Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) ... jetzt geht´s wieder los ?!?! - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[TimeFactor]

Clearwire Announces Intent to Add LTE to Its Network to Accelerate Wholesale Business
Date : 08/03/2011 @ 4:01PM
Source : GlobeNewswire Inc.
Stock : Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)
Quote : 3.01 0.7 (30.30%) @ 6:00PM


* Company Will Leverage Deep Spectrum Resources and All-IP Network to Meet Long-Term Mobile Broadband Demands
* Unmatched LTE Network Capable of Serving Current and Future Wholesale and Retail Customers
* Initial LTE Rollout Will Target High-Demand Areas of Current 4G Markets, Leverage Existing 4G Infrastructure for Minimal Capital Expense
* Download Speeds Exceed 120 Mbps in Successful Network Technology Trial
* Support for WiMAX 4G Network Technology to Continue


http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=48684585









http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=squote&symbol=CLWR

[TimeFactor]

Hab vor einigen Tagen noch an einen Zock geglaubt, sieht aber doch nach mehr aus ... super hohes Volumen, starke Hände und absolut gegen den sehr schwachen Gesamtmarkt !


Weiter im Auge behalten !

[TimeFactor]

This is the future of mobile broadband







Schneller geht´s kaum zur Zeit !!!

[Cashing]

Schau dir mal die Erfahrungberichte in ihrem Unternehmens-Forum an.
Scheint als wär die Firma mehr Schein als Sein, fast nur beschwerden wegen Geschindigkeitskappung, hohe Vertragsauflösungskosten und schlechten Kundenservice.

Die Financial Reports der letzten 4 Quartale sehen auch nicht einladend aus.

[benefactor [KommA]]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.980.070 von Cashing am 20.08.11 14:14:25

Und dazu kommen noch 45.15 Millionen Aktien die short sind. Die werden das Teil schon schön unten halten.

[TimeFactor]

Alles möglich an der Börse ... so Firmen werden oft nach unten geprügelt, dann sichern sich Investoren große Anteile und dann
gibt es Übernahmen / Verschmelzungen !

Wenn man die Aktie unten halten will ... warum will man das ?

So Argumente " ... fast nur beschwerden wegen Geschindigkeitskappung, hohe Vertragsauflösungskosten und schlechten Kundenservice ... " sehe
ich als uninteressant an und wird auch Investoren / Übernehmer nicht
interessieren. Technik interessiert, die kann man in ein gutes Serviceunternehmen
einbringen ... Apple zum Bleistift !

[TimeFactor]

Einfach mal recherchieren:


Apple / Clearwire / Motorola (jetzt Google)



Viel Fantasie !!!

[TimeFactor]

Clearwire Buyout Rumored


http://www.dailywireless.org/



Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless operator, is discussing an investment in Clearwire with cable companies like Comcast, reports Bloomberg. Under one scenario being discussed, Sprint would use the money to buy the equity in Clearwire it doesn’t own. Talks are preliminary and no deal is imminent, reports Bloomberg.



Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks are already investors in Clearwire. They, along with Sprint, might help fund the money-losing Kirkland, Washington-based company so it can build out its high-speed wireless network.

While Comcast and Time Warner already resell Clearwire’s WiMax, a Sprint wholesale agreement may allow cable companies utilize TD-LTE. Currently, if cable subscribers also want wireless voice service, they must use a different spectrum segment, for example Sprint’s 3G CDMA band. In the future, Voice over LTE may integrate both services into one 10-20 MHz band.

Clearwire plans to spend about $600 million to upgrade its network to so-called long-term evolution, or LTE, technology.



The size and timing of the investment in Sprint haven’t yet been determined, Bloomberg reports. The discussions involve various scenarios, including a Clearwire buyout or an investment in the company through Sprint, the people said. Cox Communications and Cablevision Systems have also been in discussions with Sprint, two of the people said.

Sprint has not yet announced official support for TD-LTE, but the company is widely expected to make an official announcement in early October.

Related Dailywireless articles include; Clearwire Chooses LTE Advanced, Sprint: New Investment in Clearwire?, Google & Motorola: A Wireless Cable Play? , Spectrum Drama: Made for TV, LTE Spectrum: It’s War, German 4G Auction: It’s Done, Auctions Winding Down in Germany & India, Germany 4G Auctions Begin, Europe to Follow, EU: Global LTE Roaming at 1.8 GHz, T-Mobile Makes Its (4G) Move, End Near for Indian WiMAX?, WiMAX & LTE: Policy Vs Pragmatism, India’s Broadband Auction: It’s Done, TD-LTE Gains Momentum, WiMAX Forum: Not Dead Yet, Yota Dumps WiMAX, UK Getting LTE, WiMAX to TD-LTE: Everybody’s Doin’ It, Speculation on Sprint Infrastructure, Sprint’s LTE Advantage, LTE-Advanced Tested in Korea, ITU: The “Official” 4G Standard Approved, IEEE Submits 802.16m to ITU for 4G, LTE-Advanced Submitted to ITU

Corporate News, LTE, WiMAX Deployments, WiMAX News

[TimeFactor]

Okay der Tag heute ... !!!

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.979.059 von TimeFactor am 20.08.11 00:31:20

12.10.2011 09:54

US-Regulierer peilt universelles Breitbandnetz für 2020 an

Die Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will den 8 Milliarden US-Dollar schweren Topf für den sogenannten Universaldienst umwidmen. Künftig soll das Geld laut einem Plan der Regulierungsbehörde nicht mehr in den Ausbau des klassischen Telefon-, sondern des Breitbandnetzes fließen. Das schnelle Internet habe sich "von einem Luxus zu einer Notwendigkeit für die volle Beteiligung an unserer Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft entwickelt", erklärte FCC-Chef Julius Genachowski in einer Rede in Washington. Es sei daher nicht mehr zeitgemäß, ein technisch veraltetes Netz zu fördern. Zudem würden die Mittel aus dem bestehenden Universaldienstfonds derzeit ungerecht verteilt. Die neue Initiative bringe dagegen enorme Vorteile für den einzelnen Verbraucher und fördere die globale Wettbewerbskraft der USA.

Die bisherige Kasse zum Anschluss unterversorgter, meist ländlicher Gebiete an Telefonleitungen speist sich aus Aufschlägen auf die Preise für Ferngespräche. Allein im vergangenen Jahr flossen daraus rund 4,3 Milliarden US-Dollar an Telekommunikationsfirmen und Netzausrüster zum Schließen von Lücken bei der Telefonversorgung. Mit dem geplanten Nachfolger, dem "Connect America Fund", will Genachowski die Zahl der rund 18 Millionen US-Haushalte, die 2010 keinen Breitbandzugang hatten, bis 2017 zunächst halbieren. 2020 sieht der FCC-Vorsitzende dann eine universelle Versorgung in den USA mit dem Hochgeschwindigkeitsinternet in greifbare Nähe rücken. Von einer Mindestbandbreite, über die entsprechende Anschlüsse verfügen sollen, sprach der den Demokraten angehörende Politiker nicht.

Zugleich kündigte Genachowski an, mit dem neuen Breitbandfonds erstmals auch den Ausbau mobiler Netze vorantreiben zu wollen. Entlang einer Strecke von über hunderttausend Straßenmeilen solle eine entsprechende Versorgung mit Funklösung gemäß dem aktuellen Stand der Technik gewährleistet werden. Den Anfang solle ein einmaliger Zuschuss für die Einführung drahtloser Netze der vierten Generation machen. Unterstützt würden damit auch die Flächen von Indianerreservaten, die bislang von Breitband und Mobilfunk noch weitgehend ausgeschlossen seien.

Erste Reaktionen auf das Vorhaben fallen gemischt aus. Die Breitbandvereinigung USTelecom begrüßte die Zielsetzung prinzipiell, möchte aber noch einige Bedenken ausgeräumt wissen. Die Verbraucherschutzgruppe Consumers Union befürwortete den Kern der Initiative ebenfalls. Sie warnte jedoch davor, die Ausbreitung von Breitbandanbietern, die bereits gute Umsätze machten, auf dem Rücken der Konsumenten zu finanzieren. David Mitchell, Wirtschaftsforscher an der Missouri State University, gab zu bedenken, dass mit der Umschichtung viele kleine Telefonanbieter in ländlichen Regionen bankrott gehen könnten. Ein Sprecher der zivilrechtlichen Organisation Public Knowledge verwies auf die noch offene Frage, ob die FCC überhaupt für die Breitbandregulierung zuständig sei.

Hierzulande sorgte die Frage der Ausweitung der bestehenden Universaldienstverpflichtung auf einen leistungsfähigen Internetzugang im Rahmen der laufenden Novellierung des Telekommunikationsgesetzes (TKG) für heftige Auseinandersetzungen. Die Opposition befürwortet die Einführung entsprechender Breitbandauflagen generell genauso wie Teile der CDU/CSU-Fraktion. Die Grünen legten jüngst ein Gutachten vor, wonach eine entsprechende, von der Industrie abgelehnte Auflage rechtlich machbar und volkswirtschaftlich sinnvoll sei. Laut FDP-Verhandlungspartnern ist eine solche Verpflichtung im Rahmen der TKG-Reform, die in der kommenden Woche vom Bundestag verabschiedet werden soll, aber "vom Tisch". (Stefan Krempl) / (jk)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.979.059 von TimeFactor am 20.08.11 00:31:20

LTE Markt vervierfacht sich im Jahr 2012


Die nächste Generation für mobile Datenkommunikation beginnt im nächsten Jahr mit rasantem Wachstum. Analysten erwarten, dass 32 Millionen LTE Geräte verkauft werden.

(13.10.2011, 07:00) Der weltweite Markt für die nächste Generation des Standards für mobile Datenübertragung LTE (Long Term Evolution) soll im nächsten Jahr auf das Vierfache anwachsen. Es sollen bei Mobiltelefonen rund 32 Millionen Einheiten, durch die starke Nachfrage der Verbraucher angeheizt, verkauft werden, sagt ein neuer Branchenreport.

Der Bericht von Strategy Analytics (SA), einem globalen Forschungs-und Beratungsunternehmen, prognostiziert, dass das Marktvolumen mit durchschnittlich 103,5 Prozent jährlich bis 2016 wachsen wird, da Handy-User Geräte mit schnellerer Datenübertragung suchen.

Es wird auch erwartet, dass der Marktanteil der Handys der vierten Generation (4G) mit LTE-Technologie von derzeit 0,5 Prozent aller Mobiltelefone weltweit auf 15,6 Prozent im Jahr 2016 wachsen wird. Für 2011 prognostiziert SA einen Verkauf von LTE Handsets von 8 Millionen, gegenüber nur 100.000 Stück im vergangenen Jahr. Laut dem Bericht wird es 4G LTE wahrscheinlich gelingen alle derzeitigen Handy-Technologien zu ersetzen, die derzeit globale Standards für mobile Kommunikation sind, wie Code Division Multiple Access und Wideband Code Division Multiple Access.

Als Vorreiter bei der Schaffung einer LTE-Infrastruktur sieht der Bericht Südkorea zusammen mit den Vereinigten Staaten und Japan.

SA sagt in seinem jüngsten Bericht auch, dass der weltweite Handy Markt auf 1,8 Milliarden Einheiten in 2016 ansteigen wird von rund 1,6 Milliarden in 2012. Allerdings wird eine Abnahme im Umsatzwachstum in den kommenden Jahren erwartet, verursacht durch die allgemeine Verlangsamung der globalen Wirtschaft und weil die meisten Handy-Nutzer bereits auf die neueste Geräte der dritten Generation aufgerüstet haben.

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Studie: 4G-Smartphone-Verkäufe steigen auf 245 Millionen im Jahr 2016
von Lance Whitney und Stefan Beiersmann, 11. Oktober 2011, 14:42 Uhr

ABI Research erwartet, dass 2016 245 Millionen 4G-Smartphones ausgeliefert werden. 2010 verkaufte die Branche lediglich 4,6 Millionen Smartphones, die die vierte Mobilfunkgeneration unterstützen. Das entspricht einem durchschnittlichen jährlichen Wachstum von 72 Prozent.


Obwohl auch immer mehr Tablets und andere mobile Geräte dem 4G-Trend folgten, sei es wahrscheinlich, dass Smartphones die treibende Kraft blieben, da die Verkäufe in dieser Kategorie die anderer Geräte deutlich überträfen, heißt es weiter in der Studie. Smartphones ebneten so den Weg für andere Firmen, die 4G-Produkte und Dienste auf den Markt bringen wollten.

ABI Research sagt zudem voraus, dass LTE (Long Term Evolution) die dominierende 4G-Technik sein wird. Schon in diesem Jahr sollen mehr LTE-Smartphones in den Handel kommen als Smartphones, die die konkurrierende Wimax-Technologie unterstützen.

Wimax-Bauteile kosten weniger, und es bietet eine bessere Möglichkeit, die in unterschiedlichen Ländern zur Verfügung stehenden Funkfrequenzen aneinander anzupassen. Allerdings setzten inzwischen weltweit die führenden Mobilfunkanbieter auf LTE, weil sie die Technologie als das bessere Ökosystem betrachteten, so ABI Research.

"Mobilfunkprovider unterstützen lieber LTE als Wimax, da sie strategisch ihr Gewicht lieber hinter die Technik stellen, die sich am besten eignet, ihren Status quo als etablierter Anbieter zu erhalten", wird Kevin Burden, Vizepräsident und Practice Director für mobile Netzwerke bei ABI Research, in einer Pressemitteilung zitiert. Ein Hindernis bei der Einführung beider Technologien sei die Vergabe und Zuordnung der Funkspektren, da Betreiber und Gerätehersteller bemüht seien, bei möglichst geringen Kosten möglichst viele Märkte anzusprechen.

Einem Bericht der Citigroup zufolge gibt es beispielsweise in den USA ausreichend ungenutztes Spektrum. Viele Anbieter haben demnach aber noch keine Pläne für die Einführung von 4G - oder dem Ausbau ihrer Netze stehen finanzielle und geschäftliche Probleme im Weg.

Bisher sind es vor allem Android-Smartphones, die 4G unterstützen. Microsoft hatte zwar kürzlich Windows-Phone Handys mit LTE in Aussicht gestellt, ließ aber offen, ob sie noch in diesem Jahr oder erst 2012 erhältlich sein werden. Apple-CEO Tim Cook erteilte 4G hingegen im April eine deutliche Absage. Als Grund nannte er einen hohen Stromverbrauch und andere "Kompromisse beim Design", die Apple nicht eingehen wolle.

[TimeFactor]

Kurs ist schön zurückgekommen ... langsam kann man wieder reingehen in die Aktie ! Werde morgen mal eine Order reinstellen, aber drüben US-Markt. Heute lohnt nicht mehr nach dem 20%-Anstieg. Wollte gestern eigentlich vor den Zahlen schon !


Clearwire Reports Selected Preliminary Third Quarter 2011 Results

Date : 10/13/2011 @ 9:00AM
Source : GlobeNewswire Inc.
Stock : Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)
Quote : 1.53 0.23 (17.69%) @ 12:17PM

http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=49527828










Die 3 USD durchaus mittelfristig schnell wieder möglich, also 100% Chance !

Gruss
TF

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.209.531 von TimeFactor am 13.10.11 18:35:50

+ 30%

... Clearwire said it will likely report 9.5 million customers as of the end of September, up 1.9 million from the end of the second quarter. ...

Die Nachricht das T-Mobile 1,2 Millionen Kunden verloren hat war für mich ein Signal einzusteigen und das T-Mobil verkauft werden soll, wahrscheinlich springen deshalb die Kunden schneller ab. Das andere das Sprint ca. $5-10 Mrd. für sein Netz braucht und Clear weit aus weniger um von Wimax auf LTE umzustellen.



mal schaun was das noch bringt

Bellevue, Wash., Oct. 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR - News) today announced that Hope Cochran, Clearwire's CFO, will speak at the Deutsche Bank Nineteenth Annual Leveraged Finance Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Thursday, October 13, 2011, at 10:35 a.m. Pacific.

[teecee1]

Sprint’s Debt Cut by Moody’s, May Face Further Downgrade
By Sarah Frier and Tim Catts - Oct 14, 2011 10:52 PM GMT+0200 .

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), the third- largest U.S. wireless operator, had its credit rating cut further into junk by Moody’s Investors Service and may face more downgrades due to risks related to a planned network upgrade.

The ranking was cut to B1, four steps below investment grade, from Ba3, New York-based Moody’s said today in a statement. The company is on review for an additional possible downgrade as there are “significant execution risks” related to Sprint’s plans to upgrade its wireless network, Moody’s said.

“The management team has outlined very aggressive buildout targets for a company that has historically failed to realize the full benefits from previous major strategic initiatives,” Dennis Saputo and John Diaz said in the statement for Moody’s.

The downgrade reflects Sprint’s decision to invest in its own fourth-generation, or 4G, wireless network and likely shift away from the partnership with Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the ratings firm said. Sprint’s planned network investments, combined with the financial expense of selling Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone, will strain liquidity before the benefits come, Moody’s said.

Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kansas, may need $6 billion to $8 billion in additional capital to pay for 4G, iPhone subsidies and debt maturities, the credit-rating firm said. Sprint has $19.8 billion in outstanding debt, more than half of which is due in the next five years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Greg Miller, an analyst at Collins Stewart LLC, said the downgrade wasn’t a surprise.

Clearwire Downgrade

“I think everyone expected it,” said Miller, who is based in New York and has a “neutral” rating on the stock.

Sprint rose 0.4 percent to $2.79 at the close in New York and has dropped 34 percent this year.

Moody’s also downgraded Clearwire’s debt to Caa2, eight steps below investment grade. Sprint is unlikely to extend an existing wholesale agreement with Clearwire, which means Clearwire needs to find alternative wholesale partners or sell spectrum to make interest payments after 2012, Moody’s said.

Clearwire fell 3.6 percent to $1.59 and has declined 69 percent this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sarah Frier in New York at [e-mail]; Tim Catts in New York at [e-mail].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

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... ... ein runterstufen bedeutet das sprint & clearwire mehr zinsen auf neue finanzinfusionen zahlen muß. jetzt wo das geschäft anspringt ist eine so hohe herabstufung anscheinend verkraftbar, an eine insolvenz ist eigentlich keiner interessiert, so verdient man money.

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Sprint: Buy, Says Credit Suisse, iPhone Math Not That Bad

By Tiernan Ray

In contrast to a slew of negative notes on Sprint-Nextel (S) this week, Credit Suisse’s Jonathan Chaplin today reiterates an Outperform rating on the stock, writing that the impact of Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone on Sprint’s profit is not as bad as some believe.

The iPhone 4S went on sale today at Sprint stores nationwide, and there were lines at some outlets to buy it.

“It is time to buy Sprint again,” writes Chaplin, who argues that because investors didn’t have enough information about the cost of the iPhone to Sprint, they over-reacted about the funding gap Sprint will face for its network expansion.

Sprint a week ago held an analyst meeting at which it said it would spend billions more to upgrade its network to “4G” capabilities. At the same time, the company frustrated investors by failing to disclose how much it would have to spend in subsidies to support Apple’s phone. The stock received six downgrades this past Monday in response, and its chairman told Bloomberg the company erred in not providing more information. FBR Capital’s David Dixon stepped in on Tuesday to say the funding gap wasn’t as bad as some might think. But criticism and worry persisted, and today, Moody’s cut its rating on Sprint’s debt.

Chaplin’s calculation assumes Sprint adds 1.5 million iPhone subscribers this quarter on a “gross” basis, and 870,000 each quarter thereafter, to arrive at 9.92 million subscribers by the end of 2014, and 12.1 million by the end of 2015.

He bases those numbers on the report from The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago that said that Sprint had to commit to buying around 30.5 million devices over four years. Hence, by his metrics, a total iPhone subscriber base of 12.1 million by 2015 would assure Sprint the necessary purchases, based on both new subs and those who will buy additional iPhone units.

The cost is not as bad as some would believe, he writes:

Management suggested they need $3BN in additional funding to maintain an adequate liquidity cushion over the next two years, before the impact of the iPhone. 13.5MM iPhone sales over the next two years would increase the funding need by $0.9BN to $3.9BN.

By 2014, those 9.92 million cumulative iPhone subs will surpass the cost of the subsidy, Chaplin writes, and the company will be bringing in incremental Ebitda of $152 million. That will double the following year, to $350 million.

That $350 million would boost the value of Sprint’s stock by 46 cents per share, he believes. He currently values the core business at $1 per share. Add to that $3.50 per share in value for the “Network Vision” infrastructure, once it’s completed, and you’ll have a stock approaching $5, though Chaplin’s actual price target is just $4.50.

Still, “$4.50 is a long way from $2.78,” he concludes.

Sprint shares today are up 6 cents, or almost 2%, at $2.84.

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5 Stocks To Short Now?
by: Vatalyst October 14, 2011 | includes: AOL, CLWR, FSLR, LVLT, YGE

... Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)

CLWR, which has fallen almost 70% on a year to date basis, seemed a prime candidate to take a short position in until it pre-released certain 3rd quarter performance metrics, which topped analyst estimates by a significant margin. Sales of $332 million topped Wall Street consensus of almost $322 million. The pre-release of performance information was important for the company as it needed to halt the freefall in share price that had been brought on by a decision from Sprint Nextel (S) to move forward on network updates without CLWR.

The company is still not out of the woods and needs a significant amount of capital for growth but there are certainly competitors that appear to be on more unstable ground for the foreseeable future. At this point wireless companies like Leap Wireless (LEAP), with short interest of almost 15%, and InterDigital (IDCC), at almost 17%, look like better candidates to fall further from here.

[teecee1]

Rating Tabelle FTD



http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rating

[teecee1]

19.10.2011 11:20

Flaches Android-Smartphone: Motorola erfindet das Razr neu


Motorolas erstes Razr mit Android punktet
mit flachem Gehäuse und farbkräftigem Display.
Bild: Motorola

Motorola belebt seinen erfolgreichsten Markennamen aus Klapphandy-Zeiten: Das neue Razr tritt als High-End-Smartphone mit flachem Gehäuse und Doppelkern-Prozessor an. Sein 4,3-Zoll-Display löst fein auf (540 × 960 Pixel) und zeigt dank Super-AMOLED-Technik kräftige Farben. Als Betriebssystem dient noch Android 2.3.5, während Konkurrent Samsung sein Galaxy Nexus bereits mit Android 4.0 ins Rennen schickt. Falls die Übernahme durch Google wie geplant verläuft, dürfte Motorola die aktuelle Android-Version vergleichsweise zügig nachliefern – versprochen hat der Hersteller das Update jedoch bislang nicht.

Stattdessen trommelt er mit den äußeren Werten des Razr. Das Gehäuse ist mit 7,1 Millimetern besonders flach und nur am oberen Ende etwas dicker (das iPhone 4S und das Galaxy Nexus sind rund 9 Millimeter dick). Gorilla-Glas schützt wie bei den meisten High-End-Smartphones das Display, außerdem soll das Gehäuse dank Kevlar-Verstärkung besonders viel aushalten.


Als Betriebssystem dient noch Android 2.3.5 –
deshalb finden sich am unteren Rand Sensortasten,
die Android 4 nicht benötigt.
Bild: Motorola

Das Razr passt wie das Atrix zu Motorolas Lapdock und Entertainment-Dock, lässt sich also in ein Netbook und einen TV-Zuspieler verwandeln. Im c't-Test ließ das Zusammenspiel zwischen Atrix und Lapdock allerdings viele Wünsche offen.

Motorola hat zwei Varianten des Razr angekündigt: Die Version mit LTE soll von November an beim US-Provider Verizon erhältlich sein, die UMTS-Version vor Weihnachten beim kanadischen Provider Rogers. Den angepeilte Starttermin und Preis für Deutschland verriet der Hersteller nicht. (cwo)

[teecee1]

Posted on Thu, Oct. 20, 2011 09:03 AM
Sprint partner Clearwire looking gloomy

Bloomberg News

Clearwire Corp. is the second- biggest loser this month in the U.S. corporate bond market on rising speculation that the company won’t be able to make interest payments after Sprint Nextel Corp. indicated it may stop buying service from the wireless provider after next year.

The company’s $500 million of 12 percent notes due in 2017 have tumbled 23.5 percent since September, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s U.S Corporate & High Yield Master Index, which tracks more than 7,000 debt issues. The securities yield 34 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, more than twice the index average for all debt rated CCC or lower.

Clearwire’s operating unit, Clearwire Communications LLC, had its credit rating cut to Caa2 last week by Moody’s Investors Service, which said the Kirkland, Washington-based company will have to find new partners or sell spectrum to meet obligations if Sprint dumps it. Clearwire is unlikely to be able to raise capital through new stock or bonds based on current prices, said Marc Gross of RS Investments.

“It just looks like they are hung out to dry by Sprint and their other investors,” said Gross, a money manager who helps oversee $3 billion in fixed-income funds in New York. “They have huge financing needs and nowhere to get the money from.”

Shift to LTE

Sprint, which uses Clearwire’s WiMax network to offer high- speed services, said at its Oct. 7 investor day it will stop selling devices that employ that technology after 2012 as it focuses on a competing system called long-term evolution, or LTE. Sprint is building out its own LTE network and also has a partnership with LTE carrier LightSquared Inc.

Clearwire will get at least $1 billion from Sprint this year and next under an April agreement. Sprint held 53.6 percent of Clearwire’s equity and about 49.7 percent of its voting rights at the end of the second quarter, according to a regulatory filing.

While Clearwire also plans to shift to LTE, it has yet to gain funding for an upgrade. Sprint Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said the carrier may extend its relationship with Clearwire beyond the end of next year, without committing to provide money for its LTE expansion.

Clearwire, which needs almost $1 billion to continue operations and to upgrade its network, said it’s looking at signing additional wholesale agreements, selling spectrum and vendor financing as potential options.

*Huge Error’

Sprint used Clearwire to avoid spending on fourth- generation network expansion “but wasted many years and billions of dollars on Clearwire and are going to build out their own 4G network anyway,” Gross said. “It is a huge error on their part.”

Clearwire’s shares plunged 32 percent on Oct. 7, the Sprint investor day. The stock, which fell an additional 3.6 percent after the Oct. 14 downgrade from Moody’s, closed at $1.39 yesterday in New York from $2.05 on Oct. 6. The shares are down 73 percent this year.

Relative yields on Clearwire’s bonds, including its second- lien debt, have soared to 21.9 percentage points above Treasuries on average as of Oct. 18 from 17.5 at the end of last month, Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data show.

The company’s $1.78 billion of 12 percent first-lien debt due in 2015 fell to 76 cents on the dollar on Oct. 18 from 86.8 cents in August, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Company Statements

“Clearwire continues to focus on growing our business, raising capital and successfully executing our plan,” Jeremy Pemble, a spokesman for the company, said in a statement. “We aren’t going to speculate or provide additional financial information or commentary until our next earnings call in the coming weeks.”

Scott Sloat, a spokesman for Sprint, said in an e-mailed message that his company plans to launch 4G devices that run on Clearwire’s WiMAX network through 2012. “We continue to hold discussions with CLWR but have nothing to announce at this time.”

Clearwire had $700 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the end of the third quarter, which will be depleted in 2012 because the company’s annual fixed costs are more than $1.2 billion, according to Moody’s.

There is a “good chance” the company may miss $222 million of interest payments it has coming due in December, Moody’s senior credit offer Gerald Granovsky, who’s based in New York, said in a telephone interview.

*Different Predators’

“One thing a bankruptcy could achieve for Sprint if everything goes well, it would gain control of the company, gain control of the spectrum,” he said. “The downside of a bankruptcy is you don’t know what that is going to entail once you file, especially given an asset like this. You’re going to have a lot of different predators coming to the game trying to put in their claim, try to push Sprint to the sidelines.”

Standard & Poor’s has a CCC+ rating on Clearwire with a “negative” outlook.

The plunge in the Clearwire debt this month is exceeded only by the 42.5 percent for the $300 million of General Maritime Corp.’s 12 percent notes due in November 2017 among bonds in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch U.S. Corporate and High Yield index.

Sprint’s failure to reach an agreement with Clearwire shows cooperation between the two companies has deteriorated from May 2008, when Sprint became a 51 percent equity owner of the company.

Previous Financing

Clearwire obtained $3.2 billion in funding from Intel Corp., Google Inc., Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc. and Bright House Networks LLC to build a nationwide WiMax network. In November 2009, Sprint, Comcast, Intel and others agreed to provide $1.56 billion in additional capital.

Confidence weakened as the company has posted losses every quarter starting in the first three months of 2009, laid off workers and cut operating costs.

“It’s unlikely they are going to receive more capital from their current strategic investors,” Michael Nelson, an analyst at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, said in a telephone interview.

Intel sold some of its Clearwire shares in May, a result of the decision to move from WiMax network technology to LTE, according to Nelson. Google may be less interested in propping up the company as well, as the original investment was a hedge against AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. closing off networks to the world’s biggest search-engine provider, he said.

It’s also “just not a top priority” for cable companies, Nelson said.

*Lots of Options’

Barry Allan, founder of Marret Asset Management Inc., which has held Clearwire bonds in the past, said he believes bankruptcy is not imminent, and “there are lots of options” for the company, including a financing deal with Sprint.

“Sprint is a large shareholder of Clearwire, and a lot of things could happen in bankruptcy court,” Sergey Dluzhevskiy, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., whose funds had owned Clearwire debt in the past, said in an interview. “The question is whether Sprint wants to go that route or find a solution. It doesn’t have to be grandiose. They may want to extend their agreement with Clearwire beyond 2012.”

Sprint also was downgraded by Moody’s last week to B1 from Ba3 with a “negative” outlook in part because of risks related to planned network upgrades.

Fitch Ratings cut the company to B+ from BB- on Oct. 18 and said without a spectrum agreement with Clearwire, Sprint will be challenged in handling future capacity and bandwidth demands for unlimited data plan users.

MetroPCS Interest

Clearwire’s bonds dropped even after it reported sales more than doubled to $332 million in the third quarter, according to a statement with preliminary results for the period last week. Analysts projected $321.6 million, according to the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

The same day, MetroPCS Wireless Inc. finance chief Braxton Carter said at a conference that his company may consider buying the spectrum for use in metropolitan areas.

“While there’s no denying that the operating results and interest in its spectrum are good news, what Clearwire really needs is some cash to upgrade its network and to replenish working capital,” David Novosel, an analyst at Gimme Credit in Chicago, wrote in an Oct. 14 note. “Current partners, particularly Sprint are not showing interest in injecting additional capital.”

Equity investors in Clearwater are viewed by Moody’s “as essentially being underwater,” Granovsky said.

“They would have to issue equity, essentially to build first-lien capacity, and they have no second-lien capacity,” he said in a telephone interview. “That gets to the problem of who in the world is going to put in junior capital at this point. So from an investor standpoint, you’re looking at the situation and you’re staying away from this until you get the resolution of the partnership or it files.”

Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.204.742 von teecee1 am 12.10.11 20:00:51

Oct. 20, 2011, 9:00 a.m. EDT
ooVoo Expands Its Multi-Person, Cross-Platform Video Chat Service to More Than 200 Android Devices

ooVoo users can now connect on Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Charge, HTC Sensation 4G, Motorola Droid Bionic and LG Optimus 2X / T-Mobile G2X smartphones

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/-- ooVoo, the leading high quality video calling service allowing multiple callers to chat together for a unique social video chat experience across Android, iOS, PC and Web platforms, today announced the expansion of ooVoo Mobile to more than 200 Android-supported devices worldwide. This includes the newest Android offerings from Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG and Verizon LTE smartphones, plus Lenovo and VIZIO tablets. The video chat service is available as a free download from the Android Market. ...

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Netflix on Android Now with Honeycomb Support [Have A Honeycomb Tablet? Now It Can Support The Netflix App]

Published on TFTS by Mariella Moon, 20 October, 2011 at 12:19 pm

... Also, Android app support is now also available to people in Canada and Latin America. So if you’re from the US or the two aforementioned places, you can stream Netflix on your Honeycomb tablets! The app itself is available from the Android market for free. Enjoy!

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VIZIO giving away 3 months of free Hulu Plus
George Wong 10/20/2011 07:49 PDT

VIZIO Tablet Hulu PlusIn its latest promotional stunt to sell more of its Android tablets, VIZIO announced today that its VIZIO Tablet owners are all entitled to three free months of a Hulu Plus subscription. Hulu Plus, one of the most popular video streaming services on the internet has a native Android app that comes preloaded on the VIZIO Tablet. This new promotion benefits both VIZIO and Hulu as consumers have an incentive to purchase the Android tablet, and Hulu gets the opportunity to convert a free viewer into a paying subscriber (for $7.99 a month).

And if you’ve read our review of the VIZIO Tablet, despite its weak benchmark results, the tablet actually performs well when used for playing back HD video, so you know that the tablet will function well as a device for streaming your Hulu programs. The updated Hulu Plus app that gives 3-months of free service to new users will start rolling out to VIZIO Tablets today.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.238.888 von teecee1 am 20.10.11 19:32:28

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.239.366 von teecee1 am 20.10.11 20:56:16

20.10.2011, 18:12
T-Mobile-Käufer: AT&T schwächelt im Festnetz

Wie mobil die Welt geworden ist, spüren die Telekom-Unternehmen besonders, die neben einer Mobilfunksparte ein Festnetz betreiben. Der Boom bei Smartphones beschert dem designierten Käufer von T-Mobile USA neue Kunden. Doch das netzgebundene Geschäft drückt den Umsatz von AT&T.

Der US-Telekomkonzern AT&T profitiert vom Boom der Smartphones. Im dritten Quartal konnte der designierte Käufer von T-Mobile USA die Marke von 100 Millionen Mobilfunkkunden überspringen. Binnen dreier Monate kamen unterm Strich 2,1 Millionen Nutzer hinzu, womit die Gesamtzahl auf 100,7 Millionen stieg. Vergleichbar groß ist in den Vereinigten Staaten nur noch Verizon ; der Rivale legt seine Geschäftszahlen am Freitag vor.

AT&T-Chef Stephenson ist mit dem Smartphoneboom zufrieden

"Smartphones, Tablet-Computer und andere Geräte, die sich ins mobile Internet einwählen, wachsen auf beeindruckende Weise", sagte AT&T-Chef Randall Stevenson am Donnerstag in New York. Weil gleichzeitig aber das Festnetzgeschäft weiter schrumpfte, stagnierte der Konzernumsatz im Jahresvergleich bei 31,5 Mrd. Dollar. Die Aktie fiel zwischenzeitlich um 1,4 Prozent.

Beim Gewinn konnte AT&T ohnehin nicht mit dem Vorjahr mithalten. Damals hatten der Verkauf einer Tochterfirma und eine Steuergutschrift das Ergebnis auf ungewöhnliche 12,3 Mrd. Dollar hochgetrieben. Nun kamen unterm Strich 3,6 Mrd. Dollar heraus.

Mit dem Kauf von T-Mobile USA von der Deutschen Telekom will AT&T sein Geschäft ausbauen, allerdings haben die US-Wettbewerbshüter die 39 Mrd. Dollar schwere Übernahme vorerst blockiert.

Das US-Justizministerium hatte Klage eingereicht, da die US-Regierung eine "substanzielle" Einschränkung des Wettbewerbs auf dem Mobilfunkmarkt befürchtet. Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat der Telekom glauben, dass die Regierung AT&T mit der Klage zu weitreichenden Zugeständnissen zwingen will. Möglich wäre, dass AT&T einen Teil seiner Kunden ( ... ... bzw. T-Mobil USA seine Kunden verliert.) oder aber Mobilfunkfrequenzen abgibt. Der geplante Verkauf beschäftigt Anfang 2012 die US-Justiz. Als Termin für die Verhandlung setzte eine Richterin den 13. Februar fest.

Lange Verfahrensdauer schadet der Telekom ... ...

Je länger sich das Verfahren hinzieht, umso schlechter für die Telekom. Denn solange nichts entschieden ist, wird auch eine milliardenschwere Entschädigungszahlung nicht fällig, die die Deutschen mit AT&T für den Fall eines Scheiterns des Deals ausgehandelt haben. Das Paket, das aus einer Break-up-Fee und Mobilfunklizenzen besteht, hat einen Wert von etwa 6 Mrd. Dollar und würde der Telekom in den USA Luft verschaffen.

Inzwischen hat aber auch der Wettbewerber Sprint Nextel vor dem US-Gericht Klage eingereicht. Offenbar will sich der US-Mobilfunker absichern, sollten sich das Justizministerium und AT&T doch einigen. Die Nummer drei auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt macht seit Bekanntwerden des Übernahmeversuchs Front gegen den Kauf.

Sollte AT&T den deutschen Rivalen schlucken dürfen, hätten der Branchenführer und der größte Konkurrent Verizon, gemeinsam einen Marktanteil von fast 80 Prozent. Sprint hatte sich lange Zeit selbst Hoffnungen auf ein Zusammengehen mit T-Mobile gemacht. Die Argumentation des Justizministeriums in der Klage zeigt jedoch, dass den Kartellwächtern eine Kombination der Nummer drei und vier in den USA womöglich ebenfalls zu mächtig wäre.

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20.10.2011 | 17:56
Strategy Analytics: 4G and AT&T/T-Mobile Deal Dominates US Wireless Carriers

Further Consolidation in World's Largest 4G Market

The expected completion of T-Mobile USA being acquired by AT&T will only be the first of several carrier consolidations to shape the US 4G landscape. As rivals look to catch up with the early LTE lead of Verizon Wireless, Sprint will dictate the viability of wholesale ventures at LightSquared and Clearwire. The Strategy Analytics Wireless Operator Strategies (WOS) service report, "US Wireless Market Outlook 2011-2016," forecasts that LTE will account for half of all wireless connections by 2016.

Strategy Analytics foresees success for AT&T in its acquisition of T-Mobile, though concessions will need to be made. AT&T will need to work hard to turn around T-Mobile's stagnating operations and marry the two distinct brands. The additional market concentration will raise the stakes in an increasingly cost-conscious carrier landscape, but also offers opportunities for AT&T's rivals.

"This is not going to be a simple rebranding exercise for AT&T, it will require considerable skill to retain T-Mobile customers over the next two years," comments Phil Kendall, Director of Wireless Operator Strategies. "A strong 4G smartphone focus will help to keep Verizon and Sprint at bay. More significantly, smaller carriers and MVNOs, such as MetroPCS, Leap Wireless and Tracfone, will widen their assault on the more price sensitive customers of T-Mobile."

Sue Rudd, Director of Service Provider Analysis, adds, "The strong 4G dynamic in the US – driven by PC, modem and consumer electronics subscription growth – will rapidly broaden opportunities in this market. To meet demand, carriers must address not only network coverage and quality but also deficiencies in data pricing in order to support the needs of users with multiple devices."


4G World 2011 takes place October 24 through October 27, 2011 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

[iCloud]

Sehr interessantes Thema aktuell die Sache mit der Telekom und AT&T, bin durch Zufall vor ein paar Tagen auf Clearwire gestoßen, aufgrund eines Berichtes und werde mich mal einlesen in den nächsten Tagen.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.209.918 von teecee1 am 13.10.11 19:52:47

Eric Savitz, Forbes Staff

10/26/2011 @ 9:18AM
Clearwire Soars; Sprint Discloses Tentative Deal On LTE

Clearwire shares are skyrocketing this morning after Sprint CEO Dan Hesse disclosed a tentative deal between the two companies that appears to show a strengthened relationship between the two companies. In particular, Sprint said it has agreed to work closely with Clearwire on its planned LTE network roll out.

While Sprint owns a majority stake in Clearwire, there has been dissension between the two companies in recent months, and it was not clear whether Clearwire was going to figure into Sprint’s long-term network strategy. The news today makes it clear that the relationship between the two companies is better than the Street had thought.

“We’re pleased to announce that we have signed a nonbinding cooperation agreement with Clearwire, to work together on the technical specifications of the Clearwire LTE network and to ensure a superb customer experience for Sprint customers on the Clearwire LTE network,” Hesse said on a post-earnings report call with investors this morning. “The cooperation extends to the design and operations of the network, and ensure seamless hand-off and service layer control that needs Sprint customer experience requirements.”

He said the deal covers the selection and timing of site nodes and involves working with manufacturers to design devices and certain chip sets for devices.

“As you should each understand,” Hesse said, “it was necessary to reach this agreement in order to clear the we to begin the negotiations of commercial terms under which Sprint may utilize and pay for access to the Clearwire LTE network. A definitive agreement would allow Sprint to meet its objectives to further improve the customer experience and to manage its next network cost by offloading some 4G usage from its own LTE network onto the Clearwire LTE network and thereby benefit from Clearwire’s large, spectrum portfolio on a resell basis. Those discussions are ongoing and the terms resulting from those discussions, if any, will be disclosed only at such time that a definitive and binding agreement has been reached by the parties.”

CLWR this morning is up 37 cents, or 22.65, to $2.01.

... ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.261.003 von teecee1 am 26.10.11 16:48:50

Bericht: iPhone mit LTE kommt nächstes Jahr
von Lance Whitney und Florian Kalenda, 26. Oktober 2011, 18:39 Uhr

Apple wird im kommenden Jahr ein LTE-fähiges iPhone vorstellen, berichtet der taiwanische Branchendienst Digitimes. Mit dem Start einer Reihe von LTE-Netzen soll die Übertragungstechnik der 4. Generation dann auch wirklich abheben. Apple hatte sich - in Person von CEO Tim Cook - zuletzt mäßig begeistert von LTE gezeigt. Er erfordere "eine Menge an Kompromissen beim Design".

Bisher gibt es Smartphones mit LTE-Unterstützung von HTC, LG, Motorola und Samsung. HTC führt den US-Markt mit etwa 60 Prozent der verkauften Geräte an. In den Staaten stellt Verizon Wireless schon für die Hälfte der Bevölkerung LTE bereit, während AT&T hinterherhinkt und erst fünf Städte abdeckt. Kommendes Jahr wird Sprint mit einem Netz, das 120 Millionen Amerikaner bedienen soll, die Konkurrenz anheizen.

Das Problem: LTE-Handys müssen auch über 3G-Chips verfügen, da LTE noch lange nicht überall verfügbar sein wird - auch in den Staaten nicht. In diesem Fall gehen die Anwender selbstverständlich davon aus, das UMTS-Netz ihres Providers nutzen zu können. Darauf weist Will Strauss von Forward Concepts hin. Bisherige Implementierungen solcher Chipsätze seien für Apples Geschmack zu unhandlich - auch wenn HTC sie etwa im Thunderbolt verbaue. Eine elegantere Lösung werde es im Chipmarkt serienmäßig erst kommendes Jahr geben.

Auch Strauss glaubt, dass Apple den Zwischenschritt iPhone 4S eben wegen LTE eingelegt hat: "Sie sparen sich den Namen iPhone 5 für die LTE-Version auf, und die kommt nicht vor Frühjahr."

Außer von Apple werden 2012 auch von Nokia, RIM und Sony Ericsson LTE-fähige Geräte erwartet. RIM hatte dieses Jahr allerdings wie Apple von Problemen mit dem neuen Mobilfunkstandard berichtet. Sie treten Senior Director Johanna Dwyer zufolge auf, wenn sich Nutzer von Funkzelle zu Funkzelle bewegen. "Die ersten Implementierungen in Funksticks, Notebooks und Tablets lassen Mobilität vermissen. Bei einer LTE-Zelle die Verbindung zu kappen und bei einer anderen wieder eine herzustellen ist keine echte Übergabe." Wer jetzt schon LTE-fähige Endgeräte auf den Markt werfe, riskiere, die Kunden zu enttäuschen.

[TimeFactor]

Schön weiter kaufen in einen hoffentlich weiter
steigenden Kurs... Ziel 3 Euro !

[teecee1]

Sprint Said Near Deal With Clearwire for New Long-Term Pact
October 28, 2011, 5:36 PM EDT

By Olga Kharif and Scott Moritz

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. are near an agreement to extend their existing network- sharing agreement for three to five years, said three people familiar with the matter. The companies’ shares rose.

The deal would allow Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint to use Clearwire’s network to provide services to its customers after the current pact expires at the end of 2012, said the people, who wouldn’t be identified because the matter isn’t public. Though details are still being negotiated and a final accord isn’t certain, the price Sprint pays for Clearwire to handle its traffic is likely to fall, the people said.

A new wholesale agreement would put Clearwire, the money- losing wireless broadband provider, on more stable financial ground. The company has said it needs about $1 billion to shift its network to Long-Term Evolution, or LTE, wireless technology and finance its operations. Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless operator, owns a majority of Clearwire and is its largest wholesale customer.

“Assuming that Sprint and Clearwire sign a new agreement, it provides Clearwire with an ongoing source of revenue,” Michael Nelson, an analyst at Mizuho Securities USA Inc., said in an interview. “This would likely help them get funding, because it would provide increased visibility into revenue- getting opportunities and reduce the risk profile.”

No Sprint Financing

Clearwire, based in Kirkland, Washington, rose 4.7 percent to $2.00 at the close in New York and has lost 61 percent this year. Sprint gained 3.4 percent to $2.72 and has dropped 36 percent this year.

Sprint won’t provide financing to Clearwire under the new pact, two of the people said. Clearwire had previously said it is looking at additional wholesale agreements and spectrum sales as potential sources of funds.

When Sprint said Oct. 7 that it would stop selling devices that use WiMax, Clearwire’s existing wireless technology, at the end of next year, signaling the partnership may end, Clearwire’s stock fell 32 percent. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said on an Oct. 26 conference call that the companies are negotiating a possible contract extension, lifting Clearwire shares 20 percent.

Sprint would benefit from lower pricing, as well as additional network capacity, which it may need as more of the company’s customers use smartphones to watch mobile videos, check e-mail and browse the Web. The company recently began selling Apple Inc.’s popular iPhone.

$6 to $10

Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG, said he thinks Sprint will pay Clearwire between $6 and $10 per gigabyte of data, compared with the current charge of about $10, and he believes it will be close to the $6 figure.

A new long-term agreement with a lower cost for Sprint would ultimately be a big help to both companies, he said. Besides the advantages for Sprint, Clearwire would benefit from greater utilization of its wireless network.

“Clearwire’s value is realized by filling up its tremendous capacity,” he said in a research note after Bloomberg News reported the talks. “For this to happen, Sprint and other wireless carriers must have an incentive to drive massive quantities of data over Clearwire’s network. They can price capacity at close to a carrier’s marginal cost and still make an attractive margin.”

--Editors: Peter Elstrom, Niamh Ring

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Samsung Galaxy S II Sweep Best New Mobile Device Category at 4G World

Samsung's Galaxy S II Smartphone Portfolio Honored for Leadership in 4G Development at 2011 Best of 4G Awards

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, received three awards at the 2011 Best of 4G Award ceremony earlier this week, hosted by 4G World and Connected Planet. Three Samsung Galaxy S II devices were recognized, including first place to the Samsung Galaxy S® II, Epic™ 4G Touch in the Best New Mobile Device category. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.261.003 von teecee1 am 26.10.11 16:48:50

28.10.2011
Das iPad schafft den Sprung in die Unternehmen

Mobilfunk: Die zunehmende Verbreitung von Smartphones und Tablet-PCs beeinflusst nicht nur die private Mediennutzung. Auch Unternehmen wählen zunehmend iPad, Apps & Co., um ihre Mitarbeiter zu trainieren oder zu informieren. Ein Treiber dabei ist der neue leistungsfähige Mobilfunkstandard LTE. Das betonten Experten letzte Woche auf dem „Mobile Communi- cations Day“ in München.

VDI nachrichten, München, 28. 10. 11, rb

„Das Smartphone entwickelt sich weg vom Schauglas in die Welt hin zur Fernbedienung für alles, was wir machen“, so skizzierte Frank Fischer, Head of Mobile Communications Microsoft, die mobile Zukunft auf den Münchner Medientagen. Doch nicht nur den Smartphones bescheinigten die Experten, die in der vergangenen Woche beim „Mobile Communications Day“ diskutierten, rosige Marktchancen. Auch das iPad von Apple rückt in den Fokus von Unternehmenslenkern.

Ob „Teamcenter Mobility“ von Siemens PLM Software, das exakte Produktdaten jederzeit an den richtigen Mitarbeiter liefert, ob BMW-Magazin oder Geschäftsbericht – immer mehr Unternehmen beziehen die neuen Möglichkeiten der Tablet-Computer in ihre Strategie ein. Die Bandbreite reicht dabei von Corporate Publishing und internen Applikationen bis hin zu Vertriebs- oder Produktionsunterstützung.

„Es ist deutlich zu sehen, dass sich etwas bewegt“, beobachtete Tobias Dennehy, Chefredakteur Siemens Corporate Communications. Das iPad finde über die Vorstandsetagen den Weg in die Unternehmen. Stefan Haver, Leiter Interne Kommunikation und Konzernmedien bei Evonik Industries, bemängelte dabei, dass Apple nur wenig Know-how und Unterstützung bei der Einbindung in die bestehenden Sicherheitsstruktur biete. Doch „die technische Faszination des iPad wirkt einfach“, weiß Haver. Evonik setzt beispielsweise immer mehr Tablet-PCs und interne Apps in der internen Kommunikation, bei den Führungskräften, aber auch im Vertrieb ein. „Wir erreichen damit ganz neue, wichtige Zielgruppen“, erzählte Haver.

„Das iPad entwickelt sich zu einem Ersatz für den klassischen Katalog, die Umwandlungsquote im Sales-Bereich ist sehr hoch“, weiß auch Lukas Kircher, Geschäftsführer der Content-Agentur KircherBurkhardt. Für Kircher liegt das größte Potenzial des iPad darin, „wie sinnlich erfahrbar die Vermittlung von Wissen wird“. So eigne es sich etwa optimal für Firmen, die ihre Unternehmensziele multimedial darstellen, Prototypen zeigen oder Mitarbeiter trainieren wollen. „Wir bekommen momentan deutlich innovativere Projekte von Unternehmen als von Verlagen“, berichtete Kircher.

Einen großen Anteil für den Spaß an der Nutzung haben die hohen Datenübertragungsraten, die inzwischen möglich sind. Vor allem auf dem neuen Mobilfunkstandard LTE (Long Term Evolution) ruhen große Hoffnungen. Der Standard wird derzeit in Deutschland ausgerollt.

Dirk Lindemeier vom LTE Business Development von Nokia Siemens Networks zeigte die Chancen auf, die sich durch die kurzen Signallaufzeiten und die hohen Bandbreiten von LTE ergeben. „LTE führt alle Mobilfunkstandards zusammen“, erklärte Lindemeier. Somit gebe es nur noch ein sogenanntes Ecosystem für Netze und Geräte. „In Göteborg sind schon heute in jeder Straße Downloads von 40 Mbit/s möglich. Ein gesendetes Signal braucht in Stockholm vom Endgerät über die zentrale Netzkomponente und zurück nur noch 22 Millisekunden.“ LTE ist also interessant für alle Anwendungen, die Interaktivität in Echtzeit erfordern, für Cloud Computing und alle unternehmenskritische Anwendungen, meinte Lindemeier.

Trotz aller technischen Möglichkeiten, „haben nur 10 % aller Unternehmen eine mobile Website“, sagte Stefan Hentschel, der bei Google Adsales den deutschsprachigen Markt verantwortet. Unter anderem scheuen viele Firmen die hohen Kosten, die etwa mit einer App-Programmierung zusammenhängen.

Ein großes Problem ist dabei die Vielfalt der Systeme, die bei einer Anwendung bedacht werden muss, denn schließlich soll sie möglichst auf jedem Endgerät zu sehen sein und ruckelfrei laufen. Auf den Medientagen favorisierten zahlreiche Medienmanager eine HTML5-Programmierung, die sicherstellt, dass die Anwendung plattformunabhängig läuft, in Zusammenspiel mit einer sogenannten nativen Programmierung, die individuelle Elemente unterstützt. Große Unternehmen, so Dennehy von Siemens, setzen derzeit vor allem auf die teureren nativen Programmierungen. „Aber es soll ja Spaß machen“, so der Kommunikator.

SIMONE FASSE

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.979.059 von TimeFactor am 20.08.11 00:31:20

United Online and Clearwire Announce Agreement to Power NetZero 4G High-Speed Mobile Broadband Service Via Clearwire 4G Network

Clearwire Adds Eighth Wholesale Partner; Continues to Grow Wholesale Business

Press Release Source: Clearwire Corporation On Wednesday November 2, 2011, 9:00 am EDT

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 2, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD - News), a leading provider of consumer products and services over the Internet, and Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today announced a new, five-year wholesale agreement that will make 4G high-speed mobile broadband service available under the NetZero(R) brand name via the Clearwire 4G mobile broadband network in 2012.

"NetZero has been delivering high quality, free and value-priced Internet access since 1998, and we believe this deal with Clearwire will give us the ability for the first time to bring affordably-priced, 4G high-speed mobile broadband service with 6 mbps to 10 mbps speed to the masses," said Mark R. Goldston, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Online. "In 1998, NetZero pioneered free dial-up access, helping millions of new Internet users get online. In 2001, we created the value-priced dial-up category offering high quality Internet access at the highly-affordable price of just $9.95 per month. In 2003, NetZero helped pioneer the accelerated dial-up market with the launch of NetZero Hi-Speed, which was the fastest dial-up service offered at that time. We believe the new NetZero 4G high-speed mobile broadband service is the natural progression for the NetZero brand, which has always stood for bringing the highest quality, most affordable Internet access to consumers in the U.S. Having revolutionized the dial-up market more than a decade ago, our goal is to bring the same level of innovation and competitive advantage to the 4G high-speed mobile broadband market beginning in early 2012."

Consumers will be able to access the service by purchasing either a NetZero USB modem to connect a single device such as a PC or a Mac, or purchasing a NetZero personal hotspot that can connect up to 8 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. That means that both NetZero USB modem and NetZero hotspot customers can connect to the NetZero 4G high-speed service over the Clearwire mobile broadband network coverage area using a PC, Mac, iPad, other tablets, netbooks, and smartphones. The NetZero 4G high-speed mobile broadband service will provide a very fast, highly affordable Internet connection that can be used in the home, at the office or on the go by residential, corporate and professional customers across the U.S. within the Clearwire 4G network coverage area.

"NetZero is well known for extending the availability of Internet services to new customer segments and we are pleased to help them expand their product lineup into the mobile broadband market," said Don Stroberg, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Wholesale at Clearwire. "The Clearwire 4G mobile broadband network offers benefits to numerous businesses in a range of industries. Soon, NetZero customers will have the freedom to connect with the people, information and services that matter most while on the go anywhere within the Clearwire 4G network coverage area."

NetZero 4G Experience

The NetZero 4G customer experience using Clearwire's 4G high-speed mobile broadband network will be similar to Wi-Fi but without the short-range limitations that are typical of most Wi-Fi networks. Clearwire's network uses a wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi because it provides service areas measured in miles, versus Wi-Fi which is measured in feet. Clearwire's network offers average mobile download speeds of up to 6 mbps, with bursts of over 10 mbps*, that will be available across a broad range of computer, tablet, and smartphone devices to those who use the NetZero 4G high-speed mobile broadband service. Clearwire's 4G network is currently available in more than 70 cities across the U.S. including 35 of the top 40 markets covering areas where approximately 130 million people live.

NetZero launched in 1998 as the first provider of free Internet access and became a well-known brand through its memorable "Defenders of the Free World" ad campaign and popular promotions like the NBA on NBC's "NetZero At The Half" show. The Communications division of United Online currently offers free and value-priced dial-up Internet access, as well as DSL broadband service, nationwide through both the NetZero(R) and Juno(R) brands.

*Speed claims based on download speeds only. Actual performance may vary and is not guaranteed. CLEAR performance claim is based on average download user speeds achieved during tests performed on the CLEAR commercial network by CLEAR.

About United Online

United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD - News) is a leading provider of consumer products and services over the Internet, where the company's brands have attracted a large online audience that includes more than 60 million registered consumer accounts. The company's floral and related offerings include products and services for consumers and retail florists, as well as for other retail locations offering floral products and services, in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The floral business utilizes the highly recognized FTD (www.ftd.com) and Interflora (www.interflora.co.uk) brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo that is displayed in more than 40,000 retail floral shops worldwide. The company's Content & Media services include online nostalgia services in the U.S. and Canada (www.memorylane.com and www.classmates.com) and a number of European countries as well as online loyalty marketing services (www.mypoints.com). The company's Communications services include value-priced Internet access provided by NetZero (www.netzero.com) and Juno (www.juno.com).

Headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA, United Online operates through a global network of locations in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany, and India. More information about United Online is available on the company's website located at: www.unitedonline.com.

United Online, NetZero, Juno, FTD, and Interflora are trademarks or registered trademarks of United Online, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners. ...

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The Stockfather Reports those Shorting CLWR, are about to be Burned

Those shorting CLWR, are about to become a lot lighter in the wallet

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 02, 2011 ) Chicago, Illinois - The Stockfather (www.thestockfather.com) believes when Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) releases their earnings today (11/2/2011) that many shorts will be in for a shock.

Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) is projected to show higher revenue than last quarter, and a positive outlook for next quarter. Keep in mind that there will be a contract signed with Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: s) any day now, this should also send (CLWR) shares even higher.

The Stockfather rates (CLWR) a "Strong Buy". ...

To join The Stockfather's stock alert email newsletter, visit their site at http://www.thestockfather.com.

About The Stockfather:

The Stockfather searches the markets (from OTC to NYSE) for stocks positioned to make big gains. Stocks and companies are featured on The Stockfather web site and e-newsletter.

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LTE to become mainstream in mature smartphone markets in 2012, says HTC
Erica Yen, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 2 November 2011]

HTC will continue to strengthen its market leadership in the LTE-enabled smartphone segment and believes LTE phones will become the mainstream in mature smartphone markets in 2012, according to the company.

The company plans to launch its LTE-enabled HTC Vivi and HTC Rezound in the US market in cooperation with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, respectively, in the fourth quarter 2011, revealed industry sources.

HTC outperformed Apple to become the top smartphone vendor in the US market in the third quarter of 2011 with shipments totaling 5.7 million units for a 22.9% share, according to data compiled by market research firm Canalys.

Canalys has also projected global smartphone shipments to grow 49% to 120 million units in 2011.

Smartphone vendors' share in US market: 4Q10-3Q11

Smartphones: HTC jetzt Marktführer in den USA

(shareribs.com) New York 02.11.11 - Wie die Marktbeobachter von Canalys heute mitteilten, wächst der US-amerikanische Smartphone-Markt weiter kräftig. So konnte der taiwanesische Hersteller HTC Corp. seinen Marktanteil in den USA im dritten Quartal auf knapp 25 Prozent ausbauen. Das Unternehmen verkaufte 5,7 Mio. Smartphones unter der eigenen Marke und rund 70.000 unter dem T-Mobile Label.

Die wichtigsten Wettbewerber waren dabei Samsung und Apple Samsung verkaufte demnach im dritten Quartal in den USA 4,9 Mio. Einheiten, Apple schaffte lediglich 4,6 Mio. Einheiten. Dies ist aber auf den Start des iPhone 4S erst im vierten Quartal 2011 zurückzuführen. Viele Kunden haben hier den Marktstart abgewartet.

Auch weltweit wächst der Smartphone-Markt rasant. Insgesamt wurden zwischen Juli und September 120,4 Mio. Smartphones verkauft, 49 Prozent mehr, als noch vor einem Jahr. Spitzenreiter war hier Samsung, welches hohe Absatzraten bei seiner Galaxy-Reihe verzeichnete. Gegenüber dem Vorjahresquartal wuchs der Absatz um 252 Prozent, verglichen mit dem zweiten Quartal war hier immer noch ein Wachstum von 60 Prozent zu verzeichnen. Samsung führt damit in Asien, Westeuropa und Lateinamerika, weit vor Nokia, Apple und Research in Motion.

[TimeFactor]

USA heute wieder über die 2 USD ... wenn ich das Tief vom 10.10.11 nehme bei 1.24 USD haben wir schon wieder rund 65% Aufschlag !

Wenn ich dann das 52-Wochen-Hoch vom letzten Jahr hinzuziehe, was über 7 USD lag, kann man noch eine ganze Menge Potential vermuten !

Ich kaufe weiter in kleinen Margen dazu, mal 500 Stücke, mal 1000 Stück !

[teecee1]

Sprint’s Note Offering Rescues Clearwire (S, CLWR)

Posted: November 4, 2011 at 10:19 am

Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) is coming to the aid of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR). Sprint has been known (or thought of) to be a capital raising entity and this morning we are getting word that it is raising an unspecified amount of capital. The wireless operator is planning to offer notes due 2021 and notes due 2018 in a private transaction.

Net proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, redemptions or service requirements of outstanding debt, network expansion and modernization and potential funding of Clearwire Corporation, and its subsidiary, Clearwire Communications LLC.

The notes are to be exempt from the SEC registration requirements as these will be under rule 144A and Reg.S.

Sprint shares are up 1.25% but the real winner is Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) with a gain north of 20% to $1.12 and it has traded more than a full day’s volume after less than an hour of trading.

JON C. OGG

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Clearwire Reports Record Third Quarter 2011 Results
Date : 11/02/2011 @ 4:01PM

http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=49781912

... Clearwire ended third quarter 2011 with approximately 9.54 million total subscribers, up 240% from 2.81 million subscribers in third quarter 2010. The subscriber base consists of 1.32 million retail subscribers and 8.22 million wholesale subscribers. During third quarter 2011, Clearwire added 1.89 million total net new subscribers, comprised of 35 thousand retail and 1.86 million wholesale net new subscribers. Clearwire's wholesale subscribers consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers.

Third quarter 2011 aggregate network usage by wholesale customers increased 34% compared to second quarter 2011, driven primarily by growth in aggregate smartphone usage, which increased 43% over the same period.

Third quarter 2011 revenue was $332.2 million, a 134% increase over third quarter 2010 revenue of $142.2 million. Third quarter 2011 retail revenue and other revenue was $195.0 million, a year over year increase of 55% from $125.6 million in third quarter 2010. Third quarter 2011 retail average revenue per user (ARPU) was $47.05 up from $43.10 in third quarter 2010. Wholesale revenue in third quarter 2011 was $137.2 million, a year over year increase of 730% from $16.5 million in third quarter 2010. Third quarter 2011 wholesale ARPU was $6.20, up from $4.46 in third quarter 2010.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $288 in the third quarter 2011 compared to $313 in second quarter 2011. Retail churn was 4.2% in third quarter 2011, up from 3.9% in second quarter 2011. Wholesale churn was 1.5% in third quarter 2011, up from second quarter 2011 wholesale churn of 1.3%.

Adjusted EBITDA in third quarter 2011 was a loss of $46.4 million, representing a sequential improvement of $62.1 million when compared to second quarter 2011 pro forma Adjusted EBITDA loss of $108.5 million. When compared to second quarter 2011 actual Adjusted EBITDA loss of $79.6 million, third quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA improved by $33.2 million.

Third quarter 2011 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $83.5 million, or $0.34 per basic share. Including the effects of discontinued operations, third quarter 2011 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $84.8 million, or $0.35 per basic share.

At the end of third quarter 2011, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 135 million people reside, including approximately 133 million people in 4G markets in the U.S.

2011 Outlook

Clearwire now expects to exceed its previous guidance of 10 million subscribers by the end of 2011, with most of the new subscribers coming from its wholesale business. Before any impact of an LTE deployment, the company now expects capital expenditures in 2011 to be less than $300 million, approximately $100 million lower than previous guidance. ...

[teecee1]

„Über Vernetzung bringen wir junge Menschen wieder an das Auto heran“

Automobilelektronik: Die Automobilindustrie hat auf dem deutschen Markt in den letzten zehn Jahren rund ein Drittel der jungen Käufer verloren. Vernetzung ist nach Ansicht von Volkmar Denner, Geschäftsführer der Robert Bosch GmbH, eine Voraussetzung, um diesem Trend entgegenzuwirken. Doch, nicht nur das Internet geht ins Auto, auch das Auto geht ins Internet, erklärt der Forschungschef. „Dann entsteht eine komplett neue Welt, die nichts mehr mit dem altbekannten Fahrzeug und seinen räumlichen Begrenzungen zu tun hat. Wir bauen eine virtuelle, elektronische Welt um das Auto herum.“

VDI nachrichten, Stuttgart, 4. 11. 11, rb

VDI nachrichten: Sind junge Menschen mehr am Smartphone als am Auto interessiert?

Denner: Das ist ein vielschichtiges Thema. Da muss man Fakten fein säuberlich von Annahmen trennen. In den letzten zehn Jahren haben wir in den USA ebenso wie in Deutschland rund ein Drittel der jungen Menschen verloren – als Käufer von Fahrzeugen und als Nutzer. So die Fakten. Das gilt nicht für aufbrechende Märkte wie China oder Indien, aber eben für die reifen Märkte.

Wie kommt das?

Eine These von mir lautet: Das Fahrzeug – vom Führerschein über den Kauf bis hin zur Unterhaltung – ist sehr teuer. Es gibt mittlerweile viele andere attraktive Geräte wie Smartphones oder Tablet-PCs, die Kaufkraft abziehen. Das gab es beispielsweise in meiner Jugend nicht.

Verlieren die jungen Menschen die emotionale Bindung ans Auto?

Ich glaube, da gibt es sicher große Unterschiede. So oder so ist es für die Fahrzeugindustrie sicherlich ungünstig, wenn sie in den reifen Stammmärkten die junge Käuferschicht verliert. Ich halte das für kritisch. Wir sollten also dringend etwas tun, um diesen Trend zu stoppen und gezielt an der Emotionalität der Fahrzeuge arbeiten.

Was kann die Automobilindustrie gegen diesen Verlust der jungen Käuferschaft tun?

Die Vernetzung ist ein wesentliches Kriterium, mit dem wir junge Menschen wieder an das Auto heranbringen. Studien zufolge wollen junge Menschen, dass das Fahrzeug vernetzt ist und und sie es nutzen können, wie sie es von ihren elektronischen Geräten wie Handys, Tablet-PCs, Spielekonsolen von zu Hause her kennen.

Interessanterweise zeigen diese Studien auch, dass es den jungen Menschen nicht nur darum geht, ein Gerät der Konsumelektronik im Auto zu nutzen. Sie wünschen sich richtig hochwertige Vernetzungsfunktionen bis hin zur Fahrzeug-Fahrzeug-Kommunikation.

Ein vernetztes Auto wird aber nicht zwingend günstiger ...

Ich glaube, dass viele in unserer Industrie die Zahlungsbereitschaft für solche Dienste überschätzen. Ein Geschäftsmodell, bei dem wir von jungen Menschen erwarten, dass sie 300 € für ein Verbindungskabel ausgeben, damit sie ihren MP3-Player oder ihr iPhone im Auto nutzen können, führt in eine Sackgasse.

Wenn dafür gesorgt wird, dass Smartphones, iPads und andere Geräte im Fahrzeug funktionieren, dann ist das letztlich nichts anderes, als einen WLAN-Router ins Auto zu bringen. Von den Kosten her darf das also nicht teurer sein als ein solches Gerät zu Hause.

... das ich ja im Zweifelsfall vom Betreiber meines heimischen DSL-Angebots geschenkt bekomme ...

Genau! Kunden werden das einfach als Grundausstattung verlangen. Die technische Realisierung ist kein Problem. Bei Premiumfahrzeugen kann man das heute schon kaufen. Da junge Menschen sich aber solche Fahrzeuge nicht leisten können, werden die Hersteller diese Technik zwingend in die Kleinwagenklasse bringen müssen.

Wir müssen beim Stichwort Vernetzung unterscheiden: Ein Auto zum WLAN-Router zu machen, ist eher der leichte Teil der Übung. Der spannendere Part wird sein, wie das Auto ins Internet geht, selbst zu einem Teil des Ecosystems wird und damit eine eigene Wertwahrnehmung anbietet. Da gibt es in unserer Industrie eine Menge Gestaltungsspielraum.

An welche Techniken denken Sie da? An welche Anwendungen?

Mit Technologien wie der nächsten Mobilfunkgeneration LTE werden wir hohe Bandbreiten ins Auto bekommen. Das wird dazu führen, dass wir Daten aus dem Fahrzeug extrahieren, damit zentrale Server speisen und eine Community auf Basis dieser Informationen Apps und Dienste entwickelt. Über Portale, die Automobilhersteller, Zulieferer oder auch Serviceprovider betreiben, werden Dienste wieder ins Fahrzeug zurückgespeist. So entsteht ein Kreislauf, den wir als Ecosystem bezeichnen, und der für einen neuen Wert des Fahrzeuges sorgen wird.

Können Sie ein konkretes Beispiel für das „Auto im Internet“ nennen?

Eines von vielen Anwendungsbeispielen ist die Verkehrszeichenerkennung. Künftig werden Videokameras, die heute schon in Autos integriert sind, Schilder erkennen und Fahrer warnen. Über das Internet wird die aufgenommene Information, verbunden mit Standortinformationen, in ein Portal eingespeist und anderen Verkehrsteilnehmern zur Verfügung gestellt. Sie könnten also eine App buchen und erhalten darüber immer die aktuellsten Informationen – auch über Baustellen. Das Fahrzeug mit seiner ganzen komplexen Sensorik wird selbst zum hochwertigen Sensor und bietet anderen Teilnehmern im Internet hochwertige Dienste an.

Wir sprechen hier also von Car-to-Car-Diensten, von Fahrzeug-zu-Fahrzeug-Kommunikation?

Ja, vielleicht noch nicht in Echtzeit, aber das lässt sich ausbauen. Über solche Funktionen lässt sich sogar der Verbrauch reduzieren. Denken Sie an die Start-Stopp-Automatik. Wenn Sie beispielsweise nach Frankfurt in die City fahren und das Fahrzeug wüsste das, dann würde man noch während der Überlandfahrt die Batterie voll laden, weil sie in der Stadt viele Start-Stopp-Zyklen haben. Ein intelligentes Fahrzeug, dass seine Fahrtroute kennt, macht eine solche Anwendung möglich. Die Navigation hat als hochwertiger Sensor auch viel Potenzial für das Elektroauto. Wenn das Fahrzeug künftig genau weiß, wo Sie hinfahren, kann Bremsenergie viel gezielter zurückgewonnen werden. Wir haben aber noch viel mehr Ideen.

Wie sieht der Zeithorizont für das vernetzte Fahrzeug aus?

Erste vernetzte Fahrzeuge gibt bereits. Auf der diesjährigen IAA haben mehrere Hersteller angekündigt, diese Technologie auch für ihre Einstiegsfahrzeuge anzubieten. Sicher, bislang sind das alles noch Premiumhersteller, aber in zwei, drei Jahren werden auch die Volumenhersteller dabei sein. Dieser Trend ist nicht mehr aufzuhalten.

Und Sie reden mit allen Automobilherstellern?

Wir reden nicht nur mit allen, wir bieten ihnen unsere Technik an, um Geschäfte zu machen. Unsere Vision ist es, die vernetzten Funktionen auch in Kleinwagen zu bezahlbaren Preisen anbieten zu können. Daran arbeiten wir mit Hochdruck.

Was tun Sie, um diese Komponenten kostengünstiger zu machen?

Wir haben hervorragende Ingenieure überall auf der Welt, die daran arbeiten, Chips noch weiter zu integrieren. Bei der Sensorik gilt das Gleiche: Wir nutzen moderne Halbleiterprozesse, um die Kosten zu senken. Das ist der Motor, der diese Industrie treibt.

An welcher Stelle verdient Bosch beim vernetzten Fahrzeug Geld?

Das ist eine spannende Frage. Wenn das Fahrzeug ins Internet geht, dann entsteht eine komplett neue Welt, die nichts mehr mit dem altbekannten Fahrzeug und seinen räumlichen Begrenzungen zu tun hat.

Wir bauen eine virtuelle, elektronische Welt um das Auto herum. Unsere Pilotplattform E-Mobility in Singapur ist eines der ersten Beispiele. Dort haben wir die Infrastruktur für Elektromobile aufgebaut und testen in der Praxis eine Softwareplattform und Ladestationen. Welche Player später in diesem System welche Position besetzen, ist noch völlig offen.

Wo würden Sie Bosch gerne sehen?

Unsere Strategie möchte ich Ihnen an dieser Stelle noch nicht verraten. Nur so viel: Wir sind aktiv beim Thema Vernetzung, wir engagieren uns beim Software-Backbone, wir haben vor einem Jahr eine Automotive-Navigations-App fürs iPhone vorgestellt. Wir nähern uns dem Thema also von verschiedenen Seiten.

Wie viele Ingenieure arbeiten bei Ihnen am vernetzten Fahrzeug?

Viele. Die komplexesten elektronischen Systeme im Auto sind heute bei Weitem die Infotainmentsysteme, die das Fahrzeug mit seiner Umgebung vernetzen. Die Rechenleistung und damit die Komplexität eines solchen Systems sind mindestens um den Faktor 10 höher als bei der Motorsteuerung. Dementsprechend viel Manpower brauchen wir hier für die Entwicklung.

HEIKE FREIMANN/REGINE BÖNSCH

[teecee1]

05.11.2011 18:05
Verizon: Schnelleres Internet per Mobilfunk gegen Aufpreis

Der US-Mobilfunkprovider Verizon hat angekündigt, künftig Nutzern seines Netzes die Beschleunigung mobiler Datenverbindungen bei Überlastungen des Netzes zu ermöglichen – gegen Aufpreis. Das berichten US-Medien auf Grundlage einer öffentlichen Vorführung der Technik in Verizons Entwicklungszentrum in San Francisco.

Demnach soll eine im Hintergrund laufende App die Bezahlung von Zusatzgebühren abwickeln. Ende nächsten Jahres soll die App fertig sein. Den Berichten zufolge hat Verizon am vergangenen Dienstag den Führungskräften mehrer Partnerunternehmen das Konzept am Beispiel eines zunächst ruckelnden Videos demonstriert. Nach dem Start der Turbo-App lief der Film dann ohne Aussetzer.

Verizon baue sein Netz zwar mit Hochdruck aus, aber Netzüberlastungen würden dennoch immer häufiger werden, sagte den Berichten zu Folge ein Verizon-Sprecher. Derzeit werde die Bandbreite "demokratisch" gleichmäßig auf alle Nutzer verteilt. Wer die App startet, würde dann gegen Aufpreis bevorzugt. Es soll aber kein anderer Nutzer aus dem Netz geworfen werden, weil sein Nachbar die Turbo-App startet, versicherte der Sprecher.

(tig)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.303.809 von teecee1 am 04.11.11 16:18:13

Sprint Prices $4 Billion Notes Offering, May Fund Clearwire
November 05, 2011, 1:55 PM EDT

By Sarah Frier

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Sprint Nextel Corp., the third- largest U.S. wireless operator, priced $4 billion of debt that it plans to use as it upgrades its network to higher-speed technology and offers customers Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

The company is issuing $3 billion of seven-year 9 percent notes and $1 billion of ten-year, 11.5 percent notes, Sprint said in a statement yesterday. The sale is expected to be completed Nov. 9.

The debt sale gives Sprint additional financing as it struggles to compete against larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Sprint plans to upgrade its network to a wireless technology called Long-Term Evolution, or LTE, and last month began selling the iPhone, which the carrier subsidizes upfront to garner future service revenue.

Sprint also said it may use proceeds from the notes offering to help financing partner Clearwire Corp., the unprofitable wholesale wireless carrier. Money from Sprint would allow Kirkland, Washington-based Clearwire to fund its operations and help pay for a planned network upgrade.

“The fact that funding Clearwire is mentioned as a possible use of proceeds suggests the companies are moving in the right direction,” Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst at Credit Suisse in New York, said in a note to investors. He rates both Sprint and Clearwire shares “outperform.”

Clearwire said this week it has capital for 12 months and that its future may depend on Sprint, with which it is in talks for a new wholesale agreement. Sprint had previously signaled that it wouldn’t provide Clearwire with financial backing. ...

[teecee1]

Heft 9/2011: Besser Entscheiden | 08.11.2011

Marketing
Das Kundenkarussell

Von Karel Cool und Petros Paranikas

Wachstum ist auch in stagnierenden Märkten möglich - wenn die Kundenfluktuation hoch ist. Dann haben auch neue Wettbewerber eine Chance. Eine Kennzahl hilft, das Marktpotenzial richtig einzuschätzen. Von Karel Cool und Petros Paranikas

Wie schnell wächst der Markt? Das ist eine der erste Fragen, wenn Manager das Potenzial neuer Geschäfte einschätzen wollen. Doch diejenigen, die sich nur für die Wachstumsraten interessieren, übersehen reale Chancen. Denn es gibt einen Faktor, der auch langsam wachsende Märkte sehr dynamisch macht: eine hohe Wechselrate bei den Kunden.

Betrachten wir zwei Märkte, die in den letzten Jahren nur langsam gewachsen sind: Nikotinersatzmittel und Zigaretten. Der Markt für Mittel zur Raucherentwöhnung stagniert seit einem Jahrzehnt, gleichzeitig haben sich die Anteile der führenden Anbieter Nicorette und NicoDerm in diesem Zeitraum halbiert, denn neue Wettbewerber brachten konkurrierende Produkte wie Commit Lozenges auf den Markt. Trotz stagnierender Umsätze erwies sich der Markt also als dynamisch. Die Tabakbranche hingegen schrumpfte zeitweise sogar, aber führende Marken wie Marlboro und Camel konnten ihre Marktanteile halten. In diesem Fall war der Markt nicht dynamisch. Worin besteht nun der Unterschied?


Eine hohe Kundenfluktuation schafft auch in schnell wachsenden Märkten
neue Möglichkeiten - die Erfolge können verblüffend sein
© Christian Roux

Konsumenten von Nikotinentwöhnungsmitteln wechseln schnell, entweder schaffen sie es, vom Glimmstengel loszukommen, sodass sie das Produkt nicht mehr brauchen, oder sie fangen wieder an zu rauchen. In diesem Fall ist Kundenloyalität irrelvant, etablierte Anbieter sind damit gefährdet. Auf dem Zigarettenmarkt dagegen sind Kunden ihrer Marke treu, und der geringe Anteil von "Wechselrauchern" schützt die etablierten Anbieter.

Eine hohe Kundenfluktuation schafft auch in schnell wachsenden Märkten neue Möglichkeiten - die Erfolge können verblüffend sein. Der Markt für Videospiele ist ein typisches Beispiel. Nintendos Marktposition schien Mitte der 90er Jahre unangreifbar. Doch Sony wusste die Entwicklung von Teenagern zu jungen Erwachsenen auf raffinierte Weise zu nutzen. Mit der ersten Spielekonsole Playstation entthronte Sony 1996 Nintendo und revolutionierte die Branche. Die Vorzeichen änderten sich aber bereits ein Jahrzehnt später, als Nintendo mit der Spielekonsole Wii die Playstation von der Spitze verdrängte. Nintendo gelang dies dank der Kombination aus innovativen Spielen, niedrigem Preis und geschickter Zielgruppenansprache. Obwohl der japanische Konzern immer noch junge Konsumenten im Fokus hatte, wollte er mit der Wii auch die ganze Familie ansprechen. Damit hatte Nintendo auf ein schnell wachsendes Segment gesetzt. Microsoft und Sony haben kürzlich neue Spiele herausgebracht, die Spieler durch ihre Bewegungen steuern - und damit einen Angriff auf die Dominanz der Wii gestartet.

Diese Veränderungen zeigen, wie viel ein Unternehmen gewinnen oder verlieren kann, wenn sich der Kundenstamm rasant wandelt. ...

Erleichtern Sie den Wechsel
Neue Anbieter können Kunden zu sich locken, indem sie ihr Produkt mit dem eines etablierten Wettbewerbers verknüpfen. Apples Werbekampagne "I'm a PC too" verleitete viele Kunden dazu, den neuen Mac zu testen, weil Apple versicherte, dass die ihnen vertraute PC-Software auch auf den Macs lief.

Erweitern Sie Produktgruppen
Apple hat es auf sehr geschickte Art und Weise verstanden, seine "i"-Produkte (iPod, iPhone, iPad) zur Eroberung von Wachstumsmärkten einzusetzen, die ehemals von Sony, Nokia und Amazon dominiert wurden. ...

Stellen Sie Zusatznutzen bereit
Konsumenten lassen sich von Produkten locken, die mehr bieten als den eigentlich vom Kunden gewünschten Nutzen. Bonusmeilen oder Kreditkartenpunkte halten viele Kunden davon ab, nach günstigeren Angeboten zu suchen. Auch die "Family and Friends"-Pakete mancher Mobilfunkanbieter (Tarife, bei denen Anrufe innerhalb eines definierten Personenkreises kostenlos sind - Anm. d. Red.) hindern viele daran, den Provider zu wechseln. Und Facebook schafft für normale Nutzer und Geschäfstleute attraktiven Mehrwert, indem es neben Networking kommerzielle Anwendungen bietet. ...

Fazit

Kundenfluktuation ist ein Phänomen, das etablierte Anbieter vom Markt fegen und neuen Wettbewerbern große Chancen eröffnen kann. Doch Manager sollten bedenken: Sobald sich der Markt wandelt, ändern sich auch die Fluktuationsraten. Die Gelegenheiten kommen und gehen. Die meisten Unternehmen haben eine Reihe von Produktlinien, und jede weist eine andere Fluktuationsgeschwindigkeit auf. Sie müssen wissen, wo und wann sie das Tempo drosseln oder erhöhen müssen, um ihre Position zu halten beziehungsweise Marktanteile zu gewinnen. Auf Märkten, in denen die Wechselrate immer hoch ist, ist der Kampf um die Kunden niemals entschieden. Doch auch hier gilt: Zeitweiligen Gewinnern winkt reicher Lohn.

[teecee1]

Vernetzte Welt: Moment des Absprungs ist da

Film: "Wandel bis 2020 größer als in den vergangenen 50 Jahren"


Revolution: 2014 überholt mobiles Internet
das Desktop-Pendant (Foto: YouTube)

Stockholm (pte004/05.11.2011/06:15) - Der gegenwärtige Moment ist ein historischer für die Menschheit: Wir tauchen gerade endgültig ins Zeitalter der Netzwerk-Gesellschaft ein und bekommen durch die Technik nie geahnte Möglichkeiten - sei es bei Nachrichten, Bildung, der Regierungsform oder der Wirtschaft. Diese Analyse liefert der 21-Minuten-Dokumentarfilm "On the Brink" http://bit.ly/sQj81L , den Ericsson Multimedia soeben veröffentlicht hat. "Erst langsam erkennen wir, was wir da mit der Technik aufgebaut haben", so der US-Technologe David Weinberger, einer der Protagonisten.

Altes wird weggeblasen

Schon allein die im Film präsentierten Fakten sprechen eine klare Sprache. Bereits 57 Prozent der Menschen kommunizieren demnach online mehr als im realen Leben. Jedes sechste heutige Ehepaar hat sich im Internet kennen gelernt, Kinder zwischen acht und 18 verbringen täglich 7,5 Stunden mit Mobilgeräten und für 48 Prozent in der Gruppe der 18- bis 34 Jährigen ist der Facebook-Check das Erste, was sie am Morgen tun. Mobilen Anfragen haben sich im Vorjahr vervierfacht, und schon 2014 wird das mobile Internet die Zugriffe über den Desktop überholen. 2020 werden über 50 Mrd. Geräte miteinander vernetzt sein.

Die neue Ära, so die Botschaft des Films, wird vom Zusammentreffen vieler günstiger Faktoren eingeläutet: Von der Explosion der Mobilgeräte und der schnellen Internetvernetzung, von über Open-Source frei verfügbarer Software und neuen Business-Modellen. SoundCloud-Mitbegründer Eric Wahlforss http://soundcloud.com sieht darin den perfekten Boden für Neues. "Die Musikindustrie hat den Wandel von physisch zu digital geschafft. Größere Änderungen stehen jedoch anderswo noch bevor. Die alten Geschäftsmodelle, an die sich viele heute noch klammern, werden bald weggeblasen werden von etwas ganz Neuem."

Chips überall

Alle heute erfundenen Geräte können sich vernetzen und alles, was einen Chip haben könnte, wird bald auch einen besitzen. So wird etwa die Landwirtschaft dank völlig neuartiger Informationen über den Acker neue Methoden entwickeln, Autobauer neue Bremssysteme infolge der Auswertung des Nutzerverhaltens und Stromerzeuger neue Strategien zur Engpass-Vermeidung, was ein genaues Wissen über die Art des Verbrauchs des Konsumenten ermöglichen kann. Startups und Apps-Entwickler zeigen schon heute vor, dass Kreativität und Unternehmergeist keine nationalen Grenzen mehr kennen und neue, demokratischere Formen des Erfolgs möglich werden.

Der Wandel der nächsten zehn Jahre wird laut den Experten jenen der vergangenen 50 Jahren in den Schatten stellen. Robin Teigland, Virtual-Worlds-Spezialistin an der Stockholm School of Economics http://www.hhs.se, knüpft hier an: "Eine halbe Mrd. Menschen der Altersgruppe bis 15 benutzt heute virtuelle Welten. Man muss sich nur vorstellen, was passiert, wenn diese in drei bis fünf Jahren in die Arbeitswelt eindringen." Geradezu euphorisch sind Aussagen, denen zufolge der Wandel den Menschen dazu befähigt, mehr er selbst zu sein und das zu tun, was er eigentlich will. Inwiefern die Prognosen ins Schwarze treffen, wird man 2020 beurteilen können.

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9 November 2011 Last updated at 08:03 GMT
IMF chief warns of a 'lost decade' for global economy

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.308.991 von teecee1 am 06.11.11 17:47:32

Nov. 9, 2011, 12:23 p.m. EST
Sprint Announces Closing of $1 Billion of Notes Due 2021 and $3 Billion of Notes Due 2018

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Nov 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. /quotes/zigman/240259/quotes/nls/s S +3.29% announced today the closing of its previously announced offering of $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 11.5% notes due 2021 (the "2021 Notes") and $3 billion aggregate principal amount of 9% guaranteed notes due 2018 (the "2018 Notes" and, together with the 2021 Notes, the "Notes.") The 2018 Notes are guaranteed by the company's wholly-owned subsidiaries that guarantee its existing credit agreements.

The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, redemptions or service requirements of outstanding debt, network expansion and modernization and potential funding of Clearwire Corporation and, its subsidiary, Clearwire Communications LLC. ...

... ...

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AT&T to Unload LTE Advanced on the U.S. Masses in 2013
Jason Mick (Blog) - November 9, 2011 10:46 AM



Ma Bell is speeding up the 4G train

AT&T, Inc. (T) has long enjoyed the fastest 3G network in most U.S. regions. And early reports indicate that AT&T LTE -- the company's 4G solution -- is the fastest in the U.S. in the select regions where it's available.

Looking to build on its strengths, AT&T Labs President and CEO Krish Prabu announced plans yesterday to deploy advanced LTE -- a faster 4G implementation -- across the country in 2013. Addressing an audience at the LTE North America Conference in Dallas, Texas, Mr. Prabhu described how LTE Advanced would allow the company to leverage so-called "advanced network topologies". For the consumer, he says the end result of this faster, better-connected network will be improved capacity and coverage.

Thus far, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) has been the only other major player to announce plans for LTE Advanced. Sprint, which currently uses WiMAX 4G, said in an October presentation that it plans to use its 800 MHz spectrum block to install LTE Advanced by H1 2013.

It is unclear if Sprint will build this network itself or leverage its partnership with Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), a wireless infrastructure firm that counts Sprint as its biggest investor. Separately Clearwire had promised that it could upgrade to LTE Advanced by deploying Time-Division Duplex (TDD) LTE atop of its existing WiMAX network. It says it needs $600M USD in additional investment, though, to complete the upgrade.

Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc. (LON:VOD), has not yet announced plans for LTE Advanced. And thus far possible AT&T acquisition T-Mobile USA -- a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (ETRTE) -- remains without any first generation LTE solution, still relying on HSPA+ as its pseudo-4G offering.

For AT&T the company's biggest strength has long been data speeds in areas where coverage is good. The biggest weakness, though, is that AT&T's coverage is much patchier that Verizon's. AT&T's 4G network already badly lags behind Verizon's in coverage, despite its industry-leading speeds. AT&T's LTE network by the end of the year will cover approximately 70 million Americans, while Verizon's LTE will cover over twice that number -- 160 million Americans.


LTE antenna (green circle) equipped Verizon towers are becoming a common site -- AT&T LTE towers aren't quite so common.
[Source: HotHardware Forums]

With AT&T joining Sprint in the race to LTE Advanced (likely TDD-LTE), the question becomes whether AT&T is yet again sacrificing coverage upgrades for speed upgrades.

On Sunday AT&T flipped the switch on LTE networks in four new cities -- Athens, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and Washington, D.C.

Source: FierceWireless

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63% of World's LTE Users Are on Verizon

Contributing to a Massive U.S. Lead on LTE

by Karl Bode

According to a new report from Informa, the United States is currently the global leader when it comes to LTE -- and will retain that top spot until 2015 until toppled by the pure population mathematical fury that is China. Our lead in LTE is thanks to one company: Verizon -- who by the end of the year will account for 63% of total global LTE subscribers. According to the group's press release, Verizon should have 4 million total LTE subscribers by the end of the year, and the company has almost reached 178 total markets with their deployment. There's 6.4 million LTE users worldwide at the moment, a number that's going to explode next year as Sprint, AT&T, Clearwire and LightSquared all enter the equation.

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AT&T might reveal 4G LTE Nokia handset at CES 2012
Finnish phone maker and US carrier said to be in cahoots

By MARK JONES
Published: 11 November, 2011



A couple of intriguing tidbits regarding Nokia's US plans have emerged this week which makes it look like the wait for the first handsets from the company will be worth it. Firstly there's the not-so surprising news that AT&T will be launching a Windows Phone at CES early next year with LTE connectivity. More interesting is the rumour that Nokia has waited to launch its new devices in the US to make a big impact with LTE. While the current build of Windows Phone doesn't support the technology the next version, known as Tango, is due to be released early in 2012 and will enable 4G LTE connectivity.

Verizon has only offered one Windows Phone device so far which makes it a possible candidate for an LTE-enabled Nokia handset but AT&T looks set to be the big launch partner when the Lumia handsets touch down in the US. The news comes via The Verge and claims that the first device to be launched with the carrier will be an LTE bearing variant of the Nokia N9-alike the Lumia 800.

With AT&T looking set to play teacher's pet to Nokia T-Mobile may also be leaving a shiny apple on its desk as the Lumia 710 was spotted recently passing through the FCC with support for the carrier's 3G bands. It might not have the wow factor of a 4G LTE Lumia 800 but the 710 is a more affordable and funky looking handset. According to Win Rumours Microsoft are chatting up all the major carriers with AT&T just expected to be the primary launch partner.

Although it's all unconfirmed it does seem very likely and Microsoft revealed its LTE intentions back in October in an interview with Bloomberg. In another interview around the same time it was said that it would be focussed on making LTE devices that are more energy efficient and which won't drain the battery so much.

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LG Electronics Honored for First 4G LTE Dual-Persona Smartphone

The Revolution™ by LG with VMware Horizon Mobile™ is a virtualized LTE Android smartphone - the first of its kind selected as an Honoree for the 2012 CES Innovations Award.

By LG Electronics
Published: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 - 2:07 pm

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics, Inc. (LG) announced today that it has been named as an International 2012 CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree. The Revolution™ by LG with VMware Horizon Mobile™ represents the successful collaboration between one of the world's largest handset manufacturers, LG and virtualization and cloud infrastructure leader, VMware. ...

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/08/4039870/lg-electronics-hono…

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Joan Lappin, Contributor
The Investment World is My Oyster
11/14/2011 @ 2:30PM |7,300 views

Dear Sprint: It's The Bondholders Who Come First In A Bankruptcy Proceeding!

Consider this an open letter to the Directors and Officers of Sprint Nextel.

On October 7th at its long postponed analyst day, Sprint took repeated swipes at its majority owned subsidiary Clearwire. It was painful for those in the room to watch events unfold at what was probably the worst performance I have ever seen by a corporate management in a public setting in my entire career. As that analyst meeting wore on, the bankruptcy word was used by Sprint management with regard to Clearwire as a place that Sprint would fare well if things came to that. Frankly that comment showed incredible ignorance or maybe rank incompetence on the part of the folks at Sprint.

A few days later, Sprint’s Chairman of the Board James Hance, Jr. was on mop detail issuing public apologies in a Bloomberg interview and also supporting the beleagured Sprint CEO Dan Hesse:

“There’s really no thought of doing anything with anyone on the management team,” Hance said. “We are supportive of management.”

“What we should have done is a better job of disclosing everything financially — iPhone, Clearwire, all the questions hanging out there,” Hance said.

“I blame us all, frankly,” he said, referring to the company and board. “Collectively we missed it.”

Hance said the partnership is still important to Sprint.

“No question we want them to do well; it’s in our interest that they do well,” he said. “Nothing good happens in a restructuring and there’s nothing good in the outcome of that.”

Hance is part of the Carlyle Group and, in my view, should have been more diligent than to ever allow Hesse to dig such a deep hole for himself and Sprint Nextel. But then again, where has the rest of the board been hiding?

Not only did CEO Hesse’s remarks and those of CFO Joe Euteneuer hurt Clearwire, it also caused Sprint shares to crater simultaneously. Both companies have subsequently been subjected to credit downgrades by the rating agencies to the detriment of each. If that isn’t malfeasance, I am not sure what is.

On the most rudimentary level, it seems that neither the corporate counsel nor the financial folks at Sprint understand the very basics of who has what rights in a bankruptcy proceeding. I’m no lawyer but for starters, even I know that the higher you are on the balance sheet listing, the more clout you have as the first lien holders against the company’s assets. Clearwire’s most valuable assets are its spectrum position. That’s why as far as the Clearwire balance sheet, it is the debt holders who will drive the train in a bankruptcy filing and not Sprint at all, even as a majority shareholder.

In order of preference, Clearwire’s balance sheet looks like this:

1.) $2.9 billion 12 % first lien notes due 2015. Sprint owns $178 million or 7%.

2.) $0.5 billion 12% 2nd lien notes, Sprint owns 0%

3.) $0.728 billion 8.25% exchangeable note convertible into equity at $7.02 Sprint owns 0%

That totals $4.2 billion of debt of which Sprint owns a diminimous amount; less than 5% of the debt outstanding. All those other bondholders are ahead of Sprint in the pecking order and will drive any and all conversations if Clearwire is forced down by Sprint.

Yes, Sprint does own 54%(nur noch 49%) of the common shares. Comcast, Time Warner and Intel are also among the other significant shareholders. Only about 25% of the shares are in the public float. Craig McCaw now owns only about 30 million of the almost a billion shares(915 millionen) that are presently outstanding so with less than 3% of the total shares, McCaw has very little skin left in this game.

In this nasty family spat, what tools does Clearwire have available in trying to defend itself? At this moment, Clearwire has over $700 million in the bank so it has the cash to pay the interest due on these various securities December 1, 2011. But its shrewdest move may be to skip the interest payments and start the clock running on a 30 day default situation. No entity has more to lose than Sprint as the largest common shareholder and the tiniest bondholder. Sprint’s management didn’t seem to know that on October 7th but my guess is that Mr. Hance and even now the ever challenged Dan Hesse, and his CFO Joe Euteneuer know it, too.

When asked recently about the interest due and if it would be paid, Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch refused to comment one way or the other. His response to this question at the Wells Fargo Media Conference in NYC was to repeat the Clearwire mantra: we are working hard on behalf of all our classes of investors to arrive at an agreement with Sprint that will be in the best interests of all concerned. In another meeting last week with large investors, John Stanton reportedly apologized for his long time friend Hesse and said Hesse simply didn’t understand the consequences of his comments at his analyst day. DUH!

Clearwire needs a contract that builds on its non-binding recent MOU(memorandum of understanding) with Sprint covering technical issues and network protocols that was recently announced. It has three areas of focus: contracts for its existing WIMAX network, a contract for traffic on a new LTE TDD network overlay and it needs additional funding. Armed with contracts, Clearwire will be able to garner its own financing. If it prevails, it still has the potential to have a highly competitive network that will provide its users with a quality product that will be as fast as anything around in the major urban markets. Yes, that means as fast or faster than AT&T and Verizon for technical reasons. It has to do with the size of its spectrum “pipe” and how it can implement a new LTE overlay on its cell sites in major urban centers. That, of course, is where all the networks have the most users and where they all have traffic overload issues.

It cannot be helpful to Sprint’s balance sheet or its image to have to write off all its interests in Clearwire. It would just be another black mark following Sprint’s poorly executed acquisition of Nextel in 2005. Why it is wasting energy and flailing in ways that have lowered its own credit ratings is quite a mystery. Sprint should be moving full speed ahead to resolve its differences with Clearwire and to construct a strong network that incorporates Clearwire and provides seamless coverage to its own customers as rapidly as it can.

Gramercy Capital, its clients and Mrs. Lappin own shares in Clearwire.



http://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=clwr&ty=c&ta=1&p=d

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) Analysts Reiterate a “Neutral” Rating on Clearwire (CLWR)

Posted by LUSA Staff on Nov 15th, 2011 // No Comments

Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Separately, analysts at Raymond James (NYSE: RJF) downgraded shares of Clearwire from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note to investors on Thursday, November 3rd. Also, analysts at UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) cut their price target on shares of Clearwire to $3.00 in a research note to investors on Thursday, September 15th. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.

Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) builds and operates mobile broadband networks that provide high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities. Its 4G mobile broadband networks creates a communications channel into the home or office, and also provides a broadband connection anywhere within its coverage area. As of December 31, 2009, it operated in 61 markets in the United States and Europe. It had approximately 642,000 retail and 46,000 wholesale subscribers. Clearwire’s service WiMAX, referred as 4G mobile broadband services, offer the services both on a retail basis and through the wholesale partners, including Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House. During 2009, Clearwire operated 4G mobile broadband networks in 27 of the markets in the United States. These markets include, among others, Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, San Antonio and Seattle.

Shares of Clearwire opened at 1.84 on Tuesday. Clearwire has a 52 week low of $1.32 and a 52 week high of $8.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $1.86 and its 200-day moving average is $3.00. The company has a market cap of $459.5 million. ...

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Clearwire gets a boost from China Mobile's TD-LTE progress
November 15, 2011 — 10:48am ET | By Phil Goldstein

China Mobile said it hopes to complete the next phase of its TD-LTE network trials by June and is pushing to get device makers, including Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), on board with the network technology. China Mobile's progress is a boost to Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR), which announced in September that it will collaborate with China Mobile to speed up the development of TD-LTE devices. ...

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Institutional Trading



Shares Owned by Insitutions
23.00%, zuvor 26,5%



Number of Institutions 156, zuvor 162

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17.11.2011 | 15:07

New Wireless Industry Report Cites LTE as the Decade's Answer to the Need for Speed

... "LTE is the next step in the evolution of both CDMA and GSM standards and is the needed fourth generation in wireless network evolution. 2010-2019 will be the decade for LTE and LTE-Advanced," commented Nexius report author Joe Baeumel. "LTE's promise and ideal timing simply outweigh its challenges. Even Clearwire has announced that testing of LTE Advanced-ready technology could achieve far greater speeds and capacity than any network today and that it will add the new technology to its 4G network. The proof is in the plans." ...

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NOVEMBER 18, 2011, 2:06 P.M. ET

Clearwire May Skip Big Debt Payment

BY ANTON TROIANOVSKI, MATT WIRZ AND JOANN S. LUBLIN

Clearwire Corp. is weighing whether to make a big debt payment that comes due in two weeks, a decision that could prove a turning point for a company that had hoped to cover the country with wireless broadband service.

The $237 million payment is due Dec. 1. And Clearwire, with $698 million in cash and short-term investments ...

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article

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November 18, 2011, 2:20 PM ET

Clearwire as Mud

By Mark Gongloff

Clearwire shares are being repeatedly halted today on news that it may skip a debt payment.

The stock recently re-opened for trading and is down about 25% at last check to $1.40, in very active trading.

The Wall Street Journal today reports that Clearwire is contemplating a move that could raise worries about a possible bankruptcy:

Clearwire Corp. is weighing whether to make a big debt payment that comes due in two weeks, a decision that could prove a turning point for a company that had hoped to cover the country with wireless broadband service.

The $237 million payment is due Dec. 1. And Clearwire, with $698 million in cash and short-term investments on Sept. 30, can afford to make it. But the company needs to raise lots of money if it is to stay in business after the next 12 months, so it’s debating the unusual step of failing to make a payment.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.371.478 von teecee1 am 18.11.11 20:31:43

Clearwire’s Debt Warning May Be ‘Ploy’ to Win Sprint Wholesale Agreement

By Scott Moritz and Tim Catts - Nov 19, 2011 6:01 AM GMT+0100

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR)’s warning that it could skip a debt payment coming due on Dec. 1 may be a “ploy” to win financial support from partner Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) or another company.

Erik Prusch, Clearwire’s chief executive officer, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that it is evaluating whether to make the $237 million payment. He said the “very expensive payment” would be a “significant drain” on cash. Clearwire tumbled 21 percent to $1.47 yesterday.

The statement may be aimed at pressuring Sprint into extending a network-sharing agreement with Clearwire or at drawing out other potential partners, said John Fruit, manager of the Nuveen High Income Bond Fund. He called the comments “a near-term ploy” to get financial support.

“There’s been some speculation out there they could throw this out as a tactical method for stirring something up with Sprint or a third party,” Fruit, who is based in Minneapolis and owns Clearwire bonds, said in a telephone interview. “The underlying fundamentals haven’t really changed at all.”

Clearwire and Sprint depend on each other, and a default or bankruptcy could disrupt the partnership. Clearwire, the money- losing provider of wireless broadband, gets most of its revenue from Sprint, which buys wireless capacity wholesale and then resells the service to its own customers. Clearwire has said it has enough financing for 12 months, and one challenge in raising more is that Sprint hasn’t committed to extending their existing wholesale deal beyond 2012.

Deal Likely?

Sprint is the largest shareholder in Clearwire, with a 54 percent economic interest, so it stands to lose as the carrier’s stock declines. Sprint also depends on Clearwire to provide wireless service to its customers and could lose access to Clearwire’s spectrum in a restructuring, when creditors gain influence.

Clearwire said it needs about $1 billion for its operations and to upgrade its network from the WiMax wireless technology to long-term evolution, or LTE, technology. Clearwire had $698 million of cash and short-term investments as of Sept. 30, and more than $4 billion in debt.

“Clearwire’s best interest is to make the payment and I think they will,” said Walt Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG LLC in New York.

‘Speculation’

Susan Johnston, a Clearwire spokeswoman, declined to comment on the interest payment or on her CEO’s comments in the Wall Street Journal.

“Clearwire does not comment on speculation,” she said in a statement. “The company remains focused on growing its wholesale and retail business, and raising additional funds.”

Clearwire’s $2.03 billion of 12 percent first-lien notes due in December 2015 fell 1.5 cent to a mid-price of 78 cents on the dollar yesterday in New York, according to Brownstone Investment Group LLC. Its $500 million of 12 percent second-lien debt maturing in December 2017 fell 3 cents to a mid-price of 46.5 cents.

“I don’t know that a whole lot has changed from this morning, other than more posturing from the company,” said Fruit. “For the most part, the holders still think there’s asset value there.”

Sprint said last month it will stop selling WiMax devices after 2012 and that it may use Clearwire’s network to handle traffic from customers using LTE beginning in 2013, though the talks haven’t yet concluded. Their current network-sharing agreement expires at the end of next year.

Sprint Wholesale Deal

“We believe that Sprint and Clearwire are in the final stages of working out an extension of the current wholesale agreement as well as a long-term network hosting deal,” Kevin Smithen, an analyst with Macquarie Securities USA Inc. in New York wrote in a note yesterday.

Smithen also expects Sprint to inject as much as $600 million into Clearwire this year as a loan or prepayment for service. He said part of the agreement will likely allow Clearwire to sell off some of its wireless spectrum.

Sprint and Clearwire are near a deal to extend their wholesale agreement for three to five years, three people familiar with the matter said last month. A new agreement with Sprint would put Clearwire on more stable financial ground.

The two companies have been talking “constantly” over the past few weeks to reach a deal, said Piecyk, citing conversations with executives at both companies.

Scott Sloat, a spokesman for Sprint, declined to comment.

Clearwire may have options beyond Sprint. Clearwire has said it may sell some of its spectrum as a way to raise additional capital. MetroPCS Communications Inc. said last month that it may be interested in buying from Clearwire.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Tim Catts in New York at [e-mail].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.371.478 von teecee1 am 18.11.11 20:31:43

Clearwire May Skip Debt Payment

By ANTON TROIANOVSKI, MATT WIRZ And JOANN S. LUBLIN

Clearwire Corp. is considering skipping a big debt payment that comes due in two weeks, a decision that could prove a turning point for a company that had hoped to cover the country with wireless broadband service.

The Kirkland, Wash., company had $698 million in cash and short-term investments on Sept. 30, and can afford to make the $237 million payment due Dec. 1. But it also needs to raise lots of money if it is to remain in business after the next 12 months.


Clearwire is discussing options with restructuring experts.
Above, Clearwire founder Craig McCaw in 2008.

"It's a very expensive payment that we have," Chief Executive Erik Prusch said in an interview. "It would be a significant drain of our cash, so we have to evaluate everything in terms of our decision of where we're going."

The debt payment plays into a complicated negotiation over financing with majority owner Sprint Nextel Corp. Failure to make the payment would raise concerns about whether the money-losing company can avoid bankruptcy protection. The concern underscores just how difficult it has become for Clearwire, founded in 2003, to challenge the country's leading wireless carriers, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., as devices like the iPhone push up the cost of expanding networks.

Clearwire has a 30-day grace period after Dec. 1 to make the payment. Mr. Prusch said he is focused on cutting new service deals and securing more funding. The company is discussing its options with restructuring experts at Blackstone Group LP and law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, people familiar with the matter said.

, but didn't name them. He declined to comment on whether it would need to restructure its debts in or out of bankruptcy court.

Missing a payment would have implications for its relationship with Sprint, which owns 54% of the company. Sprint has helped fund Clearwire but doesn't control the company, an arrangement carved out in a 2008 deal that saw Sprint contribute much of its valuable radio spectrum rights to Clearwire in exchange for a big equity stake.



... "It would really tighten the screws on Sprint to come up with an amicable solution before December 31,"
if Clearwater didn't pay, said Nelson. "They certainly have the option of not making the interest payment.
Then they potentially default, unless they're able to negotiate a solution with their debtholders." ...

Sprint relies on Clearwire's network for its high-speed "4G" service, but has delivered mixed messages about whether it intends to offer more financial help to the company. In October, Sprint said it would build its own 4G network, throwing into question Clearwire's future role. It also made an expensive commitment to sell Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which doesn't work on Clearwire's network.

But earlier this month, Sprint raised $4 billion in the bond markets and told investors it might use some of the funds to support Clearwire's network expansion. Sprint has said it is negotiating new agreements to use Clearwire's network. Sprint's board, however, has debated whether it is worth putting more money into Clearwire and, if so, how much, a person familiar with the matter said.

Additional funding from Sprint could depend on whether Clearwire makes the payment, the person said. "There's a lot up in the air about what Clearwire will do," the person said.

A Sprint spokesman declined to comment on its discussions with respect to Clearwire. "Sprint remains supportive of our continuing business relationship with Clearwire," he said.

The company's stock, which has lost more than two-thirds of its value this year, fell 21% Friday to $1.47, after The Wall Street Journal reported the company may skip the payment. Clearwire's first-lien bonds, which stand first in line for repayment in a bankruptcy, were quoted 3% lower at 77.50 cents on the dollar, while its more junior bonds were quoted down 12% at 43 cents on the dollar.

Other key players in the saga are Clearwire's largest bondholders, Capital Research & Management Co., Fidelity Investments and MacKay Shields, a unit of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC, which would control the network's fate if it filed for bankruptcy. Capital Research and Fidelity are also among Sprint's largest shareholders.

All three firms met separately with Sprint this month and urged an alternative to Chapter 11 for Clearwire, arguing that the most cost efficient solution would be for Sprint to buy Clearwire in an all-stock transaction, a person familiar with the matter said.

An acquisition would preserve Sprint's access to Clearwire's spectrum and eliminate redundant capital investments, but it would pile another $4 billion debt on Sprint, which already has $16 billion in long-term borrowings and other obligations.

Sprint directors "definitely" would oppose the notion of buying Clearwire simply to keep it out of bankruptcy, the person familiar with Sprint said.It is unclear how Sprint would react if Clearwire decides against making its Dec. 1 payment to conserve cash, the person said.

Caught up in the debate over Clearwire's future are 9.5 million subscribers. Most come to the company through Sprint, but the total also includes 1.3 million retail customers.

"I hope that they can survive," said Michael Artsis, a New York-area video journalist who uses Clearwire products to stream live video from events he's covering. "I think about it all the time now – what would I do if they weren't around."

Clearwire executives are backing away from selling to individual consumers and are positioning the company as the "Switzerland of broadband," offering capacity to any company that needs it. Today, Clearwire's network covers roughly 130 million people in the U.S.

Clearwire told investors earlier this month it believed it had enough liquidity to fund the business for the next 12 months. But the company warned in a securities filing that if it can't raise "substantial additional capital" and line up further wholesale commitments from Sprint, "we will be forced to consider all available alternatives."
—Mike Spector contributed to this article.

Write to Anton Troianovski at [e-mail], Matt Wirz at [e-mail] and Joann S. Lublin at [e-mail]




Extraordinary Price Movement Detected In Shares of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR)

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR): fell by 20.97% or $-0.39/share to $1.47 as the Wall Street Journal report quoted its CEO saying the company was thinking about skipping a $237M interest payment due December 1, 2011. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $1.32 and as high as $8.00. On average, 7560200 shares of CLWR exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 19114742. The shares are currently trading below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages which indicates that the shares have been experiencing downward momentum. The stock may bounce back to test the 200-day moving average. Thus, you may want to pay close attention for a move up to the $1.80 area but be careful because the stock may face selling pressure at this level. Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) is a provider of fourth generation (4G) wireless broadband services.
Posted by Eric Savoie at 4:54 PM

[teecee1]

20.11.2011 | 11:13
Anleger fürchten Insolvenz von US-Netzbetreiber Clearwire

Anleger fürchten eine Insolvenz des US-Mobilfunknetzbetreibers Clearwire. Einem Bericht des "Wall Street Journals" (WSJ) zufolge erwägt Konzernchef Erik Prusch, am ersten Dezember fällig werdende Zinsen in Höhe von 237 Mio. Dollar (175 Mio. Euro) nicht zu zahlen. Clearwire gehört mehrheitlich seinem größten Kunden, dem Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel. Das Unternehmen kämpft seit einiger Zeit mit Liquiditätsproblemen und musste zuletzt Kredite über eine Mrd. Dollar aufnehmen, um die laufenden Kosten und den Ausbau des drahtlosen Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetzes zu finanzieren. Die Clearwire-Aktie hatte am Freitag an der Wall Street mit einem Minus von 21 Prozent geschlossen.

Clearwire wollte den Bericht nicht kommentieren. Ein Analyst sagte, die Aussagen von Clearwire-Chef könnten als Druckmittel für den Abschluss eines neuen Nutzungsvertrags mit Sprint dienen. "Ich denke, sie nutzen die Zinszahlung als Verhandlungstaktik. Sprint hat bei einem Zahlungsausfall und einer anschließenden Pleite von Clearwire am meisten zu verlieren", meinte Michael Nelson von Mizuho.

(APA/Reuters)

[teecee1]

21.11.2011 | 16:02
Sprint Delivers 4G Fixed Business Access to Wholesale Customers

The latest "first" from Sprint 4G allows Sprint Wholesale MVNO customers to easily deliver broadband-like Internet access for small or remote offices while helping to mitigate wireline outages

Sprint [NYSE: S] Wholesale Solutions today announced the availability of 4G Fixed Business Access, a business grade solution that offers high availability, secure connectivity that can turn any area into an instant office and can help enterprises stay connected during wireline outages. Sprint Wholesale MVNO customers now have the power, speed and flexibility of 4G Fixed Business Access to take advantage of offering faster improved access and enhanced connectivity options at a reduced cost for their SMB customers.

Small branch or remote offices can enjoy the power and security of a business-class router and convenience of a wireless connection to the Internet, without on-site IT management. Sprint Wholesale MVNO customers can deliver corporate security policies, failover technology and 3G/4G access for virtually anytime Internet connectivity to small, remote and temporary offices at a fraction of the cost of most current solutions.

"With Sprint Wholesale Solutions' 4G Fixed Business Access, small business customers are no longer at the mercy of wireline installation waiting periods, service area limitations or the downtime of legacy wired networks," said Todd Rowley, vice president – 4G and Business Development, Sprint. "We are the first national wireless carrier in the U.S. to offer this solution to our wholesale customers, allowing them to embolden their customer base of SMB and home offices with data access at 4G speeds."

Sprint 4G averages download speeds between 3-6 Mbps, with bursts of over 10 Mbps and is available to 120 million people in 71 markets across the United States, including but not limited to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.

Sprint Wholesale customers determine the equipment that is best suited for their solution, including a combination of a 4G USB Data Card coupled with a router. Combining Sprint 4G mobile broadband service with CradlePoint's MBR1200 lets businesses connect to the Internet quickly and efficiently. The service works with single-mode 4G or dual-mode 3G/4G USB modems. Sprint Wholesale Solutions currently offers Sprint 3G/4G USB Modem 250U by Sierra Wireless which can be easily coupled with Cradlepoint MBR 1200 Broadband Router to deliver the 4G Fixed Business Access solution. Sprint Wholesale Solutions customers will soon be presented with an expanded portfolio of 4G Fixed Business Access connectivity products.

Sprint's Wholesale Solutions Group has a full suite of customizable solutions, including Partner Interexchange Network, allowing customers to interconnect on-net yielding cheaper connectivity rates; and Mobile Broadband on Demand, enabling end-users to purchase prepaid broadband by the day, week or month. Also available to Sprint Wholesale Solutions Group customers is access to reselling 4G, with faster download speeds and more bandwidth through America's Favorite 4G Network.² Customers can choose from two very easy ways to deliver an MVNO wireless offering to market - Traditional Wireless Resale and Turnkey Back-office Wireless Resale. Go to http://sprint.com/wholesale to view the complete product portfolio, customer testimonials and white paper downloads.

²America's Favorite 4G Claim: Based on number of Sprint 4G subscribers vs. those on other wireless 4G (WiMAX and LTE) networks in the U.S.

... ...

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S&P downgrades Clearwire debt by a notch

NEW YORK | Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:06pm EST

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Standard & Poors Corp on Monday downgraded Clearwire Corp's credit rating by one notch to 'CCC' with a "developing outlook" due to concerns that it may skip interest payments due on Dec. 1. ...


... ... manche finden die Kastanien nicht die zwischen den Blättern am Boden liegen...

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DAMASCO v. CLEARWIRE CORPORATION
JEROME DAMASCO, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
CLEARWIRE CORPORATION, Defendant-Appellee.
No. 10-3934.
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit.

Argued September 8, 2011.
Decided November 18, 2011.

Before MANION, ROVNER, and TINDER, Circuit Judges.

ROVNER, Circuit Judge.

Jerome Damasco filed this putative class-action lawsuit against Clearwire Corporation in an Illinois state court, alleging that Clearwire violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, by sending unsolicited text messages to cellphone users. Before Damasco moved for class certification, Clearwire offered him his full request for relief. Clearwire then removed the case to federal court and moved to dismiss, arguing that the offer mooted Damasco's claim. The district court agreed, dismissed Damasco's complaint, and later denied his motion to reconsider. Damasco appeals both rulings. Under Holstein v. City of Chicago, 29 F.3d 1145, 1147 (7th Cir. 1994), Clearwire's offer mooted Damasco's claim. We thus affirm the court's judgment and its decision to deny reconsideration.

I.

Damasco asked the state court to enjoin Clearwire from sending unsolicited text messages and to grant damages to all those injured by this practice. See 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(3). He estimated that more than 1,000 people had received these messages and requested damages fixed by the Act, $500 for each violation. See id. § 227(b)(3)(B). Damasco added that the court could award three times that amount, up to $1,500 for each violation, if it determined that Clearwire had acted "willfully and knowingly." See id. § 227(b)(3)(C).

Within a month, Clearwire sent a letter to Damasco's attorneys offering to settle the case by giving Damasco and up to ten other affected people $1,500 for each text message received from Clearwire, plus court costs. In addition, Clearwire offered to stop sending unsolicited text messages to "mobile subscribers." Clearwire warned that, in its view, this offer rendered the case moot. Damasco never responded to Clearwire's letter.

Four days after sending the letter, Clearwire removed the suit to federal court. Damasco moved for class certification within a few hours of the removal. The following day, Clearwire moved to dismiss the case, arguing that its settlement offer stripped Damasco of his personal stake in the case's outcome and rendered his claim moot.

Damasco opposed Clearwire's motion. He contended that Clearwire's letter did not constitute an offer under Illinois law because its terms were not "definite and certain." But even if the offer was valid, he urged that the controversy remained live, primarily for three reasons. First, he insisted that defendants should be prohibited from mooting a potential class action by buying off named plaintiffs through "involuntary" settlements. Second, he argued that this type of claim is "inherently transitory"—that is, bound to become moot before the class is certified—so his motion for certification should "relate back" to the filing of his complaint, as permitted in Sosna v. Iowa, 419 U.S. 393, 402 n.11 (1975). Finally, he maintained that if Clearwire had made an offer under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68, then he would have had 10 days (now 14 days under a revised version of the rule) to ask the court to certify the class and avoid mootness. He argued that Clearwire should not be allowed to circumvent Rule 68 by casting its offer in the form of a settlement.

1 2 3 4

http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20FCO%2020111…

Kurzfassung

... ... $1500 pro unerwünschte sms, ich lasse mir zehn schicken, wenn das bei uns möglich wäre ...

[teecee1]

... ...

23.11.2011
Strengere Prüfung
Rückschlag für T-Mobile-USA-Verkauf


AT&T Inc. CEO Randall Stephenson .. ohh ich muß mal ...
REUTERS

AT&T hat bei der geplanten Übernahme der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA einen weiteren Rückschlag erlitten. Die US-Telekommunikationsaufsicht FCC äußerte Bedenken gegen den Deal und ordnete eine strengere Prüfung an. Dadurch kann sich die Übernahme um bis zu einem Jahr verzögern.

Washington - Bisherige Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die geplante 39 Milliarden Dollar schwere Übernahme von T-Mobile USA durch AT&T zu einem erheblichen Abbau von Wettbewerb und Arbeitsplätzen in den USA führen würde, erklärt der Chef der Telekommunikationsaufsicht FCC, Julius Genachowski. Er beantragte deshalb, dass die geplante Übernahme von einem Richter der Behörde angehört wird. Über diesen Vorschlag müssen seine Kommissare abstimmen. Eine Anhörung kann sich auf sechs bis zwölf Monate ausdehnen.

Die FCC bezweifelte zudem, dass AT&T den neuen Mobilfunkstandard 4G nach der Übernahme Tochter der Deutschen Telekom Chart zeigen schneller ausbauen würde. Auch an eine Verbesserung des Netzes für mobile Datennutzung oder an die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätze will bei der Behörde niemand so recht glauben.

AT&T zeigte sich enttäuscht von der Entscheidung und kündigte an, alle Optionen zu prüfen. "Dies ist ein weiteres Beispiel einer Behörde, die Milliarden von Investitionen und die Schaffung von Tausenden neuer Jobs in einer Zeit verhindert, in der die amerikanische Wirtschaft beides dringend braucht", sagte AT&T-Sprecher Larry Salomon.

AT&T liegt bereits mit dem amerikanischen Justizministerium im Klinsch in der Frage, ob die Verringerung der Anzahl großer Mobilfunkanbieter von vier auf drei den Wettbewerb beeinträchtigt. Bisher ruhte die Hoffnung von AT&T auf dem Konkurrenten MetroPCS. Der hatte Interesse an Kunden und Frequenzen, welche AT&T und T-Mobile verkaufen müssten. Mit einem gestärkten Wettbewerber hätte AT&T vor den Kartellwächtern den Wegfall von T-Mobile besser verkaufen können, da eine neue Nummer vier auf den Plan trete.

Nun scheint MetroPCS AT&T aber weniger abkaufen zu wollen. Dafür kam Leap Wireless International ins Gespräch für eine Übernahme von Vermögenswerten. Bisher verfügt MetroPCS über etwa neun Millionen Kunden, Leap über knapp sechs Millionen. Der Prozessbeginn zwischen den beiden Konzernen und der Justizbehörde ist für den 13. Februar angesetzt. Die Telekom hatte im März angekündigt, dass sie T-Mobile USA an AT&T verkaufen will.

mg/rtr/dpa-afx

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.389.537 von teecee1 am 23.11.11 16:33:19

24.11.2011

Deutsche Telekom
Gefangen in den USA

von Jürgen Berke

Nach dem Veto der US-Regulierungsbehörde FCC gibt die Ratingagentur Moody’s dem Verkauf von T-Mobile nur noch wenig Chancen.


Die Fusion mit AT&T würde für die Telekom den erhofften Befreiungsschlag
auf dem amerikanischen Mobilfunkmarkt bedeuten - doch die Experten rechnen
nicht mehr damit. Quelle: dpa

Schallende Ohrfeige für Telekom-Chef René Obermann. Trotz aller offiziell verkündeten Durchhalteparolen – die Ratingsagentur Moody’s gibt dem Verkauf von T-Mobile in den USA nur noch wenig Chancen. Nach dem Veto der US-Regulierungsbehörde Federal Communications Commission (FCC) kämpfen Deutsche Telekom und AT&T scheinbar unverdrossen für ein Zustandekommen des 39-Milliarden-US-Dollar-Deals. Doch die Experten von Moody’s rechnen nicht mehr damit, dass die Mega-Fusion und damit der von Telekom erhoffte Befreiungsschlag auf dem amerikanischen Mobilfunkmarkt noch zustande kommt.

Doch was passiert nach einem Scheitern? Mit dieser Frage beschäftigt sich Moody’s in ihrer jüngsten Studie. Die Ratingagentur entworfenen vier Optionen laufen letztlich darauf hinaus, dass Obermann den Verkauf abblasen und weitere Milliarden in das US-Abenteuer stecken muss.

Die vier möglichen Optionen

1. Besonders wahrscheinlich (Eintrittswahrscheinlichkeit: 50 Prozent) ist demnach, dass die Deutsche Telekom in den USA bleibt. In diesem Fall würde Obermann eine Ausgleichszahlung in Höhe von drei Milliarden US-Dollar und zusätzliche Mobilfunkfrequenzen von AT&T bekommen. Zusätzliche Investitionen in Höhe von fünf Milliarden US-Dollar wären erforderlich, um das T-Mobile-Netz schneller und moderner zu machen. Gut möglich, dass T-Mobile einen bereits ad acta gelegten Verkaufsplan für die Mobilfunktürme wieder aufleben lässt. Der erhoffte Erlös in Höhe von 2,5 bis 3,5 Milliarden US-Dollar könnte ebenfalls dazu dienen, die bisher so schlechte Wettbewerbsposition von T-Mobile in den USA zu verbessern.

2. Etwas weniger wahrscheinlich ist nach Ansicht von Moody’s, dass die Deutsche Telekom das Mobilfunknetz mit einem Konkurrenten zusammenlegt (Eintrittswahrscheinlichkeit: 25 Prozent). Als potenzielle Partner kämen AT&T und Sprint/Nextel in Frage. Dadurch bekäme T-Mobile zwar ein deutlich erweitertes Frequenzspektrum und müsste auch weniger in den Netzausbau investieren. Doch um sich von den Konkurrenten abzuheben, müsste T-Mobile die Ausgaben für Marketing und Vertrieb deutlich steigern

3. Noch unwahrscheinlicher ist nach Ansicht von Moody’s, dass die Deutsche Telekom ihre US-Tochter an die Börse bringt (Eintrittswahrscheinlich: 15 Prozent). Kurzfristig würde dies zwar einen hohen Milliardenbetrag einbringen, aber die Wettbewerbsposition aus dem US-Markt würde sich nicht verbessern. Vier landesweite Mobilfunkbetreiber würden weiterhin um die Kunden kämpfen und T-Mobile laufe als kleinster Anbieter weiter Gefahr, noch stärker an den Rand gedrückt zu werden.

4. Nahezu ausgeschlossen ist nach Moody’s Einschätzung die Hoffnung, dass ein anderer Konkurrent in die Rolle von AT&T schlüpft und einen Übernahmeversuch starten wird (Eintrittswahrscheinlich: zehn Prozent). Seit dem Veto von FCC und Justizministerium ist allen Beteiligten in den USA klar, dass die Behörden an einem Mobilfunkmarkt mit vier Spielern festhalten wollen. Konkurrent Verizon hätte mit ähnlichen kartellrechtlichen Schwierigkeiten bei einer Übernahme zu kämpfen wie AT&T. Und kleinere Anbieter wie Sprint/Nextel hätten nicht die finanziellen Mittel, um solch einen Deal zu stemmen. Außerdem wären Teile ihrer Netze inkompatibel mit dem an europäischen Mobilfunkstandards angelehnten T-Mobile-Netz. Die erhofften Synergieeffekte könnten nur unter größten technischen Anstrengungen realisiert werden.

... ... wieviel Kunden wird wohl T-Mobil USA nächstes Jahr verlieren ... 5 mio

[teecee1]

Analysis: Sprint network upgrade may curb unlimited data
Nov 25 2011 4:25pm EST


A woman talks on her phone as she walks past T-mobile and Sprint wireless stores
in New York July 30, 2009. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel may be forced to abandon the biggest advantage it has over its rivals - unlimited data services for a flat fee - because of heavy data users and a shortage of wireless airwaves.

Moreover, the increasing likelihood that AT&T's plan to buy T-Mobile USA, the nation's fourth-largest mobile operator, will fail may have the paradoxical result of making Sprint's position even more untenable, according to analysts who follow all three companies.

Sprint, the nation's third-largest mobile service provider, is planning to upgrade its network with the latest mobile standard, Long Term Evolution. But it is launching that service with only half the wireless airwaves bigger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc have assigned, leading experts to suggest that the popularity of Sprint's unlimited data plan could put a strain on the network or slow down Web surfing speeds.

Sprint has assigned just 10 megahertz of spectrum for the launch compared with its rivals' 20 megahertz, analysts say. It will have to reassign airwaves being used for other services in order to expand its capacity for LTE.

Unlike AT&T and Verizon, which cap data use to stem overcapacity issues brought on by heavy users, Sprint is the only big U.S. carrier still selling unlimited data for a flat fee to users of smartphones, including the Apple Inc iPhone, on its current network.

"It's a very bare-bones implementation of LTE," said Tolaga Research analyst Phil Marshall. "The risk is, if you don't have headroom as your LTE subscriber base grows, then the speeds will go down."

In that situation, Marshall does not see Sprint being able to continue to offer unlimited services.

"Unlimited is going to kill them," he said. "I think they're going to have to back off from the all-you-can-eat plan."

Unlimited data is a strong selling point for Sprint, which has been struggling for years to retain customers. For Sprint to keep the marketing advantage it has over rivals, one option could be for it to institute usage caps that are considerably higher than those of its competitors.

"That's a lever they can play if they run into being constrained," said an industry source who asked not to be named due to a lack of authorization to speak publicly. "It's inevitable that they will eventually have to put caps (on their data use)."

SPRINT: NO HEADACHE

Sprint, which is spending $7 billion to upgrade its network to LTE by the end of 2013, says concerns about its capacity are overblown, arguing that advanced technology allows it to make the most of its spectrum resources. Bob Azzi, a Sprint executive in charge of the company's network, said the company's plans assume that it will keep its unlimited data service during the LTE rollout.

"I don't consider it a headache," he told Reuters, "We have a good understanding of the nature of those plans and what they do."

Azzi added that the section of the 1,900 megahertz spectrum band Sprint has set aside for LTE is currently unused. He also plans to reallocate spectrum in its 800 megahertz band to use for the high-speed service by early 2014, provided it can secure regulatory approval to do so. That spectrum is currently being used by the aging iDen service Sprint hopes to shut down in mid-2013.

Sprint is also in talks with Clearwire Corp, its majority-owned venture, about expanding their partnership to cover LTE. Sprint currently depends on Clearwire's network for its fastest service based on WiMax technology, and the latest talks are aimed at allowing it to piggyback on Clearwire's LTE to help it boost capacity in the "hottest of hotspots" by 2014 when Azzi says Sprint will need more capacity.

But the future of Sprint's tempestuous relationship with Clearwire is murky since it is not yet certain if Clearwire will raise the roughly $1 billion in new funding it needs to upgrade its network to LTE.

Clearwire lost one-third of its value after Sprint said on October 7 that a bankruptcy filing by the company could be "constructive." Clearwire shareholders again fled on November 18 after the company said it may skip a debt interest payment due December 1. Many analysts saw that pronouncement as a negotiating tactic to try to force Sprint's hand into an agreement with favorable terms for Clearwire.

SOAP OPERA

One investment manager described the Clearwire/Sprint relationship as a "soap opera" that will end with an agreement because they are both heavily dependent on each other.

"In the short term Sprint doesn't need them beyond (WiMax) but they do need them later," said the manager, who asked not to be named.

Even if Sprint and Clearwire reach an agreement, however, Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett is skeptical about how much it would help because of the frequency Clearwire's spectrum is on, which he said causes signal problems within buildings.

"Now that the person next to you at the conference table is surfing away on Verizon ... the shortcomings of Clearwire become painfully apparent," Moffett said.

Moffett also noted that even if Clearwire upgrades its network, it will still have coverage for only about one-third of the U.S. population because it would need to raise a lot more funding than it is currently seeking to extend its network into new markets.

Since Sprint has already had to tap capital markets for $4 billion in debt and needs up to $3 billion more in funding for its own network upgrade, analysts are skeptical it can come up with the money to help Clearwire expand further.

"What are you going to do with the (rest) of the United States? You can't just limp around on one leg," said Moffett, who has a "hold" rating on Sprint due to the uncertainty around its strategy.

The uncertainty around AT&T's deal for T-Mobile USA is another big wrinkle in the Sprint story. On Thursday, AT&T withdrew its application for deal approval with the Federal Communications Commission, saying that it would focus on its legal battle with the Department of Justice. If that deal is approved, it leaves Sprint as a distant No. 4. But if it is blocked, as many analysts now expect, T-Mobile USA may look for another partner, according to the investment manager.

Instead of forging a deal with Clearwire or Sprint, Moffett suggested that T-Mobile USA would instead turn to U.S. cable operators such as Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable. Some investors had hoped these companies would come to Sprint's aid as they are part-owners in Clearwire. But since the cable operators have unused spectrum in the same band as T-Mobile USA, Moffett suggested that the cable providers would instead create a partnership with that company if it has to abandon the AT&T deal.

Sprint has loudly opposed the AT&T/T-Mobile USA deal, a position that Moffett said was against its best interests.

"Now Sprint loses its logical partners in the cable operators," said Moffett, who described a potential cable/T-Mobile deal as a "match made in heaven."

Moreover, some analysts said that the $6 billion breakup package AT&T will have to pay T-Mobile if the deal fails would make T-Mobile into a more formidable rival to Sprint in the market for cost-conscious mobile consumers.

The uncertainty means that Sprint does not "know exactly how desperate they are at any given point in time," said the investment manager, noting that Sprint's $2.38 share price speaks volumes about investor confidence in the operator's strategy.

"It shows there's not a whole lot of faith out there that they'll be able to successfully execute on these things,' this person said.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; editing by Peter Lauria and Matthew Lewis)

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2010


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Mobilfunkanschlüsse der größten Mobilfunkanbieter in den USA 2011

Anzahl der Mobilfunkanschlüsse der führenden Anbieter in den USA im 3. Quartal der Jahre 2010 und 2011 (in Millionen)

de.statista.com

Die Statistik zeigt die Anzahl der Mobilfunkanschlüsse der größten Mobilfunkanbieter in den USA im dritten Quartal der Jahre 2010 und 2011. AT & T verfügte im dritten Quartal 2011 über rund 100,7 Millionen Mobilfunkanschlüsse.

[teecee1]

Telekom: Zugeständnisse in der Kabelfusion gehen nicht weit genug -Wiwo

Unitymedia erleidet Rückschlag


René Obermann,
Vorstandsvorsitzender
Deutsche Telekom AG
(Foto: Telekom/Portel.de)

Düsseldorf, 28.11.11 - Wie die Wirtschaftswoche berichtet , erleidet im Kampf um die Übernahme von Kabel Baden-Württemberg der Konkurrent Unitymedia einen Rückschlag.

Der Deutschen Telekom, dem größten Wettbewerber der Kabelgesellschaften, reichen die Zugeständnisse nicht aus, die der Unitymedia-Eigner, der US-Medienriese Liberty Global, gemacht hat, um die Blockade-Haltung der Telekom zu brechen. Die Hoffnung, dass jetzt alle Wettbewerber ihren Widerstand aufgeben und einer Fusion zwischen Unitymedia und Kabel Baden-Württemberg zustimmen, erfüllt sich damit nicht. Dies zeichnet sich nach Abschluss einer Marktabfrage ab, die das Bundeskartellamt gerade auswertet und die WirtschaftsWoche.de vorliegen. Insbesondere die Deutsche Telekom sieht keinen Grund, von ihrer Ablehnung abzurücken. „Die Zugeständnisse reichen absolut nicht aus, um für mehr Wettbewerb zu sorgen. Teilweise erschweren die Zusagen sogar den Wettbewerb“, teilte die Deutsche Telekom dem Bundeskartellamt mit. „Unter diesen Voraussetzungen sollte der Zusammenschluss untersagt werden.“

Die Deutsche Telekom bemängelt, dass die geplante Transaktion insbesondere negative Auswirkungen auf den Wettbewerb um die sogenannten Gestattungsverträge mit großen Wohnungsgesellschaften habe. Die TV-Kabelgesellschaften binden diese Großkunden mit Vertragslaufzeiten von bis zu zehn Jahren langfristig an sich, so dass sich das Telekom-eigene TV-Produkt Entertain dort nur schlecht verkaufen lässt. Der Zusammenschluss würde diese Marktverhältnisse nur festigen, heißt es. Daran änderten auch die von Liberty Global unterbreiteten Zugeständnisse nichts. Um den Markt zu öffnen, müssten die langfristigen Verträge beendet und im Wettbewerb neu ausgeschrieben werden. Außerdem sollten die Mieter freien Zugang zu den im Haus verlegten Infrastrukturen bekommen, damit sie selbst Verträge mit den Anbietern abschließen können, fordert die Telekom.

Auch die im Verband der Anbieter von Telekommunikations- und Mehrwertdiensten (VATM) zusammengeschlossenen Telekom-Konkurrenten lehnen die geplante Kabelfusion ab. „Die Zugeständnisse weisen in die richtige Richtung, sind aber nicht hinreichend, um die wettbewerblichen Nachteile auszuräumen“, heißt es in der Stellungnahme des VATM an das Bundeskartellamt. Es gebe zu viele Schlupflöcher, mit denen Liberty Global die eigenen Zusagen unterlaufen könne. Die Schlupflöcher müssten erst geschlossen werden, bevor das Kartellamt einer Fusion von Unitiymedia und Kabel Baden-Württemberg zustimmen dürfe. (lw)

... ... so, da gibt es von sprint auch was auf die presse ...

[teecee1]

... ... na gut dann eben von Dish ... dish

Dish Network Urges FCC to Release AT&T, T-Mobile Findings

By Todd Shields and Alex Sherman - Nov 29, 2011 8:06 PM GMT+0100

Dish Network Corp. (DISH), a potential new U.S. wireless provider, urged the Federal Communications Commission to publish the findings that led the agency to move against AT&T Inc.’s proposed purchase of T-Mobile USA Inc.

The FCC has heard from thousands of parties and reviewed more than 1 million documents, and the public and courts should have the benefit of that expertise, Jeffrey Blum, deputy general counsel for Dish, told an agency official, according to a filing posted today on the FCC’s website.

Dish, the second-largest U.S. satellite television provider, is searching for a partner to transform its company into a wireless competitor to deliver mobile video, chairman Charlie Ergen said during a conference call earlier this month. Dish asked the FCC in May to reject the AT&T and T-Mobile deal, and in August the company sought agency permission to offer mobile high-speed Internet service.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski asked fellow commissioners on Nov. 22 to send AT&T’s $39 billion bid for the Deutsche Telekom AG unit to a hearing that would commence after a Justice Department lawsuit is resolved. The Justice Department sued Aug. 31, saying the deal to eliminate the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier was anti-competitive.

AT&T and Deutsche Telekom said they withdrew their FCC merger applications Nov. 23, and AT&T on Nov. 25 said the agency must allow the withdrawal. The companies will focus on overcoming Justice Department objections and plan to again file before the FCC, Dallas-based AT&T said in a statement.

AT&T’s move is “a request” that the FCC “will consider,” agency spokeswoman Tammy Sun said in an e-mailed statement Nov. 24.

Dish Motivation

Dish said “a combined AT&T-T-Mobile would harm consumers by reducing competition and by raising barriers to entry for potential new entrants like Dish Network,” according to a Nov. 22 e-mailed statement from the Englewood, Colorado-based company.

Ergen may also be interested in the FCC’s objections to give him clarity on a potential future merger with DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider. Dish and DirecTV’s attempted 2002 merger was blocked by regulators for being anti- competitive. Ergen said this month he didn’t think “there’d be any problem with us merging with DirecTV” if AT&T’s deal for T- Mobile is allowed.

“If that merger is not allowed to go through, then I think the merger with DirecTV would be problematic,” Ergen said.

Advocacy Groups’ Request

The FCC can let AT&T withdraw its merger application, and at the same time publish the staff document accompanying Genachowski’s request for a hearing, Blum said in a conversation yesterday with Edward Lazarus, the FCC’s chief of staff, according to the filing.

Two Washington-based advocacy groups opposing the merger, Public Knowledge and Media Access Project, said in a filing yesterday the FCC should deny the withdrawal request and issue the staff document. The groups said AT&T was attempting “to game the system and circumvent commission review.”

AT&T has said the transaction announced March 20 will create jobs and hasten the spread of high-speed wireless Internet service.

To contact the reporters on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at [e-mail]; Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at [e-mail]; Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.372.247 von teecee1 am 19.11.11 08:15:23

Sprint and Clearwire Announce New Agreements
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 1 hour 49 minutes ago

* Offers Clearwire Up to $1.6 Billion in Conditional Aggregate Revenues and Funding
* Clearwire to Receive Total of $926 Million From Sprint for Unlimited 4G WiMAX Services in 2012 and 2013; WiMAX Network to Operate Through at Least 2015
* Sprint to Provide Support for Future LTE Services
* Companies Agree on Parameters for Additional Sprint Equity Investment
* Clearwire to Pay $237 Million Total Interest for First-Priority, Second-Priority and Exchangeable Notes as Scheduled

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Clearwire (Nasdaq:CLWR - News) today announced agreements potentially worth up to $1.6 billion over the next four years in payments for WiMAX services, possible pre-payments for LTE services and potential equity investments. The agreements further align Clearwire's LTE network build as a complement to Sprint's Network Vision strategy.

Also today, Clearwire announced that it has made interest payments totaling $237 million on its first-priority, second-priority and exchangeable notes which were due Dec. 1, 2011.

"These agreements are a result of the technical MOU we outlined during our third quarter results call and extend our relationship with Clearwire," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "It provides Sprint improved pricing, allows us to continue to provide WiMAX 4G services to our customers today and to new customers in the future and provides additional LTE capacity to help complement our Network Vision strategy and meet our customers' growing data demands."

"Today's announcement further cements the mutually beneficial relationship between our two companies," said Erik Prusch, president and CEO of Clearwire. "It is an important step toward meeting Clearwire's key goals of extending our current 4G network arrangement, securing a commitment to our future LTE Advanced-ready network, and funding the business. We continue to move closer to realizing the full value of our deep spectrum resources as we are uniquely positioned to meet the rapidly growing demand for 4G mobile broadband."

Wholesale Pricing and 4G Availability

The agreements modify prior wholesale pricing agreements and provide Sprint with unlimited access to Clearwire's WiMAX network to meet its growing 4G data demands. Under the terms of the agreements, Sprint will pay Clearwire a total of $926 million, approximately two-thirds of which will be paid in 2012, for unlimited 4G WiMAX retail services during 2012 and 2013, subject to certain conditions. The agreements also establish long-term usage-based pricing for WiMAX services in 2014 and beyond. Sprint will have access to Clearwire's WiMAX network through at least 2015. Sprint plans to continue selling WiMAX devices with two-year contracts through at least 2012 and support those devices through the life of the contract.

In addition, the agreement contains separate, competitive pricing for re-wholesaling by Sprint that provides flexibility for Sprint to grow its 4G WiMAX wholesale business while at the same time providing Clearwire increased pricing flexibility that should allow Clearwire to grow its wholesale markets and attract new customers.

TDD-LTE Collaboration

The agreements also lay the foundation for the deployment of Clearwire's planned LTE Advanced-ready overlay network and outline the terms for Sprint to gain access to the additional LTE capacity. The TDD-LTE rollout will capitalize on Clearwire's deep spectrum resources to deliver on 4G capacity needs over the long-term. Under the terms, Sprint will pay Clearwire up to $350 million in a series of prepayments over a period of up to two years for LTE capacity if Clearwire achieves certain build-out targets and network specifications by June 2013. The agreements also establish long-term usage-based pricing for LTE services for 2012 and beyond. The companies have agreed to collaborate on a network build plan and will jointly select LTE macro-cell sites to cover Sprint's high usage area "hotspots." Clearwire plans to seek additional funding before initiating the build-out of its LTE Advanced-ready network.

In addition, Clearwire and Sprint will work collaboratively to support the ecosystem for TDD-LTE in Band Class 41 for devices, chipsets and standards. Subject to the timing of the build-out and other factors, Sprint expects to launch devices including laptop cards and phones that will utilize Clearwire's TDD-LTE network in 2013.

Equity Investment

Sprint has committed to providing additional equity funding to Clearwire in the event of an equity offering. If Clearwire raises new equity between $400 and $700 million, Sprint will participate in the offering on a pro rata basis up to $347 million, consistent with Sprint's current voting interest of 49.6 percent on the same terms and conditions as other participating companies.

About Sprint Nextel ...


... ... dumm wer da auf short ist ...

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Datenfunk
Apple will LTE in iPhones und iPads anbieten

Die künftigen iPhones und iPads sollen nicht nur über UMTS, sondern auch über LTE (Long Term Evolution) online gehen können. Das verspricht deutlich schnellere Übertragungsgeschwindigkeiten.

Das Blog Macrumors berichtet unter Berufung auf das japanischsprachige Branchenblatt Nikkei Business, dass Apple eine schnellere Datenfunktechnik in künftige iOS-Geräte einbauen will. Mit LTE (Long Term Evolution) sollen das iPad und das iPhone deutlich schneller Daten empfangen und senden können als mit UMTS.

Nikkei Business berichtet von einem Treffen zwischen Apple-Chef Tim Cook und Managern des japanischen Mobilfunkunternehmens NTT Docomo, bei dem es um die LTE-Unterstützung künftiger Mobilfunkgeräte ging.

Im Sommer soll demnach das 4G-iPad und im Herbst dann das iPhone mit LTE erscheinen. Apple will damit gegenüber Android-Smartphones aufschließen. Bislang soll der hohe Strombedarf der bisher verfügbaren Chips Apple davon abgehalten haben, LTE zu unterstützen, so Macrumors.

Die Website Anandtech berichtet, dass Qualcomm im zweiten Quartal 2012 mit dem MDM9615 ein kleines LTE-Funkmodul in 28-Nanometer-Technik auf den Markt bringen wird, das sowohl Daten- als auch Sprachübertragung beherrscht. Erste Muster sollen nach Herstellerangaben Ende 2011 ausgeliefert werden.

Schon im Februar 2011 mutmaßte Verizon, der größte US-Mobilfunkbetreiber, dass Apple mobile Endgeräte für LTE auf den Markt bringen wird.

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Report: Apple To Give 4G A Shot In Arm With Next-Generation iPad, iPhone

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!

Dieser Beitrag wurde vom System automatisch gesperrt. Bei Fragen wenden Sie sich bitte an [e-mail]

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Sprint Steps Up LTE Roll-Out, Handsets Arriving by Q3 2012
Mark Kurlyandchik - December 6, 2011 9:00 AM

Company hopes to cover 120 million people with LTE by end of next year, 250 million by 2013


(Source: thecellphonejunkie.com)

Yesterday in an interview with UBS, Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer announced the company's plans to launch LTE phones in the second half of 2012. Sprint's first multimodal base station, which supports both CDMA and LTE, is currently being deployed.

According to Euteneuer, the plan is to build out Sprint's LTE infrastructure across the U.S. first, and then introduce handsets that can take advantage of it.

Euteneuer pointed to Q3 of next year as a likely timeframe for Sprint's first LTE handsets, which he says "will be very competitive to what's already out on the marketplace."

Back in July, Sprint reportedly entered into a $13.3B contract with the company LightSquared for its LTE build-out. The new 4G network will operate on 800MHz, 1600MHz, and 1900MHz spectrums.

Euteneuer's recent statements reflect a recognition by Sprint that WiMAX is only a temporary "4G" solution, whereas LTE is long-term.

"We're talking about covering 120 million [people] by the end of 2012," Euteneuer said. "We've accelerated this because we believe LTE is really key to our future."

As previously reported, Sprint will continue to sell WiMAX devices through the end of 2012. But Euteneuer stressed that the WiMAX network will continue to be supported all the way through 2015.

Sprint will also be paying Clearwire $350 million over two years "if they meet targets in delivering LTE to sites where traffic is heaviest."

Sources: Engadget, UBS

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Clearwire Says It Plans to Raise $595 Million in Sale From Two Stock Sales

By Scott Moritz - Dec 6, 2011 2:15 AM GMT+0100

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) said it plans to raise $595 million through two sales of common stock, bolstering the finances of the money-losing wireless broadband provider as it tries to turn profitable.

Clearwire will use the money to build out a higher-speed Long-Term Evolution, or LTE, wireless network and pay other operating expenses, the Bellevue, Washington-based company said today in a statement. The company will raise $300 million from an offering of Class A common shares. Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), which owns a majority of the economic interest in Clearwire, will buy $295 million of Class B shares in a separate, private transaction, said Scott Sloat, a spokesman for Sprint.

The equity financings, coming four days after Sprint agreed to a network-sharing deal valued at as much as $1.6 billion over the next four years, gives Clearwire more stable finances, said Jonathan Chaplin, a Credit Suisse Group AG analyst.

“This is transformative,” said Chaplin, who is based in New York and rates Clearwire “overweight.” “This was a company flirting with bankruptcy just a week ago.”

The deal last week came after a standoff over how the two would work together when their current network agreement expires at the end of 2012. Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint buys wholesale wireless capacity from Clearwire and then resells the service to its own customers.

Sprint said last week that if Clearwire raises between $400 million and $700 million, it would participate by buying equity equal to 49.6 percent of the total, consistent with Sprint’s voting interest in Clearwire.

‘Near-Term Funding’

Under the deal today, Clearwire said it expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase as much as an additional $45 million of Class A common stock.

“This really is the final piece of the puzzle for Clearwire,” said Michael Nelson, an analyst with Mizuho Securities USA Inc. “It’s enough to fulfill the near-term funding requirement and enough to build out the LTE network,” said Nelson, who has a “buy” rating on Clearwire.

Clearwire fell 3.6 percent to $2.17 in late trading after the offering was announced. The stock rose 5.1 percent to $2.25 at the close in New York and has dropped 56 percent this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

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Clearwire Corporation Announces Upsizing and Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock

Date : 12/07/2011 @ 9:30PM
Source : GlobeNewswire Inc.
Stock : Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)
Quote : 2.12 -0.16 (-7.02%) @ 10:07AM

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) ("Clearwire") today announced that its previously announced public offering of its Class A Common Stock has been upsized from $300.0 million to $350.0 million. The offering has priced at $2.00 per share to the public, and 175,000,000 shares are being offered. Clearwire has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $52.5 million, or 26,250,000 shares, of its Class A Common Stock. The offering is expected to close on December 13, 2011.

In addition, Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint") agreed to exercise its pro rata preemptive rights with respect to the offering in the Commitment Agreement between Clearwire and Sprint, dated November 30, 2011. Upon such exercise, Sprint will purchase, in a separate, private transaction, approximately 172 million additional shares of Clearwire’s Class B Common Stock and a corresponding number of Class B Common Interests in Clearwire’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Clearwire Communications, LLC.

Clearwire plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate and working capital purposes, including the deployment of mobile 4G LTE technology alongside the mobile 4G WiMAX technology currently on its network and for the operation and maintenance of its networks and to pay fees and expenses associated with this offering.

J.P. Morgan, BofA Merrill Lynch and Jefferies are acting as joint book-running managers for this offering.

The offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering was made only by means of the written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A copy of the prospectus and prospectus supplement related to the offering may be obtained by contacting: J.P. Morgan, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, or by calling toll-free at 1-866-803-9204, or BofA Merrill Lynch, 4 World Financial Center, New York, New York, 10080, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at [e-mail], or Jefferies, Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, at 520 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022, at 877-547-6340 and at [e-mail].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

At $2 a share, the offering “would dilute existing shareholders by about 33 percent based on Clearwire’s 915 million shares outstanding,” Hodulik said in a research note.

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T-Mobile/AT&T: US-Justiz setzt auf Verzögerungstaktik - DJ

Justizministerium will Gerichtsverfahren verschieben

Brent Kendall, WASHINGTON (Dow Jones), 09.12.2011-20:42 - Die Deutsche Telekom AG kann immer weniger auf einen schnellen Abschluss der Fusion ihrer US-Tochter mit AT&T hoffen.

Eine Richterin am US-Distriktgericht, Ellen S. Huvelle, äußerte am Freitag Zweifel daran, dass sie weiterhin eine schnelle Prüfung der 39 Mrd USD schweren Transaktion vornehmen wird. Ein Anwalt des Justizministeriums sagte daraufhin, seine Behörde werde beantragen, die Gerichtsverhandlung zur Übernahme von T-Mobile USA durch AT&T zu verschieben. Damit gerät der Erfolg der gesamten Transaktion noch stärker in Gefahr.

Anwalt Joseph Wayland begründete den Antrag des Justizministeriums auf Verschiebung oder Beendigung des Gerichtsverfahrens damit, dass AT&T und die Telekom die Transaktion vorerst nicht von der Telekomaufsicht FCC prüfen lassen. Erst wenn die Unternehmen die Transaktion auch wieder von der FCC untersuchen lassen wollen, könne das vom Justizministerium angestrengte Gerichtsverfahren wieder notwendig werden, meint er. Bislang ist die entscheidende Gerichtsverhandlung für Februar angesetzt.

Die beiden Konzerne hatten auf die FCC-Prüfung verzichtet, um sich auf das Gerichtsverfahren konzentrieren zu können. Die FCC hatte sich ebenfalls skeptisch zu der Transaktion geäußert. Daraufhin nahmen die Unternehmen vor knapp zwei Wochen ihren Antrag auf Prüfung der Übernahme bei dieser Behörde zunächst zurück. Die FCC muss aber zustimmen, damit die Fusion vollzogen werden kann.

Für die beiden Telekomkonzerne ist die jüngste Entwicklung ungünstig. Die Unternehmen hatten stets betont, dass eine schnelle Entscheidung notwendig ist, andernfalls könne die Übernahme scheitern.

Dabei haben sich die Unternehmen die jüngste Entwicklung vermutlich selbst zuzuschreiben. Richterin Ellen Huvelle zeigte sich am Freitag frustriert darüber, dass AT&T und die Telekom ihren Antrag bei der FCC zurückgezogen haben. Der Fall habe sich damit verändert, und sie sei vielleicht nicht mehr gewillt, ihn weiterhin mit hoher Priorität zu begleiten. "Das Bild hat sich geändert - es hat sich klar geändert", sagte die Richterin. Sie begründete dies damit, dass die Unternehmen vielleicht in einem Monat einen neuen Antrag bei der FCC einreichen könnten, der ganz anders aussehen werde als der alte. Dann werde sich alles verändert haben, "und unser aller Zeit ist vergeudet worden".

AT&T-Anwälte baten die Richterin daraufhin, ihren geplanten Zeitplan beizubehalten. "Wir spielen keine strategischen Spiele", versuchte AT&T-Anwalt Mark Hansen die Richterin noch umzustimmen. Die Unternehmen würden zu ihrer geplanten Transaktion stehen. Die Richterin solle nicht zulassen, dass das Justizministerium mit einem "Pocket Veto" die Fusion de facto verhindern könne, nur indem es das ganze Verfahren in die Länge zieht. AT&T-Berater Wayne Watts betonte, sein Konzern strebe weiterhin an, die geplante Transaktion vor Gericht zu verteidigen.

Die Richterin forderte das Justizministerium daraufhin auf, den Antrag auf Ruhenlassen des Verfahrens bis Dienstag einzureichen. Sie setzte für kommenden Donnerstag einen weiteren Termin an, um diesen Antrag zu entscheiden.

Eine Verzögerung würde T-Mobile USA hart treffen. Das Unternehmen benötigt Klarheit über seine Zukunft, ansonsten werden die Beziehungen zu Kunden und Geschäftspartnern verkompliziert.

Analyst Christopher King von Stifel Nicolaus sieht nun schon das Ende der Fusion heraufziehen. Die Telekom werde jetzt sicher ihre Optionen prüfen und die Fusion vielleicht absagen, sagte der Analyst. Das werde aber eine Neuverhandlung der Breakup Fee erforderlich machen, die beide Konzerne für den Fall ihres Scheiterns vereinbart haben. Bislang ist geplant, dass die Telekom bei einem Auseinanderbrechen der Transaktion 4 Mrd USD erhält.

Ein Telekom-Sprecher sagte bezüglich der jüngsten Entwicklung zu Dow Jones Newswires: "In der heutigen Anhörung ging es um Verfahrensfragen. Äußerungen der Richterin oder vom Department of Justice kommentieren wir nicht." (GS)

DJG/DJN/jhe/mgo

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Dec. 12, 2011, 6:30 a.m. EST
Clearwire Corporation Announces Exercise of Option Relating to Recent Public Offering of Class A Common Stock

Bellevue, Wash., Dec 12, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Clearwire Corporation CLWR -1.55% ("Clearwire") today announced that the underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional $52.5 million, or 26,250,000 shares, of Clearwire's Class A Common Stock (the "optional shares") in the previously announced $350.0 million public offering of Clearwire's Class A Common Stock (the "initial shares"), resulting in a total sale to the public of 201,250,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. Both the initial shares and the optional shares are expected to be issued and delivered on December 13, 2011.

Clearwire plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate and working capital purposes, including the deployment of mobile 4G LTE technology alongside the mobile 4G WiMAX technology currently on its network and for the operation and maintenance of its networks and to pay fees and expenses associated with this offering.

J.P. Morgan, BofA Merrill Lynch and Jefferies are acting as joint book-running managers for this offering.

The offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering was made only by means of the written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A copy of the prospectus and prospectus supplement related to the offering may be obtained by contacting: J.P. Morgan, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, or by calling toll-free at 1-866-803-9204, or BofA Merrill Lynch, 4 World Financial Center, New York, New York, 10080, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at [e-mail], or Jefferies, Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, at 520 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022, at 877-547-6340 and at [e-mail].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ...

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Dish Network Seeks to Partner With T-Mobile USA If AT&T Acquisition Fails

By Alex Sherman - Dec 12, 2011 6:07 PM GMT+0100

Dish Network Corp. (DISH), the second largest U.S. satellite-TV provider, is seeking to partner with T-Mobile USA if AT&T Inc. (T)’s takeover bid fails, Chief Executive Officer Joseph Clayton said in an interview.

Dish, which acquired wireless spectrum earlier this year as part of deals for bankrupt DBSD North America Inc. and Terrestar Networks Inc., could merge its spectrum assets with T-Mobile to create a strengthened competitor to AT&T and Verizon Wireless, said Clayton. T-Mobile needs additional spectrum to offer higher-speed wireless service for smartphones such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone. Dish could also partner with a company other than T-Mobile, such as Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), Clayton said.

Dish is interested in buying assets from AT&T and T-Mobile if the companies divest customers and spectrum to address regulatory concerns over the merger, Clayton said. Dish has publicly opposed the T-Mobile acquisition, saying it hurts competition.

“We’re not interested in making money on selling our spectrum,” said Clayton in the interview. “We want to use it to create a national wireless network, video, voice and data. We’ve got expertise in satellite-TV, and we will in satellite broadband. The voice part, we’ll need some help with.” ... ... dann entscheidet euch mal schnell sonst ist der Zug abgefahren ...

Dish shares fell 2.8 percent to $25.12 at 12:01 p.m. New York time. The shares have gained 31 percent this year before today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

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12.12.2011 | 14:29
Verkauf von T-Mobile USA: AT&T steht vor neuen Problemen

... Aus einer Verschiebung des Verfahrens könnte sich ein zeitliches Problem für AT&T ergeben. Wird die Transaktion nicht bis zum 20. September abgeschlossen, müsste AT&T rund 3 Milliarden US-Dollar an T-Mobile USA zahlen sowie Frequenzen und andere Dienste im Wert von weiteren rund 4 Milliarden US-Dollar abtreten, so Bloomberg unter Berufung auf Analysten. ...

(© BörseGo AG 2011 - Autor: Bernd Lammert)

... ... mann hat dann Ende 2012 rund 3 Mrd. und 4G Frequenzen aber noch kein LTE Netz, dieses müßte noch aufgerüstet werden. ...

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Clearwire Announces Closing of Transactions Totaling $734 Million in Gross Proceeds

Date : 12/13/2011 @ 5:23PM
Source : GlobeNewswire Inc.
Stock : Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)
Quote : 2.16 0.01 (0.47%) @ 9:47AM

* Public Equity Offering Raises Gross Proceeds of $402.5 Million
* Clearwire Receives Additional $331.4 Million in Net Proceeds from Sprint Exercise of Preemptive Right
* New Capital Positions Company to Create Nation's First Wide-Channel TDD-LTE 4G Network

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 13, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News) ("Clearwire") announced today that it has closed its public offering (the "offering") of 201,250,000 shares of Class A common stock at $2.00 per share originally announced on December 5, 2011, comprised of 175,000,000 shares of Class A common stock initially offered and an additional 26,250,000 shares of Class A common stock sold pursuant to the underwriters' exercise of their over-allotment option. The successful offering will provide Clearwire with net proceeds of $384.1 million, after underwriters' discounts and commissions.

In addition, Sprint has exercised its preemptive rights to purchase 173,635,000 shares of Class B Common Stock and a corresponding number of Class B units in Clearwire Communications LLC, which will provide Clearwire with an additional $331.4 million in net proceeds. The total net new capital available to Clearwire following today's closings is $715.5 million.

"This equity raise is a critical step for Clearwire to achieve its long-term business plan of creating the first wide-channel TDD-LTE 4G network in the U.S.," said Erik Prusch, president and CEO of Clearwire. "The added resources will enable us to continue delivering 4G mobile broadband service to meet the rapidly growing demand in the industry. We remain ideally and uniquely positioned to serve both wholesale and retail customers well into the future."

On December 1, 2011, Clearwire and Sprint announced agreements whereby, among other things, Sprint committed to provide additional equity funding to Clearwire in connection with a public offering meeting certain requirements. Today's exercise of preemptive rights by Sprint satisfies its commitment.

Clearwire plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate and working capital purposes, including the deployment of mobile 4G LTE technology alongside the mobile 4G WiMAX technology currently on its network, and for the operation and maintenance of its networks, and to pay fees and expenses associated with this offering.

J.P. Morgan, BofA Merrill Lynch and Jefferies acted as joint book-running managers for this offering.

The offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering was made only by means of the written prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A copy of the prospectus and prospectus supplement related to the offering may be obtained by contacting: J.P. Morgan, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, or by calling toll-free at 1-866-803-9204, or BofA Merrill Lynch, 4 World Financial Center, New York, New York, 10080, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at [e-mail], or Jefferies, Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, at 520 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022, at 877-547-6340 and at [e-mail].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.



... Die USA haben längst ihre industrielle Basis verloren. Präsident Barack Obama preist inzwischen selbst Siemens als ein Vorbild für die eigenen Großkonzerne à la General Electric. Die Vereinigten Staaten rühmen sich zwar ihrer IT- und Internet-Giganten Apple, Google, Facebook und Amazon. Doch die Großen Vier haben mehr Arbeitsplätze in Taiwan oder China geschaffen als in ihrer Heimat. Sie allein können die Erosion der amerikanischen Mittelschicht nicht stoppen.

Neue Jobs entstehen nur, wenn die Wirtschaft stark expandiert. Genau das tut sie aber nicht. Das „Wall Street Journal“ beklagt ein „anämisches Wirtschaftswachstum“ von gerade einmal 1,7 Prozent. Daran dürfte sich so schnell nichts ändern. Auch wenn die Regierung offiziell noch von einer jährlichen fünfprozentigen Wachstumsrate im Jahr 2015 träumt. Die Verantwortlichen sollten besser rasch aufwachen: Derart explosionsartig legte die US-Wirtschaft zum letzten Mal im Jahr 1984 zu – nach einer Doppel-Rezession und Rekordzinsen von bis zu 18 Prozent.

Marode Strukturen

Die amerikanische Infrastruktur – Straßen, Schienen, Telefon, Internet – ist in einem erbärmlichen Zustand. Edward Luce, langjähriger US-Korrespondent der „Financial Times“ nennt sie „einer Industrienation nicht würdig“. Sein Lieblingsbeispiel: Das eigentlich schnelle Breitband-Internet ist in den Vereinigten Staaten so langsam, dass sie auf Platz 29 der 34 Mitgliedsstaaten der OECD rangieren. „Selbst die bedauernswerten Griechen können“, so Luce, „schneller surfen als die Amerikaner“. Das zu ändern, dazu fehlt der Noch-Nummer-Eins der Welt schlicht das Geld.
...

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UPDATE2: Deutsche Telekom muss in den USA neu planen

-- AT&T zieht Übernahmeangebot für T-Mobile USA zurück

-- Grund ist Widerstand von US-Justizministerium und Aufsichtsbehörde FCC

-- Dt Telekom erhält 3 Mrd USD Break-up Fee sowie Mobilfunkfrequenzen und Roamingvereinbarung

-- Telekom prüft Optionen für T-Mobile USA

(NEU: finanzielle Belastung für die Deutsche Telekom)

Anton Troianovski
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Der Deal war von Anfang an heftig umstritten und am Ende war der Druck zu groß: Die Milliardenfusion von T-Mobile USA und AT&T ist geplatzt. Der amerikanische Telekomkonzern zog sein 39 Mrd USD schweres Übernahmeangebot für die Tochter der Deutschen Telekom zurück. Der Bonner DAX-Konzern will nun die Optionen für seine Tochter prüfen. Marktbeobachter hatten bereits in den vergangenen Wochen über einen Plan B der Telekom spekuliert.

Die Deutsche Telekom begründete das Scheitern mit dem umfassenden Widerstand des amerikanischen Justizministeriums sowie der Aufsichtsbehörde für den Telekommunikationsmarkt FCC. Dieser Druck habe die Durchsetzung der Transaktion immer weniger wahrscheinlich erscheinen lassen.

Damit bleibt der Bonner DAX-Konzern zwar zunächst auf seiner seit geraumer Zeit kriselnden Tochter sitzen. Die vereinbarte Vertragsstrafe gibt dem Unternehmen jedoch eine Atempause. Für die Auflösung des im März geschlossenen Kaufvertrages zahlt AT&T voraussichtlich noch in diesem Jahr 3 Mrd USD. Darüber hinaus erhält die Telekom Mobilfunklizenzen, unter anderem in begehrten Märkten wie Los Angeles, Dallas und Washington, und darf das AT&T-Netz mitnutzen. Dank dieser mehrjährigen Roamingvereinbarung könne T-Mobile USA künftig mehr Regionen in den USA abdecken.

Ins Kontor schlägt der Fehlschlag dennoch. Im vierten Quartal werde eine Belastung von mehr als 1 Mrd EUR gebucht, sagt ein Telekom-Sprecher. Ursächlich seien Abschreibungen bei T-Mobile USA, die nicht verbucht worden seien, als die Sparte als "discontinued operation" eingestuft wurde.

Die Telekom-Aktie verliert 1,6% auf 8,75 EUR. Im Aktienkurs der Telekom sei ein Abbruch vermutlich schon eingepreist, so die equinet-Analysten bereits vor einigen Tagen.

Der Telekom-Vorstandsvorsitzende Rene Obermann wollte sich in einer Telefonkonferenz nicht dazu äußern, ob der Konzern mit einer anderen Transaktion möglicherweise erfolgreicher gewesen wäre. Es gehe darum, das Geschäft von T-Mobile in den kommenden Quartalen und Jahren zu verbessern.

Obermann warnte, dass die langfristigen Herausforderungen für das US-Mobilfunkgeschäft trotz des vorteilhaften Break-Up-Paktes bestehen bleiben. Zwar erhalte das Unternehmen Frequenzen, doch reiche dies nicht aus, um das Problem zu geringer Mobilfunkspektren langfristig zu lösen. Auch sei die umfassende Einführung eines neuen Netzes infrage gestellt. Die Bonner wollen nun ihre Optionen prüfen.

Dazu zählt offenbar weiterhin ein Verkauf oder eine Fusion. Denn T-Mobile USA als eigenständiges Unternehmen weiterzuführen werde langfristig nicht als wirtschaftlich rentable Lösung angesehen, sagten mit der Sache vertraute Personen. Denkbar sei ein Zusammenschluss mit dem kleineren Wettbewerber Leap Wireless International, dem sechstgrößten Anbieter in den USA, hieß es. Laut Analysten dürfte ein neuer Käufer aber kaum bereit sein, so viel auf den Tisch zu legen wie AT&T.

Marktteilnehmer hatten in den vergangenen Tagen bereits über Alternativen spekuliert, unter anderem über ein Zusammengehen mit Sprint Nextel. Das dürfte laut Adrian Pehl von equinet aber unwahrscheinlich sein, weil eine solche Transaktion an den gleichen kartellrechtlichen Vorbehalten der Wettbewerbshüter scheitern dürfte. Auch ein Börsengang oder ein Komplettverkauf scheinen ihm kaum realisierbar. "Schließlich tut sich die Telekom schon seit Jahren schwer mit Erfolgen in dem Markt und kleinere Konkurrenten wie Leap oder Dish könnten wegen der Größe von T-Mobile USA allenfalls Teile erwerben", sagte Pehl noch vor einer Woche. Viel wahrscheinlicher sei es, dass die Telekom die Vertragsstrafe einstreiche und über eine Netzkooperation mit AT&T verhandele, sagte der Analyst voraus.

Über eine solche gemeinsame Nutzung von Mobilfunknetzen hat laut Unternehmenskreisen auch die Telekom selbst bereits Überlegungen angestellt. Als Vorbild könnte ein Netz-Joint-Venture auf dem britischen Markt gelten, bei dem die Telekom sich mit France Telecom zusammengetan hatte. Zudem wäre laut Kreisen eine Fusion mit kleineren Anbietern oder ausländischen Konzernen eine verfolgenswerte Alternative. Auch eine Kapitalspritze von Investoren sei nicht ausgeschlossen.

Mit dem AT&T-Deal hatte sich die Deutsche Telekom zur Freude ihrer Aktionäre einer ihrer größten Baustellen entledigen wollen. T-Mobile USA ist die Nummer vier am US-Mobilfunkmarkt und hatte seit geraumer Zeit mit Gegenwind zu kämpfen. Im Gegensatz zu den Wettbewerbern AT&T, Sprint und Verizon Wireless errichtet das Unternehmen kein eigenes neues Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetz und ist zudem der einzige nationale Anbieter, der nicht das Apple-iPhone im Angebot hat. Wegen der Unsicherheit um die geplante Übernahme gingen in den vergangenen neun Monaten knapp 850.000 Vertragskunden von der Fahne, während AT&T 712.000 Kunden gewinnen konnte.

Die beiden Konzerne argumentierten bisher für ihren Zusammenschluss, das der amerikanische Markt dadurch besser mit schnellen Mobilfunknetzen versorgt werde und Arbeitsplätze geschaffen würden. Kritiker hatten angemahnt, dass nach einem Zusammenschluss der Nr. 2 und 4 auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt mehr als drei Viertel aller Verträge entweder in der Hand von AT&T oder dem Wettbewerber Verizon seien. Das US-Justizministerium hatte gegen die Transaktion geklagt.

-von Aton Troianovski, The Wall Street Journal;
[phone], [e-mail]
(Philipp Grontzki und Axel Wölk haben zu dem Artikel beigetragen)
DJG/DJN/sha/kla/bam


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 20, 2011 08:10 ET (13:10 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

© 2011 Dow Jones News

[teecee1]

Exclusive: Falcone's wireless company running out of cash
Matthew Goldstein, Reuters December 20, 2011, 7:40 am


Reuters © Enlarge photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The upstart wireless company that is being bankrolled by Philip Falcone's $5 billion Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund could run out of money during the second quarter of 2012, according to the company's financial statement.

LightSquared, which registered a $427 million net loss during the first nine months of this year, may not be able to "continue as a going concern" unless it can raise additional capital and financing, the statement reviewed by Reuters said.

"There is a need to raise substantial capital beyond the beginning of the second quarter of 2012 in order to have sufficient liquidity," the company's statement said.

It's been no secret in the telecom world that LightSquared is in need of cash, but the financial statement paints a fairly bleak outlook for the Reston, Virginia-based company. A failure of LightSquared would be another jolt to investors in Falcone's hedge fund, which has committed more than $3 billion in equity and loan commitments to the company. Falcone gained fame after making billions in 2007 by shorting subprime mortgages.

A spokesman for LightSquared said the company "has cash through the next several quarters." A person familiar with LightSquared said the company does not need any additional money until the Federal Communication Commission rules on a company plan for dealing with potential interference issues with global positioning systems. It is not clear when the FCC will rule.

A Harbinger's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

In July, Falcone's hedge fund loaned about $184 million to LightSquared in return for warrants that can be converted into 2.9 million shares of LightSquared stock, according to the financial statement.

New York-based Harbinger already is LightSquared's largest equity holder - owning all but a small sliver of the company.

Falcone's big bet on wireless has always been a risky one given that the telecom space is one with a history of failure and usually requires significant sums of cash to become operational. But Falcone began raising money for LightSquared at a time the capital markets remained less than hospitable to risky ventures and the network has been plagued by concerns it could interfere with GPS for planes and the military.

The financial statement notes that in the next year LightSquared has "significant cash commitments" including making a $500 million to $700 million payment to its network partner Sprint Nextel and making $310 million in payments to some of the wireless telecom's debt holders.

"If the company fails to obtain the necessary financing on a timely basis, the execution of the company's business strategy could be materially delayed, costs could materially increase or the company may have to discontinue operations or seek a purchaser for the business or assets," according to the September 30 financial statement.

The financial statement reports LightSquared, which plans to provide high-speed 4G wireless broadband services to all corners of the United States, generated just $30 million in revenues during the first nine months of the year.

GPS INTERFERENCE

The wireless company has $4.64 billion in assets, of which the most valuable are its licenses to operate in various broadcast spectrums. The company currently values those licenses at $2.44 billion.

Lack of cash is not the only problem facing LightSquared. Opposition to LightSquared's planned network roll-out continues to grow on Capitol Hill, over concern that the company's available broadcast spectrum will cause interference with global positioning systems used by the Department of Defense and the aviation industry.

LightSquared says it has a plan to deal with the potential interference problems, but some of the company's critics are not convinced. On Capitol Hill, Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, is using the GPS issue to press the Federal Communications Commission to release more information about its dealings with the Falcone-backed telecom.

On December 9, Falcone notified investors in his hedge fund that U.S. securities regulators are considering charging him with a number of securities law violations. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission informed Falcone that he could face a civil enforcement action over an allegation his fund engaged in manipulative trading involving an unnamed debt security.

Falcone, in a letter to his investors reviewed by Reuters, said none of the matters the SEC is investigating involve LightSquared.
(Reporting by Matthew Goldstein; editing by Claudia Parsons and Jennifer Ablan)

[teecee1]

20.12.2011, 16:58
T-Mobile USA
Obermanns B-Optionen


© Bild: 2011 Bloomberg

Weiterwursteln, kooperieren, zerschlagen: Die Alternativen zu AT&T klingen alle nach „Geht so“. Dennoch wird entscheidend, für welche der Telekom-Chef sich entscheidet – und wie er sie den Aktionären verkauft. von Arndt Ohler und Andreas Albert

Die amerikanischen Wettbewerbshüter feiern das Scheitern der Übernahme von T-Mobile USA als Sieg für die Mobilfunknutzer. "Die Kunden sind die Gewinner", sagte die oberste Kartellwächterin Sharis Pozen am späten Montag. "Hätte AT&T tatsächlich T-Mobile übernommen, hätten den Kunden höhere Preise und verschleppte Innovationen gedroht."

Jetzt muss sich sich die Konzernmutter Deutsche Telekom Alternativen für ihre schwächelnde Tochter überlegen. Der Konzern selbst sieht unmittelbar keinen Handlungsdruck, will aber längerfristig wegen eines teuren Netzausbaus nach Lösungen suchen. Die US-Tochter steuerte in den ersten neun Monaten mit 10,9 Mrd. Euro rund ein Viertel zum Telekom-Gesamtumsatz von 43,7 Mrd. Euro bei.

Das Justizministerium hatte Ende August gegen den 39 Mrd. Dollar schweren Verkauf geklagt, denn von vier landesweit vertretenen Mobilfunkern wären nur drei übrig geblieben, neben AT&T noch Verizon Wireless und die wesentlich kleinere Sprint. "Ein wichtiger Konkurrent bleibt im Markt", sagte der stellvertretende Justizminister James Cole zu T-Mobile USA. Die Deutschen gelten als Preisbrecher.

Der Vorsitzende des Netzregulierers FCC, Julius Genachowski schlug in die gleiche Kerbe. Gleichzeitig verlangte er, dass der US-Kongress zusätzliche Frequenzen für den Mobilfunk freigibt. Vor allem in den Großstädten ist das Netz wegen der inzwischen weit verbreiteten Smartphones häufig überlastet. Mit dem T-Mobile-Kauf hatte AT&T sein eigenes Netz stärken wollen.

Durch die Absage erhält die Telekom von AT&T rund 3 Mrd. Dollar in bar sowie begehrte Funkfrequenzen und darf das Netz des größeren Rivalen mehrere Jahre lang mitnutzen. Fraglich ist, ob das große Abfindungspaket T-Mobile USA in den kommenden Monaten tatsächlich helfen kann, das Geschäft zu verbessern. Denn die Netzqualität ist bereits jetzt vergleichsweise gut.

Dennoch verliert das Unternehmen Quartal für Quartal lukrative Vertragskunden. Eine Ursache ist, dass T-Mobile weiterhin nicht das immens beliebte iPhone von Apple anbieten kann. Die Konkurrenten wie AT&T, Sprint und Verizon hingegen schon. Zudem zielt die Marketingstrategie von T-Mobile auch auf eher preisbewusste Kunden, die oftmals lieber vorausbezahlte Tarife nutzen.

Da die Datennutzung per Handy in den USA noch stärker wächst als zum Beispiel in Deutschland muss sich der Konzern bereits in den kommenden Monaten Gedanken darüber machen, wie er an Mobilfunkfrequenzen kommt, die für den schnellen Übertragungsstandard LTE taugen.

Bislang hat T-Mobile USA keinen Plan, um sein Mobilfunknetz auf LTE aufzurüsten. Das ist wichtig, da Amerikaner sehr viel mit ihrem Handys ins Internet gehen - Netzzusammenbrüche sind schon heute keine Seltenheit. Der Ausbau in dem Riesenland wird allerdings teuer. Die Möglichkeit, hier alles allein zu machen, hatte die Telekom-Führung bis zum AT&T-Deal immer wieder diskutiert, war damit aber bei ihren Aktionären auf wenig Begeisterung gestoßen. Großaktionär DWS, eine Fondstochter der Deutschen Bank, hatte die Ausbaupläne bereits 2010 als zu riskant und teuer kritisiert.

Vorstellbar wären Kooperationen mit TV-Kabelnetzbetreibern, die zum Teil noch ungenutztes Spektrum besitzen oder mit dem Mobilfunk-Startup Ligtsquared. Der Dienstleister, der ein Satellitengestütztes LTE Netz aufbauen und vermieten will, kämpft selber mit Schwierigkeiten. Zum einen wird das Geld knapp, zum anderen muss das Unternehmen wohl einen Teil seiner Frequenzen abgeben, da diese das GPS-System stören.

Während Deutsche Telekom und AT&T um den Deal kämpften, haben sich gerade in den vergangenen Wochen die Verhältnisse im Markt für dringend benötigte Funkfrequenzen deutlich verschoben. Neben Lightsquared drohen damit auch weitere mögliche Partner wegzubrechen.

Vor wenigen Wochen hat der Mobilfunkkonzern Verizon für 3,6 Mrd. Dollar einem Konsortium bestehend aus Comcast Time Warner Cable und Bright House Networks Mobilfunkfrequenzen abgekauft. Clearwire hat sich vor wenigen Tagen 734 Mio. Dollar frisches Kapital besorgt, was die ersten Nöte beseitigen dürfte.

Die letzte Möglichkeit für die Telekom bestünde nach Meinung der Commerzbank-Analystin Heike Pauls darin, ihre Tochter zu zerschlagen und die wertvollen Funkfrequenzen und die Technik einzeln zu verkaufen.

Die Suche nach einem anderen Fusionspartner dürfte zeitaufwendig werden, da kaum ein anderer Konzern nochmals 39 Mrd. Dollar für T-Mobile USA zahlen werde, sagte LBBW-Experte Stefan Borscheid. "Eine denkbare Option wäre unseres Erachtens eine Netzwerkpartnerschaft mit Clearwire, aber auch eine Zusammenarbeit mit Sprint Nextel erscheint uns denkbar."

Allerdings nutzen der Markt-Dritte Sprint und T-Mobile USA unterschiedliche Mobilfunkstandards, die nicht miteinander vereinbar seien. Bei einer solchen Lösung bliebe die Deutsche Telekom zudem in den USA engagiert - gerade das wollte sie vermeiden. Auf Spekulationen über einen möglichen Verkauf an andere Wettbewerber wollte Telekom-Chef René Obermann am Dienstag nicht eingehen. Ein ähnlich potenter Käufer wie AT&T ist weit und breit nicht in Sicht, und selbst eine Kooperation mit dem drittgrößten Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint dürfte auf das Missfallen der Wettbewerbshüter stoßen, die gerne den Status quo beibehalten würden.

Angesichts der wenigen Alternativen scheine ein Komplettverkauf etwa an einen Finanzinvestor nicht ausgeschlossen, sagte Borscheid weiter. Egal für welche Lösung sich Obermann nach einem Platzen des AT&T-Geschäfts entscheidet, es würde schwer für ihn, sie zu verkaufen. Denn alle Optionen hatte die Telekom noch im März als untauglich bezeichnet, um den Verkauf des US-Geschäfts an AT&T zu rechtfertigen.

... ... 3 Mrd. ... T-Mobile bekommt 250 Mio. Anteile für $3 ...

... To the Stockholders of Clearwire Corporation:

This Notice and the accompanying Information Statement are being furnished to the stockholders of Clearwire Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with action taken by the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding voting securities of the Company, by written consent dated December 7, 2011, approving the amendment of the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company from 1,500,000,000 to 2,000,000,000 and the number of authorized shares of Class B Common Stock of the Company from 1,000,000,000 to 1,400,000,000, in connection with possible offering(s) contemplated by the shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 5, 2011. The Company anticipates that the actions to be taken pursuant to the written consent will be taken on or about January 9, 2012, 20 days plus one business day after the mailing of this Information Statement. ...

Outstanding

... 1.29 B .. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.436.920 von teecee1 am 04.12.11 21:45:23

SPRINT NEXTEL - Bald ein Penny Stock?
von Reinhard Scholl
Montag 09.01.2012, 18:20 Uhr

Sprint Nextel Corp - Kürzel: S - ISIN: US8520611000

Börse: NYSE in USD / Kursstand: 2,19 $

Rückblick: Vom Jahreshoch 2011 bei 6,45 $ bis zum aktuellen Kurs hat sich der Wert der Sprint Nextel Aktie fast gedrittelt. Dabei folgt die Aktie einer Abwärtstrendlinie und notiert nur knapp über einer Unterstützungszone bei etwa 2,15 $. Auch die 50 Tage EMA-Durchschnittslinie bildet eine obere Begrenzung, die der Aktienkurs in den letzten Monaten nicht überwinden konnte.

Die Unterstützung bei 2,15 $ wurde bereits zweimal getestet und der Kurs unternimmt aktuell einen neuen Anlauf gegen diese Linie.

Charttechnischer Ausblick: Der Abwärtstrend ist weiterhin intakt. Wird nun mit Notierungen unter 2,10 $ die Unterstützung unterschritten, so könnte eine weitere Verkaufswelle starten und den Kurs bis 1,57 $ fallen lassen. Hält diese Unterstützung auch nicht, so dürfte direkt das Allzeittief bei 1,35 $ angelaufen werden.

Erst bei einem Kurs ab 2,55 $ haben die Bullen wieder etwas Luft. Die Abwärtstrendlinie wäre klar gebrochen und ebenso die 50 Tage EMA-Durchschnittslinie. Sollten die Käufer die Aktie über die Marke von 3,00 $ hieven, so könnte eine Rally bis 3,90 $ gezündet werden.

Kursverlauf vom 02.05.2011 bis 09.01.2012 (log. Kerzendarstellung / 1 Kerze = 1 Tag)

[teecee1]

13.01.2012
Smartphones aus der Wüste deuten Trends für 2012 an

CES 2012: Der amerikanische Smartphone-Markt zeigte in den vergangenen Monaten einen zunehmend einheitlichen Systemstandard: ARM-Prozessoren und Android-Betriebssysteme. Doch auf der CES-Messe haben sich Microsoft ebenso wie Intel lautstark zurückgemeldet. Und das nicht nur mit Nokia-Handy nebst Windows Phone-Betriebssystem, sondern auch mit neuen Intel-Prozessoren.

VDI nachrichten, Las Vegas, 13. 1. 12, rb

Im Vorfeld der diesjährigen CES wurde kaum mit spektakulären Ankündigungen im Mobilfunkbereich gerechnet, denn der für diese Branche wesentlich wichtigere Mobile World Congress (MWC) findet bereits Ende Februar statt. Somit gingen Experten nur von ein paar Neuvorstellungen von Handymodellen für den US-Markt aus, während die großen Trends wenige Wochen später in Barcelona folgen sollten.

Doch die Aussteller auf der CES 2012 hatten so manche Überraschung im Gepäck, die aufzeigt, welche neuen Dimensionen die Verbraucher künftig bei Smartphones erwarten.

Die erste große Überraschung waren zwei Ankündigungen von Nokia und HTC. Beide stellten neue Smartphones mit Windows Phone und LTE-Unterstützung vor, die "in den kommenden Monaten" - allerdings nur in den USA - auf den Markt kommen werden. Sowohl das finnische Lumia 900 als auch das taiwanesische Titan 2 überzeugen durch neue Features und Komponenten. So verfügen beide über zwei Kameras, so dass sie sich besonders gut für Videokonferenzen eignen. HTCs Rückkamera hat eine Auflösung von 16 Megapixel - mehr als die meisten kompakten Digitalkameras aufweisen können.

Der Provider für beide Smartphones ist vorerst AT&T, doch Nokia-Chef Stephen Elop sagte auf Nachfrage in der Pressekonferenz, dass man sich "Verträge mit weiteren Providern offenhält". Nokia hat bereits zwei Windows-Phone-Systeme in den USA im Angebot, die über T-Mobile als Provider vertrieben werden.

Die zweite große Überraschung im Bereich Smartphones kam dann von Intel und Lenovo. In der Keynote von Intel kündigte Lenovos Präsident Liu Jun deren erstes Smartphone an, das auf Intels Atom-Prozessor-Plattform basiert. Das Handy hat einen 4,5-Zoll-Bildschirm mit einer 720p-Video-Auflösung, unterstützt den erweiterten UMTS-Standard HSPA+ und nutzt Android 4.5. Das Gerät soll in der zweiten Jahreshälfte in China auf den Markt kommen.

Auch Motorola arbeitet dem Vernehmen nach an einem System mit diesem Intel-Prozessor. Dieses Gerät soll zum Jahresende in den USA verfügbar sein. Intels Medfield-Atom-Plattform hat eine x86-Architektur, arbeitet mit einem sog. Zwei-Thread-Prozessor, der mit 1,6 GHz getaktet ist. Das deutet also darauf hin, dass möglicherweise schon bald leistungsstärkere Standardprozessoren in den Smartphones anzutreffen sind.

Interessant ist an dieser Neuankündigung auch, dass Intel mit der Kombination eines x86-Prozessors und dem Android-Betriebssystem ein Gegenschlag zu den bisherigen Kombinationen vom Betriebssystem Android und ARM-Prozessoren von Texas Instruments, Qualcomm und Nvidia gelungen ist. Sollte die Intel-Android-Kombination in puncto Leistung und Stromverbrauch mit den ARM-Android-Systemen mithalten können, wäre das für Intel ein bedeutender Schritt zum Wiedereinstieg in die Mobilfunkwelt.

Am oberen Ende der Handyneuvorstellungen aus US-Sicht befand sich Samsungs Galaxy Note, das jedoch schon auf der IFA in Berlin zu sehen war. Mit dem 5,3 Zoll großen Bildschirm und seiner Auflösung von 1280 x 800 Pixel verwischen die Grenzen zum Tablet-PC.

Einen Frischling dagegen brachte Sonys neue Mobilfunksparte - frisch getrennt von Ericsson - mit in die Wüste: das Xperia S. Es gehört laut Hersteller zur neuen Serie Xperia NXT - seiner nächsten Smartphone-Generation. Eine Besonderheit des Hightech-Design-Geräts: die verbaute 12-Megapixel-Kamera mit Exmor-R-Sensor soll dafür sorgen, dass sich auch Videos in Full-HD-Qualität aufnehmen lassen.

Und, ein weiterer Wettlauf startete in Las Vegas und wird seine Fortsetzung in in Barcelona finden. Wer produziert das dünnste Smartphone der Welt? So lautet auch in der Handywelt die Herausforderung. Kurz nachdem Fujitsu sein Arrows ES IS12F - pur für den japanischen Markt - mit gerade mal 6,7 mm präsentiert hatte, legte die chinesische Huawei mit dem Ascend P1 und 6,68 mm "Dicke" nach. HARALD WEISS/rb

[teecee1]

China Mobile and Clearwire Announce Agreement on TD-LTE Device Test Specifications and Joint Interoperability Testing Plan

-- Joint Testing Platform and Testing Environment for Global TD-LTE Configuration to Accelerate Development of Global 4G Standard in Conjunction with Other GTI Operators

-- TD-LTE's Broad Global Reach to Billions of Potential Customers Provides Significant Economies of Scale

PR NewswirePress Release: China Mobile Limited – 2 hours 25 minutes ago

HONG KONG and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Mobile (NYSE: CHL, HKEx: 0941), the world's largest mobile network and customer base in the world, and Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq: CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the United States, today announced, in conjunction with the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), an agreement on common test specifications and joint interoperability testing (IOT) for TD-LTE devices in the global band configurations, including 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz. This important step forward will enable the companies to further accelerate development of the TD-LTE device ecosystem, especially in multi-mode, multi-band LTE devices.

Beginning this month, China Mobile, Clearwire and other GTI operators will establish 4G mobile broadband labs featuring a joint test platform and IOT environment for TD-LTE devices. The expected availability of the Quad-Band LTE 2.3-2.7 GHz spectrum range, in addition to certain other bands like 1.9GHz, as well as FDD and TD-LTE mobility interactions, makes it an ideal global configuration for mass 4G marketing worldwide. The labs will allow for the evaluation and qualification of commercial TD-LTE devices simultaneously in the U.S., China, and other promising markets, using common testing methodology, equipment, and infrastructure.

"The unmatched spectrum portfolio underlying Clearwire's planned LTE network has the potential to deliver faster speeds and with greater capacity than any current or proposed 4G network in the United States," said Dr. John Saw, chief technology officer of Clearwire. "Close collaboration with global wireless leader China Mobile accelerates the development of multi-mode multi-band TD-LTE and LTE FDD devices and provides the common test specifications OEMs, ODMs, chipset vendors and other critical component manufacturers need to rapidly develop and commercialize products to serve this massive global marketplace."

"Converged with LTE FDD, TD-LTE has become the major global 4G technology for unpaired spectrum," said Mr. Li Zhengmao, Vice President of China Mobile. "Our goal is to build efficient, low cost common infrastructure and terminal for different global markets with different spectrum to support mobile internet. By closely working with global operators such as Clearwire, we could leverage the experience, expertise, and scale to achieve this goal. This is also the reason why we create GTI and promote it jointly."

Clearwire plans to conduct its TD-LTE common IOT in Phoenix, AZ and Herndon, VA. China Mobile's testing will be carried out in Beijing and other TD-LTE trial cities. The joint test platforms will be open for device IOT by key participants in early 2012.

About China Mobile...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.606.164 von teecee1 am 17.01.12 17:52:36

China Mobile und Clearwire verlautbaren Vereinbarung über Testspezifikationen für TD-LTE-Geräte

Gemeinsamer Interoperabilitäts-Testplan

Hongkong/Washington, 18.01.12 - China Mobile (NYSE: CHL, HKEx: 0941), der weltweit größte Mobilfunkanbieter mit dem weltweit größten Kundenstamm, und Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq: CLWR), ein führender Provider von 4G-Wireless-Breitbandservices in den Vereinigten Staaten, verlautbarten heute, in Verbindung mit der Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), eine Vereinbarung bezüglich gemeinsamer Testspezifikationen und gemeinsamer Interoperabilitätstests (IOT) für TD-LTE-globalen Frequenzbereichen, einschließlich des Bereichs 2,3GHz bis 2,7GHz. Dieser wichtige Schritt ermöglicht es Unternehmen, die Entwicklung des Ökosystems für TD-LTE-Geräte weiter zu beschleunigen, insbesondere bei Multi-mode-, Multi-band-LTE-Geräten.

Ab diesem Monat werden China Mobile, Clearwire und andere GTI-Provider 4G-Mobil-Breitband-Labs einrichten, die über eine gemeinsame Testplattform und eine IOT-Umgebung für TD-LTE-Geräte verfügen. Die erwartete Verfügbarkeit der Quad-Band-LTE-2,3-2,7-GHz-Frequenzbereichsspanne, neben bestimmten anderen Frequenzbereichen wie 1.9GHz, sowie FDD- und TD-LTE-Mobilitäts-Interaktionen, machen dies zu einer perfekten globalen Konfiguration für die weltweite 4G-Massenvermarktung. Die Labs ermöglichen die gleichzeitige Bewertung und Qualifikation kommerzieller TD-LTE-Geräte in den USA, China und anderen vielversprechenden Märkten, die gemeinsame Testmethoden, eine gemeinsame Ausstattung und Infrastruktur verwenden.

"Das einzigartige Frequenzbereich-Portfolio, das dem geplanten LTE-Netzwerk von Clearwire zugrunde liegt, verfügt über das Potential, schnellere Geschwindigkeiten und größere Kapazitäten zu liefern als jedes aktuelle oder geplante 4G-Netzwerk in den Vereinigten Staaten", kommentiert Dr. John Saw, CTO von Clearwire. "Eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit dem global führenden Mobilfunkanbieter China Mobile beschleunigt die Entwicklung von Multi-mode-, Multi-band-TD-LTE- und -LTE-FDD-Geräten und liefert die gemeinsamen Testspezifikationen, die OEMs, ODMs, Chipsatz-Anbieter und andere Hersteller zentraler Komponenten benötigen, um schnell Produkte für diesen riesigen Markt, zu entwickeln und zur Vermarktung zu bringen."

"Zusammen mit LTE-FDD hat sich TD-LTE zur wesentlichen globalen 4G-Technologie im ungepaarten Bereich entwickelt", erläutert Herr Li Zhengmao, Vice President von China Mobile. "Unser Ziel ist es, effiziente, konstengünstige gemeinsame Infrastrukturen und Gateway-Systeme für verschiedene globale Märkte mit unterschiedlichen Frequenzbereichen für mobiles Internet aufzubauen. Indem wir eng mit globalen Netzbetreibern wie Clearwire zusammenarbeiten, könnten wir die Erfahrung, das Fachwissen und Skalenvorteile wirksam nutzen, um dieses Ziel zu erreichen. Dies ist auch der Grund, warum wir GTI gemeinsam schaffen und bewerben."

Clearwire plant, seinen gemeinsamen TD-LTE-IOT in Phoenix, Arizona und Herndon, VA durchzuführen. Die Tests von China Mobile werden in Beijing und anderen TD-LTE-Versuchsstädten durchgeführt. Die gemeinsamen Testplattformen werden für Geräte-IOTs durch zentrale Teilnehmer schon früh im Jahr 2012 zur Verfügung stehen.

Über China Mobile

China Mobile Communications Corporation ("China Mobile") wurde am 20. April 2000 mit einem Grondkapital von 51,8 Mrd. RMB und Assets im Wert von über 1000 Mrd. RMB gegründet und verfügt über das größte Mobilfunknetzwerk und den größten Kundenstamm weltweit.

China Mobile (Hongkong) Group Limited befindet sich zu 100 % im Besitz von China Mobile. China Mobile (Hongkong) Group Limited hält seit dem 31. Dezember 2010 74.21% der Anteile an China Mobile Limited (im Folgenden "börsennotiertes Unternehmen"). Das börsennotierte Unternehmen verfügt über hundertprozentige Tochtergesellschaften in 31 Provinzen (autonome Regionen und Bezirke) sowie in der Sonderverwaltungszone Hongkong. China Mobile Limited war ein an der New Yorker Börse und an der Börse von Hongkong börsennotiertes Unternehmen. Gegenwärtig ist China Mobile Limited das nach seinem Marktwert weltweit größte Telekommunikationsunternehmen.

China Mobile ist seit 11 aufeinanderfolgenden Jahren eines der “Fortune Global 500”-Unternehmen des US-amerikanischen Magazins “Fortune” und landete beim letzten Ranking auf Platz 87 der weltweit umsatzstärksten Unternehmen. Aufgrund seines wachsenden Markenwerts wurde es von der “Financial Times” in 6 aufeinanderfolgenden Jahren als eine der weltweit stärksten Marken aufgeführt. Des Weiteren wurde das Unternehmen in 4 aufeinanderfolgenden Jahren in den Dow Jones Sustainability Index einbezogen – das einzige Unternehmen vom chinesischen Festland.

Über Clearwire

Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq: CLWR) ist durch seine Betriebsniederlassungen ein führender Anbieter von mobilen Breitbandservices. Das 4G-Netzwerk von Clearwire versorgt aktuell Regionen in den USA, die von über 130 Mio. Menschen bewohnt werden. Die Mischung aus dem All-IP-Netzwerk von Clearwire und bedeutenden Frequenzbereichbeständen bietet eine unvergleichliche Kombination aus Schnelligkeit und Mobilität bei der Versorgung mit Zugang zu hochmodernen Breitbandservices. Das Unternehmen vertreibt seine 4G-Services durch sein eigenes Markenzeichen CLEAR® sowie durch seine Großhandelsbeziehung mit Unternehmen wie Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Locus Telecommunications, Cbeyond, Mitel, Best Buy und United Online. Strategische Investoren umfassen Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable sowie Brigdht House Networks. Der Hauptsitz von Clearwire befindet sich in Bellevue, Wash.

Forward-Looking Statements (“zukunftsbezogene Aussagen”) ...

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Clearwire and Simplexity MVNO Services Announce New Wholesale and MVNE Agreement

GlobeNewswirePress Release: Clearwire Corporation – 39 minutes ago

-- Clearwire Adds 4G Mobile Broadband to Simplexity's Product Line-Up

-- Simplexity MVNO Services Becomes Clearwire's Preferred Provider of Third-party Branded Services

-- Simplexity MVNE Capabilities to be Offered to Clearwire's Wholesale Customer Base

RESTON, Va. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., and Simplexity MVNO Services, a fully integrated Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE), today announced the formation of a strategic wholesale relationship whereby Simplexity will become an authorized reseller of Clearwire's 4G mobile broadband service, Clearwire's preferred MVNE and Clearwire's preferred provider for Third-party Branded Services. Commercial service is slated to be available later this year.

As Clearwire's preferred provider of Third-party Branded Services, Simplexity will become a wholesale customer on Clearwire's 4G network for the purpose of offering private-branded mobile broadband services. Simplexity's MVNO support services will allow organizations to offer their customers private branded and customized wireless plans with a turnkey approach that reduces time to market, effort and cost needed to reach the more than 130 million potential customers covered by the Clearwire 4G network. By leveraging Simplexity's customizable MVNO platform, its partners can realize the benefits of having unique wireless offers and rate plans without the need to become an MVNO.

Furthermore, Simplexity will become Clearwire's preferred MVNE and an authorized reseller in support of Clearwire's growing 4G wholesale business. Under the agreement, Simplexity will deliver its comprehensive services platform to the wide range of existing Clearwire MVNOs to enable rapid deployment and ongoing management of their wireless programs. A Clearwire MVNO has the flexibility of choosing between Simplexity's end-to-end turnkey solution and a customized solution tailored to their specific needs. In either case, Simplexity's extensive industry experience provides the expertise, while its scale and proven systems provide the cost savings, both of which are critical for an MVNO to succeed.

Simplexity's services include sales and order acquisition, activation and provisioning, distribution and logistics, billing and subscriber lifecycle management, customer care and management analytics. Simplexity currently provides services for national retailers, online retailers, telecommunications providers, OEMs, direct marketing organizations and affinity groups.

"We are very excited about our agreement with Clearwire. Their proven 4G track record, deep spectrum portfolio and broad portfolio of existing and potential MVNO partners creates a tremendous opportunity to expand our offerings to a wide range of current and potential 4G wholesale customers," said Terry Hsu, president of Simplexity MVNO Services. "By allowing our partners the choice to become a direct wholesale customer of Clearwire or to leverage our customizable private branded platform, Simplexity will make it easy for any organization to offer Clearwire's 4G service to its customers. With the rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband service, now is the perfect time for companies to create incremental revenue opportunities and cultivate customer loyalty with branded wireless service offerings."

"The reach and unparalleled scalability of Clearwire's 4G mobile broadband network offers a very competitive platform to carriers and businesses across a wide range of industries seeking to grow rapidly in an increasingly mobile-centric world," said Don Stroberg, president of strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "Simplexity's ability to offer MVNE services adds a new level of choice and flexibility that will make it even easier for potential wholesale partners seeking a simple back office solution to support their 4G product offerings."

Simplexity 4G Experience

The 4G customer experience using Clearwire's mobile broadband network will be similar to Wi-Fi but without the short-range limitations. Clearwire's network uses a wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi because it provides service areas measured in miles, not feet. Simplexity's 4G service will offer average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps, with bursts over 10 mbps*, using the Clearwire network. Clearwire's 4G network is currently available in more than 70 cities across the U.S. where approximately 133 million people live.

About Simplexity MVNO Services

Simplexity MVNO Services is a subsidiary of Simplexity, the leading provider of solutions for the wireless industry. Using its proprietary integrated technology platform, Simplexity MVNO provides both turnkey and customized Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) solutions for MVNOs. Our services include User Experience, Order Processing, Activation and Provisioning, Equipment Procurement and Logistics, Billing, Customer Service, and Management Analytics. Simplexity MVNO also provides its partners the ability to offer customized, private branded wireless services to their customers for a fraction of the time and cost usually associated with launching an MVNO. For more information about Simplexity MVNO, please go to www.Simplexity.com.

About Clearwire...

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Clearwire Reports Selected Preliminary Fourth Quarter 2011 Results

GlobeNewswirePress Release: Clearwire Corporation – 6 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported selected preliminary financial and operating results for fourth quarter 2011.

* Record quarterly revenues of approximately $362 million are estimated for fourth quarter 2011, representing a more than doubling of revenues from the prior year's fourth quarter. Retail revenues are estimated to be approximately $198 million and wholesale revenues are estimated to be approximately $164 million for the period, representing 1% and 20% sequential growth, respectively, over third quarter 2011 retail and wholesale revenues.

* Fourth quarter 2011 net wholesale subscriber additions are expected to total approximately 900,000, resulting in approximately 9.1 million ending wholesale subscribers, or 11% growth over third quarter 2011 ending wholesale subscribers. Combined with approximately 1.3 million retail subscribers at the end of the year, the company expects total subscribers at December 31, 2011 to be approximately 10.4 million, representing approximately 140% year over year growth. These results reflect 2.9% wholesale churn and 3.9% retail churn in fourth quarter 2011.

* Fourth quarter 2011 aggregate usage by wholesale customers increased approximately 22% compared to third quarter 2011, driven primarily by growth in aggregate smartphone usage, which increased approximately 30% over the same period. Total 4G network usage by wholesale and retail customers increased 165% during 2011.

* As a result of the growth of its subscriber base and increased network traffic, in conjunction with reductions in cash operating expenses, the Company estimates that fourth quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA is positive and improved more than 140% sequentially as compared to the Adjusted EBITDA loss reported in third quarter 2011.

* The Company estimates that cash and cash equivalents and investments at December 31, 2011 were approximately $1.11 billion compared to $711 million at September 30, 2011. Excluding net proceeds from the issuance of additional shares of $716 million and payment of $237 million interest on debt in December, the Company estimates that cash utilized during fourth quarter 2011 was approximately $82 million.

The above amounts are subject to the finalization of the company's fourth quarter and annual 2011 results. The company plans to release full fourth quarter and annual 2011 financial results in the coming weeks. ...

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Clearwire Communications LLC to Offer Senior Secured Notes

GlobeNewswirePress Release: Clearwire Corporation – 7 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News) today announced that its operating subsidiary, Clearwire Communications LLC ("Clearwire Communications"), intends to offer $300 million aggregate principal amount of first-priority senior secured notes (the "Notes"). The Notes will be senior secured obligations of the Company and will be guaranteed on a first-priority lien basis by certain of the Company's domestic subsidiaries.

The Notes will be offered to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ...

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Verizon (VZ), ATT (T) And More U.S. Wireless Carriers Scramble To Grab More Spectrum To Meet Skyrocketing Demand For Faster Data Transfer; Failed Merger With T-Mobile (DTE.DE) May Send Carriers To Companies Like Clearwire (CLWR) Or DISH (DISH)



Wall Street TranscriptWall Street Transcript – 2 hours 37 minutes ago

Companies: | Clearwire Corporation | Dish Network Corp. | Sprint Nextel Corp.

67 WALL STREET, New York - January 25, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Wireless Communications & Telecom Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This Wireless Communications & Telecom report contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling [phone] or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: 4G LTE and 3G Infrastructure Upgrades - Wireless Carriers Compete for Spectrum - Smartphone Operating Systems - Emerging Markets Growth Shifts to Data ARPU

Companies include: TriQuint Semiconductor (TQNT); U.S. Cellular (USM); AT&Ts (T); America Movil (AMX); Apple (AAPL); Atmel (ATML); Boingo (WIFI); Broadcast International (BCST); Broadcom (BRCM); Cavium (CAVM); CenturyTel (CTL); Cincinnati Bell (CBB); Cisco (CSCO); ClearOne (CLRO); Clearwire (CLWR); DISH (DISH) and many more.

In the following brief excerpt from the Wireless Communications & Telecom report, expert analysts discuss the outlook for the sector and for investors.

Jonathan Chaplin joined Credit Suisse in June 2009 as Senior Analyst covering the telecommunications services sector. Mr. Chaplin has been recognized as Best on The Street among telecom Analysts by The Wall Street Journal, second for stockpicking among telecom Analysts by Forbes magazine and as a leading stockpicker among Analysts covering all industries by Institutional Investor magazine. In addition, he was named as a runnerup in the Institutional Investor All-America Research team rankings. Before joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Chaplin was a Director and Senior Analyst covering the telecommunications, cable and DBS sectors at JPMorgan. Before joining equity research, Mr. Chaplin was an Investment Banker in the telecom media and technology group and the mergers and acquisitions group at JPMorgan. In addition to investment banking and equity research experience, he has direct industry experience consulting to telecommunications companies. Mr. Chaplin also started and ran several entrepreneurial ventures, including a magazine and two restaurants. Mr. Chaplin holds a B.A. and an LLB, J.D. equivalent, from the University of Cape Town.

TWST: What are the major investment themes you are watching in the communication services sector right now?

Mr. Chaplin: There are a couple of the big themes that we're watching right now. One is the evolution of data demand and the impact that has on spectrum, and how having or not having spectrum might shift competitive dynamics in the industry. That's probably one of the biggest themes that we're focused on at the moment. I think it has huge implications for the industry going forward. A secondary theme that we're focused on is the evolution of the prepaid space. Our view is that as share shifts from postpaid to prepaid, we're going to see the competitive dynamics in that piece of the industry shift interestingly as well.

TWST: When you talk about spectrum and companies that have it and companies that don't, is there still spectrum up for grabs or is ownership established?

Mr. Chaplin: There is about 500 megahertz of spectrum which has been issued that's mostly in the hands of the carriers, and it's not nearly enough to handle all the demand that is out there now. AT&T, for instance, cited the need to get their hands on more spectrum as their primary reason for attempting an acquisition of T-Mobile (DTE.DE). That, obviously, didn't go through. They now need to seek spectrum from alternative sources. Verizon has been just through a whole slew of spectrum acquisitions, most recently their acquisition of 20 megahertz of almost nationwide spectrum from the cable companies. They had done some transactions right before that with Leap, and some other small transactions recently. AT&T, separate from the T-Mobile acquisition, bought a bunch of spectrum from Qualcomm (QCOM). You've basically got a land grab for spectrum going on right now, and there is very limited supply, and it has interesting implications for a couple of companies.

Clearwire (CLWR) is the one company out there with massive amounts of unused spectrum, and we think that their spectrum is going to increase in value significantly as data demand increases. DISH (DISH) has also managed to get their hands on a significant chunk of really valuable spectrum, which puts them in a very interesting position in the industry as well. But outside of those, Clearwire's unused spectrum, DISH's unused spectrum, there is not a lot else out there. LightSquared made a play with spectrum that looks like it's very challenged because of GPS interference issues. Beyond that, we're looking at a multiyear process to reclaim spectrum from other holders like the broadcasters.

TWST: You mentioned that DISH and Clearwire have unused spectrum. Does it look right now as if they are going to use that or are they going to try to sell it to other companies?

Mr. Chaplin: With DISH, it's anybody's guess. They're saying they'd like to use it themselves, and that they are going to build a wireless broadband business, which is possible. That may be their genuine interest. I think a lot of investors speculate that they're looking to sell either their spectrum position or the whole company to somebody like AT&T, who we think urgently needs more spectrum soon, or Verizon or somebody else in the industry.

TWST: So based on where we are right now, who are your top picks in this space and why?

Mr. Chaplin: I think the two most interesting names in this space in the near term are Clearwire, whom we've already talked about, and MetroPCS (PCS), and both on a similar theme. These are two companies that had a really hard time in 2011. From a stock performance perspective, they really got hammered. In the case of Clearwire, we think with the breakdown of the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, there's going to be a big increase in demand for their spectrum. AT&T is going to need more spectrum. T-Mobile is going to need more spectrum. Leap and MetroPCS, who had planned to buy spectrum, need more specturm. So it creates a tremendous amount of demand for Clearwire's very scarce asset. In the case of MetroPCS, the reason their stock got destroyed in 2011 was because their capex increased significantly, well above where investors expected it to be. The primary driver of that is because they don't have enough spectrum, they end up having to invest a tremendous amount in capacity on their network. If they had access to more spectrum, their capex requirements would fall dramatically. We think they're going to do a deal with Clearwire to get their hands on more spectrum. So both of those are the two most compelling names in the near term.

The Wall Street Transcript is a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs and research analysts. This Wireless Communications & Telecom report is available by calling [phone] or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

The Wall Street Transcript does not endorse the views of any interviewees nor does it make stock recommendations.

For Information on subscribing to The Wall Street Transcript, please call 800/246-7673

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Clearwire Unveils New CLEAR Spot Voyager and CLEAR Hub Express Modem/Wireless Router for More Ways to Connect to CLEAR 4G Service

New CLEAR Spot Voyager, One of the Smallest 4G Hotspot Devices on the Market, Delivers Enhanced Battery Life

GlobeNewswirePress Release: Clearwire Corporation – 9 hours ago

Bellevue, Wash., Jan. 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR - News), a leading provider of wireless broadband services, today announced the availability of the CLEAR Spot(R) Voyager, a new personal hotspot that offers super-fast speeds, unlimited* 4G usage plans, and compatibility with millions of mobile devices. The company also announced the availability of the CLEAR Hub Express, a combination 4G modem and wireless router to give your home or office high-speed wireless internet.

The CLEAR Spot Voyager gives users everything they need to create a personal hotspot for up to eight wi-fi-enabled devices, at the same time. The CLEAR Spot Voyager offers consumers a battery life greater than six hours*** and a compact form factor at 2.6 inches square. The CLEAR Hub Express provides users 4G internet and is the only piece of equipment needed to set up a 4G internet hotspot in a home or office. With the device's built-in wireless router, users have an instant wi-fi network with no set-up or installation required.

"Clearwire has been a leader in the adoption of the 4G personal hotspot and fixed modem categories since our first product launches in early 2009. We continue to set the pace in the industry by offering innovative products that deliver high-speed 4G Internet service that is easy to set up and affordable," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager - CLEAR. "These devices offer today's mobile and home users, and the millions of wi-fi products in use across the country, even broader access to CLEAR's 4G take-it-with-you internet."

Unlike service plans from traditional wireless carriers which cap data usage, CLEAR offers unlimited* 4G usage plans that do not require long-term service contracts. CLEAR offers unlimited* 4G coverage starting as low as $34.99/mo.** for either a home or mobile plan. CLEAR service is currently available in areas of the United States where approximately 130 million people live. A detailed map of service availability can be found at www.clear.com/coverage.

The New CLEAR Mobile Hotspot and CLEAR Modem/Wireless Router

The CLEAR Spot Voyager is a personal mobile hotspot allowing users to easily and securely share unlimited* super-fast Internet access, anywhere CLEAR has coverage, simultaneously with up to eight wi-fi-enabled devices, including the iPad(R), iPhone(R), iPod(R) touch, laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices. The CLEAR Spot Voyager is manufactured by Infomark and costs $124.99 (plus tax and shipping). The device is 2.6" square, weighs only 2.1 ounces, and runs on a rechargeable battery that provides up to six hours of continuous use.*** The CLEAR Hub Express is a modem and wireless router in one, supporting wi-fi-enabled devices with coverage up to 150 feet away. The CLEAR Hub Express is manufactured by Gemtek, costs $99.99 (plus tax and shipping) and is 6.1" x 9.3" x 3.7". The CLEAR Spot Voyager and CLEAR Hub Express both currently are available online at www.clear.com. ...

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Clearwire to Host Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Financial Results Conference Call

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 2 hours 7 minutes ago

Bellevue, Wash., Jan. 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR - News) plans to announce its fourth quarter and full year 2011 financial results on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. The financial release will be posted at http://investors.clearwire.com at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Clearwire executives will host a conference call and webcast following the release at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

A live broadcast of the conference call will be available online via the company's Investor Relations website located at http://investors.clearwire.com.

Alternatively, interested parties can access the conference call by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States at [phone], at least five minutes prior to the start time.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time February 15 through February 22 by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States by dialing [phone]. The conference ID for the replay is 46495945.

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02-01-2012 16:27
Carriers enjoy rapid rise in LTE handset sales


Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note is among
an increasing number of LTE smartphones sold
in the Korean market. / Korea Times
By Yoon Ja-young

Fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) mobile services are quickly taking up more and more of the market as the number of subscribers here is soon to reach 2 million.

SK Telecom announced Tuesday that the number of its LTE service subscribers has surpassed 1 million becoming the third LTE operator in the world to reach such heights.

Surging steeply since the launch of 4G LTE phones on Sept. 28, the nation’s leading telecommunications company secured 500,000 subscribers in 77 days. It broke the 1 million user mark on Jan. 31, as on average 20,000 people have signed up for new mobile devices daily.

So far only Verizon of the United States and NTT Docomo of Japan can also boast 1 million LTE users.

SK Telecom said it took 8 months for Verizon to reach the 1 million mark, and 12 months for NTT Docomo. Koreans, however, were quick to switch to the new service. “Consumers want to enjoy more convenient mobile services through the dramatically advanced network,” an SK representative said.

Meanwhile LG Uplus, the nation’s smallest mobile carrier, is also benefitting from the LTE boom with subscribers reaching 800,000, Monday. KT, the last Korean carrier to start offering the LTE service, is making efforts to catch up with its competitors.

This month the industry expects figures to reach 2 million to eventually exceed 10 million by the end of this year. Next year, it is expected that there will be more subscribers for LTE than 3G.

The steep increase is a result of the aggressive marketing They have been intensively promoting LTE, which offers five times faster downloads than 3G. The 3G networks have suffered from explosive data traffic growth, ultimately slowing them down.

Mobile carriers are also introducing diverse LTE rates to attract consumers with less purchasing power, such as teenagers and senior citizens.

This is despite the fact that the LTE service was hastily launched before the completion of a nationwide network. Currently SK Telecom offers an LTE service in 28 cities around the country including Seoul. It plans to expand the coverage to 84 cities. LG Uplus, which covers 84 cities, plans to set up a nationwide network by March. KT, currently working on a network in Seoul, aims for nationwide coverage by April. It means in certain areas of the country, LTE subscribers will still have to use a 3G network.

In tandem, consumer complaints are being made at similar speeds. According to the Korea Communications Commission, the telecommunications regulator, the number of complaints filed about LTE services was 160 in January, increasing explosively from December when it received only 19. Most of the dissatisfaction stemmed from the quality of the service not meeting expectations.

[e-mail].k

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LTE infrastructure spending booming, says IHS
Press release; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 1 February 2012]

Global capital spending on LTE technology is projected to reach US$24.3 billion in 2013, nearly triple the US$8.7 billion of 2012, according to IHS iSuppli. LTE infrastructure spending in 2015 will rise to US$36.1 billion, compared to just US$9.0 billion for 3.5G.

The anticipated rapid growth is expected to allow LTE to overtake 3.5G, which will end its five-year run as the dominant category in wireless infrastructure gear spending in 2012, IHS indicated. In 2013, 3.5G infrastructure technology will generate US$19.8 billion in revenues, the research firm estimated.

"While 3.5G remains the dominant air interface technology in the mobile infrastructure market, the 4G LTE space has been gaining momentum," said Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for communications and consumer electronics research at IHS. "This trend started in the second half of 2009 when some wireless operators in Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea started to deploy LTE technology. The number of mobile network operators that are trialing, deploying or commercially operating 4G LTE networks now has grown to about 200 worldwide, up from 160 in 2010. And such widespread support will drive carrier spending on LTE to surpass 3.5G by next year."

For infrastructure manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers, LTE represents a strong revenue growth potential and an opportunity to develop long-term relationships with carriers, IHS pointed out. To this end, manufacturers are developing hardware solutions labeled as "Any G to LTE" that support easy software upgrades to LTE, while maintaining backward compatibility with the legacy 2.5G and 2.75G wireless technologies still in use in some parts of the world.

Like the vendors now competing in the 4G equipment area, silicon suppliers also must be ready to meet the challenges and demands that LTE solutions place on semiconductors and hardware architectures, with suppliers able to deliver price-competitive solutions, IHS noted.

In particular, the 4G networks of the future must evolve to more heterogeneous architectures such as metro cells, which will be used to augment coverage or fill holes in areas of high data traffic. These metro cells - also known as small cells - will be used alongside Wi-Fi hotspots to provide coverage in public spaces, IHS believes.

At present, semiconductor suppliers are trying to address the challenge of metro cells with solutions that reflect their heritage. For instance, Texas Instruments (TI) and Freescale Semiconductor are targeting the metro cell market with digital signal processing (DSP) solutions. Meanwhile, companies like PicoChip and Broadcom are trying to address the same issue with scaled-up versions of their system-on-chip solutions for femto base stations.

To be sure, such solutions will require tremendous flexibility in networking equipment, and the solutions likely will have to be tailored to the needs of the individual operators, IHS said. And even for a given operator, such needs will vary by location, it added.

IHS iSuppli: Global capex by wireless carriers for 4G LTE infrastructure gear (US$b)


Source: IHS iSuppli, compiled by Digitimes, February 2012

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Possible Bullish Inside Day Candle Pattern Detected for Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR)

Written on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 7:33am
By Amy Schwartz

SmarTrend's candlestick scanner has spotted a possible bullish inside day candle pattern in Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) based on the price action in the company's shares. Yesterday's price range of $1.70 and $1.79 is within the prior day's high and low of the day. This trading action often signifies indecision by bulls and bears to drive prices higher or lower and often implies a possible change in trend. Traders and investors interested in shares of Clearwire may want to consider an appropriate entry level in the event a reversal to the upside transpires. It is important to look for confirmation.

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) has potential upside of 84.6% based on a current price of $1.78 and analysts' consensus price target of $3.29. The stock should find initial resistance at its 50-day moving average (MA) of $1.90 and further resistance at its 200-day MA of $2.80.

Clearwire Corporation provides wireless broadband services. The Company operates a wireless network in the United States as well as other countries.

Over the past year, Clearwire has traded in a range of $1.24 to $6.11 and closed yesterday at $1.78, 44% above that low. The 200-day and 50-day moving averages have moved 2.2% lower and 0.23% lower over the past week, respectively.

SmarTrend is tracking the current trend status for Clearwire and will alert subscribers who have CLWR in their portfolio or watchlist when shares have changed trend direction.

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Autor: Björn Brodersen | 06.02.2012 - 09:44
Canalys: Smartphone-Absatz erstmals höher als PC-Verkäufe

Im vergangenen Jahr wurden erstnals mehr Smartphones als PCs verkauft. Nach Angaben der Marktforscher von Canalys lieferten die Hersteller 2011 rund 488 Millionen Smartphones aus, während 415 Millionen PCs, Notebooks, Netbooks und Tablets abgesetzt wurden.

Die Zahl der ausgelieferten Smartphones legte laut Canalys um 62,7 Prozent gegenüber 2010 zu, bei den Rechnern betrug der Zuwachs lediglich 14,8 Prozent. Allerdings gab es bei den Client-PCs Unterschiede je nach Geräteversion: Während beispielsweise die Zahl der verkauften Tablets um 274,2 Prozent anstieg, sank im Jahresvergleich der Absatz von Netbooks um 25,3 Prozent ab. Zudem wurden 2011 nur 2,3 Prozent mehr Desktop-PCs sowie 7,5 Prozent mehr Notebooks als 2010 verkauft.


Smartphone-Markt 2011 | (c) Canalys

Stark im Schlussquartal 2011 zeigte sich vor allem Apple mit 37 Millionen verkauften iPhones und 15,4 Millionen iPads - mehr Smartphones hat bislang kein einzelner Hersteller in einem Quartal verkauft. Im Gesamtjahr verkaufte Apple 93,1 Millionen iPhones - ein Plus von 96 Prozent gegenüber 2010. Samsung lieferte 35,3 Millionen Smartphones im vierten Quartal des vergangenen Jahres und 91,9 Millionen Smartphones im Gesamtjahr aus - 2010 waren es noch insgesamt 24,9 Millionen Smartphones (jeweils ohne die für Google gebauten Nexus-Geräte). Im Vergleich der Betriebssysteme machen laut Canalys Android-Smartphones 49 Prozent aller 2011 verkauften Smartphones aus, dahinter folgen iOS mit 19 Prozent Marktanteil und Symbian mit 16 Prozent.


Smartphone-Markt 2011 | (c) Canalys

Dass die Zahl der ausgelieferten Smartphones die der Client-PCs übertreffe, ist nach Ansicht von Canalys ein "Meilenstein". Innerhalb weniger Jahre habe sich das Smartphone von einem Nischen- zu einem wahren Massenmarktprodukt gemausert. Neben sinkenden Preisen sei auch die gestiegene Nachfrage der Nutzer nach Internetsurfen, Medienkonsum sowie Apps und andere Dienste veranwortlich für die Zunahme der Smartphone-Absatzzahlen. Für 2012 erwarten die Marktforscher ein Abflauen der Zuwächse, da die Hersteller mehr auf ihre Profitabilität achten würden.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.708.492 von teecee1 am 06.02.12 21:06:31

Smart phones overtake client PCs in 2011

- Vendors shipped 488 million smart phones in 2011, compared to 415 million client PCs

Palo Alto, Shanghai, Singapore and Reading – 3 February 2012

http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/smart-phones-overtake-client…

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LTE in USA
Wenn das Smartphone zu schnell (leer) ist
07.02.2012

von Thomas Cloer (Computerwoche-Redakteur)

LTE-Kunden in den USA sind offenbar zunehmend unzufrieden mit der neuesten Mobilfunk-Generation.


Bei so einem Smartphone-Boliden wie dem Galaxy Nexus ist mit
lückenhaftem 4G-Netz der Akku schnell leer...

Aufgrund der lückenhaften Netzabdeckung leert sich nämlich der Akku von Smartphones mit LTE-Modems ungewöhnlich und ungewohnt schnell, wie das "Wall Street Journal" berichtet. Der 25-Jährige Werber David Jacobs aus Los Angeles zum Beispiel hat 4G in seinem niegelnagelneuen Galaxy Nexus von Verizon Wireless wieder abgeschaltet.

"Ich liebe wirklich alles an diesem Telefon, aber sobald ich 4G einschalte, saugt es mir den Akku leer", klagt Jacobs. "Das ist total frustrierend. Warum kann ich kein Phone kriegen, dass einen ganzen Tag durchhält?"

Dem Bericht zufolge ist LTE selbst in Großstädten noch derart schlecht ausgebaut, dass 4G-Smartphones ständig nach einem Signal suchen und damit ihren Akku leeren. Die großen Carrier Verizon Wireless, AT&T und Sprint Nextel investieren in den nächsten zwei bis drei Jahren Milliarden in die Aufrüstung ihrer Netze mit Long Term Evolution. Und sie wollen möglichst viele Kunden auf die neue Technik holen, weil erstens LTE weniger Brandbreite für die Datenübertragung benötigt als 3G / UMTS und zweitens schnellere Download-Geschwindigkeiten die Nutzer zu mehr Downloads und damit teureren Datentarifen verführen sollen.

Gleichzeitig hoffen auch Smartphone-Bauer wie Samsung und Motorola darauf, mit LTE-Endgeräten Apples iPhone (das bislang kein LTE an Bord hat) wenigstens ein bisschen Marktanteil abzuknapsen. Apple war mit seinem iPhone 4S laut comScore der einzige Top-5-Hersteller auf dem US-Markt, der im Schlussquartal 2011 seinen Market Share steigern konnte. Übrigens: Der A5-Chip im 4S taktet nur mit rund 800 Megahertz und damit deutlich langsamer als viele aktuelle "Boliden" der Konkurrenz - dafür hält der Akku im Apple-Telefon aber auch locker mal länger als einen Tag durch.

In den USA nutzten Ende 2011 etwa 6,3 Millionen Mobilfunkkunden LTE; Smartphone-Nutzer gab es hingegen laut Marktforschungsfirma Informa Telecoms & Media gut 138 Millionen. Verizon Wireless erreicht mit seinem 4G-Netz bereits 200 Millionen US-Bürger, AT&T kommt dagegen auf weniger als 80 Millionen. Sprint hat gerade erst mit dem LTE-Ausbau begonnen und bietet "4G" derzeit noch über die Konkurrenztechnik WiMax an, die es aber auslaufen lässt.

Verizon Wireless und Sprint erklärten dem "WSJ" gegenüber, das die Akkulaufzeit von Smartphones mit dem zunehmenden LTE-Ausbau besser werde müsste, weil sich die Telefone dann nicht mehr so häufig ein Signal suchen müssten. AT&T wollte den Bericht nicht kommentieren.

Neben dem noch löchrigen Netz ist ein weiteres Problem, dass die Entwicklung der Akkutechnik nicht mit dem technischen Fortschritt bei den Smartphones Schritt hält. Weil die Kunden immer neue Features und Fähigkeiten verlangen, werden die Telefone immer höher getaktet und die Entwicklung von Betriebssystemen und Apps rapide vorangetrieben. Gleichzeitig erhöht sich die Akkulaufzeit um gerade mal ein Prozent pro Jahr, wie der Experte Carl Howe von der Yankee Group konstatiert.



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Market Maker Surveillance Report. BAC, RAD, CLWR, BX, FTR, QQQ, Highest Net Buy Volume With Lowest Price Friction For Thursday, February 2nd 2012

[ Release Date: 02/02/2012 18:00 PST ]

February 2, 2012 / M2 PRESSWIRE / BUYINS.NET / www.buyins.net, announced today its proprietary Market Maker Friction Factor Report for Thursday. Since October 2008 market makers are now required to be on the bid as much as they are on the offer and for like amounts of stock. This Fair Market Making Requirement is designed to prevent market makers from manipulating stock prices. On Thursday there were 3711 companies with "abnormal" market making, 3392 companies with positive Friction Factors and 2528 companies with negative Friction Factors. Here is a list of the top companies with the highest net buy volume on Thursday and lowest price Friction (bullish). This means that there was more buying than selling in the stocks and their stock prices rose faster with less Friction. Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), RITE AID CORP (NYSE:RAD), Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR), BIOX Corp (NYSE:BX), FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORP (NYSE:FTR), (NASDAQ:QQQ). To access Friction Factor, Naked Short Data and SqueezeTrigger Prices on all stocks please visit http://www.buyins.net.

Market Maker Friction Factor is shown in the chart below:

Symbol Change Percent Buy Volume Buy %% Sell Volume Sell %% Net Volume Friction
BAC $0.090 1.22% 80,547,713 34.87% 70,635,710 30.58% 9,912,003 1,101,334
RAD $0.100 7.14% 10,567,739 50.02% 6,030,847 28.55% 4,536,892 453,689
CLWR $0.010 0.56% 6,384,319 81.16% 2,709,240 34.44% 3,675,079 3,675,079
BX $0.040 0.24% 9,310,555 73.42% 1,159,947 9.15% 8,150,608 2,037,652
FTR $0.120 2.83% 12,304,320 61.39% 7,736,615 38.60% 4,567,705 380,642
QQQ $0.180 0.29% 24,988,368 53.94% 20,341,065 43.91% 4,647,303 258,184


Analysis of the Friction Factor chart above shows that each of the six stocks mentioned above have high net dollar gains (Change) and very low price friction in their stocks. The Friction Factor displays how many more shares of buying than selling are required to move a stock higher by one cent or how many more shares of selling than buying moves a stock lower by 1 cent.

For example, the chart above shows BAC with a Net Buy Volume of 9,912,003 shares and a Friction Factor of 1,101,334 shares. That means that it takes 1,101,334 more shares of buying than selling to move BAC higher by one penny. This means the Market Makers are allowing the stock to move up higher as of Thursday (lower friction). And with one of the highest Net Buy Volumes, the combination of low friction and high net buy volume is bullish. ...

[teecee1]

08.02.2012 18:25
iPhone-Subventionen verstärken Verlust beiSprint

Der drittgrößte amerikanische Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel hat im Schlussquartal 2011 wegen Subventionen für das iPhone einen höheren Verlust verzeichnet. Der Fehlbetrag weitete sich im Jahresvergleich von 929 Millionen auf 1,3 Milliarden US-Dollar aus, wie der Konkurrent von AT&T, Verizon Wireless und T-Mobile USA am Mittwoch mitteilte. Der Umsatz legte im vierten Quartal um 5,1 Prozent auf 8,72 Milliarden Dollar zu und traf damit die Erwartungen am Markt. Sprint führte das iPhone 4S und iPhone 4 im Weihnachtsgeschäft zum ersten Mal im Programm.

Im vierten Quartal verkaufte Sprint 1,8 Millionen iPhones – 40 Prozent davon angeblich an Neukunden des Mobilfunkbetreibers. Wie die Konkurrenz lockt das Unternehmen Kunden mit subventionierten Geräten in mehrjährige Verträge. AT&T verkaufte im selben Zeitraum 7,6 Millionen Exemplare des Apple-Smartphones, Verizon Wireless 4,3 Millionen – auch dort erhöhte das iPhone den Quartalsverlust. Nur T-Mobile USA bietet im Reigen der vier größten US-Mobilfunkbetreiber das iPhone weiterhin nicht an.

Um zur Konkurrenz aufzuschließen, arbeitet Sprint an einem Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetz der vierten Generation. Zu diesem Zweck will das Unternehmen das Mobilfunk-Netz von LightSquared nutzen und dafür über elf Jahre insgesamt 9 Milliarden Dollar zahlen sowie weitere 4,5 Milliarden Dollar für Dienstleistungen. (Mit Material der dpa) / (lbe)

....oder clear.....

[teecee1]

Autor: Björn Brodersen | 09.02.2012 - 10:00
Smartphone-Markt: Jetzt kommen die 100- bis 200-Euro-Smartphones

Der Smartphone-Markt wird sich in den kommenden fünf Jahren enorm verändern: Künftig werden günstigere Smartphones für Großhandelspreise unter 300 US-Dollar (umgerechnet 226 Euro) stärker nachgefragt werden als Premium-Modelle. Das vermuten die Marktbeobachter von Informa Telecoms & Media.


Günstiges Android-Smartphone:
Huawei Ideos X3 | (c) Hersteller

Während im vergangenen Jahr noch 81 Prozent der Smartphones für Preise über 300 Dollar an die Händler ausgeliefert wurden, falle dieser Wert bis 2016 unter 50 Prozent, sagt Informa Telecoms & Media voraus. Vor allem Geräte für Preise zwischen 200 und 300 Dollar würden zulegen und ihr Absatz von 41 Millionen ausgelieferten Geräten in 2010 auf über 206 Millionen Einheiten in 2016 steigen. Die sei der Bereich, der von den Plattformen Android (48,5 Prozent Marktanteil in diesem Segment), Symbian/Nokia OS (38 Prozent) und Blackberry (13,5 Prozent) dominiert werde. Zwei Drittel aller 2011 verkauften Symbian-Smartphones gehörten zu dieser Preisklasse.

"Geräte für Preise zwischen 200 und 300 Dollar werden besonders attraktiv für Mobilfunkbetreiber sein, weil sie das mobile Internet demokratisieren und leicht subventioniert werden können", erläutert der Analyst Malik Saadi. Der Smartphone-Markt trete jetzt in seine zweite Phase ein, in der Mobilfunkbetreiber auf Massenmarkt-Smartphones setzten.

Top-Smartphones 2011: Die Besten der Besten (18 Bilder)

zur Bildergalerie

In Schwellenländern werde laut Informa Telecoms & Media vor allem der Marktanteil von unter 200 Dollar teuren Smartphone-Modellen zunehmen. Die Marktforscher erwarten eine Zunahme von 5 Prozent Marktanteil der ausgelieferten Geräte dieser Preisklasse auf 24 Prozent im Jahr 2016. Während in Ländern wie China und Indien diese Geräteklasse einen Anteil von 20 bzw. 14 Prozent am gesamten Smartphone-Markt einnehmen werde, werde der Anteil in westeuropäischen Staaten und in Nordamerika nicht über 3 bis 4 Prozent liegen. Dass noch günstigere Smartphones von Preisen unter 100 Dollar eine Rolle spielen, verhinderten in den kommenden Jahren die Kosten für das Betriebssystem und die Chipsets sowie die Konkurrenz durch besser ausgestattete Feature Phones.

[teecee1]

Investing | 2/10/2012 @ 12:20PM |606 views

Forbes Earnings Preview: Clearwire
By Narrative Science

Analysts have become increasingly bullish on Clearwire (CLWR) in the month leading up to the company’s second quarter earnings announcement scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, 2012. The consensus earnings per share estimate has moved up from a loss of 36 cents a share to the current expectation of a loss of 34 cents a share.

What to Expect:

Over the past three months, the consensus estimate has increased from a loss of 40 cents. For the fiscal year, analysts are expecting a loss of $2.15 per share.

Revenue is projected to be 191.2% above the year-earlier total of $122.5 million at $356.7 million for the quarter. For the year, revenue is projected to come in at $1.24 billion.

Trends to Watch For:

Revenue rose for the past two quarters in a row. In first quarter, revenue increased more than twofold to $242 million from the year earlier quarter. In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, the figure rose more than twofold.

Analyst Ratings:

The majority of analysts think investors should stand pat on Clearwire, with nine of 13 analysts rating it hold. Analysts have become more cautious about the stock in the last three months.

Competitors:

Clearwire builds wireless networks to provide Internet access to consumers and businesses. One of Clearwire’s main competitors in the wireless telecommunication services industry is Sprint Nextel (S). Other competitors in the telecommunication services sector include: Leap Wireless International (LEAP), MetroPCS Communications (PCS), and Towerstream (TWER).

Recent Price Movement:

Over the past quarter, the stock price has increased from $1.84 on November 14, 2011 to $1.99.

Earnings estimates provided by Zacks.

Narrative Science, through its proprietary artificial intelligence platform, transforms data into stories and insights.

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Market Maker Surveillance Report. XLY, RAD, YHOO, ATRN, CLWR, FNMA, Highest Net Buy Volume With Lowest Price Friction For Thursday, February 9th 2012

[ Release Date: 02/09/2012 18:00 PST ]

February 9, 2012 / M2 PRESSWIRE / BUYINS.NET / www.buyins.net, announced today its proprietary Market Maker Friction Factor Report for Thursday.
On Thursday there were 3756 companies with "abnormal" market making, 2911 companies with positive Friction Factors and 3108 companies with negative Friction Factors. Here is a list of the top companies with the highest net buy volume on Thursday and lowest price Friction (bullish). This means that there was more buying than selling in the stocks and their stock prices rose faster with less Friction. Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLY), RITE AID CORP (NYSE:RAD), YAHOO! INC (NASDAQ:YHOO), Atrinsic Inc (OTC:ATRN), Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR), FANNIE MAE (OTC:FNMA). To access Friction Factor, Naked Short Data and SqueezeTrigger Prices on all stocks please visit http://www.buyins.net .

Market Maker Friction Factor is shown in the chart below:

Symbol Change Percent Buy Volume Buy %% Sell Volume Sell %% Net Volume Friction

CLWR $0.060 3.08% 5,216,149 59.78% 3,509,497 40.22% 1,706,652 284,442

[teecee1]

Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR), Up By 5.53% ($0.11) From $1.990 After BUYINS.NET Report Predicted Stock Would Go Up Due To Bullish Conditions
[ Release Date: 02/10/2012 13:40 PST ]

February 10, 2012 / M2 PRESSWIRE / BUYINS.NET, www.buyins.net , a provider of unique trading technologies, released a report on Thursday, February 9th 2012 stating that Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR) was expected to go Up due to the Bullish conditions presented in the following report. Click here to view the BUYINS.NET report:

http://www.buyins.net/releases/?sym=clwr&id=241604" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">http://www.buyins.net/releases/?sym=clwr&id=241604

At the time this story was written, Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR) is Up By $0.11 (5.53%) since the BUYINS.NET report was released.

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Market Maker Surveillance Report. ANTS, PTSC, KT, CLWR, AGNC, GEN, Highest Net Buy Volume With Lowest Price Friction For Friday, February 10th 2012
[ Release Date: 02/10/2012 18:00 PST ]

February 10, 2012 / M2 PRESSWIRE / BUYINS.NET / www.buyins.net, announced today its proprietary Market Maker Friction Factor Report for Friday. ... On Friday there were 3734 companies with "abnormal" market making, 1805 companies with positive Friction Factors and 4137 companies with negative Friction Factors. Here is a list of the top companies with the highest net buy volume on Friday and lowest price Friction (bullish). This means that there was more buying than selling in the stocks and their stock prices rose faster with less Friction. ANTS SOFTWARE INC (OTC:ANTS), PATRIOT SCIENTIFIC CORP (OTCBB:PTSC), KT CORP-SP ADR (NYSE:KT), Clearwire Corp (NASDAQ:CLWR), American Capital Agency Corp (NASDAQ:AGNC), GENON ENERGY INC (NYSE:GEN). To access Friction Factor, Naked Short Data and SqueezeTrigger Prices on all stocks please visit http://www.buyins.net .

Market Maker Friction Factor is shown in the chart below:

Symbol Change Percent Buy Volume Buy %% Sell Volume Sell %% Net Volume | Friction

CLWR $0.050 2.71% 8,492,671 55.21% 6,890,199 44.79% 1,602,472 | 320,494

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NASDAQ Stocks to Watch for Monday: QTWW, VALV, CLWR, ASTX, and CIGX
2/10/2012 7:27:22 PM

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) traded as high as $2.11 during today’s trading session and closed up at $2.08 for a gain of 2.75% from yesterday’s close… CLWR shares have traded as high as $6.11 over the past 52 weeks, which is 65.95% off that high at last traded stock price.

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Clearwire Rises 4.52% on Heavy Volume: Watch For Potential Pullback

Feb 10, 2012 (SmarTrend(R) News Watch via COMTEX) --

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) traded in a range yesterday that spanned from a low of $1.94 to a high of $2.11. Yesterday, the shares gained 4.5%, which took the trading range above the 3-day high of $2.01 on volume of 12.9 million shares. Often times after large one-day gains, short term traders will seek to take profits and, as such, investors should be cautious.

Over the past year, Clearwire has traded in a range of $1.24 to $6.11 and is now at $2.08, 68% above that low. The 200-day and 50-day moving averages have moved 2.51% lower and 1.54% higher over the past week, respectively.

SmarTrend is tracking the current trend status for Clearwire and will alert subscribers who have CLWR in their portfolio or watchlist when shares have changed trend direction.

Write to Chip Brian at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

12.02.2012, 16:29 Uhr
Netzausbau
Vodafone an Übernahme von C&W interessiert
Quelle: Handelsblatt Online

Weil der Ausbau des eigenen Breitband-Netzes nicht schnell genug geht, spielen derzeit viele Telekom-Anbieter mit dem Gedanken, bei der Konkurrenz einzukaufen. Das jüngste Gerücht betrifft den Branchengiganten Vodafone.


Ausbau für noch schnelleren Empfang: Die großen Telekomanbieter buhlen
derzeit um die Netze der kleineren Konkurrenten. Quelle: dpa

London Vodafone hat einem Medienbericht zufolge Interesse an dem Telekommunikationsunternehmen Cable & Wireless. Der weltweit umsatzstärkste Mobilfunker erwäge ein Gebot für 700 Millionen Pfund, berichtete die „Sunday Times“ unter Berufung auf Personen aus der Branche und der Stadt London.

Eine Offerte stehe jedoch nicht unmittelbar bevor. Auch der Finanzinvestor Apax habe die britische C&W bereits unter die Lupe genommen. Vodafone wollte zunächst keine Stellung nehmen.

In der Branche wird seit einiger Zeit vermutet, dass C&W wegen seines Netzwerkes zu einem Übernahmeziel wird. Im vergangenen Jahr fiel das Unternehmen vor allem mit mehreren Gewinnwarnungen auf. Interessant ist C&W vor allem für Mobilfunker, die mehr Bandbreite anbieten wollen, um die gestiegene Nachfrage nach mobilen Internetzugängen stillen zu können. Dies gilt neben Vodafone auch für die spanische O2-Mutter Telefonica.

[teecee1]

4 Big Buys And 1 Big Sell By Vanguard Mutual Funds

February 13, 2012 | includes: CLWR, DAL, ITT, LUV, LVLT, XYL

The Vanguard Group is one of the largest institutional investors in the equity market. The company offers several mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, retirement services and other financial products to its customers. Vanguard is also one of the leaders in financial innovation.

Its founder, and former chairman, John C. Bogle is credited with the creation of the first retail index fund. Vanguard's mutual fund structure has a different structure than that of JP Morgan (JPM), Citibank (C), and Morgan Stanley (MS). They are owned by clients. The funds share the same costs pool among each other, effectively reducing the marketing and management costs.

As of Q4 2011, Vanguard had a diversified portfolio of equities. IT stocks constitute 20% of the holdings, followed by financials (17%) and discretionary consumer companies (14%). Industrial companies constitute 13% of the portfolio. According to the 13F-HR filing, Vanguard increased its ownership of 2582 stocks, while reducing its positions in 837 stocks in the last quarter. I have examined the biggest 4 buys, and 1 big sell from a fundamental perspective, adding the stocks year-to-date returns.

Company Name / Ticker / Shares Held / Change in Shares / % of TSO* / YTD Return

Clearwire Corp. / (CLWR) / 19.42 million / 12.46 million / 5.204% / 7.22%

*TSO: Total share ownership by the Vanguard funds. Data obtained from Finviz/Morningstar and is current as of February 12.

Clearwire Corporation

After a disastrous year in 2011, Clearwire shows signs of recovery in 2012. It returned 7.22% since January. Vanguard is pretty bullish on the stock, and increased its shares by 12.46 million in the last quarter. It currently owns 5.204% of the company.

While Clearwire's business model as a wireless broadband service provider has suffered from diminishing margins, this is more than fairly represented in the stock price. Looking at the graph above, one can see that $1.2-$1.5 range offers a strong support to the Clearwire stock. From a technical perspective, the stock looks like it has already bottomed. I rate Clearwire as a risky buy. It is a highly speculative stock which might double in 2012, but once should consider the high debt load in the balance sheet.

[teecee1]

Skype Co-Founder's FreedomPop Selects Clearwire's 4G Mobile Broadband Network to Launch Disruptive Free Mobile Broadband Service

Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Wed, Feb 15, 2012 9:00 AM EST

• Clearwire 4G Mobile Broadband Capability to Power FreedomPop Business

• FreedomPop Guarantees Launch of Its Free 4G Mobile Broadband Service in the Second Half of 2012

BELLEVUE, Wash. and LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., and FreedomPop, the disruptive wireless broadband company backed by Niklas Zennstrom, today announced the formation of a strategic wholesale relationship that will support FreedomPop's innovative and disruptive 4G mobile broadband service in the U.S.

"FreedomPop's ultimate goal of providing our customers with a free mobile broadband alternative will soon be realized thanks to Clearwire's proven 4G network services," said Tony Miller, FreedomPop's VP of Marketing. "This agreement enables FreedomPop to offer a disruptive retail service, providing free, flexible, high-speed internet access to millions of Americans."

Clearwire currently offers a fast, reliable 4G mobile broadband network covering more than 130 million people in the U.S. As Clearwire's planned 4G LTE Advanced-ready network comes online, FreedomPop expects to be able to offer users even faster speeds.

"Enabling innovative 4G business models with our mobile broadband network is a key part of Clearwire's wholesale business strategy," said Don Stroberg, Clearwire's Senior Vice President of Wholesale. "FreedomPop represents the kind of disruptive service model that will shake up the exploding wireless broadband market."

FreedomPop will pay wholesale rates for access to Clearwire's 4G network but specific terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. (...)

[teecee1]

Clearwire Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Results

Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 18 hours ago

• Record Fourth Quarter 2011 Revenue of $361.9 Million, Up 107% Year Over Year From $175.2 Million

• Full Year Revenues of $1.25 Billion, Up 134% Year Over Year From $535.1 Million

• Full Year Wholesale Revenues Up 876% Year Over Year to $493.7 Million

• 2011 Total Ending Subscribers of 10.4 Million, Up 140% Year Over Year from 4.3 Million

• Achieves Positive Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA For the First Time of $22.5 Million

• Average Smartphone 4G Usage Increased 88% Year Over Year in Fourth Quarter 2011

• President and CEO, Erik Prusch, Appointed to Board of Directors

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for fourth quarter and full year 2011.

"Our steadfast efforts to drive strong top line growth and contain costs delivered a successful year both financially and operationally while securing our position as one of the fastest growing U.S. telecommunications companies in 2011," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "During the year, we achieved key operational milestones, grew our funding resources, realized operating efficiencies and laid out a long-term vision that we expect will unlock the value of our deep spectrum portfolio through the most capacity-rich LTE deployment in the country."

Total revenue for full year 2011 increased 134% year over year to $1.25 billion, primarily driven by wholesale revenue which increased 876% to $493.7 million in 2011 from $50.6 million in 2010. Fourth quarter 2011 revenue was $361.9 million, a 107% increase over fourth quarter 2010 revenue of $175.2 million. Wholesale revenue in fourth quarter 2011 was a record $164.1 million, a quarter over quarter increase of 20% from $137.2 million in third quarter 2011. Fourth quarter 2011 retail revenue and other revenue was $197.8 million, a year over year increase of 33% from $148.9 million in fourth quarter 2010. Wholesale average revenue per user (ARPU) was $6.34 in fourth quarter 2011, up from $6.20 in third quarter 2011. Fourth quarter 2011 retail ARPU was $46.69, up from $45.52 in fourth quarter 2010.

Clearwire ended fourth quarter 2011 with approximately 10.4 million total subscribers, up 140% from 4.3 million subscribers in fourth quarter 2010. The subscriber base consists of 1.3 million retail subscribers and 9.1 million wholesale subscribers. During fourth quarter 2011, Clearwire added 873,000 total net new subscribers, reflecting 904,000 net new wholesale subscribers and a net loss of 31,000 retail subscribers during the period. Clearwire's wholesale subscribers consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers.

Fourth quarter 2011 aggregate network usage by wholesale customers increased 22% compared to third quarter 2011, driven primarily by growth in aggregate smartphone usage, which increased 30% over the same period. Average 4G smartphone usage during the quarter increased 88% year over year in fourth quarter 2011. During full year 2011, total 4G network usage by wholesale and retail customers increased 165% as compared to full year 2010. Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $259 in the fourth quarter 2011 compared to $420 in fourth quarter 2010. Retail churn was 3.9% in fourth quarter 2011, down from 4.2% in third quarter 2011.

Adjusted EBITDA in fourth quarter 2011 was $22.5 million, representing a $68.9 million improvement when compared to third quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA loss of $46.4 million.

Fourth quarter 2011 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $236.0 million, or $0.81 per basic share. Including the effects of discontinued operations, fourth quarter 2011 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $236.8 million, or $0.81 per basic share.

At the end of fourth quarter 2011, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 134 million people reside, including approximately 132 million people in markets where we provide 4G services.

2012 Outlook

For full year 2012 Clearwire expects total revenue of $1.15 billion to $1.25 billion and Adjusted EBITDA loss of approximately $250 million to $350 million. Capital expenditures in 2012 are expected to total approximately $450 million to $550 million, with most of the spend occurring in the second half of the year.

Erik Prusch Appointed to Board of Directors

Clearwire's President and Chief Executive Officer, Erik Prusch, has been appointed to the company's Board of Directors. Prusch was nominated by Eagle River according to their rights under the Equityholders' Agreement and approved by the existing board members on February 10, 2012.

Results of Continuing Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) for fourth quarter 2011 increased 4% to $294.0 million compared to $282.5 million for third quarter 2011. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $6.4 million and $38.7 million in the fourth and third quarters of 2011, respectively, and other non-cash network charges of $115.4 million and $65.2 million in the fourth and third quarters of 2011, respectively. The increase in other non-cash network charges in the fourth quarter was primarily due to an increased cease-to-use liability for tower-related leases. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS decreased 4% quarter over quarter primarily due to reductions in software and hardware maintenance costs.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense for the fourth quarter 2011 decreased 27% to $128.5 million compared to $176.5 million for the third quarter 2011. The decrease is primarily attributable to reduced marketing activity, lower commission expenses, and a decline in employee-related expenses resulting from workforce reductions.

Total non-cash write-downs of $129.4 million in fourth quarter 2011 includes $123.0 million of loss from abandonment of network and other assets primarily related to write-downs of uncompleted WiMAX network development projects that were abandoned in the quarter as a result of our plans to build and launch service on an LTE network.

Fourth quarter 2011 capital expenditures (capex) were $23 million, up from $17 million in third quarter 2011 primarily due to prior quarter favorable settlements on capex purchases which offset new capex in third quarter 2011. The company ended fourth quarter 2011 with cash and investments of approximately $1.11 billion invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities, including $716 million total net proceeds from a public equity offering and Sprint equity contribution which were completed in December 2011. In January 2012, Clearwire completed an offering of $300 million First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2016 and received cash payments from Sprint totaling $172 million, including $150 million related to a promissory note which will be repaid through a reduction in the amounts due to us by Sprint for WiMAX service in two installments in January 2013 and 2014. Due to the repayment terms, this promissory note will be reported as deferred revenue in our financial statements. (...)

[teecee1]

Clearwire Gets Boost as LightSquared Gets Blocked

Feb 16, 2012 11:54 AM GMT+0100 .

Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission vowed to block LightSquared after the Obama administration found the wireless venture backed by hedge-fund billionaire Philip Falcone would disrupt navigation gear. Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman reports on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)

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Falcone, LightSquared Say Interference With GPS Can Be Solved

By Todd Shields - Feb 16, 2012 1:24 AM GMT+0100

Hedge fund billionaire Philip Falcone said his LightSquared Inc. venture remains committed to finding a solution to interference problems that led U.S. regulators to reject the proposed nationwide wireless service.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission yesterday vowed to block LightSquared after the Obama administration found the wireless service’s signals would disrupt navigation gear that depends on the global-positioning system. The FCC said it plans to withdraw the preliminary approval it granted to the Reston, Virginia-based company last year.

“This was not a decision based on science or technology but was a politically motivated decision fueled by special interest groups in the GPS and telecom industry,” Falcone said in an e-mailed statement today. “There are solutions to this problem that can and will address the needs of the GPS community.”

In an earlier statement, LightSquared Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Ahuja said the FCC “changed its mind” after granting approvals to LightSquared.

“There can be no more devastating blow to private industry and confidence in the consistency of the FCC’s decision-making process,” Ahuja said.

The FCC didn’t change its stance, Tammy Sun, an FCC spokeswoman, said in an interview.

“The commission has clearly stated from the outset that harmful interference would not be permitted,” Sun said. “That’s why the conditional waiver issued by the commission’s international bureau prohibited LightSquared from beginning commercial operation unless harmful interference issues were resolved.”

The FCC’s action marks a blow to LightSquared and a setback for Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners (SKYT) hedge fund, which has invested $3 billion in the venture. It follows a yearlong lobbying fight between LightSquared and opposing GPS companies that featured a series of government tests denounced by LightSquared as flawed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Clearwire says it may need to raise more money

Clearwire says it may need to raise more money near term due to uncertainty on revenue

Associated PressAssociated Press – 26 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) -- Clearwire Corp., which runs a wireless data network used mainly by Sprint customers, says it may need to raise more money because it doesn't know how much revenue it will be able to pull in from a fourth-generation mobile broadband network that it's building and from its existing mobile WiMAX Internet network after 2013.

Sprint resells access to Clearwire's WiMAX network as "Sprint 4G."

The company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that it had about $1.11 billion in available cash and short-term investments as of Dec. 31 after selling stock and debt in the past few months. It doesn't expect cash flow from its operations this year, and said it believes it will need to raise "substantial additional capital" to fund its business beyond the next 12 months.

The company said it is unsure how much more money it will need, but that the main factor in determining that amount will depend on how much money it receives from Sprint for its services.

Sprint agreed to use Clearwire's new 4G network, called Long-Term Evolution, back in December. The announcement had been a lifeline for Clearwire, whose WiMax network has been bypassed by all phone companies except Sprint.

Clearwire said that how much money it needs depends on whether or not it successfully constructs and completes its LTE network to meet Sprint's requirements and how much Sprint uses its WiMAX network after 2013. The company said it has become increasingly dependent on its wholesale partners, particularly Sprint.

Clearwire said that it is looking at various options for securing more money, which could including asset sales or making some more equity securities offerings.

The company also disclosed in the filing that it may lose some or all of the sales it receives through Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc. this year because of the companies' deals with Verizon Wireless. Clearwire said the wholesale subscribers from Comcast and Time Warner made up less than 5 percent of its total wholesale subscribers as of Dec. 31.

Clearwire's deficit at year's end was about $1.62 billion. It had 914 employees at that time.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint owns 54 percent of Kirkland, Wash.-based Clearwire.

Clearwire shares were unchanged in premarket trading. The stock closed down 11 cents, or 4.7 percent, to $2.25 on Thursday. It's lost 57 percent in the past 12 months.

... ... das restliche geld kommt von T-Mobil USA...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.761.800 von teecee1 am 16.02.12 17:00:55

-$0,81 pro anteil ....$275mio kreditrückzahlung 0,30 pro anteil, sind -$0,51 ...

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16.02.2012 12:05
US-Regulierer zieht LTE-Netz von LightSquared den Stecker Update

Nachdem die US-Regulierungsbehörde FCC der Firma LightSquared den geplanten Aufbau eines LTE-Datenfunknetzes untersagt hat, bleiben dem Konzern nur noch wenige Optionen. [Update: Das geplante LTE-Netz mit rund 40.000 Basisstationen sollte auf Frequenzen angrenzend zu den eigentlich für die Kommunikation mit GPS-Satelliten bestimmten betrieben werden.] Dafür versagte die FCC am Dienstag die nötige Genehmigung. Ihre Entscheidung begründete die Regulierungsbehörde damit, dass die Bedenken über Interferenzen mit dem GPS-System nicht ausgeräumt worden seien. Es gebe keinen praktischen Weg, potenzielle Störungen der Kommunikation mit den Satelliten zu verhindern.



http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/USA-LTE-Datenfunk-sto…


Laut der Financial Times bedeutet die Entscheidung der FCC das Ende der Pläne von LightSquared. Zwar habe das Unternehmen bereits mehr als 30 Großkunden an Land gezogen, aber für diese sei die nun verbliebene Möglichkeit eines satellitengestützen Datennetzes deutlich unattraktiver. LightSquared könne aber noch gerichtlich gegen die Entscheidung vorgehen. Das habe sich das Unternehmen immer wieder offengehalten. Sollte man sich aber mit der Entscheidung abfinden, könnten entweder die gehaltenen Lizenzen verkauft oder für besser geeignete Frequenzbereiche getauscht werden.

Einen herben Rückschlag bedeutet die Entscheidung dem Bericht zufolge auch für Philip Falcone vom Hedgefond Harbinger Capital, der bereits mindestens 2,9 Milliarden US-Dollar (2,2 Mrd. Euro) in LightSquared investiert habe. Dagegen können die Mitglieder von SaveOurGPS mit dem Ergebnis zufrieden sein. Ihre Organisation hatte sich vehement gegen die Pläne gewandt und dabei auf die möglichen Störungen des GPS-Systems hingewiesen. (mho)

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U.S. Cellular pushing ahead with 4G LTE plans

by Brian Bennett February 16, 2012 12:45 PM PST

U.S. Cellular has just announced it will light up LTE coverage in 14 more states in 2012.


(Credit: U.S. Cellular)

Smaller carrier U.S. Cellular has designs to serve up 4G LTE to an additional 14 states this year.

By the second half of 2012, the wireless provider has said it will roll out cutting-edge 4G data infrastructure to "select" cities in multiple parts of the country: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. (...)

[teecee1]

Clearwire to have 5,000 LTE sites running by June 2013

by Don Reisinger February 17, 2012 8:38 AM PST

The company says it should be able to get an additional 3,000 sites up shortly thereafter.

Clearwire said it has the funding it needs to set up TD-LTE sites around the U.S., and it plans to roll out thousands of them in the coming year.

Speaking earlier this week in an earnings call, Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch said that his company plans to have 5,000 LTE sites in operation by June 2013. Shortly thereafter, Clearwire hopes to add 3,000 more sites.

Sprint, which is the majority shareholder in Clearwire, recently signed a deal that could see it hand over $1.6 billion in funding to Clearwire. Under the deal's terms, Sprint has agreed to pay $350 million in a series of prepayments over two years to help Clearwire build its LTE sites.

"The agreements also establish long-term usage-based pricing for LTE services for 2012 and beyond," Sprint said in a statement at the time. "The companies have agreed to collaborate on a network build plan and will jointly select LTE macro-cell sites to cover Sprint's high usage area 'hotspots.'"

Clearwire has been investing in 4G for years, but it chose to double down on the older WiMax technology. The move left the company in dire financial straits and prompted its deal with Sprint, which offered it a lifeline and help covering its debts.

But putting up sites is just one piece of the puzzle. As Prusch pointed out on the earnings call, his company must also form partnerships with vendors across the industry to "advance the development of multimode, multiband devices."

As Clearwire prepares to start its site construction this quarter, the European Parliament announced earlier this week that all member countries will be forced to authorize the 800MHz spectrum for use with 4G LTE by January 1. The continent has so far been slow to adopt 4G, leaving it far behind the U.S. in mobile connectivity.

(Via FierceWireless )

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Clearwire's CEO Discusses Q4 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
February 15, 2012 | about: CLWR


Presentation | Q&A | Participants

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from Walter Piecyk from BTIG. (...)

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
27.50%



Number of Institutions 192

zuvor 165

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Market Cap / Outstanding
2.86B . . / . . 1.29B

[teecee1]

Clearwire to Present at the Deutsche Bank 2012 Media & Telecommunications Conference
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 15 minutes ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 21, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR - News) today announced that Hope Cochran, Clearwire's CFO, will speak at the Deutsche Bank 2012 Media & Telecommunications Conference in Palm Beach, FL on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Interested parties are invited to register in advance at http://investors.clearwire.com/ to listen to the live audio webcast presentation. A replay of the webcast will also be made available. (...)

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Clearwire Increases Sales but Misses Estimates on Earnings

By Seth Jayson
February 21, 2012

Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR ) reported earnings on Feb. 15. Here are the numbers you need to know.


Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary
to maintain comparability with estimates.


Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability
with estimates.

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Montag, 20. Februar 2012, 11:46 Uhr
Der tiefe Fall des Hedgefonds-Managers Falcone

Von STEVE EDER, AMY SCHATZ und ANTON TROIANOVSKI

Es war eine harte Woche für Philip Falcone. Mehrere Milliarden Dollar hat der Hedgefonds-Manager in die Firma LightSquared investiert, die ein neues landesweites Mobilfunknetz aufbauen will. Am Dienstag musste Falcone jedoch feststellen, dass die Regulierer das Vorhaben blockieren wollen, weil das Netz wahrscheinlich Navigationsgeräte beeinträchtigen würde.

Für die Investoren in seinen Hedgefonds Harbinger Capital Partners bleibt jetzt die Frage, was aus ihrem Geld wird. Bei einer einstündigen Telefonkonferenz am Freitag blieb Falcone seinen Investoren eine Erklärung schuldig, wie er den Rückschlag überwinden wolle, und beantwortete keine Fragen.

„Die Investmentidee war bombensicher", sagte der 49-jährige Falcone. „Doch der regulatorische und politische Prozess war, gelinde gesagt, beunruhigend. Wir untersuchen weiter einige Möglichkeiten, die wir noch immer haben." (...)

http://www.wallstreetjournal.de/article/SB100014240529702049…

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Samsung Wins Two U.S. 4G Deals as Company Seeks Expansion in Network Gear
By Jun Yang - Feb 21, 2012 7:40 AM GMT+0100

Samsung Electronics Co. (005930), the world’s second-largest mobile-phone maker, won two contracts to sell gear for fourth-generation wireless service in the U.S. as it seeks to gain share in the market for network equipment.

The company gained orders from “top” and “mid”-tier U.S. mobile-phone operators, I.P. Hong, head of the marketing group at Samsung (005930)’s network-equipment business, said today in an interview in Seoul, declining to provide further details. An official announcement will be made around May, he said.

The deals would boost Samsung’s presence as an equipment provider in one of the world’s most advanced 4G markets. The maker of Galaxy smartphones is vying for a larger share of the network-gear industry led by Ericsson AB (ERICB), Huawei Technologies Co. and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Samsung is counting on sales of products using the so- called long-term evolution, or LTE, technology, as carriers around the world race to build 4G networks using the standard to offer faster Web browsing and downloads on phones. The new U.S. orders are also for LTE service, Hong said.

Samsung, which aims to be one of the top three makers of telecommunications gear by 2015, was set to overtake Ericsson as the largest vendor of LTE base stations in Asia last year, researcher NPD In-Stat said in November. The company seeks to be among the world’s three largest LTE equipment vendors this year, Hong said.
India Contract

Samsung is in competition to win an LTE contract from a leading carrier in India and expects the negotiations to conclude in the first half, he said. The company is also in discussions with Clearwire Corp. in the U.S. for a possible contract, he said.

Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung said in June it won an order from KDDI Corp. (9433) in Japan to supply LTE equipment. The company was among three vendors picked by Sprint Nextel Corp. in 2010 for a project worth as much as $5 billion to upgrade networks.

Before last year, Samsung’s focus had been on developing products using WiMax technology, an alternative 4G standard supported by Intel Corp. (INTC) Growth of the WiMax market is slowing as operators’ switch to LTE. Samsung will continue supporting existing WiMax customers, Hong said.

The market for LTE equipment may grow 45 percent annually over the next five years, according to Dell’Oro Group. The global wireless equipment market grew 15 percent in the third quarter, with LTE gear sales accounting for almost half the increase, according to the Redwood City, California-based researcher.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jun Yang in Seoul at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Clearwire: LightSquared, Earnings, And Auctions Confirm The Story Is Intact

February 21, 2012 | about: CLWR, includes: DISH, S, T, VZ

When we first began writing about Clearwire (CLWR), we noted that this company was extraordinarily misunderstood, and if investors took the time to truly analyze its financials, its assets and its competitive position, they would see that this is a company that deserves a far higher share price than what is currently being given by the market. Recent events have confirmed that the story is fully intact, and Clearwire's competitive position has greatly improved in the past week. Below we profile recent developments that have impacted Clearwire.

The Collapse of LightSquared

On February 16, it was announced that the FCC would officially block LightSquared from launching its new wireless network, something we had said would happen in our last Jan. 24 article on Clearwire. The opposition to LightSquared was simply too much, we noted at the time. And even with LightSquared hiring lawyers to examine its legal options, we do not see any future for LightSquared. Clearwire's relationship with Sprint (S), and its position as the leading wireless wholesaler, are now much stronger. And we think investors will soon appreciate this more. Clearwire shares crashed 24% the day Sprint announced it deal with LightSquared. Yet they made no such moves when LightSquared's network collapsed. Investors have yet to fully realize that now that LightSquared is out of the picture, Sprint will have to rely on Clearwire to augment its LTE network buildout.

LightSquared signed up over 30 partners before its network was blocked from launching. And two of those partners, Simplexity and FreedomPop have already inked deals with Clearwire. We think that as the other partners LightSquared had signed come to realize that the end is near, they will jump to Clearwire for their wireless needs. Furthermore, given that the rejection of LightSquared's spectrum was based on the incompatibility of its spectrum, it seems unlikely that the spectrum can be salvaged by another well-financed entity that can remold it into a Clearwire competitor.

Earnings and the Annual Report

On February 15, Clearwire announced its fourth quarter and full year 2011 earnings. For the fourth quarter, Clearwire posted revenue of $361.87 million, representing growth of 8.94% sequentially and 106.61% year-over year. On the EPS side, the company posted a GAAP loss of 81 cents per share, which is unchanged from its results in the fourth quarter of 2010. Below, we provide a quick look at Clearwire's financials for all of 2011.


Clearwire Financials & Operating Metrics
. . . . . . . . . 2011 . . . . . . . . . 2010
Revenue / $1.253466 Billion / $535.103 Million
EPS . . . / -$3.07 . . . . . . . . . / -$2.46
Net Subscriber Additions / 6.069 Million / 3.769 Million
Total Subscribers / 10.414 Million / 4.345 Million

Clearwire posted soaring revenue and subscriber growth in 2011, yet its net loss widened by 61 cents per share. While EPS is a crucial metric, it is important to nevertheless analyze just what makes earnings rise and fall, as one-time events can both overstate and understate a businesses' true income.



Operating losses at Clearwire grew by $228.587 million in 2011 compared to 2010, but it is crucial to note that Clearwire wrote down its WiMax network by a substantial amount in 2011, to the tune of over $700 million. That non-cash charge weighed on results in 2011, but we feel it was a necessary move, given that Clearwire is aggresively moving to rebuild its network on LTE standards that are the norm in the wireless industry. Without the WiMax writedown, Clearwire improved its operating losses by quite a bit in 2011, and we feel it is well-positioned going into 2012.

Earnings conference calls are always a source of great information, and Clearwire's earnings call was no exception. Clearwire guided revenue of between $1.15 and $1.25 billion for 2012, which is not only below analyst forecasts of $1.36 billion, but below 2011 levels. What gives? On the conference call, CFO Hope Cochran explained that Clearwire guided revenue in such a way due to the timing of payments from Sprint. As such, Clearwire's revenue does not align with the cash that comes in the door from Sprint. Cochran explained the revenue and associated EBITDA issues in this way:

"As we look at revenue for 2012 in our guidance, we do feel like we know where the whole wholesale revenue is going to land based on the fact that we have a fixed contract for that. With that said, there is potential for upside as we bring on other wholesale partners, et cetera, that will take time to build up. In regards to retail, you can see that we have had some good quarters of growth in retail as we launched this new go-to-market strategy. Our objective with this strategy is to make sure we are continually improving the cash that it brings to the business. So we've talked about continuing to improve the distribution channels on the expense side and we're still looking at the revenue side, feel like there's some upside there but want to be conservative in what we're expecting. With regards to EBITDA, you hit on some really important points and I think it's the difference of cash EBITDA, if there were such a thing, to GAAP EBITDA, which is of course what we have to report. So as we look at GAAP EBITDA, it doesn't take into account the cash that we received from Sprint, and therefore there is a significant delta between the cash we received from Sprint versus the revenue that we needed to recognize throughout the year for them and that's due to the fact that the $900 million is coming in $600 million in 2012 but we need to recognize revenues in a straight-line perspective. So there's definitely a positive variance between the negative EBITDA and what we will actually receive in cash."

This revenue guidance does not account for potential revenues from LightSquared's partners, who now have no one to provide them with wholesale wireless service. Enter Clearwire. In addition, the timing of payments from Sprint affects revenues due to the need to recognize them in a straight line, even though the cash does not come in the door in such a way.

On the call, Clearwire executives were also asked about selling spectrum. Given that Clearwire is the largest single holder of spectrum in the United States, and that its value is derived from its vast spectrum holdings, many analysts and investors want to know what Clearwire's plans for it are. Given that Clearwire, even with its ambitious LTE network plans, needs far less spectrum to compete that it currently has, speculation is abounding as to what Clearwire will do with its "excess" spectrum. CFO Cochran was as evasive as always on the matter, but did state that, "I just want to remember what the other carriers hold today that are operating multiple markets and networks which is, as we look at Verizon and AT&T, they're in the 100 megahertz range or so. So here we sit on 160, which is more than any other telco out there. So we're looking at making sure we can support the WiMAX network and have a great experience for those customers, rollout tremendously high-capacity LTE network. And you look at that and I think 80 to 100 megahertz is what we need to really fulfill that and we'll evaluate that market by market based on the demand for market, but we've got 160. So we definitely have some room."

From a technical standpoint, Clearwire can definitely sell spectrum, but critics wonder if the market will allow for such a sale. We think so, and look to recent developments in the spectrum world for confirmation.

Spectrum Auctions

By law, companies can be licensed to use spectrum from one place: the FCC. And while companies can acquire spectrum from one another, it must initially be sourced from one place, and one place only: the FCC. And the FCC is gearing up for another spectrum auction, which is expected to bring in up to $25 billion in proceeds to the federal government. And buried in the bill are provisions that, in a roundabout way, could serve to greatly benefit Clearwire. Critics of Clearwire contend that if the FCC auctions off more new wireless spectrum, the value of Clearwire's holdings diminishes. But, a look at the nuances of the current auction and spectrum market shows that this is not the case.

In the last major spectrum auction, which occurred in 2008, most of the airwaves went to AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ), which is only natural, seeing as they have the deepest pockets in the wireless industry. However, the FCC could very well restrict their participation in this auction. The FCC has had the authority to limit participation in these auctions since 1993 on the basis of industry dominance, current holdings, and needs. But, buried in the JOBS Act (designed to deal with unemployment) alongside the spectrum auction plans, are provisions that severely weaken the FCC's power to regulate auctions. AT&T and Verizon of course lobbied for the provision, just as Sprint and other wireless companies opposed it. Stripping the FCC of its regulatory role in this matter would mean that the majority of airwaves would go to AT&T and Verizon. Yet, this benefits Clearwire in a roundabout way.

If Clearwire is the single largest holder of spectrum in the United States, and AT&T and Verizon are buying up everything the FCC is auctioning off, where will Sprint and all the other wireless companies receive spectrum from? Enter Clearwire. Should the FCC lose control of the auction process, AT&T and Verizon will dominate the auction and force the other companies out. Aside from a wave of mergers, there will be but one alternative for access to spectrum in such a scenario. If AT&T and Verizon tighten their grip on spectrum even more, they will enhance the appeal of Clearwire's spectrum via the simple fact that it is the only spectrum that is left to acquire. Dish (DISH) has shown that it is unwilling to sell, preferring to launch its own network instead. And LightSquared's spectrum has been proven to be largely useless. Should AT&T and Verizon tighten control of the spectrum market, Clearwire is poised to be a prime beneficiary.

Conclusions

Recent developments have proven that the Clearwire story is only getting better. Clearwire's competitive position has dramatically improved with the collapse of LightSquared. Its earnings release shows that it is steadily working towards a better financial future. And recent developments in the spectrum market serve to highlight the value of Clearwire's spectrum. We think that Clearwire is an extremely compelling investment at these levels, and believe that now is a great time to add to or initiate positions in Clearwire, as we are doing. Analysts agree with us. For the record, the Reuters average analyst price target is $5.81, representing upside of almost 163% from current levels. We think that investors who invest in Clearwire at these levels will be amply rewarded. Clearwire is slowly but surely changing the wireless industry, and it is presenting a clear investment opportunity to those willing to look at the facts.

Disclosure: I am long CLWR, S.

Helix Investment Management

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Falcone's LightSquared to cut 45% of workforce, Reuters reports

Theflyonthewall.comTheflyonthewall.com – 6 hours ago

Philip Falcone's LightSquared wireless company will cut about 45% of its workforce to save money, Reuters reports. The company, which this week failed to pay $56M it owed to Inmarsat, says the planned move is a "prudent and necessary cost savings measure to ensure the long-term success of the company."

[teecee1]

23.02.2012 | 15:40

UPDATE2: Telekom investiert ins US-Sorgenkind

-- Telekom investiert in LTE-Netz in USA

-- Abschreibungen in USA und Südosteuropa sorgen für Gewinneinbruch

-- Gewinn wird 2012 von Investitionen gedrückt

(NEU: Details, Hintergrund, Analyst)

Von Martin Rapp
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Die Deutsche Telekom will nach dem gescheiterten Verkauf ihrer US-Tochter an AT&T in Übersee nun in die Offensive gehen. Der DAX-Konzern kündigte an, in den nächsten beiden Jahren knapp die Hälfte der für das geplatzte Geschäft erhaltenen 3 Milliarden US-Dollar in den Ausbau des Mobilfunknetzes der nächsten Generation zu investieren.

Ab 2013 sollen Kunden in den 50 größten Märkten der USA auch auf LTE-Basis telefonieren können. Insgesamt sind Investitionen von 4 Milliarden Dollar geplant. Bislang hat die Telekom-Tochter als kleinster Anbieter der großen Vier als einziger die Ausgaben dafür gescheut und würde mit einem Angebot im nächsten Jahr zwei Jahre nach dem Marktführer Verizon an den Start gehen.

Die Bonner stehen in Amerika, wo sie knapp ein Fünftel ihres Gewinns erwirtschaften, unter starkem Druck. Nicht nur bei LTE hinken sie hinterher, auch das begehrte iPhone von Apple fehlt im Gegensatz zu den Konkurrenten Verizon, AT&T und Sprint im Angebot. In den vergangenen 12 Monaten gingen T-Mobile USA über 1,6 Millionen Vertragskunden verloren, die Hälfte davon im vierten Quartal.

Umsatz und Gewinn vor Steuern, Zinsen und Abschreibungen (EBITDA) ohne Sondereffekte gingen um über 3 Prozent zurück; der schwächere Dollar verschärfte diesen Trend in der Konzernrechnung noch. Hannes Wittig, Analyst bei J.P. Morgan, bezeichnete die Entwicklung als "schlimmer als befürchtet".

Im laufenden Jahr rechnen die Bonner in den USA mit weiteren Einbußen beim EBITDA von rund 10 Prozent. Eigentlich wollte die Telekom den Problemfall im Sommer an AT&T los sein, doch nach dem Veto der Wettbewerbshüter bliesen sie das Vorhaben ab. Die Tochter ist jetzt weniger wert, der Konzern schrieb knapp 2,3 Milliarden Euro auf sie ab. Nur die Entschädigung für den nicht zustande gekommenen Verkauf hielt 2011 den Konzerngewinn von 557 Millionen Euro damit im positiven Bereich. Im Vorjahr wurde noch ein Überschuss von 1,7 Milliarden Euro verbucht. (...)

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Clearwire Shares Given New $4.00 Price Target by Jefferies Group Analysts (CLWR)

Jefferies Group (NYSE: JEF) increased their price target on shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) to $4.00 in a research note issued on Thursday.

Separately, analysts at Macquarie initiated coverage on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Wednesday. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Analysts at Evercore Partners initiated coverage on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Tuesday, February 7th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $2.00 price target on the stock. Also, analysts at UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Thursday, January 5th.

The firm moved Q4 EPS up from ($0.43) to ($0.42), this year went down to ($1.64) to ($1.66) and next year went from ($1.67) to ($1.73). (...)

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Macquarie Starts Clearwire (CLWR) at Neutral, $2.65 Price Target

February 23, 2012 9:15 AM EST

Macquarie initiated coverage on shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) with a Neutral rating and a $2.65 price target. (...)

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Clearwire Shares Upgraded by Town Hall to “Sell” (CLWR)

Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) was upgraded by analysts at Town Hall to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

... ...

22.02.2012 | 17:03

Clearwire wird von TownHall Research von Sell auf Avoid aufgestuft

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Christian Hoyer, Redakteur)

[teecee1]

23.02.2012 17:45

MWC Neue Konflikte in der Mobilfunkbranche

Die Zeiten, als ein Handy vor allem für Telefongespräche und SMS da war, sind vorbei. Heute übernehmen Smartphones die Macht, selbst das Wort Handy scheint veraltet. Die Mobilfunk-Branche ist heute ein Multi-Milliarden-Geschäft, um das sich immer mehr die gesamte Computer- und Internet-Welt dreht. Doch wenn sich kommende Woche Top-Manager der Industrie zum Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona versammeln, feiert die Branche keineswegs nur ein Fest der Sieger: Die neuen Machtverhältnisse führen auch zu Konflikten, die in aller Härte vor Gericht und von Lobbyisten im politischen Vorfeld ausgetragen werden.

Die kaum noch überschaubare Patentauseinandersetzung zwischen Herstellern wie Apple, Samsung oder Motorola gehört inzwischen zum Tagesgeschäft – kaum eine Woche vergeht ohne neue Klagen, Urteile, Vorwürfe. Das sind aber nur die offensichtlichen Feindseligkeiten über viel tiefer gehenden Konfliktlinien. Die tiefste davon trennt zwei große Gruppen, die ohneeinander nicht können, sich aber immer mehr ins Gehege kommen: Die Netzbetreiber auf der einen und die Geräte-Hersteller und Diensteanbieter auf der anderen Seite.


Ende Februar trifft sich die Mobilfunkbranche
wieder in Barcelona.

Die Interessensgegensätze sind in Barcelona schon seit Jahren ein heißes Eisen. Die populären Smartphones sind ohne schnelle Datennetze nur ein nutzloses Stück High-Tech. Und Netzbetreiber wie Vodafone und Deutsche Telekom brauchen attraktive Geräte, um ihre mobilen Internet-Dienste an die Kunden zu bringen. Mit dem Vormarsch der Computer-Telefone mussten die Provider jedoch massiv Kontrolle abgeben.

Nicht mehr die Netzbetreiber entscheiden, welche Programme auf ein Mobiltelefon kommen, sondern der Kunde, der sie sich selbst aus den App Stores herunterlädt. Apple oder Google verdienen am Umsatz der App-Store mit. Die einst mächtigen Telekom-Konzerne dürfen dagegen nur noch den Datenverkehr in ihren für viele Milliarden ausgebauten Netzen umschlagen. Jahr für Jahr wiederholen ihre Top-Manager in Barcelona gebetsmühlenartig, dass sie sich nicht auf die Rolle einer "dummen Pipeline" reduzieren lassen werden. Jahr für Jahr heißt es aus der Internet-Ecke hinter vorgehaltener Hand, dass es längst geschehen ist. Die Datenfunk-Gebühren seien doch immer noch üppig genug, es gebe kein Grund zu klagen, wetterte ein Online-Manager vergangenes Mal.

Der Machtverlust der Telekom-Riesen schlägt aber auch schmerzhaft auf die Zahlen durch. Und es geht um schwindelerregende Summen. So rechnete der britische Marktforscher Ovum jüngst vor, dass den Netzbetreibern allein 2011 knapp 14 Milliarden Dollar (10,5 Mrd Euro) an SMS-Einnahmen entgangen seien – weil die Kunden statt der teuren Kurzmitteilungen verstärkt auf Kommunikation über kostenlose Onlinedienste umschwenken, egal ob Facebook, Twitter oder die vielen Messaging-Apps wie WhatsApp. Apple setzt jetzt noch eins drauf und weitet seine iMessage-Plattform demnächst auch auf die Macs aus. Die Botschaft ist klar: Die SMS wird als eine der beliebtesten Geldquellen der Telekom-Branche versiegen.

Die Veränderung ist nicht mehr aufzuhalten. Apple spielte mit dem iPhone den Vorreiter, der 2007 als erster die festgewachsenen Strukturen der Mobilfunk-Branche aufbrach. Das Google-Betriebssystem machte zuletzt den Umschwung komplett. Den Marktforschern von Gartner zufolge war im vergangenen Jahr bereits rund jedes dritte verkaufte Mobiltelefon ein Smartphone. Bis zum Jahr 2015 rechnen sie damit, dass der Anteil weltweit auf mindestens 50 Prozent steigt – und in entwickelten Märkten wie die USA oder Westeuropa so gut wie keine einfachen Handys mehr abgesetzt werden. Der Wandel werde weiter beschleunigt durch die Welle günstiger Smartphones, die in diesem Jahr auf den Markt treffen werde, sagt Gartner-Analystin Roberta Cozza.

Diese Entwicklung werde den Wettbewerb in nächster Zeit prägen, prophezeit Cozza. Vor allem die billigen Android-Smartphones dürften ins heutige Geschäft mit einfachen Handys hereinbrechen. Noch-Marktführer Nokia sei mehr denn je auf den Erfolg seiner neuen Lumia-Smartphones mit dem Microsoft-Betriebssystem Windows Phone angewiesen. Auch der Blackberry-Anbieter RIM stehe unter Druck: "Für RIM ist es das entscheidende Jahr."

Zuletzt wurde der Smartphone-Markt von zwei Plattformen beherrscht. Googles Android mit Samsung als führendem Anbieter besetzte gut die Hälfte des Marktes. Und Apple kam durch sein neues iPhone 4S auf fast ein Viertel der Verkaufszahlen – und einen Großteil der Branchengewinne. Der Konzern mit dem Apfel im Logo bleibt dem Mobile World Congress auch in diesem Jahr fern – dürfte aber auf dem Messegelände Fira Barcelona wieder für viel Gesprächsstoff sorgen. (Andrej Sokolow, dpa) / (vbr)

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Nadelöhr im Androiden
22.02.12 – Tom Simonite



Wie schnell Apps in Mobilgeräten laufen, hängt nicht so sehr von Prozessoren und Netzen ab. Die Geschwindigkeit wird durch Flash-Speicher begrenzt, hat eine Studie herausgefunden.

Um im harten Wettbewerb auf dem Mobilmarkt zu punkten, setzen die Hersteller von Smartphones und Tablet-Rechnern auf immer schnellere Prozessoren. Auf Messen wie der Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas preisen sie die Komptabilität ihrer Geräte mit den immer höheren Datenraten der Netze an. Das ist zum Teil Augenwischerei, behaupten nun Ingenieure der NEC Labs. Die Performance der mobilen Kleincomputer werde in erster Linie durch die Geschwindigkeit begrenzt, mit denen diese Daten im Speicher auslesen und ablegen können. „Die Speichersysteme sind der Flaschenhals bei mobilen Geräten“, sagt Nitin Agrawal. „Wir verbringen viel Zeit damit, Apps zu nutzen, aber ein großer Teil dieser Zeit geht fürs Warten drauf – auf eine Webseite oder die Aktualisierung einer App-Ansicht.“

Agrawal und seine Kollegen Hyojun Kim und Christian Ungureanu haben in einer Testreihe untersucht, wie sich Flash-Speicherkarten acht verschiedener Hersteller auf die Geschwindigkeit von populären Apps für das Mobilbetriebssystem Android auswirken. Zu den getesteten Anwendungen gehörten Dienste wie Facebook, Google Maps und Angry Birds sowie der Web-Browser des Android-Systems. Die Ergebnisse haben die NEC-Forscher vergangene Woche auf der Konferenz Usenix File and Storage Technology (FAST '12) im kalifornischen San Jose vorgestellt.

Bei ihrer Studie setzten sie Smartphones vom Typ Nexus One ein, auf dem die Android-Version „Gingerbread“ installiert war. Dabei veränderten sie das Betriebssystem so, dass Apps nicht auf die internen Speicherchips zurückgreifen, sondern ihre Daten im Wesentlichen auf die Speicherkarten schreiben. Die werden im Normalbetrieb zwar nur benutzt, um Bilder und Musik zu speichern. Die Ergebnisse sollten sich aber auch auf die Geräte-eigenen Speicherchips verallgemeinern lassen, sagt Agrawal.

Nach einem Kaltstart kam die Gmail-App bei der leistungsfähigsten Speicherkarte dreimal schneller ins Laufen als bei der schwächsten. Die Twitter-App startete mit dem besten Speicher doppelt so schnell. Der Android-Browser wiederum konnte im Testlauf 50 Webseiten mit der besten Karte dreimal so schnell aufrufen wie mit der schwächsten.

Die Anwendungen wurden auch dann nicht viel schneller, als die NEC-Forscher mit Hilfe einer Kabelverbindung eine Datenübertragung aus dem Netz simulierten, die zehnmal schneller als derzeitige WLANs ist. „Wir hatten damit gerechnet, dass sich die Performance spürbar verbessert. Doch das geschah nicht“, erklärt Agrawal. Sein Fazit: Solange sich die Gerätehersteller nur auf Prozessoren und Netzgeschwindigkeiten konzentrierten, bringe das für den Nutzer wenig.

Ursache sei die Arbeitsweise von Speicherchips und -karten in Mobilgeräten, so Agrawal. Nach den offiziellen Produktspezifikationen sollen Speicher zwar Daten schneller lesen und schreiben können, als sie von den Prozessoren in Sendestationen verarbeitet und rausgeschickt werden. Die entsprechenden Performance-Tests untersuchten aber nur, wie eine geordnete Datenfolge geschrieben oder gelesen werde.

Weil die gängigen Apps Daten ungeordnet anfordern und ausgeben, würden die Benchmark-Werte in der Praxis nicht erreicht, sagt Agrawal. Viele der untersuchten Apps würden fürs Datenmanagement einen Code verwenden, der mit einem zufälligen Datenzugriff arbeite. „Der Zufallsschreibmodus funktioniert mit Speichern von Mobilgeräten um Größenordnungen schlechter“, und die Geräte verarbeiteten deshalb Daten langsamer als 3G-Mobilnetze, betont Agrawal.

Die NEC-Forscher beließen es aber nicht bei der Untersuchung des Status Quo. Sie probierten verschiedene Strategien aus, wie man trotz gemächlicher Speicher die Leistungsfähigkeit von Apps verbessern könnte. Mit einem anderen System für das Zwischenspeichern von Daten – das „Caching“ – lief etwa die Facebook-Anwendung viermal schneller als zu Beginn. App-Entwickler könnten über das Software-Design das Problem zumindest lindern, wenn auch nicht beseitigen, sagt Agrawal. Dafür wären Änderungen in Hardware und Betriebssystem nötig.

Wie sich iPhones in einem vergleichbaren Test verhalten würden, weiß Agrawal nicht. Das Betriebssystem iOS arbeite nur mit festinstallierten Speicherchips und verwalte Daten anders als das Android-System.

Nach der Präsentation der Ergebnisse vergangene Woche auf der FAST '12 forderte Eno Thereska von Microsoft Research, die Tests mit Nutzern zu wiederholen. Er bezweifelte, dass die von den NEC-Forschern gemessenen Verzögerungen von Nutzern überhaupt registriert würden. „Ich kann Webseiten ohnehin nicht beliebig schnell lesen“, sagte Theresko. Er sei selbst ziemlich zufrieden mit der Performance von Apps.

Agrawal weist allerdings daraufhin, dass man bei den Tests darauf geachtet habe, die typische Nutzung von Apps zu reproduzieren. Als Beispiel nennt er Google Maps – dort habe man die Zeit gestoppt, die nach dem Eintippen einer Zieladresse verging. Er ist überzeugt, dass Nutzer diese Unterschiede wahrnehmen könnten und von Speicher-bedingten Verzögerungen sehr wohl frustriert seien. „Warum soll irgendjemand 20 Sekunden warten, wenn das Ergebnis im Prinzip auch in fünf Sekunden da sein könnte?“, fragt Agrawal.


Das Konferenz-Paper zur Testreihe:
Kim, H. et al.: "Revisiting Storage for Smartphones" , Proceedings of the 10th Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '12), Februar 2012.

[teecee1]

Eric Savitz, Forbes Staff

2/24/2012 @ 9:18AM

Clearwire Shares Slide As Google Files To Sell Entire Stake

Google said in an SEC filing that intends to sell its entire 29,411,765 share stake in Clearwire’s class A Common stock. Under an existing agreement, a group of other large holders, including Sprint, Comcast, Intel, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Craig McCaw’s Eagle River Holdings, have a right of first refusal to buy the shares; if none of them want to increase their stake, Google plans to sell the shares in the open market.

Google’s stake represents 6.5% of Clearwire’s Class A shares, and 2.3% voting control.

In letters to its fellow investors about the planned sale, Google states that it intends to sell the stock for $1.60 a share or $47 million., apparently the agreed upon price under the “equity holders agreement” with the other larger investors; that price would appear to hold only if it sells to one of the other larger holders.

The sum represents a substantial discount on the share price of Clearwire, currently trading at $2.27, and a major discount on the $500 million it originally paid for the stake in 2008.

The Street is not happy: CLWR this morning is down 13 cents, or 5.5%, to $2.14.

... ... google kann auch einen deal gemacht haben zwecks datenaufkommen .... !!!

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.803.091 von teecee1 am 24.02.12 16:10:52

Google will seine Clearwire-Aktien verkaufen
Autor: Aktiencheck News
| 24.02.2012, 18:17 | 74 Aufrufe

Mountain View (www.aktiencheck.de) - Die amerikanische Google Inc. (ISIN US38259P5089/ WKN A0B7FY) will ihren Anteil am Breitband-Provider Clearwire Corp. (ISIN US18538Q1058/ WKN A0RDN8) verkaufen. Dies teilte das Unternehmen am Freitag mit.

Demnach will Google all seine 29,4 Millionen Aktien zu einem Preis von 1,60 US-Dollar je Aktie bzw. 47,1 Mio. US-Dollar insgesamt veräußern. Dies stellt einen Verlust von 94 Prozent bzw. 453 Mio. US-Dollar gegenüber dem Kaufpreis dar, den Google im Jahr 2008 für seinen Anteil gezahlt hatte. Insgesamt hält Google 6,5 Prozent der Aktien. Die Anteile sollen zunächst anderen Clearwire-Eignern angeboten werden, fünf Tage später erhalten alle anderen Marktteilnehmer die Chance auf einen Kauf.

Die Google-Aktie gewinnt in New York aktuell 0,36 Prozent hinzu auf 608,31 US-Dollar. Papiere von Clearwire geben 5,96 Prozent ab auf 2,13 US-Dollar. (24.02.2012/ac/n/a)

[teecee1]

Google will seine Clearwire-Aktien verkaufen
Autor: Aktiencheck News
| 24.02.2012, 18:17 | 74 Aufrufe

Mountain View (www.aktiencheck.de) - Die amerikanische Google Inc. (ISIN US38259P5089/ WKN A0B7FY) will ihren Anteil am Breitband-Provider Clearwire Corp. (ISIN US18538Q1058/ WKN A0RDN8) verkaufen. Dies teilte das Unternehmen am Freitag mit.

Demnach will Google all seine 29,4 Millionen Aktien zu einem Preis von 1,60 US-Dollar je Aktie bzw. 47,1 Mio. US-Dollar insgesamt veräußern. Dies stellt einen Verlust von 94 Prozent bzw. 453 Mio. US-Dollar gegenüber dem Kaufpreis dar, den Google im Jahr 2008 für seinen Anteil gezahlt hatte. Insgesamt hält Google 6,5 Prozent der Aktien. Die Anteile sollen zunächst anderen Clearwire-Eignern angeboten werden, fünf Tage später erhalten alle anderen Marktteilnehmer die Chance auf einen Kauf.

Die Google-Aktie gewinnt in New York aktuell 0,36 Prozent hinzu auf 608,31 US-Dollar. Papiere von Clearwire geben 5,96 Prozent ab auf 2,13 US-Dollar. (24.02.2012/ac/n/a)

24.02.2012
Smartphones leiten Zeitenwende im Mobilfunk ein



Mobile World Congress: Mit einer Flut vonneuen Smartphones und Tablet-PCs rechnen Experten auf der weltgrößten Mobilfunkmesse, dem Mobile World Congress, der am Montag beginnt. Doch auch Netzinnovationen wird es in Barcelona zu sehen geben, denn es gilt das immense Wachstum an mobilem Datenverkehr zu bewältigen.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 24. 2. 12, rb

Kurz vor dem Mobile World Congress in Barcelona überschlagen sich namhafte Firmen mit Statistiken rund um den Mobilfunkmarkt. 4,1 Mrd. Menschen und damit rund 60 % der Weltbevölkerung sind mittlerweile Mobilfunkkunden, attestiert der führende Netzausrüster Ericsson. Da einige von ihnen mehrere Verträge haben, ist deren Zahl auf satte 6 Mrd. angewachsen. Die meisten neuen Mobilfunkkunden kamen im letzten Jahr aus Indien und China. Brasilien, Indonesien und Bangladesh liegen in der Rangfolge auf den nachfolgenden Plätzen. Hier wird das mobile Telefonieren zum Festnetzersatz.

Wen wundert''s da, dass der globale mobile Datenverkehr auf ein schier unvorstellbares Volumen anwächst. Wie ein neuer Index des Telekommunikationsausstatters Cisco festgestellt hat, wächst der Datenverkehr von 2011 bis 2016 um das 18-Fache an. Dann werden jeden Monat fast 10,8 Exabyte übertragen. 1 Exabyte ist 1 Trillion Byte, eine Eins mit 18 Nullen.

Die jährliche mobile Datenübertragung von 130 Exabyte im Jahr 2012 entspricht dem heutigen Fassungsvermögen von 33 Mrd. DVDs oder 813 Trillionen SMS. Eine Belastung der Netze, über die Experten in Barcelona viel debattieren werden.

Auslöser dafür sind vor allem intelligente Handys und Tablet-PCs. Auf der weltgrößten Mobilfunkmesse wird ab nächster Woche eine bunte Vielfalt von Geräten zu sehen sein, die mit schnellen Prozessoren, brillanteren Displays, hochauflösenden Kameras und anderen Superlativen brillieren. Hinzu kommen viele Produktvorstellungen rund um die breitbandige Mobilfunktechnik LTE.

In Deutschland werden 2012 erstmals mehr Smartphones als herkömmliche Handys verkauft, berichtete der Hightechverband Bitkom in der vergangenen Woche. Demnach steige der Absatz von Smartphones hierzulande um 35 % auf 15,9 Mio. Stück. „Smartphones leiten eine Zeitwende im Mobilfunkmarkt ein“, erklärte Bitkom-Präsidiumsmitglied und Vodafone-Deutschlandchef Friedrich Joussen. „Das mobile Internet wird die Sprachtelefonie schon bald als wichtigste Mobilfunkanwendung ablösen.“

Aktivste Nutzer des mobilen Internets sind 16- bis 24-jährige Männer, fand das Institut Nielsen heraus. Sind sie online, teilen sie Fotos, Videos und Nachrichten in sozialen Netzwerken oder spielen Games. Bei älteren Usern, die einen Datentarif abgeschlossen haben oder das Smart-
phone beruflich einsetzen, gewinnen neben Facebook & Co. E-Mails an Bedeutung. S. FASSE/R. BÖNSCH

-Seiten 7, 8 und 26

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24.02.2012
Und App gehts auch in Barcelona

Mobile World Congress: Sie organisieren den Alltag, halten Kontakt in sozialen Netzwerken oder bringen Spiel-Spaß: „Apps“, die kleinen Zusatzprogramme für Smartphones und Tablet-PCs, werden im privaten Umfeld und auch von Unternehmen immer selbstverständ- licher genutzt. Auf dem Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, der weltgrößten Mobilfunkmesse (27. 2. bis 1. 3.), präsentieren über 200 Aussteller im App Planet alles rund um die kleinen Programme.

VDI nachrichten, München, 24. 2. 12, rb

Ohne Anruf in der Funkzentrale ein Taxi bestellen – MyTaxi macht es möglich. Pünktlich zum Mobile World Congress Ende Februar soll die App, die Kunden und Taxifahrer ohne Umwege direkt per Knopfdruck miteinander verbindet, auch in Barcelona an den Start gehen. Während der Deutsche Taxi- und Mietwagenverband herbe Einbußen fürchtet, hoffen andere auf Gewinne: Der Erfolg des deutschen Start-ups Intelligent Apps hat gerade mehrere neue Geldgeber angelockt, darunter das Branchenschwergewicht Daimler, das 10 Mio. € über seine Carsharing-Tochter Car2go in das digitale Geschäft investiert.

Ob MyTaxi, Wunderlist, Workhub, soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook oder Pinterest, der Spiel-Dauerbrenner, Navigationshelfer oder Nachrichtenservices – die zunehmende Verbreitung von Smartphones und Tablet-PCs lässt auch die Zahl der damit genutzten Applikationen wachsen. Laut Bitkom-Zahlen vom September 2011 sind die kleinen Zusatzprogramme bei mehr als 15 Mio. Deutschen auf Handy oder Smartphone installiert. Inzwischen dürfte diese Zahl noch deutlich gewachsen sein. Wer ein entsprechendes Gerät nutzt, hat laut Branchenverband durchschnittlich 17 Apps daraufgeladen. Weltweit rechnet Gartner bis 2013 mit 21,65 Mrd. Down-
loads aus mobilen App Stores.

Dabei geht es längst nicht mehr um den reinen Spaßfaktor, wie das Beispiel Whatsapp zeigt. Mit diesem Dienst können Nachrichten kostenlos in Handy- netze verschiedener Betreiber versendet werden. Während die Telefonkunden hier bares Geld sparen, gerät das SMS-Erlösmodell der großen Netzbetreiber ins Wanken.

Clevere Anwendungen finden dabei auch im wenig überschaubaren iTunes App Store ihre Kundschaft, etwa durch Empfehlungen im Freundeskreis oder in sozialen Netzwerken. Allerdings, so warnen Experten, gehen die meisten Nutzer derzeit noch zu sorglos mit den digitalen Helfern um. Denn Apps können mit entsprechender Programmierung auch unbemerkt auf Adressbücher des Nutzers zugreifen und die Daten weiterverteilen.

Nicht nur die private Kommunikation verändert sich durch Apps. Auch im Business-Umfeld nutzen immer mehr Firmen neue Wege zum Kunden. So könnten etwa Autos, die mit Katalogen von Vertriebsmitarbeitern vollgeladen sind, schon bald der Vergangenheit angehören. Das Unternehmen Cluetec hat mit der catalogueapp eine Lösung für das iPad und Android-Tablets entwickelt, die technisch komplexe Produkte multimedial in Szene setzen kann.

„Auf einer Messe wollen die Besucher nicht mit Informationen erschlagen werden. In unserer App stehen deshalb zunächst Bilder und Videos im Vordergrund. Das erleichtert die Produktpräsentation enorm“, erklärt Cluetec-Geschäftsführer und Mitgründer Thomas Rieger. Produktdetails sind in PDF-Dateien hinterlegt, darüber hinaus ist die Anbindung an Firmendatenbanken möglich oder die Erstellung von zusätzlichen Unterkatalogen. Peugeot setzte die App unter anderem bei der IAA im Herbst 2011 ein. „Wir hatten weniger Schulungsaufwand beim Standpersonal, da wir alle Produktinformationen übersichtlich aufbereiten und präsentieren konnten“, erinnert sich Frank Walter vom Schulungszentrum Peugeot.

Premium-Hersteller Audi setzt ebenfalls verstärkt auf Apps. Per Smartphone-Anwendung wurden etwa im vergangenen Jahr zahlreiche Messebesucher durch den Audi-Dome auf der IAA geführt, als Anreiz lockte dabei u. a. ein eigenes Gewinnspiel, an dem ausschließlich App-Nutzer teilnehmen konnten.

„Seit es das iPhone gibt, sind Apps für uns interessant“, berichtet Bettina Rühle vom Audi Digital Marketing jüngst auf der Kongressmesse M-Days. Die mobilen Anwendungen werden deutlich intensiver von den Kunden genutzt, beobachtete Rühle. Allerdings habe es 2011 einen regelrechten „Wildwuchs“ von Audi-Anwendungen im App Store gegeben. Die Ingolstädter führten deshalb einen Style-Guide ein, der nun die Namensgebung, das Deployment und die Prozesse für das Hochladen der Programme verbindlich für alle Mitarbeiter international regelt. SIMONE FASSE

Deutsche Mobilfunkfakten: Das mobile Internet boomt



Mehr Smartphones als Handys werden 2012 in Deutschland verkauft. Die intelligenten Geräte sorgen für einen kräftigen Schub der mobilen Internetnutzung. Der Umsatz mit mobilen Daten soll in diesem Jahr auf 8,2 Mrd. € steigen. Wurden 2011 über 100 Mio. GByte Daten über Mobilfunk übertragen, so sollen es 2012 rund 170 Mio. GByte sein. rb


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24.02.2012
"2020 werden über 50 Mrd. IP-fähige Geräte am Netz sein"



Mobile World Congress: Bei dem Netzausrüster Ericsson erwartet man eine stürmische Ausbreitung der Mobilfunkkommunikation und der gesamten Netznutzung. Dazu gehört auch die zunehmende Vernetzung aller Geräte – quer durch alle Industrien und Anwendungen hinweg. Im Vorfeld des Mobile World Congress 2012 sprachen die VDI nachrichten mit Hans Vestberg, dem Vorstandsvorsitzenden von Ericsson.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 24. 2. 12, rb

VDI nachrichten: Herr Vestberg, der Mobile World Congress beginnt in wenigen Tagen. Was wird Ericsson präsentieren und was erwarten Sie an wichtigen Neuheiten?

Vestberg: Unser Fokus liegt auf der Networked Society und wie wir mit unseren Lösungen den Netzbetreibern helfen können, davon zu profitieren. Letztes Jahr haben wir ausgeführt, wie Mobilität, Breitband und die Cloud die Märkte verändern und wie schnelle, zuverlässige, hochperformante Netze die Basis dafür bilden. Dieses Jahr werden wir zeigen, wie weit wir dabei vorangekommen sind. Wir präsentieren Innovationen, mit denen man die rasant ansteigenden Datenmengen in den Innenstädten managen kann. Hierzu gehört auch Software zum Betrieb von Netzen und zur flexiblen Abrechnung, was für die Netzbetreiber immer wichtiger wird.

Mit 26 Mrd. € im abgelaufenen Geschäftsjahr ist Ericsson ein bedeutender Telekommunikationsanbieter. Wie und wo ist Ericsson am stärksten engagiert?

Wir sind der weltweit führende Anbieter von Mobilfunktechnologien der zweiten, dritten und vierten Generation sowie der größte Dienstleister für Netzbetreiber. Rund 50 % des Smartphone-Datenverkehrs weltweit läuft über Ericssons Netzequipment. Bei neuen LTE-Netzen halten wir einen noch größeren Marktanteil. Und LTE wird schon bald viel schneller. In Schweden testen wir bereits „LTE Advanced“, das ist rund zehnmal schneller als alles Gegenwärtige.

Ericsson hat in den letzten Jahren ein beachtliches Portfolio an Patenten angesammelt. Welche Rolle spielen diese für das Unternehmen?

Eine sehr bedeutende. Wir verfügen über 27 000 Patente. Wer im Bereich der Telekommunikation Geschäfte machen will, kommt kaum umhin, sich bei uns die entsprechenden Lizenzen zu beschaffen. Wir haben rund 90 Lizenzvereinbarungen mit Handy- und anderen Endgeräteherstellern sowie vielen Netzausrüstern. Obwohl auch wir in vielen Bereichen Lizenznehmer sind, erzielen wir hohe Netto-Lizenzüberschüsse.

Lassen Sie uns über den Telekommunikationsmarkt reden. Weltweit gibt es gegenwärtig knapp 6 Mrd. Mobilfunkkunden. Wie gesättigt ist der Markt, gibt es Wachstum nur noch mit neuen Technologien und Ersatzbeschaffungen?

Es gibt gegenwärtig eine Netzabdeckung von 85 % der Weltbevölkerung. Das wird innerhalb der nächsten fünf Jahre auf 92 % ansteigen. Doch das ist nur die eine Wachstumskomponente, die andere ist die, dass die Zahl der mobilen Unterhaltungselektronikgeräte pro Person ansteigt.

Eine dritte Komponente ist die Zahl der mobilen Breitbandnutzer, die bis 2015 von unter 1 Mrd. auf rund 5 Mrd. ansteigen wird. Viele davon werden zum ersten Mal und zu deutlich niedrigen Preisen das Internet nutzen können.

Und dann gibt es noch eine vierte Komponente, die mehr und mehr an Bedeutung gewinnt: Die Maschine-zu-Maschine-Kommunikation, kurz M2M genannt. Wir gehen davon aus, dass im Jahr 2020 über 50 Mrd. IP-fähige Geräte am Netz angeschlossen sein werden – quer durch alle Industrien, nicht nur begrenzt auf die Energiewirtschaft, das Transportwesen oder den Gesundheitssektor. Doch dafür ist ein immenser Um- und Ausbau der Infrastruktur nötig.

Die Handynutzung ist überwiegend ein Vergnügen von Teenagern, die stundenlang telefonieren und SMS verschicken. Oder hat sich daran etwas geändert?

Die Nutzung der Smartphones ändert dieses einstige Nutzungsprofil erheblich. Smartphone-Besitzer verbringen inzwischen nur noch rund 25 % ihrer Zeit mit dem Telefonieren. Die meiste Zeit surfen sie im Internet, bearbeiten E-Mails oder sind in sozialen Netzwerken aktiv.

Laut den Marktforschern von Canalys wurden bereits im vorigen Jahr mehr Smartphones verkauft als PCs – inklusive Tablet-PCs. Es gibt immer mehr Business-Apps für die Smartphones und unsere Untersuchungen zeigen, dass jede Verdoppelung der Übertragungsrate das Bruttosozialprodukt nachhaltig um 0,3 % anhebt.

Der Boom bei den Smartphones ist auch der Hackerwelt nicht verborgen geblieben. Wie steht es um die Sicherheit der Mobilfunkkommunikation?

Mit neuen Vorzügen kommen leider auch neue Risiken. Doch meiner Ansicht nach überwiegen die vielen Vorteile der modernen Mobilkommunikation die bestehenden Sicherheitsrisiken. Wenn in Zukunft alles miteinander vernetzt ist, wird man Lösungen finden, die die Sicherheitsrisiken minimieren.

Aus dem gemeinsamen Handygeschäft mit Sony ist Ericsson ausgestiegen. Was waren die Gründe dafür?

Wir sind nicht gut im Design und Vertrieb von Consumer-Produkten. Emotional war es auch für mich schwer, dass sich Ericsson nach über 100 Jahren von den Telefonen getrennt hat. Strategisch war es jedoch die richtige Entscheidung, denn die Verkaufserlöse von umgerechnet rund 1,05 Mrd. € helfen uns beim Ausbau unseres Kerngeschäfts.

Wichtiger ist unsere Beteiligung an ST-Ericsson als Chipsatzhersteller. Damit stellen wir sicher, dass auch in Zukunft Neuerungen in den Netzen – wie LTE – gleichzeitig mit den entsprechenden Funktionalitäten in allen Handys und anderen Geräten eingeführt werden können.

Sie haben eingangs von einer „Net-
worked Society“ gesprochen. Was genau meinen Sie damit?

Die Nutzung von vernetzten Geräten durchdringt immer mehr unser Alltagsleben. Sprachübertragung wird mehr und mehr zum Grundrauschen. Gezielte Informationsdienste sind die neuen Wachstumsfelder. Ob per Handy, Smartphone, Tablet oder Ultrabook – wir sind immer stärker vernetzt.

Hinzu kommt das erwähnte rasante Wachstum der M2M-Kommunikation. Bei Ericsson sehen wir unsere Aufgabe darin, für diese vernetzte Society die erforderliche Infrastruktur langfristig zu planen und aufzubauen. Die Anwendungen, die den größtmöglichen Nutzen daraus ziehen, kommen dann von anderen.

Vor zehn Jahren hätte niemand an Youtube oder Facebook gedacht. Auch heute können wir nur in Ansätzen ahnen, welche Innovationen die vernetzte Gesellschaft in zehn Jahren hervorbringen wird. Die Grundlagen dafür werden jedoch Vernetzung, Breitband und Cloud-Services bilden.

Was sind denn die langfristigen Pläne von Ericsson?

Unser Unternehmen wurde vor 136 Jahre gegründet und wir wollen mindestens für die nächsten 136 Jahre der führende TK-Anbieter bleiben. HARALD WEISS

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.804.240 von teecee1 am 24.02.12 18:56:50

Google verkauft seinen Anteil an US-Netzbetreiber Clearwire
von Florian Kalenda, 24. Februar 2012, 19:43 Uhr

Google plant, seinen Anteil an Clearwire abzustoßen, einem Mobilfunknetzbetreiber in den USA. In jetzt bekannt gewordenen Briefen vom 7. beziehungsweise 16. Februar hat es seine Aktien Comcast und Sprint angeboten. Ein Grund für den Verkauf wurde nicht genannt.


Ladengeschäft von Clearwire in Manhattan (Bild: Jim Henderson, CC0 1.0)

Für seine 29,4 Millionen Anteile verlangt Google umgerechnet nur je 1,60 Dollar. Bei einem gegenwärtigen Kurs von 2,27 Dollar ist dies ein Schnäppchen.

Clearwire hat in den letzten vier Jahren insgesamt fast 2 Milliarden Dollar Verlust gemacht. Sein größter Aktionär Sprint Nextel steht daher unter Druck, den kleineren Netzbetreiber zu retten. Ende letzten Jahres kündigte Sprint an, es finanziere Clearwire einen US-weiten Netzausbau mit TD-LTE in Höhe von 1,6 Milliarden Dollar. Der Plan soll gemeinsam entwickelt werden; Clearwire wird sich auf von Sprint ausgemachte "Hotspots" mit starker Nutzung konzentrieren.

Bis Mitte nächsten Jahres soll Clearwire so zu rund 5000 LTE-Sendestationen kommen. Das Unternehmen hatte sich vor Jahren der alternativen Technik WiMAX verschrieben und korrigiert somit einen strategischen Fehler. Google wollte sich an der Finanzierung des LTE-Netzausbaus nicht beteiligen.

[mit Material von Don Reisinger, News.com]

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... ... für die einen ein schnäpchen für andere eine warnung...


Clearwire Hits another Snag – Google Dumping its Stake at Steep Discount

By Chris Moore - February 25, 2012

Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR) has had a rough time recently and today’s news continues the trend. According to the Wall Street Journal, search giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) has indicated it will sell its entire stake in Clearwire at a steep discount. The stake, originally purchased for $500 million in 2008, will be sold at a price of $1.60 each amounting to a 91% discount from the original purchase price. Google has been mum about the decision, saying only that the company periodically alters its investments based on goals and current market conditions.

Google’s announcement comes on the heels of several negative events for Clearwire. Last week the company cautioned that it may need more capital to fund operations after getting roughly $1 billion in the past two months. The company is incurring heavy costs building its new LTE broadband network, which it expects to spend $600 million on in the next two years. The company also cautioned that it did not expect operations to generate positive cash flows during the following 12 months and that it expected to lose business at its Clear Internet brand. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) were selling the Clear Internet service, but have since shifted to a product offered by Verizon (NYSE: VZ). Clearwire desperately needs to build out their LTE network to compete with Verizon and its other competitors, but funding from the capital markets will come at a steep price. The company held a $300 million bond offering in January and ended up paying a coupon 500 basis points higher than other offers, including debt offered by lower-rated issuers. The company also cannot offer additional debt secured by its network assets, so it’s likely that further debt issuance will come at a higher cost.

Though Google hasn’t indicated much other than a willingness to rid itself of shares, I think this is an overwhelmingly negative signal for Clearwire. Google will be offering its shares first to current Clearwire investors and then to the public after 5 days. The WSJ attempted to contact major shareholders for comment and as of yet, no one has expressed interest. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), which has a 7.3% voting stake in Clearwire did respond, indicating no plans to increase its holdings. Intel’s spokesman, Chuck Malloy, also indicated that the value of Clearwire shares held by the company was immaterial. The company has already written down the value of its Class B shares to zero, lending credence to his statement. I also find it interesting that both Time Warner and Comcast are sizeable shareholders, but have moved away from Clearwire services. They own 3.6% and 6.9% voting stakes respectively, as of December 31st. Clearwire’s need for funding comes at a time when the other wireless providers are feeling the strain of smart phone growth and Google’s willingness to dump its shares doesn’t bode well for the company or its ability to secure funding.

Another point of contention is the fact that Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) owns 49% of Clearwire’s voting rights. Clearwire has said that it has more wireless spectrum than it can use, but it is unlikely Sprint will allow that spectrum to go to rivals. Sprint is also its largest customer, set to pay $600 million for unlimited access to its existing network, so it stands to reason Sprint has even more clout than indicated by its voting rights.

Clearwire may be a dead man walking, though I’m not ready to declare it dead yet. Other companies may express interest in Google’s stake and the company could acquire additional funding, but I will be watching closely for any additional negative indicators. (...)

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Comcast's Avgiris: Verizon Wireless Adds Muscle To Triple Play
Q&A With MSO's EVP for Data and Communications

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 2/22/2012 9:29:14 AM

Comcast's biggest strategic partner in communications these days is Verizon Wireless, and Cathy Avgiris is the executive charged with mobilizing the MSO's operations to make the deal a marketing success. (...)

MCN: What does partnering with Verizon Wireless do for Comcast?

Avgiris: We're bringing together the best products and services in the home with the Xfinity triple-play and the best network outside the home with Verizon Wireless, in a way that is convenient for customers to buy the best services in a bundle and save money.... It makes a lot of sense. It's intuitive for customers. They're not scratching their heads saying, "I don't get it." You always want to be closest to when the customer is making a purchase decision for your goods and services.

MCN: Comcast signed up about 30,000 customers through Clearwire, after more than two years in the market with Xfinity Internet 2go. Why was there so little traction? Will the Verizon Wireless deal work better than Clearwire?

Avgiris: I think there were a number of reasons. Clearwire was building a 4G network. And so, you were trying to ride the network build. The coverage was sometimes an issue, depending on where you were and where the network was built.
The mobile broadband offering we had [through Clearwire] was initially limited to a data card, or dongle, that you would insert into your laptop. It was great and has a unique segment of customers it's applicable to. But Verizon Wireless is about any mobile device -- smartphone, non-smartphone or tablet. It's a broader reach of what customers would want in a mobile product.

MCN: Cable tried to offer wireless before with Pivot [a joint venture with Sprint Nextel that was phased out in 2008, a year after it was launched]. What's different about this?

Avgiris: Not to duck the question, but I wasn't involved in Pivot when it launched. We know what our strengths are, and the great positive of this relationship with Verizon Wireless is, we get to really do what we're good at. We have the best products in the home. We know how to install and deliver those. And Verizon Wireless is arguably the best in the wireless space.... We have a great way to simplify the sales process -- but we still have responsibility for everything in the home. We're trying to not get into each other's way. (...)

[teecee1]

The Wall Street Transcript > Commentary

Smartphone Growth Leads to Fierce Competition for Bandwidth

The growth of the smartphone and tablet device market in the United States, at first powered by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, is now becoming more competitive and driving significant valuation changes in both wireless carrier and wireless device stocks.

James D. Breen, of William Blair & Company, sees the rise of the smartphone as a squeeze on wireless carrier profits. “With the advent of the iPhone and the Google (GOOG) Android platform, really the handset providers are the ones stirring the pot with consumers and saying, ‘OK, here’s this new device, we’re going to give you this; here’s what you could do with it if the carriers improve their network quality.’ It phases a portion of the carrier’s full capex into the network and to upgrade speeds at the same time that they are forced to subsidize more expensive smartphones. So from a cash flow perspective, it’s a little bit of a squeeze.”

This wireless carrier cash squeeze in the United States could lead to more rapid valuation changes as bandwidth-rich, cash-poor companies become targets for larger rivals that have additional spectrum requirements.

Jonathan Chaplin, of Credit Suisse, recently said Clearwire (CLWR) is going to become bandwidth bait as the spectrum squeeze plays out: “Clearwire is the one company out there with massive amounts of unused spectrum, and we think that their spectrum is going to increase in value significantly as data demand increases,” he said. “AT&T is going to need more spectrum. T-Mobile is going to need more spectrum. Leap (LEAP) and MetroPCS, (PCS), who had planned to buy spectrum, need more spectrum. So it creates a tremendous amount of demand for Clearwire’s very scarce asset.”

This entry was posted on Friday, February 17th, 2012 at 10:59 am and is filed under General Investing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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February 24, 2012 6:33 pm
US rollout of LTE phone networks accelerates

By Paul Taylor in New York

The announcement this week that Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA unit plans to launch LTE services in most of the 50 largest metropolitan markets over the next two years means that all four leading US mobile operators will have commercial LTE networks up and running by the end of 2013, several years ahead of earlier expectations.

After lagging well behind their European counterparts in the rollout of 3G services in the early 2000s, US network operators, led by Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon Communications and Britain’s Vodafone group, have led the rollout of commercial LTE services, spending billions of dollars in recent years on upgrading network infrastructure. (...)

[teecee1]

Sprint offers $2 bln in notes

Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:52am EST

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp plans to raise $2 billion in debt in a private transaction, the company said on Monday.

Sprint, which is spending $7 billion on a network upgrade, said it would use the funds for general purposes, including its network upgrade or potential funding of Clearwire Corp, in which it already has a majority stake.

The No. 3 U.S. mobile provider said the notes would be due in 2017 and 2020. Sprint already sold $4 billion in bonds in November to help it fill a funding gap for its network upgrade and its commitment to pay more than $15 billion to Apple Inc for their iPhone agreement.

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Sprint CEO Dan Hesse to Speak March 1 at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona

Hesse to discuss Sprint’s approach to innovation and importance of customer experience in his first MWC keynote

Business WirePress Release: Sprint – 2 hours 15 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) CEO Dan Hesse will deliver a keynote address at GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012 in Barcelona, Spain, marking the first time a Sprint CEO will address the wireless conference. Hesse will deliver remarks on March 1 at 9:30 a.m. CET in a session titled “Driving the Mobile Technology Revolution.”

Recognized as the world's premiere wireless conference, MWC 2012 will convene an international group of wireless industry leaders, along with leading media and analysts, to examine the opportunities and challenges that will redefine the wireless future. More than 60,000 people from 200 countries are expected to attend this year’s conference.

"We are very pleased to have Dan Hesse joining us for the first time at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona," said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. "As a new LTE carrier and one of the leading players in the U.S. wireless industry, Hesse has a unique perspective on mobile today and in the future. The unparalleled line up of keynote speakers at Mobile World Congress reflects more than ever the continued expansion of the mobile ecosystem.”

Joining Hesse during the keynote session on March 1 are Warren East, CEO, ARM; Kevin Johnson, CEO, Juniper Networks; and Shi Lirong, President, ZTE.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.813.971 von teecee1 am 27.02.12 18:26:26

Sprint Announces Pricing of $1.0 Billion of Notes Due 2017 and $1.0 Billion of Guaranteed Notes Due 2020

Business WirePress Release: Sprint Nextel Corp. – 5 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S - News) announced today that it has priced its previously announced offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 9.125% Notes due 2017 (the “2017 Notes”) and $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 7.0% Guaranteed Notes due 2020 (the “2020 Notes” and, together with the 2017 Notes, the “Notes”). The 2020 Notes will be guaranteed by the company’s subsidiaries that guarantee its existing credit agreements. The sale of the Notes is expected to be completed on March 1, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions.

The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, redemptions or service requirements of outstanding debt, network expansion and modernization and potential funding of Clearwire Corporation and its subsidiary Clearwire Communications LLC.

The Notes and the guarantees related to the 2020 Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) or the securities laws of any other place and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption therefrom. The Notes will be offered only to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and to persons outside the United States under Regulation S.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This notice is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Act. (...)

[teecee1]

Ina Fried

Interview: Clearwire CEO Sees 4G Opportunities Where Rival LightSquared Stumbled

February 28, 2012 at 3:56 am PT


Erik Prusch Clearwire 2

With rival LightSquared running into interference, Clearwire sees an even bigger opportunity for itself to offer a 4G network to others.

“Our spectrum is clean, it’s contiguous, it’s deep and it doesn’t suffer from interference issues,” CEO Erik Prusch said in an interview at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

It’s been a rough go for Clearwire, however. In addition to shifting its focus from one wireless technology to another, Clearwire has also cut costs, pared its workforce and outsourced some network operations to Ericsson.

And that’s not to mention the turmoil on its board and in its executive ranks.

But Clearwire has something that its rivals are running out of: The wireless spectrum needed to operate their networks.

“It’s a valuable asset,” Prusch said. “We expect it will continue to appreciate. This is really the fuel for the business model.”

So far, Clearwire’s main wholesale partner is Sprint, which owns about half of the company. Clearwire also has deals with Best Buy and NetZero, among others. But Prusch said that there is a reasonable chance one of the other major operators will want to strike a deal with Clearwire, given the company’s amount of spectrum and capacity.

“I think it is quite conceivable we can continue to sign up customers,” he said.

One potential partner would be Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile isn’t seen as having enough spectrum on its own to launch LTE, but said last week that it plans to start offering such service next year. Prusch wouldn’t say if the two firms are in talks.

“I won’t want to comment on who we are having conversations with,” he said.

For its part, Clearwire is in the midst of a major transformation. The company initially built its 4G network around WiMax. That let it beat other rivals to market with next-generation technology, but proved thorny as LTE showed itself to be both more popular and efficient for the long term.

Clearwire is now working to build its own LTE network, with hopes of having 5,000 sites by the middle of next year. While Clearwire is using a different version of LTE than the one adopted by AT&T and Verizon, Prusch said its so-called TDD LTE will be the more common one globally.

Although the company could always sell of part or all of its valuable spectrum holdings, Prusch said the main goal is building out its 4G LTE-based network.

“We believe with the absence of spectrum available in the U.S. in the foreseeable future, ultimately we will be best-served by serving a lot of wholesale partners,” Prusch said.

Indeed, the lack of spectrum has left many rivals beating down the doors in Washington to quickly auction off additional airwaves.

“We’re not asking anything of regulators,” Prusch said, adding that he doesn’t really think that there is enough spectrum to be auctioned to truly be a game changer.

In addition to selling space to carriers, Clearwire also markets its service to consumers. However, in the past year it has switched from a contract business, in which it bore upfront costs to subsidize devices, to a less cash-intensive prepaid model.

Operating its own network, Prusch said, allows Clearwire to see how customers use the network, what problems they encounter and, more importantly, what services they like and use. And by offering an unlimited service, Prusch said he hopes Clearwire’s customers will push the industry toward needing the kind of high-capacity, high-speed service it can offer.

Despite its changes, a renewed deal with Sprint, and a massive infusion of cash last year, Prusch acknowledges the company could yet need more capital to fully build its network.

“We feel like we have enough money to start this build and get well down this path,” Prusch said. “Networks cost money to build. We don’t expect to stop here, which may require additional capital.”

Update: I originally had my LTE standards reversed. Clearwire uses TDD-LTE, not FDD.

Tagged with: Clearwire, Erik Prusch, LightSqusred, Mobile World Congress, MWC2012, Sprint

[teecee1]

TD-LTE adoption is growing fast, says China Mobile CEO
Daniel Shen, Barcelona; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 29 February] 2012

While LTE (long Term Evolution) FDD (frequency division duplexing) has been commercialized for two years in the US and Europe, and has gained an upper hand over China-developed TD-LTE (time division-LTE), telecom carriers' adoption of TD-LTE will grow due to insufficient frequency bands available for LTE FDD, according to CEO Li Yue for China Mobile.

TD-LTE stands a chance of occupying half of LTE networks around the world, Li added.

In order to promote TD-LTE, China Mobile has established the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), with major members including Vodafone, Japan-based SoftBank Mobile, Clearwire, India-based Bharti Airtel, according to GTI. Saudi Arabia-based Mobily and Saudi Telecom (STC), SoftBank Mobile, Sweden-based Hi3G and Brazil-based Sky TV have started commercial operation of TD-LTE services, and eight other telecom carriers haved signed for TD-LTE operation, GTI indicated.

The total number of TD-LTE base stations is expected to increase from 50,000 in 2012 to 200,000 in 2013 and 500,000 in 2014, with population under service coverage to grow from 120 million in 2012 to 900 million in 2013 and two billion in 2014, GTI said.

Qualcomm and China-based IC design house HiSilicon Technologies are showcasing SoC LTE platforms at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, during February 27-March 1, with the platforms supporting LTE FDD, TD-LTE, TD-SCDMA (China-developed 3G standard), WCDMA and GSM.


China Mobile CEO Li Yue
Photo: Daniel Shen, Digitimes, February 2012

[teecee1]

March 2, 2012, 12:22 p.m. EST
Clearwire to Present at the Raymond James 33rd Annual Institutional Investors Conference

BELLEVUE, Wash., Mar 2, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Clearwire Corporation CLWR -1.31% today announced that Hope Cochran, Clearwire's CFO, will speak at the Raymond James 33rd Annual Institutional Investors Conference in Orlando, FL on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at 3:25 p.m. Eastern.

Interested parties are invited to register in advance at http://investors.clearwire.com/ to listen to the live audio webcast presentation. A replay of the webcast will also be available. (...)



This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Clearwire Corporation

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Stockpickr
7 Relative Strength Stocks That Should Outperform
By Jonas Elmerraji 03/01/12 - 02:09 PM EST

Stock quotes in this article: SHLD, WHR, XEC, DDS, CLWR, CAB, LVLT


1-Month Relative Strength: 31.77%

Nearest Resistance: $2.60

Nearest Support: $2

Mobile broadband network Clearwire(CLWR_) boasts the achievement of creating the first 4G mobile network in the country. Unfortunately, that network comes at an exorbitant cost, one that's yet to be covered by the firm's operations. So while revenue growth has been breakneck for the past several years, an unprofitable model in a weak market is a recipe for a selloff. But that's been changing since the start of the year.

Right now, Clearwire is forming a bullish ascending triangle setup with resistance at the $2.60 level, and uptrending support below shares. In an ascending triangle, shares bounce between those two technically significant levels, all the while getting squeezed closer to a breakout above resistance. When that happens, being long becomes a high probability trade.

On that cue, I'd recommend putting a protective stop at the 50-day moving average.

Clearwire shows up on a list of Telecom Stocks Bought and Sold by Hedge Funds.

http://www.thestreet.com/quote/CLWR/details/advanced-charts.…




The initial advance was projected to be 10 (24 -14 = 10) points from the breakout at 24, making a target of 34. This target was reached within 2 months, but the stock didn't slow down until reaching 50 in March (not shown). Targets are only meant to be used as guidelines, and other aspects of technical analysis should also be employed for deciding when to sell.

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Market Maker Surveillance Report. MO, CIM, ATVI, FSLR, CLWR, UAL, Bearishly Biased Price Friction For Thursday, March 1st 2012
[ Release Date: 03/01/2012 18:00 PST ]

Symbol Change Percent Buy Volume Buy %% Sell Volume Sell %% Net Volume Friction

CLWR $-0.020 -0.87% 17,512,357 54.68% 14,516,817 45.32% 2,995,540 Abnormal

[teecee1]

Sprint May End Deal With LightSquared
By Scott Moritz and Olga Kharif - Mar 7, 2012 4:11 PM GMT+0100



Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) plans to end a network-sharing agreement with billionaire Philip Falcone’s LightSquared Inc. (SKYT) wireless venture as early as next week, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Sprint is preparing to take the step as LightSquared approaches a March 15 deadline to meet certain conditions under the agreement, said the people, who wouldn’t be identified because the information isn’t public. Sprint and LightSquared struck an 11-year deal to share network expansion costs and equipment in June provided LightSquared secure regulatory approvals for its wireless service by December. Though Sprint pushed the deadline back, it doesn’t plan more extensions, the people said.


The Sprint Nextel Corp. sign is seen on facade of a Sprint Nextel Corp. store in San Francisco, California.
The loss of Sprint would fuel concerns about the viability of LightSquared.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

The loss of Sprint would fuel concerns about the viability of LightSquared and mark another setback for Falcone. The hedge fund manager has invested about $3 billion from his Harbinger Capital Partners in LightSquared in an effort to create a national wireless carrier to compete against AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless. Harbinger managed about $4 billion at the end of last year, down from a peak of $26 billion in mid-2008.

Terry Neal, a LightSquared spokesman, and Scott Sloat, a Sprint spokesman, declined to comment. Lew Phelps, a spokesman for Falcone, said he had no immediate comment.

Sprint rose 2.1 percent to $2.44 at 10:06 a.m. New York time. Another Sprint network partner, wholesale carrier Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), climbed 4.1 percent to $2.17.

FCC Decision

Under their agreement last year, Sprint was to build and operate LightSquared’s network for 11 years in exchange for $9 billion in payments and an additional $4.5 billion in service credits. Sprint extended the deal’s deadline as the Federal Communications Commission weighed whether to allow LightSquared to convert airwaves originally designated for satellite service for communication with land-based, or terrestrial, radio towers.

The FCC said last month it would block LightSquared’s planned network due to potential disruptions to global- positioning systems. The company said after the decision that it remains committed to finding a solution to the concerns.

In the wake of that decision, Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Ahuja resigned and Falcone was appointed to the board as the company began a search for a new CEO. The company also cut 45 percent of its 330-member staff to preserve cash.

Nokia Siemens Networks, the wireless-equipment venture of Finland’s Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and Germany’s Siemens AG (SIE), today said it stopped work in 2011 on the network it was building for LightSquared.

Skipped Payment

“While we have a contract with LightSquared, they previously asked us to put our activities related to the network build on hold while they resolve” issues concerning the global- positioning technology, Nokia Siemens spokesman Ben Roome said by e-mail. LightSquared originally planned to spend $7 billion over eight years on the network, it said in July 2010.

LightSquared has paid Sprint $310 million in advanced payments for work on the network and its eventual operation. Sprint said in a securities filing last month that it would keep about $236 million of those payments and return as much as $74 million if the agreement was terminated after the March 15 deadline. If LightSquared’s lenders approve changes to the agreement, Sprint’s right to terminate will be deferred until June 25, according to the filing.

Last month, LightSquared skipped a $56.3 million payment to its partner Inmarsat Plc (ISAT), a British satellite operator, saying the work promised hadn’t been finished.

Falcone told Harbinger investors in February that LightSquared is still exploring remedies like signal-filtering technology and a possible swap of frequencies with the military. As of the end of January, Falcone carried his investment in LightSquared’s equity at $1.5 billion, or about half of what his hedge fund had invested to date, according to a Harbinger document.

The company has also hired Moelis & Co. and other advisers to help study alternatives.

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Olga Kharif in Portland at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at [e-mail]

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March 7, 2012, 10:41 A.M. ET
Sprint: LightSquared Breakdown May Point to Clearwire, Says wells

By Tiernan Ray

Wells Fargo’s Jennifer Fritzsche this morning reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Sprint-Nextel (S), writing that news that the company may be ending its partnership with privately held broadband startup LightSquared is not really anything new, and that it “should not be seen as an additional negative surprise for Sprint shares.” (...)

Fritzsche thinks that while the breakdown is not entirely unexpected, nevertheless, if the deal does fall through, it means the company has to go hunting for more capacity, possibly pushing it further into the arms of long-time partner Clearwire (CLWR):

Where it could impact Sprint, however, is in terms of longer term spectrum needs. When the deal was originally announced, part of the agreement called for Sprint to be able to use LS spectrum for longer term as it moves to LTE. In the absence of other spectrum sources, we believe Sprint will continue to have to find ways to work with its main spectrum partner, Clearwire. (...)

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Google Shares / Code / Amount (A) or (D) Price

1.) Cochran Hope
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 518,325 A $0.00 839,871 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 24,364 D $2.29 815,507

2.) Draper Dow
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 259,162 A $0.00 500,093 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 15,120 D $2.29 484,973 D

3.) EDNIE STEVE
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 201,571 A $0.00 346,233 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 9,617 D $2.29 336,616 D

4.) Hodder Broady R
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 347,346 A $0.00 659,750 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 17,935 D $2.29 641,815 D

5.) PRUSCH ERIK
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 921,466 A $0.00 2,407,347 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 86,483 D $2.29 2,320,864 D

6.) SAW JOHN
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 431,937 A $0.00 824,706 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 20,465 D $2.29 804,241 D

7.) Stroberg Don
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 259,162 A $0.00 471,421 D
Class A Common Stock 03/02/2012 S 3,573 D $2.29 467,848 D


8.) BLESSING WILLIAM R
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 97,830 D

9.) CHATTERLEY BRUCE
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 87,830 D

10.) CINALI MUFIT
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 87,830 D

11.) COLLAZO JOSE A
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 184,720 D

12.) ESLAMBOLCHI HOSSEIN
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 87,830 D

13.) Hersch Dennis S
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 126,720 D

14.) MCANDREWS BRIAN P
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 126,720 D

15.) RAE KATHLEEN H.
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 87,830 D

16.) SCHELL THEODORE
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 146,720 D

17.) STANTON JOHN W ... ... ???
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 78,540 A $0.00

18.) VOGEL JENNIFER L
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 A 62,830 A $0.00 87,830 D

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1.) Hodder Broady R
Class A Common Stock 03/06/2012 S 1,654 D $2.17 640,161

2.) SAW JOHN
Class A Common Stock 03/06/2012 S 3,307 D $2.17 800,934 D

3.) EDNIE STEVE
Class A Common Stock 03/06/2012 S 1,323 D $2.17 335,293 D

4.) Cochran Hope F
Class A Common Stock 03/06/2012 S 1,654 D $2.17 813,853 D

5.) Google Inc.
Class A Common Stock 03/01/2012 03/01/2012 S 29,411,765 D $2.261 0 D

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Clearwire Introduces New CLEAR Stick Atlas

CLEAR Stick Atlas First USB in U.S. to Offer Instant 4G Connectivity Without Added Software

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 36 minutes ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., March 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR - News), a leading provider of wireless broadband services, today announced the availability of the CLEAR(R) Stick Atlas, a new mobile broadband USB device that offers super-fast speeds, unlimited* 4G usage plans, and is the first in the U.S. to offer instant connectivity without the need for additional software. The CLEAR product portfolio now offers several devices to fit different consumer needs with three new devices launched over the past five weeks.

The CLEAR Stick Atlas connects almost any computer or device with a standard USB port to 4G mobile broadband in cities with CLEAR coverage. Unlike other 4G USB devices, the CLEAR Stick Atlas does not require connection manager software to function. Users simply plug in the device and go. With a compact form factor and weight of just 1.1 ounces, the device easily fits into a pocket or purse.

"Clearwire continues its strong momentum in 2012 of offering breakthrough products in the 4G mobile broadband category and raises the bar for today's mobile consumers," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager - CLEAR. "With the CLEAR Stick Atlas, getting connected to unlimited 4G couldn't be easier - no programs to open or software to download - just plug it in and surf on any capable Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome or Android-based device."

Unlike service plans from traditional wireless carriers which either cap data usage or charge overage fees for exceeding certain data levels over a given period, CLEAR offers unlimited* 4G usage plans that do not require long-term service contracts. CLEAR offers unlimited* 4G coverage starting as low as $34.99/mo.** for either a home or mobile plan. CLEAR service is currently available in areas of the United States where approximately 130 million people live. A detailed map of service availability can be found at www.clear.com/coverage.

The New CLEAR Mobile USB Device

The CLEAR Stick Atlas is manufactured by Ubee Interactive and currently carries a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $49.99 (plus tax and shipping). The device is 1.2 inches wide by 3.25 inches high with a 0.65 inch diameter, weighing only 1.1 ounces. The color is charcoal grey with a matte finish, and includes an LED light showing signal strength and connection status. The device supports most operating systems, including: Windows(R) 7, Windows Vista(R), Windows(R) XP, Mac(R) OSX, Linux, Android(TM) and Chrome. The CLEAR Stick Atlas is currently available online at www.clear.com. (...)

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Sprint Nextel Shares Jump After Wells Fargo Analyst Sees Subscriber Gains
By Olga Kharif - Mar 8, 2012 8:05 PM GMT+0100

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), the third- largest U.S. wireless operator, surged to its highest value since December, after a Wells Fargo Securities analyst said it had taken advantage of recent mobile data moves at AT&T (T) Inc. and struggles at T-Mobile USA to gain their subscribers.

Sprint rose 5.8 percent to $2.57 at 2:04 p.m. in New York, its highest value since Dec. 6, after earlier rising as much as 8.6 percent.

While Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint is still expected to lose subscribers in the seasonally-weak first quarter, the carrier is attracting users from AT&T and T-Mobile, Jennifer Fritzsche, a senior analyst at Wells Fargo, said in a note today. Subscribers like Sprint’s unlimited data plans -- which no other major U.S. carrier offers -- and its selection of handsets including the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone, which T-Mobile USA lacks, she said.

Sprint, which serves more than 55 million customers, has benefited from an outcry among AT&T users, some of whom have complained about AT&T’s recent price increase on smartphone data plans for new subscribers, and its move to set caps on heavy users of wireless data. Getting the iPhone last year has also helped Sprint gain users from T-Mobile, which also targets price-conscious users.

To contact the reporter on this story: Olga Kharif in Portland at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at [e-mail]

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New iPad may push up global sales of LTE smartphones to 45-50 million units in 2012, say Taiwan makers
Daniel Shen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Monday 12 March 2012]

As the new iPad supports LTE and a new version of iPhone to be launched in the second half of 2012 is very likely to support LTE as well, other vendors are expected to equip their new flagship smartphones with LTE functionality and this is likely to drive up global sales of LTE-enabled smartphones in 2012 from the originally projected 25-30 million units to 45-50 million units, according to Taiwan-based smartphone makers.

However, the new iPad can only support LTE networks in North America because networks in other regions adopt different frequency bands, the sources pointed out. Currently, 700MHz and 2,100MHz are used in North America, 800MHz and 2,600MHz in Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 800MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,300MHz and 2,600MHz in Eastern Europe, and 1,800MHz and 2,100MHz in Asia Pacific, the sources indicated. The frequency bands adopted for LTE networks around the world in 2015 will have 38 combinations, with 700MHz to have the largest proportion at 16%, 2,100MHz to have 13%, 2,600MHz 11% and 2,500MHz 10%, the sources cited Wireless Intelligence under the GSMA as indicating.

LTE smartphones not supporting the frequency bands adopted in a region cannot be used for roaming, an essential problem that chip designers and smartphone makers need to cooperate to solve, the sources noted.

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Cricket and Clearwire Announce Long-Term Wholesale 4G LTE Agreement

~ Clearwire's LTE Advanced-Ready Network to Offer Capacity Resources for Cricket's 4G Network
~~ Agreement Will Supplement LTE Coverage that Cricket is Deploying Across its Own Networks

PR Newswire
Press Release: Cricket Communications; Clearwire Corporation – Wed, Mar 14, 2012 7:00 AM EDT

SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services, and Clearwire Corp (NADSAQ: CLWR - News) today announced that they have entered into a five-year wholesale agreement. With the agreement, Cricket will become the second operator to have signed on to leverage Clearwire's forthcoming LTE Advanced-ready network, which will provide capacity off-load services to supplement Cricket's own LTE network. Cricket currently plans to deploy LTE across approximately two-thirds of its current network footprint over the next two to three years and to cover up to approximately 25 million POPs with LTE network technology in 2012.

"The high-speed 4G LTE networks we are deploying will complement our robust 3G network and allow us to continue innovating value for our Cricket customers," said Doug Hutcheson, President and CEO of Leap Wireless International, Inc., Cricket's parent company. "We believe this agreement with Clearwire provides us with an attractive option to supplement our own LTE build-out strategy and gives us the flexibility to access additional 4G capacity where needed as data-centric devices continue to become more popular."

"This long-term partnership with Cricket is a key step forward in the development of Clearwire's wholesale LTE business model," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Not all LTE networks are created equally. We have always believed that our unmatched spectrum portfolio offers a compelling resource that can and will enable wireless operators to thrive in the 4G marketplace of the future. We are very pleased to provide Cricket with additional mobile broadband resources to supplement their own LTE build and we plan to continue to actively seek new opportunities to serve the needs of other 4G providers."

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Cricket

Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts serving more than 5.9 million customers. Cricket offers wireless voice and mobile data services over the latest, high-quality, all-digital 4G (LTE) and 3G CDMA wireless networks. In 2011, Cricket launched its award-winning Muve Music® product, the first music service designed for a wireless phone that now has more than 500,000 customers. Cricket's innovative products and services are available at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at www.mycricket.com. For more information about Cricket, please visit www.mycricket.com. (...)

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Clearwire (CLWR) Enters $83.5M Common Private Placement, Will Buy $100M of Senior Debt

March 15, 2012 8:22 AM EDT

On March 15, 2012, Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq: CLWR) and Clearwire Communications LLC entered into securities purchase agreements with certain institutional investors, pursuant to which Clearwire will sell shares of Class A Common Stock for an aggregate price of $83.5 million and Clearwire Communications will repurchase $100.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 8.25% exchangeable notes due 2040 for a total price equal to the Purchase Price.

Clearwire intends to use the proceeds of the sale of the Class A Common Stock to contribute to Clearwire Communications to allow it to repurchase $100.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 8.25% exchangeable notes due 2040, plus accrued but unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, March 22, 2012, held by the institutional investors. The price per share will be determined based upon the daily volume weighted average price of our Class A Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market for the five trading days commencing March 15, 2012, subject to a minimum price and a maximum price per share. The total number of shares sold will be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing the Purchase Price by the price per share, and will be between 37,964,015 and 41,760,417 shares.

The shares of Class A Common Stock will be issued pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.909.105 von teecee1 am 15.03.12 19:46:38

China Will Not Issue 4G Licenses for Another 2 to 3 Years, Says Official

By Michael Kan, IDG News Mar 8, 2012 11:30 am

China will likely wait another two or three years to issue 4G licenses for LTE TDD networks, a top government official said, citing the need to build more 4G base stations, and to allow vendors time to develop handsets that can take advantage of the high-speed networks.

The country currently has 220,000 TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) base stations, but the government wants to expand their numbers to a total of 400,000 before offering 4G licenses, Miao Wei, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said during an interview on Thursday with local state-owned TV.

The ministry is currently holding large-scale 4G trials using LTE TDD (Long-Term Evolution Time-Division Duplex) technology, also known as TD-LTE in China.

LTE TDD is one of two LTE variants. Mobile operators in other countries including the U.S., are relying on the other variant, LTE FDD (Frequency Division Duplex), to offer their 4G services.

China plans to roll out LTE TDD by upgrading existing base stations that use the 3G TD-SCDMA standard, Miao said. The effort will take about three years time, he added.

The ministry also needs to take steps to get handset and chip vendors to support LTE TDD phones, a barrier that has been holding back China's 4G development, according to Miao. "We need their active participation, to speed up development of the commercial trials," he said.

China is reaching 1 billion mobile phone users, according to mobile carrier statistics. The country's 3G networks, which went online in 2009, however account for only 135 million users.

The deployment of LTE TDD is also being pushed by China Mobile, the country's largest mobile carrier. The state-owned company has been working to build partnerships to promote the LTE TDD as a global standard.

These efforts aim to build an "eco-system" to support software and hardware development for the LTE technology. China Mobile has also said Apple's future iPhone will support the LTE TDD standard.

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Bericht: China verschiebt LTE-Lizenzvergabe zwei bis drei Jahre

von Florian Kalenda, 12. März 2012, 20:17 Uhr

Die chinesische Regierung will die Vergabe von LTE-Mobilfunklizenzen noch um zwei bis drei Jahre hinauszögern. Dies berichtet PC World, das sich auf chinesische Fernsehjournalisten beruft. Für die Mobilfunkbranche könnte diese Entscheidung weitreichende Folgen haben.

Li Yue, Präsident von China Mobile, muss die LTE-Einführung um zwei bis drei Jahre aufschieben (Bild: News.com).

In China käme eine 4G-Mobilfunkvariante namens TD-LTE zum Einsatz. Sie propagiert vor allem China Mobile, das zum weltweit größten TD-LTE-Anbieter der Welt aufsteigen könnte, aber nun seine Netze mangels Lizenz nicht aufrüsten darf.

Der US-Anbieter Clearwire will beispielsweise - übrigens als einziger in den Staaten - ebenfalls diese LTE-Variante einführen und hatte dabei auf eine Partnerschaft mit dem chinesischen Netzbetreiber gesetzt, die jetzt in der Luft hängt. Clearwire trifft der Rückschlag besonders hart, weil es ursprünglich Wimax gefördert hatte und den LTE-Ausbau nun nachholen muss.

... ...was haben die chinesischen lizenzen mit den usa zu tun ???

China war schon bei der 3G-Einführung spät dran: China Mobile hat sein Netz erst 2009 auf diesen Standard gebracht, zwei Jahre später als die meisten westlichen Provider. Auch sind bis heute von fast einer Milliarde chinesischer Mobilfunkkunden nur etwa 135 Millionen in 3G-Netzen unterwegs. Als kommunistisches Land legt China in Fünfjahrplänen fest, wann es welche Technik einführt.

Der Zusatz TD oder FD vor LTE bezieht sich auf das Duplex-Verfahren. Vielfach kommen auch die Bezeichnungen LTE-FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) und LTE-TDD (Time Division Duplex) zum Einsatz.

[mit Material von Roger Cheng, News.com

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March 19, 2012, 9:19 a.m. EDT
Bernstein cuts Sprint, notes bankruptcy risk

By Joan E. Solsman

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Sprint Nextel Corp. shares fell premarket after the research firm Sanford C. Bernstein called a bankruptcy filing “a very legitimate risk” in downgrading the wireless carrier to underperfrom, and reducing his target price to $1.75, from $2.50

Sprint S -2.60% spokesman Scott Sloat said the company had no comment. Sprint shares fell 4.5% to $2.76 premarket.

In a research note, Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said Sprint faces two distinct outcomes. First, company upgrades it network, stabilizes Clearwire Corp.’s CLWR -0.08% financial position and delivers compelling 4G offerings; in the other, the company suffocates under its hefty contract with Apple Inc. AAPL +1.21% , has a “hobbled” 4G offering and faces a heavy debt burden.

“At this point we simply don’t believe there is any analytical framework that provides strong conviction as to whether Sprint can or cannot avoid bankruptcy over the next four years or so,” Moffett said.

The analyst added that notwithstanding a rally in Sprint stock recently--the stock has risen 24% so far this year--the firm believes the risk of bankruptcy is rising. He noted that the company’s five-year credit default swaps already price in a roughly 50/50 probability of bankruptcy.

“To be clear, we are not predicting a Sprint bankruptcy,” Moffett said in the note. “We are merely acknowledging that it is a very legitimate risk.” Sprint shares are down 43% from a year earlier.

Sprint has said its deal with Apple to offer the computer maker’s immensely popular iPhone will cost it at least $15.5 billion over four years. That limits its ability to turn a profit in that time, but the company is counting on the iPhone to draw in lucrative contract customers to help keep it on pace with larger competitors. Sprint is also offering the most generous data use for the phones than rivals.

The company buys its 4G WiMax network wholesale from Clearwire but has announced plans to build and manage a 4G network of its own over the next two years, at a cost of about $10 billion.

In the note, Bernstein analyst Moffett noted Sprint’s debt maturities through 2013 are covered and in 2014 are modest. “But thereafter the company faces a sustained multiyear barrage of large maturities that will need to be addressed,” he said.

Among other risks, he noted a next-generation LTE iPhone likely would be disadvantaged on Sprint’s network, as well as the execution and financial challenges of upgrading its network.

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Clearwire to Present at the Goldman Sachs TMT Leveraged Finance Conference
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Mon, Mar 19, 2012 12:34 PM EDT

BELLEVUE, Wash., March 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR - News) today announced that Hope Cochran, Clearwire's CFO, will speak at the Goldman Sachs TMT Leveraged Finance Conference in New York, NY on Thursday, March 22, 2012, at 3:15 p.m. Eastern.

Interested parties are invited to register in advance at http://investors.clearwire.com/ to listen to the live audio webcast presentation. A replay of the webcast will also be available.

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Clearwire-Fueled Freebie Services Threaten AT&T, Verizon
By Olga Kharif and Alexander Yablon - Mar 27, 2012 6:01 AM GMT+0200

AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless, working to wring more profit from their next-generation data networks, face a new obstacle: Smaller competitors are offering similar services for free.

FreedomPop, a company funded by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom, will sell an iPhone case that gives consumers free access to 1 gigabyte of data from Clearwire Corp.’s 4G wireless network. Another Clearwire partner, United Online Inc. (UNTD)’s NetZero, is offering 200 megabytes a month for free for as long as 12 months -- so long as users buy a wireless modem, which can take the form of a small USB stick that plugs into the device.
Enlarge image Niklas Zennstrom

Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of Skype Technologies SA. Photographer: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg

The freebie approach lets new carriers hook bargain-hunting customers -- with the aim of getting them to pay for extra bandwidth later -- while helping Clearwire (CLWR) recoup some of the billions of dollars spent building its network. For Verizon and AT&T, the top U.S. wireless carriers, the move threatens the combined $12.2 billion they took in from data last quarter.

“FreedomPop could, over time, put pricing pressure on the incumbents,” said Kevin Smithen, an analyst at Macquarie Securities USA Inc. in New York. “They have the potential to be disruptive.”

The phone industry suffered through a similar shakeup in the last decade, when services such as Skype emerged. Founded in 2003, Skype offers free calling between personal computers -- a feature that forced phone companies to cut their long-distance and international calling rates. With 170 million connected users last year, Skype has become the world’s largest international long-distance service. In 2011, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) acquired the company for $8.5 billion.

‘Revolutionizing Catalyst’

What Skype did for voice, Clearwire and partners want to do for data. The idea is to undercut the prices for the service plans that let smartphones and tablets surf the Web and download applications. For now, though, the effect won’t be as dramatic as with Skype, since Clearwire’s network only covers about 70 U.S. cities.

NetZero began a marketing campaign this month, including TV spots and online ads. It also will promote the service to the more than 70 million people who use other offerings from parent company United Online, an Internet service provider.

“Our goal is to be a revolutionizing catalyst to the market,” said Mark Goldston, chief executive officer of Woodland Hills, California-based United Online. “We think we have a pretty big appeal.”

Budget Consumers

He expects the service to attract budget-conscious consumers who use public Wi-Fi hot spots for Internet access, as well as the growing number of people with tablets, though those tablets, too, would need to hook up to a modem. After customers use up the free 200 megabytes, they would have to pay for data. Prices start at $9.95 a month for 500 megabytes.

FreedomPop, meanwhile, offers additional data for a penny a megabyte -- beyond the free 1 gigabyte. The company could attract 1 million subscribers in about two years, Smithen estimates. Tony Miller, a spokesman for Los Angeles-based FreedomPop, declined to discuss the company’s marketing plans.

Clearwire stands to benefit if either service catches on. FreedomPop probably pays Clearwire about $10 per gigabyte of capacity, Smithen said.

“It could be worth a couple of hundred million dollars a year, with high margins,” he said.

The Bellevue, Washington-based company could use the boost. Clearwire’s stock has fallen 93 percent since peaking in 2007. The company lost more than $2.5 billion over the past five years as it built out its network. Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is currently its largest customer.

Price Hikes

The new services may attract users who are frustrated by rate increases at AT&T and other carriers. In January, AT&T raised the price of its data plans for new customers by $5 a month. Verizon announced plans for a $2 fee on some users in December, then backed away from the proposal after complaints from outraged customers. Verizon also stopped offering unlimited data plans to new users last year.

Carriers are coping with burgeoning data traffic, forcing them to be more vigilant about customers’ data usage, said Steve Clement, an analyst at Portland, Oregon-based Pacific Crest Securities LLC.

“The trends recently have been to increase prices to deal with scarcity,” he said. Without a viable competitive threat, prices will at least stay at current levels, if they don’t rise higher, he said.

Mark Siegel, a spokesman for Dallas-based AT&T, and Brenda Raney, a representative for Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Wireless, declined to comment.

Wireless ‘Duopoly’

In recent years, the U.S. wireless market has turned into “a duopoly,” with AT&T and Verizon grabbing most new wireless subscribers, according to Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. The two companies have generated 85 percent of the industry’s free cash, not including funds that were reinvested back into building out networks, he said.

Other companies are competing on price, even without going the freebie route. Republic Wireless, a division of Bandwidth.com Inc., offers unlimited voice, text and data for $19 a month. The company, which resells network capacity from Sprint, is rolling out a trial version of the service and filled up all the available spots in eight hours. The service doesn’t require users to sign up for a contract.

‘Freedom Model’

“Traditional telecom is all about control,” said Republic Wireless General Manager Brian Dally. “On the Internet, we are used to a freedom model. We stand for bringing those Internet values to telecom.”

Lower-priced wireless services are already putting the squeeze on existing carriers in other countries. In Canada, for instance, new entrants to the market have undercut data pricing by 83 percent, according to a report last year from Convergence Consulting Group. Convergence expects new carriers to have 4 million subscribers, or 12 percent of Canada’s wireless market, by the end of 2014. That’s up from 5 percent at the end of 2011.

Across the border, U.S. consumers also are increasingly looking beyond the main four carriers, said Emily Smith, an analyst at Pyramid Research. Young people in particular may be interested in something like FreedomPop, she said.

“There’s a growing awareness among American consumers that there are cheaper alternatives to the top four,” Smith said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Olga Kharif in Portland, Oregon, at [e-mail]; Alexander Yablon in New York, at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Thomas Giles at [e-mail]

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Joan Lappin
3/26/2012 @ 10:25AM |7,234 views

Tone Deaf ATT Attacks FCC Over T Mobile Layoffs. Clearwire's Abundant Spectrum Can Solve T's Shortage

Hey, FCC Chairman Genachowski! “Can you hear me now?” Somehow, AT&T never figures it out and keeps burning regulatory bridges. First they ignored the facts of how monopolistic their proposed merger with T Mobile really and truly was. When you are going to control up to 72% of the traffic in certain markets, you must be fooling yourself or very naïve that such a merger would fly past the regulators. Not surprisingly, the merger went down in flames. A key argument for the deal was that both companies were short of spectrum and somehow this combination would magically produce it. That denied the reality that neither T-Mobile nor T had any excess capacity longer term to redeploy had they been allowed to merge. That deal was never going to solve its bandwidth problems. A deal with Clearwire, could.

Next AT&T also claimed that the merger was going to retain jobs, if not create them. Just ask Mitt Romney, who loves to fire people, about all the synergies you usually create when you put two companies together. The whole point of most mergers is to consolidate and reduce labor and other redundant costs. You never need two CEO’s or two CFO’s or two call centers where one will do. AT&T spoke, instead, about all the jobs they would bring back to the U.S. and/or keep in the call centers they had here. The Regulators didn’t find that argument credible. We unraveled why the unions were in favor of that nonsensical aspect in a previous article. It turned out the unions were going to gain lots of new members at T Mobile where they had never successfully organized the workforce. In recent days, T-Mo announced hundreds of call center layoffs so T, shortsightedly, took that as an opportunity to mouth off.

One surely wonders, If T was so worried about not having enough spectrum, then why did it craft a break up fee such that T-Mobile received spectrum worth $1 billion plus $3billion in cash? Why on earth would you give any spectrum away? Deutsche Telekom really wanted out of the U.S. market and negotiated a fabulous package for itself. Now, $4 billion richer than it was before all this started, T-Mobile needs to get its house in order and streamline itself while it figures out its next move.

I continue to believe that the most logical outcome that the FCC would like to see is three viable competitors of equal or similar size. Even if they have said they would like four competitors, in a world in which networks have become so hugely expensive, that is just not realistic. But, three competitors is viable and would really be good for consumers. A T-Mobile merger with Sprint would result in three competitors, each with about 30% of the market.

The problem is that the wealth destruction at Sprint has been something to behold under current management. Last year, in the course of trying to trash its spectrum rich stepchild Clearwire, Sprint destroyed its own stock price as well. In it’s very bizarre multi-year deal to join the iPhone club, it has committed to paying Apple an obscene amount of money even as it receives the latest iPhones on a timeline well behind its competitors. Apple is working first to supply T and VZ with 4G phones before it gets around to making phones that will work on the Sprint spectrum frequencies.

Somehow in recent weeks, analysts have become more positive about Clearwire and less positive about Sprint’s long term viability. Surely DT is reading the same reports. Were there to be a TMO/S merger, who would be the buyer and who the seller? With Sprint selling in the 2’s, its options are limited. Its debt is probably daunting to Deutsche Telekom.

Spectrum is the key going forward and it is Clearwire which holds spectrum in profusion. Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran was in NY recently to meet with shareholders. One of her key pronouncements was that Clearwire has seen a 700% increase in network usage in 2012 due to smart phones, mostly on the Sprint network. Give them bandwidth and they will come seems to be the message. Clearwire’s very wide data network is finally in the right place at the right time in terms of doing deals. Spectrum is rising in value almost monthly now. CLWR’s network will be even more enhanced when it is upgraded to LTE/TDD starting late this year and into the first half of 2013. For data and streaming video, more cell sites closer together provides better service. For voice, lower frequencies with better propagation and fewer cell sites is better.

It’s now confirmed that CLWR is talking with many prospects about leasing capacity on its wholesale network or buying some of its excess spectrum. The message is the talks may take forever. Nobody knows when the FCC will actually get around to holding new auctions to recycle some frequency but we do know that whatever spectrum they will auction off in the future will need to be cleared of prior usage and that will take years at best and many years at worst. For sure, no matter how much spectrum the big guys have, it isn’t enough. There is, however, the psychological problem for a giant like T or VZ of not owning the spectrum they are using. “It’s not in their DNA.” Clearwire has been able to cut costs, hang on until it got past its debt payment date of December 1, raise debt and equity since then and now is starting to see its stock lifting. It can negotiate with more breathing room and hold out for somewhat better prices. In the end, spectrum is king and CLWR has far more than it needs.

Clearwire’s financial picture for this year is pretty well known. Revenue recognition from Sprint will be on a straight line basis through the four quarters even though more cash will come in 2012. That means the most important news will come on the deal front with new customers or spectrum sales, or both. That might even mean rolling together all of that delicious spectrum into a combined Sprint, T Mobile and Clearwire. Meanwhile, AT&T is spitting into the wind for unknown reasons. One can’t think it is winning friends in D.C. where it needs all the help it can get to solve its bandwidth problems.

Mrs. Lappin, Gramercy Capital and its clients own shares in Clearwire but none of the other companies named here.

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Clearwire: Don't Count Us Out Yet

By Dan Radovsky
March 23, 2012

Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR ) has been entombed with Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) in so many stories about Sprint's own mishigas that it becomes difficult to see what Clearwire's own strengths are. But Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran, speaking this week at a conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs, said her company has the resources that even the top national wireless carriers should envy.

Cochran pointed out that Clearwire's network usage jumped more than 700% in 2011. The important thing to note here is that most of that data torrent was driven not by new subscribers, but by existing subscribers greatly increasing their data usage. "Customers are finding more applications and downloading more videos," she said.

Clearwire's strategy

This, according to Cochran, will be the Achilles' heel for AT&T (NYSE: T ) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ ) , as well as for Sprint.

Her estimate is that the LTE network that Sprint will deploy (Sprint says it will launch its LTE network in mid-2012) will be able to handle only 5.6 terabytes of data per site per year. AT&T and Verizon, which operate in a different frequency range, will have 22 terabytes per site per year capacity.

Clearwire's network carries 22 terabytes today. The company has 16,000 WiMAX cell sites and plans to also install LTE capability on half of those. That means Clearwire should have a tremendous amount of surplus capacity available. So when the big carriers run out of their capacity -- and Cochran thinks that will be sooner rather than later -- the big mobile carriers will have to divert their LTE traffic to Clearwire's network.

Verizon, trying to win approval for its big spectrum purchase last December, told the FCC in a filing that the spectrum it now holds will just not be sufficient. "By year-end 2015 our LTE data traffic is projected to be 5 times the peak data traffic ever carried on our 3G EV-DO network. The impact of that growth rate compounds, resulting in a more than 20-fold increase in LTE data traffic from year-end 2011 to year-end 2015."

If Clearwire can manage to keep its head above water until Verizon and AT&T do reach the end of their spectrum -- and Clearwire's future is still very much dependent on its relationship with Sprint -- the network may indeed be able to reap rewards from the insatiable needs of the major carriers' subscribers.

As Cochran told the conference, "We see our own trends, and that is the appetite for data is tremendous."

There is also an increasing appetite for the latest data-using devices from the manufacturers of smartphones and tablets. But there are three companies that produce the pieces hidden away inside those devices that have the potential to be the real stars of an investor's portfolio. To learn about those companies, get the Fool's free report, "3 Hidden Winners of the iPhone, iPad, and Android Revolution." Read this report now before it's gone!

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LTE
Apple wegen 4G-Versprechen fürs iPad 3 verklagt

Staatliche Verbraucherschützer in Australien versuchen, Apple an missverständlichen Werbeaussagen über das iPad 3 und dessen 4G-Fähigkeit zu hindern. Auch in Deutschland irritiert "4G" manche Apple-Käufer.

Apple wird in Australien wegen irreführender "4G"-Werbeaussagen zum neuen iPad verklagt. Wie die Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) erklärte, werde versucht, in Melbourne eine einstweilige Verfügung zu erreichen. Dem US-Konzern drohen Geldstrafen und mögliche Geldrückerstattung an die Käufer. Die Aussage, "das neue iPad bietet WiFi und 4G ist irreführend", so die ACCC.

Das iPad 3 beherrscht LTE nur in den Frequenzbereichen 700 und 2.100 MHz. Das einzige australische 4G-Netz wird von Telstra mit 1.800 MHz betrieben.

4G ist im Gegensatz zu LTE aber kein eindeutiger Begriff, das gilt besonders für die USA. Im Test von Golem.de zum iPad 3 hieß es: "Neu ist das 4G-Modem. Hierzulande verstehen die meisten darunter den neuen Mobilfunkstandard LTE (Long Term Evolution). Doch obwohl das iPad 3 in dieser Variante mit 4G beworben wird, kann der Nutzer damit in Deutschland nichts anfangen." Vodafone nutzt in Deutschland das 800-MHz-Band (digitale Dividende) und 2.600 MHz. Die Deutsche Telekom nutzt zusätzlich 1.800 MHz.

Apple suggerierte auf der deutschen Beschreibungsseite zuerst, seine 4G-Unterstützung im iPad 3 sei auch für deutsche Anwender bedeutend und stellte die Nichtverfügbarkeit von LTE als Ausnahmefall dar. Faktisch ist LTE im iPad 3 aber für deutsche Käufer unbrauchbar. Es wird sicher Kunden geben, die Apples Angaben vertrauen und das iPad 3 auch im Hinblick auf die LTE-Funktionen kaufen.

"Media Markt: iPad 3 mit LTE"

Die Verkäuferin in einem Berliner Media Markt sagte Golem.de auf Nachfrage: "Ja, dass neue iPad 3 kann auf jeden Fall LTE, also 4G."

Später passte Apple die Werbeaussagen in Deutschland an: "Außerdem kannst du in den USA auf die 4G LTE Netze von AT&T und in Kanada auf die 4G LTE Netze von Bell, Rogers und Telus zugreifen."

[TimeFactor]

Super Arbeit teecee1 ... Respekt !!!

[TimeFactor]

Zitat von TimeFactor: USA heute wieder über die 2 USD ... wenn ich das Tief vom 10.10.11 nehme bei 1.24 USD haben wir schon wieder rund 65% Aufschlag !

Wenn ich dann das 52-Wochen-Hoch vom letzten Jahr hinzuziehe, was über 7 USD lag, kann man noch eine ganze Menge Potential vermuten !

Ich kaufe weiter in kleinen Margen dazu, mal 500 Stücke, mal 1000 Stück !

Einfaches Einfügen von wallstreetONLINE Charts: So funktionierts.

Der erste und zweite Ausbruch über 2.40 USD ist im Februar gescheitert ... jetzt wieder nur einmal kurz drüber. Ich denke, dass wir kurzfristig die Hürde nehmen werden und dann bis min. 2.65 erstmal laufen werden !

Die Nachkäufe Anfang des Jahres zu 1.80 rum haben sich schon rentiert !

[teecee1]

30.03.2012
Maschinen im fruchtbaren Direktkontakt

Mobilfunk: In der Maschine-zu-Maschine-Kommunikation (M2M) sehen die Netzbetreiber große Wachstumschancen. Zukünftig wird Marktbeobachtern zufolge die Maschinenkommunikation die der Privat- und Bürokommunikation weit übersteigen.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 30. 3. 12, rb

Mit einem Mobilfunkmodul und entsprechenden Übermittlungsprozessen ausgestattet, lassen sich Baumaschinen, Automaten und Industrieanlagen weitgehend ohne menschliches Zutun verwalten. Betriebs- und Verbrauchsdaten kann das Funkmodul dann direkt an die Firmenzentrale übermitteln. Eric Schneider, Berater beim IT-Dienstleister MediaanABS Deutschland und Vorstand der M2M-Alliance, dazu: „Der automatische Informationsaustausch zwischen Maschinen gewinnt immer mehr und schneller an Bedeutung. Die Nachfrage nach M2M-Lösungen ist in den letzten Jahren branchenübergreifend stark gestiegen.“

Nach Auskunft von Georg Steimel, Leiter der Gruppe M2M Solutions beim chinesischen Netzausrüster Huawei Technologies in Düsseldorf, sorgt M2M erneut für eine Rationalisierungswelle: „Mithilfe dieser Technik können Unternehmen ihre Kosten senken und Effizienzsteigerungen, Zeitersparnisse und Wettbewerbsvorteile erzielen.“

Von bis zu 50 Mrd. verkauften SIM-Kartenmodulen ist im M2M-Bereich bis 2020 die Rede. Ein enormes Potenzial, das es mit neuen Anwendungen zu füllen gilt. Also haben die Netzbetreiber in entsprechende Plattformen investiert, über die sich SIM-Karten verwalten und Dienste steuern lassen.

Für Johannes Pruchnow, Chef der Geschäftskundensparte bei Telefónica Deutschland, setzen sich die Umsätze aus mobilen Daten aus den beiden Bereichen Büro-Integration und Maschine-zu-Maschine-Kommunikation (M2M) zusammen. In der humanoiden mobilen Bürokommunikation würden die breitbandige Mobilfunktechnik Long Term Evolution (LTE) und damit voll funktionsfähige Smartphones für neue, sichere und mit der stationären IT besser verzahnte Anwendungen sorgen.

„Die Musik aber spielt im M2M-Sektor“, prophezeit Pruchnow. „Mit M2M-Lösungen, vor allem aber mit Managed Services auf Basis unserer M2M-Plattform können wir die mobilen Datenumsätze verdrei- bis verfünffachen.“

Managed Services sind seit jeher das Lieblingsgeschäft der Netzbetreiber. Hierbei können sie den Unternehmen nicht nur Netzzugänge und Verbindungskosten berechnen, sondern gleich auch den Komplettbetrieb von Infrastruktur und darauf aufsetzenden Prozessen. Das Unternehmen kümmert sich nur noch um sein Kerngeschäft.

Bei M2M sind das beispielsweise Lösungen in der Zeiterfassung, das automatische Auslesen von Maschinenbetriebszeiten oder das komplexe Flottenmanagement.

Grundlage für das Aufsetzen und den Betrieb solcher Angebote sind besagte M2M-Plattformen. Hierbei handelt es sich im Wesentlichen um Software, die zum einen die SIM-Karten verwaltet, zum anderen die Serviceprozesse steuert. Hierfür sind Eigenschaften wie Skalierbarkeit, Offenheit für unterschiedliche Geschäftsmodelle und ein möglichst hoher Automatisierungsgrad notwendig.

Dann lassen sich nicht nur die Füllstände von Seidensticker-Hemdenautomaten in Bürozentren, Hotelkomplexen oder Flughäfen auslesen. Auch Konsumentenlösungen wie der automatisierte Versand von Urlaubsvideos über einen Cloud-Service sind möglich.

Mit dem M2M-Management-Portal von O2 Business steuern Unternehmen die SIM-Karten ihrer Geräte einfach über eine Website. Das Angebot richtet sich an kleine und mittlere Unternehmen sowie Großkunden, die einen M2M-Tarif bei Telefónica Germany gebucht haben. Dieser steht seit dem 15. Februar 2012 allen Geschäftskunden für 4,50 € netto monatlich als M2M-Flatrate für nationale Datenübertragung zur Verfügung.

Auch Vodafone und die Deutsche Telekom haben eigene M2M-Plattformen und -Tarife aufgesetzt und überbieten sich beim Anpreisen ihrer Lösungskompetenz.

Marc Sauter, Chef der M2M-Strategieabteilung bei Vodafone, hebt besonders den Automobilsektor, die Energienetze oder das Gesundheitswesen hervor. So sei mit Tomtom und der Hyundai Kia Automotive Group ein Projekt im Bereich des automatischen Notrufs E-Call gestartet worden. Ab 2015 wird ein Notrufsender in allen Neuwagen Pflicht. Mit British Gas sei bereits vor zwölf Monaten eine Smart-Metering-Lösung gestartet worden.

Um Ideen, Trends und Anwendungen im Bereich M2M zu generieren, hat die Telekom gemeinsam mit drei Partnern die Webseite www.ideabird.com als offene Innovationsplattform konzipiert. In einem ersten Ideenwettbewerb soll Innovatives für das Suchen und Finden von Dingen, Personen und Tieren entwickelt werden. Funktionen, die künftig den Alltag erleichtern könnten.

Der Wettbewerb wurde Mitte März gestartet, die Gewinner erwarten Preise in einer Höhe von insgesamt 10 000 $. Im Vordergrund stehen aber das kollektive Finden, Präsentieren, Veröffentlichen und Bewerten von M2M-Ideen. KONRAD BUCK


Analysten zum M2M-Markt

– In fünf Jahren soll das globale Marktvolumen mit Maschine-zu-Maschine-Diensten bei 19 Mrd. $ liegen, sagt Booz.

– Laut IDC soll der europäische M2M-Markt von 2010 bis 2015 jährlich um 12 % wachsen.

– Integrierte Telematik und Flottenmanagement sind einer der größten Antreiber im M2M-Markt, so Analyst Mason. kb

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30.03.2012
Messagingdienste bringen SMS in Bedrängnis

Mobilfunk: Mit dem SMS-Nachfolger „Rich Communication Suite“ versuchen die Netzbetreiber, den Erfolg der SMS in die neue Welt der offenen Kommunikation zu retten. Durch kostenlose oder an Zusatzservices gekoppelte Messagingdienste wie WhatsApp oder ICQ gerät die klassische SMS mächtig unter Druck.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 30. 3. 12, rb

In jüngster Zeit werden neben der klassischen SMS (Short Message Service) andere, nicht an die Tarifmodelle der Netzbetreiber gebundene
Messagingsysteme genutzt. Angebote wie Skype, Google Talk, WhatsApp, ICQ oder KakaoTalk kann ein Smartphone-, Tablet-PC- oder Notebook-Anwender im Rahmen seiner mobilen Internet-Flatrate kostenlos nutzen.

Daraus erwächst den Mobilfunk-Netzbetreibern Ungemach. Denn die SMS, einst ohne große Gewinnabsicht und quasi nebenbei als Dienst gestartet, entwickelte sich zum Kassenschlager. In guten Jahren setzten die Mobilfunker mit SMS Milliardenbeträge um und auch heute verzeichnet sie bei Telekom und Telefónica noch gute Steigerungsraten.

Doch das wird sich mit der weiteren Verbreitung der Messagingdienste nachhaltig ändern. Denn wer einen solchen Service nutzt, braucht seinen SMS-Tarif nicht mehr. Vorausgesetzt, sein Gegenüber ist ebenfalls Nutzer des gleichen Dienstes.

Facebook beispielsweise fordert seine Nutzer bereits seit Jahren dazu auf, den Dienst doch auch mobil zu nutzen. Damit will die Zuckerberg-Company wertvolle Zusatzinformationen wie bevorzugte Aufenthaltsorte oder Bewegungsprofile des Nutzers gewinnen – und verkaufen.

Ähnlich gehen Google und Apple vor. Smartphones mit Googles Betriebssystem Android werden standardmäßig mit der Messaging-App Google Talk ausgeliefert, die mit anderen Anwendungen verknüpft oder verknüpfbar ist. Wenn der Nutzer dem zustimmt, dass er eine Nachricht erhalten möchte, wenn sich einer seiner Kontakte in der Nähe aufhält, dann bekommt er sie – und Google hat einen weiteren Satz auswertbarer und monetarisierbarer Daten.

Ähnlich Apple: Auf den neuen iPhone-4S-Handys geht eine Kurzmitteilung zwischen zwei Besitzern des gleichen Handys und der aktuellen Betriebssystemversion völlig eigenmächtig eigene Wege.

Und das nicht nicht mehr wie sonst kostenpflichtig über den SMS-Service des Netzbetreibers, sondern direkt als Datendienst über den Apple-Messagingservice iMessage. Erkennen kann der Anwender dies an der Farbe des Send-Buttons, der statt in Grün bei Apple-internem Versand auf Blau springt.

Noch fällt dieser neue Nachrichtentunnel kaum auf. Doch Dennis Stücken, Apple-Experte und Chefentwickler beim Netzwerkspezialisten Synetics aus Düsseldorf, verweist auf das enorme Potenzial dieses Sonderwegs: „Derzeit ist sowohl die Nutzerzahl als auch das Nutzerspektrum begrenzt. Messaging allein macht wenig Sinn. Wenn in Zukunft aber mit LTE mehr Bandbreite kommt, werden Apple, Google und Co. die Integration zwischen Messaging und anderen Anwendungen wie Lokalisierungsdiensten parat haben.“

Schon heute kursiert eine Beta-Version des Apple-Betriebssystems 10.8.0., in die iMessage integriert sein wird. Damit lassen sich Kurzmitteilungen zwischen iPhones und MacBooks ohne den Umweg SMS oder E-Mail-Programm austauschen.

Für Michael Kowalzik, Chef des Messaging-Integrators Tyntec, gehört die SMS damit noch längst nicht zum alten Eisen: „Momentan ist viel von Messagingdiensten als SMS-Killer die Rede. Wir sehen jedoch nicht, dass die SMS tot ist – ganz im Gegenteil. SMS-Dienste wachsen.“ Selbst, wenn man eine Nachricht über einen Messagingdienst verschicke, werde dafür auf SMS-Technologien zurückgegriffen.

Vor allem aber liege die Smartphone-Penetration weltweit bei etwa 27 %. Somit habe nur dieser kleine Teil der Bevölkerung Zugang zu den angesagten Messaging-Apps. Den Großteil der Mobilfunkgeräte machen immer noch die klassischen Handys mit bewährter SMS aus.

Moshe Kigler hält dagegen: Für den Produktchef beim Instant-Messaging-Serviceprovider ICQ aus Tel Aviv, Israel, zeichnet sich ein deutlicher Trend hin zu integriertem Nachrichtenaustausch ab: „Wir verzeichnen eine um bis zu 70 % gestiegene Nutzung von speziell für mobile Endgeräte entwickelten Applikationen für soziale Netzwerke.“ Mit dem Messagingdienst aus dem gelobten Land haben Nutzer den Vorteil, nicht mehr zwischen verschiedenen sozialen Plattformen wechseln zu müssen.

So gestattet es ICQ, auch mit Freunden und Bekannten aus den sozialen Netzwerken studiVZ, Facebook oder Google Talk zentral aus einem Tool heraus zu kommunizieren – und das völlig kostenlos. Die Anmeldung für das Tool erfolgt über die Telefon- oder Handynummer.

ICQ-Deutschlandchef Alexander Erlmeier zufolge kostet dieses sogenannte Over-the-top-Messaging die Netzbetreiber natürlich Umsatzeinbußen im Bereich SMS. Daher seien die Verhandlungen mit Telefongesellschaften schwierig, hätten in Ländern wie Russland, Ukraine, Tschechien, Slowakei oder Österreich aber schon zum Erfolg geführt. Dort können Anwender bereits von ICQ aus eine Mitteilung schicken, die bei einem Empfänger ohne Messagingdienst als SMS ankommt.

Das Prinzip solcher Übergänge ist eine vom Messaginganbieter oder einem Dienstleister mit dem jeweiligen Netzbetreiber ausgehandelte virtuelle SIM-Karte. Diese stellt im Netz eine reale Telefonnummer dar, sobald eine Message gesendet wird. Diese Nummer sorgt dafür, dass die Nachricht auch als SMS empfangen werden kann.

... ... FreedomPop ...

Über diese speziell ausgehandelten Hintertürchen kommen die neuen Anbieter auf die Netze und können hier parallel zu den Platzhirschen ihre Dienste anbieten. Gewinner ist, wer seiner Zielgruppe den attraktivsten Service bietet.

Darum setzen die klassischen Telekommunikationsunternehmen jetzt auch auf Messagingdienste. Mit der Rich Communication Suite (RCSe) sollen drohende Marktanteilverluste abgewendet werden.

Anfang Mai will Vodafone mit dem SMS-Nachfolger starten, der international unter dem Namen Joyn vermarktet werden soll und netzbetreiber- sowie länderübergreifend funktioniert.

Die Deutsche Telekom will die Anwendung „im Sommer dieses Jahres“ bringen. Telefónica Deutschland hält sich nach den Worten von Managing Director Markus Haas noch bedeckt: „Wir planen RCSe als Dienst anzubieten. Den zeitlichen Fahrplan der Einführung geben wir später bekannt.“

Neben Textmitteilungen, Videotelefonie und Datenversand wird zum Servicepaket der RCSe auch eine altbekannte Anwendung gehören: das Gespräch, wenn auch in neuem Gewand.

Derzeit sind die Smartphone-Hersteller dabei, den Dienst in die Betriebssysteme zu integrieren. Mit Marktstart von RCSe sollen die Geräte im Handel sein. Erwartet wird, dass es entsprechende Apps für Android und iOS geben wird. Je nach Endgerät wird es die Möglichkeit geben, z. B. Joyn über ein Software-Update zu implementieren.

Telekom-Deutschland-Chef Niek Jan van Damme bleibt angesichts des Messaginghypes gelassen: „Weder ist die SMS tot noch hat das Aufkommen entsprechender Messaging-Apps dazu geführt, dass die Telekommunikationsunternehmen in Deutschland massive Umsatzeinbrüche verzeichnet haben. Ich würde von einer Umsatzverschiebung sprechen – an der die Telekom im Übrigen teil hat.“ KONRAD BUCK


SMS: Mobiles Internet raubt Shootingstar Nutzer

- 27 % aller Handynutzer weltweit haben heute schon ein Smartphone, Tendenz stark steigend.

· 41,5 Mrd. SMS wurden im Jahr 2010 allein in Deutschland verschickt. Auch diese Zahl steigt, denn noch sind knapp drei Viertel aller Handys keine Smartphones.

· Doch der Schein trügt. Weltweit sinkt die SMS-Nutzung. Aktuellen Zahlen des britischen Marktforschers Ovum zufolge haben die Mobilfunk-Netzbetreiber weltweit bereits in 2010 SMS-Umsatzeinbußen in Höhe von 8,7 Mrd. $ hinnehmen müssen, in 2011 seien die Verluste auf 13,9 Mrd. $ gestiegen. Ursache: Smart- phone-Nutzer bevorzugen IP-basierende soziale Messagingdienste.

kb

[TimeFactor]

AT&T Inc. and Clearwire Corporation Clash for Data Network Consumers





http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=51800782

[teecee1]

US-Handy-Nutzer pfeifen auf Loyalität zum Anbieter

Durchschnittliche Vertragsdauer sinkt auf Allzeittief von 48 Monaten ... aller 24 monate gibt es ein neues telefon ... fast für lau ... warum soll man da länger bleiben ...


Mobilfunk-Kunde: Wechselbereitschaft extrem hoch
(Foto: flickr.com/Global X)

New York (pte001/31.03.2012/06:00) - Wenn es um die Verlängerung eines Mobilfunkvertrages geht, haben es die Netzbetreiber zunehmend schwerer, die eigene Kundschaft bei der Stange zu halten. Wie aus einem aktuellen Bericht der PwC http://pwc.com hervorgeht, hat die Loyalität der Handy-Nutzer in den USA ein neues Allzeittief erreicht. Demnach beträgt die durchschnittliche Zeitspanne, in der ein Kunde im vergangenen Jahr in einem vertraglichen Verhältnis mit ein und demselben Mobilfunkanbieter gestanden hat, nicht länger als 48 Monate. 2010 fiel der entsprechende Zeitraum mit 59 Monaten noch deutlich höher aus.

"In Deutschland stellt sich die Entwicklung anders als in den USA eher zweigeteilt dar: Es gibt eine sehr große Gruppe, die ihrem Anbieter auch länger als 48 Monate treu bleibt - sei es aus Zufriedenheit, Unwissenheit über günstigere Alternativen oder schlicht aus Bequemlichkeit. Genauso gibt es aber einige, die häufiger wechseln", erklärt Rafaela Möhl, Pressesprecherin beim Online-Tarifberater teltarif http://teltarif.de , gegenüber pressetext. Die Gründe für einen Umstieg seien zumeist im Kostenargument zu suchen. "Die Anbieter gehen mit immer günstigeren Tarifen auf Kundenfang. Wer hier die Marktentwicklung im Auge behält, kann durch einen Wechsel durchaus einiges an Geld sparen", so Möhl.

Unerbittliche Konkurrenz

"Die Konkurrenz ist unerbittlich und der Preisfaktor ein zentrales Entscheidungselement", zitiert CNN Pierre-Alain Sur, Leiter des Bereichs Global Communications Industry bei PwC. "Das führt dazu, dass der Wechsel von einem Anbieter zum nächsten am Ende einer Vertragsperiode beschleunigt wird", so Sur. Dies sei aber keine völlig neue Entwicklung, sondern vielmehr ein Trend, der sich bereits in den vergangenen Jahren abgezeichnet habe. "Das Schockierende daran ist nicht, dass es passiert, sondern wie schnell es passiert", betont der PwC-Experte.

Spezielle Lockangebote

Durch die wachsende Bereitschaft zum Netzwechsel auf Nutzerseite erhöht sich der Druck auf die Betreibergesellschaften, die in ihrem Kampf um Kundenbindung immer tiefer in die Trickkiste greifen müssen. "Vielfach wird versucht, Bestandskunden durch besondere Lockangebote bei Stange zu halten. Nicht selten werden dabei spezielle Rabatte auf neue Handymodelle oder Gesprächsguthaben gewährt. Hier sollte man dann aber prüfen, ob diese Angebote wirklich so günstig sind, wie sie auf den ersten Blick aussehen und auf jeden Fall mit der Konkurrenz vergleichen, ob es da nicht günstiger geht", schildert Möhl.

Die Frage, ob und wann jemand von einem Mobilfunkkonzern zum nächsten wechseln soll oder nicht, lässt sich aber nicht pauschal beantworten. "Prinzipiell würde ich jedem dazu raten, sich öfter über die aktuelle Tarifentwicklung zu informieren. Allerdings ändert sich der Markt nicht so schnell, dass man jedes halbe Jahr den Tarif wechseln muss", so Möhl abschließend.

(Ende)

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US-iPad-Nutzer zahlen 70.000 Dollar für Printmedien

Verlage verdienen trotzdem kaum an mobilem Nachrichtenkonsum


iPad-User: wenig kuschelig für Medienhäuser
(Foto: pixelio.de, o. meier-sander)

New York (pte012/29.03.2012/12:07) - In den USA geben iPad-Besitzer durchschnittlich 70.000 Dollar pro Tag für den Konsum von Zeitungen und Zeitschriften auf ihrem mobilen Lesegerät aus, wie Cnet berichtet. Das hört sich profitabel an. Vor allem, da es Apples hauseigenen Zeitungskiosk erst seit etwa sechs Monaten gibt. Gerettet ist die gebeutelte Printmedien-Branche dadurch trotzdem nicht. Auf alle Nutzer heruntergebrochen verdienen die Medienhäuser brutto weniger als einen Cent pro iPad-Besitzer und Tag. Über Werbung lässt sich auf mobilen Lesegeräten auch kaum Geld verdienen, obwohl Handys und Tabs als Nachrichtenquelle immer wichtiger werden.

Messias-Komplex

Als Steve Jobs das iPad angekündigt hat, haben die Papiermedien den Champagner eingekühlt, weil sie glaubten, endlich ein Geschäftsmodell für die digitale Zukunft gefunden zu haben, obwohl sich Apple 30 Prozent vom Umsatz nimmt. Laut einer Studie von Pew-Research http://bit.ly/FPwbYw hat sich ein Teil dieser Vision tatsächlich erfüllt: Für 27 Prozent der US-Amerikaner sind mobile Geräte - derzeit noch überwiegend Smartphones - bereits die primäre Nachrichtenquelle. Schätzungen gehen davon aus, dass diese Quote in den kommenden drei Jahren auf über 50 Prozent steigen wird. Zeitungen und Zeitschriften sind also gezwungen, verstärkt auf die mobile Schiene zu setzen.

"Ich halte die Hoffnung der Verlage, dass alle User den weg über Apps gehen werden für überzogen. Versierte Nutzer kommen auch mobil gratis an die gewünschten Inhalte", erklärt Medienökonom Bernd von Rimscha von der Universität Zürich http://www.uzh.ch gegenüber pressetext.

Das vorherrschende Geschäftsmodell des Verkaufs von Digital-Abonnements durch verschenkte Apps bringt selbst bei unrealistisch hoch angesetzten Wachstumserwartungen niemals die Einnahmen pro Leser, die Online-Paywalls oder gar analoge Abos früher eingebracht haben. Weit problematischer ist aber, dass die Werbeeinnahmen, die schon beim Übergang vom Papier ins Netz gelitten haben, auf mobilen Endgeräten ebenfalls weit weniger einbringen. Aus 100 Offline-Werbedollar wurden im Netz zehn. Auf Handys und Tablets bleibt gar nur noch ein einziger Dollar übrig, wie der Guardian schätzt.

Werbeindustrie ohne Vertrauen

Die Werbeindustrie traut mobiler Werbung noch nicht. Im Vergleich zu Online- oder gar TV-Werbebudgets hinkt die Mobil-Sparte, die noch recht jung ist, deshalb hinterher. Zudem passt auf eine mobile Seite weniger Werbung als auf eine Standard-Webseite, was die Einnahmemöglichkeiten weiter begrenzt. Das Medienkonsumverhalten der Menschen auf mobilen Geräten ist zudem nicht sehr verlockend für Werbetreibende. Nebenbei kurz überflogene Artikel, bei denen die Werbung durch den Zoom vielleicht überhaupt nicht gesehen wird, locken wenige Kunden. Die Tausend-Kontakt-Preise für mobile Werbung sind gering.

"Der Nachweis der Werbewirkung ist noch nicht erbracht. Wahrscheinlich wäre ein höherer Preis angemessen, aber ohne Beweis bezahlt keiner. Problematisch ist zudem, dass mobile Werbung als intrusiv wahrgenommen wird. Gerade ein Smartphone ist etwas Persönliches. Vielleicht sind die Leser sogar eher bereit zu bezahlen, weil Werbung am mobilen Gerät nervender ist, als in einer Zeitung", so von Rimscha.

Ein tragendes Geschäftsmodell, das auf mobilem Medienkonsum basiert, ist momentan am ehesten vorstellbar, wenn Bezahlschranken eingeführt werden, die nicht über Apps laufen, sondern einfach das gesamte Online-Angebot abschirmen. "Das funktioniert vermutlich nur für eine kleine Elite, zum Beispiel die NewYork Times und selbst dort ist der Erfolg noch nicht bewiesen. Durch die weit verbreiteten Flatrates fallen Zusatzkosten für Smartphones schnell auf, was die Zahlbereitschaft verringert", erklärt von Rimscha.

Crowdfunding wäre eine weitere Option, es besteht allerdings die Gefahr von fröhlichen Pseudo-Nachrichten wie sie auch soziale Netzwerke ausspucken. "Bei der TAZ hat der Flattr-Spendenknopf nichts am Inhalt geändert. Das funktioniert aber auch nicht für jedes Medium", so von Rimscha. Probieren bleibt also weiterhin Trumpf für die Medienhäuser. Den Traum, dass Apple die Branche rettet, sollten die Verleger aber wohl schnell austräumen, um sich funktionierende Alternativen zu überlegen.

(Ende)

... ... Clearwire als reiner Netzanbieter ... vs Plusnet ...

[teecee1]

Clearwire to Host First Quarter 2012 Financial Results Conference Call

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR - News) plans to announce its first quarter 2012 financial results on Thursday, April 26, 2012. The financial release will be posted at http://investors.clearwire.com at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Clearwire executives will host a conference call and webcast following the release at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time.

A live broadcast of the conference call will be available online via the company's Investor Relations website located at http://investors.clearwire.com.

Alternatively, interested parties can access the conference call by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States at [phone], at least five minutes prior to the start time.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time April 26 through May 3 by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States by dialing [phone]. The conference ID for the replay is 68595416. (...)

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Noteworthy Institutional 5% Ownership Filings On Friday
April 2, 2012

Many leading funds filed forms 13-D and 13-G (and form 4) with the SEC on Friday, indicating that they had amended their ownership in U.S. traded public companies. The following are the most notable institutional trades based on our analysis of those filings (for more info on Forms 13-D and 13-G, and how to interpret that, please refer to the end of this article):

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR): CLWR provides wireless broadband networks for delivery of residential and mobile internet access and voice services. CLWR customers connect to the Internet using licensed spectrum, thus eliminating the confines of traditional cable or phone lines. The company offers its service in fifty U.S. markets, as well as in Europe. On Friday, Baltimore, MD-based hedge fund sponsor Chesapeake Partners Management filed SEC Form SC 13G indicating that it holds 28.27 million shares, an increase from the 10.71 million shares it reported holding at the end of Q4. This makes CLWR the second largest position in their portfolio, and with the purchase, Chesapeake is now the second largest institutional shareholder of CLWR shares, behind Fidelity Investments that holds 51.25 million shares.

CLWR recently received good news last month when Sprint decided to terminate its 15-year spectrum hosting agreement with Phil Falcone's wireless startup LightSquared. Its shares are currently forming a bullish consolidation pattern at the lows, between $2.00's and $2.40's; a break to the upside from this consolidation pattern is most likely to lead to a rally based on both the technical accumulation pattern at the lows, as well as fundamental news, including the termination of LightSquared by Sprint and recent deals the carrier has struck with Cricket LTE and FreedomPop. (...)

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03.04.2012 | 19:01
Business Wire ·
LG Viper 4G LTE with Eco-Friendly Features from Sprint Launches for Less than $100

Pairing innovative technology with the Sprint 4G LTE network and unlimited data plans, LG Viper 4G LTE helps manage work and personal time for people on the go, like today's "Power Parents"; Pre-order begins Thursday, April 12, at sprint.com/viper

In an exclusive media event to tip off NBA Green Week presented by Sprint, Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse (NYSE: S) today announced pricing and pre-order availability date for the highly anticipated LG Viper™ 4G LTE, the first 4G LTE device with eco-friendly features to be offered by Sprint.


LG Viper 4G LTE from Sprint (Photo: Sprint)

LG Viper will be available later this month in all Sprint sales channels, including www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1, Best Buy and RadioShack for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 (excludes taxes and surcharges). New and existing customers can pre-order LG Viper beginning Thursday, April 12 at www.sprint.com/viper.

LG Viper takes advantage of Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, mobile hotspot capabilities and a 4GB card microSD™ slot that supports up to 32GB. It also features a 5MP rear-facing camera with flash and VGA front-facing camera allowing for a fun and easy face-to-face video chat experience.

Enabled with Near Field Communication (NFC), LG Viper allows users to access true value features such as Google Wallet, an app that allows payment using a mobile device at participating retailers, including Bloomingdales, Toys "R" Us, CVS, Gap and Macy's. The sleek, ultra-thin smartphone also boasts a 4-inch touchscreen that is remarkably bright and clear, even in direct sunlight. It also has a Corning® Gorilla® Glass screen protector for extra display resistance while on the go.

"LG Viper pairs perfectly with our unlimited data plans to bring customers the benefit of new technology, including our upcoming 4G LTE capabilities at a great price," said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. "This smartphone is packed with the tools our customers need to stay connected. Best of all, customers can feel good about owning LG Viper because of its robust list of eco-friendly features."

As a Sprint ID smartphone, LG Viper will give owners the ability to cut through the clutter of more than 450,000 additional apps in Google Play by selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs. Sprint ID packs include ringers, wallpapers and widgets. Also, consumers can download Box on the LG Viper and receive 50GB of free cloud storage and sharing directly from LG, an estimated value of $240 per year, so users don't have to stress about storing all of their favorite music, files, photos and other memories. The 50GB of free storage is exclusive to LG devices until July 22.

"Today's world is moving extremely fast and the lines between personal time and work continue to blur," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. "LG understands consumers' need for better tools that allow them to multitask without sacrificing what's most important to them, especially when it comes to their families. LG Viper gives parents the tools they need to manage their everyday lives while breaking down the barriers that technology can often create between them and their children – all at a great value."

LG Viper customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything plans with data. Sprint's Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones2 – a savings of $40 per month vs. Verizon's comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web, or $10 per month savings vs. Verizon's 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB Web.

Leading Wireless in Green

In addition to its technological prowess, LG Viper has many eco-friendly features, including:

* The device is ULE Platinum Certified, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint.
* It is protected by a casing made of 50 percent recycled plastics.
* It is RoHS compliant, meaning it is free from many potentially hazardous materials such as PVC, phthalates, halogens and mercury.
* The packaging contains up to 87 percent of post-consumer paper, uses soy ink, made with a glueless construction and is 100 percent recyclable.
* The phone also includes a charger that exceeds the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency when it comes to no-load consumption. Unlike other chargers, LG Viper 4G LTE's charger only consumes 0.03 watts of power when plugged into a wall socket without being connected to the phone.

Ranked No. 3 in Newsweek's 2011 Green Rankings, Sprint is committed to being a corporate leader in sustainability. LG Viper marks the third device with eco-friendly features launched by Sprint and LG. Sprint and LG launched their first eco-friendly device in 2010 with LG Remarq™ and continued the legacy earlier this year with LG Rumor Reflex™.

Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. Sprint 4G LTE should enable faster speeds for data applications, and the enhanced 3G service could offer better signal strength, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better in-building performance. The launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a video, check the Web via a mobile hotspot, Sprint 4G LTE will make it easier. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint's 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

Bridging Technology and Fairy Tales

To complement the launch of LG Viper 4G LTE, LG is introducing the "Life's Good Fairytales" app, a customizable storyboard that allows parents and children to bond over the creation and sharing of unique fairytales through their device. Families can become part of the fairytale by allowing them to take, upload and manipulate photos, names and sounds directly into the story, transforming the fairytales into the child's own personal adventure.

Thanks to the fast speeds of the LG Viper 4G LTE technology and Sprint 4G LTE network, stories can be read instantly and content can be shared with friends and family via Facebook®. The "Life's Good Fairytales" app will be available Friday, April 27, in Google Play. It will be free for LG Viper owners and available for $0.99 for other Android phone users. (...)

[teecee1]

Former LightSquared partner Elevate turns to Sprint and Clearwire
April 11, 2012 — 10:25pm ET | By Tammy Parker

Score another apparent loss for LightSquared as small digital services firm Elevate announced it is expanding its existing MVNO agreement with Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) to include access to Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) WiMAX network.

In December 2011, San Clemente, Calif.-based Elevate announced an MVNO partnership with LightSquared, and it also announced a 3G MVNO agreement with Sprint during the same month. LightSquared's planned LTE network has little chance of launching anytime soon, which has apparently led Elevate to extend its partnership with Sprint to also include WiMAX service via Clearwire. In December 2011, Sprint agreed to pay Clearwire $926 million for unlimited WiMAX access for its customers.

Elevate said adding the WiMAX amendments to its pact with Sprint will enable Elevate to include fixed and mobile broadband delivery in its portfolio, significantly enhancing Elevate's suite of services for 120 million consumers in 71 U.S. cities. Elevate said will be able to market WiMAX-based services on both a prepaid and postpaid basis, as it can with 3G.

"Now, with Sprint's 4G (WiMAX) infrastructure behind us, we are the only company able to sell every product in our Stack--voice, video, data, and home automation--to virtually every major population center in the country, with or without a phone line," said Wright Thurston, Elevate CEO.

Clearwire has gained through LightSquared's misfortune. MVNO FreedomPop and MVNE Simplexity, both former LightSquared customers, have recently jumped into WiMAX partnerships with Clearwire. Former LightSquared customer Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) also signed with Clearwire, but for future TD-LTE coverage. Clearwire intends to build out its TD-LTE network by June 2013.

Sprint, meanwhile, is also turning away from WiMAX. It is gearing up for its mid-year launch of LTE and will no longer introduce new WiMAX devices to its subscribers.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.030.567 von teecee1 am 12.04.12 15:42:11

Sprint: We won't have any problem marketing LTE
April 13, 2012 — 2:46pm ET | By Phil Goldstein

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) executives are confident the carrier will be able to market its forthcoming LTE network as a national service on par with the LTE offerings from Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), despite the fact that the two larger carriers have bigger LTE networks and more devices.

Paget Alves, Sprint's chief sales officer, told reporters at a briefing here at Sprint's corporate headquarters that Sprint had to be careful in marketing Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network because the network only covered select major markets. He said Sprint plans to take its LTE network nationwide through an aggressive rollout, which will allow the carrier to market it on a national scale. "We can set expectations this will be a national service," he said.

Sprint plans launch LTE in Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City and San Antonio, Texas, by mid-year. The carrier expects to cover 123 million POPs with LTE by year-end, and 250 million POPs with LTE by the end of 2013. Verizon's LTE network currently covers more than 200 million POPs, and Verizon plans to increase coverage to 260 million POPs by year-end. AT&T will boost its LTE network coverage from around 74 million POPs today to 150 million by year-end.

Alves also said Sprint can leverage AT&T and Verizon's LTE marketing efforts. "I don't think we'll have any difficulty marketing LTE because it has been established in the consumers' mind as a feature or function you want to have in your device," he said. Alves added that Sprint plans to continue offering unlimited smartphone data via LTE, which will help set the carrier apart from its competition.

Interestingly, both Alves and Fared Adib, vice president of products at Sprint, stressed that the company is doing more to educate consumers about how they can offload their traffic onto Wi-Fi networks. Adib said that the company has introduced a solution on some of its smartphones called "connection optimizer." The intelligent client can recognize if a smartphone repeatedly picks up a particular Wi-Fi hotspot, say, in a person's home. The service will then ask the customer if they want to connect to the hotspot, but will not proactively turn off cellular data service, Adib said. The goal of the client, which will be introduced in more high-end and mid-range devices this year, is to make using Wi-Fi easier.

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MVNO Ting to offer LTE service via Sprint's network
April 13, 2012 — 9:56am ET | By Sue Marek

Mobile virtual network operator Ting, which currently uses the Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) 3G CDMA network and Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network, said it will offer LTE data services using Sprint's LTE network when Sprint launches the network later this year. Sprint has said it will begin launching LTE markets by mid-year.

"We have several LTE devices including data sticks, mobile hotspots and some pretty spiffy smartphones in-bound to coincide with the launch of the LTE network," Ken Schafer, executive vice president of products at Tucows, which runs Ting, wrote in a blog post. "More news as we're able to share it."

Ting started offering service to consumers Feb. 1. Customers have minutes, text messages and data divided into different buckets. If customers use more than they have paid for in a certain month, they are not charged an overage fee, but instead get bumped up to the next usage tier for that month. Likewise, if customers use less than they had thought they would need, they are bumped down to the next lowest usage tier and will receive a credit on their bill for the difference. Users can continuously monitor their usage via an online dashboard. Ting also lets customers have multiple phones under one account and share pools of minutes, text messages and data.

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[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 42.997.313 von teecee1 am 03.04.12 20:25:24

Sprint Continues 4G LTE Momentum with Launch of Galaxy Nexus by Samsung on April 22 for $199.99

Pre-order begins today at www.sprint.com/nexus

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) , the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network1, continues its 4G LTE launch momentum with the launch of Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, its first Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, smartphone with 4G LTE capability. It boasts a Pure Google experience, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ contour display and dual cameras enabling video chat.


Galaxy Nexus from Samsung
(Credit: Samsung Electronics)

Galaxy Nexus will be available in Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com) beginning on Sunday, April 22, for $199.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line of service or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement. Pre-order begins today at www.sprint.com/nexus. Customers who pre-order Galaxy Nexus will begin receiving their devices as early as Friday, April 20 – two days before the device goes on sale – while supplies last.

Galaxy Nexus on Sprint also features Google Wallet™, turning the smartphone into a wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) to make safe purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers. As an extra bonus, Sprint customers who activate a Google Wallet account within a week of activation of their Galaxy Nexus will receive a $10 instant credit on their Google Wallet account and an additional $40 credit within three weeks2.

“Galaxy Nexus is a beautifully designed smartphone that combines the Pure Google experience with the speed of Sprint’s upcoming 4G LTE network,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “It represents the cutting-edge features and applications that customers expect and pairs perfectly with Sprint’s unlimited data plans to let our customers enjoy their wireless experience without worrying about overage charges or throttling.”

Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), a leading global mobile phone provider and the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States3, Galaxy Nexus pairs the beauty of Samsung hardware with a Pure Google experience. It is built on Android, 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Simple layouts with subtle animations and delightful flourishes make everything feel alive. The home screen, web browser, email and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and beyond smart.

Galaxy Nexus has a full-featured 5-megapixel camera with automatic focus and 1080p video capture, top-notch, low-light performance and zero shutter lag. Open it right from the lock screen and fire off a photo instantly. Snapping several photos is quicker than the blink of an eye, and single-motion panoramic mode lets the user take beautiful panorama pictures with Galaxy Nexus.

Additional key features include:

* Face Unlock: Galaxy Nexus introduces a new, fun way to unlock the phone – with a smile. State-of-the-art facial recognition technology lets the user switch on their phone and look at it to get past the lock screen – no passwords to remember, nothing to type or swipe.
* Android Beam™: Share contacts, web pages, YouTube videos, directions and apps – just by touching two NFC-enabled Android phones back to back – tap to beam what’s on the phone to a friend.
* Google+™ Hangouts: Video chat with a group of up to 10 friends using the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, all on the go.
* A 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a brilliant 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contour display with 1280x720 resolution.
* Google Play™: With more than 500,000 apps, millions of songs and books and thousands of movies, Google Play has something for everyone.
* Google Wallet: Turn the smartphone into a wallet using NFC to make safe, secure purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers.
* Google Voice™ makes people’s lives easier by providing one phone number to use for the rest of their life. Easily manage up to six devices with one Sprint phone number, use intelligent call routing and advanced call controls like call screening, blocking and recording, and online management of SMS, voicemail and call logs at www.google.com/voice.

Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $40 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web, or $10 per month savings versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB web.

... ... That, of course, comes as Sprint races to build out its 4G LTE network, which isn't truly available yet.

Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. The anticipated launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Sprint customers in these areas will soon enjoy ultra-fast data speeds and improved 3G voice quality. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

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Can Sprint catch up on LTE?
April 16, 2012 — 8:41am ET | By Phil Goldstein

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) claimed a first-mover advantage in 4G by leveraging Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network. However, when Clearwire's network buildout stalled at 130 million POPs and Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) launched LTE service in December 2010 and rapidly expanded its network to 200 million POPs, Sprint lost that advantage. Now Sprint is trying to catch up. The big question is, can it?

I spent a few days last week at Sprint's headquarters in Overland Park, Kan., getting an update from Sprint executives on the carrier's Network Vision network modernization project. I'm fairly convinced Sprint can catch up on LTE, but the carrier will need a network and device lineup that matches those of its larger competitors if it wants to really be successful.

Sprint plans to cover 123 million POPs with LTE by year-end, and 250 million POPs with LTE by the end of 2013. That year-end 2012 coverage target is less than half of what Verizon is promising and less than AT&T Mobility's (NYSE:T) projected 150 million POPs. Still, it's a substantial network footprint, and, depending on which markets Sprint lights up, may be more than sufficient to create a competitive network.

What about devices? Sprint has promised at least 15 LTE devices by year-end, and Fared Adib, vice president of products at Sprint, said that most of those would be smartphones, with a few tablets and mobile broadband devices thrown into the mix as well. So far, Sprint's LTE devices have looked pretty solid, with high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC Evo 4G LTE as well as mid-range products like the LG Viper.

Adib conceded that Verizon will have more LTE devices, but noted that after a certain point the difference between 15 devices and say 25 devices becomes less important. It's also worth noting that with a massive network and large LTE device section, Verizon has so far recruited less than 10 percent of its base to its LTE network.

Sprint's network will be operating at something of a disadvantage compared with Verizon and AT&T's networks. Sprint currently plans to deploy LTE Release 9 by mid-year on the G-Block of its 1900 MHz PCS spectrum in a 5x5 MHz block of spectrum, while both Verizon and AT&T are launching LTE in their 700 MHz spectrum with mostly 10x10 MHz blocks. Yet Sprint executives insisted that their network would be on par to the larger ones; both Verizon and AT&T promise average downlink speeds of 5-12 Mbps. While reporters were not allowed to conduct speed tests on Sprint's LTE smartphones, the performance I observed seemed just as good as that of LTE smartphones I've seen from Verizon and AT&T. Furthermore, Sprint has only has half as many customers as Verizon and AT&T, meaning fewer customers to clog its LTE network.

But what could really clog Sprint's network is also one of the carrier's key advantages in LTE: unlimited smartphone data. That could be a major draw for customers looking to get the most out of their flashy new LTE devices. As long as Sprint has prepared its network to handle that data, it could be a winner in terms of attracting subscribers to sign up. However, it's unclear whether the offer of unlimited data will be enough to separate Sprint from the pack. The carrier did well in the fourth quarter by pairing unlimited data with the iPhone, but some analysts expect Sprint to suffer in the first quarter. Sprint reports first-quarter results April 25.

Sprint is definitely playing catch up on LTE. Its network will be smaller, its device selection less ample and its network performance under the gun. However, if the network is reliable and can deliver speeds comparable to those of Verizon and AT&T, I see no reason why Network Vision can't deliver Sprint to the LTE Promised Land. --Phil

... ... ich bezweifle das Sprint so schnell sein Netzwerk auf LTE umstellen kann, sie werden das Netz von Clearwire nutzen ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.039.933 von teecee1 am 14.04.12 20:53:41

Jefferies downgraded Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) from “buy” to “hold.” CLWR's shares closed at $1.55 yesterday. Clearwire's trailing-twelve-month operating margin is -118.15%.

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Caution Rules In Clearwire (CLWR, S, RSH)

24/7 Wall St.

Posted: April 24, 2012 at 10:46 am

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) seems that it cannot win. A downgrade today is putting even more pressure on a pressured situation. The ties to Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) are also not exactly helping the company out as much as some of the hold-outs might hope, even if Sprint has maintained a commitment more than some insiders expected.

Today’s Clearwire downgrade came from Jefferies & Company with a downgrade to “Hold” from “Buy”. The real blow is that the price target objective was lowered from $4.00 to $2.00. It is hard to take much joy that after a 4% drop to $1.48 that this still implies almost 35% upside on the post-downgrade share price. Clearwire has traded in a range of $1.24 to $5.47 over the last year and its market capitalization rate is down to about $669 million.

The move by the analyst comes just two days shy of the wireless data provider’s expected earnings report and only one day ahead of the expected earnings report from Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S).

RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) just hit a two-decade low today after posting an unexpected loss rather than a small positive earnings report. RadioShack’s report was marred in part because it sold fewer of the high-priced Sprint mobile plans and that reflects more pressure all over again for Sprint and ultimately for Clearwire even if Sprint shares are up 2% ahead of earnings as it is likely that the short sellers are covering their shorts ahead of earnings.

Unfortunately, Clearwire has its woes and the fallout from upstream is just too much.

JON C. OGG

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Making 4G profitable and successful
April 24, 2012 — 11:11am ET | By Sue Marek

The first LTE network made its debut in the U.S. in September 2010 when MetroPCS (NASDAQ:PCS) launched its first market. Fast forward 20 months and we now have a thriving LTE ecosystem with Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) expected to cover 400 markets and 260 million POPs with LTE by year-end and AT&T (NYSE:T) expected to double its LTE coverage to around 150 million POPs by year-end.

Aside from the top two Tier 1 operators, many other carriers are also in the midst of deploying LTE, including U.S. Cellular, Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR), C Spire Wireless and Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP). And T-Mobile USA is planning to deploy LTE Release 10 in its AWS spectrum in 2013.

With all these U.S. operators deploying LTE, one might be tempted to call the technology a success. Analysts say it is. In fact, Susan Welsh de Grimaldo of Strategy Analytics told FierceWireless that the fact that Verizon is accelerating its LTE deployment schedule means that it's very happy with the technology.

The operator is certainly pushing its subscribers toward LTE. Late last year Verizon launched a promotion to essentially double customers' LTE data allowance from 2 GB to 4 GB for the same $30 per month. That promotion, along with the growing number of LTE devices offered at various price points, helped Verizon's LTE adoption rate grow in the fourth quarter of last year and in the first quarter of 2012. Just last week during its first quarter earnings call, Verizon announced that it had sold 2.9 million LTE devices in the first quarter, bringing its total LTE subscriber base to 8 million, or approximately 9 percent of its pstpaid base.

However, as more operators deploy LTE, the 4G landscape will likely become more competitive. Operators will have to do more than offer discount data prices to get subscribers to flock to their 4G networks.

In our latest ebook, "Making 4G Profitable and Successful," FierceWireless delves into the many issues operators face when deploying 4G, including the lack of available spectrum, the promise of LTE Advanced and the struggles of 4G wholesale providers. --Sue

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http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/special-reports/globa…

Thanks to Verizon, North America dominates the global LTE industry


LTE device shipments market share in 2011


LTE subscriptions market share by operator

[TimeFactor]

Bestand mittlerweile 90% reduziert und ich hätte wirklich nicht gedacht, dass es so schnell fallen wird. Der Fall der 2 USD - Marke hat das Teil in die Tiefe gerissen, dort wurden auch bei mir die ersten Stops ausgelöst. Die letzten Wochen demnach eine Nullnummer sozusagen.

1000 Stück werde ich halten bis 1.30 USD, dann müssen auch die raus. Bei Erholung würde ich schnell auf 60-70% wieder aufstocken und den SL nachziehen.

TK-Branche ist momentan nicht wirklich interessant, außer Freenet läuft da nicht viel !

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.082.134 von teecee1 am 24.04.12 18:24:21

Clearwire hit as Verizon spectrum sale looms

Clearwire shares fall after analyst says Verizon's spectrum sale could cause funding delay

Associated Press – 7 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shares of cellphone infrastructure company Clearwire Corp. fell on Tuesday after an analyst downgraded the stock, saying Verizon Wireless' plan to sell spectrum could delay Clearwire's spectrum sale, possibly past the point by which it needs to raise cash.

THE SPARK: Jefferiesanalyst Thomas Seltz downgraded Clearwire to "Hold" from "Buy" and cut his price target on shares in half, to $2.

THE BIG PICTURE: Clearwire runs a wireless data network used mainly by Sprint customers. Sprint Nextel Corp. is Clearwire's largest investor, but Clearwire operates independently.

THE ANALYSIS: Seltz said Verizon Wireless's announcement last week that it plans to sell 700 mega-Hertz of spectrum "throws a wrench in the works" of Clearwire's planned sale.

Clearwire needs to raise about $2.5 billion to continue building out its next-generation "4G" network and selling its unused spectrum is key, he said. The company would face a "challenge" by the second quarter of next year if it isn't able to raise the money by then, he said.

Still, Verizon's sale of spectrum could be delayed by regulators. The uncertainty may put a damper on Clearwire shares, Seltz said.

A Clearwire spokesman declined to comment, citing a quiet period ahead of the company's quarterly earnings announcement Thursday.

SHARE ACTION: Clearwire shares fell 15 cents, or 9.7 percent, to close Tuesday at $1.40. They have fallen steadily from their 52-week high of $5.47 last April.

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Sprint adds 1.5M iPhones in Q1, will bring WiMAX to prepaid brands
April 25, 2012 — 9:35am ET | By Phil Goldstein


Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) reported a narrower than expected first-quarter loss, and recorded 1.5 million Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone activations during the quarter. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse also disclosed during the company's quarterly earnings conference call that its Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile prepaid brands will gain access to Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network sometime in the second quarter; he did not provide details.

Hesse said that the company progress on its goals, but that it still has a great deal of work to do on executing. As he said on the company's fourth-quarter earnings call, Hesse noted that the company is now in the second phase of its turnaround this year, which involves "investment for future growth" via the iPhone and its Network Vision network modernization plan.

Sprint reported a net loss of $863 million, up from a loss of $439 million in the year-ago period. However, that was less than what analysts had been expecting, according to Bloomberg.

Here is a breakdown of Sprint's key quarterly metrics:

iPhone: Sprint added 1.5 million iPhones in the quarter. Although this was lower than the 1.8 million iPhones Sprint had in the fourth quarter, Sprint's first quarter of iPhone availability, the carrier said that it had a higher percentage of new customers sign up for the iPhone in the first quarter. Sprint said that 44 percent of its iPhone customers, or around 660,000, were new customers, compared with 40 percent, or 720,000, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Sprint has banked on keeping its unlimited smartphone data plans as a way to differentiate its iPhone offerings from those of Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T). AT&T added 4.3 million iPhone customers in the first quarter and Verizon added 3.2 million iPhone activations in the first quarter.

Hesse said that 40 percent of Sprint's iPhone customers in the first quarter, or around 600,000 customers, broke a contract with another carrier to get to Sprint, and that over 60 percent of the new iPhone customers who left another carrier would not have considered switching to Sprint if the company did not have the iPhone. He said that customer care calls for new iPhone customers have been low and that long-term iPhone customers will lead to lower churn.

Network Vision: Sprint said it is on track to launch LTE service in six metropolitan areas by mid-year via its Network Vision plan: Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City and San Antonio, Texas. The company did not disclose any future LTE markets beyond that but Hesse said the carrier will add LTE markets as soon as it can. Around 3,000 Network Vision cell sites are under construction in 17 markets, according to Steve Elfman, president of network operations at Sprint. Sprint expects to have around 12,000 cell sites with new multi-mode base stations online by year-end. Further, in the 600 network Vision sites currently online, Elfman said Sprint is seeing a doubling of the coverage range compared with legacy sites, which should help reduce roaming costs. Sprint is also able to repurpose 2.5 MHz to 3 MHz of spectrum on its 800 MHz band from Nextel iDEN service to voice, he said. Sprint now targets taking 9,600 iDEN cell sites off air by the end of the third quarter, earlier than expected.

Subscribers: Sprint served 56.1 million total customers at the end of the quarter, its highest level ever. Sprint added 1.1 million total net customer additions in the first quarter, its sixth consecutive quarter with more than 1 million net subscriber additions. Sprint added 263,000 net postpaid customers to its "Sprint platform" (which includes CDMA, WiMAX and LTE) during the quarter, but lost 455,000 net postpaid customers on its "Nextel platform" (iDEN), leading to a total postpaid net subscriber loss of 192,000.

The company added 489,000 net prepaid subscribers during the quarter, which includes net additions of 870,000 prepaid Sprint platform customers, offset by net losses of 381,000 prepaid Nextel platform customers. For the quarter, the company added net additions of 785,000 wholesale and affiliate subscribers (all of which are on the Sprint platform) as a result of growth in MVNOs reselling prepaid services.

Churn: The carrier's total retail postpaid churn was 2.01 percent, compared with 1.81 percent for the year-ago period and 1.98 percent for the fourth quarter of 2011. Sprint's total prepaid churn was 3.61 percent, down from 4.36 percent in the year-ago quarter and 3.68 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011.

ARPU: Sprint's total retail postpaid average revenue per user in the quarter was $59.88, up from $56.17 in the quarter, the largest year-over-year postpaid ARPU growth in the company's history. Sprint said that increased smartphone penetration and the company's $10 smartphone add-on charge benefited ARPU. Sprint said around 59 percent of its Sprint platform postpaid base now has a smartphone. Total retail prepaid ARPU was $26.82, down from $28.39 in the year-ago period. Sprint said the decline in the year-over-year retail prepaid ARPU is a result of a greater mix of Assurance Wireless customers who on average have lower ARPU than the rest of Sprint's prepaid subscriber base.

Financials: Sprint's operating revenues climbed to $.8.7 billion in the quarter, up from $8.3 billion in the year-ago period. The carrier said wireless retail service revenues clocked in at $7.1 billion for the quarter, an increase of 7 percent compared to $6.6 billion in the year-ago period.

[teecee1]

April 26, 2012, 4:02 p.m. EDT

Clearwire TDD-LTE Network to Serve 4G "Hot Zones" in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and More


Apr 26, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --

-- TDD-LTE Network Planned for High Demand "Hot Zones" in 31 Markets
-- Initial Market Launches Scheduled for Early 2013, with Remaining Markets
Planned for Mid-2013


BELLEVUE, Wash., April 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation CLWR +8.89% today announced that New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle will be among the 31 cities where the company will launch its TDD-LTE network during the first half of 2013. Deployment of Clearwire's TDD-LTE network will target high demand "hot zones" in major urban centers where demand for 4G mobile broadband access is high and the need for deep 4G capacity resources is most acute.

"Our new 4G network will show that not all LTE networks are created equal," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Clearwire's LTE Advanced-ready network will deploy our deep spectrum resources for the next great era in mobile broadband in which capacity is king. We're positioned to bring much needed capacity on a wholesale basis to address the unbridled demand for mobile data and the scarcity of spectrum in major urban and suburban markets."

Clearwire LTE: The Next-Generation of 4G

Clearwire's next-generation LTE Advanced-ready network will be a major advancement over the current LTE networks deployed in the U.S. By leveraging its deep spectrum holdings to commercialize large contiguous swaths of spectrum in a given market, Clearwire believes its LTE Advanced-ready network will further differentiate it as a leader in next-generation 4G mobile broadband technology, capable of serving the current and anticipated future demands of wholesale and retail customers.

The company will announce the additional cities where it will launch TDD-LTE service at a later date.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________


April 26, 2012, 4:02 p.m. EDT

Clearwire Reports First Quarter 2012 Results


Apr 26, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --

-- First Quarter 2012 Revenue of $322.6 Million, Up 36% Year Over Year From
First Quarter 2011 Revenue of $236.8 Million
-- First Quarter 2012 Total Ending Subscribers of 11.0 Million Up 80% Year
Over Year from 6.1 Million
-- Aggregate Wholesale 4G Usage More than Doubled; Increased 134% Year Over
Year in First Quarter 2012
-- Average Smartphone 4G Usage Increased 53% Year Over Year in First
Quarter 2012
-- Initiates LTE Build; Identifies Initial 5,000 Sites to Offer High
Capacity 4G Offload Services in 31 Top Tier Cities Including New York,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle


BELLEVUE, Wash., April 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation CLWR +8.89% , a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for first quarter 2012.

"The compelling growth of wireless data is driving the need for more spectrum capacity and attracting new entrants to the market," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Clearwire's high capacity LTE Advanced-ready network will sit at the intersection of these two trends.

"Operationally, we are focused on managing our business efficiently and building our LTE network with an eye towards driving further growth in 2013 and beyond. We are also very pleased with the progress in our retail business, and our wholesale business continues to expand with new partners Cricket, FreedomPop and Simplexity, as well as the launch of NetZero's 4G products. We look forward to working with our existing wholesale partners and continuing our dialog with additional potential partners to deliver the value Clearwire's 4G services can provide to their own mobile broadband efforts."

First quarter 2012 revenue was $322.6 million, a 36% increase over first quarter 2011 revenue of $236.8 million. Wholesale revenue in first quarter 2012 was $117.8 million, a year over year increase of 93% over first quarter 2011 wholesale revenue of $60.9 million and a 28% sequential decrease from fourth quarter 2011 wholesale revenue of $164.1 million, reflecting the new WiMAX terms of the November 2011 Sprint wholesale agreement (the new Sprint agreement) which took effect in 2012. First quarter 2012 retail revenue and other revenue was $204.8 million, a year over year increase of 16% from $175.9 million in first quarter 2011. First quarter 2012 retail ARPU was $46.83, essentially flat compared to $46.80 in first quarter 2011.

Clearwire ended first quarter 2012 with approximately 11.0 million total subscribers, up 80% from 6.1 million subscribers in first quarter 2011. The subscriber base consists of 1.3 million retail subscribers and 9.7 million wholesale subscribers. During first quarter 2012, Clearwire added 586,000 total net new subscribers, reflecting 537,000 net new wholesale subscribers and 49,000 net new retail subscribers during the period. Wholesale subscribers consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers.

First quarter 2012 aggregate network usage by wholesale customers increased 134% compared to first quarter 2011, driven primarily by growth in aggregate smartphone usage, which increased 271% over the same period. Average 4G smartphone usage during the quarter increased 53% year over year.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $242 in first quarter 2012 compared to $295 in first quarter 2011. The year over year improvement is primarily due to lower sales and marketing expenses associated with our recently launched no-contract retail offering as well as a lower retail cost structure resulting from our cost cutting initiatives in 2011. Retail churn was 3.7% in first quarter 2012, up from 3.3% in first quarter 2011.

Adjusted EBITDA in first quarter 2012 was a loss of $(38.2) million, representing a $172.1 million improvement when compared to first quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA loss of $(210.3) million.

For the first time, Clearwire's operating activities provided net cash of $65.7 million in first quarter 2012. This milestone is primarily attributable to the company receiving payments during the period from Sprint related to both fourth quarter 2011 wholesale usage and the initial payment under the terms of the new Sprint agreement, the sum of which exceeded first quarter 2012 Sprint wholesale revenue, as well as continued strong expense management.

First quarter 2012 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $(182.1) million, or $(0.40) per basic share. Including the effects of discontinued operations, first quarter 2012 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $(181.8) million, or $(0.40) per basic share.

At the end of first quarter 2012, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 134 million people reside, including approximately 132 million people in markets where we provide 4G services.

TDD-LTE Network Plan & 2012 Capital Expenditures Outlook

Clearwire has commenced the first phase of its LTE overlay network build of up to 8,000 sites in high demand "hot zones" in major urban centers as part of the company's strategy to provide capacity offload services to other mobile broadband service providers, including Sprint and Cricket. The initial phase of the build includes 5,000 sites in 31 top tier markets including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. The company expects these markets to come on air over the course of the first half of 2013.

In conjunction with the finalization of the build plan for the initial 5,000 sites, Clearwire now expects capital expenditures in 2012 will amount to approximately $350 million to $400 million, $100 million to $150 million lower than previous expectations of $450 million to $550 million. Most of the spend is anticipated to occur in the second half of the year.

Results of Continuing Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) in first quarter 2012 increased 10% to $263.8 million compared to $240.1 million for first quarter 2011. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $56.4 million and $6.5 million in first quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively, and other non-cash network-related charges of $26.6 million and $34.7 million in first quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively. The increase in non-cash charges for network equipment reserves in first quarter 2012 was primarily due to increased reserves for equipment inventory which Clearwire no longer expects to utilize as part our future build plan or for sparing purposes based on our current LTE network design. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS decreased 9% year over year primarily due to a decrease in the number of tower leases resulting from cost savings actions taken in 2011.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in first quarter 2012 decreased 34% to $142.7 million compared to $214.9 million for first quarter 2011. The decrease is primarily attributable to actions taken in conjunction with Clearwire's cost cutting initiative in 2011 including lower employee-related expenses resulting from headcount reductions and outsourcing of the customer care function, reduced marketing spend, as well as decreased selling commission expense associated with our recently introduced no-contract product offering.

In addition to $56.4 million and $2.3 million of network equipment reserves and other write-downs included in COGS and SG&A, respectively, total non-cash write-downs of $139.1 million in first quarter 2012 includes $80.4 million of loss from abandonment of network and other assets primarily related to write-downs of uncompleted network development projects that were abandoned in the quarter as they do not coincide with Clearwire's LTE network build plans.

First quarter 2012 capital expenditures of $23.0 million related primarily to ongoing maintenance of Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network, and was essentially flat as compared to $23.1 million in fourth quarter 2011, but substantially less than $130.1 million capital expenditures in first quarter 2011, which was primarily related to the build out of the mobile WiMAX network.

The company ended first quarter 2012 with cash and investments of approximately $1.4 billion invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clearwire-reports-first-qua…

[teecee1]

Clearwire Beats on Both Top and Bottom Lines

By Seth Jayson | More Articles
April 27, 2012

Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR ) reported earnings on April 26. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Clearwire beat expectations on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded significantly and GAAP loss per share shrank.

Margins expanded across the board.

Revenue details
Clearwire logged revenue of $322.6 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated a top line of $307.8 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 36% higher than the prior-year quarter's $236.8 million.



Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary
to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at -$0.03. The 10 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged -$0.40 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.44 for Q1 compared to -$0.85 per share for the prior-year quarter.


Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability
with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 18.2%, 1,710 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -105.8%, 9,250 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -56.4%, 3,940 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $307.8 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.41.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.22 billion. The average EPS estimate is -$1.71.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 561 members out of 678 rating the stock outperform, and 117 members rating it underperform. Among 126 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 92 give Clearwire a green thumbs-up, and 34 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Clearwire is hold, with an average price target of $3.10.

Over the decades, small-cap stocks like Clearwire have prosduced market-beating returns, provided they're value-priced and have solid businesses. Read about a pair of companies with a lock on their markets in "Too Small to Fail: 2 Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.

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Clearwire's CEO Discusses Q1 2012 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
April 26, 2012

Clearwire (CLWR) Q1 2012 Earnings Call April 26, 2012 4:15 PM ET

Operator
Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Clearwire Corporation First Quarter 2012 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, today's call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Alice Ryder. Ma'am, you may begin. (...)

http://seekingalpha.com/article/534061-clearwire-s-ceo-discu…

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

... ... TDD-LTE vs FDD-LTE

... durch die Zusammensetzung der Bevölkerungsdichte (in der Stadt hoch auf dem Land niedrig) ist TDD für die USA (China) die bessere Lösung ... ... AT&T und Verizon benutzen FDD ...


TDD-Modus

Im TDD-Modus (Time Division Duplex) senden Mobil- und Basisstation im selben Frequenzband, jedoch zu unterschiedlichen Zeiten. Ein Frequenzträger wird dazu in 15 Timeslots unterteilt, deren Gesamtübertragungsdauer 10 ms beträgt. Jeder Timeslot ist mittels CDMA wiederum in mehrere Funkkanäle unterteilt. Das Verfahren ist technisch aufwendiger, da Timing-Probleme auftreten können, wenn sich der Sender bewegt oder weit von der Basisstation entfernt ist. Mit W-CDMA im TDD-Modus soll eine Datentransferrate von bis zu 2 Mbit/s (genauer 1920 kbit/s) für den Downlink erreicht werden können. Diese Technik ist in Deutschland bisher kommerziell nicht verfügbar. In Tschechien hat T-Mobile CZ seit 2005 ein Netz mit UMTS-TDD-Technik in Betrieb, welches sich derzeit nur auf Prag beschränkt und später auch in anderen größeren Städten angeboten werden soll.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FDD-Modus

Im FDD-Modus (Frequency Division Duplex) senden Mobil- und Basisstation in zwei verschiedenen Frequenzbereichen: Im Uplink-Kanal sendet das Mobilgerät, im Downlink-Kanal die Basisstation. Die beiden Frequenzbereiche haben je eine Breite von 5 MHz. Die einzelnen Übertragungskanäle sind durch reines CDMA realisiert. Derzeit bauen die deutschen UMTS-Netzbetreiber ihre Netze im FDD-Modus auf, die damit erzielbare Datentransferrate liegt bei 384 kbit/s für den Downlink in R99. Das Verfahren ist für die großflächige Funknetzabdeckung gedacht.

... ... bei relativ gleichmäßiger Verteilung der Bevölkerungsdichte ...

[teecee1]

Solving the LTE Puzzle: Comparing LTE Performance
By Bill Moore, RootMetrics Apr. 14, 2012, 12:00pm PT



After Verizon’s early adoption of LTE gave the carrier a commanding 2011 lead in the battle for data speed supremacy, things are heating up considerably in 2012. AT&T is aggressively rolling out its own LTE service, Sprint has promised LTE later this year, and T-Mobile isn’t far behind. At the moment, though, AT&T and Verizon command the data speed battlefield.

We’re testing carrier coverage across the country to give consumers a real-world look at mobile data performance. As part of this ongoing process, we extensively measured performances across multiple LTE markets during the first quarter of 2012 and have put together a head-to-head comparison of AT&T and Verizon based on these results. Using off-the-shelf phones, we tested both indoors and outdoors during driving, at day and at night, ultimately generating more than 50,000 data tests.

As our tests show, just because a carrier advertises a market as LTE-enabled doesn’t mean that you will always be on its LTE service. Moreover, the consumer experience of a carrier’s network is impacted by data failure rates. If you’re in the middle of uploading a file or downloading a movie and lose your data connection, those LTE speeds are meaningless. Looking solely at LTE misses the forest for the trees. It doesn’t give you a true picture of a network’s real-world performance.

Many pieces offer the whole LTE picture

Given these additional dimensions to the real-world data experience, an article that looks only at LTE would be a disservice to the public, giving you only one piece of a much more involved puzzle. Instead, we’re offering a comprehensive report from the front-lines of the growing LTE battlefield, taking you inside how a consumer actually experiences AT&T and Verizon in markets where both offer LTE build-outs. Our battle report covers five interlocking skirmish points:

* How fast each carrier’s LTE service was within and across 15 markets (see charts below for the actual markets).
* How often we were able to access each carrier’s LTE service. After all, it doesn’t matter how fast LTE is if you can’t reliably expect to access it.
* How fast each carrier’s average speed was. This is real-life speed, a combination of LTE whenever we could access it and speeds from legacy networks included in the measurement when LTE was not available.
* How often our test speeds surpassed 5 Mbps. Actual, real-world performance is what matters, not the LTE label.
* How often we experience a data failure on each network. The fact that LTE is available might not mean much for your real-world usage if you’re experiencing frequent data failures.

Together, these measures of speed and accessibility help show not only where the LTE battle stands today, but also gesture toward what might become increasingly important points of differentiation as LTE service continues to mature. In short, when carriers and other reports focus solely on LTE, they are selling you the LTE sizzle; we’re giving you the sizzle plus the steak. (...)

LTE speeds (...)

http://gigaom.com/2012/04/14/solving-the-lte-puzzle-comparin…

... ... demnächst 5 carrier’s; Verizon, AT&T, Clearwire, Sprint (benutzt evtl. Netz von CLWR) und T-Mobil....

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.082.134 von teecee1 am 24.04.12 18:24:21

Clearwire: Spectrum Worries Are Overblown And Quarterly Results Support Bullish Stance

Helix Investment Management
April 30, 2012 | 9 comments | about: CLWR, includes: CMCSA, DTV, GOOG, LEAP, PCS, S, T, TWC, VZ

Certain companies are, by their very nature, misunderstood. Perhaps it is because management is too opaque about the business. Perhaps it is because the company operates in a niche market. Or, perhaps it is because investors misunderstand the company and where it is headed.

Clearwire (CLWR) falls into the third category. The company is deeply misunderstood by many in the investment world, and the volatility in its share price reflects that sentiment. We have written extensively about Clearwire, arguing that the company is, in the long-term, dramatically undervalued. Since the beginning of 2012, Clearwire has lost more than a quarter of its value. The majority of that fall is due to its performance over the last month. Since peaking at a 2012 closing high of $2.46, Clearwire has steadily dropped, losing over 40% of its value.



How can this be? Aside from its first quarter 2012 earnings release (which we will discuss in detail later in this article), Clearwire has not released any news regarding its business. So why has the stock fallen so sharply? What has changed? We delve into that, as well as the company's quarterly earnings, below.

The Spectrum Market: Does the Opportunity Remain? Or Are There Challenges Ahead?

One of the central themes of our bullish thesis on Clearwire is the vast amount of spectrum that the company controls. Currently, Clearwire holds 46.6 billion MHz-POP's of spectrum. That is enough spectrum to allow Clearwire to have the deepest spectrum holdings in the United States' top 100 wireless markets, outranking AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), T-Mobile, and partner Sprint (S).



Clearwire's vast spectrum holdings provide a floor for the shares, because their true value is far greater than the $4 billion that it is currently carried on the company's balance sheet. However, the implication is that Clearwire will eventually sell off excess spectrum. It is easy to see why Clearwire would get premium pricing for its spectrum. Data usage in the United States is skyrocketing. Estimates are calling for a CAGR of 82% in data usage until 2015. And Clearwire saw a 705% increase in smartphone utilization on its networks in 2011. Even if Clearwire's 2.5 GHz spectrum is not 700 MHz spectrum (considered to be the highest quality in the market), there is not that much difference between them from a technical perspective.

This technical discussion is all well and good, but means little if Clearwire does not sell spectrum. That is why when Verizon announced a sale of its entire portfolio of 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses, Clearwire shares plunged nearly 20%, before recovering somewhat to close down around 7%. When it comes to Clearwire, investors have developed a sell first, ask questions later mentality. In essence, investors have developed worries that if Verizon were to sell this spectrum, the demand for Clearwire's spectrum would dry up. We however, do not think it is that simple.

This Verizon spectrum deal will only go through if the FCC approves its AWS spectrum deal with a consortium of cable companies, including Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC). It is designed to alleviate competition concerns that the FCC has with the pending deal with Comcast and Time Warner. RCA, a trade group of smaller carriers, has already argued to the FCC that this deal does not actually address any competition concerns. Furthermore, there is much precedent to show that whenever Verizon, or AT&T sell spectrum, the other company ends up being the buyer. While AT&T may seem like the natural buyer, analysts also point to T-Mobile, MetroPCS (PCS) and Leap Wireless (LEAP) as being likely buyers of the spectrum. Multiple analysts see Clearwire as being the loser in this, given that this spectrum sale would reduce demand for its own spectrum. Jefferies has already factored this into its models for Clearwire, downgrading the stock from buy to hold, and slashing its price target from $4 to $2. The firm states that this spectrum sale could delay a Clearwire sale, thus presenting funding challenges for the company. However, Jefferies also stated that the asset value of Clearwire's spectrum remains the same.

On the surface, it would seem that Clearwire is in fact the loser in this deal. With more spectrum on the market, the value of its own holdings to a prospective buyer drops. We however, do not believe it is that simple. Verizon's proposed spectrum deal will only go through if the FCC approves the AWS spectrum deal with the cable companies. And there is no guarantee of that happening. The deal is currently being reviewed by the FCC and Department of Justice, and there is skepticism that the deal does not present anti-trust issues. Attorneys for both Sprint and DirecTV (DTV) have also filed requests with the FCC to delay the review so that they may look over the huge trove of documents regarding this case in more detail. This entire controversy would be rendered moot if the government does not approve the spectrum deal with the cable companies. However, as Bernstein analyst point out, this deal makes approval more likely than before. The firm argues that no wireless company suddenly decides to sell prime spectrum in the middle of a shortage. The firm believes that this means that the government is wrapping up its review of the AWS spectrum deal with the cable companies and is imposing conditions on Verizon that it can live with. Perhaps most importantly, Bernstein believes that this sale may mark the start of a new FCC policy that no carrier may have more than 100 MHz of spectrum. Should the AWS spectrum deal go through, Verizon would have around 107 MHz of spectrum. By selling these 700 MHz A and B licenses, Bernstein estimates that its holdings will fall to just below 100 MHz (Clearwire clearly exceeds such a cap, but as the company is not a cellular carrier, that sort of cap would not apply to it).


And even if this 700 MHz spectrum sale were to occur, we believe that Clearwire will remain viable, for 2 reasons.

1. Sprint will be even more captive: If Clearwire is seen as a probable loser in this situation, Sprint is seen as a certain loser. Given the multiple front the company is working on to turn itself around, it simply does not have the financial capacity to actually buy spectrum. Its financial resources are needed elsewhere; including Network Vision, the iPhone, and its own LTE rollout. Thus, Sprint is in a conundrum. It faces the same need for spectrum that other carriers face, but it lacks the ability to actually buy spectrum. Enter Clearwire. If Sprint cannot acquire spectrum, it will have to turn to Clearwire to fulfill its spectrum needs. This is reflected in the agreement the companies signed in December, in which Sprint invested hundreds of millions more into Clearwire, in exchange for continued access to both its WiMax network and its future LTE network. Sprint is a captive here. With the collapse of LightSquared removing that company's spectrum from use, Sprint must continue to support Clearwire, for that is the only way it can effectively compete with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

2. Spectrum demand will continue to grow: Whoever is the buyer of this 700 MHz spectrum will deny other companies from acquiring it, assuming that it is all bought by one company. It is crucial to note that every wireless company faces a continued need to invest in more spectrum. In the long-term, this spectrum sale will do little to Clearwire in terms of continued demand for its spectrum. The company has already shown that it can and is diversifying away from Sprint. On March 14, the company inked a deal with Leap Wireless to provide the regional carrier with wholesale LTE access. This deal provides insight into the future structure of Clearwire, and it will almost certainly include the many regional carriers in the United States. For such small carriers to have even a chance of remaining viable in the face of Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T, they have to offer the same level of services that those national carriers offer. And that includes LTE access. For many, that may be an investment that they cannot accomplish on their own. That is why they will turn to Clearwire for their LTE needs. We have already seen Leap Wireless do this, so that it can augment its own nascent LTE network. And in the months and years to come, we expect to see more and more regional carriers signing deals with Clearwire.

Clearwire is a company that is working hard to execute on its LTE buildout and is inching closer and closer to profitability. We now turn to Clearwire's quarterly results, released after the markets closed on April 26. (...)

Given the volatility that Clearwire's stock has seen in the past month or so, due primarily to worries about the company's ability to monetize spectrum, CEO Erik Prusch decided to address those worries on the company's conference call. He argued that the spectrum that Verizon is offering to sell in no way solves the nation's spectrum shortage. He notes that from a technical perspective, this spectrum presents several challenges, including the interference issues and lack of a device ecosystem for the 700 MHz A block, and the fragmented coverage and low depth of the 700 MHz B block. Erik Prusch took care to remind investors that Clearwire's 2.5 GHz spectrum is ideally suited to data usage. He also reminded investors that Clearwire holds around 160 MHz of spectrum in the nation's top 100 wireless markets, far more than either Verizon or AT&T. Further supporting Clearwire is the fact that on a global basis, spectrum in the 2.3-2.7 GHz range has been awarded in countries representing 45% of the world's population. Such an ecosystem will reduce costs for Clearwire and its partners due to economies of scale, a point we feel is often undervalued when assessing Clearwire. (...)

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Top Undervalued High Dividend Wireless Services Stock Picks By World's Largest Money Managers

Ganaxi Small Cap Movers
April 29, 2012

* Broadband wireless network services provider Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), in which mega funds together added a net $51 million in Q4 to their $74 million prior quarter position in the company.



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Net Insider Transactions -25.9 M
Shares Bought . . . . . . . . . 3.7 M
Shares Sold . . . . . . . . . . . 29.6 M | von Google

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Intel puts its money where the LTE is
April 29, 2012 — 2:13pm ET | By Tammy Parker

Computer chip kingpin Intel is investing heavily in LTE, buying patents and initiating a collaborative effort on TD-LTE with Huawei.

Last Friday, Aware disclosed that it had agreed to sell a portfolio of patents for LTE, Wi-Fi and wireline home networking to Intel for $75 million. Aware supplies software and technology to the biometrics, telecommunications and healthcare industries.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/27/net-us-aware-idUSB…

Also on Friday, Intel and Huawei announced they will collaborate on advancing the TD-LTE standard by establishing a joint lab based in China for interoperability testing services. "The collaboration will utilize Huawei's expertise in LTE-TDD network infrastructure technologies and Intel's mobile communication platforms to speed up the deployment of LTE-TDD," said the companies. Intel will connect directly to Huawei infrastructure to carry out end-to-end testing of its mobile platforms in a real-life environment.

"We are committed to working together with partners in China to build a healthy LTE-TDD ecosystem within China and even beyond," said W.K Tan, vice president of the Intel architecture group and head of Intel's mobile and communications group (MCG) in China.

Intel formed the MCG in mid-December 2011 to focus on phones, tablets and other mobile devices. The single group encompasses what were previously four separate Intel units: Intel mobile communications, mobile wireless group, netbook and tablet group and the ultra mobility group.

In the mid 2000s, Intel began investing billions of dollars in WiMAX, including an equity stake in WiMAX operator Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) and heavy funding for WiMAX chips that Intel hoped would become standard issue in mobile devices from smartphones to laptops. But as WiMAX's prospects for mass consumer adoption worldwide have faded, Intel, like Clearwire, has turned its eye toward LTE, particularly TD-LTE, which China is backing.

Last year, Clearwire and China Mobile committed to joint interoperability testing of TD-LTE networks to accelerate the deployment of compatible devices. Clearwire last week said it will deploy 5,000 TD-LTE hotspot sites in 31 top-tier markets by June 2013. Those markets include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.

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NOTICE OF 2012 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on June 14,2012


Dear Stockholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we refer to as the Annual Meeting of Clearwire Corporation, a Delaware corporation, which we refer to as the Company or Clearwire. The Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 8:00 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time at the Clearwire Headquarters, 1475 120 th Ave NE, Bellevue, Washington 98005 for the following purposes:


1. Elect the twelve director candidates described in the proxy statement to serve until the next annual meeting or until their respective successors are elected and qualified;

2. Ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2012;

3. Hold an advisory vote to approve the compensation of the Company's named executive officers;

4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.


These items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement accompanying this notice.

The record date for the Annual Meeting is April 16, 2012. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on that date may vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

In accordance with the rules approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we will send a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials on or about April 30, 2012, and we will provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet, beginning on or about April 30, 2012, for the holders of record and beneficial owners of our Class A and Class B common stock as of the close of business on the record date.

Your vote is important. We urge you to review the accompanying materials carefully and to vote by Internet or telephone as promptly as possible. Alternatively, you may request a proxy card, which you may complete, sign, and return by mail. Voting on the Internet or by telephone is fast and convenient, and your vote is immediately confirmed and tabulated. Using the Internet or telephone helps save the Company money by reducing postage and proxy tabulation costs.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,


Jillian Harrison
Secretary

Bellevue, Washington
April 30, 2012

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Clearwire sells Belgian operations to TechMax
Friday 4 May 2012 | 11:45 CET | News

Wimax operator Clearwire has sold its Belgian operations to local company TechMax. The Belgian firm owned by businessman Max Heilbron is acquiring Clearwire Belgium and its unit Mac Telecom, including around 15,000 broadband customers, licences, infrastructure and around 30 staff, Datanews.be reports. No financial details of the acquisition were announced. TechMax said it will continue to support services for existing customers. Heilbron also owns the services provider 3Starsnet, which has recently been rumoured to be a target for BUCD, the still-unnamed Asian acquirer of a 4G licence in Belgium. 3StarsNet has a test licence for 4G and has run tests with Datang.

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Thursday, May. 03, 2012

Fitch Releases Part Two of Spectrum Inspection Report Series Analyzing Unused Spectrum

CHICAGO -- Fitch Ratings today published the second part of its report series analyzing wireless spectrum options, 'Spectrum Inspection: Unused Spectrum Part 2 - Viable Alternatives Remain for Some to Avoid Congestion'. (...)

Fitch believes Clearwire Corp.'s spectrum holdings could increase in value during the next several years due to factors including the scarcity of new available spectrum. A major issue for Clearwire is the natural contention between Clearwire's desires to lease wholesale capacity versus operators' desires to own spectrum. Clearwire must walk a fine line, striking mutually beneficial agreements to increase the scale and cash generation of its own network without eroding its competitive position to reduce its reliance on outside funding.

Beyond the aforementioned spectrum options, alternatives for spectrum are significantly limited. The best options include a limited number of spectrum licenses for advanced wireless services (AWS) and/or 700 MHz spectrum at several smaller operators or speculators. (...)

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Verizon fires back at critics of deal
By Brendan Sasso - 05/03/12 09:20 AM ET

Verizon rebutted several main criticisms of its proposed deal with a coalition of cable companies in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday.

The deal would allow Verizon to buy blocks of wireless frequencies, known as spectrum, from Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Bright House. The companies also agreed to cross-sell each other's services.

But consumer groups such as Public Knowledge and Free Press, as well as the Communications Workers of America and T-Mobile, are urging the FCC to block the deal. They warn that the additional spectrum could allow Verizon to dominate the wireless market and that the side deals will limit competition.

In Wednesday's filing, Verizon noted that the cable companies were not using their spectrum, but Verizon will be able to use it to meet the needs of its millions of customers.

Verizon argued that the FCC is barred from considering alternative possibilities for how the spectrum could be used, for example, if the cable companies sold it to T-Mobile instead.

In a filing on Monday with the FCC, T-Mobile argued that Verizon already has the most spectrum of any wireless carrier and that the deal would allow it to block its competitors access to the valuable resource.

But Verizon rejected arguments that it is "warehousing" the spectrum it already owns, saying the accusation is "demonstrably false."

Verizon called itself a "good steward of spectrum," and said that it needs the spectrum to meet its customers' "skyrocketing" demand for 4G LTE service.

Consumer groups have warned the deal will tilt the wireless industry toward duopoly, with Verizon and AT&T dominating the market.

But Verizon argued that the wireless industry is "intensely competitive." The company noted that in many markets, Clearwire, a wireless Internet provider, owns more spectrum than either AT&T or Verizon.

Verizon also rejected arguments that regulators should impose conditions on the deal, such as capping roaming rates or imposing interoperability requirements.

"These claims are not related to the transactions under review, but rather are efforts by commenters (mostly competitors) to advance their own broader regulatory agendas," Verizon wrote, adding the issues should be dealt with in the context of an industry-wide proceeding.

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LTE may not save Leap or MetroPCS
May 3, 2012 — 12:10am ET | By Tammy Parker

Leap Wireless International (NASDAQ:LEAP) and MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) discussed their latest LTE strategies as they revealed their first-quarter 2012 earnings last month. While both are bullish on the benefits they expect to receive from rolling out LTE, the logical response to their plans might best be summed thusly: So?

While both prepaid carriers work diligently on plans to deliver LTE-based broadband wireless services and compatible devices on par with their larger competitors, the fact is their efforts may be for naught. Both regional operators are struggling to keep pace with their national rivals, and the investments they are making in LTE will not help them differentiate significantly. At best, LTE will enable Leap and MetroPCS to play a game of keep-up with deeper-pocketed operators, while MVNOs and carrier sub-brands aggressively attempt to undercut both carriers' prepaid price plans.

MetroPCS secured its spot in the record books as the first U.S. operator to introduce commercial LTE service, and it also marketed the world's first dual-mode 4G LTE/CDMA handset. At the end of the first quarter, MetroPCS had rolled out LTE to 80 percent of its total footprint covering roughly 9,500 cell sites, and the company expects to have full coverage by the third quarter.

Leap intends to cover 25 million POPs with LTE in 2012 and should cover two-thirds of its current network footprint with LTE in the next two to three years. It also signed a five-year wholesale LTE agreement with Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) to provide capacity for off-load services to supplement its own LTE network. "We are pleased with the performance of our initial LTE launch in Tucson and the progress we're making toward deploying LTE in additional markets," said Bill Ingram, executive vice president of strategy and acting CFO.

Leap said its total capex will be between $600 million and $650 million in 2012, while MetroPCS reaffirmed its 2012 guidance for capex of $900 million to $1 billion.

While all of this future-looking network development work has been occurring, both Leap and MetroPCS reported shocking slowdowns in customer additions during 2012's first quarter, as consumers sought cheaper options or went with the big operators instead. Leap's net customer additions slid 22 percent year on year, and MetroPCS' net adds plummeted 82 percent. Further, Leap lost $98.4 million in the quarter, while MetroPCS' net income slid 63 percent to $21 million. The oft-grim Craig Moffett of Bernstein Research said in a research note that MetroPCS Q1 results "are so poor as to cast a pall over the whole pre-paid subsector."

The good news is that both operators are seeing their customer bases migrate from basic and feature phones to smartphones, which generally entail pricier plans that include data services. However, smartphones require higher equipment subsidies, which come right out of the operators' bottom lines and occur up front when sales are made.

Both Leap and MetroPCS were stung by steady sales of smartphones from the Straight Talk brand of TracFone, which is owned by Mexico's America Movil. Though TracFone also suffered weaker subscriber growth in the first quarter, BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk said, "Straight Talk benefits from America Movil's purchasing power, which surpasses Verizon (NYSE:VZ), and therefore does not suffer with the same level of subsidies."

With smartphone subsidies strangling its profit margin, MetroPCS is hoping lower-priced LTE smartphones hurry up and arrive so it can more affordably shift users to its spectrally efficient LTE network. The operator would like to have low-cost handsets that cost less than $150 vs. the $300 devices that are now populating the LTE market.

According to a Seeking Alpha transcript of MetroPCS' first-quarter earnings call, Roger Linquist, the operator's chairman and CEO, said MetroPCS will "focus on operating margins and free cash flow over subscriber growth until we can mainstream our LTE For All initiatives with affordable handsets later this year." That's why the operator curtailed handset promotions and since mid April has been pushing a promotional $25 plan offering unlimited voice and texting but no data, a strategy one might call "scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Deutsche Bank recently downgraded MetroPCS from buy to hold, saying it expects MetroPCS to suffer net subscriber losses during the next two quarters "due to a pause in marketing ahead of the planned LTE re-launch in 4Q, and intensifying competition."

At least average revenue per user (ARPU) for both operators increased year-over-year, with Leap attracting $3 more during the 2012's first quarter, which it attributed to a higher penetration of 3G smart devices. Yet the operator said its sequential ARPU growth is expected to slow in coming quarters as smart device penetration matures.

MetroPCS' ARPU was $40.56 for the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of of $0.14 that the operator attributed to continued demand for its Wireless for All and LTE service plans, but it was offset by higher family-plan penetration.

MetroPCS is not shy about the big plans it has for LTE in the years ahead. It intends to launch VoLTE in the second half of this year and is envisioning other services that will exploit its LTE investment. "Whereas considerable softness existed in the CDMA data service segment of our business, our 4G LTE subscribers nearly doubled in the first quarter," said Linquist in the Seeking Alpha transcript. "High-speed data at low latency is a key driver for user satisfaction, but so is the expanded menu of rich communication services, or RCS, that will serve to differentiate our premium 4G LTE services from our competitors' 3G data services."

Nonetheless, it doesn't appear these prepaid operators' heavy investments in LTE can be justified anytime soon, given their problematic metrics and the increasing competition for their prepaid customers. At best, LTE for Leap and MetroPCS is basically a long-term play. Will they have enough time to enjoy a return on their investments? The clock is ticking.--Tammy

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- Current report filing (8-K)
Date : 05/04/2012 @ 4:47PM

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On May 4, 2012, Clearwire Corporation (“Clearwire,” “us” or “we”) entered into a sales Agreement (“Sales Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“CF&Co”) pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our Class A Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $300,000,000 from time to time through CF&Co, as sales agent.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, CF&Co will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell shares of Class A Common Stock on our behalf on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed by us and CF&Co. We will designate the parameters by which CF&Co will sell shares of Class A Common Stock on our behalf, including the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares of Class A Common Stock that may be sold in any one trading day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Sales of the shares may be made in privately negotiated transactions or by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market” equity offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, including, without limitation, sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or through a market maker other than on the exchange at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices. We or CF&Co may suspend the offering of shares of Class A Common Stock by notifying the other.

We will pay CF&Co a commission equal to 2.0% of the gross sales price per share of Class A Common Stock sold under the Sales Agreement. We have also agreed to reimburse CF&Co for certain of its expenses as set forth in the sales agreement and to indemnify CF&Co against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments that CF&Co may be required to make in respect of such liabilities.

We and CF&Co each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the Sales Agreement, to terminate the Sales Agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.

The foregoing description of the Sales Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Sales Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein. The representations and warranties contained in the Sales Agreement are not for the benefit of any party other than the parties to such agreement and are not intended as a document for investors or the public generally to obtain factual information about us.

Outstanding
1.33B

... ... vorher 1.29B ... demnächst 1.50B ...

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Huawei zeigt führende 4x4 MIMO Carrier Aggregation Lösung für LTE TDD

Weltweit erste 4x4 MIMO Carrier Aggregation Lösung

Eschborn, 4. Mai 2012 - Huawei, einer der weltweit führenden Anbieter für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie, hat auf dem Global Analyst Summit in Shenzhen (China) die weltweit erste 4x4 MIMO Carrier Aggregation Lösung für LTE TDD präsentiert. Die Lösung baut auf führender 4x4 MIMO Technologie auf und ermöglicht maximale Datenraten für Einzelnutzer von bis zu 520 Mbit/s. Außerdem hat Huawei seine neuesten Terminals und Radio Remote Units mit vier Transmittern und vier Receivern (4T4R RRUs) vorgestellt.

Die stetig steigende Zahl an Smartphones und genutzten Apps hat zu einem Boom im Breitband-Markt geführt. Endkunden erwarten heute qualitativ hochwertige mobile Datendienste mit hohen Geschwindigkeiten. Das führt zu neuen Herausforderungen für die Mobilfunknetze.

2011 hat Huawei die GigaSite-Lösung angekündigt. Diese Lösung hilft Netzbetreibern, Kapazitäts-Engpässe anzugehen. Die 4x4 MIMO Carrier Aggregation Lösung für LTE TDD basiert auf dem GigaSite-Konzept und ermöglicht Netzbetreibern höhere Bandbreiten. Carrier Aggregation und MIMO sind führende Technologien, um das Netz-Spektrum und die -Kapazität maximal auszunutzen und Endkunden bessere Mobilfunk-Dienste zu bieten.

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Sequans and Clearwire to Collaborate on TDD-LTE Ecosystem Development

Companies to Work Closely on Performance Testing and Prototyping of TDD-LTE Devices

GlobeNewswirePress Release: Clearwire Corporation – 5 hours ago

PARIS and BELLEVUE, Wash., May 7, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE:SQNS - News) and Clearwire (Nasdaq:CLWR - News), a leading provider of wireless broadband services, today announced an agreement to collaborate on LTE for the purpose of accelerating the availability of LTE devices for Clearwire's planned TDD-LTE network and to optimize the user experience for Clearwire's customers. The two companies will work together on performance testing and certification, standards development, and the creation of devices to support multi-band, multi-mode TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE solutions.

"Clearwire is a 4G leader with big plans for TDD-LTE where it is establishing strategic partnerships around the world to develop and strengthen the TDD-LTE ecosystem," said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO. "Continuing the successful relationship begun under their current 4G network configuration into TDD-LTE makes perfect sense for our two companies. We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Clearwire."

"As one of the largest chip providers for a wide range of devices in the WiMAX ecosystem, Sequans has been a major enabler of our growth," said John Saw, Clearwire's Chief Technology Officer. "We are pleased to work with Sequans to bring LTE devices to market while also ensuring that the user experience on our planned LTE Advanced-ready network is second to none. We look forward to leveraging our successful relationship with Sequans to develop a new wave of devices for our 4G future."

Sequans TDD-LTE Leadership

Sequans is one of the early leaders in TDD-LTE chip technology and was one of the first to provide China Mobile with working silicon for the launch of the world's first TDD-LTE demonstration network in Shanghai in May of 2010. Sequans' technology was approved by China's MIIT for use in China and was also used in one of six major commercial trials China Mobile has deployed. Sequans' TDD-LTE technology is operating in commercial networks in Brazil and Australia.

Clearwire LTE and Band Class 41

Clearwire's next-generation LTE Advanced-ready network will operate according to the 3GPP Band 41 specification, which aligns to Clearwire's 2.6 GHz spectrum frequency. Clearwire's LTE network is expected to be a major advancement over the current LTE networks deployed in the U.S. because it will be designed to provide far more broadband capacity than is possible with today's other 4G networks. With more than 160MHz of spectrum available in the 100 largest markets in the U.S., Clearwire's LTE Advanced-ready network should position the company as the clear leader in 4G mobile broadband technology, capable of serving the current and anticipated future demands of wholesale and retail customers.

Clearwire expects that multi-band, multi-mode TDD-LTE devices that can run on its network and other networks will be commercially available in 2013.

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE:SQNS - News) is a 4G chipmaker, supplying LTE and WiMAX chips to original equipment manufacturers and original design manufacturers worldwide. Founded in 2003 to address the WiMAX market, the company expanded in early 2009 to address the LTE market. Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices throughout the world, including United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. www.sequans.com; Twitter: www.twitter.com/sequans

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.125.278 von teecee1 am 05.05.12 19:59:14

Clearwire to sell up to $300M in shares
May 7, 2012 — 11:00am ET | By Phil Goldstein

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) said it agreed to sell up to $300 million in shares as part of an equity infusion, and has contracted with financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald to conduct the sale, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The filing, posted late Friday, said that Clearwire had agreed to allow Cantor Fitzgerald to sell its Class A Common Stock. The companies can each terminate the deal at any time.

Clearwire had indicated earlier this year that it had enough money to stay afloat until the end of the year but that it might need more financing beyond that. The company's adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter was a loss of $38.2 million, up from an EBITDA loss of $210.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

Financial analysts had mixed to negative views on the new equity infusion. "The good: We estimate that Clearwire needs about $1.8 billion of capital to reach cash flow break even. We estimate that they will need new capital by mid-2013 (assuming they are able to secure $300 million in vendor financing). This will provide funding through the June coupon payment," Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin wrote in a research note. "The bad: We had hoped that the company would be able to fund itself through new wholesale arrangements with prepayments and a spectrum sale. This suggests that neither transaction is imminent; however, we believe the company is in talks on both fronts and the increased cash cushion should improve their negotiating position."

During Clearwire's first-quarter earnings conference call, Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran said that when the company purchases TD-LTE equipment, likely in the third quarter, it will look to receive vendor financing as part of that process. "As we receive those invoices in, I will be looking to finance those as we work with vendors as part of our vendor choosing process, I would say, to make sure that we've got the financing lined up alongside that agreement," she said, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript.

Jefferies analysts Thomas Seitz, Kunal Madhukar and Ankit Sharma wrote in a research note that the new equity could be driven by a number of factors, including limited access to vendor financing, a cost overrun on Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) LTE network buildout or to buy time as Clearwire waits to sell some of its spectrum.

"We believe the key question for CLWR shares is the timing of which comes first--a spectrum sale or a challenging liquidity event," they wrote. "We are maintaining our Hold rating for multiple reasons--(i) there is significant uncertainty with regard to possible outcomes, (ii) the outcome in the spectrum market may not be clear for quite some time, (iii) in the near-term, the supply of shares could be elevated, and (iv) negative investor reaction to the fact that management may believe an equity raise at current share prices is prudent."

Clearwire's stock was down around 13 percent following the news to around $1.32 per share.

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Clearwire Expands LTE Choices in North America

Qualcomm to Add 3GPP Band 41 to Its Existing 3G/4G Multi-Mode, Multi-Band LTE Chipsets, Giving Global LTE FDD and LTE TDD Operators Expanded Range of Device Options

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 3 hours ago

SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., May 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM - News) and Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR - News) today announced that Qualcomm will add support for Clearwire's upcoming LTE TDD network to its line of multi-mode LTE chipsets with the inclusion of support for 3GPP's Band 41 (B41) radio frequency. This new enhancement builds on Qualcomm's existing multi-mode, multi-band support for LTE FDD, LTE TDD and major broadband wireless standards, thus enabling OEMs to develop a wide variety of cost-effective, fully harmonized LTE devices for networks around the world.

"The growth of LTE networks and services is closely tied to device manufacturers' ability to develop and commercialize cost-efficient LTE devices," said Steve Mollenkopf, president and chief operating officer, Qualcomm. "By adding support for the B41 band to our LTE chipsets, in combination with providing support for other LTE bands, Qualcomm is enabling OEMs to design cost-competitive devices and offer them in multiple geographies."

"We are pleased that Qualcomm will expand the size of the LTE ecosystem by adding support for Clearwire's LTE frequency bands to their chipsets. By working with Qualcomm, Clearwire will ensure that LTE TDD and LTE FDD will work seamlessly together. This will bring significant benefits to OEMs, network operators and consumers alike," said Erik Prusch, president and CEO, Clearwire. "Qualcomm is a well-established leader in mobile processor and modem solutions. Their Snapdragon processors and Gobi modems are synonymous with fast, low-power mobile computing and high-quality mobile broadband connectivity."

Qualcomm LTE chipsets supporting the B41 band in combination with other LTE FDD/TDD bands are scheduled for commercial availability later this year. (...)

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08.05.2012 | 04:01
T-Mobile USA Selects Infrastructure Vendors to Support $4 Billion 4G Network Evolution Plan

Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks on Board for Network Modernization and LTE Deployment; America's Largest 4G Network Continues to Expand to New Markets

Today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced multi-year agreements with Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks to support T-Mobile's $4 billion 4G network evolution plan, including network modernization and deployment of long term evolution (LTE) service in 20131.

As part of the agreements, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks will provide and install state of the art, Release 10 capable equipment at 37,000 cell sites across T-Mobile's 4G network, increasing signal quality and enhancing performance beginning in 2012. T-Mobile also expects to be the first carrier in North America to broadly deploy antenna integrated radios, enabling accelerated deployment and reduced site loading.

Last week, T-Mobile secured the AWS spectrum licenses from AT&T which were agreed to as part of the breakup of the proposed merger between the two companies. This new spectrum, in addition to the refarming effort, enables the launch of LTE in AWS spectrum and up to 20 MHz of LTE in 75% of the top 25 markets.

"We're making great progress on our four billion dollar 4G network transformation," said Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA. "With these partners on board and the AT&T AWS spectrum secured, we're on track to enhance our 4G experience this year and deliver nationwide LTE in 2013."

The company's timing for LTE allows T-Mobile to take advantage of the latest and most advanced LTE technology infrastructure, improving the overall capacity and performance of its 4G network, while optimizing the company's spectrum resources. T-Mobile will also apply deep LTE technology experience gained from its parent, Deutsche Telekom, a recognized global leader in LTE development and standardization.

As part of the company's network modernization effort, T-Mobile also plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year. Network modernization trials have shown up to a 33 percent increase in HSPA+ data speeds as well as improved in-building coverage. Rolling out 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band will also provide customers with the ability to use a broader range of devices, including the iPhone, on T-Mobile's 4G network.

T-Mobile also announced that its nationwide HSPA+ network has expanded to deliver a competitive 4G experience to well over 220 million people in 229 markets. In addition to an expanding 4G footprint, the 4G experience T-Mobile provides is pervasive among its customer base.

"In contrast to our competitors, nearly half of T-Mobile's postpaid smartphone customers are using a 4G device," said Ray. "Not only are we delivering a fast 4G experience to a higher percentage of our customers, we're also making it more affordable to step up to 4G. Whether you're purchasing one of our latest 4G superphones – or bringing your own device, you can get better value with T-Mobile."

Beginning today, customers in Little Rock, Ark.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Springfield, Mo. and Madison, Wis. can experience the fast speeds available on America's Largest 4G Network. Customers in Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark.; Lake Charles, La. and Springfield, Mo. can experience the faster speeds offered by our HSPA+ 42 network with devices such as the recently launched HTC One™ S. Current customers are experiencing average speeds approaching 8 Mbps with peaks up to 22 Mbps using T-Mobile's HTC One S.

1 LTE launch assumes successful refarming of spectrum. Need remains for additional spectrum for broader/deeper LTE deployment.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

08.05.2012 | 15:11
Virgin Mobile USA Introduces 4G with No-Contract Plans Starting as Low as $35 per Month

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2012-05/23470752…

First 4G smartphone on Beyond Talk is the HTC EVO™ V 4G, part of the award-winning EVO family

Overdrive Pro 3G/4G mobile hotspot by Sierra Wireless and U600 3G/4G USB Stick by Franklin Wireless come to Broadband2Go

Virgin Mobile USA continues to demonstrate how it's answering to A Higher Callingwith the speed of 4G, by offering customers who prefer a no-contract option the fully loaded HTC EVO™ V 4G on Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk monthly plans. The data-centric offers start at $35 per month for unlimited data and messaging. HTC EVO V 4G will be available for $299.99 beginning May 31. (...)

All three devices will operate on Sprint's 3G and 4G (WiMAX) network and be available beginning on May 31 at VirginMobileUSA.com. They will then be available in June at major retailers and at select independent dealers nationwide³. (...)

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08.05.2012 | 15:04
Boost Mobile Pairs the Speed of 4G and Android Monthly Unlimited for as Low as $40 with HTC EVO Design 4G

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2012-05/23470560…

Boost Mobile, ranked Highest in Purchase Experience among Non-Contract Wireless Providers by J.D. Power and Associates1, today announced the May 31 release of HTC EVO Design 4G™, a member of the award-winning EVO family. This robust Android smartphone will operate on Sprint's 3G and 4G (WiMAX) networks, bringing 4G speeds to Boost Mobile customers in 71 markets across the country with average upload speeds between 3-6 Mbps with bursts of more than 10 Mbps. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.136.045 von teecee1 am 08.05.12 15:41:31

May 8, 2012, 11:39 AM
CTIA: Clearwire’s Qualcomm Deal May Lead to Carrier Contracts

By Greg Bensinger

Clearwire Corp. Chief Executive Erik Prusch said he can make wholesale deals with the largest carriers such as AT&T Inc. after signing a deal with Qualcomm Inc. to provide chips that work with the company’s high-speed wireless network.

Prusch said the chips would work on differing versions of the 4G LTE high-speed, mobile-broadband network Clearwire and others are building out. Clearwire has committed about $600 million to some of the largest U.S. cities over the next two years.

In an interview Tuesday at the CTIA wireless conference in New Orleans, Prusch said the Qualcomm deal equips companies “like T-Mobile, AT&T or others to do business with us.” He declined to say which carriers Clearwire had held talks with about wholesale deals.

Clearwire is playing catchup to AT&T and Verizon Wireless in rolling out 4G LTE, a transition from its original WiMax 4G service. He said Clearwire was on schedule to introduce its first 4G LTE markets next year.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.137.034 von teecee1 am 08.05.12 18:22:45

May 8, 2012, 11:59 a.m. ET

UPDATE: Clearwire Says Qualcomm Pact To Help With Wholesale Deals

-- Clearwire sees Qualcomm chip contract helping with wholesale deals

-- CEO says Clearwire has sufficient capital for operations

-- Clearwire in talks with vendors over construction costs

(Updates with CEO's comments about capital, beginning in fifth paragraph.)

By Greg Bensinger
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

NEW ORLEANS (Dow Jones)--Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) Chief Executive Erik Prusch said he can make wholesale deals with the largest carriers such as AT&T Inc. (T) after signing a deal with Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) to provide chips that work with the company's high-speed wireless network.

Prusch said the chips would work on differing versions of the 4G LTE high-speed, mobile-broadband network Clearwire and others are building out. Clearwire has committed about $600 million to some of the largest U.S. cities over the next two years.

In an interview Tuesday, Prusch said the Qualcomm deal equips companies "like T-Mobile, AT&T or others to do business with us." He declined to say which carriers Clearwire had held talks with about wholesale deals.

Clearwire is playing catch-up to AT&T and Verizon Wireless in rolling out 4G LTE, a transition from its original WiMax 4G service. He said Clearwire was on schedule to introduce its first 4G LTE markets next year.

Prusch also said Clearwire had sufficient capital for its operations, but it was still looking for ways to raise funds to help with its new network buildout. He said options include selling some of its spectrum, though the carrier has no immediate plans to do so.

Clearwire this month announced a plan to raise $300 million by selling shares. It is also negotiating with its vendors for financing to help with the company's construction costs.

Prusch declined to say which vendors Clearwire has been speaking with.

-By Greg Bensinger, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-4676; [e-mail]

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Confirmed: HTC EVO 3D will launch May 31 on Virgin Mobile





Virgin and Boost Mobile will be making the leap to 4G — sort of. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse recently announced that the company’s prepaid brands will be bumped up to Clearwire’s WiMax 4G, just as the rest of the company will be upgrading to 4G LTE.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

LTE Telekom steckt 4 Milliarden US-Dollar in Netzausbau

René Obermann, Chef der Deutschen Telekom
(Bild: Ina Fassbender/Reuters)

Datum: 8.5.2012, 16:07
Autor: Achim Sawall

Der Verkauf von T-Mobile USA ist gescheitert. AT&T musste an die Deutsche Telekom eine Vertragsstrafe in Höhe von 3 Milliarden US-Dollar für das entgangene Geschäft zahlen. Jetzt packt T-Mobile USA den LTE-Ausbau an.

Die Deutsche Telekom investiert 4 Milliarden US-Dollar in den Netzausbau von T-Mobile USA. Das gab das Unternehmen am 7. Mai 2012 bekannt. Beauftragt wurden die Netzwerkausrüster Ericsson und Nokia Siemens Networks.

"Ericsson unterstützt T-Mobile USA bei der geplanten Netzmodernisierung, die auch die LTE-Einführung im Jahre 2013 vorsieht", erklärte der schwedische Konzern. LTE wird an 37.000 Funkzellen installiert.

Die Telekom hatte ihre heutige US-Tochter vor einem Jahrzehnt für 28,5 Milliarden US-Dollar gekauft. Als das Unternehmen in vier von fünf Jahren Gewinneinbußen verzeichnete, wurde der Verkauf beschlossen. Die Telekom hatte am 20. März 2011 erklärt, dass sie ihre US-Mobilfunktochter für 39 Milliarden US-Dollar an AT&T abgibt. Die Übernahme scheiterte aber an dem für Kartellfragen zuständigen US-Justizministerium. AT&T zahlte für den Ausstieg eine Vertragsstrafe in Höhe von drei Milliarden US-Dollar und musste seine Roamingvereinbarungen mit dem deutschen Konzern ausbauen.

1 Million iPhone Nutzer, obwohl Betreiber das Smartphone nicht anbietet

Im Jahr 2011 verlor T-Mobile USA 1,65 Millionen Vertragskunden. Der Mobilfunkbetreiber ist der einzige in den USA, der kein iPhone anbietet. Dennoch hat der Betreiber rund 1 Million iPhone-Nutzer, obwohl das Apple-Smartphone in dem Netz nur mit einer niedrigen Datenübertragungsrate arbeiten kann.

Der Ausbau hat bereits begonnen. Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer von T-Mobile USA, sagte, dass er eine landesweite LTE-Versorgung in den USA durch das Unternehmen im Jahr 2013 erwarte.

[teecee1]

09.05.2012 | 16:04
Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, Nation's First to Support 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G, Available May 18 Exclusively from Sprint



Sprint (NYSE: S) and Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) (TSX: SW) today announced the May 18 availability of the first-ever device to combine 4G connections over LTE and WiMAX networks, Sierra Wireless™ 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot for the Sprint network. Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi Hotspot provides the best combination of speed and coverage to Sprint customers as the upcoming 4G LTE network expands and allows families, small businesses and traveling co-workers to easily share high-speed connections.

Beginning May 18, customers will be able to purchase a Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi Hotspot for $99.99 (excluding taxes) after a $50 mail-in-rebate with a two-year service agreement. Customers can purchase the device and sign up for 3G/4G plans at select Sprint retail stores, www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1 and through business sales.

Sprint data plans for the device start at $34.99 for 3GB of combined 3G/4G data while on the Sprint network. Customers also can choose the $49.99 plan with 6GB of combined 3G/4G data or $79.99 for 12GB of 3G/4G data, which deliver 20 percent more data for the same price as AT&T and Verizon's similar plans.

With this versatile device, customers can extend their Sprint 3G/4G experience beyond their laptops to up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as cameras, music players, personal media players and portable game consoles. In addition, its microSD™ slot allows teams to share files and presentations with network storage, and it can be used as a digital media server. It is simple to set up and connect with no software required.

"Sprint and Sierra Wireless are once again giving customers the flexibility to enjoy 4G performance in any Sprint 4G WiMAX market along with our upcoming 4G LTE markets or Sprint's reliable 3G network when outside a 4G area,"said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. "Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi Hotspot combines simplicity with compact portability and security to make it ideal for both personal and business use in a variety of situations." (...)

With Sierra Wireless Tri-Fi Hotspot:

* Consumers and businesses can work remotely anywhere in a 4G coverage area (or virtually anywhere with 3G) and easily connect a laptop, smartphone, tablet or wireless phone through a single connection.
* Teams that are traveling can share Internet access with each other at hotels, airports and conference centers.
* Taxis, limos and shuttle buses can provide Internet access for customer use while en route to their destination.
* Health care teams can rely on an easy, reliable, power-up-and-go solution to use in Emergency Response Team (ERT) Go Kits or while treating patients bedside.
* Engineering, construction and insurance teams can instantly upload data, pictures of sites, accidents and images remotely.
* Reporters first on the scene of a breaking story can share access to upload stories and photos while at the scene, without missing a beat.

Sierra Wireless and Sprint have enjoyed a long collaboration in leading-edge technology deployments, including in the launch of the Sprint 4G WiMAX network. To assist in Sprint's LTE network deployment, Sierra Wireless developed the world's first LTE Band 25 devices for use in network testing and then provided these devices to Sprint and its network infrastructure partners to facilitate the network deployment.

The Sprint 4G LTE network is expected in mid-year 2012 in limited markets. For more information on Sprint 4G LTE, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

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09.05.2012 | 00:34
Sprint wählt Gemalto für den LTE-Einsatz in den USA

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), der Weltmarktführer im Bereich digitale Sicherheit, gibt bekannt, dass das Unternehmen von Sprint für die Bereitstellung seines UICC-Produkts UpTeq LTE und der OTA-Plattform LinqUs Advanced Connectivity im Rahmen der Einführung des LTE-Breitbanddienstes der vierten Generation gewählt wurde. Die OTA-Plattform LinqUS arbeitet mit der Gemalto Technologie "Always Connected" und wird Lebenszyklusmanagementleistungen für UpTeq LTE von Gemalto erbringen, sodass sichergestellt ist, dass die Kunden von Sprint stets über die modernste Konfiguration verfügen können.

Die OTA-Lösung von Gemalto LinqUs Advanced Connectivity, die für alle IP-4G-Netzwerke ausgelegt ist und mit der einzigartigen sicheren Abfrage-Software von Gemalto betrieben wird, stellt bei der UICC-Aktualisierung eine 100%ige Erfolgsrate beim Herunterladen und bei der Aktivierung von Netzwerk- und Teilnehmeranwendungen sicher.

"Die bewährte Expertise von Gemalto bei der schnellen Vermarktung operativer LTE-Lösungen wird dazu beitragen, dass die LTE-Einführung von Sprint ein Erfolg wird und den Kunden des Unternehmens eine bessere Nutzererfahrung ermöglicht", so Sébastien Cano, Senior Vice President Telecommunications bei Gemalto North America.

Hinweis für Redakteure: OTA steht für Over-the-Air und bezieht sich auf die Remote Management Services für drahtlose vernetzte Geräte; UICC bedeutet Universal Integrated Circuit Card und ist das zertifizierte und manipulationssichere personalisierte Teilnehmermodul, das Mobilfunkbetreibern die Ausstellung, Authentifizierung und Verwaltung von Teilnehmerzugängen für Verbraucher ermöglicht. LTE steht für Long Term Evolution und bezeichnet die vierte Generation (4G) von Mobiltelefoniestandards und IP bedeutet Internet Protocol, den Kommunikationssoftwaremechanismus, der zum Datenaustausch im Internetsystem und heute auch in Mobilfunknetzen der vierten Generation eingesetzt wird.

[teecee1]

Want a global LTE phone? Clearwire may have the answer

Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch believes that the company's variant of LTE will allow you to effortlessly roam around the world.

by Roger Cheng May 9, 2012 4:00 AM PDT

NEW ORLEANS--Clearwire, often seen in the industry as the odd duck of the wireless providers, may actually be on the unlikely path to offering a globally compatible device.

At least that's what CEO Erik Prusch believes. With major carriers in China, India, and Europe supporting the same spectrum band and variant of LTE, it's possible that a phone running on Clearwire can hop on to international networks with little fuss.

The advent of LTE was supposed to bring a universal standard to carriers. But the wide variety of technology standards and different spectrums has left the carriers as fragmented as ever. Despite running on similar spectrum, Verizon Wireless and AT&T LTE phones don't run on each other's networks.

It's interesting that Clearwire, of all carriers, would become the standard bearer for compatibility around the world. Just a few months ago, its variant of LTE -- known as TDD-LTE -- was seen the one left out in the cold, with every other U.S. carrier supporting another variant, called FDD-LTE.

"You had skepticism around the ecosystem and whether it would catch on," Prusch told CNET yesterday in an interview here at CTIA 2012. "But now you're seeing some larger players put their might behind it."

Among the TDD-LTE backers are China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier, Bharti-Airtel in India, and Softbank in Japan. Others, in Europe, are starting to consider the technology.

Of course, this kind of international compatibility isn't coming anytime soon. Clearwire doesn't plan to launch its LTE network until next year, and the carriers overseas have varying plans for their own LTE deployments.

"It will take a while, but the potential is there," Prusch said, adding that the band Clearwire is operating on is the most globally harmonized out there.

Others in the industry are starting to back up the technology. Clearwire and Qualcomm said yesterday that Qualcomm would begin building chips that would integrate FDD and TDD variants into a single chip, making it easier for devices to run on different LTE networks. That's important because Sprint Nextel, Clearwire's largest customer and investor, operates on FDD LTE, and would want a chip that could run on both networks.

The day before, Clearwire said it was working with chipmaker Sequans Communications to accelerate the development of LTE devices.

"It's all about the ecosystem," Prusch said.

Clearwire, which recently agreed to $300 million in equity financing, continues to look for different sources of cash, including the sale of part of its spectrum. Prusch said he continues to see interest in the spectrum.

Clearwire continues to make progress in its conversations with potential customers looking to take advantage of its wireless network, Prusch said. With many companies likely sitting on the sidelines waiting for LTE, he expects a big rush of customers to sign up once the LTE network is switched on.

Clearwire still plans to launch its LTE network on 5,000 cellular sites by the middle of next year, with the first LTE devices emerging early next year, Prusch said.

The company wants to act as a wholesaler of wireless service, allowing new businesses to go wireless or providing capacity to carriers looking to ease traffic off of their own networks. Though Prusch said AT&T and Verizon Wireless could run on its network, he declined to say whether the two were in discussion with Clearwire.

Beyond the carriers are the different businesses, such as NetZero and others, that may emerge from the network.

"We haven't scratched the surface of new business models," he said.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.137.304 von teecee1 am 08.05.12 19:22:02

May 9, 2012, 11:52 a.m. ET

Sprint In Talks With Clearwire To Share Network Service

By Greg Bensinger
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) said it is in discussions with Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) to use its partner's high-speed mobile broadband network to supplement its own.

Bob Azzi, Sprint's network vice president, said the carrier has not reached any agreement yet with Clearwire.

"The use of both networks is the ideal case," said Azzi, at an event with reporters as part of the CTIA conference in New Orleans.

Both Sprint and Clearwire are racing to catch up to larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. (T) in building out the faster network known as 4G LTE. The carriers were partners in introducing the first so-called 4G network.

Clearwire Chief Executive Erik Prusch said Tuesday an agreement with Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) to provide it with chips that work on various types of 4G LTE would help the carrier strike network deals with the largest wireless providers.

-By Greg Bensinger; 212-416-4676; [e-mail]

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09/05/2012 - “Wyless to Offer the First Clearwire 4G M2M Product”

Wyless, the leading global managed services provider, today announced an agreement with Clearwire to offer the first Machine-to-Machine (M2M) 4G products available on the Clearwire network. The agreement will provide 4G connectivity to Wyless customers and partners in more than 80 markets across the United States.

Clearwire’s 4G network offers the high-speed, high-capacity wireless broadband service needed to support Digital Signage, Wireless Backup, ATMs, Surveillance, Point-of-Sale and Interactive Kiosk connectivity. Data intensive applications are becoming more prevalent in the M2M market space and managing capacity and cost are primary concerns in an M2M deployment.

Wyless will be offering a wide range of pooled price plans starting at under $10 in the U.S. Clearwire’s proven 4G technology can support a wide range of M2M devices and Wyless will be leveraging their Cradlepoint Diamond Partner status to deliver the latest devices to their customers and partners as they become available this spring.

“The Clearwire 4G network will enable us to offer a completely new service to our customers and partners,” said Peter Dunn, Director of Product Development for Wyless. “We are now able to fill a specific need in our portfolio of carrier services that had been unmet by our previous product offerings.”

“Expanding our product portfolio to serve the rapidly growing demand for machine to machine connectivity is a natural extension of the quality broadband service our 4G network offers,” said Dow Draper, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail for Clearwire. “We are pleased to offer Wyless customers a flexible, reliable wireless broadband option to meet their data needs.”

For more information about Wyless, please contact: www.wyless.com

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Why You Need Not Worry About Clearwire

By Keki Fatakia
May 10, 2012

Wireless provider Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR ) recently posted a year-over-year increase in revenue during its first quarter, beating Street expectations in the process.

However, the company also recorded a sequential drop in revenue, which might have worried a few investors since it's in the process of rolling out its own LTE network by next year. Let's find out the reason for the revenue drop.

A new deal
Clearwire's largest partner, Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) , recently renegotiated a deal with the company. Clearwire is now entitled to a flat fee of $900 million for giving Sprint access to its network in 2012 and 2013, regardless of the number of users involved, instead of the monthly $6 per 4G subscriber fee Sprint used to pay before.

So while this resulted in lower revenue sequentially, I feel the deal brings a sense of certainty to Clearwire's future cash flow, which should, at least in part, ensure the success of its LTE ambitions. Besides, Clearwire has been able to reduce its dependence on Sprint to some degree by signing up many other service providers, including Leap Wireless, FreedomPop, and Simplexity.

But apart from the buzz about lower revenue, some have expressed concern over Verizon's (NYSE: VZ ) planned spectrum sale.

Spectrum-related fears
Verizon recently announced plans to sell A and B blocks of its 700 Mhz spectrum, which sparked fears that Clearwire might lose future customers. Luckily for Clearwire, the spectrum in question has many shortcomings. At the same time, Clearwire also feels that Verizon's spectrum sale is unlikely to solve the overall spectrum shortage in the industry, and the company's probably right about it. Thus, Clearwire and its investors have really nothing to worry about.

So far, so good
Clearwire is on the right track, as it recently announced that out of 8,000 LTE sites it plans to deploy in total, 5,000 of them would reach 31 cities like New York and Los Angeles by 2013.

Clearwire's operating cash flows have also given investors reason to cheer, as it turned positive for the first time.

Plus, Clearwire's cost-cutting initiatives have also been on track -- in the first quarter, general and administrative costs also fell 30% year-over-year because of "targeted cost cutting actions" and a decline in head count.

Foolish conclusion
Despite all these positives, Clearwire's bottom line has been consistently in the red; even its most-recent first quarter reflected $182 million in losses. Clearwire also has a lot of catching up to do, as rivals Verizon and AT&T are already way ahead in the 4G LTE race, and Sprint is already setting up LTE this year -- ahead of Clearwire.

Nevertheless, the way I see it, Clearwire does stand a chance given its success in cutting costs and securing funds for its LTE plans, coupled with its large collection of 2.5 Ghz spectrum licenses in a spectrum-deficient industry. But whether Clearwire will definitely be successful is yet to be seen. I'll be keeping a close eye on Clearwire, and you should, too, by adding it to your very own free watchlist.

Clearwire might face difficulty in competing with other well-established players in the 4G arena, so it might not be wise to jump in right away. However, there are many other opportunities out there in the mobile hardware space. I suggest you read this special free report brought to you by the brightest minds at The Motley Fool, which would let you cash in on "The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution" in mobile computing. Get it while it's still available!

[teecee1]

10.05.2012
Nach geplatzter Übernahme: T-Mobile zieht AT&T durch den Kakao

Für die Deutsche Telekom brach Ende 2011 eine kleine Welt zusammen: Satte 39 Milliarden US-Dollar sollte der Verkauf von T-Mobile USA in die Kassen der Bonner spülen. Doch der US-Konzern AT&T ließ die geplante Übernahme platzen. Jetzt scheint die US-Tochter der Telekom den Beinahe-Partner AT&T wieder als echten Konkurrenten zu identifizieren. In der neuen TV-Kampagne von T-Mobile bekommt AT&T jedenfalls ganz schön sein Fett weg.

http://www.horizont.net/aktuell/marketing/pages/protected/Na…
... ... das mag ich zu bezweifeln...

In dem von Publicis in Seattle entwickelten 30-Sekünder vergleicht T-Mobile sein schnelles 4G-Datennetz mit dem des Konkurrenten. Die Kernbotschaft, dass es dabei erhebliche Qualitätsunterschiede gibt, versucht die Mobilfunkmarke am Beispiel eines Motorradrennens rüberzubringen. So steht der Fahrer der antiken - und entsprechend lahmen - Maschine, die auf dem US-Highway kaum vorwärtskommt, für das mobile Surfen mit AT&T. Der superschnelle Flitzer, der scheinbar mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit an der lahmen AT&T-Ente vorbeisaust, repräsentiert das schnelle 4g-Netz von T-Mobile.

T-Mobile nutzt außerdem das Internet, um US-Verbraucher von seinem schnellen Netz zu überzeugen. Am Ende des TV-Spots macht das Unternehmen auf eine Kampagnen-Website hin, auf der User das T-Mobile-Netz am Beispiel des iPhone 4S mit denen der Konkurrenten vergleichen können. mas

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MetroPCS
Deutsche Telekom sucht neuen Partner in den USA

Nach dem Scheitern der Fusion mit AT&T will die Telekom jetzt wieder eine Fusion. Doch diesmal ist der Partner deutlich kleiner.

Die Deutsche Telekom verhandelt ein Zusammengehen mit dem kleineren US-Mobilfunkbetreiber MetroPCS Communications. Das berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Bloomberg unter Berufung auf informierte Kreise. ... ...

MetroPCS Communications, ehemals bekannt unter dem Namen General Wireless, betreibt das fünfgrößte Mobilfunknetzwerk in den USA und hatte im Januar 2012 einen Kundenzahl von 9,5 Millionen. Hauptsitz des Unternehmens ist Richardson, im Bundesstaat Texas. Das Netzwerk basiert auf CDMA und LTE.

Die Telekom bietet MetroPCS einen Aktientausch an, bei dem der deutsche Konzern und seine Tochterfirma T-Mobile USA die Mehrheit an dem Gemeinschaftsunternehmen erhalten würden. Weitere Optionen wären ein Verkauf von T-Mobile USA oder ein Börsengang. Die Telekom verhandele auch mit anderen US-Netzbetreibern über eine Fusion, sagte Bloomberg.

Die Telekom hatte ihre heutige US-Tochter einst für 28,5 Milliarden US-Dollar gekauft. Als das Unternehmen in vier von fünf Jahren Gewinneinbußen verzeichnete, wurde der Ausstieg beschlossen. Doch der Verkauf an AT&T für 39 Milliarden US-Dollar scheiterte am US-Justizministerium. AT&T zahlte für den Ausstieg eine Vertragsstrafe in Höhe von drei Milliarden US-Dollar. T-Mobile baute Stellen ab und am 7. Mai 2012 gab die Telekom bekannt, dass sie 4 Milliarden US-Dollar in den Netzausbau von T-Mobile USA zu investiere.

T-Mobile USA verlor im ersten Quartal 510.000 Vertragskunden, konnte durch neue Prepaid-Nutzer die Kundenbasis aber auf 33,4 Millionen ausbauen. Das Unternehmen ist nach Verizon Wireless, AT&T und Sprint der viertgrößte Mobilfunkbetreiber der USA. Auch zwischen Sprint und T-Mobile USA gab es 2011 Übernahmeverhandlungen.

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T-Mobile CEO: We're not interested in Verizon's spectrum

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T-Mobile USA hält Telekom mit Strategiefragen auf Trab - DJ

Kein Kommentar zu Gerüchten um geplante Mobilfunk-Fusion

Telekom-Finanzvorstand Timotheus Höttges (Foto: Euroforum/Telekom-Manager.de)

Von Ursula Quass, FRANKFURT (Dow Jones), 10.05.2012-13:45 - Die Deutsche Telekom freut sich über Fortschritte bei ihrer US-Mobilfunktochter, die mit einer überraschend guten Entwicklung der Mutter zu einem nahezu stabilen operativen Ergebnis verholfen hat. Doch eine klare Antwort auf die strategische Kernfrage für T-Mobile USA - Verkauf, Fusion oder Börsengang - lieferte Vorstandschef René Obermann bei der Quartalsbilanz nicht.

Dabei waren die Spekulationen am Tag vor der Bekanntgabe mal wieder angeheizt worden. Angeblich liefen Gespräche mit der US-Mobilfunkkonzern MetroPCS über einen Zusammenschluss mit T-Mobile USA, hatte eine Nachrichtenagentur berichtet. Obermanns Antwort war knapp: "Wir kommentieren solche Gerüchte nicht."

Am Aktienmarkt stießen die Mutmaßungen auf mehr Resonanz und drängten die Telekom-Umsatz- und Ergebniszahlen in den Hintergrund, obwohl auch diese positive Aussagen enthielten. Denn die Rückgänge bei den Kennzahlen waren geringer als von Analysten geschätzt ausgefallen.

Die Aktien der Telekom ziehen am Donnerstag um 3 Prozent an. MetroPCS katapultierte die Spekulation am Mittwoch um satte 14,3 Prozent nach oben.

Die Fusion mit MetroPCS könnte möglicherweise als Aktientausch abgewickelt werden, bei dem die Telekom das fusionierte Unternehmen kontrollieren würde, hatte Bloomberg unter Berufung auf informierte Personen berichtet. Der neue Mobilfunkkonzern könne an der Börse notiert werden. MetroPCS betreibt das fünftgrößte US-Netz und zählt derzeit rund 9,5 Millionen Kunden. Das Unternehmen wollte sich nicht zu den Informationen äußern.

Weiterhin möglich sei aber auch ein eigener Börsengang von T-Mobile USA oder ein direkter Verkauf. Die Telekom soll auch mit anderen nicht näher genannten Unternehmen in Verhandlungen stehen. Der zuvor angestrebte Deal mit dem zweitgrößten US-Mobilfunkunternehmen AT&T war am Widerstand der Regulierer gescheitert.

MetroPCS und die Telekom sind bereits gute Bekannte. Denn die Amerikaner interessierten sich seinerzeit für Vermögenswerte von T-Mobile USA, die Obermann für die Rettung des AT&T-Geschäfts geopfert hätte.

Sollte der Vorstandschef im zweiten Anlauf mit MetroPCS einig werden, hätte er sein Ziel erreicht, T-Mobile USA endlich aus der Bilanz zu bekommen, sagte ein Analyst, der namentlich nicht genannt werden wollte. Vor dem Kurssprung durch die Spekulationen belief sich die Marktkapitalisierung von MetroPCS auf rund 2,5 Milliarden Dollar, T-Mobile USA dürfte etwa 30 Milliarden Dollar wert sein. Daher würde die Telekom wohl mehr als 90 Prozent des neuen Unternehmens kontrollieren, rechnete der Analyst vor. Somit würde das Restunternehmen nur noch lächerlich niedrig bewertet, wodurch ordentlich Kurspotenzial geschaffen werde. "Unter dem Strich eine elegante Lösung", so sein Fazit.

Momentan kann Obermann T-Mobile USA nur für die Fortschritte bei der Strategie-Umsetzung loben, wenngleich er einräumt, dass noch einiges zu tun sei. Die Zahlen der Tochter übertrafen die Prognosen der Analysten zum Teil deutlich. So stieg das bereinigte EBITDA - die wichtigste operative Kennzahl - um fast 13 Prozent auf 983 Millionen Euro, 10 Prozentpunkte mehr als prognostiziert. Vor allem niedrigere Ausgaben für Handy-Subventionierungen haben hier geholfen. Der Umsatz kletterte um 2 Prozent auf 3,85 Milliarden Euro statt leicht zurückzugehen.

Ein Teil der positiven US-Entwicklung ist allerdings auf Kursgewinne des Dollar zurückzuführen, wie die Telekom mitteilte. In Landeswährung ergab sich ein Umsatzrückgang von 2,3 Prozent und ein Plus beim bereinigten EBITDA von 8 Prozent.

Klar ist, dass die US-Tochter operativ noch nicht über den Berg ist. Die Zahl der eigenen Vertragskunden ging weiter zurück - um mehr als eine halbe Million. Das sei aber der niedrigste Rückgang seit sieben Quartalen, sagte der Vorstandschef von T-Mobile USA, Philipp Humm. Insgesamt nahm die Kundenzahl allerdings dank Zuwächsen im Prepaid-Bereich zu.

Beim Ausbau des Mobilfunknetzes der nächsten Generation, LTE, sieht sich die Telekom "gut im Plan". Allerdings ist sie damit im Vergleich zur Konkurrenz auf dem US-Markt spät dran, auch das begehrte iPhone von Apple fehlt anders als bei den Mitbewerbern im Angebot. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.149.107 von teecee1 am 10.05.12 20:06:22

... ... denkt hier jemand noch ...

RootMetrics: T-Mobile 4G is faster than you think

A quarterly review of six U.S. carriers shows T-Mobile outperforming three, including the top-tier Sprint.

by Jessica Dolcourt May 10, 2012 11:41 AM PDT


RootMetrics measured T-Mobile data speeds in 42 markets across the U.S.
(Credit: RootMetrics)

NEW ORLEANS--Theoretical speeds are one thing, but the majority of smartphone owners will agree that real-life data speeds are what count.

Comprehensively charting each carriers' data network is the subject of RootMetric's quarterly report.

So far, the company scouts have systematically combed 42 urban and suburban markets to compare 3G and 4G data speeds.

Their methodology includes test calls, data downloads, and texting. Scouts record how easily they could get onto the network and perform tasks, and then run diagnostic speed tests through RootMetrics' automated software. They never use jailbroken devices.

On the LTE front, RootMetrics found that AT&T was often faster than Verizon, but Verizon topped the charts of all the carriers in terms of consistency.

The report also found that T-Mobile's HSPA 42 network only trailed AT&T's 4G network by a small margin.

From the report:

Consider that while AT&T exceeded Upper Threshold in 18 markets, T-Mobile did so in 13 markets. This threshold was never surpassed by the remaining carriers (Cricket, MetroPCS, and Sprint).


... ... Sprint hat keine Wahl ... nur eine Option ... Clearwire ... May 10, 2012 / Patrick Linder

RootMetrics' speed tests serve as an important reminder that when it comes to network strength, a carrier's fastest possible connection doesn't paint a clear picture of overall performance.

Also, Sprint's 4G LTE network had better pack some punch.

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FreedomPop bringing free 4G service to iPhones

The $99 Freedom Sleeve case promises WiMax performance, 500MB of free data, and even extra battery life. But questions linger.

by Rick Broida May 11, 2012 8:50 AM PDT


The Freedom Sleeve case for iPhone 4/4S promises blazing broadband speeds.
(Credit: FreedomPop)

Back in February, wireless upstart FreedomPop made some bold promises about free mobile broadband service. Now it appears the company is getting ready to make good on at least one of them.

As reported this morning by Apple news site TUAW, FreedomPop is now taking pre-orders for the Freedom Sleeve, a $99 iPhone 4/4S case that provides "free" 4G wireless service -- among other benefits.

Exciting stuff, right? Before you pull out your credit card, check the fine print. For starters, FreedomPop's WiMax-powered 4G broadband isn't available everywhere -- like here in metro Detroit, where I live. You'll need to complete the "check availability" form to see if there's coverage in your area.

Second, and of greater concern, I can find no mention of what FreedomPop plans to charge for service once you exhaust your free allotment of data. According to the pre-order page, you'll get "up to 1GB free broadband," but TUAW's unattributed report states that the company has dropped it to 500MB. The report also notes: "You can bump up that data by participating in a social service that'll earn you an unspecified amount of data for connecting with your friends. Customers can also transfer unused data to other customers who need the extra capacity."

I'm trying to get some clarification from FreedomPop and will update the post when the company responds.

In the meantime, I'm skeptical. Most users would burn through 500MB in a matter of days. FreedomPop's terms of service note that you'll automatically be signed up for a "basic service plan," but doesn't explain what that is. There's also no mention of whether there's a contract involved, though I'm guessing not. FreedomPop's whole raison d'etre appears to be freedom from the usual mobile-broadband constraints.

Update: According to a FreedomPop representative, users get 500MB per month right out of the gate, and can earn additional extra capacity "in various ways on site." The maximum is currently 1GB, but the company plans to increase the limit once the "FreedomPop friend network site" goes live. Beyond that, you'll be charged "competitive overage rates," with the option of pre-paying for larger data packages. There will be no contracts.

The Freedom Sleeve itself looks to be a fairly compact accessory, on par with a typical battery-extender case. Apparently it will extend your iPhone's battery by up to six hours, according to FreedomPop. It also serves as a mobile hot spot for up to eight devices and allows for anytime, anywhere FaceTime use. (I'm guessing that's because your iPhone effectively connects to the case via Wi-Fi, thereby working around FaceTime's Wi-Fi-only rule.)

You can see a fairly rah-rah demo of the Freedom Sleeve in the video below. I'm not sure why the company chose this third-party "in the wild" video, which appears to come from a beta tester, rather than something of its own making -- another head scratcher.

What do you think of this? Are you sufficiently gung-ho for an inexpensive 4G option that you're pre-ordering this immediately? Or do you feel like FreedomPop needs to answer a few questions first? I'm in the latter camp.

Update: Having received clarification on some key points (see above), I think this looks like a mighty attractive option for iPhone owners lucky enough to live in a coverage area. After you buy the case, which is very reasonably priced, you can theoretically enjoy free 4G service. Color me intrigued.

[teecee1]

Short Sellers Could be Dead Wrong about this Stock
Friday, May 11, 2012
1:00 PM


David Sterman has worked
as an investment analyst for
nearly two decades. He started
his Wall Street career in equity
research at Smith Barney,
culminating in a position as

Every two weeks, we get a chance to look at fresh data on how heavily stocks are being shorted. It helps to see what short-sellers are focusing on -- especially if you own one of the stocks being targeted.

You'll often see short positions in a particular stock slowly rise as an increasing number of short sellers start to sniff trouble at a company. But it's highly unusual to see a short position rise from 60 million shares to 139 million shares in just two weeks, as I did. It's as if the entire short-selling community has raced to get on the bus and watch this stock tumble.

... ... CLWR von 36mio auf 38mio und jetzt 44mio. ...

Normally, these short-sellers spot red flags in a quarterly report and want to bet against a stock before even worse numbers appear in subsequent quarters. But that's not why they are targeting wireless services provider Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S). The company actually delivered pretty decent results during that interim period between short seller release dates (April 15-30).

Instead, short sellers are focusing on a news item that hit the wires on April 19, a full week before quarterly earnings came out. That's when New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman slapped the company with a $100 million lawsuit alleging under-collection of sales taxes. The scary part: New York could win triple damages if successful. The really scary part: other states may follow New York's lead, opening Sprint up to a liability in excess of $1 billion.

Since I am not a legal expert, I'll lay out the facts for others to digest. Sprint claims it didn't owe taxes on sales associated with out-of-state phone calls. So the company decided to put a reduced amount of taxes on each customer's bill as a way of cementing its reputation as a low-cost industry provider. In my cursory review of the resulting fallout, this is indeed a gray area. Other communications firms have reportedly adopted similar tactics regarding interstate commerce without any pushback.

Sprint further believes that even if there is a liability for unpaid taxes, it's the responsibility of consumers to make good on their unpaid taxes, not the company. Sprint would obviously like to avoid that route, knowing it would make its customers irate to receive a one-time $100 bill for past unpaid taxes.

A settlement in the works?
One thing is for sure. This is an unwanted distraction for Sprint as it belatedly embarks on a massive technology upgrade known as Network Vision. The company is in the process of ditching all of its past losing technology moves (such as acquiring the Nextel push-to-talk network that is now down to 5 million users, or the Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) debacle that continues to play out) and aims to establish a national high-speed network on par with industry leader Verizon (NYSE: VZ). Even that effort will require another $1 billion or so that the company doesn't currently have. (Sprint hopes to secure "vendor financing," which entails low upfront prices for base stations, chips, etc. and payment streams down the road.)

... ... vor ende 2013 wird das netzt von Sprint nicht 4g fähig sein, (wenn überhaupt) deshalb die zusammenarbeit mit clearwire...

That's why Sprint need to settle this lawsuit problem, perhaps agreeing to pay 20, 30 or 40 cents on the dollar. New York, for its part, might simply take that deal rather than end up in a very protracted lawsuit that only enriches the lawyers.

This isn't to dismiss the seriousness of this problem, nor is it to suggest that Sprint will escape unscathed. But it's a risky gambit for short-sellers, who might get caught up in a sudden short squeeze that forces a big chunk of those 139 million shares to be bought back.

What could go wrong for the short-sellers and right for Sprint (and you if you decide to buy shares)? Well, four factors could trigger a furious short squeeze...

1. First, there's market risk. If the market rises higher from here, program trading, which now constitutes the majority of all stock market volume, buys stocks indiscriminately and the rising-tides-lifts-all-boats action tends to make short sellers cover, even if they know their investment thesis is correct.

2. Second, even a rumor that the company and New York State will seek some sort of settlement will quickly eliminate short-sellers' hopes that Sprint will end up on the hook for billions.

3. Third, signs are emerging that industry consolidation will accelerate this year. In the past few days, both MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) and Leap Wireless have been bid up on rumors that Deutsche Telekom is in search of a partner to beef up its lagging T-Mobile unit. Sprint's beleaguered CEO, Dan Hesse, who has inspired the ire of many investors, would probably like nothing more than to enter into those discussions with these other industry laggards. Yes, this lawsuit is an impediment for a deal, but the company's current market valuation would be quite tempting to a potential buyer.

4. Fourth, Sprint's recent quarterly results showed clear signs of a company getting healthier, most notably in the area of average revenue per user and further solid numbers in the second quarter may just be too much for short-sellers to bear.

5. The leading wireless carriers, including Sprint, have begun to sharply reduce smartphone subsidies to improve their profit margins. Asking consumers to effectively extend the usable life of their existing phones should start benefiting the wireless service providers' margins as soon as the current quarter.

Where are the analysts?
Curiously enough, Wall Street analysts have been largely silent on this contentious issue. I ran through the recent research from a dozen different investment firms that follow Sprint, and only Guggenheim Securities bothered even to analyze the issue. And a week after the lawsuit was filed, Sprint held a quarterly conference call with analysts, and not a single mention of the issue appeared in the call transcript. It's as if this potentially major lawsuit never happened. Short sellers on the call must have been apoplectic as they sat through a series of "Hi, how you doing buddy" comments from management and the sell-side analysts.

Risks to Consider: This is a hugely risky stock. Sprint not only needs to secure an agreement with New York State, but also get nationwide indemnification from suits from other states.

Action to Take --> By placing such a huge negative bet on Sprint, short-sellers are running the risk of fueling a stock melt-up if some short-covering leads to a tsunami of short covering. With such a huge short position in place, it's unwise to pile on the short side at this point. The risks of a massive short squeeze are just too great. If you want to play the contrarian long angle for this $2.50 stock (and sell-side analysts value Sprint at $4 to $6 a share on the basis of comparable industry metrics), then dig into the lawsuit issues and be prepared to buy as soon as it appears as if Sprint will devise a face-saving solution out of its legal morass.

-- David Sterman

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.155.063 von teecee1 am 11.05.12 20:31:42

Clearwire recharges Clear-branded retail biz
May 11, 2012 — 10:35am ET | By Mike Dano

NEW ORLEANS--WiMAX carrier Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) used the CTIA Wireless show here to make one point very clear: It's staying in the retail business and will continue to push that effort for the foreseeable future.

The news is noteworthy considering much of the interest around Clearwire has been focused on its wholesale business, where it sells capacity on its WiMAX network to companies like Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S). And Clearwire's wholesale business represents the bulk of its subscriber base: During the first quarter Clearwire added 586,000 total net new subscribers. Approximately 537,000 of those were net new wholesale subscribers and 49,000 were net new retail subscribers. Clearwire ended first quarter with 11 million total subscribers, which consisted of 1.3 million retail customers and 9.7 million wholesale customers (the majority of its wholesale customers are Sprint 3G/4G smartphone users).

Moreover, during much of 2011 Clearwire quit advertising for its Clear-branded retail business in an effort to conserve cash. Indeed, some questioned whether Clearwire's retail business was putting to much pressure its wholesale business since it essentially represented Clearwire's attempts to compete with its wholesale customers.

Now though, thanks to Clearwire's renewed deal with Sprint and the extra funds it has managed to raise, Clearwire is in the midst of rekindling its retail effort in a bid to add a reliable revenue stream to its wholesale operations.

"The retail business is alive and well," proclaimed Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager of retail for Clearwire. Draper met with press at the CTIA show in order to outline Clearwire's retail operations.

Last year Clearwire sold postpaid WiMAX services through its Clear-branded retail business and prepaid services through its Rover brand. The carrier shuttered the Rover brand last year and revamped its Clear-branded operations to a prepaid model. The company now offers day, week and monthly prepaid options and two different speed tiers: $50 for full-speed WiMAX and $35 for 1.5 Mbps speeds. Draper said only those subscribers on the carrier's monthly plans are counted in its quarterly subscriber reports, and he said the vast majority of the carrier's customers use its full-speed $50 plan.

Draper said dealer uptake of the carrier's newly refreshed retail offerings has been "phenomenal."

In order to increase interest in Clearwire's Clear-branded products, Draper said the carrier started advertising on radio and cable TV in February.

On devices, Clearwire currently offers a USB modem, a mobile hotspot and a home modem. Draper said the carrier doesn't have any plans to offer a WiMAX smartphone.

And what of LTE? Clearwire is working to upgrade its network from WiMAX technology to LTE technology, and plans to deploy 5,000 TD-LTE hotspot sites in 31 top tier markets by June 2013. Clearwire will continue to support WiMAX through at least 2015.

"When it makes sense to add LTE to the retail mix, we'll do that," Draper said, explaining that the carrier hasn't made an official decision to add LTE to its retail business when available, but would consider such a move.

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FreedomPop starts taking orders for WiMAX-enabled iPhone case
May 11, 2012 — 11:13am ET | By Phil Goldstein

FreedomPop, the startup backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, started taking orders for a case for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S that is WiMAX enabled and connects to Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) network. The case, which FreedomPop calls an iPhone Sleeve, will cost $99 up front, though it appears that customers can return a Sleeve in good condition at any time for a refund.

Read more: http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/freedompop-starts-taking…

[teecee1]

Clearwire: You want fast 4G?? How’s 168 Mbps?
By Kevin Fitchard May. 11, 2012, 8:44am PT



The Big 4 carriers took a lot of swipes at one another at CTIA Wireless, arguing over which had the faster mobile broadband service and whose networks were and weren’t really 4G. Clearwire stayed out of the debate, but according to CTO John Saw the carrier is putting together an LTE network to shame all four of them. In 2014, Saw said Clearwire will have a 4G network capable of supporting peak speeds of 168 Mbps.

Clearwire may not have the most ideal spectrum in the world for a nationwide launch – its higher frequency 2.5 GHz airwaves don’t propagate as far as the low-frequency licenses everyone else owns – but it is certainly blessed with a lot of it. Consequently, Clearwire can string those frequencies together to build some enormously fat pipes, Saw said.

Saw said Clearwire plans to use the LTE-Advanced technique know as carrier aggregation to deploy an LTE pipe — which in wireless speak is called a carrier — 40 MHz in width. Verizon and AT&T’s largest carrier size is 20 MHz. (Clearwire’s TD-LTE is a different technology than its competitors, but in terms of speed and data capacity those differences come out in the wash).

Theoretically at least, Clearwire’s network will support peak speeds of 168 Mbps, twice as fast as anything Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile can throw at us, Saw said. Still, Clearwire has to wait for the technology to be ready. While carrier aggregation is already being used widely in HSPA+ — and is, in fact, the secret sauce in T-Mobile’s dual-carrier 42 Mbps service – it will take a few years for the technology to percolate into commercial LTE gear. Saw says he expects it to be ready for Clearwire’s network by 2014.

“We’re going to start with 20 MHz carriers,” he said. “When carrier aggregation comes along we will go to 40 MHz, which will essentially leave the competition in the dust.”

Clearwire doesn’t have to stop there. Technically it can keep stacking carriers on top of one another to create 60 MHz and even 80 MHz pipes. It certainly doesn’t lack the spectrum. At CTIA, Nokia Siemens Networks had rigged up a demo that squeezed 1 Gbps out of Clearwire’s spectrum by not only piling on the carriers but using multiple antennas and several other technologies in LTE-Advanced’s bag of tricks. Saw said Huawei has accomplished similar feats using Clearwire’s airwaves, but he also acknowledged that such outsized throughput demos are really intended to be proofs of concept. Sixty MHz or 80 MHz carriers “would be overkill,” he said — at least in the near term.

Why don’t Verizon and AT&T do carrier aggregation as well? They have the technical capability, and they have unused spectrum to play with. The problem is their spectrum isn’t in the right places. For carrier aggregation to work initially all of the frequencies involved need to be contiguous, but most of the spectrum holdings of the Big 4 are scattered across the airwaves. Eventually the LTE standards will allow for non-contiguous aggregation – splicing together bands from all over the electromagnetic spectrum – but that’s a few steps further along the LTE roadmap.

At the end of the day, all of this speed talk is a bit silly. It’s great for bragging rights, but at today’s mobile data prices, no one could actually make regular use of such enormous throughputs without going broke. The near-term goal here isn’t to provide 500 Mbps or 1 Gbps to a single customer, but rather a consistent 5-10 Mbps to 100 different customers in the same cell. To hit that goal operators will need lots of spectrum and they’ll need to deploy lots of carriers, but it won’t matter if those carriers are bound together.

Speedometer image courtesy of Shutterstock user Sashkin

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LTE’s future: A scramble for spectrum, and creative data caps

Challenges facing LTE cellular tech could hurt both providers and consumers.

by Jon Brodkin - May 10, 2012 2:00 pm UTC

[teecee1]

LightSquared Said To Be Approaching Bankruptcy

By KEVIN SHALVEY, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 11:38 AM ET

LightSquared, the debt-laden startup that has tried to develop a fourth-generation LTE wireless network, reportedly is close to a bankruptcy filing.

The company has until 5 p.m. ET Monday to come to an agreement with creditors, reports the Wall Street Journal.

In March, Sprint Nextel (S) killed a $9 billion deal related to LightSquared's 4G LTE wireless satellite network.

Run by hedge fund manager Philip Falcone, LightSquared came under fire from the Federal Communications Commission in February when its network interfered with the military's GPS signals. That led to layoffs at the company.

The company's troubles haven't escaped Washington, D.C., either. Last month, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had urged the FCC to allow LightSquared to change its airwave frequencies so they wouldn't disrupt GPS signals, reports The Hill.

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Investors' Soapbox AM | MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012
Time to Buy Telecoms

Credit Suisse says wireless carriers may be set for earnings growth.

Credit Suisse

We believe wireless carriers' behavior is changing -- there are signs across the industry of growing discipline around pricing and subsidies. If this discipline holds, we believe there is upside to margins and earnings growth for all carriers.

We believe investors should be Overweight telecom into this trend. Our new estimates for AT&T (ticker: T) and Verizon Communications (VZ) are well above consensus and we are upgrading both to Outperform.

Industry returns have been under pressure with rising smartphone penetration driving up costs and capital spending at a faster rate than revenue. Subsidies have been the biggest source ...

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB500014240531119043700045…

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Shares of Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) And AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Up After Reports About Their Deal Talks – PCS, CLWR, S, DNDN, T

By: Brandon Miller on May 14,2012

Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) shares rallied over investors confident that the company could be acquired by AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), that exceeded top price on the news, even as analysts questioned the logic of such a deal.

The No. 2 U.S. mobile provider has held talks to takeover smaller competitor Leap Wireless International in recent months, according to people with sufficient knowledge on the matter, in the most recent indication U.S. carriers are looking at buying as a way to grow in a mature market. These talks were considered highly serious for Leap Wireless to hire bankers to give them advise it on a potential deal, told the three sources who declined to be identified because the discussions were not public.

... ... sollte ich ein Unternehmen kaufen was in nächster zeit kunden verliert ... weil sie sonst zur konkurrenz wechseln. ...

MetroPCS Communications Inc (NYSE:PCS) decreased -0.28% to move at $7.04, Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) fell -1.56% to end at $1.26, Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) grew +1.63% finished at $2.49 and Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQNDN) went up +2.60% to complete the session at $9.06.

Leap Wireless International, Inc (NASDAQ:LEAP) last session volume was 7.16 million shares as compared to its average volume of 2.55 million shares. The stock after opening at $5.65 hit high price of $6.14 and then closed at $5.78 by scoring +7.84%.

The liquidity measure in recent quarter results of the company was recorded 1.38 as current ratio and on the other side the debt to equity ratio was -6.27 and long-term debt to equity ratio also remained -6.22. The Company had total cash at hand $636.71 million and a book value per share as $6.49 in the most recent quarter.

The stock price volatility was 11.90% for a week and 7.14% for a month as well as price volatility’s Average True Range for 14 days was 0.53 and its beta remained 1.46.

LEAP generated revenue of 3.12 billion in the following twelve months and earned -$316.86 million. The Company showed a negative -10.45% in the net profit margin and as well as in its operating margin which remained -0.74%. Company’s annual sales growth for the past five year was 21.35%.

[teecee1]

Clearwire & Sprint to Present at 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Mon, May 14, 2012 3:36 PM EDT

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR - News) today announced that Erik Prusch, Clearwire's president and CEO, will speak at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 9:20 a.m. Eastern.

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse will participate in a "fireside chat" in Boston, Massachusetts on May 16, 2012 at 11:20 a.m. ET.

Interested parties are invited to register in advance at http://investors.clearwire.com/ to listen to the live audio webcast presentation. A replay of the webcast will also be available.

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UPDATE 2-Sprint shareholders re-elect CEO Hesse to board

Tue May 15, 2012 1:09pm EDT

* 90 pct of votes in favor of Hesse re-election

* Shareholders reject proposal for deferred compensation

* Sprint shares down 1 cent

By Carey Gillam

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., May 15 (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp shareholders voted to re-elect Chief Executive Dan Hesse as a director, defeating a push by one key shareholder to get the executive off the wireless service provider's board of directors.

According to Sprint, a preliminary count showed that 90 percent of votes cast were in favor of Hesse's re-election; the percent of votes in favor of re-electing other directors ranged from 98 percent to 89 percent.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which has a roughly 4 percent stake in Sprint, said last week that it would vote against Hesse's re-election.

Hesse has come under fire this year from shareholders disappointed with the hit the company's results took from subsidizing Apple Inc's popular iPhones and other investments the company is making.

In response to a shareholder question about iPhones, Hesse acknowledged that iPhones comes with a higher upfront cost to Sprint than other devices but he argued that it will help its financials in the longer term.

"We believe in the long term," Hesse told shareholders, adding that iPhone customers stay with Sprint longer. "Over time we will make more money on an iPhone customer than we will from other customers."

The executive also pointed to customer losses at No. 4 U.S. mobile provider T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom . T-Mobile USA is the only one of the top four U.S. operators that does not sell iPhones.

"If you've any doubts look at T-Mobile USA," he said.

While a shareholder proposal for deferred compensation was rejected, some shareholders said at the meeting they were concerned about Sprint's compensation plan, which bases some executive pay on short-term incentives.

A representative for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, which made the deferred compensation proposal, said he applauded Hesse's pay cut. But he told shareholders: "We continue to be concerned the short term incentive plan will encourage executives to take on risks."

Hesse said earlier this month he would take a pay cut.

Sprint shares were down 1 cent at $2.49 on the New York Stock Exchange in early afternoon trade.

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Spectrum Crisis: What’s there for Carriers and Customers?

By Rajesh Marwah - May 15, 2012 | Tickers: T, CLWR, LEAP, PCS, S, VZ | 2 Comments

The telecom industry is facing acute spectrum crunch. As a consequence, the FCC has proposed an incentive auction with Chairman Julius Genachowski requesting an extension of the 2013 budget for more than $346 million, primarily for the preparation of the spectrum incentive auction. As a measure to facilitate spectrum to carriers, the FCC is also partnering with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) to test for spectrum sharing in the 1755-1780 MHz band. This band is of high interest to commercial carriers. Before digging deeper, let’s see how the carriers are coping with spectrum shortage and how soon they will benefit from the FCC measures. (...)

The biggies are also eyeing the regional players who in this spectrum-tight environment hold huge unused airwaves. Sprint’s agreement with Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) is one such example. It was a strategic move by Sprint to catch the fish before anybody else could. Sprint needs its LTE network and only Clearwire is in a position to build it, given the latter’s abundant spectrum position. Other promising targets with some free spectrum are Leap Wireless and MetroPCS. In fact, MetroPCS is already rumored to be in merger talks with T-Mobile. (...)

[teecee1]

Clearwire CTO: We'll offer VoLTE when we launch TD-LTE network
May 17, 2012 — 2:47pm ET | By Mike Dano

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) CTO John Saw said the WiMAX provider will offer Voice over LTE technology when it launches its LTE Advanced-ready network by June 2013.

"It's really up to our wholesale customers," he said in an interview with FierceWireless. "If they choose to do Voice over LTE, our network would certainly be capable of supporting that."

He added: "Because we plan to be a wholesaler of LTE bandwidth, we need to make sure our network has the RF performance and metrics to support Voice over LTE."

Clearwire plans to launch 5,000 TD-LTE base stations by the summer of next year in major metro markets including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. Clearwire LTE customers include Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP). Sprint has said it will launch VoLTE devices in the first quarter of 2013.

The industry overall is moving toward VoLTE technology as a way to make voice calls clearer and the transmission of voice more network efficient. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) plans to have VoLTE in place by 2013. MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) executives have said the company will launch two to three smartphones with Voice over LTE capabilities in the second half of this year. And Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) has said it will deploy the technology in late 2012 but will begin pushing it more broadly in mid-2013.

According to research firm ARCchart, over 74 million VoLTE-enabled handsets will be in the global market by 2016.

Interestingly, Clearwire's Saw said the company currently offers Voice over IP technology on its existing network. "On the WiMAX network, we do support a number of Voice over IP customers," he said. "It's nothing new for us."

[teecee1]

Clearwire to announce LTE vendors in Q3 timeframe
May 16, 2012 — 5:27pm ET | By Mike Dano

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) CEO and President Erik Prusch said the carrier would announce its TD-LTE equipment suppliers sometime in the second half of this year, likely in the third quarter.


Prusch

Clearwire has said it will light up on 5,000 TD-LTE base stations by June 2013. Then, according to Prusch, Clearwire will increase that number to 8,000 "sometime thereafter." The buildout will occur mainly in dense urban areas in top markets where Clearwire already offers WiMAX service (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle are the markets Clearwire has named for LTE). Clearwire's current WiMAX network covers 120 million POPs and comprises around 16,000 towers.

It's unclear which vendors will supply network equipment to Clearwire, but Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) is likely a lead candidate. Clearwire outsourced its network operations to Ericsson in May 2011, following Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) lead. Sprint inked a $5 billion, seven-year outsourcing deal with Ericsson in July 2009. Ericsson has also supplied LTE to virtually all of the nation's major carriers.

Clearwire has also said it would engage in vendor financing in order to fund its LTE buildout. Prusch said Clearwire likely would announce its vendor financing details when it announces its LTE equipment suppliers.

Speaking Wednesday at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, Prusch said Clearwire's LTE deployment is a much more "intricate process" than its WiMAX buildout. He said the carrier is carefully selecting which of its existing WiMAX sites will be upgraded to LTE, in consultation with wholesale customer Sprint, in order for Clearwire to maximize its return on investment. Prusch said that, in many cases, workers would only need to swap out a card and install a software upgrade to add LTE to Clearwire's cell sites, rather than installing a completely new antenna.

"That is all going as planned," Prusch said of Clearwire's LTE buildout.

[teecee1]

May 18, 2011
Clearwire Selects Ericsson for Managed Services

* Clearwire to Leverage Ericsson's Global Best Practices, State-of-the-Art Tools and Processes to Maximize Efficiencies, Provide Continued Network Quality and Reduce Operating Costs
* Clearwire Retains Ownership of All Network Assets and Full Responsibility for Future Network Technology and Strategy Decisions
* Ericsson Responsible for Network Engineering, Operations and Maintenance
* Ericsson to Add Approximately 700 Clearwire Employees

KIRKLAND, Wash. and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 18, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., and Ericsson (Nasdaq:ERIC) today announced a seven-year, managed services partnership that will transfer the day-to-day management of Clearwire's 4G network to Ericsson and allow Clearwire to realize operational efficiencies and reduce operating costs.

"Clearwire's effort to reduce costs and maximize efficiency while delivering a high quality mobile broadband service to our customers extends to all parts of our business," said Erik Prusch, Clearwire's chief operating officer. "By engaging Ericsson, a proven leader in managed network services, we can achieve those objectives, and benefit from their extensive global expertise and best-practices developed while serving clients around the world."

"We greatly appreciate the tireless contributions the talented people on our network services team have made in building Clearwire's 4G network and laying the foundation for our success," Prusch continued. "We are pleased they will have new opportunities within Ericsson to support our customers, and further position Clearwire as the leader in mobile broadband."

Key aspects of the partnership include:

* Clearwire retains ownership of all network assets and full responsibility for future technology and strategy decisions.
* Ericsson will be responsible for network engineering, operations and maintenance, including field services, 24X7 network monitoring, end-to-end engineering, provisioning and routine maintenance.
* Clearwire will remain the primary point of contact for all interactions with customers, wholesale partners and equipment vendors.
* Approximately 700 Clearwire employees are expected to begin performing their network functions as Ericsson employees in locations around the United States before mid-year 2011.

"The responsibility for network engineering, operations and maintenance of one of the leading mobile broadband networks in North America is one that Ericsson takes very seriously," said Angel Ruiz, head of Ericsson's North American operations. "We look forward to welcoming the Clearwire employees to Ericsson and appreciate the unique skills and expertise they bring to our company."

"This managed services partnership is the next logical step for both Clearwire and Ericsson, one that will have significant near-term and long-term benefits for Clearwire's employees, customers, retail distributors and investors," observed Berge Ayvazian, Senior Consultant with Heavy Reading. "It also represents Ericsson's second managed services contract in the U.S., building on the Network Advantage agreement that has already delivered major operational and economic benefits for Sprint."

In 2009, Ericsson entered into a similar network management partnership with Sprint, Clearwire's largest shareholder and wholesale partner. Ericsson's experience and track record for success in Managed Services will also offer Clearwire an efficient, cost-effective way to manage its network. Ericsson has invested more than $1 billion in state-of-the-art tools, processes and global best practices. The networks that Ericsson manages for operators serve over 800 million subscribers worldwide. In addition, Ericsson provides 24/7 tech support to operators for well over two billion subscribers. ...

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Dish Networks Shares Slide 2% On 4G LTE News (DISH)
Written on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:44pm
By SmarTrend Staff

5-18-12-Shares of Dish Networks (NASDAQ: DISH) are falling 2.1% Friday on news that it won't be able to launch a 4G LTE network until 2016 or later. That is a year longer than the FCC proposed. Dish's filing could add to the pressure its facing to sell the spectrum, or at least take on a partner. It could also be a signal that the company doesn't plan on actually investing in 4G, but is just making a bluff. DISH Network Corp. provides a direct broadcast satellite subscription television service in the United States. SmarTrend alerted subscribers to take profits in DISH Network on May 09, 2012 at $30.50, since then the stock fell 6.2%. We are now watching for any positive developments that could result in a new uptrend signal.


DISH Submits Comments to FCC on Wireless Rules
Marketwire
Press Release: DISH Network – Thu, May 17, 2012 1:30 PM EDT


ENGLEWOOD, CO--(Marketwire -05/17/12)- DISH (DISH)

- Colorado company outlines its contributions to solving the "spectrum crunch"
- DISH to deliver competition, choice to mobile wireless data consumers
- Wireless broadband network to be built on LTE-Advanced standard
- Commits to multi-billion dollar investment; tens of thousands of jobs
- Proven track record of delivering competitive, disruptive technology

DISH has submitted its comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding wireless spectrum licensed by the Colorado-based pay-TV provider.

The question before the FCC is whether to change the current rules governing the so-called "Mobile-Satellite Service" spectrum so that it can be more efficiently used to deliver mobile wireless services for data, voice and video applications into the mass market.

"We're optimistic that the FCC can complete its rulemaking by the end of the summer," said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of DISH. "Unleashing additional spectrum for wireless broadband is one of the highest stated priorities of the Obama administration and the FCC. We're prepared to help meet the challenge as soon as reasonable modifications to the rules are approved."

Last year, DISH invested $3 billion to take control of 40 MHz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band. This spectrum remains largely unused due to the uncompetitive requirements currently in place.

The FCC has estimated that demand for mobile data -- the type consumed by smart phones, tablets and computers -- will "grow between 25 and 50 times" its 2010 levels by 2015.

In its comments to the Commission, DISH emphasized the following key points regarding its timing, investment and job creation opportunities:

MEETING THE SPECTRUM CRUNCH: "DISH's planned entry into the wireless market could not come at a better time for American consumers. America's need for more competitive mobile broadband services, and for spectrum required to sustain and grow these services, will increase exponentially during the next several years."

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE: "The Commission's proposal to modify DISH's license represents an important step toward putting 40 MHz of wireless broadband spectrum to use for American consumers as quickly as possible. It is critical, however, that the Commission acts expeditiously so that the spectrum can actually be utilized by new competitive services."

DEPLOYING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: "DISH will take advantage of LTE-Advanced, the most advanced wireless technology available, without being captive to a 'legacy' technology. If the Commission acts quickly, DISH is poised to enter the market at a time when mobile broadband technology is leaping to significantly superior capabilities."

INVESTING IN JOB CREATION: "To deploy and operate a full-fledged terrestrial broadband wireless network, DISH is prepared to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure and employ tens of thousands of Americans."

PROVEN TRACK RECORD: "DISH has a long history of implementing innovative approaches to its businesses and acting as a disruptive, dynamic force that promotes vibrant, competitive markets. DISH is ready to bring this same competitive energy to the mobile broadband marketplace."

[teecee1]

MVNO Voyager Mobile launches unlimited $19 and $39 plans
May 21, 2012 — 10:46am ET | By Phil Goldstein

After a brief delay, MVNO Voyager Mobile unveiled its service, becoming the latest in a string of MVNOs catering to niches of the wireless market that are looking for a cheap service that is different from traditional wireless offerings.


Voyager offers a range of phones,
including the Samsung Galaxy S II
with WiMAX capability for $549.

http://www.voyagermobile.com/

Voyager, the brainchild of John Mardini, a 22-year-old entrepreneur and New York University student, runs on Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) CDMA EV-DO network and Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network. Voyager offers no-contract plans starting at $19 per month (plus tax) for unlimited voice and texting and $39 per month (plus tax) for unlimited voice, texting and data.

Like many no-contract MVNOs, Voyager customers must pay the full, unsubsidized cost for handsets. The MVNO offers everything from a Samsung M370 flip phone for $119 to an LG Optimus S for $219 all the way up to the Samsung Galaxy S II with WiMAX capability for $549.

Interestingly, Voyager also plans to offer a rewards program that gives customers points based on how many voice minutes they use per month. However, according to Voyager's website, that feature is not yet available. The firm also promises to launch USB modems, mobile hotspots and tablets, as well as a wireless management portal.

Voyager's launch was delayed last week because of a "malicious network attack" on the company's site.

Voyager joins the likes of Ting and Republic Wireless, which also use Sprint's network, as well as FreeedomPop, which is making use of Clearwire's network, as MVNOs trying to break the mold of traditional wireless carriers.

[teecee1]

International smartphones vendors worried about insufficient LTE chip supply
Daniel Shen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 22 May 2012]

In view of larger than originally expected demand for LTE (Long Term Evolution) smartphones, international vendors including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and HTC have been worried that their shipments are not enough to meet demand due to short supply of LTE solution chips by Qualcomm, the only provider of LTE chips currently, according to Taiwan-based smartphone supply chain makers.

Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel in the US market, SK Telecom and KT in the South Korea market as well as NTT DoCoMo in the Japan market are globally the main mobile telecom carriers to promote LTE services. Global demand for LTE smartphones in 2012 is estimated at 60-70 million units.

Qualcomm's short supply of LTE chips is because of insufficient 28nm foundry capacities and the shortage of LTE chips will not be eased until the fourth quarter of 2012, the sources pointed out.

There are 72 commercialized LTE networks in 37 countries around the world at present and there expected to be 134 ones in 57 countries at the end of 2012, the sources cited Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) as indicating. Samsung was the largest vendor of LTE smartphones in the first quarter of 2012 with a global market share of 57%, followed by Motorola Mobility with 17% and LG with 13%.

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
27.00%



Number of Institutions 192

... ... gestriger stand 23% und 183 glaub ich ... weis aber nicht mit welcher verzögerung die daten veröffentlicht werden.

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Sprint Accelerates Discovery and Development of New Mobile Technology

Start-ups, venture capitalists, trade organizations and wireless business partners collaborate with Sprint to drive innovation

Sprint CTO Stephen Bye is speaking today at the Alcatel-Lucent Technology Symposium, “Innovating at the Speed of Ideas,” in Silicon Valley

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 1 hour 46 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

While Sprint (NYSE:S - News) customers are reaping the benefits of unlimited data using the industry’s best smartphones, Sprint is carefully nurturing the next wave of innovations in mobile products, services and technology. ...

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Metrum, Tollgrade and Sprint Make the Smart Grid Smarter

M2M technology provides utilities with automated monitoring and data collection

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – Mon, May 21, 2012 9:00 AM EDT

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S - News) today announced agreements with Metrum Technologies, LLC and Tollgrade Communications, Inc. that will help electric utilities improve the efficiency of distribution and management systems, essentially making the smart grid smarter. Metrum’s entire line of smart meters is now available with Sprint wireless connectivity. Tollgrade will offer Medium Voltage (MV) sensors with Sprint wireless connectivity by June 2012. The sensors provide fault detection and location, asset management, load monitoring and power quality information for utilities in urban and rural locations. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.197.666 von teecee1 am 22.05.12 17:50:34

Clearwire Retail Ambitions Not Dead After All
Company Confirms Eventual LTE-Based Retail Product
by Karl Bode yesterday

In 2011 an anonymous source told the Wall Street Journal their retail efforts were dead and that the company planned to solely focus on wholesale. Those efforts appeared to be confirmed by a significant closure in retail locations and the elimination of retail brand marketing, followed by Clearwire's elimination of their short-lived "Rover" trendy prepaid brand. However, Clearwire is now claiming that their retail ambitions are not dead after all, given new life by recent Sprint cash infusions. "The retail business is alive and well," insists Clearwire's Dow Draper, who says the company has rekindled some advertising and is seeing "phenomenal" retail uptake. "When it makes sense to add LTE to the retail mix, we'll do that," Draper says.

Wednesday, 30-May 11:31:43

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
28.80%



Number of Institutions 197

[teecee1]

29.05.2012 | 16:05
Business Wire

Sprint Nextel Reaches $1 Billion Credit Agreement for Equipment Financing

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) announced today that it has entered into a new $1 billion credit facility with Deutsche Bank and a syndicate of other banks to finance equipment purchases from Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) for Network Vision. The borrowers under the secured credit facility are all of Sprint's subsidiaries that currently guarantee Sprint's revolving bank credit facility, and the obligations will be secured by a lien on the equipment purchased from Ericsson in connection with Network Vision and guaranteed by Sprint.

The secured credit facility expires in March 2017 and benefits from a cost of funding of approximately 6 percent provided by AB Svensk Exportkredit and comprehensive insurance cover from EKN, the Swedish Export Credit Agency. Deutsche Bank acted as one of the Mandated Lead Arrangers and as Facility Agent.

The covenants under the secured credit facility are similar to those of Sprint's revolving bank credit facility and those of the guaranteed Notes due 2018 and the guaranteed Notes due 2020. ...

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29.05.2012 | 17:03
Business Wire ·

Sprint to cease service on its iDEN network as early as June 30, 2013; Company continues to facilitate migration of iDEN customers to Sprint Direct Connect Service

Sprint today announced plans to transition business and government customers from its iDEN (2G) Nextel National Network onto Sprint® Direct Connect® -- its next-generation, push to talk service, which operates on Sprint's 3G CDMA network. Sprint also announced that it plans to cease service on the iDEN Nextel National Network as early as June 30, 2013 as part of its Network Vision plan -- a series of network updates designed to offer next generation network capabilities to customers.

Sprint will send written notices to business and government customers beginning June 1, 2012 regarding the iDEN Nextel National Network shutdown. The company will continue to notify customers of favorable offers designed to facilitate a smooth migration to Sprint® Direct Connect®. Additional notices are planned for distribution to the iDEN base multiple times over the next year as the shutdown of the iDEN Nextel National Network becomes more imminent.

Sprint launched Sprint Direct Connect, the industry's newest PTT gold standard, in October of last year. The service provides broadband data capabilities, familiar push-to-talk features, and rugged and reliable handset options. Sprint Direct Connect coverage is expected to broaden throughout 2012.

Over the past eight months, Sprint has announced four rugged Sprint Direct Connect handsets catering to push-to-talk users including the Kyocera DuraMax, Kyocera DuraCore, Kyocera DuraPlus and the Motorola Admiral™. Last month, Sprint made International Direct Connect? available on its Sprint Direct Connect devices, expanding the reach of push to talk capabilities to and from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile.

Network Vision represents a nationwide update of the Sprint network using the newest, most-advanced equipment in the industry. Sprint plans to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers.

Network Vision is expected to add net economic value for Sprint from reduced roaming costs, cell site reduction, backhaul efficiencies, more efficient use of capital, and energy costs savings. Sprint anticipates that iDEN Nextel National Network push to talk functionality will become inoperable as early as June 30, 2013; however, Sprint CDMA voice and data services on PowerSource devices (dual mode iDEN and CDMA devices) will still be available. The company has already discontinued selling iDEN devices in certain channels. It will discontinue selling iDEN devices in all channels and all brands carrying iDEN Nextel products over the next several months. Sprint will continue to support customers with iDEN devices during the network transition and will work with those customers to ease their transition to Sprint's CDMA service. ...

... ... zwei sachen die nicht wirklich zusammen passen ... da ist eine große lücke ... die evtl. von clearwire ausgefüllt wird ... ?

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.156.210 von teecee1 am 12.05.12 09:42:51

Cisco Mobiler Datenverkehr steigt um das 21fache

Datum: 31.5.2012, 12:07
Autor: Achim Sawall

Der mobile Datenverkehr wird in Deutschland von 2011 bis 2016 um das 21fache von monatlich 18 auf 394 Petabyte steigen. Das hat der Netzwerkausrüster Cisco errechnet.

Im Jahr 2016 wird in Deutschland der Datenverkehr auf ein Volumen von 68 Exabyte steigen, im Vergleich zu 19 Exabyte im vergangenen Jahr. Der mobile Datenverkehr wird hierzulande von 2011 bis 2016 um das 21fache von monatlich 18 auf 394 Petabyte steigen. Das geht aus dem Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) 2011-2016 hervor, den der weltgrößte Netzwerkausrüster am 30. Mai 2012 veröffentlichte. Damit wächst die mobile Datennutzung dreimal so schnell wie der Traffic über feste Leitungen.

Der Anteil der Videoübertragungen erhöht sich von 44 auf 63 Prozent. Während in Deutschland 2011 jeder Einwohner über drei internetfähige Geräte verfügte, sollen es 2016 fünf sein. Pro Einwohner würden dann monatlich 73 GByte über IP-Netze übertragen. Die durchschnittliche schnelle Anbindung in Deutschland erhöht sich von einer Datenübertragungsrate von 13 auf 49 MBit/s.

Die Studie erfasst Internet, verwalteter IP-Netzwerke und mobiler Datenverbindungen.

Der globale IP-Datenverkehr wird demnach 2016 mit einem Volumen von 1,3 Zettabyte pro Jahr beziehungsweise 110 Exabyte pro Monat den Wert von 31 Exabyte pro Monat im Jahr 2011 um das fast das Vierfache übersteigen. Ein Zettabyte entspricht einer Trilliarde Byte beziehungsweise einer Billion Gigabyte. Für den globalen IP-Datenverkehr wird nur für den Zeitraum von 2015 bis 2016 ein Anstieg von mehr als 330 Exabyte erwartet. Dies entspricht bereits annähernd dem Gesamtvolumen des globalen IP-Datenverkehrs im Jahr 2011 mit 369 Exabyte.

Der durchschnittliche globale IP-Datenverkehr wird im Jahr 2016 voraussichtlich 150 Petabyte pro Stunde erreichen.

Durch mehr Tablets, Smartphone und durch Machine-to-Machine-Verbindungen erhöhe sich der Bedarf an Datenübertragungskapazität. Bis 2016 werden fast 18,9 Milliarden Geräte mit dem Internet verbunden sein, im Vergleich zu 10,3 Milliarden Netzwerkverbindungen im Jahr 2011.

... ein Jahr älter die Studie ... 2010-2015



März 2012
Report for Information Week. LTE: Huge Technology, Huge Challenges
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

01.06.2012
LTE: Mobiler Highspeed-Rausch mit Hindernissen

Mobilfunk: Long Term Evolution (LTE) soll die nächste Stufe auf dem Weg zur mobilen Gigabyte-Gesellschaft einläuten. Doch im Gegensatz zu Asien und den USA verläuft die Nachfrage in Deutschland bisher schleppend – was nicht nur am Wirrwarr um die Frequenzen liegt.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 1. 6. 12, rb

Vodafone gibt Vollgas: Schon auf der Startseite ihres Internetauftritts trommeln die Düsseldorfer für das LTE-Netz, das „immer und überall verfügbar“ sein soll – „turboschnell und ohne DSL“. Tatsächlich begann das Unternehmen schon zur CeBIT 2012 mit der aktiven Vermarktung LTE-fähiger Smartphones, während sich die Konkurrenz zunächst mit dem Verkauf von Datensticks und Routern begnügte, die vor allem die toten Winkel der Republik bedienen sollten, die bisher vom Breitbandinternet abgehängt waren. In Kürze will Vodafone in einigen Großstädten mobile Datenraten bis zu 100 Mbit/s anbieten – 50 % mehr als bisher.

Möglich machen das Highspeed-Plus die neu nutzbaren Frequenzen um 2,6 GHz, während man sich bisher wegen der von der Bundesnetzagentur festgelegten Versorgungspflichten in ländlichen Regionen auf den 800-MHz-Bereich konzentrierte. „In den Bundesländern, in denen die Bewohner schneller das breitbandige LTE-Internet nutzen können, wird Vodafone auch LTE in den Städten anbieten“, berichtet Dirk Ellenbeck, Leiter Kommunikation Technik & Innovationen bei Vodafone.

Der Konkurrent Deutsche Telekom, der eine eigene Website für den Datenschnelldienst freischalten ließ (www.lte-city.de), trommelte kürzlich auf mehreren Veranstaltungen für den Turbo-Start in Hamburg, Leipzig, München und Bonn, wo per Surf-Stick, Tablet oder Notebook im Frequenzbereich um 1,8 GHz ebenfalls bis zu 100 Mbit/s möglich sein sollen. Berlin ist dann im Juni dran. „2012 wird das LTE-Jahr“, prophezeit Telekom-Technikchef Bruno Jacobfeuerborn.

Ab Anfang 2013 wollen die Bonner die LTE-Nutzung sogar in Verbindung mit Prepaid-Tarifen anbieten, voraussichtlich ein Jahr später soll dann auch die IP-basierte Sprachübertragung möglich sein, wie aus einem internen Papier hervorgeht.

Es herrscht also Aufbruchsstimmung in der Branche – doch in den Köpfen vieler Verbraucher ist der Mobilfunk der vierten Generation (4G) noch nicht angekommen. Zwar könnten nach einer Umfrage des Hightechverbandes Bitkom bereits 14 Mio. deutsche Haushalte den neuen Mobilfunkstandard nutzen, nachdem über 3000 entsprechende Basisstationen in Betrieb genommen wurden. Aber nicht mal 200 000 Kunden nutzen die neue Technologie, obwohl nach der Versorgung des ländlichen Raums immer mehr Metropolen an das 4G-Netz angedockt werden und der Bitkom unlängst in einer Mitteilung frohlockte: „Bis Ende dieses Jahres wird LTE in rund 300 Städten verfügbar sein und die bestehende Breitbandversorgung erheblich verbessern.“

Dass der kommerzielle Durchbruch auf sich warten lässt, mag zum einen daran liegen, dass die verfügbare LTE-Hardware bisher nur auf bestimmten Frequenzen funkt und damit nicht mit jedem Netz kompatibel ist. Von der internationalen Nutzung ganz zu schweigen, die gerade für viel reisende Businesskunden bedeutsam ist. So kassierte beispielsweise Apple das werbewirksame Luxus-Feature 4G für das neue iPad unauffällig wieder ein, als kritisiert wurde, dass sich der Tablet-Star nur in die nordamerikanischen LTE-Netze einbuchen kann. Nun wird die Mobilfunkvariante des Tablets schlicht mit dem unverbindlichen Zusatz „Cellular“ beworben.

Ein großes Hemmnis sind aber zweifellos auch die happigen Gebührenaufschläge, mit denen sich die deutschen Carrier den Einstieg in die Technologie honorieren lassen, wenn man mit dem Laptop oder Tablet online gehen möchte (s. Tabelle). Ist das im jeweiligen Tarif inkludierte Datenvolumen verbraucht, wird bei Vodafone oder Telekom gnadenlos auf 64 kbit/s heruntergeregelt – und die vielspurige Datenautobahn zum holprigen Feldweg.

Die Telefónica-Marke O2 will erst Anfang Juli mit Paketen für die mobile LTE-Nutzung an den Start gehen es besteht aber wenig Hoffnung, dass die Konditionen erheblich besser sein werden. Vorerst ganz aus dem Highspeed-Rennen verabschiedet hat sich die KPN-Tochter E-Plus. „Für uns steht erst einmal HSPA+ mit Datenraten bis 21,6 Mbit/s im Fokus“, betont Pressesprecher Klaus Schulze-Löwenberg. „Der Start von LTE wird erst erfolgen, wenn ein entsprechender Kundenbedarf und ausreichend Endgeräte zu massenmarktfähigen Preisen vorhanden sind.“

Das kann dauern. Zwar erwartet die Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), ein Zusammenschluss von Han-dyherstellern und Netzausrüstern, dass 2012 weltweit 347 neue LTE-Smartphone-Modelle in den Handel kommen, doch der Löwenanteil ist für die Märkte in den USA und Asien bestimmt, in denen der schnelle Datenstandard längst zum Höhenflug angesetzt hat: Allein der japanische Netzbetreiber NTT Docomo konnte im ersten Quartal dieses Jahres rund 400 000 LTE-Handsets absetzen.

In Deutschland wird aber schon beim wichtigen Ausbau der Breitbandnetze von Behördenseite gebremst. „Derzeit liegen mehrere Tausend Anträge zur Genehmigung von Richtfunkstrecken bei der Bundesnetzagentur, die wegen Personalmangels nicht fristgerecht bearbeitet werden können“, kritisiert der Geschäftsführer des Verbandes der Anbieter von Telekommunikations- und Mehrwertdiensten (VATM), Jürgen Grützner. „Hier muss endlich gehandelt werden!“ FRANK ERDLE

Mobile LTE-Tarife in Deutschland

- Bisher bieten nur die Telekom und Vodafone Tarife für die Nutzung des Datenturbos mit USB-Stick, Tablet oder Smartphone an. Die Preise sind hoch, und die beworbenen Übertragungsraten von 50 Mbit/s stehen noch längst nicht überall zur Verfügung. Außerdem wird nach dem Verbrauch des tariflich festgelegten Datenvolumens auf 64 kbit/s heruntergebremst. (s. Tabelle auf dieser Seite) fe

[teecee1]

... ... Sirios, Crest, ...

Crest takes Clearwire stake, eyes board changes

NEW YORK | Fri Jun 1, 2012 5:18pm EDT

(Reuters) - Crest Financial Ltd said on Friday it has taken a 5.9 percent stake in wireless service provider Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O), and hoped to discuss additions to the company's board.

The stake would make Crest, a Houston, Texas-based entity, one of the biggest minority shareholders in Clearwire, according to Reuters data. Crest reported the stake in a filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In the filing, Crest said it believes that Clearwire, which is majority owned by Sprint Nextel (S.N), is undervalued at current levels. Clearwire shares closed down 5 cents or 4 percent at $1.55 on Nasdaq. ... ... $1.15

Crest said it wants to have discussions with Clearwire about its strategy and would also discuss the possibility of Crest nominating directors to the Clearwire board. But it said that no agreements had been made with the company so far.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew)

... ... 493M free float auf 415M, Umwandlung von A in B Anteile ...424B7 ... + 182,877,154 A Shares ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.241.517 von teecee1 am 02.06.12 08:24:36

Clearwire Shares Climb After Crest Financial Buys Stake
By Scott Moritz - Jun 4, 2012 4:04 PM GMT+0200

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the unprofitable company building a high-speed wireless network across the U.S., rose the most in almost two weeks after Crest Financial bought a 7.9 percent stake and said the shares are undervalued.

Crest Financial may seek to add directors to the board, though it has no agreement with Clearwire yet, the Houston-based investment firm said in a filing on June 1.

Clearwire shares rose 4.8 percent to $1.21 at 9:45 a.m. in New York. The stock climbed as much as 6.5 percent earlier in the session, marking the biggest intraday gain since May 22.

The rally follows a 40 percent decline in the stock price this year, dragged down by concerns that the company doesn’t have enough money to build out its network. It had $1.4 billion in cash and short-term investments as of March 31, an amount that isn’t sufficient to fund cash-flow shortfalls and interest expense through 2013, according to Dave Novosel, a senior bond analyst at Gimme Credit LLC in Chicago.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, is an investor in Clearwire and relies on the company’s network. Sprint holds a 50 percent financial interest and a 47.1 percent voting interest in Clearwire.

Susan Johnston, a spokeswoman for Bellevue, Washington- based Clearwire, wasn’t immediately available for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]

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04.06.2012 | 14:15

Business Wire ·

Boost Mobile Delivers on Consumers' Wish for the Speed of 4G Without a Contract and With Shrinking Payments

New marketing campaign demonstrates Boost's continued commitment to customers

Boost Mobile, ranked Highest in Purchase Experience among Non-Contract Wireless Providers by J.D. Power and Associates1, continues to act as a wireless ally and listen to consumers' wireless frustrations. Boost Mobile will now grant their wishes for affordable 4G with the help of the 4Genie by bringing the speed of 4G (WiMAX) with $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinking Payments to consumers.



Boost Mobile's 4Genie is brought to life by actor and comedian Faizon Love
(Photo: Business Wire)

Boost Mobile's 4Genie is brought to life by actor and comedian Faizon Love, best known for his performances in "Elf," "Couples Retreat" and "Zookeeper." Beginning today, Faizon Love as the 4Genie will be featured in national TV commercials granting consumers' wishes for affordable 4G. ...

"Fries" – the first of three national TV spots – begins airing today, showing a woman lamenting to her friend that her antiquated phone is too slow; she wishes that 4G was not so expensive. Upon wishing, Boost Mobile's 4Genie appears and grants the woman's wish with a new phone and "monthly unlimited with 4G for as low as $40 a month." The TV spots are directed by renowned comedic director Clay Weiner and will air on more than 20 networks and cable TV stations, including ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, ESPN and TBS.

A key part of the campaign will be the "Wish Fulfillment Center," which will launch as an app on Boost Mobile's Facebook page on June 11. At the Wish Fulfillment Center, consumers can select a wish or enter their own, and a 4Genie will reply with a customized-video response. In addition, the campaign will include out of home advertising reinforcing that Boost Mobile is making consumers' 4G wishes come true. ...

The campaign will feature the recently launched HTC EVO Design 4G™, a member of the award-winning EVO family. This robust Android smartphone will operate on Sprint's 3G and 4G (WiMAX) networks, bringing 4G speeds to Boost Mobile customers in 71 markets across the country with average upload speeds between 3-6 Mbps with bursts of more than 10 Mbps. ...

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Sprint Introduces “Unlimited Love Unlimited EVO” Ad Campaign to Launch HTC EVO 4G LTE Smartphone
Business Wire (Mon 10:00AM EDT)

Samsung Galaxy S III Comes to Sprint, the Only Wireless Carrier to Offer the Device with Unlimited Data Pricing Plans and Google Wallet Pre-Loaded, on June 21
Business Wire (Mon 9:10AM EDT)

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This Just In: Upgrades and Downgrades
By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool
Posted 10:48AM 06/04/12

At The Motley Fool, we poke plenty of fun at Wall Street analysts and their endless cycle of upgrades, downgrades, and "initiating coverage at neutral." Today, we'll show you whether those bigwigs actually know what they're talking about. To help, we've enlisted Motley Fool CAPS to track the long-term performance of Wall Street's best and worst.

And speaking of the worst...
On a miserable day for the markets Friday, at least some investors got good news, when Sprint Nextel (NYS: S) shareholders received word of an upgrade from JPMorgan. Citing a series of factors working in Sprint's favor, the international megabanker upgraded Sprint shares from neutral to "overweight."

Why? According to JP, Sprint is making good progress with its launch of LTE, fourth-generation cellular capability, and plans to expand to six more cities by "mid-2012." (Isn't it already mid-2012)? The company's also pushed through a $10 monthly fee increase on its all-you-can-eat data plan for smartphones. (That happened last year.) Based on these projections, JP sees Sprint booking about $35 billion in revenue this year, and earning just over $3.9 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA.

Here be dragons
But that's just the thing. What worries me about Sprint isn't its earnings ... BITDA. It's the "BITDA" part itself that concerns me. Look past JP's happy talk, and the facts surrounding Sprint look quite a bit grimmer than JP suggests. For example, Sprint labors under a massive debt load of $14.7 billion (net of cash), or nearly twice its own market cap. This adds up to more than $1 billion in interest charges Sprint must pay, even with today's ultra-low interest rate environment.

Depreciation and amortization charges are even more significant (more than $4 billion a year). Combined, "BITDA" costs are keeping Sprint from earning any net profits today. Indeed, most analysts will tell you they foresee little chance of Sprint breaking even before 2015. Meanwhile, JP itself admits that ARPU, or average revenue per user, is low at Sprint, even after the hike in data plan rates.

Is Sprint as bad as it looks, or as good as JPMorgan makes it sound?
I don't mean to sound all doomy and gloomy about Sprint. The company's not all bad. For example, while net profits have gone missing (along with the dividend), Sprint does generate free cash flow (albeit not at the levels of years past). Despite continued cash infusions to the black-hole money-pit that is Sprint partner Clearwire (NAS: CLWR) , Sprint's own free cash flow over the past 12 months still amounted to $481 million.

The problem, though, is that once you factor Sprint's massive debt load into the picture, this results in an enterprise-value-to-free-cash-flow ratio of more than 46 times on Sprint stock. By way of comparison, rival AT&T (NYS: T) costs only about 18 times free cash flow, while Verizon (NYS: VZ) sells for the comparatively modest sum of 14 times FCF.

More happy talk from JP
Speaking of which, the final reason JPMorgan believes Sprint will surprise us is because "a modest glut of facilities-based carriers and an untold number of off-brand virtual operators in the market" will give way to consolidation in the industry. If JP's right, this would reduce competition among the remaining players, and give greater pricing power to all of them -- Sprint included.

To which my only response can be: "Is JPMorgan serious? Do these guys even read the papers?" I mean, the U.S. government just finished stomping all over the last big telco consolidation move, when it quashed AT&T's attempt to merge with T-Mobile. And considering how big the major players -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint -- are today, it's hard to see feds allowing any other big merger ideas among the survivors. Meanwhile, mergers with smaller players seem unlikely to move the needle much for anybody.

On the contrary, those smaller players appear to be ramping up the competition, as we saw last week with Leap Wireless' (NAS: LEAP) decision to market a prepaid iPhone. This bodes ill for Sprint, which bet big on the iPhone last year, and now faces a small-fry trying to undercut it on price and convenience.

Foolish final thought
Long story short, with too much debt and too high a share price, no earnings and weak free cash flow, Sprint has its work cut out for it if it's to prove JPMorgan right.

Could it succeed? Could JPMorgan be right to recommend the stock? I honestly don't think so -- partly because the numbers just don't work for me, and partly because JPMorgan itself has a record of only getting it right on its telecom stock picks about 33% of the time. (To see how we came to this conclusion, click here to see a detailed rundown of JPMorgan's record.)

Instead of buying Sprint, I think you're better off investing in another stock positioned to capitalize on the next trillion-dollar revolution in mobile. In this special report, which you can download for free today, we outline a hidden component in mobile devices that is being found in an increasing number of mobile devices. The company behind it has already grown to be a leader in one market it serves, and now looks to become a dominant force in mobile. Click here to grab your copy today!

[teecee1]

June 5, 2012, 9:00 a.m. EDT
Clearwire Builds on Wholesale Momentum With Jolt Mobile Agreement

Jun 5, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --

-- Clearwire's 4G Mobile Broadband Network to Power Jolt Mobile's Pay-As-You-Go Service
-- Companies Expect to Pursue Agreement to Include LTE Capability In the Future


BELLEVUE, Wash. and LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation CLWR +0.42% , a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., and Jolt Mobile Inc., a full service prepaid wireless solution provider, today announced a wholesale agreement that will enable Jolt Mobile to offer its customers high-speed mobile broadband service using Clearwire's 4G network.

"Clearwire's wholesale 4G services can benefit a broad range of providers including national and regional operators, MVNOs, and non-traditional entrants, to serve a diverse range of customers and product options," said Don Stroberg, senior vice president of strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "Clearwire's 4G network is a great fit for Jolt, enabling them to add 4G mobile data plans to their prepaid service portfolio. We're thrilled to continue building momentum as the premier wholesale provider of 4G capacity to carriers in the U.S."

Jolt Mobile offers no-contract pre-paid and pay-as-you-go wireless plans that enable its customers -- consisting mainly of ethnic communities, students and seniors -- to affordably connect with family and friends nationwide and throughout the world. Under its agreement with Clearwire, Jolt Mobile customers will have the option to add 4G mobile broadband service on Clearwire's 4G network to their plans.

"With this agreement, Jolt Mobile customers can have 4G data plans that give them access to the Internet at home, at work, and on the go," said Avi Yroshalmaine, president of Jolt Mobile. "By partnering with Clearwire we aim to give our customers a compelling 4G alternative to higher-priced carriers."

Clearwire is constructing a next-generation 4G LTE Advanced-ready network to address the capacity needs of carriers in urban markets where demand for mobile broadband is high. As Clearwire's LTE network comes online, Jolt Mobile and Clearwire expect to pursue an agreement to offer users even faster speeds on this network. ...

About Jolt Mobile, Inc.



Jolt Mobile, Inc., a subsidiary of NET, Inc., is a pay-as-you-go service. They make it easier for retailers to activate new SIM cards and refill them. With Jolt Mobile, Inc. customers enjoy direct International dialing, making it easier to stay in contact with friends and family all over the world without having to worry about being charged outrageous rates. Additional information is available at http://www.joltmobile.com. ...

[teecee1]

Ericsson says 4G mobile networks to cover half the world by 2017

STOCKHOLM, June 5 | Tue Jun 5, 2012 12:29pm EDT

(Reuters) - Half the world will have access to 4G mobile networks by 2017 providing the high-speed Internet access needed to download videos and play games on smartphones, Ericsson said in a report on the telecoms market on Tuesday.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericsson_images/sets/7215763005…

Traffic and Market Report June 2012

A huge surge in data traffic has driven demand for high capacity networks as people on-the-go use smartphones like Apple's iPhone to surf the net.

Data traffic, particularly video, is expected to grow 15-fold by 2017, the world's top mobile network equipment maker said in the annual report.

While Ericsson said it expects 3G to remain the main technology for years to come, it reckons the demand for high-speed Internet access means operators will have to build new 4G networks to cope.

By 2017, around 50 percent of the world's population will have access to a 4G network - a technology in which Ericsson has a dominant market share - up from around 5 percent in 2011.

"This revolution is driven by smartphones, by video, by cloud-based services, the Internet and end-to-end connectivity," Johan Wiberg, head of Ericsson's networks unit, said after publication of the report.

Ericsson has a market share of more than 60 percent in LTE against a share of around 38 percent overall in the mobile equipment market.

Operators in North America have already started building fourth-generation, or LTE networks, and countries like Korea and Japan are expected to be early adopters of the technology.

But mobile equipment firms are hoping that operators in Europe and other regions will also soon start to pour money into 4G networks as their 3G networks become overloaded with data traffic.

Ericsson said it expects smartphone subscriptions to rise to around 3 billion in five years from around 700,000 in 2011.

Nearly 40 percent of all mobile phones sold in the first quarter were smartphones, though only 10-15 percent of phones currently in use have PC-like functions, Ericsson said.

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Boost Mobile Spot - 0:33

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.241.517 von teecee1 am 02.06.12 08:24:36

A Clearwire Update: New Customers, Investors, And Drama At The SEC
June 7, 2012

Few companies spend as much time in the press spotlight as Clearwire (CLWR). And much of the time, it has nothing to do with product/service announcements, or even quarterly results. Clearwire, by virtue of its position in the American wireless marketplace and its complex relationship with Sprint (S), has an outsized amount of press coverage. There have been several recent developments involving Clearwire that we feel should be telegraphed to readers.

New Customers

Clearwire's vast spectrum holdings allow the company to offer a multitude of partners access to wholesale wireless services for much cheaper than it would cost to build them to build their own network. Aside from Sprint, the company has inked deals with companies that include Leap Wireless (LEAP), FreedomPop, and Simplexity. And on June 5, Clearwire inked another wholesale deal with Jolt, a prepaid wireless subsidiary of NET. On its own, that deal, while a positive, does not have huge implications for Clearwire. What does have huge implications for Clearwire is who was Jolt's previous wholesale partner: LightSquared. Jolt is just one of the many companies that signed deals with LightSquared, only to see them collapse when LightSquared was blocked by the FCC from launching its network and filed for bankruptcy. For months, LightSquared was seen as a threat to Clearwire because of that company's potential to steal customers from Clearwire. With LightSquared now in bankruptcy, that threat has passed. In addition to Jolt, Leap, FreedomPop, and Simplexity were also LightSquared customers, and in the coming months, it is very likely that Clearwire will ink deals with more and more of LightSquared's old customers in need of wholesale wireless services. Other major LightSquared customers likely to be added include Sharp, C Spire, and Best Buy (BBY). These deals show that Clearwire can gradually diversify its revenue base away from Sprint, and we look forward to the next earnings conference call to hear more color on Clearwire's plans to sign up more customers.

Investors

It would be wise not to forget that there are other investors in Clearwire besides Sprint. Crest Financial is one of those investors, and it has niw become one of Clearwire's largest minority investors, with a stake of 7.88%. Various media reports have said that Crest had taken a stake of 5.9%, but Crest has officially refuted those reports, and put out a press release stating that it has been an investor in Clearwire since 2004, and that its stake was in fact 7.88% as of May 31, 2012, and not 5.9%. In a recent SEC filing disclosing a boost to its stake, Crest stated that it believes that shares of Clearwire are undervalued, and that it wants to discuss adding directors to Clearwire's board, as well as discuss the company's overall strategy.

The fact that Crest's investment has been brought to the spotlight is a positive one not only because it shows Crest's long-term commitment to Clearwire. It is positive because Crest could nudge Clearwire to consider spectrum sales more quickly than it would otherwise. Clearwire's management team, from CEO Erik Prusch on down, has been extremely coy in regards to spectrum sales, and a push by Crest to rethink their position could prove to be a catalyst for the stock.

Drama at the SEC

Clearwire has also been the subject of some drama regarding a specific filing the company made with the SEC on May 29. That filing was a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424, which requires companies to file supplement prospectuses with the SEC if there have been material changes that investors should be made aware of.

On the surface, that filing made it seem that Sprint was slashing its stake in Clearwire from 58.9% to 6.5%. If that were true, that would certainly be an important event, as it could pave the way for Clearwire to be acquired. However, the true meaning of this filing is much more mundane, and we clarify it below.

The May 29 filing is an update to a Cleariwre prospectus dated December 21, 2009 in which the company offers to sell over 836 million Class A shares. In that 2009 prospectus, Sprint HoldCo (the shell company through which Sprint holds its Clearwire shares) is listed as offering up to 524,732,533 of its shares.



On the surface, this makes it seem as if Sprint had disposed of its entire stake in Clearwire in 2009, something we know is not the case. Similar figures appear in the May 29, 2012 update to that prospectus.



It is important to remember that these filings do not state outright that the holders listed will be cashing out of Clearwire. As stated in the May 29 filing, "the selling stockholders from time to time may offer and sell the shares held by them directly or through agents or broker-dealers on terms to be determined at the time of sale, as described in more detail in the prospectus." This filing does not state that Sprint, or any other holder will be selling their entire stakes [although Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) will likely be selling at some point this year, due to their deals with Verizon (VZ)].

We have received multiple messages from readers concerning this May 29 filing, for if Sprint sells its Clearwire stake, it would be much easier to takeover the company. But Sprint is unlikely to sell. Its 4G strategy is too intertwined with Clearwire to lose control of its wholesale partner. Sprint needs access to Clearwire's spectrum, and selling its stake could put that access in jeopardy. Could Sprint unwind its Clearwire stake in the future? Of course. But we feel that for such an event to occur, Sprint would have to first outline a comprehensive 4G strategy that does not involve Clearwire, and that would be a long and complex process. In addition, with AT&T (T) and Verizon looking to buy up as much spectrum as they can, Sprint needs to cement its relationship with Clearwire, not end it. Sprint does not have the financial ability to compete on an equal footing with AT&T and Verizon in the open spectrum market, and therefore needs Clearwire. There may be a future where Sprint and Clearwire do not have the kind of relationship that they have today, but that future is likely at least a few years away.

Conclusions

We continue to be bullish on Clearwire, and have been accumulating shares in the past few days. Clearwire is signing more and more wholesale customers, and there are still many LightSquared customers left. The company's investor base, including Crest Financial, is slowly pushing the board to shake things up. In addition, Crest has stated that it views the shares as undervalued and has demonstrated its commitment to Clearwire by increasing its stake to almost 8% of the company. We think that the next year will be an important one for Clearwire, as the company continues to diversify its revenue base and slowly but surely strengthens its financials.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.268.895 von teecee1 am 10.06.12 20:09:56

Sprint says no longer Clearwire majority owner


A Sprint logo with a Manhattan skyline reflected in the window on the front door
of the Sprint store on New York City's West 42nd street December 13, 2004.
REUTERS/Mike Segar

NEW YORK | Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:49am EDT

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) said on Monday it no longer has a majority stake in Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) and as a result was able to increase its voting rights in the venture without risk of a default trigger on its own debt.

Last year Sprint, the biggest shareholder in Clearwire, reduced its voting shares in the company to below 50 percent in order to avoid any risk of a default trigger on its own debt at a time when Clearwire faced a possible loan default.

Because of recent equity that Clearwire issued, Sprint said its economic interest has declined to below 50 percent, giving it leeway to make its voting interest in line with its economic interest in Clearwire.

"Now that our economic interest has fallen below 50 percent, we are reclaiming our full voting rights so that our voting rights and economic rights are once again aligned," a Sprint spokesman, Scott Sloat, said.

Sprint shares were unchanged at $2.98, while Clearwire added 1 cent at $1.20.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
31.00%



Number of Institutions 197

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.271.745 von teecee1 am 11.06.12 19:07:17

Is Sprint Cold-Shouldering Clearwire?
By Saul Griffith

June 12 2012

Sprint (NYSE:S) distanced itself from troubled broadband provider Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) to avoid claims from the latter’s creditors in the event of its default on outstanding debt.

Last year Sprint ceded control of Clearwire’s board by giving up voting rights on its shares. Sprint followed up that move by under-subscribing to its rights in Clearwire’s December issue of capital to raise funding for its new LTE network build. Though new investors pumped in $402.5 million, Sprint ponied up only $331.4 million – and thereby also surrendered majority ownership in Clearwire.

With its holding well below 50 percent, Sprint has now reclaimed the voting rights it surrendered last year. Sprint spokesman Scott Sloat reportedly told Reuters: “Now that our economic interest has fallen below 50 percent, we are reclaiming our full voting rights so that our voting rights and economic rights are once again aligned.”

Even on the operational front, Sprint’s reliance on Clearwire’s WiMAX service and LTE broadband capacity could be diluted when Sprint floats its own LTE offering this coming summer and slowly turns down its use of WiMAX.

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Short Interest - 2012-JuneA

Clearwire Corporation Class A

Short Interest (Shares Short)
73,087,900

Short Interest - Prior
65,054,400

Sprint Nextel Corporation

Short Interest (Shares Short)
174,962,300

Short Interest - Prior
166,719,700

[teecee1]

11.06.2012 | 21:01

Business Wire ·
T-Mobile Says, "Thanks, Dad" with Free 4G Smartphones for Father's Day

For two days only, June 15–16, all of T-Mobile's 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free

To say thanks to dads for all they do, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will once again hold a special "Father's Day Sale." For two days only, Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16, all of T-Mobile's 4G smartphones and select broadband devices will be offered for free with qualifying plans.

T-Mobile has a history of creating great offers to celebrate Father's Day, and this year it's making it even easier and more affordable for dads and their families to stay connected. The Father's Day promotion includes T-Mobile's fastest 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices running on America's Largest 4G Network®, such as the HTC® One™ S 4G, Samsung Galaxy™ S® II 4G, Nokia Lumia 710, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and the T-Mobile® SpringBoard™ tablet with Google™. (... more here:)

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ZTE präsentiert weltweit die ersten TD-LTE-Produkte für den 1,4GHz-Frequenzbereich


Der chinesische Telekommunikationsanbieter ZTE präsentiert die weltweit ersten TD-LTE-Produkte für das Frequenzspektrum 1,4GHz auf den Markt gebracht. Zu den Neuheiten für den 1,4GHz-Frequenzbereich gehören Module, USB-Karten und Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) für den Innen- und Außenbereich.

(12.06.2012; 16:15) ZTE hatte Funktion und Leistung der 1,4GHz TD-LTE-Geräte im Rahmen des ersten, in China staatlich geförderten "Internet of Things" in Peking ausgiebig getestet. Die kommerziell verfügbaren Terminals eignen sich für ein breites Applikationsspektrum, darunter Straßenüberwachung, Systeme für medizinische und Gesundheitsdienste, intelligente Transportsysteme und Umweltschutz.

"Die von 1,4GHz TD-LTE-Geräten unterstützten Funktionen und Performance-Steigerungen bieten Mobilfunkbetreibern die Chance, neue Umsatzquellen zu erschließen", erklärt Wang Shouchen, Vice President von ZTE. "Im nächsten Schritt beabsichtigt ZTE, diese Technologie in weiteren Mobilfunknetzen rund um die Welt zu implementieren."

Am 17. Mai 2012 ging im südchinesischen Guangzhou ein mit ZTE-Technik errichtetes TD-LTE-Netz in Betrieb, das drahtlose Datenübertragung mit möglichen Geschwindigkeiten von bis zu 100 Megabit pro Sekunde bietet. Es eignet sich für Applikationen wie Transport- und Sicherheitsüberwachung, Hochgeschwindigkeits-Streaming von Medien, Videokonferenzschaltungen und Nachrichtenausstrahlung in Echtzeit.

"Für den Reifestatus einer Kommunikationstechnologie ist die Beteiligung von vier Parteien unverzichtbar: den Standardisierungsorganisationen, den Ausrüstungslieferanten, den Chipset- und Geräteanbietern sowie den Infrastruktur-Betreibern", so Wang Shouchen. "Die Beteiligung der Chipset- und Geräteindustrie ist besonders entscheidend. Das schnelle Entwicklungstempo der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie hat mit den neuen Möglichkeiten an Kommunikationsdiensten den Bedarf an enormen Bandbreiten geweckt. Die drahtlosen Hochgeschwindigkeitsverbindungen und die zunehmende Verfügbarkeit von 4G-Netzen bieten Betreibern, Unternehmen und dem öffentlichen Sektor die Chance, daraus große Vorteile zu ziehen."

Als einer der Vorreiter in der LTE-Technologie engagiert sich ZTE für den raschen Fortschritt im Bereich TD-LTE und brachte bereits 2011 als erster Ausrüster Lösungen für den 1,9GHz-Frequenzbereich auf den Markt.

ZTE hat 30 kommerzielle LTE-Verträge geschlossen und mit führenden Betreibern über 100 Testnetze errichtet (Stand 1. Quartal 2012). Acht dieser Netze wurden bereits kommerziell in Betrieb genommen, darunter von CSL in Hongkong, SoftBank in Japan, Hi3G in Schweden, H3G in Österreich und Bharti Airtel in Indien.

[teecee1]

Startup Karma allows users to share Clearwire's WiMAX data

Hotspot becomes open to public use

June 14, 2012 | By Phil Goldstein



Wireless startup Karma is offering a hotspot that accesses Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network but allows users to open it up to the public.

According to a report from The Verge, the company's model works fairly simply. Users pay $69 to buy a mobile hotspot and then pay $14 per GB of data. The catch is that the hotspot is then opened up to the public, and when a new user joins, that user is taken to a page about the owner of the hotspot. Public users attached to the hotspot then can then sign in with their Facebook account to get 100 MB of free browsing. The key part of the setup is that for every new user who signs in, the owner of the hotspot gets 100 MB of free data credited to their account. Karma calls the scheme "social telecom."

"Something is fundamentally broken in the market for mobile providers," Robert Gaal, one of the founders of Karma, told The Verge. "We want to give everyone a mobile, 4G hotspot that lives in their pocket. It's open to everyone, and lets you pay as you go. Best of all it works no matter what carrier or what device you're using."

Data sharing has been a hot topic of late, with much commentary this week focused on Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) launch of its Share Everything plans. However, other companies have focused on the issue as well. Ting, a Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) MVNO run by Internet domain company Tucows, has offered shared data plans since February. FreeomPop, the forthcoming mobile broadband startup that also uses Clearwire's network, has discussed the idea of its users sharing data as well.



Karma is Clearwire's latest wholesale customer, and another in a long string of small startups.

For more:
- see this The Verge article

[teecee1]

15.06.2012 | 16:44

PR Newswire ·
Mobile Beacon Named The Official 4G Provider for ISTE 2012

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Mobile Beacon will be the official 4G mobile broadband provider for ISTE 2012, one of the world's premier education technology events. A leading provider of low cost 4G mobile broadband service to the education and nonprofit sector, Mobile Beacon will be offering mobile hotspots, an expo booth, a hospitality room and other features throughout the conference, being held June 24-27 in San Diego.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120423/DC92532LOGO-b)

"As one of the conference sponsors, we will have live 4G demo stations in select conference lounges where attendees can connect their own smartphones, laptops, tablets or other Wi-Fi device to our 4G service at no charge," said Katherine Messier, Director of Broadband Services at Mobile Beacon. "We will also be raffling off a 4G mobile hotspot with one year of free service to qualified educational institutions every two hours during the Expo," she added. Mobile Beacon now provides coverage in more than 100 cities across 36 states.

More than 17,000 people are expected to attend this year's ISTE conference. For more information and a complete schedule of events, go to www.mobilebeacon.org/iste2012.

About Mobile Beacon

Mobile Beacon is a pioneer in offering fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband services exclusively to education and nonprofit organizations across the United States. Mobile Beacon was created by a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has more than 20 years experience serving the educational community and one of the largest national educational broadband service (EBS) providers in the country. Through an agreement with Clearwire, Mobile Beacon provides high-speed data services and mobile Internet access to educational and nonprofit organizations. Learn more at www.mobilebeacon.org.

Contact: Katherine Messier, Mobile Beacon,
401-934-0500

SOURCE Mobile Beacon

© 2012 PR Newswire

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

15.06.2012 | 21:11

Business Wire ·
Cincinnati Bell Adds HTC One™ S to 4G Phone Lineup

Sleek, High-Powered 4G Smartphone Offers Stunning Audio and Video Capabilities

Cincinnati Bell Wireless, a division of Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB), today announced the addition of the HTC One™ S to its 4G Android™ smartphone lineup. The HTC One S will be available from Cincinnati Bell beginning June 25. ...

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2012-06/23809990…

About Cincinnati Bell

With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell (NYSE: CBB) provides integrated communications solutions—including local, long distance, data, Internet, entertainment and wireless services—that keep residential and business customers in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton connected with each other and with the world. In addition, Cincinnati Bell provides best-in-class data center colocation services to its enterprise customers through its facilities with fully redundant power and cooling solutions that are currently located in the Midwest, Texas, London, and Singapore. Complementing the colocation products, Cincinnati Bell also offers complex information technology solutions such as managed services and technology staffing. For more information, visit www.cincinnatibell.com.

[teecee1]

25.06.2012 | 15:01

PR Newswire ·
Verizon Wireless And T-Mobile USA Agree To Transfer Spectrum Holdings

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced an agreement with T-Mobile USA to exchange specific spectrum in the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) band. Under the agreement, both companies also will receive additional spectrum depth in specific markets to meet LTE (Long Term Evolution) capacity needs and enable LTE expansion. Since this agreement includes spectrum that will be purchased by Verizon Wireless in its transactions with SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap, this agreement is contingent on the closing of those transactions.

The agreement includes a number of intra-market spectrum swaps that will result in better use of the AWS band for both companies. The agreement also includes exchanges of spectrum between the companies in numerous markets which result in an overall net transfer of spectrum from Verizon Wireless to T-Mobile and a cash payment from T-Mobile to Verizon Wireless. Financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. The license transfers require FCC approval which is expected later this summer.

"The agreement with T-Mobile is further evidence of the importance of a secondary spectrum market to give companies the flexibility to exchange or acquire spectrum to meet customers' growing demands for wireless data services," said Dan Mead, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless. "The AWS licenses we'll acquire from T-Mobile and through SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap will be used to add capacity to our 4G LTE network."

The agreement between Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile is a private commercial arrangement that will allow both companies to optimize their respective spectrum holdings for LTE deployment and to meet their customers' needs. ...

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26.06.2012 | 16:38

BörseGo ·
Analystenvotum: Verizon durch Deal mit T-Mobile USA gestärkt

Frankfurt (BoerseGo.de) - Die Analysten der Deutschen Bank bewerten in einer aktuellen Studie die Aktie des US-Telekommunikationskonzerns Verizon Wireless weiterhin mit "Hold" und einem Kursziel von 39,00 US-Dollar (Vortages-Schlusskurs: 43,65 US-Dollar).

T-Mobile USA hat Anfang der Woche verkündet, mit dem US-Konkurrenten eine Übereinkunft über den Kauf und Austausch von Mobilfunk-Spektrumlizenzen für das schnelle 4G Netz zu schließen. Experten vermuten, dass die Telekom im Zuge dessen etwa 100 bis 200 Millionen US-Dollar an Verizon überweisen muss. Die Deutsche Bank-Experten erwarten, dass die Transaktionen von den Regulierungsbehörden durchgewunken werden. Insgesamt sollten sich die Netztransaktionen positiv auf die Kapazitäten von Verizon auswirken, so das Fazit.

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Bernd Lammert)

[teecee1]

June 27, 2012, 8:59 am
Daily Report: The Trouble With Limits on Broadband
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

............................................................................

Sweeping Effects as Broadband Moves to Meters
J. Michael Short for The New York Times

Nicholas Longo, the director of Geekdom, says usage-based billing would worsen an economic barrier between some Americans and the Internet. "It's like locking the doors to the library."

By BRIAN STELTER
Published: June 26, 2012 200 Comments

SAN ANTONIO — The broadband era began with the expectation that Internet connections were like buffets — all you can eat, 24 hours a day. But users are now being prodded to think about how much they’re consuming.

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Provider kehren Breitband-Flatrate den Rücken

US-Anbieter begrenzen Datenvolumina - Videoanbieter genervt


Surfen: Flatrate in Bedrängnis
(Foto: pixelio.de, Manfred Jahreis)

Washington (pte032/27.06.2012/13:31) - In den USA suchen die Anbieter von Breitband-Internetverbindungen nach Alternativen zum Flatrate-Tarifmodell, wie die New York Times berichtet. Durch das stetig wachsende Datenvolumen, vor allem durch Videokonsum, und die hohen Kosten des Infrastrukturausbaus alarmierte Provider gehen nach und nach dazu über, nach Datenmenge oder Geschwindigkeit gestaffelte Preismodelle einzuführen. Online-Videoplattformen fühlen sich bedroht, weshalb das Justizministerium eine Untersuchung eingeleitet hat. In Österreich ist eine Abkehr vom Flatrate-Modell derzeit kein Thema.

Begrenzte Ressourcen

Da Bandbreite keine unbegrenzte Ressource ist, schlägt sich der steigende Datenhunger der Internetnutzer bei starkem Andrang auf die Qualität der Verbindung nieder. Das ist schlecht für die Kundenzufriedenheit. Zudem ist eine Abrechnung nach Menge oder Geschwindigkeit für die Provider in der Regel lukrativer. Comcast testet deshalb als einer der ersten großen US-Versorger ein gestaffeltes Modell. Die Kunden werden dabei mit einem Zähler ausgestattet, der das Ablesen des verbrauchten Datenvolumens in Echtzeit ermöglicht. Bezahlt wird je nach Verbrauch.

Wer unter fünf Gigabyte bleibt, erhält fünf Dollar als Belohnung, wer mehr konsumiert, muss Strafzahlungen leisten. Die meisten Konkurrenten experimentieren mit ähnlichen Ansätzen, die eine Abrechnung nach Verbrauch ermöglichen. Das ruft die Anbieter von Videodiensten im Netz auf den Plan. Sie fürchten, dass die User durch die neuen Modelle ihren Datenverbrauch einschränken, wodurch die Entwicklung des Online-Videomarktes gebremst würde. Das Justizministerium ermittelt wegen Wettbewerbsverzerrung.

Österreich ist frei

Auch andere Wirtschaftszweige, wie der Handel, sind durch immer aufwendigere Internetauftritte zunehmend von Breitbandverbindungen abhängig. Auch hier wird ein Abflachen der Innovationskurve durch bewussteren Datenkonsum der Nutzer gefürchtet. Viele Anbieter fürchten auch, dass die Provider mit eigenen Angeboten, die sogar von der Staffelung ausgenommen werden könnten, als Konkurrenz auftreten. Allerdings hätte das Gesetz dann sicher den ein oder anderen Einwand. Das optimale Geschäftsmodell haben die Provider auch im Vorreiterland USA also noch nicht gefunden.

Österreichische Provider denken derzeit nicht an eine Abkehr vom Flatrate-Modell. "Einzelverrechnungen sind derzeit kein Thema, auch wenn sich das Datenvolumen alle eineinhalb Jahre verdoppelt. Allerdings ist die Branche sehr schnelllebig", sagt A1-Sprecherin Livia Dandrea-Böhm http://www.a1.net gegenüber pressetext. Ähnlich äußert sich UPC http://www.upc.at : "Wir planen derzeit keine Änderung an unserem Tarifmodell. Die Flatrates werden gut angenommen. Was in zehn Jahren sein wird, kann heute nicht seriös beurteilt werden", so Unternehmenssprecher Siegfried Grobmann.

(Ende)

[teecee1]

Sprint to Unleash the Speed and Power of 4G LTE in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio on July 15

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announces that new network will deliver faster data speeds with 4G LTE and an improved overall 3G experience; Sprint brings an overall quality experience and unequaled value to customers

Business WirePress Release: Sprint – 18 minutes ago

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As summer begins to sizzle, Sprint (NYSE:S) CEO Dan Hesse today invited Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio customers to harness the speed and power of 4G LTE on July 15 and to further enjoy the top-rated customer satisfaction experience among all national carriers, according to the 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index.

To better meet the growing voice and data demands of wireless customers, Sprint is building an all-new, nationwide 3G and 4G LTE network through the Network Vision program. This means that whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a picture or to check the Web, Sprint 4G LTE will make it faster. Coupling the speed of 4G LTE with the industry’s only truly unlimited data plan for smartphones makes Sprint the best choice in wireless.* Additionally, the new network provides significant enhancements to Sprint 3G service. Customers will experience better signal strength, fewer dropped/blocked calls, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better overall performance as the improvements roll out across the country.

“The performance of both the 4G LTE and improved 3G networks are exceeding our expectations and we are pleased with the progress of the entire Network Vision program,” said Hesse.

With the launch on July 15, Sprint will have debuted 4G LTE to millions of people in five major metropolitan areas with more market launches in 2012 to be announced later this year. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build out of its all-new 4G LTE nationwide network – with an enhanced 3G network – covering 250 million people across the United States.

The Wireless Industry’s Most Customer-Friendly Data Plans

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones.

Sprint continues the trend of delivering value to customers through its portfolio of 4G LTE-capable devices and unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint has already launched five 4G LTE-capable devices for less than $200 – HTC EVO™ 4G LTE ($199.99); LG Viper™ 4G LTE ($99.99); Samsung Galaxy Nexus ($199.99); Samsung Galaxy S III ($199.99 for 16GB version) and Sierra Wireless™ 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, the nation’s first to support 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G ($99.99) (all pricing excludes taxes).

Over the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. Recently, the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, over the last four years. Building an all-new network is the linchpin to make Sprint the company customers want to do business with.

The launch of these metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. ...

............................................................................


Source: Mobile Carrier Websites


Sources: Sprint's 2011 Annual Report and 2012 Q1 10-Q Report

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.323.424 von teecee1 am 26.06.12 21:20:15

T-Mobile CEO Phillip Humm resigns
By: Zach Epstein | Jun 27th, 2012 at 12:18PM




T-Mobile on Wednesday confirmed that chief executive officer Phillip Humm has resigned from the company affective immediately. Chief Operations Officer Jim Alling will replace Humm temporarily while T-Mobile seeks a new CEO. While the move seems quite sudden, T-Mobile would only say that Humm is looking to pursue a career outside of Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile USA’s parent company.

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Deutsche Telekom-Aktie: Deal mit Verizon ist kein großer Fortschritt

27.06.12 13:32
Barclays Capital

London (www.aktiencheck.de) - Jonathan Dann und John-Paul Davids, Analysten von Barclays Capital, stufen die Aktie der Deutschen Telekom unverändert mit "overweight" ein.

Die Deutsche Telekom und Verizon Wireless hätten sich in den USA auf einen Tausch und den Zukauf von Mobilfunkfrequenzen verständigt. Im Austausch gegen den Zugang zu 60 Mio. Personen in größeren Städten gebe die Deutsche Telekom die Abdeckung für 22 Mio. Kunden ab. Die Barkomponente dürfte sich auf 100 bis 200 Mio. USD belaufen.

T-Mobile USA könne mit Hilfe der Vereinbarung die Marktposition vor dem Start des 4G-Netzes im Jahr 2013 verbessern. Als großen Fortschritt könne der Deal aber nicht bezeichnet werden. Am Kursziel von 11,00 EUR werde festgehalten.

Vor diesem Hintergrund lautet die Einschätzung der Analysten von Barclays Capital für die Deutsche Telekom-Aktie weiterhin "overweight". (Analyse vom 26.06.12) (27.06.2012/ac/a/d)

... ... ja was jetzt, na ja oder lieber nein, vielleicht, ... ... "underweight"

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.327.569 von teecee1 am 27.06.12 18:40:23

6/29/2012 @ 12:06AM |3.924 views
The Whole World Is Moving Toward 2.5Mhz Spectrum As U.S. Investors Ignore Clearwire

Clearwire has been a tough stock to own for the last 18 months as it has suffered the veritable perils of Pauline. Its parent Sprint Nextel made its path tougher for most of 2011. The dysfunction between the parties was so severe the shortsellers had a field day beating up both stocks. The result is that many investors have ignored Clearwire”s significant accomplishments since last fall.

Global economic and geopolitical turmoil has put all eyes on Germany”s Angela Merkel and the fate of the many nations of Europe suffering impending collapse. The days a solution is rumored, stocks lift. On other days, stocks fall. Despite the ridiculously low yield on U.S. bonds, investors keep feeding the growing bond bubble by buying more of an almost zero return investment. When they do own stocks, they prefer to own large companies with grade A balance sheets. That would be neither Clearwire nor its economic parent Sprint, both of which are laden with debt.

Always, in the background is the growing scarcity of adequate spectrum for the U.S. There is no doubt that SmartPhone users gobble up more and more bandwidth streaming movies and tv shows. . Because the FCC has not made more spectrum available, the big companies (T and VZ) are making deals with other spectrum owners with undeveloped or unused bandwidth. .

As CLWR managed to survive the worst of the challenges Sprint laid before it last year , it dramatically went into a cash preservation mode. At the end of March, CLWR had $1.4 billion cash on hand. CLWR only needs to limp through the next 6-8 months. After that, its network build and deployment of its new state of the art 4G LTE TDD network will be in full swing and its cash flow should begin to improve dramatically as it provides wholesale bandwidth to other carriers.

For now, many seem to focus on the small things and miss the big picture. For example, it really matters little if Sprint owns 54% or 49% of Clearwire. At either number, Sprint effectively controls the company. (Think Liberty Media yanking on Mel Karmazin’s chain at Sirius XM. Liberty’s Malone has less than 50% ownership interest and yet has filed at the FCC to try to take control.)

Many months ago Sprint decided to change its CLWR ownership to just under 50% to avoid any cross party bond default risks. Sprint returned some of its shares to the Clearwire treasury with the right to reclaim them for a payment of their par value at a later date if it so chose. After stock and bond offerings by Clearwire at the end of 2011, now Sprint could reacquire those shares and still not own an outright majority.

As Sprint proceeds with its own nationwide Network Vision build out, it needs to have interoperability with the Clearwire network. Both companies are working hard toward that goal.

It’s also noteworthy that the often maligned 2.5 frequency bandwidth that is Clearwire’s spectrum focus is being developed around the world with some enthusiasm. Front and center on that, China Mobile has decided to proceed at 2.5 with a massive 20,00 cell site test. Of course that is more cell sites than anyone would ever deploy in the U.S. but in China it is just a “test.” That is a mind boggling number.

Also vitally important is that the chip manufacturers are moving to a new generation of multi-bandwidth chips that can leap from one frequency mode to another in a way that is seamless to the customer. Qualcomm has decided to include 2.5 Mhz. in its upcoming multi-band chipsets. The more global the introduction of 2.5 becomes, the lower the prices on the handsets will be giving Clearwire another important advantage going forward. Also, its customers will be able to travel globally with one phone.

The spectrum shortage is a well known problem for the industry. Verizon and ATT have been complaining about it for years even as the FCC hasundefined been slow to act to remedy the impending crisis. By comparison to many other companies, Clearwire has a huge swath of spectrum in the higher bands. Twenty-five years ago, 800 and 900 Mhz spectrum positions were the ones that were most sought after. The physics were simple. The lower bands provided greater signal coverage from a single cell site. But for data, there are actually advantages to the higher bandwidths. Interestingly, ATT is now exploring options in 2.3 Mhz.

The U.S. telcos appear to be evolving toward a model in which they will use the lower bands for voice and the higher bands for data transmission including video, streaming tv and cable programming. Separately, ATT and VZ try to push their customers to use WiFi now when it is available as a lower cost alternative and to push users off their overcrowded networks. That is especially true if you are doing instensive data downloads of any kind.

The very popular WiFi(what you are using at Starbucks) is in the adjacent 2.4 band. WiFi’s problems include difficulty keeping a network secure from hackers. Nobody seems to complain much about using 2.4 but they sure do cast aspersions at Clearwire for being in 2.5.[/entity]

Clearwire’s clear advantage is that its spectrum position grants it a very wide signal on which to serve its customers. Most competitors have narrow 5Mhz slivers in matched pair configurations. That means the channels can be groomed to provide 5 Mhz service in one direction and then 5 Mhz in the other direction. Clearwire’s 65 Mhz can be groomed, using TDD technology, into much wider channels which can also be varied when traffic demand is excessive in one direction over the other. Fixed channels cannot be used in that manner and are thus much less efficient in a spectrum constrained world.

The company has done a fairly good job of husbanding its cash by stopping a nationwide buildout of its WiFi network. That was a good call two years ago. WiFi is a wide open channel on which a sophistocated hacker can cause problems. It is also somewhat capacity constrained and creaks and slows down with excessive usage. These interim observations made it clear that Clearwire had been overtaken by the next latest technology and had to make some changes to its business plan and undertake a complete upgrade to 4G.

Joan E. Lappin CFA Gramercy Capital Mgt. Corp.

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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Sprint Nextel, Verzion Communications, AT&T, Clearwire and Apple

June 29, 2012 |
S | VZ | T | CLWR | AAPL

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – June 29, 2012 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Sprint Nextel Corp. (S - Analyst Report), Verzion Communications Inc. (VZ - Analyst Report), AT&T, Inc. (T - Analyst Report), Clearwire Corporation (CLWR - Snapshot Report) and Apple Inc. (AAPL - Analyst Report).

Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Sprint’s LTE to Debut Mid-July

The third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S., Sprint Nextel Corp. (S - Analyst Report), plans to launch its high-speed 4G LTE services on July 15. Initially, the services will be deployed in five markets - Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.

This move will boost Sprint’s competitive position related to LTE deployments. Currently, the company is about a year and a half way behind the wireless giant Verzion Communications Inc. (VZ - Analyst Report) and 10 months behind the second wireless carrier AT&T, Inc. (T - Analyst Report) in deploying LTE networks.

Sprint expects to complete the nationwide deployment by the end of 2013. The LTE coverage is expected to extend to more than 250 million customers with 22,000 cell sites by 2013.

The 4G LTE evolution signals a shift from the company’s current WiMax network, a wireless broadband technology offered in collaboration with Clearwire Corporation (CLWR - Snapshot Report). The development is a part of Sprint’s network upgrade plan, Network Vision, which aims to combine various 3G and 4G technologies into one seamless network.

As part of the Network Vision plan, the company is concentrating on the core Sprint platform, which includes CDMA, WiMAX, LTE and other network technologies. The company started terminating the Nextel platform, which refers to the iDEN business. Sprint intends to decommission 30,000 cell sites to 38,000 from the existing 68,000, of which 9,600 cell sites will be shut down by the end of the third quarter and the remaining in the next year.

The Network Vision plan would lead to the efficient use of capital, reduction of cell sites, the elimination of dual networks, backhaul efficiencies, reduced churn, lower roaming charges and energy cost savings. Hence, the network restructuring is expected to generate $10 billion to $11 billion in savings over seven years (2011-2017). The company expects the Network Vision deployment to be over by the end of 2013.

No doubt, this investment will dilute Sprint’s free cash flow for the next two years. However, liquidity is expected to improve once LTE is fully deployed.

Moreover, the company will have to pay for subsidizing the Apple Inc.’s (AAPL - Analyst Report) iPhone. Sprint has promised to buy about 30.5 million iPhones from Apple over the next four years and pay $500 to subsidize the product. The iPhone will nevertheless help Sprint to gain new customers while retaining the old ones. This will lead to increased subscriber growth, reduced churn and higher average revenue per user.

We are maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on Sprint. For the short term (1–3 months), the stock retains a Zacks #2 (Buy) Rank.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.290.181 von teecee1 am 16.06.12 08:01:28

C Spire Wireless using Alcatel-lucent to deploy next-generation High-speed 4G LTE mobile broadband network
July 2, 2012

For Immediate Release
Contact: Dave Miller, C Spire
[phone]
[e-mail]
Charlie Guyer, Alcatel-Lucent
[phone]
[e-mail]

Wireless Carrier Working With Network Integration Services Leader To Build And

Deploy New Technology That Promises Data Speeds Up to 10 Times Faster Than Today

Ridgeland, Miss. (July 2, 2012) – C Spire Wireless, the only U.S. wireless provider that offers consumers and businesses a suite of personalized services, announced today that it is working with Alcatel-Lucent to build and deploy the initial phase of its 4G LTE (Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution) high-speed mobile broadband network.

The company is investing $60 million for the initial phase of 4G LTE mobile broadband services in 20 Mississippi markets beginning in September covering 2,700 square miles, a population of 1.2 million and more than 360 cell sites. The new service will provide four out of every ten consumers and businesses in Mississippi with wireless data speeds up to 10 times faster than today, allowing C Spire to be the first provider to make these services widely available in the state.

"As an industry leader in smartphone penetration, we're excited to soon provide our customers with the speed and benefits of 4G LTE on the nation's only personalized network," said Kevin Hankins, chief operating officer for

C Spire Wireless. "We believe that Alcatel-Lucent's solutions and considerable global deployment experience, backed by Bell Labs' technology and innovations, will help us deliver on our commitment to provide a personalized mobile broadband experience that gives consumers and businesses unmatched connectivity, reliability, mobility and the ability to communicate in new and innovative ways."

C Spire is deploying Alcatel-Lucent's industry-leading end-to-end 4G LTE solution, including base stations, IP mobile backhaul for 4G LTE and existing 3G CDMA traffic, Wireless Packet Core (WPC) and a complete IP Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network core, which will allow C Spire to develop and offer an increasingly rich portfolio of advanced IP-based services, such as Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE), according to Eric Hollingsworth, vice president of Network Operations for C Spire Wireless.

"In addition to the IMS core, we'll be using state-of-the-art design and solutions, such as fiber and Ethernet backhaul, at every site and the latest Remote Radio Head (RRH) and four-branch diversity receiver technology for the base stations," said Hollingsworth. "These innovative approaches will help us maximize speed and coverage and provide our customers with a network experience that they expect from our company."

Alcatel-Lucent is home to Bell Labs, one of the world's foremost research centers and responsible for technology breakthroughs that have transformed the networking and communications industries, including wireless innovations with its groundbreaking product family - lightRadio™. As part of the relationship and collaboration with C Spire, Alcatel-Lucent also is providing a complete portfolio of professional and network integration services.

"Today, many providers are realizing that providing connectivity to the network is really just the beginning in terms of the types of innovative services they can offer to subscribers through technologies like LTE," said Robert Vrij, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Americas Region. "C Spire clearly understands the needs of the market, and has selected Alcatel-Lucent based on the strength of our portfolio, our deep domain expertise deploying networks, and our rich history of innovation, which will help them continue to deliver a new breed of personalized applications and services at the speeds consumers are now craving."

Since announcing the initial phase of its 4G LTE plans in early March, C Spire has made significant progress in deploying key elements of its next generation high-speed mobile broadband network, including installation and testing of all major core network elements, completion of the second phase of base station equipment installation and integration of Ethernet backhaul at more than 70 percent of the 360 plus cell sites slated for 4G LTE service, according to Hollingsworth.

For more information about C Spire's 4G LTE plans, go to www.cspire.com/4G.

LTE is a trademark of ETSI

About C Spire Wireless

C Spire Wireless is a diversified wireless communications company passionately committed to helping customers by personalizing wireless services designed just for them. The company is the first wireless provider in the U.S. to personalize customers' experience by offering apps that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards for using their phone in new ways – all with seamless ease and at amazingly fast speeds. This news release and other announcements are available at http://www.cspire.com/news/. For more information about C Spire Wireless and its products and services, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire, Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire or Google+.

[teecee1]

03.07.2012 17:35
Telekom versorgt nun 50 Großstädte mit LTE

Beim Ausbau des Mobilfunks der vierten Generation (4G) hat die Deutsche Telekom hierzulande zumindest vorläufig einen Vorsprung vor der Konkurrenz. Das Unternehmen bietet den schnellen Mobilfunkdienst LTE in nunmehr 50 Großstädten oder Ballungsräumen an. Unter optimalen Bedingungen sind pro Zelle bis zu 100 MBit/s zu erreichen. Bis Jahresende soll die Versorgung auf bis zu einhundert Städte ausgedehnt werden.

Neu hinzugekommen sind zuletzt Berlin, Bremen, Bochum und Stuttgart. Ansonsten umfasst die Liste neben Hamburg als zweitgrößter Stadt in Deutschland weitere regionale Zentren wie Düsseldorf, Köln, Frankfurt am Main oder München. Auch kleinere Orte wie Neumünster in Schleswig-Holstein oder Velbert (NRW) sind schon dabei.

Die nötige Hardware zum Surfen bietet die Telekom weiterhin in Gestalt des "Speedstick LTE" an, welcher in Verbindung mit den Datentarifen Mobile Data einmalig 5 Euro kostet. Allerdings erlaubt derzeit nur die teuerste Variante namens Mobile Data XL eco das Surfen mit bis zu 100 MBit/s. Die Option kostet 70 Euro im Monat und bringt eine zweijährige Vertragsbindung mit sich. Das Highspeed-Surfen ist auf ein Datenvolumen von 30 GByte pro Monat begrenzt, danach wird die Bandbreite bis ultimo auf kümmerliche 64 kBit/s gedrosselt.

Für die Abdeckung in dicht besiedelten Gebieten setzt das Unternehmen wie üblich 1800-MHz-Frequenzen ein. Im ländlichen Raum bleibt es bei 800-MHz-Frequenzen, weil diese größere Zellradien erlauben. Das Angebot in der DSL-Diaspora bleibt aber auf 50 MBit/s beschränkt, denn die Gesamtbreite der Frequenzblöcke, die vor zwei Jahren versteigert worden sind, reicht für höhere Übertragungsraten nicht aus, erläuterte ein Telekom-Sprecher gegenüber heise online.

Neben der Telekom haben noch Vodafone und O2 ihre LTE-Dienste schon gestartet, doch bieten sowohl die Düsseldorfer als auch die Münchner Telefonica-Tochter derzeit maximal 50 MBit/s an. E-Plus war beim 800-MHz-Spektrum leer ausgegangen und belässt es bislang bei LTE-Probeläufen im 2600-MHz-Band. (ssu)

[teecee1]

UBS maintains a 'Neutral' on Clearwire (CLWR); Adjusting Estimates & PT After Mgmt Meeting

July 3, 2012 1:05 PM EDT

CLWR Hot Sheet
Rating Summary:
4 Buy, 7 Hold, 0 Sell

Rating Trend: Down

Today's Overall Ratings:
Up: 10 | Down: 26 | New: 19

UBS maintains a 'Neutral' on Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) price target of $1.25 (from $2.25).

Analyst, John C. Hodulik, said, "Following g a recent management meeting with Clearwire, we see few catalysts in the next 3-6 months...We now expect 2Q wholesale net adds of 400K (prev. 700K) and 1.4M for 2012E (prev. 2.3M). Wholesale WiMAX revenues from Sprint (NYSE: S) are fixed at $450M/yr in 2012 and 2013; we project total 2Q revs of $313M (prev. $304M) and 2012E revs of $1.25B (prev. $1.20B). Adj EBITDA (less noncash items) for 2Q goes to -$106M (prev. -$75M); adj EBITDA is -$324M for 2012E (guidance - $250M to -$350M). Our 2012E EPS goes to -$1.53 from -$1.62, while 2013E goes to -$1.52 from -$1.32 and 2014E goes to -$1.43 from -$1.02."

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Clearwire click here. For more ratings news on Clearwire click here.

Shares of Clearwire closed at $1.12 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $1.00-$4.07.

[teecee1]

10.07.2012 | 14:52
(67 Leser)

APA-dpa-AFX-Analyser ·
Bernstein belässt Sprint auf 'Underperform' - Ziel 1,75 Dollar

Das US-Analysehaus Bernstein Research hat die Einstufung für Sprint Nextel auf "Underperform" mit einem Kursziel von 1,75 US-Dollar belassen. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit nehme zu, dass Apple sein iPhone in den USA im kommenden Jahr auch über die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA vertreibt, schrieb Analystin Robin Bienenstock in einer Branchenstudie vom Dienstag. Bislang ist die US-Mobilfunktochter der Bonner der einzige landesweit agierende Anbieter, der den Apple-Verkaufsschlager nicht im Angebot hat. Mit der erwarteten Vertriebspartnerschaft könnte T-Mobile USA seinen Kunden- und Umsatzrückgang stoppen und gleichzeitig den anderen iPhone-Vertriebspartnern AT&T, Verizon und Sprint Marktanteile abjagen. Apple dürfte damit seine iPhone-Erlöse zusätzlich steigern.

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10.07.2012 | 14:43
(77 Leser)

APA-dpa-AFX-Analyser ·
Bernstein belässt AT&T auf 'Market-Perform' - Ziel 30 Dollar

Das US-Analysehaus Bernstein Research hat die Einstufung für AT&T auf "Market-Perform" mit einem Kursziel von 30,00 US-Dollar belassen. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit nehme zu, dass Apple sein iPhone in den USA im kommenden Jahr auch über die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA vertreibt, schrieb Analystin Robin Bienenstock in einer Branchenstudie vom Dienstag. Bislang ist die US-Mobilfunktochter der Bonner der einzige landesweit agierende Anbieter, der den Apple-Verkaufsschlager nicht im Angebot hat. Mit der erwarteten Vertriebspartnerschaft könnte T-Mobile USA seinen Kunden- und Umsatzrückgang stoppen und gleichzeitig den anderen iPhone-Vertriebspartnern AT&T, Verizon und Sprint Marktanteile abjagen. Apple dürfte damit seine iPhone-Erlöse zusätzlich steigern.

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AT&T adds more LTE markets, but still struggles to catch Verizon

AT&T now offers its 4G LTE service in 47 markets. Even though it's making progress, the company still lags behind Verizon Wireless's 304-plus markets.

by Marguerite Reardon
July 9, 2012 8:56 AM PDT

AT&T has expanded its 4G LTE wireless service to six more markets, the company said in a note to reporters. The company now offers the service in 47 markets around the U.S.


(Credit: CNET/Marguerite Reardon)

On Monday, AT&T announced it has added 4G LTE service in Buffalo, N.Y.; Burlington, Vt.; Corpus Christi, Tex.; Gainesville, Ga.; Greensboro-Winston Salem, N.C. and Wichita, Kan.

While AT&T is making progress toward blanketing its customers with 4G LTE service, the company still lags far behind rival Verizon Wireless. Verizon, which began its 4G LTE deployment at the end of 2010, now covers more than 304 markets with LTE. Big Red expects to cover 400 markets by the end of 2012.

AT&T hasn't said how many markets it plans to cover by the end of this year. But the company has said it expects to complete the build-out of its 4G LTE network by the end of 2013.

The company has been adding several new devices to its line-up that will take advantage of the faster speeds. The new Samsung Galaxy S3 recently hit store shelves and is LTE-enabled.

Meanwhile, Sprint Nextel, a smaller and arguably less threatening competitor, is expected to launch its first 4G LTE markets this month.

AT&T also announced Monday that it will be adding new features to its prepaid GoPhone plan. The company said that it has added unlimited texting to Canada, Mexico and 100 other countries to its $25 per month GoPhone prepaid rate plan, a feature previously only available on the $50 per month or $2 per day plans.

[teecee1]

586 million LTE smartphones to be shipped globally in 2016, says MIC
EDN, July 6; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Friday 6 July 2012]

Global shipments of LTE, either TDD or FDD, terminal devices are on the rise along with increasing deployment of LTE networks around the world, and the global shipment volume of LTE smartphones will keep growing to 586 million units in 2016, the Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News (EDN) cited forecasts by the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) under the government-sponsored Institute for Information Industry as indicating.

MIC: Global shipments of LTE terminal devices, 2012-2016 (m units)

LTE smartphones | Other terminal devices (e.g. network interface cards and routers)

2012 | 64 | 41

2013 | 188 | 69

2014 | 300 | 74

2015 | 440 | 117

2016 | 586 | 154

Source: EDN, compiled by Digitimes, July 2012

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Demand for TD-LTE handsets to take off in 2H13 or 1H14, say Taiwan makers
Daniel Shen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 10 July 2012]

As the technological development for TD-LTE (time division-Long Term Evolution), a China-developed vision of LTE, lags behind that for LTE-FDD (frequency division duplexing) by one to two years, the global market of TD-LTE handsets is expected to begin to be mature in the second half of 2013 or the first half of 2014, according to Taiwan-based handset supply chain makers.

China Mobile's commercialization of its TD-LTE network in China will lead to procurement of TD-LTE handsets, and this will be conducive to development of inexpensive chip solutions and in turn, growth in the global demand for TD-LTE handsets, the sources pointed out. China-based vendors Huawei Technologies and ZTE will launch TD-LTE handsets by the end of 2012 and most international vendors will launch TD-LTE smartphones in 2014, the sources indicated.

There have been 80 commercial LTE networks around the world, consisting of 73 LTE-FDD ones, five TD-LTE ones and two ones of LTE-FDD and TD-LTE in combination, the sources cited statistics by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) as indicating. There have been 67 vendors launching 417 models of LTE terminal devices, including 68 TD-LTE-enabled models, the sources cited GSA as indicating. As of the end of March 2012, there were 17 million LTE subscribers around the world of which 64% were in North America and 33% in Asia Pacific, the sources cited GSA as saying. Asia Pacific, among markets around the world, will witness the fastest growth in TD-LTE use, the sources pointed out.

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Carriers hold key to TD-LTE's out-of-the-gate performance
July 9, 2012 | By Tammy Parker

The TD-LTE ecosystem is ramping up quickly, but it is unclear if this nascent technology will burst out of the gate with the robust performance that characterized early products supporting the FDD flavor of LTE, according to Nigel Wright.

FDD LTE devices quickly ramped up in terms of performance, in part, because U.S. operators such as Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) were driving that technology's deployment, and "North American operators have a huge track record of pushing back on their supply chain to get it right," said Wright, vice president of wireless product marketing at test and measurement products vendor Spirent Communications.

"I do believe a successful piece of the successful rollout of FDD LTE was that the leading North American carriers were involved," he said.

In the United States, TD-LTE is being backed by Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR), which doesn't have the financial ballast to make it a heavyweight when it comes commanding vendors to up the quality of their products. Another TD-LTE backer is China Mobile, which certainly has influence as the world's largest mobile operator but isn't known for prodding its vendors on performance standards, at least not as assertively as North American operators, said Wright.

However, he said China appears dedicated to making TD-LTE a success since its homegrown TD-SCDMA technology had only limited regional success. Last month, Spirent announced that China Telecommunications Technology Labs, a national-level telecom research institution of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, selected the Spirent VR5 HD Spatial Channel Emulator for use in TD-LTE testing. Since one of its core functions is testing and certification of telecom products, CTTL will likely play a key role in the commercial readiness of TD-LTE.

Further, there is growing competition among vendors that want to play in the TD-LTE space. Wright noted there are at least 15 chipset vendors chasing down TD-LTE. Many of them, such as Sequans Communications and Altair Semiconductor, previously dedicated their efforts to WiMAX.

Early TD-LTE deployments might be role models for future rollouts. Softbank's TD-LTE network in Japan "provides a lot of insight into how these networks might be structure going forward, with lots of microcells," Wright said. He envisions operators using FDD LTE in macrocell networks and supplementing those with TD-LTE in microcells

TD-LTE, because it requires synchronization between base stations, offers advantages in terms of interference mitigation that might make it attractive in a small cell environment, said Wright. This is particularly true in place such as Europe, where operators won FDD spectrum for WCDMA along with TDD spectrum that has largely sat unused.

Given the fact that there is considerable effort being applied to TD-LTE development worldwide, "it doesn't seem unreasonable to think that in the next three or four years it really could be 25 percent of the global market," said Wright. "So we're planning accordingly because that's a pretty significant opportunity."

He said TD-LTE could become popular in markets where device cost is critical. It is cheaper to build a single-mode TD-LTE device because it doesn't requires a lot of complex RF components that FDD needs, such as a duplexer to avoid interference in an FDD system. "In TDD, you just need to switch between the transmitter and the receiver," Wright said.

One market to watch is India, which mandated TD-LTE as the technology to use with Broadband Wireless Access licenses. Since 3G hasn't taken off in India, there really is no need to offer more expensive multimode devices that include 3G, Wright said.

"TD-LTE's future depends on adoption in large markets such as China and India," he added.

So far, Spirent's TD-LTE efforts have been largely focused on conformance testing. "As the device ecosystem starts to ramp up, we expect to see much more demand for performance testing," said Wright, adding "We will be adding TD-LTE to pretty much all of our device testing solutions."

TD-LTE testing efforts are ramping up quickly. Last week Huawei announced it had established open TD-LTE interoperability testing labs in Xi'an and Shenzhen. "The labs were established to cooperate with chipset, device and application partners for the purpose of creating an open and win-win LTE ecosystem while driving end-to-end TD-LTE maturation and commercialization," said Huawei.

In April of this year, Huawei and Intel established another joint interoperability testing lab in Beijing to promote the development of the TD-LTE ecosystem.

For more:
- see this Huawei release

[teecee1]

3. Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR)

Roughly nine months ago, I made a bold prediction for this stock. I thought shares might be worthless by this fall. Though shares initially moved higher, they have since resumed their downward trajectory.



In broad terms, this wireless services company has $1 billion in cash and $4 billion in debt. For a company that has bled at least $1 billion in annual free cash flow in each of the past five years (and roughly $9 billion during that period), that cash level is hardly assuring.

Clearwire's management has done an impressive job of perpetually selling stock and issuing yet more debt to keep money in the bank, but it concedes that the task is getting ever tougher as investors and lenders balk at pouring even more money into this sinkhole.

By some estimates, Clearwire has at least three more years of losses ahead of it. Will this stock really be around long enough to witness the move into profitability? The stock price chart suggests that will be quite difficult.

Risks to Consider: These stocks are tricky to short, as stopgap funding efforts tend to lead to sharp short-covering.

Action to Take --> In a slow economy, bankers tend to shun making new loans and become less inclined to look the other way as existing loans start to look doubtful. These companies are carrying high debt loads at precisely the wrong time in the economic cycle. Avoid these stocks at all costs.

-- David Sterman
David Sterman has worked as an investment analyst for nearly two decades. He started his Wall Street career in equity research at Smith Barney, culminating in a position as Senior Analyst covering European banks. While at Smith Barney, he learned of all the tricks used by Wall Street to steer the best advice to their top clients and their own trading desk.

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Clearwire on the Ropes: How a Broadband Contender Can Succeed by Failing
Kevin Kelleher· July 9th, 2012

Clearwire is a big player in a growing industry, but it hasn't made a cent of profit. The Bellevue, Wash., broadband provider has lost more than $7 billion in the past decade and recently has flirted with bankruptcy. But analysts see a paradoxical way the company could turn its losing streak into a win: Clearwire might redeem itself by selling off its broadband network.

The proliferation of mobile devices and the introduction of faster, more powerful mobile networks are creating a surge in demand for mobile data. Wireless data traffic grew 123% in 2011, according to CTIA, a wireless industry group. And that's just the start. Cisco estimates mobile traffic will rise 18-fold between 2011 and 2016 to 10.8 exabytes a month, or an average annual growth rate of 78%. Carriers are scrambling to build 4G networks, investing in LTE technology that can be several times faster than conventional networks.

Yet Clearwire is starving for revenue even as the industry it serves is taking off.

The problem is that building those networks is expensive. And therein lies a larger lesson for broadband providers: It's not enough to build a big network. You still need everyday consumers to subscribe. Clearwire set out to sell wireline and mobile broadband to consumers, but most U.S. smartphone owners don't know Clearwire as a brand. So the company moved toward a wholesale model, selling access through intermediaries. But when it came to choosing a brand-name partner, Clearwire stumbled in choosing Sprint, a distant third after AT&T and Verizon. The partners planned to build a 4G network based on 4G Wimax technology that is quickly being outpaced by LTE.

Clearwire brought in $2.2 billion in revenue since October 2003, when the company was formed. But it has racked up an aggregate operating loss of $7.1 billion, including a $2.3 billion loss in 2011 alone. In other words, Clearwire has spent roughly $4 for every dollar of revenue it's brought in.

The company's inability to post a profit has caused its stock to plummet. After going public in March 2007, Clearwire rose to a high of $35 per share a few months later. But it has only been downhill since then. Last week, the stock hit a new all-time low of $1.07 a share.

The new low is noteworthy because Clearwire had recovered from a crisis late last year, when concerns mounted that the company was at risk of declaring bankruptcy. Sprint, which owned 54% of Clearwire shares at the time, hinted at the possibility in a conference call. Of course, even the whiff of bankruptcy is poison to investors. Clearwire shares plummeted as fears of its bankruptcy loomed.

There are reasons to believe that Clearwire has what it takes to make it out of the morass. It responded to the crises with bold action. It patched up its financial differences with Sprint, while reducing Sprint's ownership to less than 50%. It signed new wholesale contracts, including some that were cunningly designed to undercut the increasingly onerous wireless-data plans of AT&T and Verizon.

And, although it once again failed to post a profit last quarter, Clearwire generated $65 million in cash (against negative cash flow of $247 million a year earlier). The company vowed that its $1.4 billion in cash would sustain it through another year. That time frame is crucial, because it gives Clearwire a small window to build out its own LTE network.

Despite those valiant efforts, investors remain unpersuaded. The stock today is lower than it was in late 2011, when the word bankruptcy was associated with Clearwire. That may be because the LTE network Clearwire is building won't begin to be deployed until next June, a few months after the company may have run out of cash.

And that puts Clearwire in a peculiar position. The company could go broke in a year, but in the meantime it's building out LTE capacity that carriers would kill for. One analyst cited by Barron's hinted at a near future when Clearwire may be worth more dead than alive. "There's a limited amount of spectrum out there, and Clearwire is sitting on a ton of it. If it does go out of business, if they don’t make debt payments, it may actually be a positive for investors throughout the capital structure, because when they auction this thing off... and when AT&T and Verizon show up, as long as the current administration doesn’t stop them from buying the spectrum, there’s a lot of value here relative to what the stock is reflecting."

Which is to say - as strange as it sounds - Clearwire's best chance at success now may be corporate failure. The company set out to bring broadband to the masses at a reasonable price. But when the masses finally wanted broadband, they didn't want Clearwire. They wanted their broadband from the brand names that would make them pay dearly for it.

Posted in Cloud Providers

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.384.402 von teecee1 am 13.07.12 18:38:13

Clearwire to Sponsor and Provide Free Access to VIP Lounge at the 28th annual WORLD'S LARGEST BLOCK PARTY Chicago's West Loop

Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Mon, Jun 18, 2012 4:07 PM EDT

Chicago, IL, June 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 28th annual World's Largest Block Party is just around the corner, and this year party-goers can experience the VIP Lounge courtesy of CLEAR(R), 4G internet you can use at home or on-the-go. Not only can music fans enjoy VIP status for free, they can have a chance to win a new Amazon KindleTM eBook reader, which CLEAR will be giving away to one lucky person each night.*

Free VIP tickets are available to the public starting today, simply by activating new monthly internet service on a CLEAR device - including the CLEAR Stick Atlas, a mobile USB that connects instantly to the internet without complicated software, and the CLEAR Spot(R) Voyager, a powerful mobile broadband hotspot that fits in the palm of your hand - at one of four CLEAR authorized dealer locations in the Chicago area.**

"CLEAR is thrilled to be participating in this year's Block Party and to be providing music fans with an opportunity to enjoy the shows from a unique VIP Lounge," said Jake Garechana, general manager of CLEAR in Chicago. "We're proud to offer guests an opportunity to enjoy the VIP Lounge for free if they become a new CLEAR customer. It's a win-win situation for them."

To qualify for free VIP access at the World's Largest Block Party, individuals must sign up for new CLEAR 4G internet service at one of the following Jams Technologies locations: River Oaks in Calumet City, Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Golf Mall in Niles, and Riverside Plaza in Chicago. VIP tickets also can be purchased for $80 a piece at www.worldslargestblockparty.com.

"It's great to have CLEAR on board, for the third year in a row as a sponsor of the 28th annual World's Largest Block Party," said Fr. Tom Hurley, pastor of Old St. Patrick's Church. "This is an important fundraiser for the parish that helps us to meet the needs of our mission in the Chicago area and around the world."

CLEAR, the retail brand for Clearwire Corporation, runs on Clearwire's 4G network in over 80 cities across the U.S. The company first launched internet service in Chicago in December, 2009. For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com. Company information about Clearwire is available at www.clearwire.com.

* Amazon and Kindle are trademarks of Amazon.com or its affiliates. Amazon.com is not affiliated with Clearwire and does not endorse CLEAR products or services. Amazon Kindle giveaway model(s) at discretion of Clearwire. Additional Kindle giveaway rules and restrictions to be posted and/or announced at the VIP Lounge on both days of the World's Largest Block Party event.

** Limited Time Offer; while ticket supplies last.

About the World's Largest Block Party

Old St. Patrick's Church, Chicago's oldest public building and a treasured historic landmark, is the host of the 28th annual World's Largest Block Party. This event is a party with a purpose. Proceeds support the mission and outreach activities of Old St. Pat's, including the Education Center, the Outreach Group, Horizons For Youth, Career Transitions Center of Chicago, and Global Alliance for Africa. Approximately 20,000 people will enjoy great music, fantastic food and fabulous fun. Headliners include Ben Folds Five (June 29) and Lifehouse (June 30), plus eight additional bands over the course of two nights. For more details, please visit www.worldslargestblockparty.com.

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Clearwire to Host Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results Conference Call
GlobeNewswire (Wed, Jul 11)

Clearwire and Sprint to Present at Wells Fargo Securities 2012 Wireless Spectrum Symposium
GlobeNewswire (Wed, Jul 11)

[teecee1]

Sprint 4G LTE pops up in Wichita, KS

Jul. 13, 2012 (3:28 pm) By: Russell Holly



There’s obviously some kind of holdup or delay regarding the 4G LTE deployment over at Sprint. The carrier now has four top of the line Android devices on its network being sold every day to customers that are being told that the 4G part of that fancy new phone will be here “soon”.

Sprint has refused to give any kind of go-live date for their network deployment, and aside from their network deployment strategy there’s not much else to know. Still, every day I get to my office, turn on my Sprint 4G LTE device, and wait patiently as it connects to Sprint’s 3G network instead of giving me what I want. It’s not like that everywhere, though. Apparently if you live in Wichita, KS with a Sprint 4G LTE phone you will occasionally connect to LTE.

As we know from Sprint, their 4G LTE network is still undergoing extensive testing and calibration. After years of WiMax, Sprint wants this LTE r9 network deployment to be a smashing success, and wants to use that success to push them through the upgrade to LTE r10. In order to do this, the network deployment must be flawless. If Sprint suffers from some of the same CDMA to LTE handoffs that Verizon Wireless did in their early days of LTE, the results would likely be disastrous.

So, Sprint’s not giving a release date. What they are doing, is using the fine people of Wichita is guinea pigs as they put the final touches on the test towers that have been deployed there.

Over the last week, several Wichita residents have noticed that their Samsung Galaxy S3 or their Samsung Galaxy Nexus will occasionally read “4G” in the network display. Since neither of these devices have a WiMax radio in them, the only 4G that could be received by those devices would be LTE. According to one Wichita resident, the network is inconsistent and his device doesn’t stay connected for more than an hour before going back to 3G. On Google+, one user was able to grab a speed test while connected to the LTE network, to see what the speeds and performance was like during his brief stay on the network.



During an exclusive speed test that was performed by PC Mag’s Sascha Segan, we’ve seen what the Sprint 4G LTE r9 network is supposed to do under “ideal circumstances”. Sascha’s tests were done on what was basically an empty network, and his results showed a consistent download speed of over 10Mb with a companion upload around 2Mb. The speed tests shown on Google+ revealed a connection that was more like 6Mb down and 4Mb up. Obviously those tests aren’t under ideal conditions, and it is unlikely that the network in Wichita is what Sprint would call “production ready”, but it does paint a clearer picture.

Sprint’s 4G LTE network is going to be here any day now, we know that much for sure. There’s still no clear timetable as to when we can expect Sprint to officially announce the big day, but with any luck we’re only a few short days or weeks away from Sprint users joining in the fourth G.

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... Azzi said customers streaming videos on their LTE phones will see “very fast” service in LTE coverage and “fast” speeds when they rely on the 3G network.

Starting Monday morning, customers can check their location’s LTE coverage with an interactive map at Sprint’s website.

Sprint continues to provide its WiMax 4G service for customers with those phones.

Kansas City had to wait longer for 4G during the WiMax rollout because Clearwire was building the network. Sprint is a majority owner of Clearwire but has sought to maintain an arm’s-length relationship with its partner.

Clearwire is working to add LTE technology throughout its network, and Sprint plans to use that to add LTE capacity in a few years when it expects to need additional capacity.

To reach Mark Davis, call 816-234-4372 or send email to [e-mail].

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.388.027 von teecee1 am 15.07.12 17:20:31

Sprint 4G LTE Launch Extends to 15 Cities Throughout Portions of Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and Texas

The all-new, high-speed data network rollout – known as Network Vision – spreads to communities surrounding Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio and is also now available in Waco, Texas

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 1 hour 41 minutes ago


OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S), the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, today announced that it is delivering the speed and power of an all-new 4G LTE network to 15 cities surrounding the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio markets. Because of an accelerated build schedule for the Network Vision program, Sprint will also launch a 4G LTE network for residents in and around Waco, Texas.

“Sprint and our vendors have been deploying Network Vision sites all across the country for the last several months and we are thrilled to deliver our new network to our customers today in and around Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “This new network is performing extremely well and customers should find it consistent, reliable and really fast.”

Today, Sprint 4G LTE coverage can be found in the following areas and will continue to expand in the coming months:

* Atlanta
* Athens, Ga.
* Calhoun, Ga.
* Carrollton, Ga.
* Newnan, Ga.
* Rome, Ga.
* Dallas
* Fort Worth, Texas
* Granbury-Hood County, Texas
* Houston
* Huntsville, Texas
* San Antonio, Texas
* Waco, Texas
* Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.
* St. Joseph, Mo.

For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

Sprint plans to launch additional 4G LTE markets in the second half of 2012, which will be announced later this year. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build out of its all-new 4G LTE nationwide network – with an all-new enhanced 3G network – covering 250 million people across the United States.

Network Vision Means an All-New 3G & 4G Network

To better meet the growing voice and data demands of wireless customers, Sprint is building an all-new, nationwide 3G and 4G LTE network through the Network Vision program. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a picture or to check the Web, Sprint 4G LTE will make it faster.

Coupling the speed of 4G LTE with the industry’s only truly unlimited data plan for smartphones makes Sprint the best choice in wireless.* Additionally, the new network will provide significant enhancements to Sprint 3G service once the improvements are completed.

Customers are expected to experience better signal strength, fewer dropped/blocked calls, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better overall performance as the improvements roll out across the country. Sprint has a history of innovation, as it was the first national wireless carrier to offer 4G service with the launch of the Sprint 4G (WiMAX) network in 2008.

The launch of these 15 cities demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

The Wireless Industry’s Most Customer-Friendly Data Plans

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

Sprint continues the trend of delivering value to customers through its portfolio of 4G LTE-capable devices and unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint has already launched five 4G LTE-capable devices for less than $200 – HTC EVO™ 4G LTE ($199.99); LG Viper™ 4G LTE ($99.99); Samsung Galaxy Nexus ($199.99); Samsung Galaxy S® III ($199.99 for 16GB version); and Sierra Wireless™ 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, the nation’s first to support 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G ($99.99) (all pricing excludes taxes).

During the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. Recently, the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.390.916 von teecee1 am 16.07.12 16:51:09

Sprint Integrates Buyback Option into Online Purchases

In an industry first, customers receive an instant quote on their old phone when purchasing a new one online

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 1 hour 49 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint Nextel [NYSE: S] is the first nationwide wireless carrier in America to integrate its buyback program into the online retail experience. In addition to in-store and mail-in options, Sprint now automatically guides online users through the process of reselling their old phones in exchange for a credit toward the purchase of a new one. Sprint Buyback – which last week was again named the best buyback program in the wireless industry by Compass Intelligence1 – has already diverted millions of phones from landfills.

“Sprint Buyback has been enormously successful to date,” said Chad Lander, Sprint director-Phone Recycling Programs. “Not only does it save our customers up to $300 at a time; it’s helped us achieve an impressive collection rate of 39 percent – that’s almost halfway to our goal of a 90 percent collection rate by 2017. The new online option is part of our expanding Buyback ecosystem, which helps raise customer awareness and give even more choices and flexibility.” ...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-integrates-buyback-opti…

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Sprint: Bankrupt By 2014?
July 17, 2012

Sprint (S) has had recent success as it stock price has increased by around 50 percent in 2012. This is an asset for aggressive investors interested in short-term capital appreciation. However, I believe Sprint's recent success in the market will be short-lived. I think Sprint is headed for the same fate as Nokia (NOK) or Research In Motion (RIMM). Sprint's current business model is troublesome, laden with risk as it depends greatly on the success of its Apple (AAPL) partnership and development of its LTE Network. Both of these plans are a farce at best. Sprint will be unable to compete with the top telecoms AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) while taking on a troubling amount of debt to do so. AT&T and Verizon's growth and long-term projections consistently outpace Sprint as it currently struggles to even catch up. In this article, I will explain why Sprint is a risky long-term investment. I believe its viability beyond 2014 is questionable at best.

First lets look at the fundamentals. Sprint's beta is around one. Its EPS decreased by around 93 percent from the previous year but has increased by over 17 percent from the previous quarter. Sales growth has increased by over five percent from the previous year but by only 0.14 percent from the previous quarter. Sprint's price to book ratio is around 0.9 while its price to cash flow ratio is around 3.27. Both the current ratio and quick ratio has increased significantly from Q4 2011 through the end of Q1 2012. The current ratio is around 1.9 while the quick ratio is slightly less than 1.8. Sprint's return on equity, operating margin and net margin are all at a deficit and decreased by around 20 percent from Q4 2011 through the end of Q1 2012. From Q4 2011 through the end of Q1 2012, Sprint's debt to equity ratio increased to around 2.1.

Unlike top telecoms Verizon and AT&T, Sprint does not currently offer a dividend payout to shareholders. Sprint's growth rates for this year and the past five years have been at a deficit and are significantly less than the industry average. Sprint's projected growth for next year is almost four times the industry average while its projected growth for the next five years is a little more than 50 percent the industry average. Its price to book ratio and price to cash flow ratio for the most recent quarter and most recent year are more than half the industry averages, respectively. Sprints net profit margin for the trailing 12 months is slightly better than the industry average while its return on equity is significantly worse than the industry average for the same time period.

At face value, there are many reasons to believe that Sprint's recent upswing in the market is trending towards long-term success. Sprint is the only one of three major telecoms that offers customers unlimited plans for smartphone subscribers. This is a stance that Sprint has been championing to differentiate it from AT&T and Verizon. Sprint also contracted with Apple to provide the iPhone to customers shortly after Verizon. It's the only one of three major telecoms to offer prepaid iPhones without the need for contracts. Much like Verizon and AT&T, Sprint recently announced the development of its 4G LTE network in some of America's major cities. Sprint is also expanding its Ethernet network and has upgraded the Sprint Biz 360 portfolio for small businesses.

The unlimited plans and the prospect of the proliferation of Sprint's 4G LTE network are the main catalysts driving the outstretched uptick in Sprint's stock. The idea that Sprint is preparing for a successful launch and assimilation of the iPhone 5 is certainly appealing, at face value. But the unlimited plans and investment in the 4G LTE network could eventually be the source of Sprint's demise. Sprint has over $20 million in debt; it claims it needs at most another $7 million for the LTE network. Industry experts expect LTE networks could ultimately cost as much as $10 million. Sprint's unlimited plans currently run slower than AT&T and Verizon's plans. Sprint plans to cut the Nextel network to make way for the development of its own LTE network. Cutting Nextel creates an opportunity for Verizon and AT&T to lure former Nextel customers away from Sprint to subscribe to their own respective push-to-talk platforms.

Verizon's 4G LTE network has 300 cities, AT&T has 41, and Sprint has only five. It simply lacks the resources to create a competitive LTE network with these major telecoms. There is also a reason Verizon and AT&T pulled their unlimited plans, it stifles earnings and is not viable long-term. Sprint's revenue suffers with this plan, in conjunction with the option to avoid contracts; there is nothing to stop these subscribers from leaving Sprint once they grow tired of an inferior service. Sprint has also undersold on its Apple contract thus far. It contracted for over 15 million phones; it's sold less than 4 million year-to-date, while the iPhone 5 will be released later this year. Sprint is certainly not as bad as Research in Motion or Nokia at this point, but it certainly is flirting with the notion and could be headed down the same road in within the next few years. It's overinvesting into long-term prospects that are creating additional and substantial near-term debt liabilities. The earnings from the these long-term investments may never come to fruition as AT&T and Verizon are continually outpacing Sprint's operations and offer superior products and services to consumers and businesses.

Investors and current shareholders may benefit from some short-term capital appreciation when the iPhone is released and the Sprint's LTE network is further developed. The lack of substantial future revenue to offset the superfluous amount of debt Sprint is currently taking on will leave Sprint susceptible to bankruptcy or an acquisition by one of the major cable companies in the future. Apple and Verizon have superior sales and networks. In long-term projections, it's difficult to see Sprint retaining subscribers, managing its debt or surviving without some serious help.

............................................................................

Sprint fires up new wireless data network

Sprint fires up new wireless data network, but lags Verizon and AT&T

Associated Press
By Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | Associated Press – 21 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sprint Nextel Corp. said Monday that it has turned on its new wireless data network, providing a much-needed boost to the carrier, whose data speeds lag those of its largest competitors.

Sprint fired up the fourth-generation, or 4G, network in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and some smaller surrounding cities on Sunday. It uses LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, technology already in use by Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.

Four smartphones and one mobile-hotspot device are capable of using the network.

PC Magazine got early access to the network a month ago, and found that it's not quite as fast as Verizon's and AT&T's equivalents, but a big step up from Sprint's older 3G, or third-generation, network and the 4G access it rents from Clearwire Corp.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. cellphone carrier, doesn't have as much available spectrum, or space on the airwaves, as the larger carriers do. That holds back its LTE speeds somewhat.

Verizon and AT&T also have much wider coverage on their LTE networks. Verizon covers 304 markets, or two-thirds of the U.S. population.

Sprint, which is based in Overland Park, Kan., is planning to expand LTE coverage this year and largely complete the network buildout next year. It's planning to supplement its own LTE network with that of Clearwire, which has yet to fire up.

Sprint had said that Baltimore would also be among the first cities to get LTE, but it was missing from the initial lineup.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.395.711 von teecee1 am 17.07.12 19:03:29

Assessing Clearwire's Liquidity Today And Recoveries In A Bankruptcy
July 17, 2012 | 23 comments | about: CLWR


Thomas Lott
I am a former hedge fund portfolio manager that trades for my own personal account. I espouse Graham and Dodd/Buffet style investing, always on the lookout for value equities or bonds. A graduate of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, I lived in NYC for a decade before relocating with my family to the Charlotte, NC area in 2007

http://seekingalpha.com/article/727391-assessing-clearwire-s…

Most of my career involved managing money for a portfolio of distressed assets. The term distressed investing is pretty broad, encompassing bank debt, bonds and sometimes equities of companies that are in Chapter 11, or have the potential to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Recently, Clearwire (CLWR) stock traded down to just a hair over $1.00 a share, from well over $5 in 2011. I have been involved in Sprint since last December, and felt it was worth digging into their cousin Clearwire a tad more.

To summarize, I think that few equity holders really understand recovery process here should Clearwire file for Chapter 11. I also believe that the odds of a Clearwire bankruptcy are quite high.

Perhaps CEO John Stanton's purchase of $5mm of CLWR stock last August gives comfort to the crowd. He does have a good record of insider buying. But cash burn is a huge problem, and understanding Clearwire's legal structure is paramount to making an informed investment decision.

Overall, at $1.10 the risk reward is quite good, but only for those willing to lose 100% of your capital. ...


Here is a quick liquidity analysis. They will burn through their $1.4BB in cash pretty quickly. Interest on their debt alone is $550mm per year.



Capital Structure

Here is the current capital structure (as of March 31, 2012):



Any decent distressed analyst however looks at the legal structure, which in a filling dictates the waterfall of recoveries. Naturally, lenders of assets subject to a Chapter 11 filing get first dibs on recoveries of these assets. The chart below was similar in the 10K too, but didn't show where the cash and debt resided, which is critical to bond and equity recoveries (if there are any).


... ... google ist raus / March 31, 2012

The blue represents the secured debt, the green is the unsecured debt. A DIP Loan in a Chapter 11 would prime all the debt. Note that B common holders are not entitled to distributions in a liquidation. These holders however will take their share from the Class B Unitholder pot. See the waterfall below. ...

Waterfall of Recoveries

Looking at the cash situation clearly shows that not only will Clearwire burn through its $1.4BB of cash in a couple years, they will also need another $500mm to $1.0BB to get them to 2016 (even without repaying the secured bonds).

I included in this waterfall the Present Value of the spectrum leases, which totals $1.2BB. There is a risk that in a bankruptcy, the FCC will revoke this leased spectrum, but I am no expert on spectrum ownership of public airwaves. I do recall that Nextwave Wireless fought the FCC for years after winning spectrum at auction, then failing to pay for it and filing for bankruptcy. Ultimately they were able to keep their leased spectrum, so I think Clearwire will as well, even in Chapter 11.



I provided a large range of values per MHz-POP numbers to illustrate the proper recoveries in a Chapter 11, from 10c to $1.00. That range provides recoveries from zero or $25.70 per share! I do question management's claim that this spectrum is worth $0.50 to $1.00 per MHz. AWS spectrum sold for $0.54 and $0.68 per MHz POP in a couple transactions, and it is better, lower banded spectrum at around 1900 MHz. The 2500 stuff that Clearwire owns simply has to be worth less. ...

[teecee1]

20.07.2012

Telekom
US-Behörde prangert T-Mobile an

Von Astrid Maier


T-Mobile USA: "Fall von Offshoring amtlich bestätigt"
dapd

Hat die Tochter der Deutschen Telekom öffentlich falsche Angaben gemacht, um nicht am Pranger wegen Job-Verlagerungen ins Ausland zu stehen? Eine Entscheidung des Labor Departments legt dies nun nahe.

Hamburg - Die Deutsche Telekom baut in Deutschland 10.000 Arbeitsplätze ab - jährlich. Das Prozedere verläuft inzwischen nahezu geräuschlos: Abfindungen, Angestellte, die sich freiwillig für den Vorruhestand entscheiden - "sozialverträglich" nennen der Bonner Konzern und die Gewerkschaften einvernehmlich den schleichenden Schrumpfkurs.

Mag zu Hause das Verhältnis der Telekom Chart zeigen zu den Arbeitnehmervertretern noch so entspannt sein, in den USA führt der Konzern mit den dortigen Gewerkschaften seit Jahren einen zermürbenden Kleinkrieg - der nun einen für den deutschen Konzern peinlichen Höhepunkt erreicht hat.

Die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA wurde öffentlich überführt, US-Behörden offenbar falsch informiert zu haben. Dabei geht es um die Frage, ob T-Mobile bei der Schließung von sieben seiner insgesamt 24 Callcenter Arbeitsplätze ins Ausland verlagert.

Nichts schadet schließlich dem Ruf eines Unternehmens in den von Arbeitslosigkeit geplagten USA derzeit so sehr wie eben dieses Offshoring. Und genau das hatte die Communications Workers of America, CWA, dem T-Mobile-Management bei seinem jüngsten Sparkurs vorgeworfen: Das Aus von 1900 Stellen und sieben US-Callcentern geschehe im Zusammenhang mit entsprechend günstigeren Leistungen, die der Konzern im Ausland beziehe.

US-Arbeitsministerium bekräftigt Offshoring-Vorwürfe

Das US-Arbeitsministerium hat sich in dieser Woche in einer spektakulären Entscheidung der Meinung der Gewerkschafter angeschlossen: Das Unternehmen habe Dienstleistungen im Ausland in Anspruch genommen, die "genauso oder direkt im Wettbewerb" zu der von der Schließung betroffenen Arbeitsplätze stünden, schrieb das US-Labor Department auf seiner Homepage. Ein klassischer Fall von Offshoring eben.

Larry Myers, Executive Vice President von T-Mobile USA, und für Personal zuständig, hatte noch am 17. Mai in einem Brief an Abgeordnete des Repräsentantenhauses in Washington beteuert: "Wir haben die Callcenter nicht geschlossen, um die Arbeit ins Ausland zu verlagern". Vielmehr sei die Schließung der Überkapazitäten geschuldet, die T-Mobile in seinen Callcentern aufgebaut habe, seit die Kundenzahl des Unternehmens schrumpft. Das Schreiben liegt manager magazin online vor.

"Um seine Reputation zu bewahren, hat T-Mobile USA die eigenen Mitarbeiter und die Öffentlichkeit belogen", wirft Lothar Schröder, stellvertretender Telekom-Aufsichtsrat und Verdi-Bundesvorstand, dem Konzern vor. Es sei nun "amtlich bestätigt, dass es sich hier um einen Fall von Offshoring" handle, sagte Schröder weiter.

Besonders pikant: Werden in den USA Arbeitsplätze ins Ausland verlagert, stehen den Betroffenen höhere staatliche Leistungen zu. T-Mobile weist die Vorwürfe von sich: "Die zur Verfügung gestellten Fakten weisen nicht unterstützend darauf hin, dass die Arbeit der betroffenen Beschäftigten ins Ausland verlagert wurde", zeigte sich ein T-Mobile-USA-Sprecher über die Entscheidung des Labor Departments überrascht. Das Unternehmen nehme schließlich schon seit Langem ausländische wie inländische Callcenter in Anspruch.

............................................................................

T-Mobile USA Moved Jobs Abroad in Call-Center Cuts, U.S. Says
By Cornelius Rahn - Jul 18, 2012 12:17 PM GMT+0200

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE)’s T-Mobile USA unit moved jobs to other countries as it cut local call-center employees, the U.S. Labor Department said, contradicting claims by the company.

“The workers’ firm has acquired from a foreign country services like or directly competitive with services supplied by the workers which contributed importantly to worker group separations at T-Mobile USA,” the authority said in a decision posted on its website. Based on that conclusion, it determined the workers were entitled to apply for government assistance. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.400.393 von teecee1 am 18.07.12 19:56:19

Clearwire Earnings Preview: Looks Good Long-Term, So What's Up With The Sell-Off?
July 18, 2012 | 67 comments | about: CLWR, includes: CHL, LEAP, PCS, S, T, USM, VZ

Helix Investment Management
was founded in July 2011 as an investment management and advisory firm. We tend to take a secular, thesis based approach to investing, looking for fundamental trends around the globe that transcend the vagaries of the business cycle.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/730941-clearwire-earnings-pr…

Clearwire (CLWR) demonstrates just how complex long-term investing can be. The company's stock price has dropped consistently over the past few months. With earnings set to be released on July 26, we thought it would be appropriate to provide a preview of what to expect and what the company should do so that its stock price can stabilize. But first, we feel it is important to explain recent developments.

Overview

Since our last article on Clearwire, which was published on June 7, the stock has dropped nearly 14%. The size of this selloff is not what makes it odd. Rather, it is the fact that since our last article, there has not been any real negative news about Clearwire. It seems the stock can do nothing but go down. It fails to rally on anything that can be construed as good news.

It would be one thing for us to see negative headlines regarding Clearwire and then explain why the bullish thesis is intact. But there have been no new negative headlines for us to refute. Simply put, this latest selloff is one we are struggling to come to terms with. It seems that Verizon's (VZ) spectrum deal will be approved by the FCC, but given how much Clearwire's stock had dropped when that deal was announced, we see little reason that it should fall again. In any case, we provided an overview of why the deal is not a threat to Clearwire in a previous article.

Furthermore, both the FCC and Justice Department are investigating this deal. The FCC is reviewing the spectrum aspect, and the Justice Department is looking at the marketing deal Verizon struck with the cable companies. Though Verizon insists that the two are unrelated, we think otherwise. The cable companies have suggested that they will back out of this deal if they have to give up too much. Things in Washington are rarely simple, and it is likely that these two aspects of the deal are more connected than Verizon is letting on.

Network Developments: Good for Clearwire

There have been 2 recent developments on the network front, both of which occurred on July 18. The first is that Clearwire and China Mobile (CHL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance their plans for global TD-LTE roaming. We feel that investors are under-appreciating the future significance of this. As the largest mobile market in the world, China has a great deal of potential, and Clearwire will have a role to play in that. We expect more color on the collaboration with China Mobile on Clearwire's earnings call.

The second development is closer to home, but even more positive. Sprint (S), which spoke at a Wells Fargo conference alongside Clearwire today, stated that the two companies will use Clearwire's LTE network to augment Sprint's. Instead of blanketing the nation with a second LTE network (alongside Sprint's), the two companies will beef up coverage in critical areas. Thirty percent of Sprint's network sites generate 70% of its network traffic. Sprint does not have the spectrum to compete with AT&T (T) and Verizon on its own, and it needs Clearwire's network. Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's vice president of network development & engineering, has said that Clearwire's network will essentially replace WiFi offloading as a network management tool, due to the capacity that Clearwire brings to the table.

This newest development between Sprint and Clearwire highlights that both companies need each other. We, however, think that in the long-term, it is Sprint that will need Clearwire more. Clearwire, due to its vast spectrum holdings, has enough spectrum to accommodate both Sprint and other wholesale customers. After all, Clearwire is the largest single holder of spectrum in the country.



Sprint, however, simply does not have the spectrum needed to compete with AT&T and Verizon on its own. And the company does not have the financial capacity to acquire the necessary amount of spectrum outright (we have received many messages suggesting that Sprint needs to buy Clearwire. That, however, is an issue for another article, as such a deal would have many moving parts). Going forward, we expect more collaboration between Sprint and Clearwire.

Earnings Preview: It Will be a Very Interesting Conference Call

Clearwire is set to report earnings on July 26, after the markets have closed. The consensus estimate (from Reuters) calls for a loss of 61 cents per share.



Perhaps more importantly, that estimate has gone up in recent months, in a reversal of the cuts seen in the first part of 2012.



We will be listening closely to Clearwire's conference call, and hoping that the company addresses the following issues:

1. Liquidity: Clearwire ended the first quarter with $1.432508 billion in cash & investments. And although Clearwire did post positive operating cash flow in the first quarter, much of that was due to deferred revenues. However, Clearwire's cash burn is narrowing alongside its losses, and assuming that the company can continue on its existing trajectory, it will likely become cash flow positive in 2013.

From a cash flow perspective, Clearwire's losses are not as extreme as they seem. In the first quarter, Clearwire's net loss was $561.026 million. But of that, $317.029 million was due to non-cash charges, such as depreciation and losses on its WiMax network. As Clearwire's "core" net loss narrows, its cash flows will improve alongside it (for the record, we are not saying that depreciation and non-cash charges should be excluded from loss calculations, but that the non-cash nature of those charges means that investors should not use Clearwire's headline net loss to gauge the company's cash position).

On the conference call, we would like to hear the company's opinion on its liquidity, as well as more color on the timing of Sprint's prepayments. In addition, we want to hear about Clearwire's plans (as well as its ability) to raise more capital. Does management see a need for more capital to build out the LTE network? And if so, where will capital come from?

... ... Sprint LTE network and Clearwire network, 50:50 ...

2. The State of the Wholesale Market: Clearwire's last major wholesale deal was with Leap Wireless (LEAP) back in March, and it is deals of that nature that will allow Clearwire to diversify away from Sprint. In our view, the state of the wireless market is positive for Clearwire at this point in time. With AT&T and Verizon buying up vast swaths of spectrum, smaller carriers, such as Leap, will have a more difficult time competing. Enter Clearwire. The company's spectrum holdings allow it to assist smaller carriers in competing against AT&T and Verizon.

What is management's view of the wholesale market today? Is the company going to sign more deals? On the Q1 earnings call, Clearwire's management explicitly stated that their favored method for raising capital is wholesale revenues. Given the focus on that, what sort of progress is there on striking more deals? We see any number of possible deals, with companies such as MetroPCS (PCS) or U.S. Cellular (USM). We would like more color on what Clearwire is doing to expand the wholesale business.

3. Spectrum Monetization: This is the final, and biggest issue that we want Clearwire to address, and it is the source of most investor concern/optimism when it comes to Clearwire, at least from the messages that we have received regarding this company. Clearwire has been very cagey when it comes to its spectrum plans.

This issue was brought up on the last conference call, and although CEO Erik Prusch deflected the question well, we would still prefer an answer. Credit Suisse framed the question in a great way, pointing out that although there are carriers that would "love to buy spectrum from you [Clearwire] today, if they can't get it from you they'll go with -- they may be forced to go with a less attractive choice, buying spectrum from Verizon." And although that question was meant for CFO Hope Cochran, Erik Prusch stepped in to give the CEO perspective. He argued that there simply isn't enough spectrum outside of Clearwire to solve the industry's needs. And he said that, although the company is aware of the dynamics in the spectrum market, they don't see a viable threat at this point.

While we agree in principle with that line of thinking, we would like to see Clearwire provide another answer to the spectrum question. Many investors are concerned that Clearwire will be unable to sell its spectrum if the company were to suddenly have a need for capital. While we do not share that view, other investors do, and Clearwire needs to address those concerns.

For the record, we do not think that an outright spectrum sale at this point in time is the best thing for Clearwire. Spectrum is becoming more and more valuable each year (putting aside scientific and technical arguments for/against Clearwire's 2.5 GhZ spectrum), and Clearwire has the most spectrum in the country. Could it be appropriate to sell spectrum in the future? Possibly. But right now, we feel that Clearwire should be focusing elsewhere. The company should not sell spectrum because it needs to raise capital. That would be selling from a position of weakness. The company should be selling spectrum from a position of strength, when it is selling because other wireless companies need it, and are willing to pay a premium for it. Clearwire needs to soothe investors' nerves regarding this issue, and the company's comments regarding spectrum are what we will be listening to most closely.

Clearwire's stock has historically traded up and down based on what management says, and often, comments are misconstrued, either positively or negatively. We hope that the company is aware of that fact, and is as clear as possible on the conference call.

A Word Regarding Bankruptcy

As Clearwire's stock continues to decline, speculation about bankruptcy has risen alongside it. In our view, this sort of speculation is unwarranted. Clearwire has well over a billion dollars in cash and investments, and the majority of its debt (over $3.2 billion) is due in 2015 and 2016. Its $500 million in second-priority notes are due in 2017, and the company's exchangeable notes (about $600 million) are due in 2040. Debt will not be an issue for several years, and by 2015, Clearwire should be in much stronger financial shape.

It is important not to forget the role of Sprint. Sprint needs Clearwire to compete against AT&T and Verizon, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. A Clearwire bankruptcy would plunge Sprint into chaos, as what would happen with its contracts with Clearwire would be unclear, for Clearwire's spectrum would be seized by its bondholders. Sprint has shown that it is committed to assisting Clearwire when the company needs financing, and given how important Clearwire is to Sprint, we expect Sprint to be there for the company until it becomes financially independent.

In any case, bankruptcy would result in the sale of Clearwire's spectrum. Bondholders will receive only the first $4.2 billion in proceeds to pay of Clearwire's debt. Then, the remaining proceeds would be distributed to Clearwire's Class A and Class B stockholders. Clearwire's spectrum is housed in Clearwire Communications, of which Clearwire holds a 33% economic interest in (a previous article we published on Clearwire explains the ownership structure in detail). The other 67% is held by Sprint and other investors, because they hold one unit of Clearwire Communications for each share of Class B stock. However, Class B stock (of Clearwire Corporation) has no liquidation rights, whereas Class A stock does. Therefore, Clearwire's Class A investors would receive 33% of any remaining spectrum sale proceeds after bondholders have been paid off.

Clearwire owns 46.6 billion MHz-POP's of spectrum, and the company's leases are fully transferable, according to the latest 10-K. For the record, 41% of Clearwire's spectrum is owned outright, and the company has the right of first refusal to renew its leases when they expire (lease terms extend up to 30 years). A sale of those leases would be subject to the same FCC conditions as a sale of spectrum that is owned outright.

Even applying a conservative discount to recent market rates for spectrum sales yields value for Clearwire's stockholders, this article on the technical aspects of Clearwire's spectrum should ease concerns about its quality. Our article on Clearwire's structure (linked to above) provides a liquidation analysis. We assumed that all Class B shares would be converted to Class A shares, which from an accounting basis, is equivalent to Clearwire's existing Class A investors simply receiving their 33% share of the liquidation proceeds. Because the company's bylaws state that one Class B share and one Clearwire Communications unit are needed to convert to a Class A share, the dilution created at the A-level is offset by Clearwire gaining a 100% economic interest in Clearwire Communications. The result is either that a smaller set of investors have 33% of the pie, or that a larger group has 100% of the pie. Class B investors will get 67% of spectrum proceeds in either case. The only question at what point in the liquidation process that would occur.

Conclusions

Clearwire is a company that is misunderstood by many investors. We, however, continue to see value here. The company's stock has dropped for reasons that are unclear, but we remain confident in its long-term potential. The upcoming earnings release and conference call should yield insight into where Clearwire is going, and we look forward to hearing what management has to say. We added to our position in Clearwire over the past few days, and continue to believe that this company's best days are ahead.

Disclosure: I am long CLWR.

[teecee1]

19.07.2012 | 17:55

Business Wire ·
ZTE und China Mobile Hong Kong bauen LTE-TDD-Netz auf

Die ZTE Corporation ("ZTE") (H-Aktiencode: 0763.HK / A-Aktiencode: 000063.SZ), ein börsennotierter, global tätiger Anbieter von Telekommunikationsausrüstung und Netzwerklösungen, meldete heute, dass sie mit der China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited (CMHK) einen Vertrag über den Aufbau eines LTE-TDD-Netzes im Territorium abgeschlossen hat.

Im Rahmen dieses Vertrages wird ZTE LTE-TDD-Lösungen an CMHK liefern, darunter SDR BTS, Endgeräte sowie Netzplanungs-, Integrations- und Netzoptimierungsdienste. Das gemeinsam aufgebaute Netzwerk wird das Zentralnetz von Hongkong bilden und die Insel Hongkong sowie Kowloon abdecken. CMHK ist eine hundertprozentige Tochtergesellschaft von China Mobile Limited.

CMHK hat im Februar 2012 seine LTE-TDD-Lizenz für das 30MHz breite Frequenzspektrum zwischen 2330MHz-2360MHz in Hongkong erhalten. Auf der GTI Asia Conference 2012 in Schanghai kündigte CMHK an, dass bis zum Jahresende LTE-TDD- und LTE-FDD-Dienste auf der Grundlage seines LTE-TDD/FDD-Dualmodusnetzes bereitgestellt werden. Zuvor hatte CMHK sein LTE-FDD-Netz im April 2012 in Hongkong in Betrieb genommen.

"ZTE ist ein Lieferant fortgeschrittener LTE-Lösungen", sagte Sean Lee, Direktor und CEO von China Mobile Hong Kong. "Wir freuen uns sehr, mit ihm zusammen das LTE-TDD/FDD-Dualmodusnetz in Hongkong aufzubauen."

Zhang Jianguo, Vice President und CTO of the APAC and CIS Regions von ZTE, erklärte: "Hongkongs Markt für mobile Kommunikation ist einer der fortgeschrittensten und wettbewerbsintensivsten der Welt. Es gibt bereits vier LTE-Netze im Territorium. ZTE fühlt sich geehrt, die Gelegenheit zu erhalten, dort ein Zentralnetz aufzubauen."

ZTE ist ein führender Akteur in der TD-LTE- und LTE-FDD/TDD-Konvergenzindustrie. Mit Stand vom April 2012, hat ZTE TD-LTE-Testprojekte und kommerzielle Netzwerke für 33 führende Betreiber in 19 Ländern umgesetzt und acht Aufträge über die Implementierung umfangreicher kommerzieller LTE-TDD-Netze gewonnen. Am 13. Juni 2012 wurden ZTE und die führende multinationale Betreibergesellschaft Hi3G Access AB für ihr gemeinsam aufgebautes TDD/FDD-Dualmodusnetzwerk in Schweden mit dem Global Telecoms Business Global Innovation Award for LTE Infrastructure ausgezeichnet.

............................................................................

China Mobile to launch LTE-FDD/TDD network in Hong Kong
July 20, 2012 Written by Dawinderpal Sahota

hong-kong-dawn

China Mobile's converged Hong Kong LTE network is expected to be launched in Q4

China Mobile has signed deals with equipment providers Ericsson and ZTE to build its converged LTE-FDD/TDD network in Hong Kong. The operator has signed contracts with both vendors for the project after acquiring spectrum in the 2330MHz-2360MHz band. The network will cover Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon region, and the converged network is due to be launched in the fourth quarter of the year.

The operator already launched its LTE-FDD network in Hong Kong in April 2012 with Ericsson as the sole supplier. The Swedish vendor will now deliver the TD-LTE radio access network and network management using its operation support system for radio and core (OSS-RC) for the converged network. In addition, Ericsson will also provide evolved packet core network expansion and upgrade, consulting and systems integration services as well related design, training and support services.

ZTE will also provide its LTE-TDD solutions to the operator, including software-defined radio base stations, terminals, network planning, integration and network optimisation.

The firm signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US operator Clearwire as well, with the two planning to collaborate to support international roaming for their customers travelling between China and the US. The MoU also serves as a blueprint for future roaming agreements with other members of the Global TD-LTE initiative (GTI) of which China Mobile and Clearwire are founding members. The GTI has 48 members including operators Sprint, Vodafone and Mobily.

By launching LTE services in Hong Kong, China Mobile joins CSL, a unit of Australia’s Telstra, which has already launched its 4G services in the market. China Mobile is also currently conducting tests aimed at launching LTE services in two years in mainland China.

[teecee1]

UPDATE 2-MetroPCS sees 4G rollout by end of 3rd-qtr, shares up

Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:40am EDT

* Q2 EPS $0.41 vs est $0.21

* Q2 revenue $1.28 bln vs est $1.26 bln

* Shares up 33 percent

July 26 (Reuters) - Mobile phone service provider MetroPCS Communications Inc handily beat analysts' estimates for its second-quarter results, boosted by growth in service revenue, and said it expects to largely complete its 4G LTE rollout by the end of the current quarter.

Shares of the company were up 33 percent at $8.36 in morning trade on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

The company, which expects its 4G rollout to be almost complete by the end of the current quarter, said it has seen subscribers flock to the new, faster service.

At the end of the second quarter, it had about 8 percent of its subscribers on 4G LTE services, MetroPCS said.

"At the end of the third quarter, affordable 4G LTE handsets will be available and we will be very near the completion of our 4G LTE network buildout with over 97 percent of all our POPs covered," Chief Executive Roger Linquist said on a conference call.

A POP is equivalent to one potential customer that a wireless carrier's network has the capacity to serve and is used to define addressable market for a service provider. MetroPCS has estimated POPs of 100 million.

Though the company said last quarter it will launch more smartphones to tackle slowing subscriber additions, it cut back on handset promotions in the second quarter and focused on promoting its service plans, which offer higher margins than handset sales.

MetroPCS said it will continue promotion of its $25 unlimited talk and text plan in the third quarter, which had a "pleasing" uptake in the second quarter.

Service revenue rose 4 percent to $1.16 billion for the quarter. Quarterly average revenue per user (ARPU) was $40.62, up 13 cents from a year earlier.

The company posted a net subscriber loss of 186,000 in the second quarter. Analysts had been expecting its subscriber numbers to fall by 94,000 to 174,000, according to four analysts contacted by Reuters.

"During the fourth quarter, we expect our 4G LTE For All initiative to lead to a return to subscriber growth," Chief Executive Roger Linquist said in a statement.

4G LTE For All is MetroPCS's line of affordable 4G LTE smartphones which it expects to launch in the second half of 2012.

Churn -- or customer defection rate -- fell by half a percentage point to 3.4 percent for the quarter.

Net income rose to $148.8 million, or 41 cents per share, from $84.3 million, or 23 cents per share, a year ago.

Revenue for the second quarter rose 6 percent to $1.28 billion.

Analysts, on average, were looking for second-quarter earnings of 21 cents per share on revenue of $1.26 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company's shares have lost about 44 percent of their value since it was reported that larger rival Sprint Nextel Corp has aborted a multibillion dollar plan to buy MetroPCS in February.

............................................................................

26.07.2012 | 13:10

BörseGo ·
MetroPCS Communications übertrifft Analystenerwartungen

New York (BoerseGo.de) - Der Mobilfunk-Provider MetroPCS Communications hat mit seinen Zahlen zum zweiten Quartal die Erwartungen der Analysten übertroffen. Dabei konnten sowohl der Umsatz als auch der Gewinn gesteigert werden.

Der Nettogewinn wurde im zweiten Quartal mit 148,84 Millionen Dollar oder 0,41 Dollar je Aktie ausgewiesen, nach 84,34 Millionen Dollar oder 0,23 Dollar je Aktie im Vorjahr. Das entspricht einem Anstieg um 77 Prozent. Analysten hatten im Vorfeld mit einem Gewinn je Aktie von lediglich 0,22 Dollar gerechnet. Begründet wurde der deutliche Anstieg mit gesunkenen Kosten pro Kunde.

Das bereinigte Ergebnis vor Zinsen, Steuern und Abschreibungen (Ebita) stieg um 33 Prozent im Jahresvergleich auf 477 Millionen Dollar. Und damit auf den höchsten Wert der Unternehmensgeschichte. Die Ebitda-Marge wurde mit 41,1 Prozent angegeben, ein Plus von 900 Basispunkten im Jahresvergleich.

Auch beim Umsatz konnte MetroPCS überzeugen. Der Umsatz belief sich auf 1,28 Milliarden Dollar, nach 1,21 Milliarden Dollar im Vorjahresquartal. Hier lagen die Schätzungen der Analysten zuvor bei nur 1,26 Milliarden Dollar. Die Zahl der Kunden wurde zum Quartalsende (per 30. Juni 2012) mit 9,3 Millionen angegeben.

Im Ausblick auf das Gesamtjahr hat das Unternehmen seine vorherige Prognose vom 23. Februar 2012 bestätigt. Das Unternehmen sieht Investitionskosten (Capex) in einer Spanne von 900 bis 1,0 Milliarden Dollar auf konsolidierter Basis bis zum Jahresende 2012.

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Christian Zoller)

[teecee1]

26.07.2012 | 16:58

BörseGo ·
Kurssprung: Sprint Nextel hebt Jahresausblick an

Overland Park (BoerseGo.de) - Der US-Mobilfunkbetreiber Sprint Nextel hat sein Gewinnziel für das Gesamtjahr 2012 leicht angehoben. Im zweiten Quartal belasteten aber Abschreibungen auf das Nextel-Netzwerk, das bis Mitte 2013 eingestellt werden soll.

Das Jahresziel für den operativen Gewinn vor Abschreibungen und Sonderposten liegt nun bei 4,5 bis 4,6 Milliarden Dollar, nachdem im April ein Wert am oberen Ende der Spanne von 3,7 bis 3,9 Milliarden Dollar in Aussicht gestellt worden war. Der positivere Ausblick sorgte am Donnerstag für gute Laune bei Anlegern und Händlern. Der Kurs der Sprint-Nextel-Aktie legte um 13,5 Prozent auf 3,83 Dollar zu.

Im zweiten Quartal verringerte sich das Ergebnis je Aktie von minus 0,28 Dollar im Vorjahresquartal auf minus 0,46 Dollar, wie Sprint Nextel mitteilte. Die Konsensprognose der Analysten hatte bei einem Verlust je Aktie von 0,41 Dollar gelegen. Das Nettoergebnis sank von minus 847 Millionen Dollar auf minus 1,37 Milliarden Dollar. Damit musste der 19. Quartalsverlust in Folge verbucht werden. Das operative Ergebnis konnte von 1,31 auf 1,45 Milliarden Dollar gesteigert werden.

Der Umsatz wuchs um sechs Prozent auf 8,84 Milliarden Dollar, womit die Analystenschätzungen von 8,72 Milliarden Dollar übertroffen wurden. Besonders bei den unbegrenzten Datentarifen konnte Sprint Nextel einen deutlichen Erlösanstieg verbuchen. Der Umsatz je Vertragskunde belief sich auf 63,38 Dollar, womit ein neues Rekordniveau erreicht wurde.

"Sprint hat im zweiten Quartal den durchschnittlichen Monatsumatz pro Kunde auf neue Höhen getrieben. Zusammen mit einer niedrigen Wechselrate und hoher Kostendisziplin hat das den operativen Gewinn gestützt", sagte Unternehmenschef Dan Hesse.

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Oliver Baron, Redakteur)

............................................................................

26.07.2012 18:40

heise online
US-Mobilfunker Sprint Nextel schreibt tiefrote Zahlen

Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel ist tief in die roten Zahlen gerutscht. Im zweiten Quartal gab es einen Verlust von 1,37 Milliarden US-Dollar. Im Vergleichszeitraum des Vorjahrs war der Konzern mit 847 Millionen US-Dollar in den Miesen. Der Umsatz legte um 6 Prozent auf 8,84 Milliarden US-Dollar zu, wie das Unternehmen am Donnerstag mitteilte.

Der Fehlbetrag geht maßgeblich auf die Schließung des Nextel-Netzes zurück, welches vor acht Jahren durch eine Fusion beider Anbieter unter das gemeinsame Firmendach gekommen war. Nun drücken den Konzern allein Mietkosten von 184 Millionen US-Dollar für nicht mehr benötigte Sendestandorte. Weitere 204 Millionen verschlang die Beteiligung an dem LTE-Provider Clearwire.

Zu dem Verlust trugen wie schon zuvor die teure Subventionierung des Verkaufs von iPhones bei. Sprint Nextel setzte im zweiten Quartal 1,5 Millionen der Geräte ab, fast jedes zweite davon an Neukunden. Smartphone-Verträge kosten Telecom-Anbieter oft kräftige Zuschüsse bezogen auf den Einkaufspreis der Endgeräte, fahren aber über die übliche Vertragsdauer von zwei Jahren auch hohe Nutzungsgebühren ein. (mit Material der dpa) (ssu)

[teecee1]

Clearwire Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 21 hours ago

* Raises Guidance for 2012 Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA
* Second Quarter 2012 Revenue of $316.9 Million -- Down (2)% Year Over Year From Second Quarter 2011 Revenue of $322.6 Million and Up 8% Year Over Year from Pro Forma Second Quarter 2011 Revenue of $293.7 Million
* Aggregate Wholesale 4G Usage Increased 50% Year Over Year in Second Quarter 2012
* Expands China Mobile Relationship with MOU for First International TDD-LTE Roaming Arrangement and Further Advances Global TDD-LTE Ecosystem with Qualcomm and Sequans

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for second quarter 2012.

"Every day wireless users become increasingly dependent on their highly capable 4G devices at a time when many in our industry are questioning whether their 4G networks can keep pace," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Network congestion and capacity issues have already forced most major operators to curb usage through data caps or speed limits, and the 4G boom has only just begun. We believe Clearwire's unmatched spectrum portfolio and LTE roadmap are keys to unlocking the value of our deep capacity resources and uniquely position us to meet the short and long term needs of consumers and wholesale carrier partners."

"Clearwire is able to operate on a single bandwidth in approximately 160Mhz of spectrum on average in top 100 markets where capacity constraints are most likely to emerge [for other carriers]," said John Byrne, Research Director for Wireless Infrastructure at IDC. "As a result, Clearwire has the capability to offer greater capacity and better network performance by virtue of a significantly fatter pipe. With several Tier One operators already seeing a point in the not too distant future at which their existing LTE capacity is fully loaded, wholesale partnerships provide the ability to augment capacity in the most constrained markets."

Second quarter 2012 revenue declined slightly year over year to $316.9 million primarily due to a year over year decline in wholesale revenue. Second quarter 2012 wholesale revenue of $117.6 million, was sequentially flat as compared to first quarter 2012 wholesale revenue of $117.8 million, and down (11)% year over year despite a 50% increase in wholesale usage over the same period, primarily due to prior period wholesale revenue adjustments in second quarter 2011 which resulted from the April 2011 Sprint agreement. As compared to pro forma second quarter 2011 revenue of $293.7 million, which excludes the impact of these prior period adjustments, second quarter 2012 revenue increased 8% reflecting the fixed wholesale WiMAX revenue terms of the November 2011 Sprint agreement which took effect in 2012. Retail and other revenue increased 4% year over year to $199.4 million in second quarter 2012. Retail ARPU for second quarter 2012 was $46.12, representing a $(1.47) year over year decline as compared to $47.59 in second quarter 2011 primarily due to lower equipment lease and activation revenue under the new no-contract offering as well as a one-time benefit recognized in the prior year period, offset partially by fewer promotional discounts in second quarter 2012 as compared to the prior year period.

Clearwire ended second quarter 2012 with approximately 11.0 million total subscribers, up 43% from 7.6 million subscribers in second quarter 2011. The subscriber base consists of 1.3 million retail subscribers and 9.6 million wholesale subscribers, reflecting 8,000 retail and 34,000 wholesale net subscriber losses during second quarter 2012. Wholesale subscribers consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers.

Second quarter 2012 aggregate network usage by wholesale customers increased 50% compared to second quarter 2011, driven primarily by growth in aggregate smartphone usage, which increased 101% over the same period.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $226 in second quarter 2012 compared to $313 in second quarter 2011. The year over year improvement is primarily due to lower retail selling expenses associated with our recently launched no-contract offering as well as a lower cost structure resulting from our cost cutting initiatives in 2011. Retail churn was 4.4% in second quarter 2012, up from 3.9% in second quarter 2011. The increase in churn is primarily due to an increase in subscribers on no-contract plans, which were fully launched in first quarter 2012.

Adjusted EBITDA in second quarter 2012 was a loss of $(34.4) million, representing a $45.2 million improvement when compared to second quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA loss of $(79.6) million.

Second quarter 2012 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $(143.2) million, or $(0.28)per basic share as compared to $(160.5) million, or $(0.65) per basic share, respectively in the prior year period. Including the effects of discontinued operations, second quarter 2012 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $(145.8) million, or $(0.29) per basic share as compared to $(168.7) million or $(0.68), respectively in the prior year period.

At the end of second quarter 2012, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 136 million people reside, including approximately 134 million people in markets where we provide 4G services, slightly higher than the prior year period when the networks covered areas where approximately 135 million people resided, including approximately 132 million people in 4G markets.

2012 Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA Outlook

For full year 2012 Clearwire expects total revenue of $1.20 to $1.30 billion, representing a $50 million increase (at the midpoints) to previous guidance of $1.15 to $1.25 billion. The company also expects 2012 Adjusted EBITDA loss of approximately $(175) to $(225) million, representing a $100 million improvement (at the midpoints) to previous guidance of $(250) to $(350) million.

Global TDD-LTE Ecosystem Continues Expanding with China Mobile, Qualcomm, Sequans

Clearwire continues to be a leader in the development of the global TDD-LTE ecosystem, which the company expects to offer important competitive advantages in the years ahead. Clearwire announced last week that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Mobile that will lay the foundation for TDD-LTE roaming between two of the largest wireless markets in the world, China and the United States.

In addition, during the second quarter Clearwire announced plans with Qualcomm and Sequans to add support of TDD-LTE in future LTE products from both companies.

Results of Continuing Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) in second quarter 2012 decreased 48% to $224.4 million compared to $433.4 million for second quarter 2011. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $11.1 million and $214.6 million in second quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively, and other non-cash network-related charges of $39.8 million and $37.8 million in second quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively. The decrease in non-cash charges for network equipment reserves in second quarter 2012 was primarily due to a decline in write-downs of network equipment no longer required for deployment or sparing as we solidified our LTE network plans. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS decreased 4% year over year primarily due to a decrease in the number of tower leases resulting from cost savings actions taken in 2011.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in second quarter 2012 decreased 23% to $137.7 million compared to $178.2 million in second quarter 2011. The decrease is primarily attributable to actions taken in conjunction with Clearwire's cost cutting initiative in 2011 including lower employee-related expenses resulting from headcount reductions and outsourcing of the customer care function, reduced marketing spend, as well as decreased selling commission expense associated with our recently introduced no-contract product offering.

Second quarter 2012 capital expenditures of $24.0 million related primarily to ongoing maintenance of Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network and the deployment of our LTE network, and was essentially flat as compared to $23.0 million in first quarter 2012, but less than $56.0 million capital expenditures in second quarter 2011.

The company ended second quarter 2012 with cash and investments of approximately $1.2 billion invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities. ...

[teecee1]

27.07.2012 | 16:37

Business Wire ·
US Carriers Will Outlay $10.5 Billion for Network Investments in 2013 as they Chase the 4G Dream, Says ABI Research

A US election year combined with uncertain European financial fundamentals has clouded the economic outlook for the North American market. However, mobile operators are busily preparing their networks for next generation 4G services. "North American mobile cellular capital expenditure is expected to hold its ground in 2012 year-on-year, with expenditure of around US$ 10 billion", said Jake Saunders, VP for forecasting at ABI Research. "In 2013, mobile capital expenditure is likely to surge 4.9% to US$10.5 Billion as North American operators continue upgrading their networks". Signs of these spending plans include:

* In 2Q-2012, Verizon Wireless announced it had discontinued investment in the expansion and capacity enhancement of its 3G network as the operator has allocated those resources to building out its 4G LTE coverage. On a year-on-year basis, capital expenditure should trend flat or slightly down. The operator is confident its 4G footprint will at least be equal to its 3G footprint by mid-2013.

* T-Mobile USA announced that it will invest US$4 billion in 2012 and 2013 to strengthen its 4G network, including the planned launch of LTE in 2013. Expenditures in 1Q-2012 were essentially neutral in 1Q-2012 due in part to these network modernization efforts.

* AT&T is still spending substantially on wireline upgrades, but in 1Q-2012, wireless telecoms took 54% of its total CAPEX, up by US$ 454 million YoY to US$2.3 billion.

* Sprint's wireless upgrades to support LTE are helping to drive up its capital expenditure commitments to US$ 710 million in 1Q-2012, up 58% YoY.

* Some of the renewed commitment by the incumbents could be partially explained by Clearwire's activities. Clearwire had started off as a WiMAX 4G operator but has seized the LTE-TDD opportunity to introduce mobile broadband services. The first phase of LTE overlay network build-up saw the installation of 8,000 sites in "hot zones" in urban centers as part of the company's strategy to provide capacity offload services to other operators. Clearwire expects CAPEX in 2012 will amount to US$350 to 400 million.

ABI Research's study, "Mobile Capital Expenditure Forecast: North America," focuses on the North-American region and includes base station and core network data. These findings are part of ABI Research's Mobile Capex (http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Mobile_Capex) Research Service which includes additional Competitive Analyses, Vendor Matrices, Market Data, and Insights.

[teecee1]

The Summer Heat is On with Hot Back-to-School Savings on CLEAR 4G

50% Off All CLEAR Devices Wherever Devices are Sold

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 1 hour 34 minutes ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- School may be out for summer, but CLEAR's back-to-school promotions are in full swing. Right now, parents and students can purchase CLEAR devices for the upcoming school year and save big. All CLEAR devices - including the CLEAR Spot(R) Voyager, a powerful mobile broadband hotspot that fits in the palm of the hand and the CLEAR Stick Atlas, a mobile USB that connects instantly to the internet without complicated software - are a whopping 50% off.

The discounts are being offered online at www.clear.com and everywhere CLEAR devices are sold. With these devices and a CLEAR service plan, students can stay connected at school, whether in their home or on-the-go, as long as they are in the CLEAR coverage area. The back-to-school promotion kicked off July 1st and runs through August 31st.

"According to PriceGrabber(R) survey data, 35% of consumers start shopping for back-to-school items in July and 44% in August," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager - CLEAR. "Our hope is that these consumers, and others, take advantage of our great offering. Not only will they save a significant amount of money on our unique products, but they will also enjoy a new way to stay connected with a true mobile broadband experience on CLEAR unlimited* internet plans and no long term contracts."

The CLEAR Spot Voyager is a personal mobile hotspot allowing users to easily and securely share unlimited* super-fast internet access, virtually anywhere within CLEAR coverage, simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the iPad(R), iPhone(R), iPod(R) touch, laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices. The CLEAR Spot Voyager is manufactured by Infomark and carries a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $99.99 and is on sale for $49.99**. The device is 2.6" square, weighs only 2.1 ounces, and runs on a rechargeable battery that provides up to six hours of continuous use.***

The CLEAR Stick Atlas is manufactured by Ubee Interactive and carries a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $49.99 and is on sale for $24.99**. It is a mobile USB that doesn't require complicated software so you can instantly connect to the internet. The device is 1.2 inches wide by 3.25 inches high with a 0.65 inch diameter, weighing only 1.1 ounces. The color is charcoal grey with a matte finish, and includes an LED light showing signal strength and connection status. The device supports most operating systems, including: Windows(R) 7, Windows Vista(R), Windows(R) XP, Mac(R) OSX, Linux, Android(TM) and Chrome.

CLEAR, the retail brand for Clearwire Corporation, runs on Clearwire's 4G network in approximately 80 cities across the U.S. For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com. Company information about Clearwire is available at www.clearwire.com.

* Unlimited plans subject to CLEAR's Acceptable Use Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup.

** Taxes, recurring service fee, and other charges apply, including shipping charges in certain retail sales channels.

*** Actual battery life that user experiences between charges may vary and is not guaranteed.

Clearwire, CLEAR, the CLEAR logo, and CLEAR Spot are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc ...

[teecee1]

02.08.2012 | 20:12

PR Newswire ·
Ting Offers Samsung Galaxy SIII on Sprint's 4G LTE Network

TORONTO, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Tucows Inc. (NYSE AMEX:TCX, TSX:TC), a global provider of domain names and other Internet services, today announced that its mobile phone service, Ting, has made the Samsung Galaxy SIII available for pre-order on its website at ting.com.

Devices will ship in three to six weeks. The 16GB Samsung Galaxy SIII is at $529, the 32GB at $579. These will be the first Ting devices to use Sprint's 4G LTE network. Both the 16GB and 32GB are available in Pebble Blue and Marble White.

"It's a killer device," said Scott Allan, Director of Ting. "We have a lot of potential customers who have been waiting for this. They won't have to wait much longer."

To thank customers for waiting the three to six weeks, Ting will pick two of the first two hundred pre-orders and waive the cost of the device entirely.

Samsung Galaxy SIII shoppers are strongly encouraged to go to the savings calculator at ting.com/calculator to determine how quickly their monthly savings on service will cover the upfront cost of the device.

After that, pre-orders can be placed at ting.com/devices.

About Tucows

Tucows is a global Internet services company. OpenSRS (http://opensrs.com) manages over 11 million domain names and millions of email boxes through a reseller network of over 12,000 web hosts and ISPs. Hover (http://hover.com) is the easiest way for individuals and small businesses to manage their domain names and email addresses. Ting (http://ting.com) is a mobile phone service provider dedicated to bringing clarity and control to U.S. mobile phone users. YummyNames (http://yummynames.com) owns premium domain names that generate revenue through advertising or resale. More information can be found on Tucows' corporate website (http://tucows.com).

SOURCE Tucows Inc.

[teecee1]

US-Umfrage
Smartphone-Nutzer nervt lahmes Internet am meisten
04.08.2012

Was nervt die Besitzer eines Handys am meisten? Der US-Marktforscher PEW ist dieser Frage in einer Zufriedenheitsstudie auf den Grund gegangen. Die Ergebnisse dürften so ähnlich wohl auch in Deutschland zutreffen.


Lahmes Internet ist ein globales, abgebrochene Gespräche wohl eher ein reines USA-Problem.
Foto: gmg9130 - Fotolia.com

Der US-Marktforscher PEW wollte in seiner jüngsten Studie herausfinden, was die Besitzer von Handys am meisten stört. Die Stiftung befragte deshalb zwischen März und April rund 2.200 in den USA ansässige Personen im Alter ab 18 Jahre. Basierend auf der Befragung besitzen 88 Prozent aller US-Amerikaner ein Mobiltelefon, 79 Prozent von ihnen verschicken damit Textnachrichten und 55 Prozent nutzen das Internet.

Das am weitesten verbreitete Problem unter den Teilnehmern war lahmes Internet. 77 Prozent der Befragten gaben an, zumindest gelegentlich deutlich langsamere Download-Geschwindigkeiten zu haben als gewohnt. Danach folgt mit 72 Prozent Verbreitung das Problem abgebrochener Gespräche. Genauso störend wie weit verbreitet sind auch unerwünschte Werbe-Anrufe und -SMS. Etwa 69 Prozent der Personen gaben an, solche Spam-Botschaften hin und wieder zu erhalten. Unter den Smartphone-Besitzern traten alle Probleme etwas häufiger auf bei Handy-Nutzern.

Der Branchenverband der US-Spieleindustrie ESA (Entertainment Software Association) machte in seiner neuesten Studie (PDF) ebenfall einige überraschende Entdeckungen: Das Durchschnittsalter der Spieler ist deutlich gesunken, genauso der Anteil der männlichen Spieler. 2011 war ein Spieler im Schnitt 37 Jahre alt, 29 Prozent sogar über 50 und nur 18 Prozent unter 18 Jahre. 2012 ist das Durchschnittsalter auf 30 Jahre gesunken (wie zuletzt 2005) und der Anteil der unter 18 Jahren alten Gamer auf 32 Prozent gestiegen. Der Anteil der Spieler im Alter von 50 Jahren und darüber wurde in der aktuellen Studie nicht mehr extra ausgewiesen. Der Anteil der Frauen stieg in der aktuellen Befragung auf 47 Prozent, von 42 Prozent im Vorjahr.

Der Grund für die überraschende Verjüngung der Spielergemeinde ist wahrscheinlich eine neue Methodik bei der Befragung. Bisher zählte die ESA nur Spieler, die einen Computer oder eine Spielekonsole wie Xbox oder Playstation zu Hause haben und nutzen. In diesem Jahr fügte der Verband auch alle Personen hinzu, die eine tragbare Spielekonsole wie eine Sony PSP oder eine Nintendo DS zum Spielen benutzen, oder auch Tablets und Smartphones. Diese Spielergruppe, obwohl sie seit Jahren besteht und beständig wächst, wurde bisher von der ESA in den Umfragen ignoriert.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bitkom
Mobiles Internet nimmt stärker als mobiles Telefonieren zu
04.08.201

Im vergangenen Jahr wurden in Deutschland insgesamt rund 3,2 Milliarden Stunden Gespräche per Handy geführt. Das sei ein Plus von 4,7 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahr, teilte der Branchenverband Bitkom auf Basis von Daten der Bundesnetzagentur mit.

Jeder Bundesbürger habe im Schnitt fast 40 Stunden im Jahr bzw. mehr als drei Stunden (196 Minuten) im Monat mobil telefoniert. 2005 waren es noch nicht mal halb so viel (87 Minuten pro Monat). Verantwortlich für den Boom bei mobilen Gesprächen sind nach Ansicht des Bitkom insbesondere günstige Flatrate-Tarife und Minutenpakete. Die Zahl der abgehenden Gesprächsminuten ist der Erhebung zufolge um 4,6 Prozent auf 107 Milliarden gestiegen, die Zahl der in Mobilfunknetzen ankommenden Gesprächsminuten um 4,8 Prozent auf 86 Milliarden Minuten.

Da die meisten Gespräche im Rahmen von Flatrates oder Minutenpaketen abgerechnet würden, seien die Erlöse der Mobilfunkbetreiber mit Sprachdiensten trotz der starken Nachfrage rückläufig, so der Bitkom. Der Verband rechnet für dieses Jahr mit einem Minus von 4 Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahr auf dann 14,6 Milliarden Euro. Weitere Gründe für den Rückgang seien zusätzlich zum Wettbewerb die Eingriffe der Regulierungsbehörden, beispielsweise durch Terminierungsentgelte im Inland und die Roaminggebühren im Ausland. "Dem Markt werden auf diese Weise Mittel entzogen, die für Investitionen in den Breitbandausbau im Festnetz und im Mobilfunk fehlen", sagte BITKOM-Hauptgeschäftsführer Dr. Bernhard Rohleder.

In Deutschland gibt es laut Bitkom rund 115 Millionen Mobilfunkverträge, fast 1,4 pro Einwohner. 88 Prozent aller Deutschen ab 14 Jahre besitzen mindestens ein Handy. Eine kürzliche Umfrage des Bitkom unter Smartphone-Besitzern hat ergeben, dass für diese Nutzer das Telefonieren nicht mehr die wichtigste Mobil-Anwendung ist. Danach gehen 43 Prozent der Smartphone-Besitzer jeden Tag mit dem Gerät ins Internet, aber "nur" 42 Prozent telefonieren täglich mit dem Gerät. Auf dem dritten Platz folgt kurz dahinter der Versand von Kurznachrichten (SMS) mit 41 Prozent.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.458.736 von teecee1 am 05.08.12 17:30:20

Survey: 46% of mobile customers experience slow mobile data speeds

Pew survey contrasts with heavy carrier focus on network speeds
August 3, 2012 | By Phil Goldstein

Despite the introduction of LTE by Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and other carriers, nearly a majority of American consumers regularly experience slow mobile data speeds, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.



An April 2012 survey from Pew's Internet & American Life Project found that 46 percent of respondents experienced slow data speeds a few times a week or more often. Further, 49 percent of smartphone users surveyed reported experiencing slow data speeds at least weekly. Only 21 percent of all mobile subscribers surveyed said they never experienced slow data speeds. Pew surveyed nearly 2,000 mobile phone owners in March and April and found that 88 percent of American adults own a handset.

"As mobile owners become fond of just-in-time access to others and as their expectations about getting real-time information rise, they depend on the cell phone's technical reliability," said Jan Lauren Boyles, a Pew Internet Project researcher who authored the report. "Any problems that snag, stall or stop users from connecting to the material and people they seek is at least a hassle to them and sometimes is even more disturbing than that in this networked world."

The survey's results contrast sharply with the marketing from wireless carriers, which heavily advertise their network speeds. Verizon and AT&T advertise average downlink speeds of 5-12 Mbps on their LTE networks. Sprint advertises average downlink speeds of 6-8 Mbps on its new LTE network, which just went online in July. T-Mobile has said its HSPA+42 network with enhanced backhaul proves LTE-like speeds, and independent tests have measured average downlink speeds on T-Mobile of around 8 Mbps.

Pew's survey also took note of other issues affecting mobile users. The survey found that 32 percent of all mobile users and 35 percent of smartphone users experienced dropped calls at least weekly. Additionally, 25 percent of mobile phone owners and 29 percent of smartphone users experienced spam or unwanted texts at least weekly.

According to Pew, commercial parties cannot send spam to mobile customers who have placed their mobile device on the National Do Not Call registry. For those who have not chosen to go on that registry, governmental regulations bar text messages sent from Internet domain names. However, mobile-to-mobile spam messages are permissible, so long as the text contacts were not generated through an automatic dialing system.

For more:
- see this Pew report
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this PC Magazine article

[teecee1]

Clearwire's Solid Q2 Earnings: Improving Fundamentals Support The Bullish Thesis
August 6, 2012 | 9 comments | about: CLWR, includes: DISH, DTV, S
by: Helix Investment Management

If we were to be asked what is the most interesting stock that we own, or the one that we cover the most here on Seeking Alpha, the answer to both would be Clearwire (CLWR). The company is perhaps the most misunderstood out of all the companies in our portfolio, and perhaps the one that offers the most upside potential in the long run. In our view, Clearwire's best days are ahead of it, and with the company having reported its Q2 2012 results on July 26, we felt it would be appropriate to provide a review of those earnings. For the record, unless otherwise noted, our data regarding Clearwire will be taken from the company's Q2 conference call, or its posted.

The Headline Numbers: A Miss, But Investors Have to Dig Deeper

On the surface, Clearwire's Q2 2012 earnings were poor. The company posted a loss of 33 cents per share on revenues of $316.932 million, both of which missed Wall Street's estimates by 2 cents on earnings and by $4 million on revenue. Clearwire also reported that it lost 42,000 subscribers (8,000 on the retail side and 34,000 on the wholesale side). But, with Clearwire, nothing is ever simple and investors have to look beyond the headline numbers to understand what is going on.

Clearwire may have missed estimates for Q2, but it raised its guidance for the remainder of 2012, for both EBITDA and revenues. Clearwire is now posted 2012 revenues of $1.2-$1.3 billion, and an EBITDA loss of $175-$225 million. The company boosted revenue estimates by $50 million, and EBITDA estimates by $100 million at the midpoint of guidance. Clearwire's losses are narrowing, which is a good sign of improving financial health. Clearwire's liquidity position remained strong, posted in cash and investments. More importantly, the company's cash burn continued to narrow. Clearwire had positive operating cash flow of $59.837 million from continuing operations in Q1 2012, which means that the company had posted in operating cash burn from continuing operations for Q2 2012 (Clearwire reported its cash flows in aggregate for the first 6 months of 2012).

The company's cash position, according to Clearwire, should be sufficient to fund itself for the next 12 months, which has helped the stock rally after its earnings release, for many investors had begun anticipating that "going concern" language would be used in the company's 10-Q filing. CFO Hope Cochran stated on the company's conference call that Clearwire expects to end the year in a stronger liquidity position than previously expected, despite an increase in capital expenditures related to the company's LTE network.

In addition, CFO Cochran stated that the company is halting all sales from its controlled equity offering. She said that the company's intention all along has been to sell stock only if it would not have a material impact on the price. And given what has happened to the stock, it is impractical to sell stock at these levels. In our view, it is possible that stock sales may resume, but only when the stock has recovered even more than it has as of this writing (since bottoming on July 25, Clearwire has rallied over 41%).

... ... Shares 1.46B | A Shares 542,09 M (130/200)

Addressing Rumors and Speculation

The second quarter of 2012 was a turbulent one for Clearwire. The stock plunged steadily as investors grew more and more worried about the company's market position. There were many spectrum deals that took place in the quarter, and Clearwire was absent from all of them. But that was not a new fact. Clearwire has long maintained that it will not sell spectrum unless it is the right thing to do.

However, in this market environment, that is not enough. Uncertainty is the enemy in this market, and in Q2 2012, Clearwire had plenty of uncertainty. Though there was no material negative news about the company this quarter, investors sold the stock anyways. Tensions were running high into the earnings conference call, for the stock had slid to a new low ahead of the company's earnings.

CEO Erik Prusch took some time on the call to address the recent turmoil. In essence, investors are worrying that recent spectrum deals will decrease the demand for Clearwire's spectrum. He opened the call by stating that,

Before I update you on our progress in the second quarter, I'd like to take a moment to provide some perspective on recent events. During the second quarter, we continued to see notable spectrum activity on the part of several carriers in various forms, including swaps, regional or individual market tuck-in acquisitions and efforts to make impaired spectrum more usable. While these actions may prove marginally helpful in alleviating some of the growing demand on carriers' networks, we do not believe any of these transactions provide a comprehensive solution to their capacity needs, especially in high usage, dense urban markets. In contrast, Clearwire's deep portfolio of 160 megahertz of spectrum on average in the top 100 U.S. markets is ideally suited to help operators capitalize on this growing demand. Not only is our 2.5 gigahertz frequency highly conducive to transmitting massive amounts of data, but our large swaps of continuous spectrum also enable us to push the limits of LTE technology with fat 20-megahertz pipes or even fatter 40-megahertz pipes with carrier aggregation.

The mini-deals seen in the second-quarter will not alleviate the spectrum pressures that every American carrier is seeing. And given the continued shift to data usage, especially in urban markets, Clearwire is well-positioned to meet this increase in demand in a way that no other wireless company can. IDC agrees, stating,

Clearwire is able to operate on a single bandwidth in approximately 160Mhz of spectrum on average in top 100 markets where capacity constraints are most likely to emerge [for other carriers]. As a result, Clearwire has the capability to offer greater capacity and better network performance by virtue of a significantly fatter pipe. With several Tier One operators already seeing a point in the not too distant future at which their existing LTE capacity is fully loaded, wholesale partnerships provide the ability to augment capacity in the most constrained markets.

Clearwire has what it takes to meet the needs of carriers, and in the next 12 months, we will see that fact play out.

CEO Erik Prusch also took time to address the issue of "strategic transactions." Many investors have been anxious to hear about deals that are more significant than just a wholesale deal. Prusch acknowledged this fact, but also said that it is best to remain discreet on such matters until there is something to announce. He stated on the call that,

as we have mentioned in the past, we have been and remain in active discussions with various parties who are interested in leveraging our assets to address the growing demand for broadband data in various ways, including, but not limited to spectrum acquisition. While we understand investors are anxious for additional details chronicling our progress, we believe it is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders to remain discreet on such matters. And while we have a sense of urgency in arriving at a strategic solution, we also believe our strong cash position provides us runway to be patient enough to strike not just any deal, but the right deal or set of deals for the company and its shareholders.

When asked for clarification by BTIG, CEO Prusch reiterated that a strategic transaction is more than just a wholesale deal, which Clearwire views as a normal course of business. Much of the call focused on overall events that took place in the spectrum market in the past few months, rather than Clearwire's own results. It seems that not even analysts care about the numbers this quarter. Instead, they, like many investors, want to see how Clearwire is responding to perceived turmoil in the markets.

The Spectrum Market: Clearwire's Strong Position Has Not Changed

Analysts were eager to hear what management had to say about the spectrum market. And few analysts were more eager than those at Credit Suisse, which historically has been the most frank on Clearwire's conference call. The firm immediately jumped into the speculation game, asking Clearwire if there was anything in its shareholder agreement that prevents the company from selling stock and/or spectrum to DBS (direct broadcast satellite) provider. The firm was referencing a July 20 filing by DirecTV (DTV) with the FCC that proposed that the FCC require the cable companies in the pending SpectrumCo. deal with Verizon be forced to sell their stakes in Clearwire in order to gain clearance.

Speculation immediately began swirling as to what that means, and whether or not DirecTV is positioning itself to make a bid for Clearwire. CEO Erik Prusch stated that not much changes for the company from a strategic standpoint if the cable companies did indeed divest all of their Clearwire stock. In addition, he also said that the company's shareholder agreement does not prevent the company from selling spectrum to a DBS provider, but that he cannot speak for DirecTV or why they made this request with the FCC. Clearwire's shareholder agreement, signed with Sprint (S) and other early investors, allows the company to sell spectrum if it is deemed to be "excess" spectrum. And Clearwire has flexibility in defining the meaning of "excess."

Analysts also quizzed the company on DISH's (DISH) presence in the market. DISH holds its own wireless spectrum, but has been coy as to what its plans are. DISH reports earnings on August 8 and we will be listening to the call closely to hear what the company has to say about its spectrum plans. The company is waiting for a decision by the FCC as to what it can do with its spectrum. The FCC has already denied a request by DISH to receiver a waiver so that it can use 40 MHz of spectrum to build a wireless network immediately.

CEO Prusch was asked if he is seeing or hearing that DISH's spectrum is being seen as an alternative to Clearwire's. He responded that he doesn't see DISH's spectrum holdings as being much of a threat. In his view, there is simply not enough supply outside of Clearwire to meet the demand that will materialize over the next 3-5 years. And Clearwire has more supply than any other company in the United States.



Clearwire has consistently shown that it is the only company that can meet the spectrum needs of carriers. The company's unmatched spectrum position allows it to help many carriers, and in the next year, we will see this play out more and more. There will be an acceleration of spectrum deals, and the pending release of the iPhone 5 will certainly help move things along. The pace of deals will pick up through the remainder of 2012. There has already been another spectrum deal struck since the company announced its Q2 results. AT&T (T) is spending $600 million to acquire NextWave (WAVE) and its WCS (wireless communication services) spectrum, as well as some AWS spectrum.

LTE Network Updates

Q2 2012 was a transitional quarter in terms of Clearwire's LTE network buildout. Notably, the company only posted charges of $317,000 for abandoning its WiMax network. In Q1 2012, those charges were over $80 million. Clearwire has said that it will be increasing capital expenditures in the second half of 2012 to begin constructing its LTE network. The company will begin buying equipment for the network in the current quarter, with much of the cost financed through equipment financing (due to a focus on preserving cash). The company will announce its vendor partners sometime in October CFO Cochran stated that the final cost will be around $600 million for the LTE network, spread through 2012 and 2013.

While she declined to formally Clearwire's outlook for capital expenditures this year, she made it clear that spending will rise. Clearwire is already working with Sprint to test its LTE network and how it interacts with Sprint's own network, to ensure that the hand-off between the 2 networks is seamless. Clearwire has also said that it will be receiving future LTE payments from Sprint, and that it is factoring that into its liquidity projections. The company is well-positioned to meets its June 2013 deadline to complete Phase I of its LTE network buildout. Clearwire has notices to proceed for 1,800 cell sites, and is working quickly to get them on-air by the deadline included in its most recent deal with Sprint.

Clearwire is also working to develop its LTE ecosystem, and has struck deals with both Qualcomm (QCOM) and Sequans (SQNS) to make chips that are compatible with the company's LTE network. Clearwire is also working with China Mobile (CHL) to advance their agreement to collaborate on TDD-LTE roaming between the United States and China, on both the technical and financial fronts. We expect more color regarding that partnership when Clearwire reports Q3 results in October.

A Word on Patience and Conclusions

We have examined Clearwire's Q2 results in great detail and are pleased with what we have found. The company's liquidity position remains strong, and it raised revenue and EBITDA guidance for the remainder of 2012. Clearwire's cash burn is narrowing, and we expect that trend to continue during the remainder of 2012 and 2013. The company is working to build its LTE network, and its progress to date is encouraging.

We understand that investors are nervous. But it is important to maintain a long-term perspective. Clearwire's best days are ahead of it, not behind it, and the company is well-positioned to benefit from trends in the wireless market, both here in the United States, as well as abroad. No company, except for Clearwire, has the spectrum needed to alleviate the pressures of growing data usage. Clearwire needs to be viewed through a long-term prism, and investors need to be patient.

That being said, Clearwire and its management team understand that investors want to see confirmation that the company's strategic market position has not weakened. CEO Erik Prusch was much more open about discussing strategic transactions on this call than in previous ones, and we expect that within the next year, Clearwire will announce a strategic deal, something that is larger and more meaningful than a new wholesale partnership.

Even with a 40% rally after earnings, Clearwire's stock is still undervalued. The company's Q2 earnings confirm that thesis. Losses and cash burn are narrowing, the company's liquidity position remains strong, and in our view, Clearwire's position in the market remains unchanged. The road ahead will become much clearer in the next few months, as the company ramps up construction on its LTE network and the frenzied speculation over Clearwire's spectrum position dies down. In our view, the bullish thesis is fully intact. Clearwire has certainly been volatile, and that volatility will likely continue for some time. But, we expect the next 12 months to be transformative for Clearwire, and believe that investors who keep their faith with Clearwire will be rewarded.

Disclosure: I am long CLWR, QCOM.

[teecee1]

06.08.2012 12:35

heise Mac & i
4G-Hülle macht iPod touch zum Handy

Das "Freedom Sleeve"-Projekt will einen mobilen Hotspot herstellen, den man um Apples iOS-Musikspieler iPod touch schnallen kann. Hinter dem Vorhaben, das derzeit auf der Crowdsourcing-Plattform Kickstarter versucht, insgesamt 100.000 US-Dollar einzusammeln, steht der amerikanische Wimax-Netzanbieter Freedompop. Zum Preis von einmalig 100 Dollar sollen Nutzer zusammen mit der Hülle ein monatliches Transfervolumen von 500 MByte erhalten, die sie kostenlos versurfen dürfen.


Vorder- und Rückansicht des "Freedom Sleeve". Vergrößern
Bild: Freedom Pop

Der iPod touch wird mittels WLAN mit der Hülle verbunden, die zum Wimax-Netz von Freedompop verbindet, und kann dann beispielsweise zum Streaming von Musik aus dem Internet genutzt werden. Über ein Headset sind außerdem Voice-over-IP-Anwendungen wie Skype verwendbar. Die "Freedom Sleeve"-Hülle soll 70 Gramm wiegen und nur 15 Millimeter dünn sein. Der Hersteller verspricht eine Laufzeit von bis zu 6 Stunden, der Akku wird mittels Mini-USB-Port aufgeladen.

Massiver Wermutstropfen: Sowohl WLAN-Hotspot als auch der Billig-Tarif sind nur in den USA nutzbar, wo das von Freedompop verwendete Wimax-Netz von Clearwire eine vergleichsweise große Abdeckung hat. Für einen längeren US-Aufenthalt ist die Lösung aber eine Überlegung wert. (bsc)

... ... Hallo Ben

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Macquarie Lowers Clearwire to Underperform (CLWR)
August 10th, 2012 - by Trevor Kearing

Clearwire logoClearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) was downgraded by analysts at Macquarie from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday. They currently have a $1.36 price target on the stock.

Separately, analysts at UBS AG reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Tuesday, July 3rd.

Clearwire traded down 2.78% on Friday, hitting $1.575. Clearwire has a 52-week low of $0.83 and a 52-week high of $3.50. The company’s market cap is $853.8 million.

Clearwire last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 26th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of ($0.31) by $0.02. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Clearwire will post $-1.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) builds and operates mobile broadband networks that provide high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities.

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Clearwire: Is The Rally Over?
August 9, 2012 | 39 comments | about: CLWR, includes: DISH, S



All of this speculation in a $1 stock has created a massive short squeeze, helped by the more than 60M shares sold short in CLWR as of July 13th.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/793711-clearwire-is-the-rall…

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Dish Network rumored to have bought Clearwire's $400 million debt in secret transaction
By Daniel Cooper posted Aug 10th 2012 7:41AM



Dish Network rumored to have bought Clearwire's $400 million debt in secret transactionWe're not in the habit of entering the dry world of corporate debt notes, but Sprint's latest financial release might disguise a juicy bit of news. There's a rumor in the business press that Dish Network might have bought around $400 million of Clearwire's debt -- helping relieve the pressure on Sprint, which has been keeping its subsidiary alive on handouts. Unsurprisingly, no-one's commenting on the rumors, although Dish CEO Joseph Clayton did say he was open to a partnership (or acquisition) with Sprint / Clearwire late last year. If true, it could signal that it's getting ready for a fight against AT&T -- or maybe it just wanted to throw Dan Hesse a bone.

[teecee1]

Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
Erste Mobilfunkbetreiber bieten Telefonate via LTE an
08.08.2012

In den USA und in Südkorea bieten ab heute die beiden ersten Mobilfunkbetreiber Sprachdienste über LTE an. Erste Smartphones für Voice over LTE (VoLTE) sind das Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE und das LG Connect 4G.

SK Telecom in Korea und MetroPCS Communications in den USA bieten seit heute als erste Mobilfunkbetreiber weltweit kommerziell Voice over LTE (VoLTE) an. Die Koreaner werden ab sofort das Android-Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE mit integriertem HD-Voice-Feature für den Sprachdienst über das LTE-Netz offerieren und noch im Laufe dieses Monats ein Firmware-Update für bereits zuvor verkaufte Galaxy S3 LTE ausliefern. HD Voice mit dem AMR-Wideband-Codec über das LTE-Netz soll für eine um bis zu 40 Prozent bessere Sprachqualität als über UMTS mit AMR-Narrowband-Codec sorgen. Damit die Kunden von der besseren Sprachqualität profitieren, müssen allerdings sowohl Anrufer als auch Angerufener ein dieses Feature unterstützendes Smartphone nutzen. Künftig will SK Telecom den Großteil seiner LTE-Smartphones mit HD Voice als integriertem Features herausgeben.

Theoretisch könnten mit Voice over LTE die pro Minute oder über spezielle Inklusivpakete abgerechneten Kosten für Mobiltelefonate bald der Vergangenheit angehören und zu den Inklusivleistungen einer Daten-Flatrate gehören. Allerdings behält SK Telecom laut der aktuellen Pressemitteilung das bisherige Abrechnungsschema von UMTS auch bei Voice over LTE bei. Der Mobilfunkprovider deckt nach eigenen Angaben 99 Prozent der Bevölkerung im Heimatmarkt mit seinem LTE-Netz ab, bietet dabei auch Indoor-Versorgung und erreicht neben auch schwer zugängliche oder abseits gelegene Gebiete wie Bergregionen oder Küstenabschnitte. Beim Transport über das LTE-Netz werden HD-Voice-Sprachdaten bevorzugt behandelt, bald sollen HD-Voice-Gespräche auch in die LTE-Netze der anderen koreanischen Mobilfunkbetreiber möglich sein.

In den USA wollen große Mobilfunkbetreiber wie AT&T, Verizon Wireless und Sprint erst im kommenden Jahr Voice over LTE anbieten. Erster Carrier mit einem VoLTE-Dienst ist der kleinere Anbieter MetroPCS. Allerdings wird MetroPCS Voice over LTE erst nach und nach in seinem gesamten Netz ausrollen und sein erstes VoLTE-fähiges Smartphone-Modell, das LG Connect 4G, zunächst nur in ausgewählten Läden zum Verkauf stellen. Später im Jahr sollen weitere Rich Communications Services (RCS) hinzukommen. Wie bei SK Telecom erwarten auch die Kunden von MetroPCS keine zusätzlichen Entgelte für die Nutzung von Voice over LTE, die Sprachverbindungen laufen auch dann über LTE, wenn nur einer der Gesprächspartner ein VoLTE-fähiges Smartphone benutzt.

In Deutschland bieten bislang nur Vodafone, Telekom und Telefónica Germany (O2) Datenübertragungen via LTE an. Mobiltelefonate laufen hierzulande weiterhin über 2G- oder 3G-Verbindungen.

powered by AreaMobile

[teecee1]

Sprint Sells $1.5 Billion To Refinance Debt, Fund Clearwire
By Matt Robinson - Aug 10, 2012 12:32 AM GMT+0200

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), the third- largest U.S. wireless carrier, sold $1.5 billion of bonds that may fund debt refinancing, a network expansion and a cash infusion for Clearwire Corp.

The company issued eight-year, 7 percent notes yielding 568 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries after dropping an offering for 10-year bonds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Moody’s Investors Service ranked the bonds B3, six levels below investment grade, the ratings company said in a statement today.

Sprint reported second-quarter revenue that beat analysts’ projections after demand for iPhones bolstered customer spending on data plans. Sales rose 6.4 percent to $8.84 billion, Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint said July 26 in a statement. Analysts had estimated $8.73 billion on average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The communications provider may use proceeds of the sale to fund Clearwire, a wireless carrier building a network across the U.S., according to a regulatory filing today. Sprint is Clearwire’s biggest customer.

The company last tapped the bond market in July. Its $1 billion of 9.125 percent bonds due March 2017 traded at 111.8 cents on the dollar yesterday for a yield of 6.13 percent in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

JPMorgan Chase & Co, Deutsche Bank AG, Barclays Plc, Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. managed the sale. Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. are the two largest U.S. carriers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Matt Robinson in New York at [e-mail]

............................................................................

13.08.2012 | 13:40
(43 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Merrill Lynch stuft Sprint Nextel von neutral auf buy.

Merrill Lynch stuft Sprint Nextel von neutral auf buy.

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Tobias Krieg, Redakteur)
© 2012 BörseGo

[teecee1]

03.08.2012
Glasfaserverbindungen gefragt wie selten zuvor

Telekommunikation: Es ist rund zehn Jahre her, dass die Glasfaserkabelindustrie nahezu komplett zusammenbrach. Allein in den USA gab es Abschreibungen in Höhe von 90 Mrd. $ auf unverkäufliche und unvermietbare Verbindungen. Doch jetzt erlebt die Branche eine Renaissance. Cloud Computing, leistungsstärkere Geschäftsanforderungen und vor allem die neuen breitbandigen Mobilfunkgeräte treiben vielerorts die Netze an ihre Belastungsgrenzen. Ihnen kann nur mit massivem Ausbau der Infrastruktur begegnet werden.

VDI nachrichten, New York, 3. 8. 12, rb

Nach Angaben der Marktforscher von CRU wurden allein in den USA im letzten Jahr knapp 20 Mio. Meilen (über 32 Mio. km) an neuen Glasfaserkabeln verlegt – der höchste Wert seit dem Boom des Internets vor über zehn Jahren.Auch bei den Unterseekabeln gibt es einen Boom. So wird derzeit ein neues Kabel zwischen Nord- und Südamerika sowie entlang der westafrikanischen Küste verlegt. Ein internationales Firmenkonsortium plant eine fast weltumspannende neue Glasfaserverbindung, mit der die BRIC-Länder, also Brasilien, Russland, Indien und China, sowohl untereinander als auch mit den Wirtschaftsmetropolen in Europa, Japan und Nordamerika verbunden werden sollen.

Level 3, Betreiber einer eigenen weltweiten Glasfaser-Infrastruktur, investiert in diesem Jahr erstmals seit 2000 wieder in neue Kabelverbindungen. „Der Bedarf ist vorhanden, es gibt Wohngebiete, die mehr Bandbreite verschlingen als ganz New York vor 15 Jahren“, gibt Level-3-CEO James Cowe als Grund für die neuen Investitionen an. „Wir beobachten ein exponentielles Wachstum der Datenmenge, die über unseren Knoten transportiert wird“, bestätigt Henk Steenman, CTO bei der Amsterdam Internet Exchange, einem der weltweit größten Internetknoten.

Dieses rasante Wachstum entstammt den ultramodernen Internetnutzungen: Im Endkundenbereich sind das Streaming-Video statt Videothek, Skype-Videokonferenzgespräche statt Audio-Verbindungen und im professionellen Bereich sind es Highend-Video-Verbindungen, wie Ciscos Telepresence, sowie die Nachfrage aus dem Finanzsektor nach immer schnelleren Übertragungen und Auftragsabwicklungen.

Doch das alles ist harmlos im Vergleich zum explosionsartig anwachsenden Bandbreitenbedarf der neuen mobilen Anwendungen – allen voran die Tablets und die Smartphones – UMTS- wie LTE-Modelle. 500 000 Smartphone-Apps gibt es inzwischen, die alle mit Daten versorgt werden wollen. Bei Cisco meint man, dass sich bis 2016 das mobile Internetdatenvolumen alljährlich verdoppeln wird.

Das bedeutet aber nicht notwendigerweise, dass sich auch die gesamte Infrastruktur verdoppeln muss. „Unsere Ingenieure finden stets schnellere Übertragungsmethoden, die die bestehenden Glasfaserverbindungen besser ausnutzen“, sagt Will Hughes vom australischen Telekomriesen Telstra, der unter anderem in vielen Unterseekabelverbindungen engagiert ist.

Die Netzbetreiber stimmen dieser Einschätzung zu, doch nach deren Ansicht ist es nicht das Kernnetz, das sogenannte Backbone, das an seiner Leistungsgrenze operiert, es ist vor allem ein lokaleres Problem. So musste O2 Telefónica Deutschland Ende letzten Jahres Netzprobleme eingestehen, da der Run auf Smartphones die Netze in vielen Teilregionen überstrapazierte.

Auch TV-Kabel-Kunden klagen hierzulande in verschiedenen Städten über Netzprobleme. „Glasfaser fehlt bei der Anbindung mobiler Basisstationen zur Versorgung von Gewerbegebieten, Hotels, Krankenhäusern, Universitäten und Luxuswohngegenden, in denen es genügend zahlungskräftige Internetnutzer gibt, die bereit sind einen Aufpreis für einen schnellen Breitbandanschluss zu bezahlen“, sagt Hunter Newby, Chef bei Allied Fiber, einem Start-up, das ein eigenes Glasfasernetz aufbaut. Es soll an bandbreitenintensive Anbieter wie Amazon, Netflix, Hulu und Google vermietet werden.

Einen weiteren Bedarf für neue Glasfaserverbindungen gibt es im obersten Business-Bereich: Bei der Anbindung von Cloud-Rechenzentren, deren Standorte sich immer mehr nach günstigem Strom und guter Kühlung richten.

So will der Seekabelbetreiber Hibernia Atlantic ein neues Transatlantik-Kabel verlegen, das New York mit Island verbinden soll. „Islands Infrastruktur bietet ideale Voraussetzungen für leistungsfähige Cloud-Rechenzentren, doch es fehlt eine schnelle Anbindung an die datenintensiven Regionen in Europa und Nordamerika“, heißt es in einem Firmenprospekt.

Eine weitere bedeutende Anwendung der neuen Glasfaserverbindungen sind Redundanzschaltungen gegen Betriebsausfälle sowie Geschwindigkeitsverbesserungen bei der Anbindung von Trader-Terminals und ähnlich zeitsensiblen Applikationen.

So konnte das Start-up Northeastern ITS seine Investition von 300 Mio. $ in ein neues Glasfaserkabel von Chicago nach New York in ein lohnendes Servicegeschäft umwandeln. Der Grund dafür ist einfach: Die neue ITS-Verbindung ist kürzer als die bisherige – die Deals der Chicagoer Börsenbroker können so um bis zu 3 ms schneller abgewickelt werden als bisher.

Doch die große Unbekannte beim gegenwärtigen Glasfaserausbau ist der Return-on-Investment beim Massengeschäft. Während sich alle einig sind, dass die Verbraucher ein schnelles Internet auf dem Handy und zu Hause schätzen – umso unsicherer sind die Prognosen, wenn es darum geht, ob die Nutzer auch bereit sind, dafür zu bezahlen.

Andrew Odlyzko von der University of Minnesota warnte bereits vor einer neuen Investitionsruine. „Ein annähernd kostendeckender mobiler Datenverkehr wird für die meisten Smartphone-Nutzer zu teuer sein“, lautet seine Einschätzung, mit der er darauf anspielt, dass die gegenwärtigen Preise für einen exzessiven mobilen Datenverkehr von den Netzwerkbetreibern noch hoch subventioniert werden.

Aber auch bei der Rentabilität der Glasfaseranschlüsse bis ins Haus sind Zweifel angebracht. So hat die amerikanische Kleinstadt Chattanooga ein Preisgeld von 300 000 $ bereitgestellt, mit dessen Hilfe neue breitbandintensive Internetanwendungen entstehen sollen. Hintergrund ist, dass die Stadt bereits seit 2010 flächendeckend einen Zugang von 1 Gbit/s anbietet – doch keiner will ihn haben. In zwei Jahren fanden sich nur acht private und 18 geschäftliche Kunden für dieses Angebot. Der Grund: Der Zugang kostet 350 $ im Monat, wogegen der Standardzugang mit 10 Mbit/s nur 40 $ kostet.

HARALD WEISS

[teecee1]

Dish says it needs wireless partner to build network

August 16, 2012 3:02 PM ET

By Liana B. Baker

(Reuters) - Dish Network must seek a partner to enter the mobile broadband market and is not likely to build a network from scratch because of delays from U.S. regulators, company Chairman Charlie Ergen told two Denver publications this week.

In remarks made to the Denver Business Journal and the Denver Post on Wednesday, Ergen said delays by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on its application to build a wireless network are hurting Dish's chances of being competitive in the mobile market dominated by AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc.

The second-largest satellite TV provider behind DirecTV has spent nearly $3 billion on wireless spectrum and assets, but cannot move forward with building a wireless network until it gains approval from the FCC.

"The only problem I see with the time that has gone by is that it's become increasingly risky for us to try to go it alone," Ergen told the Denver Business Journal. "That process takes more than three years, and there's not any way to make that go faster, so we're probably going to lose that time-to-market advantage, because while we're handcuffed, AT&T and Verizon are continuing to plan and put in ways they can build that out before we can get there."

Dish spokesman Bob Toevs confirmed on Thursday that Ergen made these comments after an event in Denver on Wednesday that officially opened Blockbuster's new headquarters. Dish acquired video rental chain Blockbuster last year.

"The net effect of the delay is that it has become (less likely) that we would be able to build a network from scratch ourselves," Ergen told the Denver Post.

Dish previously said it could become a major wireless player if it found a partner or acquired a wireless company. Chief executive Joe Clayton has said Dish would consider working with partners such as Clearwire Corp, T-Mobile USA, Sprint Nextel Corp, MetroPCS Communications Inc and Leap Wireless International Inc.

On an earnings conference call last week, the company said it expects a favorable resolution from the FCC in the next few weeks. The Department of Justice cleared the way on Thursday for Verizon Wireless to proceed with its $3.9 billion purchase of airwaves from big cable providers, but said the companies would have to abide by several conditions to gain final approval.

The FCC still needs to approve the deal.

Brean Murray analyst Todd Mitchell said Ergen's comments should be interpreted positively by investors because Dish's foray into wireless will be less risky with a partner that can cover some of the expenses.

"It means Dish is not going to spend a zillion bucks on building out its own wireless terrestrial infrastructure that it then has to go fill up with customers," he said.

Mitchell added the partnership may help Dish find new customers for its pay TV service. It currently has about 14 million TV customers.

Dish will also offer a satellite broadband Internet service in the fourth quarter to rural customers through a satellite that its sister company, EchoStar Corp launched in July, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Bloomberg previously reported on that new Dish offering.

Dish shares were trading down 5 cents at $31 on Thursday afternoon.

(Editing by Andre Grenon)

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Karma Selects Simplexity MVNO Services to Provide Facebook Users Access to Clearwire’s 4G Data Network
PRWeb
Wednesday, August 15th 2012

Simplexity MVNO Services and Karma announce strategic relationship to launch Karma’s revolutionary ‘social bandwidth’ data sharing concept with pay-as-you-go mobile hotspots in the United States later this year.

New York, NY & Reston, VA (PRWEB) August 15, 2012

Karma (http://www.yourkarma.com), a new wireless data provider that is redefining mobile connectivity with its revolutionary pay-as-you-go mobile hotspots and ‘social bandwidth’ data sharing concept, and Simplexity MVNO Services (http://www.simplexity.com), a leading fully integrated Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE), today announced the formation of a strategic relationship whereby Simplexity will provide Karma access to Clearwire’s 4G network. Karma’s customers can receive free data on mobile hotspots across the country, allowing them to stay connected while on-the-go. Karma expects to roll out their ground-breaking product in the United States by the end of 2012.

On a mission to reinvent mobile connectivity with simple technology and honest service, Karma is introducing a new approach to data plans with straightforward, and, more importantly, affordable pricing. Its innovative pay-as-you-go data packages allow users to stay connected with a 4G mobile hotspot at a fraction of the cost of traditional monthly data plans and without the 2-year commitment. Karma takes it a step further with its unique ‘social bandwidth’ approach to data-sharing by allowing users to turn their Karma hotspots into open Wi-Fi networks. When a new user joins, they are taken to a personalized page about the owner of the nearby hotspot. Strangers can then sign in with their Facebook account and immediately get 100MB of free browsing to connect to the ‘borrowed’ hotspot. For every user who does that, the owner of Karma gets 100MB of free data credited to his account. The more a user shares his Karma connection, the more free data he earns.

As an authorized MVNA and preferred MVNE for Clearwire, Simplexity will provide Karma with access to Clearwire’s 4G network and support for Karma’s ongoing operations. Karma chose Simplexity for its flexible solution set that enables companies, like Karma, to successfully launch fully customizable MVNOs with minimal investment in both time and money. By leveraging Simplexity’s proprietary technology platform and Clearwire’s wholesale network services, Karma plans to package and sell its unique data plans with mobile hotspots and reward its subscribers with free data at substantial savings and all without contracts, deposits, credit checks or early termination fees.

Terry Hsu, President of Simplexity MVNO Services, said, “Karma brings innovation to the wireless industry in several ways. From a technology point of view, they will enable data to be shared based on a user level rather than a device level. From a distribution point of view, Karma is truly leveraging the power of social media to distribute the benefits of mobile connectivity. Simplexity is excited about the opportunity to partner with companies, like Karma, that bring true innovation and thought leadership to the industry.”

Under the terms of this agreement, Simplexity will also provide Karma with the infrastructure to perform activations, suspensions, restorations, deactivations, service changes, service inquiries, and device changes on the Clearwire network.

Commenting on the new partnership, Steven van Wel, Co-founder Karma said, "Clearwire's focus on data and 4G wholesale has been a great fit for our company. We were looking for a partner to support our roll out on their network, and Simplexity impressed us early on. We share a common vision of how the telecom industry will evolve and their carrier agnostic approach is in line with our future expansion plan. Their focus on providing the right integration and tools, while letting us engage directly with our customers, lets us focus on our core principles: simplicity and honesty. We could not be more excited to work with both Clearwire and Simplexity."

About Karma
Karma is a simple and honest mobile provider. With Karma you pay for data as you go, and take it with you on a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The more you share your connection, the more free data you earn. Karma calls this: social bandwidth. The company was part of TechStars New York, and has received investment from Werner Vogels, Kal Vepuri, Chang Ng, Jerry Neumann, David Tisch, David Cohen, BOLDstart Ventures, 500 Startups, and Collaborative Fund. For more information about Karma, please visit http://www.yourkarma.com.

[teecee1]

8/22/2012 @ 12:20PM
Clearwire: After 100% Rally, RBC Turns Bearish; Sets $1 Target

Eric Savitz, Forbes Staff

Clearwire shares are trading sharply lower Wednesday morning after RBC Capital analyst Jonathan Atkin cut his rating on the stock to Underperform from Sector Perform. His target on the stock: $1.

Atkin writes in a research note that recent talks with senior management left him more convinced of the eventual value of the broadband wireless company’s spectrum. But he nonetheless sees the risk of further downside in the stock, for several reasons:

* Risk/reward looks less favorable given the recent run in the stock price. Clearwire shares have doubled since closing at 90 cents on July 25. The stock closed Tuesday at $1.80.

* He sees “few prospects for near- or medium-term spectrum monetization, as the most significant potential purchasers appear focused on other spectrum sources.” And he adds that medium-to-longer term, “future government auctions of spectrum for 4G could lessen carrier appetite for Clearwire’s spectrum.”

* Atkin notes that Spring is “making solid progress” in rolling out its own 4G LTE capacity, including in markets where Clearwire intends to built out LTE. “This, coupled with our view that other U.S. carriers are unlikely to purchase capacity from other networks (such as Clearwire), mutes Clearwire’s potential returns from its planned LTE investment, in our opinion,” he writes.

Atkins sees multiple potential negative catalysts ahead for the stock:

* Dish Network could put its fallow spectrum to work.

* Sprint could acquire additional capacity, perhaps by buying MetroPCS or Leap Wireless.

* Verizon could complete its planned spectrum sale following its acquisition of capacity from cable operators.

And let’s face it: with the stock up so much in the last month, Clearwire shares were overdue for some profit-taking.

CLWR is down 14 cents, or 7.8%, to $1.66.

... ... $1.20 ... habe keine zeit für trading ... gehe auch nicht auf short ... moechte nicht auf dem falschen/linken fuss erwischt werden ...

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UPDATE: MetroPCS to Launch 4G Promotional Plan Thursday


- MetroPCS will launch unlimited 4G wireless plan Thursday

-- Company cautious about commitment risks of iPhone for carriers

-- Chief operating officer sees consolidation as inevitable

(Adds more comments from interview with MetroPCS's chief operating officer.)

By Thomas Gryta

MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS) will launch a new wireless plan this week to provide unlimited data on its next- generation network, as the carrier aims to keep up with larger players in the competitive smartphone environment.

The Dallas-based, pay-as-you-go carrier made a bet four years ago to upgrade its network using fourth-generation LTE technology and is pushing customers to use the more efficient system. Part of that strategy will include offering higher-profile devices to customers, but the company is cautious to make the costly and risky commitment to get Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular iPhone.

Meanwhile, MetroPCS is in the market for access to more airwaves, like many wireless carriers, as data usage is expected to continue growing. In an interview, Chief Operating Officer Thomas Keys said the industry faces inevitable consolidation, although he doesn't see a combination with rival Leap Wireless Communications Inc. (LEAP) as sensible.

While the MetroPCS lost customers in the second quarter--ending June with about 9.3 million subscribers--Mr. Keys is confident of future growth. The overall market is saturated, but he believes that prepaid companies can benefit from contract customers switching to prepaid. In the markets that MetroPCS operates, there are 4 million to 5 million people with expiring contracts every month, and it is even higher in the fourth quarter, he said.

In an effort to capitalize on that turnover, MetroPCS will offer unlimited talk, text and data on its fourth- generation LTE network for $55 a month starting Thursday, under a promotional offer that could last three to six months, Mr. Keys said. The no-contract plan is branded "LTE for All."

When the promotion ends, the price goes up to $70 a month, its current price for unlimited data, Mr. Keys said.

In comparison, basic wireless plans for smartphones operating on LTE networks from rivals start around $70 but frequently cost more than that and can include restrictions on either voice or data usage.

MetroPCS will offer the popular Samsung Galaxy S III on its network, although Mr. Keys wouldn't give an expected launch date. The company is currently testing the phone, he said.

While the next generation iPhone is expected to use LTE technology, Mr. Keys expressed caution about bringing such a device to the MetroPCS network because of the purchase commitments that Apple often demands of carriers. Rival Leap Wireless struck a three-year deal with Apple to spend $900 million on iPhone volume purchases.

"I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face," Mr. Keys said of carrying the iPhone. While he would like to offer the device, he worries that having to push the iPhone would damage long-term relationships with other phone manufacturers. He declined to comment on any talks with Apple.

Although the Galaxy S III has a similar price point to the iPhone, it doesn't have the purchase commitment. He estimates that only 2% or so of MetroPCS users would be interested in such a high-end phone, equating it to a "Cadillac in the showroom."

Wireless carriers subsidize smartphones by hundreds of dollars for customers who sign a two-year contract, and charge higher monthly prices. Prepaid plans generally have a lower monthly bill but require a much higher upfront payment for the phone.

MetroPCS operates in 17 markets with a network that covers about 104 million people, Mr. Keys said. Its LTE network is rolled out on 97% of its cell sites. All the major U.S. carriers are upgrading their networks to LTE.

MetroPCS and Leap are often the subject of deal speculation because they operate in complementary regions with similar business models. MetroPCS attempted to buy Leap in 2007, and the companies have reportedly talked since then about a deal, but Mr. Keys downplayed any combination.

"If two companies that both need spectrum come together, I don't know that we have made our problem any better," he said.

Earlier this month, Leap said it is evaluating "all options," including cost cuts and potential asset sales, as it attempts to turn around its business.

Mr. Keys acknowledged that consolidation is likely inevitable because there is a limited amount of wireless airwaves to spread around, and most companies need more access. MetroPCS executives regularly discuss spectrum and how the company can acquire more, he said, but their need depends on the specific market.

Mr. Keys notes that struggling Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) is "sitting on a whole lot of spectrum," but it may require different technology than MetroPCS's current network. He said bankrupt Lightsquared Inc. is hard to assess because there are questions about the usability of its spectrum holdings.

The company might be interested in buying spectrum that Verizon Wireless is planning to sell, but Mr. Keys said those assets may not work for MetroPCS because it doesn't have any of its network deployed at the relevant bandwidth to make such a purchase worthwhile.

Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD VOD.LN).

-Anton Troianovski and Spencer Ante contributed to this article.

Write to Thomas Gryta at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.522.435 von teecee1 am 22.08.12 20:41:52

22.08.2012 | 17:59
(47 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Clearwire wird von RBC Capital von Sector Sector Perform auf Underperform m...

Clearwire wird von RBC Capital von Sector Sector Perform auf Underperform mit Kursziel $1,0 abgestuft

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Christian Hoyer, Redakteur)

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Clearwire shares fall on analyst downgrade

Clearwire shares fall as RBC Capital analyst downgrades stock to 'Underperform'

Associated Press – 17 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shares of cellphone infrastructure company Clearwire Corp. fell on Wednesday after an analyst cut his rating on the company, saying a doubling of the stock price since late July took it too far above his $1 target price.

THE SPARK: RBC Capital Markets analyst Jonathan Atkin on Wednesday cut his rating on Clearwire to "Underperform" from "Sector Perform."

He said that the recent rise in the share price wasn't justified given the current risks facing the company. He said it has few prospects in the near future to sell its wireless spectrum, which can be used for next-generation cellphone networks.

He also noted that Sprint Nextel Corp., Clearwire's majority owner, is making solid progress building out its own "4G" network.

Sprint is Clearwire's largest customer, but it has said it will stop making devices that work on Clearwire's network by the end of the year.

THE BIG PICTURE: Analysts value Clearwire mainly for its spectrum, which is space on the airwaves required to operate a wireless cellphone network. That means its fortunes hinge largely on a sale of that spectrum, rather than its ability to operate as a company.

THE ANALYSIS: Atkin said Clearwire faces several threats to a sale of its spectrum. For one, Dish Network Corp. has unused spectrum it could lease or sell to carriers such as AT&T. Sprint could also bid to acquire more spectrum if it buys smaller carriers like MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. Third, Verizon Wireless plans to sell some of its spectrum, which could reduce demand for Clearwire's.

SHARE ACTION: Shares closed down 16 cents, or 9 percent, at $1.64 on Wednesday. They have nearly doubled from a 52-week intraday low of 83 cents reached on July 24.

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UPDATE: DA Davidson Initiates Neutral, $1.90 PT on Clearwire on Debt and Funding Overhangs

David Johnson, Benzinga Staff Writer
August 23, 2012 7:04 AM

DA Davidson initiated coverage on Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) with a Neutral rating and a price target of $1.90 a share.

DA Davidson noted, "Initiating coverage on Clearwire (CLWR) with a NEUTRAL rating and $1.90 target price. CLWR has rich spectrum assets, but the heavy debt load, funding issues and overhang from possible sale of the cable companies' stock keep us on the sidelines."

Clearwire closed at $1.64 on Wednesday.

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Examining RBC's Flawed Downgrade Of Clearwire: The Fundamentals Are Fully Intact
August 23, 2012

Clearwire (CLWR) is one of the most controversial stocks in the market, and is the subject of much debate between those who are bullish and those who are bearish on the company. While the stock may be down over 15% so far in 2012, Clearwire is up over 78% since bottoming on July 25. Clearwire's rally has certainly been notable. However, not everyone is impressed. But now, RBC has stepped in with its own opinion. ...

http://seekingalpha.com/article/823961-examining-rbc-s-flawe…



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Half Of Consumers Don't Want LTE 4G

Research downplays user interest in LTE 4G mobile broadband, one of iPhone 5's selling points. The catch: Most people don't know what real 4G is -- and that's the fault of U.S. network operators.

By Eric Zeman InformationWeek
August 23, 2012 10:30 AM


Apple iPhone 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy S III: What We Know

One of the most important new features of the iPhone 5, which is expected to make its debut on September 12 and reach stores as early as September 21, will be Long Term Evolution 4G. Despite the significance of this feature, nearly half of Americans won't give a hoot, according to analyst firm Piper Jaffray.

The company polled some 3,000 Americans on their views about 4G, and the results, published by AppleInsider, are somewhat surprising.

Piper Jaffray discovered that 47% of consumers don't think they need LTE 4G at all. Only 15% of respondents said that LTE 4G is the best network technology to have, but 26% of respondents indicated that they think all 4G technologies are the same.

That sound you just heard is technologists' jaws hitting the floor, while wireless network operators' marketing teams cheer. There are a couple of things going on here that are worth discussing.

[ Apple will be discounting iPhone 4 and 4S in anticipation of iPhone 5's release. Here's why you should resist the sales. iPhone 4/4S Discounts: Resist These Sales. ]

Most consumers simply don't know what real 4G is -- and that's the fault of U.S. network operators. All of them are guilty to some degree of muddying the 4G marketing waters by advertising speed more than technology. Technically, none of the U.S. "4G" networks are 4G as defined by the International Telecommunications Union. This is why you'll see of lot of technologists call America's 4G networks "faux G."

For example, Verizon uses LTE for its 4G technology. T-Mobile has marketed its HSPA+ as 4G for nearly two years, as has AT&T. But both T-Mobile and AT&T are working on LTE networks of their own, which they will also market as 4G. Do you see why people are getting confused?

It also appears that wireless network operators have not done a good job educating the general public about the benefits of LTE 4G. It's about more than speed. Latency and throughput are also significantly better. Given the night-and-day difference in speed capabilities compared to 3G, I'm surprised every consumer in the country isn't clamoring for LTE 4G.

Circling back to Piper Jaffray's poll, it asked people if they want the iPhone 5. More than half of respondents (55%) said they're considering it. From which carrier will the purchase their shiny new toy? Potential iPhone buyers broke down thus: 44% said they'd buy a Verizon iPhone 5, 29% said they'd pick AT&T, 14% said they'd pick Sprint, and 13% said they'd pick T-Mobile (which doesn't even sell the iPhone).

"With these results in hand, we expect Verizon to continue to gain market share of high-value smartphone (subscribers)," wrote analyst Christopher M. Larsen. "Keep in mind, the iPhone carries a high subsidy, and therefore high initial sales have a short-term negative impact on margins."

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Sprint Nextel – Nehmen die Käufer eine Auszeit?
von Reinhard Scholl
Dienstag 21.08.2012, 20:56 Uhr


Sprint Nextel Corp - Kürzel: S - ISIN: US8520611000

Börse: NYSE in USD / Kursstand: 5,11 $

Die Aktie des drittgrößten US-amerikanischen Mobilfunkanbieters nach AT&T und Verizon Wireless zeigt eine starker Performance in den letzten Monaten: Vom Tief bei etwa 2,30 $ im Mai bis zum bisherigen Jahreshoch bei 5,39 $ dauerte es nur drei Monate. Da jedoch in diesem Bereich das Jahreshoch 2010 liegt und der Kurs Anzeichen von Schwäche zeigt, wäre nun einer Korrektur des starken Aufwärtstrends durchaus plausibel. Die Zielmarke eines Pullbacks liegt bei 4,15 $.

Gelingt jedoch eine neues Jahreshoch mit Notierungen über 5,55 $, so wären die Käufer weiterhin am Drücker. Das direkt Anlaufen des Jahreshochs 2011 bei 6,45 $ wäre das nächste Ziel.

Kursverlauf vom 23.02.2012 bis 21.08.2012 (log. Kerzendarstellung / 1 Kerze = 1 Tag)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.522.435 von teecee1 am 22.08.12 20:41:52

Coolpad to ship LTE smartphones to MetroPCS
Daniel Shen, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Thursday 23 August 2012]

Smartphone vendor Coolpad will begin shipping its FDD-LTE-enabled Quattro 4G to US-based telecom service company MetroPCS, making it the third China-based smartphone vendor managing to venture into the US handset market after ZTE and Huawei Device, according to industry sources.

MetroPCS pioneered in the launch of LTE services in the US in 2011, significantly ahead of first-tier carriers including AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile. It has been sourcing LTE-enabled smartphones from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Huawei.

The Quattro 4G comes with a 1GHz CPU, a 4-inch touchscreen and a 3.2-megapixel camera, running on Android 2.3.

Coolpal launched as many as 15 Android-based smartphones in the first half of 2012, supporting WCDMA, CDMA EV-DO and TD-SCDMA technologies. The vendor plans to release another 15 new models in the second half.

The firm has also been developing TD-LTE products and plans to begin small-volume shipments in 2013, the sources revealed.

[teecee1]

FCC suspends flexible pricing on coveted broadband lines

Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:07pm EDT

* FCC says special access rules are not working

* Agency votes 3-2 to temporarily suspend rules

* Will initiate mandatory data request

* Verizon, AT&T say suspension premature

By Jasmin Melvin

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have temporarily suspended pricing flexibility rules for high-capacity broadband lines, raising hopes for companies that say Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc have overcharged them billions of dollars for access to the lines in recent years.

High-capacity, "special access" lines securely send large quantities of data to networks every time you send an email, withdraw money from an ATM, make a wireless call or even swipe a credit card. Though widely used, ownership of the lines lies largely in the hands of just a few large telephone companies, prompting 1999 rules from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that regulate the price charged for using the lines.

The agency said its mechanism for gauging competition to grant petitions for pricing flexibility in the special access market is inaccurate, and it would not consider future petitions until more data is available to remedy the flawed system.

The decision comes after years of complaints from telecommunications companies that rent private, special access lines for services such as connecting their wireless broadcast towers to the Internet. Special access lines are also used by hospitals, government agencies as well as corporations.

"This action will at least prevent these continually rising, now exorbitant prices, from rising even further while the Commission evaluates this market failure," said Maura Corbett, executive director of the NoChokePoints coalition, which represents entities that rely on special access lines, including Sprint Nextel Corp, Clearwire Corp and US Cellular Corp.

The FCC said in an order released late Wednesday that it would initiate a mandatory data request within 60 days to help it better understand the competitive landscape of the special access market, worth about $12 billion annually, before deciding how to revamp its pricing rules.

Verizon and AT&T both welcomed the data request but said the suspension of the rules was premature.

"While today's Order acknowledges that the current rules fail to capture the full extent of existing competition, the FCC, before taking any action, should have collected the data it repeatedly has said it needs to evaluate the marketplace," said Donna Epps, Verizon's vice president for federal regulatory affairs.

Bob Quinn, AT&T's senior vice president for federal regulation, argued against what he saw as a move "to further regulate yesterday's technology" as the industry is shifting from special access to faster fiber-based IP networks.

The temporary suspension was decided in a 3-2 vote of the FCC last week, but made public on Wednesday. Republicans commissioners balked at what they also saw as jumping the gun.

"The majority chose to lay its procedural path backwards. Due to such glaring deficiencies, I have no choice but to respectfully cast a dissenting vote," Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell said in a statement.

"In short, the Commission has reversed the steps that a data-driven agency should take," fellow Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai said.

The suspension will not affect pricing arrangements already in effect. The agency said it has approved six requests for pricing flexibility since 2008.

[teecee1]

BNetzA: E-Plus und Telefonica O2 haben zusammen 42 Mio. Kunden

Homann: "Unternehmen werben mit innovativen Produkten um Kunden"

Bonn, 24.08.2012-15:12 - Die Wettbewerbsintensität im Mobilfunk hat weiter zugenommen. Dies ergibt sich aus den aktuellen Daten der Mobilfunknetzbetreiber. Sowohl die E-Plus Gruppe als auch Telefónica mit der Marke O2 konnten ihre Marktanteile im ersten Halbjahr 2012 steigern. Beide Mobilfunknetzbetreiber verfügen mittlerweile zusammen über mehr als 42 Mio. Kunden.

"Ich freue mich, dass es einen intensiven Wettbewerb zwischen den Anbietern gibt. Die Unternehmen werben mit innovativen Produkten um die Kunden. Aus Sicht des Verbrauchers ist es erfreulich, dass er aus mehreren Angeboten das für seine Bedürfnisse beste aussuchen kann", betonte Jochen Homann, Präsident der Bundesnetzagentur.

Mit fast 36 Mio. Kunden ist Vodafone weiterhin der Mobilfunknetzbetreiber mit dem größten Marktanteil (31,5 Prozent). Der Abstand zur Telekom (31,2 Prozent) ist jedoch geschrumpft. Der Marktanteil von E Plus beträgt fast 21 Prozent. Telefónica kommt auf einen Anteil von fast 17 Prozent.

Die Teilnehmerzahl im Mobilfunk ist im zweiten Quartal 2012 in Deutschland mit ca. 114 Mio. in etwa gleich geblieben. Im Durchschnitt besitzt nach wie vor jeder Einwohner ca. 1,4 SIM Karten. Die meisten Teilnehmer nutzen dabei eine vorausbezahlte SIM Karte.

Die aktuellen Zahlen sind auf der Internetseite der Bundesnetzagentur veröffentlicht. (GS)

[teecee1]

Sprint’s investment in Clearwire may hinge on spectrum crunch, capacity

Kansas City Business Journal by Alyson Raletz, Reporter
Date: Friday, August 24, 2012, 5:00am CDT


Stephen Brashear | Puget Sound Business Journal
Clearwire Corp. CEO Erik Prusch says he expects
big carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless to
come knocking when the demand for smartphone
and tablet data access exceeds the carriers’
available spectrum.

It’s easy to discount one of Sprint Nextel Corp.’s most prominent investments as a failed experiment.

With revenue declining and shares hovering around $1.75, Clearwire Corp. holds more than $4 billion in debt and brings in just more than $1 billion in revenue. And Overland Park-based Sprint owns 48 percent of Clearwire’s stock.

But the telecom company, based in Bellevue, Wash., sits on an abundant supply of a precious commodity — wireless spectrum — and it just might be poised to take advantage of a coming crunch in supply as more smartphone users demand data access and the big carriers ...

Premium Article Preview >>

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Clearwire struggling, banks on deals with competitors

Puget Sound Business Journal by Emily Parkhurst and Alyson Raletz, Staff Writers
Date: Friday, August 24, 2012, 3:00am PDT

Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch sees the company’s future as bright.
Business Journal photo | Stephen Brashear

With declining revenue and a stock price hovering around $1.75 a share, it’s easy to discount Clearwire Corp. as a failed experiment by mobile billionaire Craig McCaw.

But the Bellevue telecom company, which was founded in 2003, might just be poised to take advantage of a coming wireless spectrum supply crunch as more smartphone users demand data access and the largest mobile providers turn to Clearwire for help providing that access.

At stake is the future of one of the area’s larger publicly traded companies ­— along with the jobs it provides for some 550 people in the Puget Sound ...

Premium Article Preview >>



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Bitkom: Musik-CD wird zum Ladenhüter

Umfrage: Jeder zweite Internetnutzer würde CDs nicht vermissen

Berlin, 23.08.12 - 30 Jahre lang hat die CD den Musikmarkt geprägt, heute ist sie für jeden zweiten Internetnutzer verzichtbar. Das ergab eine Umfrage im Auftrag des Hightech-Verbands BITKOM. Nur jedem zweiten User (51 Prozent) würde die Möglichkeit fehlen, Musik auf CD zu kaufen. Bei den Jüngeren bis 24 Jahren würden lediglich 39 Prozent der CD nachtrauern, in der Altersgruppe über 45 Jahre sind es 57 Prozent. „Das Musikangebot im Web ist unbegrenzt sowie überall und sofort verfügbar. Die CD hat es in diesem Umfeld immer schwerer“, sagt BITKOM-Experte Michael Schidlack. Die CD ist ein Beispiel für die so genannte Virtualisierung von Produkten der Unterhaltungselektronik. Bestimmte Funktionen oder ganze Produktkategorien werden ins Netz verlagert. Fotoalben, Filmarchive und Musiksammlungen wandern aus den Regalen und Schränken in die Cloud. Auch MP3- oder CD-Player werden kaum noch gebraucht. MP3-Dateien können heute von allen Smartphones sowie neuen Autoradios, Hifi-Anlagen und Flachbildfernsehern abgespielt werden.

Ein weiterer Grund für das abnehmende Interesse an CDs ist die gestiegene Klangqualität von Audiodateien. Bislang mussten sich Musikliebhaber entscheiden: Entweder setzten sie auf CDs und Schallplatten, deren Klang als Maßstab galt, oder sie luden sich Songs als MP3-Dateien aus dem Internet. Bei diesem Format ist die Klangqualität geringer, da die Dateien stark komprimiert sind. Doch die neuen hochauflösenden Web-Formate FLAC, AIFF und WMV können die Qualität der CD sogar übertreffen. „Wer großen Wert auf Klangqualität legt, hat mit den neuen Audio-Formaten eine Alternative, die der klassischen CD überlegen ist“, sagt Schidlack.

Derzeit werden CDs und MP3-Dateien auf der Festplatte immer häufiger durch Streaming-Angebote ersetzt. Streaming stellt für Musikliebhaber ein attraktives Angebot dar, bei dem zudem keine urheberrechtlichen Probleme auftreten. Bei Streaming-Angeboten werden Songs in der Regel nicht auf dem eigenen Rechner gespeichert, sondern individuell fürs direkte Hören über eine Internetverbindung übertragen.

In Zukunft dürfte es in Deutschland deutlich mehr Nutzer solcher Dienste geben. Ein Grund für diese Entwicklung: BITKOM und die Verwertungsgesellschaft Gema hatten sich im vergangenen Dezember bei der Lizenzierung von Urheberrechten für Streaming-Angebote geeinigt. Damit haben deutsche Kunden Zugang zu vielen international etablierten Anbietern von Musik-Streamings. Schidlack: „Das Streaming wird den Musikmarkt ebenso revolutionieren, wie es vor 30 Jahren die CD getan hat.“

Zur Methodik: Basis der Angaben ist eine repräsentative Erhebung von Goldmedia für den BITKOM. Befragt wurden 2.000 Internetnutzer im Alter zwischen 15 und 64 Jahren in Deutschland, ob sie die Möglichkeit Musik-CDs zu erwerben, vermissen würden. (jpp)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.526.549 von teecee1 am 23.08.12 18:17:34

25.08.2012 | 16:20
(28 Leser)

dts Nachrichtenagentur ·
Umfrage: Hälfte der US-Konsumenten benötigt Mobilfunkstandard 4G LTE nicht

... ... noch nicht ...

Knapp die Hälfte der US-Konsumenten glaubt, dass sie den neuen Mobilfunkstandard 4G LTE nicht benötigt. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Umfrage der Investmentfirma Piper Jaffray unter 3.000 Personen.

Demnach gaben 47 Prozent der Befragten an, dass sie den neuen Mobilfunkstandard, der mit einer Übertragungsgeschwindigkeit von bis zu 100 Megabit pro Sekunde wesentlich schneller als seine Vorgänger ist, für ihre Zwecke nicht benötigen würden. In Deutschland können derzeit bereits rund 14 Millionen Haushalte auf das mobile Internet der vierten Generation zugreifen. Laut einer Studie des Internetportals "4G" erreicht Frankfurt mit einer Netzabdeckung von knapp 90 Prozent die besten Werte unter den deutschen Großstädten, Schlusslicht ist die Hauptstadt mit einer Abdeckung von lediglich 38 Prozent.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.531.735 von teecee1 am 24.08.12 20:59:37

The Coming 4G Revolution in China

By Tony Daltorio - August 25, 2012 |

When it comes to the global telecoms sector, the "holy grail" has to be the vast number of consumers in China. It will be important to the future of not only the Chinese telecommunications companies, but also to the future fortunes of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Nokia ADR (NYSE: NOK) who are battling both Samsung and local rivals for the hearts of Chinese consumers.

Apple recently "disappointed" some Wall Street analysts with their sales figures from China. Revenues dipped by 28 percent in the third quarter to $5.7 billion from $7.9 billion in the second quarter. That was due to the launch of Apple's iPhone 4s on the networks of China Unicom ADR (NYSE: CHU) and China Telecom ADR (NYSE: CHA), which cannot occur every quarter. But it's all relative. In the latest quarter, Apple still managed to show a 100 percent increase in the sales of iPhones in mainland China for the third quarter.

Apple's rival Nokia is also looking to cash in on China with the upcoming launch of its Windows-based Lumia phones. It had better...its share of the Chinese smartphone market has collapsed from 70 percent in 2010 to less than 30 percent currently. China has historically been a good market for Nokia. They have well-established distribution channels and a deep understanding of the country. The company has created a customized version of the Lumia and is initially selling it through China Telecom. This company is number three behind China Mobile ADR (NYSE: CHL) and China Unicom but still has an impressive 141 million subscribers.

But perhaps the most interesting investment story in China's telecom story, from a value perspective, is China Mobile. Its subscriber base is more than twice the population of the United States. This company's stock has not done much in recent years, as the company was held back by the fact that it is using a domestically developed 3G technology (TD-SCDMA) used only by China Mobile globally. This technology, for instance, does not allow any version of Apple's iPhone to access the internet at high speeds.

The result has been lost market share to both China Unicom and China Telecom. The number two player in China, China Unicom, does use the international standard for 3G service. The difference has meant that about a third of Unicom's users subscribe to more profitable 3G services offered by the company compared to only about a tenth of China Mobile's users subscribing to such services.

However, there is hope for China Mobile's long-suffering shareholders. The company is moving forward with plans for its 4G network. This home-grown standard, TD-LTE, is already backed by Softbank and others globally. And importantly, in addition to domestic phone makers such as ZTE, it is working with Apple on an iPhone that will work on this standard. So China Mobile is moving forward with a strategy to lay down a vast network (200,000) of next-generation 4G base stations across China by next year.

Tests on the TD-LTE technology, have proceeded smoothly but there is one hiccup though. The Chinese government has yet to indicate when it would begin to issue 4G licenses to the company or any of its rivals. Obviously, the sooner the better for all the Chinese telecom firms. Nevertheless, the move toward 4G is finally making China Mobile interesting again as it may get the company's growth engine going again.

[teecee1]

Vorgestellt: Die Internetradio-Trends auf der IFA 2012 ... kein LTE bzw. 4G Radio ... ... radio app für mein smartföhn ... ...

25.08.2012
13:01

Neue Geräte auf der Messe - vom Tischradio bis zur High-End-Anlage


Das Tivoli-Tischradio NetWorks+

Am nächsten Freitag (31. August) eröffnet die IFA ihre Pforten in Berlin. Wie in jedem Jahr präsentieren die Hersteller wieder ihre neueste Gerätepalette. Auch im Sektor der WLAN-Internetradios gibt es in den Messehallen unterm Funkturm wieder viel neues zu entdecken.

Philips: Steuerung der HiFi-Anlage per App

Der niederländische Hersteller Philips etwa bietet eine Möglichkeit zur drahtlosen Steuerung seiner neuen HiFi-Anlagen: Mit dem System "Fidelio Wireless" lassen sich die die neuesten Geräte des Herstellers bequem über Apple und Android Smart Devices bedienen. Hier kann der Nutzer auf seine gespeicherten Musik-Bibliotheken, auf über 13 000 verfügbare Internet­radiosender sowie Musikdienste wie Napster zurückgreifen.

Die Installation und intuitive Bedienung funktioniert über eine Smartphone-App und ist etwa auf Mini-HiFi-Systemen von Philips nutzbar. Wem sein Smartphone ausreicht und sich nicht zusätzlich eine HiFi-Anlage kaufen möchte, kann sich das Philips Fidelio HiFi-Lautsprecher-Set für rund 250 Euro zulegen. Hierbei ist es möglich, Musik oder Internetradio vom Smartphone einfach direkt auf das Boxen-System zu streamen.

Neue Tischradios von Tivoli Audio und TechniSat

Wer dann doch lieber auf das klassische WLAN-Radio zurückgreifen möchte, für den präsentiert der Hersteller Tivioli Audio das Tischradio NetWorks+. Das Gerät bündelt alle Formen des Internetradio, Digitalradio via DAB/DAB+ sowie klassischen UKW-Empfang in einem Gehäuse. Laut Herstellerangaben ist das Gerät leicht zu bedienen: Die digitale Einheit suche automatisch nach Sendern. Via WLAN oder Ethernet-Kabel bietet das Radio Zugriff auf mehr als 13 000 Radiosender und Podcasts aus dem World Wide Web. Mit zwei unabhängigen Weckzeiten, Sleep-Timer und Schlummerfunktion ist NetWorks+ auch als Weckradio einsetzbar. Das Gerät ist mit rund 500 Euro jedoch nicht gerade preiswert.

Auch einer der Pioniere des WLAN-Internetradios kommt zur IFA mit einem neuen Modell auf den Markt: Das DigitRadio 500 von TechniSat ist wie das NetWorks+ ein Kombi-Gerät zum Empfang von Internetradio, DAB/DAB+ und UKW. Über sein 3,5 Zoll-Farbdisplay mit Touchscreen-Funktionalität können die User neben Sendernamen und Zusatzinformationen auch die digitalen DAB+ Zusatzdienste nutzen - etwa Videoclips, Coverbilder, Nachrichtenticker oder Sport- und Wetterinformationen. Internetradio empfängt das DigitRadio 500 über seine integrierten LAN-Schnittstelle oder drahtlos über WLAN. Hinter einem ausfahrbaren Schiebemechanismus verbirgt sich zusätzlich ein iPod/iPhone-Dock.


DigitRadio 500 von Technisat

Das Radio liefert 30 Watt Ausgangsleistung. Auch ein UPnP-Client für das Streaming von Musik-Dateien im Heimnetzwerk ist vorhanden, allerdings lassen sich nur Audio- und keine Videodateien streamen. Das Gerät bietet ferner Zugang zum individualisierten Musikportal Last.FM. Zusätzliche Endgeräte lassen sich per AUX anbinden. Das DigitRadio 500 ist ab sofort für rund 250 Euro in den Läden erhältlich.

Loewe mit Neuauflage seiner SoundVision

Der deutsche Hersteller Loewe hat seine HiFi-Anlage SoundVision, die schon in der aktuellen Ausführung das Streaming von Internetradio beherrscht, in hochglänzender weißer Lackierung und mit neuen Intarsien in Chrom neu aufgelegt. Die neue Software erlaubt nun auf dem Touchdisplay im Hauptmenü den direkten Zugang zum Musiksuchdienst "Music Detector", um noch schneller Informationen zur gerade gespielten Musik und das Albumcover des Titels zu erhalten.

Darüber hinaus wurde weiter an Optimierungen von Funktionen gearbeitet: So konnten laut Hersteller sowohl die Bedienerfreundlichkeit, der UKW-Radio-Betrieb, als auch die Individualisierung des Aupeo-Webradio-Services nochmals verbessert werden. Erstmals wird zur IFA auch eine Steuerung der SoundVision über die Anwendung "Loewe Assist Media App" vorgestellt, so dass auch eine Bedienung der HiFi-Anlage über ein Smartphone möglich sein wird.

Die Loewe SoundVision kann über LAN, WLAN oder Powerline mit dem Internet verknüpft werden. Durch den integrierten und redaktionell betreuten Musikservice Aupeo ist es möglich, sich individuelle Musikprogramme zusammenzustellen. Der High End-Luxus hat jedoch auch seinen Preis: Wie sein Vorgängermodell, so wird auch die neue SoundVision rund 1 500 Euro kosten.

Hama zeigt zwei neue Internet-Radios


Hama IR200

Das Hama IR200 Wer nicht so viel Geld ausgeben will, für den stellt das Unternehmen Hama zur IFA zwei kabellose Internet-Radios vor. Beide Modelle können über 10 000 Radiostationen und Podcasts empfangen. Die einzigen Unterschiede sind, dass das "IR200" bereits zwei Stereo-Lautsprecher mit jeweils 5 Watt integriert hat und somit einen Stand-Alone-Betrieb ermöglicht, während der "IR210" in Form eines Adapters an ein vorhandenes HiFi-System angeschlossen werden kann. Für die Aufnahme externer Speichermedien wie MP3-Player verfügen beide Tuner über einen USB-Port sowie eine 3,5-mm-AUX-In-Buchse.

Falls die Geräte eigene Musiksammlungen wiedergeben sollen, kann man diese einfach vom PC über das UPnP-Protokoll oder über DLNA-kompatible Geräte wie etwa Smartphone, Tablet oder PC übertragen. Am Computer erstellte Windows-Play-Lists behalten dabei ihre Reihenfolge und ermöglichen beispielsweise die korrekte Wiedergabe von Hörbüchern. Abgerundet werden die Features durch eine Weckfunktion, Snooze und Sleeptimer. Die Geräte sollen für rund 80 Euro (IR210) beziehungsweise 100 Euro (IR200) angeboten werden.

[teecee1]

Largest Short Interest Positions
By 24/7 Wall St.
Posted 8:00AM 08/27/12



The short interest in the stocks with the largest positions as of August 15:

The short interest in Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR) rose 24% to 74 million. ... ... wenn da mal nicht das gleiche passiert wie mit sprint ...

Sprint-Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) down 17% to 129 million.

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) up 8% to 218 million.

Short interest in Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) was down 3% to 87 million.

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
29.30%

Number of Institutions 181

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.534.168 von teecee1 am 26.08.12 08:52:46

Smart TV trends foster alliances between telecoms and hardware makers
Julian Ho, Taipei; Alex Wolfgram, DIGITIMES [Monday 27 August 2012]

TV hardware makers and telecommunication providers are reportedly forming alliances to overtake the traditional cable TV format and provide more digital content through smart TVs as the devices are becoming the new TV viewing trend, according to industry sources.

TV vendors throughout Asia are reportedly continuing to invest in developing smart TVs as trends show that consumers want to be able to share information and access multiple platforms of digital content with their electronic devices, said the sources.

Telecommunication providers as a result are reacting to this trend by forming alliances with hardware makers to make devices that can connect with new wireless system platforms to allow consumers to access a wide variety of digital information. The sources said that telecommunication providers are already starting to work with Samsung Electronics and are not ruling out the possibility of working with other smart TV makers in order to stay ahead of market trends.

The sources have not revealed what telecommunication providers are currently involved and have alluded that a lot of China-based TV makers in particular are becoming more interested in developing smart TVs.

The sources also said the telecommunication providers and TV makers are also thinking about how they can market their new smart concepts as strong as smartphone makers have in order to gain more widespread acceptance of developing TV viewing technology.


Telecommunication providers react to growing smart TV trends
Photo: Shihmin Fu, Digitimes, August 2012

[teecee1]

Shares of Clearwire Corporation Cross Below the Critical Support Price
Posted on 08/27/2012 by Tom Kaplan

NEW YORK (AVAFIN) -- Shares of Clearwire Corporation declined on lighter than usual volume. The stock price closed below the 200-day moving average of $1.69 on Monday. As long as prices remain below the moving average key indicator, investors will view this development as a sign of weakness. Additionally, today's stock price for CLWR ranged between $1.63 and $1.77.

Investor expectations change with time, and they often do so abruptly. The development of resistance levels is probably the most noticeable and reoccurring event on price charts. The breaking through resistance levels can be triggered by fundamental changes that are above or below investor's expectations. Based on the pivot points, the current support and resistance levels for CLWR are $1.55 and $1.83 respectively.

Clearwire Corporation is part of the technology sector and wireless communications industry and has market cap of 2.43B. Historical performance shows that the stock has lost 29.24% within the last six month. The mean analyst rating for the stock is hold.

Clearwire Corporation builds and operates next generation wireless broadband networks that enable fast, simple, portable, reliable and affordable Internet communications.

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MetroPCS uncovers $150 Coolpad Quattro 4G

As the carrier's second 4G LTE Android device, the Coolpad Quattro 4G is an affordable no-contract option.

by Scott Webster
August 28, 2012 8:20 AM PD

http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57501670-85/metropcs-uncove…

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Motorola Droid Razr M 4G LTE leaks ahead of September 5

The full set of details emerge for Verizon's next big Android smartphone a week before its official debut.

by Scott Webster
August 28, 2012 6:59 AM PDT

http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57501512-85/motorola-droid-…

............................................................................

Autor: AreaMobile Redaktion | 28.08.2012 - 09:43 | (8)
Motorola RAZR M 4G LTE: Motorola kündigt RAZR Maxx mit LTE an

Während Motorola hierzulande nur sporadisch neue Modelle auf den Markt bringt, ist das Unternehmen in den USA sehr aktiv. Dort kommt Berichten zufolge in Kürze das RAZR M 4G LTE in den Handel, die Highspeed-Version des RAZR Maxx.


Motorola RAZR M 4G LTE | (c) engadget

Der US-Netzbetreiber Verizon bringt in wenigen Wochen das Motorola RAZR M 4G LTE auf den Markt, das bereits seit einiger Zeit unter der Bezeichnung Motorola XT907 als Gerücht im Internet kursiert. Dabei handelt es sich um eine LTE-Version des beliebten Motorola RAZR bzw. dessen, mit einem dicken Akku ausgestatteter Variante RAZR Maxx. Neben CDMA unterstützt das RAZR M 4G LTE auch GSM und HSDPA, kann also bei Bedarf fast weltweit genutzt werden.

Das Motorola RAZR M 4G LTE verfügt über einen 4,3 Zoll großen Touchscreen mit 540x960 Pixeln Auflösung und wird von einem Snapdragon-S4-Chipsatz mit Dual-Core-Prozessor angetrieben, der von 1 Gigabyte Arbeitsspeicher bei der Arbeit unterstützt wird. Der interne Speicher ist mit 8 Gigabyte knapp bemessen, kann aber mit microSD-Karten erweitert werden. Rückseitig ist wie im Motorola RAZR eine 8-Megapixel-Kamera integriert, auf der Vorderseite verwendet Motorola eine Optik mit 3 Megapixel Auflösung.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.534.168 von teecee1 am 26.08.12 08:52:46

Car IT
Das vernetzte Auto liegt im Trend

28.08.2012
von Juergen Hill

Mit Smartphones und Tablets haben wir uns an die Mobilisierung der IT gewöhnt. Doch nun rollt eine neue Gattung auf uns zu: Die vernetzten Autos, die ans Enterprise Network angebunden werden wollen und Kontakt mit der Cloud suchen. ...



... Vom Markt getrieben

Diese Äußerungen untermauern die Einschätzung von HP-Manager Klink, Thomas Collins, Vice President Global Markets Automotive, Aerospace & Transport bei Atos, oder Alexander Hesseler, Chefberater für Telematikthemen bei Capgemini, wonach das vernetzte Fahrzeug heute zur Produktdifferenzierung und der Ansprache einer jüngeren Klientel dient. Und dieser Einzug der IT im Auto ist zwingend erforderlich, wenn man Gartners "Industry Predictions 2012" glaubt. Den Marktbeobachtern zufolge werden die meisten Autokäufer 2016 "den integrierten Web-Zugang im Auto als ein unverzichtbares Feature bei ihrer Kaufentscheidung sehen". ...

[teecee1]

28.08.2012
Untersuchung
Smartphones machen Netzen zu schaffen

Die Mobilfunknetze gehen immer häufiger in die Knie. Schuld ist der Boom an Smartphones und Tablets.

Besonders schlimm trifft es Reisende der Bahn und Bewohner von vergleichsweise gering besiedelten Regionen. „Die Netze werden immer voller, die Zuverlässigkeit sinkt“, berichtete die Zeitschrift „Chip“ am Dienstag als Ergebnis eines umfangreichen Tests. Im mobilen Internet seien mehr Verbindungsabbrüche festgestellt worden als im Vorjahr. Zudem gebe es immer noch Regionen, die nur schlecht an die Mobilfunknetze angebunden seien.

Das Mobilfunknetz der Deutschen Telekom schnitt bei dem Test wie im vergangenen Jahr besser ab als die Konkurrenz. Sowohl beim mobilen Telefonieren als auch bei Datenverbindungen ins Netz habe der Netzanbieter mit den Magenta-Farben vorn gelegen, berichtet die Zeitschrift in ihrer kommenden Ausgabe. Die Tester waren dafür mehrere Wochen lang zu Fuß, im öffentlichen Nahverkehr, mit dem Auto und im Zug unterwegs, um möglichst realistische Ergebnisse zu erhalten. Noch nicht berücksichtigt wurde das LTE-Netz, bei dem der Aufbau noch andauert.

Mit 78,7 Punkten beim Telefonieren und 81,2 Punkten fürs mobile Internet erhielt die Deutsche Telekom die Gesamtnote 2,2. Abstriche gab es für das Telefonieren im Zug - hier landete die Telekom mit 58,4 Punkten hinter Telefónica O2 auf dem zweiten Platz. Bei allen Netzbetreibern habe es im Vergleich zum Vorjahr mehr Probleme beim Telefonieren im Zug gegeben, berichteten die Tester. „Gerade in Regionalbahnen gleichen Telefongespräche oftmals einem Glücksspiel.“

Auf den zweiten Platz in der Gesamtwertung kam Vodafone mit der Note 2,7. Hier bemängelt der Test eine schlechte Sprachqualität beim Telefonieren und lokale Überlastungen etwa in Stuttgart. So erzielte Vodafone beim Telefonieren nur 64,7 Punkte, beim mobilen Internet waren es 76,7. Auf den weiteren Plätzen folgten die Netze von Telefónica O2 mit der Note 3,4 und E-Plus mit der Note 3,9.

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Das Samsung Galaxy S III LTE ist ab Oktober auf dem deutschen Markt erhältlich

Autor: Andreas Roth
28.08.2012, 08:39 Uhr

Ab Herbst kommt das Premium-Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S III als LTE Version in Deutschland auf den Markt. Mit Long-Term-Evolution (LTE) erwarten mobile Internetnutzer Surf- und Downloadgeschwindigkeiten, die die bisherigen Mobilfunkstandards um ein Vielfaches übertreffen.

Unterwegs Filme und Musik in bestmöglicher Qualität streamen oder große Datenpakete mobil verschicken: Dank des Mobilfunkstandard LTE ermöglicht das Samsung Galaxy S III mit Downloadraten von bis zu 100 Mbit/s und einem Upload von bis zu 50 Mbit/s Geschwindigkeiten, wie sie Internetnutzer bisher nur von der heimischen DSL-Verbindung kannten.


Galaxy S3 LTE: Jetzt reden mit LTE (Foto: Samsung)

Mit einem 1,4 GHz Quad-Core-Prozessor soll es wie geschaffen für anspruchsvolles Multitasking und die Vorzüge des mobilen Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetzes sein. Das HD Super AMOLED-Display mit einer Diagonalen von 12,19 Zentimeter eignet sich optimal für den mobilen Filmgenuss. Die 8-Megapixel-Kamera des Samsung Galaxy S III liefert zudem ansprechende Bilder, die sich per E-Mail verschicken oder auf einem Online-Speicherplatz sichern lassen können.

Das Samsung Galaxy S III LTE ist ab Oktober für einen UVP von 749 Euro erhältlich.

[teecee1]

Sprint continues nationwide 4G LTE expansion, adding four more cities to broaden its coverage

The benefits of Sprint’s all-new 3G and 4G LTE network come to Baltimore.
The speed and power of 4G LTE blast into Gainesville, Ga., Manhattan/Junction City, Kan., and Sedalia, Mo.

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 4 hours ago



OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE:S) today introduced its 4G LTE high-speed data network to customers in Baltimore, Md., Gainesville, Ga., Manhattan/Junction City, Kan., and Sedalia, Mo. Additionally, Sprint customers in Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C., are beginning to enjoy the benefits of Sprint’s all-new 3G service – which is expected to deliver an exceptionally clear signal, better in-building coverage and fewer dropped/blocked calls.

Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, and today’s 3G/4G network improvements mark another step forward in the company’s overall network strategy, known as Network Vision.

According to a CTIA survey of wireless customers, wireless data traffic increased 123 percent from 2010 to 2011. Network Vision is specifically designed to meet the growing 3G and 4G LTE network demands of wireless subscribers. People want to use their smartphones, tablets and wireless hotspots where they live, work and play.

“Our customers are enjoying new applications and devices that increase the demand for mobile data,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “The network build-out – that today is playing out in four new cities – will provide nothing less than a state-of-the art network platform for the next generation of customers. Customers across the country will begin to experience better 3G service on their devices and will be able to take advantage of 4G LTE on cutting-edge devices as we continue to launch more cities.”

In Baltimore, customers will begin to see 4G LTE signals in the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Federal Hill and Pikesville areas – with more sites being turned on in the days and weeks ahead. With the addition of 4G LTE and the upgrades to 3G service, the Sprint network in these areas can handle more voice and data traffic. Today’s network upgrades are expected to make sending text messages, surfing the Web, sharing photos, and streaming music and videos easier, faster and more reliable.

As consumers all over the country are becoming more dependent on their smartphones, network quality is becoming more important. In addition to Baltimore, Sprint is aggressively improving the 3G experience city by city. Today, customers in Boston and Washington, D.C., should also notice improved 3G cell coverage, reduced roaming and faster data speeds. The work to build Sprint’s all-new network will continue in other markets across the country. Sherman-Dennison, Texas, is expected to see 4G LTE service in the weeks ahead.

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

During the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. The 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Building an all-new network is the linchpin to make Sprint the company customers want to do business with.

Sprint 4G LTE made its debut in 15 cities on July 15, and the company plans to introduce more markets to the network in 2012. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build-out of its all-new 4G LTE and 3G nationwide network. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

Sprint, the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier, has about 56 million customers. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.548.303 von teecee1 am 29.08.12 20:08:08

Clearwire (CLWR) Could Be Worth More Than $19/Sh in Liquidation

August 29, 2012 1:00 PM EDT

While the bullish call on Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) from JANCO Partners is admittedly "the single worst recommendation, thus far, in our career," they are sticking with the stock reminding readers that Clearwire "is the largest spectrum holder in the US." Exploding mobile broadband demand is the key factor keeping them enthusiastic.

Looking at the current situation, JANCO estimates the company has sufficient capital to make it through phase 1 of its LTE build commitments to Sprint (NYSE: S) but not much more. Hence, they expected a capital raise though: 1. a customer agreement with prepayment features or sufficient terms to be discounted or to serve as collateral for an asset backed loan; 2. possible sale of spectrum within the structure of a customer or other strategic relationship.

The firm does not thing capital will come from Sprint, equity offerings, bond issuance, or an outright or discrete spectrum sale.

JANCO commends management for "an outstanding job marshalling and conserving cash which may give Clearwire more of a cushion than most expect."

The firm also said a liquidation may be in shareholders best interest. "Should management not raise capital within the next 10 months, we believe the company’s best course for its shareholders and lenders would be liquidation which we estimate that the proceeds would far exceed the current share price," the firm said.

Applying recently closed spectrum transaction prices to Clearwire's spectrum portfolio results in a per share valuation ranging from $2.77 to more than $19.00, the firm said.

JANCO maintained their Buy rating and target of $2.75 near term, and $8 longer term.

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Clearwire click here. For more ratings news on Clearwire click here.

Shares of Clearwire closed at $1.68 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $0.83-$3.50.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.533.269 von teecee1 am 25.08.12 16:34:20

30.08.2012 | 17:01

PR Newswire ·
Parks Associates: Nearly 50% of U.S. smartphone users consider 4G/LTE access very important when choosing a mobile service provider

DALLAS, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Mobile data traffic has more than doubled in each of the last four years, and the consumer appetite for data will push worldwide 4G/LTE subscribership over 560 million by 2016, according to international research firm Parks Associates. Jennifer Kent, Parks Associates' mobile research analyst, presents new consumer research today at 1 p.m. CT on awareness and demand for 4G-enabled services during the webcast "4G/LTE: Operator Strategies and Consumer Perspectives."

"Nearly 50% of U.S. smartphone users consider 4G/LTE access as very important when choosing a mobile service provider," Kent said. "Operators such as AT&T and Verizon are building consumer awareness around 4G/LTE by touting the benefits of the technology. Carriers need to capitalize by experimenting with new mobile data pricing plans and offering new LTE-supported value-added services."

A consumer survey fielded this quarter by Parks Associates finds LTE service is more important than handset selection for smartphone owners when evaluating mobile providers.

Chart: http://www.parksassociates.com/bento/uploads/image/in-the-ne… lte-webcast-pr2012.gif

Additional Parks Associates research:

* As of June 2012, 83 carriers have launched LTE networks in 43 countries; 40 more carriers intend to deploy LTE by year end.
* Global 4G/LTE subscribership will increase from 9 million in 2011 to over 560 million in 2016.
* Verizon carried 60% of global LTE traffic on its network as of May 2012.
* AT&T deployed LTE in August 2011, and it is currently live in 51 markets covering 74 million POPs.

Go to http://www.parksassociates.com/webcasts/webcast-aug2012-4g to register for the webcast "4G/LTE: Operator Strategies and Consumer Perspectives," taking place Thursday, August 30, at 1 p.m. CT. Press passes are available for qualified media. ...

[teecee1]

Clearwire (CLWR): Greater Downside Risk Than Upside Potential
August 30, 2012 03:27 PM

(By Mani) Shares of Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ:CLWR) have greater downside risk than upside potential over the next several quarters, given the recent stock appreciation.

Clearwire shares increased 42 percent in the past month as investors became more optimistic about the company's prospects to monetize its spectrum assets.

However, the prospects for Clearwire to monetize its spectrum assets in the near or medium term looks slim as the most significant potential purchasers appear focused on other spectrum sources, such as acquired or re-farmed spectrum in the advanced wireless service (AWS), WCS, 800 MHz and/or 700 MHz bands, or on augmenting capacity via small-cell architectures.

Medium-to-longer term, future government auctions of spectrum for 4G could lessen carrier appetite for purchasing Clearwire's spectrum.

In addition, Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S) is making solid progress in deploying its own 4G LTE capacity on a national scale, including in markets where Clearwire intends to build 4G LTE.

"This, coupled with our view that other U.S. carriers are unlikely to purchase capacity from third-party networks (such as Clearwire), mutes Clearwire's potential returns from its planned LTE investment, in our opinion," RBC Capital Markets analyst Jonathan Atkin said in a client note.

Barring Sprint, U.S. postpaid carrier willingness to rely on network resale arrangements has been lacking thus far, and this is a barrier Clearwire must overcome to optimize returns from its LTE investment.

Meanwhile, there are media reports that AT&T, Inc. (NYSE:T) is eyeing the spectrum of Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH) for its LTE expansion plans. Dish is requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) not to shift its spectrum holdings in the 2GHz band and to approve rules for using satellite spectrum in terrestrial settings.

The FCC is expected to give a favorable ruling over Dish's pending application that would allow for the buildout of this spectrum for purely terrestrial networks, without an accompanying satellite component, during the next few months.

"While the ultimate build out path remains unclear, we suspect this spectrum will utilized by an existing carrier to augment LTE capacity. This spectrum has favorable propagation and in-building characteristics vs. Clearwire's spectrum, in our view," Atkin noted.

Meanwhile, Sprint is rumored to acquire MetroPCS Communications (NYSE:PCS) or Leap Wireless International (NASDAQ:LEAP). If Sprint acquires either one or both carriers, it could choose to utilize the accompanying spectrum assets in the PCS, and AWS bands to augment its LTE capacity. Each of these bands is said to have favorable propagation and in-building penetration characteristics compared to Clearwire's spectrum.

In addition, the FCC has approved Verizon Wireless' $3.9 billion deal to buy wireless spectrum from a group of cable companies. As a result, Verizon would buy Advanced Wireless Service spectrum licenses covering 259 million Americans from SpectrumCo, a group of cable companies including Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) and Bright House Networks.

The approval of these transactions also means Verizon Wireless can move forward with its previously announced plans to sell its 700 MHz lower A and B block spectrum licenses in exchange of Leap Wireless' excess AWS and PCS spectrum bands across the country.

A successful conclusion of Verizon's planned 700 MHz spectrum sale, following its acquisition of AWS licenses from cable operators, accentuates carrier preference for lower-band licenses over Clearwire's spectrum.

"Given the substantial uncertainties of when greater carrier interest in Clearwire's capacity or spectrum will materialize as AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile pursue various combinations of network densification, spectrum repurposing, and incremental spectrum acquisitions to meet their capacity constraints, we would take profits following recent CLWR share appreciation," Atkin added.

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Janco Partners Reaffirms Buy Rating on Clearwire (CLWR)

Posted by James Brewer on Aug 29th, 2012 // No Comments

Janco Partners reissued their buy rating on shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) in a report released on Wednesday.

CLWR has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports. Analysts at DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Thursday, August 23rd. They set a neutral rating and a $1.90 price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at RBC Capital downgraded shares of Clearwire from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday, August 22nd. They now have a $1.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Macquarie downgraded shares of Clearwire from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research note to investors on Friday, August 10th. They now have a $1.36 price target on the stock.

Clearwire remained flat at $1.68 during trading on Wednesday. Clearwire has a 52-week low of $0.83 and a 52-week high of $3.50. The company’s market cap is $910.7 million.

Clearwire last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 26th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of ($0.31) by $0.02. Clearwire’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Clearwire will post $-1.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) builds and operates mobile broadband networks that provide high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities.

[teecee1]

Eric Schmidt
Über 1,3 Millionen aktivierte Android-Geräte täglich


Google-Aufsichtsratschef Eric Schmidt
nennt aktuelle Android-Aktivierungen.
(Bild: Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Google aktiviert mittlerweile jeden Tag mehr als 1,3 Millionen Android-Geräte. Die Mehrzahl der Geräte sind Smartphones, auf Tablets entfällt nur ein Bruchteil der Aktivierungen. Weltweit sind knapp 500 Millionen Android-Geräte im Einsatz.

Mehr als 1,3 Millionen Android-Geräte werden derzeit jeden Tag aktiviert, erklärte Google-Aufsichtsratschef Eric Schmidt. Davon entfallen 70.000 Aktivierungen auf Android-Tablets. Demnach liegt der Anteil von Android-Tablets ungefähr bei 5,4 Prozent, während es sich bei fast 95 Prozent aller Android-Geräte um Smartphones handelt. Laut Schmidt steige der Tablet-Anteil auch durch das Nexus 7.

Apple verkauft über 2,5-mal mehr iPads, als Android-Tablets aktiviert werden

Gemessen an der Verbreitung von Android-Smartphones machen Tablets also nur einen sehr geringen Anteil am Erfolg der Android-Plattform aus. Zum Vergleich: Apple verkaufte im zurückliegenden Quartal 17 Millionen iPads. Pro Tag sind das rund 185.000 verkaufte Geräte und damit werden täglich über 2,5-mal mehr iOS-Tablets verkauft als Android-Tablets aktiviert.

Schmidt teilte mit, dass derzeit 480 Millionen Android-Geräte im Einsatz seien. Er rechnete dies auf eine Nutzergruppe von 480 Millionen hoch, allerdings ließ er dabei unberücksichtigt, wie viele Anwender mehrere Android-Geräte besitzen und ob alle diese Geräte aktiv verwendet werden.

Google hat nie erklärt, was das Unternehmen unter einer Android-Aktivierung versteht, verwendet den Begriff aber immer wieder, um auf die steigende Verbreitung von Android hinzuweisen. Im Juni 2012 nannte Google 900.000 aktivierte Geräte täglich. Ende 2011 lag diese Zahl bei rund 700.000 Geräten pro Tag, mit einem Spitzenwert von 3,7 Millionen aktivierten Geräten am 24. und 25. Dezember 2011, also am Heiligen Abend und dem ersten Weihnachtsfeiertag. Im Juni 2011 nannte Google mehr als 500.000 Android-Aktivierungen am Tag.

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Sept. 5, 2012, 1:38 p.m. EDT
Moody's lifts U.S. wireless industry outlook

By Ben Fox

Moody's Investors Service raised its outlook on the U.S. wireless industry to positive from stable, saying AT&T Inc.'s T +1.27% AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless should see their free cash flow increase sharply next year.

Free cash flow is expected to increase almost 11% this year on a combined basis for all nine carriers Moody's follows. For 2013, that number should rise to between 12% and 14%.

Customer churn, or the number of customers who cancel services, is expected to stay low due to stable pricing. New fees designed to slow the rate of handset upgrades and efforts to improve efficiency are also contributing to the low churn rate and stronger profitability. AT&T and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture with Verizon Communications Inc. VZ +0.93% and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD, VOD.LN), also are seen benefiting from lower churn rates due to their perceived service offerings strengths compared to competitors.

The smaller carriers, including Sprint Nextel Corp. S +0.47% , MetroPCS Communications Inc. PCS +3.05% and Clearwire Corp. CLWR +2.56% , should continue to struggle, the ratings firm added, as the two major carriers continue to capitalize on their high operating leverage.

Moody's said it could lower its outlook on the sector if capital investments become larger than expected, particularly from AT&T or Verizon Wireless, or regulators intervene if market concentration increases.

............................................................................

... Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) surged +4.23% with the closing price of $1.60. The overall volume in the last trading session was 4.60 million shares. Its fifty two week range was $0.83-$3.12. The total market capitalization remained $2.33 billion.

In its share capital, CLWR has 1.46 billion outstanding shares while 465.41 million shares have been floated in the market. CLWR has insider ownership of 2.02% with its institutional ownership remaining at 72.28%. Company’s current year earnings per share dropped -26.46%.

[teecee1]

Apple's next iPhone to sport 4G LTE tech, report says

Apple's next iPhone, which is expected to debut Wednesday, will have 4G LTE technology, according to a report.

by Josh Lowensohn | September 7, 2012 3:39 PM PDT


Apple's iPhone 4S, a 3G device.
(Credit: Apple)

Apple's next iPhone will sport speedier fourth-generation wireless networking, according to a report.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal says Apple's next iPhone will work with some but not all 4G LTE networks in the U.S. and other countries when it's released.

AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint have 4G LTE networks in the U.S. These networks offer considerably faster data speeds than 3G networks, though use differing frequencies.

4G LTE technology was largely expected to be included in last year's iPhone model, the iPhone 4S. Apple chose instead to go with HSPA+, a slightly speedier 3G technology, but a far cry from what can be had on the 4G LTE spec, which can be ten times as fast.

Apple later brought the technology to its third-generation iPad, which arrived five months after the iPhone 4S. Apple got around the frequency problem by offering carrier-specific models in the U.S. and other countries.

A familiar rumor
This is not the first such report to claim Apple would add the 4G technology -- which has become common among rival smartphones over the past two years -- to the iPhone.

A report from Boy Genius Report ahead of last year's 4S claimed that Apple's carrier partners were testing 4G LTE iPhones based on logs the blog obtained. More recently, a story from the Korea Times noted that Apple was in talks with local carriers to add support for the area's specialty LTE network bands.

There have also been a handful of analysts saying Apple absolutely needed to add 4G LTE to the iPhone or risk not keeping up with competitors. Others, including Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, argue that a significant portion of consumers don't know what the technology is, or say they don't need it.

One of Apple's only mentions about adding the technology to its own phones came during an earnings call with analysts. At the time Apple CEO Tim Cook said the technology "would force design compromises we're not willing to make."

Apple is expected to debut its next iPhone at its press event Wednesday. It kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. CNET will be there to cover it live. Expect more details on that early next week.

iPhone 5: 15 most-wanted features (photos)
1-2 of 15
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57508790-37/apples-next-ip…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bericht: Neues iPhone 5 kommt mit LTE-Schnittstelle
08.09.2012
11:26
Apple-Handy soll auch zu LTE-Frequenzen in Europa kompatibel sein
iPhone 5


Am Mittwoch soll das neue Apple iPhone
vorgestellt werden

Das neue Apple iPhone 5 wird laut einem Zeitungsbericht weltweit den schnellen LTE-Datenfunk unterstützen. Es werde mit LTE-Netzen unter anderem in den USA, Europa und Asien funktionieren, aber wohl nicht bei jedem Mobilfunk-Betreiber erhältlich sein, berichtet heute das Wall Street Journal.

Neues iPhone soll auch in Deutschland mit LTE nutzbar sein

LTE bietet eine deutlich höhere Geschwindigkeit zur Datenübertragung als bisherige UMTS-Netze. Ein Problem für Gerätehersteller ist allerdings, dass in verschiedenen Ländern oft unterschiedliche Frequenzbereiche genutzt werden. So unterstützt das im Frühjahr erschienene aktuelle Modell von Apples iPad - das iPad 3 - nur die vor allem in Nordamerika eingesetzten LTE-Frequenzen bei 700 und 2100 Megahertz. Deshalb müssen Kunden in Deutschland auf den Datenturbo verzichten. Hierzulande wird LTE bislang auf 800, 1800 und 2600 Megahertz eingesetzt.

Welche Frequenzen von einem Gerät unterstützt werden, hängt vom eingebauten Chip ab. Von Apple war bereits erwartet worden, dass das nächste iPhone LTE in mehreren Regionen unterstützt. Beim iPad-Start hatte der Konzern nicht sofort klargestellt, dass es nicht überall LTE-Netze nutzen kann. Deshalb war Apple damals kritisiert worden und musste in Australien 2,25 Millionen australische Dollar (1,8 Millionen Euro) Strafe zahlen.

Am kommenden Mittwoch ist es soweit

Apple stellt das nächste iPhone mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit am kommenden Mittwoch vor und wird es wenige Tage später auf den Markt bringen. Der kalifornische Konzern hatte in einer Einladung zum Presse-Event am 12. September zwar nicht ausdrücklich angekündigt, dass es wie erwartet um das nächste iPhone gehen wird. Es gab jedoch einen unmissverständlichen Hinweis: Der Schatten der 12 auf der Einladung wurde wie eine 5 gestaltet. teltarif.de wird am Mittwoch live über das Event berichten.

[teecee1]

EarthLink and Clearwire Announce Wholesale 4G Agreement

Clearwire's 4G Mobile Broadband Network to Power EarthLink's Wireless Internet Service; Companies Remain Open to Extending Relationship to LTE Services in the Future

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 3 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash. and ATLANTA, Sept. 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., and EarthLink, Inc. (ELNK), a leading IT services and communications provider, today announced a wholesale agreement that will enable EarthLink to offer its customers high-speed fixed and mobile broadband service using Clearwire's 4G network.

"Clearwire's wholesale 4G services offer a wide range of customer and product options for established and non-traditional wireless entrants seeking to seize the opportunity in the hot mobile broadband market of today," said Don Stroberg, SVP of strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "Clearwire's 4G network is a great extension to EarthLink's business, enabling them to add 4G fixed and mobile data plans to their diverse service portfolio. We're thrilled to continue building momentum for our wholesale 4G business as the premier wholesale provider of 4G capacity to carriers, ISPs and other service providers in the U.S."

EarthLink's wireless service will initially target consumers for in-home use, and is expected to launch in early 2013. Future product offerings will include mobile devices and new services for small business customers.

"Customers are increasingly equating broadband services with wireless services and our wholesale agreement with Clearwire will allow EarthLink to offer the wireless products and services necessary to remain a leader in communications services," said Michael Toplisek, Executive Vice President of Products & Marketing for EarthLink. "The 4G broadband speeds and urban and suburban network focus aligns well with our long-term strategy for growing our customer base. We are excited to leverage Clearwire's leadership in 4G for both WiMAX and LTE in the future."

Clearwire is constructing a next-generation 4G LTE Advanced-ready network to address the mobile broadband capacity needs of wholesale customers in urban markets where demand for wireless data is high. As Clearwire's LTE network comes online, EarthLink and Clearwire expect to extend their agreement to offer users even faster speeds. ...

About EarthLink

EarthLink, Inc. (ELNK) is a leading IT services and communications provider to more than 150,000 businesses and one million consumers nationwide. EarthLink empowers customers with managed services including cloud computing, managed and private cloud, and virtualization servicessuch as managed hostingand cloud workspace. EarthLink also offers a robust portfolio of IT security, application hosting, colocation and IT support services. The company operates an extensive network spanning 28,800 route fiber miles with 90 metro fiber rings and 4 secure data centers providing ubiquitous nationwide data and voice IP servicecoverage across more than 90 percent of the country. Founded in 1994, EarthLink's award-winning reputation for outstanding service and product innovation is supported by an experienced team of professionals focused on best-in-class customer care. For more information, visit EarthLink's website at www.earthlink.net. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.587.443 von teecee1 am 10.09.12 18:57:55

Sprint 4G LTE Available in More Than 100 Additional Cities in the Coming Months

From Los Angeles to Chicago to New York – Sprint’s cutting-edge network will offer customers high-speed 4G LTE, enhanced 3G service and the only Truly UnlimitedSM 4G LTE data plans from a national carrier

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – Mon, Sep 10, 2012 10:00 AM EDT

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Continuing its aggressive momentum in delivering a top-tier network experience for customers, Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today that the 4G LTE network build is under way in more than 100 additional cities within its existing nationwide 3G footprint. Some of the major metropolitan areas in which Sprint 4G LTE is expected to be available in the coming months are Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.

“We are committed to delivering a cutting-edge network as quickly as possible, one that provides a greater level of reliability and speed to our 3G and 4G customers,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “We know our customers depend on their mobile devices as their primary source of communication, business connectivity and entertainment. We want to deliver a network that delivers mobile access, productivity and entertainment at a highly competitive price point.”

The 4G LTE Network build is under way in the following areas:

Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
Albermarle, N.C.
Anderson, Ind.
Asheville, N.C.
Athens, Tenn.
Athens, Texas
Austin, Texas
Barnstable Town (Hyannis/Midcape), Mass.
Baton Rouge, La.
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md.
Boston
Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Mass.
Charlotte, N.C.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chicago
Clarksville, Tenn.
Cleveland, Tenn.
Coamo, Puerto Rico
College Station, Texas
Columbia, Tenn.
Columbus, Ind.
Cookeville, Tenn.
Crossville, Tenn.
Daytona Beach-Deltona-Ormond Beach, Fla.
Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.
Fayetteville, N.C.
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Gainesville, Fla.
Gary, Ind.
Goldsboro, N.C.
Greenville, N.C.
Greeneville, Tenn.
Guayama, Puerto Rico
Hammond, La.
Harriman, Tenn.
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La.
Hutchinson, Kan.
Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Johnson City, Tenn.
Jonesboro, Ark.
Kankakee-Bradley-Bourbonnais, Ill.
Kerrville, Texas
Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Texas
Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.
Kinston, N.C.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
Lancaster, S.C.
Lawrence, Kan.
Lincolnton, N.C.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.
Lumberton, N.C.
McPherson, Kan.
Memphis, Tenn.
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla.
Morgan City, La.
Morristown, Tenn.
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Muncie, Ind.
Nashville, Tenn.
New Orleans
New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.
Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.
Ocala, Fla.
Ocean Pines, Md.
Palatka, Fla.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.
Peabody/Lawrence-Methuen/Gloucester, Mass.
Philadelphia
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
Rochelle, Ill.
Rockford, Ill.
Rocky Mount, N.C.
Salina, Kan.
Salisbury, Md.
Salisbury, N.C.
San German-Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sebastian-Vero Beach, Fla.
Sevierville, Tenn.
Shelby, N.C.
Southern Pines-Pinehurst, N.C.
Springfield, Mass.
Statesville-Mooresville, N.C.
St. Thomas, USVI
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.
Topeka, Kan.
Tullahoma, Tenn.
Tupelo, Miss.
Warrensburg, Mo.
Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.
Waukegan-Lake County, Ill.
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, Fla.
Wichita, Kan.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wilson, N.C.
Worcester-Fitchburg-Leominster, Mass.
Yauco, Puerto Rico

During the pre-launch phase, customers with capable 4G LTE devices may begin to see 4G LTE coverage in these areas and are welcome to use the network even before it officially launches. Sprint plans to announce commercial availability of 4G LTE in these cities in the coming months, at which point we expect coverage, performance and reliability to get even better. Eventually, the markets will fill in until coverage largely matches the existing nationwide 3G footprint. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have completed the nationwide build out of the all new 3G and 4G network.

Currently, Sprint offers the new 4G LTE service in 19 metropolitan areas: Atlanta; Athens, Ga.; Baltimore; Calhoun, Ga.; Carrollton, Ga.; Newnan, Ga.; Rome, Ga.; Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; Granbury-Hood County, Texas; Houston; Huntsville, Texas; Kansas City, Mo./Kansas City, Kan.; Manhattan/Junction City, Kan.; San Antonio, Texas; Sedalia, Mo.; Waco, Texas; and St. Joseph, Mo.

According to management consulting firm Chetan Sharma Consulting, mobile data is expected to comprise 95 percent of the global mobile traffic by 2015. Sprint’s network strategy, known as Network Vision, is designed to meet these growing demands. With Network Vision, customers can expect to benefit from an updated 3G network and new 4G LTE network, enabling expanded coverage, improved network reliability, better voice quality, and faster data speeds as the improvements are rolled out across the country.

“The mobile industry is going through an incredible change – smartphones, connected devices, and the seemingly unlimited supply of new applications and services are changing consumer behavior in dramatic ways,” said Chetan Sharma, founder and president at Chetan Sharma Consulting.

As part of its overall network strategy, Sprint is also doing a complete overhaul of its 3G infrastructure so that customers can enjoy better wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls. These enhancements are now available to customers in several markets across the country, with significant deployment in Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C., and will continue to improve in the weeks and months ahead.

Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G on the WiMAX network in 2008 and began rolling out 4G LTE to customers on July 15 in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and surrounding cities.

Unlimited + Sprint 4G LTE = Game-changing wireless offer for customers

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent and Sprint is clearly the best choice in wireless. Customers with capable devices can combine Sprint’s all-new 3G and 4G LTE networks and enjoy unlimited data while on the Sprint network. Data usage continues to increase and consumers value Truly Unlimited data because it’s simple and straightforward – no metering, no throttling, and no need to share data, which increases the likelihood of a surprise monthly bill because of overage charges.

Coupled with unbeatable plans and fast devices, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience in the past few years. The 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries measured, over the last four years. And Sprint has been ranked Highest in Satisfaction with the Purchase Experience among Full-service Wireless Providers three times in a row by J.D. Power and Associates.

Sprint’s Network Vision project expects to be largely complete with the all-new network by the end of 2013. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. ...

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Remember EarthLink? ISP signs 4G deal with Clearwire

The two companies make a deal that enables EarthLink customers to access wireless high-speed Internet via Clearwire's network.



by Donna Tam
September 10, 2012 10:36 AM PDT

EarthLink can now offer its Internet customers a high-speed connection through Clearwire's 4G broadband network, the companies announced today.

The agreement allows EarthLink customers to access the service through Clearwire, which runs its own 4G WiMax network. The deal also opens the door to Clearwire's planned 4G LTE network, the companies said in a statement.

EarthLink was a major player in the late 1990s as one of the largest Internet service providers supplying dial-up Web access. But as consumers moved to broadband services largely provided by the big telcos and cable companies, the company saw its user base deteriorate.

Now, the company is looking to mobile broadband. The service, expected to launch in early 2013, will initially only be available for in-home consumer use. EarthLink hopes to expand the service to mobile devices and small business customers.

Michael Toplisek, executive vice president of products and marketing for EarthLink, said customers increasingly associate broadband services with wireless services.

"The 4G broadband speeds and urban and suburban network focus aligns well with our long-term strategy for growing our customer base," he said in a statement.

The two companies are expected to extend their agreement when Clearwire's new 4G LTE network is ready.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.591.441 von teecee1 am 11.09.12 17:40:52

Sprint to Offer iPhone 5 on September 21

Only Truly UnlimitedSM Data Experience for New and Existing Customers

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 23 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (S), the only national carrier that gives customers Truly UnlimitedSM 4G LTE data, text and calling to any mobile, today announced it will offer iPhone 5 on the Sprint network beginning on Friday, September 21. New and existing customers can pre-order iPhone 5 beginning at 12:01am PT on Friday, September 14 at www.sprint.com/iPhone.

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology—all while delivering even better battery life. iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: the all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography and turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook organization and even more Siri features and languages.

"iPhone 5 is packed with amazing new features and we are proud to offer Truly Unlimited data to iPhone customers so they can enjoy everything iPhone 5 has to offer on our 4G LTE network," said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "Whether it's finding a nearby restaurant with Siri, using Passbook to get organized or surfing the web, Sprint's truly unlimited data plans provide incredible value for iPhone customers, meaning customers can make the most of iOS 6 without worrying about costly overages on their monthly bill."

The Benefit of Unlimited Data

iPhone 5 requires activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans starting at just $79.99 with Truly Unlimited data, text and calling to any mobile. No throttling, no metering and no overages, all while on the Sprint network. With Sprint’s Everything Data and other plans that include Truly Unlimited data, Sprint is continuing its history of data leadership by making it easy for its customers to use data in all the ways that are useful to them, such as news, email, music, TV and GPS navigation, without worrying about data overages on their monthly bill.

Sprint 4G LTE is now available in 19 cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. Sprint’s build of its 4G LTE network is underway in more than 100 additional cities within its existing nationwide 3G footprint. Major metropolitan areas in which Sprint 4G LTE is expected to be available in the coming months include Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.

By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the nationwide build out of its all-new 3G and 4G network, a program known as Network Vision. The project also includes significant improvement in customers’ 3G network experience, including expanded coverage, improved network reliability, better voice quality, and faster 3G data speeds. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

Committed to Customer Service

Sprint customers have access to Sprint’s Ready Now service where trained retail associates will work one-on-one with customers to personalize their iPhone and set up features like email, Web and apps before leaving the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time online.

Sprint is #1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved,, across all 47 industries measured, during the last four years, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). In addition, Sprint received the highest numerical score among full-service wireless providers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Wireless Purchase Experience Satisfaction StudySM – Vol. 2.

Additional plan and pricing details will be available at www.sprint.com/iPhone.

For more information on iPhone 5, please visit: www.apple.com/iphone.

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Mobile Citizen offers Clearwire's WiMAX service to nonprofits nationwide
September 12, 2012 | By Tammy Parker

Mobile Citizen announced that its WiMAX-based low-cost mobile Internet program for nonprofit organizations is now available in more than 50 cities.

The group, based in Boulder, Colo., sells service for $120/year per account and is offering three free months for nonprofits that sign up for service by Oct. 31, which works out to $8 per month for 15 months. All connections include unlimited data usage, no download speed cap and upload speeds to 1.0 Mbps. Customers can purchase a USB modem, desktop modem or mobile hotspot for use with the service.

Mobile Citizen was originally established by five nonprofit organizations that transmitted educational video to schools in 11 metropolitan areas during the mid-1980s using Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum, which is located at 2495-2690 MHz. In 2006, WiMAX network operator Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) entered into a 30-year excess capacity agreement with the five EBS licensees, which established Mobile Citizen.

Despite its plans to transition to TD-LTE, Clearwire's WiMAX network has picked up some unexpected momentum this year. Speaking yesterday at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Media, Communications and Entertainment conference, Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran said the number of wholesale customers signing up for the WiMAX network is giving it a longer lifespan and a "longer revenue tail than I anticipated."

Longtime partner Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA sub-brands recently began reselling Clearwire's service, and the WiMAX operator has also signed a bevy of wholesale deals with companies such as Earthlink, FreedomPop, H2O Wireless, NetZero and Voyager Mobile.

Mobile Citizen launched its low-cost mobile Internet service in Portland, Ore., in 2009, and expanded later expanded to markets such as Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. The national expansion takes Mobile Citizen's service to more than 50 cities, including major nonprofit markets such as Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas, and Washington, D.C. ...

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Mobile Citizen Expands Nationally with its Low Cost Mobile Internet Program for Non-Profit Organizations
September 12, 2012

Reduced price nonprofit rate ($120/year per account) now available nationally*

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Citizen, a provider of mobile Internet for education and nonprofits, today announced its low cost mobile Internet program for non-profit organizations is now available nationally. Powered by 4G technology, Mobile Citizen's low cost mobile Internet gives non-profit organizations affordable access to the Internet on a lightning fast and easy to use connection. Mobile Citizen's reduced-price service is only $120/year per account. Mobile Citizen is making its mobile Internet service even more affordable by extending their everyday low price to include 3 extra free months for nonprofits signing up for service by October 31, 2012. That means 15 months for only $120 for early adopters.

"Every nonprofit is a mobile nonprofit these days--doing community outreach, off-site event registrations, advocacy and fundraising," said Michelle Warner, director of Mobile Citizen. "Our hope is that we can not only help nonprofits control costs but also increase the productivity and impact of their field staff providing valuable services in the community."

Mobile Citizen first launched its low cost mobile Internet service in Portland, OR in 2009, and expanded in select markets including Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. As a part of its national launch, low cost mobile Internet will now be available to nonprofit organizations in Mobile Citizen's coverage area in over 50 cities across the country (www.mobilecitizen.org/coverage) including major nonprofit regions such as Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Washington DC and Dallas, Houston and San Antonio in Texas.

About Mobile Citizen

Mobile Citizen is the first fourth generation (4G) service provider in the U.S. to offer mobile broadband service exclusively to education and non-profit organizations at remarkably low cost. Mobile Citizen's wireless Internet service is powered by 4G technology which makes it lightning fast and easy to use. Mobile Citizen was originally established by five non-profit organizations that got their start transmitting educational video to schools in the mid-1980s. These five organizations began providing educational video services to schools in 11 metropolitan areas across the U.S. by utilizing Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum frequencies regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Their licensed spectrum is now also used for wireless broadband. For more information, visit www.mobilecitizen.org.

* based on coverage (www.mobilecitizen.org/coverage)

CONTACT:
Michelle Warner
720.864.9056
[e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.602.759 von teecee1 am 13.09.12 21:28:18

Powerful Yet Affordable 4G LTE Android Smartphone, Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE from Sprint, Available Beginning Sept. 16

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 21 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S), the only national carrier with Truly UnlimitedSM 4G LTE data, text and calling to any mobile, will offer the feature-packed Samsung Galaxy Victory™ 4G LTE at a price that makes it an easy choice for customers who are ready to step up to their first Android™-powered smartphone. At less than $100, Galaxy Victory gives Sprint customers the benefit of Sprint 4G LTE at a very accessible price.

Galaxy Victory will be available beginning on Sunday, Sept. 16, for just $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 (excludes taxes and surcharges), at Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com).

Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. and the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide2, Galaxy Victory is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch touchscreen display and access to the Sprint 4G LTE network. This allows the smartphone to effortlessly switch between applications and enables a rich web browsing experience with true multitasking.

“Price is often a barrier for customers who are ready to transition from a feature phone to a smartphone; Samsung Galaxy Victory brings Sprint 4G LTE to the mass market with the high-end features and capabilities of a premium Android smartphone,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “Priced under $100 and paired with Truly Unlimited data from Sprint, our customers will appreciate the functionality of this device without worrying about costly monthly rate plans or surprises on their wireless bill.”

Galaxy Victory customers enjoy a Truly Unlimited experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $20 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web (excludes taxes and surcharges). Customers value Truly Unlimited data, because it’s simple and straightforward – no metering, no throttling and no overages, all while on the Sprint network.

Fully Loaded with Features

As a Sprint ID smartphone, Galaxy Victory provides the ability to cut through the clutter of the more than 600,000 additional apps in Google Play™. Sprint ID offers an innovative way to personalize Android smartphones with apps, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones and more and ID packs deliver a complete mobile experience – based on consumers’, students’ or businesses’ interests or favorite brands. Customers can download and switch among five self-selected ID packs tailored to an individual’s lifestyle and interests with a few simple clicks.

Additional features on Galaxy Victory include:

* 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and video capture, ideal for documenting important moments as they happen

* 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera that can be used for video chat

* Google Wallet™ turns the smartphone into a wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) to make safe purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers

The search function on Galaxy Victory is fast and simple with S Voice™, an advanced natural language user interface that enables search and basic device-user communication. It can be used to turn the volume up or down on the music player, answer or reject incoming calls, shut off or choose to snooze the alarm clock or take a picture by saying “smile” or “cheese.”

Galaxy Victory also makes it fast and easy to share pictures, videos and presentations between devices or with friends and groups of people:

* S Beam expands on Android Beam™ to enhance device-to-device sharing through NFC technology by adding the ability to share photos, videos, documents and other DRM-free content to Android Beam. This allows a 1GB file to be shared within minutes and a 10MB file within seconds by simply touching another S Beam enabled phone.

* AllShare® Play allows users to wirelessly connect Galaxy Victory to their PC, tablet or television to immediately share files, stream music, user-generated videos, photos and other DRM-free content to AllShare-enabled devices using Wi-Fi®. It also allows the user to remotely access files on up to six Samsung devices.

* AllShare Group Cast lets the user share a presentation or photo album in real time with multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network.

Continuing its aggressive momentum in delivering an all new 3G and 4G LTE network experience for customers, Sprint announced on Monday that 4G LTE construction has begun in more than 100 more cities within its existing nationwide 3G footprint. Major metropolitan areas in which Sprint 4G LTE is expected to be available in the coming months include Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.

During the pre-launch phase, customers with 4G LTE devices may begin to see 4G LTE coverage in these areas and are welcome to use the network even before it officially launches. Sprint plans to announce commercial availability of 4G LTE in these cities in the coming months, at which point we expect coverage, performance and reliability to get even better. The markets will fill in until coverage largely matches the existing nationwide 3G footprint.

Sprint 4G LTE is now available in 19 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio. Sprint’s Network Vision project also includes significant improvement in customers’ 3G network experience, including expanded coverage, improved network reliability, better voice quality, and faster 3G data speeds. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

Sprint will host the 12th annual Open Solutions Conference on Oct. 24-25 at the San Jose, Calif., Convention Center offering developers, ecosystem partners and executive attendees an up-close view into the latest app developing tools and capabilities, keynote presentations from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and other industry leaders, breakout sessions, coding sessions, event sponsor exhibits, and business-critical networking opportunities. Registration is open at http://developer.sprint.com/OSC2012. ...

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Wells Fargo & Co. Reiterates Outperform on Clearwire (CLWR)
September 12th, 2012 - 0 comments - Filed Under - by Latisha Jones

Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Co. in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Clearwire remained flat at $1.64 during trading on Wednesday. Clearwire has a 52-week low of $0.83 and a 52-week high of $3.12. The company’s market cap is $889.0 million.

Clearwire last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 26th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by $0.02. Clearwire’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Clearwire will post $-1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

... ... more shares, lower loss per share...

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Janco Partners reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Wednesday, August 29th. Separately, analysts at DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Clearwire in a research note to investors on Thursday, August 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1.90 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at RBC Capital downgraded shares of Clearwire from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday, August 22nd. They now have a $1.00 price target on the stock.

Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) builds and operates mobile broadband networks that provide high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities.

Shares Owned by Insitutions
29.20%



Number of Institutions 181

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The need for speed!
A RootMetrics review of data performance

A RootMetrics
Special Report

by Patrick Linder
September 11, 2012

http://www.rootmetrics.com/special-reports/2012-data-review/

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Report: T-Mobile's HSPA+ almost as fast as AT&T's LTE

Verizon scores top marks in RootMetrics' report

September 11, 2012 | By Phil Goldstein


RootMetrics tested the network speeds of the nation's top wireless carriers.

Among the six largest U.S. carriers, Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) remains the carrier providing the fastest--and most consistently speedy--mobile data network, thanks in large part to its extensive LTE network, according to a new report from wireless testing company RootMetrics.

To obtain its findings, RootMetrics said it visited 75 markets, tested coverage across nearly 100,000 miles within those cities, and performed almost 500,000 drive and indoor data tests using off-the-shelf smartphones. The company tested whatever network was available from the carriers (LTE, CDMA or HSPA) and averaged the results.

The report found that Verizon's data network (combined LTE and CDMA EV-DO) on average supported downlink speeds of 13 Mbps and uplink speeds of 7 Mbps. AT&T Mobility's (NYSE:T) network (HSPA+21 and LTE) produced average downlink speeds of 7 Mbps, while T-Mobile USA's HSPA+ 42 network helped it keep pace with AT&T, producing average downlink speeds of a little more than 5 Mbps.

Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) CDMA network and MetroPCS' (NYSE:PCS) combined CDMA and LTE network both produced average downlink speeds of around 2 Mbps. However, the report didn't include Sprint's nascent LTE network, which it launched in July. Sprint says its LTE network produces average downlink speeds of 6-8 Mbps. Cricket provider Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) scored the lowest in average downlink speeds, recording 0.6 Mbps, and also placed last in average upload speeds, offering a speed of only 0.4 Mbps.

Many factors contribute to real-world network speeds, including traffic on a particular cell site and the user's distance from the site. But perhaps the most important factor is the amount of spectrum a carrier devotes to its network. For example, Verizon's 700 MHz LTE network sports a 10x10 MHz configuration nationwide.

RootMetrics also looked at the consistency of carriers' data speeds. The firm said Verizon's network supported speeds of 5 Mbps or higher 77.4 percent of the time (including 15 Mbps or higher 37.9 percent of the time). AT&T supported speeds above 5 Mbps 48.1 percent of the time; T-Mobile hit that mark 46.7 percent of the time, and Sprint produced speeds of 5 Mbps or greater 17.3 percent of the time. The Sprint speeds that measured above the 5 Mbps threshold came from Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) mobile WiMAX network, which Sprint resells.

Interestingly, AT&T produced speeds of 15 Mbps or greater 13 percent of the time, while T-Mobile did so 6.2 percent of the time.

"Beyond Verizon, things get more interesting, especially given T-Mobile's strong performance without the availability of LTE," RootMetrics' Patrick Linder wrote in a company blog post. "Their HSPA+42 network proved a major story of our first-half testing. Though AT&T edged ahead of T-Mobile, the distance between the carriers was small. In fact, despite AT&T's rollout of LTE, they were often closer to T-Mobile than to Verizon."

AT&T's LTE network covers more than 75 million POPs, and the carrier plans to expand that to 150 million POPs by year-end. T-Mobile's HSPA+42 network covers 184 million POPs, and the carrier is planning to deploy LTE on its 1700 MHz AWS spectrum next year. Verizon's LTE network currently covers 75 percent of the U.S. population, around 235 million POPs, and the carrier plans to hit 260 million POPs by year-end. Sprint Nextel just deployed its LTE network in July but plans to cover 123 million POPs by the end of the year.

However, the carriers' speedy networks may not matter to many consumers, according to new data from ABI Research and cited by TownHall Research. According to ABI Research, during the first quarter of 2012 only 5.6 percent of U.S. subscribers were on a 4G network. For all of 2011, ABI found that 2G networks carried 22 percent of users' data traffic while 4G networks carried only 4.2 percent. ABI forecasts that 2G networks will continue to carry more data traffic than 4G networks until 2014--the firm said 4G networks won't carry a majority of users' data traffic until 2017.

This lag is largely due to the market's relatively slow transition to LTE. Sprint recently switched on its LTE network, and T-Mobile doesn't plan to do so until next year. And after turning on their LTE networks, carriers must then convince users to purchase devices that support those new networks.

RootMetrics' survey is notable in light of new plans by the FCC to test and record the real-world speeds of wireless carriers' mobile data networks, much in the same way the FCC has already tested the nation's wired networks.

[teecee1]

Clearwire: Assessing The Impact Of The iPhone 5, The Earthlink Deal, And The Road Ahead

September 14, 2012 | 24 comments | about: CLWR, includes: AAPL, DISH, ELNK, LEAP, S, SPY, T, VOD, VZ

Helix Investment Management
Disclosure: I am long CLWR, AAPL. (More...)

Some companies seem to always gravitate towards the spotlight, even if they do not actively try to do so. Clearwire (CLWR) is one of those companies. Ever since the company was founded, Clearwire has been in the spotlight, sometimes for the right reasons, and sometimes for the wrong reasons. We have written about Clearwire more than any other company here on Seeking Alpha, because of all the companies we have analyzed, Clearwire is by far the most misunderstood. For readers who are new to the Clearwire story, our previous articles on this company may be a good place to start. Clearwire occupies an interesting place in the wireless market, for it has more spectrum than any other company, even though it is not a carrier. The company's stock price has fallen sharply from its IPO, and yet its potential is greater than ever (a theme we have addressed at length in prior articles). There have been several recent developments in the wireless market that we feel should be addressed, insofar as their impact on Clearwire. The first is examining the impact of Apple's (AAPL) newly released iPhone 5 on the company's existing WiMax business, or more accurately, examining the lack of an impact.

The Irrelevance of the iPhone 5

At this point in time, Clearwire's main WiMax customer is Sprint (S), America's 3rd largest wireless carrier. The relationship that Clearwire and Sprint have is long and complex, and since Sprint merged its broadband division with legacy Clearwire in 2008, the two companies have been intertwined in ways that few wireless companies are. Although Sprint is trailing Verizon (VZ) (VOD) and AT&T (T), the company was in fact the early leader in 4G, choosing to deploy Clearwire's WiMax technology. Now, however, both Sprint and Clearwire are pivoting away from WiMax towards LTE. And given that the iPhone 5 now supports LTE on Sprint, and that the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are now discounted on Sprint's network, we have heard some chatter that investors are worried about how this will affect the cash that Clearwire receives from Sprint for its WiMax network. On the surface, this concern does seem valid. After all, none of Apple's iPhone models utilize WiMax, and given their popularity, it is not a stretch to assume that existing WiMax users will migrate to the iPhone. This would be an issue for Clearwire IF its agreement with Sprint was in fact based on usage. But it is not. Clearwire's current WiMax deal revenues are fixed until the end of 2013. Clearwire will receive $600 million in revenues in 2012, and $300 million in 2013. The deal reverts to usage-based pricing in 2014. But by that point, Clearwire's LTE network will be up and running, and the revenue drop-off caused by falling WiMax usage will be more than mitigated by revenues from the company's LTE network. While the iPhone 5 will have a dramatic impact on a good deal of the wireless industry, it will not affect Clearwire, for much of the company's existing revenue is locked in, and there is a clear pathway to future revenue, via the company's LTE network.

EarthLink: Diversification is a Reality

Clearwire's critics have often argued that the company is far too reliant on Sprint for its revenues. And in the past, there has been truth to that. However, Clearwire has been making an aggressive push to ink deals with more wholesale partners, and has signed deals with Leap Wireless (LEAP), FreedomPop, and Simplexity. And on September 10, Clearwire inked its newest deal, with EarthLink (ELNK). Under the terms of the deal, EarthLink will use Clearwire's existing WiMax network to provide high-speed broadband, both mobile and non-mobile, to its customers. The companies indicated that they are likely to expand the deal to use Clearwire's LTE network when it launches. The deal with EarthLink not only strengthens Clearwire's WiMax revenue stream until the LTE network launches, but also shows the optimism that the industry has when it comes to Clearwire's upcoming LTE network. It is not even launched and there is already another company expressing interest in it (Clearwire's deal with Leap Wireless bypassed WiMax and focused on its LTE network).

While the iPhone 5 and the deal with EarthLink are interesting items to analyze, they are not nearly as important as the third issue we would like to analyze and discuss. And that is the road ahead for Clearwire, a subject that the company's CFO, Hope Cochran, shed some light on at a recent Merrill Lynch investor conference.

The Road Ahead: A Transformation is at Hand

Many investment conferences yield little in the way of exciting or even relevant information. Many simply restate the prior quarter's results, and reiterate the case for why that company makes a good investment. And while Clearwire's presentation did include those things, it also included genuinely relevant information, which we address below.

Clearwire used Merrill Lynch's 2012 Media, Communications, and Entertainment Conference to once again remind the market of its leading spectrum position.



This chart, which takes into account recent spectrum transactions, once again shows that Clearwire is firmly in the lead when it comes to spectrum positioning. Furthermore, Clearwire's spectrum is 100% available for LTE usage, whereas all of its peers need to allocate spectrum to support their legacy networks. It is true that Clearwire's 2.5 GHz spectrum may not be of the caliber of 700 MHz spectrum. But, investors need to remember that Clearwire is approaching its LTE buildout differently than carriers such as AT&T or Verizon. Instead of blanketing the nation with LTE coverage, Clearwire is concentrating on what it calls "Hot Zones," which are dense, urban markets where LTE usage is greatest.



Clearwire's value proposition to carriers is that it can beef up their coverage in areas where it is most needed, such as Chicago, New York, or San Francisco. For a company of Clearwire's size, it is impractical to roll out its LTE network across the entire country in the same manner that the Big 4 carriers are doing. And frankly, it does not make that much business sense. If Clearwire rolls out a nationwide LTE network (if it could even find the necessary cash to do so), all it has done is create a fifth major network. But, if it rolls out the network selectively, it has created a way for carriers to acquire excess LTE capacity without having to invest in their own networks.

As interesting as these LTE plans are, they are not necessarily new developments. It has been known for some time that this is Clearwire's plan. What is new, however, are comments made by CFO Cochran regarding a number of issues, including Dish (DISH), and Clearwire's plans for selling assets.

Wells Fargo, which maintained its outperform rating on Clearwire after the conference, provided insight into the drama regarding Dish. According to Wells Fargo, CFO Cochran stated that Clearwire cannot confirm who owns its debt, and she explicitly stated that Dish has not approached Clearwire to inform it that it owns Clearwire debt. Dish can have many reasons to buy Clearwire debt, if it has indeed done so. Perhaps it feels this debt is undervalued. Or perhaps Dish does indeed see a way to gain access to Clearwire's spectrum via its debt (Dish CEO Charlie Ergen is a shrewd businessman, so whatever company's debt Dish bought, it is because Charlie Ergen thought it would benefit Dish). For such a scenario to occur, however, Clearwire must first file for bankruptcy, something we believe is highly unlikely. Clearwire has made it clear that it has sufficient cash to fund itself for the next 12 months, and we believe that within the next 12 months, Clearwire will undergo a transformation.

The most interesting aspect of CFO Cochran's presentation was her commentary regarding asset sales. Over the past several months, investors have grown increasingly anxious over this issue. Many investors look at the spectrum activity going on outside of Clearwire and worry that when the time comes to sell spectrum, Clearwire will simply be unable to do so. We have consistently argued that such worries are overblown, and that when the time comes, Clearwire will be able to monetize its spectrum portfolio. And during her presentation, CFO Cochran indicated that the company is moving in that direction, stating that, "At the end of the day, we do have an asset. We've got 160 megahertz of spectrum. I don't know how in the world I would ever utilize all of that in my business plan." As the chart above shows, Clearwire has as much spectrum as Verizon and T-Mobile combined in the top 100 wireless markets, and it seems like the company has concluded that this is too much spectrum. Over the next several months, we believe that Clearwire will have something to announce. On the company's Q2 earnings call, CEO Erik Prusch made it clear that the company wants to arrive at a "strategic solution," which it defines as something more substantial than just another wholesale deal. CFO Cochran indicated that Clearwire is also looking at other financing options, including preferred stock and convertible bonds. Given the fact that Clearwire is currently unable to issue more secured debt, due to covenants in its existing debt, and the prohibitively expensive interest rates of unsecured debt, preferred stock and convertibles may be a route that the company has to pursue. CFO Cochran also expressed displeasure with where the company's stock is trading, saying that this rules out a debt for equity swap because it would be far too dilutive relative to the benefits it provides.

Conclusions

We continue to believe that Clearwire's best days are ahead of it, not behind it. The iPhone 5 will not hurt Clearwire in the short to medium-term, as the company's WiMax revenues from Sprint are fixed until the end of 2013. The deal with EarthLink further diversifies the company's revenue base, and we view spectrum sales as highly likely within the next 12 months. When a company's CFO states openly that the company has more spectrum than she can possibly allocate in a business plan, we believe that it is an indication that a sale is on the way.

Since bottoming in late July, Clearwire's stock is up almost 79% as of this writing, dramatically outperforming the S&P 500 (SPY).



But, even with this surge, the stock is down over 17% so far in 2012 (and almost 37% over the past year), even though we believe that the company's outlook has steadily improved through the course of the year. We would be buyers of Clearwire on any pullback, for we continue to believe that the market underappreciates the long-term opportunity in this company. The next 12 months will be transformative for Clearwire, and we continue to believe that shareholders who maintain, hold, add to, or initiate positions in Clearwire will be rewarded for their convictions.

This article was sent to 1,738 people who get email alerts on CLWR.

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Settlement Date / Short Interest / Avg Daily Share Volume / Days To Cover
8/31/2012 / 70,397,920 / 9,831,696 / 7.160303
8/15/2012 / 74,748,034 / 15,220,208 / 4.911105

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clwr/short-interest#ixzz26XHE0q…

[teecee1]

Time Warner Cable Announces Plans to Sell Clearwire Stake
By Alex Sherman - Sep 17, 2012 11:11 PM GMT+0200

Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), the second- largest U.S. cable company, plans to sell its 46.4 million shares of Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the money-losing venture to build a high-speed wireless Internet network across the U.S.

Time Warner Cable, based in New York, has alerted other Clearwire investors, including Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Intel Corp., of its intention to sell the holdings, according to a filing last week.

Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), the largest U.S. cable company, agreed in December to market and sell Verizon Wireless service to customers. The deal allows the cable companies to combine wireless service with their current offerings of television, land-line phone and broadband Internet.

“It seems like an opportune time to start to sell the shares in light of the company’s arrangements with Verizon Wireless,” Justin Venech, a Time Warner Cable spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Mike DiGioia, a spokesman for Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire, declined to comment. The U.S. Justice Department approved the Verizon deal last month.

Time Warner Cable agreed in 2008 to acquire a stake in Clearwire to help fund a so-called WiMax network to offer 4G, or fourth-generation, wireless service. The joint venture with Sprint has struggled to gain subscribers to its national wireless service, prompting Comcast and Time Warner Cable to switch their allegiance to Verizon Wireless, which is already operating a 4G network using long-term evolution technology.

Clearwire fell 4.9 percent to $1.54 at the close in New York. The shares have fallen 21 percent this year.

Time Warner Cable spent $550 million for its Clearwire stake in 2008. The shares are worth $71.5 million at today’s close.

Comcast still owns its 88.5 million shares in Clearwire, said John Demming, a spokesman for the cable company.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]

... ... wohl zu früh eingestiegen und zu spät raus... und jetzt reicht die zeit nicht mehr für ein eigenes Netz ...

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iPhone bringt LTE-Netz an Grenzen (Video)

Autor: Andreas Roth
18.09.2012, 13:42 Uhr

Das iPhone 5 und andere neue Mobiltelefone, die theoretisch die Nutzung des neuen Mobilfunkstandards LTE erlauben, werden die überall auf der Welt gerade entstehenden neuen Netze auf eine Probe stellen. Bislang wird der neue Standard kaum genutzt, flächendeckende Abdeckung gibt es in den meisten Ländern, wenn überhaupt, nur in Ballungszentren. In den USA bieten die Netzbetreiber vorsorglich keine Flatrates bei LTE-Verträgen an, da die Kapazität begrenzt ist, wie Technology Review berichtet.

US-Netzbetreiber mussten in den vergangenen Jahren Milliarden in den Ausbau ihrer Infrastruktur stecken, um Bandbreitenengpässen beim LTE-Vorgänger-Standard entgegenzuwirken. Deshalb wollen sie sich mit dem ausschließlichen Verkauf von gedeckelten Datentarifen gegen neue Kosten versichern. Sollte es aufgrund des wachsenden Datenverbrauchs und der Flut an neuen LTE-fähigen Geräten zu Engpässen kommen, garantieren die verwendeten Tarifmodelle zumindest, dass die datenhungrigen User den Ausbau der Netze direkt subventionieren.


iPhone 5 bringt das LTE Netz zum glühen (Bild: Apple)

Derzeit gibt es in den USA lediglich 12,7 Mio. Handybesitzer, deren Gerät den neuen Standard nutzen. Neue Geräte aller namhaften Hersteller, allen voran Apples neuestes Mobiltelefon, könnten in den kommenden Monaten Millionen neuer Kunden in die LTE-Netze bringen. Die theoretisch bis zu zehn Mal höheren Geschwindigkeiten sollen das Surfen im Netz via Handy komfortabler machen, weshalb auch mit einem Anstieg des Datenkonsums der Nutzer zu rechnen ist. Durch die Masse an neuen Usern kann sich der Geschwindigkeitsvorteil aber schnell in Luft auflösen, nämlich wenn die Bandbreite der Betreiber nicht mehr ausreicht.

Video: Apple iPhone S5

International ist die Situation ähnlich. Analysten schätzen, dass weltweit allein im September bis zu 10 Mio. neue iPhones verkauft werden. Das stellt die LTE-Netze auch außerhalb der USA auf die Probe. Einige Experten sehen trotzdem keine große Gefahr für Kapazitätsprobleme. "Die Netze auf der ganzen Welt sind vorbereitet. Es gibt kaum noch Flatrate-Datentarife, deshalb erwarte ich keine Probleme", sagt Analyst Chetan Sharma der Technology Review. Zudem sind ist LTE effizienter als die Vorgängerstandards. Allerdings schätzen US-Marktforscher, dass sich der mobile Datenverkehr in den USA bis 2016 um einen Faktor zwischen 18 und 25 vergrößern wird.

In Europa wird der Schub durch das neue iPhone geringer sein, da nur zwei Provider auf dem alten Kontinent die vom Apple-Produkt akzeptierten Frequenzen unterstützen. Die Provider, die das iPhone mit voller LTE-Geschwindigkeit bieten, lassen sich dieses Angebot teuer bezahlen. (pte)

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.621.937 von teecee1 am 19.09.12 16:39:40

Goldman Sachs 21st Annual Communacopia Conference
September 19 - 21, 2012
Goldman Sachs Conference Center • New York, NY

... ...


Sprint's Hesse: We've sold 1M LTE devices so far
September 19, 2012 | By Phil Goldstein


Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) CEO Dan Hesse said the carrier has sold 1 million LTE devices so far, even though its LTE network is tiny compared with the LTE networks of its larger competitors.



Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference, Hesse said Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S III and HTC's Evo 4G represent the bulk of Sprint's LTE phone sales. He said customers are attracted to Sprint's unlimited smartphone data plans and the fact that Sprint will expand its LTE network significantly over the next year-and-a-half.

Sprint launched its LTE network in July in a handful of markets, but the carrier expects to cover 123 million POPs by year-end. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) LTE network currently covers 75 percent of the U.S. population, around 235 million POPs, and the carrier plans to hit 260 million POPs by year-end. At the end of the second quarter Verizon counted 10.9 million LTE connections (it launched LTE in December 2010). AT&T Mobility's (NYSE:T) LTE network covers more than 75 million POPs, and the carrier plans to expand that to 150 million POPs by year-end.

Earlier this month Sprint said it was preparing 100 more cities for LTE, including Boston; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C. The company believes that by announcing these 100 more markets, customers will see that they can buy an LTE iPhone now with an unlimited data plan and take advantage of the LTE speeds when their market launches later this year.

Hesse said Verizon has a "temporary" advantage because of its sizable LTE footprint when it comes to marketing Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 5, which can run on LTE networks. However, he said Sprint wants to keep the focus on the differences in the carriers' pricing plans, noting that both Verizon and AT&T's shared data plans make it more complicated for customers to keep track of how much data different family members are using. He said it is "very good for us that the brand positioning is beginning to get very differentiated."

"We believe that consumers want peace of mind and that insurance," he added. "We provide that as part of unlimited."

The Sprint chief also touched on several other issues, including the carrier's Network Vision network modernization plan. He said that the plan is proceeding well and that it will give Sprint a strong spectrum position through the end of 2014. He said that date will be extended to 2016 with the addition of spectrum from Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR). Sprint plans to offload some of its network traffic to Clearwire's planned TD-LTE network. Hesse also said Sprint is still open to hosting other companies' spectrum--including Clearwire's--on its network architecture.

Regarding consolidation, Hesse reiterated that he would prefer it if Sprint focused more on executing the Network Vision plan through the middle of 2013 than worrying about mergers and acquisitions. However, he said he thinks some kind of deal between wireless carriers is going to happen. "I do think there will be consolidation," he said. "I would hope and expect that over the long term Sprint will take a very active role in that."

Hesse also touched on the FCC's plans to review its rules for how much spectrum a carrier should be able to hold (plans that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson applauded earlier at the Goldman Sachs conference). Hesse said that the rules could be changed to give carriers very clear indications of when a deal might put them over a cap on how much spectrum they could hold in a market, and then what spectrum they would need to give up to get under the cap. He said he approved of changes that would give lower-frequency spectrum more importance.

"One of the issues that the FCC has to grapple with is that spectrum is a limited resource," he said. "And in that regard they don't want to be in a position where AT&T and Verizon can buy all the spectrum that becomes available in the market."

Finally, Hesse waded into the discussion about whether Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone could be a strong competitor to Apple's iOS and Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android. Hesse said he preferred markets where there are three strong competitors, but that "time will tell" if Windows Phone will be successful. Notably, Sprint was not among the carrier partners HTC named for its new Windows Phone 8 smartphones--supporters include Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile USA. Hesse said that if Microsoft can leverage its dominant position in the desktop PC market into mobile devices, it has "potential to be a player."

............................................................................

19.09.2012 | 16:14

AFX News ·
Samsung GALAXY Note II Coming To Sprint Network

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Sprint (S) announced Samsung GALAXY Note II device will be available on the Sprint 4G LTE network this fall. Pricing and the availability date will be provided later. Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, GALAXY Note II is powered by Android 4.1, Jelly Bean. The device with quad-core processor has a display larger than 5 inches.

Sprint said, GALAXY Note II requires activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans starting at $79.99 per month, excluding taxes and fees. Sprint 4G LTE is now available in 19 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. Sprint's buildout of its 4G LTE network is under way in more than 100 additional cities.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.623.143 von teecee1 am 19.09.12 21:01:05

Clearwire to start major TDD-LTE network construction in Q4
September 19, 2012 | By Phil Goldstein

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) CFO Hope Cochran said that the company will begin building out its TDD-LTE network this quarter but that construction will pick up significantly in the fourth quarter.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference, Cochran said that Clearwire is in constant contact with its wholesale partners, and especially Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), about its LTE buildout. Sprint is Clearwire's largest wholesale customer and shareholder and plans to use Clearwire's TDD-LTE network to augment its own FDD-LTE service. Cochran said that Clearwire is "talking to Sprint at all times to make sure it's there when they need it."

Clearwire intends to deploy LTE at 5,000 cell sites by June 30, 2013, in areas of high network traffic and congestion, since Clearwire will charge Sprint usage-based pricing for access to its LTE network. "We're focused on putting in capacity where congestion will happen quickly," Cochran said. "So when we see we can get the revenue from that site, that's where we're focused."

Clearwire intends to make use of vendor financing for its LTE network buildout, and will announce its vendors next month. Cochran said the vendor financing deals are not tied to company's liquidity or financial position.

The transition to the LTE network is coming as a critical time for Clearwire. As Sprint deploys its LTE network, it is sending fewer wholesale WiMAX customers Clearwire's way, though Sprint is paying Clearwire a flat $900 million fee for WiMAX access this year and next. Time Warner Cable recently said it will sell its entire 7.8 percent stake in Clearwire, due in large part to TWC's new relationship with Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), which allows it to resell Verizon's service.

Cochran said that nothing about Clearwire's relationship with Sprint legally forbids Clearwire from striking wholesale partnerships with other carriers. However, she said that Clearwire does need to think of its strong relationship with Sprint when looking at other deals. "I do feel that Clearwire and Sprint are very aligned," she said, adding that Clearwire's LTE buildout benefits both companies.

Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) signed a five-year wholesale agreement with Clearwire earlier this year that will allow the Cricket provider to buy capacity on Clearwire's LTE network. Interestingly, Cochran said that Clearwire will establish a "light" LTE core network that will feed traffic off its LTE sites into the core networks of Sprint, Leap and presumably any other facilities-based carrier that uses Clearwire's network.

[teecee1]

September 21, 2012, 2:41 P.M. ET

Clearwire CFO Highlights Value Of Spectrum

By Dimitra DeFotis

Clearwire stock may not be getting enough credit for its spectrum leases.

Wells Fargo Analyst Jennifer M. Fritzsche writes, after hearing Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran at an investor conference, that Clearwire (CLWR) doesn’t have much capacity for debt issuance, and could sell leases. Fritzche writes,

“Leased spectrum might not be attractive to companies that don’t like to expense their spectrum and are more concerned about margin, but the benefit of leased spectrum is that it isn’t included in spectrum caps so it might be easier for bigger carriers to acquire it.”

Shares of Clearwire are up 7 cents, or nearly 5%, to $1.51.

Fritzsche also noted:

* Clearwire LTE spending has begun with roughly $600 million in total expenditures expected over the next year and a half; 1,800 sites are ready to be built. Clearwire anticipates vendor financing will be in place when LTE equipment purchases are made.

* CFO Cochran “highlighted the value of its spectrum and the likelihood that CLWR will never use all of the 160MHz and the possibility of a sale” of some of its excess spectrum.

* On the subject of Dish ownership of Clearwire debt, “Clearwire can’t confirm who owns its securities but Cochran can confirm that Dish has not told Clearwire that it is an owner.”

* 60% of the 196 megahertz of the 2.5 gigahertz band is leased with 30-year terms and the average life of a Clearwire lease is 23 – 24 years and “CLWR views it as owned spectrum.” With more than 1,000 owners, no one owner has too much leverage.

While wholesale customers transition to LTE, they may generate WiMAX network revenue with a longer tail than expected, FierceWireless noted earlier this month. Clearwire has been signing wholesale deals for consumer mobile WiMAX and LTE services.

Fritzsche has an Outperform rating on Clearwire, and a Market Weight on the wireless carrier sector.

Time Warner Cable (TWC) said it is selling its stake in Clearwire, which we blogged about earlier this week.

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2012/09/21/clearwir…

[teecee1]

25.09.2012 14:47
heise online

Cloud Gaming per TV: US-Provider wollen Spielkonsolen das Wasser abgraben

Es könnte das Ende der Spielekonsolen bedeuten: Die US-amerikanischen Telekom-Firmen AT&T und Verizon Communications sowie Time Warner Cable verfolgen einem Medienbericht zufolge Pläne, Spiele demnächst direkt über den Fernseher anzubieten. Erste Test eines solchen Cloud-Dienstes könnten noch in diesem Jahr beginnen, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Bloomberg die Nachrichtenagentur Bloomberg unter Berufung auf eingeweihte Personen. Traditionelle Konsolen wie die Playstation von Sony oder Microsofts Xbox 360 könnten dann für die Nutzer überflüssig werden.

"Jeder hat einen Fernseher", sagte Atul Bagga, Analyst bei Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco gegenüber Bloomberg. Kabelbetreiber und Teleckom-Firmen hielten derzeit nach neuen Geschäftsmodellen Ausschau. Und mit populären Spielen über den Fernseher, das Internet und Mobiltelefon könnten Provider ihren Kunden einen neuen Service bieten.

Dabei sei geplant, über Online- und Gelegenheitsspiele wie Farmville von Zynga oder Tetris und Solitär hinaus auch ausgereifte Action-Spiele etwa von Electronic Arts anzubieten. Für die Technologie zur schnellen Übertragung ohne Zeitverzögerung seien die Provider in Gesprächen mit Start-ups wie den Streaming-Dienstleistern Playcast Media Systems, CiiNOW und Agawi ("Any game. Anywhere. Instantly"), hieß es. Diese Unternehmen hätten entsprechende Gespräche mit Providern bestätigt, allerdings keine Namen genannt. Eine Sprecherin von AT&T erklärte Bloomberg zufolge, das Unternehmen suche nach neuartigen Wegen, um TV- und Breitbandkunden Cloud-Gaming-Services anbieten zu können. Beim Breitbandanbieter Cox war zu hören, das Unternehmen prüfe verschiedene Cloud-basierte Angebote, nannte allerdings keine keine Details.

Für die großen Konsolen-Hersteller könnten damit schwere Zeiten anbrechen. Dem Marktforschungsunternehmen NPD zufolge war der Spielekonsolenmarkt 2011 allein in den USA rund 24,1 Milliarden US-Dollar (18,6 Milliarden Euro) schwer. Die Branche hat zuletzt bereits deutliche Einbrüche erlebt, da Gelegenheitsspiele auf Smartphones und Tablets zu einer wachsenden Konkurrenz werden. Auch Online-Games am PC sind durch die inzwischen gute Verbreitung von Breitband-Internet zu einer großen Herausforderung geworden. (dpa) / (ssu)

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27.09.2012

Mobilität
Das total vernetzte Auto

Von Michael O. R. Kröher


Autoindustrie: Wie die Autorevolution funktionieren soll
7 Fotos
manager magazin

Nicht nur in Kalifornien wird mit autonomen Autos experimentiert. Die Vernetzung über das mobile Internet soll den Autoverkehr weltweit bald völlig verändern. Sogar die Fahrer könnten am Ende überflüssig werden.

... ... nee, nee, der kann aber saufen und bei einer Kontrolle sagen ich bin gar nicht gefahren ...

Geht es nach den Entwicklern der Autoindustrie, dann sollen in den Zentren der großen Metropolen schon bald nahezu paradiesische Zustände herrschen: kein Verkehrschaos mehr, weniger Stress, Lärm und Gestank.

Bereits in wenigen Jahren soll es so gut wie keine Staus mehr geben. Auf Fußgänger- und Fahrradwegen herrscht wieder Frieden, weil die Autofahrer dort niemanden bedrängen. Navigationsgeräte steuern die Pkw mühelos zu den Parkhäusern und -plätzen, die sie in weiser Voraussicht zuvor online reserviert haben. ...

http://www.manager-magazin.de/magazin/artikel/0,2828,858044,…

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Sprint CEO Hesse May Buy More Strategic Clearwire Stakes
By Serena Saitto - Oct 19, 2012 11:16 PM GMT+0200

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) Chief Executive Dan Hesse said he may seek to buy out corporate investors in wireless venture Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) at the right price.

“Any time there’s an opportunity at the right price to take out a strategic investor, we will,” Hesse, 59, said yesterday in a joint interview with Softbank Corp. (9984) President Masayoshi Son at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters. Softbank agreed to buy 70 percent of Sprint this week for about $20 billion.


Dan Hesse, who will stay on as Sprint Nextel Corp.’s
CEO following the Softbank Corp. investment, said he
doesn’t need 100 percent of Clearwire because Sprint’s
current partnerships give it enough influence over operations.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Clearwire’s corporate investors include Intel Corp. (INTC), Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) Sprint is already acquiring a Clearwire stake from telecommunications pioneer Craig McCaw to gain a majority stake in the carrier. Hesse, who will stay on as Sprint’s CEO following the Softbank investment, said he doesn’t need 100 percent of Clearwire because Sprint’s current partnerships give it access to the spectrum it needs until 2014.

“We just never made an offer to buy all of Clearwire, that’s just not on the table,” Hesse said. “We don’t need to do anything, we have a commercial arrangement with Clearwire, we have a contract and they provide us with WiMax 4G service and they are beginning to build out LTE 4G services.”

So-called fourth-generation networks are being developed to offer higher speeds to smartphone customers. Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint dropped 2.2 percent to $5.65 at the close today in New York, while Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire dropped 8.9 percent to $1.85.

‘Strategic’ Interest

Sprint will pay Eagle River Holdings LLC, the investment firm owned by McCaw, about $100 million for 30.9 million of Clearwire’s Class A shares, or 4.5 percent of the total, and 2.73 million of its Class B stock, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The purchase brings Sprint’s ownership to a little more than 50 percent from 48 percent.

The move improves Clearwire’s corporate governance because Eagle River’s board seat goes to the company, increasing the number of independent members to three from two, Hesse said. Sprint will keep the right to appoint seven out of Clearwire’s 13 board members. One of Sprint’s appointees is independent.

Clearwire’s other corporate investors have lost their interest in the company, Hesse said.

“The cable companies were thinking of a mobile strategy, times have changed they don’t have an interest in that anymore. Intel was interested in putting WiMax 4G chips in all sorts of devices, they don’t have that interest anymore. We are really the only strategic investor.”

Board Independence

If Sprint were to buy additional stakes in Clearwire, those board seats also would revert back to the company, increasing the independence of Clearwire’s board as designed by the original corporate governance rules, Hesse said.

For the future of Clearwire “we want government structure that is aligned for what is best for the public and for Sprint.”

Thanks to those rules, which are laid out in a Dec. 8, 2008, corporate filing, Sprint doesn’t gain operational control of Clearwire even if it gains a majority stake, Hesse said.

That way it doesn’t need to consolidate Clearwire’s debt on its balance sheet. Sprint has more than $4 billion of debt coming due next year, while Clearwire has $2.9 billion of debt coming due in 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“We don’t have to consolidate it,” Hesse said. “We don’t want to consolidate it.”

For the future, Hesse and Son didn’t rule out any acquisitions and declined to elaborate on their strategy.

“Anything you can think of, I have thought about, don’t rule out anything,” Son said. “If I didn’t have an interesting strategy, I wouldn’t bet $20 billion” on Sprint.

To contact the reporter on this story: Serena Saitto in New York at [e-mail].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeffrey McCracken in New York at [e-mail]

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Mediareports: Der Boom von Handyflatrates wird zum Bumerang

Datenvolumen in deutschen Mobilfunknetzen steigt um 40 Prozent

Freiburg im Breisgau, 22.10.12 - Das Datenvolumen in den deutschen Mobilfunknetzen ist im Jahr 2011 um mehr als 40 Prozent auf 93 Millionen Gigabyte gewachsen. Bis 2016 ist mit einem weiter rasanten Wachstum um den Faktor 13 zu rechnen; in der Schweiz gar um den Faktor 17 auf mehr als 200 Millionen Gigabyte. In Österreich liegt der Wachstumsfaktor in Anbetracht des hohen Ausgangsniveaus von 43 Millionen Gigabyte nur bei 6. Die Nutzerzahlen von Smartphone-Internet und mobilem Breitband werden bis 2016 deutlich ansteigen und weiteren Datenverkehr zur Folge haben. Echte mobile Daten-Flatrates heizen das Wachstum zusätzlich an.

Im Sommer 2012 lancierten die Swisscom und Sunrise neue Smartphone-Tarife mit echter Daten-Flatrate, bei der keine Drosselung der Geschwindigkeit nach Verbrauch eines festgelegten Datenkontingents erfolgt. Die Swisscom erlaubt sogar Tethering, also die Nutzung des Smartphones als Mobilfunkmodem für Notebooks oder Tablet PC. Die Mobilfunknutzer freuen sich über die neuen Datenangebote für unbegrenzte Nutzung, die Anbieter über mehr Kunden und steigende Datenumsätze. Für die Mobilfunkunternehmen besteht jedoch das Risiko, dass die Datennutzung mit den Handyflats sehr stark ansteigt und eigenständige Datentarife nicht durchzusetzen sind. Folgen wären Datenstaus in den mobilen Netzen und entgangene Umsätze.

Nutznießer der Handyflats werden nach Einschätzung von mediareports Prognos auch die so genannten Over-The-Top-Anbieter wie Google, Facebook, Apple und Amazon sowie klassische Medienunternehmen sein. Die Nutzung von Videoplattformen wie YouTube oder Mediatheken, mobilen Clouds, Webradio und Musikstreaming ist dann nicht mehr durch Datenlimite oder unkalkulierbare Kosten begrenzt. Die Nutzungszeiten und der Datenverbrauch nehmen enorm zu. Einen sehr starken Anstieg des Datenvolumens können die Mobilfunkanbieter nicht allein mit zusätzlichen Frequenzen und den Einsatz verbesserter Techniken wie LTE und LTE Advanced bewältigen. Es sind darüber hinaus auch Netzverdichtungen, also neue Standorte nötig. Dies erfordert beträchtliche Investitionen, an denen sich die Over-The-Top-Anbieter freiwillig nicht beteiligen werden. Die Mobilfunkanbieter stehen vor der Herausforderung, ihre Investitionen in einem insgesamt stagnierenden Mobilfunkmarkt zu refinanzieren. (jpp)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sprint expands LTE to new markets, now up to 32 cities

Sprint's LTE now covers the communities of Chicagoland and towns in Texas, Massachusetts, and Kansas, as the company races to catch up to the competition.

by Roger Cheng
October 22, 2012 8:53 AM PDT


The Evo 4G LTE still can't get LTE in most markets.
(Credit: Sprint )

Sprint Nextel said today that it now covers 32 markets with its higher speed 4G LTE network.

The network now blankets several communities outside of Chicago, collectively known as Chicagoland, well as Wichita Falls, Texas, Hutchinson and McPherson, Kan., and New Bedford/Fall River, Mass.

Sprint is racing to catch up to larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless, which last week week exceeded its 400-market target and has more markets covered than every other carrier combined. With consumers demanding a faster connection for Web browsing, music, and video, 4G LTE has become a bigger selling point.

The capabilities of LTE have gone further mainstream thanks to the iPhone 5, which is able to tap into each of the carriers' 4G LTE network. Unfortunately for Sprint customers, a vast majority of its territory is still covered by its slower 3G network.

Sprint is also behind on getting coverage in the biggest cities, something Verizon and AT&T was sure to do early in their respective roll outs. Still, it is ahead of T-Mobile USA, which plans on starting its deployment next year.

Here are the markets in Chicagoland covered by Sprint's LTE: Addison, Bolingbrook, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Kankakee, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Palatine, Plainfield, Ill., along with Gary, Ind.

This is a complete list of the markets covered:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57537284-94/sprint-expands-…

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Legere zu T-Mobile USA/MetroPCS: 'Kämpfen und gewinnen' - Interview


John Legere, CEO T-Mobile USA
(Foto: DTAG/Portel.de)

Washington/Bonn, 22.10.2012 - Der Zusammenschluss von T-Mobile USA und MetroPCS macht T-Mobile USA zum wichtigsten Herausforderer auf dem US-Markt. In einem von der Telekom am Montag veröffentlichten Interview erklärt John Legere, warum er sich für die Position als neuer CEO von T-Mobile USA entschieden hat und wie der Zusammenschluss mit MetroPCS die Challenger-Strategie weiter antreiben wird.

Frage: Herr Legere, Ihr Vorgänger hat nach etwa einem Jahr das Unternehmen verlassen. Was hat Sie motiviert, bei T-Mobile anzufangen?

John Legere: T-Mobile ist eine sehr bekannte Marke in den USA, und ich glaube, dass sowohl die amerikanische Öffentlichkeit als auch die Mitarbeiter von T-Mobile für eine Unternehmensoffensive bereit sind. Ich bin nach Deutschland geflogen, habe mich mit René Obermann und Timotheus Höttges zusammengesetzt und Folgendes gesagt: "Wenn Ihr nach jemandem sucht, der offensiv ist, die Mitarbeiter motiviert und diesem Unternehmen zu neuer Bedeutung verhilft, dann bin ich der richtige Mann dafür." ...

............................................................................

Deutsche Telekom CEO says confident on MetroPCS deal


The logo of Deutsche Telekom AG is seen outside the company's headquarter
in Bonn May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

MUNICH | Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:17am EDT

(Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom AG DTEGn.de is confident a deal to merge its T-Mobile USA unit with U.S. carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc (PCS.N) will go through, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

"We do however need to explain more clearly the benefits for both sides," Rene Obermann told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Munich.

Japan's Softbank (9984.T) earlier this month agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in rival carrier Sprint Nextel (S.N) and there have been reports it may also look to acquire MetroPCS.

Obermann declined to comment when asked whether Softbank could make a rival bid for MetroPCS.

(Reporting by Peter Maushagen; writing by Victoria Bryan)

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Photo Release -- Clearwire Releases Research Reports from IDC and ABI Highlighting Spectrum Holdings and TDD-LTE Ecosystem

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 20 hours ago

* "LTE TDD - Making the Most of 4G" by ABI Research Now Available
* "Validating the Market for TDD LTE in the U.S. Marketplace" by IDC Now Available

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 25, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., today made available two commissioned research studies that outline the growing prominence of the global TDD-LTE ecosystem and an analysis of Clearwire's vast spectrum holdings.

A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=15424

Clearwire and Tier 1 U.S. Operators Estimated Spectrum Holdings

"Given the market's resurgent interest in understanding both our TDD LTE technology choice and our spectrum holdings, we're sharing the independent findings from these recently commissioned research reports today," said John Saw, CTO of Clearwire. "The IDC and ABI reports highlight the benefits and economies of scale of TDD-LTE, our 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz frequency band (Band 41), and Clearwire's unmatched spectrum resources."

The first report is titled "Validating the Market for TDD LTE in the U.S. Marketplace" by John Byrne, Research Director for Wireless Infrastructure at IDC. The second report is titled "LTE TDD - Making the Most of 4G" by Phil Solis, Research Director, Devices, Content & Applications; and Jake Saunders, Vice President and Practice Director, Core Forecasting at ABI Research. Complementary copies of both reports are available at Clearwire's newsroom at http://www.clearwire.com/newsroom.

As the IDC report notes, "Clearwire is able to operate on a single bandwidth in excess of 130 MHz on average, including approximately 160 MHz on average in top 100 markets where capacity constraints are the most likely to emerge. As a result, Clearwire has the capability to generate much greater capacity and better network performance by virtue of a significantly fatter pipe vis-a-vis competitors."

The TDD-LTE ecosystem continues to grow with commercial or planned deployments in major population centers, including Japan, China, India, the European Union and Clearwire's deployment in the United States. The ABI Research report "estimates that global TDD LTE coverage will have addressable population coverage of 4.4 billion by 2014 if network rollouts in key countries are aggressive." The report also outlines the economies of scale for the device ecosystem and projects that "every LTE device will support both TDD and FDD technologies," given their commonality.

The reports explore different topic areas, such as:

* The capacity and bandwidth constraints facing other U.S. wireless operators;
* The challenges and timetables associated with acquiring new spectrum via auctions;
* The pervasiveness of the 2.5GHz band among global operators;
* The adoption of TDD-LTE by operators around the world, commonality with other LTE technologies, and the device ecosystem, and more.

............................................................................

October 25, 2012
Clearwire Reports Third Quarter 2012 Results

* Raises Guidance for 2012 Adjusted EBITDA; Lowers 2012 Capex Guidance
* $1.2 Billion Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments at Quarter-End
* Significant Advancements in Global TDD-LTE and 2.5GHz Ecosystem

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 25, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (Nasdaq:CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for third quarter 2012.

"Recent developments in the U.S. wireless industry serve as a direct reminder of the key strategic role deep spectrum resources and a global LTE ecosystem will play in the long-term success of any 4G mobile broadband operator," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Clearwire's unmatched spectrum assets and focus on serving major population centers will be the foundation on which we will build a critical 4G LTE network positioned to serve the needs of the industry and the rapidly growing base of 4G customers across the country."

"Globally, our ecosystem choices continue to gain traction with a growing list of TDD-LTE deployments and we believe the recent decision in China to allocate 190 MHz of 2.5GHz spectrum to our preferred spectrum band, 3GPP Band 41, to deploy TDD-LTE networks will generate even greater interest from chipset, device and infrastructure vendors. The rising tide of TDD-LTE networks globally in the 2.5GHz band will ultimately allow Clearwire to realize significant economies of scale and provide a valuable competitive advantage."

Third quarter 2012 revenue declined slightly year over year to $313.9 million primarily due to a year over year decline in wholesale revenue. Third quarter 2012 wholesale revenue of $116.5 million, was relatively flat as compared to second quarter 2012 wholesale revenue of $117.6 million, and down (15)% year over year reflecting the fixed wholesale WiMAX revenue terms of the November 2011 Sprint agreement which took effect in 2012. Retail and other revenue increased 1% year over year to $197.4 million in third quarter 2012. Retail ARPU for third quarter 2012 was $45.06, representing a decrease of $(1.99) year over year as compared to $47.05 in third quarter 2011 primarily due to lower equipment lease and activation revenue under the new no-contract offering.

Clearwire ended third quarter 2012 with approximately 10.5 million total subscribers, up 10% from 9.5 million subscribers in third quarter 2011. The subscriber base consists of 1.4 million retail subscribers and 9.1 million wholesale subscribers, reflecting 21,000 retail net subscriber adds and 489,000 wholesale net subscriber losses during third quarter 2012. Wholesale subscribers consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $191 in third quarter 2012 compared to $288 in third quarter 2011. The year over year improvement is primarily due to lower retail selling expenses associated with our no-contract offering as well as a lower cost structure resulting from our cost cutting initiatives in 2011. Retail churn was 5.1% in third quarter 2012, up from 4.2% in third quarter 2011. The increase in churn is primarily due to an increase in subscribers on no-contract plans, which were fully launched in first quarter 2012.

Adjusted EBITDA in third quarter 2012 was a loss of $(38.3) million, representing an $8.2 million improvement when compared to third quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA loss of $(46.4) million.

The company ended third quarter 2012 with cash, cash equivalents and investments of approximately $1.2 billion invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities, reflecting a sequential decrease of $26 million from second quarter 2012. As compared to the prior year period, cash, cash equivalents and investments increased by $336 million.

Third quarter 2012 capex of $34 million related primarily to ongoing maintenance of Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network and the deployment of our LTE network, and increased $10 million and $17 million, respectively, as compared to $24 million in second quarter 2012 and $17 million of capex in third quarter 2011.

At the end of third quarter 2012, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 135 million people reside, including approximately 133 million people in markets where we provide 4G services, relatively flat as compared to the prior year period.

TDD-LTE and 2.5GHz Ecosystem Developments

Clearwire, as a founding member of the Global TDD-LTE Initiative (GTI), has continued to work closely with wireless infrastructure and carrier partners around the world to promote and develop the TDD-LTE ecosystem with an emphasis on expanding use of the 2.5GHz band we have established with standards bodies (Band 41) around the globe. The TDD-LTE ecosystem continues to grow with commercial or planned deployments in major population centers, and ABI Research recently estimated that continued rollouts of TDD-LTE networks would reach as many as 4.4 billion people worldwide by 2015. Significant progress was recently made on this front with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's (China's telecom regulator), announced plans to release the entire 190MHz of their 2.5GHz spectrum for TDD-LTE deployments in China and their adoption of the same Band 41 format advocated by Clearwire and other GTI members around the globe including Softbank Mobile (Softbank). Additionally, Softbank, who launched their TDD-LTE network in Japan in February 2012, broke new ground with their recent introduction of six TDD-LTE smartphones that also support the 2.5GHz band. We believe these developments further position Clearwire and our LTE wholesale partners to leverage significant economies of scale and innovation commensurate with a large global ecosystem of chipsets, devices and infrastructure equipment.

2012 Outlook

Clearwire continues to expect total revenue of $1.20 to $1.30 billion for full year 2012. The company expects 2012 Adjusted EBITDA loss of approximately $(150) to $(200) million, representing a $25 million improvement (at the midpoints) to previous guidance of $(175) to $(225) million.

Clearwire plans to have 2,000 LTE sites on air by the end of June 2013 and expects to start receiving Sprint prepayment installments in June 2013. Full year 2012 capital expenditures (capex) are now expected to total $125 to $175 million as compared to most recently provided guidance of $350 to $400 million. The decline in capex guidance is primarily due to the company's decision to defer a portion of its LTE build in order to better align capex with the expected receipt of LTE revenues.

Results of Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) in third quarter 2012 decreased 25% to $211.5 million compared to $282.5 million for third quarter 2011. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $5.9 million and $38.7 million in third quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively, and other non-cash network-related charges of $19.7 million and $65.2 million in third quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively. The year over year decrease in non-cash charges for network equipment reserves is primarily due to a decline in write-downs of network equipment no longer required for deployment or sparing as we solidified our LTE network plans. The year over year decrease in other non-cash network related charges is primarily due to a higher provision for unused tower-related leases and other network agreements in third quarter 2011. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS increased 4% year over year primarily due to an increase in customer premise equipment sales since the launch of our no contract retail model, which requires customers to purchase rather than lease devices, at the beginning of 2012.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in third quarter 2012 decreased 21% to $139.4 million compared to $176.5 million in third quarter 2011. The decrease is primarily attributable to the continuing effects of actions taken in conjunction with Clearwire's cost cutting initiatives in 2011 including lower employee-related expenses resulting from headcount reductions and outsourcing of the customer care function, reduced marketing spend, as well as decreased selling commission expense associated with our no-contract product offering which was launched at the beginning of 2012.

Third quarter 2012 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $(41.3) million, or $(0.07) per basic share as compared to $(83.5) million, or $(0.34) per basic share, respectively in the prior year period. Including the effects of discontinued operations, third quarter 2012 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $(213.8) million, or $(0.38) per basic share, which increased as compared to $(84.8) million or $(0.35), respectively in the prior year period primarily due to a decrease in the loss allocated to non-controlling interests which resulted from the conversion of Class B common shares to Class A common shares by Time Warner Cable and Comcast during the period. ...

............................................................................

EPS Accuracy for CLWR - Trailing Two Fiscal Years and Four Quarters

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/sa?s=clwr

Top-Ranked Analysts / CLWR / Overall / Research Reports

Prentiss, Ric
Raymond James Five stars Four stars

Rollins, Michael
Citi Five stars Five stars

Yin, Shing
Guggenheim Securities LLC Five stars Four stars

Flannery, Simon
Morgan Stanley Five stars Four stars

Cusick, Philip
JPMorgan Four stars Five stars

Fritzsche, Jennifer
Wells Fargo Securities, Llc Four stars Four stars

Funk, Michael
BofA Merrill Lynch Four stars Four stars

[teecee1]

Clearwire selects Huawei as one of its LTE vendors
October 26, 2012 | By Sue Marek

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) confirmed to FierceWireless that Chinese vendor Huawei is one of two vendors that will build its planned TD-LTE network. Huawei, Samsung and Motorola built Clearwire's existing WiMAX network, and Clearwire said it tapped Samsung and Huawei to upgrade its network to TD-LTE.

Clearwire's decision is notable because last month the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence recommended that the U.S. government and U.S. companies avoid using equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE because the two vendors pose a security threat and potentially have ties to the Chinese military. Both Huawei and ZTE have denied those claims and so has the Chinese government.

In a statement to FierceWireless, Clearwire CTO John Saw said that there are no longer domestic suppliers of radio base station equipment and that Samsung and Huawei base stations are deployed at the edge of the network, while the core network equipment, or the "brains" of the network, is being provided by domestic vendors Cisco and Ciena.

In addition, Saw said the Huawei gear represents less than 5 percent of the company's total LTE spend and the company is working to reduce Huawei's footprint in the network. Saw also noted that Clearwire will use Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) for network management services.

Clearwire said it is subjecting every LTE base station vendor to a "Trusted Delivery Program" in which it requires that the vendors' base stations and software pass extensive testing by a U.S. government-approved third party company recognized for vetting critical infrastructure systems for security weaknesses.

Motorola sold its networks business to Nokia Siemens Networks in 2011.

Leap Communications also uses network gear from Huawei. Previously, Leap spokesman Greg Lund told FierceWireless that Huawei has "the smallest share of our business" from a network perspective.

Clearwire is in the early stages of deploying its LTE network and yesterday announced that it would significantly cut the number of TD-LTE sites it plans to deploy from 5,000 by mid-year 2013 to 2,000 sites. The company said that the reduction in TD-LTE sites was to better align its buildout with that of Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S). Sprint plans to offload excess LTE data traffic onto Clearwire's network. For more information on Clearwire's third-quarter results, see this related article.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.756.635 von teecee1 am 26.10.12 18:46:28

29.10.2012 | 14:02

FreedomPop Launches Market-Disruptive 4G iPod touch Sleeve, Transforming the touch into an iPhone

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The wait is over! FreedomPop, the disruptive free wireless Internet company, today announced it is now shipping its highly anticipated iPod touch 4G Sleeve, which until today has been limited to pre-orders only. The FreedomPop iPod touch 4G Sleeve snaps onto any fourth generation iPod touch, enabling a seamless connection to FreedomPop's free high-speed 4G network and allowing the iPod to function like an iPhone. With FreedomPop's iPod touch 4G Sleeve, users will be able to use their iPod touch anywhere there is FreedomPop coverage - not just on Wi-Fi at home or in public venues.

"Until today, the iPod touch has been a Wi-Fi only device. As of today, consumers can now receive fast and free Internet for their iPod on-the-go," said Mauricio Sastre, Vice President Product, FreedomPop. "By leveraging a VoIP app such as Skype, the iPod touch essentially becomes a carrier-free option that allows consumers to enjoy an iPhone-like experience without signing contracts or paying monthly fees."

With the Sleeve, the iPod touch can stream videos, make VOIP calls, serve a hotspot for up to eight devices, and be connected to Wi-Fi anywhere FreedomPop's 4G network exists. The iPod touch 4G Sleeve delivers speeds of up to 10x 3G speeds currently available on the iPhone 4/4S. It also turns the iPod touch into a wireless hotspot, allowing up to eight other devices to connect to it.

The availability of the FreedomPop iPod touch 4G Sleeve comes on the heels of the company's public Beta launch earlier this month, which has shaken up the wireless market with it's game-changing offering: a guaranteed minimum of 500MB of free 4G wireless Internet service every month. No contracts, no ads, no gimmicks. An overview of markets served nationwide can be found at www.FreedomPop.com.

The iPod touch 4G Sleeve is available now for purchase at www.FreedomPop.com, retailing for $99. To see the iPod touch 4G Sleeve in action, watch this video. For more information on the FreedomPop iPod touch 4G sleeve, along with the FreedomPop service and other devices available, visit the website, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About FreedomPop
Founded in 2011, FreedomPop is a new wave telecom company backed by Mangrove Capital, DCM, and Skype Founder Niklas Zennstom's Atomico. Its aim is to provide disruptive Internet services ensuring that no one is left off the "connected grid." FreedomPop's initial free high speed wireless internet service runs on Clearwire's 4G network and is scheduled to expand on Sprint's 4G LTE network in 2013. For more information, visit www.freedompop.com and follow FreedomPop on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE FreedomPop

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Clearwire touts spectrum holdings, Softbank alignment
October 28, 2012 | By Tammy Parker

Clearwire's (NASDAQ:CLWR) extensive 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings have long been considered the struggling operator's ace in the hole and a major selling point for Softbank's recent investment in Clearwire partner Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S). Two new analyst reports commissioned by Clearwire reinforce that line of thought, highlighting the operator's Band 41 spectrum and growing global interest in its TD-LTE deployment path.

The reports lend credence to Clearwire's contention that its average of 160 MHz of spectrum in the top 100 markets puts it ahead of competitors in terms of bandwidth potential. The company has said it will start offering LTE with a 20 MHz channel and will use intra-band aggregation to combine that with another 20 MHz, eventually creating a 40 MHz pipe at every sector.

IDC's report notes there are numerous LTE spectrum bands available in the United States, including 700 MHz, cellular 850 MHz, PCS 1.9 GHz and AWS 1.7GHz/2.1GHz, which are all shared by a number of operators. "While there are advantages to having a combination of spectrum bands to address coverage and capacity requirements, the downside is that there is significantly less bandwidth within each individual band, creating limitations on throughput," said IDC.

Clearwire, however, possesses spectrum in a single bandwidth, the 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz frequency band known as 3GPP Band 41. The carrier holds in excess of 130 MHz on average, including 160 MHz on average in the top 100 markets. "As a result, Clearwire has the capability to generate much greater capacity and better network performance by virtue of a significantly fatter pipe vis-à-vis competitors," said IDC.

Speculation has swirled regarding just how important Sprint's investment in Clearwire is to Japan's Softbank, which is spending $20.1 billion for a 70 percent stake in Sprint. Clearwire President and CEO Erik Prusch added more fuel to the fire during Clearwire's quarterly earnings call last week when he touted his company's long history of working with Softbank.

"We have great respect for what they have accomplished with TDD-LTE and believe the commonality between our two networks, both in terms of the TDD flavor of LTE and the 2.5 GHz band, will continue to drive a productive relationship," Prusch said, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript of the call.

Softbank's investment in Sprint "is a clear sign that Clearwire's unmatched spectrum position makes us a significant and valuable solution to the industry's growing need for 4G network capacity," said Prusch, adding that Softbank and Clearwire "both have a deep appreciation for the data opportunity in the United States and the desire to leverage our network capabilities and fast data speed to be a disruptive force in the industry to drive innovation, rapid revenue growth and long-term shareholder value."

Sprint is Clearwire's most important wholesale partner and also intends to offload its FDD LTE data traffic onto Clearwire's TD-LTE network in the future. Sprint recently increased its ownership in Clearwire from 48 percent to 50.8 percent by purchasing about $100 million worth of Clearwire stock from Eagle River Holdings, the investment firm owned by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw. Yet despite its majority stake, Sprint does not control Clearwire, and, thus, neither does Softbank.

Clearwire and Softbank are co-founders of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), as is China Mobile. Since launching TD-LTE in February, Softbank has amassed more than 350,000 customers on that network, said Prusch. China Mobile, meanwhile, intends to expand its trial TD-LTE network to 200,000 sites in 2013.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) recently announced it will dedicate the full 190 MHz in the 2,500MHz-2,690MHz for TD-LTE use, adopting the same Band 41 format advocated by Clearwire and Softbank.

Clearwire and other GTI members are pushing the view that TD-LTE is not a niche technology but one that is equal in many ways to the more widely adopted FDD flavor of LTE. "Device vendors' desire to reduce the number of models required to support different networks, traffic demand on mobile operator networks and global roaming partnerships will all align to show the true value of TDD spectrum and the importance of mobile networks supporting LTE TDD, either alone or in combination with LTE FDD," said ABI Research in its report for Clearwire.

Similarly, IDC predicts the wireless industry will soon begin focusing on a common platform in terms of devices for FDD-LTE and TDD LTE, "which will be key to integrating seamlessly and allowing handsets to offer TDD LTE at little or no incremental cost to FDD-LTE as a standalone option."

Yet it remains to be seen whether Clearwire has what it takes to make money from its spectrum holdings and TD-LTE plans. The perennially financially strapped company disclosed last week that it is undertaking a dramatic slowdown in its TD-LTE rollout.

Last month, FierceBroadbandWireless broke the news that Clearwire was reevaluating its TD-LTE plans and could elect to delay a portion of its deployment schedule. Last week during its quarterly earnings conference call, Clearwire confirmed it will significantly cut the number of TD-LTE sites it plans to deploy from 5,000 sites by mid-year 2013 to 2,000 sites. The company said that the reduction in TD-LTE sites was to better align its buildout with that of Sprint.

............................................................................

Clearwire Management Discusses Q3 2012 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

October 25, 2012 | 1 comment | about: CLWR

[teecee1]

30.10.2012 | 03:13

Business Wire ·
Betreiber strömen zur LTE North America, um den Event der Region für die wachstumsstarke 4G-Technologie zu besuchen

Dallas konzentriert sich auf das LTE-Umfeld, während regionale Entwicklungen an Tempo gewinnen

LTE North America, das führende Networking-Event der Branche für die nordamerikanische 4G-LTE-Fachwelt, kommt im nächsten Monat nach Dallas – zu einem Zeitpunkt, der überall im Land für LTE ganz entscheidend ist. Da es in Nordamerika in den letzten zwölf Monaten eine beispiellose Anzahl und große Vielfalt von Entwicklungen im Bereich LTE gegeben hat, wurde die Region an die Spitze der Branche gebracht, und so werden auf dem Event weitere Möglichkeiten ausgelotet und die Herausforderungen in dem Bereich angegangen werden.

LTE North America ist fest etabliert und findet jetzt im fünften Jahr statt; die Veranstaltung kann darauf verweisen, dass 45 Prozent der Besucher Vertreter von Betreiberfirmen sind und bringt Branchenführer zusammen, die sich zu einer beispiellosen Vielfalt von anspruchsvollen Diskussionen zur Zukunft des mobilen Breitbands treffen. Aufgrund seines breitgefächerten Programms ist der Event Jahr um Jahr gewachsen und konnte bei den Besucherzahlen allein in den letzten zwei Jahren eine Zunahme um 77 Prozent verbuchen. Die Organisatoren der Veranstaltung gehen davon aus, dass der diesjährige Event größer sein wird, vor allem, weil es auf dem Markt einen Boom gibt.

Mike Roberts, leitender Analyst für den ganzen amerikanischen Kontinent bei Informa Telecoms & Media, sagte: "Nordamerika ist weltweit der dominierende LTE-Markt und wird weiterhin ein explosives Wachstum erleben, wobei den Voraussagen nach die Zahl der erwarteten Abonnements von 26 Millionen Ende 2012 bis 162 Millionen Ende 2017 steigen wird."

Messe und Konferenz bieten Networking-Chancen für Betreiber, die auf der Suche nach potenziellen neuen Partnern sind, und gibt Besuchern ferner die Möglichkeit, über eingehende Focus Sessions, beispielhafte Fallstudien, eine Analyseklinik, Podiumsdiskussionen und interaktive Runde Tische wie dem Betreiber-Mindshare von über 200 Spitzenrednern etwas zu lernen.

Im Rahmen des Programms sollen etliche zentrale Themen angesprochen werden: Umgang mit der Signalflut, Monetarisierung von LTE, innovative Dienstleistungen, Umgang mit der Explosion der mobilen Daten, Management des LTE-Spektrums, LTE-Netzwerke für die öffentliche Sicherheit und LTE Device Ecosystems.

Diese Themen finden sich bei der eindrucksvollen Liste von Rednern wieder, die mit Krish Prabhu, Chief Technical Officer bei AT&T, beginnt, der am Eröffnungstag eine Keynote-Rede mit dem Schwerpunkt neue Netzwerktechnologie halten wird. Krish Prabhu wird einen Einblick in die Art und Weise geben, wie die LTE-Advanced-Revolution höhere Geschwindigkeiten, ein intelligenteres Netzwerk und weniger aufdringliche Technologien mit sich bringen wird, sodass Reichweite und Kapazität optimiert werden können.

Zusätzlich zum eigentlichen Programm wird John Saw, Chief Technical Officer bei Clearwire, eine Podiumsdiskussion über die Realität von LTE leiten. Saw wird die veröffentlichten Vorteile, die markanten Hindernisse und Interoperabilitätsprobleme ansprechen sowie die neuen kooperativen Ansätze für die Zukunft ausloten.

Ebenfalls für einen Keynote-Beitrag zugesagt hat Adam Massey, Leiter der Abteilung Geschäftspartner in Amerika bei Google, der erörtern wird, ob Cloud-Computing, Anwendungen und Services die geschäftliche Landschaft verändert haben.

Auf dem Event werden außerdem bei einem Gala-Dinner am Eröffnungstag die Telecoms.com LTE North America Awards vergeben werden. Durch diese Preise wird globale und branchenweite Anerkennung für die nominierten Unternehmen gesichert, darunter Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, SpiderCloud Wireless, Openwave Mobility, ByteMobile und Azimuth Systems.

Sam Oakley, Events Manager der LTE World Series, meinte dazu: "Während der Schwerpunkt der Diskussionen im letzten Jahr auf den ersten Triebkräften im Bereich LTE und auf dem ersten Feedback für eine neue Technologie lag, kam in diesem Jahr enorm viel Bewegung und neues Wissen in diesen Bereich, sodass tiefere Einblicke in die Welt von LTE möglich waren. Das Programm des Events wird daher sowohl die Möglichkeiten durch LTE wie auch die eindeutigen Hürden, die für eine optimale Nutzung überwunden werden müssen, zum Schwerpunkt haben."

Die LTE North America wird vom 14.-15. November 2012 im Fairmont Dallas Hotel in Dallas (Texas) stattfinden. Um Ihren Besuch zu planen, sich das vollständige Programm der Veranstaltung anzusehen oder sich für den Event anzumelden, besuchen Sie bitte http://americas.lteconference.com/ oder rufen Sie [phone] an. Bitte beachten Sie, dass die Anmeldung für Betreiber kostenlos ist. Außerdem finden Sie die neuesten Meldungen zur Veranstaltung auf Twitter unter #LTENA. Im nächsten Jahr wird der Event vom 20.-21. November 2013 stattfinden.

Über Informa Telecoms & Media

Informa Telecoms and Media (www.informatandm.com) organisiert weltweit 125 jährlich stattfindende Veranstaltungen, die von mehr als 70.000 Führungskräften aus aller Welt besucht werden. Der Schwerpunkt von Informa Telecoms and Media liegt auf qualitativ hochwertigen Inhalten, die einem Schlüsselpublikum von Entscheidungsträgern aus den Bereichen Mobilfunk, Festnetz, alternative Lösungen, Großhandel, Mobilfunk-Discount und der Gruppe der Breitband- und Satellitenbetreiber zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Informa Telecoms and Media ist außerdem der führende Anbieter im Bereich von Geschäftsinformationen und strategischen Diensten für die globalen Telekommunikations- und Medienmärkte. Dank konstantem Direktkontakt mit der Branche bringen die 90 Analyse- und Recherchespezialisten des Unternehmens verschiedenste Informationsdienste mit Nachrichten und Analyseprodukten, vertiefte Marktberichte sowie Datensätze heraus, die sich auf Technologie, Strategie und Content konzentrieren.

Medienvertreter wenden sich bitte an Dana Corson unter [e-mail], oder an Holly Tyrrell unter [e-mail], oder wählen Sie [phone].

[teecee1]

Chicago 4G pioneer Clearwire upgrading to LTE technology

Silicon Valley-based FiveStars is launching a new digital loyalty program in Chicago


Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son, left, and Dan Hesse, leader of Sprint Nextel Corp., announce Softbank's
investment in Sprint. The deal could spur Sprint to invest more with Clearwire, a big 4G provider in Chicago.
(Yuriko Nakao, Reuters photo / October 30, 2012)

By Wailin Wong, Chicago Tribune reporter

10:58 p.m. CDT, October 29, 2012

Three years ago, Clearwire Corp. became the first wireless provider to light up its 4G network in Chicago. Since then, all the major carriers have launched competing 4G services in a race to keep up with consumers' seemingly insatiable demand for mobile data.

Wireless infrastructure has always lagged behind what consumers want to do on their devices and what application developers can create, Clearwire Chief Executive Erik Prusch told the Tribune on Monday in an interview at the 4G World industry conference at McCormick Place.

"It's the equivalent of having a Ferrari without a strong engine," Prusch said. "The engine isn't the chipset. It's the capacity on the network."

Clearwire, which has struggled with many quarters of financial losses and cash burn, believes the upgrades it's making to its 4G network will give consumers a meaningful step up in capacity and speeds. The carrier, which initially launched 4G with a technology called WiMax, is now using a technology called LTE and expects to have 800 cell sites upgraded by year's end.

Last week, Clearwire said it is reducing its 2012 capital spending target to better align it with expected revenues. The company's future also depends on Sprint Nextel, its largest shareholder, which is selling a 70 percent stake to Japan's Softbank Corp. for $20 billion. Some analysts have speculated that Sprint may acquire the rest of Clearwire with the Softbank money, although Sprint has not confirmed that plan. Clearwire and Softbank are already partners in a global LTE-focused consortium.

Prusch said Chicago is important to Clearwire.

"This market is perfect," he said. "It has a high population density with people out on the street, in cars, going to offices, who want to take their broadband with them."

FiveStars looks to shine in Chicago: A new digital loyalty startup has launched in Chicago, becoming the latest startup seeking to bring a high-tech spin to customer retention programs.

FiveStars, founded by two former McKinsey consultants, hails from Silicon Valley and raised $14 million in venture capital funding. In Chicago, the startup has signed up about 100 businesses such as Mezza Mediterranean Grill and Andersonville Hardware.

Chicago is already home to several loyalty startups such as Ox&Pen and Belly, which has raised about $13 million in venture capital. Daily deals company Groupon also offers a loyalty program for its merchants.

FiveStars' technology is integrated with businesses' point-of-sale systems, which are "a gold mine of data" and can keep track of not just frequency of visits, but how much customers spend, said co-founder and CEO Victor Ho. Consumers can use either a FiveStars physical card or give the cashier their phone number.

"The whole point of loyalty is you treat your big spenders differently than the people who don't spend as much money in your store," Ho said.

FiveStars' system also allows merchants to reach loyal customers via email, text messages and Facebook, with users earning additional points if they publicize the rewards they've earned on social networks.

Ho said his company's Chicago office is its largest outside of the Bay Area but declined to disclose how many local employees work here, citing competitive reasons.

[e-mail]

Twitter @VelocityWong

[teecee1]

Kroes - EU-Kommission ebnet den Weg für 4G-Technik in Europa

Doppelt so großer Frequenzbereich für mobile Datendienste wie in USA


EU-Kommissarin Neelie Kroes
(Foto: EU/Telekom-Manager.de)

Brüssel, 05.11.2012 - Die Europäische Kommission hat am Montag beschlossen, die für den Mobilfunk der vierten Generation (4G) – wie beispielsweise LTE (Long Term Evolution) – zur Verfügung stehenden Funkfrequenzen im 2-GHz-Band um weitere 120 MHz aufzustocken.

Dieses Frequenzband wird derzeit ausschließlich für drahtlose UMTS-Dienste, so genannte 3G-Netze, verwendet. Der Beschluss verpflichtet die Mitgliedstaaten, die betreffenden Frequenzen bis spätestens 30. Juni 2014 freizumachen, und schreibt harmonisierte technische Bedingungen vor, um die Koexistenz unterschiedlicher Technologien zu ermöglichen. In der EU wird dadurch mit rund 1000 MHz ein doppelt so großer Frequenzbereich für drahtlose Hochgeschwindigkeits-Breitbandnetze verfügbar sein wie in den USA.

Dank des Kommissionsbeschlusses erhalten die Mobilfunkanbieter mehr Möglichkeiten, in bessere Mobilfunknetze zu investieren, was der gesamten Wirtschaft zugute kommen wird, und die Verbraucher werden künftig in den Genuss schnellerer Datenverbindungen und erweiterter Breitbanddienste kommen. Ein verbesserter Frequenzzugang für die 4G-Technik bedeutet einen wichtigen Betrag zur Erfüllung des Breitbandziels der Digitalen Agenda, wonach bis 2020 EU-weit eine flächendeckende Breitbandversorgung mit mindestens 30 Mbit/s erreicht werden soll (siehe IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 und MEMO/10/200).

Die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission Neelie Kroes sagte hierzu: „Dank dieser Extra-Frequenzen für die 4G-Technik werden wir in Europa die sich verändernde und wachsende Nachfrage nach Breitbanddiensten besser bewältigen können. Ich gehe davon aus, dass die Mitgliedstaaten die bestehenden Lizenzen nun zügig anpassen werden. Schnellere drahtlose Verbindungen in Europa sind für uns alle von Vorteil.“

Der Beschluss schreibt die harmonisierte Liberalisierung des 2-GHz-Bands (1920–1980 MHz gepaart mit 2110–2170 MHz) in allen Mitgliedstaaten vor, um bei der künftigen Nutzung dieses Frequenzbands eine Fragmentierung des Binnenmarkts zu vermeiden.

Die Einführung der flexiblen Nutzung dieses Frequenzbands durch Aufhebung technischer Beschränkungen ist eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, moderne Drahtlos-Infrastrukturen entsprechend der Marktnachfrage aufzubauen.

Hintergrund:

Funkfrequenzen sind eine äußerst wertvolle, allerdings immer knapper werdende Ressource. Ihre sozioökonomische Bedeutung hat enorm zugenommen, denn drahtlose Anwendungen wie Breitbandzugang und das Internet der Dinge dringen in alle Bereiche der Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft vor. Branchenkenner prognostizieren, dass der weltweite Mobilfunkdatenverkehr bis 2015 um jährlich 26 % zunehmen wird. Es wird dann mehr als 7 Milliarden Mobiltelefone, Tablet-Computer und andere mobile Geräte geben, die eine Verbindung mit dem Internet herstellen können.

Der explodierende drahtlose Datenverkehr und der Mangel an freien Frequenzen erfordern eine intelligentere Frequenzverwaltung. Dazu gehört auch eine bessere Ausnutzung der bereits verwendeten Frequenzbänder, beispielsweise durch Aufhebung technischer Beschränkungen und durch eine gemeinsame Frequenznutzung.

Das gepaarte terrestrische 2-GHz-Band (1920–1980 MHz und 2110–2170 MHz) wird traditionell für UMTS-Dienste verwendet (3G-Netze). Diese Nutzungsweise geht auf die so genannte UMTS-Entscheidung von 1999 zurück, die die Grundlage bildete für die koordinierte und schrittweise UMTS-Einführung in der gesamten EU zum 1. Januar 2002.

Im Rahmen der Durchführung des EU-Programms für die Funkfrequenzpolitik und insbesondere im Hinblick auf die angestrebte Verfügbarkeit von mindestens 1200 MHz für drahtlose Breitbanddienste sind die Bestandsaufnahme der Frequenznutzung sowie die flexible und gemeinsame Frequenznutzung wichtige Prioritäten der EU-Frequenzreform, mit der Innovation, effiziente Nutzung und Investitionen gefördert werden sollen.

Deshalb schreibt der Kommissionsbeschluss die flexible Nutzung der Frequenzbänder 1920–1980 MHz und 2110–2170 MHz für elektronische Kommunikationsdienste in der EU vor, und zwar mit modernen drahtlosen Technologien wie LTE und anderen hochentwickelten Technologien. Wie die Entwicklung der Branche zeigt, können mit Hilfe solcher Technik zunehmend Datenraten von 30 Mbit/s für viele Nutzer gleichzeitig realisiert werden, so dass den Verbrauchern sehr schnelle Breitbanddienste zu wettbewerbfähigen Preisen angeboten werden können.

Darüber hinaus arbeitet die Kommission an einer Folgemaßnahme zu den ungepaarten terrestrischen 2-GHz-Frequenzen (1900–1920 MHz und 2010–2025 MHz), die zwar derzeit für UMTS-Netze zugewiesen, in der EU aber nicht genutzt werden. Mit einer solchen Initiative soll sichergestellt werden, dass durch die effiziente Nutzung der ungepaarten Frequenzbänder der größtmögliche Nutzen für Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Umwelt erzielt wird, indem alternative Anwendungen zur terrestrischen Mobilfunk-Breitbandtechnik und bestehende Frequenznutzungsrechte berücksichtigt werden. Die Kommission hat in diesem Zusammenhang der Europäischen Konferenz der Verwaltungen für Post und Telekommunikation (CEPT) bereits einen Auftrag zur Prüfung geeigneter Anwendungen und zur Ausarbeitung passender technischer Bedingungen und Vereinbarungen über eine gemeinsame Nutzung erteilt.

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Clearwire Responds to Needs of Sandy-Impacted Businesses in NYC

GlobeNewswire Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 17 hours ago

* Offers 30 Days of Free 4G Mobile Broadband Internet Service

* Clearwire Partners with Manhattan Chamber of Commerce in the Wake of Super Storm Sandy Destruction

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to quickly help attain an internet connection for many small- and medium-sized businesses located in the boroughs of New York City, Clearwire (CLWR) has set up a distribution of free 4G internet service (usable for 30 days) at its retail store located on 94th Street in Manhattan. The address of this store is 2519 Broadway, New York, NY 10025.

"Clearwire understands the needs of business owners, and hence we are pleased to be able to provide internet connectivity to businesses that have lost connectivity due to the destructive storm of last week," said Sean Reid, director of sales in the Northeast for Clearwire. "The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce is a great partner to help us reach impacted businesses as quickly as possible."

CLEAR has set up a distribution station so that Manhattan Chamber of Commerce members can stop by the 94th Street location to pick up either a CLEAR Spot Voyager mobile hotspot or CLEAR Stick Atlas USB dongle to utilize for these members' businesses. A valid driver's license (or New York State I.D.) and local Chamber of Commerce membership are the only requirements to qualify for assistance. One device per business will be distributed.

CLEAR Disaster Relief Kiosks

Clearwire additionally has set up free 4G broadband Wi-Fi stations at the following CLEAR corporate-owned retail locations in the New York City area:
Manhattan 94th Street 2519 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Yonkers Cross Country Mall 6 Mall Walk Yonkers, Yonkers, NY 10704
Brooklyn Kings Highway/Ocean Parkway 1208 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Brooklyn Fulton Avenue 465 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Restoration Efforts:

Clearwire continues to make tremendous progress in restoring service to tens of thousands of customers throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region who temporarily lost service due to the widespread destruction left by Hurricane Sandy. Clearwire's network team, in partnership with Ericsson, has been able to fully restore service to several markets, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, and Rochester, New York. We expect soon to have full restoration of service in Philadelphia and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Significant restoration progress continues to be made in numerous other East Coast markets as well, including the boroughs of New York City and Northern New Jersey. Clearwire teams continue to work around-the-clock to provide critical mobile, home and office 4G broadband internet service for current and new customers as quickly as possible. For the safety of Clearwire personnel and the general public, some of this service restoration work may be disrupted in the short-term by the next storm that is anticipated to hit the region on November 7th.

Impacted Customers:

Due to Hurricane Sandy, customers may experience temporary or intermittent service outages, as well as lengthier Customer Care wait times. Clearwire will address and resolve service issues as quickly as it can, with personal safety (of both its customers and employees) being a top priority. Customers experiencing no service or intermittent service should call 888-888-3113, where a Clearwire Customer Care representative can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Clearwire is issuing prorated service credits for customers throughout the affected region who are without CLEAR internet service. Customers additionally can ask and receive answers to CLEAR service-related questions through Clearwire's social media channels on Twitter (@CLEAR) and Facebook (CLEAR4G). (...)

[teecee1]

... mal sehen ob wenigstens ein link geht ...

http://www.4-traders.com/CLEARWIRE-CORPORATION-4912644/news/…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.791.998 von teecee1 am 06.11.12 16:28:53

Clearwire Corporation : Clearwire Responds to Needs of Sandy-Impacted Businesses in NYC
11/05/2012| 05:00pm US/Eastern

* Offers 30 Days of Free 4G Mobile Broadband Internet Service

* Clearwire Partners with Manhattan Chamber of Commerce in the Wake of Super Storm Sandy Destruction

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to quickly help attain an internet connection for many small- and medium-sized businesses located in the boroughs of New York City, Clearwire (Nasdaq:CLWR) has set up a distribution of free 4G internet service (usable for 30 days) at its retail store located on 94th Street in Manhattan. The address of this store is 2519 Broadway, New York, NY 10025. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.748.251 von teecee1 am 24.10.12 20:20:09

Telekom-Fusionspartner MetroPCS legt Gewinnsprung hin - DJ

Ergebnis steigt überproportional - Jahresausblick bestätigt

Melodie Warner/Anna Prior (Dow Jones/NY), 31.10.2012-01:44 - Der Fusionspartner der Deutschen Telekom in den USA, die MetroPCS Communications, kann im dritten Quartal mit einem kräftigen Gewinnzuwachs beeindrucken. Das Unternehmen steigerte das Ergebnis überproportional zum Umsatz und bestätigte zudem den Jahresausblick.

Der US-Mobilfunkanbieter erhöhte sein Ergebnis auf 192,7 Millionen US-Dollar oder 0,52 Dollar je Aktie. Bereinigt um einen Sondergewinn liegt der Gewinn noch bei 0,38 Dollar und damit immer noch doppelt so hoch wie im Vorjahr. Den Umsatz steigerte MetroPCS um 4,5 Prozent auf 1,26 Milliarden Dollar.

MetroPCS profitiert von der Einführung eines LTE-Breitbandnetzes in wichtigen, bevölkerungsreichen Gebieten im amerikanischen Nordosten sowie in Süd-Kalifornien. Wegen der Beliebtheit von mobilen Geräten ist die Nachfrage nach leistungsfähigen Netzen für das schnelle Surfen im Internet enorm hoch.

MetroPCS ist direkt hinter T-Mobile der fünftgrößte Mobilfunkbetreiber in den USA. Die beiden Unternehmen hatte ihre Fusion Anfang Oktober mitgeteilt. Ob der Deal aufgeht, ist mittlerweile nicht mehr ganz sicher. Für viel Wirbel sorgte jüngst die Übernahme des drittgrößten Anbieters Sprint Nextel durch die japanische Softbank. Die mit neuer Finanzkraft ausgestattete Sprint will möglicherweise auch für MetroPCS bieten.

MetroPCS-Chef hob am Dienstag die Vorteile des Deals mit T-Mobile hervor. Die Fusion sei herausragend und die Kunden könnten künftig von einem noch besseren Mobilfunknetzwerk profitieren.

Wie es bei der Telekom im dritten Quartal lief, erfahren Investoren am Donnerstag kommender Woche. (GS)

DJG/DJN/kla/mgo

... ... ich würde mehr in das Netz von Clearwire stecken ... und auf keinen Fall Frequenzen abgeben. ... Kellet & Crest ... ... das wäre der größte Fehler den man machen könnte ...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

07.11.2012 | 15:12

dpa-AFX ·
AT&T steckt Milliarden in Breitbandnetze und erhöht Dividende

Der amerikanische Telekomkonzern AT&T baut seine Breitbandnetze aus. In den nächsten drei Jahren sollen 14 Milliarden Dollar in den Ausbau von schnellen Datendiensten über Mobilfunk und Festnetz fließen, teilte der größte amerikanische Telekomanbieter am Mittwoch in New York mit. Ende 2014 will AT&T in den USA mit dem Mobilfunkstandard der neuen Generation (LTE) einen Markt von 300 Millionen Menschen erreichen. Bisher hieß es, 250 Millionen sollen bis Ende 2013 unter den LTE-Schirm.

Aber auch das Festnetz-Breitband soll weiteren Millionen von Amerikanern zur Verfügung stehen, sagte Unternehmens Randall Stephenson. Zudem stockt AT&T die Quartalsdividende von 44 Cent auf 45 Cent herauf. In den kommenden drei Jahren rechnet das Unternehmen mit einem Anstieg des Gewinns je Aktie im mittleren einstelligen Prozentbereich./fn/zb

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.797.858 von teecee1 am 07.11.12 17:41:00

Sprint-Aktie: Erwerb von PCS-Frequenzen und -Kunden von U.S. Cellular

07.11.12 16:48
aktiencheck.de

Reston (www.aktiencheck.de) - Die Sprint Nextel Corp. (ISIN US8520611000 / WKN 857165), der drittgrößte Mobilfunkbetreiber in den USA, gab am Mittwoch bekannt, dass sie mit der United States Cellular Corp. (U.S. Cellular) (ISIN US9116841084 / WKN 875189) ein Abkommen geschlossen hat, das den Erwerb von PCS-Frequenzen und -Kunden in Teilen von Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri und Ohio einschließlich der Märkte Chicago und St. Louis vorsieht.

Den Angaben zufolge zahlt Sprint im Rahmen der Transaktion 480 Mio. US-Dollar in bar und übernimmt zudem bestimmte Verbindlichkeiten. Die zusätzlichen Mobilfunkfrequenzen werden verwendet, um die Netzabdeckung von Sprint in diesen Gebieten zu ergänzen, während das Unternehmen weiter sein Network Vision-Upgrade installiert und den Standard 4G LTE landesweit einführt.

Die jüngste Transaktion, die noch der Genehmigung durch das US-Justizministerium und die Federal Communications Commission (FCC) bedarf, wird voraussichtlich Mitte 2013 abgeschlossen, hieß es.

Die Aktie von Sprint Nextel notiert derzeit an der NYSE bei 5,66 US-Dollar (-1,13 Prozent). (07.11.2012/ac/n/a)

[teecee1]

Clearwire Stock Rating Upgraded by RBC Capital (CLWR)
November 8th, 2012 - 0 comments - Filed Under - by Trevor Kearing

Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) was upgraded by analysts at RBC Capital from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

CLWR has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports. Analysts at DA Davidson downgraded shares of Clearwire from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note to investors on Tuesday, October 16th. They now have a $3.00 price target on the stock. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Separately, analysts at Macquarie upgraded shares of Clearwire from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note to investors on Monday, October 15th.

Clearwire opened at 2.12 on Thursday. Clearwire has a 1-year low of $0.83 and a 1-year high of $2.96. The company’s market cap is $1.465 billion.

Clearwire last released its earnings data on Thursday, October 25th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of ($0.30) by $0.23. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Clearwire will post $-1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Clearwire Corporation (Clearwire) builds and operates mobile broadband networks that provide high-speed residential and mobile Internet access services and residential voice services in communities.

............................................................................

Shares Owned by Insitutions
36.30%


Number of Institutions 185

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.797.858 von teecee1 am 07.11.12 17:41:00

Telekom-Chef: Weiterhin Zukunft für vier Mobilfunknetzbetreiber

08.11.2012
15:03

Nachfrage nach mobilen Datenübertragungen sei kaum zu bewältigen


Telekom-Vorstandsvorsitzer René Obermann

Der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Deutschen Telekom, René Obermann, sieht in Deutschland durchaus weiterhin eine Chance für vier Mobilfunknetzbetreiber. Dies antwortete er auf eine Frage von teltarif.de in einer telefonischen Pressekonferenz, bei der es um die aktuellen Quartalszahlen ging. In den vergangenen Wochen hatte es wieder vermehrt Berichte über eine mögliche Zusammenlegung der Netze von o2 und E-Plus gegeben.

Telekom in Deutschland: 100 000 iPhone 5 in zwei Wochen verkauft

In Deutschland wurden in diesem Quartal 322 000 iPhones nur durch die Kanäle der Deutschen Telekom über die Ladentheken gereicht, davon alleine 100 000 brandneue iPhone 5 in den letzten beiden September-Wochen.

Aktuelle Umfragen haben gezeigt, dass die Kunden verstärkt Wert auf Netzqualität legen. Auf die Frage der teltarif-Redaktion, wie Obermann den deutschen Markt beurteilt und ob auf Dauer Platz für drei oder vier Netzbetreiber bleibe oder ob es künftig eine gemeinsame deutsche Mobilfunknetzgesellschaft im Hintergrund geben könnte, betonte der Vorstandsvorsitzende der Deutschen Telekom, dass er durchaus Raum für vier Netzbetreiber sehe. "Ich weiß nicht, wie meine Wettbewerber das sehen", denn es sei eine "Riesennachfrage" nach mobilem Internet zu erwarten. Das Datenvolumen werde um den Faktor 15-20 steigen.

Telekom will 2,5 Milliarden Euro in den Netzausbau investieren

Neben dem aktuellen Boom bei Smartphones würden immer mehr Tablets gefragt und im automobilen Sektor funkten immer mehr Fahrzeuge ihre Daten über das Netz, seien es Informationen zur Verkehrslage, im Pannenfall oder für zusätzliche Dienste bei Navigationssystemen, wo aktuelle Daten zur besuchten Region oder dem gewünschten Ziel ins Auto übertragen werden.

Die Deutsche Telekom werde daher rund 2,5 Milliarden Euro in den Netzausbau investieren, da "die Nachfrage derzeit durch die Decke schießt". Obermann kündigte unter anderem einen verstärkten Ausbau seines WLAN-Hotspot-Netzes nach dem aktuellen Standard IEEE 802.11n an.

Obermann strebt die Marktführerschaft im Mobilfunk an, seine Strategie sei die Führung in Service- und Netzqualität mit höchsten Datenraten. Viele Geschäftskunden hätten das bereits erkannt und würden aus Unzufriedenheit mit den Wettbewerbern wieder zur Telekom zurückkehren. Dabei habe man in der letzten Zeit "im GK-Bereich ein bißchen geschlafen".

Aber auch für den Privatkunden seien viele neue Angebote in Vorbereitung. Auf einer USA-Reise habe Obermann mit vielen neuen möglichen Partnern gesprochen. Wem die hochwertigen Angebote der Telekom zu teuer seien, dem biete sein Unternehmen auch Produkte über eine günstige Zweitmarke (congstar) an.

Im Festnetz werde der Wettbewerb schwieriger, da es hier derzeit auf einen verstärkten Wettbewerb zwischen klassischer Kupfer-Doppelader und dem Koaxialkabel (TV-Kabel) hinauslaufe. Die Kabelgesellschaften erlebten derzeit einen Zulauf und die Konkurrenten der Telekom litten unter Verlusten, während das Geschäft der Telekom stabil bleibe. Obermann hofft, dass es bald eine Entscheidung der Bundesnetzagentur zum Thema Vectoring geben wird. Denn damit stünde eine gute Alternative zur Verfügung, einem Großteil der Bevölkerung bis zu 100 MBit/s Datengeschwindigkeit über Kupfer-Doppelader nach Hause liefern zu können.

USA: Nach Fusion mit Metro PCS harter Wechsel von CDMA auf HSPA und LTE

Es sei schon paradox, so die Telekom: Man habe aktuell mehr Geld in der Kasse, aber weniger Wert in den Büchern. Dies rühre daher, dass die Deutsche Telekom ihr US-Unternehmen nach amerikanischen Vorschriften (IFRS) nun nach dem Aktienwert des Wunschpartners Metro PCS am Tag vor der Bekanntgabe des Fusionswunsches bewerten muss.

Die geplante Fusion in den USA wird technisch spannend, da aktuell die Unternehmen T-Mobile USA und Metro PCS technisch inkompatible Mobilfunktechnik verwenden. Metro PCS und T-Mobile nutzen mit 1700, 1900 und 2100 MHz zwar die gleichen Frequenzbändern, funken allerdings mit unterschiedlichen Standards. Während Metro PCS den CDMA-Standard (EvDO) verwendet und schrittweise ein LTE-Netz ausbaut, hat T-Mobile bislang GSM 1900 und UMTS 1700/2100 genutzt.

In Zukunft liegt der Fokus nur noch auf UMTS/HSPA und LTE. Im Rahmen von Frequenzverschiebungen wurden 95 Prozent des 1900-MHz-Spektrums für UMTS nach HSPA+-Standard mit bis zu 42 MBit/s freigeräumt, was T-Mobile USA bisher auf 1700/2100 MHz anbietet, ferner wird ein 2 mal 20 MHz breites Frequenzband auf 1700 und 2100 MHz mit LTE ausgebaut werden. Bestands-Kunden von Metro PCS sollen zunächst auf die HSPA-Technik migriert werden und künftig auch LTE nutzen können. Im "Jahr drei" der Fusion würde es dann einen "harten Wechsel" geben, sprich alle bisherigen Metro-PCS Kunden-brauchen dann neue Telefone oder Endgeräte, da die alte CDMA-Funk-Technik abgeschaltet werden wird.

Das begehrte iPhone 5 kann T-Mobile in den USA derzeit nicht anbieten, weil es für die dort verwendeten Frequenzen bislang nicht kompatibel ist. Das habe in den USA zu einem Kundenrückgang von etwa 492 000 Kunden geführt. Zugleich seien aber auch etwa 1,5 Millionen Kunden mit ihren älteren iPhones zu T-Mobile gekommen, weil sie die Netzqualität schätzten. Durch die Zusammenlegung mit Metro PCS, die noch von den dortigen Aktionären und den amerikanischen Genehmigungsbehörden abgesegnet werden muss, ergeben sich hier neue Möglichkeiten "wir arbeiten hart daran, das iPhone 5 zu bekommen".

In den USA hat T-Mobile 365 000 neue Prepaid-Kunden gewonnen, die monatlich im Schnitt für umgerechnet 20 Euro im Monat telefonieren und surfen, Laufzeitvertragskunden geben etwa das Doppelte aus. Kunden der bisherigen Metro PCS liegen derzeit bei etwa 31 Euro im Monat.

[teecee1]

D21-Umfrage Nutzer wollen höhere Datenraten im mobilen Internet

Datum: 9.11.2012, 16:53
Autor: Achim Sawall

Wer das mobile Internet nutzt, findet es oft zu langsam. Laut der Initiative D21 würde das mobile Netz intensiver genutzt werden, wenn die Verbindungen schneller wären.

Nutzer des mobilen Internets wünschen sich höhere Datenübertragungsraten. Das ergab eine Studie der Initiative D21, die am 9. November 2012 veröffentlicht wurde. Die D21-Sprecherin sagte Golem.de: "Unsere Studie 'Mobile Internetnutzung - Entwicklungsschub für die digitale Gesellschaft?' im Rahmen des (N)Onliner Atlas 2012 zeigt deutlich, dass die Nutzer sich schnellere Übertragungsraten wünschen. Sie können sich dann sogar vorstellen, ganz auf stationäres Internet zu verzichten und nur noch mobil ins Netz zu gehen. Die Nutzer sind jedoch auch skeptisch, ob der Verzicht auf stationäres Internet in Zukunft wirklich möglich sein wird."

41 Prozent der in der Studie als "digital wenig erreicht" Bezeichneten und 47,3 Prozent der als "digital souverän" Benannten sagten, sie würden das mobile Internet intensiver nutzen, wenn die Verbindungen schneller als heute wären.

41 Prozent der "digital wenig Erreichten" und 45 Prozent der "digital Souveränen" könnten sich sogar vorstellen, auf das Festnetzinternet ganz zu verzichten. Doch 36 Prozent der "digital Souveränen" denken, dass der Verzicht auf kabelgebundenes Internet nie, beziehungsweise nicht in naher Zukunft möglich sein wird.

Den höchsten Breitbandanteil hat Berlin mit 61,4 Prozent. In Sachsen-Anhalt und Brandenburg dagegen kann laut der Studie nur rund jeder Zweite breitbandig online gehen.

"Der Bandbreitenbedarf steigt vor allem durch die Bedeutung der mobilen Internetnutzung. Als Treiber für das wachsende Bedürfnis nach vielfältigen Datendiensten können besonders multimediale Endgeräte, Cloud-Computing, Streaming und die starke Nutzung sozialer Netzwerke genannt werden", sagte Tim Brauckmüller, Mitglied des Gesamtvorstands der Initiative D21.

Das Datenübertragungsvolumen im Mobilfunkbereich nimmt 2012 um rund ein Drittel zu - auf 130,7 Millionen GByte (ohne LTE). Damit hat sich das Gesamtvolumen in den vergangenen zwei Jahren fast verdoppelt. Das durchschnittliche Datenvolumen pro Postpaid-Nutzer stieg um 30 Prozent auf 196 MByte. Die steigende Verbreitung von Smartphones und Tablets sei der wesentliche Antrieb für dieses Wachstum, so eine andere Studie. Das Volumen werde in Zukunft voraussichtlich noch stark zunehmen.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.802.885 von teecee1 am 08.11.12 17:24:55

Photo Release -- Come Home for the Holidays With Great Gifts From Clearwire

Providing CLEAR(R) 4G Mobile Broadband Devices and Service, With Speeds Faster Than Santa's Sleigh, in Approximately 80 Cities Across the Country

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 1 hour 33 minutes ago

* CLEAR 4G Drops MSRP on Select Devices by 50%*
* Personal, Shareable** CLEAR Spot(R) that Connects Quickly and Easily
* Home Modem Without the Hassle of an Installation Serviceperson
* CLEAR Stick that Provides a Plug-and-Play Solution for Single Users; Compatible with Windows(R) 8
* No Long-Term Contracts, no Overage Fees or Credit Checks, a Unique Value and Present in and of Itself

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whether someone has been naughty or nice this year, they'd be remiss if they didn't add a CLEAR 4G device to their holiday wish list. CLEAR 4G devices and internet service are sweeter than icing on a gingerbread cookie and sure to be a winner, unlike grandma's fruitcake.

CLEAR devices

CLEAR Spot(R) Voyager, CLEAR Hub Express and CLEAR Stick Atlas.

"According to an October 1, 2012 Pew research study, half of all U.S. adults have mobile connections to the internet," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager of retail at Clearwire. "With the explosive growth and demand for mobile broadband internet speed, capacity and spectrum, CLEAR 4G delivers amazing results that are setting the pace for consumers and businesses across the country."

Whether a person is stuck at the airport waiting for a flight, or driving over the river and through the woods, a device that offers mobile broadband service could make the trip home much more enjoyable. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) even identified 'ubiquitous, nonstop connectivity' to be the number one trend after this year's Consumer and Electronics show in Las Vegas. Consumers should also consider buying their own CLEAR 4G device before the holiday rush, so they can avoid the hordes of shoppers and shop online (instead of waiting in line).

There are several ways to connect to CLEAR 4G service -- via a mobile hotspot, stick, or home modem.

The CLEAR Spot(R) Voyager is a personal mobile hotspot allowing users to easily and securely share unlimited** internet access, anywhere within CLEAR coverage, simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the iPad(R), iPhone(R), iPod(R) touch***, laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices. The CLEAR Spot Voyager is manufactured by Infomark and carries a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $49.99****. The device is 2.6" square, weighs only 2.1 ounces, and runs on a rechargeable battery that provides up to six hours of continuous use.*****

The CLEAR Hub Express makes it easy to bring 4G internet to the home or office. It is a modem and wireless router in one, supporting wi-fi-enabled devices with coverage up to 150 feet away. The CLEAR Hub Express is manufactured by Gemtek, and the device now costs $49.99****. It is 6.1" x 9.3" x 3.7".

The CLEAR Stick Atlas is manufactured by Ubee Interactive and carries a price of $39.99****. It is a mobile USB that doesn't require complicated software, so you can instantly connect to the internet. The device is 1.2 inches wide by 3.25 inches high with a 0.65 inch diameter, weighing only 1.1 ounces. The color is charcoal grey with a matte finish, and includes an LED light showing signal strength and connection status. The device supports most operating systems, including: Windows(R) 8, Windows(R) 7, Windows Vista(R), Windows(R) XP, Mac(R) OS X(R), Linux, Android(TM) and Chrome.

CLEAR, the retail brand for Clearwire Corporation, runs on Clearwire's 4G network in approximately 80 cities across the U.S., in areas where more than 130 million people live. For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com. Company information about Clearwire, HD product video, and high-resolution photography is available at www.clearwire.com/newsroom.

* The Voyager and Hub Express are currently being offered at a 50% discount. The price of the Atlas has been reduced to $39.99 from its original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $49.99.

** CLEAR Spot connects up to 8 wi-fi-enabled devices within an approx. 100-foot range.

** Unlimited plans subject to network management and other provisions of CLEAR's Acceptable Use Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup.

*** iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, and OS X are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Apple is not affiliated with Clearwire and does not endorse CLEAR-branded products or services.

**** Taxes, service fee, and other charges apply, including shipping charges in certain retail sales channels.

***** Actual battery life that user experiences between charges may vary and is not guaranteed.

Clearwire, CLEAR, the CLEAR logo, and CLEAR Spot are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC. Windows and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.808.386 von teecee1 am 09.11.12 19:45:59

Autor: Björn Brodersen | 09.11.2012 - 10:45
Studie: Netzqualität für mobiles Internet wird für Mobilfunk-Kunden immer wichtiger

Immer mehr Menschen wechseln von einem herkömmlichen Handy auf ein Smartphone. Damit ändern sich auch die Ansprüche der Nutzer an die Leistungen ihres Mobilfunkanbieters: Während die Netzqualität für Telefonate kaum eine Rolle für die Kundenzufriedenheit spielt, rückt die Netzqualität bei mobilen Datenübertragungen immer mehr in den Vordergrund.

Jeder dritte Nutzer (35 Prozent) eines traditionellen Handys will sich als nächstes Modell ein Smartphone anschaffen. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt die quartalsweise erscheinende Studie "Smartphone Mobile Internet eXperience (SMIX)" des Marktforschungs- und Beratungsinstituts YouGov. Um das Potenzial ihres Smartphones optimal auszuschöpfen, benötigen die Nutzer allerdings einen leistungsfähigen Zugang zum Internet. Laut der YouGov-Studie greifen 87 Prozent und damit die große Mehrheit der Smartphone-Nutzer auf das Internet zu, davon ein Drittel (31 Prozent) ausschließlich über das Mobilfunknetz via GPRS/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA oder LTE.

Mit der wachsenden Zahl Damit ist neben dem Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis eine gute Netzqualität für mobile Internet-Dienste bei den Smartphone-Nutzern ein maßgeblicher Treiber der Zufriedenheit mit dem Mobilfunkanbieter. Das heißt, die Mobilfunk-Kunden schauen vermehrt auf Down- und Upload-Geschwindigkeiten der mobilen Internet-Verbindungen, die Netzstabilität und die Netzabdeckung. Auch die Tarif-Optionen und das monatliche Inklusivvolumen von Flatrate-Datentarifen spielen eine wachsende Rolle bei der Wahl eines Mobilfunkanbieters.

Welcher Mobilfunkanbieter das beste Angebot für Smartphone-Nutzer bereithält, lässt sich jedoch nicht pauschal beantworten. Die Telekom und Vodafone bieten laut dem jüngsten großen Netztest die beste Netzqualität und sind auch Vorreiter beim Ausbau der LTE-Netze (Long Term Evolution) mit Datenraten von bis zu 100 Megabit pro Sekunde im Downstream. Die Tarifangebote im Netz von E-Plus oder O2 bieten jedoch häufig die günstigeren Konditionen als die D-Netz-Tarife.

Bei der Studie von YouGov handelt es sich um eine vierteljährlich durchgeführte Repräsentativerhebung zur Entwicklung des Smartphone-Markts Deutschland. Die Studie liefert unter anderem Aufschluss über aktuelles Nutzungsverhalten, Zufriedenheit sowie Anschaffungs- und Wechselplanung der Smartphone-Nutzer. In der ersten Welle wurden 994 Personen im Zeitraum vom 1. bis 18. Juni 2012 befragt.

Quelle: Pressemitteilung

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AVM-Roadshow erfolgreich abgeschlossen
Viel Potenzial bei Smart Home und LTE

von Folker Lück
12.11.2012

Im Mittelpunkt der diesjährigen »AVM Solutions Tour« standen der Wachstumsmarkt LTE und das sich kontinuierlich entwickelnde Smart Home-Segment. Beide Themen stießen auf reges Interesse bei den Händlern.


Reger Austausch zwischen Hersteller und Händler: AVM-Mitarbeiter Johannes Hellwig (l.)
mit Uwe van den Bogaard, Geschäftsführer Comped EDV. (Foto: Folker Lück)

Ein Raunen ging durch den Konferenzsaal, als Gordon Priebe, Teamleiter Partner Account Management bei AVM, den über 100 anwesenden Fachhändlern aus der Region Düsseldorf zwei kurze Fragen zum Thema LTE stellte. Erste Frage: »Wer kennt LTE?« Na, klar - nahezu alle Händler zeigen auf. Zweite Frage: »Wer geht mit LTE ins Internet?« Kein einziger Händler zeigte auf. Damit dies nicht so bleibt, konnten die AVM-Partner auf der Roadshow-Veranstaltung die »Fritz Box 6840 LTE« zu Sonderkonditionen mitnehmen. Schon heute haben laut AVM rund 10 Millionen Haushalte in Deutschland die Möglichkeit, über LTE-Netze zu telefonieren und das Internet zu nutzen. Im nächsten Frühjahr sollen es bereits mehr als 16 Millionen Haushalte sein.

Dass selbst im Ballungsgebiet Rhein-Ruhr mit einer sehr gut ausgebauten DSL- und Kabel-Infrastruktur Marktpotenzial für LTE besteht, halten die meisten Händler für sehr wahrscheinlich: »Ich habe da ganz aktuell einen solchen Fall«, berichtet Uwe van den Bogaard, Geschäftsführer der Düsseldorfer Comped EDV Service & Beratungs GmbH. Der Firmenchef erzählt von einem Businesskunden, der in ein Vorort-Industriegebiet umgezogen sei und dort nun schon seit Wochen auf einen ISDN- und DSL-Anschluss warte. »Da zu seinem neuen Gebäude noch ein Kabel verlegt werden muss, kann das noch Monate dauern«, ist van den Bogaard überzeugt. Nun will er den Businessanwender zügig über LTE anbinden.

Im Teil »Heimnetz trifft Smart Home« drehte sich alles um die neuen Einsatzgebiete von WLAN, DECT und Powerline bei der Hausautomation. AVM-Trainer erläuterten den anwesenden Händlern nicht nur technische Details, sondern gaben auch Tipps in Bezug auf die erfolgreiche Beratung und Vermarktung für Privat- und Businesskunden.

Die ausschließlich für den Fachhandel angebotene AVM Solutions Tour 2012 begann am 25. September in Nürnberg und endete am 8. November in Münster. Mit meist mehr als 100 Teilnehmern pro Veranstaltung waren sämtliche Roadshow-Termine fast bis auf den letzten Platz belegt.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.814.595 von teecee1 am 12.11.12 16:45:07

13.11.2012 | 13:01

PR Newswire ·
Telespree Announces Real-Time Data Services for Clearwire's 4G Wholesale Network

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Telespree Communications, a leading enabler of cloud-based wireless data services for carriers, retailers, MVNOs, and wholesale providers, announced an agreement to provide real-time 4G data usage monitoring services to Clearwire Corporation, a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S. Clearwire will leverage Telespree's on-device service enablement, active session monitoring, real-time charging, and proactive alerting services to provide a broad range of capabilities to support their mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) wholesale customers across their portfolio of data devices.

"Telespree is a preferred partner and its Mobile Services Platform enables Clearwire to offer enhanced 4G mobile broadband services to our wholesale partners and their customers," said Rick Hausman, VP of Wholesale Operations at Clearwire. "Telespree's real-time capabilities increase the flexibility and competitiveness of our wholesale 4G offering in the marketplace."

By incorporating Telespree's Mobile Services Platform, Clearwire wholesale customers will be able to offer subscribers on-device real-time tracking and notification/alerts of their 4G data usage. In addition, Telespree will provide rating services that support diverse data offerings like family or share plans for use across multiple devices, pay-for-use plans that help avoid bill shock, and tiered plans that enable different consumption thresholds at different prices.

MVNOs will be able to meter 4G mobile data services, track time and data usage activity, and - if needed - cut off and redirect data sessions in real time to a self-service portal for subscribers to purchase additional sessions or receive new offers. Solutions can also be integrated into the MVNOs' loyalty or other signature programs, resulting in improved subscriber interactions and increased customer satisfaction. The real-time data services are easily configured to fit the different market segments, business models, products and budgets of MVNO customers.

"Telespree's suite of mobile data services supports Clearwire's leadership in delivering best-in-class 4G mobile broadband services," said Ellen Schwab, CEO of Telespree. "We are excited to leverage our experience with MVNOs and wholesale partners to provide a dynamic, scalable solution that helps Clearwire's customers further differentiate their brands, provide additional revenue streams and better manage network costs."

Telespree, a preferred partner of Clearwire, will integrate its mobile data services into Clearwire's wholesale network solution, enabling Clearwire customers to take advantage of a single full service platform capability for 4G data services.

About Telespree Communications
Telespree is a leading enabler of cloud-based wireless data services for carriers, retailers, MVNOs, and wholesale providers. Since 2000, Telespree has been helping its customers monetize mobile services on phones, smartphones, PCs, tablets, and other data devices - more than 30 million mobile subscribers have used Telespree Solutions to activate and manage their voice and data subscriptions. Our Mobile Services Platform delivers service enrollment, session monitoring, policy management, real-time charging and mobile marketing services via a hosted, virtualized environment - providing for cost-effective and scalable deployments. For more information, please visit http://www.telespree.com

SOURCE Telespree Communications

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.802.885 von teecee1 am 08.11.12 17:24:55

RBC Capital Markets stuft CLEARWIRE CORP NEW auf sector perform
Autor: Aktiencheck Analysen
| 09.11.2012, 09:09 | 93 Aufrufe

Toronto (www.aktiencheck.de) - Jonathan Atkin und Brian Hyun, Analysten von RBC Capital Markets, stufen die Aktie von Clearwire (ISIN US18538Q1058/ WKN A0RDN8) von "underperform" auf "sector perform" hoch. Das Kursziel werde von 1,50 USD auf 2,50 USD angehoben. (Analyse vom 08.11.2012) (09.11.2012/ac/a/a)

............................................................................

Shares Owned by Insitutions
37.00%


Number of Institutions 186

[teecee1]

Vodafone verliert Kunden und fällt hinter Telekom zurück

13.11.2012
10:54

Gesamtumsatz steigt durch stabiles Datengeschäft und ARPU

(...) LTE-Ausbau und Netz-Modernisierung

Der LTE-Ausbau bei Vodafone geht weiter voran. Zum Ende des Quartals sind 67 Großstädte mit dem mobilen Breitband-Netz verbunden und über 55 Prozent der deutschen Fläche mit LTE versorgt. Laut Vodafone nutzen mittlerweile 232 000 Kunden den Mobilfunk-Standard LTE als Festnetz­ersatz zu Hause. Bis zum Frühjahr will Vodafone alle 81 deutschen Großstädte an das LTE-Netz anschließen. 2015 soll die neue Technologie deutschland­weit verfügbar sein.

Auch das Bestands­netz soll aufgerüstet werden und somit künftig die Qualität von Telefonaten sowie die Surf­geschwindig­keit im Netz verbessern. In den LTE-Ausbau und das Netz-Moderni­sierungs­programm investiert Vodafone laut eigenen Angaben einen zusätzlichen drei­stelligen Millionen­betrag. Insgesamt wird das Unternehmen im Geschäfts­jahr so deutlich über eine Milliarde Euro für sein Netz aufwenden.

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14.11.2012 | 14:40 Uhr
Weltweiter Mobiltelefonmarkt
Smartphones weiter auf dem Vormarsch


Quelle: Gartner

Im dritten Quartal 2012 wurden weltweit 428 Millionen Mobiltelefone verkauft, was einem Rückgang von 3,1 Prozent gegenüber dem Vergleichsquartal des Vorjahres entspricht. Gleichzeitig hat sich der Anteil der Smartphones um 46,9 Prozent erhöht. Der Anteil an allen verkauften Geräten betrug im dritten Quratal 39,6 Prozent. Während der Mobiltelefonmarkt insgesamt von Jahr zu Jahr zurückgeht, habe es im dritten Quartal laut den Marktforschern von Gartner dennoch positive Signale für die Industrie gegeben. "Nach zwei aufeinanderfolgenden rückgängigen Quartalen hat sich die Nachfrage sowohl in den etablierten, als auch in den aufstrebenden Märkten verbessert", sagt Anshul Gupta, Marktforscher bei Partner. "In China wurden die Stückzahlen vor allem durch den Verkauf von Smartphones angetrieben. In den gefestigten Märkten sahen wir vor allem mit dem Launch einiger neuer Modelle Ersatzbeschaffung von Seiten der Kunden", ergänzt Gupta. (bw)

[teecee1]

Trader keeps hope alive in Clearwire

optionMONSTER
By David Russell ([e-mail]) | optionMONSTER – 6 hours ago

One investor is keeping hope alive in Clearwire, which is already up 61 percent since the beginning of October.

http://www.optionmonster.com/quotes/?symbol=clwr

optionMONSTER's Heat Seeker monitoring system detected the purchase of 19,500 January 2.50 calls for $0.30 and the sale of an equal number of December 2 calls for $0.37. Volume was below open interest in the December options but not the January contracts, indicating that an existing position was rolled from one contract to the other.

The investor collected a credit of $0.07 and has an additional month to profit from upside in the wireless-broadband stock. He or she also raised the break-even price by $0.50.

CLWR fell 2.93 percent to $2.16 yesterday. It exploded higher in October after Japan's Softbank agreed to buy 70 percent of Sprint Nextel, which was a major shareholder in CLWR. That incited a flurry of takeover speculation in the smaller company.

Based on yesterday's activity, the investor expects the shares to start rallying again in the next 5-1/2 weeks. If it doesn't climb, the long calls will expire worthless. (See our Education section)

Total option volume was quadruple the daily average yesterday, according to Heat Seeker. Calls outnumbered puts by 65 to 1.

http://www.optionseducation.org/quotes.html?quote=clwr

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Offiziell: E-Plus verkauft Sendemasten an American Tower

15.11.2012
11:42

Mobilfunk-Netzbetreiber sichert sich zudem 3,5-GHz-Frequenzen
Sendemast-Verkauf

E-Plus verkauft seine freistehenden Sendemasten an American Tower E-Plus hat einen Teil seiner Sendemasten an die American Tower Corporation verkauft. Damit bestätigen sich seit längerer Zeit bestehende Gerüchte. Der Verkaufspreis liege bei 393 Millionen Euro, teilt der Düsseldorfer Mobilfunk-Netzbetreiber mit. American Tower hat dabei nicht die auf den Masten montierten Basisstationen - diese gehören weiterhin E-Plus -, sondern nur die freistehenden Mobilfunk­masten aus Stahl oder Beton erworben. (...)

E-Plus sichert sich Frequenzen bei 3,5 GHz

Unterdessen wurde bekannt, dass sich E-Plus durch den Kauf der Unternehmen Inquam Broadband GmbH und Clearwire Germany Frequenzen im 3,5-GHz-Bereich gesichert hat. Dabei handelt es sich nach Informationen von teltarif.de um ein Spektrum von 2 mal 42 MHz. Ursprünglich sollten die Frequenzen für WiMAX-Dienste eingesetzt werden; sie waren Ende 2006 von der Bundes­netzagentur versteigert worden.

http://www.inquam-broadband.de/

"Mit dem Kauf hat sich E-Plus viel Bandbreite zu einem vernünftigen Preis gesichert", zitiert die FAZ den Leiter Technology & Strategy bei E-Plus, Dirk Poppen. Mit dem zusätzlichen Frequenz­spektrum will E-Plus den Netzausbau in Städten und Ballungsräumen weiter vorantreiben.

E-Plus will auf den 3,5-GHz-Frequenzen LTE einsetzen - allerdings frühestens im Jahr 2014. Nachteil der hohen Frequenzen ist ihre geringe Ausbreitung, so dass mit ihnen nur ein kleiner Radius pro Basisstation abgedeckt werden kann.

http://www.teltarif.de/e-plus-verkauft-sendemasten-american-…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.829.482 von teecee1 am 15.11.12 17:38:15

Unusual Trading Activity for Clearwire Corporation (CLWR)
Posted on 11/15/2012 by Allen Bersch


NEW YORK (AVAFIN) -- Clearwire Corporation options contracts experienced a new 90-day record for call contracts where a total of 11,758 call contracts were traded in the busy trading session. The contract spread yielded a 0.96 put/call ratio where 1.0 call contracts were traded for each put contract.

The skewed options ratio suggests that traders are re-balancing their portfolios in anticipation of a price shift. Unusual volume activity directly reflects investor outlook and confirms that a stock move is imminent.

Clearwire needs to continue investing heavily in its networks to remain competitive. Additionaly, Sprint is building a next-generation network of its own, providing an option to migrate away from Clearwire down the road.

Clearwire Corporation settled the day down $0.04 to $2.12 in the previous trading session. Today's trading range was between $2.05 and $2.18 respectively. On the volume side, 8M shares were traded, which is less than the average volume of 20M shares. CLWR is trading above the 50 day moving average and higher than the 200 day moving average. The stock's 52 week low is $0.83 and 52 week high is $2.96. Within the last month, shares of CLWR have gained 28.57% of their value.

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Sprint files for FCC approval for Softbank deal

NEW YORK | Thu Nov 15, 2012 6:18pm EST

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel (S.N) on Thursday asked the Federal Communications Commission for approval of its agreement to sell 70 percent of the company to Japan's Softbank Corp (9984.T).

Softbank announced a plan to spend $20 billion to take control of Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile provider, on Oct 15.

The companies, which expect the deal to be completed by mid-2013, need FCC approval for the transfer of control of Sprint's spectrum licenses to Softbank.

Sprint, the biggest shareholder in Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O), said that the application also requests approval for Softbank to take over its stake in Clearwire.

They will also require a go-ahead from the U.S. Department of Justice. Analysts have said that they expect the U.S. to approve the deal without much controversy as it doesn't change the number of competitors in the market.

Sprint, which trails behind market leaders Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc (T.N), said in the filing that the Softbank investment would improve the market "by creating a more vibrant rival" to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

It said it would use Softbank's infusion of $8 billion in new capital to strengthen its balance sheet and increase its network investment.

Because it is selling more than 25 percent of the company to a foreign entity Sprint had to ask for a declaratory ruling to gain approval for the deal.

Since Softbank is a Japanese company, and Japan is a member of the World Trade Organization, there is no reason why the deal should not be approved as the FCC has previously approved acquisitions by other WTO members of U.S. companies.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Bernard Orr)

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Sprint to Offer iPad mini

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 12 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint today announced it is now offering iPad mini and fourth generation iPad. Sprint is offering these new iPads with a range of attractive data plans that allow customers to connect to its 4G LTE network. The data plans are available without a contract providing customers with the freedom to activate or cancel a plan at any time. (...)

............................................................................

Sprint Shares the Gift of “Unlimited” for the Holiday Shopping Season

Offers include $150 in savings on purchase of Samsung Galaxy S® III smartphone; Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Victory™ FREE for the holiday weekend

New tablet plans provide customers 20 percent more data at same price as competitor

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 2 hours 31 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S), a Truly UnlimitedSM data carrier for smartphones, is brightening up the holiday season by giving the gift of Unlimited and offering big savings on some of its hottest Android™ devices. Sprint’s holiday promotions are sure to put an ease on this year’s tight holiday budgets with significant price drops on the popular Samsung Galaxy family of devices.

* Beat the Black Friday crowds! On Nov. 22, Thanksgiving Day, customers can visit www.sprint.com/holiday or call 1-800-Sprint1 to purchase Samsung Galaxy S® III (16GB) for only $49.99 – a $150 savings1 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement2. Customers who shop online or call on Thursday can also purchase Galaxy Nexus by Samsung or Samsung Galaxy Victory™ 4G LTE for FREE2. (...)

[teecee1]

MetroPCS Talked With Eight Companies on Way to T-Mobile Merger
By Scott Moritz and Serena Saitto - Nov 17, 2012 6:01 AM GMT+0100


MetroPCS Communications Inc. (S) agreed to a merger with T-Mobile USA after holding a range of talks with at least eight other companies, including one that offered $13.39 a share in cash and stock, according to a filing.

The unnamed suitor, referred to as “Company G,” decided not to go forward with the deal in February, MetroPCS said yesterday in a proxy filing to investors. People familiar with the matter have identified Sprint Nextel Corp. as the company bidding for MetroPCS at the time. MetroPCS ultimately made a deal with Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE), T-Mobile’s owner, which announced plans on Oct. 3 to merge the two businesses.

MetroPCS shares closed yesterday at $10.76, about 20 percent less than Sprint’s February offer. That bid, which included $5.50 in cash, represented a 30 percent premium over MetroPCS’s shares at the time and a roughly 60 percent premium over their price when the Richardson, Texas-based company first received a formal offer from Sprint in December.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, has considered making a counteroffer to the T-Mobile bid, people familiar with the situation said last month. The company will probably study yesterday’s filing for insight into the T-Mobile- MetroPCS deal, said Walt Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG LLC.

“The filing could provide Sprint more details to consider whether to launch a competitive bid for MetroPCS,” Piecyk, who is based in New York, said in an e-mail.

Bill White, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint, declined to comment, as did MetroPCS and T-Mobile.

T-Mobile Terms

Under the T-Mobile deal, Deutsche Telekom will hold 74 percent of the merged business and pay MetroPCS shareholders $1.5 billion in cash. The combined entity will keep the T-Mobile name and be run by John Legere, the former chief executive officer of Global Crossing Ltd., who took charge of T-Mobile USA in September.

MetroPCS had initially sought to retain more control of the combined company, according to yesterday’s filing. It had weighed giving up the cash offer to get 51 percent control -- terms that Deutsche Telekom refused. Over the course of eight months of negotiations, executives from Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS met in Germany, Dallas, Boston, New York and Athens.

Sprint rekindled talks with MetroPCS in August, before the deal with T-Mobile was set. That month, Sprint said President Keith Cowan, who handled strategic planning for the carrier, would be stepping down. A senior executive from Sprint, described as Company G, told T-Mobile that the reasons why the deal hadn’t proceeded earlier in the year were no longer applicable. Company G indicated that it was considering another bid, according to the filing.

Softbank Investment

On Oct. 15, Softbank Corp. agreed to buy a stake of about 70 percent in Sprint for $20.1 billion. The Japanese company will pay $12.1 billion to Sprint shareholders, and the deal includes $8 billion of new capital. That has provided Sprint will funds to make its own acquisitions.

Sprint also has seen its stock more than double in value since the February MetroPCS talks. The shares fell 1.1 percent to $5.48 yesterday.

According to the filing, a senior Company G executive indicated in October that his company was still considering a bid for MetroPCS and that if the T-Mobile deal moved forward, “he hoped any breakup fee payable by MetroPCS to pursue an alternative transaction would be reasonable.”

Under its deal with Deutsche Telekom, MetroPCS would pay $150 million if it backs out of the arrangement. The reverse breakup fee for T-Mobile is $250 million. Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom is prepared for a counterbid from Sprint and would consider better terms if necessary, a person familiar with the matter said in October.

The deal is the latest attempt by Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann to revive the fortunes of T-Mobile, the fourth-largest U.S. carrier, more than a decade after the German company entered the American market. The combined entity will have sales of $24.8 billion and 42.5 million subscribers -- still well behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. and Sprint.

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Serena Saitto in New York at [e-mail];

............................................................................

16.11.2012 | 14:15

T-Mobile-Zukauf in den USA Vorbote für weitere Konsolidierung

Von Sam Schechner und Archibald Preuschat

BARCELONA--Nach der angekündigten Fusion von T-Mobile USA mit dem kleineren Konkurrenten MetroPCS sieht die Mobilfunktochter der Deutschen Telekom auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt weiteren Raum für Konsolidierung. Die Mobilfunk-, Satelliten- und Kabelunternehmen drängten sich darum, ihr Geschäft ausbauen, um Größenvorteile auszunutzen. Die USA sind einer der größten Märkte für Kommunikationsdienstleistungen.

T-Mobile USA hatte im Oktober angekündigt, MetroPCS zu übernehmen. Die Telekom-Tochter hinkt als viertgrößter Mobilfunkanbieter jenseits des Atlantiks der größeren Konkurrenz bei den Kundenzahlen weit hinterher. Ein Versuch, das US-Geschäft für 39 Milliarden US-Dollar an den größeren Wettbewerber AT&T zu verkaufen, war im vergangenen Jahr am Widerstand der Wettbewerbsbehörden gescheitert.

Die Kartellwächter verhinderten so, dass aus vier großen Anbietern drei werden. Es gibt jedoch einige in der Branche, die davon ausgehen, dass die Konsolidierung trotzdem weiter vorangetrieben wird, möglicherweise auch über die Grenzen des eigenen Geschäftsfelds hinaus.

"Wir sind der Meinung, dass es in nächster Zeit weitere Konsolidierung auf dem Markt geben wird", sagte Jim Alling, der COO von T-Mobile USA, auf einer Branchenkonferenz in Barcelona. Auch über den Mobilfunkmarkt hinaus, bei Kabel- und Satellitenanbietern "könnten einige andere Dinge passieren", sagte er.

Ein fusionierter Mobilfunkanbieter aus T-Mobile und MetroPCS, an dem die Telekom die Mehrheit halten würde, hätte einen Kundenstamm von 42 Millionen. Das ist immer noch weniger, als der drittgrößte Anbieter Sprint Nextel mit 56 Millionen sein Eigen nennen kann. Selbst Sprint ist kaum halb so groß wie die beiden Platzhirsche AT&T und Verizon Wireless, die je etwa 100 Millionen Kunden haben.

"Ist es möglich, dass aus vier großen Anbietern drei werden?" fragte Alling und antwortete gleich selbst: "Ich glaube es ist langfristig möglich". Das regulatorische Umfeld unter einem Präsidenten Barack Obama sei einer Konsolidierung allerdings nicht förderlich. ... ... aus acht werden fünf und später evtl. vier ...

Erstmals seit der Ankündigung des T-Mobile-Metro-Deals haben sich Topmanager beider Unternehmen gemeinsam an die Investoren gewandt. MetroPCS-Finanzchef Braxton Carter sagte, er erwarte, dass die Aktionäre hinter dem Zusammenschluss stehen. "Es ist die beste Transaktion, es ist die richtige Transaktion zur richtigen Zeit", sagte Carter.

Die Anleger würden frühestens im Februar, aber wahrscheinlich erst im März zusammenkommen, um über die Transaktion abzustimmen, fügte er hinzu. Das ist etwas später als erwartet. Ursprünglich hatte die Deutsche Telekom die Abstimmung für Ende diesen oder Anfang nächsten Jahres in Aussicht gestellt.

Die Verspätung hat mit den zu erwartenden Fragen der US-Börsenaufsicht SEC zu tun. Die notwendigen Unterlagen werden im Laufe des Tages eingereicht. "Realistisch gesehen müssen wir bei der SEC mit mehreren Runden rechnen", sagte Carter. Über die Möglichkeit eines Gegenangebot für MetroPCS gab sich der Manager zugeknöpft. "Wir haben in der Vergangenheit mit mehreren Parteien gesprochen", sagte er lediglich. Dieses Jahr hatte schon Sprint Nextel versucht, MetroPCS zu übernehmen. Dieser Vorstoß war aber am Board von Sprint gescheitert.

T-Mobile USA braucht diesen Deal mit MetroPCS aber dringend. Die Telekom-Tochter ist der kleinste der vier größten Mobilfunkanbieter in den USA und benötigt weitere Bandbreite, um das Netzwerk der vierten Generation schneller und effizienter auszubauen. Mit einer soliden Netzwerkqualität und niedrigeren Preisen könnte T-Mobile USA die größeren Rivalen angreifen.

Trotz eines leichten Nettowachstums des Kundenstamms im dritten Quartal verliert die Telekom-Tochter kontinuierlich wertvolle Vertragskunden, hauptsächlich weil sie kein subventioniertes iPhone im Angebot hat. Das begehrte Smartphone aus dem Hause Apple ist nur bei den größeren Konkurrenten zu haben.

Manager Alling von T-Mobile gestand ein, dass das Fehlen des neuen iPhone 5 im Angebot das Geschäft im dritten Quartal belastet hat und dieses voraussichtlich auch im vierten Quartal tun wird. "Wir hätten das iPhone gerne im Programm," sagte er. Dafür müssten aber auch die "wirtschaftlichen" Aspekte mit Apple stimmen.

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16.11.2012 09:46
heise mobil

Bericht: Google und Dish Network sprechen über Mobilfunk-Partnerschaft

Google und der US-amerikanische Satelliten-TV-Betreiber Dish Network verhandeln über eine Partnerschaft im Mobilfunk. Sie könnten damit in Konkurrenz zu anderen Mobilfunkanbietern wie Verizon Wireless und AT&T treten, berichtet das Wall Street Journal. Dish-Chef Charlie Ergen habe dazu konkret keine Stellungnahme abgeben wollen, sondern habe lediglich gesagt, sein Unternehmen verhandle mit Unternehmen, die in die Mobilfunkbranche einsteigen wollten. Es sei aber wohl einfacher, mit einem Unternehmen zu kooperieren, das bereits über Mobilfunk-Infrastruktur verfüge.

Google will das System seiner Dienste ausbauen. Das Unternehmen hat zwar mit Motorola Mobility im August 2011 einen Hersteller von Mobiltelefonen unter seine Fittiche genommen, besitzt aber keine eigene Infrastruktur, um seine Inhalte selbst verbreiten zu können. In einem ersten Schritt hat Google begonnen, in Kansas City die ersten Haushalte an sein Glasfaser-Angebot angeschlossen. Dish wiederum ist noch nicht auf dem Mobilfunkmarkt aktiv, plant aber einzusteigen. 2008 ersteigerte das Unternehmen ein Frequenzpaket aus dem 700-MHz-Band. (anw)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.835.256 von teecee1 am 17.11.12 11:27:12

18.11.2012 10:31

"Psychoterror": Gewerkschaft attackiert die Telekom

Die Gewerkschaft Ver.di wirft der Deutschen Telekom vor, in den USA einen "brutalen Psychoterror" auf ihre dort rund 30.000 Beschäftigten auszuüben und eklatant Arbeitnehmerrechte zu verletzen.

Grundlage dafür ist ein Dossier, das der stellvertretende Telekom-Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende und Ver.di-Bundesvorstand Lothar Schröder in den vergangenen Monaten zusammen mit dem Chef der US-Kommunikationsgewerkschaft CWA, Larry Cohen, erarbeitet hat. Darin sind zahlreiche Fälle dokumentiert, in denen Mitarbeiterrechte bei der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA verletzt wurden.

So mussten Callcenter-Mitarbeiter laut dem Papier etwa als sichtbares Zeichen ihres Versagens Eselsmützen tragen oder Strafarbeiten schreiben, wenn sie ihre Leistungsvorgaben nicht erfüllten. Auch willkürliche Kündigungen seien dokumentiert, berichtet das Nachrichtenmagazin 'Der Spiegel' in seiner morgigen Ausgabe.


Nach Ansicht der Gewerkschaften handelt es sich nicht um Einzelfälle, sondern um eine systematische Unterdrückung von Arbeitnehmerrechten. Schon in den nächsten Wochen soll deshalb eine große Kampagne gegen die Deutsche Telekom gestartet werden. Dabei sollen Arbeitnehmer dies- und jenseits des Atlantiks mobilisiert und auch Politiker und Ministerien in Stellung gebracht werden.

Die Deutsche Telekom weist die Vorwürfe zurück. Vorstandschef René Obermann erklärte gegenüber dem Magazin: "Wir nehmen jeden Einzelfall ernst, untersuchen ihn und stellen Missstände ab, sollten sie vorhanden sein." Ansonsten glaubt er an eine "offensichtliche" Kampagne der Gewerkschaften, um ihren "Einfluss und ihre Machtstellung in den USA zu vergrößern".

Auch die Personalabteilung weist systematisches Vorgehen kategorisch zurück. Bei einigen älteren Fällen sei das Verhalten der Vorgesetzten bereits abgestellt worden. Zudem verweist der Konzern darauf, dass T-Mobile in den USA sogar diverse Preise als ausgezeichneter Arbeitgeber eingeheimst habe und die Mitarbeiter nach jüngsten Befragungen mit ihrem Unternehmen höchst zufrieden seien.

Christian Kahle

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18.11.2012 | 14:09

ROUNDUP: Verdi greift US-Telekom an - Telekom weist Vorwürfe zurück

Die Gewerkschaft Verdi hat erneut einen Streit über die Behandlung von Arbeitnehmern bei der US-Tochter der Deutschen Telekom vom Zaun gebrochen. Verdi-Vorstandsmitglied Lothar Schröder wirft der T-Mobile USA laut "Spiegel" "brutalen Psychoterror" vor. So müssten Angestellte als Zeichen ihres Versagens Eselsmützen tragen oder Strafarbeiten schreiben. Eine Sprecherin der Telekom entgegnete, es gehe um zwei Einzelfälle aus den Jahren 2009 und 2010, die längst abgestellt seien.

Personalchefin Marion Schick nannte in einer Stellungnahme die "Kampagne" der US-Kommunikationsgewerkschaft CWA mit Unterstützung von Verdi "falsch und verantwortungslos". In einer Umfrage im Oktober hätten 83 Prozent der Mitarbeiter angegeben, sie seien stolz, für T-Mobile USA zu arbeiten, 78 Prozent seien zufrieden mit T-Mobile USA als Arbeitgeber. "Die Absicht der Gewerkschaftskampagne ist offensichtlich: Über spektakuläre öffentliche Inszenierungen versucht man, seinen machtpolitischen Einfluss in den USA zu erhöhen."

Verdi-Vorstand Schröder hatte T-Online USA schon früher vorgeworfen, gewerkschaftsfeindlich zu sein. Die Telekom-Sprecherin sagte, die US-Gewerkschaft könne sich entsprechend den Gesetzen zur Wahl stellen, in der Branche finde sie jedoch nur bei ganz wenigen Prozent der Beschäftigten Anklang. Bei T-Online USA habe sich lediglich in einer, nur 15 Mitarbeiter umfassenden Einheit die Mehrheit für die Gewerkschaft entschieden, die dort nun auch als Tarifpartner anerkannt werde./tsp/DP/jha

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.834.012 von teecee1 am 16.11.12 18:59:32

Softbank will 20,1 Milliarden in Sprint Nextel investieren

Ein so hohes Übernahmeangebot gab es schon lange nicht mehr – der japanische IT-Riese will vor allem den drahtlosen Internet-Datenverkehr in den USA voranbringen.

18. November 2012 von Manfred Kohlen

Da hat das Standardisierungsgremium für den erweiterten LTE-Datenfunkstandard TD-LTE nicht schlecht gestaunt: Softbanks Haupteigentümer Masayoshi Son, der einst mit Computerhandbüchern groß wurde und rechtzeitig ins Onlinegeschäft investiert hatte und noch immer große Teile von Yahoo besitzt, will 70 Prozent des US-Telekom-Riesen Sprint Nextel übernehmen.

Derzeit ist Softbank in Japan auch Marktführer bei Computerspielen und dick im Geschäft mit Highspeed-Telekommunikation – und japanischen Apps für Smartphones. Son war immer ein wenig seiner Zeit voraus, investierte rechtzeitig und stieg oft mit Gewinn aus. Der Übernahmevorschlag vom Wochenende könnte Sprint in die Lage versetzen, mit sofort verfügbaren 8 Milliarden Dollar in bar stärker gegenüber den Mitbewerbern von Verizon und AT&T aufzutreten – beide investieren derzeit massiv in den Ausbau ihrer 4G-Netze. Sprint wiederum besitzt 48 Prozent des 4G-Mobilfunkanbieters Clearwire, an dem auch Google und Intel beteiligt sind. Ob die Clearwire-Dienste auch etwas vom Geldsegen bekommen würden, ist jedoch noch nicht bekannt. ... ... google ist raus und sprint hat über 50% ...

Was letztendlich für den mobilen Internet-Markt herausspringt, wird sich noch zeigen müssen. Softbank sei bekannt dafür, sich vor allem in gerade boomenden Märkten breit zu machen und dort die Gewinnmargen (und damit die Kundenpreise) zu erhöhen, zitiert die LTE-Initiative GTI Credit-Suisse-Analyst Joathan Chaplin. Demgegenüber meint Mobilfunkberater Mark Lowenstein, die neue Konkurrenz könne den Markt sogar beleben. Das Angebot muss jedoch noch von Aktionären und Behörden angenommen und genehmigt werden.

Und was hat das alles mit dem Kunden im deutschen Markt zu tun? Erst einmal nichts, doch langfristig dürfte die verstärkte weltweite Konkurrenz der Mobilfunkanbieter auch hier das Preisgefüge für den schnellen Datenfunk durcheinanderwirbeln. Insbesondere der Drang der Telekommunikationsunternehmen, schnell genug mit konkurrenzfähigen Datenfunkangeboten auf dem Markt zu sein, dürfte für Investitionen und dennoch Preissenkungen bei Highspeed-Angeboten und -Flatrates sorgen.

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Drahtloses Internet Google verhandelt mit Dish Network über Funknetz

Datum: 19.11.2012, 11:53
Autor: Werner Pluta

Google will offensichtlich in das Geschäft mit mobilen Internetzugängen einsteigen. Das Unternehmen soll mit dem Satellitenfernsehanbieter Dish Network verhandeln, der über Mobilfunkfrequenzen verfügt und einen Partner sucht.

Google verhandelt mit dem Satellitenfernsehanbieter Dish Network. Beide Unternehmen wollten gemeinsam drahtlose Internetzugänge anbieten, berichtet das Wall Street Journal unter Berufung auf eingeweihte Quellen.

Die Verhandlungen seien noch in einer sehr frühen Phase, ein Abschluss sei noch nicht in Sicht. Google sei auch nicht das einzige Unternehmen, zu dem Dish Kontakt aufgenommen hat. Mit wem Dish noch spricht, ist aber nicht bekannt. Weder Google noch Dish wollten sich dazu äußern.

Suche nach Kooperationspartner

Dish hat 2008 Mobilfunkfrequenzen ersteigert und sucht nun Partner für den Aufbau eines drahtlosen Netzes. Das Unternehmen würde am liebsten mit einem Partner zusammenarbeiten, der bereits über die Infrastruktur für drahtlose Internetzugänge verfüge, hatte Dish-Chef Charlie Ergen erklärt.

Es scheint, als wolle Google nicht mehr nur Inhalte anbieten, sondern auch zum Infrastrukturbetreiber werden: In der vergangenen Woche ist in Kansas City Google Fiber gestartet. Die ersten Haushalte haben die von Google verlegten Glasfaseranschlüsse bekommen.

Glasfaser in Kansas

Im Sommer hatte Google angekündigt, in der in den US-Bundesstaaten Kansas und Missouri gelegenen Stadt Internet und Kabelfernsehen über Glasfaserkabel anzubieten. Die Leitungen ermöglichen die Datenraten von 1 GBit/s. Der Internetzugang allein kostet 70 US-Dollar im Monat, in Kombination mit Kabelfernsehen 120 US-Dollar.

Google hatte die Verlegung der Kabel davon abhängig gemacht, ob sich in einem Stadtviertel genug Interessenten registrieren. Das war in fast allen der Fiberhoods genannten Bereiche der Fall. In einer Fiberhood waren die nötigen Reservierungen in nur einer Stunde zusammengekommen.

[teecee1]

Trends in the commercial development of TD-LTE
Benson Wu, DIGITIMES Research, Taipei [Wednesday 14 November 2012]

Special Report | November 14, 2012

With the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard continuing to develop, international differences in plannings and frequency allocation timetables have resulted in different frequency bands being used in different countries. The China-led TD-LTE standard's greater efficiency in terms of frequency spectrum usage has attracted the attention of carriers in a number of other countries. Digitimes Research projects that the global number of TD-LTE users will reach 97.5 million by 2016, accounting for 23% of all LTE users globally.

DIGITIMES is offering an early bird discount of 33% from the US$1,685 list price of the report for subscribers who order before November 28.

Abstract


Global TD-LTE market development, 2010-2016 (m users)

2012 is the most important year in the history of the evolution of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. According to the most recent figures from GSA (Global mobile Supplier Association), 96 commercial LTE networks were already in operation across 46 countries as of September 2012, including 11 commerical TDD-LTE networks. Major global players have already announced wide-ranging support for LTE technology and development, with the result that LTE is already becoming the mainstream global technology for 4G networks. Examples include carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and NTT DoCoMo; brand device and equipment makers such as Samsung and Ericsson; and chip suppliers such as Qualcomm.

However, international differences in plannings and frequency allocation timetables have resulted in different frequency bands being used in different countries. The China-led TD-LTE standard's greater efficiency in terms of frequency spectrum usage has attracted the attention of carriers in a number of other countries. For example, Softbank, Japan's number three carrier, announced that it would offer commercial TD-LTE services from the first half of 2012, and has already garned nearly 200,000 users in the space of five months. China Mobile has expanded trial networks into a total of 13 cities in 2012, covering a population of around 100 million. As WiMAX users switch over and LTE gains momentum globally, Digitimes Research projects that the global number of TD-LTE users will reach 97.5 million by 2016, accounting for 23% of all LTE users.

TD-LTE equipment faces the same challenge as LTE equipment - namely that carriers are starting to switch to using Wi-Fi offload solutions to carry much of the burden of data service traffic. Wi-Fi equipment is easy to deploy, physically smaller and costs little, helping carriers to reduce data service costs. This is in turn forcing TD-LTE/LTE equipment makers to create smaller, cheaper products that will encourage carriers to continue using LTE solutions, rather than switching to Wi-Fi.

As increasing numbers of new, China-based players enter the market, and Wi-Fi threatens to replace LTE for some data services, Digitimes Research projects that competition in the TD-LTE equipment market will remain extremely intense in the short term at least. Over the medium term, once some equipment makers drop out of the market, or TD-LTE equipment becomes small enough and cheap enough to compete more effectively, the level of competition in the market is likely to ease off somewhat.

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Digitimes Research: Global smartphone shipments to grow 30% in 2013
Luke Lin, DIGITIMES Research, Taipei [Monday 19 November 2012]

Global smartphone shipments are expected to grow 30% to 865 million units in 2013, accounting for 43.9% of total handset shipments in the year, Digitimes Research has estimated.

Factors including relationships between platform providers and hardware makers, support from telecom carriers for new models, and key developments or decisions by some vendors will affect smartphone sales in 2013, Digitimes Research believes.

Google is expected to further strengthen its control over the Android ecosystem and its production partners, which may limit the development of other platforms or variant Android models.

Microsoft's launch of own-brand smartphones may result in a reduction in support for the Window Phone platform by hardware vendors, which should otherwise serve as a key factor to push for the growth of the Window Phone to become a third major platform in the segment.

While Amazon is likely to enter the smartphone market, 2013 may be crucial a year for Nokia and RIM (Research in Motion) to make vital decisions concerning their smartphone businesses.

Demand for high-end smartphone models in Western Europe will be affected seriously by reduced government budgets and weak consumption in the region because of the prolonged financial crisis.

However, smartphones' growing penetration in China, Russia, India, Indonesia, South America and other emerging markets will serve as a growth driver for global smartphone shipments in 2013, Digitimes Research believes.

[teecee1]

20.11.2012 | 14:36

Business Wire ·
Premium 4G Carrier Networking Drives Massive LTE Event Growth

Last week, LTE North America reaffirmed itself as North America's premier networking event for the 4G community as it welcomed a record-breaking 1,000 visitors at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel, a 66% growth in attendees since 2011.

Renowned for attracting a high quality audience, LTE North America once again drew great interest from the mobile carrier community with an impressive 40% of attendees representing carriers.

Delegates enjoyed priceless, practical content and proven expertise from 150 speakers presented across the three days including CxOs from North America's leading carriers.

The conference agenda was packed with 7 focused tracks covering the hottest topics and providing quality content. VoLTE proved an extremely popular track among delegates and organizers of the show are delighted to announce a new launch event for next year to satisfy this demand – 'LTE Voice Summit 2013'.

The keynote panel discussion on Day 2 was a particular highlight for many as Google, AT&T, MetroPCS, and Sony Mobile joined together to discuss and debate how to ensure effective collaboration to realize the benefits of LTE.

LTE North America played centre stage for 50+ leading LTE exhibitors as they showcased their latest products and solutions and generated hundreds of new business prospects. The exhibition floor was a networking hub as sponsors and exhibitors hosted back-to-back meetings with targeted, senior-level decision makers, and made use of the meeting rooms and dedicated networking zones.

Organizers of LTE North America have confirmed that the dates for next year's event are 20 – 21 November 2013 and will once again take place in the telecommunications hub of Dallas, Texas. 2013 is set to be equally as exciting as the event builds on this year's impressive speaker line-up which included C-level executives from Google, Clearwire, AT&T, US Cellular and News360.

For more information, please visit http://americas.lteconference.com/# or call [phone]. Alternatively, keep up to date with the event on Twitter using the #LTENA hash tag to gain sneak previews ahead of 2013's conference and exhibition.

About Informa Telecoms & Media

Informa Telecoms and Media (www.informatandm.com) organises 125 global annual events, attended by more than 70,000 executives worldwide. With a focus on quality content, Informa Telecoms and Media deliver a key audience of decision-makers from the mobile, fixed, alternative, wholesale, MVNO, broadband and satellite operator communities. Informa Telecoms and Media is also the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets. Driven by constant first-hand contact with the industry, its 90 analysts and researchers produce a range of intelligence services including news and analytical products, in depth market reports and datasets focussed on technology, strategy and content.

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20. 11. 2012
Vorbereitungen für 4G-Netzwerk in ganz China

Ein Bus mit professioneller Testausrüstung fährt langsam auf den Hauptstraßen in der Entwicklungszone Huangdao in Qingdao. Ingenieure überprüfen auf einem Monitor in der Mitte des Busses die wechselnden Zahlen, die den Status eines TD-LTE- 4G-Test-Netzwerks widergeben.



Ein Bus mit professioneller Testausrüstung fährt langsam entlang den Hauptstraßen in der Entwicklungszone Huangdao in Qingdao. Ingenieure überprüfen auf einem Monitor in der Mitte des Busses die wechselnden Zahlen, die den Status eines TD-LTE- 4G-Test-Netzwerks widergeben. Die durchschnittliche Download-Geschwindigkeit liegt bei rund 35 Megabits pro Sekunde, die Höchstgeschwindigkeit erreicht 95 Mbps. Als die Ingenieure eine populäre Fernsehserie auf der chinesischen Video-Webseite Youku.com öffnen, gibt es nahezu keine Download-Wartezeit und die Bildqualität ist gut.

Dies ist ein gewöhnliches Szenario für die Ingenieure von Ericsson China für das neu konstruierte TD-LTE-Test-Netzwerk. Der Standard ist eine heimische Technologie, die hauptsächlich von China Mobile, dem größten Telecom-Carrier des Landes, gefördert wird. "Im Vergleich zu 2G- und 3G-Netzwerken wird das TD-LTE-Netzwerk es den Leuten ermöglichen, mehr mit Handys zu machen. Zum Beispiel kann man Filme ansehen, Video-Konferenzen abhalten und Dinge erledigen, die einen großen Datenverkehr involvieren", so Li Jiangli von Ericsson China. Händler für Telecom-Ausrüstung wie Ericsson arbeiteten eng mit China Mobile zusammen, um die TD-LTE-Test-Netzwerke zu installieren und auszuprobieren. Nur durch verschiedene Tests unter verschiedenen Bedingungen könnten die Ausrüster Erfahrung sammeln und auf den künftigen kommerziellen Gebrauch gut vorbereiten, erklärt sie.

In Qingdao hat Ericsson die Möglichkeit der Aktualisierung von GSM-2G-Basisstationen direkt zu den 4G-TD-LTE-Basisstationen getestet. "Die neue Ausrüstung bietet nicht nur qualitativ hochwertige 4G-Funktionen, sondern reduziert auch in hohem Maße die Installationskosten für Telecom-Betreiber", so Chang Gang, Marketingleiter bei Ericsson China. China Mobile verfügt über die meisten der GSM-Basisstationen des Landes, und das Unternehmen betreibt eines der effizientesten GSM-Netzwerke der Welt. Die Zahl der Basisstationen von China Mobile ist mehr als doppelt so groß wie die der TD-SCDMA-3G-Basisstationen des Carriers. Indem es seine GSM-2G-Ressourcen besser einsetzt, könne China Mobile ein 4G-Netzwerk in viel kürzerer Zeit installieren, weil es nur eine Stunde dauert, eine 2G-Station zu aktualisieren, so Chang.

"Die Entwicklung weltweit des 4G-Netzwerks gewinnt an Boden. Es besteht eine klare Tendenz dazu, dass alle Händler für Telecom-Ausrüstung aktiv Chinas 4G-Entwicklung mitmachen", so Huang Meng, Telecom-Experte bei der Forschungsfirma Analysys International. Die wachsende 4G-Aktivität werde großenteils durch positive Signale von der chinesischen Regierung und Telecom-Betreibern angetrieben, meinen Experten.

Miao Wei, Minister für Industrie und Informationstechnologie, gab bekannt, dass die chinesische Regierung in Kürze 4G-Lizenzen für Telecom-Carrier ausstellen werde. Das Ministerium definierte offiziell das TD-LTE-Spectrum - 2,500-2,690 MHz - in China im Oktober und ebnete damit den Weg für den künftigen kommerziellen Gebrauch des TD-LTE-Netzwerks. Xi Guohua, der Vorsitzende von China Mobile, hatte im Juni angekündigt, dass China Mobile plane, 2013 insgesamt über 200.000 TD-LTE-Basisstationen durch neue Konstruktionen und Aktualisierungen zu haben.

Read in English

[teecee1]

21.11.2012 | 04:54

AFX News ·
Dish Says Proposed FCC Order On Wireless Spectrum 'significantly Flawed'

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Dish Network Corp. (DISH) said Tuesday that a proposed order by the Federal Communications Commission related to rules that would govern wireless spectrum controlled by the satellite television provider was 'significantly flawed'. However, the company that the proposed order is not final.

Dish has spent more than $3 billion to acquire wireless spectrum in order to build a wireless U.S. cellular network that could compete in a market dominated by Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T Inc. (T).

But the Federal Communications Commission or FCC has delayed Dish's application to use the wireless spectrum. According to reports, the FCC is working towards limiting Dish's spectrum to prevent interference with the H-Block, a chunk of spectrum in which Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) has expressed interest.

Dish, which controls controls about 40 MHz of broadband-ready AWS-4 wireless spectrum, said the proposed FCC order could add years of delay to network build out.

Stanton Dodge, executive vice president and general counsel of Dish said, 'While the FCC's proposed order, based on reported accounts, does properly address some of the opportunities with this spectrum, it's significantly flawed by introducing serious limitations that impair its utility. While the FCC would grant full terrestrial rights, its proposal to lower our power and emissions levels could cripple our ability to enter the business.'

Dish said that in the draft order, the FCC appeared to back a proposal that was advanced solely by Sprint, calling on Dish to disable 25 percent of its uplink spectrum and impair another 25 percent of its spectrum to accommodate possible future use of the adjacent H Block spectrum by Sprint.

Sprint has repeatedly urged the FCC to shift Dish's AWS-4 spectrum band up 5 MHz from 2000MHz-2020 MHz to 2005MHz-2025 MHz, so that the H Block PCS spectrum can be used to build its 4G LTE network.

Dish noted that the FCC does not currently license H Block spectrum, and that spectrum is currently unused. Sprint, which controls more than 200 MHz of wireless spectrum, has expressed interest in acquiring rights to the 5 MHz H Block.

Dish said the move was a zero-sum approach that would not result in a net spectrum gain for the American consumer, and would hurt competition as well as jobs.

Dish urged the FCC to adopt power and emissions levels that were originally proposed by the agency. The company noted that with appropriate rules, it was ready to invest billions of dollar that would result in the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

Dodge said, 'The H Block should be subject to the same auction and rulemaking processes that have applied to other spectrum bands for decades. This approach will ultimately free up the H Block for its highest-and-best use based upon input from all interested parties, and will lead to more investment, more jobs, more competition and more spectrum for wireless consumers.'

DISH closed Tuesday's regular trading at $34.85. down $0.17 or 0.49 percent on a volume of 5.05 million shares. In after-hours, the stock further declined $0.30 or 0.86 percent to $34.55.

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CLWR
Shares Owned by Insitutions
38.70%



Number of Institutions 187

... ... der höchste Prozentsatz bis jetzt ...

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21.11.2012 | 10:04

Thomson Reuters ONE ·
Ericsson: Ericsson Mobility Report Shows Rapid Smartphone Uptake and Doubling of Mobile Data Traffic

* Approximately 40 percent of all phones sold in Q3 2012 were smartphones and the growth of smartphone data traffic is expected to exceed the overall average

* Mobile data traffic doubled between Q3 2011 and Q3 2012, and is expected to grow 12 times between 2012 and 2018, driven mainly by video

* Total mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 6.6 billion in 2012 and 9.3 billion in 2018

* There were an additional 13 million LTE subscriptions in Q3 2012, and numbers are predicted to reach 1.6 billion by 2018

The latest Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) Mobility Report, formerly known as the Ericsson Traffic and Market Report, reveals that approximately 40 percent of all phones sold in Q3 were smartphones. Data traffic doubled between Q3 2011 and Q3 2012, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 50 percent between 2012 and 2018, driven mainly by video.


Figure: Application mobile data traffic volumes by device type

Ericsson's research shows that online video is the biggest contributor to mobile traffic volumes, constituting 25 percent of total smartphone traffic and 40 percent of total tablet traffic. This puts new requirements on networks to cater for quality anywhere and anytime.

Douglas Gilstrap, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, says: "Expectations of mobile-network quality have been elevated by the availability of smartphones and tablets that have changed the way we use the internet. Mobility is becoming an increasingly significant part of our daily lives; we always have devices within arm's reach, allowing us instant access to information, entertainment and social interaction."

Total mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 6.6 billion by the end of 2012 and 9.3 billion by the end of 2018. These figures do not include machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions. China alone accounted for about 35 percent of net additions during Q3, with about 40 million additional subscriptions. Brazil (9 million), Indonesia (7 million), and the Philippines (5 million) followed in terms of net additions. Overall, global mobile penetration reached 91 percent in Q3 2012, and mobile subscriptions now total around 6.4 billion. Mobile subscriptions have grown by around 9 percent year-on-year and 2 percent quarter-on-quarter.

By mid-2012, LTE coverage was provided for an estimated 455 million people globally. Within five years, more than half the world's population is expected to benefit from to LTE coverage.


Figure: Mobile Subscriptions by technology, 2009-2018

LTE is the fastest-developing system in the history of mobile communications in terms of buildout and uptake. LTE is currently being deployed and built out in all regions, and total subscriptions will increase from around 55 million at the end of 2012 to an estimated 1.6 billion in 2018. WCDMA/HSPA networks currently provide coverage to more than half the world's population and continue to grow faster than LTE in terms of absolute numbers, adding 65 million subscriptions in Q3 2012 compared with 13 million for LTE.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to Ericsson new and previous issues of Ericsson Mobility Report: http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson-mobility-report

Bio (http://www.ericsson.com/thecompany/corporate_governance/comp…)and photos of Douglas Gilstrap (http://www.ericsson.com/thecompany/corporate_governance/comp…)

[teecee1]

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[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.837.020 von teecee1 am 18.11.12 14:37:48

20.11.2012, aktualisiert 20.11.2012, 12:54 Uhr

Fusion mit Metro PCS
Kartellwächter prüfen Deal um T-Mobile USA länger

Quelle: Handelsblatt Online

Es wird wohl noch eine Weile dauern, bis die Deutsche Telekom grünes Licht von den Kartellwächtern bekommt. Der geplante Zusammenschluss der US-Mobilfunksparte mit MetroPCS muss genauer geprüft werden.


Eine Passantin telefoniert in New York (USA) vor einem MetroPCS-Geschäft.
Quelle: dapd

Dallas. Die Deutsche Telekom muss länger auf die Entscheidung der Wettbewerbshüter zum Zusammenschluss ihrer US-Mobilfunksparte T-Mobile USA mit dem kleineren Konkurrenten MetroPCS warten. Die Kartellwächter forderten zusätzliche Informationen an, wie MetroPCS am Montag mitteilte.

Damit verlängert sich die Wartefrist um maximal 30 Tage nach Eingang der angeforderten Unterlagen. MetroPCS geht weiterhin von einem Abschluss des Deals bis Mitte 2013 aus.

Die Aktionäre des Regionalanbieters sollen spätestens im März über die Anfang Oktober angekündigte Übernahme abstimmen. Die Telekom bringt ein Gesellschafterdarlehen in Höhe von mehr als 15 Milliarden Dollar in den bisherigen Rivalen ein. Im Gegenzug erhalten die Bonner 74 Prozent der Anteile an MetroPCS. Die bisherigen MetroPCS-Aktionäre bekommen die restlichen 26 Prozent am fusionierten Unternehmen und eine einmalige Zahlung von rund 1,5 Milliarden Dollar.

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19.11.2012 | 18:12

Business Wire ·
Der Spiegel: Employees at T-Mobile USA Face 'Brutal Psych Terror'

ver.di and Communications Workers of America develop campaign on both sides of the Atlantic



The German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel has just published a major review and analysis of the "brutal psych terror" faced by workers at T-Mobile USA. Der Spiegel is one of Europe's largest publications, with a weekly circulation of more than one million and is known for its attention to detail and comprehensive reporting.

Auszug in deutsch >>https://magazin.spiegel.de/reader/index_SP.html#j=2012&h=47&…

Here's how the report begins:

"The business hotel in Cargo-City South close to the airport in Frankfurt was chosen with caution: the anonymity of the conference rooms provided space for two powerful unionists to meet in private. One of them is Lothar Schröder, Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom and Board member of the powerful union ver.di. The other is Larry Cohen, head of the 700,000 member strong American telecommunications union, CWA.

"What the two of them concoct in the following two days might be a fairly unique campaign: The organizations are planning to mobilize workers on both sides of the Atlantic in the following weeks, engage the US Congress, Bundestag and ministries and provide the media with sensitive information.

"The target of these extraordinary efforts is Deutsche Telekom in Bonn. The reason is they are allegedly harassing working conditions for workers at T-Mobile USA…

"For several months, Schröder and Cohen worked on a dossier about working conditions at T-Mobile in the United States. They talked to employees for many hours, recorded video interviews, evaluated old and new interviews and collected testimony. In the end, the result paints a picture of a company that, according to a ver.di spokesperson, 'treats its employees with brutal psycho terror.'

"Union staff from ver.di's headquarters in Berlin, who were assigned to assess the interviews even call it 'tyranny.'"

Read the full report here: http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/der_spiegel_highlights_worker…

T-Mobile USA workers have faced this campaign of harassment and intimidation in every location where they look to have a union voice. In Connecticut, technicians needed the support of leading U.S. senators and members of Congress to finally get the bargaining rights they are entitled to under law. In New York, union supporters were maligned by company executives, and across the T-Mobile USA system, workers are told that they're under surveillance by management whenever union organizers are around. Read more at www.weworkbettertogether.org

When it shut seven call centers in June, T-Mobile USA denied that it was sending the work overseas and opposed any help for workers to obtain trade adjustment assistance, which provides training and other benefits for workers who lose their jobs because work has gone overseas.

CWA fought for TAA benefits for some 3,300 workers affected by the closings, and provided the U.S. Department of Labor with information from call center workers in the Philippines and Central America regarding the large quantity of T-Mobile calls being handled by their centers. The Labor Dept. then certified that workers were eligible for TAA.

CWA represents 700,000 workers in telecommunications, media and broadcasting, airlines, public service, health care and manufacturing.

Contacts:

CWA Communications
Candice Johnson, 202-434-1168
[e-mail]
or
Kendra Marr-Chaikind, 202-434-1168
[e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.853.003 von teecee1 am 22.11.12 17:45:38

Deutsche Telekom
Lehner: Milliarden-Synergien durch US-Fusion

von Jürgen Berke

Der Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende der Deutschen Telekom, Ulrich Lehner, erwartet hohe Kosteneinsparungen durch die geplante Fusion der US-Mobilfunktochter mit dem amerikanischen Wettbewerber MetroPCS.


Geschäft von metroPCS: Lehnert erwartet große Synergien
Quelle: dapd

„Die Synergien, die wir aus der Kombination erwarten, sind riesig und bewegen sich im Bereich von mehreren Milliarden Euro“, sagte Lehner im Interview mit der WirtschaftsWoche. „Dadurch wird sich die Position der Deutschen Telekom in den USA deutlich verbessern.“

Im gleichen Interview kündigte Aufsichtsratsvize Lothar Schröder, Vorstand bei der Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft Verdi, eine härtere Gangart gegenüber der Telekom in den USA an. „Wir wollen, dass das dortige Agieren gegen Gewerkschafter aufhört, sich die Firma aus Gewerkschaftsanerkennungsverfahren raushält und sich das Arbeitsklima deutlich verbessert“, sagt Schröder der WirtschaftsWoche. Die US-Mobilfunktochter der Telekom war wegen Vorwürfen in die Schlagzeilen geraten, Arbeitnehmerrechte in den USA zu missachten.

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Deutsche Telekom sees huge synergies from MetroPCS deal-paper

FRANKFURT | Sat Nov 24, 2012 10:02am EST

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG expects the merger of its T-Mobile USA with MetroPCS Communications Inc will reap "several billions of euros" in synergies, Telekom chairman Ulrich Lehner told a German weekly magazine.

"The position of Deutsche Telekom in the USA will improve markedly as a result," WirtschaftsWoche quoted Lehner as saying in a report to be published on Monday.

T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS said last month that they wanted to merge their companies, creating a stronger number four on the U.S. wireless market.

T-Mobile is seeking to catch up with market leaders Verizon Wireless and AT&T, and third-place Sprint as the market moves quickly to super-fast mobile Internet offerings.

MetroPCS Communications said on Nov. 19 the U.S. Department of Justice has requested for additional information regarding the proposed merger but continued to expect the deal to close in the first half of 2013.


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T-Mobile: We Love the iPhone, But We Can’t Afford It!

By Aabha Rathee
November 21, 2012

T-Mobile remains the only major U.S. carrier to not offer Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, and it appears that status quo will be maintained for a while to come. T-Mobile chief operating officer Jim Alling said at a telecommunication conference in Barcelona that his company would like to sell the iPhone, but the costs to carry the device were too high at the moment. “Make no mistake about it. We would love to carry the iPhone,” Alling said, according to FierceBroadbandWireless. “However, we want the economies to be right for us.”

T-Mobile has more than 1.5 million customers who use unlocked iPhones on its network, but it also blamed the 492,000 customers it lost last quarter on the fact that it doesn’t offer the Apple smartphone officially. But despite that, the network said it wouldn’t be able to make a deal with Apple similar to the one reached last year by Sprint (NYSE:S), which committed $15.5 billion over four years in return for carrying the iPhone. Sprint does not expect to see a profit from the agreement until 2015.

Instead, T-Mobile hopes to focus on improving its 1900MHz spectrum to increase speeds on the iPhone that will encourage more consumers to use their unlocked device on its network. T-Mobile is still on track to launch LTE in the second half of 2013 and will cover 200 million people with the high-speed technology by the end of the next year. The provider is also expected to merge early next year with MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS).

[teecee1]

Sprint 4G LTE Lights Up in 11 New Cities and Counties in Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia

The all-new, high-speed data network rollout expands into Harrisburg, Pa., South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind., Muncie, Ind., Salina, Kan., and more

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 1 hour 8 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today, Sprint (NYSE:S) announced that it is delivering the speed, power and value of its all-new 4G LTE network to customers in 11 new cities/counties, including Harrisburg, Pa., South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind., Muncie, Ind., Peabody, Mass., and Salina, Kan.

Customers in these areas will be able to use their smartphones – such as Samsung Galaxy S® III, Samsung Galaxy Victory™ 4G LTE or HTC EVO™ 4G LTE – to share a picture, download a video, or check the Web with greater speed and reliability. When you combine the power of 4G LTE with an Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM, which includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, Sprint becomes the best choice in wireless.

With today’s expansion, Sprint 4G LTE will light up in the following areas, with coverage continuing to expand in these areas in the coming weeks and months:

* Anderson, Ind.
* Clarke County, Va./Jefferson County, W.Va.
* Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.
* Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.Va.
* Harrisonburg, Va.
* Muncie, Ind.
* Peabody, Mass.
* Salina, Kan.
* Shenandoah County, Va.
* South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.
* Winchester, Va.

“We are pleased to deliver our new 4G LTE network to more Sprint customers,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “Whether someone uses 4G LTE for personal or professional needs, they will find that Sprint’s new 4G LTE network is performing extremely well. Customers should find it consistent, reliable and fast.”

Sprint’s network buildout program, known as Network Vision, not only brings 4G LTE but should also give 3G customers better wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls. These 3G improvements are already available to customers in several cities across the country, such as Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. All Sprint 3G customers in these areas, including the company’s prepaid customers on Assurance Wireless, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, can expect to see better coverage, improved network reliability and voice quality once the improvements come to their areas.

Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 43 marketsi. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced. (...)

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ZTE präsentiert Energiesparlösung für LTE-Netze

Der chinesische Telekommunikationsanbieter ZTE hat mit "Energy Saving Solution" eine Lösung auf den Markt gebracht, die Netzbetreibern weltweit ermöglicht, den Energieverbrauch in ihren LTE-Netzen zu senken. Den Testergebnissen zufolge kann eine einzige Station mit dieser Lösung allein mehr als 40 Prozent ihres Stromverbrauchs vermeiden.


(23.11.2012, 13:45) Einer Untersuchung des Marktforschungsunternehmens Gartner zufolge gehen ganze 2,5 Prozent der globalen Treibhausgas-Emissionen auf das Konto der ITK-Branche. In einem Standard-Telekommunikationsnetz werden rund 90 Prozent der benötigten Energie in den Basisstationen verbraucht.

Die neue Energiesparlösung von ZTE bietet eine Reihe innovativer Technologien, die den Stromverbrauch von Basisstationen reduzieren, ohne die Leistung zu beeinträchtigen. Hierzu gehört das branchenweit erste integrierte System zur automatischen beziehungsweise dynamischen Steuerung der Vorspannung des Signalverstärkers (Power Amplifyers). Zudem verfügt die Lösung über ein intelligentes Verfahren zur Abschaltung der OFD-Signale (Orthogonales Frequenz Multiplexing).

Die Energiesparlösung von ZTE führt laut Testergebnissen an nur einer Station bereits zu 32 Prozent weniger Energieverbrauch. Bei einer typischen 1.500-Watt-Basisstation können mit dieser Lösung pro Jahr 5.200 Kilowattstunden (kWh) Strom gespart werden.

Für ein Netz aus 1000 Basistationen beliefe sich die jährliche Reduzierung dann auf 5,2 Millionen kWh, was einer Reduzierung der Kohlendioxyd-Emissionen um 4500 Tonnen entspräche. Kombiniert man die Energiesparlösung von ZTE mit der lokalen Nutzung erneuerbarer Energiequellen wie Solar-, Wind- oder Bio-Energie, ist eine Senkung des Stromverbrauchs im gesamten Netz von mehr als 50 Prozent möglich.

"ZTE treibt die technologische Entwicklung kontinuierlich voran, um seinen Kunden energiesparende Produkte und Lösungen zur Verfügung zu stellen", erklärt Wang Shouchen, Vice President bei ZTE. "Wir haben uns dem Ziel verpflichtet, umweltschonende Technologien zu optimieren, um die Umweltbelastungen stetig zu verringern."

ZTE wird die Ressourcen für die weitere Entwicklung von LTE- und "grünen" Technologien erhöhen. Das Unternehmen hat bereits 38 kommerzielle LTE-Verträge abschließen können und arbeitet mit mehr als 100 Netzbetreibern in Europa, den Americas, im asiatisch-pazifischen Raum sowie im Mittleren Osten an LTE-Testnetzen zusammen.

ZTE ist einer der weltweit führenden Entwickler, Hersteller und Anbieter von modernster Telekommunikationstechnik und Netzwerklösungen. Das Dienstleistungsangebot deckt die Bereiche des Telekommunikationsmarktes Wireless, Zugangs- und Bearer-Netze, Value Added Services (VAS), Terminals und Services ab.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.862.916 von teecee1 am 26.11.12 17:39:34

Does SoftBank Eliminate All The Risk In Buying Sprint?
November 28, 2012 | 1 comment | about: S

Sprint (S) is coming back after the near death experience of acquiring Nextel Communications in 2005 at a cost of $36 billion, $30 billion of which it had to write off. Or, at least, the owner and CEO of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, thinks so.

SoftBank, a Japanese telecoms company, challenged Japan's two dominant telecoms companies when it bought Vodafone's Japan subsidiary in a risky move that is paying off; Softbank is on course to become the second largest company in the industry, after NTT DoCoMo, if its acquisition of a smaller rival goes through.

SoftBank decided that the greatest opportunity for growth lies not so much in its own home market but rather in the biggest and most lucrative telecoms market of all, the United States. Interestingly, its gambit parallels what it tried to do, successfully so far, in its home market, that is, challenge the two biggest telecoms giants on the block, in this case - Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T).

The vehicle SoftBank chose to pursue this strategy is, of course, Sprint. For its turn, Sprint decided that to pursue its own comeback campaign, selling out to SoftBank would be the right move to make.

By the time SoftBank made its bid for Sprint, it had already turned the corner, at least from going bankrupt. The performance of its share price is indicative that Sprint has made a number of good choices. Since July 2012 the share price has gone up 60% and since the start of the year the stock gained no less than 137% in value. It has gone from a 52 week low of $2.10 to a 52 week high of $6.04 before going back a little bit and is now trading at just under $6.

Sprint, though, is still digging out from a hole. Its operating income has been in the red for the past four quarters at an average clip per quarter of a loss of $388 million. Its net income, likewise, has been negative for at least the last five quarters with losses in 3Q2012 of more than a quarter of a billion dollars. Meanwhile, revenue in the last year has gone up by only 5%.

Meanwhile Sprint has accumulated debt to the tune of $21.5 billion as against liquid assets of around $6.5 billion and market capitalization of $17 billion.

Nevertheless, there are strong indications that Sprint's performance is improving markedly in a series of key indicators such as postpaid additions, average revenue per user and churn. Likewise, Sprint is now number 1 in customer satisfaction according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index ratings, as well as most improved in 47 industries in the past four years.

Those are the results of smart and strategic decisions taken by Sprint. Foremost among them is the decision to pursue the installation of its 4G LTE network this year that presently covers 32 cities with plans to reach over 125 cities in the near future. Sprint has also markedly improved its 3G installations, resulting in better overall services in signal strength, coverage inside buildings and a diminution in calls that are blocked or dropped. It has also proceeded to shut down its Nextel network.

Sprint has also been busy with strategic acquisitions. It bought a stake in U.S. Cellular (USM) for $480 million which enabled it to acquire PCS spectrum and a significant number of customers in the Midwest.

Another company where synergies are to be had, and where Sprint already has a majority stake, is Clearwire. It has the same 4G technology as SoftBank and it is expected that this will leverage Sprint's buying power with providers of equipment and handset makers. With wireless mobile devices increasingly important this is a key consideration as well.

The last and most important strategic move by Sprint has been its sale to SoftBank. The deal, totaling $20 billion, will give the latter 70% control of the former. The lesser part, $8 billion, will be an acquisition of newly issued shares by Sprint, with a share price of $5.25 a share. The $12 billion remaining will be bought from existing shareholders at $7.30 per share, well over current market prices. The cash will, first, lighten Sprint's heavy debt burden, with its ratio of net debt to EBITDA going from 3 to 1,3 which should lead to lowering its borrowing costs; and second, allow it to be more aggressive in its investments to upgrade its network and services.

The new SoftBank-Sprint conglomerate has a very interesting upside. It aims to become one of the three leading telecoms companies in the U.S. market, rivaling Verizon and AT&T in size of market share and profits. It has the experience of a similar gamble by Masayoshi Son that appears to have been successful in Japan. It also has going for it a newly resurgent Sprint that seems to have made the right decisions lately. But the challenge is such that Sprint shares should be a bet only for those that are not risk averse.

[teecee1]

Überraschung: VoLTE ist ein Akku-Vampir

LTE ist auf dem Vormarsch und die hohen Datenübertragungsgeschwindigkeiten sind natürlich eine willkommene Technologie auf den Smartphones. Doch wie bei allem gibt es auch hier eine Kehrseite der Medaille, denn der Übetragungs-Standard bringt den Akku eines jeden Smartphones an seine Grenzen und das binnen kürzester Zeit.

(30.11.2012; 12:15) Während hierzulande der LTE-Ausbau schleppend bis gar nicht vorangeht, haben in den USA bereits alle Mobilfunkbetreiber mit einer einzigen Ausnahme ein entsprechendes Netzwerk.

Trotz der Tatsache, dass lediglich Datenübertragungen mit 4G möglich sind und das Telefonnetz weiterhin über 2G und 3G gefahren wird, bleibt das Problem mit dem Akku bestehen. Der 2G beziehungsweise 3G Technologie wurde in jahrelanger Arbeit perfektioniert, aber die Mobilfunkbetreiber preschen mit ihren Bemühungen LTE flächendeckend anzubieten, zu sehr voran. Es ist also überhaupt keine Überraschung, dass LTE noch weit davon entfernt ist perfekt zu sein.

Große Überraschung: Bei Anrufen über LTE schaut die Sache in Bezug auf Energieeffizienz sogar noch schlechter aus. Der Verbrauch bei einem herkömmlichen Anruf mit einer Dauer von 10 Minuten benötigt 680 Milliwatt, während bei LTE der Verbrauch bei 1358 mW liegt. Das ist mehr als das Doppelte.

Aber nicht nur auf der Seite der Mobilfunkbetreiber müssen Verbesserungen vorgenommen werden, auch die Hersteller müssen die Geräte mehr an LTE anpasen. Am wünschenswertesten wäre es, wenn endlich die Akku-Leistung in den Vordergrund neuer Entwicklungen tritt. Mit all den Features und verbauten Technologien kann es doch nicht sein, dass man alle paar Stunden eine Steckdose braucht. Das widerspricht nunmal dem Sinn eines mobilen Devices.

Doch es ist mit Sicherheit davon auszugehen, dass es ein spannendes Jahr werden wird und die Hersteller versuchen werden, sich erneut zu übertrumpfen. Zu hoffen bleibt, dass LTE auch hierzulande einmal ernst genommen wird und man sich bewusst wird, dass es nötig ist, den Ausbau des Netzes voranzutreiben.

Quelle PhoneArena

( bg )

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Surprise, voice over LTE destroys batteries

Posted: 30 Nov 2012, 04:26, by Maxwell R.



When LTE made its debut in a big way, customers were greeted with amazing data speeds. They were also greeted with service that drank handset batteries dry faster than Michael Schumacher could put away Formula 1 victories.

Right now, all the carriers in the US that have an LTE network, except one, use those networks for data services only, letting their incumbent 3G or 2G systems handle the voice calls. Even with that combination, LTE data connectivity puts a lot of drain on handset battery life. The reality is that carriers are just getting into optimizing the networks while they work feverishly to roll out the service as fast as possible. 2G and 3G services have been tweaked and arguably perfected over the years. LTE is nowhere near that stage yet.

Carriers are eager to migrate voice services off the traditional circuit-switched calling (a wireless version of a traditional phone call, constant signal handed off until concluded) set-up and incorporating them with data calls in the same way that many businesses utilize voice-over-IP (VoIP). In this case, it is known as voice-over-LTE or VoLTE. Handling the voice like data is far more efficient for carriers, especially on the back-haul since a dedicated line is not required to carry the call, packets of data can be dynamically managed and reassembled without a dedicated circuit to carry the signal.



Spirent Communications has conducted some tests on a commercial VoLTE network and made a discovery that will not surprise you if you have used LTE for data. VoLTE chews through batteries twice as fast as a traditional voice call. While Spirent did not state which network it conducted these tests, it is easy to figure out because MetroPCS is the only carrier with a commercially deployed LTE network with a commercially available VoLTE handset, the LG Connect 4G, which has a 1540mAh battery.

The power consumption between the two technologies for a 10 minute call was quite revealing. A CDMA circuit-switched call was 680 milliwatts (mW) whereas the same call using VoLTE was 1358mW – double the energy, while other data connections were turned off.

This is not solely about the network, though the LTE network will still need some optimization as carriers prepare to enable VoLTE. There are hardware considerations to this as well. Right now, in the current configuration, the handset does work a bit harder utilizing VoLTE. The handset is converting voice to packet data, then transmitting and receiving over the data network where it is converted to voice again. From a pure data point of view though, much work needs to be done. That is why devices like the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD with its monster 3300mAh battery exist.



All is not lost though. Spirent did determine that when the phone was used for voice and data simultaneously, it was more battery efficient than when the device was performing a traditional circuit-switched voice call and running data over LTE. Despite the slight advantage however, both scenarios still had the battery gasping for a charger very quickly.

In the end, it is not something that is expected to be too terribly worried about. Handset hardware will adopt the needed refinements and the networks will too as the build out completes itself over the next few years. While VoLTE is not very efficient now, it will be as carriers and hardware are optimized for a true single mode on the network: data.

source: Gigaom

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.862.916 von teecee1 am 26.11.12 17:39:34

Sprint and SoftBank Extend Time to File Proxy Statement/Prospectus

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint Nextel – 20 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced that SOFTBANK CORP. and Sprint have extended the deadline for filing the Registration Statement on Form S-4 from Nov. 29, 2012 until Dec. 21, 2012. The proxy statement that will be included in the Registration Statement will only be sent to Sprint shareholders after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has declared the Registration Statement effective. The proxy statement will be sent to Sprint shareholders in connection with the special shareholders meeting to approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of Oct. 15, 2012.


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MetroPCS Climbs After Analyst Says Sprint May Counterbid
By Scott Moritz - Nov 30, 2012 6:28 PM GMT+0100

MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), which agreed to merge with T-Mobile USA Inc. last month, rose as much as 5.6 percent after a Guggenheim Securities LLC analyst said Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) may make a counteroffer for the company.

Sprint could bid $12 to $13 a share for MetroPCS within the next four weeks, Shing Yin, a Guggenheim analyst in New York, said today in a report. Sprint extended its deadline yesterday for a proxy statement relating to a separate deal with Japan’s Softbank Corp. (9984) That move supports the idea that Sprint is preparing a MetroPCS bid, Yin said in his report.

MetroPCS rose 3.2 percent to $10.46 at 12:03 p.m. in New York. The shares, up 17 percent this year through yesterday, traded as high as $10.71 earlier in today’s session.

The company agreed last month to merge with Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE)’s T-Mobile USA division. Under the deal, the German parent company will hold 74 percent of the combined entity and pay MetroPCS shareholders $1.5 billion in cash.

The new company would have 42.5 million subscribers, or about 11.7 percent of the U.S. wireless market, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sprint, the third-largest provider, has 15.2 percent. The two biggest carriers in the industry, Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T Inc. (T), have a combined 58.5 percent of the market.

Hard to Match?

If Sprint makes an offer, Deutsche Telekom may struggle to offer better terms, Yin said.

“To counter a $13 per share bid from Sprint, if that were to occur, we estimate DT would have to give 43 percent to 47 percent of the combined company to PCS shareholders -- likely a tough proposition for DT shareholders to accept,” Yin said in an e-mail.

Sprint also may have delayed its Softbank filing for other reasons, such as a transaction with Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), Yin said. Sprint is the biggest investor and customer for Clearwire, an unprofitable company building a nationwide wireless network. Clearwire shares jumped 11 percent to $2.45 today.

The MetroPCS gain follows a slump in the shares since the Deutsche Telekom deal was signed. Before today, MetroPCS shares had fallen 23 percent since early October.


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Sprint Launches Flexible In-Vehicle Communications Platform for Automakers at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Press Conference - Auto Industry and Media on Hand for the Launch of Sprint Velocity

Sprint Velocity Enables Unique In-Vehicle Communications Experience, Drives Deeper Customer Identity with Each Automaker Brand, Model

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 21 hours ago


LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) today formally unveiled Sprint Velocity, a comprehensive global end-to-end solution designed specifically for automakers as part of the Technology Showcase at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Sprint introduced its Sprint Velocity service to a packed audience of automotive media and auto industry executives during the show’s Press Days.

Sprint Velocity is a pioneering capability that encompasses the development, integration and marketing of in-vehicle communications systems. Automakers can use Sprint Velocity as a complete turnkey solution or on a modular basis to suit their customized needs.

During the press conference, Sprint executives showcased how Sprint Velocity helps auto manufacturers more easily integrate the complex components and vendor relationships needed to provide the best in connected services in autos and passenger trucks – whether it’s music, news, weather, sports and other infotainment features, security, navigation, remote connections for mobile devices, emergency services and engine diagnostics. View Sprint Velocity video.

... ... ich sitze am computer, starte mein auto und lass es auf e-map durch die gegend fahren ... oder jemand anderes sitzt in irgeneiner zentrale und ich lasse mich per fernsteuerung nach hause bringen ... ...

“Sprint Velocity enables auto manufacturers to customize the variety of connected features inside the vehicle, through the simplicity of a single point of mobile integration and enablement,” said Wayne Ward, vice president-Emerging Solutions, Sprint. “Automakers simply collaborate with Sprint on the specific features they desire for their vehicles and Sprint will handle the rest. We believe Sprint Velocity is the most technologically advanced and most comprehensive connected services platform for auto manufacturers, wherever they’re located around the globe.”

According to Machina Research, 90 percent of new passenger cars are expected to have some of form of connectivity platform by 2020. Machina forecasts the connected cars market will reach $600 billion by 2020, the largest category in a $4.5 trillion market for connected devices and services.* (...)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-launches-flexible-vehic…


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Volvo: WirelessCar provides key competence to Sprint’s Velocity Program

Published: November 29, 2012

Sprint Velocity delivers a pioneering capability for the auto industry, encompassing the development, integration and marketing of in-vehicle communications systems. Automakers can use Sprint Velocity as a complete turnkey solution or on a modular basis t

GÖTEBORG, Sweden — Regulatory News:

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/29/4449175/volvo-wireles…

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/29/4449175/volvo-wireles…

WirelessCar, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of the world’s leading telematics service providers serving both the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors with services that are operational in 34 countries on four continents. This truly global service can include automatic crash notification, emergency and road side assistance, stolen vehicle tracking, an embedded hands-free telephone, a car locator, remote door unlock, and remote diagnostics. Also, Online services such as e-mail access and live news feeds are available. WirelessCar is part of Volvo IT, which is a global company and a member of the Volvo Group. WirelessCar operate as an independent entity addressing all vehicle manufacturers. WirelessCar’s services are branded in the names of our customers who include BMW, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Construction Equipment. Visit www.wirelesscar.com for more for information.

[teecee1]

T-Mobile USA schließt Funkturm-Transaktion mit Crown Castle ab

7.100 Mobilfunktürme für 1,9 Mrd Euro verkauft

Bonn, 30.11.2012 - T-Mobile USA hat am Freitag die Transaktion mit Crown Castle über die langfristige Vermietung sowie den Verkauf von Funkturm-Standorten abgeschlossen.

Am 28. September 2012 hatte T-Mobile USA den Abschluss eines Rahmenvertrags mit Crown Castle über die Vermietung und Nutzung sowie den Verkauf von rund 7.100 Mobilfunktürme aus dem Eigentum der amerikanischen Telekom-Tochter bekanntgegeben.

Der Transaktionserlös reduziert unmittelbar die Netto-Finanzverschuldung der Deutschen Telekom um umgerechnet 1,9 Milliarden Euro und stärkt damit die rating-relevanten Finanzkennzahlen. Der Nettoeffekt der Transaktion wird sich nicht auf das bereinigte EBITDA des Geschäftsjahres 2012 auswirken.

(GS)

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30.11.2012 | 21:00

AFX News ·
Crown Castle Closes Tower Transaction With T-Mobile USA

BONN (dpa-AFX) - Crown Castle International Corp. (CCI) announced that it has completed its previously announced transaction to acquire exclusive rights to approximately 7,100 T-Mobile USA towers. Crown Castle said it expects to update its full year 2013 Outlook on its first quarter 2013 earnings call.


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iPhone 5 gets 4G LTE when Apple says so, not carriers

A report says a software update to enable LTE on the iPhone is pushed only when Apple has determined that a network meets its approval.

by Eric Mack
November 30, 2012 10:29 AM PST


Apple decides when 4G networks are ready for the iPhone, not the other way around.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Apple will be the judge of whether a network's 4G LTE offering is worthy of supporting the iPhone 5, not the other way around.

That's the apparent revelation in a report today from industry site Telecoms.com. A spokesperson from Swisscom confirmed Apple's 4G approval protocol to the site this week, claiming that "Apple only enables 4G access after testing their device on an operator's live network."

In other words, Apple has managed to put 4G behind its fabled walled garden in a way, wrestling a significant measure of control away from the network carriers. Once Apple has determined that a 4G network has met its internal performance standards, it pushes out a software update enabling the step-up from 3G (or -- gulp -- something else) to LTE on that network.

Typically, carriers have held the keys to their networks over the heads of equipment makers to keep junky devices from mucking things up on their digital highways, not the other way around.

It's hard to imagine many situations where users would be better off on an old 3G network than even mediocre LTE. Perhaps Apple is still smarting from the legacy of the early iPhone era when sometimes shoddy service at the hands of AT&T's network led some iPhone users to jump ship for an Android phone on Verizon (back in the days before Big Red snagged the iPhone).

So what's next? Will Apple require customers to undergo a user education course before allowing them to purchase the iPhone 6? Will the FCC be required to request permission from Apple to regulate it? Sure must be fun to be the most valuable company in the world.

I've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this post when I hear back.

Originally posted at Apple

[teecee1]

Magnetresonanz ermöglicht gleichzeitiges Laden
Apple lässt sich Technik für kabelloses Laden patentieren
vom 03.12.2012, 13:48

Schon vor über zwei Jahren kündigte der japanische Elektronikkonzern Fujitsu an, bis zum Jahr 2012 eine neue Technologie zum kabellosen Laden zu präsentieren. Die Technik soll auf dem Prinzip der magnetischen Resonanz basieren, womit ein kabelloses Laden über mehrere Meter möglich ist. Laut eines Dokuments auf der Seite des US-Patentamts, hat sich Apple nun diese Technologie patentieren lassen.

Als Apple vor rund drei Monaten das iPhone 5 vorstellte, kam die Frage auf, warum Apple nicht auf das induktive Laden setzte. Nokia hatte wenige Tage zuvor die neuen Lumia-Modelle präsentiert, die sich dank Induktion kabellos Aufladen lassen. Die Antwort von Apple-Chef Phil Schiller gegenüber All Things Digital war einfach: "Kabellose Ladegeräte muss man immer noch in die Steckdose st…".

Dass diese Art des Aufladens für Apple bereits überholt ist, zeigt nun das neue Patent. Mit abgestimmten Magnetresonanzfeldern sollen alle Geräte innerhalb eines Feldes geladen werden. Die sogenannte virtuelle Ladefläche kann beispielsweise von einem iMac ausgehen. Ein zusätzliches Aufladen der Peripheriegeräte wie der Maus, der Tastatur oder auch der in diesem Feld platzierten mobilen Geräte gehört dann der Vergangenheit an. Ebenso benötigt die Technik keine Ladegeräte mehr.

Bereits Ende Oktober hat sich die Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) auf die Magnetresonanz als neuen Technikstandard für das kabellose Laden geeinigt. Ob das iPhone 5 bereits die neue Technik unterstützt, ist allerdings nicht bekannt.

............................................................................


Autor: Rene Melzer | 03.12.2012 - 11:35
Drahtloses Laden:
Apple-Patent schafft die Ladematte ab

Die Möglichkeit, neben elektrischen Zahnbürsten und Rasierern auch andere Geräte drahtlos aufzuladen, setzt sich langsam, aber sicher durch. Auch Apple hat mittlerweile erkannt, dass dieses Thema in Zukunft nicht ganz unwichtig sein wird, und eine ganz eigene Antwort darauf als Patentantrag eingereicht.


Drahtloses Laden: Apple will die Ladematte
überflüssig machen | (c) Hersteller

Das US-Patentamt hat einen Antrag von Apple veröffentlicht, in dem das Unternehmen eine neue Technik zum drahtlosen Aufladen von elektrischen Geräten beschreibt. Beim bisher verwendeten Verfahren müssen Smartphones dafür auf eine spezielle Ladefläche gelegt werden, ein zusätzliches Gerät, das sich der Nutzer meist gegen Extra-Kosten anschaffen muss. Bei dem von Apple beschriebenen Verfahren kann das drahtlose Aufladen auch in einen Computer oder in ein Laptop integriert werden.


Apple-Patent: Mit NFMR mehrere Geräte im Umkreis laden | (c) Apple

Mit der von Apple "Near-Field Magnetic Resonance" (NFMR) genannten Technik müssen die Geräte nicht mehr in unmittelbarer Nähe der Ladestation sein, sondern können sich in einem Umkreis von einigen Zentimetern davon befinden und werden trotzdem geladen. Die übertragenen Stromstärken sind jedoch sehr gering und deshalb nur für Geräte geeignet, die nur sehr wenig Strom benötigen. Dafür bietet es den Vorteil, dass mehrere Accessoires innerhalb des Feldes geladen werden können und nicht nur jeweils eines wie beim drahtlosen Standard Qi des Wireless Power Consortium, den unter anderem Nokia für seine Smartphones Lumia 920 und Lumia 820 verwendet.

[teecee1]

SoftBank buys stakes in S. Korea’s LTE solution provider nTels
2012.12.04 17:42:13

Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of Japan’s largest telecom company SoftBank, invested in nTels, South Korean provider of Long Term Evolution (LTE) solutions.


Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Masayoshi Son

SoftBank Ventures Korea (SBVK), a venture capital (VC) of SoftBank, bought 160,000 shares, or 4.56 percent of total stakes in nTels for 1.6 billion won ($1.48 million) in August this year, said sources in the investment bank (IB) industry Tuesday.

nTels is a KOSDAQ-listed company that provides solutions on mobile data use on 4G LTE platform. The company provides data traffic management system, service quality management system and IP billing service management solution that charges fees in proportion to data usage.

“After SoftBank became a major stakeholder of Sprint Nextel, the company showed keen interests in core telecom solution technologies held by nTels, which resulted in the investment in the form of purchasing stakes,” said an official of the Korean company. “The purchase is expected to offer opportunities to nTels to become a strategic partner of the Japanese telecom giant when it expands its presence in the US market.”

Prior to its investment in the Korean company, SoftBank bought a 70 percent stake in Sprint Nextel, a leading US telecom, for $20 billion (22 trillion won) in October this year.

[Written by Sun-ah Kim / edited by Soyoung Chung]


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Sprint unlikely to make counter MetroPCS offer: sources



People talk on their cell phones as passers-by walk past a Sprint store
in New York, October 15, 2012. REUTERS/Keith Bedford

By Nadia Damouni

NEW YORK | Mon Dec 3, 2012 6:50pm EST

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) is unlikely to make a counteroffer for MetroPCS Communications Inc <PCS.N, as it focuses on closing its $20.1 billion deal with Japan's Softbank Corp (9984.T), three people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless service provider, and Softbank, a mobile operator, announced in mid-October that the Japanese company would buy up to a 70 percent stake in Sprint.

Sprint thinks that making a bid for MetroPCS, which agreed to a takeover by Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTEGn.DE) T-Mobile U.S.A., would complicate the ongoing regulatory review of its deal with Softbank, the people said.

Sprint, however, remains interested in U.S. consolidation and may revisit a potential deal after it secures approval for the proposed investment by Softbank, the people said. The people asked not to be named because the matter is not public.

Representatives for Softbank and Sprint declined to comment.

Shares of MetroPCS rose 6.2 percent in the past two trading sessions, with analysts and investors speculating that Sprint was preparing to make an offer for the smaller wireless service provider, before MetroPCS shareholders meet to vote on the deal with Deutsche Telekom.

That speculation was triggered by a three-week delay to December 21 in the filing of Sprint's and Softbank's proxy statement on their proposed deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission.

However, the delay in filing was not related to MetroPCS, the people familiar with the matter said. The delay came for two other reasons, the people said - negotiations between Sprint and Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) over an interest payment, and accounting implications related to Sprint's $480 million deal in November to acquire some assets from U.S. Cellular (USM.N).

Clearwire said on Monday that it has paid $255 million in debt interest due on December 1. Sprint said it delayed the proxy statement because it needed more time given the complexity of the Softbank deal.

The deal between Sprint and Softbank is expected to close in mid-2013, subject to shareholder approval, U.S. antitrust and regulatory approval by the Federal Communications Commission, and Softbank's ability to secure financing.

"The problem is that at this point for them (Sprint) to put a bid would delay the closing with Softbank from a regulatory standpoint," said one of the people close to the situation.

Sprint does not want to make an offer for MetroPCS that would be conditioned upon their receiving approval for a tie-up with Softbank, a second source said.

(Reporting by Nadia Damouni; Additional reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Steve Orlofsky)

... ... ~ $500 pro Costumer ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.881.075 von teecee1 am 30.11.12 18:57:57

Roboterautos
Volvo will selbstfahrende Autos bauen

Ab 2014 will der schwedische Autohersteller Volvo Autos ausliefern, die bei geringeren Geschwindigkeiten autonom fahren können. Damit will Volvo zu mehr Sicherheit auf den Straßen beitragen.


Sartre-Test bei Barcelona: mehr Verkehrssicherheit
durch autonomes Fahren (Bild: Volvo)

Datum: 4.12.2012, 15:27
Autor: Werner Pluta

Sicherheit aus selbstfahrendem Schwedenstahl: Der Autohersteller Volvo entwickelt Autos, die autonom fahren. Ziel ist mehr Verkehrssicherheit.

Volvo plane, 2014 die ersten Autos auf den Markt zu bringen, die bis zu einer Geschwindigkeit von 50 Kilometern pro Stunde selbst fahren können, berichtet das Wall Street Journal. Das sei die Geschwindigkeit, die bei starkem Verkehr erreicht werde, und für solche Situationen sei das System gedacht. Zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt sollen die Volvos auch bei höherem Tempo autonom fahren.

Volvo stattet dazu die Autos mit einer Reihe von Sensoren wie Kameras, Radar oder Lasersensoren aus, die die Straße beobachten, den Abstand zu anderen Fahrzeugen oder zum Straßenrand messen sowie Hindernisse erkennen. Eine vergleichbare Sensorik setzen beispielsweise auch die Forscher der Technischen Universität Braunschweig bei ihrer Leonie oder die Entwickler um Sebastian Thrun bei den autonomen Google-Autos ein.

Fahrerbeobachtung

Bei Volvo kommen noch einige Systeme: eines, das den Fahrer beobachtet und die Kontrolle über das Auto übernehmen kann, wenn der Fahrer einschläft, sowie ein WLAN-basiertes Kommunikationssystem, das es ermöglicht, das Auto in einen Konvoi einzugliedern. Es empfängt von einem Führungsfahrzeug Daten über dessen Fahrverhalten - Fahrtrichtung, Geschwindigkeit, Beschleunigung, Verzögerung, Lenkbewegungen - und setzt sie in Steuerbefehle um.

Die Prototypen der autonomen Autos hat Volvo bereits ausgiebig getestet - auf der hauseigenen Teststrecke bei Göteborg ebenso wie auf öffentlichen Straßen in Spanien. Dabei wurde autonomes Fahren ebenso geprobt wie das Fahren im Konvoi. Dabei übernimmt ein Lkw die Führung über einen Zug von mehreren Fahrzeugen. Dieses System wurde im Rahmen des europäischen Forschungsprojekts Safe Road Trains for the Environment, kurz: Sartre, entwickelt.

Ziel des autonomen Fahrens ist, die Verkehrssicherheit zu erhöhen - indem die Fehlerquelle Mensch ausgeschlossen wird. "Unsere Vision ist, dass 2020 niemand mehr von einem neuen Volvo verletzt oder getötet wird", sagte Volvo-Manager Anders Eugensson der Zeitung. Sicherheit steht bei dem schwedischen Autohersteller, der seit 2010 zum chinesischen Autohersteller Geely gehört, traditionell im Vordergrund.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.889.779 von teecee1 am 04.12.12 16:44:55

Fusion von Telekom-Tochter in USA nicht in Gefahr
Dienstag, 4. Dezember 2012, 12:29 Uhr


People talk on their cell phones as
passers-by walk past a Sprint store
in New York, October 15, 2012.
REUTERS/Keith Bedford

New York (Reuters) - Die Deutsche Telekom kann bei der geplanten Fusion ihrer Tochter T-Mobile USA mit dem kleineren Mobilfunk-Anbieter MetroPCS vorerst aufatmen.

Der Rivale Sprint Nextel will zunächst kein Gegenangebot für MetroPCS vorlegen, wie drei mit der Situation vertraute Personen am Montag sagten. Telekom-Aktien legten - allerdings im Trend mit dem Gesamtmarkt - leicht zu. Der Bonner Konzern erhofft sich von der Fusion Einsparungen in Milliardenhöhe. Denn die US-Tochter ist seit langem das Sorgenkind des Dax-Konzerns.

Die Insider sagten Reuters, Sprint gehe davon aus, dass eine Offerte für MetroPCS die Wettbewerbsüberprüfung des eigenen Zusammenschlusses mit dem japanischen Mobilfunkkonzern Softbank erschweren könnte. Softbank will sich für gut 20 Milliarden Dollar die Mehrheit an dem drittgrößten US-Mobilfunkbetreiber sichern. Der Deal soll bis Mitte 2013 über die Bühne gehen. Die Japaner müssen für die Finanzierung sorgen und neben kartellrechtlichen Fragen auch die Zustimmung der Aktionäre noch einholen.

Sprint spielt den Insidern zufolge bereits seit mehreren Wochen die Option durch, ein Angebot für MetroPCS vorzulegen und damit die Telekom zu überbieten. Sobald die Transaktion mit Softbank durch sei, könnte das Unternehmen doch noch aktiv werden, hieß es weiter. Die beteiligten Unternehmen lehnten eine Stellungnahme ab.

Wegen T-Mobile USA hatte die Telekom im dritten Quartal den größten Verlust seit zehn Jahren ausgewiesen. Eine Wertberichtigung im Zusammenhang mit der geplanten Fusion mit MetroPCS sorgte für ein Minus von satten 6,9 Milliarden Euro. Ursprünglich sollte T-Mobile USA für 39 Milliarden Dollar an AT&T verkauft werden. Die US-Wettbewerbsbehörden stoppten die Transaktion jedoch.

Nun soll die Telekom nach der Fusion der US-Tochter mit MetroPCS 74 Prozent der Anteile an dem neuen Unternehmen halten. Die bisherigen MetroPCS-Aktionäre sollen 26 Prozent sowie 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar bekommen.


... ... ich würde keine 500 dollar pro kunde bezahlen ... wenn es welche für 50 dollar gibt ...

[teecee1]

Kajeet and Clearwire Announce Wholesale 4G Agreement

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 1 hour 20 minutes ago


* Clearwire's 4G Mobile Broadband Network to Power Kajeet Wireless Internet Service for Kids and Educators
* Companies Expect to Extend Relationship to LTE Services in the Future

BELLEVUE, Wash. and BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., and Kajeet, Inc., the only pay-as-you-go cell phone service that puts kids first, today announced a wholesale agreement that will enable Kajeet to offer mobile broadband service directly marketed to kids using Clearwire's 4G network.

"Clearwire's wireless broadband network provides our wholesale partners with a compelling opportunity to enter the rapidly expanding 4G market that would be impossible for many of them to enter independently," said Don Stroberg, SVP of strategic partnerships and wholesale at Clearwire. "Kajeet's expansion of its product portfolio to offer 4G services to their targeted youth and education segments further extends the reach of mobile broadband services to two key market groups. We're thrilled to continue building momentum for our wholesale 4G business as the premier wholesale provider of 4G capacity to carriers, ISPs and other service providers in the U.S."

Kajeet's 4G service will help keep young people connected to friends, family, school and the other social, educational and community services that they engage with every day. Products focused on the youth market will also give parents the tools necessary to oversee their children's Internet use and open new opportunities for educators to bring wireless into the classroom.

"Children can benefit tremendously from new and thoughtfully designed opportunities to stay connected to the people and institutions that help guide their individual development every day," said Daniel Neal, CEO & Founder of Kajeet. "Adding a 4G mobile broadband product with Clearwire gives our customers new connectivity options and allows Kajeet to expand our mobile service offerings so that we continue to lead in the creation and delivery of mobile solutions that are great for kids, families and educators."

Clearwire is constructing a next-generation 4G LTE Advanced-ready network to address the mobile broadband capacity needs of wholesale customers in urban markets where demand for wireless data is high. As Clearwire's LTE network comes online, Kajeet and Clearwire expect to extend their agreement to offer users even faster speeds. (...)

About Kajeet(TM)

Kajeet is the preeminent wireless service platform for kids and those who love them. Founded in 2003, Kajeet is the creator of the award-winning smart phone for kids(TM) and Sentinel(TM), a Global Mobile Award nominee. Kajeet makes products and services that enable mobile communication, education and entertainment at home and at school safe, secure and affordable. For more information, please visit us at http://www.kajeet.com or http://www.kajeet.com/education.

The Kajeet logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=16126

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.891.049 von teecee1 am 04.12.12 21:54:43

Deutsche Telekom
Breitband-Ausbau statt Dividendenzahlung
06.12.2012, 18:33 Uhr, aktualisiert heute, 20:47 Uhr

René Obermann kürzt den Aktionären die Dividende stärker als erwartet. Dafür verspricht der Telekom-Chef Milliarden-Investitionen ins Breitbandnetz und Mobilfunknetz in den USA. Die Börsianer sind enttäuscht.



Bonn. Die Deutsche Telekom will in den nächsten Jahren Milliarden in ihre Problemmärkte Deutschland und USA stecken und kürzt deswegen ihren Aktionären die Dividende. Allein sechs Milliarden Euro sollen in den Breitband-Ausbau in Deutschland fließen, mit vier Milliarden Euro will die Telekom ihr Mobilkfunknetzwerk in den USA modernisieren. (...)

http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/deutsche-t…

(...) In den USA plant der Konzern Investitionen von 4,7 Milliarden Dollar 2013 sowie jeweils rund drei Milliarden Dollar in den Jahren 2014 und 2015. Zwischen 2010 und 2012 hatte der Konzern durchschnittlich 2,7 Milliarden Dollar in seine US-Geschäfte gesteckt.

Im Zentrum steht der Ausbau des LTE-Netzes, für den Obermann allein Investitionen von rund 4 Milliarden Dollar veranschlagt. Die Telekom erhofft sich in den USA zusätzlichen Schub für das US-Geschäft durch die Übernahme des kleineren Mobilfunkanbieters MetroPCS. Auch eine Vereinbarung mit Apple, durch den T-Mobile USA voraussichtlich 2013 auch das iPhone anbieten kann, soll dem Geschäfte dort neuen Schwung geben.
Deutsche Telekom

Telekom-Chef Obermann gab am Donnerstag dem Konzern zudem erstmals Ergebnisziele für 2013 vor. So soll der bereinigte Gewinn vor Zinsen, Steuern und Abschreibungen (Ebitda) von 17,4 Milliarden Euro erwirtschaften. Sollte die Übernahme von MetroPCS im ersten Halbjahr 2013 in trockenen Tüchern sein, so soll der Wert unter Einbeziehung von MetroPCS ab Jahresbeginn auf 18,4 Milliarden Euro zulegen.

Für dieses Jahr peilt die Telekom einen bereinigten operativen Gewinn von rund 18 Milliarden Euro an nach 18,7 Milliarden Euro 2011. Ab dem Jahr 2014 soll der bereinigte operative Gewinn wieder wachsen. Zudem stellte Obermann für 2013 einen freien Cashflow von rund fünf Milliarden Euro in Aussicht.

[teecee1]

Sprint Is Said to Suggest Dish Partnership
By Alex Sherman & Scott Moritz - Dec 7, 2012 10:26 PM GMT+0100


Dish Network satellite dishes on an apartment house, in Palo Alto, Calif. Sprint is negotiating access to
Dish’s mobile airwaves, which aren’t currently being used. Paul Sakuma/AP Photo

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) has approached Dish Network Corp. (DISH) about a partnership that would allow the satellite-TV company to offer mobile-phone service over the carrier’s network, two people familiar with the matter said.

Under the potential arrangement, discussed in recent months, Sprint would get access to Dish’s mobile airwaves, which aren’t currently being used, the people said. The companies could then share revenue from customers who sign up for a Dish wireless service, or Dish may pay Sprint a fee to use the network, according to one of the people, who asked not to be named because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The deal would vault Dish into the mobile-phone market without it having to build its own network, letting the company offer wireless service to its 14 million satellite-TV customers. Dish, which publicly expressed interest in such partnerships, said it won’t make a decision on the matter until a regulatory ruling on its airwaves that may come as soon as next week.

“A Sprint partnership may be the best possibility,” said Tim Farrar, an analyst with TMF Associates Inc. in Menlo Park, California. “It could be quite disruptive.”

Joe Clayton, chief executive officer of Englewood, Colorado-based Dish, declined to discuss talks with Sprint beyond saying, “We speak with everybody.” Discussions with partners are on hold for now while Dish waits for a government ruling on how it can use its spectrum, he said in an interview. The Federal Communications Commission is slated to discuss the issue at a meeting on Dec. 12.

Dish Rises

Dish shares rose 0.9 percent to $37.68 today in New York, reaching their highest closing price since 2007. Sprint fell 0.7 percent to $5.69.

Sprint also declined to comment on Dish, though it said the company is generally interested in partnerships that would give it access to airwaves. “We are open to spectrum-hosting opportunities with other spectrum holders who can’t or don’t want to build a network for their spectrum,” said Scott Sloat, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint.

While a Dish partnership would have to be approved by Softbank Corp. (9984), which agreed in October to buy a controlling stake in Sprint, an accord could be reached before regulators sign off on that deal, one of the people familiar with the matter said.

Softbank Money

For Sprint, the partnership is one of several actions the No. 3 carrier is considering to help it challenge market leaders Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. (T) The investment from Softbank will provide Sprint with an $8 billion cash infusion, giving the carrier money to make deals.

Sprint already has a spectrum-sharing joint venture with Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the Bellevue, Washington wireless broadband wholesaler. Clearwire’s shares fell 5.5 percent to $2.39 today.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has already made smaller deals for spectrum, including a $480 million purchase of U.S. Cellular Corp.’s airwaves and customers in the Midwest. The company also has considered making a counteroffer for MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), a prepaid mobile-phone carrier that agreed in October to merge with T-Mobile USA Inc., people familiar with the matter said that month.

Dish, meanwhile, has built up its spectrum holdings to decrease its reliance on the satellite-TV business, which is losing subscribers. The company’s chairman and co-founder, Charlie Ergen, said in October that he had given up ambitions of building his own wireless network and was now focused on forging a partnership with another company in the industry.

MetroPCS Offer

In August, Dish offered about $4 billion to acquire MetroPCS, according to a person familiar with the matter. MetroPCS turned down the bid.

T-Mobile USA’s subsequent merger with MetroPCS and Softbank’s deal with Sprint delayed “meaningful conversations with those players as they pursue their own regulatory approval process,” Tom Cullen, Dish’s executive vice president, said in a conference call in November.

To help Dish get its feet wet in the mobile industry, the company’s Blockbuster video chain, acquired in a bankruptcy sale last year, will begin selling mobile phones in its movie-rental stores, people with knowledge of the matter said this week.

An alliance could help Dish and Sprint contend with mounting competition. Verizon has formed a pact with cable companies, including Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), to sell each other’s products. That means the cable providers can add mobile service to their current product bundles of TV, landline phone and high-speed Internet access.

Interference Concern

Even so, a Dish-Sprint partnership would have to overcome tensions between the two companies, which have sparred over the issue of wireless interference.

Sprint has said a portion of Dish’s spectrum should operate with a lower signal power so that it doesn’t interfere with the adjacent frequency, called the H block. The H block airwaves are slated to be auctioned off by the government.

In a letter to the FCC this week, Dish agreed to allow a portion of its spectrum to be used as a so-called guard band to preserve the H block. Sprint responded that Dish’s new proposal still “would substantially reduce” the value and utility of the block of frequencies.

Even if the FCC sides with Sprint, Dish will still get the go-ahead to use its spectrum in some capacity, Stefan Anninger, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG in New York, said in note this week to clients. That’s good news for the satellite provider because Dish will finally be able to use the airwaves for mobile-phone service, he said.

Sprint and Dish may both bid on the H block at the FCC-run auction, which could happen as soon as next year. The government would receive the proceeds, potentially worth billions of dollars, according to the FCC.

The acrimony won’t necessarily stop Dish from forging a deal with Sprint, said TMF Associates’ Farrar. Ergen, Dish’s chairman, has had testy relations with partners in the past while still maintaining ties with them.

“It would be very much like Charlie Ergen to fight to the last drop of blood and then partner with them,” Farrar said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]; Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.900.194 von teecee1 am 06.12.12 21:27:28

07.12.2012 11:28

T-Mobile darf Apple-Produkte in den USA vertreiben

Die amerikanische Mobilfunktochter der Deutschen Telekom darf ab 2013 offiziell Apple-Produkte anbieten. Wie T-Mobile USA mitteilte, habe man sich auf einen entsprechenden Vertriebsvertrag geeinigt. Firmenchef John Legere bestätigt etwas später, dass auch das iPhone zu den angebotenen Produkten gehören wird. Apple ist somit bei allen vier großen Mobilfunkanbietern in den USA vertreten. Nach dem anfänglichen Exklusivpartner AT&T kamen ab 2011 auch der CDMA-Anbieter Verizon und etwas später dann Sprint hinzu.


Homepage von T-Mobile USA.

T-Mobile USA versuchte, mit auf das iPhone zugeschnittenen Tarifen Kunden zu gewinnen, litt aber darunter, dass das hauseigene Netz die vom iPhone benötigten UMTS-Frequenzen nicht unterstützte. Mittlerweile baut die Telekom-Tochter schrittweise ihr Angebot im zum iPhone kompatiblen 1900-MHz-Band aus. In Deutschland war T-Mobile Apples erster Partner beim Vertrieb des Smartphones, mittlerweile verkaufen aber auch Vodafone und O2 die Geräte. T-Mobile USA kündigte an, den iPhone-Vertrieb aggressiv angehen zu wollen. Das Mobilfunkunternehmen plant allerdings, ab 2013 keine direkten Subventionen für Geräte mehr anzubieten. Stattdessen sollen die Nutzer die Hardware in Raten abstottern. (bsc)

[teecee1]

Sprint: T-Mobile USA's Recent iPhone Deal Won't Allow It To Overtake Sprint
December 10, 2012

Disclosure: I am long S, AAPL. (More...)

We have published four reports analyzing and evaluating Sprint Nextel (S) against T-Mobile USA. Although Sprint has weaker OIBDA margins than T-Mobile USA, it has at least performed better with regards to retaining its customers over the last couple of years due to its improvements in customer service. The key reason why we see that Sprint is putting distance between itself and T-Mobile USA is because Sprint had Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone and T-Mobile did not. However, we are aware that no company exists in a static environment on a tranquil island unto itself and attempt to remedy deficiencies between itself and competitors. We could see that T-Mobile USA was regretting its ad campaign mocking the iPhone because T-Mobile ended up having to spend $4B to upgrade its network to accommodate 1.7 million subscribers who brought old unlocked iPhone devices onto T-Mobile's slow 2G GSM network. Although we were surprised that Apple recently agreed to a deal in which T-Mobile would finally join the iPhone club, we don't think for a minute that Sprint is shaking in its boots with regards to T-Mobile USA's deal. We most certainly are not and we can think of many reasons as to why we're sanguine about how T-Mobile USA's deal with impact Sprint.


Source: Morningstar Direct

Sprint/Virgin Mobile: Best Value for the Consumer

When evaluating T-Mobile USA's recent iPhone deal with Apple, we can see that T-Mobile USA won't be offering a discount on the device like AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ) or Sprint. T-Mobile USA's CEO John Legere said at an investor meeting that while the company won't be offering an upfront subsidy like the AT&T/Verizon duopoly or even Sprint, it will offer a $20/month discount on its monthly wireless service cost. The good news for T-Mobile is that the AT&T/Verizon duopoly doesn't offer iPhones to its prepaid subscriber base nor does it offer a $20/month discount for non-contract customers that pay the full price for the iPhone or other smartphones. Another piece of good news is that Sprint doesn't offer the iPhone or other smartphones without a contract however the bad news is that Sprint has two separate prepaid wireless brands (Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA) that allow customers to buy smartphones without a contract and to pay the dirt-cheap prepaid monthly wireless cost of $30-$55 for unlimited talk, text and data. We think Sprint/Virgin Mobile USA's $55/month for unlimited talk, text and data on an iPhone is the best value in mobile telecommunications and a similar plan at T-Mobile USA would cost $70/month even though T-Mobile has only signed a deal to sell Apple's iPhone smartphone device.


Source: Wireless Company Websites

Sprint: The S Stands for Service

Although T-Mobile USA is joining AT&T, Verizon and Sprint in offering the iPhone, we're not as impressed as when Sprint finally landed the iPhone last year. Not only does Sprint and the AT&T/Verizon duopoly have a significant head-start on T-Mobile USA in terms of selling the iPhone device, but Sprint has drastically improved its customer service experience relative to its peers. While Verizon may still be the number #1 US Carrier according to Consumer Reports, we can see that Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse has installed a culture of customer service that was lacked under its former CEO Gary Forsee. Sprint was #1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, over the last four years according to the May 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index. Sprint has been ranked Highest in Satisfaction with the Purchase Experience among Full-service Wireless Providers from 2010-2012 according to J.D. Power. J.D. Power also ranked Virgin Mobile USA Highest in Satisfaction for Customer Care with Non-Contract Wireless Service. Unfortunately for T-Mobile USA, JD Power ranked it last in terms of Wireless Customer Care Performance amongst the Big Four National Full-Service Carriers.

At Least Sprint Has 4G-LTE, Unlike T-Mobile USA

We're not surprised that Sprint and T-Mobile USA are lagging the AT&T/Verizon duopoly in terms of 4G-LTE locations. We're disappointed that AT&T (102) and Verizon (441) each have more 4G-LTE locations than Sprint and T-Mobile USA combined. However, we are pleased that Sprint at least has gone live with its 4G-LTE network as part of its Network Vision network upgrade project. Sprint's 4G-LTE network went live in five major cities in the middle of July and it is now available in 43 cities nationwide as of November. While this is a far cry from what the AT&T/Verizon duopoly has, Sprint has been steadily adding almost 10 cities and towns each month and four of the first five cities to get Sprint 4G-LTE service included Dallas (AT&T's Corporate Headquarters), Atlanta (AT&T Wireless's HQ), San Antonio (Former Headquarters of AT&T's predecessor SBC) and Houston (3rd Largest city in AT&T's ILEC footprint). Sprint's 4G LTE Network recently went live in the Chicagoland area (Ameritech's former HQ). Now Sprint is looking to bring 4G-LTE to Oakland (PacBell was headquartered one town over in San Francisco), Los Angeles (largest city in AT&T's ILEC footprint) and Indianapolis (Indiana Bell's HQ). T-Mobile USA has 4G-HSPA+ but it won't have 4G-LTE until 2013.


Source: Sprint 4G-LTE Press Releases
(July 2012-November 2012) and Our Estimates

Sprint's New Parent Is Stronger than T-Mobile USA's Parent and Merger Partner

T-Mobile USA announced in early October that it was going to merge with MetroPCS (PCS). MetroPCS is a prepaid wireless specialist that targets "lower income, urban customers." MetroPCS was the 5th largest US wireless carrier in terms of subscribers (9M) and the second largest in terms of prepaid customers behind Sprint (15.4M retail prepaid and 8.4M wholesale). Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse had proposed a merger between Sprint and MetroPCS in February but his board rejected the deal. T-Mobile USA's parent Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY.PK) tried to sell T-Mobile USA to AT&T in 2011. We were disappointed that Sprint announced its opposition to the deal because AT&T was willing to spend $39B on a broken-growth company like T-Mobile USA and we felt that the best way to hurt AT&T was to see AT&T consummate the deal with T-Mobile USA. Despite the fact that the merger had bipartisan support from diverse groups across the political spectrum, the Obama Administration's Justice Department led by Eric "My People" Holder opposed the deal and announced it would seek to block it. AT&T ended up withdrawing its proposed deal and paid T-Mobile USA $4B in cash and spectrum.

Sprint's soon-to-be new parent SoftBank (SFTBF.PK) generated $7.7B in pre-tax income in its most recent full fiscal year, which compares to the $3.9B in pre-tax income generated by Deutsche Telekom. Although SoftBank's net income will drop once it acquires Sprint, it will be able to use its operating losses to offset taxable income from its SoftBank operations and we expect that Sprint will be able to tap into SoftBank's stronger financial position in order to accelerate its 4G-LTE build-out. We believe that SoftBank will provide greater long-term support to Sprint versus Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile USA/MetroPCS. Our thesis for this observation is because of the way the T-Mobile USA/MetroPCS deal was structured. This deal was structured so that MetroPCS would be the technical acquirer of T-Mobile USA and the new combined company would take MetroPCS's stock listing in order to create a liquid way for Deutsche Telekom to salvage a portion of its $50B investment in T-Mobile USA's predecessor VoiceStream and to dispose of its T-Mobile USA stake.

Sprint has the iPad and T-Mobile USA Doesn't

Sprint's connected device customer base of 3.3M as of Q3 2012 is slightly ahead of T-Mobile USA's 2.9M. We were surprised that Apple did not let Sprint sell the 3rd generation iPad in March, but based on Sprint's steady incremental growth in connected device customers during the first 9 months of 2012, we can see why Apple let Sprint join the iPad Party in October when it released the 4th generation iPad and the new iPad Mini. T-Mobile USA's tablet computing device offerings include the T-Mobile SpringBoard, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. Apple has a slight advantage relative to T-Mobile USA in terms of quantity of tablet computer products offered (4 for Sprint versus 3 for T-Mobile USA) and has a significant edge in terms of quality of tablets offered as Sprint has Apple's iPad and iPad Mini but T-Mobile USA doesn't.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, we believe that Sprint's stakeholders need not fear T-Mobile USA's "big iPhone deal" with Apple. While T-Mobile USA might be getting the iPhone, it won't be offering it at the discounted price for contract holders like Sprint and the AT&T/Verizon duopoly. Considering that Sprint's Virgin Mobile USA subsidiary also offers the iPhone for a reduced monthly service cost without a 2 year contract for those who pay full retail price for the phone, we don't think that T-Mobile USA will have any significant competitive advantage relative to Sprint with regards to its new iPhone offering nor should it expect to attract many customers from the AT&T/Verizon duopoly. Sprint has at least 6 months head start on its 4G-LTE initiative relative to T-Mobile USA and has had better customer service ratings than T-Mobile USA. Sprint only has 9 more months of dealing with Nextel run-off and then it can focus 100% of its attention on expanding its Sprint 3G and 4G customer base. And the last reason why we prefer Sprint over T-Mobile is because Sprint has the iPad and T-Mobile USA doesn't.


Sources: Sprint's Last Three Earnings Releases

Additional disclosure: This article was written by an analyst at Saibus Research. Saibus Research has not received compensation directly or indirectly for expressing the recommendation in this article. We have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Under no circumstances must this report be considered an offer to buy, sell, subscribe for or trade securities or other instruments.

[teecee1]

Block & Leviton LLP Investigates Clearwire Corporation for Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty in Connection with Its Potential Acquisition by Sprint Nextel Corporation

PR Newswire
Press Release: Block & Leviton LLP – 18 minutes ago

BOSTON, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Block & Leviton LLP (www.blockesq.com), a Boston-based law firm representing investors nationwide, has commenced an investigation into possible breaches of fiduciary duty by the Board of Directors of Clearwire Corporation ("Clearwire" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CLWR) concerning the discussed acquisition of the Company by Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint") (NYSE: S). Sprint already owns approximately 51% of Clearwire and has the right to appoint a majority of Clearwire's Board of Directors.

News reports have estimated that the deal would be valued at approximately $3.00 for each Clearwire share owned. A transaction price of $3.00 per share represents a paltry 25% premium over the Company's share price prior to the most recent news reports. Moreover, Clearwire appears to be poised for growth and its stock price has already risen 38% this year. Indeed, as recently as October 15, 2012, the Company's stock price hit a high of $2.96 per share, which would be a premium of approximately 1 percent. Moreover, the mean consensus amongst analysts is that the Company's stock price will "outperform" current estimates.

Block & Leviton's investigation seeks to determine, among other things, whether Clearwire's Directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to maximize shareholder value in the potential acquisition by Sprint and the overall fairness of the process by which the Company's Directors are considering the transaction.

If you are a Clearwire shareholder and have questions about your legal rights, or if you have information relevant to this investigation, please contact attorney Steven P. Harte, at
[phone] or email him at [e-mail].

Block & Leviton is a Boston-based law firm representing investors nationwide for violations of securities laws. The firm's lawyers have collectively been prosecuting securities cases on behalf of investors for over 50 years. This notice may constitute attorney advertising.

Contact:
BLOCK & LEVITON LLP
Steven P. Harte, Esq.
[e-mail]
[phone]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Real Story Behind CLWR, MMRF and CIRC

Date : 12/10/2012 @ 8:00AM
Source : MarketWire
Stock : Clearwire Corp. - Class A (MM) (CLWR)

Moments ago, GainHunter.com released another issue of its world-class newsletter in which it took time to review and explain some of the most talked about situations on wall street today.

Give yourself an advantage in today's market. In order to become successful, you need to have information as it happens and understand how it plays out into future stock price. This is our expertise. We know what moves markets. We understand what makes a winner. We translate our extensive research and years of experience into easy-to-understand emails for our subscribers.

Don't waste time trying to figure it out for yourself; tip the scales in your favor and add our experience to your team. Subscription to our complementary real-time newsletter is free and instantly available at www.GainHunter.com/index.php?d=12-10-2012&s=RIMMCLWRMMRFCIRC.

Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR)

Did you want to hear about CLWR at $1.30 on October 9th, 2012? Our next alert is due to be released at a moment's notice, subscribe to www.GainHunter.com/index.php?d=12-10-2012&s=CLWR to catch our next 300% alert. Give yourself the opportunity to turn $10,000 into $40,000 and kick-start your portfolio. (...) ... ... $2,50 to $10,oo Shareprice

http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=55384422

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.921.287 von teecee1 am 12.12.12 18:57:53

Crest Financial files lawsuit against Clearwire, Sprint

Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:43pm EST

(Reuters) - Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) investor Crest Financial filed a lawsuit against the company and majority stakeholder Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) in a bid to prevent a potential deal between the wireless providers.

Sprint is in talks with Intel Corp and Comcast Corp to buy out their stakes in Clearwire, Reuters reported on Tuesday quoting sources. Sprint currently holds 50.45 percent of Clearwire shares.

Crest Financial, which owns a 6.62 percent stake in Clearwire, said in its suit that Clearwire abetted its fiduciary duties by allowing Sprint to "extract the value of Clearwire's high-speed, broadband spectrum to the detriment of Clearwire's minority shareholders." ()

The lawsuit, filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, requested expedited consideration of the complaint by May 2013.

Both Sprint and Clearwire declined to comment.

Crest Financial said it was seeking injunctive relief against "Sprint's pending merger with Softbank Corp and against Sprint's interference with Clearwire's previously announced plans to raise funds and build out its network".

Crest Financial also intends to petition the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the Sprint-Softbank merger under its current structure, it said in a statement.

Sprint last month asked the FCC for approval of its agreement to sell 70 percent of the company to Japan's Softbank.

Some minority Clearwire shareholders have publicly expressed concerns over a potential deal with Sprint, suggesting that Clearwire should look at other options. ... ... minimum 10 Dollar ...



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Sprint offers $2.1 billion to buy rest of Clearwire


A woman uses her phone as she walks past a Sprint store in New York's
financial district, October 15, 2012. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

By Himank Sharma and Sinead Carew

Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:28am EST

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N), the majority owner of Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O), has offered $2.1 billion to buy the rest of the wireless service provider but it will likely have to offer more money in order to secure a deal.

Clearwire, which said it is reviewing the offer, saw its share jump more than 10 percent in early trade to $3.04, topping Sprint's $2.90 offer price and suggesting that shareholders were hoping for a higher bid.

The proposed price represents a 5 percent premium to Clearwire' closing stock price on Wednesday, but is 20 percent higher than the closing price on December 10, the day before news of a possible bid leaked.

Analysts said it is very unlikely Clearwire shareholders would accept Sprint's offer.

"It's trading slightly above the offer price, so you can imagine it will be difficult for the independent committee to settle for the $2.90 price," Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said.

Buying Clearwire would allow Sprint to take full control of the smaller company's spectrum holdings to bolster Sprint's wireless data services.

Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche said the valuation Sprint was offering for Clearwire compared poorly to other deals in the U.S. wireless industry that involved sales of wireless spectrum holdings.

Clearwire said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that it is currently in talks with Sprint regarding a "potential strategic transaction" and that a special committee of its board of directors has been reviewing the potential deal.

Sprint owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire and the bid for the rest values the total company at around $4.2 billion.

Cash-strapped Clearwire, which also counts Sprint as its biggest customer, has long been seen by analysts as an acquisition target for Sprint.

The company, which has been looking to raise more financing to upgrade its network and to keep the business afloat, has said that it could run out of money in the third quarter of 2013.

A planned purchase of 70 percent of Sprint by Japanese mobile firm Softbank (9984.T), with an associated capital infusion, would help Sprint finance a Clearwire buyout.

But some minority Clearwire shareholders -- including No. 2 shareholder Mount Kellet Capital Management LP and No. 4 Crest Financial Limited -- have expressed concerns over a deal with Sprint, suggesting that Clearwire should look at other options.

Between them, the two investment firms own nearly 15 percent of Clearwire's publicly traded shares and Sprint needs the approval of minority shareholders to proceed.

Crest and Mount Kellet did not immediately comment after the announcement.

On Tuesday, Crest Financial filed a lawsuit against the company and Sprint to try to thwart a deal.

Clearwire's other minority shareholders include Intel Corp (INTC.O) and Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) who own around 12.4 percent between them. Sprint has been in discussions with those companies about purchasing their shares, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sprint, which is also Clearwire's biggest wholesale customer, had a 51.7 percent stake in Clearwire as of December 11.

The offer also needs the approval of Japanese mobile company Softbank Corp (9984.T) and is contingent on the planned sale of 70 percent of Sprint to Softbank, Sprint said in the regulatory filing. (link.reuters.com/san64t)

(Additional reporting by Nadia Damouni in New York; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Rodney Joyce and Nick Zieminski)


____________________________________________________________________________

Clearwire Buyout by Sprint Seen Best For Owners: Real M&A
By Tara Lachapelle & Scott Moritz - Dec 13, 2012 4:22 AM GMT+0100

The best escape for shareholders of Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), a stock whipsawed more than any other in the Russell 1000 Index, would be locking in a bid from Sprint Nextel Corp., even at $3 a share. (...)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-13/clearwire-buyout-by…


Not Enough?

Still, BTIG LLC’s Walter Piecyk said Sprint may have to pay more than $5 a share to win over the majority of non-Sprint shareholders.

“It will be well worth the price in order to secure all of Clearwire’s spectrum for its own use,” the analyst wrote in a note to clients yesterday.

After Eagle River closed on the sale of its stake to Sprint this week, Clearwire shareholder Crest Financial Ltd. filed a complaint in Delaware Chancery Court in Wilmington accusing the investment firm, Sprint and Clearwire of allowing Sprint to selectively gain from Clearwire’s spectrum value while minority shareholders couldn’t.

Crest owns 6.6 percent of Clearwire’s Class A shares and said it was seeking to block the pending Softbank investment in Sprint and to collect damages, according to a statement.

‘Only Buyer’

While some Clearwire investors may view a $3-a-share bid as insufficient given the attractiveness of the company’s spectrum, their ability to negotiate is limited given the company’s need for funds and lack of alternative buyers, said Stifel’s King. Clearwire has spent more money than it’s taken in every year since at least 2007, and had negative free cash flow of $563 million in the 12 months ended in September, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“I’ve talked with a lot of shareholders who would not be happy with $3 a share,” he said. But Clearwire “needs additional funding to complete their 4G network builds. Sprint has a lot of leverage. They are the only buyer out there.” ... ... warum will Sprint kaufen ... ... eisenbahn fährt nicht ohne schienennetz ... auto fährt nicht ohne strassennetz ... zum grössten teil ...

The case is Crest Financial Ltd. v. Sprint Nextel Corp., CA8099, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).

To contact the reporters on this story: Tara Lachapelle in New York at [e-mail]; Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail].

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sarah Rabil at [e-mail]; Nick Turner at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.924.851 von teecee1 am 13.12.12 16:56:38

13.12.2012 16:36

Sprint bietet für Clearwire über Zwei Mrd. Dollar

Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel will die Internet-Firma Clearwire übernehmen


© Bloomberg

Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel will die Internet-Firma Clearwire ganz übernehmen. Sprint bietet 2,1 Mrd. Dollar (1,62 Mrd. Euro) oder 2,90 Dollar je Aktie, wie der Konzern am Donnerstag mitteilte.

Sprint hatte seinen Anteil im Dezember bereits auf 51,7 Prozent von 50,8 Prozent Mitte Oktober aufgestockt. Die Clearwire-Aktie sprang auf 3,04 Dollar, ein Hinweis darauf, dass die Anleger auf ein höheres Gebot setzen. Sprint ist der größte Kunde von Clearwire und könnte mit der Einverleibung der Firma seine Frequenzen und seine Angebote im drahtlosen Internet ausbauen. Das Angebot bewertet Clearwire mit 4,2 Mrd. Dollar. Damit beinhaltet es einen Aufschlag von fünf Prozent auf den Schlusskurs von Mittwoch und liegt um 20 Prozent über dem Schlusskurs vom 10. Dezember. Danach waren erste Meldungen über das Vorhaben durchgesickert.

Der Kauf sei aber abhängig davon, dass die Übernahme von 70 Prozent an Sprint durch die japanische Firma Softbank zustande kommt, erklärte Sprint. Der damit verbundene Kapitalzufluss könnte Sprint helfen, den Kauf zu finanzieren.

APA/STG


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13.12.2012 | 16:30

Dow Jones News ·
KORREKTUR: Sprint bestätigt Angebot für Komplettübernahme von Clearwire

(In der um 14.04 Uhr gesendeten Meldung "Sprint bestätigt Angebot für Komplettübernahme von Clearwire" wird im 3. Satz des 1. Absatzes der Unternehmenswert von Clearwire falsch angegeben. Korrekt muss es heißen. "Das Angebot bewertet den Anbieter von mobilen Datendiensten mit insgesamt rund 4,2 (NICHT 2) Milliarden US-Dollar". Es folgt die korrigierte Fassung.)

Sprint bestätigt Angebot für Komplettübernahme von Clearwire

Von Ben Fox Rubin

Der US-Mobilfunkdienstleister Sprint Nextel geht die Komplettübernahme seiner Tochter Clearwire an. Der Wettbewerber der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA hat den Clearwire-Aktionären ein Angebot für die ausstehenden 49 Prozent gemacht, wie aus bei der US-Börsenaufsicht SEC eingereichten Dokumenten hervorgeht. Das Angebot bewertet den Anbieter von mobilen Datendiensten mit insgesamt 4,2 Milliarden US-Dollar.

Sprint bietet 2,90 Dollar je Clearwire-Anteil, das ist eine Prämie von 5,5 Prozent auf den Schlusskurs vom Mittwoch. In den letzten Tagen hatten mehrere Medien über ein Übernahmeangebot berichtet, was bei Clearwire zu einem deutlichen Kursanstieg geführt hatte.

Die Übernahme von Clearwire würde Sprint in die Lage versetzten, den Kunden mobiles Internet zu geringeren Kosten anbieten zu können. Für die Nummer Drei auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt ist dies ein zentraler Baustein der langfristigen Strategie. Sprint will den beiden Platzhirschen AT&T und Verizon Wireless Konkurrenz machen. Außerdem schickt sich die Telekom als viertgrößter Anbieter an, mit der Übernahme des kleineren Konkurrenten MetroPCS Sprint mehr Konkurrenz als bisher zu machen.

Zudem will Sprint mit der Übernahme die schwierigen Eigentumsverhältnisse bei der Tochtergesellschaft auflösen. Diese sind auch der Grund, warum der Mobilfunkkonzern bei Clearwire trotz der Mehrheit von 51 Prozent bislang nicht voll durchgreifen kann. Sprint selbst wird auch gerade übernommen. Die Amerikaner haben sich den japanischen Softbank-Konzern als finanzkräftigen Partner ins Boot geholt. ... ... 8 Mrd. von Softbank ... für die restlichen Anteile ...

Kontakt zum Autor: [e-mail]

DJG/DJN/mgo/bam

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.924.929 von teecee1 am 13.12.12 17:09:55

Nomura stuft Sprint Nextel-1 auf buy
Autor: Aktiencheck Analysen
| 13.12.2012, 12:00

London (www.aktiencheck.de) - Mike McCormack, Adam Ilkowitz und Tudor Mustata, Analysten von Nomura Equity Research, vergeben für die Aktie von Sprint Nextel (ISIN US8520611000/ WKN 857165) unverändert das Rating "buy". Das 12-Monats-Kursziel werde bei 7,00 USD gesehen. (Analyse vom 12.12.2012) (13.12.2012/ac/a/a) ... ... es wird erstmal weiter Abwärts gehen ... evtl. unter fünf Dollar ...

Offenlegung von möglichen Interessenskonflikten: Mögliche Interessenskonflikte können Sie auf der Site des Erstellers/ der Quelle der Analyse einsehen.

Rating: buy
Analyst: Nomura
Kursziel: 7 US-Dollar


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Credit Suisse Group stuft Sprint Nextel-1 auf outperform
Autor: Aktiencheck Analysen
| 13.12.2012, 08:06

Zürich (www.aktiencheck.de) - Jonathan Chaplin, Analyst der Credit Suisse, stuft die Aktie von Sprint Nextel (ISIN US8520611000/ WKN 857165) unverändert mit "outperform" ein. Das Kursziel werde bei 8,00 USD gesehen. (Analyse vom 12.12.12) (13.12.2012/ac/a/a)

Offenlegung von möglichen Interessenskonflikten: Mögliche Interessenskonflikte können Sie auf der Site des Erstellers/ der Quelle der Analyse einsehen.

Rating: outperform
Analyst: Credit Suisse Group
Kursziel: 8 US-Dollar


____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________


SK Telecom forecasts LTE users to double next year

Published: 2012-12-13 20:40

SK Telecom Co. on Thursday projected the number of its long-term evolution subscribers to grow two-fold next year on the back of solid demand for fourth-generation connectivity.

LTE subscriptions are likely to reach 14 million in 2013, nearly doubling from the current 7 million level, the country’s top mobile carrier said in a press release.

The projection comes amid a surge in LTE subscriptions. SK Telecom recently saw LTE subscriptions hit the 7-million mark, 17 months after it commercialized the mobile network in July 2011.

The portion of LTE subscribers in its total subscription base also surged 11-fold to 26 percent from 2.4 percent at the end of 2011, according to SK Telecom.

SK Telecom currently stands as the world’s third-largest provider of LTE services. U.S. mobile carrier Verizon Wireless first achieved the 7-million mark in February and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo followed suit in November.

Meanwhile, global LTE subscriptions are expected to hit 50 million this year, surging more than five-fold from last year’s 9 million, according to U.S.-based research firm Parks Associates. (Yonhap News)


............................................................................

Korean mobile carriers launch LTE data sharing service

Published: 2012-12-12 19:55

South Korean mobile carriers KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. said Wednesday they plan to introduce a service that enables long-term evolution data sharing among multiple mobile devices, as a growing number of people own more than one mobile gadget.

“The number of mobile gadgets owned by an individual is increasing as people are using them for different functions. The LTE data sharing plan will increase customer satisfaction since they can share LTE data among various devices,” a KT official said in a press release.

To use the service, subscribers can pay an additional 7,500 won ($7) per gadget to include it in their existing LTE price plan, according to KT. Users can register up to nine devices depending on their rating.

LG Uplus subscribers can pay an additional 7,000 won per month to use the service, according to the No. 3 mobile carrier.

A PR official at top player SK Telecom Co. said the company is in the process of registering a similar program with the local telecommunications watchdog, forecasting the price plan will kick off within this month.

In addition to smartphones and tablet PCs, the IT industry has been moving to introduce electronic gadgets that operate on mobile networks. Last month, top smartphone maker Samsung Electronics Co. introduced the “Galaxy Camera,” which users can directly connect to Wi-Fi, third generation and LTE networks to upload photos in real-time.

(Yonhap News)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.921.287 von teecee1 am 12.12.12 18:57:53

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Announces Investigation into Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty by the Board of Clearwire Corp. in Connection with the Proposed Sale of the Company to Sprint Nextel Corp.

Business Wire
Press Release: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP – 5 minutes ago

RELATED QUOTES
Symbol Price Change
CLWR 3.16 0.41

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Levi & Korsinsky is investigating the Board of Directors of Clearwire Corp. (“Clearwire” or the “Company”) (CLWR) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to Sprint Nextel Corp. (“Sprint”) (NYSE:S).

Click here to learn more about the investigation: http://zlk.9nl.com/clearwire-clwr/, or call: 877-363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Sprint has offered to buy the 49% of Clearwire stock it currently doesn’t own for $2.90 per share, or approximately $2.1 billion. The investigation concerns whether Clearwire’s Directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to maximize shareholder value in the potential acquisition by Sprint, and whether Sprint is taking advantage of its position as majority shareholder in order to purchase the Company at an unfair price.

If you own common stock in Clearwire and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone], toll-free: [phone], or visit http://zlk.9nl.com/clearwire-clwr/.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York and Washington D.C. The firm has extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Joseph Levi, Esq.
30 Broad Street - 24th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Tel: [phone]
Toll Free: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.zlk.com

[teecee1]

14.12.2012 | 17:44
(56 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Sprint Nextel: Clearwire-Anteilseigner fordert höheres Abfindungsangebot

New York (BoerseGo.de) - Mount Kellett Capital Management, die an Clearwire 53,2 Millionen Aktien oder rund 3,6 Prozent der Anteile halten, hat von Sprint Nextel am Freitag ein höheres Übernahmeangebot gefordert. Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunkbetreiber Sprint Nextel hatte gestern mitgeteilt, eine Aufstockung der Anteile an Clearwire anzustreben.

Sprint Nextel will für die noch ausstehenden 49 Prozent der Clearwire-Anteile, die man noch nicht im Besitz hat, insgesamt 2,90 US-Dollar je Aktie bezahlen. Dies entspricht einem Aufpreis von 5,0 Prozent auf den Schlusskurs von Mittwoch. Das Gesamtvolumen des Angebots von Sprint Nextel ist damit 2,1 Milliarden US-Dollar schwer.

"2,90 US-Dollar pro Aktie ist zu wenig. Damit ist die Aktie von Clearwire klar unterbewertet. Ein Verkauf wäre auf diesem Niveau Unsinn", kommentierte Mount Kellett in einem Brief an den Clearwire-Vorstand die eigene Einschätzung. Den potenziellen Wert des Unternehmens schätzt man auf bis zu 6,30 US-Dollar pro Aktie, so die Aussage.

(© BörseGo AG 2012 - Autor: Jens Lüders)


............................................................................

Sprint's Offer for Clearwire Not Good Enough?
By 24/7 Wall St.
Posted 11:18AM 12/14/12

When Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) made its $2.1 billion offer yesterday for Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR), it was inevitable that some shareholders would object to the $2.90 per share bid as being too low. Investors shared that feeling apparently, bidding Clearwire shares to $3.18 before closing at $3.16.

Today the first formal objection to the bid was lodged by Mount Kellet Capital Management, which said that Clearwire's wireless spectrum ownership and other assets were worth up to $6.30 a share. MarketWatch cites Mount Kellet's letter:

To sell the company to Sprint at a $2.90 per share valuation would be an absolute outrage and, in our view, a clear breach of the board's fiduciary duties to the public stockholder. Clearwire has enormous long-term value, and we will oppose any transaction that prevents the public stockholders from having their fair share of that upside.

Mount Kellet owns approximately 3.6% of Clearwire's outstanding shares, and the firm could have a point. Clearwire owns licenses to 133 MHz of wireless spectrum, which combined with Sprint's 53 MHz, give the potentially combined company more than double the spectrum holdings of either Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) or AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), and more than four times the spectrum holdings of T-Mobile USA.

In a recently completed spectrum acquisition, Verizon paid $3.9 billion for 122 spectrum licenses, or about $0.69 per MHz POP, which is defined as the product derived from multiplying the number of megahertz associated with a license by the population of the license's service area. Sprint's offer for Clearwire comes in around $0.25 per MHz POP, which Mount Kellet thinks well below its $0.38 per MHz POP value. If the investment firm is right, that adds up to a total value for Clearwire of $6 to $9 billion.

Clearwire also has about $4 billion in debt, which Sprint would assume, bringing its offer to the low end of Mount Kellet's stated range. The other thing that argues for a lower price is that not all spectrum is created equal, and, for a variety of technical reasons, Clearwire's spectrum is worth less than the lower frequency bands owned by Verizon and AT&T.

Softbank, which is acquiring majority control of Sprint has also reportedly put a cap of $2.97 a share on what Sprint can pay for Clearwire. That's the price Craig McCaw received for a block of stock he sold to Sprint. That doesn't give Sprint much room to maneuver.

Clearwire's shares are down about 0.8% today at $3.14 in a 52-week range of $0.83 to $3.18. Company shareholders who want more should keep that 52-week low in mind.

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mergers and Buy Outs, Telecom & Wireless, WiMAX Tagged: CLWR, featured, S, T, VZ

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.926.191 von teecee1 am 13.12.12 22:18:10

... ... Anwaltskanzlei Nr. 3 ... §§§ ...


Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is Seeking More Cash for the Shareholders of Clearwire Corp. (CLWR)
Business Wire
Press Release: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP – 8 hours ago


RELATED QUOTES
Symbol Price Change
CLWR 3.37 0.21

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is investigating the Board of Directors of Clearwire Corp. (“Clearwire” or the “Company”) (CLWR) for potential breaches of fiduciary duties in connection with their conduct related to the sale of the Company to Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S), which already owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire, in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $2.1 billion. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Clearwire’s stockholders will receive $2.90 in cash for each share of Clearwire’s common stock they own, while according to Yahoo! Finance, at least one financial analyst has set a price target of $5 for Clearwire.

Request more information now by clicking here: www.faruqilaw.com/CLWR. There is no cost or obligation to you.

The investigation focuses on whether Clearwire’s Board of Directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company’s stockholders by failing to conduct an adequate and fair sales process prior to agreeing to this proposed transaction, whether and by how much this proposed transaction undervalues the Company to the detriment of Clearwire’s shareholders.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is a national law firm which represents investors and individuals in class action litigation. The firm is focused on providing exemplary legal services in complex litigation in the areas of securities, shareholder, antitrust and consumer litigation, throughout all phases of litigation. The firm has an experienced trial team which has achieved significant victories on behalf of the firm’s clients.

If you own common stock in Clearwire and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit us at www.faruqilaw.com/CLWR or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone] or [phone].

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2012 Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We are happy to discuss your particular case.

Contact:
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
369 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Attn: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.
[e-mail]
Toll Free: [phone]
Phone: [phone]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.886.981 von teecee1 am 03.12.12 20:14:44

14.12.2012
Smartphones ohne Ladehemmung

Mobilfunk: Google und Nokia bringen die ersten Handys in den Handel, die beim Aufladen ohne Kabel auskommen. Endlich soll es herstellerübergreifende Lösungen geben. Doch Konsumenten droht Ungemach: Zwei Konsortien wollen sich die Vorherrschaft auf dem zukunftsträchtigen Markt sichern, ein einheitlicher Standard rückt in weite Ferne.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 14. 12. 12, rb



Auf dem Mobile World Congress 2009 zog ein schmucker Smartphone-Newcomer aus den USA zahlreiche Blicke auf sich, der ganz nebenbei den Abschied vom Ladekabel einläuten sollte: Ein „Touchstone“ spendete dem Palm Pre durch simples Auflegen neue Energie. Doch im harten Kampf um Marktanteile kam der Pre nie über die Rolle einer Randfigur hinaus – und schließlich verschwand er zusammen mit seiner schicken Ladestation – und leider auch der Marke Palm – in der Versenkung.

Nun nimmt die Mobilfunkbranche einen weiteren Anlauf, die komfortable Technologie, die bei elektrischen Zahnbürsten längst an der Tagesordnung ist, für Handys und andere energiehungrige Geräte mit mobilem Internetzugang zu etablieren.

Auf einen konsumentenfreundlichen Industriestandard, dem sich die großen Hersteller unterwerfen wie bei der Mini-USB-Schnittstelle – unrühmliche Ausnahme: Apple –, sollte aber niemand hoffen. Vielmehr deutet sich ein Wettstreit zweier technischer Lösungen an, die nicht miteinander kompatibel sind. Da wäre zum einen der Qi-Standard, der vom Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), das aus mehr als 100 Unternehmen besteht und auf das klassische Induktionsverfahren setzt. Zu den prominentesten Unterstützern gehören HTC, LG Electronics, Sony, Huawei und Nokia.

Für die neuen Smartphones der Finnen mit Windows Phone 8 waren verschiedene kabellose Ladestationen von Anfang an erhältlich. LG bietet in Deutschland unter eigenem Markennamen noch kein Mobiltelefon für den kontaktlosen Energietransfer an, baut aber für Google den Android-Bestseller Nexus 4, der ab Werk mit der nötigen Technik ausgerüstet ist. Fehlt nur noch das passende Ladekissen, das Anfang 2013 erhältlich sein soll. Auch Samsung hat bei der Vorstellung des Galaxy S III im Mai drahtloses Ladezubehör nach dem Qi-Standard angekündigt. Auf dem Markt ist aber noch nichts zu finden.

Der Gegenspieler des Qi-Standards, die Alliance For Wireless Power (A4WP), hat bislang nicht mehr als eine werbewirksame Ankündigung zustande gebracht. Doch die hat es in sich: Mit der A4WP-Lösung soll es möglich sein, mehrere Geräte gleichzeitig mit Strom zu versorgen, also z. B. Smartphone, Tablet plus Digitalkamera – unabhängig davon, welcher Ladestrom benötigt wird.

Technisch basiert das Ganze auf dem Prinzip der lose gekoppelten Magnetresonanz. Zudem sollen sich die Ladestationen unauffällig in Möbelstücke oder Fahrzeuge integrieren lassen. Branchengrößen wie die Chiphersteller Qualcomm und NXP, der Speicherspezialist Sandisk und Netzbetreiber wie die Deutsche Telekom wollen die Einführung der vielfältig einsetzbaren Technik forcieren. Auch Samsung ist Mitglied der Allianz die Koreaner wollen sich also offensichtlich noch nicht auf einen Standard festlegen.

Tatsächlich ist völlig offen, wer auf dem Markt das Rennen machen wird. „Meiner Meinung nach steht einer schnellen Markteinführung drahtloser Ladetechniken entgegen, dass es zwei Standards gibt, die den Kunden verunsichern“,erklärt Winfried Bilgic vom westfälischen Wireless-Solutions-Anbieter Imst. Dadurch werde die Zukunftssicherheit der Produkte schwer abschätzbar.

Zeitlich hat das Qi-Konsortium zweifellos einen Vorsprung, da es Anfang 2013 für mehrere populäre Handymodelle verfügbar sein wird. Um ihrer potenziellen Kundschaft Appetit zu machen, malen die WPC-Werbestrategen auf ihrer Website aus, wie leicht man künftig seinen ausgezehrten digitalen Assistenten wieder auf Trab bringen kann – beispielsweise in einer Flughafen-Lounge oder in einem Café-Bistro. Japan geht schon mal vor: Dort will der Netzbetreiber NTT Docomo bis März 2013 etwa 10 000 öffentliche Qi-Terminals einrichten lassen.

Ausgerechnet der Erfinder des iPhones macht bisher keinerlei Anstalten, sich am Wettlauf um die Ladetechnik von morgen zu beteiligen. Hat man in Cupertino kein wachsames Auge mehr auf Innovationen – oder köchelt Apple bereits sein eigenes Hightech-Süppchen?

Nach dem aktuellen Stand der Dinge wohl eher Zweiteres: Das US-Patentamt hat kürzlich einen Antrag des Herstellers aus dem Jahr 2010 veröffentlicht, der auf dem „Near Field Magnetic Resonance“(NFMR)-Verfahren aufbaut. Demnach soll das Lademodul wie bei der A4WP-Initiative unsichtbar in einem anderen Gerät Platz finden, etwa in einem Notebook. Eine Ladematte wie bei Google oder Nokia wird damit überflüssig stattdessen legt man das iPhone oder iPad einfach in die Nähe des Rechners, um den Stromspeicher aufzufüllen – wenn nötig, auch mehrere Geräte gleichzeitig. Allerdings dürfte die übertragene Stromstärke relativ gering sein. Womöglich hat die uncoole Stromstrippe also doch noch nicht so schnell ausgedient. FRANK ERDLE


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Kabelloser Ladekit für Elektroautos

- Auch für Elektromobile soll es ab dem kommenden Jahr induktive Ladestationen geben. Die amerikanische Firma Evatran hat unlängst die kommerzielle Einführung ihrer „Plugless Power“- Technologie angekündigt, bei der ein Adapter an der Frontstoßstange den Kontakt zwischen Ladesäule und Fahrzeugakku herstellt.

- Passende Kits sollen für Modelle von Nissan und Chevrolet angeboten werden. Zu den ersten Kunden des Start-ups zählen Google sowie öffentliche Wasser- und Stromversorger im Raum Los Angeles.

- Qualcomm Halo hat einen Test seiner „Wireless Elec-tric Vehicle Charging“- Technologie in London angekündigt. Dabei soll die Alltagstauglichkeit von Parkplätzen als Induktionsfeld mit Elektroautos von Renault erprobt werden. fe

[teecee1]

Can Sprint Acquire All Of Clearwire?
December 16, 2012 | 1 comment | about: CLWR, S, includes: GOOG, T, VZ

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Sprint's (S) recent bid to purchase the rest of Clearwire (CLWR) at $2.90 per share has met with resistance from minority shareholders Mount Kellett Capital and Crest Financial. This doesn't surprise me at all because I think the offer is much below Clearwire's actual value. I also believe that this is exactly the reason why Clearwire is trading above the buyout price.

Companies are acquired for a variety of reasons, some ostensible, some not very. When SoftBank offered to buy 70% of Sprint, the ostensible reason appeared to be that the Japanese company wanted to enter the U.S. market through the country' third largest carrier after Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T). The not so ostensible reason, as I described in another article, was Clearwire's licensed spectrum. Sprint was a large stakeholder (almost 50%) in the company even though Mr. Hesse, CEO of Sprint, insisted that Clearwire was not even part of the picture. I thought otherwise in that article. I was correct. The full picture revealed itself this week with Sprint seeking to acquire the rest of 485 of Clearwire that it does not own.

But is it a good deal for minority shareholders who own a substantial chunk of Clearwire common stock and for retail investors who believed in the strength of the company's spectrum position?

Does Pricing of the Offer Reflect Clearwire's Real Value

Spectrum is a finite wealth, and as such, companies like Verizon and AT&T are constantly seeking to acquire it in order to provide better services to their ever-growing subscribers. About fifteen months ago Verizon announced that it was acquiring wireless spectrum from Spectrum Co, a consortium of cable companies, for $3.6 billion at $0.68 per MHz-Pop (a measure of the number of people covered by each megahertz of spectrum.). The price that Verizon paid was almost 50% more than the $0.45 that Spectrum Co paid in the FCC auction way back in 2006.


Source: http://www.arlingtoneconomics.com/casestudies_7.php

The price of spectrum continues to grow as it has for the last so many years. Like real estate, it is a scarce resource and there is only a fixed amount of it available but unlike real estate, its value is not cyclic in nature. Even if we calculate on the basis of the same price ($0.68) that Verizon agreed to pay then to Spectrum Co, Clearwire's spectrum position of approximately 46 billion MHz-Pops gives it an enterprise value of more than $31 billion. That calculates as $30 per share. (In these calculations, I have received considerable help from SR Capital's excellent article).

At the same time, performance of CLWR stock also does not reflect its true value. The stock has been languishing between $1 and $2 till the time SoftBank's offer was announced. $2 per share puts the value of Clearwire's spectrum position at $0.13 per MHZ-Pop. Sprint's offer of $2.1 billion for the rest of 48% values the company at approximately $4.38 billion or roughly $ 0.19 per MHz-Pop.

The issue of valuation also cropped up after SoftBank's offer. Sprint was not in full control of Clearwire's spectrum position, something that was corrected by Sprint acquiring Craig McCaw's Eagle River Holdings' stake in Clearwire. The deal gave Sprint 50.8% ownership of Clearwire and put Sprint in the driver's seat for gaining control over the company's spectrum assets. It is interesting speculating Craig McCaw's constructive role in all these affairs.

Anyway, at that point the price ($2.97 per share) that Sprint paid to Eagle River appeared to be a decent price considering that CLWR had been trading between $1 and $2 for most of the year. Sprint had also approached Intel and Comcast and offered to buy their stakes as well. While McCaw's Eagle River Holdings was Clearwire's founder, long before any systems were built, Comcast (CMCSA), Intel (INTC), Times Warner Cable (TWC), Google (GOOG) and Brightpoint (CELL) became Clearwire's partners by investing in the company at $17 per share.

However, the Eagle River deal brought a severe response within days of the transaction, which occurred in mid October 2012, from Mount Kellett Capital, a 7.3% stakeholder, who issued a letter to the board of directors expressing concerns over the deal. The full text of the letter is available here. After closure of the Eagle River deal, Crest Financial, another minority shareholder, lodged a complaint in Delaware Chancery Court in Wilmington, accusing the parties involved of robbing minority shareholders the gain that Sprint was unduly deriving from Clearwire's spectrum position.

Clearwire's Predicament

The fact of the matter is that Sprint has been treating Clearwire (or rather, its minority shareholders, because in many ways, Sprint is Clearwire) roughshod despite the fact that it is dependent upon Clearwire's spectrum assets. Sprint not only owns approximately 50% of Clearwire, it is also its largest customer. Clearwire has a very strong spectrum position, far stronger than any wireless operator in the U.S. and with smartphones and tablets fast replacing PCs, spectrum is the key to the ever-increasing demand for wireless bandwidth. The reason that Sprint can afford to do this is that Clearwire has three major problems at hand:

1.) It is short on cash. The financial statement for the quarter ending September 30, 2012 shows cash and short term investments and accounts receivable at $1.24 billion. The company needs another $300 million before year end just to avoid running out of cash.

2.) It needs fresh funding to the tune of $1 billion for its build out program to be able to changeover from the out-dated WiMAX technology and move over to newer and the industry standard 4G-LTE network, which offers higher speeds on cellular broadband.

3.) It has a long term debt of over $4 billion.

The company has to try hard to just avoid bankruptcy and it is this that Sprint is trying to take advantage of. As part of the deal, Sprint has offered a monthly funding plan to the tune of $800 million, in lieu of Class B shares, and the payments start only after the current acquisition offer is approved by Clearwire's shareholders.

All said and done and despite Clearwire's problems, its spectrum position has a much bigger value than is reflected by the $2.90-price (with a cap of $2.97) that Sprint is offering to minority shareholders.

The Road Ahead

The moot point is that at least 24.8% of Clearwire's shareholders, other than Sprint, must approve the deal before Sprint can acquire the rest of the company. At forefront of the battle against Sprint's acquisition are Clearwire's minority shareholders, Mount Kellet Capital and Crest Financials, which says it holds 6.6% of Class A shares.

The main contention of the minority shareholders is that the board of directors is failing in its fiduciary duty towards other shareholders as it was more inclined towards Sprint's (majority shareholder in Clearwire) acquisition of Clearwire even if it was at a price that reflects the company's distress and not the full value that shareholders could get if the company's build-out is either finished or appears to be on the road to completion. The distress referred to is the funding gap of approximately $1 billion in Clearwire's build-out program and servicing of Clearwire's long-term debt obligations.

Crest financials, a Houston based company, said in a statement after Sprint's offer to acquire Clearwire that, "Today is the capstone in Sprint's ongoing effort to interfere with Clearwire's ability to operate as an independent company, to thwart the planned development of Clearwire's network, and to take Clearwire's valuable high-speed broadband spectrum for itself to the detriment of Clearwire's minority shareholders." The SoftBank-Sprint deal is still pending and Crest is seeking to block it and collect damages.

The Real Value of Clearwire

Spectrum is an asset and a scarce one at that. Just like any other asset, its value is determined by what the market (in this case, wireless carriers and financial players) is ready to pay for it. The market believes that the demand for wireless bandwidth is growing at a rapid pace. Cisco's bandwidth demand forecast, which is relied upon by most industry analysts, reveals that mobile data traffic "grew 2.3-fold in 2011, more than doubling for the fourth year in a row" and "By the end of 2012, the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the number of people on earth, and by 2016 there will be 1.4 mobile devices per capita."

The low 2.5 GHz frequency controlled by Clearwire is particularly suited for 4 G LTE TDD cellular technology towards which the world is evolving and the technology that SoftBank uses in Japan. Also, data travels faster on low frequencies, the reason why low spectrum bands fetch a better price than higher frequencies.

According to a report appearing in Reuters, some minority shareholders are saying that Sprint should at least raise the bid to $5 per share. There are also other reports suggesting that $8 is a fair price, as a structured sale of Clearwire's spectrum assets can fetch that much per share.

It now depends upon Clearwire's management which way it wants to go - sellout minority shareholders or explore other alternatives. It could go for raising fresh equity, which should not be difficult considering that there already some minority shareholders like Google, Comcast and Time Warner who would be interested despite dilution.

On the other hand, much depends upon whether those who have taken up cudgels against the management (Mount Kellet and Crest Financials) are able to gather enough support to force the hand of the management.

My personal opinion is that there is a lot of value in Clearwire stock. Sprint needs Clearwire's spectrum assets because only with that it can compete with Verizon and AT&T.

[where-is-the-insider]

Wie Sprint Nextel im Rahmen einer Pressemitteilung erklärte, zahlt er für die ausstehenden rund 50 Prozent der Clearwire-Anteile 2,97 US-Dollar je Aktie.

mein Tipp für den heutigen SK lege nat. auf 2,97- US-Dollar*!

VERMUTLICH WIRD SPRINT Nextel alle shares unterhalb von 2,97 versuchen einzusammeln*!

NmM*!

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.932.751 von teecee1 am 16.12.12 15:18:37

December 17, 2012, 9:12 AM

Clearwire CEO Warns Shareholders of Dire Position Without Sprint Deal

Deal Journal
By David Benoit

If Clearwire shareholders are disappointed with the deal the wireless company just signed with Sprint, CEO Eirk Prusch has a message for them: Clearwire could be bankrupt without the deal.


Associated Press

Even as the wireless company officially agrees to a deal with Sprint, and as Sprint increased its offer from just last week, the shares of Clearwire are dropping. The stock is down 9% in premarket trading, matching the $2.97 offer, after leaping to $3.37 in the wake of Sprint’s first public offer.

Some investors had complained last week’s $2.90 bid undervalued Clearwire. Mount Kellett, which owns about 3.6% of Clearwire stock, said in a letter to the company that it was “gravely concerned by Sprint’s highly coercive proposal” that “grossly undervalued” Clearwire.

On a conference call to discuss the deal Monday, Prusch laid out a comprehensive defense of the board’s actions, delivering little of the executive bluster that often comes with a deal. Prusch warned that the financial state of Clearwire was in dire straits and that without the deal, Clearwire would be looking at a restructuring. He said there was a “substantial funding gap” and not enough capital.

He said there were discussions with other potential buyers, including a recent “credible” offer to buy Clearwire’s spectrum, but that none of the offers approached the prices that the market has speculated on. Prusch added that Sprint had the ability to block any deal making it impossible to sell to another buyer.


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Is Sprint Set to Challenge AT&T and Verizon?
By Meghan Foley | More Articles
December 17, 2012

After several shareholders, including Mount Kellett, declared Sprint’s (NYSE:S) first offer of $2.1 billion for Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) too low, the wireless carrier returned with a second bid; this time, the proposal of $2.2 billion, or $2.97 per share, was accepted by the company’s board.

What are the Deal’s Particulars?

As Reuters reported on Monday, the third largest U.S. wireless carrier “wants Clearwire’s substantial spectrum to better arm itself against larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.”

But for Clearwire, the acquisition was the company’s only choice; it has over $4.2 billion in debt and needs financing to upgrade its network to 4G. Despite the difficult circumstances in which the company is mired, Sprint’s original bid of $2.90 per share, or 5.5 percent of the stock’s closing price on Wednesday, was deemed “outrageous” by Mount Kellett in a letter to the company’s shareholders last week.

While Sprint’s second offer was still far below the value Mount Kellett said Clearwire was worth, $6.30 per share, the deal now has the unanimous backing of the company’s board. Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), and Bright House Networks, which together own approximately 13 percent of Clearwire’s voting shares, were in favor of the takeover.

According to The New York Times, Clearwire’s board approved the offer based on the recommendation of a special committee of directors.

Sprint’s bid was limited to $2.2 billion because Softbank (SFTBF.PK), which recently agreed to purchase a 70 percent stake in the company, would not allow the company to offer more than $2.97 per share.


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Squeeze-out in den USA

In den USA sind Squeeze-outs besser bekannt unter der Bezeichnung Freeze-Outs und werden durch die Gesetze der einzelnen Bundesstaaten geregelt, in dem die Aktiengesellschaft ihren Sitz hat, deren Minderheitsaktionäre herausgedrängt werden sollen. In Delaware z. B. erlauben die Gesetze der Muttergesellschaft, die mindestens 90 % der Aktien einer Tochtergesellschaft besitzt, ihre Aktien mit der der Tochtergesellschaft zusammenzuführen.[15] Die Zustimmung der Minderheitsaktionäre ist nicht erforderlich. Sie sind lediglich berechtigt, einen angemessenen Ausgleich in bar für ihre Aktien zu erhalten. ... ... wenn einige das Angebot annehmen ... und wir 12% zusammebekommen ... könnte es funtionieren ...


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Freeze-out merger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into squeeze out. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2010.


A freeze-out merger is a technique by which one or more shareholders who collectively hold a majority of shares in a corporation gain ownership of remaining shares in that corporation.

The majority shareholders incorporate a second corporation, which initiates a merger with the original corporation. The shareholders using this technique are then in a position to dictate the plan of merger. They force the minority stockholders in the original corporation to accept a cash payment for their shares, effectively "freezing them out" of the resulting company.


Criticism

The legal community has criticised the present rules with regard to freeze-out mergers as being biased against the interests of the minority shareholders. For example, if a gain in stock value is anticipated by the majority, they can deprive the frozen-out minority of its share of those gains.[1][2]


Process

Although a LBO is an effective tool for a group of investors to use to purchase a company, it is less well suited to the case of one company acquiring another. An alternative is the freeze-out merger: The Laws on tender offers allow the acquiring company to freeze existing shareholders out of the gains from merging by forcing non-tendering shareholders to sell their shares for the tender offer price.

To complete freeze-out merger, the acquiring company first creates a new corporation, which it owns and controls. The acquiring corporation then makes a tender offer at an amount slightly higher than the current target corporation' stock price. If the tender offer succeeds, the acquirer gains control of the target and merges its assets into the new subsidiary corporation. In effect, the non-tendering shareholders lose their shares because the target corporation no longer exists. In compensation, non tendering shareholders get their right to receive the tender offer price for their shares. The bidder, in essence, gets complete ownership of the target for the tender offer price. Because the value the non-tendering shareholders receive for their shares is equal to the tender price (which is more than the premerger stock price), the law recognizes it as fair value and non-tendering shareholders have no legal recourse. Under these circumstances, existing shareholders will tender their stock, reasoning that there is no benefit to holding out: if the tender offer succeeds, they get the tender price anyway; if they hold out, they risk jeopardizing the deal and forgoing the small gain. Hence the acquirer is able to capture almost all the value added from the merger and, as in the leveraged buyout, is able to effectively eliminate the free rider problem. This freeze-out tender offer has a significant advantage over an LBO because an acquiring corporation need not make an all-cash tender offer. Instead, it can use shares of its own stock to pay for the acquisition. In this case, the bidder offers to exchange each shareholder’s stock in the target for stock in the acquiring company. As long as the exchange rate is set so that the value in the acquirer’s stock exceeds the pre-merger market value of the target-company stock, the non-tendering shareholders will receive fair value for their shares and will have no legal recourse.

References

1.) The Big Chill
2.) Shareholder Welfare and Bid Negotiation in Freeze-Out Deals: Are Minority Shareholders Left Out in the Cold? http://www.lerner.udel.edu/sites/default/files//imce/pdf/fin…


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Leveraged buyout
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


A leveraged buyout(LBO) is an acquisition (usually of a company but it can also be single assets like a real estate) where the purchase price is financed through a combination of equity and debt and in which the cash flows or assets of the target are used to secure and repay the debt. As the debt usually has a lower cost of capital than the equity, the returns on the equity increase with increasing debt. The debt thus effectively serves as a lever to increase returns which explain the origin of the term LBO.

LBOs are a very common occurrence in today's M&A environment. The term LBO is usually employed when a financial sponsor acquires a company. However, many corporate transactions are part-funded by bank debt, thus effectively also representing an LBO. LBOs can have many different forms such as Management Buy-out (MBO), Management Buy-in (MBI), secondary buyout and tertiary buyout among others and can occur in growth situations, restructuring situations and insolvencies just like in companies with stable performance. LBOs mostly occur in private companies, but can also be employed with public companies (in a so called PtP transaction, Public to Private).

As financial sponsors increase their returns by employing a very high leverage (i.e., a high ratio of debt to equity), they have an incentive to employ as much debt as possible to finance an acquisition. This has in many cases led to situations, in which companies were "overlevered", meaning that they did not generate sufficient cash flows to service their debt, which in turn led to insolvency or to debt-to-equity swaps in which the equity owners lose control over the business and the debt providers assume the equity.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.936.230 von teecee1 am 17.12.12 17:40:11

Monday, December 17, 2012
DJ: Softbank To Sign Up To Y1.65tln Bridge Loan Contract To Buy Sprint Nextel

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20121217D17JF991.htm

TOKYO--Softbank Corp. (9984) said Monday that its board has decided to sign a bridge loan contract worth up to Y1.65 trillion to fund its purchase of a stake in Sprint Nextel Corp., the third-largest U.S. network operator.

Softbank, one of Asia's biggest Internet conglomerates, said in October it would buy a 70% stake in U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Nextel for about $20 billion in the biggest-ever overseas acquisition by a Japanese firm.

The Japanese company said the bridge loan is scheduled to be refinanced with mid- and long-term financing.

The company said it will book non-operating expenses worth Y17 billion for the business year ending March 2013, as a cost on the latest fund raising.

It said mandated lead arrangers of the latest loan are Mizuho Corporate Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. and Deutsche Bank AG, Tokyo Branch.


Trillion im engl. - deutsch Billion

110¥ = 1€
1.65 Bio.¥. = 15 Mrd.€

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


17.12.2012 | 14:52
(47 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Sprint gewinnt Clearwire-Führung mit aufgstockter Offerte für sich

Der drittgrößte US-amerikanische Mobilfunker Sprint Nextel kommt mit der geplanten Übernahme seiner Tochter Clearwire voran. Mit einer von 2,1 auf 2,2 Milliarden Dollar aufgestockten Offerte sicherte sich das Unternehmen die Zustimmung des Verwaltungsrat von Clearwire, wie Sprint am Montag mitteilte. Vergangene Woche bot Sprint den Aktionären 2,90 Dollar je Anteilsschein, nun liegt sie bei 2,97 Dollar.

Sprint hält bisher etwa 51 Prozent. Der Löwenanteil der restlichen Aktien liegt bei einer Reihe von Unternehmen. Daher konnte Sprint die Tochter trotz der Mehrheitsbeteiligung nicht voll kontrollieren.

Mit dieser Übernahme kann Sprint ein Breitbandnetz aufbauen, welches es mit der Infrastruktur der Platzhirsche AT&T und Verizon aufnehmen kann. Verlierer in dem Deal ist die Deutsche Telekom , deren Tochter T-Mobile USA dort gerade den Regionalanbieter MetroPCS übernimmt, um das Netz mit zusätzlichen Frequenzen zu verstärken.

Sprint wird seinerseits gerade von der japanischen Softbank übernommen. Die Japaner kaufen für 20,1 Milliarden Dollar ein Paket von etwa 70 Prozent. Mit diesem Milliardenkauf wird Softbank der drittgrößte Mobilfunkanbieter der Welt nach China Mobile und Vodafone . Die Japanern waren als Internetkonzern groß geworden und erst 2006 mit dem Kauf von Vodafone Japan ins Mobilfunkgeschäft eingestiegen. In Japan hatte Softbank einen kleinen Anbieter gekauft und durch zahlreiche kleine Übernahmen zu einem großen Spieler aufgebaut. Ein ähnliches Vorgehen wird den Japanern auch bei Sprint zugetraut./fn/mne/fbr


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17.12.2012 | 15:16
(68 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
Sprint erhöht Angebot für Komplettübernahme von Clearwire

Von Melodie Warner

Der US-Mobilfunkdienstleister Sprint Nextel lässt sich die Komplettübernahme seiner Tochter Clearwire mehr kosten als bislang geplant. Der Wettbewerber der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA erhöht seine Offerte für die ausstehenden 49 Prozent an Clearwire um 7 Cents auf 2,97 US-Dollar je Aktie. Die Amerikaner reagieren damit darauf, dass der Clearwire-Aktionär Mount Kellett Capital Management LP die bisherige Offerte abgelehnt.

Dass Sprint Nextel bereit ist, mehr auf den Tisch zu legen, unterstreicht die Bedeutung des Deals für den Konzern. Die Übernahme von Clearwire und deren Technologie würde Sprint in die Lage versetzten, den Kunden mobiles Internet zu geringeren Kosten anzubieten. Für die Nummer Drei auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt nach Verizon Wireless und AT&T ist dies ein zentraler Baustein der langfristigen Strategie.

Die neue Offerte bewertet Clearwire inklusive der 5,5 Milliarden Dollar an Schulden mit insgesamt 10 Milliarden Dollar. Investoren hatten allerdings bereits mit einer höheren Offerte gerechnet, der neue Preis liegt immer noch gut 12 Prozent unter dem Schlusskurs vom Freitag.

Mount Kellett Capital Management hatte die erste Offerte öffentlich als opportunistisch zurückgewiesen, sie bewerte das Unternehmen zu niedrig. Die von ehemaligen Goldman-Sachs-Managern geführte Investmentfirma hält rund 53,2 Millionen Clearwire-Aktien, das entspricht gut 7,3 Prozent. Sprint Nextel ist derzeit mit 50,45 Prozent an Clearwire beteiligt.

Das Clearwire-Board befürwortet das erhöhte Angebot. Zudem hat Sprint bereits Zusagen der Anteilseigner Comcast, Intel und Bright House Networks erhalten, die ihre zusammen rund 13 Prozent an Clearwire-Stimmrechtsaktien andienen wollen.

Sprint selbst wird auch gerade übernommen. Die Amerikaner haben sich den japanischen Softbank-Konzern als finanzkräftigen Partner ins Boot geholt. Softbank befürwortet die geplante Transaktion mit Clearwire.

--Mitarbeit: Thomas Gryta

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.936.656 von teecee1 am 17.12.12 19:19:56

17.12.2012 | 16:22
(29 Leser)

MarketWire ·
King & Spalding Advises Sprint on Acquisition of 100 Percent of Clearwire

OVERLAND PARK, KS -- (Marketwire) -- 12/17/12 -- King & Spalding advised Sprint Nextel in its definitive agreement with Clearwire Corporation in which Sprint will acquire the approximately 50 percent stake in Clearwire it does not currently own for $2.97 per share, equating to a total cash payment to Clearwire shareholders, other than Sprint, of $2.2 billion and an enterprise value for Clearwire of $10 billion. King & Spalding also advised Sprint in connection with voting and support agreements for the transaction that were obtained from Clearwire shareholders Comcast, Intel Capital and Bright House Networks.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the approval of Clearwire's stockholders, including the approval of a majority of Clearwire stockholders not affiliated with Sprint or SoftBank. The closing of the transaction is also contingent on the consummation of Sprint's previously announced transaction with SoftBank. The Clearwire and SoftBank transactions are expected to close mid-2013.

For details about the transaction, click here: http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=24….

The King & Spalding legal team involved in this transaction was led by corporate partner Michael J. Egan (Atlanta) and consisted of the following lawyers:

Corporate:
Adam M. Freiman (partner, New York)
Robert J. Leclerc (senior associate, New York)
Matthew S. McCoy (associate, Silicon Valley)
Nathan L. Mihalik (associate, Atlanta)
Monika Roth (associate, New York)
Carrie A. Ratliff (associate, Atlanta)
Gina von Sternberg (associate, Atlanta)

Employee Benefits:
Kenneth A. Raskin (partner, New York)
Emily Meyer (associate, New York)
Laura Westfall (associate, New York)

About King & Spalding
Celebrating more than 125 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 800 lawyers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.

Contact:
King & Spalding
Matthew Hyams
[phone]
[e-mail]

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Sprint to buy out Clearwire: Why it matters (FAQ)

CNET gives you the skinny on what this deal means for consumers and the broader wireless industry.

by Roger Cheng
December 17, 2012 8:46 AM PST


Sprint CEO Dan Hesse.
(Credit: Lynn La/CNET)

Sprint Nextel took another step toward securing its future by coming to an agreement with Clearwire to buy all of the remaining shares it doesn't already own. (...)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57559549-94/sprint-to-buy-o…


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November 13, 2012 12:19


4G LTE phones like the Optimus G will soon surf faster speeds in more cities.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57549213-85/sprint-adds-9-n…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.936.856 von teecee1 am 17.12.12 20:06:31

Kirkland, Troutman Sanders, Skadden, Weil:Business of Law
By Elizabeth Amon - Dec 18, 2012 6:00 AM GMT+0100

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-18/kirkland-troutman-s…

(...) Eight Firms Advise on Clearwire Deal with Sprint Nextel

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represents Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), which agreed to a sweetened, $2.97-a-share takeover bid from its wireless partner Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), in a $2.2 billion offer to acquire the portion of the company it doesn’t already own. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and King & Spalding LLP are representing Sprint.

The Kirkland team was led by New York corporate partners Joshua N. Korff, David B. Feirstein and Christopher A. Kitchen, together with David Fox.

The Skadden team includes partners Thomas Kennedy and Jeremy London, mergers and acquisitions; Dean Shulman ,tax; Richard Aftanas and Yossi Vebman, corporate finance; Antoinette Cook Bush, communications, FCC; Ivan Schlager, CFIUS; Regina Olshan, executive compensation and benefits; Robert Saunders, litigation; and Steven Sunshine and Matthew Hendrickson, antitrust.

The King & Spalding legal team involved in the transaction was led by corporate partner Michael J. Egan and included partners Adam M. Freiman, corporate; and Kenneth A. Raskin, employee benefits.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Richards, Layton & Finger PA are representing the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Clearwire. Partner Rob Spatt, M&A, is leading the team, which includes partners Marni Lerner, M&A; Joe McLaughlin, litigation; and Marissa Wesley, finance.

Morrison & Foerster LLP is advising Sprint’s partner, Japanese wireless company Softbank, which recently announced a controlling investment in Sprint Nextel. Leading the Softbank deal team in the Clearwire acquisition are Morrison & Foerster corporate partners Ken Siegel, managing partner of the firm’s Tokyo office, along with Robert Townsend in San Francisco, co- chairman of the firm’s global M&A practice. Both lawyers are also leading the Sprint transaction, the firm said.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP represents Intel, a shareholder in the Clearwire deal. The deal team includes co-chairman of the firm’s emerging technologies practice group and corporate partner Gregory Davidson; and tax partner Paul Issler.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP represented Centerview, financial adviser to the special committee of Clearwire. Weil’s team was led by corporate department chairman Michael Aiello and also included M&A partner Matthew Gilroy.

The new offer was approved by Japan’s Softbank Corp., which agreed in October to buy 70 percent of Sprint for about $20 billion, the companies said yesterday in a statement. The bid has the backing of Clearwire’s strategic investors such as Comcast Corp. and Intel Corp.

Sprint is moving to acquire 100 percent of the company after their four-year joint venture struggled to build a nationwide wireless network, leading to billions in losses for Clearwire. Sprint aims to take over Clearwire’s spectrum -- the airwaves that let mobile devices operate -- and use it to bolster its own network. Sprint Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said yesterday that the deal is “critical” to turnaround efforts at the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier. (...)

... ... Geschütze ausfahren zur Einschüchterung ...


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Sprint (S) Details 'All-In' Bid for Clearwire (CLWR); Has $120M Termination Fee
December 18, 2012 8:15 AM EST

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) filed more detail about its proposed $2.97 per share takeover bid for the rest of Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR). According to the latest 8-K filed with the U.S. SEC, the proposal includes a $120 million termination fee.

Clearwire is also not able to solicit other bids from third parties.

The snippet is copied below:

"Under the Merger Agreement, Clearwire is subject to a “no-shop” restriction on its ability to solicit offers or proposals relating to an acquisition proposal or to provide information to or engage in discussions or negotiations with third parties regarding an acquisition proposal, subject to certain exceptions.

"The Merger Agreement contains termination rights for both the Company and Clearwire, including the Company’s right to terminate if (i) prior to the Clearwire Stockholder Approval, the Clearwire Board or Clearwire Special Committee (each, as defined below) withdraws, qualifies or modifies its approval or recommendation to the stockholders of Clearwire of the adoption of the Merger Agreement in a manner adverse to the Company or (ii) the SoftBank Transaction shall have been terminated (other than by the Company in connection with a replacement transaction) (a “SoftBank Termination”). The Merger Agreement further provides that the Company will be required to pay to Clearwire a termination fee of $120 million (i) upon a SoftBank Termination or (ii) if the SoftBank Transaction has not been consummated and certain other conditions are met, upon termination by either the Company or Clearwire of the Merger Agreement because the Merger has not been consummated on or prior to October 15, 2013, as such date may be extended in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement (a “Fee Entitlement Termination”). Any obligation to pay such termination fee will be satisfied by the cancellation of $120 million aggregate principal amount of Interim Notes (as defined below). In the event Clearwire is entitled to receive the termination fee, in certain instances, it may also be entitled to receive from the Company a prepayment in the amount of $100 million pursuant to the 4G MVNO agreement currently in effect between the Company and Clearwire. Any such prepayment will be credited against certain of the Company’s obligations under such agreement."

Holders enter voting and support agreement:

"In connection with the Merger Agreement, each of Intel Capital Corporation, Intel Capital (Cayman) Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC), Intel Capital Wireless, Comcast Wireless Investment (Nasdaq: CMCSA), LLC and BHN Spectrum Investments, LLC (collectively, the “Voting Agreement Stockholders”) have entered into a voting and support agreement with Clearwire (the “Voting Agreement”) under which the Voting Agreement Stockholders have each agreed to vote their shares of common stock of Clearwire, among other things, in favor of approving and adopting the Merger Agreement, in favor of the matters to be voted upon by Clearwire’s stockholders pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), in favor of any proposal to adjourn or postpone the stockholders’ meeting held to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement, and against other acquisition proposals. In addition, the Voting Agreement Stockholders have agreed not to transfer shares of common stock of Clearwire owned by them prior to Clearwire obtaining the Clearwire Stockholder Approval, subject to certain exceptions. The Voting Agreement also contains certain consents and waivers by the Voting Agreement Stockholders pursuant to the Equityholders’ Agreement (the “Equityholders’ Agreement”) among the Voting Agreement Stockholders, Clearwire and Sprint HoldCo, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Sprint HoldCo”), and Clearwire Communications operating agreement with respect to the Merger and the related transactions, including the issuance of the Interim Notes (as defined below). The Company is an express third party beneficiary of the Voting Agreement."

Sprint might terminate its agreement with Softbank:

"Sprint and Sprint HoldCo have also entered into an agreement (the “ROFO Agreement”) with the Voting Agreement Stockholders under which (i) if the Merger Agreement is terminated due to the failure of the Clearwire stockholders to approve the Merger and (ii) either (a) the SoftBank Transaction has been consummated or (b) the SoftBank Transaction shall have been terminated by the Company in order for the Company to enter into an alternative transaction and such alternative transaction shall have been consummated, then each such Voting Agreement Stockholder will, upon the later to occur of the events described in (i) or (ii), deliver a right of first offer notice to the other equityholders of Clearwire pursuant to the terms of the Equityholders’ Agreement, to offer to sell all of the equity securities of Clearwire and Clearwire Communications such entity owns at a price per share equal to the Merger Consideration. The Company will then be obligated to elect to purchase any such equity securities in any such notice. The Voting Agreement Stockholders have agreed not to exercise their respective purchase rights with respect to any such notice it receives from the other Voting Agreement Stockholders. The ROFO Agreement will terminate upon the occurrence of certain events, including at the election of each Voting Agreement Stockholder if the SoftBank Transaction shall have been terminated by the Company in order for the Company to enter into an alternative transaction."


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US-Netzbetreiber-Fusion: Sprint kauft Clearwire für 2,2 Milliarden Dollar
von Florian Kalenda am 17. Dezember 2012, 17:47 Uhr

Der US-Funknetzbetreiber Sprint hat eine Übernahme aller ausstehenden Anteile von Clearwire für je 2,97 Dollar angekündigt. Der Gesamtwert der Transaktion beträgt somit 2,2 Milliarden Dollar, der hochgerechnete Wert des übernommenen Unternehmens rund 10 Milliarden Dollar – inklusive aller Schulden.

Damit haben sich monatelang kursierende Gerüchte bestätigt. Durch einen Kauf von Eagle River Holdings war Sprint schon zum Mehrheitsaktionär an Clearwire aufgestiegen. Verkompliziert wurde die Übernahme durch die Einmischung von Softbank, das einen 70-prozentigen Anteil an Sprint anstrebt. Es behielt zwar ebenfalls Clearwire im Auge, untersagte aber gleichzeitig letzte Woche einem Bericht zufolge Sprint, mehr als 2,90 Dollar pro Aktie zu bieten – exakt so viel, wie ihm die Clearwire-Anteile von Eagle River Holdings wert gewesen waren. Einige Clearwire-Aktionäre, die anonym bleiben wollten, forderten aber um 5 Dollar je Aktie.

Der jetzige Preis von 2,97 Dollar pro Anteilsschein enthält einen Aufschlag von 128 Prozent auf den Kurs vom Oktober, als Sprint und Softbank erstmals Gespräche bestätigten. Allerdings liegt der Preis unter Clearwires letztem Schlusskurs von 3,37 Dollar am Freitag, der natürlich von Übernahmespekulationen hochgetrieben wurde. Heute vor Börsenschluss handelte die Aktie bei 3,08 Dollar.

In einer Pressemitteilung weist Sprint auf sein durch die Übernahme vergrößertes Frequenzspektrum hin. Clearwires Lizenzen im Bereich um 2,5 GHz sollen die Dienstequalität der 4G-Mobilfunktechnik LTE verbessern, auf das Sprint gerade nach und nach umstellt.

Das Abkommen betrifft auch Comcast, Intel und Bright House Networks, die zusammen um 13 Prozent an Clearwire halten. Sprint zufolge haben aber alle drei dem Deal zugestimmt. Parallel teilt Sprint mit, dass es mit Clearwire eine zusätzliche Finanzierung über 800 Millionen Dollar ausgehandelt hat, die durch Umtauschanleihen realisiert wird.

Sprint hofft, die Transaktion bis Mitte 2013 abschließen zu können. Regulierungsbehörden sowie die Aktionäre von Clearwire müssen noch zustimmen. Außerdem muss zunächst das Geschäft zwischen Softbank und Sprint wie geplant abgewickelt werden.

[mit Material von Don Reisinger, News.com]

[teecee1]

Shares Owned by Insitutions
40.90% ... vorher ... 38,7%



Number of Institutions 191 ... vorher 188

http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nasdaq/clearwire-corp/clwr…

............................................................................

Leerverkäufe gehen stark zurück ... gestern ~70% long

http://www.shortanalytics.com/getshortchart.php?tsymbol=clwr

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.939.717 von teecee1 am 18.12.12 14:39:04

18.12.2012

"Topbonus"
Etihad übernimmt Vielfliegerprogramm von Air Berlin

Air-Berlin-Flieger: Etihad stieg im Dezember 2011 mit knapp 30 Prozent bei der angeschlagenen Fluglinie ein
dapd


dapd
Air-Berlin-Flieger: Etihad stieg im Dezember 2011 mit knapp 30 Prozent bei der angeschlagenen Fluglinie ein

Die arabische Fluggesellschaft Etihad hat Air Berlin erneut aus der Klemme geholfen: Der Großaktionär von Deutschlands zweitgrößter Fluggesellschaft übernimmt das Vielfliegerprogramm der Airline. Das Geschäft spült Air Berlin rund 185 Millionen Euro in die Kasse. Die Aktie haussiert.

London - Die Fluggesellschaft Air Berlin verkauft die Mehrheit ihres Vielfliegerprogramms "Topbonus" an Etihad Airport Services. Die Araber übernehmen für 184,4 Millionen Euro 70 Prozent der Anteile, wie die Fluggesellschaft mitteilte. Der Rest verbleibt bei der Fluglinie, die sich das Recht vorbehält, 10 Prozent wieder zurückzukaufen.

Das Vielfliegerprogramm wird auf eine eigenständige Gesellschaft englischen Rechts ausgegliedert und soll ihren Sitz in Berlin haben. Das Bundeskartellamt habe die Transaktion, die noch in diesem Jahr abgeschlossen werden soll, bereits freigegeben.

Etihad aus dem arabischen Emirat Abu Dhabi ist bereits größter Aktionär der angeschlagenen Air Berlin Chart zeigen und hatte dem Unternehmen vor knapp einem Jahr mit frischem Geld aus der finanziellen Misere geholfen. Jetzt soll Etihad das Vielfliegerprogramm "Topbonus" weiterentwickeln und ausbauen. Dessen Mitglieder können bislang Bonuspunkte bei mehr als 120 Partnern erwerben und einlösen, von Fluggesellschaften über Hotels und Autovermietungen bis zur Tageszeitung.

Air Berlin steckt seit Jahren in den roten Zahlen. Vorstandschef Hartmut Mehdorn versucht die Gesellschaft mit einem Schrumpf- und Sparkurs zurück in die Gewinnzone zu hieven. Das Geld aus dem Verkauf des Bonusprogramms, der bereits im November angekündigt worden war, soll zum Schuldenabbau genutzt werden und das Jahresergebnis deutlich verbessern. Auch der Verkauf von Flugzeugen soll Geld in die Kasse bringen.

mg/dpa-afx/dapd


............................................................................

... ... Sprint kommt evtl. auf 70% Clearwire ... der Rest bleibt bei den Minderheitsaktionären ... "Clearwire Bunkruptcy" ... das wäre dann Insolvenzverschleppung ?!? ... ... also müßte Sprint (bzw.Softbank ebenfalls 70% an Sprint) Clearwire sanieren ... ...


............................................................................

... ... geplatzter Deal von T-Mobil USA und AT&T ...


Clearwire, Sprint set up $120 million breakup fee

Reuters – 18 minutes ago


(Reuters) - Sprint Corp promised to pay Clearwire Corp a $120 million breakup fee if its $2.2 billion purchase of roughly half of the smaller wireless service provider does not go ahead.

At the same time, Clearwire said on Tuesday it agreed to a "no-shop" provision, meaning it cannot seek other offers but could consider unsolicited offers.

Clearwire and Sprint, its majority owner, announced details of their merger agreement in a regulatory filing the day after Sprint agreed buy out the rest of Clearwire for $2.97 per share.

Clearwire shares traded below the offer price at $2.86, down 5 cents or 1.7 percent on the Nasdaq. Sprint was off 9 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $5.47 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Some shareholders said they were disappointed by the price, which requires approval from a majority of Clearwire's minority shareholders. While one shareholder is looking for support for a class action lawsuit against the deal, another held out hope for a higher bid.

Clearwire's chief executive said Monday that Sprint's offer was its best option, and that Clearwire could face a risk of bankruptcy if that deal is not approved.

The filing said Clearwire would be restricted from providing information to or engaging in discussions or negotiations with third parties regarding an acquisition proposal, subject to certain exceptions.

It did not disclose the exceptions in the filing.

The Clearwire deal is conditional on the sale of a 70 percent stake in Sprint to Japan's Softbank Corp for $20 billion. That deal is expected to close around mid-2013.

Sprint would have to pay the breakup fee if the Softbank deal does not happen, if it or Clearwire terminates the agreement, or if their deal has not been consummated on or before October 15, 2013, according to the filing.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher King said the decline in Clearwire's shares did not appear to indicate the deal was in any danger of being blocked.

"Its pretty much a done deal," King said.

So far, Sprint has support for the deal from Softbank and from at least three Clearwire shareholders owning 13 percent of the company - Intel Corp, Comcast Corp and cable company Bright House.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Nick Zieminski and Jeffrey Benkoe)


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Taking a Look at the Sprint/Clearwire Deal

By RJ Towner - December 18, 2012 | Tickers: CLWR, S | 0 Comments

RJ is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Wireless provider Sprint (NYSE: S) will acquire Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) for $2.97 per share, pegging the company’s enterprise value at $10 billion. The deal also includes bridge financing of $800 million, and as wtih the SoftBank deal, it is expected to close mid-2013. (...)

... ... evtl. werden 800 mio auch so fließen ... Clearwire absichtlich Bankrott gehen zu lassen ... könnte man unterstellen ...

We expect to see several shareholder lawsuits against Clearwire’s board of directors, which is sometimes common when controversial mergers occur. In this case, we think shareholders will have a valid claim, which could drag out the process or even prevent the deal from consummating. Still, we remain on the sidelines in this situation.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.941.446 von teecee1 am 18.12.12 20:10:35

Activist Crest Financial raises stake in Clearwire
Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:19pm EST

(Reuters) - Activist investor Crest Financial, which is looking to block Sprint Nextel's (NYS:S) $2.2 billion purchase of Clearwire (CLWR), said it raised its stake in Clearwire, giving it slightly more voting power against the deal.

Crest Financial said on Tuesday that it had increased its stake in Clearwire to 57.65 million shares, up from 45.8 million, giving it a stake of about 3.9 percent of Clearwire's shares outstanding.

Sprint needs the support of minority shareholders owning roughly 24.8 percent of Clearwire's total shares in order for the deal to go ahead. It already has support from shareholders owning 13 percent of Clearwire.

Analysts have said that they ultimately expect the deal to be approved despite complaints from shareholders about Sprint's offer price of $2.97 per share. Clearwire's shares closed at $2.87 on Tuesday.

Clearwire said on Monday that its board supports the Sprint deal and that it could risk a financial restructuring if it does not succeed.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)


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December 18, 2012, 4:51 PM

Clearwire Secures Attractive Financing From Sprint

Deal Journal

Deal Journal colleague Vipal Monga files this dispatch on Sprint-Clearwire over at CFO Journal:

Wireless network provider Clearwire arranged relatively attractive financing from Sprint that will allow it to continue to upgrade its network until a merger between the two is completed and protects it if the deal falls through.

As part of the deal announced Monday that would see Sprint acquire the 49% of Clearwire that it doesn’t already own for $2.97 a share, Sprint is giving Clearwire $800 million in financing in monthly increments of up to $80 million for 10 months. In exchange, Sprint will get convertible notes carrying a 1% interest rate that can be traded in for shares of Clearwire stock at $1.50 a share if the deal doesn’t close.

... ... Leerverkäufe gestern unter 20% gesunken ...

[teecee1]

Sprint Reports Significant Progress in Deployment of Network Upgrades in 2012: 49 Markets Covered To Date With 4G LTE; 3G Network Upgrades Proceed Nationwide

Customers enjoy blazing speeds of Sprint 4G LTE; in the coming months, nearly 150 more markets, including 36 announced today, will enjoy 4G LTE ... ... das Netz von Clearwire? ...

Customers in more than 70 markets coast-to-coast are beginning to enjoy the improved coverage, call quality and data speeds of improved 3G

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 2 hours 41 minutes ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

This year Sprint (NYSE:S) has made a significant investment in its wireless network to better meet the needs of its wireless customers. From the rollout of 4G LTE to the upgrade of thousands of 3G sites across the country to thousands of voice and data capacity additions, Sprint has focused resources and funds to improve its overall network quality and performance. Sprint has hit a deployment stride and is making measurable progress on its goal to bring Network Vision to customers nationwide.

Sprint has launched 4G LTE in 49 markets – including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Baltimore – and sites are on-air and implementation is under way in hundreds more. In fact, Sprint has announced nearly 150 markets that should see an official LTE launch in the coming months, including 36 markets that have been added today.* Sprint also has implemented 3G service improvements in more than 70 markets, from Asheville, N.C., to Philadelphia and from Hudson, N.Y., to Santa Barbara, Calif.

Through Network Vision, voice quality is enhanced and Sprint customers in upgraded areas are seeing better performance on their smartphones, mobile broadband connection cards and mobile hotspots when using the Sprint 4G LTE and 3G networks. Customers can expect to experience the following performance improvements:

* Faster data speeds that enable instant Web access for news updates, HD viewing and game-playing, quicker video downloads and clear video chats.

* Better signal strength when making a call or using the Web.

* Fewer dropped calls for peace of mind when talking to friends, family or colleagues.

* Improved voice quality and less static or background noise when making phone calls.

“With the network investments we made in 2012 and as the only national wireless carrier to offer truly unlimited 4G LTE data plans, we continue to offer better value than our competitors,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “But our commitment to an exceptional wireless experience doesn’t stop there. We are an aggressive path to complete the rollout of Network Vision, and we expect to accelerate this momentum in 2013.”

Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 49 marketsi. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

* Markets slated to receive LTE in the coming months are: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-reports-significant-pro…

[teecee1]

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) Investor Files Lawsuit Against Takeover Attempt by Sprint Nextel

A lawsuit was filed for investors in shares of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) in effort to halt the potential takeover and NASDAQ:CLWR stockholders should contact the Shareholders Foundation.

San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/20/2012 -- An investor in shares of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) filed a lawsuit against directors of Clearwire Corporation in effort to block the proposed takeover of Clearwire Corporation by Sprint Nextel.



Investors who purchased shares of the Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) and currently hold any of those NASDAQ:CLWR shares have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail(at)shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554.

The plaintiff alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by agreeing to sell the company too cheaply via an unfair process.

On December 11, 2012, several news reports stated that Sprint Nextel is said to be looking into a takeover of Clearwire Corporation. It is estimated that in a potential takeover Sprint Nextel would offer approximately $3.00 per NASDAQ:CLWR share.

On December 17, 2012, Sprint (NYSE:S) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the approximately 50 percent stake in Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) it does not currently own for $2.97 per share, equating to a total payment to Clearwire shareholders, other than Sprint, of $2.2 billion.

However, the plaintiff claims that the offer is unfair to NASDAQ:CLWR stockholders and undervalues the company.

Indeed, at least one analyst has set the high target price for NASDAQ:CLWR shares at $5.00 per share.

Furthermore, so the plaintiff the process is also unfair to NASDAQ:CLWR investors. In fact, Sprint Nextel Corporation already owns approximately 51% of Clearwire Corporation shares.

Those who are current investors in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) and purchased their Clearwire Corporation shares prior to the announcement, have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation.

Contact:
Shareholders Foundation, Inc.
Trevor Allen
3111 Camino Del Rio North - Suite 423
92108 San Diego
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Source: Shareholders Foundation, Inc.

http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/clearwire-corporation-n…


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Acquisition of Clearwire Corporation by Sprint Nextel Corporation May Not Be in Clearwire's Shareholders' Best Interests

Published: December 19, 2012

By Robbins Umeda LLP

SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 19, 2012 — SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights attorneys at Robbins Umeda LLP are investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of the law by members of the board of directors of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) in connection with their efforts to sell the company to Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S).



On December 17, 2012, Clearwire and Sprint announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Sprint will acquire Clearwire through an all cash tender offer that values the company at $2.2 billion. Clearwire shareholders will receive $2.97 per share. The deal is expected to close in the middle of 2013.

The Board of Directors' Actions May Prevent Clearwire Shareholders from Receiving the Maximum Value for Their Stock

Robbins Umeda LLP's investigation focuses on whether the board of directors at Clearwire is undertaking a fair process to obtain maximum value and adequately compensate its shareholders. Sprint currently owns approximately 50% of Clearwire stock. The $2.97 per share offer price is substantially below the $3.50 target price set by an analyst from Macquarie Capital and below the $3.00 share price set by an analyst at Guggenheim Securities on April 18, 2012. Also, on October 25, 2012, Clearwire reported its third quarter 2012 results showing a 10% rise in total subscribers, from 9.5 million to 10.5 million. Given these facts, the firm is examining whether the board of directors' decision to sell Clearwire for $2.97 per share is fair to shareholders and maximizes the value for their shares.

Clearwire shareholders have the option to file a class action lawsuit against the company to secure the best possible price for shareholders and the disclosure of material information so shareholders can vote on the transaction in an informed manner.

Clearwire shareholders interested in information about their rights and potential remedies can contact Darnell R. Donahue at [phone], [e-mail], or via the shareholder information form on the firm's website.

Shareholder Information

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are required information.

http://www.robbinsumeda.com/shareholders-rights-blog/clearwi…


Robbins Umeda LLP is a nationally recognized leader in securities litigation and shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits, and has helped its clients realize more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. For more information, please go to http://www.robbinsumeda.com.

Press release link: http://www.robbinsumeda.com/shareholders-rights-blog/clearwi…

Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact: Robbins Umeda LLP Darnell R. Donahue [e-mail] [phone] or Toll Free [phone] www.robbinsumeda.com

SOURCE Robbins Umeda LLP


... ... hat Sprint absichtlich ihre Kunden nicht auf das Clearwire Netz geschalten ... ??? ... um so Clearwire in den Bankrott zu schicken ... ???

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Sprint deal may mean Clearwire layoffs
Puget Sound Business Journal
Date: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 6:35am PST

Clearwire Corp. is talking layoffs and severance packages with employees in light of Sprint Nextel Corp.’s attempted acquisition of the Bellevue company.

Sprint (NYSE: S) told its employees earlier this week not to expect any layoffs as a result of its planned $2.2 billion purchase of Clearwire.

But the Kansas City Business Journal reports that a message to Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) employees, filed late Tuesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, warned of restructuring and reductions.

Clearwire has 1,000 employees, 400 of whom live in the Puget Sound area in Seattle.

“If applicable, there would be severance packages available to employees,” Clearwire wrote in a question-and-answer message to employees. “We are currently working out these details and will communicate more information as soon as possible.”

Clearwire also outlined agreed-upon retention benefits if the transaction closes. For more information, view the full Q-and-A message online.

In the earlier message to Sprint employees, the wireless carrier said it would “review” the situation to determine where there is “duplication of skills.”

In the Sprint-Clearwire “merger agreement” filed Tuesday with the SEC, Sprint has agreed to make “reasonable best efforts” to continue to employ Clearwire’s officers and “key employees.”

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Comcast Confirms Its Support For Clearwire Deal
December 18, 2012
By Marie Cabural

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) confirmed its support for the Sprint-Clearwire merger agreement. Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) agreed to pay $120 million break-up to Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) if the transaction will not proceed, but restricted Clearwire from providing information, engaging in negotiations or accepting bids from other parties.
inShare

Comcast

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has confirmed its support and approval of the transaction between Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) and Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR).

The third largest telecommunications operator in the United States agreed to acquire the remaining 49 percent stake in the wireless high-speed internet service provider it does not already own, for a total $2.2 billion or $2.97 per share.

Spokesperson for Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) John Demming said on Monday, “We agreed to vote our shares in favor of the merger.” The largest cable TV, broadband, and entertainment provider in the U.S. own 88.5 million shares of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), which has a total worth that hovers around $263 million, based on Sprint Nextel Corporation’s (NYSE:S) buyout proposal.

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) initially invested in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) in 2008 to expand its WiMAX service throughout the country. The company’s total investment in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) is approximately $1.2 billion, which means it lost a considerable amount (estimated at $900 million).

A related report from the Philadelphia Business Journal cited that Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) would record the proceeds from the sale of its 88.5 million shares in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) as a one-time gain because it already recorded the losses from its various investments in the company over the past years.

Erick E. Prusch, president and chief executive officer of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) said Bright House and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) also expressed their explicit support of the Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) agreement.

According to analysts at Stifel Nicolaus, Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S)’s merger agreement with Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) could face several challenges from minority shareholders, particularly from Mt. Kellet and Crest Financial. The companies had previously warned that they would take legal action if the agreement was not acceptable for them. Mt. Kellet expressed that the fair valuation for shares of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) would be $6.30 per share.

Meanwhile, Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) agreed to pay Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) a break-up fee of $120 million if the merger agreement does not proceed; however it is restricted from entertaining any proposal from any other parties.

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) is also inherently restricted from providing information to or engaging in any negotiation with other parties regarding the acquisition proposal, subject to certain exceptions of course.

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4G LTE smartphone shipments to triple next year -- study

Strategy Analytics forecasts that shipments will zoom to 275 million next year, up from 91 million this year, thanks largely to Apple and Samsung.

by Lance Whitney
December 19, 2012 5:48 AM PST

Shipments of 4G LTE smartphones will triple next year, research firm Strategy Analytics predicts.



The research firm sees shipments rising to 275 million next year from this year's 91 million, a rise of 203 percent resulting in a record year for LTE phone vendors. Companies that stand to benefit the most include Apple, Samsung, and LG, with the iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 among the most popular handsets.

But other vendors will participate in the LTE push, such as Nokia, HTC, Motorola, Blackberry, Huawei, ZTE, and Pantech. Growth in LTE smartphones will be driven by demand in such countries as the U.S., the U.K., Japan, China, and South Korea.

"It is clear that 2013 will be the year of 4G. LTE smartphone shipments worldwide will exceed a quarter-billion units for the first time," Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. "Multiple operators and multiple phone vendors will be launching dozens of LTE models across numerous countries worldwide. LTE has quickly become a high-growth, high-value market that no operator, service developer, component maker, or device vendor can afford to ignore."
Related stories

Other companies may try to slice off a piece of the LTE pie, the firm wrote, including Amazon and Mozilla. But they may face a rough time getting traction.

"We caution possible new entrants like Amazon will not find it easy to break into the fiercely competitive LTE smartphone market and they will need breakthrough products that are strongly differentiated in areas such as design, price, or services," Strategy Analytics analyst Linda Sui said in a statement.


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275 Millionen Smartphones mit LTE für 2013 erwartet


Im nächsten Jahr soll der Verkauf mit dem Datenturbo LTE so richtig loslegen. Gegenüber 2012 soll sich die Zahl verdreifachen.



(21.12.2012, 05:40) Im Jahr 2012 sollen laut Strategy Analytics 90,9 Millionen Smartphones mit LTE verkauft worden sein. Diese Zahl soll sich 2013 auf 275 Millionen verdreifachen. Dabei werden die Länder USA, Japan, China und Südkorea am raschesten wachsen.

Die Verbreitung wird von Mobilfunkern wie Verizon Wireless, Everything Everywhere oder NTT Docomo gefördert, die ihre LTE Netze aggressive ausbauen. Unterstützt wwerden sie dabei von Herstellern wie Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, HTC, Motorola, RIM, Huawei, ZTE und Pantech.

Es soll laut Strategy Analytics bereits klar sein, dass 2013 das Jahr von LTE werden wird. Es wird ein Markt, der hohe Margen und starkes Wachstum verspricht. Deshalb werden ihn weder die Mobilfunker, noch Gerätehersteller und Serviceanbieter ignorieren können.

Allerdings wird es für neu hinzukommende Player wie etwa Amazon oder Mozilla schwierig werden in dem Markt Fuß zu fassen.


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... ... ist das Netz von Clearwire und Sprint ... LTE Advanced fähig???


T-Mobile präsentiert erstmalig in Österreich LTE Advanced


Mit Zusammenlegung von den Frequenzen 1800 MHz und 2,6 GHz sind Geschwindigkeiten von knapp 300 Mbit/s möglich. Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen machen den Ausbau derzeit aber nicht möglich.

(14.12. 2012, 13:50) Am Donnerstag ging die nächste Zukunftstechnologie für schnelle Datenübertragung an den Start. Mit „LTE Advanced“ werden durch die Zusammenlegung verschiedener Frequenzen („Carrier Aggregation“) in Zukunft knapp 300 Mbit/s möglich sein. Beim Test im T-Center in Wien wurden im Testnetz durch „Carrier Aggregation“ Frequenzen im 1800Mhz- und 2,6Ghz-Band genutzt und so live 289 Mbit/s erreicht. Das ist fast drei Mal so schnell als die derzeit eingesetzte Form von LTE. Dadurch wird nicht nur speziell für den Einzelnen, sondern für eine Vielzahl an Benutzern eine höhere Übertragungsgeschwindigkeit möglich, da sich die Kapazität der Funkzellen erhöht.

Der Ausbau kann jedoch erst vorangetrieben werden, wenn die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen geschaffen werden. Konkret geht es um die Frequenzauktion, die Neuordnung vorhandener Frequenzen (Reshuffling) sowie um die Zulassung von LTE auf vorhandenen Frequenzen, die für 2G/3G lizensiert sind (Refarming).

LTE-Ausbau ein wichtiger Schritt

Im ersten Quartal 2012 wurden in Österreich 15.601 Terrabyte Daten über Mobilfunk übertragen (8.941 im Vergleichsquartal 2011). Im Jahr 2008 hatte Österreich durch T-Mobile und Huawei das größte LTE-Testnetz in Europa aufgebaut. Solche Tests sind wichtig, um auf Kundenerfahrungen basierende Erkenntnisse zu sammeln und die entsprechende Technologie zu erproben und zu überprüfen.

LTE bietet bereits eine effiziente Nutzung verfügbarer Frequenzspektren, dies reicht jedoch nicht, um die für „LTE Advanced“ kolportierten Bandbreiten zur Verfügung zu stellen. Um diese Bandbreiten zu erreichen ist es erforderlich, mehrere Transportwege bzw. Frequenzen zu nutzen. Dies kann durch "Carrier Aggregation" erfolgen. Bei diesem Verfahren wird nicht nur eine Trägerfrequenz genutzt, sondern auch weitere Frequenzen wie zum Beispiel 2,6 GHz und 1800 MHz. Durch parallele Verwendung der Übertragungswege werden Bandbreiten von bis zu 300Mbit/s erzielt. Der Vorteil dieser Technologie liegt darin, dass durch den Zusammenschluss der Frequenzen die bestehende Infrastruktur verwendet werden kann und langwierige und kostenintensive Aufrüstungen entfallen.

Ziel: LTE soll technologieneutral werden

In Österreich wird 2G über 900Mhz und 1800Mhz übertragen, 3G und alle darauf basierenden Dienste auf 2,1 GHz. LTE in Österreich läuft auf den bereits versteigerten 2,6 GHz-Spektrum. Die LTE-Technologie ist jedoch nicht an ein sehr enges Frequenzband gebunden, denn LTE unterstützt alle diese Frequenzen als auch die darunterliegenden 800 MHz (Digitale Dividende).

Um LTE in Zukunft bestmöglich und effizient und auch rasch zum Einsatz bringen zu können, ist es notwendig, dass in Zukunft bei der Festlegung einzelner Frequenznutzungsbedingungen neue Wege beschritten werden. In den Bedingungen für die überfällige Frequenzversteigerung ist jedenfalls vorzusehen, dass Versorgungsauflagen für LTE insgesamt unabhängig vom jeweils gewählten Spektrum vorgesehen werden und nicht wie bisher für jedes Frequenzband bestimmte Versorgungspflichten auferlegt werden. Nur so kann ein rascher flächendeckender Ausbau sichergestellt werden. Es liegt daher in der Hand des Regulators, sicherzustellen, dass Österreich es schafft, hier wieder ins Spitzenfeld im Bereich mobile Datenversorgung aufzuschließen.

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SBA Communications Says Sprint and Clearwire Represents 30% Total of SBA Leasing Revenue
Paul Quintaro, Benzinga Staff Writer
December 19, 2012 4:01 PM

SBA Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: SBAC [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) ("SBA" or the "Company") today released certain information in light of Sprint's contemplated acquisition of 100% ownership of Clearwire. As of December 19, 2012 (i) Sprint and Clearwire represent approximately 27% and 3%, respectively, of SBA's annualized site leasing revenue and (ii) SBA had separate leases for antenna space with Sprint and Clearwire on the same tower on approximately 750 of the Company's more than 16,500 currently owned tower sites. The revenue generated from Clearwire on these sites represents approximately 1.5% of SBA's annualized site leasing revenue. The average remaining current term associated with these leases is eight years for Sprint and two years for Clearwire.


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Fitch and Moody's: Possible Thumbs-Up for Sprint-Clearwire Deal

By Dan Radovsky | More Articles
December 19, 2012

It seems like the telecom investing world has breathed a collective sigh of relief following Sprint Nextel's (NYSE: S ) proposed $2.2 billion buyout of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR ) .

After years of a love-me-love-me-not relationship, the deal between the carrier and the network provider gives some hope that the merging of these two companies can finally make Sprint a viable challenger to the nation's two largest mobile carriers, Verizon (NYSE: VZ ) and AT&T (NYSE: T ) .

Even the ratings agencies are looking -- or considering looking -- upon Sprint-Clearwire with approval. Fitch has given the merger a Rating Watch Positive mainly on the strength of spectrum gains Sprint would obtain.

Moody's Investors Service is also considering upgrading Clearwire's debt ratings on the strength of of Sprint's buyout.

The deal would not only give Sprint complete control of Clearwire's spectrum, but, according to Recon Analytics founder Roger Entner, writing in Fierce Wireless, it would make Sprint "the largest spectrum holder in the United States" with 200 MHz out of the 547 MHz of useable wireless spectrum in the U.S. Sprint would have a potentially clear speed and capacity advantage over its competitors.

Of course, the above scenario would be dependent on the FCC approving all of that spectrum being controlled by a single entity.

None of these positive outcomes for Sprint would have come about but for Japanese mobile operator SoftBank stepping forward with its offer to buy 70% of Sprint for $20 billion, with $8 billion coming up front. Cash-starved Sprint suddenly found itself with enough money to do the one thing that seems to make the most sense for it and its shareholders.

Speaking of shareholders, even though, according to Clearwire's recent filing with the SEC, the merger agreement has been unanimously approved by both Clearwire's and Sprint's board of directors, it still needs to be signed off on by the companies' investor masses.

If the Sprint-Clearwire deal does fail to be completed, that filing also states that Clearwire may be entitled to a termination fee of $120 million and $100 million in prepayment for LTE services rendered to Sprint.

Both deals are expected to be completed by mid-2013, pending FCC approval. It seems unlikely that either the Sprint-SoftBank or the Sprint-Clearwire pairings will have as hard a time getting regulator approval as the failed AT&T-T-Mobile USA merger of last year.

If SoftBank's investment in Sprint is approved, that would be a major Japanese investment in a U.S. company. For U.S. investors to profit from our increasingly global economy, it can be as easy as investing in your own backyard. Our free report, "3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World," shows you how. Click here to get your free copy before it's gone.

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22.12.2012 | 00:15
(60 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Amends Complaint against Sprint and Clearwire

WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, a Texas-based investment company and a substantial minority shareholder in Clearwire Corporation, today amended its complaint in the Court of Chancery here against Sprint Nextel Corporation and Clearwire.

The lawsuit now asserts that the proposed merger agreement between Sprint and Clearwire is "structurally coercive." Particularly onerous to Clearwire's minority shareholders is the $800 million convertible notes that Clearwire would issue to Sprint. Under this arrangement, Sprint would force Clearwire to further burden its balance sheet with debt, while at the same time Sprint would receive valuable exchange rights that would allow Sprint to convert this debt into Clearwire common shares at a very low price and thus further dilute Clearwire's minority shareholders.

Crest is also now asking the court to declare that Comcast, Intel and Bright House are affiliated with Sprint for the purpose of deciding how many shares are voted for or against the merger. A majority of unaffiliated shareholders' shares must approve the merger, and Crest asserts that the three companies' shares, which together comprise 13 percent of outstanding Clearwire voting shares, should not be counted because they have a side agreement with Sprint to vote for the merger.

The amended complaint can be found here: www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited


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December 21, 2012, 5:30 P.M. ET
Clearwire: How about $8.79 per Share? Asks BTIG

By Tiernan Ray

BTIG Research’s Walter Piecyk, still mulling the details of Sprint-Nextel‘s (S) $2.2 billion offer Monday to acquire the roughly half of Clearwire (CLWR) it does not yet own, late yesterday offered a defense of why he thinks the Clearwire is worth much more.

Piecyk had argued before the offer was put forward that something like $5 per share was merited for Clearwire, rather than the $2.97 per share Sprint ended up offering.Clearwire shares have slipped 1.2% this week from last Friday’s close, ending at $2.88 today. The stock is still up 48% for the year.

Piecyk has been in touch with Sprint to pick apart a metric that Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer had claimed in defense of the offer, namely a valuation of 15 cents per megahertz per pop, cellular industry jargon for a standard way of valuing spectrum holdings in terms of bandwidth and potential number of persons covered in a market.

Sprint tells him that valuation is in some sense supported by AT&T’s announcement in August it would purchase NextWave Wireless for $600 million in cash.

But that’s disingenuous on Sprint’s part, writes Piecyk, as that deal really paid something more like 40 cents, which would be a much higher bid from Sprint if the company were using such comparables:

The reality is that AT&T paid $650 million for 2.9 billion MHz-POPs for a price of $0.22 MHz-POP. The EBS/BRS spectrum was not included in the deal. Of course, as we wrote in August when the deal was announced, AT&T has agreed not to use a significant portion of this WCS spectrum based on interference concerns voiced by Sirius XM that would have held up the transaction, so $0.22 doesn’t even tell the complete story. The reality is that AT&T paid $650 million for 2.9 billion MHz-POPs for a price of $0.22 MHz-POP. The EBS/BRS spectrum was not included in the deal. Of course, as we wrote in August when the deal was announced, AT&T has agreed not to use a significant portion of this WCS spectrum based on interference concerns voiced by Sirius XM that would have held up the transaction, so $0.22 doesn’t even tell the complete story [...] If Sprint actually paid Clearwire $0.40 MHz-POP for their spectrum it would have yielded a take out price of $8.79 per share to Clearwire equity holders. To be clear we are not arguing that shareholders will hold out for these levels but these are actual comparisons of value.

Piecyk’s argues it’s not clear the deal will get approval from Clearwire’s minority shareholders, but he writes that he’s awaiting further information on the deal from Clearwire’s board.

Today, however, Piecyk updated his post, noting that Dish Network (DISH) has filed a petition with theFederal Communications Commissionagainst the deal:

Dish just made a filing to the FCC to extend the time to file petitions against the Sprint/Softbank deal. Dish made the filing “in light of Monday’s announcement that Sprint proposes to acquire all of the equity of Clearwire.” Among other things, Dish asks in the filing “Did Sprint stagger its acquisition of Clearwire in two steps in an effort to avoid meaningful Commission review?” Click here for filing. In addition, Crest Financial met with the FCC to inform them that they would file a petition to deny the Clearwire transaction.

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SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Clearwire Corporation -- CLWR


December 28, 2012 14:16 | Source: Pomerantz Grossman Hufford Dahlstrom & Gross LLP

NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz Grossman Hufford Dahlstrom & Gross LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Clearwire Corporation ("Clearwire" or the "Company") (ISIN: US18538Q1058) concerning the proposed acquisition of Clearwire Corporation by Sprint Nextel Corporation in a transaction valued at approximately $2.1 billion in cash.

The investigation concerns whether the Clearwire directors are breaching their fiduciary duties by failing to adequately shop the Company and maximize shareholder value. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearwire shareholders will be entitled to receive $2.90 per share in cash for each share of Clearwire common stock. However, the price to revenue multiple for the Company is below comparable transactions, and analysts targeted the price at $3.00 per share or higher.

Clearwire shareholders seeking more information about this acquisition are advised to contact Robert Willoughby at [e-mail] or 212-661-1100 or 888-476-6529, ext. 237.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 75 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of defrauded investors. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

Robert Willoughby
Pomerantz Grossman Hufford Dahlstrom & Gross LLP
212-661-1100 ext. 237


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BMW cars to get LTE Wi-Fi

BMW offers a new wireless data adapter with LTE speeds for its cars.

by Wayne Cunningham December 31, 2012 10:44 AM PST



BMW's new LTE WiFi hotspot snaps into the cradle dock in the console, giving everyone in the car a fast Internet connection.
(Credit: BMW)

Audi and Ford include WiFi hotspots in some of their models, but BMW maintains its high-performance reputation by offering an accessory for WiFi at LTE data speeds, the first time a car has boasted this type of connectivity.

BMW's LTE adapter snaps into any BMW equipped with a phone cradle dock in the console. Passengers will be able to connect their personal electronics, such as phones and tablets, to the WiFi hotspot and get data at LTE speeds. However, this adapter does not offer any data connection to a car's own dashboard infotainment electronics.

The adapter includes an 8 digit connection code, preventing other drivers from tailgating so as to leach off the hotspot while on the road. It also supports Near Field Communications (NFC), letting people merely hold their compatible devices next to the adapter to initiate the WiFi connection.

Drivers will need to plug a SIM card for an LTE data network into the adapter. In Europe, it is common for a phone company to offer multiple SIM cards for a single account, which might be more difficult to obtain in the U.S. The advantage of making the adapter SIM card-dependent is that it can be used in multiple markets.

The WiFi hardware is actually included in the adapter, not in the car. The adapter comes with a built-in battery, so that it can be used outside of the car for about an hour, according to BMW. An available kit will let owners plug the adapter into a USB port, keeping it powered up. That kit should also make it useful in BMW models without the cradle dock. Its default WiFi range is about three yards, suitable for a car's cabin, but it can be switched to a 10 yard range for more general use.

No pricing or availability has been announced for the U.S.

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... ... Leerverkäufe gingen gestern weiter stark zurück ...

zum 12/14/2012 33,216,450


RIM expands licensing deal with InterDigital to cover 4G LTE tech

The company has extended an existing agreement to cover a crucial element of its next-generation smartphones, due out later this month.

by Roger Cheng January 2, 2013 7:16 AM PST


(Credit: CNET)

Research In Motion and InterDigital have extended an existing patent licensing agreement to cover 4G LTE technology.

Under the deal announced today, RIM will be able to use InterDigital's patents in its upcoming line of BlackBerry 10 products, which are set to debut later this month.

The deal comes just a few weeks after RIM settled a patent dispute with Nokia. In that case, RIM agreed to a one-time payment to Nokia and ongoing royalties for the use of its technology.

RIM is clearing the decks of any complications as it focuses on what is possibly the most important product launch in the company's history. The success or failure of the first wave of BlackBerry 10 smartphones will go a long way toward determining whether RIM still has a place in the mobile game.

Having 4G LTE is necessary in any standard smartphone nowadays, and RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has admitted in the past that one of his company's missteps has been its slow move toward adding 4G to its products. It's a safe bet that the coming round of BlackBerrys will have 4G LTE access.
InterDigital, a wireless R&D company based in Philadelphia, sees the agreement as a further validation of its patent portfolio and licensing program.


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RIM lizenziert LTE-Patente von InterDigital

von Stefan Beiersmann am 3. Januar 2013, 08:41 Uhr

Research In Motion hat ein bestehendes Patentabkommen mit InterDigital erweitert. Es umfasst ab sofort auch geistiges Eigentum für den Mobilfunkstandard Long Term Evolution (LTE) sowie die Erweiterung LTE-Advanced. Damit kann das kanadische Unternehmen den Mobilfunkstandard der vierten Generation auch für seine kommenden Blackberry-10-Smartphones verwenden.



Offenbar will RIM vor der Einführung von Blackberry 10 alle möglichen Probleme aus der Welt räumen. Erst kürzlich hatte es seinen Patentstreit mit Nokia beigelegt. Die beiden Firmen einigten sich auf eine Einmalzahlung im vierten Quartal 2012 sowie fortlaufende Gebühren, die RIM an Nokia abführen muss. Der einmalige Pauschalbetrag beläuft sich laut einer Börsenpflichtmeldung von RIM auf 50 Millionen Euro.

Blackberry 10 gilt als RIMs letzte Chance, eine Kehrtwende zu schaffen und an Apple und Android verlorene Unternehmenskunden zurückzugewinnen. Im dritten Fiskalquartal schrumpften RIMs Verkaufszahlen und Einnahmen um rund die Hälfte. Auch das vierte Quartal, das Februar 2013 endet, soll nach Einschätzung des Unternehmens keine deutliche Besserung bringen.

4G LTE wiederum gehört zur Standardausstattung heutiger Smartphones. RIM-CEO Thorsten Heins räumte in der Vergangenheit ein, sein Unternehmen habe zu spät mit der Umstellung seiner Produkte auf 4G begonnen. Von daher ist davon auszugehen, dass die Blackberrys, die RIM Ende Januar der Öffentlichkeit vorstellen wird, LTE unterstützen.

Das in Philadelphia ansässige Unternehmen InterDigital, das sich mit der Entwicklung von Mobilfunktechnologien befasst, sieht durch das Abkommen mit RIM den Wert seines Patentportfolios bestätigt. “Unser 4G-Lizenzprogramm macht gute Fortschritte, und wir erwarten, dass wir weitere 4G-Lizenznehmer hinzufügen können”, wird Lawrence Shay, Executive Vice President von InterDigital, in einer Pressemitteilung zitiert.

[mit Material von Roger Cheng, News.com]

[teecee1]

CES 2013: Corning to showcase Gorilla Glass 3
Press release; Rodney Chan, DIGITIMES [Friday 4 January 2013]

Corning has announced its plans for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. The Corning booth, No. 14813 Central Hall, will highlight the company's newest specialty glass solutions and their benefits for today's consumer electronics device trends.

Corning plans to introduce two new products at CES 2013: Gorilla Glass 3, a new glass composition with durability enhancements; and optical cables by Corning, fiber-based, device-to-device connectivity solutions that significantly extend the data transmission range past the limits of copper-based cables. Full product details will be included in announcements planned for Monday, January 7.

"This year at CES, Corning will demonstrate its industry leadership in specialty glass and fiber optic technologies with the introduction of two products designed to enhance and extend the capabilities of consumers' favorite devices," said Wendell P Weeks, chairman, CEO and president. "These new innovations build on the increasingly important and continually evolving role of highly engineered glass technologies in delivering improved product performance and functionality through touch capabilities, protective cover glass, and device connectivity."

In the Corning booth, experts will be on hand to discuss and present hourly demonstrations of the toughness of Gorilla Glass 3 as well as the connectivity and flexibility of optical cables by Corning. The booth will also showcase the benefits of Gorilla Glass in larger format, multi-touch displays for education, entertainment and other applications.

Additionally, James P Clappin, president, Corning Glass Technologies will be a panelist in the "Disruptive Technologies Impacting the Future of Games and Video" session at 11 am PST on Tuesday, January 8, at LVCC, North Hall N255-257. He will discuss the role of highly specialized glass in some of the latest consumer electronic technologies such as hi-res, 3D, HD video, Internet-connected TVs, conformable displays, tablets and viral apps.


Corning plans to unveil Gorilla Glass 3 at CES 2013
Photo: Company

[teecee1]

AT&T-Forscher erkunden mobiles Zusammenspiel

Telekommunikation: In den letzten 20 Jahren kamen fortlaufend neue, schnellere Mobilfunktechnologien auf den Markt. Doch mit LTE hat dieses Wetteifern seinen vorläufigen Abschluss gefunden. So arbeitet man in den Labors von AT&T und Qualcomm vorwiegend an einer Verbesserung der Services und weiteren Features.

VDI nachrichten, New Jersey, 4. 1. 13, rb

„Wir haben inzwischen aus jeder verfügbaren Frequenz das letzte Bit an Übertragungsleistung herausgequetscht, da ist nichts mehr zu holen“, sagt Qualcomm-Chef Paul Jacobs und macht damit wenig Hoffnungen, dass man schon bald mit relativ einfachen Verbesserungen an einer bestehenden Technologie die Übertragungsleistungen deutlich steigern kann. (...)

http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/artikel/ATundT-Forscher-erkun…


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04.01.2013
"Der Netzausbau ist ein echtes Konjunkturprogramm"

Telekommunikation: Der neue Vodafone-Deutschland-Chef Jens Schulte-Bockum ist sichtlich stolz auf das Engagement seines Unternehmens beim Aufbau neuer breitbandiger Netze. Von der Politik erhofft er sich allerdings mehr Anerkennung für seine Branche. "Deshalb wünsche ich mir auch, dass die sehr singuläre Fokussierung der Politik auf das Thema Energiewende aufhört."

VDI nachrichten Düsseldorf, 4. 1. 13, rb



VDI Nachrichten: Wir schreiben das Jahr 2013. Was wünschen Sie sich in diesem Jahr von der Politik?

Schulte-Bockum: Vor allem wünsche ich mir ein technologie-, innovations- und wettbewerbsfreundliches Klima. Unsere Industrie investiert gewaltig, wir gehen für die Infrastruktur Deutschlands massiv in Vorleistung. Allein bei Vodafone in Deutschland lagen die Investitionen 2012 rund 25 % über dem Vorjahr, das entspricht Mehrinvestitionen von einem dreistelligen Millionenbetrag. Und wir wollen diese Schlagzahl 2013 halten – trotz angespannter Ergebnis- und Umsatzlage in weiten Teilen Europas. Wir fahren zum Beispiel neben dem LTE-Ausbau die größte Modernisierung unserer Netze seit dem Start von D2. Die Telekommunikation ist volkswirtschaftlich zum Drehkreuz für viele andere Industrien geworden. Die Produktivitätsgewinne lassen sich in vielen Branchen nur mithilfe der Telekommunikation erwirtschaften: mobiles Arbeiten, Smart Grids, Automotive, all diese Themen werden mit uns vorangetrieben und werden letztlich massiv zur Stärkung der Exportnation Deutschland beitragen. Wir müssen deshalb zu einem neuen Bewusstsein für diese Industrie kommen, für ihr Potenzial und ihre Chancen. Dazu brauchen wir auch ein neues Verständnis, was Regulierung bewirken kann und soll. Der Zug ist in der Vergangenheit in die falsche Richtung gefahren. Deshalb wünsche ich mir auch, dass die sehr singuläre Fokussierung der Politik auf das Thema Energiewende aufhört. Das ist ohne Zweifel ein wichtiges Thema, aber die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Telekommunikationsindustrie wird nach wie vor gewaltig unterschätzt. Unsere Branche steht heute für genauso viele Arbeitsplätze wie die Automobilindustrie in Deutschland. Diesen Stellenwert muss sie auch sichtbar erhalten.

Wenn Sie sich noch fünf Jahre weiterbeamen könnten, wie sieht es dann in der Telekommunikation aus?

In dieser Industrie sind fünf Jahre eine extrem lange Zeit. Bis dahin wird sehr viel passieren. Das Thema Breitband – sowohl im Mobilfunk als auch im Festnetz – wird ein großes Zukunftsthema bleiben. Das Nutzungsverhalten ändert sich massiv: Immer mehr Menschen sind am mobilen Internet interessiert. Bei den Neukunden haben wir mittlerweile weit über 80 % Smartphone-Kunden, die mobil ins Internet wollen. Der Megatrend geht in Richtung breitbandiger mobiler Endgeräte. In fünf Jahren werden dort fast alle Kunden angekommen sein. In der Netztechnik setzen wir auf LTE. Das ist dann der Netzstandard, so wie es Smartphones bei den Endgeräten sind. Bei UMTS und HSPA fehlte für Kunden immer noch die vollständige Flächendeckung. Die wird es 2018 mit LTE überall in der Republik geben – mit Highspeed-Datendiensten mit 10 Mbit/s und mehr. Der Durchbruch des mobilen Internets, mobilen Lebens und Arbeitens wird 2018 mit LTE erreicht sein.

Bleiben wir doch einen Moment bei LTE. Werden Sie Ihr Netz weiter mit 800 MHz ausbauen?

Ja, das werden wir. Aber zusätzlich bauen wir auch im Bereich von 2,6 GHz aus – das gilt vor allem für die Städte. Damit haben wir bereits angefangen. So werden wir künftig Geschwindigkeiten im Bereich von 100 Mbit/s anbieten können. Aber für uns ist es noch wichtiger, dem Kunden ein flächendeckendes LTE-Erlebnis anzubieten, statt vereinzelter 100-Mbit/s-Zonen. Deshalb bauen wir vor allem im 800-MHz-Bereich weiter aus – und nehmen auch in Kauf, nicht immer überall direkt das Spitzentempo zu erreichen. LTE ist keine Hotspot-, sondern eine Flächentechnologie. Deutschland ist ein Flächenland, deshalb muss die Fläche lückenlos mit LTE und mobilem Internet versorgt werden. Dafür ist das 800er Spektrum perfekt.

Bekomme ich in Düsseldorf schon überall LTE?

http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/artikel/Der-Netzausbau-ist-ei…


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China market: China Telecom likely to adopt FDD LTE
Chloe Yu, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Friday 4 January 2013]

China Telecom, the only CDMA 2000 operator in China, is likely to adopt FDD (frequency division duplexing) LTE as its 4G standard because the company is undertaking FDD LTE tests in Shanghai and Nanjing, eastern China, and Guangdong in southern China, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to release 4G licenses in 2013 and assign a frequency band of 190MHz (2500-2690MHz) for TD-LTE, and two frequency bands of 60MHz each for FDD LTE, the sources said.

China Mobile, the only TD-SCDMA operator in China, has been undertaking TD-LTE trial operation in more than 10 cities and will definitely adopt TD-LTE, the sources indicated. In contrast, China United Network Communications (China Unicom), the only WCDMA operator in China, is expected to choose FDD LTE which is closely related to WCDMA in terms of technology, the sources noted.

[teecee1]

UPDATE 2-Clearwire investor seeks to block sale to Sprint

Fri Jan 4, 2013 4:48pm EST

* Crest Financial to take fight against Sprint deal to FCC

* Crest to argue Sprint deal bad for U.S. taxpayers

* Kansas court says Sprint must face lawsuit by its investors

By Tom Hals

Jan 4 (Reuters) - A large Clearwire Corp shareholder on Friday stepped up its campaign against the planned sale of the wireless service provider to its majority owner, Sprint Nextel Corp, saying it plans to ask the U.S. telecoms regulator to block the deal.

Crest Financial's general counsel also said on a call with reporters that it will ask the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to block Sprint's plan to sell 70 percent of itself to Softbank Corp of Japan for $20 billion.

Going to the FCC is a new line of attack on the Sprint deal by Crest, which has also filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Clearwire investors. Dave Schumacher, Crest's general counsel, said the fund said other minority investors told Crest they did not support the Sprint deal, but he did not provide details.

The investment fund, which owns around 8 percent of Clearwire, has said Sprint's offer of $2.97 share for the roughly 50 percent of Clearwire it does not currently own, "grossly undervalues Clearwire." Sprint's offer is worth about $2.2 billion, but Schumacher said Crest had not done its own valuation and was basing its criticism of the price on estimates by analysts.

In going to the FCC, Crest will argue that the Clearwire deal artificially undervalues the company's spectrum holdings, Schumacher said. That in turn potentially devalues future revenue for the U.S. government when it auctions off spectrum licenses.

"The merger is therefore a bad deal all around for Clearwire shareholders and also for the public at large," said Schumacher.

Sprint spokesman Scott Sloat said the deal with Clearwire was the right one for Sprint, Clearwire and American consumers. He said the class action lawsuit was baseless.

A spokesman for Clearwire, Mike DiGioia, declined to comment on Crest's intention to go to the FCC. He said a special committee of the board conducted a rigorous evaluation of the company's options before agreeing to the Sprint deal.

Clearwire's chief executive, Erik Prusch, has said the company does not have attractive alternatives as it seeks funding to continue to upgrade its own network and could risk bankruptcy if the Sprint deal does not succeed.

Crest has sued Clearwire in the Court of Chancery in Delaware, where the company is incorporated, to permanently block the deal.

The Delaware court will hear arguments next week on Crest's request to expedite the case and Schumacher said Crest hopes to move to a trial in April.

The deal needs approval by a majority of Clearwire's minority shareholders and Sprint has said it has the support of three large Clearwire investors - Comcast Corp, Intel Corp and Bright House Networks LLC - which hold 13 percent of Clearwire stock. Schumacher said the fund would try to prevent the three from voting because of their affiliation with Sprint.

As Clearwire's fight with its shareholders heats up, Sprint has its own shareholders to contend with.

A Kansas court on Friday declined Sprint's request for an early dismissal of a lawsuit by a union pension fund that holds Sprint stock.

The lawsuit alleged that Sprint's chief executive, Daniel Hesse, rushed merger talks with Softbank and did not get a fair price.

The ruling by Thomas Sutherland, the judge for the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, will allow the pension fund to begin to demand documents and witnesses as it tries to prove its case.

Sloat, the Sprint spokesman, said the ruling only addressed the technical adequacy of the pension fund's pleading and did not address the merits of the case. He said Sprint continued to believe the case was without merit.


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MetroPCS Loses Subscribers In Q4; Stock Falls
By Reinhardt Krause, Investor's Business Daily
Posted 10:54 AM ET


MetroPCS Communications (PCS) early Monday said it had a net loss of 93,237 wireless subscribers in the fourth quarter, sending shares down 2% in early trading.

MetroPCS, which agreed in early October to merge with Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY)-owned T-Mobile USA, recorded a net addition of 197,410 wireless users in Q4 2011.

"This is the first time PCS has lost subscribers on a net basis in Q4, which is typically its second strongest quarter behind Q1, and marks the company's third consecutive quarter of net subscriber losses," UBS analyst John Hodulik said in a report. "We believe this underscores the urgency with which the company pursued merger partners before reaching a deal with T-Mobile in October."

The Dallas-based company will report full financial results in early February. MetroPCS said in a press release that it had 8.9 million customers as of Dec. 31, with nearly 25% using its 4G LTE (long-term evolution) network.

MetroPCS' customers do not sign service contracts but buy minutes as needed. Analysts say competition has intensified in the prepaid market, where MetroPCS has competed mainly vs. Sprint Nextel (S) and T-Mobile. Verizon Wireless, co-owned by Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone (VOD), is marketing more aggressively in prepaid services, analysts say.

"Today's pre-announced Q4 2012 subscriber results are well below our expectation of a gain of 63,000 and consensus expectations of 50,000 adds," said Craig Moffett, analyst at Bernstein Research. "The results from MetroPCS suggest that prepaid (growth) may be rapidly deteriorating and competitive intensity is rising."

Moffett added, though, that Deutsche Telekom will not back out of its deal to acquire MetroPCS because it needs radio spectrum. In mid-December, Sprint said it would acquire all of Clearwire (CLWR), putting to rest speculation that it would counterbid for MetroPCS. Some analysts says T-Mobile is a better fit for MetroPCS, as IBD has reported.

Shares in MetroPCS have fallen 25% since the T-Mobile announcement in early October.

[teecee1]

Sprint Selects Samsung and HTC for Windows Phone 8 Launch with Truly Unlimited Sprint 4G LTE

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint and Microsoft Corporation – 20 hours ago


LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) today joined with Microsoft to announce the upcoming availability of Windows Phone 8 smartphones on the Sprint nationwide network. Sprint will bring two initial handsets to customers by summer – one each from Samsung and HTC.

Sprint is the only national carrier with Truly Unlimited℠ 4G LTE data, text and calling to any mobile with no metering, no throttling, and no overages. Sprint will bring the unlimited data experience to Windows Phone 8 with Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM including unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month. This is a savings of $20 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web (excludes taxes and surcharges).

“Sprint has had a strong relationship with Microsoft for many years so we are excited to reinforce our commitment to the Windows 8 platform by sharing the details and timing for our first Windows Phone 8 smartphones,” said Fared Adib, Sprint senior vice president, product development and operations. “These smartphones combine a robust new operating platform with the benefit of Sprint’s unlimited data plans. There is no doubt these phones will quickly become an extension of your PC experience right in the palm of your hand.”

Both the Samsung and HTC smartphones will offer Sprint 3G and 4G LTE and impressive lists of features including dual cameras enabling video chat, dual-core processors for enhanced internal speed between applications and support for expandable external memory. Additional device details, including pricing, will be shared closer to their availability dates.

Windows Phone 8 offers a truly personal phone experience, connecting Sprint customers to the people and information that matters most to them. With a similar look and feel, the same technology core, and the same built-in SkyDrive cloud service, Windows Phone 8 is built to work seamlessly with Windows 8 PCs, Microsoft Surface devices and the Xbox 360 console.

“We’re looking forward to bringing two new Windows Phone 8 devices by Samsung and HTC to market with Sprint this summer, adding to our strong Windows Phone 8 portfolio,” said Terry Myerson, Corporate Vice President of the Windows Phone Division. “These devices, coupled with Sprint’s unlimited 4G LTE data experience, will make it easy for Windows Phone 8 customers to have the most personal smartphone experience possible, wherever they are.”

Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 49 marketsi. Sprint has announced nearly 150 markets that will see an official LTE launch in the coming months. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE. For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

For more information, visit www.sprint.com/windows8.

... ... da stellt sich die Frage ob die das Netz von Clearwire schon als ihr eigen nennen???


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Dish chairman says mobile plans to take time to coalesce

Reuters – 17 hours ago

By Sinead Carew


LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said on Monday it could take months to finalize his plans to enter the wireless industry because of regulatory and technology complications, but his company has no intention of selling spectrum it spent billions acquiring.

The cable service provider received regulatory approval to use its spectrum for wireless services in December. But Dish has still not made clear whether it will build a wireless network on its own, or offer a service in partnership with other companies.

"We have multiple options," Ergen told Reuters after a press conference on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show.

While he would not say whether Dish would prefer to build its own network or enter a partnership, the executive was adamant he does not want to sell the spectrum - something some analysts had speculated might bring in a handsome profit for Dish.

"We don't want to sell the spectrum," he said. "We'd prefer to be in the wireless broadband business and make a difference to consumers."

Ergen said in November that he hoped to be able to announce his wireless plans about a month after the Federal Communications Commission ruled on the spectrum.

But the decision process was complicated by technology restrictions included in the FCC's ruling, and because of merger deals announced separately by potential partners, Sprint Nextel Corp and T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG.

Sprint is seeking approval to sell 70 percent of its shares to Japan's Softbank Corp. T-Mobile USA is looking for approval for a merger with smaller wireless rival MetroPCS Communications Inc.

"Their regulatory issues aren't settled as well," Ergen said of Sprint.

On the technology side, Ergen said Dish still has to work out details with the main global wireless standards-setting organizations before it can start to build its network.

"It's months, but hopefully its not years," Ergen said.

In the meantime, the company will work with its vendors on designing its network, he said.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gary Hill and Chris Gallagher)


... ... dish ist eindeutig zu spät dran sich ein eigenes Netz aufzubauen ... und welches handy- bzw.chipunternehmen lässt sich noch auf eine andere technologie als LTE ein ... ???

... ... aus Wikipedia: Dish Network also plans on offering high-speed internet. The company plans a hybrid satellite/terrestrial mobile broadband service. In 2011, it petitioned the FCC to combine the S-Band spectrum it acquired from DBSD and Terrestar, and combine this spectrum with LTE. Unlike Lightsquared, Dish's spectrum has minimal risk of disrupting Global Positioning Systems.


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08.01.2013 | 13:31

PR Newswire ·
Audi Unveils In-Car 4G LTE Wireless Broadband at 2013 Consumer Electronics Show

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Audi AG today unveiled the 2013 Audi A3 with 4G LTE wireless connectivity powered by the second generation Gobi' multi-mode 3G/4G LTE chipset, the MDM9215, by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. With peak data rates approaching 100 megabits per second, the enhanced "Audi connect" services in the A3 are expected to transform the user experience and provide enhanced features such as an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet radio, Web services and an augmented navigation system that presents street level visual imagery streamed to the vehicle. (...)

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2013-01/25631652…

[teecee1]

Dish Chairman Ergen’s Motives Questioned in Clearwire Bid
By Alex Sherman & Scott Moritz - Jan 9, 2013 10:43 PM GMT+0100


Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Charles Ergen, chairman and co-founder of Dish Network Corp.

Dish Network Corp. (DISH)’s counterbid for Clearwire Corp., which already agreed to a buyout by majority shareholder Sprint (S) Nextel Corp., has analysts wondering about Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen’s motivations.

Dish CEO Says Clearwire Would Aid Mobile Strategy

5:48 >> http://www.bloomberg.com/news//2013-01-08/clearwire-gets-uns… ... ... ausgerechnet Vivitar im Hintergrund ...

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Joseph Clayton, chief executive officer of Dish Network Corp., talks about his company's bid for Clearwire Corp., the wireless-network operator that agreed to be bought out by Sprint Nextel Corp. last month for $2.97 a share. Dish bid $3.30 a share for outstanding stock in the company, which is majority-owned by Sprint, Clearwire said today in a statement. Clayton speaks with Jon Erlichman on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West" from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Source: Bloomberg)

Dish Chairman Ergen’s Motives Questioned in Clearwire Pursuit

Dish, a satellite-television company that’s expanding into the mobile-phone business, already has airwave licenses
that it could use to offer wireless downloads and voice calls. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

The $3.30-a-share offer may disrupt Sprint’s proposal to acquire full control of the wireless network operator’s stock at $2.97 apiece. While it has made no decision to reconsider Sprint’s offer, Clearwire said it plans to talk to Dish and will keep its options open by not drawing on financing offered by Sprint. The Dish bid values Clearwire at about $5 billion.

Dish, a satellite-television company that’s expanding into the mobile-phone business, already has airwave licenses that it could use to offer wireless downloads and voice calls. Ergen’s company has been looking to bring those services to consumers by seeking partners with network equipment and tools, assets that Clearwire doesn’t have and Sprint does.

“It’s hard for me to imagine that what Dish wants is Clearwire,” said Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. “It could be a chess move to get a partnership with Sprint.”

Dish may offer to rescind its Clearwire bid if Sprint agrees to a partnership, Moffett said. It’s also possible that Dish is seeking any way it can to control a wireless company, and Clearwire is the only option, he said.

Shares Climb

Clearwire rose 7.2 percent to $3.13 at the close in New York, signaling that investors expect Clearwire to fetch a higher price than Sprint’s current offer. Dish’s bid was 13 percent above Clearwire (CLWR)’s closing price yesterday of $2.92.

Dish rose 2.4 percent to $36.85. Sprint fell 1.5 percent to $5.88.

As part of the deal, Dish offered to pay about $2.2 billion for 24 percent of Clearwire’s spectrum. The transaction would require Clearwire shareholders to sell at least 25 percent of the stock and wouldn’t be dependent on Sprint’s participation.

“We look forward to working with Clearwire’s Special Committee as it evaluates our proposal,” Tom Cullen, Dish executive vice president of corporate development, said in a separate statement. The Englewood, Colorado-based company declined to comment further, as did Mike DiGioia, a Clearwire spokesman.

A complete takeover of Clearwire would be impossible without cooperation from Sprint, which owns more than 50 percent of the shares. Even so, Clearwire will have to consider the offer, said Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC in New York.

“Ergen made a clearly superior offer and Clearwire’s special committee needs to do their job and evaluate it,” he said.

‘No Way’

Clearwire may not have much choice in the matter. Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kansas, said yesterday it wouldn’t relinquish its rights as a Clearwire shareholder to allow Dish’s bid to be completed. Sprint’s offer is superior to Dish’s, the company said in a statement.

“There’s no way Dish can do it,” said Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics in Dedham, Massachusetts. “They just want to throw a wrench in the deal. So what if they buy a portion of the shares? Sprint still owns the rest.”

Ergen has said he wants more spectrum -- the airwaves that let mobile devices operate -- to compete with AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless in the mobile-phone business. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission approved Dish’s plan to use 40 megahertz of spectrum for mobile voice and data services.

Spectrum ‘Gold’

“It’s just like oil, water, or gold -- you can’t have enough good spectrum,” Dish Chief Executive Officer Joseph Clayton said yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

That ambition has alternately put Ergen at odds with Sprint and in talks to work with the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, which has its own plans to mount a tougher challenge to its larger competitors.

Sprint approached Dish last year about hosting the satellite company’s wireless spectrum on its mobile towers, according to people familiar with the talks. A partnership would allow Dish to put to use its wireless airwaves while splitting the revenue with Sprint, the people said.

At around the same time, Sprint was urging the government to put limits on Dish’s spectrum because of potential interference issues with airwave licenses the government plans to put up for bid this year. The FCC sided with Sprint.

A Clearwire acquisition could also make Dish more appealing as a future target for a larger company seeking spectrum, such as AT&T or DirecTV, Amy Yong, an analyst at Macquarie Securities in New York, said in an interview.

“We’re continuing to analyze and look at multiple different options, and I think that’s what a good company is supposed to do,” Clayton said.

Bold Moves

Ergen has been known to make bold moves that factor in to later negotiations. Dish dropped AMC Networks Inc. from its satellite-TV lineup in July, only to reinstate the network group several months later as part of a settlement in relation to a prior lawsuit.

Dish is willing to spend billions of dollars on wireless as the pay-TV business stagnates, Ergen said in an October interview. The company made a failed attempt in August to buy mobile-phone carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. for about $4 billion, according to company filings.

‘Critical’ Deal

Sprint decided to acquire 100 percent of Clearwire in December after their four-year joint venture struggled to build a nationwide wireless network, leading to billions in losses for Clearwire. Sprint aims to take over Clearwire’s spectrum and use it to enhance its own network. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said last month that the deal was “critical” to turnaround efforts at the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier.

The $2.97-a-share offer had to be approved by Japan’s Softbank Corp., which agreed in October to buy 70 percent of Sprint for about $20 billion. Softbank wouldn’t allow a bid above $2.97 a share, people familiar with the negotiations said last month.

That requirement may now be put to the test if Sprint contemplates raising its bid, Piecyk said.

“We continue to believe that Clearwire was a critical element of Softbank’s interest in Sprint,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]; Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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Clearwire Corporation Provides Transaction Update

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Tue, Jan 8, 2013 5:15 PM EST


BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (CLWR) today announced that it has received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal (the "DISH Proposal") from DISH Network Corporation ("DISH"). The DISH Proposal, as further summarized below, provides for DISH to purchase certain spectrum assets from Clearwire, enter into a commercial agreement with Clearwire, acquire up to all of Clearwire's common stock for $3.30 per share (subject to minimum ownership of at least 25% and granting of certain governance rights) and provide Clearwire with financing on specified terms.

The DISH Proposal is only a preliminary indication of interest and is subject to numerous, material uncertainties and conditions, including the negotiation of multiple contractual arrangements being requested by DISH (some of which, as currently proposed, may not be permitted under the terms of Clearwire's current legal and contractual obligations). It is also subject to regulatory approval.

As previously announced on December 17, 2012, Clearwire has entered into a definitive agreement with Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint") for Sprint to acquire the approximately 50 percent stake in Clearwire it does not already own for $2.97 per share (the "Sprint Agreement"). Clearwire's ability to enter into strategic transactions is significantly limited by its current contractual arrangements, including the Sprint Agreement and its existing Equityholders' Agreement.

The Special Committee of the Clearwire Board of Directors (the "Special Committee") has determined that its fiduciary duties require it to engage with DISH to discuss, negotiate and/or provide information in connection with the DISH Proposal. The Special Committee has not made any determination to change its recommendation of the current Sprint transaction. Consistent with its obligations under the Sprint Agreement, Clearwire has provided Sprint with notice, and the material terms, of the DISH Proposal, and received a response from Sprint that is described below.

DISH had, prior to the announcement of the Sprint Agreement, provided Clearwire with a preliminary indication of interest solely with respect to acquiring certain of Clearwire's spectrum assets, on substantially the same pricing per MHz-POP as the spectrum purchase included in the DISH Proposal described below, and entering into a commercial agreement. Although Clearwire worked with DISH prior to the execution of the Sprint Agreement to improve the overall terms of that proposal, the Special Committee of the Clearwire Board determined that the Sprint transaction was, for a number of reasons, a more-attractive alternative for Clearwire's non-Sprint Class A stockholders than a transaction with DISH at that time and on the terms then-proposed by DISH.

Summary of DISH Proposal

The following is a summary of the material terms of the proposal:

* Spectrum Purchase. DISH would acquire from Clearwire spectrum covering approximately 11.4 billion MHz-POPs ("Spectrum Assets"), representing approximately 24% of Clearwire's total MHz pops of spectrum, for aggregate net cash proceeds to Clearwire of approximately $2.2 billion (the "Spectrum Purchase Price"). The net cash proceeds are prior to any adjustment for potential tax liabilities which are likely to arise from the sale of spectrum assets even after utilizing the existing net operating losses. At DISH's option, Clearwire would also sell or lease up to an additional 2 MHz of Clearwire's spectrum to DISH from a channel that is adjacent to the Spectrum Assets at a price to be calculated in the same manner as the Spectrum Assets.
* Commercial Agreement. Clearwire would, at DISH's request, provide certain commercial services to DISH, including the construction, operation, maintenance, and management of a wireless network covering AWS-4 spectrum and new deployments of 2.5 GHz spectrum.
* Acquisition of Clearwire Shares; Governance. DISH would make an offer to Clearwire's stockholders to purchase up to all of Clearwire's outstanding shares at a price of $3.30 per share in cash. This tender offer would not be dependent on Sprint's participation, but would be subject to a number of conditions, including DISH: (i) acquiring no less than 25% of the fully-diluted shares of Clearwire, (ii) being granted the right to designate Clearwire board members commensurate with its pro forma ownership percentage, (iii) receiving certain minority protections, including the right to approve material changes to Clearwire's organizational documents, change of control and material transactions with related parties (unless these transactions were approved by an independent committee of the Clearwire board and, if over a certain threshold, supported by a written fairness opinion from a nationally recognized investment bank) and (iv) receiving preemptive rights. In addition, the DISH Proposal would require Clearwire to terminate the note purchase agreement under which Sprint has agreed to provide interim financing to Clearwire and is conditional upon the consummation of the spectrum purchase and Clearwire being in compliance with the commercial agreement (both as described above).
* Spectrum Purchase Price Funding. DISH would pre-fund the Spectrum Purchase Price within three business days of signing through a senior Unsecured PIK Debenture (the "PIK Debenture") bearing PIK interest at a rate of 6% per annum in the event the Spectrum Assets are sold to DISH or 12% per annum otherwise. Clearwire would be obligated to either apply the proceeds of the pre-funding to reduce outstanding long-term debt through the redemption or repurchase of the 2015 Senior Secured Notes and 2016 Senior Secured Notes of Clearwire Communications LLC or, in the event that a portion of the Network Build Financing described below is unavailable due to the failure to receive shareholder approval, to use an equivalent portion of the proceeds of the PIK Debenture to fund network build-out costs; in that case, any future make up draws on the Network Build Financing following shareholder approval would be applied to reduce debt as provided in this sentence. If Spectrum Assets are not acquired due to a failure to obtain required regulatory approvals, Clearwire would, within 30 days following termination of the spectrum purchase agreement, repay the PIK Debenture plus interest at 6% per annum. If Clearwire is unable to repay the PIK Debenture during this 30 day period, it would be entitled to convert the principal amount and accrued interest on the PIK Debenture into a note on terms comparable to the 2015 Senior Secured Notes previously repaid, having a maturity of December 1, 2015.
* Network Build Financing. DISH proposes to provide additional capital to fund a portion of Clearwire's network build-out through a credit facility for the purchase of exchangeable notes on substantially similar terms to those which Sprint has agreed to provide, subject to cancellation of the Sprint Financing Agreements (as described below).
* Deal Protections. DISH expects appropriate deal protections, including a 5-day match right, similar to those included in the Sprint Agreement. DISH would match Clearwire's termination rights as provided for in the Sprint transaction (including the possible forgiveness of a portion of the exchangeable notes upon certain termination events).
* Sprint Financing. DISH has indicated that the proposal will be withdrawn if Clearwire draws on the financing under the Sprint Financing Agreements.

In connection with the Sprint Agreement, Clearwire and Sprint also entered into agreements that provide up to $800 million of additional financing to Clearwire in the form of exchangeable notes, which will be exchangeable under certain conditions for Clearwire common stock at $1.50 per share, subject to adjustment under certain conditions (the "Sprint Financing Agreements"). Under the Sprint Financing Agreements, Sprint has agreed to purchase, at Clearwire's option, $80 million of exchangeable notes per month for up to 10 months beginning on January 2, 2013. The DISH Proposal indicates that it will be withdrawn if Clearwire draws on the financing under the Sprint Financing Agreements. As a result, in order to allow the Special Committee to evaluate the DISH Proposal, at the direction of the Special Committee, Clearwire has revoked its initial draw notice and has not received the first $80 million under the Sprint Financing Agreements. The Special Committee has not made any determination with respect to any future draws under the Sprint Financing Agreements.

Summary of Sprint Response to DISH Proposal

In response to the DISH Proposal, Clearwire has received a letter from Sprint stating, among other things, that Sprint has reviewed the DISH Proposal and believes that it is illusory, inferior to the Sprint transaction and not viable because it cannot be implemented in light of Clearwire's current legal and contractual obligations. Sprint has stated that the Sprint Agreement would prohibit Clearwire from entering into agreements for much of the DISH Proposal. The following is a summary of Sprint's statements in its letter regarding the material terms of the DISH Proposal:

* Spectrum Purchase. Sprint has stated that, under the Sprint Agreement, Clearwire is prohibited from selling the Spectrum Assets without Sprint's consent. In addition, Sprint has stated that Clearwire is further subject to various requirements under its commercial agreements with Sprint and the Equityholders' Agreement applicable to selling Spectrum Assets, even if the Merger Agreement were not in place.
* Commercial Agreement. Sprint has stated that, under the Merger Agreement, Clearwire is prohibited from entering into the commercial agreement proposed by DISH so long as the Merger Agreement is in place.
* Acquisition of Clearwire Shares. Sprint has stated that the DISH Proposal may constitute a change of control under the Equityholders' Agreement, which would require the affirmative vote of 75% of the issued and outstanding shares of Clearwire's stock. Sprint has stated it would not vote in favor of the proposed transaction with DISH.
* Governance. Sprint has stated that (i) it would be impermissible under Clearwire's current Equityholders' Agreement for Clearwire to agree to nominate DISH's designees to the Clearwire Board, (ii) it would be impermissible under the Equityholders' Agreement for Clearwire to create a new independent committee of the Clearwire Board and (iii) under Delaware law, certain governance rights requested by DISH (including the request for proportionate board representation) cannot be granted by Clearwire in a manner that does not require amendment of the certificate of incorporation or consent of Sprint to a shareholder agreement embodying what DISH has requested.
* Funding. Among other arguments, Sprint has stated that the complex financing provisions of the DISH Proposal must also be considered in light of the existing Clearwire contractual arrangements (including debt arrangements) and that it is not clear from Sprint's review that such financing is permitted by or would comply with Clearwire's existing arrangements. In addition, Sprint has stated that Sprint and the other parties to the Equityholders' Agreement would have preemptive rights with respect to any issuance of exchangeable notes by Clearwire as contemplated by the DISH Proposal, and any issuance of such notes may also require Clearwire stockholder approval in accordance with the NASDAQ listing requirements.
* Sprint Financing. Sprint has stated that it is concerned with Clearwire's failure to consummate the January 2 tranche of funding under the Sprint Financing Agreements, that it does not believe Clearwire's initial draw notice was revocable and that it has reserved its rights relating thereto.

Process

The Special Committee will, consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors, continue to evaluate the DISH Proposal and the letter from Sprint and discuss them with each of DISH and Sprint, as appropriate. The Special Committee and Clearwire will pursue the course of action that is in the best interests of Clearwire's non-Sprint Class A stockholders. Neither Clearwire nor the Special Committee has any further comment on this matter at this time.

Evercore Partners is acting as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as counsel to Clearwire. Centerview Partners is acting as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. are acting as counsel to Clearwire's special committee. (...)

... ... na sowas aber auch ...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearwire-corporation-provides…


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January 9, 2013, 12:55 PM
Sprint’s Clearwire Deal and the Shareholder Math on Approval


Deal Journal HOME PAGE »
By David Benoit

One reason Dish Network could stir up some trouble for Sprint’s attempt to buy what it doesn’t own of Clearwire, is that even before Dish’s offer became known Tuesday, Sprint already was facing a nail biter of a merger vote.

Here’s how the shareholder math falls at this point.

Sprint owns just over 50% of Clearwire, and the terms of the merger agreement require that it must get the majority of the minority holders to vote for the deal. That means 26% of all outstanding shares need to be voted for Sprint.

When Sprint and Clearwire signed the deal, they announced that three holders — Comcast, Intel, Bright House Newtorks LLC — had agreed to vote in favor. Those three combined hold about 13%.

That leaves Sprint about 13% short of its threshold.

But the other side may have an even smaller gap to close.

Two large Clearwire shareholders have already voiced their displeasure with Sprint’s offer. Mount Kellett Capital Management, which owns 7.69% of shares, and Crest Financial, which owns 8.3%, have publicly complained about the deal and said it undervalues Clearwire.




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09.01.2013 | 08:28
(146 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Sperrfeuer für Sprint bei Clearwire-Übernahme - Dish legt Gegenofferte vor

Der drittgrößte amerikanische Mobilfunker Sprint Nextel bekommt bei der geplanten Komplettübernahme der Tochter Clearwire Gegenwind. Der TV-Satelliten-Anbieter Dish Networks funkt mit einer Offerte für den Anbieter von drahtlosen Netzwerken dazwischen. Dish will den Clearwire-Aktionären 3,30 Dollar je Anteil bieten, wie die Unternehmen am späten Dienstagabend in Bellevue mitteilten. Das Gebot liegt damit rund elf Prozent über der im Dezember aufgestockten Sprint-Offerte. Der Verwaltungsrat von Clearwire muss sich jetzt mit dem Dish-Gebot befassen. Bisher unterstützt die Führungsspitze den Sprint-Versuch, Clearwire komplett zu übernehmen.

Allerdings gehen Analysten davon aus, dass Dish mit der jetzt vorgelegten Offerte vor allem den Druck auf Clearwire erhöhen will, Teile des Netzes zu verkaufen. Dish hatte bereits vor der Gegenofferte Interesse an einer Übernahme an Teilen von Clearwire gezeigt, um seine Mobilfunk-Aktivitäten auszubauen. Innerhalb der jetzt vorgelegten Offerte bietet Dish für zirka 24 Prozent des Clearwire-Netzes 2,2 Milliarden Dollar in bar. Bei den Aktien würde sich das Unternehmen mit mindestens 25 Prozent zufrieden geben. Eine Komplettübernahme hätte auch kaum eine Chance, da Sprint die Mehrheit hält und mit Clearwire wiederum sein eigenes Angebot an Breitbandnetzen ausbauen will.

Sprint hält bisher etwa 51 Prozent der Anteile und will den Rest für rund 2,2 Milliarden Euro übernehmen. Der Löwenanteil der restlichen Aktien liegt bei einer Reihe von Unternehmen. Daher konnte Sprint die Tochter nicht vollständig kontrollieren. Mit der Übernahme will Sprint ein Breitbandnetz aufbauen, das es es mit den Platzhirschen AT&T und Verizon aufnehmen kann. Verlierer in dem Deal wäre die Deutsche Telekom , deren Tochter T-Mobile USA gerade den Regionalanbieter MetroPCS übernimmt, um das Netz mit zusätzlichen Frequenzen zu verstärken.

Sprint wird seinerseits gerade von der japanischen Softbank übernommen. Die Japaner kaufen für 20,1 Milliarden Dollar ein Paket von etwa 70 Prozent. Mit diesem Milliardenkauf wird Softbank der drittgrößte Mobilfunkanbieter der Welt nach China Mobile und Vodafone . Die Japaner waren als Internetkonzern groß geworden und erst 2006 mit dem Kauf von Vodafone Japan ins Mobilfunkgeschäft eingestiegen. In Japan hatte Softbank einen kleinen Anbieter gekauft und durch zahlreiche kleine Übernahmen zu einem großen Spieler aufgebaut. Ein ähnliches Vorgehen wird den Japanern auch bei Sprint zugetraut./zb/fbr

[teecee1]

KOMMENTAR - SPRINT NEXTEL:
Kampf um die Zukunft

Clearwire, der Verlierer unter den Pionieren im Mobilfunk der vierten Generation, ist ins Zentrum eines Bieterwettstreits gerückt. Mit einer ungefragten Offerte hat der Satellitenbetreiber Dish Network dem Mobilfunkkonzern Sprint Nextel den Fehdehandschuh hingeworfen. Kurz vor Weihnachten sah für Sprint noch alles gut aus. Die Nummer 3 im US-Mobilfunkmarkt hatte für 2,97 Dollar je Aktie den Zuschlag bekommen. Das war zwar gut das Doppelte dessen, was Clearwire zwei Monate zuvor auf die Waage gebracht hatte. Analysten schätzen den Wert des Unternehmens aber weit höher ein.

Clearwire war zuvor beim Versuch, mit der Wimax-Technologie ein nationales Mobilfunknetz der vierten Generation aufzubauen, grandios gescheitert. Die LTE-Technologie hat sich klar durchgesetzt. Allerdings verfügt die Gesellschaft über Mobilfunkfrequenzen im Milliardenwert. Diese sind es, die Clearwire interessant machen, und wegen dieser dürfte sich nun auch Dish eingeschaltet haben.

Dennoch kommt die Offerte unerwartet. Sprint und Clearwire haben bereits eine Vereinbarung zum Zusammenschluss unterzeichnet. Ein konkurrierendes Angebot darf das Clearwire-Management weder empfehlen noch diskutieren. Dazu müsste zunächst die Vereinbarung mit Sprint aufgekündigt werden. Dies käme einem Affront gleich, gehört dem US-Mobilfunkkonzern doch seit langem die Hälfte an Clearwire. Wenn sich das Management dennoch dazu entschließen sollte, käme es zu einer Kampfabstimmung der Aktionäre. Deren Ausgang ist mehr als ungewiss. Sprint hat bereits angekündigt, man habe sich vertraglich abgesichert und werde auf seine Rechte nicht verzichten.

Das ginge auch kaum. Denn der ebenfalls noch nicht abgeschlossene Deal mit dem japanischen Softbank-Konzern hängt auch an der Clearwire-Übernahme. Die Japaner, die eine Zweidrittelmehrheit an Sprint anstreben, brauchen die Frequenzen, um ein Mobilfunknetzwerk der vierten Generation mit aufzubauen. Die sollte Clearwire garantieren. Dish sieht ihre Zukunft derweil ebenfalls im Mobilfunk. Einen Teil der Dish-Satellitenfrequenzen genehmigte die US-Fernmeldeaufsicht FCC im Dezember bereits für den Mobilfunkbetrieb. Bekäme das Unternehmen auch die Frequenzen von Clearwire, verlöre Sprint diese an einen finanzkräftigeren Konkurrenten. Softbank könnte unter diesen Umständen laut Vertrag wieder abspringen. Für Sprint geht es damit um mehr als ein paar Frequenzen. Die Zukunft des Unternehmens steht auf dem Spiel.

(Börsen-Zeitung, 10.1.2013)

Börsen-Zeitung, 10.01.2013, Autor Sebastian Schmid, Nummer 6, Seite 1, 325 Worte


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Gemeinsames europäisches Telekom-Netz in Planung
vom 10.01.2013, 11:18

In Europa könnte es bald zu einer Vereinigung der Telekom-Telefonnetze kommen - das zumindest berichtet die "Financial Times" unter Berufung auf mit der Sache vertraute Personen. Demzufolge seien die Überlegungen eines Zusammenschlusses bei einem privaten Treffen zwischen den Managern der Deutschen Telekom, der France Télécom, der spanischen Telefónica sowie Telecom Italia und dem EU-Wettbewerbskommissar Joaquin Almunia aufgekommen.

In Europa teilen sich eine Vielzahl von Ländern den Markt. Anders ist das in China oder den USA: Hier beherrscht nur eine kleine Anzahl von Konzernen den Markt. Die europäischen Unternehmen möchten durch die Vereinigung wieder den Anschluss an die Konkurrenz in Amerika und Asien finden.

Konsolidierung schon länger gefordert

Wie die "Financial Times" berichtet, rufen Netzbetreiber schon seit Jahren zu einer Konsolidierung innerhalb der Länder auf, da dringend Geld für Investitionen in neue Netze benötigt wird. Almunia hat sich jedoch stets dagegen ausgesprochen. Im Gegenzug signalisierte er aber Offenheit für Zusammenschlüsse über nationale Grenzen hinaus. Eine Konsolidierung innerhalb der Länder sieht er als unmöglich an. Aus der Not der Netzbetreiber, die Kosten zu senken, könnte jedoch ein gemeinsamer europäischer Markt entstehen.

Der Branchenverbandes ETNO bestreitet jedoch einen geplanten europäischen Netz-Zusammenschluss der Telekom-Riesen. Es sollen lediglich Aspekte näherer Kooperationen diskutiert worden sein.

Aktienmärkte reagieren positiv

Bei den Anlegern scheinen die Gerüchte jedoch gefruchtet zu haben. Die Aktie der Deutschen Telekom hat im Dax bis zu 2,5 Prozent zugelegt und ist auf 9,05 Euro gestiegen. Auch die Aktien der anderen europäischen Telekom-Unternehmen sind um bis zu drei Prozent angestiegen.

Kooperationen schon seit 2011

Die Deutsche Telekom und der spanische Anbieter Telefónica waren bereits Anfang 2012 eine Kooperation in Deutschland eingegangen. Telefonica nutzt Teile der Telekom-Netzinfrastrukur. Bis zu 2.000 Mobilfunk-Aggregationspunkte des O2-Netzes werden in den kommenden Jahren von der Telekom über Glasfaser eingebunden.

Auch mit der France Télécom arbeitet die Deutsche Telekom bereits seit dem Jahr 2011 zusammen. Die beiden Unternehmen haben ihre Netze in Polen, Österreich und Rumänien zusammengelegt. Der Grund für die Netz-Vereinigung waren Kosteneinsparungen.


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09.01.2013, aktualisiert 09.01.2013, 17:51 Uhr

US-Mobilfunkmarkt
T-Mobile USA geht mit iPhone auf Kundenfang
von Reuters Quelle: Handelsblatt Online

T-Mobile USA will mit dem Verkauf von Apples iPhone und einer neuen Preisstruktur neue Kunden werben. Doch der Erfolg ist nicht in Stein gemeißelt. Am Ende wird der US-Verbraucher entscheiden.

T-Mobile USA will mit dem Verkauf von Apples iPhone und einer neuen Preisstruktur neue Kunden werben. Doch der Erfolg ist nicht in Stein gemeißelt. Am Ende wird der US-Verbraucher entscheiden.

Die Deutsche Telekom ist in den USA bald eines ihrer größten Handicaps los: Als letzter der vier großen US-Mobilfunkkonzerne beginnt die Tochter T-Mobile USA in rund drei bis vier Monaten mit dem Verkauf von Apples iPhone. Das sagte T-Mobile-USA-Chef John Legere in einem Reuters-Interview auf der Branchenmesse Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Im gleichen Zeitraum will er die bislang branchenweit üblichen Rabatte auf Mobiltelefone im Gegenzug für eine lange Vertragsbindung abschaffen. Damit würde der Telekom-Ableger in den USA eine Vorreiterrolle einnehmen. Ziel ist es, günstigere und flexiblere Tarife anbieten zu können und damit von den größeren Konkurrenten AT&T und Verizon Wireless Kunden zurückzugewinnen.

Der Marktanteil von T-Mobile USA könnte mit dem iPhone und der neuen Preisstruktur um fünf Prozent oder sogar noch stärker steigen, sagte Legere, der das Unternehmen seit knapp vier Monaten führt. Ausgemacht ist der Erfolg aber noch nicht. Knauserige Kunden könnten Experten (...)

http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/it/us-mobilfunkmarkt-t-mobile…

[teecee1]

Clearwire investor loses bid for fast-track trial versus Sprint deal

By Tom Hals
NEW YORK | Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:06pm EST


(Reuters) - A Delaware judge refused to fast-track a shareholder class action lawsuit seeking to block Sprint Nextel Corp's (S.N) deal to buy wireless service company Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O), the investor leading the lawsuit said on Thursday.

The lawsuit by Crest Financial Ltd, Clearwire's largest shareholder after Sprint, accuses Clearwire's board of accepting a low-ball offer of $2.97 a share. Crest's general counsel said last week he hoped for a full trial in April to try to stop the deal.

At a hearing on Thursday, which was closed to the public, Crest asked Delaware Court of Chancery Judge Leo Strine to approve a motion to expedite and to put the case on a schedule for a full trial in the coming months.

Strine denied that motion, but did so with leave for Crest to renew its motion, Crest said. He also left the door open for Crest to pursue damages against Clearwire's board if Crest can prove they breached their duties to shareholders.

"We're encouraged that the court recognized the seriousness and validity of our lawsuit. Crest intends to press forward and seek the significant damages that Clearwire's minority shareholders will suffer because of Sprint's grossly inadequate and coercive offer," Crest said in a statement.

Sprint spokesman Scott Sloat said his company was pleased with the decision. A Clearwire spokesman declined to comment.

Shareholder lawsuits such as Crest's generally do not get to a trial sooner than eight months or a year.

The Court of Chancery in Delaware, where a majority of large U.S. businesses are incorporated, is a busy venue for disputes over merger deals. The court's judges have been reluctant to block takeovers, preferring instead to give shareholders the opportunity to vote on an offer.

On Tuesday, pay TV company Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) topped Sprint's offer with its own, at $3.30 per share. Crest said it was looking forward to getting details about Dish's offer.

(Reporting by Tom Hals. Editing by Andre Grenon and Lisa Shumaker)

[teecee1]

Nokia Siemens Launches 4G LTE Network for U.S. Cellular (USM) (NOK) (SI)

Nokia Siemens Networks -- a joint venture of Nokia Corp (NYSE: NOK) and Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) -- has successfully launched a 4G LTE network for U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM) and its partner, King Street Wireless*, in 11 markets covering select cities in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. Nokia Siemens Networks was selected by U.S. Cellular for the second wave of the 4G LTE network rollout, providing Radio Access Network (RAN) and Mobile Management Entity (MME) technology.

This rollout represents a new mobile broadband and services deployment contract with U.S. Cellular and is a continuation of Nokia Siemens Networks’ excellent relationship with the operator. Previously, Nokia Siemens Networks deployed Evolved Packet Core (EPC)** and Home Subscriber Services (HSS) in the first wave of the 4G LTE rollout. The installation of the 4G LTE core was included in nine separate markets.

“U.S. Cellular is focused on providing the world's best customer experience and delivering industry-leading innovations. We are building on this commitment by rapidly expanding the 4G LTE network, which currently covers 58 percent of our customers and will reach 87 percent of our customers by the end of this year,” said Michael Irizarry, executive vice president and chief technology officer for U.S. Cellular. “Nokia Siemens Networks launched 11 of our markets to help us meet this aggressive timeline and completed the deployment of the core network elements ahead of schedule.”

Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks is providing the 4G LTE access network and expanding the EPC capacity to support U.S. Cellular’s new markets. This includes 4G LTE base stations (eNode Bs), using Nokia Siemens Networks’ award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station, and Mobile Management Entity (MME). The agreement also covers network implementation services as well as hardware and software services.

“Our competency in LTE, flawless execution of the LTE core network elements, and willingness to go above and beyond expectations is why U.S. Cellular entrusted us with the next wave of their LTE network,” said Rick Corker, head of North America at Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our continued strong performance with this strategic customer underscores Nokia Siemens Networks’ commitment to being the mobile broadband specialist – not only in North America but around the world.”

With 77 commercial references in place for the delivery of LTE and 206 WCDMA radio customers, Nokia Siemens Networks is the world’s leading specialist in mobile broadband with more 3G and LTE contracts than any other vendor.**


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CLWR Short Interest

12/31/2012 - 15,811,107
12/14/2012 - 33,216,450

[teecee1]

... ... 3,5 Dollar in Bar + eine Sprint Aktie für eine Clearwire Aktie also Umtausch 1:1 ... Sprint Rating ist bei B+ ...


16.01.2013 | 19:34
(38 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Mount Kellett Sends Third Letter to the Board of Clearwire

NEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Mount Kellett Capital Management LP ("Mount Kellett") today sent a letter to the Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) ("Clearwire") Board of Directors outlining issues related to, among other things, Clearwire's relationship with Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S). Full text of the letter follows:

January 16, 2013

BY EMAIL & FEDEX

Clearwire Corporation
1475 120th Avenue NE
Bellevue, WA 98005
Attn: Special Committee of the Board of Directors

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

As you know from our previous correspondence, Mount Kellett Capital Management LP ("Mount Kellett" or "we") is a multi-strategy private investment firm focused on global value, special situations and opportunistic investing. Mount Kellett and funds and accounts under common control collectively have beneficial ownership in Clearwire Corporation ("Clearwire" or the "Company") of 53.2 million shares, or approximately 3.6%, of the Company's outstanding voting stock (the "Shares"), or approximately 7.3% of the Company' outstanding voting stock not controlled by SprintNextel Corp ("Sprint").

We have of course been carefully monitoring recent developments concerning Clearwire and its proposed acquisition by Sprint, including the Company's announcement on January 8, 2013 that it had received an unsolicited proposal from DISH to acquire Clearwire at a premium to the consideration offered by Sprint, to acquire certain of Clearwire's excess spectrum and to provide financing to Clearwire.

The DISH proposal is further evidence of what has been clear to us for many weeks:

1. The Special Committee, in breach of its fiduciary duties to the minority stockholders of Clearwire, utterly capitulated to Sprint's demand to sell the Company at a grossly inadequate price.
2. The Special Committee and the Board of Directors generally, in breach of their fiduciary duties and despite public assurances to the contrary, failed to conduct a vigorous process for the monetization of the Company's excess spectrum.
3. The Special Committee and the Board of Directors generally, in breach of their fiduciary duties, failed to adequately explore other financing alternatives available to the Company, instead accepting a highly coercive and highly dilutive convertible debt financing from Sprint.

Instead of doing its job, the Special Committee opted for a quick sale to Sprint on the cheap. The result has been massive shareholder dissatisfaction, litigation by a substantial shareholder against the transaction, and the likelihood-perhaps now a certainty-that the Sprint acquisition of Clearwire will be voted down.

In light of these circumstances, it is incumbent on the Special Committee to take its time to thoroughly and thoughtfully evaluate the DISH proposal, including how to address certain obstacles to consummating the proposal asserted by Sprint (such as through a potential reorganization process) and to negotiate for all possible improvements to the proposal. The Special Committee should refrain from compounding the harm to minority stockholders that results from its previous mistakes and avoid taking any hasty actions that would jeopardize the opportunity of minority stockholders to realize substantially higher value for their Shares or that would permit a transaction between Sprint and DISH that does not result in a substantial improvement in the consideration to be paid to minority stockholders by Sprint.

We are available, as always, to discuss issues relevant to Clearwire at your convenience.

Very truly yours,

MOUNT KELLETT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP

By:______________________
Name: Jonathan Fiorello
Title: Chief Operating Officer

About Mount Kellett Capital Management LP

Mount Kellett is a multi-strategy private investment firm focused on global value, special situations and opportunistic investing. The firm has approximately 115 employees with offices in New York, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, and Mumbai. The firm currently has in excess of $7 billion in assets under management.

SOURCE Mount Kellett Capital Management LP

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Mount Kellett urges Clearwire to push for better deal

Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:42pm EST

(Reuters) - Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) shareholder Mount Kellett complained that Sprint Nextel Corp's (S.N) offer to buy out the company was "grossly inadequate" and said Clearwire's special committee had breached its fiduciary duties in accepting the offer.

Mount Kellett, a holder of roughly 7.3 percent of Clearwire's public shares, also said in an open letter to Clearwire on Wednesday that Sprint's December 17 bid for $2.2 billion, or $2.97 per share, would likely be voted down.

Sprint, which already owns just over 50 percent of Clearwire shares, needs approval from a majority of Clearwire's minority shareholders for the proposed buy-out to succeed.

The deal has also been publicly rejected by another shareholder Crest Financial, which holds roughly 8.34 percent of Clearwire's public shares.

Mount Kellett, an investment firm with about $7 billion under management, urged Clearwire's special committee to negotiate for improvements in an offer Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) announced on January 8 to buy Clearwire for $2.3 billion, or $3.30 per share, and said the Dish offer provided "further evidence" the committee had failed in its duty to shareholders.

Both Sprint and Clearwire declined to comment on the letter.

As part of their deal, Sprint plans to provide Clearwire with up to $800 million of financing, which would be exchangeable for Clearwire common stock at $1.50 per share, with the purchase of $80 million of exchangeable notes per month for up to 10 months beginning in January.

Clearwire did not draw on the initial $80 million financing because it said its special committee was reviewing the Dish offer, which precluded it from drawing on the financing.

But the investor criticized Clearwire's special committee for agreeing to the Sprint financing in the first place and accused it of failing to "adequately explore other financing alternatives" to the Sprint offer, which it described as "highly coercive and highly dilutive."

Sprint last week responded to the Dish offer by saying that it was not viable because of certain conditions required by the satellite television.

Mount Kellett urged the Clearwire committee to thoroughly evaluate the Dish proposal "including how to address certain obstacles to consummating the proposal asserted by Sprint."

Clearwire shares closed down 4 cents, or more than 1 percent, at $3.14 on Nasdaq and Sprint shares finished off 9 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $5.53 on the New York Stock Exchange after the shareholder letter was made public.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Gunna Dickson and M.D. Golan)


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Sprint Adding 4G LTE to 28 Additional Cities in Coming Months

Power data users in several cities will soon enjoy a 4G LTE experience with the only truly unlimited 4G LTE plans from a national carrier

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 21 hours ago


OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Continuing its push to deliver an enhanced top-tier network experience for customers, Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today that its 4G LTE network build is progressing in 28 additional cities within its nationwide 3G footprint. The deployment is part of Sprint’s Network Vision strategy, a plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one new, seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers across the United States.

Work has begun on the 4G LTE network in the following additional areas

* Albany, GA
* Anderson, SC
* Bay City, MI
* Branson, MO
* Bremerton/Silverdale, WA
* Columbus, GA
* Columbus, MS
* Decatur, AL
* Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL
* Gadsden, AL
* Gaffney, SC
* Gettysburg, PA
* Glasgow, KY
* Homosassa Springs, FL
* Hot Springs, AR
* Lake City, FL
* Lake Havasu City/Kingman, AZ
* Midland, MI
* Nacogdoches, TX
* Opelousas/Eunice, LA
* Oxford, MS
* Paris, TX
* Pittsfield, MA
* Saginaw, MI
* Spartanburg, SC
* The Villages, FL
* Waycross, GA
* Winona, MN

[teecee1]

Originally published January 17, 2013 at 1:54 PM | Page modified January 17, 2013 at 1:56 PM

Clearwire investor Taran adds pressure on Sprint to raise bid

Clearwire shareholder Taran Asset Management is joining the chorus of investors asking Sprint Nextel to raise its bid for Clearwire after a counteroffer from Dish Network

By Scott Moritz and Alex Sherman


NEW YORK — Clearwire shareholder Taran Asset Management is joining the chorus of investors asking Sprint Nextel to raise its bid for wireless-network operator Clearwire after a counteroffer from Dish Network.

The financial firm plans to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, arguing that Bellevue-based Clearwire is worth more than what Sprint is offering, said Chris Gleason, a principal at New York-based Taran.

“Sprint has the ability to get the deal done if they increase their offer,” he said in an interview. “To pretend they don’t have to raise their bid is silly.”

Sprint, which already owns just over 50 percent of Clearwire, is attempting to buy the rest of the shares for $2.97 apiece. After Clearwire’s board agreed to the terms last month, Dish moved in with a $3.30-a- share offer. Sprint has argued that its bid is superior because it’s simpler and carries fewer conditions.

Taran, which Gleason said owns 3 million shares of Clearwire, is the latest investor to join the rallying cry for a higher bid. Crest Financial, a Houston-based firm, asked the FCC to block the deal because it undervalues Clearwire’s spectrum — the airwaves that let mobile devices connect to wireless networks. New York-based Mount Kellett Capital Management, meanwhile, sent a letter Wednesday to Clearwire’s board asking them to consider Dish’s offer.

“Sprint controls the show, and they could eliminate Dish’s involvement if they picked off some investors,” said Walt Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG in New York. “But that would involve increasing their bid.”

Dish, the second-largest U.S. satellite-television provider, is making the bid as part of an expansion into mobile-phone service. The complex transaction would require Clearwire shareholders to sell at least 25 percent of the stock and wouldn’t be dependent on Sprint’s participation.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, has said the matter is in the hands of the Clearwire special committee, which has accepted Sprint’s offer.

“We believe our offer is superior to Dish’s,” said Bill White, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint. “Dish has made a highly conditional proposal, so it’s not even possible to make a counteroffer to that.”

Dish, founded by billionaire Charlie Ergen, asked regulators Thursday to pause their review of a separate transaction — Softbank’s $20 billion investment in Sprint.

Sprint’s acquisition strategy depends on the cash infusion, and the Clearwire takeover is conditional on the deal with Tokyo-based Softbank going through. Dish, based in Englewood, Colo., said the FCC should wait until the Clearwire situation evolves before acting.

Clearwire has made no decision on reconsidering Sprint’s offer, according to a statement last week. Clearwire said it plans to talk to Dish and will keep its options open by not drawing on financing offered by Sprint.

Sprint agreed to acquire 100 percent of its network partner Clearwire in December, two months after its deal with Softbank. The joint venture had struggled to build a nationwide wireless network over the past four years, leading to billions in losses for Clearwire.

Sprint plans to take over Clearwire’s spectrum and use it to enhance its own network. Sprint Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said last month that the deal was “critical” to turnaround efforts at the carrier.

Clearwire’s airwaves would be a prized possession for Sprint and Softbank, especially since it matches the spectrum Softbank already owns in Japan, Piecyk said. If Sprint does nothing, the company’s Clearwire takeover may not win a shareholder vote, he said.

“If Sprint loses, they hurt their chances to buy Clearwire, and it opens up the door for Ergen to grab a big chunk of spectrum,” he said.


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Clearwire Investor Taran Seeks Higher Bid
By Scott Moritz & Alex Sherman - Jan 18, 2013 4:06 PM GMT+0100

More Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) shareholders have joined the chorus of investors asking Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) to raise its bid for the wireless-network operator after a counteroffer from Dish Network Corp. (DISH)

Glenview Capital Management, which owns about 28 million Class A shares, plans to reject Sprint’s current offer, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. Taran Asset Management, another Clearwire investor, will file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, arguing that Clearwire is worth more than Sprint’s bid, said Chris Gleason, a principal at the New York-based firm.

“Sprint has the ability to get the deal done if they increase their offer,” Gleason, whose firm owns 3 million shares of Clearwire, said in an interview. “To pretend they don’t have to raise their bid is silly.”

Sprint, which already owns just over 50 percent of Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire, is attempting to buy the rest of the shares for $2.97 apiece. After Clearwire’s board agreed to the terms last month, Dish moved in with a $3.30-a- share offer. Sprint has argued that its bid is superior because it’s simpler and carries fewer conditions.

Even so, Sprint will need to increase the bid to persuade Clearwire investors to walk away from Dish’s offer, said the person familiar with Glenview’s thinking, who asked not to be named because the firm’s decision isn’t public.

Spectrum Value

The shareholders are the latest investors to join the rallying cry for a higher bid. Crest Financial Ltd., a Houston- based firm, asked the FCC to block the deal because it undervalues Clearwire’s spectrum -- the airwaves that let mobile devices connect to wireless networks. New York-based Mount Kellett Capital Management LP, meanwhile, sent a letter this week to Clearwire’s board asking them to consider Dish’s offer.

Mount Kellett has said it holds 53.2 million shares, or about 3.6 percent of the outstanding stock. Crest Financial owns 45.8 million shares, according to a Nov. 6 letter. There are 691 million Class A shares outstanding.

Clearwire shares rose 0.3 percent to $3.15 at 10:04 a.m. in New York trading. The current price signals that investors expect a bid to go higher than Sprint’s $2.97 offer. Sprint was unchanged at $5.63.

“Sprint controls the show, and they could eliminate Dish’s involvement if they picked off some investors,” said Walt Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC in New York. “But that would involve increasing their bid.”

Dish’s Strategy

Dish, the second-largest U.S. satellite-television provider, is making the bid as part of an expansion into mobile- phone service. Its proposal would require Clearwire shareholders to sell at least 25 percent of the stock and wouldn’t be dependent on Sprint’s participation.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, has said the matter is in the hands of the Clearwire special committee, which has accepted Sprint’s offer.

“We believe our offer is superior to Dish’s,” said Bill White, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint. “Dish has made a highly conditional proposal, so it’s not even possible to make a counteroffer to that.”

Dish, founded by billionaire Charlie Ergen, asked regulators yesterday to pause their review of a separate transaction -- Softbank Corp. (9984)’s $20 billion investment in Sprint.

Wait and See?

Sprint’s acquisition strategy depends on the cash infusion, and the Clearwire takeover is conditional on the deal with Tokyo-based Softbank going through. Dish, based in Englewood, Colorado, said the FCC should wait until the Clearwire situation evolves before acting.

Clearwire has made no decision on reconsidering Sprint’s offer, according to a statement last week. Clearwire said it plans to talk to Dish and will keep its options open by not drawing on financing offered by Sprint.

Sprint agreed to acquire 100 percent of its network partner Clearwire in December, two months after its deal with Softbank. The joint venture had struggled to build a nationwide wireless network over the past four years, leading to billions in losses for Clearwire.

Sprint plans to take over Clearwire’s spectrum and use it to enhance its own network. Sprint Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said last month that the deal was “critical” to turnaround efforts at the carrier.

Clearwire’s airwaves would be a prized possession for Sprint and Softbank, especially since it matches the spectrum Softbank already owns in Japan, Piecyk said. If Sprint does nothing, the company’s Clearwire takeover may not win a shareholder vote, he said.

“If Sprint loses, they hurt their chances to buy Clearwire, and it opens up the door for Ergen to grab a big chunk of spectrum,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

... ... die letzten Tage für Videoverleih ... ab 2015 nur noch per (mobil) streaming ...


Jan 21, 2013, 5:54pm MST Updated: Jan 22, 2013, 8:00am MST
Dish plans closure of 300 more Blockbuster stores


Jin Lee/Bloomberg

Staff Denver Business Journal

Dish Network Corp., which owns the Blockbuster chain of video rental stores, plans to close an additional 300 locations over the next few weeks on top of hundreds closed previously, according to news reports Monday. (...)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/01/21/dish-plans…


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22.01.2013 | 15:37
(44 Leser)

BörseGo ·
AT&T übernimmt Mobilfunkgeschäft von Atlantic Tele-Network

Dallas (BoerseGo.de) - AT&T übernimmt das Wireless-Geschäft von Atlantic Tele-Network für 780 Millionen US-Dollar in bar. Wie der US-Mobilfunkanbieter am Dienstag mitteilte, beinhaltet die Akquisition Lizenzen, das Leitungs- und Filialnetz sowie rund 585.000 Kunden.

Atlantic Tele-Network deckt mit seinem Mobilfunknetz ländliche Gegenden von Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio und South Carolina mit 4,6 Millionen Einwohnern ab. Die Transaktion soll in der zweiten Jahreshälfte 2013 abgeschlossen werden.

(© BörseGo AG 2013 - Autor: Tomke Hansmann)


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... ... 1333 Dollar pro Kunde und etc. ...


AT&T To Acquire Alltel Network Assets, Retail Business, And Subscribers For $780 Million

Chris Velazco
posted 51 mins ago



As Verizon’s brass is busy discussing the company’s recent earnings release, AT&T and the little-known Atlantic Tele-Network Incorporated have just gone and stolen some of their thunder. The two companies have just announced that they have inked a deal that will see AT&T acquire ATNI’s rural Alltel wireless business for a grand total of $780 million.

And what exactly will AT&T be getting in exchange for all the money? According to the release, the shopping list includes “wireless properties, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and approximately 585,000 subscribers.” Those of you hoping for improved LTE coverage in Manhattan will likely be disappointed by the results of this acquisition — Alltel currently only operates in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina, so there’s little reason for anyone outside of those states to celebrate. The Alltel business had $350 million in revenue in the first nine months of 2012, generating operating income of about $34 million.

The situation may be a little confusing to those that have been following the growth and decline of wireless carriers in the U.S. (it’s surprisingly riveting stuff), especially because of how Alltel has already been picked apart by another major telco in recent years. Alltel provided wireless access for 34 states before Verizon swooped in and acquired the regional carrier for $28.1 billion back in 2008. Curiously, Verizon effectively had to ditch 105 Alltel’s service markets as part of that deal, prompting rival AT&T to make a move of its own and snap up 79 of them. The remaining 26 were acquired by Atlantic Tele-Network which has been keeping the service alive under the Alltel name and will continue to do so until the FCC gives this transaction its blessing (expected to happen sometime later this year).


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22.01.2013 | 06:03
(60 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
AT&T Delivers New Network Solutions for Global Companies Expanding Business in China

DALLAS, Jan. 22,2013 /PRNewswire/ --AT&T* today announced that it is turning up its network solutions for global companies looking to expand operations in China by delivering the enhanced network capabilities needed to improve communications between China, the United States and the rest of the world. (...)

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2013-01/25752522…


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... ... mein Bauchgefühl sagt mir das Softbank evtl. Sprint komplett übernehmen will ...

http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nyse/sprint-nextel-corp/s/…

[teecee1]

Is New Cellular Spectrum Coming Soon? a Wall Street Transcript Interview with Christopher C. King, Award Winning Senior Telecom and Cable Services Analyst and Director at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.

Wall Street Transcript – 14 minutes ago

67 WALL STREET, New York - January 22, 2013 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Wireless Communications & Telecom Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. The full issue is available by calling [phone] or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Global Wireless Spectrum Allocation - Telco Dividend Yields - Smartphone Operating Systems - Mobile Trends in Emerging Markets

Companies include: America Movil S.A.B. de C.V. (AMX), AT&T, Inc. (T), Atlantic Tele-Network Inc. (ATNI), Centurytel, Inc. (CTL), Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), Fairpoint Communications, Inc. (FRP), Frontier Communications Corpor (FTR), Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA), NII Holdings Inc. (NIHD), Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), Vivo Participacoes S.A. (VIV), Telephone & Data Systems Inc. (TDS), TIM Participacoes SA (TSU), Time Warner Inc. (TWX), United States Cellular Corp. (USM), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), Windstream Corporation (WIN), Dish Network Corp. (DISH), MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), Leap Wireless International In (LEAP)

In the following excerpt from the Wireless Communications & Telecom Report, an award winning telecommunications analyst discusses the outlook for the sector for investors:

TWST: You commented on the situation with Sprint attempting to buy Clearwire. What is that story, and why is it important?

Mr. King: That situation is still ongoing. Dish (DISH) has made an offer as well for Clearwire (CLWR). Sprint (S) currently has the majority ownership stake in Clearwire, so they are essentially trying to buy up the remaining portion that they do not already own. A lot of this effort is connected with SoftBank (TYO:9984) buying Sprint.

Right now, Sprint has an offer on the table of $2.97 to buy Clearwire. Dish is offering about $3.30 per share for Clearwire, but essentially they need Sprint's approval to move forward with the offer the way it's being presented, which Sprint clearly is not going to do. So right now, we expect Sprint's offer to go through and that deal should close sometime midyear or so.

TWST: What makes Clearwire attractive to both Sprint and Dish?

Mr. King: The reason Clearwire is attractive is its spectrum position. Clearwire has a lot of spectrum in the 2.5 gigahertz spectrum bands. That is what makes Clearwire valuable. Quite honestly, it is the only thing that makes Clearwire valuable.

TWST: Is part of that value because of limited spectrum? Are we going to see more spectrum become available, or is it pretty much tapped out?

Mr. King: More spectrum will become available eventually. The FCC is trying to cull back spectrum from the broadcasters, for example, to auction that off at some point.

TWST: Is there anybody besides Clearwire who owns spectrum that the providers are looking to purchase?

Mr. King: In December, the FCC granted Dish use of their spectrum for terrestrial purposes. As a result, Dish is sitting on a significant trunk of spectrum that isn't being used right now. It will be interesting to see...

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling [phone] or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.


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January 22, 2013, 12:51 PM

Clearwire Holder Turns Sprint’s Own Language Against it in FCC Filing

By David Benoit

One Clearwire shareholder wants Sprint to eat its own words.



Sprint’s offer to acquire the half of Clearwire it doesn’t already own hasn’t exactly excited the rest of Clearwire’s shareholders, and now one is turning to the FCC to block the deal.

Taran Asset Management filed a petitions withe FCC asking the regulator to deny the deal under the auspices that Sprint’s acquisition “is not in the public interest.” In making its argument, Taran uses language Sprint may find familiar: It quotes Sprint’s filings with the FCC to block AT&T’s deal to buy T-Mobile.

“The proposed transaction would turn back the clock on competition and innovation and bring this era of unprecedented wireless expansion and technological innovation to an abrupt, but avoidable, halt.”

Taran notes in its filing that the language was “dramatic for effect” but it “adequately describes the threat this transaction poses to the high-speed wireless broadband future of the United States.”

The firm says the FCC should “at a minimum” wait for the bidding process and shareholder vote to conclude before even launching a review.

A spokesman for Sprint wasn’t immediately available for comment. Clearwire declined to comment Tuesday.

Last week Dish Network, which has lobbed a competing offer for Clearwire, asked the FCC to allow more time for a review of Sprint’s sale to Softbank.

Taran is only the latest Clearwire shareholder to voice an objection to the deal, which requires approval from half of the non-Sprint holders.

Reuters this weekend reported that up to 29% of minority shares expect to vote against the deal. That would not be enough to reject the deal, but would be a considerable amount of no votes.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.050.861 von teecee1 am 22.01.13 20:09:51

Jan 22, 2013, 2:53pm CST
Dish may be after both Clearwire and Sprint

Jim Patterson

Alyson Raletz
Reporter- Kansas City Business Journal

Dish Network Corp.’s bid for Clearwire Corp. isn’t a last-minute attempt to botch Sprint Nextel Corp.’s acquisition of Clearwire — Dish probably is interested in both companies, a former Sprint executive said.

Overland Park-based Sprint (NYSE: S) has plenty of cell towers. Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) is rich in wireless spectrum, which are airwaves that help carriers meet data traffic demands from tablets and smartphones.

And Dish (Nasdaq: DISH) needs both to build its new wireless network, Jim Patterson, a former president of Sprint wholesale services, said Tuesday.

The wireless industry has speculated that Dish’s January offer for Clearwire and its spectrum was a play for negotiation leverage with Sprint, which had struck an acquisition deal with Clearwire in December.

Sprint also is rumored to be in revenue-sharing talks with Dish.

Complicating matters is Sprint’s deal with Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp., which plans to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint for $20.1 billion.

Patterson is a guest contributor for telecommunications industry news website RCR Wireless.

In a private note to industry colleagues earlier this week, Patterson said Dish’s long-term value depends on a wireless partner like Clearwire. Clearwire could help Dish generate a return on its $3.9 billion investment on spectrum slated for the new wireless network, he said.

But Sprint has the tower backbone and infrastructure Dish also needs to launch its network quickly, Patterson said in an interview Tuesday.

“Is it possible to strike a deal between these fiercely independent and self-reliant companies?” Patterson said. “I don’t know. All three companies, Sprint, Dish and SoftBank, have a reputation for maverick leadership.”


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Verizon Positioned for 4G Explosion

By Tim Brugger |
January 22, 2013 |

At first glance, the recent earnings release from Verizon (NYSE: VZ ) was hardly awe-inspiring. In fact, for Verizon shareholders, it was downright depressing. Earnings, even after stripping out pension costs, the impact of Hurricane Sandy, and a few other one-time charges, took it on the chin compared to Q4 of 2011. (...)

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/01/22/verizon-pos…

The silver lining

Just shy of 10 million new smartphones were activated by Verizon in Q4, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. But what really jumps out from the announcement were the 7.3 million 4G device sales in the quarter. Why? Because 4G isn't some nebulous, high-speed data service mobile users aspire to. Its future is now, and Verizon is perfectly positioned to take advantage of what one study suggests will be a mammoth shift to the upgraded network.

Nearly half of all Verizon's data traffic is on its industry-leading 4G network. And with 476 markets now primed for 4G, nearly 90% of the domestic wireless market has access to the higher speeds, and greater bandwidth, of Verizon's network. With just over 100 4G markets, AT&T is a distant second in this critical area, and Sprint is barely in the discussion, though it is working desperately to expand its smallish 4G footprint.

This is where things begin to get interesting for all carriers, but for Verizon, in particular, because of its huge lead in 4G coverage. According to a recent study conducted by IHS, the number of 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) users will continue to grow exponentially over the next several years.

As per IHS, in 2010 when 4G was initially introduced, there were a mere 612,000 4G guinea pigs. By 2012, about 100 million consumers accessed their mobile devices using the faster network, and that number's expected to grow to 1 billion by 2016.

Verizon isn't just the biggest 4G network carrier, either -- it's also the best. According to a couple of recent user tests, one conducted by Consumer Reports and the other by laptopmag.com, Verizon handily beat AT&T and Sprint in speed, throughput, and file download times.

From here

At $189 billion in market cap, AT&T remains the biggest carrier, by a wide margin. With a tidy $20 billion from Softbank, including $8 billion added to its balance sheet, Sprint hopes to once again become a relevant player. But irrespective of AT&T's size, or Sprint's newfound financial stability, there's only one game that really matters in wireless, and that's 4G LTE.

With trailing earnings ratios around 40, both Verizon and AT&T are priced similarly, and each pays shareholders about a 5% dividend yield. Sprint needs to generate actual earnings before accurate comparisons can be made, and Softbank is certainly hoping that's sooner rather than later. But for now, it boils down to Verizon or AT&T. So what's an investor to do?

As a rule, telecom is a highly leveraged industry, as AT&T's $60 billion in long-term debt, and Verizon's $46 billion, will attest. Borrowing is often done to purchase assets -- spectrum, towers, and the like -- so measuring the return on those investments is huge in telecom, and Verizon absolutely obliterates its competition in these key areas. The company's return on assets and return on investment metrics are three and four times better than AT&T's, respectively.

The financials are good, but for investors the numbers pale in comparison to where Verizon really shines: 4G.

Both Verizon and AT&T offer yield-hungry investors a nice dividend yield, but they're not the only companies sharing the wealth with shareholders. If you're looking for some long-term investing ideas, read the Fool's brand-new special report: "The 3 Dow Stocks Dividend Investors Need." It's absolutely free, so just click here and get your copy today.


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LTE users to hit 1 billion by 2016, says report

The number of global 4G LTE wireless subscribers has skyrocketed from thousands to millions in just three years, and research firm iSuppli predicts that rate of growth will only speed up.

by Dara Kerr
January 22, 2013 8:19 PM PST



The rise in worldwide subscribers on 4G LTE has far exceeded expectations. In just three years since its nascent beginnings, the mobile technology has skyrocketed -- going from 600,000 users in 2010 to nearly 100 million subscribers in 2012.

Now, in a new report, market research firm IHS iSuppli is projecting that global users will double in 2013 and that by 2016 LTE will claim more than 1 billion subscribers.

"With LTE emerging as a true global technology standard, its ecosystem now faces both challenges and opportunities," iSuppli's senior analyst for wireless communications, Wayne Lam, said in a statement. "Rapid adoption will drive design innovations, particularly in smartphones, but issues like spectrum fragmentation will also remain an overhang for the LTE industry that requires attention. Overall, however, the LTE space will be less worried about rifts or divisions in technology, and more concerned with laying the foundation for sustained growth across the entire LTE landscape."

In 2010, analysts projected that LTE would reach 300 million users by 2015. But at the rate wireless technology is now proliferating, iSuppli believes it could reach this many people by 2014. Just in the last year LTE subscribers jumped 599 percent from 13.2 million subscribers in 2011 to 92.3 million in 2012. It's projected that LTE users will reach 198.1 million by the end of 2013.

As smartphone technology and apps become increasingly more comprehensive and dependent on faster delivery, wireless infrastructure has to keep up. This has proven difficult in some aspects, according to iSuppli. For example, while 3G registered on just a few spectrums, LTE has registered more than 40 different frequency spectrums so far. So, even though subscribers are multiplying, kinks still need to be ironed out.


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LTE wächst rasant

Die 4. Generation der Mobilfunk-Technologien erlebt ein weiteres gewaltiges Wachstum des schnellen LTE-Standards: Allein im Jahre 2013 soll sich die Nutzerzahl weltweit von 92.3 Millionen (Ende 2012) auf 198,1 Millionen (Ende 2013) mehr als verdoppeln - so die Marktforscher von IHS iSuppli. Und die Zuwachsraten setzen sich fort.


Die LTE-Nutzerzahlen weltweit von 2013 bis 2016: gewaltige Zuwachsraten.
IHS iSuppli

LTE als Mobilfunk-Standard steht weltweit vor einem ungebremsten Wachstum: Im Jahre 2012 nutzten rund 92 Millionen Anwender weltweit den LTE-Standard, 2013 werden es bereits 198 Millionen sein, und bis zum Jahre 2016 erwartet man weltweit rund 1 Milliarde LTE-Anschlüsse (siehe Grafik). Das entspricht insgesamt einem über 5 Jahre gemittelten jährlichen Wachstum von 139 Prozent, so die Marktforscher von IHS iSuppli.

Das Wachstum rekrutiert sich hauptsächlich aus dem Smartphone-Markt, der mehr und mehr LTE als schnelle Übertragungstechnologie nutzt.

Es ergeben sich auch neue Anwendungen, vor allem durch die kurzen Latenzzeiten in dieser Übertragungstechnologie: Video-Streaming, Videokonferenzen, Voice over IP in Kombination mit anderen terrestrischen Netztechnologien, Echtzeit-Regelungs- und Steuerungsaufgaben sowie Multiplayer-Spiele-Applikationen. Zu beachten werden in Zukunft auch die weiter steigenden M2M-Anwendungen (Machine-to-Machine-Communication) sein.

[teecee1]

"Vertraulich"
Google arbeitet an experimentellem LTE-Funknetzwerk

Datum: 24.1.2013, 13:30
Autor: Achim Sawall

Google startet ein experimentelles Funknetzwerk, das eine sehr hohe Datenübertragungsrate ermöglichen sollte. Fast alles Weitere ist noch geheim.

Google will sich bei der US-Behörde Federal Communications Commission (FCC) den Betrieb eines experimentellen Funknetzes genehmigen lassen. Angaben über die Hersteller der Funknetzkomponenten und die Endgeräte werden mit der Begründung, dass diese Informationen "vertraulich" seien, nicht gemacht.

Google will das Mobilfunknetzwerk in der Konzernzentrale im kalifornischen Mountain View einrichten. Betrieben werden 50 Basisstationen im Abstand von 100 bis 200 Metern und 500 und 1.000 Metern in einem Radius von 3,22 Kilometern. "Ein sehr dichtes Netzwerk, das eine sehr hohe Datenübertragungsrate ermöglichen könnte", so der Mobilfunkentwickler Steven J. Crowley, der zuerst über Googles Antrag an die FCC berichtet hatte.

Die Frequenzbänder, die Google nutzen wird, sind im Bereich 2.524 bis 2.546 MHz und 2.567 bis 2.625 MHz, für die der Netzbetreiber Clearwire Lizenzen hat. Wegen des Codes "F9W" in dem Antragsformular sei zu vermuten, dass es sich um ein LTE-Netzwerk handelt, erklärte Crowley weiter. Es könne sich um einen Test der Netzwerkarchitektur mit existierender Ausrüstung handeln.

Google und Clearwire haben einen Kommentar zu dem Projekt abgelehnt.

Google Fiber bietet in Kansas City ein eigenes Netzwerk mit 1 GBit/s im Up- und Downstream. Ein Glasfaseranschluss ohne Volumenlimit kostet dort 70 US-Dollar pro Monat.

Google verhandelt zudem mit dem Satellitenfernsehanbieter Dish Network. Beide Unternehmen wollten gemeinsam drahtlose Internetzugänge anbieten, berichtete das Wall Street Journal unter Berufung auf informierte Kreise. Dish hat 2008 Mobilfunkfrequenzen ersteigert und sucht nun Partner für den Aufbau eines drahtlosen Netzes.


............................................................................

Google Reportedly Building A Super-Secret Wireless Network

By Addy Dugdale
January 24, 2013

The system uses the more reliable licensed spectrum, but on a frequency unused by existing consumer devices.

The WSJ is pointing out an interesting application submitted to the FCC by Google last week. It appears the Internet company is attempting to build a huge Wi-Fi network across its Mountain View campus, using frequencies unused by consumer devices. Google being a tech company, and tech companies being mind-numbingly secretive, its lawyers attempted to redact part of the form, their argument being this. "The information for which confidential treatment is sought concerns the highly competitive consumer electronics market."

But uncover some more of the details and the mystery deepens. This "experimental radio service," as Form FCC 422 reads, uses wireless frequencies that are part of the licensed spectrum controlled by Clearwire Corp, and are not compatible with pretty much all of the consumer mobile devices (although these frequencies are being used for networks in China, Brazil and Japan, meaning there will eventually be compatible devices.)

What Google does say is that the experimental network will be first deployed in a building that houses the Google Fiber team. But is this just an in-house network for its campus, or is it another one of Google's moon shot moves, as Larry Page likes to put it? Is Google's aim a Wi-Fi service for its Fiber customers, who have been enjoying super-fast broadband in Kansas City since November last year? Your thoughts in the comments, please.


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Clearwire to Host Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Financial Results Conference Call

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 21 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) plans to announce its fourth quarter and full year 2012 financial results on Tuesday, February 12, 2013. The financial release will be posted at http://corporate.clearwire.com/ at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Clearwire executives will host a conference call and webcast following the release at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

A live broadcast of the conference call will be available online via the company's Investor Relations website located at http://corporate.clearwire.com/.

Alternatively, interested parties can access the conference call by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States at [phone], at least five minutes prior to the start time.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time February 12 through February 19 by dialing [phone], or from outside the United States by dialing [phone]. The conference ID for the replay is 90062075. (...)


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TEXT - Fitch affirms DISH Network Corp issuer default rating

Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:28pm EST

Jan 23 - Fitch Ratings affirms the 'BB-' Issuer Default Rating (IDR)
assigned to DISH Network Corporation (DISH) and its wholly owned
subsidiary DISH DBS Corporation (DDBS). Fitch has also affirmed the 'BB-' rating
assigned to the senior unsecured notes issued by DDBS. The Rating Outlook for
all of DISH's ratings remains Negative. DISH had approximately $10.4 billion of
debt outstanding as of Sept. 30, 2012.

Key Rating Drivers

The key rating factors reflected by the ratings include:

-- Weakening credit protection metrics;

-- Lack of visibility and elevated event risks related to DISH's wireless
strategy;

-- Strong liquidity and free cash flow generation;

-- Inconsistent operating results.

DISH's credit profile has weakened considerably during the course of 2012 due to
inconsistent operating performance and elevating debt levels, which together
with the uncertainty related to the company's yet articulated wireless strategy,
limits the company's financial flexibility at the current ratings level. On a
pro forma basis, total debt outstanding as of Sept. 30, 2012 increased nearly
59% relative to year-end 2011 levels to approximately $11.9 billion. DISH's
leverage increased to 3.8x on a pro forma basis as of Sept. 30, 2012 calculated
on a last 12 month (LTM) basis. The cash proceeds from the company's incremental
debt issuances have largely remained on its balance sheet purportedly to support
DISH's wireless strategy.

The Negative Outlook encompasses the lack of visibility as well as the potential
capital and execution risks associated with DISH's wireless strategy. The
economic viability of the strategy is questionable given the presence of strong
entrenched market participants particularly if DISH's wireless offering fails to
provide any meaningful service differentiation from established competitive
offerings. Fitch acknowledges that a wireless network can potentially provide
DISH with further strategic flexibility and enable the company to diversify its
business and capture incremental revenue and cash flow growth.

Event risks are elevated as the company contemplates additional acquisitions of
spectrum or assets to support the wireless strategy. To that end, the evolution
of DISH's wireless strategy took a step forward as evidenced by the company's
proposal to enter into a multi-faceted, complicated series of agreements with
Clearwire Corporation. Fitch Ratings believes the proposed transaction is a
positive development for DISH, but could also pressure its current ratings.

If the bid for Clearwire is successful, DISH would secure a potential partner to
build and deploy a wireless network. DISH had previously signaled its preference
to participate in a network infrastructure sharing arrangement to enter into the
wireless market as opposed to deploying a greenfield wireless network. However,
recent consolidation, investments and spectrum acquisitions within the wireless
sector has reduced the number of potential entities DISH can partner with to
deploy its wireless network creating an urgency to establish a partnership with
Clearwire. In accordance with the terms of DISH's proposal, DISH would acquire,
among other things, approximately 24% of Clearwire's wireless spectrum for $2.2
billion and a minimum of 25% of Clearwire's outstanding common stock.

DISH secured FCC approval to use 40 MHz of S-band wireless spectrum (now
designated as the AWS - 4 band). The FCC order includes power limitations on a
portion of DISH's uplink spectrum and requires DISH to tolerate potential
interference from adjacent wireless spectrum. The order requires DISH to provide
reliable signal coverage and terrestrial service to 40% of its total AWS - 4
population within four years. The final build-out milestone requires signal
coverage and service to 70% of population in each of its license areas within
seven years. If DISH fails to meet the interim build-out requirement, the final
build-out requirement will be accelerated from seven years to six years.
Furthermore, if the final build-out requirement is not satisfied, DISH's license
for each economic area not in compliance with the final build-out requirement
will terminate automatically.

The company's liquidity position is strong and supported by cash and marketable
securities on hand and expected free cash flow generation. Cash marketable
security balances, pro forma for the $1.5 billion senior note issuance during
December 2012, increase to approximately $7.9 billion. Fitch notes that the
company used approximately $700 million in cash to settle litigation and $450
million to fund a $1 per share special dividend. The company also benefits from
a favorable maturity schedule, as the next scheduled maturity is in 2013
totaling $500 million followed by $1 billion during 2014. Fitch notes, however,
that the company does not maintain a revolver, which increases DISH's reliance
on capital market access to refinance current maturities, elevating the
refinancing risk within the company's credit profile. The risk is offset by the
company's consistent access to capital markets and strong execution.

DISH generated nearly $857 million of free cash flow (defined as cash flow from
operations less capital expenditures and dividends) during the LTM ended Sept.
30, 2012. Fitch expects capital intensity will be relatively consistent over the
near term and that capital expenditures will continue to focus on subscriber
retention and capitalized subscriber premises equipment. Absent further
investment in a wireless network or other strategic initiative, Fitch
anticipates that DISH will continue generating nearly $1 billion of annual free
cash flow during the current ratings horizon while incorporating higher levels
of cash taxes.

Fitch believes the company's overall credit profile has limited capacity to
accommodate DISH's inconsistent operating performance. While subscriber metrics
remain weak, they have stabilized somewhat when compared to 2011 results.
However, DISH struggles to increase service ARPUs as the company elected not to
take a price increase during 2012. This decision combined with higher
programming and subscriber acquisition costs has had a dramatic effect on the
company's operating margins and EBITDA generation. These factors contributed to
an 18.7% year-over-year decline in DISH's third-quarter EBITDA. EBITDA margin
during the current period fell 400 basis points compared to the third quarter of
last year, to 19.9%.

Additional rating concerns center on DISH's ability to adapt to the evolving
competitive landscape, DISH's lack of revenue diversity and narrow product
offering relative to its cable MSO and telephone company video competition, and
an operating profile and competitive position that continue to lag behind its
peer group. DISH's current operating profile is focused on its maturing video
service offering and lacks growth opportunities relative to its competition.

Rating Triggers

Revision of the Outlook to Stable at the current rating level can occur as the
company demonstrates that it can execute its wireless strategy in a
credit-neutral manner. In addition operating metrics, in particular subscriber
additions, ARPU growth and EBITDA margins will need to begin to trend positive.

Fitch believes negative rating action will likely coincide with the company's
decision to execute a wireless strategy, or other discretionary management
decisions that weaken its ability to generate free cash flow, erode operating
margins, and increase leverage higher than 5x without a clear strategy to
de-lever the company's balance sheet.

Fitch has affirmed the following ratings with a Negative Rating Outlook:

DISH Network Corporation
-- IDR at 'BB-'.

DISH DBS Corporation
-- IDR at 'BB-';
-- Senior unsecured notes at 'BB-'.


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Verizon and AT&T Reviewed: The Pros and Cons of Rising Smartphones Sales

LONDON, January 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The increasing demand for smartphones has helped U.S. telecom services providers such as Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) post strong top-line growth in the recent past. However, increasing smartphone subsidies are also hurting profit margin at wireless carriers. StockCall has posted free reports on Verizon Communications and AT&T which can be accessed by registering at http://www.stockcall.com/analysis

Verizon Communications' Wireless Division Posts Strong Growth in Revenue and Customers

On Tuesday, Verizon Communications Inc. reported its fourth quarter financial results. While the company posted a loss for the quarter on a consolidated basis, its wireless division reported strong growth in revenue and customers. See our full report on Verizon by signing up free of charge at http://www.StockCall.com/VZ012413.pdf

Verizon Wireless, a division of the company, reported total revenue of $20 billion in the fourth quarter, up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. Retail postpaid ARPA (average revenue per account) rose 6.6% to $146.80 per month in the quarter.

During the fourth quarter, Verizon Wireless added 2.2 million net retail connections, which included a record-high 2.1 million retail postpaid net connections. At a technology conference earlier this month, Lowell C. McAdam, CEO of Verizon Communications, said that out of 2.1 million contract customers the company signed in the fourth quarter of 2012, 85% bought a smartphone. In fact, smartphones accounted for over 58% of Verizon Wireless' retail postpaid customer-base at the end of 2012.

While record smartphone sales boosted Verizon's overall revenue, they hurt the company's profit margins as the smartphone sales come with substantial subsidies. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Verizon Communications reported a loss of $1.48 per share on a consolidated basis, up from $0.71 per share reported for the same period in the previous year. Excluding one-time items and the impact of Superstorm Sandy, Verizon's earnings for the quarter were $0.45 per share. Consolidated operating revenue for the quarter was $30.05 billion, up from $28.44 billion reported in the fourth quarter of 2011.

AT&T Results Eyed

Verizon's rival AT&T Inc. [Free Technical Analysis Report on T] [1] will release its quarterly results on Today, January 24, 2013 and figures were not available at the time this article was finalized. Earlier this month, AT&T had announced record smartphone sales for the fourth quarter. The Dallas, Texas-based company said that it sold over 10 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, which included best-ever quarterly sales of Android and Apple smartphones.

Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility, noted that the company had another incredible quarter of smartphone sales as the mobile Internet continues to drive strong growth in wireless.

Given the strong smartphone sales in the fourth quarter, it will be interesting to see how much of an impact smartphone subsidies had on AT&T's bottom-line in the fourth quarter.

Long-Term Benefits of Smartphone Subsidies

While hefty subsidies are hurting profit margins of telecom service providers in the U.S., the strategy is likely benefit in the long-term. According to AT&T's Vega, smartphone subscribers are the industry's most valuable postpaid subscribers with average revenues twice that of non-smartphone subscribers. No surprise then that both Verizon and AT&T, the two biggest wireless carriers in the U.S., are going all-out to gain more smartphone subscribers.

Verizon and AT&T Remain Dominant Players

Verizon and AT&T have been the dominant players in the wireless market in the U.S. over the years. The trend is likely to continue in the next few years as both companies are well ahead of other wireless carriers in LTE (long-term evolution).

Footer:

AT&T Inc. Technical Analysis [ http://www.StockCall.com/AT&TInc012413.pdf ]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.059.949 von teecee1 am 24.01.13 16:47:12

Apple enttäuscht die Börse mit Rekordergebnis

24.01.2013
09:22

Aktie bricht trotz guter Zahlen um zehn Prozent ein


Immer noch ein Verkaufsschlager: Das Apple iPhone

Immer noch ein Verkaufsschlager: Das Apple iPhone Die Sorgen um das weitere Wachstum von Apple gewinnen die Oberhand. Trotz eines neuerlichen Rekordergebnisses brach die Aktie des US-Elektronikkonzerns im nachbörslichen New Yorker Handel um mehr als zehn Prozent ein. Mit einem Schlag verpufften annähernd 50 Milliarden Dollar oder umgerechnet 38 Milliarden Euro an Börsenwert - das ist soviel, wie die Deutsche Telekom derzeit insgesamt auf die Waage bringt.

Apple verkauft fast 50 Millionen iPhones - Analysten wollten mehr

Dabei sahen die Zahlen auf den ersten Blick gar nicht schlecht aus: Apple wurde im Weihnachtsquartal so viele iPhones und iPads los wie niemals zuvor. Die Smartphone-Verkäufe stiegen im Vergleich zum bereits überragenden Vorjahreszeitraum von 37,0 auf 47,8 Millionen. Die Tablet-Verkäufe kletterten von 15,4 auf 22,9 Millionen.

Einige Analysten hatten jedoch mit mehr als 50 Millionen verkauften iPhones gerechnet. "Es war enttäuschend", sagte Gene Munster von der US-Investmentbank Piper Jaffray auf Bloomberg TV. Er gehört zu den renommiertesten Apple-Beobachtern. Die iPhone-Verkäufe hätten die Stimmung total vergiftet, erläuterte er den Kursrutsch.

Umsatz steigt, Gewinn stagniert

Überdies stieß den Börsianern ein weiterer Punkt sauer auf: Zwar hatte Apple dank der Rekordverkäufe einen Rekordumsatz eingefahren; er stieg um 18 Prozent auf 54,5 Milliarden Dollar. Doch dem standen höhere Entwicklungs-, Fertigungs- und Marketingkosten für die zahlreichen neue Produkte gegenüber. Dadurch stagnierte der Gewinn beim bisherigen Rekordwert von 13,1 Milliarden Dollar. Apple-Chef Tim Cook verteidigte die Geschäftszahlen in einer Telefonkonferenz mit Analysten: "Kein Technologieunternehmen hat jemals solch ein Ergebnis erreicht."

Apple hatte pünktlich zum Weihnachtsgeschäft die bisher größte und wohl auch teuerste Produktoffensive der Firmengeschichte gestartet: So brachten die Kalifornier die vierte iPad-Generation und erstmals auch ein iPad mini mit kleinerem Bildschirm heraus. Kurz davor hatte Apple das iPhone 5 vorgestellt mit einem größeren Bildschirm als die Vorgänger. Der Konzern rundete das Ganze mit neuen Mac-Computern ab.

Zu wenige Geräte produziert

Das iPhone 5 und das iPad mini seien das Quartal über knapp gewesen, sagte Cook. Man sei mit der Produktion nicht nachgekommen. Das gleiche habe für den neuen iMac gegolten, der sogar erst im Dezember in den Handel gelangt sei. "Wir sind sicher, ohne diese Einschränkungen wären unsere Verkäufe höher gewesen", ergänzte Finanzchef Peter Oppenheimer. Bei den Mac-Computern hatte es einen Verkaufsrückgang von 5,2 auf 4,1 Millionen Stück gegeben.

Im Vorfeld hatte ein Bericht für Unruhe gesorgt, Apple habe weniger Bauteile bei seinen Zulieferern bestellt. Das war als ein Rückgang der Nachfrage interpretiert worden. "Es wäre klug, die Richtigkeit eines jeden Gerüchts in Frage zu stellen", mahnte Cook. "Die Zulieferkette ist sehr komplex."

Doch auch mit den offiziellen Apple-Zahlen zeigten sich die Börsianer unzufrieden. Viele sahen sich sogar in ihren Befürchtungen bestätigt, dass langsam die Grenzen des Wachstums erreicht seien. Für das laufende zweite Geschäftsquartal prognostizierte Apple einen Umsatz zwischen 41 und 43 Milliarden Dollar sowie einen anhaltenden Druck auf die Profitabilität.

Neue Produkte sollen neuen Schwung bringen

"Wir vertrauen auf unsere kommenden Produkte", erklärte Konzernchef Cook. Erwartet wird unter anderem ein billigeres iPhone, aber auch ein größeres Modell des Kult-Handys gilt wie berichtet als wahrscheinlich. Auch um das Apple TV kreisen immer wieder Spekulationen. Apple selbst macht seit jeher ein großes Geheimnis aus Neuheiten.

Apple steht auf jeden Fall unter Druck, denn die Konkurrenz rüstet auf. Als Hauptrivale hat sich Samsung mit seinen Galaxy-Smartphones auf Basis des Android-Betriebssystems herauskristallisiert. Zudem ist Microsoft mit seinem neuen Betriebssystem Windows 8 für PC und Tablets sowie Windows Phone 8 für Smartphones auf den Markt gegangen. Mit dem Surface hat der Software-Primus auch einen eigenen Tablet-Computer herausgebracht.

... ... die Spekulation war ja schon mal da ... Apfel & Clearmentine ...


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January 23, 2013, 8:50 PM

Google Creating Wireless Network, But For What?

By Amir Efrati and Anton Troianovski

Google is trying to create an experimental wireless network covering its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, a move that some analysts say could portend the creation of dense and superfast Google wireless networks in other locations that would allow people to connect to the Web using their mobile devices. (...)

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/01/23/google-creating-wirel…

Google currently doesn’t have control of licensed spectrum.

“The only reason to use these frequencies is if you have business designs on some mobile service,” Crowley said.

It’s unclear whether Google would build such a service for internal use only or as part of a potential offering for consumers, and very few devices on the market today are compatible with the frequencies.

Clearwire on Wednesday declined to say whether it was working with Google on the trial. Companies testing technology on Clearwire’s spectrum typically coordinate with Clearwire when doing so, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Piecyk of BTIG said Google’s experimental network could mean that it plans to introduce a wireless service to customers of its Google Fiber product. In other words, people in Kansas City who sign up for high-speed Internet would be able to receive wireless service anywhere in the city for future tablets or other devices that would be compatible with the network. Google could have its Motorola hardware unit build devices that work on the Clearwire-controlled frequencies, he said.

That would be an extension of a business model currently being developed by cable companies such as Time Warner Cable Inc., which are setting up Wi-Fi hotspots in the cities they serve and offering free wireless access to their customers.

Google’s creation of a small-scale wireless network comes on the heels of discussions it had last year with Dish, the satellite-TV provider, to partner on a broad wireless service.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.059.949 von teecee1 am 24.01.13 16:47:12

AT&T to Acquire Spectrum From Verizon Wireless for $1.9 Billion
By Nick Turner - Jan 25, 2013 4:18 PM GMT+0100

AT&T Inc. (T), the second-biggest U.S. wireless carrier, agreed to acquire airwaves from larger rival Verizon Wireless for $1.9 billion, helping bolster its network.

The 700-megahertz spectrum covers 42 million people in 18 states, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming, AT&T said today in a regulatory filing. The deal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2013.


AT&T plans to reach 300 million
people in the U.S. with its LTE
network by the end of 2014.
Photographer: Tim Boyle/Bloomberg

The Dallas-based company will use the airwaves to build out its next-generation network, which relies on a technology called long-term evolution, or LTE. AT&T plans to reach 300 million people in the U.S. with its LTE network by the end of 2014.

The transaction follows AT&T’s agreement earlier this week to buy spectrum and subscribers from Atlantic Tele-Network Inc. (ATNI) for $780 million in cash. AT&T, led by Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson, has been snapping up airwaves in a bid to catch up with Verizon, which has a more extensive LTE network.

AT&T shares rose 0.4 percent to $33.89 at 10:14 a.m. in New York. The stock climbed 11 percent in 2012, marking its third straight year of gains.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nick Turner in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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AT&T To Acquire 700 MHz Spectrum From Verizon For $1.9B In Cash And AWS Spectrum Licenses

Darrell Etherington

AT&T has announced a deal with Verizon Wireless that will allow the company to continue to build out its 4G LTE network in the U.S., through the acquisition of 700 MHz spectrum from Verizon Wireless. The 700 MHz band was originally used to broadcast analog TV channels, but the transition to digital TV made them available for auction in 2008. Verizon won Block A during that auction, along with U.S. Cellular, with licenses covering urban areas, while AT&T was the biggest buyer of Block B, acquiring 227 licenses in the sale.

AT&T uses the 700 MHz spectrum to provide 4G LTE coverage to its customers in the U.S., along with spectrum in the AWS band. As part of the deal, it is providing licenses of the AWS spectrum in several markets, including LA, Fresno and Portland, to Verizon for use in the continued deployment of its network. AT&T’s spectrum acquisition will allow it to deploy LTE covering 42 million people across 18 states, the company said in a press release.

Verizon revealed its intention to divest itself of extra 700 MHz licenses it picked up in the auction back in 2008 in April 2012. It acquired 127 licenses in Block B, which are the ones involved in this sale. The company had held onto the block B licenses to provide supplemental coverage in urban areas before it had acquired other licenses it needed to fill in those gaps in its nationwide network, and it makes sense for AT&T to pick these up, since they’re exactly what that carrier needs to continue to roll out its own LTE network. (...)

[teecee1]

Those who received a telephone call from or on behalf of Clearwire could be entitled to benefits under a class action settlement.


SEATTLE, Jan. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by The Garden City Group, Inc., settlement administrator in Kwan, et al. v. Clearwire Corp., et al., No. C09-1392 JLR.

Clearwire and Bureau of Recovery, LLC ("BOR") have agreed to settle a class action in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle (Kwan, et al. v. Clearwire Corp., et al., No. C09-1392 JLR).

Plaintiffs claim, among other things, that Clearwire and its vendors placed calls to cellular telephones in violation of federal and state law, as well as calls to people who asked not to be called. Plaintiffs are represented by the Seattle law firm of Williamson & Williams. In agreeing to settle, Clearwire and BOR do not admit any wrongdoing and have asserted defenses. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the burden, costs and uncertainty of further litigation.

As part of the proposed settlement, Clearwire will provide payments or offsets to Class Members who submit a valid Claim Form, and will forgive certain indebtedness for Class Members. Clearwire will also change certain calling practices.

For additional details regarding the settlement, go to www.automatictelephonecallsettlement.com.

SOURCE The Garden City Group, Inc.


RELATED LINKS
http://www.gcgcommunications.com

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1yXQF)


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Jan 24, 2013, 1:22pm CST Updated: Jan 25, 2013, 8:51am CST
Sprint deal prompts Clearwire to talk severance details with employees

Alyson Raletz
Kansas City Business Journal

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Clearwire Corp. still is in the air, but tell that to Clearwire employees who are set to attend retention and severance meetings next week.

Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) employees are slated to meet individually with human resources representatives starting Monday to discuss possible bonuses, cash payments and severance possibilities that will go into effect if the Sprint (NYSE: S) transaction closes, according to a note to workers included in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Clearwire warned employees of possible restructuring and reductions last month.

Next week, the HR reps will review a “retention statement” with each Clearwire employee to outline what would happen if Sprint bought the company, Clearwire said in the Wednesday filing.

The statement will provide more details on “severance payments in the event that your position is impacted after a close.”

Clearwire also has developed a retention plan, which provides cash retention payments and bonuses for “eligible employees,” which the company said it would include in the statement.

The statement will include additional information on the conversion of stock grants to a cash payout.

The HR meetings will follow annual performance reviews at Clearwire, which previously has said it didn’t expect any layoffs as a result of a Sprint purchase.

See the full note online.

Still on the table is a January offer from Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH) to buy Clearwire stock for $3.30 a share, plus $2.2 billion for wireless spectrum.

Last month, Sprint offered $2.97 a share for stock it didn’t already own.

The note to employees didn’t mention effects on employees if Clearwire accepts the Dish offer.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.065.531 von teecee1 am 25.01.13 17:18:48

25.01.2013 | 18:26
(392 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
AT&T kauft Mobilfunkfrequenzen von Verizon Wireless

Von Thomas Gryta

Für die Deutsche Telekom wird es auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt nicht leichter. Der ursprünglich als Fusionspartner für die Tochter T-Mobile USA auserkorene Wettbewerber AT&T hat sich mit einem Paket an Mobilfunkfrequenzen eingedeckt. Erreicht werden damit zusätzlich 42 Millionen Kunden in 18 US-Bundesstaaten. Verizon Wireless kassierte dafür 1,9 Milliarden US-Dollar in bar und einige Frequenzen von AT&T.

Die Mobilfunkanbieter benötigen zusätzliche Frequenzen, um die rasant steigende Nachfrage nach Datenübertragung im Zuge des Smartphone-Booms zu decken. AT&T, die gemeinsam mit Verizon Wireless Platzhirsch auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt ist, baut derzeit ein Netz der neuen schnelleren Generation LTE auf.

Die Transaktion muss noch von den zuständigen Behörden genehmigt werden. Abgeschlossen werden soll sie im zweiten Halbjahr.

Ursprünglich wollte AT&T ihr Spektrum durch den Zusammenschluss mit der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA ausbauen. Dieses Vorhaben scheiterte schließlich an den Wettbewerbshütern. Sie wollten weiter vier große Anbieter am Markt behalten. Seither kauft AT&T Frequenzen zu.

... ... 3 Mrd. + Frequenzen an T-Mobile abgegeben ... und jetzt für 1,9 Mrd. Frequenzen gekauft ...

[aktianer]

und heute gehts wieder eine kleine Stufe nacvh oben auf dem Weg zu einem reellen Angebot: 3,28/3,33 U$


Clearwire Investors Use Dish to Demand Sprint Raise Offer
By Tara Lachapelle & Lindsey Rupp - Jan 28, 2013 12:00 AM GMT+0100


Charlie Ergen is becoming the financial savior that Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) shareholders never expected. And he doesn’t even have to open his wallet.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-27/clearwire-investors…

[teecee1]

29.01.2013 09:26
Deutsche Telekom will in USA durchstarten

Legeres Strategie ist, AT&T Marktanteile abzujagen


© Deutsche Telekom

Die Deutsche Telekom will in den USA zum drittgrößten Mobilfunkanbieter aufsteigen. "Wir sehen Möglichkeiten, auf den dritten Platz vorzurücken", sagte der Chef der Konzerntochter T-Mobile USA, John Legere, der Zeitung "Die Welt" (Dienstagsausgabe) laut Vorabbericht. Legeres Strategie ist es demnach, AT&T Marktanteile abzujagen und damit den Rivalen Sprint Nextel auf den vierten Rang zurückzuwerfen.

Der Manager geht jedoch davon aus, dass sich der Markt schnell ändern kann. "Es wäre aber arrogant zu glauben, dass sich dieser Kampf unter uns vieren abspielt", sagte er. Es könnten jederzeit andere Unternehmen in den Markt eintreten, ob das nun der Satelliten-TV-Anbieter Dish, Direct TV, Apple oder Google seien.

T-Mobile selbst schaue sich Möglichkeiten von Kooperationen genau an, wird Legere zitiert. Vor drei Wochen hatte er in einem Reuters-Interview signalisiert, dass er eine Partnerschaft mit Dish Network anstrebe.

T-Mobile USA ist das Sorgenkind des Bonner Konzerns. Gründe sind die schlechtere Netzabdeckung und das bisherige Fehlen von iPhones im Angebot. Mit dem Verkauf des Apple-Zugpferds soll jedoch in einigen Monaten begonnen werden. Derzeit ist Dish auf der Suche nach einem Partner für den Aufbau eines mobilen Breitbandnetzes.

APA/STG


____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Joan Lappin, Contributor
1/29/2013 @ 12:32AM |

Cash Poor Clearwire Is Rich In Technological Excellence

Those who have watched the Clearwire/Sprint saga unfold over the last two years know that Sprint has done everything it could to put Clearwire into bankruptcy. It starved it of cash. It became abusive of its management. All Sprint’s machinations were designed to drive Clearwire into the ditch so Sprint could buy it back at a very cheap price. In the middle of its efforts, it not only sank Clearwire’s stock, Sprint’s management did a truly excellent job of putting its own stock down to a low of $2.10. Softbank’s Masayoshi Son made a bid for majority control of Sprint in the fall of 2012. Sprint and Son are vulnerable because the FCC must approve the proposed acquisition of a 70% interest in Sprint by a foreign entity. At the time the deal was announced, Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse insisted that Son had no interest in Clearwire. Then just weeks later, Sprint made a ridiculously low bid for the rest of Clearwire it didn’t already own at $2.97. It is my belief that Sprint has little to bring to Softbank’s table other than its interest in Clearwire. In fact, without Softbank’s money it can’t even buy the part of Clearwire it doesn’t already own. It is a debt laden, ill run company that has been failing for years. I’s management didn’t even know in 2011 that if it forced Clearwire into bankruptcy it was the bondholders and not Sprint who would stand the best chance of acquiring that frequency. The waters are muddy because much of the 2.5 Ghz spectrum is “rented” from charitable, educational, and religious institutions who were given it by the U.S Government and not controlled outright by Clearwire.

Among the many ridiculous aspects of this story was the velocity with which founder Craig McCaw caved and agreed to offer up his control shares to Sprint for simply a song. In public, he put up nary a fight, only agreed to hand over his stock with a price protection for himself if the company ultimately went for a higher price. You surely didn’t see McCaw fighting to protect the people who gave him money to pursue his vision to roll up the 2.5 Ghz frequency that nobody else really wanted. The common wisdom was that this high frequency bandwidth wasn’t really worth much because it cannot penetrate building walls effectively and it needs lots and lots of repeaters to work well. Of course, as with all things in the world of technology, time passes, the cost of micro cells falls dramatically and how to use this frequency very effectively is resolved. Clearwire’s Chief Technology Officer is Dr. John Saw who seems to have effectively done the most with the least amount of resources available.

Son already is using 2.5 Ghz for a system he owns in Japan. By his own statements, Son has said his Vodafone system is lightening fast compared to any U.S. system now offered. Coupled with the first iPhones offered exclusively in Japan, Son was able to drive his system to a market leading position. In the U.S. 2.5 got no respect. Even McCaw was happy to walk away just as the situation was getting most interesting. The question why McCaw did what he did is the oddest thing about this exceedingly odd story.
Fat Lady Still Not Singing In the Sprint Acquisition of Clearwire Joan Lappin Joan Lappin Contributor
Sprint/Clearwire Sing Way Off Key From Same Page In The Softbank Hymnal Joan Lappin Joan Lappin Contributor
Sprint's Hesse Underbidding For Clearwire, Still Hopes Shareholders Can Be Duped Joan Lappin Joan Lappin Contributor
The Whole World Is Moving Toward 2.5Ghz Spectrum As U.S. Investors Ignore Clearwire Joan Lappin Joan Lappin Contributor

Recently DISH’s Charlie Ergen reportedly made a variety of offers for all of Clearwire, part of Clearwire or an agreement to buy just 25% of its spectrum to offer another service. Ergen never made a formal offer. Instead, Clearwire divulged receipt of a letter from DISH outlining a conceptual deal and overbidding Sprint with an offer of $3.30. The stock took several weeks to reach that price and now it has surpassed it. Large public shareholders have been vocal about their opposition to the deal with Sprint.

Last week, in a severely redacted FCC filing by Google we learned that Google is asking to proceed with a new wireless concept that will use the very same 2.5 Ghz spectrum that Clearwire has and that everyone has disparaged for years. So for sure, even while strapped for cash and last year fighting for its life as Sprint did everything it could to put it down for the count, Clearwire was busy trying to move forward to develop its technology niche. It established a global consortium to develop standards and attract major hardware manufacturers like Qualcomm to include 2.5 in multi band chipsets. It has conducted joint tests in Arizona with China Mobile. China Mobile is now aggressively rolling out a 2.5 TD LTE system in China. Whatever else is going on, Clearwire has gained respect from Ergen and from those clever folks at Google, too.

Several large shareholders are objecting to the FCC and through the court system to block the Sprint attempt to buy Clearwire and in Ergen’s case to stop the FCC clock on deciding on the Softbank merger proposal to acquire Sprint. Of course, the investing public is quite in the dark on this one. Whatever is going on behind the scenes is leaking like a sieve and nobody except Sprint still thinks that they will prevail with a low ball $2.97 offer. That’s why the stock was up another $0.09 to $3.39 as January rolls to an end. It’s hard to believe that the not so swift folks in Kansas are driving this train any longer. One wonders if it is Masayoshi Son or is it the vulture arbitrageurs who showed up recently like sharks smelling blood in the water?

Then last week, Clearwire filed with the SEC an 8K concerning the retention talks that it is currently having with its employees with regard to the Sprint merger that may never happen if there is not an upward revision in the price offered. Investor Relations will not return calls these days. One assumes that their mouths have been duct taped shut. That implies that the Clearwire fourth quarter conference call next week will be both boring and uninformative. Of course, Hesse doesn’t work at Clearwire. If he did, do you think he would get a retention offer?


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Apple releases iOS 6.1 with additional LTE support

The first point update of iOS 6 brings support for more LTE networks as well as a movie ticket-buying feature within Siri.

by Josh Lowensohn
January 28, 2013 10:19 AM PST

After five beta test versions, Apple today released iOS 6.1, the first major update to iOS 6 since September.

The software, which went out this morning as an over-the-air update as well as a download through iTunes, brings a few new minor features, along with bug fixes.

Chief among the new features is 4G LTE support for more carriers, along with a feature that lets users purchase movie tickets from Fandango after finding showtimes using Siri. Apple also returned the option for iTunes Match subscribers to download individual songs from iCloud, something that was quietly removed in a previous software release.

On the privacy side, the update also adds an option to reset Apple's advertising identifier option, the "non-permanent, non-personal, device identifier" feature added as part of iOS 6.

Other, minor changes in iOS 6.1 include new boarding pass behavior in Apple's Passbook software, tweaks to Safari, reworked music playback controls from the lock screen, and a back-end change in Apple's mapping software.

The update comes less than two days after the release of a fifth beta version of iOS 6.1, which Apple oddly put out to developers during the weekend.

Apple's last update to iOS 6 was iOS 6.0.2 in mid-December. That software, which went out to users only on Apple's newest devices, fixed a handful of bugs, including one that kept iPhone 5 users from installing over-the-air software updates. It also fixed an issue with lines appearing on the software keyboard, and a bug that deleted meetings from calendars when accepting an invitation.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.067.594 von teecee1 am 26.01.13 08:27:44

Clearwire Corp (CLWR) Issues FY13 Retention Plan for Sprint (S) Merger

January 30, 2013 7:49 AM EST

Clearwire Corp (Nasdaq: CLWR) outlined its 2013 Retention Plan Statement in an SEC 8-K filing Wednesday morning.

The statement read, in part: "During this important time in Clearwire’s history, we recognize the value in retaining our most important resource, our employees. The following is a general summary of retention and severance benefits that you may receive if the pending Sprint (NYSE: S) transaction closes and/or if your employment is terminated under certain circumstances. The following is intended to be a general summary only and the payments and benefits described below are subject to the terms and conditions of all applicable plans and agreements."

Under "Unvested Restricted Stock Units Awarded* On or Before December 17, 2012 RSUs As of June 15, 2013":

In the event the pending Sprint transaction closes, each unvested RSU (Restricted Stock Unit) that was awarded to you on or before December 17, 2012, and that you continue to hold at closing, would be settled for $2.97 in cash and would be reflected in a Restricted Cash Account (“RCA”) and paid out as follows:

* 50% of the RCA balance would be paid as promptly as practicable following closing $ (generally, within 10 days of closing).

* The remaining 50% of the RCA balance would be paid upon the earlier of the original vesting $
schedule of the RSUs or the one year anniversary of closing.

In the event your employment is involuntarily terminated without “cause” prior to the one year anniversary of close you will receive any remaining unpaid amounts from the RCA upon termination.

*Stock options have no current value and will be cancelled for no consideration if the pending Sprint transaction closes.

Cash Retention:

In the event the pending Sprint transaction closes, you would be eligible to participate in a cash retention program. Your cash retention payments would be paid in accordance with the following schedule:
* 2/3 would be paid at or promptly after closing $
* 1/3 would be paid at or promptly after 4.5 months $
following closing
In the event your employment is involuntarily terminated without “cause” after the close and prior to the scheduled payment date you will receive any remaining unpaid cash retention at termination.

For the full filing, click here.


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Clearwire Spectrum Could Put Sprint Back In The Game
January 30, 2013 | about: S, CLWR, includes: SFTBY.PK


IncomeHunter

(...) Spectrum, Spectrum, Spectrum....

A strong motivation in Softbank's decision on Sprint was Sprint's investment in Clearwire. The latter controls a broad band of spectrum that is fast becoming a scarce commodity for wireless providers. Furthermore, Clearwire's spectrum is the same 2.5 Ghz which Softbank offers in Japan, spectrum that is much faster than anything offered by U.S. carriers, including Verizon (VZ) and At&T (T) the two members of the U.S. wireless duopoly. With the deal, Sprint would own more spectrum than any wireless carrier. In a study conducted in 2010, Clearwire licensed 133 MHz of spectrum while Sprint licensed 51 MHz. Combined, this would give Sprint more than twice the spectrum of either Verizon's 83 MHz or AT&T's 77MHz.

There is a problem with Clearwire's spectrum, however. It does not travel long distances very well, and it has problems penetrating walls and other structures. There are also very few devices that use the spectrum. But that appears to be changing. China Mobile (CHL) has decided to build 20,000 cell towers as a test of 2.5 Ghz while Qualcomm has announced it will include 2.5 Ghz on its multi-band chipsets. All good news for companies, like Clearwire, owning the 2.5 spectrum. In addition, wireless providers are moving towards "mini-towers" to provide better coverage and ease traffic congestion on the large cell towers. These small cell towers can sit on the side of buildings or elsewhere in urban environments and connect more people than the large cell towers have been connecting. The 2.5 Ghz spectrum works very well with these small towers since the band can carry more data and are prone to far less interference. (...)

[teecee1]

30.01.2013 | 00:45
(52 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Asks FCC to Block Sprint-Clearwire Merger

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to block the proposed mergers between Softbank and Sprint and between Sprint and Clearwire.

Crest, a substantial minority shareholder of Clearwire, argues in a petition filed late yesterday that that the proposed transactions grossly undervalue the primary asset sought in both mergers - Clearwire's trove of wireless spectrum. The filing notes that Sprint's offer for Clearwire sets the value of Clearwire's spectrum at no more than $0.21 per MHz POP and, perhaps, as low as $0.13 per MHz POP. By contrast, reports suggest that the purchase by AT&T of Verizon spectrum announced last week sets the price at $3.77 per MHz POP, many times higher than the Sprint bid.

The Crest petition asserts that an independent Clearwire would be financially stronger and therefore better able to help consumers who are eager for wireless services. Denying the mergers would be the FCC's best hope for creating a vibrant, third wireless network, according to the petition. The petition also alleges that the artificially depressed price of spectrum established by the Sprint offer harms the public interest by setting a low benchmark for future auctions of spectrum by the federal government.

The petition states: "Sprint has demonstrated its lack of fitness as a controller of Clearwire's spectrum, and the Commission should not entrust Sprint with the nation's largest portfolio of spectrum."

It adds: "Sprint has sought to achieve on the cheap what neither it, nor any other carrier, has the capital to do otherwise: buy the entirety of Clearwire's spectrum at fair market value. Sprint attempted to drive down the value of Clearwire so that it could acquire Clearwire after Sprint gained access to a funding source. But, absent Sprint's illegal maneuvering and control tactics, Clearwire simply has too much spectrum, of too high a value, to be acquired altogether by Sprint."

Crest and its affiliates and related persons currently own more than 57 million Class A shares, which constitute approximately 8.34 percent of Clearwire's outstanding Class A common stock.

Crest's FCC petition can be found here: http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest/.

Separately, David Schumacher, general counsel of Crest Financial, said of recently reported talks between Dish Network and Clearwire: "As its FCC filing states, Crest supports the sale of excess spectrum by an independent Clearwire that reflects the spectrum values established in the recent AT&T/Verizon transaction. However, this spectrum sale must not be part of a larger agreement between Sprint and DISH that aims to carve up Clearwire's assets between them on the cheap."

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited

FCC Petition to Deny


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Jan 29, 2013, 2:41pm PST
Fed probe of Sprint-SoftBank deal could be boon for Dish Clearwire bid


Federal investigations of Softbank's investment
into Sprint could be good for Dish Network's
counterbid for Clearwire.

Greg Avery, Denver Business Journal

The U.S. departments of Justice and Homeland Security are investigating the national security implications of a $20 billion investment in Sprint Nextel Corp., a move that could help Dish Network Corp.’s quest to stop Sprint from buying Clearwire Corp.

The federal agencies on Monday night requested that the Federal Communications Commission defer its decision about Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp. acquiring a 70 percent stake in Sprint (NYSE: S). The Justice Department didn’t specify how long it expects a review to take.

Reviews of foreign ownership of U.S. broadcast and mobile phone frequencies aren’t unusual. The FCC itself asked Sprint last week for more specific detail about the identities of SoftBank investors.

But any slowdown in Sprint landing its capital infusion from SoftBank can only please Dish, the satellite TV company pushing to get into wireless broadband.

Dish (Nasdaq: DISH) has asked the FCC to put off its review of the Sprint-SoftBank deal to allow more time for Bellevue-based Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) to weigh Dish Network’s counterbid to buy Clearwire out from under Sprint or acquire some of its spectrum.

Dish surprised the industry by offering $3.30 per share to buy Clearwire after the board of the struggling wireless broadband company had already agreed to a deal to sell Sprint the half of Clearwire shares that Sprint doesn’t already own.

Dish Network’s offer values Clearwire at $750 million more than what Sprint offered, spurring some minority shareholders of Clearwire to protest the Sprint offer.

Dish wants access to the 2.5 gigahertz frequencies Clearwire controls. It offered a separate $2.2 billion to buy the spectrum without buying the rest of Clearwire.

That particular block of spectrum is expected to be widely used by China Mobile, as well as other international markets.

Use of that spectrum band around the world, especially in a burgeoning market like China, is thought to ensure that cutting-edge mobile devices that work on those frequencies can be landed by network owners on economically advantageous terms.


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Clearwire Corporation Short Interest

1/15/2013 17,801,076
12/31/2012 15,811,107

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Shares Owned by Insitutions
40.30% ... hoch 40,60%

Number of Institutions 186 ... hoch 192

... ... kleine Gewinnmitnahmen bzw. haben einige gehofft das es schneller und weiter nach oben geht ...

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Verizon Wants FCC's Spectrum Screen Applied to Sprint, Clearwire Deal

Tue, 01/29/2013 - 2:40pm
by Ben Munson

Verizon Wireless has joined the discussion on Sprint's potential acquisition of Clearwire, stating the FCC should apply its spectrum screen to the swath of 2.5 GHz airwaves Sprint stands to gain from the deal. If the FCC applies the screen and finds the deal could pose spectrum aggregation concerns, it could result in a limit to how much of Clearwire's spectrum Sprint is allowed to use.

In comments filed with the FCC, Verizon wrote about how Sprint has touted the value of Clearwire's spectrum as the primary benefit of the transaction. The company further stated the fact that the spectrum is already being used for a mobile network making it "suitable and available," the criteria that must be met by spectrum in order for the FCC to apply the screen.

Verizon used the FCC's approval of AT&T's plans for 2.3 GHz last year and that spectrum's subsequent addition to the screen after being deemed "suitable and available" as precedent for the 2.5 GHz in question, saying the commission should apply the same reasoning.

"Indeed, failure to add the BRS/EBS spectrum would arbitrarily depart from the rationale of a Commission order that is less than two months old," Verizon wrote in its comments.

Earlier this month, all four major providers weighed in on proposed modifications to the FCC's spectrum screen. In that spate of comments, T-Mobile cited a Qualcomm study stating that building out a mobile network above 2 GHz costs three times as much constructing one in the 700 MHz spectrum, primarily based on the increased number of base stations required to support the higher frequency. The claim seems to support Sprint's request that spectrum above 2 GHz be omitted from the Commission's screen.

Verizon's comments represent another hurdle in Sprint's quest to buy out Wi-Max provider Clearwire, a deal that will have big implications in helping finalize Softbank's bid to acquire 70 percent of Sprint.

Sprint's current bid of $2.97 per share to buy Clearwire--which was raised from its initial offer of $2.90--has come under heavy scrutiny from Clearwire's minority shareholders like Taran Asset Management and Crest Financial Limited, both of which have filed petitions to block the transfer.

Additionally, Sprint has been faced with Dish's counter-offer of $3.30 per share for Clearwire. Although recent reports have suggested Sprint will have to raise its current offer because of what Dish put on the table, the satellite TV provider has said it will not seek to block the transfer.

Mixed in with everything else is news now that the Department of Justice is seeking to defer the Sprint, Softbank deal while it conducts a national security review of the proposed deal.

For more:
- see this Verizon FCC filing
- see this Dish FCC filing
- see this Sprint FCC filing
- see this Crest FCC filing


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(...) Crest’s filing with the FCC, made late Monday, says Sprint’s offer values the spectrum between 13 and 21 cents for each “MHz POP” — meaning 1 megahertz of spectrum that can reach 1 million people. In contrast, Crest asserts, the AT&T purchase of Verizon spectrum announced last week reportedly worked out to $3.77 for each MHz POP. (...)


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DOJ Reviews Softbank and Sprint Nextel Merger [ANALYSIS]
Published on January 29th, 2013
Written by: Jacob Wolinsky

http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/01/doj-reviews-softbank-and-sp…




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U.S. Cellular will pay you $300 to switch carriers

Posted: 30 Jan 2013, 08:19, by Alan F.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/U.S.-Cellular-will-pay-you-30…

(...) However, in third quarter U.S. Cellular reported 9,000 net subscriber additions, which was an improvement after successive quarters of net subscriber losses. U.S. Cellular ended the third quarter with 5.8 million subscribers. (...)


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Jan. 31, 2013, 9:15 a.m. EST
Towerstream Corporation Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., Jan 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Towerstream Corporation TWER -9.15% , a leading 4G and Small Cell Rooftop Tower company, today announced that it has priced an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of its Common Stock, at a price to the public of $3.00 per share. In addition, Towerstream has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 shares of common stock. The offering is expected to close on or about February 5, 2013, subject to customary closing conditions.

The net offering proceeds to Towerstream from this offering are expected to be approximately $27.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, but excluding any exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

Lazard Capital Markets LLC is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering, with Canaccord Genuity Inc. and D.A. Davidson & Co. acting as the co-managers for the offering.

Towerstream intends to use the net proceeds of this offering for general working capital for us and our Hetnets subsidiary, potential acquisitions, and expansion in existing and new markets. (...)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/towerstream-corporation-ann…

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... ... Sprint bekommt von Softbank 8 Mrd. und gibt 600-700 Mio. neue Anteile heraus als Ablöse für Clearwire Aktionäre ...

[teecee1]

Softbank Says Sprint Deal to Weigh on Earnings

Today : Thursday 31 January 2013

-- Softbank says Sprint deal to weigh on operating profit in first year

-- Firm will start to pay off from second year

-- Softbank's quarterly net profit doubles, operating profit jumps 24%

TOKYO--Japanese mobile carrier Softbank Corp. (9984.TO) said on Thursday that its planned $20.1 billion acquisition of Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) will be a drag on earnings in the coming fiscal year before contributing to record profits two years down the line.

Softbank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said the deal to acquire 70% of Sprint, slated to close in mid-2013, will weigh on its operating profit in the fiscal year starting in April because of depreciation costs tied to the shutdown of Nextel's ageing 2G network and Sprint's plans to accelerate capital spending to build out its infrastructure.

"In the first year, there will a negative impact, but after handling that, we expect record profits from the second year on," said Mr. Son, revealing the company's post-acquisition earnings forecasts for the first time.

The move to acquire Sprint and break into the U.S. market is a bet-the-company deal for the charismatic Japanese entrepreneur who started Softbank more than three decades ago. Mr. Son believes he can take the lessons he learned in turning around Softbank's mobile business in Japan and apply them to the struggling U.S. carrier.

Since Softbank acquired the Japanese arm of Vodafone in 2006, the company has made steady gains in new subscribers versus rivals NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437.TO) and KDDI Corp. (9433.TO). It was helped in part by a three-year exclusive hold on the iPhone as its sole provider in Japan until KDDI started selling it in 2011.

After news of the Sprint deal broke, Softbank shares plunged on fears that the company was taking on too big of a risk. The shares have recovered and then some, up nearly 50% since hitting a mid-October low.

Once it consolidates Sprint, Softbank said it is aiming for an operating profit of 700 billion yen, or $7.7 billion, in the year to March 2014. Excluding the Sprint business, Softbank said it is forecasting an operating profit of more than Y800 billion from its domestic mobile operations in the coming fiscal year.

Mr. Son chalked up the initial losses from Sprint, who like Softbank is number-three in its home market, to "M&A accounting" and said the core Sprint carrier business is improving according to plan. Those improvements, according to Mr. Son, will underpin record earnings for the company in the fiscal year to March 2015. Softbank is expecting record profits in the current year to March with an operating profit exceeding Y700 billion.

Softbank's bullish post-acquisition outlook comes after the company announced a doubling of quarterly net profit in the three months ended December.

Bolstered by an influx of new subscribers since the introduction of Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPhone 5 in mid-September, Softbank posted a net profit of Y65.93 billion ($725 million) for the three months ended December versus a profit of Y32.83 billion in the same period a year earlier. Operating profit rose 24% to Y197.39 billion. Sales rose 7.1% to Y923.68 billion.

Mr. Son said the recent yen weakness will not inflate the cost of the dollar-based Sprint acquisition. Softbank said it is fully hedged at an average of Y82.2 to the dollar even as the dollar traded at near Y91 in late Thursday afternoon trade.

"Based on today's foreign exchange rates, it's like we were able to buy Sprint at a discount," said Mr. Son with a smile about the largest overseas acquisition ever-made by a Japanese company. "It's like we were able to buy it for Y200 billion cheaper."

Softbank said it is not concerned about a request from the U.S. Justice Department asking the Federal Communications Commission to delay approval of the Japanese carrier's acquisition of Sprint to study the national security implications. Mr. Son said he expected such a review and considers it a normal part of the deal approval process.

Softbank also said it will adopt international accounting standards with its fiscal year starting in April, because the Sprint deal will expand its overseas operations.

Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at [e-mail]


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Clearwire Corporation Provides Transaction Update

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 3 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (CLWR) today announced that it has filed a preliminary proxy statement in connection with its definitive agreement with Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint") for Sprint to acquire the approximately 50 percent stake in Clearwire that it does not already own for $2.97 per share (the "Sprint Agreement"). The background section of the proxy statement describes the Company's extensive review of strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value over the past few years.

As previously disclosed on January 8, 2013, Clearwire received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal (the "DISH Proposal") from DISH Network Corporation ("DISH"). The DISH Proposal provides for DISH to purchase certain spectrum assets from Clearwire, enter into a commercial agreement with Clearwire and acquire up to all of Clearwire's common stock for $3.30 per share (subject to minimum ownership of at least 25% and granting of certain governance rights) and provide Clearwire with financing on specified terms. The DISH Proposal is only a preliminary indication of interest and is subject to numerous, material uncertainties and conditions, including the negotiation of multiple contractual arrangements being requested by DISH (some of which, as currently proposed, may not be permitted under the terms of Clearwire's current legal and contractual obligations) as well as regulatory approvals.

In connection with the Sprint Agreement, Clearwire and Sprint also entered into agreements that provide up to $800 million of additional financing to Clearwire in the form of exchangeable notes, which will be exchangeable under certain conditions for Clearwire common stock at $1.50 per share, subject to adjustment under certain conditions (the "Sprint Financing Agreements"). Under the Sprint Financing Agreements, Sprint has agreed to purchase, at Clearwire's option, $80 million of exchangeable notes per month for up to 10 months.

As previously disclosed on January 8, 2013, Clearwire did not take the initial draw under the Sprint Financing Agreements as DISH indicated that its preliminary proposal would be withdrawn were Clearwire to draw on the financing. In order to allow the Special Committee to continue to evaluate the DISH Proposal, at the direction of the Special Committee, Clearwire has not taken the February $80 million draw. The Special Committee has not made any determination with respect to any future draws under the Sprint Financing Arrangements.

Also, under the terms of the Sprint Financing Agreements, Sprint is only obligated to provide financing for the last three draws (in August, September and October 2013) if an agreement has been reached between Sprint and Clearwire on the accelerated build out of Clearwire's wireless broadband network by January 31, 2013. Although the parties have not come to an agreement on the accelerated build out, Clearwire and Sprint have amended the Sprint Financing Agreements to extend the date by which agreement on the accelerated build out must be reached to February 28, 2013 for the Company to be able to take the last three draws.

The Special Committee will, consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors, continue to evaluate the DISH Proposal and engage in discussions with each of DISH and Sprint, as appropriate. The Special Committee has not made any determination to change its recommendation of the current Sprint transaction.

The Special Committee and Clearwire will pursue the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of Clearwire's non-Sprint Class A stockholders. Neither Clearwire nor the Special Committee has any further comment on this matter at this time.

Evercore Partners is acting as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as counsel to Clearwire. Centerview Partners is acting as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. are acting as counsel to Clearwire's Special Committee. (...)


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Clearwire Launches Red Hot Hotspot

Get Unlimited, On-the-Go 4G Internet with Red Limited Edition CLEAR Spot Voyager

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 17 hours ago


BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Good things come in small packages," says the old adage. This Valentine's Day, what could be more fitting then a small red package that keeps users connected even when they're apart. For a limited time, consumers can purchase a jewel-tone red Limited Edition CLEAR Spot Voyager starting February 1.

"We understand that our customers' devices are often as much about staying up with the current trends as they are about staying connected," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager of retail at Clearwire. "The new red Limited Edition CLEAR Spot Voyager is an obvious choice for those looking to make a statement and stand out for reasons beyond using one of the few truly unlimited1 4G products available today."

The number of red Limited Edition CLEAR Spot Voyagers may be limited, but data is not1. The red hot personal hotspot delivers unlimited1, on-the-go 4G internet and will outlast any red rose or heart-shaped box of chocolates. Be bold, and give the gift that keeps on giving.

The red Limited Edition CLEAR Spot Voyager is a personal mobile hotspot allowing users to easily and securely share unlimited1 internet access, simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices2, including the iPad(R), iPhone(R), iPod touch(R)3, Windows(R) 84 laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices, anywhere within CLEAR coverage. The CLEAR Spot Voyager is manufactured by Infomark and carries a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $49.995. The device is 2.6" square, weighs only 2.1 ounces, and runs on a rechargeable battery that provides up to six hours of continuous use6.

CLEAR, the retail brand for Clearwire Corporation, runs on Clearwire's 4G network in approximately 80 cities across the U.S., in areas where more than 130 million people live. For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com. Company information about Clearwire, HD product video, and high-resolution photography is available at www.clearwire.com/newsroom.

1.) Unlimited plans subject to network management and other provisions of CLEAR's Acceptable Use Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup.

2.) CLEAR Spot connects up to 8 wi-fi-enabled devices within an approx. 100-foot range.

3.) iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Apple is not affiliated with Clearwire and does not endorse CLEAR-branded products or services.

4.) Windows 8 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft is not affiliated with Clearwire and does not endorse CLEAR-branded products or services.

5.) Taxes, recurring monthly service fees, and other charges apply, including shipping charges in certain retail sales channels.

6.) Actual battery life that user experiences between charges may vary and is not guaranteed.

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.078.398 von teecee1 am 29.01.13 18:08:52

Clearwire Warns Shareholders It Must Merge With Sprint or Restructure

By Wayne Rash | Posted 2013-02-02



NEWS ANALYSIS: Clearwire claims in an SEC proxy statement that its lack of cash makes a merger with Sprint imperative to avoid restructuring that could render its shares worthless.

Clearwire’s filing of a preliminary proxy with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb.1 makes it clear that the merger of Clearwire and Sprint Nextel is going to happen, absent some unlikely and unexpected roadblocks.

The statements made by the companies subsequent to the proxy filing also make it clear that the proposal by satellite television broadcaster Dish Network to buy part of Clearwire is probably going nowhere.

A close look at the proxy shows a few important things that make the merger all but a done deal. First of all, Sprint already owns 50.4 percent of Clearwire, and it’s certain that Sprint will vote its majority ownership in favor of the merger. In addition, Comcast, Bright House Networks and Intel along with a few others own an additional 13 percent of Clearwire, and according to the proxy, these shares will also be voted in favor of the merger.

Because of the commitments of the parties involved, it’s a sure thing that a quorum of stockholders will either show up at the stockholders’ meeting, or will vote by proxy. The SEC filing says that these shareholders have “agreed to vote all of their shares of our common stock in favor of the proposals to adopt the Merger Agreement, to amend the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, to authorize the issuance of additional shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock and to adjourn the Special Meeting.”

While it’s a sure thing that a majority of the shares of Clearwire will be voted in favor of the merger, that doesn’t rule out a suit by shareholders to block the merger, or a suit by Dish claiming that they should be allowed to buy part of Clearwire and have a say in its governance. However, the proxy makes it very clear what the consequences of a failed merger would be.

“If the Merger is not completed, we may be forced to explore all available alternatives, including financial restructuring, which could include seeking protection under the provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code,” Clearwire stated in its proxy statement.

Clearwire claims in the statement that its future as a going concern depends on completing the merger with Sprint.

“Excluding any financing by Sprint pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company currently has capital resources that it believes to be sufficient to support its operations into approximately the fourth quarter of 2013. If the Merger is not completed, the Company may not be able to raise sufficient capital to continue its existing operations beyond that time. We can give you no assurance that in a restructuring you would receive any value for your shares or a value equal to or in excess of the Merger Consideration,” the statement said.

What this boils down to is that if the merger is blocked, and Sprint doesn’t spend money to keep Clearwire alive (which it’s not obligated to do), the company will restructure, and the result could be that the existing shares in the company could become worthless. In other words, block the merger and you can lose the money you’ve invested in Clearwire.

Meanwhile, Clearwire has set up a special committee to study the Dish Network proposal as required by its fiduciary responsibilities. The special committee is considering the Dish proposal, and is in discussions with Dish, but there’s no indication that Dish has proposed a feasible route to acquiring a significant portion of Clearwire.

However, Clearwire said in a statement released shortly after the SEC filing that Sprint’s agreement to provide financing for Clearwire’s build-out has been extended to February 28. This would indicate that the stockholder meeting on the merger will likely take place by that time. Currently the SEC filing gives no date or location for the meeting.

Sprint, for its part, also weighed in on the Clearwire proxy filing, issuing a press release that called the Dish proposal “illusory” and noting that it’s based on a series of events and conditions that are unlikely or impossible given the current agreements between Sprint and Clearwire. “We are pleased the Clearwire Board continues to recommend approval of our transaction and look forward to closing our merger and delivering even greater wireless service to the American consumer,” Sprint said in its release.

Previously, Dish released a brief statement regarding its talks with Clearwire. “We look forward to working with Clearwire's Special Committee as it evaluates our proposal,” said Tom Cullen, DISH executive vice president of Corporate Development in a brief press release that indicated that there would be no further comment. A Dish spokesperson declined eWEEK requests for comments on the Clearwire SEC filing.

What this really means is that the merger between Sprint Nextel and Clearwire will move forward. It also means that any attempt to block the merger has the possibility of significant financial consequences to the shareholders.

This maneuver would also effectively freeze Dish out of the process. While it’s possible that current Clearwire shareholders might be able to get a slightly better deal per share, even that’s unlikely. Right now, it looks like the Sprint–Clearwire merger is going to happen and nothing Dish is likely to do will stop it, short of any lawsuits filed by shareholders or Dish that could delay the deal for months to come.

... ... Sprint Fraud ...

[teecee1]

Clearwire Stock Rating Lowered by DA Davidson (CLWR)

Posted by Zach Kirkland on Feb 4th, 2013

Clearwire logoDA Davidson downgraded shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research note released on Monday morning. (...) ... ... heißt akkumulieren ...


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Autor: Rene Melzer | 04.02.2013 - 14:16
GSA-Studie: 666 Geräte bieten mittlerweile LTE-Unterstützung

Vor wenigen Jahren war LTE in Mobilfunknetzen noch Zukunftsmusik. Mittlerweile ist der neue schnelle Datenstandard in 145 Netzen weltweit verfügbar und kann mit 666 Geräten genutzt werden. Gleichzeitig investieren die Netzbetreiber massiv in den Ausbau von HSPA+.


LTE-Smartphones in Deutschland: HTC Velocity 4G, HTC One XL und Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE

Der neue schnelle Datenstandard LTE nimmt langsam Fahrt auf. Immer mehr Mobilfunkanbieter rüsten damit ihre Netze auf und auch die Hersteller von Smartphones, Tablets oder USB-Modems integrieren ihn immer häufiger in ihre Geräte. Nach Angaben der Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) sind mittlerweile weltweit 666 LTE-Geräte von 87 Herstellern auf dem Markt (Stand: 31. Januar 2013) und 145 LTE-Netze verfügbar (Stand: 8. Januar 2013).


Wachstum der LTE-Endgeräte | (c) GSA

Von der Gesamtzahl an Geräten sind aber nur etwa ein Drittel Smartphones. In dieser Kategorie zählte die GSA 221 Modelle, inklusive Netzbetreiber-und Frequenz-spezifischen Varianten einiger Modelle. Im Tablet-Bereich ist LTE dagegen bisher kaum verbreitet, ganze 53 Modelle und Versionen fand die GSA weltweit im Handel. Die zweitgrößte Produktkategorie mit LTE-Unterstützung sind derzeit Router für die stationäre Verwendung von LTE, wie etwa in Deutschland als Alternative zu DSL in abgeschiedenen ländlichen Bereichen, den sogenannten weißen Flecken. Hier zählte die GSA 201 Produkte und deren Varianten. Dazu sind 102 Dongles gelistet, also USB-Sticks mit LTE-Anbindung, 19 Notebooks, 2 PC-Karten und vier nicht näher erklärte "Module".


Art der LTE-Endgeräte und deren Verteilung | (c) GSA

Die Wachstumszahlen zeigen, so die GSA, dass LTE der am schnellsten wachsende Mobilstandard aller Zeiten sei. Bis zum Ende 2013 rechnet der Verband mit über 230 verfügbaren LTE-Netzen weltweit und einer massiv wachsenden Nutzerzahl. Gleichzeitig investieren die Netzbetreiber massiv in den Ausbau von HSPA+. In weltweit 118 Ländern gibt es mittlerweile 254 regulär betriebene HSPA+-Netzwerke, von denen 102 sogar den Standard DC-HSPA+ unterstützen, der bis zu 42 Megabit pro Sekunde im Download ermöglicht.

Quelle: GSA


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Tomio Geron, Forbes Staff
2/04/2013 @ 9:00AM
FreedomPop Plans 'LTE Clip' To Give Free LTE To iPad, Android Tablets


FreedomPop LTE Clip

FreedomPop, the free Wi-Fi company that is looking to disrupt the ISP and broadband markets, is now planning to get into tablets.

The startup plans to release a new addition to its product line: a FreedomPop “LTE Clip” that attaches onto Wi-Fi-only tablets and turns them into Internet-enabled devices, according to a person familiar with the matter. (See photo at right.) The Clip’s LTE service will be provided by Sprint Nextel‘s network and is expected to be released in the second half of this year. ... ... nach der Übernahme (Übergabe) von Clearwire

The FreedomPop Clip, weighing 2.5 ounces, is designed to clip to tablet devices. Battery life is about six hours and the battery is in the hinge of the device to save space.

It’s designed to be useful for the vast majority of tablets–90% according to one study–that are Wi-Fi only. Many users do not want to pay for both a phone contract and a tablet data contract and thus opt for Wi-Fi-only tablets.

The LTE Clip will give tablet users Internet access for free giving them a new dimension. As with its other devices, FreedomPop will give 500 MB of 4G service free per month on its network. To get more data, users can pre-pay or pay as they go. About 30% of its users pay for premium service.

The Clip will apparently be compatible with almost all tablet devices, including iPad and iPad Mini, Android tablets such as Galaxy Tab and most Android smartphones.

Up to eight devices can connect to the Clip device via Wi-Fi for Internet access. In a sense, the Clip is like a Mi-Fi device that enables any devices nearby to get Internet access. But the Clip device is different because it attaches to a tablet device.

The FreedomPop LTE Clip will have the same sharing features as FreedomPop’s other devices. In exchange for sharing their Internet access, FreedomPop users get credits for more free Internet access. This means sharing people’s access not directly to nearby users but virtually sharing to anyone on the company’s network.

In addition, FreedomPop plans to release a new “open Wi-Fi” local-sharing Internet service through its devices, the company previously told FORBES. This will enable FreedomPop devices to share their broadband access to others nearby by using two SSIDs. When FreedomPop turns this feature on through a software update, anyone nearby can log onto that broadband device through one of the SSIDs.

FreedomPop, backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, DCM and Mangrove Capital, has previously launched a $99 case for iPod Touch devices that turns them into WiMax Internet devices. They can also be used to make calls via a deal with TextPlus. FreedomPop has also announced plans to roll out free home Internet service. There’s also a 4G mi-fi router and a 4G USB dongle for laptops.

Unlike the FreedomPop iPod Touch case, however, the new Clip for tablets will have LTE service as well as 3G service.


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Chuck Jones, Contributor
2/03/2013 @ 3:56PM
Apple Websites to Track LTE Availability for iPhones and iPads

Apple makes available on its website which countries and carriers have LTE connectivity for iPhones and iPads. There are currently 24 countries with 56 carriers that support the iPhone and 21 countries and 42 carriers that support the iPad.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

http://www.apple.com/ipad/LTE/

When you look at the lists it is interesting to note that neither China Telecom or China Unicom have LTE capability and that Hong Kong does have three carriers with LTE support. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information (MIIT) has said that LTE licenses will be ready in 2013. The article from The Next Web points out that only plans may be finalized this year or licenses may be awarded.

Kantar estimates that Apple has about 22% of the Urban China market for the twelve weeks ending on December 23 and that Android is almost 3.5 times larger. (...)

[teecee1]

Sprint Seen Posting Loss, Fewer Postpaid Subscribers

By Reinhardt Krause, Investor's Business Daily
Posted 10:08 AM ET

Postpaid subscriber losses are expected to hurt Sprint Nextel (S), which reports Q4 results before the market opens Thursday.

Analysts estimate Sprint will report a loss of 46 cents a share compared with a 35-cent loss in the year-earlier period. Analysts estimate revenue will rise 2% to $8.92 billion.

Analysts say Sprint's capital spending guidance and 2013 outlook for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization will be key.


Getty Images

Regulators are reviewing Japan-based SoftBank's deal to buy a 70% stake in Sprint for $20.1 billion, as IBD has reported. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son spent heavily in Japan to take on bigger rivals in wireless services, and analysts expect Sprint to hike spending if regulators approve the SoftBank deal.

Sprint has also agreed to a separate deal that would give it full ownership of Clearwire (CLWR). Clearwire shareholder have yet to vote on that deal.

Sprint has upped capital spending to speed the rollout of a 4G data network, aiming to stem the loss of higher-spending postpaid subscribers who sign service contracts with Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T (T).

"Despite the expected cash infusion from SoftBank and additional spectrum capacity from Clearwire, we believe Sprint's stock performance is still largely tied to the success or failure of its network modernization project known as Network Vision," Colby Synesael, an analyst at Cowen & Co., said in a recent report.

"We believe capex in 2013 will be higher than many expect, thus resulting in FCF (free cash flow) below expectations. ... While we believe accelerating its capex spend is the right move and should allow it to complete Network Vision more quickly, it will have a meaningful impact on 2013 FCF," Synesael wrote.

Verizon added 2.1 million postpaid customers, including tablet users, in Q4, while AT&T added 780,000. They reported Q4 results in late January. Here was IBD's report on Verizon.

In Q3, Sprint lost 456,000 postpaid subscribers, including users of its iDen network that is being phased out. Sprint had 32.1 million postpaid customers as of Sept. 30, down from 36.7 million at the start of 2009.

Sprint shares were up nearly 1% in early trading Tuesday, near 5.75.


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Netzwerkausrüster Von 45 Milliarden US-Dollar auf 0 US-Dollar

Datum: 4.2.2013, 12:06
Autor: Achim Sawall


Sycamore-Networks-Gründer Guraraj Deshpande
im Oktober 1999 (Bild: Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Der Hersteller optischer Switches, Sycamore Networks, ist im März 2000 an der Börse 45 Milliarden US-Dollar wert gewesen, die Beschäftigten des Startups fuhren Porsche. Nun stimmten die Aktionäre für die Auflösung der Firma.

Die Aktionäre von Sycamore Networks haben die Auflösung des Unternehmens beschlossen. Im März 2000 hatte der Hersteller optischer Switches aus Chelmsford im US-Bundesstaat Massachusetts einen Wert von fast 45 Milliarden US-Dollar. Am vergangenen Freitag lag der Wert von Sycamore Networks bei rund 66 Millionen US-Dollar.

Sycamore Networks wurde 1998 von Daniel Smith und Gururaj Deshpande gegründet und ging 1999 an die Börse. Am ersten Handelstag wurde das Startup mit 14 Milliarden US-Dollar bewertet. Zu der Zeit hatte Sycamore Networks einen Umsatz von 11 Millionen US-Dollar und machte noch keinen Gewinn. Der Kurs der Aktie stieg in den folgenden sechs Monaten stark an. Der Netzwerkausrüster erreichte am 2. März 2000 einen Börsenwert von 44,8 Milliarden US-Dollar.

In den Zeiten der Internetblase hatten auch andere Netzwerkausrüster hohe Börsennotierungen. Ciena war 42 Milliarden US-Dollar wert, JDS Uniphase notierte mit 127 Milliarden US-Dollar und Marktführer Cisco Systems hatte einen Börsenwert von 551 Milliarden US-Dollar.

Der Hardwareentwickler Khanh Le begann im Sommer 2000, für Sycamore Networks zu arbeiten. Er sagte dem Wall Street Journal, dass zu der Zeit die Mitarbeiter aus der Anfangszeit des Unternehmens mit dem Porsche zur Arbeit fuhren, nachdem sie ihre Aktienoptionen eingelöst hatten.

Als die ersten Internet-Startups zusammenbrachen, gaben auch die Börsenkurse der Netzwerkausrüster nach. Le wurde im Mai 2001 nach knapp einem Jahr bei Sycamore Networks entlassen. Der Aktienkurs war um 90 Prozent gefallen. "Die Entlassungen kamen für viele überraschend", die gehofft hatten, Millionäre zu werden. "Sie fingen an dort zu arbeiten, und nach nicht einmal einem Jahr war alles vorbei."

Gegenwärtig hat Ciena einen Börsenwert von 1,6 Milliarden US-Dollar, JDS Uniphase liegt bei 3,5 Milliarden US-Dollar und Cisco erreicht 111 Milliarden US-Dollar.

Die Firma wird als Privatunternehmen Sycamore Network Solutions weiterexistieren.

............................................................................

... ... mit wieviel Mrd. wurde CLWR bei seinem IPO bewertet und welchen Wert hat Clearwire's Netz + Lizensen jetzt ??? ... Zeitpunkt, Zeitpunkt, Zeitpunkt ... könnte man sagen ...

(...) Clearwire IPO jumps up on opening

By Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service
March 08, 2007 03:45 PM ET

(...) Clearwire's underwriters sold 24 million shares at a price of $25 per share in the IPO. On Thursday, the stock opened at $27.25 per share, though later in the day it settled around the $25 level. (...)


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Alleged T-Mobile roadmap shows LTE devices arriving March 27

Screenshot leaked to TMO News shows the arrival of at least a trio of LTE-enabled devices, including the recently-released BlackBerry Z10.

by Steven Musil
February 4, 2013 6:56 PM PST


T-Mobile's LTE launch plans revealed?
(Credit: TMO News)

T-Mobile is reportedly readying a harvest of LTE-enabled devices this spring, suggesting that T-Mobile's 4G LTE network will be operational by that time

The wireless carrier is expected to release the BlackBerry Z10, Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, and Sonic 2.0 LTE mobile hotspot on March 27, according to a purported roadmap leaked to TMO News. A screenshot of the roadmap also lists an LTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy S3 launching either March 27 or April 3.

Pricing for the devices was not included.

T-Mobile, which does not yet currently offer 4G LTE, has said before that it will develop a 4G LTE network. It currently offers 4G (HSPA+), which it says is fast enough to be called 4G.

CNET has contacted T-Mobile for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

The BlackBerry Z10, which was announced last week, is reportedly off to a strong sales start in several countries around the world. The device runs the company's latest operating system, BlackBerry 10, and comes with a full, 4.2-inch touch screen.

The U.K. seems to be BlackBerry's best market, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. "Initial checks" had found that Carphone Warehouse, a company that sells handsets, "is seeing widespread sellouts," Misek said in a research note obtained this morning by CNET. U.K. carriers O2, Vodafone, Orange, and EE "are seeing robust demand," he said.


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Taiwan makers expected to ship over 10 million LTE devices in 2013
Irene Chen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 5 February 2013]

Taiwan-based ODMs are expected to ship more than 10 million LTE (Long Term Evolution) data-communication terminal devices in 2013, according to these makers.

Quanta Computer shipped 2.0-3.0 million such devices in 2012 and expects to ship 5.0 million units to telecom carriers in the US, Japan and China in 2013.

Arcadyan Technology expects to ship 1.5 million LTE terminal devices while Gemtek foresees shipments of about one million units in 2013.

MitraStar Technology forecasts shipments of 2.0 million LTE terminal devices for 2013, including 500,000-1,000,000 units to its affiliated vendor Zyxel.

SerComm is expected to ship about one million LTE terminal devices for 10-15% of total revenues in 2013.

Most of the LTE data-communication terminal devices to be shipped in 2013 will be Mi-Fi routers and CPE (customer premises equipment), with average selling prices estimated at US$60-70. Along with growing demand, prices for LTE terminal devices are expected to drop by 20-30% during 2013.

[teecee1]

05.02.2013 | 14:41

Business Wire ·
LTE in Vertical Industry Segments Reviewed in New Mind Commerce Publishing Report Available at MarketPublishers.com

With the demand for broadband-enabled data applications being on the rise in a slew of vertical market segments such as oil, construction, defense, public safety, the LTE services in these segments are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 62.5 percent to amount to approximately USD 22.8 billion in terms of service revenue by early 2019. The public safety segment is forecast to take the lead regarding the number of subscribers.

Currently, Alcatel Lucent, Cassidian, Ericsson, Pepper Construction, Telit Wireless Solutions, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless are amid the most promising companies in the LTE space. They continuously work on the optimizing of LTE for a slew of applications: multimedia PTT, remote data acquisition, video surveillance, etc.

New market research report "LTE in Industry Verticals: Market Opportunities and Forecasts 2013 – 2018" developed by Mind Commerce Publishing offers a unique analysis of LTE in industry verticals. The study contains a comprehensive overview of the LTE technology, examination of value chain in vertical industry segments, description of business cases and assessment of key trends and drivers. Data on subscription and service revenues; use cases, case studies and adoption timelines for LTE; profiles of leading companies; future forecasts for subscriptions and service revenue through 2018 are also available in the research report.

Vertical industry segments covered in the study: Oil, Construction, Mining, Utilities, Agriculture, Gas and Energy, Transportation, Defense, Healthcare, Education and Distance Learning, Public Safety.

Report Details:

Title: LTE in Industry Verticals: Market Opportunities and Forecasts 2013 - 2018

Published: January, 2013

Pages: 84

Price: US$ 2,995.00

http://marketpublishers.com/report/wireless_technology/3g-4g…

More New Market Reports by Mind Commerce Publishing Include:

* Mobile Network Operator Revenue Improvement and Profitability Enhancement
* Brave New World: Convergence of Broadband, Location and Augmented Reality
* Next Generation Mobile Marketing: Location, Social Commerce, and Augmented Reality
* Wireless Security Market in LTE Networks 2013-2018

More new research reports by Mind Commerce Publishing can be found at http://marketpublishers.com/members/mind_commerce/info.html


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05.02.2013 | 15:30

PR Newswire ·
'Visiongain Reveals the 20 Leading Companies That Dominate the $10.84 bn Global LTE Infrastructure Market'

LONDON, February 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Visiongain's latest report the Global 20 Leading LTE Infrastructure Companies 2013: Competitive Landscape Analysis examines the market leaders in LTE infrastructure, including breakthrough technologies, significant deployment contracts, mergers, acquisitions, patents, and research and development.

Soaring data traffic demands mean that mobile networks are inevitably having to transition to 4G technologies. The introduction of superphones and tablets has saturated the mobile market, and the introduction of new, faster network technologies has become a matter of adapt-or-perish. Having a robust and practicable LTE strategy is what will separate today's incumbent operators from tomorrows. Successful vendors of these strategies will reap significant share of a market visiongain calculated at $10.84 billion in 2012

The technologies, products, and strategies set forth by today's major players will guide the immediate and long-term future of IP-based mobile networks. Because LTE deployments are consolidated, unified, and future-proof, they will be a bedrock for the next generation of wireless telephony and data transmission.

Most importantly, the surging development of LTE infrastructure will also generate massive revenue in mobile backhaul, semiconductors, end-user equipment, and a throng of other tangential markets. The health and financial security of LTE infrastructure leaders will rely heavily upon wise acquisitions, partnerships, and investment in these vital sub-markets.

Consumer demand and uptake of LTE-ready technology shows no sign of slowing. In January 2013, there are 114 LTE network deployments and LTE-A is just imminent. Tablet and LTE handset sales continue to climb strongly, testing network capacity and efficiency for delivering a high-quality data-rich mobile experience. This is a historic moment in telecommunications history, where consumers are outstripping the pace of the market and ushering vendors and operators towards change. The Global 20 Leading LTE Infrastructure Companies 2013: Competitive Landscape Analysis report examines who is ready to lead the charge.

The 114 page report contains 83 tables, charts, figures, and graphs that contribute visual analysis to our appraisal of developing trends. Visiongain provides a detailed portrait of the global leading 20 LTE infrastructure companies at the dawn of 2013, assessing their global and regional LTE infrastructure market share and impact in global, regional, and national markets. Visiongain studies the strengths and weaknesses in this value chain's leading players, examining their products, corporate strategies, contracts, and equipment trials.

The Global 20 Leading LTE Infrastructure Companies 2013: Competitive Landscape Analysis report will be of value to current and future potential investors into the network infrastructure, as well as OEMs, mobile network operators and network strategists who wish to gain a holistic insight into the most important and influential LTE infrastructure players

For sample pages and further information concerning visiongain's Global 20 Leading LTE Infrastructure Companies 2013: Competitive Landscape Analysis report please visit http://www.visiongain.com/Sector/7/Telecoms

For an executive summary please contact:
Email: Sara Peerun on [e-mail]
Tel: [phone]

Companies Listed: http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2013-02/25894216…


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Drahtloses Internet
FCC will öffentliches WLAN in den USA

Datum: 5.2.2013, 16:23
Autor: Werner Pluta


FCC-Chef Julius Genachowski (2009):
Spektrum verkaufen, Staatskasse füllen
(Bild: Mike Blake/Reuters)

Die US-Regulierungsbehörde FCC will ein öffentliches WLAN einrichten. Davon erhofft sich die Behörde unter anderem Innovationen im Bereich des Internets der Dinge. Die Reaktionen auf den Vorschlag sind zwiespältig.

Die Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will einen Teil des Funkspektrums für landesweites WLAN reservieren. Unternehmen wie Google und Microsoft unterstützen den Vorschlag der US-Regulierungsbehörde. Die Netzbetreiber sind dagegen.

Die Frequenzen sollen aus dem Bereich kommen, der bisher für die Radio- und Fernsehübertragung genutzt wird. Die Rundfunkstationen müssten also einen Teil ihres Spektrums angeben, der dann an die Regierung geht. Ob sie dazu bereit sind, ist noch nicht klar.

Frei zugängliches Netz

Die Wellen in diesem Teil des Spektrums sind energiereicher als die der üblichen WLAN-Frequenzen. Das bedeutet, sie haben eine größere Reichweite und durchdringen auch Wände. Das Netz würde in allen städtischen sowie vielen ländlichen Regionen zur Verfügung stehen. Und nicht nur das: Der Plan der FCC sei, die Frequenzen frei zugänglich zu machen, berichtet die Washington Post.

Für den Zugang zu dem Netz soll es wenige Hürden geben, zitiert die Tageszeitung aus einer E-Mail von FCC-Chef Julius Genachoswki. Das soll es Unternehmen erleichtern, neue Anwendungen und Dienste zu entwickeln. Dazu könnte beispielsweise die Vernetzung aller möglichen Geräte im Haushalt, der Industrie und in der Medizin gehören, das sogenannte Internet der Dinge.

Unternehmen wie Google und Microsoft unterstützen solche Pläne. Sie glauben ebenfalls, dass sich dadurch der Anreiz ergibt, neue und interessante Anwendungen zu entwickeln. Google etwa könnte seine autonom fahrenden Autos miteinander kommunizieren lassen. Zu den Nutznießern sollen zudem ärmere Bürger zählen, die sich bislang keinen teuren Netzzugang per Mobilfunk leisten können.

Zustimmung von Kommunen

Auch die Kommunen unterstützen diese Idee: Sie könnten dadurch bei der Vernetzung von Schulen und anderen Einrichtungen Geld sparen. Außerdem hoffen sie, dass flächendeckender Netzzugang Besuchern helfen könnte, Sehenswürdigkeiten zu finden, also den Tourismus fördert.

Die großen Mobilfunkanbieter wie AT&T, T-Mobile oder Verizon sind gegen die Pläne der FCC: Sie fürchten um ihr Geschäft mit den mobilen Internetzugängen. Kritik kommt auch aus der Politik: Einige republikanische Politiker stört, dass die FCC das Spektrum kostenlos zur Verfügung stellen will, statt es zu versteigern und damit Geld für die Staatskasse zu sammeln.

... ... wer soll das Netz aufbauen bzw. die Infrastruktur bezahlen und warten ... ???

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.097.608 von teecee1 am 03.02.13 15:01:18

Softbank to sell record $3.2 billion in bonds for Sprint deal: sources

TOKYO | Tue Feb 5, 2013 8:11pm EST

(Reuters) - Softbank Corp (9984.T) will issue $3.2 billion in corporate bonds, the biggest ever by a non-financial Japanese firm to retail investors, to convert part of the $17.7 billion in short-term loans used to purchase Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) to longer term debt, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Softbank will issue the four-year bonds as early as March, the sources told Reuters on condition they not be identified.

Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile carrier, agreed last year to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint for $20.1 billion, in the biggest foreign acquisition by a Japanese company to date.

The Japanese firm borrowed from Mizuho Financial Group Inc (8411.T), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) and Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) last December to fund most of the Sprint deal.

(Reporting by Emi Emoto and Reiji Murai; Writing by Mari Saito)


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Softbank to Sell $3.2 Billion Bonds to Fund Sprint Deal
By Mariko Yasu & Yusuke Miyazawa - Feb 6, 2013 6:27 AM GMT+0100

Softbank Corp., the Japanese carrier that agreed to buy a $20 billion stake in Sprint Nextel Corp., will sell 300 billion yen ($3.2 billion) in bonds to help finance the acquisition.

Softbank will offer bonds maturing in four years to Japanese individual investors this month, the Tokyo-based company said today in a finance ministry filing.


The Softbank Corp. logo is seen on
a window at the company's store as
customers sit at a counter in Tokyo.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Billionaire Masayoshi Son’s mobile phone carrier offered in October to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint Nextel to expand into the U.S. wireless market. Softbank, which boosted profit by drawing users with Apple Inc.’s smartphones and tablets, has climbed 21 percent in Tokyo trading since the Sprint deal plans were first reported.

“Softbank is well-known and popular among individuals,” said Mana Nakazora, chief credit analyst at BNP Paribas Securities Japan in Tokyo. “There isn’t concern about the bonds remaining unsold.”

Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service have put the Japanese company’s credit ratings under review for possible downgrade on concern the acquisition may undermine its financial strength. A downgrade of one step would bring the rating to a speculative, or junk, ranking at Moody’s.

Surging Profit

Softbank doubled third-quarter net income to 65.9 billion yen as it gained customers with Apple’s smartphones and tablet computers. Sales gained 7.1 percent to 923.7 billion yen during the three months ended Dec. 31, the company said Jan. 31.

The carrier rose 4.1 percent to 3,520 yen as of 2:17 p.m. in Tokyo trading, headed for the highest close since April 2006. The stock is up 12 percent this year, compared with the 10 percent gain by the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average.

The Sprint announcement came two weeks after Softbank agreed to acquire a stake in rival Japanese wireless provider eAccess Ltd. to help meet bandwidth demand from iPhone users. Sales of Apple phones and tablets have helped Softbank boost earnings more than sevenfold during the past four years.

The arrangers of the bonds include Nomura Holdings Inc., Daiwa Securities Group Inc., Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

The bonds, whose coupon will be set on Feb. 22 at between 1.25 percent and 1.85 percent, will be offered from Feb. 25 to March 11, according to the filing.

Regulatory Review

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked the Federal Communications Commissions to delay a review because of Softbank’s ties to Chinese suppliers of telecommunications equipment.

The acquisition of Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint’s 56.4 million mobile subscribers would increase Softbank’s customer base to 96 million in the U.S. and Japan, the Japanese company said in October. The company’s biggest Japanese rival NTT DoCoMo Inc. has about 60.8 million subscriptions.

Softbank is getting a bridge loan of as much as 1.65 trillion yen from banks to finance the Sprint purchase, it said last year.

The mobile-phone operator has more than 188 billion yen of bonds maturing this year, including a 130 billion yen bond due Sept. 17, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mariko Yasu in Tokyo at [e-mail]; Yusuke Miyazawa in Tokyo at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.107.806 von teecee1 am 06.02.13 08:47:30

Clearwire Corp
NASDAQ: CLWR
Shares Owned by Insitutions
40.50% ... vorher 40.30%
Number of Institutions
187 ... vorher 186

............................................................................

Sprint Nextel Corp ...
NYSE:S
Total Shares Held: 3.37 B

... ... $3,50 in Bar und eine Sprint-Aktie ... $9- $9,50 ... Soft-blank

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06.02.2013 | 08:41
(78 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP: US-Kabelnetzbetreiber Liberty Global greift mit Übernahme Murdoch an

Der US-Kabel-Konzern Liberty Global will den britischen Konkurrenten Virgin Media schlucken. Die beiden Unternehmen haben sich auf die Übernahme im Wert von 16 Milliarden US-Dollar in bar und Aktien geeinigt, wie sie am Mittwochmorgen mitteilten. Inklusive Schulden wird Virgin Media mit 23,3 Milliarden Dollar bewertet. Wenn die Übernahme durchgeht, halten die Amerikaner mit Virgin Media den zweitgrößten Kabelnetzbetreiber in Großbritannien nach BSkyB in Händen - und gehen auf direkten Konfrontationskurs zum Fernsehimperium des Medientycoons Rupert Murdoch. Es soll der größte Deal in der Medienbranche seit 2007 sein.

Je Virgin Media-Aktie zahlen die Amerikaner 17,50 Dollar sowie rund ein Viertel einer sogenannten A-Aktie von Liberty Global und knapp ein Fünftel einer C-Aktie. Insgesamt bewertet die Offerte Virgin Media mit 47,87 Dollar je Aktie - ein 24 prozentiger Aufschlag auf den jüngsten Aktienkurs. Analysten begrüßten den Kauf als positiven Schritt für Liberty Global. Dabei verzichten die Amerikaner auf den bisherigen Virgin-Media-Chef Neil Berkett. Dieser wird nach der Übernahme abtreten. Sein Nachfolger steht noch nicht fest. (...)

............................................................................

PDF-Link: http://www.lgi.com/PDF/press-release/02-05-Final-Transaction…

(...) Englewood, Colorado – February 5, 2013:

Liberty Global, Inc. (“Liberty Global”) (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) and Virgin Media Inc. (“Virgin Media”) (NASDAQ: VMED; LSE: VMED) today announced that they have entered into an agreement, subject to shareholder approvals, pursuant to which Liberty Global will acquire Virgin Media in a stock and cash merger valued at approximately $23.3 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, Virgin Media shareholders will receive $17.50 in cash, 0.2582 Liberty Global Series A shares and 0.1928 Liberty Global Series C shares for each Virgin Media share that they hold. Based on Liberty Global’s Series A share price of $69.46 and Series C share price of $64.50 as of February 4, 2013, this implies a price of $47.87 per Virgin Media share, reflecting a 24% premium to Virgin Media’s closing price on February 4, 2013.² (...)


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Why 4G may lead to bigger smartphone bills
By David Goldman @CNNMoneyTech February 5, 2013: 9:12 PM ET


Cisco is predicting that smartphone networks will get faster and faster. But you pay more as a result.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Thinking about upgrading to a 4G phone? Prepare to pay more. Before you know it, those 2-gigabyte data caps your carrier put in place just aren't going to cut it.

The average American will use 6.2 GB of data on their mobile devices each month in 2017, according to the latest annual Visual Networking Index released by Cisco (CSCO, Fortune 500). To put that into context, Americans used just 752 MB Americans on average last year.

If data plans stay the same five years down the road, the average user's smartphone bill could grow by $40 a month.

The wide-spread roll-out of 4G, the lightning-fast wireless networks that all four of the major carriers are in the process of deploying across the country, is expected to be the main culprit. 4G is capable of speeds comparable to your home broadband service, and it's roughly 10 times faster than 3G. By 2017, Cisco predicts that the average smartphone connection speed will grow more than three-fold.

The faster the connection, the more stuff people consume on their mobile devices -- particularly large video files, which will be the primary driver behind the download explosion, Cisco says. Streaming video services such as Netflix (NFLX), Hulu and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500)-owned YouTube are expected make up two-thirds of downloads in five years.

Related story: Video and mobile are breaking the Internet

The number of 4G devices is relatively small now. Just 1% of devices were connected to 4G networks last year -- but those smartphones and tablets accounted for 14% of global mobile traffic. By 2017, Cisco estimates that 10% of the world's devices will have 4G connections, and they will make up almost half of all traffic.

Clearly, people who have (or plan to buy) 4G-capable phones will download like crazy. That has vast implications for wireless carriers -- and your wallet.

Today's mobile-data-per-user average sits just below the entry-level 1 GB data tier that Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) has put in place and well under the 3 GB tier that AT&T (T, Fortune 500) offers. But if Cisco is right that we'll all be consuming 6.2 GB-per-month on average in five years, those same Verizon or AT&T customers would have to pay $40 a month more in their cell phone bills to cover all that data.

Related story: Why your cell phone bill is going up

The companies haven't exactly been shy about stating the rationale behind switching to tiered and shared data plans. As customers rack up more and more gigabytes on their 4G devices, they pay more.

But if those plans don't change, carriers with data caps or tiers are going to have a revolt on their hands. For the time being, Sprint (S, Fortune 500) and T-Mobile continue to offer unlimited data service for mobile customers

"As you have more people using bandwidth-intensive applications on the networks, carriers are putting data caps in place," said Thomas Barnett, manager of Cisco's Visual Networking Index team. "But carriers will need to evolve their tiers for cell service to remain affordable -- while still getting those top users reined in."

AT&T and Verizon declined to comment on whether they'd consider raising their tiers as average use ticks higher in the future.

But those tiers have clearly been very effective. American mobile customers offloaded half of their traffic to Wi-Fi networks last year. In other words, the prospect of paying more has forced customers to think twice about when they need to use a 3G or 4G network.

By 2017, Cisco forecasts that 66% of smartphone and tablet traffic will be over Wi-Fi. So that may be a way for consumers to keep watching Netflix on their phone or tablet without paying an arm and a leg to their carrier.

First Published: February 5, 2013: 9:12 PM ET

[teecee1]

Sprint Nextel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Results

* Full year 2012 consolidated net operating revenue of $35.3 billion rose 5 percent year-over-year; annual Sprint platform wireless service revenue of $27.1 billion is the highest ever and increased nearly 15 percent year-over-year; record 2012 Sprint platform postpaid ARPU of $63.05 grew more than 5 percent over 2011

* Annual Operating Loss of $1.8 billion, includes accelerated depreciation of $2.1 billion; annual Adjusted OIBDA* of $4.8 billion; fourth quarter Adjusted OIBDA* of $860 million up 2 percent year-over-year

* 2012 Sprint platform postpaid net additions up 18 percent year-over-year and highest since 2007

* Strong postpaid and prepaid Nextel recapture rates
- 2012 postpaid recapture rate of 55 percent
- Fourth quarter postpaid recapture rate of 51 percent
- Best ever quarterly prepaid recapture rate of 50 percent

* Annual smartphone sales of nearly 20 million
- 2012 iPhone® sales of more than 6.6 million – 40 percent to new customers
- Best ever quarterly iPhone sales of approximately 2.2 million – 38 percent to new customers
- 89 percent of quarterly Sprint platform postpaid handset sales were smartphones

* Network Vision sites on air nearly doubled in last 90 days
- 4G LTE now launched in 58 cities with nearly 170 more expected in coming months
- Construction started in more than 450 cities
- More than 19,500 sites now ready for construction
- Average current new sites on air per week have grown 83 percent from third quarter
- More than 8,000 sites on air (...) ... ... mit o. ohne CLWR ...


OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S) today reported fourth quarter consolidated net operating revenue of $9 billion and full year 2012 consolidated net operating revenue of $35.3 billion. Sprint reported record quarterly and annual Sprint platform wireless service revenues of nearly $7 billion and $27.1 billion, respectively. Driven by increasing postpaid ARPU and continued Sprint platform subscriber growth, wireless service revenues for the Sprint platform grew 12 percent year-over-year for the quarter and nearly 15 percent for the full year.

The company reported a net loss of $1.3 billion and a diluted net loss of $.44 per share for the fourth quarter of 2012 as compared to a net loss of $1.3 billion and a diluted net loss of $.43 per share in the fourth quarter of 2011. Sprint’s fourth quarter 2012 results include accelerated depreciation of approximately $400 million, or negative $.13 per share (pre-tax), primarily related to Network Vision, including the expected shutdown of the Nextel platform, and $45 million or negative $.01 per share (pre-tax) related to impacts from Hurricane Sandy.

The Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base grew for the eleventh consecutive quarter, with net additions of 401,000 driven by a postpaid Nextel recapture rate of 51 percent, or 333,000 subscribers, and strong 4G LTE smartphone sales. Sprint platform prepaid net additions equaled 525,000 due in part to the best ever quarterly prepaid Nextel recapture rate of 50 percent, or 188,000 subscribers. Sprint sold approximately 2.2 million iPhones in the fourth quarter with 38 percent purchased by new customers. As of the end of the fourth quarter, Sprint had sold more than 4 million 4G LTE smartphones.

“Sprint’s strong performance was fueled by record wireless service revenue on the Sprint platform due to year-over-year postpaid ARPU growth and Sprint platform net additions,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “As a result, quarterly Adjusted OIBDA* performance improved year-over-year in spite of significant cost increases related to Network Vision and the iPhone, both of which are key investments for our business that we expect will improve the customer experience and lead to growth in the years ahead.” (...)

CAPITAL STRUCTURE

During the fourth quarter, Sprint raised additional debt financing of nearly $2.3 billion and used the proceeds to retire nearly $1.2 billion of 2014 debt maturities and more than $1.1 billion of 2015 maturities. The remaining outstanding principal balances of Sprint’s 2013, 2014 and 2015 maturities are $366 million, $247 million and $566 million, respectively. Sprint also received $3.1 billion from SoftBank in exchange for a newly issued 1 percent, seven-year convertible bond related to the companies’ pending merger.

As of December 31, 2012, the company’s liquidity was approximately $9.5 billion consisting of $8.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments and $1.3 billion of undrawn borrowing capacity available under its revolving bank credit facility. Additionally, the company has borrowed $296 million to-date of available funding under the secured equipment credit facility, reducing the remaining undrawn availability to $704 million. Sprint generated $216 million of cash flow from operating activities and negative Free Cash Flow* of $1.3 billion in the quarter.

FORECAST

The company expects 2013 Adjusted OIBDA* to be between $5.2 billion and $5.5 billion. (...)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-nextel-reports-fourth-q…


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(...) Sprint, which first launched LTE in mid-July 2012, now offers LTE in 58 cities. The carrier said it now expects to cover 200 million POPs with LTE by the end of 2013. That is significantly lower than Sprint's original goal of having 250 million POPs covered with LTE by the end of the year. That target also now puts Sprint on the same pace as T-Mobile USA, which plans to have 200 million POPs covered with LTE by the end of the year.

AT&T currently covers 174 million POPs with LTE, and plans to hit at least 250 million POPs by the end of 2013. Verizon now covers 273.5 million POPs with LTE, or roughly 89 percent of the U.S. population. Verizon expects to finish its initial LTE deployment by mid-year. (...)


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Great Speculations
Buys, holds, and hopes



http://blogs.forbes.com/greatspeculations/

Investing | 2/06/2013 @ 2:58PM
Sprint's Earnings Will Be Eagerly Watched For Softbank Merger Updates
Trefis Team Trefis Team, Contributor (...)

The iPhone’s first few quarters at Sprint have been good with the smartphone helping to add a good number of new subscribers to its core Sprint network despite an industry-wide saturation in wireless growth. Sprint started offering the iPhone on its network at the start of the fourth quarter last year becoming the third carrier in the U.S. to offer the device after AT&T and Verizon. (...)

We are also watching for updates on the Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) acquisition bid and if Sprint has any contingency plans to deal with potential loss of Clearwire. (...)

In October 2012, Sprint announced a 70% stake sale of the company to Japanese telco Softbank. The complex $20 billion agreement allows Softbank to purchase 55% of Sprint at $7.30 per share, and infuse a total of $8 billion in cash at $5.25 per share in two separate transactions. Sprint has already received $3.1 billion in convertible debt as part of the deal and the rest of the cash transaction is to be done after the regulatory approval. The capital infusion was supposed to help Sprint close the Clearwire acquisition and put the rest towards improving its network, but the recent developments seem to have roadblocked the company’s growth plans. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.115.232 von teecee1 am 07.02.13 16:30:39

07.02.2013 | 14:26
(57 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
Sprint macht trotz Umsatzsteigerung erneut Milliardenverlust

Der amerikanischen Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint Nextel hat im vierten Quartal erneut einen Milliardenverlust eingefahren. Teuer kamen den Konkurrenten der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA die hohen Kosten im Zusammenhang mit der Abwicklung des älteren Nextel-Netzwerks zu stehen. Auf der anderen Seite legte der Umsatz zu und das Unternehmen verdiente an dem einzelnen Kunden mehr als zuvor.

Im Zeitraum von Oktober bis Dezember betrug der Verlust von Sprint unter dem Strich wie vor Jahresfrist 1,3 Milliarden Dollar. Der Verlust je Aktie belief sich auf 0,44 Dollar. Der Umsatz legte von 8,7 auf 9 Milliarden Dollar zu. Analysten hatten mit Erlösen von 8,9 Milliarden Dollar und einem Verlust von 0,46 Dollar gerechnet. Die operative Marge weitete sich von minus 2,6 auf minus 7,8 Prozent aus.

Sprint verlor im vierten Quartal zwar netto 243.000 Kunden, das waren aber deutlich weniger Abgänge als die 456.000 im Vorquartal. Der durchschnittliche Umsatz pro Kunde stieg im Jahresvergleich um 5 Prozent auf 61,47 Dollar. ... ... $63,05 ...

Sprint Nextel ist der drittgrößte Anbieter auf dem hart umkämpften US-Mobilfunkmarkt hinter den Platzhirschen AT&T und Verizon Wireless, die beide etwa doppelt so groß sind wie Sprint. Beide konnten im vierten Quartal jeweils Kunden hinzugewinnen.

Auf Platz vier folgt die Deutsche Telekom mit ihrer Tochter T-Mobile USA. Nachdem deren Verkauf an AT&T am Widerstand der Wettbewerbsaufseher gescheitert war, will die Telekom ihre Marktstellung mit der Übernahme des kleineren Konkurrenten MetroPCS ausbauen.

An Sprint vorbeizukommen dürfte allerdings nicht leicht werden, denn auch dieses Unternehmen rüstet auf: Es wird nämlich gerade von der japanischen Softbank übernommen, die es sich als finanzkräftigen Partner ins Boot geholt hat. Sprint ist seinerseits gerade dabei, seine Tochter Clearwire, einen Anbieter von mobilen Datendienstleistungen, komplett zu übernehmen.

Die Sprint-Nextel Corp hat im Zuge der Übernahme durch Softbank klar gemacht, dass sie auf dem Mobilfunkmarkt weiter angreifen will. So soll auf die Finanzspritze der Japaner in Höhe von 8 Milliarden Dollar ins Wachstum fließen. ... ... zu uns ... clwr-netz ...

Schon in den vergangenen Jahren hatte sich das Unternehmen weiter nach oben gearbeitet. Die Reputation ist gestiegen und mit dem Vertrieb des iPhone aus dem Hause Apple hat der Konzern seine Wettbewerbsfähigkeit im Geschäft mit den wichtigen Vertragskunden weiter gesteigert. Im vierten Quartal verzeichnete Sprint mit 2,2 Millionen Stück den besten iPhone-Absatz bislang. ... ... todsünde neid, apple phone ...

Kontakt zum Autor: [e-mail]


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07.02.2013 | 15:36
(54 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Sprint Nextel kommt mit Smartphone- und Netzoffensive voran

Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunkanbieter Sprint-Nextel ist dank seiner Netz- und Vertriebsoffensive im vierten Quartal stärker gewachsen als erwartet. Wie das Unternehmen in Overland Park (US-Bundesstaat Kansas) am Donnerstag mitteilte, stieg der Umsatz im Jahresvergleich von 8,7 Milliarden auf 9,0 Milliarden Dollar. Wegen der hohen Subventionen für neue Handys verbuchte der Konzern dabei einen Nettoverlust von 1,3 Milliarden Dollar, noch etwas mehr als ein Jahr zuvor. Dennoch schnitt die Gesellschaft besser ab als von Analysten erwartet.

Sprint setzt bei der Aufholjagd auf die beiden Platzhirsche AT&T und Verizon Wireless auf den Verkauf von Smartphones. Die Verkäufe treiben den Umsatz in die Höhe. Die auf zwei Jahre angelegten Verträge mit den Kunden bringen für die Anbieter zudem hohe Einkünfte für mobiles Internet mit sich. Beim Verkauf ziehen die hochsubventionierten Verkäufe allerdings das Nettoergebnis in die Tiefe. Im laufenden Jahr peilt Sprint Nextel einen Gewinn vor Zinsen, Steuern, Abschreibungen und Sonderposten zwischen 5,2 und 5,5 Milliarden Dollar an.

Der Absatz des iPhones von Apple erreichte im Schlussquartal 2,2 Millionen Stück. Sprint war der dritte Anbieter nach AT&T und Verizon Wireless, der das iPhone ins Programm nahm. Nun folgt auch die Deutsche-Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA als letzter der großen vier Mobilfunker Amerikas.

Spring investiert außerdem zunehmend in die Netze. Der Wettbewerb in den USA führt zu einem Wettlauf der Anbieter, ihre Netze auszubauen und auf den neuesten Mobilfunkstandard LTE umzurüsten. Der Mobilfunkmarkt ist dort noch nicht gesättigt, und Nutzer zahlen etwa das Doppelte hiesiger Telefonierer für Gespräche, Textbotschaften und mobiles Internet.

So will Sprint seine Tochter für Drahtlos-Netzwerke komplett übernehmen, um das Angebot an Breitbandnetzen auszubauen. Sprint hält bisher etwa 51 Prozent der Anteile und will den Rest für rund 2,2 Milliarden Euro übernehmen. Der Löwenanteil der restlichen Aktien liegt bei einer Reihe von Unternehmen. Daher konnte Sprint die Tochter nicht vollständig kontrollieren. Mit der Übernahme will Sprint ein Breitbandnetz aufbauen, das es mit AT&T und Verizon aufnehmen kann. Verlierer bei dem Deal wäre die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA, die gerade den Regionalanbieter MetroPCS schluckt, um ihr Netz mit zusätzlichen Frequenzen zu verstärken.

Sprint wird seinerseits gerade von der japanischen Softbank übernommen. Die Japaner kaufen für 20,1 Milliarden Dollar ein Paket von etwa 70 Prozent der Sprint-Anteile. Mit diesem Milliardenkauf wird Softbank der drittgrößte Mobilfunkanbieter der Welt nach China Mobile und Vodafone . Die Japaner waren als Internetkonzern groß geworden und erst 2006 mit dem Kauf von Vodafone Japan ins Mobilfunkgeschäft eingestiegen. In Japan hatte Softbank einen kleinen Anbieter gekauft und durch zahlreiche kleine Übernahmen zu einem großen Spieler aufgebaut. Ein ähnliches Vorgehen wird den Japanern auch bei Sprint zugetraut./fn/stw/she ... ... 55% mehr gibt es nicht ...

[teecee1]

MetroPCS Shareholder Details Opposition to T-Mobile Takeover

Date : 02/07/2013 @ 4:21PM
Source : Dow Jones News

By Thomas Gryta

Hedge fund P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP is opposing the planned acquisition of MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS) by Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTE.XE, DTEGY) T-Mobile USA.

The two companies announced the deal--combining the fourth- and fifth-largest U.S. wireless carriers--in October. It is structured as a reverse merger, meaning that T-Mobile will merge into the already public structure of MetroPCS, with Deutsche Telekom getting 76% of the company. MetroPCS shareholders will get the rest, along with $1.5 billion in cash, or about $4.09 a share.

In a letter sent to the boards of both Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS, the firm criticized the structure of the deal as being unfair to MetroPCS shareholders and said it would vote its 7.5 million shares against the deal unless the terms are changed. In a statement, MetroPCS said its board believes the deal is in the "best interest" of shareholders and continues to back the combination.

MetroPCS said its board and special committee, along with advisers, will review the points of the letter from P. Schoenfeld.

In the letter, the fund objects to the interest rate on financing provided by Deutsche Telekom, asserts that the new company will be undercapitalized and said the deal gives MetroPCS shareholders an unfair exchange ratio.

"We are presently of the view that it would be better for PCS to remain a stand-alone company while examining opportunities to consummate alternative transactions, than to accept the package of cash and securities being offered to PCS stockholders," the letter states.

Shares of MetroPCS recently traded up 6 cents, or 0.6%, to $9.76.

Write to Thomas Gryta at [e-mail]

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

[teecee1]

MetroPCS-Aktionär macht Front gegen Telekom-Fusion[]/b
Donnerstag, 7. Februar 2013, 18:59 Uhr

(Reuters) - Gegenwind aus den USA für die Deutsche Telekom: Ein Aktionär von MetroPCS will sich gegen die geplante Fusion des US-Mobilfunkanbieters mit der Telekom-Krisentochter T-Mobile USA aussprechen.

Da die Bedingungen der Fusion in ihrer derzeitigen Form für MetroPCS nachteilig seien, werde P. Schoenfeld Asset Management gegen den Deal stimmen, teilte die Anlagefirma mit Sitz in New York am Donnerstag mit. MetroPCS habe als eigenständiges Unternehmen eine bessere Zukunft. Schoenfeld hält nach eigenen Angaben zwei Prozent der MetroPCS-Aktien. Schoenfeld ist in Deutschland kein Unbekannter: Vor einem Jahrzehnt versuchte er in einem ähnlichen Fall, für die Anteilseigner von Beiersdorf beim Einstieg von Tchibo mehr Geld herauszuhandeln. An der Börse löste der Brief des umtriebigen Aktionärs keine Umruhe aus: Die MetroPCS-Titel notierten unverändert.

Die Fusion war Anfang Oktober angekündigt worden. Allerdings steht die Zustimmung der MetroPCS-Aktionäre aus - die Abstimmung soll nach früheren Telekom-Angaben bis Ende März erfolgen. Der Bonner Konzern soll drei Viertel der Anteile an dem neuen Unternehmen halten - die bisherigen MetroPCS-Aktionäre bekommen den Rest sowie 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar. Vor allem an diesem Anteilsverhältnis nimmt Schoenfeld in dem Brief, der an die Aufsichtsgremien der Telekom und MetroPCS ging sowie im Internet veröffentlicht wurde, Anstoß. Die vorgeschlagene Aufteilung entspreche nicht dem Wert von MetroPCS. Zudem erhielten die Aktionäre des US-Regionalanbieters keine Aufschlag dafür, dass sie die Kontrolle des Unternehmens an die Telekom abgeben, erklärte Schoenfeld.

MetroPCS ist die fünftgrößte Mobilfunkfirma der USA, die Telekom-Tochter rangiert auf Platz vier. Zusammen kämen die beiden Anbieter auf 42,5 Millionen Handy-Kunden. Für die Telekom ist die Fusion nur die zweitbeste Lösung. Eigentlich wollten die Bonner T-Mobile USA im vergangenen Jahr für 39 Milliarden Dollar an den Telekomriesen AT&T verkaufen.

[teecee1]

... ... Dell bekommt eine Delle ...

Widerstand gegen Dell-Übernahme wächst
Samstag, 9. Februar 2013, 13:05 Uhr


A man wipes the logo of the Dell IT firm at the CeBIT exhibition centre
in Hannover February 28, 2010. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

New York (Reuters) - Der Widerstand gegen die geplante Milliarden-Übernahme des PC-Herstellers Dell durch ein Konsortium um Firmengründer und Chef Michael Dell wächst.

Mit Southeastern Asset Management kündigte ein Dell-Großaktionär am Freitagabend an, die Offerte wegen des zu niedrigen Kaufpreises abzulehnen. Der in Memphis ansässige Fonds hält 8,5 Prozent an Dell. Aus gut informierten Kreisen verlautete zudem, mindestens drei weitere Großaktionäre lehnten die Offerte ebenfalls ab. Dell bekräftigte in Reaktion auf die Mitteilung von Southeastern, das Direktorium sei der Meinung, dass die vorgeschlagene Transaktion im besten Interesse der Aktionäre sei. Kreisen zufolge lehnt Dell eine Aufstockung der Offerte ab.

Insider sagten, das Käuferkonsortium gehe davon aus, dass der angebotene Preis von 13,65 Dollar einen angemessen Aufschlag auf den Aktienkurs nach Vorlage der jüngsten Dell-Quartalszahlen am 15. November nach Börsenschluss beinhalte. Am 16. November hatten Dell-Aktien bei 8,86 Dollar geschlossen. Mittlerweile notieren die Titel bei 13,63 Dollar.

Bei den Investoren, die wie Southeastern gegen die Offerte sind, handelt es sich Insidern zufolge um Harris Associates LP, Yacktman Asset Management LP, Pzena Investment Management LLC. Zusammen halten die Investoren 3,3 Prozent an Dell. Richard Pzena von Pzena Investment Management sagte, der Kaufpreis sollte auf jeden Fall über 20 Dollar je Aktie liegen. Ansonsten sollte sich Dell nach Alternativen umsehen. Die anderen beiden Investoren waren zunächst nicht zu erreichen. Southeastern ist der Ansicht, dass Dell 24 Dollar je Aktie wert ist. Insgesamt haben nun Anteilseigner, die fast 14 Prozent der verfügbaren Aktien halten, angekündigt, den Plan von Michael Dell nicht mitzutragen.

Zusammen mit dem Softwarekonzern Microsoft und dem Finanzinvestor Silver Lake will Firmenchef Dell die Kontrolle über seinen angeschlagenen Computerkonzern zurückgewinnen und im Rahmen eines 24,4 Milliarden Dollar schweren Geschäfts von der Börse nehmen. Dieser Schritt würde Dell die Möglichkeit geben, den einstigen Branchenprimus fern der Öffentlichkeit zu sanieren. Die Transaktion wäre der größte Private-Equity-Deal seit der Finanzkrise.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.124.138 von teecee1 am 10.02.13 16:23:59

10.02.2013 | 14:39

dpa-AFX ·
Dell-Großaktionär will mehr Geld bei Übernahme

Der Plan, den Computerbauer Dell von der Börse zu nehmen, stößt auf massiven Widerstand eines einflussreichen Großaktionärs. Der US-Vermögensverwalter Southeastern Asset Management, der 8,5 Prozent an Dell hält, findet den Preis zu niedrig. Mit den 13,65 Dollar je Aktie werde Dell "deutlich unterbewertet", kritisierte Southeastern am Freitag in einer Börsenmitteilung.

Southeastern ist der größte außenstehende Anteilseigner von Dell. Firmengründer und Konzernchef Michael Dell kommt auf 14 Prozent. Er will den Konzern gemeinsam mit dem Finanzinvestor Silver Lake für insgesamt 24,4 Milliarden Dollar (18,2 Mrd Euro) zurückkaufen, von der Börse nehmen und umbauen. Dell, aktuell die Nummer drei im PC-Geschäft, leidet unter dem schwächelnden Markt. Viele Kunden steigen auf Tablet-Computer um oder begnügen sich mit ihrem Smartphone.

Southeastern sieht den fairen Wert von Dell bei 24 Dollar je Aktie. Auch der Verkauf einzelner Sparten an Konkurrenzfirmen würde "mit Leichtigkeit" mehr Geld einbringen als das vorliegende Angebot, schrieb der Vermögensverwalter an den Dell-Verwaltungsrat. Southeastern erklärte, "extrem enttäuscht" zu sein und gegen die Übernahme ankämpfen zu wollen. Auch mehrere weitere Dell-Aktionäre kritisierten den Preis als zu niedrig, die erste Klage ist bereits auf dem Weg. Dell hatte auch eine Prüfung von alternativen Verkaufsmöglichkeiten eingeleitet, um Anleger-Klagen zu entkräften. ... ... der Wert von 4G Lizensen mind. 10 Mrd. ??? ...

Der Zorn der Anteilseigner hat auch damit zu tun, dass das aktuelle Angebot weit von einstigen Kursen entfernt ist. Der Preis von 13,65 Dollar bedeutet zwar einen Aufschlag von 25 Prozent zum Kurs vom 11. Januar, bevor die ersten Gerüchte über den Plan durchsickerten. Aber die Dell-Aktie kostet auch nach jüngsten Kursgewinnen gut ein Fünftel weniger als vor einem Jahr. 2005 hatte sie zeitweise noch über 40 Dollar notiert. Allerdings schaffte sie es seit Mitte 2008 nicht mehr über die Marke von 20 Dollar.

Southeastern bezahlte für den aktuellen Anteil im Schnitt 16,88 Dollar je Dell-Aktie, insgesamt gut zwei Milliarden Dollar. Der Vermögensverwalter müsste damit zum Angebotspreis einen Verlust von fast 400 Millionen Dollar einstecken. Der Vermögensverwalter brachte nun als Lösung eine zusätzliche Dividende von 12 Dollar je Dell-Aktie ins Gespräch.

Der Widerstand der Aktionäre verstärkt den Zeitdruck für Michael Dell und seine Partner. Das Käuferkonsortium setzte sich den 5. November als Frist, bis zu der das Geschäft abgeschlossen sein muss. Michael Dell will bei dem Deal seinen Anteil einbringen, das Geld für den Kauf der restlichen Aktien kommt von Partnern und Großbanken. Hauptpartner ist dabei der Finanzinvestor Silver Lake. Auch Software-Primus Microsoft beteiligt sich mit einem zwei Milliarden Dollar schweren Kredit an dem Geschäft. Auf den meisten Dell-PCs läuft Microsofts Betriebssystem Windows./das/DP/edh

... ... Es könnte bei Sprint o. Clearwire auch noch jemand anderes außer Softbank einsteigen. ... T-Mobil fall's der MetroPCS Deal schief geht ...

[teecee1]

NTT Docomo startet HEVC-Videokompression

Datenvolumen wird bei gleichbleibender Bildqualität halbiert


Smartphone: Technologie wird bald integriert
(Foto: flickr.com/LGEPR)

Tokio/Berlin (pte002/06.02.2013/06:05) - Der japanische Mobilfunk-Gigant NTT Docomo http://www.nttdocomo.com führt die innovative Videokompressionstechnologie HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) ein. Dieses Verfahren trägt nicht nur zu einer Minimierung der Netzwerkbelastung, sondern auch zur erheblichen Steigerung der Bildqualität bei. Die neue Komprimierungstechnologie soll bereits im März lizenziert und künftig in Smartphones integriert werden.

Schnellere Downloads möglich

"Das Verfahren ist nicht ausschließlich von NTT Docomo, sondern in Zusammenarbeit mit führenden Unternehmen und unter anderem dem Fraunhofer-Institut entstanden. Da die erste Version ab März verfügbar ist, fangen Hersteller bereits jetzt an, Prototypen von Chips zu entwickeln, die anschließend in Smartphones eingebaut werden", so Detlev Marpe vom Fraunhofer-Institut http://hhi.fraunhofer.de gegenüber pressetext. Laut dem Experten benötigen die Videos dank dieser Technologie nur das halbe Datenvolumen.

Von diesem neuen System profitieren Nutzer und Betreiber gleichermaßen. Einerseits ermöglicht es dem User eine absolut störungsfreie Wiedergabe ohne Verzögerungen, andererseits kann die Netzwerklast verringert und der Download beschleunigt werden. Da HEVC die erforderliche Bandbreite halbiert, ohne dabei die Bildqualität zu mindern, können Videos im Vergleich zu existierenden Technologien - wie MPEG-4 AVC - doppelt so schnell heruntergeladen werden.

In Fernsehern der Zukunft verbaut

Die Zahl der Produkte, die HEVC zu En- und Decodierung nutzen, steigt stetig. Während der CES http://cesweb.org im Januar hat Samsung angekündigt, Fernseher in absehbarer Zeit mit dieser Komprimierungstechnologie auszustatten. Chiphersteller Broadcom http://broadcom.com wiederum hat kürzlich den neuen "BCM7445" präsentiert, der die Wiedergabe von 4K Ultra HD TV oder bis zu vier Full-HD Streams zur gleichen Zeit ermöglicht.

(Ende)


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UltraHD Broadcom zeigt ersten Videochip für H.265

CES 2013

Datum: 9.1.2013, 09:50
Autor: Jens Ihlenfeld


UltraHD-TV-Decoder soll erst 2014 auf den Markt kommen.
(Bild: Broadcom)

Der Chiphersteller Broadcom hat einen Video-Decoder-Chip für Ultra-HD-TV vorgestellt. Der BCM7445 unterstützt H.265 alias HEVC mit 4K-Auflösungen.

Broadcoms Videodecoder BCM7445 basiert auf der ARMv7-CPU Brahma15. Die Quadcore-CPU enthält jeweils 32 KByte Instruktions- und Daten-Cache pro Kern sowie 2 MByte L2-Cache, den sich alle vier Kerne teilen. Hinzu kommen 32 KByte Read-Ahead-Cache.

Mit vier integrierten Echtzeit-Transcodern, die jeweils 1080p30 und die Videokompression HEVC alias H.265 beziehungsweise MPEG-5 unterstützen, soll der BCM7445 so Auflösungen von 4.096 x 2.160 Pixeln bei 60 Bildern pro Sekunde verarbeiten können.

Dank H.265 solle ein Videostream bei gleicher Qualität wie bei H.264 nur die halbe Bandbreite benötigen, so Broadcom.

Erste Muster der BCM7445 sind ab sofort verfügbar, die Massenproduktion plant Broadcom aber erst für Mitte 2014. Noch ist die Standardisierung von HEVC nicht abgeschlossen.



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26.01.2013 17:59
heise online

H.265/HEVC: Neues Hochleistungs-Videoformat offiziell freigegeben



Die ITU (International Telecommunication Union) mit Sitz in Genf ist als UN-Agentur unter anderem für die weltweite Vergabe von Frequenzbändern zuständig. Sie hat jetzt den offiziellen Startschuss für das neue Video-Kodierverfahren H.265/HEVC gegeben, das die Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) im Juli 2012 in Stockholm verabschiedet hat: Der als High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) oder auch H.265 bezeichnete Standard soll bei gleicher Videoqualität die Kompression des 2003 eingeführten H.264/AVC noch einmal verdoppeln.

Dadurch können auf allen Übertragungswegen – also nicht nur im Internet, wo laut ITU die H.264-Nutzung bereits 80 Prozent ausmache – entweder doppelt so viele Kanäle genutzt oder Videos bei gleicher Kanalbelastung in höherer Qualität übertragen werden. Die ITU sieht H.265/HEVC als den Videokompressionsstandard für das nächste Jahrzehnt. Er werde bessere Qualität bei Videos fürs mobile Geräte ebenso ermöglichen wie TV-Auflösungen oberhalb HD (1920x1080) – was sich ganz handfest unmittelbar für den Mehrbedarf bei Filmen in 3D-Stereoskopie bei voller HD-Auflösung nutzen ließe. Allerdings bleibe der Vorgänger H.264 noch auf lange Sicht die dominierende Technik.

For more information, please contact: http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2013/01.as…

[teecee1]

UPDATE 2-Dish's Ergen says wants stake in Clearwire, bid not 'illusory'

Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:23pm EST

* Bid for Clearwire is genuine, despite speculation - Ergen

* Says needs a partner for wireless

By Ronald Grover and Liana B. Baker

DANA POINT, Calif., Feb 11 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp Chairman Charlie Ergen dismissed speculation his surprise $2.3 billion bid for Clearwire Corp was "illusory," saying that he wanted a stake in the wireless company and that rival bidder Sprint Nextel would have to work to fend off Dish.

Last month, Dish announced it had made an offer of $3.30 per share for Clearwire, which had already agreed to sell itself to majority owner Sprint for $2.97 per share. A special committee on the Clearwire board is now reviewing the offer.

The 59-year-old Ergen told the AllThingsDigital "Dive into Media" conference on Monday that he fully intended to go through with the bid. Addressing speculation about his plans for some $3 billion in purchased wireless spectrum, he explained he did not intend to sell it.

"Sprint will have to do something different than they are doing today to keep us out," the hard-charging, outspoken billionaire told an audience of media industry professionals and investors.

Analysts say Sprint - which had earlier agreed to sell 70 percent of its shares to Japan's SoftBank Corp for $20 billion - may have to raise its bid to thwart Ergen.

Dish has not explained why it bid for Clearwire. While some analysts speculate it may simply be hoping to gain leverage in talks with Sprint about a network partnership, others suggest it wants Clearwire's spectrum.

Ergen told Reuters on Jan. 7 that he wanted to get into the wireless broadband market, but that it could take months for the company to finalize its wireless plans because of some remaining regulatory issues and wireless market consolidation.

On Monday, he told the conference he was looking for a partner for his future wireless venture.

"We want to compete against the cable guys and the mobile and to do it inside and outside the house." he said. "Apple or Google, those guys could just go out and buy what they needed. Compared to them, we're on food stamps."

Ergen acknowledged that, if he is thwarted in his bid to find a partner, he might have to sell the spectrum he already owns, "but we have plan B, C, D, E and F," too.

Ergen has raised eyebrows in the past few years by making acquisitions that do not seem core to his company's assets, which are concentrated heavily in pay TV. He founded Dish Network in 1980 as part of a company then called EchoStar, after selling satellite dishes from the back of a truck with his wife, Cantey.

He is one of the country's richest people with a net worth of at least $9 billion. After telling investors on conference calls for the past year that the pay TV industry had matured, he sought to diversify and bought video chain Blockbuster and companies with wireless spectrum, such as DBSD and TerreStar in 2011.


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TV-Übertragung via LTE: Kein Massenmarkt in Sicht

Bandbreiten ausreichend vorhanden - Rundfunkexperten skeptisch ... ... ich nicht ... ...


Sendemast: LTE-TV möglich, aber noch
nicht rentabel (Foto: pixelio.de, REK)

Xiamen/München (pte001/11.02.2013/06:00) - Trotz der Vorteile von LTE sowie dem Nachfolgestandard LTE Advance mit Datenraten von bis zu 1.000 Mbit/s bleibt die Einführung der Technologie zur Fernsehübertragung ungewiss. Vertreter des Rundfunks befürchten, dass sich die Nutzer die Bandbreite teilen müssen. Dass es jedoch prinzipiell funktioniert, hat Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) http://nokiasiemensnetworks.com Anfang Januar bewiesen. Über das LTE-Netz in der chinesischen Stadt Xiamen wurden Live-TV-Bilder eines Marathonlaufes übertragen. Bedenken zur breiten Einführung bleiben aber bestehen.

Technologie mit Tücken

Laut NSN blieb die Netzwerk-Performance während der zweieinhalbstündigen Übertragung stabil. Es stellten sich weder Paketverluste noch Verzögerungen bei der Datenübertragung ein. Die verwendeten Übertragungsparameter sollen sogar die Verbreitung von TV-Bildern in HD-Qualität ermöglichen. Auch seien solche Übertragungen in anderen LTE-Netzen möglich. Im Gegensatz zum chinesischen "Time Division Duplex"-System kommt in Deutschland mit dem "Frequency Division Duplex" jedoch ein anderes System zum Einsatz, bestätigt NSN.

"Beide Systeme bieten ausreichende Bandbreiten im Uplink, um Fernsehen zu übertragen. Wir haben dies bereits in verschiedenen technologischen Demonstrationen unter Beweis gestellt. Im Uplink sind Bandbreiten bis zu zehn Mbit/s denkbar", unterstreicht NSN-Sprecherin Irene Nie auf Nachfrage von pressetext. Doch auch sie muss gestehen, dass Uplink-Datenraten solcher Art in den meisten Fällen zulasten der gesamten Bandbreite in einer Mobilfunkzelle gehen. "Es ist eine wirtschaftliche Entscheidung des Netzbetreibers", verdeutlicht Nie. ... ... sag niemals nie ...

Fehlendes Geschäftsmodell ... ... Dish's Geschäftsmodell ... Plan C, D, E, F ...

In Deutschland hat man sich gegen die LTE-TV-Übertragung entschieden. Das geht aus den Volumenbegrenzungen der Mobilfunkverträge mit LTE-Nutzung hervor. "Angenommen, die Surfgeschwindigkeit wird bei einem Volumen von zehn Gigabyte gedrosselt, so könnte der Nutzer pro Monat nur rund acht Stunden mobiles Fernsehen in Standardqualität empfangen", erläutert Ulrich Reimers von der Technischen Universität Braunschweig http://tu-braunschweig.de und Mitbegründer des DVB-Standards, auf einem Symposium der Landesmedienanstalten zum Thema "Mobiles Fernsehen".

Das nüchterne Fazit des Branchenkenners: Auch wenn Fernsehen über LTE technisch möglich ist, wird man in Zukunft nicht ohne Rundfunkübertragungssysteme wie DVB auskommen. Reimers sieht die Zukunft in konvergenten Systemen aus den beiden Lagern Mobilfunk und Rundfunk. (Ende)


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Dish’s Charlie Ergen: Netflix Is Going To Change The Paradigm For How People Watch TV

Ryan Lawler
posted yesterday

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen had a few kind words for Netflix at the D: Dive Into Media conference today, saying that the streaming video provider would most likely be successful. More than that, though, he said that the company was already changing the way people are watching TV.

When asked what happened with Dish’s purchase of Blockbuster and the company’s plans to roll out its own Netflix competitor, Ergen said, “We were too late for the Netflix side of the business.” Part of the reason for that is that Netflix already reached critical mass and can now afford to license whatever content they want.

For that reason, Ergen said he thought Netflix would continue to be successful despite rising costs of content licenses. “They got to 30, 35, 40 million subscribers, and people have to sell to them,” Ergen said. On the flip side, he said Dish “didn’t have the guts” to go after the content licenses it needed to launch a successful streaming service.

But according to Ergen, Netflix’s impact is not just in providing a sustainable model for streaming TV. It’s also fundamentally changing user behavior. “I think they’re going to change the paradigm and change the way people watch TV,” Ergen said. For one thing, they show movies without commercials — and they’re not getting sued the way Dish is.

Ergen called Netflix’s venture into original programming with House of Cards “brilliant” and said he wished he had thought of it. But since he hadn’t, Dish will pursue other businesses. Like, uh, wireless, for instance.

............

Dish Chairman Ergen Doesn’t Want To Kill Ads, He Wants To Make Them Better (...)

Then at CES, Dish announced the latest version of the Dish Hopper, which not only allows users to skip commercials, but also lets them stream live and pre-recorded content to mobile phones, tablets and other devices. And today, the controversial product became available nationwide. (...)

Ergen also said that the pay TV world will eventually go a la carte, either because one of the big cable or satellite providers will break the model, or because the industry will be shaken up by outside providers like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. “Today, a lot of customers could live with Netflix and an over-the-air antenna and YouTube and they could be happy,” he said. (...)


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Internet Video Streaming: Das Internet wird zur Online Videothek

11.02.2013 08:11


© dipego - Fotolia

Das Internet wird immer mehr zur Videothek: Immer mehr Internetnutzer sehen sich Filme via Internet zum Download oder per Streaming an.

Online legal zur Verfügung gestellte Videoangebote werden immer beliebter, immer mehr Internetnutzer sehen sich Filme zum Download oder per Streaming via Internet an. Eine repräsentative Umfrage des Hightech Verbands BITKOM kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass 22 Millionen Bundesbürger und damit jeder Vierte Serien und Filme online bezieht, entweder als Download oder durch eine Online-Bestellung von Datenträgern wie DVDs oder Blu-rays. Dies entspricht 41 Prozent der Internetnutzer in Deutschland. 7 Prozent der Internetnutzer in Deutschland entscheiden sich für kostenpflichtige Streaming-Dienste, dies entspricht 3,5 Millionen Bundesbürger.

Von den 18- bis 29-jährigen Internetnutzern greifen 58 Prozent auf das online Filmangebot zurück. Bei den 30- bis 49-Jährigen liegt der Anteil bei 51 Prozent. Die zunehmende Nutzung ist nach Ansicht von Dr. Bernhard Rohleder, Hauptgeschäftsführer des BITKOM, darauf zurückzuführen, dass immer mehr mobile Breitbandanschlüsse genutzt werden und das Angebot an Filmen im Internet entsprechend zunimmt. Die technische Ausstattung der Fernseher mit entsprechenden Services spielt dabei ebenfalls eine Rolle.

Tipps, wie Filme im Internet gekauft oder geliehen werden können:

Bei Filmen, die zum Download angeboten werden, bieten HD-Versionen eine deutlich bessere Bild- und Tonqualität. Bei vielen Filmen und Serien ist nur eine Tonspur enthalten – entweder Deutsch oder Englisch. Wer sich gerne die englischen Originalfilme ansieht, sollte darauf vor der Online-Bestellung achten. Des Weiteren sollte darauf geachtet werden, dass Filme mit einem digitalen Rechtemanagement nur auf dafür vorgesehen Geräten angesehen werden können.

Der Vorteil beim Streaming ist, dass kein Download der kompletten Datei erforderlich ist. Der Film startet direkt ohne Wartezeit bis zum Ende eines Downloads. Auch beim Streaming steht normalerweise nur eine Tonspur zur Verfügung. Für Video-Streams muss ein schneller Breitbandanschluss bestehen, für Standardauflösungen sollte dieser mindestens 2,5 Mbit/s betragen, bei HD 1280x720 sind 6 Mbit/s erforderlich und bei Full-HD sollte der Internet-Zugang mindestens 8 Mbit/s betragen. Eine Netzwerkverbindung via Kabel zum Router ist bei Hochauflösung sinnvoll.

Zu den Vorteilen von Filmen, die online als DVD oder Blu-ray bestellt werden, zählt unter anderem die Verfügbarkeit von mehreren Tonspuren und von Bonusmaterial. Zudem nutzen Blu-rays die Full-HD-Bildqualität bei modernen Flachbildfernseher komplett. Bei zahlreichen Online-Videotheken können sich die Kunden für Pauschalangebote entscheiden.

[teecee1]

Clearwire Corporation Short Interest
CLWR

1/31/2013 11,152,717
1/15/2013 17,801,076

... ... dürfte bis 15.02.2012 unter 10 Mio. gefallen sein ...

............................................................................

2/07/2013 @ 11:35AM
Forbes Earnings Preview: Clearwire

By Narrative Science

Clearwire (CLWR) is expected to book a narrower loss than a year ago when it reports fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 with analysts expecting a loss of 24 cents per share, up from a loss of 81 cents per share a year ago.

For the fiscal year, analysts are expecting a loss of 98 cents per share. A year after being $361.9 million, analysts expect revenue to fall 13.4% year-over-year to $313.5 million for the quarter. For the year, revenue is projected to roll in at $1.27 billion.

Revenue has fallen in the past two quarters. Revenue dropped by 5.5% year-over-year to $313.9 million in third quarter. The quarter before that, revenue dropped 1.8%.

Analysts generally think investors should stand pat on Clearwire, with nine of 11 analysts rating it hold.

Earnings estimates provided by Zacks.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.130.581 von teecee1 am 12.02.13 12:35:16

... ... Clearwire's Nachteil, "Bring Your Own 4G Devices", ... es gibt keine Smartphones, Tablets o. Notebooks etc. ... also ein reiner Netzanbieter für Reseller ... nur Spots, Sticks, Modems: http://www.clear.com/devices/byod ...
Die meisten Loser, ähhh User wollen ein gesponsertes Handy (jetzt Smartphone) etc. ... man müsste "No Name Produkte" mit anbieten. ... ... Cooperation mit Vizio ... Ultrabooks & Notebooks ... 8" Tablet ... evtl. kommt noch ein Smartphone dieses Jahr dazu.


Clearwire Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Results

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 10 hours ago

* Full Year Revenues of $1.26 Billion, Up 1%; Full Year Retail Revenues Up 5% to $795.6 Million
* Total Ending Subscribers of 9.6 Million, Down 8% Year Over Year From 10.4 Million
* 2012 Adjusted EBITDA Loss Improved by $157.0 Million Year Over Year to $(156.9) Million

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for fourth quarter and full year 2012.

"In fourth quarter 2012, we have once again delivered solid results resulting in top-line growth and 50% year over year improvement in full year Adjusted EBITDA loss in 2012," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Our full year 2012 results demonstrate our continued focus on reducing costs, managing revenues and liquidity, and providing exceptional service to our customers during a transition period as we build an LTE network equipped to provide wireless consumers the speeds and capacity they desire."

Total revenue for full year 2012 increased 1% year over year to $1.26 billion driven by retail revenues which increased 5% to $795.6 million in 2012 from $758.3 million in 2011. Fourth quarter 2012 total revenue declined 14% year over year to $311.2 million primarily due to the expected year over year decline in wholesale revenue. Fourth quarter wholesale revenue of $116.6 million, was relatively flat compared to third quarter 2012 wholesale revenue of $116.5 million, and down 29% year over year, reflecting the fixed wholesale WiMAX revenue terms of the 4G MVNO Agreement with Sprint which took effect in 2012 and will continue through 2013. Retail revenue and other revenue decreased 2% year over year to $194.7 million in fourth quarter 2012. Retail average revenue per user (ARPU) was $44.10 representing a decrease of $2.59 year over year compared to $46.69 in fourth quarter 2011 primarily due to lower equipment lease and activation revenue under the no-contract offering which was fully launched in 2012.

Clearwire ended fourth quarter 2012 with approximately 9.6 million total subscribers, down 8% from 10.4 million subscribers at the end of fourth quarter 2011. The subscriber base consists of approximately 1.4 million retail subscribers and 8.2 million wholesale subscribers, reflecting 9,000 retail net subscriber additions and 915,000 wholesale net subscriber losses during fourth quarter 2012. The decline in wholesale subscribers, which consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers, is primarily due to the discontinuation of postpaid WiMAX offerings by Sprint.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was $155 in fourth quarter 2012 compared to $259 in fourth quarter 2011. The year over year improvement is primarily due to lower retail selling expenses associated with our no-contract offering and higher gross adds, partially offset by increased equipment subsidies. Retail churn was 5.0% in fourth quarter 2012, up from 3.9% in fourth quarter 2011. The increase in churn is primarily due to an increase in subscribers on no-contract plans, which were fully launched in first quarter 2012.

Full year 2012 Adjusted EBITDA improved by $157.0 million year over year to a loss of $(156.9) million. Adjusted EBITDA in fourth quarter 2012 was a loss of $(46.0) million, representing a $68.5 million decline compared to fourth quarter 2011 Adjusted EBITDA of $22.5 million. The decrease is primarily due to lower revenue in fourth quarter 2012 compared to the prior year period.

Cash, cash equivalents and investments (invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities) as of December 31, 2012 was approximately $868.6 million, a sequential decrease of $315.1 million from September 30, 2012. The sequential decrease primarily reflects the fourth quarter payment of our semi-annual interest payment and cash payments for capital expenditures and operating expenses, which exceeded the cash inflows during the period (primarily from Sprint and our retail business). As compared to December 31, 2011, cash, cash equivalents and investments decreased by $239.0 million.

Fourth quarter 2012 capex of $102 million related primarily to the deployment of Clearwire's LTE network as well as ongoing maintenance of our mobile WiMAX network, and increased $68 million and $79 million, respectively, as compared to $34 million in third quarter 2012 and $23 million of capex in fourth quarter 2011. Both the year over year and sequential increases in capex are primarily related to increased network investments associated with our ongoing LTE deployment efforts.

At the end of fourth quarter 2012, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 137 million people reside, including approximately 135 million people in markets where we provide 4G services, slightly higher than the prior year period.

Results of Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) in fourth quarter 2012 decreased 29% to $208.3 million compared to $294.0 million in fourth quarter 2011. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $2.3 million and $6.4 million in fourth quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively, and other non-cash network-related expenses of $22.9 million and $115.4 million in fourth quarters 2012 and 2011, respectively. The year over year decrease in other non-cash network related expenses is primarily due to a higher provision for unused tower-related leases and other network agreements in fourth quarter 2011. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS increased 6% year over year primarily due to higher tower- and network-related expenses in conjunction with our ongoing LTE build, as well as an increase in customer premise equipment sales associated with our no contract retail model, which required customers to purchase rather than lease devices beginning in 2012.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in fourth quarter 2012 increased 8% to $138.5 million compared to $128.5 million in fourth quarter 2011. The increase is primarily attributable to professional fees related to the proposed merger with Sprint and employee-related expenses including stock compensation.

Fourth quarter 2012 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $(195.0) million, or $(0.28) per basic share compared to $(236.0) million, or $(0.81) per basic share, respectively in the prior year period. Including the effects of discontinued operations, fourth quarter 2012 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $(187.2) million, or $(0.27) per basic share, compared to $(236.8) million or $(0.81), respectively in the prior year period. (...)

For more information: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearwire-reports-fourth-quart…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.134.319 von teecee1 am 13.02.13 09:19:11

February 13, 2013 7:30 AM EST
Raymond James Downgrades Clearwire (CLWR) to Underperform

Clearwire downgraded from Market Perform to Underperform at Raymond James

Raymond James downgraded Clearwire citing limited upside to valuation


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... ...
- es sieht seit gestern so aus als würden die Leerverkäufe bis zum 15.2.2013 auf unter 5 Mio. gehen,
- die Anteile sind auch wieder gestiegen.


Shares Owned by Insitutions
40.70%

Number of Institutions
189

... ... Net Insider Transactions
-46.4 M

............................................................................

After Hours Low: $ 2.89 ... ... gestern getestet, keiner will verkaufen ...

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clwr/after-hours?page=3#.URueJf…


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... ... Cooperation mit Dish und Vizio geht natürlich auch ...


4G Tablets: A Balancing Act
February 12, 2013 | Dan Jones

One interesting thing that emerged from chatting to Cisco Systems Inc. about its latest Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast recently is that the vendor is very interested in how shared data plans will affect 4G tablet take-up among consumers.

Cisco says that in 2012, the number of mobile-connected tablets increased 2.5-fold to 36 million, and each tablet generated 2.4 times more traffic than the average smartphone. Furthermore, Cisco expects that mobile-connected tablets will generate more traffic in 2017 than the entire global mobile network in 2012.

Thomas Barnett, senior manager of product & solutions marketing for Cisco, said that the vendor is watching with interest the growth of tablets on shared mobile data. He says if it proves to be a popular way for consumers to add tablets to their data plan it could alter the VNI predictions for tablets in the coming years. AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless are both offering data plans where consumers can add a tablet to a shared monthly data bucket for $10. The hope is, of course, that the tablet adds to their monthly data usage and they decide to get a bigger bucket.

Sprint Nextel Inc. CEO Dan Hesse also talked up tablets on his latest earnings call, but said that he didn't want to introduce a shared plan for these devices.

This is no surprise; Sprint currently offers unlimited data for smartphones but caps data for tablets. It would add complexity to introduce a shared plan for both, particularly as Sprint wants to keep unlimited data for 4G phones as a selling point.

What could Sprint do? Perhaps a $20 tariff for tablets on the unlimited plan would work for now? Sprint customers are already used to paying a $10 tariff for smartphones.

I'm not entirely sure how they might handle it yet, but I do know that Sprint should figure out a way to compete with tablet usage on the Big Two's shared plans. As we've seen, these devices will be a bigger part of the picture in years to come.

At the very least, I suspect this won't be the last time we see carriers mulling how to sell tablets to drive data ARPUs while balancing the amount of data they actually consume.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Light Reading Mobile


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Habe eine neue Seite entdeckt, evtl. seit 2012 ??? ... » http://www.clearwireinternet.com/clearwire_coverage.html

4G Angebot in 205 Städten + 23 die neu dazu gekommen sind. LTE oder Wimax ???




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... ... Vizio TV oder Tablet als Angebot von Dish ...




Zain offers Zain Home Broadband customers Samsung 40" LED Smart TV

Bahrain: Tuesday, February 12 - 2013 at 12:39

Zain Bahrain offers its Zain Home Broadband customers a free Samsung 40" LED Smart TV. This one-of-a-kid offer means that Zain Home Broadband customers can enter the amazing world of Smart TV data and use the Zain Broadband unlimited internet service to stream & browse on their free Smart TV.

Zain customers can get the 40" Samsung LED Smart TV for free by simply subscribing to the Zain Home Broadband service for certain amount a month! The super-value package includes unlimited internet and calls as well as upto 90% discount on international calls and the TV for free.

"Zain Bahrain is taking forward its promise of making the latest technology always accessible and affordable to customers by offering the Samsung 40" SmartTV free with its unlimited home broadband service," said Zain Bahrain's Marketing specialist Ali AlMulla.

"We believe that this will add value and quality to their home broadband experience on Zain Bahrain's superior broadband network and put Zain customers ahead of other internet users technologically speaking and in terms of quality of experience as well."

... ... umsonst ist zu viel gesagt ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.134.319 von teecee1 am 13.02.13 09:19:11

... ... wollen Sprint & Clearwire ihre Investoren abzocken ... ???


Joan Lappin, Contributor
2/13/2013 @ 11:00AM |824 views

Clearwire's Q4 Conference Call Was A Very Bad Joke


iPhone: The Bain of Sprint and Clearwire's Existence

Clearwire began its conference call on February 12th with an exceptionally long reading of elaborate boiler plate concerning its forward looking statements and why they should not be relied upon. It only served to underscore that management of the company is well aware that just about all of its statements over the last year were just plain wrong or very misleading and wants you to be sure you know they weren’t in touch with reality in the past and might not be honest now. They then proceeded to refuse to answer any questions about the announced deal to sell the company at a price that investors find insulting. Frankly, at this point in time, nothing else really matters other than the deal. Everybody knows this company will not be freestanding for long.

The call was short with few questions before management cut it off. Investors were given the latest rendition of when the company will run out of money, and how great they had been in reducing costs over the last year and accomplished all their goals. Really! Well, after that, what more was there to say?

Of course, the company, at the behest of its Special Committee has not accepted any of the progress payments from Sprint that it had expected to receive by now to pay for the rebuild of its WIMAX system to TDD LTE to coordinate with the new Sprint network. Obviously, that reduced the cash on hand making things look more ominous than planned in pronouncements earlier. The loans were to be convertible at a price about half of that at which the stock is now selling. The reason they have not drawn down the payments is that Charlie Ergen’s DISH proposal says his offer for the company at $3.30, well above the $2.97 Sprint has offered, is null and void if Clearwire accepts any of those progress payments. Ergen has offered all the money and more that Clearwire needs to complete its build out, to buy 25% of the company or all of it or to partner with it. So it can have a future if not strangled by Sprint.

Management has claimed forever that its huge spectrum position was invaluable…until NOW. Suddenly, it is now trying to paint a picture that it just isn’t worth much to anyone except Softbank‘s Masayoshi Son who is trying to buy control of Clearwire by buying that loser Sprint. For sure, Sprint is on the ropes too, and without Softbank’s money, it can’t buy Clearwire on its own. Sprint now owns just over fifty percent of Clearwire after Craig McCaw sold all other shareholders down the river a few months ago by selling his control stock. One surely wonders what was in it for McCaw to not protect his shareholders and how his actions will affect his future efforts to raise money.

Sprint, you might recall, was the just about the last company in the United States left to lust for the ability to stanch its loss of customers by being able to offer the Apple iPhone. It agreed to pay billions to Apple it really couldn’t afford to join its club. Yet, here we are months later and Sprint is still losing money and customers, even with the iPhone. This is at the very time that Google’s Android operating system is gaining an ever increasing share of the U.S market for smart phones made by a variety of manufacturers. Apple’s share is still growing, too, but its claim to fame is its profitability and surely not market dominance. Every quarter in which a Telco sells a lot of iPhones, its margins drop because of the large subsidy to the price of the phone to the retail consumer. They do it anyway because over time iPhone users are voracious consumers of bandwidth and it is bandwidth that the Telcos sell. CFO Hope Cochran actually revealed that while revenues were a tiny bit disappointing and churn for retail customers was a pathetic 5% when the industry norm is more like 2%, she emphasized that tonnage was up just at the very time that Sprint is paying a reduced fee to Clearwire this year to carry it.

The only thing that matters now about Clearwire is who is going to buy it or whether the Special Committee willl actually do anything to protect the interests of minority shareholders. One wonders what is going on behind the scenes. They had no intention of informing us on that matter. It isn’t clear, pun intended, that Sprint can garner the majority vote of the minority shareholders it needs to close this transaction. If Clearwire isn’t accepting its money and Sprint can suppress the traffic it feeds to Clearwire to further wound it while blocking it from getting new customers, then we just have to wait and watch how this plays out.

The smart guys in the room are Masayoshi Son and Charlie Ergen. The rest are just doing what they are told to do. For sure, nobody seems to be home when it comes to protecting the interests of the minority public shareholders. That is why Crest Financial and other large shareholders are suing and sending letters to the company to protect their own interests. The DOJ has rung in on the matter as well. In retrospect, the Sprint/Clearwire dance over the last couple of years seems to have been nothing but a charade in which the slow death of Clearwire was assured at the conclusion. Only the price was and is now in dispute.

Joan E. Lappin CFA Gramercy Capital Management Corp

[teecee1]

U.S. Cellular Announces Next Markets to Receive 4G LTE Service in 2013
Millions More Customers Will Have Access to Faster 4G LTE Speeds

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: U.S. Cellular – 2 hours 17 minutes ago

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Cellular (USM), in conjunction with its partner, King Street Wireless, announced the next markets that will receive high-speed 4G LTE services. By the end of 2013, customers in more than 3,800 additional cities and towns will have access to 4G LTE speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G and similar to a cable Internet connection. Currently, 61 percent of U.S. Cellular customers have access to 4G LTE speeds and 87 percent are expected to be covered by the end of the year.

New 4G LTE service will be launched in select cities in California, Kansas and Nebraska and existing 4G LTE service will be expanded to include additional cities in Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Some of the new cities that will receive 4G LTE include Lincoln, Neb., Omaha, Neb., Manhattan, Kan., Eureka, Calif. and Ukiah, Calif.

4G LTE speeds provide an enhanced wireless experience with fast web browsing, smooth video streaming, video chatting with no buffering and speedy app downloads. U.S. Cellular currently offers 10 4G LTE devices, including smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S(R)III and Samsung Galaxy Note(R)II, in addition to a tablet, hotspots and a wireless modem.

"We're continuously improving our customer experience, so we're excited to offer 4G LTE speeds to nearly all of our customers by the end of 2013," said Michael S. Irizarry, executive vice president and chief technology officer. "This 4G LTE network expansion, along with our growing line-up of 4G LTE devices, will make customers' lives simpler and easier with quick access to important information and entertainment on their devices."

The 4G LTE network builds on the 3G data services that U.S. Cellular customers have enjoyed on the carrier's nationwide network. U.S. Cellular has the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier, along with a valuable rewards program that recognizes loyalty. For more information about the 4G LTE experience, visit uscellular.com/4G.

4G LTE not available in all areas. See uscellular.com/4G for detailed coverage info. 4G LTE service is provided in partnership with King Street Wireless. LTE is a trademark of ETSI.

About King Street Wireless, L.P.

King Street Wireless, L.P. currently holds 700 MHz wireless spectrum in 27 states and is partnering with Chicago-based U.S. Cellular to deliver high-speed 4G LTE service to U.S. Cellular's customers in several of the carrier's markets. King Street Wireless is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia where it is recognized for its involvement in its community both through its economic development and philanthropic efforts. To learn more about King Street Wireless, visit www.kingstreetwireless.com.

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular rewards its customers with unmatched benefits and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier has a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices that are all backed by its high-speed nationwide network that has the highest call quality of any national carrier. Currently, 61 percent of customers have access to 4G LTE speeds and 87 percent will have access by the end of 2013. U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion in 2012 for the second year in a row. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.


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Hintergrund
LTE-Netzausbau gegen den Datenstau
13.02.2013

Unter Hochdruck führen die Netzbetreiber den neuen Mobilfunkstandard LTE ein, der Ausbau geht in Großstädten und dünn besiedelten Gebieten mehr als zügig voran und wird Engpässen in der Datenversorgung auf breiter Front entgegenwirken. (...)

http://www.connect.de/ratgeber/lte-netzausbau-gegen-den-date…

800 MHz sind Trumpf ... ...

Das sind Gründe zu verzweifeln – oder Gründe, über die Art der Mobilfunknutzung nachzudenken. Denn mit LTE steht ein Standard zur Verfügung, der das Potenzial hat, solche Probleme zu minimieren. Dazu tragen allein schon die drei in Deutschland hauptsächlich mit LTE assoziierten Frequenzbänder von 800 MHz, 1,8 GHz und 2,6 GHz bei. Denn physikalisch unterscheiden sich die Frequenzen durchaus.

So ist eine Mobilfunkstation bei 800 MHz und gegebener Sendeleistung fähig, einen Radius von fast zehn Kilometern zu versorgen. Bei UMTS mit 2,1 GHz in Deutschland schrumpft der maximale Zellradius schon auf etwa fünf Kilometer – in der Praxis braucht es mindestens die vierfache Anzahl an Mobilfunkstationen, um die gleiche Fläche mit UMTS zu versorgen wie mit LTE bei 800 MHz.

Entsprechend ermöglichen GSM oder LTE bei 1,8 GHz einen etwas weiteren Zellabstand als UMTS bei 2,1 GHz. 2,6 GHz-LTE-Stationen müssten theoretisch noch enger positioniert sein, doch ihre Nutzung ist ein ganz anderes Thema. ... ... sehr gut für LTE Advanced geeignet ... und bei 10 km Abstand halbiert sich die Download- und Upload Geschwindigkeit ... würde auf dem Land in Amerika völlig ausreichen ... LTE Router ...



LTE eher verfügbar als UMTS

Der deutlich weitere Zellradius bei niedrigeren Frequenzen ist auch ein Grund dafür, dass Sprachtelefonie mit GSM auf 900 MHz nahezu flächendeckend verfügbar ist. Das Datennetz mit UMTS bei 2,1 GHz hat hingegen noch große Lücken, die wegen der dazu benötigten hohen Zellenzahl vermutlich nie geschlossen werden.

Von daher ist abzusehen, dass schon in naher Zukunft die Chance höher sein dürfte, auf dem Land eine schnelle Datenverbindung per LTE als per UMTS zu bekommen – wenn man beim richtigen Betreiber ist. Denn die nahezu flächendeckend verfügbare 900-MHz-GSM-Infrastruktur erleichtert den Netzbetreibern mit 800-MHz-LTE-Lizenz – also O2, Telekom und Vodafone – auch den Ausbau ihrer Infrastruktur.

Im Prinzip müssen sie vorhandene GSM-900-Standorte nur um zusätzliche Sendeeinrichtungen für LTE 800 erweitern. Problematisch kann das nur werden, wenn sich mehrere Anbieter einen Standort teilen, was in der Praxis gar nicht so selten vorkommt. Denn durch zu viele zusätzliche Funkmodule (Radioheads) und Antennen kann die zulässige Last der betroffenen Dächer und Sendemasten überschritten werden. Auch müssen die Anbieter dafür sorgen, dass der dank LTE mögliche höhere Traffic auch abgeführt werden kann. (...)

Bandbreite und Verfügbarkeit

... Um eine Vorstellung zu vermitteln: Aus zweimal 10-MHz Spektrum holt eine LTE-Zelle theoretisch im Download bis zu 300 Mbit/s und im Upload bis zu 150 Mbit/s. Die oft genannten 100 respektive 50 Mbit/s kommen den in der Praxis gemessenen Werten aber deutlich näher. In weiterem Abstand zur Sendestation nehmen die Übertragungsraten deutlich ab, da der schlechtere Empfang fehlertolerantere Codierungen fordert.

Insgesamt rechnen Netzbetreiber üblicherweise damit, dass eine LTE-Zelle mit 20 MHz Bandbreite zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt etliche 100 aktiver Mobilfunknutzer mit schneller Internetanbindung versorgen kann. Mit wachsenden Ansprüchen, etwa durch steigenden Zugriff auf hochauflösende Videos, steigt aber auch der Bandbreitenbedarf des typischen Nutzers. Ein Mobilfunkstandort besteht nebenbei bemerkt in der Regel aus drei LTE-Funkzellen, die je 120 Grad des umgebenden Gebietes versorgen. (...)

Telekom und Vodafone

Die Telekom setzt in ihrer urbanen Strategie darauf, dass ihr Netz an Mobilfunkstandorten für UMTS 2100 in größeren Städten mehr als eng genug steht, um mit LTE bei 1,8 GHz gute Versorgung auch innerhalb von Häusern zu gewährleisten – und darauf, dass der ständige steigende Bandbreitenbedarf eine Investition in ein solch engmaschiges Grid auch lohnt.

Vodafone dagegen schwört bisher wie auf dem bereits gut ausgebauten Land auch in den Städten auf das 800-MHz-Band. Damit schaffen die Düsseldorfer optimale Voraussetzungen, um selbst tief in Gebäuden gute Abdeckung zu gewährleisten. Der Nachteil: Durch die bei 800 MHz geringere Bandbreite haben sie weniger Ressourcen zur Verfügung. Auch das bei 800 MHz möglicherweise weitmaschigere Grid sorgt gegebenenfalls für Einschränkungen, schließlich müssen sich alle Nutzer innerhalb einer Zelle die Bandbreite teilen (LTE ist ein sogenanntes Shared Medium).

E-Plus und O2

(...) Bis dato hat O2 keine Anstalten gemacht, von den Standardfrequenzen 800 MHz und 2,6 GHz abzuweichen und baut bis zum spürbaren Anstieg der Nachfrage das kostengünstigere 800er-Band aus. Sollte es zu Engpässen kommen, besitzen alle Netzbetreiber die nötigen Lizenzen, um an den Standorten zusätzliche 2,6 GHz mit deutlich gesteigerter Bandbreite nachzurüsten.

Für Bahnhöfe, Flughäfen und Stadtzentren haben die Telekommunikationsanbieter also ein mächtiges Instrument in der Hand, um auch große Menschenmengen an einem Ort zu versorgen. Was nicht heißt, dass es bei Fußballspielen, Konzerten oder ähnlichen Großereignissen nicht weiterhin zu eingeschränkter Dienstqualität kommen kann. Denn die für riesige Menschenmengen nötigen Netzkapazitäten kann kein Netzanbieter bereitstellen, wenn sie in einem abseits gelegenen Stadion nur wenige Stunden im Monat genutzt werden.

Fazit: LTE wird unverzichtbar

Mit LTE steht den Netzbetreibern ein Standard zur Verfügung, der viele Vorteile mit sich bringt. Dank flexibler Frequenzen von 800 MHz bis 2,6 GHz ist er sowohl zur Versorgung bevölkerungsarmer Gebiete wie auch zur Ausrüstung von vielgenutzten Hotspots geeignet. (...)

[teecee1]

Report: Fastest LTE Speeds in Sweden; USA No. 8

By Dan Radovsky |
February 14, 2013 |

In a report titled "The State of LTE," U.K.-based network testing company OpenSignal has found that Sweden, the first country to roll out a 4G LTE mobile network, is also the country that can boast the fastest LTE download speeds. The U.S. came in at No. 8.

The download speeds for Sweden's two LTE networks average 22.1 Mbps. The download speeds for the four U.S. LTE networks average out to just 9.6.

Those U.S. network speeds range from a high of 13 Mbps for AT&T, to 10 for Verizon, 7.7 for Sprint Nextel, and 1.2 for MetroPCS.

Countries Nos. 2 through 7 are, in order, Hong Kong (classified as a country by OpenSignal), Denmark, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Germany. Japan is No. 9 with an average speed of 7.1 Mbps.

OpenSignal writes that these speeds don't represent the technical limits for the networks tested, but they are a measure of the real-world speeds obtained by device users.


............................................................................

Who Has the Slowest LTE Speeds in the U.S. -- and Why?

By Dan Radovsky |
February 14, 2013 |

A recent report from network testing company OpenSignal has some surprising news, not only about which countries with widespread and mature LTE networks give their citizens the fastest -- and slowest -- LTE download speeds, but also which networks in those countries are the greyhounds and which ones are the relative slugs.

It should be noted that OpenSignal's testing did not measure a network's technical speed limits. It measured the actual speeds recorded by users' handsets, and not all handsets can download at the same speeds.

First, the good news: the U.S. does not have the slowest average LTE download speeds. The Teddy Roosevelt Award goes to Japan as the ninth-fastest LTE country with an average speed of 7.1 Mbps.

The bad news is that the U.S. is only No. 8 with a 9.6 average speed, a speed less than half what the inhabitants of Sweden -- the first country to roll out an LTE network and the country with the fastest download speeds (22.1 Mbps) -- can expect.

Here is the breakdown of the U.S. network LTE download speeds:

1. AT&T, 13 Mbps
2. Verizon, 10 Mbps
3. Sprint Nextel, 7.7 Mbps
4. MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS ) , 1.2 Mbps

The obvious outlier here is MetroPCS, and the obvious question is: Why?

According to OpenSignal, part of the reason for MetroPCS' poor showing is that users of MetroPCS' prepaid no-contract network are using LTE devices with lower specifications. That is, their handsets could not take advantage of an ultra -fast LTE network, even if one were there.

Another part of the story is that MetroPCS' LTE speeds are constrained by its 5 MHz channel. The 20 MHz channels used by most U.S. carriers have a much greater speed potential.

Other factors that can impact a network's download speeds are a country's population density. Faster LTE speeds are found in areas where people are concentrated in urban areas. Countries like the U.S., with large sparsely populated areas -- and the networks that serve less concentrated populations -- would not perform as well.

However, that can't always be the reason for slower speeds. Japan is one of the more densely populated countries at 836 people per square mile, and Sweden is one of the more sparsely populated countries at 57 people per square mile.

An important thing to keep in mind regarding MetroPCS and its LTE network is its upcoming merger with T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile is planning its own LTE network in 2013 and both companies' networks will have to merge, too. That will obviously have an effect on LTE download speeds, but how is to be determined. However, it doesn't seem likely MetroPCS' speeds could go much lower. (...)


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... ... erst wollte man T-Mobil an AT&T verkaufen und jetzt mit den 3 Mrd. zusätzlichen Kapital unbedingt mit MetroPCS fusionieren. ... steht T-Mobil mit dem Rücken zur Wand???


Paulson Considers Opposing MetroPCS Merger With T-Mobile
By Scott Moritz & Kelly Bit - Feb 15, 2013 12:17 AM GMT+0100

Paulson & Co., the biggest shareholder of MetroPCS Communications Inc., said it may oppose the wireless carrier’s combination with Deutsche Telekom AG’s T- Mobile USA unit due to the debt the combined company would have.

Paulson agrees with arguments by an opponent of the deal, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, according to an e-mailed statement. Paulson, which acquired 8 million shares of MetroPCS last quarter to boost its stake to 8.7 percent, is withholding its decision on whether to vote for the deal until it sees the final proxy statement, it said.


MetroPCS shares are down 25 percent
since the merger was announced, a
signal that investors aren’t optimistic
about a higher offer. Photographer:
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

The new company “has too much debt, the interest rate on Deutsche Telekom’s debt financing is too high, and the exchange ratio is too low for PCS stockholders,” Paulson said. “It may be more prudent for PCS to remain independent and explore other higher value alternatives.”

The deal, as presented in October, would give Germany’s largest phone company 74 percent of the combined business, and MetroPCS shareholders would get $1.5 billion in cash. Deutsche Telekom is trying to reinvigorate T-Mobile USA, the fourth- largest U.S. wireless carrier, which would add more subscribers and capacity from MetroPCS to compete with Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp.

MetroPCS shares are down 25 percent since the merger was announced, a signal that investors aren’t optimistic about a higher offer. Since the Deutsche Telekom proposal, other companies that had explored a deal with Richardson, Texas-based MetroPCS have formed their own agreements, reducing the potential for competing counterbids.

Recruiting Opponents

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, which owns 7.5 million shares or about a 2 percent stake, is seeking to recruit fellow investors like Paulson to oppose the transaction. The New York- based investment firm demanded yesterday to see MetroPCS’s books so it can share details of the transaction with other holders and encourage them to join the opposition. The request follows a Jan. 30 letter to the boards of Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS asking for changes to the deal.

“Shareholders deserve a capital structure that reflects reality in the marketplace and Deutsche Telekom’s confidence in the new T-Mobile/Metro PCS business plan,” Peter Schoenfeld, chairman and chief executive officer of P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, said in an interview. The firm, known as PSAM, managed $2.1 billion at the beginning of this year.

Onerous Element

Deutsche Telekom reaffirmed its commitment to the deal last week in a statement. Philipp Kornstadt, a spokesman for the Bonn-based company, declined to comment directly on Schoenfeld’s criticism of the deal. “The combination of MetroPCS and T- Mobile USA will substantially benefit the shareholders and customers of both companies,” said Kornstadt.

“The MetroPCS board of directors believes that the proposed combination with T-Mobile is in the best interests of MetroPCS and all MetroPCS stockholders,” MetroPCS said today in a statement.

One of the more onerous elements of the Deutsche Telekom deal, according to PSAM, is that it would leave the combined company with $15 billion in debt and an interest rate of as much as 8 percent.

Financial Burden

Schoenfeld said he was “upset” with the financial burden this would put on the company. Cutting the level of debt or giving MetroPCS shareholders a greater stake would be more fair to shareholders, he said. The objective, he said, is to get more shareholders to demand better terms for the deal or, if necessary, keep MetroPCS independent.

“I suspect Schoenfeld will not be alone,” said Jonathan Chaplin, a New York-based analyst with New Street Research LLP. “Other dissatisfied investors will probably oppose the deal.”

Without T-Mobile, Chaplin says MetroPCS is worth $10 a share. Under the current terms, the combined company may only be worth $7 to $8 a share, said Chaplin, who has a neutral rating on the stock. MetroPCS was little changed at $10.24 at the close in New York, down from $13.57 on Oct. 2, the day before the transaction was announced.

“PCS shareholders are worse off for this deal,” Chaplin said. “And the debt is so large that if things don’t go according to plan, the equity value could evaporate quickly.”

Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS need to cut the combined company’s debt by about $6.6 billion, or 44 percent, to be fair to shareholders and to give the new wireless carrier a chance, Chaplin said.

Voting Against

While MetroPCS once had many suitors, finding a new buyer now could be difficult. Prior to accepting the Deutsche Telekom offer, the company had a frenzy of deal discussions with eight potential partners, it said in a filing.

Sprint considered a $13.39 a share cash and stock offer for MetroPCS year ago, according to people familiar with the matter. Sprint has since moved on, offering $2.97 a share to buy out its wireless venture partner Clearwire Corp.

And Englewood, Colorado-based Dish offered $11 a share, including $1.2 billion in cash, for MetroPCS. The offer was rejected, according to the filing. Dish has also turned to Clearwire, offered $3.30 a share in a counterbid to Sprint. ... ... 5,2 Mrd. wollte Dish und 4,9 Mrd. wollte Sprint vor einem Jahr ausgeben.

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Kelly Bit in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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Sirios Capital Management Holdings in 4th Quarter: 13F Alert
By Julie Sinatra - Feb 14, 2013 5:26 PM GMT+0100

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-14/sirios-capital-mana…

The following is an analysis of Sirios Capital Management LP as of Dec. 31, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb 14.

Top Positions by Market Value

Company Name / Ticker / Market Value / Current / Change

Clearwire Corp-Class A / CLWR US / 37,989,356 / 13,145,106 /-28,039,085

Dish Network Corp-A / DISH US / 26,020,940 / 714,861 / 714,861

MetroPCS Communications Inc / PCS US / 22,277,926 / 2,241,240 /2,241,240

... ... Clearwire Aktien im 4. Qualtal verkauft, Dish und MetroPCS gekauft.

Top New Buys by Market Value

Dish Network Corp-A / DISH US / 26,020,940 / 714,861 / 714,861
MetroPCS Communications Inc PCS US / 22,277,926 / 2,241,240 / 2,241,240

Top Position Decreases By Market Value

Clearwire Corp-Class A / CLWR US / -17,197,460 / 13,145,106 /-28,039,085

... ... 28 mio verkauft $17 mio miese

FMC LLC

29.220.847 / 4,169%

Q3

SIRIOS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L P / 09/30/2012 / 41,184,191
FMR LLC / 09/30/2012 / 26,513,702
P SCHOENFELD ASSET MANAGEMENT LP / 09/30/2012 / 2,524,376 / 0 / alles verkauft

[teecee1]

Outstanding Shares ...
1.47B

... ... 1,465m oder 1565m ... verschiedene Infos ...

100mio neue Anteile für 3 Dollar ... würde für dieses Jahr reichen.

............................................................................

Clearwire Sets Annual LTE Target
By Zacks Equity Research | Zacks – 9 hours ago

Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), which offers mobile and fixed wireless broadband communication services to retail and wholesale customers in the U.S. sets a target to roll out 5,000 TD-LTE cell sites by the end of 2013.

Meanwhile, Clearwire slashed its previous guidance of rolling out 5,000 cell sites by the first half of 2013, and has plans to deploy 2,000 TD-LTE sites during the same period. Moreover, the company will likely receive a series of prepayments amounting $350 million from Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) (having 48.1% stake in Clearwire) over a two-year period if the former meets certain LTE deployment target by June 2013.

Both Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and Samsung Corp. will be the major TD-LTE equipment suppliers for Clearwire.

Earlier, Clearwire formed a venture combining its infrastructure together with the wireless network of Sprint to install a nationwide mobile phone and broadband Internet network using the 4G WiMAX technology. With the competitive 4G LTE technology becoming more robust and offering faster downlink, WiMAX gradually lost its charm among the customers thereby becoming a loss making unit for the company.

To stay in the race, Clearwire with its huge spectrum assets in the 2.5 GHz band, which is widely used in the South-East Asian countries to deploy TD-LTE technology, started testing with the world’s largest telecom player China Mobile Ltd. (CHL).

Recently, Clearwire received two takeover bids of $2.97 and $3.30 per share respectively, from Sprint and leading satellite TV operator DISH Network Corp. (DISH), respectively. Both the offers look quite lucrative for Clearwire, as the company requires a network partner to materialize its aim of deploying 4G LTE technology across the country.

Currently, Clearwire Corporation carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Read the Full Research Report on CLWR


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

John Paulson’s Top 5 Stocks He Bought in Q4

New Buys ... zweimal Spring Nextel

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)

Paulson purchased 127,693,000 shares of Sprint in the fourth quarter for $6 per share on average, for a 4.5% weighting in his portfolio. Sprint shares have gained 158% in the past 12 months.

Sprint Nextel Corp. was incorporated in 1938 in the state of Kansas. Sprint Nextel Corp. has a market cap of $17.79 billion; its shares were traded at around $5.91 with and P/S ratio of 0.5.

... ... mein Bauchgefühl sagt das dies in die Hose geht ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.145.022 von teecee1 am 15.02.13 12:20:09

15.02.2013 | 11:43
(411 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Großaktionär Paulson betrachtet MetroPCS-Übernahme durch T-Mobile USA kritisch

Der Hedgefonds Paulson hat Zweifel an der geplanten Übernahme durch die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA. Der Großaktionär bei MetroPCS erwägt deshalb, auf der Hauptversammlung gegen den Zusammenschluss zu stimmen, wie er am Donnerstagabend mitteilte. Paulson begründete die ablehende Haltung mit der Sorge, das entstehende Unternehmen halse sich zu hohe Schulden auf. Es könne besser für MetroPCS sein, unabhängig zu bleiben und Alternativen zum Schulterschluss mit T-Mobile USA zu verfolgen. Paulson hält 8,7 Prozent an dem Regionalanbieter MetroPCS. Zuvor hatte der Vermögensverwalter Schoenfeld seine ablehnende Haltung öffentlich gemacht.

Im Herbst vergangenen Jahres hatte die Telekom die Hochzeit ihres Sorgenkindes T-Mobile USA mit MetroPCS angekündigt. Die Telekom bringt dazu ihre US-Tochter und ein Gesellschafterdarlehen in Höhe von mehr als 15 Milliarden Dollar ein. Im Gegenzug erhalten die Bonner 74 Prozent der Anteile an der börsennotierten MetroPCS.

Die heutigen MetroPCS-Aktionäre bekommen 26 Prozent der Anteile und eine einmalige Barzahlung aus den Mitteln von MetroPCS von rund 1,5 Milliarden Dollar. Erwartet werden ein hohes Synergiepotenzial und Einsparungen in Milliardenhöhe. So sollen von 2017 an jährlich Kosten in Höhe zwischen 1,2 und 1,5 Milliarden Dollar eingespart werden.

T-Mobile USA ist der viertgrößte Mobilfunker des Landes, leidet aber unter einem Kundenschwund. Zudem ist ein teurer Netzausbau nötig, um mit den steigenden Datenmengen der Smartphones mitzuhalten. Zusammen könnten die Firmen die hohen Kosten für den Ausbau des schnellen Mobilfunk-Netzes leichter schultern./fn/jha/fbr

... ... wird langsam zu spät für den Netzausbau ...


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Deutsche Telekom
Fusion von T-Mobile in den USA droht zu scheitern
15.02.2013, 20:45 Uhr

Der zweite MetroPCS-Aktionär rebelliert gegen den Deal mit der Telekom. Nach dem gescheiterten Verkauf an AT&T droht nun auch die zweitbeste Lösung, die Fusion, zu scheitern.



T-Mobile-Filiale in den USA. Quelle: dapd

New York. Neues Ungemach für die Deutsche Telekom : In den USA macht ein zweiter Großaktionär von MetroPCS Front gegen die geplante Fusion mit der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA. Die Investmentfirma Paulson & Co teilte am Freitag mit, dass die bisherigen Konditionen des Zusammengehens für die MetroPCS-Anteilseigner nicht vorteilhaft genug seien. "Es könnte klüger für MetroPCS sein, unabhängig zu bleiben und andere Optionen der Wertsteigerung zu suchen." Paulson hält 8,7 Prozent der Aktien des fünftgrößten US-Mobilfunkers.

Das für die Fusion vorgesehene Aktientauschverhältnis benachteilige die MetroPCS-Eigner und die Schulden, die dem neuen Unternehmen aufgebürdet werden sollen, seien zu hoch. Es sei noch keine Entscheidung getroffen worden, ob Paulson auf der Metro-Hauptversammlung gegen den Deal stimmen werde, hieß es. In seiner Argumentation folgt Paulson der Kritik der Investmentfirma P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, die die Fusionspläne vor einer Woche angegriffen hatte. Schoenfeld hält nach eigenen Angaben zwei Prozent der MetroPCS-Aktien.

Die Mobilfunkhochzeit war Anfang Oktober angekündigt worden. Allerdings steht die Zustimmung der MetroPCS-Aktionäre aus - die Abstimmung soll nach früheren Telekom-Angaben bis Ende März erfolgen. Der Bonner Konzern soll drei Viertel der Anteile an dem neuen Unternehmen halten - die bisherigen MetroPCS-Aktionäre bekommen den Rest sowie 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar. MetroPCS und T-Mobile zusammen kämen auf 42,5 Millionen Handy-Kunden. Für die Telekom ist die Fusion nur die zweitbeste Lösung. Eigentlich wollten die Bonner T-Mobile USA im vergangenen Jahr für 39 Milliarden Dollar an den Telekomriesen AT&T verkaufen.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.148.756 von teecee1 am 16.02.13 08:57:11

Sprint's Network Vision And Clearwire's TDD-LTE In Action
February 16, 2013

Nick Chiu
Disclosure: I am long S, CHL, VOD. (More...)

Sprint Nextel (S) is the third-largest carrier in the U.S., serving 48 million customers directly. On Dec. 7, 2012, Sprint announced an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) it does not currently own for $2.97 per share. With Clearwire's huge spectrum assets and SoftBank's (SFTBF.PK) capital backing, Sprint Nextel could soon be a big force to compete in the new landscape as spectrum resources become scarcer and high-speed 4G LTE becomes a widespread standard. In this article, the recent developments for LTE networks for Sprint Nextel and Clearwire will be updated.

Sprint's Network Vision

"Network Vision is Sprint's plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one new, seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers across the United States. In addition to deploying a new 3G network, Sprint will roll out LTE nationwide. Sprint has launched 4G LTE in 49 markets - including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Baltimore - and sites are on-air and implementation is under way in hundreds more," as quoted from Sprint's official website.

In the last Q4, 2012 management discussion, Sprint's management indicated that the company is not changing the outlook of 12,000 sites for Q1, 2013. Sprint had zoning completed on nearly 29,000 sites and leasing completed on over 27,000 sites, with a 34% increase over Q3 for both. Sprint had doubled the number of cities under construction to over 450, and the company had now launched 4G LTE in 58 cities with nearly 170 more expected to launch in the months to come. With over 8,000 sites on air, the number is nearly doubled as compared to 3 months ago.

Highlights for LTE

* Competitive speed: 6-8 megabits per second for downlink and 2-3 megabits per second for uplink. The performance will continue to improve as the company brings four, five clusters on air and continues to tune the network.

* Increasing capacity and density: Sprint is expected to have LTE coverage for approximately 200 million people by the end of 2013 or early 2014.

* 800MHz spectrum: LTE on 800 is now planned to commence in Q4, 2013.

It is a critical step for Sprint to shut down the Nextel platform in the middle of the year, so the company can remove the incremental expense and operating costs of running two separate networks. This will also enable the company to improve the service level on the Sprint platform by redeploying 800 MHz spectrum to CDMA voice and LTE. 2013 will be an important year for Sprint with the modernization of the network and shutting down of Nextel network.

Clearwire's 4G LTE

According to Seeking Alpha's earnings call transcript, Clearwire is making significant progress on LTE Advance-ready network. The company began to ramp up building activities in Q4, 2012 and exceed the target of 800 fully commissioned sites with more than 1,000 LTE X sites awaiting connection to Sprint's core network at year-end. The company remains on track to meet the 4G MVNO agreement build milestones of 2,000 LTE sites on air by June 2013, increasing to 5,000 LTE sites on air by December, 2013. Clearwire could receive a series of prepayments amounting $350 million from Sprint (with 48.1% stake in Clearwire) over a two-year period if Clearwire meets certain LTE deployment target by June, 2013, according to Zacks' report.

page 1 / 2 | Next

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.151.669 von teecee1 am 17.02.13 20:48:18

Seite 2

Highlights for LTE Advanced-ready

* Peak speed: Early test of the initial LTE Advanced-ready sites had produced peak downlink speeds of about 60 megabits per second. By leveraging TDD systems, these downlink speeds can be improved significantly by further optimizing the amount of spectrum resource assigned to the downlink.

* Next release: The next release of LTE Advanced technology, with 2.5 gigahertz band standardized for carrier aggregation, can potentially offer the fastest speeds with the deepest capacity network in the nation by leveraging the existing microwave back-haul network.

TDD-LTE Ecosystem

Clearwire's huge spectrum assets in the 2.5 GHz band are widely used in the South-East Asian countries for TDD-LTE technology. The initiation of international data roaming tests with China Mobile (CHL) and China Mobile Hong Kong on Clearwire's trial network in Phoenix had shown early success. This is a positive development toward global broadband data access on a single device. China Mobile Ltd., ranking as the largest mobile carrier in the world with over 722 million subscribers, continues to make significant progress on its TDD-LTE build and is now focusing on expanding it to 200,000 TDD-LTE site networks by the end of 2013. It is important to know that, "China has announced plans to award TDD-LTE spectrum licenses that will use the same 3GPP Band class 41 as Clearwire and GTI members, including Softbank Mobile, across the entire 190 Megahertz of their 2.5 Gigahertz spectrum, which we believe will result in significant economies of scale and innovation for us and our partners," as reported in Seeking Alpha earnings transcript. In addition, Bharti Airtel in India also launched TDD-LTE in its third city, Pune. Softbank Mobile in Japan introduced 6 new TDD-LTE smartphones and saw of doubling of their TDD-LTE subscribers to more than 700,000 customers.

Competitions

Sprint is still behind the wireless giant Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and the second wireless carrier AT&T Inc. (T) in deploying LTE networks. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications, 55%, and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD), 45%, is the largest wireless communications services provider in the United States with 98.2 million subscribers as of Q4, 2012. Verizon Wireless indicated its 4G LTE network covers 94 percent of the population in what it calls its Philadelphia Tri-State Region and 89 percent of the population of the country. Verizon Wireless continues to be the operator of the nation's largest 4G LTE network. AT&T also aims to enhance its high-speed wireless network and is on track to deploy 4G LTE services as soon as possible to achieve the set target to connect 300 million people in the U.S. by 2014 end.

In short, Sprint and Clearwire are set to expand aggressively into LTE market. By completing Softbank's $20B acquisition deal, Sprint will be much better equipped to compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T. As the trend shifts toward 4G LTE, Sprint still has a lot of upside potential.

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UPDATE 3-Leap Wireless customer losses disappoint, shares fall

Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:07pm EST

* Rev $756 million vs Street view $778.8 million

* Net customer losses 337,000 vs analyst view for loss of 55,000

* Eyes device financing to boost growth in 2013

* Leap shares fall almost 7 percent (Adds Executive comment)

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Leap Wireless International Inc reported a 1.5 percent decline in quarterly revenue as it lost far more customers than Wall Street had feared, sending its shares down 7 percent.

The wireless service provider for budget-conscious customers who pay for calls in advance, said it lost 337,000 net customers in the fourth quarter. The average expectation on Wall Street was for losses of 55,000 customers, according to analysts.

Leap has been trying to boost its revenue by signing up higher-spending customers with the sale of smartphones such as the Apple Inc iPhone but many of them cannot afford to pay for those devices.

Chief Executive Doug Hutcheson told analysts on a conference call that he is not happy with the company's results and complained about softness in the prepaid sector as well as customer departures related to its phone prices.

"By far and away the biggest thing is the device pricing and the ability for customers to pay for the device" Hutcheson said.

While the first quarter is typically strong for Leap because customers use tax refunds to buy phones, the company warned that customer additions would be lower in the current quarter than the first quarter a year ago.

New Street analyst Jonathan Chaplin said the fourth quarter customer losses, which compared with customer growth in the year-ago quarter, had "deteriorated drastically" in the quarter.

The company - which competes with rivals such as MetroPCS Communications Inc and Sprint Nextel Corp and a host of other prepaid services - promised a reduction in customer defections for 2013 from initiatives such as device financing for its customers.

But some analysts said that the best investors could hope for is an eventual sale of Leap. Hudson Square analyst Todd Rethemeier questioned whether the company would be able to turn around on its own.

"In the last three quarters they've lost about 14 percent of their subscriber base," said Rethemeier. "Management seems unable to find a strategy to reverse that.

"The only reason the stock is trading as high as it is because people think there's potential for a buyout," Rethemeier added. ... ... der erste Todeskanditat ...

But Roe Equity Research analyst Kevin Roe noted that potential Leap suitors Sprint and MetroPCS may not be able to make a bid for the company for some time.

Sprint is currently seeking to buy Clearwire Corp and to sell 70 percent of its own shares to SoftBank Corp and MetroPCS is looking to merge with T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom.

"What Leap has to do is conserve cash to survive until the next round of consolidation," Roe said.

Leap said its fourth-quarter net loss narrowed to $74.3 million, or 96 cents per share, from a loss of $84.4 million or $1.10 per share in the year-earlier quarter.

Revenue fell to $756 million from $767.4 million and was below Wall Street expectations for revenue of $778.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Leap shares were down 44 cents or more than 7 percent at $5.68 in late morning trade on Nasdaq.

(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Nick Zieminski and Andrew Hay)

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Sprint CEO Hesse Seeking More Deals as Data Demand Surges
By Scott Moritz & Olga Kharif - Feb 20, 2013 10:36 PM GMT+0100


Sprint Nextel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse said he’s on a hunt for wireless spectrum after watching Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. devour more and more of the mobile-phone industry’s most precious resource.

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, needs to add capacity to keep its data service from buckling in the future as more users watch sports and music videos on phones and tablets. The company is looking for deals with other companies or through government sales, Hesse said in an interview.


Sprint Nextel Corp. Chief Executive
Officer Dan Hesse said, “Clearwire
would give us a strong spectrum
position for a period of time.”
Photographer: Kiyoshi
Ota/Bloomberg

A cash infusion is helping Hesse get more aggressive. In the two months after Softbank Corp.’s October agreement to spend $20 billion to take over Sprint, Hesse’s company agreed to $2.6 billion in purchases, mostly in an attempt to seize control of Clearwire Corp. In the previous 12 months, Sprint had spent almost nothing, standing by as its two biggest competitors cobbled together more than $5 billion in purchases.

“Clearwire would give us a strong spectrum position for a period of time,” Hesse said in an interview this month. “But we also have a very long-term view, and we would want to acquire more spectrum.”

Sprint’s options may include buying more capacity from smaller carriers such as U.S. Cellular Corp. or Leap Wireless International Inc. or buying them outright, said Phil Marshall, chief research officer at Tolaga Research. A deal with Hesse’s regulatory nemesis, Dish Network Corp. Chairman Charlie Ergen, is also a possibility, Marshall said. Or Sprint could acquire licenses in government auctions.

Scarce Resource

While radio waves are all around us, they’re not abundant enough for mobile-phone companies. The U.S. government treats airwaves as a public good, dividing them up and selling licenses to companies, including wireless carriers, to use for their communications. Those licenses are becoming tougher to find, and more expensive, as the Federal Communications Commission runs low on new frequencies it can offer for sale.

Extra spectrum would help fill out gaps in Sprint’s coverage, and the acquisitions could add more users, helping the company increase revenue and scale.

Hesse’s appetite for acquisitions depends on his ability to close the deal with Softbank. As part of the October takeover agreement, the Tokyo-based company said it would supply Sprint with $8 billion in capital so it could begin making purchases and investments. The deal is under regulatory review.

Billion-Dollar Deals

Sprint has lots of work to do if it aims to catch up to Verizon and AT&T in capacity. Verizon Wireless acquired $3.9 billion in airwaves from cable companies led by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc. And AT&T, in an effort to make up for lost ground during its failed takeover of T-Mobile USA Inc., said last month that it had signed 50 spectrum deals in the past year, including a $600 million purchase of NextWave Wireless and a $1.9 billion agreement to buy spectrum from Verizon Wireless itself.

“Spectrum availability is a core competitive weapon in a mini arms race,” said Craig Wigginton, head of telecommunications strategy at Deloitte & Touche LLP in New York.

With more people using smartphones and tablets, traffic on wireless networks is increasing. In the fourth quarter, smartphones accounted for 77 percent of Sprint’s retail phone sales, the company said during its fourth-quarter earnings call.

Total worldwide mobile traffic will increase 13-fold through 2017 at a compound annual rate of 66 percent, according to a report this month from Cisco Systems Inc.

Sprint’s Moves

Sprint began making moves in November, with a $480 million deal to gain network capacity and customers in Chicago and St. Louis from U.S. Cellular. In December, with Softbank’s urging, Sprint agreed to buy all of Clearwire, its national wireless broadband joint-venture partner, for $2.97 a share. While that acquisition would help replenish Sprint’s spectrum needs, the company will require more in the future, Hesse said.

“Given the increases in data usage we are seeing, we will continue to be interested in spectrum as it comes to market,” Hesse said in the interview. “It could be more deals like spectrum from other companies like we did with U.S. Cellular or it could be FCC auctions.”

Dish, co-founded by billionaire Ergen, has made a counterbid to Clearwire of $3.30 a share, an offer that is complicated because Sprint is Clearwire’s majority owner. Sprint, which has wrangled with Dish over regulatory approval for airwaves Ergen’s satellite-TV company owns, called Dish’s bid “illusory.’’

Sprint slid 1.9 percent to $5.79 at the close in New York, while Clearwire fell 1 percent to $3.12, a price that indicates shareholders expect to get more than Sprint’s current bid. Dish dropped less than 1 percent to $36.03.

Secondary Market

Even so, Sprint could end up acquiring spectrum from Englewood, Colorado-based Dish if the satellite-TV company doesn’t find a partner for a mobile-phone service and decides to sell its airwaves. Such purchases of unused spectrum, in the so- called secondary market, are a possibility, Marshall said.

Acquiring entire companies would help Sprint expand its customer base in addition to getting more airwaves. U.S. Cellular, based in Chicago, has 5.8 million customers and had $4.4 billion in revenue in the 12 months through last September.

“Sprint could use a better presence in the Midwest market,” Ron Westfall, research director for service provider infrastructure for Current Analysis, said in an interview.

Leap Target?

Leap could be in play as well, said George Ford, a former FCC economist who is now chief economist at Phoenix Center, a public-policy research group in Washington. Leap serves 5.6 million customers, offering no-contract mobile-phone plans.

“This year, Leap and U.S. Cellular and the smaller regional carriers are the only potential targets in the market,” said Coleman Bazelon, a principal at consulting firm Brattle Group who specializes in phone and video regulation.

Greg Lund, a spokesman with Leap, declined to comment on takeover possibilities. Steve Carlson, a spokesman for U.S. Cellular, didn’t reply immediately to a request for comment.

Leap sank 8.3 percent to $5.61, while U.S. Cellular fell less than 1 percent to $38.68.

Two other competitors, T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS Communications Inc., are in the process of sealing their own merger, which must be approved by shareholders and regulators.

“If you look at the top four, Sprint and T-Mobile are the ones with the most need for spectrum,” said Marshall.

The FCC is also planning more spectrum license auctions, providing another opportunity for Sprint to gain capacity. There are potentially attractive airwaves next to some that Sprint already owns, Bazelon said.

Buying Time

U.S. Cellular has customers and spectrum in cities that would help bolster Sprint’s coverage. San Diego-based Leap has pay-as-you-go customers that could offer Sprint a revenue boost. Leap said in a November 7 earnings call that it has $3 billion worth of spectrum.

Last month, Shing Yin, an analyst with Guggenheim Securities, issued a report highlighting Leap’s potential attractiveness as a takeover. Left out of recent wireless consolidations and struggling to hang on to customers, Leap trades at about an 80 percent discount to U.S. Cellular.

The planned addition of Clearwire spectrum buys Sprint some time to complete the construction of a network using long-term evolution technology to offer faster speeds, said Kevin Smithen, a New York-based analyst for Macquarie Group Ltd. Eventually, it will need more capacity for growing demand, he said.

“Sprint’s focus this year will be on getting Clearwire done and building the LTE network,” said Smithen. “I think 2014 and 2015 are probably the big years for Sprint as far as spectrum deals.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]; Olga Kharif in Portland at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Softbank to Raise $4 Billion in Bonds to Pay for Sprint Purchase
By Yusuke Miyazawa - Feb 22, 2013 5:08 AM GMT+0100

Softbank Corp. (9984), the Japanese wireless carrier that agreed to buy a $20 billion stake in Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), wants to raise 370 billion yen ($4 billion) in bonds to help finance the acquisition.

Japan’s third-largest carrier priced 300 billion yen of 1.47 percent four-year notes that will go on sale to retail investors on Feb. 25, Nomura Holdings Inc. said in a statement today. The company also sold 70 billion yen of similar-maturity 1.467 percent debt, data compiled by Bloomberg show.


A pedestrian passes a Sprint Nextel Corp. retail store in New York. The acquisition of Overland Park,
Kansas-based Sprint’s 56.4 million subscribers would increase Softbank’s customer base to 96 million
in the U.S. and Japan, the Japanese company said in October. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

Billionaire Masayoshi Son’s Softbank offered in October to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint Nextel to enter the U.S. market and create the world’s third-biggest carrier. The Tokyo-based company was the first to offer Apple Inc.’s iPhone in Japan and is relying on the popularity of the devices to tap 840 trillion yen of cash and bank deposits owned by the nation’s households in helping to pay for the deal.

“This deal is typical of the company that often turns to individual bond investors for funding,” Hiroaki Hayashi, who manages 1.5 trillion yen of fixed-income investments at Fukokushinrai Life Insurance Co. in Tokyo, said today in a telephone interview. “There is likely to be a considerable demand for the notes.”

Softbank last sold bonds in September, when it raised 110 billion yen, including 100 billion yen of 0.74 percent five-year notes targeting individuals, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The extra yields to own the debt instead of government bond more than doubled to 142 basis points on Oct. 12 after reports of the deal, and traded at 156 yesterday, according to JS Price data.

Japanese households owned 1,510 trillion yen of financial assets, including 840 trillion yen of cash and bank deposits as of the end of September, according to the Bank of Japan. (8301)

Rating Review

Softbank has 186.6 billion yen of bonds maturing this year, including a 130 billion-yen retail bond due Sept. 17, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service have put the Japanese company’s credit ratings under review for possible downgrade on concern the acquisition may undermine its financial strength. A downgrade of one step would bring the rating to a speculative, or junk, ranking at Moody’s.

The Sprint announcement came two weeks after Softbank agreed to acquire a stake in competing Japanese wireless provider eAccess Ltd. to help meet bandwidth demand from iPhone users. Sales of Apple phones and tablets have helped Softbank boost earnings.

Subscriber Boost

The acquisition of Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint’s 56.4 million subscribers would increase Softbank’s customer base to 96 million in the U.S. and Japan, the Japanese company said in October. The company’s biggest Japanese competitor, NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437), has about 60.8 million subscriptions.

Softbank doubled net income to 65.9 billion yen as sales gained 7.1 percent to 923.7 billion yen during the three months ended Dec. 31, the company said Jan. 31.

The carrier gained 1.4 percent to 3,355 yen as of 1 p.m. in Tokyo trading, heading for its first gain in four days. The stock is up 6.9 percent this year, compared with the 9.3 percent gain by the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yusuke Miyazawa in Tokyo at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Shelley Smith at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Dish: If our Clearwire bid goes through, Sprint is our likely partner

Dish's Charlie Ergen lays out wireless options

FierceWireless
February 21, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) Chairman Charlie Ergen said the company would consider a partnership with Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), which Dish is challenging with a rival bid for Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR).

On Dish's fourth-quarter earnings conference call yesterday, Ergen said he thought Dish's unsolicited $3.30 per share offer for 40 MHz of spectrum and a commercial agreement with Clearwire is "clearly a better deal than what Sprint has offered," which is $2.97 per share for control of the 50 percent of Clearwire it does not already own. Clearwire's board has said it is reviewing the Dish offer but still recommends the one from Sprint.

"If that transaction [Dish's offer to Clearwire] went through, Sprint's your most likely partner," Ergen said, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. "The reverse of that is, is that, that offer is not accepted or there's a bidding war for Clearwire, right? And were we to lose that bidding war or if we were not to prevail for our offer for Clearwire, then Sprint's probably not a likely partner."

Ergen also said Dish will need to see how the bids play out, and what the regulatory environment is with the FCC. But he said the company has "other options." Still, Ergen said Dish's offer would be good for Sprint and Clearwire and that "we're playing to win."

Financial analysts have said that Dish's bid is unlikely to succeed. However, Dish's bid, along with pressure from Clearwire's minority shareholders, could motivate Sprint to raise the value of its final offer for Clearwire.

Dish wants to acquire Clearwire spectrum covering approximately 11.4 billion MHz-POPs, which is approximately 24 percent of Clearwire's total spectrum holdings, for $2.2 billion. As part of the deal, Clearwire could sell or lease an additional 2 MHz of its spectrum to Dish and it could also provide certain services such as network management, construction and maintenance for a network in the AWS-4 spectrum.

Ergen said Dish hopes to get its licenses for its AWS-4 spectrum next month and move quickly through 3GPP certification for changes to its band plan. While he reiterated that Dish wants a wireless partner to help it build out its proposed LTE Advanced network, he said Dish will take practical steps to get its wireless buildout moving.

"And at that point in time we'll start building," he said, speaking of the completion of the 3GPP process. "We're already building chipsets, and we'll start building radio, so that we can start testing our system. And we hope to be able to test something by late this year. We're also building out our 700 MHz license. We're in the process of testing that as well, and we'll add more sites to do that. We won't spend a huge amount of money in doing that, but we'll at least make sure that all our technology works."

Ergen said Dish wants to use its spectrum to deliver mobile video. "So we think we're well positioned there, and we think that we have assets to make that product better for somebody out there that wants to partner," he said. Later, Ergen added that Dish's wireless service "would have to be better and has to be less expensive" to compete with existing offerings.

Dish must cover at least 40 percent of the population in areas covered by its spectrum with a wireless network in the next four years, or face penalties. Further, the FCC said Dish must cover at least 70 percent of that population within seven years.

If Dish--or a future licensee of the AWS-4 spectrum--fails to hit the 40 percent mark in four years, it must hit the 70 percent coverage threshold in six, rather than seven years. Further, if Dish fails to hit the 70 percent mark in any economic area as defined by the FCC, it will automatically lose its right to deploy service there.

[teecee1]

GTI Members Announce Successful TD-LTE/LTE-FDD Global Roaming Trials
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 11 hours ago

* Successful TD-LTE/LTE-FDD Roaming Trials Completed Between China Mobile and Korea Telecom; China Mobile and Clearwire
* GTI Members to Showcase Global Roaming in Booths at Mobile World Congress
* SoftBank, Bharti Airtel and Others Expected to Begin Roaming Trials Soon

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) today provided an update on successful global roaming trials between major wireless operators in the United States, China and South Korea as key developments in the organization's mission to promote a unified TD/FDD-LTE market.

GTI was formed by leading global operators to create value for stakeholders across the TD-LTE ecosystem for early adoption of the technology and convergence of TD-LTE and LTE-FDD. GTI includes more than 50 operators around the world, and dozens of leading technology partners. The operators involved in the new TD-LTE/LTE-FDD roaming trials include: China Mobile (mainland China and Hong Kong), Clearwire (U.S.), SoftBank (Japan), KT (Korea), Bharti Airtel (India) as key operator members of the coalition.

China Mobile recently completed global roaming trials with Korea Telecom and China Mobile Hong Kong, and with Clearwire in both Hong Kong and mainland China. The trials represent a major step forward in establishing a global roaming configuration that creates a unified TD-LTE and LTE-FDD marketplace around the world. In 2013, the GTI expects to conduct further roaming trials involving SoftBank, Bhartil Airtel and others as the technical development of TD-LTE/LTE FDD global roaming approaches critical mass.

With the commercialization of a global TD-LTE network, the need for global roaming among TD-LTE networks is the key element of globalization of TD-LTE. The GTI Roaming task force provided great support to perform the TD-LTE roaming testing among GTI members.

Based on the China Mobile International Limited (CMI) IPX trial network, the international roaming test between China Mobile's TD-LTE network in China and its partners has provided some initial results. The TD-LTE data roaming testing between the China Mobile in Hong Kong (CMHK) and Clearwire in the United States has been completed successfully. In addition, China Mobile is conducting TD-LTE roaming testing with partners such as India's Bharti, Japan's SoftBank and South Korea's KT.

In 2013, China Mobile will continue to conduct roaming tests of TD-LTE with more international partners to accelerate the ecosystem development of the TD-LTE industry.

"Successfully establishing a platform on which to base global LTE roaming has been an important long-term goal for Clearwire and our GTI partners," said Dr. John Saw, Chief Technology Officer of Clearwire. "Building this framework, with the TD-LTE and Band 41 configuration, will accelerate a development cycle that we believe will provide operators around the world significant benefits as the move toward LTE continues. We're proud of our leading role in driving the development of a unified global marketplace for LTE."

"The GTI's successful completion of roaming trials between TD-LTE and LTE-FDD network technologies is a major step towards providing worldwide interoperable LTE services," said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer at the GSMA. "The mobile industry has a responsibility to ensure that 4G enables a seamless experience for users, and the capability to roam on any LTE network is a fundamental part of that responsibility."

LTE TD/FDD International Summit and Mobile World Congress Showcase

The GTI will hold the 7th LTE TD/FDD International Summit at Mobile World Congress on Tuesday, 26 February from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Hall 8.0 Theater District, Theatre B. Members of the press are encouraged to attend the event.

Chairmen and CEOs from major wireless companies, including China Mobile, Bharti Airtel, Clearwire, Samsung, Qualcomm, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Network will discuss the convergence of LTE TD/FDD and the acceleration of TD-LTE deployments in global markets. They will also discuss the proliferation of commercial TD-LTE networks, the challenges operators face deploying affordable multi-mode and multi-band terminals, and the creation of a unified market by enabling global roaming.

The summit is hosted by the GTI and China Mobile and supported by the GSMA, TDIA and XGP Forum. For more information on the summit please visit: http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/gti/.

In addition, three GTI member operators will have booths at Mobile World Congress highlighting global roaming capabilities from their respective booths via popular smart phone devices connecting to LTE using a portable hot spot with an embedded Qualcomm chipset.

China Mobile and Korea Telecom plan to highlight roaming between China Mobile's Band 40/38 TD-LTE configuration and Korea Telecom's Band 3 LTE FDD. Bharti Airtel plans to highlight the company's Band 40 TD-LTE roaming with China Mobile's Band 40/38 TD-LTE configuration.

China Mobile can be found in Hall 5 Stand 5I120, Korea Telecom in Hall 3 Stand 3B2, and Bharti Airtel in Hall 5 Stand 5G110.

Additional information about GTI can be found at http://www.lte-tdd.org/.

About the GTI

Established in Feb 2011, the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) is a virtual open platform to advocate cooperation among global operators to promote TD-LTE. GTI was formed to create value for stakeholders across the TD-LTE ecosystem for early adoption of the technology and convergence of TD-LTE and LTE FDD. GTI was founded by leading international mobile network operators in 2011 to meet the demands for growing mobile broadband and explore new opportunities across industry and public segments.




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25.02.2013 | 15:16
(40 Leser)

news aktuell ·
Sechster GTI-Workshop treibt Ausreifung der flächendeckenden TD-LTE-Kommerzialisierung voran

Hongkong (ots/PRNewswire) - Unmittelbar vor dem GSMA Mobile World Congress 2013 fand vom 21. bis 22. Februar im spanischen Barcelona der 6. Workshop der Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) statt. Mehr als hundert Vertreter von China Mobile [http://www.chinamobileltd.com/en/global/home.php], Vodafone, Softbank, Clearwire, etc. nahmen an diesem 2-tägigen Treffen Teil, um Lösungen zur Kommerzialisierung von TD-LTE und zur Konvergenz von TD-LTE und LTE FDD voranzutreiben.

Im Mittelpunkt des Workshops standen die Industrialisierung von Terminals mit Multi-Mode- und Multi-Band-Unterstützung, integrierte Lösungen, globales Roaming, Geräte der Unterhaltungselektronik und das "Internet of Vehicle". Im Hinblick auf Terminals wurde gemeldet, dass sich bei über 1400 Tests von 5-Mode- und 12-Band-MiFi im gesamten Frequenzspektrum von 2,6 GHz eine Erfolgsrate von 98 % ergab, wobei der Stromverbrauch dem von FDD LTE entsprach. Dies hat unter Betreibern für viel Aufsehen gesorgt. Im Laufe des Jahres 2013 wird die GTI sich weiterhin für die Entwicklung umfassend integrierter HF-gestützter Front-End-Produkte mit Multi-Mode- und Multi-Band-Unterstützung sowie Multi-Mode- und Multi-Band-Smartphones einsetzen. Zur Kommerzialisierung und für Business-Anwendungen, für die Roaming zwischen China Mobile und Clearwire, zwischen China Mobiles und KTs TD-LTE-Netz sowie zwischen TD-LTE und FDD LTE Grundvoraussetzung ist, wird GTI die bestehende Kernarbeitsgruppe für weltweites Roaming von GTI erweitern, um das globale Roaming von LTE TDD/FDD-Datendiensten weiter auszudehnen. Darüber hinaus wird GTI mit der GSMA gemeinsam daran arbeiten, internationale Automobilkonzerne im Hinblick auf das TD-LTE-basierte "Internet of Vehicles" zu unterstützen. Die GTI Spectrum Working Group wird auch mit internationalen Großunternehmen und nationalen Regulierungsbehörden kooperieren, um die gemeinsame Planung eines globalen TDD-Frequenzspektrums voranzutreiben und einer lückenhaften praktischen Umsetzung vorzubeugen.

Mit der Einführung von drei eigenständigen Arbeitsgruppen in den Bereichen Netzwerk, Terminal und Kommerzialisierung/Anwendung, die in erster Linie für elf verschiedene Projektgruppen und eine Kernarbeitsgruppe im Bereich Roaming verantwortlich sind, hat sich GTI im Jahr 2012 zu einer Lösungsplattform für Forschung und Produktförderung entwickelt. Bis jetzt wurde eine immer vollständigere Branchenkette für TD-LTE-Rahmensysteme, Chips und Testinstrumente entwickelt, um eine solide Grundlage zur kommerziellen Einführung auf weltweiter Ebene zu schaffen. In der Zwischenzeit verzeichnet TD-LTE rund um die Welt immer größere Marktanteile, wie die kommerzielle Inbetriebnahme von vierzehn TD-LTE-Netzen belegt.

Die Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) ist eine offene virtuelle Plattform, die von China Mobile, Softbank (Japan), Bharti (Indien), Clearwire (Amerika) und Vodafone (Vereinigtes Königreich) ins Leben gerufen wurde, um die Zusammenarbeit unter globalen Betreiberunternehmen und Branchenpartnern im TD-LTE-Bereich gezielt zu fördern. Ihr Ziel besteht darin, wesentliche Probleme bei der Entwicklung von TD-LTE zu lösen, für eine größere Marktreife zu sorgen und die Konvergenz von TD-LTE und LTE FDD in die Praxis umzusetzen, sodass der globalen Inbetriebnahme von TD-LTE nichts mehr im Weg steht. Seit ihrer Gründung sind der GTI eine Reihe wirksamer Schachzüge gelungen: So hat sie Betreiber zur Vergrößerung ihrer Netze bewegt, die Konvergenz von FDD/TDD für globale Roaming-Terminals beschleunigt, neue LTE-Roaming-Dienste eingeführt und die LTE-basierte Dienst- und Anwendungs-Innovation gefördert. All das hat im Bereich TD-LTE zu großen Fortschritten geführt, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Globalisierung und die brancheninterne Entwicklung der vergangenen zwei Jahre. Neben 51 Betreibern aus Asien, Europa, Amerika und Ozeanien gehörten im Dezember 2012 auch 44 Branchenpartner zu GTI, sodass sich die Organisation immer mehr zu einer einflussreichen globalen Plattform für mobile Breitbandtechnologie entwickelt.

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Chuck Jones, Contributor
2/24/2013 @ 1:21AM

Sprint Subscribers Generate Highest Percent of Samsung Galaxy S III Traffic in North America

The Galaxy S III was launched in May 2012 and sold over 20 million units by the end of September. Chitika Insights measured Samsung’s Galaxy S III web traffic between February 1st and 7th using tens of millions of ad impressions in the US and Canada to determine which cellular carriers handled the most traffic.

It is interesting to see but not too surprising that Sprint generated the highest amount of traffic at 28.1% and T-Mobile was third at 20.5% since they both have unlimited data plans. Verizon was second at 22.4% with AT&T fourth at 17.6% even though they both have many more customers than Sprint or T-Mobile.

While it was not measured I would expect that the traffic patterns for other mobile devices woulds be similar as long as the devices have been available for a few months on each of the carriers.




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Chuck Jones, Contributor
2/20/2013 @ 3:40PM

Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 5 Smartphone Web Traffic Neck to Neck. iPhones Overall Generate 2x the Traffic of Samsung's Smartphones.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/02/20/samsung-ga…


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25.02.2013 | 08:55
(30 Leser)

Thomson Reuters ONE ·
Ericsson: World's first complete solution for broadcast video over LTE networks

* New end-to-end LTE broadcast solution will revolutionize video delivery in mobile networks and address growing consumer demand for TV Anywhere services
* Enables operators to efficiently launch media services over LTE with Ericsson's unique combination of three new standards: eMBMS, HEVC and MPEG DASH
* Verizon Wireless to introduce LTE Broadcast for entertainment and sporting events beginning in 2014
* Leading mobile network operator Telstra to commence trials on its live network in 2013

As consumers demand access to their media content on all of their devices, TV and video traffic is set to dominate networks and grow from 40 percent to 90 percent of mobile traffic within the next 3-4 years. The result is increasing pressure on operators to enable their customers to enjoy the TV Anywhere experience, while at the same time managing network costs and efficiency.

Leading network operators are already seeing the potential that LTE brings. With its high speed and capacity, an LTE network can enable the delivery of high-quality video content to anyone, anywhere, anytime, without buffering. To respond to the growing need for video over LTE, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) is launching an exclusive end-to-end solution.

Ericsson's new LTE broadcast solution lifts the video experience to a new level, offering the highest-quality video content for popular events with guaranteed delivery. It enables operators and their media partners to provide premium services with guaranteed quality and cost-efficient delivery over LTE, bringing with it new sources of revenue.

Parissa Pandkhou, Director - Advanced Solutions, Verizon says "Verizon plans to introduce Ericsson LTE Broadcast to give sports fans a whole new experience while watching a game. We see new opportunities in this technology for sports, concerts and even distance learning and college classes."

Australian operator Telstra's Executive Director for Networks and Access Technology, Mike Wright confirmed that Telstra will partner with Ericsson on a live network trial of LTE Broadcast technology in the second half of 2013.

"The trial will show how we can improve the delivery of video to customers who want to enjoy the video content on the move. The key for this solution is the greater network efficiency it will provide, ensuring we will be able to meet a critical business imperative of giving our technology savvy customers the services they want. Working closely with a world leading technology company like Ericsson means we can really make a difference."

Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and President, Global Market Development, says: "We see a clear demand for the efficient delivery of video over mobile networks. To meet these needs, we are excited to be working with Ericsson to offer a cutting-edge solution for high-quality live and non-real-time media services over LTE broadcast-enabled networks."

Ulf Ewaldsson, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson says: "Ericsson is in a unique position to deliver LTE Broadcast. We are the only vendor that can blend insight on consumer habits, deep mobile networks expertise and twenty years of video compression technology leadership to help operators maximize the revenue opportunity represented by this rapid evolution in media consumption."

The LTE Broadcast solution consists of three new technology standards:

HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) - the new video compression standard promises to half the bandwidth required to transport video content compare to today's leading implementation of MPEG-4 AVC.

MPEG DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH)) - simplifies and standardizes the adaptive delivery of video to consumer devices, ensuring a better quality of service, greater efficiency and opening opportunities for monetization

eMBMS (Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) - a 3GPP standard that enables mobile networks to offer broadcast/multicast services dynamically to offload issues of popular content in dense consumption scenarios, reducing the cost of service delivery over the radio network and for backhaul.

Ericsson's ConsumerLab research shows that 67 percent of consumers use mobile devices (tablet, laptop or smartphone) for consumption of TV services. Furthermore the research shows that over 50% of TV consumption on smartphone happens outside of the home (on mobile networks). The new video over LTE solution meets the needs for greater efficiency in the delivery of content to all devices and greater personalization of TV experiences.

Ericsson will showcase the complete solution at Mobile World Congress 2013 in collaboration with Verizon, Telstra and Qualcomm. Please visit us at Ericsson booth in Hall 2, Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Feb 25 - 28, 2013. More information about Ericsson activities at the event can be found here: http://www.ericsson.com/mwc2013/ (...)


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MWC - Ericsson zeigt weltweit erste Komplettlösung für Video- und TV-Übertragung über LTE

Mobile World Congress 2013, 25.-28.02.2013 in Barcelona

Düsseldorf, 25.02.2013 - Auf dem Mobile World Congress 2013, der vom 25. bis 28. Februar 2013 in Barcelona stattfindet, demonstriert Ericsson die weltweit erste Komplettlösung für Video- und TV-Übertragungen über LTE-Mobilfunknetze. Zusammen mit Verizon Wireless, Telstra and Qualcomm zeigt das Unternehmen, wie Netzbetreiber die steigende Nachfrage nach einer mobilen Multimedia-Nutzung über Smartphones oder Tablet befriedigen können. Bereits heute machen diese Anwendungen rund 40 Prozent des mobil übertragenen Datenvolumens aus. In den nächsten drei bis vier Jahren soll dieser Anteil auf 90 Prozent ansteigen. Umso wichtiger wird es, Technologien zu implementieren, die es ermöglichen, diese Herausforderung auf effiziente und wirtschaftliche Art zu meistern und gleichzeitig beim bei Endkunden eine garantiert hohe Qualität sicherstellen zu können.

Die LTE-Technologie bietet zur Übertragung von TV- und Videoübertragung viele Vorteile. Zahlreiche Netzbetreiber auf der ganzen Welt haben dies bereits erkannt und beschäftigen sich aktuell mit den Möglichkeiten, die sich mit der neue Technologie eröffnen. So etwa planen der US-amerikanische Telekommunikationsanbieter Verizon Wireless und das australische Unternehmen Telstra, LTE Broadcast von Ericsson einzusetzen beziehungsweise in Kürze mit Feldversuchen zu beginnen.

Die von Ericsson verwendete LTE-Brodcast-Lösung macht sich die Kombination dreier neuer Technologie-Standards zu Nutze: Bei HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), auch bekannt als H.265, handelt es sich um ein neues Video-Kompressionsverfahren, das im Vergleich zur aktuell verbreiteten MPEG-4 AVC-Technologie nur etwa die Hälfte der Bandbreite benötigt. Neu ist auch MPEG DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP). Es vereinfacht und standardisiert die angepasste Übertragung von Videoinhalten auf Endgeräte und verbessert zugleich die Übertragungsqualität. Außerdem erhöht es die Effizienz und ermöglicht Netzbetreibern, neue Einnahmequellen zu erschließen. Bei eMBMS (Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) handelt es sich um einen neuen 3GPP-Standard, der Mobilfunkbetreibern zu mehr Flexibilität bei der Übertragung von Broadcast-/Multicast-Diensten verhilft. Dazu gehören zum Beispiel Entlastungen der Netze bei der Übertragung besonders beliebter Inhalte in Ballungszentren mit vielen Nutzern. Durch Einsatz von eMBMS profitieren Betreiber von geringeren Übertragungskosten im Funk- und Backhaul-Netz.

Ericsson stellt die komplette Lösung auf dem Mobile World Congress 2013 vor, der vom 25. bis zum 28. Februar in Barcelona stattfindet. Der Stand von Ericsson befindet sich in Halle 2. (lw)

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.149.837 von teecee1 am 16.02.13 18:33:04

26.02.2013 | 15:34
(104 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
MetroPCS schwört Aktionäre auf Übernahme durch die Telekom ein

Von Saabira Chaudhuri


Ein MetroPCS-Store in New York. Quelle: dpa

Der US-Mobilfunkkonzern MetroPCS stellt die letzten Weichen für die Übernahme durch die Deutsche Telekom. Das Management des fünftgrößten amerikanischen Mobilfunkanbieters, der im vierten Quartal spürbar geschwächelt hat, will seine Anteilseigner am 28. März über den Zusammenschluss mit der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA abstimmen lassen. Zuletzt hatten sich Großaktionäre von MetroPCS skeptisch über die von der Telekom gebotenen Konditionen für die Übernahme gezeigt.

Das Management, das den Zusammenschluss einstimmig befürwortet, drängte die Aktionäre einmal mehr zur Zustimmung zu der Transaktion. Nur mit einem positiven Votum könnten die Anteilseigner von den Vorteilen profitieren, die eine Kombination der beiden Telekomdienstleister verspreche, hieß es in einem Brief an die Aktionäre. Andernfalls drohe dem Unternehmen und damit seinen Aktionären ein enormer Wertverlust.

MetroPCS-Chef Roger D. Lindquist zeigte sich zuversichtlich. "Der Zusammenschluss mit T-Mobile geht gut voran", sagte der Manager. Er erwarte, dass der Deal Anfang April abgeschlossen werden kann. MetroPCS und Telekom erhoffen sich durch ein Zusammengehen Größenvorteile und erhebliche Synergien, um im Wettbewerb mit AT&T, Verizon Wireless und Sprint Nextel bestehen zu können.

Die Deutsche Telekom und MetroPCS hatten im vergangen Jahr vereinbart, gemeinsam auf dem lukrativen, aber hart umkämpften US-Mobilfunkmarkt anzugreifen. Zuvor war die Telekom mit dem Verkauf ihrer US-Tochter, dem viertgrößten Anbieter der USA, an AT&T für 39 Milliarden Dollar am Widerstand der Behörden gescheitert.

Die Telekom rechnet mit einem Plazet der Aktionäre, den Zusammenschluss hat sie in ihrer Prognose für 2013 bereits berücksichtigt. Kommt die geplante Verschmelzung durch, soll das bereinigte operative Ergebnis 18,4 Milliarden Euro erreichen. Ohne die Transaktion geht die Telekom bei dieser Gewinnziffer von 17,4 Milliarden Euro aus. Der DAX-Konzern legt am Donnerstag Zahlen für 2012 vor.

Bei MetroPCS haben sich zum Abschluss eines ansonsten soliden Geschäftsjahres hohe Kosten bemerkbar gemacht, die den Gewinn des vierten Quartals um zwei Drittel einbrechen ließen. Teuer waren vor allem die Subventionen für Smartphones, mit denen MetroPCS neue Kunden anlockt. Dennoch verlor das Unternehmen im Schlussquartal netto gut 93.000 Kunden. Per 31. Dezember hatte MetroPCS 8,9 Millionen Kunden.

Der Viertquartalsgewinn betrug nur noch 31,6 Millionen Dollar bei einem leicht höheren Umsatz von 1,3 Milliarden Dollar. Auch das vielbeachtete bereinigte operative Ergebnis vor Abschreibungen (EBITDA) sackte um 15 Prozent auf 307 Millionen Dollar ab, legte im Gesamtjahr allerdings um 14 Prozent auf 1,5 Milliarden Dollar zu.

(...) Zu Buche habe noch ein weiterer Faktor geschlagen: Wegen der geplanten Fusion mit der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA seien noch Extraaufwendungen von sieben Millionen Dollar fällig gewesen. Solche Kosten fallen bei Fusionen üblicherweise für die Bezahlung von Bankern und Anwälten an, die das Unternehmen beraten haben. (...)


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... ... wenn die MetroPCS Übernahme scheitert ...

25.02.2013 | 17:00
(235 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
Deutsche Telekom offen für Partnerschaften

Die Deutsche Telekom ist offen für Partnerschaften in Märkten, in denen sie in der Herausforderer-Position ist. Das sagte Claudia Nemat, die im Vorstand der Telekom für das Europa-Geschäft zuständig ist, am Montag auf dem Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "Partnerschaften kann vieles heißen, und ich bin offen für alle Arten von Gesprächen," sagte Nemat.

Die Deutsche Telekom ist in den Niederlanden und Österreich der kleinste Mobilfunkanbieter im Markt und verfügt in beiden Ländern auch nicht über Festnetzaktivitäten.

Nemat sagte weiterhin, dass in immer mehr Ländern Mobilfunkbetreiber Netze teilen werden. Auch werde es wahrscheinlich zu mehr Konsolidierungen gekommen, sagte das Telekom-Vorstandsmitglied.

Kontakt zum Autor: [e-mail]

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by Ina Fried

Shareholder Says Clearwire Spectrum Worth Two to Three Times What Sprint Is Offering

February 26, 2013 at 4:39 am PT

A significant Clearwire shareholder says its research shows that the company’s spectrum is worth two to three times what Sprint is offering in its takeover bid.


Clearwire hotspot

Crest Financial, which owns 8 percent of Clearwire’s Class A shares, says a study it commissioned from Information Age Economics confirms its position that Sprint’s offer of $2.97 per share undervalues the company.

Crest also argues in a regulatory filing with the Federal Communications Commission that the proposed deal runs contrary to the public interest, given the shortage of available spectrum.

“The merger would contradict the FCC’s stated mission to maximize spectrum availability for public consumption,” Crest said. “What’s more, it would place the country’s largest remaining spectrum portfolio in hands least equipped, by past example, to serve the best interests of the United States and its wireless consumers.”

In addition to its petitions to the FCC, Crest has sued to block the deal from going forward. Dish Network has made a rival bid for Clearwire, and asked regulators to hold off on their review of Sprint’s bid.



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Dish Says More Information Needed in Softbank-Sprint Bid
By Todd Shields - Feb 26, 2013 2:27 PM GMT+0100

Dish Network Corp. (DISH) said U.S. regulators should get more information on Softbank Corp. (9984)’s $20 billion purchase of Sprint Nextel Corp., which is vying with Dish for control of Clearwire Corp.

The Federal Communications Commission needs to know more about the consequences of placing U.S. airwaves under foreign control, such as Tokyo-based Softbank, Dish said in a filing yesterday with the agency. The FCC should listen to shareholders who want to block Sprint’s bid for Clearwire, Dish said in the filing.

“The applications are deficient and should be supplemented,” Dish said. “The transaction puts more U.S. spectrum than anyone else holds not only in the hands of one company, but in the hands of a foreign company.”

Satellite-television provider Dish, expanding into mobile- phone service, also has bid for Clearwire (CLWR), a wireless-network operator with valuable spectrum. Clearwire on Feb. 1 said it remained in discussions with both companies.

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen has said he wants more spectrum -- the airwaves that let mobile devices operate -- to compete with AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.

Sprint already owns just over 50 percent of Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire and has agreed to buy the rest for $2.97 a share. Dish, based in Englewood, Colorado, has offered $3.30 a share.

Clearwire Stock

Clearwire rose 1 cent to $3.14 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading yesterday.

Clearwire shareholder Crest Financial Ltd. in a filing yesterday to the FCC said the agency should block the proposed merger. The deal undervalues Clearwire shares and would harm the public because the combined company could leave airwaves under- used, Crest said in a filing.

Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kansas, on Jan. 8 said it wouldn’t relinquish its rights as a Clearwire shareholder to allow Dish’s bid to be completed. Sprint’s (S) offer is superior to Dish’s, the company said in a statement.

Sprint agreed to acquire 100 percent of Clearwire in December, two months after its separate deal with Softbank promised to provide a cash infusion.

Before the takeover offer, Sprint and Clearwire had run a joint venture with the goal of building a nationwide wireless network. The effort struggled to gain traction over the past four years, leading to billions of dollars in losses for Clearwire.

Sprint wants to take over Clearwire’s spectrum and use it to enhance its own network.

The FCC is scrutinizing Softbank’s proposed purchase of Sprint for its effect on the U.S. telecommunications market. U.S. regulators may welcome the deal as a way to bolster Sprint’s competitiveness in a mobile market dominated by AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless, Jeffrey Silva, a Washington-based analyst with Medley Global Advisors, said in an interview.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at [e-mail];

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at [e-mail]

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Ultra HD 4K and beyond: Rec. 2020 glimpses the future of TVs

The ITU Radiocommunication Assembly has put out new recommended standards for Ultra HD TVs. What do they mean to you?

by Geoffrey Morrison
February 25, 2013 8:55 AM PST

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57570365-221/ultra-hd-4…


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MWC Der Fernseher als Smartphone-Display
LG zeigt Übertragungstechnologie vom Smartphone auf Ultra-HD-TVs
vom 25.02.2013, 15:11 (0)

In Zukunft können Smartphone-Inhalte auch auf Ultra-HD-TVs angezeigt werden. Möglich macht dies die neue kabellose Übertragungstechnologie "Wireless Ultra HD" von LG, die auf dem Mobile World Congress erstmals vorgestellt wurde. Die Inhalte passen sich dabei automatisch der hohen Bildschirmauflösung der 4K-Fernseher an. Es können Inhalte wie zum Beispiel Spiele, Fotos oder Filme übertragen und angezeigt werden.

Eine Übertragung via WLAN soll schneller und reibungsloser funktionieren als eine Übertragung mit bisherigen mobilen Video-Kompressions- und Transfersystemen. Die Inhalte sollen ohne Verzögerung und Datenverlust dargestellt werden.

Da die Belastung der CPU und anderer Hardware gering gehalten wird, soll die Hälfte des Stromverbrauchs eingespart werden. Ab wann die neue Technologie auf dem Markt zu finden ist, ist bisher nicht bekannt.


Vorstellung der neuen Übertragungstechnologie

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22.02.2013
Datenlawine reißt Mobilfunker mit

Mobile World: Die Mobilfunker packen die Koffer für ihre weltgrößte Messe in Barcelona. Im Gepäck: neue Technik, neue Geräte, neue Ideen. Und die Ahnung, dass bald nicht mehr Menschen die meisten Daten versenden, sondern Maschinen.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 22. 2. 13, rb

Die Zahlen der weltgrößten Mobilfunk-Show in Barcelona sind auch in diesem Jahr beeindruckend: Auf dem neuen Gelände der Fira Gran Via werden ab nächstem Montag 70 000 Besucher erwartet, davon rund die Hälfte aus dem Topmanagement von Unternehmen. Dazu kommen rund 140 ministerielle Delegationen aus ebenso vielen Ländern sowie Vertreter internationaler Organisationen.

Schließlich geht es in Barcelona vor allem um: Treffen, Networken, Zukunft planen. Auf 94 000 m2 Ausstellungsfläche werden 1500 Unternehmen alles rund um Mobiltelefone, Dienste und Netze zeigen.

Auch 2013 dürfte die vierte Mobilfunkgeneration LTE (Long Term Evolution) einer der Shootingstars sein. Zwar spricht die Branche bereits von rund 670 verfügbaren LTE-Geräten, doch attraktive Smartphones sind noch immer Mangelware.

„Der heftige Wettbewerb unter den etablierten Anbietern wie Samsung, Apple und Nokia sowie Newcomern wie Huawei und ZTE wird auch diesen Engpass beseitigen“, ist Roman Friedrich, Partner und Telekommunikationsexperte bei der Beratungsfirma Booz & Co., überzeugt.

Andere Smartphone-Hersteller wie Sony, LG und HTC präsentierten schon Tage vor dem Mobile World Congress ihre Flaggschiffe. Mit ihren hochauflösenden Displays, schnellen Prozessoren, Foto- und Filmkompetenzen dürften sie in Barcelonas Messehallen Aufsehen erregen.

Mit Argusaugen dürfte die versammelte Fachwelt belauern, wie Windows Phone den Kampf mit etablierteren Betriebssystemen wie Android von Google und Apples iOS aufnimmt. Nach verhaltenem Start scheint sich Microsoft sukzessive seinen Weg in die Smartphones gefunden – auch über Nokia hinaus. Aber auch andere Betriebssysteme, wie das von Mozilla Firefox, werden auf der Mobile World zu bestaunen sein.

Smartphones sind auch der Treiber für einen weiteren Trend, den Booz wie auch der Branchenverband Bitkom ausgemacht haben. „Ab 2013 wird die Datenkommunikation zur treibenden Komponente“, erklärte im Vorfeld der Messe Jens Schulte-Bockum, Chef von Vodafone Deutschland und Präsidiumsmitglied des Bitkom. Vor allem bewegte Bilder und Musikdienste – von You-
tube über TV bis Spotify – sorgen laut einer Cisco-Studie dafür, dass sich der Datenverkehr zwischen 2012 und 2017 verzehnfachen wird.

Paul Jacobs, Chef des Chipherstellers Qualcomm, geht weiter: „Wir haben uns bereits darauf eingestellt, dass der Mobilfunkverkehr im Vergleich zu 2010 um den Faktor 1000 anschwellen wird.“ Anlass genug, schon über die nächste Stufe des neuen Mobilfunkstandards – LTE-Advanced mit Spitzen-Download-Raten von 1 Gbit/s – zu sprechen.

Immer mehr Daten, auch das wird die Mobile World 2013 deutlich machen, werden demnächst nicht mehr von Menschen und ihren Smart-
phones und Tablets produziert. Maschinen ebenso wie Automobile dürften bald die Mobilfunknutzer Nr. 1 sein. Oder wie die britischen Marktforscher von Ovum einen mobilen Trend formulieren: „Der Mobilfunk macht sich fit für das Internet der Dinge.“ har/rb

............................................................................

Der mobile Datenverkehr wächst weltweit rasant



Mehr als 11 Exabyte sollen nach einer aktuellen Cisco-Studie im Jahr 2017 jeden Monat mobil übertragen werden. 1 Exabyte – das sind rund 1018 Byte. Ein Vergleich: Wäre jedes Byte ein Sandkorn, würden dann monatlich die Strände und Wüsten dieser Welt zwölfmal verschickt.rb/har


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22.02.2013
Die Informationstechnik wird endgültig mobil

Mobile World: Wenn der Mobile World Congress in der nächsten Woche in Barcelona beginnt, wirbelt ein Sturm an neuen Geräten, Technologien und Systemen auf die Besucher ein. Aus dem Ideenberg schält sich vor allem ein Gedanke: Der Datenverkehr hat der Telefonie die Führungsrolle innerhalb des Mobilfunks abgerungen.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 22. 2. 13, rb/har

„Sprache ist tot – es leben die Daten“: – so betitelte die Unternehmensberatung Booz & Co. ihre aktuelle Analyse der Telekommunikationsbranche. Diese nennt die Sprachtelefonie ein „Auslaufgeschäftsmodell“.

Schon heute ist die Telefonie die Führungsrolle los, die sie im Mobilfunk seit Anbeginn inne hatte. Das zumindest behauptet Jens Schulte-Bockum, Präsidiumsmitglied des Branchenverbandes Bitkom. „Ab 2013 ist die Datenkomponente die prägende Komponente: Mobilfunk wird zum Datenfunk.“

Die Informationstechnik werde endgültig mobil, erklärte er kurz vor dem Branchentreff Mobile World, der nächste Woche in Barcelona beginnt. Festnetz & Co. verlieren auf der letzten Meile langsam, aber sicher an Bedeutung. Der mobile Datenverkehr spielt in Zeiten von Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation, Smartphone und Tablet zunehmend die Hauptrolle. „Neben den Emerging Markets gilt das auch für die westliche Welt“, sagte Schulte-Bockum.

Nichts deutet darauf hin, dass sich die Entwicklung wieder umkehrt. Im Gegenteil: Das Telekommunikationsausrüster Cisco geht davon aus, dass sich der weltweite mobile Datenverkehr zwischen 2012 und 2017 verzehnfacht. Der Grund dafür: die Inflation IP-fähiger Geräte, zuvorderst Smartphones, die prinzipiell alle Anwendungen erlauben, die klassischerweise auf Desktop-PCs laufen. Darunter fallen neben E-Mail-Diensten und Apps, den kleinen Programmen für mobile Geräte, vor allem Video- und Musikdienste.

Schon heute machen die Handyhersteller einen Großteil ihres Geschäftes mit Smartphones. Für 2013 geht das Analystenteam von IDC davon aus, dass 80 % der verkauften Mobiltelefone Smartphones sind. Die Hersteller kreieren demnach sogar 96 % ihres Umsatzes mit iPhone & Co. In Deutschland wächst die Gesamtzahl der Handys mit Rekordgeschwindigkeit: 2012 seien mit 34,6 Mio. Stück 9,3 % mehr Mobiltelefone verkauft worden als 2011, teilte der Bitkom mit. In diesem Jahr erwartet die Branche, dass hierzulande 28 Mio. Smartphones gekauft werden.

Mit ihnen wächst das Datenvolumen exponentiell. Zu Datenbergen, die es von den Basisstationen abzutransportieren gilt. Bis 2015 müssten 8 Mrd. € bis 10 Mrd. € in Netze investiert werden, weiß Schulte-Bockum.

Durch regulatorische Eingriffe würden jedoch zurzeit Mittel in Milliardenhöhe dem Markt entzogen. „Wir sind in einen Irrweg gelaufen“, wetterte Schulte-Bockum. Und mahnt eine Genehmigungshalde von 7000 Richtfunk-Standorten bei der Bundesnetzagentur an. Die Politik solle hier mehr Ressourcen bereitstellen. Und, sie müsse für Investitionssicherheit sorgen. Schließlich gelte es gerade in Deutschland, die Vorreiterrolle, die sich das Land beim neuen LTE-Standard erobert hat, zu sichern. har/rb

............................................................................

Weltweiter Absatz internetfähiger Geräte



Mobile Geräte wie Smartphones und Tablets setzen sich in den nächsten Jahren durch. So soll allein die Anzahl intelligenter Handys von 2012 bis 2016 um 96 % ansteigen, die Anzahl an Tablet-PCs sogar um 131 % auf dann 283 Mio. weltweit. Das prognostizierte der Branchenverband Bitkom. In Deutschland erwarten die Experten mit 34,6 Mio. verkauften Mobiltelefonen im Jahr 2013 mal wieder ein neues Rekordniveau.rb

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.188.633 von teecee1 am 26.02.13 17:28:11

26.02.2013 | 13:45
(38 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Study: Clearwire Spectrum Worth Two to Three Times More than Sprint Bid

HOUSTON, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --An independent study by experts at Information Age Economics (IAE) indicates that the true value of the wireless spectrum owned by Clearwire Corporation is two or three times higher than the value reflected in the price Sprint has offered to pay to acquire Clearwire.

According to a new filing with the Federal Communications Commission by Crest Financial Limited, Sprint's $2.97-a-share offer for Clearwire represents a value of $0.21 per MHz-POP for Clearwire's spectrum. IAE's study, which is based on comparable recent transactions and broadband market forces, states that a more appropriate range for the value of Clearwire's spectrum would be between $0.40 and $0.70 per MHz-POP.

The IAE report, which Crest commissioned and attached to its new filing with the FCC, also states that Sprint's valuation of Clearwire fails to take into account that Clearwire's 2.5 GHz Band is Sprint's only remaining option to keep pace with such national competitors as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, which makes Clearwire's spectrum more valuable to Sprint than it otherwise would be. To read the IAE report and Crest's FCC filing click here: http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest-financial-ltd-files-petiti…

Crest's FCC filing also contends that the proposed Sprint/Clearwire merger would harm the public interest at a time of spectrum scarcity. Crest contends that FCC approval of the proposed merger would delay spectrum deployment andexacerbate "spectrum crunch" at a time of severe scarcity. The merger would contradict the FCC's stated mission to maximize spectrum availability for public consumption. What's more, it would place the country's largest remaining spectrum portfolio in hands least equipped, by past example, to serve the best interests of the United States and its wireless consumers.

Crest Financial, which currently owns 8.34 percent of Clearwire's outstanding Class A stock, has sued Sprint and Clearwire's board of directors for conspiring to intentionally lower the value of Clearwire's high-speed, broadband spectrum so that it could acquire Clearwire at an artificially depressed price. Crest's lawsuit states that Sprint's intentions are to the financial detriment of Clearwire's minority shareholders, and contrary to the commercial interests of the public.

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.188.912 von teecee1 am 26.02.13 18:17:45

Clearwire Corporation Provides Transaction Update
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 2 hours 48 minutes ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (CLWR) today announced that it has elected to take the $80 million March draw under the terms of its agreements with Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint") that provide additional financing to Clearwire in the form of exchangeable notes, which will be exchangeable under certain conditions for Clearwire common stock at $1.50 per share, subject to adjustment under certain conditions (the "Sprint Financing Agreements"). Clearwire no longer has any right to take the first two monthly draws under the Sprint Financing Agreements. The Special Committee has not made any determination as to whether to take any future draws under the Sprint Financing Agreements and has not made any determination to change its recommendation of the current Sprint transaction.

As previously disclosed on January 8, 2013, Clearwire received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from DISH Network Corporation ("DISH"), which was a preliminary indication of interest and subject to numerous, material uncertainties and conditions. Consistent with its fiduciary duties to Clearwire's non-Sprint class A stockholders, the Special Committee of Clearwire's board of directors has engaged in discussions with DISH concerning its proposal and with Sprint over the course of the last two months, and the Special Committee intends to continue such discussions. The Special Committee will pursue the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of Clearwire's non-Sprint Class A stockholders.

Also, Clearwire and Sprint have amended the Sprint Financing Agreements to remove the condition to Sprint's obligation to provide financing for the last three draws (in August, September and October 2013) that an agreement has been reached between Sprint and Clearwire on the accelerated build out of Clearwire's wireless broadband network. This amendment will allow Clearwire, at its option, to take the last three draws under the Sprint Financing Agreements whether or not an accelerated build out agreement has been entered into by the parties. Clearwire does not expect to enter into an accelerated build-out agreement with Sprint at this time. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.193.598 von teecee1 am 27.02.13 17:36:09

MetroPCS Investor Paulson & Co. Opposes Merger With T-Mobile
By Scott Moritz - Mar 1, 2013 4:14 PM GMT+0100

Paulson & Co., the biggest investor in MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), will vote to block the wireless carrier’s merger with Deutsche Telekom AG’s (DTE) T-Mobile USA because the combined company would hold too much debt. ... ... wie sieht es bei Softb(l)ank bzw. Sprint Nixtel aus ...

“While we believe in the strategic merits of the proposed combination, Paulson believes the proforma company has too much debt at too high an interest rate to be competitive in the well- capitalized U.S. wireless industry,” the firm, founded by billionaire John Paulson, said yesterday in a statement.

Paulson & Co.’s opposition throws into question the plan by Deutsche Telekom to take 74 percent of the combined business, with MetroPCS shareholders getting $1.5 billion in cash. Germany’s largest phone company is trying to reinvigorate T- Mobile USA, the fourth-biggest U.S. wireless carrier, which would add more subscribers and capacity from MetroPCS to compete with Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc. (T) and Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)

MetroPCS shares are down 20 percent since the merger was announced Oct. 3, a signal that investors aren’t optimistic about the transaction. Since the Deutsche Telekom proposal, some companies that had explored a deal with Richardson, Texas-based MetroPCS have formed other agreements, reducing the potential for competing counterbids.

MetroPCS rose less than 1 percent to $9.84 at 10:12 a.m. in New York. Deutsche Telekom fell 2 percent to 8.06 euros in Frankfurt.

Debt Load

The combined company would hold $23.2 billion debt, including capital leases, with $15 billion owed to Deutsche Telekom, Paulson & Co. said in a letter to MetroPCS’s board. Paulson & Co. said that would put MetroPCS’s net debt at 3.6 times 2013 earnings, more than double the ratio of the next most-leveraged competitor, Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), the majority owner of Verizon Wireless.

MetroPCS currently has $2 billion of bonds outstanding with an average coupon of 7.25 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The debt is equally split between notes maturing in 2018 and 2020.

Paulson & Co. added 8 million shares of MetroPCS in the fourth quarter for a total of 31.8 million. It also acquired shares representing a 4.3 percent stake in Sprint, the third- largest U.S. wireless carrier.

John Paulson is worth about $11 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He has told clients he’s focusing on event-driven investing this year after losses on wrong-way bets on the U.S. and European economies over the previous two years left the firm with $18 billion in assets, down from a peak of $38 billion in 2011. Event-driven managers bet on companies facing mergers, spinoffs and bankruptcies.

More Opposition

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, which represents holders of 8.5 million shares, or about a 2.3 percent of the company’s stock, has also said it is opposing the merger.

While MetroPCS once had many suitors, finding a new buyer now could be difficult. Prior to accepting the Deutsche Telekom offer, the company had a frenzy of deal discussions with eight potential partners, it said in a November filing.

Sprint considered a $13.39 a share cash and stock offer for MetroPCS year ago, according to people familiar with the matter. Sprint has since moved on, offering $2.97 a share to buy out its wireless venture partner Clearwire Corp. (CLWR)

And Dish Network Corp. (DISH) offered $11 a share, including $1.2 billion in cash, for MetroPCS, according to a person familiar with the matter. The offer was rejected, according to the filing. Dish, the U.S. satellite carrier, is also vying for Clearwire, offering $3.30 a share in a counterbid to Sprint.

Clearwire has also faced opposition from some shareholders over its agreement with Sprint. Crest Financial Ltd. and Mount Kellett Capital Management LP have lobbied for a better offer.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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Softbank’s Son Saves $2 Billion Hedging Sprint Deal
By Mariko Yasu & Grace Huang - Feb 28, 2013 3:20 AM GMT+0100

Masayoshi Son became Japan’s second- richest man by knowing when to take a risk. He also knows how to avoid one.

The chairman of Softbank Corp. (9984) hedged the company’s $20 billion purchase of Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) by fixing the cost of dollars needed for the acquisition at 82.2 yen each. The move will save him at least $2 billion as the yen has weakened about 15 percent since the deal was announced Oct. 15.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news//2013-02-27/softbank-s-son-sav…


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Clearwire Debuts New CLEAR(R) Professional Service for Small and Midsized Businesses
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Thu, Feb 28, 2013 9:00 AM EST

* Reliable and Secure Low-Cost 4G Wireless Broadband for Primary and Backup Internet Connections
* Range of Features Include Unlimited1 Data, No Overage Fees, Cloud-Based Management, 24/7 Advanced Technical Support and More

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 28, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today announced CLEAR Professional, a 4G wireless broadband service for small and midsized businesses, as well as enterprise branch locations.

"We are thrilled to offer CLEAR Professional to meet the demands of small to medium-sized businesses that are utterly dependent on the internet, yet still may suffer from internet connections that are both slow and unreliable," said Dow Draper, senior vice president and general manager of retail at Clearwire. "CLEAR Professional provides options of primary internet service and dependable backup internet service, each designed to help ensure connectivity for mission-critical applications. No longer do companies have to wait weeks or even months for a fast internet connection. And for businesses with adequate internet connections, CLEAR Professional Backup Internet, with unlimited data, supports the goal of these businesses to never miss a beat."

87% of corporate managers in the U.S. say that internet communications technology plays a key role in supporting sales and marketing operations, according to Larstan Business Reports.

"If my internet goes down during the dinner rush, it's chaos. With CLEAR Professional Backup Internet, I don't need to worry about it," said Brad Breakell, owner of Pizzalchik Family Restaurant in Boise, Idaho.

CLEAR Professional runs on Clearwire's 4G network in approximately 80 cities across the U.S. and is available beginning March 18, 2013 with the following master agent dealers: X4 Solutions, Telecom Brokerage, Inc., WTG, and Resource Communications Group. It includes three types of plans designed to meet the unique needs of small and midsized businesses:

* CLEAR Professional -- Broadband Internet is for businesses seeking primary internet service. Available with Basic or Premium service options, the cost ranges from $30 to $120 per month2. Both services include unlimited1 data use, no overage fees, and 24x7 year round technical support. Premium service provides additional benefits such as a free setup support call, cloud-based management, next-day device replacement, life-of-customer device warranty3, and more.
* CLEAR Professional -- Backup Internet keeps businesses connected automatically if their primary internet service goes down. The cost of service ranges from $24 to $45 per month2, based on the contract term length and the business' number of locations. All Backup Internet service plans include Premium features.
* CLEAR Professional -- Broadband + Backup Internet is for those businesses that rely on their primary internet service for voice services or multiple static IP addresses, but need faster internet access. It's also designed for companies that provide dedicated third party internet access to customers or vendors. CLEAR Professional Broadband+Backup Internet service provides a fast, secure secondary connection. Plus, if either provider's service goes down, CLEAR Professional automatically routes all traffic to the remaining connection. The cost of service ranges from $45 to $115 per month2 and includes Premium features.

"We use CLEAR Professional at four field locations," said Pete Vallianatos of the Walsh Group, the 15th largest construction company in the U.S. located in Chicago. "I was amazed at how fast it was installed, and the internet service is outstanding."

Customers interested in learning more about CLEAR Professional products can visit www.CLEARprofessional.com, or follow @CLEARPros on Twitter for exclusive information, resources and industry news. Company information about Clearwire is also available at www.clearwire.com/newsroom. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.204.526 von teecee1 am 01.03.13 18:16:22

01.03.2013 | 17:36
(57 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP: MetroPCS-Großaktionär drängt Telekom zu besserem Fusions-Deal

Die Deutsche Telekom muss sich in den USA mit rebellischen Investoren herumschlagen. Der Konzern will dort seine Mobilfunkttochter T-Mobile USA mit dem kleineren Anbieter MetroPCS verschmelzen. Doch der mit 9,9 Prozent an MetroPCS beteiligte Hedgefonds Paulson & Co. erklärte am Donnerstag, dass er das Geschäft in der derzeitigen Form ablehnen werde.

Das gemeinsame Unternehmen halse sich zu viele Schulden auf, begründete der Hedgefonds unter Führung der Wall-Street-Berühmtheit John Paulson seine Haltung und wiederholte damit frühere Bedenken. Er würde sich jedoch umstimmen lassen, wenn die Bedingungen neu ausgehandelt würden. Paulson verlangte etwa einen höheren Anteil am gemeinsamen Unternehmen für die MetroPCS-Aktionäre.

Die Telekom hatte im Herbst vergangenen Jahres den Zusammenschluss ihrer Sorgentochter mit dem Rivalen MetroPCS ausgehandelt. Der Bonner Konzern soll 74 Prozent am Gesamtunternehmen halten, der Rest läge bei den MetroPCS-Aktionären. Für den 28. März ist eine außerordentliche Hauptversammlung angesetzt, auf der diese das Geschäft absegnen müssen.

Das Management von MetroPCS steht weiterhin hinter dem Fusionsplan, wie es erklärte. Auch die Telekom will nicht an den Details des Zusammenschlusses rütteln. Paulsons Gegenwehr bedeutet allerdings eine erhöhte Unsicherheit, ob das Geschäft durchgeht. Auch der Vermögensverwalter Schoenfeld ist ein erklärter Gegner der Fusion in der jetzigen Form.

Die Telekom steht unter Druck, einen Partner für T-Mobile zu finden. In der Vergangenheit hatte die Tochter unter Kundenschwund gelitten, auch weil sie das in den USA besonders beliebte Apple iPhone nicht anbieten konnte. Der 39 Milliarden Dollar (30 Mrd Euro) schwere Verkauf an den großen Wettbewerber AT&T schlug aber fehl, weil die US-Wettbewerbshüter intervenierten.

In MetroPCS fanden die Bonner einen neuen Partner, wenngleich sie bei diesem Deal mehrheitlich an T-Mobile beteiligt bleiben. T-Mobile ist der viertgrößte Mobilfunkanbieter der USA, MetroPCS ist die Nummer fünf. Beide gelten im Vergleich zur Konkurrenz als günstig./das/DP/enl


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Alter Stand ... ... ab 18 März ... ???



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01.03.2013 | 13:16

JCN Newswire ·
NEC's Video Coding Technology Adopted in Final Draft for HEVC, New International Video Coding Standard

- Contributing to 4K video distribution and super high vision broadcasting -

Tokyo, Mar 1, 2013 - (JCN Newswire) - Video coding technology developed by NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), in collaboration with several partners, has been adopted in the final draft international standard for high efficiency video coding (HEVC)(1), a new international video coding standard. HEVC is scheduled to be an international standard this coming May.

HEVC is a next-generation video coding standard that is suitable for online distribution of 4K video(2), super high vision broadcasting(3) and distribution of full HD video(4) for mobile devices.

In recent years, the spread of smartphones and the launch of Long Term Evolution (LTE) services have led to an increased use of video contents via mobile communication networks. As smartphone and tablet device displays become more precise, video contents are being released at increasingly higher resolutions. This is likely to trigger a drastic increase in the amount of video data delivered over networks, possibly causing delays or failures in distribution. As a result, there is a need to facilitate the use of video content through the development and standardization of technologies that provide high compression rates.

The ITU-T and ISO/IEC are international standardization groups that developed HEVC, an international video coding standard that achieves high compression rates for next-generation high-resolution video. HEVC supports a wide range of capacities, including low-resolution video like QWVGA as well as high-definition video such as 4K and super high vision broadcasting. It accomplishes twice the compression efficiency of state-of-the-art Advanced Video Coding (AVC). This enables distribution of full HD video content via mobile communication networks, as well as online distribution of highly realistic 4K video and super high vision broadcasting.

NEC recently developed (1) predictive coding technology for image quality control parameters in order to adjust the compression rate and optimization of image quality for each detailed region of an image (technology developed in collaboration with Canon Inc., JVC KENWOOD Corporation, Sony Corporation and others) and (2) PCM coding technology for preventing images containing complex patterns and designs from becoming too large in terms of the volume of compressed data.

Key features of these new technologies include the following:

1. Predictive coding technology for image quality control parameters allows highly detailed patterns to be represented in a small volume of data

The technology for predictively coding image quality control parameters is developed to adjust compression rates for each of the highly detailed regions in an image, and to eliminate the redundancy of auxiliary data for image quality adjustment that are needed for restoration of compressed data. This enables representation of extremely fine patterns in an image, which existing technologies are unable to achieve.

2. PCM coding technology for preventing data compression volume from growing too large

Controlling the block size and the accuracy of bits for coding images resulted in the development of technology for coding compressed data at a predetermined constant rate, irrespective of the complexity of the designs and patterns that the data contained. This enables efficient transmission of compressed data even if it contains complex patterns and designs.

NEC will continue conducting research and development in support of HEVC related technologies as it proactively pursues the expansion of its broadcasting and communications businesses.

(1) As of the end of January 2013, ISO/IEC and ITU-T had approved HEVC as ISO/IEC 23008-2 High Efficiency Video Coding and ITU-T Rec. H.265 respectively, as the final draft international standard. HEVC is comprised of video coding technologies developed by several companies including NEC.
(2) Image of 3,840 horizontal and 2,160 vertical pixels
(3) Image of 7,680 horizontal and 4,320 vertical pixels
(4) Image of 1,920 horizontal and 1,080 vertical pixels (...)

[teecee1]

01.03.2013
Unreife Smartphones zwingen Mobilfunk­netze in die Knie

Mobile World Congress: Bis Donnerstag gastierte in Barcelona die wichtigste Mobilfunkmesse der Welt - der Mobile World Congress. Eine der Botschaften auf dem Branchentreff, die nur unter vorgehaltener Hand verkündet wurde: Nicht nur die Mobilfunknetze müssen optimiert werden, auch die Smartphones sorgen mangels Qualität für Datenchaos in den Netzen.

VDI nachrichten, Barcelona, 1. 3. 13, rb/har



Wo der Deutsche-Telekom-Chef René Obermann dem Microsoft-CEO Steve Ballmer die Hand schüttelte, Vorsitzende von China Mobile und Vodafone ihre Visionen in Keynotes packten, traf sich in dieser Woche die Crème de la Crème der Mobilfunker. Netzausrüster und Netzbetreiber, Gerätehersteller, Dienstleister und Softwareriesen hatten sich zum Mobile World Congress nach Barcelona aufgemacht, das sich jährlich im Februar zum Mobilfunk-Mekka wandelt. Branchenfremde Besucher dürften im krisengeschüttelten Spanien ohnehin nicht die 700 € für eine Eintrittskarte ausgegeben haben. Trotzdem rechneten die Veranstalter im Vorfeld mit 70 000 Gästen.

Wer die acht Messehallen durchstreifte, erblickte die Stände nahezu aller wichtigen Akteure und so viele mobile Neuigkeiten wie nirgends sonst auf der Welt. Neben unzähligen Tablets, Apps und Kameras waren es vor allem die neuen Smartphones, um die sich die Besucher scharten wie Kinder um den Eiswagen. Doch im Messetrubel ging unter: Eine Vielzahl der hier vorgestellten Smartphones wird zu früh auf den Markt gebracht. Das zumindest behauptet der dänische Technologieberater John Strand. Weitere drei Monate und mehr seien oft nötig, um ein Gerät für die Netze zu optimieren.

„Die Hersteller drücken ihre Geräte in den Markt, bevor sie fertig entwickelt sind“, sagt der Mobilfunkexperte. „Bananaware“, Bananengeräte, so nennt die Konsumelektronikbranche solche Geräte, die beim Kunden erst noch „reifen“ müssen.

In diese Reihe gehört nach Meinung von John Strand auch das iPhone 5, das zwar LTE versprach, aber erst nach einem Softwareupdate fähig war, die neue Mobilfunktechnik zu nutzen.

Der Grund für die Eile: Die Hersteller wollen häufig der Konkurrenz zuvorkommen. „Der Druck hat enorm zugenommen, während die Qualität der Telefone abgenommen hat“, sagt Strand. Diese Erfahrung hat unter anderem auch die Deutsche Telekom gemacht. Uwe Jäger, Leiter Terminal Marketing, berichtet von teilweise hohen Fehlerraten. Ihm sei ein Fall bekannt, in dem ein Hersteller seine gesamten Lautsprecher-Chargen im Wareneingang nicht geprüft hatte.

„An den Fehlerraten sehen wir, wie hoch der Druck ist“, sagt Jäger. Einige Hersteller hätten bis vor wenigen Jahren noch 10 % Mangelware produziert das Kriterium der Telekom sei eine Fehlerrate von unter 2 %.

Viele Netzbetreiber prüfen neue Geräte akribisch, bevor diese in den Markt gehen. Bei der Telekom dauert dieser Prozess nach eigenen Angaben zwischen fünf und sechs Monaten. Auch die Netzausrüster bieten ihre Labore an, um unter realen Netzbedingungen neue Smartphones zu testen. Allerdings: Die Gerätehersteller müssen sich an deren Empfehlungen nicht halten.

„Wir kennen die Problematik unausgereifter Geräte zur Genüge“, sagt Thorsten Robrecht, Experte für mobiles Breitband beim finnisch-deutschen Joint Venture Nokia Siemens Networks. Manche Fehler lassen sich allerdings erst nach einiger Zeit feststellen – etwa Akkus, die schnell gefährlich heiß werden.

Noch ärgerlicher für die Netzbetreiber sind häufig Softwaremängel. Diese können dazu führen, dass die Geräte unnötig viele Daten hin- und hersenden. Erstens verstopft der Datenwust die Netze, die ohnehin schon unter der Überfüllung leiden die Mobilfunker sprechen von „Signalisierungsstürmen“. Zweitens gehen Kundenbeschwerden über abbrechende Sprachverbindungen und langsame Downloads nur an eine Adresse – die des Netzbetreibers.

Dabei gingen bis zu 70 % der Beschwerdefälle auf die Kappe der Handyhersteller, schätzt der Mobilfunkexperte Strand. „Da können die Netzbetreiber noch so sehr die Basisstationen optimieren und noch so oft die Software auf den neuesten Stand bringen, es sind die Geräte, die an schlecht montierten Sensoren und Antennenproblemen kranken.“

Vielen Smartphone-Nutzern sei gar nicht bewusst, dass sie mit iPhone, Galaxy & Co. einen vollständigen Computer in Händen halten. Während es beim PC selbstverständlich sei, nicht 20 Programme gleichzeitig laufen zu lassen, falle es Nutzern schwer die Leistungsgrenzen von Smartphones zu akzeptieren.

Insbesondere Apps, kleine Programme für mobile Geräte, führten laut Strand häufiger zu Problemen. Schlimmes Beispiel: Angry Bird. „Wer das geladen hat, produziert eine Menge von unsinnigen Daten.“

Für die CeBIT dürfte das Thema noch zu früh kommen. Nächste Woche in Hannover stehen eher Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation, Mobilfunk im Unternehmen und mobiles Breitband im Vordergrund. I. HARTBRICH/R. BÖNSCH

[teecee1]

05.03.2013 10:00

Mobilfunkexperimente bei Google

Möglicherweise wird Google bald bestehenden Mobilfunkanbietern Konkurrenz machen, berichtet Technology Review. Schon Mitte Januar reichte der Konzern bei der US-Behörde für Medienkontrolle FCC einen Antrag ein, in demum die Erlaubnis gebeten wird, 50 mobile Basisstationen in und auf Gebäuden am Westrand des Mountain View Campus errichten zu dürfen – nur einen Häuserblock entfernt von seinem Android-Entwicklungszentrum.

In der Vergangenheit hat sich Google schon mehrfach mit Mobilfunkbetreibern angelegt. Das "experimentelle" Netzwerk ist klein und soll nur 200 Geräte versorgen. Interessant ist, dass die verwendeten Frequenzen dem Konzern Clearwire gehören und mit keinem in den USA verwendeten Smartphone oder Tablet kompatibel sind. Nur Mobilfunkanbieter in China, Brasilien und Japan nutzen diese Frequenzen.

Möglicherweise will Google nur mit Geräten für diese Weltregionen experimentieren. Gerüchten zufolge verfolgt die Firma aber den Plan, gemeinsam mit dem Fernsehanbieter Dish einen neuen kabellosen Internetzugang anzubieten – und damit AT&T und Verizon anzugreifen. Google offeriert in Kansas City bereits einen Breitbandzugang, allerdings kabelgebunden.

Immer wieder hat sich Google mit Netzbetreibern angelegt. 2008 hatte der Konzern ein Patent für eine Technologie eingereicht, die Mobilgeräten erlaubt, in einem Gebiet automatisch auf das günstigste Netz umzuschalten und nicht auf einen Provider festgelegt zu sein. Für die Netzbetreiber war das ein Affront. Der größte Schlag des Konzerns gegen die Weise, wie kabellose Netze heute genutzt werden, erfolgte 2010 – war aber mehr oder weniger ein Flop.

Die Firma wollte mit der amerikanischen Konvention brechen, dass neue Mobiltelefone per Vertrag an einen Provider gebunden sind, und bot sein Flaggschiff Google Nexus online ohne Simlock an. Das Experiment dauerte nur sechs Monate. Dann hatte Google gelernt, dass amerikanische Verbraucher lieber ein Gerät in Raten mit deutlichem Aufschlag kaufen als zu einem geringeren Preis, der aber im Voraus zu bezahlen ist.

Seitdem hat sich Google nicht mehr mit den Netzbetreibern angelegt, die Beziehungen sind jedoch belastet. So werden Googles Bezahlsystem und die Android-Tethering-Funktion, mit der das Gerät als WLAN-Zugang genutzt werden kann, auf manchen Geräten von den Providern blockiert. Man wird sehen, ob Googles privates Mobilfunknetz die sensiblen Beziehungen nun erneut auf die Probe stellen wird. (bsc)


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Google brews a mystery experimental wireless network at its HQ

Summary: Google is setting up a 50 base-station network for its Mountain View HQ, thought to be a way of testing out an experimental network architecture.

By Liam Tung | January 24, 2013 -- 12:25 GMT (04:25 PST)

Google has filed an application to build an "experimental" wireless network on its campus, but is keeping details under wraps, fearing it could reveal trade secrets that might disrupt vendor relations in the consumer electronics market.
http://www.zdnet.com/google-brews-a-mystery-experimental-wir…" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">
http://www.zdnet.com/google-brews-a-mystery-experimental-wir…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.204.678 von teecee1 am 01.03.13 18:44:44

06.03.2013 | 11:13
(140 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Deutsche Telekom kommt Übernahme von MetroPCS näher

Die Deutsche Telekom hat bei der Übernahme des US-amerikanischen Regionalanbieters MetroPCS einen wichtigen Zwischenschritt erreicht. Die in den USA vorgeschriebene Wartezeit sei abgelaufen, ohne dass das amerikanische Justizministerium als federführende Kartellbehörde Einwände geäußert habe, teilte die Telekom am Mittwoch mit.

Für den Zusammenschluss der beiden Unternehmen stehen nun noch die Zustimmungen der Federal Communications Commission, der US-Sicherheitsbehörden und der Hauptversammlung von MetroPCS aus. Die Aktionäre von MetroPCS werden am 12. April in einer außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung über die Übernahme entscheiden.

Die Telekom hatte im Herbst vergangenen Jahres den Zusammenschluss von T-Mobile USA mit dem Rivalen MetroPCS ausgehandelt. Der Bonner Konzern soll 74 Prozent am Gesamtunternehmen halten, der Rest läge bei den MetroPCS-Aktionären. Zwei große Anteilseigner sperren sich jedoch gegen das Geschäft. Sie verlangen bessere Bedingungen./fn/mne/kja


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06.03.2013 | 12:01
(102 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
Telekom erhält grünes Licht von US-Kartellbehörde für MetroPCS-Fusion

Die Deutsche Telekom hat bei der Fusion mit dem US-Mobilfunkbetreiber MetroPCS eine weitere Hürden genommen. Wie der DAX-Konzern mitteilte, hat die US-Kartellbehörde keine Einwände gegen den Zusammenschluss. Für die Fusion der beiden Unternehmen stehen noch die Zustimmungen der US-Kommunikationsbehörde (FCC), der US-Sicherheitsbehörden - und vor allem der Metro-PCS-Aktionäre aus. Hier droht den beiden Unternehmen aber Gegenwind.

Der größte Aktionäre von MetroPCS, der Hedgefonds Paulson & Co, will bei dem Aktionärstreffen Ende März gegen den Zusammenschluss stimmen. Paulson & Co lehnt zwar nicht den Deal an sich ab. In einem Brief an das MetroPCS-Board hatte dessen Manager John Paulson aber vor allem die zu hohe Verschuldung des fusionierten Unternehmens bemängelt. Zuvor hatte schon der Hedgefonds P. Schoenfeld bei Anteilseignern gegen den Zusammenschluss gewettert.

Ob die Opposition der Hedgefonds gegen den Deal genug Unterstützung erhält, um die Fusion zu beeinflussen oder gar zu stoppen, ist unklar. Die Aktionäre von MetroPCS sollen am 12. April während einer außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung über den Deal abstimmen. Ursprünglich sollte das Treffen Ende März stattfinden, wurde aber vergangene Woche um gut drei Wochen verschoben.

Die Deutsche Telekom und MetroPCS hatten im vergangen Jahr vereinbart, gemeinsam auf dem lukrativen, aber hart umkämpften US-Mobilfunkmarkt anzugreifen. Zuvor war die Telekom mit dem Verkauf ihrer US-Tochter, dem viertgrößten Anbieter der USA, an AT&T für 39 Milliarden Dollar am Widerstand der Behörden gescheitert.

[teecee1]

Sprint Gives MVNOs an Alternative to Phone Subsidies Through “Bring Your Own Sprint Device” Program

Latest program from Emerging Solutions & Global Wholesale enables MVNO customers to activate idle phones on the Sprint network, reducing the number of inactive phones in the market, diverting phones from landfills

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – Tue, Mar 5, 2013 10:00 AM EST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As the opportunity to reuse or recycle idle mobile devices in the United States continues to grow, Sprint (NYSE:S) Emerging Solutions & Global Wholesale today introduced the Bring Your Own Sprint Device (BYOSD) program.

BYOSD is intended to help Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) address the growing number of inactive devices in the marketplace and offset the phone subsidy burden through the reactivation of used and inactive Sprint-branded devices on qualified MVNO price plans.

In the United States alone, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates 135 million cell phones are discarded each year. Reusing or recycling these phones could save enough energy to power more than 24,000 homes for a year. With BYOSD, MVNO customers simply bring a deactivated Sprint device to their MVNO, who must determine the device’s eligibility for the BYOSD program. Upon meeting those specifications, the device is then activated by the MVNO.

“BYOSD is another way that Sprint enables MVNOs to offer flexible, financially sensible and environmentally minded solutions to their end users,” said Matt Carter, president, Emerging Solutions & Global Wholesale at Sprint. “This program not only gives our MVNO customers a chance to make a positive impact on our environment, but also allows them the chance to do so in a way that benefits their bottom line.”

“A program like this can help to remove the subsidy burden off of burgeoning MVNOs, helping them to thrive in the competitive wireless landscape,” said Steve Hilton, principal analyst with Analysys Mason.

Sprint ranks No. 3 on Newsweek’s 2012 Green Rankings of the nation’s 500 greenest companies and is the only telecommunications company in the top 25. (...)


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Tech
$199 Unsubsidized Verizon LTE Tablet Changes the Game

By Anton Wahlman 03/05/13 - 06:00 AM EST

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Thanks to near-universal coverage of 700-megahertz LTE networks, primarily from Verizon (VZ_) but soon also from AT&T (T_), dramatic price drops will hit the tablet/smartphone market in 2013 and 2014.

The purpose of this article is to show why this is different than "the usual" Moore's Law technology progression in these markets, and why it will yield a 33% or greater price drop in 2013.

The crucial background is this: Over the last 20 years, most new U.S. cellular data networks were typically launched on a higher frequency than before. From 800 MHz to 900 MHz, 1700 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz -- more often than not, the new faster network launched on a higher frequency than the previous one.

A higher frequency means higher capacity to transmit bits over the air nearby, but it also reduces the range. Instead of going through 10 walls, a signal would go through only five. Instead of reaching one mile, the signal only reached half a mile.

See if (VZ) is in our portfolio

Once you move beyond very dense deployments very close to the cell sites, the superior range of the lower frequency trumps the superior capacity of the higher frequency. Why? Because getting any coverage is better than getting none.

The implication from this is if you launched a new network, you needed backwards compatibility to the older data networks. For example, if you launched HSPA ("3G") on 1700 MHz, you also needed to support EDGE ("2.5 G") on 900 MHz. Otherwise, a user would drop coverage traveling between two cell sites.

Pretty much the only company that had the ability to support all of the older networks, while still staying on the cutting edge on the new technologies, is Qualcomm (QCOM_). This is why Qualcomm dominates the so-called "cellular baseband" industry. Whether you're Apple (AAPL_), Google (GOOG_), Microsoft (MSFT_) or BlackBerry (BBRY_), you pretty much must base your products on Qualcomm. If you don't, your products simply won't maintain a signal as you travel between cell sites.

This is what will start to change very soon.

In 2007, the Bush Administration auctioned off spectrum located close to 700 MHz, yielding more than $10 billion for the U.S. Treasury. Verizon and AT&T are now the dominant operators in this spectrum. Verizon is almost 100% done with its build-out, and AT&T is said to get there in the second half of this year.

Once you have deployed LTE at 700 MHz on the same cell towers as the old technologies at 800, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 etc. MHz, there is no strong need to maintain backwards compatibility for those higher frequencies, for coverage reasons. Why? Because there are no longer any "gaps" between towers reachable only by the older, lower frequencies.

This has huge implications for Qualcomm, and for the cost of building devices such as smartphones and tablets.

What can you do now, with 700 MHz LTE, that you couldn't do before? You can launch products with so-called "single-mode LTE," which is an LTE chip without any backwards compatibility with the older 3G technologies such as EV-DO and HSPA. It may even operate at a single frequency, e.g., 700 MHz, in some cases.

This means you don't have to buy that LTE chip from today's de facto monopolist, Qualcomm. I don't know exactly how much money you could save, but my conversations with industry experts suggest that a far simpler LTE chip from a hungry second-tier vendor could reduce the price of a tablet or smartphone by more than $50 in some instances. Obviously the actual cost (revenue to Qualcomm) of just the LTE chip is less than $50.

Consider this: Apple charges $130 extra for LTE in its iPad tablets.

The biggest 700 MHz LTE beneficiary of this is Verizon because its backwards compatibility is tied more closely to Qualcomm than is AT&T. For evidence, see Verizon's CDMA, 1xRTT and EVDO legacy networks, all tied 100% to Qualcomm. Every single Verizon LTE device in the market today is Qualcomm, not coincidentally.

For this reason, it seems evident that the next move by Verizon is to launch an LTE tablet based on such a single-mode LTE 700 MHz chip this year. Would such a device be based on Android, iOS, Windows or BlackBerry? ... ... a single-mode LTE 2600 MHz chip Clearwire ...

My guess is Android. Why? Because speed of development in Android is leaps and bounds ahead of the other operating systems. Time-to-market simply trumps the other operating systems nine times out of 10. New technologies are typically introduced in Android first, then spread to iOS, Microsoft and BlackBerry as they catch up.

Today you can buy an unsubsidized, quality seven-inch Android tablet with a cellular data modem for $299, in the form of the Asus Nexus 7. This is the price leader for a true tablet, i.e., not a closed-OS book-reader. It's got HSPA, not LTE, but that may not matter much especially as T-Mobile's HSPA network is either 21 or 42 meg, depending on the market.

The WiFi-only version of the Nexus 7 was launched on June 27, 2012, and much progress has been made in terms of cost reduction, even outside this future single-mode LTE development. Considering Apple's $130 LTE premium on the iPad, the new single-mode LTE premium may be only $30. That's $100 net, taking the price down from $299 to $199. Further reductions may be possible this year as well.

For reference, you can also buy a Samsung seven-inch LTE tablet at Verizon today for $299, but it is running the now-obsolete Android 4.0 operating system and there is no clear upgrade path announced. Apple charges a relatively whopping $459 for its LTE version of the 7.9 inch iPad Mini.

Conclusion No. 1: De facto 100% LTE coverage at 700 MHz means Verizon could save a ton of money ditching Qualcomm in favor of single-mode LTE. This will happen in tablets first, because voice-over-IP is not yet mature in the cellular world -- although that is coming soon, too, spreading this development to the smartphones.

Conclusion No. 2: In the near term, this could help Google at the expense of Apple -- assuming that this first tablet is Android instead of iOS. In principle, though, there is no reason Apple couldn't respond with the same coin. It would be painful for Apple to try to sell its LTE Tablet for $459 when an equivalent Android version would be sold for $199 or even less.

Conclusion No. 3: Qualcomm could be in big trouble. This is contradictory from the perspective that everyone in the industry knows that Qualcomm makes the best products, and has been in this pole position for years. This single-mode LTE trend could mean that Qualcomm's pricing could fall through the floor because Qualcomm would to have to sell a much cheaper product.

Conclusion No. 4: This kind of LTE-only tablet for Verizon could be the first to have a non-Qualcomm LTE chip, the first one to do so. I don't know this, but it seems logical if Verizon wants to break Qualcomm's back.

The bottom line: This development would be incrementally negative for Qualcomm, positive for Verizon, short-term slightly positive for Google, short-term slightly negative for Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry. Longer term, single-mode LTE also means VoIP (Voice over IP), which in turns means Google taking over the voice/SMS business at the expense of the carriers such as Verizon and AT&T.

In other words, a relatively short-term victory for Verizon could turn into a longer-term nightmare. The only clear winner -- short-term and long-term -- remains Google.

Specific prediction: Verizon -- and perhaps other carriers in due course -- will launch single-mode LTE tablets priced at $199 or lower, unsubsidized, contract-free, in 2013.


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Verizon hints at LTE-only phones in 2014 to lower subsidies

Carrier's chief financial officer says removing handets' CDMA chips would result in lower costs and subsidies.

by Steven Musil
March 4, 2013 10:15 PM PST


(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Verizon Wireless' shift to voice over LTE may ultimately usher in fundamental changes in the carrier's handsets and sales strategies.

Verizon, which revealed plans late last year to launch voice over LTE services by early 2014, could begin selling LTE-only phones as early as next year, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said today at Deutsche Bank's Media, Internet, and Telecom conference. Shammo said the transition to "pure LTE" handsets -- handsets that lack CDMA chips -- would result in lower costs and subsidies for customers.

"We will ultimately get to voice over LTE, probably end of this year, beginning of next year," he said in response to an analyst's question, according to a transcript published by Verizon (PDF). "Then if you look out into late 2014 then you start to think of things like, OK, so now I can start to take the CDMA chip out of the phone and just have a pure LTE handset. That also starts to reduce subsidies. So over the next two to three years I think we will start to see subsidies come down."

A major stumbling block to that vision, however, is that LTE is still largely in its infancy. Before Verizon can begin to offer a "pure LTE" handset on a wide scale, the carrier would first need to ensure that its LTE coverage is as ubiquitous as 2G and 3G coverage. A little more than two years after Verizon launched LTE, it began 2013 with a presence in 473 markets, which it says is roughly 89 percent of its 3G coverage.

Voice over LTE, or VoLTE, moves transmission of voice traffic off networks designed primarily for voice and toward a more efficient data-centric network. The voice call is broken into data bits and transmitted in much the same way an e-mail moves across the Internet, allowing for clearer calls and other services that can be linked to it.

Shammo's comments come as the industry appears to be shifting away from the subsidy model, in which consumers agree to a two-year contract in exchange for inexpensive upfront fees for the handset. Verizon rival T-Mobile is rumored to be moving to a no-contract model this month and eliminate subsidies on handsets this year.

Noting that the iPhone 4 "produced a lot of volume" for Verizon in the fourth quarter, Shammo also said the company sees no need to offer commissions to salespeople to push the low-end handsets over the free iPhone.

"The worst thing that can happen for us is for me to incent a salesperson to get you into a phone that you walk out the door with thinking you are going to like and in three days you come back because you don't like it," he said. "Therefore, now I've just subsidized two smartphones because that phone you used I can't resell as a new phone."

[teecee1]

Mar 7, 2013, 12:19pm PST
Clearwire executives to make millions if Sprint deal goes through


Business Journal file photo | Stephen Brashear
Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch will receive a cash payout
of nearly $7 million if the Sprint acquisition of his
company goes through.

Emily Parkhurst
Staff Writer-
Puget Sound Business Journal

Clearwire executives now all have motivation to push for a merger with Sprint; they will get a big cash payout if Sprint acquires the Bellevue wireless company.

Sprint currently owns just over 50 percent of Clearwire’s shares and has offered to buy the rest of them for $2.97 per share. If that deal goes through, executives will be able to cash out shares issued March 1 for $2.97 per share.

Sprint’s acquisition of Clearwire has been up in the air as shareholders protest the purchase price and other bidders, namely Dish Network, present alternatives to the deal.

For Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch, that would mean a cash payout of nearly $7 million. But Prusch isn’t the only executive who would do well if the Sprint deal goes through: Clearwire Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer John Saw would receive a payout of just over $2 million, and Clearwire CFO Hope Cochran would get nearly $1.8 million.

Clearwire declined a request for an interview, but a spokeswoman sent over this statement:

“Clearwire's executive and employee compensation plans are consistent with common industry practices for recognizing and rewarding an employee's contributions towards successfully achieving our business goals. We believe these plans are an important part of retaining key individuals and managing our business as we seek to successfully close our pending agreement with Sprint.”

Other executives are slated to receive more than $1 million each, and each member of Clearwire’s board would get $160,000.

Clearwire also borrowed $80 million from Sprint on March 1, and can borrow up to $800 million as part of the terms of the deal.

Dish Network has indicated it would pull its offer if Clearwire issued debt to Sprint. Dish has not responded to requests for comment for this story.

... ... nur wenn Sprint 9 Dollar minimum springen lässt ...

............................................................................

Clearwire Execs and Directors to Cash In On Merger

by Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool, Mar 6th 2013 6:00PM

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/06/clearwire-execs-and-d…


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Blocked Merger: Another Opportunity for Sprint and Dish?

By Rajesh Marwah - March 11, 2013 | Tickers: CLWR, DISH, PCS, S

As some stakeholders continue to show their dissatisfaction with the T-Mobile and MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) merger, the latter pushed forward the date for the shareholders' vote. The date for the special meeting has been rescheduled from March 28 to April 12, where shareholders would discuss matter concerned to the proposed merger.

The largest investor of MetroPCS, Paulson & Co, publicly expressed its agitation regarding the deal and said that it would vote against the transaction, unless T-Mobile sweetens its offer. In addition, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, which owns 2.3% of MetroPCS, has asked the two parties to update the merger documents with the latest regulatory filings of both the carriers before the vote.

Facing the pressure, the Richardson-based telecom provider moved the meeting date forward, hoping that it would give some more time to investors to evaluate and consider the benefits that the merger would bring to the combined entity.

The smallest of the national carriers, T-Mobile, is witnessing difficulties in fighting the stronger established players Verizon and AT&T. The combination with MetroPCS would give it the required strength to improve its struggling competitive position. The FCC also doesn’t seem to have any issue with the proposed merger, as it is rather encouraging telecom operators to grow stronger to combat the virtual duopoly of Verizon and AT&T.

But MetroPCS shareholders aren’t confident about the pending combination.

The issues raised

John Paulson, Hedge Fund manager of Paulson & Co., which has 9.9% stake in the company, is worried about the huge debt that would burden the company and lower its competitive position in the wireless market. T-Mobile’s total debt amounts to $15 billion, and this would lead to an aggregate debt of $23.2 billion for the combined company, which is enormous.

Paulson says that the consideration that the Richardson-based carrier is receiving to assume the $15 billion debt is insufficient. Further, considering the higher interest rates on the debt, and the impact of the added debt on MetroPCS’s share price, T-Mobile’s offer is lowering the value and not rightly compensating the carrier.

The debt to earnings ratio of the entity post merger would be as high as 3.6 compared to Sprint’s 1.5 post Softbank merger, Verizon’s 1.6, and AT&T’s 1.4. The new debt taken by Deutsche Telekom carries an exorbitant interest rate of 7%, while fellow rivals bear lower interest expense. Verizon's cost of finance is 2.7%, AT&T’s interest rate is 2.1%, while Sprint’s is 4.2%.

Paulson says that he would back the merger only if the debt load is reduced by $6.6 billion, and the cost of finance of the fresh debt is lowered to 4.2%. The next option for T-Mobile is to raise the deal price for MetroPCS and win Paulson’s favor. P. Schoenfeld Asset Management has also shown similar concerns with respect to the deal.

In case the deal falls through, what would happen to MetroPCS?

Other suitors

There are high chances that both Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) and Sprint (NYSE: S) would grab the opportunity to bid for MetroPCS. Both Sprint and Dish are vying for Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR). However, similar to MetroPCS investors, even Clearwire investors are extremely disappointed with Sprint’s $2.97 a share offer, which undervalues the company’s most prized possession.

Both Crest Financial and Mount Kellett Capital Management have opposed Sprint’s offer in favor of Dish's $3.30 a share proposal. As per the recent filings that Crest made with the FCC, Sprint has valued Clearwire’s spectrum at $0.21 per MHz-POP. But as per Information Age Economics’ (IAE) estimation, the spectrum should range between $0.40 and $0.70 per MHz-POP.

Both Sprint and Dish have been fiercely contending to get Clearwire. In case the T-Mobile merger is blocked, both Sprint and Dish would do their best to scoop up the regional player. Sprint recently made it public that Clearwire wouldn’t be its final spectrum hunt; it would continue making more spectrum deals.

On the other hand, Dish has been trying to find a wireless partner so that it can construct its wireless infrastructure to offer mobile wireless services. If the T-Mobile-MetroPCS deal gets blocked due to opposition, the regional carrier would have no difficulty in finding interested suitors.

The bottom line

The wireless industry is taking quite an interesting turn. The combination proposals made by both Sprint and T-Mobile are facing hurdles. MetroPCS’s board has recommended its investors to vote for the deal, as it would prove beneficial for the joint entity. However only time can tell whether the T-Mobile deal will receive a go-ahead signal, or MetroPCS will find other su

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.235.248 von teecee1 am 10.03.13 17:56:22

Acme Packet and CallMiner Provide Cloud-Based Speech Analytics to Clearwire

by Marketwire

Network-Based Solution Improves Customer Service and Contact Center Productivity With Highly Accurate Analytics

BEDFORD, MA and FORT MYERS, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 03/07/13 -- Acme Packet® (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session delivery networks, and CallMiner, the leader in speech and voice of the customer analytics solutions for contact centers, announced that Clearwire, a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., is using CallMiner's cloud-based Eureka™ solution to analyze customer interactions and measure agent performance.

News Highlights:

* Clearwire selected CallMiner Eureka to record and analyze customer interactions in their contact center. By automatically analyzing the content of each customer contact -- including what is said, how it is said, and the context in which words are said -- Eureka helps Clearwire uncover agent performance metrics and hidden business intelligence within contact center conversations.
* CallMiner leverages the Acme Packet Net-Net Interactive Session Recorder (ISR) to provide cost-effective and scalable network-based IP session recording for its cloud-based service. Based on a highly scalable and modular architecture, the Net-Net ISR lets CallMiner fully capture all customer conversations -- from start to finish -- without compromising security or reliability.
* The tightly integrated solution delivers high quality speaker-separated call recordings and sophisticated voice analytics with unmatched accuracy and quality in the form of a convenient and cost effective cloud-based service. By fully recording and analyzing all customer interactions, Eureka helps Clearwire improve agent performance, boost customer satisfaction, mitigate risks, and ensure regulatory compliance.

Clearwire Benefits:

* Rapid solution turn-up, with no upfront capital equipment expenses
Improved contact center performance, sales effectiveness, and customer experience
* Risk mitigation and compliance assurance

Quotes:

* "Customer service is paramount in the highly competitive mobile broadband market," said Geoff Levy, Head of Customer Care, Clearwire. "By automatically scoring 100% of our customer exchanges in the cloud, Eureka helps us optimize contact center performance and boost customer satisfaction without all the hassles and expense of a conventional premises-based solution."

* "Forward-looking businesses are continuously seeking innovative ways to gather business intelligence and improve the customer experience," said Jeff Gallino, Chief Technology Officer, CallMiner. "By moving voice capture and analytics into the cloud we can help them achieve their goals in a highly scalable and cost-effective manner."

* "Enterprises all over the world are turning to the cloud to accelerate business innovation," said Tim Ziemer, vice president of North America and Asia Pacific Japan sales, Acme Packet. "Leveraging Acme Packet's highly scalable and flexible Interactive Session Recorder, CallMiner's cloud-based service helps improve customer interactions and increase agent productivity, while minimizing cost and complexity."

More about CallMiner and Acme Packet: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/acme-packet-and-call…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.222.057 von teecee1 am 06.03.13 18:39:34

08.03.2013
Anzeigenzoff in den USA: AT&T und T-Mobile zicken sich in Zeitungen an

von Michael Reidel,


Das Anzeigenmotiv von T-Mobile USA

Kleiner Blick zurück: 2011 wollte die Telekom das US-Geschäft von T-Mobile an den größeren Wettbewerber AT&T verkaufen. Doch die Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hatte etwas gegen den Deal. Seitdem sind die beiden wieder im Wettbewerb miteinander. Und davon profitieren derzeit auch die US-Medien. Die beiden Konkurrenten ärgern sich gegenseitig mit Anzeigen in Tageszeitungen.

Auslöser dürfte die Bemerkung von John Legere bei der Consumer Electronics Show (CES) im Januar gewesen sein. Der CEO von T-Mobile USA gab damals zum Besten, dass sein Netz in New York City schneller sei als das von AT&T oder Verizon. Die Antwort von AT&T kommt knapp acht Wochen später in Form von Anzeigen in Titeln wie "New York Times", "Wall Street Journal" oder "USA Today". Laut den Motiven haben die Kunden von T-Mobile doppelt so häufig mit unterbrochenen oder gar nicht erst zustande gekommenen Anrufen zu kämpfen, außerdem sei der Download nur halb so schnell. Deshalb rät die klein gedruckte Fußzeile "Don't be fooled by their misleading claims. For the better network experience, count on AT&T".

Auch wenn sich die Nummer 4 auf dem USA-Markt über die Attacke von AT&T geärgert haben dürfte, offiziell nimmt man es sportlich. So erklärt T-Mobile-CMO Mike Sievert gegenüber Bloomberg, dass es ihn freue, dass der Konkurrent so viel Geld ausgegeben habe, um den Namen T-Mobile zu veröffentlichen. Und seit heute freut es T-Mobile nicht nur, die Telekomtochter hält mit Anzeigen dagegen. Die Headline einer von drei Anzeigen lautet sinngemäss: "Wenn AT&T unser Netzwerk so schlecht findet, warum wollten sie es dann kaufen?" mir

[teecee1]

Verizon’s LTE Network Is Broader, but AT&T’s Is Faster

Ina Fried
March 11, 2013 at 11:05 am PT

AT&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Verizon


A couple years ago, if you wanted the fastest wireless network, the choice was pretty easy.

Verizon’s budding LTE network was the speed king, easily outpacing Sprint’s WiMax-based 4G service. At that point, LTE was still just a “coming soon” slide on AT&T’s 4G PowerPoint, and barely a glimmer in T-Mobile’s eye.

Fast-forward to 2013, and things have changed considerably. Verizon still has the broadest network, but AT&T is rapidly expanding its footprint nationwide.

And a new report from RootMetrics® says AT&T’s LTE is also faster, both in upload and download speeds.

Sprint has made the switch to LTE. And while it is less widely available and slower than the competition, the network is faster than Sprint had said it would be.

Finally, there’s T-Mobile USA, which is also in the early stages of its LTE rollout. While it is last to the game, it has the fastest non-LTE network, meaning that it will have a powerful combination when it finally does get its LTE service up and running.

The full report makes for interesting reading, with RootMetrics having studied the major carriers’ performance in 77 U.S. markets.

When it comes to pure presence, Verizon was clearly king, with LTE in all 77 markets, compared to 47 for AT&T, five for Sprint, and T-Mobile not yet on the radar. However, both AT&T and Sprint have agressive road maps and are adding markets on what seems like a daily basis.

AT&T says it is now in 26 more of the RootMetrics markets, leaving just four of those markets yet to be covered. Overall, it says it is now in 153 U.S. markets, covering 170 million people.

On the speed front, AT&T had the fastest LTE speed and the second-fastest non-LTE speed (behind only T-Mobile). Verizon was the runner-up on LTE, with Sprint significantly slower. However, when LTE isn’t available, Verizon had the slowest speed of the four.




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T-Mobile, MetroPCS Ready For Sprint 4G LTE Battle

By Reinhardt Krause, Investor's Business Daily
Posted 03/11/2013 04:56 PM ET

The pending merger of T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS Communications is expected to turn up the heat on Sprint Nextel in the prepaid wireless phone market as the 4G LTE arms race gathers steam.

Both Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY)-owned T-Mobile USA and Sprint (S) have made acquisitions targeting the no-contract prepaid market, while bigger Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T (T) focus on higher-spending postpaid customers, those who sign contracts and are billed monthly.

T-Mobile and MetroPCS (PCS) plan to push prepaid service plans that offer broadband 4G LTE data services at "value" prices. Sprint, preparing for tougher competition, in February began selling LTE prepaid rate plans starting at $35 per month, $15 lower than MetroPCS' LTE offering.


Competition between T-Mobile and Sprint, whose stores aren't
often side by side, is expected to intensify.

T-Mobile USA by midyear is expected to sell Apple's (AAPL) iPhone for the first time, though it won't offer retail subsidies on the device like other carriers. The iPhone will give T-Mobile a new weapon, especially vs. Sprint.

The prepaid market is key for both carriers. About 30% of T-Mobile and Sprint customers buy prepaid plans, compared with 5% at Verizon and 7% at AT&T.

T-Mobile and MetroPCS have gained some momentum in the prepaid and LTE markets this year.

"The Q4 results of T-Mobile and MetroPCS foreshadow the fortunes of the merged company," said Roger Entner, head of Recon Analytics. "The strategy will be LTE for the no-contract masses — low-cost, fast service, especially in urban markets."

By getting MetroPCS' radio spectrum, T-Mobile will be able to offer 4G LTE services in most of the U.S. Sprint, meanwhile, is struggling to close a deal to acquire all of Clearwire (CLWR), which would let it expand its LTE coverage.

T-Mobile launched its first LTE market, Las Vegas, in January and has ambitious plans to cover U.S. markets with 200 million people by year's end. MetroPCS has completed much of its LTE buildout, ending 2012 with 2.2 million LTE subscribers, about a quarter of its 8.9 million customers.

But MetroPCS axed its lowest-priced LTE plans in December, after the T-Mobile merger was announced, perhaps giving Sprint an opening with its new $35 plan.

"Sprint's move," said Ovum analyst Sara Kaufman, "pre-empts any attempt from T-Mobile USA to corner the best-value LTE message when it launches its LTE network in 2014."

MetroPCS said it lost 93,000 prepaid subscribers in Q4, more than Wall Street expected, as competition intensified.

T-Mobile plans to keep, and expand, the MetroPCS brand, as well as the T-Mobile brand. It has not said what name the merged company will take.

"The company will be able to expand its operations beyond its current footprint," Jefferies & Co. analyst Thomas Seitz wrote in a research report. He called that a negative for Sprint and prepaid wireless provider (s)Leap Wireless (LEAP).

MetroPCS shareholders are set to vote on the T-Mobile deal March 28. The deal could close in April.

Deutsche Telekom will own 74% of a recapitalized, publicly traded company; MetroPCS shareholders will own the rest.

T-Mobile has stepped up marketing and network investments after its deal to be acquired by AT&T in 2011 was blocked by regulators.

In 2012, T-Mobile continued to lose postpaid customers to AT&T and Verizon, but it gained in prepaid.

In Q4, T-Mobile lost 515,000 postpaid customers, fewer than the 706,000 it lost in Q4 2011.

But T-Mobile added 166,000 prepaid customers in Q4, and more than 1 million for the year. T-Mobile ended 2012 with 33.4 million subscribers, up 200,000, including wholesale and other customers.

Entner doesn't expect T-Mobile to rebound in the postpaid market, where Verizon and AT&T rule.

"Their entire positioning is that of the 'un-carrier' that does away with contracts," Entner said of T-Mobile.

T-Mobile plans to stick with unlimited data plans, aiming to benefit if customers avoid the "bill shock" that might come from shared data plans. But analysts say it must fight its reputation for having a lower-quality network.

One question is how much lift T-Mobile will get from the iPhone. Selling the device has not helped Leap.

In 2012, Sprint activated 6.6 million iPhone users. Most were postpaid customers, but its Virgin USA subsidiary sells prepaid plans for the older iPhone 4 and 4s models.

T-Mobile customers will be able to buy the iPhone on an installment plan, making a down payment and then interest-free payments for 20 months afterward. T-Mobile says it will offer lower-priced "value" plans, providing savings to customers who pay for their own device without subsidies.

That setup makes sense for T-Mobile, says Entner, as "the lines between pre- and postpaid are blurring. The value plans are monthly recurring charge plans that come without subsidy.

"Customers are buying the phone outright, but are paying the phone off in monthly installments. So you have a hit on service revenue, but higher device revenue, offset by lower device subsidies. They are shifting the revenue and cost buckets around."

... ... wer hat das beste Frequenzspektrum ??? ... 2600 MHz ...


............................................................................

T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger Just Start Of Consolidation

By Reinhardt Krause, Investor's Business Daily
Posted 03/11/2013 04:56 PM ET

With growth slowing in the prepaid wireless phone market, more consolidation among providers is expected even after T-Mobile completes its MetroPCS purchase.

In Q4, the seven biggest sellers of no-contract, prepaid services added 330,000 net customers, less than one-fifth of what they added in the year-earlier period. One reason is the federal government has pulled back on its subsidized Lifeline program, which had boosted prepaid growth.

America Movil's (AMX) TracFone unit was the big gainer, adding 753,000 U.S. customers in Q4, giving it more than 22.4 million. TracFone, which focuses on the Hispanic market, leases network capacity. AT&T (T) owns a stake in America Movil, making it unlikely the Mexico-based firm would make a U.S. acquisition, analysts say.


A MetroPCS dealer in New York last year displays a poster
advertising the wireless service provider's fast 4G service,
but rivals in the prepaid...

Analysts expect subscriber losses to continue this year at MetroPCS Communications (PCS), which has agreed to be acquired by T-Mobile USA, as well as Leap Wireless, a longtime takeover candidate. AT&T, Sprint Nextel (S) and Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile have all been rumored as possible buyers of Leap, which lost 637,000 subscribers last year, even though it began selling Apple's (AAPL) iPhone. Oppenheimer analyst Tim Horan says in a recent research report that T-Mobile is the most likely buyer of Leap, though it might take awhile.

Sprint owns Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA, making it the No. 2 U.S. prepaid provider behind TracFone. Some MetroPCS shareholders prefer a deal with Sprint over T-Mobile. MetroPCS shareholders are set to vote on the T-Mobile deal on March 28.

T-Mobile USA's Q4 service revenue and earnings fell. Still, it's been gaining share in prepaid even as it's losing more lucrative postpaid, or monthly contract, customers.

"T-Mobile is investing for future growth, but this level of financial weakness could pressure MetroPCS' stock and provide ammunition for the activists attempting to stop the merger," Oppenheimer's Horan said in his research note. "But if the deal is stopped it would be a Pyrrhic victory."

Deutsche Telekom would own 74% of a recapitalized, publicly traded company under the existing deal, announced in September. Some MetroPCS shareholders say they should own more of the merged company. MetroPCS's biggest shareholder, hedge fund Paulson & Co., says it will vote against the T-Mobile deal.

Sprint has plenty on its plate without making an offer for MetroPCS. It's seeking regulator approval of Japan-based SoftBank's bid to acquire 70% of the company for $20.1 billion. And Sprint is trying to buy full ownership of Clearwire (CLWR).

Some analysts say a Sprint/T-Mobile merger is possible later, though it would face tough regulatory scrutiny. The Department of Justice blocked AT&T's proposed purchase of T-Mobile USA in 2011.

In November, Jim Ailing, T-Mobile's chief operating officer, said the U.S. wireless market could consolidate into just three, from four, national networks, but perhaps not during the Obama administration.

MetroPCS, with 8.9 million subscribers at year's end, is a regional service provider. It may not be large enough to compete in a saturated market, some analysts say.

"There are issues for both Leap and MetroPCS as stand-alone entities in the way of delivering profitable growth," Pacific Crest analyst Michael Bowen wrote in a research note.

RBC Capital's Jonathan Atkin says TracFone is pressuring Leap Wireless (LEAP) and MetroPCS at the low end of the prepaid market.

Verizon Wireless (VZ) has also been paying more attention to the prepaid market, aiming at higher-spending customers. In February, Verizon launched prepaid plans starting at $60 offering unlimited calling and texting and 500 megabytes of data.

In 2012, Verizon added 915,000 prepaid customers, up from 372,000 a year earlier.

Oppenheimer's Horan says Verizon and AT&T "will use their 3G networks to compete more aggressively in prepaid this year," which he said is "already a fairly saturated market." That, he said in his report "will aggravate T-Mobile's business model."

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.242.695 von teecee1 am 12.03.13 17:15:01

Tech
Netflix Monitors Internet Speeds, and the Fastest May Surprise You

By Gary Krakow 03/12/13 - 10:14 AM EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The people at Netflix (NFLX_) know the real speed numbers. It's their business to know. If Netflix is going to make sure their streaming entertainment services perform well in your home, it stands to reason that they're checking Internet provider speeds to see what's the fastest -- and slowest.

Starting today, Netflix began posting those results on a website called ISP Speed Index. The Los Gatos, California-based company plans each month to publish for the largest Internet providers in the U.S. and seven other countries.

It's interesting to see just how well the top Internet service providers fared in the Speed Index's February survey. According to the numbers, you can forget about what you hear in all those hyperbolic commercials about "blazingly fast" Internet connections. There is one clear speed demon - and the rest are closely bunched, tied for second through fifteenth place.

The clear winner? Google (GOOG_) Fiber with an average delivered speed of 3.35 Mbps. It's more than 50 percent faster than its closest competition. And, if you check the monthly results in graph form, Google Fiber is getting faster each month.

Second place went to Cablevision's (CVC_) Optimum Online service, boasting an average delivered speed of 2.35 Mbps. Privately-held Suddenlink was third (2.19 Mbps) and Cox (COX) held in fourth place with 2.12 Mbps.

The real surprise comes from Verizon Communications (VZ_), which touts the superiority of its fiber network. Verizon was only able to muster a fifth-place showing with a score of 2.10 Mbps.

Rounding out the February top ten are Charter (CHTR_) (2.08 Mbps), Comcast (CMCSA_) (2.06 Mbps), Mediacom and Time Warner (TWC_) are tied with 2.04 Mbps and Bright House (2.02 Mbps).

Last place went to Clearwire, (CLWR_)the slowest of the 17 ISPs in the Speed Index with a score of 1.25 Mbps.

Google's new fiber service is indeed fast, but at present, it's only available in the Kansas City area. Google was down 1 percent in early trading to $826.61 while Netflix was up 1 percent to $182.29.

... ... wieso verwendet Google für seine neue Zentrale ausgerechnet Clearwire ...

............................................................................

CLWR
Shares Owned by Insitutions
37.70%

Number of Institutions
217

Short Interest
2/28/2013 12,563,228
2/15/2013 12,305,301


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2013-03-04

SENSIO Technologies and The Walt Disney Studios announce VOD Distribution Agreement to provide consumers with high-quality 3D VOD to the home

VOD licensing agreement is major milestone for SENSIO’s 3DGO!TM VOD rental service

MONTREAL — March 4, 2013 — SENSIO Technologies Inc. (SENSIO) (TSX.V: SIO) today announced a 3D VOD content license agreement with The Walt Disney Studios to make 3D movies available for on-demand rental on SENSIO’s 3DGO! service, beginning in March on selected devices across the US. 3DGO! is a dedicated 3D transactional VOD service that offers the largest selection of high-quality 3D content to consumers whose 3DTVs support the SENSIO® Hi-Fi 3D technology, such as Hollywood blockbusters, must-see documentaries and special interest content. For a current list of compatible devices, please visit www.3DGO.com. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.242.939 von teecee1 am 12.03.13 17:54:41

... ... merkwürdige Speedtest's ...

[where-is-the-insider]

Also ich kann hier kaum etwas erkennen, nicht mal mit einer Luuupe?

LG where-

[teecee1]

... ... das Festnetz bei Netflix ist langsamer als LTE ...

12.03.2013 | 17:34
(67 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
New Study Says Sprint Bid Vastly Undervalues Clearwire

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --A new study by former FCC commissioner Dr. Harold Furchtgott-Roth and the Analysis Group asserts that the price Sprint has offered for Clearwire Corporation significantly understates the true value of Clearwire's technology opportunities and wireless spectrum holdings. The study supports Crest's contention that the public would be best served if Clearwire remained free to offer its spectrum to multiple wireless carriers.

The study was submitted to the Federal Communications Commission today by Crest Financial Limited, a major minority shareholder in Clearwire, in connection with the FCC's review of Sprint's proposed acquisition of Clearwire.

According to the Furchtgott-Roth Report, Sprint's $2.97 per share offer for Clearwire represents a value of just $0.11 per MHz pop for Clearwire's spectrum and significantly understates the current value of Clearwire's unique spectrum holdings. The Report says that applying reasonable assumptions to the multi-customer business plan presented by two firms advising the Clearwire board results in a valuation between $9.54 and $15.50 per share. These share price values correspond to spectrum prices between $0.31 and $0.50 per MHz pop.

The Sprint offer also fails to account for Clearwire's unique ability to deploy wireless technology that offers far greater future value than the technology currently offered by most major U.S. carriers, the study says. In his report, Dr. Furchtgott-Roth explains that TDD-LTE technology allows for higher download speeds and efficient spectrum utilization. He also notes that "the only band of spectrum in the United States that can be developed for TDD-LTE services is the 2.5 GHz band largely controlled by Clearwire."

The Report, which was commissioned by Crest, explains that Sprint's offer ignores both the value ascribed to similar spectrum in recent transactions and the fact that Clearwire's spectrum holdings, together with its technology offerings, are well-suited for use by multiple carriers. "The fragmented spectrum holdings of other U.S. carriers create an opportunity for Clearwire to offer a valuable wholesale service," the report states. The Report supports Crest's argument made in filings with the FCC that Sprint's acquisition of Clearwire would harm not only Clearwire shareholders but also the public at large.

Furthermore, the Report says that for unexplained reasons Clearwire abandoned the lucrative multi-customer strategy in favor of the Sprint acquisition. The Report supports Crest's position that the public would be best served if Clearwire could offer its spectrum to multiple customers, thereby allowing more wireless carriers to pursue new technologies and mount challenges to the wireless market's current duopoly.

Dr. Furchtgott-Roth was an FCC commissioner from 1997 through 2001. Before that, he was chief economist for the House Committee on Commerce and a principal staff member on the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

The Furchtgott-Roth study echoes a separate study, also done for Crest, by Information Age Economics (IAE), which says that the true value of the wireless spectrum owned by Clearwire is two or three times higher than the value reflected in the price Sprint has offered to pay to acquire Clearwire.

The Furchtgott-Roth Report can be found here: www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mar 12, 2013, 4:54pm PDT
Clearwire shareholder turns to FCC (again) to stop Sprint deal

Alyson Raletz, Kansas City Business Journal


Crest Financial Ltd., which owns about 8 percent of
Clearwire stock, said it submitted a study to the
FCC claiming that Sprint’s offer of $2.97 a share
greatly undervalues Clearwire.
File | KCBJ

A Clearwire Corp. shareholder’s fight against a merger with Sprint Nextel Corp. continued Tuesday with another stab at Sprint’s bid for the wireless technology company.

On Tuesday, Crest Financial Ltd., which owns roughly 8 percent of Bellevue-based Clearwire stock, said it submitted a study to the Federal Communications Commission, claiming that Sprint’s offer of $2.97 a share greatly undervalues Clearwire.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint (NYSE: S), Clearwire’s largest and majority shareholder, is trying to buy the nearly 50 percent of Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) stock it doesn’t already own for $2.2 billion.

The study claims that Clearwire is worth $9.54 to $15.50 a share, based on Clearwire’s wireless infrastructure’s assets.

The study’s authors include Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a former FCC commissioner, Crest Financial said in a release.

The full report is available online.

The study follows a February study that Crest Financial commissioned.

That review alleged that Clearwire’s wireless assets are worth two to three times more than what Sprint offered.

Clearwire also has a competing bid of $3.30 a share from Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH).


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13.03.2013 | 13:03
(47 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
3G and 4G Deliver Strong Cash Flow & Global Presence - Research Report on Telefonica Brasil, Clearwire, SK Telecom, NII Holdings, and VimpelCom

NEW YORK, March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, Investors Alliance announced new research reports highlighting Telefonica Brasil SA (NYSE: VIV), Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (NYSE: SKM), NII Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NIHD), and VimpelCom Ltd (NYSE: VIP). Today's readers may access these reports free of charge - including full price targets, industry analysis and analyst ratings - via the links below. (...)

Clearwire Corporation Research Report

4G pioneer Clearwire adds CLEAR Professional to its portfolio, a 4G wireless broadband service for small and midsized businesses. As internet communications technology plays a large role in supporting sales and marketing operations, CLEAR Professional provides reliable and secure low-cost 4G wireless broadband for primary and backup internet connections. The product runs on Clearwire's 4G network in 80 cities across the country and will be available starting March 18. The Full Research Report on Clearwire Corporation - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [http://www.investors-alliance.com/r/full_research_report/6c1…]


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Softbank to Cut Bridge Loan Amount for Sprint After Bond Sales
By Emi Urabe & Grace Huang - Mar 12, 2013 11:03 AM GMT+0100

Softbank Corp. (9984), the Japanese carrier buying 70 percent of Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) for about $20 billion, plans to reduce the maximum amount of the bridge loan used for the acquisition after a bond sale.

Japan’s third-largest mobile phone operator will lower the loan amount to 1.28 trillion yen ($13 billion) from 1.65 trillion yen announced in December, according to a filing to the Tokyo Stock Exchange today. The Tokyo-based company raised 370 billion yen in bonds this month, including 300 billion yen of 1.47 percent notes due March 2017 for retail investors, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The country’s three megabanks -- Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. -- are the loan’s mandated lead arrangers, along with Deutsche Bank AG, according to the Dec. 17 statement. The facility was split into two parts, with the 250 billion yen portion of the loan drawn down on Dec. 21 and the remainder at the time of the Sprint acquisition, it said.

“The company succeeded in raising more than expected from the bond sale,” said Nobumasa Mizutani, the chief investment adviser at Japan Credit Advisory Co., a hedge-fund advisory firm in Tokyo. “This brings Softbank’s direct and indirect financing to a better balance.”

Softbank is ranked A by JCR, the credit-rating company’s sixth-highest investment grade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporters on this story: Emi Urabe in Tokyo at [e-mail]; Grace Huang in Tokyo at [e-mail]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shelley Smith at [e-mail]; Michael Tighe at [e-mail]

............................................................................


Tuesday 12 March, 2013
Softbank Corp
Reduction of Maximum Amount of Bridge Loan
RNS Number : 7872Z
Softbank Corp
12 March 2013

http://www.investegate.co.uk/softbank-corp--56id-/rns/reduct…

[teecee1]

China Mobile lockt iPhone-Nutzer mit 4G-Investitionen
Donnerstag, 14. März 2013, 17:07 Uhr

Hongkong (Reuters) - China Mobile will mit Milliarden-Investitionen in die LTE-Technologie (4G) mehr zahlungskräftige iPhone-Nutzer in sein Netz locken.

Zwar kann der weltgrößte Mobilfunkkonzern 715 Millionen Nutzer vorweisen - etwa das Neunfache der deutschen Bevölkerung. Allerdings nutzen die meisten von ihnen nur den Basisdienst, weil der heimische Netzwerkstandard TD-SCDMA (3D) nicht mit dem Apple-Handy funktioniert. China Mobile kündigte am Donnerstag an, in diesem Jahr 41,7 Milliarden Yuan (etwa 5,2 Milliarden Euro) in TD-LTE zu investieren. Es wird erwartet, dass die nächste Generation des iPhone diese 4G-Variante unterstützen wird.

Die Ankündigung trieb die Aktien von europäischen Netzwerkausrüstern in die Höhe. In der Hoffnung auf neue Aufträge kauften Anleger die Titel von Ericsson und Alcatel-Lucent.

China Mobile gab zudem einen Gewinnanstieg bekannt. Der Überschuss im vergangenen Jahr habe um 2,7 Prozent auf 129,3 Milliarden Yuan (16,1 Milliarden Euro) zugelegt. Damit lag China Mobile leicht über den Erwartungen von Analysten. Die Volksrepublik ist der weltweit größte Mobilfunkmarkt und hat im vergangenen Jahr die Marke von einer Milliarde Kunden geknackt.


............................................................................

UPDATE 1-For China Mobile, 4G and next iPhone key to unlocking Apple demand
Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:36am EDT

* Plans to spend $6.7 bln developing 4G network this year

* Expects 4G licenses to be issued around end of 2013

* Pinning hopes on next iPhone to support its 4G technology

By Lee Chyen Yee

HONG KONG, March 14 (Reuters) - China Mobile Ltd said it plans to spend 41.7 billion yuan ($6.7 billion) developing 4G technology this year, hoping to tap pent-up demand for Apple Inc smartphones as it gets an iPhone model that will finally run on its network.

The world's largest mobile carrier - with more than twice as many subscribers as there are people in the United States - already has more than 10 million of its customers owning an iPhone even though the gadget doesn't properly work with the Chinese firm's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G technology, which is not compatible with global technologies.

That inferior technology, and the failure to offer customers an iPhone contract - which its main rivals do - has been a key reason for China Mobile's slowing profit growth.

The company, valued at $220 billion or half an Apple, said on Thursday net profit rose 2.7 percent last year to 129.3 billion yuan ($21 billion). That was slightly better than expectations of 127.4 billion yuan, according to a Reuters poll of 13 analysts, which would have been the slowest growth since profits fell in 1999.

While many of China Mobile's iPhone users have found clever ways around some of the carrier's limitations, the company wants to close the gap with its two smaller rivals - China Unicom and China Telecom - which already offer iPhone-compatible technology.

Industry experts expect Apple's next iPhone will support China Mobile's TD-LTE 4G technology, even though this will be less widely used than the FDD-LTE standard.

"Apple's iPhones will be like a killer app for China Mobile once its gets its 4G up and running," said Huang Leping, an analyst at Nomura International in Hong Kong. "That will definitely boost user numbers, though it will weigh on the bottomline in the first year or so as China Mobile will most probably have to provide heavy handset subsidies for the iPhone."

China Mobile said on Thursday it will spend 27 billion yuan on handset subsidies this year, up 13 percent from in 2012.

China Telecom, which signed up to sell the iPhone last year, increased its spending on handset subsidies by 50 percent in the first half of last year, and has seen its profits fall in the last three quarters on higher marketing and subsidy costs.

NO-FRILLS

Most of China Mobile's 715 million subscribers are no-frills users attracted to its wide network coverage across the vast country. Only a small number are premium, tech-savvy consumers.

Just 13 percent of its users are on 3G, compared with one third at China Unicom and 44 percent at China Telecom, which use other variants of CDMA 3G technologies developed by global players such as Japan's NTT Docomo and Qualcomm Inc .

Using the iPhone on China Mobile's homegrown 3G network can be as sluggish as being hooked up to a 2G network, but many users take advantage of the carrier's many wi-fi hot-spots for heavier data-crunching applications such as playing games and downloading software.

Demand for the iPhone has spawned a cottage industry, with some local phone vendors selling SIM card cutters that act like a hole-punch to trim bigger cards to fit the smaller iPhone slots. Some China Mobile sales outlets offer on-the-spot SIM-trimming services as well as wi-fi cards that iPhone users can use in most hot-spots.

China Mobile is aggressively pushing for 4G to improve the user experience in a market where chatting on Tencent Holdings Ltd's WeChat and checking microblogs on Sina Corp's Weibo are the norm among smartphone users.

China Mobile plans to spend 190.2 billion yuan on its networks this year, out of which 41.7 billion yuan will be invested in 4G, executives said on Thursday. Last year, total spending was 127.4 billion yuan.

Chairman Xi Guohua said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year that the carrier planned to build a TD-LTE 4G network with 200,000 base stations to cover more than 100 Chinese cities, home to 500 million potential users.

China Mobile said on Thursday that it expects 4G licenses to be issued around the end of this year, echoing comments by a senior Chinese official last week that lifted mainland telecom-related stocks in Hong Kong.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.222.057 von teecee1 am 06.03.13 18:39:34

MetroPCS Merger Opposition Questions Chairman's Stock Selling

By Dan Radovsky |
March 14, 2013 |

MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS ) chairman and CEO Roger Linquist's recent selling of company shares prior to the proposed merger between MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA has caught the attention of a vocal opponent to the deal.

The P. Schoenfeld Asset Management hedge fund, or PSAM, filed a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, reasserting its opposition to the merger. The statement that it also put out as a press release today reads in part:

"We note that MetroPCS Chairman Roger Linquist recently sold approximately $20 million in PCS shares (representing approximately 28% of his share position in PCS) despite recently signing shareholder letters that communicated an expected post-transaction PCS share value that is 65% higher than the prices at which his recent sales occurred. If Linquist is so confident the Company will achieve these projected pro forma share values in the near future, why is he selling and not buying PCS shares?"

MetroPCS stockholders will have a chance to vote up or down on the merits of the company's proposed merger deal with T-Mobile USA at a special meeting to be held April 12. Schoenfeld says it will put out a "white paper" outlining its objections to the merger in the coming days.

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management says it and its investment advisory clients are "significant shareholders" of MetroPCS, with an aggregate position of more than 9,230,000 shares, representing almost $100 million in value at current prices.


............................................................................

MetroPCS CEO Continues Weekly Share Selloff

By Dan Radovsky |
March 13, 2013 |

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/13/metropcs-ch…


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14.03.2013 | 17:22
(142 Leser)

AFX News ·
PSAM Urges MetroPCS Shareholders To Vote Against MetroPCS/T-Mobile Deal

BONN (dpa-AFX) - In a letter to shareholders of MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), P. Schoenfeld Asset Management, or PSAM, urged them to vote against the proposed MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA transaction.

PSAM said it is strongly opposed to the proposed Transaction. The Transaction, under its current terms, is grossly unfair to MetroPCS shareholders and is irresponsibly and inefficiently structured. Most importantly, it does not represent full and fair value for PSAM's collective investment in the Company.

PSAM also noted that it has been heartened to see that other major shareholders, including Paulson & Co. Inc., the largest MetroPCS shareholder, owning 36.3 million shares or 9.9% of the shares outstanding as of the record date, also intend to vote against the TM Deal.

There are more attractive options for PCS to consider other than the T-Mobile deal, including continuing on a stand-alone basis, PSAM said.

PSAM, together with investment advisory clients, are significant shareholders of MetroPCS Communications with an aggregate position of over 9.23 million shares.

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission approved the proposed combination of Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTEGY.PK) U.S. unit T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS Communications.

Last October, Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS agreed to combine T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, with the combined company to retain the T-Mobile name.

Last year, Deutsche Telekom failed in its attempt to sell T-Mobile USA in a $39 billion deal to AT&T after US regulators concluded that the merger would curb competition for mobile wireless services and raise prices.


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14.03.2013 | 14:02

PR Newswire ·
P. Schoenfeld Asset Management Issues Letter To MetroPCS Shareholders

NEW YORK, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP ("PSAM") today issued a letter to all shareholders of MetroPCS Communications Inc. ("PCS") communicating its strong opposition to the proposed MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA ("T-Mobile") transaction on the basis that:

1.) The transaction does not provide full and fair value to PCS shareholders;
2.) The deal is irresponsibly and inefficiently structured; and
3.) There are more attractive options for PCS to consider other than the T-Mobile deal, including continuing on a stand-alone basis.

PSAM plans to publish a detailed white paper in the coming days outlining its analysis of the MetroPCS/T-Mobile transaction and arguments against the deal so that all PCS shareholders can have access to full information when voting on the transaction at the PCS Special Meeting on April 12, 2013.

Full text of the letter follows.

*********

March 14, 2013

To our Fellow MetroPCS Shareholders:

P. Schoenfeld Asset Management ("PSAM"), together with our investment advisory clients, are significant shareholders of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. ("MetroPCS" or the "Company") with an aggregate position of over 9,230,000 shares - representing almost $100 million in value at current prices. As we have expressed before, we are strongly opposed to the proposed combination between MetroPCS and T-Mobile (the "TM Deal" or the "Transaction"). The Transaction, under its current terms, is grossly unfair to MetroPCS shareholders and is irresponsibly and inefficiently structured. Most importantly, it does not represent full and fair value for our collective investment in the Company. We have been heartened to see that other major shareholders, including Paulson & Co. Inc. ("Paulson"), the largest MetroPCS shareholder, owning 36.3 million shares or 9.9% of the shares outstanding as of the record date, intend to also vote against the TM Deal.

PSAM WILL SOON ISSUE A WHITE PAPER ON THE TRANSACTION

Given the lack of independent and current analysis available to shareholders, we felt it appropriate to retain an independent financial advisor, Houlihan Lokey, to assist us in evaluating the TM Deal. We are preparing a "white paper" that will make an overwhelming and compelling case to vote AGAINST the TM Deal and the proposals that will be considered at the Special Meeting to be held on April 12, 2013 (the "Special Meeting"). We intend to share this white paper with all our fellow shareholders over the next few business days.

The MetroPCS letter released yesterday that was signed by the Company's Chairman, Roger Linquist, gives a highly distorted view of the Transaction and only strengthens our conviction that the TM Deal is a grossly unfair deal for PCS shareholders and should be voted down. We believe that there are significantly more attractive alternatives available to the Company in the current M&A, financing and industry environment. A "stand-alone" scenario is also materially more attractive than the TM Deal, which does not provide shareholders any deal premium upon a change of control.

We note that MetroPCS Chairman Roger Linquist recently sold approximately $20 million in PCS shares (representing approximately 28% of his share position in PCS) despite recently signing shareholder letters that communicated an expected post-transaction PCS share value that is 65-85% higher than the prices at which his recent sales occurred. If Linquist is so confident the Company will achieve these projected, pro forma share values in the near future, why is he selling and not buying PCS shares?

The terms in the TM Deal, including (i) the equity split, (ii) the amount of debt held by T-Mobile's affiliate, Deutsche Telekom (iii) the cost of the intercompany debt, (iv) the senior but unsecured nature of the debt and (v) the excessive fees, royalties and other payments to Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile are all off-market and patently unfair to our shareholders. In short, it is clear to us that the poorly structured Transaction, which leaves MetroPCS shareholders in a precarious position with poor governance, should be rejected by PCS shareholders in favor of a well managed and competitively positioned company that is able to freely explore standalone and strategic options that create real value for its shareholders.

We filed an amended proxy statement with the SEC yesterday to solicit MetroPCS Shareholders to reject the T-Mobile Deal by voting AGAINST the Special Meeting Proposals using the WHITE CARD provided with your proxy materials.

We look forward to our continued communications with all of you in the days and weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

The PSAM Team

On March 12, 2013, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management GP LLC and Peter M. Schoenfeld (collectively, the "PSAM Group") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a definitive proxy statement (the "Definitive Proxy Statement") relating to the solicitation of proxies by the PSAM Group from shareholders of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. ("MetroPCS") in connection with the special meeting of shareholders to be held on April 12, 2013 to vote upon matters relating to the proposed combination of MetroPCS with T-Mobile USA, Inc. SHAREHOLDERS OF METROPCS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC RELATING TO SUCH SOLICITATION CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH SOLICITATION. The Definitive Proxy Statement and form of WHITE proxy card will be furnished to some or all of the shareholders of MetroPCS and will, along with other relevant documents filed with the SEC, be available free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, the PSAM Group will provide copies of the Definitive Proxy Statement and accompanying WHITE proxy card without charge upon request. (...)

[teecee1]

Sprint Statement on the Upcoming Availability of Samsung Galaxy S 4
PR Newswire
Press Release: Sprint Nextel – Thu, Mar 14, 2013 8:50 PM EDT

NEW YORK and OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. introduced Galaxy S® 4, successor to the award-winning Samsung Galaxy S III. Sprint (NYSE:S) will offer the U.S. variant of Galaxy S 4 in the second quarter of this year.

Fared Adib, senior vice president-Product Development at Sprint, issued the following statement:

"Sprint is excited to bring the benefit of Truly UnlimitedSM 4G LTE data to the U.S. variant of Galaxy S 4 in the second quarter of this year. Our customers will appreciate the ability to use Galaxy S 4 to surf the Web, share pictures and videos, and use this smartphone as much as they want without worrying about throttling or overage charges on their monthly bill due to data caps. NPD Group data indicated in 4Q 2012 that Sprint was the top U.S. seller of Samsung Galaxy S III, so we believe our customers will also enjoy its successor's features and unlimited data."

Galaxy S 4 customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint's Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in North America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $20 per month versus Verizon's comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web (excludes taxes and surcharges).

Additional details, including pricing, will be shared in the coming weeks. (...)


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Redbox Instant launches video streaming to the public

Officially out of private beta, the new movie streaming service is available to all.

by Dara Kerr
March 14, 2013 7:59 PM PDT



Redbox Instant has made good on its promise to open its doors to the general public by spring. The video streaming service publicly launched in the U.S. today.

The new service is a joint venture between Verizon and Redbox that was first announced in February 2012. Redbox Instant will give new users unlimited streaming and four DVD credits for free for one month, according to the Web site. Once the month-long trial ends, the service will cost $8 per month.

Redbox Instant was rolled out in private beta in December, letting first-time users sign up for the service. It's available on a variety of operating systems and devices, such as Android, iOS, Xbox 360, some Samsung TVs, and Blu-ray players. (...)


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Verizon-Redbox takes on Netflix with lower, $6 per month price

Verizon-Redbox's streaming-only option is $2 lower than Netflix's comparable service. For now it's a limited trial, with an official launch expected next year.

by Roger Cheng
December 12, 2012 10:36 AM PST




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CBS launches full-episode streaming for iPad, iPhone

The company's most popular shows, including "NCIS" and "The Good Wife," are available for streaming.

by Don Reisinger
March 14, 2013 8:38 AM PDT


The new CBS streaming app.
(Credit: CBS)


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Netflix, Facebook hook up in U.S. at last

The video distribution maven says that its U.S. members now can connect to Facebook and agree to share favorite TV shows and movies on Netflix.

by Jonathan Skillings
March 13, 2013 6:30 AM PDT


Here's how the Facebook integration looks on your Netflix screen.
(Credit: Netflix)


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Vizio 8” Tablet with WiFi – Online Deal

$134.99 for Vizio 8” Tablet with WiFi (Manufacturer Refurbished) ($249.99 List Price). Free Shipping and Free Returns.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-vizio-8in-tablet?utm_medium=…




... ... jahhh, immer schön viel Datenvolumen produzieren ... jetzt hätt ich beinahe Datenmüll gesagt. ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.261.658 von teecee1 am 16.03.13 19:39:18

Ciena: Das Samsung Galaxy S4 und die Herausforderung für Netzwerkbetreiber

Kommentar vom EMEA Marketing Director Mervyn Kelly

Frankfurt am Main, 15.03.13 - Die offizielle Vorstellung des Samsung Galaxy S4 in der vergangenen Nacht kennzeichnet einen entscheidenden Punkt im Krieg um den Smartphone-Markt zwischen Samsung und Apple. Doch nicht nur für Apple stellt das Galaxy S4 eine große Herausforderung dar – auch die Betreiber der Mobilfunknetze müssen sich warm anziehen.

Neueste Untersuchungen von Arieso haben beispielsweise ergeben, dass mit dem Vorgängermodell Samsung Galaxy S3, direkt nach dem iPhone 5 und dem HTC Sensation XL, die meisten Daten abgerufen werden. Das Galaxy S4 wird mit Sicherheit innerhalb kürzester Zeit einen Spitzenplatz in dieser Liste einnehmen, denn mit seinem 5-Zoll-Screen in Full-HD-Auflösung, einem Okta-Core-Prozessor sowie dem standardmäßig eingebauten LTE-Modul können Nutzer Daten nicht nur unglaublich schnell herunterzuladen, es ist auch das perfekte Gerät für den Konsum multimedialer Inhalte.


In den letzten Jahren hat sich in der Mobilbranche das Klischee festgesetzt, dass Android-Nutzer ihre Geräte intensiver verwenden als iOS-Nutzer. Die jüngsten Daten der Ratemizer-App, ein Dienst zum Vergleich von Mobilfunktarifen, scheinen dies zu bestätigen. Danach haben Nutzer von Android-Smartphones im Vergleich zu iPhone-Nutzern gegen Ende 2012 immerhin die doppelte Menge an Daten konsumiert. Während Android-Nutzer im November 2012 durchschnittlich ein Datenvolumen von 2,07 GB verbrauchten, waren es bei iPhone-Nutzern gerade mal 1,05 GB.

Derartige Untersuchungsergebnisse sollte man nicht auf die Goldwaage legen, aber sie lassen dennoch keine Zweifel offen, dass die fortschrittlichen Eigenschaften des Galaxy S4 die rege Nutzung von Internet- und Videotelefonie begünstigen, was Mobilfunkbetreiber mit einem nochmals erhöhten Datenaufkommen konfrontieren wird. Der exponentiell wachsende Bandbreitenbedarf und die inzwischen extrem hohen Ansprüche der Nutzer, die durch den LTE-Ausbau immer weiter steigen, machen es für Anbieter eigentlich unmöglich, die nutzbaren Datenmengen für ihre Kunden noch mehr einzuschränken als sie es ohnehin schon tun. Denn wer die eigene Kundschaft hier verprellt, gefährdet letztendlich den eigenen Umsatz.

Angesichts leistungsstarker Geräte wie des Galaxy S4 müssen die Netzbetreiber genau kalkulieren, wie sie ihre Netzwerke an den unvermeidbar weiter ansteigenden Bandbreitenbedarf anpassen und dennoch gleichzeitig die Kosten im Griff behalten. Ein Schlüsselelement im Netzwerk ist dabei ein stabiles und skalierbares Mobile Backhaul, sprich die Anbindung mobiler Basisstationen an das Core-Netzwerk. Dies wird einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Qualität des verfügbaren Netzes haben und dabei helfen, das wahre Potenzial vom neuesten Smartphone aus dem Hause Samsung voll auszuschöpfen. (jpp)


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Das Phantom hinter Samsungs Galaxy S4

Gerade hat der Technologieriese das neue Galaxy S4 vorgestellt, sein wichtigstes Produkt in diesem Jahr. Doch vom Chef war dabei nichts zu sehen – jetzt bekommt er zwei Helfer an die Seite gestellt.

Von Thomas Heuzeroth

http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/webwelt/article114502565/Das-P…

... Möglicherweise ist Kwon abergläubisch. Denn die Zahl Vier lässt Koreaner zusammenzucken. Sie gilt als Unglückszahl, weil sie, im sinokoreanischen Nummernsystem wie im Japanischen, ausgesprochen wie das Wort "Tod" klingt.

Viele Hochhäuser in Korea haben kein viertes Stockwerk. Selbst der finnische Handyhersteller Nokia hat aus Rücksicht vor dem Aberglauben, der auch in China und Japan verbreitet ist, auf eine 4er-Serienbezeichnung seiner Geräte verzichtet.


... ... 4S & 4G ... Tod für einige Netzbetreiber ohne genügend Lizensen oder etwa Apple ... zumindest angeschossen ... ... nein, ich bin keine 4 Jahre alt ... ich bin schon 5 ... du bist erst drei ... 3 Türer , 5 Türer ... ein Auto mit 4 Türen haben wir nicht ...

[teecee1]

FreedomPop launches rollover data strategy - for a $3.50/month fee
March 15, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein



Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) MVNO FreedomPop said it is launching a new service that will allow customers to roll over their unused data allotments from one month to the next for a $3.50 monthly fee.

The concept of rollover voice minutes is not new, and indeed AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) has used it for years, but a rollover scheme for data usage is actually quite novel. Under the FreedomPop scheme, customers can store up to 500 MB each month and continue rolling it over until the fund reaches 20 GB.

A FreedomPop spokeswoman said 30 percent of FreedomPop's existing users opted into the value-added service within the first 24 hours of it going live on Wednesday. FreedomPop has not disclosed how many customers it has.

The new feature comes a few weeks after the company began selling its WiMAX-powered $89 Burst home router. The device also came with new pricing options from FreedomPop, which is offering Burst owners 1 GB of free data per month.

FreedomPop's "freemium" business model is designed to entice users to the service with a free package of data in the hope that customers will purchase additional data allotments or other services from FreedomPop. The MVNO said Burst users who consume more than 1 GB can purchase additional data at $5 per GB. Users can also purchase a 10 GB package of data for $9.99 per month, with additional data beyond that amount priced at $5 per GB.

Beyond the data buckets, FreedomPop is upselling with faster data speeds. Burst users can purchase speeds of up to 6 Mbps for $14.99 per month and speeds up to 12 Mbps for $18.99 per month. FreedomPop currently offers 500 MB of free data to its existing customers, who can access the company's service through portable hotspots, USB modems and iPod touch cases. FreedomPop is planning to release a range of new products, including cases for Android phones and iPhones, in the coming months.

Although FreedomPop's current products run on Clearwire's mobile WiMAX network, the company is working to launch LTE service using Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) LTE network. FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols recently disclosed that FreedomPop "slightly delayed" its tentative LTE launch from the second quarter of this year to the third quarter of this year.


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Verizon exec: 2014 is 'definite' for launch of LTE Broadcast service
March 18, 2013 | By Tammy Parker

A top executive at Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) confirmed the operator is working to deploy LTE Broadcast next year, though the business case is still being worked out.

"2014 is a definite" for the launch of LTE Broadcast service, Rich DeSantis, executive director of advanced solutions for Verizon Wireless, told FierceBroadbandWireless.

Though the operator has other LTE-related initiatives on its plate as well--for instance, carrier aggregation--DeSantis said LTE Broadband is near the top of the list in terms of priorities. "It's up there. It's definitely a high priority that will be delivered in 2014," he said.

LTE Broadcast, based on evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (eMBMS) technology, enables a one-to-many delivery scheme, The service will deliver a greatly improved customer experience vs. unicast video delivery, said DeSantis.

"We see video as a way to showcase LTE. We see broadcast as another vehicle to showcase video on LTE. So that's why we're being bullish on broadcast over LTE," said DeSantis.

Verizon is currently conducting LTE Broadcast lab trials and is preparing for future field trials. "We're going to be doing obviously the full network testing in the service areas," said DeSantis.

Both of Verizon's lead LTE infrastructure suppliers, Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU), are developing the necessary network gear, multicasting software and gateways necessary for the operator to roll out LTE Broadcast.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Lowell McAdam, chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications, publicly discussed his desire to use LTE Broadcast to deliver video services to Verizon's customers during 2014's Super Bowl. "Using LTE...we'd love to broadcast the Super Bowl in the 2014 time frame," he said.

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Debi Lewis emphasized that was merely a service example and did not necessarily reflect a specific commitment on Verizon's part to broadcast next year's Super Bowl to mobile devices. "As a use case for this technology the Super Bowl makes a lot of sense, but there's nothing to announce today," said Lewis.

Venue-specific live event streaming and real-time TV streaming are the chief use cases cited by industry vendors for LTE Broadcast, though there are other potential uses as well. "The business models haven't been defined," said DeSantis, noting there is much to be worked out regarding specific specific content plays Verizon is eyeing.

Some have speculated that Verizon's push to enable LTE Broadcast on its network is related to marketing and joint development agreements the company has with cable operators Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks.

DeSantis downplayed that angle, though he said the cable MSOs could use Verizon's LTE Broadcast capability to deliver any content for which they have the necessary rights to broadcast to mobile devices. "They can take advantage of the network, absolutely, but there's nothing specific as far as a defined partnership or anything like that is concerned," he said.

Verizon launched its LTE network in December 2010 and has been rolling it out across the United States ever since. The carrier began working on LTE Broadcast more than 18 months ago.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.259.076 von teecee1 am 15.03.13 19:06:04

18.03.2013 | 08:07
(979 Leser)

Aktien-Global.de ·
Deutsche Telekom: Nur Probleme

Die Deutsche Telekom bleibt eine Ansammlung von Baustellen. Bei der größten, der kriselnden US-Tochter T-Mobile USA, steht in naher Zukunft eine Entscheidung über die Fusion mit dem Konkurrenten MetroPCS an, als neuer Problembereich steht aber schon das Europageschäft in den Startlöchern.

Nach dem Verbot eines Verkaufs an AT&T ist der Zusammenschluss mit MetroPCS die letzte realistische Option, um im amerikanischen Markt schnell die kritische Größe zu erreichen. Das Management der US-Firma steht auf der Seite der Bonner, einige Aktionäre haben aber bereits ihren Widerstand angekündigt. Am 12. April ist Stichtag, dann werden die Anteilseigner von MetroPCS über die Fusion abstimmen.

Wir rechnen damit, dass sie den Schritt letztlich absegnen und die Deutsche Telekom einen Schritt nach vorne machen kann. Zugleich muss der Konzern aber aufpassen, dass es in Europa nicht gleichzeitig einen Schritt zurückgeht. Jüngsten Medienberichten zufolge liegt das Geschäft auf dem Kontinent in den ersten beiden Monaten deutlich unter Plan - sowohl beim Umsatz als auch beim Ergebnis. Die schwache Wirtschaftsentwicklung könnte der Deutschen Telekom also durchaus das erste Quartal verhageln.

Die Aktie hat sich nach der Markierung eines neuen Sechs-Monats-Tiefs Ende Februar trotzdem etwas erholt, vermutlich in Erwartung der üppigen Dividendenzahlung (0,70 Euro je Aktie), die Mitte Mai auf der Hauptversammlung beschlossen werden soll. Ob diese Trendwende aber nachhaltig ausfällt, wird nicht nur von der Zustimmung der MetroPCS-Aktionäre abhängen, sondern auch davon, ob sich in Europa eine neue Großbaustelle auftut.


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18.03.2013 | 15:47
(40 Leser)

PR Newswire
P. Schonefeld Asset Management Issues White Paper On MetroPCS/T-Mobile Transaction

NEW YORK, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP ("PSAM") issued a white paper today that provides detailed analysis of the proposed MetroPCS Communications, Inc. ("PCS") and T-Mobile USA, Inc.("T-Mobile") transaction (the "Proposed T-Mobile Transaction"), and outlines for all MetroPCS shareholders an overwhelming case for why it is in the best interests of PCS shareholders to vote against the Proposed T-Mobile Transaction. PSAM's white paper will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") later today.

Following are excerpts from the PSAM white paper. To read PSAM's white paper in its entirety and a more detailed description of the arguments below, please go to the following link: www.innisfreema.com/pcs.

PROPOSED T-MOBILE TRANSACTION DOES NOT PROVIDE FULL AND FAIR VALUE TO PCS SHAREHOLDERS

A Standalone PCS is a viable and attractive alternative to the Proposed T-Mobile Transaction

* The standalone alternative yields superior value to PCS shareholders, even without a revised offer from Deutsche Telekom AG ("DT") or another buyer surfacing. Standalone does not mean standstill.
* Analysts agree that PCS is worth more as a standalone company than combined with T-Mobile.

Equity split does not reflect PCS's strong recent performance and does not provide the value PCS shareholders deserve

* The proposed equity split, allocating 26% of the proposed combined PCS/T-Mobile post transaction (the "Combined Company") to PCS shareholders, is patently unfair to PCS shareholders, does not reflect recent exceptionally strong performance by PCS, and is based on stale and overly conservative PCS projections, according to PCS's own proxy statement; and
* Limited discussions occurred with third parties and potential acquirors over an extended period of time, and no coordinated process has occurred in the present M&A, financing and industry environment to assure PCS shareholders that the Proposed T-Mobile Transaction maximizes PCS shareholder value.

Deal unfairly favors Deutsche Telekom, creates serious conflicts of interest and violates good corporate governance

* The transaction unfairly favors DT, offering unequal downside protection with their $15 billion creditor position, 74% of the equity of the Combined Company, and control of the Combined Company's Board and management - representing, as a whole, serious conflicts of interest and violations of good corporate governance; and
* The transaction process conducted by PCS was not designed to obtain the highest value for all PCS shareholders and the terms of the Proposed T-Mobile transaction do not provide any control premium to PCS shareholders - despite an unequivocal sale of control to DT.

$1.5 billion spectrum acquisition deduction charged to PCS is not appropriate

* A $1.5 billion spectrum acquisition deduction charged to PCS is not appropriate or consistent for the contribution analysis, and no details have been provided by PCS regarding this significant capital expenditure.

THE DEAL IS IRRESPONSIBLY AND INEFFICIENTLY STRUCTURED

Proposed capital structure of the Combined Company transfers value from PCS shareholders to DT and places excess risk on PCS shareholders

* The proposed capital structure is neither appropriate nor fair to PCS shareholders. It transfers value from PCS shareholders to DT and places excess ongoing risk on PCS shareholders;
* There are multiple hidden transfers of significant value to DT, including above market interest rates on the $15 billion of intercompany debt to be issued by the Combined Company to DT ("the "DT Notes"); and
* A capital structure with no secured debt is not remotely optimal, is highly expensive and unfairly favors the Combined Company's largest creditor, DT.

Combined Company will be over leveraged

* Significantly enhanced operating flexibility would result from less leverage and a market-based capital structure; and
* The DT notes have onerous call provisions and a substantial make-whole premium on the Combined Company and, as a result, limit future refinancing options.

Tremendous lack of transparency regarding the Proposed T-Mobile Transaction

* Among many other issues detailed in our analysis, there has been no clarity regarding the suggested $1.5 billion PCS spectrum investment and its impact on the equity split, the source and rationale for the synergies valued at $6-$7 billion, the identity of 8 of the 11 directors of the Combined Company Board post-closing, and various other material items; and
* This pervasive lack of transparency places PCS shareholders at a significant disadvantage in objectively evaluating the merits of the transaction.

THE ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED T-MOBILE TRANSACTION ARE MORE ATTRACTIVE AND OFFER BETTER DOWNSIDE PROTECTION

* The value of PCS's spectrum portfolio and the alternative of operating as a mobile virtual network provide downside protection.

The market is clearly and strongly voting against the transaction and so should you

* PCS's stock price is down more than 24% since the announcement of the proposed transaction on October 3, 2012, and is trading at a significant discount to the PCS standalone values presented by PCS and its own financial advisors. The market is clearly voting "AGAINST" the proposed T- Mobile transaction.

On March 12, 2013, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, P. Schoenfeld Asset Management GP LLC and Peter M. Schoenfeld (collectively, the "PSAM Group") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a definitive proxy statement (the "Definitive Proxy Statement") relating to the solicitation of proxies by the PSAM Group from stockholders of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. ("MetroPCS") in connection with the special meeting of stockholders to be held on April 12, 2013 to vote upon matters relating to the proposed combination of MetroPCS with T-Mobile USA, Inc. STOCKHOLDERS OF METROPCS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC RELATING TO SUCH SOLICITATION CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH SOLICITATION. The Definitive Proxy Statement and form of WHITE proxy card will be furnished to some or all of the stockholders of MetroPCS and will, along with other relevant documents filed with the SEC, be available free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, the PSAM Group will provide copies of the Definitive Proxy Statement and accompanying WHITE proxy card without charge upon request. (...)


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18.03.2013 | 12:10
(40 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
MetroPCS Files Investor Presentation

RICHARDSON, Texas, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS; "MetroPCS" or the "Company") today announced it has filed an investor presentation with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in connection with MetroPCS' Special Meeting of Stockholders scheduled for April 12, 2013. At the Special Meeting, MetroPCS' stockholders of record as of March 11, 2013 will vote on matters relating to the proposed combination of MetroPCS with T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile") to create the value leader in the U.S. wireless marketplace. The MetroPCS board of directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote FOR the proposed combination with T-Mobile.

The presentation, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at http://investor.metropcs.com, includes information demonstrating that the proposed combination is the best alternative for MetroPCS' stockholders and will create sustainable long-term value for MetroPCS' stockholders. In addition, the presentation corrects inaccuracies and misperceptions created by certain stockholders regarding the proposed combination. Highlights of the presentation include:

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.267.520 von teecee1 am 18.03.13 17:07:19

March 14, 2013 at 5:37 PM
T-Mobile LTE launch outed with Samsung S4 launch

Posted by Brier Dudley

It looks like Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 will help T-Mobile USA launch its 4G LTE network this spring.

T-Mobile will be the last major U.S. carrier to offer LTE when it begins offering the service later this year. The company has said its LTE service will begin in 2013, but it has been cagey about the exact launch date and hasn’t said which LTE devices it will offer.

(UPDATE: A spokesman said they’ve confirmd that the BlackBerry Z10 and HTC One will run on its LTE network, in addition to the S4.)

The first big clue came today with a new Web page taking names of T-Mobile customers interested in Samsung’s new device, which goes on sale in April.

The page has what looks like the first appearance of T-Mobile’s “4G LTE” branding. The S4 will also run on T-Mobile’s current HSPA+ network so it should perform well even in areas that don’t yet have T-Mobile’s LTE service.

I’ve asked T-Mobile if its LTE service will be live in April when the S4 goes on sale or not. Meanwhile, here’s a screen grab showing its LTE branding near the bottom of the page:


tmo galaxy


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 18, 2013 at 2:50 PM
T-Mobile confirms LTE launch this month

Posted by Brier Dudley

T-Mobile confirmed today that it will begin providing 4G LTE service by the end of this month, concurrent with the launch of the BlackBerry Z10.

The company is known for splashy marketing campaigns and its LTE upgrade is a massive project, representing an investment of more than $4 billion. Yet it’s opting to trickle out news about its LTE launch in dribs and drabs, perhaps because it just laid off a significant portion of its marketing department.

In a short statement from its PR firm today, the Bellevue-based carrier said its LTE rollout “is moving at breakneck speed” and will be ready in time for the Z10 launch “by the end of this month.”:

“We’re on track to have 100 million Americans covered by LTE mid-year and 200 million people with LTE by the end of 2013. This is in addition to the blazing fast 4G experience we give customers right now covering 220 million people.”

T-Mobile provided the update on its LTE plans after announcing today that it’s going to start upgrading Samsung Galaxy Note II devices on its network to work with its LTE service where available. The update will be sent over the air.

Still undisclosed is which markets will be receiving T-Mobile LTE service first. In January I was told by Chief Executive John Legere that Las Vegas is among the first markets and is ready to go live.

The company said it will announce later when other LTE devices can start operating on its network. T-Mobile also plans to sell LTE versions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S IV phones.

In the meantime other carriers are gearing up to launch the Z10, the first of the completely redesigned BlackBerry smartphones. AT&T will begin selling its LTE version of the device for $200 — with a contract — on Friday.


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49 Cities Where T-Mobile iPhone Users Can Expect Fast Speeds

Sascha Segan By Sascha Segan
March 15, 2013 02:23pm EST


New T-Mobile Carly

Want to use your Apple iPhone on T-Mobile without toodling along on a slow EDGE network? T-Mobile just gave PCMag a list of the 49 cities where it currently has HSPA+ 21 on UMTS 1900, meaning places where iPhones will work on a fast network. (...)

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416666,00.asp

[teecee1]

Mar 19, 2013, 12:46pm CDT Updated: Mar 19, 2013, 3:00pm CDT
Letter: Delay in Sprint-SoftBank merger makes Clearwire 'more vulnerable'



Clearwire’s planned merger with Sprint is contingent on the approval
of SoftBank’s $20.1 billion acquisition of a 70 percent stake in Sprint.
Dish Network Corp. has offered a competing bid for Clearwire.
KCBJ

Alyson Raletz, Kansas City Business Journal

Delayed regulatory approval of transactions tied to Sprint Nextel Corp. could make Clearwire Corp. “more vulnerable,” Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch said.

Prusch, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and SoftBank Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son met with Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski and other FCC officials on March 14 to discuss the Sprint-SoftBank combination.

That’s according to a letter Overland Park-based Sprint (NYSE: S) filed Monday with the FCC.

In the letter, Sprint’s vice president of government affairs, Vonya McCann, wrote that Clearwire’s (Nasdaq: CLWR) CEO emphasized the time sensitivity of the deal, which is expected to close in mid-2013.

Clearwire’s would-be merger with Sprint, which is valued at roughly $2.2 billion, is contingent on the approval of SoftBank’s $20.1 billion acquisition of a 70 percent stake in Sprint.

“Mr. Prusch noted the importance of speedy approval of these transactions, emphasizing that they will provide additional funding for the expansion of Clearwire’s LTE services and that any significant delay would make Clearwire more vulnerable,” McCann wrote in the letter.

Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH), which is interested in picking up Clearwire’s wireless infrastructure assets, has offered a competing bid for Clearwire.

A Clearwire spokesman declined to elaborate further on Prusch’s statements to the FCC.

See the full letter here.


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Clearwire Shareholder Hires Proxy Firm in Bid to Stop Sprint Deal

March 20, 2013 at 6:04 am PT

Crest Financial said Wednesday that it has hired a proxy solicitation firm to aid in its opposition of Sprint’s plan to acquire the rest of Clearwire.


Clearwire-hotspot-feature

The Houston-based investment company owns 3.9 percent of Clearwire and has already sued Clearwire and its directors, arguing that they have breached their fiduciary duties in accepting Sprint’s offer.

The deal still requires the approval of shareholders representing a majority of the shares not held by Sprint. In hiring proxy-solicitation firm D. F. King & Co., Crest is signaling its intent to extend its opposition into a full-on proxy fight. Crest also demanded that Clearwire make available its list of shareholders.

“Crest Financial believes that Clearwire’s shareholders will reject Sprint’s unfair offer for Clearwire,” Crest general counsel Dave Schumacher said in a statement. “Crest is determined to do whatever it can to stop Sprint’s efforts to extract for itself the value of Clearwire’s trove of wireless spectrum and to harm minority shareholders and the public interest.”

Satellite TV company Dish Network has made its own bid for Clearwire, which holds a significant amount of spectrum in addition to operating a wholesale wireless network.


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20.03.2013 | 13:32
(18 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Limited Makes Demand for Clearwire's Shareholders List and Hires Proxy Solicitation Firm D.F. King & Co.

HOUSTON, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, a Texas-based investment company, announced today that it has hired proxy-solicitation firm D. F. King & Co., Inc. to help it oppose the proposed acquisition of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) by Sprint Nextel Corporation. As part of this effort, Crest has demanded that Clearwire make available the company's list of shareholders. Crest is the largest Clearwire shareholder unaligned with Sprint, holding approximately 3.9% of all common stock of Clearwire.

The Sprint-Clearwire merger agreement requires the approval of holders of a majority of the Clearwire common stock not held by Sprint, which means that the transaction would not be approved if shareholders with approximately 25% of all common stock of Clearwire either vote against the merger or do not vote at all. Accordingly, in addition to the Clearwire shares held by Crest, only approximately 21.1% of the other shareholders need to vote against the Sprint-Clearwire merger or not vote at all in order to block the transaction.

Crest has filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Sprint and the directors of Clearwire because Crest believes that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by scheming to extract value from Clearwire at the expense of the minority shareholders. Crest has also petitioned the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., to stop the proposed Softbank-Sprint and Sprint-Clearwire mergers because they would treat minority shareholders of Clearwire unfairly and the mergers would not be in the public's best interest. A copy of Crest's petition can be found here: www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.

"Crest Financial believes that Clearwire's shareholders will reject Sprint's unfair offer for Clearwire," Dave Schumacher, Crest's general counsel, said. "Our actions today are aimed at achieving this result. Crest is determined to do whatever it can to stop Sprint's efforts to extract for itself the value of Clearwire's trove of wireless spectrum and to harm minority shareholders and the public interest. We look forward to sharing with Clearwire's minority shareholders more information on Sprint's coercive merger offer."

D. F. King & Co. is a leading full-service proxy solicitation and corporate communications firm. It specializes in proxy contests and tender offers.

Important Legal Information

Crest intends to file other documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") regarding the proposed acquisition of Clearwire, as contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 17, 2012 among Clearwire, Sprint Nextel Corporation, a Kansas corporation ("Sprint"), and Collie Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprint.Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and security holders of Clearwire are urged to read such other documents regarding the proposed acquisition, carefully in their entirety, because they contain important information about the proposed transaction.Investors and security holders of Clearwire may obtain free copies of other documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Crest at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. (...)

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.277.804 von teecee1 am 20.03.13 17:54:42

Parmy Olson, Forbes Staff

3/20/2013 @ 2:00PM
Google Fiber Expands 1GB Internet Service To Another City: Olathe, Kansas


A Google Fiber installation van in Kansas City; photo via Google

Just minutes after the city council of Olathe unanimously voted to have Google roll out its super-fast broadband to their city, Google made its own announcement:

“Another city in the Kansas City area is getting the chance to join the growing Silicon Prairie,” Google Fiber’s community manager, Rachel Hack wrote in a blog post.

Then she added the real zinger: “Hopefully, this is the first of several announcements that we’ll be able to make about bringing Google Fiber to additional cities in the Kansas City metro area; so stay tuned.”

This seems to be further evidence that Google does not just view Kansas City as a sandbox to experiment on the rollout of its 1 gigabit, fiber-to-the-home product, but a potential new area of business. Last December Google Chairman Eric Schmidt told a conference that Fiber “isn’t just an experiment, it’s a real business and we’re trying to decide where to expand next.”

Fiber gives customers broadband that’s 100 times faster than the average U.S. connection, or one gigabit-per-second for $70 a month, or $120 for the added cable-TV service. Google began rolling out the service in the Kansas City metro area last fall, following years of planning, and is already cited as the fastest ISP in the United States by Netflix.

If it expands to other parts of the U.S. it will find other broadband providers like Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable being pushed to do the same — in January the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said it wanted to see 1 GB ethernet speeds deployed in at least one community per state by 2015.

Olathe has a population of 125,000 and will be the second big municipality after Kansas City to receive Google Fiber, though Hack said Google still had “a lot of planning and engineering to do” to bring Fiber to Olathe. Widespread access to Fiber would “help create jobs, grow local businesses, and make Olathe even stronger as it grows,” she added.

Google says that gigabit Internet offers more than just fast browsing online, but make the web a more useful and compelling communication tool. In its FAQs for Fiber, it describes chatting with doctors or teachers via a high-definition video conference (Google Hangouts, maybe?) or collaborating on work and educational projects in real time.


Olathe is about 20 miles south-west of Kansas City; image via Google Maps

The company has already divided Kansas City up into so-called fiberhoods of 125-to-1,500 households and has Fiber support staff at an office on Westport Road in Kansas City.

A write-up about Google Fiber by ArsTechnica after a brief visit to Kansas City said the service was indeed “really fast,” and “ahead of its time.” One user of Fiber commented that the most noticeable difference from normal Internet speeds was the faster upload time. Commenters also said that social and individual impact from Fiber’s speeds could only be felt after long term use of the service, not from short visits.


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1 GBit/s für 70 US-Dollar Weitere Stadt bekommt Google Fiber und ein Funknetz


(Bild: Google)

Datum: 20.3.2013, 14:11
Autor: Achim Sawall

Das 1-GBit/s-Angebot Google Fiber kommt nach Olathe. Die Stadtverwaltung verhandelt mit Google auch über ein Funknetz.

Google weitet sein FTTH-Angebot (Fibre To The Home) Google Fiber auf eine weitere Stadt in den USA aus. Das hat das Unternehmen in seinem Blog bekanntgegeben. Google Fiber gibt es bisher in Kansas City, Missouri und in Kansas City, Kansas. Hinzu kommt Olathe im US-Bundesstaat Kansas mit 125.000 Einwohnern.

Ein Glasfaseranschluss mit 1 GBit/s, sowohl im Up- als auch im Downstream und ohne Volumenlimit, kostet 70 US-Dollar pro Monat. Der Vertrag läuft mindestens ein Jahr, eine Anschlussgebühr fällt nicht an. Zudem sind Google Drive mit einem Speichervolumen von 1 TByte und eine Anschlussbox im Preis enthalten.

Für 120 US-Dollar pro Monat bei zwei Jahren Vertragslaufzeit gibt es zusätzlich ein Paket mit zahlreichen Fernsehsendern in HD samt einer Set-Top-Box, Googles Tablet Nexus 7 und einem NAS.

Die dritte Tarifform ist ein Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s im Downstream und 1 MBit/s im Upstream für einmalig 300 US-Dollar, ohne Volumenbeschränkung und mit der Garantie, dass der Dienst mindestens sieben Jahre lang zur Verfügung steht.

Weitere Städte folgen "hoffentlich"

Die Stadtverwaltung von Olathe habe dem Ausbau zugestimmt, erklärte Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack. Angaben, wann die schnellen Internetverbindungen verfügbar sein sollen, machte sie nicht. Weitere Städte in der Metropolregion Kansas City sollten aber "hoffentlich folgen".

Laut Angaben der Stadtverwaltung wird über Verträge für den Betrieb eines Festnetzes und eines "potenziellen" drahtlosen Netzwerkes verhandelt. Die Stadt erhält 5 Prozent des Umsatzes, den Google so generiert.

Google will sich bei der US-Behörde Federal Communications Commission (FCC) den Betrieb eines experimentellen Funknetzes genehmigen lassen, wurde im Januar 2013 berichtet. Google verhandelt zudem mit dem Satellitenfernsehanbieter Dish Network. Beide Unternehmen wollten gemeinsam drahtlose Internetzugänge anbieten. Dish hat 2008 Mobilfunkfrequenzen ersteigert und sucht nun Partner für den Aufbau eines drahtlosen Netzes.

[teecee1]

Mar 20, 2013, 1:41pm MDT Updated: Mar 20, 2013, 2:53pm MDT

Dish Network tells FCC to look past Sprint-Clearwire deal, consider spectrum access

Greg Avery
Reporter- Denver Business Journal

Dish Network Corp. appears increasingly resigned that regulators will approve Sprint Nextel Corp.'s purchase of Clearwire Corp., and it's pushing regulators for access to Clearwire frequencies after the deal.

The Douglas County-based satellite TV company (Nasdaq: DISH) hasn't publicly abandoned efforts to short-circuit the Sprint-Clearwire merger, and it’s still got a counterbid to buy Clearwire that offers Clearwire shareholders more money than Sprint's deal.

But, in meetings with Federal Communications Commission members Friday, Jeffrey Blum, Dish vice president and deputy general counsel, and other Dish lawyers appeared to stress conditions they said should be placed on the Sprint-Clearwire merger, not arguments for stopping the deal outright.

Charlie Ergen, Dish's founder and chairman, wants his company to start a wireless network of its own serving mobile devices to bundle with the satellite TV programming it sells to 14 million U.S. subscribers. Ergen has said it wants a wireless industry partner to avoid the expense of building a network from scratch.

Dish and Overland, Kan.-based Sprint have been dueling for control of Bellevue, Wash.-based Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR), a struggling wireless network company that’s half owned by Sprint already.

Sprint (NYSE: S) reached a deal last fall with Clearwire’s board to buy the half of Clearwire stock that Sprint doesn’t already own; Dish counterbid for Clearwire in December.

It’s also been fighting Sprint’s takeover at the FCC.

The agency, however, is now indicating that the Sprint-Clearwire deal is on track for approval in May, online tech publication CNET reported Wednesday afternoon.

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FCC: Sprint buyout decision likely on track for late May

It looks like smooth sailing for Japanese carrier Softbank's purchase of Sprint and Clearwire assets, at least where the FCC is concerned.

by Jessica Dolcourt
March 20, 2013 1:22 PM PDT



Sprint's buyout by Japanese carrier Softbank should be right on track for a late May conclusion, Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, hinted today.

Specifically, the FCC head said that his organization's review is on schedule with the typical 180-day review period, after which the FCC hands down a yay or nay decision. In this case, the 180-day count ends on May 29.

Just because the process is going well, doesn't mean it's a done deal. Even with full FCC approval, the Justice Department, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security could still stall the international buyout proposal pending their own reviews.

Softbank's acquisition is also contingent on a sub-deal in which Sprint gains complete control of broadband services provider Clearwire.

It's also possible that the FCC could add its own stipulations for the portion of the Sprint-Clearwire acquisition that includes classifying and possibly divesting of spectrum in certain areas. Sprint is Clearwire's largest single shareholder and a deal-making asset for Softbank.

Softbank and Sprint first announced the $20.1 billion merger in mid-October 2012. If successful, Softbank's all-cash investment is expected to strengthen Sprint's struggling network.

............................................................................

In their meeting with FCC officials Friday, Dish lawyers urged the agency to make Sprint break down exactly what its wireless spectrum ownership would be in each market after the merger, raising the possibility of the FCC requiring divestiture of frequencies in some markets as part of the approval.

Dish also urged the FCC to reconsider allowing one company, Sprint, to have exclusive use of an increasingly important group of wireless network frequencies.

Dish officials argued to the FCC last week that the 2.5 gigahertz frequencies, which are being used for new high-speed 4G LTE Advanced wireless service in Asia, will see a lot of international roaming agreements. The frequencies shouldn’t be dominated by one company in the U.S., Dish argued.

Dish has, separate from its offer to buy Clearwire stock, offered $2.2 billion to buy Clearwire’s 2.5 gigahertz frequencies.

Ergen said last month said that Dish partnering with Clearwire and Sprint to build a new Dish wireless service would only be likely if Dish controlled the 2.5 gigahertz frequencies, and that partnership would be unlikely if Sprint controls access to it.

Dish’s meeting with FCC officials was detailed in a filing Wednesday. [Click here for PDF]

Sprint and Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp. filed a notice of its own about meetings with the FCC last week, in which Sprint CEO Dan Hesse and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son told the FCC that delaying the Sprint-Clearwire deal would make Clearwire vulnerable.

SoftBank has agreed to invest $20.1 billion in Sprint, a deal that would pay Sprint shareholders $12.1 billion and provide another $8 billion to improve Sprint’s network infrastructure. Sprint says it needs the SoftBank investment to complete its Clearwire purchase.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.267.520 von teecee1 am 18.03.13 17:07:19

21.03.2013 | 10:46
(89 Leser)

Dow Jones News ·
Letzte US-Behörde erlaubt Fusion von MetroPCS mit T-Mobile USA

Die Deutsche Telekom hat die letzte erforderliche Erlaubnis durch die US-Behörden für die geplante Fusion ihrer Tochter T-Mobile USA mit dem Mobilfunkanbieter MetroPCS bekommen. Jetzt gab auch das Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) als zuständige Sicherheitsbehörde grünes Licht für die Verbindung der beiden Unternehmen. Zuvor hatten schon die Federal Communications Commission und das US Department of Justice die Transaktion abgenickt. Nun fehlt noch die Zustimmung der Aktionäre von MetroPCS. Diese sollen auf einer außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung am 12. April abstimmen.

Die Deutsche Telekom und MetroPCS hatten im vergangen Jahr vereinbart, gemeinsam auf dem lukrativen, aber hart umkämpften US-Mobilfunkmarkt anzugreifen. Zuvor war die Telekom mit dem Verkauf ihrer US-Tochter, dem viertgrößten Anbieter der USA, an AT&T für 39 Milliarden Dollar am Widerstand der Behörden gescheitert.

Die geplante Transaktion von T-Mobile USA und MetroPCS ist als umgekehrte Fusion strukturiert. Das heißt, T-Mobile wird in die bereits börsennotierte MetroPCS integriert. Der Mutterkonzern Deutsche Telekom erhält 74 Prozent des fusionierten Unternehmens, die Anteilseigener von MetroPCS bekommen den Rest sowie insgesamt 1,5 Milliarden US-Dollar in bar, das sind rund 4,09 Dollar je Aktie.


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21.03.2013 | 12:01
(37 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
P. Schoenfeld Asset Management Poses Crucial Questions To MetroPCS Regarding T-Mobile Transaction

NEW YORK, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP ("PSAM") and its investment advisory clients, which together are significant shareholders of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. ("PCS" or the "Company") with an aggregate position of over 9,230,000 shares or almost $100 million in value at current prices, today posed the following crucial questions to PCS regarding its proposed transaction (the "Proposed Transaction") with T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile") in order to give sufficient information and full transparency to PCS shareholders prior to the very important shareholder vote on April 12, 2013.

1. How does PCS explain the approximately 23% decline in its share price since the announcement of the Proposed Transaction, a period when the S&P is up 7.2% and the comparable index is up 0.6%1?

2. How does PCS explain that its Chairman and CEO Roger Linquist has sold 2 million shares (approximately 28% of his holdings) at an average price of approximately $10 per share since December 12, 2012, and board member Kevin Landry's Firm, TA Associates, has sold approximately 3.8 million shares since the Proposed Transaction was announced? TA Associates now holds only a nominal interest in PCS. Landry also sits on PCS's governance committee.

(PCS has communicated to shareholders the legal mechanism through which these sales are being made, but that does not explain why the Company's 10b5-1 plan has not been suspended pending the shareholder vote on the Proposed Transaction.)

3. Since deal terms were materially modified to the detriment of PCS shareholders after the release of the Company's weak first quarter 2012 results (noted in the Background of the Transaction section in PCS's revised definitive proxy statement), why was there no reversal or comparable upward adjustment in deal terms in favor of PCS shareholders following the release of PCS's significant outperformance in the secondquarter of 2012?

a. Did PCS consider its success in converting subscribers to LTE when it agreed to the equity split?
b. Why did PCS agree to an equity splitbeforenegotiating the interest rate and make-whole provisions of the $15 billion in intercompany notes owed to Deutsche Telecom AG ("DT")?
c. Was PCS aware of the "poison pill" effect hidden in the $4 billion make-whole provision of the DT intercompany notes?
d. Did PCS take into consideration PCS's record third quarter 2012 results (which included the highest quarterly adjusted EBITDA margin in PCS history) when approving the Proposed Transaction?

4. Why did PCS adjust T-Mobile's 2013 EBITDA estimate upwards by $573 million for the purposes of the equity split?
a. Are these adjustments compliant with GAAP standards?

5. How does T-Mobile's accounting for handset subsidies compare to PCS's?
a. On a comparative basis, how much of areductionwould T-Mobile have to take to its estimated 2013 EBITDA to match PCS's accounting?
b. If appropriately adjusting estimated 2013 EBITDA for T-Mobile (and ignoring all other issues), what would the equity split be?

6. What would the impact be on the equity split if it were based on PCS's actual 2012 EBITDA contribution (given that PCS's 2012 actual EBITDA exceeded estimates by 15%)?

7. How did the equity split take into account the following factors:
a. Above market terms of the DT intercompany notes?
b. Royalty fees for use of the T-Mobile brand?
c. Accelerated "initial public offering" for T-Mobile without associated fees/costs?
d. Doesn't PCS deserve a higher multiple than T-Mobile (please refer to page 21 of PSAM's Analysis of the Proposed Transaction filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 18, 2013), not to mention a premium for the clear change in control of PCS?

8. PCS is relying on estimated synergies with a value of $6.0 to $7.0 billion, and PCS has stated in its revised definitive proxy statement that the pro-forma transaction synergies may not be realized for a significant period of time after the completion of the transaction, if at all, and will require substantial capital expenditures to be fully realized:
a. What details has PCS provided to its shareholders to support these speculative assumptions?
b. What other comparative wireless or technology integrations have been done on time and on budget?

9. Why is PCS deducting $1.5 billion of future spectrum purchases from its value relative to T-Mobile?
a. How does PCS value its current spectrum assets?
b. If prices rise precipitously, such that a standalone PCS cannot purchase spectrum in the future, how much would PCS's spectrum be worth?
c. In the relative value equity-split calculation, why would PCS ascribe no value to its $1.5 billion of assumed spectrum purchases? The money would be invested in long-lived, non-depreciable assets.

10. Why is PCS contributing its intellectual property to the combined PCS/T-Mobile while DT is insisting on a royalty for the use of the T-Mobile name through a trademark license?

11. In light of DT's obvious conflicts of interest (with DT being the dominant shareholder, largest creditor and critical trademark licensor to the combined PCS/T-Mobile), why are PCS shareholders not being afforded the protection of a commitment that a majority of the directors on the combined PCS/T-Mobile's Board will be truly independent?

12. What is the expected impact on strategic interest in PCS as a result of the SoftBank investment in Sprint Nextel Corp and the sale of Clearwire Corp to either Sprint or Dish Network Corp?

13. How did PCS arrive at a projected weighted average yield of approximately 7% on the proposed $15 billion intercompany notes with DT when our calculation of the weighted average yield is approximately 8% based on PCS's disclosure in its revised definitive proxy statement?

14. Why will DT charge the combined PCS/T-Mobile a 2% distribution fee (approximately $300 million) imbedded in the interest rate when DT is merely revising an existing intercompany note with T-Mobile? Is this an appropriate action for a parent corporation of a public company with minority shareholders to take when DT will already extract a more than 3% additional coupon to its existing intercompany note with T-Mobile?

1The comparable index is based on a market cap weighted index of the comparable companies included on slide 43 of PSAM's Analysis of the Proposed Transaction, which was filed with the SEC on March 18, 2013, and is available at www.innisfreema.com/pcs. The comparable companies include: AT&T, Leap Wireless, nTelos, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Atlantic Tele-Network.

We hope that PCS will promptly answer these critical questions in order to provide full transparency to PCS shareholders prior to the very important special meeting of PCS shareholders scheduled for April 12, 2013 to vote on the Proposed Transaction. (...)

[teecee1]

Medienberichte: Investor Blackstone will Dell-Gründer ausstechen
21.03.2013
10:03

Blackstone könnte dafür Hilfe von Dell-Kritikern erhalten

Von dpa / Hans-Georg Kluge


Dell brechen die Notebook-Verkäufe weg.
Nun bahnt sich auch noch ein Streit um den
künftigen Eigentümer an.

Dell brechen die Notebook-Verkäufe weg. Nun bahnt sich auch noch ein Streit um den künftigen Eigentümer an. Der Finanzinvestor Blackstone arbeitet laut Medienberichten an einem Gegengebot für den PC-Hersteller Dell. Nach Informationen der Finanznachrichtenagentur Bloomberg sprach Blackstone bereits den früheren Chef des Dell-Konkurrenten Hewlett-Packard, Mark Hurd, als möglichen Kandidaten für den Spitzenposten an. Hurd, der jetzt bei Oracle arbeitet, habe aber noch kein formelles Jobangebot bekommen, heißt unter Berufung auf informierte Personen.

Blackstone sucht Kontakt zu Michael-Dell-Kritikern

Blackstone erwägt derzeit einen Bieterwettstreit um Dell. Eigentlich will Firmengründer Michael Dell den drittgrößten PC-Hersteller zusammen mit dem Finanzinvestor Silver Lake und mit Hilfe eines Kredits von Microsoft für rund 24,4 Milliarden Dollar übernehmen und vom Börsen-Parkett holen. Dell hofft, damit mehr Freiraum für eine radikale Sanierung des von ihm geführten Unternehmens zu bekommen. Der einst weltgrößte PC-Bauer leidet schwer unter dem Schwenk der Nutzer zu Smartphones und Tablets.

Dem "Wall Street Journal" zufolge nahm Blackstone auch Kontakt zum Dell-Großaktionär Southeastern Asset Management auf. Der Vermögensverwalter mit einer Dell-Beteiligung von 8,4 Prozent sperrt sich gegen den Vorschlag von Michael Dell, weil er ihn für zu niedrig hält. Auch mehrere andere Großaktionäre legen sich quer. Zudem kaufte sich der berühmt-berüchtigte Milliardär Carl Icahn klammheimlich mit rund sechs Prozent bei Dell ein und lehnt den bisherigen Übernahmeplan ebenfalls ab.

Aktionäre leisten Widerstand gegen Dell-Pläne

Hurd war als HP-Chef hoch angesehen, musste aber gehen, nachdem ihm eine externe Mitarbeiterin sexuelle Belästigung vorgeworfen hatte. Die Anschuldigungen blieben unbestätigt. Inzwischen hat Hurd einen Spitzenjob beim Software-Spezialisten Oracle. Seine Nachfolger bei HP kritisierten ihn zugleich, weil er auf der Jagd nach besseren Zahlen zu stark die Investitionen gekürzt habe. Nach Informationen des "Wall Street Journal" sprach Blackstone auch den einstigen Chef des Computerherstellers Compaq, Michael Capellas, als möglichen Anwärter auf die Dell-Spitze an.

Der Widerstand der Aktionäre verstärkt den Zeitdruck für Michael Dell und seine Partner. Das Käuferkonsortium setzte sich den 5. November als Frist, bis zu der das Geschäft abgeschlossen sein muss. Michael Dell will bei dem Deal seinen Anteil einbringen, das Geld für den Kauf der restlichen Aktien kommt von Partnern und Großbanken. Hauptpartner ist dabei der Finanzinvestor Silver Lake. Auch der Windows-Riese Microsoft beteiligt sich mit einem zwei Milliarden Dollar schweren Kredit an dem Geschäft.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.272.599 von teecee1 am 19.03.13 17:58:51

T-Mobile testing 4G LTE in more than eight cities

A third-party app company caught wind of smartphones using its software to ping T-Mobile's fastest 4G network.

by Jessica Dolcourt
March 22, 2013 9:00 AM PDT


A T-Mobile store. ... ... nicht das die noch ärger mit apple bekommen ...

T-Mobile is quietly testing its forthcoming 4G LTE network in New York, Las Vegas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and other cities, according to OpenSignal, a firm that monitors network coverage.

OpenSignal first noticed activity on T-Mobile's unofficial network through a mobile app that collects diagnostic data speeds, likely the work of T-Mobile's network engineers as they test their own infrastructure prior to the official launch.

The mobile app also noticed pings in Seattle, Denver, New Orleans, San Diego, and Kansas City, OpenSignal said.

In addition to seeing the network tested on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the OpenSignal Android app also logged testing from Samsung's Galaxy S3 and newly-announced (but unreleased) Galaxy S4. In addition, BlackBerry's Z10 will also support the new 4G LTE standards.

Although OpenSignal logged speeds around 25Mbps down and 8Mbps up, and a 40ms latency, these numbers were collected from a small sample on a network that's still under development, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Still and all, it's exciting to glimpse T-Mobile's progress and plans. Hopefully, we'll hear more about the official LTE rollout at T-Mobile's big New York event next week, which is expected to center on the company's contract model.

http://opensignal.com/reports/t-mobile-lte-rollout/

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http://opensignal.com/

[teecee1]

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR): Are Hedge Funds Right About This Stock?
By Mukesh Verma in Hedge Funds
Published: March 22, 2013 at 2:46 pm

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) was in 32 hedge funds' portfolio at the end of December. CLWR has experienced an increase in support from the world's most elite money managers recently. There were 22 hedge funds in our database with CLWR holdings at the end of the previous quarter.



According to most investors, hedge funds are assumed to be worthless, outdated financial vehicles of years past. While there are over 8000 funds with their doors open at present, we at Insider Monkey hone in on the masters of this club, around 450 funds. It is widely believed that this group has its hands on the majority of the smart money's total capital, and by tracking their best equity investments, we have revealed a few investment strategies that have historically beaten the market. Our small-cap hedge fund strategy beat the S&P 500 index by 18 percentage points per annum for a decade in our back tests, and since we've began to sharing our picks with our subscribers at the end of August 2012, we have trumped the S&P 500 index by 25 percentage points in 6.5 month (see all of our picks from August).

Just as beneficial, bullish insider trading sentiment is a second way to break down the financial markets. There are a number of stimuli for an insider to drop shares of his or her company, but only one, very obvious reason why they would buy. Several empirical studies have demonstrated the useful potential of this tactic if shareholders know what to do (learn more here).

With all of this in mind, it's important to take a glance at the recent action regarding Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR).

What does the smart money think about Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR)?

Heading into 2013, a total of 32 of the hedge funds we track were long in this stock, a change of 45% from one quarter earlier. With the smart money's positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists an "upper tier" of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes meaningfully.

According to our comprehensive database, Mouth Kellett Capital Management, managed by Mark McGoldrick and Jason Maynard, holds the largest position in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR). Mouth Kellett Capital Management has a $154 million position in the stock, comprising 19.6% of its 13F portfolio. The second largest stake is held by Glenview Capital, managed by Larry Robbins, which held a $87 million position; 0.2% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Remaining hedgies with similar optimism include Lee Hobson's Highside Capital Management, John Brennan's Sirios Capital Management and John Paulson's Paulson & Co.

As one would reasonably expect, key money managers have jumped into Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) headfirst. Paulson & Co, managed by John Paulson, assembled the most valuable position in Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR). Paulson & Co had 29 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Daniel S. Och's OZ Management also initiated a $23 million position during the quarter. The other funds with brand new CLWR positions are Carl Tiedemann and Michael Tiedemann's TIG Advisors, Curtis Macnguyen's Ivory Capital (Investment Mgmt), and Robert Emil Zoellner's Alpine Associates.

What have insiders been doing with Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR)?

Insider buying is at its handiest when the company in focus has seen transactions within the past six months. Over the last half-year time period, Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) has experienced 1 unique insiders buying, and 8 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

With the results demonstrated by Insider Monkey's strategies, retail investors must always pay attention to hedge fund and insider trading sentiment, and Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) applies perfectly to this mantra. (...)

............................................................................

Shares Owned by Insitutions
37.70%

Number of Institutions
217


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Joan Lappin, Forbes
Markets

3/22/2013 @ 12:47PM |
Will The U.S.Allow Foreign Ownership Of A Giant Swath Of Our Broadband Spectrum?


Sprint Nextel logo

Billionaire Masayoshi Son CEO of Softbank, met this month with the FCC. He took Dan Hesse, Sprint’s CEO, and Clearwire’s CEO Erik Prusch along with him. They were there to argue in favor of the FCC allowing Son’s Japanese firm Softbank to enter the U.S. wireless market with a multi billion dollar investment in Sprint and, in turn, its bid for Clearwire which is the real prize in this deal if it flies.

Without Son’s money, Sprint is seriously ill. It is winding down its Nextel operations and losing customers hand over fist. It is laden with debt. It flails but makes one poor decision after another; to wit, its choice to offer Apple iPhones to its customers to stanch their run for the exit door. Of course,Hesse made that decision just as the Apple iPhones were peaking in popularity. Don’t believe me? Just look at the price of Apple over the last six months, down about a third.

Recent data shows Google’s Android phones are more popular and growing market share faster. Even so, Hesse was probably the last man alive to offer to pay Apple billions and billions at full price to be able to sell iPhones. Hesse will tell you that without those iPhones, his dismal story would be even worse.

Enter Son and his Softbank last fall with an offer to buy 70% of the ailing Sprint. The first thing Hesse insisted loudly and persistently at the time of the deal announcement was that Son had no interest in Clearwire and its huge 2.5 GHz spectrum position. Hesse insisted it was Sprint Son really wanted. Righto! Within weeks, Sprint was bidding to take control of the half of Clearwire it didn’t already own at Son’s insulting price to long suffering shareholders of $2.97. Whether or not he owns it yet, it is pretty clear that it is Son who is calling the shots at Sprint these days.

Shortly thereafter, Charlie Ergen’s DISH overbid at $3.30. Ergen approached with a variety of proposals: buy 25% of Clearwire and give it the cash it needs to remain free standing; buy the whole company, partner; and various other iterations. Some of those alternatives appear to still be on the table. Little is being discussed in the press so it is hard to know what is going on behind the scenes.

Talk to Clearwire, if they will call you back, and they will tell you that the DISH bid is full of loopholes and exceptions and isn’t a real offer. For sure, many who bought Clearwire at its last offering at the end of 2011 were happy to just cash out and have moved on beyond all this drama. My guess is that the shares are now in the hands of a lot of arbitrageurs and the fast money crowd. But, the fact remains that the shares are trading closer to Ergen’s bid than to the $2.97 Sprint is offering to pay. So the majority of shareholders agree that the price is absurdly low and expect it to be raised. As you would expect, Sprint is leaking out that they are on track for approval, or not, in the normal time period.

Then there has been the battle of dueling reports by outside “experts” valuing Clearwire’s spectrum variously at prices 3 to 5 times the $2.97 being offered and, after a many months delay, one paid for by Sprint that said the price offered was fair and all it is worth. I’m sure you will agree that since Sprint was paying for it, that was quite a surprise. Once more, Sprint was slow on the uptake even on that front. Apparently they were scrounging around to find someone to pay who would produce an “objective” report with the desired low price, near their offer. It is the U.S.A. and you can always find an “expert” to say just about anything for money.

Into this drama, enter from stage left, Crest Financial. Crest has taken the lead in defending the minority shareholder group but avoiding speaking for the class. Years ago it owned some spectrum that was “rolled up” by Craig McCaw into Clearwire. However, the majority of its position was acquired last year at very depressed prices when Sprint was deliberately depressing Clearwire’s price and the stock was near a dollar. It seems clear (pun intended) to this outsider that Sprint spent years doing everything it could to starve Clearwire of money, business and resources so that it could reacquire it now on the cheap. At one point in 2011 Sprint actually spoke publicly more than once about putting Clearwire into bankruptcy. Then it learned it might not actually wind up with the spectrum which had been pledged as collateral to bondholders and reversed position.

Crest is repeatedly demonstrating that it has taken a deep pockets approach to this situation. It filed in the Delaware Chancery Court to block the merger at an expedited trial. While the Court refused to do that as a matter of course, it did encourage Crest to believe its claims of damages had real merit and the issues raised were worthy of adjudication at a trial. That, of course, will take years to litigate. Crest then filed a better written brief with the FCC in an attempt to block its approval of the deal.

Now, Crest has also actively begun to solicit a shareholder list from Clearwire so that it can pursue its goal of preventing the merger from another angle. The by-laws require that a majority of the Non-Sprint controlled shares be voted in favor of the transaction. In step one ,Crest has tried to convince the courts that the shares owned by other “insiders” be classified as part of the Sprint group.

Even without that, Crest believes the majority of funds and outside investors are not happy with the price being offered and will vote against it. They need 25% to vote no to prevail. Crest’s latest maneuver has been to request its shareholder list from Clearwire. It has also hired the proxy solicitor D.H. King. Crest’s goal is not just a higher price. It believes Clearwire has a viable future as a separate entity.

Unfortunately for minority shareholders, CEO Erik Prusch stands to gain a $7 million payday if the deal goes through. He is, therefore, not incented to do the best job he can for his constituency, the shareholders of Clearwire. He does best, if the company is acquired. CTO John Saw and CFO also get nice transaction bonuses but nothing like Prusch’s payday. Prusch, as noted above, was also at the meeting with the FCC. Recent disclosures show that the Board members, presumably including those on the Special Committee that is reviewing the two competing offers from Sprint and DISH are being paid $160,000 each. So far, they have done little publicly to defend the rights of those they are supposedly representing.

Last but far from least are the issues placed before the FCC, Dept. of Justice and of Homeland Security regarding foreign ownership of a vast swath of now scarce U.S.spectrum. While there are limitations in using higher bandwidth spectrum in terms of penetrating buildings and covering large geographic areas, Clearwire controls a bigger spectrum position that almost any U.S. company. Repeaters can solve the penetration problem and we know that technology moves swiftly down the price curve. At the moment, Softbank uses Chinese equipment from Huawei, owned by the Chinese Govt., so that’s another issue.

Mr. Son’s Softbank is a Japanese company. It successfully used 2.5 spectrum combined with a first mover advantage with the iPhone in Japan to muscle its way to a #2 position in Japan. Son thinks he can do the same thing with the 2.5 spectrum which ATT and VZ have derided for years as usable spectrum. His argument to the FCC is that he will strengthen Sprint into a viable third competitor in the marketplace.

For sure we know that if this offer had come from China Mobile or China Telecom, it would have been dead on arrival. In the past, the FCC has allowed Deutsche Telekom to ownU.S.spectrum. It appears that if the U.S.has defeated your country in war in the last century, then you may own spectrum here. If we haven’t yet defeated you, then you cannot. As constructed the deal is terrible for Clearwire shareholders. But at least Son has this factor in his favor. He may yet raise Sprint’s bid for Clearwire. That is separate from what the FCC will decide. It is simply an observation of realities that have transpired in the decades since cellular telephony reached our shores.


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REVEALED: THE FRAGILITY OF U.S. WIRELESS CUSTOMER LOYALTY
March 18, 2013


WDS study finds 36 percent of U.S. wireless customers at risk of churn in the next 12 months; only 13 percent truly loyal

KIRKLAND, Wash., March 18, 2013: A new study of loyalty among mobile phone users in the U.S., released today by WDS, A Xerox Company, has worrying implications for wireless carriers. The WDS Mobile Loyalty Audit 2013 reveals that 36 percent of U.S. customers are considering leaving their mobile carrier in the next 12 months. The study, which integrates new survey data from research specialist TNS, also finds that only 13 percent of customers show the level of loyalty required to protect them from competitive offers and service disruptions.

For the first time, the WDS 2013 Mobile Loyalty Audit uses "stress-tests" to show the impact of real-world disruptions on a customer's likelihood to change carriers and delivers a realistic view of the level of loyalty that exists in the US. When stress-tested, the study found customers' perceived "loyalty" could be easily broken, for example:

What if…your current wireless carrier increased prices by 10 percent?

* 69 percent of customers who were previously unlikely to switch would now consider leaving.

v* 15 percent of them would switch immediately without further consideration.

* 70 percent of highly satisfied customers would also consider switching, 17 percent would leave without further consideration.

What if…another carrier could reduce your monthly tariff by 10 percent?

* Only 31 percent of customers who were previously unlikely to switch could guarantee that they wouldn't leave for this saving.

What if…there was a privacy breach?

* 78 percent of those that said they were unlikely to switch would now consider leaving.

* 27 percent of them would switch immediately without further consideration.

* 29 percent of highly satisfied customers would switch immediately.

The study suggests that the number of customers at risk of churn could be underestimated by wireless carriers. Additionally, many existing measures of loyalty, such as customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS), often deliver potentially misleading results. For example, the WDS audit found that 23 percent of customers currently considered a "switch-risk" are actually highly satisfied with their mobile operator. Likewise, 19 percent are NPS Promoters.

The audit also showed that inertia still plays a major role in customer retention with over a quarter (27 percent) admitting that they didn't intend leaving their current carrier because "switching was too inconvenient."

"We've been measuring loyalty in a vacuum; allocating budget based on customer sentiment and an out-of-date notion of loyalty," said Tim Deluca-Smith, vice president, marketing at WDS, a provider of Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions to the wireless industry. "A customer might say that he is satisfied or that she has no intention of switching, but how does that sentiment change when there's a network outage or monthly price increase? Loyalty means more than just a customer's intent to repurchase. Based on our research, this is only as good as the next handset subsidy or price discount. True loyalty creates customers who are forgiving when things go wrong and resistant to competitive offers."

The WDS Loyalty Audit also debunks some of the common myths around customer churn. In particular that customers switch primarily because of price, availability of devices or network coverage. Across each of these, the majority of at-risk customers were actually satisfied with their current carrier's performance. Just 35 percent thought they got poor value for money, 18 percent that network coverage was poor and 15 percent that availability of devices was inadequate.

Instead, it seems carriers are failing to create a feeling of "value" and "reward" among many of their customers. 40 percent of those at risk of switching felt they weren't valued or rewarded. In fact, the data shows that if a customer doesn't feel valued then they are more than twice as likely to be at risk of switching carriers.

The study concludes with many positive take-aways for wireless carriers looking to better manage customer loyalty. In particular the study shows how some service elements are more influential in building, or damaging, loyalty than others.

* While a single interaction with customer support is relatively benign in its loyalty influence, customers who have to contact customer support more than once in a six-month period are twice as likely to be a "switch-risk."

* Getting right any kind of care interaction is critical. A customer who rates the performance of customer care as "excellent" is over three times more likely to be secured beyond 12 months than someone who rates the experience as "poor".

* Basic network support factors remain vital. 75 percent of respondents who rated network coverage as "Excellent" are unlikely to switch.

* Emotional factors are just as relevant. 73 percent of respondents who felt valued by their carrier are unlikely to switch carriers.

"Building trust, developing a sense of value and sustaining strong customer service is fundamental to securing long-term loyalty - especially given the level of parity that exists between carriers' pricing strategies and network performance," concludes Deluca-Smith. "Satisfaction alone is no longer enough; in fact it's become little more than a cost of doing business. The WDS Loyalty Audit shows that only 13 percent of U.S. customers have the level of loyalty we deem necessary to insulate them from competitive offers and service failures. Understanding who these customers are will help carriers to better understand how to customize retention programs that build a more emotional and resilient tie between customer and brand."

[teecee1]

25.03.2013 | 10:32
(113 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP/Presse: Vodafone plant Riesen-Deal - Verkauf von Verizon-Wireless-Anteil

Es könnte einer der größten Deals aller Zeiten werden: Vodafone bereitet laut einem Pressebericht den Verkauf seiner Beteiligung am hochprofitablen US-Marktführer Verizon Wireless vor. Der britische Mobilfunkkonzern habe bereits mehrere Gespräche über eine Veräußerung seines 45-Prozent-Anteils mit dem Mehrheitseigner Verizon geführt, berichtet die "Sunday Times" unter Berufung auf Branchen- und Bankenkreise. Die Transaktion könnte den Briten bis zu 135 Milliarden US-Dollar (104 Mrd Euro) in die Kassen spülen und bereits diesen Sommer erfolgen. An der Londoner Börse stieg die Vodafone-Aktie um 2,5 Prozent auf 187,97 Pence und war damit zweitbester Wert im Index FTSE-100.

Hintergrund ist, dass die Briten sich neu aufstellen wollen. Der Mobilfunkumsatz sinkt und Vodafone droht, zwischen Kabel-, Günstiganbietern und ehemaligen Telekom-Monopolisten zerrieben zu werden. Konzernchef Vittorio Colao hatte unlängst angekündigt, das Angebot im sogenannten Triple Play, bestehend aus Festnetz, Internet und Mobilfunkdienstleistungen, auszuweiten. In Großbritannien kauften sie den Glasfasernetzbetreiber Cable & Wireless. Nun gilt Vodafone als heißer Kandidat für den Kauf weiterer Kabelunternehmen in Europa - allen voran Kabel Deutschland . Dafür braucht der Konzern viel Geld.

Ein Weg flüssige Mittel zu bekommen, ist der Ausstieg in den USA. Verizon hat in der Vergangenheit mehrfach Interesse angemeldet, die volle Kontrolle über Verizon Wireless zu übernehmen. Ein solcher Schritt erscheint für die Briten nicht undenkbar, da Unternehmenschef Colao derzeit Geschäftsbereiche verkauft, die Vodafone nicht vollständig kontrolliert. So veräußerte der Konzern seinen Anteil am zweitgrößten französischen Mobilfunkanbieter SFR.

Vor gut zwei Wochen hatte die Nachrichtenagentur Bloomberg berichtet, dass Verizon unterschiedliche Szenarien für Verizon Wireless durchspiele. Diese reichten von einer Komplettübernahme bis hin zu einer Fusion mit Vodafone. Auch ein Zusammenschluss von Verizon und Vodafone sei im Gespräch gewesen. Eine Fusion hält Analystin Robin Bienenstock von Bernstein Research allerdings für unwahrscheinlich, da sich Verizon das derzeit qualitativ schwache Europageschäft von Vodafone ins Haus holen würde. Ein Ausstieg Vodafones bei Verizon Wireless sei aber nicht auszuschließen.

Jüngst waren die Hoffnungen auf einen Ausstieg wieder etwas abgeflaut. Vodafone soll Analysten bei einer Investorenkonferenz gesagt haben, für Übernahmen auch schlechtere Ratings in Kauf zu nehmen. Demnach fühlten sich die Briten nicht gezwungen, für Zukäufe bestehende Beteiligungen zu verkaufen.

Vodafone müsse sieben Milliarden Pfund oder mehr an zusätzlichen Schulden aufnehmen, um sein "A-"-Rating zu verlieren, sagte Analystin Bienenstock der Nachrichtenagentur Bloomberg. Damit sei eine Übernahme von Kabel Deutschland machbar, ohne die 45-prozentige Beteiligung am US-Marktführer Verizon Wireless zu verkaufen. "Die Frage bleibt aber, ob sich Vodafone durch Zukäufe in Höhe von neun bis zehn Milliarden Pfund neu aufstellen kann", sagt Bienenstock. "Die Antwort ist, nicht wirklich."/fn/stw/fbr

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.288.362 von teecee1 am 22.03.13 19:16:42

26.03.2013 | 17:42
(70 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
T-Mobile USA darf endlich das iPhone verkaufen

Als letzter der vier landesweiten US-Mobilfunkbetreiber hat nun auch T-Mobile das iPhone im Angebot. Bislang war das Fehlen von Apples Kulthandy ein Wettbewerbsnachteil für die Tochter der Deutschen Telekom . Denn jeder zweite Kunde in den USA entscheidet sich für das iPhone als Smartphone. Auch deshalb kämpfte T-Mobile USA in der Vergangenheit mit Kundenschwund und machte dem Bonner Mutterkonzern Sorgen.

Das iPhone 5 ist ab 12. April zu haben, wie das Unternehmen am Dienstag in New York ankündigte. Parallel stellte die Telekom-Tochter ihr neues Preismodell vor, mit dem sie gegen die Marktführer AT&T und Verizon bestehen will: Verbilligte Handys sind Geschichte, dafür müssen die Kunden keine teuren Zwei-Jahres-Verträge mehr eingehen.

"Wir schreiben die Regeln des Mobilfunks neu", erklärte Firmenchef John Legere. T-Mobile nahm in zunächst sieben US-Ballungszentren auch sein schnelles LTE-Netz in Betrieb und beseitigte damit einen weiteren Wettbewerbsnachteil.

Experten sind gespannt, wie die US-Kunden auf die neuen Preise reagieren. Sie sind an subventionierte Handys gewöhnt, die oft nur wenige Dollar kosten. Um den Kulturschock abzumildern, bietet T-Mobile allerdings Ratenzahlungen an. So kostet das iPhone 5 einmalig 99 Dollar plus 24 Monatsraten je 20 Dollar, macht zusammen 579 Dollar. Die Vorgängermodelle 4 und 4S gibt es billiger.

Für T-Mobile hängt viel vom Erfolg des neuen Preismodells und des iPhones ab. Die Telekom-Tochter ist momentan dabei, mit dem kleineren Wettbewerber MetroPCS zu fusionieren. Die Partner haben alle erforderlichen Genehmigungen, jetzt müssen die MetroPCS-Aktionäre noch auf einer Hauptversammlung am 12. April ihr Okay geben - das Einführungsdatum des iPhones. Einige Großaktionäre hatten sich bereits ablehnend geäußert./das/DP/she


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22.03.2013 18:11

EU nimmt Apples Verträge mit Mobilfunkanbietern unter die Lupe


Mobilfunkanbieter hatten bisher meist
Schwierigkeiten, die iPhone-Nachfrage
nach der Einführung zu bedienen
Bild: dpa, Susanna Bates/Archiv

Die Europäische Kommission setzt sich mit den Beschwerden mehrerer Mobilfunkanbieter auseinander, die die mit Apple geschlossenen Verträge über den Vertrieb des iPhones für wettbewerbsschädigend halten. Es handle sich allerdings nicht um formelle Beschwerden, betonte EU-Sprecher Antoine Colombani gegenüber dem Wall Street Journal. Es gäbe einen gesunden Wettbewerb in diesem Markt, fügte der Sprecher hinzu.

Mehrere europäische Mobilfunkanbieter stören sich laut New York Times an Apples "ungewöhnlich strikten" Vorgaben für den Verkauf des iPhones. Angeblich setzt der kalifornische Konzern eine bestimmte Quote an Geräten fest, die der jeweilige Carrier über einen vorgegebenen Zeitraum abverkaufen muss – nicht verkaufte iPhones habe der Mobilfunkanbieter ebenfalls zu bezahlen. Der Manager eines Smartphone-Konkurrenten beklagte gegenüber der New York Times, diese strenge Verkaufsvorgabe dränge die Mobilfunkanbieter dazu, ihr Marketingbudget überwiegend für den iPhone-Verkauf einzusetzen.

Derzeit ist unklar, ob die Mobilfunkanbieter eine formelle Beschwerde einreichen wollen oder die Wettbewerbskommission eigenständig die Untersuchung aufnimmt. Nach Informationen des Wall Street Journal gibt es jedoch keine Anzeichen, dass die EU in unmittelbarer Zukunft eine formelle Untersuchung einleitet. (lbe)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.289.801 von teecee1 am 23.03.13 11:20:33

Exclusive: Clearwire expected to tap Sprint financing for April
Reuters – Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:12 PM EDT

By Nadia Damouni and Sinead Carew

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clearwire Corp plans to notify Sprint Nextel Corp on Thursday that it will tap another $80 million of financing in April as part of its deal with the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier, two people close to the matter said.

In December, Sprint offered $2.97 per share to buy the rest of Clearwire that it does not own, and provided the wireless broadband operator up to $800 million in financing that it could draw on in installments of $80 million over 10 months.

Clearwire had not tapped the financing in January or February as it said that it was still reviewing a counter offer from satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp. But Clearwire drew on the money for the first time in March while still saying it would keep talking to Dish.

Many Clearwire shareholders have said they were unhappy with the Sprint offer, which would need approval from the majority of Clearwire's minority investors. Sprint already owns almost a 51 percent stake in Clearwire.

The financing is in the form of debt that will be convertible to Clearwire shares in the event that its shareholders vote against Sprint's offer. So every installment that Clearwire accepts would further weaken its minority shareholders' clout in the future.

It is unclear if Dish, which made a counter offer for Clearwire in January for $3.30 per share, is still in deal talks with the carrier.

Spokesmen for Clearwire and Dish declined to comment, while a spokesman for Sprint was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Nadia Damouni and Sinead Carew; Editing by Ryan Woo)


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T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger gets thumbs-down from influential proxy adviser
March 28, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Institutional Shareholder Services, an influential proxy advisory firm seen as an arbiter between warring shareholders, recommended MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) shareholders vote against the carrier's proposed merger with T-Mobile USA on April 12.

ISS said that shareholders would receive an unfair share of the combined company and that MetroPCS would be able to survive as a standalone company. The recommendation gives a boost to Paulson & Co. and P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP, major MetroPCS shareholders that have argued the deal would leave MetroPCS shareholders with too little equity and that the new company will have too much debt.

MetroPCS has repeatedly batted back against those claims, and the wrangling is significant because the deal has received all necessary approvals from federal regulators and just needs shareholder approval.

"The question remains, 'Why now?'" ISS said. "Absent merging with T-Mobile, PCS will still have $1.5 billion of cash to dedicate to new spectrum in some way and could continue operating as a stand-alone company."

"In light of the negative market response to this transaction (shares are down 14.4% since announcement), the lower equity split than justified by the contribution of PCS to the combined entity, and the potential for PCS to continue to thrive as a stand-alone company, shareholders should vote against this transaction," ISS said in its report on the deal, according to the wall Street Journal.

MetroPCS has said that no other companies have made a bid for MetroPCS since its deal with T-Mobile was announced last fall.

T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere expressed strong confidence Tuesday that MetroPCS shareholders will approve the deal. "It will be approved," Legere said at an event to unveil T-Mobile's new plans and announce the launch of its LTE network and the iPhone, "despite the greedy hedge funds that are trying to take a double-dip out of that process."

"If anyone is being greedy here, it is Deutsche Telekom," Paulson & Co. said Wednesday in a statement. "While we support industry consolidation, the current proposal is a bad deal for MetroPCS shareholders. We believe MetroPCS is worth more as a stand-alone company."

Under the terms of the transaction, MetroPCS will engage in a reverse-merger with T-Mobile and parent Deutsche Telekom will own 74 percent the combined company, which will be public. MetroPCS will also declare a 1-for-2 reverse stock split and pay $1.5 billion in cash to its shareholders. Metro's minority shareholders want MetroPCS to retain a greater share of the combined entity than 26 percent.

Michael Mahoney, senior managing director at Falcon Point Capital, told Bloomberg that the deal's complexity may make MetroPCS investors rely more heavily on shareholder-advisory firms like ISS. "Because of the unique structure of this deal, ISS's decision is more important," said Mahoney, who doesn't own shares in either MetroPCS or Deutsche Telekom. Glass, Lewis & Co., another advisory firm, is also preparing a report on the deal and may release its recommendation as soon as today.

[teecee1]

Gratis Internetzugang für ärmere US-Familien geplant

FreedomPop bietet freies Datenvolumen von bis zu einem Gigabyte


Computer: limitieretes Internet kostenfrei als Ziel
(Foto: pixelio.de/R. Sturm)

Los Angeles/Wien (pte019/26.03.2013/12:45) - Kostenloses Internet mit einem Datenvolumen von bis zu einem Gigabyte wird in den USA zukünftig für Familien mit niedrigem Einkommen zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Dank einer Partnerschaft zwischen dem Internetdienstleister FreedomPop http://freedompop.com und der Non-Profit-Organisation Connect2Compete http://connect2compete.org soll jeder, der in einer Region lebt, in der das Durchschnittsjahreseinkommen unter 35.000 Dollar (rund 27.000 Euro) liegt, in der Lage sein, diesen Service zu beantragen.

Vorstoß begrüßenswert

Von Experten wird dieser Vorstoß begrüßt. "Ich habe selbst vor Jahren erlebt, wie eine obdachlose Person vor einem öffentlichen Terminal stehend mühevoll versucht hat, ein Formular auszufüllen. Damals klar geworden, wie absolut unverzichtbar das Internet mittlerweile für uns alle geworden ist", erläutert Maximilian Schubert, Generalsekretär der Internet Service Providers Austria http://ispa.at , im Interview mit pressetext. Deshalb setze sich die ISPA dafür ein, dass alle vom Internet profitieren können.

Darüber hinaus wäre es vor allem notwendig, entsprechenden Content anzubieten, der für alle interessant ist. "Es ist letztlich nicht ausschlaggebend, ob man ein internetfähiges Endgerät wie z.B. einen Computer oder ein Smartphone besitzt, sondern welcher Content verfügbar ist", betont Schubert. Dabei rückt er die Problematik der Unsicherheit gegenüber dem Urheberrecht in den Fokus. "Das Urheberrecht muss adaptiert werden, um den Internet-Usern die Angst vor einer allfälligen unabsichtlichen Haftung zu nehmen, wenn sie sich zum Beispiel bei sozialen Netzwerken registrieren. So muss auch das Urheberrecht muss schlichtweg internet-fit gemacht werden", erklärt der Fachmann.

Zugang vielen vorbehalten

Laut aktuellen Daten der Federal Communications Commission http://fcc.gov haben derzeit rund 19 Mio. Amerikaner noch immer keinen Zugang zum Internet, was es ihnen erschwert, sich in einer immer stärker vernetzten Welt auf dem Laufenden zu halten. Um sein Vorhaben auch tatsächlich einhalten zu können, hat FreedomPop angekündigt, bis Ende 2013 eine Mio. Familien, die bisher keine Möglichkeit hatten, auf das Internet zuzugreifen, am Gratis-Internet-Service teilhaben zu lassen.

(Ende)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.339.823 von teecee1 am 01.04.13 15:37:42

Zitterpartie
MetroPCS verteidigt geplante Fusion mit Telekom-Tochter
01.04.2013, 16:54 Uhr

T-Mobile USA will mit MetroPCS fusionieren. Doch immer mehr Aktionäre wenden sich gegen den Plan. Berater bemängelten, MetroPCS werde bei dem Deal zu niedrig bewertet. Dem widersprach das Unternehmen.


MetroPCS und T-Mobile USA kämen zusammen auf etwa 42 Millionen Handy-Kunden.
Quelle: dapd

New York/FrankfurtFür die Deutsche Telekom wird die geplante Fusion ihrer US-Tochter zur Zitterpartie: Immer mehr Aktionäre und Aktionärsberater wenden sich gegen die Hochzeit von T-Mobile USA und MetroPCS. Die einflussreichen Aktionärsberater Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) und Glass Lewis empfahlen den MetroPCS-Aktionären, bei der Hauptversammlung gegen den Plan zu stimmen. MetroPCS selbst bat seine Aktionäre am Montag noch einmal in einem Brief, der Fusion zuzustimmen. Die Anteilseigner sollen auf einer außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung am 12. April über das Milliardengeschäft entscheiden.

Die für viele institutionelle Anleger tätigen Berater bemängelten, MetroPCS werde in dem Deal zu niedrig bewertet. Der Rat dieser Firmen hat in den USA Gewicht – Aktionäre richten ihr Stimmverhalten daran aus. „Wir halten das für einen bedeutenden Vorgang, denn Index-Fonds folgen oft den Vorgaben von ISS", sagte Analystin Jennifer Fritzsche von Wells Fargo. Die MetroPCS-Aktionäre seien an dem neuen Unternehmen nicht ausreichend beteiligt, erklärte ISS. Zudem hätte MetroPCS als eigenständiges Unternehmen eine bessere Zukunft.

Dem widersprach das US-Unternehmen: Es sei nicht sicher, dass MetroPCS als eigenständiges Mobilfunkunternehmen mehr Wert für die Aktionäre erwirtschaften könne als zusammen mit T-Mobile USA. Der Vorstand empfehle den Anteilseignern daher einstimmig, zu ihrer grünen Stimmkarte zu greifen und das Angebot anzunehmen. „Wenn der vorgeschlagene Zusammenschluss nicht genehmigt wird, kommen die Aktionäre von Metro-PCS nicht in den Genuss seiner überzeugenden Vorteile", hieß es in dem Schreiben.

Nach derzeitiger Planung soll die Telekom nach der Fusion drei Viertel der Anteile halten, die bisherigen MetroPCS-Gesellschafter bekommen den Rest sowie 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar. Einige MetroPCS-Aktionäre hoffen auf ein besseres Angebot.

Ein Sprecher der Telekom hatte erklärt, die Bonner würden das Angebot nicht versüßen. Auf der Hauptversammlung von MetroPCS am 12. April in Texas muss die Mehrheit der Eigner für die Fusion mit der Telekom-Tochter stimmen, sonst platzt die Hochzeit. MetroPCS ist das fünftgrößte Mobilfunkunternehmen der USA, T-Mobile rangiert auf Platz vier.

Bislang zeichnete sich für die Telekom bei ihrem wichtigsten Projekt in Amerika ein Ja-Wort ab, denn es rebellierten lediglich zwei MetroPCS-Großaktionäre mit zusammen zwölf Prozent der Aktien. Dabei handelt es sich um die US-Anlagefirmen P. Schoenfeld Asset Management sowie Paulson & Co - letztere ist größter MetroPCS-Aktionär.

Eine Gruppe von Aktionären unter Führung des Merger Funds hat MetroPCS zudem am Donnerstag vor einem US-Bundesgericht verklagt. Sie wollen erreichen, dass die Abstimmung gestoppt wird. MetroPCS habe die Transaktion nicht gut genug erläutert, daher hätten die Aktionäre nicht ausreichend Informationen für eine Abstimmung. MetroPCS erklärte, es werde sich mit aller Kraft gegen die Klage wehren.

Am stärksten stören sich die Anteilseigner laut Analysten an den 21 Milliarden Dollar Schulden, die auf dem neuen Unternehmen nach der Fusion lasten würden. Analyst Kevin Smithen von Macquarie sagte, sollte die Telekom die Schulden des neuen Unternehmens um drei bis vier Milliarden Dollar reduzieren, würde das vielen Aktionären die Zustimmung erleichtern.
Deutsche Telekom

Der Telekom-Vorstand will T-Mobile USA eine kritische Größe verleihen und längerfristig den Weg für einen Ausstieg ebnen. MetroPCS und T-Mobile USA kämen zusammen auf etwa 42 Millionen Handy-Kunden. Damit könnten beide besser mit den Marktschwergewichten Verizon Wireless, AT&T und Sprint Nextel mithalten.

Eigentlich wollten sich die Bonner 2011 ganz aus den USA verabschieden. Der Verkauf von T-Mobile USA für 39 Milliarden Dollar an AT&T war schon beinahe in trockenen Tüchern - allerdings stoppten die US-Wettbewerbsbehörden die Transaktion in letzter Minute

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.339.823 von teecee1 am 01.04.13 15:37:42

02.04.2013 | 16:01

AFX News
Dish Network Subsidiary To Offer Approx. $1 Bln Of Senior Notes

MERIDIAN (dpa-AFX) - Dish Network Corp. (DISH) a provider of direct broadcast satellite subscription television services, Tuesday said its subsidiary, DISH DBS Corporation, plans to offer approximately $1 billion aggregate principal amount of its senior notes.

The company said it intends to utilize the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes which may include wireless and spectrum-related strategic transactions.


............................................................................

UPDATE 1-DISH Network announces debt offering

Tue Apr 2, 2013 10:11am EDT

(Reuters) - DISH Network Corp said it plans to offer around $1 billion in debt, potentially using the money for wireless and spectrum-related transactions.

It will offer about $1.0 billion of its senior notes, subject to market and other conditions, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

DISH has been looking to diversify beyond its core pay-TV business, which has matured and faces tough competition from cable, telecom and Internet video providers.

In January, DISH put in a bid of $3.30 per share for Clearwire, which had already agreed to sell itself to majority owner Sprint Nextel for $2.97 per share.

Clearwire has said that it would continue talks with Dish but that it has not changed its recommendation in favor of its agreement with No. 3 U.S. mobile provider Sprint.

Clearwire, Chairman Charlie Ergen has told investors he has "plenty of time" to work out a wireless strategy, the company also noted that it hopes to run wireless technology tests by the end of this year.

Ergen has acquired about $3 billion worth of wireless spectrum over the last few years.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.347.521 von teecee1 am 02.04.13 18:00:39

Dish raises $2.3 billion in debt for spectrum purchases


The sign in the lobby of the corporate headquarters of Dish Network is seen in
the Denver suburb of Englewood, Colorado April 6, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Wed Apr 3, 2013 9:10am EDT

(Reuters) - Dish Network, controlled by billionaire chairman Charlie Ergen, has priced a debt offering of $2.3 billion, more than double the amount of debt than it said it would offer a day ago.

The company, which made a $2.3 billion bid to buy a minority stake in wireless service provider Clearwire Corp in January, said the proceeds of the debt offering could be used for "wireless and spectrum-related strategic transactions."

The offering is expected to close April 5, Dish said in a statement. A spokesman for Dish was not immediately available for further comment on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Dish had said it planned to raise $1 billion in senior notes. The larger offering announced on Wednesday signals that demand was strong for Dish's debt.

Dish has been competing with Sprint for a minority stake in Clearwire. Sprint, already the majority owner of Clearwire, struck a deal in December to buy out the rest of the wireless company. But many Clearwire shareholders said they were unhappy with the Sprint offer, which would need approval from the majority of Clearwire's minority investors.

Clearwire has said that it would continue talks with Dish but that it has not changed its recommendation in favor of its agreement with No. 3 U.S. mobile provider Sprint.

Dish's Ergen has bought billions of dollars worth of spectrum in the past few years as the satellite pioneer aims to diversify his company's pay TV business, which competes in a mature market against cable, telecom and Internet video providers. Dish has more than 14 million satellite TV subscribers, making it one of the largest U.S. pay TV operators.

(Reporting By Liana B. Baker; Editing by Nick Zieminski)


............................................................................

03.04.2013 | 14:46
(21 Leser)

AFX News ·
Dish Network Subsidiary Prices $2.3 Bln Senior Notes Offering

MERIDIAN (dpa-AFX) - Dish Network Corp. (DISH) Wednesday said its subsidiary DISH DBS Corporation, has priced an offering of $1.1 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.125 percent Senior Notes due 2020, and $1.2 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.250 percent Senior Notes due 2018. The company said they will be issued at an issue price of 100 percent.

The company expects to use the fund for general corporate purposes, which may include wireless and spectrum-related strategic transactions.The offering is expected to close on April 5, subject to customary conditions.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.298.347 von teecee1 am 25.03.13 19:39:19

03.04.2013, aktualisiert heute, 00:43 Uhr

Übernahme-Gerücht
Verizon will von Vodafone nichts wissen

Quelle: Handelsblatt Online

Bewegung im Telekommunikationsmarkt: T-Mobile USA und MetroPCS wollen sich zusammentun. Nun heizten Spekulationen den Aktienmarkt an, Verizon wolle Vodafone ein Kaufangebot vorlegen. Bald darauf gab es lange Gesichter.


Der US-Telekom-Konzern Verizon dementiert einen Bericht über ein
Kaufangebot. Quelle: dpa

New York: Verizon sorgt bei Vodafone-Aktionären für lange Gesichter: Der US-Telekomkonzern dementierte am Dienstagabend, den britischen Branchenkollegen übernehmen zu wollen. Derzeit gebe es keine Absichten, ein Kaufangebot vorzulegen, hieß es in einer Mitteilung.

In London war die Vodafone-Aktie zuvor mit einem Aufschlag von fast drei Prozent aus dem Handel gegangen, nachdem in einem Blog der „Financial Times“ entsprechende Spekulationen angeheizt worden waren. Auch an den US-Börsen sorgte das Gerücht für Wirbel.

Laut einem Beitrag im „FT Alphaville“-Blog arbeiten Verizon und AT&T eine mögliche Übernahme des britischen Mobilfunkanbieters aus. Verizon könnte die 45-prozentige Beteiligung von Vodafone an dem Mobilfunkbetreiber Verizon Wireless übernehmen, AT&T das Vodafone-Geschäft außerhalb der USA, so der Blog-Autor unter Berufung auf mit der Sache vertraute Kreise.

Genannt wurde ein Preis von bis zu 260 Britischen Pence je Vodafone-Papier. Am Dienstag ging der Titel bei 192 Pence aus dem Handel.

dpa

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.340.743 von teecee1 am 01.04.13 18:54:47

boerse.ARD.de
02.04.2013 09:18

Fusion wird zur Zitterpartie
Verbockt es die Deutsche Telekom erneut?

MetroPCS gibt alles, um die Fusion mit T-Mobile USA noch zu retten. Dagegen gibt man sich in der Bonner Zentrale der Deutschen Telekom seltsamerweise recht bockig.


Noch-Telekom-Chef René Obermann war 2011
schon einmal in den USA gescheitert

Ein Sprecher der Telekom erklärte erneut, die Bonner würden ihr Angebot an die MetroPCS-Aktionäre nicht versüßen. Bereits vor dem Osterwochenende hatte sich T-Mobile-USA-Chef John Legere gegen die Forderungen "einiger gieriger Hedgefonds, die einen Nachschlag herausholen wollen", verwahrt.

Nicht nur Hedgefonds…

Eine Formulierung, die klar gegen Metro-Großaktionäre wie Paulson & Co. und Schoenfeld Asset Management zielte. Die beiden Hedgefonds halten zusammen rund zwölf Prozent der Metro-Aktien und sind große Gegner einer Fusion mit T-Mobile USA. Paulson und Schoenfeld bemängeln vor allem, dass das fusionierte Unternehmen mit 21 Milliarden Dollar viel zu hohe Schulden aufgeladen bekomme.

Mit dieser Meinung stehen die Hedgefonds übrigens nicht alleine da. Immer mehr Aktionäre und Aktionärsberater wenden sich gegen die Hochzeit von T-Mobile USA und MetroPCS. So haben auch die einflussreichen Aktionärsberater Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) und Glass Lewis den MetroPCS-Aktionären empfohlen, bei der Hauptversammlung gegen den Plan zu stimmen.

… auch Aktionärsberater gegen Fusion

Der Rat dieser Firmen hat in den USA Gewicht - Aktionäre richten ihr Stimmverhalten daran aus. "Wir halten das für einen bedeutenden Vorgang, denn Index-Fonds folgen oft den Vorgaben von ISS", sagte Analystin Jennifer Fritzsche von Wells Fargo.

Angesichts dieses Gegenwinds wäre es nur natürlich, wenn nun auch die beiden fusionswilligen Unternehmen in die Vollen gingen. Doch die Bonner geben sich merkwürdig zugeknöpft – ein echtes Werben um die Zustimmung der MetroPCS-Aktionäre findet nicht statt.

Kein bisschen Entgegenkommen

Dabei müsste die Deutsche Telekom ja noch nicht einmal ihr Angebot an die Aktionäre wesentlich nachbessern. Vielen Anteilseignern dürfte es wohl schon genügen, wenn die Telekom die Schulden des neuen Unternehmens um drei bis vier Milliarden Dollar reduzieren würde. Das würde vielen Aktionären die Zustimmung erleichtern, vermutet Analyst Kevin Smithen von Macquarie.

Doch ein derartiges Entgegenkommen ist von den Bonnern derzeit offenbar nicht zu erwarten. Dabei können sie sich eine solche Bockigkeit eigentlich gar nicht leisten. Schließlich gefährden sie damit ein erneutes Scheitern in den USA. 2011 hatten die US-Wettbewerbsbehörden einen Verkauf von T-Mobile USA an AT&T in letzter Minute verhindert.

MetroPCS gibt alles

Es scheint fast, als kämpfe der Telekom-Partner MetroPCS zunehmend auf verlorenem Posten. Der Vorstand des US-Mobilfunkanbieters rief seine Aktionäre am Montag erneut dazu auf, für den Zusammenschluss zu stimmen. Man empfehle den Anteilseignern einstimmig, zu ihrer grünen Stimmkarte zu greifen und das Angebot anzunehmen.

"Wenn der vorgeschlagene Zusammenschluss nicht genehmigt wird, kommen die Aktionäre von MetroPCS nicht in den Genuss seiner überzeugenden Vorteile", hieß es in dem Schreiben an die Aktionäre.

Am 12. April fällt die Entscheidung

Auf der Hauptversammlung von MetroPCS am 12. April in Texas muss die Mehrheit der Eigner für die Fusion mit der Telekom-Tochter stimmen, sonst platzt die Hochzeit.

Die Aktie der Deutschen Telekom startet mit einem Aufschlag von 0,6 Prozent auf 8,29 Euro in den neuen Handelstag. Die Aktie befindet sich seit 2011 im Abwärtstrend. Das technische Bild hatte sich zuletzt mit dem Sturz unter die 200-Tage-Linie weiter eingetrübt. Nach unten ist die T-Aktie bei 7,98 Euro, dem Februar-Tief, gut unterstützt.

ag

... ... Plan C, D, oder T ... Börsengang von T-Mobil USA ...

[teecee1]

03.04.2013 | 20:48
(76 Leser)

Crest Proposes Debt Financing to Clearwire As Alternative to Sprint Financing

PR Newswire
Press Release: Crest Financial Limited – 19 hours ago

HOUSTON, April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority shareholder of Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), today proposed to provide Clearwire $240 million in financing through a convertible debt facility. The arrangement, described in a letter to Clearwire's board, is superior to the financing provided by Sprint Nextel Corporation and designed to free Clearwire to explore alternatives to Sprint's inadequate merger offer, Crest said. The Crest proposal is similarly structured as the Sprint financing with Clearwire but is more favorable to Clearwire and its minority shareholders.

According to Clearwire's public disclosures, the proposed $240 million of financing would provide Clearwire with enough capital to build-out 2,000 LTE sites as planned and to pay its interest expenses in 2013. In addition with the $160 million that Clearwire has already received under the Sprint financing and cash on hand, Clearwire would have sufficient funds to build at least 2,133 sites above its 2,000 LTE site build-out plan. The proposed Crest financing would also provide Clearwire's board with more time to consider alternatives to the proposed merger with Sprint. Among other alternatives, the Crest financing would allow Clearwire to continue as an independent company and execute its multi-customer business plan that the Clearwire board's own financial advisors, Evercore Group and Centerview Partners, concluded is the most profitable business strategy Clearwire could pursue. In addition, it would give the Clearwire board the opportunity to pursue sales of excess spectrum, such as to DISH Network Corporation, to provide more liquidity to Clearwire. Crest believes that DISH made a real and actionable proposal to purchase a portion of Clearwire's excess spectrum some time ago but, for reasons known only to Clearwire, Clearwire has failed to complete such sale.

Under Crest's proposal, Crest would provide $240 million of debt financing to Clearwire through a note purchase agreement. The Crest notes would be issued at 1% interest rate per annum (the same as the Sprint Notes) and with the same maturity date as the Sprint notes. The Crest notes would be exchangeable at $2.00 per share, a significant premium of 33.3% above the $1.50 per share Sprint notes' exchange price. Crest's proposal is not contingent on financing; Crest and its affiliates have sufficient funds available to fund the $240 million in full.

In addition to the higher exchange price of $2.00 a share, the Crest notes have several advantages to the Sprint notes. First, the Crest notes remain available even if Clearwire's stockholders reject the - merger with Sprint. Second, if Clearwire were to draw on the Crest notes after the stockholders reject the merger with Sprint, the Crest notes would not become exchangeable until the maturity date in June 2018; by contrast, the Sprint notes are likely to become exchangeable in October 2013 (or sooner). Consequently, the Crest financing offers greater value to Clearwire stockholders by providing Clearwire with very inexpensive debt for a longer term and possibly avoiding substantial near-term dilution.

In a statement, David Schumacher, the General Counsel of Crest Financial Limited, said: " Today, Crest has proposed to the Clearwire's board an alternative: the liquidity it needs to continue the build-out of its TDD-LTE wireless network, to explore sales of excess spectrum to DISH or others to provide Clearwire with more liquidity, and to pursue a multi-customer strategy that ensures the highest value for its assets while at the same time avoiding additional draws on the coercive Sprint financing. To Crest, the benefits of our proposal to Clearwire and its stockholders are clear. The Sprint notes are intended to leave Clearwire's minority stockholders with the unfair choice of acquiescing to Sprint's inadequate merger offer or suffering significant dilution at the hands of Sprint. Our proposal is aimed at breathing new life into Clearwire by providing the liquidity and time that Clearwire needs to pursue the profitable multi-customer plan that will bring significantly more value to Clearwire's stockholders than the Sprint offer."

Crest's proposed debt financing to Clearwire's board can be found at http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest/.

About Crest Financial Limited
Crest Financial Limited is a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Texas. Its principal business is investing in securities. (...)

[teecee1]

KFZ-Versicherung
Höhere Prämien für Ärmere?
05.04.2013, 15:13 Uhr

Versicherer sind sich einig: Leute mit Geldproblemen zahlen schlecht und verursachen viele Unfälle. Dem wollen sie jetzt mit speziellen Tarifen beikommen. Sicherheitsfahrer dürfen dagegen auf niedrigere Preise hoffen.


KFZ-Versicherer werden findiger,
was neue Tarifmöglichkeiten angeht.
Nicht immer zu Gunsten der Kunden.
Quelle: dpa-tmn

München: Einige deutsche Versicherungen planen einem Bericht zufolge besondere Tarife für Autofahrer mit Geldproblemen. Wie die "Süddeutsche Zeitung" am Freitag berichtete, nehmen sich mehrere kleinere Direktversicherer ein Geschäftsfeld vor, das in Deutschland bislang verpönt war, in den USA und anderen Ländern aber schon seit einigen Jahren üblich sei. "Wir testen das gerade", sagte der Deutschlandchef der britischen Direct Line, David Stachon, der "SZ". Er hoffe, "dass wir zum Jahresende startbereit sind".

Die Preise liegen dem Bericht zufolge über denen von Wettbewerbern für ähnliche Fahrzeug- und Fahrerdaten. Die Kunden müssen jährlich oder vierteljährlich im Voraus zahlen. Dem Bericht zufolge versuchten bislang viele Versicherer, Autofahrer mit einer schlechten Bonität fernzuhalten. Dies sei nicht immer mit ganz sauberen Mitteln geschehen, da es in der Autoversicherung einen Annahmezwang gebe.

Die meisten Versicherer hätten bisher vor Spezialtarifen für Kunden mit schlechten Bonitätswerten zurückgeschreckt, weil sie Ärger mit der Finanzaufsicht BaFin wegen des Vorwurfs der Diskriminierung befürchteten. In der Branche herrsche Einigkeit darüber, dass diese Kunden schlecht zahlten und mehr Schäden verursachten.

KFZ-Versicherer werden findiger, was neue Tarifmöglichkeiten angeht. Vor rund einem Monat hatte das Handelsblatt über Pläne des US-Versicherungsriesen AIG berichtet. Das Unternehmen will auch außerhalb der USA Tarife einführen, die sich am Fahrverhalten des Versicherten orientieren. Um das Bewerten zu können, müsste der Fahrer ständig überwacht werden, Daten über Geschwindigkeit, Beschleunigung oder Fahrstrecke würden an den Versicherer übermittelt. ... ... könnte zur Pflicht werden ... wer zu schnell unterwegs ist wird automatisch abgebremmst ....

Dafür sollen Autos Chips mit sich führen, die die Daten übertragen. AIG hat sich bereits mit dem Mobilfunkbetreiber Vodafone zusammen getan. Während Datenschützer das Vorhaben kritisieren, ist der Versicherungskonzern sicher, dass Autofahrer sich für einen niedrigeren Tarif auch mal überwachen lassen. ... ... bei einem Unfall immer gut ...... oder, sich für einen niedrigen Preis, nach einem Besuch der Kneipe, Autonom nach Hause bringen lassen ...


... ... LTE machts möglich ... Car Black Box ... Autonomes Google Taxi ...

[teecee1]

DISH's $9 Billion Coffer and the Company's Future

By Michael Lewis |
April 5, 2013

DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) has lots and lots of cash -- more than $7 billion following this week's debt issuance. As opposed to other cash hoarders, there's no secret as to what the company wants to spend it on. DISH is knee-deep in the race for spectrum and wireless buildout to launch its much-anticipated 4G network. The question is, where will the company make its purchase? As Sprint (NYSE: S ) and Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR ) continue to cozy up, the satellite-television provider will likely have to look elsewhere for its spectrum bundle. Where will the billions go?

To buy, or be bought?

DISH Network, despite the occasional stumbles and mediocre subscriber gains, is a thriving business, with strong cash flows and sound management. Its biggest detractor is more than $11 billion in long-term debt.

The company does not need a buyer, but it may happen anyway. DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV ) has been killing it in Latin America, adding millions of subscribers in a relatively short period of time. Even in the U.S., where pay-tv penetration approaches total saturation, the company has increased its average revenue per user, and found ways to boost its North American cash flows. Meanwhile, DISH's numbers have suffered, similar to the numbers of cable companies.

This presents an interesting opportunity for both companies. DISH could use the Latin American subscriber growth, and DIRECTV could gain immediate exposure to the wireless network effort. It would be a pretty textbook case of a symbiotic merger -- more like an acquisition, since DTV is the bigger company.

In the company's last conference call, DISH CEO Charlie Ergen said he would have to consider the buyout possibility, because it just makes sense. While not the most enthusiastic language, he's absolutely right.

But, meanwhile, what is to be done with the billions the company just raised in a debt offering, not to mention the quarterly cash flows that continue to add hundreds of millions?

Spectrum! ... ... 2500 MHz-$0.68/MHz-Pop

DISH is starving for spectrum. At the end of last year, the company made an offer for Clearwire, but it never got too far, as Sprint, the original suitor, seems to have warmed up the former's board to the idea. There must be some potential elsewhere, though, as DISH just this week issued its latest debt of $1 billion, in addition to $4 billion in senior notes last year.

Besides increasing the company's $3.30 per share offer for Clearwire, which could induce a shareholder riot compared to Sprint's $2.97 offer, the company could back Deutsche Telekom's proposed takeover of MetroPCS. This would accomplish nearly the same thing, and a JV with the German telecom juggernaut could add a sense of security for investors and analysts.

The next few months will be very interesting for DISH shareholders, as it may show the future direction (and viability) of the company. If any of the above materialize, it would be a win for investors.


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Deutsche Telekom pokert um Übernahme von MetroPCS
Freitag, 5. April 2013, 17:13 Uhr


A man walks past the logo of Deutsche Telekom AG that is reflected on glass
at their headquarters, in this file photo taken in Bonn December 5, 2012.
REUTERS/Ina Fassbender/Files

Frankfurt (Reuters) - Im Übernahme-Hickhack mit widerspenstigen Aktionären (... ... T-Online, Rick's & Sommer's Börsen-Offerten eins, zwei und drei, etc. ... wohl schon halb vergessen!!! ... ...) um den US-Mobilfunkanbieter MetroPCS hat die Deutsche Telekom noch einen Trumpf in der Hinterhand.

Der Bonner Konzern erwägt, die MetroPCS-Eigner mit einem Aufschlag zu den bisherigen Konditionen auf seine Seite zu ziehen, wie Reuters von zwei mit der Situation vertraute Personen erfuhr. "Sie haben eine Woche für eine Entscheidung und arbeiten derzeit daran", sagte eine dritte Person. Die Stellungnahme der Telekom dazu änderte sich: Zunächst dementierte ein Unternehmenssprecher und betonte, dass die Telekom keine Pläne für Verbesserung des Angebots hege. Später ruderte der Dax-Konzern zurück: Angesichts der Gerüchte über eine verbesserte Offerte wolle man klarstellen, dass die Telekom keine Stellungnahme dazu abgebe.

Das 230.000 Mitarbeiter starke Unternehmen kündigt vor einem halben Jahr an, seine Krisentochter T-Mobile USA mit den fünftgrößten Anbieter MetroPCS zusammenlegen zu wollen. Die Metro-Eigner stimmen am 12. April über die Fusion ab. Nach Aussagen einer mit dem Ablauf vertrauten Person vom Freitag können die Bonner ihr Angebot "bis zur letzten Minute" noch aufbessern - das Aktionärstreffen müsste dann um ein bis zwei Wochen verschoben werden.

HIGH NOON IN TEXAS

Nach dem Willen der Deutschen erhalten die Aktionäre des Unternehmens aus Texas in Zuge der Fusion 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar - also 4,09 Dollar je Anteilsschein. Zudem werden sie mit 26 Prozent an dem neuen Unternehmen beteiligt - die restlichen 74 Prozent gehen an die Telekom. Gleichzeitig werden der neuen Firma Schulden von 21 Milliarden Dollar aufgeladen.

Nach Ansicht von einigen Großinvestoren und den Aktionärsberatern Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) und Glass Lewis werden die Metro-Eigner benachteiligt. Insbesondere letztere haben Einfluss: Nach ihrem Rat richten sich die Manager großer Fonds in den USA und stimmen dementsprechend ab. Nach dem negativen Votum der Aktionärsberater sei kaum noch damit zu rechnen, dass die Eigner dem Deal auf der Hauptversammlung zustimmen, sagte ein Telekom-Großaktionär zuvor zu Reuters. Deshalb müssten die Bonner mehr auf den Tisch legen. "Die Telekom wird jetzt mit MetroPCS-Aktionären sprechen, um ein Gefühl dafür zu bekommen, ab welchem Level sie zustimmen könnten", sagte Analyst Wolfgang Sprecht vom Bankhaus Lampe.

Nach dem geplatzten Verkauf von T-Mobile an den Branchenriesen AT&T kann sich die Telekom einen zweiten Reinfall nicht erlauben. "MetroPCS ist zwar eine Notlösung, aber immer noch besser als ein Alleingang von T-Mobile USA." Die Strategie der US-Telekom-Tochter sei bereits voll auf ein gemeinsames Unternehmen ausgerichtet. "Die neue Produktpipeline von T-Mobile USA mit vielen Smartphones erfordert Bandbreite, und die soll von MetroPCS kommen", führte Branchenexperte Specht aus.

Der Telekom-Vorstand will T-Mobile USA eine kritische Größe verleihen und längerfristig den Weg für einen Ausstieg ebnen. MetroPCS und T-Mobile USA kämen zusammen auf etwa 42 Millionen Handy-Kunden. Damit könnten beide besser mit den Marktschwergewichten Verizon Wireless, AT&T und Sprint Nextel mithalten.

... ... erst billig mit Tafelsilber abfertigen und dann später mit Messing vergolden ...

[teecee1]

USA: Internet-User verzichten vermehrt auf Kabel-TV

30 Prozent der US-Bevölkerung steigt auf Online-Streaming um


TV: Stream-Trend aus USA rollt nach Europa
(Foto: pixelio.de, Altmann)

Playa Vista/Rochester/Graz (pte004/04.04.2013/06:15) - Ein Drittel aller Internet-User in den USA würden auf ihren Fernseher verzichten und ihre Lieblings-Programme nur noch online schauen. Viele davon haben dies bereits umgesetzt. Zu diesem Schluss kommt eine Untersuchung von Belkin http://belkin.com und Harris Interactive http://harrisinteractive.com. Das Online-Streaming von Videos im Internet hat über die Jahre immer mehr an Popularität gewonnen, sodass traditionelles Fernsehen zusehends abnimmt. Zwölf Prozent der Internet-Befürworter sind sogar stark für den Austausch. Für 2014 wird sogar prognostiziert, dass sich die Hälfte der US-Bevölkerung online unterhalten lassen wird.

Trend-Welle Richtung Europa

"Der Trend aus den USA rollt auch auf uns zu, allerdings mit einer kleinen Zeitverzögerung von ungefähr zwei bis drei Jahren. Das ist eine logische Vernetzung oder Verschmelzung der Medien", erklärt Martin Ebner vom Institut für Informationssysteme und Computer-Medien an der Technischen Universität Graz http://tugraz.at im Interview mit pressetext.

Ob alte Medien durch neue wider aller Entgegnungen nun doch ersetzt werden, ist laut dem Experten eine Definitionssache. "Es gibt bereits vermehrt Fernseher, die mit dem Internet vernetzt sind", sagt er. Dies sei weder eine Ablöse noch ein Ersatz, sondern vielmehr eine andere Form der Nutzung. "Zukünftig wird nicht mehr ausschließlich über die Satelliten-Schüssel empfangen, sondern im Internet gestreamt", führt der Fachmann aus.

Kabel-Anbieter passen Angebot an

Wirkliche Konsequenzen hat diese Tendenz für Kabel-Anbieter jedoch nicht. "Sie werden sich der Kundennachfrage anpassen und diese in ihr Angebot auch dementsprechend einspeisen. Zudem wird Internet bereits über Kabel angeboten", so Ebner.

Die Diskussion über den crossmedialen Antrieb laufe dabei in eine andere Richtung. "Es stellen sich vielmehr die Fragen, inwieweit Crossmedia eine Belastung für andere Medien sind und was es für die Netzwerkneutralität bedeutet", schließt der Spezialist ab.

(Ende)


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Netflix wants to stream 'House of Cards' in 4K by 2014

By Chris Welch on March 14, 2013 01:11 pm

Netflix's Neil Hunt believes 4K content "will likely be streamed first before it goes anywhere else" and it seems the company's original smash hit series House of Cards was produced with just that in mind. In outlining plans to deliver ultra high-def content to Netflix subscribers within the next year or two, Hunt confirmed to The Verge that House of Cards was filmed in 4K from the start. "Our own original House of Cards was shot in 4K," he said. "It's being mastered in full HD, but the raw footage, or a good chunk of it, was shot in 4K, and we hope to have some House of Cards 4K encodes later this year." What's unclear is how quickly US broadband providers will be up to the task of streaming those encodes to consumers. 4K is still a nascent living room technology and we don't envision demand soaring in the next year or two, so Netflix has time to work out a viable strategy.

The news isn't entirely surprising: David Fincher — who directed the first two episodes — is a big advocate of the format. His motion pictures The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were both shot in 4K, and Fincher has outlined plans to stick with the resolution for his future projects. Still, recording in 4K no doubt contributed to the massive investment Netflix made in House of Cards. It seems those lucky enough to own a 4K set won't need to wait long to see that commitment pay off.

Update: We've updated the article's headline so that it's consistent with Hunt's statement that Netflix plans to deliver 4K within "a year or two."


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Netflix Chief Product Officer: expect 4K streaming within a year or two

Neil Hunt talks site outages, streaming 4k, and the company's gold mine of user data

By Greg Sandoval on March 14, 2013 01:00 pm

Neil Hunt is likely the most important Netflix executive that nobody's ever heard of. While everyone in tech media knows CEO Reed Hastings and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, Hunt's kept a low profile despite the pivotal position he holds as the company's chief product officer. Hunt looks after the video service's technology, including the streaming platform, as well as the tech behind the new feature announced yesterday, which will enable subscribers to share what they watch with their Facebook friends.

Hunt also oversees the unprecedented amount of user data that Netflix sits on. The data helps his team create the algorithms that support Netflix's recommendation features. At a time when the cost of licensing content is spiking, Hunt said in an exclusive interview with The Verge that these recommendations help Netflix and its subscribers get the most out of Netflix's video library by suggesting titles that customers are more likely to enjoy. Hunt also talked about those nasty holiday site outages, why Hollywood and Web movie distributors need better supply-chain technology, and why he thinks the film industry places too much emphasis on pixel counts when the sweet spot for improving viewing quality is higher frame rates.

What is the biggest technological hurdle for you right now? Where are you most focused?

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/14/4098896/netflix-chief-prod…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.278.422 von teecee1 am 20.03.13 20:09:14

FTTH
Google Fiber für eine neue Großstadt

Datum: 7.4.2013, 13:43
Autor: Achim Sawall

Ein lokaler Fernsehsender hat aus der Stadtverwaltung erfahren, dass Google Fiber in eine weitere Großstadt kommt. Eine offizielle Ankündigung gibt es noch nicht.

Das 1-GBit/s-Angebot Google Fiber kommt nach Austin, die Hauptstadt des US-Bundesstaates Texas. Der ABC-Sender KVUE TV berichtet unter Berufung auf mehrere Quellen in der Regierung der Stadt, dass der Plan für den Glasfaserausbau bereits beschlossen sei. Google hat in dem Google-Fiber-Blog noch keine Aussage über Austin gemacht.

Google Fiber gibt es bisher in Kansas City. Hinzu kam Olathe im US-Bundesstaat Kansas mit 125.000 Einwohnern. Die Stadtverwaltung von Olathe habe dem Ausbau zugestimmt, erklärte Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack. Laut Angaben der Stadtverwaltung wird über Verträge für den Betrieb eines Festnetzes und eines "potenziellen" drahtlosen Netzwerks verhandelt. Die Stadt erhält 5 Prozent des Umsatzes, den Google so generiert.

Eine offizielle Ankündigung von Google für Austin werde für den kommenden Dienstag erwartet, so KVUE TV.

Ein Glasfaseranschluss mit 1 GBit/s, sowohl im Up- als auch im Downstream und ohne Volumenlimit, kostet 70 US-Dollar pro Monat. Der Vertrag läuft mindestens ein Jahr, eine Anschlussgebühr fällt nicht an. Zudem sind Google Drive mit einem Speichervolumen von 1 TByte und eine Anschlussbox im Preis enthalten.

Für 120 US-Dollar pro Monat bei zwei Jahren Vertragslaufzeit gibt es zusätzlich ein Paket mit zahlreichen Fernsehsendern in HD samt einer Set-Top-Box, Googles Tablet Nexus 7 und einem NAS.

Die dritte Tarifform ist ein Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s im Downstream und 1 MBit/s im Upstream für einmalig 300 US-Dollar, ohne Volumenbeschränkung und mit der Garantie, dass der Dienst mindestens sieben Jahre lang zur Verfügung steht.

Das Blog der Wall Street Journals All Things D und Cnet haben eine Einladung von Google erhalten. Danach planen Google und die Stadt Austin eine "sehr wichtige Ankündigung" für die kommende Woche.


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Google reveals first expansion of speedy Google Fiber service

Residents of the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kan., will soon be getting access to the Web giant's high-speed Internet service.

by Steven Musil
March 19, 2013 10:48 PM PDT


Google's Fiber expansion plans .
(Credit: Google)

Google has gotten the green light for the first expansion of Google Fiber, the Internet and video service the Web giant offers to the twin cities of Kansas City.

Google announced today that the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kan., (population 125,000) would be getting access to the high-speed Internet service after the Olathe city council approved the company's service roll-out proposal. Google, which didn't offer any launch specifics, said it was also poised to launch service in other locations.

"We think that Fiber and widespread Internet access will help to create jobs, grow local businesses, and make Olathe even stronger as it grows," Rachel Hack, a Google Fiber community manager, wrote on the company's fiber blog. "Hopefully, this is the first of several announcements that we'll be able to make about bringing Google Fiber to additional cities in the KC metro area; so stay tuned."

The expansion comes less than nine months after Google launched its 1-gigabit-per-second broadband service in Kansas City and unveiled a new interactive television service called Google Fiber TV. Google offers three packages, including the high-end $120 a month for the Gigabit and Fiber TV service package, $70 for 1Gbps broadband only, and the cost-free but limited-time service of 5Mbps download speeds and 1Mbps uploads.

For an introductory period, people who sign up for the two services won't have to pay the $300 construction fee.

[teecee1]

New Report by Former FCC Commissioner Refutes Sprint Study on Value of Clearwire
PR Newswire
Press Release: Crest Financial Limited – 16 hours ago

HOUSTON, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, disputes the conclusions of a study commissioned by Sprint Nextel Corporation and a separate institutional equity research report published by DA Davidson about the value of Clearwire Corporation (CLWR).

Furchtgott-Roth today said that the Sprint study authored by Dr. Kostas Liopiros -- "Value and Utility of the U.S. 2.5 Ghz Spectrum Band" -- is "unreliable." He said it misstates the value of Sprint's offer for Clearwire and is inconsistent with the public representations of Clearwire officers and the publicly reported financial statements of Clearwire. The Furchtgott-Roth report was funded by Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority shareholder of Clearwire, and was filed by Crest with the FCC and the Securities and Exchange Commission today.

According to Furchtgott-Roth: "Throughout the Liopiros Report are statements that implicitly call into question the integrity and reliability of the financial statements of Clearwire. The Liopiros Report states that the value of higher frequency spectrum is less than lower frequency spectrum; the Clearwire financial statements make no such adjustments. The Liopiros Report states that EBS spectrum is worth substantially less than BRS spectrum; the Clearwire financial statements do not treat its EBS and BRS spectrum differently. The Liopiros Report states that unpaired spectrum is worth substantially less than paired spectrum; the Clearwire financial reports make no such distinction or adjustment in value. An analysis of the Clearwire financial statements reveals a value of the Sprint offer of $2.97 per share corresponds to a value of $0.11 per Mhz pop. The Liopiros Report states the value is $0.21 per Mhz pop."

Furchtgott-Roth further said that the DA Davidson report -- Institutional Equity Research, "Clearwire Corp.," dated April 1, 2013 – repeats the mistaken valuation of the Sprint offer and makes the error of valuing the Sprint offer at $0.21 or even $0.22 per Mhz pop, primarily by not excluding the value of other assets. Furchtgott-Roth said that the DA Davidson report "seems to take a rather unsubstantiated and dim view of the accuracy of Clearwire's financial records and any report based upon them."

The Furchtgott-Roth study can be found at http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest/.

About Crest Financial Limited

Crest Financial Limited is a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Texas. Its principal business is investing in securities. (...)


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Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Softbank To Raise $2bn Via Dollar-, Euro-Based Bond Issues

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Softbank Corp. (9984) said Monday that it plans to procure a total of 2 billion dollars, or roughly 194 billion yen, by issuing dollar- and euro-denominated bonds.

Details such as coupons and issuance schedules have yet to be determined. The bonds, which are expected to mature in 2020, will be sold to investors in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

The proceeds will be put toward Softbank's roughly 20.1 billion dollar acquisition of U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Nextel Corp., scheduled for midyear, and to repay loans.

Softbank floated a combined 370 billion yen in bonds last month, of which 300 billion yen was geared for retail investors. The foreign-currency-denominated bonds will enable the firm to diversify fundraising and curb some currency fluctuation risk.

Subsidiaries Softbank Mobile Corp. and Softbank Telecom Corp. will guarantee the principal and interest payments for the foreign-currency-denominated bonds.

Softbank currently holds an A rating from Japan Credit Rating Agency Ltd., along with BBB ratings from Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service. With the coming bond issuances, the company says it will seek new ratings from the U.S. agencies.

(The Nikkei, April 9 morning edition)


............................................................................

Nomura Retakes Top Bond Rank After Softbank Sale: Japan Credit
By Takahiko Hyuga - Apr 9, 2013 6:54 AM GMT+0200

Nomura Holdings Inc. (8604) regained the top spot in Japan’s bond underwriter rankings as it mobilized a 177-branch network to help Softbank Corp. (9984) sell debt to households and the impact of an insider-trading scandal faded. (...)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news//2013-04-09/nomura-retakes-top…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.387.919 von teecee1 am 08.04.13 20:08:06

Die bittere Wahrheit über Kabel-Konzerne - Extrem Decent Films



Die Spaßvögel von Extremely Decent Films haben sich die Kabel-Unternehmen vorgeknöpft und fordern: Schluss mit den Lügengeschichten über Service und Leistungen! Die YouTube-Gemeinde jubelt.

April 2013

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.387.919 von teecee1 am 08.04.13 20:08:06

Google Makes Its Austin Fiber Plans Official: Texas City Will Be Connected By Mid-2014

Ingrid Lunden
2013-04-09 at 17.15.27



Google has finally made it official: Austin will be the second city, after Kansas City, for Google Fiber, its high-speed broadband Gigabit internet and TV service. The news, made at an announcement in Austin just now, comes after three years of campaigning by the city. The aim is for the first homes in Austin to be connected by mid-2014.

Austin’s Mayor Lee Leffingwell (pictured) made the announcement.

“There is one particular resource we need that we’ve heard loud and clear and can help make our city more innovative and make it stronger,” he said. He is, of course, referring to high-speed internet, and the fact that Austin is already a major hub for technology, music, and education.

The service, which will compete against existing broadband and pay-TV providers, will “turbo charge” our future, in the words of Laura Morrison, a councilperson also speaking at the event. It’s also noted in a blog post.

“We’re here because speed matters,” Milo Medin, VP of Google Fiber, said at the event today, pinpointing that it’s not often the matter of speed of the software and services that companies like Google develop, but infrastructure that is to blame when things are slow. “It’s the foundation for future innovation on the web.”

As Google did with residents of Kansas City, Austinites will have access to different tiers of service, including free internet-only Gigabit access, if they pay for installation.

Medin reiterated that Austin’s service will be rolled out in a similar fashion to Kansas City: residents in neighborhoods will sign up to request that Google build out in their neighborhoods; that will then be used to measure demand and decide which cities will be selected first to become “fiberhoods.” Google plans to link up schools, hospitals and other non-profit institutions free of charge as part of the process.

Austin’s campaign was a long and public one. “When we were originally choosing where to bring Fiber in 2010, Austin had one of the most enthusiastic responses,” Google notes on its Austin Fiber microsite, in answer to the question of why it chose Austin. It’s not clear whether Google gets any additional help by way of financing or anything else on the project, but it does note that it’s coming with support from all the top brass. “Austin city leaders have worked hard to make this possible, and we’re excited to be here.”

Stakeholders’ enthusiasm was really overflowing, judging by the number of leaks on the news over the last few days. First, there were reports from a local TV station about a Google event that would be held this week.

Then, Google gave the news a date with an event invite for 9am Austin time today sent out to locals.

Google then posted, and subsequently removed, a blog post (or marker for a blog post) that would be used to announce the news on its Fiber Blog.

Yesterday, yet another leak came and went, this time from the academic community that was getting involved.

In the meantime, while Google has remained mum on some of the investment specifics and longer term goals of this service, we are seeing more vocal observers estimating how much all this fiber business is going to cost the search giant.

A report published by analysts at the investment bank Bernstein yesterday noted that it would cost Google $11 billion if it decided to go for a medium-sized national rollout, covering 20 million people. That’s just for laying down infrastructure; the costs would go up by much more when marketing and then linking up homes and businesses to that network get factored in.

Although Bernstein raised the issue of whether this pricetag makes a national rollout unviable or at least less likely, it looks like Google’s efforts, such as these announced today in Austin, will be useful to the company regardless of what it decides to do elsewhere.

For starters, the evidence of public demand could serve to help push other service providers to build out high-speed services. It also helps Google collect lots of important data about how such networks are used and for what — crucial as the company continues to explore ways of expanding its existing routes to revenue growth.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/09/google-makes-its-austin-fib…

[teecee1]

Hedge fund Aurelius offers Clearwire $80 million financing


REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Sinead Carew
Tue Apr 9, 2013 6:30pm EDT

(Reuters) - Hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management LP on Tuesday offered $80 million in financing to wireless service provider Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) as an alternative to convertible financing proposed by majority shareholder Sprint Nextel (S.N), which is trying to buy the rest of Clearwire.

The move by Aurelius, which typically invests in distressed debt, is the latest twist surrounding Sprint's controversial proposal to buy the roughly 49 percent of Clearwire it does not own. Shareholders have complained about Sprint's offer.

It follows an offer last week from Clearwire minority shareholder Crest Financial Ltd for $240 million in debt financing that would also be an alternative to what Sprint has offered.

Clearwire confirmed it received the offer from Aurelius and said its board's special committee would "evaluate the offer to determine what, if any, action to take."

Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire, which has said it only has funding until year-end with help from Sprint, has been seeking financing to upgrade its network and to support operations.

Clearwire in January had received a preliminary counter-bid from satellite service provider Dish Network (DISH.O) for $3.30 per share.

DA Davidson analyst Donna Jaegers said the latest proposal gives Clearwire more choice for near-term funding, but it does not solve any long-term problems.

"I think (Aurelius) puts the pressure on Clearwire to look at some of the alternative funding, since it seems to be better terms than Sprint's funding," Jaegers said.

Jaegers said that Clearwire would still need Sprint to buy the company unless it receives a firm counter-offer for its spectrum or signs up new wholesale wireless customers besides Sprint, which rents space on Clearwire's network and is its biggest customer.

In a letter to Clearwire's board, Aurelius said on Tuesday that its notes would be exchangeable for Clearwire stock at $2 per share. (r.reuters.com/rad37t)

Clearwire has taken $160 million in financing from Sprint (S.N) so far this year in the form of notes that would be convertible to Clearwire stock at $1.50 per share.

It could take another $480 million of financing from Sprint in monthly installments of $80 million under the terms of their agreement. Clearwire had declined the Sprint funding in January and February because it was reviewing the Dish offer, which involved a condition that it avoid taking the Sprint financing.

Aurelius suggested that Clearwire could avoid taking more of the financing available from Sprint by combining its financing with the Crest financing and potentially find another $160 million from other investors.

Crest is among a group of Clearwire shareholders that have complained about Sprint's offer price of $2.97 per share, which would need approval from a majority of Clearwire shareholders.

The Sprint debt offering has also been controversial because since Sprint can convert Clearwire debt into equity it would reduce the clout of Clearwire's existing minority holdings.

Clearwire's shares have risen well above Sprint's offer price as many investors have bet that it will be forced to sweeten its bid. Clearwire shares closed down a penny at $3.26 on Tuesday on Nasdaq.

Aurelius urged Clearwire to accept its proposal within two weeks so the companies would have time to complete their paperwork before May, the next time Clearwire could draw on Sprint's financing.

Aurelius is known as an uncompromising hedge fund that involves itself in high-profile distressed debt cases. It was a major player in Tribune Co's protracted bankruptcy as lenders and junior creditors fought for four years before the newspaper and broadcasting company emerged from Chapter 11.

The fund has also taken on countries; Aurelius sued Argentina for $1.3 billion in payments on defaulted bonds.

(Additional reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York and Supantha Mukherjee in Bangalore; Editing by Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.396.825 von teecee1 am 09.04.13 20:36:09

ZDNet / News
Google Fiber bringt Glasfaser-Internet nach Austin in Texas
von Bernd Kling am 10. April 2013, 13:11 Uhr



Nach einem Pilotprojekt in Kansas City will Google auch die Hauptstadt von Texas mit schnellem Internetzugang und Kabelfernsehen zu vergleichsweise günstigen Preisen versorgen. Das als Google Fiber bezeichnete Glasfasernetz soll den Bewohnern ab Mitte 2014 einen Internetzugang mit 1 GBit/s (Upstream sowie Downstream) bieten. Der Suchkonzern betätigt sich damit in einem größeren Markt als Provider und tritt in direkten Wettbewerb zu den etablierten Anbietern Time Warner Cable, AT&T sowie Verizon, die für weit weniger Leistung gut doppelte Preise verlangen.


Austin ist die Hauptstadt von Texas und hat rund 800.000 Einwohner. Es ist durch seine Universität sowie zahlreiche ansässige Technologiefirmen geprägt und wird deshalb auch als Silicon Hills bezeichnet. “Es ist ein Mekka der Kreativität und des Unternehmertums, mit florierenden künstlerischen und Tech-Communities”, beschreibt ein Blogeintrag Googles die Stadt. “Wir sind sicher, dass die Leute dort erstaunliche Dinge mit dem Gigabit-Zugang unternehmen werden.”

Die Leistungen und Konditionen sollen ähnlich wie zuvor in Kansas City ausfallen. Ein Anschluss mit 1 GBit/s kostet dort monatlich 70 Dollar. Für insgesamt 120 Dollar monatlich kommt ein Paket mit einer Vielzahl von TV-Sendern hinzu, wiederum deutlich günstiger als bei US-Kabelanbietern üblich. Ein weiterer Tarif bietet gegen die einmalige Zahlung von 300 Dollar – entsprechend den Kosten für einen Glasfaseranschluss – sieben Jahre lang uneingeschränkten Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s Downstream und 1 MBit/s Upstream. Zu den günstigen Angeboten könnte auch eine von Google patentierte Glasfaser-Verlegetechnik beitragen

Wie in Kansas City unterteilt Google die Stadt in als “Fiberhoods” bezeichnete Nachbarschaften. Das Netz wird zuerst in den Bezirken ausgebaut, in denen sich viele Bewohner für einen Glasfaseranschluss entscheiden. Der Ausbau beginnt außerdem erst, wenn sich zwischen 5 und 25 Prozent der Bewohner einer Nachbarschaft für Google Fiber voranmelden.

“Google Fibers nächster Halt ist in Austin, Texas” steht über Googles Ankündigung. Darin liegt die klare Ansage eines weiteren Ausbaus in vielleicht noch größeren Städten. Unklar ist aber noch immer, ob der Suchkonzern für sich ernsthaft eine Zukunft als Internet Service Provider sieht. Denkbar ist auch, dass er die etablierten Anbieter zu einem besseren Ausbau ihrer Netze provozieren will.

Sofern das Googles Ziel ist, scheint die Rechnung aufzugehen. Nachdem es die Pläne für Google Fiber offiziell bekanntgab, kündigte AT&T noch am gleichen Tag an, in Austin ebenfalls ein Glasfasernetz mit Gigabit-Geschwindigkeit ausbauen zu wollen.

[mit Material von Donna Tam, News.com]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.04.2013 07:45

heise online
Google bringt Glasfaser nach Texas

Google will seinen aus Kansas City bekannten Glasfaserdienst Google Fiber auch nach Austin, Texas, bringen. Dies hat der Datenkonzern am Dienstag bekannt gegeben. Die Hauptstadt von Texas hat gut 800.000 Einwohner und ist damit geringfügig größer als San Francisco. Die ersten Anschlüsse könnten Mitte kommenden Jahres aktiviert werden. Welche Stadtteile konkret erschlossen werden und was es genau kosten wird ist noch offen; das Angebot soll sich aber am Modell aus Kansas City orientieren.

Dort gibt es eine Gigabit-Leitung für 70 US-Dollar pro Monat (54 Euro netto), mit Kabel-TV steigt der Preis auf 120 US-Dollar (92 Euro netto). Außerdem gibt es ein auf sieben Jahre garantiertes Angebot mit 5 MBit/s Bandbreite im Download und 1 MBit/s im Upload. Nach einer einmaligen Installationsgebühr von 300 US-Dollar werden in diesem Fall über die Laufzeit keine monatlichen Gebühren fällig.

Allerdings gibt es keine Garantie für einen Anschluss: Google hat Kansas City in 202 "Fiberhoods" eingeteilt. Nur wenn sich in einem solchen Gebiet 5 bis 25 Prozent der Einwohner voranmelden, eine Registrierungsgebühr von 10 US-Dollar entrichten und sich ein Google-Konto einrichten, wird Google Fibre in dem Gebiet angeboten. In den anderen Stadtteilen dürfte es auf längere Zeit auch keine alternativen Glasfaserangebote geben, da der in Summe in der Stadt erreichbare Kundenkreis zu klein sein dürfte. ... ... mobil ...

Ein kritischer Artikel in der Aprilausgabe des – nach US-amerikanischem Verständnis liberalen – Harper's Magazine widmet sich Google Fiber in Kansas City. Demnach war es in ärmeren, vor allem von Schwarzen bewohnten Gebieten schwierig, genügend Voranmeldungen zu bekommen. Wohltätigkeitsorganisationen sammelten Geld für die Registrierungsgebühr und Gruppen aus Lehrern, Bibliothekaren und Google-Mitarbeitern gingen von Tür zu Tür. Erst so kamen ausreichend viele Voranmeldungen zusammen, um die Mehrheit der Fiberhoods zu erschließen.

Ein Teil der Kosten wird aus Steuergeldern finanziert. Kansas City hat dem Bericht zu Folge auf Dauer auf jegliche Regulierung von Google Fiber verzichtet, wird Google nicht besteuern und auch keine Gebühren für Wegerechte oder Zugang zu Leitungen, Rackspace, Schächten, Pfosten etc. einheben. Sicherheitsinspektionen sind für Google kostenlos, die Stadt zahlt Googles Stromrechnung und stellt Büros sowie ein Geschäftslokal gratis zur Verfügung. Der Bürgermeister soll sich ohne Genehmigung Googles gar nicht mehr zu Google Fiber äußern dürfen.

Natürlich hat Google in Kansas City trotzdem erhebliche Investitionen getätigt. Dafür erhält Google wertvolle Daten über die exakte Internet- und TV-Nutzung der Kunden; dazu zählen auch öffentliche Einrichtungen wie Schulen, Bibliotheken und Krankenhäuser. (Daniel AJ Sokolov) / (anw)

[teecee1]

11.04.2013 | 09:38
(104 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP 2: Telekom will Übernahme von MetroPCS mit versüßter Offerte retten

(Neu: HV-Verschiebung, Aktienkurs und weitere Details)

BONN (dpa-AFX) - Mit einer versüßten Offerte versucht die Telekom den Widerstand von MetroPCS-Aktionären aufzuweichen und die milliardenschwere Übernahme zu retten. Die wichtigste Veränderung des Angebots liegt darin, dass die Bonner dem fusionierten Unternehmen weniger Schulden auferlegen. Das Darlehen der Telekom an MetroPCS wird statt 15 Milliarden Dollar nun nur 11,2 Milliarden Dollar betragen, der Zins für den Kredit etwas gesenkt. Zudem verpflichtet sich die Telekom, Aktien der neuen Gesellschaft statt ein halbes Jahr nun mindestens anderthalb Jahre nach dem Zusammenschluss zu halten. Wegen der neuen Offerte wird die eigentlich für morgen anberaumte Hauptversammlung auf den 24. April verschoben.

An der Frankfurter Börse legte die Telekom-Aktie am Morgen um 0,17 Prozent zu. MetroPCS-Aktien waren direkt nach Bekanntwerden des nachgebesserten Angebots um 3,3 Prozent gestiegen.

TELEKOM WOLLTE OFFERTE EIGENTLICH NICHT NACHBESSERN

Mit den Änderungen reagierte die Telekom auf die Unzufriedenheit einiger Aktionäre mit den Bedingungen des Zusammengangs. Der Aktionärsberater ISS sprach sich etwa gegen die Annahme der ursprünglichen Offerte aus. MetroPCS solle besser unabhängig bleiben und sein Netz durch den Kauf von Frequenzen aufwerten. Mit der Kritik steht der Aktionärsberater nicht allein. Zwei Großaktionäre stellten sich ebenfalls gegen den Schulterschluss. Sie bemängeln, dass das fusionierte Unternehmen einen Teil der Kosten für die Übernahme als Schulden aufgebürdet bekommt.

Noch in der vergangenen Woche hatte ein Sprecher erklärt, die Telekom prüfe aktuell nicht, den MetroPCS-Aktionären ein neues Angebot zu machen. Doch der Druck wuchs mit jedem Tag, an dem die entscheidende Hauptversammlung näher rückte. Eine Ablehnung wäre für die Telekom die zweite Schlappe beim Versuch, T-Mobile USA neu aufzustellen. Vor anderthalb Jahren hatten die US-Wettbewerbshüter den 39 Milliarden US-Dollar schweren Verkauf an AT&T verhindert.

T-MOBILE SOLL MIT ZUSAMMENSCHLUSS ZUKUNFTSFÄHIG WERDEN ... ... der springende Punkt ...

Mit MetroPCS soll das Sorgenkind T-Mobile USA endlich zukunftsfähig werden und eine kritische Masse an Kunden bekommen. Der viertgrößte amerikanische Mobilfunker geht mit dem fünftgrößten zusammen. Die Telekom wird 74 Prozent an der neuen Gesellschaft halten, die Aktionäre von MetroPCS sollen 26 Prozent bekommen. Gemeinsam kommen sie auf knapp 43 Millionen Kunden. T-Mobile litt in den vergangenen Jahren unter einem Schwund von Vertragskunden, wenngleich sich die Abwanderung verlangsamte.

Das im texanischen Richardson beheimatete Unternehmen verschiebt die außerordentliche Hauptversammlung wegen der neuen Offerte auf den 24. April. Auch wenn die Entscheidung über den Schulterschluss nun nicht an diesem Freitag getroffen wird, bleibt es ein bedeutender Tag für T-Mobile USA. Dann darf die Telekom-Tochter erstmals und als letzter großer US-Mobilfunker das begehrte iPhone von Apple ins Programm nehmen./fn/jha/fbr


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16:36
MetroPCS-Übernahme
Telekom bessert in den USA ihr Angebot nach

Die Deutsche Telekom will Probleme bei der Übernahme von MetroPCS mit einem verbesserten Angebot aus dem Weg räumen. In zwei Wochen stimmen die MetroPCS-Eigner über die Fusion ab.


Die US-Tochter der Deutschen Telekom und MetroPCS
wollen fusionieren
Foto: dpa

Die Deutsche Telekom will ihre kriselnde US-Mobilfunktochter mit einer höheren Mitgift an Wunschpartner MetroPCS doch noch unter die Haube bringen. Aktionäre des Rivalen aus Amerika fürchten in der Mobilfunkehe den Kürzeren zu ziehen – der Deal drohte auf der am Freitag geplanten Hauptversammlung in Texas zu platzen.

Die Telekom legte deshalb in der Nacht zu Donnerstag nach und will die fusionierte Firma mit einem dickeren Finanzpolster ausstatten. Nun stimmen die Metro-Eigner am 24. April über die Fusion ab.

Die Chancen auf ein Ja-Wort sind Analysten zufolge deutlich gestiegen. "Mit den Nachbesserungen geht die Telekom auf die größten Kritikpunkte der Aktionäre ein, weshalb die Wahrscheinlichkeit hoch ist, dass der Deal durchgeht", sagte Heike Pauls von der Commerzbank.

Auf lange Sicht strebt Telekom-Chef René Obermann aber weiterhin einen Rückzug aus den USA an. Die Börsennotierung von MetroPCS ist dabei zentraler Bestandteil, da die Telekom nach der Fusion ihrer US-Tochter später Anteile über den Aktienmarkt verkaufen kann. ... ... man will also den großen Reibach machen ...

Weniger Schulden für neues Unternehmen

Die neue Offerte sieht vor, dass der kombinierten Firma deutlich weniger Schulden von T-Mobile USA aufgebürdet werden. Dieser Betrag werde um 3,8 Milliarden auf 11,2 Milliarden Dollar reduziert, teilte die Deutsche Telekom mit.

"Dies führt im Ergebnis zu einer höheren Eigenkapital-Ausstattung der fusionierten Gesellschaft." Zudem werde der Zinssatz, den die neue Firma an die Telekom zahlen muss, um einen halben Prozentpunkt gesenkt.

Das neue Angebot sei endgültig, weitere Verbesserungen dementsprechend ausgeschlossen. Die Telekom sicherte nun auch zu, in den ersten 18 Monaten nach Vollzug des Deals keine Aktien der fusionierten Gesellschaft über die Börse abzustoßen.

Eigentlich waren dafür nur sechs Monate vorgesehen. Bevorstehende Verkäufe von Großaktionären sind immer wieder eine Belastung für den Kurs von börsennotierten Firmen.

Altaktionäre erhalten 1,5 Milliarden Dollar

Unverändert bleiben aber andere Punkte: Die Altaktionäre von MetroPCS sollen wie gehabt 1,5 Milliarden Dollar in bar erhalten. Auch die geplante Eigentümerstruktur bleibt wie bisher angedacht: Demnach sollen die Deutschen künftig 74 Prozent der Anteile der fusionierten Gesellschaft besitzen, 26 Prozent bleiben den heutigen MetroPCS-Anteilseignern. T-Mobile ist der viertgrößte Mobilfunker in Amerika – MetroPCS rangiert an fünfter Stelle. ... ... max. 60% zu 40% ... wenn der Deal so durchgehen sollte dann 50% Short ...

Reuters hatte vor einer Woche von zwei Insidern erfahren, dass der Bonner Konzern erwägt, die MetroPCS-Eigner mit einem besseren Angebot auf seine Seite zu ziehen. Auch wenn die Zustimmung damit noch nicht endgültig gesichert ist, erntet die Deutsche Telekom mit ihrem Schritt Applaus von Anlegern: Die T-Aktie stieg um 1,5 Prozent auf 8,74 Euro. Die an der New Yorker Börse gelisteten MetroPCS-Aktien schlossen am Mittwochabend 3,3 Prozent höher.

Deal ist noch nicht in trockenen Tüchern

Die Zustimmung für den Deal galt zuletzt als unsicher. Einige MetroPCS-Gesellschafter und einflussreiche US-Aktionärsberater hatten sich gegen die Transaktion ausgesprochen.

Ihrer Ansicht nach springt dabei zu wenig für MetroPCS heraus. Laut Kritik übte etwa die Anlagefirma Schoenfeld Asset Management, die 2,5 Prozent an MetroPCS hält. Die neue Offerte der Telekom werde derzeit geprüft und Schoenfeld werde sich zu gegebener Zeit äußern, teilte das Unternehmen mit.

Der Telekom-Vorstand will mit dem Zusammengehen T-Mobile USA endlich eine kritische Größe verleihen und die Abwanderung von Nutzern stoppen – voriges Jahr kehrten zwei Millionen Vertragskunden der US-Tochter den Rücken.

Behörden stoppten 2011 den T-Mobile-Verkauf

MetroPCS und T-Mobile USA kämen zusammen auf etwa 42 Millionen Handy-Kunden. Damit könnten beide besser mit den Marktschwergewichten Verizon Wireless , AT&T und Sprint Nextel mithalten.

Eigentlich wollten sich die Bonner bereits 2011 ganz aus den USA verabschieden. Der Verkauf von T-Mobile USA für 39 Milliarden Dollar an AT&T war schon beinahe in trockenen Tüchern – allerdings stoppten die US-Wettbewerbsbehörden die Transaktion in letzter Minute.

Reuters/dma

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.403.487 von teecee1 am 10.04.13 16:29:38

11.04.2013 | 02:11
(233 Leser)

(1 Bewertungen)
PR Newswire ·
Crest Files Proxy Statement to Oppose Sprint-Clearwire Merger

HOUSTON, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority shareholder of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), today filed a preliminary proxy statement that, when cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission, will be used to urge Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation.

In the preliminary proxy statement, Crest reiterates that it opposes the Sprint-Clearwire merger because it believes that "it would be better for Clearwire to remain a stand-alone company" because the Sprint offer of $2.97 in cash per share is inadequate - based on several measures - and was devised in a way that unfairly disadvantages minority stockholders.

"A vote 'AGAINST' each of the Clearwire Special Meeting Proposals would send a firm message to the Clearwire Board and Sprint that Clearwire must pursue a business strategy that creates value for all Clearwire stockholders - not just Sprint," the preliminary proxy statement says.

Crest has hired the proxy-solicitation firm D. F. King & Co., Inc. to help it oppose the proposed Sprint-Clearwire merger. Crest has also filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Sprint, Clearwire and the directors of Clearwire because Crest believes that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by scheming to extract value from Clearwire at the expense of the minority stockholders. In addition, Crest has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., to stop the proposed Softbank-Sprint and Sprint-Clearwire mergers because they would treat minority stockholders of Clearwire unfairly and the mergers would not be in the public's best interest.

"The filing of Crest's proxy statement is the next step in our ongoing effort to block Sprint's unfair merger offer and we are optimistic that we can do so," said David Schumacher, general counsel of Crest. "We look forward to the SEC clearing our preliminary proxy statement so that we can begin educating Clearwire shareholders in earnest about the disadvantages of the Sprint offer and the alternative future for Clearwire and its valuable trove of wireless spectrum."

The preliminary proxy statement can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr. (...)


Clearwire Corporation Short Interest
3/28/2013 7,499,127
3/15/2013 12,101,799

Shares Owned by Insitutions
38.50% zuvor 37,7

Number of Institutions
213 zuvor 217

... ... neu

Shares Owned by Insiders
2.40%

Shares Bought 5.74 M ... ... 2,4% zu 5.74 M ...

... ... ich denke die Angaben sind 3 Montae zurück ...


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Revisiting Dish Network’s Wireless Ambitions
April 11th, 2013 by Trefis Team



Last week Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) raised $2.3 billion in debt meant for general corporate purposes which may also include wireless spectrum-related transactions. [1] It won’t be surprising to see Dish Network acquiring some more wireless spectrum either directly or indirectly by acquiring a stake in the companies that own it.

The company has been amassing spectrum for a while and intends to build a nationwide wireless service that could directly compete with the biggest telecom companies such as Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T). Towards the end of 2012, Dish Network won FCC approval to use its spectrum for a ground-based cellular network. A few months ago, it also made a handsome bid to acquire Clearwire. This indicates that the company just doesn’t want to build a wireless network, but desires to become one of the major players that can challenge the existing telecom giants. It is unlikely that Dish’s bid will be approved given that Sprint already holds a 50% stake in Clearwire. However, the move would certainly help Dish in negotiating a potential partnership with Sprint or other carriers as well as lift the value of its spectrum.

Why is Dish Network doing all this?

The company ultimately wants to compete better in the saturating U.S. pay-TV market by arming itself with a viable bundling option. Unlike its cable counterparts, Dish Network has focused purely on pay-TV rather than bundling broadband and telephone services with it. It hasn’t been able to match the performance of its satellite rival DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) as the latter has a more sticky subscriber base and some exclusive services such as NFL Sunday Ticket. Let’s look at how Dish can add value to its stock with its wireless assets.

See our complete analysis for Dish Network

What If Dish Sells The Spectrum?

There is a looming spectrum crunch in the U.S. wireless industry given the increasing data needs of mobile customers. Growth in smartphones and tablets along with improved wireless data speeds has stimulated data usage, and wireless carriers have been investing in their infrastructure to address this need. As a strategic and tactical move, Verizon bought AWS spectrum owned by some cable companies last year for $3.9 billion. [2] This essentially indicates that Dish is sitting on a gold mine and the value of its spectrum will only go up.

Therefore, one option for the company is to sell the spectrum at a significant profit and invest the proceeds in its current business. This profit could be substantial enough to be invested in new satellite launches or increase their capacity to support future HD programming. Additionally, the investment could be made in Blockbuster’s content to make it more lucrative to subscribers. This can help the company improve the value of its service and better compete with bundled service providers such as the cable and telecom companies. Dish certainly lacks the bundling advantage and the loss of certain key distributors to DirecTV hasn’t helped either.

What If Dish Builds A Wireless Service?

If Dish Network eventually builds a wireless service, it can either use a third party infrastructure and host its spectrum on that, or build everything on its own from scratch. The latter option is more risky since Dish has no experience in this field and additional capital expenditures might lead to investor skepticism. Let’s assume that Dish opts to partner and host its network on a third-party infrastructure. Dish might enter a revenue or profit sharing agreement with the company and market the wireless service under its own brand name.

What could be the pricing?

The pricing can be estimated by looking at what ViaSat is offering. ViaSat offers satellite broadband and charges $50 per month for 12 Mbps service with 7.5 GB data cap. [3] For 25 GB data cap, the pricing is much higher at $130 per month. [3] However, Dish Network’s wireless service will be based on a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network and therefore the pricing could be different. Cable companies charge, on average, $45 per subscriber per month for broadband services. [4] We believe that Dish Network’s average broadband pricing is likely to be higher than that of cable companies due to wireless accessibility. If we assume $50 to be benchmark “monthly revenue per broadband subscriber” for Dish Network’s service although bundling with its pay-TV service is likely to lead to lower pricing. Dish could earn an incremental $2 billion in revenues if it can gain 3.5 million broadband subscribers (25% of its current pay-TV subscriber base). However, the company will need to share a notable portion of these profits with the infrastructure provider, leading to lower margins on broadband.

The value of such an approach not only comes from incremental profits but also from the fact that the bundling of satellite broadband could lead to better pay-TV subscriber trends and help Dish compete against rival DirecTV.

Our price estimate for Dish Network stands at $38, implying a premium of about 5% to the market price.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.403.965 von teecee1 am 10.04.13 17:03:43

Leaked Sprint memo tips major 4G LTE expansion for April 12

New details indicate the carrier's 4G LTE network will soon grow by nearly two dozen cities.

by Scott Webster
April 11, 2013 1:19 PM PDT


Sprint's 4G LTE footprint may soon grow by nearly two dozen cities.
(Credit: Phone Arena)

Sprint may be announcing the launch of 4G LTE services in over 20 new markets on Friday, April 12, if a leaked memo proves to be accurate.

According to details obtained by Phone Arena, LTE speeds will soon arrive in 21 markets spread across ten states. Among the cities listed in the memo are Los Angeles, Ca., Charlotte, NC, Memphis, Tn., and Virginia Beach, Va. Should all of these cities go live on Friday, Sprint will have just shy of 100 LTE areas.

While Sprint has not officially announced the rollout of 4G LTE in these cities, the carrier is not shy about development. Sprint is so excited about its network, that the carrier created a special Twitter hashtag, #Discover4GLA, just for Los Angeles.

As is the norm, consumers may encounter faster connection speeds in the runup period before the official announcement. According to the leak, download speeds are expected to be in the range of 6 to 8Mbps with peak speeds at up to 25Mbps.

It is likely that Sprint will step on the gas with the new network as the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 come to market.

With both devices touching down on a variety of carriers, Sprint will need to expand the footprint quickly if it hopes to catch AT&T. Ma Bell recently surpassed 175 markets whereas Sprint is currently listed with 67 markets. Verizon, for its part, still leads the LTE pack with nearly 500 markets.


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... ... bietet Google die Möglichkeit die Mobilstationen von CLWR, Sprint etc. später an sein Netz anzuschliessen ...


Why Google Fiber Is Cable's Biggest Nightmare

By Tim Brugger
April 10, 2013

What's faster than a speeding cable Internet connection, and able to leap between mobile computing and old-school TV in a single bound? If you ask Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) , the answer's simple: lightning-fast fiber-optic Internet service.

As it stands, broad access to Google's service has been limited to the greater Kansas City area, so Fiber's been little more than an intriguing notion. But with news that Austin, Texas, is next up on Google Fiber's hit parade, the prospects are becoming intriguing that Google could build an entirely new source of revenue and turn the Internet industry upside down.

Austin, here we come

The official announcement that Fiber is coming to Austin was supposed to be a closely guarded secret, but that didn't last long. A local news outlet leaked the story a week ago that Google Fiber was going to be the subject of the joint press conference with Google and Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. Austin seems like a natural for Fiber, since it's widely viewed as a domestic hotbed of IT. Beginning in mid-2014, local residents will be able to choose Internet service for $70 a month, or $120 a month with Fiber TV service, at connection speeds 100 times faster than cable, according to Google.

With two new Fiber announcements in a matter of weeks -- the service is also expanding to Olathe, Kan. -- it appears Google Fiber is ramping up after its K.C.-area beta test. Though most industry insiders don't believe Google intends to take over the Internet connectivity market, Google CFO Patrick Pichette did say, "We really think that we should be making business -- a good business -- with this opportunity [Fiber], and we're going to continue to look at the possibility of expanding." Investors and Google shareholders should like the sound of that; more revenue streams mean less reliance on Internet advertising.

Cable companies must be scared, right?

Are cable Internet providers concerned about the threat posed by Google Fiber? If so, they aren't showing it yet. It's probably just a coincidence that my cable provider, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) , recently offered to crank up my Internet connectivity speed at no charge. That's right -- a cable company opted to improve service without charging. Interesting.

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC ) , Comcast, and Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR ) , have all been on the other side of the Internet subscriber fence. Phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon began losing customers to these and other cable Internet providers some time ago, largely because of speed and connectivity issues. And now along comes Google Fiber with an alternative that blows the doors off anything Comcast, Time Warner, or Charter can offer, and often for the same or less money. If the cable industry isn't worried, it should be.

Not all the growth in cable companies' Internet customers comes from defections from the phone companies, but Internet continues to be a profitable area of growth in the industry. Charter saw an 8% jump in Internet customers in 2012 compared with the prior year. Time Warner Cable and Comcast also enjoyed substantial Internet growth last year, with annual revenues up 13.7% and 9.2% compared to 2011, respectively. With margins as high as 97% on cable Internet, according to a Bernstein analyst, these guys have a lot to lose if Google Fiber really takes off. And you can bet Google knows about those ridiculously high margins, too.

Google may be downplaying Fiber, at least in terms of how quickly it's chosen to roll the service out to mainstream America. As Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast can attest, the opportunity for Google Fiber to become a significant source of alternative revenue can't be denied. And Google certainly has the wherewithal to invest in Fiber for the long haul, with more than $48 billion in cash and equivalents, and operating cash flow that's off the charts.

Fiber is going to change the way we connect to the Internet, and it's yet another example of why Google is close to an ideal growth stock. If it's not already, Google should be on your short list of investment options.

As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other Web companies, it's also struggling to grow additional sources of revenue. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.


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Netflix streams 4 billion hours in last quarter

That's the word from company CEO Reed Hastings, who touted his company's success on his Facebook page.

by Don Reisinger
April 12, 2013 6:26 AM PDT

Netflix had an exceedingly strong first quarter, according to CEO Reed Hastings.



On his Facebook page yesterday, Hastings said that Netflix served up over 4 billion hours of streaming video during the first three months of the year, reaching a high-water mark for the company. Hastings didn't say which videos contributed most to the strong quarter, but his mention of Netflix's first original series "House of Cards" might lead some to believe that the critically acclaimed and wildly popular show starring Kevin Spacey helped out.

Hastings' announcement comes just months after he announced on his Facebook page in July that total streaming during June hit 1 billion hours for the first time in his company's history. With 4 billion hours streamed during the first quarter, Netflix averaged more than 1 billion hours per month.

Next up for Netflix is the premiere of the company's second original series, "Hemlock Grove." The first season of the horror-thriller show will premiere on Netflix next week.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.411.955 von teecee1 am 11.04.13 17:36:19

12.04.2013 | 10:04

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP: Telekom gewinnt MetroPCS-Großaktionäre mit versüßter Offerte

Die Telekom hat mit ihrer versüßten Offerte den Widerstand der MetroPCS-Großaktionäre aufgeweicht. Der Hedgefonds Paulson & Co. und der Vermögensverwalter Schoenfeld nahmen am Donnerstagabend ihre Einwände zurück und kündigten an, für den Zusammenschluss zu stimmen.

An der Frankfurter Börse legte die Telekom-Aktie am Morgen um 0,35 Prozent auf 8,81 Euro zu, während der Dax ein halbes Prozent im Minus lag. Die Aktionäre der im texanischen Richardson beheimateten MetroPCS werden am 24. April über den Zusammenschluss entscheiden.

Die beiden Großaktionäre hatten die Bedingungen des Zusammengangs kritisiert. Sie hatten zuvor bemängelt, dass das fusionierte Unternehmen einen Teil der Kosten für die Übernahme als Schulden aufgebürdet bekommt. Hier gab die Telekom nun nach. Das Darlehen der Telekom an MetroPCS wird statt 15 Milliarden nun nur 11,2 Milliarden Dollar betragen, der Zins für den Kredit etwas gesenkt.

Mit MetroPCS soll das Sorgenkind T-Mobile USA endlich zukunftsfähig werden und eine kritische Masse an Kunden bekommen. Der viertgrößte amerikanische Mobilfunker geht mit dem fünftgrößten zusammen. Die Telekom wird 74 Prozent an der neuen Gesellschaft halten, die Aktionäre von MetroPCS sollen 26 Prozent bekommen. Gemeinsam kommen sie auf knapp 43 Millionen Kunden. T-Mobile litt in den vergangenen Jahren unter einem Schwund von Vertragskunden, wenngleich sich die Abwanderung verlangsamte.

/fn/jha/kja


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12.04.2013 | 16:39

Dow Jones News ·
Versüßte MetroPCS-Offerte hat keine Folgen für Telekom-Bonität

Für die Deutsche Telekom hat das aufgebesserte Angebot an die MetroPCS-Aktionäre laut der Ratingagentur Fitch keine wesentlichen Auswirkungen auf die Bonität. Die Offerte zeige allerdings, wie wichtig die Verbesserung des US-Geschäftes für die Telekom sei. Die Übernahme vergrößere das US-Geschäft und könnte die Wettbewerbsposition des Konzerns in den USA verbessern.

Um den Widerstand von MetroPCS-Aktionären gegen die geplante Fusion mit T-Mobile USA zu brechen, hatte die Deutsche Telekom in der Nacht zum Donnerstag ein neues Angebot vorgelegt. Eckpunkte sind eine niedrigere Schuldenlast, die dem fusionierten Unternehmen aufgebürdet werden soll, und ein abgesenkter Zinssatz beim Gesellschafterdarlehen.

Der Deal hätte etliche strategische Vorteile für den Bonner Konzern, so Fitch Ratings. So würde sich das Spektren-Portfolio in den USA deutlich verbessern, damit könnte die Einführung von Hochgeschwindigkeits-Datendiensten glatter von statten gehen. Durch die Vergrößerung des Geschäftes hätte der Mobilfunkanbieter künftig gegenüber größeren Wettbewerbern weniger Nachteile etwa bei der Netzabdeckung. Die Börsennotierung des fusionierten Unternehmens in den USA gäbe der Deutschen Telekom zudem mehr strategische Optionen.

Allerdings sei unklar, wieviel Erfolg das Unternehmen damit haben werde, MetroPCS-Vertragskunden zu einem Wechsel auf das Netz von T-Mobile USA zu bewegen. Auch das Problem, dass T-Mobile USA schon seit langem Vertragskunden verliert, werde nicht angegangen. Diese Kunden bringen im Durchschnitt mehr als doppelt so viel Umsatz wie Kunden mit Pre-Paid-Karten.

Kontakt zum Autor: [e-mail]

DJG/sha/hhb/raz


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How T-Mobile is priming a stronger LTE network with MetroPCS

T-Mobile needs MetroPCS to refine its new LTE charge. Here's why the two are better together.

by Jessica Dolcourt
March 27, 2013 8:30 AM PDT


Combined, T-Mobile and MetroPCS cover a wider, deeper area of the U.S. Click to enlarge.
(Credit: T-Mobile)

T-Mobile's salty, spirited launch of its better-late-than-never LTE network and new contract-free ethos may have felt like a sudden surge come from nowhere, but in fact, it was a well-calculated and slowly calibrated, years-long effort to save an ailing network.

Truth is, the fiery, passionate T-Mobile we saw during its "Uncarrier" event this week wouldn't have been possible without some failures and careful planning. T-Mobile's prognosis is also buoyed by an imminent clinch success: the federally approved purchase of prepaid carrier MetroPCS (the still hasn't been fully approved.)

Out of the spectrum crisis

T-Mobile is the last major U.S. carrier to introduce LTE, due to a spectrum crunch that left it nowhere to build out LTE without cannibalizing its 3G-based network. Ironically, its failed merger with AT&T was the catalyst for T-Mobile's faster 4G.

AT&T handed over $3 billion to T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom as part of the breakup deal, and the same again in assets, giving T-Mobile some desperately needed cash and seed spectrum to make real strides over what it already owned.


T-Mobile's spectrum momentum. Click to enlarge.
(Credit: T-Mobile)

Beyond gaining AWS spectrum from AT&T as a condition of the merger implosion, Verizon and T-Mobile shook hands on a spectrum swap that gave T-Mobile enough spectrum for 60 million people in major cities.

MetroPCS' assets are another key stepping stone that T-Mobile needs to grow. MetroPCS has 13MHz of spectrum in top 25 urban centers, which T-Mobile will use to cover existing and future subscribers.

In addition to T-Mobile getting greater coverage capacity to play with in Metro's metro markets, the company can begin migrating its 3G-based HSPA+ (4G) network onto Metro's PCS spectrum, and also convert Metro's AWS spectrum into more LTE.


MetroPCS' spectrum holdings gives T-Mobile a big boost. Click to enlarge.
(Credit: T-Mobile)

The upshot is that T-Mobile has stitched together a greater range of assets that span high- and low-spectrum bands to bring broader, deeper coverage that can stretch across states and penetrate walls. MetroPCS' network will form a major part of T-Mobile's plans once the merger begins in earnest.

Updated network

In the meantime, T-Mobile hasn't been idle. To get to this point, it's invested $4 billion into modernizing its network equipment.

That means upgrading 37,000 physical cell sites with new antennas and electronics, including multimodal radios that can switch among spectrum bands, including PCS and AWS types.

Once the MetroPCS merger is complete, T-Mobile will be able to put those towers to use to bulk up its performance in the urban areas where MetroPCS currently operates.

It also plans to decommission MetroPCS' CDMA network and rely on its own.

Scoop up subscribers

Another major benefit of the merger is adopting -- and keeping -- MetroPCS' roughly 9.3 million customers. Even combined with T-Mobile's current 33.4 million subscribers, the merged companies can't hope to overtake Verizon or AT&T -- which serve 98 million people and 107 people, respectively -- but if you're a company desperate to stay in the game, every bit helps.

T-Mobile plans to fold in MetroPCS customers as soon as the takeover deal is signed and dotted, expecting everyone to transition by the second half of 2015. T-Mobile plans to move customers organically, as they upgrade devices.

"MetroPCS will cover 225 million pops when we merge," T-Mobile CEO John Legere said during the event, adding that the savings from closing the MetroPCS network and moving people over to T-Mobile are astronomical.

How fast can it go?

The question of speed is a hot topic, and a crucial one for T-Mobile's long-term success. Sprint is suffering from its constrained LTE performance, a fate that T-Mobile must avoid at all costs.

CNET's Brian Bennett got a chance to put T-Mobile's 4G LTE claims to the test on a demo network set up in New York City specifically for press.

Brian saw impressive speeds on the iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, and HTC One, including download speeds between 20 to 30Mbps and upload speeds of 15 to 20Mbps.

Of course, there were very few phones demanding juice from the ad-hoc network, which could signal slower speeds in real-world situations. On the other hand, maybe not. Localized network strength also plays a tremendous role in future performance, with some cities and towns getting faster, wider coverage than others based on the configuration of cell towers in the area.

For its part, T-Mobile has promised a 10MHz by 10MHz LTE network, and claims that with MetroPCS' combined assets, it'll be able to grow up to a 20MHz by 20MHz network.

Will it all pan out?

Despite the forward momentum, T-Mobile still faces technical, practical, and business challenges of navigating a merger and multiple technical migrations at the same time.

The LTE network is nascent and must expand quickly, while also holding up under the pressure of actual users. That's a potentially tall order for a company offering unlimited 4G plans.

On top of that, T-Mobile will have to keep current customers while transitioning to a new business model, and attempt to build its base with converting new customers from rivals.

It will have to spend heavily on marketing if it hopes to turn the tide away from traditional two-year contract plans to its new no-contract model, and it must continue to supply top-notch phones and friendly customer support.

Though the situation looks promising, the payoff from T-Mobile's risky gamble is still a long way off.

Article updated at 10:16am PT to correct network range from GHz to MHz.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.412.239 von teecee1 am 11.04.13 18:07:05

Clearwire Board Reviews Unsolicited Offer for Airwave Licenses
By Scott Moritz - Apr 13, 2013 6:01 AM GMT+0200

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR)’s board is reviewing an unsolicited offer to acquire its licenses to provide wireless Internet access, presenting a new wrinkle as shareholders consider a takeover offer from Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)

Clearwire received the proposal for its airwave permits in large markets on April 8 from an unnamed “strategic buyer,” it said yesterday in a regulatory filing. The party offered $1 billion to $1.5 billion, minus the present value of the leases, “which could be substantial,” Clearwire said.

Sprint, which owns a slight majority of Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire’s shares, is seeking to gain those same airwave licenses by buying out other investors for $2.97 a share. Dish Network Corp. (DISH) has presented a competing bid for $3.30 a share.

“This might provide some competition for Dish,” said Walt Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC in New York. Bob Toevs, a Dish spokesman, declined to comment.

The offer would value Clearwire’s airwaves at 20 cents to 30 cents per megahertz of capacity for each person covered, compared with 21 cents for Sprint’s proposal, Piecyk said.

Clearwire jumped as much as 4.3 percent to $3.40 in extended trading. The shares closed yesterday at $3.26 before the filing was released.

The board is also considering whether or not to make a June 1 interest payment, Clearwire said. The company said it told two parties that had offered this month to lend money, Crest Financial Ltd. and Aurelius Capital Management LP, that it wasn’t prepared to accept their proposals.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


... ... 14:45 Anstieg des Volumens ...


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Clearwire considering interest payment default as Sprint deal looms

Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:24pm EDT

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO(Reuters) - Clearwire Corp is "actively considering" defaulting on a $255 million interest payment due June 1 on about $4.5 billion of outstanding debt, according to a proxy filing on Friday, as a shareholder vote approaches on Sprint-Nextel Corp's takeover offer.

The company, which urged investors to vote in favor of Sprint's buyout offer, warned that failure to close a deal may force it to contemplate a financial restructuring, which in turn could entail filing for bankruptcy. ... ... Insolvenzverschleppung von Sprint ... Chapter 11 ...

The wireless provider also disclosed on Friday it had received an unsolicited bid from an unidentified "strategic buyer" to acquire spectrum leases for $1 billion to $1.5 billion, but provided no further details.

Clearwire has been at the center of a tussle between its majority owner Sprint, satellite provider Dish Network, and unhappy shareholders, ever since Sprint struck a deal in December to buy out the rest of Clearwire.

Sprint offered $2.97 per share, which would need approval from a majority of Clearwire shareholders. In January, Dish trumped Sprint's offer, countering with a bid of $3.30 per share and providing ammunition to investors such as Crest Financial Ltd who argue that Sprint's offer undervalues Clearwire.

"If the merger is not completed, we may be forced to explore all available alternatives, including financial restructuring, which could include seeking protection under the provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code," Clearwire warned in its filing. "In addition, our board of directors is actively considering whether to not make the June 1, 2013, interest payment on our approximately $4.5 billion of outstanding debt."

A Clearwire spokesman declined to comment beyond the filing.

But the cash-strapped company has shown a willingness in the past to dangle the prospect of a default publicly during negotiations.

IN THE BALANCE

In 2011, Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the company was considering skipping an interest-rate payment. Shortly after, its biggest shareholder Sprint, with which it was negotiating a new network-use agreement, struck a deal with Clearwire.

Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire, which has said it only has funding until year-end with help from Sprint, has been seeking financing to upgrade its network and to support operations.

It owns increasingly valuable spectrum, but lacks the capital to make use of it. Dish, which recently bought spectrum and may be considering a move into wireless services provision, and Sprint consider it one of Clearwire's most valuable assets.

Clearwire has received offers for debt financing from minority shareholder Crest and hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management LP.

But in Friday's proxy filing, the company revealed that Sprint, which has the right to block such offers, would not give its consent for Clearwire to tap either source of financing.

Shares of Clearwire closed down 0.3 percent on Friday at $3.26.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba and Sinead Carew in New York and Edwin Chanin San Francisco; Editing by Bernard Orr and Paul Simao)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.422.291 von teecee1 am 12.04.13 21:45:48

T-Mobile USA: 100 Minuten, SMS-Flat und 5 GB für 30 Dollar

13.04.2013
12:02

Außerdem Allnet-Flat mit SMS-Flat und Daten-Option ab 50 Dollar

Von Markus Weidner


Spannende Smatphone-Tarife von T-Mobile USA

In Deutschland gibt es inzwischen Allnet-Flatrate-Tarife für zum Teil weniger als 20 Euro im Monat. Anbieter sind in der Regel Discounter, während die Angebote der Netzbetreiber teurer sind. Dafür haben die Netzbetreiber-Kunden oft Zugriff auf zusätzliche Roaming-Optionen oder Multi-SIMs oder sie bekommen auch eine Festnetznummer auf dem Handy.

Wir haben uns einmal angesehen, welche Angebote T-Mobile in den USA seinen Kunden unterbreitet. Dabei handelt es sich um Prepaid-Tarife. Diese können somit auch vor Urlaubern genutzt werden, die die Vereinigten Staaten nur kurzzeitig besuchen.

Interessant ist unter anderem ein bei Walmart angebotener Promotion-Tarif, der 30 Dollar (umgerechnet knapp 23 Euro) monatlich kostet. Dafür bekommen die Kunden 100 Gesprächsminuten, eine SMS-Flatrate, die allerdings nur innerhalb der USA gilt, sowie eine Daten-Flatrate mit 5 GB ungedrosseltem Übertragungsvolumen pro Monat.

Zu bedenken ist, dass die 100 Inklusivminuten sowohl für eingehende, als auch für ausgehende Verbindungen gelten. Wer häufiger telefoniert oder angerufen wird, sollte daher einen höherwertigen Tarif nutzen.

Die Daten-Flatrate darf offiziell nur auf dem Smartphone genutzt werden. In der Tat versagte ein Nokia Lumia 920 im Test den Tethering-Dienst. Mit einem HTC One XL konnten wir jedoch auch einen Mobile Hotspot aufbauen, um den Internet-Zugang neben dem Smartphone auch auf dem Tablet bzw. Notebook zu verwenden.

Neue Smartphone-Tarife ab 50 Dollar im Monat

Darüber hinaus hat T-Mobile USA neue Smartphone-Tarife eingeführt, die 50, 60 bzw. 70 Dollar monatlich kosten und ebenfalls auf Prepaid-Basis abgerechnet werden. Hier bekommen die Kunden im kleinsten Tarif eine Sprach- und SMS-Flatrate innerhalb der USA sowie 500 MB Inklusivvolumen für den mobilen Internet-Zugang. Das ist eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber dem bisherigen 50-Dollar-Tarif (umgerechnet rund 38 Euro), bei dem nur 100 MB ungedrosseltes Datenvolumen inklusive waren.

Wer 10 Dollar mehr zahlt (also umgerechnet ingesamt rund 46 Euro), erhält insgesamt 2,5 GB ungedrosseltes Datenvolumen pro Monat sowie ebenfalls die Sprach- und SMS-Flatrate. Nach Verbrauch der 2,5 GB Übertragungsvolumen wird die Performance ähnlich wie bei deutschen Smartphone-Tarifen gedrosselt.

Für 70 Dollar (54 Euro) im Monat sollen die Kunden unlimitiert mit voller Übertragungsgeschwindigkeit surfen können, solange sie sich im eigenen Netz aufhalten. Bislang waren hier 5 GB Volumen inklusive. Neu ist die Möglichkeit, monatlich 500 MB Datenvolumen für Tethering zu verwenden.

Inzwischen guter UMTS-Ausbau auf 1900 MHz

Wie ein Test der teltarif.de-Redaktion im März im Südwesten der USA gezeigt hat, ist die UMTS-Abdeckung von T-Mobile USA nun auch für die meisten europäischen Smartphones recht gut. Funkte die amerikanische Tochterfirma der Deutschen Telekom bislang auf 1700 MHz im 3G-Modus, so wird jetzt der 1900-MHz-Bereich genutzt. UMTS 1700 wird von den meisten europäischen Handys nicht unterstützt, während 3G auf 1900 MHz auch für die meisten hierzulande verkauften Telefone nutzbar ist.

Nicht täuschen lassen sollte man sich von der Werbung der amerikanischen Mobilfunk-Netzbetreiber für den 4G-Ausbau. Damit ist in den USA nicht zwingend LTE gemeint, sondern vor allem HSPA+, das bei uns noch als 3G bezeichnet wird.


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Bericht: Mutterkonzerne sprechen über Fusion von o2 & E-Plus

12.04.2013
13:34

E-Plus und o2 äußern sich wie immer nicht zu Gerüchten

Von Marleen Frontzeck mit Material von dpa


Fusion zwischen E-Plus und o2?

Die hochverschuldeten Konzerne Telefónica und KPN reden der Financial Times zufolge erneut über Möglichkeiten für eine engere Zusammenführung ihrer deutschen Töchter o2 und E-Plus. Das Gerücht um eine Fusion von o2 und E-Plus ist schon seit Längerem im Umlauf. Vergangenen Sommer war bereits ein Anlauf für eine Fusion der viert- und drittgrößten deutschen Mobilfunker gescheitert. Durch den Zusammenschluss wäre auf dem umkämpften deutschen Markt ein neues Schwergewicht entstanden, das die beiden größten Anbieter Vodafone und die Deutsche Telekom mit einem Schlag weit hinter sich gelassen hätte.

o2 wollte den Bericht nicht kommentieren. Grundsätzlich rede man regelmäßig mit allen Wettbewerbern, hatte Konzernchef René Schuster stets betont. Auch E-Plus wollte sich zu den wiederkehrenden Gerüchten nicht äußern. Die Branche ist hierzulande erheblich unter Druck, denn da bereits jeder Deutsche statistisch gesehen 1,3 Mobilfunkverträge hat, ist das Neukundengeschäft arg begrenzt. Das Wachstum stammt vor allem aus dem wachsenden Datengeschäft und den dort teureren Verträgen für Smartphones oder Tablets.

Um die durchaus wechselwillige Kundschaft zu locken, liefern sich die Anbieter einen harten Preiskampf, müssen gleichzeitig aber viel Geld in den Aus- und Umbau ihrer Netze und neue Technologien stecken. Seit Jahren wird deshalb über einen Zusammenschluss von E-Plus und o2 spekuliert, bisher aber ohne Ergebnis. Angesichts nötiger Milliardeninvestitionen in den kommenden Jahren dürfte der Druck, Sparmöglichkeiten zu finden, aber weiter wachsen.

Deutsche Telekom ist derzeit Marktführer

Marktführer ist laut Bundesnetzagentur mit einem zuletzt wieder gewachsenen Abstand die Deutsche Telekom mit ihrer Mobilfunk-Sparte, die im Schlussquartal 2012 knapp 36,6 Millionen Mobilfunkteilnehmer hatte. Dahinter liegt Vodafone mit knapp 33,9 Millionen Kunden, wobei die Briten wie E-Plus Ende 2012 erneut Federn lassen mussten. E-Plus, Tochter der niederländischen KPN, hat 23,4 Millionen Kunden, Telefónica Deutschland (o2) zählt 19,3 Millionen Mobilfunkteilnehmer.

Die hochverschuldete spanische o2-Mutter Telefónica hatte nach dem Scheitern der Fusion die deutsche Tochter im Oktober teilweise an die Börse gebracht und gut 1,45 Milliarden Euro eingenommen. Die Spanier sitzen auf einem riesigen Schuldenberg und bekommen die Folgen der Eurokrise auf dem Heimatmarkt zu spüren, für 2012 strichen sie die Dividende. Die Niederländer, ebenfalls hochverschuldet, wollen kommende Woche mit einer Kapitalerhöhung drei Milliarden Euro in die Kasse spülen, um ihre finanzielle Lage zu verbessern.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.424.959 von teecee1 am 13.04.13 13:24:40

Dish Bids $25.5 Billion for Sprint to Challenge Softbank
By Ville Heiskanen - Apr 15, 2013 3:56 PM GMT+0200

Dish Network Corp. (DISH), the satellite- TV company controlled by Charlie Ergen, made an unsolicited $25.5 billion offer for Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), topping a Softbank Corp. (9984) bid for the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier.


Dish Offers $25.5 Billion for Sprint to Challenge Softbank Bid

Bidding for Sprint Is Not Over: Fritzshe 2:29

April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Jennifer Fritzsche, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wells Fargo Securities, discusses DISH Network’s $25B bid for Sprint and the likelihood of other players making bids. She speaks on Bloomberg Television's "In The Loop." (Source: Bloomberg)

Sprint investors would get $7 a share, including $4.76 in cash, a stake representing about 32 percent of the combined company, Englewood, Colorado-based Dish said today. While the offer is 13 percent above Sprint’s April 12 closing price, the stock climbed above $7 in New York trading today, suggesting that investors expect the bidding to go higher.

The bid represents that most aggressive move yet by Ergen to break into the wireless-phone market, part of his strategy to decrease reliance on the slowing satellite industry. Acquiring Sprint would mean outdueling Softbank, Japan’s third-biggest mobile-phone operator, which agreed in October to pay $20 billion for a 70 percent stake in the carrier.

“He is trying to transform his own business,” said Vijay Jayant, an analyst at International Strategy & Investment Group in New York who has a buy rating on Dish shares. “He’s trying to reinvent himself, moving from satellite to wireless.”

Shares of Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint climbed as much as 18 percent to $7.33, the biggest intraday gain since the Softbank deal was announced. Dish’s stock fell 4.7 percent to $35.87 as of 9:49 a.m. in New York.

Cash Hoard

Dish has accumulated $10 billion in cash, partly by selling bonds over the past year, giving it a war chest to expand into the wireless industry. The Sprint offer consists of $8.2 billion in stock and $17.3 billion in cash, signaling that Ergen is able to borrow money inexpensively, Jayant said. Barclays Plc is acting as financial adviser to Dish.

“Given the current capital market environment, you can get cheap capital for a good story,” Jayant said.

Bill White, a spokesman for Sprint, declined to comment on Dish’s proposal. Takeaki Nukii, a spokesman for Tokyo-based Softbank, wasn’t immediately available for comment.

“The next question is the response from the Sprint board and whether Softbank comes back with another bid, potentially using its balance sheet advantage with more cash,” Philip Cusick, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York, said today in a report. He has a neutral rating on Dish.

Merger Mania

Dish’s offer extends a frenzy of consolidation for the U.S. wireless industry. Smaller carriers are seeking out merger partners to help wage a stronger attack against the two dominant competitors, Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc.

T-Mobile USA Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. carrier, is closing in on a merger with MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PSC), which is No. 5 in the industry. Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE), T-Mobile’s parent company, sweetened its offer for MetroPCS last week in order to get reluctant investors to agree to the terms.

Sprint, flush with the promise of Softbank’s money, has been making its own deals. The company bought airwaves from U.S. Cellular Corp., giving it more spectrum in the Midwest, and it’s attempting to buy out the remaining shares in its wireless- network partner Clearwire Corp. (CLWR)

Ergen, a combative billionaire who serves as Dish’s chairman, was already trying to disrupt the Sprint-Clearwire deal. Dish bid $3.30 a share for Clearwire’s outstanding stock, topping the $2.97 price offered by Sprint. Dish was facing an uphill fight in that deal because Sprint owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire and the takeover target has already agreed to accept financing from the carrier.

T-Mobile Talks

Ergen also informally approached Deutsche Telekom about buying its T-Mobile division, people close to the situation said last week. And Dish held earlier talks with MetroPCS, before that company agreed to its merger with T-Mobile in October, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Gaining a wireless carrier would let Dish bundle mobile- phone offerings with its satellite-TV service, which ranks second in customers to DirecTV. (DTV) The company has acquired radio spectrum licenses, purchased from bankrupt TerreStar Networks Inc. and DBSD North America Inc., but Ergen has said he doesn’t want to build his own wireless network.

Sprint would solve that problem, Ergen said today.

“There’s no one company on a national scale that puts it all together,” he said on a conference call. “The new Dish/Sprint will do that.”

Ergen could use Sprint to create a high-speed broadband network that would let customers watch television inside and outside the home, Cusick said in his report.

“This would be a transformative deal for Dish, opening up the broadband business that Chairman Ergen has discussed many times,” he said. “When combined with Dish’s satellite video offer and Sprint’s mobile voice network, this could create a very compelling competitor to AT&T and Verizon as well as cable companies long term.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Ville Heiskanen in Helsinki at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at [e-mail]


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Dish tries to trump SoftBank with $25.5 billion Sprint offer

By Sinead Carew and Sayantani Ghosh

Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:43am EDT

(Reuters) - Dish Network Corp, the No. 2 U.S. satellite television provider, offered to buy Sprint Nextel Corp for $25.5 billion in cash and stock, a move that could thwart the proposed acquisition of Sprint by Japan's SoftBank Corp.

Sprint shares soared 16.2 percent to their highest level since September 2008, leaving them well above the value of the Dish offer on Monday.

Dish's surprise bid is the latest development as the U.S. wireless business undergoes a wave of consolidation. Dish was already in the midst of an unsolicited offer for Clearwire Corp, the wireless company majority-owned by Sprint.

It was also the boldest step yet by Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen, who has bought billions of dollars worth of wireless spectrum in the last few years and has been seeking some sort of deal to make use of the airwaves.

"This is the culmination of a lot of years of work. Whether it be the purchase of spectrum, entering auctions, the acquisition of Sling Media, all those things come together now with the merger with Sprint," Ergen said on a conference call with analysts and reporters.

Dish said it would pay $4.76 per share in cash and about 0.05953 shares in Dish stock for each Sprint share. The offer, which works out to $7 per share, represents a premium of roughly 12 percent to Sprint's close on Friday.

Dish claimed its offer represented a premium of roughly 13 percent above SoftBank's existing bid. Sprint shareholders would own 32 percent of the combined company.

"The offer from Dish appears credible since it has the financing lined up and can justify a higher price than SoftBank's offer because of the synergies with its existing operations in the U.S.," said Nick Brown, a telecommunications analyst with Espirito Santo investment bank.

Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile services provider, agreed in October to sell 70 percent of its shares to SoftBank for $20 billion. No date has been set yet for a vote on that deal.

Sprint declined to comment on the Dish offer. SoftBank could not immediately be reached for comment on Dish's bid. SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is known to be as fierce a competitor as Ergen, and analysts eagerly awaited his response to the Dish offer.

Dish shares fell 3.8 percent to $36.19 in early trade. Sprint added $1.01 to $7.23.

'BETTER FINANCIAL OFFER'

The combined entity would have 63.1 million retail subscribers and $50 billion in annual revenues, Dish said in a regulatory filing.

Dish said it could offer consumers immediate benefits, like bundled pricing for video, phone and Internet, and further access to unlimited data, if it were to combine with Sprint.

Ergen also said he has not formally withdrawn Dish's $3.30 per share offer for Clearwire, but would be willing to honor Sprint's existing agreement to buy Clearwire for $2.97 per share.

A source familiar with the offer said Ergen's company saw buying Sprint outright as the best solution to its wireless ambitions. While Dish had already accumulated a sizable chunk of wireless spectrum, the play for Sprint came together in the last few months as Dish started to think through all of its alternatives to gain even more spectrum, the source said.

As much as Dish wants a wireless partner, analysts said Sprint also needs a deal to compete more effectively.

"There is a realization among the smaller players in the U.S. market that they need to merge or partner to compete against Verizon and AT&T, which are both so strong commercially and in terms of network quality," said Kester Mann, telecoms analyst at consultancy CCS Insight.

Mann said while any deal would likely strengthen Sprint, Dish's spectrum assets would probably help support Sprint's pricing strategy, which includes unlimited mobile data access.

Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche said in a note that "Ergen and his team clearly bring a better financial offer" for Sprint shareholders.

But, Fritzsche wrote, Sprint management likely prefers the SoftBank offer, given the Japanese company's deeper background in the wireless market.

READY FINANCING

Barclays is serving as financial adviser to Dish. The satellite company said it intended to fund the bid with $8.2 billion in cash from its balance sheet as well as debt financing. Earlier this month, Dish priced a debt offering of $2.3 billion, more than double what was planned.

In its letter to Sprint's board, Dish said it had received a "highly confident letter" from Barclays with regards to its financing. Dish said it would have to raise about $9.3 billion total in new funding, though its structure has not yet been set.

In the letter, Dish suggested its offer was more compelling than the SoftBank bid because of the synergies: $11 billion in cost savings and the creation of a national provider of video, broadband and voice services.

Analysts said they considered the offer a good strategic move on Dish's part, albeit a potentially expensive one.

"Forget the execution, next move is there a bidding war for Sprint and how big does it go and how expensive does it get? Dish has synergies SoftBank does not (have)," said Vijay Jayant, an analyst at ISI Group.

(Additional reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore, Leila Abboud in Paris, Mari Saito in Tokyo and Liana B. Baker, Soyoung Kim and Jennifer Saba in New York; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Roshni Menon and Jeffrey Benkoe)


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

15.04.2013 | 15:05

dpa-AFX ·
ROUNDUP: SatellitenTV-Anbieter Dish will Sprint in Milliarden-Deal übernehmen

Der SatellitenTV-Anbieter Dish torpediert den geplanten Zusammengang von Softbank mit dem drittgrößten US-Mobilfunker Sprint. Dish Networks bietet für Sprint Nextel 25,5 Milliarden Dollar (19,5 Mrd Euro). Die Kunden bekämen durch den Zusammenschluss Fernsehen, Internet und Telefon aus einer Hand, begründete Dish-Chef Charlie Ergen am Montag seinen Vorstoß. Sprint und Softbank haben sich bislang dazu nicht geäußert.

Sprint hatte schon im Oktober einen Käufer für sich gefunden: Der japanische Internet- und Mobilfunkkonzern Softbank will 20,1 Milliarden Dollar für 70 Prozent der Anteile zahlen und Sprint mit prallen Taschen zu einem ebenbürtigen dritten Anbieter neben AT&T und Verizon Wireless machen. Nun liegt die Entscheidung bei den Sprint-Aktionären, ihren Favoriten zu wählen. "Das Angebot von Dish ist ganz klar die bessere Alternative", erklärte Dish-Chef Ergen. 17,3 Milliarden Dollar sollen in bar fließen und der Rest in Dish-Aktien.

RIVALE VON T-MOBILE USA

Sprint ist einer der größten Rivalen der Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile USA. Diese will sich gerade mit dem kleineren Wettbewerber MetroPCS zusammenschließen, um gegen die Konkurrenz bestehen zu können. Durch ein gemeinsames Netz sollen Kosten gespart und Kunden angelockt werden. Einen ähnlichen Plan verfolgt Dish mit dem Sprint-Zukauf. Dish-Chef Ergen erwartet Einsparungen von 11 Milliarden Dollar und viel Raum für Wachstum.

Derzeit verfügt Verizon Wireless über 32 Prozent des amerikanischen Marktes, gefolgt von AT&T mit 30 Prozent. Abgeschlagen kommt Sprint mit 16 Prozent auf dem dritten Platz und die Telekom-Tochter T-Mobile auf dem vierten mit 10 Prozent. Dennoch bauen auch die kleineren Konkurrenten ihre Netze aus und rüsten sie auf den neuesten Mobilfunkstandard LTE um. Diese Ausgaben für den Netzausbau rechnen sich besser bei hoher Auslastung. Daher streben sie danach, sich durch Übernahmen Kunden einzukaufen.

ALLES AUS EINER HAND

Dish will mit einer Übernahme von Sprint die Produktpalette ausweiten. Gemeinsam könnten die Unternehmen Video, schnelles Internet und Sprachdienste aus einer Hand anbieten. Sprint zu kaufen wäre ein großer Schritt, schließlich macht der Mobilfunker dreimal so viel Umsatz wie Dish.

Von Softbank will Sprint lernen, wie man als Herausforderer einen Mobilfunkmarkt aufrollt. Das haben die Japaner bereits zuhause getan. Dish-Chef Ergen bringt aber etwas mit, das Softbank nicht hat: Viel Sendekapazität, Satellitenfernsehen mit 14 Millionen Kunden sowie eine Verwaltung, deren Zusammenlegung mit Sprint hohe Kosteneinsparungen mit sich bringen soll./das/fn/stb/kja

... ... Sprint(bzw. Aktionäre) wird auf das Gebot eingehen müssen sonst wird ein Teil von dem Gebot zu Clearwire wandern, bzw. mit dem Geld kann Sprint den Rest von CLWR bekommen.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.424.959 von teecee1 am 13.04.13 13:24:40

Report: Verizon offers to buy Clearwire assets

Report: Verizon Wireless offers to buy some Clearwire airwave rights for up to $1.5 billion

Associated Press – 13 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) -- Verizon Wireless has reportedly offered to buy spectrum rights from Clearwire Corp. for up to $1.5 billion.

Clearwire, which operates a wireless broadband network and supplies Sprint Nextel Corp. with its "4G" service, revealed in a regulatory filing Friday that it was approached a week ago by an unnamed "strategic buyer" that offered $1 billion to $1.5 billion for spectrum leases covering major cities. The price would be reduced by the accounting value of the leases.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the interested buyer is Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless declined to comment.

Clearwire Corp. has agreed to be bought out by majority shareholder Sprint Nextel Corp. Sprint has, in turn, agreed to sell 70 percent of itself to Japan's Softbank Corp. On Monday, another bidder emerged for Sprint: satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp.

A purchase of spectrum by Verizon Wireless could face regulatory hurdles, since Verizon is already the largest cellphone carrier in the U.S. Regulators would like to see smaller wireless companies getting more spectrum to help them compete.

Clearwire, which is based in Kirkland, Wash., is strapped for cash. Its shares fell 8 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $3.17 in Monday morning trading.

Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.434.847 von teecee1 am 15.04.13 17:38:35

Verizon Wireless pitches $1.5B for Clearwire spectrum

Hot on the heels of Dish's bid for Sprint, Verizon Wireless is reportedly trying to muscle in on the Clearwire assets that Sprint covets.

by Jonathan Skillings
April 15, 2013 8:05 AM PDT



In the latest twist on the Sprint-Clearwire saga, Verizon Wireless apparently has entered the picture as a suitor for Clearwire's spectrum.

Verizon Wireless has offered to pay as much as $1.5 billion to acquire spectrum leases from networking company Clearwire, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites people said to be familiar with the matter. The move would give the carrier "right to use airwaves currently controlled by Clearwire in big markets in the U.S.," the Journal said.

Word of the Verizon offer came hard on the heels of the announcement this morning that Dish Network is offering $25.5 billion to acquire Sprint Nextel, upping the ante in the acquisition game. Last fall, Japanese carrier Softbank unveiled a $20.1 billion merger proposal for Sprint.

In December, Sprint said it had reached a $2.2 billion deal to acquire the shares of Clearwire that it doesn't already own. Sprint is already the largest single shareholder in Clearwire, which provides 4G services to carriers and consumers in select markets. The spectrum that would be acquired in that arrangement would help Sprint as it continues its 4G LTE rollout.

A month later, Dish then made its own unsolicited bid to buy Clearwire for $5.15 billion.

The Wall Street Journal said it's unclear whether Verizon Wireless has any ambitions with Clearwire beyond the spectrum purchase or how that move might fit in with Sprint's Clearwire deal.

[teecee1]

UPDATE 8-Dish's $25.5 bln Sprint bid may force others to act

Tue Apr 16, 2013 12:27am EDT

* Dish offers $4.76/shr in cash, about 0.05953 in stock

* Says $7/shr offer value is 13 pct premium to SoftBank deal

* New entity would have 63 mln subscribers, $50 bln in revs

* SoftBank says Japanese firm's offer is superior

By Sinead Carew and Liana B. Baker

April 15 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp, the No.2 U.S. satellite TV provider, on Monday offered to buy wireless service provider Sprint Nextel Corp for $25.5 billion in cash and stock, a move that could inspire other telecoms or video companies to consider their own prospects of combining.

Dish's offer could trump a proposal in October by Japanese wireless operator SoftBank Corp to buy 70 percent of Sprint for $20.1 billion.

Unlike SoftBank, which is only proposing an investment in Sprint, Dish is promising to bring customers technical benefits - the ability to watch video anywhere, anytime through a combination of its satellite service with Sprint's wireless network.

Dish's unsolicited bid is the latest twist in a wave of consolidation in the U.S. wireless industry, where carriers are frantically trying to combine to build more powerful networks and compete with market leaders Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. It is the boldest step yet by Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen, who has spent billions of dollars on wireless spectrum in the last few years and made a counteroffer to a bid by Sprint for Clearwire Corp, a spectrum-rich wireless company majority-owned by Sprint.

Sprint shares jumped as much as 17.8 percent on Monday to a near 4-1/2-year high, and slightly topped the value of the Dish bid.

DEAL TRIGGER

BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk said Dish's move could trigger other deals. "Everything should be on the table when you have a major movement like this when a major player in one part of the business is buying a major player in another part of the business as a combined entity," he said.

"If you're a competitor and you don't make a move, it's a lost opportunity," Piecyk added, referring to other telecommunications and video companies that offer some - but not all - of what a combined Dish and Sprint would offer.

Other analysts agreed a Dish and Sprint combination could change the wireless market.

"The idea that Dish can take this huge spectrum holding and pretty quickly put it to use as a mobile services product really adds a new competitor element to the landscape," said Bill Menezes, principal research analyst at Gartner.

Dish's bid comprises $4.76 in cash and 0.05953 share of Dish stock for each Sprint share. The offer, which works out to $7 per share, represents a premium of roughly 12 percent to Sprint's close on Friday.

"This is the culmination of a lot of years of work. Whether it be the purchase of spectrum, entering auctions, the acquisition of Sling Media, all those things come together now with the merger with Sprint," Ergen said on a conference call with analysts and reporters.

SHAREHOLDERS WELCOME OFFER

Sprint said it would evaluate the proposal, but declined further comment. Some Sprint shareholders welcomed the Dish offer.

"It does appear it offers more value than SoftBank's agreement," said Roy Behren, an investment manager at Westchester Capital, a merger arbitrage investor. "We'd be in favor of any transaction that offers superior value."

Behren's firm held 14 million Sprint shares at the end of 2012, according to the latest publicly available information.

Another investment manager at a top-25 Sprint shareholder also reacted positively to Ergen's offer for the company. "It makes very good sense because he brings more to the table on a bunch of different levels than SoftBank does," said the investment manager, who asked not to be named in the absence of approval to speak to the media.

"I'd vote for the Dish deal. It's more value," said the manager, who sees a combined Dish and Sprint being in a better position to compete, even though they would be more high leveraged than a Sprint that is 70 percent-owned by SoftBank.

Some analysts said the Dish offer could lead to a bidding war with SoftBank, even though an improved bid could be pricey because of a recent decline in the value of the Japanese yen .

While apples-to-apples comparisons are difficult because SoftBank is offering to buy only part of Sprint, analysts said the fact that the yen is 20 percent weaker now than last October would be a complicating factor.

13 PCT PREMIUM

Dish said its offer was 13 percent greater than SoftBank's, based on share prices and exchange rates as of last Friday. It was not immediately clear precisely how the offers compared, though, given that SoftBank's offer has multiple steps and is for part, not all, of Sprint.

Dish's offer would leave Sprint shareholders with 32 percent ownership of the combined company. Under the SoftBank deal they would own 30 percent of Sprint.

In a statement, SoftBank said its agreement with Sprint would "offer Sprint shareholders superior short and long term benefits to Dish's highly conditional preliminary proposal.

"The SoftBank-Sprint transaction is in the advanced stages of receiving the necessary approvals, and we expect to consummate the transaction on July 1," it added.

SoftBank's billionaire founder and chief Masayoshi Son is known to be as fierce a competitor as Ergen, and analysts don't expect him to walk away quietly.

Dish shares closed down 2.3 percent at $36.77, while Sprint's rose 13.5 percent, or 84 cents, to close at $7.06, after rising as high as $7.33 earlier in the session. SoftBank shares were down 7 percent at 4,360 yen in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon.

'REALIZATION UNDER SMALLER PLAYERS'

A combined Dish and Sprint would have 63.1 million retail subscribers and $50 billion in annual revenue, Dish said in a regulatory filing.

The play for Sprint came together in the last few months as Dish started to think about alternatives to gain even more spectrum, according to a source familiar with the matter.

As much as Dish wants a wireless partner, analysts said, Sprint also needs a deal to compete more effectively.

"There is a realization among the smaller players in the U.S. market that they need to merge or partner to compete against Verizon and AT&T, which are both so strong commercially and in terms of network quality," said Kester Mann, telecoms analyst at consultancy CCS Insight.

Barclays is serving as financial adviser to Dish, which said it intended to fund the bid with $8.2 billion in cash from its balance sheet as well as debt financing. Earlier this month, Dish priced a debt offering of $2.3 billion, more than double what was planned.

In its letter to Sprint's board, Dish said it had received a "highly confident letter" from Barclays with regard to its financing, which suggests Dish would have little difficulty raising the funds it needs. Dish said it would have to raise about $9.3 billion total in new funding, though its structure has not yet been set.

Analysts said they considered the offer a good strategic move on Dish's part, albeit a potentially expensive one.

"Forget the execution, next move is there a bidding war for Sprint and how big does it go and how expensive does it get? Dish has synergies SoftBank does not (have)," said Vijay Jayant, an analyst at ISI Group.

... ... für Softbank wird es zu teuer werden:

(...) Tokyo-based SoftBank had already invested $3.1 billion in Sprint of its total $20.1 billion bid when Colorado-based Dish made its offer on Monday. (...)

1.) Reduzierung auf einen 50%igen Anteil mit der gleichen Summe(20 Mrd.).
2.) Softbank bietet für den restlichen Clearwire Anteil 10 Mrd. - "Schach" -

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.373.701 von teecee1 am 05.04.13 18:49:03

16.04.2013 13:06
Telefónica vernetzt das Auto mit der Versicherung Update

Der Mobilfunkbetreiber Telefónica will bis Ende des Jahres eine neue Technik in Deutschland einführen, die das Fahrverhalten von Autofahrern erfasst und flexiblere Versicherungstarife ermöglichen soll. Nach der Einführung des Systems in Spanien mit der Versicherungsgruppe Generali würden nun Gespräche mit mehreren Versicherern in Deutschland geführt, sagte Markus Haas, Strategie-Vorstand von Telefónica Deutschland, ggenüber dpa. Auch andere Mobilfunkanbieter arbeiten an derartigen Produkten unter dem Schlagwort Maschine-zu-Maschine-Kommunikation (M2M).

Im Zentrum des Systems mit der Bezeichnung Telefónica Insurance Telematic steht ein Modul, das in das Auto eingebaut wird und Fahrinformationen wie Geschwindigkeitsüberschreitungen, Bremsverhalten oder Nachtfahrten erfasst. Diese Daten werden über Mobilfunk an die Versicherungsgesellschaft übertragen. Diese lassen sich dann in Form von Punkten bewerten, die auf unterschiedliche Weise für die Berechnung der Versicherungsprämie herangezogen werden. "So können Risikogruppen besser eintarifiert werden", sagte Haas. Umgekehrt ist es auch denkbar, dass positive Punkte gesammelt werden, um die Höhe der Versicherungsprämie zu reduzieren.

Wann das System in Deutschland eingeführt wird, steht noch nicht fest. Er gehe aber davon aus, dass es bis Ende des Jahres erste Angebote geben werde, sagte Haas am Rande der Handelsblatt-Jahrestagung TK Europa in Düsseldorf, wo Telefónica die Technik vorstellte.

[Update 16.04.2013 14:03]:

Der Bundesdatenschutzbeauftragte Peter Schaar sagte mittlerweile gegenüber dpa, er sehe solche Modelle sehr kritisch. "Wer einen derartigen Tarif wählt, muss sich darauf einlassen, dass eine Vielzahl von Daten erhoben, gespeichert und ausgewertet wird." Dabei könnten zurückgelegte Strecken, die gefahrene Geschwindigkeit und mögliches Fehlverhalten des Fahrers lückenlos rekonstruiert werden. "Im Grunde handelt es sich dabei um eine 'freiwillige' Vorratsdatenspeicherung des Kfz-Halters." Je nach Prämiengestaltung könnte die Freiwilligkeit, befürchtet Schaar, künftig zu einem "ökonomischen Zwang" werden – "hier sollte der Gesetzgeber einen Riegel vorschieben".

Besonders problematisch wird es nach Einschätzung Schaars, wenn ein Auto von mehreren Nutzern eingesetzt wird. "Dann könnte der Halter (Versicherungsnehmer) die anderen Fahrer kontrollieren und die zurückgelegten Strecken genau rekonstruieren." ( ... ... das wird doch heute schon mit Firmanfahrzeugen praktiziert ...) Das Telefónica-System sieht auch eine Smartphone-App vor, die den Versicherten die aktuelle Auswertung ihres Fahrverhaltens anzeigt: Mit der Smartphone-App könnte etwa der Arbeitgeber detailliert und aktuell den Aufenthaltsort von Außendienstmitarbeitern überwachen.

Auf die Datenschutzproblematik angesprochen, meinte Telefónica-Manager Haas: "Das ist ein sehr transparenter Prozess." Der Kunde müsse jedem Schritt ausdrücklich zustimmen. Eine Erfassung von Bewegungsprofilen sei ausgeschlossen.

(anw)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.444.453 von teecee1 am 16.04.13 18:39:23

4/16/2013 @ 1:50PM
Dear FCC And DOJ: Please Keep Sprint/Clearwire Spectrum American

Joan Lappin
Contributor, Forbes


Logo of the United States Federal
Communications Commission, wikipedia

The bidding war for Clearwire is really heating up now that DISH is willing to take on all of Sprint to get to that delicious huge swath of bandwidth that its subsidiary Clearwire controls. Nothing, NOTHING, is more important than keeping conrol of that giant amount of valuable spectrum in American hands.

Last fall Japan‘s Softbank and CEO Masayoshi Son made a bid for 70% of Sprint. Even though the ever clever Sprint CEO Dan Hesse believed on some level that Son really wanted Sprint, what Son was really after was the gigantic 2.5 GHz bandwidth that Clearwire controls. When it comes to data transmission and streaming video, what you really want to provide good service is many, many small microcells transmitting service at high bandwidths. The knock is that higher frequencies have trouble penetrating buildings but with enough repeaters that problem dissipates. And, as with all technology, prices for that type of equipment fall fast when deployment ramps up and volume increases. That’s what is happening now. The advantange of 2.5GHz is that you have very wide, very shallow channels which are great for streaming video. The grooming of the frequencies also offers other advantages.

Low frequencies like 700 and 800 Mhz channels are very powerful and effective for handling voice over larger geographic areas and can penetrate buildings. However, in major metro markets, cell sites have to be “toned down” so that you get effective coverage and avoid signals bouncing off of buildings creating dropped calls and cross talk. New Yorkers all remember not so long ago when ATT’s network was overwhelmed with the first iPhones and early adopters hogging up all the bandwidth.

I wrote two years ago that the FCC should not allow ATT to buy T Mobile and increase its stranglehold on the U.S. market. Instead I believe that U.S. consumers are best served by three strong competitors. Janco Partner’s Gerard Hallaren now foresees a possible combination bid for Sprint from Masayoshi Son’s Softbank and Charlie Ergen’s DISH that follows the Verizon Wireless model. That is to say, 55% Dish and 45% Softbank instead of the 70% offer for control of Sprint by Softbank now on the table. That way, U.S. control of the spectrum would remain intact.

In such a scenario, Son is already using the 2.5GHz spectrum in his very efficient Japanese operation. He understands how to run a cellular network. The Sprint name has value, even if as an also ran at the moment. That can be overcome by building the fastest system in the U.S. and operating it well. One can conjecture that nobody’s plans for Sprint make any sense at all without its control of the Clearwire spectrum. It is the logical conclusion of the bidding war now in progress. When this is all over, T Mobile can also be rolled into this group a year or more from now to make Sprint an even stronger competitor to Verizon and ATT.

In the meanwhile, the Clearwire bid should rise to $4+ to get that minority group to go along with its roll up into Sprint. And at this point, the Sprint Board has to acknowledge that the DISH bid is higher than the Softbank bid and accept it. That will leave Son out in the cold. He will have a lower bid on the table, unless he raises it. For sure, while he went to college in the U.S., he is not a U.S. citizen. That makes him an outsider which surely puts him at a disadvantage with the FCC and the DOJ. One would think Congress would also like to see spectrum control of a block this large remain in the United States.


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16.04.2013 | 12:02

Business Wire ·
Arthur D. Little and Exane BNP Paribas: 4G LTE is a must-have but won't be enough to restore pricing power in European mobile industry

Telecoms industry faces revenue decline of 1.8% per year through to 2016

Moving to 4G LTE is a no-brainer for European telecoms operators but is unlikely to restore better pricing conditions in the European mobile industry. This is the key finding of 4G going faster, but where?, the 12th edition of the joint annual telecoms report from global management consultancy Arthur D. Little (ADL) and equity broker Exane BNP Paribas.

For European operators moving to 4G LTE makes solid business sense. Driven by data-hungry consumers, 3G networks will soon hit a "capacity wall" and 4G LTE provides the ability to surmount this. Operators can also expect customers to adopt the higher speed and lower latency of 4G quickly and can count on a good line-up of compatible smartphones and tablets, leading to 54% penetration of 4G-enabled devices by 2016.

However, the report concludes that mobile operators will face a strong challenge in monetizing 4G LTE data with limited opportunities to create sustainable differentiation.

It models revenue decline of -1.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for European telcos through to 2016. The sector could return to growth if LTE smartphones generated data average revenue per user (ARPU) of EUR 17/month by 2016. However, as this is EUR 7 higher than today's figures for 3G smartphones, it represents quite a stretch.

Overall ADL identifies five main levers for operators to improve their outlook which it elaborates on in the report:

1) new tariff structures

2) partnerships to develop new services

3) cost transformation

4) small cells WiFi offload

5) network sharing

"4G will be a commercial success in Europe but is unlikely to restore pricing power in the industry," said Didier Levy, Director of Arthur D. Little's Telecommunication, Information, Media and Electronics (TIME) practice. "To deliver business growth there are a number of innovation areas European operators should focus on, including introducing shared data plans which are already successful in the US."

"Mobile challengers with large spectrum assets and a lean cost structure and integrated fixed-mobile players are well placed," added Antoine Pradayrol of Exane BNP Paribas

The report is based on discussions with 91 companies in the telecoms-media-technology (TIME) sector across 15 countries. Further information: www.adl.com/4G

Contacts:

Say Communications
Cate Bonthuys
Tel:[phone]
[e-mail]


............................................................................

17.04.2013 | 11:25

Business Wire ·
Arthur D. Little und Exane BNP Paribas: 4G LTE ist ein Muss, wird aber nicht ausreichen, um die Preisgestaltungsmacht der europäischen Mobilfunkbranche wiederherzustellen

Telekommunikationsbranche vor Umsatzrückgang von 1,8 pro Jahr bis 2016

www.finanznachrichten.de

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Telekombranche: Anbieter trotz LTE-Geschäft im Tal der Tränen

Studie von Arthur D. Little und Exane BNP Paribas erwartet Umsatzrückgänge

Wien (pts028/16.04.2013/14:20) - * Trend in Österreich geht in Richtung unlimitierte Sprachtelefonie und SMS-Bündelung
* Preisniveau in Österreich weiter sehr niedrig
* 100 Prozent der verkauften Smartphones und Tablets werden 2015 LTE-fähig sein
* 2016 wird eine Marktdurchdringung von 54 Prozent der LTE-genutzten Geräte bestehen
* Frequenzauktion bietet Chancen für Neueinsteiger in Österreich

http://www.pressetext.com/news/20130416028

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.444.453 von teecee1 am 16.04.13 18:39:23

18.04.2013 | 08:41
(54 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Großaktionäre stellen sich hinter Dish-Offerte für Sprint

Der SatellitenTV-Anbieter Dish hat mit seiner Gegenofferte für Sprint Nextel zwei Großaktionäre auf seine Seite gezogen. "Wir mögen das Angebot und halten es für besser als das von Softbank", teilte Leon Cooperman, Chef von Omega Advisers, die zwei Prozent an Sprint halten, am Mittwochabend mit. Der Hegdefonds von Milliardär John Paulson, der etwa vier Prozent an Sprint hält, hat sich ebenfalls für die Dish-Offerte ausgesprochen. Dish müsse die Finanzierung in trockene Tücher bringen, aber das Angebot sei überzeugend, sagt Paulson.

Am Montag hatte Dish den geplanten Zusammengang von Softbank mit dem drittgrößten US-Mobilfunker Sprint überraschend mit einer eigenen Offerte torpediert. Das SatellitenTV-Unternehmen bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar (19,5 Mrd Euro). Die Kunden bekämen durch den Zusammenschluss Fernsehen, Internet und Telefon aus einer Hand, begründete Dish-Chef Charlie Ergen am Montag seinen Vorstoß. Sprint zu kaufen wäre ein großer Schritt, schließlich macht der Mobilfunker dreimal so viel Umsatz wie Dish.

Sprint hatte schon im Oktober einen Käufer für sich gefunden: Der japanische Internet- und Mobilfunkkonzern Softbank will 20,1 Milliarden Dollar für 70 Prozent der Anteile zahlen und Sprint mit prallen Taschen zu einem ebenbürtigen dritten Anbieter neben AT&T und Verizon Wireless machen. 17,3 Milliarden Dollar sollen in bar fließen und der Rest in Dish-Aktien. Nun liegt die Entscheidung bei den Sprint-Aktionären, ihren Favoriten zu wählen./fn/jha/kja


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Verizon confirms Clearwire spectrum bid, no interest in lease


A sign hangs in the Verizon booth on the first day of the Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 8, 2013. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

NEW YORK | Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:18am EDT

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) Chief Financial Officer said on Thursday that the telephone company put in a bid to Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) for some of its wireless airwaves.

Clearwire had previously reported a bid of $1 billion to $1.5 billion for spectrum.

Verizon's Fran Shammo did not confirm the size of his company's bid. Shammo told Reuters that if Verizon did not succeed in buying the spectrum, he would not be in the market for leasing airwaves from Clearwire, which is majority owned by No. 3 U.S. mobile provider Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N).

Sprint and satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) have been seeking to buy Clearwire, which depends on leasing wireless airwaves to other operators. Its biggest customer is Sprint.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sprint expands LTE to 21 new markets, including Los Angeles

Dan Hesse, speaking at an industry conference, also says the carrier has an LTE roaming agreement with a small Mississippi carrier called CSpire.

by Shara Tibken
April 18, 2013 7:03 AM PDT


Sprint CEO Dan Hesse speaks Thursday at the Competitive Carriers Association trade show in New Orleans.
(Credit: Maggie Reardon/CNET)

Sprint has expanded its 4G LTE network to 21 new markets, the company's CEO said Thursday, boosting the carrier's footprint with the high-speed network.

Dan Hesse, speaking at the Competitive Carriers Association trade show in New Orleans, said the new markets include Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C., and Memphis, Tenn. And he noted that customers are seeing LTE in cities that haven't been officially announced yet, such as New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Sprint has been playing catch-up in terms of 4G LTE, lagging far behind rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T. It earlier made a bet on Clearwire's WiMax network, but later chose to go with LTE after the rest of the market moved in that direction. Under Sprint's Network Vision plan, which is estimated to cost $4 billion to $5 billion, the company is shutting down its iDEN-based Nextel network, moving to 4G LTE, and simultaneously improving its 3G CDMA coverage.

A rollout to Los Angeles and the other new markets has been rumored for awhile, and reports last week pegged April 12 as the launch date for those cities. Most of Sprint's early rollouts were in smaller cities.

Meanwhile, Hesse on Thursday said Sprint has reached an LTE roaming agreement with a small Mississippi-based carrier called CSpire.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.403.965 von teecee1 am 10.04.13 17:03:43

Google Fiber takes on new challenge: Obtaining an already existing system

By Paul Foy

Associated Press
Posted: 04/17/2013 01:23:17 PM PDT
Updated: 04/17/2013 02:52:56 PM PDT

SALT LAKE CITY -- Google (GOOG) will take over a troubled municipal fiber-optic system and make Provo, Utah, the third city to get its high-speed Internet service via fiber-optic cables, the company announced Wednesday. (...)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23045919/google-fiber…


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What If Google Fiber Is More Than An Experience?
Apr 18 2013, 09:33 | about: GOOG

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1350751-what-if-google-fiber…


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ZDNet / News
Google erschließt Kleinstadt in Utah mit Glasfaser
von Florian Kalenda am 18. April 2013, 11:48 Uhr

Google Fiber kommt voraussichtlich schon bald in eine dritte Stadt: Provo im Bundesstaat Utah. Google hat dazu einen existierenden regionalen Glasfaserabieter namens iProvo gekauft. Der Stadtrat muss bei einer Abstimmung am 23. April allerdings noch einwilligen.

Zur Finanzierung wurden keine Details genannt. Google plant aber, das Netz von iProvo signifikant auszubauen – auf etwa das Hundertfache aktueller Internetverbindungen, wie es heißt.

Für Anwender, die die von Google versprochene “Gigabit”-Geschwindigkeit nicht benötigen, sind die Pläne ebenfalls reizvoll. So sie an iProvo angeschlossen sind, können Haushalte garantierte sieben Jahre lang kostenlos einen Basis-Internetdienst mit 5 MBit/s beziehen. Es fällt lediglich eine einmalige Aktivierungsgebühr von 30 Dollar an. Außerdem bekommen 25 städtische Einrichtungen – darunter Schulen, Bibliotheken, Krankenhäuser – eine Gratisanbindung per Gigabit-Glasfaser.

Provo ist mit rund 120.000 Einwohnern als Kleinstadt anzusehen. Google-Manager Kevin Lo schreibt in einem Blogeintrag aber, in Utah gebe es hunderte Start-ups, und viele davon hätten sich in Provo niedergelassen. “Die Gegend um Provo belegt den zweiten Platz bei den jährlichen Patentanmeldungen und wird immer wieder als eine der besten Regionen der USA hinsichtlich Lebensqualität und Business-Möglichkeiten geführt. Wir glauben, dass die Zukunft des Internet auf Gigabit-Durchsätzen aufbaut, und die Bewohner von Provo haben schon einige gute Ideen, was sie mit solchen Geschwindigkeiten machen könnten.”

Google Fiber war bislang nur in Kansas im Bundesstaat Missouri verfügbar. Das Pilotprojekt scheint aber sehr erfolgreich zu laufen. Erst vor einer Woche hatte Google angekündigt, es werde auch Austin in Texas erschließen.

[mit Material von Rachel King, News.com]


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18.04.2013 12:45
heise online
Google will Glasfasernetz in Utah betreiben

Nach Kansas City und Austin will Google sein Glasfasernetz Fiber in einer dritten Stadt ausbauen. Die rund 120.000 Einwohner und die Unternehmen der Stadt Provo im US-Bundesstaat Utah sollen das Angebot bekommen, mit 1 GBit/s ins Internet zu gehen, gibt Google bekannt. Das Unternehmen wolle dafür ein bereits existierendes Glasfasernetz namens iProvo von der Stadt übernehmen und ausbauen. Bürgermeister John R. Curtis setzt sich für den Verkauf ein, der Stadtrat muss auf seiner Sitzung am 23. April noch zustimmen.

Provo hatte 2004 begonnen, sein Glasfasernetz zu bauen, um sich zukunftsfähig zu machen. Seit 2011 suche die Stadt nach einem Unternehmen, dass das Netz übernehmen will. Google verspricht, entlang des Netzes einen Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s zu bieten. Die Nutzer müssten dafür nur einmalig 30 US-Dollar zahlen und müssten sieben Jahre keine Gebühren zahlen. 25 öffentliche Einrichtungen wie Schulen, Krankenhäuser und Bibliotheken sollen einen freien Gigabit-Zugang erhalten.

Utah sei bereits Standort von hunderten Hightech-Unternehmen und -Startups, viele von ihnen seien in Provo angesiedelt. Provo befinde sich auf der Rangliste der Zuwächse an Patenten US-weit auf dem zweiten Platz. Google zeigt sich daher zuversichtlich, dass die Einwohner und Unternehmen der Stadt bereits gute Ideen hegten, was sie mit der Bandbreite von 1 GBit/s anstellen können. (anw)

[teecee1]

Akamai-Chef Leighton im Interview
Dem Internet droht der Kollaps, wenn wir nicht handeln

16.04.2013 | von Jürgen Hill

Über die Zukunft des Internets sowie die Auswirkungen von Smartphones und Video diskutierte Tom Leighton, CEO bei Akamai, mit CW-Redakteur Jürgen Hill. Lesern Sie, welche Herausforderungen die ständig wachsende Datenflut mit sich bringt.

CW: Der Datenverkehr im Internet explodiert. Stehen wir kurz vor einem Kollaps des Netzes?

Akamai CEO Leighton warnt im CW-Interview
vor wachsenden Datenstaus im Internet.
Foto: Akamai

Tom Leighton: Nein, sicher nicht sofort. Aber es gibt Bereiche im Netz, wo wir Staus haben. Die eigentliche Herausforderung ist aber das Thema Video. Heute wird nur ein Bruchteil der konsumierten Videos über das Internet transportiert, während das Gros über Kabel-TV-Netze sowie Satelliten verbreitet wird. Hinzu kommt, dass die Videoqualität im Internet noch immer bescheiden ist und im Schnitt weniger als 1 Mbit/s an Bandbreite benötigt - das ist also weniger als für die Übertragung von klassischem Standardfernsehen (SDTV mit 480i in USA oder 576i bei PAL) erforderlich ist.

Hier droht uns ein Verkehrszuwachs um den Faktor 100, wenn nicht mehr nur ein bis zwei Prozent der Surfer Videos online anschauen, sondern 20 bis 50 Prozent und gleichzeitig die benötigte Bandbreite von 1 Mbit/s auf durchschnittlich 10 Mbit/s steigt - die unterste BluRay-Qualitätsstufe. Für diese Datenexplosion ist das klassische Internet, wie wir es kennen, nicht gerüstet. (...)

http://www.computerwoche.de/a/dem-internet-droht-der-kollaps…


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19.04.2013 | 17:25

Business Wire ·
SES realisiert auf den SES Industry Days erstmals eine Ultra-HD-Übertragung im neuen HEVC-Standard

SES (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) hat heute in Kooperation mit seinen Partnern Harmonic, einem weltweit führenden Anbieter von Systemen für die Videobereitstellung, und Broadcom, einem weltweit führenden Technologieentwickler und Anbieter von Halbleiterlösungen, erstmals live eine Ultra-HD-Übertragung im neuen HEVC-Standard durchgeführt. Verwendet wurde ein ASTRA-Satellit auf 19,2 Grad Ost. Der HEVC-Standard (High Efficiency Video Coding) bietet im Vergleich zu früheren Testübertragungen mit MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) eine 50 höhere Codiereffizienz. (...)

[teecee1]

Sprint Forms Special Committee of Independent Directors to Review Unsolicited Proposal From DISH Network Corp.

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – 5 hours ago

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) today announced the Board of Directors has formed a Special Committee of independent directors to review and carefully evaluate the proposal received from DISH with its financial and legal advisors. The Special Committee plans to evaluate the proposal and additional information that the committee has requested from DISH and provide its assessment to the full Board in due course whether the proposal is, or is reasonably likely to lead to, a Superior Offer (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of Merger with SoftBank Corp.). Neither the Board nor Sprint intends to comment further at this time.

The Special Committee consists of Larry C. Glasscock, James H. Hance, Jr., V. Janet Hill, William R. Nuti, and Rodney O’Neal. Mr. Glasscock will serve as Chairman of the Special Committee.

The special committee has retained BofA Merrill Lynch to act as its financial advisor, and Shearman & Sterling LLP as its legal counsel.

Sprint advises shareholders that they need not take any action at this time in response to DISH’s proposal pending review by Sprint’s Special Committee.


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Apr 18, 2013, 10:13am PDT
Dish's Ergen hungry for wireless spectrum — with Clearwire on the menu (Video)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2013/04/di…

April 17 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Alex Sherman and Telsey Advisory's Jaison Blair discuss Dish
challenging Softbank with a bid for Sprint with Trish Regan in Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart."
(Source: Bloomberg)

Autumn Morning
Sky, Kansas City Business Journal

Industry analysts and investors believe the race for wireless spectrum is on, and Dish Network Corp. Chairman and Co-Founder Charlie Ergen is making plays to be the front-runner.

Bloomberg's Alex Sherman says Ergen has his sights set on the mobile business, an industry of booming growth. He's got a vast portfolio of wireless spectrum, acquired for a "bargain basement price" after the 2011 bankruptcies of DBST and TerreStar Corp.

But because of federal regulations, Ergen needs a partner to monetize that portfolio, according to Telsey Advisory Senior Media Analyst Jason Blair. That's where Overland Park-based Sprint Nextel Corp. comes in.

Sherman said everyone is pining to be the single source provider of internet, cable, phone and mobile offerings — including SoftBank Corp. Telsey analysts think that while Dish's $25.5 billion offer for Sprint — which would include Bellevue-based Clearwire — has SoftBank's $20.1 billion bid beat at the moment, the Tokyo-based tech giant will sweeten its offer to buy Sprint.

FOLLOW the Puget Sound Business Journal on Twitter @PSBJ and on Facebook | Click here to sign up for the PSBJ Daily Update.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.487.397 von teecee1 am 22.04.13 19:16:49

23.04.2013 | 20:05
(49 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Urges Clearwire to Shun Sprint's "Coercive" Terms

HOUSTON, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority stockholder of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), today wrote a letter to Clearwire's board detailing in stark terms the damage that Crest believes Clearwire is doing to itself and its stockholders by refusing financing and spectrum-purchase offers from companies other than Sprint Nextel Corporation.

"Clearwire's crown jewel is its spectrum, and you, the Clearwire Board, are letting Sprint seize it for a grossly inadequate price and through an unfair, coercive process," David K. Schumacher, General Counsel of Crest, wrote to Clearwire's board today. "By abandoning your independent build-out plans, tying yourself to Sprint, tightening the noose by taking Sprint's coercive debt, crying wolf about potential insolvency and failing to take the lifeline offered by Crest, Aurelius, and others, you have converted fair value for Clearwire into a super-premium for Sprint. This offends, indeed defies, every tenet of fiduciary duty."

The letter asserts that "the value of the Company's spectrum is apparent to all-particularly SoftBank and Sprint." The letter adds: "Our own independent studies show that the Company's valuation falls in a range of between $9.54 and $15.50 per share."

In the meantime, Crest, an investment company in Houston, urged Clearwire's board to consider the debt financing offers from Crest and Aurelius Capital Management LP, both of which it said are more favorable and less "coercive" to Clearwire and its stockholders than is Sprint's financing program. It also pressed Clearwire's board to seriously examine proposals by Verizon and DISH Network to purchase some of Clearwire's valuable spectrum.

"Instead of engaging with DISH on its offer to purchase spectrum, you dismissed it as 'preliminary' even as you rushed straight into Sprint's headlock. You resisted even after DISH formalized its offer, and DISH was forced to bid for Sprint. Instead of entertaining serious offers of alternative, noncoercive debt from Crest and Aurelius, you acquiesced to Sprint's objection to you getting a better financing deal from elsewhere," Schumacher wrote to Clearwire's board. "You have acted at all times to deliver all the value of Clearwire not to its stockholders but to Sprint alone."

The letter added: "You have allowed Sprint to hamstring your ability to act in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders other than Sprint."

Crest ended the letter by stating that if Sprint, aided by the lock-up of 13% of Clearwire's shares through an improper voting agreement, prevails in the vote of minority stockholders, Crest will advance its cause in court.

Crest has also filed a preliminary proxy statement that, when cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission, will be used to urge Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint.

Crest's letter to Clearwire's board can be found at http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest/.

... ... geplante Insolvenz(verschleppung) von Sprint und Missmanagment von Clearwire ... beide zusammmen Aktionaersbetrug ...


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Clearwire Sets May 21 Date for Vote on Sprint’s Takeover Offer
By Scott Moritz - Apr 24, 2013 6:01 AM GMT+0200

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the money-losing wireless-service provider, scheduled a shareholder meeting next month to vote on Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)’s $2.97-a-share takeover offer, a transaction it has urged investors to approve.

The meeting is set for May 21 at 10:30 a.m. in Bellevue, Washington, according to a regulatory filing yesterday. The deal has been endorsed by the board, and it’s in the best interest of shareholders, Clearwire said.

Sprint, which already owned just over half of Clearwire, agreed to buy the remainder in December -- two months after a separate deal with Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp. (9984) promised to provide a cash infusion. SoftBank is buying a $20 billion stake in Sprint to help the company expand into the U.S.

Clearwire also received a $3.30-a-share proposal in January from Dish Network Corp. (DISH), though that offer is hampered by Sprint’s majority stake in the company.

Before the takeover bid, Sprint and Clearwire had run a joint venture with the goal of building a nationwide wireless network. The effort struggled to gain traction over the past four years, leading to billions of dollars in losses for Clearwire. Sprint’s goal now is to use Clearwire’s wireless airwaves to bolster its own network.

The deal is opposed by Crest Financial, a Houston-based investment firm that has offered financing to Clearwire in an effort to get it to retain its independence. Crest has argued that the Clearwire spectrum is worth more than what Sprint is offering.

Dish’s Move

Further complicating matters, Dish made a bid this month for majority control of Sprint, offering $25.5 billion for 70 percent of the carrier. Dish wants to unify Sprint’s wireless network with its satellite-TV service, letting it compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. SoftBank has argued that its bid has “superior short- and long-term benefits” compared with Dish’s “highly conditional preliminary proposal.”

Clearwire shares rose 0.9 percent to $3.29 yesterday in New York. The stock has climbed 14 percent this year, suggesting that at least some investors expect the company to accept a higher offer than Sprint’s $2.97 a share.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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BRIEF-Sprint says on schedule to close Softbank deal by July 1

April 24 | Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:09am EDT

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp : * Says on schedule to close Softbank Corp deal by July 1 * Says Clearwire Corp deal also on schedule * Says special committee will determine whether DISH Network offer is

superior in due course * Sees return to positive net adds in the back half of the year

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.355.417 von teecee1 am 03.04.13 16:56:06

25.04.2013 | 13:42
(112 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Verizon will Vodafone Mobilfunktochter-Beteiligung abkaufen

New York/London (boerseGo.de) - Der US-Konzern Verizon Communications, der bereits 55 Prozent an dem US-Mobilfunkanbieter Verizon Wireless hält, will die verbleibenden 45 Prozent von dem britischen Telekommunikationskonzern Vodafone übernehmen.

Wie die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters unter Berufung auf mit der Sache betraute Personen meldete, habe Verizon Banken- und Rechtsexperten beauftragt, eine Offerte vorzubereiten. Verizon wolle sich mit seinem bisherigen Partner Vodafone gütlich einigen, sei aber auch auf eine feindliche Übernahme eingestellt, heißt es. Der Deal soll ein Volumen von 100 Milliarden US-Dollar haben. Finanzieren will Verizon die Übernahme den Informanten zufolge je zur Hälfte mit Bankkrediten und eigenen Aktien.

(© BörseGo AG 2013 - Autor: Tomke Hansmann, Redakteur)


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(...) Verizon-Sprecher Bob Varettoni lehnte eine Stellungnahme zu den Insiderinformationen ab. Er verwies aber eine frühere Erklärung, wonach der Konzern daran interessiert ist, Vodafone Anteile am US-Marktführer für mobile Kommunikation abzukaufen. Bei Verizon Wireless und Vodafone war am Mittwochabend niemand für eine Stellungnahme zu erreichen.

Verizon will den Informanten zufolge das 100-Milliarden-Angebot je zur Hälfte mit Bankkrediten und eigenen Aktien finanzieren. Dem Konzern kämen dabei die derzeit niedrigen Zinsen und der hohe Kurs der eigenen Aktien zugute, hieß es. Das Führungsgremium dürfte die geplante Übernahme auf seiner nächsten turnusmäßigen Sitzung in der kommenden Woche erörtern, die im Vorfeld der Hauptversammlung einberufen wurde. Es gebe aber keine Garantie, dass das britische Unternehmen an einem Deal interessiert sei oder es zu einer Offerte kommen werde, hieß es weiter.

Verizon Wireless trägt zu zwei Dritteln zur Marktkapitalisierung von Vodafone bei. Über das Joint Venture haben die Briten zudem Zugang zum boomenden US-Markt. Vodafone denkt aber im Zuge des von Firmenchef Vittorio Colao betriebenen Konzernumbaus über seinen Anteil an Verizon Wireless nach.

rtr
Quelle: Handelsblatt Online


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Exclusive: Verizon eyes roughly $100 billion bid for Vodafone's wireless stake

Reuters – 1 hour 5 minutes ago


Customers purchase the iPhone 4 shortly after the phone went on sale with the Verizon
Wireless network in Boca Raton, Florida February 10, 2011. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

By Soyoung Kim and Kate Holton

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc has hired advisers to prepare a possible $100 billion bid to take full control of Verizon Wireless from its partner Vodafone Group Plc, two people familiar with the matter said. (...)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-verizon-eyes-roughly…

[teecee1]

Clearwire Reports First Quarter 2013 Results
GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 21 hours ago

* Q1 Total Revenues of $318.0 Million Increased 2% Sequentially, Down 1% Year Over Year
* Retail Subscribers Up 8% Sequentially and 10% Year Over Year on Record Gross Additions
* Approximately 1,300 TDD-LTE Sites Commissioned at Quarter-End; On Track to Meet 2,000 Site Milestone by End of June 2013 ... Q2 ...

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the U.S., today reported its financial and operating results for first quarter 2013.

"Our ongoing focus on driving our retail business cash contribution, controlling costs and maintaining liquidity continues to yield results," said Erik Prusch, President and CEO of Clearwire. "Our day-to-day focus on delivering for our customers and the substantial progress on the TDD-LTE network build demonstrate the company's commitment to execution during this transition period."

First quarter 2013 total revenue increased 2% over fourth quarter 2012 primarily due to sequential retail revenue growth. On a year over year basis, total revenue declined 1% to $318.0 million, reflecting slight declines in both wholesale and retail revenue over the prior year period. First quarter wholesale revenue of $114.9 million declined 1% sequentially on lower revenue related to the amortization of the second quarter 2011 Sprint wholesale settlement (the "Sprint Settlement"). On a year over year basis, wholesale revenue declined 2% primarily due to a decrease in the non-Sprint wholesale customer base as well as lower Sprint Settlement revenue. Wholesale revenue in first quarter 2013, fourth quarter 2012 and first quarter 2012 reflect the fixed wholesale WiMAX revenue terms of the November 2011 4G MVNO Agreement with Sprint which will continue through 2013. Retail revenue and other revenue increased 4% sequentially and decreased 1% year over year to $203.1 million in first quarter 2013. Retail average revenue per user (ARPU) was $43.49 representing sequential and year over year decreases of $(0.61) and $(3.34), respectively, primarily due to lower equipment lease revenue under the no-contract offering that was fully launched in first quarter 2012.

Clearwire ended first quarter 2013 with approximately 9.4 million total subscribers. First quarter 2013 retail subscribers increased 10% year over year and 8% sequentially to approximately 1.5 million retail subscribers. Retail net subscriber additions during the period were 108,000 reflecting 4.2% churn and record gross additions of approximately 287,000. During the period, wholesale subscribers declined 18% year over year and 3% sequentially on 270,000 wholesale net subscriber losses to approximately 7.9 million wholesale subscribers at the end of first quarter 2013. The decline in wholesale subscribers, which consist primarily of Sprint 3G/4G smartphone customers, is primarily due to the discontinuation of postpaid WiMAX offerings by Sprint.

Retail cost per gross addition (CPGA) was a company record low $143 in first quarter 2013 compared to $155 in fourth quarter 2012 and $242 in first quarter 2012. Both the sequential and year over year improvements are primarily due to improved efficiencies in retail selling expenses associated with our no-contract offering and higher gross adds, partially offset by increased equipment subsidies.

Excluding $9.3 million of merger-related expenses, first quarter 2013 Adjusted EBITDA loss was $(42.2) million. Inclusive of merger-related expenses, Adjusted EBITDA loss in first quarter 2013 was $(51.5) million, representing a $(13.3) million increase compared to first quarter 2012 Adjusted EBITDA loss of $(38.2) million. The increase is primarily due to merger-related expenses, as well as lower revenue and higher COGS (excluding non-cash expenses) on a year over year basis.

Cash, cash equivalents and investments (invested primarily in U.S. Treasury securities) as of March 31, 2013 was approximately $797.4 million, a sequential decrease of $71.2 million from December 31, 2012. The sequential decrease primarily reflects cash payments for capital expenditures and operating expenses, which was partially offset by $80 million drawn against the interim financing facility provided by Sprint in conjunction with our merger agreement, as well as payments from Sprint for wholesale WiMAX services and cash inflows from our retail business. As compared to March 31, 2012, cash, cash equivalents and investments decreased by $635.1 million.

First quarter 2013 capex of $50 million increased $27 million over prior year period capex of $23 million primarily due to increased expenditures for Clearwire's TDD-LTE network deployment. Compared to fourth quarter 2012 capex of $102 million, first quarter 2013 capex decreased $52 million primarily due to a decline in network equipment received as compared to the prior quarter.

At the end of first quarter 2013, Clearwire operated networks in the U.S. covering areas where approximately 136 million people reside, including approximately 134 million people in markets where we provide 4G services. At the end of the period our TDD-LTE network consisted of approximately 1,300 commissioned sites.

Results of Operations

Cost of goods and services and network costs (COGS) in first quarter 2013 decreased 19% to $213.2 million compared to $263.8 million in first quarter 2012. These amounts include non-cash charges for network equipment reserves and other write-downs of $4.7 million and $56.4 million in first quarters 2013 and 2012, respectively, and other non-cash network-related expenses of $17.7 million and $26.6 million in first quarters 2013 and 2012, respectively. The year over year decrease in network equipment reserves and other write-downs is primarily due to a decrease in charges for network equipment not required to support our network deployment plans or sparing requirements. The year over year decrease in other non-cash network related expenses is primarily due to a higher provision for unused tower-related leases and other network agreements in first quarter 2012. Excluding non-cash expenses, COGS increased 6% year over year primarily due to an increase in customer premise equipment sales associated with our no contract retail model, as well as higher tower- and network-related expenses in conjunction with our ongoing LTE build.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense in first quarter 2013 decreased slightly to $141.1 million from $142.7 million in first quarter 2012. The decrease is primarily attributable to lower sales and marketing, call center and facilities expenses, mostly offset by higher commissions, employee-related costs and general and administrative expenses related to the proposed merger with Sprint.

First quarter 2013 reported net loss from continuing operations attributable to Clearwire was $(227.0) million, or $(0.33) per basic share compared to $(182.1) million, or $(0.40) per basic share, respectively in the prior year period. Including the effects of discontinued operations, first quarter 2013 reported net loss attributable to Clearwire was $(227.0) million, or $(0.33) per basic share, compared to $(181.8) million or $(0.40), respectively in the prior year period.

CLEARWIRE CORPORATION
SUMMARY FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearwire-reports-first-quarte…


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Dell brings 4G LTE wireless connectivity to Windows 8 tablet

Dell is offering something that's rare on Windows 8 tablets: 4G connectivity. As Apple iPad users know, the option for mobile broadband has been around for years.

by Brooke Crothers
April 25, 2013 8:49 PM PDT


Dell's XPS 10 Windows RT tablet comes with 4G/LTE. A sign of things to come?
(Credit: Dell)

Dell is now offering 4G LTE on its XPS 10 -- a feature conspicuously absent on most Windows 8 tablets.

"Today, we're introducing an AT&T 4G LTE mobile broadband version for US customers on Dell.com, providing professionals with the same fast, reliable, high-speed internet connection as on their smartphones for connectivity anytime, anywhere," Dell said in a statement Thursday.

The XPS 10 is a bit of an oddball tablet among the top-tier PC makers.

It's one of the few tablets to use the RT version of Windows 8. And it's even a rarer bird because Dell has opted for a Qualcomm ARM chip, not Nvidia's version of ARM (used by Microsoft in its Surface RT tablet, for example).

But in this case, that's an advantage. Qualcomm is very good at integrating LTE into its silicon, allowing Dell to offer its XPS 10 with a Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz processor-plus-LTE, courtesy a Qualcomm Gobi modem.

It's not cheap, though. Adding LTE bumps up the price $100 to $749, which includes 64GB of flash storage.

That said, by comparison, a 64GB iPad 4 with LTE is priced at $829 from Apple.

And expect more 4G Windows tablets in the near future. At least that's Microsoft's Michael Angiulo told CNET last month.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.403.487 von teecee1 am 10.04.13 16:29:38

UPDATE 1-Clearwire investor Aurelius sues Clearwire directors and Sprint

Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:03pm EDT

* Aurelius joins chorus that wants better deal for Clearwire

* Calls Sprint's terms for Clearwire "manifestly unfair"

* Clearwire and Sprint decline to comment

* Aurelius says owns 17 mln Clearwire shares

April 26 (Reuters) - Aurelius Capital, a big shareholder in U.S. wireless service provider Clearwire Corp, filed a lawsuit against Clearwire directors and Sprint Nextel Corp over Sprint's December agreement to buy out the portion of Clearwire it does not already own.

Aurelius, which says it owns 17 million Clearwire shares, said Sprint, as Clearwire's majority shareholder, had dictated "manifestly unfair" terms for its Clearwire deal, in a filing at the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware on Friday.

Aurelius is joining a chorus of Clearwire minority shareholders that are unhappy over the terms of the Sprint deal, which requires approval from a majority of the minority shareholders at a meeting scheduled for May 21.

The hedge fund said that both Sprint and Clearwire's directors violated their fiduciary duties to Clearwire's minority shareholders in reaching the deal under which Sprint would buy Clearwire's minority shares for $2.97 per share.

For example, it said Clearwire should not have had Chairman John Stanton lead negotiations with Sprint because Stanton was originally nominated by Sprint for Clearwire's board.

Clearwire and Sprint declined to comment. Stanton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another big Clearwire shareholder, Crest Financial Ltd, is leading a proxy battle aimed at the blocking the deal.

Aurelius filed its suit two weeks after Clearwire said it rejected an $80 million financing offer from Aurelius because Sprint did not give Clearwire its consent to take the financing.

Clearwire said in a regulatory filing on Friday that it will draw on an $80 million financing available from Sprint for May. ()

Aurelius is known as an uncompromising hedge fund that involves itself in high-profile distressed debt cases. It was a major player in Tribune Co's protracted bankruptcy as lenders and junior creditors fought for four years before the newspaper and broadcasting company emerged from Chapter 11.

The fund has also taken on countries - Aurelius sued Argentina for $1.3 billion in payments on defaulted bonds.

Clearwire shares closed 3.9 percent higher at $3.44 on the Nasdaq on Friday. The stock trades well above Sprint's offer price as investors are betting that the company will attract an improved offer, especially since Dish Network Corp made a counter bid of $3.30 per share in January.

... ... 3-3,50 Dollar in Bar und 1 Sprint Aktie ...
... Sprint offer $3 - 3.50/shr in cash, about 1.0 in stock ... ... egal ob von Sprint/Softb(l)ank oder Sprint/Dish Deal ...
... $1.5B vom Spektrum Deal mit Verizon ... fuer $0.60/MHzPop

[teecee1]

Chromebook Pixel LTE arriving today

The first customers will start getting the Chromebook Pixel LTE today, several weeks after the Wi-Fi-only version was available.

by Don Reisinger
April 12, 2013 7:19 AM PDT


Google's Chromebook Pixel.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

The Chromebook Pixel with Wi-Fi might already be available, but the LTE model is coming to some doorsteps today.

Google announced the Chromebook Pixel LTE's availability on its Google+ page yesterday, saying that some of the customers who ordered the device from its Google Play marketplace will start receiving their devices starting today.

Google said on its Chromebook Pixel LTE product page last month that the device would start shipping on April 8. The company is now promising ship times of three to five days on new orders.

The Chromebook Pixel LTE goes for $1,449. The device runs Google's Chrome OS platform and has 64GB of onboard storage. The device's 12.85-inch screen is fully touchable, allowing users to organize windows and swipe through apps.


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Google Fiber prompts Time Warner to offer free Austin Wi-Fi

Time Warner Cable steps up its Austin Wi-Fi hot spot plan after Google announced it would be bringing its superfast Internet service to the Texas capital.

by Dara Kerr
April 25, 2013 4:52 PM PDT


(Credit: Time Warner Cable)

Though Time Warner Cable's free Wi-Fi hot spots are nothing new, there is something perhaps more than coincidental about the timing of their launch in Austin, Texas.

Did someone say Google Fiber?

Well, actually, Time Warner itself did. In its announcement Thursday that it's bringing free Wi-Fi hot spots to its Austin customers, the company said it was Google launching its superfast Internet and TV service in the Texas capital that gave Time Warner momentum.

"We've been rolling out our free Wi-Fi network across our footprint for some time now, as part of our larger strategy to offer significantly more value to our Internet subscribers. Austin was in the game plan for 2013," Time Warner Cable's digital communications director, Jeff Simmermon, wrote in a blog post Thursday. "But Google's recent announcement encouraged us to deploy our network more aggressively now. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we're ready to compete."

Time Warner's new Austin hot-spot network will be free to all customers with a Standard Internet plan or above; it will also be available to the company's Business Class subscribers. Those people who aren't customers can pay $2.95 per hour. While the service isn't yet citywide, it is available in the most trafficked areas -- and the company plans to build it out across Austin throughout 2013.

Despite the upped competition from Google in Austin, Time Warner -- along with other Internet providers like Comcast and Cable Vision -- has already been deploying Wi-Fi hot spots all over the country. Regardless of what Google does, it's still a part of its overall strategy. Currently Time Warner has more than 100,000 hot spots in the U.S., which are in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, San Francisco, and more.

It's unclear if the Wi-Fi hot spots will actually attract customers away from Google Fiber. It seems that Time Warner might also need to focus on offering faster and better broadband for its customers -- all while keeping it in a comfortable price range that competes with the Google product, which will most likely cost about $70 per month.

Besides Time Warner, Google's presence in Austin has elicited response from other competitors. After the Web giant announced earlier this month that it was taking Google Fiber to Austin, AT&T also revealed its plans to build a fast fiber-optic infrastructure for comparable high-speed access in the Texas city.

[teecee1]

Sprint sets tentative date for investor vote for SoftBank deal

April 26 | Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:58pm EDT

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp has set June 12 as the tentative date for a special meeting for shareholders to vote on its proposed $20.1 billion deal with SoftBank Corp , according to a document it said it filed with U.S. regulators.

While the No. 3 U.S operator is still evaluating a $25.5 billion counter bid from satellite TV provider Dish Network , it is going ahead with the process for its October agreement to sell 70 percent of its shares to SoftBank.

Sprint said it made the proxy filing with a meeting date at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 25, but spokesman Scott Sloat noted that the meeting date could change as the company is still waiting for final approval from the SEC.

http://investors.sprint.com/Cache/1500048899.PDF?Y=&O=PDF&D=…


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585K U.S. Cellular users need new phones in switchover to Sprint


Mary Dillon, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular, is photographed at the company's Chicago
headquarters in 2010. (Stacey Wescott/Tribune / April 26, 2013)

By Wailin Wong
Tribune reporter
11:56 a.m. CDT, April 26, 2013

U.S. Cellular customers in the Chicago area will have to buy new phones when the carrier completes the sale of those accounts to Sprint, a $480 million deal that is expected to close in the next several weeks.

Chicago-based U.S. Cellular and Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint announced the deal in November. U.S. Cellular is transferring customers and spectrum in its Chicago, central Illinois and St. Louis markets, along with Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The deal affects about 585,000 customers, or about 10 percent of the carrier's subscribers.

In the last week, affected U.S. Cellular customers have received letters with information about the transition to Sprint.

"Your U.S. Cellular device will not work on Sprint's network," the letter reads. "After the transition period, you will need to obtain a new Sprint device, if you select to use Sprint service. Sprint has a wide portfolio of competitive devices to meet your needs."

Officials at U.S. Cellular and Sprint emphasized that they are working to make the transition smooth. After the sale is finalized, customers will have several months to make a decision about whether they want to transfer to Sprint or go elsewhere. Their U.S. Cellular devices will still work during this transition period.

"It's not like we're going to close the deal and the next day, people are going to move," said Scott Sloat, a Sprint spokesman. "They're going to have several months to make the transition. During that time, they'll get plenty of communications from us about what the deals (on new devices) are. ... We want their business, so we have motivation to make this as easy and cost-effective as possible."

Dave Kimbell, U.S. Cellular's executive vice president of marketing, said he expects Sprint to offer "aggressive" pricing on new phones and "strong and clear" incentives for affected customers.

"We understand that there's anxiety and frustration, and cellular service is important to everyone," Kimbell said. "We completely respect this and we'll make this transition as smooth and easy for our current customers as possible. There's no reason to worry today. There's time to go through this."

U.S. Cellular customers that opt to sign up with a carrier other than Sprint will not be charged an early termination fee for doing so, according to the letter. They will also be able to port their phone numbers to Sprint or a different wireless provider.

U.S. Cellular stores in affected markets are no longer actively selling phones, offering promotions or subsidizing the cost of new devices, Kimbell said. The sale to Sprint will shutter 69 company stores. After the deal closes, five stores will remain open for several months to answer questions and offer limited account support.

Though both U.S. Cellular and Sprint use a wireless technology called CDMA for their networks, officials said phones are not compatible between the carriers. Unlocking a U.S. Cellular device will not let it to work on Sprint's network because phones' hardware components are customized to specific carriers, Kimbell said. This means that even a phone sold at both carriers -- the Samsung Galaxy S 3, for example -- will not work if transferred from U.S. Cellular to Sprint.

"It's not about being unlocked," Kimbell said. "It's not about a software requirement. It's about hardware. Foundationally, each carrier has different spectrum holdings, so what makes the phone work is the number and type of antennas that go into the phone. ... There are physical hardware differences."

[e-mail] | Twitter @VelocityWong

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.444.939 von teecee1 am 16.04.13 19:49:51

26.04.2013
"Die ampelfreie Großstadt könnte eine M2M-Vision sein"

Mobilfunk: Die Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation verändert die Welt. Deutlich wird das in der Automobilindustrie. "Sie hat verstanden, worum es geht", weiß Jan Geldmacher, CEO von Vodafone Global Enterprise. Vernetzte Autos, automatisiertes Fahren, Car-to-Car-Kommunikation – das setzt festeingebaute SIM-Karten voraus. Geldmachers Vision: "Wenn alle Verkehrsteilnehmer mit einem Mobilfunkchip ausgestattet sind, reduziert sich die Unfallgefahr auf nahezu null."

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 26. 4. 13, rb

VDI nachrichten: Welcher Industriezweig wird der spannendste, der umsatzträchtigste im Bereich Machine-to-Ma-
chine-Kommunikation, kurz M2M, sein?

Geldmacher: Das dürfte die Energieversorgung sein. Bei Smart Metering hängt Deutschland noch ein bisschen hinterher, aber in Großbritannien beispielsweise werden riesige Smart-Meter-Infrastrukturen ausgerollt. In Deutschland sind wir bei RWE und E.on an verschiedenen Feldversuchen mit einigen Tausend Haushalten beteiligt. Da warten alle noch auf klare regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen.

Der zweite Bereich ist Automotive, der dritte der Gesundheitssektor. Die Fernüberwachung von Patienten ist angesichts zunehmender Alterung der Menschen und fehlender ärztlicher Flächendeckung keine Utopie mehr. ...

Stichwort Automobil. Wie sehen da M2M-Anwendungen aus?

Spätestens seitdem Tomtom SIM-Karten einsetzt, um aktuelle Verkehrsinfos mit HD-Traffic-Dienst anzubieten, hat die gesamte Automobilindustrie verstanden, worum es geht.

Im vergangenen Jahr haben Vodafone und BMW einen umfangreichen Vertrag zum Thema Connected Drive geschlossen. Inzwischen hat jeder entsprechende 3er, 5er und 7er, der vom Band läuft, einen „embedded“ SIM-Chip von Vodafone an Bord. Das ist ein langfristiger Vertrag, eine strategische Zusammenarbeit. Connected Car ist sehr anspruchsvoll, denn es geht darum, Dienste ins Auto zu bringen. Wartung, Ölwechsel und anderes werden organisiert, Car Entertainment, Videostreaming und mehr angeboten. M2M-Kommunikation im Automobil geht jedoch noch weiter, von Pay-as-you-Drive – dem Versichern nach Fahrzeugnutzung – bis zum automatisierten Fahren.

Und natürlich ist auch Car-to-Car-Kommunikation nicht ohne Mobilfunk denkbar. Allerdings genügen normale Endgeräte in aller Regel nicht den Anforderungen der Automobilbauer. Für M2M-Anwendungen wollen sie spezielle, festeingebaute SIM-Chips, die allen Ansprüchen an Beständigkeit und vor allem an Datensicherheit entsprechen.

Wie sieht die Zukunftsvision in der Welt des Automobils aus?

Die ampelfreie Großstadt könnte eine M2M-Vision sein. Theoretisch könnten wir – das zeigen Versuche – eine nahezu sichere Verkehrswelt erschaffen. Wenn alle Verkehrsteilnehmer mit einem passenden Mobilfunkchip ausgestattet sind, kann sich keiner mehr treffen, es passieren theoretisch keine Unfälle mehr. Dann werden Algorithmen gefunden, wie Menschen und Autos umeinander herumgeleitet werden.

............................................................................

... ... aber nicht in Deutschland!!! ... das geht nur bei Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung auf 130Km/h ... der Deutsche ist ein Dummkopf ... (freiwillige) gegenseitige Rücksichtsnahme gibt es nicht ...

Tag 3 in Teslas Model S
Heute wird gekachelt

Von Wilfried Eckl-Dorna und Nils-Viktor Sorge

http://www.manager-magazin.de/lifestyle/auto/0,2828,896671,0…

............................................................................

Wie wichtig ist die Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation in der produzierenden Industrie?

Das ist ein riesiger Bereich. Viele Unternehmen fangen an, sich über M2M-Kommunikation in den Geschäftsmodellen zu differenzieren. Stellen Sie sich beispielsweise einen international agierenden Maschinenhersteller vor, der wissen will, wo seine Maschinen im Einsatz sind. Die Firmen wollen aber auch bei der Wartung die entsprechenden Maschinendaten auslesen und auswerten. Mithilfe von M2M können aber auch bestimmte Funktionalitäten on-demand freigeschaltet werden. Das reicht bis hin zum Chiptuning.

Ein Beispiel aus der Automobilindustrie: Bei gleicher Motorengröße gibt es unterschiedliche PS-Varianten, die über Software freigeschaltet werden. Das lässt sich natürlich ferngesteuert machen und auf jede Industrie übertragen.

Wie steht der deutsche Mittelstand zu M2M-Lösungen?

In der mittelständischen Industrie in Deutschland mit Produktentwicklungszyklen von fünf bis sechs Jahren beginnt man auch, Kommunikationsmodule in Maschinen zu integrieren. Da passiert gerade eine ganze Menge. Das spiegelt sich in Wachstumsraten wieder. Aber es gibt auf der anderen Seite noch sehr viele Unternehmen, die noch nicht wissen, wie sich die Technologie effizient nutzen lässt – und das aus allen Bereichen.

Wir haben aktuell 9,7 Mio. Maschinen weltweit mobil verbunden. Wir hatten dort Wachstumsraten von 2011 auf 2012 von 42 % bei Connected Machines.

Stimmt es, dass viele Unternehmen, die zurzeit über M2M nachdenken, neueste LTE-Technik einbauen wollen?

Das stimmt, das ist einer der Gründe warum wir massiv in die neue Technologie investieren. Derzeit sind die LTE-Module zwar noch teuer, bestimmte Dienste werden aber nur mit LTE funktionieren. Das gilt beispielsweise für die Fahrzeugkommunikation, in der die Latency, die Signal-Wartezeit, gering ist. Andere Services funktionieren durchaus mit UMTS.

Wann kommen günstige LTE-Module?

Das ist eine Frage der Stückzahlen. Bei UMTS hat es vier bis fünf Jahre gedauert, bei LTE gehe ich von der Hälfte der Zeit aus.

Wie verdient Vodafone mit M2M Geld?

Wir entwickeln mit dem Kunden maßgeschneiderte Lösungen und haben in der Regel langfristige Vertragsbindungen. Bei den Tarifen kommt es u. a. darauf an, wo die Maschine eingesetzt wird, ob sie immer online sein muss oder nur zweimal am Tag und wie oft beispielsweise Software-Upgrades nötig sind.

... und dann schlagen Sie die Marge drauf?

Unterschätzen Sie den Markt nicht. Er ist bereits heute hart umkämpft – vergleichbar der Situation im allgemeinen Mobilfunkgeschäft. REGINE BÖNSCH


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... ein paar andere Dinge die die Welt nicht braucht ...


Patentanträge
Apple will Autos mit dem iPhone steuern und finden


Steuert das iPhone bald das Auto? (Bild: Pierre Verdy/
AFP/Getty Images)

Datum: 26.4.2013, 08:28
Autor: Andreas Donath

Apple hat in den USA zwei Patentanträge eingereicht, die zeigen, wie der Besitzer eines Autos sein Fahrzeug mit Hilfe des iPhones nach dem Parken wiederfinden (... ... wo habe ich nur mein iKlo hingelegt ... ähhh sch...e mein Akku ist leer ... wo finde ich jetzt eine Steckdose ...) und es über Bluetooth steuern könnte. Lenken per iPhone ist jedoch nicht geplant.

Die Situation ist alltäglich: Das Auto wurde irgendwo in der Straße oder dem Parkhaus abgestellt, aber der genaue Standort wurde vergessen. Mit Apples Lösung, die in einem Patentantrag beschrieben wird, könnte der Autobesitzer mit seinem iPhone das Fahrzeug wiederfinden.

In der Patentschrift beschreibt Apple, wie das iPhone mit dem Auto über Bluetooth kommunizieren könnte, um festzustellen, ob es irgendwo in der Nähe abgestellt wurde. Das Parkhaus würde zudem ein eigenes schnurloses Netzwerk aufbauen, um den exakten Standort des Fahrzeugs zu lokalisieren und an den Besitzer weiterzugeben. Mit einer kleinen Karte findet es der Autofahrer dann mit Routenanweisungen hoffentlich wieder.

iPhone als Schlüsselersatz und Servicekraft

Apple hat in den USA eine zweite Patentidee eingereicht. Auch das Öffnen und Abschließen des Autos soll über das Smartphone funktionieren. Das Telefon würde über einen verschlüsselten Weg mit dem Fahrzeug ähnlich wie eine Fernbedienung kommunizieren. So ließe sich auch der Motorstart per iPhone realisieren und auch die Ansteuerung des Radios, des Lichts und der Klimaanlage wäre möglich, wenn eine direkte und sichere Kommunikation per Funk aufgebaut werden könnte. Selbst fahrerindividuelle Einstellungen wie die der Sitzposition oder die der Spiegel ließen sich auf dem iPhone speichern und abrufen.

Die Patentanträge für die Suchfunktion (20130103200) für das Auto und die für das Öffnen, Einstellen und Starten (US20130099892) wurden beide im Oktober 2011 eingereicht und erst jetzt veröffentlicht.

... ... ... wwuuuhhhhääääähhhhhhh ... man hat mir mein ...§ÜÄÖ§... geklaut ...


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26.04.2013
Mit Maschinen­kommunikation zum Internet der Dinge

Mobilfunk: In ihrem Kompetenzzentrum schnitzt die Deutsche Telekom seit über drei Jahren an Lösungen zur Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation (M2M). Der Schlüssel für viele Projekte liegt dabei in den Kooperationen. "Nur gemeinsam mit der Industrie lässt sich dieses Geschäft realisieren", erklärt Jürgen Hase, Leiter des Zentrums.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 26. 4. 13, rb


Ob Windräder, Fahrzeuge oder Gebäudebestandteile – alle fangen dank SIM-Karten an zu kommunizieren. Grafik: Telefónica

... Lösungen wie die der Kühe, die – bestückt mit Sensoren und Mobilfunkmodulen – ihre Vitaldaten vom Stall oder der Weide an einen Server weiterreichen können. Die Daten geben dem Bauern Auskunft über den Eisprung der Kuh oder lassen erkennen, wann sie kalbt. (...)

http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/content/Mit-Maschinen-kommuni…

... Mehr noch: „Eine Ende-zu-Ende-Lösung mit operativem Betrieb verlangt nach viel IT“, so Hase. Die Zusammenarbeit mit der Telekom-Tochter T-Systems werde da im umkämpften Markt zum echten Verkaufsargument. Aber der Konzern schnürt auch Partnerschaften mit anderen IT-Größen wie SAP, IBM und Oracle. Ebenso wie mit dem einen oder anderen Bauern nebst seinen Kühen. So umfassend ist eben die M2M- Landschaft. REGINE BÖNSCH


... ... liegt der Bauer besoffen an der Mauer wird die Kuhmilch wieder sauer ...

... sind Tiere nicht Lebewesen ... unsere Kinder laufen mit ans Ohr getackerten SIM-Karten herum ... etwas später wir alle ... !!!

... ... wir machen uns komplett abhängig ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.523.665 von teecee1 am 27.04.13 08:35:44

Dealpolitik: What Happens if Clearwire Holders Vote Down Sprint Deal?



Last Tuesday, Clearwire filed definitive proxy materials indicating that it will hold its shareholders meeting to approve the $2.97 per share acquisition of Clearwire by Sprint S 0.00% on May 21.

This won’t be your ordinary shareholders meeting. Crest Financial, which owns just over 5% of the outstanding shares, has indicated it anticipates soliciting against the transaction. It has also filed a lawsuit and asked the FCC to stop the deal.

The Sprint deal is controversial because Crest and others have criticized the price as being too low. Dish, in a complex proposition that Sprint claimed is unworkable, had offered to buy Clearwire shares at $3.30 per share in connection with acquiring spectrum from, and other arrangements with, Clearwire. However, although Dish has not withdrawn that proposal, it is not clear where that offer stands since Dish has now made an offer to buy Sprint and has said it wants Sprint to pursue its deal with Clearwire. Also, Dish had conditioned its offer on Sprint not providing financing to Clearwire, and Clearwire has now accepted such financing.

Two different voting thresholds are required to approve the Sprint deal: a majority of the Clearwire shares not owned by Sprint and 75% of the shares outstanding. Sprint owns just over 50% of Clearwire, so these vote thresholds are similar.

The deal has a head start on shareholder approval because Sprint obtained the agreement of the holders of approximately 13% of outstanding Clearwire shares to approve the deal (and agreed to buy those shares if the deal does not happen for $2.97 per share). That leaves just 37% of the shares which are not owned or locked up by Sprint. From these shares, the deal needs the vote of just 12% of the outstanding shares to approve the deal. To put it another way, to approve the deal Clearwire and Sprint will only need the support of approximately one-third of the shares not owned by or locked up by Sprint.

But what happens if the deal doesn’t get the requisite vote? Here is a summary:

• Either Sprint or Clearwire can terminate the merger agreement

• No break up fee or expenses would be payable by either party

• Sprint would keep the $240 million in exchangeable notes which have been sold by Clearwire to Sprint for cash and which can be exchanged by Sprint any time after termination of the merger agreement for Clearwire shares at $1.50 per share

• Sprint and Clearwire could agree to postpone the meeting and put these consequences off if it looks like the shareholders will vote the deal down, but neither is obligated to do so

• If the deal is terminated Clearwire will need to recommence its search for additional financing or strategic alternatives

• Sprint will likely take the position that corporate actions, such as sale of spectrum or a financing transaction, should be considered by the full board and not a special committee of independent directors. That would give Sprint more influence in stopping transactions, such as proposals made to buy spectrum or provide Clearwire financing, if Sprint’s directors did not believe they were in Clearwire’s best interests

• If Dish loses its attempt to win a bidding war for Sprint, it could renew its complex proposal to do a deal with Clearwire. And of course Sprint could always make a new buyout proposal for Clearwire regardless of who ends up buying Sprint

The real question is what would happen next. Would Sprint offer a better deal? Would other parties offer favorable spectrum and/or financing transactions acceptable the Clearwire board? The market appears to be betting something better is coming since Clearwire shares are trading over $3.30, above both the Sprint buyout deal and even what Dish had proposed to pay.

The risk to shareholders comes from Clearwire’s need to raise additional financing fairly soon. On Thursday’s earnings call Clearwire management said that if it stopped its high speed wireless network upgrade and made other cuts it could fund operations until the first quarter of next year.

In the absence of a favorable transaction with Sprint or someone else, the Clearwire shareholders could be exposed to the golden rule of Wall Street: He who has the gold makes the rules. And nowhere is this more demonstrated than in restructurings, where shareholders tend to be heavily diluted—or even wiped out if there is a bankruptcy.

Even to borrow money from Sprint, Clearwire finds itself in a position of making that debt exchangeable for stock at $1.50 per share, less than half of what Clearwire shares currently trades at. If Clearwire finds itself running out of money some type of restructuring could become necessary and the terms could be worse.

It is a highly complex situation which makes owning shares of Clearwire not a game for amateurs.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 25, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

(...) Here's a breakdown of Clearwire's key quarterly metrics:

TD-LTE: Clearwire said it currently counts 1,600 sites commissioned for TD-LTE network technology, which the carrier plans to launch this year to replace its aging WiMAX network. Clearwire CTO John Saw said the sites are ready in terms of backhaul and just need to be connected to Sprint's core network.

Clearwire expects to have 2,000 TD-LTE sites completed by the middle of the year and 5,000 by the end of the year. Prusch said that the first sites will be in major markets, including Los Angeles, New York City, Miami and San Francisco. He also said Clearwire has been working with Sprint on interoperability testing to plan for Sprint's expected launch of TD-LTE devices. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said earlier this week that, assuming the Clearwire deal closes by mid-year, Sprint can begin launching devices in the late third quarter that take advantage of TD-LTE technology on Clearwire's 2.5 GHz spectrum(GOLD). (...)

............................................................................

Clearwire Corporation Short Interest

4/15/2013 | 10,463,601

3/28/2013 | 7,499,127


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Report: Verizon thinks Vodafone's VZW stake is worth $100B, Vodafone thinks it's $130B

April 26, 2013 | By Sue Marek

Verizon Communications' (NYSE:VZ) planned bid for Vodafone Group's 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless faces a sizable hurdle. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, Verizon and Vodafone are at odds over the value of the transaction. Verizon believes the stake is worth around $100 billion, while Vodafone believes it's closer to $130 billion. Although Verizon has not made a formal offer to Vodafone, the two sides are reportedly in discussions and Verizon has hired advisors to help it formulate an offer. Article (sub. req.)

............................................................................

April 29, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

... Verizon declined to comment, according to Bloomberg.

According to Reuters, Vodafone investors want more than $100 billion and are pushing for a deal valued between $120 billion and $135 billion. Citing "six major Vodafone investors," mostly unnamed, the report said that they would prefer a full merger with Verizon instead of the $100 billion offer.

"It seems like the right time for Verizon to use its highly valued stock and the low interest rates in the market to acquire Vodafone's stake," BTIG Walt Piecyk, who thinks it would take more than $120 billion to buy out Vodafone's stake, told Bloomberg. "Verizon might regret not taking advantage and getting a deal done this year." (...)


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AT&T accuses DOJ of favoring T-Mobile, Sprint for 600 MHz auction
April 26, 2013 | By Sue Marek

AT&T (NYSE:T) accused the Department of Justice of attempting to rig the upcoming 600 MHz incentive auction to ensure that the two smaller nationwide carriers--Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile USA--could win most of the spectrum up for grabs.

In a letter to the FCC, AT&T said that DOJ's suggestion that AT&T and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) would be bidding on the low-frequency spectrum merely to "foreclose" access to it is wrong. In addition, it said that the DOJ's urging of the FCC to intervene and make sure Sprint and T-Mobile end up with that spectrum is not only unlawful but also puts the auction in jeopardy. "It is surprising that the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice would even propose measures that are so nakedly designed to help specific companies," wrote Wayne Watts, AT&T's senior executive vice president and general counsel.

In a filing earlier this month, the Justice Department asked the FCC to develop auction rules designed to promote competition and that would ensure that Verizon and AT&T do not shut out smaller carriers in the bidding. Watts called this action an effort by regulators to pick "winners and losers."

Watts also noted that both Sprint and T-Mobile are in merger negotiations that could boost their financial situations. T-Mobile is in the process of merging with MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) and Sprint is weighing competing bids from Japan's Softbank and Dish Networks.

The 600 MHz auction is expected to be held in 2014 or later. Last week, six Republican members of the House of Representatives wrote to the FCC warning that putting caps on how much spectrum one provider can own would limit AT&T and Verizon's participation in the auction and may lead to lower bids for spectrum.


... ... mami der kleine junge hat mich gehauen ... und der hat mein spielzeug weggenommen ...

[teecee1]

... ... Tageshoch heute $18


T-Mobile shares rise in NYSE debut


T-Mobile CEO John Legere (C) jokes around before ringing the opening
bell at the New York Stock Exchange, May 1, 2013. REUTERS-Brendan
McDermid

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK | Wed May 1, 2013 3:18pm EDT

(Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.N) shares rose 6 percent in their debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, after the company was created by the merger of MetroPCS Communications and Deutsche Telekom AG's (DTEGn.DE) U.S. unit T-Mobile USA.

Shares of what is now the fourth-largest U.S. wireless service provider were up 96 cents at $16.54 from an adjusted closing price of $15.58.

MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA, which had combined 2012 revenue of $24.8 billion, merged to pool their spectrum resources to compete better with bigger and smaller rivals.

"It's a good debut," said Hudson Square Research analyst Todd Rethemeier. "They both had good first-quarter results, so we think there's more room for upside." Rethemeier set a price target of $24 for the new stock.

However Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Fritzsche was more cautious because T-Mobile has been losing customers for a long time. "T-Mobile US may have a difficult time turning the ship and bringing customers back to it as quickly as hoped," Fritzsche said in a research note.

T-Mobile US said the combined company ended the first quarter with about 43 million customers. This compared with roughly 55 million for third-ranked Sprint Nextel (S.N).

While the company plans to shut down the MetroPCS network eventually, it will keep both the T-Mobile brand and the MetroPCS brand, which is targeted at cost-conscious consumers who pay for calls in advance.

T-Mobile US Chief Executive John Legere said one of its first priorities will be to expand the MetroPCS brand outside of existing markets.

Because of the planned network shutdown, Chief Financial Officer Braxton Carter said most of his savings target of $6 billion to $7 billion from the deal will not involve traditional cost cutting such as layoffs. "There will definitely be some job reductions," Carter told Reuters, but added that "overall there will be job creation." ... ... nein, nein wir streichen keine Stellen wir bauen Stellen auf ...

Deutsche Telekom has been struggling since 2011 to find a better path for T-Mobile USA after abandoning a sale of the company to No. 2 U.S. mobile provider AT&T Inc (T.N) for $39 billion because of opposition from regulators.

The MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA merger was the first big deal to close in an ongoing flurry of consolidation efforts by U.S. telecom service providers.

Sprint agreed to sell 70 percent of its shares to Japan's SoftBank Corp (9984.T) for $20.1 billion in October but is now evaluating a counter bid from satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp (DISH.O). Shareholders may vote on the SoftBank deal on June 12.

Some analysts have speculated that T-Mobile US could be involved in other deals, such as a merger with Sprint, a tie-up with Dish or a purchase of smaller rival Leap Wireless International Inc (LEAP.O).

Legere said he needs to focus on integration first.

"We will be listening to anybody that wants to talk to us, but right now we've got all the cards we need to play aggressively. So we're not out shopping," Legere said. "We're about executing and integrating. We've got a pretty good hand."

Wells Fargo's Fritzsche said "Sprint and T-Mobile's eventual marriage seems likely."

MetroPCS shareholders voted in favor of the deal on April 24 after Deutsche Telekom, under pressure from activist investors, sweetened the terms.

Under the agreement, Germany's Deutsche Telekom owns 74 percent of T-Mobile US. MetroPCS shareholders received about $1.5 billion in cash plus 26 percent of the combined company.

Other upcoming deals in the sector could include a Sprint buyout of the rest of Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O), in which it already holds a majority stake. Sprint agreed to buy Clearwire for $2.97 per share but minority shareholders have been betting on a higher offer ahead of the May 21 vote on that deal.

Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N), is also hoping to buy out Vodafone Group Plc's (VOD.L) 45 percent stake in their Verizon Wireless venture and is preparing a $100 billion bid, according to sources familiar with the matter.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Jeffrey Benkoe and Chris Reese)


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02.05.2013 10:36
Telekom bringt T-Mobile USA an die Börse

Nach einem monatelangen Hin und Her ist die US-amerikanische Mobilfunk-Tochter der Deutschen Telekom an der Börse angekommen. Am Mittwoch startete der Handel mit Papieren von T-Mobile USA erfolgreich an der New York Stock Exchange. Am Morgen legte die Aktie um mehr als 2 Prozent zu.

Die Telekom hatte ihre Tochter mit dem kleineren börsennotierten Wettbewerber MetroPCS verheiratet und so den Weg an die Wall Street geebnet. Zusammen wollen die Nummer vier und fünf auf dem US-Mobilfunkmarkt besser gegen die größeren Rivalen bestehen.

T-Mobile USA litt bis zuletzt unter der Abwanderung von Vertragskunden, wenngleich sich der Trend verlangsamte. Das fusionierte Unternehmen hat 43 Millionen Kunden und kommt auf einen Jahresumsatz von annähernd 25 Milliarden Dollar (19 Milliarden Euro). Es ist damit immer noch kleiner als Verizon Wireless, AT&T oder Sprint.

Erst vor einer Woche hatten die MetroPCS-Aktionäre dem Zusammengehen zugestimmt, nachdem die Telekom die Konditionen verbessert hatte. Die Bonner halten 74 Prozent an dem fusionierten Unternehmen und die MetroPCS-Aktionäre die restlichen 26 Prozent.

Eineinhalb Jahre darf die Telekom keine Anteile verkaufen. Durch die Börsennotierung könnte sich der Konzern aber langfristig auf einfache Weise von der Tochter trennen. Der ursprünglicher Plan der Telekom war, T-Mobile USA ganz an den Rivalen AT&T zu verkaufen, doch die US-Wettbewerbshüter untersagten das Geschäft. (dpa) / (anw)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.523.665 von teecee1 am 27.04.13 08:35:44

CORRECTED-Clearwire shareholders club together to push for better deal

Fri May 3, 2013 11:51am EDT

(Corrects to reflect that Sprint is a majority shareholder)

May 3 (Reuters) - Four minority shareholders with 127.4 million of Clearwire Corp's public shares said they agreed to work together to seek a better deal for the wireless service provider, which agreed to be sold to majority shareholder Sprint Nextel Corp.

Mount Kellett, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management Co agreed on May 1 to band together to talk with Sprint, Dish Network Corp and other interested parties, according to a filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

After Clearwire agreed to be sold to Sprint for $2.97 per share in December, satellite TV provider Dish announced a $3.30 per share offer for the company in January and then made a bid for all of Sprint itself in April. (Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)


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RPT-UPDATE 1-Clearwire investors team up to seek higher price

Fri May 3, 2013 12:20pm EDT

May 3 (Reuters) - Four minority shareholders with 127.4 million of Clearwire Corp's shares said they agreed to work together to seek a better deal for the wireless service provider, which agreed to be sold to majority owner Sprint Nextel Corp.

Mount Kellett, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management Co agreed on Wednesday to band together to talk with Sprint, Dish Network Corp and other interested parties, according to a document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

The shareholders said they were unanimous in their belief that Sprint's December offer to buy Clearwire for $2.97 per share was too low.

Clearwire shares were up 3.4 percent at $3.39 on Nasdaq after the news.

Clearwire and Sprint declined to comment. Dish was not immediately available for comment.

The investors' efforts come weeks before a May 21 meeting Clearwire scheduled for shareholders to vote on the December agreement to with Sprint, which already owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire. The deal would need approval from a majority of the minority shareholders.

Shareholders had said they were not happy with the Sprint agreement, especially after satellite TV provider Dish announced a $3.30-per-share counter-offer for the company in January and then made a bid for all of Sprint itself in April.

Since then, Verizon Communications Inc said it offered to buy spectrum from Clearwire after the smaller company announced in a regulatory filing that it had received a bid for $1 billion to $1.5 billion worth of spectrum.

Another activist investor, Crest Financial, has already been asking shareholders for support in its proxy battle against the Sprint deal.


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Clearwire Investor Mount Kellett Enlists Group to Oppose Sprint
By Scott Moritz - May 3, 2013 5:16 PM GMT+0200

Mount Kellett Capital Management LP said it forged an alliance with other Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) investors to coax Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) into making a better takeover offer for the struggling wireless Internet company.

The group, which also includes Highside Capital Management LP, Glenview Capital Management LLC, Chesapeake Partners Management Co. and others, has 18.2 percent of Clearwire’s publicly traded shares, they said today in a filing. The group seeks to persuade Sprint to increase its $2.97-a-share bid.

The price offered by Sprint is “too low,” the group said in the filing.

The shareholders, which don’t include another vocal opponent of the deal -- Crest Financial -- said they formed the group May 1 to “engage in discussions with relevant and interested parties to seek to maximize shareholder value.”

The investor group will also pursue discussions with other parties, including Dish Network Corp. (DISH), which has presented a competing bid for Clearwire of $3.30 a share. Bellevue, Washington-based Clearwire said this week that it will need at least $1.7 billion in financing to cover operations through 2014. The company has scheduled a May 21 special shareholder meeting to vote on the offer from Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint.

Clearwire rose 2.6 percent to $3.37 at 10:58 a.m. in New York, while Sprint climbed less than 1 percent to $7.14. Englewood, Colorado-based Dish rose 2.6 percent to $40.28.

Sprint holds a stake of just over half of Clearwire, mostly through a separate class of shares that aren’t publicly traded.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


... ... mit Aurelius Capital und Crest Financial sechs ...

[teecee1]

Clearwire Says Needs $1.7 Billion Funds to Keep Operating
By Ben Livesey - May 2, 2013 6:01 AM GMT+0200

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR), the money-losing wireless-service provider, said it needs at least $1.7 billion to cover a cash shortage and continue operating.

The company, based in Bellevue, Washington, needs the funds through 2014 to make up for the shortfall, it said in a filing yesterday. The shortfall reflects “less certain revenues and high fixed costs,” it said.

Clearwire, which is majority owned by Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), said last month it will draw $80 million in financing from Sprint for a third straight month, leaning on the wireless carrier for funding as it awaits a shareholder vote on a proposal by Sprint to buy the rest of the company.

Rival suitor Dish Network Corp. (DISH), seeking to gain control of valuable airwaves, has offered $25 billion for control of Sprint and $3.30 a share for Clearwire stock, more than Sprint’s $2.97- a-share offer.

In the filing yesterday, Clearwire said Sprint’s offer “provides a compelling value to Clearwire minority shareholders.” As part of the evaluation of the Sprint offer, Clearwire provided two business scenarios in which it requires $2 billion to $4 billion in additional funding through 2017.

Under its current structure, the “prospects of securing funding are highly uncertain,” it said in the filing.

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), the second-largest U.S. phone company, offered Clearwire $1 billion to $1.5 billion for airwaves in major cities, the New York-based company said last month. Clearwire reiterated in yesterday’s filing that a special committee would review the proposal.

Clearwire shareholders are scheduled to vote on Sprint’s offer on May 21.

The company’s stock fell 1.5 percent to $3.31 at the close in New York yesterday. Sprint rose less than 1 percent to $7.06, while Dish declined less than 1 percent to $39.14.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Livesey in London at [e-mail]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Livesey at [e-mail]; Cecile Daurat at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.564.445 von teecee1 am 03.05.13 18:49:33

UPDATE 2-Clearwire investors team up to seek higher price

Fri May 3, 2013 4:45pm EDT

May 3 (Reuters) - Four minority shareholders with roughly 9 percent of Clearwire Corp's shares have agreed to work together to seek a better deal for the wireless service provider, which agreed to be sold to majority owner Sprint Nextel Corp.

Mount Kellett, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management Co agreed to band together to talk with Sprint, Dish Network Corp and other interested parties, according to a document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

The shareholder group, which owns 127.4 million Clearwire shares or roughly 17 percent of its minority shares, said they were unanimous in their belief that Sprint's December offer to buy Clearwire for $2.97 per share was too low.

Clearwire, Sprint and Dish declined to comment. SoftBank Corp, which is trying to buy Sprint, had said earlier this week that Sprint could be content to continue with its majority ownership if shareholders voted down the deal.

Many shareholders had said they were not happy with the Sprint agreement, especially after satellite TV provider Dish announced a $3.30 per share counter offer for Clearwire in January and then made a bid for all of Sprint itself in April.

Since then, Verizon Communications Inc said it offered to buy spectrum from Clearwire after the smaller company announced in a regulatory filing that it had received a bid for $1 billion to $1.5 billion worth of spectrum.

The deal would need approval from more than half of the minority shareholders at a May 21 meeting where Clearwire shareholders are set to vote on the December agreement with Sprint, which already owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire.

Along with the group, which said it had agreed on May 1 to join forces, another activist investor, Crest Financial, with 57.65 million shares or 8 percent of the minority shares, has said it is not happy with the Sprint offer. Crest has been asking shareholders for support in its proxy battle against the deal.

When it announced the deal in December Sprint said that strategic shareholders in Clearwire with roughly 26 percent of the minority votes said they would support its offer. These shareholders include Comcast Corp and Intel Corp .

Clearwire shares closed up 3 percent at $3.38 on Nasdaq after the news.


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U.S. Cellular changes course, will offer iPhone later this year
May 3, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

U.S. Cellular (NYSE:USM) will launch Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) products, including the iPhone, later this year, reversing its earlier position. The company said in 2011 that it would not launch the iPhone because it did not make financial sense.

Analyst Simon Flannery of Morgan Stanley estimated the company's deal with Apple is a $1.2 billion, three-year commitment. U.S. Cellular CEO Mary Dillon said that the company is comfortable with this arrangement because its customers are demanding the iPhone and churn will be reduced. "We are confident and comfortable with the estimated range of that commitment," Dillon said on the company's quarterly conference call with investors. She also noted that the company will be able to save money by reducing its spending on legacy networks as it migrates customers from 3G to LTE.

The company did not provide a specific launch date for the iPhone, but said that in order to offer the iPhone and other products, it will refarm its 850 MHz spectrum and launch LTE in Band 5 later this year. U.S. Cellular's LTE network currently is deployed on several different spectrum bands, including partner King Street Wireless' spectrum holdings in the Band 12 Lower 700 MHz A and B blocks and U.S. Cellular's own spectrum holdings in the 850 MHz band and Band 12 Lower 700 MHz A, B and C blocks.

U.S. Cellular executives were cagey when asked if they would launch a CDMA-version of the iPhone. Instead they said they would not provide specifics on the exact devices but hinted that they are leaning toward the LTE devices.

U.S. Cellular will increase its cap ex guidance by $130 million to fund the rollout of LTE in its 850 MHz spectrum. Most of that additional cost will go to new base stations that support Band 5. The company also said that this deployment will not just support the Apple products, but also enable future LTE roaming.

Some carriers have struggled to sell the iPhone. Cricket provider Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) recently said it is seeing an improvement in sales of the iPhone, but the company will not purchase any more devices from Apple beyond its initial $900 million, three-year deal that it made with Apple last June.

U.S. Cellular also said it has converted its first wave of customers to the company's new BSS/OSS system and is on track to launch new products such as shared data plans later this year.

U.S. Cellular said in November it would sell some of its major Midwestern markets and spectrum to Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) for $480 million as it seeks to streamline its operations. U.S. Cellular has said that it will cut the majority of its retail, engineering and business support workers, or about 1,000 jobs, after the deal closes. The company now expects the deal, which has received FCC approval, to close sometime during the second quarter.

Here is a breakdown of U.S. Cellular's key quarterly metrics:

Smartphones: Smartphones overall represented 62 percent of devices sold. The company the higher subsidies it must pay for LTE smartphones continue to drag on its profits, but its long-term strategy is to balance those costs with growth in average revenue per user and reduced capital expenditures for its legacy networks. The company said 43.5 percent of its postpaid customers now have a smartphone, up from 41.8 percent in the fourth quarter and up from 34.4 percent in the year-ago period.

LTE: U.S. Cellular reiterated that it will bring LTE coverage to 87 percent of its customer base in 2013. The company said that in its core markets LTE smartphones were 76 percent of smartphones sold in the first quarter. The company has said that by the end of the year customers in more than 3,800 additional cities and towns will have access to its LTE. U.S. Cellular said it will deliver LTE to "select cities" in California, Kansas and Nebraska and its existing LTE service will be expanded to include additional cities in Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Subscribers: U.S. Cellular continues to lose subscribers, dropping 74,000 postpaid customers in the quarter, more than the 41,000 it lost in the fourth quarter and the 38,000 it lost in the year-ago period. Meanwhile, the company reported 23,000 prepaid net subscriber additions, fewer than the 37,000 prepaid additions it had in the fourth quarter but up from 4,000 in the year-ago quarter. Overall, the company lost 51,000 total subscribers and ended the quarter with 5.73 million total customers.

Churn: The company's postpaid churn rate was 1.7 percent, down from 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter and up from 1.6 percent in the year-ago period.

ARPU: U.S. Cellular's postpaid ARPU was $54.85, up from $54.56 in the fourth quarter and $54 in the year-ago quarter.

Financials: Total revenue was $1.08 billion, down slightly from the year-ago period. Service revenue clocked in at $996 million, also down slightly from a year ago. The company reported net income of $4.9 million, down from $62.5 million in the first quarter of 2012.

[teecee1]

03.05.2013
Huawei hat offenbar kein Interesse mehr am US-Markt

Telekommunikation: Offen ausgesprochene Spionageverdächtigungen gegen die chinesischen Telekommunikationsausrüster belasten die Geschäftsbeziehungen zwischen Huawei und den USA. Angeblich will sich der Konzern zurückziehen, weil der US-TK-Markt immer mehr an Bedeutung verliere.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 3. 5. 13, rb

„Wir sind nicht mehr am US-Markt interessiert“, sagte Huaweis Vice President Eric Xu auf dem alljährlichen Analystentreffen am Firmenhauptsitz in Shenzhen.

Diese Äußerung wurde zunächst als deutliches Rückzugskommando verstanden, doch ein paar Tage später relativierte Huawei-Sprecher Scott Sykes: „Xus Aussage bezog sich darauf, dass das Netzbetreibergeschäft in den USA kaum noch Wachstumspotenzial bietet. Stattdessen sind unsere Aussichten in Europa und Asien deutlich besser. Wenn man sich die gegenwärtige Situation unseres US-Geschäftes genauer anschaut, stellt man schnell fest, dass es sehr schwer sein wird, die USA als eine wichtige Umsatz- und Gewinnquelle für unser Unternehmen aufzubauen“, hieß es in einem Statement.

Das war eine sehr chinesisch-salomonische Formulierung. Vor allem im letzten Satz umschreibt Sykes die massiven Probleme, die Huawei und die USA miteinander haben. Erst vor wenigen Wochen warnte der republikanische Abgeordnete Mike Rogers den Mobilfunkprovider Sprint und seine Tochtergesellschaft Clearwire davor, Huawei-Geräte einzusetzen. „Huawei ist ein Sicherheitsrisiko und US-Firmen, die deren Systeme einsetzen, laufen Gefahr keine Regierungsaufträge und -verträge zu erhalten“, sagte er in einem TV-Interview. Wie groß der Huawei-Anteil an der Netzinfrastruktur von Sprint ist, ist nicht bekannt. Doch ein Sprecher spielte deren Bedeutung herunter. „Huawei hat den mit Abstand geringsten Anteil in unseren Netzen“, erklärte Clearwire.

Doch die Verunsicherung ist groß. Schließlich ist Rogers Vorsitzender des Geheimdienst-Ausschusses, und dieser veröffentlichte bereits im vorigen Oktober einen Bericht, wonach die Systeme von Huawei und ZTE ein Sicherheitsrisiko für die USA darstellen. In dem Bericht werden die beiden chinesischen Hersteller verdächtigt, dass sie mit ihren Geräten heimlich den darüber laufenden Datenverkehr für die chinesische Regierung ausspionieren.

Hinzu kommen Copyright-Vorwürfe. So soll der Source-Code von Huaweis Switches und Routern komplett per „copy & paste“ von Cisco gestohlen worden sein – inklusive der Softwarefehler. Cisco hat sich mit Blick auf sein eigenes China-Geschäft außergerichtlich mit Huawei geeinigt, aber alle US-amerikanischen Anbieter sind über diesen Fall sehr verunsichert.

Die Folgen des angespannten Verhältnisses spiegeln sich in den Geschäftszahlen wider. So betrug Huaweis Gesamtumsatz in den USA im vorigen Jahr nur 1,5 Mrd. $ (Huaweis Gesamtumsatz weltweit 2012: 35 Mrd. $) – das meiste davon mit Mobiltelefonen. Das liegt laut Huawei nicht nur an den Problemen mit der US-Regierung, sondern auch an der allgemeinen Marktentwicklung. So genießen die USA schon lange nicht mehr die höchste Priorität bei den TK-Anbietern. „Vor zwei oder drei Dekaden betrug der US-TK-Markt noch 70 % des Weltmarktes, doch heute sind es bestenfalls 30 %“, sagte Huaweis Chief Technology Officer Li Sanqi auf dem Analystentreffen. HARALD WEISS

... ... Samsung, Apple, LG, Motorola, evtl. Vizio ... da gibt es genügend ...

[teecee1]

Google Fiber heads to Shawnee, Kansas

The high-speed Internet service may not arrive all that quickly. Google says it still has "a lot of planning and engineering work" to complete before bringing Fiber to the city.

by Don Reisinger
May 3, 2013 5:42 AM PDT

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57582716-93/google-fiber-he…



... ... Schau nie-mals dorthin ... oder extra deswegen ...


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ZDNet / News
Google Fiber: Die vierte Glasfaser-Stadt wird Shawnee in Kansas
von Florian Kalenda am 4. Mai 2013, 09:04 Uhr

Google hat den Namen der vierten US-Stadt bekannt gegeben, die es mit seinem Glasfaserprojekt Google Fiber erschließen will. Es ist Shawnee – und damit nach Kansas City schon die zweite Stadt im Bundesstaat Kansas. Beide liegen nur etwa 15 Kilometer voneinander entfernt am Kansas River.

Wann die geschätzten 63.000 Bewohner der Kleinstadt tatsächlich Gigabit-Zugriff aufs Internet via Google Fiber haben werden, ist noch unklar. Google sagt, es sei noch “jede Menge Planung und Ingenieursarbeit” zu erledigen, bevor man dazu Angaben machen könne.

Kansas City war im Juli 2012 die erste Stadt gewesen, in der sich Google als Glasfaser-Netzprovider engagierte. Der Versuch erwies sich aber als so erfolgreich, dass im April 2013 weitere Projekte in Austin (Texas) und Provo (Utah) publik gemacht werden konnten.

Google scheint bei der Städteauswahl keinem festen Plan zu folgen, sondern einfach günstige Gelegenheiten zu nutzen. In Provo konnte es beispielsweise zu offenbar günstigen Konditionen einen anderen Glasfaseranbieter aufkaufen, dessen Netz es jetzt ausbauen wird. Und Austin beschrieb es als “ein Mekka der Kreativität und des Unternehmertums, mit florierenden künstlerischen und Tech-Communities”.

Shawnee ist bisher die kleinste Stadt, die Google Fiber versorgt. Selbst Provo kommt auf etwa 120.000 Einwohner; Austin hat als Hauptstadt von Texas rund 800.000 Einwohner. Kansas City erstreckt sich auf zwei Staaten, Kansas und Missouri: Nimmt man beide zusammen, kommt man auf gut 600.000 Einwohner. Um Millionenstädte und Metropolen macht Google bisher noch einen Bogen.

Ein Anschluss mit 1 GBit/s kostet bei Google Fiber monatlich 70 Dollar. Für insgesamt 120 Dollar monatlich kommt ein Paket mit einer Vielzahl von TV-Sendern hinzu, wiederum deutlich günstiger als bei US-Kabelanbietern üblich. Ein weiterer Tarif bietet gegen die einmalige Zahlung von 300 Dollar – entsprechend den Kosten für einen Glasfaseranschluss – langfristigen Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s Downstream und 1 MBit/s Upstream. Eine Leistung für mindestens sieben Jahre ist garantiert, und auch dieser Sondertarif schränkt das Datenvolumen nicht ein. Alle Tarife setzen voraus, dass sich ein gewisser Anteil der Bewohner in einer Nachbarschaft – von Google als “Fiberhood” bezeichnet – für einen Glasfaseranschluss entscheiden.

[mit Material von Don Reisinger, News.com]


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May 3, 2013, 2:38pm CDT
Google Fiber heads east


Julie Denesha

Alyson Raletz
Reporter- Kansas City Business Journal

Google Fiber dipped its toes into Eastern Jackson County for the first time Friday.

The Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) expansion into Raytown comes on the heels of the company adding another Johnson County push-pin to its network map.

Raytown announced Friday that it had struck a deal with Google to build a high-speed Internet network. Raytown’s board of aldermen is slated to review the agreement Monday. A formal vote is set for May 21.

Raytown’s addition to the network lineup would mark Google’s first foray east of Interstate 435 and its third Missouri city, including Kansas City and North Kansas City.

Last month, Google entered into a 20-year, $3.2 million agreement with North Kansas City to lease its LINKCity fiber-optic data network.

Raytown also marks Google’s second local pick of the week.

On Thursday, Google said Shawnee would receive the service, too.

In Johnson County, Google already plans to connect to Olathe, Westwood, Westwood Hills and Mission Hills. Kansas City, Kan., was the first city to receive Google’s attention in 2011.

Outside the Kansas City metro area, Google is pursuing networks in Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah.


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03.05.2013
Auch das Fernsehen zieht es künftig in die Wolke

TV der Zukunft: Fernsehen war gestern, die Zukunft gehört dem Video aus der Cloud. Diesen Trend sehen zahlreiche Branchenexperten. Weltweit werden immer mehr bewegte Bilder über das Internet verschickt, TV-Programme bekommen zudem Konkurrenz von professionellen Youtube-Kanälen. Darauf stellen sich auch Technologieanbieter ein.

VDI nachrichten, München, 3. 5. 13, jdb


Foto: iStock

„Der statische Zuschauer ist passé, das Fernsehen wird sich entwickeln und verändern.“ Dass Thomas de Buhr, Vertreter von Google TV und Director Branding Google Germany, diese Meinung vertritt, überrascht zunächst nicht. Die aktuellen Marktzahlen lassen dagegen schon eher aufhorchen. Weltweit werden derzeit 72 h Content pro Minute auf der Videoplattform Youtube, die ebenfalls zum Internetriesen Google gehört, hochgeladen.

Rund 90 % des gesamten Onlineverkehrs sollen verschiedenen Untersuchungen zufolge Ende dieses Jahres aus Bewegtbildern bestehen. „Die Mediennutzung bleibt eine soziale Aktivität“, erwartet de Buhr. „Aber das Broadcasting wird zum Microcasting, die Abhängigkeit vom einzelnen Gerät schwindet dramatisch“, prognostizierte der Google-Manager zum Auftakt der Audiovisual Media Days in der vergangenen Woche in München .

Diesen Trend stützte auch Tej Rekhi, Director Innovation Strategy der DG Media Mind in London. „Fernsehen bedeutet für jeden von uns etwas anderes – für viele heißt TV jedoch heute nur noch Streaming“, so Rekhi. „Fernsehen ist eine Funktion, eine Anwendung, aber nicht mehr eine Box und ein Gerät in einem Raum.“ Laut Rekhi sehen 50 % aller Tablet-Nutzer regelmäßig Videos, 63 % davon rufen die bewegten Bilder zu Hause ab. Viele TV-Zuschauer nutzen zudem mehrere Geräte parallel.

Smarte, onlinefähige Fernseher werden für diesen Trend bislang offenbar nur bedingt von den Zuschauern eingesetzt. Zwar gibt es inzwischen fast 6 Mio. Connected-TV-Geräte in deutschen Haushalten, und laut Marktforscher der GfK könnten es Ende dieses Jahres rund 13,5 Mio. Geräte sein, doch in anderen Ländern, so skizzierte Alexander Henschel von der Beratung Goetzpartners, schreite die Entwicklung in diesem Segment deutlich stärker voran.

Henschel sprach von „Ernüchterung“, da die Verbraucher hierzulande die Funktionen der Smart TVs zum Teil überhaupt nicht kennen. „Ein Second Screen ist einfacher und komfortabler, die Benutzeroberfläche ist bei vielen vernetzten Fernsehgeräten optimierungsbedürftig“, mahnte Henschel.

Trotzdem, berichtete Google-Vertreter de Buhr, kommen heute bereits 8 % der deutschen Youtube-Zuschauer via Smart TV auf die Plattform. Statt klassischer TV-Programme werden hier verstärkt Musik- und kurze Filmschnipsel abgerufen. Doch immer häufiger steuern gerade junge Zuschauer auch professionell vermarktete Youtube-Kanäle wie Clixoom an. Journalist Christian Krachten adressiert hier mit seiner ungeschnittenen Online-Talkshow eine immer größere Fangemeinde.

„Ich rede über Themen, die die junge Zielgruppe wirklich interessieren“, erklärte Krachten gewohnt selbstbewusst in München. Weit über 88,8 Mio. Mal wurden seine Videos schon geklickt, mehr als 221 000 Abonnenten wollen Krachten regelmäßig sehen. „In fünf bis zehn Jahren wird es keine Unterscheidung mehr zwischen Web und TV geben“, so Krachten. „Dann gibt es nur noch eine Spannbreite von Geräten, auf denen ich Videos schaue.“

Ob das auch für die reifere Zielgruppe gilt, wird sich zeigen. Denn laut gerade veröffentlichtem (N)Onliner-Atlas von TNS Infratest im Auftrag der Initiative D21 sehen 55,9 % der über 50-Jährigen in Deutschland altersbedingt derzeit überhaupt keinen Sinn in der Internetnutzung. Zudem spielt die Verfügbarkeit von hohen Übertragungsbandbreiten, sei es unterwegs oder im heimischen Netzwerk, für die Verbreitung von Videos auf Abruf (Video-on-Demand) eine entscheidende Rolle.

Auch vor diesem Hintergrund erwartet Peter Schulz vom Pay-TV-Anbieter Sky Deutschland keine Verlagerung, sondern eine Ergänzung der Medienformen: „Die On-Demand-Nutzung steigt stetig, ebenso wie der Empfang über kleinere Geräte. Der Trend geht hin zum Empfang, der immer und überall möglich ist.“

Auf diese Entwicklung stellen sich auch Technologieanbieter wie Cisco ein. Das Unternehmen zeigte auf einer Hausmesse in Unterföhring bei München, wie Lösungen aus der Cloud aussehen könnten. Etwa über Gateways im Heimnetzwerk, die alle Empfangsgeräte im Haus ansprechen und Inhalte synchron verteilen können.

Auch hybride Infrastrukturen, die eine Ausspielung von Video über Satellit mit kabel- und internetbasierter Zulieferung kombinieren, sind möglich – ebenso wie ultra-leichte HDMI-Clients, die den Zuschauer künftig noch unabhängiger vom jeweiligen Endgerät machen.
SIMONE FASSE


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

5/02/2013 @ 11:55AM |
YouTube Claims Victory Over TV - Battle Won With One Billion Visitors Per Month



With more than one billion unique visitors every month, YouTube asserted last night that the battle between television and the online video giant is over. YouTube claimed victory with six billion views per month. According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited Mark Mahaney’s estimates, a stock analyst at RBC Capital Markets, that YouTube generated about $4 billion in revenue in 2012, up from $2.5 billion in 2011. (...)

Mobile and Devices

* 25% of global YouTube views come from mobile devices
* People watch one billion views a day on YouTube mobile
* YouTube is available on hundreds of millions of devices
* Traffic from mobile devices tripled in 2011 (...)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/05/02/youtube-claim…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.566.565 von teecee1 am 04.05.13 07:58:11

Clearwire Mails Letter to Stockholders Stating Proposed Transaction With Sprint Provides Best Strategic Alternative for Clearwire's Minority Stockholders

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 3 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (CLWR) today mailed a letter to stockholders regarding its proposed transaction with Sprint Nextel Corporation ("Sprint"). The letter describes the proposed transaction with Sprint as providing the best strategic alternative for Clearwire's minority stockholders, representing fair, attractive and certain value.

The full text of the letter follows:

May 6, 2013

On May 21, 2013, Clearwire will hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders to vote on the proposed Sprint transaction. Clearwire stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 2, 2013, are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.

PROPOSED TRANSACTION WITH SPRINT PROVIDES THE BEST STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVE FOR CLEARWIRE'S MINORITY STOCKHOLDERS AND REPRESENTS FAIR, ATTRACTIVE AND CERTAIN VALUE

Clearwire's board of directors has always been committed to considering strategic options and pursuing those that maximize stockholder value. A Special Committee conducted a careful and rigorous review of all options available to Clearwire, with the assistance of independent financial and legal advisors. On the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee, the Clearwire board has unanimously concluded that the proposed transaction with Sprint is the best strategic alternative for stockholders, representing fair, attractive and certain value, especially in light of the Company's limited alternatives and the well-known constraints of its liquidity position.

The proposed $2.97 per share offer price equates to a total payment to Clearwire minority stockholders of approximately $2.2 billion. This transaction represents a total Clearwire enterprise value of approximately $10 billion, including net debt and spectrum lease obligations of $5.5 billion. Additional benefits include:

* Attractive spectrum value of $0.21 / MHz -- POP; ... ... Verizon will schon $0.30 zahlen- 47 Mrd.
* A ~130% premium to Clearwire's closing share price on October 10, 2012, just before Sprint publicly acknowledged its merger discussions with SoftBank, and Clearwire was speculated to be part of that transaction;
* A 40% premium to the closing share price on November 20, 2012, the day before Clearwire received Sprint's $2.60 per share initial non-binding indication of interest;
* Higher certainty of value for stockholders compared to other alternatives; and
* Immediate liquidity to stockholders at transaction close.

SPRINT PROPOSAL WAS THOROUGHLY EVALUATED BY CLEARWIRE'S
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SPECIAL COMMITTEE

Clearwire formed a Special Committee, comprised of three directors independent from Sprint. Clearwire's Special Committee hired its own legal and financial advisors to evaluate and negotiate the Sprint transaction. Specifically, the Special Committee:

* Rejected Sprint's initial indication of interest of $2.60;
* Oversaw subsequent negotiations, leading to an increase in the offer price of 14% and other more favorable terms; and
* Received a fairness opinion from its financial advisors that the $2.97 merger consideration was fair, from a financial point of view, to the Company's non-Sprint stockholders.

... ... man wartet solange bis der Kurs ordentlich gefallen ist und als CLWR wieder ansteigt kommt das Angebot ...

In addition to the actions taken by the Special Committee outlined above, the Board hired its own separate, independent legal and financial advisors and received a fairness opinion stating that the $2.97 merger consideration was fair, from a financial point of view, to the Company's non-Sprint stockholders.

The $2.97 per share consideration represents a substantial premium to the price received by other sophisticated investors in recent transactions. For example, Google received $2.26 per share for its Clearwire Common Stock on March 1, 2012, and Time Warner received $1.37 per share for its Clearwire Common Stock on October 3, 2012.

In addition, Eagle River received $2.97 per share for its sale of Clearwire Common Stock on December 17, 2012.

Other stockholders consider $2.97 to be a fair and compelling price: Comcast, Intel, and Bright House Networks have committed to vote their shares in support of the transaction. Collectively, these sophisticated investors own approximately 13% of the voting shares, or approximately 26% of non-Sprint voting shares.

CLEARWIRE'S STANDALONE PROSPECTS ARE RISKY AND HIGHLY UNCERTAIN

The proposed transaction with Sprint provides a clear solution to the substantial funding gap Clearwire is facing. The Company's prospects of securing the $2-$4 billion in additional funding necessary to continue operations and the LTE build plan are highly uncertain. In evaluating the Sprint transaction in the context of its funding constraints, the Special Committee considered two sets of financial projections prepared by Clearwire's management team:

* Single-Customer Case (SCC): Assumes Sprint remains Clearwire's only major wholesale customer, and increases its wholesale purchases by over 500% to over $2 billion by 2020.
* Multi-Customer Case (MCC): Requires substantial non-Sprint network traffic beginning in 2014, which implies an immediate agreement with another major wholesale customer.

| * Industry reality is that many carriers have recently consolidated spectrum positions and are focused on other strategic priorities.
| * Despite concerted efforts and discussions with more than 100 targets, Clearwire has failed to secure an additional major wholesale customer.

Both SCC and MCC have significant funding gaps that need to be addressed:

* SCC: Estimated $3.9 billion peak cash shortfall in 2017.
* MCC: Estimated $2.1 billion peak cash shortfall in 2015.

At the time Clearwire entered into the proposed Sprint transaction, it disclosed in its third quarter 2012 filings that the Company had 12 months of liquidity remaining, and in its first quarter 2013 filings the Company disclosed that, even if it curtails or suspends its LTE build, its liquidity will be depleted in the first quarter 2014 without securing additional financing. Moreover, the Company believes that securing the additional financing to fund the standalone business plan would be challenging, expensive and highly dilutive to stockholders, if available at all.

SPRINT TRANSACTION REPRESENTS CULMINATION OF
RIGOROUS MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC REVIEW

The Clearwire board and management undertook an extensive, multi-year process to explore strategic and financial alternatives over the past two years, which the Special Committee, with its advisors, also independently evaluated, including:

Alternative #1: Additional Wholesale Partners

* Without a second major wholesale customer, Clearwire's business plan is exceedingly risky due to increasing dependence upon Sprint, its largest customer, and a significant funding gap ($3.9 billion under SCC);
* MCC is only viable with another major wholesale customer in addition to Sprint; and
* Success remains unlikely given industry dynamics, and potential partners expressed a strong preference for spectrum acquisition over a wholesale partnership due to greater control.

Conclusion: Clearwire has been unsuccessful at attracting a second major wholesale customer, despite concerted efforts and discussions with more than 100 targets.

Alternative #2: Monetize Excess Spectrum

* Clearwire's exhaustive sale process in 2010 involved contacting 37 parties and did not result in an agreement;
* Since then, Clearwire has engaged in a series of conversations with a number of parties that did not result in any compelling offers, including a market check conducted in December of 2012;
* The proceeds of any sale of spectrum could be subject to significant tax leakage and use of proceeds restrictions under Clearwire's existing debt agreements and thereby wouldn't provide sufficient liquidity to the Company;
* Outstanding proposals for Clearwire's spectrum are for premium portfolios of either primarily owned spectrum or leased spectrum concentrated in metro markets; Clearwire is unlikely to have buyer interest for all 47 billion MHz-POPs of spectrum above the $0.21/MHz-POP value implied by Sprint proposal; and ... ... für wieviel wird dann Sprint das Spektrum an Verizon abgeben ... und der Smartphone-Hype hat erst begonnen
* Even a sale of a meaningful block of spectrum would leave Clearwire exposed to significant risks and would not solve Clearwire's long-term liquidity challenges as it does not address the fundamental need for significant additional revenues, and potentially reduces future demand for Clearwire's network if sold to a potential wholesale customer.

Conclusion: A spectrum sale does not address, and may exacerbate, long-term challenges.

Alternative #3: Financing Alternatives (Debt / Equity Financing)

* Currently, Clearwire has an annual cash interest burden of approximately $510 million and the interest burden created from additional debt financing will further increase cash outflows and potentially result in an untenable capital structure;
* Under its current debt agreements, Clearwire has extremely limited secured borrowing capacity remaining;
* Fewer than 200 million available authorized shares limit our ability to issue significant equity financing without approval from a majority of stockholders (i.e. Sprint); and
* New unsolicited financing offers from Crest and Aurelius are not actionable at this time without Sprint's approval.

Conclusion: Debt or equity financing would have unattractive terms, and would be very expensive and dilutive to existing stockholders.

Alternative #4: Partnerships / Other Strategic Transactions

* Clearwire would not be able to sell the whole Company as Sprint has stated that they are not willing sellers; and
* Under existing agreements, Clearwire's ability to offer meaningful governance rights to new partners is limited.

Conclusion: A sale of the Company to a third party other than Sprint is unlikely to occur due to Clearwire's governance structure and Sprint's unwillingness to sell its stake.

Alternative #5: Financial Restructuring / Bankruptcy ... ... wir sitzen alle im selben Boot ...

* Clearwire's difficult liquidity situation will put it in a worse position to negotiate any other strategic transaction, and financial restructuring may be the only available alternative;
* Clearwire engaged Blackstone Advisory Partners and Kirkland & Ellis LLP to explore the possibility of a financial restructuring in fall of 2011, and has spent significant time with these advisors to understand the implications and risks of restructuring;
* The process could take 24 months or longer and stockholders would be unlikely to receive any value prior to completion; and
* The outcome of a financial restructuring is subject to many uncertainties, including:

| − The existence of buyers in an auction for the entire Company;
| − The ability to sell the entire spectrum portfolio without flooding the market at non-distressed prices;
| − Potential taxes on spectrum sales which could materially reduce value to stockholders; and
| − Potential damages claims by Sprint which could be substantial and could reduce value to stockholders, among others.

Conclusion: Represents a highly uncertain outcome for Clearwire stockholders, and unlikely to yield value to stockholders exceeding $2.97 per share. ... ... Minority Stockholders offer $3 - 3.50/shr in cash, about 1.0 in stock ... ...

Given the comprehensive reviews of the alternatives, the Special Committee and board of directors determined that the Sprint transaction is in the best interests of the Company's non-Sprint stockholders.

MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN CLEARWIRE. VOTE "FOR" THE SPRINT TRANSACTION ON THE WHITE PROXY CARD

The Clearwire board unanimously recommends that you vote your shares FOR all of the proposals relating to the proposed transaction with Sprint by returning the WHITE proxy card with a "FOR" vote for all proposals. The failure to vote or an abstention has the same effect as a vote against the proposed combination. Because some of the proposals required to close the proposed transaction requires the affirmative vote of 75% of all outstanding shares, the votes of all of Clearwire stockholders are important. If stockholders do not approve the proposals related to the proposed combination, there is no assurance that your shares of Clearwire common stock will be able to be sold for the same or greater value in the future.

We urge you to discard any gold proxy cards you may receive, as they were sent by a dissident stockholder. If you previously submitted a gold proxy card, we urge you to cast your vote as instructed on the WHITE proxy card as soon as you receive it. A vote on the WHITE proxy card will revoke any earlier dated proxy card that was submitted, including any white proxy card. If you have questions or need assistance voting your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor, MacKenzie Partners, Inc., toll-free at [phone] or call collect at [phone].

On behalf of your board of directors, we thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

John Stanton
Chairman of the Board

If you have any questions, require assistance with voting your WHITE proxy card,
or need additional copies of the proxy materials, please contact:

MacKenzie Partners, Inc.

105 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

[e-mail]

[phone] (Call Collect)
Or
TOLL-FREE [phone]

[teecee1]

DISH Network's (DISH) Ergen Files to Acquire 50%+ of Sprint (S)

May 6, 2013 9:16 AM EDT

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) today announced that it had received formal notification under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the "HSR Act") that Charles Ergen, Chairman of DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH), has filed to acquire in excess of 50 percent of Sprint's Series 1 Common Stock, through DISH Network or a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.

As a result of Mr. Ergen's submission, the HSR Act requires Sprint to make HSR filings with the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission including certain information regarding Sprint's business operations, revenues, and shareholdings. Sprint's Special Committee, established on April 22, 2013, continues to evaluate DISH Network's proposal and has not yet determined whether the proposal is, or is reasonably likely to lead to, a Superior Offer as such term is defined in Sprint's existing merger agreement with Softbank Corp. The company does not plan to comment further until the appropriate time.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.576.391 von teecee1 am 06.05.13 18:17:15

Ergen Files For Own Sprint Stake; Slim A Partner?

By REINHARDT KRAUSE, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 11:45 AM ET

Sprint Nextel (S) confirmed Monday that Dish Network (DISH) Chairman Charles Ergen would take a personal stake "in excess of 50%" in the wireless firm's common stock as part of the satellite-TV broadcaster's takeover bid. And an analyst speculated Ergen might take on a partner in his Sprint bid, a company controlled by one of the world's richest men, Carlos Slim.

IBD reported last week that if Ergen succeeds in wresting Sprint from Japan-based SoftBank and its chief, Masayoshi Son, he stands to be the boss of a much bigger "controlled company" than Dish.

Sprint in a statement said that it "had received formal notification under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act that Charles Ergen, chairman of Dish Network, has filed to acquire in excess of 50% of Sprint's Series 1 common stock, through Dish Network or a wholly owned subsidiary of the company."

As a result of Ergen's submission, the HSR Act requires Sprint to make filings with the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.

Macquarie Capital, meanwhile, on Monday speculated in a report that Ergen could bring in America Movil (AMX), controlled by multibillionaire Carlos Slim, as a partner to sweeten its offer for Sprint.

Dish Network in April offered to buy Sprint Nextel for $25.5 billion in cash and stock, aiming to derail Japan-based SoftBank's earlier deal to buy 70% of the wireless firm for $20.1 billion. Here is one recent IBD report.

Ergen owned 52% of Dish's total equity at the end of 2012, including 100% of its class B stock, which isn't traded. Ergen, who founded the satellite broadcaster in 1980, holds 88% of the total voting power in Dish equity.

Dish has cobbled together wireless spectrum licenses, aiming to sell 4G wireless and mobile video services. A Sprint special committee set up to review the Dish offer might report soon.

One drawback to Dish's offer for Sprint is the debt burden the combined company would be stuck with. Some analysts have speculated that Dish Network could bring in Google (GOOG) as a partner, as IBD reported. In a report published Monday, Macquarie analysts Kevin Smithen and Amy Yong said America Movil also looms as a partner. America Movil operates TracFone in the U.S., which has 23.2 million subscribers.

"America Movil is the best partner for Dish, especially if AMX is severing its ties with AT&T (T) as (its) management has indicated is possible," said the Macquarie report.

Dish and Slim are already cooperating in a new satellite TV venture in Mexico, the report points out.

"We see the ability for Slim and Ergen to create a bilingual cross-border wireless and pay-TV convergence powerhouse that would pose a major threat to AT&T, Verizon (VZ) and Televisa and help offset some of the competitive challenges both companies face in their core markets," Macquarie said.

But Macquarie says Slim is only likely to expand in the U.S. if AT&T sells its stake in America Movil, about 9%, as it has indicated it might.

[teecee1]

Finally, some good news for LightSquared and its 4G hopes

The FCC gives LightSquared the go-ahead to test a spectrum-sharing plan with a U.S. agency as it fights to build its nationwide wireless broadband network to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

by Marguerite Reardon
May 3, 2013 4:00 AM PDT

LightSquared touts streaming HD over 4G ... ... da strömt nix mehr ...

A "What is LightSquared" video on the startup's site touts the beauties of high-speed wireless and what
LightSquared can offer potential partners.
(Credit: LightSquared/Screenshot by CNET)

Things might finally be looking up for LightSquared, the much ballyhooed wireless startup with big plans to blanket the U.S. with 4G LTE service.

The company, which seemed doomed a year ago after the GPS industry successfully lobbied against its efforts to use 40MHz of unused satellite spectrum for terrestrial wireless broadband, may be getting a second chance after all.

This week the company received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to test the feasibility of sharing spectrum with the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). If all goes well with the testing, the company could use this spectrum to help build the nationwide 4G network it had promised a couple of years ago.

The company also got a shot in the arm this week with the nomination of Tom Wheeler as the new FCC chairman. Even though Wheeler hasn't taken a stance on LightSquared's specific case, the new chairman, if confirmed, may be more willing than the current FCC chairman to stand up for the company, as it tries to build a wholesale wireless broadband network to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

Progress at the FCC

On Monday, the FCC gave approval for LightSquared to begin testing the use of 5MHz of spectrum in the 1675-1680 MHz band. This sliver of spectrum sits right next to spectrum that LightSquared already owns and plans to use in building its wireless broadband network. It's controlled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is currently using the spectrum for a variety of atmospheric monitoring including the use of weather balloons.

According to a proposal that LightSquared submitted to the FCC in September, LightSquared will share the spectrum with NOAA. The three-month test is designed to make sure there are no significant interference issues between the terrestrial 4G LTE network LightSquared is building and the ground to satellite network NOAA is using.



As part of the plan, LightSquared has agreed to give up 10 MHz it had originally planned to use for its wireless broadband network. The use of this spectrum came under fire by the satellite GPS industry, which claimed that LightSquared's terrestrial network would interfere with its GPS receivers operating in adjacent spectrum bands.

Even though the FCC had already granted LightSquared a conditional waiver to use this 10Mhz of spectrum for a terrestrial-only wireless broadband network and despite the fact that LightSquared had demonstrated several technical fixes to the potential interference issues, the agency suspended the waiver in February 2012 after intense political pressure.

If the testing of LightSquared's new plan goes well, the company will be able to combine the 5 MHz of NOAA spectrum with another 5MHz of spectrum it already has access to for a total of 10 MHz of spectrum that can be used for its "downlink"network access. This downlink access provides connections from LightSquared wireless towers to subscriber handsets. This spectrum can then be paired with an additional 20 MHz of spectrum, the company is already authorized to use for "uplink" access.

In total, this would give LightSquared 30 MHz of wireless spectrum nationwide that can be used to build its wireless broadband network, which is only 10 MHz shy of the amount of spectrum the company had planned to use in its original proposal. Under the new plan, LightSquared should still be able to cover about 95 percent of the network it had originally proposed to the FCC.

Considering that other wireless providers such as Verizon have built a similar nationwide 4G LTE network using 10 MHz of spectrum for a "downlink" and another 10 MHz for an "uplink," if LightSquared can share the NOAA spectrum without interference, it will be in good shape to build its network.

New chairman holds promise for LightSquared

LightSquared's year-long fight with the GPS industry is considered by some in telecom policy circles to be a low-point for the Genachowski-led FCC. One of the primary goals of the agency under Genachowski was to put additional wireless spectrum in the market. In January 2011, the FCC granted LightSquared a conditional waiver to use 40 MHz of wireless spectrum that had been classified for satellite use for building a terrestrial-only wireless broadband network. The company planned to sell access to the network on a wholesale basis, providing competitors to AT&T and Verizon Wireless access to a nationwide 4G LTE.


Tom Wheeler, recently nominated FCC chairman
(Credit: Core Capital Partners)

But then the GPS industry protested and put up an aggressive, political fight accusing the planned LightSquared network of causing irrevocable harm to the the GPS industry. LightSquared countered with proposals that would mitigate these interference issues. But the GPS industry was undeterred in its campaign to defeat the company. And in addition to its technical complaints, painted LightSquared as a company that had gotten special favors from the FCC.

Meanwhile, during the entire debate, Chairman Genachowski did not defend the FCC's original stance. Instead, he kept quiet, even as some members of Congress tried to stand up for LightSquared, the agency remained mum. Eventually, the FCC gave into pressure and suspended LightSquared's waiver.

It's impossible to say whether Tom Wheeler, who was nominated by President Obama Wednesday to take over Genachowski's post as chairman, would have handled the situation differently. And it's difficult to predict if he will more vigorously defend LightSquared's efforts going forward. But Wheeler has been a strong supporter of getting more wireless spectrum into the market. Having served as head of the CTIA Wireless Association for 12 years and his experience on the FCC's Technological Advisory Council, he certainly understands the technical issues. And as a veteran in and around Capitol Hill, he also understands how to get things done politically in Washington.

Some LightSquared supporters believe that Wheeler is a likely ally for their cause. And they are hopeful that he sees the company's continued efforts to build its network as an opportunity not only to bring more spectrum onto the market, but also to help create more competition.

Uncertain future

Still, LightSquared's future if far from certain. The company, which filed for bankruptcy last year, is expected to emerge from those proceedings in July. But it's unclear who will take control of the company post bankruptcy.

According to news reports, a hedge fund called Sound Point Capital, which has to Charlie Ergen, chairman of satellite TV provider Dish Network, now holds more than $600 million of LightSquared's $1.7 billion debt. Sound Point Capital Management LP is headed by Ergen's former banker, Stephen Ketchum.

The Wall Street Journal suggested in a story published in April that Sound Point Capital's extensive holdings in the company could mean more influence in the outcome of the bankruptcy. And the firm may force LightSquared's leading investor hedge fund mogul Philip Falcone from his control of the company.

LightSquared's loan agreement forbids competitors, including Dish, from buying up the company's debt, the Wall Street Journal reported. And it's unclear if Dish itself is behind the purchase of debt. But it is a fact that Dish is also making a major play in the wireless market. The company got approval from the FCC in December to repurpose 40 MHz of satellite spectrum to build a wireless broadband network. And last month, the company made made public its intention to purchase Sprint Nextel. Japanese carrier SoftBank has already signed a deal to buy Sprint. The two companies may end up in a bidding war for the carrier.

If Dish is somehow behind the purchase of LightSquared's debt, control over LightSquared could make for an interesting contingency plan for Dish if it's unable to acquire Sprint. And the fact that LightSquared is close to coming up with its own contingency plan for putting its spectrum to use, only makes it more valuable to Dish and other wireless operators looking for additional spectrum.

... ... zu spät für ein Netzaufbau ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.576.309 von teecee1 am 06.05.13 18:08:43

07.05.2013 | 00:24
(89 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Names John Quinn to Lead Trial, Mails Proxies to Block Sprint-Clearwire Merger

Urges Holders to Vote AGAINST the Proposed Merger by Voting the GOLD Proxy Card ... ...

HOUSTON, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority stockholder of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) with an ownership of 8.25% of the Class A common stock of Clearwire, today formally began its campaign to persuade Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation by mailing its proxy statement to the Clearwire stockholders. The proxy statement was cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission last Friday, Crest said.

http://www.dfking.com/clwr/13-197%20Crest%20Financial%20Limi…

Crest also announced that an experienced team of trial lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, the largest U.S. law firm devoted solely to business litigation, will prosecute Crest's claims against Sprint and Clearwire in Delaware's Chancery Court. John B. Quinn, founder and managing partner of Quinn Emanuel, will personally lead the trial team. Quinn Emanuel litigates many of the biggest and most noteworthy business cases in the U.S., with a 90 percent winning record.

"As the controlling stockholders of Clearwire, Sprint owes fiduciary duties-duties of loyalty and trust-which require it to protect the interests of the company's minority stockholders," John Quinn said."But instead of acting consistent with those duties, Sprint is thumbing its nose at the other stockholders and seeking to force a sale of Clearwire at a grossly inadequate price. Clearwire directors are doing Sprint's bidding."

Quinn, the lead trial lawyer for Crest,added: "We expect that litigation will result in a very substantial appraisal award or damage remedy to redress the breaches of fiduciary duty by both Sprint and the Clearwire directors."

Crest opposes the Sprint-Clearwire merger because it believes that the Sprint offer of $2.97 in cash per Clearwire share is grossly inadequate, that the merger was structured in a way that unfairly disadvantages minority stockholders, and that Clearwire would be better off if it remained a stand-alone company.

"We are optimistic that the Clearwire stockholders will agree with us that the Sprint offer is unfair and block the Sprint-Clearwire merger," said David K. Schumacher, general counsel of Crest. "Just last Friday, four other large minority stockholders owning 18.2% of Clearwire's Class A common stock announced their agreement to oppose the Sprint-Clearwire merger. The immense value of the wireless spectrum owned by Clearwire should benefit all Clearwire stockholders and should not be handed over on the cheap to Sprint, its controller."

Schumacher added, "We will pursue all litigation avenues and all available remedies."

Crest has filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Sprint, Clearwire, and the directors of Clearwire because Crest believes that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by scheming to extract value from Clearwire at the expense of minority stockholders. Other stockholders, including Aurelius Capital Management, have also filed suit. Crest has also petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to stop the proposed SoftBank-Sprint and Sprint-Clearwire mergers because they would treat minority stockholders of Clearwire unfairly and the mergers would not be in the public interest.

"The battle for Clearwire has just begun," Crest wrote to stockholders in its letter transmitting its proxy materials. "Clearwire's choice is not between doing nothing and accepting a grossly inadequate Sprint deal. Rather, Clearwire's own management has presented the most promising path to maximizing stockholder value-the MCC business plan, in which Clearwire would provide service to multiple wholesale customers in addition to Sprint. We believe that the necessary financing to enable Clearwire to pursue the MCC business plan is readily available."

"Everyone involved in these interlocking proposals and transactions-SoftBank, Sprint, DISH, and other potential bidders-recognizes that the real prize is Clearwire and its spectrum assets. And yet the Clearwire Board of Directors has managed to negotiate a Merger Agreement that transfers all value and leverage to Sprint instead of preserving them for all Clearwire stockholders," Crest's letter states. "Only a vote 'AGAINST' the Sprint-Clearwire Merger will send a firm message to the Clearwire Board of Directors and Sprint that they owe fiduciary duties to all Clearwire stockholders-not just to Sprint."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholders have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The proxy statement and cover letter can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr.


GOLD Proxy Card: Page 76 and 77 http://www.dfking.com/clwr/519794ACL.PDF


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

... ... sind wir nicht alle ein bisschen Hoeneß ... !


Steueroasen
Delaware, Liebling der Weltkonzerne

Von Thorsten Schröder
Datum 03.05.2013 - 19:06 Uhr

In einem unauffälligen Flachdachbau haben 200.000 Unternehmen ihren Sitz. Das kleine Delaware ist Amerikas beliebtestes Steuerparadies.

© Thorsten Schröder

Firmensitz der CT Corporation

Der helle Backsteinbau ist unauffällig. Ein langgezogener Häuserblock. Der einzige Farbtupfer ist eine weinrote Markise über dem Eingang. Briefkästen gibt es hier nicht. Nur eine Klingel, die den Besucher filmt. Die erste Glastür öffnet sich. Und noch eine. Dann ist Schluss. Eine Empfangsdame winkt ab. Presseanfragen bitte an die Zentrale in New York. Auf Wiedersehen.

Hier, in der North Orange Street #1209 in Wilmington, hat die CT Corporation ihre Niederlassung. Es ist ein Unternehmen, dessen Geschäfte Diskretion verlangen. Denn CT Corporation hat die Registrierung von Unternehmen zum Geschäftsmodell erkoren – und nirgendwo läuft es besser als hier in Wilmington, der 70.000-Einwohner-Stadt. (...)

http://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2013-05/delaware-steuerparadie…

[teecee1]

UPDATE 2-SoftBank head to meet Sprint shareholders in U.S.

Tue May 7, 2013 9:27am EDT

* SoftBank president to meet Sprint's institutional shareholders

* Stresses network knowhow, mobile synergies as plus for Sprint

* Dismisses Dish comment that Dish deal would be good for U.S. jobs ... ... jobs hin oder her, es entstehen neue und es fallen andere weg ... egal bei wem, wen, wer oder wessen ...


TOKYO, May 7 (Reuters) - SoftBank Corp's president said he will go to the United States on Tuesday to meet Sprint Nextel Corp's major shareholders to seek support for the Japanese company's takeover bid.

SoftBank's billionaire founder and president Masayoshi Son, who proposed a $20 billion deal for a 70 percent stake in the U.S. wireless carrier, faces a challenge from Dish Network , a U.S. satellite TV provider, which is offering $25.5 billion in a rival bid.

Two big Sprint shareholders, Paulson & Co and Omega Advisors, have publicly said the Dish offer looks better than SoftBank's.

While Dish's offer would provide more cash upfront to shareholders, Son argued that it would not be good for the company as it would require Sprint to take on a heavy debt load. He also promises a July 1 close for the deal and warned that Dish regulatory approval may not come until 2014.

One big Sprint investor who asked not to be named said they were happy to meet with Mr. Son while he is in the United States but that they were hoping to convince him to raise his bid.

"If Mr, Son wants to own Sprint he will have to raise his bid," said the person from a top 25 Sprint shareholder who did not want to be quoted by name ahead of the meeting.

Sprint shares have risen about 16 percent since Dish made its rival offer on April 15 as investors have been betting that the offer will result in a bidding war.

Sprint closed at $7.20 per share on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

SoftBank's Son, speaking to reporters at an event unveiling SoftBank's latest smartphones and mobile gadgets, dismissed suggestions from Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen last week that the Dish deal would be good for U.S. jobs, saying Americans would continue to be employed under a Softbank deal.

"The workers who are climbing Sprint's base stations are Americans and we will not be sending anyone from Japan to do that at all," said Son, adding that Sprint's towers would continue to be managed by its own employees as well as workers from telecom equipment vendors Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent.

Son also said SoftBank offered more expertise than Dish in the latest mobile technology.

"They have never been in mobile before and that will be their biggest hurdle," said Son. He said SoftBank had been at the vanguard of introducing fourth-generation (4G) TD-LTE mobile broadband services in Japan and could help Sprint to upgrade its U.S. network.

TD-LTE is one of the two key types of 4G LTE (long-term evolution) technologies that have been adopted by global carriers and promises faster speeds for mobile wireless.

"The difference here is that SoftBank has the network architecture, that SoftBank has the additional knowhow to bring to Sprint as the sole commercial provider of TD-LTE," he said.

In an interview with USA Today last week, Ergen said Dish's offer would protect American jobs and give the U.S. firm an operational edge over SoftBank as they compete for Sprint.

Son said on Tuesday that he will meet Sprint management as well as its major institutional shareholders to discuss the specific merits of SoftBank's offer for the U.S. company. He gave no further details.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SoftBank: Our Sprint bid is better for this reason -- TD-LTE

SoftBank CEO says its use of and experience with TD-LTE, a variant of LTE, would dramatically improve Sprint's LTE efforts and give it a superior offering in the U.S. market.

by Don Reisinger
May 7, 2013 5:42 AM PDT


Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

... ... was will er uns wirklich sagen ... mehr Kohle habe ich nicht ... das ist alles was ich euch bieten kann ...

Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son says his company's $20.1 billion acquisition offer is best for Sprint, even though Dish Nework's bid is higher.

Speaking Tuesday at an event in Tokyo, Son told reporters the LTE network efficiencies that his company can bring to Sprint would dramatically improve the value of Sprint's network to customers. And that's all because of an LTE variant that Softbank already uses, called TD-LTE.

Softbank has been using TD-LTE for quite some time, and as Son points out, it's doing so in Japan "on a large scale."

TD (Time Division)-LTE presents one main advantage over the traditional, Frequency-Division Duplexing (FDD) technology it competes with: flexibility. With TD-LTE, a single spectrum block is used and carriers can decide how frequencies can be used within it. Similar to home broadband, TD-LTE allows carriers to dedicate little frequency to simple things, like sending e-mails, and more to bandwidth-intensive tasks like downloading applications or large files. The result is a more efficient system than what's currently available in the U.S.

Clearwire, the company that Sprint is trying to acquire, uses the TD-LTE spectrum. In his remarks to reporters on Tuesday, Son said that his company's expertise, coupled with the Clearwire buy, should dramatically improve Sprint's LTE efforts and give it a superior offering in the U.S. market. In other words, Softbank would be a better partner.

Son's comments come just a few days after he said that Dish Network's unsolicited bid to acquire Sprint for $25.5 billion is "ridiculous."

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.567.305 von teecee1 am 04.05.13 11:48:40

... ... und jetzt kommt das Zusammenspiel ...


Tesla talking to Google about driverless electric cars
Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY11:33 a.m. EDT May 7, 2013

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says an 'autopilot' is the next logical step in cars
elon


Elon Musk CEO of Tesla, with a new Model S car outside the Tesla customer deliver area
at the Tesla Fremont, Calif., factory.
(Photo: Jessica Brandi Lifland for USA TODAY)

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is talking to Google about adding driverless technology to its electric cars, Bloomberg News reports.

If the two were ever to collaborate, it could give Tesla a key technical advantage over other luxury car makers beyond its unique electric powerplant, which gives its the longest range of any electric cars. It is EPA rated at 265 miles a charge.

Google has been a pioneer in driverless car technology. It has extensively tested retrofitted Toyota Priuses in Nevada that can drive themselves. Other automakers have started dipping their toe in testing driverless systems, but none has taken the dive.

Musk tells Bloomberg that driverless driving is the next logical step in the evolution of carsm though he doesn't like the term. "Self-driving sounds like it's going to do something you don't want it to do. Autopilot is a good thing to have in planes, and we should have it in cars," he tells Bloomberg's Alan Ohnsman.

Musk is even talking about how to make Google's driverless system better. Instead of the current system that senses where other cars or hazards are, and how to steer down a road, he thinks an optical system would be an improvement. Cameras and software would be cheaper, he says.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tesla CEO Talking With Google About ‘Autopilot’ Systems
By Alan Ohnsman - May 7, 2013 6:34 PM GMT+0200


Tesla, Google Exploring 'Autopilot' Car Technology

Tesla CEO Talking With Google About ‘Autopilot’ Systems for Cars. Play: http://www.bloomberg.com/news//2013-05-07/tesla-ceo-talking-…

Elon Musk, the California billionaire who leads Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA), said the electric-car maker is considering adding driverless technology to its vehicles and discussing the prospects for such systems with Google Inc. (GOOG)

Musk, 41, said technologies that can take over for drivers are a logical step in the evolution of cars. He has talked with Google about the self-driving technology it’s been developing, though he prefers to think of applications that are more like an airplane’s autopilot system.

“I like the word autopilot more than I like the word self- driving,” Musk said in an interview. “Self-driving sounds like it’s going to do something you don’t want it to do. Autopilot is a good thing to have in planes, and we should have it in cars.”

Tesla, based in Palo Alto, California, is considering such technology as regulators and long-established automakers grapple with when and how it can be used to increase safety and driver convenience. Global automakers such as Nissan Motor Co. and government officials say fully autonomous vehicles may not reach dealer showrooms for a decade, twice as long as Google expects.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both investors in Tesla before its 2010 initial public offering, have been proponents, with their Mountain View, California-based company demonstrating a driverless fleet of Toyota Prius hybrids equipped with laser-radar devices mounted on the roofs.

‘Too Expensive’

Google’s approach builds on a push for the driverless-car technology long pursued by the U.S. military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which held vehicle competitions for carmakers and research labs. Anthony Levandowski, product manager for Google’s self-driving car project, has said the company expects to release the technology within five years.

“The problem with Google’s current approach is that the sensor system is too expensive,” Musk said. “It’s better to have an optical system, basically cameras with software that is able to figure out what’s going on just by looking at things.”

Musk is determined to bring the cost of Tesla’s cars down so that the company can sell to mainstream consumers. Tesla’s Model S sedan has a $69,900 base price, and Musk says the company still intends to squeeze expenses to offer a model for about $30,000 within a few years. The Roadster, the company’s first offering, started at $109,000.

Tesla slid 3.2 percent to $57.62 at 12:32 p.m. New York time, down from yesterday’s record $59.50 closing price. The shares soared 76 percent this year through yesterday, outpacing the 14 percent rise in the Russell 1000 Index. Tesla said it will report its first profit from sales of all-electric Model S sedans when the company releases first-quarter results tomorrow.

Google, in an e-mailed statement, declined to comment on Musk’s comments.

Google’s Technology

Google’s driverless technology is guided by Sebastian Thrun, former head of Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Thrun led the Stanford team that won a $2 million prize in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge of autonomous vehicles, finishing with the best time on a rugged 132-mile (212 kilometer) course in the Mojave Desert.

“We’ve had some technical discussions with Google” about its Light Detection and Ranging, or Lidar, laser tracking system, Musk said last week, noting that it’s an expensive approach that may not prove feasible, Musk said.

“I think Tesla will most likely develop its own autopilot system for the car, as I think it should be camera-based, not Lidar-based,” Musk said yesterday in an e-mail. “However, it is also possible that we do something jointly with Google.”

Musk wrote a follow-up post on Twitter about Google.

“Am a fan of Larry, Sergey & Google in general, but self- driving cars comments to Bloomberg were just off-the-cuff,” Musk wrote. “No big announcement here.”

Autopilot System

While crash-avoidance systems that can alert a driver or apply brakes in advance of a wreck are coming to cars now, David Strickland, head of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has said autonomous vehicles “are a long way off.”

“Self-driving cars are the natural extension of active safety and obviously something we should do,” Musk said.

Google’s self-driving cars are currently allowed on public roads for testing purposes in Nevada, California and Florida.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203)., also a Tesla investor, in January showed a driverless test vehicle in Las Vegas equipped with a Lidar device, radar and cameras and sensors -- something more like the approach that Musk suggests.

Virtual ‘Co-Pilot’

Likewise, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, wants to create a virtual “co-pilot” that helps drivers avoid accidents, rather than self-driving cars and trucks. Tesla isn’t discussing driverless-car technology with either Toyota or Daimler AG, which is also a shareholder, Musk said. Self-driving vehicles aren’t a top priority at the moment.

“We’re not focused on autopilot right now; we will be in the future,” Musk said. “Autopilot is not as important as accelerating the transition to electric cars, or to sustainable transport.”

Musk made a similar comment on Twitter.

“Creating an autopilot for cars at Tesla is an important, but not yet top priority,” Musk wrote. “Still a few years from production.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at [e-mail]


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http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57583233-76/tesla-eyes-aut…


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03.05.2013
Versicherer schauen Autofahrern ins elektronische Logbuch

Telekommunikation: Netzbetreiber nehmen die Kfz-Versicherungswirtschaft und ihre Klientel ins Visier. Jüngster Vorstoß ist der Versuch, Versicherer mit Bewegungsdaten von Fahrzeugen zu versorgen. Damit, so das Kalkül, könnten die Assekuranzen nutzungsabhängige Tarife für Fahrer anbieten. Doch die Kunden sind skeptisch.

VDI nachrichten, Düsseldorf, 3. 5. 13, rb

Die gelieferten Bewegungsdaten sollen eine Kreuzpeilung aus GPS- und GSM-Daten sein. Beschleunigungssensoren liefern Informationen zum Fahrverhalten. Mit dem Erfassen, Verarbeiten und Weiterleiten der Daten hat der Fahrer selbst keinen Aufwand. Diese Aufgaben erledigt eine kleine Blackbox im Auto.

Die Box enthält neben einem GPS-Modul, einer SIM-Karte und einem Chip für Verarbeitungs- und Speicherfunktionen auch die entsprechende Sensorik. Alle erfassten Positions- und Bewegungsdaten schickt die heute nachrüstbare und später serienmäßig eingebaute Einheit in regelmäßigen Abständen selbstständig an einen Rechner beim Netzanbieter. Aufgrund des eigenständigen Informationsaustausches spricht man von der sogenannten Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation, kurz M2M (siehe VDI nachrichten vom 26. 4. 13, Seite 7).

Markus Haas, Vorstand Strategie bei der Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG, stellte Mitte April in Düsseldorf die M2M-Lösung Telefónica Insurance Telematics vor. „Hierbei werden die Fahrinformationen verschlüsselt und getrennt vom Versicherer verarbeitet“, sagte Haas. Vorteile für Versicherer seien geringere Kosten und eine niedrigere Schadensquote: In den USA und in Großbritannien sei der Schadensaufwand um bis zu 30 % zurückgegangen. In Spanien habe die Generali-Gruppe Anfang Februar ein entsprechendes Produkt eingeführt. Auch hierzulande, so Haas, sei man in Gesprächen mit Versicherungen.

Prinzipiell erzeugen die Autos, die Daten selbstständig weiterleiten, im Informationsaustausch mit den Auswertungsservern von Netzbetreiber und Versicherer ein hohes Gut: Echtzeit-Informationen. Diese geben je nach gewähltem Umfang und Anonymisierungsgrad voll oder ausreichend präzise Auskunft über das Fahrverhalten der Versicherten. Davon können in Zukunft beispielsweise preiswertere Tarife für umsichtige Fahrer und höhere Tarife für risikobereite Fahrer abgeleitet werden. Doch welcher Fahrer lässt sich schon gerne jederzeit live beobachten?

Egal wie facettenreich die neuen Nutzenversprechen der Netzbetreiber scheinen, Stephan Schweda, Sprecher des Gesamtverbands der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft, verweist darauf, dass es Pay-as-you-drive-Modelle bereits seit Jahren gebe. Außerdem seien die hiesigen Tarife bereits sehr nutzungsabhängig, auch ohne Bewegungsdaten. „Die Versicherungen haben also kaum Veranlassung, um einiger kleiner und dazu noch umstrittener Verfeinerungen wegen aufs Glatteis zu gehen“, betonte Schweda. Denn nicht nur Bürgerprotest ist vorprogrammiert, auch der oberste Datenschützer Peter Schaar meldete sich prompt zu Wort. Er fragte, wie der Fahrzeughalter nun noch Herr seiner Daten bleiben könne und welche der neuen Dienste datenschutzrechtlich überhaupt umsetzbar wären.

Aufruhr sowohl bei Datenschützern als auch Bürgern ... ... früher oder später sagen 90% ja ...

Gleichwohl startete Vodafone Anfang März gemeinsam mit dem britischen Beratungshaus Towers Watson ein ähnliches Pilotprojekt für den Test nutzungsbasierter Versicherungsangebote mit dem UK-Versicherer AIG Europe. Hierfür haben Vodafone und Towers Watson ihre Projekte „Vehicle Connect“ und „DriveAbility“ gekoppelt. Die Fahrzeuge werden mit M2M-Modulen ausgestattet, die sekündlich Daten zum Fahrverhalten über Mobilfunk an einen zentralen Server übermitteln.

Mit den hieraus gewonnenen Daten und der Einbindung weiterer Inhalte wie Wetter- oder Verkehrsflussinformationen wird ein Wert für einen individuellen Versicherungstarif ermittelt, basierend auf dem tatsächlichen Nutzungsverhalten. Zudem können Versicherer ihren Kunden mit der M2M-Lösung im späteren Dauerbetrieb weitere Dienste wie das automatische Notrufsystem E-Call oder die Verfolgung von gestohlenen Fahrzeugen anbieten. Dazu Erik Brenneis, Direktor des weltweiten M2M-Geschäfts von Voda-
fone: „Der Nutzen von Telematiklösungen sowohl für den Einzelnen als auch für die Gesellschaft ist groß. So können entsprechende M2M-Lösungen, bei denen Fahrzeuge mit einem zentralen Server oder anderen Autos kommunizieren, den Verkehr ressourcenschonender und unfallfreier gestalten.“ Da es bei einigen Autofahrern noch datenschutzrechtliche Bedenken gebe, müsse jeder Kunde im Vorfeld einer Entscheidung für eine Telematiklösung ausdrücklich der Verwendung seiner Daten zustimmen, so Brenneis.
KONRAD BUCK

[teecee1]

DirecTV Spurns Dish’s View That Wireless Is Satellite-TV Savior
By Alex Sherman - May 6, 2013 6:01 AM GMT+0200

The two largest satellite-television companies in the U.S., after almost two decades of building their businesses with similar strategies, are now heading in almost exactly the opposite directions.

While Dish Network Corp. (DISH) is seeking a $25.5 billion takeover of Sprint Nextel Corp. -- a move that would transform the company into a wireless carrier -- rival DirecTV plans to keep investing in the traditional satellite business. Mike White, head of DirecTV, sees his current industry as fundamentally strong, despite facing the same mounting programming costs and slowing U.S. subscriber growth as Dish.


DirecTV president Mike White said
that "entering the U.S. wireless
business isn’t worth the effort
because thecompetition is too
entrenched." Photographer:
Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg

“Wireless, for us, doesn’t make sense,” White, DirecTV’s chief executive officer, said in an interview at the company’s headquarters in El Segundo, California. “We have an amazing product. It’s in-home theater.”

Entering the U.S. wireless business isn’t worth the effort because the competition is too entrenched, White said. In satellite TV, meanwhile, DirecTV (DTV) has exclusive programming such as its NFL Sunday Ticket and can use its market lead to get better terms from networks, he said. White’s also looking into more ways to let consumers access programming on mobile devices.

Moreover, millions of viewers are hooked on pay TV, thanks to higher-quality shows such as “Walking Dead” and “Game of Thrones.” It’s too desirable a product to vanish, even if consumers wish they could pay less for it, White said.

“Other than the bill, consumers have to realize this is the golden age of video programming,” White said. “And it’s just getting better.”

Buffett’s Support

DirecTV also has a big supporter in Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The holding company, which held its annual meeting over the weekend, is the fourth-biggest investor in DirecTV, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. White says that Berkshire has endorsed his strategy of sticking with a television focus.

Still, DirecTV’s video-only strategy -- with no Internet or phone network -- may leave it vulnerable to competitors with more variety to offer. The pay-TV industry is also running out of room to grow, already reaching about 90 percent of U.S. households. That’s what’s driving Dish’s push into wireless. Charlie Ergen, the billionaire who co-founded Englewood, Colorado-based Dish and serves as its chairman, has spent years snapping up mobile-phone capacity. He made the offer to Sprint last month.

More consumers want to view video on mobile devices, so it’s a natural for a pay-TV company to team up with a wireless carrier, he argues.

“There’s no one company on a national scale that puts it all together,” Ergen, 60, said last month during a conference call. “The new Dish/Sprint will do that.”

Online Shift

DirecTV, like Dish, has examined packaging TV over the Internet -- a move that would eliminate the cost of installing a satellite dish for every customer. The primary hurdle has been getting access to digital rights to deliver television online. DirecTV last year hired Tony Goncalves to run a brand new digital entertainment group.

Ergen has described the Internet as a threat to traditional pay-TV providers, a concern White said he doesn’t share. If Web companies try to offer services with cheaper packages of channels, for example, DirecTV can match them, he said.

The CEO sipped a Diet Pepsi during the interview last month -- an example of his product loyalty. Before joining DirecTV as CEO in January 2010, White spent about two decades at PepsiCo Inc., including stints as chief financial officer and vice chairman. White, 61, also worked at Bain & Co. in the early 1980s alongside the consulting firm’s co-founder, Mitt Romney, whom he backed in last year’s U.S. presidential campaign.

Original Programming

At DirecTV, White oversees a company with more than 20 million U.S. subscribers, second only to Comcast Corp. among the country’s pay-TV operators. To keep customers loyal, the satellite provider uses exclusive programming such as National Football League games and the Audience Network, whose original shows include crime drama “Rogue” and “Damages,” starring Glenn Close.

While DirecTV has continued to add U.S. customers on an annual basis, growth is more difficult. DirecTV posted its first quarterly net customer loss ever in the three-month period ended in June 2012. Since then, it’s returned to growth, though not at the level of its heyday.

That challenge hasn’t scared off Berkshire, which is run by the third-richest person in the world. The company, known for its investments in stable U.S. businesses such as railroads, HJ Heinz Co. and Coca-Cola Co., owns 6 percent of outstanding DirecTV shares.

‘Overblown’ Concerns

“Berkshire feels that the U.S. business is undervalued because concerns about technology obsolescence are overblown,” said White, who said he’s in regular contact with the company. “They are long-term investors.”

The investment in DirecTV was engineered by Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, former hedge-fund managers whom Omaha, Nebraska- based Berkshire hired within the past three years to help oversee the company’s $87.7 billion stock portfolio. They declined to comment on DirecTV.

Since Berkshire disclosed its stake in DirecTV on Nov. 14, 2011, shares of the company have risen 27 percent to a record high. Even so, Dish and broader indexes have performed better. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 29 percent over the same time period, while Dish has climbed 55 percent.

DirecTV’s relative underperformance may be due to a lack of bold transactions, Vijay Jayant, an analyst at ISI Group in New York, said in an interview. DirecTV has kicked the tires on Netflix Inc. (NFLX), Hulu Inc. and Vivendi SA (VIV)’s Brazilian phone and Internet unit GVT before passing on all three acquisitions.

Mixed Views

Analysts are split on DirecTV’s outlook. While 14 recommend buying the shares, 11 are neutral and one says to sell.

White said DirecTV’s biggest near-term challenge is rising programming costs, which jumped more than 10 percent this year. DirecTV responded by increasing rates 4.5 percent and adding a regional sports fee of $3 a month in 20 percent of the country.

Customers balked. DirecTV received more e-mails and phone calls in February and March complaining about the price of pay TV than White has seen in years, he said. DirecTV’s first- quarter report, due tomorrow, will show whether it was able to hold on to subscribers.

If the industry can’t work together, consumers may have to take matters into their own hands, White said. Networks will continue to increase programming costs -- and operators will keep passing some of those fees on to customers -- until subscribers either cancel in large numbers or beg Congress to intervene, he said.

Hang Tough

One way to avoid that outcome, said White, is if pay-TV operators stand firm and black out networks as a negotiating tool to keep increases reasonable. DirecTV took Viacom Inc. (VIAB) out of its lineup for 10 days in July to avoid a large rate spike.

“I hope enough of us can take a stand to slow down the train before we all crash,” White said. “At some point you’re going to have a revolution, and folks will go to Washington, and we’re going to have more government involvement.”

White has another negotiation coming up with big implications for his customers. DirecTV’s exclusive contract to carry the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which allows viewers access to most pro football games, expires in 2015.

DirecTV pays the NFL about $1 billion a year for the rights to the service, which is purchased by about a 10th of U.S. subscribers. White, who remains in close contact with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, stepped out briefly during the interview last month to take a call from him.

Diehard Fans

There’s mutual interest to renew the partnership, White said. Sunday Ticket viewers are some of the company’s best customers, and “we wouldn’t want to lose them,” White said.

Still, DirecTV would consider a nonexclusive deal if the NFL seeks too large of an increase, CFO Pat Doyle said in March.

While the U.S. business focuses on video, the Latin American unit has dabbled in wireless, snapping up airwaves in government auctions to offer home-phone and Internet plans, though not yet mobile services. The growth potential there makes such investments a better option than in the U.S., White said.

There is one way White could get into the U.S. wireless business -- if he finds himself in a merger with Dish someday.

Ergen said in an October interview that regulators might be more amenable to a merger of the two satellite companies if they were also offering a wireless Internet service, creating a viable competitor to phone and cable carriers. The Justice Department blocked a DirecTV-Dish merger in 2002.

‘Different Dynamic’

“You’ve got a whole different dynamic than 10 years ago,” Ergen said.

White said he hasn’t spoken with Ergen about a merger, although he agreed a combination would be consumer-friendly.

A deal with a combined Dish-Sprint might be DirecTV’s best hope at staying profitable and relevant, said Jayant, who recommends buying Dish and is neutral on DirecTV.

White was quick to compliment Ergen -- who is ranked No. 85 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a net worth of $12 billion -- even while not endorsing his strategy.

“I respect Charlie,” White said. “He’s been a pretty successful businessman.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Sherman in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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Posted: Sunday, 05 May 2013 3:58PM

SEC to start TV network in 2014



Don Ames Reporting
In just over a year, fans will be able to watch Southeastern Conference sports 24-7, 365 days a year.

The league will launch the SEC Television Network in August 2014. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive says the TV network will televise a thousand live events every year.

"Approximately 45 football games annually, with 3 SEC football games each week for 13 weeks...more than 100 men's basketball games, 60 women's basketball games and 75 baseball games a year...championship and event coverage from a cross section of our 21 sports."

ESPN is a partner in the endeavor.

"The fans are going to have the opportunity to see more games, produced better than ever," says ESPN President John Skipper. "They're going to see them on more widely distributed platforms. This is not only going to be about the great football and basketball, men's and women's, but we're going to have the opportunity to do a lot of other sports."

Now that the conference has its own television network, it raises speculation the SEC will increase the number of conference games a team plays from eight to nine. Slive expects more discussion on that topic.

"People have asked me what my view is. I've said I'm open-minded. And I expect that our coaches, our athletic directors and our presidents will engage in a significant conversation about future scheduling in the months ahead."

The long-anticipated 20-year SEC Network deal, announced at a news conference in Atlanta, was a 10-year extension of ESPN's existing SEC deal. The original contract, signed in 2008, guaranteed the SEC $2.25 billion over 15 years.

ESPN must negotiate with cable, satellite and telephone companies to distribute the SEC Network.

ESPN has already signed AT&T U-verse. It's expected Cox, Comcast, Time Warner, Direct TV, Dish Network and Verizon will also be carriers.

[teecee1]

Can Sprint steal AT&T's 2G M2M business?
May 1, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) announcement last week that it had inked a deal with module provider u-blox to be Sprint's preferred module provider for its 2G (1xRTT) CDMA network caught my attention for a few reasons. One was the emphasis Sprint was placing on the longevity of its commitment to 1xRTT. A second was that, in reading between the lines of Sprint's press release, this was a move clearly designed at winning away machine-to-machine business from AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), which plans on shutting down its 2G network by 2017.

I think Sprint can steal some of this business, and even though the customers and connections are low-bandwidth and provide low average revenue per user, if Sprint is able to snag just a fraction of AT&T's M2M business, it will be a significant win for Sprint as it seeks to build up its subscriber base and momentum through its Network Vision network modernization plan. After all, AT&T counted 14.7 million "connected device" connections at the end of the first quarter, which is equal to more than a quarter of Sprint's total subscribers (not all of ATT's connected device connections are M2M though).

Analysts and M2M industry insiders I spoke with said Sprint's decision is a wise one. Many carriers, including Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), are placing more emphasis on LTE both in terms of capital expenditures and marketing because it is more efficient. Yet M2M customers with 2G modules, especially GPRS ones, are feeling pressure to move to HSPA+ and LTE when they may not need to. Their applications do not require the lower latency of newer technologies and it is expensive to replace modules out in the field.

T-Mobile USA is also aware of this. The company has said that even though it is refarming its 1900 MHZ PCS spectrum for HSPA+, it will keep a portion of it open for 2G services, presumably for M2M customers and voice service. T-Mobile has not said how long it will do so, but a presentation the company made at an investor conference last fall indicated it will be at least through the end of 2015. T-Mobile said in a statement that it "has no current plans to discontinue 2G service. We will reserve enough spectrum to service the needs of our M2M customers and those who still have 2G feature phones."

"I don't think AT&T wants to lose [this 2G M2M business], but because of their spectrum constraints, they don't have a choice," said John Horn, president of M2M enabler RACO Wireless. "I think Sprint and T-Mobile are making a very smart, strategic move to say, because they can, they are going to commit long-term to 2G." (RACO has deals with both Sprint and T-Mobile.)

AT&T did not address the M2M aspects of its 2G shutdown specifically, but said in a statement that shutting down its 2G network "will enable us to free up spectrum for added capacity on our mobile Internet network. Well in advance of this change, we will reach out to our relatively small percentage of 2G customers and offer them options to meet their needs." (Verizon plan to support its 2G and 3G CDMA networks through 2021.)

"Given the relative size differences between AT&T's and Sprint's M2M businesses, if Sprint can pull away even a 'small' percentage of former AT&T 2G M2M subs this will be a significant boost to Sprint's connection count," IHS analyst Josh Builta wrote in an email. "However, the more important rationale for Sprint is the opportunity to then convert these new connections to value-added service clients. VAS brings in much more revenue per connection compared to basic connectivity and is the real prize for Sprint as part of its overall M2M strategy to become a 'mobile solution provider' as opposed to 'just' a connectivity service provider in the M2M space."

Russell Mosburg, Sprint's director of engineering for M2M, said Sprint plans to support 1xRTT through 2020. He said the carrier's new M2M push is part of a larger "holistic strategy" to make more efficient use of Sprint's spectrum. Mosburg declined to discuss how many customers or how much revenue Sprint is looking to get through its u-blox initiative, but said it was an important opportunity. "It's meaningful to us because it is most likely new customers into the CDMA," he said.

Sprint and u-blox will host a series of seminars through the spring and summer on switching from GSM to CDMA to woo potential customers, and Mosburg indicated that Sprint's sales teams will be thoroughly engaged on the topic. "If you are in the space of machine-to-machine or connected devices, and if you are pressed to make a change, you are going to understand that Sprint is an option for you," Mosburg said.

I think it's a canny move by Sprint, and one that could yield sizable dividends even if many of the M2M customers don't deliver high ARPUs. 2G networks are not long for this world, at least in LTE markets, but Sprint is doing all it can to take advantage of its network technology while it can. There's no harm in trying. --Phil


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Deutsche Telekom
Ruft die Bullen!

Die Deutsche Telekom entdeckt ein neues Geschäftsfeld: die Besamung von Milchkühen. Ein Report über Digitalisierung in der Landwirtschaft



Tief im Sauerland, wo die Wälder dunkel und die Hügel zahlreich sind, sorgt die Deutsche Telekom für die Besamung von Milchkühen.

Es klingt einigermaßen verrückt: Aber ohne den Bonner Konzern, der vor allem für seine Service-Hotlines und Prepaid-Handys bekannt ist, würden die Milchkühe auf dem Hof von Bauer Josef Schreiber heute nicht mehr trächtig werden. Sie würden keine Kälber mehr gebären. Und sie würden auch keine Milch mehr geben, aus der dann Joghurt oder Käse werden könnte. Das alles würde nicht passieren ohne die Deutsche Telekom.

Kaum zu glauben. Ist aber so. (...)

http://www.zeit.de/2013/18/telekom-digitalisierung-landwirts…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.584.995 von teecee1 am 07.05.13 19:33:59

Google expands Fiber to Grandview, Mo.

Despite the announcement, it will still be awhile before the Kansas City suburb actually gets the super-high-speed Internet.

by Shara Tibken
May 8, 2013 6:38 AM PDT


Google Fiber will be available in many suburbs around Kansas City.
(Credit: Google)

Google Fiber is hitting another Kansas City, Mo., suburb, the online giant said Tuesday.

Grandview, Mo., will become the latest location to snag the super-high-speed Internet, joining other cities such as Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; and Shawnee, Kan.

However, Google said in its blog post that it will still be "awhile" before it can build Fiber in Grandview as it needs to plan and engineer its network there first.

Google, which announced the Fiber project in February 2010, began construction of the network backbone in February 2012. The idea behind Google Fiber is for the company to build a commercial fiber-based high-speed broadband network that Google and others can use to test new business models and applications that need very fast connections -- upward of 1Gbps. Thousands of cities competed to be the first home of the future network. Kansas City won.

Correction at 7:40 a.m. PT: The day of the announcement has been fixed.


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Can Google Fiber Kill the Cable Box?

By Dan Radovsky
May 7, 2013 |

In the jargon of the telecom business, Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Google Fiber is an "overbuilder," a broadband company that comes into a territory with Internet needs already provided by a cable operator and possibly a local telephone company's DSL service.

But in the past many overbuilders became overreachers and just couldn't get the market penetration needed to survive. Will the same thing happen with Google Fiber?

A recent report by Wall Street research firm Bernstein Research says Google Fiber has a very good chance not only to get that necessary penetration but also to be an "economically attractive business for Google on a stand-alone basis." In other words, it would be profitable even without factoring in the effect it would have on Google's bread-and-butter business of search-based advertising.

Bernstein based the findings on its door-to-door survey of Kansas City residents. Kansas City was the site of the initial Google Fiber installation. Of the 204 people questioned, 98% were aware of Google Fiber, 52% said they would "definitely or probably" go with the service, and 25% said they might. Only 19% were definitely or probably not likely to buy it.

Those favorable percentages indicate a potentially much higher penetration rate than was historically earned by overbuilders -- 20% to 30% was the most they could get in their best markets, according to Bernstein.

What Google Fiber offers is incredibly fast Internet speed. One-gigabit-per-second uploads and downloads for $70 a month. That's 100 times the speed of the average Internet connection, according to Google. For an additional $50 a month, one gets HDTV with a Nexus 7 tablet to use as a remote control and a DVR. Premium channels are extra.

But Google Fiber has a long way to go before it can realistically challenge the big cable operators. The first phase of Google Fiber's buildout in the Kansas City area passes (but is not necessarily connected to) 149,000 homes. For comparison, Comcast passes 53 million homes, Time Warner Cable passes 30 million, and Charter Communications, 12 million.

As reported by TechCrunch, Bernstein analysts Carlos Kirjner and Ram Parameswaran estimate a Google Fiber network to cover 20 million homes over five years would require an "annual capex investment [of] $11 billion" just to pass the homes without even acquiring any customers (let alone wiring them up).

So yes, the infrastructure costs for a Google Fiber build out are staggering, but "Google has the resources to continue to build out and extend its footprint, even if the profitability of its initial markets is hampered by aggressive incumbent price cutting," according to the Bernstein report.

There is one aspect of Google Fiber that may just be more attractive than its Internet speed figures. The Seattle Times spoke to a number of the Kansas City Google Fiber subscribers and found this: the fast Internet was nice but what really impressed the customers was the quality of Google Fiber service and the opportunity to get rid of cable companies that only succeeded at disappointing their customers.

If Google Fiber is able to maintain a high quality of human service -- as well as technical service -- over time, then those cable boxes may very well end up in the trash.

It's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.


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07.05.2013 18:50
re: publica: Google Cars ist wie Mondauto

Als einer der Hauptsponsoren der diesjährigen re: publica bekam Daimler am Dienstag eine Stunde Redezeit, um in der Carsharing-Stadt Berlin ordentlich Werbung für Car2Go zu machen. Daimler biete das Carsharing-System derzeit in 19 Städten weltweit an, erklärte CEO Dieter Zetsche. In vier Städten – darunter Berlin – arbeite Car2Go profitabel, insgesamt seien 350.000 Kunden registriert. Bis 2020 soll es Car2Go in 50 Städten geben. Derzeit werde das System in China getestet.


Daimler-CEO Dieter Zetsche plauderte auf der re: publica über Carsharing und Mondlandungen.
Bild: heise online/Detlef Borchers

Zetsche wurde von einem dienstbeflissenen Moderator mit den passenden Stichworten beliefert und bewarb ausführlich Car2Go und die Apps für das Car-Sharing-System. Die BMW-Konkurrenz "Drive Now" bezeichnete er als eine schlichte 1:1-Kopie. "Wir müssten mit dem Klammerbeutel gepudert sein, wenn wir das machen", antwortete Zetsche auf die Frage, ob Daimler daran denke, die Daten seiner Car2Go-Kunden anderen zur Auswertung zu verkaufen.

Absolut gar keinen Gefallen fand der Daimler-Manager an Googles Versuchen mit selbstfahrenden Autos. Google Cars seien häßlich wie Mondautos und führten wie diese in eine Sackgasse. ( ... ... Daimler-BYD E-Car Denza ... ... ) Dass autonome Autos vor allem ein Problem der Datenmenge darstellen, das Daimler mangels Datenmaterial nicht in den Griff bekommen kann, überging Zetsche. Auch die einzig kritische Frage, ob denn in Zukunft Hackerangriffe auf Autos eine Bedrohung darstellen können, überging Zetsche mit dem Hinweis, dass Daimler auch in der Flugzeugproduktion tätig sei und dort die höchsten Sicherheitsbestimmungen beachten müsse.

Die Zukunft von Daimler liegt Zetsche zufolge nicht im selbstfahrenden Auto, das seinem Lenker den Fahrspaß raube( ... ... Frau sitzt hinterm Steuer ... Google guckt, denkt und lenkt ...), sondern im teilautomatisierten Bereich, etwa beim Einchecken in einem intelligenten Parkhaus, vor dem die Insassen aussteigen. Auch beim Kolonnenfahren in einem ausgewachsenen Stau könnten einige wenige Autos als "Leitwagen" die Arbeit übernehmen, während der Lenker entspannt. Für Daimler selbst nannte Zetsche IBM als Vorbild: Die Firma habe als Mainframe-Produzent begonnen, den PC-Boom mitgemacht und sich rechtzeitig ins lukrative Beratungsgeschäft zurückgezogen. "Es ist immer gut Teil der Veränderung zu sein", meinte der Daimler-Chef. (Detlef Borchers) / (vbr)

[teecee1]

T-Mobile USA Reports First Quarter 2013 Results

Branded Customer Growth and Strong Adjusted EBITDA Margin - Successful Introduction of the Un-carrier Promise

First Quarter 2013 T-Mobile USA Highlights Include:

* Successful Un-Carrier, iPhone and 4G LTE launches announced on March 26th to further enable growth
* Branded customer net additions of 3,000, first branded customer growth since first quarter 2009
* Branded postpaid net losses of 199,000, a 61% year-over-year improvement
* Branded prepaid net additions of 202,000, the seventh consecutive quarter of prepaid growth
* Total customer net additions of 579,000
* Branded postpaid churn 1.9%, the lowest since second quarter 2008
* Adjusted EBITDA of $1.2 billion and strong adjusted EBITDA margin of 29%

Business Wire
Press Release: T-Mobile US, Inc. – Wed, May 8, 2013 1:00 AM EDT

RELATED QUOTES
Symbol Price Change
TMUS 18.28 +0.51

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS), the combined company resulting from the recently completed combination of MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (MetroPCS) and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (T-Mobile USA or the Company) today reported first quarter 2013 results for T-Mobile USA, demonstrating significant, positive customer momentum throughout the quarter and the first positive branded customer growth in four years. T-Mobile USA reported 3,000 branded net customer additions for the quarter, resulting from a 61% year-over-year improvement in branded postpaid net customer losses due primarily to improved branded postpaid churn performance, combined with branded prepaid customer growth.

On March 26, 2013, T-Mobile USA launched the Un-carrier value proposition by introducing our radically simplified “Simple Choice” service plan and providing customers with the lowest out-of-pocket costs on some of the most popular devices available in the US wireless industry. On April 12, 2013, T-Mobile USA began selling the iPhone at all Company-owned stores in combination with the new Simple Choice service plan. To date the Company has sold approximately 500,000 iPhone5's to new and existing customers. On April 30, we completed the combination of T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, at which time the combined company's name was changed to T-Mobile US, Inc. (T-Mobile), and on May 1, 2013, T-Mobile's stock commenced trading under the new ticker symbol “TMUS” on the New York Stock Exchange.

T-Mobile USA's capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2013 were $1.1 billion, in support of an accelerating network modernization program on pace to achieve 200 million covered pops with 4G LTE by the end of 2013. As of the end of the first quarter of 2013, the Company had launched 4G LTE in seven major metropolitan areas and modernized approximately 16,000 sites with HSPA+ on 1900 MHz spectrum.

“Our first quarter operating metrics and financial results are showing positive impact from the changes we began making in the fourth quarter. Branded customer net additions turned positive for the first time since the first quarter of 2009 and our postpaid business has demonstrated significant improvement,” said John Legere, President & CEO of T-Mobile. “We ended the quarter with strong operational momentum, which is continuing into the second quarter, driven by the successful launch of our Un-carrier “Simple Choice” service plan and the introduction of the iPhone into our device line-up. Things only get more exciting from here, having brought T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS together to create the wireless industry's value leader and premier challenger.” (...)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-mobile-usa-reports-first-050…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.584.465 von teecee1 am 07.05.13 18:25:23

Crest Financial Takes First Step to Perfect Appraisal Rights of Clearwire Shares

Glass, Lewis Agrees with Crest to Reject Sprint-Clearwire Merger
Crest Recommends That All Holders Vote "AGAINST" Merger Proposal

PR Newswire
Press Release: Crest Financial Limited – Fri, May 10, 2013 5:12 PM EDT

HOUSTON, May 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent, minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), has told its brokerage firms to take all necessary steps to perfect Crest's rights under Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law to seek appraisal for the common stock of Clearwire Corporation that it beneficially owns.

The Delaware law permits Clearwire shareholders electing to exercise their appraisal rights to ask the Delaware Court of Chancery to determine the fair value of their Clearwire common stock if the Sprint-Clearwire merger is consummated and certain other conditions are satisfied. The law states that a Clearwire stockholder that votes FOR the Sprint-Clearwire merger cannot elect to exercise its appraisal rights.

David Schumacher, general counsel of Crest, said: "Crest will vote AGAINST the proposed Sprint-Clearwire merger. We are taking this action today to preserve our rights to an appraisal by the Delaware court. The law prevents Clearwire stockholders that vote FOR the merger from seeking fair value for their shares through an appraisal action. Therefore, those Clearwire shareholders that vote FOR the merger will not be able to participate in, or benefit from, a recovery in any appraisal action. We are optimistic that the court will decide that the fair value of Clearwire's common stock is significantly higher than the $2.97-a-share that Sprint is offering for it."

Crest has long argued that the price Sprint Nextel Corporation is offering to pay Clearwire stockholders for their shares is highly inadequate, that the merger was structured in a way that unfairly disadvantages minority stockholders and that Clearwire would be better off if it remained a stand-alone company.

Crest also commended Glass, Lewis & Co., a leading proxy advisory firm, for its recommendation urging that Clearwire stockholders vote against the proposed merger with Sprint. Crest said is strongly disagreed with the view of ISS that the Sprint-Clearwire merger should succeed.

Schumacher said: "Crest Financial strongly disagrees with the recommendation of ISS. As we have said and, we believe, demonstrated, Clearwire would be far stronger and would provide more value for its shareholders if were to remain a stand-alone company. We believe that Clearwire's board and management have agreed to sell Clearwire at a price that significantly undervalues Clearwire's spectrum assets and they have not acted in the best interests of Clearwire's stockholders other than Sprint.

"In sharp contrast, Glass, Lewis & Co., an important proxy advisory firm, agrees with Crest that Sprint's offer is not the best possible alternative available to Clearwire and its shareholders, that Sprint's offer undervalues Clearwire and that stockholders of Clearwire should reject the Sprint merger offer. We are particularly baffled by ISS's analysis regarding the actions of the Clearwire board in seeking alternatives when Charlie Ergen of DISH Network, who provided Clearwire with a possible alternative to the Sprint transaction, yesterday characterized DISH's dealings with the Clearwire board as a game of 'Whac-a-Mole,' in which 'every time we answered a question, something else popped up.'"

Masayoshi Son, Chief Executive of SoftBank, has made a number of public statements recently regarding the SoftBank-Sprint merger and the Sprint-Clearwire merger. It was reported in a Dow Jones Newswire story that Son would not expect Sprint to allow Clearwire's board to consider bankruptcy and that Sprint would continue to finance Clearwire after a negative vote. Following this report, Crest's Schumacher said: "Crest firmly believes that the Clearwire board must act in the best interests of all Clearwire shareholders. We believe that Son's statements demonstrate that, if the Clearwire shareholders reject the Sprint-Softbank merger, SoftBank and Sprint intend to use Sprint's position as Clearwire's majority shareholder to make decisions regarding the future of Clearwire that are in the best interests of only Sprint and SoftBank and not in the best interests of all Clearwire shareholders. If Clearwire's shareholders reject the Sprint-Clearwire merger as we expect, Crest will aggressively protect its rights as a minority shareholder in Clearwire."

Schumacher concluded: "Crest will continue to aggressively wage its proxy fight against the Sprint-Clearwire merger. We are extremely pleased with the number of holders who have reached out to us in support of our efforts. Over the next week, Crest looks forward to speaking to all holders to urge them to use the GOLD proxy card and vote "AGAINST" the Sprint-Clearwire merger."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The proxy statement can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr.


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Crest Financial Issues Presentation Urging Clearwire Stockholders to Vote Against Sprint-Clearwire Merger

Document Highlights Eagerness of DISH and SoftBank to Control Clearwire Spectrum

PR Newswire
Press Release: Crest Financial Limited – Thu, May 9, 2013 2:03 PM EDT

HOUSTON, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent, minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), yesterday filed a 40-page presentation with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailing its reasons for asking Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation.

The presentation elaborates on Crest's long-held contentions that the price Sprint is offering to pay Clearwire stockholders for their shares is highly inadequate and that the Clearwire Board entered into an unfair Merger Agreement with Sprint, is plagued by weak corporate governance, is under undue influence of Sprint and has failed to protect non-Sprint stockholders.

In addition, the presentation highlights statements from the chief executives of DISH Network and SoftBank earlier this month suggesting that the real prize offered by an acquisition of Sprint is acquiring control of Clearwire and its valuable spectrum. As noted in the presentation, DISH's Charlie Ergen, as reported in the Denver Business Journal, said, "It's better for us to own Sprint, because then we control Clearwire." In addition, at SoftBank's "Press Conference 2013 Summer," SoftBank Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son said: "In the Sprint-SoftBank transaction, Clearwire's spectrum is key."

David Schumacher, the General Counsel of Crest Financial, said: "These statements confirm what Crest has been communicating to Clearwire's other shareholders for some time now: The battle for Sprint is really a battle for Clearwire's valuable spectrum, and that each of Sprint's suitors wants to divert the value of Clearwire's spectrum assets to itself so as to extract maximum benefit for itself to the detriment of Clearwire's minority shareholders."

Crest strongly urges Clearwire stockholders to vote "AGAINST" the Sprint-Clearwire merger using the GOLD proxy card.

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The presentation can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr.

[teecee1]

Kreise: SoftBank droht Banken im Kampf um Mobilfunker Sprint
Samstag, 11. Mai 2013, 15:40 Uhr


Softbank Corp President Masayoshi Son speaks during a news conference in Tokyo
April 30, 2013. SoftBank Corp said there is no need to improve its $20.1 billion bid
for 70 percent of U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp, which has been challenged
by a counter-offer from Dish Network Corp .
REUTERS/Yuya Shino

New York (Reuters) - In der Bieterschlacht um den US-Mobilfunk-Anbieter Sprint Nextel kämpft der japanische Konkurrent SoftBank mit harten Bandagen.

Wie mit der Situation vertraute Personen der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichteten, will SoftBank das Konkurrenzangebot des US-Satelliten-Fernsehbetreiber Dish Network untergraben und setzt dazu die Banken unter Druck. SoftBank habe den Instituten erklärt, dass Kredite für Dish die Chancen auf eine Rolle bei dem mit Spannung erwarteten Börsengang des chinesischen Internet-Konzerns Alibaba schmälern könnten. Softbank besitzt 33 Prozent von Alibaba. Mindestens eine Bank habe daraufhin ihr Finanzierungsangebot für Dish zurückgezogen, hieß es weiter.

SoftBank bietet gut 20 Milliarden Dollar für 70 Prozent der Sprint-Anteile. Dish hat dieses Angebot mit 25,5 Milliarden Dollar übertrumpft. SoftBank, Sprint und Sprint lehnten eine Stellungnahme zu dem Vorgang ab. Eine Alibaba nahestehende Person erklärte, SoftBank treffe trotz seines großen Anteils keine Entscheidungen für das Management der Firma. Bislang steht der Zeitplan für den Alibaba-Börsengang noch nicht fest.


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Exclusive: SoftBank asks banks not to finance Dish's Sprint bid


Softbank Corp's logo is pictured at its branch in Tokyo October 15, 2012.
REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao

By Soyoung Kim and Olivia Oran

NEW YORK | Fri May 10, 2013 8:54pm EDT

(Reuters) - SoftBank Corp is playing it rough in its attempt to keep Dish Network Corp from breaking up its $20.1 billion deal to take control of Sprint Nextel Corp.

The Japanese telecom company, which owns 33 percent of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, has told banks that their financing of Dish's $25.5 billion rival offer for Sprint could hurt their chances of landing a role in a highly anticipated public offering of the Chinese e-commerce giant, two sources familiar with the situation said.

SoftBank, Dish and Sprint declined to comment. A source close to Alibaba said on Friday that while SoftBank is a major investor, it does not make decisions for Alibaba's management. Alibaba has no timetable for an IPO yet and has not hired underwriters.

Softbank's unusual move is the latest sign that the battle for the control of Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier, is fast turning into a no-holds-barred brawl between Softbank founder Masayoshi Son and Dish's Charlie Ergen.

SoftBank agreed in October last year to buy 70 percent of Sprint for $20.1 billion. In December, Sprint also made an offer to buy out the stake in Clearwire Corp it didn't already own. But Softbank's plans have run into trouble, thanks in large part to Dish. In January, Dish made a counterbid for Clearwire, and followed up in April with the bid for Sprint.

Softbank's latest move could make it more difficult for Dish to firm up financing for its Sprint bid. At least one major bank has withdrawn from financing the Dish bid after Softbank's move, the sources said.

Dish has said it would need to raise $9 billion in debt to finance the offer, and Softbank has criticized its rival for not having committed financing in place.

In an interview last month, Son described the U.S. media veteran as an "amateur" in mobile. "Charlie has no expertise in the mobile industry," the executive told Reuters.

For his part, Ergen has fought back against the criticism. Earlier this month, he said acquiring Sprint was so important to Dish that he could consider selling the company altogether if he loses a bidding war.

Softbank's move, though unusual, is legal, the sources said.

So-called anti-tying rules prohibit banks from offering a product to a company on the condition that it gets a role in another transaction. For example, a bank cannot say it will only give a loan to a company if the bank is chosen as an adviser on the company's next M&A transaction.

But banks' corporate clients are not subject to these restrictions. A company, for example, may select underwriters for an IPO on the condition that these banks not participate in a competitor's future public offering.

Alibaba's IPO, which could come as early as this year, is one of the most highly anticipated technology deals after Facebook Inc's $16 billion offering last year and would generate lofty fees for Wall Street banks. In Facebook's case, underwriters split about $176 million in fees.

BANKS TIED UP

Dish is in the process of lining up financing, but is encountering challenges in part because of Softbank's move, the sources said.

Barclays Plc, which is advising Dish, and Jefferies Group LLC, are lined up to provide financing, with Dish speaking to more banks to join the financing, one of the sources said. Jefferies and Barclays declined to comment.

Many Wall Street banks including Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc, UBS AG and Deutsche Bank are already conflicted and cannot provide financing to Dish because of their roles in other aspects of the bidding war.

Bank of America is advising Sprint's special committee, while Citigroup, UBS and Rothschild are advising Sprint. Deutsche Bank is financing SoftBank's proposal.

Meanwhile, Softbank has already removed Barclays from a role in financing its bid for Sprint after the British bank was revealed to be advising Dish on a rival offer, sources have said previously.

FINANCING ISSUES

Dish's lack of committed financing is a concern for the special committee of Sprint's board that is reviewing Dish's offer to determine whether it could lead to a better deal than Softbank's, the sources said.

Ergen said on Thursday that Sprint's special committee has not yet given Dish access to its data room to gain a closer look at Sprint's books. The committee is taking its time in part because Dish does not have committed financing, the sources said.

In a letter to Sprint's board of directors on April 15, Dish said it intended to fund the $17.3 billion cash portion of the deal using $8.2 billion in balance sheet cash and raising $9 billion in additional debt financing.

"We have a proven track record in raising capital to fund strategic initiatives and have received a Highly Confident Letter from our financial advisor, Barclays, confirming our ability to raise the required financing," the letter said.

(Reporting by Soyoung Kim, Olivia Oran and Sinead Carew in New York; Editing by Paritosh Bansal, Matthew Lewis and Paul Simao)

[teecee1]

Shares Owned by Insitutions
42.80% ... letzte Woche 35,8%



Number of Institutions
210 ... letzte Woche 214

Clearwire Corporation Short Interest
4/30/2013 11,203,802
4/15/2013 10,463,601


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Leading Proxy Advisory Firm ISS Recommends Clearwire Stockholders Vote 'FOR' Proposed Transaction with Sprint

Company Comments on Glass Lewis Report

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – Fri, May 10, 2013 12:15 PM EDT

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 10, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire (the "Company") today announced that Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS"), a leading independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm, recommends that Clearwire stockholders vote 'FOR' the proposed transaction with Sprint. The Company also commented on Glass Lewis' recent report regarding the transaction.

Clearwire issued the following statement, "We are very pleased that ISS has recommended that stockholders vote FOR the proposed transaction with Sprint. This recommendation affirms the conclusion of a rigorous multi-year strategic review and reinforces the board's unanimous belief that this combination is the best strategic alternative for Clearwire's minority stockholders, delivering certain, fair and attractive value." (...)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/leading-proxy-advisory-firm-is…


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Clearwire Mails Letter Urging Stockholders to Vote 'For' Proposed Transaction With Sprint

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 4 hours ago

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Clearwire (CLWR) ("Clearwire" or the "Company") today mailed a letter to stockholders in connection with its proposed transaction with Sprint recommending that stockholders vote 'FOR' the proposed transaction. The letter highlights the favorable recommendations of leading proxy advisory services and conveys compelling reasons why this transaction is the best strategic alternative for shareholders by correcting misperceptions in the marketplace.

The full text of the letter follows: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearwire-mails-letter-urging-…

May 13, 2013

Dear Fellow Stockholder:

Like you, I am a holder of Clearwire stock. My family and I have been investors in the Company since 2008.

The decision facing all of us, to approve the transaction with Sprint, requires a realistic analysis of Clearwire's strategic alternatives. When the facts are distilled and the circumstances surrounding this proposed merger are fairly assessed, I believe that the merger with Sprint is the best strategic alternative for all stockholders because it delivers fair, attractive and certain value, especially in light of Clearwire's limited alternatives and liquidity constraints.

Clearwire stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 2, 2013, are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting of Stockholders scheduled to occur on May 21, 2013. The Clearwire board unanimously recommends that you vote your shares FOR all of the proposals relating to the transaction with Sprint by returning the WHITE proxy card with a "FOR" vote for all proposals. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.594.221 von teecee1 am 08.05.13 19:10:21

GM CEO Sees Profit Streaming From Deal for In-Vehicle LTE

By Tim Higgins - May 13, 2013 6:01 AM GMT+0200

One of the first things Dan Akerson did as chief executive officer of General Motors Co. (GM) in 2010 was dive into the automaker’s telecommunications business to get more profit from that in-car connection.

The former telecom executive wanted to know when GM could boost the speed of data services into its vehicles to 4G. More than 6 million customers in the U.S., Canada and China subscribe to OnStar, which provides diagnostic, directional and safety services through a 2G cellular service. He saw the chance for far more services than giving directions to lost drivers.

“They told him 2018,” recalled Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, who was part of those early discussions. “After I got done peeling Dan off the ceiling, I said, ‘We need to move this along a little faster.”’

What Akerson envisions makes plain old GPS seem as outdated as a horse and buggy. While not revealing most of his thinking, his idea would be to make cars much smarter than they are now, like a high-tech infotainment system in a living room. Akerson suggested that a faster connection can create new possibilities for engaging passengers -- and for making money.

On the other end of the spectrum are companies such as Ford Motor Co. (F) pushing tethered systems, said Brian Johnson, an industry analyst with Barclays. They’re using the argument that “people don’t want to carry around extra processors, people are already paying for one data plan.”

Bigger Pipe

In February, OnStar announced a partnership with AT&T Inc. to offer 4G LTE service next year in most 2015 model-year vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Akerson, this month during a conference call with analysts, gave his most candid comments yet about what Detroit-based GM is considering for the new relationship and how it might change the automaker’s business.

Long-term evolution, or LTE, is a higher speed, fourth-generation wireless technology compared with third-generation, or 3G, which itself is faster than OnStar’s current 2G connection. AT&T (T), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and T-Mobile USA Inc. are adding LTE to their networks. LTE allows mobile users to load videos and stream music as much as 10 times faster than 3G, GM said in February.

“The bigger the pipe, the more you’re rewarded into the future,” Akerson said. “So, when we look at what we can do with a 4G pipe into a car, you can change the business model almost entirely. You may be able to have a real revenue-generating opportunity.”

Akerson suggested the faster cellular data connection could allow for advertising in the vehicle or live-streaming media, such as watching the “same show that was on television.”

Industry ‘Battleground’

A debate within the auto industry is how such service will be provided. While GM is embedding 4G in vehicles, Ford is providing an infrastructure to connect cars to the Internet through a user’s smartphone.


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Tesla interessiert an Googles fahrerlosen Autos
Autonome Steuerung soll Sicherheit und Bequemlichkeit verbessern
Tesla Model S: 500 ausgelieferte Exemplare pro Woche (Foto: teslamotors.com)
Tesla Model S: 500 ausgelieferte Exemplare pro Woche (Foto: teslamotors.com)

Palo Alto/Mountain View (pte021/08.05.2013/11:15) - Tesla Motors http://www.teslamotors.com , der US-amerikanische Hersteller von Elektroautos, möchte die Entwicklung fahrerloser Fahrzeuge vorantreiben. Wie Elon Musk, kalifornischer Milliardär und CEO des Unternehmens, aktuell durchblicken lässt, besteht offenbar reges Interesse an entsprechender Technologie aus dem Hause Google. Gespräche mit dem Internetkonzern, dessen selbstfahrende Hightech-Vehikel schon seit geraumer Zeit auf öffentlichen Straßen in Nevada, Kalifornien und Florida getestet werden, haben bereits stattgefunden. Im Moment ist allerdings noch völlig unklar, wie die neue Steuertechnologie eingesetzt werden kann, um die Sicherheit und Bequemlichkeit des Autofahrens zu verbessern.

"Technologien, die für den Autolenker das Fahren übernehmen, sind ein logischer Schritt in der Evolution der Auto-Entwicklung", zitiert die New York Times Elon Musk. Der Tesla-CEO habe sich deshalb bereits intensiv mit den verschiedenen Ansätzen in diesem Bereich auseinandergesetzt. Besonderes Interesse zeigt er an Googles fahrerlosen Autos, die mittlerweile insgesamt mehrere hunderttausend Testmeilen unfallfrei zurückgelegt haben (pressetext berichtete: http://pressetext.com/news/20120810009/ ). "Bei diesem Projekt geht es darum, das Autofahren zu revolutionieren. Fahrerlose Autos können die Fortbewegung der Menschen grundlegend verbessern, Unfälle reduzieren und helfen, Benzin zu sparen", so Google-Sprecher Stefan Keuchel gegenüber pressetext.

Kritische Anmerkungen

In Hinblick auf eine mögliche Kooperation mit dem Internetkonzern hat der umtriebige Tesla-Chef aber auch kritische technische Anmerkungen parat: "Das Problem mit Googles gegenwärtiger Methode ist, dass das eingesetzte Sensor-System zu teuer ist. Es wäre besser, ein optisches System zu verwenden, das einfach auf Kameras und Software zurückgreift, um die Umgebung analysieren und richtig auf Veränderungen reagieren zu können." Diese Kritik habe er auch in gemeinsamen Diskussionen mit Google geäußert. "Dieser Ansatz wird so wahrscheinlich nicht umsetzbar sein", meint Musk.

Doch auch wenn eine Kooperation mit Google nicht zustande kommen sollte, will man beim US-Elektroautohersteller nicht von einer Vision autonom gesteuerter Vehikel ablassen. "Ich glaube, dass es genauso wahrscheinlich ist, dass Tesla seine eigenen Autopilotensysteme entwickeln wird", so Musk weiter. Interessanterweise hält der Firmenboss auch eine zukünftige Übernahme des Autoherstellers durch den Internetkonzern für möglich.

Markteinführung unklar

Wann und in welcher Form selbstfahrende Autos tatsächlich in Massen Einzug auf den Straßen halten werden, bleibt weiterhin unklar. "Einen genauen Zeitpunkt für eine Markteinführung gibt es noch nicht. Fest steht aber, dass die Auto-Industrie schon jetzt ein großes Interesse an dieser Technologie erkennen lässt", betont Google-Sprecher Keuchel. Erst im April dieses Jahres hat etwa der ehemalige Entwicklungschef von General Motors, Larry Burns, prognostiziert, dass autonom fahrende Autos bis 2020 reif für den Straßenalltag sein könnten (pressetext berichtete: http://pressetext.com/news/20120416021/ ).
“This is going to be the next battleground in options,” Johnson said in a telephone interview.

One of the reasons for the push is interest from young consumers who’ve grown accustomed to accessing Facebook Inc.’s social-networking site and other Internet connections anywhere.

“The new generation of buyers wants connectivity in their vehicles,” Johnson said. “People basically want to seamlessly access things they’re used to on their smartphones in the vehicle.”

Akerson said that his grandchildren have “grown up in a world with smartphones” only.

“Instead of waiting for trends to overwhelm us,” GM is trying “to look over the horizon,” he said.

Telecom Background

After Akerson became CEO, he oversaw the company’s initial public offering and push to rebuild itself after the 2009 bankruptcy reorganization. Akerson, who joined GM’s board in 2009, spent a previous career in the telecommunication industry, including time as president of MCI Communications Corp. and CEO of Nextel Communications Inc., General Instrument Corp. and NextLink Communications Inc., which became XO Communications Inc.

His predecessor, Ed Whitacre, had been chairman and CEO of Dallas-based AT&T after he reassembled it with acquisitions to SBC Communications Inc., formerly Southwestern Bell, which he ran. Bob Ferguson, whom Akerson promoted to run the Cadillac brand globally, is a former telecommunications executive who spent more than 10 years at AT&T.

The automaker on May 2 reported its 13th straight profitable quarter. Net income slipped 11 percent to $1.18 billion. The results beat expectations, with European operations losing less than the average of three analysts’ estimates.

Akerson is pushing GM toward several mid-decade goals, including boosting North America operating margin to 10 percent, stemming loses in Europe and increasing sales in China to 5 million from 2.84 million last year.

‘Huge Win’

“You can just imagine Dan showing up and saying, ‘2G? Where are you guys?”’ Johnson of Barclays said. “He must’ve showed up and said, ‘OK guys, get out of the cave here.”’

Pushing to bring 4G faster to vehicles is an example of a culture change under way at GM, Girsky said during an interview at his Detroit office in March.

“That’s a huge win around here,” Girsky said. “That’s a case where left on its own, it would’ve sort of drifted, and we would’ve been left behind.”

While remaining coy about how GM will use the technology, Girsky said it’s a “wide open space” that could be “disruptive.”

“What came first: broadband or YouTube?” Girksy said. “We’re going to build a big pipe and then we’ll figure out what to do with it.”

Profitable Growth

The service will improve OnStar and allow for dealer-to-car communication, usage-based insurance and in-vehicle advertising, Itay Michaeli, an industry analyst with Citigroup Inc., said in a note April 14.

GM having 4G is a big step in the “ongoing union of telematics and infotainment,” Michaeli said.

OnStar generates about $1.5 billion in revenue annually, with as much as 35 percent profit margin, according to an estimate by Citi. GM’s companywide first-quarter margin on earnings before interest and taxes was 4.8 percent, the company said May 2.

GM was ahead of its time when it began placing OnStar in vehicles in 1996, Thilo Koslowski, an auto-industry analyst with Gartner Inc. based in San Jose, California, said in a telephone interview.

“That was during the time when we didn’t even have the mobile Internet or smartphones,” he said. “Not only were they a pioneer in this space, but they were trying to cover new ground. The problem was consumers weren’t quite ready for it because how would you embrace the idea of a mobile Internet if you can only be exposed to it when you’re sitting in your vehicle?”

Akerson’s Arrival

By the time Akerson arrived at GM, OnStar had settled into a service seen as providing safety and security at the simple push of a button. The restaurant chain Jimmy Johns even paid homage to the service with TV ads that showed a driver in an accident pushing a button to get a quickly delivered sandwich.

GM has “never been properly compensated” for the service OnStar provides for cellular-phone carriers, Akerson told analysts this month. The AT&T arrangement changes that, he said.

“With the new contracts, when it kicks in, every time we implement, we get $20” from the carrier, he said. GM will also get revenue-sharing from the service, he said.

“There is a whole new frontier for us” with margins that will exceed what “you typically see in a manufacturing business,” Akerson said.

GM later issued a statement that said Akerson “did not disclose the entirety of both sides of our agreement with AT&T and we are not prepared to discuss those particulars at this time.”

While unclear exactly what new revenue opportunities exist, Mark Boyadjis, an industry analyst with IHS Automotive, interpreted Akerson’s comments as indicating that GM may capture a share, perhaps $20, each month from whatever subscription AT&T charges for 4G connection.

“We really think $20 per car revenue opportunity is significant,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Higgins in Southfield, Michigan, at [e-mail]


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Tesla interessiert an Googles fahrerlosen Autos

Autonome Steuerung soll Sicherheit und Bequemlichkeit verbessern

Tesla Model S: 500 ausgelieferte Exemplare pro Woche
(Foto: teslamotors.com)

Palo Alto/Mountain View (pte021/08.05.2013/11:15) - Tesla Motors http://www.teslamotors.com , der US-amerikanische Hersteller von Elektroautos, möchte die Entwicklung fahrerloser Fahrzeuge vorantreiben. Wie Elon Musk, kalifornischer Milliardär und CEO des Unternehmens, aktuell durchblicken lässt, besteht offenbar reges Interesse an entsprechender Technologie aus dem Hause Google. Gespräche mit dem Internetkonzern, dessen selbstfahrende Hightech-Vehikel schon seit geraumer Zeit auf öffentlichen Straßen in Nevada, Kalifornien und Florida getestet werden, haben bereits stattgefunden. Im Moment ist allerdings noch völlig unklar, wie die neue Steuertechnologie eingesetzt werden kann, um die Sicherheit und Bequemlichkeit des Autofahrens zu verbessern.

"Technologien, die für den Autolenker das Fahren übernehmen, sind ein logischer Schritt in der Evolution der Auto-Entwicklung", zitiert die New York Times Elon Musk. Der Tesla-CEO habe sich deshalb bereits intensiv mit den verschiedenen Ansätzen in diesem Bereich auseinandergesetzt. Besonderes Interesse zeigt er an Googles fahrerlosen Autos, die mittlerweile insgesamt mehrere hunderttausend Testmeilen unfallfrei zurückgelegt haben (pressetext berichtete: http://pressetext.com/news/20120810009/ ). "Bei diesem Projekt geht es darum, das Autofahren zu revolutionieren. Fahrerlose Autos können die Fortbewegung der Menschen grundlegend verbessern, Unfälle reduzieren und helfen, Benzin zu sparen", so Google-Sprecher Stefan Keuchel gegenüber pressetext.

Kritische Anmerkungen

In Hinblick auf eine mögliche Kooperation mit dem Internetkonzern hat der umtriebige Tesla-Chef aber auch kritische technische Anmerkungen parat: "Das Problem mit Googles gegenwärtiger Methode ist, dass das eingesetzte Sensor-System zu teuer ist. Es wäre besser, ein optisches System zu verwenden, das einfach auf Kameras und Software zurückgreift, um die Umgebung analysieren und richtig auf Veränderungen reagieren zu können." Diese Kritik habe er auch in gemeinsamen Diskussionen mit Google geäußert. "Dieser Ansatz wird so wahrscheinlich nicht umsetzbar sein", meint Musk.

Doch auch wenn eine Kooperation mit Google nicht zustande kommen sollte, will man beim US-Elektroautohersteller nicht von einer Vision autonom gesteuerter Vehikel ablassen. "Ich glaube, dass es genauso wahrscheinlich ist, dass Tesla seine eigenen Autopilotensysteme entwickeln wird", so Musk weiter. Interessanterweise hält der Firmenboss auch eine zukünftige Übernahme des Autoherstellers durch den Internetkonzern für möglich.

Markteinführung unklar

Wann und in welcher Form selbstfahrende Autos tatsächlich in Massen Einzug auf den Straßen halten werden, bleibt weiterhin unklar. "Einen genauen Zeitpunkt für eine Markteinführung gibt es noch nicht. Fest steht aber, dass die Auto-Industrie schon jetzt ein großes Interesse an dieser Technologie erkennen lässt", betont Google-Sprecher Keuchel. Erst im April dieses Jahres hat etwa der ehemalige Entwicklungschef von General Motors, Larry Burns, prognostiziert, dass autonom fahrende Autos bis 2020 reif für den Straßenalltag sein könnten (pressetext berichtete: http://pressetext.com/news/20120416021/ ).

(Ende)

Markus Steiner

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.616.795 von teecee1 am 12.05.13 20:58:41

14.05.2013 | 09:22
(124 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
'FT': Softbank macht Banken Druck - Keine Hilfe für Dish-Gegenofferte für Sprint

Der japanische Internet- und Mobilfunkanbieter Softbank versucht einem Pressebericht zufolge, Investmentbanken von einer Mitarbeit am Gegenangebot für den US-Mobilfunker Sprint abzuhalten. So wollen die Japaner die Konkurrenzofferte von Dish für das eigene Übernahmeangebot verhindern oder zumindest erschweren, schreibt die "Financial Times" (Dienstag) mit Berufung auf mit der Angelegenheit vertraute Personen. Softbank habe den Banken signalisiert, dass sie beim geplanten Mega-Börsengang ihrer Beteiligung Alibaba nicht zum Zuge kommen könnten. Softbank hält rund ein Drittel an der chinesischen Handelsplattform , deren milliardenschwerer Börsengang mit Spannung erwartet wird.

Softbank hatte Ende April verkündet, trotz der Konkurrenzofferte von Dish das eigene Übernahmeangebot für den US-Mobilfunker Sprint nicht erhöhen zu wollen. Die Japaner bieten 20 Milliarden Dollar für etwa 70 Prozent an Sprint, dessen Führung zugestimmt hatte. Dish hatte Mitte April dieses Angebot mit einer Offerte von 25,5 Milliarden Dollar für das US-Unternehmen übertrumpft. Gegenwärtig überlegt eine Expertenrunde von Sprint, ob Dish formell zur Abgabe eines Angebots aufgefordert werden soll.

Sollte sich die Sprint-Führung von Softbank abwenden und auf die Seite von Dish schlagen, müssen die Amerikaner 600 Millionen Dollar an Softbank zahlen. Das US-Unternehmen will seine Aktionäre am 12. Juni über die Softbank-Offerte abstimmen lassen./stk/fn/fbr


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UPDATE 2-Dish plans debt sale to fund Sprint offer

Tue May 14, 2013 11:03am EDT

May 14 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp said on Tuesday it will sell $2.5 billion in debt to help fund a $25 billion bid for Sprint Nextel Corp, and that it believes it has answered all questions posed by a special committee of Sprint's board.

Satellite TV service Dish said it has met with advisers to the Sprint special committee considering its offer, is "unaware of any items that remain outstanding," and is still waiting for Sprint's response.

Dish has said it would need to raise about $9 billion in debt to pay for its April offer to buy Sprint.

Japan's SoftBank Corp reached a $20.1 billion agreement to buy Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. wireless service provider, in October.

Charlie Ergen, chairman and founder of Dish, vowed last week to make a firm financing commitment only when it was the last obstacle keeping him from getting access to Sprint's books.

Sprint representatives were not immediately available for comment on the Dish move.

Michael McCormack, an analyst at Nomura Securities, said Dish likely made the announcements "to show the seriousness of their interest."

"It doesn't mean that the Sprint special committee doesn't come back and ask for more information. But Dish is trying to say that they're fulfilling their side of the process." McCormack said.

The move to sell $2.5 billion in debt marked Dish's second debt sale in six weeks to fund acquisitions, but it was the first one that named Sprint as the potential destination for the proceeds. The last sale raised $2.3 billion, more than double what was planned.

Reuters reported last week that SoftBank, the telecommunications company, had asked banks not to finance Dish's unsolicited bid for the company.

Dish said if the Sprint deal does not take place by a certain date, its subsidiary in the latest debt offering would redeem all the notes.

Sprint shares were up 0.3 percent at $7.20 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Dish was down 0.6 percent at $38.60 on Nasdaq.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dish Planning to Issue $2.5 Billion of Bonds for Sprint Proposal
By Sarika Gangar - May 14, 2013 3:33 PM GMT+0200

Dish Network Corp. (DISH), the satellite TV company vying with SoftBank Corp. (9984) to acquire Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), is offering $2.5 billion of debt to help finance the proposed deal.

The company may sell four- and 10-year bonds today or tomorrow, according to a person familiar with the transaction. The proceeds from the senior notes sale will be placed into escrow and would be released to help fund the cash portion of a Sprint acquisition, the Englewood, Colorado-based company said today in a regulatory filing. Dish will redeem the debt if a deal doesn’t materialize, it said.

The offering comes a month after SoftBank sold $3.3 billion of bonds denominated in dollars and euros to help fund its $20.1 billion bid for Sprint, Bloomberg data show.

The Dish bonds may be rated Ba2 by Moody’s Investors Service, said the person, who asked not to be identified because terms aren’t set. Barclays Plc, Jefferies Group LLC, Macquarie Group Ltd. and Royal Bank of Canada are managing the offering.

The company is trying to win over Sprint’s board, which is concerned about the debt that would be placed on the merged company and has doubts about Dish’s estimate of $11 billion in cost savings, people familiar with the situation said last week.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sarika Gangar in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story Alan Goldstein at [e-mail]


............................................................................

10.05.2013 | 12:50

BörseGo ·
JPMorgan erhöht Kursziel für DISH Network von $39 auf $43.

JPMorgan erhöht Kursziel für DISH Network von $39 auf $43.

(© BörseGo AG 2013 - Autor: Thomas Gansneder, Redakteur)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.594.221 von teecee1 am 08.05.13 19:10:21

Google adds Gladstone, Mo., as fifth recipient of Google Fiber ... ...

The Web giant has picked up the pace of its expansion announcements for the speedy Internet and video service.

by Steven Musil
May 13, 2013 10:10 PM PDT


(Credit: Google)

Google's Fiber web is growing a little bigger in the Midwest.

The Gladstone, Mo., city council on Monday approved expansion of the Web giant's speedy Internet and video service into the Kansas City suburb, Google announced Monday.

Related stories

Google expands Fiber to Grandview, Mo.
Google Fiber heads to Shawnee, Kansas
Google Fiber prompts Time Warner to offer free Austin Wi-Fi

Already available in Kansas City, the first location to get the high-speed Internet service, Google Fiber's expansion plans have been picking up speed in recent months. The Gladstone decision comes a little more than a week after Shawnee, Kan. -- another city located near Kansas City -- voted to bring Google Fiber to its residents. Google also plans to install the network in Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah.

As usual, Google cautioned that planning and installation of the gigabit Internet service takes time and there is no firm timetable for service to begin in Gladstone.

The acceleration in rollout plans comes about a year after Google launched its 1-gigabit-per-second broadband service in Kansas City and unveiled a new interactive television service called Google Fiber TV. Google offers three packages, including the high-end $120 a month for the Gigabit and Fiber TV service package, $70 for 1Gbps broadband only, and the cost-free but limited-time service of 5Mbps download speeds and 1Mbps uploads.


............................................................................

ZDNet / IT-Business
Google kündigt fünften Glasfaser-Standort an
von Florian Kalenda am 14. Mai 2013, 15:46 Uhr

Google hat den bereits fünften Standort für sein Gigabit-Internet-Angebot per Glasfaser angekündigt. Es handelt sich um Gladstone in Missouri, nicht weit von Kansas City, wo letztes Jahr das erste Pilotprojekt startete.

Google Fiber

Mit nur gut 25.000 Einwohnern und aufgrund seiner Nähe zu Kansas City dürfte Gladstone das bisher einfachste Projekt im Rahmen von Google Fiber sein. Dennoch erstaunt die Geschwindigkeit, mit der Google diesen Geschäftsbereich ausbaut: Die Standorte zwei bis fünf hat der Konzern innerhalb von nur fünf Wochen klar gemacht. Er unterstreicht damit, dass der Pilotversuch in Kansas ein voller Erfolg war und zu ernsthaften Ambitionen in diesem Bereich geführt hat.

Kansas City verteilt sich auf zwei Bundesstaaten, Kansas und Missouri: Nimmt man beide zusammen, kommt es auf gut 600.000 Einwohner. Die weiteren Fiber-Projekte in zeitlicher Folge der Ankündigung sind Austin (Texas) mit rund 800.000 Einwohnern, Provo (Utah) mit 120.000 Einwohnern und Shawnee (Kansas) mit geschätzten 63.000 Einwohnern.

Google scheint bei der Städteauswahl keinem festen Plan zu folgen, sondern einfach günstige Gelegenheiten zu nutzen. In Provo konnte es beispielsweise zu offenbar guten Konditionen einen anderen Glasfaseranbieter aufkaufen, dessen Netz es ausbauen wird. Und Austin beschreibt es als “ein Mekka der Kreativität und des Unternehmertums, mit florierenden künstlerischen und Tech-Communities”.

Ein Anschluss mit 1 GBit/s kostet bei Google Fiber monatlich 70 Dollar. Für insgesamt 120 Dollar monatlich kommt ein Paket mit einer Vielzahl von TV-Sendern hinzu, wiederum deutlich günstiger als bei US-Kabelanbietern üblich. Ein weiterer Tarif bietet gegen die einmalige Zahlung von 300 Dollar – entsprechend den Kosten für einen Glasfaseranschluss – langfristigen Internetzugang mit 5 MBit/s Downstream und 1 MBit/s Upstream. Eine Leistung für mindestens sieben Jahre ist garantiert, und auch dieser Sondertarif schränkt das Datenvolumen nicht ein. Alle Tarife setzen voraus, dass sich ein gewisser Anteil der Bewohner in einer Nachbarschaft – von Google als “Fiberhood” bezeichnet – für einen Glasfaseranschluss entscheidet.

[mit Material von Steven Musil, News.com]

... ...

0. Kansas City 600,000
1. Austin 800,000
2. Provo 120,000
3. Shawnee 63,000
4. Grandview ???
5. Gladstone 25,000
6. Olathe 125,000
7. Eastern Jackson County: Raytown, Westwood, Westwood Hills and Mission Hills
8. Kansas City Nord

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.602.065 von teecee1 am 09.05.13 22:24:16

T-Mobile to expand MetroPCS footprint by 100M POPs

T-Mobile CFO says promotional iPhone 5 pricing was planned

May 15, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein


T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) plans to significantly expand the footprint where its MetroPCS brand offers service--by around 100 million POPs over the next six quarters--as it continues to modernize its network and integrate MetroPCS customers following the merger between the two companies that closed earlier this month.

T-Mobile CFO Braxton Carter, who was formerly CFO of MetroPCS, said that the back office integration between T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS is now essentially complete and that the focus is now on a "more aggressive expansion" of MetroPCS' national footprint. Carter, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, also said T-Mobile is "weeks away" from seeding HSPA+ and LTE smartphones into MetroPCS distribution channels.

Carter said that MetroPCS will be "expanding to 15 additional major metropolitan areas very quickly." He did not name the markets, but MetroPCS executives have previously said the company would expand into markets including Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Carter said the expansion will accelerate in third quarter and through early 2014. He said MetroPCS will continue its legacy distribution and dealer operations, and is well positioned to gain market share.

Interestingly, Carter noted that MetroPCS will have a leg up on its prepaid competitors by offering LTE services. T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray, who was speaking at the conference with Carter, said "there will be LTE access for those customers in those expansion markets," and noted that AT&T's (NYSE:T) new Aio Wireless prepaid brand does not offer LTE service.

Ray touched on T-Mobile's network modernization and expansion, and said the company had already blown past its target of having 170 million POPs covered with HSPA+ service on its 1900 MHZ PCS spectrum by mid-year, and is well on its way to covering 200 million by year-end. He also said he is "extremely confident" T-Mobile will surpass 100 million POPs covered with its own LTE network en route to covering 200 million by year-end. Ray said the integration with MetroPCS' LTE network "is actually moving very well" and that as of tonight customers on Metro's LTE network in Las Vegas will switch over to accessing T-Mobile's LTE network there.

Ray said that with the combined company "we're in this very strong spectrum position" and "we are not having to density our network at the pace that you hear many of the others talking about, which is a huge suck on capital." T-Mobile has said the transaction will allow it to deploy 2X20 MHz LTE in 90 percent of the top 25 U.S. markets using MetroPCS' spectrum in 2014 and beyond. The combined T-Mobile and MetroPCS has 76 MHz of total spectrum in the top 25 major metro areas, and counts 60,000 cell sites and distributed antenna network nodes, resulting in around 765 subscribers per cell site.

Ray said that the company is not currently looking to expand its network footprint and is eagerly awaiting next year's scheduled incentive auctions of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum. He said using such spectrum is "a far more effective way to go and build those opportunities out" and that getting access to such low-band spectrum would mean "we would finally have a level playing field in the U.S. marketplace" between smaller carriers and AT&T and Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), which dominated the 700 MHz auction in 2008.

Carter also touched on T-Mobile's recent decision to increase the price of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 5 from $99 to $149. He said the $99 price was "set for a very limited period of time" and that the price increase was "all part of the planning to begin with."

Carter said T-Mobile expects to see continued improvements in churn over the course of the year as its network improvements and LTE deployments continue, and that the company's Simple Choice plans are resonating with consumers. "We will continue to innovate," he said, adding, "There's more to come and I think that's going to be key to effectively compete."


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Report: ESPN in talks with U.S. carrier on toll-free data plans
May 10, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Sports media giant ESPN has talked with at least one large U.S. carrier about subsidizing wireless access to its content, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. These discusions could potentially lead to a "toll-free" data plan with carriers and open up new revenue streams for both parties.

The report, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said that in one potential scenario, ESPN would pay a carrier to ensure that customers viewing ESPN mobile content wouldn't have that usage counted toward their monthly data caps. Sharing advertising revenue is another potential avenue for carriers and content providers to explore, the report noted.

Importantly, the article said that such a deal between ESPN and a U.S. carrier is not imminent and that ESPN isn't sure if the economics of such an arrangement would work. An ESPN spokeswoman declined to comment.

Executives from U.S. wireless carriers, especially Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T), have openly discussed the idea of launching toll-free data plans where content providers pay for access to a carrier's network, essentially subsidizing usage of their services. Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) still offered unlimited data plans, and have not embraced the concept as thoroughly.

No such deals have come to fruition yet. However, they may be coming sooner than later, according to Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead, who discussed the topic briefly earlier this week at an investor conference. Mead said that Verizon is "exploring those opportunities and looking at every way to bring value to our customers," in the context of toll-free data plans, according to a transcript of his remarks.

The most widely understood example of the model is Amazon's Kindle, whereby the cost of downloading books is built into the cost of the book. "I would say that that could be an early representation of the model," Mead said. "If you start to think about advertising and what else you could do with it, I think we see the possibility to expand far beyond those early days." Mead added that while he did not have a timeline for when such a deal would be announced, he believes that based upon the activity of discussions in the industry it will not be very long.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in June 2012 that he though toll free data plans likely will catch fire in the next 12 months and that "the content guys are asking for it."

ESPN seems like an ideal company to test out such a model, since the company now has 45 million digital users, including about 16 million that access ESPN content exclusively from mobile devices, according to the Journal. The company not only has a mobile website but also numerous apps, including WatchESPN, which streams the live signals from ESPN's TV channels to mobile devices. Additionally, ScoreCenter, the company's top mobile app, has been downloaded more than 40 million times.

The report noted that "one big carrier" told ESPN that significant numbers of its subscribers reach their monthly cap before the end of the month, which causes data usage to drop. For ESPN and other content companies, a toll-free data arrangement would let them bypass usage caps. For carriers, the deals could present a new revenue growth stream as smartphone penetration continues to rise and subscriber growth slows. If ESPN struck a deal with one major carrier, it would likely do so with others, especially those with usage-based data plans.

In December, Comcast started to allow its Xfinity TV customers who also subscribe to Showtime to download Dexter, Homeland and other hit original series to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad and Android tablets and smartphones for offline viewing. Comcast, which has a marketing and innovation joint venture with Verizon Wireless, said that Verizon customers would be able to download and stream content directly to mobile devices via Verizon's 4G LTE network. Importantly, Comcast spokesman Peter Dobrow told FierceCable at the time that the data consumed for downloading content via the Verizon network would count toward the subscriber's mobile data plans.

Still, not every content company is as keen on the deals, and the Journal reported that a least one other major media company rejected such plans because they did not want to pay carriers to subsidize usage of their apps.

Additionally, the plans could attract the interest of the FCC, which has codified net neutrality rules for wireless and wired networks (Verizon has challenged the rules in court and a federal appeals court is expected to rule on them this year). The rules go light on wireless networks and wireless carriers do not face the same restrictions wired operators will on blocking Web traffic and other applications--a ban on unreasonable discrimination in transmitting lawful network traffic.

"Creating a second revenue stream for mobile broadband is the holy grail for wireless operators but collecting fees from content companies would probably make the FCC take a close look into the policy implications," Paul Gallant, managing director at Guggenheim Securities, told the Journal. An FCC spokesman declined to comment.


... 42,8% ... letzte Woche 38,5% ... ... Zahlendreher ...

neu ... 42,7% auf 211 ...

... ... komplette Radiosender über LTE streamen und interaktiv an irgendwelchen sinnlosen Radiospielen mitmachen ... nicht nur Musik streamen ... und später keine UKW mehr ...


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Video streaming is on the rise with Netflix dominating

With 32.3 percent of the market share, Netflix reigns the entertainment streaming world, but Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube still maintain their piece of the pie.

by Dara Kerr
May 14, 2013 11:23 PM PDT


Video streaming will continue to grow over the next few years but will maintain the same market share.
(Credit: Sandvine)

While it appears Netflix is continuing to grow as the dominant video streaming service in the U.S., its competitors are also growing, according to Internet research firm Sandvine.

What gives?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57584535-93/video-streaming…" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57584535-93/video-streaming…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.616.735 von teecee1 am 12.05.13 20:44:42

Crest Financial Urges Clearwire Stockholders to Vote Against Sprint-Clearwire Merger

New Letter Highlights Scheme by Sprint to Capture Clearwire Value

PR Newswire
Press Release: Crest Financial Limited – 1 hour 29 minutes ago

HOUSTON, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (CLWR), yesterday sent a letter to Clearwire stockholders detailing why it is asking Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation.

The letter reiterates Crest's belief that Clearwire and its trove of spectrum is "the ultimate prize in the intensifying battle for Sprint." The Sprint effort to merge with Clearwire is really "an attempt to take value from the Clearwire stockholders without offering them fair value," the letter states.

The letter also states:

"We believe allowing Sprint to consummate the Sprint-Clearwire Merger will leave enormous value on the table for Clearwire stockholders—value that will assuredly be captured by Sprint and its ultimate acquirer. We believe that one way in which Sprint and its ultimate acquirer could capture this value is by using its controlling position in Clearwire to cause it to sell its excess spectrum and, instead of using these proceeds to build-out Clearwire's network, Sprint could use these proceeds to pay down some portion of the debt that was incurred to purchase Sprint in the first place. It is no secret that both SoftBank and DISH intend to incur a significant amount of debt to purchase Sprint. Each of SoftBank and DISH also claim that it will be able to reduce this debt burden over a relatively short period of time. We believe that a sale of excess Clearwire spectrum is one way in which this de-leveraging could occur. However, we believe that Sprint and its ultimate acquirer would be able to use the excess Clearwire spectrum for this purpose ONLY IF Sprint controls 100% of Clearwire. Our view is based on the following: First, unless Sprint owns 100% of Clearwire's stock, Clearwire could not distribute the proceeds from such a sale of spectrum to just Sprint. Second, we believe that if Sprint, through its controlling position in Clearwire, were to cause Clearwire to sell excess spectrum while litigation is pending over the conduct of Sprint, Clearwire, and the Clearwire Board, such a sale could adversely affect the position of these parties in such a proceeding if such a sale were made at the values we believe should be attributed to Clearwire's spectrum. Thus, a successful vote "AGAINST" the Sprint-Clearwire Merger would prevent Sprint from benefiting from the Clearwire spectrum assets in this way at the expense of the Clearwire stockholders.

"SoftBank's CEO Son recently said that Clearwire stockholders like Crest that have urged Clearwire to seek a better deal "can stay as shareholders for however long they want. We are happy with just 65 percent [of Clearwire stock]." For all of the reasons stated above, we do not believe this statement. We firmly believe that, if Sprint does not control 100% of Clearwire, the value that Sprint's suitors have attached to Sprint dissipates, while, at the same time, Clearwire's minority stockholders will still have the opportunity to realize that value for themselves.

"In short, Clearwire is the ultimate prize in the intensifying battle for Sprint. It is time to lift the veil off of these back-to-back merger transactions so Clearwire stockholders can see them for what they are—an attempt to take value from the Clearwire stockholders without offering them fair value. We do not believe that this or any other offer from Sprint can reflect the true value of Clearwire. Only when SoftBank, DISH, or another suitor for the Clearwire spectrum makes a direct offer for the Clearwire stock or Clearwire's assets will this true value be discovered."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letter can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr.


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Sprint Faces Mounting Pressure as Dish Lines Up Financing
By Jodi Xu & Jeffrey McCracken - May 16, 2013 12:40 AM GMT+0200

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is under increasing pressure to open up its books to Dish Network Corp. (DISH), which is arranging the financing it would need to outbid SoftBank Corp. (9984) with a $25.5 billion takeover offer.

Dish is already raising about $2.6 billion in a bond offering managed by Barclays Plc, Jefferies Group LLC, Macquarie Group Ltd. and Royal Bank of Canada. The satellite-TV company is also close to tapping the same banks for loans to help reach its goal of $9.3 billion in financing for the Sprint transaction, people familiar with the matter said yesterday.

Dish Said Lining Up Four Banks to Fund $25.5 Billion Sprint Bid

Convincing Sprint Nextel Corp. that it has enough money to get the deal done has been a major hurdle for
Dish Network Corp. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Sprint hasn’t given Dish access to more detailed financial information, a key step in the merger process, in part because of concern over the satellite carrier’s ability to fund the proposal, people familiar with the discussions said this month. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen said last week he would seek committed financing when it was the “last remaining obstacle to us getting access” to Sprint’s private financial data.

“If you listened to Charlie last week, you might conclude that things are going his way and this is the last step,” Shing Yin, an analyst at Guggenheim Securities LLC in New York, said in an interview. “But on the other hand, I’d be surprised if they were so far along that this was the last barrier. It seems too quick.”

Dish talked to Sprint about the financing last night and the two sides will continue meeting this week to discuss the offer, which compares with a $20.1 billion bid from SoftBank, said one of the people familiar with the matter yesterday. The people asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

The special committee of Sprint board members considering the deal hasn’t said that the satellite company’s offer is potentially superior to SoftBank’s, a move that would allow for more serious consideration of the bid.

SoftBank Cash

Sprint agreed to a takeover in October by Tokyo-based SoftBank, which has its financing in place and offered to give the U.S. wireless carrier an $8 billion cash infusion as part of the deal. Dish stepped in with its counteroffer last month, aiming to expand into the mobile-phone business to offset a decline in satellite television.

Bill White, a spokesman for Overland Park, Kansas-based Sprint, declined to comment, as did Dish’s Bob Toevs, Barclays’s Brandon Ashcraft, Jefferies’s Richard Khaleel, Macquarie’s Paula Chirhart and RBC’s Gillian McArdle.

In addition to questioning Dish’s ability to finance the deal, Sprint’s directors also have doubts about estimates that the merged company would have $11 billion in cost savings, people familiar with the deliberations said this month.

Financing Commitments

Dish had already gained financing commitments from Jefferies, as well as Barclays, which is advising Dish and has provided a letter saying it’s confident it can help raise the necessary money, people with knowledge of the proceedings said earlier. Dish previously told Sprint it wouldn’t provide committed financing until it gained access to the carrier’s financial information, people familiar with the matter said.

Sprint shares were little changed in New York trading yesterday, closing at $7.25. That puts them above the price offered by SoftBank or Dish, suggesting that investors are expecting a bidding war. Dish, based in Englewood, Colorado, rose 0.9 percent to $39.20.

The Financial Times previously reported on the financing deal with the four banks.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jodi Xu in New York at [e-mail]; Jeffrey McCracken in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey McCracken at [e-mail]; Nick Turner at [e-mail]


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16.05.2013 | 14:25
(26 Leser)

AFX News ·
DISH Network Unit Places Offering Of $2.6 Bln In Senior Notes

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - DISH Network Corp. (DISH) Thursday said its subsidiary, DISH DBS Corp. has priced an offering of $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of 5 percent Senior Notes due 2017 and $1.35 billion aggregate principal amount of 6.25 percent Senior Notes due 2023. Both notes will be issued at an issue price of 100 percent.

The net proceeds of the offering will be placed into escrow and will be released to make a cash distribution to DISH Network to finance a portion of the cash consideration for its proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corp. (S).

If at any time on or prior to the escrow end date DISH Network does not acquire or merge with Sprint or DISH Network abandons its efforts to acquire Sprint, DISH DBS will be required to redeem all the notes.

The offering is expected to close on May 28.


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UPDATE 1-Dish lines up banks to finance Sprint bid -sources

Wed May 15, 2013 5:07pm EDT

By Soyoung Kim and Olivia Oran

May 15 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp has lined up four banks to finance its $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel Corp, escalating the bidding war against Japanese telecom company SoftBank Corp, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Dish, run by billionaire founder Charlie Ergen, is working with Barclays Plc, Macquarie Group, Jefferies and the Royal Bank of Canada to help finance around $9 billion in debt needed for the offer, the people said on Wednesday.

The U.S. satellite company is still finalizing details and has yet to commit to the financing package being put together by the banks, the people said.

Dish is hoping to examine Sprint's detailed financial data including internal earnings projections, so that it can conduct in-depth due diligence on the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier before making a firm financing commitment, they said.

On Tuesday, Dish said it was raising $2.5 billion in a bond deal to help fund the proposed offer, a deal that was later upsized to $2.6 billion due to strong investor demand. The remaining $6.5 billion in financing would be in the form of bank loans and syndicated through the participating banks, the people said.

The people asked not to be named because the matter is not public. Barclays and Macquarie declined to comment. Jefferies and RBC could not be reached for comment.

The progress in Dish's financing efforts comes even after SoftBank fought hard to keep major Wall Street banks from financing a Dish offer.

Reuters first reported on May 10 that SoftBank told banks that their financing of Dish's $25.5 billion rival offer for Sprint could hurt their chances of landing a role in the highly anticipated public offering of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. SoftBank owns 33 percent of Alibaba.

SoftBank has an existing agreement with Sprint to buy 70 percent of the U.S. wireless carrier for $20.1 billion, and had previously criticized Dish's offer for its lack of committed financing.

Ergen, in response, said last week that Sprint's special committee had not yet allowed Dish to view its data room to gain a closer look at the company, and added he would make a firm financing commitment only if Sprint would seriously consider his bid.

"The firm commitment does have a cost to us," Ergen said at a news conference last week. "Our bid is contingent on the fact that we get to do due diligence."

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.644.281 von teecee1 am 15.05.13 18:45:34

Deutsche Telekom Can Sell T-Mobile Before Share Lock-Up Ends
By Cornelius Rahn - May 16, 2013 5:03 PM GMT+0200

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE), the German phone company that completed a deal this month to enlarge its U.S. business, said it has the option to sell the asset to a buyer before an 18-month share lock-up period expires.

The company wouldn’t be restricted from selling if a third party made an offer for T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS), Chief Financial Officer Timotheus Hoettges told shareholders at the annual meeting in Cologne, Germany, today. He was responding to an investor who named Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) as a hypothetical buyer.

In its agreement to merge the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier with MetroPCS Communications Inc., Deutsche Telekom pledged not to sell shares of the listed carrier on the stock market for 18 months. The German company holds a 74 percent stake in the company, which has a market value of $14.2 billion.

“There is an exception clause in the contract regarding the lock-up,” said Hoettges, who will take over as Deutsche Telekom’s chief executive officer next year. “We are in a position to sell all shares in one go.”

T-Mobile US rose for a sixth day, adding 2.2 percent to $19.68 as of 11:01 a.m. in New York. Deutsche Telekom added 3.1 percent to 10.08 euros on the Frankfurt exchange.

The clarification comes as the pace of transactions in the U.S. wireless market picks up. Dish Network Corp. (DISH) offered $25.5 billion last month to buy Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), topping a $20.1 billion bid from Japan’s Softbank Corp. (9984) Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) wants to buy out Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless, the top U.S. wireless operator.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon has told analysts that it believes the fair value of Vodafone’s stake is about $100 billion, people familiar with the matter said last month. Talks between executives of both companies over a deal have never amounted to much, in part because Vodafone doesn’t see the $100 billion offer as a reasonable opening bid, the people said.

Hoettges also said Deutsche Telekom is looking for a “partner” for its T-Systems corporate-client business in France, adding that he is “confident” to reach a solution before the end of the year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Berlin at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at [e-mail]


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10.05.2013
Engmaschige Vernetzung könnte Städte entlasten

Telekommunikation: Immer mehr Menschen zieht es vom Land in die Stadt. In der urbanen Umgebung könnte die zunehmende Vernetzung zur Lösung von Problemen beitragen, erklärten Experten auf einer Fachtagung des Münchner Kreises zum Thema "M2M und Internet der Dinge" Anfang dieser Woche. Dafür müsse das "Silo-Denken" überwunden und die Einführung offener Systeme forciert werden.

VDI nachrichten, München, 10. 5. 13, rb

„Es gibt unzählige Anwendungsfelder für urbane Machine-to-Machine-Kommunikation“, ist Sebastian Wahle überzeugt. Der Leiter für M2M Solutions am Fraunhofer-Institut Fokus Berlin sieht Einsatzmöglichkeiten von der Fahrzeug- und Flottensteuerung über Parkplatz- und Parkscheinautomatenkontrolle bis hin zur Echtzeitüberwachung von Gebäuden und Anlagen. „Alles um uns herum ist zunehmend vernetzt und in der Lage zu kommunizieren“, fasst es Wahle zusammen. (...)

http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/content/Engmaschige-Vernetzun…


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10.05.2013
Bundesliga: Das Fußballspiel alleine reicht den Fans nicht mehr

Telekommunikation: Kein Tor mehr verpassen, wenn man während des Fußballspiels zum Imbissstand eilt. Zusatzinformationen über das Spielgeschehen erhalten oder parallel laufende Bundesliga-Spiele auf dem Smartphone verfolgen. So sieht die Vision des "Stadions der Zukunft" aus. Bayer 04 Leverkusen stellte sein Konzept für die BayArena in Kooperation mit Telekom und Cisco vor.

VDI nachrichten, Leverkusen, 10. 5. 13, rb

„Das Verhalten der Zuschauer im Fußball hat sich geändert“, erklärte Wolfgang Holzhäuser, Geschäftsführer von Bayer 04 Leverkusen, in der BayArena in Leverkusen. Die Fans seien anspruchsvoller geworden und wollten überall digitale Inhalte und soziale Netzwerke nutzen, verdeutlichte Dirk Backofen, Marketingleiter im Bereich Geschäftskunden bei der Deutschen Telekom. (...)

http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/content/Bundesliga-Das-Fussba…

[teecee1]

Clearwire investors aim to force Sprint to sweeten bid


People walk past a Sprint store in New York December 17, 2012. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK | Fri May 17, 2013 7:03am EDT

(Reuters) - Minority shareholders of Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) are expected to vote down a buyout offer from Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) next week and force the No.3 U.S. wireless company to cough up more cash for control of Clearwire's valuable spectrum.

Sprint owns more than 50 percent of Clearwire and has offered to buy the remaining roughly 49 percent at $2.97 per share, or $2.2 billion. For the deal to succeed, it needs approval from more than half of minority shareholders at a special meeting on May 21.

Investors with roughly 31 percent of the public shares have said either in statements or in interviews with Reuters that they are unhappy with the offer. They include: Mount Kellett Capital Management LP, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management.

"There's no way it passes unless they bump the price," said Taran Asset Management principal Chris Gleason, whose firm manages more than 1 million Clearwire shares. He predicted that Sprint's offer will be voted down and said $5 to $7 per share is a fairer price range.

Clearwire shares closed at $3.23 on Thursday, and have been trading above the Sprint offer price since early January.

"I'd be surprised if there are a lot of investors that would vote in favor of taking a loss," said a portfolio manager at a top-20 Clearwire shareholder, who was not authorized to speak to the media.

"It's illogical to assume anybody would vote in favor of the deal with the stock trading where it is," said the manager, adding that a $4.50-per-share bid would be "much fairer."

Sprint has dismissed criticism that its bid undervalues Clearwire and says the spectrum valuation compares well to past airwaves sales.

The bid is contingent on Sprint's sale to SoftBank Corp (9984.T), which has a target close date of July 1, and the Japanese wireless service provider would need to approve any change in terms. The bid could also be usurped by satellite TV provider Dish Network (DISH.O), which has made a rival offer for Sprint. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen has said he would honor Sprint's agreement with Clearwire.

HOW HIGH IS HIGH?

Clearwire has been losing money and has struggled to win customers, but its shareholders argue that it deserves a higher price because all the top U.S. network operators are looking for opportunities to buy more airwaves.

"We think that Sprint could win the vote on the 21st by sweetening its offer to about $4.00," said Macquarie analyst Kevin Smithen, who estimated that this would cost Sprint another $500 million to $600 million. Macquarie Group (MQG.AX) is among a group of four banks looking to finance Dish's bid for Sprint. {ID:nL2N0DW2DH]

But it is not clear that Crest Financial, which holds about 8 percent of Clearwire's public shares, would even agree to a higher Sprint price. Crest has said that Clearwire would be better off as a stand-alone company, and is leading a proxy battle against the deal.

Sprint has said full control of Clearwire would help it better compete against larger rivals Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) and AT&T Inc (T.N). It has also said that strategic investors with 26 percent of the public shares have committed to vote for the deal.

If the deal is voted down, one big concern is that Clearwire could end up in bankruptcy. Clearwire has warned of that risk and said it might default on interest payments due on June 1 if the deal is not approved and it is unable to draw on more funding from Sprint.

Roe Equity Research analyst Kevin Roe thinks the risks from a negative vote on Tuesday outweigh the cost of a higher bid to Sprint. For example, Sprint would forego potential savings that it could gain from combining its network with Clearwire's.

"The alternative is the risk of bankruptcy and not having control over it. Over what, over less than $1 billion?" he said.

If Clearwire's assets were auctioned off in bankruptcy Sprint may also have to compete with deep-pocketed rival bidders. For example, Verizon has recently offered to buy a portion of Clearwire's spectrum for $1 billion to $1.5 billion.

Even if Tuesday's vote goes badly, Sprint would still hold roughly 68 percent of Clearwire after a debt conversion and the agreed sale of Clearwire shares by strategic investors Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O), Intel Corp (INTC.O) and Bright House Networks. SoftBank has said it would be happy with this higher stake and saw no need to sweeten the Clearwire bid.

But a large equity stake would not be enough to protect Sprint's interests in the case of a bankruptcy, where debt holders have more clout than shareholders.

Creditors also include Dish, which is looking to build a wireless service to expand beyond its maturing TV business. Dish first announced its ambitions to own Clearwire, with a $3.30 per share counter-offer in January. Dish owns about $950 million of Clearwire's roughly $4.5 billion in long-term debt.

"I don't think Sprint wants to bring it to the point where they'd have to negotiate with Dish in bankruptcy," said Nomura analyst Michael McCormack.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Leslie Gevirtz)


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Dish asks FCC to suspend review of SoftBank's Sprint bid

Reuters – 19 hours ago


The sign in the lobby of the corporate headquarters of Dish Network is seen in the Denver
suburb of Englewood, Colorado April 6, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) asked U.S. regulators on Thursday to stop reviewing SoftBank Corp's (9984.T) proposed acquisition of Sprint Nextel Corp's (S.N), citing the Japanese company's reported attempt to thwart its bid for the U.S. wireless carrier.

The request follows a Reuters report on May 10 that SoftBank asked several Wall Street investment banks not to finance Dish's $25.5 billion offer for Sprint by saying such a move could hurt their chances of getting a piece of the public offering of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (ALIAB.UL). SoftBank owns 33 percent of Alibaba.

"If SoftBank has the power to influence crucial financing decisions of a Chinese company and enlist those decisions in the service of its effort to acquire Sprint, then the proposed foreign ownership needs to be assessed in light of this Chinese company as well," DISH said in the letter to the Federal Communications Commission.

"SoftBank is trying to force its offer on Sprint's shareholders by underhandedly seeking to undermine a superior bid," Dish wrote.

The Japanese telecom company, which has an existing agreement with Sprint to buy 70 percent of the U.S. wireless carrier for $20.1 billion, has criticized Dish's offer, saying it does not have committed financing in place.

Dish has lined up four banks, Barclay's Plc (BARC.L), Macquarie Group (MQG.AX), Jefferies and the Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO), to help finance its proposed offer, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

An FCC spokesman declined to comment and Sprint could not be reached for comment.

A SoftBank spokesman said, "This is yet another irrelevant and unfounded filing based on unsubstantiated media reports."

(Reporting By Nicola Leske, additional reporting by Soyoung Kim and Olivia Oran in New York and Alina Selyuk in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.664.919 von teecee1 am 17.05.13 20:00:59

... ... ein paar unvollständige und vermurkste postings ...


Joan Lappin, Contributor
5/17/2013 @ 11:26AM |2,510 views

Sprint In A Panic Over Losing Vote Has Clearwire Working The Phones


Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) speaks out against foreign
ownership of U.S. Spectrum (Getty Images via @daylife)

Well only those folks in Kansas seem to think they are going to win the minority shareholder vote over the terrible low ball offer Sprint has made for Clearwire. But then again, maybe they don’t believe it either and that’s why they are working the phones so desparately this week .

Shareholders are currently willing to pay 10% over the $2.97 price to buy shares today. In its continuing efforts to steal Clearwire and its delicious juicy 2.5 Ghz spectrum for an insulting price to anyone with a brain, Sprint has made the Clearwire staff right up to John Stanton proclaim that Clearwire will run out of money, go bankrupt if that is the only option, has no other choices and so forth.

It’s all poppycock and why despite the endless efforts by Sprint and Masayoshi Son’s Softbank , its possible new owner, the stock market just isn’t buying it. There are many who would love that delicious spectrum right on up the food chain to Verizon. If Sprint puts Clearwire into bankruptcy, then Sprint will lose the spectrum to the bondholders to whom it has been pledged, plain and simple, and defeat their entire future strategy. Yet one of their pitches is that Clearwire will soon go bust without Sprint saving it. Everyone knows that will not happen. Even Son volunteered that recently.

The ongoing mystery here is why the likes of big cable investors like Time Warner TWX -0.2%, Cox and Brightpoint plus Intel INTC +0.21% and Google GOOG -0.26% and others were willing to invest in Clearwire at $17 a share years ago and are perfectly happy to sell any shares they still hold to Sprint for $2.97 when other bidders have shown up. Also hard to understand when the auction began, is why Clearwire founder Craig McCaw threw everyone else under the bus. That is about as illogical as the insistence in Kansas that this dreadful transaction is actually going to happen at $2.97. You can bet I have voted my shares against it.

It’s also noteworthy that last year when I was defending Clearwire against Sprint in their ongoing battle, see Sleepless in Seattle, they were happy to acknowledge my existence on this planet and invite me to Seattle to visit to show me their thanks. I never went. Now it is obvious that management is not fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders by any stretch of the imagination, and that includes me.

They will no longer answer my phone calls even as they are frantically calling investors to beg for their votes. Since I am on the Clearwire Do Not Call List, I haven’t had the opportunity to hear the pitch they are trying to peddle to institutional investors. I can’t imagine what they can actually say with a straight face.

The vote will be close but apparently investors are optimistic that right will prevail and the true value of the spectrum will be allowed to percolate up. So the market price isn’t close to the $2.97 on offer. Crest Financial has been leading the charge against the deal. It has filed in the Delaware Chancery Court, at the FCC and funded a proxy fight. In contrast, are the folks at Mt. Kellett who I have never met, who surely give off the impression they are like SNL’s Androgynous Pat of a few years ago. They appear to be quite short on testosterone which maybe explains why they are no longer working at Goldman Sachs. They write timid letters and issue press releases that cost little but otherwise do nothing to advance any cause other than getting their name in the papers. No money where their mouths are in this matter. It is Crest who has manned up and carried the torch for minority shareholders.

When Clearwire did its public offering 18 or so months ago, the CFO represented in her slides that the company was worth vastly more than the $2 for which the stock was selling based on other spectrum transactions. The spectrum is only worth a lot more now as the shortage envelops the wireless industry. More recently, management started to sing the song Sprint dictated they repeat that despite multiple bidders now, it isn’t worth anything like what the world knows to be the truth or what they told us to be the truth. It’s embarrassing really to think they think we are that stupid.

Meanwhile, you have to enjoy the comment DISH’s Charlie Ergen made earlier this week that Sprint is playing Whack a Mole with him. No matter what Clearwire/aka Sprint asks for in his efforts to truly negotiate his opposing bid, and he provides, they want him to provide something other.

Don’t lose sight of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch’s comments this week that the transfer of U.S. spectrum to foreign ownership with ties to the Chinese who keep trying to hack our websites both commercial and government is not in the national interest.. Hatch is drawing attention to the close relationship between Softbank and Huawei which provided Son’s equipment in Japan. This is not an insignificant issue even though Son has said he will not use Huawei. Canada raised this issue as well. As the world goes mobile and telecommunications moves from copper wire or fiber optic cable to the airwaves, in my long expressed view in this blog, ownership should remain in the United States.

Joan E. Lappin CFA Gramercy Capital Mgt. Corp.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.654.757 von teecee1 am 16.05.13 17:52:25

17.05.2013 | 20:43
(1 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Offers Positive Scenarios If Stockholders Block Sprint-Clearwire Merger

Urges Clearwire Stockholders to Vote Against Sprint-Clearwire Combination

HOUSTON, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), sent a letter to Clearwire stockholders today explaining the many ways that Clearwire could improve its financial position if they reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation. Specifically, the letter explains that "there are several scenarios that can be imagined in which direct bidding for Clearwire could occur."

The letter states that there is a "bidding war underway between SoftBank and DISH for control of Clearwire's valuable wireless spectrum." But "this bidding war is not taking place through direct bids for Clearwire, which would benefit all of Clearwire's stockholders. Instead, it is currently taking place through competing offers for Sprint."

However, Crest "envision(s) scenarios where this quickly changes and Clearwire becomes the direct target of the suitors looking to acquire control of Clearwire's valuable spectrum," if the Clearwire stockholders reject the proposed merger with Sprint. At that time, "the Clearwire Board will be free to terminate the Sprint-Clearwire merger agreement, consider direct bids from DISH, SoftBank, or others for 100% of Clearwire, and recommend in favor of such a direct bid."

Crest further explains: "Such alternatives promise to turn what has been an unfair unilateral deal process with Sprint into a competitive process for Clearwire. For that to happen, however, we the stockholders need to reject the Sprint merger. And the Clearwire Board needs to rebuff subsequent incremental bids by Sprint, which will only be obstacles to thwart alternative offers. We believe that competitive process to be the only way through which we Clearwire stockholders would realize its true value."

The letter then identifies potential scenarios in which Clearwire becomes the direct target of a bidding war:

"Scenario #1-Sprint Board Rejects DISH Offer/Accepts SoftBank Offer: If the Sprint board of directors rejects DISH's recent offer and continues forward with SoftBank, how would DISH respond? It is public knowledge that DISH now has significant capital available to pursue alternatives for spectrum. We believe that it is not beyond reason, particularly given DISH's prior actions, that DISH could use this capital to make another, perhaps firmer, direct bid for 100% of Clearwire.

Scenario #2-Sprint Board Rejects SoftBank Offer/Accepts DISH Offer: If the Sprint board of directors decides that DISH's recent offer is superior to the SoftBank offer and elects to terminate Sprint's merger agreement with SoftBank, what does SoftBank do? It is not farfetched to imagine a scenario where SoftBank, instead of increasing its offer for Sprint, takes the termination fee that Sprint would be required to pay and submits a direct bid for 100% of Clearwire."

Crest states: "How this could play out is anybody's guess, but one thing is for sure: it will not play out before the contest for Sprint is settled. Before then, we the Clearwire shareholders need to hold firm and reject Sprint's attempt to lockdown Clearwire for cheap. Surely there are countless other scenarios regarding Sprint's fate or an acquisition of Clearwire that could present themselves and that would benefit Clearwire's minority shareholders. However, what we do know is this: Unless we all vote AGAINST the Sprint-Clearwire Merger, we Clearwire stockholders will not have the opportunity to see whether DISH, SoftBank, or another suitor, would make an offer for Clearwire that ultimately could benefit all Clearwire stockholders."

The letter adds: "If any of these scenarios were to play out, the Clearwire Board would be under heightened scrutiny to obtain an offer that is in the best interests of all Clearwire shareholders, not just Sprint. As we all know, the Clearwire Board owes fiduciary duties to all of the Clearwire stockholders, not just Sprint, and those fiduciary duties are heightened in situations where the Company is for sale. We believe that, if Clearwire stockholders do reject the Sprint-Clearwire Merger, the spotlight on the Clearwire Board and its activities will be even brighter."

The letter also states Crest's belief "that the value of Clearwire's spectrum increases every day with the advent and development of the TDD-LTE technology that can utilize the same spectrum that Clearwire holds." For this reason, Crest believes that Clearwire "could receive bids that reflect the true value of the Company, which, in [Crest's] view, far exceeds the $2.97 per share that Sprint has offered." Crest also explains that, "if the Clearwire Board believes that Sprint's $2.97 per share offer is a fair price,... it must conclude that any price higher than that is even better for Clearwire's stockholders." And "the Clearwire Board would have to make this recommendation to support a higher price for Clearwire shares even if Sprint is the majority stockholder and even if Sprint has indicated that it is not an interested seller."

The letter states that Crest "understand(s) that Sprint cannot be forced to sell its stake in Clearwire" but that Crest "can envision a scenario where Sprint could be a seller." Specifically,"[t]his could occur if bids for Clearwire were high enough to convince the Sprint board of directors that, in exercising their fiduciary duties, a sale of Sprint's Clearwire stock is in the best interests of Sprint and its stockholders." Specifically, Sprint's board of directors "could determine that Sprint could carry on its current business without controlling Clearwire" based on Sprint's already "significant influx of cash (over $3 billion) from SoftBank," the "significant amount of additional cash through the sale of its Clearwire shares," and the fact that "Sprint would still have access to Clearwire's spectrum through its existing 4G MVNO Agreement with Clearwire." Meanwhile, "(i)f Sprint were to reject another offer for Clearwire it would do so only if it were certain of one thing-that the Clearwire spectrum is much more valuable than its $2.97 per share price reflects."

The letter raises two other issues for the stockholders' consideration.

First, "Crest and other Clearwire stockholders have filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery alleging breaches of fiduciary duty by Sprint and the Clearwire Board and challenging the fairness of the Sprint-Clearwire Merger." The letter states that "Crest continues to weigh its options on how it would proceed from a litigation standpoint if the Sprint-Clearwire Merger were approved" and notes that "the presiding judge in the pending litigation has said that 'I think there are colorable claims here.'"

Second, the letter explains that "even if the Clearwire stockholders approve the Sprint-Clearwire Merger,... [a]pproval by the Federal Communications Commission (the 'FCC') of Sprint's and its acquirer's taking control of Clearwire's spectrum also must be obtained." Though the "FCC is currently considering Sprint's and SoftBank's joint application to take control of Clearwire's spectrum," the agency's "approval of this application is not certain." Crest's letter notes that, "just yesterday, DISH sent a letter to the FCC asking it either to hold this proceeding in abeyance or to initiate a further evaluation by designating the SoftBank/Sprint application for a hearing" because "DISH has reportedly been the target of possible extortionate behavior on the part of SoftBank."

Based on all this, Crest concludes that a stockholder "vote AGAINST the Sprint-Clearwire Merger will allow the Clearwire Board to have another opportunity to unleash the value of Clearwire through a sales process that seeks direct bidders-that is, bidders other than its controlling stockholder Sprint-to make an offer for 100% of the Company."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letter can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest. (...)

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2013-05/26870710…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.655.483 von teecee1 am 16.05.13 19:13:04

Vodafone ermöglicht Live-TV-Übertragung von der Match Race-Segelregatta mit LTE

Leistungsfähigkeit der vierten Mobilfunkgeneration unter Beweis gestellt

Dangenargen, 17.05.13 – Bei einer Segelregatta ist es für die Zuschauer nicht immer einfach, die Rennsituation und die Taktik der Segler zu erfassen. Mit Live-Bildern von den Booten lässt sich das Geschehen auf dem Wasser besser erklären. Dank der Leistungsfähigkeit von LTE, der vierten Mobilfunkgeneration, lassen sich die dabei anfallenden großen Datenmengen sicher und zuverlässig übertragen. Das Breitband aus der Luft ist das ideale Medium für diese Anwendung. Eigens für das über Pfingsten ausgetragene Match Race Germany hat Vodafone die LTE-Versorgung auf dem Bodensee vor Langenargen aufgebaut.

Rund 30.000 Zuschauer werden erwartet, wenn die Welt-Elite der Match-Race-Segler sich am Bodensee trifft. Auf jeweils zwei baugleichen Yachten kämpfen die Profi-Segler um den Sieg. Damit die Besucher an Land hautnah die Arbeit und die Taktik der Teams verfolgen können, liefern Kameras Live-Bilder der Segelduelle direkt über die LTE-Technik auf das Mischpult des TV-Produzenten. „Um diese Übertragung zu ermöglichen, haben wir eine LTE-Sendeanlage in der Nähe in Betrieb genommen und dafür eine Sondergenehmigung der Bundesnetzagentur beantragt, da diese Sendeanlage auf dem See über die deutsche Grenze hinaus sendet“, erläutert Fleur Goetze, Regionalleiterin Privatkundenvertrieb von Vodafone Deutschland die besonderen Herausforderungen.

Die neue Mobilfunktechnik LTE stehe für Breitbandgeschwindigkeit und Mobilität. „Sie hat das Potenzial zur Gigabit-Technologie und schafft so völlig neue Möglichkeiten der Kommunikation wie hier bei der Übertragung von Sportereignissen“, so Goetze weiter. LTE ermögliche Höchstgeschwindigkeit mindestens auf DSL-Niveau – und das bei maximaler Mobilität, selbst große Datenmengen werden schneller als je zuvor gesendet und empfangen.

Da die Region rund um Langenargen und Kressbronn zu den wichtigen Tourismusregionen am Bodensee zählt, hat Vodafone einen weiteren LTE-Standort in Betrieb genommen. Dieser versorgt rechtzeitig zum Beginn der Pfingstferien das größte Wassersportzentrum am Bodensee in Gohren und einen der größten Campingplätze Deutschlands mit einem schnellen Internetzugang aus der Luft.

Den Ausbau des Mobilfunk-Turbos treibt Vodafone in ganz Deutschland voran. Bundesweit können bereits mehr als 50 Millionen Bürger LTE auf dem Land und in der Stadt nutzen, unter anderem sind schon mehr als 160 große Städte mit mehr als 50.000 Einwohnern am Netz. Und 2015 kann ganz Deutschland mit Vodafone LTE surfen.

[teecee1]

5,000 city users to put 4G services to the test
English.news.cn 2013-05-18 14:55:59

By Zhu Shenshen

BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Long-awaited 4G services, which provide mobile users with Internet access 20 to 50 times faster than 3G network, make their debut in Shanghai next month when China Mobile begins large-scale trials, the carrier said yesterday.

The trial in the world's biggest mobile phone market indicates that the country is ready to adopt the most advanced mobile technology for more than a billion handset users, and create a billion-dollar market for telecommunications equipment and handsets.

From June 1, China Mobile's Shanghai branch will invite 5,000 users to test the latest 4G products including mobile phones and data cards based on TD-LTE (time division-long term evolution) technology, a domestic 4G technology.

Shanghai Mobile has built 1,000 base stations - 700 outdoors and 300 indoors - to cover the Inner Ring region. It will cover the whole city by the end of this year, said Xu Da, Shanghai Mobile's general manager.

"Local consumers can have more advanced and rich Internet experiences with coming 4G besides current 3G and Wi-Fi services," Xu said.

The 4G data cards and handsets provide real download speeds from 10 to 60 megabits per second, compared to about one megabit on current 3G network, according to China Mobile's demo in Xujiahui area yesterday, World Telecommunications Day.

Wei Zhong, an editor of an information technology website, became the first invited 4G user in Shanghai.

"I am glad to try the latest technology," said Wei, who has several handsets from different carriers. "The high-speed will definitely improve my work efficiency."

Handsets using TD-LTE are limited because the system is almost solely used in China. Handsets and data cards are made by Huawei, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell and Datang Mobile.

The most popular smartphones, like Apple's iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy 4, don't support TD-LTE. But Samsung's models will support China's 4G technology later, Shanghai Mobile said.

Apple is in talks with China Mobile and it's expected that its latest iPhone will support China Mobile's 4G network later this year or in 2014, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley and iSuppli.

More than 44 LTE 4G networks operate in 28 countries and China Mobile's 4G network will be the first on the China's mainland.

China Mobile, which now has more than 720 million users, will boost capital spending by 50 percent this year on building 4G networks.

Its capital spending may rise to 190.2 billion yuan (US$30.2 billion) this year, up 49 percent year on year, it said.

After building a trial 4G network in 15 cities in 2012, China Mobile said recently that it would expand the 4G network to 100 cities this year with 200,000 base stations, covering 500 million people.

"It's a nice opportunity for China Mobile to commercialize and promote 4G technology," Xi Guohua, chairman of China Mobile, said.

China Unicom and China Telecom have been eating into China Mobile's market share. Since 3G licenses were issued in 2009, China Mobile has seen its market advantages chipped away because it adopts the home-developed TD-SCDMA (time division-synchronous code division multiple access) network that is less commercially mature compared with the other two Western standards adopted by China Telecom and China Unicom.

China Mobile's total user base of 726 million is far ahead of China Unicom (251 million subscribers) and China Telecom (168 million). But the numbers for 3G users alone are closer with Mobile on 115 million, Unicom's 88 million and Telecom's 78 million.

The how, what and when of the new technology

What:

4G is the fourth generation of mobile phone mobile communication technology standards. It provides users with high-speed Internet access on devices such as phones, data cards and MiFi routes, a device transferring signals to Wi-Fi for devices including iPhones, iPads and laptops.

When:

A first batch of 5,000 invited users will try 4G services starting in June. The public are expected to be able to apply for services later, probably from August.

How:

At present, users have to change their phones to enjoy 4G services with TD-LTE technology. Currently, the variety of models is limited.

How much:

Each invited user will have 15 gigabytes of Internet traffic every month. The price for 4G services hasn't been decided but the average bandwidth cost must be lower than that of 3G, according to Shanghai Mobile.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)

Editor: Zhu Ningzhu

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.665.473 von teecee1 am 17.05.13 21:05:03

BMWi: Telekom-Firmen bringen es oft nur auf lahme Leitung - Spiegel-Online

Kabel-TV-Anbieter bei Angaben oft realistischer

Phillipp Rösler (Foto: BMWi/Portel.de)

Hamburg, 18.05.2013–08:08 - Die deutschen Internetanschlüsse sind wesentlich langsamer, als von den Kommunikationskonzernen vertraglich zugesagt. Nur 19,5 Prozent aller Endkunden steht die vereinbarte maximale Bandbreite zur Verfügung, bei 69,2 Prozent der Kunden wird noch nicht einmal die Hälfte der versprochenen Geschwindigkeit erreicht.

Diese Zahlen finden sich in einem Vermerk des Bundeswirtschaftsministeriums, der sich wiederum auf eine Untersuchung der Bundesnetzagentur stützt. Besonders schlapp ist demnach die Datenübertragungsrate bei LTE-Anschlüssen, jener angeblich besonders rasanten Mobilfunk-Übertragungsrate: Nur 1,6 Prozent aller Kunden genießen die volle Übertragungsrate in der Bandbreitenklasse 25 bis 50 Megabits pro Sekunde. Bei klassischen DSL-Anschlüssen der höheren Bandbreitenklassen sind es ebenso magere 4,5 Prozent aller Kunden. ... ... man befindet sich ja noch im Aufbau der Netze ... das sogenannte "Henne-Ei-Nest-Problem" ... Hennen(User) und Eier(Handy's) schießen wie Pilze aus dem Boden ... nur das "Netz"(Brutkasten) fehlt noch ...

Schmerzlich etwa für die Deutsche Telekom ist auch der Befund, wonach Internetverbindungen von Kabel-TV-Anbietern "im Ergebnis viel realistischer als DSL/VDSL und Mobilfunkangebote" sind. ... ... Highspeed-DSL: Vodafone will ins Turbo-Netz der Telekom ... http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/vdsl2-vodafone-beteiligt-…

Wirtschaftsminister Philipp Rösler hatte im April die Deutsche Telekom wegen angeblich mangelnder Netzneutralität kritisiert. Jetzt legt er sich mit der ganzen Branche an. "Die Unternehmen stehen nun in der Pflicht, die Versorgung ihrer Kunden ihren vertraglichen Zusagen entsprechend zu verbessern", heißt es in dem Vermerk. Die Konzerne sind dazu am 4. Juni zur Bundesnetzagentur eingeladen, wo es auch darum gehen soll, "ob und inwieweit die Qualitätskontrolle der Selbstregulierung überlassen wird", schreiben Röslers Beamte und drohen damit staatliche Aufsicht an. Die Unternehmen hingegen behaupten, die Studie habe methodische Schwächen. (GS)

... ... Amsel, Drossel, Fink und Star und die ganze Vogelschar ... bei Vodafone, D.-Telekom, O² und E-Plus ... surft der User mit Verdruss ...


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Telekom will ländliche Räume nicht mehr mit Festnetz versorgen

Saarbrücker Z. berichtet üer neuen Ärger um Festnetzanschlüsse


Foto: DTAG

Saarbrücken, 18.05.2013-05:16 - Der Telekom steht nach dem Streit um die Flatrate-Begrenzung offenbar neuer Ärger ins Haus. Wie die "Saarbrücker Zeitung" (Samstag) berichtet, stoßen Pläne des Konzerns, "unwirtschaftliche Neubaugebiete" und ländliche Räume aus Kostengründen nicht mehr ans Telefon-Festnetz anzuschließen, auf erhebliche Vorbehalte bei der Bundesnetzagentur.

Demnach will das Unternehmen das Festnetz künftig in aus seiner Sicht unrentablen Baugebieten durch drahtlose Telefonanschlüsse ersetzen, also durch Mobilfunktechnik. Nach Ansicht des parlamentarischen Geschäftsführers der Union im Bundestag, Bernhard Kaster (CDU), der auch Mitglied des Beirats bei der Bundesnetzagentur ist, habe die Telekom bisher aber nicht nachweisen können, dass das Mobilangebot gegenüber dem Festnetz qualitativ gleichwertig sei. "Da bestehen hohe Zweifel", so Kaster. Der Konzern müsse daher in der nächsten Sitzung des Beirats am 24. Juni genau darlegen, "was er vor hat".

Auch die Grünen warnten die Telekom: "Was nicht eintreten darf ist, dass die Kunden für weniger Qualität mehr bezahlen müssen", so die stellvertretende Fraktionsvorsitzende im Bundestag, Bärbel Höhn.

Ein Sprecher des Konzerns verwies darauf, dass auch eine drahtlose, funkbasierte Lösung von der gesetzlichen Pflicht der Universaldienst-Versorgung gedeckt sei. Für das Unternehmen sei diese Möglichkeit "wirtschaftlich günstiger". (GS)

http://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/aufmacher/Berlin-Telekom-…


Meinung
Funk statt Kabel

Joachim Wollschäger

Telekom setzt in Zukunft auf eine neue Technik (Veröffentlicht am 18.05.2013)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.665.357 von teecee1 am 17.05.13 20:51:23

20.05.2013 | 14:01
(23 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Urges Clearwire Stockholders to Focus on Battle for Control of Sprint

HOUSTON, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), sent separate letters today to Clearwire stockholders and John W. Stanton, Chairman of the Clearwire Board, emphasizing that the contest for control of Sprint should be resolved before any definitive action on Clearwire. The focus of the stockholders' attention should not be on what happens at the Clearwire special meeting on May 21 but rather on what will ultimately happen with the contest for Sprint in June.

In its letter to Clearwire stockholders, Crest stated that "Clearwire should not be locked up before the battle for control of Sprint is resolved. Clearwire is the key reason for the push by DISH and SoftBank to acquire control of Sprint. Letting Sprint gobble up Clearwire now would only transfer Clearwire's value to Sprint. Conversely, keeping Clearwire in play while the contest for Sprint is pending drives both bidders for Sprint to focus on Clearwire. So long as Clearwire is not locked up, the winner of Sprint is not guaranteed Clearwire and the loser of Sprint is not precluded from making a play for Clearwire. In addition, a third player, like Verizon, could enter the contest for Clearwire."

Crest continued: "The key is to preserve Clearwire as a freestanding company before the Sprint contest is settled, and then the real battle for Clearwire begins. Regardless whatever the Clearwire Board has done up to now, it needs to recognize this current dynamic and not compound error upon mistake by letting Sprint lock up Clearwire, at any price, prior to the determination of who will own Sprint."

According to David Schumacher, General Counsel of Crest, "Clearwire is the crown jewel, and Sprint is only the intermediary. There is no reason to let Sprint lock up Clearwire before Sprint's ownership is settled. The stockholders and Board of Clearwire should reject all offers from Sprint until the contest for Sprint is decided. Then the competition for Clearwire can begin in earnest between the winner or loser of Sprint, or another third party."

In his separate letter to Clearwire Chairman Stanton, Mr. Schumacher urged the Clearwire Board not to accept any revised Sprint offer, not to postpone or adjourn Tuesday's stockholder meeting, and not to consider any future offer for Clearwire that does not include adequate protections for minority stockholders. Mr. Schumacher stated: "Any attempt by Sprint to postpone or adjourn the vote or revise the deal will afford the Clearwire Board the opportunity to stop and start over, and use this time to pursue a competitive process that can protect minority stockholders and unlock the true value of Clearwire."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letter can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest. (...)

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.644.281 von teecee1 am 15.05.13 18:45:34

May 20, 2013, 10:50 A.M. ET

T-Mobile Poised to Leapfrog Sprint with iPhone, LTE, Says Deutsche

By Tiernan Ray

Shares of T-Mobile USA (TMUS) are up 17 cents, or 0.9%, at $20.09, after Deutsche Bank’s Brett Feldman raised his rating on the shares to Buy from Hold, and set a $28 price target, writing that it trades at a “significant” discount to peer stocks while there it has “operating momentum.”

On the operations side, Feldman thinks the company’s planned upgrade to its network to support “long-term evolution,” the higher-capacity 4G cellular standard, will help it leapfrog Sprint-Nextel (S):

We believe that TMUS’ accelerated LTE build-out will enable it to continue stealing momentum from Sprint (whose LTE build-out has experienced delays) as the primary challenger to market leaders AT&T (T) and Verizon [Communications (VZ)]. For example, TMUS is on track to cover more than 100M POPs with LTE during 2Q13 and 200M POPs by YE13 using at least 10×10 MHz channel pairs and, in some markets, 20×20 MHz. In comparison, Sprint expects to cover 200M POPs with LTE by YE13 depending on backhaul availability, which could potentially slip this milestone into 1Q14. Further, Sprint’s LTE network will initially have only 5×5 MHz channel pairs in the 1900 MHz band, enabling slower data speeds than TMUS’ wider channels. Even when Sprints adds a separate 5×5 MHz channel pair in the 800 MHz band beginning in 4Q13, this will only boost capacity and in-building signal strength; it will not enable faster speeds. Over time, Sprint’s LTE capacity and speeds could improve considerably depending on how its strategic options play out, but we believe that at least through 2014 TMUS will hold an advantage over Sprint in LTE services.

Feldman also thinks T-Mobile will recoup a decline in gross subscriber additions to 11% growth in Q1 from 15% two years earlier, now that it has Apple‘s (AAPL) iPhone.

Feldman thinks estimates can go higher as the combined T-Mobile and MetroPCS expand into new markets:

Currently, the MetroPCS brand is available in markets with a population of 105 million. The plan is to add 15 new markets this year that cover an additional 100 million people. Based on Metro’s historical success at driving adoption of its brand, we believe the opportunity to win share in these new markets is material. For example, MetroPCS currently has 8.7% penetration in its existing markets. Historically, the carrier has shown rapid share gains when entering new markets, in some cases achieving 5% penetration within one year. We view that level of traction in new markets as unlikely due to increased competition within the prepaid segment. But we think it is possible that the brand could achieve that level of penetration in new markets within 2-3 years. This implies an ability to attract up to 5 million new customers to the MetroPCS brand during this time period.

Lastly, Feldman sees T-Mobile’s stock valuation held back by the accounting treatment of handset subsidies that depresses reported Ebitda, something that may resolve itself in coming years:

We estimate that TMUS is trading at 4.7x 2014E EBITDA (excluding merger integration costs) vs. a range of 6.2x to 7.4x among T, VZ, S and LEAP. We understand that TMUS’s reported EBITDA benefits from non-cash equipment revenues due to how it accounts for handsets purchased under installment plans (i.e. all of the revenue is recognized upfront whereas the cash payments are collected over 2 years). As shown in Figure 6, this gap between reported and ‘cash’ EBITDA is temporary and is projected to close substantially by 2015 when cash equipment installation payments more closely match GAAP reported equipment revenue. Regardless, we have adjusted for this temporary mismatch by also presenting TMUS’s 2014E EBITDA multiple on a ‘cash basis’. However, as shown, at 5.1x ‘cash’ EBITDA TMUS is trading at a steep discount to comps on this basis as well.


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13.05.2013 | 14:43
(142 Leser)

APA-dpa-AFX-Analyser ·
UBS hebt T-Mobile USA auf 'Buy' - Ziel 24 US-Dollar

Die Schweizer Großbank UBS hat T-Mobile USA von "Neutral" auf "Buy" hochgestuft und das Kursziel von 18 auf 24 US-Dollar angehoben. Der Mobilfunkkonzern sei wieder in der richtigen Spur, titelte Analyst John Hodulik in einer Studie vom Montag. Positive Faktoren seien der im April erfolgte Verkaufsstart des iPhone durch T-Mobile USA, anhaltende Netzwerkverbesserungen sowie ein sich abzeichnender gebremster Umsatzrückgang im Verlauf des Jahres. Die Expansion der MetroPCS-Marke dürfte ferner die Rückkehr zum Wachstum im Jahr 2014 sicherstellen./ajx/mis


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17.05.2013 | 12:58
(67 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Barclays startet AT&T, T-Mobile US und Crown Castle mit Equalweight

Barclays startet AT&T, T-Mobile US und Crown Castle mit Equalweight

(© BörseGo AG 2013 - Autor: Thomas Gansneder, Redakteur)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.675.591 von teecee1 am 20.05.13 17:05:19

Clearwire Investors Anticipate Higher Bid as Vote Looms
By Scott Moritz - May 20, 2013 4:03 PM GMT+0200

Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) is trading above Sprint Nextel Corp. (S)’s $2.97-a-share takeover bid on the day before investors meet to vote on the deal, a sign shareholders anticipate a last-minute sweetening of the terms.

Clearwire rose 0.6 percent to $3.22 at 9:57 a.m. in New York, following an 11 percent gain this year. That puts the stock 8.4 percent above Sprint’s buyout offer, which is slated to go before investors at a meeting in the morning.

Sprint, which already owns slightly more than 50 percent of Clearwire, is attempting to buy the remainder of the shares for $2.2 billion. Since Clearwire and Sprint agreed to the deal in December, Dish Network Corp. (DISH) has stepped forward with a $3.30-a-share offer -- though that bid is hindered by Sprint’s majority ownership. So far, Sprint has made no indications it will raise its price, and Clearwire’s board continues to recommend investors endorse the original offer.

Shareholders may require more convincing, said Christopher King, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

“The higher stock price means the majority of investors expect the vote to be no, and that another bid will come forward either from Dish or somewhere else,” said King, a Baltimore-based analyst who has a hold rating on Clearwire.

Sprint is unlikely to get the votes it needs, Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC in New York, said in a report last week. That may force Sprint to postpone or adjourn the proceedings, he said.

Joint Venture

Sprint, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier, needs the majority of Clearwire’s Class A shareholders to vote yes in order to gain control of the remaining 49 percent of Clearwire it doesn’t own. The move would wind down a five-year-old joint venture with Clearwire that tried to build a nationwide wireless Internet network.

Begun in 2008, the project was backed by $3.2 billion in investments from Google Inc. (GOOG), Intel Corp. and cable-TV companies. After losses piled up, partners such as Google and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) sold their stakes for a fraction of their original value.

Clearwire, based in Bellevue, Washington, has said it faces a cash crunch and needs at least $1.7 billion to keep operating. Shareholder-advisory groups Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Egan-Jones Ratings Co. have both endorsed Sprint’s bid, citing Clearwire’s dim prospects as an independent company.

Undervalued Assets?

Glass, Lewis & Co., another proxy-advisory firm, disagreed, saying Sprint hasn’t made a compelling case that its offer is the best option. Clearwire investors such as Crest Financial Ltd. have argued that the company’s assets are being undervalued. Crest even offered to lend the company money itself to help keep it afloat.

Sprint made its bid for Clearwire after agreeing to a deal with SoftBank Corp. (9984) in October. In that transaction, Tokyo-based SoftBank would acquire 70 percent of Sprint for $20.1 billion. The takeover would help SoftBank expand into the U.S. and give Sprint an $8 billion cash infusion.

Dish, a satellite-TV provider controlled by billionaire Charlie Ergen, is making a separate attempt to thwart the SoftBank acquisition. He bid $25.5 billion for Sprint last month, part of a strategy to expand into the mobile-phone business.

In a letter today, Crest urged Clearwire shareholders to wait until June to decide on Sprint’s bid, providing more time for Sprint’s own ownership status to be resolved.

‘Crown Jewel’

“Clearwire is the crown jewel, and Sprint is only the intermediary,” Crest General Counsel David Schumacher wrote in the letter. “There is no reason to let Sprint lock up Clearwire before Sprint’s ownership is settled.”

Dish’s $3.30-a-share counteroffer for Clearwire came in January. While the bid tops Sprint’s price, it’s more complex and may require Sprint’s consent to be completed. Clearwire further hindered the Dish offer when it began accepting financing from Sprint in March. The funding took the form of exchangeable notes, which Sprint can convert into Clearwire stock at $1.50 each under certain conditions. That means Sprint’s hold over Clearwire will grow.

Mount Kellett Capital Management LP, another Clearwire investor, said earlier this month that it forged an alliance with other shareholders to coax Sprint into making a better offer. The group, which also includes Highside Capital Management LP, Glenview Capital Management LLC and Chesapeake Partners Management Co., has 18.2 percent of Clearwire’s publicly traded shares, according to a filing at the time. The group didn’t include Crest Financial, which has lobbied to keep Clearwire independent.

No Votes

“At this point, it looks like the no votes have it,” Kevin Roe, founder of Roe Equity Research LLC in Dorset, Vermont, said last week.

Sprint could probably talk to a block of shareholders that oppose the transaction and work out a new arrangement, Roe said.

“My expectation is that Sprint will come to an agreement with the shareholders that oppose the deal, either before the vote or even after a no vote,” he said.

If Sprint thinks it will lose the vote, it will probably seek to delay tomorrow’s meeting, King said.

“They could push it back, either to work on a different offering price or try to convince more shareholders,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at [e-mail]

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.675.591 von teecee1 am 20.05.13 17:05:19

Clearwire Receives Increased Offer from Sprint

Clearwire Plans to Adjourn Special Meeting of Stockholders; Reschedules Meeting for May 30, 2013

GlobeNewswire
Press Release: Clearwire Corporation – 2 hours 6 minutes ago


Bellevue, Wash., May 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) ("Clearwire" or the "Company") today confirmed that it has received a revised offer from Sprint (NYSE:S) to acquire the approximately 50 percent stake in the Company it does not currently own for $3.40 per share.

Consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, the Special Committee of the Clearwire Board of Directors will review this revised proposal from Sprint.

In light of the revised offer, and pursuant to the discretionary authority granted to the chairman of the meeting by Clearwire's bylaws, Clearwire plans to adjourn its Special Meeting of Stockholders, which is scheduled to be held at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, without conducting any business. The Special Meeting of Stockholders will reconvene on Thursday, May 30, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time at the Highland Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, Wash 98007. The record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, and at any further adjournment or postponement of the meeting, remains April 2, 2013.

Evercore Partners is acting as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as counsel to Clearwire. Centerview Partners is acting as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. is acting as counsel to Clearwire's Special Committee.


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Sprint raises Clearwire offer, not enough for some

By Sinead Carew

Tue May 21, 2013 11:22am EDT

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) raised its buyout offer for wireless service provider Clearwire Corp (CLWR.O) to $3.40 per share, but the new bid was not high enough to impress some investors.

Clearwire shares almost immediately traded around the new offer price, having consistently traded well above the old $2.97-per-share bid. Sprint announced the revised price just hours before Clearwire was due to hold a special meeting for shareholders to vote on the original offer.

Analysts and investors had said the original deal was unlikely to be approved unless Sprint raised its bid substantially. [ID:nL2N0DU2MP] But the new bid generated a similar reaction, at least among some shareholders.

Taran Asset Management principal Chris Gleason said that he would not vote for a $3.40-per-share offer and was still hoping for a price range of $5 to $7 per share.

"We know the value is higher," said Gleason, whose firm holds more than 1 million Clearwire shares.

A portfolio manager at a top 20 shareholder was also unimpressed with the new price tag and said that keeping the shares as a minority holder would be a better option.

"It's not going to get my vote," said the person who asked not to be named due to a lack of authorization to speak to the media. "I guess Clearwire isn't as important to them as it is to me. We'll be fine being minority shareholder. They should have come with a real bid or not come at all."

Clearwire said it would review the revised proposal and postponed its shareholder meeting to May 30. The meeting had been planned for 10:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday.

Sprint, which is looking to gain control of Clearwire's wireless airwaves to help it compete better against larger rivals, said its revised bid values Clearwire at $10.7 billion.

Any Clearwire deal would be contingent on the closing of Sprint's proposed plan to sell 70 percent of Sprint to Japan's SoftBank Corp for $20.1 billion. Sprint, which received approval from SoftBank to raise its bid, is currently reviewing a $25.5 billion counter offer from Dish Network (DISH.O).

SoftBank declined to comment.

A source familiar with the situation said that move would not require an additional capital from Sprint which will fund the price increase itself.

SoftBank would have been comfortable just owning a bigger majority stake in Clearwire but the source said that "Sprint made a strong case for completing the full transaction" and SoftBank wanted to be a good partner to Sprint.

Sprint said that Clearwire has received commitments from Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O), Intel Corp (INTC.O) and Bright House Networks, who own about 26 percent of Clearwire`s minority shares, to vote for the transaction.

Analyst opinion was mixed on whether Sprint would get enough support from the rest of the minority shareholders, even with the revised bid.

"It's a good first step but this sweetened offer I believe will be insufficient to secure a successful transaction," said Roe Equity Research analyst Kevin Roe.

But analyst Jennifer Fritzsche from Wells Fargo expects Sprint to gain support for the new offer.

"While there likely will be shareholders still objecting (those that believe Clearwire could be an ongoing entity), we believe this price is enough to get this deal approved," Fritzsche said in a research note.

Investors with roughly 31 percent of the public shares had said either in statements or in interviews with Reuters that they were unhappy with the original offer.

Shareholders against the original bid included Mount Kellett Capital Management LP, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management. These companies teamed up to negotiate together with Sprint and Clearwire.

The group had yet to issue a comment on the new offer by 11 AM Tuesday. Crest Financial, the biggest of the minority shareholders, had led a proxy fight urging shareholders to vote against a deal.

Crest, which had no immediate comment on Tuesday, had said on Monday that shareholders should not vote for a revised Sprint offer while Sprint's own future was still uncertain.

Sprint shares were up 7 cents or 1 percent at $7.36 in morning trade on New York Stock Exchange. Clearwire shares traded up 15 cents or almost 5 percent at $3.41 on Nasdaq.

(Additional reporting by Liana B. Baker in New York and Reiji Murai in Tokyo.; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Nick Zieminski)


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... ... wird ebenfalls abgelehnt ...

Sprint kämpft mit erhöhtem Angebot um Clearwire

Autor: dpa-AFX
| 21.05.2013, 16:49 | 74 Aufrufe | bei w:o

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Der drittgrößte US-Mobilfunker Sprint Nextel lässt bei der geplanten Komplettübernahme seiner Tochter Clearwire nicht locker. Das Gegenangebot vom Satelliten-TV-Anbieter Dish will Sprint nun mit einem aufgestockten Preis ausstechen. Das Unternehmen erhöhte seine Offerte auf 3,40 US-Dollar je Aktie, wie der Konzern am Dienstag mitteilte. Dish hatte im Januar 3,30 Dollar geboten, Sprint wollte bislang lediglich 2,97 Dollar zahlen. Clearwire verschob nun ein Aktionärstreffen auf den 30. Mai - dann sollen die Eigentümer entscheiden. Der Aktienkurs von Clearwire sprang nach Handelsstart um über sechs Prozent auf 3,46 Dollar nach oben.

Sprint hält bereits 51 Prozent an Clearwire und will den Rest kaufen, um an Lizenzen für Drahtlos-Frequenzen zu kommen und das mobile Internet auszubauen. Clearwire hat Geldsorgen und braucht nach eigenen Angaben mindestens 1,7 Milliarden Dollar zum Überleben. Dish würde sich früheren Angaben zufolge bereits mit einem Viertel der Aktien zufriedengeben und bietet 2,2 Milliarden Dollar für 24 Prozent des Clearwire-Netzes.

Dish bietet derzeit auch für Sprint selbst und hat dafür 25,5 Milliarden Dollar veranschlagt. Am Dienstag teilte Sprint mit, dass Dish dazu auch tiefer in die Bücher des Konzerns schauen darf. Allerdings bevorzugt Sprints Verwaltungsrat derzeit noch die Offerte des drittgrößten japanischen Mobilfunkers Softbank . Dieser will für 70 Prozent der Anteile an Sprint 20,1 Milliarden Euro bezahlen./men/stw/he


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21.05.2013 | 15:39
(53 Leser)

BörseGo ·
Sprint Nextel erhöht Übernahmeangebot für Clearwire

Overland Park (BoerseGo.de) - Das US-Mobilfunkunternehmen Sprint Nextel hat das Übernahmeangebot für die verbleibenden 50 Prozent der Aktie von Clearwire, die noch nicht in seinem Besitz sind, von 2,97 auf 3,40 US-Dollar je Aktie angehoben.

Clearwire will über das Angebot noch in dieser Woche bei einem Aktionärstreffen entscheiden. Bei einer Übernahme für 3,40 US-Dollar pro Anteilsschein wäre Clearwire mit 10,70 Milliarden US-Dollar bewertet.

(© BörseGo AG 2013 - Autor: Tomke Hansmann, Redakteur)


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21.05.2013 | 15:05
(29 Leser)

Xetra Newsboard ·
XFRA CBV: AUSSETZUNG/SUSPENSION

DIE FOLGENDE AKTIE IST AB SOFORT AUSGESETZT:
THE FOLLOWING SHARE IS SUSPENDED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT:

INSTRUMENT NAME KUERZEL/SHORTCODE ISIN BIS/UNTIL

CLEARWIRE CORP. CBV US18538Q1058 BAW/UFN

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.684.139 von teecee1 am 21.05.13 17:54:09

DISH and Sprint to Begin Due Diligence, Engage in Talks

Business Wire
Press Release: DISH Network Corporation – 12 hours ago

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

DISH Network Corporation (DISH) ("DISH") today responded to Sprint Nextel Corporation’s announcement (“Sprint”) that it has received a waiver of various provisions under the merger agreement between it and SoftBank Corp.

The waiver will permit Sprint and its representatives to furnish non-public information concerning Sprint to DISH, and to engage with DISH in discussions and negotiations regarding its proposal made on April 15, 2013.

“We look forward to engaging in full due diligence and continued discussions with Sprint. We remain confident that this process will confirm the superiority of our proposal, the reasoning behind our synergy projections and our vision for a competitively superior DISH-Sprint," said DISH Chairman Charlie Ergen.


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UPDATE 1-Dish's Ergen eyes LightSquared spectrum

Mon May 20, 2013 10:26pm EDT

May 20 (Reuters) - Charlie Ergen, the chairman of U.S. satellite company Dish Network Corp, has offered to buy bankrupt broadband company LightSquared Inc's wireless airwaves, a source close to Ergen told Reuters.

Ergen's offer for LightSquared spectrum is valued at $2 billion, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the bid.

LightSquared, which declared bankruptcy in May 2012, was bankrolled by one of the hedge fund industry's most powerful figures, Philip Falcone.

Falcone's plans to introduce a new wireless network in the United States fell apart when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it would revoke permissions as the new network would interfere with global positioning systems used by the military.

Dish declined to comment and LightSquared could not be reached outside regular U.S. business hours.


... ... Spektrum ohne Netz ... macht kein Sinn ...


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Mobilfunker Softbank erlaubt Sprint Fusionsgespräche mit Dish
Dienstag, 21. Mai 2013, 08:02 Uhr


A woman walks past logos of Softbank Corp at its branch in Tokyo April 17, 2013.
REUTERS/Yuya Shino

Bangalore (Reuters) - Im Kampf um den US-Telekom-Konzern Sprint Nextel gewährt der japanische Mobilfunkanbieter Softbank seinem Konkurrenten Dish Einblick in die Sprint-Bücher.

Softbank setzte am Dienstag einige mit Sprint bereits getroffene Vereinbarungen außer Kraft. Dadurch kann Sprint nun mit Dish über eine mögliche Übernahme verhandeln. Sprint erklärte, die Gespräche mit Dish müssten nicht zwingend zu einem besserem Angebot führen. Das zweitgrößte US-Satelliten-TV-Unternehmen bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Die japanische Softbank will für 70 Prozent an Sprint 20,1 Milliarden Dollar zahlen. Softbank teilte mit, an seinem Angebot festzuhalten und die Transaktion am 1. Juli oder kurz darauf abschließen zu wollen.


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Karten im Kampf um Mobilfunker Sprint werden neu gemischt
Dienstag, 21. Mai 2013, 15:13 Uhr


Trader Peter Giacchi gives the opening price for Sprint on the floor at the
New York Stock Exchange, April 15, 2013. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
(UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTXYMML

Tokio (Reuters) - Im Kampf um den US-Mobilfunkkonzern Sprint Nextel werden die Karten neu gemischt.

Der japanische Bieter Softbank, lange der Favorit, gewährt seinem Konkurrenten Dish jetzt Einblick in die Sprint-Bücher. Softbank setzte am Dienstag dafür extra einige mit Sprint bereits getroffene Vereinbarungen außer Kraft. Dadurch kann Sprint - die Nummer drei im US-Mobilfunkmarkt - nun auch mit Dish über eine mögliche Übernahme verhandeln. An der Börse verloren Softbank-Aktien daraufhin knapp vier Prozent.

Sprint erklärte, die Gespräche mit Dish müssten nicht zwingend zu einem besserem Angebot führen. Das zweitgrößte US-Satelliten-TV-Unternehmen bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Softbank will für 70 Prozent an Sprint 20,1 Milliarden Dollar zahlen.

Softbank teilte unterdessen mit, an seinem Angebot festzuhalten und die Transaktion am 1. Juli oder kurz darauf abschließen zu wollen. Für Mitte Juni ist bei Sprint eine Aktionärsversammlung angesetzt. Der Druck auf das Softbank-Management dürfte nun größer werden, die eigene Offerte aufzubessern. Sprint hatte den Avancen aus Japan offen gegenüber gestanden, obwohl einige Großaktionäre das Dish-Angebot als attraktiver einstuften.

[teecee1]

... ... irgendetwas haut nicht hin ... die Postings landen zu früh im Board obwohl ich Vorschau gedrückt habe ...


21.05.2013 | 05:37
(108 Leser)

AFX News ·
Nikkei: Softbank Plans To Raise 400 Bln Yen From Sale Of Retail Bonds

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Japanese telecommunications company Softbank Corp. (SFTBF) is planning to raise around 400 billion yen or $3.9 billion from the sale of retail bonds to Japanese investors, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday. The sale could come as early as June.

According to the Nikkei report, Softbank will have raised more than 1 trillion yen through debt offerings in 2013, including the new sale. The company will reportedly use proceeds from the sale toward its bid for U.S. telecom services provider Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), in addition to redeeming existing bonds. Softbank is Japan's third-largest mobile carrier.

The Nikkei reported that Softbank is expected to sell five-year debt with a coupon likely in the upper 1 percent range, assuming market interest rates remain little changed. Daiwa Securities Co., Nomura Securities Co. and Mizuho Securities Co. are expected to be among the five lead managers.

In October 2012, Softbank agreed to acquire a 70 percent stake in Sprint Nextel for about $20.1 billion or nearly 1.57 trillion yen. It was agreed that following the deal, Softbank will own about 70 percent of the fully-diluted shares of New Sprint, which will own 100 percent of the shares of Sprint.

As part of the deal, Softbank is to pay around $12.1 billion to Sprint shareholders and to invest $8 billion of new capital for various purposes, including strengthening of Sprint's balance sheet. Softbank, which had acquired the Japanese unit of British telecom giant Vodafone Group plc (VOD, VOD.L) in 2006, expects the acquisition of Sprint would help it to expand its footprint outside Japan.

But, Sprint said in mid-April that it will also evaluate an unsolicited $25.5 billion takeover bid it received from satellite television provider Dish Network Corp. (DISH).

Sprint said Monday that it has received waiver from Softbank on certain provisions of their merger deal, enabling Sprint to engage in talks with Dish on its takeover proposal made in April and also provide that company access to non-public information for diligence purposes.

SFTBF closed Monday's trading at $59.06, up $1.66 or 2.89 percent on a volume of 4,998 shares.


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Sprint Nextel: Dish-Offerte heizt Übernahmepoker an

Amerikaner bieten 25,5 Mrd. Dollar, Softbank hingegen 20,1 Mrd. Dollar

Sendemast: Übernahmeschlacht um Sprint
(Foto: pixelio.de, Erich Westendarp)

Overland Park (pte014/21.05.2013/12:20) - Die Übernahmeschlacht um den Mobilfunkriesen Sprint Nextel http://www.sprint.com geht in eine neue Runde, da das Unternehmen nun auch dem US-Rivalen Dish Einsicht in die eigenen Bücher gewährt. Medienberichten nach hat die japanische Softbank - bislang Hauptfavorit im Rennen um den Verkauf - heute, Dienstag, einige mit Sprint getroffene Vereinbarungen außer Kraft gesetzt. Somit können die Amerikaner jetzt auch mit Dish über einen möglichen Verkauf ins Gespräch kommen. An der Börse verloren die Softbank-Aktien daraufhin um vier Prozent.

Ergebnisoffenes Taktieren

Das Management des Übernahmekandidaten Sprint Nextel gibt sich unterdessen gelassen und betont, dass die Gespräche mit Dish nicht zwingend zu einem besseren Angebot führen. Dish bietet für das zweitgrößte US-Satelliten-TV-Unternehmen insgesamt 25,5 Mrd. Dollar. Für 70 Prozent an Sprint Nextel hingegen bietet Softbank 20,1 Mrd. Dollar. Die Japaner wollen trotz der veränderten Sachlage auch weiterhin an ihren Kaufabsichten festhalten, sich nicht in einen Bieterkampf stürzen und die Transaktion am 1. Juli oder kurz darauf abschließen.

Mit Spannung wird die bei Sprint für Mitte Juni anberaumte Aktionärsversammlung erwartet. Somit dürfte auch der Druck auf das Softbank-Management größer werden, die eigene Offerte vor dem Hintergrund der Steilvorlage von Dish aufzubessern. Das Rennen um den Zuschlag bleibt demnach weiter offen - und das, obwohl Sprint Nextel den Avancen aus Japan bis zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt offen gegenüber gestanden war. Sprengstoff bietet Dish allemal. Denn einige Großaktionäre von Sprint Nextel stuften das Dish-Angebot als attraktiver ein.

(Ende)

[teecee1]

21.05.2013 | 18:15

Business Wire ·
LTE World Summit Announces Shortlist for LTE Awards

Submissions for the Telecoms.com LTE Awards have reached record numbers again this year as the organisers of LTE World Summit, which provides the backdrop for the awards, today announced those companies on the shortlist. This comes as the industry evolves and LTE continues to become the mainstream global technology for 4G networks. (...)

About LTE World Summit

LTE World Summit is the LTE World Series flagship event. It provides a unique opportunity to meet and network with leaders in the global LTE community and is recognised by the entire industry as THE place to learn from and meet key decision-makers and thought-leaders. The event continues to attract senior executives from around the globe, bringing together 3,000 attendees and 125 exhibitors each year. For further information, please go to http://ws.lteconference.com/.

http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2013-05/26894919…


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Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA Each Strengthen Their 4G LTE Lineups With Award-Winning Samsung G

by Business Wirevia The Motley Fool May 21st 2013 10:36AM
Updated May 21st 2013 11:20AM

Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA Each Strengthen Their 4G LTE Lineups With Award-Winning Samsung Galaxy S III in June

IRVINE, Calif. & WARREN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sprint's industry-leading prepaid brands Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA- along with Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) - will add Samsung Galaxy S® III to both brands' expansive lineups of smartphone devices. Launching in June, the high-end Android smartphone will operate on the Sprint 3G and 4G LTE networks, with 4G LTE available to Boost and Virgin Mobile customers in 88 markets. Pricing information will be available from both Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile at a later date. (...)

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/21/boost-mobile-and-virg…


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20.05.2013 | 21:31

PR Newswire ·
4G World 2014 Collocates With CTIA Super Mobility Week

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --4G World, the only conference and expo covering the entire next-generation 4G mobile broadband ecosystem, produced by UBM Tech, today announced that the event will collocate with CTIA 2014' Super Mobility Week. UBM Tech also brings Tower & Small Cell Summit to the collocation, creating the only event of its kind to host the entire range of 4G, mobile and wireless infrastructure technologies under the same roof. 4G World, Tower & Small Cell Summit and CTIA are happening September 9-11, 2014 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas for Super Mobility Week.


4G World Logo. (PRNewsFoto/TechWeb)


For nearly a decade, 4G World has been the industry's premier event focused on helping 4G executives and IT managers discover emerging trends and strategies for creating profitable 4G networks and services. 4G World will collocate with CTIA 2014' Super Mobility Week and Tower & Small Cell Summit to provide distinct attendee experiences within the 4G, wireless, and mobile broadband ecosystem. The partnership provides show participants the unparalleled opportunity to delve further into the business models, technology, services and devices driving mobility including network infrastructure, advanced devices, applications and content.

"By collocating 4G World and Tower & Small Cell Summit with CTIA, we're creating the only opportunity for sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees to connect with entire wireless industry," said Marco Pardi, President of Events, UBM Tech. "We're bringing together the people at the forefront of 4G infrastructure, services and devices. The combination of 4G World, Tower & Small Cell Summit and CTIA 2014 is the only conference and expo in the US to showcase the entire spectrum of wireless solutions."

"The addition of 4G World makes it even more important for any business, regardless of sector, to attend Super Mobility Week and to learn from and network with the best wireless companies and executives. For companies looking to migrate their networks to 4G, CTIA 2014 will be the place to see all of the technologies, services and devices available," said CTIA Vice President and Show Director Robert Mesirow. "As more international companies begin to deploy 4G networks, they look to the U.S. to learn from our experts and influencers throughout the mobile ecosystem."

4G World will be a conference and expo complete with in-depth educational programs, workshops, case studies, demonstrations, real-world technology implementations and valuable networking opportunities. The premier industry event offers complete professional training programs as well as the largest number of 4G product and service providers assembled in North America.

Follow 4G World on Twitter @4GWorld
Like 4G World on Facebook
Connect with 4G World on LinkedIn (...)

www.4GWorld.com.

SOURCE UBM Tech

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/4g-world-2014-colloc…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.684.563 von teecee1 am 21.05.13 18:50:04

Tomorrow's networks, Internet of things - two topics worth exploring at CTIA 2013

May 16, 2013 | By Sue Marek

May 21-23, 2013
Sands Expo & Convention Center Las Vegas, NV

http://www.ctia2013.com/

Arguably two of the most compelling and controversial topics in the wireless industry right now are the future of the wireless network and the Internet of Things. And both of these topics touch on the underlying business case of nearly every company in the industry right now.

For example, app developers need to understand the constraints of the wireless network in order to design apps that provide a stellar customer experience. Likewise, chipmakers and device makers and even app developers need to understand what the Internet of Things really means and how they may profit from this burgeoning new area.

That's why the Fierce team is taking a deep-dive on these two subjects next week at the CTIA Wireless 2013 show in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 a.m. I'll be hosting a panel discussion that will delve into the challenges of designing tomorrow's wireless network. My experts--which include AT&T's Kris Rinne, Ericsson's Vish Nandlall, 4G America's Chris Pearson and Strategy Analytics' Sue Rudd--will delve into topics such as small cells, HetNets, LTE roaming, spectrum constraints and more.

And on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 a.m. my colleague Mike Dano will host a similar roundtable on the Internet of Things. His panelists--which include AT&T's Chris Penrose, Verizon's Jim Wales, Raco Wireless' John Horn, Dave Matthews of NewAer and Joe Peterson of Novatel Wireless--will be discussing how this Internet of Things vision will become a reality, the underlying business opportunity, and such hot-button issues as privacy.

If you are heading to Las Vegas next week, be sure to check out these two panel discussions. To register, click here. --Sue



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Huawei showcases its LTE-TDD solutions in Indonesia
(Xinhua)
10:12, May 21, 2013

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, the world's No. 2 telecoms equipment maker showcased its latest solutions of LTE-TDD, China's fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology here Monday to further enhance its commitment to growing Indonesia's information and communications technology (ICT) landscape.

LTE-TDD will bring great benefits to the Indonesian telecommunications landscape by delivering higher speed data communications services and faster Internet based applications available to the Indonesian customers, Deng Taihua, president of LTE-TDD network in Huawei Technologies told reporters here Monday.

LTE-TDD, or "Long Term Evolution-Time Division Duplex," is one of the two key types of 4G LTE (long term evolution) technologies that can substantially lower bandwidth costs and allow faster broadband wireless services than the current 3G network.

The TDD variant is being adopted by China Mobile in its trials in some Chinese cities, while FDD (frequency division duplex) is used in many US and European networks. China is the major promoter of the LTE-TDD standard and a major owner of the standard 's core patents.

Muhammad Budi Setiawan, director general of post and telecommunication in Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Informatics said at the opening ceremony of the event that the number of Indonesian mobile phone subscribers is increasing year by year, and the cell phone industry is experiencing the shortage of spectrum needed to provide voice, text and Internet to its customers.

However, Deng said that the LTE-TDD can improve the spectral efficiency and the need for spectrum will be reduced, and the fears over spectrum shortage in Indonesia will be allayed.

The LTE-TDD solutions showcased here consisted of Huawei's latest development on mobile data monetization, LTE (long term evolution) refarming, 2.3Ghz Spectrum strategy, and Network Architecture's future. Besides, the event also included a LTE TDD Summit, comprehensive workshops, demo truck and Huawei production exhibition.

Vincent Li, CEO of Huawei Indonesia, the local unit of Huawei said the showcase was one of the most important events for ICT providers in Indonesia this year, and Huawei is increasingly committed to develop solutions to further enhance business and quality of life value to Indonesian people.

"Through this LTE-TDD summit, Indonesian mobile operators can realize the need to migrate 3G to LTE, to improve effectiveness in the market, and generate new revenue streams," Li said.

Serving 45 of the world's top 50 telecommunications operators including nine out of the 10 leading operators in Indonesia, Huawei's end-to-end solutions and services across the carrier networks, enterprise and consumer markets have been deployed and used by customers in over 140 countries across the world.

（Editor：ChenLidan、Ye Xin）


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WTF is... LTE Advanced?

Data download speeds up to 1Gbps and 500Mbps uploads - but how is it done...

By Tony Smith •
Posted in Mobile, 21st May 2013 09:04 GMT

Feature Britain now has a 4G network, run by EE, and others are being rolled out. We’re behind the curve, though.

The world’s first 4G network, based on the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) specification defined by mobile telecommunications standards-setter 3GPP (Third-Generation Partnership Project), went live at the very end of 2009, and many more followed in 2010 and 2011.

The standard hasn’t stayed still, either. LTE was defined in a specification called "3GPP Release 8", which dates back to 2008. The organisation is now thrashing out Release 12, but for 4G watchers, the more interesting specification is 2011’s Release 10. It defines the successor to LTE, LTE Advanced. (...)

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/21/feature_wtf_is_lte_a…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.684.371 von teecee1 am 21.05.13 18:25:01

21.05.2013 | 19:34
(38 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Protests Clearwire's Delay of Vote on Sprint-Clearwire Merger and Urges Clearwire Board and Stockholders to Reject Sprint's New Offer

HOUSTON, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), protested today's decision of the Clearwire Board of Directors to adjourn the Clearwire special meeting to consider Sprint's increased offer price of $3.40 per share.

According to David K. Schumacher, Crest's General Counsel, "Sprint's decision to increase its offer price and request an adjournment reveals that Sprint was unable to secure a majority of the non-Sprint, 'minority' stockholder votes-even though Sprint attempted to pack that 'minority' with stockholders that are commercially tied to Sprint and Clearwire have already agreed to vote in favor of the merger and sell their shares to Sprint even if the merger is rejected."

Schumacher added: "Clearwire is acting in its usual stockholder-unfriendly way by adjourning the special meeting to grant Sprint the ability to pose a new, still inadequate offer. This is a consistent theme of this Board: Do everything possible to secure an undesirable merger with Sprint at a below market price. Stockholders should demand that the Clearwire Board finally act in the best interest of ALL shareholders, not just in the interest of Sprint."

Crest said that it has sent a letter to the Clearwire Board of Directors urging them to resist Sprint's new offer so that Clearwire can pursue direct offers through a competitive process once the bidding war over Sprint is concluded. Crest's letter to the Clearwire Board says: "Sprint's new offer for Clearwire still significantly undervalues Clearwire and its assets and provides no protections to minority stockholders. This incremental but grossly inadequate increase together with this morning's sudden adjournment of the stockholder vote on Sprint's first offer for Clearwire only confirms what we have been saying for some time: Clearwire is the prize, and Sprint is trying to buy Clearwire on the cheap and lock-up Clearwire's value before Sprint itself is purchased by SoftBank or DISH. That lock-up is patently unfair to minority stockholders. You can and must refuse to abet Sprint in its ongoing scheme."

Crest's letter to the Clearwire Board also states: "[T]he Board should approach this latest offer from Sprint for Clearwire in the same way that the Sprint Board has approached the offers from SoftBank and DISH for Sprint-i.e., you should press for every advantage and secure Clearwire's true value and adequate protections for minority stockholders. That must include, at a minimum, obtaining a premium package of consideration, insisting on a new Clearwire corporate governance structure that protects minority stockholders, and negotiating merger terms that ensure a fair deal process."

The letter to the Clearwire Board concludes: "You should recommend that minority stockholders reject this new inadequate offer and terminate the merger agreement as soon as possible so that Clearwire will be free of the merger agreement's restrictive covenants and you can pursue other financing and purchase offers. We stand by our offer to provide Clearwire with $240.0 million in convertible debt on more favorable terms than Clearwire's existing Note Purchase Agreement with Sprint, which would enable Clearwire to continue operations during this competitive bidding process."

Crest also said that it has sent a letter to Clearwire's other stockholders urging them to reject Sprint's new offer and to pressure the Clearwire Board to pursue a direct, competitive bidding process for Clearwire after the battle for Sprint is concluded.

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letters to the Clearwire Board and the letter to the Clearwire stockholders can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.

... ... $3.9 bill-ionen. ... Abrechnung ...

[teecee1]

US-Mobilfunker
Sprint bessert Angebot für Clearwire auf
21.05.2013, 18:38 Uhr

Um den Widerstand der Aktionäre zu beenden, hat der US-Konzern seine Offerte pro Aktie nochmal klar aufgestockt. Das Internet-Unternehmen will das neue Angebot nun prüfen. Doch es könnte immer noch zu niedrig sein.


Filiale von Sprint in New York: Bisher war die Offerte für Clearwire zu niedrig. Quelle: Reuters

New York. Der US-Mobilfunk-Konzern Sprint Nextel stockt seine Übernahmeofferte für das Internet-Unternehmen Clearwire noch einmal deutlich auf. Pro Aktie werde nunmehr 3,40 Dollar geboten, teilte Sprint am Dienstag mit. Der Clearwire-Aktienkurs zog umgehend an und notierte in Höhe der Offerte.

Bereits Ende 2012 hatte Sprint auf 2,97 Dollar je Anteilsschein erhöht und schien kurz vor dem Ziel, nachdem das Clearwire-Management sich für das Angebot ausgesprochen hatte. Am Ende war der Widerstand vieler Aktionäre aber doch zu groß. Nach der jüngsten Aufstockung hieß es teilweise immer noch, die Offerte sei zu niedrig. Der Vermögensverwalter Taran Asset Management forderte zum Beispiel fünf bis sieben Dollar pro Aktie.

Clearwire, dessen Management das neue Angebot nun prüfen will, besitzt wichtiges Mobilfunkspektrum. Die Handynetzbetreiber müssen sich die Frequenzen unter anderem mit Fernseh- und Radiostationen, der Feuerwehr und der Flugsicherung teilen - dementsprechend teuer und begehrt sind die Nutzungsrechte. Je mehr Frequenzen ein Mobilfunkbetreiber hat, desto mehr Kunden können gleichzeitig telefonieren oder im Internet surfen. Sprint benötigt die Frequenzen von Clearwire, um weiter wachsen zu können.


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Follow-up: Clearwire upgraded to Market Perform from Sell at Janco ... ... achsoooo ....

Theflyonthewall.com – 2 hours 26 minutes ago

Janco upgraded Clearwire (CLWR) to Market Perform saying it would buy the stock below Sprint's (S) new $3.40 per share bid. However, the firm prefers an investment in Sprint to Clearwire and upped its price target for Sprint shares to $9 from $8. Janco has a Buy rating on shares of Sprint.


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Drosselung
Ein Drittel aller Filme wird als Video-on-Demand geliehen


(Bild: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Columbia Pictures)

Datum: 21.5.2013, 15:04
Autor: Achim Sawall

Der Filmverleih in Deutschland verlagert sich immer mehr auf das Internet und Video-on-Demand. Während die Telekom drosseln will, wird der Verleih digital. Das aktuelle James-Bond-Abenteuer Skyfall führt in allen Kategorien.

Die deutsche Videobranche hat im ersten Quartal 2013 einen Rekordumsatz von 443 Millionen Euro erzielt. Das berichtet (PDF) der Bundesverband Audiovisuelle Medien (BVV) unter Berufung auf Angaben von GfK Panel Services Deutschland. Um 64 Prozent stieg der Video-on-Demand-Verleihumsatz in den ersten drei Monaten 2013 auf 29 Millionen Euro Umsatz.

Der Zuwachs aus dem digitalen Onlinegeschäft hat trotz der um 3 Prozent auf 56 Millionen Euro leicht gesunkenen DVD- und Blu-ray-Verleihumsätze zu einem Zuwachs von 13 Prozent auf 85 Millionen Euro Umsatz im Verleihmarkt geführt. Der Verleihhandel erwirtschaftet somit jeden dritten Euro (34 Prozent) online. Dabei ist der Verleih durch Onlinevideotheken nicht in das Onlinegeschäft einberechnet, sagte BVV-Vizechef Oliver Trettin Golem.de.

Beim Verkauf von Filmen konnte das Ergebnis des Vorjahreszeitraums mit 358 Millionen Euro um 15 Prozent übertroffen werden. Dabei sind die Umsätze aller drei Formate DVD, Blu-ray und Video-on-Demand angestiegen. So verzeichnet das Blu-ray-Geschäft einen Zuwachs von 35 Prozent auf 98 Millionen Euro und der Kauf per Download einen Anstieg von 55 Prozent auf 17 Millionen Euro.

Bei einem Gesamtumsatz von 443 Millionen Euro bedeuten die Video-on-Demand-Einnahmen aus Verleih und Verkauf in Höhe von 46 Millionen Euro, dass 10,4 Prozent mit digitalen Inhalten umgesetzt wurden.

Das aktuelle James-Bond-Abenteuer Skyfall von Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer und Columbia Pictures lag in allen Verkaufsformen des Home-Entertainment-Marktes auf dem ersten Platz. Gefolgt wurde das Filmabenteuer von den Actionhelden um Sylvester Stallone in "The Expendables 2" und dem Abschluss der Vampirreihe "Breaking Dawn - Bis(s) zum Ende der Nacht 2" auf dem dritten Rang.

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Fakten zur Drosselung ... ... bei der Telekomm

Für wen gelten die Obergrenzen?

Zunächst einmal geht es nur um Neukunden, die einen Vertrag vom 2. Mai 2013 an abschließen. "Bestehende Verträge sind von den Änderungen nicht betroffen“, versprach die Telekom in ihrer Mitteilung am Montag. Greifen soll die Tempo-Bremse zudem "nicht vor 2016“.

Wie groß ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass ein gewöhnlicher Haushalt die Obergrenze in seinem Tarif überschreitet?

Das lässt sich heute mit Blick auf das Jahr 2016 schwer sagen. Der Telekom zufolge kommt ein Kunde heute im Schnitt auf 15 bis 20 Gigabyte im Monat. Das passt zwar mehrfach in die niedrigste angekündigte Daten-Obergrenze von 75 Gigabyte für Anschlüsse mit einer Geschwindigkeit von bis zu 16 MBit pro Sekunde. Allerdings nimmt der Videokonsum aus dem Netz rasant zu. Neue TV-Geräte sind internettauglich, Sender bauen ihre Mediatheken aus, immer mehr Dienste bieten Streaming von Filmen und Serien an. Bis 2016 kann der Datenhunger der deutschen Haushalte also noch stark wachsen.

Wie weit kommt man denn so mit 75 Gigabyte?

Laut Telekom reicht das neben dem Surfen im Netz und dem Bearbeiten von Mails zum Beispiel für zehn Filme in herkömmlicher Auflösung sowie drei HD-Filme, 60 Stunden Internetradio, 400 Fotos und 16 Stunden Online-Gaming. Wenn solche Online-Dienste insbesondere in einem Haushalt mit mehreren Personen fest zum Alltag gehören, häuft sich locker eine höhere Nutzung an. Allerdings: Der hauseigene Telekom-Videodienst Entertain zehrt nicht an dem Daten-Kontingent.

Und was ist mit den anderen Anbietern?

Nach aktuellem Stand würden die Nutzung von Entertain-Konkurrenten wie Apples iTunes-Plattform, Amazons Streaming-Dienst Lovefilm oder des ähnlichen Angebots Watchever sowie von YouTube das Inklusiv-Volumen verbrauchen. Bis 2016 könnten die Anbieter aber noch Partnerschaften mit der Telekom abschließen, die ihnen für gesonderte Bezahlung einen "Managed Service“ garantiert. Dienste solcher Partner tasten das Daten-Kontingent ebenfalls nicht an. Oder die Anbieter könnten sich zum Kampf gegen die Regelung entschließen.

Was passiert, wenn man das Inklusiv-Datenvolumen überschritten hat?

Entweder man begnügt sich mit der Vor-DSL-Geschwindigkeit von 387 Kilobit pro Sekunde, mit der man vielleicht E-Mails checken und mit viel Geduld auch im Internet surfen kann. Oder man bucht mehr Datenvolumen hinzu. Die Tarife dafür wurden von der Telekom noch nicht genannt.

Machen andere Internet-Provider bei der Drosselung mit?

Vodafone will nicht mitziehen: „Wir haben keine Pläne, die DSL-Geschwindigkeit unserer Kunden zu drosseln.“ Auch Unitymedia Kabel Baden-Württemberg erteilte einer Drosselung eine Absage: Bereits heute könnten Datenübertragungsraten von 150 Megabit pro Sekunde angeboten werden, die mit wenigen technischen Anpassungen auf 400 MBit pro Sekunde erhöht werden könnten. Bei Kabel Deutschland dagegen gibt es bereits Datengrenzen - sie funktionieren aber anders als bei der Telekom. So ist ein Tages-Volumen von 10 Gigabyte vorgesehen, nach dem das Tempo gedrosselt werden kann. Derzeit passiert das aber erst ab 60 GB am Tag. Bei 1&1 gehört das Prinzip fest zum günstigsten Tarif dazu: Bis 100 GB im Monat surft man mit bis zu 16 MBit pro Sekunde, danach nur noch mit der langsamsten DSL-Geschwindigkeit von 1 MBit pro Sekunde.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.684.371 von teecee1 am 21.05.13 18:25:01

... ... Hallo ... ich habe eine saubere Weste ... ha ...ha, ha ...


Bank on it: Masayoshi Son, president of Softbank Corp., introduces the company's Aquos Phone Xx 206SH smartphone during a product launch in Tokyo on May 7. | BLOOMBERG

Softbank to sell ¥400 billion in bonds

May 22, 2013
by Yusuke Miyazawa
Bloomberg


Softbank Corp. plans to sell ¥400 billion in bonds targeting individual investors to fund its $20.1 billion purchase of Sprint Nextel Corp. ... ... verwende die Kohle lieber für Clearwire ... ... das wäre 1.) nicht so umständlich ... bzw. klüger ... 2.) kommt es billiger ... und 3.) wird Dish ein Angebot vorlegen ... es geht um Frequenzen und Netz von CLWR ...

The mobile phone company will price the five-year notes to yield from 1.25 percent to 2.25 percent on June 3, according to a filing with the Finance Ministry on Tuesday. The securities will be offered from June 4 to 19, according to the filing. The offering will be the largest by Softbank, which has raised the equivalent of $6.9 billion in bonds since the transaction was announced in October, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

The acquisition is being challenged by Dish Network Corp.’s $25.5 billion offer. President Masayoshi Son, Japan’s second-richest person, reiterated this month he won’t increase the bid, even as firms from Daiwa Securities Group Inc. to BNP Paribas SA say the company has scope to raise the amount by $5 billion. Softbank plans to complete the deal under the terms announced on July 1.

Softbank will use proceeds from the latest bond sale to help pay for the Sprint Nextel acquisition and to repay maturing debt, Tokyo-based spokesman Takeaki Nukii said in a telephone interview Tuesday, declining to provide the breakdown.

The offering will be managed by nine brokerages, including Daiwa Securities and Nomura Holdings Inc., according to the filing.

Japan’s third-largest wireless operator offered ¥300 billion in 1.47 percent four-year bonds to individuals, often also referred to as retail investors, in February, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company raised $2.485 billion and €625 million in seven-year notes last month, the data show.

Moody’s Investors Service rates Softbank at Baa3, its lowest investment grade, while Standard & Poor’s has it at BBB, its second-lowest, the data show. Moody’s said last month it’s reviewing its rating because the outcome of the deal is uncertain following the Dish Network bid.

S&P has placed the carrier on credit watch with negative implications. The risk assessor may cut the grade by two levels to BB+ should the transaction proceed, it said in a March 29 statement.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/22/2013/05/22busine…


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May 21, 2013, 1:44pm CDT Updated: May 21, 2013, 2:45pm CDT
Dish: Sprint-SoftBank deal threatens national security


BLOOMBERG

Alyson Raletz
Reporter- Kansas City Business Journal

Dish Network Corp. played up a Sprint Nextel Corp. suitor’s ties to China as new plot points unfolded Tuesday in the Sprint-Dish-SoftBank Corp.-Clearwire Corp. drama.

A Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed text from an anti-SoftBank-Sprint merger website paid for by Dish (Nasdaq: DISH), NationalSecurityMatters.com.

On the site, Dish provides its take on SoftBank’s attempted acquisition of Sprint (NYSE: S), advising readers: “Don’t outsource your national security.”

The website alleges that the United States would become dependent on equipment from Chinese manufacturers if Tokyo-based SoftBank and Sprint consummate a $20.1 billion merger. It also alleges cyber security breach concerns.

The website comes as SoftBank allowed Overland Park-based Sprint this week to participate in more candid discussions with Dish regarding the satellite TV service’s $25.5 billion bid for Sprint.

The SoftBank critique also comes as Dish’s other acquisition target, Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR), put consideration of a merger with Sprint on hold on Tuesday.

A shareholder vote on a Sprint-Clearwire merger in Bellevue, Wash., was postponed Tuesday until May 31 after Sprint raised its offer to $3.40 a share for Clearwire.

The website and Tuesday’s events follow several weeks of Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son trading barbs about their companies’ respective merger proposals.


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... ...

Carriers respond to service disruptions in wake of Oklahoma tornado
May 21, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/carriers-respond-service…

(...) Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) spokesman Tom Pica told FierceWireless that the Verizon Wireless network is operating at almost 100 percent capacity after the tornadoes, and that the network experienced extremely high call volumes as the storm moved in. He said cells on wheels and cells on light trucks are being deployed to expand capacity and support relief efforts, as soon as it is safe to enter the impacted areas. (...)

T-Mobile engineers are moving equipment into the area, including Cell-on-Wheels (COWs) and other solutions. (...)


... ... jedes Google-Car ausgestattet mit einer Sender ... Reichweite 5 miles ...

............................................................................

BMW offers in-car streaming music for cross-Europe road trips

It was nice knowing you, radio - thanks for all the jingles

By Andrew Orlowski • Get more from this author
Posted in Media, 22nd May 2013 12:58 GMT

BMW is to offer access to Brit streaming music service Rara in its new Series 5 motors. Is this the beginning of the end for broadcast radio?



What's unusual and interesting about the deal is that it includes 3G access to the music - via Vodafone's mobile network - across Europe. So, wherever you can get a signal, you can get Rara's music catalogue and playlists, without any extra charges - particularly roaming charges - or extra cables or devices. Series 5 Beemer owners will have to pay a flat yearly subscription fee. (...)

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/22/pan_european_music_s…


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Verizon taps Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson for LTE small cells
May 21, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

LAS VEGAS--Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) said it will use LTE small cell products from vendors Alcatel-Lucent (NASDAQ: ALU) and Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) starting in the second half of this year.

In its most detailed account yet of how it plans to deploy cell technology as part of its LTE network, Verizon said that small cells will be used to primarily enhance localized capacity and coverage, such as in a business district or shopping mall where there is a high amount of traffic. In a statement, the carrier also said that small cells will also complement Distributed Antenna Systems.

Verizon had previously said it would deploy 200 LTE small cells this year, along with 5,000 LTE cell sites in its AWS spectrum this year. At an investor conference earlier this month Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead said the company would be "picking up the pace next year" on the deployment of LTE small cells. Mead said that small cells will be a "complement to the core LTE infrastructure," though he acknowledged that providing backhaul and emergency power to small cells is difficult.

Verizon noted that its LTE network already covers more than 95 percent of the company's 3G network footprint, and the company now covers a total of 497 U.S. markets with LTE. The company expects to finish its initial LTE buildout by mid-year and then will start turning on LTE service in its AWS spectrum to augment its capacity.

The selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson is not entirely surprising. The two companies are the primary radio access network (RAN) vendors for Verizon's LTE network.

"Small cells will play a role in the Verizon Wireless strategy to add capacity in high-traffic locations and provide the best customer experience possible on the nation's largest 4G LTE network," Mike Haberman, Verizon Wireless' vice president of network support, said in a statement.

Ericsson said it will be providing its micro RRUS (Remote Radio Unit) small cells for Verizon's network and that it is easily integrated into the overall network since it works with any baseband unit part of the RBS 6000 product line. Later this year, Ericsson will also provide micro RBS 6501 (Radio Base Station) for Verizon, which provides local-area and medium-range coverage in a heterogeneous network environment.

An Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman did not immediately have a comment on which of its small cell products Verizon would use.

Of course, Verizon is not the only carrier looking to small cells to help increase its network capacity. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), for example, has said it plans to deploy 40,000 small cells by 2015.

[teecee1]

23.05.2013 | 14:50
(60 Leser)

AFX News ·
DISH: Remains Concerned On National Security Interests In SoftBank-Sprint Deal

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - DISH Network Corp. (DISH) responded to news reports regarding the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or CFIUS review of the proposed SoftBank corp.(SFTBF.PK)-Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) transaction.

The company's executive vice president and general counsel , Stanton Dodge, said that If the news reports are accurate, SoftBank's agreement to an extraordinary board structure and the concerns of CFIUS with respect to the use of Chinese-manufactured equipment on a foreign-controlled Clearwire network, which reportedly could add as much as $1 billion to the cost of the proposed SoftBank-Sprint transaction, confirm the serious national security risks of SoftBank acquiring Sprint and its wireless and wireline assets of national strategic importance.

'We remain concerned, however, that these reported steps do not adequately protect our national security interests, especially with respect to Sprint's critical fiber backbone network and Sprint's extensive contracts to provide important telecommunications services for government, law enforcement and defense customers,' said Stanton Dodge, DISH executive vice president and general counsel.

Softbank had agreed in mid-October 2012 to acquire a 70 percent stake in Sprint for about $20.1 billion or nearly 1.57 trillion yen. Meanwhile, Dish Network submitted a $25.5 billion cash and stock takeover bid for Sprint in April, calling its offer superior to that of Softbank.


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Dish on national security PR offensive against SoftBank


The sign in the lobby of the corporate headquarters of Dish Network is seen in
the Denver suburb of Englewood, Colorado April 6, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

By Alina Selyukh and Liana B. Baker
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK | Wed May 22, 2013 7:29pm EDT

(Reuters) - Dish Network Corp is ramping up its Washington-centric campaign to thwart Japanese firm SoftBank Corp's bid for Sprint Nextel Corp, hoping to convince lawmakers and government reviewers that it poses national security risks.

On Wednesday, Dish ads appeared in Washington publications the Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call and the National Journal as well as online news sites, including Reuters.com.

A full-page color ad on the Post's A5 page compared SoftBank's proposed acquisition of Sprint to the 2006 Dubai Ports World controversy, when a political storm over national security unraveled a deal to buy several U.S. ports even after it was approved by federal national security reviewers.

"In an ever advancing world, 'ports' may change," Dish said in the ad, "but keeping them in American hands never should. Don't outsource our national security."

Multiple federal agencies, including an entity entirely focused on national security, are currently reviewing the national security and market implications of the $20.1 billion bid the Japanese mobile operator made last October for a 70 percent stake in the third-largest U.S. wireless operator.

Dish countered with its own $25.5 billion offer to Sprint in April and quickly launched into a public relations offensive to undermine SoftBank's standing with federal regulators, lawmakers and the public at large.

Dish's lawyers have left no stone in Washington unturned.

The Federal Communications Commission, which is one of the agencies reviewing the deal, has received scores of letters painting SoftBank as a risky foreign acquirer. Dish also briefed the staff of some members of the House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, and asked the office of Virginia Republican Morgan Griffith to pose a question about it at Tuesday's hearing on U.S. cybersecurity.

IMPORTANT FOR THE RECORD

SoftBank, which owns telecommunications networks in Asia, has pushed back against Dish's allegations that its ownership of Sprint would threaten the security of the critical U.S. telecommunications infrastructure or leak secrets to China.

But the political implications are starting to trickle out.

"I'm always concerned when we are putting our national infrastructure ... into the hands of foreign companies," Griffith, who asked a cybersecurity expert at Tuesday's hearing if the bid posed security threats, told Reuters.

"I mainly wanted to know whether there was a security issue. I thought it was important for it to be on the record," he said, adding that Dish accounts for hundreds of jobs in his district.

Mike McConnell, former national intelligence director, responded to Griffith's question that he would not be in favor of a U.S. communications company controlled by a foreign entity.

Griffith's office confirmed to Reuters that Dish, in briefing staff about the deal in April, asked them to pose the question at Tuesday's hearing. Griffith said he personally did not meet with Dish representatives on the Sprint bid and did not have immediate plans to follow up on the matter.

Dish earlier on Wednesday confirmed that it had briefed Commerce Committee members' staff on the deal but did not comment on the content of the briefings.

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

One of the Hill staffers who received a briefing from Dish said the company expressed concerns that if the FCC gave its approval to the SoftBank bid before Sprint shareholders choose which offer they like more, that would tip the scale in SoftBank's favor.

The FCC does not comment on ongoing deal reviews. Industry experts say the agency's ruling is unlikely to come before Sprint makes a final choice of buyer and the inter-agency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) completes its own review.

CFIUS reviews are highly secretive and weigh whether foreign ownership of a U.S. company poses threats to or increases vulnerability of the nation's infrastructure and assets. Although technically voluntary, foreign bidders prefer asking CFIUS to review their deals before completing them.

SoftBank says it is committed to using only network equipment that is acceptable to the U.S. government and will not use equipment from China's Huawei in Sprint's network. Dish has not made such promises.

(Reporting By Liana B. Baker in New York and Alina Selyukh in Washington; Editing by Andre Grenon and Andrew Hay)

[teecee1]

SoftBank to give U.S. gov't Sprint board choice: WSJ

Technology May. 23, 2013 - 12:29PM JST


A woman walks past a Softbank shop in Tokyo on October 12, 2012 AFP

NEW YORK —

Japan’s SoftBank is preparing to hand the U.S. government an unusual degree of influence over operation of Sprint Nextel, after security concerns raised by the proposed cross-border takeover, The Wall Street Journal reports online.

“Tokyo-based SoftBank has agreed to give the (U.S.) federal government the right to approve one of the directors it names to Sprint’s board,” the WSJ reported.

The director would be responsible for overseeing national security issues, the report added.

“People familiar with the matter said the government is also seeking the right to approve some of Sprint’s equipment purchases and wants the removal of Chinese gear from a Sprint affiliate’s network.”

The Japanese mobile operator said Tuesday it planned to raise $3.9 billion through a record bond issuance in June to finance its proposed takeover of U.S. firm Sprint Nextel.

If successful, the 400 billion yen ($3.9 billion) bond issue would be the biggest debt of single maturity sold to retail investors by a non-financial company in Japan, news reports said.

Though funding may be in the pipeline, U.S. concerns about security are growing.

Last month, Softbank President Masayoshi Son defended his proposed $20 billion takeover of Sprint Nextel, amid fears for the extra debt loading it would entail.


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SoftBank would add 'security director' to Sprint board


A woman walks past logos of Softbank Corp at its branch in Tokyo April 17, 2013.
REUTERS/Yuya Shino

Thu May 23, 2013 8:29am EDT

(Reuters) - SoftBank Corp would appoint a "security director" to Sprint Nextel Corp's board if its takeover bid succeeds and give the U.S. government right of approval on the appointment in hopes of easing national security concerns raised by the proposed deal.

Sprint said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1 that the new director appointed by Tokyo-based SoftBank would oversee public safety concerns related to Sprint's wireless and wireline operations.

Chinese telecommunications equipment suppliers like Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second-largest maker of routers and other gear, and ZTE Corp, the fifth largest, have been blocked from making big pushes into the United States due to the national security concerns.

Dish Network Corp, SoftBank's rival for Sprint, is running a campaign against the Japanese firm, seeking to convince lawmakers and government reviewers that the deal poses national security risks.

SoftBank said it is committed to using only network equipment that is acceptable to the U.S. government and would not use equipment from Huawei on Sprint's network. Dish has not made such promises.

The proposal for a security director was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said the move could cost the company up to $1 billion. (link.reuters.com/tat38)

The newspaper also reported that it was unusual for officials to exert such broad influence over how a company is run, citing people who follow such deals.

Sprint declined to comment. SoftBank could not be immediately reached for comment.

Dish, in line with its public relations campaign, said in a statement that "these reported steps do not adequately protect our national security interests." Dish added that it has concerns about the security of Sprint's "critical fiber backbone network," as well as Sprint's contracts with government agencies, law enforcement and defense customers.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad and Krithika Krishnamurthy in Bangalore; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Jeffrey Benkoe)


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Four Clearwire investors say Sprint's revised offer is too low

NEW YORK | Wed May 22, 2013 4:11pm EDT

May 22 (Reuters) - Four big Clearwire Corp investors with 127.4 million shares of the wireless service provider said on Wednesday they believe Sprint Nextel Corp's revised $3.40 per share offer to buy the company was still too low.

The group is made up of Mount Kellett Capital Management, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1442505/0000905148130…


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UPDATE 2-Clearwire, shareholders brace for fight over Sprint bid

Wed May 22, 2013 6:10pm EDT

* Clearwire says Sprint offer best option, sets May 31 vote

* Clearwire says Verizon, Dish offers are not real alternatives

* Mount Kellet and other say Sprint's revised price is too low

* Shareholders with about 32 pct of votes say unhappy with Sprint sweetner

* Clearwire shares close 2 cents below offer price

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters) - Clearwire Corp appeared to be on the brink of another fight with its shareholders on Wednesday as the wireless service provider approved Sprint Nextel Corp's sweetened buyout offer while minority shareholders said the bid was too stingy.

Clearwire announced its decision to support majority shareholder Sprint a day after Sprint raised its offer for the almost 50 percent of the company it does not already own to $3.40 per share from $2.97 per share.

The wireless service provider, which Sprint wants to control because of its key spectrum holdings, said it has no better alternatives than the Sprint offer.

Clearwire shareholders with about 32 percent of Clearwire's public shares said they were disappointed with the latest offer from Sprint, which needs approval from more than 50 percent of Clearwire's minority investors in order to proceed.

A group of four shareholders, claiming ownership of 18.2 percent of Clearwire's common shares, said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that Sprint's offer was too low. The filing came after shareholders with another roughly 14 percent of Clearwire's public shares said they were not happy with the Sprint offer.

The group of four - Mount Kellett Capital Management, Highside Capital Management, Glenview Capital Management and Chesapeake Partners Management - first agreed to negotiate with Sprint together to look for a sweetner of the $2.97 bid.

The group said on Wednesday that they had agreed to extend their partnership until June 3, a few days after shareholders are scheduled to vote on the latest offer.

Clearwire, which has announced support for the Sprint deal from 26 percent of the minority votes, declined to comment specifically on the shareholder backlash. But the company argued in an update of its proxy filing late on Wednesday that Sprint's offer was its best alternative as potential deals with Dish Network and Verizon Communications were not "actionable".

Clearwire said an offer from Verizon to buy Clearwire spectrum would only have resulted in net proceeds of between about $550 million and $850 million after tax.

Clearwire has said it needs at least $1.7 billion to keep operating, suggesting that the spectrum sale to Verizon wouldn’t have closed that funding gap. ... ... ihr sollt ja auch $0,50 - $0,70 verlangen ...

Verizon had offered to pay it gross proceeds of $1 billion to $1.5 billion for spectrum in Clearwire's top 25 markets.

As for Dish's January offer to buy Clearwire for $3.30 per share, Clearwire said its talks with the company had not led to an "actionable proposal."

A source close to Clearwire said the company believed the Dish offer was "effectively dead" since it had not heard from the satellite TV provider since it made an offer to buy Sprint for $25.5 billion. Dish announced its offer to Sprint on April 15.

Clearwire had said in January that there were elements of Dish's proposal that it could not accept because of Clearwire's governance obligations to Sprint under their existing agreement.

"Dish never really backed off of those aspects of its proposal," said the source, who asked not to be named because of a lack of authorization to speak on the record to the media.

Clearwire had said earlier in the day that Sprint's increased offer, "when compared with other potential transactions reasonably available to the company at this time, is the most favorable potential transaction to the company's unaffiliated stockholders."

Clearwire also changed the date of its special meeting for shareholders to vote on the new offer to May 31 from the May 30 date announced on Tuesday, citing a scheduling conflict.

It had originally called a meeting for May 21 but postponed it after Sprint announced its new offer just a few hours before the meeting was to take place.

Shareholders of record as of April 2 can vote on the Sprint offer.

Clearwire shares closed down 2 cents on Nasdaq to $3.38, which was below Sprint's offer price.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.702.167 von teecee1 am 23.05.13 17:46:41

23.05.2013, 20:52
Dish setzt im Mobilfunk-Poker um Sprint auf US-Sicherheitsängste


Bild: EPA (LESSER)

Übernahmepoker. Dish bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Und mahnt mit einer PR-Kampagne vor Bedrohungen falls Japanische Softbank zum Zug kommt. Die Japaner wollen für 70 Prozent 20,1 Mrd. Dollar zahlen.

Washington. Im milliardenschweren Kampf um den US-Mobilfunker Sprint Nextel treibt der einheimische Bieter Dish Network seine politische Kampagne gegen den japanischen Kontrahenten Softbank voran. Mit einer groß angelegten PR-Offensive in mehreren Medien will der zweitgrößte US-Anbieter von Satelliten-TV Kongressabgeordnete und Regierungsvertreter davon überzeugen, dass eine Übernahme durch den asiatischen Rivalen die nationale Sicherheit bedroht.

Der Konzern argumentiert dabei seit einiger Zeit, dass dadurch die Sicherheit des Telekommunikationsnetzes in Gefahr sei und Länder wie China deshalb einfacher an Geheimnisse aus den USA kommen könnten.

Dish schaltete Anzeigen in Zeitungen, Magazinen und bei Online-Diensten. Darin spielte das Unternehmen auf die geplatzte Übernahme mehrerer US-Häfen durch das arabische Unternehmen Dubai Ports World vor sieben Jahren an. Damals hatten Sicherheitsbedenken in großen Teilen der Politik die Behörden dazu veranlasst, ihre Zustimmung doch noch zurückzunehmen. Dish bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar (19,73 Mrd. Euro). Softbank will für 70 Prozent an Sprint 20,1 Milliarden zahlen.


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23/05/2013 22:35:00
Dish Secures $9 Billion in Financing for Sprint Bid

Dish Network Corp. (DISH) signed commitment letters Thursday for about $9 billion in financing for its $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), according to a person familiar with the matter.

The commitment comes a few days after Sprint received a waiver from SoftBank Corp. (9984.TO) to allow Dish access to non-public information about Sprint for due diligence. Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen had previously said he was reluctant to arrange committed financing until he felt it was "the last remaining obstacle" before Sprint would declare Dish's offer potentially superior to the one it already has from Softbank.

Including about $2.6 billion it raised in bonds last week, Dish will have raised close to $12 billion for the deal with its commitments signed Thursday.

Sprint's offer is competing with a $20.1 billion deal struck last October by Softbank to buy 70% of Sprint.

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 23, 2013 17:35 ET (21:35 GMT)


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Dish adds Scotiabank to finance Sprint deal -sources

By Nicola Leske
Thu May 23, 2013 6:57pm EDT

May 23 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp has added Canada's Scotiabank to the four banks it had already lined up to finance its $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel Corp, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Reuters reported on May 15 that Dish was working with Barclays Plc, Macquarie Group, Jefferies and the Royal Bank of Canada to help finance around $9 billion in debt needed for the offer but that it was still finalizing details.

A Dish spokesperson said on Thursday the satellite TV company run by billionaire founder Charlie Ergen had secured the financing necessary to finance its bid.

The sources declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the deal.

Sprint is also being pursued by Japan's SoftBank, which has resulted in a public battle between SoftBank's President Masayoshi Son and Ergen for control of Sprint, after Dish offered to trump the Japanese firm's bid last month.

Earlier this week, Sprint said SoftBank granted it a waiver allowing it to consider Dish's bid and allow the rival bidder full due diligence with Sprint.

SoftBank, which agreed last October to pay $20.1 billion for a 70 percent stake in Sprint, has said it was confident its bid would prevail.

It also announced in a separate filing on Tuesday that it would issue 400 billion yen ($3.9 billion) in bonds in June, the largest issuance ever by a non-financial Japanese company, to help pay for the Sprint deal.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.709.701 von teecee1 am 24.05.13 16:15:57

The World Series of Telecom Poker: DISH vs. SoftBank ... ...

By Dan Radovsky |
May 23, 2013 |


Are we watching two companies engaging in the usual mergers and acquisition maneuvering between rivals? Or are the daily moves and countermoves of SoftBank and DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH ) , as they eye a pot containing Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S ) and Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR ) , more reminiscent of high-stakes five-card stud?

First card -- face down, second card – face up

SoftBank is showing the Ace of Diamonds, and bids $20.1 billion dollars for a 70% share of Sprint, perhaps trying to bluff anyone else into dropping out. Interesting that it gives Sprint $8 billion up front, followed by Sprint signing a deal to buy the rest of its networking partner, Clearwire, that it didn't already own.

Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank, has his poker face on, but it's obvious to Charlie Ergen, DISH CEO and a former professional gambler, that Clearwire and its spectrum is an essential element in SoftBank's plans.

So, DISH, with the Ten of Clubs showing, doesn't drop out. Instead, it surprises SoftBank (and the rest of the peanut gallery) with a $2.5 billion dollar counteroffer to Sprint's $2.2 billion Clearwire bid. Ergen must think that if DISH starts a bidding war for Clearwire, SoftBank might withdraw its financial support from Sprint's bid.

Third card -- face up

SoftBank is dealt the Two of Diamonds. DISH draws the Queen of Spades.

SoftBank stands pat, but Ergen elicits a break in Son's countenance when DISH makes a bold and unexpected counteroffer of $25.5 billion for Sprint.

Son meets that, and raises with a declaration that the DISH bid is "illusory."

DISH meets that, and raises by tattling to the Federal Communications Commission about SoftBanks ties to UTStarcom, a company that settled bribery charges in 2009 with the Department of Justice.

Not to be outdone, Son raises that with an alleged threat to investment bankers not to give DISH any financing, or risk losing the chance to partake in underwriting Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba's much-anticipated IPO. SoftBank owns one-third of Alibaba.

DISH meets that with another complaint to the FCC: "If SoftBank has the power to influence crucial financing decisions of a Chinese company ... then the proposed foreign ownership [SoftBank is a Japanese company] needs to be assessed in light of this Chinese company, as well."

DISH also gets a start with its financing by selling $2.6 billion worth of notes, and reportedly has four banks lined up for more loans.

Fourth card -- face up

SoftBank is dealt the Four of Diamonds, and DISH the Queen of Clubs.

SoftBank raises by, it is assumed, bankrolling a higher bid from Sprint for Clearwire after it looks less likely that Clearwire's minority stockholders would vote for Sprint's original offer. After all, Son has said, "(I)n the Sprint-SoftBank transaction, Clearwire's spectrum is the key."

DISH matches that by calling SoftBank's control of Sprint a national security threat. The "sale of wireless and wireline infrastructure with national strategic importance to a foreign company will weaken the security of the United States," DISH wrote the FCC.

Fifth card -- face down:

Son peeks at his last card, and considers what DISH might have. That hand could hold four Queens, a Queen-high full house, a Ten-high full house, three Queens, three Tens, or, at worst, a pair of Queens.

Suddenly, he raises by having SoftBank try to undercut DISH's playing of the foreign-control card, agreeing to have the U.S. government have veto power over one SoftBank appointed director to Sprint's board.

Ergen squints at his last card, and ponders. SoftBank is showing the Ace of Diamonds, Two of Diamonds, and Four of Diamonds. That's a possible straight flush, straight, three Aces, or a pair of Aces – or nothing, with Ace high.

On the face of it, Ergen's two Queens showing beats SoftBank's Ace high showing. What could DISH meet SoftBank's latest challenge with? And should DISH meet it?

Ergen is looking at his chips and thinking.


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24.05.2013 | 13:02
(28 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
DISH pursues Co-Development of Fixed-Mobile Broadband Offering

WAYNESBORO, Va. and ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) and NTELOS Holdings Corp. (nTelos) (NASDAQ: NTLS), a leading regional provider of nationwide wireless voice and data communications and home to the "best value in wireless," announced today that nTelos and a wholly-owned subsidiary of DISH have executed a Letter of Intent to pursue a strategic relationship to co-develop a fixed-mobile broadband service within nTelos's coverage territory serving Virginia, West Virginia and portions of Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky.

Once complete, the service is expected to give nTelos and DISH customers, many of whom are located in underserved rural communities, access to reliable high-speed Internet, whether at home or on the go.

"We are pleased to team with nTelos on this exciting opportunity to leverage their mobile capabilities along with our technical service infrastructure to develop broadband services," said Charlie Ergen, chairman and co-founder of DISH. "With users consuming more data, the demand for fast, reliable Internet service remains stronger than ever, particularly in rural areas where the FCC estimates nearly a fifth of American households lack broadband access. By working with nTelos, we believe we can create a service that simultaneously addresses the mobile and in-home requirements of rural residents, with the potential to serve as a model for how we can utilize spectrum more effectively while creating differentiated consumer offerings."

"Today's announcement demonstrates nTelos's commitment to finding new and innovative ways to serve our customers, while maximizing the value of our network assets to grow our business," said James A. Hyde, CEO of NTELOS Holdings Corp. "The convergence of fixed and mobile broadband networks holds tremendous promise for consumers and telecom service providers alike, allowing for an improved customer experience and new sources of incremental revenue. Our relationship with DISH puts us at the forefront of that convergence and creates an opportunity for nTelos to establish itself as a thought leader among wireless service providers." (...)


... ... nicht an einem Strohhalm festklammern ... 350.000 Kunden sind so gut wie nichts ... verschwunden!!! ... es werden 4G Lizensen benötigt die NTELOS nicht hat ... und ein größeres Network ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.685.121 von teecee1 am 21.05.13 20:00:32

24.05.2013 | 01:43
(95 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Supplements its Proxy Statement Opposing Revised Terms for Sprint-Clearwire Merger

HOUSTON, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest independent minority shareholder of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) with approximately 8.25% of the Class A common stock of Clearwire, today filed a supplement to its definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Crest continues to urge Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation.

Crest reiterated that it opposes the Sprint-Clearwire merger because it believes that Clearwire would be better off if it remained a stand-alone company. Sprint's new offer of $3.40 in cash per share still significantly undervalues Clearwire - based on several measures - and was devised by Sprint in a way that unfairly disadvantages minority stockholders, Crest said. The proxy supplement also notes that Crest has been joined in its opposition to the merger by a group of other large minority Clearwire stockholders led by Mount Kellett Capital Management LP who hold approximately 18.2% of the Class A common stock of Clearwire.

Crest emphasized another reason stockholders should oppose the merger: Delaware law states that a Clearwire stockholder who votes FOR the Sprint-Clearwire merger cannot elect to exercise its appraisal rights. According to David K. Schumacher, Crest's General Counsel: "Any vote in favor of the merger agreement would limit your range of options to recover the fair value of your shares if Sprint succeeds in its unfair bid for Clearwire. Crest has already taken all necessary steps to perfect its appraisal rights under Delaware law. This means that Crest can ask the Delaware Court of Chancery to determine the fair value of its Clearwire common stock if the Sprint-Clearwire merger is consummated and certain other conditions are satisfied. But appraisal rights are by definition individual rights. You must perfect your own appraisal rights if you are to carry on the fight for fair value in an appraisal proceeding."

Crest has filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Sprint, Clearwire and the directors of Clearwire because Crest believes that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by scheming to extract value from Clearwire at the expense of the minority stockholders.In addition, Crest has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., to stop the proposed Softbank-Sprint and Sprint-Clearwire transactions because they would treat minority stockholders of Clearwire unfairly and the transactions would not be in the public's best interest.

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card against the merger, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full proxy statement and supplement can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr. (...)


SOURCE Crest Financial Limited


... ... Not forget the Clearwire TDD-LTE network ... ...

(...)With respect to our LTE build, we continued to make significant progress in the first quarter, expanding our TDD-LTE commissioned sites awaiting connection to Sprint's core to approximately 1,300 sites at quarter end, and increasing it to approximately 1,600 sites today. We remain on track to meet the 4G MVNO agreement build milestones of 2,000 LTE sites on air by the end of June 2013 and 5,000 LTE sites on air by the end of December of 2013. The first 2,000 sites will be located in major urban centers of major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Seattle. In addition, we are working closely with Sprint on site interoperability tests, and have begun testing some of their new TDD-LTE devices to support their plans to introduce TDD-LTE-capable devices to Sprint customers in the third quarter.

We have seen expansion in the TDD-LTE device portfolio in the broader global TDD ecosystem as well, with the introduction of several new devices during the quarter. In addition, we were pleased to see Samsung announce plans to introduce a dual-mode version of their iconic GALAXY S4 smartphone, which will support TDD-LTE later this year. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.702.167 von teecee1 am 23.05.13 17:46:41

SoftBank gives Washington veto over Sprint board job

The things you do to stop spooks worrying about Huawei

By Phil Muncaster • Get more from this author
Posted in Policy, 24th May 2013 04:18 GMT

Japanese company SoftBank, currently wrapping a deal to buy 70 per cent of US mobile carrier Sprint, has taken the unusual step of giving the US government veto power over one member to be elected to the board of its acquisition target.

SoftBank’s bid to take over America’s third largest operator was delayed for months while it waited for approval from 23 separate states.

That process came to a close today after the California Public Utilities Commission approved the deal. The Japanese firm still needs shareholders to approve the transaction in a 12 June vote.

In the meantime it must also satisfy a US government increasingly wary of foreign takeovers, especially in an area like telecoms with obvious national security implications.

SoftBank’s proposed deal is currently being assessed by the FCC, Justice Department, FBI and the Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), according to the Wall Street Journal.

People familiar with the matter told the paper that not only was SoftBank prepared to give the government right-of-approval on one of Sprint’s next board members, but it may also be forced to consider giving Washington approval powers on future equipment purchases.

It isn’t helping matters that one of SoftBank’s majority-owned businesses, Clearwire, uses Huawei kit.

Lawmakers branded the Shenzhen-based telecoms kit manufacturer a national security risk in a high profile report last October, and a US spending bill back in March banned certain agencies from buying any technology from firm thought to be “owned, operated or subsidised” by the Chinese government.

Although Huawei has consistently denied links to the Chinese authorities and Japan’s third largest operator has apparently already given the US its word that any Huawei kit would be removed from Clearwire post-takeover, doubts persist.

Sensing an opportunity to turn those doubts into action, US satellite biz Dish has been on the offensive this week in an attempt to sell its $25.5bn bid for Sprint to shareholders and government.

“If the news reports are accurate, and CFIUS has concerns with respect to the use of Chinese manufactured equipment on a foreign-controlled Clearwire network, then as much as $1 billion would have to be added to the cost of the proposed SoftBank-Sprint transaction,” said Dish general counsel Stanton Dodge in a canned statement.

“The question is about who should control and who will be accountable for assets – the Sprint national wireless and backbone fiber networks – that are vital to our national security.” ®

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/24/dish_softbank_tussle…


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24.05.2013 | 09:20
(135 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Presse: US-Senatoren haben Bedenken gegen Sprint-Übernahme durch Softbank

Zwei einflussreiche US-amerikanische Senatoren haben laut einem Pressebericht Sicherheitsbedenken gegen die Übernahme des Mobilfunkers Sprint Nextel durch die japanische Softbank angemeldet. In Briefen an die Wettbewerbshüter bezeichneten die Senatoren John McCain und Charles Schumer laut der "New York Times" (Onlineausgabe) das Mobilfunk- und Glasfasernetz von Sprint als für die nationale Sicherheit der USA wichtige Infrastruktur. Diese müsse geschützt werden. Die Behörden sollten sich daher das Angebot genau ansehen, zitiert die Zeitung am Donnerstagabend (Ortszeit) aus den Schreiben.

Sorge bereitet den US-Senatoren die Beziehung von Softbank zu den chinesischen Staatsunternehmen Huawei und ZTE. Die Japaner setzen bei ihrer Telekomausrüstung auf Produkte der Chinesen. In den USA ist innerhalb der Sicherheitsdienste und in der Politik deshalb die Sorge groß, dass China über seine Staatsfirmen Spionage betreiben könnte.

Die Japaner liefern sich derzeit eine PR-Schlacht mit dem konkurrierenden Bieter Dish, einem US-amerikanischen Satelliten TV-Anbieter. Beide Unternehmen wollen Amerikas drittgrößten Mobilfunker übernehmen. Softbank bietet 20 Milliarden Dollar für etwa 70 Prozent an Sprint. Jüngst übertrumpfte Dish dieses Angebot mit einer Offerte von 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Einige Großaktionäre von Sprint, darunter Omega Advisors und der Milliardär John Paulson, haben allerdings bereits ihre Vorliebe für die Dish-Offerte kundgetan./fn/stb/fbr

ISIN US8520611000 JP3436100006


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Mögliche Abtrennung
Telecom Italia taxiert Festnetz auf 15 Milliarden
23.05.2013, 20:27 Uhr

Vielleicht mag es 18 Monate dauern, aber mit der Ausgliederung der Festnetzsparte gehen auch die Schulden von Telecom Italia. Bis zu 15 Milliarden Euro soll die Abspaltung bringen, sagen Insider.


Telecom Italia-Chef Franco Bernabe: Der Abtrennungsplan wird vom Management
unterstützt. Quelle: Reuters

Mailand. Die Telecom Italia bewertet ihr womöglich vor der Ausgliederung stehendes Festnetzgeschäft einem Insider zufolge mit 13 bis 15 Milliarden Euro. Dies gehe aus Unterlagen hervor, die bei einem Treffen des Top-Managements am Donnerstag als Grundlage für die Entscheidung über eine Abspaltung dienen sollten, sagte eine mit dem Vorgang vertraute Person.

Italiens größter Telekom-Anbieter erwäge, sein Festnetz, Tausende Arbeitsplätze sowie einen Teil des Schuldenbergs in eine neue Firma auszugliedern. Der Plan werde vom Management und Verwaltungsratschef Franco Bernabe unterstützt. Die Abtrennung könnte dem Insider zufolge bis zu 18 Monaten dauern. Am Abend teilte TI mit, bei einer weiteren Sitzung am 30. Mai eine endgültige Entscheidung über eine Ausgliederung zu treffen.

Das sind die größten Telekommunikationsunternehmen: http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/moegliche-…

Platz 10

Deutsche Telekom - 37,05 Milliarden Euro
Platz 9
Platz 8
Platz 7
Platz 6
Platz 5
Platz 4
Platz 3
Platz 2
Platz 1

Aus Kreisen war zuletzt verlautet, TI erwäge die Abspaltung des Mobilfunkgeschäfts und des Festnetzes vom Rest des Konzerns, um Schulden zu senken, Personalkosten zu sparen und eventuell neue Investoren an Bord zu holen. So ist der Hutchison -Konzern aus Hongkong am Mobilfunk-Geschäft interessiert und will sich mit 30 Prozent beteiligen. Bei einer Zerschlagung müssten umfangreiche Vorschriften beachtet werden; zudem gilt sie als sensibles politisches Thema. Manche Politiker sehen es als Gefahr für die nationale Sicherheit an, sollte der asiatische Netzbetreiber Italiens wichtigstes Kommunikationsnetz kontrollieren.

rtr

[teecee1]

Leap suggests its LTE roaming deal is with Sprint, hints at more device financing options
May 22, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

LAS VEGAS--Executives from Cricket provider Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) strongly hinted that the company's LTE roaming deal is with Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), which already has a nationwide 3G CDMA roaming deal with Cricket.

In a briefing with reporters here at the CTIA Wireless 2013 conference, Leap executives also disclosed details about the company's device portfolio, a new Cricket advertising campaign specifically targeting AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) and also announced the upcoming availability of Samsung Electronics' flagship galaxy S4 smartphone. Cricket said the Galaxy S4 will be available at Cricket company-owned stores, dealers and online starting June 7 for $599.99, and qualifying customers can put $54.99 down at purchase and make monthly payments.

Matt Stoiber, Cricket's senior vice president of devices, said that the S4 will support LTE and LTE roaming in the AWS Band 4 as well as Band 25. T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) is among th carriers that support LTE in Band 4. Sprint uses Band 25 for its existing LTE network on its 1900 MHz spectrum, and Stoiber suggested the S4 will use that network. "We will enable roaming on Band 25 this summer," he said, adding that customers "can roam nationally and use LTE in Band 25." He and other Cricket executives declined to name Sprint as the company's LTE roaming partner; Cricket initially announced the agreement in February. Stoiber said Cricket may look to add support for additional bands in its devices with companies that it has deals with now and with other carriers. ... ... 2500 MHz ...

Stoiber also said that Cricket will launch new device financing options for customers in the middle for the summer that range from customers with subprime credit to prime. He said Cricket is focused on giving its customers the ability to purchase higher-priced phones and that the new financing options, which he declined to detail, will "continue growth for us in the higher tier devices." He suggested that customers with strong credit will pay little to no interest on the financing plans.

Late last year Cricket started working with Progressive Finance on device financing plans. Cricket customers who purchase more than $200 worth of hardware (phones and accessories) can apply for a Progressive Finance loan at a Cricket store or dealer via an online application.

Despite the focus on high-end phones, Stoiber said feature phones still account for a third of the total handset volumes Cricket sells, and certain customers will never want to upgrade to a smartphone because of the price of the phone, data plan and because they prefer a simpler communication experience.

Stoiber said that the company is still seeing a large volume of entry-level Android smartphone sales and more high-end sales than it had expected. The middle-tier smartphone segment isn't performing as well, he said. Cricket plans to introduce more Samsung devices this summer, including the entry-level Galaxy Discover and the LTE-capable Samsung Admire II.

This year, he said, Cricket will support a narrower range of OEM partners, but it is not foreclosing working with any company it has worked with in the past and is also looking at new partners. He said the carrier is "trying to hit doubles, triples, home runs with volume" and does not want to support devices that will only move minimal numbers of shipments.

Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson said that a year ago around 1 percent of Cricket's smartphone sales were high-end smartphones, a figure that is now in the mid-teens and growing. Although Cricket has focused on Android, Stoiber said the carrier is open to using Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 8, which he said "is turning out to be a really stable platform" that is "gaining momentum." He said "we're very interested in it" and though he did not give a timeframe for when Cricket might support a Windows Phone device, he said it would likely be a high-end gadget. Stoiber also said Cricket continues to talk with BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) but has not made any commitments to supporting BlackBerry 10 devices.

In discussing the new advertising campaign targeting AT&T and Verizon, Tyler Wallis, senior vice president of product and marketing, said that Cricket hears a great deal from postpaid customers who switch and say they were fed up with the pricing or experience on postpaid service. The new campaign, dubbed "Half is More," focuses on the fact that the average Cricket single-line smartphone plan is about half the price of a comparable plan at AT&T and Verizon. The campaign is rolling out now across digital, print, retail, out-of-home and social media, with television advertising beginning June 3, and it will feature real-world "advertisements" that demonstrate the price difference between the plans.

"The point of this campaign is that with the money you're saving at Cricket you can do more that's important to you in your life," Wallis said.

When asked about T-Mobile US' (NYSE:TMUS) plans to significantly expand the footprint where its MetroPCS brand offers service by around 100 million POPs over the next six quarters, Hutcheson said Cricket is not that worried. He said Cricket has experienced such expansions before and has fared well historically. "We don't lack competition in the prepaid segment," he said, noting that Cricket is focused on capturing a larger slice of what it expects will be an expanding pie of prepaid customers.

Cricket thinks 50 million U.S. subscribers will consider switching this year from postpaid to prepaid plans, two-third of which will be from AT&T and Verizon. Hutcheson said Cricket will focus on continuing to improve its Muve Music service and also hinted that late this year or early next year the company will launch "a fairly large product evolution" focused on mobile content. He declined to go into further details.

Related Articles:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/clearwire-materially-red…" target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/clearwire-materially-red…


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UPDATED: Clearwire 'materially reducing' Huawei footprint in TD-LTE buildout
May 23, 2013 | By Mike Dano

Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) reiterated that it is reducing the amount of Huawei equipment it is using in its TD-LTE network buildout as compared with its existing WiMAX network, likely a response to ongoing concerns that Huawei's network gear poses a threat to U.S. national security.

"Huawei represents less than 5 percent of our total LTE spend, and we are materially reducing their footprint in our LTE network," John Saw, CTO of Clearwire, told FierceWireless.

Clearwire said it initially disclosed the reduction of its use of Huawei's equipment last year. The company reiterated its relationship with Huawei amid reports that U.S. officials are asking Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) to spend up to $1 billion to remove Huawei's equipment from Clearwire's network. The removal of Huawei's equipment would be a condition of SoftBank's proposed $20.1 billion purchase of 70 percent of Sprint, which still requires federal approval. As part of Sprint's SoftBank transaction, Sprint is working to acquire the 50 percent of Clearwire it does not own.

Concerns over Huawei's equipment stem from a report last year from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that recommends the U.S. block acquisitions and mergers involving Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE. The report also recommends that the U.S. government and U.S. companies avoid using equipment from the two Chinese companies. The companies have vehemently denied all of the allegations against them.

In response to the situation, Clearwire's Saw explained that the company "is committed to ensuring that our network and our customers' data are secure. We have great respect for the U.S. government and their oversight role over the nation's infrastructure. We continue to be transparent with the government and have thoroughly reviewed our plans with the technical arms of multiple federal agencies."

Saw said Clearwire's incumbent WiMAX vendors are adding LTE in their respective markets in the initial phase of Clearwire's LTE build. "The exception is that, in markets that previously had Motorola WiMAX equipment, we plan to use Samsung equipment," Saw said. "It is important to point out that there are no longer any domestic suppliers for radio base station infrastructure equipment. Samsung and Huawei base stations are deployed at the edge of our network, while the 'brains' our core network are being supplied by domestic vendors like Cisco and Ciena."

Saw said Clearwire will continue to use Sweden's Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) for network maintenance.

Finally, Saw reiterated that Clearwire is "subjecting every LTE base station vendor to a Trusted Delivery Program whereby we require that all of our vendors' base station and software pass extensive testing by a U.S. government-approved third party company recognized for vetting critical infrastructure systems for security weaknesses and threats."

Clearwire plans to have 2,000 TD-LTE sites on air by the end of June and 5,000 TD-LTE sites on air by the end of December. Sprint intends to use those cell sites as an LTE offload network--Sprint has said, assuming it successfully acquires Clearwire by mid-year, Sprint can begin launching devices in the late third quarter that take advantage of Clearwire's TD-LTE network.


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Walmart wants to use mobile to transform retail
May 22, 2013 | By Sue Marek

LAS VEGAS--Walmart is looking to mobile technology to redefine the shopping experience for its retail customers. Speaking at the CTIA Wireless 2013 conference today, Gibu Thomas, global head of mobile at Walmart, said that the company's goal is to create mobile tools that are "indispensable for the customer when shopping in our stores." (...)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/walmart-wants-use-mobile…


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Walmart exec: TracFone's Straight Talk is 'one of the best-kept secrets' in wireless

TracFone to open dozens of 'Simple Mobile Solutions' retail stores

May 23, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

LAS VEGAS--Walmart's top mobile executive said that the Straight Talk service offered by América Móvil's U.S. MVNO, TracFone Wireless, is the fastest growing part of its sprawling mobile business.

"Straight Talk has been an incredible value for our customers," Gibu Thomas, global head of mobile at Walmart, said in an interview with FierceWireless here at the CTIA Wireless 2013 conference. "It's the fastest growing segment of our wireless business." Walmart in January launched Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, including the LTE-capable iPhone 5, coupled with a $45 plan for unlimited voice, texting and data. (...)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/walmart-exec-tracfones-s…

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.634.055 von teecee1 am 14.05.13 19:13:03

Google Fiber Names Another City: Raytown, Mo.

By Kevin Chen |
May 23, 2013 |

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Fiber's reach continues to grow. On Tuesday, city leaders in Raytown, Mo., voted to allow the search giant to expand its super-fast Internet service into the city. The announcement comes on the heels of last week's Gladstone, Mo., announcement .

As with past announcements, the Google Fiber team says it will "need to plan and build" its network in the city before finally making Fiber available to Raytown, so the city will have to wait awhile for connectivity. Since Google is building its service by demand, "fiberhoods" -- neighborhoods of 250-1,500 households -- that meet a pre-registration goal will get Fiber service.

Other cities slated for Google Fiber service include Grandview, Mo.; Shawnee, Kan.; Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; and Gladstone, Mo.


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1. Kansas City, Mo. ---
2. Gladstone, Mo.: 25,000
3. Grandview, Mo.: ???
4. Raytown, Mo.: ???


1. Kansas City, Kan.: ---
5. Shawnee, Kan.: 63,000
6. Olathe, Kan. 125,000

7. Austin, Texas: 800,000
8. Provo, Utah: 120,000


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Critical Communications World 2013: LTE und Android in der Blaulicht-Kommunikation

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Critical-Communicatio…

Am heutigen Freitag geht die Critical Communications World 2013 in Paris zu Ende. Die CCW, Leitmesse der Kommunikationsausrüster für Polizei, Militär, Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienste startete einst als TETRA World, doch diese Funktechnik interessierte nur am Rande. Die Verschmelzung von LTE-Funknetzen mit TETRA-, Tetrapol oder PMR-Betriebsfunknetzen war das dominierende Thema der CCW. Etliche Hersteller stellten zudem besonders sichere Android-Smartphones für den harten Polizeieinsatz. Auch der Einsatz von Google Glasses bei der Polizei wurde in ersten Konzeptstudien gezeigt.

Tom Quirke, Chef-Manager von Motorola Solutions, gab sich in Paris davon überzeugt, dass "Proactive Policing Strategies" mit der Auswertung von Videos, Fotos und Daten die Arbeit der Blaulichtbehörden verändern wird. In sicheren Städten wie Singapur, wo Motorola aktuell 42.000 Streifenpolizisten mit neuen Funkgeräten ausstattet, könne die Zahl der Delikte um 38 Prozent gesenkt werden. Nach einer von Quirke zitierten Studie sollen sich 90 Prozent aller Straftäter für schuldig bekennen, wenn ihnen ein Videobeweis ihrer Taten präsentiert wird.


Das vernetzte Polizeivehikel der Zukunft
Bild: Detlef Borchers

Dementsprechend ist es nur eine Frage der Zeit, bis im Namen der Sicherheit separate LTE-Netze für die Behörden mit Ordnungsaufgaben installiert werden oder öffentliche Netze in Krisensituationen beschlagnahmt werden. Für Ausrüster wie Motorola bietet LTE die Chance, neue Basisstationen in die bestehende Infrastruktur zu verkaufen, bis hin zu Polizeiwagen als fahrende LTE-Hubs. In Paris stellte Motorola die neue Basisstation MTS4L vor, die eine LTE-Aufrüstung ermöglicht, ohne dass der TETRA-Funk unterbrochen werden muss.

Auf Mercedes-Basis demonstrierte das Unternehmen überdies das "vernetzte Polizeifahrzeug" mit Rundum-Kameratechnik und leistungsstarkem LTE-Hub sowie mit dem AME 2000 ein Smartphone auf Android-Basis für "Assured Mobile Environments". Für das unlängst vorgestellte Foto-Funkgerät MTP 6750 präsentierte Motorola einen überraschenden Kunden der ersten Stunde: Die dänischen Notärzte und Rettungssanitäter auf Seeland bekommen solche Funken, um am Unfallort oder Tatort Bilder aufnehmen zu können, die in einer medizinischen Dokumentationsakte gespeichert werden.


... hat kein Reserverad ...
Bild: Detlef Borchers

LTE wurde auch bei Thales groß gefeiert. Wie in Paris bekannt wurde, sicherte sich die Firma einen Auftrag der jordanischen Regierung, ein LTE-Testnetz für die Polizei und das Militär zu errichten. Noch zukunfts- und prestigeträchtiger ist der Zuschlag, den sich Thales bei der ALTEA-Studie sichern konnte (Analyse de la norme LTE et son exploitation au sein des forces Armées). Zehn Monate wird ein Team von Experten untersuchen, wie das Militär zu Land, Luft und See LTE als Netz benutzen kann, das auch bei Extremeinsätzen wie in Mali ausfallsicher funktionieren muss.

An Hardware zeigte Thales den in Zusammenarbeit mit den Technologiepartnern Cisco und Nokia Siemens Networks entwickelten Nexium-Router für die Integration von LTE und PMR-Funk sowie das TeSquad, ein robustes LTE-Smartphone für den Außeneinsatz, das über Sicherheitsfeatures wie Verschlüsselung, Notrufknopf und Totmannfunktion verfügt. Ist kein LTE-Funk verfügbar, soll sich das TeSquad in kommerzielle Netze einwählen können. Schließlich stellte Thales die Entwicklungsumgebung Teopad vor, mit der jedes Android-Smartphone um Funktionen für die sichere Blaulichtkommunkation erweitert werden kann.

Cassidian, die EADS-Tochterfirma für Sicherheits- und Militärtechnik will sich ähnlich wie Thales auf das verschmelzen von PMR-Funk und LTE konzentrieren, dabei aber auch seine TETRA- und Tetrapol-Angebote fortentwickeln. Mit Claricor 3 präsentierte das Unternehmen in Paris ein Komplettpaket für kleine TETRA-Netze, die dank der TEDS-Datenübertragung ideal geeignet sein sollen, Daten sicher in SCADA-Systemen zu verteilen. Gezeigt wurde ferner das derzeit kleinste TETRA-Funkgerät TH1n und der Breitband-Router BVR 700 für den Einbau in Einsatzfahrzeugen. Das System soll automatisch die beste verfügbare Funktechnik aussuchen, etwa LTE, WiFi oder UMTS. Mit Blue Light Mobile präsentierte die EADS-Tochter Astrium den umgekehrten Weg, sie will das belgische TETRA-Behördenfunknetz ASTRID um ein 3G-Funknetz erweitern.


... und sieht so aus.
Bild: Detlef Borchers

Trotz all der LTE-Euphorie auf der CCW sollte nicht vergessen werden, dass die Bestückung mit TETRA-Funksystemen nach wie vor lukrativ ist. Nach Auskunft von Phil Kirchner von der TETRA World Association war 2012 das erfolgreichste Geschäftsjahr aller Zeiten mit einer Wachstumsrate von 12 Prozent. Als Newcomer präsentierte sich die österreichische Kapsch CarrierCom, die in Kooperation mit der niederländischen Rohill ans Werk geht. Rohill hatte wiederum mit "LTEtraNode" seine Aufgaben gemacht und präsentierte eine Basisstation, die auch als LTE-Hub betrieben werden kann.

Während der Polizeiwagen der Zukunft in Paris gezeigt wurde, ist der entsprechend ausgerüstete Polizist der Zukunft noch mehr Konzept denn Realität. Bei Motorola wurde ein Brillen-Dummy präsentiert, das eng an Google Glasses angelehnt erschien. Zepcam zeigte eine Reihe von Kleinstkameras die Streifenpolizisten zur Dokumentation am Körper tragen können. Nach Angaben der Firma sollen 600 niederländische Polizisten mit dem System unterwegs sein, das den Videostream auf einem kleinen Taschenmodul T1 puffert. Auch bei einigen Verkehrsbetrieben sind Kleinstkameras im Einsatz, um die Sicherheit der Fahrkarten-Kontrolleure zu verbessern. Fragen nach der gesellschaftlichen Wirkung dieser mobilen persönlichen Videoüberwachung stellten sich in Paris nicht.

Die Reise zur CCW wurde von Motorola Solutions gesponsert. (Detlef Borchers) / (dbe)

... ... Moto & Goo-Car ... Motorola & Google

... Versicherungskonzerne ... um die Sicherheit anderer Verkehrsteilnehmer zu schützen ... ähhh, ... ich habe nicht telefoniert während des Fahrens ... nein, niemals ...


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Sprint’s Network Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response Teams are Prepared for the Start of 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Press Release: Sprint – 19 hours ago

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-network-disaster-recove…

Should a hurricane or tropical storm threaten the operation of Sprint’s network this hurricane season, the company’s Network Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response teams will begin to implement a standard emergency response approximately 24 to 72 hours before the storm is predicted to make landfall. As part of that emergency protocol, Sprint pre-stages critical company assets in the region where the storm is expected. These pre-staged assets include:

* Portable generators to provide power to Sprint network assets when local electric power is unavailable.
* Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTs) and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) to expedite restoration of service and to help facilitate wireless and IP communications among disaster relief and emergency response agencies.
* Experienced and well-trained technicians and engineers who can readily access and maintain the resiliency of Sprint network assets.

Multimedia Gallery URL

[teecee1]

Asia to be largest LTE market, says Nokia Siemens Networks greater China head
Chloe Yu, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Friday 24 May 2013]

Asia is expected to be the largest LTE market among regions around the world in 2015, Greater China president Markus Borchert for Nokia Siemens Networks said at the LTE Marketing Forum in Taipei on May 23.

LTE networks are in commercial operation in Japan and South Korea, and the governments in China and Taiwan are poised to release 4G (LTE) licenses. Nokia Siemens has the largest market share for LTE equipment in Asia and will maintain the market status, Borchert indicated.

While China Mobile has been actively promoting TD-LTE in the China market, most important is the development of a healthy TD-LTE supply ecosystem, Borchert said. Based on progress of TD-LTE development in China, TD-LTE terminal devices are expected to be available in large volumes and at reasonable prices at the end of 2013 or the beginning of 2014, Borchert said. For China Mobile, however, it is important to promote TD-LTE as an international standard rather than a national or regional one, Borchert indicated.

As the Taiwan government plans to open the 700MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz frequency bands for 4G mobile communications, an estimated 3,000-4,000, 4,000-5,000 and 8,000 4G base stations, respectively, will need to be deployed to reach 90% coverage, according to Mike Wang who is head of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau under Nokia Siemens Networks' Greater China division.


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Swisscom erhöht LTE-Tempo auf 150 Mbps
von Marcel Wüthrich +

23. Mai 2013 - Kurz vor dem LTE-Marktstart der Konkurrenz erhöht Swisscom den maximalen Datendurchsatz auf dem eigenen Netz auf bis zu 150 Mbps. Ausserdem gibt es LTE bald auch für Prepaid-Kunden.


Swisscom erhöht LTE-Tempo auf 150 Mbps
(Quelle: Swisscom)

Anfang Juni wollen sowohl Orange als auch Sunrise mit LTE an den Start gehen. Kurz vor dem Marktstart der Konkurrenz legt Swisscom nun erneut vor und schraubt die maximale Geschwindigkeit des 4G-Netzes um 50 Prozent nach oben. Neu sollen bei Swisscom via LTE Datenraten von bis zu 150 Mbps möglich sein, so Swisscom. Allerdings profitieren nur Kunden mit einem Natel-Infinity-XL-Abo vom neuen Maximaltempo. Ausserdem sei ein entsprechendes Endgerät nötig, und solche seien ab Anfang Juni bei Swisscom erhältlich. Mit aktuellen Endgeräten können die 150 Mbps nicht erreicht werden, wie Swisscom-Sprecher Olaf Schulze auf Anfrage bestätigt.

Als zweite Neuerung kündigt Swisscom an, dass man ab Anfang Juli LTE auch für Prepaid-Kunden mit einem 4G-fähigen Endgerät anbieten wird. Gemäss Schulze wir LTE für alle Prepaid-Abos bereitstehen, bei der Geschwindigeit ist die Bandbreite beim aktuellen Angebot Natel Easy Smart allerdings auf 1 Mbps beschränkt, bei den älteren Angeboten liegt die Obergrenze bei 7,2 Mbps. Damit profitieren Prepaid-Kunden bei LTE lediglich von den grösseren Kapazitäten und der besseren Latenzzeit, nicht aber vom Speed.

Swisscom bietet LTE bereits seit Ende letztem Jahr an. Aktuell seien bereits 170 Orte mit LTE erschlossen, und 50 Prozent der Bevölkerung könnten 4G nutzen, schreibt der Telekom-Marktführer.

... ... ab Juli auch bei Clearwire und Sprint ... ???.


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Neu surfen Kunden bei Swisscom noch schneller im 4G/LTE-Netz
Von moneycab - 23. Mai 2013 10:09


Urs Schaeppi, CEO Swisscom (Schweiz). (Copyright: Swisscom)

Bern – Swisscom Kunden profitieren von einem noch schnelleren mobilen Datennetz: Ab sofort können sie mit bis zu 150 Mbit/s mobil im Internet surfen und damit Bilder und Videos noch schneller herunterladen. „Wir bieten unseren Kunden das beste Netz der Schweiz und werden das auch in Zukunft tun. Daher erhöhen wir die Geschwindigkeit für die Datenübertragung noch einmal massiv“ sagt Urs Schaeppi, Leiter Swisscom Schweiz. Bereits heute sind 170 Orte mit 4G/LTE erschlossen und damit 50 Prozent der Bevölkerung mit dem modernsten mobilen Breitbandnetz versorgt. Ab anfangs Juli steht das 4G/LTE-Mobilfunknetz auch allen Prepaid-Kunden von Swisscom zur Verfügung.

Swisscom bietet ihren Kunden als einzige Anbieterin mit 4G/LTE das modernste und schnellste Mobilfunknetz der Schweiz. Der Ausbau läuft auf Hochtouren. Nun wird das neue Netz noch einmal optimiert: Swisscom erhöht ab sofort die Geschwindigkeit im 4G/LTE-Netz auf 150Mbit/s (bisher 100 Mbit/s). Swisscom Kunden können ihre Bilder und Videos damit noch schneller herunterladen und blitzschnell im Internet surfen. Um vom neuen Tempo profitieren zu können, benötigen Kunden ein NATEL infinity XL-Abonnement und ein entsprechendes Endgerät. Solche sind ab Anfang Juni bei Swisscom verfügbar. Swisscom erhöht die Geschwindigkeit zunächst an stark frequentierten Orten und baut diese laufend aus.

4G/LTE neu auch für Prepaid-Kunden

Eine Neuerung gibt es zudem für Prepaid-Kunden: Ab anfangs Juli steht das 4G/LTE-Netz von Swisscom automatisch auch den Natel-Kunden ohne Abo zur Verfügung. Mit einer Prepaid-Karte von Swisscom und einem 4G/LTE-fähigen Endgerät profitieren Kunden von den deutlich höheren Kapazitäten, dem erhöhten Tempo sowie den kürzeren Reaktionszeiten des 4G/LTE Netzes. In nur sechs Monaten hat Swisscom 170 Orte mit 4G/LTE erschlossen – in ländlichen und in städtischen Gebieten. Das entspricht einer Bevölkerungsabdeckung von 50 Prozent. Bis Ende Jahr will Swisscom sogar 70 Prozent der Bevölkerung mit 4G/LTE versorgen.

Dass 4G/LTE für Kunden immer wichtiger wird, zeigt sich daran, dass bei Swisscom bereits jedes zweite verkaufte Smartphone 4G/LTE-fähig ist. Rund 400’000 Kunden nutzen ein entsprechendes Smartphone oder Modem .

Mit der Kombination von GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, 4G/LTE und WLAN bietet Swisscom einen schweizweit einzigartigen Technologiemix im mobilen Breitband-Internet und investiert bis 2017 rund CHF 1,5 Mrd. in die Modernisierung ihres Mobilfunknetzes. Swisscom baut das Netz in der ganzen Schweiz kontinuierlich aus, damit alle Kunden mit jedem Abonnement die beste Verbindung bekommen. (Swisscom/mc/ps)

... ... ein Haufen überflüssige Technologien die nicht mehr gebraucht werden ...


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Internet-Turbo LTE
Marktübersicht: Router mit LTE
24.05.2013

Kein DSL verfügbar? Wir zeigen Ihnen LTE-Router, mit denen Sie dennoch schnell ins Netz kommen.

(...) Mit LTE sind derzeit Mobilfunkdatenraten von theoretisch 100 Mbit/s (Download) und 50 Mbit/s (Upload) möglich – mit Hardware der LTE-Kategorie 3. In der LTE-Kategorie 4 sollen es sogar 150 Mbit/s beim Download werden, also Datendurchsatzraten wie bei n-WLAN. Für die LTE-Kategorie 4 ist derzeit bei deutschen Netzbetreibern allerdings noch keine passende Hardware erhältlich. (...)


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Internet-Turbo LTE
Marktübersicht: Smartphones und Tablets mit LTE
17.05.2013

Wir versorgen Sie mit den wichtigsten Infos zu LTE und zeigen alle relevanten Smartphones, Tablets und Router, die den schnellen Datenturbo unterstützen. (...)

LTE: Das Frequenzwirrwarr

http://www.connect.de/ratgeber/marktuebersicht-lte-smartphon…

Kleiner Haken: LTE ist nicht gleich LTE: Dies führt uns ausgerechnet ein Handy-Highlight wie das iPhone 5 vor. Denn das Apple-Smartphone ist nur im Netz der Telekom einsetzbar. Der Grund: Es unterstützt lediglich eines der drei in Deutschland eingesetzten Frequenzbänder – das Frequenzband 3 mit 1800 MHz.

Darüber hinaus gibt es hierzulande noch die Frequenzbänder 20 (800 MHz) und 7 (2600 MHz). Diese kommen bei Vodafone, O2 und Telekom zum Einsatz. Die für Deutschland vorgesehene iPhone-Variante A1429 meistert zusätzlich nur die weiteren Frequenzen 850 und 2100 MHz. (...)

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.709.701 von teecee1 am 24.05.13 16:15:57

25. Mai 2013 14:19
Verkauf von Sprint Nextel
Anti-Ausland-Kampagne im Streit um US-Mobilfunkkonzern

Im Kampf um das US-Mobilfunkunternehmen Sprint Nextel ist eine Schlacht zischen Dish Networks und Softbank entbrannt.


Für Sprint Nextel werden mehr als 20 Milliarden Dollar geboten.
(Foto: REUTERS)

PR-Kampagnen und politische Spiele um Sicherheitsängste: Der Kampf um den Kauf des US-Mobilfunkkonzerns Sprint Nextel ist zur Schlacht ausgeartet. Nun warnt ein Senator, die Übernahme durch Japaner berge ein Risiko für die gesamten USA.

Es geht um Milliarden Dollar und eines der größten Mobilfunkunternehmen der USA: Sprint Nextel. Mehr als 60.000 Mitarbeiter beschäftigt der Konzern; der Umsatz beträgt jährlich mehr als 40 Milliarden Dollar. Ein begehrtes Unternehmen - um das sich zwei Investoren heftig streiten. Der eine Bieter kommt aus Japan, der andere aus den USA. Und letzterer setzt nun alles auf eine politische Kampagne, um den Bieterwettstreit noch gewinnen zu können.

Dish Network versucht mit einer großangelegten PR-Offensive Kongressabgeordnete und Regierungsvertreter davon zu überzeugen, dass eine Übernahme durch den asiatischen Rivalen Softbank die nationale Sicherheit bedroht. Der Konzern argumentiert, dass die Sicherheit des Telekommunikationsnetzes in Gefahr sei und Länder wie China deshalb einfacher an Geheimnisse aus den USA gelangen könnten.

Dish schaltete Anzeigen in Zeitungen, Magazinen und bei Online-Diensten. Darin spielte das Unternehmen auf die geplatzte Übernahme mehrerer US-Häfen durch das arabische Unternehmen Dubai Ports World vor sieben Jahren an. Damals hatten Sicherheitsbedenken in großen Teilen der Politik die Behörden dazu veranlasst, ihre Zustimmung doch noch zurückzunehmen.

Senator warnt vor möglichen Cyber-Attacken aus China

Und tatsächlich scheint die Kampagne zu wirken. Mit Charles Schumer meldete ein einflussreicher Senator Bedenken an den Übernahmeplänen von Softbank an. "Ich mache mir wirklich Sorgen wegen dieses Geschäfts", sagte der Demokrat. Wenn es gebilligt werde, könnten die amerikanische Industrie und Regierungsbehörden dadurch anfälliger für Cyber-Attacken aus China werden.

"Wir müssen mit äußerster Vorsicht vorgehen, bevor wir es zulassen, dass unsere Infrastruktur für Telekommunikation und das Internet in die Hände ausländischer Unternehmen mit angeblichen Beziehungen nach China fällt", warnte Schumer in einem Brief an Finanzminister Jack Lew und an die Chefin der Telekommunikationsaufsicht, Mignon Clyburn. Deren Behörde und der Ausschuss für ausländische Investitionen in den USA müssten einer Übernahme des drittgrößten US-Mobilfunkanbieters durch Softbank zustimmen.

Dish war später in das Bieterrennen eingestiegen. Das Unternehmen bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Softbank will für 70 Prozent 20,1 Milliarden zahlen.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.710.115 von teecee1 am 24.05.13 17:01:54

28.05.2013 | 14:02

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Urges "True Minority" of Clearwire Stockholders to Oppose New Sprint Offer and Preserve Rights to Seek Fair Treatment in Court

Sends letter to Clearwire stockholders urging them to reject Sprint's new offer and preserve rights to seek an appraisal under Delaware law

HOUSTON, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), today urged Clearwire's "true minority stockholders" to oppose Sprint's new offer and to take the steps necessary to preserve their rights.

In a letter to stockholders, David K. Schumacher, Crest's General Counsel, said Crest refers to "true minority stockholders" because "Clearwire has stacked the deck in favor of Sprint by including as "minority" stockholders a group holding 13% of the outstanding shares that irrevocably obligated themselves to support Sprint even at the $2.97 per share price. These shares are pledged to support Sprint regardless of the alternatives available and regardless of whether Clearwire's Board recommends supporting Sprint's offer. And Sprint is obligated to purchase these shares for the merger consideration-after they have been counted as the "minority"-if the vote fails and the Sprint-SoftBank merger or an alternative transaction is consummated. That means only one thing: for all intents and purposes these are Sprint shares and their votes should not be counted as minority approval. We have filed suit to challenge Sprint's naked interference with stockholder democracy. The presiding judge has indicated that, in the Court's eventual review of the transaction's fairness, the inclusion of these shares in the minority vote count may compromise any benefit Clearwire and Sprint would assert from the vote. We are evaluating all options to provide you with better clarity about who is truly eligible to be counted as non-Sprint stockholders. Sprint must not be allowed to have its cake and eat it too."

Schumacher said: "Of course there is a way forward: We true minority stockholders can reject the current Sprint offer, and the Clearwire Board can allow competitive bidding for Clearwire to begin. SoftBank's CEO Masayoshi Son has suggested publicly that even if we prevail, SoftBank will be 'happy' because Sprint would own 65 percent of Clearwire. According to Son, that will be 'good enough' for him because 'Clearwire would be prohibited to have any sales of frequency to outsiders and so on.' But Masayoshi Son is wrong. Sprint will grab the additional 13% of shares from Intel, Comcast, and Bright House Networks ('BHN') only if Sprint actually consummates the Sprint-SoftBank merger or alternative transaction. And we believe that if Sprint's bid for Clearwire is rejected, neither a Sprint-SoftBank nor Sprint-DISH transaction will ever actually materialize. In that event, Intel, Comcast, and BHN would be free to maintain their collective 13% of the minority shares in an independent Clearwire. These 13% stockholders, after all, are the same stockholders who made significant investments in Clearwire as parties to the Equityholders' Agreement even before the Company's value became clear. Now that the Company's value is clear, it stands to reason that they would support pursuing value through an independent Clearwire once Sprint's gambit to divert Clearwire's value to itself is up. In the end, once the battle for control of Sprint is resolved, Sprint could end up exactly where it is today-with at most 50.2% ownership of Clearwire-and Intel, Comcast, and BHN could retain their rights under the Equityholders' Agreement and an independent Clearwire could pursue value for all stockholders, not just Sprint."

Schumacher also said any vote in favor of the merger agreement would limit minority stockholders' range of options to recover the fair value of shares if Sprint succeeds in its unfair bid for Clearwire. According to Schumacher, "Any vote in favor of the merger agreement would limit your range of options to recover the fair value of your shares if Sprint succeeds in its unfair bid for Clearwire. Delaware law states that only Clearwire stockholders who vote AGAINST the Sprint-Clearwire merger or ABSTAIN can elect to exercise their appraisal rights. Crest has already taken all necessary steps to perfect its appraisal rights under Delaware law. This means that, instead of pursuing damages for breaches of fiduciary duty by Sprint and the Clearwire Board through a class action or individual action, Crest can ask the Delaware Court of Chancery to determine the fair value of its Clearwire common stock if the Sprint-Clearwire merger is consummated and certain other conditions are satisfied. But appraisal rights are by definition individual rights. You must perfect your own appraisal rights and cannot vote in favor of the merger if you are to carry on the fight for fair value in an appraisal proceeding."

Schumacher added: "Crest and other stockholders who believe that the merger consideration is inadequate have options for judicial relief, including: (a) appraisal, which is an individual action seeking a fair value determination for only the complaining stockholder (i.e., any relief would not be available to a class of stockholders); (b)individual lawsuits seeking damages and other relief for breaches of fiduciary duty by Sprint and the Clearwire Board for only the complaining stockholder (as Aurelius Capital Management LP has filed); and (c)a class action lawsuit seeking damages and other relief for breaches of fiduciary duty by Sprint and the Clearwire Board (as several stockholders, including Crest, have filed). As the ongoing battle for Clearwire's future proceeds, Crest continues to weigh all litigation options, including an appraisal proceeding or an individual action."

Schumacher concluded: "Crest encourages Clearwire's other true minority stockholders to oppose the merger and to act now to perfect their rights to pursue fair treatment through all available avenues, including an appraisal proceeding."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letters to the Clearwire Board and the letter to the Clearwire stockholders can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest. (...)


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May 22, 2013, 2:51pm CDT Updated: May 23, 2013, 3:19pm CDT
Losing Clearwire would make Sprint less attractive M&A target, analyst says

Alyson Raletz
Reporter- Kansas City Business Journal

If Sprint Nextel Corp. loses the acquisition of Clearwire Corp., the Overland Park wireless carrier risks losing some of the attention of its own suitors, a telecommunications analyst said Wednesday.

Sprint (NYSE: S) upped the stakes Tuesday, when it increased its bid for Clearwire (Nasdaq: CLWR) to $3.40 a share, shortly before shareholders were set to vote on the Sprint deal.

"If Clearwire shareholders reject this deal ... then Sprint would fail to acquire Clearwire at this time, which we think could make Sprint somewhat less attractive to both SoftBank and Dish," Shing Yin of Guggenheim Partners LLC wrote in a Wednesday analyst note.

Tokyo-based SoftBank Corp. and Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH) each have proposed $20.1 billion and $25.5 billion mergers with Sprint, respectively. Sprint shareholders will consider SoftBank's proposition June 12 during a special meeting in Overland Park.

"SoftBank would remain obligated to honor its merger agreement with Sprint," Yin said. "But we wonder whether Dish would continue to pursue Sprint, or if it might turn its attention to attempting to acquire a portion of Clearwire's spectrum instead."

Wireless carriers like Sprint and would-be carrier Dish need spectrum, or wireless frequency-like infrastructure, to manage the growing demand for speed from mobile devices that devour data.

Sprint's last-minute move gives Clearwire shareholders more time to mull over a potential union. The vote was rescheduled to May 31.

It also gives Dish more time to increase its bid of $3.30 a share for Clearwire and possibly sway shareholders who are on the fence.

"If Dish turns its attention to Clearwire instead, then it may back off its bid for Sprint, and Softbank may be able to consummate its transaction with little or no increase in its offer," Yin said. "It is not clear, however, if Dish could successfully negotiate a spectrum purchase from Clearwire, since Sprint now has majority ownership and control of Clearwire."

[teecee1]

Tri-Band 4G LTE Mobile Broadband Devices to Bring Sprint Customers Stronger In-Building Coverage and Better Network Performance

MiFi® 500 LTE by Novatel Wireless™, NETGEAR® 341U USB Modem and NETGEAR® Zing Mobile Hotspot ™ offer connectivity and security without the hassle of searching for a public Wi-Fi signal

Business Wire
Press Release: Sprint – Tue, May 21, 2013 10:30 AM EDT

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced the planned summer launch of a trio of mobile broadband devices that will take advantage of three bands of 4G LTE wireless spectrum available to Sprint’s network. These devices are expected to bring customers improved network performance and stronger in-building coverage as LTE is deployed on each of these bands. With the ability to leverage Sprint’s 4G LTE network at 1.9GHz and 800MHz as well as Clearwire’s LTE network at 2.5GHz, these new devices offer Sprint customers ideal solutions to easily stay connected on the go.

The first tri-band Sprint 4G LTE-capable mobile broadband devices will be the sleek MiFi® 500 LTE by Novatel Wireless™, international-capable NETGEAR® Zing Mobile Hotspot™ and the plug-in NETGEAR® 341U USB Modem. Pricing and exact availability dates for the three devices will be provided at a later date.

The three bands of spectrum accessible on these devices will provide Sprint customers a high-quality, consistently fast 4G LTE network experience, whether they are sitting at their desks, catching up with friends at a coffee shop, or riding in a cab in a crowded city:

* The 800MHz spectrum that is being added to Sprint’s LTE network beginning later this year excels at in-building coverage. This spectrum is able to be repurposed for LTE as Sprint ceases operations of the Nextel National Network on June 30, 2013.

* Using 1.9GHz spectrum as its primary band for 4G nationwide coverage, Sprint is making substantial progress with deployment of its new 4G LTE network. Sprint now offers service in 88 markets nationwide, including Los Angeles, Charlotte, Boston and Dallas. Average performance is in the range of six to eight MB per second for downlink and two to three MB per second or higher for uplink. Many Sprint customers are discovering Sprint 4G LTE in cities that haven’t yet officially been announced, including Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco. Sprint has announced more than 170 additional markets where LTE will be available in the coming months.

* Clearwire’s 2.5GHz spectrum for its LTE network, which excels at broad-based, high speed coverage, is expected to provide Sprint customers with increased speeds and capacity in densely populated cities.

The launch of devices that can operate on three spectrum bands is another milestone in Sprint’s rollout of Network Vision. Network Vision represents a nationwide update of the Sprint network using the newest, most-advanced equipment in the industry. Sprint plans to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network with the goal of enhancing network coverage, improving call quality and increasing data speeds for customers. It will also offer financial benefits for Sprint shareholders.

“We are very pleased to reach another Network Vision milestone today as we continue to be on schedule to deliver a world-class LTE network experience for our customers,” said Steve Elfman, president of Network Operations and Wholesale. “These three devices from our partners at Novatel and NETGEAR provide a clear look at the benefits of consolidating networks and making the best use of our spectrum assets. Best of all, these new mobile broadband devices bring our customers innovative features, including touchscreens and international capability.”

Updated MiFi Packs In Features

Novatel Wireless, inventor of the mobile hotspot category, has updated its award-winning MiFi hotspot with the MiFi 500 LTE, adding connectivity to Sprint’s LTE network as well as 3G CDMA. Offering sleek and compact styling, MiFi 500 LTE makes it easy for families, students or work teams of up to 10 to wirelessly stay connected with the same 3G or 4G LTE connection.

This convenient mobile broadband device requires no software to install and offers advanced on-device security features to keep data and wireless service protected. An easy-to-use, on-device menu and intuitive navigation keys puts important information, such as battery status, signal strength and connected devices, at the user’s fingertips. The web interface provides additional information including data usage and power management options.

MiFi 500 LTE offers a powerful 1,800mAh battery with an average of up to 10 hours of use on a single charge. It also features GPS functionality over Wi-Fi, multiple security protocols and other advanced features required by many corporate customers.

International Sprint LTE Hotspot

Sierra Wireless’ AirCard® mobile broadband devices, including mobile hotspots, USB modems, associated accessories and software, are now part of the NETGEAR® family. Thinner than a hockey puck, NETGEAR Zing Mobile Hotspot is Sprint’s first CDMA/LTE mobile hotspot to boast international roaming capabilities via GSM. It is also Sprint’s first LCD touchscreen hotspot and first hotspot with both the device and packaging meeting Sprint’s stringent environmental specifications.

NETGEAR Zing makes it easy to get work started quickly with access to the Sprint 3G or 4G LTE networks within seconds and real-time access to company resources, networks and data. The entire family can stay entertained on the go with high speed data for up to 10 users on Wi-Fi capable devices, such as laptops, eReaders, gaming devices, music players and tablets.

With a 2,500mAh battery, NETGEAR Zing allows users to remain connected for up to 10 hours of typical use. Users of the device can also manage connections and change network or device settings directly from the touchscreen. Additional settings are accessible through the web user interface.

First Tri-Band LTE USB Plug-In Modem

For those who prefer a plug-in option, NETGEAR 341U USB Modem will be Sprint’s first tri-band LTE-capable USB modem. This small yet powerful device features a built-in LCD screen display to monitor connection status, signal strength and data usage with a quick glance.

With no software to install or start-up delay, NETGEAR 341U USB Modem makes it easy to get work done on the go. Download large presentations, stream video, and keep up with email without having to hunt for a public Wi-Fi network anywhere within Sprint’s expanding 4G LTE or nationwide 3G footprints. Best of all, it provides flexibility for mobile workers who want to configure security and network access to keep their data safe.

Smartphones from Samsung and LG with tri-band capability are expected to be available to Sprint customers before the end of the year.

For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, visit www.sprint.com/network. For detailed 4G LTE maps, visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often because the maps will be updated whenever coverage is enhanced. (...)


............................................................................................................................................

(...) May 22, 2013 | By Tammy Parker
FierceBroadbandWireless

Sprint did not provide exact launch dates or pricing for the data devices. It said smartphones from Samsung and LG with tri-band LTE capability will be available to Sprint customers before the end of the year.

As part of its network modernization effort, dubbed Network Vision, Sprint has been deploying LTE at 1.9 GHz since last summer and now offers service in 88 markets, with another 170 on deck for launch in the coming months. The company will cease operations of the Nextel National Network June 30, freeing that 800 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the fourth quarter. Sprint already began deployment of CDMA voice on its 800 MHz spectrum in the first quarter.

WiMAX operator Clearwire is expected to launch TD-LTE in its 2.5 GHz spectrum later this year. The operator expects to have 2,000 TD-LTE sites completed by the middle of the year and 5,000 by the end of the year. In late April, Clearwire CTO John Saw said 1,600 TD-LTE sites were ready in terms of backhaul and just need to be connected to Sprint's core network.

According to Sprint, the upcoming launch of the tri-band devices is an integral part of its Network Vision effort. "These three devices from our partners at Novatel and Netgear provide a clear look at the benefits of consolidating networks and making the best use of our spectrum assets," said Steve Elfman, Sprint president of network operations and wholesale.

Sprint said recently that it plans to cover 200 million POPs with LTE by the end of this year, which is down from the company's initial target of 250 million POPs. Sprint also now expects to put the finishing touches on the effort by the middle of 2014; the company previously planned to finish the project by the first quarter of 2014.

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.711.555 von teecee1 am 24.05.13 19:48:46

28.05.2013
LBS/Navi - BMW (LT)E-Autos werden über Apps vollständig vernetzt sein

DrvieNow, ChargeNow oder ParkNow mit lokalen Infos


BMW Entwicklungsvorstand Dr. Herbert Diess
(Foto: BMW/E-Mobility-21.de)

Berlin, 28.05.2013-11:30 - Die Elektroautos der BMW Group sind nicht nur voll ökologisch gebaut, sondern sie werden für die optimale Energieausbeute über das Internet per Location Based Services auch intelligent vernetzt sein.

"E-Fahrzeuge beschlenunigen eine Reihe von lokalen Diensten, weil es viele Angaben zum aktuellen Standort braucht - etwa zu den derzeit rund 4.000 Stromtankstellen in Deutschland", erklärte BMW Vorstandsmitglied Dr. Herbert Diess am Dienstag auf dem E-Mobility-Kongress der Bundesregierung in Berlin.

Unter dem Oberbegriff „360° Electric“ bietet BMW über eine Reihe von Partnern komplette Lösungen rund um das Thema Elektromobilität an, bis hin zum Ökostrom am eigenen Solar-Carport und Carsharing. Für die Informationssysteme innerhalb der BMW i-Modelle hat der Münchener Autobauer bereits vielfältige Aktivitäten mit Portalen und Plattformen im Netz gestartet und neue Dienste und eigens für BMWi entwickelte Apps im Programm wie DrvieNow, ChargeNow oder ParkNow.

Die neuen E-Modelle, der Kleinwagen BMW i3 (Nov. 2013) und der Hybrid-Sportwagen BMW i8 (2014) werden nach Angaben von Dr. Diess daher über einen dauerhaften Internet-Zugang verfügen.

"Wir glauben an den weltweiten Erfolg der Elektromobilität", so der BMW-Manager in Berlin. Auch Experten bescheinigen den Münchenern neben Renault derzeit das konsequenteste und am besten durchdachte Konzept für den Einstieg in den neuen Markt der Elektroautos.

GEORG STANOSSEK

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.732.711 von teecee1 am 28.05.13 17:41:19

29.05.2013 | 00:43
(92 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Commends Glass Lewis for Recommending a Vote Against the Sprint-Clearwire Merger

HOUSTON, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), today commended the proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis & Co. for recommending a vote against the proposed merger of Clearwire and Sprint Nextel Corporation.

David Schumacher, general counsel of Crest, said: "Glass Lewis's independent analysis and expert opinion confirm our view that Sprint is continuing to divert value away from Clearwire and toward Sprint. As Glass Lewis has pointed out, in pursuing this transaction with Sprint, Clearwire's board of directors has shown 'sharply disproportionate deference to the interests of Sprint.' Furthermore, Glass Lewis questioned Clearwire's review of alternative offers and said minority stockholders have 'significant cause' to doubt that Sprint made its 'best and final' offer for Clearwire.The only proper response from Clearwire shareholders is to vote down the still-inadequate offer by Sprint and wait until the contest for control of Sprint is resolved.Only then can a true competitive process for Clearwire proceed and its true value be unlocked."

Schumacher added: "If Sprint's bid for Clearwire fails, it is not certain that a Sprint-SoftBank or Sprint-DISH transaction will actually materialize. Clearwire is the ultimate prize in the bidding war over Sprint. Thus, despite public statements to the contrary, we doubt that SoftBank or DISH would be satisfied with a Sprint that does not control 100% of Clearwire. But this does not change the fact that Clearwire's stockholders should not approve any offer while the battle over Sprint continues. Whether or not Sprint is ultimately purchased by SoftBank, DISH, or another suitor, the best course is for Clearwire to solicit direct, competitive bids for the company, rather than permitting Sprint to skim off the top by purchasing Clearwire at a discount and selling itself at a premium. We therefore commend the Glass Lewis recommendation that Clearwire's stockholders should reject Sprint's latest unfair offer. The Glass Lewis recommendation stands in stark contrast to the opinion of Institutional Investor Services and Egan-Jones, both of which wrongly supported the merger at $2.97 per share and still obstinately refuse to see Sprint's incremental bump for the unfair offer that it is."

As Glass Lewis notes, "Sprint leveraged its position to secure disproportionately favorable terms at the expense of independent shareholders." That unfair process is not remedied but confirmed by the incremental increased offer. According to Glass Lewis, "Indeed, the undercurrent of the improved bid seems to reinforce many of our doubts about the original transaction process, and, in doing so, does little to off-set our belief that the board has failed to ensure the Sprint bid represents the greatest possible opportunity from the perspective of minority shareholders."

Glass Lewis continued:"Fundamentally, our overarching concern relates to Sprint's ability to influence alternatives practicably available to Clearwire, both through its significant equity ownership and board representation. In particular, as noted in our original analysis, it appears the board made no meaningful effort to stanch Sprint's restrictive impact on the strategic review process. To the contrary, management either negotiated or accepted decidedly non-standard deal terms that effectively marginalized the board's ability to terminate the agreement with Sprint in favor of an alternative transaction or, of equal import, the pursuit of a viable stand-alone strategy. Deprived of any codified resource to materially alter the existing agreement, we continue to be unsurprised by the board's outward support for the transaction."

In addition to commending Glass Lewis, Crest announced its belief that Clearwire and Sprint are significantly overestimating the implicit value of Clearwire spectrum assets reflected in Sprint's latest offer. Sprint and Clearwire have stated that Sprint's $3.40 per share offer implies a transactional value of approximately $0.24 per MHz-POP. According to Crest, however, former FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth has estimated the implicit value for Clearwire's spectrum reflected in Sprint's latest offer at $0.14 per MHz-POP, which is substantially below market. Schumacher stated, "Dr. Furchtgott-Roth's estimates confirm that Sprint's latest offer remains woefully inadequate."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. (...)


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29.05.2013 | 15:52
(52 Leser)

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Sends Letter to FCC Objecting to SoftBank's Pre-Merger Coordination with Sprint

HOUSTON, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), yesterday sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the Commission to investigate the "gun-jumping" implications of SoftBank's and Sprint's "apparent indifference to the Commission's public interest inquiry." Although the FCC's review is ongoing and SoftBank is in a bidding war with DISH Network for control of Sprint, "SoftBank has been directing and manipulating Sprint's critical business decisions as if its merger with Sprint were already approved," Crest wrote.

Crest stated that the FCC could decide to "deny SoftBank's attempted merger with Sprint for being contrary to the public interest or posing a risk to national security" or "hold its decision in abeyance until the Sprint Board of Directors determines whether to pursue a deal with DISH." As a result, Crest said the "uncertainty makes it all the more inappropriate that SoftBank continues to control Sprint from the shadows before the Commission completes its public interest review."

Crest noted that this "sort of pre-merger coordination is not tolerated by other federal regulators charged with protecting the public interest." Crest asked the FCC not to tolerate it either. In the antitrust context, Crest stated, "Merging companies are prohibited from coordinating business activities while the merger is subject to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act waiting period." Merging companies improperly "jump the gun," according to Crest, "when they collaborate to further the merger process and start combining their day-to-day operations before the end of the [Hart-Scott-Rodino Act] waiting period." Department of Justice officials have explained that "gun-jumping is a serious matter" and that the Department "will proceed against parties who fail to respect the law with regard to preconsummation conduct."

Gun-jumping charges have led to settlements in excess of a million dollars. For instance, Crest noted that the Department of Justice has filed gun-jumping charges where merger agreement provisions "substantially altered" the seller's "ordinary business practices, showing that it had ceded its control to buyer." Likewise, according to Crest, Department of Justice officials have stated that merging parties must "continue to operate independently pending consummation of their transaction."

In the same way, Crest argued that SoftBank, through its words and actions, has "jumped the gun" on the FCC's review in several ways, acting as if the Commission's role in reviewing the proposed transaction is a mere formality.

First, Crest stated that SoftBank "has been speaking publicly as if SoftBank already owns Sprint"-announcing that "Clearwire's spectrum is the key" in the SoftBank-Sprint transaction and publicly describing its vision for the post-transaction Sprint. Crest stated that by outlining the post-transaction leadership and expected synergies, "SoftBank has signaled to Sprint's employees and customers that the involvement of Sprint's current leadership will be short-lived-and that all business decisions involving Sprint should be made with the understanding and expectation SoftBank will be running the operation and that current business opportunities should fit within the planned synergies that SoftBank seeks."

Second, Crest stated that SoftBank's recent SEC filings "show that SoftBank has also been directing Sprint's core business decisions." In particular, Crest wrote, "SoftBank directed Sprint's lynchpin business decision in its quest to acquire Clearwire-directing Sprint to purchase enough equity in Clearwire to increase its control over the Clearwire Board and leading to Sprint's acquisition of Clearwire shares owned by Eagle River Investments LLC." SoftBank also "controls how much Sprint may offer to purchase the remaining shares of Clearwire that it did not already own-initially telling Sprint that it would not consent to any bid for Clearwire in excess of $2.97 per share and then consenting to the Sprint's making an increased offer," according to Crest.

These coordinated actions, according to Crest, are just the types of actions that trigger gun-jumping charges in the antitrust context.

In its letter, Crest asked the FCC to "investigate whether SoftBank's integral role in Sprint's corporate decisions amounts to SoftBank jumping the gun of the Commission's public interest review." According to Crest, SoftBank's CEO Masayoshi Son has "stated that the Commission's review and approval does not matter, particularly as it relates to the Commission's review of the Sprint-Clearwire transaction" where Son "suggests that he is comfortable controlling Clearwire through Sprint's current interest".

Crest stated that this "continued disregard for the Commission's important role protecting the public interest should not be allowed to continue unchecked, especially now that there is a bidding war for who will control Sprint." Rather than respecting the Commission's process, SoftBank has presented the proposed transaction to the Commission "as a fait accompli that awaits the Commission's rubber stamp." Crest added: "The Commission must be mindful of its statutory obligation under Section 309 of the Communications Act to approve only those transactions that it determines to be in the public interest." Crest also said simply rubber stamping "an effectively completed transaction would risk impermissibly delegating a core Commission responsibility-verifying that the proposed deal is in fact in the public interest-to SoftBank, Sprint, and Clearwire."

For these reasons, as well as those included in its previous filings with the FCC, Crest again urged the Commission to deny the proposed transaction.

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholders have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letters to the Clearwire Board and the letter to the Clearwire stockholders can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.

[teecee1]

Kreise: Sprint und SoftBank räumen US-Sicherheitsbedenken aus
Mittwoch, 29. Mai 2013, 07:49 Uhr


A man using a mobile phone walks past a SoftBank Corp branch in Tokyo May 29,
2013. Sprint Nextel Corp and Japan's SoftBank Corp have reached an agreement
with U.S. authorities on the national security aspects of the Japanese firm's pending
$20.1 billion deal to win control of the U.S. wireless carrier, people familiar with the
matter said. REUTERS/Toru Hanai (JAPAN - Tags: BUSINESS TELECOMS)

Washington/Tokio (Reuters) - Der US-Mobilfunkkonzern Sprint Nextel und der japanische Telekomkonzern SoftBank machen offenbar Fortschritte bei ihren milliardenschweren Fusionsplänen.

Die beiden Unternehmen hätten eine Vereinbarung mit den US-Behörden über nationale Sicherheitsaspekte getroffen, sagten mit der Angelegenheit vertraute Personen am Dienstag. Danach werde der US-Regierung bei einem Zusammenschluss der Firmen ein Veto bei neuen Anschaffungen durch Sprint in bestimmten Fällen eingeräumt. Die Regierung werde zudem ein vierköpfiges Gremium schaffen, das die Sicherheitsversprechen der zwei Unternehmen überwachen solle. Die höchst ungewöhnliche Vereinbarung könnte bereits am Mittwoch offiziell bekannt gegeben werden. Softbank will für 70 Prozent an Sprint 20,1 Milliarden Dollar zahlen.

Der einflussreiche Senator Charles Schumer hatte in der vergangenen Woche Bedenken an den Übernahmeplänen von SoftBank angemeldet. Der Spitzenpolitiker aus der demokratischen Partei von Präsident Barack Obama befürchtet, dass die amerikanische Industrie und die US-Regierungsbehörden dadurch anfälliger für Cyber-Attacken aus China werden könnte. SoftBank ist an dem chinesischen Online-Handelskonzern Alibaba beteiligt und arbeitet mit den chinesischen Netzwerkausrüstern Huawei und ZTE zusammen.

Auch der zweitgrößte US-Anbieter von Satelliten-TV Dish Network ist an Sprint Nextel interessiert. Das Unternehmen machte zuletzt mit einer großangelegten PR-Kampagne in zahlreichen Medien gegen SoftBank mobil und warnte vor Gefahren für die nationale Sicherheit durch die Pläne der Japaner. Dish bietet für Sprint 25,5 Milliarden Dollar.


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29.05.2013 | 04:57
(128 Leser)

AFX News ·
Reports: Sprint, SoftBank Reach Preliminary Security Deal With US

OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - Mobile phone carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) and Japan's third-largest mobile carrier SoftBank Corp. (SFTBY) have reached a deal in principle with the U.S. government to allay national security concerns related to SoftBank's proposed acquisition of a majority stake in Sprint, according to media reports on Tuesday. The final security agreement is expected to be reached later in the week.

Though the security agreement will clear the biggest regulatory hurdle for the Sprint-SoftBank deal, it is still subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission, which is expected to come through, and approval by Sprint shareholders, a vote for which is scheduled for June 12.

The agreement will allay any fears of exposing the U.S. to Chinese Cyber attacks as the network operator uses equipment made by Chinese equipment suppliers such as Huawei Technologies Co.

The final agreement will call for Sprint to replace equipments supplied by Chinese companies at one of its affiliate's networks by the end of 2016, which could cost the company about $1 billion. Sprint's affiliate Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) uses these equipments. Further, the U.S. government will have veto rights over Sprint's future equipment purchases.

According to the agreement, Sprint will be required to form a four-person national security committee, with a security director sitting on Sprint's board. Members of the committee would have to be approved by the government.

Sprint does both classified and nonclassified work for the U.S. government. Sprint plans to create a special subsidiary that would handle the classified work. The U.S. security agencies are wary of Huawei's closeness to the Chinese government, which could push the company to use its supplied equipments to spy on the U.S.

Sprint's recent sweetened offer to acquire the 49.2 percent stake in wireless network operator Clearwire, that it currently did not own, was approved by the Clearwire board. However, it is still subject to approval Clearwire shareholders. Sprint has now offered $3.40 per share to gain full control of Clearwire.

After Sprint gains 100 percent control of Clearwire, SoftBank has then proposed to acquire a 70 percent majority stake in Sprint for $20.1 billion, as agreed upon in mid-October 2012 by the two companies. Meanwhile, satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp. (DISH) has also floated a rival bid to acquire 100 percent of Sprint for $25.5 billion.

Such large takeovers by foreign investors are normally cleared by the Treasury's Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. after the reviews conducted by the DoJ, Defense and Homeland Security, as well as the FBI.

The completion of the deal with SoftBank will enable Sprint to receive an immediate infusion of cash, enabling it to keep pace with strong competition from larger rivals AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Inc. (VZ). It will also provide Sprint with funds to pay down debt at the parent company and at Clearwire.

The acquisition of Sprint will help SoftBank to expand its footprint outside Japan. SoftBank had acquired the Japanese unit of British telecom giant Vodafone Group plc (VOD, VOD.L) in 2006.

S closed Tuesday's regular trading session at $7.27, down $0.06 or 0.82% on a volume of 30.58 million shares.


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29.05.2013 | 14:15
(61 Leser)

dpa-AFX ·
Softbank bekommt von Sicherheitsbehörden grünes Licht für Sprint-Offerte

Der japanische Internet- und Mobilfunkanbieter Softbank hat grünes Licht von US-Sicherheitswächtern für die Übernahmeofferte von Sprint Nextel erhalten. Das Komitee für Auslandsinvestitionen in den USA habe keine offenen Fragen mehr, teilte Softbank am Mittwoch in Tokio mit. Den Japanern zufolge kann die Transaktion am 1. Juli abgeschlossen werden. Die Führung des amerikanischen Mobilfunkers empfiehlt ihren Aktionären die Annahme des Softbank-Angebots.

Vor der Entscheidung der amerikanischen Behörden hatten zwei einflussreiche Senatoren einem Pressebericht zufolge Sicherheitsbedenken gegen die Übernahme angemeldet. In Briefen an die Wettbewerbshüter bezeichneten John McCain und Charles Schumer laut der "New York Times" (Online-Ausgabe) das Mobilfunk- und Glasfasernetz von Sprint als für die nationale Sicherheit der USA wichtige Infrastruktur.

Sorge bereitet den Senatoren die Beziehung von Softbank zu den chinesischen Staatsunternehmen Huawei und ZTE. Die Japaner setzen bei ihrer Telekomausrüstung auf Produkte der Chinesen. In den USA ist innerhalb der Sicherheitsdienste und in der Politik deshalb die Sorge groß, dass China über seine Staatsfirmen Spionage betreiben könnte.

Die Japaner liefern sich derzeit eine Übernahme-Schlacht mit dem Satelliten-TV-Anbieter Dish. Beide Unternehmen wollen Amerikas drittgrößten Mobilfunker kaufen. Softbank bietet 20 Milliarden Dollar für etwa 70 Prozent an Sprint. Jüngst übertrumpfte Dish dieses Angebot mit einer Offerte von 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Und einige Großaktionäre von Sprint, darunter Omega Advisors und der Milliardär John Paulson, haben bereits ihre Vorliebe für die Dish-Offerte kundgetan./fn/men/fbr


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Sprint, SoftBank reach deal with U.S. over security concerns

Reuters – 11 hours ago
By Alina Selyukh and Nathan Layne

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp and Japan's SoftBank Corp have reached an agreement with U.S. authorities on the national security aspects of the Japanese firm's pending $20.1 billion deal to win control of the U.S. wireless carrier, people familiar with the matter said.

As a part of that agreement, the U.S. government will have a veto over new equipment purchases by Sprint in certain circumstances if the two companies merge, one source said.

The government will also establish a four-member oversight committee to make sure the companies abide by their national security promises. A Sprint board member will sit on that committee, said the source, who did not want to be named because the information was not public.

Formal announcement of the highly unusual agreement - drawn up amid fears of Chinese espionage - is likely to come early on Wednesday in the United States, four sources told Reuters.

Japanese mobile operator SoftBank agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint last October. That deal faces a challenge from Dish Network Corp, a U.S. satellite TV provider which last month launched a rival $25.5 billion bid for Sprint.

No one at Sprint was immediately available to comment, while SoftBank declined comment on Wednesday.

DISH WARNING

Dish has taken out full-page ads in Washington newspapers warning that a SoftBank-Sprint merger would threaten U.S. national security.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer expressed strong concern last Friday about the proposed SoftBank-Sprint merger, warning it could expose the United States to Chinese cyber attacks.

Sources said SoftBank agreed with U.S. authorities to remove equipment made by China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from Sprint and Clearwire Corp's networks if the Japanese company completed its deal by the end of 2016. SoftBank President Masayoshi Son has said he will pull equipment made by China's ZTE Corp if asked by U.S. regulators.

The House Intelligence Committee last year urged U.S. telecoms firms not to do business with Huawei and ZTE because it said potential Chinese state influence on the companies posed a threat to U.S. security. SoftBank uses equipment made by ZTE and Huawei in Japan.

Last week, Clearwire's board recommended Sprint's sweetened buyout offer for the company after Sprint raised its bid to $3.40 per share, from $2.97 per share, for the 50 percent it doesn't already own. Clearwire shareholders will vote on the deal on Friday.

Dish reiterated its warnings on Tuesday that a SoftBank-Sprint tie-up posed national security risks.

"We believe the U.S. government should proceed with deliberation and caution in turning over assets of national strategic importance - such as the Sprint fiber backbone and wireless networks - to a foreign-controlled entity with significant ties to China," spokesman Bob Toevs said. "Oversight and accountability for our national network infrastructure is critical at a time when offshore attacks on that infrastructure continue to rise."

"POLITICS, PROTECTIONISM"

In an email, Huawei's U.S.-based spokesman William Plummer said: "No matter who wins the bid for Sprint, the future Sprint network will be sourced, in part, from China, just as are the networks of AT&T and Verizon and every other carrier. Every telecom infrastructure vendor, regardless of geography of headquarters, conducts R&D, codes software and manufactures gear ... in China.

"Suggestions that networks and data will somehow be made safer by blackballing vendors based on geography of headquarters are either uninformed or dissembling," Plummer added.

"Anyone who truly wants more secure American networks and data should focus instead on establishing apolitical geography-agnostic global and industry-wide supply chains and operational standards to raise the cyber-security bar for everyone. Anything else is just politics and protectionism," he said.

Industry experts say the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is unlikely to rule before Sprint makes a final choice of buyer and the inter-agency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) completes its own review. Sprint shareholders are due to vote on the SoftBank offer on June 12.

CFIUS reviews are highly secretive and weigh whether foreign ownership of a U.S. company poses threats to or increases vulnerability of the nation's infrastructure and assets. Although technically voluntary, foreign bidders prefer asking the CFIUS to review their deals before completing them.

"This is SoftBank clearly doing whatever it takes to satisfy the U.S. government they are not posing any national security risks. It's a pretty smart move on their part to diffuse that aspect of the problem," said Neil Juggins, a regional telecoms analyst for Hong Kong-based JI Asia, an affiliate of Societe Generale.

SoftBank shares last traded 2.1 percent higher in Tokyo, outperforming the broader index's 0.5 percent gain.

(Additional reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bangalore, Liana Baker and Nicola Leske in New York, Mari Saito in Tokyo and Chyen Yee Lee in Singapore; Editing by Anthony Kurian, Eric Beech, Stephen Coates and Ian Geoghegan)


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Sprint, SoftBank agree to U.S. national security deal

Reuters – 1 hour 43 minutes ago

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N) and Japan's SoftBank Corp (9984.T) said on Wednesday they had entered a national security agreement with U.S. authorities related to the Japanese company's pending $20.1 billion deal to win control of the wireless carrier.

The companies said they had received notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that it had completed its review of the proposed deal and that there were no unresolved issues.

The approval is a blow to Dish Network (DISH.O), which launched an unsolicited $25 billion offer for Sprint in April. Dish has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign, trying to convince Washington decision-makers that SoftBank's ties to Chinese vendors create risks for national security.

The statement from Sprint and SoftBank did not include details of the agreement with CFIUS, a committee that includes the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.

Clearance from CFIUS is the first of several regulatory approvals needed to complete the deal, which now needs to be reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Reuters, quoting sources, reported on Tuesday that as part of an unusual agreement, the government would have a veto over equipment purchases by Sprint in certain circumstances if the companies merged.

There would also be a four-member oversight committee to make sure the companies abided by their national security promises. A decade ago, the telecoms company Global Crossing had a similar arrangement after its acquisition by a Singaporean firm; the committee included retired generals and admirals.

Japanese mobile operator SoftBank agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint last October.

As part of the deal with CFIUS, the sources said SoftBank had agreed to remove equipment made by China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd (HWT.UL) from Sprint and Clearwire Corp's (CLWR.O) networks if the deal was completed by the end of 2016.

Sprint shares opened 0.1 percent higher at $7.28, while Dish fell 1.1 percent to $39.68.

(Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das and Chizu Nomiyama)


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DISH Network Exploring Rural U.S.
ZacksBy Zacks Equity Research | Zacks – 17 hours ago

(...) DISH is primarily targeting the wireless spectrum of those firms which went bankrupt. In 2012, the company purchased 2 slots of the 40 MHz S-band wireless spectrum from TerreStar Networks Inc. and DBSD North America Inc. for a consideration of $2.9 billion. A recent Bloomberg report stated that the company has made an offer of $2 billion to purchase the wireless frequencies of the bankrupt wireless wholesale service provider LightSquared Inc. (...)


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Shares Owned by Insitutions
44.70% ... vorher 42,7

Number of Institutions
194 ... vorher 211

Clearwire Corporation Short Interest
4/30/2013 11,203,802
5/15/2013 11,970,505

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.734.711 von teecee1 am 28.05.13 21:38:50

BJ to set up 4G TD-FI on 10 thousand buses by end of 2013
2013-05-29 15:56:19

People's Daily reported that according to the information from the Intelligent Community Forum(ICF) 2013 during the Beijing High-Tech Expo, by the end of the year, Beijing is going to complete the construction of 1,200 4G network base stations, and start planning the set-up of TD-FI equipment on buses.

The report said Beijing has already completed the coverage for 3,400 buses on the main roads in the city, and it is expected to extend the coverage to 10,000 buses by the end of the year.


............................................................................



Amtrak improving Wi-Fi experience with LTE upgrade
May 19, 2013 | By Tammy Parker



Amtrak announced that its rail network's AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi service should be fully upgraded to use LTE backhaul by summer's end. According to Broadband Reports, "The upgrades involve updating on-train antennas and hardware so they can obtain LTE speeds from towers (Amtrak uses both Verizon's and AT&T's networks)." Amtrak said the LTE upgrade is complete on Acela Express and the California-supported Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin services, and it will be rolled out to all remaining Wi-Fi equipped Amtrak trains by late summer, including the Northeast Regional. (...)

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/amtrak-improvin…


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Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S4 to access LTE on AWS spectrum
May 28, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) plans to issue a software update to its Samsung Electronics Galaxy S4 that will allow the gadget to access its LTE network running on the carrier's AWS spectrum, said a Verizon executive. The phone will be the first to access Verizon's LTE service on AWS. (...)

Verizon added to its existing AWS spectrum holdings with the purchase last year of $3.9 billion worth of AWS spectrum licenses from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Cox Communications. (...)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizons-samsung-galaxy-…


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C Spire to expand local LTE service in Mississippi
Regional operator will also bring LTE to parts of Alabama and Florida
May 28, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

Regional carrier C Spire Wireless said it will expand its LTE coverage area in Mississippi later this summer and also will bring LTE service to parts of Alabama and Florida by year-end.

The company said that beginning in August it will bring LTE to new areas in Mississippi that cover 5,993 square miles, a population of 496,000 and 205 cell sites across the state. The new expansion covers 71 cities and 51 counties in Mississippi.

That build will expand on C Spire's initial LTE launch in Mississippi last year, which covered 37 markets across 2,700 square miles, a population of 1.2 million and 388 cell sites. C Spire said its LTE service will be available to nearly six out of every 10 consumers and businesses in the state when the latest phase is completed this year. (...)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/c-spire-expand-local-lte…


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AT&T adds HSPA+, LTE support to GoPhone smartphone plans
May 24, 2013 | By Phil Goldstein

AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) is bringing HSPA+ and LTE data support to its GoPhone prepaid customers who use Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone or any other HSPA+ or LTE-enabled device, the carrier confirmed.

First reported by Engadget, the change marks a shift for AT&T, which previously withheld high-speed data access from its GoPhone customers. According to the report, existing GoPhone customers with an iPhone or HSPA+/LTE device will get an automatic update with network data access on June 21. AT&T refers to its HSPA+ network as "4G" and its LTE network as "4G LTE." (...)

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/att-adds-hspa-lte-suppor…

[teecee1]

... ... so langsam kommt der Zug ins rollen ...


Übernahmekampf
Dish erhöht Angebot für Mobilfunker Clearwire

Autor: dpa-AFX
| 30.05.2013, 06:53 | 101 Aufrufe

BELLEVUE (dpa-AFX) - Der Satelliten-TV-Anbieter Dish macht im Bieterkampf um den Mobilfunker Clearwire weiter Druck. Die Amerikaner erhöhten ihr Angebot je Aktie um ein Drittel auf 4,40 US-Dollar je Aktie und übertrumpfen damit die jüngste Offerte des Clearwire-Mehrheitseigners Sprint , wie das Unternehmen am Donnerstag mitteilte. Sprint hatte vergangene Woche seinerseits sein Angebot für die Komplettübernahme seiner 51-Prozent-Tochter auf 3,40 Dollar je Anteilsschein erhöht und damit ein Dish-Gebot ausgestochen. Der Deal würde die gesamten Aktien von Clearwire mit rund 6,5 Milliarden Dollar (5 Mrd Euro) bewerten. Im außerbörslichen Handel legten die Papiere um knapp ein Viertel zu auf 4,23 Dollar.

Das Angebot von Dish kommt einen Tag vor dem Aktionärstreffen von Clearwire, auf dem die Anteilseigner über das Sprint-Angebot entscheiden sollten. Sprint versucht seit Dezember, die restlichen Anteile an Clearwire zu übernehmen, um an wichtige Mobilfunklizenzen zu kommen und sein mobiles Internet auszubauen. Dish bietet für alle Clearwire-Papiere, würde sich aber auch mit einem Viertel der Anteile zufriedengeben. Auch der Satelliten-TV-Konzern will mit dem Kauf seine Mobilfunkaktivitäten ausbauen. Das Unternehmen um Boss Charlie Ergen macht damit aber nicht Halt: Der Konzern legte vergangenen Monat auch ein Angebot für Sprint selbst auf den Tisch und will dafür 25,5 Milliarden Dollar hinblättern. Hier liefern sich die Amerikaner einen Wettlauf mit dem japanischen Mobilfunker Softbank ./men/fbr




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DISH Network Announces Tender Offer in Letter to Clearwire Board of Directors

* Offer represents a 29% premium over the nominal purchase price of $3.40 per share in the Sprint proposal

* DISH remains committed to a commercialization of Clearwire’s significant portfolio of wireless spectrum assets which will enable the combined company to provide a superior product and service offering to its customers

Business Wire
Press Release: DISH Network Corporation – 5 hours ago


ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today sent a letter to Clearwire Corporation (CLWR) with an offer to acquire Clearwire for $4.40 per share in cash.

DISH is making this offer public in light of the limited time remaining prior to the Clearwire stockholders’ meeting to be held on Friday, May 31. DISH intends to commence a tender offer for the outstanding Clearwire shares prior to that meeting.

“The Clearwire spectrum portfolio has always been a key component to implementing our wireless plans of delivering a superior product and service offering to customers,” said Charlie Ergen, chairman and co-founder of DISH.

Following is the text of the letter that DISH sent to Clearwire Corporation today:

May 29, 2013

John Stanton, Chairman
Clearwire Corporation
1475 120th Avenue Northeast
Bellevue, Washington 98005

Gentlemen:

DISH Network Corporation (“DISH”) is pleased to submit this revised offer to acquire the outstanding capital stock of Clearwire Corporation (“Clearwire” or the “Company”). We have reviewed your recently amended merger agreement with Sprint Nextel Corporation (“Sprint”), and we continue to believe we can provide a meaningfully superior alternative to your stockholders, so we are presenting a transaction valued at $4.40 per share.

As you know, we are committed to completing a transaction that will permit DISH to commercialize its significant portfolio of wireless spectrum assets. We have therefore simplified and improved our previous proposal to provide you with revised terms that are both clearly actionable by Clearwire and unmistakably superior to the Sprint proposal. Importantly, we are prepared to de-link our proposed acquisition of 40 MHz of your BRS and EBS spectrum from the offer we will make to your stockholders.

The principal terms of our offer are as follows:

1. Funding: We are committed to ensuring that Clearwire has access to appropriate capital during the necessary transition period until the Company can effectively fund itself. Therefore, DISH is prepared to provide Clearwire with a committed financing package allowing Clearwire to draw up to $80 million per month until the aggregate amount of funding provided (together with any amounts funded by Sprint under its exchangeable notes purchase agreement) equals $800 million.

We would provide this funding by purchasing notes issued by Clearwire pursuant to a note purchase agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). These notes will, to the extent allowed, be exchangeable for Clearwire Class A common stock at an exchange ratio equivalent to $2.50 per share and will bear interest at a rate of 1% per annum. To the extent any notes could not be exchangeable for Clearwire Class A common stock (i.e., to the extent any required stockholder vote has not been obtained), the notes would be non-exchangeable and bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, accruing from the original issuance date. The proposed funding is on terms far superior to Clearwire and its minority shareholders than the Sprint funding, representing among other things two-thirds less equity dilution than the dilution inherent in the funding provided by Sprint.

We are also prepared to fit this offer within the confines of the existing pre-emptive rights under your Equityholders’ Agreement. Therefore, to the extent that any eligible Clearwire stockholder chooses to exercise pre-emptive rights and purchase exchangeable notes in order to maintain its percentage equity ownership interest in Clearwire, DISH would take up the remaining funding obligation, with the only condition being that DISH would acquire at least 25% of the exchangeable notes issued. In any such case, Clearwire would still receive a total of $80 million per month in the aggregate, but DISH’s portion would decrease to account for any take up of the offered notes by Clearwire’s other eligible stockholders.

The terms of the notes would include covenants comparable to those in the Sprint exchangeable notes indenture (to the extent the notes are exchangeable) and/or your existing senior secured notes (to the extent that the notes are not exchangeable). We have prepared definitive documentation for the note purchase and the terms of the notes and our counsel can provide these to yours at your request.

2. Tender Offer. To provide your stockholders, including in particular your minority stockholders, with a meaningful opportunity to monetize their investment, DISH is prepared to offer Clearwire and its stockholders a transaction that is substantially superior to the proposed Sprint merger. DISH would offer to purchase all of Clearwire’s outstanding shares at a price of $4.40 per share. This offer represents a 29% premium over the nominal purchase price of $3.40 per share in the Sprint proposal. The offer would be available to all stockholders, but DISH is also prepared to accept and pay for shares tendered only by those minority stockholders that wish to monetize their investment in Clearwire at this time, subject to a minimum participation in the offer. Consequently, the DISH offer provides both meaningfully improved value to your stockholders as well as the significant option value inherent in allowing your minority stockholders to choose for themselves whether to retain their investment in Clearwire. Our tender offer would be subject to very limited conditionality, including:

. (a) Minimum Tender. For the offer to be of value to DISH, we need a minimum threshold investment, both for economic reasons and to ensure that we are able to participate meaningfully in the governance of the Company. We would therefore condition any offer on acquiring at least 25% of the fully diluted voting stock in Clearwire.

. (b) Governance Rights. DISH will need certain minimum participation and governance rights, including the right to designate members to the Clearwire board of directors. DISH requires at least three Board designees or, if we were to acquire a higher percentage of Clearwire shares, a number of designees that corresponds to DISH’s ownership percentage; for example, if DISH were to acquire 31% of the outstanding Clearwire shares, we would expect a fourth board seat to correspond to this higher percentage ownership.

DISH also requires a minimum level of minority protection rights to be set out in an Investor Rights Agreement, including the right to approve (1) material changes to the organizational documents of Clearwire and its material subsidiaries, (2) change of control transactions, and (3) material transactions with related parties (including Sprint) unless these transactions are approved by an independent and disinterested board committee and, if larger than a specific threshold, supported by fairness opinions. These minority protection rights are no more restrictive than those held by several of Clearwire’s current stockholders that retain a very limited ownership interest in Clearwire. We understand, however, that you are concerned that Sprint may challenge your ability to provide certain of these governance rights; to allay these concerns we would not condition our offer on the absence or failure of such a challenge. We would of course defend, and expect Clearwire to participate in defending, the agreed governance rights in the face of any challenge, including subsequent to the closing of our offer. If we are able to resolve any such challenge prior to the completion of our offer we would be prepared to reduce the minimum tender condition to as low as 12.5% of Clearwire’s fully diluted voting stock provided we obtain the minimum governance rights described above.

. (c) Termination of Sprint Funding. DISH’s offer to acquire Clearwire shares and its purchase of exchangeable notes would be conditioned on termination of the funding arrangements under the Sprint exchangeable note purchase agreement with no further draws on the facility other than the June draw to the extent that irrevocable notice of that draw has already been delivered to Sprint.

3. Definitive Documentation. DISH is prepared to move expeditiously. We have prepared and are ready to file an offer to purchase and ancillary documentation (i.e., the note purchase agreement and investor rights agreement). Other than the funding described in paragraph 1 above, the remaining components of the transaction would be subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of applicable governmental and regulatory approvals.

4. Clarification Contacts. In the event that you have any questions about our offer or require any additional information, we ask that you contact us. We and our advisors will be available at any time to respond to your requests. Please contact:

Thomas A. Cullen
Executive Vice President
9601 S. Meridian Blvd.
Englewood, CO 80112
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

We are confident that this offer is clearly superior to the proposed Sprint merger. It offers substantially greater value to Clearwire and your minority stockholders and a clearer path to value realization for all parties. Importantly, it also provides a meaningful alternative to the significant group of your minority stockholders that remain opposed to the Sprint merger. We also are confident based on our conversations with you and our review of your publicly available governance arrangements that it can be executed without being subject to a successful challenge by any of your existing major stockholders. Our offer is not subject to any financing contingency. While we would still be pleased to work towards a mutually agreeable spectrum transaction with Clearwire in the future, we thought it important to make this improved, yet simplified offer now.

Our Board of Directors has approved this offer and no further internal approvals are required for DISH to execute this transaction. While we continue to be hopeful that we can work cooperatively toward a transaction, considering the abbreviated notice for and timing of your adjourned stockholders’ meeting, we feel compelled to release this letter publicly. We also intend to take our offer directly to your stockholders by commencing a tender offer prior to your stockholders’ meeting.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

DISH Network Corporation

Charlie Ergen
Chairman

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dish-network-announces-tender-…


... ... ein Schachzug von Dish wurde gemacht ... der Koenig steht im Schach vom Laeufer ... bzw. die Pokerrunde spitzt sich zu ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.745.345 von teecee1 am 30.05.13 07:41:35

08:33
Übernahmekampf treibt Clearwire-Preis auf 6,5 Mrd.


Bild: Clearwire

http://wirtschaftsblatt.at

Angebotserhöhung. Um gegen Sprint Nextel zu gewinnen hat der US-Sat-Betreiber Dish das Offert für den Internetanbieter Clearwire deutlich erhöht.

Bangalore/Washington. Der Satelliten-Fernsehbetreiber Dish stockt seine Übernahmeofferte für das Internet-Unternehmen Clearwire deutlich auf. Je Anteilsschein bietet Dish nach eigenen Angaben vom Mittwoch nun 4,40 Dollar (3,40 Euro). Damit wird Clearwire mit insgesamt 6,5 Milliarden Dollar (5,02 Mrd. Euro) bewertet. An Clearwire ist auch der US-Mobilfunk-Konzern Sprint Nextel interessiert. Das Unternehmen hatte in der vergangenen Woche sein Kaufangebot für Clearwire auf 3,40 Dollar pro Aktie erhöht. Der drittgrößte Handynetzbetreiber der USA kontrolliert bereits mehr als die Hälfte der Clearwire-Titel.

Clearwire besitzt wichtiges Mobilfunkspektrum. Die Handynetzbetreiber müssen sich die Frequenzen unter anderem mit Fernseh- und Radiostationen, der Feuerwehr und der Flugsicherung teilen - dementsprechend teuer und begehrt sind die Nutzungsrechte. Je mehr Frequenzen ein Mobilfunkbetreiber hat, desto mehr Kunden können gleichzeitig telefonieren oder im Internet surfen. Sprint benötigt die Frequenzen von Clearwire, um weiter wachsen zu können.

(Reuters)


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30.05.2013, aktualisiert heute, 13:16 Uhr

Internet
Bieterkampf um Clearwire

Quelle: Handelsblatt Online

Die Kaufinteressenten für die Internet-Firma Clearwire schaukeln sich mit ihren Angeboten gegenseitig hoch. Das Unternehmen hätte nach dem letzten Gebot einen Börsenwert von 6,5 Milliarden Dollar.


Sprint and Dish are battling to acquire Clearwire Corp.

Bangalore. Die Bieter für das Internet-Unternehmen Clearwire schaukeln sich immer stärker hoch. Nachdem mit Sprint zuletzt schon der drittgrößte Mobilfunker der USA sein Angebot aufgestockt hatte, zog nun der Satellitenfernsehen-Betreiber Dish nach. Dish bietet je Aktie mittlerweile 4,40 Dollar, womit Clearwire mit 6,5 Milliarden Dollar bewertet wird. Sprint hatte erst in der vergangenen Woche seine Offerte auf 3,40 Dollar pro Anteilsschein angehoben. Sprint kontrolliert bereits mehr als die Hälfte der Clearwire-Papiere.

Clearwire besitzt ein wichtiges Mobilfunkspektrum. Die Handynetz-Betreiber müssen sich die Frequenzen unter anderem mit Fernseh- und Radiostationen, der Feuerwehr und der Flugsicherung teilen - dementsprechend teuer und begehrt sind die Nutzungsrechte. Je mehr Frequenzen ein Mobilfunkbetreiber hat, desto mehr Kunden können gleichzeitig telefonieren oder im Internet surfen. Sprint benötigt die Frequenzen von Clearwire, um weiter wachsen zu können.

Pikant ist der Bieterkampf um Clearwire auch, weil Dish parallel gerade versucht, Sprint zu übernehmen. Hier sitzt das Geld noch lockerer. Dish bietet 25,5 Milliarden Dollar. Allerdings ist auch der japanische Mobilfunker Softbank an Sprint interessiert und will für 70 Prozent 20,1 Milliarden Dollar zahlen.

Dish übertrifft mit seinem neuen Angebot die Sprint-Offerte um fast 30 Prozent. Clearwire-Aktien zogen im außerbörslichen Handel in den USA um 23 Prozent auf 4,23 Dollar an. Ein Clearwire-Sprecher sagte, das Management werde die Dish-Offerte prüfen. Bislang unterstützt Clearwire den Sprint-Vorstoß. (Reporter: Garima Goel; geschrieben von Christian Krämer, redigiert von Christian Götz)

rtr
Quelle: Handelsblatt Online


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donnerstag, 30. Mai 2013, 10:42 Uhr

Bieterstreit um Netzbetreiber Clearwire verschärft sich

VON SHARON TERLEP UND SHALINI RAMACHANDRAN

Die Kontrahenten im Bieterwettstreit um den amerikanischen Telekomdienstleister Clearwire lassen nicht locker. Eine Woche nach dem Telekomkonzern Sprint Nextel erhöhte nun auch der Kabelnetzbetreiber Dish seine Offerte.

Der Kabelnetzbetreiber Dish bietet mit 4,40 Dollar je Aktie gleich einen ganzen Dollar mehr als sein Kontrahent Sprint. Das neue Angebot misst ...

http://www.wallstreetjournal.de/article/SB100014241278873244…

... ... 5 Tage Angaben bei Handel in Berlin ...

[teecee1]

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Launches An Investigation Against T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) For Potential Breaches Of Fiduciary Duties By Its Board Of Directors

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is investigating the Board of Directors of T-Mobile US, Inc.

Business Wire
Press Release: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP – 17 hours ago

TMUS 21.45 +0.47


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Juan E. Monteverde, a partner at Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is investigating the Board of Directors of T-Mobile US, Inc. (“T-Mobile” or the “Company”) (TMUS) for potential breaches of fiduciary duties in connection with their conduct in seeking shareholders’ approval for the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

Specifically, in the Proxy Statement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 2013, the Board of Directors recommends that T-Mobile’s shareholders vote to approve the Company’s 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan which would authorize the issuance of 63,275,000 shares of common stock. The issuance of the additional shares could have a substantial dilutive effect on the shares of T-Mobile common stock.

Request more information now by clicking here: www.faruqilaw.com/TMUS. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is a national law firm which represents investors and individuals in class action litigation. The firm is focused on providing exemplary legal services in complex litigation in the areas of securities, shareholder, antitrust and consumer litigation, throughout all phases of litigation. The firm has an experienced trial team which has achieved significant victories on behalf of the firm’s clients.

If you own common stock in T-Mobile and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit us at www.faruqilaw.com/TMUS or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone] or [phone].

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2013 Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We are happy to discuss your particular case.

Contact:
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
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New York, NY 10017
Attn: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.
[e-mail]
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... ... braucht T-(no)Mobil etwa Kohle für den Netzausbau bzw. LTE-Frequenzen??? ... ...

[teecee1]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 44.742.149 von teecee1 am 29.05.13 17:41:43

30.05.2013 | 19:18

PR Newswire ·
Crest Financial Urges Clearwire Board to Recommend AGAINST Sprint Merger, Open Competitive Bidding for Clearwire, and Reconstitute Special Committee

HOUSTON, May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest of the independent minority stockholders of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), today urged the Clearwire Board of Directors to reverse its recommendation on the Sprint-Clearwire merger following DISH Network Corporation's $4.40 per share tender offer announced last night and to pursue an "open and competitive bidding process" for Clearwire. Crest also urged the Board immediately to "reconstitute the Special Committee with newly appointed, truly independent directors and empower the Special Committee with the full authority of the Board to evaluate the DISH offer and any other offer for the Company that may be made after the Board conducts a fair and transparent process that encourages these offers, and to make decisions about interim financing."

According to David K. Schumacher, Crest's General Counsel, "The Board has a fiduciary obligation to give full consideration to DISH's offer, which is clearly actionable, and any other eventual offers that would trump the DISH offer. DISH's offer for Clearwire confirms what Crest and others have been saying for months: Clearwire is the crown jewel, and the Company can realize its true value only through a competitive bidding process. DISH has initiated that process, and it is your legal obligation to pursue DISH's offer and other potential offers now."

Schumacher added: "The Board must encourage Clearwire's stockholders to reject Sprint's latest bid at tomorrow's special meeting. Perhaps the only favorable term in the otherwise oppressive merger agreement with Sprint is the provision that you can change your recommendation and advise the stockholders to vote AGAINST the deal without paying a termination fee. You should exercise that option now. After the Clearwire stockholders accept your revised recommendation and vote AGAINST the Sprint offer, the Clearwire Board can terminate the unfair Sprint merger agreement, consider DISH's offer, and solicit direct bids from others. Clearwire can pursue this course with the assurance that it will be able to continue operations during the competitive bidding process because Crest stands by its offer to provide the Company with $240.0 million in convertible financing, and is even willing to improve the exchange ratio to $2.50 per share (from the previous ratio of $2.00 per share) to match DISH's proposed financing terms."

Crest's letter also notes: "Of course, although superior to Sprint's current offer, DISH's offer may turn out still to be inadequate for Clearwire's stockholders. As we have said repeatedly, the battle for Clearwire is just beginning. To ensure that this ensuing battle redounds to the benefit of all Clearwire stockholders, the Board must create an open and transparent process whereby all interested parties can make offers to Clearwire's stockholders. Only through such a competitive bidding process can all Clearwire stockholders reap the full value of their shares."

Schumacher stated: "Throughout the process thus far, we believe the Special Committee has been feckless and Clearwire's directors have failed to account for the best interests of minority stockholders. The time has come for that to end. We hereby request that you appoint a wholly new and truly independent Special Committee made up of newly appointed directors. Such a reconstitution would ensure completely fresh perspectives, and a Special Committee unencumbered by the past defaults and misjudgments of the current Special Committee-most obviously the flawed recommendations that stockholders accept clearly inadequate Sprint bids at $2.97 and $3.40 per share. The newly reconstituted Special Committee should be delegated all the powers of the Board, including decisions regarding interim financing, and specifically directed to run a fair and transparent process and evaluate all offers accordingly. We would welcome minority shareholder input on candidates to be considered for the Special Committee."

The letter to the Clearwire Board concludes: "In order to consider DISH's offer and any other offer that may be forthcoming through a competitive bidding process, the Board must recommend against the Sprint merger at tomorrow's stockholders meeting, allow the stockholders to vote AGAINST the Sprint offer, and then terminate the merger agreement to break free from Sprint's oppressive control. Sprint obtained majority control through the Eagle River transaction, and then secured veto power over alternative transactions and financing proposals through the unfair merger agreement. Sprint has abused its controlling position, wielding it as a cudgel against fair dealing for minority stockholders. The Board must not permit those abuses to continue. Once released from Sprint's oppressive control following the stockholders' rejection of the Sprint offer tomorrow, the Company will be free to pursue DISH's offer or competing bids and thus to realize the true value of Clearwire for all stockholders-not just its controlling stockholder Sprint."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholder have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at [phone]. The full letter to the Clearwire Board can be found at http://www.dfking.com/clwr or http://www.bancroftpllc.com/crest.