John Stephens, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, spoke about how AT&T plans to turn up additional 4G LTE markets in New York City. During the strongest sales month of December, the press release said AT&T expects to cover about 70 million people with its new and fastest LTE network. Although it started out small, AT&T is on track to break its own previous “single-quarter” record of 6.1 million smartphone sales, and reach the 15 major metropolitan areas by the year’s end, with New York now being one of them.

Sprint Nextel is planning to offer the iPhone as early as next month, and as it does with other smartphones (and as soon in its commercials) the company says it will offer an unlimited data plan for Apple’s super-phone, according to Bloomberg.

But as CNET points out, that isn’t likely to last very long.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless both got rid of unlimited data, in favor of tiered pricing options, after the iPhone came to their networks. The iPhone comes with a price for mobile phone carriers — it eats an enormous amount of data from up in the clouds.

The new iPhone would likely overburden Sprint Nextel’s 4G network, forcing it to do the same.

The CNET article cites an analyst that expects Sprint to continue using its unlimited data advertising campaign to lure customers away from AT&T and Verizon, and then pull a switch.

The federal government is taking steps to block AT&T and T-Mobile merger on antitrust grounds.

The Justice Department took the step by filing suit to stop the merger, saying it would hurt competition and drive up prices, the Wall Street Journal reported.

At a press conference Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the merger would result in tens of millions of consumers facing fewer choices and lower-quality products, WSJ reported.

The Justice Department added that AT&T can propose fixes in the deal that would satisfy the government.

The massive $39 billion combination of two of the “big four” American mobile phone companies would create a company with 130 million subscribers, surpassing Verizon as the No. 1 wireless company in the US.

AT&T is currently No. 2, and T-Mobile is 4.

The third place wireless company, Spring Nextel Corp., is also against the merger.

AT&T stock was down nearly 4 percent on the news. Sprint was up nearly 10 percent.

It’s like if the cola wars required people to buy special glassware in other to drink each product. It’s like if the burger war restaurants made you sign a contract not to go to the other place

OK maybe it’s not that intense, but Verizon is already drawing a line in the sand with AT&T’s upcoming 4G LTE network. Verizon said Friday that it’s 4G LTE phones will not work with AT&T.

After years of Verizon CDMA versus AT&T GSM, which required us to buy new phones when switching cell providers in the first place, we see now that nothing is changing.

Explanation? Verizon claims it’s all about frequency. Verizon uses the upper half of the 700 Mhz range (746-787 Mhz), while AT&T’s network will work on the lower half (704-746). It’s a small, silly difference that somehow, someway means that the iPhone 5 and all those great Android phones will have one model for Verizon and one model for AT&T, which REALLY just means you have to keep spending money.

Because, after all, that’s the name of the game.

Starting tomorrow, Verizon Wireless will cap the amount of data its mobile users are allowed to download for its formerly unlimited $30 wireless data plan.

The company will also introduce much more expensive plans for users who want to download more data.

The changes will only affect newly enrolled customers, meaning today is the last day people can sign up for an unlimited plan.

AT&T did away with unlimited data plans last year. T-Mobile still offers unlimited downloading, but throttles down users who download a lot of data. Only Sprint Nextel still offers an unlimited data plan with no strings attached.

Starting tomorrow, Verizon users can buy 5 gigabytes per month for $50 or 10 gigabytes for $80. Verizon will charge $10 per gigabyte after that.

HTC Corp. debuted a tablet called the HTC Flyer on Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

The tablet is designed to compete with Apple’s iPad and can be used with a finger or a battery-powered pen/stylus.

The Flyer will have a 7-inch screen, which makes it smaller than the iPad.

It goes on sale in the second quarter. No price was announced.

HTC also says that two new AT&T network phones will feature a Facebook button, allowing users to upload photos or share links on the fly.

There’s a lot of talk about cellular service providers unrolling their 4G networks, but most people still don’t know the difference between the new and the old and how it will affect them. For starters the “G” means generation and yeap, you guessed it, we’re entering our fourth generation in technological advancements in the cellular service industry. So now you know why it is called what it is called, but what is the true difference? What can we expect to experience differently from what we are used to?

This may not make a huge difference with you, but the frequency bands are different between 3G and 4G. With 3G, the frequency is usually between 1.8 and 2.5 GHz (Gigahertz = unit of frequency) and can transfer data at a rate around 3 MB/second (about a song’s worth of data per second). With 4G, the frequency bandwidth is between 2 and 8 GHz and can transfer data from 3 MB/second up to 12 MB/second, but with the potential to get up to 200 MB/second. So that would allow users to view streaming video clearly in HD, download their favorite TV shows in minutes rather than hours, and allow for overall faster service while perusing the internet. The types of 4G broadband networks are LTE (Long-Term Evolution), Wimax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and WiFi.

When Verizon created their CDMA platform (the name for their 3G platform) they did not include the capabilities for upgrades to their 3G service to make it faster (unlike Sprint, for example, who was able to update their 3G service). As a result, Verizon is now rolling out 4G service and all of the other companies are soon to follow if they haven’t already. Of the main cellular carriers, T-Mobile has promised to roll out 4G soon (whatever that means), Sprint already has a 4G network, Verizon is in the process with some cities ready to go (like Boston and NYC) , and AT&T promises to roll out 4G in 2011.

So that is the basic gist of the difference between 3G and 4G, so you should be happy and excited to get your hands on a 4G enabled smartphone when you have your next available upgrade and when your carrier has a solid 4G infrastructure in place. I know there are 3G and 4G articles up everywhere, but if you haven’t read the differences just yet, perhaps this shed some light for you.

AT&T emailed customers Monday night and posted a notice on its website about the upcoming release of 4G data service — no dates have been announced, however.

“The nation’s fastest mobile broadband network is getting faster with 4G,” the company said in a statement. “Stronger connections. Faster access to your favorite content. The AT&T mobile broadband experience is evolving. 4G is coming soon to several areas around the country and will provide innovative solutions to deliver a smoother, more consistent mobile broadband experience.”

The company says that HSPA+ is available now and faster LTE service, which Verizon already has, is “coming soon.”

AT&T also announced three launch phones, the HTC Inspire 4G, a beautiful looking Android phone; the Motorola ATRIX 4G, complete with a dual-core processor; the Samsung Infuse 4G and its massive 4.5-inch screen; and the AT&T USBConnect Shockwave meant to connect your laptop to the 4G network.

On the AT&T website, the company also touts its “talk and surf” multitasking capabilities, which Verizon lacks.

No details were released on any iPhone 4G model.

The iPhone is coming to Verizon next month, but don’t buy it until you read these five points about the new marvel of mobile phoning:

1. Carrier reliability

Last May, a survey determined that an astonishing 4.5 percent of AT&T users experienced a dropped call over a 90 day period compared to 1.5 percent of Verizon customers.

Verizon also led the way in overall satisfaction, with nearly 50 percent of their users “very satisfied” with their service, compared to only 23 percent of AT&T customers.

2. If debating the switch, are you willing to shell out the cash?

If you purchased an iPhone with AT&T after June 1, 2010, you better be ready to pay a staggering $325 cancellation fee (minus $10 for every month of service completed). While AT&T claims the “fee is not a penalty,” that is a lot of money we are talking about here… almost the price of two new Verizon iPhones (with 2-year activation)!

3. Talking to a friend while checking e-mail or mapping directions? — Not on Verizon!

Apparently “multitasking” such as checking your e-mail or browsing the internet while on a call, a commonplace task for us AT&T iPhone users, will not be possible on the Verizon network. The Wall Street Journal says that Verizon executives feel this isn’t an important feature to most users, but it is promised to be available next year.

4. How much longer until the iPhone 5 (4G)?

Apple is infamous for quickly antiquating its electronics with updated models, usually within a year and a half.

We saw the release of the iPhone 4 in June so it’s a good bet the iPhone 5 will be out sometime this summer. Are you really going to shell out $200 and lock yourself into a two year contract with Verizon in February when the iPhone 5 could be here as soon as June?

5. The 3G Mobile Hotspot app…

Not only will the Verizon iPhone come preloaded with the 3G Mobile Hotspot app, it will support up to 5 devices. AT&T offers tethering of only one device with their 2GB data plan for $45/month. While Verizon’s hotspot pricing hasn’t been officially announced, you can bet you will get more bang for your buck than AT&T’s measly one-device tethering.

Rumors have been circulating this week that Verizon will finally announce that they will carry the Apple iPhone at a press conference this Tuesday in New York.

According to a number of sources, including Fortune, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the cell-phone giant has been  discreetly handing out red envelopes containing invites to a press conference this Tuesday at 11 a.m. EST at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center. The invitation doesn’t offer much more info, save for the fact that Verizon President and COO Lowell McAdam will host the event.

So how does that translate into “Verizon’s getting the iPhone?” Rumors have been circulating since last year that America’s largest network would be getting the incredibly popular phone on the heels of a Wallstreet Journal article saying that Apple had issued a late 2010 production start for iPhones capable of running on Verizon’s CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network.

The phone is expected to go on sale next month for Verizon customers, stick with Blastmagazine.com for more in the coming week.

ATT has announced that its U-Verse IPTV platform will be hitting the Xbox 360 in the United States this Friday, October 15 and Windows Live phones next month. The service allows for users to watch, record and manage TV content from major networks directly on the Xbox 360.

The service is a bit pricey though, as those wishing to set-up service on the Xbox 360 will be required to $99 for a startup kit ($55 for those who already have service but would like to extend it to the console) along with AT&T’s monthly service fees.

The service is the first live TV service to hit the console in America, but European gamers have had a similar service in Sky TV for the last few years.

CNET has reported that AT&T is blocking its employees from taking vacation in June. This comes as we already know that Apple is preparing to launch a new iPhone model in the late spring or early summer.

At least week’s iPhone OS4 event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the new operating system would be ready by the summer. This has fueled rumors of a new iPhone model as well as a Verizon Wireless iPhone.

The report on worker vacations has added gasoline to the rumor fire and strongly suggests that the new iPhone goodness will come in June.

FINALLY.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Apple may be working on an iPhone designed to work on the Verizon Wireless network.

Since its inception, the iPhone has only been available on the AT&T network in the US.

The Journal, citing anonymous sources, said Apple is going to release a new iPhone this summer — which we’ve expected, the iPhone 4G — and that the company has been working on a model for Verizon.

No release dates were cited.

Apple had no comment on the report.

The next generation of netbooks are a lot like cell phones, in that they don’t cost much up front, but you’ll be paying for privilege and convenience.

Until December 24, RadioShack is offering the LG X120 netbook for $49.99 with 2-years of mobile internet service.

The netbook is a true cell phone, and it’s a true netbook in every sense of the word. It’s designed for 3G mobile Internet service, but don’t expect to run photoshop or games on it. It does carry a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM, however.

The LG X120 is a 10.1-inch laptop weighing 2.8lbs. that goes for $399 without activation. It’s available at 2,000 RadioShack stores nationwide.

Apparently the iPhone isn’t enough to maintain exclusivity.

Electronics store RadioShack has announced that it has added T-Mobile wireless phone services to compete with AT&T in its more than 4,000 stories.

“Our mobility strategy is rooted in customer advocacy and allows us to offer the best solution for consumers’ needs across multiple carriers, plans, phones and accessories,” said Julian Day, RadioShack’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement. “In a highly mobile world, keeping our customers seamlessly connected to one another is a commitment we are very focused on delivering.”

RadioShack generates about 30 percent of its sales revenue from wireless phones.

Wireless carriers consistently rank low in customer satisfaction rankings. One only need troll the pages of sites like Consumerist to understand why. Expensive, spotty service couples with poor customer service makes for quite a set of disgruntled customers.

One of my big beefs with carriers (or even phone makers-I’m looking at you Apple) are carriers that cripple their phones because they’re worried that missing income could erode their bottom lines. Early on, Verizon crippled the RAZR so that uploaded mp3′s couldn’t be used as ringtones, forcing people to purchase expensive twenty second clips of songs that they already purchased for $0.99 from iTunes. Even still, most Verizon phones do not allow personalized mp3 ringtones, and customers must purchase them. On the flip side, Cingular customers, who have access to many of the same phones, are free to use their phones as they see fit.

Of course, this lead the grassroots efforts that lead to consumers hacking their phones. Apple routinely blocks apps from the App store that they find threatening. Such was the case with Podcaster which Apple blocked for “duplicating functionality.” Nevermind the clock apps, and calculator apps, and stock watching apps, and … Need I really continue? On a similar vein, AT&T forced Apple to remove NetShare because tethering your iPhone as a modem violated their contract. Of course, solutions to both of these missing apps are available to users who jailbreak their phones, leaving AT&T and Apple without any income.

While AT&T has allowed VoIP apps to run on iPhones, they have to restrict data to Wi-Fi networks only, eliminating the possibility of using data networks for free minutes. However, not all carriers are so generous. Nokia wants to bundle Skype on their upcoming flagship device, the N97 in Europe. Clearly, this would make the phone quite attractive to consumers already strapped for cash. However, O2 and Orange have refused to even stock the device unless Nokia strips the software out.

Businesses need to stop treating their customers like shoddy criminals and realize that it’s our nature to try and save money any way we can. If the technology exists, why can’t we use it? Carriers should realize that by allowing the software with a small surchange would sell more phones, bringing in more customers and more money. What about that situation isn’t attractive? Could this be why the US and Europe have some of the most underdeveloped wireless networks when compared to Asian countries?

Change may be scary, but it’s time for carriers to embrace new technologies and move forward. People are paying good money for devices-they’re going to want to use them to their fullest extent.

Apple announced Tuesday that they are adding new models of the iPhone and iPod touch with double the storage capacity.

The iPod touch now comes in a 32GB model for $499, joining the 16GB model for $399 and the 8GB model for $299.

“For some users, there’s never enough memory,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing. “Now people can enjoy even more of their music, photos and videos on the most revolutionary mobile phone and best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world.”

Both models feature Apple’s Multi-Touch user interface and the ability to play music, videos, photos and more with just a touch of their finger, Apple said Tuesday.

All iPhone and iPod touch models include the latest software enhancements announced last month including the ability to automatically find your location using the new Maps application; create Web Clips for your favorite websites; customize your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes Movie Rentals. Both iPhone and iPod touch feature the world’s most advanced mobile web browser in the world with Safari and great mobile applications including Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes.

The new 16GB iPhone is available now through the online Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and AT&T retail and online stores.

The 32GB iPod touch is available nationwide.

The availability of the “Maps” positioning feature will vary depending on location.