DirecTV & Echostar To Offer WiMax

[Poke]

broadband help » News » DirecTV & Echostar To Offer WiMax - Finally strike broadband deal with Clearwire

Clearwire has announced that they've struck a partnership with DirecTV and Echostar that allows all three companies to ultimately offer a bundle of broadband, TV and voice services. The two satellite providers have been eager to compete in the triple play bundle space and have been eyeing a merger in order to do so.

Despite DirecTV's long history of failed attempts in the broadband business, new owners Liberty Media have consistently stated they've wanted to reenter the market in some way. Previous owner Rupert Murdoch had started negotiations with Clearwire last year after promising to invest a billion dollars in a broadband plan that never materialized.

As of the first of the year, Clearwire had 184,000 fixed WiMax customers. While it may offer DirecTV and Echostar the bundle opportunity they've been looking for, our user reviews of Clearwire service are mixed and their footprint is limited.

No mention of pricing yet -- launch of the services is slated for later this year. Combined with news that Sprint could partner with Clearwire to offset costs of their own deployment, it should be a good day for Clearwire investors.

 

[Poke]

Clearwire Partners with DIRECTV and EchoStar

Clearwire Partners with DIRECTV and EchoStar

Agreements Facilitate Bundled Offering for Current and Future Clearwire and Satellite TV Customers

KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR) announced today distribution agreements with DIRECTV (NYSETV) and EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQISH). The distribution agreements enable both satellite companies to offer Clearwire’s high-speed Internet service to their customers and contemplate that Clearwire in turn will be able to offer the video services of one or both satellite companies to its customers. This is expected to enable each of the three companies to offer high-speed Internet, video and voice in all current and future Clearwire markets. The launch is planned for later this year.

Under the terms of the distribution agreements, DIRECTV and EchoStar will have access to Clearwire’s wireless high-speed network, and will be able to market a bundle that includes Clearwire’s high-speed Internet services to their residential customers. DIRECTV and EchoStar will also have the ability to sell Clearwire’s branded services on a stand-alone basis. Similarly, the agreements call for Clearwire to be able to sell DIRECTV and EchoStar satellite video services.

“We’re pleased to partner with these two satellite companies as they both share our commitment to offering a superior customer experience by enabling customers to enjoy the benefits of unwired services,” said Perry Satterlee, Clearwire president and chief operating officer. “By expanding the reach of our services through DIRECTV and EchoStar, and by incorporating direct-to-home satellite video services in our own distribution channels, we believe we have an opportunity to significantly expand our business opportunity.”

“Being able to offer services on the Clearwire network will give our customers another high-quality option to subscribe to broadband services with DIRECTV’s video offerings,” said Bruce Churchill, president of New Enterprises, DIRECTV. “By choosing this bundle option, DIRECTV customers will now be able to enjoy Clearwire’s fast, reliable and secure wireless broadband network that works great at home and on the go.”

“EchoStar is committed to providing the best quality and latest in cutting-edge digital programming, and with Clearwire we continue that commitment by offering a next-generation wireless broadband technology,” said Nolan Daines, senior vice president, Strategic Initiatives, EchoStar. “Our ability to offer Clearwire’s broadband service is a strong competitive alternative that we believe will help increase our subscriber base.”

 

[grydlok]

Clearwire in Pact w/D* & E*

"Wireless broadband network provider Clearwire Corp. said Thursday it signed distribution deals with DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. that will create a bundled voice, Internet and video offering."

read more here

 

[gadgtfreek]

This is a duplicate of Pokes post. Maybe we can get them combined.

 

[SQUEEZON]

Dish To Provide Broadband

FROM THE INVESTOR NEWS TODAY:
Satellite TV operators may have finally solved one of their biggest problems--the inability to package high-speed Internet service with their TV products. But will a deal to sell wireless broadband be enough to compete with cable giants and phone companies?
DirecTV (nyse: DTV - news - people ) and EchoStar (nasdaq: DISH - news - people ) have announced a deal with upstart wireless broadband provider Clearwire (nasdaq: CLWR - news - people ) to resell its high-speed Internet service, and perhaps eventually its Internet phone service. As part of the deal, Clearwire will be able to market a bundled TV service to its broadband and Internet-phone service customers.
The deal is a boost for the satellite companies, which can compete better with cable giants like Comcast (nasdaq: CMCSA - news - people ) and Time Warner Cable (nyse: TWC - news - people ) that sell cut-rate "triple-play" bundles of cable TV, high-speed Internet service and Internet phone service. The nature of satellite broadcasting doesn't allow for fast, two-way connections, which are required for broadband Internet service.
The satellite companies have long-standing deals with phone companies like AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ), Verizon Communications (nyse: VZ - news - people ) and Qwest (nyse: Q - news - people ) so the telcos can sell satellite TV service alongside their phone and Internet products. But the two biggest U.S. phone companies are beginning to behave less like partners and more like rivals: AT&T now has 30,000 customers signed up to its competing, Internet-based TV service, and Verizon has signed up about 350,000 customers to its fiber-optic TV service.
And while the deal is a big seal of approval for fledgling Clearwire, it's not an immediate winner yet. Clearwire's network uses a nascent technology called WiMax, which isn't yet supported by many devices like laptops or mobile phones. And as consumers look to gobble up more high-bandwidth Internet content like video via their Web browsers, it's not clear if WiMax will be fast enough to compete with much-speedier, wireline broadband services from cable and phone companies.

 

[dfergie]

Merged 3 duplicate threads...

 

[TuxCoder]

Cool, I just wrote a 10-page report on WiMAX technology (finished it last week).

WiMAX = unofficial name for 802.16 (std IEEE 802.16-2004, officially dubbed "WirelessMAN")

 

[ekilgus]

What exactly is this type of broadband and how does this fit in with the E* WildBLue partnership? What is it's geographic availability? I'm confused.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Go to:

Clearwire - Wireless Broadband Internet Service Provider: High Speed Wireless ISP

And it will explain a lot.

 

[dfergie]

This is exactly the box I have been using since about March of 2005, with a regional cell phone carrier providing the service... my box died Sunday morning and I had a replacement working by Monday around noon... my service is supposed to be 386k but never approach's that, but it beats the heck out of 36k I had with dial-up...

 

[Van]

With the incredibly limited foot print that they have now of 43 cities it will be a long time before either dbs see's a positive sign out of this partnership. Looking at the coverage map for clearwire it seems that they have focused on some low population area's for service, maybe its due to limited funds I dont know but I would like to see this work but if they dont get a broader coverage area or get bought out by a larger company that has an established coverage area then I them going the same route as Voom.

 

[DirtyTurbin]

Ya and only 1.5meg down.

 

[Michael252]

...

Dude, rethink your avatar.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Dude, rethink your avatar.

How about "dude", back on topic.