WiWavelength

What happens? Nothing. This is not a regulatory issue. It is a legal, billing, and service provision issue. Clearwire WiMAX users have been given notice that their service terminates on a given date. Any service provision beyond that date is just happenstance. AJ

Now, you blow on the Nintendo Wii U gamepad microphone. On some games. No, I am not kidding. BLOW! AJ

To be clear, the FCC is not tasked with ensuring that a certain spectrum band or airlink technology is deployed on every site within a given network. Since we are using band 41 as an example, the FCC would have no problem with Sprint never densifying its network. Band 41 is already widely deployed -- substantial service -- across hundreds of markets. Even Clearwire WiMAX deployment was fine. It may not have provided the ubiquitous user experience originally intended, but it covered much of numerous metro areas -- and perhaps more importantly -- brought WiMAX license protection sites to many secondary and tertiary cities years before they would see any LTE. In the eyes of the FCC, that is a win. None of the above qualifies as spectrum squatting. Now, Magentans may say that Sprint is not "using" its BRS/EBS spectrum in many locations. But the same could be said of T-Mobile with its PCS and AWS-1 holdings. That mid and high band spectrum does not come with any geographic buildout requirements. And true, dyed in the wool Magentans do not want Sprint to have a denser network with band 41 everywhere. T-Mobile could not compete with that density and bandwidth. So, if they claim that Sprint is BRS/EBS "spectrum squatting," they are just taking potshots at Sprint. AJ

Not at Sonic, that is for sure. About every third or fourth credit card reader is broken. And Murphy's Law ensures that you will choose a parking stall with one of those broken readers. Happens almost every time. AJ

Holy necro post, Batman! Welcome to three years ago? AJ

You are disregarding BRS/EBS spectrum. That is where Sprint will have its large contiguous bandwidth 20 MHz TDD carriers -- 2x, 3x, or greater in most markets. And PCS eventually will have 10-15 MHz FDD carriers in most markets, too. AJ

I knew a kid growing up who called UPS "United Pet Stompers." Brown ran over his dog. AJ

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of a single instance of one of the national operators spectrum "squatting." Be certain not to confuse spectrum squatting -- I prefer the term spectrum speculation -- with license protection. Spectrum squatters are mostly holding companies and some isolated individuals. They have no intention of building out large scale wireless networks. In fact, they may build out nothing or only a few experimental sites per market, as their goals are to flip their licenses for profit before the initial license terms end. That is spectrum squatting, something we do not see from the national operators. AJ

Hey, I have an iPad, too. I use it only as a remote for my A/V system. All play, no work. AJ

Apple loves you. Go worship at the altar of iOS. Prepare to lose or sacrifice any old iOS devices. But for your faith, God will reward you -- just as in the Book of Job, the Book of Steve Job. AJ

You do realize that you no longer have to do that, right? You have moved out of the South. If you stop, Paul Finebaum will not hunt you down for treason against the SEC, first, the South, second. AJ

Guys, why fight city hall? If you have a Best Buy Mobile within 10 miles, go there. Pay the $10 freight and get your SIM card. Easy. I am not going to listen to any complaining. You will have to go through me. Or you can take your business elsewhere. Perhaps to T-Mobile, which can charge you $15 per SIM card. AJ

However, if not for those smaller licensees, you might have had only one option or even nothing for a long time. Is something better than nothing? As you have well noted through 2015, Sprint still has not effectively built out Chester -- even though it has held the St. Louis MTA PCS B block license since 1995. Big license, long time. AJ

You don't need a 2015 Moto X. You're just weak. You're weak! Alright, Robert, it's time for the S4GRU Feats of Strength... AJ

Uh, not necessarily for the Baby Bells. It was for the good of wireless buildout, since each and every Cellular 850 MHz CMA had a geographic based -- not population based -- construction requirement. 100 percent AMPS coverage. The FCC knew what it was doing. The US typically blazes the trail in wireless licensing. Other countries follow -- with the benefit of hindsight. And those other countries are almost always very different from the US in geography, demographics, wealth, etc. That is why I scoff at the Eurasian centric folks who like to use wireless licensing comparisons of the US to, say, the Netherlands On rural areas, see Robert's post above. He nails it. And for someone living in lowly Chester, IL, you should appreciate his sentiments. AJ

Except in a single, nationalized public/private infrastructure network -- with countless MVNOs operating over the top, charging whatever they can bear, observing or not observing Net Neutrality -- people would pay their bills to VZW, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Duggar Mobile, Hillary Wireless, Peyton Mobility, and many, many, many others. But not a singular Ma Bell. AJ

Not really. My examples hold. Federal, state, and local governments plan and fund highway construction. That private contractors do the work is irrelevant. Saying otherwise is like attributing the Sprint network to the myriad contractors who did the manual labor. I will not delve explicitly into the education and law enforcement examples, as that will get too controversial. But the education and law enforcement issues trend toward lower socioeconomic communities, which perpetuate many of the problems upon themselves. In the end, some people -- including myself -- may not exactly like current realities. But an alternative universe of private enterprise realities would be even worse for many of those people. AJ

I aim to educate, intrigue, and entertain. AJ

The US is a massive country -- with a combination of wealth, population distribution, and human development unlike that of any other country in the world. National wireless licenses might work now, but they would not have in the past. In another thread just a few minutes ago, see this post: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6319-marcelo-claure-town-hall-meetings-new-family-share-pack-plan-unlimited-individual-plan-discussion-thread/?p=449689 AJ

That cannot happen -- unless you are willing to throw smaller regional or rural operators under the bus. I understand your perspective living in the Chicago metro. Your market is reduced now to just the four national operators -- VZW, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. The same is true in my market. But that is not the case everywhere. Reassigning consistent nationwide spectrum to the four national operators would run roughshod over the likes of USCC, C Spire, Commnet, Viaero Wireless, Nex-Tech Wireless, and many other smaller operators. AJ

As has been stated ad nauseam in these Net Neutrality arguments, Big Content already pays for its Internet bandwidth -- just like I do with my home broadband. But Big Channel envies the rapid profits of Big Content -- even though many of those companies end up as flashes in the pan -- so Big Channel wants to charge for data twice. Charge Big Content to deliver its data. And charge the user to receive that data. Once more, that is a bullshit solution. If Big Channel cannot stand the heat -- it wants "some of that Internet money" -- then get out of the kitchen. Leave the business if it cannot hack the CAPEX for longterm return. A public/private infrastructure entity would have no problem with that longterm return. And do note the public/private aspect. Private industry would still get to construct networks, just not run every aspect of them. AJ

The way Apple has pushed through to the 4FF nano SIM and, seemingly, soon to be the "virtual" SIM, I doubt that any store visit will be necessary in the coming years. Physical SIM cards may go away. Select your provider and plan on the device. AJ

That potentially applies to the future, not the present. I know why loose SIM cards can be handy. Those situations for at least 90 percent of customers, however, are rare. AJ

So, are you one of those anti government folks? Living in a Libertarian fantasy world? Big government never does anything well! Yes, thank goodness we left the likes of highway construction, primary/secondary education, and law enforcement solely up to private industry. I am glad that those services are focused on high short term profit areas at prices that justify the CAPEX to shareholders. Wink, wink. That is more market based economic bullshit. The market fails consumers all of the time -- because what we have is not really a free market. That is why we require government regulation or even nationalization. The wired broadband market has failed consumers right and left with too few choices, leading to onerous prices and policies -- some of which have been anti neutral. The wireless market is headed down the same path if you and others continue to be apologists for Big Channel being anti neutral -- especially as you justify Big Channel CAPEX as good reason for even coercing/extorting money from Big Content. That is outrageous. AJ

Think about it. Why would they need loose SIM cards? Devices sold in Sprint branded packages already have SIM cards inside, not just kitted but installed. AJ