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BOSTON—The U.S. mobile virtual network operator market continues to take hits from naysayers who believe the segment isn’t living up to its hype. The latest blow comes from research firm Strategy Analytics, which predicts the majority of MVNOs will fail …

DALLAS—The U.S. mobile video market can’t support all the multimedia networks scheduled to come online in the next 18 months, according to a new report from Parks Associates. The prospects appear bright for Sprint Nextel Corp.’s planned WiMAX network and …

BOSTON—Research In Motion Ltd. has lost traction in the mobile e-mail market this year, but will likely continue to increase subscribers, according to a report from Strategy Analytics. The survey found the BlackBerry’s market share dipped five points to 59 …

SEATTLE—Increasing ownership of camera phones is fueling uptake of photo-messaging in the United States and Europe, according to the latest figures from M:Metrics. The survey found that photo-messaging among U.S. users has increased nearly one-third since February; the application saw …

Commercial telematics, in particular mobile research management, is driving location-based services today, according to ABI Research. But the next big battleground will be to add Web portals to vehicle navigation devices. Following is a roundup of trends to watch in …

Operators around the world are rolling out sexy new services like mobile TV and full-track downloads in an effort to compensate for razor-thin margins for voice service and see a return on investments in 3G technology. But carriers looking to …

Just when you thought mobile music personalization applications couldn’t get any more disruptive, along come background tones. The latest-but surely not last-step in the evolution of such offerings, background tones play during entire conversations between mobile users. Subscribers can choose …

HAMPSHIRE, U.K.—The mobile music market may be on the cusp of shifting away from ringtones to over-the-air full-track music services, according to new research from Juniper Research. The shift is being driven by new technologies like third-generation networks and music-centered …

Device-based security, which despite competing notions of stored data vs. data-in-motion, has its role. In that case, according to the Tower Group’s Bob Egan, keep in mind that the drivers-both legal and “reputational,” if you will-are powerful and the market …

16The spate of recent headlines can only feed the well-founded paranoia of corporate IT managers struggling to serve their colleagues’ quest for mobility. The enterprise’s demand for data on-the-go naturally includes e-mail and requests for proprietary corporate information, including access …

HAMPSHIRE, England—Mobile WiMAX is set to outpace fixed WiMAX technology, according to a new report from Juniper Research, which claims that mobile WiMAX will grow from 1.7 million subscribers in 2007 to 21.3 million by 2012. Juniper released its WiMAX …

BERWYN, Pa.—Shares of SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. held firm as the company narrowed losses and added subscribers in the second quarter. The operator reported a net loss of $110.4 million, down less than 3 percent from a $113.52 million loss …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc. tied for the top spot in the most recent J.D. Power & Associates survey of wireless carrier customer care performance. Both carriers scored 104 points on the company’s scale, while the industry …

BOSTON—Motorola Inc.’s Q phone garnered significant interest from online handset shoppers during the first month it was released, according to an analysis by Compete Inc., which studies the behavior of online shoppers. More than 5 percent of those researching handset …

CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Handset makers are expected to be shipping 1.5 billion devices worldwide in 2011, according to a new report by consulting company Analysys. The report posits that handsets will evolve to fall into one of three categories: voice-centric, converged-function and …

Mobile-phone penetration rates are surpassing 90 percent in markets around the world, reaching the saturation point in Hong Kong, South Korea and Western Europe. Meanwhile, handset manufacturers continue to gain ground. Worldwide mobile-phone shipments in the second quarter fell just …

NEW YORK—Spending on wireless equipment is in a bit of a slump, according to Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.’s U.S. telecom capex preview. The firm said Cingular Wireless L.L.C., the nation’s largest carrier, is spending money on third-generation equipment, but …

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Not only has Motorola Inc.’s Q device set a new low point for smart-phone pricing at around $200, it also has achieved a low production cost as well, with materials and manufacturing costs of only $158, according to …

MINNEAPOLIS—T-Mobile USA Inc. moved ahead of Verizon Wireless in customer satisfaction, according to a survey by Vocal Laboratories Inc. The survey draws on the experiences of individuals who provide Vocal Labs with feedback on their customer-service experiences. This was the …

ARLINGTON, Va.—Nearly two years after a public roundtable on electronics waste policy, the U.S. Technology Administration has issued a report on e-waste policy issues. The Information Technology Association of America immediately touted the report’s role in illuminating the challenges to …

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—As multimedia-enabled handsets flood the market, so are external memory options, according to a new report from The NPD Group. The number of handsets equipped with removable media slots increased more than 250 percent to 2 million phones …

STANFORD, Calif.—Number portability has translated into lower wireless costs for consumers due to increased competition, according to research done at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Since the Federal Communications Commission mandated wireless local number portability in late 2004, average …

Business forecasts are integral to industry, wireless or otherwise. Vendors crunch them, analysts parse them, investors fret over them, bloggers disparage them and reporters write about them. Early in the year, forecasts typically are up, down or mixed. And by …

U.S. carriers are demanding more of a place at the content trough, content provides say, whittling away at already onerous revenue-share deals. And publishers are feeling the squeeze. Ringtone vendors and others have long complained about operators that pocket the …

WASHINGTON-A new study claims mobile-phone use while driving is as dangerous as drinking while behind the wheel, reinforcing previous research on distracted driving and further complicating industry’s message the wireless phones are a safety tool. “We found that people are …