RCR Wireless News articles from July 2008

RCR Wireless News archives from July 2008

MetroPCS' stock stunned by second-quarter results.(Financial report)
July 7, 2008... Byline: DAN MEYER The one-two punch of a typically slow quarter and overall economic challenges dazed regional wireless provider MetroPCS Communications Inc., which posted customer growth results for the second quarter that came up short...

Lawsuits target alleged government cellphone tracking.
July 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the Bush administration in federal court to obtain records on allegedly unchecked cellphone tracking by the government. "This is a...

Cheng Wu.
July 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The term "serial entrepreneur'' gets tossed around a lot in the technology world, but few executives can match Cheng Wu's resume when it comes to building and then selling startups. During his 20-year career, Wu...

Summer school.
July 7, 2008... It won't be long until Congress breaks for its August recess (are they there now?), only to return for a short spell before taking off for the rest of this presidential election year. But the Federal Communications Commission and...

Consolidation presses roaming issues; Congress, smaller carriers fear unreasonable requirements.
July 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA While wireless providers large and small differ on such hot-button issues as universal service support, exclusive handset arrangements and special access, the controversy over roaming has the potential to become the...

Tower climbing: deadliest job in U.S. Tie or die, OSHA head says.
July 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Despite ongoing government and industry efforts to improve safety, maintenance of mobile-phone and other communications towers continues to be the most hazardous work around. And because of the relatively small number...

Second quarter: prelude to a handset ramp? Analysts to parse vendors' language for clues to 2H.
July 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Handset vendors' second-quarter earnings are expected to be ho-hum, based on a global lull in new product launches during the quarter. As usual, however, analysts will carefully parse the language used by leading...

Apple's launch goal: 22 countries, 1 day; Impressive if successful; all eyes on Friday.
July 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Few are certain whether Apple Inc.'s simultaneous, 22-country launch of its 3G iPhone this Friday is unprecedented in the industry. But many observers, cognizant of manufacturing logistics, regulatory-approval and...

Huawei's handset biz draws private interests.
July 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Huawei Technologies Co. has five interested suitors seeking a stake in the Chinese telecom company's handset division, according to today's Wall Street Journal. The nearly instant ardor for Huawei leaves...

Activation may prove challenge to 3G iPhone launch; New process requires in-store activation.
July 7, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER A lower price isn't the only change accompanying the release of Apple Inc.'s 3G iPhone. Activating the device will also differ this year. When released last summer, customers were required to perform a...

Notebook PCs with HSPA to reach 49M in Europe in 5 years.
July 7, 2008... The number of notebook computers equipped with HSPA/LTE mobile broadband connectivity in Europe will grow from 8.4 million last year to 49 million in 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 34.1%, according to new research from analyst firm Berg...

VC exuberance in social networking space.
July 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS When it comes to investment money, perhaps no space in mobile is as hot as social networking. And it looks like the spigot isn't going to shut off anytime soon. But for venture capital to truly flood the space, the...

Carrier raises texting fee.
July 7, 2008... T-Mobile USA Inc. announced it will raise its texting rates to 20 cents a message. The change will go into effect Aug. 29 for those without text bundles or for those who exceed their allotted number of messages. T-Mobile USA said it will...

Verizon plants trees, stops pushing paper.
July 7, 2008... Verizon Wireless is pushing a new color on its customers and it's green. The company will offer the Verizon Wireless Green Bill, a paperless billing option. For every customer who signs on to either the Green Bill or auto bill pay before...

What's hot? Networks and consumer apps.
July 7, 2008... Byline: KELLY HILL With an influx of new spectrum, new networks coming online and new services to run over those networks, one might say that venture capitalists are backing both the tortoise and the hare to win in wireless. The...

IMS continues struggle for adoption; Complex architecture befuddles carriers and customers.
July 7, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER The blueprints for the much-hyped IP Multimedia Subsystems architecture have been drawn, plans have been made, dreams have hatched; nearly everything needed to be done has been done; everything but the implementation....

Openwave offloads handset software biz.
July 7, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Purple Labs purchased Openwave Systems Inc.'s mobile-phone software business for $30 million in cash, the two companies said. The sale, which includes browsing and messaging products and related personnel, will...

Hedgehogging; hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.
July 7, 2008... The undisputed most awesome news from last week had to be that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was working with Dialogue Communications to power a mobile campaign in Australia tied to the July 9 launch of the "Rambo'' DVD. This from Dialogue:...

Moto rewires exec lineup; New bosses named around the globe as cellular woes worsen.
July 7, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Motorola Inc. is replacing top executives in key markets around the globe as its share of worldwide cellular telephone sales falls to new lows. In an internal memo recently circulated and obtained by Crain's Chicago...

Photo caption.
July 7, 2008... Moto's savior? The recently unveiled Zine ZN-5, which sports a 5-megapixel camera and is targeted initially for the Chinese market.

3 Years Ago this Week.
July 7, 2008... Nextel announced plans to begin trialing IP Wireless' UMTS TD-CDMA technology in the Washington, D.C., area using the carrier's 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings.

Wireless HD TV could take off, ABI notes.
July 7, 2008... Wireless hi-definition TV, while still in its "incubation'' phase, could reach 1 million installations by 2012, according to a new report from ABI Research. The market is fractured by three competing markets loosely grouped as 5 GHz, 60...

Show me the money.
July 7, 2008... Mobyko.com unveiled an online calculator it calls The Mobilator that is designed to show customers how much value is in their mobile phone. The formula was developed by a mathematics professor and a researcher and takes into account all mobile...

Free Wi-Fi in Utah.
July 7, 2008... Nomad Digital has partnered with the Utah Transit Authority to launch an on-board Wi-Fi wireless broadband network that will be free for all passengers. The launch represents the first onboard Wi-Fi offering on a U.S. railroad, said the...

The need for a strong Sprint Nextel.
July 7, 2008... Could the skies be clearing over beleagured Sprint Nextel? According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited comments from Verizon Communications President Denny Strigl, the nation's No. 3 carrier could be turning a corner. Strigl...

Carriers still trying to find right notes in mobile music; VZW latest to alter strategy.
July 7, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Full-track music download services continue to spin their wheels in mobile, but Verizon Wireless is hoping to get some traction by overhauling its offering. The carrier last week launched a new offering that couples...

Lines drawn in AWS-3 debate; T-Mo urges delay in comments until it can test interference.
July 7, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is coming under mounting pressure to back off a controversial plan to auction a national wireless Internet license that would require the winning bidder to...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 7, 2008... A photo caption in the June 30 issue of RCR Wireless News on page 1 incorrectly stated that Quattro Wireless is working with Sprint Nextel Corp. on an effort to deliver targeted wireless ads. Quattro Wireless is not involved in the initiative....

Nokia confident on volumes, Sony Ericsson looks to cut jobs.
July 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Nokia Corp. set the bar for its competitors growth is possible under current market conditions. But Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications could not perform a chin-up. Nokia's stock shot up more than 8% after it...

M2M growth inevitable, by push and pull; Tough times may slow uptake, despite efficiency promise.
July 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Today, at least two companies have incorporated an innovation for M2M that first was aimed at the handset market: FOTA, or, firmware-over-the-air. Make that DOTA (based on OFDM standards), in Wavecom's parlance:...

Nokia/Qualcomm saga reaches court; Wireless giants battle over industry issues - and big dollars.
July 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON The world's leading handset and chipset makers Nokia Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. head to court on July 23 to resolve disagreements over their contractual relationship in a case that may have wide repercussions for the...

EU cracks down on rogue content sites.
July 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The crackdown on mobile in Europe continued last week as the European Union said it will continue to investigate hundreds of content storefronts for breaching consumer rules. The organization said an investigation...

FCC sets Aug. 1 vote on VZW/RCC deal.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission said it plans an Aug. 1 vote on Verizon Wireless' proposed $2.67 billion purchase of Rural Cellular Corp., a controversial transaction that consumer advocates and Sen. Bernie...

Casual still rules mobile gaming market; Advanced devices slowly creating interest in advanced games.
July 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Consumers are shelling out big money for high-end phones with hi-resolution screens and eye-popping features. But mobile gaming is still all about casual. More than 7 million smartphones were sold in North America...

Playing with numbers; When it comes to measuring network speed, coverage, details are in the numbers.
July 21, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER Speed and coverage. The top three carriers are tooting their horns about owning the fastest and most expansive network, but using different metrics to make those claims. In another seemingly last-minute defense...

Bringing the cap back? Rural providers petition to reinstate spectrum cap.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA An association of rural wireless providers petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to re-impose a spectrum cap in light of the growing market presence of AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless in the mobile phone...

FCC set to test white-spaces devices again.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission was set to begin field testing prototype TV white-spaces devices last week, a strong signal that agency chairman Kevin Martin remains committed to opening up more airwaves to...

Athletic shoe makers discover mobile advertising a good fit; Nike, Puma, Adidas try on interactive advertising promotions.
July 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS There are countless companies trying to target consumers through their phones, but mobile advertising may be an especially good fit for athletic shoes. Pardon the pun. Nike kicked off oops, launched an...

Privacy rites of passage.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Privacy again was all the rage last week on Capitol Hill, but this time it wasn't about telecom companies getting legal cover so they can help the National Security Agency wiretap individuals with terrorist leanings....

New cellphone tax break offered.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A tax holiday may be in the future for wireless providers and the nation's 262 million cellphone users after all. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced legislation to impose a five-year...

FCC to look at in-market roaming.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin signaled the agency is prepared to fix a roaming snag faced by wireless providers delayed in constructing networks because spectrum licenses won at major...

Network interference issues could decide XM-Sirius hook-up.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Perhaps lost but apparently not forgotten in the Federal Communications Commission's extended consideration of the proposed merger of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Radio Holdings Inc. are long-standing...

iPhone sets stage for other handsets; Analyst: broadband uptake could benefit Qualcomm.
July 21, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON As analysts and pundits scoured the tea leaves in the wake of Apple Inc.'s 3G iPhone launch, a few issues emerged. Who, besides Apple, will get a boost from iPhone mania? Who gets hurt? Will a rising...

Auctions unlikely until 2009; New president, Congress in place by time AWS, D-Block bids begin.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said it will be hard to hold either the D-Block re-auction or advanced wireless services-3 bidding this year because of intense controversy over rules. Thus,...

12 Years Ago this Week.
July 21, 2008... Unwired Planet introduced its UP.Link Internet access solution that would allow cellular phones and two-way pagers access to the Internet and private corporate intranets.

By the Numbers.
July 21, 2008... Femtocell market set for 2010 ramp up Despite the buzz surrounding the femtocell market, 2008 will probably be a low-key year for femtocell vendors with only about 100,000 units expected to ship, according to predictions from ABI Research....

LNP lined up for speed boost.
July 21, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA House and Senate members are nudging the Federal Communications Commission to approve by month's end a rule to speed up local number portability processing, a move that wireless providers say is necessary because of...

MediaFLO makes room for X Games.
July 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS ESPN and MediaFLO USA Inc. launched a dedicated channel to bring X Games coverage to mobile users. EXPN, as the offering is dubbed, will deliver content around the clock to subscribers of AT&T Mobile TV and Verizon...

Etc.
July 21, 2008... But are they as cute as her dog? Sony Ericsson and its global brand ambassador, tennis star Maria Sharapova, unveiled several new products in the Sony Ericsson Maria Sharapova Design Collection. The line of accessories includes a...

Handango scores distribution with Sony Ericsson.
July 21, 2008... Handango Inc. announced a deal to deliver content directly to consumers through Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications' convergence phones. The Texas-based retailer of smartphone applications said the worldwide pact will see its InHand client...

Forecast: partly cloudy.
July 21, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS While the iPhone App Store stole headlines, it's the ever-growing cloud above that ultimately will be more important to developers of mobile consumer applications. Cloud computing applications "in the sky''...

Message boards question AT&T Mobility 's network; Carrier stands behind network performance post-iPhone launch.
July 21, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER Apple Inc.'s 3G iPhone is making its way across the world, with reportedly more than 1 million sold in the first weekend, and AT&T Mobility spokesman Mark Siegel said the carrier couldn't be more thrilled. However, it...

Sprint Nextel changes referral program plans.
July 21, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER Sprint Nextel Corp.'s under-the-table Sprint Employee Referral Option has seen its final days. SERO was a plan Sprint Nextel introduced a few years ago that offered cheaper rates through an employee referral. And it...

Some third-party retailers sour they've missed out on iPhone revenue; Others say iPhone drives business to their stores.
July 21, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER iPhone, iPhone, iPhone. Apple Inc.'s new device is dominating chatter in the wireless world, selling out in most stores and AT&T Mobility employees couldn't be more pleased. But some third-party retailers who work with...

UBS: Telus Mobility, Bell Canada looking at W-CDMA/HSPA overlay.
July 28, 2008... Byline: DAN MEYER Could the Canadian CDMA camp be losing a pair of stalwarts? According to a report released by UBS Investment Research, Canada's two largest CDMA operators Telus Mobility and Bell Canada are set overlay their current...

Canadian AWS auction ends after 331 rounds, $4.25B in bids; New entrants, established players pick up licenses.
July 28, 2008... Byline: DAN MEYER The Canadian government's auction of 105 megahertz of spectrum in the 1710-1755/2110-2155 MHz band, also known as the advanced wireless services spectrum (similar to what was offered by the Federal Communications...

Text class action against T-Mobile USA to move forward; Lawsuit targets customers ability to filter spam.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A federal judge in Seattle ruled a class action texting lawsuit against T-Mobile USA Inc. will move forward, a development that comes as the mobile phone industry offers to help federal regulators crack down on...

Nextwave sells AWS spectrum for $150.1M, T-Mobile USA buys big.
July 28, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER Nextwave Wireless Inc. sold nearly two-thirds of its advanced wireless services spectrum for $150.1 million. The spectrum went to four buyers. The largest chunk landed in the hands of T-Mobile USA Inc. for roughly...

Hedghogging; hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.
July 28, 2008... Industry trade association CTIA released the keynote speakers for its upcoming I.T. & Entertainment event in S.F. set for early Sept. The list of speakers include a number of big names including T-Mobile USA CEO and President Robert Dotson;...

Public safety eases E-911 stance; Changes in PSAP community cited.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Public-safety groups, which last year successively persuaded federal regulators to adopt a strict enhanced 911 location accuracy standard over the objections of wireless providers, now say the rule is unworkable and...

Open mic.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Time was when the bloody white- spaces spat was nice and neat, with mostly high-tech giants seeking more spectrum for Wi-Fi pitted against television broadcasters fearful of interference to digital signals from...

Critics assail WiMAX alliance between Sprint Nextel, Clearwire; Competitors cite spectrum holdings, roaming issues.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp.'s campaign to win government approval of a their national WiMAX plan is drawing static from AT&T Inc. and rural cellular operators on key unsettled wireless policy issues, but...

Let the games begin; Olympics to provide vast opportunity for mobile content.
July 28, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Eyes from around the world will be on Beijing next week as the 2008 Olympic Games get underway, but the mobile industry is going to be watching the watchers. The opening ceremonies are set to kick off Aug. 8, and...

New documents could prolong probe into FCC management.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission delivered to House Commerce Committee investigators at least 40 boxes of documents as part of a probe of agency activities under Chairman Kevin Martin, sidetracking any...

SkyTerra, MSV score financing, hint at tie-up with Inmarsat.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA SkyTerra Communications Inc. and Mobile Satellite Ventures L.P. announced Harbinger Capital Partners Funds agreed to provide $500 million of debt financing to fund the former's business plan through the third quarter...

VZW could give up 15% of Alltel customers through proposed merger.
July 28, 2008... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Verizon Wireless, positioning itself to regain the top spot in the mobile-phone industry, agreed to initial divestiture requirements by the Department of Justice and offered roaming concessions in hopes of winning...

Carrier partnership good business for The Wireless Zone.(Interview)
July 28, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER Editor's Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retailers across the country to get a first-hand view of what's hot in wireless. * * * The Wireless Zone is a 20-year-old Verizon Wireless...

Photo caption.
July 28, 2008... Yahoo's mobile site will deliver medal counts, news updates and photos from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Photo caption.
July 28, 2008... Randall Stephenson, president, CEO and chairman of AT&T Inc., gives a keynote address at NXTcomm last month.

20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK.
July 28, 2008... Tandy Corp. unveiled plans to expand the market for its cellular telephone products outside its nationwide chain of RadioShack retail stores. The expansion included deals to provide private-labeled devices to two major carriers.

Photo caption.
July 28, 2008... iRoticNET.com, a Los Angeles-based startup, launched last week with a subscription service that allows iPhone owners to access a library of more than 200 adult films, while Brickhouse Mobile (top) and Cherrysauce continue to gain traction in...

Competitive playground.
July 28, 2008... Byline: TRACY FORD Verizon Wireless is smart to quickly agree to sell off wireless properties in 85 markets where it overlaps with Alltel Communications L.L.C. assets in order to try to speed approval of its plan to buy the nation's No. 5...

MetroPCS tops J.D. Power ranking of wireless prepaid offerings.
July 28, 2008... Regional wireless operator MetroPCS Communications Inc. topped the rankings in the latest customer-satisfaction study of prepaid users from J.D. Power and Associates. The Dallas-based carrier performed particularly well in five out of...

Adult content remains lukewarm in U.S. International markets continue to drive adoption.
July 28, 2008... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Things move quickly in the U.S. mobile entertainment ecosystem unless you're an adult content vendor. From sex texts to moantones to bikini-clad models to full-on hardcore video, wireless porn is gaining traction in...

Mobile video phone sales set for strong growth.
July 28, 2008... Mobile video phone sales reached nearly $99 million in 2007 and should experience strong growth during the next five years despite worries about profitability of mobile video services, according to a new report from Infonetics. Mobile...

AT&T Mobility shows gains in revenue from wireless, 1.3M net adds; 3G iPhone launch expected to continue growth.(Financial report)
July 28, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER AT&T Mobility's second-quarter numbers were buoyed by a 52% jump in wireless data sales over the same quarter last year, and the carrier's overall revenues from wireless popped by 15.8%. The carrier reported a gain...

ETC.
July 28, 2008... Eat UR veggies, save $ Mobile messaging solutions company Clickatell said it has been chosen by Fruit & Veg City, a retail grocery chain with more than 100 stores, to provide text messages containing store announcements and sales...

Investors high on Qualcomm despite tepid outlook; Qcom-Nokia deal a boost, but chip sector bodes ill for handsets.
July 28, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Nearly lost in the generally positive hubbub over an agreement between Qualcomm Inc. and Nokia Corp., was the former's actual earnings in fiscal third quarter and outlook for the rest of the year. Tepid guidance...

Moto sues former exec for joining Apple.
July 28, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Motorola Inc. is screaming foul over a former executive now helping Apple Inc. with its global market expansion. The Schaumburg, Ill., firm whose international device business is crumbling said in a lawsuit filed...

Apple stock sinks on outlook, firm outlines iPhone sales.
July 28, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Apple Inc.'s stock sank more than 10% in after hours trading after the company forecast fiscal fourth-quarter earnings below analysts' expectations. The company sold 717,000 iPhones in the fiscal third quarter that...

Firms look to tame the wireless wild for enterprise.
July 28, 2008... Byline: ALLIE WINTER How much do we really know about our phones or even more complex our smartphones? We know they turn on, make calls and even connect to our work e-mail. The hard part usually comes when trying to organize the bill,...

IPR detente; Nokia, Qcom both claim vindication in settlement.
July 28, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON With a largely confidential settlement signed, sealed and delivered by Nokia Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. last week, arguably the most significant stand-off in the wireless industry has been resolved. But when two of the...

Nokia winning by two lengths; Samsung takes second, rest in pack.
July 28, 2008... Byline: PHIL CARSON Nokia Corp. hit the second-quarter finish line (pun intended) with strong year-over-year growth in handset shipment volumes, a key metric for Wall Street and those given to horse-race analogies. The company's...

Photo caption.
July 28, 2008... Customers line up to buy tickets for events at the Beijing Summer Olympics at a Bank of China branch in Beijing.