January 2005

RESTON, Va.-Nextel Communications Inc. said it will expand its Spanish-based “Nextel. Ya.” advertising campaign to Hispanic communities in Orlando and Tampa, Fla.; Boston; Philadelphia; Fresno and Sacramento, Calif.; and Washington, …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson signed an exclusive managed services contract with H3G Italy for the overall management of H3G Italy’s third-generation network, which has more than 2.6 million subscribers. The value …

Two new services announced last week take advantage of cell phones as a medium for consumers to gain information on potential big-ticket purchases. Car maker BMW will promote its upcoming …

WASHINGTON-Hoping to capitalize on recent decisions by a pair of wireless carriers to postpone their involvement in the controversial wireless 411 directory, the Consumers Union is urging Congress to pass …

Around the world, carriers are looking to boost wireless data sales to offset razor-thin profit margins from voice services. And they’re getting a lot of help. NMS Communications last week …

SACRAMENTO, Calif.-SBC Communications Inc. reported an agreement to install Wi-Fi networks covering 85 California state parks. SBC noted that San Eli State Beach located outside San Diego will be the …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-In its second W-CDMA contract announcement in a week, L.M. Ericsson said Connex, a wireless operator in Romania, has selected the Swedish vendor to supply gear for its W-CDMA …

Redline Communications unveiled a WiMAX-ready base station and subscriber station. Redline released the AN-100U, a fully compliant IEEE 802.16-2004 platform. A member of the WiMAX Forum T, Redline said it …

Following a rather uneventful holiday season in which wireless operators favored handset subsidies over aggressive rate-plan changes, the new year has seen numerous adjustments. Industry observers note that the changes …

Sprint PCS tower assets are creating industry buzz again as the carrier affirmed it is talking with potential buyers. With its 6,200 towers up for sale, Sprint seems poised to …

Despite a rash of operational difficulties during the past several years that led to its eventual sale to rival Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Forrester Research Inc. found that AT&T Wireless Services …

Convenience store 7-Eleven Inc. added the low-end Nokia Corp. 1100 handset to its lineup for its Speak Out Wireless prepaid offering. The phone will sell for $40 after a $20 …

As the nation’s largest wireless carriers consolidate, large questions remain about what these companies should do with their existing wireline businesses. And carriers are talking openly about potential plans to …

Mobile workers are discovering there’s nothing more tethering than wireless devices. As advancing technologies enable 24/7 communications and monitoring capabilities, the once-clear lines between “company time” and “private time” are …

Don’t be alarmed by those Canadians who seem to be wrestling with their cell phones. They’re probably just fishing. More accurately, they’re likely playing “Swordfish,” a new game that allows …

WiMAX may be one technology, but the players involved with it are issuing a number of discordant notes. While some news outlets published reports last week that the certification date …

WASHINGTON-Softbank Corp., the Japanese Internet company trying to muscle or possibly buy its way into that country’s mobile-phone market, has crashed the party here by breaking with U.S. and foreign …

SEATTLE-M-commerce software developer Qpass is partnering with Sonim Technologies to enable operators to manage push-to-talk and other next-generation services. Through the alliance, Qpass operator customers can integrate Sonim’s Voice over …

COSTA MESA, Calif.-The CDMA Development Group added 31 CDMA2000 networks and 60 million subscribers in 2004, the trade association announced. By the end of the year, more than 100 CDMA2000 …

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International and The Consultant Registry, with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, conducted a test to show how background sounds, which are important to …

WASHINGTON-Several Supreme Court justices appeared not to buy arguments that municipalities are liable for attorneys’ fees and damages when they lose antenna-siting court cases. The case has huge monetary and …

WAYNESBORO, Va.-Rural telecom and wireless services provider Ntelos Inc. said it has entered into an agreement with affiliates of Quadrangle Capital Partners L.P. and Citigroup Venture Capital that calls for …

The twists and turns in Research In Motion Ltd.’s legal battle with NTP Inc. continues with a new, separate lawsuit that pits NTP against a company that claims it actually …

ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra-Wireless carrier Servei de Telecomunicacions d’Andorra, which operates in the European country of Andorra, selected Nortel Networks Ltd. to provide a UMTS network. Nortel did not disclose …

VIENNA, Austria-Mobilkom Austria said Thursday it will incorporate EDGE technology to expand its UMTS network coverage. The carrier said it currently has UMTS coverage across 60 percent of Austria’s population, …