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Comcast to end Sprint MVNO deal
06 December 2011
US cable company Comcast to shift MVNO services from Sprint and Clearwire to Verizon Wireless
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Comcast will not extend its wireless wholesale agreements with Sprint Nextel and Clearwire. The cable company will start to offer services from Verizon Wireless in 2012, according to the company’s executives.
The deal follows days after Comcast was part of a deal to sell spectrum, with other cable companies, to Verizon Wireless, with Comcast accounting for $2.3 billion of the $3.6 billion total. Until now Comcast has used Sprint and Clearwire as the wholesale providers of the 3G and 4G services it offers customers.
Comcast Cable president Neil Smit has confirmed that his company will discontinue the deal with Sprint and Clearwire over the next six months and will move its customers to the new offerings. He said the firm plans to retain its equity stake in Clearwire.
According to Market Watch, Smit also commented on the Verizon Wireless deal saying the agreement is something that “will last into perpetuity” following which his company will not be forced to construct its own wireless network or take over a wireless provider. He added that the firm hopes to launch services in four markets at the start of 2012. GTB
Further reading from Global Telecoms Business:
Verizon Wireless spends $3.6bn on spectrum 05 Dec 2011
Cable operator Cox closes mobile service 16 Nov 2011
Sprint reported 'in talks' about Clearwire 19 Aug 2011
Clearwire enters wireless deal with Best Buy 30 Jul 2010