Sprint Nextel Working on Multimode Base Stations

Sprint Nextel Corp. is working on a new "Swiss army knife" style base station platform, code named "Project Leapfrog."

The new base stations are designed to support multiple air interfaces, allowing Sprint Nextel to reduce the number of base stations (cell sites) it operates from 66,000 to about 46,000, in part by consolidating formerly-separate equipment to support multiple air interfaces, and possibly by boosting signal range as well.

Sprint is said to believe the changes might cost $2.5 billion, but would save money over time through reduced operating expense and lower roaming fees paid to other carriers.

Sprint is said to want a base station platform that can support CDMA, 3G EV-DO, WiMax and possibly Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the future. Note that there is no mention of iDEN. That suggests iDEN is not a part of Sprint Nextel's long-term future.

Light Reading Mobile - 4G/LTE - 4G World: Sprint Ready to Play 'Leapfrog'

Expand Your 3G Network: Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender Now Available

Verizon Wireless now is selling its "Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender" femtocell, boosting 3G signal reception locally for both voice and data, and supporting as many as six Verizon Wireless devices.

The typical application is to boost signal strength within a home.

Customers can use My Verizon (www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon) to set up a list of preferred users who will have access to their Network Extender. Customers do not need to update their plans or add minutes and will incur no additional monthly charges for using the Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender.

The Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender replaces the original "Verizon Wireless Network Extender," which was introduced in 2009. The Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender can be purchased online at www.verizonwireless.com or by calling 1-800-256-4646. The price is $249.99 plus local taxes.

Expand Your 3G Network: Verizon Wireless 3G Network Extender Now Available

Starbucks Digital Network: First Look - PCWorld

Starbucks has launched its content-rich digital network, the Starbucks Digital Network in stores across America.

The network, which is full of exclusive content, is only available in Starbucks Coffee shops, and was developed with Yahoo. Apparently the idea is that if Starbucks can woo consumers with free Wi-Fi access and exclusive, free content (including full e-books, films, and newspapers), they'll spend more time at the shops.

Not a bad theory. We'll have to see how it works out.

Starbucks Digital Network: First Look - PCWorld

Netflix Streaming-Only Subscriptions Could Come This Year

Netflix offers a streaming-only service in Canada and is testing a similar service for the United States market.

Assuming the results of the test turn out as expected, Netflix could begin offering the service in the U.S. market later in 2010.

Netflix: Streaming-Only Subscriptions Could Come This Year | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD

Netflix bets on online streaming

Video rental and streaming service Netflix paid about $115 million in its most recent quarter to acquire new content for its online streaming video library after its quarterly profit jumped by about 27 percent year-over-year last quarter.

The $115 million payout this quarter was more than ten times greater than the $10 million it paid in the same quarter last year.

Netflix also paid out $66 million last quarter to acquire additional content for online streaming. About one fifth of Netflix’s operating revenue last quarter was used to acquire new streaming content.

Netflix bets on online streaming, shells out $115M for content | VentureBeat

New MacBook Air

Clearwire Shows 90 Mbps LTE

Clearwire Chief Commercial Officer Mike Sievert says Clearwire has tested Long Term Evolution during a recent test in Phoenix and achieved peak download speeds of 90 Mbps. Of course, that is on a network with zero users, and used a 20 MHz by 20 MHz channel.

Verizon is using 10 MHz by 10 MHz channels. More bandwidth enables faster speeds. Up to a point, speed is a nice marketing platform. Every carrier wants to advertise that it has the "fastest" network. But few customers actually buy the top-rated service any service provider sells.

Higher bandwidth is helpful when a single connection is shared by multiple users, as single fixed-line connections are shared by all members of a family or all workers at a single business location. A similar advantage would accrue to a wireless user sharing a single connection by Wi-Fi with multiple devices or users.

But there are very few applications a single user can interact with today that actually require 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps connections. In truth, such "hero" bandwidths are more a marketing gambit than something most people can use productively.

Clearwire details results of initial LTE testing