Sprint Windows Mobile Software Update

I recently sent an inquiry in about software updates for the Mogul and Touch in through a dedicated channel for questions for Sprint Dealers.

The following is the email that I sent:

There have been rumors as of late about rom upgrdes for the HTC Touch and Mogul. Can you reveal the release date for these software upgrades? Also can you confirm or deny if these updates will or will not include Windows Mobile 6.1, MMS functionality for both devices, Sprint TV on the mogul, EVDO Rev. A and GPS on the touch, and qchat functionality on either/or?

The following is the response that I received:

Thank you for your patience while we gathered the answer to your questions. Please note; we have a Windows 6.1 Software Update program that will be launching on 6/15. It will affect the Mogul, Touch, Q9C, and Samsung ACE.

Thanks again, and be sure to tune in again next month!

So, they gave me information that I did not want but also left off my questions about specifics.

I will reply and ask for more, but do not count on getting any info.

Sprint fighting? or giving in? The Nextel spinoff...

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sprint is considering spinning off Nextel. This is hot off of the heels of reports from many places but also WSJ that Deutsch Telekom was considering purchasing Sprint. This is very interesting to say the least. The report is saying that the purchasers would be a group of investment bankers apparently lead by Nextel's founder, Morgan O'Brian. The company would be positioning to be a service for public safety agencies.

The twist to me personally is that the point of the sale is too get rid of an under performing asset and raise capital for reinvestment. This could have a couple of outcomes in mind (or at least in my business mind.) If Dan Hesse really wants to keep Sprint independent from DT, such a maneuver could be to keep them at bay. Hesse does not have the ability to simply turn them down. He answers to the share holders, and if a deal is offered that is too good to be passed up, his hands are tied. After losing a group of partners on the launch of Xohm (wimax), downgrading of their credit rating, and many other hurdles that just seem to keep popping up, one has to wonder will Sprint ever have a chance to get up off of the mat. I personally have felt that Qchat and Wimax were the 2 keys to Sprint's recooperation, but if they can't get the capital to get these going they are of no use. Selling Nextel and making plans on using the capital on moving forward could help to convince shareholders that the future for Sprint is not irreparable.

All that being said, the news about Nextel could also be a move to make Sprint look more lucrative to DT as a potential buyer. With the biggest weakness of the core business out of the way, the value of the company will expand.

I guess we all will have to wait and see because I do not expect information to come rolling quickly on this front.

Sprint: T Mobile and the Pile on

So, everyone is piling up on Sprint. I think that Sprint CEO Dan Hesse is probably thinking right now, man can I get a break. A lot of people thought that Hesse could be the man to right the ship for Sprint but the problem may be that he is just too late. Gary Forsee while running this company apparently while doing war with the other cell carriers decide to turn the canon towards his own ship and blew a hole in the bottom. Now Hesse is the captain but there may not be enough buckets on deck to get the water out before the ship sinks.
1. Sprint vs. the FCC-The FCC is wanting Sprint to clear some airwaves for emergency systems. The agreement was to give Sprint some replacement spectrum, but the problem is that Sprint is expected to give up spectrum and wait on getting some back. This can be bad for Sprint's customers.
2.I could not find the article but Sprint is being sued (possibly reaching class action status) for some shady actions with stocks, the announcement last year of 30 billion dollar loss, and some board members. This is not a problem that you want to have.
3. They are being sued by Verizon for not paying up on some cash.

I am sure there are other things that I am not talking about but things just seem to get worse.

Enter T Mobile. Deutsch Telekom, the owners of T Mobile, are eying the possibility of buying Sprint. Many people are wondering why they would consider this. Most believe that this would be a bad idea. I however do not think so. I will tell you why.

Sprint is in trouble because they are being hit from every angle. They just had their credit rating dropped, and they are going to have a hard time pulling out. They are on the right track with the Simply Everything plan, Wimax, and Q Chat/Direct Connect. The problem is will they be able to last long enough to get these services out there at a high level. They are also having a hard time coming up with the money to put Wimax in place. They are seeking partners for Wimax but they keep hitting snags with deals with Clearwire as well as several US cable operators.

Let's look at T Mobile. Keep in mind that T Mobile is owned by Deutsch Telekom, and they are a very large company. T Mobile's biggest problems here in the US are lack of 3g and lack of coverage, however, their are much ballyhooed for their customer service.

Let's compare their strengths and weaknesses. Sprint has a huge 3g EVDO network, good CDMA coverage with roaming agreements with Verizon, Direct Connect (some may think the novelty of direct connect is going away, but if that is the case, why is Verizon launching a new DC service as well?)and they are trying to push out the first 4g network with Xohm (wimax technology.) They also have wretched customer service. T Mobile is way behind is way behind on 3g. Their voice network is not that great. They have excellent customer service and a lot of equity.

Deutsch telekom is a big enough company that it can afford to drop some dimes here and there. They have a past of good customer service and would probably have the means to fix this. They could continue to push EVDO and the transition over to Qchat in order to have Direct Connect. They would not have to have all of their members have dual CDMA and GSM phones, and let's face it they will not be doing away with CDMA or GSM overnight due to the number of subscribers they already have. They could maintain all 3 networks and focus on phasing out the Iden network while pushing EVDO and migrating iden customers over to qchat. They would keep Sprint and T Mobile as separate entities but utilize the T Mobile upper brass to tweak and fix the problems. The goal would to make Sprint viable again.

Also, with this time in the industry bing very important to 4g plans you could look for both companies to transition into 1 technology, whether they decided to keep Wimax on track and be the first out with 4g or dump it completely and go to LTE like everyone else seems to be doing. With this transition you could merge into 1 network and have ALL of the towers that both have. This would make the 1 company stronger because of the combined network coverage but under one technology. This would be the point that the 2 companies start to become one.

Keep in mind that this would also be tough to get passed by regulatory committees due to the fact that this would put the combined company as the largest US cell phone carrier, and it would be owned by a foreign company.

There are hurdle to overcome but this could be great for both companies. Keep in mind if you were to sign a contract with Sprint today, the chances are nothing will change before your contract is up. DT is just now eying Sprint and there are no offers on the table as of yet. Both companies would have to agree on terms, and then the government would have to approve everything. If all of that happens how long would it take to launch a new 4g network. I am guessing if this ever comes to fruition you are looking at 3years minimum before these to really start getting together. Although the benefits for Sprint customers could be almost immediate.