WiMax Global Push, US Blip!

The WiMax Global push is being tainted by the departure of the Sprint CEO in the US, however there is a lot of weight behind making WiMax work, there are big companies supporting WiMax worldwide. Nokia has agreed to build base stations and has a stake in offering handsets as well. Samsung has also joined the alliance of companies pushing the 4G technology.

Trading around $20, Clearwire has not been a big stock market success. Its shares got a nice lift to $35 when it announced its WiMax alliance with Sprint. But, the shares are off at $21. Clearwire's current debt load is modest at $655 million, but, if it has to go it alone, that will rise. The company's market cap is $3.4 billion.

Sprint's market cap is $51 billion. Its revenue run rate is about $10.5 billion a quarter. Operating income in the June quarter was $316 million. The company's debt load, at $21.7 billion, is fairly heavy.

Sprint and Clearwire are facing the challenge of AT&T (T) buying licenses from Aloha in the 700 MHz frequency covering 196 million people in 281 markets, including 72 of the top 100 metropolitan areas and all of the top 10 markets. The FCC is going to auction off more 700 MHz.spectrum in January. Access to this will provide wireless operators the ability to offer better wireless broadband which is tough competition for WiMax.

Kevin Martin and the FCC have allowed for part of the 700 band to be reserved for open access - which would allow the bandwidth to be used on any device, in any way.

Google has announced that they will be throwing in their bid at the FCC’s $4.6 billion reserve price, but only if the FCC agrees to Google’s expanded demands for open access. Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, says that if the FCC will agree to open applications, open devices, open services, and open networks (conditions outlined in Google’s previous proposal), then Google will play ball.

The auction could net Google a prime piece of spectrum real estate from which to launch their very own wireless broadband network.

Will Google invest in Clearwire?

Sprint and Clearwire can face the competition separately and probably take a severe beating. Or, they can put together one company, Perhaps Intel, Nokia, and Samsung would make strategic investment to help finance building the US WiMax network. Having a single company building instead of two would save hundreds of millions of dollars.

Samsung to build mobile Internet network in New York

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday that it will build a mobile Internet network in New York to expand its homegrown technology in the United States, one of the world's largest communications markets.

혻 혻 "Recently, we received a request from Sprint Nextel Corp. for the establishment of a WiBro network in New York," Choi Gee-sung, head of Samsung's telecommunications business, told reporters at the 4G Forum currently underway in central Seoul. However, he didn't give details on timetables.

혻혻 WiBro, one of the major 4G communications standards, is an improved version of WiMax that enables high-speed Internet connectivity even when a user is in motion. WiMax refers to a wireless Internet technology developed by the world's largest chipmaker Intel Corp.

혻혻 Samsung, a global tech giant, and other Korean companies hold related core technologies.

혻 혻 In August 2006, Samsung signed a deal with Sprint Nextel, Motorola Inc. and Intel to cooperate in developing and commercializing WiBro in the U.S., one of the world's largest communications markets.

혻혻 It has built the WiBro network in five major cities and regions there including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston, Samsung officials said.

혻혻 Samsung expects that the number of its WiBro network users in the U.S. will exceed 100 million next year and it will grow to 140 million in 2009 and 170 million in 2010, respectively.

혻 혻 "Within three or four years, we will be able to generate profits from our network business including WiBro," Choi said, adding his company will raise investment for its network business from 120 billion won (US$128 million) a year to 160 billion going forward.

혻혻 Meanwhile, Samsung has held the 4G Forum every year since 2003, aimed at facilitating the emergence of new communications markets and strengthening its market superiority in the sector. This year's event kicked off Monday for a two-day run with around 130 experts from academia, business, and the governments of 26 countries expected to be on hand.

Samsung Ultra Video SGH-F500 Mobile Phone Gets DivX Certification

DivX Inc. announced the DivX Certification of the Samsung Ultra Video (SGH-F500) mobile phone, which features an unrivaled design and brings a superior range of multimedia experiences to consumers including high-quality DivX video playback.

The SGH-F500 is the first mobile phone to achieve DivX Certification to ensure true interoperability between the device and the over 70 million DivX Certified consumer electronics devices in the world today.

A member of Samsung's Ultra Edition line of handsets, the SGH-F500 offers users the latest in video features with a large LCD that has a unique swivel design so video content can be watched optimally. In any viewing situation, the phone is said to offer unparalleled access to high-quality DivX movies on the go, either from the user's own collection, from DivX's own Stage 6 video Web site, or through other mobile content services.

"The addition of DivX Certification to the Samsung SGH-F500 mobile handset opens a broad ecosystem of digital media that can be taken on the road while preserving the kind of high-quality experience that video aficionados demand," said Kevin Hell, President of DivX Inc. "DivX is working to build a common digital media language that offers real interoperability across devices and platforms, and innovative devices like the Samsung Ultra SGH-F500 phone are an important piece of that ecosystem."

Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video creation and playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX.

The DivX Certified Samsung Ultra Video SGH-F500 phone will be available later in 2007.