RCR Wireless News articles from June 2003

RCR Wireless News archives from June 2003

Midwest Wireless launches 1st phase of 1x network.(News)
June 9, 2003... Midwest Wireless launched the first phase of its cdma2000 1x network, spanning 68 counties in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin and covering more than 50 percent of the carrier's total operational area and two-thirds of its licenses' potential...

Telia announces new Swedish data offering.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Telia announced a new mobile data service in Sweden called Telia Go, which offers user-friendly menus and preset mobile phones, including the Nokia 3650 and the Sony Ericsson P800 smart phone. Both phones feature built-in cameras, and settings...

ITU, CEA partner.(News)
June 9, 2003... The International Telecommunication Union, the international standards body, said it formed a relationship with the Consumer Electronics Association to work together on wireless and mobile communications, multimedia technologies and cable...

AAT to purchase Wisconsin towers.(News)
June 9, 2003... SBA Communications Corp. announced AAT Communications Corp. will purchase 122 towers in Wisconsin for $43 million, the last chunk of the 801 towers indicated in the purchase agreement released in March. Pro forma the sale, which is expected...

Palm holds Handspring's hand.
June 9, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO The founders of personal digital assistant pioneer Palm Inc. have returned to the fold as the company announced an all-stock, $169 million plan to acquire rival Handspring Inc. Industry luminaries Jeff Hawkins and...

Ericsson, HP sign outsourcing deal.(News)
June 9, 2003... L.M. Ericsson said it has signed a five-year contract to outsource its information technology infrastructure to Hewlett-Packard Co. HP will provide IT services for Ericsson's operations worldwide. The memorandum of understanding...

Cooking lessons.(Opinion)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Tracy Ford A certain RCR Wireless News reporter based in D.C. who shall remain nameless likes to hold onto her stories for a little bit before turning them in to be edited. She says they need "time to cook.'' Depending on how much...

T-Mobile to launch color-screen Sidekick, rate plans.(news)
June 9, 2003... T-Mobile USA Inc. said it launched a color-screen version of its Danger Inc.-produced Sidekick device, as well as introduced new rate plans for the wireless voice and data device. The color Sidekick is scheduled to retail for $299, which is...

Visto, ViAir to merge.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Visto Corp. announced it will merge with ViAir Corp, and the combined company will do business under the Visto name. Visto provides personal and corporate mobile access solutions. ViAir makes messaging solutions for up to nine major...

TeliaSonera's MMS to be standardized in 4 countries.(News)
June 9, 2003... TeliaSonera will standardize its multimedia messaging system across four Nordic countries using equipment from Nokia Corp. The Finnish vendor said its equipment will replace different MMS solutions previously implemented in Denmark,...

SpectraSite tells mall rats to 'talk on'.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Byline: EMILY MOTSAY Highlighting its major stake in the in-building arena, SpectraSite Inc. is making an unusual move for a tower company, directly marketing its infrastructure to the consumer. The company's "Talk On'' marketing...

Wi-Fi business model remains precarious.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER Without going too far out on a limb, it seems a safe bet to claim the wireless industry has gone crazy for most anything associated with the term Wi-Fi. From wireless operators clamoring to install access points into...

Correction.
June 9, 2003... In the "GoAmerica may be coming to a stop'' story on page 18 in the June 2 issue of RCR Wireless News, GoAmerica's debt was incorrectly stated. The company has an accumulated deficit of $259 million-a representation of historical results-but no...

O2 inks MVNO pact with supermarket, hires Lucent to deploy UMTS service.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: FARAH JIFRI Tesco, one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains, announced plans to launch its own mobile service in partnership with MmO2. The supermarket will offer branded mobile services to the consumer market...

Sprint PCS to take billing in-house.(News)
June 9, 2003... Billing and customer-care provider Convergys Corp. said it signed an agreement with billing customer Sprint PCS to support the carrier's migration from Convergys' legacy billing system to an in-house system. Convergys said its general...

Verizon may launch PTT in July.(Business)
June 9, 2003... The next phase in the push-to-talk wars is expected to begin in less than a month as industry sources claim Verizon Wireless will launch its PTT offering in most major markets during the first week of July. While the carrier has provided...

Sun, Intel partner to further VM expansion.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO Sun Microsystems Inc. today announced a new partnership with chip maker Intel Corp. as well as new plans to sell wireless application services to businesses, all parts of an effort to continue the expansion of the...

Global Markets.(News)
June 9, 2003... Editor's Note: The RCR Wireless News, Global Wireless and RCR Wireless News International Database research and editorial staff has compiled this list of the 20 largest international markets by country. Subscriber estimates reflect...

Sendo sues Orange on patent infringement claims.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Mobile-phone upstart Sendo lashed out with another lawsuit over its canceled Microsoft Corp. smart phone, this time claiming European carrier Orange is infringing on one of Sendo's patents. Sendo said it has initiated legal proceedings in...

Verizon to combine all data services under Get It Now brand.(Business)
June 9, 2003... Verizon Wireless continued to tout its wireless data services-the carrier said almost 75,000 applications are downloaded per day-numbers that could increase following the carrier's plan to combine all its data services under the Get It Now...

Microsoft details smart watch plan.(News)
June 9, 2003... Microsoft Corp. released details of MSN Direct, the service plan it will offer for the smart watches that Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, described earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show. ...

Fourth right.(Opinion)
June 9, 2003... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Time was when all roads led to Baltimore federal court, where U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake oversees everything from elevator operations to cell-phone health suits. Blake, appointed administrative judge in...

Paging auction nets $2.4M for a few thousand licenses.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO A recently completed Federal Communications Commission paging spectrum auction generated about $2.4 million for a total of 2,832 licenses, numbers that come nowhere near the billions spent on other wireless spectrum...

ZigBee, UWB garner VC funding, but will they capture mindshare?(Business)
June 9, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE As the wireless buzz has it, Wi-Fi is to local area networks as Bluetooth is to personal area networks. Not so, say supporters of ultra wideband and ZigBee, two technologies that have started to generate investment...

Industry: 90 MHz for 3G off table in spectrum review.
June 9, 2003... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration and cellular industry cut a deal on third-generation mobile-phone spectrum even before a newly announced task force meets to analyze government and private sector use of the airwaves, despite...

Upton calls for wireless E-911 federal grant program.(News)
June 9, 2003... The chairman of the House telecommunications subcommittee last week called for the establishment of a federal grant program for the deployment of wireless enhanced 911 but said states that have diverted funds collected from mobile-phone...

Data begins to turn corner.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO A series of new studies from a variety of research firms shows that the wireless data industry in the United States and worldwide is still very much in its infancy-but that the corner may be turning. "It's the first...

FCC allows Connecticut to create wireless area code.(news)
June 9, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Connecticut won a two-year fight to implement a specific area code for wireless and certain other phone numbers, much to the chagrin of the wireless industry. The Federal Communications Commission said...

Virgin Mobile USA launches youth-focused ads.(News)
June 9, 2003... Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. launched its latest youth-oriented advertising campaign this week titled "Live Without a Plan.'' The mobile virtual network operator said the campaign, which debuted during the 2003 MTV Movie Awards last Thursday,...

Wireless Knowledge to meld into Qualcomm.(Late News)
June 9, 2003... The long, hard road of Wireless Knowledge seems to have finally come to an end. Starting today, Wireless Knowledge will fold into Qualcomm Inc.'s Wireless Business Solutions division. Qualcomm Inc. helped launch the company as a joint...

Declining dollar, SARS and local vendors impact firms looking for China biz.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE The SARS epidemic, market-share slides in China and the decline in the dollar may be common excuses for gloomy balance sheets among wireless vendors, according to some market watchers. "We have to watch out for...

Cingular bulks up rate plans with bundles from parents.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER Following a relatively strong first quarter in which the carrier added 189,000 net customers after two consecutive quarters of net customer losses, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. is pushing to maintain its positive momentum...

GSA urged to weigh cutting ties with WorldCom.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-Maine) urged the General Services Administration to consider cutting ties with WorldCom Inc., potentially putting lucrative government wireline and...

Nokia to pay $60,000 fine in strongest-signal complaint.(News)
June 9, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Nokia Corp. agreed to pay a $60,000 fine because its model 6385 may not comply with the Federal Communications Commission 911 strongest-signal rules. While Nokia was not found liable for having a...

Court keeps Nov. 24 date for LNP edict.
June 9, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER A federal appeals court on Friday struck down an attempt by the wireless industry to delay or eliminate the Nov. 24 mandate that it provide wireless local number portability. The U.S. Court of Appeals...

Infonxx wins Sprint PCS business.(News)
June 16, 2003... Sprint PCS said it will begin offering enhanced directory assistance services from Infonxx in a move that could save the carrier millions of dollars. Infonxx said that in addition to providing local and national directory assistance, the...

Bluetooth SIG set to launch 1.2 specification.(Business)
June 16, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER The Bluetooth industry is set to welcome the latest standard for the short-range wireless networking technology as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is expected to introduce the 1.2 specification this week at the third...

Suppliers dish up 2Q revenue warnings.(Business)
June 16, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. revealed early last week that their second-quarter report cards would be less than stellar. Add Texas Instruments to the list. All three companies offered common excuses-a soft economy...

D.C. Briefs.(News)
June 16, 2003... The House of Representatives overwhelming passed spectrum relocation legislation, a major boost for industry efforts to secure military frequencies for third-generation wireless systems. "This is a big win for consumers and for...

FCC seeks comment on agreement to streamline siting.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Federal Communications Commission on June 9 proposed a streamlined process for siting towers in historic areas. "The industry is very happy that this has finally come out after working on it for 18...

UMTS struggles with growing pains as new 2.1GHz band gets followers.(Focus)
June 16, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE For those who serenade wideband CDMA as the authentic third-generation protocol, Qualcomm Inc.-inspired cdma2000 is no more than a counterfeit David dueling the shadow of the giant to come. When the giant comes, in...

NTT DoCoMo plans FOMA expansion.(News)
June 16, 2003... NTT DoCoMo Inc. said it planned to expand the service area for its FOMA service to an additional 43 towns and villages in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region on June 14 and to 218 towns and nationwide by the end of the month. The carrier said the...

Lawmakers aim for firm date to move broadcasters off 700 MHz band.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Lawmakers last week called for making firm the mandate that TV broadcasters give back spectrum in the 700 MHz band by the end of 2006. Reps. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) told the House...

Technical, procedure changes can manage 800 MHz interference, FCC engineer says.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The best way to solve the interference problem in the 800 MHz band is through using a variety of technical solutions, said Edmond Thomas, chief of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology. "The...

UbiquiTel subsidiary sells towers.(News)
June 16, 2003... Sprint PCS affiliate UbiquiTel Inc. announced its Calif.-based subsidiary VIA Wireless L.L.C. sold 100 wireless communications towers to GoldenState Towers L.L.C. for $11.5 million. Ubiquitel, which plans to use proceeds from the sale to...

Java zeroes in on mobility.
June 16, 2003... Byline: TRACY FORD It's a numbers game. Three million developers. Three million downloads of the J2ME software development kit last year. Five hundred fifty million desktops running Java. Fifty-three wireless carriers deploying Java...

XO continues efforts to buy Global Crossing.(News)
June 16, 2003... Broadband service provider XO Communications Inc. continues to pursue its previously announced plans to acquire bankrupt telecommunications company Global Crossing. XO said it is prepared to launch an "any and all'' tender offer for Global...

E911 bill offers carrots, sticks.
June 16, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), co-chairs of the E911 Congressional Caucus, introduced a bill that will provide state grants to deploy wireless enhanced 911 service and will...

Sun gains Sun One Studio converts.
June 16, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE The 2003 JavaOne Developer Conference witnessed a collision of giants as Sun Microsystems Inc. and IBM Corp. pushed their platforms, highlighting a division within a technology that seeks to avoid segmentation. ...

Late News.
June 16, 2003... Movil Access to acquire Grupo Iusacell Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Americas BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group plc, plan to sell their 74-percent stake in Mexico's third-largest wireless operator, Grupo Iusacell...

Musiwave enters mobile music deals.(Global Wireless)
June 16, 2003... European company Musiwave has signed deals with Sony Music Europe and several independent record labels for its technology and services. The Sony agreement will make available to mobile phones Sony Music artist ring tones that are extracted...

House legislation a setback for Internet gambling.(News)
June 16, 2003... The House last Tuesday passed legislation outlawing illegal Internet gambling, a setback here for the emerging business of wireless betting. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), would prohibit the use of credit...

TI solution combines Bluetooth, WLAN functionality.(Business)
June 16, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE Texas Instruments Inc. has developed a solution that will allow Bluetooth technology to work seamlessly with wireless local area networks in the same device, including smart phones, personal digital assistants and...

Hearing-loss advocate back with new technology, firm.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: EMILY MOTSAY Jo Waldron is back. Following a hiatus imparted by a severe illness and a decision to abandon aging technology that was no longer -cutting-edge, Waldron, known by the wireless industry as an advocate of communications...

Research helps provide direction for overlay plans.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER With nearly all of the nationwide wireless carriers already operating next-generation technology on their networks, regional carriers that rely on roaming revenues for a substantial portion of their total operating income...

Standardization and fragmentation.(Opinion)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Tracy Ford As the 3 million Java developers worldwide try to write code for the next big application, they are counting on the wireless data industry to find the correct balance between standardization and fragmentation. At...

AWS shareholders to vote on rights plan.(Business)
June 16, 2003... AT&T Wireless Services Inc. reported that a majority of its shareholders approved a proposal at the carrier's annual shareholders meeting last week calling for a proposed shareholder rights plan to be put to a shareholder vote. The current...

AT&T Wireless to offer photo sharing via Fuji.(News)
June 16, 2003... Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. and Summus Inc. announced Fujifilm's "Get the Picture'' mobile photo service application, powered by Summus' BlueFuel, is now available through AT&T Wireless Service Inc.'s mMode service. With the service,...

Econ One study finds small drop in service costs.(News)
June 16, 2003... Wireless service costs dropped 9 cents in the nation's top 25 markets last month compared with April, according to a report from economic research and consulting firm Econ One Research Inc. The survey found the price of wireless service across...

IDT forms spectrum-leasing unit.(News)
June 16, 2003... IDT Corp. has formed a spectrum-leasing unit within IDT Solutions to focus on leasing spectrum to telecommunication and wireless service providers. The move follows the Federal Communications Commission ruling that allows spectrum licensees to...

Uzan appeals dismissed.(Global Wireless)
June 16, 2003... Motorola Inc. said the Court of Appeal of England and Wales dismissed a number of appeals brought by Cem Uzan and Aysegul Akay, members of Turkey's Uzan family, upholding Worldwide Freezing Orders. The court also stayed its decision to...

802.11g receives final nod.(Business)
June 16, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE It's official. The 802.11g protocol, which has been touted as God's gift to 802.11b, received the final nod from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers last Thursday. The wireless local area network...

Contract Briefs.(Briefs)
June 16, 2003... Siemens has announced its second EDGE order in as many weeks, reporting that Telecom Americas has ordered a GSM/EDGE network for the Sao Paulo metropolitan area and several Brazilian states. The order is the third EDGE deal for Siemens. Siemens...

Bring it on.(Opinion)
June 16, 2003... Byline: Jeffrey Silva When Bloomberg TV asked Nextel Communications Inc. CEO Tim Donahue about wireless local number portability last week, his answer veered off script. Donahue did not say the sky was falling as have his brethren in the...

Unlicensed spectrum tops WRC-03 issues list.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The head of the U.S. delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conference said at that event last week that while there is support for a global 5 GHz allocation for Wi-Fi technologies, differences exist among nations...

Large wireless players under Sarbanes-Oxley scrutiny.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The wireless industry, struggling to escape federal mandates in a cutthroat market that's testing survival skills of top mobile-phone companies, is now faced with complying with a new government rule prompted by...

Motorola gets piece of MCI pact.
June 16, 2003... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA AND DAN MEYER Motorola Inc. is getting a slice of the $34 million contract held by WorldCom Inc. to provide mobile-phone service to U.S. civilian and military officials in Baghdad, even as pressure builds to have the...

Churn, high fees some of LNP aftermath.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER The impact of the wireless local number portability mandate runs the gamut. Some people think the impact will be negligible because customers are tied to carriers through long-term contracts. Others think LNP will cause a...

EDGE technology makes headway.(Global Wireless)
June 16, 2003... Telecom Italia Mobile has become the first European operator to publicly state its commitment to EDGE technology, according to international press reports. The reports said the largest Italian mobile operator will use EDGE in areas where it's...

iPass update offers easier integration with IP networks.(News)
June 16, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER With Wi-Fi having firmly established itself as one of the "hot'' technologies of the year, a number of industry software suppliers are now moving toward improving the user experience to make it easier for less technically...

LBS makes steady progress in Europe.(Global Wireless)
June 23, 2003... Byline: JAKE SAUNDERS Location-based services have struggled to find their feet in Europe. Mobile data has taken a long time to deliver on the technology, applications and price points to meet customer expectations. The reality is that...

U.S. wireless directory assistance market could reach $3B.(News)
June 23, 2003... Including wireless numbers in traditionally wireline-based directory assistance/enquiry (DA/DQ) databases, could create a $3 billion market for U.S. carriers and DA/DQ service providers within four years, according to new research from Zelos...

Handango expands library to lure carriers with content.(News)
June 23, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO Content provider Handango expanded its library of wireless applications to include more than 10,000 ring tones and graphics, a move that places the company squarely in the wireless industry and a strategy that some think...

Motorola to use TI processors in Wi-Fi/cellular phone.(Business)
June 23, 2003... Motorola Inc. said it will use Texas Instruments Inc.'s 802.11 wireless networking and OMAP application processors for its Wi-Fi and cellular dual-system phone. Motorola said TI's processors will work with its 1.250 platform. ...

Microcell to launch P800.(Global Wireless)
June 23, 2003... Canadian operator Microcell said it will become the latest operator to launch the Sony Ericsson P800 smart phone. The phone first became available in Europe and the Middle East late last year. Microcell, which recently reorganized and is...

Hu's jello problem.(Opinion)
June 23, 2003... Byline: Jeffrey Silva China has a different take on the great experiment. The Asian giant wants all the economic benefits of Western-style capitalism without the political baggage of democratic reform. China wants a serious role on the...

E-911 disconnect.(Opinion)
June 23, 2003... Byline: Tina Eichner The National Emergency Numbering Association held its annual meeting here in Denver last week. During my albeit brief attendance, I got a glimpse of the PSAP view on E-911 implementation. The meeting's focus and...

Cisco may conquer WLAN before battle even starts.(Business)
June 23, 2003... Byline: SAM OMATSEYE Battle won, even before the first shot is fired. Early in the life of the technology, industry analysts and players already regard Cisco Systems Inc. as the big tree in the wireless local area network jungle. ...

Western Wireless objects to tower fine.(News)
June 23, 2003... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Western Wireless Corp. is protesting the Federal Communications Commission's proposed fine for operating a tower in a historic area without proper authorization. The FCC wants to fine Western Wireless...

Microsoft, Palm bolster OS efforts.(Business)
June 23, 2003... Byline: MIKE DANO The two main rivals in the PDA operating system business sought to bolster their offerings, each touting improved and enhanced products. Further, Microsoft Corp. announced two additional licensees for its operating...

Paging association adds 100 members.(News)
June 23, 2003... The American Association of Paging Carriers said it added more than 100 members during its first year of operation, and it hopes to add an additional 100 next year. "In the first year of its existence, AAPC proved the vitality of the...

Nextel wins race to sponsor NASCAR.(News)
June 23, 2003... Byline: DAN MEYER Following much speculation, Nextel Communications Inc. signed a 10-year exclusive agreement to become the title sponsor of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing's national series beginning next year. The...

Openwave to cut an additional 180 jobs.(Business)
June 23, 2003... Wireless Internet software company Openwave Systems Inc. again announced plans to cut costs amid dwindling revenues, this time with plans to eliminate 180 jobs or 12 percent of its work force. "We continue to be cautiously optimistic about...

Cingular targets Northeast with unlimited plans.(News)
June 23, 2003... Cingular Wireless L.L.C. launched a trio of unlimited calling plans for its Northeast SuperHome calling area, which includes New York City and northern New Jersey. The plans include unlimited calls placed from the home calling area, which...