| This week's sponsor is The Open Mobile Summit. |  | "The best of the Mobile World Congress, in San Francisco"
Featuring Facebook, Google, Verizon, Sprint, eBay, Pandora and more.
Places are limited for intimate networking.
Reserve your place here today. |
Today's Top Stories
1. Sprint, Leap left on the outside of T-Mobile/MetroPCS deal
2. Google warns of more job cuts, higher costs in Motorola restructuring
3. AT&T to launch Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820, giving handset maker a boost
4. T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger could spur VoLTE innovation
5. Sprint offers Dish an olive branch in clash over spectrum shift Editor's Corner: F.J. Pollak's TracFone: The most successful wireless provider you've never heard of Also Noted: CommScope
Spotlight On... Sprint's Tarazi promises HetNet focus in Network Vision 2.0
HP CEO: No smartphones in 2013; Google buys Viewdle and much more...  T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS merge: Complete coverage
Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA will merge with flat-rate player MetroPCS. The deal will combine T-Mobile's 33.2 million customers with MetroPCS' 9.3 million customers, and represents the latest major consolidation in the U.S. wireless industry. The Fierce editorial team has been covering the announcement from every possible angle. Check out our complete coverage here.
 Hottest smartphones for Q4
The fourth quarter is here and the world's largest handset makers have spent the past several weeks unveiling the smartphones that they hope consumers will snap up during the holiday shopping season. Thus, it's worth taking a moment to make sense of what has been announced and to evaluate the key flagship phones that will be competing for the hearts (and wallets) of consumers. After all, the holiday season is typically the most important selling season for smartphone manufacturers. Special Report
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News From Across the Wireless Industry:
1. T-Mobile's 'rock star' CTO faces huge challenge with MetroPCS buy
2. Facebook eclipses 1B monthly active users, 600M on mobile
3. Nokia Siemens rolls out HetNet services
| This week's sponsor is Wireless Power 2012. |  | November 1-2, Dallas
Nokia, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm and more give insights from cell phone wireless network & mobile product OEMs, plus Qi and the latest automotive applications.
FIERCE saves you $200; register now!
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F.J. Pollak's TracFone: The most successful wireless provider you've never heard of
It is an MVNO of all of the major nationwide wireless carriers, as well as some regional carriers. It offers a full range of products, from super low-cost voice phones to full-featured Android smartphones. It's available almost everywhere, from Walmart to Target to RadioShack. It has been guided by the same executive since it was founded almost two decades ago. With 21.3 million subscribers, it's the nation's fifth largest wireless provider, though it spends virtually nothing on advertising. It's TracFone Wireless, and analysts generally agree it's one of the smartest wireless players in the market. "They were able to figure out there is a market for low-ARPU prepaid," explained Recon Analytics analyst (and FierceWireless contributor) Roger Entner. "The secret of success is that they have a maniacal focus on eliminating unnecessary expenses." "We are taking a positive stance on TracFone Wireless, because the prepaid MVNO has continued to see moderate growth … while remaining the largest pure prepaid player in the market with over 20 million customers," Current Analysis analyst Jamie Huff wrote in a June report on the company. "While its ARPU remains one of the lowest in the industry at roughly $16, TracFone has seen a 60 percent increase in the last couple of years from its $10 ARPU reported in 2009." Based in Miami, TracFone got its start in 1996 as Topp Telecom under the direction of Frederick J. Pollak (who also goes by F.J. Pollak). After just a few years the company managed ink wireless service deals with many of the nation's major wireless network providers, and sold its prepaid Nokia (NYSE:NOK) and Motorola phones in 15,000 retail outlets nationwide. The company then attracted the attention of billionaire Carlos Slim's Telefonos de Mexico, which purchased a controlling interest in Topp for $57.5 million in 1999. The next year Telefonos de Mexico became América Móvil and Topp became TracFone. It's unclear exactly how much influence Slim's América Móvil wields over TracFone. Much of TracFone's management is Florida-area executives from the telecommunications or banking sectors, though América Móvil's Gustavo Blanco Villanueva held the position of TracFone CFO until relatively recently. Recon Analytics' Entner said the two companies work closely together...Continued  More
Read more about: Straight Talk, SafeLink
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| Sponsor: Qualcomm FierceLive! Webinars > Beyond the Cable: The Move to Mobility by MSOs - October 9th, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST
> Mobile Acceleration for the Mobile Revolution - Tuesday, November 13th, 2pm ET / 11am PT
> Carrier Ethernet woes? Here's an economical approach to improving operational efficiency and network visibility - Wednesday, October 10, 11am ET / 8am PT / 3pm GMT
> The 1000x challenge; Small cells everywhere! - Wednesday, October 17, 12pm ET / 9am PT
Events > Fixed & Mobile Telecom Mgmt Conference - Feb 10-14 - Orlando, FL
> Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 - An Operator- Reviewed Awards Program From the Publishers of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, FierceCable
> ITEXPO 2012 - October 2-5 - Austin, TX
> Futurecom 2012 - October 8-11, 2012 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
> World Telemedia - 17th-19th October 2012 - Marbella
> Sprint Open Solutions Conference - October 24th and 25th - San Jose, CA
> 4G World 2012 - October 29- November 1 - Chicago, IL
> Wireless Power Summit 2012 - Dallas, TX - November 1-2
> The Open Mobile Summit - FW discount code - November 7-9 - San Francisco, CA
> Appcelerate 2012 - Meet the leaders of the mobile app economy! - November 9 - San Francisco, CA
> MVNOs Industry Summit USA 2012 - November 14-15 2012 - Dallas, Texas, USA
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> A new conference for a new world - TM Forum's Management World Americas 2012 - Orlando, FL - December 3-6
Marketplace > The New Standard in 4G Telecom Enclosures
> AQuA's Best Practice Guide for Developing Quality Apps now updated
> EBook: Is VoLTE the Next Generation of Voice?
> Whitepaper: Kabel Deutschland Uses Lavastorm Analytics' Flexibility to Optimize Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management Processes
> Whitepaper: Whitepaper: 7 Key Customer Trends Driving Convergent Charging
> The Benefits of Moving from Open Source to WebSphere Application Server: Forrester Research Discusses its New Total Economic Im
> Shifting Performance Strategies and Solutions for Mobile and Web Experience
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* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Sprint, Leap left on the outside of T-Mobile/MetroPCS deal
The proposed merger of Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA with MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) has obvious ramifications for the two carriers, but the deal will also have major implications for the carriers left on the outside of the M&A bubble: Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Cricket provider Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP).  | | Click here for a chart of T-Mobile and MetroPCS' combined spectrum, according to Mosaik Solutions | For Sprint, the deal represents a missed opportunity for consolidation. According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources, Sprint was in talks with T-Mobile about a possible tie-up recently, but the talks did not advance. And according to multiple reports, Sprint's board passed in February on the chance to acquire MetroPCS. The Journal reported that Sprint would have offered MetroPCS a 30 percent premium on its stock, but that the deal fell apart because Sprint's board felt the timing was not right. According to a Bloomberg report, which also cited unnamed sources, Sprint is in the early stages of evaluating whether to make a competing bid for MetroPCS. The report said that Sprint began reconsidering its position on a deal for MetroPCS before the T-Mobile announcement was made public and could decide as soon as next week on whether to make a competing offer. A Sprint spokesman declined to comment on the T-Mobile/MetroPCS deal and whether Sprint would oppose it. Sprint stock has surged this year, stoking speculation among financial analysts that the carrier would make a deal. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said last month the carrier would likely be a part of any significant M&A going forward, though he did not provide specifics. "I do think there will be consolidation," he said at an investor conference. "I would hope and expect that over the long term Sprint will take a very active role in that." However, complicating any potential transaction is the fact that Sprint is in the middle of a complicated, multibillion-dollar network modernization plan called Network Vision. Hesse has said that his executive team is focused on the project, which will reduce Sprint's network costs, improve its CDMA network and allow it to deploy LTE. As for Leap, the carrier has said it is also interested in potential deals. Leap CFO Jerry Elliott said recently the company is considering a wide range of strategic options, including a sale. The prepaid carrier has lost money every year since 2006. MetroPCS was seen by many as the logical partner to acquire or merge with Leap since both are smaller prepaid carriers; Leap turned down a bid from MetroPCS in 2007. Leap's shares plunged 18 percent Wednesday on news of the T-Mobile/MetroPCS deal. The company declined to comment on the transaction, according to Bloomberg. Leap has a much smaller customer base than MetroPCS--5.9 million compared with MetroPCS' 9.3 million. Leap is also lagging MetroPCS in LTE: Leap counts only one LTE market (Tucson, Ariz.) while MetroPCS counts 14 LTE markets and close to one million LTE customers. Further, if T-Mobile does complete its merger with MetroPCS, the combined company could put further competitive pressure on Leap. "The challenge for Leap is that their business just isn't all that attractive on a standalone basis," Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett told Bloomberg. "Right now they're struggling to grow and they still aren't profitable. That asset has always made more sense in the context of a larger business." For more:
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this separate Bloomberg article
- see this separate WSJ article (sub. req.) Special Report: T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS merge: Complete coverage
Related Articles:
T-Mobile takes on Verizon, AT&T with MetroPCS buy
Regulators likely to smile on merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS
Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA to merge with MetroPCS Read more about: Leap Wireless
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| This week's sponsor is Qualcomm. |  | Webinar: The 1000x challenge; Small cells everywhere!
Wednesday, October 17th, 12pm ET / 9am PT To solve the 1000x mobile data challenge, we need more small cells, actually, much more, and everywhere - But, isn't interference a limiting factor? How dense can we deploy them? What are the future enhancements that takes HetNets to the next level? Find out the answers at this Qualcomm webinar. Register Today! |
2. Google warns of more job cuts, higher costs in Motorola restructuring
Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) said it expects more job cuts and higher costs as part of the restructuring of its Motorola Mobility unit, beyond what it detailed in August. Google said in August it would slash around 4,000 jobs Motorola, or 20 percent of the unit's workforce, and said that two-thirds of the cuts are expected to come from outside the United States. The announcement came just three months after Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola closed in May. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission today, Google said that it now expects to "broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S." Google said it now expects to book severance costs of $300 million, above the $275 million it originally forecasted. The company also said it will take a charge of $90 million related to closing facilities and exiting markets this year and next, and around $40 million of those costs will be booked in the third quarter of this year. "Motorola continues to evaluate its plans and further restructuring actions may occur, which may cause Google to incur additional restructuring charges, some of which may be significant," Google said. Google executives have emphasized that Motorola will focus on a slimmer portfolio of devices than it has in the past. Google has also taken steps to reshape Motorola--40 percent of Motorola's vice presidents are gone and the company plans to move from its longtime headquarters in Libertyville, Ill., to a new office in downtown Chicago's Merchandise Mart area. Google and Motorola have said the cuts are necessary to return the unit's device division to profitability. When Google made the acquisition, many analysts worried about the software giant swallowing a hardware company with lower margins. Motorola was once the world's second largest cell phone maker, but the company has since been eclipsed by the likes of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Samsung Electronics and others. Motorola in the second quarter accounted for just 2 percent of the globe's cell phone shipments, according to ABI Research. For more:
- see this SEC filing
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)
- see this Reuters article
Related Articles:
Motorola partners with Intel for Razr i smartphone
$99 Droid Razr M at center of Google's coming out party for Motorola
Google to axe 4,000 Motorola jobs in restructuring
Google: Motorola's patents worth $5.5B
Google promises 'changes' at Motorola, but mum on details Read more about: Google, Job cuts
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3. AT&T to launch Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820, giving handset maker a boost
AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) said it will exclusively launch Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) flagship Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 smartphone and will also carry the mid-range Lumia 820.  | | Click here for a video from AT&T of the Nokia Lumia 920 in action. | AT&T did not provide pricing or a specific launch date but said the devices would be available in November. The support for both of Nokia's first Windows Phone 8 smartphones bodes well for Nokia's fourth-quarter sales and builds on the relationship AT&T and Nokia started earlier this year when the carrier exclusively launched the high-end Lumia 900. AT&T initially launched the Lumia for $99.99 with a two-year contract. Both the Lumia 920 and 820 will run on AT&T's LTE network, which AT&T plans to expand to cover around 150 million POPs by year-end. The Lumia 920 has a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon S4 processor and a 4.5-inch Pure Motion HD+ display, which Nokia says is its best screen. The 820 has a 4.3-inch display, a dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 8 GB of storage, 1 GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel camera. Nokia's mapping and location services also stand out on the 920, including its Transport app for mapping public transportation and its City Lens augmented reality service. The 920 also has an 8.7-megapixel camera with Nokia's "PureView" camera technology, which Nokia introduced at the Mobile World Congress trade show in February. Nokia has said the technology allows the camera to captures between five and 10 times more light and produce clearer images than other phone cameras, and then can be used to either zoom in on all of those pixels or increase image quality through interpolation. Additionally, the camera's optical image stabilization technology produces steadier video capture. Nokia badly needs its new Lumia phones to sell well in the market, especially in the U.S. market. Nokia reported selling 600,000 devices in the North American market--likely almost exclusively Lumias--in both the first and second quarter of the year, an indication that its phones are not gaining much traction. The new Lumias will compete with all of the hottest smartphones from other OEMs in the fourth quarter, but will go head-to-head on the Windows Phone front with HTC's Windows Phone 8X and 8S. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and HTC plan to launch a joint marketing campaign for the phones, which will be sold through AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ). Verizon has committed to working with Nokia on Windows Phone but has not said whether it will launch a Nokia phone in the fourth quarter along with its other planned Windows Phone launches. The Lumias are one piece of AT&T's emerging holiday handset lineup. Along with Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), AT&T will launch the LG Optimus G, LG's high-end LTE smartphone with a quad-core Snapdragon processor. AT&T will also launch the HTC One X+, which sports LTE and Nvidia's quad-core 1.7 GHz Tegra 3 chip. Additionally, AT&T has said it will also support Sony Mobile Communications' Xperia TL, which sports a 13-megapixel camera, 4.5-inch HD display and DLNA technology for sharing media. For more:
- see this AT&T release
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this The Verge article Special Report: Hottest smartphones for Q4 Related Articles:
Rumor Mill: Nokia to release Lumia 920 in November
Verizon to launch 'multiple' Windows Phones in Q4, commits to Nokia
Nokia unveils Lumia 920 and 820, its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones
Report: Microsoft to unfurl Windows Phone 8 on Oct. 29 Read more about: Windows Phone 8, Sony Mobile Communications, Optimus G
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4. T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger could spur VoLTE innovation
T-Mobile USA's acquisition of MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) has the potential to bring about technological innovations in the U.S. mobile marketplace and accelerate the deployment of advanced services, according to analysts.  | | The combined company will be able to offer 20x20 MHz LTE in many metro areas.
For more slides from the merger report, click here. | Spectrum and LTE are keys to the merger's success and future potential. "We will increase our contiguous spectrum for LTE by 40 percent by the end of 2013," said T-Mobile CEO John Legere, noting the combined company will be able to offer 20x20 MHz LTE in many metro areas. The operators have complementary 1900 MHz and AWS spectrum holdings. Despite the fact that T-Mobile is a GSM-based operator while MetroPCS is a CDMA operator, Legere emphasized that this massive merger will not have the same problems that haunted Sprint's (NYSE:S) acquisition of Nextel Communications in 2005, which attempted to bring together two dissimilar networks--CDMA and iDEN. "Our strategy is to transition the MetroPCS customers to the combined company's network and refarm MetroPCS' spectrum. We are not, I repeat not, going to smash together two networks with differing technologies," said Legere. "We expect a rapid migration in the convergence to a common LTE standard and the rapid turnover of handsets, which is as much as 60-65 percent of the MetroPCS base" annually, he said. "That makes this possible very quickly." All MetroPCS customers should be migrated to the combined company's common network by the end of 2015. Chris Kissel, analyst with Multimedia Research Group, agrees that the merger is well timed in terms of technology paths. Despite the fact that T-Mobile and MetroPCS use different 3G technologies, "this deal doesn't feel similar (to Sprint's Nextel acquisition) because there is a known migration path for both MetroPCS as well as for T-Mobile. They're both going to LTE anyway," he told FierceBroadbandWireless. "There really isn't a gating factor about a merged company running two separate networks. That should only be a concern over a couple of years. By the time LTE is mature (and) by the time VoLTE is mature, there should be an easy transition plan to make the merged company work," said Kissel. MetroPCS launched VoLTE service this summer in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market and last month pledged to have VoLTE in all 14 of its LTE markets within the next six months. "I think it's going to be cool for T-Mobile to add exposure to VoLTE," said Kissel. "Obviously as T-Mobile starts to make its network optimization, this is going to be a good thing." However, T-Mobile does not have the same capacity constraints that were pushing MetroPCS to aggressively adopt VoLTE, said Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, director of mobile broadband opportunities at Strategy Analytics. "Part of MetroPCS' need to do that was that they needed to refarm quickly to LTE, so they wanted to use VoLTE to get voice into their LTE stream quickly. I don't think there will be that same pressure at T-Mobile with their strong HSPA network. So they may not have that same pressure to move quickly." Nonetheless, T-Mobile should be well positioned if it wants to offer cutting-edge services positioned around VoLTE and Rich Communication Suite (RCS). "As they look to create innovative marketing plays around their LTE holdings, that's where I think we will see some interesting things start to happen," said Welsh de Grimaldo. "This won't be technology just for technology's sake to get the voice migrated over, which was the real MetroPCS push, but it'll be about what they can do to position in the market around new services." She added such innovative new services could play well in T-Mobile's new push to attract small and medium-size businesses to its network. "The combined company will also be the first carrier with contract handset financing and bring-your-own-device plans," said Legere, who noted the operator will be able to drive unlimited data plans as a key differentiator and become the leading provider of monthly no-contract services. The merger deal potentially benefits T-Mobile's current network suppliers--Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Nokia Siemens Networks. The former is already MetroPCS' sole LTE infrastructure supplier infrastructure supplier and has been doing VoLTE work for MetroPCS (along with Mavenir, Acme Packet, Hewlett-Packard, Amdocs and Genband), while Nokia Siemens has been very involved in small cells via its Liquid Net portfolio as well as refarming, said Welsh de Grimaldo. However, MetroPCS' other primary infrastructure supplier, Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU), which Kissel noted signed a $500 million CDMA network supply contract in December 2007, could once again get left out in the cold when it comes to future upgrade action for the new combined operator. The deal also has implications on the backhaul front, where T-Mobile has been a leader in getting backhaul upgrades in place. "T-Mobile has done so much to build out a really strong leased fiber backhaul network. They've done a ton of work on that. I think MetroPCS was a bit behind on their backhaul, and they've been recently looking into doing a lot more with microwave," said Welsh de Grimaldo. Due to T-Mobile's involvement, small microwave backhaul vendors will have "a different landscape" to deal with, she added. For more:
- see this release
- see this Strategy Analytics blog entry
Special Report: T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS merge: Complete coverage Related Articles:
T-Mobile promises 20x20 MHz LTE network with MetroPCS spectrum
Regulators likely to smile on merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS
Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA to merge with MetroPCS
Deutsche Telekom confirms T-Mobile/MetroPCS negotiations
Rumor Mill: MetroPCS eyeing Dish, T-Mobile and Sprint as potential suitors
Analyst: A Sprint/MetroPCS merger more likely than one with T-Mobile Read more about: Ericsson, AWS
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5. Sprint offers Dish an olive branch in clash over spectrum shift
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) said that if the FCC agrees to auction the 1900 MHz PCS H Block and agrees to protect its adjacent PCS G Block from interference, Sprint will work with standards-setting bodies to ensure that all standards work for Dish Network's spectrum can be completed within six months or less. The disclosure, in filings Sprint made to the FCC, is the latest in a string of tit-for-tat filings between Sprint and Dish over proposed rules for the 2 GHz S-band of MSS spectrum, which the FCC has renamed "AWS-4." The FCC is expected to issue final rules on the terrestrial use of the satellite spectrum by year-end. In the filings, Sprint notes that it supports Dish's efforts to use its spectrum for terrestrial-only services. "Sprint has no interest in any delays in the 3GPP process over the next few months, but Sprint's legitimate concerns ... should be addressed immediately," Sprint CTO Stephen Bye and Lawrence Krevor, Sprint's vice president of legal and government affairs for spectrum, wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Dish currently owns 40 MHz of S-band spectrum--specifically from 2000-2020 MHz and 2180-2200 MHz. Dish hopes to launch an LTE Advanced network with its spectrum by 2016, but is awaiting rules from the FCC on its spectrum as well as word on whether the FCC will shift its holdings at 2000-2020 MHz up 5 MHz to 2005-2025 MHz. Dish has argued repeatedly against such a shift. Dish argues that if its spectrum is shifted it will need to go through a 3GPP standard-setting process, which will set back its launch plans. In its new filings, Sprint argues that as long as the H Block is auctioned off and the G Block is protected from interference, it will work with Dish on the standards. Sprint wants to bid on the H Block spectrum and use it for LTE service; Congress has mandated the FCC auction the spectrum by February 2015. "Moreover, Sprint is actively deploying 4G LTE mobile broadband communications services nationwide in the nearby PCS G Block (1910-1915 and 1990-1995 MHz)," Sprint wrote. "Thus, Sprint's primary interest herein is ensuring that terrestrial S-band uplink operations at 2000-2020 MHz do not cause increased interference to Sprint's G Block downlink operations at 1990-1995 MHz and do not make the H Block a de facto Dish guard band." "With these outcomes and assurances in place, Sprint will actively facilitate completion of the remaining 3GPP standards process as expeditiously as possible assuming, of course, that Dish likewise agrees to facilitate the 3GPP standards process with respect to the 2 GHz S-band, and the PCS H and G Blocks," Sprint wrote. "Assuming such cooperation, Sprint believes that this work can be completed in six months or less, thereby benefiting all stakeholders and the public interest." Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen referred to the dispute obliquely Wednesday after delivering a keynote speech at the PCIA wireless infrastructure conference in Orlando, Fla. He noted that a competitor--Sprint--wants to shift Dish's holdings and that the FCC is trying to balance its desire to let Dish launch mobile broadband service with the mandate from Congress to auction the H Block. "That becomes a difficult thing to do from a policy perspective because you have two mouths to feed, or three mouths to feed," he said, noting that Dish wants flexibility to move forward with its wireless business plans. For more:
- see this Sprint FCC filing
- see this separate Sprint FCC filing Related Articles:
Dish's Ergen: We'll need more spectrum
Dish accuses Sprint of glossing over spectrum issues
Sprint, Dish clash over 5 MHz satellite spectrum shift
Dish urges FCC not to shift its satellite spectrum holdings
Dish to plow ahead on wireless handsets regardless of FCC action
Dish builds $5.6B cash pile for wireless play Read more about: Sprint, FCC
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is CommScope. |  | Webinar: Backhaul Capacity Planning Solutions
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT Today's wireless market is enjoying explosive growth. As a result, CommScope® has introduced a variety of solutions for expanding backhaul capabilities like Fiber-to-the-Cell (FTTCell) and Microwave Systems. Find out more and register today! |
SPOTLIGHT ON... Sprint's Tarazi promises HetNet focus in Network Vision 2.0  Iyad Tarazi, Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) vice president of network development and engineering, said the next phase of the carrier's Network Vision network modernization plan involves integrating small cells and Wi-Fi to create a seamless connection for users. In comments to FierceBroadbandWireless, Tarazi said Sprint's Network Vision 2.0 will integrate the carrier's CDMA network and its LTE networks at 1900 MHz and 800 MHz with picocells, femtocells and Wi-Fi. Specifically, Sprint is ramping up an LTE picocell deployment strategy with an initial focus on indoor deployments followed by outdoor deployments in 2013-2014. Alcatel-Lucent's (NASDAQ: ALU) lightRadio metrocell architecture and Samsung's small cell gear will play a role. Tarazi discusses Sprint's overall HetNet strategy in this Hot Seat.
Quick news from around the Web. @FierceWireless: @joshuatopolsky: iPad mini will just blow apart 7-inch efforts from other companies. Article | Follow@FierceWireless > Google said it will purchase facial-recognition firm Viewdle. Article > The NFC Forum announced a new specification for analog radio technologies. Article > Motorola is still facing a WiMAX contract lawsuit in Ireland. Article > Hewlett-Packard's chief executive said the company won't release any new smartphones next year. Article > TomTom navigation is available on Android. Article > Nokia Siemens Networks said it introduced a Liquid Radio WCDMA software suite that it said can boost the performance of existing WCDMA networks. Release Mobile Content News > Google added its Street View services to its iOS web app. Article > Roughly a month after expanding its Appstore for Android to the European market, Amazon is extending its sales reach to Japan. Article Broadband Wireless News > The WhiteSpace Alliance will hold the first inter-operability event for its Wi-Far specification, which is derived from the IEEE 802.22 standard, sometime in the first quarter of 2013. Article > Operators looking to deploy small cells to expand the coverage and capacity of their networks are finding a host of integration challenges, but a new HetNet services package from Nokia Siemens Networks is aimed at helping operators optimize their mix of macro and small cells. Article European Wireless News > Skype will offer free Wi-Fi access to its users in UK and Ireland with the promise of removing the cumbersome authentication screens imposed by free Wi-Fi services located in High Street shops, cafes and pubs. Article > France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard said the company's deployment of LTE is critical to being able to charge subscribers more for high-speed data services. Article > Vodafone and KPN criticized the European Union for hampering mergers and investments across Europe. Article And finally… Apple is second behind Coca-Cola in Interbrand's list of the best global brands. Article > Beyond the Cable: The Move to Mobility by MSOs - October 9th, 11:00 am EST/ 8:00 am PST The best immediate prospects for MSOs may lie on using Wi-Fi to harvest data from mobile operators for backhaul over MSO HFC networks. Wi-Fi networks provide a huge differentiation and opportunities for cable operators. This webinar will explore how MSOs are integrating Wi-Fi into their existing network architectures and examine the economics behind Wi-Fi for cable operators. Register Now! > Mobile Acceleration for the Mobile Revolution - Tuesday, November 13th, 2pm ET / 11am PT A revolution is underway in how companies interact with audiences online. Join us to learn the recent results from Compuware research on mobile performance expectations, unique challenges presented by delivery over cellular networks, and what to consider when balancing mobile performance and usability. Register Today! > Carrier Ethernet woes? Here's an economical approach to improving operational efficiency and network visibility - Wednesday, October 10, 11am ET / 8am PT / 3pm GMT This webinar introduces a centralized Ethernet service activation and monitoring solution that enables network operators to deploy cost-effectively, accelerate time to revenue and boost operational efficiency, while optimizing subscriber experience. Register Today! > The 1000x challenge; Small cells everywhere! - Wednesday, October 17, 12pm ET / 9am PT To solve the 1000x mobile data challenge, we need more small cells, actually, much more, and everywhere - But, isn't interference a limiting factor? How dense can we deploy them? What are the future enhancements that takes HetNets to the next level? Find out the answers at this Qualcomm webinar. Register Today!
| > Fixed & Mobile Telecom Mgmt Conference - Feb 10-14 - Orlando, FL Are you interested in mobility management, global implementations, fixed & mobile business analytics, industry trends and other hot topics? Would you like to discuss your challenges with peers and experts? If so, AOTMP 2013 Conference is the place for you! Register today! > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 - An Operator- Reviewed Awards Program From the Publishers of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, FierceCable This program is designed to recognize the innovative companies and products that are defining the future of the broadband communications industry. Submissions will be judged based on effective application of and performance in networks, innovative approach, and contribution to revenue & profitability. Submit your application today! > ITEXPO 2012 - October 2-5 - Austin, TX The world's largest communications & tech event - discover more new insights, new products and networking to keep you and your company ahead of the curve. Join industry powerhouses for a week of business-building and researching today’s most powerful communications solutions. Register today. > Futurecom 2012 - October 8-11, 2012 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil If you're interested in Brazil and Latin America, this is a must go! The largest Telecom event in Latin America: 14000 attendees, 43 countries, 20000sqm exhibition, International Keynotes, 250+ speakers. Most worldwide ICT companies exhibit at Futurecom, as well as all Brazilian Operators. Register now. > World Telemedia - 17th-19th October 2012 - Marbella Join industry execs with outstanding knowledge of premium content, billing & traffic. Register now to increase your networking opportunities > Sprint Open Solutions Conference - October 24th and 25th - San Jose, CA The conference is October 24 & 25 in San Jose, CA. Key sessions include: mobile commerce, mobile advertising, mobile security, cloud services, M2M solutions and a venture capital perspective on the mobile ecosystem. http://developer.sprint.com/OSC2012. > 4G World 2012 - October 29- November 1 - Chicago, IL 4G World 2012 focuses on the most challenging issues and obstacles facing mobile broadband operators as they try to manage the cost of unbridled traffic growth and exploit opportunities to capture sufficient revenues and generate a return on their 4G infrastructure investments. FierceMobileContent and FierceWireless Customers Save $300. Enter Priority Code 4GW12FIERCE to get your discount Learn more. > Wireless Power Summit 2012 - Dallas, TX - November 1-2 Industry front-runners on wireless charging technology - including Nokia, Daimler AG, Texas Instruments, Powermat, Qualcomm, Verizon Wireless and the Wireless Power Consortium - provide perspectives from cell phone wireless network and mobile product OEMs, plus cover Qi and the latest applications in automotives. Register now! > The Open Mobile Summit - FW discount code - November 7-9 - San Francisco, CA See the future of mobile. And meet the most influential people in the business. At The Open Mobile Summit: Connecting Everything, Mobile First. Now in its 5th year. Featuring 100 world-class speakers Facebook, PayPal, Verizon, Sprint, ESPN, MLB, Evernote, Glu, Samsung, The Gap, Walmart, Google and more. Places are limited for VIP networking with the 100+ speakers. 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| > Project Manager Job - Charlotte, NC, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Project Manager to join our client in Charlotte, NC 28217. The Senior Project Manager is responsible for planning and managing medium to large sized application development projects. Six (6) years of previous experience with technical applications and/or information systems (or equivalent) required...Learn more. > Wireless Project Manager Job - Cerritos, CA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a one (1) year full time contract opportunity for a Wireless Project Manager to join a large telecom client located in the Los Angeles CA area (Cerritos CA). Responsibilities include managing project completions (LTE, UMTS, NSB, and all other modifications) from issuance of work order to turn up including finance and timeline forecasts. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational and communication skills, be able to work independently and be able to work on scheduling and reporting...Learn more. > Field Technicians (5) Job - Melbourne, FL, USA – Yoh Yoh has five (5) month contract opportunities for five (5) Field Technicians to join our client in Melbourne, FL. This job will involve going out to sea and working on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships 2-3 weeks out of a month. Our client is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Minimum two (2) years' experience with VSAT systems required...Learn more. > Field Technician (CDMA and LTE experience preferred) Job - Plano, TX, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Field Technician (CDMA and LTE experience preferred) to join our client in Plano, TX. Responsibilities include developing proficiency in primary skills of customer relations, basic electricity, basic electronics, basic telephony, radio principles for CDMA, LTE and iDEN, and basic principles of digital transmission, fiber communication, data communication, telephony terminology, industry standards, and on-line network control/maintenance systems. Must be able to multi-task and maintain composure in stressful and demanding work environment...Learn more. > Public Safety DAS Engineer - Houston, TX - Connectivity Wireless Solutions Connectivity Wireless Solutions delivers best in class consulting, engineering, project management, installation, and staffing services to wireless carrier and enterprise customers. The Public Safety DAS Engineer is tasked with collecting and analyzing RF data typically with tools such as test phones and needs analysis equipment such as ZK Celltest and spectrum analyzers. Learn More! | |
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