NEWS: WiMAX woes as Sprint dumps Clearwire

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/10/sprint_and_clearwire_end_wimax_agreement/print.html>

The clouds continue to gather over Sprint's WiMAX network.

In July, the American cellco agreed to combine its new-fangled
wireless broadband play with a similar network from Clearwire Corp.,
but today, the two companies announced that the agreement has been
ripped to shreds. If Sprint wants its network to reach a nationwide
audience, it will have to foot the bill on its own. Or bring in
another partner.

This is ominous cloud number three for Sprint WiMAX. It follows the
resignation of Sprint CEO, Gary Forsee, the network's chief
supporter, and the unfortunate decision to call the thing Xohm.

Sprint insists that Xohm will still go ahead - and that Clearwire
will provide a helping hand.
....
But it would seem that changes are afoot. According to a press
release, Spring is "reviewing its WiMAX business plans and outlook"
and will "comment further on these topics early next year."

[MORE]

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

As I predicted:

<http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=35187>

"On the one hand, pulling out of the agreement with Clearwire is a
pragmatic decision on the part of Sprint Nextel, which is focusing on
more immediate priorities of CUSTOMER RETENTION while it seeks a new
CEO. On the other hand, it is a setback for WiMAX in that it both
confirms the riskiness of a strategy to move quickly to mobile WiMAX,
and it slows the momentum behind WiMAX," says Katrina Bond, principal
analyst at Analysys. [emphasis added]

According to Bond this is a step backwards for WiMAX, after an
otherwise positive year in which several small operators have
launched or started rolling out commercial WiMAX services, and Sprint
Nextel announced plans to deploy WiMAX for its future mobile
broadband services. The ITU decision last month to accept WiMAX as a
3G technology that meets the IMT-2000 requirements was another
positive step for the WiMAX community, but it was not enough to give
Sprint Nextel’s senior management sufficient confidence in their
ability to sell the idea of WiMAX to their next CEO.

This latest development could reduce the window of opportunity for
benefiting from WiMAX, which will depend on the speed with which it
evolves in comparison with W-CDMA and HSPA. Mobile WiMAX and
W-CDMA/HSPA are evolving in the same direction and by the time the
next generations (802.16m and LTE, respectively) become available
(2009 at the earliest), they will be technically very similar. Both
mobile WiMAX and LTE use OFDM as a modulation scheme and their
supporters are aiming to meet the ITU's 4G requirement of 100Mbit/s
data rates in a mobile environment. Furthermore, future cellular base
stations are likely to be equipped with both technologies.

"Officially, Sprint Nextel says that it remains committed to WiMAX.
However, there inevitably will be speculation regarding whether or
when Sprint Nextel may decide to join the growing band of operators,
including rival Verizon Wireless, in pursuing LTE as their next
generation of cellular network. Although Nextel does have experience
in differentiating itself with a different technology to the pack,
and pursuing a WiMAX would be an aggressive strategy, the choice of
LTE is likely to be viewed as a less risky move by investors," says
Bond.

[MORE]

LTE stands for 3GPP Long Term Evolution, follow-on to HSPA, based on
OFDM, planned for deployment in 2009.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

["Followup-To:" header set to alt.cellular.sprintpcs.]
On 2007-11-14, John Navas <spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:

><http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=35187>
>
> "On the one hand, pulling out of the agreement with Clearwire is a
> pragmatic decision on the part of Sprint Nextel, which is focusing on
> more immediate priorities of CUSTOMER RETENTION while it seeks a new
> CEO. On the other hand, it is a setback for WiMAX in that it both
> confirms the riskiness of a strategy to move quickly to mobile WiMAX,
> and it slows the momentum behind WiMAX," says Katrina Bond, principal
> analyst at Analysys. [emphasis added]

And I'm rather torn. Yes, they badly, BADLY need to fix Customer Service. But
it's not a good idea to remain stagnant in a market that continues moving
forward, either.


--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, CA PGP:0xE3AE35ED www.SteveSobol.com
Geek-for-hire. Details: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesobol

This is news of November 9, where have you been John boy?


On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:43:17 GMT, John Navas
<spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:
>
><http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=35187>
>
> "On the one hand, pulling out of the agreement with Clearwire is a
> pragmatic decision on the part of Sprint Nextel, which is focusing on
> more immediate priorities of CUSTOMER RETENTION while it seeks a new
> CEO. On the other hand, it is a setback for WiMAX in that it both
> confirms the riskiness of a strategy to move quickly to mobile WiMAX,
> and it slows the momentum behind WiMAX," says Katrina Bond, principal
> analyst at Analysys. [emphasis added]
>
> According to Bond this is a step backwards for WiMAX, after an
> otherwise positive year in which several small operators have
> launched or started rolling out commercial WiMAX services, and Sprint
> Nextel announced plans to deploy WiMAX for its future mobile
> broadband services. The ITU decision last month to accept WiMAX as a
> 3G technology that meets the IMT-2000 requirements was another
> positive step for the WiMAX community, but it was not enough to give
> Sprint Nextel’s senior management sufficient confidence in their
> ability to sell the idea of WiMAX to their next CEO.
>
> This latest development could reduce the window of opportunity for
> benefiting from WiMAX, which will depend on the speed with which it
> evolves in comparison with W-CDMA and HSPA. Mobile WiMAX and
> W-CDMA/HSPA are evolving in the same direction and by the time the
> next generations (802.16m and LTE, respectively) become available
> (2009 at the earliest), they will be technically very similar. Both
> mobile WiMAX and LTE use OFDM as a modulation scheme and their
> supporters are aiming to meet the ITU's 4G requirement of 100Mbit/s
> data rates in a mobile environment. Furthermore, future cellular base
> stations are likely to be equipped with both technologies.
>
> "Officially, Sprint Nextel says that it remains committed to WiMAX.
> However, there inevitably will be speculation regarding whether or
> when Sprint Nextel may decide to join the growing band of operators,
> including rival Verizon Wireless, in pursuing LTE as their next
> generation of cellular network. Although Nextel does have experience
> in differentiating itself with a different technology to the pack,
> and pursuing a WiMAX would be an aggressive strategy, the choice of
> LTE is likely to be viewed as a less risky move by investors," says
> Bond.
>
> [MORE]
>
>LTE stands for 3GPP Long Term Evolution, follow-on to HSPA, based on
>OFDM, planned for deployment in 2009.

John Navas wrote:
> As I predicted:
>
> <http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=35187>
>
> According to Bond this is a step backwards for WiMAX, after an
> otherwise positive year in which several small operators have
> launched or started rolling out commercial WiMAX services, and Sprint
> Nextel announced plans to deploy WiMAX for its future mobile
> broadband services.

WiMax was pretty much a dead end road pursued by the cellular companies
as a profit avenue to compete against Muni-WiFi.

Quoted from Telephone magazine -

WiMAX follows muni Wi-Fi down slow-go path
By Rich Karpinski

Big news in the WiMAX market this week as Sprint and Clearwire cancelled
a joint venture to build a nationwide WiMAX network. Each plan to go it
alone, they claim, but with Sprint facing corporate headaches and
Clearwire limited in its ability to quickly find new partners, the goal
of nationwide WiMAX undoubtedly took a hit.

Coupled with ongoing problems faced by municipal Wi-Fi projects, the
vision of alternative wireless broadband services emerging has run into
a healthy dose of reality. And while press reports this week had Google
(not to mention Comcast) stepping in to the WiMAX breach, that
apparently was as big a fantasy as the so-called gPhone.

The challenges for the Sprint-Clearwire project turned out to be more
business- than technology-related -- much as has been the case with muni
Wi-Fi. When Sprint CEO Gary Forsee resigned recently, under growing
criticism of Sprint's poor financial performance, the fate of the
high-profile but risky partnership was most likely sealed.

For now, Clearwire is pursuing its network launch alone. Company
officials will launch its first WiMAX networks in mid-2008 and aim to
pick up markets where it would have counted on Sprint by the following
year. But WiMAX's lead in the race to deliver next-generation wireless
has clearly suffered a setback.

On 11/14/07 6:58 PM, DTC wrote:
> John Navas wrote:
>> As I predicted:
>>
>> <http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=35187>
>>
>> According to Bond this is a step backwards for WiMAX, after an
>> otherwise positive year in which several small operators have
>> launched or started rolling out commercial WiMAX services, and Sprint
>> Nextel announced plans to deploy WiMAX for its future mobile
>> broadband services.
>
> WiMax was pretty much a dead end road pursued by the cellular companies
> as a profit avenue to compete against Muni-WiFi.
>
> Quoted from Telephone magazine -
>
> WiMAX follows muni Wi-Fi down slow-go path
> By Rich Karpinski
>
> Big news in the WiMAX market this week as Sprint and Clearwire cancelled
> a joint venture to build a nationwide WiMAX network. Each plan to go it
> alone, they claim, but with Sprint facing corporate headaches and
> Clearwire limited in its ability to quickly find new partners, the goal
> of nationwide WiMAX undoubtedly took a hit.
>
> Coupled with ongoing problems faced by municipal Wi-Fi projects, the
> vision of alternative wireless broadband services emerging has run into
> a healthy dose of reality. And while press reports this week had Google
> (not to mention Comcast) stepping in to the WiMAX breach, that
> apparently was as big a fantasy as the so-called gPhone.
>
> The challenges for the Sprint-Clearwire project turned out to be more
> business- than technology-related -- much as has been the case with muni
> Wi-Fi. When Sprint CEO Gary Forsee resigned recently, under growing
> criticism of Sprint's poor financial performance, the fate of the
> high-profile but risky partnership was most likely sealed.
>
> For now, Clearwire is pursuing its network launch alone. Company
> officials will launch its first WiMAX networks in mid-2008 and aim to
> pick up markets where it would have counted on Sprint by the following
> year. But WiMAX's lead in the race to deliver next-generation wireless
> has clearly suffered a setback.

Craig McCaw is no idiot. His company Clearwire owns bandwidth licenses
for WiMax to reach 200 million persons in the USA. WiMax will
eventually win the mobile broadband race. I may make an investment in
Clearwire stock, it is only at $15.

<http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202805257>

If you think the Google Phone is all talk, you're wrong: Here are
eight technologies--GPS, multimedia, mobile Web browsing, gaming
graphics, and more--which Open Handset Alliance members will bring to
the upcoming mobile handset.

[MUCH MORE]

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:39:05 GMT, John Navas
<spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:

><http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202805257>
>
> If you think the Google Phone is all talk, you're wrong: Here are
> eight technologies--GPS, multimedia, mobile Web browsing, gaming
> graphics, and more--which Open Handset Alliance members will bring to
> the upcoming mobile handset.
>


There is no Google phone, and there'sd no sign there will be. What
Google has done is create a variant of Linux with Java for programming
a cell phone; which like any phone COULD contain the elements listed
above.