2006

Consumers’ tendency to carry duplicate devices-think camera phone and digital camera, or smart phone and PDA-may contain a seed of wireless’ future. That may seem like a bit of a stretch on such a simple premise. Take the implications, however, …

Just when it seemed like the world had stopped making predictions about when China’s government would grant third-generation licenses to operators, reports surfaced in the Chinese press indicating that the government will make its move in February.An article published by …

WASHINGTON-Top mobile-phone carriers may have gained leverage to have stringent conditions imposed on AT&T Inc.’s $79 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp., with the Government Accounting Office concluding competition in the special access market is generally lacking in major U.S. cities.Jessica …

Are Helio execs good at playing “Follow the Leader.” During a keynote at the CTIA Wireless I.T. Show, Helio CEO Sky Dayton made a couple of pointed jabs at his fellow panelists representing fellow MVNO Virgin Mobile (old-man socks were …

WASHINGTON-Public-safety interoperability, a political football since 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, has become a red-hot political hot potato.Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and again when deadly storms ravaged the Gulf Coast last year, policy-makers voiced indignant outrage that federal, …

Within the mobile industry, security vendors’ warnings are gaining traction as headlines blare the latest loss of corporate or government data-a sure way to destroy an organization’s credibility, not to mention the violation of federal mandates on data privacy and …

Big-box retailer Best Buy has branched out with a greater emphasis on wireless, opening new stores in the New York metro area that focus exclusively on offering a wide selection of handsets from various carriers. Five of the new stores …

WASHINGTON-Mobile-phone companies asked U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake to refer jurisdictional questions to the Federal Communications Commission in connection with brain-cancer and headset lawsuits in Maryland federal court, a request that builds on emerging agency activism in support of the …

WASHINGTON-TracFone Wireless Inc., the nation’s largest prepaid wireless company, said it is considering filing a lawsuit in federal court to repeal a new Library of Congress rule that exempts mobile-phone locking software from U.S. copyright law.“Although TracFone believes that the …

Consider video the wireless industry’s equivalent of Powerball. But nobody’s betting on the content providers.In these early days of well-heeled venture capitalists and hockey-stick projections, there is no shortage of cash in mobile video in the United States. Handset manufacturers …

The mobile virtual network operator space isn’t cooling down, according to the head of mobile virtual network enabler telSpace. However, instead of following the models of Amp’d Mobile Inc. or Helio L.L.C., the newcomers to the space are incumbent local …

Comcast Corp. aims to find out if customers will buy wireless service from a cable company: the nation’s largest cable provider is launching a trial of wireless service in partnership with Sprint Nextel Corp. in two markets: Boston and Portland, …

U.S. movie theater chain Regal Entertainment Group said altercations related to cell-phone use during movies was one factor that prompted it to begin testing new devices that will summon ushers to deal with such disruptions. The pager-sized devices have four …

Tellabs Inc. made its bones developing and selling fixed-line network infrastructure gear to big phone companies. The company’s flagship products were its cross-connects for central offices, which gathered, sorted and delivered communications traffic within networks. But as traditional phone companies …

A lot of ink is expended on the competitive machinations of the top five global handset vendors-for good reason. This year, together, they will account for perhaps 80 percent of the nearly 1 billion handset shipments around the world. Big …

The holiday season is upon us, and I for one am thrilled. The holidays are usually a time of family, joy, thanksgiving and good will toward all (except Dan Meyer)-and, of course, the holidays are also a time of cheap …

As the world’s more mature wireless markets shift to third-generation networks and beyond, it seems as if backers of CDMA technology and those who are pushing 3G flavors of GSM are racing each other to hype their respective market gains.The …

Mark it on your calendar: Nov. 27, 2006, the day a Colorado cellphone recycling outfit accomplished what high-powered lawyers could not and chiseled a chink in the armor of the mobile-phone industry’s cherished business model. The Library of Congress’ decision …

LOS ANGELES-Fixed-line Internet companies and industry associations have long grappled with potential pitfalls and consumer-unfriendly tactics such as spam, click fraud and unwelcome pop-up ads from in-your-face marketers. In the world of wireless, though, carriers are hoping to boost mobile …

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.-Verizon Wireless has agreed to acquire a small GSM carrier in West Virginia. The deal, which must receive regulatory approvals, is expected to close sometime in the first quarter of next year, according to Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Robin …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms. Click here for wireless ratings from past weeks from RCR Wireless News. Carrier Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its …

WASHINGTON-Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has positioned himself to be chairman of the House telecom and Internet subcommittee when the new, Democratic-led Congress convenes in January, according to spokesman Israel Klein. Markey, who chaired the telecom panel from 1987-1995 and is …

PARIS-Alcatel and Lucent Technologies Inc. said they have closed their merger and will begin operating as a single entity today. Alcatel-Lucent’s stock also will begin trading on the Euronext Paris and New York Stock Exchange beginning today under the ALU …

WASHINGTON-The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the cell phone industry’s request to the full court to rehear the repeal of a Federal Communications Commission decision pre-empting state regulation of line items on mobile phone bills, putting in play …

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. Click here for additional infrastructure …