Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

WASHINGTON-Law enforcement’s ability to use “roving wiretaps” is in doubt following a failed attempt to break a Senate filibuster of the USA Patriot Act late Friday. The House of Representatives had passed a compromise USA Patriot Act extension but the …

WASHINGTON-The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gutted Minnesota’s wireless consumer-protection law, defeating Attorney General Mike Hatch (D) and handing the mobile-phone industry a major legal victory at a time of increasing state intervention into the wireless business. In reversing …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission should not discriminate against Voice over Internet Protocol providers when there are more than 100 counties that do not offer wired 911 service, Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) told FCC Commissioner Michael Copps last week. Copps was …

SEATTLE-Nextel Partners Inc. is expanding its use of Seattle-based Par3 Communications’ customer care platform for automating collections, welcoming and interacting with new customer, and to provide automated details on using voicemail, wireless Web access, plan limits, billing cycles and walkie-talkie …

ATLANTA, Georgia-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. is among a half-dozen technology and financial companies teaming on a contactless payment and content trial at Atlanta’s Philips Arena. JP Morgan Chase & Co., Nokia Corp., Royal Philips Electronics, Visa USA and VivOtech are also …

WASHINGTON-As part of an effort to spur the deployment of broadband services in airplanes, the Federal Communications Commission said it would auction spectrum in both the 800 MHz air-to-ground band and the 400 MHz general-aviation band, but only will give …

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration asked Japan to promote competitive wireless policies and to improve spectrum management, but some reforms pushed by trade officials here are not necessarily legally embraced in the United States. The office of U.S. trade representative weighed in …

Amid holiday howls over the use of “Merry Christmas” instead of more all-inclusive seasonal greetings, Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. is blithely tripping its own way by pushing its “Chrismahanukwanzakah” marketing campaign again this year. The company declared Dec. 13 to …

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. said it broadened a two-year licensing agreement with Seattle-based Qpass. The two companies agreed to add Qpass’ Content Delivery Platform and Content Management Services to SunCom’s Downloadables service, which allows users to download content to …

T-Mobile USA Inc. pulled job postings with anti-union language from its Web site, after protests from Switzerland-based international union group UNI. T-Mobile USA spokesman Peter Dobrow said that the language of the ads was “a poor choice of words” and …

With Alltel Corp.’s announcement last week that it would spin off its wireline business and merge it with Valor Communications Group, the nation’s fifth-largest carrier is on its way to becoming purely a wireless player in an increasingly consolidated mobile …

ANAHEIM, Calif.-NextPhase Wireless Inc. said it expanded its pre-WiMAX network into California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The company, which designs and operates its own networks, acquired Blazen Wireless earlier this year. Since then, NextPhase said it has focused its …

SAN FRANCISCO-T-Mobile USA Inc. paid a $135,000 fine to settle a deceptive-advertising claim brought by New York’s Department of Consumer Affairs. This summer, the department took action against T-Mobile USA, as well as Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. charging …

WASHINGTON-The private-wireless industry told FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that it supports the creation of a new homeland-security bureau within the Federal Communications Commission. However, the industry wants its policy and licensing issues moved to the new bureau if public-safety policy …

The IEEE’s November Wi-Fi standards-development meeting came and went without much fanfare, but debate over how to best reach a standard is causing some fireworks. Airgo Networks Inc. said it is disappointed that there was no proposal to vote on …

FORT WORTH, Texas-Disappointing wireless sales likely will prevent RadioShack Corp. from meeting its full-year earnings forecast, the retailer said. Calling its wireless sales “weaker than anticipated,” RadioShack said it is unlikely to meet its fiscal 2005 target of $2.14 to …

WASHINGTON-The activities of cellular trade group CTIA under former president Thomas Wheeler are highlighted in a re-filed class-action lawsuit alleging wireless carriers, vendors and industry lobbyists failed to disclose to consumers that scientific studies differ on whether mobile-phone radiation can …

Cingular Wireless L.L.C. announced plans to launch a streaming video service, CingularVideo, in January, featuring two channels of content from premium cable channel HBO. HBO Mobile and HBO Family Mobile plan to include clips and select episodes from HBO cartoon …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Device vendor Danger Inc. announced it is conducting an over-the-air updating campaign for all T-Mobile Sidekick II users in the United States and Germany. Danger said it plans to have more than 1 million OTA upgrades completed worldwide …

Alltel Corp. will forge ahead as a wireless-only business, the company announced. Alltel is spinning off its wireline business into a $9.1 billion merger with Texas-based Valor Communications Group Inc. The new wireline company will be located in central Arkansas …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless has forced two telemarketing firms to stop making illegal sales pitches to the wireless carrier’s customers. As part of court-approved settlements, Verizon won permanent injunctions against Intelligent Alternatives of San Diego, Calif., and Resort Marketing Trends of …

WASHINGTON-One week after the 9/11 Commission gave the federal government an “F” in public-safety interoperability, Wayne County, Mich., said it chose a software solution from Codespear L.L.C. to solve its public-safety interoperability problems. Codespear said that once installed, its software-only …

WASHINGTON-California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey is poised to take control of the deregulatory telecom bill-of-rights plan championed by Commissioner Susan Kennedy, who is set to leave the agency at year’s end to become chief of staff to GOP …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission should “declare victory” on the deployment of enhanced 911 service, even if many carriers do not have 95 percent of their customers using a location-capable handset. That was the advice from Richard Barth, corporate vice president …

BellSouth Corp. denied that it withdrew an offer to donate a building to house the displaced New Orleans Police Department. At the same time, the carrier also announced plans to expand its Wireless Broadband Service to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, …