2006

PARIS—Two European rivals announced they would join forces to provide a satellite-based operation that would beam data to mobile handsets, laptops and vehicles. The offering is the latest attempt by satellite companies to score a piece of world’s mobile communications …

TOKYO—Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced that, in partnership with Intel Corp., it has developed specifications for mobile handsets that will allow users to install their own operating system, one that would run side by side with a pre-installed OS. …

WARREN, N.J.—Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. announced two new services that incorporate audio and messaging. “Txt Tones” will allow users to link musical tones to text messages instead of rings. The three- to five-second sound clips can be used as an …

PRAGUE, Czech Republic—Microsoft Corp. said it will open a business support center for mobile technology in the capital of the Czech Republic to serve European network operators and “manufacturers of mobile equipment.” The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant did not specify …

SAN FRANCISCO—Mobile content measurement firm Telephia clarified a recent study that raised eyebrows among mobile video experts in the United Kingdom. The company last week released a report that said one-third of all U.K. mobile TV watchers tune into BBC1, …

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.—InterDigital Communications Corp. is crying foul over a request by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to the International Chamber of Commerce for new arbitration relating to a patent royalty dispute. The ICC recently awarded InterDigital $134 million in …

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Mobile advertising company Rhythm NewMedia said it raised $18 million in its second round of financing. Carlyle Venture Partners led the round. As part of the financing, Allan Thygesen, managing director of Carlyle, joined Rhythm NewMedia’s board of …

In Hollywood’s movie industry, as in New York’s publishing industry, the cutting question is, “Yes, but what have you done lately?” Add the semiconductor industry to that list. When Texas Instruments Inc. reported that its third-quarter revenue rose 13 percent …

WASHINGTON-Consumer groups and wireless carriers last week said AT&T Inc.’s proposed conditions to its $79 billion purchase of BellSouth Corp. are inadequate, creating uncertainty over whether the Federal Communications Commission can pull off a planned Nov. 3 vote on the …

The overwhelming majority of wireless users continue to view the phone simply as a platform for voice conversations. For a handful of aspiring filmmakers, though, it’s a potential ticket to Hollywood. Entertainment industry executives and wireless types gathered last week …

WASHINGTON-Top mobile-phone carriers, having bid the lion’s share of the $13.9 billion for advanced wireless services licenses auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission, now face the potentially time-consuming and costly process of negotiating to relocate commercial and government users off …

Over the Razr’s unprecedented two-year run, the retail price of the device has plummeted from $500 to $50, drawing new volumes of consumers at each price point along the way. In the process, this game-changing handset has sold more than …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. is making its fabless approach to its semiconductor business leaner and meaner by signing on with the chip fabrication alliance of IBM Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., also known as the Common …

In past years, Nobel prizes have been awarded for the gaming theory that is at the heart of spectrum auctions and even for sophisticated transistor technology used in cell phones. This year the Nobel Peace Prize went to a man …

A California man is suing Motorola Inc., alleging the cellular phone maker knew its wireless Bluetooth headsets could cause “serious hearing loss” and failed to warn customer of the potential dangers. The suit, which seeks class-action status, was filed earlier …

HUNT VALLEY, Md.-Tessco Technologies Inc. reported second-quarter net income of $1.9 million, up from year-ago profits of $1.7 million. However, revenues for the quarter fell 14 percent to $118.7 million from last year’s $137.6 million. Tessco provides the wireless industry …

Two national wireless carriers launched redesigned Web pages last week, as operators increasingly try to drive traffic and sales to the low-cost Internet channel. Cingular Wireless L.L.C. introduced a streamlined new Web site, trimming out some of the previous page’s …

Sprint Nextel Corp. lost 188,000 postpaid customers in the third quarter as it sweated out customer credit-related issues and iDEN customer losses. But overall, Sprint Nextel came out with positive customer growth due to another strong quarterly performance from its …

The development of firmware-over-the-air, or FOTA, lies at the intersection of several related trends in mobile devices and their management. The sector is growing and, already, several players claim market leadership. As handsets are packed with features, they are packed …

LONDON-Consumers worldwide have been slow to purchase 3G phones and slower to avail themselves of the technological edge that 3G makes possible, market analyst firm TNS said in a new report. Americans, despite a reputation as slow to adopt advanced …

Several weeks ago I wrote a eulogy for fallen mobile virtual network operator Mobile ESPN. In it I cited the MVNO’s lofty aspirations for the wireless space, but noted that the company misjudged the market’s appetite for a sports-focused operator …

A German driver last week followed his navigation system’s command to “Turn right now” and veered into a roadside bathroom 30 yards shy of his intended intersection. Consider it a metaphor for the wireless location-based services industry. In the wonderfully …

While the big dogs in the tower industry have national footprints, there are still places they don’t or can’t cover. And often, hard-to-cover areas mean hard-to-gain-access-to land. But a few companies are finding clever ways to zero in on what …

The fourth quarter-a seasonally hot quarter for handset sales-is well underway. Time for the crystal ball and a word from a couple of gazers. The outlook remains positive for fourth-quarter shipment volumes, based largely on historical trends and the remarkable …

Motorola Inc. is moving and shaking with ambition and two news items this week point to a growth strategy that includes European markets for handsets and networks. In public statements, Greg Brown, president of Motorola’s network and enterprise division, said …