We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a friend, a pioneer an innovator: Mobile ESPN.First of all I want to thank all of those how showed up today, especially the true supporters of Mobile ESPN, those who actually signed up for...
Sprint Nextel announced that it will sell the Motorola Slvr, Krzr and Razr sometime in "early November." We're trying to figure out exactly why Sprint Nextel issued this press release. Why didn't Sprint Nextel just wait until the phones were actually available before they...
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....
SAN DIEGO—Just a few days after the Mobile ESPN flameout, an executive from the mobile virtual network operator was named chief executive of Soapbox Mobile, a mobile marketing solutions company. Vladimir Edelman has been named chief executive officer of Soapbox. He joins the company...
BURBANK, Calif.—It will cost The Walt Disney Co. about $30 million to shut down its Mobile ESPN MVNO, but the company remains positive on the prospects for its Disney Mobile service, according to Disney’s chief financial officer. Thomas Staggs, senior executive vice president and...
NEW YORK-A new mobile virtual network operator targeting Chinese-Americans officially launched, offering cheap international calls to Asia and a Razr phone with menus in Chinese. Red Pocket Mobile soft-launched about two weeks ago, according to Max Smetannikov, vice president of business development for Global...
Here's what got the RCR Wireless News editorial staff talking at the water cooler last week: Mobile ESPN is out of the game. Who knew ESPN stood for Eliminate Service Plan Now?Although it wasn't entirely unexpected, it's still surprising that Mobile ESPN was K.O.'ed...
NEW YORK-Fatherhood was the inspiration for creating and naming mobile virtual network operator Kajeet Inc., and the market will test whether those fathers really do know best when it comes to offering a wireless service that will appeal to kids. Daniel Neal, Kajeet's chief...
NEW YORK-Mobile ESPN seemed to have all the qualities of a successful MVNO: a highly successful brand and recognized brand, a unique user interface, slick handsets and content that would appeal to its sports-enthusiast demographic. But after eight months on the market, the mobile...
Those performing autopsies on Mobile ESPN will find plenty of causes of death. But mobile advertising revenues could have offered a lifeline to the doomed mobile virtual network operator. Analysts agree that the sports network's ambitious wireless effort failed on several fronts. The company...
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...
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...
NEW YORK—After a mere eight months on the market, Mobile ESPN has decided to get out of the mobile virtual network operator business. The brand’s entrance into the wireless space was eagerly anticipated, scrutinized and praised for its innovative user interface, but handset problems...
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...
NEW YORK—A new mobile virtual network operator targeting Chinese-Americans officially launched today, offering cheap international calls to Asia and a Razr phone with menus in Chinese. Red Pocket Mobile soft-launched about two weeks ago, according to Max Smetannikov, vice president of business development for...
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...
Here's what got the edit staff fired up this week: Did you see RCR Reporter Colin Gibbs' story about Sprint Nextel selling ad space on its mobile Web service? Like it promised, Sprint Nextel is transforming itself from a wireless carrier and into a...
Most of the new generation of mobile virtual network operators are less than six months into their operations, but that hasn't prevented a recent spate of speculation and rumors about how well they are doing. Analysts have generally predicted that there will be some...
LOS ANGELES--The CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show's final keynote of the week featured "old guy socks," "rollover minute" double-entendres and a visit by Paris Hilton, as three industry panelists debated how mobile social networking will change the world and declared that the window...
COPPELL, Texas—Shares of CellStar Corp. jumped after the company inked a deal to provide logistics services to mobile virtual network operator Total Call Mobile Inc. CellStar said it will handle "product procurement and fulfillment services including custom kitting, reverse logistics and repair and refurbishment...
Amp'd Mobile Inc. is "fast approaching" 50,000 subscribers and is on track to have a customer base of between 100,000 to 150,000 customers by Christmas, according to Peter Adderton, chief executive officer and founder of the mobile virtual network operator. Adderton told RCR Wireless...
More than 15,000 people are expected to converge on Los Angeles as CTIA kicks off its Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show next week. RCR @ CTIAClick here for complete coverage of the CTIA Wireless I.T. show. Click here for the latest headlines from...
LOS ANGELES—Amp’d Mobile Inc. is "fast approaching" 50,000 subscribers and is on track to have a customer base of between 100,000 to 150,000 customers by Christmas, according to Peter Adderton, chief executive officer and founder of the mobile virtual network operator. Adderton told RCR...
More than 15,000 people are expected to converge on Los Angeles as CTIA kicks off its Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show next week. The show takes place Sept. 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. CTIA said it expects about 300 exhibitors to participate...
