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Reality Check: Time for the board questions – a primer

Editor's Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We've gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace.The end of the third quarter is quickly arriving with surprisingly little fanfare: no last minute sales...

700 MHz auction ends: Wireless heavyweights biggest players, others surprise

Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility ran the table at the 700 MHz auction, accounting for most of the record $19.6 billion in bidding that broke historic ground on open access, lost ground on public safety and gave dozens of mostly white-male-owned small businesses a...

3 smaller carriers report increases in data ARPU

Dobson Communications Corp. reported solid results for the final period of 2006, growing its subscriber base and increasing its average revenue per user. Dobson ended the year with an ARPU of $49.92-up $3.82 year-over-year. The data portion of Dobson's ARPU also increased, jumping from...

AUCTION NEWS: T-Mobile USA continues aggressive play

WASHINGTON—T-Mobile USA Inc. is dominating the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction after three rounds in terms of sheer dollars, with $226.6 million in bids so far. The carrier is the high bidder on 25 spectrum licenses covering 235 million potential customers.Click here for the...

Broadband, universal service pop up in assorted Hill venues

WASHINGTON-The issue of broadband availability for all Americans was a reoccurring theme on Capitol Hill last week as lawmakers of all political stripes and from all parts of the country weighed in on whether and how the universal-service program should be reformed. The Senate...

Weekly wireless ratings wrap-up

The following list includes ratings changes and financial information for wireless companies announced this week by investment-banking and financial-services firms. CarriersLehman Brothers upgraded its rating on CenturyTel Inc. from underweight to equal weight and raised its price target on the company to $38 from...

Verizon, Alltel possible buyers for Midwest

Midwest Wireless is the latest regional wireless operator to look at potential strategic alternatives for its operations. The privately held carrier serves more than 420,000 customers on its CDMA-based network in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Midwest Wireless Chief Operating Officer Scott Bergs...

CenturyTel halts MVNO trials on Cingular system due to coverage

MONROE, La.-Regional telecommunications provider CenturyTel Inc. said that network coverage issues have delayed its plans to begin offering wireless services using Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s network under a mobile virtual network operator arrangement. CenturyTel noted that it was trialing the service with Cingular in a...

CenturyTel halts wireless trials on Cingular’s network

Regional telecommunications provider CenturyTel Inc. said that network coverage issues have delayed its plans to begin offering wireless services using Cingular Wireless L.L.C.'s network under a mobile virtual network operator arrangement. CenturyTel noted that it was trialing the service with Cingular in a pair...

CenturyTel re-enters wireless with Cingular

Regional telecommunications provider CenturyTel Inc. said it has entered into a reseller relationship with Cingular Wireless L.L.C. that will allow CenturyTel to provide wireless voice and text-messaging services as part of a bundled service offering. CenturyTel said it will be responsible for all marketing,...

CenturyTel to pay $100,000 for not porting wireless calls

WASHINGTON-Rural local exchange carrier CenturyTel Inc. has agreed to pay the Federal Communications Commission $100,000 and set up procedures and systems to properly route ported wireless numbers, according to an agreement between the carrier and government."The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association thinks it is...

CenturyTel to pay $100,000 WLNP fine

WASHINGTON-CenturyTel Inc. has agreed to pay the Federal Communications Commission $100,000 and set up procedures and systems to properly route ported wireless numbers, according to a consent decree released by the FCC Monday."The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association thinks it is a very important...

Rural wireline carriers may face LNP fines

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission could fine CenturyTel Inc. $100,000 for not routing ported wireless numbers."Regardless of the status of a carrier's obligation to provide number portability, all carriers have the duty to route calls to ported numbers. In other words, carriers must ensure that...

Wireline company faces possible fine for not porting wireless calls

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission Thursday proposed fining CenturyTel Inc. $100,000 for not routing ported wireless numbers."Regardless of the status of a carrier's obligation to provide number portability, all carriers have the duty to route calls to ported numbers. In other words, carriers must ensure...

CenturyTel looks to re-join wireless as reseller

NEW YORK-Nearly a year and a half after selling its wireless properties to Alltel Corp. for $1.6 billion, regional telecommunications service provider CenturyTel Inc. said it is in talks with wireless providers to resell wireless services to its customers.CenturyTel's Chief Financial Officer Steward Ewing...

CenturyTel looks to re-enter wireless as reseller

Nearly a year and a half after selling its wireless properties to Alltel Corp. for $1.6 billion, regional telecommunications service provider CenturyTel Inc. said it is in talks with wireless providers to resell wireless services to its customers.CenturyTel's Chief Financial Officer Steward Ewing told...

CenturyTel offers to buy fiber-optic business

ST. LOUIS-CenturyTel Inc. has offered $38 million to buy Digital Teleport's fiber-optic business and Digital has requested approval to hold an auction for the unit.Digital Teleport, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year, said it will also hold auctions for its fiber-optic...

Verizon sells local access lines in Missouri to CenturyTel

NEW YORK-Verizon Communications Inc. closed its sale of 371,000 local access lines in Missouri to CenturyTel Inc. over the weekend, completing a three-state asset sale program that netted the telecommunications company approximately $4 billion in pre-tax cash for the third quarter.The sales included 305,000...

CenturyTel increases dividend

MONROE, La.—CentruyTel Inc.'s board of directors voted to increase the quarterly cash dividend from 5 cents to 5.25 cents per share payable on March 22.

CenturyTel reports decreased wireless revenues

MONROE, La.—CenturyTel Inc. said its wireless revenues decreased 3 percent to $108.5 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with $111.8 million for fourth-quarter 2000. Its wireless revenues for the year totaled $438 million, compared with $443.6 million, for 2000.The company's overall...

CenturyTel positive about 3Q results

MONROE, La.—CenturyTel Inc. said its third-quarter financial results "will meet and possible exceed the range of guidance previously provided to the investment community," when they are released Oct. 30.Previous guidance expected third quarter revenue to range from $520 million to $535 million, with earnings...

CenturyTel files lawsuit against Alltel

MONROE, Louisiana, United States—Rural U.S. wireline and wireless carrier CenturyTel Inc. filed a lawsuit against Alltel Corp. claiming Alltel made false and misleading statements to promote its takeover bid of CenturyTel.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana,...

News Briefs

Leap Wireless International Inc. completed its acquisition of personal communications services operating licenses covering 2.8 million pops from CIVS IV License Sub I L.L.C., a joint venture between Cook Inlet Region Inc. and Voice-Stream Wireless Corp. Leap also completed its previously announced acquisition of...

AT&T Wireless Group tops profit growth

NEW YORK-The major players' rankings reflect the dynamic environment of telecommunications as some stalwarts held their ground, some newcomers joined the group, while still others showed substantial rises or falls in various categories.AT&T Wireless Group, listed this year as an entity distinct from its...