WASHINGTON-The U.S. Senate Wednesday sacrificed commercial-spectrum users in an attempt to require TV broadcasters to give back spectrum in the 700 MHz band if public-safety shows a bona fide need for it. “This compromise amendment modifies my proposal by eliminating the requirement that all broadcasters vacate the analog spectrum by a date certain. Significantly, the [...]

WASHINGTON-Former independent counsel Ken Starr will argue for the cellular industry in a case being heard tomorrow by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether wireless carriers have an obligation to supply headsets with phones to reduce any risk of injury from radiation-emitting handsets. Starr headed the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky probes, the [...]

Nortel Networks Ltd. said its anticipated restructuring will lap up 1,400 jobs in the United States, and the overall job overhaul will generate charges of about $450 million. The vendor had announced plans earlier this month to cut jobs just as it is undergoing a review of its finances because of possible accounting problems. It [...]

WASHINGTON-FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said Thursday morning that erratum changes to Federal Communications Commission rules should only be for clerical errors not clarifying inconsistencies. “Erratums are for clerical errors in the item,” said Abernathy during a press briefing. Nextel Communications Inc. has asked the commission to clarify certain aspects of the FCC’s rules to solve [...]

WASHINGTON-Nextel Communications Inc. has requested an extension of time to comply with certain provisions of the telecom consumer bill of rights approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in May. The compliance extension sought by Nextel involves various rule subparts with a Dec. 6 deadline. Wireless carriers have to meet other benchmarks throughout next year. [...]

COLOGNE, Germany-Microsoft Corp. and FotoNation Inc. are working to implement Microsoft’s Media Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol (MTP/IP) for wireless digital cameras. Based on FotoNation’s implementation of Picture Transfer Protocol over IP, MTP technology was created by Microsoft as a freely available and openly licensable protocol for media devices including cameras, cell phones and portable [...]

LONDON-Lucent Technologies Inc. and Novatel Wireless Inc. have agreed to supply U.K. carrier O2 with their wireless UMTS PC card modems known as Merlin U530. This will give the carrier’s business customers access to services such as streaming video and audio and secure mobile access to corporate networks, including e-mails with large attachments and other [...]

WASHINGTON-Nextel Communications Inc. told the Federal Communications Commission Tuesday that interference requirements set out in the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding plan are not achievable until after the reconfiguration process is complete. “Commercial mobile radio service carriers cannot meet the new interference protection standards during the reconfiguration transition period during which 800 MHz CMRS, public-safety and [...]

Global Signal Inc. said it will purchase all of the equity of GoldenState Towers L.L.C. for up to $63.1 million, in a transaction excepted to close in the fourth quarter. GoldenState is a portfolio company of VS&A Communications Partners III L.P., a private equity affiliate of Veronis Suhler Stevenson. The company’s wireless communications towers are [...]

OKLAHOMA CITY-Noting it was in the best interests of the company, Dobson Communications Corp. reported late yesterday that it will not declare or pay the cash dividend due Oct. 15 on its outstanding 12.25-percent senior exchangeable preferred stock or the Nov. 1 cash dividend on its outstanding 13-percent senior exchangeable preferred stock. Dobson added that [...]