At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sprint representative David Owens announced that the company would no longer be releasing WiMAX phones and instead will be focusing its attention on LTE.

Sprint was previously the only US carrier to place its full support behind WiMAX, with its main competitors supporting LTE from an early date. With the increasing likelihood of LTE becoming the 4G standard instead of WiMAX, the company sees little point in continuing to be the lone voice supporting the wireless technology.

The decision to support LTE instead of WiMAX means that Sprint is now able to release LTE enabled phones such as the Galaxy Nexus to place the company in a better position to compete against Verizon and others.

So does Sprint’s decision mark the end of WiMAX on smartphones? The United States is one of the few countries where 4G is already operational, and the majority of 4G networks in the country are LTE. Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, are currently conducting LTE trials with plans to implement the technology in the next couple of years.

Likewise, the world’s most popular phone, the iPhone, has yet to adopt 4G due to its experimental status. If 4G is going to make an appearance on the iPhone 5, which will be launched later in 2012, it is likely that Apple will choose the more established LTE technology and will not opt for a WiMAX version.

Even though LTE now has the upper hand, Sprint was the first company to launch a 4G smartphone with the HTC EVO 4G back in 2010. Since then, a number of higher profile LTE devices have scuppered Sprint’s ambitions of nationwide WiMAX adoption.

When the world was first introduced to the blistering speeds of 4G data connections there was a lot of debate about which technology would establish itself as the industry standard. It now seems clear that with all US carriers placing their support behind LTE, and 4G development projects in other countries favoring LTE, WiMAX is destined to be swept to the side in the smartphone industry.

This guest post was written by Simon Drew of Best Mobile Contracts, the UK’s number one mobile phone comparison website.

RIM‘s BlackBerry may be struggling in the smartphone wars, but it’s got one thing on the Apple iPhone: 4G. The question is: how do 4G-enabled BlackBerrys stack up against competing 4G Android and Windows smartphones?

Many critics say that T-Mobile’s BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the best BlackBerry yet. It features a bright and responsive 2.8-inch touch screen display and runs BlackBerry OS 7. The BlackBerry Torch 9810 for AT&T has a touch screen that’s a bit bigger than the 9900′s, at 3.2 inches, and just as responsive. Finally, AT&T’s BlackBerry Torch 9860 has a 3.7-inch touch screen (the biggest of the bunch), and it features NFC (Near Field Communication) so users can make mobile-based payments using services such as Google Wallet.

The downside is that none of these BlackBerry smartphones have the latest 4G technology – LTE – which has proven to be the fastest. All three phones use a version of 4G (HSPA+) that is more comparable to 3G in speed. This has to do partly with the carriers, which all started out with different 4G technology. AT&T is currently transitioning from HSPA+ to LTE, while T-Mobile’s expansion plans have been set back by the failed merger with AT&T. Verizon has been steadily building out its LTE network, which is currently the largest in the U.S., but does not yet offer a 4G BlackBerry.4G

So what’s the holdup? The company is busy – and it doesn’t just have 4G on its mind. After the launch of the company’s Playbook tablet, RIM announced that it would be redesigning its smartphone operating system – taking the best of BlackBerry 7 and blending it with the best elements of the Playbook’s OS. The result would be a brand new OS called BBX that would run on the company’s smartphones and tablets.

In the last quarter of 2011, there were rumors galore that RIM would release an LTE BlackBerry with the new BBX OS in early 2012.  However, those rumors never came to fruition, and the company now says there won’t be such a device available until at least the second half of 2012. It also put off plans to release a 4G Playbook tablet.

All we can do now is wait and see how 2012 turns out for BlackBerry.

Additional Remark – 03.05.12
As pointed out by one of our reader, we would like to precise that, technically, HSPA+ is not a 4G technology.
While the speed it delivers is higher than traditional 3G and closer to LTE/WiMAX speeds, it was designed according to 3GPP technical standards and does not comply with 4G standards.

Proxim Wireless recently announced the launch of its long awaited Tsunami 8200 Series. The Tsunami 8200 will also be showcased later this month at the ITS World Congress and the 4G World Show.

Proxim’s Tsunami is already perceived by many as the industry standard for point-to-multipoint systems. The 8200 series has even more arguments to show. The devices’ improved flexibility and speeds up to 300 MBps are just appetizers.

Proxim’s Tsunami 8200 Series supports a wider range of frequencies for optimal adaptability to all carriers worldwide. Its radio-transmission system has also be improved to a 27dbm out transmit power, enabling it to transmit twice as far as the Tsunami 8100 could.

Proxim is aware that these devices can often be exposed to rough environments and thus put great emphasis on creating robust systems — the surge protectors and water proof cases allow the device to function under any weather condition, even the harshest storm.

Thanks to the devices’ compact designs as well as backward and forward integration ensuring perfect communication between the Tsunami 8100 & 8200 series, installation and implementation are very easy, allowing for quick deployments and rapid ROI.

The benefits of the 8200 series have already convinced the city of San Jose to work with Proxim on expanding their intelligent transportation infrastructures.
When asked about the implementation of the 8200 Series,  Ho Nguyen, associate engineer for the city of San Jose says: ”Our installations thus far have been set up in Non-Line of Sight conditions, and the radios have performed flawlessly. We look forward to finishing our deployment of over two hundred radios throughout the city by the summer of next year.”

More information about Proxim’s 8200 Series product launch is available in their press release.

Find out more about Proxim’s 8200 Series applications. Please download the product’s data sheet for technical specifications.
The Tsunami 8200 will be available for shipping by the end of November, until then, please visit the pricing & ordering info page.

Want a 4G tablet? If you want built-in 4G, you’ll have to go Android. (The iPad can get 4G only with a MiFi device.) There are about half a dozen 4G Android tablets in various sizes and price points available from the four major carriers. Most of these tablets have the latest Android 3.0 (aka Honeycomb) operating system.

AT&T sells two 4G tablets: the Acer Iconic Tab A501 ($330 with 2 year contract) and the HTC Jetstream ($700 with 2 year contract). Both have 10.1-inch, 1280 by 800 screens, dual-core processors, front-facing cameras for video chat and can accept memory cards up to 32 GB. There are a few differences between the two tablets, but whether they’re worth the $370 price difference is up for debate. While both tablets have Android’s Honeycomb software, the Acer Tab has version 3.0, and the Jetstream has the slightly upgraded version 3.1. The HTC Jetstream has the most recent Bluetooth standard (3.0), Wi-Fi, an 8-megapixel camera and a 32 GB drive. The Acer Iconic Tab has Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, a 16 GB hard drive and no Wi-Fi.

There are also two 4G tablets available from Verizon. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes in two hard drive sizes: 16 GB ($530 with 2 year contract) and 32 GB ($630 with 2 year contract). The Motorola Xoom ($500 with 2-year contract) has a 10.1-inch screen, but a 7-inch model is expected to hit store shelves soon. The 10.1-inch Xoom can accept memory cards up to 64 GB; the Galaxy Tab does not
accept memory cards. All of these tablets have front-facing cameras and Android 3.1. The Xoom has a 5-megapixel camera that can capture 720p video; the Galaxy Tab has a 3-megapixel camera.

T-Mobile has just one 4G tablet available, the 32 GB LG G-Slate ($400 with 2-year contract), though two more models, the Galaxy Tab and the SpringBoard, are due out soon. The G-Slate has an 8.9-inch screen, a front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel camera that can capture 3D images and 1080p HD video. Video playback is limited to 720p.

Compared to the other 4G tablets, Sprint’s offering is rather modest. While the other three carriers all offer at least one 10.1-inch tablet, Sprint only offers a 7-inch tablet, the HTC Evo View ($400 with 2 year contract). It’s also has an older Android OS: version 2.3. The View has a front facing camera for video chats and a 5-megapixel camera for taking photos and video – its memory slot can accept cards up to 32 GB. One feature that sets it apart is HTC’s Scribe Technology, which, when used with a compatible pen accessory, enables you to take handwritten notes on the tablet and upload them to Evernote software. Weighing less than a pound, the HTC Evo View is the lightest of this bunch.

Proxim recently deployed its multi-point solutions for video surveillance along the tracks of the Tenerife Tram.

Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands located off the shore of the Western-African coast in the Atlantic ocean, created this tram service to provide its inhabitants with a cheap and fast way to reach every corner of the island.

Initiated by the local Tenerife Tram management team, the idea of a 24/7 video surveillance network became very tricky when it came to expenditures to overcome technical difficulties. Upon learning the challenges that Tenerife faced, Proxim provided a cost effective, scalable and reliable solution allowing a virtually unlimited amount of CCTV HD cameras, wirelessly connected and placed along the whole length of the tracks.

The tram tracks span over the whole island and the environment did not always help the installation of cameras (tunnels, highways, busy streets and city centers). This video provides an idea of the challenges that were faced and how Proxim’s large portfolio of products could adapt to all situations.

Proxim’s expertise helped create a safer travel environment for Tenerife’s tram users at the tracks but also linked the trains wirelessly to Proxim’s network, centralized at a real-time 24/7 surveillance & monitoring center.

Click here to read Proxim’s press release.

There has been quite a bit of news in the last week concerning the 4G revolution. I reported in a past article to expect some news from Sprint. Then just last week, Sprint says it will not be embedding or supporting WiMax in their devices in 2012, or Clear for that matter.

Now I wouldn’t read into that too much. What I got from that press was this: They are not supporting WiMax any longer–LTE is another entity. I also reported that Clear would be making some big news. So, right after Sprint came out in favor of LTE, Clear shares some of the same spotlight with their new LTE path.

I also read some press about Sprint devices being embedded with both TD-LTE and FD LTE. To me, that says Sprint and Clear are moving away from WiMax. They are certainly not washing their hands of Clear. If Sprint has learned anything, they know the value of that spectrum and the future of true 4G speed is in that massive 2.5 GHZ pipe. They also know the value of being able to utilize that network to offload data and keep their network flowing. In fact, Sprint learned that from watching what happened to AT&T, and how their network was not ready for prime time. As a result AT&T took a nose dive from the introduction of the iPhone and all that data flow crashing, or crushing their legacy voice gear.

Sprint is ready to go forward, and they’re saying get on the LTE train, or get left behind. I also wrote an article last year about how Clear should have made this decision back then. But because of the Sprint ties, and an in-place echo space that needed no disruption, they waited, and that cost them an LTE run-away that’s put them in a last place position. There are many reasons for this, and they’re all corporate. There are also many other investors and let’s just say, they did not want to upset the apple cart.

If Sprint really wants to make some 4G news, try offering a 4G-only plan on WiMax-embedded devices for $45 a month. Here’s my recommendation for Sprint: You’re paying Clear $10.00. At $45 a month, that makes $35 profit, and you didn’t even have to build the network. You might just get the attention of investors, and you and Clear will be off and running with the fastest LTE available.

Then, after the news of Sprint treating Clear like a red headed step child with no more WiMax, Clear is in talks with PCS, which is Sprint, and Verizon. This brings us back to all that spectrum. There are so many ways Clear can contribute in this space, by providing an off-load port for all the telecoms, or being the backhaul to devices. And it’s not even dependent on Clear being built all the way out.

This is how I see the situation morphing into an awesome path. If Sprint starts to build out their LTE, while Clear continues to get their truck roll on, they would be building at twice the speed. Now, if these devices are on either a TD or FD LTE network, this is some common ground. At some point their paths will meet, and bam, they have not only caught up but have passed the competition, as this is the realm of true 4G. And if the goal was to build out advanced LTE, the fat lady will have sung.

It looks to me like all the carriers are going to find a way to access the Clear spectrum. Clear may well become an integral part of all things 4G, on all devices before this is over.

In a bid to remain cutting edge and on par with the world’s most industrialized cities, Nigerian officials have tapped Indian broadband and internet services provider Spectranet to implement their own 4G network. The commercial service was rolled out over the weekend and aims to provide small and medium businesses, corporations, and individuals with reliable and cost-effective broadband service.

“We see tremendous potential in delivering high quality reliable broadband services increasingly as consumers in Nigeria increasingly demand  high quality internet connectivity but at an affordable price,” said Spectranet Executive Director Ezekiel Fatoye. Fatoye also maintained that, if the government only got its act together and marshaled every IT and broadband resource at their disposal, Nigeria could well be a wholly wireless country.

As reported by Nigerian newspaper The Sun News, Spectranet has opted to run its 4G network on Clearwire’s WiMAX due to its ability to easily swell its coverage to encompass other locations. This is good news for WiMAX providers, who can at least rest assured that they are still expanding abroad even if the network is struggling domestically (WiMAX was recently jettisoned by Sprint, its largest client).

Initially, the launch will be confined the former Nigerian capital Lagos, but will eventually broaden in range to include other major cities. But an broadband launch in Lagos, which has a population similar to that of New York City and is rapidly growing, is not to be viewed as any mean feat.

The launch is slated to include provisions for internet access for hospitals and schools as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Sprint Nextel Co. announced Friday that it will cease selling devices compatible with Clearwire’s network at the end of next year. Clearwire is a wholesale provider of WiMAX 4G wireless service and is majority owned by Sprint, who is also currently their biggest customer. This revelation came on the heels of Sprint’s decision to move into LTE territory, WiMAX’s biggest 4G competitor.

Sprint was the earliest of the major wireless carriers to offer 4G service. Back in September of 2008. their decision to opt for WiMAX technology gave them a competitive edge over their rivals. Recently, however, LTE, the next generation standard of choice for big guns Verizon, AT&T, and T Mobile, has been enjoying rapid gains and is set to overtake WiMAX in the near future. Sprint has thus elected to cut its losses and throw in with the Long Term Evolution Club.

This seems like the kind of thing that would leave Clearwire in the lurch, a hypothesis supported by the company’s dipping stock value. The Clearwire brass don’t seem unduly perturbed, however. “I don’t think anything fundamentally changed for us after today,” Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch said. “Sprint is still dependent on us for their network.”

Clearwire’s relative nonchalance may have something to do with LTE plans of their own. The spectrum operator is looking for funding to convert their vast holdings to support LTE, a task made easier with rival LightSquared tied up in Washington over GPS signal interference allegations.

Sprint, for their part, has begun constructing a network of their own. Their holdings are expected to exceed that of Clearwire by the end of 2013.

Today, Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO, finally made the long-awaited announcement about the new iPhone. Apple fans and iPhone addicts were expecting the iPhone 5 with a new design, 4G technology and great technical improvements. However, much to our disappointment, the iPhone 4S, introduced by Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of worldwide product marketing at Apple, only features the latter.

The new iPhone 4 S features the new A5 chip, a dual core processor & graphics allowing for two times faster CPU and seven times faster graphics.  Apple’s smartphone now has an 8 Mega pixel camera (3264 x 2448 pixels) and a generally improved lens and color caption system, that enables HD videos and great picture quality on the same levels as commercial point and shoot cameras.
One of the main issues that the iPhone 4S had to overcome was the battery life and how those new capabilities would affect it. Phil Schiller bragged about the “fantastic battery life”: eight hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours in 3 G browsing, 8 hours when using WiFi, ten hours of video and 40 hours of music.

In terms of connectivity, the iPhone-4 S now supports both GSM and CDMA networks (the iPhone 4 only supported either one at a time). 4G was never mentioned, neither LTE nor WiMAX considered advanced enough for Apple to implement in their brainchild.

Also presented was “Siri”, the new voice recognition system that allows you to set alarms, check the weather and more by simply talking to your phone in an almost conversational way. Asking “How do I get home?” would prompt the GPS system to guide you home and when inquiring about who Siri is, the answer comes out as “I am a humble personal assistant.”

At the end of the technical presentation of the new iPhone 4-S, commercial information was also delivered. The iPhone 4S will be available in black and white versions with prices depending on the internal memory — 16GB: $199, 32GB for $299, 64GB for $399, while distribution will depend on carrier agreements with Apple. Verizon, AT&T and Sprint will offer the new iPhone 4s on the US market.

This ended the presentation and left all iPhone enthusiasts with more expectations about the arrival of the iPhone 5, supporting 4G.

Dish Network has expressed an interest in either partnering with a wireless carrier like Sprint or Clearwire or buying them outright, Forbes reported. Dish purchased satellite operators Terrestar and DBSD North America, saving them from bankruptcy earlier this year, and is now looking to make use of the wireless spectrum acquired as a result.

“We’ll look at partnerships, acquisitions, all of the above,” said Dish CEO Joseph Clayton, according to Bloomberg.

Upon this announcement, Sprint’s stocks jumped, as a deal like this is predicted to significantly aid in correcting Sprint’s and Clearwire’s current 4G woes. Concerns that such a merger would result in a legal deadlock after the AT&T/T-Mobile model have been assuaged – AT&T has been accused of decreasing competition while Dish would serve to provide a new player to the market. AT&T is currently fending off multiple anti-trust suits from the Department of Justice, Sprint Co., and regional carrier Cellular South.

A deal like this would help Clearwire get the $150-$300 million in funding it so badly needs to implement spectrum maintenance as well as the additional $600 million required to launch its LTE network. Furthermore, Clearwire could afford to abandon talks with wireless carriers to sell its excess spectrum – holdings that are considered the WiMAX operator’s most valuable asset. Clearwire has been negotiating to this end with the likes of Verizon, AT&T, and Metro PCS, the 1st, 2nd, and 6th largest national carriers, respectively.

There are several missing pieces,” Clayton said. “Wireless infrastructure, additional technology capabilities and even distribution are pieces that we’re still working on. Stay tuned.”