T-Mobile to offer a more flexible contract

T-Mobile’s newly announced contract for customers will feature more flexible terms. Under the new guidelines, early termination fees will go down over the course of a customer’s contract. The specific details of the new policy are expected to be finalized in the first half of 2008, when the new policy will be introduced. When the new contract takes effect, it will include new T-Mobile customers as well as current ones who renew their contract.

Amtrak opens new T-Mobile hotspots at stations

Amtrak has announced that they will offer T-Mobile HotSpots at five key stations in the Northeast. The Wi-Fi network will be in Washington Union Station, Baltimore Penn Station, Wilmington Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station, and New York Penn Station. According to Amtrak, wireless Internet access is one of the most frequently asked about services. The network will feature Wireless Protected Access (WPA) for security; the T-Mobile Hotspot Connection Manager can be downloaded for free at t-mobile.com/hotspot.

AT&T launches 3G network in Hawaii; Verizon expands network

AT&T recently announced the launch of 3G broadband wireless service in Hawaii. The network uses UMTS/HSDPA technology and is based on the worldwide GSM standard. Features of the 3G service include access to videos, games, pictures, music, news, and weather, as well as simultaneous delivery of voice and data services. If users of AT&T’s 3G network go outside the coverage area, they will be automatically transferred to the EDGE network without losing the connection.

Verizon also expanded their CDMA/EV-DO broadband network in Hawaii to include new parts of the big island as well as expanded coverage on Kauai, Maui, and Oahu.

Sprint adds flexibility to rate plans

After changes to Sprint’s rate plan policy, subscribers will no longer have to extend their contracts when changing their rate plans. Sprint also plans to implement a new early termination fee policy, which will assess the fee proportionately.

AT&T introduces mobile banking

AT&T has initiated a mobile banking service for customers of two selected banks that uses a pre-installed or downloadable application on AT&T phones. Customers of Wachovia and SunTrust Banks will be able to check their account balance, pay bills, and transfer funds on their phones. The software will run on AT&T’s 3G and EDGE networks. Previously, AT&T provided mobile banking software to customers of BancorpSouth, a regional bank.