If you're a big fan of LTE (long term evolution) mobile data, AT&T has news.

The wireless provider announced it's deployed true LTE service in the Moscow-Pullman area.

So, to confuse things, the way mobile connectivity works, LTE is considered important because it qualifies as “true 4G” service. True 4G data speeds are generally 10 times faster than mobile 3G networks.

Verizon, Spring and AT&T all offer 4G service in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene.  Verizon can properly claim to be the first wireless carrier with LTE service in Spokane.

AT&T hasn't said when it will bring LTE service into Spokane. At present, it offers a hybrid network here called 4G HSPA+. And that, according to an AT&T spokesman, is roughly four times faster than 3G.

If you're a big fan of LTE (long term evolution) mobile data, AT&T has news.

The wireless provider announced it's deployed true LTE service in the Moscow-Pullman area.

So, to confuse things, the way mobile connectivity works, LTE is considered important because it qualifies as “true 4G” service. True 4G data speeds are generally 10 times faster than mobile 3G networks.

Verizon, Spring and AT&T all offer 4G service in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene.  Verizon can properly claim to be the first wireless carrier with LTE service in Spokane.

AT&T hasn't said when it will bring LTE service into Spokane. At present, it offers a hybrid network here called 4G HSPA+. And that, according to an AT&T spokesman, is roughly four times faster than 3G.

Still no word on who might take the 8,000 square feet of space last used by Abercrombie & Fitch in River Park Square, in downtown Spokane.

But Vivo, a Coeur d'Alene-based retailer of clothes and other household wares will take a spot up on the third floor, River Park Square announced on Monday.

Vivo has stores in CDA, Spokane Valley and North Spokane (at NorthTown Mall).

About Nov. 1, Vivo will move into the space between Claire's and the AT&T store. Vivo is owned by Dale and Shawnda Rainey of Post Falls.

River Park Square is owned and operated by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review newspaper.

While AT&T won't say when Spokane and North Idaho will have its own version of 4G broadband services, the company is presenting a visual map of plans covering the next several years, using a before-and-after map scheme. 

Those of us who've already read the full 15-page opinion by the Supreme Court on the AT&T argument that corporations have some level of “personal privacy,” will want to look elsewhere for something to do.

For others who wonder how the court could have established two different ideas — that corporations (in the Citizens United ruling from 2010) have a right of free speech and that they don't have a personal level of privacy (in the March 1 ruling, FCC vs. AT&T) — should spend some time with a good legal blog.

Let us recommend the down-the-middle blog views of Scotusblog.com. Its entry from today gives a quick overview of the facts. Nicer yet, the blog post links to about a dozen helpful sources with additional comments on the case.

The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that corporations have no right of personal privacy to prevent the release of documents requested through the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The unusual feature was an 8-0 unanimous ruling, at a time when some critics have said the current Roberts court tilts in favor of business. The court ruling is here.

The ruling was written by Chief Justice John Roberts. It reverses an appeals court ruling in favor of AT&T.

 “The protection in FOIA against disclosure of law enforcement information on the ground that it would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy does not extend to corporations,” Roberts wrote. “We trust that AT&T will not take it personally.”

The case stems from requests by a trade group, which includes some AT&T competitors, for documents that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) obtained during an investigation of possible overcharges committed by AT&T in a government contract.

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled in favor of AT&T, and the trade group appealed that decision.

While the ruling states there is no “personal” level of privacy for corporations, this decision still leaves corporations protections from broad FOIA requests.

Current laws prohibit the release of trade secrets and information that allows people to be personally identified.

In the AT&T case, the FCC had released some of the information under an open records request, but withheld other documents because of concerns that business secrets or humans' privacy might be compromised. 

Justice Elena Kagan abstained from the ruling as she worked on the case on behalf of the FCC.