Editor's Corner

I used to consider Sprint to be a mobile entertainment innovator--at least as much as a Tier 1 wireless operator can innovate. The operator was the first in the U.S. to debut a mobile TV service using MobiTV, and was fairly aggressive in the buildout of the Sprint TV service, which used the 1xEV-DO network. Sprint had numerous channels of TV content and followed the cable TV model, offering several premium channels and charging consumers an additional monthly fee (typically $4.95) for access to those channels.

But now word comes that Sprint has tabled "Vue," the broadcast TV service that it was trialing using Qualcomm's MediaFLO network. Sprint told RCR Wireless News that it decided not to use MediaFLO, at least for the time being, but may reconsider its decision in the future.

This news comes at a time when both Verizon and AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) have committed to MediaFLO. Verizon will debut its service sometime this quarter and Cingular is expected to launch its service sometime later this year. Does Sprint have some other broadcast mobile TV service on its radar, or has it decided to let the other two operators innovate while it focuses on its 2.5GHz WiMAX deployment instead?

It's hard to say what Sprint is mulling when it comes to broadcast TV options. I heard last week at 3GSM that the carrier is losing a couple of its high-profile mobile entertainment executives: VP of business development and production innovation Paul Reddick and director of mobile advertising John Styers. Plus, many of the mobile entertainment insiders that I spoke with were dismayed with what they have seen happening to Sprint's mobile content team. One high-profile executive described Sprint's mobile entertainment side as "a total mess."

Perhaps Sprint no longer has the executive team to champion new services such as mobile TV. Whatever the case, it's difficult to watch what I once considered a mobile entertainment innovator fall from its perch. I hope I'm wrong. - Sue

P.S. We are gearing up for our popular networking event at CTIA Wireless 2007. This is always a well-attended event that draws all the heavy hitters in the mobile content world. It will be March 28 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the Destiny Nightclub in Orlando. RSVP here!