Tag Archives: Ma Bell

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

I Can't Wait to Ditch My Cable Company for Google

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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Search giant Google  recently outlined plans to expand its Google Fiber service to Austin, Texas. That represents a disruptive threat to local incumbent cable providers such as Time Warner Cable  and AT&T . Austinites will probably switch en masse to the new service, which will hurt both Time Warner and AT&T. Ma Bell promptly responded by announcing its own intention to build a gigabit fiber optic service if it could wrangle the same incentives as Google.

In the following video, Austin-based Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, explains why he’s excited to ditch his cable company.

As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other Web companies, it’s also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn’t sold. That’s why it’s more important than ever to understand each piece of Google’s sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool’s new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/i-cant-wait-to-ditch-my-cable-company-for-google/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

The Only Place Amazon Can Go

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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It’s nearly a certainty at this point that e-tail giant Amazon.com is preparing to launch a smartphone, which is now casually known as the “Kindle Phone.” This isn’t just unfounded speculation anymore; there’s plenty of evidence that such a device is en route.

CEO Jeff Bezos has all but confirmed his interest in pursuing a smartphone, saying the hardest part will be to remain differentiated and not simply be another “me, too” device. Over the past couple of years Amazon has also been slowing hiring smartphone talent in the form of former Microsoft Windows Phone execs.

Make no mistake: a Kindle Phone is coming. But where is it going?

Where in the world is Amazon’s content?
When it comes to geographical regions, Amazon’s content offerings are strongest in the U.S., with little to nothing in most other parts of the world. Amazon has been expanding recently, most notably and naturally with e-books, but its music, TV shows, movies, and apps availability is focused primarily in the U.S. with a pinch of European offerings.

Amazon will have to launch the Kindle Phone in the U.S. first, since it won’t seek hardware margins and will rely on its content catalog.

The process of elimination
Of the four primary carriers, chances are that Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel won’t be carrier partners since they operate CDMA networks. If Amazon wants to truly be disruptive, it will follow in Google‘s footsteps and try to sell its device unsubsidized, unlocked, and off contract. Unlocked smartphones are typically GSM models because they have easily swappable SIM cards, leaving just AT&T and T-Mobile.

Amazon already has deals with AT&T as the service provider for its cellular-equipped tablets, and Amazon even finagled some incredibly cheap data plans, albeit with small data allowances. However, AT&T has always been predominantly an Apple iPhone carrier — a trend that has intensified over the years.

Source: SEC filings and conference calls.

Last quarter, the iPhone comprised 84% of all smartphones activated on Ma Bell‘s network. Amazon might launch on AT&T, but there’s not a lot to go around outside of Apple’s flagship, especially since AT&T is deeply entrenched in the subsidy model that I’m assuming Amazon is trying to skirt.

Pick a carrier, not any carrier
That leaves the “Uncarrier” as the perfect candidate for Amazon to focus on. T-Mobile is shifting from subsidies to financing programs, while pitching more affordable service plans. At the end of 2012, the No. 4 carrier had 26.1 million banded customers (excluding wholesale and MVNO connections).

While T-Mobile has ditched subsidies, it’s also concentrating very heavily on beefing up its product portfolio. Not only is the carrier now finally getting the iPhone, but it’s also Google’s only official Nexus 4 carrier. T-Mobile will also carry the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, and BlackBerry Z10. These are all devices that Amazon will compete with.

To its Amazon’s credit, T-Mobile’s device pricing is …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Two Major Mobile Milestones

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By Alex Planes, The Motley Fool

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On this day in economic and business history…

Verizon began its existence — as a brand, if not a company — on April 3, 2000, when Bell Atlantic announced the name (and formalized the agreement) of its wireless partnership with Britain’s Vodafone . Simultaneously, the regional Baby Bell confirmed its adoption of the Verizon brand name for the combined company to be created from its pending merger with GTE, which at one time had been the largest independent American telecom during the Bell System era.

“Verizon” as brand was created as a portmanteau of “veritas,” Latin for truth, and “horizon,” with the new corporate identity meant to convey integrity and the possibilities of the future. Analysts weren’t quite so enamored of the morphological mash-up, though. Wireless industry analyst Tole Hart of Dataquest told CNET: “The brand name Bell Atlantic isn’t going to sell well elsewhere. But I think they could have come up with a better name.” Elliott Hamilton of Strategis Group took the long view, saying: “In the short term it might seem silly. But in the long term, ten years from now, everybody will just know Verizon. … It’s just like anything else; you have to get used to it.”

The Verizon Wireless brand was set to leapfrog all mobile-carrier competition on the market in 2000, with an estimated 23 million subscribers (following the Bell Atlantic and GTE merger), nearly double the subscribers of second-place AT&T Wireless. When Verizon itself assembled later that year, it quickly became one of the nation’s leading companies — which led, four years later, to its inclusion on the Dow Jones Industrial Average , as it replaced longtime component AT&T. The merger also gave Verizon majority control over its wireless joint venture, which initially included GTE‘s cellular operations as well.

In recent years AT&T has considerably narrowed the subscriber gap, and it boasted 99 million wireless subscribers to Verizon’s 106 million subscribers just more than decade after Verizon Wireless began operating. However, thanks to further telecom consolidation, AT&T’s revenue eventually surpassed Verizon’s by the end of the decade: The original Ma Bell reported $125 billion in revenue to Verizon’s $107 billion at the end of 2010.

The call that started it all
Verizon Wireless would never have come into existence without developments made at Motorola in the 1960s and 1970s, which culminated in the world’s first cellphone call on April 3, 1973. That day, 44 year-old Motorola executive Martin Cooper stepped out onto the streets of New York City with a bulky, brick-like cellular-phone prototype. His first call went through to AT&T’s Bell Labs, where he got in a bit of gloating to rival researcher Joel Engel for having won the mobile-phone race. After this one-upsmanship was over, Cooper decided to keep going. He recalled that morning in an interview 38 years later with London’s Daily Mail:

As I walked down …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

BlackBerry Races Ahead and Then Stalls Out. Is BB10 a Hit or Not?

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By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

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Shares of handset designer BlackBerry jumped as much as 10.5% overnight on about double the stock‘s normal trading volume. But most of the gains faded fast, and BlackBerry traded just 2.4% above Wednesday’s closing price at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

The company reported fourth-quarter results this morning, and it was a mixed bag. Sales fell 36% year over year to $2.7 billion and missed Wall Street‘s $2.8 billion targets. But adjusted earnings of $0.22 per share were a welcome change from the expected $0.31 per-share loss.

The company’s cost-savings program was completed one quarter ahead of schedule, leaving BlackBerry with lower operating costs and a more efficient business model. The so-called CORE program should reduce operating overhead by $1 billion annually going forward. Without this intiative, the company would have reported a significant loss this quarter.

BlackBerry also enjoyed $112 million in tax benefits this quarter. That’s another line item that makes the difference between positive and negative earnings. So it’s not like the long-awaited BlackBerry 10 launch saved the company’s bacon single-handedly.

Is the Z10 handset saving BlackBerry’s bacon or not? Nobody knows.

CEO Thorsten Heins hammered home the message that customers are excited about the new platform, and early sales are strong. Don’t forget about that record-breaking million-unit order, folks! Also, the keyboard-equipped Q10 hasn’t launched yet and should appeal to BlackBerry’s core fans in a way that the touchscreen Z10 never will.

On the other hand, Heins avoided questions about expected and actual unit volumes like an Olympic-grade dodgeball champion. Here’s a telling sample:

“There’s a huge dynamic in the market, what is flowing in, what is already flowing out. So don’t take it really kind of like a clear number, but what we see roughly is that from what we have shipped into the market, two-thirds to three-quarters already have sold through.”

In other words, we should all get excited about BB10’s lifesaving powers, but let’s not get too specific about expectations. Also, Heins said he sees “strong marketing support” from American launch partner AT&T , which doesn’t seem to jibe with field reports on Z10-pushing in Ma Bell‘s stores.

So the raw numbers look promising, but management didn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence in BlackBerry as a sustained turnaround story today. There’s nothing in here to change my long-term view of the company and stock, which is a solid thumbs-down CAPScall

The mobile revolution is still in its infancy, but with so many different companies, it can be daunting to know how to profit in the space. Fortunately, The Motley Fool has released a free report on mobile named “The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution” that tells you how. The report describes why this seismic shift will dwarf any other technology revolution seen before it and also names the company at the forefront of the trend. You can access this report today by clicking here — it’s free.

The article BlackBerry …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

How AT&T and Verizon Made T-Mobile's iPhone a Reality

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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In the wireless war over smartphone subscribers, Apple‘s iPhone has proven to be an invaluable weapon. AT&T‘s initial and risky bet to carry the device sight unseen paid off in spades, as Ma Bell started scooping up lucrative smartphone users en masse. Verizon Wireless took note and once it became an iPhone carrier, it promptly began to outpace its smaller rival in smartphone subscriber growth.

Yesterday, T-Mobile finally became an official iPhone carrier, making Apple’s device available on all four of the largest domestic wireless carriers. Before that, the iPhone and T-Mobile were kept apart due to technical spectrum incompatibilities that relegated the iPhone to 2G data speeds for unlocked device users.

Source: T-Mobile.

As it turns out, both AT&T and Verizon played a part in facilitating their smaller rival getting Apple’s flagship — at long last making the T-Mobile iPhone a reality.

Ma Bell’s consolation prize
It seems like just yesterday that AT&T failed in its attempt to acquire T-Mobile, but that was nearly two years ago at this point. It was a jaw-dropping $39 billion deal when it was initially announced in 2011, one that would be heavily scrutinized and eventually vetoed by regulators, since the No. 2 and No. 4 players in the industry joining forces to take down the No. 1 had important and potentially negative implications on the overall competitive landscape.

That’s a stark contrast to regulator stance on T-Mobile’s proposed merger with MetroPCS , which amounts to the No. 4 and No. 5 players pairing up to put more competitive heat on the top three. Regulatory bodies have chosen not to object and will forever hold their peace regarding the union, so long as shareholders nod in approval.

The consolation prize for the failed acquisition included a $3 billion breakup fee from AT&T, made payable to T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom, and a negligible roaming agreement, but more importantly the smaller carrier also received Advanced Wireless Service, or AWS, spectrum licenses in 128 markets from Ma Bell.

Big Red’s big red heart
Fast forward six months and T-Mobile would separately ink a spectrum agreement with Verizon, purchasing or exchanging additional AWS licenses in 218 markets throughout the country. That greatly benefited T-Mobile’s spectrum position by allowing the carrier create more contiguous blocks of spectrum and realign its airwave holdings in adjacent markets. That boosted T-Mobile’s data performance and throughput speeds in numerous key markets, and was all made possible by the swap with Verizon.

Naturally, Verizon didn’t agree to the swap out of the kindness of its big red heart. Big Red had been looking to purchase a 20 MHz block of AWS spectrum for $3.9 billion from a handful of cable companies and was getting mean looks from regulators. The AWS swap helped pave the way for Verizon’s larger deal, even if it helped beef up T-Mobile’s network in the process.

The net result of all of this was that …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

T-Mobile Stops Subsidizing Apple

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By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

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Equally important as the hubbub over T-Mobile finally getting its hands on Apple‘s iPhone was the announcement over the weekend it was finally ending the subsidies it pays on smartphones. Instead users will pay full freight for a handset, but will have the option of paying it off in installments or bringing their own device if they choose. 

Wireless carriers have traditionally subsidized the cost of a new smartphone in exchange for locking in consumers to a two-year contract. And while the greater penetration has helped increase the average revenue per user for carriers as well as greater mobile data revenue, margins end up being compressed because of the subsidy’s costs. 

AT&T said postpaid wireless subscriber ARPU grew 1.9% to $64.98 while its cost of sales grew 4.1%. Verizon reported fourth-quarter average revenue per account — a slightly different way of calculating the number, since multiple devices can share data — jumped 6.6% to $146.80 while its cost of sales were up over 8%. 

Since it’s largely going it alone at the moment, T-Mobile is taking a risk that consumers will calculate the no-contract, unsubsidized program is better for them in the long run. But I don’t think they’ll do the math. They’ll compare their upfront costs — $650 for a new no-contract iPhone versus a tethered $199 subsidized handset — and they’ll choose the latter because they’ll be laying out less cash.

Now the Fool’s Evan Niu suggests T-Mobile is still sending a few bills Cupertino’s way with its payment plan, which, if consumers choose that option, could make it the more attractive plan among the major carriers. But with iPhone 4 units still being given away for free and 4S models going for $99 with two-year contracts at retailers like Best Buy, paying for the phones — even if they’re slightly subsidized — still might not be so attractive.

But a larger question might be on carriers’ minds: Why should they subsidize cash-rich Apple at all, which reportedly sits on $40 billion in cash and short-term investments (or nearly $140 billion, if you include long-term investments), when they’re taking a hit to their margins?

That’s why over the short haul I think T-Mobile will take a hit for blazing this trail, but over time I see Verizon and Ma Bell coming around to its way of thinking. Eventually, highly subsidized smartphones will be a thing of the past.

There’s no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology’s largest revolution ever, and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded with over 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool’s senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Which Network Has The Better iPhone 5 Deal, AT&T or T-Mobile?

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By Ewan Spence, Contributor

With the confirmation of the new data plans from T-Mobile, and the imminent arrival of the iPhone 5 on the network, the question I have is simple. Is it better to go with T-Mobile for a new iPhone, or should someone stick with Ma Bell and AT&T? Over the lifetime of a typical two year contract, the numbers break down like this. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

These 2 Mobile Networks Will Almost Definitely Merge. Now What?

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By Anders Bylund, The Motley Fool

PCS Revenue TTM Chart

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The proposed merger between MetroPCS and T-Mobile USA had to wade through acres of red tape before consummation. All the legal and regulatory hurdles have been vaulted, leaving MetroPCS shareholders to issue a final seal of approval.

The seal of approval. You’re very welcome.

It’s still not a completely done deal. MetroPCS’s largest shareholder, hedge fund Paulson & Co., has said that it will vote its 9.9% stake against the current deal structure. On the other hand, second-largest shareholder Madison Dearborn Partners will absolutely support this deal with an 8.3% vote block — one of the the investment firm’s managing directors will have a seat in the new T-Mobile/MetroPCS boardroom.

I wouldn’t exactly call it a nail-biter. MetroPCS could use the scale and the deep pockets that T-Mobile brings to the table. Its own cash flows have become dependably positive in recent years, but top-line growth has trailed off. The company needs some kind of catalyst to jump to the next level, and merging into T-Mobile would most definitely be a game-changer. In short, MetroPCS investors would be silly to turn this deal down.

PCS Revenue TTM data by YCharts

Time to take action
This is no time to rest on your laurels. Sprint Nextel , the other mini-major among the big four, will pose a serious threat as it combines with Japanese sugar daddy Softbank and high-speed network partner Clearwire later this year. That three-way combination puts Sprint’s large subscriber Rolodex together with Softbank’s cash reserves and maverick business ideas, underpinned by Clearwire’s generous spectrum license catalog. This Frankencarrier should scare the snot out of its direct rivals.

SprintBank and T-Metro might even worry Verizon and AT&T . Smaller networks often introduce more innovative and consumer-friendly choices than Ma Bell and Big Red, but they can’t compete with the near-duopoly’s brand awareness and nationwide network builds. Putting pressure on their business models with credible threats from below can only be good for consumers. Investors behind the usurpers will obviously benefit right away, but even AT&T and Verizon should wind up healthier in the long run amid more serious competition.

MetroPCS adds 9 million subscribers to T-Mobile’s list, creating a 42 million-strong customer pool. That’s in the same ballpark as Sprint’s 56 million subscribers, but it’s still far behind Verizon’s 98 million and AT&T’s 105 million.

The smaller network also expands Magenta’s network coverage in major metro areas. In particular, this deal should accelerate T-Mobile’s introduction of 4G LTE services. Oh, and T-Mobile is jumping the gun by acting as if it could change the mobile game all by itself: The company is expected to introduce all new service plans next week, doing away with handset subsidies entirely and basing your service payments on data plans only — everyone gets unlimited calling and texting.

Big changes ahead

There’s a fork in the road ahead, and it will make consumers …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

China Mobile Prepares for Apple

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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The inevitable union between Apple and China Mobile will open many doors for both companies. However, if there’s one thing that history has shown, it’s that iPhone users gobble up massive amounts of data.

You may remember when AT&T‘s networked strained for years under the load of all those iPhones when Ma Bell enjoyed its iPhone exclusivity. Consumers frequently derided the iPhone’s data capabilities, and AT&T’s network was the culprit because the carrier simply didn’t know what it was getting itself into.

AT&T was then required to plunge billions of dollars over several years to beef up capacity. At this point, the data bottlenecks are mostly a thing of the past as other carriers now offer the iPhone, spreading out consumption over multiple networks.

That’s a fate that China Mobile is looking to avoid, as Reuters reports the company is planning on investing up to $6.7 billion in its network this year. That will also be spent on developing its 4G network, while China is still in the midst of its transition to 3G. The country is expected to issue 4G operating licenses later this year.

China Mobile’s network uses a unique time division standard, which has historically been a technical hurdle for carrying the iPhone. The newest iPhone 5 supports the standard, and future models are also expected to be TD-compatible. The largest Chinese carrier also said it was planning on spending $4.3 billion in device subsidies this year, an increase of 13% from last year.

Smaller rivals have continued to chip away at China Mobile’s lead, particularly in the lucrative 3G-subscriber market. Getting the iPhone will help turn the tables. There are already 10 million iPhone users on China Mobile’s network, but the aforementioned incompatibilities relegate them to 2G data speeds.

It would also give Apple access to the largest mobile subscriber base in the world, which now sits at 715 million as of the end of January. Beefing up the network in preparation of the iPhone is the right move to make.

There is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool’s senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; FoolAnalyticsData.push({ …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

2 Threats to Apple This Week

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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Another Monday, another Apple sell-off. Starting the week with losses of over 1% on a flat market day is simply standard procedure for Apple shares these days, and today is no different. The iPhone maker is facing two competitive threats this week, and investors are beginning to think that rivals are starting to catch up.

Wireless carrier AT&T has now announced official pricing and availability of BlackBerry‘s new Z10 flagship smartphone. The first BlackBerry 10 device will launch on March 22 with standard high-end pricing of $200 on contract, which is the same starting price point of the iPhone 5 and other flagship devices. Ma Bell will begin taking pre-sale orders starting tomorrow.

Keep in mind that AT&T has always been predominantly an iPhone carrier ever since it enjoyed iPhone exclusivity for the first few years. Since then, the iPhone’s percentage of total smartphone activations on the network has steadily risen and reached an all-time high of 84% last quarter.

Source: SEC filings. Calendar quarters shown.

AT&T has been trying to wean its reliance on the iPhone since it carries such pricey subsidies. However, the Z10 similarly carries a hefty $600 retail price, which implies that AT&T is still on the hook for an expensive subsidy on Z10 sales. There’s very little room for non-iPhone devices, as other OEMs divvied up just 16% of smartphone activations last quarter.

More important than the Z10 is Samsung’s Galaxy S IV that is set to be unveiled on Thursday at its “Unpacked” event in New York. The South Korean company’s Galaxy S Series is the most viable threat to the iPhone, even though Apple is still able to easily outsell Samsung’s flagship on a worldwide basis. The next-generation model will likely give Samsung a boost in the short-term, though, ahead of a possible iPhone launch this summer.

With two rival flagship smartphones either being launched or unveiled this week, investors are letting fear get to them by selling shares and ignoring the fundamentals.

Fretting about Apple?
Ignoring emotions is hard, but it’s exactly why we’ve put together bonus reports to ease investors’ minds. Apple’s growth story is far from over, and the company still has massive opportunities ahead. We’ve outlined them right here in The Motley Fool’s premium Apple research service, and it may give you the courage to be greedy when others are fearful. If you’re looking for some guidance on Apple’s prospects, get started by clicking here.

var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why BlackBerry Shares Soared

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By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

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Although we don’t believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes — just in case they’re material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of BlackBerry have soared today by as much as 13% on U.S. availability and acquisition rumors.

So what: No. 2 domestic carrier AT&T announced that the BlackBerry Z10 will launch on March 22 at $199 on contract, with pre-sales beginning tomorrow. In an interview with French publication Les Echos, Lenovo CEO Yang Yanqing stoked speculation of the PC giant acquiring BlackBerry, saying it “could perhaps make sense.”

Now what: One of the reasons investors were initially disappointed with BlackBerry 10’s launch in January was that U.S. availability was being delayed until March due to carrier testing. Ma Bell‘s announcement is the first firm date when the Z10 will be available in the U.S. Lenovo doesn’t currently have a strong position in the smartphone market, and Yang’s comments were about the company possibly buying its way in, much like it did with PCs. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who is bullish on BlackBerry, believes an acquisition is unlikely.

Interested in more info on BlackBerry? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

The mobile revolution is still in its infancy, but with so many different companies it can be daunting to know how to profit in the space. Fortunately, The Motley Fool has released a free report on mobile named “The Next Trillion-Dollar Revolution” that tells you how. The report describes why this seismic shift will dwarf any other technology revolution seen before it and also names the company at the forefront of the trend. You can access this report today by clicking here — it’s free.

The article Why BlackBerry Shares Soared originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance