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| The Lens on Wireless is a prominent and provocative source of thought leadership, authored by Mark Lowenstein and read monthly by more than 10,000 industry decision-makers. Below are some of our most recent pieces. Click here for pre-2008 Lens archives. |
- March 2010 - Re-thinking Data Pricing
- The proliferation of connected devices and surging mobile data consumption are leading to a vigorous debate about how to evolve wireless pricing. I think the industry needs to be far more creative. Read more to see my five main suggestions.
- Special Lens - What the iPad Should Be
- December 2009 - Themes for 2010
- I think 2009 will be viewed as a "transition year" in wireless. The upcoming year promises disruption to the traditional balance of power.
- October 2009 - Net Neutrality and Wireless Economics
- As the network neutrality debate heats up, Lowenstein argues that the FCC is naive when it comes to understanding the unique economics of the wireless industry. Torrid data growth is going to lead to some major changes in the way we price content delivered over wireless networks.
- September 2009 - Evolution of Device Based Self-Service.
- Operators have been successful in automating key elements of the account management lifecycle. It started with increasing functionality on their Web sites, but now the device is becoming an important medium. Implementations are generating positive ROI.
- August 2009 - Taking on the Talking/Texting While Driving Issue
- There has been a great deal of attention lately to the issue of talking/texting while driving. Rather than dwelling on the public policy aspects, we focus here on what we can do as an industry - education, training, products - to address the issue.
- May 2009 - Rethinking Mobile Broadband Pricing
- Wireless has fared comparatively well in this tough economy. One exception is the marked slowdown in mobile broadband growth. My view is that the prevailing pricing from leading operators is not aligned with the needs of the next wave of adopters, plus the multitude of connected devices coming to market. It's time to rethink the approach to MBB pricing.
- April 2009 - Five Companies Leveraging Change
- As executives, I think it is important to learn from companies that are being especially innovative in adapting to change, introducing new business models, or are significantly over-indexing their peer group. What are some of the lessons for the wireless industry?
- January 2009 - A New Model for Wireless Pricing
- It became clear in 2008 that flat rate plans are, over time, going to become the prevalent structure for wireless pricing. Even with these developments, I believe we are starting to outgrow today's pricing model for wireless services when we consider a multi-device world. In an expanded version of my January Fierce Wireless column, some new pricing approaches are presented.
- December 2008 - Themes for 2009
- Despite all the difficult news around us, 2008 was a terrific year for wireless, marked by game-changing improvements to the end-user experience. For this year-end Lens, rather than making specific "predictions", I wanted to outline several themes that I think will frame the industry in 2009.
- November 2008 - Progress Report on Open Development
- A year ago, Verizon Wireless created headlines with its announcement of the Open Development initiative. "Open" has become one of the industry's key new buzzwords, with "App" stores popping up everywhere and a slew of operator and OEM initiatives. This Lens presents a brief progress report on open development. The bottom line: mixed, with some potential minefields ahead.
- October 2008 - Wireless and the Economy
- When I first wrote about the effects of the downturn for Fierce Wireless in July, I remarked that the wireless industry has so far escaped relatively unscathed by the economic downturn. Well, four months, an 8,000 points Dow, the unraveling of Wall Street as we've know it and trillions in global bailouts later, consider the wireless industry scathed, like every sector of the wireless economy. Here is my assessment of what is happening, and what opportunities it might create.
- July 2008 - Next Phase in "Battle for the Home"
- With all the attention around "unlimited" pricing plans, the "battle for the home" is entering a new phase, driven by new technologies, a shifting competitive landscape, and a tough economy that will cause consumers to take a holistic view of their communications spend.
- June 2008 - The iPhone Effect: Ten Hidden Themes
- “Oh, no”, you say, not another piece about the iPhone. At the risk of over-hyping the “phenomenon” that will comprise less than 1% of the world’s phones this year, this June Lens is about the far-reaching effects that the iPhone — and more particularly Apple’s game plan — will have on the wireless industry.
- May 2008 - International Wireless Pricing: The Final Frontier?
- Why does it cost $1.50 a minute to call the U.S. from London on a cell phone? International wireless rates are the last bastion of 1970s era telecom pricing. What should we do about it?
- March 2008 - Five Defining Themes
- The Return of the Lens: Five Defining Themes
Announcing the "Mobile Six"
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