RCR Wireless News articles from March 2006

RCR Wireless News archives from March 2006

Stock Watch: February 23-March 2.(Wireless Metrics)
March 6, 2006... table: Stock Watch: February 23-March 2 * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy

Martin's reorganization hopes stalled at other commissioners' desks.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORGREN WEAVER Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to convince his colleagues to reorganize the FCC with a new homeland security and public-safety bureau, he told the House Appropriations...

Burns asks FCC to auction smaller 700 MHz chunks.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Spectrum being reclaimed from broadcasters as part of the digital TV transition should be auctioned in smaller chunks than is contemplated today, Sen. Conrad Burns told Federal Communications Commission...

Wireless Toyz plans 250 stores by year's end, doubling footprint.(News)
March 6, 2006... Wireless franchise Wireless Toyz said it nearly doubled the number of stores it operates last year and plans to double its footprint again this year. The company grew from 65 stores to 124 stores last year and is targeting 250 locations by...

Crown Castle posts stronger 4Q, but weaker full-year results.(News)
March 6, 2006... Crown Castle International Corp. reported increased site rental revenue and improved its net loss for the fourth quarter. The company noted that site rental revenue came in at $155.4 million, up 11.2 percent from the $139.8 million posted...

N.J. Senate passes stricter talking, driving law.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The New Jersey Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to crack down on drivers already subject to a statewide ban on handheld cell-phone use by operators of motor vehicles. The state Senate passed 35-to-0 a bill...

Dobson signs deal with WorldCell.(News)
March 6, 2006... Dobson Communications Corp. said it signed an agreement with WorldCell Inc. to expands international service options for Dobson wireless customers. The companies said the agreement provides Dobson's subscribers with discounts on...

Commerce open to significant spectrum reform; Fed speaker notes disconnect between economics, gov't policy.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration signaled it is open to bold reforms on government use of the airwaves, a possible shift that could meet resistance from federal agencies at a time when the president's struggling...

AAT sale could fetch $1 billion.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Tower circles are buzzing with speculation as to who will walk off with AAT Communications Corp. and its 1,900 or so towers, in effect pushing aside fourth-quarter results from Crown Castle International Corp. and...

CFIUS as Sisyphus, and echoes of Ernest Hollings.(Opinion)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Silva As if warrantless domestic spying, Hurricane Katrina, Harriet Myers, Jack Abramoff and Scooter Libby haven't caused enough heartburn and disunity within the GOP, along comes the Dubai port deal. Indeed, port...

Yahoo, Mforma spar over 7 new hires; Complaint includes instant-messaging conversations.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Yahoo Inc. filed a lawsuit against Mforma Group Inc., claiming the mobile game-maker is stealing company secrets as it hires seven former Yahoo employees. The Internet giant is suing both Mforma and the former...

RCR hires Carson to cover handset, chips beats.(News)
March 6, 2006... RCR Wireless News is pleased to announce it has hired Phil Carson as a reporter covering the wireless handset beat, including the chipset industry. Carson has worked as a reporter and editor since 1986, including stints in the wireless...

Calif. senator vows bill-of-rights battle not over, plans to press legislation.
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA California state Sen. Martha Escutia (D) last Friday vowed to pursue a law creating a bill of rights for telecom consumers similar to the one utility regulators approved in 2004, but that was overhauled last week. ...

Va. legislature OKs flat tax.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Virginia state legislature last week passed a bill creating what is believed to be the first statewide communications flat tax in the nation, but Gov. Tim Kaine (D ) did not immediately indicate whether he would...

Wireless a shining spot in VC market.(Wireless Metrics)
March 6, 2006... The overall decline in venture-capital investments hasn't touched the wireless industry, according to new research from telecom industry research firm Visiongain. Indeed, the firm found wireless-directed investments have maintained strong...

Site buys from Sprint hurt Global Signal's 4Q.(News)
March 6, 2006... Global Signal Inc. blames its fourth-quarter net losses of $18.8 million on costs from integrating and financing the sites it acquired from Sprint Corp. in May 2005. In 2004, the company posted fourth-quarter net losses of $4.1 million. ...

Infrastructure Awards.(Wireless Metrics)
March 6, 2006... Following are infrastructure contracts announced in February: Alcatel Congo: With Vodacom Congo to deploy a complete EDGE-ready GPRS mobile data solution in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Value: Undisclosed Ericsson ...

T-Mobile USA relishes AWS auction amid strong 4Q results.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL T-Mobile USA Inc. recorded a banner 2005 and posted the best overall performance of T-Mobile International's wireless subsidiaries, while parent company Deutsche Telekom AG's full-year profit for the year showed solid...

Shentel to restate 2 years' of financials due to tower leases.(News)
March 6, 2006... Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. announced that it plans to restate its financial results for the years 2003 and 2004, plus the first three quarters of 2005, with a cumulative net pretax impact of about $2.1 million. Shentel, which is a...

Nokia's top handset designer steps down, replaced by team.(News)
March 6, 2006... Frank Nuovo, the designer who helped Nokia Corp. attain the world's largest market share of the mobile handset business, will turn over his primary duties to a new design team, the company announced today. Nuovo has worked for Nokia for 16...

DE rules misguided, CTIA contends.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry said the Federal Communications Commission is misguided in proposing to limit small-business bidding benefits to top carriers at this June's advanced wireless services auction. CTIA, the...

Broadband, universal service pop up in assorted Hill venues.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The issue of broadband availability for all Americans was a reoccurring theme on Capitol Hill last week as lawmakers of all political stripes and from all parts of the country weighed in on whether and how...

UbiquiTel hints at prepaid plans to vie with MetroPCS, Leap.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL UbiquiTel Inc. touted its solid fourth-quarter results last week and company officials spoke of future plans for a prepaid product and possible benefits from Sprint Nextel Corp.'s joint venture with several cable...

U.S. Cellular pushes back reporting financials again.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL U.S. Cellular Corp. and its parent company, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., again delayed reporting their third-quarter 2005 results and financial restatements dating back to 2000. The American Stock Exchange granted...

TD-SCDMA handset ready, pending Chinese 3G permits, network buildout.(News)
March 6, 2006... In the parallel 3G universe occupied by China, the world's largest mobile-phone market, the cart apparently comes before the horse. The first video phone destined for the country's TD-SCDMA technology-a dual-mode Samsung Electronics Co....

Fox gets deeper into content game; Even as analysts question ringtone's longevity.
March 6, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Fox Mobile Entertainment is joining the ranks of wireless aggregators, unveiling a Web site that hawks music, games and images for mobile phones. But analysts say the News Corp. subsidiary may be lumbering onto a...

Carriers face antitrust appeal targeting selling practices.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A federal court in New York erred and abused its discretion in rejecting a class-action suit alleging Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. violated antitrust laws by...

SunCom postpones reporting financials.(News)
March 6, 2006... Regional operator SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. pushed back its fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 financial report by two weeks. The company had been slated to make its results public on March 2, but now says it plans to make its announcement...

Vodafone to file $48B charge.(Global Wireless)
March 6, 2006... Vodafone Group plc said it expects to file a $48 billion charge to its assets related to the value of goodwill, or the difference between an asset's value and how much the company paid for it. Most of the goodwill charge is expected to be...

Sony shows picture-sharing program.(Global Wireless)
March 6, 2006... Sony Corp. revealed new details about a digital photo program that is expected to allow users to view, upload and share pictures via various devices, including their televisions, computers and Web-enabled camera phones. The Share...

Proposed e-waste ban in California draws on EU model.
March 6, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON A proposed law introduced in the California legislature last week would require makers of electronic equipment to phase out the use of hazardous materials in all devices sold in that state by 2008. Assembly Member Lori...

Too much, too little.(Opinion)
March 6, 2006... Byline: Dan Meyer I love cell phones. In my book they are one of humanity's greatest advancements-along with Red Bull and break dancing-of my lifetime and I would rather leave my house without my wallet, keys or pants before forgoing my...

Helio sets lofty goals for MVNO.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL Head honchos from soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. have been talking up their MVNO the past few weeks, speaking to groups at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Wireless Forum and Jefferies Wireless...

Vodafone seeks to unload lethargic Japanese assets.(News)
March 6, 2006... Vodafone Group plc shares surged more than 9 percent on the London Stock Exchange Friday when the company confirmed reports that it is in talks to sell its Japanese operations to broadband Internet provider Softbank. "Vodafone has been...

Russian trojan cited as proof-of-concept threat to mobile security.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON In the wake of reports that a mobile trojan dubbed Redbrowser.A had been encountered in Russia, the major security firms working in the mobile space issued cautious alerts to their clients and made restrained public...

Ads get mobile, mobile gets ads.(Focus)
March 6, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile advertising has come a long way since the early days of "American Idol.'' The hit show is credited with catalyzing text messaging in North America, generating more than 13 million messages during the 2004...

UMA gets following.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE It may seem like Unlicensed Mobile Access has only recently burst onto the wireless scene, but the Third Generation Partnership Project standard that enables handovers between GSM-based cellular networks and Wi-Fi hot...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 6, 2006... James Baldinger should have been identified as the TracFone Wireless Inc. lawyer quoted in the Feb. 27 issue story, "TracFone, Nokia sue two Fla. Firms, charging they `unlock' handsets.''

$612.5M magic number in RIM, NTP settlement.
March 6, 2006... Byline: MIKE DANO BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. and patent-holding company NTP Inc. announced they ended their long-running legal quarrel under an agreement that calls for RIM to make a one-time payment to NTP of $612.5 million....

Wall Street cool to American Tower's 4Q losses.(News)
March 6, 2006... Citing accounting changes and an increase in outstanding shares, American Tower Corp. posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $87.3 million on revenues of $307.6 million. For the same period in 2004, the nation's largest tower owner and operator...

Sony Ericsson unleashes high-end camera phone, broadens portfolio.(Global Wireless)
March 6, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. presented six new handsets including the K800, a high-resolution camera phone that carries Sony Corp.'s CyberShot brand, an extension of the company's own brand for its digital...

724 Solutions shareholder proposes $17 million takeover.(News)
March 6, 2006... 724 Solutions Inc. says its minority shareholder, Austin Ventures L.P., has offered to buy the company's 5.5 million outstanding shares of common stock for about $17 million, or $3.07 per share. News of the proposal came after the financial...

DCB-H market gains chip support from Qualcomm, backing from Microsoft.(News)
March 6, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON Call it hedging your bets. Qualcomm Inc. said it is developing chipsets based on a rival mobile television standard-Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld, or DVB-H-even while it works to complete its own MediaFlo...

Court orders firm to stop unlocking TracFone handsets.(News)
March 6, 2006... A federal court has ordered a Florida firm to immediately halt "unlocking'' TracFone Wireless Inc. prepaid cell phones. Unlocked phones can be used on cellular networks other than those affiliated with the prepaid wireless provider. ...

RCRNews.com.(News)
March 13, 2006... Who will "own" the wireless Internet user? Will it be Cingular, Verizon and the rest of the nation's wireless carriers? Or will it be Internet giants like Google or Yahoo? Or maybe an upstart like Opera, with its Opera Mini browser for feature...

The big elephant in the room.(Opinion)
March 13, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Silva It's an old worn story, but the drum beat seems to be getting louder and the momentum growing for a greater accounting of federal government spectrum-how much agencies have and how they use it. A cloud of intrigue...

Qualcomm's TD-SCDMA patent claims bear more weight as China moves closer to deployments.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Now that the Chinese government has sanctioned its homegrown TD-SCDMA technology as the preferred third-generation technology of the land, and with precious 3G licenses about to be granted to Chinese operators, Qualcomm...

Justice Department joins Gabelli auction fraud suit.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Justice Department last week asked U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty for permission to join the auction fraud lawsuit against Wall Street telecom magnate Mario Gabelli, upping the stakes of the litigation at a time...

House panel progresses on cell-phone privacy bill.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The House Commerce Committee last week quickly passed a bill making the sale of telecommunications customer call records illegal. The bill also gives the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal...

BlackBerry maker unveils WLAN plan for on-campus use.(News)
March 13, 2006... Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled its push into the wireless local area network space with the launch of its BlackBerry WLAN Solution. The service includes a WLAN Solution platform and a Wi-Fi enabled handset, the BlackBerry 7270. The...

NTT DoCoMo to sell simplified 3G handsets with large fonts.(News)
March 13, 2006... As handset vendors and network operators worldwide spend untold resources to provide advanced functionalities and services to capture end users' imagination with 3G services, NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced it will sell a new line of basic, compact...

Flipping back to AT&T brand; The new Ma Bell?
March 13, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL When Cingular Wireless L.L.C. closed on its purchase of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. in late 2004, the company poured out an estimated $300 million in marketing during the fourth quarter of that year, sending out...

TI, Qualcomm project healthy chip sales.(News)
March 13, 2006... Texas Instruments Inc. honed its financial estimates for the first quarter, projecting a narrower range of solid sales, from $3.22 billion to $3.35 billion, compared with its earlier projection of $3.11 billion to $3.38 billion. TI also...

Unity Wireless raises $2.2 million.(Global Wireless)
March 13, 2006... Unity Wireless Corp. said it closed a $2.2 million three-year debt financing by institutional investors. The company, which develops wireless subsystems and coverage solutions, said it plans to use proceeds from the transaction for general...

Orlando carries on with Wi-Fi odyssey; City entices with free service, but expects cut of commercial revenues.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Free Wi-Fi in Orlando is coming around again. Sort of. Orlando experimented with free Wi-Fi in early 2004 in one square mile of its downtown business district. But barely anyone used it. A city official said the...

Disney Mobile begins free phone promotion before service launch.(News)
March 13, 2006... Walt Disney Internet Group is making more noise in advance of the launch of its planned mobile virtual network operator service this summer. In February, the company launched a registration Web site for its Disney Mobile service. The site...

Nokia headlines CeBIT with T-Mobile HSDPA contract.(Global Wireless)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Nokia Corp. announced that its HSDPA network equipment has been launched by T-Mobile International Inc. in Hanover, Germany, during the CeBIT 2006 conference. Later in the year, the service is expected to be rolled out...

Iraq issues tenders for mobile-phone licenses.(Global Wireless)
March 13, 2006... Iraq officially launched the first mobile-phone license tender under the new government, a competition intended to result in four national wireless carriers. "After decades of oppression under the Saddam, Iraqis are keen to express...

CellStar to install SmartVideo on phones.(News)
March 13, 2006... SmartVideo Technologies said it signed a distribution agreement with CellStar Corp. covering the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. SmartVideo offers video services for cellular phones, including live broadcasting, on-demand...

Verizon Wireless signs voice/data pact with restaurant chain.(News)
March 13, 2006... Verizon Wireless inked a two-year deal to provide wireless voice and data services for Chick-fil-A Inc. As part of the deal, the Georgia-based fast-food chain has purchased 1,000 handsets, Verizon Wireless said, including Plam Inc.'s Treos...

States, feds attack cell-phone driving from all angles; Even as new study finds other activities cause greater distractions.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The lawyer for a 20-year-old Michigan man charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with a fatal car crash initially attributed to driver cell-phone use claims politicians want to make a high-profile...

Gaming adoption stagnates.
March 13, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Analysts continue to predict big things for mobile gaming. But for now, at least, would-be gamers are staying away in droves. Consumption of mobile games in the United States has stagnated during the last six...

Verizon Wireless prepaid service sold at Wal-Mart.(News)
March 13, 2006... Verizon Wireless inked a major retail distribution deal for its wireless service, agreeing to sell its INpulse offering through 2,300 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. locations nationwide. The news marks a potentially substantial opportunity for...

RadioShack joins Brightstar, others in phone-buying group.(News)
March 13, 2006... RadioShack Corp. reported plans to team with three other phone resellers to form a purchasing alliance that the companies said expects to resell more than 50 million phones a year. Brightstar Corp. of the United States, European distributor...

Verizon Wireless exclusive carrier for TiVo Mobile.(News)
March 13, 2006... TiVo Inc. took another small step toward wireless, inking a deal to allow Verizon Wireless subscribers to use their wireless phone as a TiVo remote control. The companies unveiled a downloadable BREW application that can be used to program...

Jury out on wireless video trials.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Cingular Wireless L.L.C. joined the mobile TV bandwagon last week, launching a carrier-branded streaming video service featuring short clips from 18 channels. But whether consumers really want to watch TV on their...

Port deal inquiry could spill into wireless.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) last week unveiled a bill that would require majority U.S. ownership of critical infrastructure deemed essential to national security and a five-year...

FCC requirements at center of AT&T/BellSouth deal.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA While consumer advocates, organized labor, industry analysts and lawmakers gave mixed reviews to AT&T Inc.'s proposed $67 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp.-co-owners of Cingular Wireless L.L.C.-most signs point...

BCE partners with Aliant for wireless, wireline in Canada.(News)
March 13, 2006... Canadian telecom companies Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. and Aliant Inc. announced that they are combining their operations to form what they say is one of the largest regional telecommunications service providers in North America. As part...

Leap joins growing list of carriers restating financials.(News)
March 13, 2006... Leap Wireless International Inc. joined several wireless operators in announcing financial restatements-though the company said it expects the adjustments would result in improved financials. Leap said it plans to restate results for the...

Sprint Nextel's Forsee: Count uses, not users.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL As far as Sprint Nextel Corp. officials are concerned, the future is mobility, new models and new math. Sprint Nextel Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee argued at the company's annual analyst conference that his...

Integration headaches could give competitors short-term advantage; The new Ma Bell?
March 13, 2006... Byline: KELLY HILL News that AT&T Inc. would acquire BellSouth Corp. quickly sent ripples of rampant speculation through the industry, as observers tried to calculate the implications of the deal. Immediate reactions focused on the...

M Theory to bring reality to wireless.(News)
March 13, 2006... Bunim-Murray Productions, which is often credited with starting the reality TV phenomenon with the MTV hit "The Real World'' more than a decade ago, launched a spinoff focused on new media initiatives, including mobile and Internet. The...

Advocates praise TV white space for rural needs.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Allocating spectrum for unlicensed uses would help rural America achieve full broadband deployment, Microsoft Corp.'s chief technology officer told lawmakers. Microsoft's CTO Craig Mundie endorsed bills that...

BenQ Mobile touts new handsets, Google alliance.(News)
March 13, 2006... BenQ Mobile appeared to be fulfilling its promise of creating intriguing handsets in a nimble timeframe, as it presented six new multimedia phones at last week's CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany. The new phones bring BenQ's total number of...

Pantech underscores phone ambitions at CeBIT show.(News)
March 13, 2006... Pantech Group spotlighted a variety of upscale handsets at the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany, in an effort to further establish itself as a new player in European and global markets. The company, one of the largest handset makers in...

Motorola hedges value of investment in Sprint Nextel.(News)
March 13, 2006... Motorola Inc. hedged the value of the 37.6 million shares of Sprint Nextel Corp. stock it owns, which represent about 1.25 percent of Sprint Nextel's stock. Hedging allows Motorola to maintain the stock's current value and participate in a...

Some broadcast users slow to move off 1.9 GHz band.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER As part of the Federal Communications Commission's plan to solve the public-safety interference problem in the 800 MHz band, Sprint Nextel Corp. was given 10 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band....

Equipment makers to lose another customer; The new Ma Bell?
March 13, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE AT&T Inc.'s planned acquisition of BellSouth Corp. could be great for consumers, but the news isn't so great for telecom equipment vendors, already suffering from declining profits. "In our view, carrier...

CDMA's shifting landscape: From emerging India to mature U.S.(Special Report)
March 13, 2006... Byline: PHIL CARSON The market outlook for CDMA handsets may be described as a tale of two contrasting regions. And therein lies a few wireless lessons about the difference in how profits are made in emerging and mature markets. The...

Lucent rings up $300M in global agreements.(Global Wireless)
March 13, 2006... Byline: JONI MORSE Lucent Technologies Inc. is swimming in new contracts, announcing seven deals valued at more than $300 million at the CeBIT 2006 trade show. "Our customers' competitive landscape continues to undergo tremendous...

NTP's next move likely to defend patent claims.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Congratulations. You've just been awarded $612.5 million. But if you're NTP Inc., you're probably not headed to Disneyland. Instead, the company likely is going back to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to defend...

Senate committee set to vote on McDowell.(News)
March 13, 2006... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Evoking visions of the Battle of Yorktown, Robert McDowell appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday hoping to be confirmed as a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Sen. Ted Stevens...

Court strikes down Colorado requirements for ETC status.(News)
March 13, 2006... A federal court in Colorado told state regulators there that they cannot require Alltel Corp. to file rate statements and agree to certain service-quality standards in order to receive eligible telecommunications carrier status-a necessary...