The blogs are buzzing this morning about the potential departure of the outspoken and controversial Amp'd founder and CEO Peter Adderton. Silicon Valley gossip rag Valleywag was the first to report the rumor, which is quickly gaining traction. At deadline, neither Adderton nor Amp'd Mobile had responded to our many requests for confirmation.
The youth-oriented MVNO, which also describes itself as a mobile entertainment company, is backed by MTV Networks and uses Verizon Wireless' 1xEV-DO network. Amp'd announced in April that as of the end of 1Q, its subscriber base was nearing the 200,000 mark.
Adderton is no stranger to controversy. Before starting Amp'd, he was founder and CEO of Sprint Nextel's youth-oriented wireless service, Boost Mobile. In November 2003 he left Boost because of strategic differences and was outspoken in his criticism of the firm's leadership and its commitment to Boost. In addition, when Amp'd announced its plans to launch an MVNO in 2005, many industry players raised their eyebrows over his assertion that the MVNO would not shy away from delivering adult content as long as there were safeguards.
For more:
- see this report in the Valleywag blog