Peter : On Rad's Radar?
Peter
| Peter Radizeski of RAD-INFO, Inc. talking telecom, Cloud, VoIP, CLEC, and The Channel.

cellular

Is Google a Thief?

February 18, 2010

Google CEO Eric Schmidt made enough of an impression at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week that Yankee Group blogged about it. Google at the MWC.

Much criticism against Google is that they steal from book publishers, TV and movie producers, and newspapers. TechDirt regularly provides case studies of how much malarchy this is.

Is it the Regulatory Environment?

February 9, 2010

In a twitter exchange with Erik Cecil, former regulatory counsel at Level3, we were dialoging about the Fairpoint bankruptcy. (FairPoint aims to cut debt by two-thirds).

My reply stated, "Just 2 years after the deal w/VZ to create an unstable Fairpoint despite opposition, Fairpoint screws everyone." By everyone, I mean the customers, the economy, the state, the PUC who approved the deal despite being against it (And Erik, you think there is regulation?), the workers, the Union, shareholders and the debt holders. I actually don't care about the last two, because both should have known it was going to go POOF!

Mitel MVNO Means Money

February 5, 2010

Mitel has signed an MVNO deal (TMC video) in order to maximize on its PBX business as it relates to the mobile workforce.  It's one thing to have an application that loads on some smartphones and will talk to the PBX. It's a whole other pool of thought to go make a deal with a cellco to resell their network so that your mobility piece of the PBX puzzle can be better integrated.

As expected, here's why I think this will fail:

  • Most MVNO agreements end in flames - ESPN, Disney, Helio, Virgin Mobile. 
  • The cellular pie is flattening, so how much room is there for another carrier.
  • The current price feud between ATT and VZW means shrinking margins.
  • Contracts, cool phones and fulfillment.
Mitel's Mobility play will encourage more minutes of use and more MB's of data -- all of which they have to pay for (like Cbeyond does) as a metered service. This will also eat into margins.

How do you get around the fact that most people are under a contract already for cell service? Or that many folks want their iPhone (or other cool, preferred handset)?

Wow Mobile: Another Scheme

January 26, 2010

Why is it that everyone thinks that there are quick ways to make money? The only way to make quick money is to steal it. 

The new MLM scheme is Wow Mobile. Although the Wow reps state it is not a multi-level marketing plan. Really?

Bandwidth is Finite

January 25, 2010

I hear lots of cheering for WiMax, 3G, 4G, broadband, etc. HD Voice and all these mobile apps. Video calls and Internet TV. All that over a set of pipes that the owners have been unwilling to upgrade.

So we have all this promise with mobility and video.

Cellular Blues

December 12, 2009

It's a blue holiday for the cellular networks. Apparently, AT&T would like you to use your iPhone way less than you are. It's abusing their already tired network. The funniest response to this was by Fake Steve, who also happens to point out that the only innovation is in financial engineering.

VZW has doubled early termination fees for smartphones. The FCC is looking in to that.

Sprint is raising fees (that look like taxes but aren't) because they need some profit.



Battle of the Maps

November 30, 2009

Cellular companies have some of the lamest ad campaigns. Apparently, the marketing folks AND their ad agencies are SO far removed from the consumers that they don't even know what message to spend millions on.

What difference does a coverage map make to the average consumer? Your phone either works or doesn't. Most folks I know buy a phone based on where they spend the most time.

Battle of the Bells

November 25, 2009

On the ChannelVision LinkedIn Group, there is a discussion about the ad wars between VZW and AT&T Mobility. Ho hum. Who cares? One Bell battling another like two children.  Every time I see the AT&T ads, I think, "Weak!"

Doesn't AT&T listen to its customer base?

Open Neutral Fair

November 20, 2009

There are a bunch of debates raging over the telecommunications infrastructure. 

Congress has looked at Open Access bills for cellular networks. By this we mean that a consumer can use any available handset or device on any cell network. This is kind of the Carterphone concept for cellular.

The 700 MHz auction had open access provisions built right in, so VZW's 4G/LTE network will need to incorporate Open Access.

Spectrum is a finite resource. TV, radio, public safety and the cell companies all share access to various licensed spectrums.





Mainly Cellular News Tidbits

November 19, 2009

American Tower is buying 196 Towers from Cincinnati Bell (CellNews)-- Outsourcing of Network Infrastructure continues.

Mobile Backhaul Equipment Market to Jump 60% in 2009 to $5.9 Billion (CellNews) Qwest and cable companies are all over fiber backhaul from cell towers. More smartphones means more bandwidth needed from each cell site - and NxT1 won't cut it. Using wireless backhaul won't either as the big boys don't want to use Unlicensed nor use up their precious paid-for spectrum on backhaul.

Featured Events