Wireless companies ramp up for ‘white spaces’ battle

By Kevin Bogardus

Posted: 04/09/08 06:02 PM [ET]

Major wireless providers have joined the fight against an effort by high-tech companies to convince policy makers to allow unlicensed electronic devices to operate on unused parts of the television spectrum. Sprint Nextel , T-Mobile and CTIA-The Wireless Association are pressing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require that electronic devices get a license to operate on so-called “white spaces.” That way, the FCC would be better able to police the spectrum and ensure the devices do not interfere with television signals, they argue in filings with the FCC. But the push could hinder high-tech companies that are developing devices to operate on white spaces as a new pipeline for broadband Internet access. Read the complete article on The Hill

The Future of Work is Wireless ...

... but, is the wireless office worth the investment?

Interesting post by Ben Worth, The Wall Street Journal, who acknowledges the shift taking place in the workplace, where most of us use our cell phones more than our office lines (yep, that's me) and laptops instead of desktops.

The problem, writes Worth, is that the networks business use haven't kept pace with the devices employees have.

Check out Worth's article HERE.

The Wireless Revolution: Even Better in 2008

Great read this week by BusinessWeek's Stephen Wildstrom, titled, "Just Ahead: A Wider Wireless World."

In the article, Wildstrom notes that 2008 could bring the long-heralded revolution in wireless communications, and that fast, wireless data will become more widely available, the choice of data devices and mobile handsets will expand, and service just might get cheaper.

Why?

Because February 2009 marks the date of the shutdown of analog television broadcasting, and the subsequent conversion to digital TV.

Why is this such a big deal?

Because it's going to free up space that is currently occupied by UHF channels 52 to 69. Some of which will be given to police and fire departments; the rest will be auctioned off in January, 2008.

And here's 3 reasons why that's a big deal:

1. It increases the total bandwidth for wireless networks (in the spirit of competition, this is mucho good).

2. The relatively low frequency - around 700 MHz - penetrates buildings well (mucho good for wireless phones).

3. The FCC will require the buyers of the spectrum to give customers much greater freedom in their choice of devices than carriers have traditionally allowed.

My wish (fingers crossed w/salt flying over my shoulder) is that this "openness" blows the doors off this industry and gives a whole new (unrecognizable) look to the wireless industry.

Lord knows we need it.

Check out Wildstrom's article HERE.

Wireless News: Dan Hesse, Sprint's New Mountain Climber

10 years and 10 months ago, I made the best decision of my career.

I joined AT&T Wireless as a recruiter.

It was a great decision, and, it was also a very cool time to jump in to the world of wireless. The phones were getting smaller, the cell sites were popping up like crazy, and we had more jobs to fill than we could get our arms around.

And, Dan Hesse was the President of the company (which, by the way, had the lion's share of wireless subscribers).

I admired Hesse's leadership, and recall that he was well-liked and revered for his leadership. Which is why everybody was disappointed when he left (while still on top) to a startup called Terabeam (now Proxim Wireless).

Fast-forward a decade or so, and it seems Hesse is about to climb his steepest mountain to date: Sprint (for a detailed article on Hesse's-mountain, click HERE).

All I can say is....if anybody can do it, I think Hesse can.

In the spirit of wireless competition...Go Dan - we're rootin' for you.

Wireless News: Wireless Spectrum (Auction 73)

266 organizations have announced their intention to participate in Auction 73, which will make available the last chunk of the most desirable airwaves for wireless services.

The expected:

Verizon Wireless - AT&T - Qualcomm - Google

The unexpected:

Dish Network - Vulcan Capital - Chevron USA

Undisclosed motives:

Guam Cellular & Paging (owned by NTT) - NTT DoCoMo - Shamrock Holdings


Source: Look Who's Bidding in Auction 73 (Businessweek)

Wireless Headlines Heating up in August

The "wireless news" is worth reading this morning. Here's a few items from the national headlines:

FCC Hands Google a Partial Victory - NY Times

The Federal Communications Commission moved cautiously Tuesday toward creating a more open national wireless broadband network, handing a partial victory to Google, which was pushing for more competition in cellphone services. The agency approved rules for an auction of broadcast spectrum that its chairman, Kevin J. Martin, said would promote new consumer services. The rules will let customers use any phone and software they want on networks using about one-third of the spectrum to be auctioned.

Google seems to believe the ruling is going to speed the process of allowing competition and innovation in the cellphone industry, and it does appear to be a first step, as any company that lands on the new spectrum will have to leave it open to devices it doesn't control or approve.

War for the Wireless World - Canada.com

Canadians anxiously awaiting the arrival of Apple Inc.' s iPhone are in for a bit of a shock: they may need to move to Rwanda to afford it. That's because the hotly anticipated device is an Internet-connected mobile multi-media device first and a phone second, and as such requires large amounts of wireless download capability, the kind for which providers such as Rogers Communications Inc. and Bell Canada Inc. currently charge an arm and a leg.

Geez, not sure I'm willing to relocate my family to an African nation just to support an iPhone habit. Personally, I'd rather buy a less expensive phone, pay for a less expensive plan each month, and invest the rest in Apple stock.

Intel Sees 2008 as Breakout Year for Wimax - InformationWeek

Intel and its partners are preparing to make a major push in 2008 for WiMax in the United States, hoping to eventually make the wireless broadband technology as popular as Wi-Fi is today.

Next year is when many of the pieces needed to kickoff adoption are expected to fall into place: WiMax-supported Intel processors, notebooks and devices from manufacturers, and broadband networks from two wireless carriers, Sriram Viswanathan, VP and general manager of Intel's WiMax Program Office, told InformationWeek.

Well, I suppose Intel would say that, seeing how their products will be supportingWi-Fi and WiMax. And seeing how they are convinced that consumers are willing to pay more for WiMax than DSL and cable broadband.

I'm not sure we're willing to pay more, but I do believe WiMax will be shaking things up a bit.

T-Mobile Ranks Highest in Wireless Customer Care Performance for a Sixth Consecutive Reporting Period - CNN Money.com

For a sixth consecutive reporting period, T-Mobile ranks highest among the five largest wireless carriers by continuously providing customers who contact the carrier for service or assistance with a positive experience. With an index score of 108, T-Mobile performs particularly well in the ability to resolve problems in one contact, keeping hold times to a minimum, and customer satisfaction with the automated response system (ARS) channel. AT&T (101) and Verizon Wireless (100), respectively, follow T-Mobile in the rankings.

Nice job, T-Mobile. Six consecutive JD Power awards is no small feat.