WASHINGTON—The Justice Department said Alltel Corp. agreed to sell wireless assets in several rural Minnesota markets as a condition to antitrust approval of its $1 billion purchase of regional operator Midwest Wireless. "The department's action ensures that wireless telephone consumers will continue to obtain...
WASHINGTON-A New York federal judge refused to certify a potentially disruptive class-action lawsuit against the four national mobile-phone carriers, possibly removing from the line of fire for now the latest antitrust challenge to the standard industry practice of packaging wireless service and handsets in...
As is often the case, confidence comes with success.Enter Cingular Wireless L.L.C.After a couple of quarters of robust customer growth befitting the nation's largest wireless operator, Cingular has decided to start charging its legacy TDMA and analog customers a $5 per month service charge...
If you're a Cingular Wireless L.L.C. customer, having an out-of-date wireless phone is going to cost you. The nation's largest wireless carrier will soon start charging customers an additional $5 each month if they have an analog or TDMA handset.As of the end of...
ATLANTA—If you’re a Cingular Wireless L.L.C. customer, having an out-of-date wireless phone is going to cost you. The nation’s largest wireless carrier will soon start charging customers an additional $5 each month if they have an analog or TDMA handset.As of the end of...
Cingular Wireless L.L.C. kicked off the industry's second-quarter reporting with an unexpectedly high 1.5 million net customer additions, as well as the company's highest-ever net income of $540 million. The nation's largest carrier also continued to reduce its churn rate, pushing it down to...
WASHINGTON—An influential House Democrat said policy-makers should consider requiring wireless carriers and other communications service providers to participate in any overhaul of a Cold War-era emergency alert system. At a hearing last Thursday, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House telecom and...
ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. kicked off the industry’s second quarter results reporting with an unexpectedly high 1.5 million net new customer additions, as well as the company’s highest-ever net income of $540 million. The nation’s largest carrier also continued to reduce its churn rate, pushing...
Although much attention has been focused on the network transitions and upgrades of national carriers, many regional operators around the country also are deciding how to implement new technologies and whether to spend money to upgrade infrastructure. Those technology decisions are typically driven by...
Although much attention has been focused on the network transitions and upgrades of national carriers, many regional operators around the country also are deciding how to implement new technologies and whether to spend money to upgrade infrastructure. Those technology decisions are typically driven by...
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Regional carrier SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it has started the final phase in upgrading its network from TDMA to GSM, and plans to give its remaining TDMA customers a free handset to help ease the transition.According to SunCom, about 64,000 of its...
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Regional carrier SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it has started the final phase in upgrading its network from TDMA to GSM, and plans to give its remaining TDMA customers a free handset to help ease the transition. According to SunCom, about 64,000 of...
OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp.'s subsidiary American Cellular Corp. said it agreed to purchase Highland Cellular L.L.C. for $95 million. Highland provides wireless service to approximately 51,000 customers in parts of West Virginia and Virginia, markets south of existing Dobson operations. The deal includes a...
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.-Data holds the promise of new services and new revenues, and speakers at last week's Rural Cellular Association conference emphasized the importance of those revenues-and the importance of small carriers not falling behind as national operators turn to ever-faster technology. CTIA President...
OKLAHOMA CITY—Dobson Communications Corp.’s subsidiary American Cellular Corp. said it agreed to purchase Highland Cellular L.L.C. for $95 million. Highland provides wireless service to approximately 51,000 customers in parts of West Virginia and Virginia in markets south of current Dobson operations. The deal includes...
Within the past two years, the number of national carriers in the U.S. has gone from six to four. Between Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and Sprint Corp.'s acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc., the companies that need to have their...
A slew of first-quarter earnings announced last week reflected a generally upbeat quarter for regional wireless carriers. U.S. Cellular Corp. relieved some pressure, having finally released operating results from the third quarter of 2005 and financial restatements dating back to 2000.U.S. Cellular reported that...
ALEXANDRIA, Minn.—Rural Cellular Corp. unveiled preliminary first-quarter figures reflecting a large increase in roaming revenue, but the company said it lost about 7,800 subscribers including wholesaler customers during the first three months of the year. RCC’s roaming revenue topped in at nearly $31 million,...
CALGARY, Alberta—CSI Wireless, which designs and manufactures products using wireless and Global Positioning System technology, has agreed to sell its fixed wireless telephone business to Illinois-based Telular Corp. CSI said the move will allow it to focus its energy on its GPS offerings. Telular,...
Cingular Wireless L.L.C. kicked off 2006 with a strong first quarter that exceeded analysts' expectations, including driving its churn rate down to a company-record low of 1.9 percent overall, with 1.6 percent postpaid churn. But while Cingular's postpaid average revenue per user showed growth,...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week proposed fining rural wireless provider Dobson Communications Corp. $750,000 for not providing enhanced 911 services in a timely manner. Dobson failed to deploy E-911 Phase I to nine public-safety answering points and Phase II to 41 PSAPs, according...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission late Tuesday proposed fining rural wireless provider Dobson Communications Corp. $750,000 for not providing enhanced 911 services in a timely manner. Dobson failed to deploy E-911 Phase I to nine public-safety answering points and Phase II to 41 PSAPs, according...
Verizon Wireless said it purchased Mid-Missouri Cellular, a small TDMA/CDMA operator in central Missouri. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal includes Mid-Missouri's 27 cell sites and other network equipment, plus spectrum licenses that cover 198,000 potential customers in seven counties,...
WASHINGTON-The mobile-phone industry has been forced into a two-front legal war to defend the widespread practice of tying handset sales to the purchase of wireless service from cellular carriers.Two federal antitrust suits, one initially decided in industry's favor, are playing out in two New...
