March 2006

UbiquiTel Inc. touted its solid fourth-quarter results last week and company officials spoke of future plans for a prepaid product and possible benefits from Sprint Nextel Corp.’s joint venture with several cable companies-even though analysts expect that the Sprint Nextel …

U.S. Cellular Corp. and its parent company, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., again delayed reporting their third-quarter 2005 results and financial restatements dating back to 2000. The American Stock Exchange granted the companies their fourth filing extension, giving them until …

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands-In the parallel 3G universe occupied by China, the world’s largest mobile-phone market, the cart apparently comes before the horse. The first video phone destined for the country’s TD-SCDMA technology-a dual-mode Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. handset with guts by …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc said it expects to file a $48 billion charge to its assets related to the value of goodwill, or the difference between an asset’s value and how much the company paid for it. Most of the goodwill …

EDINBURG, Va.-Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. announced that it plans to restate its financial results for the years 2003 and 2004, plus the first three quarters of 2005, with a cumulative net pretax impact of about $2.1 million. Shentel, which is a …

T-Mobile USA Inc. recorded a banner 2005 and posted the best overall performance of T-Mobile International’s wireless subsidiaries, while parent company Deutsche Telekom AG’s full-year profit for the year showed solid gains and the company declared its largest ever dividend. …

SAN FRANCISCO-The overall decline in venture-capital investments hasn’t touched the wireless industry, according to new research from telecom industry research firm Visiongain. Indeed, the firm found wireless-directed investments have maintained strong growth and are expected to hit an all-time high …

WASHINGTON-The Virginia state legislature last week passed a bill creating what is believed to be the first statewide communications flat tax in the nation, but Gov. Tim Kaine (D ) did not immediately indicate whether he would sign the measure. …

As if warrantless domestic spying, Hurricane Katrina, Harriet Myers, Jack Abramoff and Scooter Libby haven’t caused enough heartburn and disunity within the GOP, along comes the Dubai port deal. Indeed, port politics has replaced pork politics on Capitol Hill as …

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration signaled it is open to bold reforms on government use of the airwaves, a possible shift that could meet resistance from federal agencies at a time when the president’s struggling spectrum-policy initiative remains very much a work …

OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. said it signed an agreement with WorldCell Inc. to expands international service options for Dobson wireless customers. The companies said the agreement provides Dobson’s subscribers with discounts on international phone rentals, including cellular and satellite phones. …

A proposed law introduced in the California legislature last week would require makers of electronic equipment to phase out the use of hazardous materials in all devices sold in that state by 2008. Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D) introduced Measure …

I love cell phones. In my book they are one of humanity’s greatest advancements-along with Red Bull and break dancing-of my lifetime and I would rather leave my house without my wallet, keys or pants before forgoing my nifty mobile. …

WASHINGTON-The New Jersey Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to crack down on drivers already subject to a statewide ban on handheld cell-phone use by operators of motor vehicles. The state Senate passed 35-to-0 a bill that would make a violation of …

ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Verizon Wireless inked a two-year deal to provide wireless voice and data services for Chick-fil-A Inc. The Georgia-based fast-food chain has purchased 1,000 handsets, Verizon Wireless said, including Treos and PDAs. Verizon Wireless also is providing wireless broadband access …

WATERLOO, Ontario—Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled its push into the wireless local area network space with the launch of its BlackBerry WLAN Solution. The service includes a WLAN Solution platform and a Wi-Fi enabled handset, the BlackBerry 7270. The company’s …

ATLANTA—AT&T Inc. announced Sunday that it will merge with Baby Bell BellSouth Corp. in a $67.1 billion, all-stock transaction that, if approved by regulators, would give Cingular Wireless L.L.C. a single parent company. The transaction also would replace the Cingular …

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Walt Disney Internet Group is making more noise in advance of the launch of its planned mobile virtual network operator service this summer. In February, the company launched a registration Web site for its Disney Mobile service. The …

WASHINGTON-A federal court has ordered a Florida firm to immediately halt “unlocking” TracFone Wireless Inc. prepaid cell phones. Unlocked phones can be used on cellular networks other than those affiliated with the prepaid wireless provider. TracFone, the nation’s largest prepaid …

Sony Corp. revealed new details about a digital photo program that is expected to allow users to view, upload and share pictures via various devices, including their televisions, computers and Web-enabled camera phones. The Share Everywhere product is scheduled to …

It may seem like Unlicensed Mobile Access has only recently burst onto the wireless scene, but the Third Generation Partnership Project standard that enables handovers between GSM-based cellular networks and Wi-Fi hot spots has been in development since the turn …

Mobile advertising has come a long way since the early days of “American Idol.” The hit show is credited with catalyzing text messaging in North America, generating more than 13 million messages during the 2004 season from fans voting via …

In the wake of reports that a mobile trojan dubbed Redbrowser.A had been encountered in Russia, the major security firms working in the mobile space issued cautious alerts to their clients and made restrained public statements. The muted response seemed …

BONN, Germany-Vodafone Group plc shares surged more than 9 percent on the London Stock Exchange Friday when the company confirmed reports that it is in talks to sell its Japanese operations to broadband Internet provider Softbank. “Vodafone has been struggling …

Head honchos from soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. have been talking up their MVNO the past few weeks, speaking to groups at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter’s Wireless Forum and Jefferies Wireless Conference last week and also making an …