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Verizon Wireless Buys NextWave Spectrum for $3 Billion

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It's about time

GWFOX

Nov 5, 2004, 12:47 PM
Good work VZW on buying up much needed spectrum in these markets. Maine in particular!

That 20mhz pcs licence will go over nicely with the customers I have up there.
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viper

Nov 5, 2004, 1:43 PM
Spectrum is invaluable. It appreciates, unlike equipment, and it is scare. Get it now or may never have the chance. They also have the dollars to pick it up (unlike sprint).

Is was a good idea.
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muchdrama

Nov 5, 2004, 2:54 PM
viper said:
Spectrum is invaluable. It appreciates, unlike equipment, and it is scare. Get it now or may never have the chance. They also have the dollars to pick it up (unlike sprint).

Is was a good idea.
Especially when it enables them to shore up New York. I'm looking forward to the next "20/20" report after they've got the new spectrum in use.
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billyrzx2

Nov 5, 2004, 6:56 PM
Anyone think this is Verizon's response to the "New" Cingular? If it is.... awesome.. cause Verizon is expanding their network while Cingular is expanding the unsatisfied customer list. They are expanding the correct way.
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BegToDiffer

Nov 5, 2004, 9:40 PM
I think this acquisition is standard operating procedure for VZW more than a respone to Cingular (I expect a real response to follow sometime next year when Cingular starts getting on their feet). VZW seems to have a knack for grabbing spectrum fairly cheap when no one is looking (like when they bought out Qwest's network). While spectrum is nice and should always be sought, I would like to see VZ dump more money into cell site construction. I live in an area where VZW is the dominant carrier regarding signal, they own license as far as the eye can see, but there are still big holes.
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jramossteel

Nov 6, 2004, 11:38 AM
I agree with begtodiffer... After Cingular gets up and on its feets, after the AT&T acquisition, it will VZW a run for its money, with a network covering 97 of the top 100 markets, and better service plans, as well as better customer service even though most may not think so.
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RUFF1415

Nov 6, 2004, 2:30 PM
100 of the top 100 markets. They had a deal with Triton PCS in a spectrum swap that gave them all 100 markets. But yes, I agree also.
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nycdru

Nov 6, 2004, 6:46 PM
While I agree that the new Cingular will finally give Verizon the competition it has been long without, I think its going to have to work REALLY hard to accomplish this.

Lets look at whats happening now.

3rd quarter 2004

Verizon = 1.7 million new customers.

AT&Tingular = about 750,000 new customers. (please keep in mind AT&T LOST almost 2 million customers during this time.

Cingular + ATT hasn't had 1 million net new subs in the last 4 quarters. VZW has had at least 1 million net new subs ALL 4 of those quarters.

Cingular has to first overcome its own inertia and start gaining customers as fast as Verizon Not going to be easy without MAJOR marketing, Network improvements, and IRISISTABLE deals on plans. And they have to d...
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muchdrama

Nov 6, 2004, 8:45 PM
nycdru said:
While I agree that the new Cingular will finally give Verizon the competition it has been long without, I think its going to have to work REALLY hard to accomplish this.

Lets look at whats happening now.

3rd quarter 2004

Verizon = 1.7 million new customers.

AT&Tingular = about 750,000 new customers. (please keep in mind AT&T LOST almost 2 million customers during this time.

Cingular + ATT hasn't had 1 million net new subs in the last 4 quarters. VZW has had at least 1 million net new subs ALL 4 of those quarters.

Cingular has to first overcome its own inertia and start gaining customers as fast as Verizon Not going to be easy without MAJOR marketing, Network improvements, and IRISISTABLE d
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Corpo Rat

Nov 8, 2004, 11:14 AM
I've been watching this thread for a few days now, and while everybody has made good, cogent observations about the AT&Tingular (I liked that) vs VZW dynamic, one thing I don't think anybody has touched on is this: there is NO money for AT&Tingular to continue a buildout. NO new towers, end of '04, probably for most of '05, either. They pulled 95% of the funds from advertising before the merger, 99% of the infrastructure funding and cannibalized a lot of other items in the budget. There will be no new towers from them in the appreciable future. Not one, unless an old one falls down & has to be replaced. VZW spent, what, $6 billion this year on infrastructure? God knows how much they'll spend next year. I think this whole AT&T/Cingular thing ...
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CainMarko

Nov 8, 2004, 11:32 AM
You couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is there MONEY to add additional towers(350 were added in the NYC/NJ area in the last half of 2004 alone), but there are the usual spending on Cingular's infrastructure. Cingular spent 5 billion this year themselves. I have no clue what rock you got your info from, but you're totally incorrect. Did you think that Cingular was going to spend 41 billion if they didn't plan on spending even MORE money to make it work?
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RUFF1415

Nov 6, 2004, 11:32 PM
There was no debt from the AT&T acquisition. Cingular's parent companies, SBC and Bellsouth paid $41 billion dollars CASH for AT&T. I believe that they acquired about $6 billion of AT&T debt, but this amount is expected to be paid off within one year.
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muchdrama

Nov 6, 2004, 8:33 PM
jramossteel said:
I agree with begtodiffer... After Cingular gets up and on its feets, after the AT&T acquisition, it will VZW a run for its money, with a network covering 97 of the top 100 markets, and better service plans, as well as better customer service even though most may not think so.
What it really boils down to is quality and reliability of network...something CinguATT just hasn't been able to do. Verizon has been and will continue (at least into the forseeable future) to be the most reliable network in the country. When you've been to as many places in this country as I've been (along with my sister...who just happens to use CinguATT) you begin to appreciate Verizon's reliability.
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nbostic

Nov 6, 2004, 9:07 PM
Too bad verizon doesn't work half as well as AT&T/Cingular on the Oregon and Washington coasts as well as both sides of Puget Sound. I speak from many experiences.
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muchdrama

Nov 7, 2004, 10:18 AM
nbostic said:
Too bad verizon doesn't work half as well as AT&T/Cingular on the Oregon and Washington coasts as well as both sides of Puget Sound. I speak from many experiences.
That's just fine and dandy...but in MOST places across the nation Verizon surpasses Cingular. It's not even close.
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nbostic

Nov 7, 2004, 12:03 PM
If you actually look at coverage maps (which I can verify that Verizon's is incorrect in the places I previously mentioned), you can't say MOST places. The coverage is very similar except for some rural places throughout the midwest. It actually is close. Plus, if you're on a Cingular nationwide plan, you get more minutes for your money and no roaming, no additional charge to be "in" and anywhere your phone works you are "in". Plus the fastest nationwide data network and the best phones and the most widely recognized name and gimmick in the industry is sure going to make Verizon have to work just a wee bit harder.
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jhmlbrgr

Nov 7, 2004, 5:18 PM
Ok so instead of using the phone at roaming rates with VZW you cannot use your phone if you are on Cingular.
There are no additional charges for in-network and in-network does cover the entire network now. You ought to shop you competition once in a while and you would find out these things.
The fastest data network?? Are you on drugs?? EV-DO is by far the fastest thing going.
It is true that Cingular has to rely on gimmicks to get customers, while VZW just sticks to being the BEST.
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RUFF1415

Nov 7, 2004, 6:45 PM
You need to read more carefully. He said the fastest NATIONWIDE data network. 🙄
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nbostic

Nov 7, 2004, 9:15 PM
I guess the people who work at the VZW stores in Portland, OR are just idiot, since they told me within the last 2 weeks that there is a charge for being "in". Population coverage for Cingular is higher than VZW now and Cingular has coverage in the top 100 markets. So to compare coverage, it has to go to Cingular purely in terms of physical coverage area. Now, does it work in the boonies? Not all, but then again, neither does VZW. They both have their dead areas, for me, I need the I-5 corridor, Puget sound and the Oregon/Washington coast. VZW is inferior to Cingular for that coverage.

Obviously you've never actually tried a head-to-head comparison of EV-DO and UMTS. UMTS for general browsing is far faster than EV-DO due to latency...
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jhmlbrgr

Nov 7, 2004, 9:50 PM
You are indeed right everyone has dead areas, and if Cingular has less in the areas that you travel than you are with the right company. But nation wide Verizon has the best service, do some research, Consumer Reports, New York Times, Washington Post, JD Powers, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal have all published VZW as the best.

Where might I ask is CIngular using UMTS? No where, unless they are testing it, They have not even deployed EDGE yet, the only place Cingular is using EDGE is in the cities that ATT had it before the merge, so they bought it, they have yet to deploy it themselves. And if you do research about EVDO you would know that it is the fastest wireless technology available today. Is it nation wide yet, no, but 14 c...
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Rich Brome

Nov 8, 2004, 11:08 AM
jhmlbrgr said:
...Where might I ask is CIngular using UMTS? No where, unless they are testing it, They have not even deployed EDGE yet, the only place Cingular is using EDGE is in the cities that ATT had it before the merge, so they bought it, they have yet to deploy it themselves. ...

That's not accurate.

AT&T Wireless launched UMTS/WCDMA in six cities a few months ago. That's now Cingular's.

And even before the merger, Cingular had EDGE across 90% of its network. The only places they didn't have it were the areas where they used T-Mobile's network, like NYC. AT&T Wireless has had nationwide EDGE for quite some time. So now, post-merger, Cingular really does have nationwide EDGE.
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jhmlbrgr

Nov 10, 2004, 7:18 AM
I stand correct about EDGE. My apologies.
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muchdrama

Nov 6, 2004, 8:11 PM
billyrzx2 said:
Anyone think this is Verizon's response to the "New" Cingular? If it is.... awesome.. cause Verizon is expanding their network while Cingular is expanding the unsatisfied customer list. They are expanding the correct way.
This is indeed in response to Cingular. Verizon may be taking a "we'll be conducting business as usual" approach in public, but these spectrum acquisitions show they're gearing up for a showdown...or what they perceive to be a showdown. Don't count CinguATT out...with 46 million customers they're now in the driver's seat.
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easyman212

Nov 7, 2004, 10:53 PM
yeah cingular may have 46 million customers. but verizon wireless isnt that far behind with 42 million plus customers...and this may or may not help but you never know....but verizon still has the best service that there is across the country and they will for quite a while even with the merger of cingular and at&t...
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CainMarko

Nov 8, 2004, 8:01 AM
actually, VZW had been looking to buy this before Cingular announced the merger. They've just been waiting on Nextwave and the FCC to get things finalized.
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BegToDiffer

Nov 8, 2004, 9:47 AM
This was my point exactly and I think I may have been misinterpreted. I also said that Cingular may give VZW some competition once they get running (post growing pains) but I did not mean to imply that Cingular would offer better service or plans. I am simply stating that the license acquisition is business as usual for VZW and that we have NOT seen any real response to the merger from VZW. Given that VZW is still dominant in all the usual metrics (highest customer adds per quarter, lowest churn, lowest operating cost per customer, low cost of customer acquisition), I don't foresee any change from them soon. Perhaps by the end of next year we will see a real response from VZW be it different plan offerings, different phone models or pricing,...
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shadedpain4

Nov 6, 2004, 4:59 PM
muchdrama said:
viper said:
Spectrum is invaluable. It appreciates, unlike equipment, and it is scare. Get it now or may never have the chance. They also have the dollars to pick it up (unlike sprint).

Is was a good idea.
Especially when it enables them to shore up New York. I'm looking forward to the next "20/20" report after they've got the new spectrum in use.


heh.

😁
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RavenStar

Nov 5, 2004, 5:33 PM
This will affect Maine? I did not see Maine listed, unless we fall under the Boston area. I live in Maine, and that would definitley be a good thing... more coverage up here! 🙂
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GWFOX

Nov 5, 2004, 5:53 PM
Thats my problem I think. I saw portland and automatically assumed Portland, Maine not portland, oregon. I may be wrong.
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Justin RS

Nov 5, 2004, 7:28 PM
They STILL won't be here. But thats ok, we have cingular. :-)
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