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Wireless looks to capitalize on FIFA World Cup action

All eyes will be on Germany next week as teams from 32 nations open play in the FIFA World Cup, a four-week, 64-game tournament to determine the planet's best soccer club. And the wireless industry is hoping many of those eyes will be watching...

Carriers compete on perks, not price

During the past several years, the four national U.S. carriers have whittled away the number of price plans they offer to consumers, dropped low-end plans and largely come into lock-step with each other on service plan price points. On the other hand, the cost...

Verizon Wireless tops J.D. Power survey of business customers

Verizon Wireless beat out the rest of the industry in serving business customers, landing at the top of J.D. Power and Associates' second annual survey of business wireless satisfaction. Verizon Wireless had an index ranking of 711 on a 1,000-point scale and had "particularly...

Freedom ups prepaid competition with $10 per month plan

WAKEFIELD, N.H.-Prepaid reseller Freedom Phone Services introduced a new prepaid phone plan that starts at $10 per month. Customers must pay ahead of time and essentially have a month-to-month arrangement; they have a month to use their allotted minutes and then can choose whether...

Freedom ups prepaid stakes with $10 per month plan

WAKEFIELD, N.H.—Prepaid reseller Freedom Phone Services introduced a new prepaid phone plan that starts at $10 per month. Customers must pay ahead of time and essentially have a month-to-month arrangement; they have a month to use their allotted minutes and then can choose whether...

Verizon Wireless tops J.D. Power survey of business customers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—Verizon Wireless beat out the rest of the industry in serving business customers, landing at the top of J.D. Power and Associates’ second annual survey of business wireless satisfaction. Verizon Wireless had an index ranking of 711 on a 1,000-point scale and...

Canadians increasing reliance on wireless

OTTAWA—Two-thirds of Canadian households either own a wireless phone or have access to one, according to a new study from Decima Research commissioned by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. The province of Alberta boasts the highest household wireless penetration rate at 79 percent, while...

MobileSphere expands campus offering

BOSTON—Telecommunications company MobileSphere Ltd. announced the launch of its MobileU offering designed to provide college and university students with a communications package that encompasses calls from dormitories, international long-distance calls via cell phone, prepaid services and domestic and international text messaging. MobileSphere said it...

Cell Wireless, Bond Wireless announce merger plans

TUCSON, Ariz.—Cell Wireless Corp. and Bond Wireless said they signed a letter of intent calling for the two companies to merge. Bond Wireless provides mobile messaging solutions, including international text messaging connectivity, mobile messaging applications, integrated products and consultancy services to enterprises. The company...

U.S. closing gap in data adoption

It's safe to say U.S. wireless subscribers have caught up with much of the rest of the world in terms of data consumption. But it appears American carriers still have their work cut out for them when it comes to cashing in. The United...

Wireless coming from Mouse House to your house

  LAS VEGAS-With fog, fireworks and a helping hand from Mickey Mouse, Disney Mobile announced the launch of its cellular service at CTIA. Steve Wadsworth, president of the Disney Internet Group, joked that the towering on-stage model of the silver Pantech flip-phone that Disney...

Mickey strides into wireless

LAS VEGAS—With fog, fireworks and a helping hand from Mickey Mouse, Disney Mobile announced the launch of its cellular service at yesterday’s CTIA keynote. Steve Wadsworth, president of the Disney Internet Group, joked that the towering on-stage model of the silver Pantech flip-phone that...

Hotxt’s SMS service could ruffle feathers

British wireless subscribers can send and receive text messages at bargain-basement rates thanks to an IP-based messaging service released last week. But-unlike Voice over IP-analysts say the new offering poses little threat to mobile operators in the United States. Hotxt, which describes its service...

ESPN exports content to Canada, Latin America, Europe

BRISTOL, Conn.-ESPN announced an international push for its ESPN-branded mobile content. The company said the new initiatives target wireless customers in Canada, Europe and Latin America and covers a variety of content including sports news and information, video, ringtones, wallpaper, wireless Internet sites and...

Starwave to bring virtual girlfriend, boyfriend to US

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Starwave Mobile said it signed a mobile licensing agreement with Artificial Life Inc. to bring the company’s virtual girlfriend and virtual boyfriend games to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The V-girl and V-boy applications are role-playing mobile games that...

Oklahoma moving ahead with ban on teen cell phone use while driving

WASHINGTON—The Oklahoma Senate has passed legislation forbidding teen drivers with learner’s permits from using cell phones while behind the wheel. "We’ve seen recent studies that discuss the high incidence of accidents by young drivers and the high correlation to the use of cell phones...

ESPN exports content to Canadian, European, Latin American users

BRISTOL, Conn.—ESPN announced an international push for its ESPN-branded mobile content. The company said the new initiatives target wireless customers in Canada, Europe and Latin America and covers a variety of content including sports news and information, video, ringtones, wallpaper, wireless Internet sites and...

Ads get mobile, mobile gets ads

Mobile advertising has come a long way since the early days of "American Idol." The hit show is credited with catalyzing text messaging in North America, generating more than 13 million messages during the 2004 season from fans voting via their mobile phones. Mobile...

Helio sets lofty goals for MVNO

Head honchos from soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. have been talking up their MVNO the past few weeks, speaking to groups at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Wireless Forum and Jefferies Wireless Conference last week and also making an appearance at EarthLink Inc.'s...

IXI Mobile merges with ITAC

NEW YORK—Ogo device vendor IXI Mobile Inc. said it is merging with Israel Technology Acquisition Corporation, the firms announced. IXI Mobile is expected to become a wholly owned subsidiary of ITAC when the deal closes, which is expected in the third quarter of this year....

Cingular trials video-sharing service

BARCELONA, Spain—The GSM Association said it has started interoperability trials for video services in Europe, Asia and the United States that would allow wireless users to share live video clips across networks.The trials include more than twenty mobile operators and subsidiaries, including China Mobile,...

Pentagon report underscores wireless needs for successful military

WASHINGTON-A new Department of Defense report says the military will depend on broadband and wireless technologies in future warfare, a policy direction that could create added business opportunities for telecom and high-tech industry sectors. The Quadrennial Defense Review Report, the second comprehensive defense assessment...

Comverse products to personalize text messages

NEW YORK-Comverse Technology Inc. hopes to boost already booming text messaging usage with a series of new personalized services and short cuts. The company said the services include an offering that allows members to insert a predetermined signature at the end of text messages,...

Verizon testing Vcast advertising with two-tier payment model

By Alice Z. Cuneo BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.-Madison Avenue needs to figure out emerging media-fast-or lose billions of dollars to someone who will, warned one of the nation's top marketing executives today.