May 2005

MILPITAS, Calif.-As expected, PalmOne Inc. announced its new LifeDrive mobile device, which features a 4-gigabyte hard disk drive from Hitachi along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. Information about the device …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc enhanced its mobile roaming rates, offering its customers “simplicity and better value for roaming services.” Vodafone and other European operators have been criticized by consumers and regulators …

PETACH-TIKVA, Israel-ECI Telecom signed a definitive agreement to acquire Laurel Networks, which provides IP/MPLS multiservice edge routers. ECI said the acquisition will add edge routing and IP service capabilities to …

SEATTLE-Connexion by Boeing announced plans for additional services as it celebrated its one-year anniversary this month. The company said this summer it will begin delivering four channels of television directly …

WASHINGTON-Online wireless retailer InPhonic Inc. reported an agreement with Sprint Corp. to manage Sprint’s targeted e-commerce initiatives using InPhonic’s online marketing channels and e-commerce platform. The agreement calls for Sprint …

HOUSTON-Crown Castle International Corp. said some of its indirect subsidiaries plan to offer up to $1.9 billion of senior secured tower revenue notes, series 2005-1, in a private transaction. The …

SAWBRIDGEWORTH, United Kingdom-The number of third-generation/W-CDMA subscribers increased 46 percent during the first four months of this year, according to the latest GSM/3G Market Update survey by the Global Mobile …

OREM, Utah-Q Comm International Inc. signed a deal with Leap Wireless International Inc. to help distribute Leap’s Jump prepaid service through more than 1,000 Cricket-owned stores, third-party authorized Cricket dealers …

SINGAPORRE-Zi Corp. plans to unveil its new service discovery engine at the CommunicAsia conference. The company’s Qix product provides users with a method for accessing and discovering a phone’s features, …

RESTON, Va.-Mobile Satellite Ventures announced the grant of another comprehensive patent for fundamental aspects of its ancillary terrestrial component technology. This patent is the sixth in a series of patents …

LOS ANGELES-Nokia Corp. announced it will expand its gaming initiative beyond its N-Gage QD gaming device by selling a range of devices that can play N-Gage games. Nokia said it …

ZURICH-NINJ Ltd. launched its VirtualRadio software that can be installed on mobile phones to allow users to receive radio via a data stream. Users can tune into radio stations outside …

Soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator Amp’d Mobile Inc. announced the creation of its mobile gaming category and distribution deals with more than a dozen mobile game developers. Amp’d Mobile said …

NASVILLE, Tenn.-The State of Tennessee has chosen Cingular Wireless to provide high-speed wireless data services to all state agencies. The deal calls for Cingular to deploy Sony Ericsson GC-83 PC …

Telephone & Data Systems Inc. launched an initiative that could allow it to buy the remaining stake in U.S. Cellular Corp. that it doesn’t already own and make the cellular …

LOS ANGELES-The wireless industry came out in force for the E3 video game convention, with a variety of gaming players making news. Jamdat Mobile Inc. announced it reached a deal …

NEW YORK-While consumers would like to view video on cell phones for free, only a small percentage want to pay for such services. This is one of the findings of …

BARCELONA, Spain-Brazilian GSM operator Oi announced plans to roll out a new generation of location-based services in partnership with Cambridge Positioning Systems. Oi selected CPS’s software-only Matrix technology to power …

LONDON-U.K.-based wireless device operating system developer Symbian said it appointed Nigel Clifford as its chief executive officer. He will take over the post in June. Clifford most recently served as …

WASHINGTON-CTIA plans to tell regulators next week that all distinctions used in determining how much carriers pay each other should be eliminated. “Different rates apply to different carriers,” said Paul …

Alcatel shook off the last of its mobile-phone operations by selling its stake in the mobile-phone joint venture it formed last year with Chinese electronics company TCL Communication Technology Holdings …

Mobile TV got another boost from SmartVideo Technologies Inc., which announced an advertising-supported streaming music video service for mobile-phone users. The service will feature videos culled from Digital Music Video …

Regional wireless operator Centennial Communications Corp. said it expanded its Midwest footprint into Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich. Centennial acquired the 10-megahertz of spectrum used for the expansion from AT&T …

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio-Sprint Corp. wireless affiliate Horizon PCS Inc. said it added 800 customers during the first quarter of this year, which included 2,400 net customer additions and 1,600 customers it …

WASHINGTON-Legal challenges to the Federal Communications Commission’s new wireless truth-in-billing rules appear likely to be heard in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Last month, the court …