WASHINGTON—After expressing concerns that the network-neutrality provisions in the Senate Commerce Committee’s telecommunications-reform bill weren’t strong enough, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), a ranking member of the committee, signed onto a bill Friday praised by network-neutrality proponents. The Internet Preservation Freedom Act does not allow...
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.—Advertising agency PinPoint Interactive Media has launched a suite of mobile marketing solutions, including SMS marketing and mobile Web site development, appropriately dubbed PinPoint Mobile. The company said its new division will offer a single outlet for a range of mobile marketing...
CALABASSAS, Calif.—Mesh network gear-maker Strix Systems Inc. announced that its Access/One outdoor wireless system will be used by Citi WiFi Networks Inc. for its deployment of a Wi-Fi network in Dunedin, Fla., a city with about 38,000 residents located 20 miles north of St....
BOSTON-In a head-to-head comparison, more customers preferred Sprint Nextel Corp.'s Music Store to Verizon Wireless' Vcast service-but both were deemed too expensive, according to a new study by research firm Strategy Analytics. Strategy Analytics said Sprint Nextel's Mobile Music Store outscored Verizon Wireless' Vcast...
MOUNT VERNON, Ill.-Southern Illinois Cellular Corp., which does business as First Cellular of Southern Illinois, said that it had sold its interests in the Illinois RSA 6 and 7 Partnership to Verizon Wireless and Alhambra-Grantfork Cellular Telephone Co. The two RSAs cover 433,000 potential...
A colleague of mine recently announced plans to launch his own mobile virtual network operator service. Without rehashing the scheme, which appears foolproof (at least to me), he noted that since everyone is jumping on the MVNO bandwagon, why not a poor wireless newspaper...
The once-noble joint venture between Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and T-Mobile USA Inc. that allowed each carrier to fill in a significant coverage hole-California and Nevada for T-Mobile USA, New York for Cingular-is nearing an end as both carriers are expected to exchange a series...
WASHINGTON-Even with carefully worded denials by two large telephone companies and outright denials by two national mobile-phone carriers, the Bush administration and the telecom industry last week failed to quell a mushrooming controversy over whether carriers supplied the National Security Agency with millions of...
WAKEFIELD, N.H.-Prepaid reseller Freedom Phone Services introduced a new prepaid phone plan that starts at $10 per month. Customers must pay ahead of time and essentially have a month-to-month arrangement; they have a month to use their allotted minutes and then can choose whether...
Leap Wireless International Inc. reported plans to swap 10 megahertz of 1.9 GHz spectrum covering Grand Rapids, Mich., for 10 megahertz in Rochester, N.Y. currently held by Cingular Wireless L.L.C. The move plays into Leap's market-cluster strategy, adding to its upstate New York holdings...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Mobile virtual network operator Mobile ESPN L.L.C. said it plans to offer roadside assistance services to its customers via insurance and warranty company Asurion. The service is expected to cost $3 per month and include 24-hour towing, lockout assistance, tire changes and fueling...
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.-The handset market in the United States continues to run hot, with new figures from The NPD Group reflecting an 11-percent growth in sales for the first quarter over the year-ago quarter. The biggest beneficiary in the United States is Motorola Inc.,...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission abruptly delayed the advanced wireless services auction until Aug. 9, saying applicants needed more time to prepare for the government’s sale of 1,122 wireless licenses. The FCC was to have begun the AWS auction June 29, but intense controversy over...
WASHINGTON—JetBlue’s LiveTV L.L.C. was the top bidder at $506,000 at the end of round 29 for a one-megahertz license to offer air-to-ground services in the 800 MHz band. LiveTV’s bid corresponds with a high bid from Acadia Broadband L.P. at the end of round...
WASHINGTON—CTIA President Steve Largent was rebuffed in his effort to implore the Senate Commerce Committee to include a "national framework for regulation" in the telecommunications-reform bill. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, told reporters following a hearing on the Communications...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission said wireless complaints dropped in the first quarter of the year. The agency said wireless complaints decreased from 4,956 in the fourth quarter of 2005 to 4,616 in the first quarter. Complaints fell in all wireless categories, the agency said.Wireless...
SAN FRANCISCO—Java operating system vendor SavaJe Technologies introduced its Jasper S20 handset at the 2006 JavaOne Conference in San Francisco this week. The Jasper S20 is being manufactured by Group Sense Limited of Hong Kong and will ship to Asian markets this summer. Group...
BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Railways and Nortel Networks Ltd. announced an agreement for Nortel to provide GSM-Railway switching centers for digital mobile signaling and operational communications spanning 20 of China’s 31 provinces. Under terms of the agreement, Nortel said the GSM-R switching centers will cover...
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...
BOSTON—American Tower Corp., the nation’s largest tower company, announced that it received a formal letter of inquiry about its stock option grants from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said its board created a special committee of independent directors to conduct its own...
NEW YORK—The trend toward managed network operations and maintenance will have much greater impact on the wireless industry than consolidation, concludes Mercer Management Consulting after researching telecom sector developments. After interviews with more than 100 senior telecom executives and industry observers, the firm said...
BOSTON—In a head-to-head comparison, more customers preferred Sprint Nextel Corp.’s Music Store to Verizon Wireless’ Vcast service—but both were deemed too expensive, according to a new study by research firm Strategy Analytics. Strategy Analytics said Sprint’s Mobile Music Store outscored Verizon’s Vcast service 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 affirmed its B bank loan rating on Ntelos...
ALBANY, N.Y.—Micro fuel cell developer MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. announced that its technology has been chosen to fuel a series of mobile phone and accessory prototypes by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. The two companies will work together to develop, test and evaluate MTI Micro’s...
