Verizon Wireless edged T-Mobile in customer care, while questions swirled around T-Mobile’s long-term viability as a lone entity … 11 years ago this week
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!
Verizon Wireless edges T-Mobile USA in customer care report
Verizon Wireless garnered the top ranking in Vocal Laboratories Inc.’s quarterly SectorPulse report measuring the quality of customer care among wireless operators. The most recent test was conducted between January and March 31 of this year. Verizon Wireless achieved an “A” ranking in caller satisfaction and a “B” ranking in call completion, just edging out previous quarter winner T-Mobile USA Inc.’s pair of “B” rankings in both categories. Verizon Wireless’ scores were the same as the previous ranking, while T-Mobile USA saw its caller satisfaction ranking fall from “A” in the previous quarter to “B” during the most recent report. … Read More
Can T-Mobile USA make it alone?
T-Mobile USA Inc.’s position as the nation’s fourth-largest wireless operator, as well as one of the industry’s fastest growing, might not be enough to guarantee its long-term prospects. Several industry observers have questioned the carrier’s ability to remain a standalone entity in the face of increasing competitive pressure from much larger wireless operators, as well as carriers that can offer more robust telecommunications services. … Read More
Motorola cancels Wi-Fi-enabled smart phone
Motorola Inc. canceled plans to sell its advanced MPx Windows Mobile smart phone. A company spokeswoman said the move was part of the company’s “continual portfolio management and strategy evolution.” Introduced at the 3GSM World Congress trade show last year, the MPx was to be one of the industry’s most advanced devices. It featured an innovative dual-hinge design that allowed users to flip between a clamshell-style phone device and mini computer with a QWERTY keyboard. The gadget also featured GSM, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios, as well as a megapixel digital camera, SD card slot and speakerphone. The device ran Microsoft Corp.’s Smartphone operating system. … Read More
Verizon expands ‘IN’ calling to messaging services
Verizon Wireless expanded its popular “IN” network calling plans to its text and multimedia messaging services, allowing customers to send and receive unlimited messages between other Verizon Wireless customers beginning at $5 per month. The plan includes the carrier’s Mobile TXT text messaging, PIX picture messaging and FLIX video-messaging applications. The IN Messaging plans also include tiered levels of messages that can be sent to non-Verizon Wireless customers with the $5 plan providing 50 additional messages, a $10 plan providing 250 additional messages and a $15 plan providing 500 additional messages. Additional messages sent to non-Verizon Wireless customers are charged 10 cents for each message sent and 2 cents for each message received, with airtime charges applied for sending and receiving PIX and FLIX messages. … Read More
Lucent combines wireless, wireline business units: Reports rising revenues, profit
Lucent Technologies Inc. announced Tuesday a reorganization as it also reported increasing wireless revenues. Lucent said it is reorganizing its operations by combining its mobility and wireline business units into a single group, leaving its services business as a separate group. Patricia Russo, Lucent’s chairman and chief executive officer, said the company will realize speed, innovation and cost and expense structure benefits by integrating resources of the groups. She reiterated the company’s commitment to next-generation optical, Voice over Internet Protocol and mobile high-speed data technologies. … Read More
Microsoft targets mobile workers with software extensions
Microsoft Corp. announced it will extend the capabilities of its new Office Live Communications Server 2005 to wireless devices including those running its Windows Mobile platform, as well as BlackBerry gadgets from Research In Motion Ltd. The move is notable as most industry observers see RIM and Microsoft locked in a battle over mobile workers. Under the new offering, Microsoft said it will develop software for wireless devices to access various Communications Server functions, including instant messaging, presence and contacts services. Microsoft said the offering will allow mobile employees to work more efficiently. … Read More
Panasonic shutters U.S. cell-phone operations
Panasonic Corp. of North America, the North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., announced it shut down its U.S. mobile-phone operations. The news comes as little surprise, however-the company had previously failed to find carrier partners to sell its phones and had resorted to offering its phones on its Web site. Panasonic’s move also comes after the company completed a seven-month-long reorganization process to focus on sales of its Plasma TV, digital still cameras and DVD recorders. … Read More
MobilePro to launch MVNO service on Verizon’s network
Wireless technology and broadband telecommunications company MobilePro Corp. reported that its CloseCall America subsidiary plans to launch a prepaid wireless product within the next 30 days via a mobile virtual network operator agreement with Verizon Wireless. The company noted the service would offer a “no surprise” wireless bill for consumers and would include parental controls that will allow restricting outgoing and incoming calls to only certain numbers. MobilePro added that the service initially would launch in Maryland and later expand throughout the country. … Read More
Content makers watch mobile TV market
“The Spot” hopes to celebrate its first birthday by going even more high-tech. A weekly Web-based program that combines elements of both a soap opera and a reality show, “The Spot” complements its program daily with brief slide-show broadcasts to wireless handsets that allow viewers to interact with the actors. This week, as the show enters its second year, developers are working to upgrade the mobile offering, delivering one- to two-minute high-quality video clips to engage fans who carry newer handsets. … Read More
Clear Channel, MSpot re-mix familiar tune, bringing radio to handset
Music companies are rushing to bring streaming music services to U.S. wireless users, but while the technology exists to provide radio-like offerings to wireless users, the viability of a radio-like business model in wireless is far from clear. Clear Channel Communications Inc., the top U.S. radio station operator, announced plans last week to offer programming to cell-phone users by the end of the year. The Texas-based company said it is talking with carriers to create content specifically for handsets and is considering offering a subscription service as early as this summer for online radio services. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
