wimaxwatch

HTC WiMax Phone Comes to Russia

Touting both GSM and WiMax for Mobile, HTC has launched a new phone in Russia that will provide up to ten megs of connectivity, plus be able to view 23 TV channels tat will be sent over the WiMax network.

Not unexpected, VoIP will be part of the dual mode phone when on WiMax.

Boingo Buys OptiFi, More Consolidation of WiFi Networks

Yesterday client Boingo acquired OptiFi, another aggregator/operator of airport hotspots, much like Boingo's Concourse Communications purchase, and their buy of Sprint's airport hotspot division.

The timing couldn't be better as one well regarded wireless analyst firm I follow closely has indicated that the rollout of WiMax won't be as fast as people expected, and I think this will also apply to 4G overall including LTE (long term evolution.) This means WiFi hotspots will be where the mobile set will go for reliable and consistent connection.

Information Week and JK on The Run both provide news coverage as did MuniWireless.

AT&T Buys WayPort-Signals Consolidation in HotSpot Market

AT&T made a very strategic acquisition today, picking up Wayport for a col $275 million. This is a very smart move and shows that AT&T is investing to put more traffic onto its IP network, and also is looking beyond 3G and traditional GSM as the only access routes, beyond DSL and T1.

While AT&T has had their rebranded FreedomLink service that is now called AT&T WiFi, it largely has been sold as a way for the wholesale team to generate revenue. This acquisition changes the game and gives them wider distribution via more access points that Wayport already has, as an added inducement for people to be AT&T Wireless customers or uVerse customers.

What's more this makes the cable guys efforts like what Cablevision is starting to do in the Metro New York area with customer accessible WiFi really important, as the cable operators are ideally positioned with fiber in the ground to put hotspots everywhere.

Who also wins in this deal? Client Boingo. They already have roaming agreements with both Wayport and AT&T. That means non-AT&T customers can use their Boingo credential to get on if their not using uVerse or AT&T Wireless or already subscribing to AT&T WiFi. If I was a Tier Two mobile operator's Biz Dev person (think Metro PCS or Cricket), I'd be working out a deal with Boingo to give customers WiFi access in the Boingo roaming hotspots to keep my customers from jumping away. As a customer retention tactic, WiFi roaming may be one key to keeping the customer.

This is also a hedge against encroachment from XOHM in the Mobile WiMax market. AT&T now can offer WiFi access in more places. XOHM can say that just yet and not for some time. Lastly, it gives the AT&T Enterprise sales team a huge new offer to make and sell in to their very wide and deep customer base.

Overall, this is a vary Machiavellian move by using territory to establish greater control by AT&T...Well done.

WiMax Going To Where It's Needed Most

I've always questioned the need to put more wireless in communities where there's already broadband, but not to put it where there isn't.

For example, I was up in Wine Country in Santa Barbara and the Internet was DSL at best. Place like that need WiMax. This news from GigaOm proves that others are thinking the same thing.

WiMax as the broadband pipe, where broadband isn't is the best idea to drive uptake as it give's people one less reason to be put on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Hurdle Cleared As FCC Approves XOHM/Clearwire Hurdle

Now the folks at XOHM can start deciding how fast the want to grow as the FCC has given their approval the merged Sprint XOHM/Clearwire venture.

With all the power-players on the same team (Google, Comcast, Sprint, Intel) this can either be a big hit or a total wipeout.

Hear and See All About 4G

Two good friends for many years, Carl Ford and Greg Galitzine talk all about 4G wireless on their new video that was posted in conjunction with the launch of the new 4G event coming up in February.