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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 RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

Mobile Satellite Ventures said the Federal Communications Commission waived a requirement that it build a ground-based spare satellite in the event of satellite failure.FCC rules require mobile satellite service licensees, like MSV, to build an on-the-ground spare satellite within one …

Verizon Wireless’ declaration this morning that “any application, any device” will run on its network next year is clearly an overstatement-Verizon’s CDMA network allows only CDMA-based devices, in use by 60% of subscribers in the United States market, but only …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to a special edition of our weekly 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 …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Reality Check, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile content industry to give their insights into the marketplace. …

The mobile-phone industry asked a federal appeals court to overturn a new federal mandate setting minimum requirements for backup-power sources at cell sites and other wireless facilities, arguing the government overstepped its legal authority in attempting to address communications problems …

So Amazon.com released a new electronic book reader called the “Kindle.” It’s pretty neat stuff: You can download new books wirelessly via Sprint Nextel’s EV-DO network. However, the device goes for a whopping $400, a price that does not include …

THE MOBILE-PHONE AND TOWER SECTORS could take a significant financial hit as a result of a new Federal Communications Commission mandate requiring backup power sources at key facilities.The FCC rule, which industry sources claim could cost wireless carriers hundreds of …

A federal-state panel recommended that the Federal Communications Commission cap government subsidies for rural wireless deployment as part of a broader effort to reform the swelling universal service fund, an action that if upheld could cost mobile-phone carriers billions of …

That sucking sound you hear is Steve Jobs trying to get air after laughing too hard at the spectacle of German operators fighting over the Apple Inc. iPhone. More fighting, more publicity, more sales-hence that haunting laughter echoing throughout the …

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. announced a new reading gadget-dubbed Kindle-that will allow users to download books, magazines and other publications via Sprint Nextel Corp.’s network. The innovative offering requires no monthly service fees; instead, the cost of wireless access is …

Flash memory will continue to dominate in mobile phones during the next few years, despite inroads being made by new hard disk drive (HDD) solutions in handheld devices, according to a new study from Parks Associates.The company predicts 99% of …

Silicon Valley-the country’s hub of innovation and technology-is home to more than 2.4 million people and a group of businesses that read like a who’s who of the dotcom darlings. Yet, for all the money and societal changes that were …

After a trial involving 5,000 users, regional wireless carrier Revol has decided to go forward with a full launch of a mobile advertising service that the company said has achieved engagement rates of close to 50%. The company will begin …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal …

With the launch of WiMAX trial markets just weeks away, Sprint Nextel Corp. says it is re-examining its WiMAX business plans and has abandoned a partnership with Clearwire Corp. intended to promote a faster, cheaper deployment of the mobile broadband …

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is said to be pushing universal service fund changes that would reduce government subsidies for mobile phone carriers serving rural areas, likely setting up a showdown with the agency’s Democratic members, cellular operators and …

You’ve undoubtedly noticed, with pleasure, that the telescoping, whip antenna of yore has long ago disappeared inside the increasingly sleek device you slip into your pocket. Technology is supposed to be invisible. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind is fine for the consumer, blissfully …

Tellabs Inc. announced that Krish Prabhu plans to resign as president and CEO by March 1, 2008. Prabhu, 53, has served in the positions at Tellabs since 2004. Tellabs’ stock fell more than 4% to $7.69 following the news.“The Tellabs …

Nortel Networks Corp. stock jumped 18% to $19.40 yesterday when the infrastructure vendor reported earnings of $27 million during the third quarter, up from the $63 million it lost in the year-ago period. The stock leveled off this morning at …

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 Current Analysis’ …

When Microsoft Corp.’s CEO Steve Ballmer publicly mentions someone’s name as a respected veteran who will run a new company in partnership with his juggernaut, people listen. At CTIA I.T. & Entertainment 2007 in late October, Ballmer told a standing-room-only …

Just days after the smoke cleared from last week’s devastating fires, Los Angeles began bracing for another firestorm-this time from the entertainment industry.The union representing the 12,000 film and TV writers who make the world laugh, cry and sing is …

With the wireless sector the most competitive in the telecom industry, it is hard to imagine that company executives can simultaneously beat each other’s brains out in the marketplace and work in harmony on issues of common interest. But they …

Verizon Wireless is offering Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry Pearl online accompanied by a new pricing scheme for BlackBerry e-mail and Web access. Verizon Wireless retail stores and their stores in Circuit City will offer the device beginning Nov. 8.The …