WSJ has an interview with Sprint’s CEO Gary Forsee:
WSJ: How will the average American household get its phone, wireless and Internet service 10 years from now?
MR. FORSEE: What’s going to happen more over time is the experience will be the same between devices — whether you’re mobile, or whether you’re fixed in the home or in the office. The typical home will have broadband access from the cable or the phone company. And there will be a device that will work across [networks], so that experience is the same: When the phone gets into the home zone, that phone will work over that broadband facility. Obviously, there’s going to be a lot of users with only one device that will have cut the cord and all their usage will be satisfied by that mobile device.
WSJ: In what ways might we see telecommunications converging with other technologies?
MR. FORSEE: One that really is significant is the ability [to have] integrated access to work. If you’re in your office or if you’re in a Wi-Fi hot spot, or if you’re traveling using one of our air cards [in a laptop], then the network and your laptop or PDA ought to be smart enough to seek out the best network. We have that product, [and it] will be out in the fourth quarter. We want to provide a more integrated experience, which we’re uniquely positioned to do because we own those two networks.
WSJ: How long will it be before all, or most, voice is over wireless?
MR. FORSEE: Over 40% of the long-distance minutes are now going over wireless. That’s an incredible number. If you take a typical household, I think in the next 10 years, 50% of the voice traffic at a minimum will be carried over wireless. And my guess would be that in that 10-year period of time, 30% of households would be wireless-only households.
