Carriers not equal in innovation

So who exactly are the innovators leading the pack in wireless entertainment?
It depends who you ask.
Few agreed to be identified as they talked about their experiences with carriers, for fear of upsetting their bedfellows, but the bulk of feedback RCR Wireless News gathered does lead to some interesting-albeit flexible-conclusions.
Among carriers, Verizon Wireless got the most nods for its entertainment and programming lineup. The team is among the most communicative with their partners in entertainment, so much so that one executive compared the carrier’s approach to an entrepreneur-like fashion. Both Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. reportedly stand out as operators that maintain an almost daily conversation with their entertainment partners.
Alltel Corp. got one anonymous nod for having developed the most innovative deck in the market today, proving that sometimes innovation comes from a smaller player that has no choice but to think beyond the status quo. It was also described as an aggressive carrier in regards to content innovation and its willingness to partner with existing experts.
“There’s something to be said about” building partnerships, said Levi Shapiro, director of audience metrics at Telephia Inc. “Let the people who are experts do something because they can do it best.”
It’s a philosophy not unique to either industry, but Seth Cummings, former VP of content at Amp’d Mobile Inc., would like to see the process of collaboration change to reflect the tumultuous arena in which the wireless industry operates.
“If a content partner comes up with a great idea it would have to go through a ‘carrier sales process’ that usually requires multiple divisions, people, road-map synchs to get any traction. Entertainment and programming is a real-time business, so there has to be more cross-functional adaptation away from wireless and toward programming within carriers to really move the needle in content,” Cummings said.
“If new wireless technologies, especially on the network side, are married with innovative content strategies, then big carriers eventually will one-stop-shop themselves to a new level.”
He mentioned Turner Broadcasting System Inc., MTV Networks, CBS Mobile and NBC Universal when asked to identity companies that are taking an early lead in content innovation.