2003

Wireless infrastructure company Alcatel announced it purchased the network division of streaming-video company PacketVideo Corp., a move Alcatel said will bolster its video offerings to include video messaging, video telephony, video conferencing, video streaming and video downloading. Terms of the …

With much fanfare at this year’s Comdex electronics show in Las Vegas and multi-page advertisements in nationwide newspapers, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. launched its high-speed EDGE-based service last week, claiming it now operates the highest-speed nationwide wireless data network in …

WESTPORT, Conn.-STMicroelectronics said it is sampling the Java-based smart card chip known as ST22FJ1M from NCT Group Inc. ST believes it “opens up a host of new market opportunities in the mobile, pay TV, IT security and identification markets.” “Storing …

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.-Push-to-talk services will likely represent a major boon to wireless operators worldwide, and Nokia Corp. could benefit greatly from the introduction of such services, according to a new report from Allied Business Intelligence. Nokia recently introduced its first …

OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. signed $10 million in contracts with L.M. Ericsson and Nortel Networks Ltd. to upgrade the carrier’s current TDMA-based network in Alaska with GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology and said it expects to spend an additional $3.5 million next year …

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court panel signaled it was prepared to send back to the Federal Communications Commission an interconnection decision with far-reaching implications for the wireless industry, but the agency could use a legal defeat to revise its policy in …

BERNE, Switzerland-The European Telecommunications Standards Institute said it signed a cooperation agreement with the Fixed Line Multimedia Messaging Service Forum to cooperate on multimedia messaging for fixed-line subscribers starting next year. The groups said they are committed to promoting and …

IRVINE, Calif.-Military Communications Technologies Inc. said its affiliate, Military SDR Technologies, has implemented its OFDM waveform on two of its platforms known as SpectruCell and PC4. OFDM, which is known as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, transmits multiple signals over a …

Following years of political wrangling and months of preparation, the telecom industry is finally offering customers the chance to keep their telephone number if they decide to switch to another wireline or wireless provider. According to analysts’ forecasts, anywhere from …

If UMTS is the dream, CDMA2000 1x EV-DO is the reality, claims a report by Dallas-based Alexander Resources. It is not just a reality, but a better, cheaper and more effective reality than UMTS. In its study titled CDMA2000 1x …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission today said the Wireless Bureau has been reorganized to more effectively support strategic goals regarding broadband, competition, spectrum, media, homeland security and agency modernization. The FCC said the scope and size of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau’s …

HOUSTON-Crown Castle International Corp. said it will pay the quarterly dividend on its 12.75-percent senior exchangeable preferred stock Dec. 15, to holders of record as of Dec. 1, in shares of the preferred stock at a rate of 31.875 shares …

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-As local number portability finally becomes a reality, a variety of players are looking to cash in on the opportunity. VeriSign, Telespree Communications and LetsTalk.com all announced LNP products for switching customers. First, VeriSign and Telespree teamed up …

SAN ANTONIO-In a letter to Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. parent company SBC Communications Inc. said it is ready to implement wireless local number portability through its entire 13-state service area today regardless if customers live …

Suddenly, wireless firms have found their appetite for acquiring other companies. In the past few months, industry has witnessed a rash of acquisitions, negating the trend of a few years ago when they shed units they described as inconsistent with …

PRAGUE, Czech Republic-Cesky Telecom said it closed with five banks a $1 million syndicated credit facility, which it will use to purchase the 49-percent stake in mobile operator Eurotel Praha held by AT&T Wireless and Verizon Communications. The acquisition was …

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom-Operator reluctance and general market confusion represent significant barriers to the success of WiMAX, according to a new report from Pyramid. Pyramid believes fixed wireless operators, which have been disappointed by over-hyped technologies in the past, lack enthusiasm …

WASHINGTON-The campaign of leading Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean downplayed comments it said were misinterpreted as favoring wholesale re-regulation of telecommunications and other key industry sectors, but last week’s flap perhaps offered a glimpse into how the former Vermont governor …

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.-The world’s handset makers continue to make news at a frantic pace, with Motorola Inc. announcing a range of new products and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. trumpeting its market successes. First, Motorola announced six new mobile phones, mainly low-end …

The long, blustery relationship between paging and messaging carriers Metrocall Holdings Inc. and WebLink Wireless Inc. appears to have come to a close, with Metrocall announcing it will acquire WebLink in a $21 million deal. The move creates a combined …

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.-With the holiday season around the corner, Motorola Inc. made several device-related announcements. The company said the new Motorola V300 camera phone will be available through T-Mobile USA Inc. nationwide next week. The phone, which retails for $100, includes …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Danger Inc. said Cable & Wireless will offer its Hiptop mobile-phone device through its Cayman Islands mobile operation. Cable & Wireless is the first Caribbean operator to launch a GSM/GPRS network, and the carrier will use the Hiptop …

On the first day of wireless local number portability, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. introduced a pair of rate plan enhancements that the carrier said were in reaction to consumer demands. The first offer allows customers to receive a $100 rebate …

SAN FRANCISCO-Intel Corp. has recorded a negative first as it has dropped from the first place in flash memory sales to fourth place, according to market research firm iSuppli. The ranking is for the third quarter of 2003. The company, …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Trade Commission said two New York firms that claimed their devices blocked harmful radiation from cell phones and other electronic gadgets agreed to pay $85,000 to settle charges brought against them by U.S. officials. Tecnozone International L.L.C. and …