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Comments on news posted 2011-03-08 13:04:02: Harbinger Capital Partners' Lightsquared network was originally intended to shake up the competitive landscape by offering new players wholesale access to an entirely new LTE network. ..

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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Where is you god now wimax shills?

Wimax is dead as a consumer grade mobile wireless internet standard. Its number 1 poster boy Sprint even admits it now. Its been a while since the wimax shills have been here. Wheres my cornfield wimax Clear?

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Satellites?

Im havent heard of this lightsquared that much, But the article menitons satellites. How does this work? Wont this have really bad latency?

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

My understanding is it's simply for the voice component in some rural markets. Satellite integration was required as part of conditions attached to the spectrum Lightsquared is using, though they recently got some FCC leniency on those requirements I'm still reading through...
bugabuga
join:2004-06-10
Austin, TX

bugabuga to Duramax08

Member

to Duramax08
As far as I remember their plan was to use satellite link for hard-to-reach rural places, where getting fiber to the tower is impossible.

WHT
join:2010-03-26
Rosston, TX

WHT to Karl Bode

Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

My understanding is it's simply for the voice component in some rural markets.

Which rules it out for low latency internet access. Lightsquared's salient selling point is to eliminate the need for terrestrial upstream backhauls (PtP microwave or fiber) from the tower sites.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

»online.wsj.com/article/S ··· news_wsj

It's inevitable this will happen whether in 1 or 5 years if they are to compete with ATT/VZW. Sprint has to go to LTE eventually anyway - they and Tmob may as well do it together with some financial backing from DT - if the feds allow it.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

How might this affect happy Sprint 4G WiMax subscribers like me?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 recommendation

xenophon to patcat88

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to patcat88

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

I'm still here as a WiMAX proponent. It's inevitable Sprint will have to go LTE as LTE is for the telcom industry. That hardly means WiMAX is dead as it's deployed all over the world and has better chance for global roaming.

Both will exist just as cable modem and dsl co-exist. The industries will use what is available to them. The telcom industry will use LTE, the rest who want to get into wireless will use WiMAX so that they aren't controlled by 3GPP.

Is odd that many actually want WiMAX to die. LTE is controlled by the authoritarian telcom industry - you sure you want that as the only option?

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode to criggs

News Guy

to criggs

Re: Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

You shouldn't notice much. The build will take time, Sprint will operate Mobile WiMax and LTE In conjunction for a while, slowly migrating people to LTE modems and smartphones.

GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI

1 recommendation

GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

WiMAX

Does Wimax really have a future. If I remember correctly some Wimax towers can be converted to LTE by just a software upgrade.

cruz1
@sbcglobal.net

cruz1

Anon

Still crappy frequency

I believe Lightsquared is using almost same crappy frequency range as Clear (~2.5GHz +/-) with hardly any indoor coverage so really whats the huge difference WiMax or LTE especially in coverage (most critical). Wouldn't be easier (cheaper) to switch Clear's network to LTE since they already have so much deployed rather than build a new network?

Although the thought of having additional Satellite coverage is really cool idea, I think it's just a scam to use those freqs. Even if they ever deploy a satellite, it will have capacity to cover probably 0.01% of users directly so it may be useless. Indoor coverage is critical as most people do not work in tents in open fields here in the US :P

But really, how difficult is it to make phones and devices capable of dual mode WiMax and LTE to have both? Just like the CDMA/GSM garbage ...The technologhy is there but very few phones will have both built in (Droid2 Global, etc) - why not do it for ALL phones?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon to criggs

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to criggs

Re: Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

It will take several years. When it's ready perhaps they'll allow upgrades before contract expires. They allow annual upgrades already. Sprint/Tmob might merge by then as well.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

With Sprint likely migrating to LTE, I doubt mobile WiMAX has much of a future in the US. Worldwide roaming won't get you much for WiMAX in a few years because I doubt you'll find (m)any handsets with WiMAX radios if you're native to the US.

It's not so much as looking forward to WiMAX's demise, rather it's a sense of being grounded in reality.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

I would agree that WiMAX in handsets do not have a future (unless embedded in WiFi chipsets). WiMAX as a whole will still probably be around globally long term though, including the US - but not via the traditional telcom companies.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode

Re: Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

said by Karl Bode:

You shouldn't notice much. The build will take time, Sprint will operate Mobile WiMax and LTE In conjunction for a while, slowly migrating people to LTE modems and smartphones.

Most people replace their smartphones every couple years anyway. So even if you pop for a Sprint Wimax phone now, you can switch to an LTE smartphone in 2 yrs when Sprint will be getting LTE coverage everywhere.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs to xenophon

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to xenophon

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

said by xenophon:

they and Tmob may as well do it together

This is getting really confusing, or perhaps I'm just being dumb. Karl's scoop is that Sprint has launched Project Freedom, which will be Sprint's "liberation" from Clearwire.

But this Wall Street Journal article is saying that the Sprint-T-Mobile merger will INCLUDE Clearwire.

WTF???!!!
criggs

criggs to Karl Bode

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Re: Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

Thanks to Karl, Uncle Sam and Xenophon for their reassuring words; I appreciate it!

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode to criggs

News Guy

to criggs

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Lightsquared using Sprint's network retrofit as the cornerstone of their LTE build is our scoop. Having Lightsquared as a major LTE partner could involve getting rid of Clearwire. Sprint's preparing for that possibility.

The Journal story simply states there have been talks about merging T-Mobile and Sprint, which I think have been ongoing for some time (see this bit I wrote last summer). It also says the deal "could" include Clearwire, but that talks have been ongoing and nothing is happening right now.

Nobody knows what happens to Clearwire amidst all this movement yet.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Thanks for dissecting the two takes on the situation. I appreciate the clarification.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

Nobody knows what happens to Clearwire amidst all this movement yet.

Drowning under increasing debt load? Sprint is/was Clear's savior. If it leaves the partnership, and Clear isn't part of whatever M&A that occurs, one can almost certainly throw Clear to the history books.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

That's my guess too, but you never know....there's some big cable names riding on that network for their "quadruple play," so a few things could happen...

mix
join:2002-03-19
Romeo, MI
GL.iNet GL-B1300
Netgear CM500

1 edit

mix to cruz1

Member

to cruz1

Re: Still crappy frequency

No, no and no. LightSquared has claim to L-Band frequencies. Supposedly some of these are in the 1400Mhz, 1600Mhz, and 2000Mhz bands. It is also stated all over the place that LightSquared's potential use of some of these frequencies could cause significant interference with GPS. There is a very likely possibility that the LightSquared network will never be built if some way to mitigate the interference isn't found.

Partnering with Sprint on modernizing their base stations, using Sprint's spectrum and maybe even Clearwire's (if you believe one poster on this forum who claims Sprint can simply take back their spectrum that was given to Clearwire whenever they want) is a HUGE HEDGE against not being able to build your own cellular network. Mix Sprint (and Clearwire) spectrum in with whatever frequencies you find that don't interfere with GPS on a single tower... now what do you have here? A whole lot of wireless bandwith, and it will be LTE to boot.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't those quadruple plays been fairly lackluster at best? I would expect a bigger advantage lies with partnering with a conglomerate including Lightsquare, and its rumored increasing backing, rather than going down with a sinking ship.
openbox9

openbox9 to cruz1

Premium Member

to cruz1

Re: Still crappy frequency

said by cruz1 :

But really, how difficult is it to make phones and devices capable of dual mode WiMax and LTE to have both? Just like the CDMA/GSM garbage ...The technologhy is there but very few phones will have both built in (Droid2 Global, etc) - why not do it for ALL phones?

Size, weight, heat, power consumption, and cost are the main reasons I can think of. Consumers don't want any of those and therefore it is advantageous for equipment designers/manufacturers to streamline as much as possible.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode to openbox9

News Guy

to openbox9

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Yeah, not great returns so far. True. I'm sure the cable operators who have fielded re-branded Mobile WiMax are watching the next six months with great interest.
Automate
join:2001-06-26
Atlanta, GA

3 edits

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LTE is not nirvana

What most people don't realize is that LTE is not some kind of nirvana where everything is compatible. There are actually two LTE standards, LTE FDD and LTE TDD. Verizon, AT&T and MetroPCS are all using LTE FDD. Clear, on the other hand would most likely go with LTE TDD (also known as TD-LTE) because it is more compatible with the 2.5 GHz frequencies they own. TDD is time division duplex, the same technology that WiMax uses. In a way you could say that WiMax is closer to being compatible to the LTE that Clear will use than what Verizon is rolling out. It would be easier for a chip to support both TD-LTE and WiMax than Verizon’s LTE and WiMax.
»www.radio-electronics.co ··· plex.php

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to openbox9

Anon

to openbox9

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

WiMax will be around. How do you think most Wireless providers are pushing faster speeds to their customers? There is actually a national WiMax provider that has been in business LONG before Clear/Sprint pushing the technology. Here is their website: »www.openrangecomm.com/De ··· ult.aspx

now tell me the technology is dead.
MEohME

MEohME to WHT

Anon

to WHT

Re: Satellites?

they don't have to totally use the sat for Internet. They can easily create a LTE network for that just as Clear does using a home base modem.
MEohME

MEohME to xenophon

Anon

to xenophon

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Sprint would have to be "purchased" by TMO before DT would even give any money. They'll want controlling interest in that company. They're not stupid.

And there is really nothing stopping them from doing it now. Hell - look at a LOT of the US operating companies. They're mostly foreign owned- Lego is one of them. Their based in Denmark and still owned by the family that created them.
MEohME

MEohME to openbox9

Anon

to openbox9
This would be a GREAT thing for TWC, Comcast and Cox to all purchase long with Google. Google would be able to launch their "open" network and offer it to resellers. Comcast has invested a lot along with the others. There is no way in hell Comcast will let their money go no where. This would also be a great way for any rural telco to move to. A total IP network and kill the last mile copper. would be a great move with backups. Run Internet and Phone without a problem.
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