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 : The *NEW* Frank Coluccio Technology Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Ecclesine who wrote (31414)	9/19/2009 12:46:24 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 46821

Hi Petere. I apparently did not state my earlier question clearly. In fact, re-reading my post I can see why you responded in the manner you did. I fully intended that the 'other' outside-spaces network would belong to a licensed carrier using a duly licensed band, and yes, would be the sole operator in charge of those femtos as well. Having stated that, I understand and see the logic of what you've stated, although I must also note that my bank's ATM machines are part of the NYCE ATM exchange network ( en.wikipedia.org ). Facilities sharing, including tower rental, backhaul, power, etc., even mobile virtual network operation, is not altogether unheard of, or uncommon. It wasn't my intent to address this aspect of provisioning in my earlier message, although it's something that I've devoted some thought to in the context of open-spaces provisioning of limited-footprint x_cells, as well. FAC ------

To: Peter Ecclesine who wrote (31414)	9/19/2009 1:42:22 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46821

Petere, the heading of this article alone might be a source of amusement for some, depending on their sense of humor: -- Maximizing 802.11n with the right structured cabling Scott Thompson \| Cabling I&M \| September 2009 bit.ly ------

To: Peter Ecclesine who wrote (31414)	9/19/2009 7:47:37 AM
From: Peter Ecclesine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 46821

Again on why whould someone try using a "public-spaces" version of femto deployment - Wireless Wars Will Get Bloodier By ERIC J. SAVITZ, Barrons, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 SPRINT NEXTEL LAST MONTH QUIETLY AND clearly signaled just how ugly things have become in the wireless market. In an SEC filing, it disclosed two changes in the formula for payouts under its short-term incentive plan for company officers and others. Sprint cut the percentage of the plan tied to adjusted Oibda -- operating income before depreciation and amortization -- to 30%, from 50%. And it raised the weighting of post-paid net subscriber additions to 40%, from 20%. ("Post-paid subscribers" are customers who get a monthly bill.) Do you see what Sprint is doing? It's reaching for market share at the expense of profitability. That seems to be an admission that we are headed into a period when it will be more important to grab customers -- regardless of cost -- than to preserve margins. That kind of behavior nearly destroyed the Asian memory-chip companies in the tech downturn, and the same thinking is now taking a toll on the solar-cell industry, where Chinese producers are ramping up new factories despite a glut of supply. Everywhere there are signs telco competition is rising. Sprint just launched a plan that provides unlimited calling to mobile phones on any network, plus unlimited data, for $69.99 a month. And other pre-paid plans with unlimited calling can be found for as little as $45 a month. With revenue growth in mobile down to the low single digits in the U.S., the players are fighting for market share with a weapon that hurts the entire industry: low price. There are simply too many players. In the U.S., there are four national carriers- AT&T; Sprint Nextel ; Verizon Wireless (owned by Verizon and Britain's Vodafone) and T-Mobile, part of Germany's Deutsche Telekom. And there are regional players with a focus on the pre-paid market, including MetroPCS, Leap Wireless and the Tracfone unit of Mexico's American Movil. That's a crowd in a market where growth has stalled. And more competition is coming, with Clearwire just starting to ramp up service in some cities. The crowd needs thinning, and there's rampant speculation that a deal or two is in the works. One theory has MetroPCS hooking up with Leap. That makes sense, although a previous flirtation several years ago didn't go very far. More intriguingly, there were reports last week that Deutsche Telekom might bid for Sprint. The concept has appeal; combining No. 3 Sprint and No. 4 T-Mobile might ease the competition. But I doubt it will happen. For one thing, the two companies use incompatible technologies. T-Mobile uses the GSM standard, while Sprint Nextel runs on two others, iDen for the old Nextel network, and CDMA. Sprint's takeover of Nextel is widely regarded as a debacle. Would it make sense to compound the problem with a third standard? Then you have the likely pushback a deal would get from the FCC and the Justice Department, both leery of reducing competition. Not least, Deutsche Telekom is too heavily leveraged to easily finance such a deal; an offer for another U.S. carrier could spark a shareholder revolt. So, no deal is likely -- and that's really too bad, because from a competitive standpoint, things are going to get worse. Execs at both Verizon Wireless and AT&T last week indicated they aren't seeing signs of recovery. In short, I'd stay away from the telcos. It's a shooting war, and there will be heavy casualties.