Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades and enjoy the memories!
Softbank to buy Sprint Nextel
It’s official — Japan’s Softbank is buying a controlling interest in Sprint Nextel. The Japanese carrier will spend $20.1 billion to buy 70% of Sprint, paying the company’s shareholders $12.1 billion, and spending another $8 billion to pay down some of Sprint’s debt and provide cash for investment in network upgrades. The $12.1 billion payment to shareholders values the company at $17.2 billion, or about $5.75 per share. The deal will leave AT&T as the only one of America’s four biggest carriers without a significant foreign investor. Verizon Wireless is 45% owned by the UK’s Vodafone and T-Mobile USA is 100% owned by Germany’s Deutsche Telekom. … Read More
Dish remains sold on wireless; partnership likely
Dish Networks’ plans for the cellular space continued to solidify this week as company co-founder and chairman Charlie Ergen spoke during a keynote session at the PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show. Those plans are likely to involve a partnership with an established carrier that to this point has been hindered by an inability to receive full government approval for access and use of its 2 GHz spectrum holdings. Dish’s partnership possibilities took a bit of a hit this week as T-Mobile USA announced a merger of sorts with MetroPCS, which solidifies each operator’s spectrum position for at least the short term. Dish had been reportedly talking with T-Mobile USA about a spectrum sharing deal. Ergen noted that while the deal did curtail some of its options, Dish still had a number of other strategies on the table. … Read More
MetroPCS shareholders sue to block T-Mobile deal
T-Mobile USA’s plan to merge with MetroPCS may have hit its first bump in the road. A group of disgruntled MetroPCS shareholders has sued to block the deal. A copy of their filing was obtained late yesterday by TmoNews. The investors believe that MetroPCS’ management is set to receive millions in special payments, while ordinary shareholders will get less than the stock is worth today. The deal MetroPCS struck earlier this month with Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile USA, calls for investors to exchange each share for $4.09 plus half a share of stock in the combined company. With MetroPCS currently trading at around $11.50 per share, shares in the new company would have to be worth $15.00 each in order to make investors whole. ($4.09 plus half of $15.00 is $11.59, roughly equal to the current value of MetroPCS stock.) … Read More
iPad Mini could take the shine off the Surface
Reports that Apple is working on a smaller version of the iPad have been circulating for months, and the latest word is that the company will unveil the product a week from Tuesday, on October 23. The newest iPad is expected to fit into a large pocket, with a 7.85-inch display and an ultra-thin form factor. The most recent version of Apple’s iPad has a 9.85-inch display, and the iPhone 5 has a 4-inch display. While Apple is not expected to pull out all the stops with a major media event as it did for the iPhone 5, it will certainly win some attention with a new iPad launch. And if the launch does happen on October 23, it will be well-timed to potentially take the spotlight off Microsoft’s Surface tablet, due to ship October 26. One version of the software giant’s tablet will run Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system, also expected to become available around October 26. … Read More
Survey: Mobile space remains hot bed for employment
The mobile industry continues to be a beacon of opportunity for workers, with a new report sanctioned by Antenna Software finding 74% of enterprises surveyed were currently looking to fill mobile positions. The survey, which tapped into human resource managers at 600 companies, also found that 29% of enterprises are looking to hire a “mobile strategist” to support the growing demand for wireless integration. While the need for employees with “mobile” experience is high, the survey noted that the demand for workers with skills in the mobile space is expected to grow as 51% of those enterprises surveyed stating they had just recently created mobile-specific roles, 20% planning to create up to 2 new mobile-related positions in the next year and 5% planning to create as many as 10 new positions over the next 12 months. … Read More
Verizon Wireless LTE roll out ahead of schedule; VoLTE, AWS set for late 2013
Considered by some – and self-proclaimed – worldwide leader in LTE, Verizon Wireless is looking to maintain the momentum that begun with its initial network rollout nearly two years ago. The carrier announced today during a press conference at the MobileCON event in San Diego that it was on track to surpass 400 markets covered by its LTE network by Oct. 18, ahead of its initial target of year end. Verizon Wireless noted that its LTE offering would be available in 417 markets by later this month following the commercial launch of services in 21 new markets. Along with the new markets, Verizon Wireless said it will expand current coverage across 37 markets. The expansion will push LTE coverage to 245 million potential customers, with the carrier still on track to mimic its current 3G coverage of nearly 300 million pops by the end of 2013. … Read More
Sprint Nextel expands MVNO options
Sprint Nextel expanded its support of mobile virtual network operators with the launch of its Mobile Broadband on Demand service that will allow partners to rent devices compatible with the carrier’s 3G and WiMAX-based networks to consumers. The carrier noted the offering is targeted at “companies in the international, retail, travel and hospitality industries.” Sprint Nextel explained that the offering will direct customers that purchase or rent a mobile broadband device to an MVNO-branded website where they can enroll for service using a variety of payment options. The variety of those data plans are up to the discretion of the MVNO. The MVNO partner can also provide access to its commercial website through the portal, provide sponsored browsing or create unique service offerings. … Read More
U.S. government issues warning on Huawei, ZTE
Doing business with one of the world’s largest telecom equipment vendors is about to get a little trickier. Today Congress released a report that warns U.S. companies they could jeopardize American security by working with China-based Huawei. Last night CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a scathing story on the Chinese conglomerate, focusing on the company’s alleged intellectual property theft and its close relationship with the Chinese government. Today’s report comes after the House Intelligence Committee capped off a year-long investigation by questioning senior executives from both Huawei and ZTE in public hearings on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress asked both companies how they would respond if the Chinese government told them to use their networks to intercept American communications. Speaking through interpreters, the executives from both companies said that they would refuse to compromise their networks in this way. … Read More
Mobility Fund awards $300 million to carriers
U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile USA, and Allied Wireless are among the winners of a government reverse auction that has awarded $300 million to carriers pledging to bring 3G and 4G service to underserved areas. “As a result of the auction, new mobile infrastructure deployment will begin in 31 states with areas that currently lack access to 3G or 4G mobile service,” said Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski. The $300 million is part of the FCC Mobility Fund, which the agency says it created by cutting “waste and inefficiency” from its Universal Service Program. The FCC says the fund will also provide $500 million a year for “ongoing support” of mobile services, but did not say whether those funds would all go to the companies that have won contracts this week. … Read More
Positive financials spark M&A across tower space
The tower industry shares many similarities with its customer segment – wireless carriers – including the penchant for merger and acquisition activity. Recent history has seen a number of deals announced in the space, though the possibilities for more activity could be limited … at least domestically. Speaking during a panel discussion at this week’s PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show, executives from the nation’s four largest tower owners noted that strong balance sheets have enabled a recent rash of M&A activity, though future moves might be more challenging. Late last week, Crown Castle scooped up a prize in more than 7,000 tower sites from T-Mobile USA, which cost the company $2.4 billion. While some noted that sum was “princely,” Crown Castle was quick to note that the upside made the valuation well funded. That amount was seen by some as being at the high end when compared with say the $670 million SBA spent on 3,300 towers from Sprint Nextel back in 2008, but Crown Castle remained bullish on its prospects. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
