data plan, let’s take a look what it offers: 

1.  It only provides DVD quality video.
2. The tethering speed was very slow.

However, users are given unlimited data usage, texting and calling in both of the plans.

This is what Sprint Communication’s Plan is:

Talking about Sprint Communication’s expensive data plan, it was launched by the company at least a week before T-Mobile came up with its own expensive data plan. However, Sprint Communications, a premiere government cell phone service carrier, successfully undercut T-Mobile’s price of the expensive data plan. Sprint Communications raised the price of its expensive unlimited data plan from $60 to $80 as a starting price.

The Difference:

Both the cheap and expensive unlimited data plans of Sprint Communications offer unlimited calling, data usage and texting. The only difference is in terms of the quality of the video content limited by Sprint Communication’s cheap unlimited data plan.

The latest pricing battle is the result of constantly slowing growth of the US wireless market. Consumers are not taking any significant interest in switching their careers either. This has also played a crucial role in slowing down the growth of the wireless market in the entire United States at least for the last five to six years. But with the arrival of Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, most of the carriers, including T-Mobile and Sprint Communications, can expect an increase in the defection rate. 

T-Mobile Issues Tips for Customers to Stay Connected with Their Loved Ones During Hurricane Hermine in the Southeast

A hurricane named Hermine is expected to strike in the southeast as a category 1 storm tomorrow early in the morning. This is why T-Mobile, one of the government cell phone service carriers in the United States, is preparing its network. The company has deployed its operations and engineering teams and is continuously monitoring weather patterns.

Some of the necessary steps being taken by T-Mobile:

As a government cellphone service provider, the company is leaving no stone unturned to prepare necessary equipment as well as providing supplies to help its valuable customers stay connected before, during, and after the storm.

The company is preparing…
•    Generators for backup
•    COW (Cell-on-Wheels)
•    Fuel tanks

The company has also decided to set up a command center in crucial areas where the storm is likely to impact. The company will closely manage network traffic with the help of its GEO-Redundant Network Operation Centers. If needed, further coordination for responses will be initiated.

Mentioned below are some of the tips suggested by T-Mobile, a government cell phone service provider, to increase their chances of getting connected with their loved ones before, during and even after the storm.

•    Keep your Phone fully charged
•    Save the battery life of your phone
•    Prefer texting over calling
•    Keep your calls short and to-the-point.
•    Don’t let your phone get wet
•    Utilize Wi-Fi calling

Let’s see how following these useful tips will help you connect with your loved ones and do many important things before, or after the storm.

1. Keep Your Phone Fully Charged:
T-Mobile has suggested all of its private and cellular Phone Service users to keep their phone battery fully charged.  You should also charge your cellphone in case of electricity breakdown. Car chargers and portable chargers will be very handy in such a situation to keep you connected with your loved ones. If possible, look for several other options right now in your nearby retail stores.

2. Save the Battery Life of Your Phone:
You must utilize the power saving mode available in your cellphone to save the battery life. Reducing screen brightness, turning all of your location based service completely off and reducing application’s usage and downloads will also help.

3. Prefer Texting over Calling:
Since text needs less network resources, it will be the most productive and easy option to know about the wellbeing of your loved ones during and after the storm, suggests T-Mobile.

4. Keep Your Calls Short and To-The-Point:
The company has also suggested that users keep their calls short and to-the-point to ensure network availability for others during severe weather conditions.

5. Don't Let Your Phone Get Wet:
T-Mobile has strongly suggested everyone to keep their phones dry or cover them using some waterproof covering. This will save your phone from getting damaged because of moisture.

6. Utilize Wi-Fi Calling:
Just in case cellular phone service does not work, then utilizing Wi-Fi is the best option for you for calling or texting purposes. Using Wi-Fi calling, T-Mobile customers will be able to call or text their loved ones. You just need to have a Wi-Fi capable phone in the absence of cellular phone service network, and have a Wi-Fi network connection.
•    iOS users should go to Settings> Phone> Wi-Fi Calling
•    Android Users should go to Settings > More Connection Settings > Wi-Fi Calling

If needed, T-Mobile has suggested all its customers to drop a call to 611 (Customer Care Number) using their handset.

Analysis of Yahoo INC., AOL and Fleetmatics's Acquisition by Verizon Communications - Its Business Growth in the Wireless Service Sector

The period from 2006 to 2015 can easily be called a golden period in the history of Verizon Communications. The company witnessed the compounded growth of at least 4% on a yearly basis in its revenue on the New York Stock Exchange. This golden period for Verizon has contributed to sales of almost $88 billion in the government assisted cellphone sector. 

Verizon’s wireless service subscribers increased at a rate of 9% every year from 2006 to 2015. In simple words, the company’s consumer pool grew from 59.1 million subscribers in 2006 to almost 140 million subscribers in 2015. Coming to the revenue, it grew at a pace of 9.2% every year.

To be honest, it is not so easy to continue consistent growth in the wireless business sector. There are not many subscribers available in the market for the company to switch subscribers from their current government assisted cellphone service providers to Verizon’s free cellphone plans.

This is perhaps why the company is facing a snail’s pace growth going forward in the wireless sector. And this just seems to be the icing on the cake. There could more serious reasons responsible for leading the company towards potential financial disaster in the times to come. Let’s now go through those reasons and analyze Verizon’s financial future in the government assisted cellphone sector.

The company lacked patience for seeking new growth in wireless advertising and IoT (Internet of Things) considerably. Rapid acquisitions by Verizon Communications cannot be ignored. How? See below:

• AOL’s acquisition at a cost of $4.4 billion in the month July 2015.
• The company took no time in buying a privately held company named Telesis at the start of 2016.
• Recently the company has paid almost $2.4 billion for taking over Fleetmatics.
• The biggest announcement came when Verizon Communication announced the acquisition of Yahoo INC, one of the largest e-mail service provider in the world, at a cost of $4.8 billion.
• Increasing market impact of new business has also played an important role.

 Most experts, including the entire management of Verizon Communications, are very positive about finding new business growth, especially in the domain of government assisted cellphone and free cellphone plans including the Internet of Things.  

Order Free Cell Phone Service

Verizon communication’s acquisition of AOL and Yahoo INC indicates that free cellphone plans had been setup for ripping through the internet and all forms of media in future. The combined acquisition of Yahoo INC and AOL is a golden opportunity for new growth in the wireless sector via more than 600 million mobile users and almost 280 million e-mail users.

Most importantly, Verizon’s revenue will increase to help the company increase its market share up to 10%. In this way, the company will only be behind Facebook with 30% and Google with 16% market share.  These Acquisitions must help Verizon’s advertisement business on wireless devices through free cellphone plans without much problems.