Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 1
Draft – Not for External Distribution
T-Mobile HotSpot
Steve admired the view of Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park and the Cascade
Mountain Range as his plane made its final approach into SEA-TAC International airport. Steve
was a second year student at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and had
been flown to Bellevue, Washington to complete his final interviews with executives of TMobile USA. Steve was interviewing for a marketing position as a product manager of TMobile’s recently launched, “T-Mobile HotSpot” service.
As the plane landed and taxied towards its gate, Steve contemplated whether the new TMobile HotSpot service (www.tmobile.com/hotspot) was well-positioned to take advantage of
consumers’ demand for high-speed, public, wireless broadband internet access. Several
questions loomed in his mind: Would customers be willing to pay monthly fees to use such
service? Had wireless technology standardized enough to make T-Mobile HotSpot easy to use?
Could high-speed, public, wireless broadband replace customers’ reliance on slow, archaic dialup service? Who were T-Mobile’s competitors? Was T-Mobile’s HotSpot technology too far
ahead of the game?
History of T-Mobile1
Western Wireless Corp., Based in Bellevue, Washington was formed in 1994 through the
merger of General Cellular Corporation and Pacific Northwest Cellular, each co-founded by
John Stanton, who is also a co-founder of McCaw Cellular Communications. John Stanton is
currently Chairman of T-Mobile USA and Chairman and CEO of Western Wireless.
Voice Stream Wireless was a subsidiary of Western Wireless. VoiceStream launched the
first auctioned PCS license in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 29, 1996 and continued to
aggressively build out its PCS licenses in the western United States, based on the GSM (Global
System for Mobile Communications) technology platform.
On May 3, 1999, VoiceStream Wireless was spun off from its parent company, Western
Wireless Corporation.
In February and May 2000, VoiceStream completed merger transactions with two other
regional GSM service providers, Omnipoint Communications and Aerial Communications.
On June 1, 2001, Deutsche Telekom AG, based in Bonn, Germany, completed its
acquisitions of VoiceStream Wireless Corporation and Powertel, Inc., forming the first
1
http://www.T-Mobile.com/company/about/
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 2
transatlantic wireless communications operator utilizing the GSM digital wireless technology
standard.
In July 2002, VoiceStream officially becomes T-Mobile (see Exhibit 1 for financials),
one of Deutsche Telekom AG's four strategic divisions, and launched its all digital wireless
voice, messaging and data services to customers in California and Nevada, marking the debut of
the global brand name in the United States.
In 2002, Voicestream (now T-Mobile USA) acquired MobileStar Network Corporation.
Mobilestar had planned to provide wireless broadband service throughout the United States via
hotels, airports and other public venues. In October 2001, Mobilestar announced that it had
failed to obtain the necessary funding to continue with its proposed national expansion. Once
acquired, T-Mobile USA continued to provide full network service to new and existing
customers through its network of hundreds of domestic broadband wireless locations - now the
T-Mobile HotSpot network.2
Industry Overview
Although the WI-FI 802.11b technology is still relative young, its standardization and
wide adoption has created a shockwave of activity in the wireless industry (see the Technology
section for an introduction to 802.11b). Startups and major telecommunications companies are
moving quickly to position themselves as market leaders with dominant market share. While the
existing telecommunications industry continues to struggle due to undisciplined financing
activities and the after-effects of the hi-tech stock market bubble crash, the wireless industry is
still attracting significant venture capital funding. In 2001, venture capitalists invested over $1.4
billion into various infrastructure and service provider companies. Additionally, blue chips like
AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are investing significant internal funds into further research and
development of this technology. As perhaps the heartiest endorsement of all, Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates considers the technology one of the most important innovations of the past
5 years, “If any one technology has emerged the past few years that will be explosive in its
impact, it's 802.11.”3
As of now, the “last-mile” wireless broadband providers’ segment remains highly
fragmented. Virtually every urban area contains several small operators who focus on individual
locations. These locations are primarily commercial properties such as office buildings, hotels
and multi-family dwelling. Alternatively, there is a strong push to create a virtual web that
would ensure 802.11b spectrum across entire city blocks, using several pods strategically placed
in a specific area that would provide access to the internet anywhere within that area. These
2
3
http://www.T-Mobile.com/hotspot/about_us.htm
USA TODAY, 12/05/2001 - "Wi-Fi wizardry can link all your digital doodads"
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 3
movements consist of both profit and non-for-profit business models. Several rogue movements,
such as FreeNetworking.org, believe that access to wireless broadband should be free and are
trying to establish these zones without charging any connection fees. OpenNewbury.org has
established such a network on Boston’s Newbury Street (perhaps the most fashionable street in
Boston with high-end retail in brownstone units, fabulous restaurants and frequented nightspots). This free service competes with several Starbuck coffee houses outfitted with T-Mobile’s
HotSpot service (on the same street).
While the 802.11b technology continues to be adopted as the industry standard, there are
several developments in the wireless broadband industry that may threaten 802.11b’s position in
the future. AT&T, Cingular, IBM, Intel and Verizon have combined forces to form the Rainbow
coalition that would leverage its existing cellular towers for broadband distribution. The
technology, referred to as 3G, sounds promising in that it can be easily distributed throughout the
existing infrastructure. However, its speed (1Mgbit/Second) is 10 times slower than 802.11b.
Furthermore, several small engineering outfits are testing various technologies, ranging from
radio antennas (that could become a much cheaper alternative to towers that reach a 1000 meter
radius) to high-altitude planes that provide broadband to entire urban areas. Other faster and
more sophisticated technologies, such as optical broadband, also continue to make progress.
There remains no doubt that wireless broadband technology is here to stay, however, questions
about the final format and delivery system still remain.
HotSpot Service
T-Mobile HotSpot provides high-speed wireless Internet access in public locations such
as airports, airline clubs and select Starbucks coffeehouses. This network uses a T1 connection at
every location. Using either a laptop or PDA that is Wi-Fi 802.11b wirelessly-enabled, customers
can surf the internet or check email.
T-Mobile is continuing to build-out the Wi-Fi 802.11b wireless LAN network of public
Internet access locations that are convenient to mobile users (see Exhibit 2 for estimated cost
structure). Today, T-Mobile HotSpot customers have access to the largest footprint of active
broadband wireless sites. The broadband wireless network was built based on extensive research
of the travel patterns and Internet access needs of mobile professionals. In order to create a
business model that targets potentially high traffic locations and heavy users of the service, the
company has identified target business districts throughout the United States in which to build
out a selection of airports, airline clubs, coffeehouses, and other public locations. 4
Steve’s review of T-Mobile’s website identified four benefits of the HotSpot service:
FAST - Connect to the Internet or your corporate intranet at blazing fast speeds 4
http://www.T-Mobile.com/hotspot/about_us.htm
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 4
T-Mobile provides a full T1 connection to every location.
RELIABLE - Get the same high quality service in every location, giving you the peace
of mind that no matter where you go, you’ll experience the world class benefits of TMobile.
AFFORDABLE - Use it a little, use it a lot. Either way, there’s a plan for you. Sign up
for an unlimited monthly plan, pre-pay for a bundle of minutes, or pay as you go - you
decide.
CONVENIENT - With T-Mobile HotSpot, there are no busy signals, no searching for
phone jacks, and best of all, no waiting. Connect easily, wirelessly, instantly.5
To access the service, a customer would enter a HotSpot location, such as a Starbucks
(see Exhibit 3). Once inside the store, the customer would find a place to sit, start up his
computer and enable the computer’s wireless card. Once enabled, the customer would open a
browser window. The browser would automatically be redirected to the HotSpot login page,
where a customer could login to access the network, add more time to his prepay card, or register
for the first time. Once logged in, the customer could access the internet, email, etc throughout
the Starbucks location.
It is important to note that while any person with a wireless enabled laptop within 100200 feet of the HotSpot could pick up the wireless signal, only registered, paid customers could
use the wireless service for internet and email. A non-paying customer would continue to be
redirected to the HotSpot login page. This prevented the general public from tapping into the
network for free.
HotSpot Pricing6
T-Mobile’s HotSpot service provides three types of plans:
Monthly Subscription Plans: These plans were targeted for frequent users of the
wireless network. For $29.99, a customer had unlimited access to the HotSpot network
within a given region. For $49.99, a customer could extend the unlimited access
nationwide. Both monthly plans required a one-year service agreement.
Prepay Plans: These plans were targeted at the occasional use customer, who did not
want to enter into a one-year agreement. Customers purchased 2 to 5 hours of online
5
6
http://www.T-Mobile.com/hotspot/services_about.htm
As of September 2002. http://www.T-Mobile.com/hotspot/services_plans.htm
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 5
time that could be used at any HotSpot location. Time was deducted at one minute
increments. Prepaid time cost $20 for 2 hours and $50 for 5 hours.
Metered Plans: These plans were targeted at the customer who is not a frequent user of
the service, but will want to be able to check email from time to time. The metered plan
is $2.99 for 15 minutes of use. Each additional minute is $0.15.
Customers
The key target customers of the service are the so called mobile professionals who, as
was described by Howard Schultz, “have been waiting for just such an offering: high-speed
wireless Internet access in a familiar and widely available location that keeps them connected
while on the road, or between the home and office."
The broadband wireless network was built based on extensive research of the travel
patterns and Internet access needs of mobile professionals. In order to create a business model
that targets potentially high traffic locations and heavy users of the service, the company has
identified target business districts throughout the United States in which to build out a selection
of airports, airline clubs, coffeehouses, and other public locations.7
According to the Yankee Group 2002 Corporate Wireless Survey, almost 25 percent of
all enterprise workers are considered mobile, spending more that 20 percent of their time away
from their workspace. This equates to approximately 40 million mobile professionals in the U.S.
who still want and need access to their e-mail, the Internet, or their corporate intranet. A number
of corporate customers in the U.S. are participating in a pilot to extend faster and more
affordable remote access options to their mobile workforces. Starbucks customers, including
KPMG Consulting Inc., John L. Scott Real Estate, and others, have found that the service keeps
them connected while they're away from the office-offering them a familiar, comfortable
location, with the benefit of a high-speed Internet connection.8
Technology
T-Mobile HotSpot service uses standards based "Wi-Fi" (802.11b) technology and is
easily accessible for customers with a wireless-ready notebook computer or Pocket PC. The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ wireless-Ethernet specification, known as IEEE
802.11 (see Exhibit 4 for a list of types), designated two ways of communicating between
devices. Both communication methods, direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) and frequencyhopping spread spectrum (FHSS), are based on spread-spectrum radio waves in the 2.4-gigahertz
(GHz) range.
7
8
http://www.T-Mobile.com/hotspot/about_us.htm
http://www.T-Mobile.com/company/pressroom/pressrelease42.asp
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 6
Spread spectrum simply means that data is sent in small pieces over a number of the
discrete frequencies available for use at any time in the specified range. Devices using directsequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communicate by splitting each byte of data into several parts
and sending them concurrently on different frequencies. DSSS uses a lot of the available
bandwidth, about 22 megahertz (MHz).
Devices using frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) send a short burst of data,
shift frequencies (hop) and then send another short burst. Since the FHSS devices that are
communicating agree on which frequencies to hop to, and use each frequency for a brief period
of time (less than 400 milliseconds) before moving on, several independent FHSS networks can
exist in the same physical area without interfering with each other. Because they use any given
frequency for such a short time, FHSS devices are less prone to interference than DSSS devices.
But DSSS is capable of much greater speed than FHSS since these devices can send a lot more
data at the same time.
Wi-Fi (for "wireless fidelity", like Hi-Fi for "high fidelity" in audio equipment) is
essentially a seal of approval that says the manufacturer's product is compliant with a variation of
the IEEE 802.11 specification known as IEEE 802.11b. This specification drops FHSS and
focuses on DSSS because of the higher data rate it can attain. Under 802.11b, devices
communicate at a speed of 11 Mbps whenever possible. If signal strength or interference is
disrupting data, the devices will drop back to 5.5 Mbps, then 2 Mbps and finally down to 1
Mbps. Though it may occasionally slow down, this keeps the network stable and very reliable.
In addition, 802.11b has a long range (,000 ft / 305 m in open areas, 250 to 400 ft / 76 to 122 m
in closed areas).9
Competition
The industry is peppered with small, locally focused providers of wireless broadband
access, with only five companies, including T-Mobile, that employ a nationwide model.
Boingo (www.Boingo.com)
Boingo, founded by Steve Dayton who earlier started Earthlink, is using a similar
formula to provide wireless broadband access (as he did with Earthlink). Boasting the largest
network of locations in the US so far (over 650 locations) established in less than a year, Boingo
offers free software downloads to operate its system and competitive rates for its services.
Focusing on highly-traveled areas such as hotels in New York and convention arenas, Dayton
uses a simple “franchising” model. Individuals purchase the hardware from Boingo and capture
a revenue stream from anyone who uses their “Hot-spot”. Boingo has seen great success in
9
How Stuff Works, “How Wireless Networking Works,” Jeff Tyson.
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 7
capturing major airports such as Seattle/Tacoma, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Jose, BWI, Chicago
Midway, Washington Dulles, Atlanta and Boston. Boingo secured agreements with top-tier
hotels, such as Four Seasons, Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham hotels, that allow access to Boingo
wireless in hundreds of locations.
Wayport (www.Wayport.net)
Founded in 1996, Wayport has been serving the wireless broadband community longer
than anybody else. Based in Austin, Texas, Wayport has focused on locations where corporate
travelers need it the most – hotels and airports. Its list of locations closely matches Boingo’s,
enjoying a presence in 8 major airports and over 80 cities. On several airport projects, Wayport
has joined forces with Boingo to equip the airport with wireless access. Wayport charges a
monthly rate or single use rates, as well as offering prepaid services available anywhere on their
network. To date, Wayport has enjoyed funding from venture capital and private equity funds
such as Invesco and Lucent Venture Funds. As of August of 2002, Wayport boasted a customer
base of over 1 million members.
Jalipco (www.Jalipco.com)
Utilizing a similar franchising strategy as Boingo, Jalipco has secured approximately 85
locations throughout the US. Its pricing strategy of 24.99 per month for anywhere on its network
remains one of the most attractive rate structures in the industry. Started in May of 2002 by an
MIT professor, Mr. Negroponte, Jalipco has spread by establishing mini-providers within its
framework that participate in the revenue sharing/generation of the network.
Surf and Sip Network (www.surfandsip.com)
Surf and Sip, based in San Francisco, has focused on coffee shops throughout the west
coast. Recently they have spread to the east as far as Florida and Massachussetts. With over 100
locations in 18 states, Surf and Sip offers similar technology as T-Mobile. Surf and Sip lacks the
continuous national chain penetration that some of the other competitors have.
It is anticipated that the spread of the WI-FI network, often compared to waterlillies
taking over a pond, is going to be fast. However, it will take a few more years due to
geographical vastness and lingering regulatory concerns. The industry is young, with no clear
winner. At this stage, companies are focusing on establishing new turf by creating new
locations. But just as it was the case with cable and cellular companies, the industry will soon
turn to a consolidation mode. Will Boingo or Jalipco win the race with their franchising model,
or will T-Mobile be able to gain a larger market share with their focus on partners with
nationwide localities? Or will a new disruptive technology make the 802.11b standard obsolete
before the industry fully develops itself? These are risk questions that only time will answer.
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 8
In addition, Steve suspected that customers would balance their demand for wireless
broadband with other types of internet service providers. While most had national access, only
the cellular networks provided wireless service (see Exhibit 5 for pricing comparisons). Would
customers cancel their existing ISP services? Would the typical dial-up companies enter the
market? Steve was not sure of their response; however, he knew that any response would take
time. Could the first-mover obtain lasting advantages?
Alliance & expansion
To carry out the HotSpot service, T-Mobile joined with HP and Starbucks. HP provides
all the technical support and Starbucks provides premises for services. In addition, HP also
introduced free software that makes it simple to automatically sense and connect to available
wireless networks.
For T-Mobile, this alliance is a great opportunity. Both Starbucks and HP are recognized
brand names. Moreover, Starbuck stores are on every corner of most major cities, targeting
young professionals with great mobility. T-Mobile’s customer base appears to match well with
Starbucks’ existing customers.
What does Starbucks get? Well, Starbucks had been interested in conquering cyberspace
since 1999. After a failed attempt, Starbucks struck a deal that seems to cost them little upfront.
The company believes wireless access will bring significant revenue growth by attracting more
paying customers outside of the morning hours in which Starbucks does the bulk of its business.
Even Mr. Schultz is saying the right things, noting that "this service is a natural extension of the
Starbucks coffeehouse experience, which has always been about making connections with the
people and information that are important to us over a cup of coffee."10
"HP's vision is to eliminate the boundaries of mobile computing, making wireless access
fast, easy and rewarding," said Michael Capellas, president of HP. "Not only does HP offer the
broadest array of innovative mobile technology today, but we're collaborating with Starbucks
and T-Mobile on future technologies to deliver a constant stream of wireless products and places
to enrich the mobile experience for our mutual customers worldwide."11
However, to succeed in the long run, T-Mobile needs to consider setting up more winwin strategic alliance arrangements. T-Mobile recognizes the need to tap similar pre-built
locations which frequent similar customer segments.
Starting from August 2002, the HotSpot service is available at approximately 1,200
Starbucks stores in Atlanta; Austin, TX; Boston; Connecticut; Denver; Dallas-Ft-Worth;
10
11
http://wsj.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=2007224953
http://www.T-Mobile.com/company/pressroom/pressrelease42.asp
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 9
Houston; New York; New Jersey; Philadelphia; Portland, OR; the San Francisco Bay area; and
the Seattle-Puget Sound region. And an additional 800 Starbucks stores in southern California,
including Los Angeles; Chicago; Maryland; Pittsburgh; Virginia; and Washington DC, are
scheduled to be enabled before the end of the calendar year.12
In addition, Starbucks and T-Mobile have initiated a six-month pilot in select London and
Berlin locations, and more cities will be added to the European pilot over the next several
months.
Besides Starbucks stores, T-Mobile had also started to provide wireless broadband
internet service in several national airports. Airport was considered an ideal place to deploy
wireless network since most passengers are business professionals with demand for mobile
communication. However, the difficult part of this model is the high initial investment and
cooperation required from the airport.
For most telecommunication service providers, seamless network coverage is always a
dream. Currently, the cellular network has covered almost every inch of the country. Therefore,
some professionals are considering interconnecting the cellular network with the Wireless LAN
network so that mobile users can not only enjoy a seamless coverage but also experience a truly
broadband access in urban areas.
Decision
As Steve sat in the taxi on the way to T-Mobile USA’s headquarters, he wondered
whether HotSpot would be a success. He had recently noticed an article in a prominent
computer magazine touting a new wireless standard, 802.11a, which promised four times faster
speeds, but with dramatically shorter ranges. The article mentioned that 802.11a required
completely different hardware to connect computers and the internet wirelessly. In addition, the
major cellular phone providers had begun to roll out their own 3G wireless networks, which
allowed customers to connect wirelessly to a company’s network. However, cellular phone
wireless speeds were only as fast as typical dial-up modems.
In addition, Steve thought that most customers already had dial-up or broadband access at
home. Would customers be willing to pay for additional service in public locations? Steve
believed that as more business and daily activities were performed online, dial-up service would
prove inadequate. The question was, as the internet becomes more important to customers lives,
will they expect access everywhere? Would customers expect to pay for such a service? Steve
did not have the answers at this moment. He planned to review T-Mobile’s HotSpot service
strategy once he arrived at his hotel at the end of the day.
12
http://www.T-Mobile.com/company/pressroom/pressrelease42.asp
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 10
Exhibit 1—T-Mobile Company Financials
Key figures for T-Mobile USA Operations
(`000)
Covered population
Q4/01
Q1/02
152,000
162,000
Customers (`000)
6,993
7,501
thereof contract subscribers
5,173
5,729
thereof pre-pay customers
1,820
1,772
585
550
Contract churn
3.3%
< 3.0%
Blended churn
4.8%
4.4%
ARPU (blended) $
49
48
ARPU (contract) $
52
51
1,122
1,176
Service revenues*
973
1,037
Adjusted EBITDA**
-67
75
MOUs/Contract Sub/Month
($/month)
($ million)
Total revenues
Incentive bonuses
0
11
EBITDA
-67
64
Capex
300
419
*Subscriber, prepaid, and roaming revenues.
**Excluding incentive bonuses related to the DT merge
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 11
Exhibit 2—Estimated Costs for HotSpot Service13
Physical Costs per HotSpot Location14
Item
T1 Internet Connection
Modem
Wireless Router/Access
Point
Description
T1 is a private, dedicated line that goes
directly from the HotSpot location to your
Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Connects the T1 connection to the Wireless
Router/Access Point
Provides the antennae for individual
customers to connect wirelessly to the
internet.
Cost (Monthly vs.
One-Time)
Approximately $500 $1000 per month
Approximately $100 $300 one-time
Approximately $600$1000 one-time
Shared Costs per HotSpot Location
Item
Description
Technical Infrastructure
Includes databases to maintain customer
login information, billing systems, etc.
Includes customer support personnel to
answer customer sales, billing and support
questions.
Work with alliance vendors to expand
HotSpot locations; attract new customers to
service
Raise awareness for HotSpot service; comarketing with Starbucks/royalty fees
Customer Service
Department
Sales and Marketing
Staff
Advertising and
Promotion
Cost (Monthly vs.
One-Time)
$XXX,XXX per year
$XXX,XXX per year
$XXX,XXX per year
$XXX,XXX per year
13
Please note that all cost figures are estimates based on industry information. Actual figures were not provided by
T-Mobile.
14
http://www.80211-planet.com/tutorials/article/0,4000,10724_1453261,00.html
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 12
Exhibit 3—Example of 802.11b Network Layout at a T-Mobile HotSpot Location
(Starbucks)15
This layout is an approximation based on the casewriter’s knowledge of the service. T-Mobile did not provide
this information.
15
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 13
Exhibit 4—Brief Description of 802.11 Wireless Standards16
A particular letter corresponding to each standard/revision, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, and so on, represents the different
task groups. For example, Task Group B (i.e., 802.11b) was responsible for upgrading the initial 802.11 standard to include
higher data rate operation using DSSS in the 2.4GHz band.
802.11a -- OFDM in the 5GHz Band
802.11a is a Physical Layer (PHY) standard (IEEE Std. 802.11a-1999) that specifies operating in the 5GHz UNII band using
orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). 802.11a supports data rates ranging from 6 to 54Mbps. 802.11a-based
products became available in late 2001.
Because of operation in the 5GHz bands, 802.11a offers much less potential for radio frequency (RF) interference than
other PHYs (e.g., 802.11b and 802.11g) that utilize 2.4GHz frequencies. With high data rates and relatively little
interference, 802.11a does a great job of supporting multimedia applications and densely populated user environments. This
makes 802.11a an excellent long-term solution for satisfying current and future requirements. Strongly consider the
deployment of 802.11a unless extenuating circumstances point you toward a different PHY, such as 802.11b.
802.11b -- High Rate DSSS in the 2.4GHz band
The task group for 802.11b was responsible for enhancing the initial 802.11 DSSS PHY to include 5.5Mbps and 11Mbps
data rates in addition to the 1Mbps and 2Mbps data rates of the initial standard. 802.11 finalized this standard (IEEE Std.
802.11b-1999) in late 1999. To provide the higher data rates, 802.11b uses CCK (Complementary Code Keying), a
modulation technique that makes efficient use of the radio spectrum.
Most wireless LAN installations today comply with 802.11b, which is also the basis for Wi-Fi certification from the Wireless
Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). These products have been available for the past two years. In some cases, you
should deploy 802.11b networks today to take advantage of the installed base of 802.11b-equipped users. For example,
utilize 802.11b as the basis for public wireless LANs to maximize the number of subscribers.
802.11c -- Bridge Operation Procedures
802.11c provides required information to ensure proper bridge operations. This project is completed, and related procedures
are part of the IEEE 802.11c standard. Product developers utilize this standard when developing access points. There's
really not much in this standard relevant to wireless LAN installers.
802.11d -- Global Harmonization
When 802.11 first became available, only a handful of regulatory domains (e.g., U.S., Europe, and Japan) had rules in place
for the operation of 802.11 wireless LANs. In order to support a widespread adoption of 802.11, the 802.11d task group has
an ongoing charter to define PHY requirements that satisfy regulatory within additional countries. This is especially
important for operation in the 5GHz bands because the use of these frequencies differ widely from one country to another.
As with 802.11c, the 802.11d standard mostly applies to companies developing 802.11 products.
802.11e - MAC Enhancements for QoS
Without strong quality of service (QoS), the existing version of the 802.11 standard doesn't optimize the transmission of
voice and video. There's currently no effective mechanism to prioritize traffic within 802.11. As a result, the 802.11e task
group is currently refining the 802.11 MAC (Medium Access Layer) to improve QoS for better support of audio and video
16
http://www.80211-planet.com/tutorials/article/0,,10724_1439551,00.html
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 14
(such as MPEG-2) applications. The 802.11e group should finalize the standard by the end of 2002, with products probably
available by mid-2003.
Because 802.11e falls within the MAC Layer, it will be common to all 802.11 PHYs and be backward compatible with
existing 802.11 wireless LANs. As a result, the lack of 802.11e being in place today doesn't impact your decision on which
PHY to use. In addition, you should be able to upgrade your existing 802.11 access points to comply with 802.11e through
relatively simple firmware upgrades once they are available.
802.11f - Inter Access Point Protocol
The existing 802.11 standard doesn't specify the communications between access points in order to support users roaming
from one access point to another. The 802.11 WG purposely didn't define this element in order to provide flexibility in
working with different distribution systems (i.e., wired backbones that interconnect access points).
The problem, however, is that access points from different vendors may not interoperate when supporting roaming. 802.11f
is currently working on specifying an inter access point protocol that provides the necessary information that access points
need to exchange to support the 802.11 distribution system functions (e.g., roaming). The 802.11f group expects to
complete the standard by the end of 2002, with products supporting the standard by mid-2003.
In the absence of 802.11f, you should utilize the same vendor for access points to ensure interoperability for roaming users.
In some cases a mix of access point vendors will still work, especially if the access points are Wi-Fi-certified. The inclusion
of 802.11f in access point design will eventually open up your options and add some interoperability assurance when
selecting access point vendors.
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 15
Exhibit 5—Pricing Comparison (T-Mobile with Competitors, Other Types of ISP)
Service Type
Wireless LAN
Dial Up
DSL (ADSL)
Cable
Cellular 3G
Networks
Company
Typical Monthly Rates
Typical
Speeds
(down/up)
T-Mobile
$2.99 - $50.00 pre-paid
$29.99-49.99 monthly
Up to 11Mb
Boingo
$7.95 pre-paid
$24.95-$74.95 monthly
Up to 11Mb
WayPort
$6.95 - $100.00 pre-paid
$29.95-$49.95 monthly
Up to 11Mb
AT&T
$16.95 - $21.95 monthly
Up to 56K/56K
Home, any
phone line
MSN
$21.95 monthly
Up to 56K/56K
Home, any
phone line
Sprint
$49.95 monthly
Up to
1.5M/512K
Home
BellSouth
$45.00 monthly
Up to
1.5M/512K
Home
MSN
$39.95 monthly
Up to 2M/384K
Home
Adelphia
$39.95 monthly
Up to 2M/384K
Home
Sprint PCS
Vision
$74.95 monthly
Up to 14.4K
T-Mobile
$59.99 monthly
Up to 14.4K
AT&T
$59.99-$199.99 monthly
Up to 56K
Availability
Hotels,
Airports,
Public
Locations
Hotels,
Airports,
Public
Locations
Hotels,
Airports
Anywhere
on the Sprint
PCS
Network
Anywhere
on the TMobile
Network
Anywhere
on the AT&T
3G Network
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 16
Exhibit 6—Background Reading
Recommended:
T-Mobile, Starbucks and HP Rollout High-Speed Broadband Wireless Internet Access
Free and for-profit Net zones pop up everywhere
Sky Dayton's Long Road to Internet Nirvana
Wi-Fi Displacing HomeRF in Wireless Networking Race
WSJ.com - Venti Internet Strategy at Starbucks
VoiceStream Catches A Falling MobileStar
Optional:
They Thought Cell Phones Were Silly, Too?
Wireless Moves to the Ground Floor
The Fallout from MobileStar
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.
Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
UVA-XX-XX
Page 17
Exhibit 7—Study Questions
1. Describe the service that T-Mobile HotSpot provides.
2. Do you agree with T-Mobile’s current targeted customers?
3. How does consumers’ growth in the use of wireless networking at home impact this
service’s success?
4. Using Exhibit 2 as a reference, how many customers would T-Mobile require to break
even in a given year with the following assumptions:
a. Hardware costs are spread over 5 years
b. Use the following estimates for shared costs (annual):
i. Technical Infrstructure--$250,000
ii. Customer Service--$250,000
iii. Sales and Marketing--$250,000
iv. Advertising and Promotion--$250,000
c. 1000 HotSpot Locations
d. Assume all customers are on the monthly regional plan ($29.99)
5. Who really benefits from this service?
6. How does T-Mobile’s strategy compare with that of Boingo or Wayport?
7. How important is technological standardization to this market?
8. Would you invest in T-Mobile?
This case was prepared by Matthew Burgener, Sherry Chen and Michael Kares. It was developed from public
documents for classroom discussion purposes. Copyright© 2002 by the University of Virginia Darden School
Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an e-mail to
dardencases@virginia.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a
spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation.