AT&T Beam is a USB LTE modem with built-in LCD, due May 10th for $20

AT&T Beam is a USB LTE modem with builtin LCD, due May 10th for $20

With the onset of MiFis, smartphone hotspots and other methods of tethering your computer to the 'net, USB modems aren't exactly the most popular devices on the block anymore. It doesn't mean they're not desirable to business folk, however, so most carriers keep at least one or two in their lineup. AT&T just introduced the Beam, its latest dongle from Sierra Wireless, which offers the usual LTE domestically (700/AWS) along with tri-band HSPA+ (850/1900/2100) and quad-band GSM / EDGE.

The key feature here is its built-in 96x64 black-and-white LCD panel, which displays signal strength, data usage and other stats. Finally, it offers mobile hotspot capability, GPS and microSD card support (up to 32GB), and will work on Win 8 / RT laptops and tablets. Dimension-wise, it weighs 1.91 ounces and measures a stout 1.97 x 2.58 x 0.46 inches (50 x 65.5 x 11.7mm). If that fits your purposes, the Beam can be all yours starting May 10th for $20 and a two-year commitment.

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Source: AT&T

Qualcomm bolsters AllJoyn functionality, demos LTE carrier aggregation with 150Mbps peak transfers

Qualcomm bolsters AllJoyn functionality, demos LTE carrier aggregation with 150Mbps peak transfers

Peak transfers of 150Mbps, you say? We're listening. Here at Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm's newest Gobi chipsets (the MDM9225 and MDM9625) are the first to support LTE carrier aggregation and LTE Category 4 with peak data rates of up to 150Mbps. The reveal marks the introduction of the outfit's third-generation 4G LTE embedded chip, and if all goes well, we should see the hardware slipping into phones, tablets and potentially laptops in the second half of 2013. To make it all seem more realistic, it partnered with Sierra Wireless and Ericsson here in Barcelona in order to prove the figures. For those unaware, LTE carrier aggregation combines radio channels within and across bands to increase user data rates and reduce latency -- in other words, it allows LTE to be even faster.

In related news, Qually also announced that it'll be extending the AllJoyn software development project with "new core interoperable services." As of now, we're simply told that the new services will be available on devices with different operating systems and from different vendors, theoretically enabling an "Internet of Everything" by the time they're upstreamed into the AllJoyn open source project by May 2013. We'll be swinging by the company's booth to see what exactly there is to visualize -- for now, feel free to pursue the press releases linked below.

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Source: Qualcomm (1), (2), (3)

AT&T Unite LTE hotspot coming to stores February 8th for a dollar

AT&T Unite LTE hotspot coming to stores February 8th for a dollar

The second touchscreen LTE mobile hotspot has just been announced for AT&T. Known as the Unite, the Sierra Wireless device will be available on the network February 8th and will cost you no more than 99 cents after a two-year contract gets involved. This particular device, which has a 2.4-inch display, boasts a 10-hour battery life with regular use (10 days standby). For more info about the Unite, head to the source link below.

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Source: AT&T

Netgear buys Sierra Wireless’ AirCard unit, delves deeper into LTE

Sierra Wireless AirCard 76x hotspot

Sierra Wireless will be a very familiar name to many travelers who've depended on a hotspot or modem to keep their laptop online. Let's hope they aren't overly comfortable with the brand: Netgear just snapped up the assets of Sierra Wireless' AirCard business, which covers many of the portable 3G and 4G devices we hold dear. The $138 million, 160-employee deal gives Netgear the resources it wants to make a big push into LTE access devices. Sierra Wireless, meanwhile, is blunt in describing the handover as a cash grab: the agreement gives it "significant financial resources" for improving its embedded modules and machine-to-machine devices. The deal should thus make sense for both sides as long as it completes in March, although we can't help but feel that it's the end of an era for jet set data users.

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NETGEAR ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE SELECT ASSETS OF SIERRA WIRELESS AIRCARD BUSINESS

Acquisition accelerates mobile initiative of NETGEAR service provider business and will be immediately accretive to earnings upon closing

SAN JOSE, Calif. - January 28, 2013 - NETGEAR(R), Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced that on January 28, 2013, it entered into an agreement to acquire select assets and operations of the Sierra Wireless, Inc. ("Sierra Wireless") AirCard(R) business. NETGEAR management will hold an investor conference call tomorrow, January 29, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. EST (5:30 a.m. PST) to discuss the agreement.

On January 28, 2013, NETGEAR entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Sierra Wireless to acquire the operations of the AirCard business, including customer relationships, certain intellectual property, inventory and fixed assets of the Sierra Wireless AirCard business. The purchase price is approximately $138 million in cash. The final purchase price is subject to adjustments to be made after closing. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of necessary regulatory clearances, is expected to close by the end of NETGEAR's fiscal first quarter.

Patrick Lo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NETGEAR, commented, "We are excited to announce that we have entered into an agreement to acquire select assets of the Sierra Wireless AirCard business. We expect this acquisition will accelerate the mobile initiative of our service provider business unit to become a global leader in providing the latest in LTE data networking access devices. We believe that LTE network technology represents a huge market opportunity, especially in emerging markets and rural areas where high speed broadband Internet access is currently limited. This asset acquisition reinforces NETGEAR's commitment to develop innovative products for the next generation of Internet service providers."

Christine Gorjanc, Chief Financial Officer of NETGEAR, said, "We are excited about the opportunities this transaction gives us, and we expect this acquisition to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings in the first full quarter that NETGEAR operates the AirCard business. Based on current information, the business we are acquiring has a 12 month trailing net revenue run rate of approximately $247 million through December 2012."

"We are also taking this opportunity to update NETGEAR's estimates for the recently completed fourth quarter of 2012," Ms. Gorjanc continued. "We currently expect to achieve net revenue of $305 million to $310 million and non-GAAP operating margin within the 11% to 11.5% range, both of which are within the guidance we provided last quarter for net revenue and non-GAAP operating margin, respectively. The non-GAAP tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2012 is currently expected to be approximately 40%, which is higher than the approximately 33% that we had previously estimated. We will provide all the details on our 2012 fourth quarter and year-end results in our normally scheduled earnings release in February."

With the completion of the asset acquisition, approximately 160 employees located primarily in Carlsbad, California and Richmond, British Columbia are expected to be integrated into NETGEAR's service provider business under Michael Clegg, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NETGEAR's service provider business unit.

SIERRA WIRELESS ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT TO SELL ASSETS OF AIRCARD(R) BUSINESS TO NETGEAR

Vancouver, Canada - January 28, 2013

Expected net cash proceeds of approximately $100 million USD

Transaction enables Sierra Wireless to accelerate growth of machine-to-machine (M2M) business

Company provides preliminary fourth quarter and full year 2012 financial highlights

(All amounts included are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.) Sierra Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW) today announced it has executed a definitive agreement for the sale of substantially all of the assets and operations related to its AirCard(R) business to NETGEAR(R), Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR) for $138 million in cash plus approximately $6.5 million in assumed liabilities as of December 31, 2012. NETGEAR is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses, and service providers. Sierra Wireless expects to realize net cash proceeds of approximately $100 million from the asset sale, after related taxes, expenses, and funds held in escrow. The transaction is expected to close in March 2013, subject to customary closing conditions.

Under the transaction, NETGEAR will acquire the assets and operations of the AirCard business, including customer relationships, products, intellectual property, inventory, and fixed assets, and assume certain liabilities, including warranty commitments and other customer obligations. Approximately 160 employees, primarily in sales, marketing, and R&D, will be transferred to NETGEAR, as well as certain facilities in Carlsbad, CA and Richmond, BC.

"This transaction is the next step in our transformation into a company focused on enabling the 'Internet of Things' - a strategy we have been pursuing with great success since 2007," said Jason Cohenour, President and CEO of Sierra Wireless. "We are the world leader in this dynamic market, with the industry's broadest product lineup, solutions across the value chain and an extensive, blue-chip customer base. In addition to realizing a solid return for the AirCard business, this transaction will provide significant financial resources and capacity to accelerate our growth in M2M and connected device solutions."

Mr. Cohenour added, "Our AirCard business has become the technology leader in the mobile broadband market, and has earned a global reputation for strong R&D execution and high quality products. The acquisition by NETGEAR offers this product line and superb team a natural home and excellent growth prospects, as the strategy, product line and channel alignment is very strong. Under the ownership of NETGEAR, our AirCard customers can expect continued high service levels and technology innovation."

Upon completion of the transaction, Sierra Wireless's retained business will include its AirPrime[TM] embedded modules for M2M and Mobile Computing, AirLink(R) intelligent gateways and routers, and AirVantage[TM] M2M cloud product lines. Going forward, Sierra Wireless will be an M2M and connected device pure play company, focused on providing innovative hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions that work together to enable customers across a broad range of markets to connect their machines to the "Internet of Things."

Use of funds

Sierra Wireless intends to use net proceeds from the transaction to continue its acquisition strategy in the M2M market, with the objective of accelerating revenue and earnings growth by strengthening its leadership in existing markets and expanding its position in the M2M value chain.

Sierra Wireless is also exploring alternatives to return a portion of the proceeds to shareholders and will seek approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to undertake a normal course issuer bid ("NCIB"). The terms of the proposed NCIB will be subject to TSX review and approval, and Sierra Wireless expects to provide further details in the coming weeks.

Financial highlights for the fourth quarter and full year 2012

Sierra Wireless expects consolidated fourth quarter 2012 results to be solidly in line with guidance provided on November 1, 2012. Preliminary revenue for the full year is $644 million.

With respect to the retained business, preliminary fourth quarter and full year 2012 revenues were $109 and $397 million, respectively, including $14.0 million and $61.1 million, respectively, in revenue from the sale of AirPrime embedded wireless modules to Mobile Computing customers. Non-GAAP gross margin for the retained business was 33.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and 31.6 percent for the full year. Non-GAAP earnings from operations for the retained business were modestly positive in the fourth quarter, showing a steady improvement throughout the year.

"Upon closing this transaction, we will be highly focused on driving profitable revenue growth in our M2M business," said David McLennan, Chief Financial Officer of Sierra Wireless. "As a stand-alone business, we will have a cost structure that supports considerably higher revenue levels, which will initially be reflected in modest operating margins. However, because we will be fully invested for growth, as we increase our revenues we expect to see greater operating leverage from the business."

Sierra Wireless will release fourth quarter and fiscal 2012 financial results after market close on February 6, 2013. Management will provide additional financial detail at that time.

BMO Capital Markets is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Sierra Wireless, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Paul Hastings LLP are acting as legal counsel to Sierra Wireless.

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Source: Forbes

AT&T, Sierra Wireless launch the AT&T Unite touchscreen hotspot for LTE on the go

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AT&T's snagged exclusive rights to Sierra Wireless' latest touchscreen LTE hotspot, the AT&T Unite. Packing a 2.4-inch display, the unit will keep you informed of your usage allowance, let you manage what devices are allowed access and tweak network settings without any additional fiddling. It's able to handle up to 10 simultaneous connections and, naturally, can be added to existing Mobile Share plans for $20 extra per month. We asked if it wanted to reveal details of pricing and availability, but AT&T suddenly went all shy and hid under the couch -- so we'll have to wait and see.

Continue reading AT&T, Sierra Wireless launch the AT&T Unite touchscreen hotspot for LTE on the go

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Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budget-minded 4G

Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budgetminded 4G

Canadians have had fairly limited options for LTE-based 4G if they didn't want to turn to the three main carrier brands: they could go to a Bell-owned Virgin Mobile, and that's it. While there isn't a truly independent LTE carrier yet, Rogers' lower-cost Fido label has just taken its promised LTE access live to at least offer some competition among the smaller names in the field. Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John's, Toronto and Vancouver can immediately hop on the network at speeds of up to 100Mbps. Bring-your-own-device users don't have to pay a premium to get the faster speeds, although there's currently little choice in hardware if you want to buy straight from the source: the lone LTE device on offer is Sierra Wireless' AirCard 763S hotspot, which costs $50 on a two-year contract. The flexible rate data-only plan also isn't the greatest deal, starting at $22 for a gone-in-five-minutes 100MB per month to $92 for 9GB. All the same, light data users in the True North will be glad to know they don't have to be relegated to 3G to save a few dollars.

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Fido switches on LTE, gives Canadians a taste of slightly more budget-minded 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of August 6th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany week of August 6th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, Sprint began testing its LTE network in Boston and we've come across a QWERTY slider from LG that'll be hitting a convenience store near you. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of August 6th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of August 6th, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany: week of August 6th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Aug 2012 22:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint bundles Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and a mobile hotspot: $850 plus a monthly bill (update: $799)

Sprint bundles Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and a mobile hotspot for $850 and a monthly bill

Looking to snag a mobile hotspot with your pending Ultrabook purchase? If so, Sprint is looking to be the first US carrier to oblige with a package deal. The wireless provider will bundle the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 with a 3G / 4G mobile hotspot for $849 $799 -- plus a monthly bill of either $34.99 for 3GB of data or $49.99 for 6GB of the added connectivity. If that wasn't enough to get you to pull the trigger, the outfit has also thrown in three months of service for free once you commit to two years of Sprint's mobile broadband. You'll be strapped with the Core i5 CPU version of the Ultrabook, but you'll be able to decide between either a MiFi or an Overdrive Pro for the hotspot option. Itchin' to take the plunge? Hit that second source link below to sign up and part with your funds.

Update: Although the Sprint website reads $849, we've been told by the company that the price will show up as $799 once the bundle has been added to your cart and that the product page should be updated soon.

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Sprint bundles Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and a mobile hotspot: $850 plus a monthly bill (update: $799) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sierra Wireless outs thinnest-ever 4G LTE module, teases skinny AT&T-ready laptops and tablets

Sierra Wireless outs thinnestever 4G LTE module, teases skinny AT&Tready laptops and tablets

One of the bigger challenges of spreading LTE has been size; going 4G has tended to put on a little weight. A new Sierra Wireless embedded modem, the AirPrime EM7700, could be just the ticket to shedding those pounds. It's reputedly the thinnest module ever made, at a tenth of an inch deep, and should slot into an Ultrabook or tablet without anyone making snide comments about the extra bulk. The EM7700 is still using the Qualcomm MDM9200 Gobi chipset that we spotted in the related MC7700 and Lumia 900, and won't have world 4G roaming -- in fact, it's explicitly tuned just to AT&T's LTE frequencies, so there's no question as to who gets first crack. Shipments are due to start in the last few weeks of spring and will make it entirely probable that AT&T's next wave of 4G mobile gear will have slimmed down a few belt notches.

Continue reading Sierra Wireless outs thinnest-ever 4G LTE module, teases skinny AT&T-ready laptops and tablets

Sierra Wireless outs thinnest-ever 4G LTE module, teases skinny AT&T-ready laptops and tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Tri-Fi hotspot boasts LTE, WiMAX and 3G connectivity, set to ship on May 18th

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If you've been on the hunt for Sprint LTE devices that won't yet function on the carrier's latest 4G network (that, ahem, isn't even scheduled to go live until this summer), May 18th seems to be the day to call in sick. The company's first LTE/WiMAX/3G hotspot will be making its way from the Sierra Wireless manufacturing line to your door for the princely sum of $99.99 (after a $50 rebate and a two-year service agreement) on that date. Data plans range in price from $35 for 3GB to $80 for 12 gigs, on whichever network happens to be available in your area. There's a 3,600 mAh battery on board, which will reportedly keep you online for up to eight hours, along with an Overdrive Pro-like info screen for displaying key stats, like remaining power and your wireless key. You'll find a hearty list of suggested usage scenarios in the press release just past the break, if for some reason you need a PR push to discover just how such a device will fit into your life.

Continue reading Sprint Tri-Fi hotspot boasts LTE, WiMAX and 3G connectivity, set to ship on May 18th

Sprint Tri-Fi hotspot boasts LTE, WiMAX and 3G connectivity, set to ship on May 18th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 11:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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