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Posted
Aug 11 2008, 11:50 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
The next cable monopoly? It's the Internet connection business. Cable companies are handily beating telecoms when it comes to the triple-play of Internet, phone and TV, according to Bernsterin analyst Craig Moffett. About 80% of the new broadband connections in the U.S. belong to cable. Add that to the trend of people dropping their telephone land lines, and the picture isn't pretty for telcos.
"In the harsh glare of second quarter seasonality, the telcos' wired businesses look not only like they are weakening," Moffett writes, "they look like they are positively collapsing." The landline business is down nearly 10% annually at AT&T and 12% at Verizon.
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Posted
Jul 23 2008, 09:42 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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People are ditching landlines faster than expected, analysts tell the New York Times. But AT&T gets about a third of its revenue from the landline business. Uh oh. It's a problem that all the big telcos face right now, as people get so reliant on cell phones they find no need for a traditional landline phone. That leaves investors feeling "slightly queasy" about the telecom sector these days, according to a Sanford Bernstein analyst. In its earnings report today, AT&T said its landline count dropped 2.6% in the last three months to 58.9 million -- a surprisingly fast decline. So why are AT&T shares up 5% to $33.45 today? Mainly because people are happy the company didn't do worse.
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Posted
Jul 14 2008, 11:07 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Which companies benefit from Apple iPhone sales? Barron's and The Motley Fool have interesting posts about the different component suppliers for the phone. Here's a look at how their shares have performed lately: Triquint: Provides three power amplifier modules. Shares are down more than 1% today to $5.48, and have fallen from close to $7 in late June. Triquint lowered its second-quarter outlook on July 9.
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Posted
Jul 08 2008, 04:11 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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Apple's new 3G iPhones go on sale Friday, which means that after months of little to no revenue from phone sales, Apple will finally be milking the iPhone cash cow once again. We could be seeing a billion-dollar weekend for the company. Still, while Apple is primed for a massive launch day -- 22 countries will participate -- I expect a bit of chaos will reign, at least in the U.S. The problem is that iPhone buyers will have to buy and activate their phones in either an Apple or an AT&T retail store (AT&T is the iPhone's exclusive carrier partner in the U.S.). That's a strategy intended to prevent people from unlocking the phones and reselling them. If you've activated a cell phone in a store recently, you know it can be a huge pain. It takes 10 minutes at least to get through the paperwork, the credit check and the back-and-forth yadda yadda before you walk out the door. Even if AT&T makes the iPhone activations as pain-free as possible, I foresee lines of disgruntled shoppers who are tired of waiting.
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Posted
Jun 09 2008, 01:02 PM
by
Kim Peterson
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Why were Apple shares down Monday, with all the big iPhone news? Chalk it up to the typical storm of hype that surrounds Apple announcement. Expectations ratchet up so high that CEO Steve Jobs would have to juggle 10 iPhones on one foot to impress investors.
Apple stock was weak all day, but recovered in the final hour of trading. It closed down 2.2% on heavy volume to $181.61. Here's how Apple's news affected other stocks:
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Posted
Jun 05 2008, 12:15 PM
by
Kim Peterson
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Verizon shares are up 5% today after the company said it will buy Alltel for $28 billion, which includes assuming about $22 billion in Alltel debt. Verizon will surprass AT&T to become the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. MocoNews says Alltel is an industry pioneer: with only 13 million subscribers, it tests new services quickly and acts almost like a laboratory for everyone else. Snatching up an innovative company that isn't afraid to break new ground is important as Verizon competes with an increasing number of rivals across multiple technology fronts. Verizon picks up some assets as well; Alltel serves 57 rural markets that Verizon had no presence in.
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Posted
Jun 03 2008, 11:18 AM
by
Kim Peterson
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Starbucks has finally called off the T-Mobile hounds and now offers two hours of free Wi-Fi a day to customers. Well, it's not completely free, but it's close. Here's how to get it: First, spend at least $5 on a reloadable Starbucks card, which you can get in stores. Then, go online and register for Starbucks' rewards card program. Then create an AT&T Wi-Fi account. You have to agree to let AT&T send you four spam "special offer" e-mails a year. You also have to use the Starbucks card once a month, which means you have to buy something at Starbucks once a month. Sounds like a bit of work, doesn't it? Starbucks shares are down 2% today to $17.57. Why the sudden burst of generosity?
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Posted
May 21 2008, 10:33 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
Sprint Nextel has a problem keeping customers happy, according to the latest numbers from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Sprint's numbers are so bad, in fact, that the index's founder wonders how the company can even stay afloat. "Business is unsustainable in a competitive marketplace when customer satisfaction scores are as low as Sprint Nextel's," said the founder, Claes Fornell. Sprint's satisfaction level dropped 8% from last year to 56 on the 100-point index. Verizon scored the best in the industry, at 72. Commenters on this blog regularly slam AT&T for its service, but the company's cell phone division gained 4% to score a 71. You can see the full customer satisfaction index here.
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Posted
May 01 2008, 10:53 AM
by
Kim Peterson
I love the idea of watching television shows on my cell phone. But would I pay for it? Eh. I'm not alone here -- only about 5% of consumers are willing to pay for mobile TV. Yet that isn't stopping AT&T from launching a paid service next week that broadcasts TV programs on cell phones. AT&T is shooting itself in the foot by setting the financial bar so high that few users will sign up. According to the WSJ, you have to buy one of two new phones (at $200 or $300) to get started. Then you have to pay $15 a month on top of what you already pay for voice and data plans. The traditional two-year commitment probably applies as well. Still, investors seem to be happy with the news, because AT&T shares were up 3% at last check to nearly $40.
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Posted
Mar 26 2008, 12:10 PM
by
Kim Peterson
Filed under: Google, Comcast, Time Warner, Sprint, wireless, Intel, Verizon, AT&T, Kim Peterson, Clearwire, WiMax
Rating:
Lots of big numbers are being tossed around today in support of WiMax, a wireless technology that can deliver high-speed Internet access over several miles. Clearwire is a leader in developing WiMax, and has been trying to hammer out a partnership with Sprint for months. But working out a deal hasn't been easy, partly because building out WiMax is so expensive and partly because both companies have their own struggles to deal with.
Now, the two biggest U.S. cable companies are stepping in with loads of cash. According to the Wall Street Journal, Comcast and Time Warner are talking about funding a new WiMax company, one that would be run by Sprint and Clearwire. The company would operate a nationwide WiMax network. Comcast is reportedly offering $1 billion and Time Warner is adding $500 million. Bright House Networks, a small cable company, might pony up between $100 million and $200 million.
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