WASHINGTON-Mobile-phone carriers last week stepped up their campaign to have the Federal Communications Commission make early-termination fees off limits to states, a huge issue that has taken on greater significance in light of industry's failure to secure expanded federal pre-emption in telecom reform legislation...
WASHINGTON-Public-safety answering points serving more than 75 percent of the population are able to receive location information from mobile-phone callers, according to statistics from the National Emergency Number Association. "The PSAP statistics translate to 88 percent receiving Phase I calls and 76 percent covered...
Wireless carriers are spending big bucks in promoting the use of their flashy, fast new data services: full-length music downloads, three-dimensional mobile games, Web surfing and the like. But with carriers relying on revenue from those transactions to boost their average revenue per user,...
Cingular Wireless L.L.C. will offer the Pantech Group's "Slim Series" of phones, beginning with the tiny C300 for its prepaid GoPhone customers, giving the South Korean handset maker another prominent place in the coveted U.S. handset market. The Pantech C300 is a small flip...
Amp'd Mobile Inc. has rounded out its service offering with a prepaid play that began selling last week, touting its new pay-as-you-go service as "the first and only pay-as-you-go 3G wireless phone service." Amp'd Mobile's prepaid offering charge customers 10 cents per minute for...
Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley announced that the city will begin taking requests for proposals in turning Chicago into a wireless community. The mayor is seeking submissions from private-sector firms that would provide Internet access throughout the city, including free wireless service in Chicago...
The news that India's government plans to delay the launch of 3G services in that country is probably grabbing attention in the executive suites of the world's most ambitious handset vendors; India's market potential is enormous and among the fastest growing on the planet....
ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. will offer the Pantech Group’s "Slim Series" of phones, beginning with the tiny C300 for its prepaid GoPhone customers, giving the South Korean handset maker another prominent place in the coveted U.S. handset market. The Pantech C300 is a small flip...
The upcoming AWS auction of 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz spectrum, now slated for August, raises the question of how many frequency bands might be jammed onto a handset and whether that poses technical challenges for component and handset vendors. The answer, at least...
WASHINGTON-Senate Democrats last Thursday released their version of telecommunications reform that was much kinder to the independent wireless industry than the version released in early May and passed by the House Commerce Committee. Independent wireless carriers-those carriers that are not affiliated with incumbent wireline...
WASHINGTON-The wireless industry applauded the Bush administration's decision today to abandon the U.S. government's long-held support for the federal excise tax on wireless and long-distance services. The tax, incorporated in 1898 to fund the Spanish-American War, adds 3 percent to monthly bills of the...
WASHINGTON—The mobile-phone industry applauded the Bush administration’s decision today to abandon the U.S. government’s long-held support for the federal excise tax on long distance wireless and wireline telephone services. The tax, incorporated in 1898 to fund the Spanish-American War, adds 3 percent to monthly...
It could be a while, though possibly never, before we learn whether large telecom companies worked hand-in-glove with the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on phone conversations and collect phone-call records in the name of fighting terrorism. Two telephone companies reported to be cooperating...
In the past few quarters it seems as if nearly every carrier has had a new customer record to crow about: best-ever net new subscribers, lowest-ever churn. According to CTIA, the wireless industry added nearly 26 million net new customers in 2005, its highest...
During the past several years, the four national U.S. carriers have whittled away the number of price plans they offer to consumers, dropped low-end plans and largely come into lock-step with each other on service plan price points. On the other hand, the cost...
WASHINGTON-Congress is moving toward developing a national strategy for interoperable first-responder communications, though it remains unclear whether lawmakers can drum up the considerable federal funding needed to enable firefighters, law enforcement, medics and others to talk to each other during emergencies. A House panel...
Verizon Wireless beat out the rest of the industry in serving business customers, landing at the top of J.D. Power and Associates' second annual survey of business wireless satisfaction. Verizon Wireless had an index ranking of 711 on a 1,000-point scale and had "particularly...
CALABASSAS, Calif.—Mesh network gear-maker Strix Systems Inc. announced that its Access/One outdoor wireless system will be used by Citi WiFi Networks Inc. for its deployment of a Wi-Fi network in Dunedin, Fla., a city with about 38,000 residents located 20 miles north of St....
WAKEFIELD, N.H.-Prepaid reseller Freedom Phone Services introduced a new prepaid phone plan that starts at $10 per month. Customers must pay ahead of time and essentially have a month-to-month arrangement; they have a month to use their allotted minutes and then can choose whether...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Mobile virtual network operator Mobile ESPN L.L.C. said it plans to offer roadside assistance services to its customers via insurance and warranty company Asurion. The service is expected to cost $3 per month and include 24-hour towing, lockout assistance, tire changes and fueling...
NEW YORK—The trend toward managed network operations and maintenance will have much greater impact on the wireless industry than consolidation, concludes Mercer Management Consulting after researching telecom sector developments. After interviews with more than 100 senior telecom executives and industry observers, the firm said...
WAKEFIELD, N.H.—Prepaid reseller Freedom Phone Services introduced a new prepaid phone plan that starts at $10 per month. Customers must pay ahead of time and essentially have a month-to-month arrangement; they have a month to use their allotted minutes and then can choose whether...
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—Verizon Wireless beat out the rest of the industry in serving business customers, landing at the top of J.D. Power and Associates’ second annual survey of business wireless satisfaction. Verizon Wireless had an index ranking of 711 on a 1,000-point scale and...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Mobile virtual network operator Mobile ESPN L.L.C. said it plans to offer roadside assistance services to its customers via insurance and warranty company Asurion. The service is expected to cost $3 per month and include 24-hour towing, lockout assistance, tire changes and fueling...
