Mobile Diner® where wireless and washington meet….

We all know Sprint is bleeding valuable consumers to at&t and Verizon.  We also know their reband with public safety is taking longer and could be more costly than originally estimated.  However, I believe if Sprint can weather this storm and regain confidence from consumers – their future could be bright.

Sprint’s 4G plans center on WiMax and they will utilize 190 MHz of spectrum in the MMDS band to deliver the service.  This spectrum covers 85 percent of households in the top 100 markets.  Sprint also benefits from an existing PCS infrastructure that sets up quite well to overlay WiMax and they have capital committed to the initiative.  As Barry West, Sprint’s CTO, stated at CTIA’s show in Orlando “we are the 800-pound gorilla.” 

I like Sprint’s vision for wireless broadband.  I would have liked it even more if they had implemented and executed this strategy a few years ago.  However, it is imperative that they get their churn under control.  When I was at AT&T Wireless, our customer base was growing but the quality of the network was diminishing.  We had a capacity problem.  Suddenly churn became a real issue (because we couldn’t get more spectrum or chop the cells up for reuse any more) and a negative perception of our services became viral in the market.  Sprint must stop the loss of their valuable postpaid subscribers or the benefits of delivering a cheaper bit and faster broadband will never reach its full potential.

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Anybody remember that East Coast versus West Coast rap debate?  Biggie versus 2Pac?

LG wants to reinvigorate the battle in a different forum – texting.  Bring your skills to Hollywood or New York and have a chance to win a total of $25,000.  The winner from each coast will face-off for the ultimate battle and the rest of the cash.

All of the official details here.

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There was a great deal of buzz out in Cali about Twitter.  I had heard about this service but didn’t think too much of it initially. However, after being at VON and around many tech gurus who are utilizing Twitter — I now understand the power of this application.

Twitter satisfies the need of those who want to be connected at all times. In this new era of communications, that’s a great deal of folks (especially, under 25 demographic).  I consider Twitter a new flavor of blogging or short-form – limited to 140 characters – blogging.  You can IM or SMS your latest thoughts or what you are doing.  Accordingly, your friends can subscribe and get updates on your latest moves.  If you thought “Crackberry” was an addiction that folks couldn’t shake. It looks like Twitter is more powerful and the new drug on the scene.

I think Twitter is great for another reason – collaboration. The carriers didn’t create this application. Obvious did. Consumers are enjoying this product and both – the carriers and Obvious – will reap the financial benefits (via text). Twitter plans to offer more and has recently introduced twittervision. This allows the user to see a Google map of where everyone is twittering.  It’s very cool….

Do you twitter?

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Steve Garfield, videoblogger at SteveGarfield.com and Boston correspondent for Rocketboom, gave an inspring presentation on “A New Look at Content.”  (Aside from the presentation itself, Steve was nice enough to take some time with Chris and I to give us some interviewing and video blogging tips for the diner, which were very much appreciated.) 

Steve has become a leader in videoblogging, and I highly suggest that anyone interested in starting a video blog check out his tips. 

For Steve, cell phones have become an integral way of capturing, producing, and sharing content immediately.  He currently uses the Nokia N93 and is testing the Nokia N95.  As you will see in the presentation, Steve shot and edited a clip in 15 minutes on a train with the Nokia N95, and then later uploaded it via wifi.  Here is a picture of Steve filming with his N93 during the presentation:

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As Chris explained, our ‘Jetblued’ traveling experience caused a bit of a delay in getting back to DC.  Incidentally, my Thursday evening post has turned into a Sunday afternoon post.  Tardiness aside, the insights shared at the conference were invaluable, and I am truly grateful to Jeff Pulver for inviting me to cover Video on the Net. 

Shelly Palmer, managing Partner of Advanced Media Ventures Group, LLC, led the Video on the Net conference discussions.  He opened the conference by discussing the many different models for Internet TV, such as video-snacking, download-to-own, and streaming, as well as the three revenue models for TV and all content on the Internet- I pay, You pay, Someone else pays.  However, while many promote the ‘end of TV as we know it,’ Palmer emphasized that that is not yet the case, noting that while production capabilities have been democratized, promotion has not.  He cited the fact that 20-25% of advertising on television is for TV programming itself.  The Internet does not currently have a model for such promotion, and until this is achieved, Internet video will not eliminate TV as we know it, but rather will evolve independently, with its own advertising and revenue models. Continue Reading »

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Ashley and I finally made our way back to DC. However, we got stuck in Arizona on Thursday because of severe weather in Phoenix (our connecting airport to DC). This includes being “Jetblued” on the runway in Tucson where we were forced to wait out the storm…. Overall, it was quite an adventure in Arizona but it would take a great deal more to damper my post-VON mood.

With regard to the show, I always come back from VON rejuvenated and with new ideas. It was after the show in Boston that finally inspired me to launch the Mobile Diner and build a community of wireless enthusiasts. If you are interested in what is going on with the intersection of social / new media and technology — the VON show is for you. Continue Reading »

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Jeff Pulver kicked off the conferences with three announcements regarding the state of the evolution and development of IP Communications.  

First, in a move reminiscent of Steve Jobs’ announcement that Apple was dropping “Computers” from its name at Macworld 2007, Jeff announced that the “IP” should be dropped from the term “IP Communications.” He explained that IP Communications has developed to the point that it is now an incumbent industry itself, and will become the new target for disruption. 

Because IP Communications is now susceptible to disruption and regulation, his second announcement of the morning was the creation of the Video on the Net Alliance, an international alliance which will “advocate on behalf of the emerging video on the Net community, focusing on educating the industry, users and government about the promise of internet video and the best policy framework to foster innovation and evolution of internet video.”

Jeff’s third announcement was that Network2 filed a petition this morning with the FCC for declaratory ruling that Internet video is not subject to regulation under Titles III or VI of the Communications Act, which regulate video franchising and content.  Jeff explained that the FCC should be “hands off” regarding Internet TV, and that he hopes that this morning’s filing will be an opportunity to set the tone for regulation in other countries.

Vinod Khosla, the second speaker, discussed the limitless potential of the device that “used to be your phone,” and the many software developments that are changing the role of cell phones and wireless networks.  He cited Moka 5, a company he has invested in which allows you to virtually tote your PC on a USB drive.  Khosla also spoke to the growth of the Internet, and noted that even amidst the Internet burst, “Net growth has never stopped, and it won’t stop anytime soon.” 

Niklas Zennstrom, founder and CEO of Skype and co-founder of Joost, discussed the wealth of product innovation occurring within Skype.  He explained that 44% of time on the web is spent communicating (e-mail, IM’s, VoIP, etc.), and that there is ample room to grow the voice component of this communication. 

Another exciting announcement this morning was the winner of Network2’s “How to Watch Internet TV” contest, which asked people to submit videos showing how people can watch Internet TV.  The winner, Mike Ambs (for his very creative video “Friend #1 & #2“), received a “Prize Patrol”-sized check for $25,000 for his submission. 

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Chris and I made it to San Jose last night, and have spent the day at the concurrent VON and Video on the Net Conferences, which explore the future of communications and innovation on the Internet.

Before the opening session, we got a chance to meet Steve Garfield, one of the pioneers in vlogging.

We also got to speak with Vinod Khosla, venture capitalist and founder of Sun Microsystems and Khosla Ventures, about the future of wireless networks.

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The mobile diner was featured in a Roll Call article this morning.  Kate Ackley, who writes for the K Street Files column, had heard about it and wanted to know what would inspire a lobbyist to blog.

Kate also mentions in the article that I will be covering the Video on the Net conference in San Jose this week.  Chris and I are leaving in a few hours for that and for the concurrent VON conference.  We’re both looking forward to hear the impressive line-up of speakers they have set up.  I’ll be reporting back what they have to say about the future of video on the net, so check back throughout the week!  

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I have weighed in on social networking before.  I maintain that there is a bright future for two-way communication and the proliferation of original content.  That said, I am aware that as a social networking user (addict) myself, my opinions may be a bit biased.  So, I value the perspectives of those who can look at social networking with a more dispassionate eye than my own. 

In April’s Atlantic Monthly, Michael Hirschorn likens today’s social media hype to that of the dot-com burst of the late nineties.  He explains that the rash of social networking sites that are being funded  by “entrepreneurs and corporations trying to grab their slice of 2.0 glory” will ultimately fail, and that social networking is “only another in a long string of putatively disruptive, massively hyped technologies that prove just one more step in the long march.” Continue Reading »

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In the 109th Congress, Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) offered a bill (H.R. 5319) amending the Communications Act to require recipients of universal support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms. His bill passed in the House of Representatives but he lost in November. I’m not suggesting that his support of this initiative cost him the election. However, in a race decided by a few thousand votes (1,521) maybe it was a factor. Continue Reading »

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Sprint must be eating at the Mobile Diner. They have recently decided to join the conversation and engage wireless consumers on the internet. I think this is a great development and I hope it is a success.

Buzz About Wireless is a new website by Sprint that seeks to gather knowledge from their customers and others. 24 comments have been submitted on the main page since its launch in February. The site also directs readers to 2 main topic pages: ratings & reviews and discussions.

I believe there is a real opportunity for a carrier to “win on service.” T-Mobile has been a leader in customer service in some JD Power surveys. However, they have not leveraged it in their marketing. With regard to service quality (“can you hear me now”) and quality of the network, Verizon owns it. Cingular is trying to compete on the quality of the network – “fewest dropped calls” – but they are on playing on Verizon’s turf. Not to mention folks are still confused with the whole AT&T Wireless rebrand.

I hope other carriers will follow Sprint’s lead on this initiative. Obviously, Sprint will not please everyone and some comments will be tough. However, connecting with consumers and creating a sense of belonging can build your brand and will increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User).

Will Sprint’s efforts be rewarded? Let us know your thoughts….

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Have you ever wondered how to get a deal on your next cell phone?

The Consumerist supposedly has gotten anonymous confessionals from the largest carriers’ (Cingular, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) sales reps. The confessionals offer insight on how to swing a deal the next time you are in the market for a new phone. It’s interesting reading but I’m not sure how much of the intel is legit (on the T-mobile confessional – there is already a rebuttal).

Stay tuned – I plan to do some research on some of these suggestions because a few struck me as far-fetched and I believe could ultimately harm the consumer in the long run.

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Ashley has been invited to cover the Spring VON conference in San Jose. Specifically, she will be focused on the Video on the Net portion of the conference. I attended the VON show last fall in Boston. It was my first VON conference and the lineup was quite impressive. On a few occasions, I found myself forced to choose between two or three break-out sessions. The San Jose show should be great and I look forward to learning the latest from many tech mavens.

If you haven’t been to VON, I encourage you to check it out.

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I will freely admit it- I rely on Facebook.  In fact, I’m virtually dependent on it.  It tells me when my friends’ birthdays are, where people live or are moving to, and how to get in touch with people.  If deprived of it, not only would I have to find another outlet for my Facebook compulsion, I’d inevitably become a bad friend, incapable of keeping up to date or even in contact with friends past and present. 

I know that I’m not alone.  Sunday’s Baltimore Sun did a story on Facebook, about how many college students are giving up the social utility for lent because, as such an integral part of their everyday lives, it is a huge sacrifice to live without.  Continue Reading »

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