Dish Network proposes merger with Sprint Nextel for $25.5 billion

[JohnHovah]

You've got your Japanese networks mixed up. au by KDDI has CDMA 850/2100 with LTE 850/2100. SoftBank has UMTS 900/2100 and LTE 1800/2100. NTT docomo has a pretty screwed up configuration with UMTS 850/900/1500/2100 and LTE 1500/2100. Historically, SoftBank has aimed towards global compatibility (as Vodafone K.K., also known as Vodafone Japan, did). Thusly, it uses 3GPP technologies, just as Vodafone Japan did. I have absolutely every reason to believe that SoftBank sees the CDMA2000 network as dead weight, since it is of little use to them.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but Softbank received 30mhz of 2.5ghz from Willcom in 2010 and as such, plans to deploy TD-LTE in that band with Speeds of 110mbps (up to 1gbps to fixed locations) coming to Japan shortly. Seeing as Sprint/Clearwire, Softbank and China Mobile are all in the market for making the 2.5ghz spectrum a viable 4g space, there are many synergies here and economies of scale that will bring overall costs down.

[Fraydog]

I'm doing a Sprint/T-Mobile spectrum spreadsheet right now... I'm not done with the top 25 markets, but I'll share this.

 

Merging the two wouldn't be as difficult as thought. The key is you'd have to sell BRS to Charlie and keep EBS, because EBS does not count against the spectrum cap.

 

As far as the two networks merging together... That would be easier than thought. I wouldn't want to merge completely until VoLTE was ready to go as a replacement for both UMTS and CDMA.

 

The cell density of the two networks would be incredible. More than good enough to make it a superior experience to both AT&T and Verizon. Get a nationwide block of 10x10 in the 600 auction and a combined Sprint/T-Mobile would have enough spectrum to be a viable competitor for 10 years.

 

If SoftBank were to buy both Sprint and T-Mobile, you can kiss CDMA2000 on smartphones goodbye. Sure the new combined Sprint could run CDMA into perpetuity, but if they get 600 MHz spectrum, there's no need to even mandate CDMA 1X on high end smartphones. Sure you could continue to support CDMA voice for flip phone customers, but over time, that network could be thinned. I would have dual mode network phones initially that support UMTS and CDMA 1X on SMR as a fallback and CDMA roaming as an option to keep the great rural roaming options Sprint has. I wouldn't force that on customers, however.

[Conan Kudo]

Correct me if I am wrong, but Softbank received 30mhz of 2.5ghz from Willcom in 2010 and as such, plans to deploy TD-LTE in that band with Speeds of 110mbps (up to 1gbps to fixed locations) coming to Japan shortly. Seeing as Sprint/Clearwire, Softbank and China Mobile are all in the market for making the 2.5ghz spectrum a viable 4g space, there are many synergies here and economies of scale that will bring overall costs down.

 

Yes, SoftBank did get the Wireless City Planning project from the Willcom acquisition. I mentioned it as "SoftBank+WCP" in an earlier post. SoftBank has plenty of experience to bring to the table for Sprint on LTE TDD.

 

The GTI initiative involves flooding the market with tons of GSM+UMTS+LTE devices that additionally support LTE TDD on bands 38, 40, and 41. Outside of the US, Japan, and China, the spectrum that "band 41" represents will be mostly used for FDD operations, though. That's why the initiative is so critical. For China Mobile, the whole point of the GTI is to get cheap devices made that support this technology. To that end, ST-Ericsson, Renesas, Samsung, Sequans, Marvell, Huawei, ZTE, and nVidia are making chips/phone designs for GTI member operators.

[WiWavelength]

I'm doing a Sprint/T-Mobile spectrum spreadsheet right now... I'm not done with the top 25 markets, but I'll share this.

 

Somebody is trying to put me out of a job...

 

 

AJ

[Fraydog]

 

Somebody is trying to put me out of a job...

 

 

AJ

 

I wouldn't say that... I learned by observing smart people.

[WiWavelength]

I wouldn't say that... I learned by observing smart people.

 

I guess I was not clear enough. Somebody is trying to put me out of a job that is unpaid and actually costs me a lot of time and money. Put me out of a job -- please!

 

 

AJ

[mhammett]

<br /><br />Um...I think you missed the implied tone of sarcasm.<br /><br />Edit: Then again, why does Apple sell phones with Google Maps

 

They don't.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[efyoiphone]

 

They don't.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

So what iPhone are you using? Just wondering what made you so special that you got the only one that doesn't run Maps.

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

[mhammett]

So what iPhone are you using? Just wondering what made you so special that you got the only one that doesn't run Maps.

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

 

Per my profile, I have an HTC EVO 4G LTE, however, Apple removed Google Maps (and I believe other Google apps as well) from iOS 6 across all platforms. It was a pretty big deal.

[Fraydog]

Google added maps back as a separate app. The newest updates to Apple Maps have made it much better in my area. Apple Maps still isn't as accurate as Google Maps, but it has become much more usable IMO.

[bigsnake49]

Per my profile, I have an HTC EVO 4G LTE, however, Apple removed Google Maps (and I believe other Google apps as well) from iOS 6 across all platforms. It was a pretty big deal.

 

They removed Google-based Maps and replaced with their TomTom based maps. On the other hand you can download Google Maps independently.

[mhammett]

Google added maps back as a separate app. The newest updates to Apple Maps have made it much better in my area. Apple Maps still isn't as accurate as Google Maps, but it has become much more usable IMO.

 

They have. The current Google Maps is better than previous Maps app Google had, but not as good as the Android app.

 

Anyway, this is a big tangent from the original post...

[Fraydog]

Yes, it is.

[efyoiphone]

Google added maps back as a separate app. The newest updates to Apple Maps have made it much better in my area. Apple Maps still isn't as accurate as Google Maps, but it has become much more usable IMO.

 

Thanks, Fray. I knew the big Apple 'fail' at a map app wasn't some big 'Shutter Island' drama that was only in my head.

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

[JohnHovah]

Thanks, Fray. I knew the big Apple 'fail' at a map app wasn't some big 'Shutter Island' drama that was only in my head.

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

 

To bring it slightly back on topic.... maybe Ergen is in bed with Cook to ensure that Sprint does not meet its iPhone sales quota.

[irwinshere]

That is interesting. What is the penalty if sprint does not sell its quota?

[JeffDTD]

That is interesting. What is the penalty if sprint does not sell its quota?

 

No "penalty", they are just obligated to pay Apple whether they sell them or not. If for some reason sprint ended up having to buy a surplus, it would simply drive the consumer cost of the phone down temporarily. Its not a big deal.

[efyoiphone]

 

No "penalty", they are just obligated to pay Apple whether they sell them or not. If for some reason sprint ended up having to buy a surplus, it would simply drive the consumer cost of the phone down temporarily. Its not a big deal.

 

I read an article earlier today about Sprint's Q1 financials...1.5 million Iphones sold.

 

Edit: http://feedly.com/k/17UPHOW

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

[ChadBroChillz]

Sprint has sold around 10 million iPhones since launch. The rumor was that they had to sell either 25 or 30 million iPhones. Assuming they average the same amount, they would hit 26.67 million iPhones by the end of the 4 years. I am sure the profits from the current iPhone buyers can cover the 5 million or so iPhones they missed, so I would not worry about Sprint missing their iPhone mark, plus I have a feeling sprint will really turn it up after the Softbank/Sprint/Clearwire deal finishes.

[efyoiphone]

2.2 million Q4 2012: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/02/07/sprint-q42012/

 

Sent from my Cyano-Mod'd Nex7 using Tapatalk HD

[xenadu]

By that time the upgrade cycle will be hitting for the original Sprint iPhone 4S customers, plus whatever the next two iPhones are. Sprint won't have any problem meeting their obligations. People greatly underestimated the 4S because they didn't take into account contracts. The next iPhone will be even bigger than the iPhone 5 for the same reason, even though it is likely to be an evolutionary device.

 

Plus Q1 is always the low point because everyone blew their wad at Christmas

[ericdabbs]

By that time the upgrade cycle will be hitting for the original Sprint iPhone 4S customers, plus whatever the next two iPhones are. Sprint won't have any problem meeting their obligations. People greatly underestimated the 4S because they didn't take into account contracts. The next iPhone will be even bigger than the iPhone 5 for the same reason, even though it is likely to be an evolutionary device.

 

Plus Q1 is always the low point because everyone blew their wad at Christmas

 

Not to mention that the iPhone 4S does not have LTE capabilities. With the iPhone 4S customer contracts up this year, I see a lot of Sprint iPhone customers reupping to get the iPhone 5S with LTE.

[Guest 503ducati]

Sprint iPhone Sales

 

1.5 million - 2013 (Q1)

6.6 million - 2012

1.8 million - 2011

-----

9.9 million

 

 

http://www.businessw...arter-Full-Year

http://newsroom.spri...article_id=2179

Sprint has committed to buy at least 30.5 million iPhones, Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse told Sprint's board in August(2011) that the carrier would have to agree to purchase the iPhones over the next four years

[newboyx]

So... Um... Yeah...

Dish Network...

Sprint...

Back on topic.

Feel free to start a new thread speculating about Sprint iPhone sales.

[Fraydog]

Sprint is on pace to meet their commitment.

 

Nothing to see here, move along...