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We’ve long recommended using HDMI output from smartphones to allow for big screen streaming using unlimited on device data. This is a clever way to avoid hotspot data usage limits that make using tethered Smart TV devices (Apple TV, Roku, Samsung, Chromecast, etc…) while mobile a recipe for blowing through your entire monthly hotspot usage […]
UPDATE: October 1st, 2018 – California Strikes Back As expected, despite being dead at the federal level, the fight for network neutrality has continued at the state level – and last night California signed strong new state level network neutrality rules into law – prohibiting carriers from blocking or throttling lawful internet traffic, charging fees […]
The on-again / off-again flirtation between Sprint & T-Mobile that has been a dramatic thread throughout the cellular world for years has reached a major milestone today with a joint video announcement from T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure. They may not be married yet, but the engagement is official. Sprint & […]
One of our favorite things about Verizon: unlocked phones. Unlike with most other carriers, all Verizon LTE devices are sold unlocked – and without jumping through any hoops you can swap SIM cards to use these devices internationally, or on any other compatible domestic carrier. But according to Verizon – this trait has made Verizon […]
2017 has sure been a wild ride in the world of mobile internet! The undeniable big story of the year is the return of “unlimited” cellular data plans, but the real limits lurking behind the scenes have never been more confusing. But despite the confusing limits and loopholes – overall there has never been a […]
UPDATE: February 22nd, 2018 The upcoming changes to the network neutrality rules were officially published in the Federal Register today, opening the door to a wave of pending lawsuits to be filed to block the changes from going into effect. Ars Technica has two stories detailing the latest legal fights: We still don’t know when […]
600MHz UPDATE – August 2017 T-Mobile has announced that they have just deployed the world’s first 600MHz LTE (now known as LTE Band 71) cellular towers in Cheyenne, Wyoming – and that T-Mobile is pushing hard to encourage UHF TV stations to fast-track their migrations so that T-Mobile can free up spectrum to deploy 600MHz […]
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler fired a parting shot at Verizon and AT&T yesterday – with his agency issuing an in depth analysis finding that the “free” video streaming service offerings from Go90 (Verizon) and DirecTV (AT&T) violate the FCC’s network neutrality rules. The network neutrality rules were designed to keep carriers from playing […]
2016 has been a good year for staying connected. It has never been easier to get online in more places than ever – but the number of options and the tradeoffs between them remains as overwhelming as always. Things may be getting faster, data more bountiful, and connectivity better overall – but the world of RV Mobile […]
AT&T on Monday afternoon announced its long awaited new online version of its DirecTV satellite TV service: DirecTV Now. Now at last RVers can stream 100+ channels of DirecTV content without needing to worry about signing long-term contracts, or carting around and aiming a portable satellite dish. And if you are on AT&T cellular – you can […]
It started just over two weeks ago in Cleveland – with local reporter Teresa Dixon Murray noting in her Money Matters column that her family Verizon account was showing mysterious data usage in the middle of the night, and she asked others to chime in if they had also noticed any other strange Verizon issues. She heard from […]
AT&T late last week announced a major new initiative for DirecTV customers likely to be of interest to some RVers: Data Free TV: Video streaming that does not count against your monthly usage limits! Not to be outdone – Verizon also announced that it was sponsoring the NFL Mobile App to let Verizon customers: “Watch live local and […]
Today the US Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Federal Communications Commission, agreeing that the FCC has authority to regulate broadband internet providers, including mobile internet companies. This means that the Network Neutrality rules that went into effect last June are likely here to stay. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler was thrilled to see […]
In May of 2014, new FCC regulations controlling the design of cellular boosters went into effect – obsoleting all boosters currently on the market. One of the most contentious parts of the new rules was a requirement that all boosters must be registered with the cellular carriers they are being used with. Some RVers objected […]
The FCC yesterday unveiled a new standardized labeling scheme for mobile and fixed broadband service that aims to make it easy for consumers to compare offerings between different providers, and to fully understand just what a given plan costs and provides The labels look (intentionally) like the standardized nutrition labeling found on food. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler […]
The mainstream press has been abuzz this week with news stories about fifth generation (5G) cellular “coming soon”, thanks in large part to an AT&T announcement that it will begin testing 5G technologies in Austin later this year. For some reason the AT&T story went viral and we have been getting a ton of questions about it, though […]
Earlier than many expected – an app update today revealed that Verizon has decided to test the limits of the FCC’s network neutrality rules by making its own go90 video video service free to stream over LTE – without burning any data. This of course gives the otherwise unremarkable go90 app a huge competitive advantage […]