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Re: Let's Solve the Real Wireless Problem: Spectrum Shortage
Posted by: Jeff Kagan 2011-09-09 02:08:03
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Now that the Department of Justice said no to the AT&T, T-Mobile merger, can we please start talking about solving the real -- and growing -- problem in the wireless industry? It's something that will affect every carrier and every customer in the years to come. In fact this is the very reason AT&T wanted T-Mobile in the first place: the spectrum shortage. AT&T wanted to merge with T-Mobile to solve its own capacity problem. It wanted to get its hands on T-Mobile spectrum. The rest was just noise. Still, that would have been only a temporary fix at best.
A cheaper prepaid version of the iPhone for Tracfone wireless?! That's brilliant. My grandfather is going to love replacing his basic SVC senior phone for the chance of getting to play with a real toy (yes, no matter how old you are, boys still love their toys). But is that really realistic? I'll be the first to say there's an ocean of expansion available in the low-end prepaid market, but will Apple really compromise their well groomed prestige brand? I don't think so.
I think if Apple really wanted to reinforce their standing as leaders in innovation, and now availability / affordability too, then they should definitely look at tracfone as an optional channel. Unlike conventional carriers, that are limited to only one type of technology (GSM, or CDMA), tracfone has access to both those types of network - a true world phone. If that the new affordable iPhone could automatically switch between GSM, and CDMA wherever it went, then you would truly have a leader in signal coverage with tracfone.
