The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and CTIA are again sparring over the spectrum crunch. The NAB instigated the latest bout after it published a letter to the co-chairs of the House Federal Spectrum Working Group questioning the veracity of spectrum shortages. CTIA government affairs executive Jot Carpenter quickly shot back, saying “”The flat-earthers at NAB are at it again, denying the existence of a spectrum crunch that experts across the developed world recognize as the most serious challenge facing the mobile industry.”
Sprint’s new mobile hotspot will support LTE, WiMAX and CDMA. The Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi hotspot hits shelves on May 18 and will sell for $100 with $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year contract. Data plans for the device start at $35 for 3 GB. Sprint is also offering a $50 plan with 6 GB of data and an $80 plan with 12 GB of data.
Samsung Electronics has acquired mSpot, a mobile cloud-based content service provider based in Palo Alto, Calif. The purchase includes all of mSpot’s technology, assets and human resources. Financial terms of the transaction were not announced. Samsung plans to use mSpot to provide its smartphone users with cloud-based music, video and radio.
Qualcomm has granted multiple licensing contracts to Digibras Industria do Brasil S.A., its first such agreements with a major Brazilian consumer electronics supplier. Digibras, owner of the CCE Info and CCE Mobi brands, has licenses to develop, manufacture and sell Qualcomm’s 3G WCDMA and TD-SCDMA, and LTE subscriber units and routers. The royalties payable by CCE are at Qualcomm’s standard worldwide rates. No additional details about transaction’s financial value were disclosed.
Amazon’s Kindle just got more attractive to Harry Potter fans. The Internet retailer said today its eReader customers would be able to access all seven of the Harry Potter books for free through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library beginning June 19. The popular series will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish editions of the lending library.
