Mr Android
11-14-2007, 02:57 PM
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 (http://www.wral.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2040465/), 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 (http://www.google-phone.com/should-we-be-expecting-sprint%e2%80%99s-4g-wimax-network-on-google-gphone-0946.php) 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.
http://www.google-phone.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/xohm_sprint_wimax.jpg
Chris Davies via Goolge-Phone.com (http://www.google-phone.com/wimax-may-hold-key-for-android-faststream-14135.php)
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 (http://www.wral.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2040465/), 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 (http://www.google-phone.com/should-we-be-expecting-sprint%e2%80%99s-4g-wimax-network-on-google-gphone-0946.php) 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.
http://www.google-phone.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/xohm_sprint_wimax.jpg
Chris Davies via Goolge-Phone.com (http://www.google-phone.com/wimax-may-hold-key-for-android-faststream-14135.php)