RCR Wireless News articles from October 2005

RCR Wireless News archives from October 2005

Fast Fact.(Wireless Metrics)
October 3, 2005... Mobile TV and other wireless video services could overwhelm 3G networks within two years, according to a report from technology consultant firm Sound Partners.

Stock Watch: September 22-September 29.(Wireless Metrics)
October 3, 2005... table: Stock Watch: September 22-September 29 * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * RCR Index: see print copy

Infrastructure Awards.(Wireless Metrics)
October 3, 2005... Following are infrastructure contracts announced in September: Alcatel Austria With WiMAX Telecom GmBH to supply and install a turnkey WiMAX network. Value: Undisclosed Philippines With Sun Cellular to expand the carrier's...

Nokia counters Motorola with 3250 music phone; Other handset makers release new wares.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JONI MORSE Nokia Corp. responded to rival Motorola Inc.'s recently launched Rokr iTunes-capable device with a music-driven tri-band GSM handset. The Nokia 3250 twists to transform its keypad into music keys and stores up to 1...

Carriers close to restoring full service following Hurricane Rita.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Mobile-phone carriers last week made significant progress restoring wireless service knocked out along the Texas-Louisiana coastline by Hurricane Rita, restoration efforts that added to those already under way in the...

Patent settlement removes one obstacle for RFID technology.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A settlement of a radio frequency identification patent lawsuit involving two leaders in the automated data capture business could remove a major obstacle to success in the emerging wireless space, but privacy,...

Warranted praise.(Opinion)
October 3, 2005... Byline: Sandra Wendelken Wireless carriers certainly take their fair share of abuse from consumers and lawmakers. Consumer and other complaints range from billing to early termination fees to coverage issues. But carriers should...

Vendors continue to embrace content opportunities.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JONI MORSE Deals were announced and applications launched last week as the large wireless vendors fanned the flames of the hot and getting-hotter mobile content market. L.M. Ericsson said it will distribute ring-back tones from...

NeuStar wins contract for GSM carrier directory.(News)(Directory)
October 3, 2005... The GSM Association signed an agreement with NeuStar Inc. to offer Root Domain System services to more than 680 global GSM mobile operators. NeuStar's Root DNS will manage a global common directory, enabling GSM networks to interoperate,...

First mandatory negotiations begin in 800 MHz transition.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Mandatory negotiations between Sprint Nextel Corp. and the 800 MHz licensees it must pay to move as part of the Federal Communications Commission's rebanding process began last week for Wave 1 licensees in...

Rural wireless carriers request 700 MHz spectrum revision.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Coming on the heels of a successful lobbying effort to change the 2 GHz band plan, rural wireless carriers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to revise the 700 MHz band plans to allocate more...

Inmarsat applies for 2 GHz MSS license.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA U.K.-based Inmarsat Ltd. applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a 2 GHz mobile satellite service license that would allow it to offer interoperable communications to first responders and homeland defense...

Cingular selects RealNetworks platform for W-CDMA wireless TV service launch.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JONI MORSE Cingular Wireless L.L.C. plans to launch additional mobile TV services later this year using a platform from RealNetworks Inc. The supplier said its new Helix OnlineTV solution will enable Cingular to offer its...

Verizon, Alltel possible buyers for Midwest.
October 3, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Midwest Wireless is the latest regional wireless operator to look at potential strategic alternatives for its operations. The privately held carrier serves more than 420,000 customers on its CDMA-based network in parts of...

Oblio Telecom ships first phones for MVNO.(News)
October 3, 2005... Mobile virtual network operator Oblio Telecom Inc. announced it shipped its first batch of Bravo-branded prepaid mobile phones. The carrier is selling its wares nationwide through more than 60,000 retail locations. "As one of the nation's...

Legislator wants to use spectrum money for public-safety interoperability.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER If the chairman of the House telecommunications subcommittee has his way, public safety will get money for interoperability from the sale of TV spectrum. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said he plans to offer...

VeriSign lowers forecast, Dwango Wireless cuts jobs.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The high-flying mobile content industry is experiencing some turbulence as two leading content providers issued sobering announcements. Disappointing earnings from its content business led VeriSign Inc. to lower...

Industry: Siting process with tribes, preservationists not working.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER After doing an about-face and agreeing to clear a backlog of siting applications held up at the Federal Communications Commission, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said he has been unable to shape a compromise. ...

Expert offers advice on how to overhaul alert system.
October 3, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A leading expert has offered the White House and Congress recommendations to overhaul the nation's emergency-alert system, based on eight years of research on the subject. The challenge requires a master plan far more...

FCC again delays enforcement of VoIP 911 notification rules.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Citing significant progress and resources spent by interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol providers to warn customers that 911 calls may not go through, the Federal Communications Commission said last...

Corrections.(Correction)
October 3, 2005... In the "Nokia pushes into wireless e-mail'' story on page 3 of the Sept. 19 issue of RCR Wireless News, the nature of Seven's offerings was incorrectly stated. Seven's technology can be implemented behind a firewall as well as on a hosted...

Former Nokia designer Lindholm to lead Yahoo!'s wireless efforts.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO During the past 10 years, more than 400 million mobile-phone users have become intimately familiar with Christian Lindholm's designs. In his new job with Yahoo! Inc., Lindholm hopes to reach far more people. "The...

Wireless History; 5 years ago this month...(Wireless Metrics)
October 3, 2005... Metricom Inc. said it was on track to launch its new Ricochet service with data speeds of up to 128 kilobits per second in New York and several other cities by the end of September 2000. The company, which a little more than a year later sold...

Siemens buys OSS firm Garderos.(Global Wireless)
October 3, 2005... In a deal that strengthens its wireless broadband portfolio, Siemens AG signed a takeover agreement with operational support systems startup Garderos Software Innovations GmbH. In the deal, Garderos will continue to be run under its...

CTIA reports 25M new subs.(News)
October 3, 2005... The wireless industry reported 25.2 million new subscribers, its largest one-year addition of new subscribers in its more than 20-year commercial history, according to CTIA's semi-annual industry survey released this week at the CTIA Wireless...

Finance Briefs.(Briefs)
October 3, 2005... Vivotech, which provides contactless payment solutions, said it raised $18.25 million in its series B funding round. The funding was led by Draper Fisher Jurveston and included participation from Nokia Growth Partners, DFJ Gotham and Alloy...

Wireless complaints down in 2Q.(News)
October 3, 2005... The Federal Communications Commission said wireless complaints dropped in the second quarter, a shift the agency attributed to a reduction in consumer gripes about billing and rates. At the same time, the FCC said wireless consumer...

Martin's moment.(Opinion)
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Kevin Martin assumed the chair of the Federal Communications Commission six and a half months ago in the throes of March Madness, a wonderfully wild and wacky time in sports that folks from his native North Carolina...

ESPN, Amp'd detail MVNO rollout plans.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Several highly anticipated mobile virtual network operators last week revealed plans to begin rolling out services in time for the upcoming holiday shopping season. One of the biggest names in the burgeoning space,...

Disney trying to see what sticks in content space.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS When it comes to wireless content, there isn't much Disney isn't going to try. As the company gears up to launch its much-hyped MVNO next year, the House of Mouse is aggressively expanding its wireless content...

180+ developers compete in Navteq contest.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS If the kickoff for Navteq's Global LBS Challenge is any indicator, 2006 may be the year location-based services finally get legs. Software developers, reporters, venture capitalists and other insiders packed the...

MobiTV hits 500,000 wireless TV subscribers.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Mobile television company MobiTV announced it crossed the 500,000-subscriber mark, news that coincides with the launch of its new multimedia software platform. "Things are just going through the roof,'' boasted Paul...

Motorola shows Screen3, pushing Web info to home screen.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Motorola Inc. plans to release its new dynamic idle-screen technology, dubbed Screen3, to U.S. wireless users in time for this year's holiday season. Although the company declined to provide specifics, Motorola's Jeff...

Cingular to sell Nokia 9300 using BlackBerry platform.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Following years of delays, Nokia Corp. finally is set to launch its 9300 device running Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry software in the United States. The device will be available exclusively through Cingular...

Motorola wins second GSMA contract for low-end phones.(Global Wireless)
October 3, 2005... Motorola Inc. won a second contract from the GSM Association to supply an additional 6 million ultra-cheap mobile phones to emerging markets like India, Turkey, Pakistan, Thailand and elsewhere. The deal-similar to a February announcement...

Trio partners for Treo.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER One of the device market's worst-kept secrets was let out of the bag last week as Palm Inc. announced plans to launch a Microsoft Corp. Windows Mobile operating system version of its popular Treo smart phone. The device,...

RIM stock dives on lower subscriber adds.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Investors dumped shares of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. following the company's surprise subscriber shortfall. Although RIM scored earnings ahead of expectations, lower-than-anticipated subscriber numbers sent...

Brightpoint inks deals with Samsung, Microsoft.(News)
October 3, 2005... Brightpoint Inc. announced two deals last week. The company's Brightpoint North America L.P. subsidiary entered an agreement with Samsung Telecommunications America L.P. that calls for Brightpoint to distribute a range of Samsung CDMA and...

Wireless games get crazy.
October 3, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO For all you middle-aged, BlackBerry-toting, neck-tie-wearing executives who were wandering around the CTIA Wireless I.T. show floor last week, let me interrupt your reminiscings about the wonders of wireless e-mail and...

M/A-Com to build $2B public-safety system for N.Y.(News)
October 3, 2005... M/A-Com, a division of Tyco International Ltd., will build a unified public-safety communications system for the State of New York in a $2 billion 20-year contract. The system, being built with General Dynamics Corp. and Alcatel Corp.,...

Big promises for mobile music, wireless games.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Mobile entertainment took center stage for CTIA's Wireless I.T. & Entertainment Day 2 keynote as music, data and gaming executives took their turns extolling the promise of wireless data that so far has seen mixed...

Sprint Nextel says iDEN system won't make E-911 handset deadline.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Living up to a warning it made in 2004, Sprint Nextel Corp. asked for a waiver for its iDEN network of the enhanced 911 rules requiring some carriers to have 95 percent of their in-use handsets capable of...

Patent office rejects NTP patent, clouding RIM legal battle.(Late News)
October 3, 2005... The battle between BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. and patent-holding company NTP Inc. took another strange turn as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the last of NTP's patents under re-examination. The patents form the...

MetroPCS launches service in Tampa, Sarasota.(News)
October 3, 2005... Regional wireless operator MetroPCS Communications Inc. said it has launched its flat-rate, unlimited calling service in Tampa and Sarasota, Fla. The carrier noted the new markets join its current offering in the Miami area, and subscribers in...

Nortel reorganizes into 2 product units, 4 regional teams.(News)
October 3, 2005... Byline: JONI MORSE Nortel Networks Ltd. is reorganizing, forming two new product groups and four regional teams to strengthen its enterprise focus, drive product efficiencies and deliver global services. Nortel said the new alignment...

GSMA announces SIP/IMS interoperability trials.(Global Wireless)
October 10, 2005... The GSM Association said it successfully completed six months of interoperability trials in Europe and Asia with Session Initiation Protocol and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem technologies. Many operators and vendors participated in...

Sprint Nextel terminates HP contract, HP quits 724 deal.(News)
October 10, 2005... Sprint Nextel Corp. terminated its contract with Hewlett-Packard Co., according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing by 724 Solutions Inc. Tuesday. 724 Solutions earlier this week announced HP had cancelled 742 Solutions' subcontract...

Carriers continue movement toward mobile TV.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO The mobile TV space continues to heat up, with rumors pegging Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless showing significant interest in the technology. Specifically, a report from Zachary Research predicts Verizon will...

Texas landowners sue Sprint Nextel.(News)
October 10, 2005... A Texas law firm said it filed a class-action lawsuit against Sprint Nextel Corp. on behalf of thousands of landowners in the state. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Kansas, claims Sprint Nextel used exclusive electricity...

Security issues loom as phones get more powerful.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO In a nod to the growing chatter around wireless viruses and hacking, Nokia Corp. announced it would install security software from Symantec Corp. in its Series 60 smart phones, devices that run the Symbian operating...

Centennial posts more customers, more income.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Thanks to an off-kilter-reporting schedule, Centennial Communications Corp. got a jump on quarterly reporting season last week, posting improved financial and mixed operations metrics for its first fiscal quarter that...

Manassas deploys first BPL network.(News)
October 10, 2005... Communication Technologies Inc. completed a citywide commercial broadband-over-powerline technology deployment in Manassas, Va. BPL technology uses a city's electricity grid and the wiring in homes to provide direct plug-in broadband access...

Conspiracy charge moves phone-locking case forward.
October 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The federal judge who a month ago dismissed a class-action lawsuit claiming the nation's top mobile-phone operators violated antitrust laws by tying handset sales to the purchase of wireless service from carriers has...

Verizon expected to lead pack in Q3 customer adds.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER With little more than a week until wireless carriers begin releasing third-quarter results, industry analysts continue to fine tune their quarterly predictions. Those updated forecasts generally are calling for more...

Eminem lawsuit underscores problems with licenses for content.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Eminem's publishing companies filed suit last week to stop the sale of ringtones they say are pirated from the hip-hop star's hit tunes. Michigan-based publishers Eight Mile Style and Martin Affiliated filed...

Muni Wi-Fi marches along.
October 10, 2005... Byline: JONI MORSE Municipal-Wi-Fi-mania has landed. By the end of the year, the world will have more than 100,000 Wi-Fi hot spots, according to Informa Telecoms & Media research. And the Asia-Pacific region is not in its usual...

UTStarcom tumbles on financial warnings.(News)
October 10, 2005... Shares of UTStarcom Inc. tumbled more than 25 percent after the company announced a series of warnings, including a drop in revenues, a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a potential writedown of its assets. The company's...

LogicaCMG partners with CPS for Galileo.(News)
October 10, 2005... LogicaCMG plc will partner with Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. for mobile location technology for the Galileo satellite program. LogicaCMG announced its participation in the Galileo project last month. CPS will offer its network-based...

Ericsson to supply SeaMobile network.(Global Wireless)
October 10, 2005... L.M. Ericsson and newly formed SeaMobile signed a three-year contract to bring wireless voice and data communication services to the seas. Ericsson said it will supply a complete wireless network, including hosted core infrastructure, GSM...

Motorola scores iRadio content pact, pushes back launch date.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Motorola Inc. scored its first content agreement for its forthcoming iRadio service, a deal that will make Universal Music Group's extensive music catalog available to iRadio subscribers. The news comes as Motorola...

Carrier Briefs.(Briefs)
October 10, 2005... Sprint Nextel Corp. closed on its $287.5 million acquisition of network affiliate Gulf Coast Wireless Ltd. Partnership. The closing resolves litigation Gulf Coast filed against Sprint Nextel in connection with Sprint Corp.'s acquisition of...

World Briefs.(Briefs)
October 10, 2005... GERMANY BenQ Corp. completed its takeover of Siemens AG's mobile-phone business, and the combined entity began operations Oct. 1. BenQ Mobile comprises 7,000 employees, a 5.2-percent worldwide mobile-phone market share and $6.7 billion in...

Weak initial demand for Rokr, says analyst; Other Motorola products remain strong.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO Initial shipments of Motorola Inc.'s long-anticipated iTunes-capable phone appear somewhat sluggish, according to a recent analyst report from Piper Jaffray. The firm said its recent store checks show that some locations...

Late News.
October 10, 2005... T-Mobile, O2 offer wireless Internet services The wireless Internet is coming to European users in a big way this week, as two European operators launched high-speed mobile Web services. T-Mobile U.K. aggressively is pursuing wireless...

Nokia to include Quickoffice in handsets.(News)
October 10, 2005... Nokia Corp. will include software from Quickoffice Inc. in its Series 60 platform for smart phones, a move that will give its Series 60 users the ability to view and manipulate Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. "We are committed to...

FCC ruling aims to clear antenna-siting backlog.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission ruled to clear the backlog of antenna-siting applications subject to a nationwide programmatic agreement designed to elicit dialogue among tower owners, mobile-phone carriers,...

Prepaid users can browse mobile Web.
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Prepaid services are continuing their march up the feature-rich ladder with an increasing number of operators beginning to offer wireless Web browsing services to their noncontract subscribers. Many operators offer basic...

China could issue 3G permits in 2006.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO The latest consensus puts China's third-generation licenses on track for release in the first half of next year-a move that would finally open up the world's largest wireless market to 3G technology spending. It's an...

SanDisk, Sony offer memory-card format for cell phones.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO SanDisk Corp. and Sony Corp. introduced the industry's third major removable memory card format specifically designed for space-conscious mobile phones. The companies unveiled their new Memory Stick Micro product, a...

SK Telecom selects LG/Nortel gear for HSDPA rollout.(Global Wireless)
October 10, 2005... SK Telecom, Korea's largest mobile services provider, selected LG Electronics Co. Ltd. and Nortel Networks Ltd. to provide equipment to support new high-speed wireless broadband services throughout southern Korea. SK Telecom's commercial...

MetroPCS attracts $600M in VC funding.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Regional wireless operator MetroPCS Communications Inc. attracted $600 million in venture-capital funding from Madison Dearborn Partners L.L.C. and TA Associates as part of a $739 million minority equity investment in the...

Mforma gains $30 million in third financing round.(News)
October 10, 2005... Mforma Group Inc. said it raised $30 million in a third round of institutional financing. The round was led by venture-capital firm Institutional Venture Partners. Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and...

DSL operator enters wireless with $25M NextWeb buy.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: MIKE DANO DSL provider Covad Communications Group Inc. announced it purchased pre-WiMAX carrier Next-Web Inc. for $24.7 million in cash and stock. NextWeb offers wireless broadband services to 3,000 business customers in the San...

Traditional telcos don't plan to lie down for VoIP; Sprint Nextel files patent suit against Vonage, others.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER The burgeoning Voice over Internet Protocol industry clipped a hurdle last week as Sprint Nextel Corp. reported that its subsidiary, Sprint Communications Co. L.P., has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against VoIP...

Verizon, T-Mobile top consumer survey.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: DAN MEYER Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc. again outranked the competition in a J.D. Power and Associates consumer survey, this time posting the highest retail sales satisfaction among the wireless industry's six largest...

FCC report says wireless remains competitive despite consolidation.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission said the mobile-phone industry remains competitive and consumers continue to benefit, despite increased consolidation among wireless carriers and questions by a Democratic member...

Alltel joins Sprint Nextel in requesting E-911 handset delay.(News)
October 10, 2005... Alltel Corp. said it will not meet the Dec. 31 enhanced-911 handset deadline and asked the Federal Communications Commission for a year-and-a-half extension. "Alltel has initiated numerous marketing and communications campaigns encouraging...

Wi-Fi wackiness.(Opinion)
October 10, 2005... Byline: Tracy Ford Wi-Fi frenzy has hit a number of U.S. cities. I hope they know what they're getting into. EarthLink Inc. has promised the city of Philadelphia it will roll out a low-cost Wi-Fi system to its underprivileged, while a...

Arm offers processor for high-end phone, TI to use.(News)
October 10, 2005... Microprocessor company Arm unveiled its newest offering, the Cortex-A8 processor, which the company said will give low-power mobile devices the computing strength of desktop computers. "The rapid convergence of digital entertainment and...

Centurion ships 1 billionth antenna.(News)
October 10, 2005... Centurion Wireless Technologies, a unit of Laird Technologies, announced it crossed the 1 billion threshold. The company said it has shipped more than 1 billion mobile-phone antennas through the likes of Nokia Corp., Motorola Inc. and others....

Vidiator to acquire Nextreaming unit.(News)
October 10, 2005... Vidiator Technology Inc. today announced it will acquire the Platform division of Seoul-based Nextreaming Corp., a move the company said would add extra features and functions to its encoding, transcoding and streaming technologies for mobile...

Airport dispute could have far-reaching implications for Wi-Fi.(News)
October 10, 2005... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission has been dragged into a dispute with potentially far-reaching implications between a major airline and one of the nation's busiest airports over an issue that has less to do with...

FTS offers details on wireless spinoff.(News)
October 10, 2005... FTS Group Inc. provided details on its proposed share spinoff of FTS Wireless Inc. The company said it is seeking to acquire a profitable privately held company in conjunction with the share spinoff, and it is involved in negotiations with...

Jamdat offers wireless games in McDonald's Monopoly contest.(News)
October 10, 2005... Jamdat Mobile Inc. said it is participating in McDonald's annual Monopoly contest for the second year. Jamdat prizes include two wireless games-Jamdat Sports NBA Three-Point Shootout and Blue Blocks-as well as Lemonade Tycoon 2, a PC game....