Netgear introduces the worlds first WiFi mobile phone with Skype. The future is here!
The announcement by Netgear at the 2006 CES of the Skype phone is huge. This is the biggest news to come out of CES so far. Introduction of a VOIP based WiFi phone was bound to happen but this caught everyone by surprise. Let’s check out the phone first:
Check out Alvarion Inc. (Nasdaq: ALVR) as my WIMAX pick.
I had talked about this possibility when talking about Ebay Inc (NASDAQ: EBAY) a few months ago. Once our cities and rural areas are covered by WIMAX, I will be one of the first ones to ditch my cell phone for WiFi or a WIMAX phone.
This is big news for Ebay which might just have caused the big move today. A lot of people were skeptical about eBay buying Skype but if Skype can become a mobile phone provider with the emergence of WIMAX then Skype buyout will be considered one of the best acquistions in history. Skype will be able to provide mobile phone service without even owning or investing in a network.
Keep in mind that this won’t really add any major revenue to Ebay-Skype in the short term. This phone is what the future will be all about.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:56 pm
I had no idea you liked Alvarion. I featured Airspan (AIRN) in my first newsletter and like you believe that WIMAX would be big in 2006 or 2007.
April 28th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I also like Wimax and think it can be huge but will take another year or two. Intel partnership gave me confidence in ALVR and I think they have better foothold in Europe where you will see Wimax deployed first. As always US will be far behind in adopting Wimax b/c of spectrum license issues and lobbying against citywide and municipal wireless networks. I think Alvarion could be potential buyout target for someone like CSCO or INTL once Wimax takes off.