Leap asleep. They didn't bother registering to bid on spectrum in New Zealand 3G auction starting Monday. They could have picked up some cheap spectrum [judging from reports on the relative lack of interest] in a very deregulated market [none of that Korea Krap].
They could have set up a Comfortable Wireless Cricket plan with WWeb access and they'd have made a fortune. If they just covered Auckland, that would give them a third of the business [actually, more than that - probably half, as Aucklanders know how to use the Web and cellphones whereas whereas bush bunnies in Eketahuna don't.
auction.med.govt.nz
Actually, I just checked and late registrations can still be made. Maybe some of you Leap shareholders might like to phone your company and see if they are awake and have decided not to bid or they just say "Huh?"
I did email them a while ago [a couple of months or more] but I don't recall them replying. I sold my shares at $93 so that's okay if they want to ignore shareholders offering useful information. Globalstar does that too!
There are 4 million people, early adopters [and adaptable too] with reasonable incomes and about 35% cellphone usage in Auckland [maybe 40%]. Heaps of Web use too. Flatish topography, but several hills [extinct scoria volcanic cones], so pretty easy to cover. A free market, so they can move in easily.
Spectrum should be cheap because NZ has similar geographic size as UK but with 4 million instead of 55 million people, so the spectrum won't be so crowded. They should just logon and offer NZ$60m [US$30m] for one of the blocks [4 being sold which will go to Telecom, Vodafone, Telstra and one preferentially to Maoris at 5% discount - a special deal could perhaps be done with the Maori contingent].
Mqurice
PS: Cricket is a very popular sport in New Zealand. If Leap pitched a few sponsorship $$ to the NZ Cricket Team they'd get great response.
< SAN DIEGO (CBS.MW) --- Stepping up its bid to tackle new wireless
markets, Leap Wireless International Inc. announced a nearly three-fold
increase Wednesday in the amount of money it’s spending on equipment to
build up its network infrastructure.>
They need spectrum before they need equipment. They do have the word 'International' in their name.
They can contact Chris Underwood, who is a decent joker [that's local idiom meaning good bloke]
chris.underwood@med.govt.nz
They could tell Chris that Maurice Winn suggested they phone - that will help break the ice.
They should probably just phone if they want to have a chat - he's very knowledgeable and has set up the auction process [and waited over 2 years for it to finally happen].
Good luck with your shares in Leap.
Oh yes, one other thing, if they sleep until Monday USA time, it will be all over as NZ is racing ahead - already Sunday 11.44am here. Phone them at home. Get them into the office or logged on to their WWeb server via WirelessKnowledge.
Here's another contact.
Auction Manager Mr Wim Zwart
National International
Phone: (04) 474 2660 +64 4 474 2660
Fax: (04) 499 0797 +64 4 499 0797
Maori Spectrum block here:
ords.co.nz |
