2006

SAN DIEGO—Qualcomm Inc. said the United States Patent and Trademark Office will re-examine one patent at issue in the ongoing war between Qualcomm and Broadcom Corp. The two companies are engaged in heated battles surrounding antitrust and patent-infringement claims. According …

VANCOUVER—Wireless modem maker Sierra Wireless Inc. reported a profit for the third quarter. The company’s net income was $1.1 million, a reversal of a net loss of $3.1 million reported during the third quarter last year. The company’s net income …

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Alltel Corp. posted solid third quarter revenues but its customer numbers didn’t quite meet analysts’ expectations, results that dropped the company’s stock price by more than 6 percent in Wall Street trading. Alltel’s gross customer additions for the …

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 …

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast Corp. will unveil a new multi-screen platform next week that will allow content to be distributed via television, online and through wireless devices. The new platform will initially provide Halloween-related content such as horror movies when it is launched …

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 lowered …

WESTCHESTER, Ill.—Andrew Corp.’s fourth-quarter results revealed the financial burden the company absorbed in part due to its now-abandoned merger proposed earlier this year by rival ADC Telecommunications Inc. Andrew reported a quarterly loss of $59.7 million, a disappointing turnaround from …

PALO ALTO, Calif.—With public markets still not producing the strong responses to initial public offerings of the decade past, “going private” offers high-technology companies a respite from the pressure of quarterly results while pursuing business development and profitability. Thus the …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Embarq Corp. bumped up its revenue and operating income guidance for 2006, despite increased costs last quarter related to its separation from Sprint Nextel Corp. The local-line company was recently spun off from Sprint Nextel Corp., and this …

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Cisco Systems Inc. went a little deeper into wireless, spending $31 million in cash to buy mobile device software developer Orative Corp. The move will enable Cisco to add wireless connectivity to its unified communications technology for business …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—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 yesterday in London, Greg Brown, president of Motorola’s network …

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 …

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—U.S. consumers are increasingly focusing on devices when considering wireless services, according to a survey from J.D. Power and Associates. The market research firm found that 19 percent of customers cite the type or brand of cell phone …

HOUSTON—Crown Castle International Corp. said its net loss narrowed during the third quarter as revenues increased. Site rental revenues increased 17.1 percent to $179 million from $152.8 million for the same period last year. Total net revenues were $200.9 million, …

RESTON, Va.—Sprint Nextel Corp. lost 188,000 postpaid customers in the third quarter as it sweated out customer credit-related issues and iDEN customer losses. Overall though, Sprint Nextel came out with positive customer numbers due to another strong quarterly performance from …

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 …

MUNICH, Germany—The insolvency of BenQ-Siemens’ German handset business has begun to reverberate throughout the industry, as German chip-maker Infineon Technologies—Europe’s second-largest chip maker—announced it will take a charge of about $101 million against earnings for 2006 due to the firm’s …

LAS VEGAS—Flash Lite is finally here. Verizon Wireless became the first U.S. carrier to offer Adobe Systems Inc.’s wireless platform, introducing a stripped-down version of the popular Flash Player for computers. The technology, which will initially be supported by four …

WASHINGTON—Consumer groups and wireless carriers 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 deal. “AT&T’s …

ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. jumped aboard the location-based services bandwagon, introducing a subscription-based offering for on-the-go business users and government workers. The carrier launched TeleNav Inc.’s GPS Navigator, a smart phone-based application that provides turn-by-turn voice and onscreen directions as well …

WASHINGTON—Facing an iDEN capacity constraint as it reconfigures its 800 MHz systems, Sprint Nextel Corp. asked the Federal Communications Commission for authorization to temporarily move its iDEN operations in 13 markets along the Eastern Seaboard to the 900 MHz band. …

By Brandon Glenn CHICAGO—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, …

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 …

SAN DIEGO—Novatel Wireless Inc. reported a net loss for the third quarter despite increased revenues. Revenues for the quarter increased 32 percent to $55.6 million from revenues of $42.1 million during the same period last year. However, the company reported …

PARIS—Alcatel Inc.’s third-quarter net profits tumbled 42 percent as sales of wireless network infrastructure stalled during the quarter, leaving the company with net income of just $194 million after bringing in $334 million a year-ago. Revenues rose 1.4 percent year-over-year …