THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION'S conditional approval of Verizon Wireless' acquisition of Alltel Communications L.L.C. and the merger of Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp.'s WiMAX operations could have significant post-election policy and marketplace ramifications, including a private auction of sorts for more than 100...
Nov. 4, 2008, will go down as a historic day both for the country as well as for the wireless industry. The impact of the presidential election is probably self-evident and better explained by those with more knowledge on the subject. But the impact...
With the wireless industry's nationwide players having posted third-quarter results, it appears that the market is quickly changing from a battle of the big 4 to a war between the big 2. Last week, the industry's No. 3 and No. 4 operators, Sprint Nextel...
MetroPCS Communications Inc. and Leap Wireless International Inc. will offer free roaming onto each other's networks, a move stemming from a reciprocal roaming agreement signed in September by the two rivals. Leap's markets will be free to MetroPCS customers signed up for the carrier's...
Regional, flat-rate carrier Leap Wireless International Inc. lost nearly $50 million during the third quarter, but said it will continue to focus on growth.Leap reported a third quarter net loss of $48.8 million, which it attributed to its "new initiatives." The numbers showed a...
MetroPCS Communications Inc. posted its full, third-quarter earnings report, along with news that it is now up and running in new Michigan markets. The carrier, which previously announced that it added 249,000 customers during the third quarter, launched service in Flint, Lansing, Saginaw and...
The Federal Communications Commission today conditionally approved the Verizon Wireless-Alltel Communications L.L.C. and the Sprint Nextel-Clearwire Corp. mergers, while also voting to allow unlicensed devices to operate in vacant broadcast spectrum known as white spaces.The three major wireless decisions, which were preceded by massive...
The nation's top wireless and high-tech companies appear poised to be big winners Nov. 4, with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin seemingly on track to secure votes that will result in further industry consolidation, create a super-size WiMAX service provider, expand Wi-Fi and...
So far, despite massive lobbying over scheduled Nov. 4 votes on white spaces, wireless mergers, the universal service fund and intercarrier-compensation reforms, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to blink. The FCC last night released the official agenda for the...
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN is coming under mounting pressure to postpone votes on major wireless items scheduled for Nov. 4. As Martin tries to round up support for the Verizon Wireless-Alltel Communications L.L.C. and Sprint Nextel Corp.-Clearwire Corp. deals and unleashing Wi-Fi...
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 RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
Small, rural and regional wireless carriers and trade groups said the Federal Communications Commission should not vote Nov. 4 on the Verizon Wireless-Alltel Communications L.L.C. merger before acting on unresolved roaming, spectrum concentration and handset exclusivity issues."Approving this merger without debating and addressing those...
Once considered the red-headed stepchild of wireless, prepaid services are finally gaining mainstream appeal helped by the need for carriers to target broader demographics and consumer desires for more ways to control their spending. Over the past several weeks a number of operators have...
In addition to recent pricing changes, Sprint Nextel Corp. subsidiary Boost Mobile is altering its marketing approach as well as its target market. Matt Carter, Boost's new president and GM, said the company needs to put more emphasis on prepaid and put it in...
Wireless industry professionals always seem to be wearing hard hats. Whether building new phones, constructing monthly plans or remodeling ever-faulty customer service options, carriers put their construction tools to use daily. But without a good network, there would be nothing else to build upon....
Motorola Inc. announced its first touchscreen phone for the U.S., called the Krave, with Verizon Wireless on Tuesday. The phone is now available for $150 with a mail-in rebate.The phone is a variant of the Ming, a popular model launched in China in early...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our coverage of 25 years in wireless. RCR Wireless News is celebrating with a package of stories detailing the advances of the past three decades. For full coverage please visit RCRWireless.com/25years.
During the past 25 years, two overriding factors have shaped...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our coverage of 25 years in wireless. RCR Wireless News is celebrating with a package of stories detailing the advances of the past three decades. For full coverage please visit RCRWireless.com/25years.
People of a certain age will remember the Wayback Machine...
The following list ranks U.S. wireless industry CEOs by total compensation for the 2007 fiscal year.
The ranking includes executives at public U.S. companies listed on the RCR Wireless News Stock Watch. Salary and total compensation figures were derived from annual proxy statements filed with...
MetroPCS Communications Inc. posted limited third-quarter results, displaying strong growth and a year-over-year drop in customer churn. The carrier reported 249,265 net additions during the quarter, nearly double the 114,302 customers the carrier added during the same quarter last year. MetroPCS ended the third...
Leap Wireless International Inc. juggled its offerings with the launch of its new PayGo prepaid service, which will replace its previously offered Jump prepaid plans. The PayGo service is a daily, pay-as-you-go option that customers only pay for on the days that they access...
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 RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
Editor's Note: This is one of a series of stories examining the current economic downturn and how it affects the wireless industry. For more on this topic, visit RCRWireless.com/EconomicDownturn.Industry CEOs have been hopping between company conferences to boast their business and assure investors that...
