January 2004

WARRINGTON, United Kingdom-Messaging software company Magic4 said it will jump into the push-to-talk game with its new Push To Talk over Cellular (PoC) messaging client. The company said its new …

Most of the world’s top mobile-phone makers celebrated major fourth-quarter victories, with record numbers of shipments and revenues boosted by the holiday season, but those in the industry expect the …

Nortel Networks Ltd. is in talks to divest most of its major operations, including factories and supply chains, to Flextronics Inc., a contract electronics manufacturer. If the talks materialize, it …

NEW YORK-ICT Technologies Inc. and its operating company EurophoneUSA Inc. said they will partner with Korean mobile phone design company Uroa Tech to sell a range of wireless devices across …

Although mobile-phone marketing is relatively new in the United States, a new survey of more than 400 marketers reports that a majority already highly rate its potential as a marketing …

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration last week confirmed South Korea will delay until June a decision to mandate a government-backed wireless Internet standard benefiting domestic firms at the expense of San Diego-based …

WASHINGTON-Participants in leasing secondary spectrum will be able to help draft rules governing the procedure, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau last week explained how …

Industry observers believe that infrastructure vendors favor a tie-up between Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Both companies have deals with the same manufacturers, including L.M. Ericsson, Nokia …

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands-Camera phones took a further step forward in the world stage with British news firm BBC announcing plans to arm a significant number of its journalists with video-capable …

The wireless industry has had a long and lucrative history with sponsoring sporting events. According to a report released last year by Sports Marketing Surveys Ltd., the telecommunications industry signed …

WASHINGTON-New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey (D) signed legislation banning handheld phone use while operating a motor vehicle, the second state to take phones out of drivers’ hands. “Cell phones have …

WASHINGTON-U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake approved a request to drop a brain-cancer lawsuit filed by Atlanta’s Brian Barrett against Nokia Corp. and others. Barrett, who died in November 2002, alleged …

ATHENS, Greece-Greek mobile operator Stet Hellas Telecommunications reported it will launch commercial third-generation services Tuesday. Two Nokia UMTS handsets-the 6650 and 7600-along with the Motorola A835 and the Siemens U15 …

Going by the quarterly reports of major vendors, wireless equipment business is whirring back to favor. Putting panic behind them, Lucent Technologies Inc. and Motorola Inc. recorded solid growth, while …

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court here ordered the Federal Communications Commission to fix inconsistencies in paging interconnection rules, setting the stage for rule revisions that could benefit the wireless industry. Mountain …

WASHINGTON-The experience of the wireless industry as it grew from an elite service to mass-market acceptance shows both the benefits and challenges of a light regulatory touch, acknowledged FCC Commissioner …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless said it has added new features to its Edocs Inc. powered My Account online account management and customer service tool that allows users to track airtime use, …

WASHINGTON-Two months after the long-awaited wireless local number portability rules became effective, signs continue to point that porting phone numbers is still not a smooth transition. After spending several years …

The burgeoning push-to-talk market welcomed its latest competitor last week as Alltel Corp. announced an initial limited launch of its Touch2Talk service, joining long-time push-to-talk provider Nextel Communications Inc. and …

T-Mobile USA Inc. is replacing its America Online Inc. instant-messaging service in favor of a more open, standards-based offering. The carrier signed a deal with IM company Oz Communications to …

CAMBRIDGE, U.K.-The short-range technology dubbed ZigBee may be one of the major protocol stars of the year, said Cambridge Consultants Ltd., a consultancy firm. ZigBee will do well particularly in …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s future as well as the future plans of its suppliers and employees were put on hold last week as the carrier announced its board of directors …

Municipalities and states, hungry to find ways to fix their own budget woes, are targeting the wireless industry. As reported last week in RCR Wireless News, the city of Overland, …

WASHINGTON-FCC Chairman Michael Powell last week appointed Lisa Zaina to be chief executive officer of the Universal Service Administrative Co. “I will sorely miss Lisa, but I’m proud to know …

The sale of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. is unlikely to have a long-term negative effect on the tower industry, according to tower companies and analysts in the space, who this …