Carrier Wrap: AT&T partners with Uber, expands free NYC Wi-Fi; Verizon Wireless sees traffic race

Editor’s Note: Wireless operators are a busy bunch, and as such RCR Wireless News will attempt to gather some of the important announcements that may slip through the cracks from the world’s largest carriers in a weekly wrap-up. Enjoy!
—AT&T announced a partnership with crowd-sourced taxi service Uber to embed the Uber application beginning this summer in new smartphones running Google’s Android operating system. The partnership will also include AT&T becoming one of Uber’s “key providers of new wireless service” to Uber drivers in the United States.
The Uber application allows users to call for a ride from an Uber driver. The two companies said the new arrangement builds on an ongoing partnership with AT&T managing device and data needs for Uber’s partner drivers.
–Keeping with its summer theme, AT&T also announced that it planned to offer free Wi-Fi services in New York City’s High Line park, joining 20 other parks in the city where the company offers free Wi-Fi.
AT&T said the free service would be available between 14th and 16th Streets in the elevated park. The telecommunications provider claims visitors last year across the 20 other parks averaged 10,000 connections per day and have made 9.5 million connections since the initiative began three years ago.
–Following up on its announcement last week that it would trial its LTE Multicast technology during last weekend’s Indianapolis 500, Verizon Wireless this week said the its network handled double the amount of data traffic during the final hour of this year’s event compared with last year’s race, with nearly 1.5 terabytes of total data transmitted across its network.
In preparing for the expected traffic load, Verizon Wireless said it installed a distributed antenna system with more than 200 small antennas inside throughout the venue to increase LTE data capacity by 250%, and tapped into its recently launched XLTE offering to bolster network capacity. The day-of preparation also included the use of cells on light trucks and cells on wheels to help handle increased network demand.
—T-Mobile US this week announced plans to hold an “Un-carrier 5.0” event on June 18. Details of the unveiling were not provided. T-Mobile US has used past “Un-carrier” events to announce its Simple Choice rate plans, its JUMP device financing program, its international roaming initiative and its offer to pay early termination fees for customers coming from other operators.
–The Canadian government this week approved use of portable electronic devices, including tablets and smartphones, during all phases of a flight if placed in airplane mode. This includes while the aircraft is taxing on the ground, during take offs, climbs, descends and landing. Previously, passengers could only use their devices while parked at the gate or when the aircraft reached its cruising altitude and with the device in airplane mode.
“The use of electronic devices on any flight will be at the discretion of the air operators, who must demonstrate that their aircraft are not affected by the use of the devices and that during critical phases of flight and during emergencies, all passengers are aware of and able to follow crew instructions,” Transport Canada noted in a statement.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority recently relaxed regulations on the use of portable electronic devices to allow for the use of Wi-Fi connections during takeoff and landing.
Additional carrier news can be found on the RCR Wireless News “Carriers” page.
Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter