Ah, the Thanksgiving holiday is now behind us. The official HOLIDAY season is upon us, and it’s time to start shopping, writing letters to Santa and dusting off those favorite family recipes.
As such, I’m ready to offer my recipe for a successful wireless industry.
First, take a large block of wireless spectrum. Marinate it for several years in a bunch of rules you never actually intend to keep for any length of time. Add a heavy dose of speculation and greed to drive up the value of that spectrum. Separate this into A-, B-, C-, D-, and F-block licenses. Pay special attention to the A- and B-block spectrum.
Put aside C-block spectrum. You don’t really need it for this recipe. Refrigerate it for later use.
In a separate bowl, start to mix the telecom and cable TV industries to form the 1996 Telecommunications Act. If you have worked with government before, you should know that although the telecom act was designed to work as a separator, it actually enables the industries to coagulate.
Let rise like the stock market.
After prices have risen steadily, fold in the thought of spectrum scarcity, driven in part by the yet-unproven but highly perceived need for third-generation wireless services.
Take a lot of ego called wideband CDMA technology. Toss with a lot of ego called cdma2000 technology. You’ll notice these two ingredients do not mix well. Sprinkle with some sanity from the 3G Operators Harmonization Group, which will help shape both ingredients.
In order to thoroughly mold this mixture, you will need to add higher stock prices, which can be best achieved from the sale of Qualcomm’s infrastructure business to Ericsson. Add a pinch of consolidation rumors among top industry players. This works as another (Wall Street) rising agent.
Combine several large dominating cellular carriers. Mix thoroughly with PCS spectrum from A- and B-blocks (and to a lesser degree, D- and F-blocks). Add to other large dominating carriers and divide into about three large pieces. Throw in a heavy dose of wireless data promises and a heaping tablespoon of one-rate wireless plans.
Take the C-block spectrum out of fridge and knead heavily. Put back in fridge. You don’t really need for this recipe.
Serve with a side of prepaid service.
Bon appetit!
