Modeo banking on NYC trial

With a new leader in place, Crown Castle International Corp.’s mobile TV subsidiary Modeo L.L.C. says with confidence that its upcoming New York City trial will attract partners, enabling the company to carry out further launches of its streaming, multicast services.
Modeo’s vice president of marketing and business development, Michael Ramke, was named president of the company after Modeo disclosed in a government filing that its president, Michael Schueppert, would step down Dec. 31. for personal reasons.
Ramke had worked with Schueppert for several years at Crown Castle and told RCR Wireless News that, “None of us are happy to see him go.”
Nevertheless, the fact remains that under Schueppert’s management, Modeo failed to line up carrier partners for Modeo’s mobile TV network. The task is now left to Ramke, who seems undaunted by the challenge.
“Our New York City trial will show the world that we’ve lined up content deals with major brands and we’re going beyond a traditional trial network, we’re offering commercial grade service,” Ramke proclaimed.
Ramke declined to divulge further details about Modeo’s content lineup, saying only that announcements are coming in the near future.
The company’s service in New York will be available to a select group of users, but Modeo described the event as a commercial-grade launch rather than a technical trial.
Modeo’s NYC trial is set to begin early in the first quarter. The company previously said the launch would take place by the end of this year.
Handsets for the trial will be supplied by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. The phones will be unlocked GSM devices, capable of carrying cellular service from either T-Mobile USA Inc. or Cingular Wireless L.L.C. To get their service up and running, users would insert their existing T-Mobile USA or Cingular SIM cards into the Modeo phones.
With handsets and content deals in the bag, it’s obvious that the only missing factor for Modeo is a retail channel for its services. The company said last week that it’s prepared to go it alone, without the support of a wireless carrier.
However, when asked whether Modeo is prepared to supply the necessary billing, handset distribution and customer service for the offering, Ramke said, “While Modeo does not have current plans to implement a full retail service, the Modeo team has experience with taking products to market. This includes the distribution logistics as well as the retail billing and customer care functionality.”
Ramke also pointed out that “Modeo’s focus continues to be on securing a wholesale partnership with the wireless operators.”
That’s apparently the whole point of the NYC trial-raking in partners.
“We’re confident that our New York trial will be successful, and strategically thinking, after New York, as opportunities unfold, we’ll decide which way to take Modeo,” Ramke added.
Interestingly, Ramke commented that wireless operators aren’t the only vehicles for delivering Modeo’s mobile TV services. He hinted that while the company is engaged in talks with wireless players, it’s also playing the field with other types of communications companies, such as cable and satellite operators.
Ramke also pointed out that Modeo’s offering has already undergone technical trials with all of the major carriers. He said he’s not discouraged in the least about media reports indicating that Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA are currently trialing Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFLO offering. T-Mobile USA is also rumored to be trialing Aloha Partners’ Hiwire mobile TV effort.
“Technical-trialing is very different than being engaged in discussions,” Ramke said. “Hiwire is today where we were 18 months ago. They’re turning their service on and off, tweaking it along the way. We’re ready for a full commercial-grade launch.”
Ramke added that flashy announcements about trials don’t necessarily equate to snaring a contract with a carrier, saying, “I don’t think anyone should connect the dots (between trials and contracts) just yet. It’s still very early on, too early to determine who the winners and losers are.”
That said, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not Crown Castle will meet its stated goal of launching Modeo in 30 markets by the end of next year. For sure, Modeo’s survival depends on its ability to garner support during its New York trial.
Modeo said it plans to demonstrate its mobile TV services at the CES trade show in Las Vegas in early January.