Posts by Armand Musey
Hogan Lovells 2023 Winnik Forum on Open RAN
<<Full Notes (14 pages)>> Executive Summary The 2023 Hogan Lovells Winnik Forum focused on Open RAN (“O-RAN”). The major elements of the March 24th event were 1) Two policy keynote speakers – Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Senator Mark Warner; 2) Two panel discussions – An operator panel and a technical panel; and…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes: SatNews’ SmallSat 2023 Symposium
<<Link to Full Notes (76 pages)>> Executive Summary SatNews’ 2023 SmallSat Symposium was the largest ever, with 901 in-person attendees. However, the mood was somewhat subdued. The realization that financing will be tighter, and an inevitable winnowing of competitors is starting to sink in. Ambitious early-stage companies with significant funding needs before breakeven will likely…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from PTC-23
Pacific Telecommunications Counsil Conference 2023 – Unofficial Notes (Full Version – 44 pages) Here EXECUTIVE SUMMARY One veteran consultant declared, “The PTC conference is the Davos of the telecom sector! Attendees have lots of honest unplanned conversations about a range of topics.” While that may be a slightly generous take, the PTC conference always…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from Euroconsult’s World Satellite Business Week 2022
<<Full Notes (52 pages) Here>> Executive Summary of Euroconsult’s 2022 Conference held in Paris September 12th-14th, 2022 This year’s World Satellite Business Week Summit was the first “normal” satellite industry event since the COVID-19 outbreak. Pent-up demand for in-person events was evident by the full capacity attendance that required Euroconsult, for the first time, to…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group Bolsters Expertise in Advising Satellite, Telecom, Media, and Broadcast Industries with Appointment of Industry Experts
Robin Flynn joins as Advisor & Media Sector Consultant, Rebecca Hanson as Advisor & Regulatory Consultant, Whitney Q. Lohmeyer, Ph.D. as Advisor & Engineering Consultant NEW YORK, AUGUST 18, 2021 Summit Ridge Group, LLC, a leading provider of valuation and related financial advisory services in the communications sector, today announced three key appointments to its…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group White Paper Analyzes FCC Reimbursement Programs
Summit Ridge Group is pleased to announce the release of its white paper, “FCC Reimbursement Programs: Background, Accounting, and Financial Considerations for Participants.” Our 20-page white paper is designed to provide participants with information about the non-obvious implications of such programs for participating entities. As wireless technology advances and the spectrum appropriate for such uses…
Read MoreWireless Spectrum Life Cycle – Not Exactly Like Real Estate
Spectrum license valuation is often analogized to real estate. It is physically bounded, effectively zoned by regulators for specific purposes, and often leased. The analogy of spectrum licenses to real estate is effective. However, almost all analogies eventually break down. The spectrum license/real estate analogy breaks down when considering long-term future use. March to Higher…
Read MoreLEO Satellite Systems – The New Challenge for WISPs
There is a lot of news about how new low earth orbit (“LEO”) satellite projects, particularly front runner SpaceX’s Starlink system, are turning the satellite industry upside down. The Starlink team apparently broke the code on a path to consumer-priced hardware and is rolling out service region by region as it installs gateways around the…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group Managing Director E. Barlow Keener Appointed Co-Chair of FCBA Wireless Telecommunications Committee
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 Summit Ridge Group, LLC announced today that Managing Director E. Barlow Keener, JD, CIPP, has been appointed Co-chair of the Federal Communications Bar Association’s (“FCBA”) Wireless Telecommunications Committee for the 2020-2021 term. Additionally, Summit Ridge President J. Armand Musey, CFA, has been reappointed as a co-chair of the FCBA’s New…
Read MoreVeteran Media and Telecom Appraisal Expert, Bill Redpath, ASA, CFA, CPA, ABV joins Summit Ridge Group
NEW YORK, MAY 6, 2020 Summit Ridge Group, LLC announced today that William “Bill” Redpath has joined the firm today as a Managing Director. Bill will augment Summit Ridge’s media and telecom valuation and financial consulting practice. Bringing more than 30 years of industry valuation experience, Bill will enhance Summit Ridge Group’s growing leadership position in valuation and related financial consulting matters including transactional support, research and litigation support in the satellite, media and telecom sectors. Prior…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group, LLC Provides Department of Justice Antitrust Division with Financial and Wireless Industry Analyses for the T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Review
Summit Ridge Group, LLC today announced that it provided financial and mobile wireless industry analyses for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the $26 billion merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. NEW YORK, APRIL 21, 2020 — Summit Ridge Group, LLC, a leading provider of valuation and financial advisory services in the media, telecommunications and…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from NYC Connectivity Conference 2019
On June 26th and 27th, Connectivity Business held a two-day conference in NYC. The event was held in the shiny new Hudson Yards office of the law firm Milbank LLP (formerly known as Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy). True to form, Milbank supplied not only an excellent location, but also terrific food and drinks. In…
Read MoreExperienced communications and media analyst, Randy Reynolds, CFA joins Summit Ridge Group team to augment its valuation and financial consulting practice
NEW YORK, JULY 31, 2019 Summit Ridge Group, LLC is pleased announce that Randy Reynolds, CFA has joined its team to augment its communications sector valuation and financial consulting practice. The move reinforces Summit Ridge Group’s commitment to enhancing its leadership position in valuation and related financial consulting matters including transactional support, research and litigation…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from Satellite 2019
FULL NOTES HERE (68 pages) This year’s Satellite 2019 conference was more upbeat than the past few years. There was a general recognition that the industry has changed and is adapting to long-term pricing declines and performance improvement (e.g., finally accepting Moore’s Law 🙂 From a broader perspective, the satellite industry seems to be slowly…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from NAB New York 2018
Full notes available here Executive Summary Members of Summit Ridge Group attended the NAB Show New York on October 17, and 18, 2018, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. The NAB Show New York is produced by the National Association of Broadcasters. The focus of the NAB Show New York is next-generation…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group Releases 392-page Publication, “The Spectrum Handbook 2018”
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 9, 2018 Summit Ridge Group, LLC announces the release of The Spectrum Handbook 2018, a comprehensive guide for wireless spectrum and its regulation. Executives and attorneys for satellite operators, mobile network operators, and wireless spectrum owners will have the book close at hand as their primary wireless reference material. The 2018 Spectrum Handbook…
Read MoreWe’re Hiring – Senior Administrative Assistant/Junior Analyst
Rapidly growing NYC-based boutique financial valuation firm seeks senior-level administrative assistant/junior analyst to support team, manage marketing projection, and contribute to client projects. Duties include: Organizing expenses, updating website, managing e-mail databases and distribution of marketing materials. We hoping to find someone who can also assist with client projects, particularly data entry and data manipulation.…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes from Hogan Lovells’ 2017 Winnik Forum
LINK: Unofficial Notes from Hogan Lovells 2017 Winnik Forum (13 pages) Executive Summary Hogan Lovells hosted the 2017 Winnik Form, named after a late partner, Joel Winnik, on Thursday November 9th in their Washington, D.C. office. This year’s event was a half-day, focused on “Convergence and Competition.” It’s seems trite to say, but the number…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes – Euroconsult World Satellite Business Week
Unofficial Notes from Euroconsult’s World Satellite Business Week Conference, September 11-15, 2017 in Paris, France Executive Summary Presenters at this year’s conference were more positive than last year. They consistently painted a picture that the worst in terms of declining FSS revenue may be behind us. At the same time, most of the planned HTS capacity ordered…
Read MoreUnofficial Notes: STS Tech Day, August 16th 2017
Summit Ridge Group’s Unofficial Notes Executive Summary We attended STS Global’s second annual Tech Day on August 15th at its Stonybook, NY headquarters. About 75 industry professionals attended. The day was filled with solid presentation and detailed discussions about a range of issues impacting the satellite sector. This year’s line-up was notable in that much…
Read MoreWe’re Hiring – Junior Analyst Position
Junior Analyst Summit Ridge Group, LLC is a growing NYC-based boutique financial valuation firm seeking a highly skilled and motivated junior analyst Job Description: Initial project involves tracking and reconciling expenses for a large client project. The successful candidate will also be expected to support two senior valuation professionals in all aspects of business. Tasks…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group’s Unofficial Notes from Satellite 2017
Summit Ridge Group’s complete “Unofficial Notes” from Satellite 2017 Conference held on March 6-9th, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (48 pages). Executive Summary Satellite 2017 made clear the industry is in the midst of massive change. Vertical integration, massively falling prices, reusable launch vehicles, digital satellite payloads, cheaper customer equipment, IoT, and 5G dominated discussions. While…
Read MoreIntelsat and OneWeb: True Love or Shotgun Wedding?
Intelsat + OneWeb = True Love or a Shotgun Marriage It’s well known that Intelsat and OneWeb announced plans to merge, backed by a $1.7 billion investment from SoftBank. This adds to Sofbank’s investment in the satellite sector, following its December 2016 announcement of a $1 billion investment in OneWeb. What’s not well understood is…
Read MoreSummit Ridge Group’s Unofficial Notes from Pacific Telecom Conference (PTC)’17
Summit Ridge Group’s full unofficial notes from Pacific Telecommunications Council 2017 (PTC’17) conference held in Honolulu Hawaii, January 15-18, 2017. (41 pages). Executive Summary PTC17 highlighted interesting parallels between technologies, particularly undersea cable and satellite. Both face new projects coming online that dwarf existing capacity due to new technology that is more efficient, often by…
Read MoreNotes from Hogan Lovells IoT Forum on November 1st
Attached are my notes from the Hogan Lovells 5th Annual Winnik Forum which focused on Internet of Things (IoT) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On December 1, 2016 Hogan Lovells hosted their 5th Annual Winnik Forum, named after a former partner, Gary Winnik, who died in 2012. This year’s event, held in Hogan Lovells newly remodeled DC offices,…
Read MoreNotes from 5th Annual Space & Satellite Regulatory Colloquium on Oct 20th
Attached are my notes from the Dentons, ManSat and SatNews “5th Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium” held on September 20, 2016 in Washington DC. Executive Summary Dentons, ManSat and SatNews Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, now in it’s fifth year has grown to about 100 attendees and included 14 panels and keynotes (including…
Read MoreArmand’s Notes from Euroconsult 2016 Conference
Attached are a full set of my notes from the Euroconsult “World Satellite Business Week” held in Paris from September 12th to 15th. Executive Summary FSS Sector Facing Headwinds The realities of massive satellite capacity growth and declining price has sunk in. It’s becoming broadly accepted that satellite video distribution is at best stable,…
Read MoreShould High-Throughput Satellites Really Last 15 Years?
See my article in the August 29th issue of SpaceNews: http://www.spacenewsmag.com/commentary/should-high-throughput-satellites-really-last-15-years/ Should high-throughput satellites really last 15 years? J. Armand Musey August 29, 2016, Commentary The fixed satellite services industry has been an anomaly in the communications sector, with stable, even increasing, pricing while prices for other forms of bandwidth fell dramatically. Stability allowed satellite…
Read MoreNotes from STS Global’s 2016 HTS Tech Day
Attached are my notes from the 2016 STS Global’s HTS Tech Day held on August 16, 2016 in Stony Brook, NY. STS-Global-Tech-Day-Notes . STS placed many of the speaker’s presentations to their website’s blog: http://www.stsglobal.com/blog/ (last visited August 17, 2016). After leaving the helm of Globecomm Systems in late 2014, CEO Dave Hershberg and some of his former Globecomm…
Read MoreMidyear TMT Regulatory Review from Morgan Lewis’s Andy Lipman
Morgan Lewis TMT partner, Andy Lipman held his midyear TMT regulatory outlook overview yesterday. As usual, he did a great job of outlining today’s complex regulatory landscape. Andy graciously allowed me to distribute his presentation: TMT Midyear Review August 2016
Read MoreOpen Set Top Box: A Slippery Slope to À La Carte and Weakening Power of MVPDs
The FCC’s February 18, 2016 NPRM seeking to open set-top boxes (AKA “Unlock the Box”) is more than it seems. The proposal would allow consumers to watch content they are entitled to view on their cable system on other devices as well. The cable industry’s strong resistance is filled with arguments about copyright infringement and…
Read MoreThe Satellite Story Today – Not a Replay of the Fiber Story of 2000 – It’s Worse!
Initially, the parallels between the fiber buildout around the turn of the twenty first century and the satellite industry today are compelling. In the late 1990s, the telecom industry increasingly poured billions of dollars into fiber. As these investments peaked, new technologies emerged to increase fiber optic capacity, including wavelength division multiplexing. This resulted in…
Read MoreFive Reasons Distribution May be King of the HTS World
Satellite distributors (including resellers/systems integrators) have long been considered the black sheep of the satellite industry. Low margins, slow growth, low barriers to entry and dependence on large FSS operators have all kept returns down. But this may be changing. High throughput satellites (HTS) are poised to increase satellite capacity roughly 250-500% over the next several…
Read MoreIntelsat – With Pressure on Video, the Worst is Yet to Come
Intelsat S.A (I), is trading at 3.9x earnings, and is about to launch it next generation high throughput EPIC satellites which will dramatically increase capacity. It now trades at all time lows, down over 60% from its 2013 IPO. At first glance, Intelsat might seem like a buying opportunity. But greater downside, potentially even restructuring,…
Read MoreIndustry Data Shows FCC Overstated Mobile Traffic . . . and Spectrum Demand
While an industry White Paper on spectrum demand is being offered to support the accuracy of FCC’s spectrum demand projections used in its National Broadband Plan, the data actually shows just the opposite.[i] It is difficult to ascertain the exact numbers in the graphs in the paper. However, comparing the actual numbers in the FCC projections…
Read More2014 CTIA Wireless Industry Survey Suggest Maturing Industry
The CTIA recently released its annual wireless survey including 2014 results. This year’s survey is full of data suggesting a rapid maturation of the US wireless industry. Seven key data points: Annual Data growth slowed to 26%, growing from 3.23 trillion MB in 2013 to 4.06 trillion MB in 2014. This is the slowest data…
Read MoreDownstream Implications of AWS-3 Auction
While there has been extensive discussion about the AWS-3 auctions, there has been less discussion about the long-term industry impacts of the auctions: 1) Upcoming 600 MHz Auction Prices – Higher transaction prices from the AWS-3 auction could imply higher prices for the 600 MHz auction. However: With the telecom industry spending ~$45B on the…
Read MoreNew Draft Paper on Spectrum Demand Forecast Error
Aalok Mehta (PhD candidate at USC ) and I just finished a draft of a paper we are scheduled to present at the Telecom Policy Research Conference (TPRC) next month. The paper, “Overestimating Wireless Demand: Policy and Investment Implications of Upward Bias in Mobile Data Forecasts,” is about forecast error in demand estimates for spectrum.…
Read MoreU-verse is the Regulatory Key to the Proposed AT&T/DIRECTV Merger
AT&T ‘s proposed $48 billion acquisition of DIRECTV is based on two simple business facts – 1) AT&T has broadband but needs a stronger video product to compete with cable; and 2) DIRERCTV needs a voice and broadband product to compete with cable. By combining services the can save money on customer service, back office…
Read MoreFCC Auctions May Disappoint – Supply of Money Less than Supply of Spectrum
There’s a legitimate question as to whether the wireless industry has enough money to pay historical prices for spectrum the FCC intends to auction over the next 18 months. The FCC intends to auction approximately 150 MHz of spectrum between the AWS-3 and the Broadcast Incentive auction (assuming 65 MHz at AWS-3 and 85 MHz…
Read MoreThe Road to Approval for a Sprint/T-Mobile Merger May Run Through DISH Network
It’s no secret that Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS) have been exploring a potential merger and that there are significant concerns over whether such a merger would be approved. Sprint and T-Mobile argue that the US wireless market is a near-duopoly dominated by ATT (T) and Verizon (VZ) with a combined market share of approximately…
Read MoreIntelsat’s Yearend Results Highlight Dependence on Next Generation Epic Satellites
DISCLAIMER: The analysis below is for information purposes only. We believe, but cannot guarantee that the information contained in it is accurate. Moreover, it should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security of any kind. Please consult a qualified advisor before making significant investment or business decisions. See our Terms of…
Read MoreFive Reasons the Comcast/Time Warner Cable Anti Trust Concerns are Overbown
There has been a lot of market speculation that the Comcast’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable might be blocked on anti-trust concerns. We believe these concerns are overblown. 1) The Cable Operations Don’t Compete in the Same Markets, so Industry Concentration Doesn’t Change. The combined company would serve over 30 million homes, which initially…
Read MoreWireless Demand Projections – Elasticity of the Top-1% Percent Users
Wireless network traffic growth projections have been significantly cut since the FCC’s 2010 National Broadband Plan. The National Broadband Plan projected wireless network demand in 2010 to be 468 billion MB, vs the 398 billion MB actually carried in 2010 according to the CTIA. In 2011, the spread got wider, 1090 billion MB projected vs…
Read More“The Spectrum Handbook” 2013 Released
Summit Ridge Group,LLC is please to announce the publication of The Spectrum Handbook 2013. This 182 page book is available in hardcopy and e-book version through major on-line resellers. Executive Summary This Handbook has three objectives: 1) to serve as a primer for explaining the complex issues around the use of electromagnetic spectrum; 2) to…
Read MoreNew White Paper: Right-sizing Spectrum Auction Licenses: The Case for Smaller Geographic License Areas in the TV Broadcast Incentive Auction
Summit Ridge Group, LCC just completed a white paper covering a significant issue related to the upcoming FCC Broadcast Incentive Auction. The paper, Right-sizing Spectrum Auction Licenses: The Case for Smaller Geographic License Areas in the TV Broadcast Incentive Auction was sponsored by the Competitive Carriers Association. The Executive Summary is below. Executive Summary The wireless…
Read MoreIs “Terrestrial Bias” a Political Problem for the Satellite Industry?
Is “Terrestrial Bias” a Political Problem for the Satellite Industry? I recently caught-up with a European wireless executive and we compared notes on the communications industry. While discussing different technologies, I mentioned the progress satellite broadband was making in various countries. He responded with an interesting insight. Simply put, local politicians are eager to support…
Read MoreTakeaways from CCA Convention in Las Vegas
The Competitive Carriers Association held their annual convention earlier this week in Las Vegas. A few takeaways: 1) Concern over LTE upgrade cycle. Small to mid-sized carriers appear anxious about the costs and benefits of LTE. They seem to realize they will need to do it eventually in order to remain competitive. But they are…
Read More“The Spectrum Handbook 2013” Released
Summit Ridge Group, LLC is pleased to announce the release of its publication, The Spectrum Handbook 2013. The 182-page publication provides an overview of spectrum-related issues globally from technical, regulatory and business perspectives while acknowledging the many public policy issues. The Handbook is intended to be a useful resource for new attorneys, bankers and government staffers…
Read MoreMore Evidence on Widespread Telecom Pricing Pressure
Last week I attended the 16th Annual Oppenheimer Technology, Internet and Communications Conference in Boston. Over 100 companies also attended, with 5 to 7 presenting simultaneously in different rooms, so unfortunately I could not attend all of them and concentrated my time on the communications presentations including: American Tower [AMT], AT&T [T], Ceragon Networks [CRNT],…
Read MoreWhy the Wireless Tower Operators Haven’t Participated in the 2013 Market Rally
Why the Wireless Tower Operators Haven’t Participated in the 2013 Market Rally The S&P and the NASDAQ are up approximately 20% year to date. Yet the three largest tower operators (American Tower [AMT], Crown Castle [CCI] and SBA Communications [SBAC]) have not participated in this rally (YTD returns between 1% and -11%) despite the rapid…
Read MoreWall Street Finally Starting to UnderstandHigh Throughput Satellites
A recent Morgan Stanley research report suggest they are cooling on their view of SES, in part, due to the expanded capacity upcoming High Throughput Satellites (HTS) may bring the industry. Each of these satellites has 40x to 100x the capacity of a traditional single-beam satellite. The Morgan Stanley report estimates that industry capacity may increase…
Read MoreIs there an Attractive Business Model for Shared Spectrum?
The telecom industry has seen a tremendous increase in interest in unlicensed shared spectrum over the past year or so. Wi-Fi has been an amazing success, now carrying nearly 50% of wireless traffic. Moreover, the U.S. government has over 400 MHz of additional spectrum in the NPRM stage that it is planning to make available…
Read MoreConference Summary – More Weak Arguments from Big Companies
I attended the Optimal Coevolution of Mobile Broadband Technology and Spectrum Policy workshop in Washington D.C. on Friday. A number of leading spectrum policy and technology figures were present. Key takeaways: 1) Blair Levin (Aspen Institute Fellow and an author of the National Broadband Report) indicated that earlier drafts of the National Broadband Plan included a…
Read MoreWireless Industry Lobbying Mutes Alternative Views
The wireless industry invests roughly $30 billions of dollars annually in capital expenditures building out their networks and acquiring spectrum. The major carriers average $5 billion to $10 billion in capital expenditures each. Given that the industry is heavily regulated, it would be irresponsible for them to not protect their investment with appropriate political lobbying…
Read MorePutting the State of the U.S. Wireless Industry in Perspective
I’ve neglected this blog for a while as I am working on my forthcoming “Spectrum Handbook 2013” which I expect to release in a few weeks. Please contact me if you’d like a copy. But I did have a chance to attend the Winnik International Telecoms and Internet Forum in Washington, D.C. on Thursday and…
Read MoreQuick Analysis of Intelsat’s Q1 Financial Results
I’ve neglected the blog for a while as I am working on my forthcoming “Spectrum Handbook 2013.” I expect to release it in a few weeks. Please contact me if you’d like a copy. But I did have a chance to review Intelsat’s Q1 results. Results were somewhat better than I expected – modest growth,…
Read MoreUnbelievable Lack of Consensus on Spectrum Supply & Demand
I’ve recently spoken at several wireless industry conferences where I’ve had a chance to informally discuss various topics with a number of well-regarded U.S. industry experts. In the course of these conversations, the discussion often turned to the issue of supply and demand for wireless spectrum. While it’s normal for opinions about the future to…
Read MoreThe Intelsat IPO – A Setup for Dilution?
DISCLAIMER: The analysis below is for information purposes only. We believe, but cannot guarantee that the information contained in it is accurate. Moreover, it should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security of any kind. Please consult a qualified advisor before making significant investment or business decisions. See our Terms of…
Read MoreIntelsat’s Financials Explained in Three Easy Tables
DISCLAIMER: The analysis below is for information purposes only. We believe, but cannot guarantee that the information contained in it is accurate. Moreover, it should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security of any kind. Please consult a qualified advisor before making significant investment or business decisions. See our Terms of…
Read MoreDoes Intelsat’s Recent Management Shake-up Indicate Lack of Confidence in the IPO?
Intelsat’s recent management shake-up may suggest management has given-up on the IPO. If not, the company sent negative signals to investors that may setback the IPO prospects even further. Intelsat management shake-up included several senior-level promotions and the departure from daily operations of their highly credible General Counsel, Phil Spector. Mr. Spector also ran the…
Read MoreCould Incumbents Wireless Cos Dominate Unlicensed Spectrum?
Significant amounts of government spectrum are headed towards being made available for shared unlicensed use. However, industry commentators have barely analyzed the potential impact on the industry structure from the availability of this new spectrum. The common initial reaction, and one suggested in the PCAST Report is that new entrepreneurial unlicensed providers will emerge to…
Read MoreWhy the Intelsat 27 Failure May Be Good News for Intelsat
The launch failure of Intelsat 27 (“IS 27”) as it tries to show growth before a planned IPO was widely viewed as terrible news for Intelsat. However, it may be the opposite. Of course Intelsat will lose some expected revenue. But the launch failure also gives Intelsat insurance money that may be more valuable than…
Read MoreSuper Wi-Fi Presentation – January 2013
I participated in a panel at the Super Wi-Fi Summit in Miami on January 31st titled, “The Financial Community and Shared Spectrum: Looking for Common Ground.” Other panelists included: Bill Evenson of CIT; Chuck Walters of Walters Associates; and Thomas Carroccio of the Law Offices of A. Thomas Carroccio PLLC (Moderator). My slides from this investment panel…
Read MoreUnlicensed Spectrum and the Challenge of Finding Investment Capital
White spaces use is becoming increasingly visible way to use spectrum more efficiently and jumpstart the use of new services. However, the industry will need significant investment in order to build a substantial industry. Traditional telecom service providers have FCC spectrum licenses that can serve as collateral for investors. White space service providers don’t have…
Read MoreThe Shifting Balance Between Infrastructure vs. Service Providers Now Favoring Infrastructure
In the wireless industry hardware providers seem to be gaining the upper hand over the wireless service providers. Examining the wireless value chain, its clear that hardware and spectrum are the only areas with increased demand. The wireless service infrastructure consists of 1) spectrum; 2) network hardware; 3) network integration and management; 4) marketing, billing…
Read MoreTechnology Won’t Decide the Ka-band vs. Ku-band HTS Battle
Technology Won’t Decide the Ka-band vs. Ku-band Battle for HTS Satellites The current debate about the advantages of Ka-band vs. Ku-band for next generation High Throughput Satellites (HTS) misses the point. Endless pages have been written about Ka-band advantages of higher theoretical throughput vs. Ku-bands superiority in sub-optimal weather vs. the costs of end user…
Read MoreITAR Restrictions on US Satellite Exports to be Loosened
Under the 2013 Defense Authorization bill approved by both houses and awaiting President Obama’s expected signature, the highly controversial restrictions on US satellite exports under the International Traffic and Arms Regulation (known as ITAR) are set to be loosened. Specifically, the bill allows the president to remove commercial satellites and satellite components from the U.S. munitions…
Read MoreTakeaways from Reverse Incentive Auction Webinar
Takeaways from Reverse Incentive Auction Webinar The reverse incentive auction webinar took place at Pillsbury Winthrup’s Washington DC offices yesterday December 19th. A replay is available at http://www.tmcnet.com/webinar/crossfire/incentive-auctions.htm (note: paid registration required, CLE credits may be available). In addition to the opening remarks, there were three panels – Legal, Valuation and Policy. The key takeaways…
Read MoreDiscount Code for Reverse Incentive Auction Webinar
A previous post (see: http://wp.me/p2Jv6Q-o4) describes an upcoming 3-hour webinar on the reverse incentive auction. If you enter the code: AMWEB, you will get a 36% discount on the $150 price, bringing it to $95. The webinar is about the FCC TV Incentive Auction (Spectrum Act 2012). We have Coleman Bazelon, The Brattle Group; Barlow Keener, Keener Law; Mark Fratrik,…
Read MoreReverse Incentive Auction Webinar – December 19th
I’ll be moderating a valuation panel discussion as part of a three hour webinar on the FCC’s Reverse Incentive Auction process. Here is a link to the site describing the event: http://www.tmcnet.com/webinar/crossfire/incentive-auctions.htm : Incentive Auctions: What Broadcasters Need to Know A 3 Hr. a Video Virtual Event (Webinar). December 19th starting at 8:45 AM EST The discussion…
Read MoreA Layman’s Guide to the Possible Intelsat IPO
Given all of the industry questions about a possible Intelsat IPO, I decided to spend some time an analyze the situation. This resulted in a 26 page analysis (e-mail me at amusey@SummitRidgeGroup.com) for a copy. Here is the executive summary: Executive Summary In light of its May 18th $1.75 billion IPO filing, satellite industry observers…
Read MoreImplications of Expected FCC Limits on DISH’s AWS-4 Spectrum
BACKGROUND The FCC recently indicated it was leaning towards limiting DISH’s use of its 40 Mhz of AWS-4 spectrum it acquired from Terrestar and DBSD North America to prevent interference with the H-block which runs from 1915 MHz to 1920 Mhz and 1995 MHz to 2000 MHz. DISH’s spectrum currently runs between 2000 Mhz and…
Read MoreSpectrum Property and Spectrum Valuation Presentations
We’ve just added two presentation to our website that might be of interest: 1) An Introductory Framework for Wireless Spectrum Valuation 2) Broadcasting Licenses: Ownership Rights and the Spectrum Rationalization Challenge: Why the Government is Buying Back its Own Spectrum. The first presentation is what the title implies — It outlines a basic framework for analyzing…
Read MoreWireless Consolidation’s Impact on the Incentive Auctions
Since the discussion of the television broadcast incentive auctions began a few years ago, the US wireless industry has significantly consolidated. In the past 12 months the following major transactions have reshaped the industry: Verizon’s buys Spectrum Co, signaling the probably end of the cable industry’s interest in entering the industry; T-mobile buys MetroPCS and…
Read MoreIncentive Auction NPRM & Plight of Low Powered TV Stations
While there has been a lot of discussion about the FCC’s October 2nd Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the incentive auctions, the plight of low powered television stations has been somewhat neglected. These stations hold secondary licenses and are allowed to operate on their frequency allocation subject to them not interfering with the primary…
Read MoreForeign Wireless Companies Buying their US Counterparts….
The past few weeks we have seen two major wireless transactions announced. First Deutsche Telecom backed T-mobile announced an acquisition MetroPCS and late last week the Japan’s Softbank announced it was paying $20 billion for a 70% interest in Sprint. Why does foreign firms find US wireless companies so attractive? On first blush, it does…
Read MoreSuper WiFi Summit Takeaways
I just returned from the “Super WiFi Summit” in Austin, TX (Oct 3-5). The range of speakers – from major companies including Microsoft and Texas Instrument to start-up entrepreneurs and various policy experts (including Blaire Levin and Michael Calabrese as well as some international policymakers) indicated a robust WiFi industry. A general theme was ne of disappointment in the…
Read MoreSecond Paper on TV Broadcasters’ Property Rights in their FCC License Published
My second paper on television broadcasters’ potential property rights in their spectrum was recently published in the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review. This paper is a detailed legal analysis of the subject. My prior paper on the subject, was a policy-oriented paper about potential equitable solutions to the dilemma of reallocating television spectrum. Broadcasting Licenses:…
Read MoreIntroductory Presentation on Summit Ridge Group, LLC
Summit Ridge Group, LLC’s new introductory presentation regarding the valuation and strategic advisory services we offer. Summit Ridge Group, LLC from Summit Ridge Group, LLC Feedback and questions are always welcome.
Read MoreTelecom Exchange 2012
I spent an interesting day at Telecom Exchange 2012 on Wednesday June 27th at the fabled Cipriani on Wall Street. While there were also plenty of major company announcements, I’ll leave commenting on those to the many qualified industry observers and instead focus on macro connections between industry segments. The conference was a step away…
Read MoreTelevision Broadcast Spectrum Reclamation Through Eminent Domain Paper Published
My paper “How the Traditional Property Rights Model Informs the Television Broadcasting Spectrum Rationalization Challenge” has been published in the Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal – 34 Hastings Comm. & Ent. L.J. 145 (2012). While some of the issues have been overshadowed by recent incentive auction legislation, the conceptual framework is likely to be…
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