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Sprint LTE phones to arrive 'in the second half' of 2012
Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer has spilled the 4G beans on the carrier's plans to introduce LTE devices, narrowing it down to the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter next year. Compared to what we've already heard, Sprint looks to be stepping up its game: "We're talking about covering 120 million [people] by the end of 2012 -- we've accelerated this because we believe LTE is really key to our future." The Now Network will offer up "a number of different models" on the next generation network, and hopes to reach 250 million potential customers by the end of 2013. The company also added that it will be paying $350million to ClearWire spread over two years, "if they meet targets in delivering LTE to sites where traffic is heaviest." But what does the future hold for those less fortunate WiMAX users? Stay calm: the Sprint CFO reiterated that the other 4G network will continue to be supported until 2015.
Sprint gives Clearwire $1.6 billion golden parachute, lovers of WiMAX rejoice
LTE may be Sprint's future network of choice, but WiMAX will be with us for a while longer. Clearwire provides the Now Network's waves of WiMAX, but it's had recent financial troubles that it claimed could prevent it from making a required $237 million interest payment due today. However, Sprint has come to Clearwire's rescue by agreeing to pay $926 million to keep the WiMAX network running through 2015. It also pledged to kick in $350 million to help fund the firm's shift to LTE, plus another $347 million in equity funding if Clearwire can raise more than $400 million on its own. Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free $1.6 billion, right Mr. Hesse?
Sprint's LTE getting Advanced in 2013, WiMAX's inferiority complex intensifies
Sprint just started building out its LTE network, but being the eager beavers that they are, the folks in Overland Park are already talking about taking the Now Network to the next level. Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's VP of network development and engineering, said that Sprint will be rolling out an LTE-Advanced network in the first half of 2013. (As a brief refresher, LTE-Advanced is a true 4G technology that can make regular LTE speeds look positively pedestrian in comparison.) Tarazi added that we would see 12 LTE devices in 2012 and that over 250 million people will have access to Sprint-flavored LTE by the end of 2013 -- with voice over LTE service coming in the first quarter of that year. For those (hundreds?) of you worried about the fate of of WiMAX, well, don't. Apparently, the out-of-favor 4G network will continue to be supported for several more years due to Sprint's agreement with Clearwire. So, it appears Sprint's really making a run at Verizon's LTE hegemony. Good luck Mr. Hesse, you're probably going to need it.
The cost of switching to LTE: Sprint to spend $10 billion over the next two years
Wonder just how much it costs to phase out iDEN and WiMAX networks and put all your eggs in one, CDMA / LTE-flavored basket? Well, Joe Euteneuer, Sprint's CFO, just offered up a frank answer here at its "Strategy Update" event: $10 billion over the next two years. That's a heckuva lot more than the $4 billion to $5 billion Wall Street was expecting, but Euteneuer assured all the suited-up financial analysts in the room that the company should save $10 billion to $11 billion through 2017 (a figure widely reported before today), with $4 billion of that resulting from not having to maintain the 'ol ball and chain iDEN network anymore. Now it's true, we're a minority in this meeting of industry analysts, but you don't need to be a banker to understand that's one telling figure: clearly, the company's betting its future not just on the (CDMA!) iPhone, but LTE's brand of 4G.
Sprint converts its network to LTE, plans 'aggressive rollout' to be completed by 2013
We knew more or less that an announcement of this sort was coming. Back in July, Dan Hesse had teased us face-to-face with the promise of a "great story this fall around 4G," and now the time to tell that tale has arrived. At its strategy event today, Sprint finally went public with plans to "simplify its network" by converting its 1900MHz holdings and LightSquared's 1600MHz spectrum ("pending FCC approval") to LTE, an industry favorite. Helping the operator make that transition is the swath of 800MHz spectrum it reclaimed from the, now defunct, iDEN push-to-talk network -- which had been a drain on the company's resources. This spectrum, acquired from Nextel, will be phased out by mid-2013 and rolled into LTE. The company plans for a rapid deployment of this new 4G network, with the first LTE markets and handsets to hit in mid-2012, and the full rollout mostly completed by 2013. Current subscribers signed up for WiMAX plans won't have to worry as their devices will continue to be supported throughout 2012. Beginning tomorrow, Sprint's consolidating its 4G LTE (including LightSquared), 3G and Direct Connect networks into one single architecture. All the major technical milestones, such as test calls and field integration, have cleared their hurdles and work on over 22,000 cell sites are currently in process. Samsung, Alcatel Lucent and Ericsson have partnered with Sprint to install multimode 3G and 4G base stations to handle the network's future traffic, essential for deploying the multitude of frequencies required by hosted devices. Prospective iPhone 4S users on the network will be able to take advantage of better signal strength and improved voice service as Sprint intends to also offload the latter onto 800MHz. Expect a steep "reduction in roaming costs" and deeper signal penetration throughout the operator's expanding national footprint over the course of the next two years. Naturally, LTE speeds on this new network will be significantly improved over the currently in-use WiMAX, and a planned implementation of WiFi offloading should help to cut congestion by 20 percent. By the end of next year, Sprint aims to have a combined WiMAX/LTE population coverage of 176 million -- with 123 million covered by LTE and 76 million overlapping both. When the network build-out is nearly complete in 2013, the company should have over 250 million blanketed in LTE, far outstripping the stagnant 120 million served by WiMAX.
Sprint's LTE build out already underway, new 4G network to launch first half 2012?
At this point, it's pretty much an open secret that Sprint needs to hitch its ride to LTE to stay in the wireless game. CNET caught wind of the operator's intended 4G plans ahead of its scheduled October strategy announcement -- an event at which many in the industry expect Sprint to lay out its LTE cards. According to the report, the Hesse-led network's been hard at work installing the necessary infrastructure to convert to its towers to FD-LTE, which is the same flavor of LTE as Verizon and future partner LightSquared. Using the iDEN spectrum it acquired from its Nextel purchase, Sprint reportedly plans to set up 4G shop on those radio waves, and make use of current WiMAX provider Clearwire's proposed switch to TD-LTE by incorporating chipsets in future phones that accommodate both frequencies. The network changeover, rumored to cost Sprint somewhere in the range of $4 - $5 billion, should get carried out over the next five years, laying the groundwork for a true three-way 4G race.
Dish CEO muses about partnerships and acquisitions, possibly Sprint or Clearwire
We've already heard that Dish Network was in the mix for a possible Hulu acquisition (which still isn't off the table), but it looks like the company could also setting its sights even higher. Speaking with Bloomberg, Dish CEO Joseph Clayton talked a bit about the possibility of getting involved with a wireless carrier, noting that it will "look at partnerships, acquisitions, all of the above." When asked if that could include an acquisition or partnership with Sprint or Clearwire, Clayton reportedly said, "could be," and added a "stay tuned" when asked more generally about the possibility of a Dish wireless network (which could benefit from some of the company's existing spectrum holdings). Head on past the break for a video of the interview.
Cellular South renamed C Spire Wireless, becomes Puff Daddy of regional carriers
We were expecting something big to come out of Cellular South this coming Monday, but we definitely didn't anticipate the company going all Diddy Dirty Money on us. Letting the cat out of the bag a few days early, the regional carrier is re-branding itself as C Spire. The name is apparently inspired by the company's dedication to customized wireless services, and will become official Monday with a new website: cspire.com. The new service includes an app recommendation program, known as Scout, a rewards program called Percs, "social media integration," and customer service initiatives known as Pulse and Circle. This new name also ushers "personalized plans" with "infinite data," which C Spire's CEO, Hu Meena, points out is actually unlimited, with no nights-and-weekends-style restrictions -- except when it comes to streaming data (which will carry its own unique charges). He went on to say that the new services will come at no charge to existing Cellular South C Spire customers. And the whole shebang looks like it's going to be an opt-in affair.
'Personalized Wireless' launching September 26th (update: it's Cellular South, and it'll be regional)
Does America need another wireless operator? Is the MVNO boneyard really due for another? Are you eager for a carrier that adapts to your needs, and magically delivers "stuff" that matters to you? Have you watched Napoleon Dynamite with your closest friends within the past week? We can't promise that "Personalized Wireless" (or whatever it ends up being called) is destined to answer all of those inquiries, but it'll at least strive to formulate a logical response to one of 'em. A newly-aired teaser clip promises a network of a different color here in the States, and the company's product page (captured above) leads to believe that all will be revealed come September 26th. We're surmising that this has something to do with either Comcast or Clearwire given the token "C" logo at the end, but we'd be happy hear other opinions of the origin down in comments below. Vid's after the break, vaquero. Update: We have it on good authority that the launch here relates to Cellular South's recent buyout of a number of southern cellular shops, with this being the merger of those. There aren't any details yet on what it'll mean for prospective customers in that region, but it seems -- at least for now -- that this won't be a national rollout.
Clearwire announces deal with China Mobile to accelerate TD-LTE deployment
The world's largest mobile operator and the heretofore scrappy WiMAX provider have linked arms to accelerate the rollout and adoption of time-division LTE (TD-LTE) across China. While there's little chatter about an infrastructure build-up itself, China Mobile and Clearwire have established an agreement "to cultivate a robust device ecosystem that supports multi-mode, multi-band devices with minimum component complexity and cost," with particular emphasis on the common 2.5GHz spectrum. More specifically, the collaboration will work to build up a high volume of TD-LTE chipsets and devices for commercial availability in 2012. If Sprint were to purchase (or make a significant investment in) Clearwire, this deal could be especially important, but for the time being, the company is finding some independence from the uncomfortable love triangle that's brewing between itself, Sprint and LightSquared. While there's no telling what sort announcement will come on October 7th, it's nice to see Clearwire secure an international lover that's willing to commit to a shared LTE vision. You'll find the full PR after the break.
Sprint Strategy Update coming on October 7th, significant 4G plans likely to be unveiled
Sprint's Dan Hesse told us point-blank back in July that he was penning a "great story around 4G" for this fall, and it looks as if October 7th will be the date that it "all becomes clear." We just received an invitation to quite the atypical event -- a "strategy update" for the press to cover in New York City. All we're told is that presentations by senior management will be on tap, with a sure-to-be-lively Q&A session to follow. 'Course, this may all be a ploy to waste our precious time on a precious Friday in autumn, but something tells us Sprint ain't exactly in a position to be blowing cash on a Hot Air session. So, what's on deck? Let's count the possibilities: more details on its side regarding the iPhone 5? A full-on acquisition of Clearwire (plus a shift to LTE-Advanced)? More details on that elusive LightSquared arrangement? A merger with AT&T&T to create the largest telecommunications provider this side of Pluto? We'll be there to find out, but for now, hypotheses are being accepted in comments below.
Sprint in alleged talks to acquire Clearwire, cablers huddle 'round for some LTE pie
'Tis the season for patent disputes and wireless industry takeovers, or so a recent glut of moves would indicate. Shedding a little light on Clearwire's recently announced allegiance to LTE, Bloomberg is reporting that the company's currently in talks to sell its business to Sprint, and perhaps secure the funding it so desperately needs for a network build out. According to several insider sources, the third place wireless carrier's considering a joint investment (amongst other options) with Comcast, Cablevision and Cox, that would give the cablers a bundled high-speed, wireless broadband competitive advantage, and Sprint an LTE boost in its battle against AT&T and Verizon's rival 4G networks. None of the players in this rumored takeover have yet to comment on the purported transaction, although the business gossip has had quite an uplifting effect on Clearwire's shares. While we can't speculate as to the veracity of the claim, we know one thing for sure -- that LTE network's not gonna build itself.
Clearwire: Erik Prusch to take over as CEO
Precisely five months since the last time Clearwire had a permanent CEO in place, a new boss has been selected to take the place of Bill Morrow. Being promoted to the position is Erik Prusch, the company's Chief Operating Officer, who will be faced with a monstrous challenge: secure roughly $600 million in capital to fund Clearwire's buildout of LTE. If none can be found, the company will be completely out of cash by the end of 2012. Fortunately, he's got some talent to help him in the arduous quest; backing Prusch as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors will be John Stanton, who's served as the interim CEO since Morrow's departure. Given the situation, it's a difficult position to be placed in -- either he'll be the hero that saves the company, or the villain responsible for taking it down. Check out the full press release after the break.
Clearwire adding 120Mbps 'LTE Advanced-ready' technology to its holdings, restates commitment to WiMAX
Is it really fall? We can't say for certain that this is what Dan Hesse was referring to when he told us face-to-face that something spectacular would be coming our way a bit later in the year, but Clearwire definitely just announced its intent to add "LTE Advanced-ready" technology to its 4G network. In what'll likely go down as the most shocking mobile news this side of the proposed T-Mobile / AT&T merger, America's biggest WiMAX fan has finally caved to the realities of the next-gen wireless war: LTE's winning, and it's picking up all sorts of steam. Verizon Wireless has been building out LTE at a breakneck pace, and soon enough, Ma Bell (and presumably, T-Mob) will be following suit. According to the bizarrely worded release, Clearwire will be leveraging "deep spectrum resources and an all-IP network to meet long-term mobile broadband demands." Translation? An "unmatched LTE network" capable of serving current and future wholesale / retail customers. We're told that the initial LTE rollout will target "high-demand areas of current 4G markets," taking advantage of existing 4G infrastructure in order to reduce expenditures. For those curious about transmission rates, you can look forward to download speeds exceeding 120Mbps (or so it says). In a telling quote, Dr. John Saw, Clearwire's Chief Technology Officer, confesses: "This is the future of mobile broadband. Our extensive trial has clearly shown that our 'LTE Advanced-ready' network design, which leverages our deep spectrum with wide channels, can achieve far greater speeds and capacity than any other network that exists today. Clearwire is the only carrier with the unencumbered spectrum portfolio required to achieve this level of speed and capacity in the United States. In addition, the 2.5GHz spectrum band in which we operate is widely allocated worldwide for 4G deployments, enabling a potentially robust, cost effective and global ecosystem that could serve billions of devices. And, since we currently support millions of customers in the 2.5 GHz band, we know that our LTE network won't present harmful interference issues with GPS or other sensitive spectrum bands." No doubt, that closer there is a direct shot at the dilemmas faced by LightSquared -- a company that Sprint curiously just inked a partnership deal with. It's hard to envision how this unholy love triangle's going to play out, but the company's making it quite clear that its LTE network will be "LTE-Advanced-ready," enabling it to have a leg-up on the laggards here in the States. The dirty little secret in all of this is that Clearwire's still waiting on "additional funding" to fully implement its LTE desires, which involve the use of multicarrier, or multichannel, wideband radios that will be carrier aggregation capable. As you'd likely expect, the company closed with a restatement of its support to the existing WiMAX network, but it's practically a guarantee that you've seen the last expansion effort on that one. In case you've been looking the other way, Clearwire hasn't produced plans for a new WiMAX market in all of 2011. Now you know why.
Sprint and LightSquared confirm agreement, 15 years worth of LTE network sharing and more
The rumors were true, but given the long, torrid affair between these two it shouldn't be a surprise. Sprint and LightSquared have confirmed their intentions to the world, stepping into a whopping 15 year agreement that will be worth $9 billion in cash for Sprint and will save LightSquared an estimated $13 billion. LightSquared will have the right to sell access to Sprint's burgeoning LTE network, while Sprint can also piggy-back on the other's existing capacity where needed. Additionally, LightSquared will be able to roam on Sprint's current 3G network, opening new doors for one while helping the other accelerate its apparent transition to LTE. This is of course good news for Sprint and naturally for LightSquared, which is trying desperately to put the whole GPS fiasco behind it. The loser? Clearwire, we'd say -- and WiMAX in general.
Clearwire announces $99 Clear Spot 4G Apollo hotspot
We just spotted it at the FCC earlier this month, and Clear customers will now soon be able to get their hands on the company's new Clear Spot 4G Apollo mobile hotspot. Clearwire announced today that the device will be available for $99 (or leased for $6 a month) in "late July," which should mean any day now unless our calendars are off. Built by Gemtek, the hotspot allows for up to eight simultaneous connections, and promises up to six hours of continuous use from its built-in rechargeable battery -- plans to go along with it start $35 a month, with unlimited mobile data running you $45/month (with no long-term contract, of course). Press release is after the break.
Sprint's Dan Hesse: significant 4G plans to be announced this fall
We're here at Sprint's monolithic campus in Overland Park, and part of our day was spent speaking directly with CEO Dan Hesse. Amongst other things, the bigwig confessed that it had been awhile since his company (or Clearwire) had launched a 4G market. While Verizon Wireless has been pushing out LTE to new cities on what feels like a fortnightly basis, there's been nary a WiMAX deployment in the US during 2011. But that, friends, is gearing up to change. According to Hesse: "We're going to come out with a great story this fall around 4G, and it'll all become clear." He seemed curiously excited about whatever's around the bend, and Sprint's VP of Product Development, Fared Adib, seemed similarly giddy about the impending unveiling. Neither of 'em would crack on what markets would be addressed or what tactics would be used to match rivals in terms of 4G reach, but whatever the case, we're guessing Sprint users will be a lot happier with their service once they get through the summertime blues. Oh, and it's worth mentioning that Sprint's "not exclusive to WiMAX, nor the Clearwire relationship." Not a soul on the campus would talk details surrounding that rumored LightSquared investment, but judging by the smiles, it's at least on the table.
Clearwire boosts NYC WiMAX coverage by 21 percent, 91,363 people rejoice uncontrollably
Consider yourself a New Yorker? If so, you could find yourself underneath Sprint / TWC / Clearwire's 4G umbrella, as the trio has announced a 21 percent coverage expansion in the greater New York City area. Folks in Alpine, Bayonne, Elizabeth, Fair Lawn, Newark, Paramus, Secaucus, Union, NJ; and Hartsdale, New Rochelle, New York, Rockville Centre, Yonkers, NY will now be covered in the regional Clear network, and as of last count, that amounts to an extra 91,363 people. 'Course, a few newcomers will be born every minute, so maybe we've breached 91,369 by now. Or maybe more. Talk about confusing.
Clear Spot 4G sails through the FCC, heading to WiMAX territories soon
Remember that Clear Spot 4G that was unveiled a fortnight or so ago? Hello, again! The so-called WIXFMM-122 has just made its way into the FCC's blossoming database, boasting 4G-only hotspot functionality (here we're talking WiMAX, not LTE), a minuscule display for showcasing signal strength and battery life, and support for up to eight simultaneous connections. Per usual, there's no information regarding a solid price or release, but given the inability to switch over to a 3G network if necessary, we're guessing it'll go for a song.
Ericsson to manage Clearwire's 4G network as part of cost-cutting deal
Now that Clearwire definitely isn't producing its own smartphone, the company has apparently decided to focus its efforts on maintaining its WiMAX network -- with the help of Ericsson. Yesterday, the 4G operator announced that it had struck a seven-year deal with the Swedish telecom firm, just a few months after fighting a brief trademark lawsuit filed by Sony Ericsson. Under the arrangement, Ericsson will assume all network engineering, operations, and maintenance responsibilities, allowing Clearwire to concentrate on cutting costs and increasing efficiency. Clearwire will retain ownership over its technology and will still handle all customer relations, but about 700 of its employees will be transferred to Ericsson. The Kirkland-based company says its decision was at least partially influenced by new best friend Sprint, which forged a similar partnership with Ericsson back in 2009. Financial details on the new deal remain fuzzy, though Clearwire says it expects to see a major reduction in operating costs -- which sounds like the right prescription. Full presser after the break.
