bigsnake49

I don't think there are that many subscribers in the CCA, except for T-Mobile. So Sprint does not need to fear that happening.

I do agree with the original premise of the thread of buying up not just USCC but as many rural carriers as possible, form a rural subsidiary and have them slowly but surely deploy Sprint's SMR spectrum in as many places as it makes sense.

Dish wants to partner with Sprint and they still might. By when does Dish have to build out their spectrum? Did they get an extension? If they have to deploy soon, I'm sure they are feeling the pressure. The reason that Ergen wants to talk to T-Mobile after the AWS-3 auction is that if he wins the 1695-1710MHz uplink cheaply, then he can pair it with 2180-2200 MHz downlink. He can then partner with T-Mobile and get it approved for inclusion in whatever LTE band AWS-3 is included. If he can get it standardized, then it is much more valuable. If he does that he also has another chunk of 25x5 MHz (the 2000-2020Mhz + PCS-H) chunk. He will also have to have that standardized and he thinks that Sprint should be interested in it since it is adjacent to PCS-G. The analysts and Dish think his spectrum is worth a lot more than the carriers do. If his spectrum was standardized, then it would be worth a lot of money, but until it does get standardized and included in a band then it is not. He will bring a lot of spectrum into the equation but it comes with caveats. For Sprint, it is the partnership to deploy EBS spectrum for fixed broadband in the rural/exurban areas that's most valuable because it might allow them to fund rural expansion. I am sure that they are crunching the numbers to see at what revenue number per subscriber it makes sense. Could they get subsidized by the federal government to provide rural broadband? Also Sprint has a lot of roaming agreements with rural providers. Those include non-compete clauses. How will Sprint get around the non-compete clauses? Acquire their partners? Feel better guys?

Sprint and Dish are working on a fixed wireless broadband trial in Corpus Cristi, but Ntelos and Dish are offering service already in Ntelos's territory.

A Chinese or Korean company acting unethically?! Say, it isn't so!

Dish wants to partner with Sprint and they still might. By when does Dish have to build out their spectrum? Did they get an extension? If they have to deploy soon, I'm sure they are feeling the pressure. The reason that Ergen wants to talk to T-Mobile after the AWS-3 auction is that if he wins the 1695-1710MHz uplink cheaply, then he can pair it with 2180-2200 MHz downlink. He can then partner with T-Mobile and get it approved for inclusion in whatever LTE band AWS-3 is included. If he can get it standardized, then it is much more valuable. If he does that he also has another chunk of 25x5 MHz (the 2000-2020Mhz + PCS-H) chunk. He will also have to have that standardized and he thinks that Sprint should be interested in it since it is adjacent to PCS-G. The analysts and Dish think his spectrum is worth a lot more than the carriers do. If his spectrum was standardized, then it would be worth a lot of money, but until it does get standardized and included in a band then it is not. He will bring a lot of spectrum into the equation but it comes with caveats. For Sprint, it is the partnership to deploy EBS spectrum for fixed broadband in the rural/exurban areas that's most valuable because it might allow them to fund rural expansion. I am sure that they are crunching the numbers to see at what revenue number per subscriber it makes sense. Could they get subsidized by the federal government to provide rural broadband?

I am sorry, I have the band plan all mixed up. Block E (722-728MHz) is adjacent to the downlink of block A(728-734MHz). Then Block E is from 716-722. So it's really D, E and downlink of A that are adjacent to each other that could theoretically be aggregated.

Anyway, what stopping AT&T from buying Block E from Dish/T-Mobile and then intraband aggregating a 20x10 block of B+C+D+E? Selling their Block A holdings to Dish/T-Mobile?

Now that makes a lot more sense! Take that, AJ ... One more question. Why can't D&E be used as the PCC?

"And it is standardized for carrier aggregation only with mid band spectrum, totally negating its low band propagation advantage." "Carrier aggregation, done right, should have a low band main carrier aggregated with a mid/high band secondary downlink. Lower 700 MHz E block may never have that." What am I missing here? Why is it great to have it aggregated with a mid/high band downlink, but not great when done only with a midband spectrum?

AT&T and Verizon deployed on 700 MHz with the proper 700Mhz spacing. Then when their main band got saturated, they overlayed on AWS in a hotspot mode. They have a major capex advantage because in total, they deployed on less sites. Sprint, because they did not have any midband spectrum other than PCS G and not as many sites as T-Mobile, had to deploy their 800MHz on almost all their sites for capacity reasons. Midband spectrum is important when you have little or no lower frequency spectrum. Yes T-Mobile/Dish will need to bid on 600MHz spectrum. If Dish acquires T-Mobile they will be awash in debt which will limit the amount they can devote to 600Mhz. Dish wants some kind of tie-up with Sprint. They want to exploit Sprint's EBS/BRS spectrum for their OTT video and video on demand as well as fixed brodband in rural/exurban areas. For some reason or another Sprint is dragging their feet. Sprint does not want to merge with or aquire Dish right now since Sprint's stock is depressed and Dish's is robust. The same reason they did not acquire MetroPCS. I think that Sprint just wants to maybe do a spectrum swap with Dish and host their spectrum. I think that Dish wants to do a little bit more than that. They would like to market OTT video to Sprint's customers as well as theirs.

Huh? Your second and third paragraphs contradict each other.

Dish has some 700Mhz downlink spectrum. So they might bid in the 600Mhz auction...

Don't laugh. The combination will have some major amounts of spectrum. Now of course it will also be saddled with major amounts of debt .

Contrary to what Neal believes, there will be fierce competition among the three for AWS-3 spectrum. There is a $10B reserve for the 25x25 block of spectrum. It will be met and exceeded. While none of them have immediate need for the spectrum (Both Verizon and AT&T can refarm their 850MHz and PCS spectrum, T-Mobile can refarm their PCS spectrum), they all want to warehouse it, if only to keep it away from their competitors. The dark horse will be Dish. They will be bid and get the 1695-1710MHz uplink. They will combine it with their 2180-2200Mhz downlink for a nice 20x15 block. Then they will combine their 2000-2020Mhz block with their PCS G for another nice 25x5 block. That has to be attractive to Sprint...

Yeah but uncannier means no contract to most people. Yes you are left with paying off your phone, but at least you can go to AT&T with your phone.

I guess T-Mobile will participate in the AWS-3 auction. They are borrowing money: http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobile-raise-new-debt-likely-aws-3-spectrum-auction/2014-09-03

A limited coverage, limited power base station usually used indoors. Can be found in malls, large package or home improvement stores, large businesses, etc.

The FCC is looking into it and something tells me that they are mad as hell!

How would T-Mobile-US making more money over here be creating problems over in Europe. Last I heard, T-Mobile-US was not making money over here, so the point is moot.

I agree with you about $45 for 3GB unsubsidized or $60 for 2GB subsidized (Verizon).

Well that's a sceptic's view of merging networks. Let's take the case of T-Mobile and let's just say that they decide to merge their networks, not the companies. All collocated sites will eventually be merged, in that all antennas and rrus will be moved to Sprint's platform assuming that there are no weight restrictions. There will be additional cards added to the NV base stations. All non-overlapping sites will be populated with the other companies equipment. T-Mobile right now sees a window of vulnerability for Sprint and is taking advantage of it. In three months that window will be closed. They better aim for AT&T and Verizon customers. In order to do that they need to shore up their coverage. Yes 700Mhz will allow them to do that in certain places but due to Channel 51 exclusion zones they will not able to build nationwide coverage up until the 600Mhz auction. They better purchase even more 700MHz spectrum from AT&T and others for relatively cheap because the 600MHz auction will be be expensive. If you can reduce your network costs and expand your coverage by network sharing you can then compete with the big boys. Otherwise you are spitting into the wind.

The Magentans are not yet acknowledging that DT is looking to sell. Even when they acknowledge that they are selling, they doubt the rationale, as in why would they want to sell now that T-Mobile is doing so well. I keep telling them that they are buyin customers and it is expensive and there are auctions soming up and upgrades of the rest of the network, but they don't want to hear it.

I think DT needs the money to invest in their landline network, as in FTTH. The cable companies are threatening their territory and DT needs to respond. Plus invest in their far flung mobile networks.

I hope that shuts off some people that DT was not looking to sell. Really?