Tag Archives: Sprint Nextel

Sprint Eyes Aggressive Growth With Softbank Backing And Clearwire Spectrum

By Trefis Team, Contributor

Softbank has finally completed its $21.6 billion takeover of the third largest wireless carrier in the U.S., which gives it a 78% controlling stake in what was formerly Sprint Nextel and will now be called Sprint Corporation. Sprint’s dropping of the Nextel moniker is also symbolic of its recent shutdown of the iDEN network, which the carrier had assumed control of more than 7 years ago after merging with Nextel. The iDEN shutdown as well as the cash infusion from the Softbank merger paves the way for a much more competitive Sprint, which has for years been struggling under a huge debt load and in a duopolistic industry hugely dominated by Verizon and AT&T. It also ends Softbank’s protracted months-long battle with Dish Network that had threatened to distract the third-placed carrier from its turnaround plans. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

ACLU complains to FTC that mobile carriers leave Android phones unsecured

Smartphones with custom versions of Android offered by large mobile operators in the U.S. are not getting security updates as regularly as phones from Google, or smartphones from other vendors like Microsoft, according to a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union to the Federal Trade Commission.

“Android smartphones that do not receive regular, prompt security updates are defective and unreasonably dangerous,” ACLU said in the complaint on Tuesday.

The complaint against AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA states that “all of the major wireless carriers have failed to deliver regular, prompt updates to Android phones which they have sold to their customers,” citing results from a survey in December last year by technology news site Ars Technica.

The sale of mobile computing devices such as smartphones and the software updates to the devices are not part of common carrier activities, and are hence subject to FTC authority, according to the complaint, a copy of which is on the ACLU website.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035386/aclu-complains-to-ftc-that-mobile-carriers-leave-android-phones-unsecured.html#tk.rss_all

Billionaire Battle: Meet Charlie Ergen, Whose $25.5 Billion Bid For Sprint Would Bump Japanese Billionaire Masayohshi Son's Deal

By Erin Carlyle, Forbes Staff

Charles Ergen, the cable TV billionaire who is fighting hard to transform his satellite TV provider Dish Network into the wireless data business, just announced a mega $25.5 billion bid for Sprint-Nextel. In January Dish bid for 25% of wireless broadband provider Clearwire’s spectrum but Sprint, which owns the majority of Clearwire but does not control the board, was opposed to the deal.

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2013/04/15/billionaire-battle-meet-charlie-ergen-whose-25-5-billion-bid-for-sprint-would-bump-japanese-billionaire-masayohshi-sons-deal/

Report: Verizon wants to buy Clearwire spectrum

Verizon Wireless reportedly has offered US$1 billion to $1.5 billion for some of Clearwire’s spectrum leases, possibly complicating Sprint Nextel‘s attempt to buy out the company in conjunction with its acquisition by Softbank.

Clearwire is struggling financially but owns broad swaths of spectrum, the lifeblood of wireless networks. The April 8 bid from “Party J,” which Clearwire disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, is the latest in a series of offers for its spectrum licenses. Unnamed people familiar with the matter identified “Party J” as Verizon Wireless, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Clearwire is a key part of a complicated set of possible transactions that could make a much stronger competitor out of Sprint, the country’s third-largest mobile operator. Sprint already owns roughly half of Clearwire and is bidding about $2.2 billion to buy the rest of its stock. That deal depends on Softbank’s planned $20.1 billion offer for 70 percent of Sprint, which is still undergoing regulatory review.

Dish Network has also offered to buy Clearwire, and on Monday, Dish made an unsolicited $25.5 billion bid for Sprint that would include Clearwire.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034666/report-verizon-wants-to-buy-clearwire-spectrum.html#tk.rss_all

Dish, Sprint Bonds Fall in Trading as Rival to Softbank Takeover Plan Surfaces

By Matthew Fuller, Contributor Debt backing Dish Network and Sprint Nextel is under pressure in the secondary high-yield market today on news that Dish put forward a rival Sprint-takeover plan to the deal underway by Japan’s Softbank. Shares of the two companies are mixed, however, with Dish shares trading down about 6%, at $35.38, but Sprint equity higher by about 16%, at $7.22, trade data show.

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/spleverage/2013/04/15/dish-sprint-bonds-fall-in-trading-as-rival-to-softbank-takeover-plan-surfaces/

Dish Offers Up $25.5B to Buy Sprint

By Kevin Spak Dish Network wants to buy Sprint Nextel for $25.5 billion, the satellite TV company publicly declared today, in what the Wall Street Journal calls Dish’s “most audacious attempt yet” to jump into the wireless business. The bid is unsolicited, which makes sense, given that Sprint already has a deal…

From: http://www.newser.com/story/166254/dish-offers-up-255b-to-buy-sprint.html

Dish Network launches $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel

Dish Network has made a US$25.5 billion bid to acquire wireless operator Sprint Nextel, hoping to edge out a rival bid from Japanese operator SoftBank.

The satellite service provider’s merger proposal to Sprint’s board of directors offers $17.3 billion in cash and $8.2 billion in stock. Sprint shareholders would receive $7 per share, based upon Dish’s closing price on April 12, the company said in a statement issued on Monday.

This isn’t the first time Dish has gotten involved with Sprint. In January it presented a bid on Clearwire, throwing a wrench into Sprint Nextel‘s deal to buy its mobile broadband partner.

Dish said its proposal is a superior alternative to the pending SoftBank proposal.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034641/dish-network-launches-255-billion-bid-for-sprint-nextel.html#tk.rss_all

Market Minute: Dish Network Bids $25.5 Billion for Sprint Nextel

By DailyFinance Staff

Filed under: , , , ,

Getty Images

Two big takeover deals are in the works, and plunging gold prices pressure stocks.

All three of the major averages rallied by more than two percent last week, with the Dow and the S&P setting record highs along the way.

This could be a big merger Monday: Dish Network (DISH) is bidding to acquire Sprint Nextel (S). The offer – termed an informal offer and valued at more than $25 billion dollars, including debt – is intended to derail Sprint’s deal with the Japanese company Softbank.

And Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) has agreed to buy Life Technologies (LIFE) for more than $13 billion dollars. Both companies make laboratory equipment. Life Technologies‘ stock has jumped 25 percent since it put itself up for sale in January. At least two other groups had been considering bids.

Earnings season kicks into high gear this week. Citigroup (C) topped expectations on both earnings and revenue.
Freeport McMoRan (FCX) and Newmont Mining (NEM) are both under pressure as the price of gold tumbles more than 6 percent this morning. That’s partly because of signs of slowing growth in China.

In an effort to settle a long running anti-trust suit in Europe, Google (GOOG) has reportedly offered to change the way it operates its search engine. News reports say Google is prepared to make a greater distinction between its internet searches and those of competitors.

General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) are working together to develop more fuel efficient nine- and 10-speed transmissions for their cars. Some rivals, including Chrysler, are already there.

J.C. Penney (JCP) on Friday won a round in its court battle with Macy’s (M). The judge said Penney could temporarily sell housewares designed by Martha Stewart, while the trial continues this week.

Dell’s biggest institutional investor, Southeastern Asset Management, is stepping up its opposition to Michael Dell‘s effort to take the computer maker private. The investment firm has hired a proxy solicitation group and may contact shareholders directly.

-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg

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From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/dish-network-sprint-nextel-offer/

2 Numbers AT&T Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings

By Tim Beyers, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

While  AT&T‘s success isn’t as tied to Apple and the iPhone as it once was, investors watching this week still need to know if increased competition is taking a toll.

There’s plenty of it. Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile have joined Verizon in carrying the iPhone. All four are pitching deals to get customers to switch, though only T-Mobile has taken the dramatic step of ending subsidies and lock-in contracts. What will that mean for AT&T, whose network operates on a similar GSM band to that operated by T-Mobile?  We’ll know more when the carrier reports earnings on April 23.

For perspective, AT&T activated 8.6 million iPhones in the fourth quarter. A good number, to be sure. But for investors, it’s the 4.3 million new iPhones AT&T customers activated in last year’s Q1.

Wall Street is expecting Q1 revenue to decline 0.20% to $31.75 billion, resulting in $0.64 of profit per share. The company beat earnings estimates in each of the first three quarters of 2012, only to suffer a 4.3% miss in Q4, according to data supplied by Yahoo! Finance. AT&T stock is up about 27% over that period.

Would a beat help AT&T stock rally further? Will AT&T continue to be the top iPhone supplier to U.S. consumers? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova weighs in on these questions in the following video. Please watch and then leave a comment to let us know whether you would buy, sell, or short AT&T stock at current prices.

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 2 Numbers AT&T Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the 
Motley Fool Rule Breakers
stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Apple at the time of publication. Check out Tim’s Web home and portfolio holdings, or connect with him on Google+Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t 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

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/video-placeholder-2-numbers-att-stock-investors-sh/

Is This the $99.99 Deal That Saves Apple?

By Rick Munarriz, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

A new carrier could be just what Apple needs to grow its market share.

Deutsche Telekom unit T-Mobile T-Mobile began selling the iPhone 5 over the weekend, and initial reports on Friday were encouraging. Online reports showed some T-Mobile stores busy with customers taking advantage of T-Mobile’s new relationship with Apple, and that’s more than what can be said for some of the new smartphones that have hit the market recently.

Healthy interest in a device released half a year ago is a welcome surprise. It’s also a bit of a shock, given the flimsy value proposition of the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s advertised price of $99.99 for an entry-level iPhone 5 — half of the retail price of the smartphone through larger carriers — is actually just a down payment. The deal requires zero-interest financing approval, as customers are expected to pay $20 a month for the next two years. That adds up to $579.99 in capital outlays over two years, far more than the $199.99 that iPhone 5 buyers are shelling out on larger carriers. Even customers who can whittle down the initial down payment to zero through a trade-in will pay far more for the iPhone 5 itself.

T-Mobile’s marketing claim is that it doesn’t tie customers to annual contracts, and that’s why it’s not willing to subsidize the cost of a new smartphone. Is it ironic that the “Un-carrier” that disses long-term contracts is tethering customers to two-year financing deals? Yes, but let’s not forget that the T-Mobile deal gets far more attractive when you compare T-Mobile’s lower monthly rates with what AT&T , Verizon , and even Sprint Nextel are charging.

T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan offering iPhone 5 owners unlimited talk, text, and Web for $50 a month is a pretty sweet deal. It’s only $80 a month for two devices, and just $10 more a month for additional lines in a family plan.

Of course, there’s a catch. The basic plan includes only 500 megabytes of high-speed data a month before bumping users down to serviceable but slow 2G speeds. Customers can pay $10 a month more to have 2.5 gigabytes of high-speed data a month, or $20 a month for unlimited 4G connectivity.

T-Mobile argues that this is still a superior deal. Even with someone paying $20 a month for the iPhone 5 and another $20 a month for the unlimited nationwide 4G plan, $90 a month is still less than comparable plans.

Plan

Monthly Rate

Savings

Annual Savings

AT&T Individual 5GB

$139.99

$49.99

$599.98

Verizon Share Everything 4GB

$110.00

$20.00

$240.00

Sprint Simply Everything

$109.99

$19.99

$239.88

Source: T-Mobile website.

The larger carriers will argue that there are advantages to paying hundreds more a year to be on their networks, but at least there’s a value proposition to T-Mobile’s offering after all.

The big winner, of course, is Apple. Having the iPhone 5 available on T-Mobile is incremental at a time when the

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/14/is-this-the-9999-deal-that-saves-apple/

How the Dow's Telecom Stocks Have Fared in 2013

By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The Dow Jones Industrials includes stocks from a number of different industries, including health care, financials, energy, tech, and consumer stocks. But if you want the highest dividends the Dow has to offer, then you’ll want to take a closer look at the average’s telecom stocks.

Telecoms are an important part of the Dow because they represent the average’s only exposure to a business model that resembles what utility stocks charge. Telecoms spend huge amounts of capital to build out their respective networks, and then sit back and collect monthly subscription fees from millions of customers. Let’s look at how the two Dow telecoms have fared so far in 2013 and what their prospects are for the rest of the year and beyond.

Dow telecom total return price data by YCharts.

Much of the solid total returns that telecom stocks have produced over the years have come from dividends. Both AT&T and Verizon have dividend yields above 4%, with AT&T having led the Dow in terms of yield for a long time. The beauty of the basic telecom business model is that after investing tens and even hundreds of billions of dollars in developing an infrastructure for its services, the cost of every incremental customer that walks in the door is negligible, leading to almost pure profit when Verizon and AT&T are able to increase their customer counts.

Until recently, it looked as though the two Dow telecoms would be able to create an effective duopoly in the U.S. market, leaving other companies to fight for the scraps that they left behind. But Sprint Nextel‘s renaissance from the support of Japan’s SoftBank has thwarted that outcome, making the No. 3 carrier a legitimate player once more and giving AT&T and Verizon a run for their money. Nevertheless, Sprint has a lot of work to do before it can hope to catch up to its larger rivals.

Increasingly, telecoms have pushed for revenue-enhancing initiatives with smartphone customers. For instance, just yesterday, Verizon lengthened the waiting period on its upgrade policy from 20 months to 24 months. The eventual goal, though, will be for Verizon and AT&T to stop offering subsidies on mobile devices entirely, thereby helping them avoid the hit to earnings that they take every time a major new smartphone launch occurs — especially launches involving the iPhone.

Will telecoms keep up their dividends?
The mobile revolution has made demand for high-speed wireless data network access nearly insatiable, and both AT&T and Verizon appear to be in prime position to sustain and build on their respective past successes. As long as both companies remain well ahead of the pack, both of them should be able to keep their monthly charges high and produce the cash flow that has kept their shareholders happy for years.

If you’re looking for some long-term investing ideas that pay good dividends,

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/13/how-the-dows-telecom-stocks-have-fared-in/

Are Shareholders Losing the Battle for Clearwire?

By Michael Lewis, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

While the majority of news regarding the M&A world revolves around the Dell takeover, one long, drawn-out battle continues for wireless company Clearwire . Telecom giant Sprint Nextel is the majority shareholder of the beleaguered, spectrum-rich company, and the leading prospect for the acquisition. But with competing (and more appealing) offers from other suitors and a minority shareholder suit on the rise, it looks like this battle isn’t anywhere near over. What should investors expect for the future of Clearwire?

Update
Clearwire is in constant need of cash, and Sprint has been its sugar daddy. While absolutely necessary and responsible for keeping the company afloat (not to mention shareholders), the Sprint relationship has left a sour taste in some investors’ mouths.

The telecom giant has a standing offer of $2.97 per share for the 52% of the company it doesn’t already own. That comes in at a sharp discount to today’s market price of $3.26 — a number partially fueled by speculation that Clearwire is worth more than Sprint’s offer, and also from a $3.30-per-share bid from satellite-television juggernaut DISH Network . One caveat to the Sprint deal, which must be very appealing to the Clearwire board, is immediate access to $800 million in financing — money that would go straight to the company’s 4G LTE buildout. The new network would give the company some much-needed cash flow, but it would come at the cost of an unappealing acquisition price.

Luckily for retail investors, the leading minority shareholder has taken action to provide a viable alternative.

Crest the savior
Clearwire’s largest minority shareholder, Crest Financial, has offered the board $240 million in short-term financing to give the company its desired cash infusion while allowing it time to shop for a better deal than Sprint’s. Crest also opened a lawsuit against Clearwire, alleging that it left “minority stockholders with the unfair choice of acquiescing to Sprint’s inadequate merger offer or suffering significant dilution at the hands of Sprint.”

Even if Clearwire dismisses Crest’s offer, it will accomplish part of the intended goal by delaying Sprint’s takeover and giving other suitors, mainly DISH Network, an opportunity to sweeten the deal and push Sprint to the side.

Investors need to keep a close eye on the situation, as there is mounting evidence that the Sprint deal truly isn’t in the best interest of shareholders.

It’s incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out “Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks” in The Motley Fool’s latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged among the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

The article Are Shareholders Losing the Battle for Clearwire? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Michael Lewis and The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

T-Mobile offers iPhone 5 at no upfront payment in trade-in deal

T-Mobile USA is trying to boost the number of iPhone users on its network by offering the iPhone 5 without down payment to people who bring in their iPhone 4 and 4S smartphones for a trade-in which could also earn them up to US$120 in credits.

The iPhone 5 will be available nationwide on Friday at T-Mobile owned retail stores as well as its online store. The carrier announced in March that customers could get an iPhone 5 for $100 down payment, plus monthly payments of $20 for 24 months. The new trade-in deal hence knocks of the about $100 down payment for the device, though the monthly payments continue.

The trade-in offer, which runs through Father’s Day on June 16, also provides customers on the Simple Choice Plan with up to $120 in credits, which will depend on the trade-in value of the device, and can be used toward “monthly payments, an existing T-Mobile bill, or the purchase of accessories or another device,” the operator said on Wednesday.

The U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom, which is offering the iPhone for the first time in the U.S., has been trying to woo customers from its competitors like AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel by offering the iPhone 5 without usual annual contracts.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at PCWorld

No, Verizon Doesn't Want to Ditch Contracts

By Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

There were recent reports that Verizon  CEO Lowell McAdam would be interested in ditching service contracts. However, this isn’t likely to be the case, since the major carriers — Verizon, AT&T , and Sprint Nextel  — have spent years building fortresses around subsidies and contracts to reduce the risk of becoming commoditized service providers. Big Red is certainly watching how T-Mobile’s big move away from contracts works out, and could adapt if need be.

In the following video, Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, explains why Verizon definitely doesn’t want to get rid of contracts.

If you’re on the lookout for high-yielding stocks, The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining our nine top dependable dividend-paying stocks. It’s called “Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks.” You can access your copy today at no cost! Just click here.

The article No, Verizon Doesn’t Want to Ditch Contracts originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Verizon Communications. 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 don’t 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.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

The Window Is Closing on the Next Wireless Land Grab

By Dan Radovsky, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Remember The Beverly Hillbillies? If you don’t, here’s the premise of the long-running sitcom, as explained in its theme song:

“Come and listen to a story ’bout a man named Jed,
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed.
Then one day he was shootin’ at some food,
And up through the ground come a bubblin’ crude …
Oil, that is … black gold … Texas tea.”

It goes on to explain how finding oil gave Jed and his kinfolk the cash to leave the holler and move to Beverly Hills, where foolish hijinks involving movie stars and swimming pools would then ensue.

The Beverly Hillbillies, running nine seasons from the early ’60s into the ’70s, was a big hit for CBS during the shank of broadcast television’s golden age. However, more than 40 years after The Beverly Hillbillies’ oil well finally dried up, Jed’s good fortune now mirrors that of the denizens of broadcast television’s current backwoods — the UHF television stations.

UHF station owners are sitting on the equivalent of newly discovered oil reserves in a world that’s fighting for every last drop of crude. The valuable substance in this case is spectrum, the frequencies that the mobile operators covet as wireless broadband usage is driving the telecom industry.

The UHF channels are in the highest wireless frequency range allotted to broadcast television, and those frequencies are more useful to mobile communications than to the lower frequencies of the VHF channels used by the network affiliates and some independent stations.

Suddenly, UHF stations have become a valuable commodity — not because of their programming, audiences, or facilities, but solely for their spectrum licenses.

Spectrum is the lifeblood of wireless communications, and the major mobile operators are willing to pay big bucks for it.

AT&T tried and failed to buy T-Mobile USA and its spectrum in for $39 billion. Verizon paid $3.9 billion to Comcast and other cable companies for their cache of spectrum. Clearwire is currently being sought by Sprint Nextel for its frequencies, and now in a bit of a turnaround, T-Mobile USA wants to buy MetroPCS and its airwave resources.

To take advantage of the need for spectrum, there is a UHF station buying spree going on, according to Variety. Like real estate speculators searching out run-down properties in changing neighborhoods, investors are scooping up UHF stations for later sale to the highest bidders.

The San Francisco Bay-area UHF station, KTLN, residing on channel 47, a religious-programming broadcaster, was bought for $8 million by OTA Broadcasting, a group headed up by computer impresario Michael Dell in 2011. OTA also owns three other stations: KFFV and MeTV in Seattle, and WEBR in New York City.

But UHF station owners are also facing a dilemma. If those in the higher channels don’t sell voluntarily, they might face eviction from their current FCC-designated spectrums and be moved to a new home to share spectrum with another station on a lower …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

NII Disconnects South of the Border

By Rich Duprey, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

With the announced sales of its Peruvian division to Chile‘s Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, or Entel as it’s known, the start of NII Holdings‘ planned divestiture of assets outside of the Brazilian and Mexican markets means it will be better able to concentrate on rolling out its next generation wireless service. Maybe.

Press to talk
NII markets Sprint‘s Nextel brand throughout Latin America, but Brazil and Mexico account for 83% of its revenue. Peru, Chile, and Argentina account for the rest, with the last being the biggest of the three with $685 million in 2012, or 11% of the total.

The carrier has been struggling to bring 3G service to South America even as rivals have already completed their rollouts. For example, America Movil , Mexico‘s largest wireless operator, completed its deployment of 3G service in Mexico and began deploying 4G LTE service this year, while Spain‘s Telefonica — the largest provider in Brazil — rolled out such services in a number of Latin American markets.

Hardly a ripple
The beginning of the asset sales is the realization that NII is really a small fish in a big pond. Multinational carriers like America Movil, Telefonica, and Italy’s Telecom Italia control most of the service south of the border. While the Nextel marketer had hopes of carving out a niche for itself by going where the big dogs were underrepresented, that has not panned out as expected. Chile was just added last July to its roster of countries where it launched service, but that’s on the auction block, too, and it was forced to writedown the value of its assets there last quarter.

And because these large, international service providers are already entrenched in the two remaining markets NII hopes to expand in, its strategic vision may not look so clear in hindsight. Fourth-quarter results saw the carrier hemorrhaging cash as it turned to a $593 million loss because of higher customer turnover and higher costs due to the 3G rollout. Customer churn almost doubled to 3.4% from the year-ago period while average revenue per user fell 15% to $41, though that was largely a result of unfavorable currency exchange rates.

These were factors that led me to pick the stock last year to underperform the market indexes on Motley Fool CAPS, and I see no reason for that outlook to change now. Despite trading at just a fraction of its sales and book value, NII Holdings is not a stock I’d hold onto.

A failure to communicate
Even here at home 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 …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance