2005

WARREN, N.J.-Virgin Mobile is hoping to drive text-messaging use by touting a Thumb Wrestling Championship next week in Miami. The contest, which kicks off Tuesday, is part of a month-long …

NEW YORK-MusiKube announced a new deal with Shazam Entertainment to add audio recognition technology to its music recognition and discovery service. NMK Inc. is the company behind the MusiKube brand. …

CINCINNATI-ESPN announced it will use billing services from Convergys Corp. for its ESPN Mobile mobile virtual network operator offering. “We continue to focus on serving fans and creating the best …

DALLAS-Research and consulting firm Parks Associates said the mobile-phone industry is in a unique position to set digital rights management standards that will work for consumers and industry players. “Unlike …

ATLANTA-The Weather Channel has launched video service that includes local forecasts, severe weather reports, maps and video clips produced exclusively for mobile handsets. The service will initially be available through …

CHICAGO-Prepaid wireless provider DBC Communications Inc. said it will now offer unlimited incoming calls, domestic long-distance, nationwide roaming and rollover minutes as part of its EZlinkmobile offering. DBS said the …

Global Signal Inc. said it recorded a fourth-quarter income of $4.1 million, amounting to a 34.4-percent leap over the same period in 2003 when it had a net income of …

Western Wireless Corp., which is in the process of being acquired by Alltel Corp. for $6 billion, reported $508.3 million in revenues during the fourth quarter of last year, which …

Sprint PCS affiliate iPCS Inc. said it plans to acquire fellow affiliate Horizon PCS Inc., creating the third-largest network affiliate. The deal calls for Horizon shareholders to receive 0.7725 iPCS …

WASHINGTON-A federal judge in Detroit has ordered the government of Lebanon to pay a Michigan telecom firm $420 million for preventing it from bidding on a mobile-phone contract in that …

BOSTON-Small screens and high prices will likely keep wireless adult content a niche-but billion-dollar-market in the next several years, according to a new report. The study, conducted by Strategy Analytics, …

WASHINGTON-Nextel Communications Inc. President Timothy Donahue and Sprint Corp. Chairman Gary Forsee are eligible for major bonuses following the completion of their companies’ proposed $35 billion merger later this year. …

Triton PCS Holdings Inc. reported fourth-quarter 2004 and annual 2004 financials that included declining average revenue per user and increased churn. The carrier said the transition of customers related to …

NEW ORLEANS-A handful of new wireless recycling initiatives were announced at last week’s CTIA Wireless 2005 show. A new phone recycling program by GRC Wireless Recycling pays companies for their …

NEW ORLEANS-M-Qube and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, launched mobile Web storefronts for all 30 MLB teams to bring fans …

NEW ORLEANS-Samsung Telecommunications America unveiled a new base transceiver station portfolio that it said will allow wireless operators to offer coverage tailored to the geography and consumer needs in a …

NEW ORLEANS-Qualcomm Inc. said it signed a definitive agreement with Centennial, a leading provider of wireless services in Puerto Rico, to offer downloadable wireless applications and services based on Qualcomm’s …

NEW ORLEANS-FiberTower Corp. announced a backhaul service built specifically for wireless carriers. The company said copper T1 circuits, which the wireless industry has relied on for years to handle backhaul …

MINNETONKA, Minn.-Digi International introduced its Digi Connect Remote Gateway GSM product, which is a serial-to-wireless GSM EDGE gateway that connects remote serial devices via Cingular Wireless’ EDGE network. The company …

NEW ORLEANS-Cingular Wireless today announced at CTIA Wireless 2005 that it now has 50 million customers. “Attaining 50 million customers is a key indicator that our merger with AT&T Wireless …

NEW ORLEANS-The rising status of two Chinese vendors, U.S.-based UTStarcom Inc. and a few other players like IPWireless may raise the specter for consolidation, said Nortel Networks Ltd. chief Bill …

Research In Motion Ltd. said it will pay NTP Inc. $450 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit. RIM’s shares were up nearly 18 percent on the news to $79.13 …

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-Telenor Pakistan opened its GSM mobile network for commercial service this week. Telenor won a license to build and operate a mobile network in Pakistan in April 2004. The …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-Wireless phone operating system developer IXI Mobile Inc. announced that venture-capital firm Concord Ventures has invested $4.3 million in the company. IXI Mobile will use the funds to …

NEW ORLEANS-CellStar and Sybase entered a strategic partnership to incorporate Sybase’s mFolio Content Services Solution into CellStar’s existing wireless communications portfolio of products and services. CellStar said it will seamlessly …