ASPEN, Colo.-The debates over net neutrality, protecting minors from nefarious content and digital rights management took a hiatus from their usual home in Washington, D.C., and were hashed out in picturesque Aspen, Colo. instead. The annual mountain conference of the Progress & Freedom Foundation...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Trade Commission is creating a task force to evaluate the thorny subject of network neutrality, although the FTC chairman told a Colorado audience Aug. 21 that she does not think there is a problem. "The FTC's Internet Access Task Force is looking...
What the world (particularly poor countries) needs now is more leaders like Amirzai Sangin, Afghanistan's minister of communications.The against-the-odds progress achieved by Sangin, who made the rounds in official Washington last week before heading up to New York to receive the Intelligent Community Forum's...
WASHINGTON-Alltel Corp. agreed to contribute $100,000 to the U.S. Treasury, but did not admit it violated a Federal Communications Commission rule that requires carriers to prove they are protecting customers' call records. The FCC proposed fining Alltel in January after the carrier did not...
While Motorola Inc. grabbed the spotlight after posting strong, second-quarter results last month, the American vendor's success obscured a remarkable surge in shipments by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. Sony Ericsson shipped nearly 19-percent more handsets from the previous quarter, propelling it to fourth...
WASHINGTON-The Association of Public-safety Communications Officials said it will examine challenges calling 911 using Voice over Internet Protocol and other advanced communications technologies as part of its Project Locate. Locate is an acronym for Locate Our Citizens At Times of Emergencies. APCO developed Project...
BOSTON-Mobile virtual network operators Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. and Helio L.L.C. are more effective at using the Internet to drive brand awareness and sales relative to their peers, according to a new report from market research firm Compete Inc. The research also showed niche...
WASHINGTON-Cyren Call Communications Inc. believes it can convince Wall Street to pledge at least $5 billion for the U.S. Treasury in an effort to get around congressional opposition to its proposal to set aside 30 megahertz of spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band...
Wherify Wireless Inc. will retail its Wherifone GPS Locator phones through Toys `R' Us outlets nationwide starting Oct. 1, after a long delay during which the firm twice re-engineered the product. Wherify plans to sell the phone under a mobile virtual network operator business...
WASHINGTON-China suddenly faces serious time, economic and political pressures to issue third-generation wireless licenses in a way that showcases its homegrown TD-SCDMA standard for the 2008 summer games in Beijing, with Bush administration and wireless industry officials closely monitoring the situation in hopes of...
WASHINGTON-The mobile-phone industry-and plaintiffs with health-related lawsuits against it-stand at a critical crossroads. Various judges are moving closer to issuing rulings on whether such legal challenges should go forward or fall by the wayside, as so many have since the cell phone-brain cancer link...
So Sprint Nextel fired its chief operating officer, Len Lauer. The carrier said it is making changes in the management of its core operations and that Lauer would leave the company immediately. Gary Forsee, Sprint Nextel's president and chief executive officer, will assume Lauer's...
Now that Sprint Nextel Corp. has committed to WiMAX technology, it's time to wonder if other carriers will follow suit. No doubt, carriers make next-generation investment decisions based largely on how they think they can best leverage their existing assets to rake in future...
BenQ Corp. announced it will spend an additional $400 million on its handset business-BenQ Mobile, which ranks just below the world's top five handset vendors-while spinning off non-mobile businesses to strengthen the handset brand. The electronics firm has been making LCD monitors for Dell...
LOS ANGELES-A new partnership between TV Guide Mobile Entertainment Inc. and 4INFO Inc. aims to deliver TV listings to cellular phones. Wireless subscribers will immediately be able to search for programs by title, time or channel. The offering will work on either text messaging...
WASHINGTON—The Sprint Nextel Corp./cable joint venture appears to be achieving a national footprint without the benefit of costly regional licenses. Click here for the latest headlines from the AWS auction. Click here for full AWS auction coverage.As of round 46 of the advanced wireless...
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.—Wireless video provider GoTV Networks said it will broadcast made-for-mobile news coverage of Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards. The company plans to conduct red-carpet interviews with celebrities and offer reports from pre- and post-ceremony events and receptions. The content will be available throughout...
HELSINKI, Finland—Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG announced the business unit and regional leadership team for their planned Nokia Siemens Networks with the expectation that the proposed merger will be approved and begin operations by Jan. 1, 2007. "We are making excellent progress in planning...
LOS ANGELES—Rhino Entertainment is targeting Generation X wireless users with content from classic children’s television shows from the 1970s and ‘80s. The division of Warner Music Group unveiled Krofft Mobile, a suite of ringtones, ringback tones, video ringers and images based on programs from...
BUENA PARK, Calif.—Yamaha Corp. of America released an application designed to allow musicians to use their mobile phones to tune instruments. The offering, dubbed "The Musician’s Companion," features a pitch pipe, metronome and library of more than 1,000 guitar chord fingerings. The application is...
CHICAGO—U.S. Cellular Corp. increased its service revenues and average revenue per user in the first quarter of 2006, but its net customer additions were down compared to the year-ago period. U.S. Cellular posted a14 percent year-over-year increase in service revenues, with the following breakdown:...
The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms. Click here for wireless ratings from past weeks from RCR Wireless News.Pacific Growth Equities initiated coverage on Texas Instruments Inc. with a neutral rating. RW...
RESTON, Va.—Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a new program that gives business clients a single point of contact for their various mobility needs. The "Sprint Advanced Wireless Solutions" program provides business customers with a one-stop-shop experience along with a single contract and a centralized bill...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—L.M. Ericsson said it won a $1 billion contract to expand and upgrade Bharti Airtel’s GSM/GPRS network in India. The three-year deal includes managed services, including design, development and deployment of Bharti’s network. The two companies have an existing relationship.
