lordsutch

It's not anything I worry about. Based on Sprint's keeping unlimited ads going strong and Hesse's continual comments on it, there is no reason to be concerned that LTE will be a catalyst to ditch unlimited. It would not be until LTE is starting receive significant usage burden that Sprint cannot mitigate with easy solutions like 800/2500 capacity enhancements that I think they will scrap unlimited.

Given Hesse's comments about the data use of iPhone users, I don't think they're that worried about unlimited either. It's their big differentiator from the other majors, and iPhone apps are designed around low data usage (to keep AT&T and Verizon folks happy). Frankly I expect throttling above 5-10 GB/month to be their solution if they decide they need to crack down on data use to provide reliability of service; that would put the floor well above T-Mobile's and probably only really affect people that are stealth tethering.

Although I don't know much about SouthernLINC, I understand they have a very loyal following. And they will be the last bastion of iDEN left. Which still remains popular for what it is. However, SL is going to start having problems getting devices built for a decent cost with the world's largest iDEN network shutting down.

SouthernLINC is probably so integrated with Southern Company's operations - essentially they're selling the public excess capacity on their own internal communications network that supports their various power company subsidiaries - that I can't see them selling the spectrum outright with nothing to replace it.

On the other hand, I don't think SouthernLINC has the spectrum holdings to stage a transition to anything else (absent just shutting down the iDEN network and putting up something else overnight), and without Nextel they'll no longer be able to sell national roaming plans, so they may have to partner with someone to migrate to a more widely supported PTT system; Sprint would be the obvious choice given that they're the only carrier that would value ESMR 800 spectrum as part of a deal and has the spectrum holdings to overbuild the whole existing SouthernLINC network, and it would give them the full ESMR spectrum in the overlapping markets including Atlanta where they definitely will need it, but Sprint would be picking up a lot of rural territory that they seem to be content to leave to C Spire and VZW/former Alltel roaming now.