t-mobile

T-Mobile testing 4G LTE in more than eight cities

T-Mobile is quietly testing its forthcoming 4G LTE network in New York, Las Vegas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and other cities, according to OpenSignal, a firm that monitors network coverage.

OpenSignal first noticed activity on T-Mobile's unofficial network through a mobile app that collects diagnostic data speeds, likely the work of T-Mobile's network engineers as they test their own infrastructure prior to the official launch.

The mobile app also noticed pings in Seattle, Denver, New Orleans, San Diego, and Kansas City, OpenSignal said.

In addition to seeing the network tested on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the … Read more

T-Mobile, MetroPCS clear final regulatory hurdle

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, the fourth and fifth largest cellular networks in the U.S., are set to merge after the third and final regulator gave its thumbs-up to the deal.

First reported by Bloomberg, the three regulators involved in the scrutiny process have now completed their inspection, allowing the deal to close before the fiscal second quarter, as planned.

Now that the Committee on Foreign Investment has given its approval, only a vote among MetroPCS shareholders to sign off on the deal is holding up the merger, which is set to be voted upon on April 12.

The two … Read more

T-Mobile's possible no-contract pricing details divulged

T-Mobile announced in December that it would eliminate subsidies on cell phones this year, hinting that it would also switch up its mobile plans and go no-contract. Now, it's expected that the carrier will debut its new plans at an event scheduled for March 26.

However, TMoNews seems to have gotten its hands on at least some of the pricing information a week in advance.

According to a TMoNews, T-Mobile will be offering two types of plans: the "Uncarrier classic," which will be offered by national retailers like Target and Best Buy, and "Value" plans … Read more

T-Mobile changing the contract game

CNET Update will pay you Tuesday for a smartphone today:

Google Reader is shutting down in July, and its demise can impact citizens who have Internet access restricted by their government. The Change.org petition to keep Google Reader has about 12 percent of its signatures from people living in countries that have Internet censorship. People in Kazakhstan and China have left comments urging Google to keep the Reader tool because it's the best way to access banned websites and uncensored news.

Also featured in Tuesday's news roundup:

- Next week, T-Mobile is expected to announce a new way to pay for smartphones … Read more

T-Mobile gearing up for big event on March 26

Judging from a T-Mobile press conference invite that just crossed our desks, the carrier apparently has big changes in store. Scheduled for 11 a.m. ET in New York, the March 26 event will supposedly demonstrate the wireless provider's intentions to not act like a typical "wireless company."

While that's not a lot of info to go on, I'm betting this indicates T-Mobile's imminent transition to a completely no-contract carrier. Rumors have already surfaced that the carrier will ditch all subsidies on its phones soon, as early as March 24.

Additionally, reports assert that … Read more

The 404 1,228: Where we make eyes with the Samsung Galaxy S4 (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Samsung Galaxy S4 keeps calm, carries on with big screen, 8-core chip and, yes, eye tracking.

- The Galaxy S4's software up close.

- Samsung Galaxy S4 display looking good, expert says.

- Samsung Galaxy S4 landing on six U.S. carriers.

- Does Samsung's Galaxy S4 make the iPhone 5 look lame?

- Samsung Galaxy S4 offers optional wireless charging.… Read more

As Z10 preorders start, BlackBerry nets huge order for new devices

BlackBerry announced today that an "established partner" has ordered 1 million BlackBerry 10 devices. Though a company spokeswoman declined to name the partner in a phone call with CNET, the order is the largest single purchase in the company's history.

The news came just as Verizon Wireless revealed that it would start accepting preorders for the new BlackBerry Z10 beginning at 8 a.m. ET tomorrow. Devices will then arrive in stores and be available for direct purchase online two weeks later on March 28.

Big Red, which promised that it would carry the Z10 moments after … Read more

Feds approve T-Mobile merger with MetroPCS

The Federal Communications Commission today officially approved the merger between T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS. The Department of Justice also gave a green light for the deal.

In a statement, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that the merger will strengthen the U.S. wireless market by "moving toward robust competition and revitalized competitors."

The Justice Department, meanwhile, said in its statement that because MetroPCS is a regional provider and T-Mobile is a nationwide carrier, competition should not be harmed at a national level by allowing the companies to combine. And because MetroPCS competes in markets where all four nationwide … Read more

AT&T outshines Verizon in 4G LTE speed tests

AT&T may not have the largest 4G LTE network but it has the fastest, at least according to new data from Root Metrics.

Among the top four U.S. mobile carriers measured by Root Metrics, AT&T took the top spot with an average LTE-only download speed of 18.6 megabits per second and an average upload speed of 9Mbps. Its maximum download speed averaged 57.7Mbps, while its fastest upload speed averaged 19.6Mbps.

Root's researchers were able to connect to AT&T's LTE network 81.7 percent of the time, a rate … Read more

AT&T: Ban on unlocking phones won't affect our customers

AT&T said today that its customers shouldn't fear the law against unlocking phones because the carrier will do the unlocking for them.

As part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Library of Congress has ruled it illegal for people to unlock their own phones, a decision that has irked consumer advocacy groups and prompted a petition to the White House to throw out the ban. The law, however, won't have any effect on AT&T customers, the company said in a blog post today.

"While we think the Librarian's careful decision was … Read more