RCR Wireless News articles from October 2007

RCR Wireless News archives from October 2007

11 years later, FCC still toiling through PCS auction litigation; Agency wins ruling against Magnacom, but case may be headed to Supreme Court.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the trustee of bankrupt Magnacom Wireless L.L.C. is not entitled to proceeds from the re-auction of the company's cancelled wireless licenses, a legal victory for the...

Textbook example.(Opinion)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva It's possible Verizon Wireless has done as much for the open access/net neutrality campaign as the liberal MoveOn.org Petraeus ad did for struggling Republicans. Verizon Wireless' decision first to block text...

River cruise shows Chicago's WiMAX.(Spotlight)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a historic trip, that started on the Chicago River aboard this WiMAX-ready ship. The skipper was skinny and Gilligan was nowhere in sight, but WiMAX chipsets...

Xohm readies for the revolution.(Spotlight)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO "The horse is out of the stable, it's running around the track and there isn't another one in sight,'' Barry West, president of Xohm and CTO of Sprint Nextel Corp., said in his keynote address at WiMAX World USA here....

Tracfone targets unlockers.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Tracfone Wireless Inc. has turned up the heat on the cellphone black market, securing a slew of court judgments to halt the resale of prepaid phones altered to work on cellular networks other than those of the prepaid...

Scott Richardson.(Interview)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Clearwire Corp. may not have the father of WiMAX under its wing in Chief Strategy Officer Scott Richardson, but he could very well be considered the father-in-law of WiMAX, Richardson said in a keynote last week at WiMAX...

Clarification.(Correction)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2007... RCR Wireless News would like to clarify an error made in the "Mobile TV space set for technology war'' story, which ran in the Sept. 17 issue. MediaFLO was incorrectly identified as Qualcomm Inc.'s proprietary technology when in fact the...

Martin eyes changes to open access; VZW's lobbying may indicate desire for C-Block spectrum.
October 1, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Democrats warned FCC Chairman Kevin Martin not to cripple the open-access stipulation on the 700 MHz spectrum up for auction early next year, following the agency chief's failed attempts to revise the rule through a...

Fraud: A total drag (on revenues).(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Telecom operators around the world are losing more and more cash to various types of fraud-and in some cases the shortfalls amount to as much as 5% of revenues, according to a new survey of operators. The study,...

Decision delayed on DE bidding rules.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected on procedural grounds a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's small business bidding rules, delaying for another day a ruling on the merits of a case with...

Clouds gather over LNP; Critics argue that current contract is burning consumers.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The nation's top consumer group urged the Federal Communications Commission to consider eliminating provisions in the local number portability administration contract that critics view as anti-competitive and costly...

Looking ahead...(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Phil Carson Despite the hype over mobile TV and touchscreens, consumers are plunking down their money for music and messaging, according to Avi Greengart, analyst at Current Analysis. Look for devices selling in the fourth...

11 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH.(News)
October 1, 2007... In an attempt to blur the distinction between cellular and newly licensed PCS carriers, AT&T launched an advanced digital cellular network based on TDMA technology called AT&T Digital PCS.

Proxim splits its bets on Wi-Fi, WiMAX.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Proxim Wireless Corp. sees opportunity in both Wi-Fi and WiMAX technologies, WiMAX due to its increasing momentum around the world and Wi-Fi due to its wide and expanding market presence. The company, headquartered...

Attention, shoppers! Big-league marketers crowd into wireless.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Here's one of those pop quizzes you dread: Quickly, what do PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Nike Inc., Heinz, Procter & Gamble, Nintendo, Pizza Hut, Mars Inc. and Sara Lee Corp. have to do with wireless? Answer:...

T-Mobile offers Wi-Fi BlackBerry.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Phil Carson T-Mobile USA Inc. is offering a BlackBerry Curve equipped with Wi-Fi for prosumers-yes, Virginia, that's a real word-who sign up to take advantage of the carrier's HotSpot@Home service, launched in June. The...

Fizzled Out; Disney Mobile to follow Mobile ESPN into MVNO graveyard.
October 1, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL If 2006 was the Year of the Launch for mobile virtual network operators, then 2007 has so far been the Year of the Crash. The last few months have brought a screeching halt to the MVNO hype that dominated 2005 and...

Former TV exec to take charge at MobiTV.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO MobiTV Inc. has named Charlie Nooney its next CEO. Nooney will succeed Phillip Alvelda, who helped found the company in Northern California and develop it into one of the early pioneers in mobile television. Nooney...

VZW expands MediaFLO handset lineup.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Motorola Inc. introduced its first handset to support Verizon Wireless' Vcast Mobile TV offering. The manufacturer showcased the Motorizr Z6tv, a GPS-enabled slider phone with a 2.0-megapixel camera supporting video...

ROK toys with Xero Mobile buy.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Xero Mobile Inc., the mobile virtual network operator in terminal pre-launch mode, is being eyed by ROK Entertainment Group. ROK CEO Laurence Alexander said he is negotiating to acquire Xero, which has long...

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
October 1, 2007... hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube. Looks like Apple is warning (read: threatening) its iPhone users with a statement about the horrors of unlocking the device....

...ETC...(Etc.)
October 1, 2007... "And that's the way it is" The Radio Club of America plans to honor Walter Cronkite and John S. Belrose with its achievement award, the Armstrong Medal, at its November banquet at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. The group is...

Survey: Wireless entices all ages.(Metrics)
October 1, 2007... Although younger users are at the forefront of mobile adoption, new research from InsightExpress found that Baby Boomers are actively embracing wireless too. In a new survey, the firm found that about 80% of all Americans said they own a...

Voice-only users stand as opportunity for carriers.(Metrics)
October 1, 2007... A little more than one-third of North American cellphone subscribers only use voice services, according to a new report from research firm In-Stat. The firm said wireless carriers should view the findings as an opportunity, reflecting a...

WiMAX vs. LTE: Let the battle begin.(Spotlight)
October 1, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO For many in the industry, the debate is over: They've already committed to WiMAX or HSPA leading to LTE. But that hasn't stopped the larger, ongoing discussion. Wireless carriers and their suppliers are ramping up...

Brave new world.(Opinion)
October 1, 2007... Byline: Tracy Ford Welcome to WiMAX World! It's impossible to digest and concisely describe an entirely new industry-complete with new entrants, new business models and, oh yeah, new technologies-in a matter of two days, but I'm going...

Apple, unlockers grapple in cyberspace.(News)
October 1, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The good news is that Apple Inc. has a lot of fans. The news that's too fresh to characterize as "good'' or "bad'' is that Apple fans include inspired hackers and mere meddlers who seek to break the tenuous bond...

Get set: GO; Cellphone vendors gear up for critical Q4 shopping season.
October 1, 2007... Byline: Phil Carson Today begins the fourth quarter-the crazy, blow-out-the-pipes holiday season for most retailers, including those in the wireless industry. Financial numbers for the past three months are due soon. The numbers, of...

Stockwatch: September 20 - September 27.(Metrics)
October 1, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: September 20 - September 27 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR index: see print copy

RCRnews.com ? of the week.(News)
October 1, 2007... EXECUTIVE DECISION? Should the federal government ban cellphone use while driving? 62% NO 38% YES Visit RCRNEWS.COM to answer this week's question.

Handset price changes.(Upfront)
October 1, 2007... Handset pricing changes are from carrier Web sites and include changes between Sept. 16 and Sept. 23. Prices include all applicable rebates. All prices are for Denver ZIP code if required. U.S. Cellular prices are for Chicago ZIP code. MetroPCS...

CONTRACTS.(News)
October 8, 2007... The following infrastructure contracts were announced in September: Alcatel-Lucent Pakistan: With Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd. to deploy a network based on 802.16e-2005 WiMAX technology in the 3.5 GHz band. Value:...

RCRnews.com ? of the week.(News)
October 8, 2007... Surfin' usa Do you regularly surf the wireless Web? 66%: yes 34%: no Visit RCRNEWS.COM to answer this week's question.

Stockwatch: September 27 - October 4.(Metrics)
October 8, 2007... 3 tables: Stockwatch: September 27 - October 4 * Top Gainers * Top Losers * 3 graphs: Market Diary * Indices * 90-day RCR index: see print copy.

700 MHz proceedings get messy.
October 8, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry finds itself adrift in a sea of uncertainty as the 2008 election year approaches, with litigation, legislation and other factors casting a collective cloud over spectrum auctions critical to...

GAO blasts FCC for leaks.(Upfront)
October 8, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Congress' watchdog agency said the Federal Communications Commission informs stakeholders ahead of the public about which proposed rules are scheduled for votes, advance information that helps certain lobbyists to...

Markey wants telecom carriers to speak up on wiretapping details; House panel probes country's rights vs. citizen's privacy.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The House Commerce Committee is investigating the parent companies of the two largest cellphone operators and Qwest Communications International Inc. to determine what extent they may have participated in the National...

Sprint Nextel's Forsee presses special-access issue; FCC's Martin under pressure to re-regulate.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is facing increased congressional pressure to re-regulate the special-access market dominated by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., with Sprint Nextel...

Hedgehogging; hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.(Briefs)
October 8, 2007... One tip for those attending the CTIA Wireless I.T. event this year: if you are lucky enough to get invited to a concert, please refrain from thrusting your cellphone into the air in an attempt to record video or take a picture of the band on...

Qualcomm names Apple attorney as gen. counsel.(News)
October 8, 2007... Qualcomm Inc. hired Apple Inc.'s top attorney as its general counsel, while Apple replaced that attorney with Oracle Corp.'s general counsel. Donald Rosenberg leaves Apple after less than a year of service to take the reins of Qualcomm's...

VZW unveils holiday lineup; Models include LG's iPhone competitor.(Upfront)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Verizon Wireless is covering its bases. The nation's second-largest carrier unveiled four new phones, including a touchscreen-with-QWERTY keypad model from LG Electronics Co. Ltd., without mentioning prices. You'll...

Red storm rising.(Opinion)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva Another week, another Chinese controversy in official Washington. Congressional furor seemingly had begun to subside over imports of pet food, toys, toothpaste and seafood-all subjects of safety concerns-when 3Com...

Forsee to get the boot?(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp. is seeking a replacement for CEO Gary Forsee, according to a Wall Street Journal report last week. The carrier, which declined to comment on the subject, has struggled with a declining stock price...

FAA: Tower lighting alternatives could reduce bird fatalities.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Aviation Administration could prove pivotal in bridging a compromise between conservationists and the wireless industry over how to reduce the number of migratory birds killed from nighttime collisions...

3 years ago this week.(News)
October 8, 2007... Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell signed off on Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s proposed $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. that would create the industry's largest wireless carrier.

Happy campers; Carriers increase focus on satisfying customer base.
October 8, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Wireless carriers and their customers generally seem to operate with a disconnect on customer friendliness: carriers insist they are, but subscribers often scoff. However, customer satisfaction with carriers has...

SIP-enabled devices in 19% of phones by 2012, study says.(Metrics)
October 8, 2007... A new study from Informa Telecoms & Media predicts there will be 435 million Session Initiation Protocol-enabled mobile phone users by 2012. The research firm said SIP-enabled mobile phones will number about 275 million this year. It...

Mouse trap.(Opinion)
October 8, 2007... Byline: Dan Meyer So the big mouse has left the wireless house. Just over a year after unveiling its mobile virtual network operator plans in a fireworks-studded event at the CTIA show in the spring of 2006, the Walt Disney Co. decided...

RIM soars on strong growth; BlackBerry maker surpasses 10-million customer mark.(Upfront)
October 8, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Shares of Research In Motion Ltd. rocketed after the company broke the 10-million subscriber mark and issued a positive outlook for the rest of the year. The BlackBerry maker reported second-quarter revenue of $1.37...

Nokia digs deep to grow LBS efforts; Navteq buy underscores Nokia's D2C play.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Nokia Corp. stepped up its spending spree last week, agreeing to acquire digital mapping company Navteq in a blockbuster, $8.1 billion deal. The Finnish firm-which in the last year or so has out-shopped Paris...

Family plans bind happy customers to operators.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Family plans are the glue that keeps customers sticky, according to the most recent survey of customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates-and in households where family members share minutes, they are...

Car Toys customers want mix of Internet, SMS and simplicity.(Upfront)(Interview)
October 8, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Editor's Note: In this monthly feature, RCR Wireless News talks to retail managers across the country to get a first-hand view of what's hot in wireless. Seattle-based Car Toys operates stores in four states, selling...

Adobe refreshes Flash Lite.(News)
October 8, 2007... Adobe Systems Inc. released a new version of its Flash software for mobile phones. The company released Flash Lite 3, which is designed to allow wireless users to view Flash-enabled Web sites and video content on their phones. Both Japan's...

...ETC...(Briefs)
October 8, 2007... Now that's bitchin! Airborne Entertainment introduced a new mobile video series to its Videotic channel called Bitchin' Kitchen. Each clip runs between 60 and 90 seconds and features host Nadia G taking viewers on a tour of her...

GSM group notes HSPA's growth.(Spotlight)
October 8, 2007... The number of mobile-phone users who have access to broadband services is increasing rapidly as carriers upgrade their networks with HSPA technology, according to a new study from the GSM Association. GSMA said KTF in Korea reports it has...

AT&T's iPhone reprise; If iPhone is fun, HTC Tilt means business.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The term "win-win'' rightly makes sober people sick, but it might be applied to AT&T Mobility's news that it launched HTC Americas' Tilt device last week at $300 with a two-year contract. AT&T Mobility gets an...

CAT-AND-MOUSE, PART III; Nokia, Motorola tout their unlocked wares.
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The uproar over Apple Inc.'s and AT&T Mobility's travails with hackers could help Nokia Corp. and Motorola Inc. gain visibility, tout the virtues of their own unlocked devices and, naturally, steal a march on their...

European Commission looks into Qualcomm case.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON The European Commission said it will expedite an investigation of charges against Qualcomm Inc. by six leading wireless companies that the chip and licensing company has violated antitrust rules. The EC may dismiss...

Palm takes loss, looks ahead; Firm counts on smaller Centro to take on RIM, Nokia.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: PHIL CARSON Palm Inc. is down, but not out. The smartphone maker has struggled to develop a new operating system, bring relevant devices to market and seen its market share plunge-and just posted a loss of $841,000 for its...

Mobile marketing space shrinks; Air2Web, MindMatics merge, Single Touch buys smaller player.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS The field of mobile marketing startups continued to winnow as Atlanta's Air2Web and Germany's MindMatics agreed to merge. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Air2Web launched years ago as a wireless messaging...

Rules for wireless Web: Keep it simple.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Companies looking to draw traffic to their mobile Web sites should follow two simple rules: Be careful, and be patient. That was the advice from speakers at last week's Search Marketing Expo in Denver, where...

Connectivity Conundrum; Companies learning to do more with less.(Spotlight)
October 8, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS A recent study from Forrester Research predicts that the mobile enterprise market won't really arrive for another six years or so. But some application developers are hoping to bridge that gap by helping on-the-go...

Fiber-to-the-home market up 112% yearly.(Metrics)
October 8, 2007... More than 2 million U.S. households have direct connections into high-speed fiber networks, according to a new study by the Fiber-to-the-Home Council and the Telecommunications Industry Association. The study said nearly 2% of U.S....

ABI: New class of converged devices ahead.(Metrics)
October 8, 2007... A new class of devices is ahead as everyday consumer electronics and mobile broadband converge, according to ABI Research. "The market for cellular-enabled consumer electronics devices will gather momentum in 2008 and 2009 with Qualcomm...

Is the honeymoon over? Infrastructure mergers under scrutiny as boards unhappy with progress.(News)
October 8, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO As Nokia Siemens Networks continues to refine its business operations following its April merger, the company has to fend off speculation that Siemens' CEO is considering a sale of his company's 50% stake in NSN....

Industry vets: Content, filters and modes key to successful wireless data future.(Upfront)
October 8, 2007... Byline: MATT KAPKO Posh met hype and circumstance all at once at the inaugural WebbyConnect Summit here last week. While most of the buzz in the wireless and broadband industries tends to come from start-up companies shooting for the...

X(ohm) marks the spot.(Opinion)
October 15, 2007... Byline: Jeffrey Silva It's all well and good that some telecom analysts feel Sprint Nextel should reconsider its multibillion-dollar bet on WiMAX Nation in the wake of ex-company honcho Gary Forsee's exit. The post-mortem musings of...

Wiretap bill won't protect telecom carriers.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA Two House panels approved an anti-terrorist wiretap bill that lacks liability protection for telecom carriers, setting up a showdown with the Bush administration. "Americans are willing to make sacrifices to meet...

FCC to push forward on white-spaces testing; Opening frequencies could mean fresh opportunities to sell broader devices in unoccupied bands.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Federal Communications Commission said it will conduct further testing on the viability of Wi-Fi and other low-power wireless applications in unoccupied TV broadcast spectrum known as white spaces. The...

Zingy bows to Vindigo brand.(News)
October 15, 2007... Former ringtone purveyor Zingy is shuttering its mobile personalization business and said it plans to reorganize its operations under the resuscitated Vindigo brand. Zingy, a longtime player in the mobile content space, merged two years...

Jaiku comes up in Google results.(News)
October 15, 2007... Google Inc. continued its head-long charge into mobile with the acquisition of Finnish start-up Jaiku. Jaiku, like rival Twitter and a handful of other "microblogging'' companies, allows users to post short messages about what they're...

Mozilla's Firefox skitters into crowded mobile browser space; Will 100M PC users passionate about the open-source browser come with it?(Upfront)
October 15, 2007... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mozilla Corp. is looking to jump onto the mobile browser playground with a version of its popular open-source Firefox offering. The Mountain View, Calif.-based developer is stepping up its wireless efforts,...

Virgin Mobile USA IPO nets $412M.(Upfront)
October 15, 2007... Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C.'s stock began trading publicly as the company completed an initial public offering with share prices at the low end of its expected range. The mobile virtual network operator planned to price its shares between $15...

MVNO model not dead, just adapting; Players in beleaguered space sharpening aim.(Upfront)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL With the content-centered, postpaid mobile virtual network operator market in decline, analysts have already begun talking about the next evolution of the MVNO model. Apple Inc.'s iPhone is one example. So is recently...

Cellular South ups ante with unlimited plan.(Upfront)
October 15, 2007... Southeastern wireless provider Cellular South introduced a new flat-rate plan that includes unlimited calls and data services. The carrier's True Unlimited Plan costs $80 per month for phones and $100 per month for smartphones. The offering...

Mobile ads hitting target; Mobile advertising effective at attracting prime demographics.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Mobile advertising recently got a boost from two announcements: the launch of advertising-subsidized mobile access to MySpace.com, and the advent of a U.K. mobile virtual network operator offering free wireless calls in...

Report: Quad-play unproven strategy.(Metrics)
October 15, 2007... Triple-play bundles work, but the quad-play is as yet unproven as a strategy by which operators can improve revenues and reduce churn, according to a new report by global telecom advisory firm Analysys. Analysys found that triple-play...

De la Vega to take reins as Sigman steps down from AT&T Mobility.(News)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL After 42 years at AT&T Inc., Stan Sigman announced his retirement as president and CEO of the company's wireless unit. The company said that Ralph de la Vega, group president for regional telecom and entertainment,...

Multimedia not limited to developed markets, chipmaker contends.(Upfront)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Multimedia capabilities in phones are not just in demand in mature markets, but are also sought after in developing markets, according to Raj Talluri, general manager of cellular media systems solutions for Texas...

InPhonic expects dour Q3, considers alternatives; Q2 loss totals $40.6 million.(Upfront)(Financial report)
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Online wireless retailer InPhonic Inc. said that its third-quarter results will fall significantly below previous guidance, an announcement that coincides with the company's plans to consider business options including a...

9 years ago this week.(News)
October 15, 2007... Leap Wireless International Inc., recently spun-off from Qualcomm Inc., announced it was interested in adding to its spectrum portfolio by participating in the upcoming re-auction of C-block 1.9 GHz spectrum as a designated entity.

Hedgehogging.(Briefs)
October 15, 2007... Perhaps Sprint Nextel has bitten off more than it can chew. With the release of CEO Gary Forsee last week it looks like the industry's No. 3 carrier has pinned its troubles on the former leader. Sure Forsee was in charge when Sprint Corp. made...

New low for Sprint Nextel; Carrier loses CEO, 337,000 customers.
October 15, 2007... Byline: KELLY HILL Sprint Nextel Corp.'s operational struggles sunk to new lows last week as the nation's No. 3 carrier had its CEO step down and the company reported that it would not meet its guidance for the year. The carrier noted...

Public-safety starts task list to get 700 MHz spectrum.
October 15, 2007... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA While the 700 MHz open-access court battle escalates into a brawl among major stakeholders eyeing the upcoming auction, the public-safety community is methodically laying the foundation to partner with the winner of a...