August 2006

Higher-throughput speeds for Wi-Fi got slowed down again as the IEEE’s 802.11n task group’s vote on the second draft of the wireless specification was postponed until January. Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which tests and certifies products …

BOSTON—Shares of Boston Communications Group Inc. tumbled after the company said it will be unable to file its quarterly report pending an internal review of its practices regarding stock-option grants. The developer of prepaid telecommunications software launched the review in …

SAN FRANCISCO—More than 34.6 million people used mobile Internet services in June, according to market research firm Telephia. E-mail and weather information sites proved the most popular among mobile Internet users, followed by sports Web sites, search sites and city …

MIAMI—Mobile-phone distributor Brightstar Corp. received a $50 million investment from partner Mitsui & Co. Ltd. Brightstar said it plans to use the cash to expand its new operations in Southeast Asia including the markets of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand …

SAN FRANCISCO—European carrier Orange plc said it approved the Access Linux Platform (ALP) to run on its network, potentially giving much-needed support to Japanese firm Access Co. Ltd., which has sought operator partners for its new mobile-phone operating system. The …

TEMPE, Ariz.—Motorola Inc. said it has teamed up with Taldia Inc. to bring news programming to its iRadio digital music network. The deal calls for Taldia professionals to read current news, business and lifestyle stories for the iRadio network. The …

PLANO, Texas—Chinese equipment supplier Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. landed a deal to deliver CDMA2000 network equipment to Leap Wireless International Inc. for market buildouts in Spokane, Wash.; Boise, Idaho; and Reno, Nev. Huawei said it plans to deploy its SoftX3000-Softswitch, …

WASHINGTON—A group of federal and state regulators plan to re-examine the use of reverse auctions to determine which companies score universal-service funds to support telecommunications in high-cost rural areas. The Federal-State Join Board on Universal Service is seeking comment on …

WASHINGTON—A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that could have potentially stalled the auction of 700 MHz spectrum, currently scheduled for 2008. A lawsuit by Public Citizen, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argued that …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. has tweaked its Fair & Flexible price plans, leaving the dollar amounts the same on the basic voice plans, but changing the number of minutes for three of its mid-range plans and increasing the cost …

CARO, Mich.—Three men were arrested on terrorism charges after reportedly buying 80 prepaid phones from a Wal-Mart store in Michigan. Police found about 1,000 phones in the men’s van. According to the Associated Press, most of the phones were from …

RALEIGH, N.C.—Mobile content providers Oasys Mobile Inc. and Moderati announced a contract win with Sprint Nextel Corp. that establishes them as the “agent partners” for the carrier’s CDMA ringers and wallpapers offerings. Sprint Nextel said it expects the partnership to …

By Alice Z. Cuneo SAN FRANCISCO—Burger King is letting its customers get their information their way—and more and more, that way appears to be via a mobile phone. Although McDonald’s Corp. and other rival chains have toyed with mobile marketing …

CALABASAS, Calif.—Mesh network equipment-maker Strix Systems scored a contract with Chinese authorities to supply a public-safety Wi-Fi network in Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. Strix said its modular multi-radio, multi-RF Access/One gear has already been launched by Beijing’s …

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—American consumers spent about $4.4 billion on 67 million mobile phones in the first half of the year, according to The NPD Group. Motorola Inc. captured 32 percent market share, or nearly one-third of those sales, double the …

LONDON—The Walt Disney Co. has opted to delay the launch of its mobile virtual network operator phone service in the United Kingdom. “We have decided to postpone the launch of the Disney Mobile service,” said Disney Mobile U.K. spokeswoman Sandra …

Mobile gaming enthusiasts envision the day when they can play massive multiplayer titles that combine real-time interaction and pinpoint location capabilities with eye-catching, 3-D graphics. For now, though, the most popular games in wireless are old and simple. And they …

WASHINGTON-The Association of Public-safety Communications Officials endorsed a proposal submitted earlier this year by Cyren Call Communications Corp. that would set aside 30 megahertz of spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band for a next-generation public-safety network that industry would …

Nokia Corp. is buying its way onto the mobile music playground, agreeing to acquire distributor Loudeye Corp. for $60 million. But the key to success in mobile music still lies in the devices. The world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones …

SOUTH BEND, Ind.—Horvath Communications Inc. sold 79 towers in Midwestern and eastern metropolitan markets to HC Acquisition L.L.C., a subsidiary or SBA Communications Corp. Horvath said it still owns several facilities and has plans to build more than 100 towers …

The beauty of unlicensed mobile access, or UMA, it seems, is in the eyes of the beholder. The question of the technology’s appeal to network operators who might deploy it depends on the particular operator’s business plans and whether adopting …

U.S. Cellular Corp. released limited operating results for the second quarter, reporting a churn rate that ticked upward and net overall customer activations that were about half of what the carrier achieved during the same period last year-however, the company …

Andrew Corp.’s merger-and-acquisition adventures skidded to a full stop last week as the company pumped its brakes on potential deals with both ADC Telecommunications Inc. and CommScope Inc.-preferring instead to go it alone. Andrew announced in May a merger with …

Employers who want to avoid the awkward situation of firing employees face to face may want to follow the lead of the Blue Banana body piercing studio in Cardiff, Wales, which fired one if its employees recently via text message. …

WASHINGTON—Bidding is picking up speed in the FCC’s advanced wireless services spectrum auction, with the total value of provisionally winning bids jumping from more than $2.4 billion late Friday to more than $4.1 billion in the two rounds held so …