Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

WASHINGTON-A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to require wireless carriers and tower owners to abide by the National Historic Preservation Act, including accepting the definition of eligible properties. The ruling by the …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission told Congress that there is effective competition in the wireless industry, noting a penetration rate of 71 percent and that nearly everyone between the ages of 20 to 49 has a mobile phone. Nevertheless, one commissioner …

BELLEVUE, Wash.-With the quiet addition of its new t719 flip phone, which offers BlackBerry Connect service and an e-mail-friendly keypad, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. now supplies just over one-third of T-Mobile USA Inc.’s handset portfolio. The t719 uses the same …

One of the worst-kept secrets in the wireless industry today is T-Mobile USA Inc.’s much-discussed-by everyone but them, that is-plan to launch services that allow subscribers with dual-mode handsets to move seamlessly between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. U.S. trials of …

Xero Mobile Inc. found a buyer, inking a deal to sell “substantially all of its assets and liabilities” to little-known Advanced Mobile Communications Inc. The mobile virtual network operator?which has yet to launch service?said it will receive an undisclosed amount …

ESPOO, Finland-Nokia Corp. said it has developed an HSDPA connectivity module for notebook computers. The module will be included with Intel Corp.’s next-generation Centrino Duo mobile technology platform, said Nokia. “This collaboration is good news for notebook users as cellular …

OTTAWA, Ill.-B&B Electronics, which provides automation and communications products, said it acquired Advanced Embedded Systems, a Phoenix-based company that develops industrial-focused wireless products. AES is expected to become part of B&B Electronics’ engineering and technical group. B&B Engineering said the …

Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, answered a few questions for RCR Wireless News via e-mail regarding the factory raid in China. RCR: To what degree is this raid an ongoing effort on behalf of the Bluetooth SIG? …

NEW YORK-A new mobile virtual network operator targeting Chinese-Americans officially launched, offering cheap international calls to Asia and a Razr phone with menus in Chinese. Red Pocket Mobile soft-launched about two weeks ago, according to Max Smetannikov, vice president of …

NEW YORK-Jamster International bulked up its content portfolio in North America with a deal to offer ringtones, graphics and mobile games from the Walt Disney Internet Group. Disney and its third-party content licensing arm Starwave Mobile already use VeriSign Inc.’s …

LONDON-Best Buy International will team with U.K. wireless retail giant Carphone Warehouse Group to open stand-alone cell phone stores in the United States. In a prepared statement, the firms said a trial of Best Buy Mobile stores in New York …

HTC Corp. is looking to capitalize on trends?and possibly buck them-as it works to deliver smart phones in the United States and around the world. With 80 percent of the global Windows Mobile business, the Taiwanese smart-phone vendor has grown …

NEW YORK-Fatherhood was the inspiration for creating and naming mobile virtual network operator Kajeet Inc., and the market will test whether those fathers really do know best when it comes to offering a wireless service that will appeal to kids. …

Two research firms say the future looks bright for location-based services running on Global Positioning System technology. ABI Research’s latest study on the subject suggests that subscribers of GPS-enabled, location-based services will reach 315 million by 2011, up from 12 …

Visto Corp. will have no trouble paying its lawyer fees. The mobile e-mail service provider raked in another $51 million this week in a funding round led by Oak Investment Partners. The haul follows a $70 million round that closed …

CHICAGO-McDonald’s franchisees John and Karen O’Keefe watched sales flatline for most of the year at their store in Chicago’s suburban Woodfield Mall while other restaurants in the fast-food chain’s system pulled in gains of 2 percent or better. But after …

Nokia Corp. announced five new GSM phones-the company insists the devices are “multimedia computers”-for the United States, but did not announce any accompanying carrier deals. Three of the devices-the N70, N73 and N91-are optimized for music. The devices include enhanced …

SEOUL-South Korea’s Pantech & Curitel Communications Inc. will provide its portfolio of CDMA-based handsets to UTStarcom Inc. for sale in North America under a three-year agreement, the company announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Pantech already is a …

SAN DIEGO-Digital Orchid is looking to expand its portfolio and global footprint with the acquisition of mobile game publisher Blue Tech. Blue Tech is a 2-year-old vendor based in Madrid, Spain, and is the parent company of Java developer Kato …

DUBLIN, Ireland-Those waiting anxiously for a .mobi domain needn’t wait any longer. The company behind the controversial, mobile-exclusive top-level domain opened registration, allowing the general public to register wireless Internet sites with the suffix. Mobile Top Level Domain Ltd., which …

ATLANTA-Air2Web said it snared $25 million in a financing round led by The Carlyle Group. The wireless software company said it will use the new funds to further its work in mobile marketing as well as expanding into other geographic …

NEW YORK-Nokia Corp. debuted three handsets targeting mobile music lovers at its Nokia Theater in Times Square. The phones are set to be available in select markets within weeks, but Nokia did not name the markets. The company also did …

GREENSBORO, N.C.-RF Micro Devices Inc. said it plans to sell its equity interest in Jazz Semiconductor for between $24 million and $27 million in cash. The company is divesting its interest in Jazz due to the pending merger of Jazz …

Just as the dust settled on ADC Telecommunications Inc.’s failed attempt to merge with Andrew Corp., ADC announced plans to lay off about 225 of its 8,200 employees as part of a restructuring effort. Interestingly, the news came on the …

WASHINGTON-Two key Senate lawmakers suggested the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commissions consider imposing conditions-including the divestiture of WiMAX spectrum-on the proposed $67 billion merger of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. to prevent any anticompetitive warehousing of such spectrum by …