| This week's sponsor is Qualcomm. |  | Webinar: LTE Advanced is here!
Wednesday, August 28th, 1pm ET /10am PT Tune into this webinar to understand the success factors behind the proliferation of LTE and an impressive line-up of enhancements that LTE Advanced encompasses, including Carrier Aggregation. Register Today! |
Editor's Corner: M&A catches fire: 24M wireless subscribers moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1 carriers Also Noted: TE Connectivity
Spotlight On... ITC bans imports of some Samsung devices, but Apple victory is not clear
T-Mobile yanks iPhone 4S, 5 from no money down promotion; Harbinger targets GPS industry in lawsuit and much more... Industry Voices: Infonetics: The next generation simply 'gets' M2M and a connected world
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News From Across the Wireless Industry:
1. Firefox OS-based ZTE Open going on sale in U.S. via eBay
2. NBC News scoops up mobile video sharing startup Stringwire
3. FCC changes rules in 57-64 GHz band to enhance wireless backhaul
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| Webinar: Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience?
Wednesday, August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
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M&A catches fire: 24M wireless subscribers moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1 carriers
A lot can happen in about three months. After years of talking about mergers and acquisitions, the nation's top wireless carriers got down to business during the second quarter of this year, with T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) working to integrate its purchase of MetroPCS and Sprint (NYSE:S) closing on its purchase of Clearwire and netting an investment from Japan's SoftBank. AT&T (NYSE:T) also announced the purchase of Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP), but that deal hasn't yet closed (though everyone expects that it will).
What does this all mean? It means that, if AT&T closes on its acquisition of Leap, around 24 million wireless subscribers will move from Tier 2 carriers to Tier 1 carriers: As of the first quarter of this year, MetroPCS counted almost 9 million subscribers, Clearwire counted 9.5 million and Leap counted 5.2 million. Perhaps more importantly, the consolidation during the second quarter effectively wiped out the nation's major regional wireless carriers: U.S. Cellular (NYSE:USM) is now the only regional wireless carrier with more than 1 million subscribers (at the end of the second quarter U.S. Cellular counted just under 5 million customers). Ten years ago there were dozens of major regional wireless carriers. As a side note: U.S. Cellular appears to be suiting up to compete with plans to sell Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, enhance its LTE network and launch shared data plans. But I wouldn't be surprised if Sprint or another carrier swooped in to snap up U.S. Cellular in the next few months or years. Already U.S. Cellular has sold significant spectrum holdings to T-Mobile. It's unclear whether U.S. Cellular's new CEO, Kenneth Meyers, is more amenable to a sale of the company than former CEO Mary Dillon. As U.S. Cellular limps along, that leaves Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile to battle it out. Each of these carriers believes it is in the pole position. Verizon, the nation's largest carrier with fully 118 million customers, is preparing to flesh out its LTE network with the AWS radio waves it bought from a group of cable companies. And Verizon is clearly the carrier to beat: Verizon continues to report industry-leading metrics and has forecast that will continue throughout this year. "Verizon Wireless remains the dominant asset in the industry," noted New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin. Indeed, analysts at Jefferies predicted Verizon's wireless margin will rise to a new record of 49 percent in 2013, 2.4 percent higher than what it was in 2012...Continued  More
Read more about: Sprint, AT&T Mobility
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| FierceLive! Webinars > Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience? - August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
> LTE Advanced is here! - Wednesday, August 28th, 1pm ET /10am PT
> Building Smarter Small Cell Networks- August 29th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
Events > Super Wi-Fi & Shared Spectrum Summit 2013 - August 27-29 - Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
> Mobile Future Forward - September 10 - Seattle, WA
> Be Where The Carriers Are: CCA's Convention Sept 15-18 in Las Vegas - The Cosmopolitan - Las Vegas, NV
> TIA 2013 - October 7-10 - Washington D.C.
> AnDevCon - November 12-15 - San Francisco, CA
Marketplace > Whitepaper: Cisco ONE: Framework for the Internet of Everything
> Whitepaper: The Financial Benefit of Cisco's Elastic Core
> Whitepaper: Touch Technology Extends Mobile Gaming
> Whitepaper: New Wi-Fi Business Models Create Real Value for SPs
> Whitepaper: Gain Business Advantages with Service Provider Wi-Fi
> Whitepaper: SP Wi-Fi: Authorization Options for Mobile Network Operators
> eBook: Making Money from Multiscreen
> Whitepaper: Five Steps to Building Visibility and Security Into Your Network
Jobs > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications
> Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications
> Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications
> Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications
> SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications
> Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications
> SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications
> Commercial Development Executive – Anywhere – WhistleOut
> Director of Operations Engineering – Tyler, Texas – Suddenlink Communications
> CLEC CFO - Anywhere - National CLEC
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs
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* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. BlackBerry looking at 'strategic alternatives,' including sale of company
BlackBerry's (NASDAQ:BBRY) board said it has formed a special committee to explore "strategic alternatives to enhance value and increase scale in order to accelerate BlackBerry 10 deployment." The possibilities for the company include joint ventures, strategic partnerships or alliances or a sale of BlackBerry, the company said. The special committee will be made up of Chairwoman Barbara Stymiest, CEO Thorsten Heins, and directors Richard Lynch and Bert Nordberg, and will be chaired by Timothy Dattels. The company said there can be no assurance that any transaction will come about as a result of the review, and the company said it does not plan to comment on the process until the board "approves a specific transaction or otherwise concludes the review of strategic alternatives." The announcement comes less than a week after a Reuters report indicated that the board was considering taking the company private, a move that could give the company more breathing room to execute its turnaround without needing to please investors. Private equity executives told Reuters that such a move could work financially but wouldn't necessarily make the company more competitive. "We continue to see compelling long-term opportunities for BlackBerry 10, we have exceptional technology that customers are embracing, we have a strong balance sheet and we are pleased with the progress that has been made in our transition," Heins said in a statement. "As the Special Committee focuses on exploring alternatives, we will be continuing with our strategy of reducing cost, driving efficiency and accelerating the deployment of BES 10, as well as driving adoption of BlackBerry 10 smartphones, launching the multi-platform BBM social messaging service, and pursuing mobile computing opportunities by leveraging the secure and reliable BlackBerry Global Data Network." "Prior media reports have suggested potential buyers as Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft. Of the three, we believe Microsoft is the least likely given it has its own ecosystem and the acquisition of BBRY would have significant overlap with very few synergies. However, we expect many companies will take a look even though they may not all be truly interested bidders (i.e., investors should be wary of reports of interest from various companies)," noted Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um. "While a JV or partnership with another entity, particularly a large one, could help the company, we do not see this as an attractive option as companies, in our opinion, would not be fully vested in BBRY's success relative to an outright acquisition." During BlackBerry's annual investor conference in July, shareholders questioned Heins about the company's troubles in the U.S. market. One investor even called the U.S. launch of BlackBerry 10 "a disaster." Heins disagreed with that investor's characterization but admitted that the U.S. market is very competitive. Heins argued that BlackBerry is still in the early stages of recovery and that the company will continue to expand its portfolio of BlackBerry 10 smartphones through the next several quarters. According to research firm comScore, BlackBerry's U.S. smartphone market share slipped from 5.2 percent in the first quarter to 4.4 percent in the second quarter. Research firm IDC said BlackBerry's global smartphone market share fell to 2.9 percent in the second quarter, down from 4.9 percent in the year-ago period. The numbers are concerning considering they cover the period during which BlackBerry introduced a number of devices running its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, a complete overhaul of its smartphone OS. BlackBerry is in the process of rolling out its Q5 smartphone to complement the Q10 and Z10 models as part of its line of BB 10 devices. Still, the company said it expects to post an operating loss in the current quarter. The company is reportedly working on a new, high-end 5-inch BB10 model, dubbed the Z30, which could come out late this year. For more:
- see this release
Related Articles:
Report: BlackBerry considering going private amid smartphone struggles
ComScore: Android's U.S. growth plateaus in Q2, BlackBerry in freefall
IDC: Apple's share of smartphone market dips to 13.2% ahead of new iPhone
BlackBerry issuing Messenger beta invites to Android, iOS users
BlackBerry's PlayBook tablet chief set to leave company
Rumor Mill: BlackBerry A10 to pack Qualcomm processor, Verizon support
BlackBerry investors grill CEO about weakness in U.S. market Read more about: BlackBerry 10, Thorsten Heins
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2. Report: Apple to debut next iPhone on Sept. 10
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will unveil the next iteration of its iPhone at a media event on Sept. 10, according to a report from AllThingsD. The report, citing unnamed sources, did not indicate where the event will take place, or if Apple will debut more than one new iPhone model at the event. The timing of the event fits with previous iPhone announcements: Apple announced the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12, 2012. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. Apple is reportedly working on two new iPhone models, which, according to rumors, may be called the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. The 5C model is reportedly a mid-range device made with lower-cost components and a plastic shell. The 5S will reportedly include biometric fingerprint scanning technology. Meanwhile, the long-rumored, low-cost iPhone was apparently confirmed last month in a report by advocacy group China Labor Watch, which took Apple supplier Pegatron to task for labor practices that include using underage workers, paying insufficient wages and forcing employees to work overtime. The low-cost iPhone, which many analysts have speculated Apple will release this fall to capture more of the smartphone market, was mentioned several times in the report. Pegatron, which is reportedly assembling the low-cost iPhone for Apple, said it expects revenue in its communications and consumer electronics segments to grow 40-50 percent in the third quarter compared to the last quarter, according to Reuters. That could indicate a ramp up in shipments for Apple. In its latest quarter Apple reported a decline in its quarterly net profit, from $8.8 billion a year ago to $6.9 billion in its most recent quarter. But the company's sales of iPhones during the period--31.2 million units, up from the 26 million it sold in the year-ago quarter--beat Wall Street expectations of around 27 million units. Apple CEO Tim Cook partially attributed the company's better-than-expected iPhones sales on shipments of the company's older iPhone 4. Apple's board is concerned about the company's product pipeline and whether Cook has the ability to continue to deliver innovative products, according to a recent Fox Business report. The report, citing unnamed sources inside Apple, said that while Cook is in no danger of losing his job, there is increasing concern "at the board level about the pace of innovation." Presumably, if Apple's board has insight into the company's long-term product roadmap, this concern is about products or potential products that will debut this year. For more:
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this 9to5Mac article
- see this CNET article
- see this Reuters article
Related Articles:
Rumor Mill: Apple's board concerned about CEO Cook's ability to innovate
Apple's iOS 7 beta 4 hints at biometric fingerprint scanning
Low-cost iPhone details revealed in report on labor conditions at Apple supplier
Apple beats expectations, sells 37.4M iPhones, 19.5M iPads
Report: Apple testing iPhones and iPads with larger screens
Report: Apple delaying iPhone 5S to add 4.3-inch screen Read more about: Apple, iPhone
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3. Sprint MVNO Ting counts 25,000 subscribers
Sprint (NYSE:S) MVNO Ting confirmed that as of the end of the second quarter it had 25,000 total customers, an indication of strong momentum for the company but a paltry figure in the larger wireless landscape. Michael Cooperman, the CFO of Ting parent Tucows, disclosed the subscriber figure during Tucows' second-quarter earnings conference call last week. Ting Director Scott Allan confirmed the figure to FierceWireless. Allan noted that as of the end of 2012 Ting had 10,000 subscribes, after being in operation for 10 months, and that in the next six months it picked up 15,000 customers. He also noted that Ting counts "subscribers" as total accounts, and since customers can share data among multiple devices under Ting's plans, he said that each "subscriber account" had an average of 1.3 to 1.5 devices per account. "We are extremely happy with the growth to date," Allan said. "We are focusing on maintaining or accelerating it as much as we can. We feel like we're really just getting started." The disclosure is notable because most MVNOs do not detail how many subscribers they hold. The main exception in the U.S. market is TracFone Wireless, which is owned by América Móvil. TracFone is the largest U.S. MVNO and had 23 million customers at the end of the second quarter. Earlier this year TracFone acquired Start Wireless' Page Plus Cellular, an MVNO that counts around 1.4 million customers in the United States. Page Plus was primarily an MVNO of Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ). However, most MVNOs are circumspect about their subscriber figures, mainly because of agreements they have with their carrier partners. FreedomPop, another Sprint MVNO that started its service in October 2012 using Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network, recently indicated it had 100,000 total subscribers. Ting offers minutes, text messages and data in different buckets. If customers use more than they have paid for in a certain month, they are not charged an overage fee, but instead are bumped up to the next usage tier for that month. Likewise, if customers use less than they had thought they would need, they are bumped down to the next lowest usage tier and will receive a credit on their bill for the difference. Users can continuously monitor their usage via an online dashboard. In June, Ting said it would stop requiring customers to put a deposit down at the beginning of their month of service and would instead only charge customers based on what they use, instituting a postpaid billing model. Zact, a brand of parent company ItsOn (and a 2013 Fierce 15 winner) recently launched a service that is similar in some respects to Ting's. The service, which also runs on Sprint's network, lets customers dynamically adjust their plans on the go, adding or dropping voice minutes, text messages or data as they see fit. There is no limit to the number of Zact-enabled devices a user can add to an account, and once added, customers can allocate and customize the amount of voice, texting and data assigned to each person or device. Customers pay a $4.99 monthly maintenance charge per device, but there are no additional fees for sharing. Importantly, if a user does not use all that they intended with the plan they picked out, Zact will automatically credit money back to a user's account for the difference between that plan and the least expensive plan that matched the customer's usage. "Growth is tough. It's very competitive out there," Ting's Allan acknowledged. "We're keeping our expectations modest but definitely the plan is to grow." For more:
- see this Seeking Alpha transcript
Related Articles:
MVNO Ting drops need for deposit, moves to postpaid billing model
MVNO Ting to reach breakeven in Q4; 40-50% of new customers are BYOD
Sprint MVNO Zact offers customized data plans, no overage charges
Ting sets aside $100,000 to cover ETF costs for customers who break contracts
MVNO Ting will not charge activation fee for BYOD program
Sprint MVNO Ting to launch BYOD program in Q4 Read more about: Sprint, MVNO
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4. HTC hires 'Iron Man' star Robert Downey Jr. to help revive brand
HTC confirmed that actor Robert Downey Jr., star of the "Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes" film series, will be the spokesperson for a new advertising campaign aimed at restoring luster to the struggling company's brand.  | | Click here to watch HTC's first commercial with Robert Downey Jr. | The partnership will revolve around what HTC is calling the "Change brand platform" which it calls "a long-term strategy that celebrates HTC's disruptive impact on the mobile industry over its 17-year history." The campaign will kick off with an ad on YouTube on Aug. 15, which will be immediately followed by a series of TV ads and ads before movies. Downey Jr. signed a two-year deal with HTC, and in addition to starring in the ads, he has been working closely with HTC's global agency 171 Worldwide (WWP Group) to shape the campaign. News of the partnership was first reported in June by Bloomberg, which citing unnamed sources, said Downey Jr. would be paid $12 million for the deal. HTC said the campaign will have three phases, with the initial advertising campaign highlighting HTC's brand "with a playful take on what it means to different people." It appears that means Downey Jr. will be suggesting things like "hipster troll carwash," "hold this cat" and "humongous tinfoil catamaran." The second phase will feature ads highlighting HTC features, such as its BlinkFeed news and social reader and BoomSound audio. The third phase will then focus on HTC's products themselves. It's unclear how much HTC is spending on the new campaign. HTC CMO Benjamin Ho told Forbes that the company's $1 billion marketing budget was largely gone by the third quarter of 2012. This year, he said, the budget is the same but only $454 million has been spent, leaving the company with money to spend on marketing for the holiday season. HTC has not said how much it is spending on the Downey campaign, which it is calling its "most ambitious campaign to date." Smartphone companies have a spotty track record when it comes to using celebrity endorsers. Early this year BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) hired musical artist Alicia Keys to be its "creative director" and help promote the BlackBerry brand, but thus far that effort has not generated much positive sales momentum for the BlackBerry 10 platform. HTC warned recently that it could post an operating loss for the third quarter, which would be its first since it became a public company in 2002. The smartphone maker also said it will release more mid-tier products to help improve its business. Meanwhile, images and renders continue to leak online of the purported HTC One Max, the rumored phablet variant of the company's flagship One smartphone. Various reports have said the gadget will have a 5.9-inch screen, larger battery and a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon 800 processor. The device is rumored to debut in September. HTC recently introduced the One mini, a smaller version of its flagship One smartphone, which the company hopes will help extend the One brand by reaching a wider range of consumers. HTC has said the One mini will be available in "select markets" starting in August and rolled out globally in September, but the company did not reveal pricing, specific availability or which U.S. carriers will offer the One mini. For more:
- see this release
- see this Forbes article
- see this WSJ blog post (sub. req.)
- see this The Verge article
Related Articles:
HTC denies rumors of company sale, launches share buyback plan
HTC warns of potential Q3 operating loss, plans more mid-tier products
HTC brings Mackenzie back to lead Americas unit, creates emerging devices biz
HTC announces One mini smartphone in bid to extend One brand
HTC's troubles mount as Q2 profits plummet 83% to $41.6M
HTC CEO Chou: I'm not going anywhere Read more about: HTC One, HTC One mini
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5. Rumor Mill: TracFone's Net10 brings back unlimited data for AT&T SIM subs
Net10, a brand of América Móvil's U.S. MVNO TracFone Wireless, is bringing back unlimited data plans to customers who use a SIM card for AT&T Mobility's (NYSE:T) network, according to a PhoneNews report. The report, which said Net10 had confirmed the changes, said that effective immediately, on Net10's GSM, no contract 30-day monthly plans, the 1.5 GB data cap for AT&T SIM cards has been removed and replaced with unlimited data for all new as well as existing customers already in their current billing cycle. Tethering is still prohibited, according to the report. Net10 offers unlimited voice, texting and data for $65 for 30 days (or $60 if customers agree for automatic renewal of the plan). In March, Net10 instituted a 1.5 GB data cap for AT&T SIM cards. It's not clear why the change is being made now. An AT&T spokeswoman did not immediately have a comment, and a TracFone spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The change is notable in light of the fact that AT&T has been aggressively trying to move as many customers off of unlimited data plans and onto usage-based or Mobile Share shared data plans. AT&T said at the end of the second quarter more than 70 percent of its smartphone subscribers were on usage-based plans. The change also comes after TracFone and Walmart, which sells TracFone's Straight Talk brand, were sued in a proposed class action lawsuit in federal court in California, with the plaintiffs alleging that the companies falsely advertise Straight Talk as providing unlimited data service when the plans actually throttle users' speeds. For more:
- see this PhoneNews article
Related Articles:
TracFone's Straight Talk, Walmart sued over unlimited data claim
AT&T sells part of its stake in TracFone owner América Móvil for $564M
Walmart exec: TracFone's Straight Talk is 'one of the best-kept secrets' in wireless
TracFone acquires Verizon MVNO Page Plus Cellular and its 1.4M customers
TracFone's Q1: 839K net adds, rising revenues and increasing ARPU
TracFone's Straight Talk denies 1.5 GB monthly data limit Read more about: Straight Talk, usage-based pricing
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is TE Connectivity. |  | Webinar: Building Smarter Small Cell Networks
Thursday, August 29th, 11am ET/ 8am PT
Join us and learn how small cell solutions are evolving to offer more than hot-spot capacity or coverage. In this presentation, the speaker will talk about the types of small cell solutions, their application, and how small cell networks are being built. Register today to attend.
|
SPOTLIGHT ON... ITC bans imports of some Samsung devices, but Apple victory is not clear The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday ordered a ban on the import and sale of older Samsung Electronics devices after ruling that they infringed on two Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) patents. However, the ITC's decision is not a clear victory for Apple in the two companies' long-running patent battle. Earlier this month the Obama administration on Saturday effectively vetoed a looming U.S. import ban on older models of Apple's iPhone and iPad, overturning a ruling from the ITC in a rare decision. The administration now has 60 days to decide whether to do the same thing in this new case, and not doing so could increase trade tensions with South Korea, where Samsung is based, notes the Wall Street Journal. In the new case decided on Friday, the ITC said that Samsung had infringed the feature patent for a multitouch screen and one for detecting when headphone jacks are plugged in. Samsung was cleared of infringing Apple's design patents, according to Bloomberg. It's unclear how much Samsung's sales could be hurt by the import ban, or even which products are covered under the ban; an earlier ruling included the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. "We have already taken measures to ensure that all of our products will continue to be available in the United States," a Samsung spokesman told the Journal. The two companies, No. 1 and 2 in the smartphone market, have reportedly held settlement talks in recent months, but no deal appears at hand. Quick news from around the Web. @FierceWireless: Judge rules that LG's $300 million US headquarters won't be an eyesore. Article | Follow@FierceWireless > "While we have not made any decisions as to how we'll structure operations going forward, we know that Cricket's people will be an important part of our plans for success in the highly competitive prepaid segment," an AT&T spokesperson said in response to questions from FierceWireless about whether the carrier plans to retain Leap Wireless executives if AT&T is successful in acquiring the carrier. Editor's Corner > T-Mobile US pulled the iPhone 4S and 5 from its "no money down" promotion. Article > U.S. Cellular will introduce shared data plans in the coming weeks. Article > Days after suing Dish Network's Charles Ergen, Harbinger Capital Partners' Philip Falcone also sued companies and trade groups in the GPS industry. Article > T-Mobile could be gearing up to sell the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. Article Mobile Content News > ZTE will begin selling its Firefox-based Open smartphone to U.S. and U.K. consumers via eBay. Article > NBC News is acquiring live mobile video sharing startup Stringwire, a move to leverage firsthand witness accounts of breaking news events. Article Broadband Wireless News > China Unicom, which has long contended it would launch only FDD technology for its future LTE network, has softened its stance, saying it will begin testing TD-LTE. Article > A new Sprint MVNO called Defense Mobile promises to bring LTE connectivity along with a host of affinity services--including integrated mobile banking--to active-duty U.S military members, veterans and their families. The MVNO's Nov. 11 launch seems appropriate given that date is celebrated as Veterans Day. Article > Operators are hustling to implement IT-based improvements that will help them reduce network capex and opex, and as a result ABI Research expects spending on virtualization of mobile networks will reach nearly $6 billion by 2018. Article European Wireless News > LTE networks prove to be a bit like buses, as two arrive at once. Editor's Corner > MegaFon, Russia's second-biggest mobile operator by subscribers, said it is buying 100 percent of LTE operator Scartel/Yota for $1.18 billion (€882.5 million) in a bid to gain an edge in Russia's nascent market for next-generation mobile services. Article > Carlos Slim's América Móvil said it intends to make a €7.2 billion ($9.6 billion) offer for all shares that it does not already own in Dutch operator KPN, marking a further move in the shifting European telecoms landscape and raising questions about Telefónica's recent €8.1 billion bid for KPN's German business, E-Plus. Article And finally… LG Korea launched a marketing stunt for the G2 where 20 people were injured. Article
Infonetics: The next generation simply 'gets' M2M and a connected world
 | | Godfrey Chua,
Infonetics Research | I returned recently from an extended business trip across Asia. My itinerary included a conference, numerous client meetings and many briefings with players in the M2M market. I moderated panels on Smart Cities and Connected Car at GSMA's Mobile Asia Expo Conference in Shanghai, and met with service providers, technology vendors and government bodies in four different countries. The trip culminated with a visit to one of the Philippines' top private high schools, OB Montessori, which had invited me to be a guest speaker to educate and excite their students about next generation mobile technology and M2M trends. While the conference and various meetings provided a wealth of information and insights into regional M2M trends, it was in the Philippines that I had an up-close and personal experience with M2M itself and saw a glimpse of what the future may hold for technology in general. M2M in the Philippines My speaking engagements in the Philippines were held in Manila, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Manila traffic is notoriously challenging (to put it mildly), so I opted to rent a car with an experienced driver. Serendipitously, the rental car company utilizes an M2M fleet management solution. As transport represents a critical M2M vertical and is proving to be the most popular and successful segment so far for the majority of mobile operators, I took the opportunity to speak in-depth with the rental company about their M2M solution. The firm is a local, medium-sized company employing nearly 200 people as drivers, mechanics and operations staff. The fleet consists of over 100 sedans, SUVs and buses of various sizes. Hardware for the M2M solution is comprised of a GPS unit with a SIM card slot for GSM connectivity. The solution relies on SMS to transit key information and data. The firm procured the hardware and SIM cards (with a standard, unlimited SMS-only package offered by a local carrier), installed the system, and now manages it themselves. Their M2M system includes smartphone and PC software for fleet owners and provides information on vehicle location, ignition sensing and shutdown, speed, trip, and zone crossings, and location via local GPS-powered TLD landmarks. The rental company sees many sides to the value proposition of M2M. Most important are operational efficiency, improved customer service, and safety. Being able to locate, track and monitor a vehicle has allowed the company to optimize vehicle routes and driver behavior. This has yielded practical savings in areas such as gasoline consumption and maintenance costs. While the company has not yet quantified the savings, it already sees the "big-brother" effect of improved driver behavior as having paid for the system. There have been fewer traffic accidents (if a vehicle exceeds a certain speed, an alarm is sent to the fleet manager, thus discouraging speeding) and with vehicles subjected to less abuse, overall reliability and in-service times have also improved. Another important aspect is improved customer satisfaction, as vehicle tracking naturally adds another layer of protection...Continued More Read more about: connected devices, Connected Car
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> Getting started with carrier WiFi - what's it take for a great user experience? - August 27th, 11am ET/ 8am PT Meeting customer expectations has never been more challenging than it is today. Learn how Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess™ Wireless LAN switch family and Access Point product line can help you deliver the Wi-Fi solution your customers want and create new revenue streams. Register Today! > LTE Advanced is here! - Wednesday, August 28th, 1pm ET /10am PT Tune into this webinar to understand the success factors behind the proliferation of LTE and an impressive line-up of enhancements that LTE Advanced encompasses, including Carrier Aggregation. Register Today! > Building Smarter Small Cell Networks- August 29th, 11am ET/ 8am PT Join us and learn how small cell solutions are evolving to offer more than hot-spot capacity or coverage. In this presentation, the speaker will talk about the types of small cell solutions, their application, and how small cell networks are being built. Register today to attend.
| > Super Wi-Fi & Shared Spectrum Summit 2013 - August 27-29 - Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas This pioneering event focuses on the use of white spaces and other spectrum alternatives. Attendees will learn how these technologies can enable them to maximize broadband capability and drive new mobile revenue opportunities. For more information or to register, please visit www.superwifisummit.com. > Mobile Future Forward - September 10 - Seattle, WA Mobile Future Forward is mobile industry’s premier executive summit with who’s who of the ecosystem gathered to brainstorm the future of the industry. Executives such as Ralph de la Vega, Kevin Packingham, Steve Elfman will discuss the new sources of revenue streams for the industry. Register and more information. > Be Where The Carriers Are: CCA's Convention Sept 15-18 in Las Vegas - The Cosmopolitan - Las Vegas, NV Join us at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas for unprecedented access to executives across the mobile ecosystem. From interactive educational sessions, to a vibrant exhibit floor and ample opportunities for networking, the Competitive Carriers Annual Convention is "where the carriers are." Register today. > TIA 2013 - October 7-10 - Washington D.C. TIA 2013 will address disruptive technologies and changing business models as companies position themselves for success with wireless, the transition to all-IP networks, Cloud, M2M, smart buildings, and more. The conference will offer ideas for thriving in the changing ICT environment. www.tia2013.org. Registration opens June 2013. > AnDevCon - November 12-15 - San Francisco, CA AnDevCon is the technical conference for software developers building Android apps. Featuring tutorials, technical classes and 40+ exhibitors. Receive a $100 discount off either the 4-day or 3-day pass by inserting the code MEDIASPONSOR when prompted. www.andevcon.com
| > Whitepaper: Cisco ONE: Framework for the Internet of Everything Prepare service provider networks to harness network value, increase business agility, and achieve greater operational efficiency. Learn More > Whitepaper: The Financial Benefit of Cisco's Elastic Core This whitepaper describes the financial benefits of an intelligent, converged, and programmable network. Read Now > Whitepaper: Touch Technology Extends Mobile Gaming Get the latest in touch and sensory technologies. This edition explores the frontiers of touch computing, mobile lifestyles and more. Learn more today. > Whitepaper: New Wi-Fi Business Models Create Real Value for SPs The rapid growth of mobile data and the popularity of Wi-Fi have created new and innovative money-making opportunities for service providers. This whitepaper shares how service providers can make money by implementing new and innovative Wi-Fi business models and how correctly deploying the right model can lead to significant business benefits. Download Whitepaper Now. > Whitepaper: Gain Business Advantages with Service Provider Wi-Fi Wi-Fi has become a strategic asset for Service Providers to keep up with the growing mobile data demands on their network. As a result, Wi-Fi is seen as a place for business innovations and monetization opportunities. Explore the different ways operators can monetize their network with Wi-Fi through lowered costs and increased revenues. Download Whitepaper Now. > Whitepaper: SP Wi-Fi: Authorization Options for Mobile Network Operators The availability of Hotspot 2.0 and Passpoint devices will remove the historical friction users have faced in getting their Wi-Fi devices to seamlessly and securely connect to a new Wi-Fi network. Learn more about the standard for authenticating the user within a Wi-Fi environment and, how to authorize a particular user for access to the Wi-Fi network. Download Whitepaper Now. > eBook: Making Money from Multiscreen Cable operators and networks are slowly building a platform that could make multiscreen programming and advertising a much bigger business. Learn more today. > Whitepaper: Five Steps to Building Visibility and Security Into Your Network This five-step approach can help IT easily deliver the right information to the right tools at the right time to optimize your network. Download Now
| > Wireless Store Manager – Florham Park, NJ – Cricket Communications Cricket Communications offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital wireless networks. Every day, our Store Managers at Cricket run all aspects of the Cricket retail business including, but not limited to, financial management, business operations... Learn More > Sr. Account Executive – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The Sr. Account Executive - Enterprise is responsible for meeting or exceeding sales goals for large accounts. The position is responsible for initial contact with customers, follow-up, proposal preparation, making customer presentations and seeing the sale through to the signing of a contract...Learn More > Inventory Specialist /Revenue Analyst – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Communications The Inventory Specialist is responsible for providing accurate and detailed reports regarding inventory sell-out levels with recommendations and guidance to assist sales leadership in yield management through the development of optimized rates...Learn More > Field Auditor I – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Cox Communications The Field Auditor will maintain the security of the cable system by designing and implementing an effective and efficient audit program, asset and loss prevention programs; investigate internal and external security problems; implement internal and field security programs with other departments... Learn More > SAS Administrator – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications SAS Administrator is responsible for providing senior level expertise on overall technology, infrastructure and administration as it relates to the SAS Grid enabled architecture, installed on RHEL/JBOSS server platform. Manages, configures and supports SAS...Learn More > Senior Director, Technology Delivery Assurance – Atlanta, CA – Cox Communications This position is accountable for driving Standard Processes, Governance, and Continuous Process Improvements across the Technology organization to improve the consistency and repeatability of our delivery processes. This role supports all technology organizations and closely partners with our enterprise portfolio management team...Learn More > SMB Account Exec (Cox Business) – San Diego, CA – Cox Communications The SMB Account Executive promotes, sells, and retains commercial business solutions for voice, data and video to SMB level customers. Sell bundled telephony, data and video products to existing/new commercial business customers based on assigned revenue targets...Learn More > Commercial Development Executive – Anywhere – WhistleOut This is an easy, 'open and shut' opportunity for an experienced and well-connected telco executive who is looking for a fresh opportunity in digital marketing with a unique, innovative and fast growing online comparison engine. This position is tasked with enhancing the depth of relationships with carriers and resellers in the US and Canada... Learn More > Director of Operations Engineering – Tyler, Texas – Suddenlink Communications Suddenlink Communications is the 7th largest provider of broadband cable, internet, phone and security services in a multi-state environment. We are currently seeking a Director of Operations Engineering to support our Texas and Oklahoma markets. This position requires cable gurus with the following experience...Learn More > CLEC CFO - Anywhere - National CLEC The Chief Financial Officer (the "CFO ") will be an integral part of a Local Exchange Carrier (the "Company") leadership team, lead the finance organization, be key in aligning the Company's finance and business strategies, and drive shareholder value creation through efficiencies, lower costs and tightened operations... Learn More > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs | |
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