As ringtone revenues descend and full-track mobile music services spin their tires, ringback tones are quietly gaining steam. But they may not be quiet much longer.Ringbacks-audio content that a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called answers the phone-first...
Leap Wireless International Inc. said that it plans to acquire Hargray Communications Group Inc.'s wireless operations for $30 million, expanding Leap's Cricket service into Savannah, Ga. and Hilton Head, S.C.The deal includes Hargray's 15 megahertz spectrum license, wireless network and most of its wireless...
The identities of likely 700 MHz bidders continue to emerge little by little as the Federal Communications Commission gears up to release a complete list of applicants in advance of the auction's Jan. 24 start date.Clearwire Corp. became the latest company to the show...
The third quarter of 2007 saw few changes to the relative positions of the ten largest wireless carriers, but pending acquisitions soon will continue the industry's march toward consolidation.
AT&T Mobility had a particularly strong quarter due to a boost from sales of the Apple...
The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier --Lehman Brothers lowered its rating on Leap Wireless to equal weight from overweight and cut its price target on the company to $43 from...
While they may lack the name recognition of their larger competitors, regional carriers are tweaking their rate plans ahead of the holiday shopping season.Qwest Communications International Inc. introduced a set of wireless plans emphasizing messaging and data use.The Messaging and More plans are aimed...
Investors sent Virgin Mobile USA Inc.'s stock plunging this morning despite decent quarterly numbers, based on worries about the impact of an increasing competitive prepaid landscape as well as economic impacts on the company's customer base. Virgin Mobile USA's stock was down more than...
San Antonio-based carrier Pocket Communications introduced a pair of new rate plans, including one that starts at $25 per month, in an attempt to attract users to its flat-rate calling service. Pocket has a track record of shaking up the south Texas market with...
The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier --Standard & Poor's Ratings Services placed the ratings of Leap Wireless International on CreditWatch with negative implications after the company said it plans to...
Regional carrier Pocket Communications said its customer base in south Texas reached 170,000 subscribers, 17 months after the company began offering a flat-rate wireless service that competes with larger carriers such as Leap Wireless International Inc. Pocket, which serves the greater San Antonio area,...
Leap Wireless International Inc.'s stock took a major hit this morning. The flat-rate wireless carrier, which until recently had been courted by MetroPCS Communications Inc. with an unsolicited $5.1 billion merger bid, released preliminary financial results for the third quarter and announced it will...
The best part of Google's "Android" announcement last week? Why, the name of course. How awesome is it that a giant company like Google used the term android for its wireless phone plans? Very awesome. Though some of us on the RCR Wireless News...
The Federal Communications Commission's revised roaming rules may have exacerbated an already divisive industry issue, with warring carriers challenging new guidelines and feuding over the possibility of their extension to wireless broadband service providers. The FCC's Aug. 7 decision concluded automatic roaming is...
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 RCRNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
Who says quarterly financial calls are no fun? During last week's call by Qwest Communications, financial analysts grilled newly hired CEO Edward Mueller, which we encapsulated here for you.Analysts: "Where's our dividend? Why do you want to spend another $200 million on fiber? And...
MetroPCS Communications Inc. announced it dropped its proposal to merge with Leap Wireless International Inc., following Leap's disinterest in the deal."MetroPCS has not been able to engage Leap in meaningful negotiations regarding MetroPCS' merger proposal," Metro said. "As a result, MetroPCS today announced that...
With more than 15% of wireless carriers' revenue coming from data services, operators are eyeing the next leap in usage. Executives from the big-five carriers were all on hand yesterday for a panel discussion on the state of mobile content, spelling out their strengths,...
Signs are popping up that carriers are getting closer to making use of the spectrum they acquired in the advanced wireless services auction last year. T-Mobile USA Inc. confirmed that it has begun offering its first 3G handset to customers in New York, although...
THREE OF THE LARGEST REGIONAL wireless carriers are in the process of being acquired by national operators, as the nationals push further into rural and suburban markets and seek to expand their coverage and continue their growth in the face of high penetration rates.T-Mobile...
Leap Wireless International Inc. sent a stinging rebuke to MetroPCS Communications Inc. in response to its merger proposal, but most analysts believe the public sparring is simply a precursor to an almost inevitable merger.Both companies, which compete in the flat-rate, unlimited space and have...
Like most things that taste good but that are not good for you (think Dairy Queen Blizzard) the industry's taste for mergers and acquisitions is getting out of hand, leaving a bad taste for many.Over the past several weeks, a number of once-prominent regional...
Nokia Corp., two handset rivals and semiconductor companies active in the memory space are pursuing an open standard dubbed universal flash storage that could smooth the uptake path for a variety of converged mobile and consumer electronics devices.The standard is expected to be finished...
Welcome to our Friday feature, Week in Review. Every Friday, RCR Wireless News runs through the major events of the past week, outlining what happened and speculating on what to look for in the coming weeks, months and years. Check below for news about...
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 RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the...
