I went to another fine event tonight put up by the fine folks at Mobile Monday New York, “Beyond Scores. Sports Brands & Their Mobile Game Plan.”

The panel discussion was packed with good representatives from the content side as well as infrastructure. The line up included:
- Oke Okaro, ESPN
- Bhavesh Patel, NBA
- Lincoln Hochberg, MLB
- Rich LaBarca, Clearspring
- Moderator: Evan Neufeld, VP and senior analyst, M:Metrics

I appreciated that candor and openness to the responses from the panelists. The discussion lived up to its name and covered more than reading scores in an SMS message. Topics ranged from integrated marketing (an industry standard), carrier support (still a bottleneck), interface standardizations (still impeding mobile growth), and working with OEMs (they can only do so much). I’m a bit tired today, so I’ll keep it short with the best take aways.

On successful mobile initiatives:
“Boredom is a key driver.” - Lincoln Hochberg, MLB

On the mobile killer app:
“It may not be tv on your mobile… I can see things like breaking news video alerts [being the killer app]…” - Lincoln Hochberg, MLB

On mobile experimentation:
“Stick with what you know.” - Oke Okaro, ESPN

On the iPhone:
“But, it’s a closed system.” (several times) - Rich LaBarca

And the best line came from the moderator….
“… and now comes the part where we complain about the carriers…”

image source: flickr

Sprint is partnering up with Google in a national rollout of WiMax. WiMax is a wireless broadband technology that is similar to the popular WiFi networks, except that that it has a range of miles versus hundreds of feet. The power of WiMax lies in the fact that a carrier does not need to install the “last mile” to each home, which is the most expensive part of implementing a new. Sprint would provide the WiMax technology, while Google would provide search, e-mail, IM, a calender and other applications.

This partnership is part of Sprint’s US$3 billion investment over the next two years to build out their WiMax network. The logic being that once the network is place, people will need Google’s applications to encourage the adoption of their standard. The successful widespread adoption of WiMax is still far from being certain, however this news will certainly help.

Sprint investment is the next generation of broadband technology is important because they are looking to expand outside of the mobile voice, by introducing other services on their own data pipes. As Atish Gude, Sprint’s senior vice president for mobile broadband operations notes, “We have tried to articulate over the last number of months . . . that this is not a cellular model.”

This announcement highlights a trend that should be watched with care. We are already seeing VoIP services being combined with cable and Internet access, with so-called “triple play” services by cable companies. WiMax provides a window to the coming “quadruple play” of phone, cable, Internet and mobile. While “quad play” does ease bill paying and account management, it does force people to rely on one data pipe for all their telecommunication and information services. If service is interrupted, all four media go down. On a normal day, being completely disconnected is not such a big deal… go home early, read a book, or spend time with your family. In an emergency, an ill-timed service outage is devastating.

I feel much more confident in a move towards redundant systems. Sprint and Google’s announcement comes right after T-Mobile’s WiFi phone service launch. In the US, T-Mobile is known for having limited coverage among the four major mobile carriers. Their new service “HotSpots@Home” allows people to place calls using their home WiFi broadband service. When GSM coverage drops, the phones can seamless transfer to WiFi without losing the call. This move allows T-Mobile to extend their coverage with building new towers. While the general discussion of this services focus on the mutually exclusive areas of GSM and WiFi coverage, the overlap is just as important. The overlap exists because people can use this service on any broadband service provider. Now, people have access to two different sets of pipes to maintain service. This model of making services over multiple pipes is crucial and underappreciated, but should be encouraged and even demanded.

image source: marcelstvmuseum

I admit that I watch very little television on a traditional set. Most of my viewing is on my laptop, via WebTV or DVD. However, millions of people in the US do watch on traditional sets. On February 17, 2009, analog television signal will be turned off, and over the air television signals will be strictly digital, and analog televisions will go black. The impending switch over to digital makes this study by the American of Public Television Stations on the public awareness of transition more than a little disturbing.

Although it was study was done in last January, it seems to be getting attention from the media and government only now. Groups including the AARP, National Hispanic Media Coalition and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights presented their case last week.

22 million US households still get this television signals over the air. Of these households, a ghastly 66% or 14.5 million households are not aware of the switch over. Unfortunately, people who do not know tend to be marginalized groups, such as those respondents aged over 65. Of this group, 24% of them received this programming over tha air (versus 19% of younger households.) Further, of those 65+ aged viewers, only 17% of them owned a digital television.

A huge push to education the country needs to be done in the next 18 months. I hope that broadcasters and government agencies comprehend the magnitude of the problem.

Dtv.gov has information coverage the transition, however, the obvious problem is that you need to know to go there. It does have information on program which runs from Jan. 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009, where U.S. households can request up to two coupons, worth $40 each,to buy digital-to-analog converter boxes.

images source: ClaireOnline.com

I liked Sen. Clair McCaskill (D-Mo.) response to John Kneuer of the Commerce Department and Cathy Seidel of the FCC:
“They’re not going to call you. They’re going to call me, and they’re going to be mad. When people start calling in, I’m giving them your numbers.”

Omma is offering a new telephone service, that will challenge both traditional telcos and VoIP upstarts. After buying their $399 handset, all domestic telephone calls are free. Revenue will come from hardware sales and international calls. (Of course, customers will also have to broadband access.) The initial rollout is by invitation only.

The range VoIP services are still very much in flux. Vonage still facing some potentially devastating legal battles. VoIP startups, like SunRocket, are going under all the time, as their low rates, increasing competition from cable and traditional telcos, and high legal fees have not panned out as viable business models.

Google says that it is considering to bid in the upcoming auction of 700 MHz spectrum, which will be free when television switches over to a digital in 2009.

It could all just be posturing to get the FCC to keep the pipes open, and allow Goggle the ability to sell access in real time, in a way that is similar to their Adsense model.

Once again, Susan Crawford as a good description of what’s at play.