2006

BOULDER, Colo.-The Mobile Marketing Association continues to gain steam, adding high-profile members including Playboy Enterprises, NBC Networks and The Walt Disney Co.The MMA, which looks to fuel the growth of mobile marketing by establishing industry standards and guidelines, unveiled more …

DALLAS-The next paradigm shift in the mobile handset market is enabling mobile multimedia for the masses in emerging markets, a massive opportunity about to materialize, according to Remi El-Ouazzane, worldwide director for Texas Instruments Inc.’s 2.5G technologies. And a “collision” …

SAN DIEGO-Leap Wireless International Inc. plans to launch its Cricket wireless service in its hometown of San Diego on Dec. 6 and in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 12, according to the carrier’s Web site. The two markets are among the …

WASHINGTON-Qualcomm Inc. Chairman Irwin Jacobs said he believes the San Diego-based CDMA technology firm is entering a new phase of heightened regulatory and antitrust scrutiny around the world.Jacobs, speaking at a conference at George Mason University Law School, said Qualcomm …

KIRKLAND, Wash.-Fixed wireless Internet service provider Clearwire Corp. is pulling out all the stops as it launches services in its hometown of Seattle. The Craig McCaw-backed wireless ISP said more than two million people are now eligible to subscribe to …

A suite approach to offerings and the acquisition of a mobile unified communications solutions company will strengthen Avaya’s presence in the UC marketplace.

PLAINFIELD, Ind.—Investors applauded Brightpoint Inc., sending the company’s stock up more than 15 percent, after the mobile phone distributor posted third-quarter profits and revenues that reached record levels. Brightpoint’s revenues were $633.7 million, an increase of 16 percent from revenues …

Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—IPCS Inc., a Sprint Nextel Corp. affiliate carrier, said its net loss narrowed during the third quarter. The company registered a net loss of $6.7 million, an improvement from net loss of $16.3 million during the same period last …

MUNICH, Germany—Siemens AG recorded increasing overall sales and income, and scored improvements in its wireless infrastructure business. “We achieved a great deal in an eventful year, particularly in shaping Siemens for profitable growth,” said Siemens chief Klaus Kleinfeld. “We executed …

BELLEVUE, Wash.—T-Mobile USA Inc. turned in a strong third quarter report card, gaining more than 800,000 net subscribers, the majority being of the higher-valued postpaid variety. T-Mobile USA said it added 802,000 total customers during the quarter, including 773,000 postpaid …

WASHINGTON—A group of wireless broadband companies complained that Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Inc. should not be allowed to continue operating unauthorized and over-powered terrestrial repeaters in the 2 GHz band. The WCS Coalition, a group including Sprint …

LOS ANGELES—Forget about “Tokyo Drift,” the latest sequel to “The Fast and the Furious” movie franchise. Now there’s the Helio Drift, a souped-up handset from mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. The Drift, from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., will be …

LONDON—Groove Mobile is hoping to take its wireless, full-track download service directly to European consumers. The mobile music technology developer said it will step up marketing and business development efforts in England, tapping Jason Binks as its new director of …

SAN DIEGO—Japanese authorities may be the next to look into Qualcomm Inc.’s business practices. The chipmaker said it has been notified by the Japan Fair Trade Commission that the agency may investigate its licensing and chip business practices in Japan. …

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y.—Janam Technologies L.L.C. said it licensed Access Systems Americas Inc.’s Palm OS Garnet platform until 2011. Janam Technologies provides rugged mobile computers, and the agreement allows Janam to develop and sell application-specific mobile computers based on the …

BOSTON—American Tower Corp., the largest wireless network tower company in the nation, reported only partial results for the third quarter that showed rising revenues, but the company also disclosed troubling details of its investigation into its stock-option granting practices. The …

WASHINGTON—Online mobile phone retailer InPhonic Inc. announced a $100 million debt financing agreement with Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. InPhonic, which operates the Wirefly.com storefront, said it will use the capital to repay debt under its existing operating line of credit, …

DALLAS—Titan Global Holdings Inc. announced it will expand its prepaid calling card business with the addition of an MVNO offering. The company targets the Spanish-speaking market with its products. Titan’s new Picante Movil, a mobile virtual network operator prepaid offering, …

SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. continued to gain momentum during the third quarter, adding seven times as many customers as it did at this time last year and increasing its revenue by 25 percent over the same period. However, the …

TAMPA, Fla.—Syniverse Holdings Inc. swung to a profit in the third quarter, but the news didn’t seem to satisfy the company’s investors, who sent Syniverse’s stock down more than 3 percent to $14.24 per share. Syniverse reported a net income …

BASINGSTOKE, England—The ringtone market will continue to expand thanks to strong growth in developing markets and the introduction of new personalization products, according to new figures from Juniper Research. The firm predicts a 22 percent rise in ringtone sales over …

NEW YORK—Actor Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute is teaming with the GSM Association to promote made-for-mobile video shorts. The organizations unveiled a pilot project designed to “showcase and extend the reach” of independent short films for wireless phones. The “Global Short …

MIDDLETOWN, R.I.—Towerstream Corp., a fixed wireless Internet provider, said it launched a last mile T1-like solution in Boston using pre-WiMAX technology. The service, called High-Availability T1+, is available to business for $600 per month and includes a service-level agreement that …

WASHINGTON—Democrat gains in the midterm elections effectively ends prospects for passage of a telecom-reform bill with broader wireless federal pre-emption this year and possibly even in 2007, as the altered political landscape encourages political gridlock in a way that shifts …