Mobile and Wireless Industry Reports

MetroPCS Communications Inc. announced it dropped its proposal to merge with Leap Wireless International Inc., following Leap’s disinterest in the deal.“MetroPCS has not been able to engage Leap in meaningful negotiations regarding MetroPCS’ merger proposal,” Metro said. “As a result, …

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s quarterly profits plunged as the carrier bled postpaid iDEN and prepaid Boost Mobile L.L.C. subscribers, posting a net loss of 60,000 subscribers for the quarter. The company’s net income fell from $279 million in the third quarter …

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 RCRNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs …

Starent Networks Corp. said it plans to net $88.2 million in a secondary public offering of its common shares.The Boston-area mobile infrastructure provider said it will sell 8 million shares at $24 each: The company will sell 3.88 million shares, …

Location-based services technology provider Omnilink Systems unveiled a GPS-based offering designed to allow law enforcement to track the location of suspects in real-time using both satellites and ground-based cellular networks.The service combines Omnilink’s FocalPoint software and a tracking device housing …

The last member of the management team at Motorola Inc.’s cellphone division that rode the original Razr to success is leaving the company. Ray Roman’s departure was announced internally at Motorola today and confirmed to Crain’s Chicago Business by the …

NBC Universal took a minority stake in 4INFO and partnered with the San Mateo, Calif.-based startup to power its text message-based services.The broadcasting behemoth invested an undisclosed amount in 4INFO via Peacock Equity, a joint venture between NBC Universal and …

The Federal Communications Commission called for an end to delays in porting telephone numbers from one carrier to another, an action responding to complaints from some wireless operators about the lengthy, bureaucratic process of transferring wireline numbers to mobile-phone service …

The ad-subsidized mobile gaming space gained another backer as Vivendi Games Mobile said it will offer 10 of its titles free through Greystripe.The mobile division of Paris-based Vivendi Games said games such as “After Dark Flying Toaster,” “Amy’s Hangman” and …

Holding company TMT Capital Corp. said this week that its subsidiary Freedom Wireless has a mobile virtual network agreement that allows it to sell GSM voice, data and messaging services in the U.S. “across the largest GSM cellular network footprint …

Alcatel-Lucent lost more than $373 million during the past quarter the company reported as it announced it would be replacing its chief financial officer. Wall Street appeared relatively pleased with the results, which mostly fell in line with the company’s …

Verizon Wireless tweaked its prepaid calling plans to add access to its music, navigation and other data services starting tomorrow. The carrier will offer three varieties of its INpulse plans. The INpulse Core plan looks much like a continuation of …

Wi-Fi hot spot provider Boingo Wireless Inc. said it acquired Wi-Fi networks at seven airports from Sprint Nextel Corp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.The purchase includes a roaming component that will allow Sprint Nextel customers to gain access …

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) introduced legislation to ban the sale of cellphone numbers by third parties without the consent of wireless subscribers, a measure that appears targeted at Bellevue, Wash.-based information-commerce firm Intelius Inc.“This legislation is not just about protecting …

Personal navigation device maker Garmin Ltd. said it will offer $3.3 billion for Tele Atlas N.V. in a move likely to spur a bidding war for the digital mapping company.Tele Atlas in July accepted a bid of $2.8 billion from …

Taiwanese smartphone vendor HTC Corp. and Brightpoint, Inc., the distribution powerhouse, signed a global distribution agreement that may help the smartphone maker realize its ambitions of establishing a globally recognized brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. HTC Americas, …

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.–Inrix: August Capital, Bain Capital Ventures and Venrock led a $15 million Series C funding …

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms.Carrier –RBC Capital Markets raised its price target on Verizon Communications to $44 from $41 after the company reported in-line third-quarter …

Google Inc. is reportedly close to entering the wireless space in a big way. Much has been speculated about the search giant’s plans for mobile, ranging from branded devices to advertising-supported minutes and open operating systems.But, Google is ready to …

NBC Universal has consolidated all of its interactive TV and participation media campaigns under one roof: SinglePoint. The mobile marketing company has been ramping up to takeover all NBC property campaigns for more than four months now and waited until …

Here’s just one reason the mobile-phone industry wants Congress to approve expanded federal pre-emption: lawsuits galore in a California state court that have ensnarled national carriers and prompted some to settle. More than a dozen handset locking and early termination …

The Federal Communications Commission approved the $27.5 billion acquisition of Alltel Corp. by private-equity firms TPG Capital L.P. and the Goldman Sachs Group Inc., despite criticism by several members over linked universal service and enhanced 911 conditions.Atlantis Holdings L.L.C. is …

AT&T Mobility launched the SGH-a737, new slider phone from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. The carrier and handset manufacturer hope to build on the remarkable success they’ve seen with the SGH-a717 and SGH-a727 phones.The SGH-a737 comes in four color combinations: black/orange, …

The mobile-phone industry cheered congressional approval of a bill to ban Internet access taxes for the next seven years, even though cellular carriers and others lobbied aggressively for a permanent ban.“In taking this action today, Congress has wisely decided to …

RadioShack Corp. shares appeared relatively stable, jumping nearly 3% to $20.99, after the company reported a net income of $46.3 million for the third quarter. In the year-ago period the company reported a loss of $16.3 million.The company reported a …