March 2006

SARASOTA, Fla.—Global Signal Inc. blamed its fourth-quarter net loss of $18.8 million on costs it incurred while integrating and financing the tower sites it acquired from Sprint in May. In 2004, the company posted fourth-quarter net losses of $4.1 million. …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—Motorola Inc. says it’s combining its Networks and Government & Enterprise Mobility Solutions business units into one entity for the sake of cost savings and efficiency. The company named Greg Brown, current president of Motorola’s Government & Enterprise Mobility …

LOD, Israel—Radio-frequency component maker Celldor Ltd. acquired Telrad Connegy, said the companies. The deal is strictly a financial investment for Celldor, said the companies, and there are no plans to combine the two businesses. Telrad Connegy provides business telecommunications solutions. …

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

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Pyramid Research issued a cautious view of the young mobile virtual network operator market in its latest report, “MVNOs and MVNEs: Analyzing the Viability of Virtual Mobile Players.” The firm said MVNOs face a variety of challenges and the …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.   Carriers Prudential Equity Group lowered its subscriber net adds forecast for UbiquiTel Inc., and consequently its EPS forecast for …

The following list details this week’s infrastructure awards for the cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX industries. The contracts are broken down by transmission technology, country and vendor. The value of the contract is included when available.   Cellular Malta: Nortel Networks …

WASHINGTON—California state Sen. Martha Escutia (D) today said she plans to redouble efforts to pass a law creating a consumer telecom bill of rights similar to the one utility regulators approved in 2004, but dramatically altered yesterday. “Six years of …

WASHINGTON—Iraq today officially launched the first mobile phone license tender under the new government, a competition intended to result in four national wireless carriers. “After decades of oppression under the Saddam, Iraqis are keen to express themselves via all forms …

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. and patent-holding company NTP Inc. announced they ended their long-running legal quarrel under an agreement that calls for RIM to make a one-time payment to NTP of $612.5 million. The amount is only slightly …

LOS ANGELES—Amp’d Mobile Inc. is offering three months of unlimited calling minutes to subscribers who sign up for its $15 per month Amp’d Live 20-channel video plan. The mobile virtual network operator, which launched online in mid-December, usually offers unlimited …

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

SAN FRANCISCO—VeriSign Inc.’s mobile content business is “looking like a disaster,” according to a report released this week by American Technology Research analyst Albert Lin. Lin downgraded VeriSign to a sell rating, citing a flattening in revenues from ringtones, which …

BONN, Germany—T-Mobile USA Inc. posted the best overall performance last year among parent company T-Mobile International’s subsidiaries, helping to drive solid gains in parent company Deutsche Telekom AG’s full-year profit for 2005. DT also posted its largest dividend. However, DT’s …

WASHINGTON—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to convince his colleagues to reorganize the FCC with a new homeland security and public-safety bureau, thus was unable to ask Congress to approve his plan during his annual appearance before the …

ESPOO, Finland—Frank Nuovo, the designer who helped Nokia Corp. attain the world’s largest market share of the mobile handset business, will turn over his primary duties to a new design team, the company announced today. Nuovo has worked for Nokia …

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 …

MUMBAI, India—Mauj Telecom, a mobile entertainment company based in India, said it raised $10 million in venture funding. The financing round included investments from WestBridge Capital Partners, Intel Capital and Sequoia Capital. Mauj’s services focus on mobile music, gaming, mobile-commerce …

WASHINGTON—The California Public Utilities Commission today voted to replace the existing bill of rights for telecom consumers with one far less regulatory and highly dependent on state enforcement. “This decision is a prime example of the commission’s desire to use …

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Yahoo Inc. scored an early victory in its latest legal battle, securing a temporary restraining order barring Mforma Group Inc.’s new employees from accessing or using Yahoo’s proprietary technology. Yahoo filed suit against the mobile game-maker earlier this …

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

TOKYO—Japanese mobile browser company Access Co. Ltd. announced it plans to acquire IP Infusion Inc. in a deal valued at around $50 million. IP Infusion is based in San Jose, Calif., and supplies switching and routing products to the likes …

ESPOO, Finland—Nokia Corp. and Telenor R&D announced that after teaming up to develop converged services, they are now able to deliver Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem-based services over Nokia’s broadband platform, along with Voice over Internet calls between mobile and fixed …

WASHINGTON—Spectrum being reclaimed from broadcasters as part of the digital TV transition should be auctioned in smaller chunks than is currently contemplated, Sen. Conrad Burns told Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin in a letter. “I am convinced of the …

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Google Inc. continued the expansion of its mobile applications portfolio with a wireless version of its Google News service. Google News for mobiles, which can be accessed via a link on the company’s mobile Web site, allows users …