Apple (AAPL) continues to bring the iPhone to countries outside the U.S. Although its launch in China didn't generate as much fanfare as the company had hoped, things take time to roll into a big ball of success. Apple won't be slowing down international introductions of the handset that changed the wireless game, that's for sure.

As such, South Korea's own LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are about to see their homeland assaulted by the official introduction of the iPhone for sale into that country. South Korea's KT Corp. and SK Telecom are the reported carriers for Apple's iPhone there, and although the South Korean market may seem like a small potato of opportunity for Apple, the company has been cleared by the Korean Communications Commission to start selling its popular handset.

Continue reading Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch

Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel to be purchased by Korea's SK Telecom? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've seen it many times: a cool product that finds few customers. That seems to be the case with Helio's mobile phones. Basically, customers didn't want to pay premium prices for such things as access to MySpace and other new-fangled features.

It's a tough lesson (and expensive). SK Telecom and EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK) formed Helio as a joint venture in 2005 with start-up capital of $440 million. SK Telecom invested an additional $270 million in the venture last year.

Yet, in the end, Helio turned out to be a big dud. That is, the company sold out for a measly $39 million to Virgin Mobile USA (NYSE: VM). In fact, the space is full of dead companies, such as Disney Mobile and Amp'd Mobile.

I had a chance to interview Frank Dickson, the co-founder and chief research officer of MultiMedia Intelligence. According to him:

Honestly, the merger is a desperate move. Overall, the MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) model makes sense in a limited number of situations. For example, if a cable MSO wants to leverage its customer base and offer triple or quadruple play offering, there is a clear distinctive competency and the MVNO route makes sense.

Continue reading Virgin Mobile buys Helio for chump change

Virgin Mobile buys Helio for chump change originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since its IPO last year, the shares of Virgin Mobile USA Inc. (NYSE: VM) have imploded -- going from $15.69 to a low of $1.90. The stock has lifted somewhat lately though, and is now trading at $3.43.

Actually, the company has confirmed that it is talking with Helio -- majority owned by SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) -- about a possible merger.

Both companies are known as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which means that they provide cell services by using another carrier's infrastructure. Unfortunately, the MVNO model has been extremely difficult to pull off (in fact, there have been several high-profile blow-ups in the space, such as Amp'd).

So will a combination help things?

To get some perspective on things, I had a chance to interview Frank Dickson, who is the Chief Research Officer at MultiMedia Intelligence. According to him:

Continue reading A Virgin Mobile-Helio hookup?

A Virgin Mobile-Helio hookup? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 May 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How often does a company walk away from a $5 billion investment without even meeting with the people who made the offer? Sprint's (NYSE:S) board appears to have done that a week or so ago.

A team of Korean cell company SK Telecom and Providence Equity Partners suggested a $5 billion investment in a convertible security that would have set a price well above the current share value of just over $15. Not a bad deal. According to The Wall Street Journal, "the group said in a bid letter to the board that it was prepared to invest $5 billion or 'potentially substantially more' in the form of securities convertible into equity after some period of time at a stock price 20% higher than Sprint's share price."

But there was one catch. The group wanted former Sprint chairman Tim Donahue to run the company. Donahue was CEO of Nextel before it merged with Sprint.

The Sprint board did the right thing. There is no reason to believe that the company would not be able to raise capital elsewhere, although the terms may not be as good. It might even get a strategic investment from a large cable company that would want to market wireless products along with broadband and TV. But even if the investment is attractive, Donahue is an architect of one of the largest merger train wrecks of the last decade, a debacle that cost the Sprint CEO his job just two months ago.

Getting one of the villains to come back and play sheriff would send a very bad message to investors. They have already been hurt enough by poor earnings and a falling stock price.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Sprint walks away from a $5 billion investment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel seen as takeover target? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Man crashes car into office to protest bad service originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.