Carriers

Sprint Corp.’s pending acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc. was thrown another curve last week as Nextel affiliate Nextel Partners Inc. sent a notice to Nextel claiming the deal and recently …

MIAMI-Prepaid wireless provider TracFone Wireless Inc. launched its NET10 service offering providing a flat-rate 10-cent-per-minute calling rate for all calls. The service is available with select Nokia Corp. and Motorola …

Sprint Corp.’s months-long high-speed wireless data tease came to an end last week as the company finally announced the launch of its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO network. The company said the …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson announced it has acquired Teleca OSS, a company of about 40 employees that had specialized in systems integration in telecom management. Teleca OSS was a subsidiary of …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-UTStarcom Inc. said it has signed a $67 million deal with China Netcom Group to expand the carrier’s existing IP-based network in Inner Mongolia, metropolitan Beijing and the provinces …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission appears close to approving the proposed $35 billion merger between Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc., though it remains unclear whether the agency will impose any …

Revol Wireless announced it has acquired Ohio-based Northcoast PCS, including its CDMA network and spectrum, and has begun offering a youth-oriented, no-contract unlimited calling and messaging service in Cleveland, Dayton …

WASHINGTON-Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) signed into law legislation banning driver use of handheld cell phones, while a similar prohibition is set go into effect tomorrow in Chicago. Connecticut …

U.S. Cellular Corp. joined the push-to-talk fray with the launch of its SpeedTalk service, which operates on the carrier’s CDMA2000 1x data network that is available across its 25-state coverage …

Verizon Wireless is offering a mobile blogging application to its subscribers under an agreement announced Thursday. The carrier launched Rabble, a mobile blogging application from Intercasting Corp. designed to allow …

Sprint Corp. said it has begun rolling out its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO-based high-speed data network with initial service available this month in major airports and business districts in 34 markets. …

Universal multimedia messaging service interoperability among U.S. Tier 1 carriers moved closer to becoming reality with two agreements unveiled Thursday. T-Mobile USA Inc. users can exchange pictures and video clips …

MUNICH, Germany-Wireless carrier VOXmobile has chosen Siemens AG to provide its e-mail push and personal information management solution technology to its enterprise customers, giving them the ability to receive or …

LONDON—Mobile content will explode into a $9 billion industry in the next 12 months, according to a study released Wednesday by LogicaCMG. The survey of 6,000 users in four global …

NEW YORK—Technological advances are leaving wireline providers increasingly vulnerable to competition from wireless operators, according to a report released this week by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The study indicates that while …

TOKYO—NEC Corp. said it has developed an i-mode phone for Greek operator Cosmote. The N600i is the company’s first i-mode terminal for an operator outside Japan. The device is a …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Following months of speculation, the Walt Disney Co. finally announced plans to launch a family-oriented wireless service using Sprint Corp.’s nationwide network. The Walt Disney Internet Group, which …

MIAMI-Prepaid wireless provider TracFone Wireless Inc. launched its NET10 service offering providing a flat-rate 10-cent per minute calling rate for all calls. The service is available with select Nokia Corp. …

LONDON-The GSM Association has invited mobile-phone vendors to join in a strategic partnership to supply ultra-low-cost handset to unconnected citizens in developing markets. “Effective communication is one of the key …

TOKYO-Eight wireless carriers that offer i-mode wireless Internet services based on NTT DoCoMo Inc. technology announced joint procurement for i-mode handsets. The carriers initially have procured Korean vendor LG Electronics …

News on the over-the-air front continues to gain steam, as Motorola Inc., LG Electronics Co. Ltd., Huawei Technologies and others announce plans to use or sell the technology. First up, …

Dutch telecom carrier KPN has reached an agreement to acquire rival Dutch mobile operator Telfort for $1.2 billion on a debt and cash-free basis, eliminating a player in the highly …

MOSCOW, Russia-Mobile TeleSystems, the largest mobile-phone operator in Russia, acquired a 51-percent stake in Barash Communications Technologies Inc., a U.S. company that is the leading wireless carrier in the central …

WASHINGTON-The California Supreme Court last week ruled arbitration agreements between companies and customers do not necessarily preclude people from filing class-action suits, a decision with unclear implications for the state’s …

An effort to provide a pan-European mobile payment service was aborted just weeks before it was slated to launch. Simpay, a joint venture established two years ago by Orange plc, …