Wireless industry heavyweights Cingular and Verizon battle for market’s No. 1 position, while Sprint named a leader for its cable JV … 11 years ago this week.
Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Cingular, Verizon in tight race for No. 1
When Cingular Wireless L.L.C. bought AT&T Wireless Services Inc. in 2004, creating the nation’s largest cellular carrier, Verizon Wireless found itself handing over its title belt as the U.S. heavyweight wireless leader. But since then, Verizon Wireless has been posting the best churn figures in the industry and consistently adding more than a million net subscribers a quarter. The company is creeping up on Cingular, which still retains and touts the title. … Read More
Garcia to head up Sprint Nextel venture with cable companies
John Garcia, senior vice president of strategic partners for Sprint Consumer Solutions, will head up the joint venture between Sprint Nextel Corp. and cable companies Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse Communications. The joint venture will focus on quadruple-play services and will be mutually exclusive for three years, with a full term of 20 years. It calls for a combined initial commitment of $200 million, half of which will come from Sprint. … Read More
Motorola buys Wireless Valley, Nortel takes Tasman
Motorola Inc. purchased Texas-based Wireless Valley Communications, a privately held company that creates software for designing and managing wireless networks including cellular, RFID, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and mesh. Motorola purchased the software maker for an undisclosed amount and said it plans to retain all 24 of its employees, including James Welch, the company’s president and chief executive. Motorola confirmed that Welch will lead the Motorola RF Design and Management Software Solutions group, which is housed in the company’s Government and Enterprise Mobility Solutions division. Juergen Stark, corporate vice president and general manager, heads the division. … Read More
Cellphone taps at center of public scrutiny amid NSA wiretap news
The Electronic Frontier Foundation blasted a federal judge’s decision to give the Department of Justice access to cell-phone location information. The ruling appears to be within the scope of the digital wiretap law, but comes amid revelations that President Bush authorized phone wiretaps without warrants. EFF said the decision by Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein of the U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of New York directly contradicted decisions in three other recent cases. Acknowledging the other conclusions, Gorenstein said the facts in his case were different. … Read More
Rokr E2 leaves Apple for iRadio
Motorola Inc.’s next music-centric phone will support its new iRadio service but not Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes software, the company announced. The handset manufacturer said its upcoming music subscription service will launch nationwide later this year on the Rokr E2, with other handsets to follow. The iRadio service allows users to download streamed music, talk and podcasts from a PC to a phone via a USB cable, and then play the audio through a car stereo system with a Bluetooth connection. … Read More
Verizon rolls out Windows Mobile Treo
Verizon Wireless is offering Palm Inc.’s Treo 700w smart phone running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile operating system for use on its EV-DO network. Verizon, Palm and Microsoft last year announced plans for a Windows-based Treo exclusively on Verizon’s network. Previously Palm built all of its phones running PalmSource Inc.’s Palm operating system. … Read More
Google receives patent for CDMA-based wireless data transmissions
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded a patent to Google Inc. for a technology that makes more data exchanges possible at faster speeds on a CDMA-based wireless network. A Google representative could not immediately comment on the patent or say what the company would do with it. The USPTO awarded the patent to Google to the company Jan. 3. The patent application defines the technology as a “baseband direct sequence spread spectrum transceiver.” … Read More
Motorola to add Google button to phone
Motorola Inc. is the lucky winner of a handset deal with Google Inc. as the Internet giant turns its considerable focus toward wireless. Motorola said it has designed a handset with a Google button that connects users to Google’s wireless Internet services. The company expects the Google-button phone to be in the hands of users sometime in the first quarter. The company didn’t offer details about which of its phone models would sport the new Google button. … Read More
CES offers front-row seat to battle of the phones
As in past years, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was ground zero for a series of entertaining handset battles, with vendors firing off warning shots against each other and carriers blustering over new phone offerings for consumers. Perhaps the most interesting display occurred between arch-rivals Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless. On Cingular’s side, the carrier used the event to quietly show off its first W-CDMA phones. The phones, from South Korean vendors Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Co. Ltd., are set to be available online and at select Cingular stores later this month. … Read More
RIM Googles new BlackBerry partnership
Google Inc. continues to make waves in wireless, announcing an agreement to bring its instant messaging, mapping and search services to Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry devices. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Users of RIM’s ubiquitous handheld will be able to access Google Local, which offers mapping, satellite imagery, local search information and driving directions. Google Talk, which allows users with Gmail accounts to send and receive instant text messages with other members, is expected to be available in the spring. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
