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.”

Anyone with half an eye to the wireless mobile industry is aware of the lawsuit filed in the DOJ against AT&T last month. But in case you have been asleep, the facts are as follows: Mobile giant AT&T made a bid last Spring to purchase the nation’s 4th-largest wireless service provider, T Mobile, for a whopping $39 billion. This ambitious move greatly disturbed competitor Sprint Nextel (whose own bid fell short of AT&T’s offer), as the merger would relegate the WiMAX operator to a distant 3rd place in the national mobile market as well as, as Sprint credibly claimed, would kill their business. Thus, Sprint hastily filed a lawsuit with the Department of Justice which stated that the acquisition was in direct violation of the Clayton Anti-trust Act. The DOJ followed that up in August with a suit of their own. Experts give the deal a 25% chance of going through.

Now AT&T has made the dubious claim that a merger would actually serve to increase competition in the global mobile market. As informationweek.com reported, AT&T recently released a statement which included the following claim: “Rather than substantially reducing competition, the combined firm will usher in more intense competition to an already vibrantly competitive market.”

I smell a rat here. More intense competition for who exactly? Certainly not AT&T. Furthermore, it is asking a lot of the DOJ to believe that AT&T is actively seeking increased competition. If the Justice Department is to be swayed, it won’t be with this argument. The full statement from AT&T can be found on FierceWireless.

As the Sprint vs. AT&T drama heightens, the nation’s 3rd largest wireless services provider may be adding insult to the injury of yet another law suit filed against AT&T with the DOJ this week. The Wall Street Journal has reported that service for the much-anticipated iPhone 5 will be provided by Sprint, who will also get the rights to the iPhone 4.

Sprint, the largest carrier of the WiMAX 4G network, has been mounting a protracted battle against AT&T since the mobile industry giant announced their plans for a takeover bid of T Mobile for a reported $39 billion. Sprint has made the claim that such a move would cripple their business and relegate them to a distant third place in the US cell phone market. Sprint also maintains that the merger is in direct violation of the Clayton antitrust act.

AT&T recently lost their 5-year monopoly of iPhone service when Verizon (currently the largest network in the US) was allowed to release their own CDMA iPhone 4. Come October, it appears a 3rd carrier will be added to the mix. Apple hopes that this move will help it earn back the market share it has lost to Google’s increasingly popular Android Operating System, currently the leading operator.

“Android has benefited greatly from being available in multiple devices across all carriers,” said Alex Spektor, a wireless expert at Strategy Analytics. “Broader iOS availability certainly could be beneficial for iPhone volumes, as higher shelf-share could translate into more visibility with consumers.”

The new iPhone will reportedly sport a larger screen and slimmer design than its predecessor.

Sprint is getting network disaster recovery teams ready to assist with expected power outages, flooding, and other issues bound to be caused by Hurricane Irene on the East Coast this weekend. The carrier will be actively tracking the storm’s path in relation to its wireless and wired properties along the coasts of South and North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and New England. Portable generators will be strategically placed to abate loss of power to cell towers and switches.

Cell Sites on Wheels will also be placed in areas most likely to experience damage and power outages. Wireless service will be immediately restored this way. Sprint says that permanent generators are already installed in all of its wireless and wireline switches, meaning the loss of commercial power will be neutralized quickly as well.

Sprint has gathered personnel and resources from its various centers to provide services to first responders and public safety officials including SatCOLTs and ERT Go-Kits. Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTs) will be used to restore wireless voice, data, IP, and location-based services. The ERT kits will provide a myriad of mobile broadband devices such as handsets and other critical accessories that prove to be useful during emergencies. More than 25,000 mobile phones from Sprint are also available for rent and immediate activation during disasters.

Cricket’s engineering, operating, and safety teams are also preparing to help starting in South Carolina and making themselves available up until New Jersey. Staff working outside of Irene’s range are also on stand-by to be deployed to the east coast if necessary. Cricket’s teams are ready with fuel pods to ensure a steady supply to generators that need it the most.

Sprint is encouraging wireless users to stay safe and:

Send text messages when possible (more efficient than making phone calls during disasters)
Charge and backup phones and devices
Prepare for flooding (keep devices dry)
Use applications and social media (communicate with friends/family easily)

The wait is over, the Photon 4G from Motorolla is now available for those on the Sprint network. The Photon was made available for Sprint’s Premium customers on July 28 and was released to the public on July 31. Running Gingerbread 2.3 on a 1 GHz dual core processor, the Photon will be able to keep up with Sprint’s 4G Wimax network. For people who travel the Photon is also a GSM world phone, allowing you to stay connected locally and abroad.

The combination of a 4.3” qHD display, the speed of 4G and support for the mobile Netfix app makes the Photon the go to multimedia smartphone. A unique feature is the addition of a built in kickstand, which will keep the Photon propped up while you watch your favorite show or movie. An 8 megapixel rear facing camera will allow you to shoot movies of your own in 720p. The combination of a forward facing camera and the speed of 4G permits smooth video conferencing. Also featured is the ability to use the Photon as a mobile 4G hotspot for up to eight simultaneous users, but it will cost you $29.99 a month in addition to your monthly fee.

Motorola offers several interesting external accessories for the Photon. Similar to the Motorola Atrix, a docking station can be purchased to the Photon which will allow for external peripherals, such as a monitor and keyboard, to be attached to the device. A vehicle navigation dock will turn the Photon into a fully functional turn-by-turn navigation devices complete with hands free calling and music while on the go. To fuel the power hungry device, an external battery charger will allow you to keep a spare battery on hand.

The Photon is a competitive smartphone, that is bound to turn heads. The ability to add on external devices expands the functionality of the device beyond that of a basic smartphone. Priced at $199 with a two year contract it’s hard to say no the Photon.

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 has received all honors from reviewers around the world. However, it was still missing from the US market.

Leaked pictures of the Galaxy s2, also called the Samsung Within, were released a few weeks ago and were already hinting a U.S. release. However, no official release announcements have been made so far from any US operators. Samsung enthusiasts had had to be content with the announcement made by the company’s Mobile Business and Digital Imaging President, Shin Jong-Kyun, who told reporters that “we [Samsung] expect to release the Galaxy S 2 in the U.S. market sometime in August.”

This shortage is finally about to come to an end.

Earlier this week, the SGSII came through the FCC regulations successfully under the model number SPH-D710. Experts say the depicted phone corresponds to the picture of the leaked photo of the Sprint-branded Galaxy S 2. It will offer the same tech specs as its European equivalent: a 4.3 inch HD touch screen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform. The only modification to the Sprint version was to make the phone 5 mm taller and 3 mm wider, confirming  that it will also be WiMAX enabled.

Sprint users can now safely assume that the wait for the Samsung Galaxy S II will be minimal as it will most probably make its way into Sprint’s 4G WiMAX device portfolio by August.

It has been revealed that the latest WiMAX-equipped Android Smartphone from Motorola, The Photon 4G, has gone to through to be filed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), proving itself to be on schedule for a later summer release.

The FCC documents have named this handset as model P56MD1. The Photon is similar to the Motorola Atrix, which is available on AT&T.  Revealed last month, the Photon will certainly prove stiff competition for other 4G models around at the moment.  The device features a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, Android 2.3, 4.3-inch qHD display (a similar resolution to that of the Atrix model), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a front VGA and rear 8MPcamera, and a kickstand.

An approximate price or date of release is yet to be disclosed