December 2004

HAMPSHIRE, United Kingdom-The global market for multimedia messaging services will more than double next year, reaching $42.5 billion, according to a new report from Juniper Research. Messaging between mobile-phone users …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week made some tweaks to its rules allowing for the operation of ultra-wideband devices facilitating short-range communications, collision avoidance, inventory control and tracking systems. The …

LONDON-Operating system company Symbian Ltd. announced David Levin, the company’s chief executive officer, will leave the post at the end of March. Levin will then head United Business Media plc, …

The GSM Association announced plans to upgrade a database used by GSM operators that can identify stolen mobile phones. The database ensures that stolen phones cannot be resold. The association …

VANCOUVER, British Columbia-Canadian telecommunications provider Telus Corp. updated its 2005 guidance, noting that it expects its wireless division-Telus Mobility-to post between $2.61 billion and $2.65 billion in revenues, an increase …

WASHINGTON-Cable TV channel Speed said it will offer an interactive promotion campaign using mobile phones that will allow viewers to guess at the value of various classic cars. The channel …

MOSCOW-I-mode mobile Internet service is coming to Russia and Eastern Europe under an agreement between Japanese i-mode creator NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Russia’s largest wireless carrier Mobile TeleSystems. The carriers …

BURLINGTON, Vt.-SkyZone Entertainment and Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. have partnered to launch Britannica Mobile, which makes 28,000 entries available to mobile-phone users. The service will be available next year on all …

BERWYN, Pa.-WestLink Communications, a personal communications services provider in western Kansas, has selected TruePosition Inc.’s Finder wireless location system to help it meet enhanced 911 Phase II requirements. TruePosition is …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc.’s journey to fourth-generation technologies earned a boost as the carrier achieved a 1 gigabits per second data rate in downlink high-speed packet transmission. The operator employed equipment …

IRVINE, Calif.-Verizon Wireless said it has extended coverage of its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO BroadbandAccess network to nearly all of Los Angeles county, as well as into portions of Riverside and …

BURLINGTON, Mass.-Lightbridge Inc. announced it will cut 36 positions, or 9 percent of its work force, due to Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. The announcement follows …

Third-generation wireless carrier Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. said it has nearly 6 million subscribers of its 3G services around the world. The 5.9 million subscriber figure is up 81 percent from …

Industry witnessed the release of three unique, advanced handsets from the likes of Verizon Wireless, NTT DoCoMo Inc. and startup Mobiado, a division of Bonac Innovation Corp., which today released …

PARIS-Alcatel Corp. said it has completed the acquisition of Spatial Wireless, which makes software-based switching solutions. Alcatel first announced the $250 million buy in September. Spatial Wireless’ flagship product known …

LINDON, Utah-Freescale Semiconductor Inc. said it has partnered with MaxStream Inc. to roll out ZigBee wireless products. ZigBee is a short-range technology that enables connections between wireless devices. MaxStream said …

Sprint PCS affiliate iPCS Inc., which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, said it added 7,500 customers between July 2 and Sept. 30 of this year, ending the reporting …

LONDON-Shazam Entertainment announced a partnership with The Link that calls for Shazam’s mobile music recognition service to be made available at 300 of The Link’s High Street stores in the …

SAN DIEGO-Leap Wireless International Inc. added 9 Squared Inc.’s RealTone JukeBox music downloads to its BREW-based Cricket Clicks offering. The carrier said the application allows customers to download real music …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Telecom revenue assurance and fraud management company Visual Wireless and inCode, a wireless technology and business consulting firm, have signed a strategic partnership agreement. InCode brings wireless integration experience …

Wireless Internet company InfoSpace Inc. continued its acquisition spree with the purchase of German wireless gaming company Elkware GmbH for $26 million in cash. Infospace said Elkware managed $1 million …

Motorola Inc.’s relationship with Nextel Communications Inc. marches on in spite of the carrier’s anticipated merger with Sprint PCS. The vendor announced it has signed a three-year agreement to extend …

LONDON-U.K.-based wireless carrier MmO2 has successfully completed a series of live wireless calls using High Speed Downlink Packet Access technology with wireless supplier Nortel Networks Ltd. MmO2 said it plans …

TEL AVIV, Israel-Broadband wireless systems provider Ceragon Networks Ltd. said it has received an order to supply $1.3 million worth of its FibeAir products to CellularOne of Arizona to provide …

WELLINGTON, New Zealand-4RF Communications, a digital UHF and microwave radio product developer, introduced its new 2 GHz version of its Aprisa XE digital microwave radio transmission system. The system provides …