|
In this section we will provide links to industry news,
trends, reports, and comments that will be of interest to
followers of xG Technology.
6/26/2008
According to a report by Frost & Sullivan analyst Luke
Thomas (covered
here by vnunet.com), mobile WiMAX faces an uncertain
future unless spectrum auctions and commercial rollouts
happen before the end of the year.
6/24/2008
The market opportunity for WiMAX, and the difficulties it
may have in offering a value proposition, are discussed
in this tmcnet article.
6/23/2008
Difficulties in integrating Google's Android-based handset
have
delayed its release from middle of this year to last
quarter, at the earliest.
6/9/2008
Mobile WiMAX's "hidden problem" - its inefficient use of
power and the negative implications for battery life - are
discussed in this zdnet article.
6/4/2008
According to
a recent study done by Northeastern University, mobile
phone users rarely stray from familiar areas, with most
spending time in just two places - work and home.
5/29/2008
According to
this article in The Register, a delay in the upcoming
2.6GHz spectrum auction in the UK could represent a
major blow to WiMAX vendors and supporters.
5/29/2008
May questions are raised about the chances of success for
the new Clearwire joint venture
in this article by Andrew Seybold
5/28/2008
Speaking at the Gartner Mobile and Wireless Summit in
London,
Gartner Research VP Ian Keene commented that the first
WiMAX handsets to arrive on the market would be "expensive
with terrible power consumption," and not be comparable to
3G handsets until 2011
5/22/2008
This report forecasts the number of PAYING
mobile
VoIP subscribers served by MVNOs to reach around 1.6
million by the end of 2008.
5/19/2008
Nine additional cities currently served by municpal Wi-Fi
supplier MetroFi
will be closed in the next 30-60 days unless new buyers
are found.
5/14/2008
BusinessWeek covers the problems surrounding the failed
Philadelphia Wi-Fi experiment in
this article.
5/13/2008
EarthLink has announced it is shutting down its
municipal wifi network in Philadelphia.
5/12/2008
Sprint announced
its 1Q results today, which shows a further loss of over
1 million subscribers.
5/7/2008
From the Silicon Valley Insider comes
this piece, "Is Sprint-Clearwire Doomed From the Start?"
4/3/2008
The lukewarm reception that WiMax received at the CTIA is
covered in
this post on GigaOm.
4/2/2008
Bell Canada, the incumbent telecommunications provider in
Canada,
has announced it will limit internet speeds to its
end-users as well as its wholesale customers for certain
types of data.
4/1/2008
A piece by tech columnist Therese Poletti about WiMax
points out how WiMax is taking longer and costing
more than imagined.
3/28/2007
This
Reuters article discusses the big risks cable companies
will face if they invest in a WiMax wireless venture.
3/26/2008
Motorola
has announced that it will split into two
publicly-traded entities, separating its handset division
from its core focus.
3/26/2008
In
this article from a mobile communications blog,
the author questions whether WiMax will be revealed to be a
"White Elephant or Shining Light."
3/25/2008
Australia's first WiMax operator
has closed its network, with its CEO labeling the
technology as a "disaster" that "failed miserably."
3/24/2008
Google this week
launched a new initiative aimed at making the unused
white spaces available for a nationwide wireless network.
3/20/2008
The two largest spenders in the 700MHz auction
were revealed to be Verizon Wireless, with $9.63 billion
in bids, and AT&T, with $6.64 billion in bids.
3/19/2008
The FCC 700MHz spectrum auction
closed today, with the total value of bids reaching
$19.6 billion, nearly twice the amount projected.
3/4/2008
According to
a study by Infonetics Research, sales of VoIP and IM
equipment increased by 19% in 2007. Worldwide, the number of
VoIP subscribers reached 80 million.
2/27/2008
According to
Gartner, in 2007 over 1 billion mobile phones were sold
for the first time.
2/14/2008
Sprint
has acknowledged that it will miss its goal of rolling
out its WiMAX network to 100 million people by the end of
2008.
2/13/2008
Comcast has again
defended its network management practices after Congress
introduced a bill requiring the FCC to investigate ISP's are
interfering with consumers' Web access.
2/12/2008
Bids in the FCC 700MHz auction
have topped $19.3 billion as of today, with the
expectation that total bidding will likely hit $20 billion.
2/11/2008
Three major cable companies
have filed a complaint against Verizon, accusing them of
using prohibited marketing techniques to induce customers to
not switch to cable VoIP services.
2/7/2008
A class action lawsuit
has been filed against Sprint Nextel, charging them with
illegally extending the contracts of wireless customers.
2/6/2008
Another MVNO, Voce, which billed itself as a premium
wireless service,
has folded, following in the footsteps of Amp's, Disney
Mobile, ESPN, and XE.
2/4/2008
Bidding in the 700MHz spectrum has surpassed $18 billion
as of the end of last week.
2/1/2008
Microsoft has made an
offer to purchase Yahoo for $44.6 billion in cash and
stock.
1/31/2008
According to
this article in 24/7wallstreet.com, a number of large
U.S. companies are in for a difficult year in 2008. Among
them are three major telecom firms: Sprint, Motorola, and
Qwest.
1/30/2008
This
report by research firm Maravedis underscores the
challenges ahead for WiMAX and makes the point that Sprint
Nextel will require additional funding to build a nationwide
WiMAX network.
1/29/2008
Bidding in the FCC 700MHz auction
heated up today, with particular interest in the
desirable C Block licenses.
1/28/2008
The US patent Office has
granted a patent to a small California company which
covers smartphones (as well as many end cell phones.
1/25/2008
Sprint, which successfully sued Vonage last year for patent
infringement,
is now targeting four other firms:
Nuvox Communications, BroadVOX Holdings, Big River Telephone
and Paetec Communications.
1/24/2008
Over $2.4 billion in
bids were made during the first round of the 700Mhz
auction, which began today.
1/23/2008
Motorola has announced that sales generated by its mobile
division (which includes handsets)
were down over 35% in Q4 2007.
1/21/2008
Massive losses of subscribers have forced Sprint Nextel
to announce job cuts of 4,000 as well as the closing of
125 company stores and thousands of third-party distribution
points.
1/15/2008
The FCC is considering
possible changes to the requirements it has placed on
bidders for the 'D" block of the 700MHz auction in light of
Frontline Systems dropping out of the bidding process.
1/14/2008
Renewed calls for open mobile access guarantees
are being made, now that the ranks of bidders in the
upcoming 700MHz auction have been reduced with the folding
of Frontline Systems.
1/9/2008
Questions about the viability of the Sprint Xohm business
model are raised in
this article from the IP Carrier blog.
1/8/2008
Frontline Wireless, the Silicon Valley startup that was
expected to mount a serious bid in the upcoming 700MHz
auction, has
issued a statement saying they have "closed for
business."
1/3/2008
A
new report from ABI Research suggests that high royalty
rates (projected to be in the same range as other 4G
technologies) could impede the adoption of mobile WiMax.
1/2/2008
In this
2008 outlook from InformationWeek, mobile WiMax is noted
as a technology that could flounder this year without a
renewed push from Sprint or another major wireless carrier.
12/20/2007
Government Computer News recently ran
this
story that discussed the Department of Defense's
interest in
technologies that promote spectrum sharing while mitigating
interference.
12/19/2007
Ovum, a major research firm, has
this analysis of the challenges facing newly-named
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Highlighted are three areas of
concern: how to restore growth to their wireless operations,
what WiMax strategy should be pursued, and what he
role of their wireline business will be.
12/18/2007
Questions about the future of WiMax and the doubts
surrounding it are discussed in
this article in the International Herald Tribune. It
puts things into perspective with this quote:
"...the number of actual
WiMax users around the globe can be counted in the tens of
thousands, compared to the nearly one billion using the
Internet and more than two billion using mobile phones."
12/17/2007
From Fortune Magazine comes
this article that discusses the difficulties cable
operators are facing in adding wireless phone service - the
missing component in the "quadruple play" bundle.
12/14/2007
Vonage has been charged with
new claims of patent infringement, this time from Nortel
Networks in connection to technology related to 911 and 411
calls.
12/13/2007
Craig Mathias of Farpoint Group has
this analysis of WiMax - what went wrong and what the
future holds - in Techworld today.
12/11/2007
A municipal Wi-Fi network in Tempe, Arizona
is up for sale due to poor adoption rates. Despite
having 1,000 access points to cover a 40-square mile
network, only 500 subscribers signed up since the network
launched in march 2006.
12/11/2007
A
poll
of readers of the Unstrung news analysis site has found
that only 22% believe that a nationwide Wimax network will
be deployed next year.
12/10/2007
The $1500 WiMax handset? According to
a report by analysts Pike and Fischer on mobile WiMax,
that is a possibility for next year.
12/7/2007
According to
this article in TMCnet, uncertainty over what Sprint
will do with its WiMax operations is causing anxiety
among Taiwan's equipment vendors, many of whom are relying
on sales for WiMax products.
12/4/2007
On the heels of Verizon's decision to choose LTE as its 4G
mobile technology comes
speculation that the door is now open to additional
industry consolidation, in the form of a buyout from
Verizon's parent Vodafone.
12/3/2007
WiMax difficulties are discussed in
this article from Fortune Magazine.
11/30/2007
This recent article in TechDirt is a reality check for
those who point to South Korea's experience with WiBro (a
version of mobile WiMax) as a successful WiMax installation.
A year and a half after being launched, the service in fact
counts less than 1,000 subscribers.
11/30/2007
Google has confirmed their intention to bid on 700 Mhz
wireless spectrum in the upcoming auction. Regarding what
they would do with the spectrum, a Google spokesman
indicated they could either partner with other companies,
lease the spectrum as a wholesaler, or operate their own
wireless network.
11/29/2007
Verizon Wireless
has announced that it plans to upgrade its technology
using LTE (Long-Term Evolution), a 4G implementation of the
GSM standard. This indicates a shift away from its current
standard (CDMA), which isn't compatible with the majority
of the world's carriers, who base their networks on GSM.
11/27/2007
A report by the EU statistical office Eurostat states
that almost one in five EU households have gone fully
wireless and ended their landline subscriptions. This
exceeds the rate of fixed line substitution in the U.S.,
where its is estimated that 10-11% of subscribers have
abandoned their landline phones.
11/26/2007
There is skepticism about Verizon's announcement that it
would open its network and platform, as
articles from
the GigaOm blog and
Silicon Alley Insider show.
11/20/2007
This article in America's Network discusses the
challenges and obstacles WiMax is expected to face as a
competing mobile technology to GSM and CDMA.
11/19/2007
In an announcement last Friday, EarthLink indicated that
they would not be making further investments in municipal
Wi-Fi business, and that they are considering strategic
alternatives for their existing Wi-Fi operations.
11/16/2007
A report in
The Wall Street Journal suggests that Google's plan to
bid on wireless spectrum in January could be the beginning
of a Google wireless network to rival existing mobile
carriers. According to the WSJ story, Google is already
running a test wireless network at its Mountain View, Calif.
headquarters.
11/15/2007
According to
this report by the firm Disruptive Analysis, the number
of users of mobile VoIP will grow to over 250 million during
the next five years.
11/13/2007
Questions about the ability of WiMax to make it in the U.S.
continue in light of the breakdown of the proposed
Sprint /Clearwire partnership.
11/13/2009
A call for Skype to
build its own mobile network infrastructure as a way to
alleviate numerous network problems its users have been
experiencing, as well as freeing it from reliance on
incumbent systems.
11/12/2007
In this article in BetaNews, more proof that service
providers and cities have underestimated the cost as well as
the technical complexity involved in providing municipal
Wi-Fi service.
11/9/2007
Sprint has announced that
they have terminated their WiMax partnership with Clearwire
and are reviewing their plans for the technology.
11/8/2007
A Google-built, ad-supported, wireless network? The idea may
not be so farfetched, according to
this article in ITWorld Canada. It points to Google's
purchases of inactive fibre-optic cable (a key ingredient
used to build data networks), their obtaining a large block
of IPv6 addresses, and interest in the upcoming 700Mhz
auction as part a possible backup plan against resistance
from the large carriers to the Android initiative.
11/7/2007
In
an article that appeared in the San Jose Mercury News,
the daily newspaper of Silicon Valley, it was suggested that
for true open access to occur, Google should build its own
wireless network.
11/6/2007
A number of few interesting takes on the Google Android
announcement and what it could mean to the wireless
industry: an analysis form the
New York Times, a Q&A from BBC
News, and the reaction from incumbents in
Information Week.
11/5/2007
After months of rumors, Google has
announced Android, a new Linux-based software platform
designed to provide open access to mobile phones for
software developers. The company also announced the Open
Handset Alliance, a multinational alliance of 34 companies,
including several chipmakers, handset manufacturers, and
mobile operators, The group will be working together to
develop handsets and services that leverage the new
software.
11/2/2007
In the face of the poor results financial results reported
by Sprint yesterday, the company is reportedly evaluating
changes to its WiMax plans. Among the options
rumored to be under consideration by Sprint are the
purchase of Clearwire or the spinning off of their WiMax
operations for an eventual merger with Clearwire. Sprint's
deployment agreement with Clearwire, which was was supposed
to be signed by September, has still not been finalized.
Among the parties
watching developments at Sprint with concern is Samsung,
a major WiMax proponent and partner in the planned U.S.
rollouts.
11/1/2007
Sprint Nextel has announced
disappointing results for its third quarter that were
punctuated by a drop in sales, profit, and customers.
Notable was that spending on its new Xohm wireless network
(a precursor to the huge WiMax rollout) has totaled only $73
million, when at one time Sprint said it would spend $1
billion this year on the network.
10/31/2007
According to
a survey done by SearchMobileComputing.com, mobile VoIP
will dominate applications supported in corporate
environments over the next 12 to 18 months.
10/25/2007
Verizon has
agreed to reimburse New York subscribers who were
automatically terminated for "excessive use" under what
were billed as unlimited data plans earlier this year. The
company was also required to halt what New York Attorney
General Andrew Cuomo called "deceptive marketing" of its
broadband service.
10/19/2007
In a story that goes to the heart of the net neutrality
debate, the Associated Press is reporting that
Comcast has been actively blocking some internet traffic
on its network. It was revealed that the action, which
runs counter to the idea of treating all Net traffic
equally, involves the delay or blocking of uploads of
certain file-sharing transfer programs
10/16/2007
An article in Information Week,
Leading Wireless Carriers Confront Change, discusses the
challenges the industry is up against. Faced with declining
average revenue per subscriber, as well as new services that
threaten their business models, wireless carriers face the
prospect of substantial disruption. The article concludes
that "The end of carrier dominance
will likely lead to more options for enterprise voice and
data plans, more device choices, and, eventually, lower
prices."
10/15/2007
According to a report by Informa Telecoms & Media,
mobile broadband services are ready to explode, reaching
$400 billion in revenue by 2012. This transition from
fixed-line to mass market adoption of mobile devices and
services will provide substantial opportunity for new market
entrants, according to the research firm.
10/12/2007
In the article
WiMax: The Next Great Disappointment?, additional
questions are raised about the overall impact to the WiMax
platform should Sprint curtail its spending on the new
technology. In addition, the proposed partnership between
Sprint and Clearwire, which was expected to be signed by
Sept. 19, has still not been finalized.
10/9/2007
Under pressure from investors,
Gary Forsee has resigned as CEO of Sprint Nextel. Many
analysts are now questioning whether Sprint will scale back
their huge investment in and planned rollout of WiMax in the
U.S., and how it will impact the larger ecosystem of WiMax
suppliers and providers.
10/5/2007
More evidence of the high stakes in the upcoming auction of
the prized 700MHz band . Last night a U.S. Court of Appeal
denied a request by Verizon to remove the open access
requirement which the FCC has applied to a 22MHz portion
of the band. The open access rules would allow wireless
customers to buy handsets or software from sources other
than their carrier. At the heart of the open access question
is the wider issue of net neutrality, proponents of which
view the 700Mhz band as an opportunity for a new broadband
service to compete with the incumbent providers.
10/1/2007
Following the path of other failed MVNO's like Helio, Amp'd
Mobile and its own Mobile ESPN,
Disney has announced it will shut its Disney Mobile phone
service on Dec. 31. The company cited high distribution
costs (the service runs on the Sprint network) and the
inability to gain traction with large retailers (due to
their deals with large carriers) as contributing to poor
sales numbers.
9/27/2007
A jury found that Vonage infringed on Sprint Nextel's
patents. Pure play VoIP providers have had a difficult
year (recall SunRocket's shutdown in July), and continue to
lose market share against the cable companies. By not owning
their own technology and lacking a strong patent portfolio,
these operators can only compete on price.
9/26/07
This article about the problems of municipal WiFi networks
in the U.S. comes from the former CTO at AOL. It
highlights what we at xG have known for quite some time:
technologies that offer limited signal range and penetration
cannot be made technically (and thus financially) viable.
9/25/2007
Interesting news from Ofcom, the telecom regulator in the
UK,
which has proposed opening up the 900MHz spectrum with
the goal of increasing access to it by smaller operators.
Ofcom commented that the need for opening up 900 Hz was to
allow for better penetration of buildings and increased
transmission distances - crucial for offering consumers
cost-effective mobile broadband services. The better
penetration, propagation, and non line-of-site
characteristics available at low-frequency channels are key
reasons to operate in the sub-microwave band.
|
