Tweet
free mobile broadband?
Skype co-founder wants to give you free mobile broadband
http://cnet.co/ze1RCu
Niklas Zennstrom changed the telephone industry when
heco-founded VoIP juggernaut, Skype. Now he's
preparing to attack the industry again with the
introduction of free mobile broadband from
FreedomPop.
FreedomPop today announced that it would partner
with Clearwire for its upcoming mobile broadband
service. Backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom,
FreedomPop aims to disrupt the mobile broadband
industry by providing mobile Internet to consumers
free of charge.
FreedomPop had previously named LightSquared as its
launch partner, but it appears that relationship has
stalled due to mounting complications in the
LightSquared camp. The FCC yesterday suspended
LightSquared's waiver to build a national wireless
broadband network using satellite spectrum. Tests
have indicated that the beleaguered company's
technologies interfered with GPS and other devices.
Clearwire isn't without its own problems. The company
is currently scrambling to build out an LTE network to
supplement its WiMax offerings in an effort to
improve its coverage in high profile areas like the Bay
Area, Chicago, and Manhattan. The transition is doubly
logical as wireless providers like Verizon and AT&T are
betting heavily on LTE and LTE threatens to become a
global standard. WiMax, for its part, has few
substantive presences outside of the U.S.
Zennstrom has a reputation for disrupting industries:
Kazaa was among the most prominent peer-to-peer
media sharing services when it was shredded by
lawsuits. It now exists as a wholly unremarkable
subscription music service.
Similarly, Joost launched big in 2007 to revolutionize
online video and then proceeded to fall. By 2009, it
had failed at every pivot and landed in Internet
purgatory. It's now only mentioned in pieces like this.
Nevertheless, Rdio, Zennstrom's other subscription
music service, has been compelling and competitive in
a scene that includes players like Spotify and MOG.
And, with 65 million daily users, there's no arguing
Zennstrom has had spectacular success with Skype.
Beyond Zennstrom's affiliation, few details, such as
how it intends to monetize itself, are known about
FreedomPop. Conventional wisdom (and speculation)
indicates that the service will be ad-supported, but it
could adopt a freemium model, allowing subscribers to
avoid ads for a fee.
What we do know is that FreedomPop intends to
launch at some point in 2012. Here's hoping it's more
Skype than Joost.
http://cnet.co/ze1RCu
Niklas Zennstrom changed the telephone industry when
heco-founded VoIP juggernaut, Skype. Now he's
preparing to attack the industry again with the
introduction of free mobile broadband from
FreedomPop.
FreedomPop today announced that it would partner
with Clearwire for its upcoming mobile broadband
service. Backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom,
FreedomPop aims to disrupt the mobile broadband
industry by providing mobile Internet to consumers
free of charge.
FreedomPop had previously named LightSquared as its
launch partner, but it appears that relationship has
stalled due to mounting complications in the
LightSquared camp. The FCC yesterday suspended
LightSquared's waiver to build a national wireless
broadband network using satellite spectrum. Tests
have indicated that the beleaguered company's
technologies interfered with GPS and other devices.
Clearwire isn't without its own problems. The company
is currently scrambling to build out an LTE network to
supplement its WiMax offerings in an effort to
improve its coverage in high profile areas like the Bay
Area, Chicago, and Manhattan. The transition is doubly
logical as wireless providers like Verizon and AT&T are
betting heavily on LTE and LTE threatens to become a
global standard. WiMax, for its part, has few
substantive presences outside of the U.S.
Zennstrom has a reputation for disrupting industries:
Kazaa was among the most prominent peer-to-peer
media sharing services when it was shredded by
lawsuits. It now exists as a wholly unremarkable
subscription music service.
Similarly, Joost launched big in 2007 to revolutionize
online video and then proceeded to fall. By 2009, it
had failed at every pivot and landed in Internet
purgatory. It's now only mentioned in pieces like this.
Nevertheless, Rdio, Zennstrom's other subscription
music service, has been compelling and competitive in
a scene that includes players like Spotify and MOG.
And, with 65 million daily users, there's no arguing
Zennstrom has had spectacular success with Skype.
Beyond Zennstrom's affiliation, few details, such as
how it intends to monetize itself, are known about
FreedomPop. Conventional wisdom (and speculation)
indicates that the service will be ad-supported, but it
could adopt a freemium model, allowing subscribers to
avoid ads for a fee.
What we do know is that FreedomPop intends to
launch at some point in 2012. Here's hoping it's more
Skype than Joost.