2006

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Yahoo Inc. launched an expanded Go for Mobile service, extending its software to devices running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile operating system. According to a company spokesperson, the Go for Mobile software had previously been available in the United States …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Fixed-mobile convergence technology developer Azaire Networks Inc. picked up $21 million during a third round of funding led by Investor Growth Capital, and new investors in the company. Existing investors Convergence Partners, Rustic Canyon Partners and Woodside Fund …

WASHINGTON—NextWave Telecom Inc. continues to elbow other companies for spectrum in the advanced wireless services spectrum, holding 144 high bids on spectrum through its AWS Wireless Inc. bidding subsidiary worth about $121 million at the end of round 61. Click …

METHUEN, Mass.—SiGe Semiconductor raised $19.5 million in an expansion round of financing led by venture-capital and private-equity firms, the company announced. SiGe Semiconductor makes radio frequency modules that are integrated into GSM-, GPRS- and EDGE-enabled mobile handsets, Bluetooth-enabled devices, GPS …

WASHINGTON—The California State Assembly passed legislation prohibiting driver use of handheld cell phones in the nation’s most populous state, likely paving the way for the bill’s passage by the legislature later today or tomorrow. The measure, authored by Sen. Joe …

BRISTOL, Conn.—Mobile ESPN L.L.C. reported plans to offer college football fans the chance to watch up to 25 live games each month during the season from their Mobile ESPN wireless phones. The mobile virtual network operator announced that it will …

DETROIT—A new driving-directions option from General Motors’ OnStar telematics service will be standard for one year on more than 2 million GM vehicles starting with the 2007 model year. After the first year, customers can renew the Turn-by-Turn Navigation service …

WESTLAKE, Ohio—Mobile virtual network operator Beyond Wireless Inc. announced new distribution points for its JOLT Mobile and JOLT PCS products. The company said the products are available in Toys R Us stores and will soon be available in 100 Kerr …

LOS ANGELES—A 23-year-old hacker who gained access to T-Mobile USA Inc.’s network and accessed the personal information of about 400 customers has been sentenced to a year of home detention, the Associated Press reported. Nicholas Lee Jacobsen also must pay …

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.—Sprint Nextel Corp. and Novatel Wireless Inc. announced the first CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A card for laptops. Sprint Nextel noted the card will support “a mobile DSL experience” with higher uplink and downlink speeds when the carrier …

WASHINGTON—In a sign that the auction is drawing nearer to conclusion, the Federal Communications Commission increased the number of bidding rounds per day from 4 to 6. The auction has garnered nearly $13.6 billion in bids following round 58, though …

SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. said it completed a public offering of 6.4 million shares of common stock for $42 per share. The sale included 840,000 shares of common stock sold as part of an over-allotment option granted to the …

AUSTIN, Texas—In a break from its tradition of certifying products only after a standard has been approved, the Wi-Fi Alliance says it plans to “pre-certify” the interoperability of pre-802.11n products in the first half of 2007, before the IEEE ratifies …

ATLANTA—Samsung Electronics Co. and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. today announced the handset vendor’s first HSDPA phone for Cingular’s 3G network-in-progress. The Samsung SGH-zx20, an exclusive for Cingular, is a silver-and-black, clamshell-style handset that sells for $100 with a two-year contract (and …

Nextlink Wireless Inc. announced it’s expanding its wireless broadband reach into Atlanta, Chicago and Houston and said it plans to continue aggressively leveraging its spectrum holdings in the United States’ 75 largest markets. Earlier this year, Nextlink launched broadband access …

Leap Wireless International Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming that MetroPCS Communications Inc. had stolen its business plan-only to be accused of stealing in its own right. The lawsuit could be part of a major legal assault by Leap against small- …

WASHINGTON-A New York federal judge refused to certify a potentially disruptive class-action lawsuit against the four national mobile-phone carriers, possibly removing from the line of fire for now the latest antitrust challenge to the standard industry practice of packaging wireless …

Nortel Networks Ltd. came out of the closet last week touting dual-radio Wi-Fi gear that’s being used in large-scale network deployments in Moscow and Taipei, Taiwan, as well as in small and medium-sized cities, counties and university campuses. Kyle Klassen, …

Len Lauer, Sprint Nextel Corp.’s chief operating officer and one of the company’s most high-profile executives, left the company last week after the carrier’s dismal second quarter put management under pressure to make a turn-around. Sprint Nextel announced that Lauer …

PLAINFIELD, Ind.-Brightpoint Inc. inked a deal to supply wireless devices and accessories to online retailer Newegg Inc. Newegg operates a storefront for manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications equipment and hardware and software. The 5-year-old company claims nearly 6 million registered …

The executive shuffle continued last week at RadioShack Corp. as President and Chief Operating Officer Claire Babrowski said she will step down at the end of the month. But the chain’s woes go far beyond the front office’s revolving door. …

The FLO Forum said it approved a specification for its mobile TV network technology, a move that will allow equipment makers to build gear designed to work on any FLO-based network and enable operators to choose products from multiple vendors. …

Age, income, gender and location are among the familiar elements of demographic-based marketing across industries and, to an extent, the wireless industry has embraced the basics. One-touch dialing for pre-teens and seniors, feature-loaded, expensive gadgets for early adopters, pink handsets …

NEW YORK-Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. has tapped MX Telecom to support its off-deck content activity. The mobile virtual network operator said MX Telecom will deliver premium SMS support and provide short-code connectivity for third-party transactions. The London-based messaging company maintains …

As shareholders of Lucent Technologies Inc. and Alcatel Inc. get set to vote Sept. 7 on the companies’ proposed merger, analyst opinions run the gamut on the infrastructure “merger of the season.” “It has been a long, arduous year for …