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AT&T completes acquisition of Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum
It's only been five days since it's gotten the official go ahead, but AT&T's wasted no time in completing its acquisition of a swath of 700MHz spectrum from Qualcomm. Those airwaves, which formerly powered FLO TV, were purchased for a cool $1.9 billion and will now be repurposed to bolster Ma Bell's LTE network. It might not have been everything the carrier had hoped for, but some additional spectrum is better than none, right? Possibly the shortest press release you'll ever see awaits after the break.
FCC approves AT&T's $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum (update)
Christmas has come early to the execs at AT&T, who are likely celebrating the FCC's 3-1 approval to purchase Qualcomm's block of the 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion. The news comes as a bittersweet victory for Ma Bell, whose efforts to acquire T-Mobile turned sour earlier this year. Qualcomm's block of the airwaves, once used to facilitate FLO TV, now sits unused. Once the acquisition is complete, AT&T will use the new share of spectrum to increase download capacity for its burgeoning LTE network. For the FCC's part, it has approved the deal with only a few stipulations: AT&T will be required to satisfy interference requirements and must offer data roaming to its competitors on the spectrum. That's not to suggest everyone's pleased, however. Rural cellular providers asked that, as part of the deal, AT&T must ensure that its LTE network is interoperable with the bands used by smaller networks. Sadly, the FCC has denied this request, ostensibly limiting the little guy from receiving Ma Bell's hand-me-downs. Update: AT&T has gone ahead and released a wee bit of celebratory PR, which we're including after the break. Most importantly, it expects to wrap up the finer details in the next few days.
AT&T buys Qualcomm's FLO TV spectrum for a cool $1.9b, promises 4G awesomeness
Qualcomm and AT&T are no longer talking about a deal, they've agreed to one: pending regulatory checks and other closing conditions, the wireless spectrum that was once dedicated to FLO TV will now be transferred into AT&T's ownership in a $1.925 billion deal. Located in the lower 700MHz range, this bit of wireless space is said to cover more than 300 million people nationwide and AT&T expects it to play an important role in its future 4G network rollout and development. All that due diligence housekeeping will take the two companies a little while, with the deal expected to be finalized in the latter half of 2011, but at least we can rest assured that AT&T's serious about not being left behind.
FLO TV rebates for devices and service are now live
FLO TV said that it would be refunding the eight folks who actually bought into its services once it made the tough decision to shut things down on March 27, 2011, and lo and behold, it's a promise kept. What we weren't expecting, however, was any sort of monetary compensation for hardware, but it looks as if FLO TV will be providing some sort of rebate amount to those who purchased a FLO TV Personal Television, Audiovox Portable DVD Player with FLO TV or FLO TV Auto Entertainment center. It's unclear how much you'll be getting back -- you'll need to go through the entire rebate process to find out -- but you will be reimbursed for any prepaid FLO TV services that you're no longer interested in using (or won't be able to use due to the March 2011 cutoff). Hit the source link to file your claim, but be aware that your service will be cut within 72 hours of submitting it. Beyond the break, you'll find the full email that FLO TV is sending to its customers. [Thanks, T.J.]
Qualcomm talking to AT&T, other carriers over MediaFLO spectrum sale?
Seems Qualcomm wasn't kidding when it said selling off MediaFLO's spectrum was a possibility now that it's cutting off direct-to-consumer mobile TV services. BusinessWeek is reporting that the company has sat down recently with "several carriers" -- though only AT&T is being called out by name -- presumably with the goal of fleshing out just how much dinero it could land for offing the spectrum MediaFLO uses to deliver programming. Qualcomm paid close to $700 million for the spectrum over the course of the last decade, and it lies in the 700MHz block -- a block both AT&T and Verizon will be using extensively as they build out their next-gen networks -- so it stands to reason they'd both love to buy in, likely at a healthy premium over what Qualcomm originally paid. There was a time that we loved the idea of multicast mobile TV programming, but at this point, doesn't it seem like everything should be going to beef up wireless broadband?
Qualcomm says all options are on the table for FLO TV, including sale of spectrum
FLO TV may be dead as we know it, but it's still a significant asset for Qualcomm, and it looks like the company is keeping all options on the table for what to do with it. As CEO Paul Jacobs himself laid out during a recent analysts' conference call, that includes a possible restructuring of FLO TV's wholesale business model, a joint venture with a third party, or a complete shutdown of the service and sale of its sure-to-be-valuable 700MHz spectrum. On that latter possibility, there's apparently been some "strong interest" from various parties looking to use he FLO TV network or spectrum for one purpose or another, although specifics beyond that are obviously still being kept under wraps.
FLO TV killing direct-to-consumer programming in spring 2011, will make necessary refunds
Don't say we never gave you a heads-up on anything. 24 hours (give or take a few minutes) after we punched the final nail into FLO TV's direct-to-consumer coffin, Qualcomm itself has issued a brief but pointed statement regarding the tragically doomed service. The major line is this: "We are suspending our direct to consumer sales of new devices." If you just so happen to already own one, you can look forward to service continuing through the Spring of 2011, after which you'll be up a certain creek without any sort of steering apparatus. In the event of a discontinuance of service, FLO TV will make appropriate refunds, but the details surrounding that won't be communicated until that fateful day draws nearer. We're also told that MediaFLO service (provided to handsets via carrier partnerships) will continue on unaffected, and it sounds as if the company has plans to attach its service to tablets in the future. The worst news of all? Qualcomm's working to redeploy impacted employees, but it does "anticipate that there will be some layoffs." The statement can be seen in its entirety after the break.
FLO TV killed by Qualcomm, its four users look shocked and saddened
We'd heard from a couple of internal sources on Friday that Qualcomm was pulling the plug on the ill-fated FLO TV direct-to-consumer service, and now we've reason to believe that the deed is in fact done. Despite the company's best attempts at playing up the idea of carrying around a mobile TV and paying yet another content subscription bill, it seems as if the public's wishes are finally being recognized. According to our sources, Qualcomm is informing partner retailers to stop selling FLO TV products immediately, and sure enough, a glance over at Best Buy's website reveals that only a couple of accessories remain in stock. We're guessing that Wally World is hoping to rid itself of as much stock as possible before the news goes mainstream, but in all likelihood, those units will too vanish into the night in short order. It's bruited that Qualcomm is still in discussions with AT&T and Verizon on the future of its wholesale MediaFLO service, and we've reached out for comment on the future of service for those who already sprung for a FLO TV Personal Television. We'll let you know what else we hear, but for now, be sure to stay away from a product you were never, ever interested in to begin with. It'll be a challenge, we know.
Japan chooses ISDB-Tmm over MediaFLO for new mobile TV network, KDDI pouts
Well, that wasn't much of a delay at all! Japanese regulators have apparently gone ahead and selected NTT DoCoMo's proposal for Japan's next-gen mobile TV network scheduled to go live in 2012 -- ISDB-Tmm, an evolution of the country's existing one-seg technology -- over the MediaFLO-based solution floated by competitor KDDI. Considering that KDDI is tied up in CDMA / EV-DO, it's little wonder they were pushing MediaFLO, a product of CDMA patron saint Qualcomm -- but it's a moot point now that the license is going to DoCoMo's broadcasting consortium. For what it's worth, KDDI -- understandably none too pleased by the decision -- has said that it will refuse to offer programming for the new network, which likely means that its 30 million-plus subscribers won't have access. Great to see these guys can work together so well, isn't it?
Samsung Flight II and Eternity II official for AT&T
At AT&T, it's not just about the Xperia X10 today -- at least, not if Samsung has anything to say about it. Sammy's introduced a pair of sequels in the last few hours, the Flight II (pictured left) and the Eternity II (pictured right), both previously-rumored devices that re-up the company's media-centric dumbphone strategy both with and without physical QWERTY keyboards. Choice is good, isn't it? In the case of the Flight II, you get a 2 megapixel camera, memory expansion to 16GB, a full HTML browser, a switch from the original Flight's portrait QWERTY to landscape, and support for AT&T's questionably-useful Video Share service; the Eternity II takes away the keyboard but lets you scale up to 32GB of additional storage, includes "smart gestures" for the touchscreen display, and carries over the original Eternity's support for AT&T's FLO-based Mobile TV. The Flight II's available right now as a RadioShack exclusive for $50 on a two-year deal, while the Eternity II swings into AT&T stores on the 15th of the month for an unannounced price. Follow the break for the full release.
Audiovox rolls out FLO TV-equipped DFL01 portable DVD player
FLO TV may not be the runaway success that Qualcomm hoped it would be, but it's been pushing into one new area after the next as of late, and you can now add portable DVD players to that list -- Audiovox has just rolled out the first such device with its DFL01 player. It was actually announced way back at CES in January, but is now available to order for $199, which will get you a 7-inch widescreen display, three months of free FLO TV service (it'll run you $14.99 a month after that) and, of course, a built-in DVD player. Somewhat curiously, it seems that HSN is the only retailer actually shipping the device right now, but it's said to be "coming soon" to Best Buy as well.
FLO TV losing money, Qualcomm looking for an out?
So it seems that founding and operating a broadcast mobile TV business is no mean feat: as mocoNews points out, there is spectrum to be purchased and transmission towers to be networked -- all before you can sell electronics manufacturers on carrying your chipset in their devices. Unfortunately for Qualcomm, it looks like FLO TV has been something less than profitable, a reality that CEO Paul Jacobs owned up to in the company's Q3 conference call. What is there to be done, then? Jacobs been decidedly tight-lipped, only saying that there have been "a lot of interesting discussions" and that it (whatever "it" is) will go down "in the next year." As the AP points out, there are a few possibilities: the business could be sold to a third party, for which Qualcomm would supply the chipsets. Qualcomm could acquire a company that already supplies mobile services (GPS or satellite radio, for instance) that wants to add mobile TV. Or, with spectrum being at such a premium, they could just shut down the network and use the spectrum for something else. It'll be interesting to see what happens, although we're pretty sure what won't happen: we probably won't be buying a Personal Television any time soon.
Sharp keeps going with the Sidekick look, intros FX for AT&T
Sharp, you see, hasn't had much luck with its North American phone efforts as of late -- they've made almost all of the now-dead Sidekick series, and the Kin... well, you know how that ended up working out. So on that note, we seriously wish these guys the very best of luck with their first non-Sidekick, non-Kin entry in the US market in as long as we can remember: the FX for AT&T (which looks curiously like a Sidekick, actually). This puppy pairs a touchscreen with a QWERTY slide and just a 2 megapixel camera -- not particularly high-end -- but interestingly also features support for AT&T's FLO TV-based Mobile TV service, making it a nice upgrade for Quickfire users. It'll be available next Sunday, July 25 for $99.99 on contract after $50 mail-in rebate; in the meantime, follow the break for the full press release.
LG Vu Plus coming to AT&T on June 6 for $150
So that Vu Plus we'd tipped for a June 6 release has just gone official, and needless to say, it's not your daddy's Vu. The most notable change is the addition of a landscape slider QWERTY keyboard, but one of the Vu's hallmark's -- support for AT&T's FLO-based Mobile TV service -- carries over for $9.99 a month with a free 7-day trial subscription. It's got a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a 3 megapixel autofocus cam with video recording, AT&T Video Share compatibility, and microSD expansion if the phone's internal 50MB just aren't cutting it. Look for it to hit shelves for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Follow the break for the full release.
FLO TV to offer time-shifted viewing, pay-as-you-go, web-based content later this year
It looks like FLO TV is about to get a little more interesting. Alongside your automobile and your various smartphones, you'll soon be able to turn to your smartbooks, e-readers, and tablets to access your mobile TV service. The diabolical plot begins when the company launches "new applications that integrate video with web-based content" for distributing "live mobile TV and rich mobile media services to a range of new devices." What does all this mean, exactly? Aside from some additional interactivity for advertisers, the service is planning on announcing pay-as-you-go and pay-per-view billing, as well as time-shifted viewing (you know, like a DVR). We don't know what existing hardware will be able to take advantage of this, but we're sure that a combination of pausing shows and pay-as-you-go would make new devices much more attractive to the casual user. Look for things to start happening the second half of this year. PR after the break.
LG Arena officially lands on AT&T for $199
No surprise the LG Arena has finally arrived on AT&T after we saw those spyshots earlier this year -- although it is packing AT&T Mobile TV, so that's a nice touch. Everything else is as predicted: 3-inch WVGA screen, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, GPS, and WiFi. Of course, you will be spending $199 on a two-year contract for a poorly-reviewed year-old featurephone when this hits on February 26, so that's probably a mistake, but at least the gratuitous spinny-cube effects of LG's S-Class UI will keep you distracted as you wander aimlessly through the wreckage of our once-proud civilization. There is also a web browser.
FLO TV storms automotive lots, FLO-EV gets launched and FLO smartbook apps surface
FLO TV may not have had the best Super Bowl commercial (not by a long shot, actually), but the fledgling mobile programming service is doing its darnedest to make some waves over in Barcelona. The biggest news is that Qualcomm will be on hand at MWC in order to showcase a FLO-enabled smartbook, a device that will purportedly bring together live television and live social networking updates -- something that would come in handy while watching the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, for example. In other, more international news, FLO-EV is being introduced, with Qualcomm describing it as the "next evolution of the FLO air interface." Finally, Audiovox has announced that an in-vehicle system based on FLO TV is now sweeping the nation, with Advent-branded solutions hitting up showroom accessory departments en masse. Now, if only these guys and gals could convince people to care about TV on-the-go...
Mophie juice pack TV hands-on
You won't know it by the product's official name, but this is the FLO TV appendage for the iPhone that's been teased since November last year. Combining a mobile TV receiver with Mophie's juice pack, this is 2mm thicker and noticeably heavier than the normal external battery pack. You can see comparison shots in the gallery below -- the red and black units are samples of the new peripherals while the white one is the standard Mophie hardware. Alas, no working FLO TV demos were available, but we were told the iPhone UI should be one different from what the company offers at present. Reps kept mum on pricing, but they confirmed the juice pack TV should be arriving in the first half of 2010. %Gallery-82492%
FLO TV and Mophie team up to bring mobile TV to your iPhone
If you'll recall, FLO TV showed off a proof-of-concept for getting its mobile TV service onto the iPhone back in November of last year. At the time, it required a somewhat unwieldy attachment, which has now melted away with the inclusion of Mophie into the deal, who will integrate the FLO TV hardware into its popular Juice Pack. Both companies are pretty psyched about the synergy of having one device both receiving mobile TV and doing the consequently necessary battery life extension. You'll find their collective announcement after the break, and products can be expected in the first half of the year.
Switched On: The TV is personal again
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The short history of digital content includes several examples of on-the-go services like Audible and Slacker that were started out on own devices before expanding to others, But FLO TV, which started its service on handsets from Verizon and then AT&T, has gone the other way. After being stalled by the digital TV transition delay that held up spectrum it needed to launch and expand service in several markets, FLO TV has launched a dedicated $250 device, the HTC-branded Personal Television, even as it seeks to expand the number of handsets supporting its receiver. Like a Kindle, iPod nano, or Flip camcorder, the pocketable Personal TV has a straightforward, optimized purpose. And for technophiles who live in a world of Hulu, TV-on-DVDs and Apple TV, it recalls a simpler time when TV content and device were an integrated pair. Turn on the device, press a GPS-style safety disclaimer, and you're watching TV. Apart from power and volume/mute controls, it has only a single front-mounted button brings up the electronic programming guide, which can be navigated by touching and swiping its 3.5-inch touchscreen. A laptop battery-style power status button lights up a series of LEDs to let you know how much charge is left in the device.
