Wilson Electronics announced the Sleek 4G-V at CES this year, the world’s first 4G LTE signal booster. The unit is specifically designed to boost the strength of Verizon Wireless’ LTE service, along with conventional 2G and 3G signals on the 700, 800 and 1900 MHz bands. The Sleek 4G-V will sell for $150 and while designed for use in a vehicle, can be used indoors with the optional accessory pack. The Wilson 4G-V will be available in the second quarter from most Wilson resellers.  The device used in this review was provided by Wilson.

Manufacturer installation demonstration video

In the Box

• Wilson Sleek 4G-V Universal Cell Phone Signal Booster
• DC Power Supply
• Mini-Magnet Mount Antenna
• Vehicle Dash Adhesive Mounting Bracket

Optional Home/Office Accessory Kit

• Adjustable desktop Cradle Mount
• Antenna Window Mount
• AC Power Supply
• Carrying Case

Full Description (from Wilson)

The Sleek 4G-V – Get peak cellular performance in your vehicle for all phones including Verizon Wireless® LTE devices.

Now there’s a mobile signal booster for those using Verizon Wireless® LTE devices – the Sleek 4G-V from Wilson Electronics. This powerful signal booster helps you stay connected by providing a strong reliable signal in weak-signal areas, reducing lost connections and speeding data rates. It boosts both voice and data communication – making it perfect for phones and wireless WiFi hotspots like the Verizon JetPack™.

The Sleek 4G-V works with all devices on all conventional 2G and 3G networks,* as well as the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Wilson signal boosters feature cell site protection technologies refined over more than a decade of research and development. Optional indoor accessory kit allows use at home or in the office. FCC type accepted.

Specifications

Installation

Installing the Sleek 4G-V in a vehicle is a 3 step process.

First, install the outside magnet mount antenna.  The location should be in the center of the vehicle’s roof, 12 inches away from other antennas, and at least 6 inches away from the side windows or sunroof.  Route the coax cable from into the vehicle through a door, trunk or tailgate opening, running it under the door seal if possible for less wear and tear on the cable and a more professional look.

Next, choose a location inside your vehicle where you’d like to mount the cradle/signal booster.  Use the included mounting bracket (or optional accessory kit) to adhere the cradle to your chosen location, using the alcohol prep pad to clean the area before installing.

Finally, attach the coax cable, and mini USB power adapter and ensure that the green light on the left side of the Sleek 4G-V is on.  This light ensures that the booster is functioning properly.

Installing in a home or office is fairly similar, it just requires the use of the optional accessory kit.

First, mount the suction cup bracket to a window or some sort of structure located as close to an exterior wall as possible.  I chose to use the side of my desk next to a window.

Next, place the cradle mount in a convenient location, such as on your desk or a cabinet.  Hook in the Sleek 4GV cradle and connect the antenna and power cables.

Finally, place your phone, USB stick, or MiFi in the cradle, and watch as bars rise!

Use and Results

Through the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to test out a number of signal boosting products from various companies.  Wilson continues to be at the top of my list of recommendations for reliable, consistent products that are fairly easy to install, but more importantly, work well.  The 4G-V is no different.  I’ve been using the original Sleek in my personal vehicle for the last 15 months, and without it, I wouldn’t hold phone calls or keep data streaming on my iPhone.

Now, with Verizon’s new 4G LTE network maturing throughout the Phoenix area, I have been looking for a solution to increase my data speeds on my USB modem.  The Wilson Sleek 4G-V fills this need perfectly with ability to use it either in my office, or in my car.  Thanks to its simple 3 part system, it can also be moved from place to place, and even comes with a travel carrying case.

In recent testing, I’ve found that the LTE signal in my office is not very strong.  dBm readings on pretty much any device hover in the mid -100′s, and occasionally devices will fall back to the Verizon 3G network.  Testing out the Sleek in this same area, my signal strength shot up to a very respectable -74dBm using the Sleek connected to a Cradlepoint to create a hotspot.

Plugging the USB modem directly into my laptop typically shows 2 bars.  Above is an image of the VZAccess software without the 4G-V.

Immediately upon putting the USB modem into the cradle, the bars jump to 3 (as seen above).

For speedtest comparison purposes, the top 2 tests (at 7:27pm) were done without the 4G-V, and the bottom 2 tests (at 7:25pm) were with it.  Note the delta between the first and last is 6Mbps on the download side, and 1.5Mbps on the upload.  Yes, 10Mbps is still very good, but a 50% increase makes it great.

Overall

Like the original Wilson Sleek, I’m happy to recommend the Sleek 4G-V as an economical and effective passive signal amplifier for either in-vehicle or home/office use.  The easy installation and universal nature make this a good option for most people, and the 4G amplification for Verizon LTE bands makes this the first of its kind in the market.

Full Gallery

The European Commission Friday approved Sony’s intention to purchase Ericsson’s half of the joint venture of the combined entity.  Announced in October, Sony will take five patent families along with an IP cross-licensing agreement from the transaction which will cost €1.05 billion.   The transaction should be finalized within a few weeks.

Source: Android Central and Reuters

AllThingsD reported Friday that former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein is leaving HP.  Rubinstein became an HP employee when Palm was assimilated a few years back.  Rubinstein does not have immediate plans, but HP says, “Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well.”

Rubinstein is well known for his work on Apple’s iPod before joining private equity firm Elevation Partners, following its 2007 investments in Palm.  In 2009 he replaced Ed Colligan as CEO of Palm, transitioning the company away form PalmOS and ushering in webOS in January of that year.

Source: The Verge and AllThingsD

Samsung Friday released Q4 2011 earnings, reporting record earnings, with operating profit of $4.72 billion on sales of $42 billion.  On the mobile side, smartphone shipments totaled a record 35 million units, and accounted for40% of the company’s sales.  Samsung lost the top smartphone spot to Apple, which sold 37 million iPhones in the quarter.

According to Fierce Wireless Samsung shipped a total of 95 million total handsets in the fourth quarter, up from 80.7 million in the year-ago period, and placing it second behind Nokia’s 113.5 million, and ahead of Apple’s 37 million.  For the year, the placements were the same, with Nokia on top at 417 million, Samsung second at 327 million, and Apple third at 93 million.

Looking forward, Samsung anticipates lots of LTE in 2012, and new market segments such as the Note.  Samsung said it expects the overall handset market to increase by close to 10%, and smartphones to grow 30 percent over 2011.

Source: Engadget – Fierce Wireless and Samsung

Motorola Mobility Thursday announced Q4 2011 earnings, finishing with net revenue of $3.4 billion, but an operating loss of $19 million.  Motorola sold 18.7 million smartphones and 1 million XOOM tablets during 2011, including 5.3 million smartphones and 200,000 tablets during the last three months of the year.  Motorola also said they still expect the Google buyout to be complete early this year.

Press Release:

Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

Net revenues of $3.4 billion

• Non-GAAP net earnings of $0.20 per share compared to net earnings of $0.37 per share in fourth quarter 2010; GAAP net loss of $0.27 per share compared to net earnings of $0.27 per share in fourth quarter 2010
• Mobile Devices net revenues of $2.5 billion, up 5 percent from fourth quarter 2010; Non-GAAP operating loss of $19 million; GAAP operating loss of $70 million
• Shipped 10.5 million mobile devices, including 5.3 million smartphones
• Home net revenues of $897 million, down 11 percent from fourth quarter 2010; Non-GAAP operating earnings of $84 million; GAAP operating earnings of $57 million

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Jan. 26, 2012 – Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today reported net revenues of $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, comparable to the fourth quarter of 2010. The GAAP net loss in the fourth quarter of 2011 was $80 million, or $0.27 per share, compared to net earnings of $80 million, or $0.27 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2010. On a non-GAAP basis, net earnings in the fourth quarter 2011 were $61 million, or $0.20 per share, compared to net earnings of $108 million, or $0.37 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2010.

For the full year, 2011 net revenues were $13.1 billion, up 14 percent compared to 2010. For the full year, the GAAP net loss was $0.84 per share compared to a loss of $0.29 per share in 2010. On a non-GAAP basis, net earnings were $0.33 per share compared to a loss of $0.28 per share in 2010.

The Company generated positive operating cash flow of $225 million and $357 million in the fourth quarter and full year, respectively. Total cash at the end of the quarter was $3.6 billion and includes cash, cash equivalents, and cash deposits.

Details on non-GAAP adjustments and the use of non-GAAP measures are included later in this press release and in the financial tables.

“In the fourth quarter, we received very positive consumer response to Motorola RAZR, which combined an iconic brand with ultra-thin in an innovative smartphone. Our Home business continues to be a leader in the industry’s transformation to all IP, with unique solutions that enable rich media experiences across any screen,” said Sanjay Jha, chairman and chief executive officer, Motorola Mobility. “We remain energized by the proposed merger with Google and continue to focus on creating innovative technologies.”

Operating Results

Mobile Devices net revenues in the fourth quarter, impacted by the increased competitive environment, were $2.5 billion, up 5 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. The GAAP operating loss was $70 million compared to operating earnings of $72 million in the year-ago quarter. The non-GAAP operating loss was $19 million compared to operating earnings of $56 million in the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2011, net revenues were $9.5 billion, an increase of 22 percent compared to 2010. The 2011 GAAP operating loss was $285 million compared to an operating loss of $76 million in 2010. The 2011 non-GAAP operating loss was $126 million compared to an operating loss of $198 million in 2010.

The Company shipped a total of 10.5 million and 42.4 million mobile devices in the fourth quarter and full year 2011, respectively. This included 5.3 million and 18.7 million smartphones and approximately 200 thousand and 1 million tablets in the fourth quarter and full year, respectively.

Mobile Devices highlights:

• Launched Motorola RAZR^™ extending the iconic RAZR brand around the world
• Announced DROID RAZR MAXX^™, featuring twice as much battery life as the leading competitor and measuring only 8.99 millimeters
• Unveiled the award-winning DROID 4 by Motorola, the thinnest and most powerful 4G LTE QWERTY smartphone featuring a five-row keyboard and edge-lit keys
• Introduced two new 4G LTE tablets, the DROID XYBOARD 10.1^™ and XYBOARD 8.2^™.
• Announced the “life proof” Motorola DEFY^™ MINI and slim MOTOLUXE^™, two new value priced additions to Motorola’s growing budget-friendly portfolio
• Shipped award-winning MOTOACTV^™, the world’s first combined GPS fitness tracker and MP3 player
• Launched two flagship devices in China – the TD-SCDMA Motorola MT917 and the Motorola XT928, a dual-core, dual-mode, dual-standby smartphone

Home segment net revenues in the fourth quarter were $897 million, down 11 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. GAAP operating earnings were $57 million, compared to $54 million in the year-ago quarter. Non-GAAP operating earnings were $84 million compared to $90 million in the year-ago quarter. Fourth quarter set-top shipments were down 3 percent compared to the year-ago quarter. For the full year 2011, net revenues were $3.5 billion, compared to $3.6 billion in 2010. GAAP operating earnings increased to $226 million from $152 million in 2010. The 2011 non-GAAP operating earnings increased to $332 million from $272 million in 2010. Full year set-top shipments were up 6 percent compared to 2010.

Home highlights:

• Launched DreamGallery next-generation HTML-5 video navigation software in North America with Shaw Communications
• Expanded video leadership and paved the way for Canada’s move to all-MPEG-4 broadcast and On-Demand HD services with Eastlink
• Demonstrated market leadership with introduction of new carrier Ethernet product line for the deployment of cost-effective commercial services
• Introduced Motorola APEX3000, which delivers market-leading density to cost-effectively add greater demand for narrowcast services such as VOD and DVR
• Selected by Altibox AS in Norway to provide VAP 2400 HD wireless video bridge to enable multi-room TV services

Merger Update

As previously announced on August 15, 2011, Motorola Mobility and Google Inc. (“Google”) (NASDAQ: GOOG) entered into a definitive agreement for Google to acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $12.5 billion. On November 17, 2011, Motorola Mobility stockholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the proposed merger with Google at the Company’s Special Meeting of Stockholders. The Company continues to work closely with Google to complete the proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility as expeditiously as possible.

The Company notes that the transaction remains subject to various closing conditions. Antitrust clearances, or waiting period expirations, are required by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), by the European Commission, and in Canada, China, Israel, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey. Requisite filings have been submitted to the appropriate regulatory body in each of these jurisdictions. Clearances have been received in Turkey and Russia. In Canada and the United States, the statutory waiting period for the transaction has expired although the parties have been informed that the reviewing agencies have not closed their respective investigations. In December 2011, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce proceeded to phase two of its investigation. In February, the European Commission is expected to announce whether it will close its investigation or proceed to a phase two investigation.

The Company currently expects the transaction to close in early 2012 once all conditions have been satisfied and reminds stockholders that it is possible that the failure to timely meet such conditions or other factors outside of the Company’s control could delay or prevent completion of the transaction altogether.

Source: Motorola

BGR posted this week information from what they say is AT&T’s 2012 roadmap.  Highlights from the first quarter include the Nokia Lumia 900, the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Titan II.  Starting with the Lumia, the sources say the device is set to launch on March 18^th, and will be $99.99 on contract.  Next, the Samsung Galaxy Note is currently slated for a February 18^th release at a price of $299.99.  Finally, the HTC Titan II will also be released on March 18^th, reportedly for $199.99.

Other devices set for release include the Samsung Rugby Smart, and the AT&T Fusion, both Android entry level devices for $100 and $125 respectively.  Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, the Samsung Exhilarate and Sony Xperia ion, are all expected, though pricing and availability are still unknown.

Source: BGR(1) BGR(2) BGR(3)

AT&T Thursday reported forth quarter earnings, noting a record for smartphone activations.  During the period, revenue was up 3.6% to $32.5 billion.  They sold 9.4 million smartphones during the period, 50% more than the previous record and twice as many as Q3 2011.  In fact, 80% of all devices sold now by AT&T are smartphones on the postpaid side.  AT&T added 717,000 postpaid subscribers, the largest increase since mid-2010.  7.6 million iPhones were sold during the quarter, making up 80% of the total smartphone sales.  Also, more than twice as many Android phones were sold vs. a year ago.  AT&T posted a net increase in total wireless subscribers of 2.5 million in the fourth quarter to reach 103.2 million in service.

Postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier to $63.76. This marked the 12th consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU.  As the first holiday sales period since the loss of AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity, postpaid churn was up slightly at 1.21 percent, compared to 1.15 percent in both the year-ago fourth quarter and in the third quarter of 2011.

Other notes from the release include:

• 80% of its network is now covered by “enhanced backhaul”
• 3G call drop rates continue to decline and have been less than 1% since mid-September
• In 2011, 700,000 square miles of 3G coverage were added nationally, and 80,000 antennas were added
• 56.8 percent of AT&T’s 69.3 million postpaid subscriber have smartphones
• 74 million POPs covered with LTE and will have 80 percent of the U.S. covered with LTE by year-end 2013
• 22 million of its 69.3 million postpaid subscribers are on tiered data price plans
  

Press Release:

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today reported fourth-quarter results highlighted by record sales, strong wireless network performance and improved wireline revenue trends.

“We had a tremendous year in terms of execution, and we have excellent momentum across our growth platforms,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer.”This was a blowout quarter for sales. Our network performance is at a high level on voice quality and best-in-class mobile download speeds. Sales continue to be strong and business revenue trends are on a good track.

“Looking ahead, we start 2012 with the best visibility we’ve had in some time, and we’re well positioned to deliver solid results — including continued revenue growth with margin expansion, solid earnings per share growth and strong cash flow,” Stephenson said.”In short order, we will begin share repurchases to deliver significant value to our owners.”

Fourth-Quarter Financial Results
For the quarter ended December 31, 2011, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $32.5 billion, up $1.1 billion, or 3.6 percent, versus the year-earlier quarter.

Compared with the fourth quarter of 2010, operating expenses were $41.5 billion versus $29.3 billion; operating loss was $9.0 billion, compared to operating income of $2.1 billion; and AT&T’s operating income margin was (27.7) percent, compared to 6.7 percent. Excluding fourth-quarter significant items, operating expenses were $28.1 billion versus $25.8 billion; operating income was $4.4 billion, compared to $5.6 billion; and operating income margin was 13.5 percent, compared to 17.7 percent.

Fourth-quarter 2011 net income attributable to AT&T totaled $(6.7) billion, or $(1.12) per diluted share. Excluding significant non-cash charges of $0.65 from the actuarial loss on benefit plans and $0.48 for directory asset impairments, along with a one-time charge of $0.44 for termination of the T-Mobile USA acquisition and a one-time gain of $0.03 from a tax settlement, adjusted earnings per share was $0.42.

(The actuarial loss on benefit plans was driven by a reduction in the discount rate from 5.8 percent to 5.3 percent. While our investment returns were better than the overall market, they were less than expectations; this was largely offset by better-than-expected force and medical cost management. The directory asset impairment resulted from an annual review of intangible assets compared to fair value.)

These results compare with reported net income attributable to AT&T of $1.1 billion, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2010. Excluding significant items, earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $0.55 per diluted share.

Fourth-quarter 2011 cash from operating activities totaled $7.5 billion, and capital expenditures totaled $5.5 billion. Also included in the fourth quarter, the company made a $1.0 billion contribution to the company’s pension fund. No additional funding is required in 2012. Free cash flow — cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures — totaled $2.0 billion.

Full-Year Results
For the full year 2011, compared with 2010 results, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $126.7 billion versus $124.3 billion, up 2.0 percent; operating expenses were $117.5 billion, compared with $104.7 billion; net income attributable to AT&T was $3.9 billion versus $19.9 billion; and earnings per diluted share was $0.66 compared with $3.35. Excluding significant items, earnings per share totaled $2.20, compared with $2.29.

Compared with 2010 results, AT&T’s full-year cash from operating activities totaled $34.6 billion, down from $35.0 billion. Capital expenditures, including capitalized interest, totaled $20.3 billion versus $20.3 billion, including a 6.4 percent increase in wireless-related capital investment versus 2010, as AT&T aggressively deployed next-generation mobile broadband networks. Free cash flow totaled $14.4 billion, compared with $14.7 billion.

Outlook
AT&T is well positioned to deliver solid revenue and earnings growth with improving margins while returning substantial value to shareowners. In 2012, AT&T expects continued consolidated revenue growth, including postpaid wireless ARPU growth around 2 percent for the year. The company also expects to expand consolidated and wireless margins while keeping wireline margins stable. Achieving these targets will lead to mid-single-digit or better earnings growth with an opportunity to accelerate earnings growth beyond 2012. Outlook excludes any significant items. Importantly, little economic lift is assumed with these expectations.

AT&T expects capital expenditures to be about $20 billion, stable with 2011, as increases in wireless spending offset declines in wireline capital expenditures. The company also expects strong free cash flow, with full-year free cash flow in the $15 to $16 billion range, and plans to begin execution of its existing 300 million share repurchase authorization immediately.

WIRELESS OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Record-setting mobile broadband sales and the company’s best postpaid subscriber growth in five quarters drove double-digit wireless revenue growth. AT&T continues to lead the industry in smartphone penetration, mobile broadband sales and postpaid ARPU. Highlights included:

Best Postpaid Growth in Five Quarters. AT&T posted a net increase in total wireless subscribers of 2.5 million in the fourth quarter to reach 103.2 million in service. This included gains in every customer category. Subscriber additions for the quarter include postpaid net adds of 717,000, the best gain in five quarters. Prepaid net adds were 159,000, connected device net adds were 1,029,000 and reseller net adds were 592,000. Fourth-quarter net adds reflect accelerated adoption of smartphones, including the October launch of iPhone 4S, increases in prepaid and reseller subscribers and sales of tablets and connected devices such as automobile monitoring systems, security systems and a host of other emerging products.

Record Quarter for Smartphone Sales. AT&T delivered its best-ever smartphone sales quarter — up nearly 60 percent from the year-ago period. (Smartphones are devices with voice and data capabilities and an advanced operating system to better manage data and Internet access.) In the fourth quarter, the company set a new record with 9.4 million smartphones sold, nearly double the number sold in the third quarter and 50 percent more than the previous quarterly record. Fourth-quarter smartphone sales represented more than 80 percent of postpaid device sales. Both iPhone and Android device sales set records. During the quarter, more than 7.6 million iPhones were activated, the majority of which were iPhone 4S, which went on sale Oct. 14, and more than twice as many Android smartphones were sold versus the fourth quarter a year ago. iPhone sales were helped by a superior customer experience, with AT&T delivering download speeds up to three-times faster than on other U.S. carriers’ networks.

At the end of the quarter, 56.8 percent of AT&T’s 69.3 million postpaid subscribers had smartphones, up from 42.7 percent a year earlier and 32.8 percent two years ago. The average ARPU for smartphones on AT&T’s network is 1.9 times that of the company’s non-smartphone devices. About 87 percent of smartphone subscribers are on FamilyTalk^® or business plans. Churn levels for these subscribers are significantly lower than for other postpaid subscribers.

Best-Ever Quarter for Branded Computing Device Sales. AT&T had its best sales quarter ever for branded computing subscribers, a new growth area for the company that includes tablets, aircards, mobile devices, tethering plans and other data-only devices. AT&T added 571,000 of these devices to reach 5.1 million, an almost 70 percent increase in total subscribers from a year ago. Most of those new subscribers were tablets, with 311,000 added in the quarter, more than half of which were postpaid.

Double-Digit Growth for Wireless Revenues. Total wireless revenues, which include equipment sales, were up 10.0 percent year over year to $16.7 billion. Wireless service revenues increased 4.0 percent, to $14.3 billion, in the fourth quarter.

Wireless Data Revenues Increase 19.4 Percent. Wireless data revenues — driven by Internet access, access to applications, messaging and related services — increased by $956 million, or 19.4 percent, from the year-earlier quarter to $5.9 billion. AT&T’s postpaid wireless subscribers on monthly data plans increased by 16.4 percent over the past year. The number of subscribers on tiered data plans also continues to increase. About 22 million, or 56 percent, of all smartphone subscribers are on tiered data plans, and about 70 percent have chosen the higher-tier plans.

Industry-Leading Postpaid ARPU Continues Growth. Driven by strong data growth, postpaid subscriber ARPU increased 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter to $63.76. This marked the 12th consecutive quarter AT&T has posted a year-over-year increase in postpaid ARPU. AT&T continues to lead the industry with postpaid subscriber ARPU about $6 higher than the nearest competitor. Postpaid data ARPU reached $26.01, up 14.9 percent versus the year-earlier quarter.

Postpaid Churn Up Only Slightly. Despite record smartphone sales and the first holiday sales period since the loss of AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity, postpaid churn was up only slightly at 1.21 percent, compared to 1.15 percent in both the year-ago fourth quarter and in the third quarter of 2011. Total churn was up slightly at 1.39 percent versus 1.32 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 1.28 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

Wireless Margins Reflect Record Sales. Fourth-quarter wireless margins reflect record-setting smartphone sales and customer upgrade levels. This was offset in part by improved operating efficiencies and further revenue gains from the company’s growing base of high-quality smartphone subscribers.

AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireless operating income margin was 15.2 percent versus 22.9 percent in the year-earlier quarter, and AT&T’s wireless EBITDA service margin was 28.7 percent, compared with 37.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. (EBITDA service margin is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, divided by total service revenues.) Fourth-quarter wireless operating expenses totaled $14.2 billion, up 20.9 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, and wireless operating income was $2.5 billion, down 27.0 percent year over year.

WIRELINE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireline results were highlighted by the second consecutive quarter of sequential wireline business revenue growth, a 44 percent increase in U-verse revenues and solid cost management:

Sequential Wireline Business Revenue Growth Continues. Total business revenues grew sequentially for the second consecutive quarter. Revenues were $9.3 billion, down 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter but a slight increase over the third quarter of 2011. The year-over-year decline reflects economic conditions and weakness in voice and legacy data products somewhat offset by growth in IP data. Business service revenues, which exclude CPE, declined 1.2 percent year over year, compared to a year-over-year decline of 4.3 percent in the year-ago quarter and were essentially flat sequentially, despite fewer business days in the fourth quarter.

Robust Strategic Business Services Revenues. Revenues from the new-generation capabilities that lead AT&T’s most advanced business solutions — including Ethernet, VPNs, hosting, IP conferencing and — grew 16.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter, continuing strong trends in this area. This now represents a nearly $6 billion annualized revenue stream.

VPN Growth Drives Business IP Revenues. Total business IP data revenues grew 9.2 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter, led by growth in VPN revenues. IP-based solutions allow customers to easily add managed services such as network security, cloud services and IP conferencing on top of their infrastructures. Total business data revenues grew 1.3 percent year over year.

Wireline Consumer Revenues Continue Growth. Driven by strength in IP data services, revenues from residential customers totaled $5.3 billion, an increase of 0.5 percent versus the fourth quarter a year ago. The fourth quarter marked the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.

208,000 U-verse Net Adds. AT&T U-verse TV added 208,000 subscribers to reach 3.8 million in service. As U-verse scales, its margins improve, contributing to profitability. In the fourth quarter, the AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet attach rate was 90 percent and about half of new subscribers took AT&T U-verse Voice. About three-fourths of AT&T U-verse TV subscribers have a triple- or quad-play option from AT&T. ARPU for U-verse triple-play customers was almost $170, up 2.5 percent year over year.

AT&T’s U-verse deployment has reached its goal of passing 30 million living units. Companywide penetration of eligible living units continues to grow and was at 15.9 percent in the fourth quarter, and 25.0 percent across areas marketed to for 36 months or more. AT&T’s total video subscribers, which combine the company’s U-verse and bundled satellite customers, reached 5.6 million at the end of the quarter, representing 23.9 percent of households served.

U-verse Broadband Continues Strong Growth. AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet delivered a fourth-quarter net gain of 587,000 subscribers to reach a total of 5.2 million, helping offset losses from DSL. Overall, AT&T lost 49,000 wireline broadband connections. About 74 percent of consumers have a broadband plan delivering speeds of 3 Mbps or higher versus 65 percent in the year-ago quarter.

U-verse Drives Consumer Revenue Transformation. U-verse continues to drive a transformation in wireline consumer, reflected by the fact that consumer IP revenues now represent 53.2 percent of wireline consumer revenues, up from 45.0 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Increased AT&T U-verse penetration and a significant number of subscribers on triple- or quad-play options drove 18.7 percent year-over-year growth in IP revenues from residential customers (broadband, U-verse TV and U-verse Voice) and 4.3 percent sequential growth. U-verse revenues grew 43.7 percent compared with the year-ago fourth quarter and were up 8.6 percent versus the third quarter of 2011.

Growth in Revenues Per Household Continues. Wireline revenues per household served increased 7.0 percent versus the year-earlier fourth quarter and were up 2.3 percent sequentially (average revenues per household is total wireline consumer revenues divided by the average monthly households in service), driven by AT&T U-verse services. This marked AT&T’s 16th consecutive quarter with year-over-year growth in wireline consumer revenues per household as U-verse scales and represents a larger portion of this category.

Consumer Connection Trends. In the fourth quarter, AT&T posted a decline in total consumer revenue connections primarily due to expected declines in traditional voice access lines, consistent with broader industry trends and somewhat offset by increases in U-verse TV and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connections. AT&T U-verse Voice connections increased by 136,000 in the quarter and 598,000 over the past four quarters. Total consumer revenue connections at the end of the fourth quarter were 41.3 million, compared with 43.4 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010 and 41.9 million at the end of the third quarter of 2011.

Wireline Revenues Down Slightly. Total fourth-quarter wireline revenues were $14.9 billion, down 1.4 percent versus the year-earlier quarter and down slightly sequentially. Fourth-quarter wireline operating expenses were $13.1 billion, down 0.2 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2010 and down 0.1 percent sequentially. Wireline operating income totaled $1.8 billion, down from $2.0 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 and down versus the third quarter of 2011. AT&T’s fourth-quarter wireline operating income margin was 11.9 percent, compared to 13.0 percent in the year-earlier quarter and down slightly from 12.1 percent in the third quarter of 2011. Improved consumer and business IP data revenue trends and execution of cost initiatives helped to partially offset declines in voice revenues.

Graphics via MacRumors

Source: The Verge and Fierce Wireless

Nokia Thursday reported forth quarter earnings, including a €1 billion loss in its third straight quarterly decline.  Revenue for the company fell 21% year over year down to €10 billion, with profits sliding to a €954 million operating loss in the period.

Revenue from smartphones fell 38% compared with Q4 2010, with 113.5 million feature phones and 19.6 million smartphones shipped.  Nokia said they’d shipped “well over” 1 million Windows Phone Lumia devices.  And talking about that partnership with Microsoft, it seems Nokia received about $250 million in “platform support payments” during the period as part of a “broad strategic agreement” between the companies.

Finally, the earnings came out a day after Nokia announced the sale of their 1.5 billionth Series 40 handset since the OS was introduced over 12 years ago.

Source: Nokia and SlashGear

HP Wednesday announced a roadmap for release of the source code for webOS, anticipating a complete release by September.  From here on known as Open webOS 1.0, the timeline is as follows:

• January: Enyo 2.0 and Enyo source code Apache License, Version 2.0
• February: Intended project governance model, QT WebKit extensions, JavaScript core, UI Enyo widgets
• March: Linux standard kernel, Graphics extensions EGL, LevelDB, USB extensions
• April: Ares 2.0, Enyo 2.1, Node services
• July: System manager (“Luna”), System manager bus, Core applications, Enyo 2.2
• August: Build release model, Open webOS Beta, Open webOS 1.0

HP also revealed that the mobile operating system will be moving to a standard Linux kernel, hoping to attract those familiar with it product and software development.

Press Release:

HP to Commit webOS to Open Source by Fall 2012

New version of acclaimed Enyo developer tool and source code available now

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 25, 2012 – HP today began executing its plan to deliver an open webOS by committing to a schedule for making the platform’s source code available under an open source license.

The company aims to complete this milestone in its entirety by September.

HP also announced it is releasing version 2.0 of webOS’s innovative developer tool, Enyo. Enyo 2.0 enables developers to write a single application that works across mobile devices and desktop web browsers, from the webOS, iOS and Android platforms to the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers – and more. The source code for Enyo is available today, giving the open source community immediate access to the acclaimed application framework for webOS.

By contributing webOS to the open source community, HP unleashes the creativity of hardware and software developers to build a new generation of applications and devices.

“HP is bringing the innovation of the webOS platform to the open source community,” said Bill Veghte, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, HP. “This is a decisive step toward meeting our goal of accelerating the platform’s development and ensuring that its benefits will be delivered to the entire ecosystem of web applications.”

The webOS code will be made available under the Apache License, Version 2.0, beginning with the source code for Enyo.

webOS roadmap

Over the first half of the year, HP will make individual elements of webOS source code available – from core applications like Mail and Calendar to its Linux kernel – until the full code base is contributed to the open source community by September.

January: Enyo 2.0 and Enyo source code Apache License, Version 2.0

February: Intended project governance model, QT WebKit extensions, JavaScript core, UI Enyo widgets

March: Linux standard kernel, Graphics extensions EGL, LevelDB, USB extensions

April: Ares 2.0, Enyo 2.1, Node services

July: System manager (“Luna”), System manager bus, Core applications, Enyo 2.2

August: Build release model, Open webOS Beta, Open webOS 1.0

Enyo 2.0 and Enyo source code

Enyo 1.0 made it simple to write apps that worked on a variety of webOS form factors. Version 2.0 extends this “write once, run anywhere” capability to a range of other platforms, including mobile and desktop web browsers.

More information about Enyo and the source code is available at http://developer.palm.com/blog.

Apache License, Version 2.0

The Apache License, Version 2.0 is commonly used to govern contributions to open source software projects. It provides a legal framework that balances open innovation and a dependable user experience, which is consistent with HP’s vision for webOS.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

Source: Phonescoop – webOS Nation

AT&T this week has called out Sprint for taking advantage of roaming rule changes in markets where it owns spectrum.  A policy called the Home Market Rule set by the Federal Communications Commission prevented carriers from creating roaming agreements when they had the spectrum or the ability to use their own networks.

Sprint announced recently that it would be using roaming to cover large portions of Kansas and Oklahoma in lieu of building its own network.  AT&T’s Bob Quinn said that,

“If a carrier owned spectrum, it was good public policy to require them to build out that spectrum and therefore they should not be able to demand roaming from other carriers in those home markets.” 

Sprint responded that its Network Vision initiative has double the investment the carrier is making in its network.  Spokesperson John Taylor said,

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that AT&T wants to challenge a consumer’s right to access email, the Internet and other mobile broadband services wherever they may travel in the U.S. Along with Verizon Wireless, AT&T is the only other wireless carrier in America which opposes the FCC’s pro-consumer data roaming decision from last year.”

The Home Market Rule was overturned in 2010, though is still being appealed.

Source: BGR