Jonathan Kramer on Wireless Tower Siting

Verizon’s new “HUB” device (pictured below) is starting to get some wings.  Specifically, Verizon has inked a deal with Time Inc. so that “Verizon Hub users can now view short-form videos from brands like People.com®, TIME.com®, and RealSimple.com® from Time Inc. brands by simply touching the screen on the Verizon Hub.”
This move make sense from [...]

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The various femtocells being marketed by the major carriers require that they be place near a window.
Huh? They need a good view to not feel along all day?
Actually, it’s because the femtocells need to know where they are installed so that the carriers can (try to) meet the E-911 location requirements.
Femtocells have built-in GPS receivers [...]

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That’s the title of Verizon’s news release dated 1/26/09 regarding their new femtocell.
It seems to me that this is a silly comparison, and one that isn’t anywhere near accurate.
A typical macrocell site costs a carrier something like $250,000 to $350,000 to construct.  And given that the Verizon femtocells don’t provide 3G services such as EV-DO [...]

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February 1, 2009: Verizon Launches the “Verizon Wireless Hub” (it’s version of a femtocell.  What distinguishes Verizon’s offering from its competitors is the combination of in home cordless phone, and the extension of the Verizon wireless network via a built in femtocell site.

The Hub connects back to the Verizon MTSO via any broadband connection.  Pricing [...]

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Personal Cell Phone Account Of President-Elect Obama Accessed By Unauthorized Employees

11/20/2008
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — Verizon Wireless President and CEO Lowell McAdam made the following statement today:
“This week we learned that a number of Verizon Wireless employees have, without authorization, accessed and viewed President-Elect Barack Obama’s personal cell phone account. [...]

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While individual cell sites cost somewhere in the range of $250,000 to $400,000 to construct, it’s interesting to learn the cost of building a new Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTS0).  Thanks to Verizon Wireless for helping to illuminate the answer.
Verizon Wireless Completes $31 Million Investment In New Omaha Network Facility
10/09/2008
OMAHA, NE — Verizon Wireless announced [...]

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Okay, bad puns aside, and as a follow-up to my prior posting, Verizon Wireless is talking with Qwest about a wholesale (resale) agreement.  Given Verizon’s network coverage, that makes a lot of sense.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Qwest’s Verizon negotiations will help Sprint sprint to a solution.
From pun central,  I’m Jonathan Kramer reporting.

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When it comes to wireless usage pricing, the world is flattening out. AT&T and Verizon have announced $99.99 (gee, I’m glad it’s not $100!) flat rate ‘all-you-can-eat’ talk plans.
The chief losers here are MetroPCS and Cricket Wireless, as well as the other flat-rate carriers who have found a niche in this sector. Oh, [...]

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