Per the terms of the deal, AT&T will pay $3 billion in cash to Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile’s owner, and turn over roughly $1 billion in wireless spectrum.  The two companies said they would also enter into a roaming agreement.

In a written statement, Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s CEO, urged regulators to “allow the free markets to work so that additional spectrum is available to meet the immediate needs of the U.S. wireless industry… [and to] enact legislation to meet our nation’s longer-term spectrum needs” The company’s acquisition of unused Qualcomm spectrum is currently pending before the FCC.

The nation’s number three mobile operator, Sprint Nextel, issued a written statement praising the decision, commending the DOJ and FCC as well as state attorneys general “who gave voice to the concerns of consumers across the country.”

Both companies are back to square one.  AT&T needs to acquire spectrum from other sources and Deutsche Telekom may still wish to sell T-Mobile USA or merge it with another, smaller mobile operator.  In an internal memo sent to employees, the company’s CEO noted that the company now has “an opportunity to write our own future.”

These actions followed Tuesday’s announcement by the FCC that it will move to block the deal from going through.

The merger, which was to combine the country’s second- and fourth-largest mobile phone operators, was controversial from the beginning.  The two companies have maintained throughout that the deal would not lessen competition in the marketplace and that it would create more jobs in the U.S.  But the Department of Justice said that the merged entity would in fact significantly constrain competition and reported that AT&T’s own internal documents indicated that the merger would eliminate jobs instead of adding them.

AT&T issued a statement saying that the companies were taking this step “to facilitate the consideration of all options at the F.C.C.,” as well as to consider other options.  In a separate statement, Deutsche Telekom said that today’s withdrawal of the FCC application” is being undertaken by both companies to consolidate their strength and to focus their continuing efforts on obtaining antitrust clearance for the transaction from the Department of Justice. As soon as practical, Deutsche Telekom and AT&T intend to seek necessary F.C.C. approval.”

If only I could borrow someone’s portable hotspot.  Fortunately, there is a solution: the XCom Global MiFi Hotspot, and it’s available for you to rent.

I recently took the MiFi on two trips, covering a total of five countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands).  Xcom Global provides a single hotspot that can work just about anywhere and it’s smaller and lighter than a mobile phone.  It comes with the company’s Unlimited aXcess data plan.  The company sends you the hotspot, an extra battery (optional), a power cord (it uses Micro-USB) with adapters for local power outlets, and instructions, all in a carrying pouch.

How It Works

I didn’t need the extra power cords or plugs so I just carried the hotspot and the battery along on my trip.  I charged the MiFi before each trip in case I needed Internet access en route.

Using it is as simple as pressing the power button and entering a password.  It can support up to five users or devices at once, which came in handy for me during meetings, but I typically used it only with my ThinkPad laptop and iPad.  

In one hotel room where mobile phone reception was particularly bad, I used the UMA feature of my mobile phone to place calls and call quality was excellent.  UMA, or unlicensed mobile access, which T-Mobile calls Wi-Fi Calling, allows users to attach a mobile phone to the mobile network via Wi-Fi and place and receive phone calls, with an added benefit that calls to the U.S. made from anywhere in the world using UMA are charged as local calls.

In my hotel room, I kept the MiFi plugged in to provide 24×7 Wi-Fi. The first device I had required frequent rebooting but the second device (on my second trip) worked perfectly.  In both cases, connection speeds were quite fast and, as an example, I regularly saw over 5 Mbps download speeds in Maastricht in the Netherlands.  My experiences in other hotels in other cities as well as on the road were similar.  Of course, a lot of this has to do with the local network provider but the service was faster than the DSL service many people have at home even today.

On these two trips, I only used the MiFi in five countries but it will work in 42 European countries, 16 countries in the Asia Pacific region, three Latin American countries, as well as Israel, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.  Speed will vary by location.

It’s $14.95 per day for members, $17.95 without membership, and other fees may apply.  Considering that some of the hotels I stayed in charge €30 (roughly $40) for 24 hours of connectivity, I consider the rental price to be a bargain as well, with portability thrown in to boot.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is circulating a draft order that would send the proposal to an administrative law judge for further consideration, a required step for the FCC to deny the proposal.  The FCC must now vote to send the issues to the judge, where a trial-like proceeding would occur.

The FCC staff that reviewed the merger found it would result in unprecedented concentration in the wireless industry, as well as massive job losses.  AT&T and T-Mobile have claimed that the merger would result in an increase in jobs.

Lufthansa’s FlyNet in-flight Internet service, which was the world’s first in-flight Internet service when it launched back in 2004, is back on line.

In conjunction with Panasonic Avionics and Deutsche Telekom, Lufthansa launched the second generation of FlyNet in late 2010 on the Airbus A330 aircraft.  At the present time, 25% of the Lufthansa fleet has FlyNet on board. Eventually all 99 aircraft in Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet will be outfitted with the FlyNet service.  Deutsche Telekom, using its familiar T-Mobile brand, is Panasonic’s partner and serves as the Internet service provider while also handling billing and customer support.

1.)        How does FlyNet work?
Passengers access FlyNet in the aircraft, similar to the way they would access Wi-Fi at a public hotspot anywhere in the world.

FlyNet uses Ku band radio to provide satellite-based Internet communications using Panasonic’s eXConnect system.  Eventually, the service will also offer Panasonic’s AeroMobile-based eXPhone system to support data services for GSM/GPRS mobile devices.

2.)        What can I do on FlyNet?
You can access the Internet the same way you do at home, at the office, or when on the road.  This includes Web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, social networking, and access to corporate applications such as content management systems and CRM systems.

3.)        How fast is FlyNet?
The service is advertised to support downloads at speeds of about 6 Mbps with upload speeds of about 1 Mbps but this is a shared resource and the speed at an individual seat will depend on how many passengers are using it and the kinds of applications that passengers are running, as some are more bandwidth intensive than others.

4.)        Does it support access to corporate networks?
Passengers can use VPN (virtual private network) software to connect to corporate networks via FlyNet.

5.)        What does FlyNet cost?
There is a charge, regardless of which cabin a passenger is flying in.  Two options are available.  One hour of the FlyNet service costs €10.95 (or 3500 miles from a passenger’s Miles & More account).  Up to 24 hours of the FlyNet service (which can also be used on a FlyNet-equipped connecting long-haul flight within the 24 hour timeframe) costs €19.95 (or 7000 miles).

Passengers can pay by credit card or charge the service to their T-Mobile account if they are a customer of T-Mobile or an affiliated roaming partner.

6.)        Is there a free service?
While FlyNet itself is not free, all passengers are able to connect at no additional charge to the Lufthansa FlyNet portal, which provides regularly updated business, political, sports and entertainment news.

7.)        When will FlyNet support GSM/GPRS data? What about 3G?
Lufthansa has said it expects to offer GSM/GPRS service in the second half of this year.  Support for 3G has not yet been announced.

8.)        Can I use Skype or other Voice-over-IP services with FlyNet?
While Lufthansa does not block VoIP, it does request that passengers refrain from using these services out of consideration for other passengers.  Skype instant messaging, as well as other instant messaging and collaboration services, can be used freely.

9.)        What routes currently have FlyNet available?
FlyNet’s coverage area includes Europe, the Continental United States, most of Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean.   Today the service is available on all routes from Germany (FRA, MUC, DUS) to North America, including Canada.    The service will be available on almost the entire intercontinental Lufthansa network by the end of 2011.

10.)      What aircraft have FlyNet?
As of late November 2011, 43% of Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet (45 aircraft) have FlyNet installed.  Lufthansa launched the service with Airbus A330-300 aircraft and has since added Airbus A340-300/600 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft to the FlyNet fleet.  For the Airbus A380, Lufthansa is currently evaluating possible retrofit options.

This report, however, was filed today from seat 3C on board a scheduled Lufthansa flight from New York (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA).  Flight 485 took off today shortly after 10 p.m. and once we reached 10,000 feet, I took out my laptop and logged in. ,

Although Lufthansa offered an Internet service starting in 2004, that service ended roughly two years later when Boeing pulled the plug on the Connexion by Boeing service.   In 2008, American Airlines became the first domestic airline to offer in-flight Internet access on select routes and other U.S. airlines quickly followed suit.

At the end of 2010, Lufthansa relaunched FlyNet on select North Atlantic routes in Airbus 330 aircraft.  Lufthansa has already started to outfit its A340 fleet (I am on an A340 today) and this will be followed by the Boeing 747s.  When Lufthansa takes delivery of the new Boeing 747-800 aircraft, it will come with FlyNet already installed.  Planning for the Airbus 380 (of which Lufthansa already has several in service) is underway but has not finalized at the time this article went to press.  [Editor's note: for up-to-date information on FlyNet, see our FlyNet FAQ.]

Just like the original Connexion-based service, the new FlyNet service also uses the K_u radio band. The service is offered in conjunction with Panasonic Avionics and the technology supports virtually all online activities including access to a VPN (virtual private network), e-mail, social networking, instant messaging, and Web browsing.

Deutsche Telekom, using its familiar T-Mobile brand, is Panasonic’s partner and serves as the Internet service provider while also handling billing and customer support.  The service is advertised to support downloads at speeds of up to 5 Mbps with upload speeds as fast as 1 Mbps.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Once I fired up my IBM ThinkPad, it immediately saw the FlyNet hotspot.  Setting up an account and logging in took just a few minutes and soon I was on line, the first time I have been able to do this over the Atlantic Ocean in six years.

My first speed test showed a download speed of 1.07 Mbps and an upload speed of 0.12 Mbps.  My second test, just a few minutes later, showed the download speed was 2.85 Mbps with upload at 0.24 Mbps.  The speed stayed consistently in the 2.x range throughout the flight.
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