RCR Wireless News articles from January 2005

RCR Wireless News archives from January 2005

Fast Facts.(Wireless Metrics)
January 3, 2005... 3G Statistics (as of Nov. 30, 2004) -113 operators with commercial 3G services -50 countries served by commercial 3G operators -56 companies providing 3G devices -614 different 3G wireless devices commercially introduced ...

More Churn?(Wireless Metrics)
January 3, 2005... People who answered a recent RCRNews.com poll think more people will churn as industry enters its second year of allowing customers to port their phone numbers. However, respondents were divided on how customers would churn. For this week's...

Stock Watch: December 22-December 29.(Wireless Metrics)
January 3, 2005... table: Stock Watch: December 22-December 29 * 3 graphics: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

GigaBeam Virtual Fiber deployed in Trump NYC hotel.(Business)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE Buoyed by its high speed, GigaBeam Corp.'s Virtual Fiber solution offers an alternative to fiber for last mile, local loop, central office bypass, local area network, metropolitan area network and wide area network...

People.
January 3, 2005... OMTP The Open Mobile Terminal Platform group's board of directors appointed Mats Nilsson as its new managing director effective Jan. 1. Nilsson is OMTP's first full-time employee, and initially he will be based in Sweden. Nilsson most...

Tele2 gains two new European licenses.(Global Wireless)
January 3, 2005... Swedish-based telecom carrier Tele2 gained two new licenses in Europe, one through a government award and the other through an acquisition. In Croatia, Tele2 gained a GSM 1800 MHz and UMTS license through a consortium it is leading. Tele2...

Siemens signs $32M contract with U-Fone.(News)
January 3, 2005... Siemens AG said it has signed a $32 million contract to expand the GSM network for Pakistan Telecom Mobile Ltd., otherwise called U-Fone. The project will be completed in May next year, according to Siemens. The second-largest Pakistani carrier...

Motorola scores Canadian broadband wireless contract.(News)
January 3, 2005... Canadian broadband wireless service provider Barrett Xplore selected Motorola Inc. to deploy a wireless broadband network in cities throughout Canada. The contract's initial term is three years, but the agreement allows for the contract to...

Dobson grows in Michigan with RFB buy.(News)
January 3, 2005... Rural carrier Dobson Communications Corp. announced it purchased the wireless assets of Michigan carrier RFB Cellular Inc. out of bankruptcy for $29.3 million. Dobson said the deal gives it access to 256,000 pops and 25,900 subscribers in the...

Wireless Age calls off merger talks with Relm Wireless.(News)
January 3, 2005... Wireless Age Communications Inc. said last week it is calling off merger talks with Relm Wireless Corp. "Our overtures to Relm's board were not well received. There was a short window for a friendly business combination to occur;...

Handsets set to take center stage at CES.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO As usual, the wireless industry plans to come out in force during this week's Consumer Electronics Show, running Thursday through Sunday in Las Vegas. Among the expected announcements: * LG Electronics Co. Ltd. will...

WCA organizes relief efforts in wake of killer tsunamis.(News)
January 3, 2005... In the wake of the devastating tsunamis in South Asia following a 9.0 earthquake, the Wireless Communications Association, which represents broadband wireless providers, said it will organize both short-term and long-term relief efforts during...

Distributors: Consolidation will bring value back to the handset.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO The aftershocks from 2004's massive carrier consolidation continue to reverberate across the wireless industry. As Cingular Wireless L.L.C. works to digest AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Sprint Corp. completes its merger...

Wireless in the enterprise still hindered by security concerns.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS When it comes to wireless data, perhaps 2004 should be called "The year of the untapped enterprise market.'' Even as a small army of software developers and device manufacturers rushes to put mobile devices in the...

SMS best wireless marketing tool.
January 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Forget interactive video, mobile bar-code scanning phones and music-recognition programs. When it comes to mobile marketing, it's still all about text messaging. The coming wave of high-tech mobile applications has...

FCC to auction 3G spectrum in June '06.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Federal Communications Commission plans to begin auctioning spectrum occupied today by the federal government in the summer of 2006, according to notification sent last week to the National...

'How'd they do that?'; A behind-the-scenes look at telecom legislation.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER C-Span junkies watching late into the night of Dec. 8 may not have realized that what happened just before the Senate left town was right out of a Hollywood script. Minutes (literally) before the Senate...

CES Wireless Events.(News)
January 3, 2005... Wireless SuperSession: Friday, Jan. 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the convention center's North Hall, room N257. Executives from Virgin Mobile, M-Forma, Verizon Wireless, Motorola and Nokia will participate. Keynotes: The Day 1 keynote...

Israeli government restricts mobile porn.(News)
January 3, 2005... In the wake of complaints that too many children were being exposed to erotic material, Israel's Communications Ministry said last week it had moved to get wireless carriers to restrict access to mobile porn. In an official statement, the...

Symbol chooses alternate financing.(News)
January 3, 2005... Mobile enterprise software developer Symbol Technologies Inc. announced Wednesday that it has opted not to pursue its proposed offering of common stock. Instead, the company said it has entered into a new $250 million credit facility that...

Short codes added to 'for sale' signs.(News)
January 3, 2005... A real estate company launched a service last week that allows prospective buyers to access information about homes on the market via text messaging. Main Street Realtors of Windermere, Fla., is adding short codes to its "for sale'' signs....

Infrastructure Awards.(Wireless Metrics)
January 3, 2005... Following are mobile infrastructure contracts announced in December: Alcatel Bhutan With DANIDA for a rural telecommunications network including microwave radio and Voice over Internet Protocol solutions. Value: Undisclosed ...

Convergence-back with a vengeance.(Special Report)
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO More than 1.5 billion people subscribe to wireless services. The vast majority of those wireless users see their mobile phone as a device that allows them to talk to other people-and nothing more. The wireless industry,...

Telstra to launch fixed SMS service early this year.(News)
January 3, 2005... Telstra Corp. said it plans to launch a fixed short message service early this year. Telstra has a branded SMS-capable phone on sale in Australia for the service, it said. "Next year's launch of fixed SMS is set to revolutionize the way...

Industry eyes OFDM even as it deploys 3G services.
January 3, 2005... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE Even as it begins serious deployments of third-generation technologies, the wireless industry is hedging its bets on next-generation technology. Since W-CDMA and CDMA2000 someday may reach their tethers, some...

Products.
January 3, 2005... PalmOne PalmOne Inc. announced its VersaMail 2.7 wireless e-mail software is available for Treo 600 smart phones. Treo 600 users will now have access to Internet Message Access Protocol, said the company. Features include automatic mail...

DoCoMo invests in Chinese software firms.(Global Wireless)
January 3, 2005... Japanese wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced it invested in two Chinese wireless software companies in an effort to tap into the massive potential of the Chinese market. DoCoMo said it will invest $4 million in Emcore Technology...

The sound of silence.(Opinion)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Tina Eichner And once again the wireless industry (and the world) prepares to face the implications of the further permeation of wireless technology into our lives and culture with the pending prospect of wireless connectivity...

Ringing in holiday sales.(Opinion)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Tracy Ford While the numbers aren't available yet for the all-important fourth quarter wireless sales, I'm predicting stellar results. Why? Because I just spent the holidays with the Anderson clan (my side of the family) in...

Calendar.
January 3, 2005... 2005 International CES January 6-9: Consumer Electronics Association. Las Vegas. www.cesweb.org Excellence in Information & Communications Technologies January 15: Frost & Sullivan. Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale,...

Business Briefs.(Briefs)
January 3, 2005... In a move that drove up its shares 6 cents following the announcement, Global Signal Inc. said it plans to sell 2.9 million common shares. The company intends to acquire 233 communication sites in 13 states, such as Alabama, Michigan and New...

MSV charges Inmarsat trying to delay MSS entry.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Mobile Satellite Ventures L.P. is protesting an Application for Review filed by rival Inmarsat Ventures Ltd., claiming Inmarsat's arguments are nothing new and meant to slow MSV's entry into the mobile...

New year brings effective dates for outage, telemarketing rules; Telemarketers get 15 days grace on wireless ports.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Federal Communications Commission declared the outage reporting requirements and the changes to the telemarketing rules to be in effect Dec. 30. Under rules adopted in 2004, carriers must report...

Time Warner to test wireless bundle via Sprint network.
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Time Warner Cable is in discussions with Sprint PCS to test a wireless offering that would be bundled with the media giant's TV, landline phone and Internet services. However, it is unclear whether Time Warner Cable will...

Zingy signs mobile music deals sans record label.(Late News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile media company Zingy is expected to announce deals this week to bring exclusive mobile content from hip-hop artist Kanye West and late pop singer Aaliyah to wireless phones. West will provide screensavers,...

Telekom Austria gets call option to acquire Bulgarian operator.(Global Wireless)
January 3, 2005... Telekom Austria said it acquired a call option to purchase Bulgarian wireless carrier Mobiltel AD. The option gives the Austrian carrier the right to purchase full control of Mobiltel for up to $2.1 billion in late 2005. "The terms of the...

Comverse offers MMS exchange.(Business)
January 3, 2005... Comverse introduced its Comverse MMS Exchange, a central hub that allows multiple network operators to interconnect their multimedia messaging services. Operators currently must implement separate routing connections and interconnectivity...

Infoxx to supply directory help to Corr Wireless.(News)
January 3, 2005... Corr Wireless, a cellular provider in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, selected Infonxx to provide directory assistance services to its customers. "One of the main reasons for us to choose Infonxx was to increase our own brand...

Sprint PCS expands Sybase partnership to more industries.(Business)
January 3, 2005... Sprint PCS and Sybase Inc. said they will expand their relationship to develop and market corporate wireless data applications. Under terms of the agreement, the carrier will use software developed by Sybase subsidiary iAnywhere Solutions...

Letter: Verizon first to offer LG phone.(Letters)
January 3, 2005... Dear Editor: In the Nov. 29 issue of RCR Wireless News, I saw the article titled "Verizon offers LG phone upgrade for blind users.'' The article states that Verizon, in a reactionary move by Cingular and Nokia, made a software upgrade for...

Recycling urgency grows, sprouts new businesses.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Wireless users the world over will purchase more than 600 million mobile phones this year alone. And most of those phones will be replaced 18 months from now. The vast majority of the wireless industry is concerned...

WiMAX, CDMA, cable ... Oh My! Advanced technologies vie for attention.(Business)
January 3, 2005... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE For all its anticipated glory, WiMAX technology harks back to the gold rush era when some gold diggers thought they could get rich without owning a plot of land. In the wireless world, spectrum is the land and services...

Nokia expands transceiver deal with Endwave.(News)
January 3, 2005... Nokia Corp. has tapped Endwave Corp. to provide transceivers for its cellular networks in Europe, Asia and Latin America, the companies announced. A manufacturer of radio-frequency subsystems, Endwave produces transceivers that are...

Hutchison ups stake in 3G carrier.(News)
January 3, 2005... HONG KONG-Hutchison 3G Italy, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., said it will purchase Cirtel's stake in Hutchison 3G Italia, which operates a third-generation service under the 3 brand in Italy. The purchase price for the...

T-Mobile Germany to offer LG handsets exclusively.(Global Wireless)
January 3, 2005... T-Mobile Germany said it reached a two-year agreement with LG Electronics Co. Ltd. to sell selected LG cell phones exclusively. The latest device is the LG L5100 camera phone, which will only be offered in Germany by T-Mobile and T-Mobile...

Nokia garners $70M contract in the Philippines.(News)
January 3, 2005... Nokia Corp said it has signed a $70 million contract to supply GSM/EDGE and core network equipment to Smart, a Philippine operator. Both companies also plan to cooperate in creating and testing new technologies and solutions. Smart has...

Convergys extends Sprint agreement to carrier's wholesale customers.(News)
January 3, 2005... Convergys Corp. a provider of integrated billing, employee care and customer care services, has expanded its software licensing agreement with Sprint for retail wireless outsourcing to include Sprint's wireless wholesale customers, in a...

REMEC sells defense and space subsidiary for $260M.(News)
January 3, 2005... REMEC Inc. said it has agreed to sell its defense and space subsidiary to Chelton Microwave for about $260 million in cash. The subsidiary, known as REMEC Defense & Space, employs more than 1,000 people and makes microwave products for...

Integral's Electriplast pellets could transform handset's antenna.(Business)
January 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Tom Aisenbrey wants to make mobile-phone antennas disappear. The secret to this David Copperfield-style trick involves a new technology Aisenbrey developed in his role as chief technology officer of Bellingham,...

Global factory revenues for telematics equipment.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... The automotive telematics market finally began to grow in 2003, after many years of hype but slow customer uptake and almost no revenue growth, according to iSuppli Corp. When wireless equipment suppliers and automotive manufacturers...

Fast Fact.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... China Mobile's subscriber figures are growing at an average of 3 million customers per month. At the end of November 2004, China Mobile reported wireless subscriber figures of 200.98 million customers. Source: Dow Jones Newswire, Dec. 20

Top 10 selling phones.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... Sony Ericsson and Nokia take nine of ten spots on Krusell International's top 10 list for December. The list is based on the number of pieces of model-specific mobile-phone cases ordered from the company during December. It reflects sales of...

Stock Watch: December 31 - January 6.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... table: Stock Watch: December 31 - January 6 * 3 graphics: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

More choice?(Opinion)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Tracy Ford Even as the wireless industry consolidates to four national carriers and as more regional consolidation is predicted, wireless customers are getting more choices-not fewer-as to which companies will provide their...

MetroPCS expands California coverage.(News)
January 10, 2005... Regional wireless operator MetroPCS Inc. said it has expanded its northern California service area south from Stockton through Modesto and Merced. The carrier also offers its flat-rate, unlimited calling service in Sacramento and the San...

Cleartone can't bid on some licenses in auction due to application error.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER By denying a waiver request, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has reiterated the importance of potential auction bidders to review their applications and submit proper and accurate applications...

IWO Holdings files Chapter 11 plan.(Business)
January 10, 2005... Sprint PCS affiliate IWO Holdings Inc. said it has filed a "pre-packaged'' Chapter 11 plan to implement its previously announced financial reorganization to restructure and substantially reduce its debt, strengthen its balance sheet and...

5 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum on hold amid fear of interference to radar.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Nearly two years after the Bush administration announced an agreement to free 5 GHz frequencies for Wi-Fi technology without causing interference to military radar systems, government and industry officials have yet...

Feds downplay impact of shutting off GPS in crises.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The telecom industry is still scratching its head about what potential impact a directive regarding the U.S. global positioning system signed by President Bush Dec. 8 could have on its networks. The...

DoCoMo heads group studying Super 3G.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. made headlines last week by announcing it was part of an effort to develop standards for a new mobile-phone technology that would transfer data more than 10 times faster than current...

CPUC to revisit bill-of-rights rules.
January 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The controversial California bill of rights for telecom consumers is about to go nuclear. This week, only months after narrowly approving a rule creating scores of new regulations governing wireless carrier...

Summus works with Fujifilm on photo service.(Business)
January 10, 2005... Summus Inc., which provides mobile media applications, released a suite of photo services and solutions for mobile phones in conjunction with Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. The suite, Fujifilm Get the Picture Mobile Services, allows users to...

Trust is weapon in battle against faulty components.(Business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO The exploding mobile-phone battery is the clearest and most notable example of the threat of substandard handset components, but the problem does not begin and end there. Mobile-phone makers face a dizzying array of...

NEC readies for Chinese 3G launch with new company.(Global Wireless)
January 10, 2005... Japanese wireless equipment supplier NEC Corp. has set up a new mobile network operation outsourcing company in Hong Kong. NEC said the new business will focus on new third-generation projects in China. NEC agreed recently with Hutchison...

Business Briefs.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... Entertainment publisher Jamdat Mobile Inc. said it has acquired mobile casino game developer Downtown Wireless L.L.C. Downtown Wireless' portfolio includes video slots and roulette titles, as well as its flagship game, "Downtown Texas Hold...

Sprint to include OTA technology in 7 phones.(Business)
January 10, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Sprint PCS said it is including over-the-air technology with seven of its new Vision handsets, enabling the carrier to perform remote software upgrades and fix bugs on devices already in the hands of consumers. ...

Wireless at CES features coats, Wi-Fi handsets.(News)
January 10, 2005... Below is a quick rundown of some of the numerous new gadgets announced at the Consumer Electronics Show: * Kodak announced a new digital camera with Wi-Fi capability for e-mailing and viewing pictures. Kodak said the EasyShare-One camera...

Bee line to the Kremlin.(Opinion)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Gosh, the holidays can really put one on an emotional roller coaster. Put another way, what a way to start the new year! Just ask VimpelCom, Russia's No. 2 mobile-phone operator. In early December, Russian tax...

Magazine finds little improvement made in cell service quality.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Consumers' love-hate relationship with the wireless industry appears to be as contentious as ever. The latest survey and rankings released by Consumer Reports showed that despite the near-record-level of customer growth...

UTStarcom shares dive as company cuts 4Q revenue expectations.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Investors lashed out at wireless vendor UTStarcom Inc.-sending its stock down more than 23 percent to around $15.32 per share-following the company's announcement that its fourth-quarter revenues will be well below its...

More join mobile video bandwagon.
January 10, 2005... The stampede toward mobile video continued at the Consumer Electronics Show as content providers, carriers and TV networks announced alliances to bring televised content to on-the-go viewers. SmartVideo Technologies Inc. announced a series...

Tier 2 carriers consider consolidation.
January 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO The U.S. carrier market appears to be headed for further constriction on news that regional carrier Alltel Corp. is in advanced negotiations to buy Western Wireless Corp. for $4 billion. The report follows Cingular...

Zingy, MTV launch original ringtones with Timbaland.(Late News)
January 10, 2005... Mobile media company Zingy will team with MTV to launch an album of original ringtones by hip-hop producer Timbaland, the companies said. The offerings will include polyphonic and master ringtone beats, voice ringtones, ringbacks, voice...

Asian manufacturers win handset accolades.(News)
January 10, 2005... In addition to its carrier rankings, Consumer Reports also posted consumer rankings for handsets from the major carriers. Those rankings were dominated by Asians manufacturers. LG Electronics' VX7000 and Kyocera Wireless Corp.'s SE47 posted the...

CTIA goes on offensive with master plan to battle taxes.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry, consistently thrown off balance by new taxes and regulations in one state after another, is fine-tuning a master plan that draws on tried-and-true political strategies that carriers hope...

Leap adds 29,000 in Q4, Centennial reports better revenues, Alaska reaches 100,000 subs.(News)
January 10, 2005... Leap Wireless International Inc. said it scored almost 29,000 net customer additions in the fourth quarter of 2004, bringing its total number of net additions for the year to 97,000. The carrier's churn rate for the quarter was 4.1 percent, and...

Motorola exec touts devices, flashes iTunes device at CES.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: TINA EICHNER Filling in for Motorola Chief Executive Officer Ed Zander, who missed the conference due to a death in the family, Ron Garriques, president of the company's personal devices business, said, "Tech is back, and it's...

Verizon, Sprint build on DO rollouts, Verizon offers VCAST video, 3D gaming.
January 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER The slow rollout of high-speed wireless data networks continues as CDMA-based carrier Verizon Wireless last week said it will expand its BroadbandAccess network to 12 additional markets on top of the 20 metropolitan areas...

Industry aids tsunami victims with network, SMS, cash, fund-raising.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Wireless has been mobilized in a variety of critical and innovative ways in reaction to the December tsunami disaster. The wall of water that struck parts of Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and elsewhere served to severely...

Fixed line should fear HSDPA, ABI says.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... Fixed-line operators should be concerned about competition from High-Speed Downlink Packet Access technology, according to a report from ABI Research titled, "HSDPA-Mobile Broadband.'' Trial systems using the technology-which will bump...

Nextel, Verizon Wireless consistent with low churn.(News)
January 10, 2005... Editor's Note: Nextel Communications Inc. has maintained the lowest customer churn levels during the past five years among the nation's largest wireless carriers. The carrier's average monthly churn figures have consistently remained below 2.3...

Alamosa PCS gets antitrust approval on AirGate acquisition.(Business)
January 10, 2005... U.S. antitrust authorities approved Alamosa Holdings Inc.'s bid to acquire fellow Sprint Corp. wireless affiliate AirGate PCS Inc. A Federal Trade Commission notice said officials have dropped their investigation of the deal without taking...

Pervasive networking coming via wireless carriers.(Wireless Metrics)
January 10, 2005... Pervasive networking is poised to take the concept of cellular mobility to the next level, according to a new report by Insight Research Corp. Although carriers do not currently offer this type of continuous communication as a service, the...

Wayport claims top U.S. hot-spot provider.(News)
January 10, 2005... Wireless and wired broadband service provider Wayport Inc. said it has become the nation's largest Wi-Fi hot-spot provider with more than 6,300 locations available in the United States. The provider said it is adding up to 150 new hot-spot...