VoIP Blog - Tehrani.com

« June 2, 2005 | Main | June 4, 2005 »

iPod Sales Dip

Say it isnt so. Apple’s iPod sales are slowing. Is this possible? The once super-coveted music player may possibly be on the decline in sales growth. According to this iPod Article, sales are flat or declining for most models.

In my opinion a new model needs to be introduced. As many people know, the company has been working with Motorola to come up with an iPod phone. The problem is the few service providers in the US don’t want such a device on their networks as they would prefer to sell the songs over their wireless networks instead.

I bet this phone would have been out by now if the service providers had worked with Apple. This may have been the product that could have kept the sales of these once white-hot devices humming along (both puns intended).

| This entry was posted at 4:35 PM. | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Link this | Email this | Leave comment
Trackback URL: iPod Sales Dip
Technorati Del.icio.us BoingBoing Slashdot Digg Spurl Furl

Supercomm Happenings

I would love to have you come hear me speak at SuperComm Monday and even if you can’t make the session, stop by our Supercomm party on Tuesday night. Please RSVP. We expect to max the venue. So far we have a good deal of vendors, service providers, press and analysts signed up to attend.

I have only been to the Sears Tower once and remember having to take multiple elevators to get to the floor I needed to go to. Chicago is a great city but when I was at the tower most recently it was freezing out and ice was falling off the building. They had to rope off the sidewalk to minimize ice hitting pedestrians! Thankfully the weather should be milder next week and hopefully the views of the city will be as incredible as I hear they are.

Remember we will have a photographer there and a few of the Lovabulls to take photos with.

| This entry was posted at 12:49 PM. | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Link this | Email this | Leave comment
Trackback URL: Supercomm Happenings
Technorati Del.icio.us BoingBoing Slashdot Digg Spurl Furl

FCC Martin on Broadband

David Isenberg has a great post on the FCC and Kevin Martin’s priorities. Apparently Martin says that broadband is the number priority of the FCC.

Here are some key quotes:

Getting broadband rules right "will involve not only making sure we have the right regulatory framework for that infrastructure, but addressing issues like what are the services that ride over that infrastructure and what are the social obligations that go along with that like the expectation that people have to connect to local public safety officials."

"The free market is a better way for delivering innovation to consumers," he said. "The most important role of government in that sense is setting an environment in which the benefits of that free market can flow to consumers."

All I can say is thank you Chairman Martin. We in the VoIP world can breathe a sigh of relief as without broadband competition – which is of course what I assume is meant by all of this, we can’t truly enjoy  the full benefits of VoIP. Between my satellite entry and now this I have high hopes for the future. Sure Martin says that broadband has been the priority all along but this renewed commitment is what is exciting for the market as a whole.

| This entry was posted at 11:29 AM. | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Link this | Email this | Leave comment
Trackback URL: FCC Martin on Broadband
Technorati Del.icio.us BoingBoing Slashdot Digg Spurl Furl

Barrales For Open FCC Seat

According to an article I just came across, Bush is considering Ruben Barrales to dill one of the empty commissioner seats. Barrales serves as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and is Bush's liaison to state governments and other localized officials. Before joining the White House in 2001, he was CEO of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network - an organization promoting the regions' businesses.

Barrales looks to be the President's alternate choice if Rebecca Klein turns down the FCC job. Klein may choose to become chair of the Federal Energy Regulation Commission instead. Meanwhile, the other FCC seat is most likely guaranteed to Christine Kurth, telecom aide to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens.

| This entry was posted at 7:34 AM. | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Link this | Email this | Leave comment
Trackback URL: Barrales For Open FCC Seat
Technorati Del.icio.us BoingBoing Slashdot Digg Spurl Furl

Satellite Internet – It’s Back

I remember in the mid nineties – was it 1995? -- I was at an Internet World show in LA and I met with people from DirecPC, a division of DirecTV who extolled the virtues of browsing by satellite. I was intrigued but never tried the service. According to the WSJ a new effort is underway from a number of companies to provide us once again with satellite Internet service. When I say “us” I mean people in rural areas as prices for such services are not cheap.

WildBlue Communications in fact, one of such providers is going to charge $299-$479 for equipment plus $49.95 for basic service. The download speed of the service should be around 1.5 megabits per second. DirecWay (formerly DirecPC) charges slightly more for their service as well as their installation.

The problem with Satellite – and cable for that matter, is upload speed which ranges from 128 kbps to 200 kbps for WildBlue.

The rural market could see competition drive prices down. If broadband over power line becomes reality and WiMAX really happens, we can all expect lower prices for broadband. I trust the FCC will be doing everything they can to foster a strong competitive environment for broadband.

Many of us talk about VoIP competition and how important it is. While this is true, it is really broadband competition that is needed to ensure a vibrant VoIP market. Having the cable companies and LECs as the dominant broadband providers is not the best solution for consumers. We need more competition and I welcome satellite as the renewed way to access the high speed internet.

If you are interested in learning more about broadband over power lines, check out BPL Today.

| This entry was posted at 6:30 AM. | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Link this | Email this | Leave comment
Trackback URL: Satellite Internet – It’s Back
Technorati Del.icio.us BoingBoing Slashdot Digg Spurl Furl