"The New York Times" online edition today, the author says, for the third-largest U.S. carrier Sprint is concerned, the introduction of 4G technology to seize opportunities to regain market share in its best and final choice.
First step
Sprint has begun to promote themselves as "the first 4G wireless network" carriers, but the Dell INSPIRON 4000 Laptop Battery advertisement did not elaborate on the meaning of this sentence. The Company believes that the majority of users know little about the professional terminology, and do not care about the so-called "G" meaning, but simply that the "4" definitely better than "3" is better.
In many ways, Sprint is correct. 4G mobile technology for smart phones and mobile devices provide up to the equivalent of about four times the current 3G data transfer rates in the next two years, all major U.S. carriers will provide a version of 4G technology.
For Sprint, the introduction of 4G technology to seize opportunities to regain market share in its best and final choice. Dragged down by the merger with Nextel, as well as the impact of poor quality customer service, Sprint has been a marked loss of market share. Sprint, through its 51% stake held by Clearwire, in the United States Baltimore, Portland and other cities to provide laptop computers for 4G service, covering a total population of 8 million.
As of the end of this year, the service will expand to 25 markets, including Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas and other cities. Sprint hopes a year later, the service can be one-third of the population covered by the United States, including New York and San Francisco and other cities. In contrast, rival Verizon will not be in the middle of next year before the introduction of 4G services, while AT & T although you can upgrade the existing network than Sprint and Verizon at a faster rate, but the company plans to upgrade in a year.
Risks and Challenges
Sprint to promote 4G service will face a huge technical and financial risks. The Dell INSPIRON 9200 Laptop Battery currently uses the WiMax technology, which was originally developed by Intel, mainly for home and office PC to provide long-distance wireless services, not for mobile phones. Other carriers are selected global wireless standard LTE (Long Term Evolution), although the technology is still in development stage, but industry experts say, with WiMax than, LTE can handle more data traffic, and AT & T and the Verizon will use the LTE radio signals penetrating ability is better than the system used by Clearwire.
In addition, the cash-strapped Sprint probably can not afford the relatively more expensive WiMax spending. Last year, Sprint's WiMax business unit to its Xohm with Clearwire merger. Clearwire, founded by mobile pioneer Craig McCaw Communications (Craig McCaw) investment in start-up companies founded, although the company listed in 2007, but later fell into financial difficulties. The two sides of the combined company attracted participants from Intel, Google and other technology giants, as well as Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House Networks and other telecommunications operators a total of 3.2 billion U.S. dollars of investment.
Currently, Clearwire is currently targeted at areas not covered by telecommunications operators, for notebook computers and home network to provide wireless services. The company charges slightly lower than competitors, which limited flow of broadband monthly fee of 45 U.S. dollars, the rate is low, and there are traffic restrictions on the use of fees is lower.
Sprint is available for laptops dollars 70 per month monthly plan to allow SONY VGP-BPS8 Laptop Battery to use Clearwire's 4G service, and Spring of 3G services. The company plans next year in the coverage area of 4G smartphone users to provide data services for Sprint phone services are still current networks.
Macquarie Securities (Macquarie Securities) analyst Philip library Keswick (Philip Cusick) that ensure that adequate funding is only the first challenge faced by Clearwire, he said: "In the wireless arena will be more difficult to establish the brand."
Last Friday, Clearwire shares closed at 8.22 U.S. dollars last year, the stock has fallen by about 25%. Sprint CEO Dan Haisi (Dan Hesse) this month in the investor conference call that the company will lock its holding the majority stake in Clearwire. After all, Clearwire may be the interest in access to high-speed data network at the same time with other investors to share the costs. Hayes said: "Other operators may need to invest 100 cents, and we only need to invest 50-60 cents."
User Development
Clearwire's technology, users mixed, with some users complained that the operator's network speed is too slow. Road, Portland, a finance officer Brandon Frost (Brandon Rust), said: "From 1:00 to 6:00 very fast, but once we all wake up, speed is slow as a snail." Market research firm Signals Research CEO Michael Tai Lande (Michael Thelander) said, Clearwire's network is very good in Portland, and his tests showed that the average download speed of the network per second 3.8MB, upload rate per second 1.7MB, speed is 4 times the current 3G networks.
Of course, any network will be subject to the number of users affected. Clearwire said that as the use of 150 megahertz wireless spectrum, its network in handling the peak flow is an edge. The band is much higher than last year, AT & T and Verizon from the auction of radio spectrum for LTE network to buy band. However, the latter two companies purchased band analog signal from the past, recycling stations, and its traffic handling as well as its ability to penetrate buildings better than the higher frequency bands used by Clearwire.
Clearwire access to leading-edge initiatives may be with Time Warner and Comcast and other IBM THINKPAD X40 Laptop Battery alliance partners, this cooperation can be mobile WiMax services from the current area of expansion to the home broadband services. In the Comcast, only to pay an extra 30 U.S. dollars a month, you can increase the family Clearwire broadband service. Time Warner, vice president of wireless services Maikeludi (Mike Roudi), said: "Users want to have a faster network, but also want access to the Internet anytime, anywhere."
The two carriers have not yet launched wireless voice services, but allow the user to select Sprint mobile phone services. Although Clearwire is initially targeting customers for the business travel faster network connection, but the ultimate key to its success, the company and its partners on how best to attract have been paid for mobile phones and broadband, but also want to enjoy wireless high-speed Internet users.
