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!
FCC approves first U.S. software-defined radio
The Federal Communications Commission approved the nation’s first software-defined radio, marking the launch of a new era of smart wireless devices designed to make improved use of the crowded airwaves while avoiding interference. “This is the first step in what may prove to be a radio technology revolution,” said FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell. “The industry’s pioneering work to find more creative and efficient use of our airwaves will continue to bring benefits to consumers.” The FCC said the Laboratory Division of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology issued a grant of certification to Vanu, Inc., a software development company, for a cellular base station transmitter. Software-defined radios can change the frequency range, modulation type or output power of a radio device without making changes to hardware components, according to the FCC. … Read more
Verizon launches ringback tones
Verizon Wireless became the first major U.S. carrier to offer ringback tones, launching a service analysts say-and carriers hope-may be even more profitable than ringtones. Ringbacks are clips of music a caller hears instead of a traditional ring before the person being called answers the phone. The popularity of the application has exploded in some Asian markets, including Korea, where sales generated more than $100 million last year, according to the Yankee Group. Verizon began offering the service to subscribers in Southern California and Sacramento, and expects to roll out the application nationwide next year. Subscribers must pay a monthly fee of $1 for access to the carrier’s 2,200-song catalog, and $2 buys one ringback for one year. Carriers and content providers are salivating over ringbacks. Asian carriers are reporting increased average revenue per user (ARPU) of up to $2.44 monthly, and British analyst firm Ovum believes the ringback market could reach $24 billion by 2008. Verizon customers aren’t the first in the country to get ringbacks-First Cellular of Southern Illinois teamed with Preferred Voice to offer the nation’s first service last month-but the second-largest carrier was able to beat the rest of the big operators to the punch. T-Mobile USA Inc. and Sprint PCS are rumored to launch ringbacks in the next several weeks, and other carriers likely will follow suit. … Read more
Verizon cuts customer charges for local number portability
BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless said it was eliminating local number portability-related monthly regulatory charges for its customers beginning with upcoming customer billing cycles. The carrier said it has been charging 40 cents per customer per month since March to help defray the cost of implementing LNP and so far has generated about $15 million in total LNP-related revenue from customers. Verizon Wireless will continue charging customers 5 cents per month in regulatory charges to cover other government mandates. “Our decision to eliminate 100 percent of the regulatory charge associated with LNP is the right thing to do not just for our own customers, but for our competitors’ customers as well,” said Denny Strigl, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless. “In this heavily taxed industry, we do not advocate adding anything unnecessary or extraneous to our customers’ monthly bill.” Sprint PCS said it has also trimmed its monthly regulatory recovery fee to 25 cents per month after a previous reduction from $1.10 to 40 cents in June. … Read more
FCC issues guidance on foreign ownership in mergers
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has issued foreign ownership guidelines for international deals involving U.S. wireless and wireline carriers. “A review of the applications involving foreign-ownership interests received by the commission suggests that the case law may not provide sufficiently clear guidance to applications,” the FCC stated. FCC foreign ownership regulations and their interpretation are apt to take on greater weight as global telecom mergers are pursued in coming years. In a controversial trans-Atlantic wireless merger several years ago, the FCC waived the foreign ownership rule in approving Deutsche Telekom AG’s $30 billion purchase of then-VoiceStream Wireless Corp. VoiceStream subsequently became T-Mobile USA Inc. The foreign ownership rule prohibits the purchase of U.S. wireless firms by overseas firms that are more than 25-percent owned by foreign governments. However, the law does not prevent a company 25-percent owned by a foreign government from buying an American wireless carrier if federal regulators determine the transaction is in the public interest. … Read more
GSM reigns supreme
BELLEVUE, Wash.-GSM technology continued its supremacy among wireless technologies, recording an annual growth rate of 124 percent in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, according to 3G Americas, an advocacy organization for the protocol. This figure doubles the number of GSM customers in the region from September 2003 to September 2004, said 3G Americas, noting GSM added more than 250 million customers worldwide since last September. GSM ended the quarter with 1.18 billion global customers. In the third quarter, it added 13 million customers, also more than any other air-interface technology. “GSM Americas has become the clear choice for operators and their customers for both voice and next-generation wireless data services,” said Chris Pearson, president of 3G Americas. … Read more
BlackBerry hits two million users
WATERLOO, Ontario-The BlackBerry wireless platform has surpassed the 2 million active wireless subscriber mark, according to Research In Motion. “This is a significant milestone, especially when you consider it took five years to establish the market and attract the first 1 million BlackBerry users and less than 10 months to double that number,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer at RIM. … Read more
Adelstein reappointed to FCC
WASHINGTON-Democratic Federal Communications Commission Jonathan Adelstein won strong bipartisan support for a new term at a Senate confirmation hearing this morning, with Senate Commerce Committee members venting anger at the Bush White House for delaying the reappointment for two years. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said the administration’s refusal to process the renomination request of outgoing Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.)–who was a mentor to Adelstein when the FCC member worked on Capitol Hill–“shows an arrogance and partisanship that is unusual.” “This was pure partisanship,” Dorgan fumed. “Those who engineered this at the White House did no service to public service.” Adelstein, whose prospects for reappointment already appeared dim as a result of inaction by the White House, worsened after Daschle lost to Rep John Thune (R-S.D.) earlier this month. But a high-level political deal struck after the Nov. 2 elections paved the way for Monday evening’s renomination of Adelstein and the Senate confirmation hearing today. In return, according to some sources, Democrats agreed to stop blocking Senate approval of a slew of federal judges appointed by President Bush. … Read more
Top two paging companies merge
WASHINGTON-The $275 million paging merger of No. 1 Arch Wireless Inc. and No. 2 Metrocall Holdings Inc. has closed, following favorable U.S. review of a deal that drew no opposition and little attention. The new entity–USA Mobility Inc.–will be based in Alexandria, Va., home to Metrocall. The Justice Department signed off on the transaction yesterday, while the Federal Communications Commission quietly approved it last week. “USA Mobility is now the largest national paging company and the undisputed leader in wireless messaging. We have extensive network infrastructure, sales and distribution channels, and customer support capabilities. Our facilities-based messaging platform continues to represent one of the most compelling cost/benefit and reliable wireless communications offerings available today,” said Vincent D. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of the company. Kelly added: “Through our strategic relationships we offer mobile phones; data applications, including Blackberry, Wi-Fi, in-building systems; and location-based services for customers who require more advanced solutions. We recognize that over the course of 2004 the paging industry has continued to shrink due to considerable competitive pressure from new cellular and PCS technologies. This consolidation in the face of that pressure brings together the best of both companies’ management, systems and practices and allows us to take advantage of significant financial and operational synergies that would not otherwise have been available to Arch and Metrocall on a standalone basis. We will operate the combined company with the same cash-flow-oriented objectives that we each embraced on a standalone basis, while continuing to provide our customers with premiere paging and wireless messaging products and services and first-class customer service.” … Read more
Qualcomm, Opera BREW up a shopping browser
SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. and mobile developer Opera Software will team to offer a BREW-based shopping Web browser for handsets. The product will offer wireless users content and applications based on their preferences. For instance, a consumer searching for a basketball score via his device could be offered a mobile basketball game or sports-themed wallpaper and ringtones. The companies hope to market the browser to BREW operators looking to increase revenues from data services. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
