RCR Wireless News articles from December 2007

RCR Wireless News archives from December 2007

Zander exits Motorola on his own terms; Investors exhale, gird for long haul as Brown tries to resurrect revenues.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Swapping out a chief executive sends a message of change. In the case of Ed Zander's long-anticipated departure from his CEO position at Motorola Inc., the message-new leadership-appears to require more information....

AT&T Mobility embraces 'Cyber Monday'; Carrier's deep online discounts led its December push.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Conventional wisdom has American shoppers descending like locusts on brick-and-mortar retail stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving-presumably working off the turkey-and-gravy by lightening their wallets-then returning...

Developers applaud open-access plans.(Upfront)
December 3, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Verizon Wireless's plans to take a wrecking ball to its garden walls got plenty of attention. What the move means for developers, though, is far from clear. The most closed mobile operator in the United States vowed...

Promises of more device choices; Details likely after 700 MHz auction.
December 3, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Verizon Wireless' declaration last week that "any application, any device'' will run on its network next year was clearly an overstatement, though executives acknowledged later that its CDMA network allows only...

Place your bets; Trio of standards vie for 4G supremacy.(Spotlight)
December 3, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO A world of overlapping fourth-generation wireless technologies is still years in the offing even by the most optimistic observers, yet there's already a growing market for companies looking to prepare for the next...

iPhone launched in France, 3G coming in 2008.(Upfront)
December 3, 2007... France Telecom-owned Orange launched Apple Inc.'s iPhone for $589 with one of four plans, ranging from $72 to $176 per month. Without one of those four plans, but presumably with an Orange contract, the device is priced at $811. With no...

Qualcomm gets breathing room; Procedural victories precede extensive legal slate.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Some sense that fortune has finally broken in its favor has Qualcomm Inc. glad for "small victories,'' though the company acknowledges it has a heaping plate of legal challenges ahead. Last month, a federal judge in...

Tripp Rackley.(Interview)
December 3, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Firethorn Holdings L.L.C. has been a driving force behind many of the major mobile banking announcements within the past year. Recent news that chip maker Qualcomm Inc. would acquire the company has been taken as both a...

Femtocells look promising, but care is needed.(Metrics)
December 3, 2007... Carriers should be careful when developing a plan to deploy femtocells, according to a new report from Analysis. The firm said widespread deployment of the indoor base stations could begin as early as next year, but that large-scale rollout...

...ETC...(Etc.)
December 3, 2007... Alltel's 'Best Holiday' Alltel is running a series of animated holiday television advertisements that feature Chad, the Alltel Wireless salesman, as he squares off against the four "Sales Guys'' who are trying to ruin Christmas for good...

Charting Q3.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Kelly Hill The third quarter of 2007 saw few changes to the relative positions of the ten largest wireless carriers, but pending acquisitions soon will continue the industry's march toward consolidation. AT&T Mobility had a...

Qualcomm buffeted by tech market.(Spotlight)
December 3, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON News broke last week that Verizon Wireless would pursue Long Term Evolution technology as its next-generation play, which hurts Qualcomm Inc.'s prospects. Qualcomm is proffering CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Rev. C, or Ultra-Mobile...

Shifts and earthquakes.(Opinion)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Tracy Ford Verizon Wireless' announcements that it would open its network to certified devices and apps-and further, that it has selected LTE for its fourth-generation technology-kept us pretty busy last week, to say the least. ...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
December 3, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Word has it that German mobile virtual network operator Debitel is offering to rebate almost $900 to people who want to buy...

Glu scoops up Chinese game publisher.(News)
December 3, 2007... Glu Mobile Inc. will step up its efforts in China with the acquisition of fellow mobile game publisher Beijing Zhangzhong MIG Information Technology Co. Ltd. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company will pay $14.7 million in cash and as much as...

GAME ON; Vollee looks to leverage networks to enhance games.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS It seems the entire mobile gaming industry is scampering to churn out pick-up-and-play, made-for-mobile titles that emphasize simplicity and downplay rich graphics and other sophisticated features. Vollee Inc. is...

Verizon Wireless' LTE decision puts ball in UMB, WiMAX court; Winners obvious, losers still a question.
December 3, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Following Verizon Wireless' announcement that it will use Long Term Evolution technology for its fourth-generation network, many who follow the industry immediately began to peg some infrastructure vendors as winners and...

Employment law ruling may impact wireless operators; Case calls into question legality of arbitration clauses.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile phone industry urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling in which a California state law trumped the Federal Arbitration Act. The high court, which agreed to review the case, Preston...

Yes, FCC, there is an ordering clause.(Opinion)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva There's an interesting legal argument whose resolution by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could impact small-business bidding rules, last year's wireless auction and perhaps even the upcoming 700 MHz auction. Or...

Tapping into packets; Wireless operators resist DOJ wiretap efforts.(Upfront)
December 3, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry suddenly finds itself on opposite sides of Bush administration wiretapping efforts, as the White House attempts to overcome congressional opposition to immunizing telecom companies from...

VZW's open access plans fail to dissuade Google's auction aims.
December 3, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The $4.6 billion question has been answered. Google Inc. is in. The Internet search engine giant said it will participate-alone-in the 700 MHz auction set to begin Jan. 24. "We believe it's important to put our...

VZW cracks open network door.
December 3, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL It was no coincidence that Verizon Wireless chose to make two major announcements last week-each one laid out a separate step toward a 4G future driven by connectivity for consumer-electronics devices. Dick Lynch,...

Sprint Nextel sued over billing practices by California group.(News)
December 3, 2007... A California consumer group has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Sprint Nextel Corp. accusing the No. 3 mobile-phone carrier of improperly assessing taxes and fees on broadband data customers. The San Diego-based Utility Consumers'...

LTE gets VZW nod.
December 3, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Verizon Wireless last week confirmed what executives from its parent companies have been hinting at for some time: the carrier will move away from CDMA technology for its next-generation network, and embrace the...

Amid objections, Euro-commission closes in on DVB-H standard.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO The European Commission has taken another major step toward formally adopting DVB-H as a European-wide standard for mobile television services. The commission intends to finalize the adoption by February. The...

Business apps to drive mobile data.(Metrics)
December 3, 2007... A recent report from ABI Research says mobile line of business services revenues could reach nearly $5 billion by 2012. The firm noted enterprise data is typically available to employees only on company premises via computers connected to a...

Sprint Nextel adds NFL video updates, VZW to push NHL video.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Homes with access to the NFL Network may be hard to find, but Sprint Nextel Corp. is giving the new channel more exposure by adding live NFL game coverage and other key moments of all games televised on the network to...

Contracts.(News)
December 3, 2007... The following contracts were announced in November: Alcatel-Lucent Australia: With Telstra Corp. to provide its Mobile Interactive TV solution. Value: Undisclosed France: With Bouygues Telecom to supply 3G/HSPA network...

Virgin Mobile USA sued over IPO.(News)
December 3, 2007... A class-action law firm has begun an investigation into mobile virtual network operator Virgin Mobile USA Inc. to determine if it bears any civil liability under federal securities laws to its shareholders. Kahn Gauthier Swick L.L.C....

Stockwatch: November 21 - November 29.(Metrics)
December 3, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: November 21 - November 29 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy

11 years ago this week.(News)
December 3, 2007... NextWave Personal Communications Inc. denied it had exceeded federal rules regarding foreign-ownership caps related to its ability to become a personal communications services licensee. Critics had accused NextWave of having too much foreign...

Online ? of the week.(Opinion)
December 3, 2007... Do you support open Access? 69% YES 31% NO Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

Handset price changes.(Upfront)
December 3, 2007... Handset pricing changes are from carrier sites and include changes between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. Prices include all applicable rebates. table: see print copy

SPRINT NEXTEL 2 GHZ RELOCATION PROGRESS REPORT.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... To date seven markets have completed the relocation and Sprint Nextel expects Las Vegas will be completed by the end of the year. BAS licensees have finalized and received approval of "quote packages'' for new equipment for more than 70% of...

NOKIA WORLD; Strategies for the U.S., emerging markets.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Nokia Corp.'s strategy hasn't wavered much in the past few years and the message for 2008 is essentially more of the same. While at one end of the spectrum, the Finnish company is eyeing more feature-rich devices and...

Early impressions of Euro-iPhone launch mixed; Apple brand, price and iPod Touch factors cited.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON For spectators at the iPhone circus, two basic questions seem prevalent. Will Apple Inc. sustain the brisk sales of its signature handset at AT&T Mobility here in the United States? And, in the circus'...

Touring Verizon Wireless' interactive 'Evolution' stores.(Upfront)(Interview)
December 17, 2007... 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. Verizon Wireless' new Evolution stores emphasize interactivity...

...ETC...(Etc.)
December 17, 2007... Mountain high Trango Systems Inc. said it is supplying the Mount Washington Observatory with high-speed fixed wireless point-to-point wireless backhaul and point-to-multipoint broadband access equipment. Mount Washington Observatory is a...

What a year.(Opinion)
December 17, 2007... Byline: Tracy Ford What a perfectly odd year it has been. Indeed, I think 2007 will go down as a year filled with surprises in the wireless space. A few of the major twists and turns this year: * A cellphone with a closed operating...

Verizon Wireless to distribute Cartoon Network games.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Cartoon Network has inked a partnership with Smashing Ideas to develop and distribute a variety of Cartoon Network-branded mobile games, animated screensavers and wallpapers. Verizon Wireless is the first operator on board to carry the catalog....

Wireless carriers question proposal to cap USF; Rural operators fear temporary cap could become permanent.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA More than a dozen small- and medium-sized cellphone carriers raised concerns with key Senate lawmakers about a federal-state panel's recommendation on federal subsidies. The suggestions, made last month, were to...

Gonzo regulation, or piling on?(Opinion)
December 17, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Love him or hate him-there's probably little middle ground-you've got to feel for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin these days. The head of the Republican-led FCC is under increasing fire from...

DE rules challenged; Trio of DEs, Verizon Wireless question wholesale terms for 700 MHZ auction.
December 17, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Rules that would make it easier for small businesses to bid for the D-Block license in the upcoming January auction are under attack from the three companies that have entangled the Federal Communications Commission...

Google, Philips, Microsoft, Moto tee up for fresh round of white-spaces testing.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The debate whether to unleash a potentially huge amount of vacant broadcast spectrum-called white spaces-for Wi-Fi and other low-power wireless applications has reached a critical juncture, with federal regulators set...

Linux camps fight to lure developers; LiPS Forum issues specs, focuses on telephony.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Separate mobile Linux efforts have been cited by competitors as likely to lead to fragmentation. That's an ongoing debate, to be sure. But one Linux camp and an analyst said last week that "fragmentation''...

Femtocell profits a waiting game.(Metrics)
December 17, 2007... A new report from ABI Research says carriers need to keep long-term considerations in mind when formulating their femtocell strategies, because femtocell solutions probably won't generate profits until three or more years after services are...

GPS tracking set to boom in Western Europe.(Metrics)
December 17, 2007... Wireless tracking of vehicles and people will generate about $4.9 billion in revenues in Western Europe by 2012, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The firm said the growth will be driven by the need to improve business...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
December 17, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Further proof that numbers are fun: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, cellphone-only users are...

Leap to expand in Southeast.(News)
December 17, 2007... Leap Wireless International Inc. said that it plans to acquire Hargray Communications Group Inc.'s wireless operations for $30 million, expanding Leap's Cricket service into Savannah, Ga. and Hilton Head, S.C. The deal includes Hargray's...

Closer to free; Nokia, Universal Music launch new music proposition.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO There's always a first shot at everything; first to the moon, first to summit Mount Everest, first to end homelessness. It may not be as altruistic as the latter, but Universal Music Group International and Nokia Corp....

Wireless carriers continue struggle for customer satisfaction; Virgin Mobile USA praised, Sprint Nextel hazed.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Consumers ranked wireless carriers as providing a less useful and enjoyable customer experience than retailers and credit-card companies, but better than TV service providers and medical insurance providers, according to...

Xohm soft-launch starts; Long-term delays expected as Sprint Nextel juggles troubles.
December 17, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp. plans to turn on three WiMAX test markets within the next two weeks, meeting its self-imposed deadline to roll out the technology by the end of this year. Sprint Nextel spokesman John Polivka...

Mobile ads a balance of privacy concerns.
December 17, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Online advertisers are increasingly looking to deliver highly targeted come-ons to consumers on their cellphones. Indeed, the wireless advertising market is expected to explode in the next few years as marketing...

Rebanding parties OK plan that shaves 5 months off process.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Sprint Nextel Corp. and broadcast groups told federal regulators that 2 GHz relocation challenges associated with the 800 MHz rebanding effort can be resolved five months sooner than expected. The Federal...

Leap's jump hampered by wider economic woes; Carrier to introduce more prepaid options.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Leap Wireless International Inc. added fewer than 40,000 net new subscribers during the third quarter and its churn rate soared, while the flat-rate carrier's financial losses for the quarter expanded to more than $43...

CompUSA, alternative handset channel, vaporizes.(News)
December 17, 2007... CompUSA, a leading consumer electronics retailer and purveyor of unlocked mobile phones, is going out of business, the company announced. The announcement did not cite a reason for CompUSA's sale. But the electronics retailer announced last...

Person of the Year: Steve Jobs.(Spotlight)
December 17, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON That sucking sound you hear is the wireless industry on the mat, gasping for air. Enter the dragon, Steve Jobs, RCR Wireless News' Person of the Year. In the United States alone, in six months, Apple Inc. sold...

Alcatel-Lucent wins MetroPCS expansion deal; Deal to use carrier's AWS spectrum.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO MetroPCS Communications Inc. inked a three-and-a-half year contract extension with Alcatel-Lucent covering the buildout of the flat-rate carrier's advanced wireless service spectrum holdings in seven major metropolitan...

Qualcomm loses ITC ruling in legal battle with Nokia; Conflict still seen as far from over.(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The United States International Trade Commission rebuffed Qualcomm Inc. on its complaint that Nokia Corp. infringed on three Qualcomm patents regarding GSM technology. The two parties are in arbitration, under the...

Clearwire speculation.(News)
December 17, 2007... Clearwire Corp.'s stock jumped las Friday in response to speculation that the company was on the verge of announcing it will be acquired. According to a research note by Raymond James & Associates analyst Ric Prentiss, Clearwire's stock...

Sprint Nextel to link to MySpace Mobile.(News)
December 17, 2007... Sprint Nextel Corp. announced a deal with Fox Interactive Media that will give the carrier's subscribers free access to MySpace Mobile from the carrier's portal. Beginning early next year, Sprint Nextel will become the first carrier to...

Phones dominate Nokia's music strategy.(Opinion)
December 17, 2007... Byline: Colin Gibbs The mobile music market is expected to ring up $11 billion in annual revenues by 2011, while the global market for wireless devices will exceed $250 billion within that same span. Guess which of those figures Nokia...

Iraq tops mobile search terms in 2007.(Metrics)
December 17, 2007... It appears wireless Web surfers are more interested in accessing news and mobile content than finding the nearest pizza parlor. AOL last week unveiled the most common searches from its wireless portal, revealing some surprisingly popular...

RINGING IN SUCCESS; Ringback tone market continues expansion, ringback ads on deck.
December 17, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS As ringtone revenues descend and full-track mobile music services spin their tires, ringback tones are quietly gaining steam. But they may not be quiet much longer. Ringbacks-audio content that a caller hears...

Stockwatch: December 6 - December 13.(Metrics)
December 17, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: December 6 - December 13 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy

Online ? of the week.(Opinion)
December 17, 2007... Would you provide personal information in exchange for free services? 59% No 31% Only some info 11% yes Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

8 years ago this week.(News)
December 17, 2007... AT&T Wireless Services said it was considering using some of its reserved 1.9 GHz spectrum to solve capacity problems in its high-density cellular markets.

Handset price changes.(Upfront)
December 17, 2007... Handset pricing changes are from carrier Web sites and include changes between Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. Prices include all applicable rebates. All prices are for Denver ZIP code if required. U.S. Cellular is for Chicago ZIP code. Alltel is for...

FCC releases bidders' list for 700 MHz; Qualcomm to bid, while T-Mobile USA could sit it out.
December 31, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission said it received 266 applications for the 700 MHz auction, with small and rural telephone companies dominating a field that also includes leading mobile-phone operators, Google...

Accepted 700 MHZ auction bidders.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... The following applicants have an initial filing phase status of Accepted by the FCC: Adams Telcom Inc. Aeronet Wireless Broadband Corp. AlasConnect Inc. Aristotle Inc. AWS Spectrum L.L.C. Bayou Internet Inc. BEK...

LG Voyager, Apple iPhone top pre-holiday online buzz.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Full data on how various handsets and carriers fared during the holiday shopping season awaits collection and analysis. Various firms will report their definitive views in late January, early February. Based on...

Biggest storeies of 2007.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... Editor's Note: The following are the stories that had the biggest impact on the wireless industry in 2007, as chosen by the RCR Wireless News editorial staff. 1. Jan. 15 issue Apple Inc. introduces the iPhone. 2. Feb. 19 issue ...

Most viewed stories on RCRWirelessNews.com.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... Editor's Note: Following are the 10 most read stories on RCRWirelessNews.com in 2007. (In other words, think of them as the Reader's Choice.) 1. Verizon Wireless to join Vodafone in upgrade to LTE Sept. 20 Verizon Wireless and...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
December 31, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. While we won't know for a couple of weeks how specific wireless carriers did during the holiday season, it is safe to assume...

DATA PRICING DILEMMAS; RealNetworks exec pushes flat rates to drive content uptake.(News)
December 31, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS In the early days of wireless, rate plans were an a la carte-style hodgepodge of offerings at a host of price points. Like new cars, basic calling plans could be packaged with premium options such as voicemail and...

Redknee nabs Argent Networks.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... Redknee Solutions Inc. acquired New Zealand-based Argent Networks Ltd. for an initial payment of $4 million in cash that could eventually increase to an additional $4 million payment if certain revenues are achieved. Argent's customers and...

UWB-enabled devices to hit 400M by 2011.(Metrics)
December 31, 2007... The ultra-wideband silicon market began to take off in 2007, despite regulatory hurdles that persist worldwide, according to In-Stat. The firm noted the first UWB-enabled notebook computers shipped this year from several major...

Wave 2 WiMAX standard to spur growth.(Metrics)
December 31, 2007... A new report from Visant Strategies predicts the next generation of WiMAX devices will spur both fixed and mobile growth for the 802.16 industry. The report said WiMAX vendors are promoting Wave 2 device advantages, which include...

Recycled handsets to top $3B in revenues by 2012.(Metrics)
December 31, 2007... More than 100 million recycled handsets are expected to be shipped in 2012, generating more than $3 billion in revenue, according to a study from ABI Research. Demand for recycled handsets is being driven by shorter handset replacement...

Mobile TV 'superstars' could emerge from dragged-out writers' strike.(News)
December 31, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Television just isn't the same these days. The writers' strike in Hollywood, now in its ninth week, has given millions another reason to turn off the tube. Unless reruns and reality TV are your thing, the TV set has...

Sprint Nextel taps Hesse; Industry vet called up from Embarq.
December 31, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp. has taken the head of its wireline spinoff back into the wireless fold, tapping Embarq Corp. Chairman, President and CEO Dan Hesse to become the wireless operator's new president and CEO. Hesse,...

2008: The dawn of wireless 4.0; WiMAX worries, 700 MHz dancing in the dark, desperately seeking the iPhone killer and more.(Spotlight)
December 31, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The pieces continue to fall in and out of place in the ever-evolving wireless world, but it now appears the many changes - from the subtle to the spectacular emergence of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, Google Inc. and open...

Must See FCC.(Opinion)
December 31, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva The Federal Communications Commission should be a big hit again in 2008, provoking lots of colorfully caustic cacophony rivaling only that gushing from the presidential campaign and the deepening fallout of the...

FCC set to clarify 2.3 GHz spectrum band rules; Move expected to prevent interference between terrestrial radio, wireless broadband services.(Upfront)
December 31, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The wireless broadband industry hailed a new Federal Communications Commission effort to write rules to prevent satellite radio terrestrial repeaters from interfering with WiMAX services planned in the 2.3 GHz...