August 2006

   SAN DIEGO—Hey, it’s all about my life, not your network. That’s the disruptive thinking that Sony Electronics—not Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., the wireless handset maker—is following in launching a Wi-Fi-only device (no monthly cellular service fees!) for Voice …

RESTON, Va.—Sprint Nextel Corp. will use WiMAX technology for its 4G network and utilize its wealth of spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band for a rollout that is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2007. The carrier announced …

PARIS-Alcatel Inc. appears to be strengthening its UMTS market share as the French vendor bought out Fujitsu’s 34-percent stake in the pair’s UMTS joint venture, while at the same time, reports began surfacing saying Alcatel is on the brink of …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is re-examining the service and licensing rules for the 700 MHz spectrum it plans to auction in 2008, and will consider changing how the spectrum is divvied up as well as when spectrum licenses will expire. …

HOUSTON-Following Crown Castle International Corp.’s good news-the company’s shrinking net loss in the second quarter-the company released some not-so-good news that the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an informal inquiry into the company’s stock-option practices. Crown said it will …

Digital map developer Navteq announced a product licensing agreement with LandSonar, a predictive traffic supplier. The deal gives Navteq the right to use LandSonar’s Predictive Speed product, which estimates trip time and advises routes based on driving speed combined with …

Nortel Networks Ltd. swung from a $33 million net loss at the close of last year’s second quarter to a profit of $366 million this year, thanks to a 30-percent decline of its stock price during the quarter. The company’s …

AUSTIN, Texas-StarCore L.L.C. is closing up shop due to a lack of success in licensing its early digital signal processor family of chips. The company had hoped to challenge Texas Instruments Inc.’s leadership position in the DSP market. The shutdown …

Location-based services seem to encompass consumer applications that generate plenty of excitement among consumers, yet somehow, uptake of LBS applications is not exactly booming-except in cars. Cell-phone users in the United States have been slow to adopt mapping and tracking …

Just when you thought mobile music personalization applications couldn’t get any more disruptive, along come background tones. The latest-but surely not last-step in the evolution of such offerings, background tones play during entire conversations between mobile users. Subscribers can choose …

WARREN, N.J.-Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. is expanding it customers’ ability to earn free airtime by launching a prepaid Visa debit card that will be linked to Virgin Mobile USA phones. The “Stash” prepaid debit card will be issued by Inter …

If you’re a Cingular Wireless L.L.C. customer, having an out-of-date wireless phone is going to cost you. The nation’s largest wireless carrier will soon start charging customers an additional $5 each month if they have an analog or TDMA handset. …

Trans Con Mobile Ltd. recently announced that after two years of developing mobile Voice over Internet Protocol technology, the Israeli company’s proprietary base stations and handsets are in the final stages of testing; deployments are expected in the United States …

A well-worn maxim has it that “politics make strange bedfellows,” which might be tweaked to reflect the wireless industry’s sometimes odd match-ups. Companies that compete also cooperate, often at the nitty-gritty level of critical intellectual property that enables devices, networks …

SHENZHEN, China-Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer ZTE Corp. launched a dual-mode TD-SCDMA/GSM handset. The U350 model features dual standby capability, which allows users to put a call in one mode on hold to take a separate call in the other mode. …

BOSTON—American Tower Corp., the nation’s largest tower company, released limited second-quarter results—but said it will probably restate its past earnings as a result of its investigation of stock option-granting practices. AMT said it expects to report its full second-quarter results …

   SAN DIEGO—Can a magazine brand help sell mobile phones and, presumably, vice versa? That question could be answered soon as the Elle Magazine partnership with Alcatel to produce the GlamPhone Elle—a dual-band GSM phone with features designed to appeal …

   LOS ANGELES—Helio L.L.C. is appealing to its 102,600 MySpace friends by offering to drop its standard two-year contract requirement. However, the carrier is not offering discounts on its phones. According to Helio’s MySpace page, the site’s members can get …

WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court may be reconsidering its ruling that Congress’ digital-wiretap act applies to Voice over Internet Protocol and broadband Internet services. The court has asked the Federal Communications Commission to explain why the court should not reconsider its …

HICKORY, N.C.—CommScope Inc. has shaken up ADC Telecommunications Inc.’s bid to buy Andrew Corp. with a $9.50 per share proposal valued at about $1.7 billion in cash, including the assumption of $186 million in debt. Based on Friday’s closing stock …

CHICAGO-Online travel company Orbitz launched a service allowing customers to find hotel rooms, view travel itineraries and check the status of flights from mobile phones. The off-deck offering is free aside from carrier data charges, and can be accessed from …

Dear Editor, I was compelled to respond to Mike Dano’s article, “Worst of the Week: Push-To-Silence-PTT,” on RCRNews.com July 27, in which he writes “the thing about walkie-talkie cell phones: THEY ARE UNNECESSARY. And, more importantly, annoying.” His conclusions certainly …

DENVER-Qwest Communications International Inc. has quietly launched Sprint Nextel Corp.’s full-track music download service for Qwest wireless customers. The mobile virtual network operator is carrying the Sprint Music Store, which allows users to download songs to a mobile phone or …

ATLANTA-T-Mobile USA Inc. has tweaked its pricing options with a promotional “back to school” plan for families that includes 1,000 anytime minutes for $50 per month. The plan does not include free weeknight or weekend calling, but does include unlimited …

Polar opposite pictures of the second quarter emerged last week from Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. as the industry’s No. 2 and No. 3 operators reported financial results. Verizon Wireless’ parent company, Verizon Communications Inc., encountered what its executives …