At last week's Globalcomm show in Chicago, telecom vendors paraded their technological wares, giving us a peek at their network roadmaps. The future, as the vendors see it, will be dominated by mobile TV, and this phenomenon is shining a bright light on Internet...
Wireless carriers are spending big bucks in promoting the use of their flashy, fast new data services: full-length music downloads, three-dimensional mobile games, Web surfing and the like. But with carriers relying on revenue from those transactions to boost their average revenue per user,...
SAN JOSE, Calif.-A new report from the Semiconductor Industry Association predicts semiconductor sales worldwide will grow 9.8 percent to nearly $250 billion this year, driven largely by the cell-phone market. The new forecast is an increase from November forecasts that projected an increase of...
Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.'s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL's instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.'s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...
WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a telecom-reform measure late Thursday that includes a plan to make Voice over Internet Protocol providers pay into the universal-service fund. But the House rejected a strict network-neutrality provision. Strike three and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member...
DALLAS—Texas Instruments Inc. raised its business outlook for the second quarter during a scheduled update. The company said it now expects to earn revenues from continuing operations of between $3.63 billion and $3.78 billion, up from its prior estimate of between $3.46 billion and...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Sprint Nextel Corp. planned to deliver a live country music concert last night with video and audio available to customers on their cell phones. Artists including Josh Turner, Billy Currington, Julie Roberts and Gary Nichols were scheduled to perform a concert at Nashville’s...
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...
NORWOOD, Mass.—Analog Devices Inc. will purchase privately held, South Korea-based Integrant Technologies Inc. for $127 million. The move will bolster ADI’s portfolio with Integrant’s low-power radio-frequency chips for mobile television, according to the two companies. The acquisition is expected to increase ADI’s revenue by...
BANGALORE, India—Indian IT services provider Wipro Technologies snapped up Saraware Oy, a Finnish telecom design and engineering services firm, for about $31.7 million. The acquisition not only gives Wipro access to Saraware’s expertise in radio networks and secure mobile platforms, but also gives Wipro...
LOS ANGELES—Xero Mobile has yet to launch its advertising-based mobile virtual network operator service in the United States, but that isn’t keeping the company from offering up its business model for partnerships with telecom companies abroad. "While our focus remains resolutely on our U.S....
WASHINGTON—The attorney general of the District of Columbia is reportedly suing InPhonic Inc. as a result of more than 2,000 consumer complaints filed against the company during the past three years. The attorney general filed suit against InPhonic yesterday in D.C. Superior Court, according...
SEATTLE—Dijji Corp., formerly known as Dwango Wireless, is closing its doors, according to documents filed this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "It is in the best interests of the company, its creditors and stockholders that the company cease operations and commence...
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.CarrierRBC Capital Markets raised its rating on Dobson Communications to outperform from sector...
BOSTON—More than 100 million people worldwide now use W-CDMA and CDMA2000 1x EV-DO third-generation technology on their cell phones, according to ongoing research by Strategy Analytics. After reaching the 100 million milestone early this month, the firm said the number should grow to 106...
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—The smart-phone market logged record shipments during the first quarter, according to new research from IDC. Worldwide converged mobile device shipments totaled 18.9 million units during the first quarter, up 7.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005 and up 67.8 percent from...
MONTREAL—Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.’s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL’s instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.’s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...
CHICAGO—CBS Radio is partnering with Vibes Media to reach listeners on their wireless handsets in 18 U.S. markets. The broadcaster said 25 of its radio stations will use Vibes’ iRadio service, which allows users to participate in promotions, polls and send song requests via...
HONG KONG—China Mobile Ltd. will acquire a 19.9-percent stake in a Hong Kong-based television joint venture in a move seen as a setback to Rupert Murdoch’s efforts to tap the tightly controlled media market. The state-controlled operator will pay an undisclosed sum to buy...
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.—With arch-rival Nokia Corp. seizing more than 60-percent market share in India—one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing mobile markets—Motorola Inc. is investing an additional $100 million in a manufacturing facility near the city of Chennai. The facility joins Motorola’s six research-and-development centers...
ATLANTA—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Research In Motion Ltd. announced they would make the BlackBerry 7130c device and service offering available at prices aimed at consumers—prices that exactly match the new price point established by Motorola Inc. and Verizon Wireless for the Motorola Q smart...
MURRAY HILL, N.J.—The merger of Lucent Technologies Inc. and Alcatel has received regulatory approval from federal antitrust authorities, according to a filing by Lucent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the filing, the companies expect the merger to be completed within...
WASHINGTON—Three groups sued the Federal Communications Commission over changes to small-business bidding rules, asking a federal appeals court in Philadelphia to immediately stay enforcement of new guidelines and delay the scheduled Aug. 9 start of the advanced wireless services auction pending juridical review of...
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....
