Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case from California involving whether a city has to pay attorney fees if it loses a tower siting case. “With the unprecedented number of cellular antennas sprouting up in our communities, …

WASHINGTON—FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said the five-member commission should vote again if changes are made to the government’s proposed ruling on solving interference at 800 MHz, thus casting doubt on Nextel Communications Inc.’s hopes to clarify rules through a procedure …

A tremor of restructuring is rippling through the infrastructure players, signaling a new approach to the market. Such moves, some of them imposed and others induced, are spawning a new round of layoffs in some of the companies. Nortel Networks …

LONDON-Traditional GSM device manufacturers, including Nokia Corp. and Motorola Inc., are leading the charge in music-focused cellular devices, or “Cellular Music Decks,” according to new research from Strategy Analytics. “Music will be a `bridesmaid’ value-add mostly found on converged devices …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. plans today to launch the Ogo wireless-messaging device. Ogo, targeted at teens and young adults, supports AOL, MSN and Yahoo!, allowing users to instant message, e-mail and send short message service messages. It does not include …

Nortel Networks Ltd and UTStarcom are on two sides of a stormy boat: Both multinational vendors face accounting travails and both are still gaining contracts, and both are convinced they are heading for smoother waters. Nortel’s accounting problems have been …

WASHINGTON-As the Bush administration weathers criticism from Democrats over delays in modernizing the nation’s emergency warning system and insists help is on the way, a small GSM carrier in Wisconsin is poised to deploy technology capable of delivering the kind …

The headline in a Sept. 20 story on Page 8 about the government’s Jan. 12 auction was inaccurate. Auction 58 includes 123 licenses for which any company, regardless of size, can bid. Another 119 licenses up for bid are restricted …

WASHINGTON-A new lawsuit filed in Illinois state court alleges a driver talking on a cell phone hit and injured a woman crossing the street, litigation that comes as the mobile-phone industry launches a new driver-safety ad campaign. The lawsuit, filed …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. has entered into a deal with Microsoft Corp. to allow Windows streaming capabilities in wireless devices. Through the deal, consumers will be able to play back and stream Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video content on …

Verizon Wireless increased the stakes in the wireless data market last week, announcing the expansion of its CDMA2000 1x EV-DO-based BroadbandAccess service to 11 new markets as well as limited coverage at 10 airports in eight additional markets. The expansion …

WASHINGTON-Tim Donahue, chief executive officer of Nextel Communications Inc., said Thursday morning Nextel finds nothing in the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to solve public-safety 800 MHz interference that it opposes and believes that the issues it has been discussing with …

WASHINGTON-The California Public Utilities Commission, unable to reach a settlement with the nation’s No. 2 mobile-phone operator, last week affirmed a record $12 million fine against Cingular Wireless L.L.C. for breaking state laws governing telecom carriers. The CPUC vote was …

SAN DIEGO-Siemens Mobile unveiled two new phones to the U.S. market, including the company’s first 1-megapixel camera phone. The S66 camera phone includes a 1.3-megapixel integrated still and video camera, a large high-resolution color screen and five-times digital zoom. The …

U.S. Cellular Corp. agreed to sell its 20-megahertz PCS license covering Daytona Beach, Fla., to MetroPCS Inc. for $8.5 million. U.S. Cellular said the sale was consistent with its recent initiative to exit non-strategic markets and redeploy its capital to …

WASHINGTON-The Senate Commerce Committee last week narrowly passed legislation meant to protect the privacy of wireless consumers if the industry goes forward with a planned wireless 411 directory. The Wireless 411 Privacy Act will require consumers to first give their …

CellStar Corp. has abandoned plans to proceed with an initial public offering of its operations in the People’s Republic of China, citing continued negative impacts on its business as a result of changes in China’s economic environment and structural changes …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has frozen all applications in the 900 MHz band following complaints by the Industrial Telecommunications Association that ACI 900 Inc., a subsidiary of Nextel Communications Inc., was attempting to gobble up all of the remaining frequencies …

AUSTIN, Texas-The Wi-Fi Alliance said it has certified the Wi-Fi-multimedia standard, otherwise known as WMM, for networking in consumer electronic devices such as DVD players and televisions. The standard is also referred to as QoS for quality of service. “The …

ST. LOUIS-AAT Communications Corp. and Bechtel Telecommunications have signed a national two-year contract under which they will partner to offer wireless carriers a one-stop solution for tower siting and network expansion projects. According to the partnership, Bechtel becomes AAT’s preferred …

ESSEX, Conn.-Advertising executives Jim Hood and Wes Bray announced the formation of HipCricket L.L.C., a wireless marketing and event company targeting young mobile-phone users. HipCricket is working with television and radio marketers to create permission-based, interactive, one-to-one programs uniting brands …

Jay Kitchen, president and chief executive officer of PCIA, plans to retire from the industry trade group he has led for 10 years. Kitchen expects to stay with the group for a year to head up a transition team that …

Regional telecommunications provider Qwest Communications International Inc. expanded its nationwide wireless voice service to residential and small business customers in Las Cruces, Alamogordo and Clovis, N.M. Qwest said customers who select the new plans as part of their bundled telecom …

HOUSTON-Crown Castle International Corp. has commenced cash tender offers for $205.6 million of its outstanding 9.375-percent senior notes due 2011, $216.4 million of its outstanding 10.75-percent senior notes due 2011, $151.4 million of its outstanding 7.5-percent senior notes due 2013, …

Sprint affiliate iPCS Inc.’s operating facility iPCS Wireless will sell 92 wireless communications towers to TCP Communications L.L.C. for proceeds of $16.5 million. The towers, mainly located in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, average $180,000 per tower. The sale is …