Who's got the hottest handset on the market? I do! I do! On the heels of the Motorola Inc. Razr's phenomenal success, carriers may play it cool, but there's a sense in the industry that hot handsets drive subscriber numbers and, therefore, you'd better...
NEW YORK—Motorola Inc.'s iRadio service is the latest to woo music lovers with unreleased content, with the vendor inking a deal with Sony BMG to allow subscribers to access "leaked" albums before they hit the shelves. The music company has created a channel at...
BERWYN, Pa.—SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. has fallen below the minimum requirements to continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the company said it intends to submit a plan to the exchange on how it expects to boost its market capitalization...
KANATA, Ontario—Wireless broadband service provider BelAir Networks hopes to build on its municipal Wi-Fi business after scoring $21.4 million in a Series D financing round. Ventures West Management Inc. led the round; other investors included Trilogy Equity Partners, Comcast Interactive Capital, T-Mobile Venture Fund,...
OKLAHOMA CITY—Dobson Communications Corp. said its subscriber additions improved significantly during the third quarter. In a preliminary quarterly report, the company said it added about 23,500 net subscribers, including 11,300 postpaid customers and 14,500 prepaid customers. During the third quarter of last year the...
BURLINGTON, Mass.—Lightbridge Inc. said it will quit its Telecom Decisioning Services business after losing Sprint Nextel Corp.'s business. The nation's No. 3 carrier was Lightbridge's largest TDS customer. Sprint Nextel's TDS contract is scheduled to expire at the end of this year. Lightbridge said...
WASHINGTON-Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) chairman of the House Commerce Committee, shocked, surprised and pleased lawmakers during two days of hearings on pretexting by announcing that a long-stalled bill to make the sale of telephone records illegal could come up for a vote at any...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission officially launched its Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, naming Ken Moran as its acting chief. The agency has been in the process of creating the new bureau for about a year; FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced his intent to...
SAN FRANCISCO-Mobile video upstart Veeker said it has acquired ThumbJive, a developer of youth-focused wireless applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.Veeker, which has been operating in stealth mode, hopes to gain traction with technology that allows users to communicate instantly over...
NEW YORK-Dada USA Inc. launched its social networking and entertainment community for the U.S. market. The company's Web site allows users to subscribe to a variety of services and content including personal blogging, profile matching, text messaging, ringtones, mobile gaming and wallpapers.Dada was founded...
BASKING RIDGE, N.J.-Chocolate phone users are able to get a software upgrade that will add speakerphone capabilities to their handsets. Users will be able to visit Verizon Wireless retail outlets to get the free software upgrade. Verizon recently introduced its music-focused Chocolate phone, which...
NEW YORK-Here's a sampling of the recent customer requests handled by service reps for Voce, the luxury mobile virtual network operator that apparently can do just about anything its subscribers ask of it. Ten customers wanted reservations at Wolfgang Puck's new steakhouse in Los...
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-IDC said there is tremendous growth potential in the market for business-focused phones, and predicted that Microsoft Corp's involvement with Motorola Inc., Palm Inc., and others, as well as Nokia Corp.'s commitment to an end-to-end strategy, threatens to weaken Research in Motion Ltd.'s...
DENVER-Where should cell-phone enthusiasts go for the latest in handset technology? EBay, it appears. An eBay shopper recently purchased a dual-mode CDMA/iDEN phone from Motorola Inc. for $300. Sold by "Rager4208," the phone is dubbed the "Sprint Nextel Hybrid ic502" and offers "Walkie-Talkie, Off...
LOS ANGELES-Amp'd Mobile added another distribution partner, inking a deal to stock its handsets through more than 600 Circuit City Stores Inc. outlets beginning next month. The deal marks a concession of sorts for Amp'd, which had hoped to keep its brick-and-mortar distribution at...
IRVINE, Calif.-Mobile search vendor AskMeNow said it launched a national TV advertising campaign to promote its search service. The company's ad campaign includes 30-second spots that demonstrate the service. The spots will appear on channels including Comedy Central, VH1, ESPN and Fox News, said...
WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to require wireless carriers and tower owners to abide by the National Historic Preservation Act, including accepting the definition of eligible properties. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission told Congress that there is effective competition in the wireless industry, noting a penetration rate of 71 percent and that nearly everyone between the ages of 20 to 49 has a mobile phone. Nevertheless, one commissioner signing off on the...
BELLEVUE, Wash.-With the quiet addition of its new t719 flip phone, which offers BlackBerry Connect service and an e-mail-friendly keypad, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. now supplies just over one-third of T-Mobile USA Inc.'s handset portfolio. The t719 uses the same SureType keypad-a QWERTY alternative...
One of the worst-kept secrets in the wireless industry today is T-Mobile USA Inc.'s much-discussed-by everyone but them, that is-plan to launch services that allow subscribers with dual-mode handsets to move seamlessly between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. U.S. trials of the technology by T-Mobile...
Xero Mobile Inc. found a buyer, inking a deal to sell "substantially all of its assets and liabilities" to little-known Advanced Mobile Communications Inc.The mobile virtual network operator?which has yet to launch service?said it will receive an undisclosed amount of newly issued shares of...
ESPOO, Finland-Nokia Corp. said it has developed an HSDPA connectivity module for notebook computers. The module will be included with Intel Corp.'s next-generation Centrino Duo mobile technology platform, said Nokia."This collaboration is good news for notebook users as cellular technology offers superior connectivity and...
OTTAWA, Ill.-B&B Electronics, which provides automation and communications products, said it acquired Advanced Embedded Systems, a Phoenix-based company that develops industrial-focused wireless products. AES is expected to become part of B&B Electronics' engineering and technical group. B&B Engineering said the acquisition gives it in-house...
Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, answered a few questions for RCR Wireless News via e-mail regarding the factory raid in China. RCR: To what degree is this raid an ongoing effort on behalf of the Bluetooth SIG? Is the group targeting...
