RCR Wireless News articles from February 2008

RCR Wireless News archives from February 2008

Asia to spur mobile WiMAX growth.(Metrics)
February 4, 2008... Asia will account for more than half of all mobile WiMAX 802.16e subscribers by 2013, predicts a new study from Juniper Research. The firm expects Asia to support more than 40 million mobile WiMAX subscribers by that date. Juniper said it...

Mobile TV space looks for growth in 2008; Players believe pieces in place, but awareness needed.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Mobile television is all over the place, yet going nowhere fast all at the same time. Consumer choice for TV and video on cellphones is pretty robust, but that's only if users know it exists. Sure, mobile TV and...

CONTRACTS.(News)
February 4, 2008... The following contracts were announced in January: Alcatel-Lucent Malaysia: With Packet One Networks to deploy a WiMAX 802.16e network in the 2.3 GHz band. Value: $71 million Mozambique: With Mcel to deploy a 3G UMTS/HSPA...

...ETC...(Briefs)
February 4, 2008... Don't drop your cellphone in the water THQ Wireless Inc. said it signed a worldwide agreement with Playboy Enterprises to be the exclusive developer of Playboy-branded mobile games. The multi-year agreement gives THQ development and...

T-Mobile USA: adds 951,000 customers, reduces churn.(News)
February 4, 2008... T-Mobile USA Inc. enjoyed a rise in net new customers as it reduced churn during the fourth quarter of 2007. The nation's No. 4 carrier reported 951,000 net customer additions during the period, up more than 5% from the fourth quarter of...

eBay for billionaires.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Dan Meyer I'm not sure what it is about auctions that causes me to lose all sense of time and space, but the ongoing 700 MHz spectrum free-for-all has me bouncing off my cubicle walls and searching for a calculator that can display...

Forecast calls for ... iPhone 'killers'; Vendor-specific challenges also loom as smartphone space heats up.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON The landscape of the wireless industry is in flux as you read this story, with product launches, pre-announcements and hype flying by like so much confetti on the wind. Or is that confetti actually the cellular...

What's to become of Motorola? Speculation runs rampant on upshot of surprise news.
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON As word sank in that Motorola Inc. is "exploring the structural and strategic realignment'' of its business - including the possible creation of a standalone company for its devices business - attention has turned to...

Devices at 700 MHz: wait-and-see attitude; Spectrum winners' strategy and service decisions come first.
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON What types of devices might ride on the 700 MHz frequency licenses now up for bid in the United States? The question is as open and varied as the 214 qualified spectrum bidders and their disparate strategies,...

Wireless ringing with potential of Microsoft-Yahoo combo.(News)
February 4, 2008... Microsoft Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Yahoo Inc. may be centered on Internet search, but the takeover - if consummated - could make huge waves in the world of wireless. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant last Friday offered $44.6...

The BlackJack II: Anatomy of a refreshed handset.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON If you spend any time speaking with national carriers or multinational device vendors, you know that they exist only to meet consumer demand. It's all about the consumer, etc. A plausible and ubiquitous talking...

S.E., Nokia set to battle in D-2-C space; Line-ups appear stacked, though carrier competition remains.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Nokia Corp. and Sony Ericsson are gearing up for what looks to be an epic battle on the mobile content playground. But the complicated world of mobile content is more like one of those bar-fight scenes in the movies...

Class action nails T-Mobile USA over texting practices; Unwanted messages spur dust-up.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA T-Mobile USA Inc. has been hit with a class action suit over alleged charges for text messages received by consumers who do not want the feature. The suit, recently filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle,...

FCC to seek public comment on USF cap.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission took another step toward reform of the universal service fund, while further leaving in limbo a highly controversial effort by Chairman Kevin Martin to order a temporary cap on...

ETF class-action lawsuit against VZW certified; Case could cost No. 2 service provider close to $1B.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA An arbitrator certified a class-action lawsuit against Verizon Wireless that potentially could cost the No. 2 cellphone carrier close to $1 billion in refunds of early termination fees. "I find the claimants have...

Testing industry's mettle.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva In the Digital Age, when you hear about theft and how to combat/punish it, the common nomenclature for such activities include cybercrime, hacking, piracy, IPR infringement, illegal music downloads, identity theft and...

Analysts debate 'missing' iPhones; NYC reseller said he ships 500 to 1,000 overseas each month.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Call it "the anatomy of an industry dustup'' or, if you're feeling dramatic, call in Sherlock Holmes. After all, over the past week or so, the issue has been dubbed "the case of the missing iPhones.'' Well, are...

Service providers to challenge new E911 guidelines.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission is coming under increasing pressure from the wireless industry to put on hold new enhanced 911 location accuracy guidelines, with court appeals virtually guaranteed. On the...

Industry: FCC doesn't have authority to mandate backup power at cell sites.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry told a U.S. appeals court the Federal Communications Commission exceeded its statutory powers in mandating the eight-hour backup power rule for cell sites as part of an otherwise legally...

Intelius quits cellphone directory following outcry.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Intelius Inc. said it shelved its cellphone directory service after being battered by a range of officials and executives over privacy concerns. The issue threatened to mushroom into a public-relations nightmare for...

$18 billion and counting; 700 MHz auction a success for FCC, open access; not so for public safety.
February 4, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA, DAN MEYER It's still seemingly early in the game, but bidding in the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz auction is materializing into a good news-bad news auction of epic proportions. In less than two...

Verizon Wireless posts hearty Q4.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Verizon Wireless failed to match the iPhone-fueled growth of larger rival AT&T Mobility during the fourth quarter, but don't feel bad for the industry's No. 2 player. The carrier posted its own fair share of...

Sprint Nextel, Clearwire remain friendly on mobile WiMAX; Companies still working together on network initiatives.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Clearwire Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. still haven't resurrected their now-defunct plan for a collaborative nationwide mobile WiMAX buildout, Clearwire CEO Ben Wolff said in a conference call last week. However,...

VZW yields strongest emotional brand, TNS reports.(Metrics)
February 4, 2008... Research firm TNS said that Verizon Wireless is the clear leader when comparing brand power on an emotional level with customers. Verizon Wireless' dominance is seen across metrics including usage, ratings on key features, commitment among its...

Nokia moves to realize Internet ambitions; Seeks $153M purchase of Trolltech for open-source, cross-platform expertise.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Nokia Corp. said it would purchase Trolltech ASA, a Norwegian software company, for about $153 million, subject to approval by Trolltech's stockholders. Nokia appeared eager for the deal and Trolltech seemed...

Skyfire joins 'real Web' with proxy browser.(News)
February 4, 2008... Skyfire is the latest player looking to bring the "real Web'' to mobile phones. The Mountain View, Calif.-based startup came out of stealth mode with its flagship offering, a free, downloadable Web browser for Windows Mobile-enabled...

Equipment vendors ready for 700 MHz orders.
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO The dust sure to be left in the wake of the 700 MHz auction is far from settled - with the final outcomes still unknown - yet, infrastructure vendors say they'll be ready for buildout plans the moment existing carriers...

J.D. Powers again smiles on T-Mobile USA.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO T-Mobile USA Inc. continues to rank highest among the five largest wireless carriers in customer service performance, according to the latest study by J.D. Power and Associates. The No. 4 provider has been at the top of...

WAP VS. APP; Age-old question continues to haunt developers.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The answer to that old "WAP or app'' debate? It might be, both. Ever since the early days of WAP - which, yes, was often crap - media companies and advertisers have struggled with how to approach users on their...

Pained about the roaming in Spain? Domestic carriers offer options, but heavy usage can be costly.(Spotlight)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Anyone who has traveled abroad and decided to use their cellphone to call home or check e-mail knows how shocking the total on your subsequent wireless bill can be. Short of owning an unlocked GSM device and carrying...

Entertainment industry ripe for change; Mobile seen as one avenue, though market remains small.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO It is no doubt a tumultuous time for the television industry - writers' strike not withstanding - and NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker didn't mince words during his keynote address at the NATPE++ Mobile event...

Sky heads skyward: Helio CEO becomes chairman at MVNO.(Upfront)(Company overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Urban, youth-oriented mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. is racking up "record growth,'' the company said in announcing that founder Sky Dayton will leave the CEO post to become chairman. Dayton replaces...

AT&T Mobility refreshes data plans.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... AT&T Mobility quietly overhauled its data plans late last month, whittling its messaging and data bundles and launching a handful of new offerings, according to research firm Current Analysis Inc. The carrier dropped more than a half-dozen...

Ericsson cuts jobs as momentum slows.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO L.M. Ericsson stock dropped nearly 3% to $22.07 on news last Friday that the company's networks business lost momentum in the final months of the year. The company reported $886.7 million in profits last quarter, a 42%...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
February 4, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. If Google does manage to exit the 700 MHz spectrum auction with a substantial chunk of airwaves, it will be interesting to...

Yahoo turns to telecom as Internet biz languishes.(News)
February 4, 2008... Yahoo Inc. is looking to telecom to help offset its struggling online business. The Internet giant said it will slash 1,000 jobs - marking a 7% overall reduction in its workforce - in the wake of a fourth quarter that saw profits plunge...

Stockwatch: January 24 - January 31.(Metrics)
February 4, 2008... 3 tables: Stockwatch: January 24 - January 31 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

12 years ago this week.(News)
February 4, 2008... Total bids for C-Block licenses in the Federal Communications Commission's personal communication services auction neared $4.5 billion after 17 rounds of bidding.

online ? of the week.(News)
February 4, 2008... Comparison SHopping Which is the most important retail sales channel? 15%: Online 66%: IN STORE 19%: THIRD PARTY Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

Handset price changes.(Upfront)
February 4, 2008... Handset pricing changes are from carrier Web sites and include changes between Jan. 20 and Jan. 27. Prices include all applicable rebates. All prices are for Denver ZIP code if required. U.S. Cellular pricing is for Chicago ZIP code.

online ? of the week.(News)
February 18, 2008... Auction predictions Who will be the big C-Block winner? 46%: verizon 24%: AT&T 24%: google 6%: alltel Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

Stockwatch: February 7 - February 14.(Metrics)
February 18, 2008... 3 tables: Stockwatch: February 7 - February 14 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

Trip Hawkins.(News)(Interview)(Company overview)
February 18, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS In the small world of mobile gaming, Trip Hawkins looms large. Hawkins designed his own major in applied game theory at Harvard University, and in 1982 founded Electronic Arts Inc., which continues to dominate console-...

3G uptake to drive new base station deployments.(Metrics)
February 18, 2008... The pace of 3G uptake will directly impact the demand for base stations during the next several years, according to a new study from In-Stat. The firm says light uptake of 3G services over the next several years will result in minimal...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. It's odd that at a show where PhDs, MBAs and so many smart people from the telecom space stroll the pavilions, Robert...

Google, Yahoo score customer wins; Google snares Nokia, Yahoo steals T-Mobile.
February 18, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. each announced impressive wins at Mobile World Congress 2008 last week, but it was Yahoo's news that raised eyebrows in the mobile search space. Nokia Corp. said it will begin to include...

LTE continues world tour; China Mobile joins Vodafone, VZW in LTE trials.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS China Mobile said it will join Vodafone Group plc and Verizon Wireless in an ongoing trial of LTE technology. The world's largest mobile operator said the three-way operator trials will focus on LTE FDD, the...

462M to subscribe to mobile TV services by 2012.(Metrics)
February 18, 2008... About 462 million people are expected to subscribe to mobile TV services by 2012, according to a new report from ABI Research. The growth will be driven by expansion of 3G networks and flat-rate plans for mobile video along with buildout of...

Mobile entertainment to top $64B by 2012.(Metrics)
February 18, 2008... The worldwide mobile entertainment market will grow from about $20 billion last year to more than $64 billion by 2012, driven by music, games and mobile TV, according to a new report from Juniper Research. The report predicts mobile music...

Sprint Nextel to move corporate headquarters to Overland Park.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: DAN MEYER Sprint Nextel Corp. continued to chip off its Nextel Communications Inc. legacy, announcing today that it was consolidating its operational headquarters and corporate headquarters at its Overland Park, Kan., campus. The...

So which devices are 'coming to America'?(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Phil Carson Certain handsets announced at the Mobile World Congress may reach the tightly controlled, somewhat schizophrenic - 60% CDMA, 40% GSM - United States market. But none are a sure bet, as vendors weren't ready to announce...

Counting mobile advertising effectiveness remains a challenge.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Like Britney Spears, mobile advertising is desperately in need of some monitoring. Market research firms seem to be tripping over themselves to offer the most optimistic projections for wireless ads. The Kelsey...

9 years ago this week.(News)
February 18, 2008... Nextel Communications Inc. agreed to sell its tower portfolio to SpectraSite for $560 million, becoming the first nationwide carrier to sell its tower assets to a third-party company.

...ETC...(Briefs)
February 18, 2008... MediaBRO 24/7 Fans of the reality show Big Brother will have the chance to watch live feeds of contestants, who are locked in a house together for several weeks vying for a half-million-dollar prize, on their cellphones. In the past, fans...

The phones of Spain; 'User experience' gains, plus Apple's invisible hand.
February 18, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Mobile phone design efforts over the past two years appear to have taken the handset as far as it will go, for now, if the handsets coming out of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, are any indication. ...

SlingPlayer Mobile is almost how mobile TV should be.(News)(Excerpt)
February 18, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News' weekly e-mail newsletter, Mobile Content and Culture Application: SlingPlayer Mobile Running on: Nokia N95 and Samsung...

Yahoo looks to link online world; Company's oneConnect service to unify messaging.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: TRACY FORD Yahoo Inc. claimed it plans to reinvent mobile communications with oneConnect service, a mobile product with an open architecture that aggregates a user's e-mail, instant messaging and text messaging, with what it calls...

Industry Outlook 2008.(Special Report)(Industry overview)
February 18, 2008... Editor's Note: As part of our inaugural Annual Wireless Industry Outlook, RCR Wireless News has assembled some of the industry's most respected research analysts to share their views on the opportunities and challenges ahead in 2008 for various...

Hardware, and beyond; Nokia and Samsung race to provide Internet services.(Spotlight)
February 18, 2008... Byline: MIKE DANO Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced plans at the Mobile World Congress trade show to launch an Internet-services strategy for its handsets, a move that could put the Korean vendor into direct competition with Nokia...

Alcatel-Lucent, NEC partner for LTE.(Spotlight)
February 18, 2008... Byline: TRACY FORD With the LTE market just starting to develop, Alcatel-Lucent and NEC Corp. believe combining their resources early on will help them develop a market advantage. Alcatel-Lucent CEO Patricia Russo said the move is an...

4G potential set to challenge infrastructure vendors; LTE, WiMAX and Chinese competitors could shape market in 2008.(Spotlight)(Industry overview)
February 18, 2008... Byline: TRACY FORD The world's largest network providers are jockeying for position in the race to build out fourth-generation networks in an increasingly uneasy market affected by intense competitive price pressures and worries of an...

Surely these can't be growing pains.(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Tracy Ford As I listened to some of the world's largest wireless infrastructure providers talk about their business plans last week at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain, I heard a lot of pain. This is not the...

Senate grants immunity on wiretap lawsuits; Telecom giants nearly off hook.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Senate passed legislation giving parent companies of the three largest mobile-phone carriers retroactive immunity from dozens of privacy lawsuits triggered by a Bush administration warrantless wiretap program...

Bill introduced to ease tax claims for cellphone use; Legislation would repeal IRS rules for record keeping.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The wireless industry applauded the introduction of a new bipartisan bill to repeal the Internal Revenue Service's requirement that employees keep records of cellphone calls and mobile e-mail usage for deduction...

The unbearable transparency of anonymity.(Opinion)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Proponents of blind bidding claim the nearly $20 billion in pledges for 700 MHz licenses as well as the possible addition of a few new players (though unlikely national) in the wireless space vindicate their emphatic...

DukeNet to acquire 115 towers from Vangard.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... DukeNet Communication Services L.L.C., which is owned by Duke Energy Corp., said it signed a definitive agreement to acquire 115 wireless towers from Vangard Wireless L.P. The sites are located within Duke Energy's utility territory in...

House introduces net neutrality bill; Legislation could increase pressure on wireless for open access.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry finds itself confronted by a new net neutrality bill in the House, a development that adds to mounting pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to force wireless carriers to allow...

Auction activity slows; Bids slog past $19.4B.
February 18, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA, DAN MEYER The 700 MHz auction, continuing to crawl toward an end likely punctuated by a disappointing D Block failure, will not remain totally within the Federal Communications Communication's province when bidding...

MediaFLO continues wait for AT&T Mobility debut.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO AT&T Mobility subscribers are still waiting for the carrier to launch MediaFLO USA Inc.'s broadcast television service, and sources say the wait could be anywhere from two to eight weeks longer. The launch seemed all...

WRITERS STRIKE OVER; Sides compromise on new media fees, including mobile.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Clear the set. It's back to business as usual in Hollywood. Members of the Writers Guild of America last week voted overwhelmingly to end the 100-day-long strike that brought most TV and film production to a...

Sun sets on analog requirements; Carriers can begin shutting down antiquated networks this week.
February 18, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Carriers nationwide can now legally bid adieu to the legacy analog networks that the Federal Communications Commission required them to keep online through Feb. 18. AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless will be shutting...

Microsoft steps up mobile strategy with Danger purchase; Deal for Sidekick maker seen as strong push into youth market.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Microsoft Corp. kick-started its effort to grab a piece of the hot, youth-oriented messaging and social networking market by acquiring Danger Inc., the software driver behind the popular Sidekick devices at T-Mobile USA...

RIM's soft underbelly: network outages; Piqued BlackBerry users quick to forget, forgive.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON When you turn on the tap, water simply flows out, right? Nothing to it. The same assumption holds true for many if not most BlackBerry users, who tend to rely on the device and the service from Research In Motion...

AT&T snags Starbucks Wi-Fi agreement; Deal pushes aside once-formidable deal with T-Mobile USA.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Starbucks Corp. is trading its T-Mobile USA Inc. HotSpot service for AT&T Inc.'s Wi-Fi network in more than 7,000 company-owned coffee outlets. companies said Wi-Fi services from AT&T will be rolled-out to U.S. Starbucks...

Open(ID) says me; Online account management protocol gains big backers.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS You may have never heard of it, but Google Inc. is behind it. So are AOL, Microsoft Corp., and Yahoo Inc. With that kind of support, OpenID may soon be coming to mobile in a big way. Designed as a standardized...

States joins RCR Wireless News.(News)
February 18, 2008... Crain Communications Inc. has named Capel States to the new post of director of business development/electronic media at RCR Wireless News, Alan Bergstein, publisher of RCR Wireless News, announced. In this role, he will oversee sales...

Vodafone looks to ramp up mobile Internet services; Carrier grabs Microsoft's mobility leader Knook.(Upfront)
February 18, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Pieter Knook, the leader of Microsoft Corp.'s mobile business and an 18-year company veteran, has jumped ship to Vodafone Group plc. Knook will lead the operator's efforts in consumer Internet services, Vodafone...