anyone have a clue who Verizon will buy next?

None of the above. Especailly not Sprint PCS

 

If I look at their America's Choice coverage map, looke like Kentuky, Nevada, Montana, and Alaska are the only week areas. Maybe someone there?

Who's a big carier in kentuky?

 

Verizon has no need to buy Sprint PCS. Over the last two years, Verizon has purchased systems that were adjacent to existing VZ coverage to reduce roaming charges. But these were existing networks that already were costing VZ roaming charges.

With the purchase of the former Northcoast properties, VZ will be able to reduce those roaming charges by building their own cell sites. Therefore, they will most likely spend the money in the area that helps reduce roaming charges at the lowest cost PER CELL SITE.

If, for example, Dobson wants to sell sites in TX for, say, $300,000 each, and VZ can build their own in TX (they already have the licenses) for $200,000 each, then they shouldn't buy the system. But if it comes with a few hundred thousand instant customers, then the purchase makes sense.

Besides, VZ is making money with what they've got now. Why buy more? Because we want more coverage, of course!

-Bill

 

Or if you are like me and live in NYC because they have some capacity issues sometimes in some specific places. Btu that is going away real fast.

 

I thought that Bluegrass cellular in Kentucky was going to covert to CDMA to help fill that hole. Most of what is dead in Neveda is dead and desolute.

 

All cellular carriers in Alaska are converting to GSM so there's no CDMA carrier in Alaska.
Verizon will not buy Sprint because the FCC will not allow it.

 

Bluegrass: I haven't found a single source that indicates which way they are going. I do fully expect them to go CDMA because of recent roaming deals among Cingular, AT&T, and Dobson (Bluegrass's coverage overlaps with all three so Bluegrass is likely to be "spurned" by the GSM camp), because of pressure from VZW for them to do so, and because the other small 850 carriers in Kentucky (Ramcell and Appalachian Wireless) are going CDMA.

Alaska: Wrong. ACS Wireless is going CDMA...and don't forget about Alaska DigiTel, who is committed to CDMA but is adding GSM (NOT switching from CDMA to GSM!) a la Western Wireless to provide coverage to roamers from other carriers, particularly T-Mobile.

-SC

 

There's GSM covereage in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
But right now it is freezing cold in the northeast w/ 18" snow you don't have to go to Alaska to feel it.

If you look at CINGULAR's coverage map saying that all their GSM 850 overlaying their TDMA will be up and running at the end of 2003 (Which is 3 weeks from now will be 2004) and announcing their intention to merge with another GSM carrier sometime in the middle of 2004.
CINGULAR will be bigger than VZW.

 

Even if you combine cingular and t-mobile Verizon would still be larger... Not sure if that holds true with at&t...

 

Nope, Cingular will be bigger.
The northeast is not their Turf.
But out in Central, Southeast and West coast they are BIG.

 

Cingular + ATT > Verizon

 

Doubt teh FCC will let that happen.

Even if it did
CingularGSMService + AttGSMService <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Verizon service.

 

Nope. Not if they merge. I have an unlock GSM phone and in NY and NJ I receive ATTWS and T-Mobile signal.
Which means GSM is now built 2 Times over.

 

Cingular + ATT > Verizon ... NO WAY JOSE AINT GONNA HAPPEN....

 

Maybe, maybe not. No one can really tell.

 

cingular + att === would beat verizon in subscribers.....

 

Given what we have heard in the news recently, Cingular + ATT would have more susbs, but it would take there combined networks at least a year or 2 to realy be able to compete with Verizons.

 

At the rate VZW is adding subs compared to Cingular and AT&T currently it'd still be close but VZW would still be in the lead.

 

Actually if Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless merged it would create a network that currently has more subscribers then Verizon Wireless.

 

You are correct. However, lets take a loook at the 4th quater numbers before we make any assumptions shall we?

 

If the new company becomes larger than VZW everybody will just start to hate them because they are the biggest like they do with VZW.

 

If CINGULAR (24 Million customers) and ATTWS (21 Million) merge they will be bigger than VZW (36 Million customers).
And CINGULAR don't need T-Mobile in NY/NJ Metro for roaming since ATTWS has licenses in this Area plus the Licenses they bought from Nextwave.

 

Back On Topic, you now have your answer. Verizon will buy the licenses of American Wireless in Arkansas to start serving one of only 3 Top 100 markets they don't have service in.
Article

-Bill

 

GSM is going to be just that- Global System for Mobile. it's only a matter of time before their US towers use quad band freq.And with their ability to use TMobile, and AT&T towers (and vice versa). Cingular is pushing for #1.
TMobile is too small of a company to overcome Cingular -leading me to think they'll soon aquire them as well.
AT&T is a much bigger fish. i'm thinking that will become some sort of partnership only.
Conclusion: yes it make take some time- but Cingular is young and only getting better.

 

But who's saying that Verizon is going to continue growing as it has lately? Assuming it does, then yes, they might close in on the Cingular+AT&T merge, but if they don't, they'll be stuck on #2.

 

The way VZW is adding Cell Sites (for every one cell site their competition puts up, VZW will turn up two), they just put pressure on the other companies to merge. And with their recent announcentment to spend a Billion $ to expand its CDMA2000 1XEV-DO deployment beyond the current two markets -- San Diego and Washington, D.C. -- effectively upping the ante on the U.S. wireless broadband data landscape.
This even puts more pressure to other carriers.