While the "in-a-box" concept seems a natural fit for a fast-food chain, the more complex task of setting up wireless service may seem to be asking a bit much from such a simple idea.Equitel Inc., based in Research Triangle, N.C., thinks simple ideas are...
WASHINGTON-In addition to new litigation alleging that mobile phones cause brain cancer, the wireless industry also faces possible Supreme Court litigation over government exposure standards and a class-action lawsuit in New Orleans that claims manufacturers failed to take steps to minimize consumer exposure to...
NEW YORK-Telecommunications is like chess, because the grand masters emerge as victors by controlling the center of the board, Ivan Seidenberg, president and co-chief executive officer of Verizon Communications Inc., said."In our case, the move to center means four platforms: robust local access, local broadband,...
WASHINGTON-The House telecom subcommittee last week voted to include wireless carriers in a new scheme for carriers to compensate each other for carrying each other's traffic.The bill, which now goes to the full committee for consideration, would end the process known as reciprocal compensation...
MINNEAPOLIS-Verizon Wireless services will be offered at more than 350 Best Buy stores nationwide beginning in October, complementing the retailer's current national wireless two-way messaging and paging relationship with Verizon Wireless.The agreement includes Verizon's wireless products and services, including the company's recently introduced mobile...
WASHINGTON-A Motorola Inc. technician who was a mobile-phone trouble shooter for 10 years plans shortly to sue Motorola Inc. and possibly others for allegedly causing his brain cancer. The man went on disability last fall after being diagnosed with a potentially deadly brain tumor...
WASHINGTON-Capitol Hill was all a flurry last week with activities related to the wireless industry, some out in the open and others behind closed doors.RCR Wireless News has learned the wireless industry has joined in a Capitol Hill fight on how local phone carriers...
Armed with approval from the state, a unit of Consolidated Edison Inc. is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to build a state-of-the-art, $115 million telecommunications network that will stretch from the financial district in lower Manhattan to Westchester County.Con Edison Communications has started...
WASHINGTON-Telecom firms-including those with major wireless properties-have contributed nearly $18 million so far in soft money in the 2000 election cycle, according to a new report.Overall, Common Cause said the telecom industry ranked second only to Wall Street in this season of record, unregulated...
China and CDMA technology have attempted marriage about as many times as Elizabeth Taylor.Now it appears the Chinese government again has given the green light to China Unicom to deploy CDMA technology as quickly as possible. Naturally, vendors remain cautious. They've heard this before.It's...
WASHINGTON-In danger of losing its funding, the Texas state commission with authority over 911 implementation is blaming the wireless industry because the commission did not meet a state-mandated target.As of Aug. 31 (the state-mandated deadline) wireless enhanced 911 Phase I service had been deployed...
Aquis Communications Group Inc. said it signed nine interconnection agreements with Verizon Communications, encompassing the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. Aquis will receive money for terminating Verizon-originated calls on Aquis' paging network, as well...
As handset makers continue to stretch their resources in the three digital technologies and future 3G technologies, they are finding an increasing need to outsource a portion of the business.L.M. Ericsson, struggling for profitability in its handset business, has turned to outsourcing lower-end handsets,...
Bank of America launched a wireless banking and brokerage offering last week in limited markets through a partnership with 724 Solutions Inc.Bank of America Private Bank customers in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., will be able to conduct banking transactions...
WASHINGTON-With the Federal Communications Commission set to rule shortly on whether building owners should be forced to open their doors to upstart telecom carriers, lobbying between fixed broadband wireless carriers and the real estate industry over building access has intensified in a controversy that...
WASHINGTON-Wireless firms last week pushed to have the Baltimore mobile phone-cancer lawsuit moved from Maryland state court to a federal court.The filing was prepared by the Atlanta law firm of Alston & Bird on behalf of Motorola Inc., Verizon Wireless, SBC Communications Inc., the...
TORONTO-The consolidation trend in the North American wireless sector is intensifying. The prevailing wisdom is that it is no longer good enough to be merely a regional or national carrier with transborder capabilities. The game plan is to be part of a global presence,...
CanadaFuzion Wireless Communications said it launched its fixed wireless broadband services network in Ontario, Canada. Serving businesses in Toronto and other locations, Fuzion said it will deliver Internet connectivity at speeds from 500 kilobits per second to 45 Megabits per second.United StatesVerizon Communications and...
BANGALORE, India-Although the Indian cellular industry is growing quite well, with the country's cumulative cellular subscriber base at 2.18 million at the end of June, operators are still hesitant to expand coverage outside high-density population centers.When the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) originally divided the...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission said it will vigorously enforce wireless radiation safety rules that go into effect later this week."We are serious about this and will be checking," said Robert Cleveland, the FCC's expert on radio-frequency exposure rules. Cleveland said the FCC will conduct...
NEW YORK-Verizon Communications hopes to raise $5 billion in an initial public offering of its Verizon Wireless business, according to documents filed Aug. 24 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.The company said it will use net proceeds to pay for network expansion, the acquisition...
WASHINGTON-While the Communications Workers of America succeeded in winning concessions that make it easier to organize wireless workers at Verizon Communications-the nation's largest mobile phone and local telephone company-the prospect for widespread wireless unionization is challenged by a confluence of forces that conspire against...
Telus Corp. offered to acquire all the shares of Clearnet Communications Inc. for $4.48 billion, creating a daunting competitor in Canada's tight wireless market.Under terms of the offer, Telus will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Clearnet for $47.48 per share. Clearnet shareholders...
Maybe it was an oversight, but in his diatribe against Corporate America at the Democratic National Convention that spewed venom at Big Tobacco, Big Oil, Big Polluters and Big Pharmaceuticals, Al Gore left out Big Telecom. Oops.Truth is, while Big Oil has a special...
