Steve Jobs Wanted to Build His Own Network Using Unlicensed Spectrum

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Posted November 15, 2011 at 7:43pm by iClarified

Steve Jobs wanted to build his own wireless phone network with unlicensed spectrum used by Wi-Fi, according to a ComputerWorld report.

Chairman of venture capital firm Trilogy Partners, John Stanton, says he spent a fair amount of time with Jobs between 2005 and 2007.

"He wanted to replace carriers," Stanton said of Jobs, the Apple founder and CEO who died Oct. 5 after a battle with cancer. "He and I spent a lot of time talking about whether synthetically you could create a carrier using Wi-Fi spectrum. That was part of his vision."

Stanton says that after around 2007, Jobs gave up on the idea; however, he still managed to have a major impact on wireless operators.

"If I were a carrier, I'd be concerned about the dramatic shift in power that occurred," he said.

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Steve Jobs Wanted to Build His Own Network Using Unlicensed Spectrum

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john - November 15, 2011 at 9:31pm

now the idea is out there to be taken by anyone...

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dt - November 15, 2011 at 9:38pm

@John, The idea is not worth pursuing because of the enormous costs involved. GSM is the current ubiquitous standard which is giving way to LTE. It was a pie in the sky idea that would not take off.

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byronchurch - November 15, 2011 at 9:43pm

Theres got to be a way to make the internet universal and free and preferably vegan .

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dt - November 15, 2011 at 9:26pm

True. The problem is that the operators do not understand that they are nothing more than pipes. They provide very little value on top of delivering packets. In the US, the operators derive power by convincing their subscriber base that they, the operator, has all the answers and the power. If AT&T's customers organized a one day boycott, AT&T would run home to momma. Same with Verizon and Sprint. In some European countries the operators tried branding their phones and the people rose up and demanded that the operators remove the branding. The operators did so. Until people stand up against the operators, the operators will continue abusing their subscribers. Play hard ball back against them.

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Nobo1 - November 16, 2011 at 11:28am

@dt unfortunately operators in EU still brand their mobiles..

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dt - November 16, 2011 at 12:07pm

Sorry but you are for the most part incorrect. Some operators will offer branded phones in extremely limited quantities. How do I know this? Because I live in Europe at the moment and consult to the operators regarding VAS and other items. Branding on a mass scale was attempted but resisted across the entire customer base. It was heavily resisted in the Scandinavian Countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark), and Nordic Countries (just add Finland to the Scandinavian Countries) with many people preferring to purchase their phones out right. Subsidies are also not as popular in Europe as well. This extends to all of Europe as well.

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ByronChurch - November 30, 2011 at 9:37am

Get help . Move ahead. Forgive . Heal yourself . Harm no more.

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Nobo1 - November 15, 2011 at 8:43pm

Don't give up on this idea apple! Carriers have too much power!

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