While everyone is focusing on Steve Jobs and his announcement about the new iPhone, I found a Amol Sharma's article about Ralph de la Vega, head of AT&T's wireless division.

I found the interview to be better than most in regards to the AT&T and Apple relationship because it didn't bemoan what the iPhone didn't have. Also, de la Vega focused on how the iPhone would drive long-term revenues and not just those revenues in the next couple of quarters.

NOTE - Steve Jobs finally got me... iPhone here I come... Tap me on the shoulder if you find me in line on July 11 at my local Apple store. :)

Technorati Tags: Telecommunications, Telecom, Ralph de la Vega, Amol Sharma, AT&T, Apple, iPhone

Tom Burton had a recent article that looked at IPTV adoption in the EU. It appears that many implementations are struggling to find the adoption numbers that make investors happy.

I'm not saying that IPTV won't come. However, it is possible that IPTV might come in a form that most established telecoms won't enjoy. It might just be that Internet based, Google-esqe video offerings will dominate the IPTV landscape rather than the HDTV, cable-esqe offerings that have lots of value-add and high ARPU.

It makes Tim McElligott's take from TMF-Nice all the more poignant.

Technorati Tags: Telecommunications, Telecom, Tim McElligott, IPTV, EU, Tom Burton

My brother and I have always enjoyed the exploits of Larry Ellison. He has been quasi-battle with Paul Allen of Microsoft fame for the largest yacht in all of IT. However, exactly how big a yacht can you have before you have to dock with the Navy's aircraft carriers instead of the "beautiful people".

Ellison has also been in battles with various CEOs over the biggest IT company. My brother and I chuckled at the "victory" over Tom Siebel with Ellison's $5.85b purchase of Siebel Systems. We both guess that Tom ( ... like we can call him tom... ) was cordial, said thanks and cashed that "check" with a smile on his face and was probably thinking "have fun docking Oracle 'somewhere'...".

This week's news of a Verizon Wireless/Vodaphone - Alltel merger made me think of Larry Ellison. Yep. Verizon Wireless is now bigger than AT&T Wireless. Great. I'm not sure that makes Verizon Wireless better or worse than AT&T, but I'm guessing that AT&T will try to make their "yacht" bigger just to say that they can.

Technorati Tags: Telecommunications, Telecom, Larry Ellison, Vodafone, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, AT&T, yachts, Tom Siebel, Jim Barthold