2001

BEIJING—Mobile-phone stores in China used to charge different prices for mobile-phone numbers depending on whether they are considered more lucky or less lucky. An ordinary number might be sold for CNY50 (US$6), lucky numbers, such as four nines or four …

BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII) issued the first network connection certificate for CDMA wireless intelligent network equipment to Zhongxing Telecom for its ZXC10-IN wireless IN-offering.The network equipment has been tested by Unicom Horizon Communications, the China Unicom subsidiary contracted …

TOKYO—104 Inc., a leading mobile Internet platform provider, along with CMG Wireless Data Solution, a business unit of CMG Group, will jointly provide a platform for mobile Internet content distribution. The firms announced the agreement on Aug. 15. Based on …

COSTA MESA, California, United States—The CDMA Development Group said the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized CDMA 1xEV-DO as a 3G IMT-2000 standard, adding that it will be submitted to the ITU-R SG-8 for formal approval at its November meeting.“It …

HELSINKI, Finland—Nokia Corp. said it has placed its first wideband-CDMA voice call on the 3rd Generation Partnership Program standard.“The 3G voice call demonstrates the compliancy of the commercial Nokia 3G network elements and the first version of a Nokia dual-mode …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Palm Inc. made its biggest move yet to bolster its operating system business, this time doling out $11 million for Internet software company Be Inc.Palm is buying the intellectual property and technology assets of Be, which include its …

BEIJING-China’s telecommunications regulators reported the country had 120.6 million wireless subscribers at the end of July, surpassing figures provided by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association showing the United States had 120.1 million.

NEW YORK-Nortel Networks Corp. and Sprint PCS affiliate Alamosa Holdings Inc. tapped the debt markets for a total of $1.65 billion last week, providing another reminder that telecommunications bond buyers recently have been rushing in where stock investors fear to …

Crown Castle International Corp., SpectraSite Holdings Inc. and SBA Communications Corp. reported positive revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, but they did not escape the current telecom shakedown unscathed. All three companies laid off employees and cut back …

The NextWave Telecom Inc. saga continued last week as the hopeful wireless wholesaler unveiled funding plans to roll out its network, while its potential wireless competitors/customers continued to look for ways to wrestle some control over licenses that are still …

NEW YORK-Stockholm-based Iquity Systems has established a U.S. headquarters near Wall Street to promote its Mobile Media Suite, which delivers recorded advertising messages to wireless customers interested in getting discounts on airtime in exchange for listening to 10-second promotional spots. …

PLEASANTON, Calif.-FunMail Inc. said it will support the Picture Messaging format from Nokia Corp. within its wireless messaging system. Under the system, users could simply type a short message service message that would trigger the use of a Nokia Picture …

NEW YORK-Snaz Commerce Solutions, which provided wireless commerce products, said today it was forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which involves liquidating all the company’s assets. “I am disappointed that Snaz will not be able to continue its pioneering …

HACKENSACK, N.J.-GoAmerica Inc. and IBM Corp. today announced they are teaming to offer wireless data solutions to GE Power Systems, which supplies power generation technology. Under the deal, IBM Global Services and GoAmerica will develop a customized wireless portal for …

TORONTO-Bell Canada and Nortel Networks have signed a deal valued at $117 million to expand Bell Mobility’s PCS networks to Alberta and British Columbia, using the CDMA 2000 1xRTT technology. The deal allows Nortel to supply base stations and core …

NEW YORK-Iospan Wireless Inc. and Powerwave Technologies Inc. have joined forces to develop AirBurst-compatible broadband power amplifiers to enhance delivery of non-line-of-site fixed-wireless communications. Powerwave will supply its radio-frequency power amplifiers to Iospan for use in trials with “a major …

NEW YORK-KPMG L.L.P. will conduct a survey to measure smart card use in North America, according to an Aug. 6 announcement of The Smart Card Alliance, formed earlier this year by the combination of the Smart Card Forum and the …

NEW YORK-Handspring’s handling of its initial public offering, which sold in June 2000, is under challenge in a class action lawsuit the New York law firm of Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach LLP filed recently against it in federal …

WASHINGTON-For every three new wireless subscribers there is one less wireline subscriber, said Stephen Pociask, president of TeleNomic Research L.L.C. “These phones do the same thing as your wired phone and probably more because I can make a call from …

Just like the beginnings of the wired Internet, content on the wireless Internet is growing by leaps and bounds. Wireless Internet users now can schedule a flight out of Denver, challenge a stranger to a game of chess, check their …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Personal digital assistant giant Palm Inc. last week took a stab at operating system rival Microsoft Corp. in an announcement that Palm users will be able to create, view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel documents and view …

A handful of wireless affiliates and regional cellular operators reported mixed results last week, showing the economic slowdown has not entirely missed wireless operators. Heading the list of mixed results, Western Wireless Corp. reported 30,000 net customer additions for the …

According to new reports from two major analyst firms, wireless data will be a huge business in the future, but not before software vendors, systems integrators and-especially-wireless carriers get in gear and make the tough decisions to take advantage of …

LONDON-The huge popularity of mobile phones in Europe has had an adverse effect on the once-necessary prepaid disposable (PD) calling cards, which are used instead of coins in public payphones throughout Europe, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan analysis. …

WASHINGTON-In another blow to the struggling trade association, Rob Hoggarth, senior vice president of government relations for the Personal Communications Industry Association, is leaving PCIA in the near future to work in the government relations office of NTT Communications, several …