OpenNet Speaks Out About FCC/Net Neutrality Ruling And Per-Service Data Plans. #netneutrality

A couple of days back, we highlighted a webinar being conducted by technology firms OpenNet and Allot Communications. In that webinar was a slide showing off a network management service that would allow carriers to charge based on service — you could be charged more for using Facebook or other popular websites over your standard website. It would effectively destroy the internet and hand over all control to carriers.

One of the companies which developed the presented technology, OpenNet, has come forward today with a post on the company’s blog, explaining exactly their position in the whole charge-per-service hysteria that’s exploded over the last couple of days. Jump inside for the full rundown…

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ Network Tops Sprint In Top 100 Cities. #4g

Now that every one of the major carriers’ next-gen wireless plans are officially considered 4G, the trash talking and competition is only going to increase. On that note, Sprint has maintained from the beginning that they were the one, true 4G network. (However, until recently the number of Sprint phones that actually supported WiMAX technology has been quite small.) There’s certain expectations that come with such a claim, namely fast speeds. And while Sprint’s WiMax network is pretty brisk, numerous speed tests by various third party groups have found it to be rather lacking all things considered. With that said, T-Mobile pumped out a press release today citing another 3rd party study that found T-Mobile the fastest wireless carrier in the top 100 cities. But there’e a catch — The study was run between June 2010-November 2010. Verizon’s new LTE network was likely not part of that. And so far, “average” speeds have been in the ~8Mbps range with lows down around 3Mbps with bursts all the way up to 30Mbps! T-Mobile’s equally fast HSPA+ network has seen averages a bit lower, hovering around 4-6Mbps generally.

But even if we throw out the fastest title and give it to Verizon, there’s certainly no denying T-Mobile’s impressive achievements. Just a few short years ago as Verizon and AT&T were bragging about massive 3G networks, T-Mobile was sticking by their 2.5G EDGE network and claiming 3G wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, leaving many to wonder how T-Mobile would fair in a world full of super fast 3G networks. Interesting what a few years difference makes, isn’t it?

But the fun isn’t over yet. Next year, Verizon will greatly increase their LTE footprint while T-Mobile will once again upgrade their HSPA+ network from the current max of 21Mbps to 42Mbps. Sprint will continue their pokey rollout of WiMax, and AT&T will begin their LTE rollout as well. Exciting times ahead…

Microsoft Breaks Silence: 1.5 Million Windows Phone 7 Units Sold in 6 weeks. #wp7

We may have been pretty critical of Microsoft’s reluctance to release Windows Phone 7 sales numbers, but that criticism can now be put to rest. Microsoft’s Vice President of Business and Marketing for Windows Phones, Achim Berg, finally put our curious minds to rest with some official Windows Phone 7 sales numbers. According to Berg, Microsoft has moved over 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 phones since launch in early November. For the more mathematically minded, that’s roughly 250,000 WP7 devices per week. If memory serves me right, another competing platform *ahem, Android* was quoting the same numbers only a few weeks back.

Looks like tales of Microsoft’s death in the mobile sphere were a bit premature. (Yes, I was wrong.) Though Microsoft shouldn’t get too comfortable. The most exciting Windows Phone 7 launch phone — the Dell Venue Pro — has had a terrible track record so far with various hardware-related issues. 2011 promises plenty more, though. Looks like we’re heading for a tight 3-way competition in the coming year.

Giveaway: IDAPT i4 Gadget Charging Station. #idapt

When we gave away the IDAPT i4 gadget charging a few weeks back, it received quite a few comments, telling us that you guys really liked it. So in the spirit of Christmas, we’ve got another IDAPT i4 to give to one lucky reader of Gadgetsteria. All you have to do is leave a comment and you’re entered. (Re-tweeting and commenting on the same post on our Facebook fan page helps too!)

Have at it folks!

Even With New SIM Cards, Verizon LTE Phones May Not be so Open. #vzw4g

Since the battle between GSM and CDMA began many years ago, GSM supporters have constantly pointed towards GSM’s use of SIM cards as one reason why the technology is better and more consumer friendly. Since a customer’s information is tied to a removable and portable card instead of the device itself, they can move around from device to device and service to service with relative ease. Once it was made known that Verizon would be employing SIM cards for their LTE devices, the mobile world lit up with glee as Verizon, one of the largest U.S. mobile carriers, was finally joining the world of SIM cards and all that great features the provide. But there are a couple of problems with that theory.

For starters, just because Verizon uses SIM cards now doesn’t mean you can just pop the SIM card in any other SIM card-loving device nor can you use any SIM card-supporting device on Verizon’s network. The frequencies that the two devices in question make use of must match. And in the case of Verizon’s LTE network, there really isn’t any other carrier that shares the same 700MHz frequency.

But there’s a much more grim roadblock ahead and it once again deals with carrier control…

Sprint Launching WiMax in San Fransisco on December 28th. #wimax

U.S. CDMA carrier, Sprint, announced confirmed today that the company will officially launch WiMax in San Fransisco on December 28th, though he carrier has been testing the next generation network since early September. Once San Fransisco WiMax goes live, it will give Sprint a total of 71 markets now covered with the company’s 4G service.

Apple Joins In Censoring The Web, Removes Unofficial Wikileaks App From App Store. #wikileaks

Four days — that’s how long the unofficial Wikileaks iOS app lasted in the App Store. Sometime late last night, Apple removed said app without any explanation as to why. Yes, the site has posted controversial material. But thats what news organizations do. They report the news, regardless of what it is. The man behind Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has an equally questionable drama surrounding his personal life too with various accounts of sexual assault originating in Sweden. But even with all that considered, is it enough to warrant removing the app from the App Store?

Apple can and does do whatever it wants in regards to app approvals. That’s the nature of their closed system. And while Wikileaks supporters can still find news pertaining to the site itself as well as the content it continues to publish each and every day all over the web, the removal of the app isn’t really that big of a deal. Apple censoring current events just because they are “unpopular” is.

Thoughts? Should Apple have pulled the Wikileaks app?