But now analysts are questioning whether the operators' silence will help reverse that trend. Wireless operators are just not talking. That leads to more uncertainty. Although U.S. operators did indeed announce rollout plans for adding faster data services to their networks, analysts dismissed the plans as old news. These plans have all been known for some time, says Ferreiro.
Some operators say they're silent prisoners of their own short-term financial plans.
The SEC does not prohibit companies from announcing any forward-looking statements. Rather, it insists that announcements be filed with and cleared by the SEC before any public disclosure. Companies must show the SEC that not going public with the information would damage their business. But even operators unencumbered by SEC restrictions have become more cautious. Sprint always used to be very talkative, but suddenly it has closed down too, says Ferreiro.