Microcell's Fido (Bow! Wow!)
Trevor,
<< Other than hope for GSM vendor consolidation, what keeps Fido alive? Isn't that just another drowning dolphin dressed up as a cute dog? >>
What keeps any small nonincumbent wireless PCS carrier alive in these economic times?
We are going to see a lot of continued M&A worldwide just like we did with financial institutions in the eighties and nineties. There is a rumour floating now about mmO2 and KPN which would be a biggie should it materialize.
Unlike Dolphin, however, Microcell has a significant asset, in its national license for PCS spectrum in a band that is entirely dedicated to PCS as opposed to Dolphin which has a specialized radio license in a very narrow frequency band that is not dedicated to a particular implementation for a particular purpose and consequently has potential conflicts with a hodge podge of other wireless technologies, limiting the overall value of the spectrum.
Given market conditions today, Microcell would be hard pressed to recapture their investment in network gear, site location, etc. However, their network gear does have real value. It is relatively new (post 96). It is reasonably well built out. It has been upgraded to GPRS. It includes the necessary IN accoutrements to accommodate international roaming, OTA provisioning and what have you. The technology employed (unlike TETRA) is by far the most popular in the world.
Acquisition eventually? I would guess. On the cheap? Probably.
It always was a cute dog. Too cute for me. <g>
Best,
- Eric - |
