2005

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless has forced two telemarketing firms to stop making illegal sales pitches to the wireless carrier’s customers. As part of court-approved settlements, Verizon Wireless won permanent injunctions against …

COLUMBUS, Ga.-Alltel Corp. said it plans to turn off service to an unspecified number of former Public Service Cellular customers who are still on legacy TDMA and GSM networks. The …

SEATTLE, Wash.-In a move that proves cellular phone service is truly going to the dogs, Cimbix Corp. said it has completed a licensing agreement that allows it to proceed with …

LONDON-The board of Virgin Mobile Holdings plc has rejected a $1.4 billion takeover offer from U.K. cable operator NTL Inc. “The Board has concluded that the potential offer materially undervalues …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless plans to finally enter the location-based services market next week with a GPS-based subscription offering. The carrier is expected to launch VZ Navigator, a $10-a-month downloadable application …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint Nextel Corp. said it will install Qualcomm Inc.’s uiOne technology in its new phones. The carrier also unveiled its first phone running the technology, Sanyo Corp.’s CDMA2000 …

TAIPEI, Taiwan-Motorola Inc. announced the launch of its commercial UMTS system across the island of Taiwan, saying it deployed a third-generation network and handsets within 9 months of signing a …

SAN MATEO, Calif.-London-based publisher I-play tomorrow will announce the North American launch of a mobile game based on the show “The Weakest Link.” The single-player title pits players against the …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-Game-making giant Electronic Arts Inc. will shell out $680 million in cash to acquire mobile publisher Jamdat Mobile Inc., the companies announced after Wall Street’s closing bell. EA …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a new subsidiary that the carrier said will focus on offering voice and data offerings to large businesses and government customers. Sprint Nextel reported …

COLUMBUS, Ohio-National reseller IMO reported plans to offer Verizon Wireless phones and service. IMO-short for “independent mobile”-was founded last year as an alternative to both carrier-branded stores and big-box retailers. …

SAN DIEGO-Chipmakers Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. both raised revenue forecasts based on improving sales, news that could translate into an improved market for the worldwide mobile phone industry. …

HARRISBURG, Pa.-The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a measure that would repeal the state’s 5 percent gross receipts tax, a move that would lower the tax wireless subscribers pay in …

After 12 official drafts, the IEEE has approved the 684-page proposal from the 802.16 Task Group, designating the mobile WiMAX standard as 802.16e-2005. The WiMAX Forum is set to begin …

MORRISVILLE, N.C.-Israeli-based iDEN network operator MiRS Communications Ltd., selected Tekelec’s core convergence switching solution as part of its transition to Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem architecture. Tekelec said the solution provides …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc named banking group HSBC Holdings plc Chairman John Bond as its new chairman. Bond, who announced his resignation from HSBC last week, will succeed Vodafone Chief Executive …

SEATTLE-Customer relationship management provider Par3 Communications Inc. announced the acquisition of EnvoyWorldWide, a Massachusetts-based notification services company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Par3 provides automated interactive notification technology …

WALTHAM, Mass.-Orthogon Systems said it has deployed its OS-Gemini and OS-Spectra Ethernet point-to-point bridges at Aurora Public Schools in Colorado. Orthogon said the equipment is designed to increase bandwidth and …

WASHINGTON-Sprint Nextel Corp. wireless affiliate UbiquiTel Inc. said its lawsuit against Sprint Nextel has been pushed back from its original trial date of Dec. 16 until Jan. 9. The lawsuit …

WASHINGTON-A handful of public-safety organizations, led by the Association of Public-safety Communications Officials, sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the government agency to deny Sprint Nextel Corp.’s …

BETHESDA, Md.-NeoReach Wireless announced it will outsource part of its network buildout functions to Pronto Networks. NeoReach will use Pronto’s UniFi Managed Services, which Pronto hosts. Essentially, Pronto’s operations team …

PLAINFIELD, Ind.-Wireless distributor Brightpoint Inc. is going directly to consumers with branded retail stores. The company will sell mobile phones and services from Sprint Nextel Corp., Virgin Mobile USA L.L.P. …

LOS ANGELES-CBS is finally wading into wireless, inking a deal to bring TV shows to Verizon Wireless L.L.C. subscribers. Verizon’s Vcast users can access clips from the station’s hit “CSI” …

WASHINGTON-The Iraqi National Communication and Media Commission is seeking applications for national and provincial licenses for local telecom services based on wireless local loop technologies. The licenses are expected to …

NEW YORK-Alamosa Holdings Inc. subsidiary Southwest PCS said it sold 10 MHz of spectrum covering portions of Oklahoma and Texas to Panhandle Telecommunications Systems Inc. According to a Securities and …