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, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
One is the loneliest number: Device exclusivity in the spotlight on Capitol Hill
The iPhone. The BlackBerry Storm. The Android. The Palm Pre. When we think about these phones, we think AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint, respectively. Phone exclusivity is a major headache for consumers who want the latest and greatest smartphone. True, when consumers choose a phone and the associated mobile operator, they receive a subsidy on the cost of the handset. But they also must sign a contract with that operator for one or two years or more. When these consumers are ready to move on to a new device on another network, they face heavy fees when trying to get out of their contracts. Could change be coming? In June, The Federal Communications Commission said it will explore the issue of phone exclusivity, and a congressional committee held hearings on it. “Today, when you sit down at a computer and you access a broadband connection, you’re not told by your broadband provider that you have to have a Dell or an HP or an Apple in order to access the network,” stated Sen. John Kerry (D – Mass.), at the June hearing. … Read more
Gearing up for smart grids
The elevator speech regarding the smart grid is simply that it is a communications system overlay on the existing electrical grid to make the electrical grid more controllable and much more efficient in the delivery of energy. The communications systems will be connected to strategically placed sensors throughout all four segments of the electrical grid: generation, transmission, distribution and consumers. That said, there are a number of ways to overlay and integrate a highly reliable communications network with the existing electrical grid to achieve the efficiency and control objectives that are envisioned. The first and most obvious would be for the electric utilities to build their own dedicated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks. Many large utilities are considering such an endeavor and are evaluating the cost in terms of efficiency, security, availability and reliability. The cost (capex and opex) is significant and the schedule would be lengthy for deployment of such a network, however, the security, availability and reliability would be relatively high. Duke Energy, one of the largest utilities in the nation, plans to install over 800,000 smart meters in Indiana in homes and businesses over the next five years. … Read more
AT&T on these newfangled ‘app stores’
The wireless industry is fueled by constant innovation. Few industries match our pace in a given year. But our achievements, ideas and products are not always widely adopted by customers. Why? Ease of use is our industry’s killer app. Without ease of use, our hard work and best ideas can be lost for months or years, if adopted at all. At AT&T, we are committed to delivering products that are easy, intuitive, and discoverable. We simultaneously strive to offer our customers flexibility to choose the best products. Both goals are driven by a relentless focus on the customer, key to winning in the marketplace. One of the newest, hottest spots in the market is the rise in the number of ‘app stores.’ The possibilities are exciting, innovative and diverse. Because carriers manage the customer experience, we’re exploring these stores with our partners using the same, consistent filter: ease-of-use and choice, defined through a relentless focus on the customer. The confluence of ease of use and choice will result in multiple, specialized app stores for AT&T customers in the near-term, though our long-term hope for the industry is greater interoperability among applications and operating systems. … Read more
We’re still waiting on that Surface fridge
In North America, the swift growth of mobile broadband has been instrumental in shoring up ARPU (average revenue per user) numbers, which were threatened by the commoditization of voice. With new applications and ideas coupled with improvements in key mobile-phone technologies, there is no doubt that the mobile broadband ecosystem will generate increasing revenues. However, it remains to be seen if operators benefit and the ARPU trend can be sustained or even improved upon. The next set of interesting devices — whether they be M2M, consumer electronics, netbooks or smartphones with enhanced user-interface and displays such as rollable eInk screens from Polymer Vision, Pico-DLP from TI, interferometric modulator display (iMoD) from Qualcomm and Microsoft Surface, to name a few – will revolutionize how users interact with their environment. Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) applications with seamless session sweeping (transfer) across different devices and access domains will continue to proliferate and evolve (www.damaka.com). It is not hard to imagine a future kitchen with a smart Surface refrigerator with UCC allowing a person to wirelessly receive coupons and order food along with keeping a visible synchronized calendar and to-do list, amongst other things. … Read more
Microsoft and Nokia sign handset/software integration deal
Computing industry giant Microsoft Corp. and the world’s largest handset vendor Nokia Corp. announced a deal to deliver an “enterprise-grade solution for mobile productivity” centered on integrating Microsoft’s Office Mobile software to Nokia Symbian-powered smartphones. The agreement calls for the two companies to collaborate on the “design, development and marketing” of solutions that will bring “Microsoft Office Mobile and Microsoft business communications, collaboration and device management software to Nokia’s Symbian devices.” Nokia said its E-Series devices would be the first to receive the Microsoft Office capabilities. The first devices are expected to include Microsoft’s Office Communicator Mobile platform, with future device employing other Office applications and related software. Nokia said it has no plans to use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS on its devices. The deal is a major win for Microsoft, which has relied on the industry’s smaller handset vendors to support its Windows Mobile operating system and the only access to its Office applications … Read more
Clearwire build-out ramps up
Clearwire Corp. added 12,000 net subscribers in its second quarter, now reaching 511,000 subscribers on its legacy and WiMAX networks. Average revenue per user was stable at $39.47, even as cost per gross addition (CPGA) increased from $449 in second-quarter 2008, to $524 in second-quarter 2009. Churn was up slightly, to 2.8%. The carrier said it expects churn and CPGA to increase as it transitions legacy customers to WiMAX network customers and builds out its network. The carrier, which turned on WiMAX services in Las Vegas and Atlanta this summer, posted a $241.4 million loss on revenues of $63.6 million. The carrier has about $2.5 billion left in cash and cash equivalents and expects it can access more funding if needed, said CEO Bill Morrow. The carrier’s wholesale program is starting to gain traction as Comcast Corp. is reselling services in Atlanta and Portland, Ore., while Time Warner Cable said it will start reselling Clear services in four cities this fall. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
