WASHINGTON-Jack Abramoff ordered the wireless firm that won the House in-building wireless infrastructure contract to make payments totaling $50,000 to a tax-exempt group created by the fallen lobbyist instead of charging the company lobbying lawmakers. The revelation was made public as part of Abramoff's...
DENVER-The line in the sand between Airgo Networks Inc. and backers of the Enhanced Wireless Consortium may be washed away if the IEEE adopts the Joint Proposal Team's first draft of the 802.11n standard for high-speed Wi-Fi. The IEEE's Joint Proposal team is set...
The first public airing of Qualcomm Inc.'s proprietary MediaFlo technology for mobile TV is taking place as the Flo Forum submitted its specification proposal for the Flo air interface between towers and devices to the Telecommunications Industry Association subcommittee TR-47. The Flo Forum, led...
The very mention of Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem puts a whir in many propeller hats. The whirring is justified to a certain degree, but wireless carriers have approached investment in IMS technology with much caution. To understand their position, it's essential to first understand...
As the wireless industry expands its array of data applications for the mass market, it might consider borrowing a few tricks from the gaming world. Indeed, gaming companies seem to have successfully navigated the non-interoperable wars. Wireless should sit at the feet of these...
The wireline parent companies of Cingular Wireless L.L.C. are dangling discounts, converged bills and the potential of cross-platform services as they try to convince customers to bundle Cingular wireless services along with high-speed Internet, video and wireline phone services. As the AT&T brand re-emerges...
MADRID, Spain-Wireless operator Telefonica SA received conditional approval of its $31 billion takeover of U.K. operator O2 plc from the European Commission. However, Telefonica had to agree that one of its subsidiaries, Telefonica Moviles S.A., would leave the FreeMove alliance of European wireless operators...
SYDNEY, Australia-Australian cable and wireless provider Optus Ltd. acquired 100 percent of Virgin Mobile Australia from the Virgin Group plc for about $22.5 million. The deal also gives Optus a license to use the VMA brand for 15 years. VMA started out in 2000...
TAMPA, Fla.-Syniverse Technologies Inc., which provides technology and clearing services to wireless companies, said it has renewed its contract with regional wireless operator SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. Syniverse said the deal calls for it to continue to supply the carrier with services designed to...
BELLEVUE, Wash.-Kristin Rinne, chief technology officer for Cingular Wireless L.L.C., will serve a second term as chairwoman of 3G Americas after being re-elected by the GSM technology organization's board of governors. Rinne has worked in the telecommunications industry for more than 25 years. Alan...
WASHINGTON-A federal judge in Kentucky temporarily blocked enforcement of a new law prohibiting telecom operators from passing through to subscribers a targeted 1.3-percent gross receipts tax, pending the outcome of truth-in-billing litigation in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The turn of events...
Lucent Technologies Inc. cut its earnings predictions for both the first quarter and the full year, primarily due to lower equipment sales in the United States and Canada.The telecommunications equipment company expects its earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 31 to be about $2.05...
Digital security and mobile content provider VeriSign Inc. said it plans to spend $30 million in cash to acquire software developer CallVision Inc. Seattle-based CallVision provides Web-based billing and data analysis applications to operators including T-Mobile, Bell Canada, TelstraClear and Australia's AAPT. The company's...
FORT WORTH, Texas-Shares of RadioShack Corp. slid after the company reported disappointing fourth-quarter sales and confirmed it will fall short of projected 2005 earnings-due largely to lagging wireless sales.The electronics retailer reported total sales during the quarter of $1.67 billion, a 5-percent increase from...
Verizon Wireless made headlines at the Consumer Electronics Show when it unveiled a new full-track mobile music download service. But the carrier was busy last week defending the offering's lack of support for MP3s. Vcast Music offers tunes that can be downloaded to a...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission set a May 10 date to auction 800 MHz air-to-ground licenses. The FCC is auctioning the four megahertz of spectrum in the 800 MHz ATG band after it decided that the current ATG spectrum was being underutilized. The agency plans...
Abortion has been-and probably will continue to be for a long while-the political fault line dividing Republicans and Democrats. In those infrequent instances when openings arise on Supreme Court-which has been relatively frequent lately-abortion is the hot-button issue for sizing up high-court nominees.But this...
WASHINGTON-News stories late last week highlighted the tightrope wireless carriers must walk as they try to help law enforcement and protect their customers' privacy at the same time. On one hand, Sprint Nextel Corp. found itself defending its privacy-protection policies when it did not...
GLEN BURNIE, Md.-American Financial Holdings Inc. completed its merger with Pelican Mobile Computers Inc., which provides rugged mobile hardware and software for law enforcement agencies and emergency workers. The combined companies said they plan to adopt the name Tactical Solution Partners Inc., and plan...
WASHINGTON-Two satellite firms last week challenged the Federal Communications Commission's decision to give reclaimed 2 GHz mobile satellite service spectrum to ICO Satellite Services and TMI Communications and Co. Globalstar L.L.C., which lost its 2 GHz MSS license but operates mobile satellite services in...
SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Motorola Inc. announced it invested an undisclosed sum in Global Locate Inc., a privately held GPS semiconductor, software and services provider. "Global Locate is a compelling addition to our portfolio of cutting-edge technology investments," said Warren Holtsberg, corporate vice president of equity investments...
Crown Castle International Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. are placing huge bets on mobile TV, spending a combined $1.3 billion to build networks dedicated almost entirely to one-way wireless video. Traditional TV networks and film studios are hastily establishing divisions to produce content for "the...
Adamind Ltd. announced a three-year deal to provide mobile content production and delivery software to Universal Music Group subsidiary Universal Music Mobile U.S. The California-based developer, which also maintains a research and development facility in Israel, said the agreement calls for the integration of...
WASHINGTON-Wireless carriers whose networks were severely damaged or destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita have the opportunity to take advantage of federal tax breaks, including a bonus depreciation that many believe will help wireless players rebuild and upgrade their networks in the Gulf Coast...
