Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C.'s stock began trading publicly as the company completed an initial public offering with share prices at the low end of its expected range. Virgin Mobile USA had planned to price its shares between $15 and $17 apiece; the shares were...
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....
Tween-focused mobile virtual network operator kajeet Inc. is trying to snap up customers who must leave lame-duck MVNO Disney Mobile, which is slated to be shut down at the end of December. Kajeet, a pay-as-you-go service with parental controls on when and how the...
Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. isn't losing track of its core market. The MVNO announced a new deal with KushTV to bring the multiplatform network's original made-for-mobile episodic series to Helio's content-loving subscribers. "KushTV has earned a reputation for bringing great episodic series...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis' Avi Greengart, iGR's Iain...
So the big mouse has left the wireless house.Just over a year after unveiling its mobile virtual network operator plans in a fireworks-studded event at the CTIA show in the spring of 2006, the Walt Disney Co. decided to pull the plug on its...
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...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Jupiter Research's Julie Ask, iGR's Iain...
IF 2006 WAS THE YEAR OF THE LAUNCH for mobile virtual network operators, then 2007 has so far been the Year of the Crash.The last few months have brought a screeching halt to the MVNO hype that dominated 2005 and most of 2006, when...
Xero Mobile Inc., the mobile virtual network operator in terminal pre-launch mode, is being eyed by ROK Entertainment Group.ROK CEO Laurence Alexander said he is negotiating to acquire Xero, which has long planned-and, thus far, failed-to deploy an ad-subsidized service for college students. Xero...
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...
The Walt Disney Co. is shutting down its remaining mobile virtual network operator, Disney Mobile, as of Dec. 31. The company announced this morning that it would dismantle Disney Mobile and would explore "a new business model for its content and services that might...
Virgin Mobile USA Inc. again adjusted the price of its proposed initial public offering, and outlined the financial details of the plan.According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Virgin Mobile plans to offer 27.5 million shares for between $15 and $17...
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...
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...
Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. has received a fresh commitment of funds from South Korean co-parent SK Telecom, to the tune of $270 million. The funding does not include a matching commitment from Helio's other owner, EarthLink Inc.EarthLink said it is in discussions...
Mobile virtual network operator Disney Mobile has been well-received by parents, but lacks scale and may see some changes to its business model, according to remarks by Walt Disney Co.'s senior executive VP and CFO Tom Stagg at a Merrill Lynch conference this week....
It's been fun following the story/non-story about Apple's possible interest in participating in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction. Sure, Apple, like Google, which has expressed interest in the auction, has all the money in the world and could easily purchase the spectrum needed...
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.--BiTMICRO: Woodside Investments L.P. led a $9.3 million Series F funding round into BiTMICRO Networks. The company said it...
Venture capitalists haven't completely abandoned mobile virtual network operators-at least, not if the MVNO is tween-focused kajeet Inc. Kajeet announced today that it has raised $36.8 million in series B venture funding, with the round led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson Growth Fund and including...
An increasing number of parents around the country can sidestep the dreaded $400 cellphone bill boosted by their child's texting mania, as more wireless companies begin to offer custom controls on children's wireless usage.AT&T Mobility announced last week that it is making parental controls...
AT&T Mobility has joined the ranks of wireless companies offering parents control over their children's wireless usage. The operator today introduced a Web-based service, Smart Limits for Wireless, to allow parents to set usage limits on talk time, text messaging, instant messaging and...
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Jupiter Research's Julie Ask, iGR's Iain...
Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. cut about 5% of its workforce, mostly in its field sales team, the company confirmed following media reports of the move.The cuts amount to around 100 positions, and Helio spokesman Rick Heineman described them as being part of...
