Mobile virtual network operator Amp'd Mobile Inc. last week made its long-awaited and much-hyped soft launch. The carrier is offering a range of postpaid calling services, including an unlimited calling option and push-to-talk capabilities, as well as a trio of CDMA2000 1x EV-DO handsets....
Wireless distributor and fulfillment services provider Brightpoint Inc. is going directly to consumers with branded retail stores. The company said it plans to sell mobile phones and services from Sprint Nextel Corp., Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. and Vonage Holdings Inc. through outlets under the...
BOSTON, Mass.-MobileSphere said it is offering CarrierILD, an international long-distance solution for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and wireless carriers. The service uses MobileSphere's patent-pending softswitch technology and global Tier 1 network. MobileSphere noted the platform includes discounted international termination to more than 220...
The potential breadth of the mobile virtual network operator model was evident last week as a pair of companies reported plans to enter the wireless space with services spanning the gamut from the loftiest of the high end to entry-level prepaid services. Seeking to...
WASHINGTON-Online reseller InPhonic Inc. said it signed a letter of intent to sell certain assets of its Liberty Wireless and Spanish language Viva Liberty mobile virtual network operator services to Vaya. Under the terms of the agreement, Vaya will acquire the Liberty Wireless and...
It is hard to believe that I have sat in the second chair at RCR for 10 1/2 years. This time spent following the wireless marathon has gone by in the blink of an eye.When I started here in April 1995, the C-Block auction...
LOS ANGELES-SK Earthlink Inc. followed through on previous claims that it was looking at a new name for its planned mobile virtual network operator service, unveiling the newly christened Helio Inc. brand that the company plans to use when it launches next spring. The...
SAN FRANCISCO-Several highly anticipated mobile virtual network operators last week revealed plans to begin rolling out services in time for the upcoming holiday shopping season. One of the biggest names in the burgeoning space, ESPN Inc., said it plans to begin offering its sports-themed...
Amp'd Mobile Inc. and Disney both offered details this week about their upcoming mobile virtual network operator services. Amp'd Mobile said it's on track for a pre-holiday service launch of its MVNO service that will target the increasingly attractive youth/young adult market and rely...
SK-Earthlink's plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator service have been pushed back until at least early next year, but despite the delay, the company is not scaling back its roadmap to sign up 3 million customers by 2009. "We are looking at...
To the Editor, One significant differentiator for MVNOs (Aug. 8 "Different looks" editorial) would be to acquire a channel or two of 2.5 GHz spectrum to gain greater flexibility in future product offerings. Just 5.5 megahertz in the top NFL markets might dramatically improve...
MVNO madness is nearing fever pitch as companies outside the traditional wireless space contemplate whether they too should start selling wireless telephony as a commodity. Can P. Diddy really become a mobile virtual network operator? Would that be a smart move for him? For...
PALO ALTO, Calif.-A strong push by mobile virtual network operators during the next several years backed by an emphasis on wireless data services and customized service offerings could boost the segment's total revenues from $2.48 billion in 2004 to $9.35 billion by 2011, according...
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...
The big mouse is finally loose in the wireless house as the Walt Disney Co. announced plans to launch a family-oriented mobile virtual network operator wireless service using Sprint Corp.'s nationwide network. The decision has been expected for some time and follows a similar...
PALO ALTO, Calif.-A strong push by mobile virtual network operators during the next several years backed by an emphasis on wireless data services and customized service offerings could boost the segment's total revenues from $2.48 billion in 2004 to $9.35 billion by 2011, according...
The coming surge of mobile virtual network operators will target virtually every demographic, from ethnic groups to sports fans to rural users. But no group of consumers is being courted as much as America's youth. As wireless enters the multimedia era, the market of...
My niece was caught in a rainstorm last week while at an out-of-town cheerleading camp. The torrential rain soaked her to the skin and drowned the wireless handset in her pocket. After the rain stopped, the phone would not work. My brother loaned her...
BOSTON-The domestic prepaid market is set for explosive growth during the next five years as the industry continues to refine offerings based on so-called hybrid plans and increasingly popular mobile virtual network operators, according to a study from research and consulting firm Atlantic-ACM. The...
The domestic prepaid market is set for explosive growth during the next five years as the industry continues to refine offerings based on so-called hybrid plans and increasingly popular mobile virtual network operators, according to a study from research and consulting firm Atlantic-ACM.The report,...
The MVNO wave is building strength as a growing number of companies have announced plans to enter the wireless space using established operators' mobile networks. Analysts' note that while the wave is gaining momentum, an even stronger surge is expected in the next 12...
T-Mobile USA Inc.'s position as the nation's fourth-largest wireless operator, as well as one of the industry's fastest growing, might not be enough to guarantee its long-term prospects. Several industry observers have questioned the carrier's ability to remain a standalone entity in the face...
A week has passed without massive carrier consolidation, mergers and world war. Where's the big news this week? There was a fascinating story on the music on George W. Bush's iPod. (OK, not really so fascinating. He doesn't even choose his own songs. An...
HOUSTON-Although they recorded increased revenues, two tower operators suffered net losses in their financial results for the fourth quarter of 2004 compared with the previous year. For the full year, American Tower Corp. and Crown Castle had better results. The two companies had postponed...
