Mobile and Wireless Industry Reports

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 RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

Just how big a problem is prepaid mobile-phone trafficking in the United States? All signs point to a potentially huge black market of international scope.AT&T Mobility, the nation’s largest mobile-phone carrier, alleges in a suit filed in Texas federal court …

Medio Systems Inc. launched an on-device portal designed to give users one-click access to content on the wireless Web.The offering uses predictive text and a single universal search box to help users find real-time information as well as downloadable content. …

Blue Frog Mobile Inc. may have uttered its last “ribbit.”The Seattle-based interactive TV firm filed for bankruptcy last week under Chapter 7, signaling its intention to sell off its assets. The company claimed liabilities of less than $1 million and …

AT&T Inc. has hired the Discovery Channel’s new-media guru, Chris Schembri, to oversee the allocation of its $3.3 billion annual media budget.Schembri, known for creative and out-of-the-box marketing campaigns, will take the title of VP of media services, directing the …

The Federal Communication Commission’s 700 MHz auction slowly crawled past the $19 billion mark this afternoon. Bidders laid down 203 bids during round 40, the last round of the day, adding $19.7 million to a total auction pot of $19.02 …

Sensing a slowdown in the proceedings, the Federal Communications Commission instituted its so-called “Stage Two Transition” beginning with this morning’s round 36, effectively requiring 700 MHz auction participants to keep bidding or quit the game. The rule stipulates that bidders …

Bango is moving beyond wireless transactions and into the world of mobile marketing.The U.K.-based firm, which specializes in off-deck activity, launched an offering designed to allow mobile advertisers to track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. Bango Analytics counts the …

Apple Inc. has ensured that its customers have enough memory on their iPhone and iPod to store and consume more digital media from … presumably, Apple’s iTunes or its new movie rental service.The company said Tuesday it would sell 16 …

The Federal Communications Commission extended by six months the deadline for streamlined local number portability processing.The new deadline is July 31, though regional telecom operator Embarq — which requested a delay of streamlined LNP guidelines until Sept. 31 so it …

Voce’s promises are now just a hollow echo of P.T. Barnum’s famous dictum, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” “The ultimate service,” the now-defunct mobile virtual network operator’s Web site still assures viewers. “Voce redefines customer care.” In the case …

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s subsidiary Boost Mobile and mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. tweaked their unlimited voice, data and messaging plans.Boost Mobile introduced a new $1 per day voice plan for pay-as-you-go customers, which includes unlimited nights, unlimited mobile-to-mobile and …

Two telecom agencies identified frequencies for testing spectrum sharing between federal and non-federal users, but there is concern that the Bush administration will not meet its self-imposed 2008 deadline for completing the project.The Federal Communications Commission designated 10 megahertz in …

AT&T Mobility said it will step up its 3G buildout, expanding its high-speed mobile service to more than 80 additional cities this year.The nation’s No. 1 mobile carrier said it will launch more than 1,500 new cell sites as it …

The Wall Street Journal Digital Network launched an on-device portal allowing users to access online content from Microsoft Corp.-based Windows Mobile-enabled devices.The downloadable application, which was developed by Action Engine, delivers news, videos and streaming podcasts from WSJ.com, MarketWatch.com and …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier–Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services assigned its A rating to AT&T Inc.‘s $750 million of global notes due 2013, $750 million …

Apparently it wasn’t a Super Bowl hangover. Bidding in the Federal Communication Commission’s 700 MHz spectrum auction continued to slow today as bidders placed only 582 new bids during five rounds, adding just over $113 million to the auction’s total …

The Federal Communications Commission approved AT&T Mobility’s $2.5 billion purchase of Aloha Partners L.P.’s 700 MHz properties, triggering an angry dissent from a Democratic member of the GOP-led telecom agency. The deal, which is expected soon to get the Justice …

The Bush administration proposed imposing spectrum fees on the cellular element of hybrid mobile satellite service networks as part of s $3.1 trillion budget sent to Congress. MSS operators are banking on the ancillary terrestrial component, or ATC, to revive …

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Reality Check, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile content industry to give their insights into the marketplace. …

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.Cellular–Mozambique: Mcel has chosen Alcatel-Lucent to …

Alexis de Tocqueville might have saved himself a lot of travel if he could have watched a few Super Bowl broadcasts. It’s no secret that Super Bowl commercials act as a sort of barometer for what Americans are all about. …

The 700 MHz spectrum auction took another unexpected turn today as bidding on individual C-Block licenses usurped the previous high bid for a package of eight C-Block licenses covering the 50 states. While the Federal Communication Commission’s Auction 73 continues …

Change is coming swiftly at Motorola Inc., fueling further speculation on the company’s direction. CEO Greg Brown apparently told employees Friday in an internal memo that he personally will take charge of the company’s ailing handset business. Brown’s internal memo, …

Virgin Mobile USA Inc. reported that it added 210,000 customers in the final quarter of 2007; however the MVNO will be taking on a loss of $3 million to $6 million for the year.The five-year-old company added 512,000 customers to …