News broke yesterday that Qualcomm would be shuttering its FLO TV service and the company has just relased a statement that says direct to consume sales of hardware have been halted and that service will continue into next spring. If you subscribe to FLO TV services through your mobile phone carrier, it seems your service will not be affected. Should Qualcomm decide to shut down the service altogether, you will be notified ahead of time and refunds will be distributed. The statement goes on to say that there’s “strong interest in using the FLO TV network or spectrum.” It seems as though the spectrum or network could be repurposed to address the imbalance of available bandwidth and demand from other mobile devices and tablets. A portion of the employees working on FLO TV will be redeployed or laid off, said Qualcomm.
Press release after the jump.
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As we previously indicated in our July 2010 earnings call, we have been examining strategic opportunities for FLO TV. We have been engaging in conversations with a wide range of partners for both the network and the spectrum. We are seeing strong interest in using the FLO TV network or spectrum to capitalize on the growing imbalance between mobile data supply and demand, the growth of tablets, and consumer demand for high quality video and print content, and a richer user experience. While this process continues, we are suspending our direct to consumer sales of new devices. We anticipate we will maintain the network so that current direct to consumer subscribers will continue to receive FLO programming into Spring 2011. Service provided to handsets purchased through wireless operators is unaffected at this time. In the event of a discontinuance of service, FLO TV will make appropriate refunds, the details of which will be communicated prior to discontinuation. While we are working to redeploy impacted employees, we anticipate that there will be some layoffs.
“Except for the historical information contained herein, this release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company’s ability to successfully pursue, enter into and consummate strategic opportunities, on satisfactory terms, relating to the FLO TV network and the associated spectrum, the duration that the FLO TV network will be maintained for current direct to consumer subscribers, the duration for which FLO TV service will be maintained for handsets purchased through wireless operators, the nature of and the terms and conditions associated with any refund policy to affected consumers, the nature and extent of any layoffs, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2009, and most recent Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to update, or continue to provide information with respect to, any forward-looking statement or risk, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.”