2008

Sprint Nextel Corp. has sued ICO Global Communications Ltd. and TerreStar Networks Inc. to force the mobile satellite service licensees to pay the No. 3 mobile-phone operator for relocation costs associated with a Federal Communications Commission rebanding plan to eliminate …

Verizon Wireless’ latest effort in the full-track download space is a step in the right direction for mobile music. But it’s a very small step.In case you missed it, the carrier earlier this week launched a $15-per-month service that provides …

Sprint Nextel Corp. is facing a class-action lawsuit that alleges the No. 3 mobile-phone carrier violated federal and state labor laws for failing to pay wages to employees at retail stores and to compensate them for overtime work.“Defendants could easily …

Two key House Republicans urged the Federal Communications Commission not to attach conditions to advanced wireless services-3 spectrum and to forgo approval of final rules for that band until after the 700 MHz D-Block re-auction. “We think your proposed rules …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t. If you wish to …

UTStarcom Inc. will sell its personal communications division to private equity investors for at least $240 million, the company said today.The PCD business primarily distributes handsets and accessories in North America for its parent corporation, UTStarcom. The company, based in …

Sprint Nextel Corp. has launched an expensive, frontal assault on rivals in a bid for a hit handset that will resuscitate its fortunes. While it remains early in the game – the Instinct handset has been on the market for …

T-Mobile USA Inc. announced it will raise its texting rates to 20 cents a message. The change will go into effect August 29 for those without text bundles or for those who exceed their allotted number of messages.T-Mobile USA said …

Motorola Inc. is replacing top executives in key markets around the globe as its share of worldwide cellphone sales falls to new lows. In an internal memo circulated last week and obtained by Crain’s Chicago Business, Motorola named new leaders …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace. “How can I help you, and where would you like to go?” …

A student at the UK’s De Montfort University (DMU) has won his second major competition this year with a new mobile phone handset designed for Orange.

Celltick has signed an exclusive deal with Mongolia’s Mobicom to provide its LiveScreen Media platform – which is used to broadcast content to mobile phones’ idle screens using cell broadcast technology.

When Beijing Olympic Games start in August, China’s much touted mobile TV broadcast service will have to crawl before it can walk. It’s because satellite signal is missing from the initial implementation of the country’s standard, designed to operate on …

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.Cellular–Iraq: Asiacell Communication has elected to …

Vlingo released a new, free application allowing BlackBerry owners to use voice to navigate their devices.; vlingo blackberry speech-recognition; Nokia said it will acquire total ownership of operating system company Symbian, buying out current partners in a deal valued at …

Verizon Wireless finally rolled out its new full-track download service, coupling an all-you-can-eat subscription offering with a pay-per-download option.The carrier is teaming with RealNetworks and MTV Networks to offer Vcast Music with Rhapsody, a $15-a-month service that grants unlimited access …

Even with a probable end in sight, Alltel Communications L.L.C. is pulling out all the stops. Shortly after the carrier’s announcement to expand and speed up its network, Alltel announced it will add a texting option to its MyCircle offering.The …

Purple Labs has purchased Openwave Systems Inc.’s mobile-phone software business for $30 million in cash, the two companies said today. The sale, which includes browsing and messaging products and related personnel, will allow Openwave to pursue its stated goal of …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly 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 NPD Group’s …

Nokia now has three of the top four largest recording companies.

The mapping company gets access to Google users’ annotations in exchange for providing data to Google Maps, Google Earth, and other divisions of the company that could use a few maps.

The Wi-Fi Alliance wants to make voice a part of Wi-Fi networks, and has introduced a program to certify products, it announced on Monday.

The rising popularity of smartphones such as the BlackBerry and the iPhonewill make them targets for viruses and spam, security experts believe.

Anyone who can build a Web page can build a mobile application using a J2ME development tool called Breeze, according to the tool’s maker, Cascada Mobile. Breeze lets users create applications and published them for free using online tools.

Guatemala, Costa Rica to use ATSC-based solution following adoption by Albavision.