2006

Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for …

LOS ANGELES—Mobile virtual network operator Xero Mobile Inc. said that it is now testing its technology and service in preparation for a 2007 commercial service launch. Xero plans to target …

CARY, N.C.—TowerCo L.L.C. announced that its credit facility from CapitalSource has been raised from $35 million to $75 million. The two-year-old tower company said it will use the funds to …

SINGAPORE—Wireless casino software developer Spiral Solutions Ltd. said it has acquired the Ki-Bi card content distribution business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Spiral subsidiary Spin3 took over Ki-Bi …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—After eye-opening, second-quarter results that seemed to tilt the handset game table in its favor, Motorola Inc. announced third-quarter revenue and earnings that fell short of guidance and analysts’ …

BEDFORD, Mass.—Boston Communications Group Inc. said the settlement of all patent litigation brought against it by Freedom Wireless has been completed. The two companies announced a settlement in July that …

RIVERSIDE, Calif.—AT&T Inc. announced plans to build an 80-square mile citywide Wi-Fi network in Riverside, Calif., by early next year. The company said the network is intended for both public …

NEW YORK—Mobile marketing took another step toward the mainstream as noted advertising firm R/GA launched a division to address wireless phones. The agency, which has moved aggressively to embrace digital …

IRVINE, Calif.—Chip-maker Broadcom Corp. is crowing that its W-CDMA baseband chip is shipping in Panasonic’s new 3G handset for Japanese operator SoftBank Mobile Corp. Broadcom has already secured W-CDMA chip …

SAN FRANCISCO—Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul have the highest rates of wireless substitution among the 20 largest U.S. cities, according to research by Telephia. Detroit led the list of cord-cutting rates, …

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—US Wireless Online, a wireless Internet broadband network operator, said it plans to sell a majority equity interest in the company to IElement Corp. under a nonbinding letter of …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. officially announced plans to move forward with Qualcomm Inc.’s QChat push-to-talk service, which the carrier said will work across both its iDEN and CDMA2000 1x …

SAN FRANCISCO—Actuate Corp. has teamed with software developer Webalo to launch an Internet-based service that delivers integrated, managed spreadsheets to mobile devices. The service couples Webalo’s User Proxy offering with …

DALLAS—Fixed wireless service provider Airband Communications dove into the southern California wireless market by scooping up RedWire’s high-speed Internet access and Voice over Internet Protocol business. Airband’s President and Chief …

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Regional carrier SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. unveiled its GoodCall prepaid service targeted at low-usage, first-time wireless users and budget-conscious consumers. Customers can choose from the Motorola Inc. C115, the …

SINGAPORE—The GSM Association said 12 operators joined its “3G for All” campaign, which aims to make third-generation wireless service available to the mass market. Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Globe Telecom, Hutchison …

NEWARK, N.J.—Prepaid wireless service provider TuYo Mobile, which focuses on Hispanic and bi-lingual customers, launched service in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. TuYo is a service of IDT Corp., …

By Alice Z. Cuneo and Jack Neff SAN FRANCISCO—Motorola Inc. today named veteran package goods marketer Kenneth “Casey” Keller as chief marketing officer, succeeding the late Geoffrey Frost. Keller, a …

IRVINE, Calif.—WiSpry Inc., a developer of chips with radio frequency integrated circuits for wireless devices, picked up $13.5 million in its second round of funding. New investor L Capital Partners …

NEW YORK—Mobile music and video may be sexier applications, but carriers looking to cash in on wireless data should focus on messaging applications, according to a report from eMarketer Inc. …

WASHINGTON—InPhonic Inc. said it has partnered with Delta Air Lines on a loyalty program that allows customers to earn travel miles via wireless purchases. The Delta SkyMiles Wireless program allows …

SAN DIEGO—PacketVideo Corp. hopes to increase its European presence with the acquisition of Berlin-based software developer TwonkyVision GmbH. Terms of the deal were not announced. PacketVideo produces multimedia software for …

LONDON—Nokia Corp. is teaming with Turner Broadcasting to offer content from the Cartoon Network directly to wireless users. Subscribers will be able to browse and download games, video clips and …

SEOUL, South Korea—As promised, the world’s two tier-one Korean handset vendors rebounded from their second-quarter doldrums. Based on handset shipment volumes—and despite a strong showing in North American markets—LG Electronics …

LOS ANGELES—Just in time for holiday sales, Amp’d Mobile has added a Motorola Inc. Razr to its handset lineup and designed a $100 promotional package that includes a headset, universal …