Rawvega

At $7/share, I'm not sure how Dish figures that this is superior to SoftBank's bid.

Guess you haven't heard of VZW's LTEiRA program....

Shopping Spree

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/spectrum-auction-promote-wireless-competition-164241897.html

I'm sure that Crest has been reinvigorated by the fact that MetroPCS' largest minority shareholder was able to get Deutsche Telekom to improve their merger terms. Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Fish taco

I don't know that it's an urban legend, but according to this: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/31955.php Scott Ford tried to put Alltel together with Sprint even after the Nextel merger, but was apparently rebuffed by Forsee on three occasions. Since we're talking alternate realities, that would have been interesting. Nationwide 800MHz SMR, plus Sprint's urban PCS coverage, plus Alltel's exurban/rural cellular/PCS coverage, plus whatever BRS/EBS licenses that Sprint Nextel held before spinning them off into the new Clearwire. I think that could've been formidable.

I can't find any official documentation yet. However, feeling a bit masochistic, I visited SU for the first time in a long time and found this post from a Sprint employee: http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2734546&postcount=1 From the description of the areas that supposedly will lose native coverage, I can only guess that it's Sprint's agreement with Nex-Tech Wireless that's coming to an end for whatever reason. I don't know the number of POPs in the affected areas, but it's probably on the low side. Still, if this indeed comes to fruition, this will be the latest in a string of native coverage reductions that is really starting to make Sprint look bad. First there was the loss of native coverage provided by Alltel. Not Sprint's fault that Alltel got bought out, but still... Then there was the loss of native coverage provided by Pioneer after they decided to jump into bed with Verizon. Now Sprint may potentially be losing the native coverage provided by Nex-Tech. If true, this will be the third year in a row that Sprint's native coverage has shrunk. Regardless of the number of POPs covered in each of these coverage reductions, it just doesn't look good at all. Verizon is continually expanding their native presence, just this week with the Mohave Wireless purchase for example. At&t tries to do the same as evidenced by their recent purchase of the latest version of 'Alltel' from ATNI. Hell, if one believes the rabid t-mobile fanboys over on HoFo, even little magenta is doing some coverage expansion here and there. In the meantime, Sprint is seemingly going in the opposite direction. I think it was a mistake not putting CDMA/LTE service in iDEN-only areas and I think allowing their native coverage map to continually contract is a mistake as well. I know that they're in the midst of Network Vision which is a strain on time and capital other resources, but come on...One can hope that once they've completed Network Vision on their remaining coverage that they will embark on some coverage expansion to make up some of what they've lost. That, and/or they buy their way into coverage like their two larger competitors are apt to do....

I imagine that's because many see it as an inevitability given the sheer volume of other regionals that have been swallowed up over the years. Thus, if it's a given that these regionals can't survive and thrive on their own, most probably would want to see the smaller nationals (i.e. Sprint and T-Mobile) do the acquiring rather than the AT&T/Verizon duopoly. The lesser of two evils... Sent from my PG41200 using Tapatalk HD

That'd probably be wise... Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Is Charlie going to turn his attention from Clearwire and focus on interfering in the t-mobile/MetroPCS deal instead? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-02/dish-says-1-billion-debt-offering-may-fund-transactions-1-.html Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Beer belly Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

hardware store

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/verizon-atandt-plan-joint-takeover-bid-for-vodafone-report--934768 For around $245 Billion. Essentially Verizon gets the other 45% of Verizon Wireless and At&t gets everything outside of the US. Amazing how these supposed competitors usually can work so well together....

...As they gobble up Mohave Wireless http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2013/04/pr2013-04-01j.html

Happy Birthday, Robert!

Palm tree Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

I got 55013 on my Note 2. Wish I knew how to pull the PRL off of it. >_> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Ankle brace

Probably because Josh is referring to the iOS version. I'm sure the Android version will be getting similarly refreshed at some point in the near future. Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

First Robert McDowell leaves the agency, now chairman Julius Genachowski is expected to announce that he'll be stepping down. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/source-genachowski-to-step-down-from-top-fcc-post-89201.html Would be nice if he'd rubber stamp the SoftBank and Clearwire deals on his way out.

We should all pitch in and start a S4GRU MVNO! Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

moon walk

Damned double negatives!

Any source for that rumor? I've check Verizon's financials and can't find any hint of such an acquisition. As a publicly traded company, they would have to disclose such a transaction if it were to occur.