ALEXANDRA, Va.—Hook Mobile emerged from stealth mode with a cross-carrier multimedia messaging service (MMS) application that allows players to collect and trade "cards" of contestants from the CBS reality hit "Survivor." Users can initiate the subscription service by sending a key word to a...
WASHINGTON—AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. urged the Federal Communications Commission not to give in to congressional pressure by requiring them to divest their 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz wireless broadband assets as a condition of approving AT&T’s proposed $67 billion acquisition of BellSouth. "...
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...
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....
WASHINGTON—In the ongoing battle over whether national carriers should have to provide automatic roaming access to smaller operators, SouthernLINC Wireless is pleading its case as an iDEN operator with only one potential national roaming partner: Sprint Nextel Corp. SouthernLINC filed a letter in response...
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. is moving beyond the phone to offer a CDMA2000 1x EV-DO laptop card that will allow users to "switch between a nationwide 3G network, private and free Wi-Fi signals and a worldwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots,"...
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. announced it will soon begin selling three of Motorola Inc.’s popular slim phones, a move those in the industry had long expected. The announcement boosts Motorola’s position in the United States and gives Sprint Nextel a potential shot in...
WASHINGTON-Designated entities accounted for a historically low percentage of the government's multibillion-dollar take in the recently completed advanced wireless services auction, even though they made up more than half of the winning bidders. Indeed, an independent panel of the Small Business Administration recommended that...
HTC Corp. is looking to capitalize on trends?and possibly buck them-as it works to deliver smart phones in the United States and around the world. With 80 percent of the global Windows Mobile business, the Taiwanese smart-phone vendor has grown rapidly by providing third...
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...
Visto Corp. will have no trouble paying its lawyer fees. The mobile e-mail service provider raked in another $51 million this week in a funding round led by Oak Investment Partners. The haul follows a $70 million round that closed last November; Visto is...
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...
Wireless data revenues are surging for U.S. carriers, but whether network operators can cash in on mobile entertainment is far from certain. It's no secret that network operators are wagering vast sums on wireless data to offset ever-slimming margins from voice, and those bets...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—Visto Corp. will have no trouble paying its lawyer fees. The mobile e-mail service provider raked in another $51 million this week in a funding round led by Oak Investment Partners. The haul follows a $70 million round that closed last November;...
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...
BELLEVUE, Wash.—T-Mobile USA Inc. wants its users to get more from life, but the carrier looks to be getting less from Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Bellevue, Wash.-based operator plans to drop its high-profile spokeswoman, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, in favor...
The brave new world of wireless advertising is giving rise to a wide variety of business arrangements between network operators, content owners and mobile marketing firms. And carriers are working to ensure their place in the value chain. Marketing messages on the wireless Web...
