AT&T Wireless began sifting through multibillion dollar bids, while Sprint offered up third-party billing … 13 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!
AT&T Wireless board readies for sale
AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s board of directors has reportedly authorized the wireless carrier to study potential acquisition offers from a number of competitors thought to be looking to take over the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier, including Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Nextel Communications Inc., NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Vodafone Group plc. The board, which is meeting in Florida ahead of the company’s fourth-quarter and year-end 2003 earnings release scheduled for next Tuesday, was reportedly considering whether to make its plans to entertain offers public this week or wait until next week’s event. The Wall Street Journal reported that AT&T Wireless’ board has officially retained the law firm of Wachtel Lipton and Merrill Lynch & Co. as advisors. … Read More
Carriers woo AT&T Wireless
The rumor mill kicked into high gear last week with published reports claiming a handful of domestic and international wireless carriers are targeting AT&T Wireless Services Inc. as a possible merger partner. The reports began with claims that Cingular Wireless L.L.C. had rekindled its often-rumored talks with AT&T Wireless and that the companies could announce a possible deal as soon as the end of the month. A merger between the nation’s second- and third-largest wireless carriers has been rumor fodder since early last year, fueled by remarks by Cingular’s parent companies SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. that they want a larger presence in the wireless space. … Read More
Sprint extends billing options to third parties
To Internet or not to Internet is the question. Some carriers have embraced the idea of selling wireless content over third-party Internet sites, while others have steadfastly rejected it. Content providers like Walt Disney Internet Group are clamoring for the technology in hopes that it will spur sales, but the strategic issues surrounding such a capability so far remain unresolved. The issue is being played out at Sprint PCS, which recently decided to extend its billing-on-behalf-of service to Internet sites run by its content partners. Thus, Disney soon will be able to sell ring tones and graphics directly from its DisneyMobile.com Internet site and have the payments billed directly to buyers’ Sprint accounts. … Read More
Faulty Kyocera smartphone batteries recalled
Reports of exploding mobile-phone batteries finally hit a high note with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing a voluntary recall of 140,000 of Kyocera Wireless Corp.’s 7135 smart-phone batteries. The federal agency said the faulty batteries can short circuit and “erupt with force or emit excessive heat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.” For its part, Kyocera said it has ended its relationship with the Hong Kong-based vendor of the battery in question, and it is considering legal action against the company. … Read More
T-Mobile USA announces new IM strategy
T-Mobile USA Inc. announced a major new instant messaging strategy through a deal with IM company Oz Communications. T-Mobile said it will use Oz’s gateway and client technology to manage a standards-based instant messaging service, one that can work with desktop IM services including Yahoo! and MSN. … Read More
Companies team to offer Microsoft-powered GPRS phone
ICT Technologies Inc. and its operating company EurophoneUSA Inc. said they will partner with Korean mobile phone design company Uroa Tech to sell a range of wireless devices across the world, including an advanced GPRS device running Microsoft Corp.’s Smartphone operating system. RCR Wireless News first reported the partnership yesterday. In a release, the companies promised to sell a range of GSM, CDMA and TDMA phones throughout Europe and the Americas. According to the EurophoneUSA Web site, one of the GPRS devices will feature Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system as well as a 1.3-megapixel integrated digital camera and support for MMS services and MP3 files. … Read More
Leap gets new leaders, distributor
The trials and tribulations of Leap Wireless International Inc. continued last week as the company promoted a pair of executives to fill in for the loss of a long-time leader and announced a new fulfillment and logistic service provider for its Cricket Communications Inc. subsidiary after the former provider said it would not continue to provide services after the current agreement ends next month. The executive changes included promoting Doug Hutcheson to executive vice president and chief financial officer, as well as Glenn Umetsu to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Hutcheson previously served as Leap’s senior vice president and CFO prior to the promotion, while Umetsu was Leap’s senior VP of engineering operations. … Read More
Orange launches PTT with Kodiak, Alltel likely next
Upstart push-to-talk platform provider Kodiak Networks Inc. announced its first carrier customer last week by partnering with European-based operator Orange and is rumored to be readying a U.S.-based launch with Alltel Corp. as early as this week. Kodiak’s agreement with Orange calls for the carrier to launch its Talk Now push-to-talk service using Kodiak’s RTX System on Orange’s GSM network in the United Kingdom and France during the second quarter of this year with additional deployments in eight other Orange markets by the end of the year. … Read More
CTIA hires two more in reorg of trade group
CTIA’s Steve Largent continued reorganizing the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, announcing that Carolyn Brandon has been named vice president for policy and Bob Bolster will become director of congressional affairs. “Bob and I worked side-by-side through much of my time in Congress and I look forward to having him on my team again,” said Largent, CTIA president and chief executive officer. … Read More
Rigorous WLAN certifications take patience
Impatience with the standards process is tempting some companies to market their products before certification, especially in the wireless local area networks arena. “Recent test data released by the Wi-Fi Alliance indicates that wireless LAN interoperability and performance continue to be an issue for products without Wi-Fi certification,” noted the Wi-Fi Alliance. This impatience also is afflicting the vendors of products of the short-range protocol ZigBee. The players have failed to arrive at a standard between two competing groups, each claiming to have superior specifications. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
