2003

Editor’s Note: Each year, RCR Wireless News chooses the person who has most impacted the wireless industry. Our choice for 2003 is the consumer, the collective 150 million wireless subscribers who are changing the wireless industry with both their praises …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc announced it will use search technology from Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), which the companies said will allow users to search across an extensive portfolio of content and an index of worldwide WAP content using a hosted …

CALGARY, Alberta-Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. will use technology from Zi Corp. in its new wireless phones for the Taiwanese PHS market. The phones are expected to reach the market in the first quarter of 2004. Zi makes user interfaces for …

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J.-Cellebrite said its recently released RealSync/UME 12T, which transfers phonebooks, names and numbers between cellular phones, offers advantages to consumers using new phones as a result of wireless local number portability. “We are proud to provide a tool …

ISTANBUL, Turkey-Turkcell said Turkey’s Telecommunication Authority has fined the mobile operator $64.1 million, claiming Turkcell made inadequate annual frequency usage fee payments. TA has demanded $11.3 million for insufficient payment and an interest charge of $7.6 million. TA also ordered …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Swedish company Svenska UMTS-nat AB, jointly owned by TeliaSonera and Tele2, has agreed to purchase the fourth third-generation license in Sweden from Orange Sverige. Svenska already owns a UMTS license in Sweden, and TeliaSonera and Tele2said the new license …

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-Nortel Networks Ltd. said it will expand Pakistani mobile operator Pak Telecom Mobile Ltd.’s GSM 900 MHz national network under a $56 million contract. Nortel said it is the second major expansion by Nortel of the Ufone-branded network since …

LAS VEGAS-Hang Gear has released its Universal Phone Thong cell-phone holder. The device consists of an adjustable clear band that wraps around any cell phone and connects to a carabiner clip that can be easily clipped to a user’s pants, …

BOCA RATON, Fla.-Airspan Networks Inc. announced last week the completion of its acquisition of Nortel Networks’ fixed wireless access business. The purchase price of $12.9 million was offset against Nortel customer prepayments totaling $14.9 million, which were acquired by Airspan …

BOSTON-American Tower Corp. announced last week its Verestar Inc. subsidiary has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. American Tower had planned to sell the satellite and fiber network communications access provider by the end of 2003, and a year ago …

Nortel Networks Corp. announced last week amended financial reports for full-year 2002 and the first two quarters of 2003, following up on a previously announced plan to restate financial results dating to 2000. Last month, when it filed its third-quarter …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless signed a definitive agreement to acquire 10 megahertz PCS licenses from American Wireless License Group L.L.C. covering 1.1 million potential customers in the Arkansas Basic Trading Areas of Little Rock and Pine Bluff for $7.75 million in …

OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of NPI-Omnipoint Wireless L.L.C., which provides GSM service in northern Michigan, for approximately $28 million. NPI, which reported $20.7 million in total revenues during …

NEW YORK-Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s parent companies SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. are reportedly looking at an initial public offering for their wireless division sometime next year to help fund expansion plans that could include a merger with industry rival …

Wireless local area network aggregator Boingo Wireless Inc. reported a roaming agreement with WorldCom Inc., providing the telecommunications provider’s MCI customers with remote access service to Boingo’s more than 2,000 global wireless hot-spot access points. MCI noted it currently has …

Ah, the sweet promises of a new technology. A recent report by the New Millennium Research Council, an organization of academics and private business experts formed in 1999 to foster policy research on telecommunications and technology, takes on issues associated …

OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. declared a $31.31 per share cash dividend on its outstanding 12.25 percent senior exchangeable preferred stock that is scheduled to be paid on Jan. 15. Dobson added the dividends have an annual rate of 12.25 percent …

Even with the promise of a tech recovery and emergence of new applications for wireless gadgets aimed at free-spending teenagers, information-starved road warriors and the rest of us, 2004 is apt to be no more than a sexed-up version of …

DALLAS-AT&T Wireless Services Inc. network partner Edge Wireless L.L.C. deployed Alcatel’s Multimedia Messaging Services system designed to enable Edge Wireless customers to send and receive MMS messages. Alcatel noted the service allows users to send messages to other MMS-enabled handsets …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. said it has signed a $125 million GSM expansion contract that will increase the network capacity of Henan Mobile Communications Corp. to more than 10 million subscribers. The contract will cover core and radio-access network infrastructure, as …

SANTA MONICA, Calif.-Wireless local area network integrator Boingo Wireless Inc. reported a deal with Motive to jointly offer service-provisioning solutions designed to ease the installation of bundled Wi-Fi and DSL or cable model broadband services. Boingo noted the agreement fits …

ST. LOUIS-Billing and customer retention management provider Amdocs Ltd. said it has reached an agreement to acquire privately held mediation software provider XACCT Technologies for approximately $29.5 million. Amdocs expects the acquisition, which includes $13.5 million in cash and the …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless and minority interest parent company Vodafone Group plc said they plan to launch transatlantic text messaging capabilities between Verizon Wireless’ CDMA network and ten Vodafone GSM networks beginning early next year. The inter-carrier and transatlantic service, which …

TOKYO-In an attempt to further spur handset development for its next-generation FOMA network, Japanese wireless operator NTT DoCoMo Inc. said it will invest approximately $350 million during the next several years in handset manufacturers. The manufacturers include Fujitsu Ltd., Mitsubishi …

The segregated world of wireless local area networks took a giant step toward integration as the nation’s largest Wi-Fi hot spot provider T-Mobile USA Inc. reported a deal with software-enabled virtual network operator iPass Inc. allowing iPass’ corporate customers to …