Skip to main content

Sprint sues cable companies over digital phone patents

Sprint Logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Number-three mobile operator Sprint has filed separate lawsuits against Time Warner, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Cable One, alleging the companies violate a dozen Sprint patents related to digital phone technology. The patents in the suits date back to the 1990s, and some of them are the same patents that Sprint used back in 2007 to extract an $80 million settlement from Vonage over its VoIP operations.

In all the complaints, Sprint says the cable operators “have realized the great value in this technology and have misappropriated it without Sprint’s permission.”

All four of the cable operators named in the suit offer voice services as part of their service bundling deals, which also include broadband Internet access as well as cable television services. Cable companies’ voice offerings are based on VoIP technologies, rather than traditional copper phone lines installed and maintained by phone companies.

The weak link in cable companies’ “triple play” of TV, Internet, and voice was always mobile services, and in the past Sprint was happy to partner with cable operators to add mobile services to their lineup and try to lure consumers with “quadruple plays.” Sprint even convinced companies like Comcast to invest in Clearwire’s build-out of a 4G WiMax broadband network and resell Clearwire services, although Sprint remained Clearwire’s dominant investor. However, in the last few years cable operators have generally pulled away from Sprint, and several cable companies just

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Save $100 on this Netgear mesh Wi-Fi system at Crutchfield
netgear orbi ax6000 tri band wi fi system deal crutchfield april 2024 lifestyle

If you want every corner of your home to have access to a stable internet connection, you're going to want to buy a mesh Wi-Fi system. There are lots of options out there among all the router deals online, but here's one that we recommend -- the Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system, which Crutchfield is selling at $100 off. Instead of $900, you'll just have to pay $800 for this mesh Wi-Fi system, but only if you hurry. The discount is expected to last for a few more days, but we're not sure if stocks will still be available by the end of the sale.

Why you should buy the Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system
The Netgear Orbi AX6000 tri-band Wi-Fi system includes a router module and two satellites to create a mesh network that supports Wi-Fi 6 and will provide coverage across 7,500 square feet. The router and the satellites will use a single network name for a seamless connection as you move around -- horizontally or vertically -- and MU-MIMO technology will allow for simultaneous streaming across multiple devices, so even if everyone in the family is connected to the mesh Wi-Fi system at the same time, nobody will experience any lag or buffering while watching streaming shows.

Read more
This popular Dell business laptop is discounted from $849 to $579
Dell Vostro 14 sitting on a table

If you're looking for a solid business laptop that's both portable and won't break the bank, then you'll be very happy with the Vostro 14. Not only is it highly rated, but it's still packed with features for being such a small device, and while it can be a little bit pricey at MSRP, you can get it for a steep discount. Dell has knocked an impressive $270 off the usual $849 price tag, bringing it down to a much more affordable $579, making it an excellent deal if you've been looking for a new device.

Why you should buy the Vostro 14
For being only a small 14-inch laptop, the Vostro 14 has some pretty good specs and a couple of ones that maybe should have been slightly better. For example, you get 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is really excellent, especially for a more business-oriented laptop, so you can open a lot of apps and tabs at the same time. On the other hand, you only get an Intel Core i5-1335U, which is a mid-range processor, and while it's absolutely fine for business work and productivity, it would have been nice to get the higher-end Intel Core i7-1355U for a bit extra power and versatility.

Read more
The best resume templates for Google Docs
2010 career building tips resume

éé

During these times of heavy competition in the job market, you want to be sure that your résumé stands out as much as possible. There are many resources online to assist you in building a stellar resume, especially using templates compatible with Google Docs.

Read more