TAIPEI, Taiwan-Enough already-that's the decision handed down from BenQ Corp. amid heavy losses at its mobile venture, BenQ Mobile. The company announced that it won't pour any more money into its German-based mobile-phone subsidiary. As a result, BenQ said its handset subsidiary may file...
NEW YORK-Here's a sampling of the recent customer requests handled by service reps for Voce, the luxury mobile virtual network operator that apparently can do just about anything its subscribers ask of it. Ten customers wanted reservations at Wolfgang Puck's new steakhouse in Los...
TAIPEI, Taiwan—Enough already—that’s the decision handed down from BenQ Corp. amid heavy losses at its mobile venture, BenQ Mobile. The company announced that it won’t pour any more money into its German-based mobile-phone subsidiary. As a result, BenQ said its handset subsidiary may file...
By Kate MacArthur CHICAGO—McDonald's franchisees John and Karen O'Keefe watched sales flatline for most of the year at their store in Chicago's suburban Woodfield Mall while other restaurants in the fast-food chain's system pulled in gains of 2 percent or better.But after the couple...
NEW YORK—Nokia Corp. announced five new GSM phones—the company insists the devices are "multimedia computers"—for the United States, but did not announce any accompanying carrier deals. Three of the devices—the N70, N73 and N91—are optimized for music. The devices include enhanced memory with 1...
Ice, Ice Baby can finally get its due as a classic, at least in ringtone form. Acclaimed jazz composer David Baker said he wants members of his orchestra and the audience at the first performance of his "Concertino for Cellular Phones and Orchestra" next...
WASHINGTON-The stakes are rising for next week's expected ruling by the Supreme Court on whether to review Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch's appeal of an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down the state's wireless consumer law on federal pre-emption grounds. U.S....
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Revenue from sales of cellular base stations will remain strong through 2008, but by 2009 base station revenue will begin a steep decline, says a new report from In-Stat. "Spending on cellular base stations by cellular service providers these last few years has...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-The Wireless Infrastructure Association's annual convention began with the launch of a new a new forum that says its mission is to promote the understanding, acceptance and deployment of distributed antenna systems. DAS usage is gaining ground as a way to propagate RF...
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—PeerMe Inc., a wireless Voice over Internet Protocol company, said it launched a free service for Sprint Nextel Corp. CDMA2000 1x EV-DO phone users that allows them to make unlimited global calls. The service uses VoIP technology to provide the free unlimited...
LONDON—By 2012, W-CDMA technology will rake in the highest capital-expenditure investment by mobile operators—more than $150 billion—according to a new report from ABI Research. Mobile operators’ attitudes towards capex have changed over the past two or three years," said mobile wireless research analyst Shailendra...
L.M. Ericsson said it's looking for 500 engineers to accelerate its research into next-generation Internet Protocol-based networks and multimedia technology. The move coincides with Ericsson's attempts to morph into a more customer-focused organization by reorganizing itself into three business units: Networks, Global Services and...
WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission and major mobile-phone carriers asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider last month's decision vacating agency truth-in-billing regulations that pre-empt states from regulating line items on subscribers' monthly bills. "The panel opinion improperly rejected the FCC's pre-emption...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—L.M. Ericsson said it’s looking for 500 engineers to accelerate its research into next-generation Internet Protocol-based networks and multimedia technology. The move coincides with Ericsson’s attempts to morph into a more customer-focused organization by reorganizing itself into three business units: Networks, Global Services...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission and major mobile phone carriers asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider last month’s decision vacating the agency’s truth-in-billing regulations. The regulations pre-empted states from regulating line items on subscribers’ monthly bills. "The panel opinion improperly rejected...
LOS ANGELES—Verizon Wireless and Alltel Wireless each announced that new search tools are available to their subscribers for free. Verizon Wireless said its Get It Now Search application, developed by Medio Systems Inc., lets subscribers search by voice or by typing. The service searches...
Hello! And welcome to a special CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2006 edition of our column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry—especially at trade shows—so this column is a chance for us at RCR...
Minnetonka, Minn.-based US Internet beat out more than 80 other companies for the city of Minneapolis' contract to build a 54-square-mile citywide Wi-Fi network, beating out notable EarthLink Inc. and its suppliers Tropos Networks Inc. and Motorola Inc. Some Wi-Fi watchers have concluded that...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a branded, pay-per-view movie service that offers nearly four dozen classic films and recent releases. Sprint Movies, which is powered by mSpot, allows users to watch films in their entirety or view chapters that can be watched over...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a branded, pay-per-view movie service that offers nearly four dozen classic films and recent releases. Sprint Movies, which is powered by mSpot, allows users to watch films in their entirety or view chapters that can be watched over time....
MINNEAPOLIS—Internet Service Provider US Internet won a contract to build and operate a 54-square-mile, citywide Wi-Fi network in Minneapolis using equipment from BelAir Networks. The agreement spells out that the city will pay US Internet $2.2 million up front and $1.25 million a year...
SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Atheros Communications Inc. isn't wasting any time getting its pre-802.11n Wi-Fi technology on the market, having launched its new pre-n chips and networking processors last week. The company says its launch of pre-n gear could push WLAN access points to below $100...
Motorola Inc. is quietly offering users of its Moto Q smart phone a free software upgrade intended to strengthen the device's e-mail and security functions, increase its appeal to business and productivity-oriented users and bring the device up to speed with the competition. The...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is moving closer to deciding whether to seek a rehearing or possibly a Supreme Court review of a federal appeals court's rejection of rules that pre-empt states from regulating certain line items on consumers' monthly bills, according to a top...
