Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Sprint Nextel says yes to iDEN, acquiesces on termination fees, gets rebanding extension
Sprint Nextel Corp. has decided to continue its commitment to its iDEN network. After much speculation that Sprint Nextel was lining up buyers for the network, the company announced an extended network partnership with iDEN infrastructure provider Motorola Inc. and plans to launch a few new iDEN handsets. Indeed, Sprint Nextel plans to release eight new iDEN handsets next year, with five set to launch during the first half of the year. In addition, the carrier said it would introduce Boost Unlimited on the iDEN network, offering a nationwide home calling area for one monthly fee. The carrier currently offers Boost Unlimited on its CDMA network. … Read More
Cable firm Cox to build wireless network by 2009: Will team with Sprint Nextel to expand reach
Cable company Cox Communications announced it will build a wireless network with the $500 million in spectrum the company has accumulated over the past several years, and will launch commercial services by next year. The company will work with Sprint Nextel Corp. to supplement its wireless ambitions, and – in a nod to the current trend in wireless – Cox said it will “test 4G technology utilizing LTE (Long Term Evolution)” in an apparent bid to remain competitive in the coming years. Jill Ullman, spokeswoman for Cox, said the company will use CDMA in the initial build markets and begin LTE trials in 2009. … Read More
Glass half full or half empty? Mobile ad space all about perspective
The economic downturn is already dragging down the online-marketing space, but pure-play mobile ad companies swear they’re not worried about its affect on the wireless Web. Nielsen Online last month reported a 6% overall decline in “image-based” online ad spending in the first half of 2008, with the number of impressions sliding by 9% during the period. Those figures are likely to swell as the economic uncertainty lingers and markets around the world feel the fallout of the credit crunch. And the world of mobile advertising is especially vulnerable. As wireless ads evolve from embryonic into their infancy, according to some onlookers, they’re likely to be among the first ad spends to be purged as agencies pull the plug on “experimental” marketing tactics and focus their efforts – and their dollars – toward traditional ad channels. … Read More
By the Numbers: Top Tower Companies for the Second Quarter of 2008
The companies listed below represent the largest independent national and regional tower companies in the United States for the second quarter of 2008. American Tower and Crown Castle continue to dominate the U.S. tower industry. American Tower remains the largest tower company in the country, with more than 23,000 towers in its portfolio that covers the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Crown Castle comes in a close second with more than 22,000 towers. Global Tower Partners and SBA Communications rank third and fourth in a second tier of companies that own more than 1,000 towers. TowerCo will soon join that category with the acquisition of 3,000 towers from Sprint Nextel. That deal closed during the third quarter and is not reflected on this ranking. … Read More
Moto down on handset losses, delays spin off: Dumps Symbian, selects Android platform, due in late ’09
Motorola Inc. lost $397 million on $7.5 billion in revenue across all its businesses in the third quarter and said today it would delay its plan to spin off its handset division until sometime after 2009. And in a move to cut costs, the company said it would cut 3,000 jobs, or about 5% of its workforce. About 2,000 of the job cuts will come from its mobile-devices business, which continues to see sales shrink. Company-wide revenue was down about 15%; net earnings had been $60 million in the year-ago quarter. Sales in the company’s flagship device business reached $3.1 billion, down 31% from the year-ago quarter. The handset business lost $840 million, more than three times the loss in the year-ago quarter. … Read More
By the Numbers: Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors in the Third Quarter of 2008
The following is market share information for the top five largest mobile-phone manufacturers for the third quarter of 2008. The figures were compiled by research firm IDC. Nokia Corp. retained its No. 1 position, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. scored the No. 2 slot. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications came in third, and Motorola Inc. continued to lose share and came in at No. 4. The third quarter reflected dismal, 3.2% growth over the year-ago quarter and down slightly from the preceding quarter. The third quarter typically sees a ramp-up in shipments in anticipation of a robust holiday quarter. … Read More
CWA sues AT&T Mobility over employee benefits
The Communications Workers of America has sued AT&T Mobility and other subsidiaries of the telecom giant over what it calls corporate shell games to avoid providing benefits to employees. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Antonio, alleges that AT&T is manipulating consolidations and reorganizations to reassign workers throughout its various entities in a manner that puts at risk union members’ contractual wages, benefits, seniority and working conditions, according to Executive VP Annie Hill, who heads CWA’s telecom office. The union said the lawsuit is seeking injunctions to stop alleged contract violations and to force AT&T “to recognize that it is a party to every subsidiary’s collective bargaining agreement and that it be required to negotiate with CWA on all issues that fall under these agreements.” AT&T called some CWA claims outlandish. … Read More
Siting shot clock derided by local jurisdictions: Municipalities claim plan eviscerates local rights
The mobile phone industry’s push for an antenna-siting shot clock is being booed by cities and citizens, continuing a fierce debate dating back to the telecom act of 1996 and that continues to play out unevenly in the courts to this day. Industry association CTIA wants the Federal Communications Commission to set deadlines of 45 days and 75 days for local governments to act on applications for collocation and siting of new wireless facilities, respectively. The trade group’s petition involves two provisions of the 1996 telecom act. One provision set a national policy for antenna siting, without eviscerating the jurisdiction of state and local authorities. The other provision bars cities and states from enacting statutes or regulations that constitute barriers to entry for telecom carriers. On the latter, CTIA has urged the FCC to preempt zoning ordinances requiring wireless carriers and tower companies to obtain variances as a prerequisite to any siting approvals. … Read More
Big-box retailers remain strong behind wireless: Some may be suffering, but all agree mobile will remain hot
The wireless industry is clearly a money-making field and everyone’s trying to get their hands on a piece of it, especially big box retailers. Establishments such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City and Radio Shack have been acting as third-party retailers for carriers for years and as technology and devices make an innovative turn, these retailers have been quick to follow. Best Buy has been keeping up with the ranks. It is the only third-party retailer that has been allowed to sell the Apple Inc.’s 3G iPhone outside of AT&T Mobility and Apple Inc. stores. AT&T Mobility pays a hefty price for selling the device, reaching $900 million in subsidies during the third quarter. Best Buy spokesman Scott Moore would not comment on how much Best Buy expects to pay in subsidies for the device, but if the 3G iPhone continues to prove popular it could be a hefty sum. Wal-Mart has also been rumored to eventually carry the device. But when asked about the speculation Melissa O’Brien, spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, said that rumors always surface about what the retailer may or may not offer. … Read More
CenturyTel and Embarq to marry in $11.6B deal
CenturyTel Inc.’s board of directors gave the company the green light to acquire Embarq Corp. in a projected $11.6 billion transaction. CenturyTel will also acquire $5.8 billion of Embarq’s debt.
If the deal goes through, Embarq shareholders would own 66% of the combined company, while CenturyTel would own 34%. Together, the two communications companies cover 33 states, around 8 million access lines, 2 million broadband customers and 400,000 video customers. If the two join forces, the combined pro forma revenue is expected to reach near $9 billion and the transaction is predicted to bring in $400 million a year during the first three years of operation. … Read More
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