WRAL Tech Wire

 Sprint's 4G wireless service creeping across Triangle

Even though Raleigh, Durham and the rest of the Triangle are not listed on the latest 4G LTE rollout announcement by Sprint, the service is here in some spots and growing more pervasive. But no official announcement is set - yet.

Tracking 4G speeds

 Dish Network offers to buy Sprint for $25.5B

Charlie Ergen's satellite-TV company makes an unsolicited $25.5 billion offer for Sprint Nextel Corp. to challenge a bid by Japan's Softbank Corp. for the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier.

 Looking for wireless service? Here's a breakdown on price plans

T-Mobile USA is breaking the mold on standard industry practice by offering a lower up-front cost for a new phone but higher payments. Raleigh-based Bandwidth's Republic Wireless adds its own strategies to a growing mix of mobile offers.

Republic's phone

 Sprint won't sell new Blackberry - yet; Yahoo drops BlackBerry app

Sprint has decided to wait until the new BlackBerry Q10 with a physical keyboard is available to sell new BlackBerry models. Meanwhile, Yahoo says it is dropping its BlackBerry app.

 Smartphone growth gives a boost to Sprint's bottom line

Sprint Nextel, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, reported higher revenue and a slightly narrower loss than analysts had estimated, bolstered by increased use of smartphones.

 In the news: Big 3 pick BlackBerry; Cisco phone hack; Sensus wins deal; Quintiles partnership; IBM targets small businesses

Inside the Bulldog blog: Big carriers will sell new BlackBerry phones; Is your Cisco phone a spy?; utility picks Sensus meters; Quintiles signs partnership deal in Asia; new IBM service targets small businesses.

 Sprint won't disclose 4G launch date for RTP - but it's here in some places

Despite the Research Triangle being one of the nation's biggest high-tech hubs, Sprint has yet to formally launch 4G in the area and still refuses to commit to a launch date. However, you can find faster service in some areas.

 Clearwire agrees to $2.2B buyout after Sprint sweetens deal

Sprint is moving to acquire 100 percent of the company after their four-year joint venture struggled to build a nationwide wireless network, leading to billions in losses for Clearwire. Sprint aims to take over Clearwire's spectrum - the airwaves that let mobile devices operate - and use it to bolster its own network.

 Sprint to buy rest of Clearwire it doesn't already own for $2.1B

Sprint, which already owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire, is seeking to acquire the remaining shares at $2.90 each, according to a regulatory filing today.

 In the news: IBM faces inquiry in NZ; RedBox targets Netflix; NetApp stock a 'buy;' Sprint-Clearwire deal?; Dish smartphone service

Inside the Bulldog blog: IBM faces a formal government inquiry into a New Zealand contract; RedBox takes aim at Netflix with streaming service; TheStreet.com sees NetApp stock as a buy, says company could be acquired; Sprint may be taking over Clearwire; The FCC approves Dish's bid to offer wireless smartphone service.

 Top wireless carriers to accelerate text-to-911 capabilities

Under an agreement announced Thursday, AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. will do "major deployments" of so-called text-to-911 in the U.S. next year, the FCC says.

 Sprint sales top Street expectations; loss is less than expected

Sprint Nextel Corp., the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, reported a smaller loss than estimated after smartphones helped increase customer spending on data plans and add to the size of phone bills.

 Sprint invests $100M to buy majority control of Clearwire

Flush with the promise of cash from a Japanese investor, Sprint Nextel Corp. on Thursday said that it's buying out the founder of Clearwire Corp. to gain majority control of the wireless network operator.

 Sprint reaches $20B deal with Japan's Softbank

Tokyo-based mobile phone company Softbank has agreed to buy 70 percent of Sprint Nextel for $20 billion in the largest ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese company.

 Sprint confirms investment talks with Japanese mobile firm

Softbank, Japan's third- largest mobile-phone company, is in talks to buy control of Sprint Nextel Corp., according to two people familiar with the matter. CNBC says the company also may acquire Clearwire.

 AT&T to be first U.S. carrier to offer Nokia Windows 8 phones

The Lumia phones are the linchpin of a comeback plan for Nokia, which has struggled to compete with Apple's iPhone and Google's Android. Microsoft also is counting on Nokia devices to help win back market share in smartphone software.

 Wireless providers T-Mobile, MetroPCS to merge

T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom AG says its board of directors and the supervisory board have approved the merger Wednesday. It says the board of MetroPCS has also accepted the deal.

 T-Mobile parent confirms it's in talks to buy MetroPCS

Deutsche Telekom AG is nearing a transaction with MetroPCS Communications Inc. to increase the scale of its T-Mobile USA division, sources say.

 AT&T cuts price for prepaid smartphone service

The second-largest U.S. wireless-service provider unveils a $99 smartphone with a $65 a month pay-as-you-go plan, stepping up competition with prepaid carriers such as MetroPCS.

 Stock surging, Sprint gears up to challenge AT&T, Verizon Wireless

Sprint is in the second phase of a three-part turnaround under Gary Hesse, who was hired in December 2007 to fix damage caused by the acquisition of Nextel. The past four years were a recovery period during which the company cut staff by a third, moved to wind down the Nextel network and turned its focus to developing a faster network using long-term evolution, or LTE, technology.