WiMax Empire Poses Continual Threat to the AT&T Network 37 comments
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AT&T (NYSE: T) Phone Company is once again challenging the imminent merger of Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) with Clearwire (NYSE: CLWR), whose aim is to merge both companies’ WiMax assets in order to create a nationwide broadband wireless network.
This merger would be huge for Wimax, estimating a deal worth 14. 5 billion dollars, and is promising to be a huge success. Just ask Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Time Warner (NYSE:TWX), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), all companies who are currently backing this magnanimous merger.
This union would be a grave threat to AT&T’s future success and longevity as a company, and therefore they are claiming that Sprint and Clearwire are “failing to make the required showings necessary for the commission’s review.” They are hoping that this new claim against Wimax would prohibit the FCC from approving its launch.
AT&T clearly understands the importance of mass mergers, seeing as how the company exists today solely because of a mergence between their company and Bellsouth. This alliance has allowed AT&T to grow and reach profound heights in profit margins and overall global accessibility. The same could all too easily occur as a result of the coalition between Sprint and Clearwire, an outcome that obviously leaves AT&T worried.
And AT&T has more than one reason to be nervous about the Wimax wireless network. AT&T is currently working on their own 3G wireless technology, but it is still light years away from the technology currently being deployed by the Sprint and Clearwire union.
With advanced technologies and unparalleled support from large corporations such as Intel and Google, it is no surprise why AT&T is scared about its ineludible launch.
Disclosure: none
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This article has 37 comments:
Are these the words that belong in a business article or back at the creative writing lab?
1) Over 130 countries are deploying or have deployed WiMax. LTE is not even out of the standards review yet.
2) China & India have already deployed WiMax
3) There are over 400 companies working on WiMax products and services including Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, Intel, Google and many, many others.
WiMax has at least a 3 year time-to-market advantage......but what many still do not understand is that this will be a complete and fundamental shift in the way wireless is sold. The Sprint-Clearwire model is a completely open system.....it won't be a Sprint device, it will be a GE, Samsung, Intel, Dell, Acer, Microsoft, Apple, Pioneer, Ford, Chevy, Honda, Bayliner, etc, etc DEVICE!!! Sprint-Clearwire becomes the ARMS dealer......
AT&T & Verizon fear this FACT the most and want to distract people from WiMax at all costs......they want a CLOSED system that they can control and monopolize....
You mention Sprint dosnt have the EVDO Rev A coverage of Verison or ATT in one of your comments. I wasnt aware ATT had a CDMA network?
As for your comment about WiMAX not deploying on a national basis by a major carrier, what do you think the article is about? The WiMAX network by Sprint and Clearwire will be a national network. They are atcually building it out across the country, and not in test cluster's like you say Verizon is doing.
And when Verizon finally launches LTE, between 2010 and 2015, assuming they get through standards in two years, what devices will they launch, because a network is useless when there are no devices.
Oh and correction. Stop drinking the cool aid from Verizon then! You obviously work for Verizon. How else would you be claiming that they are testing in clusters. By the way, the ClearWire guys will be taking the Verizon & AT&T jobs when they launch LTE because they will have OFDM experience and will have experience launching a 4G network. Hopefully there's a telecom job left for YOU. Good luck to you my friend, who doesn't have his facts straight.
LTE will be launched by 2009, mark my words. And by the way fool, it also used OFDM (not a new technology...being used currently by most carriers already) so again, PLEASE get stats straight (not strait as you write above) before posting nonsense!
I actually work for MetroPCS if you really want to know & we don't have data for customer use on our network...but obviously more informed than you are!
So let me get this STRAIGHT, boy! You work for MetroPCS, who doesn't have a data network to speak of, and claim to be informed on BWA deployments? Your credibility is shot. You're probably a disgruntled ex-Sprint employee or contractor. BTW, you're better at spell checking than getting your facts STRAIGHT!
actually the Sprint evdo rev A network does cover more pops, cities and aiports then Verizon. In addtion, ATT HSDPA is lagging way behind the coverage follows:
airports cities population
att 469 5180 148M
sprint 1531 16202 248M
verizon 1447 14523 245M
this is information was taken from their own websites and verified by RCR News
aboutus.vzw.com/bestne...
www.rcrnews.com/articl...
As for Sprint/Clearwire, the latter has mostly been focused on slower 1-2 Mb/s fixed and nomadic deployments, to decidedly mixed customer reviews. Sprint is 8-12 months behind their initial WiMax deployment plans, and that's before the distraction that is being caused by the joint venture.
I suspect both technologies will coexist eventually and perhaps complement each other in some ways. But it's not a slam dunk for WiMax by ANY indication.
Have a great day!
I know how to read thank you:
Below is the actual quote by the Verizon spokesperson in the article, his statement contradicts the web site:
Verizon Wireless jumped into the debate boasting in a release that the carrier’s 3G network covers 80% of the U.S. population, the most people of any wireless service provider. Tom Pica, a Verizon Wireless spokesman, said the carrier measured its coverage in potential customers covered, and counts 245 million pops covered with its 3G service.
Sprint Nextel measures its network in total cities and airports with service; saying it reaches 246 million pops in 16,022 cities and 1,506 airports.
I have an issue with the math that Verizon is using, if they are covering 256M pops; then that is 85% of the 301M available population. so it is either 245M pops at 81% or 256M pops at 85%; I think they would be touting 85% coverage if they actually cover the 256M pops.
In reference to WiMAX and LTE scalability. Lets remember that since WiMAX be it fixed or mobile is a standards based service. This being said innovations will be introduced to market in a much quicker fashion. And, since it will have at minimum an 18 to 24 months in market lead time, upgrades and enhancements will also have that same lead time. Being in the Telecom industry for 30 years now I do not see scalability being a hurdle that can not be overcome. When I first came into telecom a DS1 and DS2 (no DS3 at that time) were only used by carriers as IMTs between the CO's, we have carriers (sprint) today that have started to deploy 40G backbone circuits.
I agree with Scott Berry when he states that WiMax is not a slam dunk but it is surley a lay up when LTE is not even on the court yet. They will work in conjunction in the future.
Enough said. Before you reply, yes I know EVERY carrier has disgruntled customers....but an entire site dedicated to it? WAY too funny!
Not meaning to argue numbers just want to be factual. The fact is I use ATT, Sprint and Verizon as part of what I do. All carriers have their own pluses and minuses. It seems that ATT has decided to take the slow growth approach to creating a true nationwide broadband network and I have given up using their data card because of the poor data speeds this is due to the very small foot print for HSPDA. Between Sprint and Verizon there is virtually no difference when it comes to standard data transmission i.e. internet browsing. In NY Sprint has the edge in the majority of the city and Verizon is better in the rest. When you move to the enterprise applications and remotely accessing an MPLS or IPVPN network it works out that the Sprint network stands out so far. In additon; if you are streaming video (quality)or downloading songs OTA(speed) Sprint has the edge so far but I am still testing . I am testing voice and data standalone devices also smartphones with the phone as a modem functionality for a fortune 2000 company.
On WiMax, Fixed WiMax will become the replacement to the copper last mile for the LEC and the some of the cable providers. Mobile WiMax will have an 18 to 24 month head start on LTE. This alone will give Sprint a very strategic edge in the WiMax/LTE 4G battle. I hope everyone realizes that a true open architecture like Wimax or LTE is just that open. You will be buying your devices from the big box retail chains. But, what people do not realize yet is that they will be paying retail list price for the devices and the carriers will not be subsidizing the cost like today. Welcome to the business model most of the worlds wireless carriers use today.
We can all quote facts/figures and post URL's found in Google to make our take on anything sound rosy. After all, most articles are written by man for man with an agenda for their cause.
Wasn't Pivot going to crush the telcos too? Where did that go?
It's not so much that Wimax isn't a great technology or that it won't reach any economy of scale. Part of the whole method to success lies in a business' ability to execute successfully and meet goals.
Let's face it. Sprint's current voice/data network is decent and even better than AT&T in certain areas. That doesn't equal instant success or superiority. Poor leadership, terrible marketing, confusing policy adherence and terrible customer service has led them to where they are today.
A properly built network, great technology or myriad of devices will only take a company so far.
I believe out of fear of falling to the wayside, you'll see more of those involved in the Wimax camp push for compatibility standardization with LTE as it pushes forward into development.
Many of your statements are correct. I am an unbias player in this stream. Pivot was actually a consumer based tool/service that would work inconjunction and enhance the cable companies services. And, yes there will be a compatibility standard developed between LTE and WiMax
LTE, is supported by 3GPP and all the infrastructure vendors. Its compatibility with GSM, UMTS, HSDPA and HSUPA is defined since the start. It allows use of multiple bandwiths (starting from 1.2MHz) and FDMA and TDMA options, which allows it to be implemented in every piece of frequency that is currently used for 2G or 3G networks, and grow in smooth way. The terminals that will support LTE will have an smooth evolution as the HSDPA terminals did. You actually don't need to build a huge network to start offering it (this might sound good for carriers) and finally, all big players are supporting it (T-Mobile, AT&T, Vodafone, Telefonica, America Movil, etc).
I believe in WiMAX, as a good broadband solution as backbone for rural areas... not as an access solution, as it is not compatible with the current techonologies, not even CDMA which is so well spread in the U.S.
The times when a new technology could just appear and make a business case for itself are gone. If you are not compatible with the current access networks you may not have any future. A business case for a 14B USD investment in a technology which not everyone believes in, and with an LTE solution coming... sounds risky. May work but I would never bet on that. Disclaimer: Telecom Engineer from NSN, ex-Nokia Networks and ex-Motorola