Editor’s Note: With 2012 nearly over, RCR Wireless News takes a look back at the top 100 stories from the past 12 months. The stories are in chronological order beginning with Jan. 1. The first part of the list ran yesterday, with today’s listing running the top stories beginning July 1.
July 2: Siri helps Apple beat Samsung in court; could Galaxy S III be next?
Apple can thank Siri for its latest court victory. … Read More
July 2: Sprint Nextel, Deutsche Telekom and ZTE support Firefox mobile OS
Mozilla has renamed its fledgling mobile operating system Firefox OS, and has announced the support of both carriers and manufacturers. … Read More
July 6: Wireless companies compete for workers despite high unemployment rate
With the unemployment rate still stuck above 8% and economists projecting lackluster job growth for the rest of the year, hiring managers are increasingly looking at two job markets. … Read More
July 13: Samsung Galaxy S III comes to Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular
Samsung’s flagship LTE smartphone, the Galaxy S III, is making its way to two more U.S. carriers. … Read More
July 16: Sprint Nextel lights up LTE; now on equal footing?
Sprint Nextel finally entered the LTE race with the launch this morning of commercial services across portions of Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio. … Read More
July 18: AT&T Mobility rolls out shared data plans
Just weeks after Verizon Wireless rolled out its controversial shared data plans, rival and fast follower AT&T Mobility said it will have similar offerings beginning in late August. … Read More
July 24: Freescale, TI and Cavium lead race to integrate processors for LTE microcells
As mobile service providers build out their networks to keep pace with the wireless data explosion, chipmakers for wireless base station are fielding innovations that integrate the work of several chipsets into one. … Read More
July 31: FreedomPop, Republic Wireless re-open doors to cheaper mobile data
Mobile data agitators look set to again unleash some disruptive-ness onto the cellular space, with reports going wild over a pair of companies unveiling new offerings. … Read More
Aug. 2: AT&T to acquire NextWave for $650M; spectrum at heart of deal
AT&T’s desire for wireless spectrum sent them back in time today as the nation’s No. 2 carrier announced plans to acquire NextWave Wireless (yes, that NextWave) for $650 million. … Read More
Aug. 2: AT&T continues spectrum spree, picks up various 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz licenses
AT&T’s lust for wireless spectrum knows no bounds as the carrier today filed petitions with the Federal Communications Commission seeking various 700 MHz licenses from a handful of small license owners. … Read More
Aug. 2: iPad goes to work; execs lead the way
Apple’s iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, and appears to be making major inroads into the workplace. … Read More
Aug. 3: Smartphone sales surge in China
Millions of Chinese citizens watching their country’s athletes win medals in London this week are using smartphones to share messages and updates. … Read More
Aug. 6: AT&T Mobility to rollout Mobile Share plans Aug. 23
AT&T Mobility said it will begin offering its Mobile Share plans beginning Aug. 23. … Read More
Aug. 8: Prepaid sales power smartphone market
The latest research on smartphone sales shows consumer purchases of prepaid devices surging while sales of phones purchased with contracts is basically flat. … Read More
Aug. 13: Google to slash 20% of Motorola Mobility’s workforce
Google reported today in a government filing that it plans to cut 4,000 jobs, or about 20% of Motorola Mobility’s workforce in an attempt to streamline operations and “shifting the emphasis from feature phones to more innovative and profitable devices.” … Read More
Aug. 21: FirstNet board announced
The public safety and first responder community received a boost as Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank rounded out the 15-member board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). … Read More
Aug. 22: Qualcomm acquisition could boost its small cell expertise
An Israeli business newspaper is reporting that Qualcomm is set to acquire Israel’s DesignArt Networks for between $120 and $140 million. … Read More
Aug. 23: Sony Mobile to cut 1,000 jobs, move to Japan
Sony is taking control of its mobile business. … Read More
Aug. 24: Verizon gets FCC approval for AWS spectrum deal
Verizon Wireless has gotten the final green light it needs to proceed with its acquisition of spectrum from seven different companies, including four cable companies. … Read More
Aug. 27: Winners and losers in the Apple – Samsung case
Now that a jury has handed Apple a billion dollar court victory and slapped Samsung with a guilty verdict, analysts are busy forecasting what the outcome of the landmark patent lawsuit means for the mobile ecosystem. … Read More
Sept. 5: Nokia and Microsoft launch Lumia 920
“It’s time to switch.” With these words Nokia today unveiled its Windows 8 LTE smartphones, the Lumia 920 and the smaller Lumia 820. … Read More
Sept. 6: Skype inks deal for direct carrier billing
Skype, the voice-over-IP service that carriers once viewed as a major threat, is emerging as a possible source of incremental revenue for operators. … Read More
Sept. 10: RCA re-brands to Competitive Carriers Association
Putting in ink what it has been touting for more than a year, the Rural Cellular Association today has altered its brand by ditching the long-used RCA name and now going by the title of the Competitive Carriers Association. … Read More
Sept. 10: C Spire launches LTE
Regional wireless operator C Spire launched LTE services in a handful of markets across Mississippi today, with plans to offer service in 37 markets by the end of the year. … Read More
Sept. 12: Apple iPhone 5 set to launch Sept. 21; bigger screen, LTE, same price
To the surprise of few and delight of many, Apple today unveiled its latest smartphone with the aptly named iPhone 5. … Read More
Sept. 13: Nokia Siemens Networks to sell BSS unit
Nokia Siemens Networks says it will sell its business support systems unit as part of its ongoing effort to divest assets that are not part of its core mobile broadband network equipment business. … Read More
Sept. 14: Adelstein tapped as new PCIA president, CEO
Wireless infrastructure trade association PCIA named Jonathan Adelstein CEO and president, replacing outgoing CEO and President Michael Fitch who announced plans to step down from his position earlier this year. … Read More
Sept. 14: iPhone 5 a sellout; component shortages and carrier testing may delay shipments
iPhone enthusiasts who awoke in the wee hours this morning were able to pre-order a new iPhone 5 for delivery next Friday. … Read More
Sept. 19: T-Mobile USA names Legere new CEO
T-Mobile USA received new leadership today as parent company Deutsche Telekom announced that John Legere will head up its U.S. operations effective Sept. 22. … Read More
Sept. 24: Apple sells 5 million 5′s; T-Mobile grabs a piece of the action
5 million people in at least 9 countries took home a new iPhone 5 this weekend, breaking the weekend launch record set last year by the iPhone 4S. … Read More
Sept. 26: RIM shows off BlackBerry 10
Troubled Research in Motion is playing to its strengths with the launch of the upcoming BlackBerry 10 smartphone and operating system. … Read More
Sept. 27: iPhone 5 for $150
With Apple touting the sale of 5 million iPhone 5 devices over its opening weekend, the hype surrounding the iconic device takes on a broader appearance this weekend as a number of regional players will begin offering the device starting Sept. 28. … Read More
Sept. 28: Crown Castle ponies up $2.4B for T-Mobile USA towers
Validating previous rumors, Crown Castle International reported today that it has agreed to lease 7,200 towers from T-Mobile USA for $2.4 billion. … Read More
Oct. 1: FCC proposes incentive spectrum auction of TV airwaves
The Federal Communications Commission has put U.S. spectrum policy on a path to the world’s first incentive spectrum auction to repurpose broadcast television spectrum for mobile broadband use. … Read More
Oct. 3: T-Mobile USA to merge with MetroPCS
Deutsche Telekom confirmed today that it is merging its T-Mobile USA unit with MetroPCS. … Read More
Oct. 8: U.S. government issues warning on Huawei, ZTE
Doing business with the world’s largest telecom equipment vendor is about to get a little trickier. … Read More
Oct. 15: Softbank to buy Sprint Nextel
It’s official — Japan’s Softbank is buying a controlling interest in Sprint Nextel. … Read More
Oct. 22: AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA launch Isis mobile payments platform
AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA have launched their Isis mobile payments program a bit behind schedule, but with strong device support. … Read More
Oct. 23: Apple rolls out smaller iPad, updates current model
To the surprise of no one that has consumed any form of media over the past week, Apple today unveiled a smaller iPad device, along with updates to a handful of the company’s core computing devices. … Read More
Oct. 25: The telecom talent race: Where the jobs are now
While the presidential candidates debate which of their plans can create more new jobs in America, wireless service providers and infrastructure companies are busy with their own plans for job growth. … Read More
Nov. 1: MetroPCS first in US to launch RCS
MetroPCS this week launched Rich Communications Services, a continuation of the carrier’s push to take advantage of its LTE network through services such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE). … Read More
Nov. 7: AT&T to invest $14B in broadband over 3 years
AT&T kicked off an investor conference in New York with news that it will invest $14 billion in broadband during the next three years. … Read More
Nov. 12: Verizon Wireless to fork over $8.5B to parents
Verizon Wireless’ continued success is set to again benefit its parent companies as the domestic carrier said it plans to make an $8.5 billion dividend payment to Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group by year end. … Read More
Nov. 29: Small cells make big gains in the workplace
The mobile broadband revolution is making it possible to work from anywhere at any time, and now some professionals are finding that the hardest place to stay connected is at the office. … Read More
Dec. 10: T-Mobile USA set for capex expansion; $4.7B in 2013, $6B across 2014-2015
T-Mobile USA’s plans to bolster its network and position in the domestic market received a financial boost late last week from its parent company Deutsche Telekom, which said it plans to spend $4.7 billion in 2013 and $3 billion per year in 2014 and 2015 on capital expenditures for its U.S. operations. … Read More
Dec. 10: STMicroelectronics to exit ST-Ericsson chip venture
The ST-Ericsson joint venture is losing a partner, but not the partner most analysts expected. … Read More
Dec. 12: FCC approves 30 megahertz for AWS-4; to auction 10 megahertz in H-Block
The Federal Communications Commission made a small step in bringing additional wireless spectrum assets to market by freeing up 40 megahertz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band for terrestrial mobile services. … Read More
Dec. 17: Clearwire accepts $2.2B Sprint Nextel offer
Having a weekend to sleep on it, Clearwire today announced it would accept Sprint Nextel’s offer to acquire the remaining 50% of the company it does not currently control for $2.97 per share, or approximately $2.2 billion. … Read More
Dec. 20: Carriers to invest more in infrastructure in 2013
Telecom infrastructure spending is projected to bounce back in the year ahead, with investment in North America and Asia driving growth. … Read More
Dec. 26: SBA jumps into Brazilian tower market
SBA Communications jumped into the Brazilian tower market, announcing today the acquisition of 800 “freestanding” towers from an undisclosed mobile broadband provider for approximately $174 million. … Read More
