BROWSING: Policy

Public-safety groups voice support for Martin’s 700 MHz plan

The public-safety community appears to be gathering behind the 700 MHz plan floated by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, a stark contrast to the volatile reaction to his attempt to impose an open-access-like condition to a third of the 60 megahertz to be...

More backlash on Martin’s 700 MHz plans

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin's 700 MHz plan has triggered an angry backlash, with the agency chief suddenly finding himself squeezed by the cellular industry and others vehemently opposed to open access and those asserting the draft rule does not go nearly far...

FCC’s Martin bandies open-access license for 700 MHz auction

The mobile-phone industry reacted angrily to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin's 700 MHz draft decision to impose an open-access-like condition on more than a third of the 60 megahertz to be auctioned, asserting such a regulation amounts to Silicon Valley welfare."Crafting special rules...

Policy debates sprawl beyond the Beltway

Major wireless policy debates are increasingly ceasing to be Inside-the-Beltway brawls limited to high-powered lobbyists hired by well-heeled, warring industry factions. Instead, proponents of ambitiously controversial proposals-particularly those promising to extend the reach of a free and open Internet-have been able to tap into...

PS engages FCC in 700 MHz debate: First responders seek to expand beyond traditional role

WHILE FRONTLINE WIRELESS L.L.C., Congress and the mobile-phone industry sound off in the final throes of a testy, high-profile 700 MHz debate, the steady, low-key diplomacy of the public-safety community could prove decisive in determining whether the Federal Communications Commission approves for auction a...

Some House Commerce Committee members go on record opposing Frontline plan

More than a dozen House Commerce Committee lawmakers urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin to reject Frontline Wireless L.L.C.'s push to have the agency create a national 700 MHz commercial-public safety broadband license with an open-access component."We believe that it is worth considering...

700 MHz war: Frontline challenges Verizon while AT&T mulls auction plans

The 700 MHz debate has suddenly turned both interesting and nasty in the lead-up to next month's expected ruling by the Federal Communications Commission on auction rules.An AT&T Inc. official disclosed the top mobile-phone operator is mulling a play for a national commercial-public safety...

NXTcomm keynotes: Wireless video, spectrum and of course the iPhone

CHICAGO-Telecommunications will be the disruptive force of the 21st century, with the potential to bring radical changes to areas such as education, medicine and the creative arts, Verizon Communications Inc. Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg told NXTcomm attendees during his keynote address.Echoing those thoughts,...

Google spectrum plans rattle wireless cage

FIRST IT WAS Cyren Call Communications Corp. Then, more recently, Frontline Wireless L.L.C. And now, even more recently, Google Inc.The mobile-phone industry, itself an iconic symbol of cutting-edge disruptive technology, suddenly is uncomfortably under siege by a new wave of disruptors that have their...

Alltel, MetroPCS hint at 700 MHz plans

Alltel Corp. made clear its interest in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction in government filings, and requested that the Federal Communications Commission avoid plans to set aside a chunk of the spectrum for a national private/public-safety network and make sure that smaller regional...

Alltel, MetroPCS hint at 700 MHz plans

Alltel Corp. made clear its interest in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction in filings with the Federal Communications Commission, and requested that the commission avoid plans to set aside a chunk of the spectrum for a national private/public-safety network and make sure that...

Worst of the Week: 700 MHz of choices

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 us at RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the...

NextWave acquires IPWireless in $100M deal

NextWave Wireless Inc. announced it will purchase TD-CDMA supplier IPWireless Inc. for $25 million in cash and $75 million in stock. The ultimate purchase price could increase to $235 million by 2010 if IPWireless manages to achieve "certain revenue milestones," although NextWave did not...

NextWave acquires IPWireless in $100M deal

NextWave Wireless Inc. announced it will purchase TD-CDMA supplier IPWireless Inc. for $25 million in cash and $75 million in stock. The ultimate purchase price could increase to $235 million by 2010 if IPWireless manages to achieve "certain revenue milestones," although NextWave did not...

Sony Ericsson doing U.S. spadework

ORLANDO, Fla.-The mantra of profitability remains the guiding principle at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., even as it invests in development efforts in the United States and moves ahead in emerging markets. "Without profit, you're nothing," said Miles Flint, president of Sony Ericsson, in...

Sony Ericsson doing U.S. spadework: New Sagem deal for emerging markets

ORLANDO, Fla.-The mantra of profitability remains the guiding principle at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, even as it invests in development efforts in the United States and moves ahead in emerging markets."Without profit, you're nothing," said Miles Flint, president of Sony Ericsson, in a private...

Stupak: Use auction $ to pay for public-safety network

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, said he soon plans to re-introduce legislation making permanent the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's public-safety interoperability grant program. NTIA, a unit of the Commerce Department, recently contracted with the...

Big 3, private tower firms all likely keen on T-Mobile USA tower sale

T-Mobile USA Inc. indicated that it is interested in selling anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 of its towers in the United States-a sale that could bring upwards of $1 billion to the No. 4 carrier as it continues its plans to deploy 3G services...

Sprint Nextel shows boost in profits

Sprint Nextel Corp. confirmed its dismal fourth quarter customer numbers with the release of its full financials, but reported a silver lining of a 32-percent increase in profits for the quarter.The carrier's stock was up around 5 percent after the news to $19.41 per...

On robust results, Alltel to discuss strategy options : Wireless revenue climbs 19 percent at Cincinnati Bell

Alltel Corp. posted robust wireless results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2006, solidifying its position as the largest small player in the wireless space. However, the company's president and CEO, Scott Ford, sparked speculation about Alltel being a possible acquisition target during remarks...

Bush budget tallies $21 billion from spectrum over next 5 years

President Bush's 2008 budget plan would allow the Federal Communications Commission to assess fees on un-auctioned wireless licenses and to auction domestic satellite licenses, including future mobile satellite service spectrum used for supplemental land-based cellular networks.The ad-ministration would need congressional legislation for expanded auction...

Bush budget tallies $21B from spectrum over next 5 years

President Bush's 2008 budget plan would allow the Federal Communications Commission to assess fees on un-auctioned wireless licenses and to auction domestic satellite licenses, including future mobile satellite service spectrum used for supplemental land-based cellular networks.The administration would need congressional legislation for expanded auction...

Second time a charm? MetroPCS files for $1.1B IPO

Regional, flat-rate carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. filed for a $1.1 billion initial public offering, and plans to use the money to expand into new markets where it recently won spectrum licenses.MetroPCS' filing did not disclose how many shares the company plans to offer or...

Top 20 stories from RCRNews.com in 2006

Editor's Note: Following are the most-read stories from RCRNews.com this year. They have been edited to fit in paper format.1. Vodafone records $41B loss, reworks strategic plansMay 30Vodafone Group plc posted a massive $41.1 billion loss for 2005, mainly from impairment charges over assets...