Friday, 07 January 2011 00:33
Verizon LTE-Capable MiFi 4510L
On December 5th, 2010 Verizon launched their 4G LTE service in 38 markets, featuring two 4G-capable devices: the LG VL600 and Pantech UML290. The network has been an overwhelming success with speeds comparable to higher end cable tiers; however, one complaint has been the lack of a 4G-capable portable hotspot like the popular 3G MiFi. At CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Verizon has unveiled their latest 3G/4G capable device called the MiFi 4510L. This device will be fully compatible with the latest 4G network and will also work in 3G areas where LTE might not be available yet. They haven't given a specific release date but said the MiFi 4510L will be shipping in the first half of 2011. If you've been waiting for an LTE-capable phone, don't feel left out as Verizon also announced a plethora of 4G devices. They have also announced their plans to add 4G service to over 140 new markets by the end of the year and promise to offer 4G service everywhere that they currently offer 3G service by 2013! Verizon LTE devices annouced at CES:- MiFi 4510L - 3G/4G hotspot with WiFi connectivity for up to 5 WiFi devices.
- HTC ThunderBolt Smartphone - exclusive to Verizon Wireless, HTC Sense 2.0, Skype mobile with video, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3″ WVGA display, 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording and wireless DLNA capability.
- LG Revolution smartphone - offering HD support for streaming, playing and recording video, a 4.3-inch touch screen, a front-facing camera and mobile hotspot capability to share a 4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
- Motorola DROID Bionic 4G smartphone - includes a front-facing VGA camera, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera, 4.3-inch HD quality screen, HDMI connectivity and a dual-core 1GHz processor.
- Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone - includes a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display, a 1GHz application processor, rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera to support video chat capabilities
- Motorola XOOM - 10.1-inch HD 4G LTE upgradable tablet that will run Android Honeycomb and offers 1080p HD video, a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats and 5-megapixel camera to capture video in 720P HD. It also includes mobile hotspot capability to provide connections for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
- 4G LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab - a 7-inch enhanced TFT display with 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution, a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird application processor, rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera.
- Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot - a dual-mode device that works as a wireless access point to connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the 4G LTE or 3G networks.
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Friday, 07 January 2011 00:14
 Research In Motion and Sprint today announced plans to launch a new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet model featuring connectivity to the blazingly fast Sprint 4G network. The BlackBerry 4G PlayBook™ will be the first BlackBerry PlayBook model to include wide area wireless connectivity, featuring Sprint 4G to give customers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. This new 4G model is expected to be available from Sprint in the summer. The BlackBerry 4G PlayBook is a professional-grade tablet that's set to redefine the possibilities of mobile computing, giving users an ultra-portable design with industry leading performance, uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and HD multimedia, as well as advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support. Together, the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook and the Sprint 4G network will provide a high performance platform that will enable a mobile services revolution for both application developers and customers. "RIM believes a significant portion of the tablet market will want a higher performing, multitasking, professional-grade tablet and that is why we chose to design the BlackBerry PlayBook for premium performance with a powerful dual-core processor and multitasking OS. Together with Sprint, we are now building on that performance advantage with 4G and providing an unparalleled mobile experience for users," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. ”We are excited to bring this powerful new product to our business customers and consumers who rely on Sprint for industry-leading devices as well as one of the best values in wireless,” said Steve Elfman, president of network operations and wholesale for Sprint. “This tablet is a great example of Sprint’s strong partnership with RIM in continuing to bring customers powerful devices to enhance their mobility. We are confident the BlackBerry 4G Playbook from Sprint will be one of the most anticipated tablets in 2011.” In addition to Wi-Fi® support, the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook features a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and the new BlackBerry® Tablet OS. The ultra portable, ultra thin tablet will offer an uncompromised, high-fidelity web experience with support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Adobe® Mobile AIR® and HTML-5 enabling customers to enjoy all of the sites, games, media and richness of the full Internet, delivered at 4G speeds. Additional details and pricing will be released closer to launch.
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Tuesday, 04 January 2011 23:19
 HTC EVO Shift 4G follows in the footsteps of the award-winning HTC EVO™ 4G bringing customers an attractive, streamlined design with the addition of a sliding QWERTY keyboard and an astonishing list of features. Beyond the latest version of the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience, HTC EVO Shift also boasts the power of 4G, Android™ 2.2, a 5MP camera/720p HD camcorder and a 3.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom capability. HTC EVO Shift’s custom Web browser is optimized for convenient mobile use with functions like pinch-to-zoom and automatically reflowing text, while Sprint 4G speeds deliver a full, no-compromise Internet experience. Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen. The slide out full QWERTY keyboard makes staying in touch with friends and family through messaging and social networking quick and easy. With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO Shift 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including a laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 3G/4G speeds on the go. PRODUCTIVITY · 3G/4G capability. · 3.6” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback. · World-class HTML browser – quality that rivals that of netbooks. · Android 2.2, with access to more than 100,000 apps on Android Market. · Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas, enabling Web surfing and more while talking. · GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM. · Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words. · Updated HTC Sense, highly acclaimed user experience, which includes FriendStream™ to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates. · Visual voicemail. · Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging. · 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices. · 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps. · 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds between 600 kbps and 1.4 Mbps.  ENTERTAINMENT· 5MP autofocus camera and 720p HD camcorder. · High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds. · Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone. · Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack. · FM radio and Amazon MP3 store. · Amazon Kindle – an e-Reader in the palm of your hands, with you everywhere you go! · Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM. · Stereo Bluetooth® 2.1. · Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g/n. · Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS. · Expandable memory: 2GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB. SPECIFICATIONS · Qualcomm® MSM7630 (800 MHz) processor. · Dimensions: 4.6" x 2.3" x .6" (LxWxT). · Weight: 5.9 ounces. · Main display: 3.6” WVGA (800x480) 65K colors. · Battery life: 6 hours of talk time*. · Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery. · Memory: 2GB ROM, 512MB RAM.
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Tuesday, 04 January 2011 15:08
Sprint Announce MiFi 3G/4G  Sprint has announced that the popular MiFi portable hotspot will be upgraded on Feb 27, 2011 to have 4G. The new device will be called the Sprint MiFi 3G/4G and be available for $49.99 (after $50 mail-in rebate on a 2 year service contract). The MiFi 3G/4G will show battery, signal and network on the face of the MiFi. See complete MiFI 3G/4G Press Release - EVDOinfo.com
Monday, 03 January 2011 20:19
UPDATE 3/3/11: If you are using the UML290 in the CTR500, MBR900, MBR1000, MBR1200, MBR800, CBA250, or CBA750 routers running firmware 1.8.1, you do NOT need to perform this fix. If you previously performed this fix and have since upgraded to firmware 1.8.1, read tip #73 for instructions on reversing this. If you are using the UML290 with a Cradlepoint CTR35 or Nexaira BC2, you DO need to do this!
Early in December Verizon officially launched their VZ4G LTE network in 38 markets and two LTE-capable modems, the LG VL600 and Pantech UML290. These devices provided incredible speeds rivaling dedicated cable connections, however, neither of these devices were supported by Cradlepoint or Nexaira routers. Within two weeks Nexaira was first out of the gate with support for the Pantech UML290 on the Nexaira BC2, and Cradlepoint recently released a beta firmware for the MBR1200, MBR1000, CTR500, CBA750 CBA250 and CTR35 models that supported the UML290 as well. However, customers quickly found that the UML290 did not work in 3G mode in any of the routers, even with the appropriate firmware.
The reason the UML290 wasn't working in 3G mode was due to a new network protocol that Verizon is using for their 4G LTE network called eHRPD, which doesn't use the standard HRPD (High Rate Packet Data) protocol used by their 3G network. Since discovering the issue, 3Gstore has been working hard with engineers to find a solution so that the UML290 can be used seamlessly in 3G and 4G areas in a supported router. Luckily, we have found a fix! In order to get the Pantech UML290 to work in 3G mode in the Nexaira BC2 or supported Cradlepoint router, users must change the network protocol from eHRPD to HRPD using the Pantech Modem Utility software (using the well-known HDR lock found in VZAccess Manager does not solve the problem, because that method allows the device to continue using the eHRPD protocol).
Please note that this fix will lock your modem to 3G mode - if/when you want to use the UML290 in a 4G area, you will have to reverse the steps to lock it back to 4G mode.
How to configure your Pantech UML290 for 3G use:
Step 1: Download the Pantech Modem Utility by following the instructions at this link: Click to download Pantech Modem Utility ( WINDOWS ONLY) Step 2: Install the Pantech Modem Configuration Tool on a Windows computer Step 3: With your UML290 inserted into your computer but NOT connected to the network, launch the Pantech Modem Application Step 4: Click the "read" button - this will read the current settings of your Pantech UML290. Step 5: Under "Pref_mode", check the "CDMA/HDR Only" optoin. In the "HDR Service Configuration" section, check the "Rev A" option. Your settings should look like the below sample:  Pantech UML290 Prefer Mode Tool Version 1.0.0.2 Click on the "Write" button to save the settings. Once the "write" is complete, you can remove the modem from your computer and use it in your BC2 or Cradlepoint router (if you're using a Cradlepoint router, make sure you have the beta firmware installed). Your UML290 will now work in 3G mode! This fix will also work for users looking to use their device for remote based applications because it assigns a public facing IP address ( 3G ONLY). With eHRPD you're assigned a private IP in either 3G or 4G mode, which has prevents UML290 users from accessing remote applications. IMPORTANT: Remember that the above steps locks your modem to 3G mode. When you are ready to use the modem in 4G mode, follow the same steps but select the "CDMA/HDR/LTE only" and "eHRPD" options instead.Disclaimer: 3Gstore.com/EVDOinfo.com does not provide technical support for this fix or other "beta" configurations, installations, etc. Please complete these steps at your own risk!
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Monday, 03 January 2011 00:19
Many of our readers live in rural America where 3G internet is their only option for broadband internet connectivity since they are not in populated areas where cable & DSL are available. With the launch of Verizon's 4G LTE network, rural America may finally get speeds that meet or even exceed what cable or DSL is able to provide. At launch VZ4G is currently only available in select metropolitan markets, but according to Verizon's About Us page, they plan to start building out their 4G network into rural areas. Verizon Wireless is aggressively building the nation’s first 4G LTE network across the same footprint that is currently covered by its nationwide 3G network, which covers more than 90% of the U.S. population. In order to provide access to this 4G LTE network to more of the U.S. population living in rural areas, Verizon Wireless plans to work with rural companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless’ core LTE equipment and 700MHz spectrum.
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Thursday, 30 December 2010 00:27
Over the past decade there has been an explosion in the demand for mobile internet and of course faster data transfer speeds. This creates a natural evolution of data networks, which helps users run the latest applications they've grown accustomed to with typical hard wired internet connections (cable, DSL, etc). Verizon has recently launched their 4G LTE network in 38 markets, which marks the start of their transition from CDMA 3G to 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) data services, which are capable of delivering speeds of 5-12Mbps down and 2-5Mbps on a fully loaded network. This allows users to do things like full HD video streaming, which wasn't possible over a 3G connection without constant rebuffering.
Unlike GSM/UMTS carriers like AT&T, Verizon's transition to LTE wasn't a natural evolution because they had to change from High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) to LTE. This meant that they needed to choose a migration path factored by radio access strategy, network resource strategy, services enabled, timing and cost. While moving to LTE service their goal was to simplifying interworking with non-3GPP mobile networks, which is essential for CDMA carriers migrating to LTE.
 CDMA upgrade paths to LTE
Verizon has decided to use eHRPD as their upgrade path to 4G, which allows them to update their existing HRPD packet core using SAE/EPC architecture. The primary benefit that eHRPD offers is the handoff between cellular towers - you maintain the same private IP when you move from location to location. With this new protocol operators will be able to optimize cellular handovers, which should reduce dropped sessions and decrease the handover latency. Verizon has said they don't plan to move their voice services over to 4G until 2020, and using eHRPD will help make VOIP calls more reliable when the move happens. With 3G CDMA services, as you move to a new location you're typically assigned a new IP address, which could cause the internet to hang up on you momentarily. The new eHRPD standard will allow complete network overlay to share common functions such as policy, charging and authentication. This allows Verizon to provide a phased migration as they transition more of their 3G network to the latest 4G LTE technology.
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