RCR Wireless News articles from May 2005

RCR Wireless News archives from May 2005

CenturyTel halts MVNO trials on Cingular system due to coverage.(News)
May 2, 2005... Regional telecommunications provider CenturyTel Inc. said that network coverage issues have delayed its plans to begin offering wireless services using Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s network under a mobile virtual network operator arrangement. ...

Execs booted from telecom delegation puzzles industry.
May 2, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration went into retreat last week after the White House confirmed a report on the removal of four members from a U.S. telecom delegation in Guatemala City because of their campaign contributions to...

IM creeps into wireless space.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Air2Web will launch an updated version of its instant-messaging offering this week, targeting on-the-go workers who use desktop clients like IBM's Lotus Sametime, Microsoft LCS and Jabber. The new product builds on...

Martin aims to address VoIP 911 calling at May meeting.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants the agency to address how consumers will be able to access 911 when using Voice over Internet Protocol technology. As such, he told lawmakers he plans to include the item at a...

Healthcare balances onslaught of wireless devices with HIPAA regs.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS For many health-care organizations, the deadline to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has come and gone. But for wireless security companies, there's no end in sight. Originally...

Cingular expands Ga. network, launches new business plans.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Cingular Wireless L.L.C. said it has launched service in Americus, Ga., as part of a multimillion-dollar expansion of its Georgia network. The new coverage includes eight cell sites covering more than 990 square miles and...

Alltel begins 'Extreme Makeover' texting sweepstakes.(News)
May 2, 2005... Alltel is teaming with the host of the hit show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' for a sweepstakes to drive text and multimedia messaging. Subscribers who enter the contest are encouraged to send text, picture, video or instant messages...

Midwest Wireless offers EV-DO in Minn. county.(News)
May 2, 2005... Rural wireless operator Midwest Wireless launched CDMA2000 EV-DO services in Olmsted County, Minn., providing customers with the only EV-DO service available in the state. The carrier said the service provides network speeds of between 300...

Japanese carrier-sponsored research finds no health effects from base stations.(News)
May 2, 2005... Japan's mobile-phone carriers said interim findings from research they sponsored found radio-frequency radiation from base stations does not affect human cells, according to an NTT DoCoMo Inc. press release. The research, funded by DoCoMo,...

3D games added to Vcast lineup.(News)
May 2, 2005... Verizon Wireless announced the availability of three new 3D games on its Vcast service. Together with Jamdat Mobile Inc., Verizon Wireless announced the availability of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater: 3D Mobile Edition. The game includes...

EDOM signs Asian distribution agreement with Magnolia.(Global Wireless)
May 2, 2005... EDOM Technology and Magnolia Broadband Inc. signed a distribution agreement that allows EDOM to sell, distribute and support Magnolia's DiversityPlus handset chipsets to original equipment manufacturers in Taiwan and China. Magnolia is a...

Sprint PCS to offer two location-based services.(News)
May 2, 2005... Sprint introduced two location-based services that will provide driving directions and roadside assistance via a wireless voice call to customers who opt in to the services. The company said the services are available on request to most...

'Holy hip-hop' newest ringtone genre.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Cassandra and Curtis Brown have set their sights on perhaps the most niche of all mobile markets: fans of "holy hip-hop.'' The Pittsburgh-area couple recently partnered with mobile music provider Xingtone to offer...

EA adds game titles to mobile menu.(News)
May 2, 2005... Electronic Arts will include several of its most popular console titles among its mobile offerings later this year. Wireless three-dimensional versions of Madden NFL, The Sims, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and EA Sports FIFA Football will be among...

Wireless must go to high court in headset suits.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the mobile-phone industry's request to stay last month's decision remanding class-action headset lawsuits to state courts, forcing cellular firms to seek a review by...

MVNOs next 'it' thing in wireless.
May 2, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER The MVNO wave is building strength as a growing number of companies have announced plans to enter the wireless space using established operators' mobile networks. Analysts' note that while the wave is gaining momentum, an...

Public battles.(Opinion)
May 2, 2005... Byline: Tracy Ford Local governments have contentious relationships with the wireless industry. This love-hate dance gets more complicated daily. First off, governments seem to hate cell towers. Sure, people in the wireless industry can...

Siemens to spin out ailing mobile-phone biz; Device maker's earnings, market share slide in 1Q.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Siemens AG announced it intends to shave off its ailing mobile-phone business by spinning it out as a "separate legal unit.'' The news comes amid a 35-percent drop in Siemens' second-quarter net profit, partially due to...

Verizon regains 'fastest-growing' title for nationals.
May 2, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s tenure as the nation's fastest-growing wireless operator came to a screeching halt as Verizon Wireless took back the title it lost in 2004. Surpassing even the most optimistic forecasts,...

Martin gives clues about FCC priorities in testimony before Congress; FCC's request to increase budget gets chilly reception.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The Federal Communications Commission's request to increase its budget by 8 percent received a chilly reception last month by lawmakers. "It will be very difficult. It will be impossible,'' said Rep....

InfoSpace, VeriSign may be impacted by carriers curtailing aggressive marketing tactics.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Two of the nation's top mobile content providers reported strong first-quarter results last month even as they offered differing forecasts for the second quarter. VeriSign Inc.'s new mobile content operations helped...

Agere releases new wireless infrastructure chip line.(News)
May 2, 2005... Chip vendor Agere Systems today released its new TrueAdvantage line of products, which the company said would save carriers millions of dollars by combining second- and third-generation network technology in one box. The company-which sells its...

Missouri may exchange lawsuits for wireless tax cap.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry is backing a bill in the Missouri legislature to raise wireless taxes in exchange for eventually capping the tax at 3 percent and ending a slew of lawsuits filed by municipalities to collect...

Wireless industry largely unscathed in record year for restating financials.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO In a record year for financial restatements, the wireless industry managed to stay relatively unsoiled. While other telecommunications, financial and manufacturing companies in 2004 faced various bookkeeping snafus, few...

MobilePro to provide Tempe wireless broadband service.(News)
May 2, 2005... The Tempe, Ariz., city council voted to award a five-year contract for a citywide wireless broadband service to MobilePro Corp., which will use Strix Systems' wireless mesh network equipment in the deployment. The network will provide...

More devices announced for market.(News)
May 2, 2005... * Nokia's N90, part of the company's new N-series of multimedia devices, includes a 2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and VHS-resolution video capture. It should be available during the second quarter. * Nokia's W-CDMA N91 music...

Innovations light up phone displays.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Mobile phones have evolved into the focal point of electronics innovation. Indeed, the handset industry sits on the bleeding edge of novelty, and players now introduce new phone technologies at a break-neck pace....

Capitol subplots.(Opinion)
May 2, 2005... Byline: Jeffrey Silva An interesting aspect of scandals in official Washington is the bright light they unwittingly shine on other activities that otherwise manage to stay below the political radar screen. Take the cases of House...

Crown Castle posts $128M loss, much from early debt retirement.(News)
May 2, 2005... Crown Castle International Corp. reported a net loss for the first quarter of $128.8 million, including $82.6 million in losses for early retirement of debt. That compares with a net loss of $76.6 million for the same period last year,...

Alltel ad campaign to tout consumer initiatives.(Late News)
May 2, 2005... Alltel Corp. said it is starting a new consumer-centric brand advertising campaign built around customer satisfaction. The campaign will highlight new wireless initiatives, including an automatic one-minute credit for any dropped call on the...

Martin appoints staff, leaves out wireless.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Kevin Martin made his first staff appointments at his first meeting as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, but did not name someone to head the agency's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. ...

Verizon to end Wi-Fi in NYC in favor of EV-DO service.(News)
May 2, 2005... Verizon Communications Inc. said it will phase out its payphone-based Wi-Fi hot-spot service in New York City during the next two months in favor of its rapidly expanding CDMA2000 1x EV-DO wide area wireless network. Verizon noted that it...

Business Briefs.(Briefs)
May 2, 2005... Clearstone Venture Partners announced it scored a third round of venture capital totaling more than $200 million. The round brings its total capital to more than $650 million. Clearstone said it will put the funds toward the "next wave of...

OFDM has high-speed advantage but will be just part of 4G evolution.(News)
May 2, 2005... OFDM-based solutions could have a leg up in the race for fourth-generation dominance against CDMA2000 and W-CDMA protocols due to the growing use of streaming media and other high-speed applications, according to a report from Alexander...

MediaBay, DotPhoto enter agreement for 'talking' ringers.(News)
May 2, 2005... MediaBay Inc. and DotPhoto Inc. announced an agreement that calls for the companies to offer MediaBay's classic radio show library through DotPhoto's Ringtalker ringtone service. MediaBay's library includes more than 50,000 hours of classic...

VimpelCom board rejects purchase of Ukranian wireless carrier.(Global Wireless)
May 2, 2005... The board of directors of Russian mobile carrier Vimpel Communications has rejected the purchase of Ukrainian wireless carrier WellCom after first announcing the buy last October. Norwegian carrier Telenor, a part owner of VimpelCom and...

Martin sees no evidence of near end to DTV transition.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The new Federal Communications Commission chairman told lawmakers "there is no evidence'' that any TV market is close to reaching the 85-percent threshold that would signal the transition to digital TV is...

Disney's Shapiro tries to cut through hype to understand wireless content potential.(News)
May 2, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS In a world of wireless content teeming with hyperbole, Larry Shapiro seems unusually prudent. Then again, he can afford to be. As the executive vice president of business development and operations for the Walt...

Analog Devices teams with Datang on TD-SCDMA reference design.(Global Wireless)
May 2, 2005... Chipmaker Analog Devices Inc. is teaming with Chinese vendor Datang Mobile to offer a phone reference design for the TD-SCDMA wireless standard. The move furthers the possibility the technology will see the light of day in China. "We...

Lightbridge sells wireless business to VeriSign for $17M.(News)
May 2, 2005... Lightbridge Inc. announced plans to sell its wireless technology platform and customer base to VeriSign Inc. for $17.45 million in cash. The e-commerce company said it is off-loading its prepaid intelligent network business, a real-time...

Stock Watch: April 22 - April 28.(Wireless Metrics)
May 2, 2005... table: Stock Watch: April 22 - April 28 * 3 graphics: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

Mobile penetration in selected markets.(Wireless Metrics)
May 2, 2005... According to year-end data from Informa Telecoms and Media, mobile penetration among countries varied greatly, from Italy's 105 percent to 4.5 percent in India.

Infrastructure Awards.(Wireless Metrics)
May 2, 2005... Following are infrastructure contracts announced in April: Alcatel China With Tianjin Unicom for a standalone provincial WAP 2.0 service, including its WAP 2.0 Gateway solution. Value: Undisclosed Spain With Telefonica Moviles...

Wireless IPO launches.(Wireless Metrics)
May 9, 2005... Respondents to a recent RCRNews.com poll were split on their opinions about future wireless IPOs. One-third of those who responded said they believe no wireless IPOs will occur this year, while 40 percent believe one or two wireless IPOs will...

Industry Study.(Wireless Metrics)
May 9, 2005... To study consumers' behavior and their relationships with mobile phones, BBDO Worldwide and Proximity Worldwide, BBDO's global direct marketing network, surveyed more than 3,000 people, between 15-35 years old, in 15 countries. Questions...

Stock Watch: April 29 - May 5.(Wireless Metrics)
May 9, 2005... table: Stock Watch: April 29 - May 5 * 3 graphics: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy.

Gamers see wireless in 3-D.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS As mobile gaming grows from niche market to mass market, developers and publishers are scrambling to market the next big thing. And nearly everyone in the space is putting money on 3-D. "We're spending a lot of...

Magneto unifies Microsoft OS offerings.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Microsoft Corp. is expected to unveil its new Windows Mobile 2005 operating system, codenamed Magneto, in conjunction with its developer's conference this week in Las Vegas. According to several sources familiar with...

Bush telecom delegation tack may hurt U.S.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration's move to pull several members off a U.S. telecom delegation because they contributed to Democrats is not necessarily a new policy, and the tack could undermine U.S. negotiations in future...

Nortel reports 20% drop in 4Q revenue.(News)
May 9, 2005... Nortel Networks Corp. reported audited fourth-quarter and full-year 2004 results after a lengthy delay. Revenues for the fourth quarter fell nearly 20 percent to $2.62 billion from $3.27 billion the company reported during the final quarter...

Sprint teams with Intel on WiMAX.(News)
May 9, 2005... Sprint Corp. reported a deal with Intel Corp. to engage in joint efforts to advance development of the 802.16e WiMAX standard. The deal calls for both companies to collaborate on technical specification, perform equipment trials and conduct...

Regional carriers put up strong customer growth.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER The industry's heavyweights are not the only wireless operators benefiting from the recent consumer surge. A handful of regional operators posted first-quarter results that included generally strong customer growth...

FCC looks through broad lens to inspect Sprint-Nextel merger.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission last week asked Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. to supply additional information on their proposed $35 billion merger, but the latest government request for data does...

Carriers offer maps, trial plans to guide user expectations.
May 9, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Despite claims of nationwide coverage, a look at wireless coverage maps from some of the industry's largest operators shows there are numerous holes in those claims. While carriers note their networks cover most of the...

Kyocera outsources phone manufacturing to Flextronics.(News)
May 9, 2005... Kyocera Wireless Corp. will outsource the manufacture and delivery of its mobile phones to contract manufacturing giant Flextronics International Ltd. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, Kyocera said it will sell "certain...

Industry coalition seeks to exempt universal service funding from ADA.(News)
May 9, 2005... A large coalition of government, public interest and telecom industry groups sent a letter to Capitol Hill urging the Senate Commerce Committee to pass a bill that would permanently exempt the universal-service fund from the Anti-Deficiency...

In-home signal enhancers aim to fuel wireline replacement.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS While many in the wireless industry today target early adopters with high-tech gadgets and 3G services, Telular Corp. is taking a decidedly retro approach. The Vernon Hills, Ill.-based company is hoping to entice...

Motorola reorders design, manufacturing strategies; Move underscores tenuous relationship between OEMS, ODMs.
May 9, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Motorola Inc. appears to be in the midst of reordering its phone design and manufacturing strategy, moves that could yield either boon or doom for those along its supply chain. Motorola's exercises also highlight the...

And the thunder rolls.(Opinion)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Tracy Ford Less than a month ago, I wrote a column about how the recent lull in wireless activity (mergers, etc.) was just the calm before the storm. Boom! Did you hear the thunder? What a week! Repercussions from wireless...

2nd Tier Carriers.(News)
May 9, 2005... Editor's Note: The companies listed below represent the largest regional wireless operators based on subscriber numbers for year-end 2004 unless noted. Operating and financial metrics were provided by company records, industry analysts and RCR...

Bluetooth hooks future to UWB.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER The Bluetooth Special Interest Group said it will begin working with ultra-wideband developers, combining the strengths of both personal wireless area network technologies. The Bluetooth SIG said the partnership will...

Bemoaning broadband.(Opinion)
May 9, 2005... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Much is made these days about America's fall from grace in broadband deployment, having supposedly dropped from fourth to 13th place on the Bit Parade. Worse yet, note the hand-wringers, is the steady decline in...

PCIA helps launch Web site for state wireless associations.(News)
May 9, 2005... PCIA and tower company AAT Communications Corp., together with three state wireless associations, have launched a Web site aimed at helping other states form wireless associations. The site, www.swaprogram.net, includes a 10-page guide to...

Survey finds 40% of telecom users have not downloaded content.(Wireless Metrics)
May 9, 2005... About 80 percent of telecom consumers purchase three or four different services, including landline, cable, wireless and Internet services, but less than one-third purchase those services from a single provider, according to a survey...

Ericsson to exit CDMA biz.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Infrastructure giant L.M. Ericsson announced it will put the brakes on its CDMA business, a move that coincides with the shuttering of its CDMA headquarters in San Diego. Ericsson said it will no longer seek out new CDMA...

Marconi to refocus after BT contract loss.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: KRISTEN BECKMAN Following news that it was not selected as a preferred supplier for British Telecom's huge 21st Century Network project, U.K. equipment vendor Marconi Corp. said it will lay off workers, refocus its business and...

Speakeasy launches WiMAX-like service in downtown Seattle.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Broadband service provider Speakeasy launched what it called "WiMAX-class'' fixed wireless broadband covering parts of downtown Seattle. The service, which Speakeasy said will expand later this year to cover all of...

GSM Association blasts proposed DRM licensing rates.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The GSM Association again blasted proposed rates for licensing anti-piracy technology, calling the revised rates "unreasonable and unworkable.'' The trade association of more than 600 wireless operators rejected...

T-Mobile USA gets top score for business customer satisfaction.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER T-Mobile USA Inc. again topped a J.D. Power and Associates ranking, this time garnering the highest overall customer satisfaction among wireless voice and data service for business customers as part of J.D. Power and...

Philips reorganizes chip business into 4 units.(Global Wireless)
May 9, 2005... Dutch electronics manufacturer Royal Philips Electronics has reorganized its semiconductor business into four units to cut costs and better address specific markets, the company said late Tuesday. Philips said it has created an Automotive &...

UTStarcom hits record low on Chinese business drop, 1,400 job cuts.(News)
May 9, 2005... Investors raged on UTStarcom Inc. after the company announced it will cut its worldwide work force by 17 percent to counteract a drop in its China business. The company's stock plunged 30 percent after the announcement to $7.31 per share-the...

Chinese handset design firm nets $141M in IPO.(Late News)
May 9, 2005... Mobile handset design company China TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd. scored around $141 million in its initial public offering, coming in at the high range of its expectations. The company's stock was down slightly in its...

American Tower, SpectraSite form tower powerhouse.
May 9, 2005... Byline: KRISTEN BECKMAN Consolidation among the players at the top of the wireless market is starting to trickle down to the vendors and suppliers that serve them. Independent tower companies American Tower Corp. and SpectraSite Inc....

M-gamers bullish on future.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile gaming continued to gain steam last week as two of the industry's biggest publishers announced encouraging first-quarter results. Shares of Jamdat Mobile Inc. soared Friday after the mobile content provider...

Bill-of-rights measures on deck in California.(News)
May 9, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The race is on. The California Senate today is expected to take up legislation to make a bill of rights for telecom consumers a state law. Meantime, GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finally got a...

MCI spurns Qwest, accepts Verizon offer.(News)
May 9, 2005... MCI Inc.'s board of directors accepted a revised acquisition offer from Verizon Communications Inc. that raised the previous offer from $23.50 per share to $26 per share and increased the total value from $7.8 billion to $8.5 billion. MCI had...

Wireless gaming investments continue with Sorrent raising $20M in new funding.(News)
May 9, 2005... Venture capital continued to flood mobile gaming as publisher Sorrent Inc. announced it raised $20 million in its latest round of funding. Granite Global Ventures led the Series D round, with current investors BA Venture Partners, New...

South Korean handset vendor buys majority stake in rival.(Global Wireless)
May 9, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO South Korean handset vendor Pantech&Curitel acquired a majority stake in wireless carrier SK Telecom's handset business, a move that could give the growing company additional weight in both the Korean market and the...

SiRF system on a chip to bring down telematics costs.(News)
May 16, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS SiRF Technology Holdings this week plans to unveil a global positioning system-enabled system-on-a-chip (SoC) it said will make automotive navigation and telematics systems more affordable for consumers. The...

Flextronics names new CEO, merges subsidiary.(News)
May 16, 2005... Electronics manufacturer Flextronics announced Chief Operating Officer Michael McNamara will helm the company following the retirement of its current chief executive officer next year. The news comes as Flextronics plans to merge its Network...

Wireless had years to deploy E911, VoIP to be given 120 days.(News)
May 16, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER While wireless carriers had years to deploy enhanced 911 services (and still missed the mark), Voice over Internet Protocol carriers are expected to have only until fall if rules proposed by new FCC Chairman...

Not everyone in CTCNet opposes Sprint-Nextel merger; Group's motives in question.(News)
May 16, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA When the Community Technology Centers' Network officially began its ambitious campaign in late March to persuade federal regulators to force Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. to divest "sufficient spectrum''...

Verizon Wireless leads in customer respect survey.(News)
May 16, 2005... Verizon Wireless trumped all other telecommunications providers in the latest online customer respect survey conducted by research and consulting firm The Customer Respect Group. TCRG said the index was a qualitative and quantitative...

People.
May 16, 2005... Sierra Wireless Sierra Wireless Inc.' board of directors said it is separating the roles of chair and chief executive officer and replacing the lead independent director position with a non-executive chair position. Peter Ciceri, the...