RCR Wireless News articles from July 2007

RCR Wireless News archives from July 2007

RCRnews.com ? of the week.(News)
July 9, 2007... 3G coming to China? When will 3G licenses be awarded in China? 46%: next year 31%: never 23%: this year Visit RCRNEWS.COM to answer this week's question.

Stockwatch: June 28 - July 5.(Metrics)
July 9, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: June 28 - July 5 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-Day RCR Index: see print copy.

...ETC...(Etc.)
July 9, 2007... What's texted in Vegas, stays in Vegas MobileStorm Inc. said it is working with the MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel to help it promote events at its Studio 54 and Tabu nightclubs. The promotions will use text messaging and mobile billboards to...

Work-around veto?(Opinion)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Conventional wisdom suggests a presidential-level veto of an International Trade Commission ruling is a long shot, especially compared to pardons or, say, commutations of prison sentences. But maybe not in this...

Broadcom: Counter-offer is old news.(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Covering the Hatfields' and the McCoys' blood feud might be easier than sifting through the conflicting claims between Broadcom Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. over patent rights and competitive issues. The two chip...

Najmi Jarwala.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The wireless industry has watched since 2001 as Sony Corp. and L.M. Ericsson joined forces to tackle the handset market. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications focused on profitability first and has attained fourth place...

U.S.-Korea pact scores key telecom provisions.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Telecom vendors cheered the signing of a U.S.-Korea trade pact boasting key market-opening telecom provisions, but the bilateral accord faces an uphill battle in Congress and skepticism about whether wireless and...

Policy debates sprawl beyond the Beltway.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Major wireless policy debates are increasingly ceasing to be Inside-the-Beltway brawls limited to high-powered lobbyists hired by well-heeled, warring industry factions. Instead, proponents of ambitiously...

Sports, exclusives in mobile TV lineup.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO MediaFLO USA Inc. has scooped up some exclusive mobile premieres since its launch in March and it plans to continue. In late June, the company broadcast the mobile premiere of MTV Network's "Super Sweet 16: The Movie''...

PS engages FCC in 700 MHz debate; First responders seek to expand beyond traditional role.
July 9, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA While Frontline Wireless L.L.C., Congress and the mobile-phone industry sound off in the final throes of a testy, high-profile 700 MHz debate, the steady, low-key diplomacy of the public-safety community could prove...

Creativity MIA in mobile gaming.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Hollywood and gaming have been cohorts for quite a while, but their relationship is budding in new ways as film and TV properties look to drive their brand beyond the big screen. Whereas mobile games may have been an...

ATSC's mobile TV standard on the clock; Technology would join a crowded list of competitors.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO The field of technologies and systems vying for industrywide recognition as the standard for mobile broadcast television has reached 11, with three proposing a complete system while the others are focusing on key links...

WiMAX has potential as Wi-Fi backhaul.(Metrics)
July 9, 2007... WiMAX technology could become a backhaul solution for metropolitan Wi-Fi networks, according to a new report from IMS Research. WiMAX technology offers a lower cost solution that provides point-to-multipoint capability, said the report. The...

HiWire, Modeo struggle to find partners; Meanwhile, MediaFLO prepares to turn on mobile TV with AT&T.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS MediaFLO USA Inc. is locking up high-profile content deals and shifting into overdrive as it nears its service launch with AT&T Mobility. Meanwhile, its would-be competitors remain in idle as they work to lock up their...

Apple grabs mind share, growth questioned; A new game in town.
July 9, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Powered by brand equity and brilliant media manipulation, Apple Inc. has parachuted into the handset business. Look out below! The company's first foray into mobile handsets has captured so much attention-the...

THE MONEY TRAIL; Later-stage investments garner VC funding.(Spotlight)
July 9, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Wireless is still drawing considerable interest-and dollars-from venture-capital companies, but VC investment overall saw a dip in the number of deals in the first quarter as investors concentrated on exit strategies,...

AT&T buys Dobson for $2.8B; Move provides No. 1 carrier with greater control over rural network.(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL AT&T Inc. said it will acquire regional carrier Dobson Communications Corp. for about $2.8 billion. Recent news reports had indicated that Dobson was exploring the possibility of a sale. Dobson serves more than...

Global Tower Partners sold for $1.4B.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Global Tower Partners, which boasts 2,500 wireless communications towers and more than 4,600 rooftop sites, has been sold for $1.4 billion. GTP owner The Blackstone Group sold the wireless tower operator to a...

Sprint Nextel sells Mobitex network; Slow-speed data network still serves 400,000.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Sprint Nextel Corp. announced it sold its Mobitex subsidiary, Velocita Wireless L.P., to United Wireless Holdings Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Velocita Wireless operates a nationwide Mobitex...

Letter.(Letters)
July 9, 2007... Beyond the status quo Dear Editor, Every now and then the Federal Communications Commission has to do something very important. This FCC has a chance to protect the homeland and ensure billions of dollars of benefits to consumers. Or...

Sprint Nextel working on work-around of ITC ban?(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Sprint Nextel Corp. may be testing a "work-around'' software patch from Qualcomm Inc. to avoid a government ban on the importation of new 3G handset models with certain Qualcomm chips. Qualcomm has said it is...

T-Mobile USA, Cinci Bell embrace Wi-Fi connection.
July 9, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Two U.S. carriers have unveiled converged Wi-Fi/cellular products that use Unlicensed Mobile Access technology and offer customers the chance to stretch their wireless minutes and improve in-home coverage by relying on...

VZW intros new tiered pricing plans.(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Verizon Wireless restructured its pricing plans, and now offers a trio of tiers to consumers. The plan restructuring provides for three levels of options for individual plans: "basic,'' "select'' and "premium.'' The "basic'' plans begin at...

Sprint Nextel boots unhappy customers.(News)
July 9, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp. is cutting loose subscribers who eat up its customer service resources, despite several quarters of struggling to hold onto users. According to a letter received and posted by a subscriber on...

Opening weekend a blockbuster for iPhone; A new game in town.
July 9, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Tens of thousands of customers opening up their shiny, new iPhones during opening weekend experienced a different way to activate a wireless device-outside the store. Instead, customers were pointed to Apple Inc.'s...

15 years ago this week.(News)
July 9, 2007... Canadian carrier AGT Cellular Ltd. turned on the first digital cellular network in North America when it launched TDMA service on 27 of its 52 cell sites. Dual-mode phones cost $1,675.

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
July 9, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Nokia-Siemens sent out a press release this week stating that Finnish ISP Nebula was beginning to offer "very high speed...

Mobile content to hit $44B by 2011, video to lead surge.(Metrics)
July 9, 2007... Worldwide mobile content revenues are expected to surpass $44 billion in 2011, more than double the expected $20 billion in revenues generated this year, according to iSuppli Corp. The mobile market research firm said the growth largely...

TESSCO buys NetForce to add to training tools.(News)
July 9, 2007... TESSCO Technologies Inc. acquired NetForce Solutions Inc., a provider of technical and sales training to the wireless, telecommunications and networking industries. Although TESSCO declined to disclose the purchase price, it did report that the...

A post-iPhone world.(Opinion)
July 9, 2007... Byline: Mike Dano There's been a lot of ink spilled about Apple's iPhone. And here's some more. Industry pundits have pointed out that the iPhone is like the Paris Hilton of the business industry; the topic has been blanketed by news...

Sink or swim in social networking pool; Two more companies dive into space.(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Maybe it's fitting that the two newest players in mobile social networking are named after sea creatures. Because they're diving into a very crowded pool. Cellfish Media L.L.C. is hoping to be a one-stop shop for...

Mobie search space heats up-this time over patents.(Upfront)
July 9, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS It's beginning to look like all that money being poured into mobile search may end up in the pockets of patent lawyers. Shares of Local.com Corp. skyrocketed last week after the online search company said it had...

Stockwatch: July 5 - July 12.(Metrics)
July 16, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: July 5 - July 12 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy

Reliance pushes CDMA in India with Qualcomm, Alcatel-Lucent.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Reliance Communications, a CDMA network operator in India, tapped Qualcomm Inc. and Alcatel-Lucent to help it expand its wireless network in India in what Alcatel-Lucent called one of the largest telecom expansions...

Under the gun, Moto talks 'seamless mobility'; Innovation moving ahead full steam, despite near-term fortunes.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Finding itself at a windswept crossroads, buffeted by a sub-par performance in the second quarter, Motorola Inc. is reaching out to the media with a message: We're still innovating in pursuit of "seamless...

Diminishing returns.(Opinion)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva In a sense, the iPhone phenomenon-the feeding frenzy that gave instant icon status to a multimedia device that was conceived outside the box before a single consumer had even removed it from inside the box-arguably...

Exploiting iPhone's Achilles' heels; In other words, don't panic, but find fun in phones.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON "Serenity now!'' yelled the character George Costanza in one episode of the 1990s sitcom, "Seinfeld.'' Costanza's anguished cry underscored the unbridgeable gap between his desperate need for serenity and the angst...

FCC seeks more remarks on special-access regs.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission asked for a new round of public comment on regulation of special-access lines, last-mile connections essential to wireless carriers and largely controlled by AT&T Inc. and Verizon...

CTIA urges caution in protecting customer information.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry challenged a Federal Communications Commission decision to better safeguard consumer phone records, citing provisions that it claims run contrary to applicable legal standards and to the...

The Simpsons jump off-deck-and on-deck; Subscription-based content to be available in 35 countries.
July 16, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO The extended family of "The Simpsons'' is making a big bet on mobile. The creative minds that introduced us to Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and dozens more back in 1989 are now bringing fresh content from Simpsons...

2 large network players make moves in femtocells.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Femtocells, or access point base stations, are making some big waves in the wireless industry this month. Shortly after ABI Research released a positive report on the outlook for femtocells, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia...

...ETC...(Etc.)
July 16, 2007... Was she a former Sprint Nextel customer? A four-year-old Illinois girl called 911 almost 300 times on a deactivated cellphone last month. Dispatchers were able to hear the child talking and track the calls to an apartment complex, but not...

Motorola sinks, Sony Ericsson, Samsung take up slack; More than ever, handset makers in race for profitability, market share, mind share.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Like a crash by leading contenders in the Tour de France, any stumble by a leading handset vendor creates an opening for competitors. Nokia Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications...

BACKDRAFT; Martin's 700 MHz draft ignites debate on public safety, open access.
July 16, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin could face trouble securing support from the agency's two Democrats for a key component of his 700 MHz plan, but the draft rule could entice Verizon Wireless to...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 16, 2007... RCR Wireless News would like to clarify a point in the July 9 article, "ATSC's mobile TV standard on the clock.'' Nokia Corp. submitted a complete proposal for major elements of an ATSC-M/H standard before the Advanced Television Systems...

WiMAX development leaves plenty of wiggle room; Trial markets heat up as proponents betting on take off in cities, overseas.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL As WiMAX service edges closer to rollout here, the technology is advancing on a number of fronts, both in overseas trials and deployments as well as interest from venture-capital companies. Dr. Mohammad Shakouri,...

Analyst: Apple deals in Europe tough without 3G handset.(Metrics)
July 16, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Speculation has sent network operators' stock up and down, but a British analyst said Apple Inc. had not signed any deals with Euro-operators. The sticking point, according to Bill Ray, analyst with ARChart, is the...

TerreStar in Vt. broadband trial.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Vermont officials have tapped TerreStar Networks Inc. to bring wireless broadband and telecommunications services to the state's rural and underserved areas. TerreStar, which is a subsidiary of Illinois' Motient Corp., announced a pilot...

Indian firm to snap up BCGI for $65 million.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Shares of Boston Communications Group Inc. skyrocketed after Indian computer company Megasoft Ltd. said it will acquire the struggling developer of billing software for roughly $65 million. Megasoft's Tea Party...

Sugar Mama reveals new advertisers, updates uptake.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. said that its users have earned more than 9 million minutes of free airtime since the mobile virtual network operator instituted its Sugar Mama program, which offers customers the chance to...

More funding for wireless firms.(News)
July 16, 2007... The mantra of OPM-other people's money-is alive and well in wireless. The latest private-equity investments, announced last week, include New York-based Lindsay Goldberg's $283 million stake in Brightstar Corp., which is expanding its...

Motorola buys Leapstone.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Motorola Inc. will buy privately held Leapstone Systems, Inc., a software developer with a unified platform for voice and data bundles across multiple networks and devices. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Leapstone's communications...

CONTRACTS.(News)
July 16, 2007... The following infrastructure contracts were announced in June: Alcatel-Lucent Kenya: With Celtel Kenya Ltd. to expand and enhance its wireless network with GSM/EDGE radio equipment. Value: Undisclosed New Zealand: With Telecom...

Report: Wireless broadband could turn carriers into dumb pipes.(Metrics)
July 16, 2007... WiMAX and other increasingly low-cost data options could help turn U.S. wireless networks into dumb pipes, according to research firm Analysys. The company identified three possible paths for the evolution of the wireless industry,...

DoCoMo to invest $24 million for AT&T's Hawaii buildout.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL AT&T Mobility will work with Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo Inc. to build a 3G wireless network in Hawaii, the two companies announced. DoCoMo said it will provide up to $24 million to support the network build, which...

Customer comes first; Yakety Yak aims to pay attention to customer as devices get more complex.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Editor's Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what's hot in wireless. Retail franchise Yakety Yak Wireless' location in Huntington...

Tier-one carrier to use SNAPin software for CRM services.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL The expense of acquiring customers is one thing, but then wireless companies also must shoulder the cost of servicing those subscribers and keeping them happy once they've got them. Bellevue, Wash.-based SNAPin...

Open access: Questions and consequences.
July 16, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Conceptually, at least, few things could be more appealing to mobile consumers than open wireless access. Richard Whitt, Google Inc.'s telecom and media counsel, painted a picture of a veritable mobile utopia on the...

Oasys defaults on loan.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Shares of Oasys Mobile Inc. continued their descent after the company lost two board members and defaulted on an $8 million loan. The Raleigh, N.C.-based outfit filed documents with the Securities and Exchange...

12 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK.(News)
July 16, 2007... The FCC decided to eliminate designated-entity preferences for 493 PCS licenses that were up for bid that year, despite pleas from President Clinton to keep the race and gender preferences in place.

Tira to expand after $5M infusion.(News)
July 16, 2007... Tira Wireless said it will expand beyond mobile entertainment after pocketing $5 million in a Series D funding round. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company has gained considerable traction by helping game-makers and other publishers deploy...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
July 16, 2007... Op-ed authors rebut Hundt's Frontline letter Dear Editor, We would like to respond to some of the many misleading comments made by Reed Hundt in RCR Wireless News relating to our editorial. That piece argued that the FCC should not...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
July 16, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. What the heck is up with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's 700 MHz draft? What a headache! We thought the overarching concern was...

3 vendors get a piece of Leap buildout business.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Leap Wireless International Inc. subsidiary Cricket Communications Inc. has selected three infrastructure vendors for equipment, services and software in its planned buildout of third-generation networks in its recently...

Changing course.(Opinion)
July 16, 2007... Byline: Tracy Ford Two disparate events-the 700 MHz auction and the iPhone introduction-have the potential to alter the wireless industry's existing course. Traditional wireless players must adapt to these new forces of change-and if they...

Obopay scores $29M in VC.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile payment startup Obopay padded its bank account, hauling in $29 million in a third round of funding. Richmond Management L.L.C. affiliate Richmond Global Cellular led the round and existing investors Qualcomm...

Review: Helio makes surfing, shopping breeze.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Editor's Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News' new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. To sign up for the free weekly e-mail alert, go to rcrnews.com/email. Every week we'll review...

Mobile can't get in E3 gaming club; Separate summit addresses mobile gamer.(News)
July 16, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO In years past, the E3 Media and Business summit was a catch-all for geeks, gamers and everything in between, but this year the conference organizers tightened their traditionally welcoming arms-so much so that mobile was...

Carriers shun porn on deck, experiment with PG-13 offerings.(Spotlight)
July 16, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS More than three years after the wireless industry launched an effort to establish a ratings system for mobile content, carriers are finally beginning to restrict access to the edgy stuff. Whether such efforts will help...

RCRnews.com ? of the week.(News)
July 16, 2007... ADS NOT WELCOME Will you accept ads on your cellphone? 83% NO 9% ONLY OCCASIONALLY 8% YES Visit RCRNEWS.COM to answer this week's question.

Handset Price Changes.(Upfront)
July 16, 2007... Handset pricing changes are from carrier Web sites and include changes between July 1 and July 8. Prices include all applicable rebates. All prices are for Denver ZIP code if required. table: see print copy

RCRnews.com ? of the week.(News)
July 23, 2007... Yes or no mvno? In three years how many MVNOs will be left? 53%: 3 21%: none 17%: more than 10 9%: 10 Visit RCRNEWS.COM to answer this week's question.

Stockwatch: July 12 - July 19.(Metrics)
July 23, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: July 12 - July 19 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR Index: see print copy.

700 MHz debate getting steamy; Google, AT&T throw wrench into industry's plans.
July 23, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA If the last big auction comes close to having the kind of intrigue, bizarre twists and high-roller gamesmanship associated with the Federal Communications Commission efforts to craft 700 MHz rules and lobbying...

5 years ago this week.(News)
July 23, 2007... In an attempt to show its continued interest in CDMA technology, Nokia announced plans support the CDMA2000 1x EV-DV standard and to build its own chipset based on the high-speed technology.

Hedgehogging.(News)
July 23, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. RCR Wireless News online editor Mike Dano was riding high last week after receiving a number of e-mails about his...

Speculation focuses on Zander's longevity; Moto's device unit floundering, despite 100 million Razr sales.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON As Motorola Inc. posted official second-quarter numbers last week, its earlier warnings on earnings became real: the company has gone from racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in quarterly profit last year to...

Senate bill targets wireline-to-wireless number porting issues.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Two Senate lawmakers introduced legislation that would set minimum performance standards for transferring telephone numbers from one telecom service provider to another when a customer switches carriers, a measure...

WAP vs. downloadable apps; Cases made for each method as wireless Web continues to develop.(Spotlight)
July 23, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Call it the struggle of WAP vs. app. In the early days of the wireless Web, media companies and others looking to target mobile users decided that WAP, or Wireless Access Protocol, was indeed crap. Instead of...

Sanyo refreshes Katana at Sprint Nextel, Samsung bolsters Alltel with Hue.(Upfront)
July 23, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Sanyo Corp. followed up its Katana handset at Sprint Nextel Corp. by delivering two new models of its signature handset, the Katana II and the Katana DLX. The DLX, priced at $130 with a two-year contract, offers the...

LG's handset unit in the black; Outlook for Q3 mixed with strong sales but lower profits.(Upfront)(Financial report)
July 23, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON LG Electronics Co. Ltd. is doing well in the handset business, though the company's handset division is settling into fifth place globally, well behind Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., which overtook LG by...

Nothin' but a 'G' thing.(Opinion)
July 23, 2007... Byline: Dan Meyer The 3G Americas trade association recently released a white paper entitled: "Defining 4G: Understanding the ITU Process for the Next Generation of Wireless Technology.'' The GSM-biased trade association noted the report...

...ETC...(Briefs)
July 23, 2007... Olympic ring bling Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is planning to make an 18-carat-gold-plated mobile phone for the Chinese market in conjunction with next year's Olympic games in Beijing. The P318 model will be mostly black with gold trim...

Nearly $1B allocated for public-safety interoperability; California leads nation with $232M promised.(News)
July 23, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration earmarked $968 million in grants for public-safety communications interoperability, a capability still missing across much of the country years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and...