Sprint

I really hate reading headlines like this one over on ZDNet...

Sprint to cut 2,000 to 2,500 jobs

I went through a large telecom merger many years ago that resulted in my entire department being RIFed (Reduction In Force - aka - laid off). Let me tell you from first hand experience, this is no fun. In our case, it was a combination of a then failing economy (2001) and the economies of scale (too many people) caused by the merger itself.

This time? Well, Sprint has been bleeding subscribers and money despite management changes, attempts to field a killer phone (the Palm Pre), and, I'm sure, the hard work of a lot of people at the bottom of the corporate food chain. Yahoo! Finance shows Sprint as having 56,000 employees (this is probably higher than the actual current count). But, assuming this is correct, a 2500 head count reduction is about 4.5% of the current workforce.

As a former telecom guy, all I can say is "Hang in there folks!".

Yet another cell phone company subsidized netbook that makes absolutely no sense at all...

Sprint Offers Ultra-Mobile, Ultra-Affordable Computing with Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Powered by America's Most Dependable 3G Network

At $199.99 AFTER a mail-in $100 rebate, a person might save $100 of the purchase of his netbook. But, wait! Someone buying this netbook through this "deal" will be on the hook to pay $1,440 over the next two years after being locked into a 3G contract. This netbook will be four generations old by the end of its two-year contract.

Here's a better idea: Buy a netbook or notebook from anyone you like and get a Sprint MiFi. You will still pay $1,440 over the next two years. But, you can use any WiFi device you choose over that period. In fact, you can use any five of them at the same time using the MiFi 3G/WiFi router. Sprint doesn't get cheated out of your subscription and you don't get stuck with a netbook you don't want 6 months from now.

As a long-time Sprint PCS customer, all I can say about this ZDNet report is, "ugh"...

Sprint loses money, more subscribers in third quarter

Sprint lost $478 million in the third quarter and performed worse than expected by analysts. It lost subscribers despite the great hope to turn thing around by introducing the Palm Pre.

Looking at it surface characteristics, it is difficult to understand why Sprint is doing so badly. They have good voice service, reasonably priced plans, good U.S. coverage, decent 3G speed and network reliability and even a good, if not exciting, selection of feature phones and smartphones to choose from.

While Verizon is the obvious choice for Apple to partner with as its second U.S. partner, I think Sprint should aggressively pursue Apple. The iPhone may be the only thing that can turn around Sprint's death spiral.

I'm not certain, but I think this is the first time I've written about ring-tones for the MobileContentToday blog. Why? In general I find many ring-tones really annoying. But, Sprint announced a set of 28 ring-tones that even I probably won't find annoying even during my most curmudgeonly moments...

Tweet, Tweet: Sprint and Audubon Release New Bird Call Ringtones

You can hear previews of three of these 28 bird call ring-tones at the Sprint page below...

- Field Sparrow-Audubon-Voice
- Red-Bellied Woodpecker-Audubon-Voice
- Black Capped Chickadee-Audubon-Voice

I found the Red-Bellied Woodpecker song particular interesting. But, I wonder how any of these natural sounding bird calls are in noisy environments. What happens if you take an early morning walk with lots of birds chirping nearby?

The UK's Telegraph is reporting a head-shaking-causing news item...

T-Mobile owner eyes multi-billion dollar bid for Sprint

And, no I'm not shaking my head in disbelief because T-Mobile USA is so much smaller than Sprint. This is not about tiny T-Mobile USA. It is about its gigantic parent company Deutsche Telekom. This doesn't make any sense to me as US market play. Sprint and T-Mobile use completely different wireless voice and data technologies (CDMA vs. GSM for voice for example). There is no synergy there. In fact, it reminds me of the odd merger of Sprint and Nextel. Sprint bought Nextel back in 2005. But, four years later, Sprint still hasn't integrated the two firms in a way that makes sense to me. If you walk into a Sprint store, you'll see Sprint's CDMA phone on one wall and Nextel's IDEN phones across the room on another wall. Where's the synergy there?

Sprint's new Any Mobile plan is a new feature of its Everything Data Plan.

http://anymobile.sprint.com/

Sprint describes Any Mobile as: you're free to call any mobike, anytime, on any network without worrying about the meter running. This is an amazing boon to heavy cell phone voice call users. Since many people consider their cell phone their primary phone, the Any Mobile plan provides what amounts to unlimited minutes for people who primarily speak to other cell phone users.

It wouldn't appeal much to me since I use laughably few voice call minutes per month. If I break 100 minutes per month, I'm surprised. But, if you're one of those cell phone gabbers (and you know who you are :-), this may be the plan for you.

Via TechVi

YouTube video courtesy of HTC

Sprint will sell its first Android-based phone on October 11...

The Innovation and Openness of a True Mobile Internet Experience Coming Soon to America's Most Dependable 3G Network from Sprint on HTC Hero with Google

And, you will be able to get it for a relatively reasonable cost of $180 (after a $50 instant savings and $100 mail-in rebate). Sprint's lowest cost service plan is $70 per month. That is the same as AT&T's lowest cost plan for the iPhone. However, Sprint's $70 also includes unlimited messaging which makes it a more comprehensive offering than AT&T's iPhone plan which doesn't include messaging at that price.

I would really prefer a phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard. But, the HTC Hero has some interesting specs including a 5 megapixel camera and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (unlike the HTC Touch Pro2 I bought last month). I may have to give this phone a closer look when it becomes available next month.

HTC's Touch Pro2 is the first, to my knowledge, Windows Mobile smartphone that will be carried by all four of the largest mobile carriers in the U.S. T-Mobile started the ball rolling in August. And, now Sprint announced that their model will be available starting on September 8...

HTC Touch Pro2 from Sprint Pairs a Dynamic Must-Have Business Device with the Best Value in Wireless

Surprisingly, (or not depending on your point of view) Sprint's subsidized price is the same as T-Mobile's: $349.99. And, once again, I think this price point is way too high for a subsidized phone. It should be $199.99 at the most. Ideally, it should be around $149.99.

There are a few differences between the T-Mobile and Sprint's models aside from the GSM vs. CDMA voice network. Sprint's model supports GSM in addition to Sprint's native CDMA voice network, by the way.

- Sprint's 3G network is, they claim, 20 times larger than T-Mobile's. This alone should provide Sprint Touch Pro2 owners with a better experience

- Sprint TV service

- World Mobile Business Card Scanner included

- Standard 3.5mm audio jack (no jack on the T-Mobile model)

Wired's Gadget Lab title is catchy...

Survey: Most-Hated Wireless Company Isn't AT&T, It's Sprint

...but doesn't quite tell the story correctly. The article is based on the J.D. Power study described by J.D. Power itself here...

2009 Wireless Customer Care Volume 2

...and it has nothing to do with network availability, MMS and tethering for the iPhone or of the other various AT&T issues that have been the subject of much discussion in blogs and news articles for many months. This study looked specifically how customer contact was handled and perceived via telephone calls, in-person at retail stores and on the web.

Quite honestly, the overall numbers look good on all fronts. The overall customer care performance average is up from the study conducted 6 months ago (Feb. 2009). Problem resolution on first contact is up. And, hold time is down.

Alltel, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless scored identical 747 points (out of 1000 possible). AT&T had 730 points while Sprint Nextel was dead last at 704 points.

You have to give credit where credit is due. Sprint isn't ceding wireless victory to AT&T or Verizon anytime soon if we can believe their recent press releases...

Sprint Extends 4G Leadership by Announcing Additional U.S. Markets for Sprint 4G

Sprint previously announced that their 4G (WiMax) network will be available in the following towns during 2009: Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth; Honolulu; Las Vegas; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia and Seattle. (Baltimore was first in 2008).

Another 17 join that list for the 2009 4G rollout: Abilene, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash.; Charlotte, N.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Greensboro, N.C.; Killeen-Temple, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Maui, Hawaii; Midland-Odessa, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; Salem, Ore.; San Antonio, Texas; Waco, Texas; and Wichita Falls, Texas.

And, Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. will join the 4G party in 2010.

You can find more info about Sprint 4G at:

www.sprint.com/4G