FreedomPop Still Promising Free Wireless Despite Clear Issue With Potential LightSquared Implosion Last month Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström announced he'd be launching a new wireless carrier in 2012 that provides free wireless service. Zennstrom and company are being a little murky about the specific financials behind the service, which is supposed to piggyback on the so-far-nonexistent LightSquared network. From a conversation with Fierce Wireless it sounds like FreedomPop is going to pursue a model that's somewhat similar to the new Iliad Free wireless service we discussed this morning . FreedomPop's marketing executive insists they won't be serving ads to help offset costs, but will simply use "free" to upsell to additional services: We will not serve ads, can't get into too much detail here since the revenue model is part of the innovation we are delivering," wrote Tony Miller, FreedomPop's head of marketing and communications, in an email to FierceBroadbandWireless.
He noted the revenue model will be "similar to those proved on Web, whereby the heavy users subsidize the less active," and confirmed FreedomPop is actually pursuing a "freemium" model, where basic services are offered for free but premium services cost money. FreedomPop's biggest obstacle is of course they're basing their entire project on a company that has yet to actually build a wireless network, and may never get the chance if political opponents, AT&T/Verizon lobbyists, and GPS industry executives get the final say. Still, combined with options like Republic Wireless, it's refreshing to see companies at least trying to be disruptive in the mobile space in terms of pricing.
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  TransmasterDon't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY | I can just hear it Now Vote for me and there will be an electric car in every garage, Broadband in every rural area, and free wireless for all from Skype.
I also hear the sounds, and smells of Bovine Scatology coming from the mouth of Niklas Zennstrom.
I hear what is being whispered on the wind "It aint going to happen".
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I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.
- Mark Twain in Eruption | |
|  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 |  And now 3 big Gov't agencies want Lightsquared killed off
»old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113···tsquared
If FreedomPop really is basing their whole plan on Lightsquared, they are dead before they even started. | |
| | | | Cellular One offers Free service to select people in rural areas of Montana. They offer 30 months of free everything. Likely at the tax payers expense. | |
| WHT
join:2010-03-26
kudos:3 | Advertising supported free service fails quote:
He noted the revenue model will be "similar to those proved on Web, whereby the heavy users subsidize the less active," and confirmed FreedomPop is actually pursuing a "freemium" model, where basic services are offered for free but premium services cost money.
This is the same model the billion dollar city-wide municipal wireless deployments pursued. They miserably failed. Sticking a new name (different color of lipstick) on a failed business mode does not mean pig will look pretty.
"Similar to those proved on Web, whereby the heavy users subsidize the less active" works when both tiers are a "pay for", it has not been proven to work when there is a free alternative.
Given the choice between *FREE* moderate speed, pop-up advertising internet and PAY-FOR internet...what will 90% of the consumers choose? | |
| WHT
join:2010-03-26
kudos:3 | LightSquirrel is playing the "be a real man" card. quote:
LightSquared accused the panel of bias and urged the Federal Communications Commission, which has jurisdiction over use of the electromagnetic spectrum, to retake control of the testing.
LightSquirrel is using the "real men don't neutered their dog" intimidation tactic and telling the FCC to stop letting pesky government agencies and real science stand in the way of LS getting what they lobbied for. | |
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 ·VOIPo
| Frequency adjust via GPS Even if they get the ok to operate, they will never find enough radio sites that would let them build there.
Unless the other users on those sites that use GPS reference to sync their simulcast systems, transmitters, ect decide to quit their operations. Users of GPS include all wireless telephone carriers.
The cost of Lightsqid developing their own radio sites would put them over the top. | |
|  | | | Re: Frequency adjust via GPS Little do you know? They are collocating on towers with other carriers. I have seen the paper work to do so. They are working with the tower owners (upright Real Estate Companies) to collocate on towers with other carriers for a monthly rent. Also a monthly rent for the ground space inside the site compound. So its not as bad as you would think. | |
| | | Reviews:
·VOIPo
| Re: Frequency adjust via GPS said by sparky2775 :Little do you know? They are collocating on towers with other carriers. I have seen the paper work to do so. They are working with the tower owners (upright Real Estate Companies) to collocate on towers with other carriers for a monthly rent. Also a monthly rent for the ground space inside the site compound. So its not as bad as you would think.
Contrary to this once they turn on something that cause the multiple other tenants problems the "real estate agents" will have to terminate leases or face mass exodus of those users and the ensuing lawsuits. That includes from government entities (911 radio systems included) commercial radio systems, ect... We all pay rent to be at our sites and its not cheap. So it has the potential to be very bad for all involved parties. | |
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