FRANKFURT, Germany—Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG struck a deal to combine Nokia’s Networks Business Group with Siemens’ fixed and mobile networks operations, creating a 50-50 joint venture to be called Nokia Siemens Networks. The companies noted that their infrastructure businesses currently generate a combined...
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group launched what it's calling the "Bluetooth Experience Icon Program," which the group said will help inform consumers about various Bluetooth technologies.The Bluetooth SIG said the icons will tell consumers and retailers which products use which Bluetooth "profiles." Bluetooth technology...
High Tech Computer Corp. wants its day in the sun and plans to begin selling phones under its own "HTC" brand, a departure from the anonymous, original design manufacturer role the company has played over the past several years in supplying smart phones and...
A warm and fuzzy-toned embrace of an open source, mobile Linux operating system sought by an alliance led by Motorola Inc. and Vodafone Group plc, among others, and announced last week drew both optimism and skepticism among analysts, who await further details-and results. Motorola...
Disney Mobile may be causing a spate of copy-catting of its family-oriented services, but the mobile virtual network operator is far from bucking industry trends when it comes to its newly unveiled calling plans and packages. In general, the MVNO's offerings are in line...
A handful of startups are targeting wireless subscribers who may be reluctant to divulge their phone numbers. Tossable Digits Inc., which launched service earlier this year, provides a 10-digit phone number and five-digit extension that subscribers can use for up to 30 days. Calls...
WASHINGTON-The state of New Jersey and the federal government are in a public fight about whether five telecommunications companies turned over customer call records to the National Security Agency and in doing so violated New Jersey's consumer-protection law, according to news reports. The federal...
WASHINGTON-Despite legal setbacks in court jurisdictional rulings, including the Supreme Court's refusal to review a 4th Circuit headset ruling that rejected industry's federal pre-emption arguments, headset and brain-cancer litigation have failed to gain traction in state and federal courts. The reasons industry has been...
BOSTON-Despite dozens of announcements about municipal Wi-Fi deployments and feverish hype regarding the growth potential of the industry, incumbent operators have little to fear long-term from the technology, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics. The firm predicts public broadband networks planned by...
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. CarrierStandard & Poor’s Ratings Services raised its short-term rating on Qwest Communications International...
TORONTO—Nortel Networks Corp. said it will offer $2 billion in senior unsecured notes. The company said it plans to use $1.3 billion of the net proceeds of the offering to repay the company’s one-year credit facility. The rest, Nortel said, would go toward "general...
ST. LOUIS—Battery vendor Energizer Inc. announced a new product the company said will allow cell phone users to charge their phones with two of the company’s e2 Lithium AA batteries. The company’s new Energi To Go portable cell phone charger is expected to be...
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Alltel Corp. is teaming with broadband entertainment company Atom Entertainment Inc. on a contest for videos shot with mobile phones. The promotion, which is tied to the carrier’s new "My Circle" calling feature, encourages users to record videos of their friends and...
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—Despite low adoption today, wireless over-the-air music services could become a booming market segment, with the potential to reach more than 50 million users and exceed more than $1 billion in revenues by 2010, according to a new survey by research firm IDC....
SAN FRANCISCO—Telephia Inc., a consulting firm that provides performance measurement information on the mobile industry, said it filed a lawsuit against fellow research company M:Metrics Inc. on claims the company violated Telephia’s intellectual property.The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for...
WASHINGTON—The state of New Jersey and the federal government are in a public fight about whether five telecommunications companies turned over customer call records to the National Security Agency and in doing so violated New Jersey’s consumer-protection law, according to news reports. The federal...
BELLEVUE, Wash.—The Bluetooth Special Interest Group launched what it’s calling the "Bluetooth Experience Icon Program," which the group said will help inform consumers about various Bluetooth technologies. The Bluetooth SIG said the icons will tell consumers and retailers which products use which Bluetooth "profiles."...
The following list details this week's infrastructure awards for the cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX industries. The contracts are broken down by transmission technology, country and vendor. The value of the contract is included when available. Click here for additional infrastructure awards from RCR Wireless...
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.—Motorola Inc. and a handful of handset vendors, along with two major network operators, have agreed to establish a global Linux-based software platform for mobile devices, the companies involved announced. The alliance, which plans to solicit more participants, could stand directly against other...
CONSHOSHOCKEN, Pa.—An independent U.S. proxy advisory firm has recommended that shareholders of Sprint Nextel Corp. CDMA affiliate UbiquiTel Inc. vote in favor of the company’s proposed acquisition by Sprint Nextel. Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. made the recommendation today. Shareholders are scheduled to vote on...
WASHINGTON—Wireless industry trade association CTIA continued to press the Federal Communications Commission to allow its members to use studies to determine long distance vs. local traffic and thus how much they owe in universal-service fund contributions. CTIA’s statements came as the FCC confirmed it...
TAIPEI, Taiwan—High Tech Computer Corp. wants its day in the sun and plans to begin selling phones under its own "HTC" brand, a departure from the anonymous, original design manufacturer role the company has played over the past several years in supplying smart phones...
Hello! And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There's a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCR to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
VIENNA, Va.—MobileAccess Networks said it secured $11 million in a financing round led by private-equity firm Ziegler Meditech Equity Partners. Existing investors also participated, including HarbourVest Partners, Pitango Venture Capital and Poalim Ventures.MobileAccess said the funding will help it further penetrate the health care...
