Americas

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. Brazilian Picture The number of …

After Research in Motion (RIMM) announced Thorsten Heins as its new CEO, market analysts seemed to be looking for the company’s next steps. Tech analyst Jeff Kagan noted that with …

The Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications Systems Authority approved a $95 million agreement with Motorola Solutions (MSI) to provide a public safety network using LTE technology across 700 MHz spectrum …

Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) reported that its co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have stepped down. The beleaguered Canadian device maker said Balsillie and Lazardis will be replaced by …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reader Forum section. In an attempt to broaden our interaction with our readers, we have created this forum for those with something meaningful to say to …

The Global Mobile Suppliers Association reported that there are now 269 LTE-enabled user devices, manufactured by 57 companies in the market. This is a six-fold jump in six months and …

Brazilian telecom regulator Anatel‘s board of directors approved the potential framework  for the auction of radio frequency in the 451 MHz to 458 MHz band; 461 MHz to 468 MHz …

Avaya unveiled a new version of its unified communications solution targeting small- and mid-sized enterprises that includes new capabilities for SME, including mobile collaboration and productivity. Avaya noted that among …

Lime, the Caribbean unit of Cable & Wireless Communications, is soliciting more business from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Caribbean by extending its suite of cloud-based services, the …

Near field communication (NFC) is on its way to getting launched in Brazil and could become a reality at the end of this year, told RCR Wireless News Mustafa Almansur, NFC programme leader …

The International Telecommunication Union announced the specifications for next-generation mobile technologies – IMT-Advanced or 4G – after the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly meeting in Geneva. The ITU reported that LTE-Advanced and …

Brazilian mobile penetration is expected to grow from 124% in 2011 to 153% in 2016 and IPTV services are expected to increase from 21,000 subscriptions in 2011 to 1.5 million …

Emerging markets operators will hold off on LTE deployments in favor of upgrading their 3G networks to HSPA+. This technology provides spectral efficiency and headline data speeds similar to current implementations of LTE for the price of a software upgrade in most cases.

Mexican antitrust regulator Cofeco (Comision Federal de Competencia) is slowing down media company Grupo Televisa SAB’s plan to buy half of mobile phone group Iusacell, owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, …

The two major telecom operators in Mexico – fixed Telmex and mobile Telcel -, which together generate two-thirds of industry revenue, contribute less than one third of the investments. In …

Brazil closed 2011 with 242.2 million mobile subscribers –most of them prepaid and on GSM connections – with Vivo ending the year as the country’s largest carrier by market share, …

Microsoft has invested $10 million in a tech center located in São Paulo, its second and biggest center in Latin America joining a previously launched center in Mexico City. Microsoft …

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. The arrival …

Smartphone sales as percentage of total sales will break the 20% barrier in 2012, with Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Chile having especially important increases in smartphone adoption. Smartphone adoption in the region will be driven by increased vendor competition, fuelled by Chinese manufacturers that offer affordable Android phones and operators trying to increase their smartphone base to increase data revenue.

After the local data, fixed-line, cable TV and Internet provider Grupo GTD gave up the merger with Chile’s Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A. Entel, the second largest telecom operator has …

German software developer SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced its intention to acquire Datango AG, a German provider of workforce performance support software. The transaction, scheduled to close during the …

IDC Latin America followed the company’s global predictions in forecasting that 2012 will be the year of mobile and cloud platform wars as IT vendors vie for leadership while the …

The Chilean Senate has approved 33 – 0 new regulations on mobile phone antenna installations (read the document in Spanish). This agreement is expected to be ratified in the coming …

Worldwide PC shipments declined 1.4% during the forth quarter compared to the same period 2010, totalling 92.2 million units, according to a report from Gartner. The drop followed two quarters …

Virgin Mobile Latin America (VMLA) confirmed today it would launch operations in Colombia in the second half of the year. The company said it has received all regulatory approvals necessary …