RCR Wireless News articles from August 2006

RCR Wireless News archives from August 2006

Connectivity to information last differentiator among portable navigation devices.(Focus)
August 7, 2006... New competitors will threaten the established portable navigation device vendors, said ABI Research. The enormous market expansion and related price war in the consumer navigation market is no longer new. What has changed is that the...

Top 10 North American Aftermarket Telematics Vendors.(Focus)
August 7, 2006... 1. Guidepoint Systems 2. MicroTRAKgps 3.Crimestopper Security. 4. Directed Electronics Inc. 5. AirIQ Inc. 6. LandAirSea 7. Alltrack USA 8. Numerex Corp. 9. Skytel 10. Millennium Plus L.L.C. Source:...

2 years ago this month...(Metrics)
August 7, 2006... Leap Wireless International Inc. emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after reducing its debt load from $2.4 billion to $390 million and transferring nine licenses to Leap Creditor Trust.

Fast Fact.(Metrics)
August 7, 2006... Sixteen suppliers have launched 50 HSDPA-enabled devices, doubling the number of HSDPA products launched. Source: GSA, the Global mobile Suppliers Association

RCRNews.com.(News)
August 7, 2006... Did you enjoy Chris Boyer's editorial cartoon on page 10 in this week's issue of RCR Wireless News? Visit www.RCRNews.com to see Chris' cartoons from past issues.

AWS Auction.(News)
August 7, 2006... table: see print copy. Editor's Note: Following is the list of upcoming bidders in the advanced wireless services acution, significant investors if known, and the amount of money they deposited to participate in the auction, set to start...

Stock Watch: July 27-August 3.(Metrics)
August 7, 2006... table: Stock Watch: July 27-August 3 * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
August 7, 2006... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Welcome to Hedgehogging. As you know from your own jobs, something is always happening in the wireless space. Some of it...

Cingular TDMA, analog customers hit with additional usage fee.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL If you're a Cingular Wireless L.L.C. customer, having an out-of-date wireless phone is going to cost you. The nation's largest wireless carrier will soon start charging customers an additional $5 each month if they...

Virgin Mobile USA links debit card, airtime credit.(News)
August 7, 2006... Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. is expanding it customers' ability to earn free airtime by launching a prepaid Visa debit card that will be linked to Virgin Mobile USA phones. The "Stash'' prepaid debit card will be issued by Inter National Bank...

Background tones try to be heard above the din; U.S. buys ringback tones more than games.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Just when you thought mobile music personalization applications couldn't get any more disruptive, along come background tones. The latest-but surely not last-step in the evolution of such offerings, background tones...

Infrastructure Awards.(Metrics)
August 7, 2006... Following are infrastructure contracts announced in July: Alcatel China: With Jilin Mobile Communications Co. to provide a mobile NGN system and expand the carrier's existing mobile network. Value: $63.8 million Russia: With...

Japanese point, click phone to get info.(Focus)
August 7, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Location-based services seem to encompass consumer applications that generate plenty of excitement among consumers, yet somehow, uptake of LBS applications is not exactly booming-except in cars. Cell-phone users in...

StarCore exits chip efforts.(News)
August 7, 2006... StarCore L.L.C. is closing up shop due to a lack of success in licensing its early digital signal processor family of chips. The company had hoped to challenge Texas Instruments Inc.'s leadership position in the DSP market. The shutdown is...

Nortel's stock slump bolsters earnings.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Nortel Networks Ltd. swung from a $33 million net loss at the close of last year's second quarter to a profit of $366 million this year, thanks to a 30-percent decline of its stock price during the quarter. The company's...

Alcatel buys Fujitsu's UMTS stake.(News)
August 7, 2006... Alcatel Inc. appears to be strengthening its UMTS market share as the French vendor bought out Fujitsu's 34-percent stake in the pair's UMTS joint venture, while at the same time, reports began surfacing saying Alcatel is on the brink of buying...

FCC to re-examine rules for 700 MHz auction.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Federal Communications Commission is re-examining the service and licensing rules for the 700 MHz spectrum it plans to auction in 2008, and will consider changing how the spectrum is divvied up as well...

SEC launches investigation of Crown Castle.(News)
August 7, 2006... Following Crown Castle International Corp.'s good news-the company's shrinking net loss in the second quarter-the company released some not-so-good news that the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an informal inquiry into the...

The OS horserace: Symbian on the inside track?(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON The Symbian operating system, championed by Nokia Corp. in its smart phones, currently has a majority of OS market share, a state of affairs likely to continue for the foreseeable future, according to projections from...

Other news from the LBS sector:.(Focus)
August 7, 2006... * Digital map developer Navteq announced a product licensing agreement with LandSonar, a predictive traffic supplier. The deal gives Navteq the right to use LandSonar's Predictive Speed product, which estimates trip time and advises routes...

Mobile VoIP may get boost from new technologies; Trans Con Mobile, xG plan to disrupt VoIP, cellular, Wi-Fi.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Trans Con Mobile Ltd. recently announced that after two years of developing mobile Voice over Internet Protocol technology, the Israeli company's proprietary base stations and handsets are in the final stages of testing;...

When push comes to shove; Ericsson and Samsung counter-sue over IPR.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON A well-worn maxim has it that "politics make strange bedfellows,'' which might be tweaked to reflect the wireless industry's sometimes odd match-ups. Companies that compete also cooperate, often at the nitty-gritty...

Openwave improves 4Q loss.(News)
August 7, 2006... Openwave Systems Inc. reported substantially improved net loss figures during its fourth quarter, but revenues declined. For the quarter, Openwave reported revenues of $91.1 million, down 9 percent from revenues of $100.3 million during the...

Investors flat on SBA's higher losses.(News)
August 7, 2006... SBA Communications Corp., the nation's fourth-largest tower owner, posted second-quarter losses of $75.6 million despite increased revenues of $87.4 million. Last year in the same quarter the company recorded $63.2 million in revenues and a...

Size defines net neutrality.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER While the network-neutrality issue holds up telecommunications reform, fissures in the telecom industry between big and little carriers are forming. Generally large carriers-both wireline and...

ZTE unveils TD-SCDMA/GSM device.(News)
August 7, 2006... Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer ZTE Corp. launched a dual-mode TD-SCDMA/GSM handset. The U350 model features dual standby capability, which allows users to put a call in one mode on hold to take a separate call in the other mode....

Getting ready for the gold rush.(Opinion)
August 7, 2006... Byline: Tracy Ford As the bidders restlessly wait for the advanced wireless services auction to begin, the big question is whether TV interests-cable TV companies and satellite TV providers-are going to make a serious play for spectrum in...

Industry looks to Congress after losing line-item ruling in court.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Wireless industry trade association CTIA is pushing Congress to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that said the Federal Communications Commission overreached when it said states could not prohibit...

Etc.(Briefs)
August 7, 2006... Lindsay Lohan's BlackBerry has apparently been hacked, and some are pointing the finger at her archrival Paris Hilton. A spokesperson for Lohan said somebody stole the password to the actress' BlackBerry and then sent sordid messages to her...

New Mexico ISP installs MeshDynamics' Wi-Fi in resort town.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE As EarthLink Inc. prepares to unwire Pasadena, Calif., using gear from Tropos Networks Inc. and Motorola Inc., another vendor is celebrating the deployment of its Wi-Fi mesh network equipment in Red River, N.M., where...

2Q slams Sprint Nextel, boosts Verizon Wireless.
August 7, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL Polar opposite pictures of the second quarter emerged last week from Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. as the industry's No. 2 and No. 3 operators reported financial results. Verizon Wireless' parent company,...

Regionals provide 2Q spark.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL It was a good quarter for some regional providers of wireless service, with healthy growth and increasing average revenue per user. Alltel Alltel Corp. posted strong second-quarter results with plusses and...

Cingular, T-Mobile USA tweak family plans.(News)
August 7, 2006... T-Mobile USA Inc. has tweaked its pricing options with a promotional "back to school'' plan for families that includes 1,000 anytime minutes for $50 per month. The plan does not include free weeknight or weekend calling, but does include...

Qwest launches full-track music downloads using Sprint Music Store.(News)
August 7, 2006... Qwest Communications International Inc. has quietly launched Sprint Nextel Corp.'s full-track music download service for Qwest wireless customers. The mobile virtual network operator is carrying the Sprint Music Store, which allows users...

EA shares jump on strong forecast.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. surged after the publisher posted strong first-quarter sales of its Microsoft Corp. Xbox and mobile-phone offerings The videogame giant reported mobile revenues of $33 million in its...

Sprint Nextel speeds Rev. A plans.(News)
August 7, 2006... Despite disappointing quarterly results, Sprint Nextel Corp. reaffirmed its commitment to upgrading its network to CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A. The carrier said it plans to cover approximately 40 million potential customers with the...

Handset help.(News)
August 7, 2006... Sprint Nextel is hoping the addition of Motorola Inc.'s wildly successful handset lineup will help turn around its stagnating customer growth results. The carrier announced last week that it plans to add Motorola's Q smartphone, Slvr...

Wireless puzzles over FCC's 'toll' rules USF.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER CTIA is asking the Federal Communications Commission to clarify recent universal-service rules that have sparked a puzzling situation where the FCC has accused the industry of not fully reporting its "toll''...

`Amp'd powered by Telus' hits Canadians.(Late News)
August 7, 2006... Canadian telecommunications company Telus has announced a partnership with mobile virtual network operator Amp'd Mobile Inc. in which Telus subscribers will have access to Amp'd services and content and Telus will manage most of the business...

SPARRING FOR SPECTRUM; AWS auction pits cellular, TV interests.
August 7, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL Bidding in the government's auction of advanced wireless services spectrum is set to start Wednesday, but the jockeying and speculation has already begun as satellite and cable consortiums set themselves up to do battle...

Buongiorno to spend up to $27M for Rocket Mobile.(News)
August 7, 2006... Content aggregator Buongiorno USA Inc. is looking to expand its presence in North America with plans to spend as much as $27 million to acquire application developer Rocket Mobile. The subsidiary of Buongiorno SpA Group agreed to a $17...

LG Electronics looks to close gap with HSDPA phone.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON If the growth in handset sales in mature markets such as the United States slowed somewhat at mid-year, as some market and financial analysts have suggested, one explanation may be the dearth of new product launches....

Confident Jack.(Opinion)
August 7, 2006... Byline: Dan Meyer As is often the case, confidence comes with success. Enter Cingular Wireless L.L.C. After a couple of quarters of robust customer growth befitting the nation's largest wireless operator, Cingular has decided to...

Subway to offer mobile coupons via MobileLime.(News)
August 7, 2006... MobileLime, which focuses on using mobile phones for marketing and loyalty programs, said it is working with a dozen Subway sandwich shop franchises in Buffalo, N.Y., to offer alerts and coupons t to mobile-phone users. The program is part...

E3 to tone it down.(News)
August 7, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The videogame industry's annual extravaganza of booth babes, deafening sound effects and eye-popping displays is lowering its profile. And mobile game makers aren't complaining. The Electronic Entertainment Expo,...

Would change in rev share bolster data?
August 7, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Operators around the world are rolling out sexy new services like mobile TV and full-track downloads in an effort to compensate for razor-thin margins for voice service and see a return on investments in 3G technology....

Juniper: Mobile music leans toward full-track downloads.(News)
August 7, 2006... The mobile music market may be on the cusp of shifting away from ringtones to over-the-air full-track music services, according to research from Juniper Research. The shift is being driven by new technologies like third-generation networks...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
August 7, 2006... Dano's column to silence PTT chirp ignores tech benefits Dear Editor, I was compelled to respond to Mike Dano's article, "Worst of the Week: Push-To-Silence-PTT,'' on RCRNews.com July 27, in which he writes "the thing about...

Orbitz circles onto wireless.(News)
August 7, 2006... Online travel company Orbitz launched a service allowing customers to find hotel rooms, view travel itineraries and check the status of flights from mobile phones. The off-deck offering is free aside from carrier data charges, and can be...

Driving LBS.(Focus)
August 7, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Commercial telematics, in particular mobile research management, is driving location-based services today, according to ABI Research. But the next big battleground will be to add Web portals to vehicle navigation...

Fast Fact.(Metrics)
August 14, 2006... Photo messaging among U.S. wireless users has increased nearly one-third since February, ahead of a 20-percent increase in France and 16-percent increase in the United Kingdom. Source: M:Metrics

Mobile CAPEX down, wireline up.(Metrics)
August 14, 2006... Second-quarter capital expenditures declined for North American mobile operators, according to data from Ovum-RHK. Wireline capex, meanwhile, showed strong growth.

22 years ago this month...(Metrics)
August 14, 2006... RCR Wireless News reported that more than 5,000 cellular applications had been submitted for the fourth round of the FCC lottery of cellular licenses. Round four was the first round applicants knew the FCC planned to use a lottery method for...

RCRNews.com.(News)
August 14, 2006... RCR Wireless News is all over the FCC's auction of AWS spectrum. Visit www.RCRNews.com for up-to-the-minute news and round-by-round results.

In next week's issue.(News)
August 14, 2006... How are the wireless industry's largest handset makers stacking up against each other? Find out in RCR Wireless News' Focus by Phil Carson next week.

Stock Watch: August 3-August 10.(Metrics)
August 14, 2006... table: Stock Watch: August 3-August 10 * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

Shares of MonsterMob jump amid acquisition talk.(News)
August 14, 2006... Shares of content aggregator MonsterMob Group plc received a much-needed boost after the company acknowledged it may be a target for acquisition. MonsterMob, which operates ringtone storefronts in the United States, Europe and Asia, said...

Open standards to steer mobile e-mail's future.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Research In Motion Ltd. will likely continue to dominate the high-end mobile e-mail market, according to Strategy Analytics. But the growing number of open-standard service providers will drive the market in the long...

Class-action lawsuit filed against 3% federal excise tax refund.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Low-income consumers will be harmed by the government's plan to refund the 3-percent federal excise tax on long-distance communications because the rules require them to file income-tax returns, according to...

Mobile gamers flock to simple games.(Special Report)
August 14, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile gaming enthusiasts envision the day when they can play massive multiplayer titles that combine real-time interaction and pinpoint location capabilities with eye-catching, 3-D graphics. For now, though, the...

WiderThan 2Q income doubles.(News)
August 14, 2006... Mobile entertainment company WiderThan Co. Ltd. reported increased income and revenue for the second quarter. Net income clocked in at $4.6 million, more than double the net income of $1.6 million reported during the same period last year....

South Dakotans to vote on wireless tax; Court rules in favor of Verizon Wireless' ballot initiative.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER South Dakota citizens in November will be able to vote to repeal a 4-percent gross-receipts tax on wireless service after the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled the initiative could be placed on the ballot. ...

Alltel to offer XM radio.(News)
August 14, 2006... XM Satellite Radio Corp. notched its first deal with a U.S. carrier, teaming with Alltel Corp. to offer 20 channels of commercial-free music. The service, available for $8 a month, offers several music genres including pop, alternative,...

SunCom taps Napster for full-track music downloads.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. became the latest carrier to step onto the full-track download playground, teaming with digital music provider Napster L.L.C. to offer a relatively vast library of 2 million tunes. ...

InfoSonics sees major drop in U.S. business.(News)
August 14, 2006... Wireless handset distribution company InfoSonics Corp. saw its second-quarter profit fall due to stock-option charges. Net income for the quarter was $127,000, down significantly from net income of $408,000 during the same period last year....

Brightpoint nabs T-Mobile USA, MetroPCS deals.(News)
August 14, 2006... Brightpoint Inc. said it has signed a three-year master services agreement with T-Mobile USA Inc., which calls for its Brightpoint Services L.L.C. business unit to provide all of the carrier's handset logistics in the United States. ...

Study: Mobile TV market poised for consolidation.(Metrics)
August 14, 2006... The U.S. mobile video market can't support all the multimedia networks scheduled to come online in the next 18 months, according to a new report from Parks Associates. The prospects appear bright for Sprint Nextel Corp.'s planned WiMAX...

Alltel offers podcasts through Melodeo.(News)
August 14, 2006... Alltel Corp. and Melodeo Inc. announced they are working together to offer podcasts to Alltel subscribers. The Axcess Mobilcast service is expected to allow Alltel subscribers to search and listen to thousands of podcasts on their wireless...

APCO endorses Cyren proposal.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Association of Public-safety Communications Officials endorsed a proposal submitted earlier this year by Cyren Call Communications Corp. that would set aside 30 megahertz of spectrum in the upper 700 MHz...

Sprint Nextel choose WiMAX, but operational issues linger.
August 14, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL When Sprint Nextel Corp. unveiled its choice of next-generation network technology last week, there appeared to be two types of reactions: "Finally!'' and "Quit trying to distract us.'' After months of hints and...

2-year contracts trip up T-Mobile USA's growth.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL In a quarter where the carrier transitioned from one-year to two-year service contracts, T-Mobile USA Inc.'s net customer additions were down sharply and its churn was up. Service revenues increased 18 percent...

D.C. Circuit may be reviewing CALEA impact on broadband.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER A federal appeals court-which earlier sided with the Federal Communications Commission that VoIP and broadband Internet services must comply with the digital wiretap act-may be questioning itself. The...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
August 14, 2006... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Welcome to Hedgehogging, the editorial staff's weekly column about wireless-related stories that got us talking this week....

Late News.
August 14, 2006... Sprint Nextel wins $1M from data broker Sprint Nextel Corp. said it won a $1 million settlement in its case against data broker 1st Source Information Specialists Inc. Sprint Nextel secured a permanent injunction against the company in...

Rural carriers push for FCC investigation of roaming pacts.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER In any policy dispute, the perception of what is really happening often depends on who is talking. Such is the case with the decade-long roaming quarrel between nationwide carriers and several small,...

AWS spectrum could be boon for tower players.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE In addition to the potential impact from Sprint Nextel Corp.'s WiMAX deployment, analyst firms expect tower companies to see an impact from the ongoing advanced wireless services spectrum auction. In a recent report,...

Tower firms post mixed 2Q, bet on bright WiMAX buildout.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE There's nothing like a new nationwide WiMAX network to invigorate the already booming tower industry, though news of Sprint Nextel Corp.'s WiMAX plans didn't come in time to boost second-quarter results from Global...

Nokia banks on music with Loudeye buy.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Nokia Corp. is buying its way onto the mobile music playground, agreeing to acquire distributor Loudeye Corp. for $60 million. But the key to success in mobile music still lies in the devices. The world's largest...

UMA networks, handsets start to hit market; Interest bigger in Europe.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON The beauty of unlicensed mobile access, or UMA, it seems, is in the eyes of the beholder. The question of the technology's appeal to network operators who might deploy it depends on the particular operator's...

AWS auction tops $2.4B after 8 rounds.
August 14, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL In the first few days of jockeying for position in the Federal Communications Commission's auction of advanced wireless services spectrum, T-Mobile USA Inc. has been battling to expand its footprint, and the bidding...

Better than eBay.(Opinion)
August 14, 2006... Byline: Mike Dano The nation's largest-ever spectrum auction is in full swing, and at the end of round five, the U.S. government has already raised nearly $1.5 billion. When you think about it, that's a truly amazing statistic. In...

Alcatel Lucent chosen as moniker for merged network vendors, Lucent shareholders set to vote.(News)
August 14, 2006... Lucent Technologies Inc. filed a document with the Securities and Exchange Commission stating that once its acquisition by Alcatel Inc. closes, the combined company will be called Alcatel Lucent. The SEC filing contains a letter from Lucent...

Philips Semiconductor sold to private-equity firm; Repositions for future competition.(News)
August 14, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON Look out, Texas Instruments Inc. and Infineon Technologies AG. Your closest competitor in EDGE baseband chips and W-CDMA RF transceivers, respectively-Philips Semiconductor-has a new, ambitious owner anxious to position...

RIM offers defense for BlackBerry Trojan.(News)
August 14, 2006... An e-mail Trojan targeting Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry users has been developed and, according to its inventor, will be released into "the wild''-that is, launched in public, not just circulated among hackers-this week. That news has led...