LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.-Bitfone Corp., which specializes in over-the-air updating technology for mobile phones, said Chinese mobile-phone manufacturer Amoi Electronics plans to use its mProve device management client suite for OTA updates. Amoi purchased the products to align with the Open Mobile Alliance's specifications for...
MINNEAPOLIS-Verizon Wireless topped Vocal Laboratories Inc.'s quarterly customer service survey for the fourth quarter. The carrier maintained its top position but slipped slightly from an overall caller satisfaction grade of A to B. Verizon held its B rating in the single-call-completion category.T-Mobile USA Inc....
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson plans to offer ringtones and full-track downloads from music publisher EMI to European wireless users. The companies announced a deal to bring 12,000 ringtones and 200,000 full tunes to market through Ericsson's white-label mobile music portal. EMI's stable of artists includes...
WASHINGTON-A technology expert warned last week that if Congress authorizes the Federal Communications Commission to require a broadcast flag in digital TV transmissions, the FCC could wind up as a gatekeeper for innovation. A broadcast flag is coding that would prevent the indiscriminate copying...
SAN JOSE, Calif.-A 1,500 square-mile high-speed wireless data network covering Silicon Valley is being planned by the area's civic and business leaders. A coalition called Smart Valley agreed to begin collecting bids for the wireless broadband network.Smart Valley members include the San Mateo County...
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-Google Inc. launched a personalized tool bar that allows PC users to share Web pages via text messages. The tool bar-installed in a desktop computer-includes a "send to" option that can be used to send an excerpt or entire page through e-mails,...
NEW YORK-Shuffle Master Inc. made a $3 million private equity investment in Sona Mobile Holdings Corp. via the purchase of 2.3 million shares of common stock, the companies announced. Sona provides secure mobile solutions to the financial, enterprise, entertainment and gaming sectors. Shuffle Master...
RESTON, Va.-Wireless Matrix Corp., which provides enterprise wireless data services, extended its contract with satellite provider Mobile Satellite Ventures through January 2008.Wireless Matrix uses satellite services as part of its wide area wireless communications network, which also makes use of terrestrial wireless services to...
DULUTH, Ga.-Systems integration company DataPath Inc. announced it acquired wireless broadband company Third Rail Americas Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. DataPath said the acquisition would allow it to add a terrestrial wireless component to its satellite offerings."Organizations communicating in unpredictable environments...
CERRITO, Calif.-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. reported a deal with Gigante USA Inc. targeting Latino wireless users in Southern California. The carrier said it plans to operate kiosks in all nine Gigante supermarkets in downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim, Chino and other cities. Gigante USA is owned...
OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. announced that two of its subsidiaries have been designated as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETC) in rural areas of Alaska and Minnesota by the states' respective regulatory commissions.The carrier already has received written notification from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska that...
WASHINGTON-A pair of studies reach different conclusions on whether cell phones pose health risks to consumers, continuing a trend of conflicting scientific results that keeps consumers scratching their heads and plaintiffs' lawyers filing lawsuits. One study, published in the British Medical Journal earlier this...
WASHINGTON-Wireless and other telecom manufacturers urged the Bush administration to establish a national information and communications technology policy framework that encourages marketplace competition and stimulates investment. The Telecommunications Industry Association recommended, among other things, that such a framework embrace a "light-touch deregulatory approach" and...
BANGALORE, India-SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. said it has acquired Impulsesoft, which specializes in Bluetooth stereo solutions and embedded software. Terms of the cash deal were not disclosed.Impulsesoft's products include an embedded Bluetooth protocol stack; a platform that enables music streaming from mobile phones to...
LOS ANGELES-Move aside Barbie, Bratz now have their own mobile phones. MGA Entertainment-the company behind the Bratz "fashion dolls"-announced it will sell a Bratz-branded mobile phone through select Wal-Mart locations nationwide. The phone is a rebranded Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. T290 and features...
The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.CarriersRobert W. Baird raised its 2006 estimates on BellSouth Corp. from EPS of $1.90 to $2.20 on a change in accounting related to acquisition-related amortization...
WASHINGTON-CTIA told state regulators earlier this week that they should focus on the needs of wireless consumers-and the benefits wireless can bring to rural America-rather than boosting the revenues of rural incumbent local exchange carriers. "CTIA is concerned that the National Association of Regulatory...
REDMOND, Wash.-Microsoft Corp.'s Mobile & Embedded Devices business-which houses the company's smart phone efforts-posted its first-ever quarterly operating profit, helping the software giant meet Wall Street earnings expectations for the fiscal second quarter. The company reported $93 million in revenue from its mobile business...
NEW YORK-Though Verizon Communications Inc. executives say that they have received no official notice that Vodafone Group plc is ready to sell its 45-percent stake in Verizon Wireless, they made it clear during a conference call this week that they "would be interested in...
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Sprint Nextel Corp. CDMA affiliate iPCS Inc. said it added 18,900 net wireless customers in the quarter ended Dec. 31, and closed out the year with around 495,300 subscribers. The regional carrier reported an average monthly churn rate for the quarter of 2.6...
NEWARK, N.J.-IDT Corp. said Detroit-based GVC Networks L.L.C. bought its Winstar subsidiaries, which provide telecommunications services to various U.S. government agencies. Though terms of the sale have not been disclosed, IDT said that sale includes Winstar Communications L.L.C., Winstar Government Solutions L.L.C. and Winstar...
WASHINGTON-The House and the Senate will each hold separate hearings next month on the ever-burgeoning consumer-privacy scandal regarding the disclosure and sale of telecommunications records. The Senate Commerce consumer-affairs subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8. The House Commerce Committee will hold its hearing...
PARIS-Openwave Systems Inc.'s new subsidiary Musiwave said it is powering a new subscription-based, full-track music download service for French carrier SFR. SFR, an affiliate of Vivendi Universal and Vodafone Group plc., launched the service with 80,000 songs from Universal Music's catalog. Musiwave is teaming...
OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. announced that two of its subsidiaries have been designated as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETC) in rural areas of Alaska and Minnesota by the states' respective regulatory commissions. The carrier already has received written notification from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska...
