WiMAX may hold key for Android faststream
14 November 2007 - 12:51
Could Google be saving their 700MHz money and have Sprint’s WiMAX in their sights instead? That’s a possibility according to mobile investor Paul Grim, who sees the fledgling next-gen wireless broadband technology as perhaps one of the best options for fast-tracking Android into the mainstream. The idea of such a partnership isn’t new - we wrote about it back in August - but with the launch of the OHA platform and the nearing 700MHz auction, some commentators are beginning to back away from predictions that Google will flex its credit card and pick up sole ownership of the spectrum, instead suggesting that either a co-buy or MVNO route would be more feasible.
“The only way to shortcut the slow option is to ensure WiMAX becomes viable. Sprint’s only route to glory is a completely open network — through WiMAX … [Google] would be smart to maybe partner on the spectrum auction to freeze out Verizon, invest in a joint venture to run Xohm [the Sprint WiMAX project], or maybe even become an anchor tenant as a mobile virtual network operator [MVNO] on the network” Paul Grim, SunBridge Partners
Without such a bold move, Grim warns, developers could end up producing relatively lacklustre Android offerings in the shape of a “better Sidekick”. Building on their joint OHA membership and existing collaboration, however, might see Google and Sprint bring the best of their talents to the cellphone table:
“When you listen to Barry West, the chief technology officer at Sprint, the vision is to completely move away from the telco model of selling minutes of airtime and kilobytes of data. Who better than Google to develop an ad-supported mobile revenue model?” Paul Grim
As fast as the mobile market for handsets evolves, network development and migration to newer, high-speed technologies is a more lengthy, prolonged transition. The danger, Grim appears to believe, is that should WiMAX fail to be leveraged by interested parties, alternative cellular broadband networks - such as HSDPA - will dominate the market, run for the most part by relatively closed operators such as Verizon and AT&T.
1 Comment | Tags: 4G Mobiles, Android, FCC spectrum auction, Google, Sprint, WiMAX
15 Nov 2007 - 9:26
Google cannot afford to invest in the existing 2.5Ghz based WiMAX network being deployed by Sprint or Clearwire. The issue here is the unproven 2.5Ghz spectrum as a true Mobile network. What the industry is refusing to comment about in its combined drive for a viable Broadband wireless network, is the physics of the spectrum that prevents 2.5Ghz based Radios from effectively penetrating those awful little things called Leaves (Foliage) that do not reflect (OFDM) signal but absorbs the signal.
All the successes we have seen todate, for WiMAX (2.5Ghz Based) networks, has been based on delivering services in a Fixed or at most a Portable mode.
Question: Where in the US have we seen 802.16e based systems operating in a East Coast based Metro market with any foliage ? Much less penetrating structures (indoor coverage) with any consistency required of any commercial grade service??
What Google needs to do is get access to the 700Mhz spectrum and deploy using the feature rich WiMAX based system. This will allow them (finally) to gain access to the Last Mile piece they have been missing to be able to gain unfettered access to the end user-in short bypass both the RBOC and CellCO walled garden folks.
Speculation:
Google Partners for the 700Mhz Bid: Cisco (IP Switches/Routers), Apple (Premium Handheld devices) and a Nationwide Wireless Operator.
Howver: RBOC and CellCO cannot allow the above to happen so this (Auction) will be a titanic battle.
Note: At&T has already won/purchased the beginnings of the first viable nationwdie 700Mhz License in the Lower Band C Block (purchased from Aloha Partners), and will aggressively seek out and bid to win additional fill-in spectrum in the Lower Band C (from existing owners) or the new Lower Band A & B Block of spectrum coming up for auction. They could very well gain access to some 40Mhz of spectrum and provide a viable 4G network as a complement to their voice based Cell Network
So it will be between Verizon Wireless-Google Partners-and maybe a 3rd unknown partnership to win the Upper Band C Block. Verizon cannot afford to lose this spectrum or they will be sidelined by AT&T in the Cell Carrier arena.
Jacomo