As tech watchers prepare for next week’s CTIA WIRELESS 2010 convention in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless confirmed today that it’s on track with building the nation’s first 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless network. A host of ecosystem partners, along with the company’s network engineers, equipment vendors, backhaul providers and device design experts, are preparing for the launch of the highly anticipated fourth-generation network later this year.
Verizon Wireless engineers report trials showing peak download speeds of 40 to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps and expects LTE average data rates of 5 to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world environments.
Verizon is has announced new software updates for your Droid by Motorola smartphone. The Droid by Motorola software version AP: ESE53/BP: C_01.3E.03P update includes numerous enhancements and improvements.
Enhancements include:
Pinch-to-zoom is now available when using the browser, Gallery, and Google Maps.
New Weather and News application plus widget. The Weather and News app pulls the information you want from the
Web and brings it to your fingertips. You get weekly and hourly
weather forecasts based on your location, and news headlines.
New support for voice-to-text entry.
Whenever a text-entry box appears, simply tap the microphone icon on the virtual keyboard and speak.
Verizon Wireless and CASIO today announced that the water, dust and shock resistant CASIO G’zOne Brigade is available today. The CASIO Brigade is the perfect device for business customers in industries such as construction, public safety and utilities who need devices that stand up to tough work conditions while still delivering high-performance mobile technology.
This rugged device also sports a QWERTY keyboard; an HTML browser; and Document Viewer for reviewing Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs; plus Push to Talk capabilities that leverage Verizon Wireless’ 3G network for fast two-way communication.
Key features:
Tough Technology Design – Horizontal clamshell with QWERTY keypad
3.2 megapixel camera with flash, video capture and LED light
Clear Talk for superior sound quality
Water, shock, dust, immersion, vibration, humidity, salt fog, altitude, high and low temperature storage, and solar radiation resistant conforming to MIL-STD-810F
The National Football League (NFL) has joined forces with Verizon Wireless to provide fans with the deepest NFL experience on their mobile phones, it was announced today. The new four-year agreement for NFL Mobile kicks off next month with coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft to be held from April 22-24 and continues with the NFL’s regular season.
Verizon Wireless, which also becomes the NFL’s official wireless service sponsor, will provide fans with unprecedented access to America’s favorite sport regardless of whether they are in the stands, at home, or on the go.
Verizon Wireless ranked highest among wireless providers and scored significantly above the industry average in five regions in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Volume 1, issued today.
More than 24,300 wireless phone subscribers were surveyed by J.D. Power and Associates between July and December 2009 about their experience with dropped calls, static/interference, failed connection on the first try, voice distortion, echoes, no immediate voice mail notification, and no immediate text message notification.
The J.D. Power and Associates study measures call quality among the major U.S. wireless service providers in six regions based on factors that impact overall carrier performance.
Verizon Wireless scored consistently better than the industry average in key categories, and ranked higher than other carriers in five regions that cover 43 states and the District of Columbia:
Verizon Wireless announced today that its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network field trials in the United States have demonstrated wireless data speeds that are significantly faster than today’s 3G network speeds. Trials in Boston and Seattle indicate the network is capable of peak download speeds of 40 to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps. The speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers’ current or promised 3G network speeds.
Verizon Wireless has been testing its forthcoming 4G LTE network in both Boston and Seattle since August, 2009. Successful data calls involved streaming video, file uploads and downloads, and Web browsing, as well as calls with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to enable voice transmissions over the LTE network.
Effective immediately, FiOS TV customers who have an HD set-top box and a Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio mobile phone can use the phones as a television remote control. The mobile remote has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS remote, plus additional features including instantly transferring photos from the handset to the TV screen. Verizon will expand this service, Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote, to additional mobile phones in the coming months.
At the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Verizon Wireless and Skype today announced a strategic relationship that will bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones in March.
The new Skype mobile product enhances Verizon Wireless’ smartphones for users who have data plans by offering a new way to call around the globe, while also giving hundreds of millions of Skype users around the world the opportunity to communicate with friends, family and business colleagues in the United States using Verizon Wireless.
Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including the BlackBerry Storm 9530, Storm2 9550, Curve 8330, Curve 8530, 8830 World Edition and Tour 9630 smartphones, as well as DROID by Motorola, DROID ERIS by HTC and Motorola DEVOUR.
Verizon said today that it is offering a free digital coupon service for its wireless and FiOS TV customers that can help them save money on their next trip to the grocery store.
Verizon’s Spend SmartSM coupons, powered by Cellfire, eliminate the hassle of clipping and collecting paper coupons by giving users instant access to coupons via their wireless phones, TVs or computers.
Verizon’s Spend Smart coupons cover a wide range of products on customers’ shopping lists and can be used at more than 4,000 locations of more than 20 grocery chains nationwide, including ShopRite, Safeway and Kroger. Coupon brands and products rotate every two weeks, with more than $25 in monthly grocery discounts available at any given time.
Verizon Wireless today announced the availability of Motorola DEVOUR in March. Motorola DEVOUR will be the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature MOTOBLUR, Motorola’s unique Android-powered content delivery service created to make wireless phones more personal and customizable.
MOTOBLUR is the first solution to sync contacts from work and personal e-mail services, including Gmail, with posts, messages, photos and more from popular sites such as Facebook®, MySpace and Twitter.
With MOTOBLUR, content is automatically delivered to the home screen and fed into easy-to-manage streams.
Verizon Wireless today announced the launch of VZ Navigator 5.0, the newest version of its award-winning map, navigation and local search service, which helps users find their way around town. Powered by TeleCommunication Systems, Verizon Wireless’ VZ Navigator is a GPS-enabled service that transforms a wireless smartphone or handset into an all-in-one powerful navigation and communication device, enabling customers to find useful information and discover new places and destinations.
Beginning today on select devices, VZ Navigator 5.0 will offer impressive enhancements to the existing service that take advantage of location-based technology, including an updated, easy-to-use interface, improved functionality finding points of interest, and the ability to run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation session. The service is now integrated with Facebook, allowing users to keep up with their friends, family and social networks by updating their Facebook statuses directly through VZ Navigator, with the option to include and share their locations.
The battle continues with AT&T throwing punches against Verizon Wireless. Above is the latest commercial from AT&T telling consumers not to dumb down their Verizon smartphones. A clear shot against the Droid.
Whether you’re running the company or running to class, Verizon Wireless’ DROID by Motorola gives you access to thousands of applications in the Android Market. These apps help you stay in touch, up to date and entertained, all while running on the largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G data network in the country.
Verizon Wireless customers can find some of the most helpful, coolest and popular apps each week in the Verizon Channel in the Android Market on their DROID by Motorola. This week, customers can find:
Verizon Wireless said today it is bringing more music to many of its BlackBerry smartphone customers with the introduction of the exclusive slotRadio+ microSD card. Designed by SanDisk, the slotRadio+ microSD card combines 1,000 popular songs featuring top-charting Billboard artists with an additional 4 GB of flash memory for personal storage – all on one microSD memory card.
Verizon Wireless customers can tap into the full music potential of their BlackBerry smartphones with the slotRadio+ card and application. The extra storage space on the microSD card allows customers to save photos, music and videos on their BlackBerry smartphones and transfer them to their PCs.
Verizon Wireless announced today that Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus will be on store shelves and ready for purchase on Jan. 25. Palm Pre Plus will cost $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and Palm Pixi Plus will cost $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, each with a new two-year customer agreement. Buy a Palm Pre Plus or a Palm Pixi Plus and get a Palm Pixi Plus free after a mail-in rebate through Feb. 14.
Both Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus come travel-ready with a built-in 3G Mobile Hotspot – a Wi-Fi hotspot that can be shared among five Wi-Fi-capable devices. The 3G Mobile Hotspot is the perfect family vacation companion, and at $40 for 5 GB and 5 cents per megabyte overage, it provides an allowance big enough for sharing with the entire family for downloading games, Internet access and more.
Paired with Verizon Wireless’ new Nationwide Talk or Nationwide Talk & Text plans and a $29.99 monthly data plan, Palm Pre Plus is the perfect tool for the busy family manager, while Palm Pixi Plus is the perfect complement to a youngster as part of a Family SharePlan.
Verizon Wireless announced that beginning Jan. 18, customers may sign up for a new Nationwide Unlimited Talk plan that allows customers to call anyone in the United States for $69.99 monthly access or a Nationwide Unlimited Talk & Text plan to call and send text, picture and video messages to anyone in the country for $89.99 monthly access.
Nationwide Family SharePlans will also have new unlimited options. Nationwide Unlimited Talk Family SharePlans will be $119.99 monthly access while the Nationwide Unlimited Talk & Text Family SharePlans will be $149.99 monthly access. All Family SharePlan pricing includes the first two lines of service. Standard text message rates will apply for customers on the Nationwide Unlimited Talk plans who do not sign up for a text messaging bundle.
Motorola Inc. today announced it is demonstrating wireless HD video streaming over a Verizon Wireless pre-commercial LTE network with 4G LTE data cards in mobile devices.
Held during CES, this demonstration represents a collaborative effort between Motorola and Verizon Wireless’ LTE Innovation Center, which provides an environment for diverse companies to work together in developing innovative products leveraging 4G LTE technology. It also takes the first step towards building an embedded LTE consumer electronics ecosystem.
Today at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, Verizon Wireless and Palm, Inc. announced the Jan. 25 availability of Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus, bringing the Palm webOS experience to customers on the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network.
Palm Pre Plus has a large, vivid touch screen; high-performance processor; and slide-out keyboard. The Pre Plus keyboard makes for quick and easy typing, while the unique gesture area provides a sleek look and intuitive navigation. Pre Plus also comes with the Palm Touchstone Back Cover, making the phone compatible with the revolutionary inductive Touchstone Charging Dock (sold separately). Verizon Wireless Pre Plus customers will also get 16 GB of storage (approximately 15 GB user available) for applications and media.
Feature-rich, Pre Plus and Pixi Plus offer Verizon Wireless customers greater flexibility for access to the Internet with Wi-Fi. In addition, the all-new Palm mobile hotspot, a webOS app that can be downloaded from the Palm App Catalog, gives customers the option of creating a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the reliability and high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 3G network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as notebooks, netbooks, cameras, gaming devices or portable media/MP3 players.
Verizon Wireless said today it has added TLC as one of its exclusive channels on V CAST Mobile TV. TLC is part of Discovery Communications, and now popular shows such as “Cake Boss;” “What Not to Wear;” “Little People, Big World” and “18 Kids and Counting” will be available to V CAST Mobile TV customers.
TLC, a top 10 cable network for women and one of the most widely distributed cable networks in the United States, features high-quality docu-series and reality-based programming that engages the heart and mind by transporting viewers into the lives of real-life extraordinary characters. TLC programs are entertaining, unfiltered and always reveal something to learn along the way.
Verizon Wireless today announced it will host a webcast on Jan. 20, 2010, to review updated specifications for wireless devices that will run on the nationwide 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network it is building on the Upper 700 MHz C-Block spectrum. Released today, the updated specifications address network access and SMS requirements and data retry test plans, as well as include new information about lab and signaling conformance, the open development device approval and introduction process and more. These documents will help guide developers into the next phase of bringing their LTE devices to the Verizon Wireless network.
Verizon Wireless plans to launch its 4G LTE wireless network in 25 to 30 markets next year and cover virtually all of its current nationwide 3G footprint with the next-generation network by the end of 2013. The company’s 4G LTE network will ultimately connect a full range of electronics devices and machines.
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