Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

TORONTO-Nortel Networks Ltd. said its insurers have agreed to put $228.5 million toward Nortel’s settlements of a pair of class-action lawsuits that stemmed from an accounting scandal. In February, Nortel agreed to pay more than $2.4 billion in cash and …

BRISTOL, United Kingdom-Icera Inc., a wireless soft modem company based in the United Kingdom, announced it secured $40 million in a Series C round of venture funding. Amadeus Capital Partners led the round, with existing investors Accel Partners, Atlas Venture …

WASHINGTON-Online wireless retailer InPhonic Inc. unveiled a business unit targeting small business users. The company launched Wirefly.biz, an Internet storefront hawking products and rate plans designed for home office workers and small businesses. The site carries offerings from Cingular Wireless …

Regional telecommunications operator Ntelos Holdings Corp. reported strong growth in the fourth quarter and full-year 2005, generating wireless operating revenues of $73 million during the final three months of 2005 and $280 million for the year. Ntelos Inc., the company’s …

Verizon Wireless’ full-page advertisement in The Denver Post’s March 22 edition, prominently displayed on page 5 of the newspaper’s front section, trumpets: “IT’S THE NETWORK” and “#1 in Customer Loyalty in Denver,” both well-worn marketing phrases for the nation’s second-largest …

LAS VEGAS-BellSouth Corp. unveiled a pre-WiMAX wireless broadband back-up system for businesses’ Internet connections. The carrier said the system allows customers to activate a Wi-Fi hot spot at a business location, with a WiMAX backhaul, in the event the wireline …

EarthLink Inc. has already invested about $121.5 million into its soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator, Helio, according to the company’s recently filed annual report. In addition, EarthLink stated that it has already provided Helio with 27,000 customers. EarthLink stated that …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Nvidia Corp. said it plans to acquire Hybrid Graphics Ltd., a Finnish company that provides embedded 2-D and 3-D graphics software for handheld devices. Under the definitive agreement, Hybrid is to become a subsidiary of Nvidia, maintaining support …

WASHINGTON-The National Religious Broadcasters came out against Senate legislation aimed at allowing the TV white spaces to be used for unlicensed operations, charging that such devices are untested, the digital TV transition is not complete, and such devices could interfere …

FREMONT, Calif.-The Flo Forum ratified technical specifications for devices, transmitters and test applications based on Qualcomm Inc.’s Flo technology standard for mobile TV. The group said the new specifications are companion documents to the previously ratified Flo Air Interface Specification …

WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court and Congress are jumping into the powder-keg patent debate, one encompassing a morass of complex issues increasingly confronting wireless and high-tech sectors at a time when innovation in knowledge-based economies is driving significant growth in developed and …

PLEASANTON, Calif.-Verizon Wireless selected Xign Corp., a purveyor of on-demand, order-to-pay software, to streamline its order delivery, invoice processing and payment management. By moving to electronic billing and payment of vendor accounts, Verizon Wireless plans to save money through efficiencies …

Six Apart Ltd., a company that specializes in blogging software and services, bolstered its position in the mobile blogging arena with the acquisition of SplashData Inc.’s SplashBlog mobile photo blogging application and service. Terms of the deal were not released. …

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department last week filed a slew of documents with a New York federal court in support of a request to join the auction fraud lawsuit against Wall Street telecom titan Mario Gabelli, a belated move in the five-year-old …

WASHINGTON-Telematics providers have come out against FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s numbers-based approach to financing the universal-service fund . Those providers noted that because telematics is not connected to the public-switched telephone network Martin’s plan would significantly add to the cost …

NEW YORK-Price Communications Corp.’s board of directors has decided to pursue liquidating the company, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The small wireless operator has been operating in partnership with Verizon Wireless since 2002; prior to …

BOULDER, Colo.-The Mobile Marketing Association revised its “consumer best practices,” updating the guidelines to include chat services, interactive television, and viral and affiliate marketing. The rules are designed to establish a standard, efficient platform for brands, advertisers and carriers looking …

REDMOND, Wash.-Microsoft Corp. is expected to overhaul its ActiveSync Windows Mobile device management offering, when the software giant rolls out the next version of its PC operating system, which has been delayed until next year. Microsoft will change the service’s …

BOSTON-Everypoint, a mobile sports application firm, attracted $10 million in a second round of venture-capital funding, the company reported. Venrock Associates led the round, which included existing investors Prism Venture Partners and TD Capital Ventures. Everypoint’s downloadable applications provide live …

You can thank Socrates-the illustrious Athenian of the fifth century B.C.-for establishing the power of asking leading and potentially unpopular questions, without feeling the need to provide definitive answers. Ask the right questions, so the Socratic method would have it, …

Editor’s Note: The companies listed below represent the four first-tier wireless operators that control enough spectrum for a nationwide footprint. They are ranked by their number of subscribers at the end of 2005. Subscriber additions and financial results are from …

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.-Eager to expand its portfolio, tower owner and operator Optasite Inc. completed a $125 million round of debt and equity financing. The company also closed on a slew of site acquisitions, bringing the company’s portfolio of towers to more …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Lucent Technologies Inc. outbid L.M. Ericsson in the auction of Ethernet developer Riverstone Networks Inc.’s business. Riverstone said Lucent’s final bid was $207 million in cash along with certain modifications to the Asset Purchase Agreement originally signed by …

BURNABY, Canada-Fortuna Gaming Corp., a Canadian-based company focused on online and mobile gambling, sees mobile gambling as a big part of its future and eventually wants to launch a mobile virtual network operator service for gambling enthusiasts. “The long-term vision …

NEW YORK-Frazzled, on-the-go parents can now entertain their kids with Thomas & Friends stories on their Sprint Nextel Corp. mobile phones. Vocel and Random House Children’s Books teamed up to bring the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine to mobile …