Your Privacy

Wireless 20/20 is committed to protecting your privacy. The following privacy statement describes our practice with respect to the collection and use of your personally identifiable information (personal information) on this website. By using this website, you consent to the terms of our privacy statement and to Wireless 20/20's processing of personal information for the purposes stated below.

Collection of Your Personal Information

Wireless 20/20 may require you to provide us with personal information if you would like to participate in some activities available on, or benefit from services offered on, this website. We endeavor to limit our requests for personal information to information we believe is minimally necessary to achieve our stated collection purposes. Personal information collected on this website is often limited to e-mail address, country or location but may include additional information when needed to provide a service you requested.

Use of Personal Information Collected

Wireless 20/20 uses your personal information collected on this website primarily for the following purposes:

• To deliver services, such as newsletters, events, news, training or software you request or purchase.
• To alert you to product updates, special offers, updated information and other new services from Wireless 20/20 or to forward promotional materials, if you so request.
• To ensure our website is relevant to your needs.
• To help us create and publish content most relevant to you.
• To allow you access to limited-entry areas of our website as appropriate.

If you choose to provide us with your personal information on this website, we may transfer that information to Wireless 20/20 affiliates or to third party service providers, across borders, and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world and by using this website, you consent to any such transfer of personal information outside of your country or jurisdiction.

Wireless 20/20 occasionally hires third parties to provide certain services available on our website or made available on our behalf. We will only provide those third party providers the personal information they need to deliver their services, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Wireless 20/20 may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary in order to conform to the requirements of law or comply with legal process served on this website, protect and defend the rights or property of Wireless 20/20 and its website or act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Wireless 20/20 employees, users of Wireless 20/20 products or services, or members of the public.

Wireless 20/20 reserves the right to transfer personal information to third parties as part of any corporate reorganization process including, but not limited, mergers, acquisitions, and sales of all or substantially all of our assets. Wireless 20/20 does not otherwise use, sell, rent, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third parties.

Use of Non-Personal Information Collected

Wireless 20/20 uses non-personal information such as demographic data to analyze and develop marketing strategy and to determine how you found about us, your interests regarding our products and services and how to further improve this website based upon user data. We may share such non-personal data with third parties.

Opt-Out

Wireless 20/20 provides you the opportunity to exercise an opt-out choice if you do not want to receive emails from us or updates regarding new services and products offered on this website or if you do not want us to share your personal information with third parties. The opt-out choice may be exercised by Contacting Us. We will process your unsubscribe as soon as possible, but please be aware that in some circumstances you may receive a few more messages until the unsubscribe is processed.

Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

Wireless 20/20 may on occasion use "cookies" and other tracking technologies. A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used to collect information about website activity. For example, when someone visits the website, a cookie is placed on the user's machine (if the user accepts cookies) or is read if the user has visited the website previously. You may set most browsers to notify you if you receive a cookie, or you may choose to block cookies with your browser, but please note that if you choose to erase or block your cookies, you will need to re-enter your original user ID and password to gain access to certain parts of the website.

Our use of cookies and other tracking technologies allows us to improve our website and your web experience. We may also analyze information that does not contain personal information for trends and statistics.

Third Party Links

This statement applies solely to information collected on this website. This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we have no control or influence over the privacy practices of such other websites. We encourage you to read such other websites' privacy statement in order to understand whether and how they process data about your visit to their site.

Changes to This Privacy Statement

Wireless 20/20 reserves the right to change this privacy statement from time to time. When we do, we will also revise the "last update" date at the top of this privacy statement. For material changes to this privacy statement, we will notify you be placing a notice on this website.

Security

Wireless 20/20 endeavors to take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access or disclosure. However, we do not warrant or represent that your personal information is completely safe from hackers and other security threats. If you have any questions about the security on this site, you can send us an email at Contact Us.

Enforcement of This Privacy Statement

If you have comments or questions with respect to this statement, please Contact Us by email or by mail at:

Wireless 20/20, LLC
140 Executive Drive
New Windsor, NY 12553 USA

Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions outline the rules and regulations for the use of Wireless 20|20, LLC's Website, located at www.wireless2020.com.

By accessing this website we assume you accept these terms and conditions. Do not continue to use Wireless 20|20 if you do not agree to take all of the terms and conditions stated on this page. Our Terms and Conditions were created with the help of the Terms And Conditions Generator and the Terms & Conditions Generator.

The following terminology applies to these Terms and Conditions, Privacy Statement and Disclaimer Notice and all Agreements: "Client", "You" and "Your" refers to you, the person log on this website and compliant to the Company’s terms and conditions. "The Company", "Ourselves", "We", "Our" and "Us", refers to our Company. "Party", "Parties", or "Us", refers to both the Client and ourselves. All terms refer to the offer, acceptance and consideration of payment necessary to undertake the process of our assistance to the Client in the most appropriate manner for the express purpose of meeting the Client’s needs in respect of provision of the Company’s stated services, in accordance with and subject to, prevailing law of Netherlands. Any use of the above terminology or other words in the singular, plural, capitalization and/or he/she or they, are taken as interchangeable and therefore as referring to same.

Cookies

We employ the use of cookies. By accessing Wireless 20|20, you agreed to use cookies in agreement with the Wireless 20|20, LLC's Privacy Policy.

Most interactive websites use cookies to let us retrieve the user’s details for each visit. Cookies are used by our website to enable the functionality of certain areas to make it easier for people visiting our website. Some of our affiliate/advertising partners may also use cookies.

License

Unless otherwise stated, Wireless 20|20, LLC and/or its licensors own the intellectual property rights for all material on Wireless 20|20. All intellectual property rights are reserved. You may access this from Wireless 20|20 for your own personal use subjected to restrictions set in these terms and conditions.

You must not:

• Republish material from Wireless 20|20
• Sell, rent or sub-license material from Wireless 20|20
• Reproduce, duplicate or copy material from Wireless 20|20
• Redistribute content from Wireless 20|20

This Agreement shall begin on the date hereof.

Parts of this website offer an opportunity for users to post and exchange opinions and information in certain areas of the website. Wireless 20|20, LLC does not filter, edit, publish or review Comments prior to their presence on the website. Comments do not reflect the views and opinions of Wireless 20|20, LLC,its agents and/or affiliates. Comments reflect the views and opinions of the person who post their views and opinions. To the extent permitted by applicable laws, Wireless 20|20, LLC shall not be liable for the Comments or for any liability, damages or expenses caused and/or suffered as a result of any use of and/or posting of and/or appearance of the Comments on this website.

Wireless 20|20, LLC reserves the right to monitor all Comments and to remove any Comments which can be considered inappropriate, offensive or causes breach of these Terms and Conditions.

You warrant and represent that:

• You are entitled to post the Comments on our website and have all necessary licenses and consents to do so;
• The Comments do not invade any intellectual property right, including without limitation copyright, patent or trademark of any third party;
• The Comments do not contain any defamatory, libelous, offensive, indecent or otherwise unlawful material which is an invasion of privacy
• The Comments will not be used to solicit or promote business or custom or present commercial activities or unlawful activity.

You hereby grant Wireless 20|20, LLC a non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, edit and authorize others to use, reproduce and edit any of your Comments in any and all forms, formats or media.

Hyperlinking to our Content

The following organizations may link to our Website without prior written approval:

• Government agencies;
• Search engines;
• News organizations;
• Online directory distributors may link to our Website in the same manner as they hyperlink to the Websites of other listed businesses; and
• System wide Accredited Businesses except soliciting non-profit organizations, charity shopping malls, and charity fundraising groups which may not hyperlink to our Web site.

These organizations may link to our home page, to publications or to other Website information so long as the link: (a) is not in any way deceptive; (b) does not falsely imply sponsorship, endorsement or approval of the linking party and its products and/or services; and (c) fits within the context of the linking party’s site.

We may consider and approve other link requests from the following types of organizations:

• commonly-known consumer and/or business information sources;
• dot.com community sites;
• associations or other groups representing charities;
• online directory distributors;
• internet portals;
• accounting, law and consulting firms; and
• educational institutions and trade associations.

We will approve link requests from these organizations if we decide that: (a) the link would not make us look unfavorably to ourselves or to our accredited businesses; (b) the organization does not have any negative records with us; (c) the benefit to us from the visibility of the hyperlink compensates the absence of Wireless 20|20, LLC; and (d) the link is in the context of general resource information.

These organizations may link to our home page so long as the link: (a) is not in any way deceptive; (b) does not falsely imply sponsorship, endorsement or approval of the linking party and its products or services; and (c) fits within the context of the linking party’s site.

If you are one of the organizations listed in paragraph 2 above and are interested in linking to our website, you must inform us by sending an e-mail to Wireless 20|20, LLC. Please include your name, your organization name, contact information as well as the URL of your site, a list of any URLs from which you intend to link to our Website, and a list of the URLs on our site to which you would like to link. Wait 2-3 weeks for a response.

Approved organizations may hyperlink to our Website as follows:

• By use of our corporate name; or
• By use of the uniform resource locator being linked to; or
• By use of any other description of our Website being linked to that makes sense within the context and format of content on the linking party’s site.

No use of Wireless 20|20, LLC's logo or other artwork will be allowed for linking absent a trademark license agreement.

iFrames

Without prior approval and written permission, you may not create frames around our Webpages that alter in any way the visual presentation or appearance of our Website.

Content Liability

We shall not be hold responsible for any content that appears on your Website. You agree to protect and defend us against all claims that is rising on your Website. No link(s) should appear on any Website that may be interpreted as libelous, obscene or criminal, or which infringes, otherwise violates, or advocates the infringement or other violation of, any third party rights.

Your Privacy

Please read Privacy Policy

Reservation of Rights

We reserve the right to request that you remove all links or any particular link to our Website. You approve to immediately remove all links to our Website upon request. We also reserve the right to amen these terms and conditions and it’s linking policy at any time. By continuously linking to our Website, you agree to be bound to and follow these linking terms and conditions.

Removal of links from our website

If you find any link on our Website that is offensive for any reason, you are free to contact and inform us any moment. We will consider requests to remove links but we are not obligated to or so or to respond to you directly.

We do not ensure that the information on this website is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we promise to ensure that the website remains available or that the material on the website is kept up to date.

Disclaimer

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we exclude all representations, warranties and conditions relating to our website and the use of this website. Nothing in this disclaimer will:

• limit or exclude our or your liability for death or personal injury;
• limit or exclude our or your liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• limit any of our or your liabilities in any way that is not permitted under applicable law; or
• exclude any of our or your liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law.

The limitations and prohibitions of liability set in this Section and elsewhere in this disclaimer: (a) are subject to the preceding paragraph; and (b) govern all liabilities arising under the disclaimer, including liabilities arising in contract, in tort and for breach of statutory duty.

As long as the website and the information and services on the website are provided free of charge, we will not be liable for any loss or damage of any nature.

WHITE PAPERS

Written By
Haig Sarkissian, Wireless 20|20

Fourth-generation wireless network technologies are entering the market at a time when the cell phone industry has reached a steady state. Annual shipments of cell phones in developed countries have been steadily declining for the past few years due to high rates of penetration. Mobile communications passed a milestone when it broke 50% household penetration globally at the end of 2007. With growth in penetration levelling off, the remaining growth likely will be found in emerging markets. Will 4G technologies such as WiMAX and long-term evolution be able service their needs?

Some of the promises of 4G include higher spectral efficiency, which translates into the ability to serve more users in a given spectrum; lower cost of infrastructure equipment; and an all-IP core infrastructure. All of these should enable operators to serve price-sensitive markets where 2G and 3G networks have had limited success. This in turn should enable service providers to construct successful business cases with lower average revenues per user (ARPU). One of the enablers for 4G is going to be the availability of low-cost handsets and terminal equipment. Without proactive investments in the development of low-cost handsets, 4G might be relegated to serving the needs of developed countries and thus be left out of the larger-volume opportunities presented in emerging markets.

Emerging Markets

Low-cost products and services are typically targeted to the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). In economics, the BOP is the largest, but lowest, socio-economic group in a country. In 1998, Professor C. K. Prahalad defined the BOP as the 4 billon people who live on less than $2 per day, typically in developing countries. This situation has not changed since in the last 10 years.

“Four billion people who live in relative poverty have purchasing power representing a $5 trillion market,” according to a report by the IFC, the investment arm of the World Bank Group. A further 1.4 billion people with low and middle incomes wield $12.5 trillion in purchasing power. These segments combined, with incomes up to $3,000 in purchasing power parity, make up the economic BOP.  The communications market for the global BOP segment is valued at $30.5 billion, according to the IFC.

The two regions with the lowest mobile penetration rates are South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Their combined 2.3 billion inhabitants represent 35% of the world’s population. In 2008, India and Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 32% of all mobile subscriber net additions. For the years 2009 through 2012, they are expected to contribute 44% of total net additions. ARPU levels in emerging markets have been dramatically decreasing because of increasing competition, price reductions and a second wave of customer acquisition from predominantly lower-income segments. 

Price pressure will increase as markets become more competitive.  Some African markets - such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda - have five or more licensed operators. In India, some areas already have 13 licensed operators due to the recent award of additional 2G licenses; and the planned allocation of 3G, WiMAX and mobile virtual network operator licenses will further increase competition. Customers in emerging markets are principally prepaid customers. Confronted with budget constraints, their ability to pay for service and a handset is limited. Growth is only possible by lowering prices. High prices restrict strong penetration in the low-income segment. A customer with a budget of $1-$2 per month for telecom services will only be able to make 6-12 minutes of outbound calls per month in Africa. Such low usage levels will not provide incentives for poor segments in Africa to invest in a handset and SIM card. Per-minute service rates must be affordable. At $0.014 per minute (as of the end of 2008), Indian revenue per minute is among the lowest in the world. One dollar buys 70-100 outgoing minutes a month - a great value proposition for Indian consumers. Research by Nokia and others shows that in order to penetrate the BOP, handsets have to reach sub-US$20. 

New, more spectrally efficient 4G technologies such as LTE and WiMAX could fill the gap if they can meet the cost challenge. These technologies can support two times the user capacity in the same spectrum. Coupled with the all-IP core network, they could offer significant cost reductions, which could lower the per-minute cost of offering voice service.

Investing in Emerging Markets

Emerging markets have attracted significant investment from international mobile operators - and many players were rewarded with growth in subscribers and revenue. Now, however, these markets are maturing, posing a different challenge. ARPU levels, already low, are expected to fall significantly for three reasons:

• The next wave of customers will primarily be low-income.
• Operator competition will continue to increase primarily due to new entrants in the market using new technologies to offer competitive services.
• Consumers will face higher budget constraints given the global economic contraction.

ARPU is expected to drop from $6 today to $3 by 2013 in South Asia and from $12 to $6 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research by Nokia, Smile, UJet and other service providers targeting the BOP has shown that communicating is a basic necessity for human beings, just like food, shelter and medicine.

Low-Cost 4G Handsets

Voice-over-IP (VoIP) represents a significant opportunity for service providers to offer competitive services over properly designed 4G networks. In developing countries with poor cellular infrastructure or high per-minute prices for cellular usage, 4G service providers have the opportunity to offer VoIP as a primary service.

Yet 4G faces several challenges in order to be a viable transport for VoIP. On the financial front, the cost of building and operating VoIP-over-4G networks has to be justified with the revenue derived from such services. In order to increase penetration of VoIP in developing countries, the cost to offer it has to be lower than the price a prospective subscriber is able to pay for the service. Thus, revenue per subscriber has to be larger than the sum of the cost per subscriber over a set period of time. These costs can be outlined as follows:

•  The cost of VoIP/WiMAX devices (handsets or customer premises equipment);

• VoIP-related operational expenses; and

• The cost of a VoIP-over-WiMAX core network infrastructure amortized over time.

The first of the financial challenges is the availability of ultra low-cost VoIP handsets that would operate over the 4G network.  First-generation WiMAX/LTE chipsets were not focused on creating low-cost VoIP handset options, leading to end-user devices in the $150-$300 range. A new generation of 4G chipsets has enabled a class of hand-held 4G VoIP devices that will be priced significantly less than US$100.

Using the WiROI Tool, an analysis was done to demonstrate the impact of deploying such a network with and without VoIP. A summary case study shows that a WiMAX deployment in a developing country could see the majority of its subscribers take VoIP service. Many would take VoIP as their only service, while others would take VoIP/Internet service bundles. Figure 1 above shows that VoIP revenue can represent a significant portion of the total revenue generated by the service provider. 

Investment in 4G Handset Development

If 4G technology is going to penetrate emerging markets, there is a need for investment in chipsets that enable ultra-low-cost VoIP on 4G handsets. According to the WiMAX Forum, there were 468 WiMAX deployments in 139 countries as of March 2009. Seventy percent of these operators are greenfield service providers that are planning to offer WiMAX services. A recent survey administered by the WiMAX Forum Network Operator Working Group indicates that the majority of these service providers (90%) would like to offer VoIP services in addition to Internet service. The same survey highlights the need for low-cost handsets as a key enabler of strategies to reach the BOP.

In summary, there is a recognized need for low-cost handsets in order to serve the BOP. If this need is met, it is anticipated that the market size for these handsets can exceed 223 million units per year in 2012. A formal market forecast is not yet available for the low-cost handset market segment, but bottom-up analysis indicates an upside of 200 million units by 2012.

For more information, send an email to Haig Sarkissian.

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