Verizon 4G Wireless Broadband (LTE) Rollout in 4Q of 2009

Verizon might be shifting up plans to get the jump on the competition. It may start deploying Long Term Evolution as early as the end of the year.What does that mean for you?

Average speeds of 16-25 Mbps ...wirelessly. Sexy. Just downright sexy.

via Boy Genius Report

Verizon To Complete Alltel Merger By Month's End

Finally, they're gonna pull it off. Subscribe to the blog to get the word first on any changes they make and how it'll affect their mobile broadband networks.

The Psychology of Mobile Broadband Businesses

As per my usual routine, I found my self thumbing through Google Reader (my digital NYTimes) checking out what's buzzing in the world of mobile broadband and technology.

63 unread items later, I find a well written analysis article: What's Lighting The Fire Under Mobile Broadband?



It takes a look at the driving factors behind mobile broadband in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, The United States and Canada. Besides the regular stuff that we're very aware of (iPhone and G1 leading to more media consumption on advanced apps like video/music), it touches on the Psychology of Mobile Broadband Businesses.

As a result of carrier pricing strategies, roughly four out of five mobile broadband users access services via a mobile or a smartphone. The rest use a PC air card or a USB modem.

PC users tend to consume more traffic and subscribe to higher service tiers. They generate on average over a gigabyte of traffic per month, whereas phone users generate less than 500 megabytes. Carriers like higher-tier subscribers. They pay higher rates but for the most part do not consume enough data yet to overwhelm the network.

In other words, while you sleep at night they're hoping users avoid bandwidth sucking activities like P2P clients (Bittorrent, Limewire, etc), streaming HD video on YouTube or Vimeo, and streaming music all day via Pandora. You'd better believe the network would crash if everyone wanted to download the Dark Knight in High Definition.

There's a particular fallacy in this line of thinking. It lacks foresight. The marketplace is rapidly evolving into a culture that not just wants but expects to access the aforementioned services. "Build it and they will come" if you may. The quality of content and convenience that streamed HD video and 128 Kbps streamed music provides is quickly becoming the norm. Mobile broadband providers will seriously be up the creek if they don't think about their normal customer's ever increasing rate of consumption.

They'll eventually have to pump the brakes on the 5 Gigabyte cap model that's become a wee bit too popular in the United States. Either it'll have to change or they'll have to do away with broadband cards. 

You can't give someone a Ferrari and only half a football field to drive it on.

You hit the limit too quickly. That's what we're approaching in the world of broadband cards and mobile broadband. In a world going for Long Term Evolution (i.e. 16-25 Mbps on average) as its 4G technology of choice, there's simply no other way. But of course, just like the music industry trying to work the outdated business model of CD and albums, mobile broadband companies will milk this cow dry.

Here's another fresh insight:

Sprint's (NYSE: S) Xohm mobile WiMax solution and T-Mobile's 3G initiatives may alter the market dynamics in the next three to five years. If successful, Sprint's solution will steer consumers toward heavier, PC-based use and condition them to expect higher speeds, which will push incumbent carriers to offer the same.

Meanwhile, as a market latecomer, T-Mobile is likely to offer lower-priced data plans to grab market share from incumbent players. If either of these carriers is successful, their offerings will condition consumers to demand faster, more reliable service at a lower price.

It is likely, however, that both carriers will stop short of encouraging consumer uses aimed at replacing fixed for mobile broadband. For Sprint, replacement would jeopardize its relationship with its cable partners offering fixed-line broadband. For T-Mobile, a replacement strategy for mobile broadband will overwhelm its networks.

He hit the nail on the head with this one. While one would think 100% market penetration (aka monopoly) is what every business aims for, it would lead to the demise of most. Competition and variety is just about a requirement for not just survival in business, its needed for the survival of humans. It's how we test ourselves and become better.

For the full details check out What's Lighting The Fire Under Mobile Broadband?.

If you enjoyed this post, you'll probably enjoy my free E-Course "Wireless Broadband Exposed". It's like your mobile broadband pre-marital counselor and prenuptial agreement all in one. It'll save you from any future heartache and checkbook punches that might come your way.

Happy New Year

WiMAX looks better than FiOS, Cable, DSL and 3G networks

The year's just about over and everyone's making their predictions and resolutions for 2009. Naturally, you've also got those who reflect on the events of the past year. GigaOM made an interesting list called "10 Stories That Define Broadband in 2008". It's a good list that mobile broadband makes frequent appearances on. What really stuck out to me was this lil chart showing the popularity of WiMAX:

As you can see, North America has the 2nd to least amount of commercial WiMAX networks in the world. If you take a step back and glance around a bit, you'll also notice that the United States has fallen from the #4 spot for broadband penetration to #24 in the world.

Umm...That's huge.

What does it all mean though? If you hit the zoom out button on Google Earth a bit more, you'll see that you're looking at a nation that's neglected to keep pace with the world not just in broadband infrastructure, but infrastructure period. Who's to blame? Hmm, a war that costs 1.2 trillion maybe. But then again, sometimes we need a little help in understanding what 1.2 trillion dollars could buy.

Is there hope?

In one word, yes.

President-Elect Barack Obama is exploring just about everything that could work to turn this around. Among the solutions is a stimulus package of sorts for broadband providers. Naturally, they're lined up to get it. The only problem here is that their self-serving tendency vs. providing the actual consumer with fair service.

Now if we could just agree on what broadband actually is , maybe we can get somewhere.

Here's my take: 

WiMAX is looking the most promising of all broadband (and mobile broadband) prospects that are available. While it's not as fast as Verizon FiOS service, it's decent, allows for mobility, and for the time being claims to be unlimited without major restrictions on what you can do with it.

If Sprint & Clearwire can pull off a nationwide network, continue to increase capacity and speed, while keeping restrictions down to a minimum then we'll see net innovations grow. Yes, P2P usage will rise, but just as how the music industry must embrace mp3 and do away with their CD/album model, media moguls of all kinds must adapt to the changing landscape.

More power to net neutrality in 2009.

Unlimited Internet for Businesses, $75 via WiMAX [Xohm]

Xohm aka WiMAX aka Clearwire & Sprint's 4G service is gonna offer businesses unlimited use with download speeds of 6 Mbps and uploads of 1 Mbps for $75.

I'd pay it.

via MuniWireless

Cancel Sprint without $200 fee [ETF]

BGR put an alert out:

"Subscribers are free to exit based on Sprint’s decision to raise their non-government mandated administrative fee from $.50-.$75."

It comes into effect January 1st 2009. In other words, you've got 2 days. If you're not sure how to go about it, you need to sign up today for the free E-Course "Wireless Broadband Exposed". The 2nd lesson covers how to get out of contracts.

Because it's a lesson a day, you'd get lesson 1 today and lesson 2 tomorrow. Who wants to pay $200 to cut ties with a carrier anyway? Hop to it my friend.

Happy New Year!

Verizon Leaves AT&T in the dust of Phoenix, Arizona

Kevin over at jkOnTheRun decided to run a quick test. Verizon's EVDO vs. AT&T's HSDPA. The no holds barred brawl took place in the dusty sands of Phoenix, Arizona (more like in his air-conditioned hotel room actually).

The mighty warriors who stepped forward were Verizon's USB727 and AT&T's USB Quicksilver. Not living up to it's name, the Quicksilver lost in downlink, uplink and ping. The USB727 came triumphant with DSL speeds.

via jkOnTheRun

Haters attack Sprint/Clearwire's WiMAX

Yes. They're haters. Why?

Sprint didn't start working on WiMAX yesterday. They've been pretty public about their decision to pursue WiMAX with major blockades and obstacles along the way for years. All of a sudden when things are finally going off without a hitch,

BAM, a lawsuit that could cost Sprint the $3 million to $5 million it spent to build out the network magically appears. If someone steals your stuff...and you see them stealing your stuff...do you wait 2 years to call the police?

Verizon pours $155 million into Florida's network

More coverage and better redundancy for all 3G fans out there. Seems like more justification as to why they got ranked the #1 mobile broadband carrier this year. Now if only they'd ease up off that 3G cap we could think about replacing our hard wire connections at home. You know, sorta like how 18% of you only have cell phones? Same thing but for internet connections.

via North Florida News Daily