On Rad's Radar? - spectrum Archives

Cellular Mayhem

2012-05-18T17:46:16Z

Just looking at the news makes me think that the cellular industry is having a week of mayhem. Besides the mess I wrote about earlier this week, "US wholesale player LightSquared has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid efforts to resolve regulatory issues that have prevented it from launching its satellite service," according to Telecoms. "The carrier has been planning to build a ground-based LTE network, supported by satellites, but the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) blocked the project, stating that the proposed mobile broadband network will impact GPS services and that there is no practical way to mitigate the potential interference." That about spells it all out. Last I read Philip Falcone wants the FCC to give Lightsquared better spectrum.

WISPA stormed DC this week to plead at the FCC and Congress for more unlicensed spectrum. Everyone wants more spectrum, but only WISPA will settle for unlicensed spectrum. WISP's make a lot out of a little. Cellcos make a mess out of an abundance, which just goes to show that when you are too big to fail, you will fumble a lot.

Speaking of fumbling, AT&T is in talks with Leap Wireless. Yeah. AT&T needs to acquire more spectrum. How about you and all the rest of you just deploy the spectrum you already have? How about you have to give it back if it isn't lit in a year?

I like this comparison by the NYT: Sprint as a downer and AT&T Mobility as techno-Pollyanna. Sprint might be right about mobile payments, since I don't trust the cellcos enough to be my wallet. I have a wallet. A leather one. I trust AMEX. I understand the rules of using VISA. I have Paypal. What more do I need? Do I really need to spend my money faster?

The Big 4 Cellco execs riffed at CTIA. Yawn.

AT&T ripped into FCC Chair again and threatened price increases: "In the case of wireless, without additional capacity, which would have been created by our transaction, prices rise," said AT&T Senior Vice President Jim Cicconi." So you mismanage your network, can't buy your competition, whine about the FCC and then raise rates. Awesome! We have names for people like you.

You know I have a problem with Sprint and its CEO, but this headline takes the cake: A Better Network is Coming! Really? Could be get a worse network?

,p>T-Mobile thinks that VZ's deal with SpectrumCo (the cable alliance) is bad for everyone. "T-Mobile USA would like to have a chance to bid on the spectrum Verizon Wireless is looking to buy." Well, make a bid then. Sheesh.

The Union is against the VZW-Cable deal, "could mean the end of a competitive telecommunications landscape, saddling consumers with higher prices and diminished choice." Well, that and the Union doesn't get a piece of the deal. I do agree that this will end all competition, since the competition is a Duopoly. Now they would be working together.

Some Stuff Happened While I Was on Daycation

2012-04-23T18:23:04Z

I was taking today and tomorrow off to visit with some pals but the news won't quit.

In the I-can't-stand-it zone, the University of Florida decides that TD's are more important than IT and cuts the Computer Science Department. Just when Florida is playing host to the Rupublican Convention and is looking to make a name for itself, that name becomes DUM or MUD. In a time when we need more science and computer nerds, the state U decides to go a different way.

In Tampa, the former CEO of Savvis has closed his e-commerce company, Savtira, after a flurry of promises to hire 200 people and a number of odg and pony shows about the hot future. Apparently, he has done this before.

Cbeyond has decided that traditional agents are not its future. The Cloud has different demands and demands different partners.

Coresite bought Comfluent to enter the Denver market. "Comfluent plays a vital role in the interconnection community in the western U.S., serving more than 75 customers and managing the Rocky Mountain Internet eXchange (RMIX), the region's largest Internet exchange with access to more than 25 networks. Comfluent currently leases two sites that total approximately 9,300 NRSF," according to the SunHerald

Verizon Wireless wants its deal with the cablecos / SpectrumCo to go through, so it promised to sell off some spectrum. T-Mobile and others think that is just smoke and the deal should still be axed. [see here and there]

Tucows, a domain registrar and fellow ISPCON standard, runs an MVNO called TING.

Vodafone is bidding $1.7B USD to buy Cable & Wireless, according to Rueters

Linux talent will be important in 2013, especially in data centers, reports the Channel Insider

Alex Doyle left Broadsoft for Polycom. Good luck at the new position, Alex!

from Tony: An Insider's Guide to Technology Analysts

Dean Parker, CEO of Callis in Mobile, AL, has been selected in the top 12 finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Alabama/Tennessee/ Georgia region.

What a Crazy Monday

2012-03-19T18:02:05Z

So Zayo is buying AboveNet for $2.2B.

Avaya bought RADVision for $230M. Conferencing is making a lot of noise. As David Byrd points out, "It is clear that video conferencing is growing in importance in the market.... is the market big enough to support them and others attempting to stake out market share. Vidyo, ooVoo, Skype, Polycom, ShoreTel and others are all battling it out to deliver video conferencing either as a desktop offering or major telepresence in conference rooms." Byrd forgot Google, who has made video chat with G+ Hangouts stupid easy. Easier than Skype, since there isn't any software to download.

AT&T quietly settles the iPhone data cap case. Quietly because they don't want a rash of these lawsuits, even if it only costs $900 to settle. Will there be a rush to the small claims courts?

This headline killed it this morning: "Bernstein Downgrades Sprint, Notes Bankruptcy Risk". It being Sprint's stock, which dropped. Is Sprint in risk of BK? Not in the near term (2012 or 2013). Maybe in 2014 if it has to pay Apple for unused iPhones. See Bernstein thinks that the iPhone 5 which will utilize the 4G network will hurt Sprint who doesn't yet have a nationwide 4G network. Why not? Sprint just opted out of the LightSquared deal that the federal government all but kaboshed. Clearwire can't get it's act together. (Even with a deal with NetZero for free 4G data!) Bernstein stated that Sprint didn't have spectrum for 4G, which isn't true, since Clearwire has Sprint's spectrum combined with others to have a big chunk in most markets. Also, with roaming agreements in place, Sprint can use AT&T or other 4G carriers, although that will be costly. Sprint has a Brand isuue. Not to mention an under-utilized fiber network. BTW, CNET has a story about the 4G spectrum issues.

LightSquared has chosen to yell at the FCC and demand replacement spectrum. LightSquared said that the FCC action violates its constitutional property rights. What a bunch of BS!! The DOD said you can't use the spectrum. Period. You don't OWN the spectrum. You have a license to USE the spectrum - as it was deemed in said license. The LightSquared spectrum was licensed for satellite usage, not terrestrial broadband usage. "LightSquared's spectrum holdings (between 1525MHz and 1660.5 MHz) are close to the GPS satellite signals," reported ARS. And even more about the challenge that LightSquared faces from the Laws of Physics. LightSquared has offered to swap spectrum with the Dept. of Defense.. Corporate welfare clowns annoy me.

Creditors Want Zenith Infotech to Liquidate

Where Will the Revenue Come From?

2012-03-02T16:00:45Z

The screaming you hear is coming from execs at the global cellcos. For years we have been hearing how voice will be free. (Hasn't happened yet, but it has flat rated.) Now it seems the text messaging revenue arm is decreasing - 9% from last year globally.

According to this article, "Pinger and an explosion of smartphone messaging services -- like iMessage, BlackBerry Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber Media, Facebook Messenger and KakaoTalk -- have managed in just a few years to slash away at the important revenue that cell phone companies get from text messaging. Analysts say there's no end in sight to the financial blood letting."

This explains all the metering and bandwidth caps. Revenue is flat for cellular so they need to make it up in data revenue. When you are spending $7-9 Billion per year on the network, plus paying for roaming and having to buy spectrum, you want ARPU and revenue to go up.

There is also all this envy to Apple, Google and other cloud companies that are making money from apps, shopping and usage that the cellcos are not getting a piece of.

I think it is also why a good many cell phones do not have wi-fi. That tends to work two ways though: wi-fi is capacity offload while the customer is still paying you a monthly rate. Wi-fi upload may be how they save some money on capacity upgrades. Wi-fi capability in teh handset would also be a way to appease the folks who get throttled or capped. However, that doesn't help the carrier revenues. They just don't want to be a dump pipe, but every move they make seems dumb.

T-Mobile's Next Move

2012-02-24T15:49:41Z

T-Mobile to Pump $4 Billion Into Network, 4G LTE Buildout. This is T-Mobile's next move on the heels of getting fiber and billions in cash from AT&T after the merger was nixed by the government agencies.

I have to laugh at this because Clearwire has clearly (heh) spent more than $4B to only partially build out a nationwide 4G network. How will T-Mobile do it for $4B?

Google is cutting its losses and selling its stake in Clearwire for $47 million, a tenth of the price it originally paid. What does that say?

AT&T's CEO had his pay cut over the debacle of the merger. Across the board - and it pains me immensely to say this - only VZW seems to have a clear cut strategy that they are executing on. Sprint and AT&T need new management. I have said it before and I will state it again: Hesse is not helping Sprint at all. He has had ample time to fix Sprint -- yet he has not. Like IBM bring in Lou, Sprint needs an outsider to come in and shake it up to make it competitive.

Rumors this morning are that Sprint was in talks to acquire MetroPCS. Bloomberg, Reuters and others reported that the Board vetoed the deal as a sign that they have lost faith in Hesse. Uh, hello! That's what I have been saying.

I'm shopping for a new cell phone (to replace my Blackberry) and friends pointed out that Sprint hasn't had a new phone since the iPhone. And subsidizing the iPhone is hurting all 3 carriers in the wallet. Devices are what drive cellular sales. Smartphones, tablets, netbooks, data cards, Mi-Fi hotspots -- all contribute to sales and ARPU increases. When you have a tired inventory, retention and acquisition of customers is challenged.

What else?

There's still DISH out there with its spectrum and desire to build out a 4G network. One has to wonder if DISH will hire Nokia Siemens Networks or Ericcson to build and manage its 4G network.

Don't forget LightSquared. LSQD is cutting staff - all but the lawyers, those they are doubling down on to sue the FCC and the DOD.

A scandal surrounds the Obama Administration for perhaps helping LightSquared to the detriment of OpenRange - at least that's what HotAir is saying. I don't think another extension would have helped OpenRange get out of its massive debt.

Peak and MetroPCS are still in play. Who will play with them? As I mentioned above about the devices driving sales, Peak, MetroPCS and US Cellular have been to the FCC to complain about the big 3 locking them out of the hottest devices. While there has been talk about Peak and MetroPCS being bought, US Cellular is 81% owned by TDS, so they aren't in play.

VZW will be fighting to the cable spectrum, since T-Mobile and others think that the deal is too good for VZW+cable, bad for everyone esle. For one thing, the deal creates a joint venture corporation that allows the 4 companies - BHN, TWC, VZW, Comcast - to spend a lot of time together (and that can't be good for competition - what little there is).

Why the FCC will likely say yes anyway: Because they have to.

All this activity doesn't make it easy to sell these carriers. It makes the bankers happy though -- and that's not usually a good thing.

One final cell story: AT&T lost a small claims court case against an iPhone user for throttling. AT&T is appealling. Apparently, it can't afford any losses for this network management strategy. I think it is a case of false advertising across the board. Like everything else about broadband, it's never what is advertised and you are always stuck in a box due to ridiculous contract terms.

FCC is Busy!

2012-02-07T20:54:35Z

The FCC is really busy!

The FCC is still working on Inter-Carrier Compensation. It ordered Rural Call Completion.

It approved TWC's $3B bid for Insight. "Time Warner Cable last August agreed to buy Insight for $3 billion in cash. The nation's No. 2 cable operator will acquire control of Insight by merging Insight into Derby Merger Sub Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TWC, with Insight as the surviving entity, according to the FCC. Insight will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of TWC," according to Multi-Channel.

The FCC is looking for comments on NFL Black out. (So is the Florida Legislature, since the stadiums are publicly supported.) 16 games blacked out this year included 7 by my Bucs. That's not any way to treat fans or build up a fan base.

Engadget reports, "Back in December, the FCC approved the first white space device and database for the lucky city of Wilmington, North Carolina....Spectrum Bridge finally launched its TV White Space (TVWS) network in Carolina, as part of Wilmington's ongoing "Smart City" initiative."

The Lifeline program for low-income households has also been re-vamped by this Commission. There is a $25 million pilot program for Lifeline for broadband to see if there are cost savings. [PCworld]

Clearly, the FCC is working on a lot of business. Here are some other topics:

USF Reform
Inter-Carrier Comp rules
VZW-SpectrumCo spectrum deal
LightSquared spectrum usage and GPS interference
Reversal of Verizon's forbearance in 2006>/li>
Next Gen 911 framework.
NANPA Numbering resources (access to DID numbers)

A lot to keep track of.

Verizon Puts the Move on Video

2012-02-06T15:26:03Z

After Verizon's CFO sais that FiOS was a poor economic decision for the company, I would think video would not be on the VZ radar. The FiOS TV service is so expensive to deliver that Frontier raised rates over 70% when it took over former VZ FiOS territory -- and then decided to switch all the TV over to DBS.

Comcast buying NBCU was a little different, but cablecos have owned channels before, especially sports channels (MSG, YES, BayNews9).

Maybe the TV-cord-cutting crowd is scaring the cablecos, despite the rhetoric to The Street. Content is expensive to license and to deliver. And getting more expensive all the time. Meanwhile more video is being delivered as bits and bytes by Netflix, Amazon, the networks (USA, Comedy Central, ABC, CBS and CW - all have shows that can only be seen on-demand from thier website) and apps (HBO-on-the-Go and TWC Anywhere, for example). This means that TV revenues WILL decline.

How does the Duopoly make up the money and pay off the $250 Billion in debt it has accumulated????

Metering is one way. It increases the ARPU.

BTW, I find it interesting how the RBOC's have basically given up on DSL.

So VZ is now partnering with the Coinstar subsidiary, Redbox, to launch a video streaming service to compete with Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

This means that ATT will HAVE to go after DISH. Why? The wireless spectrum primarily but also DISH owns Blockbuster, satellive TV service, and Slingbox. Telco is a me-too industry. Unless ATT is going to abandon theh consumer space, relinquish it to the cablecos, it will have to make a move soon.

While Echostar owns Hughes Communications, the DISH company bought up spectrum from DBSD and Terrestar that DISH plans on utilizing to offer a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile broadband service. Today, DISH has a market cap of almost $13B, while Netflix is at $7B. Since spectrum is finite and like real estate, the extra $6B seems like a steal. Consider that AT&T bought spectrum from Qualcomm for $2B. That spectrum, which, according to Huffington, "Qualcomm stands to make a handsome profit on the spectrum. It paid $38 million for one slice of nationwide spectrum - the former UHF channel 55 - in 2002, then another $558 million in 2008 for UHF channel 56 over New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco." Qualcomm was using that spectrum for FLO TV, which failed. It consists of six D-block and five E-block licenses in the Lower 700 MHz band, giving AT&T post-transaction holding between 6 and 80 megahertz of spectrum below 1 GHz. Holding is key, because, like all cellcos whining about spectrum, AT&T HAS spectrum it has not deployed.

AT&T says it needs the spectrum, especially if VZW gets the SpectrumCo deal to go through whereby VZW buys all the AWS spectrum from the cablecos. So do the Rural Cellular Carriers. Makes DISH a big target for acquisition. However, Charlie Ergan still owns 51%.

It's a Mobile Monday

2012-01-30T16:51:18Z

It's a mobile Monday as I get set to pack up to head to ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami Beach.

Yahoo was being Yahoo this morning as it announced - in the same breath - that it has launched a "Mobile First" mindset, then shut down 10 mobile apps. Granted, some of them were not doing well (like Yahoo itself), but it's schizophrenic to do it on the same day.

Patent house Klausner Technologies sues MetroPCS for Visual Voicemail Infringement. That's always fun - and profitable for the patent house. Hopefully, in this case, it doesn't mess up the consumers' experiences.

AT&T is now supporting DISH Network at the FCC on its deployment and usage of spectrum in the 2 GHz range that it acquired from bankruptcy court via TerreStar Networks and DBSD North America. In the Fierce article, it is suggested that the support is because AT&T has eyes for DISH spectrum. And as you have read, the rumor mill has AT&T bidding on DISH - for less than what T-Mobile would have cost. It will depend on the FCC rules on the spectrum.

Both Verizon and AT&T had bad quarters. AT&T attributed its $6.7B bad quarter to its $3B T-Mobile acquisition break-up fee. Some of it may be due to having too much focus on the merger you thought for certain was going to pass. VZ blamed pension liabilities on its loss. Windstream changed its pension accounting method.

Not for nothing, but the pension liabilities that VZ and CenturyLink (via Embarq) owe SHOULD have been funded all along -- not in lump sum, quarter killing fashion. I wonder if this is a boat anchor that will sink them?

While AT&T whines at the FCC about a "clear spectrum policy", can I remind that of a few things? One, you have spectrum. Deploy what you have! And try not to mismanage it this time, so your top execs don't have to explain it to Congress again! Two, what spectrum do you want auctioned off? There simply, at this time, isn't any. You and your ilk have bought it all up, horded it, did not deploy it, and screwed the pooch that is mobile data networks in America. Your pals at CTIA didn't plan well for the future either. Did you think that the spectrum was unlimited?

In more AT&T whining, there is this article about the roaming rules and how Sprint is free-loading. My understanding about spectrum was that deployment was required - with an expiration date. What happened to that? Where is the enforcement?

In cool news: Sprint has a $100 7-inch ZTE Android tablet coming out!

Woes: AT&T, Spectrum, Yahoo, RIM

2012-01-17T22:16:09Z

How badly does AT&T need spectrum now that the T-Mobile deal is dead? According to analysts (who are likely just trying to get press and pump up some stocks so they can make short term gains), AT&T has to make a move soon. T-Mobile does too.

I find this interesting because AT&T and T-Mobile are sitting on spectrum that they have not deployed. If you needed it that bad, you would use what you have - at least for now.

Let's look at Clearwire as a 4G wholesaler. Clearwire has a ton of spectrum - not all of it deployed obviously, because they need money badly to operate what they have deployed and to build out the rest of their nationwide network. T-Mobile could partner with Clearwire for 4G.

T-Mobile could also outsource their 4G network to someone like Nokia Siemens (NSN).

There is also Lightsquared. Oh, wait. The DOD kind of put the nix on that idea.

That must be why the analysts are bullish on DISH - and AT&T buying DISH. As a bonus, AT&T gets satellite TV and Blockbuster. That must be to counter Verizon buying Netflix.

MetroPCS and Leap are still in play in the bankers world of M&A. In the past, these two have had failed merger attempts, but this is a new dawn. Meanwhile, MetroPCS, which wanted to buy leftovers from the AT&T-T-Mobile merger, is saying that they could use Clearwire spectrum, too. Well, sign a wholesale agreement, Mr. Lindquist.

Today, we have both the FCC and CTIA stating that consumers will require 500 MHz of spectrum for bandwidth usage in the future. What they are really saying is that all spectrum will belong to 4 companies for all reasons - radio, TV and cell. You watch.

Comcast bought NBCU. Most MSO's own sports channels like MSG and YES. If Clear Channel, the mouth of Bain Capital's former managing partner (Romney), goes BK in 2014 as predicted, it won't be long before the radio, TV, news and cell are all owned by 4 companies: ATT, VZ, Comcast and Cox. That's my prediction by 2015.

in other news:

Jerry Yang, Yahoo's co-founder, has quit all positions at the company. This move comes as Wall Street is rattling sabers about selling yahoo off in pieces - even though PayPal's Scott Thompson just signed on for the top job at the struggling search company. Thompson has a big job on front of him. Let's hope that Yahoo isn't the next Kodak.

Another troubled company, RIM, maker of my Blackberry, reportedly is in talks to sell to Samsung, HTC, or anyone.

Oh, yeah, one more rumor: Sprint merging with T-Mobile after buying Clearwire.

The Lightsquared Predicament

2012-01-09T16:33:25Z

Lightsquared is facing numerous obstacles on its way to launching a nationwide (*cough*cough*) 4G network with its spectrum.

One obstacle: MONEY! Sprint gave them until next month to start or lose the Sprint investment (which Sprint needs to continue to fund Clearwire).

2nd obstacle: GPS! Studies show that the spectrum - which abuts the GPS spectrum - interferes with GPS about 70% of the time.

3rd obstacle: Congress. A new Defense bill in Congress will make it harder for Lightsquared to use the spectrum. The bill requires the FCC to wait until all issues with interference are cleared up. That could take a while - if ever, since no one checks power output on radio transmissions.

IMO, it's unlikely Lightsquared will ever get this off the ground, which means that the spectrum that DISH owns will become significant. It also means that if Clearwire can get its act together, it could become the go-to 4G supplier for a lot of companies - like T-Mobile, Sprint, Leap, Cricket, US Cellular, etc.

4G is in Trouble

2011-12-20T21:45:13Z

AT&T had to give up the acquisition of T-Mobile.

LightSquared is almost out of money, says Reuters.

Clearwire needs money - not only to build out the two 4G networks it has promised to Sprint (WIMAX and LTE), but to continue operating.

VZW has been quietly buying up all the AWS and other spectrum it can get, which - if it gets through the DOJ and the FCC - would be devastating to everyone but VZW. If the cablecos actually start bundling VZW with their triple-play, as Forbes is betting, Clearwire - and subsequently Sprint - could be in trouble.

The top 4 cablecos account for most of the consumer broadband and a huge swash of the US. Partnering with VZW - which seems so weird to me - means that

Sprint has MVNO deals with Cbeyond, TelePacific and XO. It used to have a deal with Pivot, a cable consortium. (I think EarthLink is also with Sprint.) It needs more. It needs CenturyLink and Windstream to be an MVNO customer. So does T-Mobile.

At this point, LightSquared has other issues besides money; they have GPS interference issues to deal with.

Clearwire just needs money to build and run. It needs customers who sign on for a minimum buy. T-Mobile could be one of them. So could WIND and C-Link.

Meanwhile, DISH is quietly fiddling with its spectrum plans. No idea what they will do. But except for VZW, right now, 4G in the US is a mess, which directly impacts our economy.

What is Wrong with AT&T

2011-12-19T18:28:52Z

In recent weeks, AT&T has been hit with a blizzard of bad news.

It's 3Q2011 earnings were off estimates. It's merger with T-Mobile is looking less and less likely with the FCC report, its own smoking gun and the DOJ trial. It received horrible ratings for customer service - again. It was caught up in the CarrierIQ rootkit mess.

The only good news was that it was able to buy the Qualcomm spectrum. This purchase won't solve many of its issues but it will give the network some breathing room. (Unless the same engineers who admittedly mismanaged the wireless network before are still at work at Ma Bell.)

Today, a notice was released that AT&T Southeast has exhausted its VLAN numbers in Atlanta and South Florida LATA's for Metro Ethernet. It's utterly mind boggling to me. Would you let AT&T manage your network?

IN other news, VZW scooped up even more AWS spectrum from Cox for $315M. It looks like VZW has sales agent agreements in place with 4 MSO's now - Bright House, Cox, Comcast and TW Cable. Can you say leaving my competition in the dust?

While AT&T was mired down with the merger - and Sprint was stumbling over that same merger - VZW has been taking the necessary steps to win the cellular race. Will Sprint or AT&T be able to catch up?

LightSquare, GPS, ADTRAN and West

2011-12-12T20:56:24Z

ADTRAN "announced today that it plans to acquire, through an asset sale and purchase agreement, the Nokia Siemens Networks fixed line Broadband Access business (BBA), and associated professional services and network management solutions. The planned acquisition would include the Broadband Access intellectual properties, technologies and the established customer base." This gets ADTRAN some revenue and a foot into International customers.

IN other acquisition news, HyberCube is being bought by West Corp.

"West Corporation, a leading provider of technology-driven, voice and data solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire HyperCube LLC, a premier provider of tandem switching services to telecommunications providers. .... Founded in 2005 and backed from its inception by Kamine Credit Corporation, Annex Capital and Chambers Street Investors, HyperCube has rapidly grown to become a leading provider of toll-free origination services in the United States. HyperCube's unique network provides neutral interconnection services for all types of providers, including wireless, wireline, and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). Hypercube currently serves eight of the top ten largest wireless companies in the U.S.

That's an interesting grab for West Corp, which bought Intercall (conferencing) and Smoothstome (Hosted PBX). Now to grab some toll-free minutes. Maybe its just a revenue play.

Luckily, T-Mobile knows where's its bread can get buttered: T-Mobile Keeps Eyes On The Channel Amid AT&T Merger Turmoil

According to its own press, LightSquared Has Now Signed More Than 30 Wholesale Customers. Clearwire's financial stability coupled with the SpectrumCo-VZW deal has probably helped. Or maybe LSqd was giving it away cheap just to get commitments, some cash and some buzz. However, that GPS issue won't go away. A document leaked to Bloomberg states that 75% of GPS devices experience interference. OOPS!

LSqd called for an investigation stating that only select data was leaked and it was misleading. Personally, I don't think it is misleading. There are few radio operators that have a tight control of the power and frequency that they broadcast on. GPS was their first, LSqd. Too bad. (Plus you don't have the cash to do it anyway!)

Sprint Deals With Clearwire

2011-12-05T21:50:07Z

The best details of the Sprint-Clearwire deal is at Marketwatch, but Tammy Wolf at TMC did a good job, too. Clearwire gets "up to $1.6 billion over the next four years in payments for WiMAX services, possible pre-payments for LTE services and potential equity investments" from Sprint. "Sprint will pay Clearwire a total of $926 million, approximately two-thirds of which will be paid in 2012, for unlimited 4G WiMAX retail services during 2012 and 2013, subject to certain conditions." So Clearwire is stuck with WiMAX until like 2015 while also building an LTE network. The speculation begins: is $1.6B enough for Clearwire? Who will buy the bundle (Sprint-Clearwire)? The Senate wants to know more about Lightsquared. DISH wants someone to build it an LTE network. VZW picked up the SpectrumCo 20 MHz from the cablecos. The cablecos will now be selling VZW services to its customers as an authorized VZW sales agent. (Isn't that stupid?)

Well That Was Unsatisfying

2011-12-02T16:47:51Z

Tuesday night was kind of the last straw. While watching CinemaNow through my LG Blu-Ray player, the movie - 30 Minutes or Less - must have stopped to buffer 10 times and actually stopped 3 times - in 90 minutes!

I called my ISP, BHN of Tampa Bay, which is always interesting. First, they remotely re-boot the modem. Then you call back if that didn't fix anything. Then they make you do a speed test from their local site, which showed 8 MB x 0.8 MB. As I explained to tech support, that test doesn't mean anything except that last mile is good. I'm testing from Tampa servers that are On-Net! Then I tested with the FCC speed test site and DSL Reports test, which all gave different answers. Natch.

So the tech sets an appointment for today. "Maybe it's the modem." The tech shows up, looks at the modem and my router, and has me run a speed test from BHN. It comes back at almost 10MB x 1MB. "We're good here," he says and starts to leave. "What?!" I said. "I'm just the middle man here. The test shows you are getting your speed." with that he left.

The speed test only tests last mile - the controlled loop that is On-Net. The Internet is off net! My issues are that I have congestion to most streaming sites, which means that BHN network management is pretty poor. I don't know if they peer with YouTube or Level3 or Limelight or if they purchase transit from Level3, but that pipe is maxed out.

I get a mailer from VZ thrice a week to move to FiOS.

I pay $141 for triple-play plus an extra IP and the HD DVR. Granted the VZ price will be over $100 with fees, but I will get the NFL Network just in time (BHN doesn't carry it) and maybe an a better Internet experience. Who knows? The downside is that it will take VZ two days, a lot of holes in my walls and 4 pieces of equipment to install it.

Without a bundle, like buying DirecTV and Internet separate, the consumer gets raped. Way more than $100 per month.

I don't mind paying the money --- just give me what I pay for! BHN in 2 years has replaced the set-top box twice and visited 3 other times now. That's expensive for BHN and no fun for me. BHN didn't even try to upsell me to wideband or lightning or anything.

Anyway!

Today, VZW announced that it will buy SpectrumCo.'s 122 advanced wireless services (AWS) spectrum licenses, covering 259 million users, for $3.6 Billion. SpectrumCo. is a joint venture between Comcast Corporation, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. This deal needs FCC approval.

Does this mean that cable is giving up on 4G? No. According to the BizJournal, the cablecos will become authorized agents to sell VZW products -- and at a future date become wholesale customers (MVNO).

FYI, ISP's are going about data caps the wrong way. Nice article.