The Federal Communications Commission set Jan. 16 for the start of the 700 MHz auction, and asked for public comment on competitive bidding procedures for the 1,099 wireless licenses up for grabs. The agency will employ anonymous bidding as a safeguard against anti-competitive behavior...
Bringing broadband to the masses is kind of like the weather: Everyone talks about it, but no one is doing anything about it. President Bush's plan of bridging the digital divide is laudable in theory, but problematic in reality.The problem is no one can...
A mistake in a media report earlier this month suggesting that Nokia Corp. had sold as many as 450,000 units of its high-end N95 handset in the United States during the second quarter immediately set chins to wagging.The N95 packs advanced Web browsing, multimedia...
M2Z Networks Inc. said it will take the Federal Communications Commission to court to force the agency to consider its request for 25 megahertz of vacant spectrum.The Silicon Valley-based outfit applied for the spectrum more than a year ago, vowing to deliver free broadband...
Though diminishing in count, regional wireless operators continued to report firm financial results highlighting continued opportunities outside the urban corridors.U.S. CellularU.S. Cellular Corp. reported $971.6 million in total revenues for the second quarter, a nearly 15% increase compared with the $846.1 million the carrier...
I know most of us have had almost enough of the 700 MHz auction, what with the lobbying and saber rattling of those interested in the spectrum and the ultimate rule making handed down by the FCC last month.But, beyond the sexy names of...
Leap Wireless International Inc. failed to meet analysts' estimates for customer additions in the last quarter and its stock suffered dramatically because of it, plummeting more than 20% following yesterday's report.The carrier reported almost 127,000 customer additions to its Cricket-branded service, most of which...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Jupiter Research's Julie Ask, iGR's Iain...
hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environmentby poking your head over the top of the cube.While there is plenty of coverage on the FCC's 700 MHz auction rules throughout this issue, early betting around the RCR Wireless News' world headquarters has this auction...
For sure, the reaction to the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz decision was mixed. But no one was so visibly and verbally downcast about what the agency had wrought than Commissioner Robert McDowell. For McDowell, it is the FCC and the ruling itself that...
With the 700 MHz auction rules officially out (and before any legal challenges are launched), now is a good time to reflect on the government's role in spectrum auctions.In the past, when the government has tried to craft rules to mandate competition, it has...
THE FCC'S RULES FOR NEXT YEAR'S auction of 700 MHz spectrum could change the game substantially for wireless content owners and application developers. Then again, maybe not.Chairman Kevin Martin last week seemed to avoid drawing the ire of any of the major players-or would-be...
WHILE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND OTHERS CELEBRATED anticipated public-safety and wireless benefits of last week's 700 MHz auction rules decision, skeptics question whether the action will indeed produce a competitor to the Bell telephone-cable TV broadband duopoly and a strong commercial entity willing...
THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION LAST WEEK approved 700 MHz rules to foster the creation of a nationwide public-safety/commercial broadband network and introduce new devices and applications in a wireless space tightly controlled by four national operators.The FCC designated for auction a nationwide 10-megahertz spectrum...
While the Federal Communications Commission touts anticipated public-safety and wireless benefits of its 700 MHz rulemaking decision, others are skeptical about whether the ruling will indeed produce a competitor to the Bell telephone-cable TV broadband duopoly or a strong commercial entity willing to partner...
The Federal Communications Commission approved 700 MHz auctions rules to foster the creation of a nationwide public safety-commercial broadband network and the introduction of new devices and applications in the wireless space.The agency voted to designate for auction a nationwide 10-megahertz spectrum block adjacent...
Dear Editor,After Hurricane Katrina devastated southern Mississippi in 2005, more than $110 billion in federal assistance poured into the region, spurring reconstruction. Yet most funds needed for this rebuilding-which remains ongoing-are coming from private sources.Gulf Coast reconstruction efforts underscore the critical role that public-private...
Verizon Wireless announced a $2.67 billion deal to acquire Rural Cellular Corp., one of the nation's largest rural carriers. The agreement will add RCC's 700,000 customers to Verizon Wireless' base-which currently stands at 62.1 million-and will expand the No. 2 operator's coverage in parts...
As momentum grows behind Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin's proposed open-access plan for the 700 MHz spectrum auction, Verizon Wireless reiterated its opposition to open access while at the same time working to influence the details of a potential ruling.Stipulations wanted According to...
I'm finding it hard to understand the current leadership at the Federal Communications Commission. On one hand, over the past several years the FCC has basically rubber-stamped a handful of mega-acquisitions among wireless carriers, which resulted in the number of nationwide operators dwindling from...
Welcome to our Friday feature, Week in Review. Every Friday, RCR Wireless News will run through the major events of the past week, outlining what happened and speculating on what to look for in the coming weeks. Check below for news about carriers, handset...
Verizon Wireless eased its stance on FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's proposed rules for the 700 MHz spectrum auction, agreeing to stipulations that would require spectrum winners to allow any device onto their networks. According to the Wall Street Journal, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam...
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN could face trouble securing support from the agency's two Democrats for a key component of his 700 MHz plan, but the draft rule could entice Verizon Wireless to become more serious about a possible partnership with public safety.I'm...
CONCEPTUALLY, AT LEAST, FEW THINGS could be more appealing to mobile consumers than open wireless access.Richard Whitt, Google Inc.'s telecom and media counsel, painted a picture of a veritable mobile utopia on the company's blog last week as Google and its allies lobbied the...
