Mobile News – RCR Wireless News

PALO ALTO, Calif.-A strong push by mobile virtual network operators during the next several years backed by an emphasis on wireless data services and customized service offerings could boost the segment’s total revenues from $2.48 billion in 2004 to $9.35 …

NEW YORK-Wireless and broadband Internet will account for a large portion of total spending growth in the global entertainment and media industry, according to PricewaterhouseCooper’s “Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2005-2009” report. Total revenues from new spending streams such as …

SAN DIEGO-Verizon Wireless is offering a mobile blogging application to its subscribers. The carrier launched Rabble, a mobile blogging application from Intercasting Corp. designed to allow users to create and distribute homemade content. For a $3 monthly access fee, bloggers …

WASHINGTON-Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) signed into law legislation banning driver use of handheld cell phones, while a similar prohibition went into effect last week in Chicago. Connecticut joins New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in …

Skyhook Wireless, a 2-year-old company based in Boston, announced commercial availability of a wide-area positioning system that makes use of the growing number of Wi-Fi access points being deployed around the world. The company last week announced a deal with …

Universal multimedia messaging service interoperability among U.S. Tier 1 carriers moved closer to becoming reality with two agreements unveiled last week. T-Mobile USA Inc. users can exchange pictures and video clips with subscribers of both Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Sprint …

GAITHERSBURG, Md.-WeatherBug said Sprint PCS will offer its neighborhood-level weather information service to Java-enabled handsets. WeatherBug’s service offers custom weather reports including weather conditions, local radar, live camera views and forecast updates. The service will cost $3 per month.

SEATTLE-France Telecom plans to offer its customers an integrated interface for voice, data and video communications over multiple networks and applications through its recently announced partnership with Microsoft Corp. The companies said the partnership, announced late last month, will allow …

With 1.5 billion mobile-phone users worldwide, even a niche wireless market can be massive. At least, that’s what C. Neil Farnsworth is hoping. The managing partner of content rights broker Media Rights America L.L.C. inked a deal last week with …

Mesh network technology company Zensys this week plans to announce it raised $16 million in its second round of funding. The financing was led by new investor Bessemer Venture Partners, which was joined by existing partners Palamon Capital Partners and …

The CDMA Development Group signed a cooperation agreement with the TD-SCDMA Forum to develop joint market opportunities for CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA technologies and work together on technical, regulatory and marketing activities. The CDG noted that key initiatives of the agreement …

U.S. Cellular Corp. joined the push-to-talk fray with the launch of SpeedTalk, which operates on the carrier’s CDMA2000 1x data network available across its 25-state coverage area. The service will compete with similar offerings from a number of operators, including …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission appears close to approving the proposed $35 billion merger between Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc., though it remains unclear whether the agency will impose any conditions on the deal as consumer groups and community technology …

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department said Alltel Corp. must divest wireless assets in Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska in order to win government approval of its proposed $6 billion purchase of Western Wireless Corp. Justice last week simultaneously filed a civil suit in …

WASHINGTON-Broadcom Corp. filed an antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc., a move closely following Broadcom’s patent-infringement complaint against the San Diego-based firm in what appears to signify a strategic move by Broadcom to pursue entry into the CDMA wireless space. Qualcomm …

CHICAGO-Pctel Inc. said it has acquired all the shares of Dublin-based Sigma Wireless Technologies Ltd. from Sigma Communications Group Ltd. SWT develops antennas for public-safety applications as well as for the UMTS market. The company will become part of Pctel’s …

Sprint Corp.’s pending acquisition of Nextel Communications Inc. was thrown another curve last week as Nextel affiliate Nextel Partners Inc. sent a notice to Nextel claiming the deal and recently announced branding campaign would violate their current joint-venture agreement signed …

WASHINGTON-Telecom and high-tech lobbyists will have little time to savor Senate passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement, with the upcoming House vote too close to call. The Senate’s 54-45 approval of CAFTA-Dominican Republic-before Congress broke for its July …

MIAMI-Prepaid wireless provider TracFone Wireless Inc. launched its NET10 service offering providing a flat-rate 10-cent-per-minute calling rate for all calls. The service is available with select Nokia Corp. and Motorola Inc. GSM handsets with airtime card expiration dates available in …

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.-InterDigital Communications Corp. said an arbitral tribunal in its case with Nokia Corp. has established royalty rates applicable to covered Nokia products dating back to Jan. 1, 2002, and continuing through the end of 2006. The Arbitral …

News on the over-the-air front continues to gain steam, as Motorola Inc., LG Electronics Co. Ltd., Huawei Technologies and others announce plans to use or sell the technology. First up, Motorola said it will resell Bitfone Corp.’s OTA updating technology …

WASHINGTON-The California Supreme Court last week ruled arbitration agreements between companies and customers do not necessarily preclude people from filing class-action suits, a decision with unclear implications for the state’s mobile-phone carriers with mandatory arbitration clauses in service contracts. While …

An effort to provide a pan-European mobile payment service was aborted just weeks before it was slated to launch. Simpay, a joint venture established two years ago by Orange plc, Telefonica Moviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone plc, pulled the plug after …

WASHINGTON-CTIA asked the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider some of its guidelines for designating wireless carriers eligible for universal-service subsidies last week as rural lawmakers voiced support for universal service and Senate legislation was introduced to eliminate the 3-percent tax …

Leap Wireless International Inc. has expanded the availability of its Travel Time roaming service to all of its Cricket markets. The roaming service allows Cricket customers to use their phones outside of their home calling areas on a prepaid basis …