Comments on: Should Sprint Send Silicon Valley a Super Poke?

By: U.S. WiMAX Saved by $3.2 Billion Infusion - GigaOM

U.S. WiMAX Saved by $3.2 Billion Infusion - GigaOM — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:17:39 +0000

[...] final word: I told you so comes to mind [...]

By: CableCos Join The $3 Billion US WiMAX Rescue Act - GigaOM

CableCos Join The $3 Billion US WiMAX Rescue Act - GigaOM — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:25:03 +0000

[...] in recent months. The two companies were contemplating a joint venture but that was scratched. I proposed perhaps Silicon Valley companies could get Sprint to spin-off its WiMAX business, and the fund what essentially would be a wholesale network. [...]

By: Will 3rd Pipe Dreams Come True? - GigaOM

Will 3rd Pipe Dreams Come True? - GigaOM — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:13:05 +0000

[...] precisely what I had suggested in my essay, Should Sprint Send Silicon Valley A Super Poke? Google and a whole slew of Silicon Valley companies that need the “third broadband pipe” could [...]

By: Will 3rd Pipe Dreams Come True? - GigaOM

Will 3rd Pipe Dreams Come True? - GigaOM — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:13:05 +0000

By: Dave Liu dot com / musings from the edge » Articles of the Day

Dave Liu dot com / musings from the edge » Articles of the Day — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:51:25 +0000

[...] What if Google Bought Sprint? - Things have been looking down for telecom giant Sprint Nextel for some time. Following the resignation of CEO Gary Forsee, the company’s WiMAX plans are up in the air. Investors see WiMAX as a huge risk, particularly for a company that’s recently been under-performing so badly. Last week, Sprint announced it was halting its joint venture with Clearwire, citing Forsee’s departure and the complexity of building a nationwide WiMAX network. [...]

By: LSquirrel

LSquirrel — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:40:05 +0000

Anon,
Embarq was only Sprint’s LOCAL Wireline division. Sprint still has a World Class IP network and Voice network that 30% of the world’s traffic goes over.

By: Superdana

Superdana — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:20:06 +0000

In response to Laz Sanchez:

It's only a matter of time before it happens (a "free or at least ad-subsidized" connectivity blanket). It is likely to start as a combination of WiFi and Wimax depending on coverage and accessibility in diffferent regions.

The synergies in the mobile/Internet ecosystem make this blanket inevitable on the long term (let me emphasize long), regardless of what happens to Sprint's Xohm right now.

The cooperative Alliances across the industries (mobile/ internet) and accross the value chains(hardware/ operators/ gatekeeper) are taking shape already with Google in the front row, without having to invest in the bit-pipe themselves. But it will take some time for the gears to lock into each other and for the different interests to align nicely enough to create this blanket you describe.

The question is what happens next? do other industries replicate the business model? do you get free electricity if you agree to buy wall switches with small ads on them...

... or rather, does the key lie in the open-sourced user-created content in the case of the mobile/Internet industry, and not in the ad-subsidies? or in the mobility itself? (I'm thinking location based services?)

One thing is for sure: all options are open, and conditions are being proactively optimized for the ideas to start popping up (android). the end is certain, the means will be developed collectively by 1 billion connected internet amateurs.

By: Take Two: Google’s Wireless Ambitions « GigaOM

Take Two: Google’s Wireless Ambitions « GigaOM — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:37:27 +0000

[...] My guess is that they are going to try and participate via investments in other efforts. I had outlined one crazy scenario last week. Nevertheless, it is fun to see Google drive the wireless carriers batty with its posturing, and at [...]

By: rich houghton

rich houghton — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:58:01 +0000

What are the odds now that it looks like A-Fraud will be back at third base? Really, who else could have, or would have been able to afford A-Fraud?

By: Laz Sanchez

Laz Sanchez — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:13:53 +0000

Guys...

A drastic move would be to buy SPRINT and start giving all service away for free.

In addition the company could reinitiate the ClearWire talks and work with this company and others to blanket the world with a free (or at least ad-subsidized) WiMax network.

God, I hope NOT...

By: Alan J Weissberger

Alan J Weissberger — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:05:42 +0000

It’s been rumored Google has joined the WiMAX Forum, but we don’t see their name listed in the member roster:
http://www.wimaxforum.org/about/Current_Members/index_html?step%3Aint=1&batch_size=20&company_list_start=161

Please see my post, ” Why Google Should Team Up With A WiMAX Equipment Vendor (Cisco?) and Bid for the 700MHz Spectrum”

http://www.wimax360.com/profiles/blog/show?id=610217%3ABlogPost%3A37820

I believe that if Google teams up with a WiMAX network equipment vendor and bids for the 700MHz spectrum, then mobile WiMAX will likely succeed in the U.S. If not, the disparate networks of SPRINT and Clearwire will be insufficient (especially with no roaming) to build market share.

By: Google to acquire Sprint Nextel for Mobile WiMax? :

Google to acquire Sprint Nextel for Mobile WiMax? : — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:41:45 +0000

[...] masses, we're filing this one under musings from Neverland until this one can firm up a bit. [Via GigaOm] Read | Permalink | Email this | [...]

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:09:18 +0000

Jim A

The 700 MHz auctions are in February 2008 and by the time networks come alive it would be nearly three-to-five years and that means there will be no meaningful impact. So if anyone wants to keep expanding their business, aka Google, to mobile domain, it isn't going to happen anytime soon. So perhaps that is why this WiMAX based network is a decent enough option.

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:07:50 +0000

No Viado, I am saying is that Sprint spins off the WiMAX business, and gets others to invest in the company. $3 billion from a variety of investors including Google, not just Google. And raise rest of it as debt. In essence this is a standalone company where some silicon valley giants like Google are investors.

By: Peter Radizeski

Peter Radizeski — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:06:35 +0000

It is amazing how people understand the web, but not the underlying telecom world. Telco is an ugly business that has to lobby to stay on par with Ma & Ivan Bell (VZ and ATT) and to kiss the K-Mart ring.

Sprint has an underutilized, national, Tier 1 IP backbone. Sprint has forgotten that it used to be the # 3 Long Distance company. Not just MSO’s (read: cablecos) need VoIP Orig/Term services. $50B for a teleco that doesn’t have a clear focus isn’t a bad deal.

There are many underutilized assets at Sprint — and a management team that has no idea what to do with it. At least, Google allows every employee to contribute. Sprint could use some good ideas, like an iDEN division focused solely on public safety and gov’t work.

By: Dennis C. Evans

Dennis C. Evans — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:09:15 +0000

A 700 Mhz antenna is 3.5x longer and larger/wider than a 2.5 GHz antenna for the same gain and pattern. Thus unlikely that a combo device retrofit could be fitted in the same rented space on the already jointly used cell tower facilities. Many times the rent is per coax downlead plus space [square area] because of high windload design limitations.

Will nonincumbents be welcomed with open arms by existing tenants. Lots of contracts restrict players due to technical roadblocks.

The question for Google is how [if?] the smaller [auction purchaseable] channel width [5,10,20] at 700Mhz exceeds the ability to use 48-100+MHZ at 2.5 Ghz. Don't you need both, one for city one for rural?