2006

It looks like everybody and their mother is courting the public-safety market. Thanks to the wonders of digital TV, there’s now a bunch of extra spectrum at 700 MHz, a valuable band due to its propagation characteristics. Congress agreed to …

LOS ANGELES-Mobile virtual network operator Xero Mobile Inc. said that it is now testing its technology and service in preparation for a 2007 commercial service launch. Xero plans to target college students with a large number of free handsets and …

WASHINGTON—AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp., awaiting final federal action on their $79 billion merger and key stakeholders in the telecom reform debate on Capitol Hill, have been among the most generous donors to federal candidates and political parties in the …

BRIGHTON, England—European adult mobile content company Cherrysauce and wireless technology developer MIA are partnering to launch a platform for network operators looking to hawk steamy wireless offerings. The companies hope to offer a one-stop shop by coupling Cherrysauce’s adult images, …

BOSTON—American Tower Corp. confirmed it will restate financial results from 2005 through the first quarter of this year after finding discrepancies in “measurement dates” of certain stock-option grants. AMT said an internal committee is still reviewing the stock-options backdating matter …

ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. launched a newly redesigned Web site, trimming out some of the previous page’s many links and going for a cleaner, less busy look. “It’s more visually aesthetic,” said Cingular spokesman Ritch Blasi. “It’s just making it easier …

Telegent Systems Inc. will join the mobile TV bandwagon with a first-generation, single-chip solution for handset manufacturers in Asia. The fabless semiconductor firm-the company contracts out to manufacturers to produce the chipsets-this week plans to introduce a hybrid chip designed …

Did anyone else notice that during the recent WiMAX World trade show, every vendor launching WiMAX gear touted Multiple Input, Multiple Output technology as part of its solution? Indeed, Aclatel Inc., Fujitsu Network Communications, Motorola Inc., Nortel Networks Ltd., Samsung …

Mobile marketing took another step toward the mainstream last week as noted advertising firm R/GA launched a division to address wireless phones. The agency, which has moved aggressively to embrace digital advertising platforms in recent years, outlined an effort “to …

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Smart phone users, a small but growing segment of the mobile public, are now dealing with what may become a standard part of the wireless experience: software upgrades. For instance, owners of Palm Inc.’s Treo 650 were just notified …

In the Oct. 16 issue on page 7, we incorrectly stated the company and number of towers that Crown Castle International Corp. is buying. CCI is in the process of buying Global Signal Inc.’s 11,000 towers.

WASHINGTON-The Great American Cowboy has become the star in the marketing/advocacy game between CTIA and rural wireline carriers. The Coalition to Keep America Connected, the universal-service reform lobbying group formed by rural local exchange carriers, released a video last week …

LONDON—European mobile consumers are far more likely to access the wireless Web than their U.S. counterparts, according to new figures from digital media measurement firm ComScore Networks. The company found that 29 percent of users in five European counties “regularly” …

PLAINFIELD, Ind.—Brightpoint Inc. inked a deal to sell phones and services from Verizon Wireless to small- and medium-sized businesses. The mobile phone distributor said it will use its network of resellers to offer VZOffice voice and data products as well …

DALLAS—The holiday retail season kicked into high gear as T-Mobile USA Inc., Virgin Mobile and others introduced a bevy of new handsets. First up was Bang & Olufsen, best known for high-end consumer electronics, which launched a mobile handset developed …

Timing, they say, is everything. And so it goes with mobile handset vendors and their product announcements. There’s a natural tension between the need to keep the market informed about one’s innovations and product pipeline and the downside of tipping …

The math is simple: mobile devices are requiring more power at a rate greater than improvements in current battery output and longevity can provide it. There’s nothing earth-shattering about the essential proposition, of course-mention the topic of battery life in …

Style and innovation matter. So does brand and, of course, size. Carrier relationships help too, though three of the strongest brands continue to exert a gravity of their own. The industry’s two behemoths-need we mention names?-continued to distance themselves from …

With the need for using 850 MHz spectrum for its TDMA network decreases, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. has been carving out blocks of the spectrum to use for the launch of its UMTS/HSDPA mobile broadband network. The 850 MHz spectrum, prized …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission and the wireless industry cautioned the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals not to overturn results of the advanced wireless services auction if the three-judge panel finds the agency mishandled a rulemaking intended to prevent large …

Seattle-based software developer Airbiquity recently cemented its relationship with Continental Automotive Systems’ telematics unit, which develops and markets embedded telematics and hands-free communications systems using Bluetooth technology. The heart of Airbiquity’s offerings is its in-band modem technology that transmits telematics …

MINNEAPOLIS—US Internet and Aptilo Networks snapped up a hefty contract to build and operate a 59-square-mile Wi-Fi network for the city of Minneapolis. Known as “Wireless Minneapolis,” the project will provide Wi-Fi coverage to the city’s residents, businesses and governmental …

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration is moving aggressively to integrate radio-frequency identification technology into homeland security, defense and immigration policies, a posture expected to catalyze private-sector investment while inviting increased security and privacy concerns as the emerging wireless application gains traction. The …

SAN FRANCISCO-Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul have the highest rates of wireless substitution among the 20 largest U.S. cities, according to research by Telephia. Detroit led the list of cord-cutting rates, with 19 percent of its 1.47 million households using only …

Editor’s Note: Welcome our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We’ve collected a group of the industry’s leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis’ Peter …