RCR Wireless News articles from April 2008

RCR Wireless News archives from April 2008

Post-CTIA show syndrome.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Dan Meyer Excited by the initial buzz of CTIA, Red Bull and Vegas, (Did I mention how much I love this city? It's perfect. Just perfect.) I made some wild claims early last week. I said the wireless industry was "back to full...

4 years ago this week.(News)
April 7, 2008... The two remaining independent nationwide paging carriers, Metrocall and Arch Wireless, announced plans to merge operations in the wake of revenue declines and cellular competition.

online ? of the week.(News)
April 7, 2008... iPhone Killer? Which device is the greatest threat to the iPhone? 34%: LG Voyager 26%: blackberry curve 22%: HTC Touch 17%: Nokia N95 Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

Movida turns out the lights.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Kelly Hill If MVNOs had a theme song, it would probably be "Another One Bites the Dust." Movida Communications Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week in a Delaware court, blaming a "costly and restrictive" mobile...

Amazon launches text-to-buy.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Amazon.com is making purchases from its Web site as easy as sending a text message. The online retailer announced a new service called Amazon TextBuyIt, which allows users to text an item search term to "AMAZON." In response, they receive...

Stockwatch: March 27 - April 3.(Metrics)
April 7, 2008... 3 tables: Stockwatch: March 27 - April 3 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

Customers go wide for mobile content.(Metrics)
April 7, 2008... Mobile customers use a mixture of carrier-offered content, Web-based content and personal content, according to a survey conducted by ABI Research. The firm noted customers are more likely to watch a video on YouTube on their phone, but...

Cyren Call: Don't blame us for Frontline's demise.
April 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Cyren Call Communications Corp. said it never demanded long-term payments as a condition for a winning bidder of the 700 MHz national commercial/public-safety license, breaking its silence in response to news reports...

3G to drive mobile entertainment.(Metrics)
April 7, 2008... The mobile entertainment market could reach $47.5 billion by 2010, driven by greater 3G adoption and an increase in made-for-mobile content, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The firm, however, warns that mobile entertainment...

NBC plans to exploit mobile TV at Olympics.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO NBC Universal's digital team has big plans this summer for its coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing - a colossal event and content-filled waterfall - that it hopes might increase awareness and whet the appetite...

Unified 4G standard not likely soon, vendors agree.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Yes, the mobile industry would be well-served if everyone got behind a single 4G technology. No, it's not going to happen anytime soon. Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin used his keynote speech to urge carriers to...

Qualcomm focused on the here and now.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS CTIA Wireless 2008 is all about phones, but Qualcomm Inc. was busy Tuesday talking about laptops, portable multimedia players and just about anything else that can be connected to the Internet. The chipmaker said...

CO, Alcatel-Lucent strike partnership to explore DVB-SH delivery.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO ICO Global Communications announced it will be launching a $500 million satellite into space April 14th that will eventually provide broadcast mobile TV service nationwide using digital video broadcast-satellite handheld...

Wireless advocacy, policy group forms.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A new, pro-market advocacy group has formed to focus on business, technological and social aspects of mobile communications. The Mobile Future Coalition debuted at CTIA Wireless 2008. "American consumers have...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
April 7, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Well, April Fools' Day came and went without much notice during the CTIA Wireless 2008 show. That's disheartening because...

Tate wants child protections in place for open networks.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission member Deborah Taylor Tate urged the cellphone industry to tackle emerging challenges - such as protecting children from mobile adult content and battling wireless spam - as carriers...

Content: It's just not easy.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO If you guessed that a panel of Hollywood types would speak candidly about "what sucks'' with mobile content, you'd be stretching things a bit. Executives from Cartoon Network New Media, MTV Networks, Mad Mac...

AT&T Mobility's mobile TV to run Sony movies.(News)
April 7, 2008... Sony Pictures Television will broadcast movies on one of the two exclusive mobile TV channels that AT&T Mobility is gearing up to launch this summer using MediaFLO USA Inc.'s network. The studio announced that its channel, called PIX, will...

Show off a little.(Opinion)
April 7, 2008... Byline: Tracy Ford When is the wireless industry, collectively and individually, going to start showing off a little? The networks are being built. The devices will take care of themselves (there is nothing like a little competition...

Apple's iPhone a carrot for game developers.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile gaming continues to languish, plagued by a lack of innovation, overpriced titles and the constraints of tiny screens and 12-key pads. But game makers are hoping that the iPhone changes all that. Perhaps no...

700 MHz to be LTE heavy; AT&T Mobility, VZW announce LTE plans for highly touted spectrum.
April 7, 2008... Byline: MIKE DANO The nation's top two carriers plan to deploy Long Term Evolution network technology over their recent spectrum winnings. However, Verizon Wireless executives said an LTE rollout won't happen until 2010 at the earliest,...

Brightpoint inks distribution pacts.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Brightpoint announced several distribution and logistics agreements last week at CTIA 2008. The company announced a distribution agreement with Cellatel L.L.C. that covers handset distribution through its North America and Latin America...

When the smoke cleared: Device news reflects incremental battle among vendors.
April 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Judging by the handset news out of CTIA Wireless 2008 last week, competition in the United States is a SKU vs. SKU battle -handset-to-handset combat, if you will. In the absence of anything earth-shattering, the...

SprintStudio supersized to 5,500 square feet.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp.'s new SprintStudio store in Kansas City comes complete with a sleek design, all-live handsets, a service bar and a concierge service to help visitors learn more about the downtown area or make dinner...

Huawei unveils new 700 MHz base station product.(News)
April 7, 2008... Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. jumped the momentum of the recently completed 700 MHz auction with news that its network solutions for 700 MHz spectrum will be available in the first quarter of 2009. Based on unified base-transceiver station...

Sprint Nextel's Xohm now scheduled for 'later this year'; 'Logistical' troubles cited for delay in network rollout.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Sprint Nextel Corp. isn't committing to any specific launch date for Xohm this time around. The carrier has pushed back rollout of its nationwide WiMAX service - which had been slated to come online this quarter -...

...ETC...(Briefs)
April 7, 2008... Who says wireless shows are boring? Playboy Entertainment Group Inc. kicked off a new mobile initiative at the CTIA Wireless 2008 event in Las Vegas last week complete with the crowning of its first Miss Playboy Mobile during an after-hours...

AT&T debuts touchscreen table to try to enrich user's in-store experience.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO AT&T Mobility hopes a new 30-inch touchscreen table will lead to more customers leaving its stores educated and satisfied with the entire shopping experience - a little fun and simplicity wouldn't hurt either. The...

SprintStudio aims to emphasize interactive, customer service.(Upfront)
April 7, 2008... Byline: KELLY HILL Editor's Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what's hot in wireless. Sprint Nextel Corp. opened a new, flagship store in Kansas...

Remember voice?(News)(Company overview)
April 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Flashback to CTIA Wireless 2006: As former Nokia Corp. CEO Jorma Ollila gave his farewell address to the industry two years ago this spring, he exhorted his audience to keep working on the basics. "There's more to...

Martin to oppose open-access mandates; Uproar from public-interest groups, Skype follows swiftly.(News)
April 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said during a keynote last week at the CTIA Wireless 2008 event that he opposes Skype Ltd.'s petition to impose open access throughout the cellphone industry,...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
April 14, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. We're not sure what all the fuss is over the European Commission giving airline passengers the ability to talk in flight -...

online ? of the week.(News)
April 14, 2008... LTE schedule When will U.S. operators roll out LTE services? 35%: 2010 35%: 2012 19%: not until at least 2013 12%: six months after wimax rolls out significantly Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's...

Stockwatch: April 3 - April 10.(Metrics)
April 14, 2008... 3 tables: Stockwatch: April 3 - April 10 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

Sony Ericsson Z750a lands at AT&T Mobility; HSDPA and fashion at the $50 sweet spot.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON You might be surprised at how much mutual strategy a carrier and handset vendor can pack into a single device. Consider the Z750a by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications for AT&T Mobility. For Sony Ericsson...

To the moon! ICO launching mobile video hopes into space.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS ICO Global Communications Holdings' half billion-dollar gamble leaves the launching pad this week. The Reston, Va.-based firm is slated to launch its $500 million satellite into space Monday, setting the stage for...

Heckuva job redux.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva One hesitates returning to the blame-game that engulfed and sullied the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and other sinister storms of 2005, because - despite failures under...

Texts tapped for alerts; Industry behind service, though government oversight remains vague.
April 14, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission approved technical guidelines for a voluntary mobile phone emergency alert system, but the new public warning regime still lacks a federal coordinator. Verizon Wireless and...

Nokia's Mark Louison: U.S. a game of inches; Unassuming leader aims to strike balance, build trust.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Mark Louison's unassuming manner dovetails well with Nokia Corp.'s efforts to project a kinder, gentler approach to the North American device market, an effort he has led for the past year. "Alignment'' with carrier...

'Mysterious Stranger' still hogs the blogs; Incumbents brandish handsets and hints.(Spotlight)
April 14, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON OK, Mark Twain's "mysterious stranger'' was actually Satan's nephew, and we're certainly not deriding the devilish Steve Jobs or his wonderful company - but the theme of unwanted intrusion is apt. That is, if you...

FCC grants Globalstar approval for hybrid ATC operations; Move questioned by traditional cellular industry.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission agreed to allow Globalstar Inc. to make greater use of land-based wireless facilities in mobile satellite service frequencies licensed to the company. "This action will allow...

TracFone granted USF status; Prepaid carrier can apply for funds in 10 states, D.C.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission said the nation's top prepaid wireless company, TracFone Wireless Inc., is now eligible for universal service subsidies in ten states and the District of Columbia, a move aimed at...

European Commission OKs in-flight cellphone use.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Most travelers can imagine why they might actually need to make an in-flight call on their mobile phone. And most travelers would likely acknowledge that they've survived thus far without doing so. The European...

CRACK DOWN; Proposed bill would give FTC some mobile authority.
April 14, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) introduced a bill to give the Federal Trade Commission authority to crack down on fraudulent and anti-competitive behavior in the mobile phone industry and...

Alcatel-Lucent uses Sierra modules in enterprise laptops.(News)
April 14, 2008... Alcatel-Lucent has tapped Sierra Wireless to supply embedded modules for the infrastructure vendor's wireless laptop security, management and tracking system called the OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian (NLG). Sierra Wireless...

Changing the channel in less than a second; MobiTV touts technology advances.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO MobiTV Inc. has spent the past 18 months developing new technologies that will speed up the time between channel changes to less than a second and optimize cellular network backhaul by automatically switching video...

Survey: wireless-savvy workers have market advantage.(Metrics)
April 14, 2008... Workers with wireless technology expertise could have an edge in the job market in coming years, according to a new study. "A survey of more than 3,500 information technology managers reveals that wireless and RF mobile technology is the...

...ETC...(Briefs)
April 14, 2008... NTT to test mobile aroma services Mobile music is floundering and wireless TV is struggling to gain traction. So NTT Communications is targeting users through their noses. The Japanese telecom announced plans to test a service that...

Passing the baton at CBS Mobile; Roeding leaves, first hire Sellinger to steer biz.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO To hear Cyriac Roeding tell it, CBS Mobile started in 2005 as a "department of one.'' Just two suitcases and three boxes in tow, Roeding left his home in Europe after convincing top executives to let him build a new...

WiMAX market up 20%, has yet to reach tipping point.(Metrics)
April 14, 2008... The global Broadband Wireless Access/WiMAX subscriber base reached nearly 1.8 million during the fourth quarter, according to figures from research firm Maravedis in its WiMAX Counts Quarterly Report. "Even with an increase of more than 20%...

AT&T names Donovan CTO.(News)
April 14, 2008... AT&T Inc. appointed John Donovan as its chief technology officer, replacing Chris Rice, who becomes executive VP of the telecom giant's Shared Services division. Donovan, who will be based in San Antonio, is charged with overseeing the...

Virgin Mobile USA to use Limbo content for promotions.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile entertainment community Limbo inked a year-long deal with Virgin Mobile USA Inc. to offer mobile promotions to customers. Limbo, a 2-year-old startup headed by founders of the mobile marketing firm Enpocket,...

USTR cites continued struggles for telecom in China.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration said various trade barriers remain in the world biggest wireless market, China. Among the concerns flagged by the U.S. trade representative in its annual review of telecom trade agreements...

Top 10 U.S. Wireless Operators.(Spotlight)
April 14, 2008... Editor's notes: The companies listed below represent the 10 largest national and regional licensed wireless carriers based on subscriber numbers at the end of 2007. AT&T Mobility maintained its position as the industry's No. 1 carrier,...

Content crossroads.(Opinion)
April 14, 2008... Byline: Tracy Ford With so many smart people in the wireless industry, how can there be so many problems with mobile content? At CTIA Wireless 2008, I had the privilege of moderating a panel on mobile content sales, and had the luxury...

Moto and Icahn: truce! Zander era over, company names new chairman.
April 14, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Motorola Inc. made two major moves last week to put its house in order as it works to revive its flagging mobile device business. First, the company and investor Carl Icahn agreed to seat one of Icahn's allies on...

9 years ago this week.(News)
April 14, 2008... GTE Corp. reported plans to purchase 20 Ameritech Corp. wireless properties in the Midwest, including Chicago and St. Louis, that Ameritech was forced to divest following its merger with SBC.

MyClick to power Pepsi promotion in China.(News)
April 14, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Pepsi-Cola has tapped Hong Kong's MyClick Media to handle the mobile extension of a cross-platform marketing campaign targeting young consumers in China. The contest encourages users to upload photos as well as...

VeriSign spins off analytics biz; Move creates new company focused on growth in mobile.(Upfront)
April 14, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS It seems there's no shortage of players looking to help carriers compile all the customer information that can be gleaned from their networks. But it appears network operators are still at a loss at what to do with the...

Nonprofits find profits in mobile.
April 14, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Attendees heard plenty at the recent CTIA Wireless 2008 event about all the sexy things in the mobile space including music, video and, of course, mobile advertising. But the quiet world of wireless donations may be...

New legislation targets wireless taxes; Industry behind bill seeking 5-year ban on new taxes.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Chris Cannon (R-Utah) introduced a bill last week to impose a five-year freeze on new discriminatory state and local wireless taxes. "The wireless sector of the technology industry...

Oakland resident files antitrust charges against Qualcomm; Lawsuit mirrors charges previously filed by Broadcom.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A class-action antitrust lawsuit has been filed against San Diego-based CDMA technology giant Qualcomm Inc.. The suit appears to echo similar claims filed against Qualcomm by rival Broadcom, but was filed by an...

House bill would outlaw cellphones on U.S. airplanes; Legislation follows European moves toward chatting while flying.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Key House members introduced a bill to ban cellphone use on in-flight airplanes, triggering a rebuke by a Georgia wireless technology firm. "The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their...

Both sides argue freedom in text messaging debate; Public Knowledge says carriers will discriminate, operators say they should get to choose marketing partners.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Public-interest groups reiterated their call for federal regulators to protect text-messaging rights, framing the debate as far-reaching in terms of the potential implications for free speech, disability access and...

Alltel nailed with billing class action.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A class-action lawsuit filed last week against Alltel Corp. accuses the regional carrier of adding unauthorized charges on subscribers' monthly bills. The suit focuses on the relationships between Alltel and...

Sales of PC cards set to quadruple by 2011.(Metrics)
April 21, 2008... Mobile data card sales will quadruple between 2007 and 2011 to reach $2.9 billion, according to predictions from Infonetics Research. The report suggest mobile data cards could threaten the Wi-Fi hot spot market as HSDPA and EV-DO...

A-VSB throws hat in mobile TV standards ring; Technology has big backers, but demo proves work still needed.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO A group of five companies working on a mobile TV standard for broadcasters is making progress on the development of A-VSB, the technology it's proposing to be chosen, and demonstrated the service on a variety of screens...

Climate change.(Opinion)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva For public safety, the political atmospherics have changed from what they were just a year ago when federal regulators understandably gave great weight to first responders' suggestions on how to write rules for a...

Interconnection tiff ensnares telecom giants; AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel ask courts, FCC to intervene.(Upfront)
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Verizon Communications Inc. sued Sprint Nextel Corp. in Delaware federal court, accusing the No. 3 mobile-phone operator of failing to pay nearly $10 million in interconnection charges. A lot of money, but the...

D Block: Looking back and moving forward.
April 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA So what will it be for the sequestered 700 MHz D Block? A few tweaks here and there, an approach one lawmaker dismissively coined `D Block lite'? A complete overhaul? Or something in between? That's the...

Push for mobile TV; Potential bringing more competitors to the table.
April 21, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Ever since television was invented in 1926, the industry has seen over-the-air broadcasts reach more screens as the medium exploded in popularity. The industry's first push was to get a single TV set into as many living...

LG surpasses shipments forecast.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON LG Electronics Co. Ltd. shipped 24.4 million handsets in the first quarter, above analysts' estimates of 23 million to 24 million units, with growth attributed to a surge in the United States. Handset sales for LG...

Carriers work at enterprise mobility space; Everyone's differentiator is 'the network' and 'the partnerships'.(Spotlight)
April 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Competitive pressures are leading American companies to adopt mobility for the obvious reasons: increasing productivity, decreasing costs and distinguishing themselves among their competitors. The top three carriers...

Verizon Wireless to use AOL platform for online, mobile.(Upfront)
April 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Verizon Wireless has tapped AOL L.L.C.'s Platform-A as a "major advertising provider'' of its online and mobile Internet destinations. The operator said it will use Platform-A's sales force as well as its...

Sean Rosenberg.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Five years after 50 Cent's "In Da Club'' helped launch the multibillion-dollar ringtone phenomenon - and as CD sales continue to plummet - the music industry continues to look for its second hit in mobile. We talked to...

A simple conundrum.(Opinion)
April 21, 2008... Byline: Dan Meyer One of the hot topics leading into the CTIA Wireless 2008 event earlier this month was the recent move by carriers to offer unlimited, flat-rate calling plans. While I didn't have much time to discuss the move with...

VC FINANCING.(Spotlight)
April 21, 2008... The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced so far this month. The value of the investment is included when available. * Aperto: Quicksilver Ventures led a $20 million equity round of...

MetroPCS launches PTT service that can jump wireline gap.(News)
April 21, 2008... Regional wireless operator MetroPCS Communications Inc. introduced its ChatLink, service, a push-to-talk feature that allows its subscribers to use PTT services with people outside of MetroPCS' network. Kodiak Networks, which powers the...

...ETC...(Briefs)
April 21, 2008... What about the shoe phone? Echoflex Solutions Inc. introduced a self-powered wireless key switch, which the company said can reduce the cost of powering unoccupied hotel rooms. The switch is activated by hotel key cards and generates its...

GSM growth expected to slow through 2009.(Metrics)
April 21, 2008... Global GSM subscriber growth is expected to slow from 22% year-over-year in 2006 and 2007 to 14% in 2008 and 2009, according to a new forecast from ABI Research. The slowdown will mainly be due to increased migration to UMTS 3G...

Big 2 add rate plans for texters, small biz.(Upfront)
April 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The wireless industry's two heavyweights continued to tweak their service plans; AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless each offered up new packages targeted at different demographics. AT&T Mobility unveiled a new...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
April 21, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. So what's up with Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin? He must have been pretty cranky when BusinessWeek interviewed him for a story...

Industry giants agree on LTE IPR; Qualcomm notably absent from list.(News)
April 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON The market for Long Term Evolution technology took another step forward last week as seven infrastructure heavyweights announced a framework for licensing the rights to the next-generation wireless standard. ...

Nokia delivers sales, earnings, volumes; But flat forecast for market's value sends stock tumbling.(News)(Industry overview)(Financial report)
April 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Nokia Corp. last week posted strong results for the typically tepid first quarter, with jumps in revenue, profit and handset shipments. But a slight sequential erosion in market share, a big dip in average selling...