Recently, the FCC laid out its priorities for the wireless industry and the recognition that wireless networks deserve special consideration was very encouraging.

Roger Entner, Senior Vice President, Research and Insights, Telecom Practice
Over the past few months, the government’s interest in the practice of handset exclusivity has intensified. On the heels of Congressional hearings in July, Verizon Wireless agreed to dial back its exclusive deals with cell phone manufacturers to accommodate smaller carriers. This week the FCC, which has already begun a review of handset agreements, has made the issue a focus of its regular monthly meeting. But no matter what the setting or circumstances, whenever U.S. lawmakers and regulators discuss competition in …

Sid Gorham, President, Telecom Practice

Pressure has been mounting on U.S. mobile carriers to lower pricing in response to slow growth and the weakened economy. The Big 4 national carriers (Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile) each introduced unlimited usage plans in Q1 2008 that offered unlimited calling for approximately $99 per month. While these plans lowered rates for high usage subscribers, they failed to spark a full-on price war in the mass market as many analysts predicted at the time.
Today, the Big 4 national carriers are increasingly challenged by regional carriers …

Roger Entner, SVP, Head of Research and Insights, Telecom Practice
With the telecom landscape in constant flux, carriers continue to find unique ways to add to their bottom lines. While the Kindle, Amazon’s wireless reading device , has been touted as a savior for the newspaper industry, it also represents the first example of the long-predicted ad hoc subscription model for Sprint, which provides the wireless access for Kindle as subsidized by Amazon. Sales of the Kindle drove a majority of Sprint’s 394,000 wholesale additions …