Wireless Headlines Heating up in August

The "wireless news" is worth reading this morning. Here's a few items from the national headlines:

FCC Hands Google a Partial Victory - NY Times

The Federal Communications Commission moved cautiously Tuesday toward creating a more open national wireless broadband network, handing a partial victory to Google, which was pushing for more competition in cellphone services. The agency approved rules for an auction of broadcast spectrum that its chairman, Kevin J. Martin, said would promote new consumer services. The rules will let customers use any phone and software they want on networks using about one-third of the spectrum to be auctioned.

Google seems to believe the ruling is going to speed the process of allowing competition and innovation in the cellphone industry, and it does appear to be a first step, as any company that lands on the new spectrum will have to leave it open to devices it doesn't control or approve.

War for the Wireless World - Canada.com

Canadians anxiously awaiting the arrival of Apple Inc.' s iPhone are in for a bit of a shock: they may need to move to Rwanda to afford it. That's because the hotly anticipated device is an Internet-connected mobile multi-media device first and a phone second, and as such requires large amounts of wireless download capability, the kind for which providers such as Rogers Communications Inc. and Bell Canada Inc. currently charge an arm and a leg.

Geez, not sure I'm willing to relocate my family to an African nation just to support an iPhone habit. Personally, I'd rather buy a less expensive phone, pay for a less expensive plan each month, and invest the rest in Apple stock.

Intel Sees 2008 as Breakout Year for Wimax - InformationWeek

Intel and its partners are preparing to make a major push in 2008 for WiMax in the United States, hoping to eventually make the wireless broadband technology as popular as Wi-Fi is today.

Next year is when many of the pieces needed to kickoff adoption are expected to fall into place: WiMax-supported Intel processors, notebooks and devices from manufacturers, and broadband networks from two wireless carriers, Sriram Viswanathan, VP and general manager of Intel's WiMax Program Office, told InformationWeek.

Well, I suppose Intel would say that, seeing how their products will be supportingWi-Fi and WiMax. And seeing how they are convinced that consumers are willing to pay more for WiMax than DSL and cable broadband.

I'm not sure we're willing to pay more, but I do believe WiMax will be shaking things up a bit.

T-Mobile Ranks Highest in Wireless Customer Care Performance for a Sixth Consecutive Reporting Period - CNN Money.com

For a sixth consecutive reporting period, T-Mobile ranks highest among the five largest wireless carriers by continuously providing customers who contact the carrier for service or assistance with a positive experience. With an index score of 108, T-Mobile performs particularly well in the ability to resolve problems in one contact, keeping hold times to a minimum, and customer satisfaction with the automated response system (ARS) channel. AT&T (101) and Verizon Wireless (100), respectively, follow T-Mobile in the rankings.

Nice job, T-Mobile. Six consecutive JD Power awards is no small feat.