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Upoc lines up community service for Virgin Mobile

Upoc Networks announced it is providing mobile chat and community functions to Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. customers.The service allows customers to access thousands of existing messaging groups or create their own personal messaging groups. The service is available on phones through a WAP browser...

Executives open up at Yankee Group summit

NEW YORK—The Yankee Group once again pulled together a quality list of speakers for its Wireless Leadership Summit, including executives from Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless, as well as representatives from a handful infrastructure vendors and wireless content providers. Notable...

Upoc lines up mobile community service for Virgin Mobile USA

NEW YORK—Upoc Networks announced it is providing mobile chat and community functions to Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. customers. The service allows customers to access thousands of existing messaging groups or create their own personal messaging groups. The service is available on phones through a...

MTV has no immediate plans for MVNO service

NEW YORK—MTV Networks said it is in no hurry to join the mobile virtual network operator ranks in the near term, and instead it is looking to continue supplying access to its vast array of content to as many network operators as possible. Greg...

Cingular to offer mobile coupon app

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Cellfire Inc. is the latest to get into the mobile-couponing game, partnering with retailers including T.G.I. Friday’s and Hollywood Video to deliver discount offers to wireless phones. The startup today launched a downloadable application that delivers coupons from national and local retailers...

Virgin Mobile USA overhauls pricing

Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. revamped its pricing and messaging plans and added options that look much more like postpaid offerings than its traditional prepaid route. The mobile virtual network operator has replaced its old Month2Month plans with five monthly, no-contract plans that range from...

Disney Mobile differentiates on extras

Disney Mobile may be causing a spate of copy-catting of its family-oriented services, but the mobile virtual network operator is far from bucking industry trends when it comes to its newly unveiled calling plans and packages. In general, the MVNO's offerings are in line...

Wal-Mart moves into postpaid space with Verizon Wireless

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. continues to make strides on the mobile retail front, expanding its agreement with Verizon Wireless to include postpaid plans and high-end multimedia phones. The chain, which not long ago stocked only prepaid offerings, will offer two Vcast music phones as well...

Content Briefs

Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.'s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL's instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.'s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...

Xero to license MVNO business model internationally

LOS ANGELES—Xero Mobile has yet to launch its advertising-based mobile virtual network operator service in the United States, but that isn’t keeping the company from offering up its business model for partnerships with telecom companies abroad. "While our focus remains resolutely on our U.S....

Alltel turns to Oz for IM

MONTREAL—Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.’s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL’s instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.’s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...

Enterprise, M2M focus hold MVNO opportunities

Consumer-side mobile virtual network operators that still want to get in on the game could be out of luck, but there are opportunities ahead on the business side and in serving the machine-to-machine space. John Caddell, vice president and general manager of mobile virtual...

Mobile ESPN joins Sprint Nextel retail locations ahead of schedule

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint Nextel Corp. will sell Mobile ESPN L.L.C. service in hundreds of its retail stores, a move that adds weight to the sports-focused MVNO's distribution network. Sprint Nextel originally committed to provide Mobile ESPN space in at least 500 of its stores...

Oz, Virgin Mobile USA team for access to AOL e-mail, IM

MONTREAL—OZ Communications Inc.’s Mobile Email Solution is now available to Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. customers who have Kyocera Wireless Corp. Switch Back and Slider Sonic handsets, according to the companies. The solution allows customers to access AOL L.L.C.’s e-mail and instant messaging accounts on...

Mobile ESPN joins Sprint Nextel retail locations ahead of schedule

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. will sell Mobile ESPN L.L.C. service in hundreds of its retail stores, a move that adds weight to the sports-focused MVNO’s distribution network. According to the two companies, Sprint Nextel had originally committed to provide Mobile ESPN space in...

Worst of the Week: El Cheapo Bandito

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....

Virgin Mobile USA trades air time for advertising

WARREN, N.J.—Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. wants its users to have a sugar mama who will help them earn free airtime—and advertisers are stepping up to fill that parental role. The youth-oriented prepaid brand is forging ahead where other service providers thus far have feared...

SUGAR MAMA: MVNO trades air time for advertising

Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. wants its users to have a sugar mama who will help them earn free airtime-and advertisers are stepping up to fill that parental role. The youth-oriented prepaid brand is forging ahead where other service providers thus far have feared to...

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...

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...

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...

Shelf Life: MVNOs test various distribution models

It seems there's a new mobile virtual network operator for just about every interest, age and ethnic group in the United States. And each operator has a different strategy about how to reach its target. Retailing strategies were simpler when the first couple of...

Digital Chocolate, Heavy.com score MVNO content deals

SAN MATEO, Calif.-Digital Chocolate Inc. scored dual MVNO agreements, announcing deals to offer its games from the decks of mobile virtual network operators Amp'd Mobile Inc. and Helio L.L.C. Each operator plans to carry about two dozen titles from the publisher, which specializes in...

Digital Chocolate, Heavy.com score MVNO content deals

SAN MATEO, Calif.—Digital Chocolate Inc. scored dual MVNO agreements, announcing deals to offer its games from the decks of mobile virtual network operators Amp’d Mobile Inc. and Helio L.L.C. Each operator plans to carry about two dozen titles from the publisher, which specializes in...