Tag Archives: googl

AT&T, T-Mobile Usual Suspects In FCC Auction, But Mysteries Remain

Federal regulators say 104 companies — including, as expected,  AT&T ( T ), Verizon Communications ( VZ ) and T-Mobile US ( TMUS ) — have applied to bid on airwaves owned by TV broadcasters, but analysts are still tempering expectations for the auction. While the Federal Communications Commission late Friday released the list of applicants, it was still unclear just which telecom companies are tied to some of the 104 bidding entities. The FCC is expected to release a more detailed list soon. “The more interesting takeaways will evolve as we learn more about the underlying ownership of the bidding entities,” said Michael Rollins, a Citigroup analyst, in a research report. “Initial applicant lists for FCC auctions can be a bit difficult to decipher since many bidders will submit applications through subsidiaries with different names,” Goldman Sachs analyst Brett Feldman wrote in a report. The FCC plans to begin the “Broadcast Incentive Auction” on March 29. The auction, which could last five to six months, will free up an estimated 60 to 80 megahertz of prime, low-frequency spectrum for wireless services. Based on public statements, analysts expect Comcast ( CMCSA ) and Dish Network ( DISH ) to be among the bidders. Cable firm Charter Communications ( CHTR ) is not among the 104 listed companies, but John Malone-controlled Liberty Global ( LBTYA ) is included. Despite speculation that  Sprint ( S )-owner SoftBank ( SFBTY ) could take part in the auction, there’s no sign of the Japanese telecom in initial filings. In a report published on Monday, Goldman Sachs estimated phone and cable TV companies may spend only $21 billion in the auction, though other bidders could raise auction proceeds as high as $30 billion. Alphabet ’s ( GOOGL ) Google has ruled itself out, and no Internet companies are in the 104 public applicants, though ties to some bidding entities might exist. A Bloomberg survey has estimated the auction will raise only $33 billion, much less than the $60 billion figure floated by some observers in mid-2015. Citigroup estimates bids could reach $43 billion, however, in the neighborhood of 2015’s “AWS-3” auction, which had 80 listed eligible bidders.

How Will We Watch TV Next, And Will Apple Or Comcast Rule It?

Apple ( AAPL ) has the future of TV all wrong, says a Barclays analyst who follows the cable TV industry and who’s upbeat on Comcast ’s ( CMCSA ) X1 service platform. Apple, Alphabet ‘s ( GOOGL ) Google, Comcast and others are vying to be the gateway to entertainment, says Kannan Venkateshwar, a Barclays analyst, in the report. He expects a battle to unfold as both pay-TV companies and technology rivals aim to be the “aggregator of aggregators,” the one-stop shop consumers go to for all forms of content. Apple rolled out its fourth-generation TV hardware in late 2015, but it’s been stymied in content talks with media giants and has shelved plans, at least temporarily, for a web-based TV service. “According to Apple, television will become a collection of applications. We believe the world is likely to move in a different direction, with an aggregator of aggregators, which then directs traffic to all other apps,” Venkateshwar wrote in the report. “In our opinion, those that control the ‘last mile’ and the relationship with the consumer, like Comcast, are in a much better position to be the aggregator than technology platforms like Amazon ( AMZN ), Google or Apple.” In September 2015, Apple introduced new TV hardware, including a Siri-controlled remote control, and added an app store to the platform. “We believe the future of television is apps,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. Pay-TV companies, though, may be poised to build up relationships with media and entertainment companies, speculates Venkateshwar. “Companies like Comcast are able to aggregate every stream of content used by a consumer (TV, DVR, video-on-demand, gaming, etc.) while technology platforms like Apple can only aggregate subscription VOD content,” he said. “While it may be difficult for companies like Comcast to compete with the likes of Apple on the metric of user experience, we think the resources being put behind the vision at present seem to be moving in the right direction, with the evolution of the X1 platform being a prime data point.” Comcast expects half of its 22 million video subscribers to be using X1 set-top boxes by the end of 2016. While X1 currently does not support a Netflix ( NFLX ) app, under Venkateshwar’s vision it would have to. The X1 entertainment platform provides access to live broadcast, on-demand video and DVR-stored content. In November, Comcast partnered with 30 broadcast and cable networks to bring short-form Web clips to X1 set-tops as part of its video-on-demand (VOD) lineup. IBD 50 company Alphabet gets a best-possible Composite Rating of 99 from IBD, looking at earnings growth, stock performance and a raft of other measures. Comcast has an 88, Amazon a 68 and Apple a 66. Image provided by Shutterstock .

Self-Driving Cars: China’s Come To U.S.; Automakers Adopt Braking

Self-driving cars are inching forward with developments this week — 20 automakers say they’ll add automatic emergency braking by 2022, and China’s Baidu ( BIDU ) will reportedly soon start testing its autonomous cars in the U.S. As about the whole car industry gets into the game, the quest to create a self-driving vehicle puts Chinese Internet search leader Baidu in a tech-development drag race with global search leader Google. The unit of parent firm Alphabet ( GOOGL ) has been developing self-driving vehicles for years. Baidu aims to become a cutting-edge automaker and have its automated vehicles in distribution in 2018, says a report Thursday in the Wall Street Journal. The latest  move by Baidu  comes as U.S. auto safety regulators say that 20 automakers have pledged to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on nearly all U.S. vehicles by 2022, a move that could prevent thousands of rear-end accidents each year – and ensure that the companies aren’t left in the dust as car technology advances. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hailed the voluntary commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99% of U.S. vehicle sales. Companies including General Motors ( GM ), Ford ( F ), Toyota ( TM ), Volkswagen ( VLKAY ), Daimler ( DDAIF ), Nissan Motor ( NSANY ) and Honda Motor ( HMC ) have signed on. While Apple ( AAPL ) has been widely reported to be among those in the self-driving car game, the company hasn’t confirmed any involvement. Baidu stock rose 0.2% to 183.44  in the stock market today . Apple stock fell 0.2% to 105.80. Mobileye ( MBLY ) stock appeared to benefit after news of the emergency braking standard emerged on Wednesday, soaring 9.5%. Mobileye, a maker of autonomous car technology, saw its stock rise 1.4% Thursday. Since its IPO last August, Mobileye stock has jumped 48% from its IPO price of 25. Mobileye has said millions of vehicles include its system as it works with BMW and automakers such as Tesla Motors ( TSLA ), GM and Honda. Along with Mobileye, NXP Semiconductors ( ), Nvidia ( NVDA ), Ambarella ( AMBA ) and others are partnering with automakers to develop chips and other technology needed for self-driving cars. German automaker BMW said in September 2014 that it had teamed up with Baidu to create self-driving cars. At that time, BMW said its project with Baidu was designed to achieve “accident-free mobility” while enhancing comfort and efficiency for drivers in China, the world’s top car-producing nation. Baidu already provides Internet cloud services to BMW as well as mapping services through Baidu Maps, BMW said then. On Tuesday, the chief of self-driving car development at Google told a U.S. Senate panel that “Congress has a huge opportunity to help ensure that self-driving cars can be safely deployed at scale,” as the Alphabet subsidiary and others attempt to fast-track development of the technology. Chris Urmson, director of the self-driving car program at Google X, was among those who testified at the hearing that was convened by U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The hearing came a month after one of Google’s self-driving cars hit a municipal bus in California. Google has said new software changes will avoid future incidents. In a report last year, Boston Consulting Group cautioned that self-driving cars won’t likely appear widely on roads until 2025, but the technology could emerge sooner in automated ride-sharing services in city centers. This week’s U.S. government hearing included testimony from GM and ride-sharing company Lyft, which are in a partnership to develop self-driving cars. Driverless trucks and cars will be tested soon in the U.K., according to a BBC report on Thursday.