2006

WASHINGTON-Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell officially disqualified himself from consideration of the stalled $79 billion merger of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp., blasting the agency’s top lawyer’s legal argument supporting his participation and denying Chairman Kevin Martin the tie-breaking …

Christmas came a little early for Nortel Networks Ltd. in the form of a $2 billion contract from Verizon Wireless for CDMA equipment and related services as the carrier beefs up its network capacity and footprint in the face of …

KIRKLAND, Wash.-Clearwire Corp. is again looking at an initial public offering, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The wireless broadband company had filed paperwork for a $400 million IPO with the SEC in May, shortly before …

One well-worn mantra has it that long-awaited growth in data-driven revenue depends on smart phone uptake, a notion that keeps this market segment under the microscope. Thus, when NPD Group detected more than 4-percent growth in smart-phone sales in the …

SAN MATEO, Calif.-Digital Chocolate Inc. is partnering with EMI Music Canada to include pop music into customized versions of its mobile games.The companies’ first offering, Club k-os, is a takeoff on Digital Chocolate’s Nightclub Empire game. The title will include …

A slow start for Motorola Inc.’s new product line and generally weak demand in the North American handset market this holiday season may impact Motorola’s fourth-quarter results, according to Cowen analyst Matthew Hoffman. The financial analyst said channel checks show …

OK, so online shoppers safely ensconced in their comfy chairs at home don’t actually drop to the ground so much as they maybe nod off after another frenzied session of online purchasing. But wireless carriers continued to tinker with handset …

PLAINFIELD, Ind.-Brightpoint Inc. has agreed to purchase the U.S. and Latin American operations of fellow logistics and distribution company CellStar Corp. “We believe that the proposed transaction will expand our geographic reach, broaden our product offering, and improve our overall …

NEW YORK-Viacom’s MTV Networks division said it is expanding its mobile entertainment efforts with the launch of MTVN Mobile Media.MTVN Mobile Media will manage mobile partnerships and content distribution for the company and help develop mobile content and applications including …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Although the future for WiMAX is bright in China, it faces several challenges, according to a new report from research firm In-Stat.Barriers in to adoption of WiMAX in China include immature 802.16e products, competition from third-generation wireless and uncertain …

LG Electronics Inc.-the South Korean home appliance giant and parent of LG Telecom-has replaced its top corporate officer and the head of its telecom unit in an effort to reignite its fortunes in mobile handsets and flat-panel displays, according to …

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court rejected a request by Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. to stay its reversal of a Federal Communications Commission decision pre-empting state regulation of line-items on mobile phone bills. The move denies industry’s attempt to …

News junkies can now use their cell phones to access the latest video reports from Reuters following the company’s launch of a free, ad-supported video service. The service is available at mobile.reuters.com and works on smart phones from Nokia Corp., …

Regional carrier SunCom Wireless has renewed its billing operations contract with Convergys Corp. for an additional five years. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Berwyn, Pa.-based SunCom has more than 1 million customers and has been a client …

Verizon Wireless has introduced its first EV-DO Revision A device, a PC card that will be in stores by mid-January. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 595 is already available online and through Verizon Wireless’ business sales channels. The card costs $100 …

For those of you yearning to edit your MySpace page while on the go, supreme happiness has arrived: Cingular Wireless and MySpace.com have struck a deal. Cingular customers can use MySpace Mobile to edit their profiles, view and add “friends,” …

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 Strategy Analytics’ Chris …

Like a high-tech runaway bride, Nokia Corp. is readying for another N-Gagement. The handset maker is preparing to dust off the familiar-but tarnished-brand next year, expanding the N-Gage from a single, gaming-focused mobile phone to a platform for sophisticated wireless …

ZTE USA Inc. signed a contract to supply ClearTalk Wireless with its all-IP CDMA2000 platform for third-generation voice, data and multimedia services.ClearTalk said it plans to offer 3G services in select markets within the five states where the company operates …

I continue to be amazed by consumer infatuation with razor-thin cell phones. Motorola has sold what, 50 gazillion Razrs, and Samsung seems to be rolling out a new “thinnest” model every other week. As they say, “Thin is in.”Industry research …

WASHINGTON-Key House Democrats and consumer groups said Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell should remain on the sidelines of AT&T Inc.’s stalled $79 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp., arguing the agency’s general counsel offered feeble legal reasoning for authorizing McDowell …

The future of the “anywhere Internet” likely will involve a variety of networks and devices, analysts said during a teleconference last week-and if wireless operators want to get in on the innovation, they’re going to have to open up the …

Cellular phones played a key role in stopping a burglary in Brazil. A Brazilian businessman was in Germany when he received an alert on his phone that someone had entered his vacation house. He was able to view the burglar …

Machine-to-machine wireless network operator Aeris Communications Inc. reported recent enhancements to its data services to support asset tracking, automotive telematics and stolen vehicle recovery using CDMA and GSM networks nationwide-a move that puts the company in the same space as …