Archive for August, 2009|Monthly archive page
Sprint Expands Environmental Leadership with New Initiatives and Debut of Eco-Friendly Samsung Reclaim
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- Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to establish a set of environmental design criteria for future devices and accessories.
- Sprint is implementing a series of new environmentally-responsible retail initiatives including adding a dedicated display area in stores that highlights Sprint’s commitment to eco-friendly products and accessories.
- Sprint is committing to reduce paper usage by 30 percent during the next five years.
An eco-friendly overachiever, Samsung Reclaim from Sprint is designed with environmentally-responsible components and fully recyclable packaging, making it the perfect wireless phone for the eco-conscious consumer.
- Its bio-plastic material, made from corn, makes up 40 percent of the Reclaim’s outer casing. Samsung Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR): three materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines.
- The outer packaging and the phone tray inside the box are made from 70 percent recycled materials. The images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information are printed with soy-based ink.
- The typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual manual that users can access at www.sprint.com/reclaimsupport.
- The charger is Energy Star approved for meeting the highest energy efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. It consumes 12 times less power than the Energy Star standard for standby power consumption and is equipped with a visible notification to alert the user to unplug the handset once it’s fully charged.
- Five Simple Steps from Discovery Channel provides five simple changes you can make to be more eco-friendly, from how you commute to what you eat for dinner;
- Green Guides from Discovery Channel offers handy guides to help you green your lives with ease, and understand why;
- Green Glossary from Discovery Channel provides words and explanations about the Earth and Climate Change; and
- All Things Green, a Sprint Web category contains dynamic green headline and links to downloadable content.
- a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard making it easy to access personal or corporate email as well as text and multimedia messaging;
- Sprint Navigation with Search, providing easy access to directory information and GPS-enabled directions;
- 2 megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and camcorder;
- advanced stereo Bluetooth® 2.0;
- expandable memory storage up to 32GB;
- an integrated Web browser; and
- two color options – Earth Green and Ocean Blue.
Beginning in September, all Sprint-owned retail locations will feature a new dedicated environmentally-responsible section that highlights eco-friendly products and accessories such as the SOLIO Solar Charger and carrying cases made from recycled materials. Sprint also will implement a new sustainable design blueprint for all future Sprint-owned retail store builds and refurbishments.
- Reduce the use of potentially hazardous materials,
- Are energy efficient,
- Include standardized audio and charging interfaces,
- Are more recyclable, and
- Have more sustainable packaging including standardized sizes, reduced weight, increased recyclability rate, and increased recycled content.
Wireless Recycling
- Sprint is the industry leader in the reuse and recycling of wireless devices sold. Sprint has an aggressive industry-first goal of reaching a 90 percent phone collection rate for reuse/recycling compared with annual wireless device sales by 2017.
- Since 2001, Sprint wireless recycling programs have diverted more than 17 million cell phones from landfills for reuse or recycling. Sprint’s current collection rate is just under 35 percent, more than three times the national recycling average.
- Sprint is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Plug-In To eCycling Program.
- Sprint has committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 15 percent by 2017 and to increase its use of renewable energy to 10 percent by 2017. In fall 2007, Sprint became the first wireless provider to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Leaders Program.
- Sprint is the only U.S.-based wireless telecom to have a published GHG reduction target. In 2008, just its first year of measurement and reporting, Sprint achieved a 6.8 percent reduction moving from 2.18M metric tons of GHG emissions to 2.03M metric tons.
- Sprint is an industry leader in the purchase of green energy and is at the forefront of using renewable energy sources such as Hydrogen. Sprint ranks #20 on the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Fortune 500 list.
- Wind power provides approximately 80 percent of the energy needed to run Sprint’s Overland Park, Kan. corporate headquarters.
- Sprint recently received a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its use of Hydrogen fuel cells as backup power for cell sites. An industry leader, Sprint has deployed more than 250 Hydrogen fuel cell generators across its wireless network and has received 12 patents from the U.S. Patent Office that include Hydrogen fuel cells.
Reclaim is Samsung’s latest contribution toward its commitment to the environment. Samsung Electronics Co. was recently named as the second highest rated company in Greenpeace International’s Guide to Greener Electronics scorecard. The research rates electronics manufacturers on reducing the climate impacts of products and operations, responsible recycling and take-back of unwanted electronics and the elimination of toxic materials from the products themselves.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions normalized by sales* from manufacturing facilities by 50 percent and cut total indirect greenhouse gas emissions from all products by 84 million tons,
- Ensure 100 percent of Samsung’s products are eco-friendly and exceed global eco-mark standards, and
- Invest $4.3 billion in various eco-management initiatives and enhance green partnerships with suppliers and partners.
Sprint’s partner Best Buy and its Greener TogetherTM initiative helps customers make smarter decisions about technology and energy use. Through Greener Together, Best Buy helps customers choose electronics and appliances wisely and use them more efficiently, plus find easy ways to recycle, reuse, or trade in products at the end of their life.
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving almost 49 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungmobileusa.com.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
T-Mobile USA Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results
T-MOBILE USA REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2009 RESULTS
BELLEVUE, Wash., August 6, 2009 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. (T-Mobile USA) today reported second quarter of 2009 results. In the second quarter of 2009, T-Mobile USA reported OIBDA of $1.6 billion, up 16% compared to the first quarter of 2009 and up 1% from the second quarter of 2008, with an OIBDA margin of 34%. Additionally, T-Mobile USA reported contract churn of 2.2%, down from 2.3% in the first quarter of 2009, and 325,000 net new customers in the second quarter of 2009.
“In 2009, we’re launching the best products and services we’ve ever brought to market,” said Robert Dotson, President and CEO, T-Mobile USA. “In the quarter, we unveiled devices like our new T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google. The myTouch will join other new T-Mobile 3G devices just in time for a powerful back-to-school offering available in even more locations with our newly announced RadioShack retail agreement. In the quarter, we also made steady progress in growing data revenues as more customers move to craved-for mobile internet and messaging services. And finally, in Q2 we also drove operational cost efficiencies that helped us deliver a much better margin for the quarter.”
“We see opportunities for new growth given the anticipated growing demand for innovative mobile internet and data services in the U.S. market,” said Rene Obermann, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. “In the area of cost control, I’m pleased with efforts by the U.S. team to drive a sequential increase in margin.”
Customers
· In the second quarter of 2009, T-Mobile USA added 325,000 net new customers, down from 415,000 in the first quarter of 2009 and 668,000 in the second quarter of 2008.
o The number of net new customer additions decreased compared to the second quarter of 2008 primarily due to higher churn of contract customers, as explained below. Gross customer additions increased year-on-year, and continue to be driven by strong growth in lower ARPU products.
o Contract customer net additions made up 17% of customer growth in the second quarter of 2009, compared to 39% in the first quarter of 2009 and 80% in the second quarter of 2008. The decrease in contract customer additions year-over-year is due to higher contract churn, including FlexPaysm. Additionally, gross contract customer additions were lower as lower gross customer additions of branded products were partially offset by strong machine-to-machine contract additions.
o Prepaid net customer additions, including wholesale customers, were 268,000 in the second quarter of 2009, up from 255,000 in the first quarter of 2009 and up from 143,000 in the second quarter of 2008.
· Contract customers comprised 81% of T-Mobile USA’s total customer base at June 30, 2009. T-Mobile USA ended the second quarter of 2009 with 33.5 million customers, up from 33.2 million at the end of the first quarter of 2009.
Churn
· Contract churn was 2.2% in the second quarter of 2009, down from 2.3% in the first quarter of 2009 and up from 1.9% in the second quarter of 2008.
o Contract churn decreased in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009, due in part to customer loyalty initiatives.
· Blended churn, including both contract and prepaid customers, was 3.1% in the second quarter of 2009, in line with the first quarter of 2009 and up from 2.7% in the second quarter of 2008.
o Blended churn compared to the second quarter of 2008 continues to be impacted by competitive intensity in both the contract and prepaid customer segments.
OIBDA and Net Income
· T-Mobile USA reported OIBDA of $1.60 billion in the second quarter of 2009, up from $1.38 billion in the first quarter of 2009 and $1.58 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
o The sequential increase in OIBDA was primarily due to lower operating expenses. The implementation of cost saving initiatives combined with lower commission costs and handset subsidies contributed to the decrease.
· OIBDA margin (as defined in Note 6 to the Selected Data, below) was 34% in the second quarter of 2009, up from 29% in the first quarter of 2009 and 33% in the second quarter of 2008.
· Net income for the second quarter of 2009 was $425 million, up from $322 million in the first quarter of 2009, but down from $452 million in the second quarter of 2008.
Revenue
· Service revenues (as defined in Note 1 to the Selected Data, below) were $4.77 billion in the second quarter of 2009, in line with the first quarter of 2009, but down from $4.85 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
o Sequentially, service revenues were stable, as lower voice revenues were offset by data revenue growth.
o The decrease in service revenues in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the second quarter of 2008 was primarily due to lower revenues from contract customers resulting from a higher proportion of lower ARPU customers combined with reduced customer spending.
· Total revenues, including service, equipment, and other revenues were $5.34 billion in the second quarter of 2009, down from $5.40 billion in the first quarter of 2009 and $5.47 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
o The decrease in total revenues year-over-year was primarily due to the decrease in service revenues as discussed above. Sequentially, the decrease was driven by lower equipment sales.
ARPU
· Blended Average Revenue Per User (“ARPU” as defined in Note 1 to the Selected Data, below) was $48 in the second quarter of 2009, in line with the first quarter of 2009 but down from $52 in the second quarter of 2008.
· Contract ARPU was $52 in the second quarter of 2009, in line with the first quarter of 2009, but down from $55 in the second quarter of 2008.
o Contract ARPU year-over-year decreased due to a higher proportion of lower ARPU customers in the customer base, the loss of some higher-value customers due to competitive intensity and lower variable revenues, including roaming.
· Prepaid ARPU was $21 in the second quarter of 2009, in line with first quarter of 2009 but down from $23 in the second quarter of 2008.
o The decrease in prepaid ARPU is due in part to an increase in the proportion of lower ARPU customers, such as wholesale customers.
· Data services revenue (as defined in Notes 1 and 8 to the Selected Data, below) was $990 million in the second quarter of 2009, representing 20.8% of blended ARPU, or $9.90 per customer, up from 19.6% of blended ARPU, or $9.40 per customer in the first quarter of 2009, and 16.6% of blended ARPU, or $8.60 per customer in the second quarter of 2008. Data services revenue increased 6% compared to the first quarter of 2009 and 23% year-over-year.
o 2.1 million 3G-capable converged devices (such as the T-Mobile G1TM, the 3G-enabled Sidekick LX, and the Samsung Behold and Memoir) were on the T-Mobile USA network at the end of the second quarter of 2009, an increase of almost 40% from the first quarter of 2009.
o The increase of 3G-capable converged devices and the continued build out of the 3G network has resulted in increased adoption of 3G data plans, driving data ARPU growth.
o The total number of messages carried on the T-Mobile USA network increased to 74 billion in the second quarter of 2009, compared to 66 billion in first quarter of 2009 and 41 billion in the second quarter of 2008. Messaging revenue continues to be a significant component of data ARPU.
CPGA and CCPU
· The average cost of acquiring a customer, Cost Per Gross Add (“CPGA” as defined in Note 4 to the Selected Data, below) was $270 in the second quarter of 2009, down from $300 in the first quarter of 2009 and $320 in the second quarter of 2008.
o CPGA decreased in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009. This was primarily related to lower customer acquisition expenses, including commissions.
· The average cash cost of serving customers, Cash Cost Per User (“CCPU” as defined in Note 3 to the Selected Data, below), was $23 per customer per month in the second quarter of 2009, down from $25 in the first quarter of 2009 and second quarter of 2008.
o The sequential decrease in CCPU is partly due to the successful implementation of cost saving initiatives and lower retention costs, including a lower subsidy loss per handset.
· Year-over-year both CPGA and CCPU have decreased due to a change in the mix in customer additions and the customer base towards lower ARPU products which incur lower acquisition and servicing costs.
Capital Expenditures
· Cash capital expenditures (as defined in Note 7 to the Selected Data, below) were $1.08 billion in the second quarter of 2009, compared to $1.13 billion in the first quarter of 2009 and $1.06 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
o T-Mobile USA’s continued focus on network quality and coverage as well as the national roll-out of the UMTS/HSDPA (3G) network resulted in consistent capital expenditures year-on-year and sequentially.
o T-Mobile USA continues to invest in the 3G network which now covers 176 cities and reaches 121 million people, and is expected to continue to grow throughout the year.
Stick Together Highlights
· On June 22, 2009, T-Mobile USA announced the availability of the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, the next highly anticipated Android device. T-Mobile myTouch 3G boasts a sleek look and contoured feel, plus an array of new features that builds on the popular T-Mobile G1. A touch-screen display with virtual keyboard is built into a slim, smooth and lightweight design.
o Other new products launched include the 3G webConnect USB Laptop Stick, 3G-enabled Sidekick LX™, T-Mobile® Dash 3GTM, HTC Touch Pro2TM, and the BlackBerry Curve 8520.
· On July 23, 2009, T-Mobile USA announced a retail agreement with RadioShack to offer T-Mobile products and services in more than 4,000 stores. The relationship expands RadioShack’s wireless offerings and for T-Mobile USA, the agreement nearly doubles the number of national retail partner stores offering its products and services nationwide, making RadioShack T-Mobile USA’s largest national retail partner.
T-Mobile USA is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT). In order to provide comparability with the results of other US wireless carriers, all financial amounts are in US dollars and are based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). T-Mobile USA results are included in the consolidated results of Deutsche Telekom, but differ from the information contained herein as Deutsche Telekom reports financial results in Euros and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the information provided in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations from the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are provided below following Selected Data and the financial statements.
About T-Mobile USA:
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT). By the end of the second quarter of 2009, almost 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.5 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world’s most widely-used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.
TCPJ Unlocked Show #027
Craig Johnston from Crackberry.com and author of multiple articles and books related to the Blackberry joins Mickey and Joey for a discussion of some of the latest devices in the world of Blackberry, and his new book, My Blackberry Curve.
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The Cell Phone Junkie Show #166
The Cell Phone Junkie Show #166 1:37:30
Show Notes
Texting while driving gets some exposure, T-Mobile announces a wheel-less blackberry and Google Voice vs. AT&T.
SPONSOR – Audible
Giveaway – Slacker Radio
Verizon pushes Slacker Radio to Tour
News
Ericsson gets Nortel Assets
Huawei opens LTE lab in Texas
Jailbreaking could knock out transmission towers
Federal lawmakers step in to regulate texting while driving
NYT interactive texting while driving game
CTIA issues texting while driving statement
Trucker talking and texting on his phones ends up in pool
Motorola’s Q2 earnings
HTC expects 2009 revenue to drop
Phone lost at sea returned 4 days later
AT&T finalizes Unicel integration
AT&T sues Verizon over advertising claims
Verizon sues AT&T over claims
AT&T sees rise in Wi-Fi after iPhone 3.0
Verizon to cut 8000 jobs
Verizon LTE network will first be in Boston and Seattle
Sprint acquires Virgin Mobile
SK Telecom to sell its Virgin stake
Sprint grabs femtocell award
Sprint customer losses
Sprint Q2 results
Leaked Sprint WiMax rollout
Get out of your T-Mobile ETF free on 9/1/09
Cellular South jumps on netbook bandwagon
MetroPCS tweaks plans
Devices
Apple files patent for iPhone nano
Images of a Chinese iPhone
Centro discontinued on AT&T
HTC Touch Pro 2 coming to T-Mobile
AT&T Touch Diamond 2 at FCC
Final build of Windows Phone
T-Mobile and RIM announce the Blackberry 8520
Blackberry Curve 8520 on T-Mobile site
Blackberry Tour 8530 with Wi-Fi coming to Verizon
Blackberry Bold gets Bluetick certification
Sprint getting HTC Hero
Motorola Shules
AT&T launches the Samsung Solstice
Novatel offers HSPA version of MiFi
Worldwide GPS shipments hit 77M
LG introduces new Chocolate via Twitter
LG announcement
Motorola “CLIQ”
Verizon pricing under $100 on most smartphones
Thanks to our sponsor, Netflix
Software
iPhone security hole via SMS
Apple issues 3.0.1 update
Unlocking and Jailbreaking still work
GV Mobile pulled from App Store
Google Voice app rejected
GV Mobile now on Cydia
FCC now investigating Google, Apple and AT&T
AT&T Responds to FCC letter
Google overhauls links in Gmail mobile
Google Voice for the Palm Pre
3jam has virtual numbers too
Verizon Wireless app store details
AT&T bundles Facebook, Twitter, MySpace into one app
Sidekick 2009 LX now supports Exchange
Samsung moves forward with app store plans
Blackberry app world 1.1
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