at&t to Add 80 Cities to 3G Network

at&t Wireless will extend its third-generation (3G) wireless broadband network to more than 80 additional cities in the United States this year. About 270 communities already have 3G service available.

Most major metro areas already are covered, but you'd be surprised at the number of suburban communities even around the major markets that only have the slower EDGE data network. That's one reason, aside from battery life, that the Apple iPhone initially was available only in an EDGE network version.

By the end of the year, nearly 350 leading U.S. markets will be served by the 3G network, including all of the top 100 U.S. cities. The 3G initiative requires the building of more than 1,500 additional cell sites.

The at&t 3G network now delivers typical downlink speeds ranging between 600 and 1,400 kilobits per second, as well as uplink speeds ranging from 500 and 800 kilobits per second, though the network is not yet completely equipped for the higher upstream capacity at all sites.

People often underestimate how long it takes for a national network to be created, even if it is a wireless network. Back in the regulated days of telecom, for example, a sizable telecom company would expect to upgrade or replace only about 10 percent of total plant in any single year.

So access plant changed slowest, though switch replacements could occur more quickly. And it isn't just "physical" networks that have to be built. A large carrier might operate 50 to 100 "logical" networks, as each separate service often required its own hardware, software, provisioning and billing systems.

Likewise, consider that Verizon Wireless has invested $300 million in 2007 to enhance its networks in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia alone, largely related to broadband upgrades, spending $6.5 billion investment nationwide.

"Reliable wireless networks are not built overnight," says Tami Erwin, Verizon Wireless regional president.

From an at&t Wireless perspective, it will take a year to light 80 communities, using 1,500 towers, to create a 3G network in those areas. And there will be more work next year.

Verizon, at&t Take Different Approaches to Bandwidth Caps

For an industry that in decades past has tended to move in lockstep, it is refreshing to see an ever-increasing divergence in strategies and marketing positions. Consider the matter of bandwidth caps and content filtering.

at&t has decided to filter non-authorized content on its broadband access networks. The move is an attempt to reduce the peer-to-peer bandwidth load on its networks.

Verizon, on the other hand, doesn't want to do so and says it will not. Many policy advocates will cheer that stance.

One might credit Verizon's decision to move to a fiber-to-home network for that laudable move. Simply, Verizon has a lot more headroom than at&t will to support today's heavy users, and ultimately, heavier use by nearly all users as more video moves to Internet delivery.

Beyond the policy stance differences, and the customer goodwill Verizon will garner, the notable difference stems from fundamental decisions each carrier has made. Verizon made a risky bet in the face of nearly-universal investor opposition. at&t took a less-risky path that was rewarded by investors.

But each of those decisions now has repercussions in other areas where technology now conditions the marketing decisions each company can make. I've said it before and will say it again: Verizon did the right thing sticking to its FiOS program, in the face of intense financial community pressure.

In the years to come, that technology and financial decision is going to give Verizon many options other contestants may not have.

AMPS Network Shutdown May Affect Security Systems

On Feb. 18 at&t and Verizon will be shutting down their analog AMPS mobile networks. Not many mobile voice users still are on any of those networks, but some home security systems could be. By some estimates, as many as one million homes use wireless AMPS networks as the communication link.

LaserShield Systems says its LaserShield Instant Security System will solve the problem, using either the GSM network, a high-speed Internet access connection or a standard analog phone line if that is available.

A cellular adapter plugs into the rear of the master LaserShield Unit if a GSM network is the communications link, while a separate adapter is plugged into a broadband router if that is the communications link.

The LaserShield $199.95 security system includes a master alarm unit, a wireless motion detector and two keychain remotes. The wireless adapter costs $229.99. The broadband adapter costs $129.99.

The monitoring service costs $19.95 a month for dial-up and $29.95 a month for cellphone or digital phone service with no long-term contracts.

One wonders how many home security providers would not already have notified their customers of the impending change, though, giving customers time to make other arrangements that preserve the business relationship.

Japanese Study: Mobile Phones Don't Cause Cancer

Using a mobile phone does not increase your risk of brain cancer, according to a new Japanese study that is the first to consider the effects of radiation on different parts of the brain, Reuters news service reports.

That is good news for many of us who rely on them quite a lot.

Scientists at Tokyo Women's Medical University compared phone use in 322 brain cancer patients with 683 healthy people and found that regularly using a mobile did not significantly affect the likelihood of getting brain cancer.

"We found no association between mobile phone use and cancer, providing more evidence to suggest they don't cause brain cancer," says Naohito Yamaguchi, research team leader. The findings are published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Telcos, CLECs, Cable Among Top Ethernet Providers

You might not be surprised that at&t, Verizon and Qwest are among leading incumbent carriers providing Ethernet services to U.S. organizations and businesses. But Time Warner Telecom and Cogent also are among the top six providers, and two cable companies are among the top seven providers, according to Vertical Systems Group.

More than forty other companies are also delivering retail Ethernet services to business customers in the U.S.

at&t is the market leader with a 22 percent share at year-end 2007, based on ports in service. Verizon is second with a 17 percent port share, followed by Time Warner Telecom with 13 percent of U.S. active ports.

Cox Communications is fourth overall with a 10 percent port share, followed by Cogent with seven percent of ports and Qwest with six percent of ports. Time Warner Cable has five percent share.

Other notable providers offering Business Ethernet Services in the U.S. include AboveNet, American Fiber Systems, Alpheus Communications, American Telesis, Arialink, Balticore, Bright House Networks, Charter Business, CIFNet, Cincinnati Bell, Comcast Business, Embarq, Expedient, Exponential-e, Fibernet Telecom Group, FiberTower, Global Crossing, Integra, IP Networks, Level 3, LS Networks, Masergy, Met-Net, Neopolitan Networks, NTELOS, Optimum Lightpath, Orange Business, Paetec, RCN, Savvis, Spirit Telecom, Sprint, SuddenLink, Surewest, US Signal, Veroxity, Virtela, Windstream, XO and Yipes (Reliance Communications).

More Competition in Small Business VoIP Market

Small business VoIP providers face a challenging year where competition in the small business space is heating up. Speakeasy, for example, has introduced a voice trunk replacement service called Integrated Voice, using a per-person pricing plan, available nationally and seemingly pitched to the sort of business that otherwise might buy a Cbeyond service.

Cable operators also are aggressively pitching their own small business VoIP services. Oddly enough, it is Comcast and Time Warner that arguably can claim better national name recognition that any of the other business VoIP specialists. And name recognition has been a problem up to this point, in the small business VoIP market.

The Best Buy-owned company is targeting smaller businesses with two to 12 phone lines that also want to keep their existing on-premises handsets and phone switch, and which also have a need for broadband Internet access.

Pricing begins at just $19.95 per line or user, with long distance charges of 2.9 cents a minute.

The phone line trunk replacement service combines voice and data services over a T-1 or high-speed DSL Internet connection, where bandwidth is dynamically allocated between voice and data. Speakeasy says the service will run over any existing broadband connection, but also sells the Speakeasy T1 and 15 Mbps Digital Subscriber Line service as well, the advantage being that Speakeasy can provide quality of service mechanisms if its own access is used.

fring Launches Mobile Web and IM Initiative

fring has launched of a new version of its mobile phone application that allows anyone with a compatible handset to talk, chat, and interact with other fring users on their mobile phones. Originally launched as a way to talk using VoIP, fring now is making an effort to use VoIP as a way of creating and enhancing IM-based mobile social networking.

As such, it hopes to become a mobile Internet service and community, enabling users to talk, chat and interact with other fring users in the context of their online IM communities, from their mobile phones.

fring’s new file transfer feature allows fring users to swap music tracks, pictures, video clips and other files between each other, from mobile to mobile and mobile to PC quickly and reliably without the need for multimedia message service, cable, Bluetooth, or infrared connections. And because its fring, the connection is made via the phones’ mobile Internet capability, using the already paid for data plan, so there’s no extra cost.

fring users now conduct voice sessions over the mobile phone’s data service channel, using instant messaging in place of text messaging, for example, using fring, Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM.

The new fring version has enhanced chat features including new real-time displays alerting the user of new incoming chat, real time typing indication and easier navigation between different chat windows, making for rich PC-style interaction.

fring users also can activate the fringME! Web services feature, making themselves contactable from any PC-based Web page, blog, home page, email, MySpace or Facebook pages (the Facebook capability will be available soon).

fringME! also allows fring users with GPS-enabled handsets to choose whether to have their real-time location displayed via a pop-up GoogleMap.

Mobile service providers probably are ambivalent about the new features. On one hand, fring will stimulate demand for data plan purchases. On the other hand, fring also will supplant and replace some amount of text messaging, at some point.