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 those sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Speculation on Cingular’s future
NEW YORK-Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s parent companies SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. are reportedly looking at an initial public offering for their wireless division sometime next year to help fund expansion plans that could include a merger with industry rival AT&T Wireless Services Inc., according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. “At Cingular, there is strong momentum building for both an acquisition or an IPO,” an unnamed source told the Wall Street Journal. “This is more than just running scenarios.” A number of industry sources have made similar predictions of a possible Cingular/AT&T Wireless merger noting both carriers have been cleaning up their balance sheets and consolidating their operations for such a move. Cingular was rumored to be looking at acquiring T-Mobile USA Inc. last year, but was reportedly rebuffed by T-Mobile USA parent company Deutsche Telekom AG. … Read more
AOL, NTT DoCoMo dissolve JV
TOKYO-Struggling Internet company America Online Inc. and Japanese wireless data giant NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced they dissolved their widely touted joint venture, once heralded as way to promote “fixed-mobile convergence.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and neither company was immediately available for comment. However, Reuters reported that DoCoMo sold its 43-percent stake in the joint venture back to AOL for a paltry $4 million-far less than the $100 million it paid in 2000 to form the joint venture. Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc. and Nikkei Business Publications Inc. announced they also sold their stakes in the joint venture back to AOL. The Japanese media and trading companies combined owned about 15 percent of the joint venture. The move comes at a difficult time for both companies. Once the darling of the Internet bubble, AOL has been suffering from the onslaught of high-speed DSL and cable Internet providers. Indeed, AOL Time Warner recently voted to drop AOL from the company’s name, just a few years after the merger between the ISP and the media giant. DoCoMo, on the other hand, has been forced to write off more than $12 billion in overseas investments. … Read more
Airspan buys Nortel’s fixed-wireless business
BOCA RATON, Fla.-Airspan Networks Inc. announced last week the completion of its acquisition of Nortel Networks’ fixed wireless access business. The purchase price of $12.9 million was offset against Nortel customer prepayments totaling $14.9 million, which were acquired by Airspan as part of the transaction. Airspan expects revenues from the acquisition alone to exceed $25 million in 2004 and to generate $3 million to $5 million in cash from the new business. … Read more
Verizon, Vodafone to offer transatlantic texting
BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless and minority interest parent company Vodafone Group plc said they plan to launch transatlantic text messaging capabilities between Verizon Wireless’ CDMA network and ten Vodafone GSM networks beginning early next year. The inter-carrier and transatlantic service, which will be processed and converted by U.S. vendor InphoMatch, will allow customers from Verizon Wireless’ CDMA network in the United States to send and receive text messages to Vodafone GSM customers in Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Vodafone said it plans to extend the service to a wider footprint next year. Both carriers noted testing of the service has shown the conversion process and message delivery occurs within seconds. Pricing for the service was not released. … Read more
Content, ringtones and wallpaper, oh my!
NEW YORK-Music and TV fans will soon have new outlets for their tastes through a series of new announcements in the wireless space. First, Crisp Wireless announced a new music application for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. customers with Nokia Corp. 3300 music phones. The application features content from the “AT&T Wireless Presents Hard Rock Live” concert series and allows users to preview and purchase ring tones, view exclusive photos from the show, learn more about Hard Rock Live artists and play trivia games. “The specialized features of the Nokia 3300 handset allowed us to explore uncharted areas for Java applications, such as ring-tone preview and purchase,” said Tim Meyer, Crisp Wireless’ chief executive officer. “The Hard Rock Live application is a great display of how we can use the multimedia aspects of our mLogic platform to drive mobile commerce.” Separately, wireless entertainment company ClearSky Mobile Media Inc. announced a new partnership with media giant Clear Channel Communications to distribute ring tones and wallpaper through Clear Channel radio stations and their Web sites. The service will first launch in central Florida. “Over a million-and-a-half central Floridians listen to Clear Channel radio stations every week,” said Linda Byrd, regional vice president for Clear Channel Radio in central/north Florida. “Connecting our listeners with their favorite ring tones and screen savers is the logical next step for Clear Channel. Through radio, we have an unprecedented way to educate consumers and drive purchases. Clear Channel intends to become the market leader in offering ring tones from all genres and formats.” … Read more
T-Mobile Deutschland starts offering mobile TV
BONN, Germany-T-Mobile Deutschland became the first German operator to offer television on mobile phones through an agreement with n-tv news channel signed earlier this year. The news channel programs can be transmitted to mobile handsets via T-Mobile’s GPRS network as live streams. Customers must have streaming-enabled devices with Real Player installed. Users will be charged only for the cost of GPRS data transmission. T-Mobile Deutschland also announced an agreement with Kodak that will allow multimedia messaging service photos and digital pictures to be developed on photographic paper or printed on various items, such as coffee cups and mouse pads. … Read more
NTT DoCoMo’s advanced 3G phones: Flash, Java and a 2-megapixel camera!
Japanese wireless data giant NTT DoCoMo Inc. introduced its new 900i series of third-generation FOMA mobile phones, devices that feature perhaps the most advanced services the wireless industry has ever seen. Most importantly, DoCoMo said the devices in general offer three times the battery life and weigh 20-percent less than the carrier’s first round of 3G phones. The carrier launched its 3G W-CDMA service in 2001. DoCoMo has seen relatively sluggish interest in its 3G services, although now it counts more than 1.7 million FOMA subscribers and promised it will cover 99 percent of Japan’s population by March. DoCoMo’s newest line-up of 3G phones features a range of advanced services and technology. The devices all include Macromedia’s Flash animation technology, as well as Sun Microsystems Inc.’s Java application download service. All the devices also feature integrated digital cameras and slots for memory sticks. Specifically, one device offers an integrated digital camera with 2-megapixel resolution and records video at 24 frames per second. The phone can also play TV shows recorded onto a memory stick. Another phone features a fingerprint scanner and yet another can view Microsoft Corp.’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
