A German driver last week followed his navigation system's command to "Turn right now" and veered into a roadside bathroom 30 yards shy of his intended intersection. Consider it a metaphor for the wireless location-based services industry.In the wonderfully hyped world of wireless, no...
Comcast Corp. will unveil a new multi-screen platform that will allow content to be distributed via TV, online and through wireless devices.The new platform will initially provide Halloween-related content such as horror movies when it is launched on Tuesday, according to remarks by John...
The development of firmware-over-the-air, or FOTA, lies at the intersection of several related trends in mobile devices and their management. The sector is growing and, already, several players claim market leadership. As handsets are packed with features, they are packed with software-bugs and updates...
SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. is making its fabless approach to its semiconductor business leaner and meaner by signing on with the chip fabrication alliance of IBM Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., also known as the Common Platform initiative. Qualcomm's move...
Motorola Inc. is moving and shaking with ambition and two news items this week point to a growth strategy that includes European markets for handsets and networks. In public statements, Greg Brown, president of Motorola's network and enterprise division, said that public-safety needs and...
While the big dogs in the tower industry have national footprints, there are still places they don't or can't cover. And often, hard-to-cover areas mean hard-to-gain-access-to land. But a few companies are finding clever ways to zero in on what used to be considered...
MEXICO CITY-Prepaid wireless provider TracFone Wireless Inc. reported soaring third-quarter revenues of $330 million, a 36-percent increase over its year-ago figure of $243 million. The Miami-based prepaid carrier's subscriber base grew by 41.1 percent year-over-year, from 5.1 million to 7.2 million as the carrier...
Crown Castle International Corp. said its net loss narrowed during the third quarter as revenues increased. During the company's earnings conference call, Crown's president and chief executive, John Kelly, called 2006 a "very good year." He also confirmed that, by the end of the...
WASHINGTON-Consumer groups and wireless carriers last week said AT&T Inc.'s proposed conditions to its $79 billion purchase of BellSouth Corp. are inadequate, creating uncertainty over whether the Federal Communications Commission can pull off a planned Nov. 3 vote on the deal. "AT&T's concessions are...
Two national wireless carriers launched redesigned Web pages last week, as operators increasingly try to drive traffic and sales to the low-cost Internet channel. Cingular Wireless L.L.C. introduced a streamlined new Web site, trimming out some of the previous page's many links and going...
The fourth quarter-a seasonally hot quarter for handset sales-is well underway. Time for the crystal ball and a word from a couple of gazers. The outlook remains positive for fourth-quarter shipment volumes, based largely on historical trends and the remarkable volumes of handsets shipped...
LONDON-Consumers worldwide have been slow to purchase 3G phones and slower to avail themselves of the technological edge that 3G makes possible, market analyst firm TNS said in a new report. Americans, despite a reputation as slow to adopt advanced services, seem focused on...
In Hollywood's movie industry, as in New York's publishing industry, the cutting question is, "Yes, but what have you done lately?" Add the semiconductor industry to that list. When Texas Instruments Inc. reported that its third-quarter revenue rose 13 percent to $3.76 billion and...
As carriers try to attract churners and new subscribers at the onset of the holiday season, they're relying on the strength of their marketing messages and reputation to get shoppers thinking-and potentially onboard. Sprint Nextel Corp. is busy running a new advertising campaign while...
Sprint Nextel Corp. is revving up its network with the promised first launch of CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A technology, lighting up San Diego with coverage that the carrier promises will deliver "significantly faster" upload speeds and faster download speeds as well. San Diego...
Two wireless service providers last week began offering their customers handsets that can move between cellular and Wi-Fi networks, moves that mark the first serious attempt at commercially available converged wireless services in the United States. Such services are seen as one avenue for...
HUNT VALLEY, Md.-Tessco Technologies Inc. reported second-quarter net income of $1.9 million, up from year-ago profits of $1.7 million. However, revenues for the quarter fell 14 percent to $118.7 million from last year's $137.6 million. Tessco provides the wireless industry with network infrastructure products...
Despite mixed third quarter financial results, analysts remain bullish on the long-term outlook of Alcatel Inc.'s pending acquisition of Lucent Technologies Inc. Bill Lesieur, director at Technology Business Research, opined that the mixed results shed light on the potential synergies of the combined company...
American Tower Corp. confirmed last week that it will restate financial results from 2005 through the first quarter of this year due to discrepancies in "measurement dates" of certain stock-option grants. American Tower said an internal committee is still reviewing the stock-options backdating matter...
In the Oct. 16 issue on page 7, we incorrectly stated the company and number of towers that Crown Castle International Corp. is buying. CCI is in the process of buying Global Signal Inc.'s 11,000 towers.
Did anyone else notice that during the recent WiMAX World trade show, every vendor launching WiMAX gear touted Multiple Input, Multiple Output technology as part of its solution? Indeed, Aclatel Inc., Fujitsu Network Communications, Motorola Inc., Nortel Networks Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and...
Mobile marketing took another step toward the mainstream last week as noted advertising firm R/GA launched a division to address wireless phones. The agency, which has moved aggressively to embrace digital advertising platforms in recent years, outlined an effort "to meet the growing demand...
NEWARK, N.J.-Prepaid wireless service provider TuYo Mobile, which focuses on Hispanic and bi-lingual customers, launched service in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. TuYo is a service of IDT Corp., which offers telecom services including calling cards, local and long-distance service, wireless and wholesale...
WASHINGTON-The Bush administration is moving aggressively to integrate radio-frequency identification technology into homeland security, defense and immigration policies, a posture expected to catalyze private-sector investment while inviting increased security and privacy concerns as the emerging wireless application gains traction. The Department of Defense has...
