Wireless Phone
Greg Dempsey asked:
The wireless phone has evolved and continues to do so as technology constantly moves to mobilise our lives. Below is an excerpt of an article from the from the Wall Street Journal on the potential benefits of the rumoured Google Phone, as well as the significant challenges it will likely face:
Google Inc. is close to unveiling its long-planned strategy to shake up the wireless market, people familiar with the matter say. The Web giant’s ambitious goal: to make applications and services as accessible on cell phones as they are on the Internet.
In a move likely to kick off an intense debate about the future shape of the cell phone industry, Google wants to make it easier for cell phone customers to get a variety of extra services on
their phones — from maps to social-networking features to video-sharing. To get its way, however, the search giant will have to overcome resistance from wireless carriers and deal with potentially
thorny security and privacy issues.
Google is trying to loosen the grip wireless carriers have over the software and services consumers can access on cell phones. Carriers have considerable clout, especially in the U.S., where they control distribution of phones to consumers through their retail stores.
Wireless Phone Technology
The wireless phone is a device that comes with such features as a Duplex speakerphone and voice recognition system allowing users to go hands free anytime they want. Some palmtop computers have even morphed into an all in one device that includes a wireless phone.
If you are to research the phone you will find numerous new features breaking the market place on any given day.
N.B. Canadian wireless incumbent phone companies, facing the prospect of increasing competition from new entrants, could benefit from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s ruling against Globalive Communications Corp.
Globalive is one of a number of companies planning to launch competitive wireless phone and data services in the coming months to challenge incumbent carriers BCE Inc. (BCE), Telus Corp. (TU) and Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI). Many investors believe Globalive would be the strongest of the new entrants because of the financial heft of its backer Egyptian telecom company Orascom, a major mobile phone operator servicing a total or around 70 million subscribers in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
However, the CRTC ruled that Globalive doesn’t meet the Canadian ownership requirements to operate in Canada.
In a statement, the CRTC said it “found it particularly important that Orascom owns 65.1% of the equity, has entered into a strategic technical arrangement with Globalive, controls and holds the ???Wind??? brand under which Globalive will operate, and holds the overwhelming majority of the outstanding debt.”
The decision could cause controversy since the Federal government’s Industry Canada approved Globalive’s plan.
“This is a bad day for Canadian consumers. Canadians deserve competition in wireless and this decision represents a major step backwards,??? Anthony Lacavera, Globalive’s chairman, said in a statement.
Globalive said it had plannned to launch its services in the coming weeks, but is now evaluating its options on how to proceed.
Investors in BCE, Telus and Rogers have worried that the phone companies’ lucrative wireless operations could suffer as Globalive and the other entrants planned to win share by offering aggressive prices.
Indeed, the recent introduction by Rogers and Telus of new wireless rate plans that don’t include system access fees or carrier 911 fees were seen by market observers as a preemptive move against the anticipated competition.
The wireless phone has evolved and continues to do so as technology constantly moves to mobilise our lives. Below is an excerpt of an article from the from the Wall Street Journal on the potential benefits of the rumoured Google Phone, as well as the significant challenges it will likely face:
Google Inc. is close to unveiling its long-planned strategy to shake up the wireless market, people familiar with the matter say. The Web giant’s ambitious goal: to make applications and services as accessible on cell phones as they are on the Internet.
In a move likely to kick off an intense debate about the future shape of the cell phone industry, Google wants to make it easier for cell phone customers to get a variety of extra services on
their phones — from maps to social-networking features to video-sharing. To get its way, however, the search giant will have to overcome resistance from wireless carriers and deal with potentially
thorny security and privacy issues.
Google is trying to loosen the grip wireless carriers have over the software and services consumers can access on cell phones. Carriers have considerable clout, especially in the U.S., where they control distribution of phones to consumers through their retail stores.
Wireless Phone Technology
The wireless phone is a device that comes with such features as a Duplex speakerphone and voice recognition system allowing users to go hands free anytime they want. Some palmtop computers have even morphed into an all in one device that includes a wireless phone.
If you are to research the phone you will find numerous new features breaking the market place on any given day.
N.B. Canadian wireless incumbent phone companies, facing the prospect of increasing competition from new entrants, could benefit from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s ruling against Globalive Communications Corp.
Globalive is one of a number of companies planning to launch competitive wireless phone and data services in the coming months to challenge incumbent carriers BCE Inc. (BCE), Telus Corp. (TU) and Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI). Many investors believe Globalive would be the strongest of the new entrants because of the financial heft of its backer Egyptian telecom company Orascom, a major mobile phone operator servicing a total or around 70 million subscribers in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
However, the CRTC ruled that Globalive doesn’t meet the Canadian ownership requirements to operate in Canada.
In a statement, the CRTC said it “found it particularly important that Orascom owns 65.1% of the equity, has entered into a strategic technical arrangement with Globalive, controls and holds the ???Wind??? brand under which Globalive will operate, and holds the overwhelming majority of the outstanding debt.”
The decision could cause controversy since the Federal government’s Industry Canada approved Globalive’s plan.
“This is a bad day for Canadian consumers. Canadians deserve competition in wireless and this decision represents a major step backwards,??? Anthony Lacavera, Globalive’s chairman, said in a statement.
Globalive said it had plannned to launch its services in the coming weeks, but is now evaluating its options on how to proceed.
Investors in BCE, Telus and Rogers have worried that the phone companies’ lucrative wireless operations could suffer as Globalive and the other entrants planned to win share by offering aggressive prices.
Indeed, the recent introduction by Rogers and Telus of new wireless rate plans that don’t include system access fees or carrier 911 fees were seen by market observers as a preemptive move against the anticipated competition.