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  1. #1
    Always A Next Test for Nextel

    By Yuki Noguchi

    Nextel Communications Inc. defies those who think it's charting
    the wrong course, or won't be big enough to survive.

    For 16 years, the Reston firm championed a walkie-talkie
    service that all its major competitors are now copying. It
    recently doubled network capacity, despite predictions it
    would tap out the radio spectrum required to carry its traffic.
    Nextel, the nation's fifth-largest mobile phone carrier, grew
    despite the squeeze on the economy, posting profit for the
    first time last year. Past talks with potential merger partners,
    including serious ones with WorldCom Inc., led nowhere, and
    it has become an important Washington area employer, with a
    local workforce of 2,000 and $8.7 billion in revenue last year.
    Analysts are expecting it to announce another profitable
    quarter today.

    "People have been saying that Nextel will run out of spectrum
    for years," Nextel Chief Operating Officer Tom Kelly said
    testily, as if he's been asked that question too many times.
    "We have plenty of spectrum for 10 years, at least."

    So why, then, is the company facing another round of
    skepticism about its future?

    In part, it's because Nextel's signature service -- its
    walkie-talkie feature that lets users push a button to
    talk to other Nextel users -- is under attack by rivals.
    Its largest competitor, Verizon Wireless, rolled out a
    copycat feature in August. Sprint PCS and AT&T Wireless
    are planning to introduce their own versions next year.

    Meanwhile, Nextel is the only major cellular carrier that
    hasn't laid out a plan to offer high-speed Internet service
    on its network. Also, regulators are stalling on a Nextel-backed
    plan to exchange its existing spectrum for more valuable
    airwaves, in return for eliminating cell-phone interference
    with public safety systems. And finally, a new rule allowing
    consumers to keep their phone numbers when switching providers
    is expected to touch off even more price wars and competition
    in the industry.

    Yet Kelly, in an interview last week, declined to indulge
    in any speculation about Nextel's future plans about spectrum,
    mergers, technology choices or competitive plans. "It is not
    in our best interest to discuss that," he said.

    That doesn't put a stop to the probing.

    "For Nextel, the challenge is: How in the world are they
    going to be competitive with these other, larger carriers?"
    said Albert Lin, a telecom analyst with American Technology
    Research. Unlike most wireless carriers, Nextel doesn't have
    the backing of a large parent company or affiliate that can
    help market a package such as local and long-distance phone
    service and high-speed Internet access, he said. It also can't
    match the marketing muscle of rivals, he said.

    In recent years, it managed to stay largely above the
    competitive fray, thanks in part to its trademark product -- the
    walkie-talkie -- which is used by well over 90 percent of its
    subscribers, who pay a premium for the privilege.

    Walkie-talkies are more than just a feature; they're the
    foundation of Nextel. Begun as Fleet Call Inc. in 1987,
    Nextel spent years buying spectrum from a series of small
    walkie-talkie carriers around the country, cobbling
    together slices of airwaves that eventually made up a
    national network. The technology Nextel uses in its
    network is also unique; it was developed by Motorola Inc.,
    which now supplies more than 95 percent of Nextel's phones.
    The walkie-talkie feature allowed Nextel to play up its image
    as a "workhorse" phone service -- one that appealed to
    construction workers, delivery truck and taxi drivers willing
    to pay more for Nextel's sturdy radio phones that let them
    talk without having to dial numbers. So even though its rivals
    are bigger -- Verizon Wireless has about 35 million customers,
    three times Nextel's 11.7 million -- the average Nextel bill is
    fatter, at about $70 a month, or roughly $8 to $20 more than
    the average of other companies.

    That's why Verizon Wireless's introduction of its walkie-talkie
    service struck at the heart of Nextel and was tantamount to a
    declaration of war -- one that is being fought by both companies
    in court.

    In June, Verizon Wireless sued Nextel for "corporate espionage,"
    claiming Nextel officials took possession of two unreleased
    Verizon phones and then tested them hundreds of times without
    Verizon Wireless's permission. Nextel denied any illegal
    activity and vowed to defend itself in court. Last month,
    Nextel countersued, claiming Verizon Wireless misrepresented
    the quality of Nextel's network in its recent advertisements.

    While both suits make their way through the legal process,
    Nextel is trying to trademark its phrase "push to talk" to
    block its use by others in the industry. It has dismissed
    Verizon's walkie-talkie service as slower and inferior, and
    Kelly said competition won't force Nextel to cut prices to keep
    customers.

    "As far as a price war is concerned, that's the stupidest
    thing a wireless carrier can do," he said.

    Meanwhile, analysts say it's not clear how Nextel will be
    able to match competitors with new technologies.

    It will be harder for it to develop products that stand
    out for being newer or better than the competition, Lin
    said. Though the proprietary Motorola technology served
    Nextel well in the past, it won't be cheap or easy to
    upgrade to the types of technology other wireless carriers
    use, he said. "At some point, Nextel will transition from
    being the leader to looking like one of many, to one of the
    technology laggards," he said.

    Verizon Wireless recently launched super-high-speed Internet
    access on its network in pilot markets in Washington and
    San Diego. Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless are planning
    rollouts of a different type of high-speed data service next year.

    That could undermine Nextel's grasp on the business customer,
    said Brian Marshall, vice president of mobile services at
    Fairfax consulting firm American Management Systems Inc.
    "The reasons to buy Nextel as opposed to Verizon go down.
    The question becomes: 'Why get a Nextel phone when we could
    get this?' "

    The primary problem that analysts and some sources close to
    the company identify is spectrum -- a scarce resource that
    becomes more valuable as the use of wireless technologies
    increases. Nextel's spectrum is a hodgepodge of airwaves
    licenses accumulated from the mom-and-pop operations it
    purchased at its founding. Nextel's 800-megahertz spectrum
    interweaves with a host of other users in the same
    frequency band, including the public safety radio users.
    That has caused interference with public safety systems
    and periodic outages in emergency systems around the
    country. Analysts say the inconsistency of its spectrum
    also limits Nextel's ability to develop high-speed
    wireless Internet services.

    "The bear story on Nextel is whether they have enough
    spectrum," says Susan Kalla, an analyst with Friedman,
    Billings, Ramsey & Co. They aren't offering high-speed
    Internet access, and their efforts to secure the scarce
    resource haven't panned out, she said. "They've got a
    long-term problem."

    Nextel so far has two potential plans to get new spectrum: One
    is a $144 million bid it has placed to purchase high-frequency
    spectrum from WorldCom, which can be configured to transmit
    high-speed Internet services if the Federal Communications
    Commission approves it for that use. It is also lobbying the
    FCC to accept a plan that would allow Nextel to essentially
    exchange its existing spectrum in the public-safety band for
    more valuable spectrum in a higher frequency, in return for
    contributing $850 million to the relocation of all users in
    the 800MHz range.

    Insiders at Nextel said executives were infuriated when
    Motorola sent a letter to the FCC suggesting a technical
    fix that could preempt the spectrum swap Nextel desired.
    Although Nextel is still its largest customer, Motorola,
    they said, was trying to curry favor and potential business
    with some of Nextel's competitors.

    The FCC denied that the process has been delayed.
    Solving the interference issue is difficult, complex and
    still undecided, said Edmond Thomas, chief of the FCC's
    engineering and technology division. "Alternatives are being
    discussed every day."

    Nextel executives pooh-pooh the idea that they lack enough
    spectrum to compete in wireless data, and they contend
    rivals are pushing a high-speed Internet technology for
    which there is currently little demand. Text messaging and
    other data applications still account for less than 3
    percent of wireless companies' revenue, they said.

    "We are as involved in developing data and data applications
    as anyone in the industry," said Nextel's Kelly. But it's
    still too easy to hack into wireless networks and compromise
    security when using it for the Internet, he said.

    It's not wise to invest billions of dollars in something
    that may not pay off, he added. "I don't think speed is the
    issue with data. At the end of the day, people are not that
    interested in paying for things that they can stop at their
    office or their desktop and get for free."
    ============================================
    Would you like to send this article to a friend? Go to

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...r=emailarticle



    See More: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?




  2. #2
    Name withheld by request
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    is horrible.



    >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >
    >By Yuki Noguchi
    >
    >Nextel Communications Inc. defies those who think it's charting
    >the wrong course, or won't be big enough to survive.
    >
    >For 16 years, the Reston firm championed a walkie-talkie
    >service that all its major competitors are now copying. It
    >recently doubled network capacity, despite predictions it
    >would tap out the radio spectrum required to carry its traffic.
    >Nextel, the nation's fifth-largest mobile phone carrier, grew
    >despite the squeeze on the economy, posting profit for the
    >first time last year. Past talks with potential merger partners,
    >including serious ones with WorldCom Inc., led nowhere, and
    >it has become an important Washington area employer, with a
    >local workforce of 2,000 and $8.7 billion in revenue last year.
    >Analysts are expecting it to announce another profitable
    >quarter today.
    >




  3. #3
    Name withheld by request
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    is horrible.



    >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >
    >By Yuki Noguchi
    >
    >Nextel Communications Inc. defies those who think it's charting
    >the wrong course, or won't be big enough to survive.
    >
    >For 16 years, the Reston firm championed a walkie-talkie
    >service that all its major competitors are now copying. It
    >recently doubled network capacity, despite predictions it
    >would tap out the radio spectrum required to carry its traffic.
    >Nextel, the nation's fifth-largest mobile phone carrier, grew
    >despite the squeeze on the economy, posting profit for the
    >first time last year. Past talks with potential merger partners,
    >including serious ones with WorldCom Inc., led nowhere, and
    >it has become an important Washington area employer, with a
    >local workforce of 2,000 and $8.7 billion in revenue last year.
    >Analysts are expecting it to announce another profitable
    >quarter today.
    >




  4. #4
    Jer
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    Name withheld by request wrote:
    > Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    > the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    > at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    > but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    > is horrible.



    Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    capability.

    --
    jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
    "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
    what we know." -- Richard Wilbur




  5. #5
    Jer
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    Name withheld by request wrote:
    > Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    > the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    > at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    > but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    > is horrible.



    Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    capability.

    --
    jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
    "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
    what we know." -- Richard Wilbur




  6. #6

    Re: Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 07:50:42 -0500, Jer <[email protected]> said:

    >Name withheld by request wrote:
    >> Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    >> the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    >> at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    >> but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    >> is horrible.

    >
    >
    >Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    >notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    >should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    >capability.



    I guess you haven't noticed that every single ad for a TV always says
    that same thing, too...even the ad from which I bought my Sony Wega,
    which is by no means something Sony has no confidence in.



  7. #7

    Re: Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 07:50:42 -0500, Jer <[email protected]> said:

    >Name withheld by request wrote:
    >> Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    >> the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    >> at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    >> but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    >> is horrible.

    >
    >
    >Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    >notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    >should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    >capability.



    I guess you haven't noticed that every single ad for a TV always says
    that same thing, too...even the ad from which I bought my Sony Wega,
    which is by no means something Sony has no confidence in.



  8. #8
    Jer
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    [email protected] wrote:

    > On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 07:50:42 -0500, Jer <[email protected]> said:
    >
    >
    >>Name withheld by request wrote:
    >>
    >>>Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    >>>the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    >>>at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    >>>but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    >>>is horrible.

    >>
    >>
    >>Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    >>notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    >>should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    >>capability.

    >
    >
    >
    > I guess you haven't noticed that every single ad for a TV always says
    > that same thing, too...even the ad from which I bought my Sony Wega,
    > which is by no means something Sony has no confidence in.



    And now you know why I lend no credence to adverts - anyone's adverts.

    You actually spent money on a wega? Poor soul, next time, get a Panny
    plasma - then the truth will set you free.

    --
    jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
    "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
    what we know." -- Richard Wilbur




  9. #9
    Jer
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    [email protected] wrote:

    > On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 07:50:42 -0500, Jer <[email protected]> said:
    >
    >
    >>Name withheld by request wrote:
    >>
    >>>Who cares.......the walkie talkie feature, unless you are in
    >>>the construction business etc, is nothing but a gimmick aimed
    >>>at kids. Like the camera phone, realtors might be a good market,
    >>>but other than kids, it's a gimmick. The quality of the picture
    >>>is horrible.

    >>
    >>
    >>Anyone reading the fine print at the bottom of all the TV adverts will
    >>notice the images presented are simulations - not the real deals. Which
    >>should tell you something about their confidence in their own product's
    >>capability.

    >
    >
    >
    > I guess you haven't noticed that every single ad for a TV always says
    > that same thing, too...even the ad from which I bought my Sony Wega,
    > which is by no means something Sony has no confidence in.



    And now you know why I lend no credence to adverts - anyone's adverts.

    You actually spent money on a wega? Poor soul, next time, get a Panny
    plasma - then the truth will set you free.

    --
    jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
    "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
    what we know." -- Richard Wilbur




  10. #10
    Larry W4CSC
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:

    >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >

    Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.

    Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    something.

    Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.

    The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    too......

    Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......

    Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    the telecom/internet crash:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.

    Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    being that it is a public company.......(c;



    Larry W4CSC

    US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    condemning Apartheid Wall.
    http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!





  11. #11
    Larry W4CSC
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:

    >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >

    Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.

    Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    something.

    Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.

    The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    too......

    Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......

    Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    the telecom/internet crash:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.

    Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    being that it is a public company.......(c;



    Larry W4CSC

    US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    condemning Apartheid Wall.
    http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!





  12. #12
    Thomas M. Goethe
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    One market for PTT that will get cracked is newspapers. Most of us have
    switched from proprietary two-way systems to c-phones over the last 10-12
    years for a variety of reasons. A few went Nextel to keep the two-way, but
    are being severely hampered by the low Nextel data speeds for transmitting
    photos and stories from the field. 1XRTT offers a very significant advantage
    and I have already seen papers seriously considering dropping Nextel for one
    or another 1x service. I expect my shop to consider it, at least for photo,
    when Alltel offers it (and when we finally get OS 10 on our Macs, older OS
    versions have been tricky to use at 1x speed). We actually would probably
    have gone Nextel, but we were early on the c-phone thing and Nextel was not
    available. Then we didn't want to change phone numbers.


    --
    Thomas M. Goethe


    "Larry W4CSC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:
    >
    > >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    > >

    > Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    > nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    > Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    > installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    > contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    > written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.
    >
    > Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    > selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    > and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    > something.
    >
    > Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    > group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    > prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    > for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    > their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.
    >
    > The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    > than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    > their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    > with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    > You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    > dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    > and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    > easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    > keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    > too......
    >
    > Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......
    >
    > Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    > and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    > the telecom/internet crash:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    > it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    > idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    > customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    > iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    > made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    > calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.
    >
    > Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    > being that it is a public company.......(c;
    >
    >
    >
    > Larry W4CSC
    >
    > US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    > condemning Apartheid Wall.
    > http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    > http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    > Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    > Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!
    >
    >






  13. #13
    Thomas M. Goethe
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    One market for PTT that will get cracked is newspapers. Most of us have
    switched from proprietary two-way systems to c-phones over the last 10-12
    years for a variety of reasons. A few went Nextel to keep the two-way, but
    are being severely hampered by the low Nextel data speeds for transmitting
    photos and stories from the field. 1XRTT offers a very significant advantage
    and I have already seen papers seriously considering dropping Nextel for one
    or another 1x service. I expect my shop to consider it, at least for photo,
    when Alltel offers it (and when we finally get OS 10 on our Macs, older OS
    versions have been tricky to use at 1x speed). We actually would probably
    have gone Nextel, but we were early on the c-phone thing and Nextel was not
    available. Then we didn't want to change phone numbers.


    --
    Thomas M. Goethe


    "Larry W4CSC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:
    >
    > >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    > >

    > Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    > nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    > Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    > installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    > contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    > written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.
    >
    > Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    > selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    > and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    > something.
    >
    > Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    > group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    > prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    > for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    > their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.
    >
    > The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    > than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    > their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    > with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    > You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    > dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    > and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    > easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    > keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    > too......
    >
    > Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......
    >
    > Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    > and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    > the telecom/internet crash:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    > it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    > idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    > customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    > iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    > made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    > calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.
    >
    > Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    > http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    > being that it is a public company.......(c;
    >
    >
    >
    > Larry W4CSC
    >
    > US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    > condemning Apartheid Wall.
    > http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    > http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    > Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    > Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!
    >
    >






  14. #14
    Larry W4CSC
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    As 801.11-whatever goes to higher and higher powers and spreads, like
    cellular did at its AMPS inception, these stopgap internet options,
    like the pagers were by cellular, will be overrun by WiFi's much
    broader bandwidth. It already is in some markets. There is a demand
    for it.

    What amazes me is that cable internet providers haven't simply
    installed Wi-Fi nodes, already, hanging from their lines. The lines
    are present on all poles across the cities and someone must be making
    nodes for them. Like you do at home, you'd simply have to be within a
    few hundred feet from a TV cable line (look around, it's everywhere)
    and would pay a premium to have it added to your cable broadband bill.
    Cellular would hardly be able to compete with true broadband.

    Wonder how much cellular interests are paying the bureaucrats and
    politicians to keep high powered WiFi from being a reality? I've yet
    to see a cellular internet connection that didn't really SUCK.





    On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 11:23:58 -0400, "Thomas M. Goethe"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    > One market for PTT that will get cracked is newspapers. Most of us have
    >switched from proprietary two-way systems to c-phones over the last 10-12
    >years for a variety of reasons. A few went Nextel to keep the two-way, but
    >are being severely hampered by the low Nextel data speeds for transmitting
    >photos and stories from the field. 1XRTT offers a very significant advantage
    >and I have already seen papers seriously considering dropping Nextel for one
    >or another 1x service. I expect my shop to consider it, at least for photo,
    >when Alltel offers it (and when we finally get OS 10 on our Macs, older OS
    >versions have been tricky to use at 1x speed). We actually would probably
    >have gone Nextel, but we were early on the c-phone thing and Nextel was not
    >available. Then we didn't want to change phone numbers.
    >
    >
    >--
    >Thomas M. Goethe
    >
    >
    >"Larry W4CSC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...
    >> On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:
    >>
    >> >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >> >

    >> Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    >> nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    >> Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    >> installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    >> contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    >> written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.
    >>
    >> Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    >> selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    >> and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    >> something.
    >>
    >> Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    >> group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    >> prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    >> for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    >> their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.
    >>
    >> The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    >> than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    >> their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    >> with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    >> You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    >> dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    >> and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    >> easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    >> keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    >> too......
    >>
    >> Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......
    >>
    >> Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    >> and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    >> the telecom/internet crash:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    >> it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    >> idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    >> customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    >> iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    >> made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    >> calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.
    >>
    >> Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    >> being that it is a public company.......(c;
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> Larry W4CSC
    >>
    >> US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    >> condemning Apartheid Wall.
    >> http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    >> http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    >> Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    >> Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!
    >>
    >>

    >
    >



    Larry W4CSC

    US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    condemning Apartheid Wall.
    http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!





  15. #15
    Larry W4CSC
    Guest

    Re: The great "walkie-talkie" wars .... who will win?

    As 801.11-whatever goes to higher and higher powers and spreads, like
    cellular did at its AMPS inception, these stopgap internet options,
    like the pagers were by cellular, will be overrun by WiFi's much
    broader bandwidth. It already is in some markets. There is a demand
    for it.

    What amazes me is that cable internet providers haven't simply
    installed Wi-Fi nodes, already, hanging from their lines. The lines
    are present on all poles across the cities and someone must be making
    nodes for them. Like you do at home, you'd simply have to be within a
    few hundred feet from a TV cable line (look around, it's everywhere)
    and would pay a premium to have it added to your cable broadband bill.
    Cellular would hardly be able to compete with true broadband.

    Wonder how much cellular interests are paying the bureaucrats and
    politicians to keep high powered WiFi from being a reality? I've yet
    to see a cellular internet connection that didn't really SUCK.





    On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 11:23:58 -0400, "Thomas M. Goethe"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    > One market for PTT that will get cracked is newspapers. Most of us have
    >switched from proprietary two-way systems to c-phones over the last 10-12
    >years for a variety of reasons. A few went Nextel to keep the two-way, but
    >are being severely hampered by the low Nextel data speeds for transmitting
    >photos and stories from the field. 1XRTT offers a very significant advantage
    >and I have already seen papers seriously considering dropping Nextel for one
    >or another 1x service. I expect my shop to consider it, at least for photo,
    >when Alltel offers it (and when we finally get OS 10 on our Macs, older OS
    >versions have been tricky to use at 1x speed). We actually would probably
    >have gone Nextel, but we were early on the c-phone thing and Nextel was not
    >available. Then we didn't want to change phone numbers.
    >
    >
    >--
    >Thomas M. Goethe
    >
    >
    >"Larry W4CSC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...
    >> On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:42:16 -0400, [email protected] wrote:
    >>
    >> >Always A Next Test for Nextel
    >> >

    >> Thanks for the article. Who's PTT service in the business sector has
    >> nothing to do with phones, hype, advertising or giveaways.
    >> Subcontractors in the building business (electricians, drywall
    >> installers, roofers, plumbers, etc.) are simply told in their
    >> contracts that they MUST have a Nextel PTT phone on all key personnel,
    >> written right into their contracts. No Nextel, no contract.
    >>
    >> Businesses doing business with these people, ever looking to make
    >> selling them something more convenient, have all Nextel phones, too,
    >> and give out their group numbers freely to anyone who wants to buy
    >> something.
    >>
    >> Contractors, ever trying to get more contracts, POST their Nextel
    >> group numbers on the side of their truck advertising so that
    >> prospective buyers and main contractors can easily call them on PTT
    >> for the same reason. Their group number is on the truck right under
    >> their phone number for those unfortunates who don't have Nextel PTT.
    >>
    >> The shell around this long-standing phenomenon is made more of granite
    >> than egg and is going to be very hard to crack. They all already have
    >> their phones, which are far more rugged than the glitzy kiddie toys
    >> with the flashing antennas, fragile cases and cheap Chinese equipment.
    >> You can't crawl up under a house dragging a V60 under your belt in the
    >> dirt. You can the Nextel foldup iDEN phones. They are less glitzy
    >> and more "Motorola" in nature. Hold one in your hand and you can
    >> easily see the difference. The "cover" is only a cover to protect the
    >> keys and mic hole. It's easily replaceable. The plumber knows that,
    >> too......
    >>
    >> Nextel doesn't give a damn about Verizon's kiddie kustomers......
    >>
    >> Estimated earnings of $1.11/share this year:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NXTL&d=t
    >> and recovering very nicely within a dollar of its 52 week highs from
    >> the telecom/internet crash:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NXTL&t=5y
    >> it doesn't look like their investors are in a panic over Verizon's
    >> idiotically long connection and switching delays the other cellular
    >> customers will suffer unless some internet miracle happens. Nextel's
    >> iDEN system is a TRUNKED RADIO system with a telephone interconnect,
    >> made for PTT service.....not a duplex cellular service made for phone
    >> calls, loaded up with internet data service and cluged-up VoIP phones.
    >>
    >> Wallstreet agrees, which is the only thing that's important:
    >> http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NXTL
    >> being that it is a public company.......(c;
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> Larry W4CSC
    >>
    >> US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    >> condemning Apartheid Wall.
    >> http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    >> http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    >> Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    >> Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!
    >>
    >>

    >
    >



    Larry W4CSC

    US Supports Apartheid! Vetoes UN resolution
    condemning Apartheid Wall.
    http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h052103.html
    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...917478560.html
    Can apartheid at home be far away?....
    Apartheid NOW! Wall off Mississippi!





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