Apple, already facing an anti-trust review or two, is now getting growing push-back from app providers over the subscription-sharing rule. Apple wants a cut of every subscription, meaning that they want apps that sell something to sell only through Apple’s store and not directly to the consumer. If dissent spreads here, it could be a…
Well, we’ve got the usual regulatory flap as we end this week, with the same players and the same issues. Republicans in Congress are looking for a way to derail the FCC’s neutrality order, and the strategies range from a disapproval vote (which only buys some time) to pulling funding for the measure (a cop-out…
Comcast’s numbers, which included broadband subscriber gains that far outstripped the estimates of analysts. Basic cable subscription losses were less than expected, but still there was a loss. The data suggests that the media blitz on “cord-cutting” was largely hype, which is what my model had showed. TV viewing is definitely undergoing changes, and some…
A couple of talks at MWC may be signs of important future trends in mobile and online. AT&T CEO Stephenson said that the difficulties in moving content between devices, was hampering mobile content opportunity. He also commented that AT&T believed that apps should run across devices, not be linked to a single gadget. While at…
As MWC unfolds, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of the thrust of the event and also some feedback from operators on their specific take-aways. The picture isn’t simple, but it’s interesting! Microsoft has said more about its Phone 7 plans, no doubt to take some pressure off new partner Nokia. The new software…
As Mobile World Congress opens this year, it’s already clear that we’re going to see a battle of relevance as much as one of technology. Network equipment vendors divide roughly into two groups; those who have wireless 4G assets and those who don’t. The former group has a direct link to wireless projects and investment,…
“Half a loaf is better than none” is an old saw, but it sure seems to describe the newest mobile development—the Microsoft/Nokia pact. The pact is being hailed and panned depending on perspectives, but maybe it deserves it because it’s not the whole solution for either party. Both probably know that, and are gambling that…
Cisco’s numbers were a big disappointment to investors, and they focused on two issues that are in fact the key ones for Cisco (and the market) at this point. First, Cisco’s gross margins were off, and that’s likely due to discounting forced on Cisco by competition. Second, Cisco suffered in the critical switching space, the…
We’re continuing to see parallels between the world overall and the world of technology; between global economic issues and tech issues. It’s so logical (the parts conform, after all, to the Model of the Whole) that you have to wonder if it’s an accident! Egypt is proving that online social network services can build a…
Cost matters, and nowhere is that more true than in telecom, and in mobile broadband in particular. Operators are trying to manage what’s clearly a decisive shift of their own revenue/profit potential from wireline to mobile, and to manage the cost of creating and sustaining customers and ARPU. One of the key elements in this…