Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ramsey Su who wrote (19210)	2/19/2002 1:59:28 AM
From: brational	Respond to of 196421

Ramsey's question on AWE. Does anyone know how they are switching their subs from TDMA to GSM? Any subsidies? Handset issues? Tri-mode? GPRS? If I am a new subscriber to AWE, would I be using a GSM or TDMA handset? The first GAIT phone (GSM/TDMA) was announced by Nokia last month, for shipment not until the second half of 2002. press.nokia.com World's first GAIT compliant handset bridges TDMA, GSM and analog networks IRVING, Texas -- (January 7, 2002) - Today, Nokia announced the new Nokia 6340 (GSM 1900MHz/TDMA 800/1900MHz/AMPS) wireless phone, the world's first GAIT (GSM ANSI Interoperability Team) compliant handset, allowing users to roam between GSM, TDMA and analog networks. Along with the multiple network compatibility afforded by the Nokia 6340 phone, other new features include a wallet that enables quick wireless transactions. Shipments are expected to begin during the first half of 2002. "As TDMA carriers prepare for the future by building and integrating GSM technology into their systems, the Nokia 6340 wireless phone will give operators the flexibility to allow for roaming between their current and future networks," said Pekka Vartiainen, senior vice president of sales for Nokia. "Additionally, since roaming is seamless and automatic, consumers will have the ability to use all of their digital services in both TDMA and GSM service areas without having to worry about what kind of technology is being used in a particular area." I was dismayed when I first saw the announcement, and I could not believe that US customers (and carriers like AWE!) would accept so little, so late... I mean this phone doesn't even have GPRS (not that anyone would want that, anyway...). So AWE could not be signing up new customers on its GSM network, since it does not yet exist. I suspect they'll be using TDMA for a long, long time to come, unless they offer free replacement phones. The new GSM network is not backward compatible with the TDMA handsets. I suspect AWE (and Cingular) will have a mess on their hand for a long, long time. About consolidation (Ramsey's other point, commenting on the Barron's article)-- it seems like a logical development when competition is driving prices and margins down, and when there are economies of scale. In the case of AWE and Cingular, network sharing, or network merging might make sense when they need to increase the number of cell towers as much as they will have to implement W-CDMA (if they ever get around to it). There is public opposition to the location of cell towers in many neighborhoods-- sharing those seems like a reasonable motivation for mating.