Cox Clarifies Wireless Plans

Light Reading published an article that clarified Cox Cable's wireless plans a bit.

• Cox will have autonomy on the Sprint network, controlling the backoffice, customer service, product integration, branding, supported devices, packaging, and product plans.
• Cox will use its AWS spectrum that it acquired in 2006 to support a 3G network based on EV-DO Revision A.
• It plans 700 MHz spectrum LTE field trials sometime in 2009.

This approach means that Cox's own AWS 3G service and its Sprint-based service will both be based on CDMA. It is likely that it will be able to offer handsets that can run on both networks. It is less clear how LTE will fit in, but Verizon's commitment to LTE is likely to produce handsets that support both CDMA and LTE. It will be interesting to see how this works out.

Cox historically has taken the leadership on new technologies such as cable telephony. It has taken a strong technical approach in the past that has led to the deployment of robust services. It looks like it is taking the same approach with wireless.