NextWave Wireless Stock Soars More Than 41% in Just One Trading Day — Say Hello to WiMAX
It would seem that WiMAX’s impact on mobile technology in the United States might be closer than we all originally thought.
NextWave Wireless Inc. (Nasdaq: WAVE), a global leader of all things WiMAX, announced that it has retained Deutsche Bank and UBS Investment Bank to explore the sale of its extensive spectrum holdings in the United States. NextWave’s U.S. spectrum footprint covers over 251 million people in the United States and includes major markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, and Detroit.
What drove the surge? Possibly Allen Salmasi, chief executive officer and president of NextWave Wireless, when he remarked:
Since the completion of the recent 700 MHz auction, we have received multiple offers for our U.S. spectrum assets. [N]ow is the perfect time for us to sell these valuable assets while network operators are trying to finalize their band plans and spectrum holdings for their continuing 3G and planned 4G rollouts. Monetizing the value of our substantial spectrum assets would allow us to further strengthen our balance sheet, retire debt, and continue the commercial introduction of a wide range of innovative wireless broadband and multimedia solutions such as our high-performance WiMAX and RFIC chipsets, advanced multi-mode, multi-band TD-CDMA, WiMAX and LTE enabled base station platforms, breakthrough MXtvTM and TDtvTM mobile television systems.
Google May Build Huge Wireless Network Using Floating Balloons
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is considering either a partnership or a full-on buyout of Space Data Corp—a company that provides balloon-based wireless networks. If you think that seems a little strange, consider this: the balloons can help bring wireless service to individuals in rural areas and they can be launched on the cheap—about $50 to launch the balloon, $1500 for the receiver, and a $100 finder’s fee for recovery after the balloon returns to earth.
Additionally, a BusinessWeek article from last month revealed that Space Data believes it can cover the whole country with a WiMax broadband network with just 370 balloons. Compare that with the 22,000 or so towers that would be necessary using traditional methods.
Sources: Gizmodo and WSJ and BusinessWeek via TechCrunch and Broadband Reports
Sprint Nextel consider Nokia as WiMax supplier
An article on Mobile Monday discussed the likely possibility that Sprint will join forces with Nokia in a big way for it’s new WiMax network that is expected to roll out by 2008. Does this mean more Flash Lite in North America? Possibly. However, bringing Nokia on as a major phone supplier would not be enough on it’s own.
Currently, Verizon Wireless and Sprint both use Qualcomm’s network. The difference is that Sprint has not signed a licensing agreement to use BREW for content distribution—so no Flash Lite.
Although the differences of WiMax and Sprint’s existing setup are not entirely clear to me, this may open the door for Flash Lite and Sprint.
