January 2007

The digital rights management playing field got a little more crowded as four of the world’s biggest consumer electronics companies released services for a new anti-piracy solution.The Marlin Trust Management Organization-comprising Panasonic, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and …

The worldwide base of mobile gamers will more than double by 2010 as publishers develop better games and carriers market the offerings more effectively, according to a study from iSuppli Corp.The market research firm predicts revenues from mobile gaming will …

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 whatever …

At the close of a year that saw Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. introduce penny texting, hybrid price plans and an ad-time-for-airtime service called SugarMama, the company announced that it now serves 4.6 million customers. The mobile virtual network operator has …

Regional, flat-rate carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. filed for a $1.1 billion initial public offering, and plans to use the money to expand into new markets where it recently won spectrum licenses.MetroPCS’ filing did not disclose how many shares the company …

Citing a need for “fresh thinking,” Sprint Nextel Corp., the nation’s No. 3 cellphone provider, which spends $1.6 billion in marketing, has placed the creative portion of its advertising account into review. Sprint said it is seeking an ad agency …

WASHINGTON-Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he would cooperate with Congress if the new, Democratic-controlled House and Senate pursue legislation to increase the supply of public-safety spectrum. Chertoff acknowledged federal, state and local first responders must not only be able …

MindMatics L.L.C. is powering a text-message contest in two markets centered on NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution’s daytime talk show “Maury.”The company launched an interactive campaign that allows users in Las Vegas and Columbus, Ohio to send texts with answers …

Verizon Wireless announced a multi-year deal to become the “official wireless service provider” of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association in the United States. As part of the deal, Verizon Wireless will have exclusive marketing …

A startup focused on mobile media sharing has aborted plans to auction itself off after receiving zero bids on eBay.Mojungle.com allows users to record text messages, photos and videos with their mobile phones and post them to the company’s site, …

Patent-related lawsuits are part of the high-tech landscape. Here’s a new twist: a nonprofit group representing the state of Washington’s public universities has filed suit against Nokia Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. over alleged infringement …

The instant gratification that comes with the quick snap of a cellphone photo or a text message to friends has taken on a new, more interactive form-thanks to a number of companies hoping to cash in on the nascent but …

NextWave Wireless Inc. has agreed to acquire Go Networks Inc., which develops Wi-Fi networks for campus and municipal deployment. NextWave will pay about $13.3 million in cash for the company, and will also assume Go’s $7.5 million in debt. NextWave’s …

Cingular Wireless L.L.C., the nation’s largest cellphone carrier, announced it will renew its content distribution deal with Motricity. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.“Motricity has reduced Cingular’s time to market for new content and increased title selections for their …

The N, a TV channel for teens developed by MTV, will be available on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s mobile TV service, the companies announced. MTV’s The N Mobile will be available for $5 per month and will feature short video clips …

Cingular Wireless L.L.C. landed a big contract renewal from the Western States Contracting Alliance, through which the carrier currently provides service to more than 1 million subscribers. The WSCA contract allows state and local agencies in the United States to …

Just as 2006 came to a close, so too did Nortel Networks Ltd.’s sale of its UMTS radio access business to Alcatel-Lucent. The $320 million purchase closed on Dec. 31, 2006, after regulatory approvals.Approximately 1,700 of Nortel’s UMTS employees moved …

Mobile gaming in the United States will gain steady ground over the next several years even as titles get more expensive, according to new figures from IDC.The market research firm predicts the number of wireless gamers will grow more than …

Spanish triple-play telecom company Ono plans to begin a mobile virtual network operator business later this year, using the network of wireless carrier Telefonica. Ono said in a recent statement that it had reached a preliminary deal with Telefonica that …

Orb Networks Inc. co-founder and chairman Joe Costello will take the reins as CEO of the place-shifting technology provider.Costello also currently serves as chairman of software developer think3, and spent a decade as president and CEO of Cadence Design Systems …

Changes in online handset prices keep raising questions for observers: Is the post-holiday retail model one of continued discounting to milk any lingering consumer desires to shop and spend money? Or, does the arrival of a new year offer a …

WASHINGTON-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin appointed his wireless advisor to head the agency’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, which had lacked a permanent chief since Martin took over the agency in mid-March 2005.New WTB Chief Fred Campbell, Martin’s top wireless staffer …

The good news for mobile marketing is that advertisers can target by location, demographic and create actionable responses. The bad news? More than three-quarters of Americans are annoyed just thinking about it. That’s the latest finding in a report from …

AT&T and Bell South merged Dec. 29 shortly after the Federal Communications Commission gave its final approval to the $86 billion merger and a day after two Democratic commissioners wielding unusual clout extracted major concessions to win the deal’s OK. …