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| November 6, 2009 |
FCC hands AT&T final OK on Centennial purchase
AT&T has won the FCC's approval for the wireless carrier's $945 million buyout of Centennial Communications, a deal that beefs up AT&T's base by 1.1 million customers, the agency said Thursday. The mainly rural-based Centennial operates sites in the South and Midwest, and the new company must divest systems in Louisiana and Mississippi, the Department of Justice ruled last month. The FCC attached other conditions to the deal as well. Bloomberg (11/5)
Leap continues decline in prepaid sector
Increasingly tense competition and lingering economic weakness hurt Leap Wireless in the third quarter, when it added 116,000 customers, a 25% decline from a year earlier as churn also rose and average revenue for subscriber fell, the prepaid carrier reported Thursday.
The company lowered its customer-additions guidance for the year, from 1.5 million to 1.3 million or less, including those buying voice and broadband services. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (11/5)
Ericsson shifts CTO to U.S. as IP unit chief
Telecom-equipment maker Ericsson will bring its chief technology officer to the U.S. to run the Internet Protocol unit while he remains the CTO, the company said Thursday. Hakan Eriksson's move signifies how the center of the mobile universe has shifted from Europe to the U.S., industry observers noted. The vendor also wants to keep a closer eye on the domestic fixed-broadband market, where the rules for building fiber-optic networks are more clear-cut. CIO.com/IDG News Service (11/5)
AT&T cuts FLO TV price 33%, will add markets
AT&T hopes to drive a greater takeup of Qualcomm's FLO TV mobile service by reducing the monthly subscription rate from $15 to just under $10. AT&T plans to expand FLO TV to additional markets by Dec. 11. MocoNews.net (11/5)
T-Mobile, Orange give final OK to U.K. tie-up
Two months after disclosing their intention to do so, T-Mobile U.K. and Orange on Thursday gave final clearance for their joint-venture plans, the companies said, adding that they hope to earn regulatory approval by the middle of next year. The combined carriers, which have agreed to maintain their individual brands for 18 months, would control 37% of the U.K. market. Reuters (11/5)
Other News
Will wireless industry support Android 2.0?
Today's release of Verizon Wireless' Droid phone -- the first to run on the Android 2.0 operating system -- could provide a real test on whether the market will support three versions of the software, according to industry observers who note that neither carriers nor vendors are saying firmly whether they will upgrade their devices to the latest version. Relatedly, the MOTO Development Group released its Android Media Platform MID device -- which can run Android 2.0 -- to developers. Network World/IDG News Service (11/5) Electronista (11/5)
Verizon Wireless readies prepaid-wireless offerings
Verizon Wireless will begin offering this month a series of prepaid wireless-broadband options for away-from-home laptop users. The service, which will be sold at Verizon Wireless stores and at Best Buy, offers users a $15 daily plan with access to 75 megabytes of data, a $30 weekly plan with 250 MB and a $50 monthly plan with 500 MB. CNET/Signal Strength blog (11/5) PC World/IDG News Service (11/5)
DVR management tool from Cablevision lets users phone it in
Cablevision is offering subscribers a new tool to program their digital video recorders via Web-enabled smartphones. The system, which runs through the company's Optimum.net mobile Web site, lets users who lease a DVR from the cable company schedule recordings and delete shows from their phones. Multichannel News (11/5)
Smartphones make it easier to sidestep IT policies
Smartphones give employees increasing power to sidestep IT policies meant to ensure network security, Bill Snyder writes. Smartphone makers have placed their focus on consumers, not businesses, he writes. The challenges presented by smartphones are going to only get worse for enterprise IT, he predicts. InfoWorld/Tech's Bottom Line blog (11/5)
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Pioneer Cerf: Open spectrum is the answer
New modulation schemes can open up the wireless spectrum and make the industry's long-held single operator-single license model obsolete, said Vint Cerf, Google's chief Internet evangelist and often referred to as "the father of the Internet." Speaking at an industry event, Cerf said: "The technology is at a point where we should allow multiple parties to occupy the same spectral space. We can make a lot better use of the spectrum than we are today." Telephony Online (11/5)
FCC studies rules on line access
The FCC has begun to investigate whether it should amend the rules that govern how many telecoms can control access to telephone lines. The agency said it would seek comments on ways to establish a model to study the "special access" issue. In its notice, the FCC said that while some companies said current rules were working as intended, others pointed to a lack of competition in the areas. Reuters (11/5)
Other News
Watch FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's Extended Keynote Highlights from International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009®!
During his keynote presentation in San Diego, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski acknowledged the unique nature of wireless in the net-neutrality context, and he pledged his support and commitment to providing the wireless industry with more spectrum and a tower siting shot clock. Watch extended keynote excerpts and interviews with industry insiders in the CTIA Buzz Zone, listen to podcasts and much more. Check out CTIA's post-show coverage today!
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