THE GROUND CONTINUED TO SHIFT in the tumultuous mobile virtual network operator space this month as one player announced plans to call it quits, another explores a potential merger and a third prepares to morph into a reseller of wireless services.Embarq Holding Co. L.L.C....
Looks like it's getting pretty safe to say the MVNO bubble has just about burst, or is at least losing air at an alarming rate. The most recent MVNO to hit the skids was Hispanic-focused operator Movida, which was acquired by APC Wireless. Movida...
Finally, the rapid collapse of an MVNO gets blamed on venture-capitalist firms placing unrealistic goals on those left managing the day-to-day operations. That's what happened in the case of recently bankrupt mobile virtual network operator Movida Communications Inc., APC Wireless CEO Paul Greene told...
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 RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
APC Wireless announced it closed a deal late last week to purchase the recently bankrupt MVNO Movida Communications Inc. for an undisclosed sum.Movida, which targeted the Hispanic market, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Delaware court earlier this month, blaming a "costly and...
If MVNOs had a theme song, it would probably be "Another One Bites the Dust." Movida Communications Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week in a Delaware court, blaming a "costly and restrictive" mobile virtual network operator agreement with Sprint Nextel Corp. for...
The next big thing in mobile virtual network operators may not look much like the MVNOs that have been launching-and sometimes crashing-in the past couple of years. With the hype around the space settling into caution, observers see a new kind of MVNO-like partnership...
The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced during the past week. The value of the investment is included when available.--Bluepulse: VantagePoint Venture Partners invested $6 million into mobile social networking company Bluepulse--MocoSpace: General Catalyst Partners led a $3...
Despite the tumultuous nature of the business, it appears the mobile virtual network operator market hasn't lost the interest of private equity and venture capitalists. Movida Communications Inc. announced that it received $40 million in financing from a group of new and existing investors.The...
Japanese wireless carrier KDDI Inc.'s American operation has moved closer to launching a mobile virtual network operator in the United States, targeting Japanese speakers in America.The carrier opened up a Web site over the weekend showing some teaser information about the service that appears...
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 to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We...
The executive shuffle continued last week at RadioShack Corp. as President and Chief Operating Officer Claire Babrowski said she will step down at the end of the month. But the chain's woes go far beyond the front office's revolving door. Babrowski joined the company...
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. continues to make strides on the mobile retail front, expanding its agreement with Verizon Wireless to include postpaid plans and high-end multimedia phones. The chain, which not long ago stocked only prepaid offerings, will offer two Vcast music phones as well...
This year is supposed to be the Year of the Launch for the new generation of mobile virtual network operators, the time when these MVNOs get on their feet and begin to gain traction in the wireless race. With several high-profile MVNOs already launched,...
LOS ANGELES-Brightpoint Inc. announced an agreement to distribute products for mobile virtual network operator Amp'd Mobile Inc. The Indiana-based distributor of phones and accessories will perform inventory management, product fulfillment and distribution, returns management and credit services for Amp'd, which is slated to launch...
OREM, Utah-Q Comm International Inc. announced it's teaming with Movida Communications to offer prepaid airtime cards, pins and handsets to Hispanic customers. Q Comm provides solutions for prepaid transaction processing and electronic point-of-sale distribution, and Movida Communications is a mobile virtual network operator that...
OREM, Utah-Q Comm International Inc. announced it's teaming with Movida Communications to offer prepaid airtime cards, pins and handsets to Hispanic customers.Q Comm provides solutions for prepaid transaction processing and electronic point-of-sale distribution, and Movida Communications is a mobile virtual network operator that targets...
Facilities-based telecommunications provider IDT Corp. unveiled its TuYo Mobile prepaid wireless service targeting the rapidly growing-and increasingly targeted-Hispanic community. IDT said the TuYo Mobile service will offer a bilingual customer experience, international calling and text messaging, and "culturally relevant" music, ringtones, games and graphics....
MIAMI-Hispanic-focused operator Movida Communications Inc. continues to expand, announcing plans to move into 20 more states later this year. The mobile virtual network operator said it will distribute its prepaid service through Wal-Mart Stores Inc. stores and other outlets in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,...
MIAMI-Movida Communications Inc., a mobile virtual network operator focused on the Hispanic market, said it has selected Brightstar Corp. to provide product distribution into retail locations in the markets Movida serves. The agreement calls for Brightstar to provide complete supply-chain management services, including product...
SAN DIEGO-Mobile virtual network operator Movida announced it will sell Kyocera Wireless Corp.'s KX1 for $100. The MVNO said the phone, called SoHo by Kyocera, will be its first mid-tier handset offering in its debut line-up."We are very pleased to be adding Kyocera's design-focused...
MIAMI-Hispanic-targeted prepaid service Movida said it will launch a suite of information services next month. The 6-month-old service said it will offer regional news programming, Latin American soccer scores, celebrity news and Hispanic daytime TV plot summaries beginning in September. Movida, which offers service...
MIAMI-Hispanic-targeted prepaid service Movida said it will launch a suite of information services next month.The 6-month-old service said it will offer regional news programming, Latin American soccer scores, celebrity news and Hispanic daytime TV plot summaries beginning in September. Movida, which offers service in...
As the mobile-phone market continues to surpass all forecasts, there are multiple ways those phones end up in the hands of consumers. At the beginning of last year, industry observers expected handset makers to sell around 500 million phones worldwide in 2004. Instead the...
