In an effort to bring the event to a close, the Federal Communications Commission announced that starting today the 700 MHz auction will speed up to eight rounds of bidding per day, up from six. The news, coupled with the slowly declining number of bids per round (16 in round 134 today), means the auction [...]

The Bush administration official responsible for implementing key spectrum, public-safety and digital TV transition initiatives is leaving her post, prompting concern from lawmakers.Meredith Baker, acting head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, oversees the Bush spectrum policy initiative, a $1 billion public-safety interoperability grant program, and a $1.5 billion coupon program to help to [...]

Mobile virtual network operator Helio scored $171 million in revenue during 2007, way up from the $46 million in revenue the company reported in 2006.However, the company’s net loss also continues to widen: In 2006, Helio’s net loss was $192 million, and in 2007 that number increased to $326 million. The losses do not come [...]

Verizon Wireless’ $2.67 billion play for Rural Cellular Corp. has turned intensely political, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers urging the Federal Communications Commission to rule soon on a deal whose review has been lengthy and controversial due to the potential impact on consumers in Vermont and elsewhere.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ignited the firestorm last October [...]

Priceline.com is the latest online travel firm to go mobile, launching a wireless Web site for on-the-go road warriors.The destination, www.priceline.mobi, is a stripped-down version of the company’s Internet destination, presenting a simple list of seven options including booking flights, restaurant reviews, local attractions and flight information. Interestingly, the mobile site also allows includes a [...]

Like it or not, Bluetooth marketing is gaining traction in the United States as an effective – if sometimes intrusive – way for advertisers to get their messages in front of mobile users. So depending on your view, Verizon Wireless subscribers are either missing out on the fun or blessedly exempt from unwanted come-ons.Bluetooth marketing [...]

Here are several things you need to know this week about mobile WiMAX: First, mobile WiMAX is seen by analysts as a larger but riskier global opportunity for vendors, compared to fixed/nomadic WiMAX, which offers a smaller, less-risky and immediate opportunity. Second, rumors and speculation in the media that Intel Corp. and others may invest [...]

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 RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We hope you enjoy it!And without further ado:So you may have [...]

The Federal Communications Commission’s 700 MHz spectrum auction saw a flurry of activity – well, OK, a barely discernable increase – as it inched toward the $20 billion mark.Today’s first three rounds saw a total of 77 bids, with B-Block licenses getting most of the action, as the event’s total provisional winning bids reached $19.543 [...]