Here’s a funny story! Some time ago, Virgin Mobile snatched up a little wireless company called Helio, with hopes of using it to start a postpaid (on contract) cell service to complement its prepaid business. Then, Sprint, one of the largest postpaid carriers in the country, bought Virgin Mobile, effectively rendering Helio (subsumed into Virgin) pointless. And now, according to Virgin, Helio has an execution date: May 25th. Customers will be offered special incentives to join Sprint, but otherwise service will just… end

Hey, T-Mobile customer, do you have any idea that your wireless carrier is actually owned and operated by German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom ? No? Well, ignore everything I just said, because it probably won’t be true soon. If you’re interested in why DT would spin off their entire US arm, it’s just a matter of numbers: T-Mobile USA has languished under perceptions that its wireless network is inferior and lacks reach, a major shortcoming as customers turn to their cell phones to surf the Internet and stream video. In the third quarter, 77,000 users walked away from T-Mobile USA, while AT&T and Verizon Wireless added millions of customers

Apparently the dizzying expansion of mobile coverage in India has proceeded a little quicker than the regulatory process there — Indian carriers are in a bit of a tizzy after authorities shut down 300 allegedly illegal towers in a suburb of New Delhi called Noida. The gub’mint says the towers are on private land that’s not approved for commercial use, but the carriers say the move is “arbitrary and uncalled for,” and even “inhuman” because the loss of service means people can’t make emergency calls. That’s a strong card to play — let’s hope this gets sorted out soon. Indian mobile carriers scramble as illegal towers are shut down originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Absolutely dread going to your location wireless provider’s store and having to be social? If it’s one of your worst nightmares, hopefully this will help you change that. Guest post by a “connect” in the wireless industry. Do: Buy at the end of the month or during bad weather. It’s funny, but the best time to buy a phone is at the end of the month

The Google Phone could be a ploy to upset the wireless industry, or it could be an expensive niche device . Either way, it is a bid to take Android back from the companies that seem hell-bent on destroying it. Android’s most serious problem right now is fragmentation: with each new phone, it seems, comes a different version of the OS. In theory, these differences are superficial, and come down to handset manufacturers’ and carriers’ custom interfaces, which sit atop a mostly unchanged Android core. In practice, it’s much worse.

The Google Phone could be a ploy to upset the wireless industry, or it could be an expensive niche device . Either way, it’d be a bid to take Android back from the companies that seem hell-bent on destroying it. Android’s most serious problem right now is fragmentation: with each new phone, it seems, comes a different version of the OS. In theory, these differences are superficial, and come down to handset manufacturers’ and carriers’ custom interfaces, which sit atop a mostly unchanged Android core. In practice, it’s much worse. Just look at the current top tier of Android devices

Well well, turns out rumors sometimes do come true . The widely speculated end to O2’s exclusivity of the iPhone is now upon us and Orange is the first competitor to throw its hat into the ring. The company has not yet released tariff pricing, but there’s a tantalizingly small release window, as availability is promised “later this year.” At least there’s finally some competition when it comes to the iPhone in the UK, and we can also probably look forward to T-Mobile joining in on the fun. Let the price war begin! [Via iPhone Bang ; Thanks, Gears] Filed under: Cellphones iPhone 3G and 3GS to be offered by Orange UK — official originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Theorize all you want, but your answer’s right here . From the horse’s mouth: “Keep in mind that for Verizon Wireless, it isn’t so much about the device as it is about the delivery.” These are the words of a Verizon spokesperson, who is apparently comfortable acknowledging that Verizon’s entire phone-choosing strategy is based on a false dilemma: That somehow, having a good network makes it impossible to have decent handsets, and vice-versa. But if having great coverage doesn’t actually prevent Verizon from selling any of the smartphones that people actually want, how do they make it seem like it does? It’s easy, really! Just combine a strict, long handset testing process, extreme caution about new handset technologies, and a history of intrusively modifying both phone software and hardware to maintain obsessive control over its devices, and voila! Boredom. [ Gadget Lab ]

Cox Communications will create their very own cellular netw—wait, hold on. This is the third time they’ve announced this. What’s going on? Here’s the chronology: Cox, the cable and internet provider, announced plans to start a wireless network; Cox then clarified , stating that they actually meant that they were, at least for the time being, partnering with Comcast and Time Warner to piggyback off of Sprint in a venture called Pivot; this dissolved . Now, Cox is going it alone.

“T-Mobile” and “3G modem” aren’t two things you frequently heard uttered in the same sentence — but now that the number four carrier’s got a budding HSPA network that’s all dressed up with no place to go, it’s time to start rolling out some serious hardware ( G1 aside) to take advantage. On that note, T-Mobile’s finally getting serious about laptop data, launching its rumored webConnect USB stick today with an integrated microSDHC slot, HSDPA 1900 / 2100 / AWS for compatibility in the US and abroad, and triband EDGE for those times — and there will be many at first — when you’re out of 3G coverage. The webConnect launches today for $49.99 on a two-year contract after rebate or $249.99 contract-free. Filed under: Wireless T-Mobile webConnect available today, carrier’s first 3G modem originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .