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Economy
Amazon seen spreading its tentacles to 5G with T-Mobile interest
2019-06-02
[DAWN] One influential analyst called Amazon.com’s reported interest in the US wireless market "batshit crazy." Another said it was a "trojan horse" to kill off the big wireless players.

What’s becoming clear to the people who track the company is the ambitions of the world’s largest online retailer’s go far beyond replacing your phone service.

Amazon is interested in acquiring Boost Mobile, which will be sold by US wireless carriers T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp as part of plans to win regulatory approval of their proposed $26.5 billion merger, primarily because a purchase would include a six-year contract that allows access to the combined company’s wireless network, Rooters reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The ambition signaled that Amazon is looking to dive deeper into the wireless industry, strengthen its cloud services and ultimately take advantage of the next-generation 5G networks that are expected to transform major facets of technology, according to analysts.

That means the tech giant, which has evolved from a mere bookseller to a superstore of physical and digital products, could be setting its sights on taking on carriers such as AT&T Inc and strengthening itself against rival cloud providers like Microsoft.
Posted by:Fred

#8  The tablet computer pulled by donkey
Posted by: Skidmark   2019-06-02 10:23  

#7  to an iPhone 6

I looked at the back of the thing — it claims to be an SE like peanut gallery’s. Too many possibilities, not enough meat-brain space, I guess.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-06-02 07:47  

#6  Will it work with rotary phones?
Posted by: Unager Angusomble7505   2019-06-02 06:16  

#5  Given it'll be years before 5G reaches the Permian Basin, I'll just hold off on updating.
Posted by: Silentbrick   2019-06-02 04:24  

#4  IIUC, initially 5g will still need a 4lte network "on ramp" so current phones should still be functional for a few years.

I'm hanging on to my iphone SE for as long as I can. It has the guts/functionality of a iphone 6S in the form factor of an iphone 4.

Posted by: The peanut gallery   2019-06-02 04:11  

#3  I upgraded from an iPhone 5c to an iPhone 6 on the last day that was available. I have small hands, you see, and the 7 and above are simply too big for me. So I continue to wait for the fashions to swing round again to smaller devices — what will I do should 5g become omnipresent before then?
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-06-02 01:41  

#2  5G is a huge shuck. How many places do you go now where 4G LTE coverage is marginal to nonexistent (people who never leave a metroplex disqualified from answering that question) The glowing articles in the media are about how you can download all the StarWars movies in under a minute if you stand on the correct downtown street corner, hold your phone just so and don't breathe. I'm sure there are people who think they need that. They would be wrong.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-06-02 01:12  

#1  5G is going to such a transforming technology, anyone who sees that potential and act on it is definitely a sure stock buy.

5G allows intelligent systems to make "real time" responses to stimulus. Such as when cars approach an intersection, which lights go green and which lights go red, a decision can be made in real time.

What is "batshit crazy" is what devices can be programed to do to you if the device recognizes your face.
Posted by: Phaick Uneretle6310   2019-06-02 00:45  

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