RCR Wireless News articles from July 2002

RCR Wireless News archives from July 2002

AJile Systems unveils Java reference design for phones, PDAS. (Late News).
July 1, 2002... Java company aJile Systems today released a software reference design for wireless personal digital assistants and smart phones that is composed solely of Java technology. The company is selling the reference design to original equipment...

Alcatel establishes 3G center in China. (Late News).
July 1, 2002... Alcatel said it launched a 3G Reality Center in Shanghai, China, to develop and test advanced mobile applications and data services in the country. Alcatel said it would partner with local content and applications providers for the...

Few buyers for WorldCom mobile biz.
July 1, 2002... In an unfortunate game of bad accounting tit-for-tat, WorldCom Inc. last week trumped previous heavyweight Enron as the poster child for how to bring a once-proud company to its knees by not counting money properly. The fallout from...

Nationwide carriers (minus Sprint PCS) expect solid 2Q.
July 1, 2002... As wireless carriers get set to begin reporting second-quarter results, customer addition announcements from a number of nationwide operators and their affiliates are making it difficult to predict what to expect. Sprint PCS, which has led...

Some 3G contracts set in sand, not stone.
July 1, 2002... Vendors at the lower rung of 3G contracts are bracing to challenge market-share leaders as the shadow of an uncertain economy may compel operators, especially in Europe, to review their contracts. The first signal of such reviews was the...

Suppliers disagree on role of fiber optics in 3G arena: T1, microwave offer alternatives. (News).
July 1, 2002... Major U.S. carriers like Verizon Wireless Inc. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. are leveraging the benefits of optical technology as the industry moves into third-generation protocols, which promise to carry heavier traffic with greater speed for...

CPUC to probe Cingular after consumer complaints. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--California state regulators have launched an investigation into Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s business practices, the most recent action of a broader pro-consumer agenda that has put the U.S. mobile-phone industry on the defensive and...

Web sites go wireless. (News).
July 1, 2002... DENVER--Rcrnews.com and globalwirelessnews.com announce wireless delivery of news alerts. Beginning today online subscribers using Palm or Pocket PC-based devices can register to receive news updates wirelessly from either site. "In the...

Plastenna compound may transform antenna industry. (News).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Under non-disclosure agreements with 40 companies worldwide, Integral Technologies is testing its patent-pending "plastenna" compound, which allows the skin of a phone to double as a transceiver, and expects to complete preliminary...

Leap says one-fourth of customers cut cord. (News).
July 1, 2002... SAN DIEGO--More than 26 percent of Leap Wireless International Inc. Cricket customers reported they do not have a traditional wireline phone at home, according to a company survey, well ahead of the low single-digit percentage for all wireless...

Bankrupt NII Holdings to pay $6 to key staff. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--Even though the company recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the Washington Post reported NII Holdings Inc. plans to pay nearly $6 million in retention bonuses to 24 employees in an attempt to keep what it calls...

Cingular opens Cingular Zone in New York City. (News).
July 1, 2002... ATLANTA--Ahead of its planned launch of wireless service in New York City next month, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. opened a Cingular Zone in Rockefeller Center allowing potential customers to try out the carrier's service and announced title...

Wireless carriers seek access to rural broadband loans. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--Wireless carriers interested in offering broadband service in rural areas--and getting access to funds set aside for that purpose--may butt up against speed requirements set by government, according to some speakers at last week's...

FCC sets 100 MHz auction for Aug. 27. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission, following on Congress's actions last month, has scheduled the auction of the 700 MHz C-and D-blocks for Aug. 27. The C-block contains 734 licenses of metropolitan statistical areas. Each...

S&P puts Horizon PCS on CreditWatch. (News).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Standard & Poor's placed wireless operator Horizon PCS Inc. on Credit-Watch with negative implications due to concerns about the outcome of Horizon's negotiations with its bank creditors over covenant amendments. "Horizon has...

IBM sells BlackBerrys with GoAmerica. (News).
July 1, 2002... HACKENSACK, N.J.--IBM Corp. will sell BlackBerry wireless data devices with GoAmerica Inc.'s wireless service, an expansion of the business relationship between the two companies. The companies in December said they would jointly develop...

SFR to offer BlackBerrys in France via GPRS system. (News).
July 1, 2002... TORONTO-BlackBerrys will soon be available in France through Research In Motion Ltd.'s latest carrier deal. The company said it will sell the BlackBerry wireless e-mail solution for enterprise customers in France running over SFR's GPRS...

Tecnomen begins MMS trials in Dominican Republic, Indonesia. (News).
July 1, 2002... HELSINKI, Finland-Finnish supplier Tecnomen said it will begin multimedia messaging service trials in two countries, The Dominican Republic and Indonesia. The Dominican Republic trial will be with France Telecom Dominicana. The Orange...

All (lawsuit) roads lead to Blake. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON-While the outcome of high-stakes health litigation against the mobile-phone industry remains unknown, one thing has become dear: All roads lead to U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake. Blake, already a key player in health...

Congressman's wireless influence likely to suffer due to WorldCom probe. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--The ability of Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) to champion legislation that reforms spectrum management and secures frequencies for third-generation wireless systems could be hindered by the accounting scandal at WorldCom Inc. ...

Pieces in place for wireless broadband take-up? (News).
July 1, 2002... BOSTON--Unrealistic business plans, wire-line competition, technical challenges and a major capital crunch aligned to squash the momentum of the wireless broadband industry during the past 18 months, but basic demand is still strong and...

Western Wireless Corp. last week filed an informal complaint at the Federal Communications Commission against Golden West Telephone Co. based in Wall, S.D. Western charges that Golden West is engaging in anti-competitive behavior. (D.C. Briefs).
July 1, 2002... Western Wireless Corp. last week filed an informal complaint at the Federal Communications Commission against Golden West Telephone Co. based in Wall, S.D. Western charges that Golden West is engaging in anti-competitive behavior. For example,...

"No one will turn into a pumpkin on June 30," said FBI agent Les Szwhakowski as he described to RCR Wireless News the wireless industry's compliance with the digital wiretap act. (D.C. Briefs).
July 1, 2002... "No one will turn into a pumpkin on June 30," said FBI agent Les Szwhakowski as he described to RCR Wireless News the wireless industry's compliance with the digital wiretap act. The deadline for compliance was yesterday, and Szwhakowski said...

The PCIA Foundation announced the winners of its three scholarship awards each valued at $5,000. (D.C. Briefs).
July 1, 2002... The PCIA Foundation announced the winners of its three scholarship awards each valued at $5,000. Julie Henn of the Boston University School of Law received the Bowler Family Endowment Award. Heather Karen Herrick, a recent graduate of the...

Air2Web. (D.C. Briefs).
July 1, 2002... Air2Web announced its wireless platform is available to federal government agencies through Science Applications International Corp.'s GSA IT Schedule. The GSA IT Schedule allows government organizations to acquire products and services below...

Creditors, bankruptcy expert side with NextWave. (News).
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON--Federal agencies will be able to pick and choose whether they should be exempt from bankruptcy laws based on the value of the licenses involved, thus giving federal agencies an undue advantage over other creditors if the Supreme...

Serving our readers, wirelessly. (Opinion).
July 1, 2002... At RCR Wireless News, as a Grain Communications Inc. publication, we follow a proud and strong tenet of journalism: Put the reader first. Week in and week out, we strive to do just that in these pages and on our Web sites by bringing you...

Market cleansing. (Opinion).
July 1, 2002... Forget about a national broadband policy and how it might have sharpened the Bush administration's focus on wireless telecom issues-like third-generation mobile-phone spectrum. Forget all that. It's history, and it might not have mattered...

Letter.
July 1, 2002... Rural carriers will make it. (News) I am responding to your article that appeared in the June 3 edition, "On-network calling plans satisfy carriers, customers," by Dan Meyer. Your description of the Rural Cellular Corp. roaming increase...

Triton PCS plans to operate as standalone brand. (News).
July 1, 2002... CHICAGO--Triton PCS Holdings Inc.'s said its co-branding agreement with AT&T Corp. is expected to end in February when the current deal between the two companies expires. "More than likely we will operate as a standalone brand," said...

US Unwired launches unlimited monthly calling plan. (News).
July 1, 2002... LAKE CHARLES, La.--Wireless operator US Unwired launched its Big Mouth calling plan, allowing customers to make unlimited monthly calls for $35 per month. Customers can also purchase additional features, including call waiting, call forwarding,...

AT&T Wireless introduces integrated billing platform for mMode. (News).
July 1, 2002... REDMOND, Wash.--AT&T Wireless Services Inc. introduced its e-Wallet integrated billing platform for its mMode service, allowing content providers to charge their digital services directly to customers wireless phone bills or credit cards. The...

As Jan. 1 looms, questions surround consolidation. (Focus: Cellular/PCS Update).
July 1, 2002... With the Federal Communications Commission scheduled to completely repeal the spectrum cap in less than six months, the wireless industry is on the verge of experiencing the potential of working in an environment where spectrum amounts are not...

AT&T Wireless: independent and innovative. (Carrier Profile: AT&T Wireless).
July 1, 2002... Editor's Note: In a new series, RCR Wireless News takes an in-depth look at nationwide wireless players, including their strengths and challenges in an ever-changing wireless environment. In this third installment, RCR Wireless News reporter...

IT players find window of opportunity in wireless. (Business).
July 1, 2002... As the wireless industry slowly moves from a voice-dominated business into the immensely complicated world of data services, a cadre of information-technology companies honed by the Internet boom has in recent months been working to garner a...

Palm reports solid earnings. (Business).
July 1, 2002... SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Personal digital assistant giant Palm Inc. reported solid earnings in line with investor expectations and company projections, evidence the company has reined in its costs and cash management. Palm reported revenue for...

Qualcomm, Lucent test DMTS packet data calls. (Business).
July 1, 2002... SAN DIEGO--Qualcomm Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. said they have completed a series of UMTS packet data calls, describing it as the "first such demonstration... with commercial 3G infrastructure and chipsets for mobile devices." The...

AT&T Wireless launches business solutions. (Business).
July 1, 2002... REDMOND, Wash.--AT&T Wireless introduced a trio of business solutions designed for customers using the carrier's GSM/GPRS network. The solutions includes Office Online, a ViAir Inc.-provided product that allows customers to remotely access...

Toshiba debuts WLAN-cellular roaming system. (Business).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Toshiba America Information Systems plans to introduce commercially next spring its Mobility Communications System, which will support seamless roaming throughout a business campus and between wireless local area networks and cellular...

Text messaging appears to be success story, but no one's talking. (Business).
July 1, 2002... The text messaging industry in the United States is growing by leaps and bounds, and most agree it has the potential to be huge. The application is really the first major win for the nascent and struggling U.S. wireless data market for...

RealNetworks enhances RealOne Mobile Player. (Business).
July 1, 2002... SEATTLE--RealNetworks made enhancements that increase the ease of use and add functionality to its RealOne Mobile Player The company released a new user interface and functionality for the RealOne Mobile Player that it said will increase...

Midwest Wireless deploys wireless data with PolarLake. (Business).
July 1, 2002... MANKATO, Minn.--Regional wireless carrier Midwest Wireless announced it deployed wireless data services that include XML and Web services through a new deal with PolarLake. "This project furthers Midwest Wireless' efforts to deliver...

Gtran ships dual-band cdma2000 1x EV-DO data card. (Business).
July 1, 2002... WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--Wireless modem maker Gtran Wireless Inc. has said its dual-band cdma2000 1x EV-DO data card known as the DotSurfer 6200 is commercially available. The company said the product "future-proofs" the customer against...

IPR disputes find their way to court. (Business).
July 1, 2002... "Now that the market is down, you want to claim whatever competitive advantage you have," said Eddie Woo, an analyst with CIBC World Markets. "If the companies defend their patents now, it'll certainly put them in a more solid position when the...

Pax fund manager links ethics with performance. (Business).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--A strong correlation exists between poor corporate governance and the spate of debt downgrades to junk-bond status and, conversely, a link is emerging between socially responsible company practices and rating stability, said Diane...

CEA: phone sales up in '02. (Business).
July 1, 2002... ARLINGTON, Va.--Despite the dark shadow the depressed economy has cast on much of the U.S. wireless sector, the Consumer Electronics Association's recently released Digital America 2002 report shows wireless device sales are still up,...

EMS hunts for place in industry. (Business).
July 1, 2002... Ever heard of EMS, or Enhanced Messaging Service? If not, don't worry--few people have. It was created as an extension to the short message service messaging technology that has taken the worldwide wireless industry by storm. The idea...

Motorola downgraded by Moody's. (Business).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Moody's Investors Service downgraded Motorola Inc. because of what the rating agency describes as pressure on the wireless vendor's performance in all segments of its businesses. Its senior unsecured debt dropped to Baa2 from A3,...

Ericsson wins contract in Yugoslavia. (Business).
July 1, 2002... STOCKHOLM, Sweden--Ericsson AB said it has won a $105 million contract to supply Yugoslavian major carrier Serbian Mobtel with GSM network equipment, targeting 2 million subscribers. "The enhancements this contract brings will allow Mobtel...

Wireless stock watch.
July 1, 2002... Wireless Stock Watch June 19-June 26 GAINS CLOSING CLOSING PERCENT 52-WK EXCH COMPANY 6/26/02 6/19/02 CHANGE HIGH NAS 724 Solutions Inc ...

P-Com Inc. (Business Briefs).
July 1, 2002... P-Com Inc. closed an $8 million equity financing, as part of a $13 million equity round. The company said it issued 57,321,430 shares of unregistered common stock in connection with the $8 million equity closing and has agreed to register the...

Alamosa PCS awarded its "Partner of the Year" award to Sprint North Supply's work with the carrier's supply chain. (Business Briefs).
July 1, 2002... Alamosa PCS awarded its "Partner of the Year" award to Sprint North Supply's work with the carrier's supply chain. Sprint North Supply said it developed cost-saving solutions for Alamosa PCS that streamlined and consolidated several logistics...

Datacard Group announced it acquired the assets of smart card maker Gilles Leroux out of a French bankruptcy court. (Business Briefs).
July 1, 2002... Datacard Group announced it acquired the assets of smart card maker Gilles Leroux out of a French bankruptcy court. Datacard said it will continue to make the Gilles Leroux product line at its Orleans, France, facility. "The product lines and...

Sierra Wireless. (Business Briefs).
July 1, 2002... Wireless modem gear maker Sierra Wireless has said it will cut its staff and contractors to 180 from 275 and revised its second-quarter earnings downward, expecting a loss of $40 million, or $2.46 a share. The company also announced the...

Alcatel. (Business Briefs).
July 1, 2002... French telecom equipment vendor Alcatel said its will suffer an operating loss in 2002 and cut 10,000 more jobs by the end of next year as part of its plan to make the company profitable. The company, which had expected to make a profit this...

Amdocs hit by shareholder suits, credit review. (Business).
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK--Amdocs Ltd. announced June 27 that shareholders have filed two federal class-action lawsuits against the company and certain of its officers and directors "in connection with the public disclosure of its operating results." The...

Sirenic unveils server that tracks user preferences. (Business).
July 1, 2002... LONDON--Using what it calls "a form of artificial intelligence," London-based startup Sirenic has developed a solution that organizes the gobs of information mobile workers receive on their mobile devices, allowing users to be much more...

ArialPhone device targets limited mobility apps. (Business).
July 1, 2002... MUNDELEIN, Ill.--ArialPhone Corp. launched a wireless device designed for people with limited mobility. The hands-free, voice-activated system consists of a wearable earset, voice dialing software and a base station, which connect to a PC and...

PLDT acquisition guarantees mobile industry change in the Philippines. (Global Wireless).
July 1, 2002... MANILA, The Philippines--The recent major buy-in by the Gokongwei group, a multibillion-dollar conglomerate that is involved in virtually every aspect of Philippine business, of the New York Stock Exchange-listed telecommunications firm...

One.Tel launches 2nd U.K. MVNO offering. (Europe News).
July 1, 2002... OXFORD, United Kingdom--A second mobile virtual network operator, One.Tel, has launched in the United Kingdom, despite many industry analysts claiming the market is saturated and price cutting is rampant. The company, owned by the U.K.-based...

Six European operators to offer mobile instant messaging. (Europe News).
July 1, 2002... LONDON--Six European markets will soon have MSN Messenger, Microsoft's instant messaging service, on mobile phones via short message service. Operators in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey will offer the...

European telcos re-enter mobile market with WLAN. (Europe News).
July 1, 2002... OXFORD, United Kingdom--U.K.-based British Telecommunications has launched three wireless local area network (WLAN) "hot spots" in London to provide personal digital assistant (PDA) and laptop users with high-speed Internet access. The company...

Nasdaq to delist Marconi shares. (News).
July 1, 2002... LONDON--U.K. telecom player Marconi plc said on Friday that the company would be delisted from the Nasdaq on July 3. The company said its American Depositary Receipts will be delisted because Marconi could not meet the minimum bid price to...

Autodesk releases new version of LocationLogic location platform. (News).
July 1, 2002... SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--Autodesk Location Services announced the third release of its Autodesk LocationLogic, a development platform for location-based services. Autodesk said LocationLogic 3 includes new capabilities to help wireless...

Sprint PCS launch expected Aug. 10? (Late News).
July 8, 2002... Sprint PCS' highly anticipated next-generation network is scheduled to launch August 10, at least according to Audiovox president and chief executive officer Philip Christopher who apparently let the cat out of the bag during a quarterly...

Verizon chooses Nortel for packet switching. (Late News).
July 8, 2002... Nortel Networks said Verizon Wireless has selected it to supply its packet switching equipment in what it described as the biggest deployment on a voice network in North America. The contract, whose financial terms are under wraps, will...

Cingular launches in N.Y. through network sharing.
July 8, 2002... Righting a seemingly incomprehensible wrong, the nation's second-largest wireless operator finally launched service in the nation's largest market last week as Cingular Wireless introduced New Yorkers to its wireless voice service. The market...

E-OTD handsets next E-911 battle.
July 8, 2002... WASHINGTON--Whether and when enhanced observed time difference of arrival will ever meet Federal Communications Commission requirements is the next battle in the fight to deploy wireless enhanced 911. All of the nationwide GSM...

WorldCom plans wireless exit.
July 8, 2002... With the possibility of bankruptcy hanging heavy over the company and investors finally able to react to its financial transgressions, WorldCom Inc. reiterated plans last week to divest its wireless business and secure additional funding to...

The name of the game: cooperatition. (News).
July 8, 2002... A drama of soap-opera proportions is being played out on the stage set by Verizon Wireless' data offerings. It's like something straight out of TV's "The Young and the Restless" or "All my Children," except without Susan Lucci. It's a...

List of potential Ericsson buyers is short. (News).
July 8, 2002... If a takeover is the only option left for Ericsson, the Swedish telecom equipment giant may have to deal with its problems for a while, according to analysts. The only companies that might eye acquiring the vendor, said analysts, include...

Broader wireless troubles drag down tower sector. (News).
July 8, 2002... Carrier instability and overall wireless industry image problems are negatively impacting wireless tower companies, although most are expected to endure, having accumulated enough cash to fund operations until carriers increase their capital...

FCC to look at LNP next week. (News).
July 8, 2002... WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission is expected to consider at its meeting next week Verizon Wireless Inc.'s petition for forbearance from rules requiring wireless carriers to implement wireless local number portability by Nov....

3G acceptance will present challenges. (News).
July 8, 2002... SAN JOSE, Calif.--While the mobile industry is poised for massive growth during the next five years, widespread acceptance of third-generation technology will present a challenge, according to new research from Frost & Sullivan. According...

Tecnomen to supply MMS to Finnish 2G. (News).
July 8, 2002... ESPOO, Finland--Finnish 2G Ltd. will use infrastructure from Tecnomen to offer multimedia messaging services, the companies announced. "Finnish 2G is a pioneer in the convergence of different methods of communication by enabling the...

Aether shareholders file class action lawsuits.
July 8, 2002... NEW YORK--Merrill Lynch & Co and certain of its stock analysts are the target of at least two class-action lawsuits filed in June in connection with Aether Systems Inc., Owings Mills, Md., a provider of software, services and support for...

Trade liberalization gains importance for U.S. wireless firms. (News).
July 8, 2002... WASHINGTON--With consumer demand subsiding and financial pressures dictating consolidation in the mobile-phone industry, wireless companies will be forced to seek refuge in emerging markets needing modern telecom infrastructure and in free...

Global Locate's E-911 solution ready for carriers. (News).
July 8, 2002... Meeting the Federal Communications Commission's enhanced-911 Phase II deadlines using the most accurate and inexpensive solution has been an ongoing headache for all wireless carriers, but because of inherent technological differences, TDMA and...

Openwave shares down 50% on lowered outlook. (News).
July 8, 2002... REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--Investors tore Openwave Systems Inc. share prices in half after the company significantly lowered its fourth quarter outlook. Trading in wireless data giant Openwave was massive after the news, as shares dropped more...

RIM shares jump on smaller-than-expected loss. (News).
July 8, 2002... WATERLOO, Ontario--Shares in Black-Berry maker Research In Motion Ltd. jumped after the company reported a smaller-than-expected loss and revenues in line with expectations in its first quarter results. However, it lowered its 2003 fiscal...

Leap reports subscriber adds just below guidance. (News).
July 8, 2002... SAN DIEGO--Leap Wireless International Inc. reported ending the second quarter with approximately 1.452 million subscribers to its Cricket service, below company guidance of 1.5 million customers. The carrier blamed aggressive dealer...

Battery advances don't keep pace with technology demands. (Batteries).
July 8, 2002... NEW YORK--How quickly we have forgotten the mid-1990s "when analog (cellular) went through batteries like there was no tomorrow; and it was typical to have two batteries, one in the phone and one always in the charger," said Joel Tax, research...

Industry waits on trust fund legislation.
July 8, 2002... WASHINGTON--The Bush administration last week missed self-imposed deadlines for completing a study on third-generation mobile-phone spectrum and sending Congress legislation to create a trust fund to underwrite the cost of moving the military...

Recovery by design. (Opinion).
July 8, 2002... During the past two years, one event after another has left the international wireless landscape looking like a battleground, with numerous casualties and few, if any, players left unscathed. Spectrum auctions in the United States and...