This is a copy of a message I posted in the Google discussion that I
thought might be of interest...

50,000 gPhones will be in testers hands by the end of the year and
gPhones are supposed to be available to the public early next year and
Google needs a wireless infrastructure until they get their own.
Google and AT&T don't seem to have a good relationship, so that really
leaves Sprint or Verizon...but Google has already established a
relationship with Sprint on other projects and Sprint has WiMax
rolling out in the near future which will likely be a global standard.
To start, WiMax is rolling out in Washington DC, Baltimore and Taiwan.
Yes I said Taiwan, it looks like it's going to be a global standad.
Google's going to want the fastest network and Sprint's is already
fast, but WiMax will be leaps and bounds faster than current 3g
technology.
Even if Google does buy the 700mhz spectrum, they won't have the
infrastructure, towers, etc. to support it for years. That leads us to
Sprint again. They'll have to either piggyback on Sprint's
infrastructure with current 3G technology and WiMax and eventually
their own 700mhz if they do bid and win the spectrum. Even if they do
win the 700mhz spectrum, they still need towers etc to support their
new technology.

Since Google will be offering the gPhone for cheap or even free,
Sprint's current sales won't even be an issue. People will line up
around the block for a gPhone. With Sprint being the third largest and
significantly cheaper than both AT&T ($251 Billion) and Verizon ($127
Billion), Sprint's market cap is only $50 Billion, this makes Sprint a
bargain compared to the other choices, especially when you consider
that the gPhone will supply almost unlimited customers.

So this takes us to another angle, Google could easily buy Sprint...

It would fit Google's track record to buy Sprint. Among other things,
they bought Keyhole in 2004 (creators of - arguably - their last
successful killer app, Google Earth) and Youtube in 2006. For the
record, I don't consider Youtube to be a "Google success" quite yet
since Google has yet to launch their in-video advertising ... which
could very likely kill Youtube.

We have yet to see how well the G-Phone's UI is designed and how it
will hold up to the mobile GUI king, the iPhone or compete with the
versatility of the Windows Mobile platform. One thing is for certain,
the G-Phone WILL have one of the iPhone's killer apps, Google maps and
is likely to offer a 3rd party API while sporting a lower price. If
Google does deploy it's phone on Sprint's WiMax (Xohm), it will
feature a MUCH faster data connection than the iPhone's and AT&T's
disastrous EDGE "solution".

Given a stellar UI design, a low price, media functionality, high
developer interest, and a fast wireless network, Sprint and Google
could deliver a near-fatal blow to Apple. One major question pecks at
me though... What is Google's idea of on-phone advertising and will it
kill the Gphone?

I'm still not thoroughly convinced that there's an actual gPhone, but
instead gPhone software installed on phones made under various brand
names. Regardless, it would need to rely on an exceptionally fast
network and only WiMAX fits the description.

I'm still not thoroughly convinced that there's an actual gPhone, but
instead gPhone software installed on phones made under various brand
names. Regardless, it would need to rely on an exceptionally fast
network and only WiMAX fits the description.

http://www.htlounge.net/articles/4158/1/G-Phone-Specs-Muddled-But-Goo...

thanks matt.  weirdly enough, I never came across a confirmation
before.

Anytime!

Now don't take this the wrong way, but I do expect their November 1st
earnings announcement to be VERY BAD.

In another post I wrote...

At the rate Sprint is losing customers (subscribers), I expect the
earnings announcement to be bad, really bad.

I'm sure the stock will be hit very bad when they announce earnings on
November 1st and for a few days following the earnings announcement,
but I believe that'll be a very good buying opportunity. Wait until a
week or so after Sprint's November 1st earnings announcement for the
smoke to clear and take advantage of carnage and the buying
opportunity.

They have some good stuff on the horizon, but the earnings hit to the
stock price will be very bad.

You're right but will Sprint try to offset the bad news with something
like "We fired Forsee and we're fixing it" or some Xohm marketing?

I do think the stock will dip a little come Nov 1st, but I would
expect it to rebound pretty quickly. If you don't already own it,
wait.

Cisco just threw it's hat in the WiMax corner today as well, WiMax is
going to be HUGE.

I'm curious why there were so many open req's last year for analog
design electrical engineers last year on google's webpage. if not for
a google phone, what would a predominantly SW focused company be doing
with analog engineers?

Maybe to make the gPhone work with slower analog networks.

On second thought, it's because they were going to make a push for the
700 Mhz spectrum. Now, they've probably dumped those plans along with
the citywide wifi earthlink deal. Google is web-based and they need a
high-speed network to deliver it... especially if they want youtube to
grow.