SoftBank has teamed up with Netflix; could a Sprint/Netflix deal be next?
1. Sprint’s parent company SoftBank will offer Netflix to customers who visit its stores and website, starting next month. The two companies will also work together to create original content. Netflix has already partnered with several other Japanese companies, including Sony and Toshiba, but partnering with a wireless carrier is new for Netflix. Here in the U.S., Netflix has a partnership with Dish Network, and offered a promotion with T-Mobile US earlier this year.
2. DAS update: Network operators plan to triple the number of distributed antenna system nodes in their networks during the next three years. That projection comes from the latest DAS research from IHS Infonetics. The firm found that most operators continue to deploy carrier-owned DAS, and that the top vendors are CommScope and TE Connectivity (which are set to join forces) as well as Axell Wireless.
3. Smartphone sales are slowing down. Following Gartner’s report showing slower smartphone growth, IDC is projecting total smartphone sales of 1.44 billion units this year, up 10.4% from last year. Many businesses would love to see 10% annual growth, but the smartphone industry has seen better – last year unit sales were up 27.5%
4. Smartphones may soon scan 3D images. Manufacturers know that one way to keep the smartphone market growing is to keep innovating. Microsoft researchers have developed software that turns a mobile phone into a 3D scanner, and they say the scans are good enough to turn into 3D prints.
5. BlackBerry plus Lollipop? The Canadian smartphone maker seems very interested in running the Android operating system on its smartphones. A video apparently showing the BlackBerry Passport running Android Lollipop is making the rounds on the Internet. Meanwhile, BlackBerry is expected to launch an Android smartphone this fall.
And our featured job today comes from MasTec Network Solutions. The company is hiring an associate RF engineer to work in Maryland. Find hundreds of jobs and thousands of resumes at telecomcareers.com.
