Tag Archives: tmus

Apple Wireless Service Not Coming, But Smart SIMs Alive

Apple ( AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook shot down speculation that the company at some point would sell wireless services, but he confirmed interest in “e-SIM” technology that would make it easier for consumers to switch carriers, according to reports. Aside from selling its own wireless service directly to consumers, putting a smart SIM (subscriber identity module) into iPhones is the most destabilizing thing that Apple could do to wireless firms, including Verizon Communications ( VZ ) and AT&T ( T ), analysts have said. Cook said in a Startup Fest Europe interview that Apple will not sell its own wireless services, unlike Alphabet’s Google, according to news website  9to5Mac report . “We don’t have the network skill. We’ll do some things along the way with e-SIMs along the way, but in general, I like the things carriers do,” Cook is quoted as saying in the 9to5Mac report. “We’ve worked with AT&T in the U.S., O2 in the UK, as well as T-Mobile ( TMUS ) and Orange, and we expanded as we learned more. But generally, the things Apple likes to do, are things we can do globally,” Cook explained. Analysts have speculated that Apple could introduce e-SIM technology that makes it easier to switch service providers by 2018. They do not expect to see this technology in the next iPhone, the iPhone 7, expected to be released this fall. The technology involves reprogrammable software that provides network access. Analysts call it a smart SIM, an electronic SIM, a soft SIM or a virtual SIM. At the same time, Apple may continue using tiny SIM cards, usually found under the battery, which provides access to a wireless network. Carrier-switching technology might be an option in new SIMs, analysts say. Apple stock was up 1%, near 97.50, in morning trading in the stock market today .

Dish Network Not Running Out Of Time On Spectrum Deal: Jefferies

Investment firm Jefferies added Dish Network ( DISH ) to its “franchise pick” stock list, saying Wall Street “has an overly bearish view” on the satellite TV broadcaster. Analyst Mike McCormack set a year-end 2017 price target of 80 on Dish stock, on views that its strategy of cobbling together radio spectrum for wireless or mobile video services will pay off. “We value Dish’s spectrum portfolio at nearly $45 billion on a pretax basis, or roughly $32 billion on a tax-adjusted basis,” McCormack said in a research report. Dish stock was up more than 3% in morning trading in the  stock market today , near 46, but it’s still down nearly 20% in 2016, and off 33% from a year ago. Dish has a low IBD Composite Rating of 19 out of a possible 99. Dish Network has amassed some 77 MHz of radio spectrum, spending some $15 billion in the process. However, the company lacks a wireless partner to deliver mobile video services over that spectrum. Verizon Communications ( VZ ) has stated it’s not interested in acquiring Dish Network’s spectrum but might be open to a wholesale network deal, analysts say. Dish — along with  AT&T ( T ), Verizon and  T-Mobile US ( TMUS ) — have filed as bidders in a federal auction of airwaves now owned by local TV broadcasters. The auction, begun in late March, might drag on until Q4. Depending on the auction’s outcome, wireless firms may be more or less interested in partnering with Dish Network or buying its spectrum. “We believe there are many outcomes and opportunities to realize value for Dish shareholders,” added McCormack in the report. “On concerns Dish is ‘running out of time,’ we believe there is plenty of time for various scenarios to unfold.”

Facebook’s WhatsApp Tests Video Calls; Wireless Firms On Edge?

Facebook ’s ( FB ) WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new, free video calling feature, as both Facebook’s social networking platform and its messenger services like WhatsApp push further into communications. The video calling feature is being tested on a limited basis, says a  report  by tech new site The Verge. Facebook’s emerging video calling platform poses a challenge to Microsoft ‘s ( MSFT ) Skype, analysts say. Facebook’s relationships with wireless service providers have been touchy, although its social platform is a big driver of data consumption for U.S. wireless firms such as AT&T ( T ) and Verizon Communications ( VZ ) as well as other players globally. T-Mobile US ( TMUS ) in March shot down speculation it was working with Facebook on a “sponsored” plan that would exempt usage from monthly data caps. Facebook’s friction with wireless firms has been more apparent in emerging markets, such as Latin America. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the relationship between telecom carriers and  Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger is “symbiotic,” not hostile. Zuckerberg said that while “there might be tension in any relationship,” he sees greater use of photos and videos in messaging services as boosting data usage. In India, however, wireless firms Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Group ( VOD ) in early May asked regulators to stop phone calls made through mobile apps. Originally a text messaging service, WhatsApp rolled out free voice calling options to both Apple ( AAPL ) iOS and Android-based mobile phones last year. WhatsApp says it has 1 billion users worldwide. Facebook, though, hasn’t generated much revenue from WhatsApp, which it acquired in 2014 for $19 billion. Aside from WhatsApp, Facebook has taken other steps into communications. Facebook Messenger, a separate app, launched a group calling feature in April. Facebook has also expanded live video streaming to both Apple iPhones and Android software-based devices. Alphabet ’s ( GOOGL ) Google, meanwhile, is also active. Google has been working with Sprint ( S ), Deutsche Telekom ( DTEGY ), Vodafone and others to develop next-generation messaging technology based on a standard called Rich Communications Services, or RCS.