HOUSTON-The head of Crown Castle International Corp.’s mobile TV effort unexpectedly resigned, throwing a potential wrench into the company’s plans to build mobile TV networks in the nation’s top markets.
Crown Castle disclosed the move in a government filing. The company said Michael Schueppert, president of its Modeo mobile TV business, announced his resignation Dec. 1. Crown Castle said Schueppert will leave the company by Dec. 31.
The move comes as Crown Castle faces a number of challenges on the mobile TV front. Verizon Wireless has already selected rival Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFLO network to service its mobile TV desires, and Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. are currently trialing the MediaFLO offering. T-Mobile USA is also rumored to be trilaing Aloha Partners’ Hiwire mobile TV effort.
Indeed, Crown Castle’s plan now appears to be to go it alone. The company plans to launch its DVB-H-based mobile TV network in New York City without the support of a wireless carrier. The company plans to sell an unlocked GSM phone in support of its Modeo-branded mobile TV service.
Crown Castle’s stated goal is to launch 30 markets with DVB-H service by the end of next year.
The company was not immediately available for comment.
“This is beginning of the end for Modeo,” commented ABI Research’s Clint Wheelock. “The writing is on the wall-three mobile broadcast service providers can’t survive in the U.S. and Modeo is the weak one of the bunch.”
As to Modeo’s fate, Wheelock said, “They could sell their assets to another party, or shut down operations altogether. They could try to push on for a while longer, but my gut feeling is that the carrier decisions are far enough along based on the trials they’ve announced. It’s probably not going to happen for Modeo at this point.
The bottom line, according to Wheelock is that, “MediaFlo has the strongest position, though Hiwire is in a strong position as well.”
