Mobile and Wireless Industry Reports

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Analyst Angle. We’ve collected a group of the industry’s leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Current Analysis’ …

Bidding in the Federal Communication Commission’s 700 MHz auction continued to slow throughout today, though enough money has been thrown around to push total potential winning bids past $18.5 billion after round 26. Auction 73 is now set for a …

As word sank in that Motorola Inc. is “exploring the structural and strategic realignment” of its business – including the possible creation of a standalone company for its devices business – attention has turned to the company’s strategy, its actual …

Microsoft Corp.’s proposed acquisition of Yahoo Inc. may be centered on Internet search, but the takeover – if consummated – could make huge waves in the world of wireless.The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant offered $44.6 billion in cash and stock …

Compared with yesterday, when potential winning bids added more than $4 billion to the bottom line, bidding early today in the Federal Communication Commission’s 700MHz spectrum auction looked downright sleepy. Although bidders dumped another $1.8 billion in bids into the …

Intelius Inc. said it shelved its cellphone directory service after being battered by a range of officials and executives over privacy concerns. The issue threatened to mushroom into a public-relations nightmare for the firm at the very time it is …

Anyone who has traveled abroad and decided to use their cellphone to call home or check e-mail knows how shocking the total on your subsequent wireless bill can be. Short of owning an unlocked GSM device and carrying multiple SIM …

L.M. Ericsson stock is down nearly 3% to $22.07 on news that the company’s networks business lost momentum in the final months of the year. The company reported $886.7 million in profits last quarter, a 42% decline from the year-ago …

The Mobile Entertainment Forum launched a participation-television (P-TV) code of practice that the organization hopes will enable the market to sustain its growth in the United States and avoid the issues that have hampered the industry abroad.“If you can’t have …

Motorola Inc.’s CEO Greg Brown today said the company is exploring options to accelerate the recovery of its mobile devices business, including the possible creation of a standalone devices business.Rumors circulated among market analysts earlier this week that Motorola might …

After 21 rounds the Federal Communications Commission’s auction of 1,099 spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band swept past the $15 billion mark, and it does not look like its slowing down anytime soon. The $15 billion point was at …

Garmin Ltd. yesterday in New York revealed its “nuvifone” product, a personal navigation device (PND) with a touchscreen, GSM/HSDPA functionality for voice and data and native GPS.While the product had been long-rumored, the timing seemed to surprise the market.Photographs 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 RCRWirelessNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

Smartphones have undergone a fascinating evolution in the past year or so. High-powered executives are no longer satisfied with a black and white screen displaying their latest e-mails. The smartphone has quickly evolved from a no-frills wireless e-mail inbox to …

T-Mobile USA Inc. continues to rank highest among the five largest wireless carriers in customer service performance, according to the latest study by J.D. Power and Associates. The No. 4 provider has been at the top of the field for …

Following a few tense rounds without any bids, the nationwide package of eight C-Block licenses picked up a new bid during round 17 to push the potential winning price for the block past the $4.6 billion reserve mark, thereby triggering …

In addition to more money piling into the coffers of the U.S. Treasury, the latest round of bidding in the Federal Communication Commission’s 700 MHz auction has injected some intrigue into the proceedings. Following a steady climb to the $4.6 …

Clearwire Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp. still haven’t resurrected their now-defunct plan for a collaborative nationwide mobile WiMAX buildout, Clearwire CEO Ben Wolff said in a conference call this morning. However, the two companies aren’t ignoring each other, either.“The companies …

The Federal Communications Commission took another step toward reform of the universal service fund, while further leaving in limbo a highly controversial effort by Chairman Kevin Martin to order a temporary cap on government subsidies largely tapped for deployment of …

T-Mobile USA Inc. has been hit with a class action suit over alleged charges for text messages received by consumers who do not want the feature.The suit, recently filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, claims T-Mobile USA charges …

Following 14 rounds of bidding during the Federal Communications Commission’s 700 MHz spectrum auction, also known as Auction 73, pre-auction forecasts of between $10 billion and $15 billion in total winning bids are spot on. The auction of 1,099 licenses …

Skyfire is the latest player looking to bring the “real Web” to mobile phones.The Mountain View, Calif.-based startup came out of stealth mode this week with its flagship offering, a free, downloadable Web browser for Windows Mobile-enabled handsets.Users can register …

Yahoo Inc. is looking to mobile to help offset its struggling online business.The Internet giant said it will slash 1,000 jobs — marking a 7% overall reduction in its workforce — in the wake of a fourth quarter that saw …

The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced during the past week. The value of the investment is included when available. —Ad Infuse: Softbank Capital led a $12 million round of funding into mobile advertising …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier–Credit Suisse First Boston lowered its estimates on Verizon to $2.66 from $2.70 for 2008. R.W. Baird lowered its estimates on …