All but lost in the fireworks early this year over Cyren Call Communications Corp.'s public-safety broadband plan, TV white spaces, net neutrality and the spotty state of U.S broadband has been M2Z Networks Inc.'s quietly ambitious campaign to win regulatory approval to offer free...
House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) said the Federal Communications Commission's gauge for measuring broadband speed and penetration in the United States is outdated, calling for improved spectrum management and other actions to improve the nation's broadband stature in the world. "To meet...
HedgehoggingHedge*hog*ing v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.--So last week we pointed out that Steve Jobs must think his lawyers are smarter than Cisco's lawyers since Apple is using the iPhone name even though...
European carriers are joining forces in an effort to prevent children from accessing adult content on their mobile phones.Vodafone Group plc, Deutsche Telekom AG and Orange Group SA were among 23 operators and content providers to sign on to develop a voluntary code of...
Cingular Wireless L.L.C. plans to deploy its Video Share product in the first half of this year, in what will constitute its first deployed IMS-supported application. The deployment of the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem platform opens up new avenues for services and convergence for...
Texas Instruments Inc., established in 1930 to develop oil exploration technology, has grown into a predominantly wireless-based powerhouse with $14.3 billion in annual revenue last year. Its main customer for its digital signal processors is Nokia Corp., the world's largest cellphone vendor. By revenue,...
President Bush's 2008 budget plan would allow the Federal Communications Commission to assess fees on un-auctioned wireless licenses and to auction domestic satellite licenses, including future mobile satellite service spectrum used for supplemental land-based cellular networks.The ad-ministration would need congressional legislation for expanded auction...
Texas made good on its threat to sue Sprint Nextel Corp., asserting the No. 3 mobile-phone carrier's imposition of a new fee violates the state's deceptive trade practices law and a 2004 industry settlement with state attorneys general around the country."Sprint Nextel has defrauded...
The American Association of Retired Persons hailed committee passage of a wireless consumer-protection, enhanced-911 bill in the New York State Assembly. The legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell (D) would require cellphone carriers to provide more detailed coverage maps, including where location-based E911 works,...
Amp'd Mobile Inc. continued to expand its impressive content portfolio, inking deals with actor Jack Black and "24" producer Howard Gordon to offer original, made-for-mobile programming. The news stands atop a number of similar agreements signed in recent days, which may indicate that made-for-mobile...
The fight against digital rights management gained an unlikely backer as Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs called for record companies to offer music without anti-piracy software.Jobs, in an open letter posted on Apple's Web site, claimed that a variety of DRM offerings have resulted...
In a week where the government celebrated consumer protection and a buyout firm said it was the subject of a federal probe involving fraudulent access to phone records, key House lawmakers revived a bill to impose regulations on cellphone carriers and others to safeguard...
High-end mobile virtual network operator Voce expanded its handset lineup with the inclusion of Palm Inc.'s Treo smartphone, a move that raises the question whether the company has succeeded in adding a data component to its primarily voice service.Voce's Web site now shows that...
It's all about messages and audiences these days. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. sent forth multiple messages in the past two weeks, all emphasizing that the Japanese-Swedish joint venture is on the move in the wake of an impressive performance last year. The messages...
The content and user interface of the short-lived Mobile ESPN L.L.C. mobile virtual network operator is set to be resurrected as an addition to Verizon Wireless' Vcast data service. ESPN and Verizon Wireless said that they have signed an exclusive, multiyear agreement to provide...
Regional telecommunications operator Qwest Communications International Inc. pushed its way into positive earnings for the first time in several years, posting profits of $593 million for the year 2006. The company had four consecutive quarters of positive net income, and reported fourth-quarter revenue totaling...
As India's economy continues to boom so too does the mobile-phone market. More than 100 million Indians are currently subscribed to wireless telephone service and that group is expected to grow to 265.2 million over the next three years, according to a new report...
Carriers looking to cash in on mobile TV services should pony up and build their own dedicated multimedia network, according to a new report from a consortium of industry players. Then they should somehow convince subscribers to pay $20 a month for the stuff.The...
INFRASTRUCTURE POWERHOUSE L.M. ERICSSON became the latest network maker to try its hand in the content arena. Ericsson, the world's largest equipment manufacturer, announced a partnership with Turner Broadcasting System International to develop and deliver Turner's suite of news and entertainment content to the...
THE SENATE COMMERCE Committee greeted Cyren Call Communications Corp.'s public-safety broadband plan with a non-committal mix of interest, skepticism and outright hostility, a reaction compounded by an industry-funded study that concludes the initiative is a risky business proposition and could actually undermine first-responder communications.Democratic...
The latest cellphone accessoryA variety of online retailers are offering seat-belt covers that incorporate a pocket to hold mobile phones and headsets. Amazon.com offers the Vizion Seat Belt Cover With Cell Phone Holder for $5. The product also is touted to protect the neck...
With the ever-expanding mobile entertainment space in full view, wireless carriers are working feverishly to bring their customers enhanced access to the social networking sites of their choosing. There's money to be made on all sides, and not just with the household-name variety like...
Mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. said last week that it expects to reach the 100,000-customer mark by early in the second quarter and launched a full-track music download service to compete with similar offerings from rival MVNOs and traditional operators.The company ended last...
Crown Castle International Corp. reported it increased site rental revenues and narrowed its net loss for the fourth quarter and full year 2005.The results do not include data from Global Signal Inc., which became a subsidiary of the company earlier this year.The company reported...
