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 to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We...
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-Clearwire Corp. looks set to build its first municipal WiMAX network in Grand Rapids, Mich., after the city council unanimously approved the company's bid to unwire the city's 45 square miles with WiMAX coverage.The deal marks Clearwire's first contract to build a...
Just when it seemed like the world had stopped making predictions about when China's government would grant third-generation licenses to operators, reports surfaced in the Chinese press indicating that the government will make its move in February.An article published by ShanghaiDaily.com lays out that...
The mobile virtual network operator space isn't cooling down, according to the head of mobile virtual network enabler telSpace. However, instead of following the models of Amp'd Mobile Inc. or Helio L.L.C., the newcomers to the space are incumbent local carriers seeking to stem...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Although L.M. Ericsson announced in September it would hire 500 new engineers to accelerate its research into next-generation Internet Protocol-based networks and multimedia technology, it appears the company is also planning a similar number of layoffs. According to an Associated Press report, Ericsson...
BOSTON-The four national wireless carriers have agreed on a plan to help shoulder the cost of providing wireless service in Boston's Big Dig tunnels, so that drivers will not have their cell-phone conversations interrupted. According to documents filed with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the...
Here's everything you need to know about the popularity of WAP advertising: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter has a mobile Web site.Fans of Unilever's butter substitute can now download video content, view recipes and send friends ``Fabio-grams'' featuring the heartthrob-turned-pitchman. The offering, which...
Editor's Note: Welcome 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 Strategy Analytics' Chris Ambrosio, Current Analysis' Peter...
TORONTO—Nortel Networks Ltd. narrowed its overall loss for the third quarter to $99 million and said that it would go ahead with a plan to consolidate its shares on a 1-for-10 basis. Nortel had reported a $136 million loss at this time last year,...
LONDON—Vodafone Group plc will narrow its terminal platforms to three standards—Symbian Series 60, Linux and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile—to be more efficient at device support, the network operator announced. The operator also announced a deal with Microsoft to develop software to cost effectively speed...
Editor's Note: Welcome 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 Strategy Analytics' Chris Ambrosio, Current Analysis’ Peter...
Disney Mobile is trying to lure customers to sign up for its service during the holiday season by lowering the cost of its handsets and offering a month of service for free, according to promotions on the mobile virtual network operator’s Web site.Disney Mobile...
Qwest Communications International Inc. reported a profitable third quarter with net income of $194 million, reversing a $144 million loss the company reported in the same quarter last year. Further, Qwest said the penetration rate of its service bundles increased 6 percent compared with...
As a consensus of forecasts converge on the magical billion mark for handset shipments this year-although with some dissenters-attention has focused on several dynamics at play. The upshot? Watch the market for replacement handsets in emerging markets, the mobile handset industry's new driver.Most forecasters...
A mobile phone runs on the chips inside it, if an over-generalization may be permitted for simplicity's sake. And the basic functions of a basic phone rely on four types of chips: the power amplifier, the RF transceiver, the analog baseband and the digital...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Embarq Corp. plans to offer its wireless customers push-to-talk services and parental controls on a Sanyo Corp. 2400 mobile phone. Embarq, which has a mobile virtual network operator relationship with Sprint Nextel Corp. after being spun off from the larger company earlier...
Mobile data software developer Volantis is targeting carriers with an application that delivers updated, personalized Internet information to mobile phones.The company plans to unveil BuzzCast, a white-label offering that allows users to create a profile and build a "home screen" of content such as...
SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. announced it will allow its Cricket customers to roam in other Cricket markets without paying an additional fee. The carrier also said it is pushing data services for its customers with a new WAP-based wireless portal and a new...
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Disney Mobile is trying to lure customers to sign up for its service during the holiday season by lowering the cost of its handsets and offering a month of service for free, according to promotions on the mobile virtual network operator’s Web...
DENVER—Qwest Communications International Inc. reported a profitable third quarter with net income of $194 million, a reversal of the $144 million loss the company reported in the same quarter last year. Further, Qwest said the penetration rate of its service bundles increased 6 percent...
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—Bitfone Corp., a player in the firmware-over-the-air space, has signed on network operator Alltel Corp. to use its FusionDM device management service. Alltel joins Sprint Nextel Corp. in offering over-the-air updating technology in the United States.FOTA technology can fix bugs and update...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Embarq Corp. plans to offer its wireless customers push-to-talk services and parental controls on a Sanyo Corp. 2400 mobile phone. Embarq, which has a mobile virtual network operator relationship with Sprint Nextel Corp. after being spun off from the larger company earlier...
Editor's Note: Welcome 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 Strategy Analytics' Chris Ambrosio, M:Metrics’ Seamus McAteer...
A German driver last week followed his navigation system's command to "Turn right now" and veered into a roadside bathroom 30 yards shy of his intended intersection. Consider it a metaphor for the wireless location-based services industry.In the wonderfully hyped world of wireless, no...
