RCR Wireless News articles from January 2008

RCR Wireless News archives from January 2008

Dissecting Qualcomm's auction plans; MediaFLO subsidiary most likely beneficiary.
January 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Qualcomm Inc. is no stranger to the Federal Communications Commission and its auction process for spectrum. The company has successfully bid on and won spectrum before, and it appears ready to strike again with the 700...

Moto unveils DVB-H mobile TV device; Gadget expected to hit international markets.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Motorola Inc. unveiled a standalone broadcast mobile television device that it hopes will appeal to TV fans who want to go mobile. The device is the first of its kind from Motorola - housing a DVB-H chipset that includes...

LiMo Foundation swells to 25 members; Alliance plans to launch Linux-based mobile platform in Q1.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO The LiMo Foundation, an alliance of mobile vendors and service providers, announced its member base has grown to 25 this week with the addition of five new members. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Acrodea Inc.,...

Sling Media jumps to BlackBerry.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Matt Kapko Sling Media Inc. announced that the company plans to release SlingPlayer Mobile software for Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry devices later this year. The company plans to demonstrate the new application using the...

Filling in the white spaces; Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA support backhaul option.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. urged the Federal Communications Commission to embrace a plan to allocate vacant TV channels - known as white spaces - on a fixed licensed basis for wireless backhaul...

...ETC...(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... Ringing insult The King of Spain's recent tongue-lashing of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has become a popular ringtone in Spain. King Juan Carlos asked Chavez, "Why don't you just shut up?" at a summit earlier this month. The comment...

Industry delay could impede emergency-alert initiatives; FCC claims benefits, but cannot guarantee carrier adoption.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva The Federal Communications Commission boasts that its new wireless emergency-alert proposal will help fulfill its statutory charter to promote the safety of life and property, but the agency's head conceded to...

Auction Watch.(Opinion)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Tracy Ford The 700 MHz auction - spectrum the wireless industry has coveted for more than 10 years - is set to start this month. At times it didn't seem like the wireless industry was ever going to get its hands on this...

Gift rapped.(Opinion)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva EchoStar L.L.C. could be forgiven for being less than merry the day after Christmas, the day the Federal Communications Commission told the satellite TV company that it must pony up a down payment 50% higher than...

Ross Cox.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Matt Kapko Cartoon Network New Media sounds like a fun place to work. Take Ross Cox's word for it. The network's senior director of entertainment products said it often feels like he's working at a toy store. That analogy came...

ChaCha aims to differentiate with human search guides.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Colin Gibbs Online search provider ChaCha last week sashayed onto a very crowded mobile dance floor. The Indianapolis startup unveiled a short-code based version of its search offering, which uses paid human "guides" instead of...

Power struggle; Industry challenges FCC's emergency backup power rule.
January 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission is facing a gathering legal storm over its emergency back-up power rule, with the mobile-phone industry asking a federal appeals court to put its legal challenge on a fast track...

Congress resurrects plans for cellphone directory ban; CTIA: No plans to pursue such a directory.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva The calendar says 2008, but a wireless directory controversy that's been resurrected in Congress makes it seem like 2004 all over again. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown...

Twistbox to go public through shell company.(News)
January 7, 2008... Mobile entertainment publisher Twistbox Entertainment Inc. plans to go public through a reverse merger with Mandalay Media Inc., a Los Angeles-based shell company. Twistbox boasts more than 100 carrier partners including Verizon Wireless,...

More states prohibit chatting and driving; New laws take effect with new year.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva New cellphone driver-distraction laws went into effect Jan. 1 in Oregon and Washington state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Oregon will now prohibit teenagers from talking on...

Study: Cellphone-toting motorists contribute to traffic.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva A new study concludes drivers who talk on cellphones contribute to traffic congestion, a consequence compounding well-documented dangers of operating wireless devices while behind the wheel. "At the end of the...

Texting TIPS; Boston police department sees returns on text tipline.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: KELLY HILL At crime scenes in Boston, youth who gathered in the aftermath to watch the police at work were often texting and making calls, communicating about the events that had just transpired - and which they may have seen. ...

Nokia Siemens snaps up Apertio for $206M.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Matt Kapko Nokia Siemens Networks started off the new year with a $206 million purchase of Apertio Ltd., which provides real-time subscriber data platforms and other applications for mobile, fixed and converged telecom operators....

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
January 7, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Not that we spend too much time surfing Canadian carrier Web sites, but a quick glance of the Telus Mobility site shows some...

2008: The year of convergence? Cable, telecom companies eye wireless element for converged services.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: KELLY HILL Telecom and cable companies will go into 2008 with an eye on real convergence products and personalizing content access for customers, according to Kent Steffan, VP of the content direct initiative for CSG Systems. ...

S.F. Wi-Fi plans revived.(News)
January 7, 2008... San Francisco's long-delayed plan to bring free, citywide Wi-Fi coverage to its more than 800,000 residents appears to be back on track. Meraki Networks Inc. announced it plans to deploy a Wi-Fi network throughout the city by the end of the...

AT&T Mobility nabs subs via W. Va. buy.(News)
January 7, 2008... AT&T Mobility announced it completed its acquisition of Easterbrooke Cellular Corp., a rural wireless carrier with services in West Virginia operating under the Cellular One brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction included...

Great expectations; Glimpsing the new year.
January 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Predictions are so last year. Instead, let's talk "expectations" - a term that seems to promise a more realistic look ahead at the new year. And there are questions worth asking that dog the conventional wisdom. ...

Cell phones to dominate for navigation, study says.(Metrics)
January 7, 2008... Stand-alone navigation devices will give way to mobile phones as the worldwide portable navigation market explodes over the next several years, according to a report from Telematics Research Group. The market research firm said 30 million...

2 years ago this week.(News)
January 7, 2008... Motorola Inc. said it had designed a new handset integrating a hard button for one-click access to Google Inc.'s wireless services. The handset manufacturer said it expected the device to be in consumer hands during the first quarter of 2006.

Online ? of the week.(News)
January 7, 2008... Will they bite on this apple? Will Apple's 3G iPhone be as successful as the current model? 75%: it will be more successful 25%: it will be less successful Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

URL battle: m vs. .mobi; Confusion still reigns in figuring out the best way to get to mobile Web.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS There is no shortage of reasons why traffic on the wireless Web hasn't matched the sky-high forecasts of a few years ago. But one of the biggest stumbling blocks may also be the most overlooked. A recent study from...

Qualcomm will fight rulings on Broadcom patents; Analysts await earnings calls later this month to gauge financial impact.(News)
January 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Last week a federal judge said that Qualcomm Inc. must end the sale in the United States of W-CDMA chips - and handsets containing them - that infringe on Broadcom Corp. patents and pay its rival royalties on limited...

VZW sues Alltel over ad claims; Fight centers on ability to change plans without impacting contracts.(Upfront)
January 7, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Verizon Wireless filed a civil lawsuit against Alltel Corp., accusing the No. 5 carrier of false advertising. Verizon Wireless' lawsuit takes issue with an Alltel advertisement that claimed "only Alltel gives...

Mobile WiMAX to reach 80M subs within 5 years.(Metrics)
January 7, 2008... Juniper Research released a new report that predicts Mobile WiMAX will attract 80 million subscribers within five years, assuming devices and differentiated services are available. The firm said Mobile WiMAX 8012.16e will start to see...

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

WiMAX chips to generate $500M by 2012.(Metrics)
January 21, 2008... The market for WiMAX chipsets will reach almost $500 million by 2012, driven mainly by embedded mobile WiMAX in mobile personal computers, according to new research from high-tech research firm In-Stat. The market will also benefit from...

Music-enabled phones spurring mobile music usage in U.S., W. Europe.(Metrics)
January 21, 2008... The growing availability of cellphones that support music is spurring increasing mobile music consumption in the United States and Western Europe, according to a new report from M:Metrics. The company said sideloading of music accounts for...

FIVE-YEAR LOW; Massive losses force Sprint Nextel to slash jobs, stores.
January 21, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Sprint Nextel Corp. is continuing its battle to right a listing ship. The nation's No. 3 carrier announced it would cut 4,000 jobs and close 8% of its stores after losing 683,000 postpaid subscribers and 202,000 prepaid...

TD-SCDMA protocol to face challenges beyond China.(Metrics)
January 21, 2008... TD-SCDMA technology likely will be the dominant third-generation technology in China thanks to the government support it receives there, but the technology will face challenges outside the Chinese market, according to a new report from ABI...

Despite separation, Sprint Nextel, Clearwire remain committed to mobile WiMAX.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO Despite the unceremonious break-up that shattered plans for a nationwide mobile WiMAX network partnership between Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp., both companies insist their rollout plans for 2008 are on track....

...ETC...(Briefs)
January 21, 2008... Slash and cash Verizon Wireless said Guitar Hero III Mobile is its third-best-selling game of 2007 after only a few weeks of availability. The game, developed by Hands-On Mobile, was launched Dec. 4 to a limited number of handsets. Guitar...

Washington state bill could stymie Intelius.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna has begun shopping a bill in the legislature that would ban third-party marketing of cellphone numbers without consent of wireless subscribers, precisely the kind of law...

Short codes, text messages under scrutiny.
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission launched a rulemaking to determine whether mobile text messages and short codes are covered by non-discrimination provisions of the telecom act. Public-interest and consumer...

FCC to revisit pole attachments as part of broadband initiative.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin last week said the agency will re-examine the pole-attachment regulatory regime as part of a broader, ongoing effort to promote the deployment of broadband...

Off the wall, again.(Opinion)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Wall Street Journal editorialists must be feeling downright cocky about now, fresh off their inimitable `I-told-you-so' jab at Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin in the aftermath of Frontline...

TIA, WCA warn against Globalstar 'cellular' moves; Mobile satellite provider wants to deploy WiMAX network using terrestrial component in rural areas.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Globalstar Inc.'s bid to secure additional mobile satellite service spectrum for land-based networks - including a possible WiMAX system covering hundreds of rural communities - is drawing criticism based on fears of...

Family Research Council calls for 'safe' broadband; FCC gets mixed bag of comments on how it should craft rules for AWS III band.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission's attempt to craft rules for the 2155-2175 MHz band has been met with the kind of mixed industry feedback expected in such a proceeding, with a notable exception that could...

Nokia slims down; Handset maker to close German factory.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Citing "long-term competitiveness,'' Nokia Corp. said it would close a handset factory in Bochum, Germany, and sell automotive and research-and-development sites in the same locale. Nokia will move its handset...

Let the bidding begin; Concern remains, but 700 MHz auction set.
January 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA It's game time. The wireless industry's version of March Madness is set to tip off Jan. 24, with 214 applicants vying for 1,099 spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band being auctioned by the Federal Communications...

10 years ago this week.(News)
January 21, 2008... Sprint Spectrum L.P. announced a reorganization plan to streamline operations reflecting the company's move from building out new markets to an operational phase. The plan included cutting around 700 jobs at the company's wireless operations.

Qualified 700 MHz auction bidders.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... The following applicants are "Qualified'' by the FCC: 585 Consortium ACS Wireless License Sub Adams Telcom Advance/Newhouse Partnership Agri-Valley Communications AlasConnect Alltel Aristotle AST Telecom...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
January 21, 2008... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. We are two shows into the 2008 show season and so far not much has been announced to trip up the wireless market. The...

New iDEN handset at Sprint Nextel; Refreshing the portfolio renews questions on future.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON It would be perilous to deduce overly broad implications from the release of a single handset - even if it is an iDEN handset made by struggling Motorola Inc. on sale at ailing Sprint Nextel Corp. - but it would be...

Mobile games get TV boost; Licensing deals expand reach, attract diverse demographic.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Most mobile games challenge players to use their phones to kill alien invaders or drive race cars. But LimeLife Inc. CEO Kristin McDonnell wants gamers to use their phones for... plating? LimeLife targets 15- to...

More than just black and white lines; Barcodes gaining a foothold in domestic wireless market.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Few mobile offerings have a longer - or more uninspiring - history in the United States than barcodes. But the odd-looking little images may finally be going somewhere. One of the first consumer-facing mobile...

Sun's plans for MySQL: wireless?(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Sun Microsystems Inc. raised eyebrows and garnered splashy headlines when it announced plans to acquire MySQL Inc. for $1 billion. But what the deal means in mobile - or just about anywhere else, for that matter - is...

For Qualcomm, it's all in the family.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Qualcomm Inc. will shuffle executives to bolster global growth and named CEO Paul Jacobs' brother, Jeff Jacobs, to the new post of chief marketing officer, the company said. Whether the newly created post will also...

Samsung, Sony Ericsson post solid results; Vendors' earnings, volumes set stage for this week.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON The first two handset vendors to report fourth-quarter and full 2007 earnings last week both forecast 10% growth for their sector in 2008, on top of healthy unit volume growth last year. That seemed to reassure...

The mobile enterprise, 2008: 'all over the map'.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Demand for enterprise mobility should continue to ramp slowly this year, as companies move cautiously on well-thought-out strategies, according to two analysts who study the space. Coincidentally, both analysts -...

What?! No 3G iPhone? Phooey: MacWorld news sends Apple stock on a rollercoaster.(News)
January 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Having sent Apple Inc.'s stock steadily skyward in recent months, Wall Street turned on the company like a wounded hyena last week after CEO Steve Jobs issued a handful of product announcements at the MacWorld 2008...

Alltel music service allows synching to home library.(News)
January 21, 2008... Alltel Corp. unveiled a service that will allow its customers to remotely synch their mobile phones with home digital music libraries. The offering, which is powered by Celltop and uses mSpot's Remix player, provides access to non-DRM...

AT&T Mobility set to join mobile TV space.
January 21, 2008... Byline: MATT KAPKO After numerous delays, AT&T Mobility is preparing to launch broadcast mobile TV service from Media-FLO USA Inc. in early February, according to sources close to the situation. Leaked internal documents and sources...

Apples and oranges.(Opinion)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Tracy Ford Walking through Fort Lauderdale Airport recently, I heard the oft-repeated warning that the public-safety threat has been raised to orange. I think its time to change the phrasing: When was the last time the threat level...

Stockwatch: January 10 - January 17.(Metrics)
January 21, 2008... 3 tables: Stockwatch: January 10 - January 17 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

Contracts.(News)
January 21, 2008... The following infrastructure contracts were announced in December: Alcatel-Lucent Malaysia: With Celcom to expand the carrier's GSM/EDGE network. Value: Undisclosed United States: With MetroPCS Wireless to supply 3G CDMA2000...

Online ? of the week.(News)
January 21, 2008... Phone search Would you buy a Google-branded phone? 51%: no 49%: yes Visit RCRWirelessNews.com to answer this week's question.

Handset price changes.(Upfront)
January 21, 2008... Handset pricing changes are from carrier Web sites and include changes between Jan. 6 and Jan. 13. Prices include all applicable rebates. All prices are for Denver ZIP code if required.