Phone firms do trash talking. These are words are from The Washington Times, 8/20/02, see here:
washtimes.com
Highlights:
Hop-On is expected to be the first to debut ... as soon as this week. New Horizons ... will market its phone next month. (My take, wishful thinking on behalf of Hop-on)
FCC has approved each company's phone for distribution. (Good news)
Hop-On will distribute 1 million phones by the end of the year, beginning in Calif., then in New York. (Suggests a national retailer has not been signed)
Hop-On assigns numbers locally... phones are programmed to make local calls... making a call to another area code will require paying additional charges. (Whoops, that's two promises -- no roaming charge/longdistance chg -- down the tubes. Hell-o, Pete, anybody home? Update your homepage to just the fax).
Neither company will charge a monthly fee or activation fee. The phones are equipped to receive calls. (This is a plus, could be instrumental in taking market share from Tracfone, but then, Hop-On isn't far enough along in it business plan to know if these benies stay in).
Analysts remain skeptical because there already are 135 million U.S. wireless customers, and subscriptions are slowing. (What's another couple million phones, the bet is Hop-On will be a catalyst -- you silly rabbit)
New Horizons and Hop-On.com have had false starts. (True, but for 35-cents, Hop-On gets the benefit of the doubt).
Hop-On came under scrutiny in April for using parts in a demonstration model from a Nokia handset without the company's permission. (Hop-on says it has out-sourced it CDMA phone to Holley Group, a force to be reckoned with in China)
"Everybody's a critic." (That's right, now show 'em the money Pete). |
