SAN JOSE, Calif.—Namco Networks America Inc. is teaming with Japanese content provider G-Mode in an effort to bulk up its portfolio for North American consumers. Namco, which specializes in creating mobile versions of arcade classics, said it hopes to diversify its offerings by publishing...
SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. has officially rolled out wireless service in Louisville and Lexington, Ky. The markets were launched as part of a joint venture with Alaska Native Broadband 1 License, L.L.C., in which Leap has a majority, non-controlling stake. According to Leap,...
DALLAS—Airband Communications Inc., which provides fixed-wireless services to businesses, said it expanded its pre-WiMAX network into San Antonio, Texas. In addition to San Antonio, the company also provides service in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas. Airband said its current equipment in San Antonio...
HYDERABAD, India—Two wireless companies, IMImobile and Cellfire Inc., announced new venture-capital funding this week. IMImobile, which sells technology platforms and content-aggregation services, said it received a $10 million investment from technology venture-capital firm Pequot Ventures. IMImobile said it plans to use the funds to...
PARIS—XandMail launched its Mobile Podcast Solution, which the company said pushes podcasts, video or any RSS feed directly to cell phones. To use the service, subscribers enter the feed address or use the product’s auto-discovery feature to generate a list of feeds they want...
MURRAY HILL, N.J.—For the second time this year, Lucent warned of lower sales prior to releasing quarterly results. The company said it expects to post third-quarter earnings of $2.04 billion, compared with $2.04 billion last quarter and $2.34 billion in the year-ago quarter. Pat...
WASHINGTON—The mobile phone industry has teamed up with other telecom players to lobby for universal service reform. The new USF by the Numbers Coalition backs a numbers-based plan that the group said is a fairer and more equitable contribution methodology than the current revenue-based...
ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. has become a member of the Open Mobile Terminal Platform, which makes recommendations to the handset industry on security, hardware, operating systems and browsers. Existing network operator members of OMTP include Vodafone Group plc, Orange SA, Hutchison 3G, KPN Mobile, SK...
COPPELL, Texas—CellStar Corp. reported a deal to distribute accessories from Nokia Corp. The handset distributor said it will supply Nokia accessories to carrier customers, mobile virtual network operators and retailers in the United States. The move follows CellStar’s decision to focus exclusively on original,...
LONDON—Wi-Fi network operator The Cloud announced the launch of its Ultra Wi-Fi offering, an all-you-can-eat plan that offers Wi-Fi access in 9 U.K. cities and about 7,000 hotspots throughout the country. Bobby Sarin, The Cloud’s chief operating officer said the Ultra Wi-Fi service gives...
BEIJING—China Mobile Communications Corp. is planning to strengthen policies for third-party content providers in an effort to reduce customer complaints. Expected changes include increasing the number of text-message reminders to users of value-added subscriptions and automatically canceling subscriptions of users who fail to respond...
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. plans to sell Motorola Inc.’s new low-cost handset to its GoPhone prepaid customers for $40. The move reflects the handset vendor’s strategy for grabbing a slice of the fast-growing prepaid market in the United States, where prepaid service offers an...
NEW YORK—Verizon Wireless will launch a live music service with concert footage from the band Live, pop-rocker Gavin DeGraw and emerging artist Cheyenne Kimball. The new offering, dubbed Vcast Performances, will include downloadable clips from club and theater shows, Verizon-sponsored tours and special live...
SAN DIEGO—Leap Wireless International Inc. has wrapped up the sale of two Ohio markets and put the finishing touches on a joint venture that will allow the carrier to launch its Cricket Communications brand in Portland, Eugene and Salem, Ore. Leap sold wireless assets...
BASKING RIDGE, N.J.—Verizon Wireless and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced the first 3.2 megapixel camera phone available to Verizon Wireless’ customers, Samsung’s a990. The CDMA handset also offers video recording and viewing and music downloads on the carrier’s Vcast service. Users can also...
ANYANG, South Korea-South Korean handset vendor VK Mobile has gone under, according to news reports. The company, which entered business as a battery maker in 1997, had set its sights on becoming a global brand and had cut deals to supply handsets to mobile...
The deadline for compliance with the European Union's laws on hazardous substances in consumer goods came and went on July 1 without much fanfare and little news on whether major handset vendors struggled to meet the requirements. Two tidbits surfaced, however, that shed some...
As wireless carriers begin exploring data roaming, several are not simply limiting their sights to domestic roaming but are seeking to provide a more seamless mobile data experience around the world. Cingular Wireless L.L.C. introduced international data roaming not long after it launched its...
NEW YORK-New York City has chosen Nokia Corp. to be the primary provider of the city's free Wi-Fi networks in its parks. The 10 major parks with networks currently being installed include Central Park, Union Square Park, Washington Square Park, Prospect Park and Corona...
TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. has put out a request for proposal for the development of "Super 3G" base stations and handsets-although no official standard for the technology has yet been set by the Third Generation Partnership Project standards group. Final specifications for Super 3G most...
While the standards-setting process for WiMAX technology seems to move forward at a snail's pace, the business machinations around mobile WiMAX are developing faster than a speeding bullet, so to speak.Indeed, Intel Corp.'s recent moves to exit the wireless handset chip business and immediately...
SAN FRANCISCO-In a marketing space where irrational exuberance evokes deja vu, NeoMedia Technologies Inc. seems particularly, well, exuberant. The Fort Myers, Fla., company has been snatching up hot mobile-advertising companies in Europe and the United States with client rosters that read like a who's...
VANCOUVER, British Columbia-XM Canada is teaming with Canadian operator Telus Mobility to deliver real-time streaming satellite radio to mobile subscribers. Telus users with a Spark 25 data package can access 20 channels of commercial-free music, talk and comedy for no charge, and other subscribers...
WASHINGTON-The Department of Homeland Security last week released a plan designed to protect the nation's critical infrastructure, including information technology and telecommunications networks. "The National Infrastructure Protection Plan is the path forward on building and enhancing protective measures for the critical-infrastructure assets and cyber...
