NEW YORK – AT&T Inc plans to buy wireless spectrum from Qualcomm Inc for $1.93 billion and boost its 4G network, aiming to counter criticism over iPhone service quality and a threat from rivals like Verizon Wireless.
AT&T is the sole U.S. carrier for Apple Inc’s iPhone, but smaller rivals like Sprint Nextel and Clearwire Corp have been adopting 4G, a new wireless standard that enables better Internet access including video.
It is the sort of wireless bandwidth AT&T desires — and will get with Monday’s deal — given the strain iPhone has put on its existing network. At times, customers in cities like New York and San Francisco have complained of dropped calls and slow Web connections.
Full Story: AT&T to buy Qualcomm’s mobile spectrum for $1.93 billion – latimes.com