First Cellular

WASHINGTON-Nine wireless carriers said they will send text messages to people who opt in to receive Amber Alerts over their cell phones in the culmination of a movement CTIA President …

With the overwhelming array of wireless content and applications on the market, even the nation’s biggest carriers are struggling with what to offer and how to present it to the …

TEMPE, Ariz.-First Cellular of Southern Illinois has tapped Excell Services to provide directory assistance and other offerings, the companies announced Tuesday. Excell will provide operator services and inbound customer service …

For U.S. carriers, the race to deploy ringback tones is on. Ringbacks-the clips of music a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called answers the …

Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News announces that Wayne Schelle has been inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame for 2005, now in its sixth year. The Hall of Fame recognizes …

A handful of CDMA technology-based rural operators formed the Associated Carrier Group L.L.C. alliance, which they said “will collaborate their efforts to efficiently provide timely and competitive value to consumers …

DALLAS-Subscribers of First Cellular of Southern Illinois can access a new ringback service featuring content from the film “Meet the Fockers.” Preferred Voice Inc. (PVI) and Versaly Entertainment are teaming …

DALLAS-Preferred Voice Inc. notched its second carrier win with the announcement that it will provide ringback services for Oklahoma regional carrier Panhandle Telephone Cooperative. Ringbacks allow subscribers to choose music …

Preferred Voice Inc. notched its second carrier win with the announcement that it will provide ringback services for Oklahoma regional carrier Panhandle Telephone Cooperative. Ringbacks allow subscribers to choose music …

Editor’s Note: Each year, the RCR Wireless News editorial staff chooses the person who has impacted the wireless industry the most during the past 12 months. By successfully closing the …

Editor’s Note: Each year, the RCR Wireless News editorial staff chooses the person who has impacted the wireless industry the most during the past 12 months. By successfully closing the …

WASHINGTON-The chief executive officer of First Cellular of Southern Illinois, Terry Addington, will be the 2005 chairman of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, CTIA announced. Addington has been serving …

Small wireless carriers want to offer their customers the same advanced services the big companies offer theirs. But since the economics of innovation are less favorable for small companies, it …

WASHINGTON-As local number portability goes nationwide today, rural Americans who want to port their wireline phone numbers to wireless carriers may find the deadline is a bit elastic. “Right now, …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission could fine CenturyTel Inc. $100,000 for not routing ported wireless numbers. “Regardless of the status of a carrier’s obligation to provide number portability, all carriers have …

WASHINGTON-A rural wireless carrier that began porting customers in November told reporters Thursday that 24 percent of its ports had come from wireline customers. Terry Addington, president of First Cellular …

Following are mobile infrastructure contracts announced in March: Ireland With Meteor for a core GPRS solution. Value: Undisclosed United States With First Cellular of Southern Illinois for MMS Proxy Relay, …

DALLAS-Alcatel announced First Cellular of southern Illinois will become the fist North American service provider to use its Multimedia Messaging Services. To date, Alcatel has installed its MMS Proxy Relay, …

HERZLIYA, Israel-Israeli operator Cellcom will roll out Nokia’s Push to talk over Cellular (PoC) service. Commercial PoC service is scheduled for the second quarter 2004. Nokia says its carrier-grade PoC …

T-Mobile USA Inc. expanded its existing $300 million agreement with Nokia Corp. to include next-generation radio equipment, an expanded GPRS core network, implementation and optimization services and Nokia’s NetAct network …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. said it has upgraded its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO software for its CSM5500 cell site modem to support such applications as high-quality video delivery, video telephony, instant multimedia …

Pakistan Telecom Mobile, which offers mobile service under the Ufone brand, contracted Siemens to expand its network under a $26 million deal. Siemens will set up a new GSM network …

MT. VERNON, Ill.-GSM technology supporters claimed a victory as rural cellular provider First Cellular of Southern Illinois signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with Ericsson to overlay its existing CDMA …

FORT MYERS, Fla.-InterOP Technologies L.L.C. recently announced it has signed multi-year service partnerships with Cellcom, First Cellular of Southern Illinois and thumb Cellular to provide short message service short-code functionality. …

WASHINGTON-Scott Ford, president of Alltel Corp., Wednesday was elected chairman of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association’s board of directors for 2003-2004. “The wireless industry is evolving at mach speed, …