2003

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-A new survey finds that the needs of wireless users are slowly diverging into various market segments, and that network operators and devices makers will have to segment their products in order to target each new user group. “The …

RESTON, Va.-Wireless industry pioneer Craig McCaw resigned his seat on Nextel Communications Inc.’s board of directors in order to focus on pursuing new opportunities in the telecommunication arena and to make room for the addition of independent directors to the …

CHICAGO-Former vice president and director of software development for Motorola Inc.’s cell phone division, Robert Krolopp, is suing the company for $1 million over his firing, according to The Associated Press. According to a lawsuit filed Oct. 31, Krolopp was …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies announced a new suite of professional services for improved voice and data coverage in buildings. The in-building solution supports both Lucent and non-Lucent products and supports multiple wireless technologies. Lucent also announced non-exclusive reseller agreements with …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-2Wire Inc. announced the launch of its HomePortal 1000HW and 1800HW gateways designed to extend wireless coverage and DSL modem performance in the home. The products, which use 802.11b wireless technology, produce seven times the power of most …

VANCOUVER, Canada-Engineering, construction and management services provider Bechtel will now offer free space optical communications equipment through fSONA Communications, according to the companies’ recently announced global procurement agreement. Under the agreement, Bechtel customers will be able to purchase fSONA equipment …

ATLANTA-Federal Bank of India said it signed up more than 70,000 subscribers to its new text-based alerts service, which works over technology from Air2Web. The service alerts users to balance and account information. “The response has been tremendous. Many of …

OSTERY BAY, N.Y.-A new study finds the business market for fixed broadband wireless access will be much bigger than previously thought, with 16 percent of the market in 2008 covered by small- and medium-sized enterprises. “ABI acknowledges that the residential …

RESTON, Va.-Following the implementation of a new billing system last year, Nextel Communications Inc. unveiled a pair of billing distribution methods for select customers including e-mail or fax options that are available for no additional cost. Nextel noted the options …

ORLANDO PARK, Ill.-Andrew Corp. said it will supply Samsung Electronics Co.’s third-generation base stations with multi-carrier power amplifier units. Both companies say they are jointly developing an integrated radio-amplifier subsystem for CDMA2000 and W-CDMA technologies.

It may not be the toys for the little tykes marked “some assembly required” that are the cause of beneath-the-Christmas-tree consternation this year. Many of the 31 percent of Americans who are “highly tech savvy,” according to a recent survey …

WASHINGTON-Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher said thousands of Cellular One subscribers in the state will be entitled to refunds as part of a settlement of billing lawsuit against the mobile-phone operator. Fisher filed a civil lawsuit against Cellular One in …

LONDON-European carrier Orange plc announced it will offer wireless streaming-video services starting early next year through a new deal with PacketVideo Network Solutions, which was purchased by Alcatel Corp. only a few weeks ago. Orange said it will install PacketVideo’s …

Increasingly stringent zoning rules may be costing tower companies, but they also are bringing new business to other industries not necessarily yet associated with the world of wireless. Zoning laws, for example, are making tower insurance a required cost for …

BOCA RATON, Fla.-SBA Communications Corp. said it began a cash tender offer for up to $153.3 million of its senior discount notes due 2008. The amount is 70 percent of the $219 million aggregate principal amount of notes outstanding, said …

“The Internet is a great tool for communication and commerce. It’s changing our lives-largely for the better. But as consumers, we should have the power to stop getting commercial or pandering e-mail on our computers or on the computers of …

High-tech employment totaled 6 million jobs in 2002, down from 6.5 million in 2001. High-tech manufacturing declined by 233,000 jobs in 2002. High-tech services employment declined by 306,500 jobs, dropping by: c 145,500 in communication services, c 146,200 in software …

WASHINGTON-More than one in five people with a mobile phone has considered cutting the cord, the Pew Internet & American Life Project said Sunday. “For some of the most enthusiastic tech users in America, the wireline telephone may be going …

To the average consumer, wireless communication towers are not pretty. Therein lies the main argument from communities opposed to new local tower builds. But many in that camp are learning there are ways to conceal those steel structures, and industry …

France Telecom said it has granted Qualcomm Inc. a worldwide license to its Turbo Code patents for both CDMA2000 and W-CDMA chipsets. The Turbo Code, which enjoy the supports of both the Third Generation Partnership Project and 3GPP2, allows higher …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc said it will acquire from Intracom S.A 51.25 million shares in Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Co. S.A., representing 9.433 percent of the outstanding shares of the Greek operator. Vodafone will pay $7.37 per share in cash, for a …

Mobile computing is on the cusp of revolutionizing healthcare, according to Greg Malkary, founder and managing director of the Spyglass Consulting Group. Indeed, wireless users in many fields are recognizing the convenience and efficiency of mobile technology, and demanding that …

Nextel Communications Inc.’s youth-oriented Boost Mobile L.L.C. subsidiary lost its top executive last week as Peter Adderton, former chief executive officer and founder, said he was leaving the venture due to disagreements with Nextel over strategy, direction and the failure …

WASHINGTON-The 800 MHz fight is heating up again as both sides argue that public-safety communications must be the overarching concern in any negotiation. The city of Baltimore weighed in against the Consensus Plan, while Nextel Communications Inc. produced two studies …

Jon Tetzchner wants to kill WAP. And he’s not alone. “It makes no sense to have two systems,” said Tetzchner, chief executive officer of Internet browsing company Opera Software ASA. Tetzchner is hoping to kill WAP by making it obsolete. …