Spectrum

ALSO NOTED: Palm loss gets revised to whopping $75M; Building an eco-friendly cellular base station;

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> 8.9" Eee PC to launch early, sans Intel Atom? Article
> Palm: $25M loss gets revised to whopping $75M. Article
> The Verizon XV6900 (aka the CDMA HTC Touch) arrives this month. Article
> Is Dell working on an Eee PC clone? Article
> AT&T, Verizon to use 700Mhz spectrum to build 4G LTE networks. Article
> First look: Enterprise iPhone firmware. Article
> Hacking a Sprint user account: easier than you might think. Article

And Finally... Building an eco-friendly cellular base station. Article

Could the 700Mhz auction be a bust?

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

The 700Mhz auction hasn't gotten off to an auspicious start: Presumed public-safety bidder Frontline closed up shot before things got off the ground, unable to put together the table stakes for an opening bid. The question on many minds is whether Frontline's collapse is a harbinger of things to come in the newest spectrum allocation battle, or the simple failure of a single company. It's possible that no company will come up with the $4.2 billion minimum bid in the open-access part of the bidding process, in which case the FCC will re-auction to the highest bidder. If the bids stay low, though, it means that the $20 billion windfall for the government coffers could be reduced by a considerable amount.

For more on the possibility of a quiet auction:
- Read the pre-auction analysis at WirelessWeek

QUICKLINKS: Public safety spectrum worries; Will J2ME deliver the goods?;

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:59:55 -0500

> Public safety spectrum worries. Article

> Final RealID regs released. Article

> 802.11n products fine-tuned. Article

> Will J2ME deliver the goods? Article

What the auction holds for Google

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:56 -0500

Google is ready to make its 700 Mhz bid, but what will winning the auction (if a Google win actually happens) do for the search-engine giant? It certainly buys the company an opportunity to develop new platforms and applications, but many analysts say that the win is a slow-motion victory, with years required between auction win and the first usable services and products. Can a company that's made itself in the model of the hyper-fast Internet really win when patience is the key element required? The possibilities of ubiquitous Google availability may provide all the impetus toward patience the company requires.

For more on Google's auction possibilities:
- Read the pre-auction analysis at NetworkWorld

Google's iPhone interface

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

In some ways, Google's wireless developments remind us of a certain advertising rabbit--they just keep going and going. Google is moving in a number of new directions, with its upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum bid, the Android application platform, and now, a special interface solely for the Apple iPhone. With its search portal running in native mode on the still-hot phone, Google is moving more strongly to play a dominant role in mobile search.

For more on Google's new iPhone interface:
- Read the complete news at NewsFactor

Why does Google want spectrum?

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:59:56 -0500

Remember Google? They're the search-engine giant that seems to have become enamored with the idea of becoming a wireless company. Why would they want to do such a thing? Is spending an estimated $17 billion (that's right, with a capital "B") to build out a nationwide wireless network really part of their business plan? Google's not saying, but there are some reasonable guesses, and all of them revolve around an open platform for Google's software on wireless devices. The market estimates for wireless devices over the next few years range from "huge" to "you must be kidding" and Google clearly wants as many of those devices as possible to be running their applications. Will the coming spectrum auction accomplish their goals? Stay tuned to find out.

For more on Google's possible reasons for wanting wireless spectrum:
- Read the news analysis at eWeek

Wireless ups and downs

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

It's a mixed bag of news for wireless proponents this week. On the one hand, CA's move into the wireless management market is great news because it provides a new tool for enterprise IT groups looking for a way to bring a wireless platform under full control. On the other hand, St. Louis joins a growing list of cities that haven't been able to make the dream of municipal WiFi a reality. Even with the current mixed news, though, there's a clear sense of anticipation in the wireless market these days. Google is the source of much anticipation, between the rumors of Google phones and the company's clearly stated ambitions in the 700Mhz space. That 700Mhz spectrum slice (which is, in the final analysis, a rather slim slice of RF territory) is the source of at least as much anticipation and speculation as potential customers and service providers alike try to figure out what open access will mean, and just how many services will be made available when the gavel has rapped down at the auction's end.

These times of anticipation can be valuable if they're used for planning and thinking about what new services and products can mean for an organization's IT infrastructure. Once the products and services are in place, blue-sky brainstorming will be seen differently. Now, when products and services are still on the horizon, IT groups have an excuse to think carefully and plan slowly for the future. It would be a shame to let that sort of excuse and opportunity pass by--they come along even less often than new pieces of RF spectrum. -Curtis

700 Mhz auction delayed

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:59:56 -0400

If the 700 Mhz wireless segment is half as active after it officially exists as it is now, there are great things in store for new wireless communication options. Computer industry giants like Microsoft and Google are squaring off against cell phone titans like Verizon and AT&T, with the FCC is caught in the middle. The latest? The FCC chairman Kevin Martin says the commission is not changing the rules at this point, but it is going to delay the auction by one week, just to make sure that everything is orderly. Stay tuned--there is certain to be more news before the auction gavel bangs down.

For more on the latest 700 Mhz news:
- read the full report at CIO-Today

Microsoft pushes toward 700 Mhz

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:59:57 -0400

The run-up to the January 16 auction of the 700 Mhz spectrum is getting more and more exciting. First came the news that preliminary 700 Mhz devices would interfere with existing wireless services. Next, came complaints from the cell-phone industry about the structure of the auction. Now, Microsoft has weighed in on the interference issue by sponsoring a study that concludes that no interference will take place. When you have Microsoft and Google pushing for a new way to deliver applications, you get the feeling that things are about to get much more interesting.

For more on the new engineering study:
- read the study analysis at eWeek

Wireless spreads out with 700Mhz

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Only a few months ago, the wireless world picked up energy as we waited for the introduction of Apple's iPhone. That energy will, I think, pale in comparison to what's coming next January: the auction of spectrum and the build-out of new services based on analog television frequencies. So far, the debate over how that spectrum should be auctioned has been fairly predictable. The companies that won the original cell phone auctions have built enormous businesses based on the current model and think it should be repeated with 700 MHz. Companies that weren't part of that process think the auction should be different. The FCC decided to make both sides equally miserable with its decision--it remains to be seen whether the direst predictions from either side come to pass. I believe that we're going to end up with creative people finding creative solutions to the shortcomings of the system, and bringing new services to market. Between the new services, WiMAX, and 802.11n, the next 12-24 months promise to be some of the most exciting times we've ever seen in wireless networking and applications. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. -Curtis