voip service

Clearwire's losses nearly double, but do the numbers matter?

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Clearwire posted a first quarter loss that was nearly double its year-ago loss because of increasing network buildout costs. The $176.4 million loss is close to twice last year's $92.6 million figure. Clearwire's total revenue rose 76 percent to $51.5 million, up from $29.3 million last year. But does it all mean much given the $3.2 billion cash infusion the company is getting from its new cable partners, Intel and Google along with the Sprint Nextel assets? It will be a totally different company by the end of the year.

Clearwire also announced plans to launch mobile WiMAX in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Grand Rapids, Mich., where it has a deal with the government, after it launches in Portland, Ore., during the second quarter of this year. It will do so prior to its merger with Sprint.

For more about Clearwire's first-quarter results:
- read this Clearwire's Q1 press release
- check out this Unstrung article

3 Mobile and Skype collaborate on VoIP phone

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

U.K. operator 3 Mobile, which shocked the industry last November by embarking on an open Internet model, is now collaborating with Skype to launch a customized VoIP phone. The device, code-named "white phone," is expected to launch later this month in the U.K., Italy, Hong Kong and Australia, markets where 3 also operates, according to report from BusinessWeek. The carrier's other markets will follow.

The development is interesting for sure given the fact that 3 continues to take many gambles in the open access environment, finding non-traditional ways to make money and bucking prevailing notions that open access cannibalizes existing services. For instance, 3 has said Skype and Windows Live Messenger services actually grow usage rather than cannibalizing revenues from existing services such as SMS.

In this latest move, Skype is hoping that easy mobile access to its service could spur more overseas call traffic. Cheap international connections could be quite attractive to mobile users, who don't often use their mobile phones for international calling because of the expense. And 3 is putting little international revenue at risk by working with Skype.

Operators should be watching 3 and Skype closely on this one. Their resistance to mobile VoIP can't last forever, and they need to find ways now to try and monetize it before a company like Nokia, which is pushing hard with a direct-to-consumer access strategy, does it on its own.--Lynnette

P.S.--You asked for it, and you got it. I've spent weeks scouring over the Internet for the latest commercial WiMAX equipment deals across the globe. The result is what I believe a useful resource that will keep you up to date on the latest plans of operators around the world. It's a running list, and I'm also relying on you, gentle reader, to help me make sure I've included them all. Check out the list here. Comments? Recommendations? Contact me.

ALSO NOTED: picoChip is teaming with Systems4Silicon; Netgear's RangeMax Next Wireless-N Routers received 802.11n draft 2.0 cer

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> picoChip is teaming with Systems4Silicon to support advanced HSDPA and MIMO. Article | Release

> Software Cellular Network Limited, which develops and operates the Truphone mobile VoIP service, applied for an interim injunction against T-Mobile (U.K.) Limited, which is blocking the Truphone client. Release

> Netgear's RangeMax Next Wireless-N Routers received 802.11n draft 2.0 certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance. Release

And Finally... One in three Americans wants an iPhone. Article

ALSO NOTED: First also noted headline; second headline; and much more...

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> Clearwire launched VoIP service in six Texas markets. Release

> ABI Research expects more than 180,000 buildings will receive in-building broadband wireless systems by 2011. Article

> Netgear and Ubiquisys announced a deal to deliver a comprehensive residential gateway with integrated DSL modem, Wi-Fi, VoIP and 3G femtocell technology. Article

And Finally... Check out the poor man's iPhone.

ALSO NOTED: Birdstep is showing SmartConnect; Taiwanese company Accton has selected CSR's single-chip WiFi device for new wirel

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:01:31 -0500

> Birdstep is showing SmartConnect, aiming to simplify connection and mobility management to WiFi/WLAN-enabled smartphones. Release

> Taiwanese company Accton has selected CSR's single-chip WiFi device for new wireless VoIP phones based on UniVox design. Release

> SunCorp Technologies, too, has selected CSR's UniVox design for its first generation of WiFi handsets. Release

> Subscribers to London-based Truphone mobile VoIP service can now use dual mode, GSM/WiFi phones to make VoIP calls--either for free or for a really cheap rate--over WiFi connections. Report

> The WiFi Alliance says that during the last two years it has certified about 100 WiFi phones, the vast majority of which are dual-mode with cellular. Report

> When it comes to troublesome Linux peripherals, WiFi takes the cake. The Linux wireless developer community tackled this problem at its second Linux Wireless Summit last month in London. Report

> Now, here is a sentence you never thought you would read: "The recent vote of the IEEE 802.11n Task Group to move forward with a second draft was, well, anticlimactic." See this useful report on the state of 802.11n, and this discussion.

> Polycom is bolstering its drive into the VoWiFi market with its $220 million acquisition of SpectraLink. Report

And Finally... In case you've lost sleep over this, the bad news is in: Microsoft's Xbox 360 is incompatible with Apple's Airport Extreme 802.11n. Report

Metric: WiFi phone market continues to grow

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:01:37 -0500

The worldwide WiFi phone market jumped 76 percent between 2004 and 2005 to $102.5 million. It is projected to more than double in 2006 as enterprises steadily, if slowly, continue to deploy VoWLAN, according to Infonetics Research's latest report. Healthy VoWLAN growth is projected through 2009, when WiFi phone revenue will reach nearly $1.9 billion. VoWLAN is making its initial presence in the enterprise, but will eventually become popular with consumers too, and has potential for enormous growth as part of a VoIP service bundled with broadband connections.

Infonetics' Richard Webb says: "The enterprise telephony market is undergoing a transition from circuit-based to packet switching, because organizations have extensive data networks that can potentially be used for telephony, eliminating the need for separate voice and data networks.... Voice makes wireless LANs more desirable and mobility makes VoIP more valuable; it is natural that they are converging into a powerful enterprise mobile voice solution."

Other findings in the report:

WiFi phone units grew 112 percent between 2004 and 2005 and will grow 158 percent in 2006
About 2/3 of WiFi phone revenue came from single-mode WiFi VoIP handsets in 2005 and about a third from dual-mode handsets; by 2009, dual-mode handsets will make up 3/4 of total revenue
52 percent of dual-mode WiFi/cellular handset revenue came from Asia Pacific in 2005, 25 percent from North America, 21 percent EMEA, 2 percent CALA
802.11e QoS was standardized in late 2005, and will generate a new round of product releases and renewed promotion of real-time applications such as VoWLAN and video over WLANs

The report is titled "WiFi Phones Biannual Worldwide Market Share and Forecast."

For more on the report and its finding:
- see Infonetics' Web site

Metric: VoWLAN phone market grew 76%

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:01:35 -0500

The worldwide WiFi phone market grew 76 percent between 2004 and 2005 to $102.5 million. It is projected to more than double in 2006 as enterprises continue to deploy VoWLANs (see "Today's Spotlight"), according to Infonetics Research's latest report. Healthy VoWLAN growth is projected through 2009, when WiFi phone revenue will reach nearly $1.9 billion. VoWLAN will initially be an enterprise application but will soon become popular with consumers, too and has potential for enormous growth as part of a VoIP service bundled with broadband connections.

Other findings in the report:

WiFi phone units grew 112 percent between 2004 and 2005 and will grow 158 percent in 2006.
Roughly two-thirds of WiFi phone revenue came from single-mode WiFi VoIP handsets in 2005, about one-third from dual-mode handsets; by 2009, dual-mode handsets make up 3/4 of total revenue.
52 percent of dual-mode WiFi/cellular handset revenue came from Asia-Pacific in 2005, 25 percent from North America, 21 percent from EMEA, 2 percent from CALA.
802.11e QoS was standardized in late 2005 and will generate a new round of product releases and renewed promotion of real-time applications such as voice and video over wireless LANs.

For more on Infonetics study:
- see this press release