Mobile Phones

STAMFORD, Connecticut, United States—Respondents in a study conducted by Gartner said an average of 49.5 percent of their cellular phone calls are placed from a car while driving, although this number has decreased during the past few years as handheld …

HELSINKI, Finland—Danish competition officials, reacting to confidential information of cartel arrangements within the mobile telephone sector, have staged raids on the head offices of the country’s largest mobile phone operators, including TDC, Orange, Sonofon and Telia Danmark. Regulators confirmed they …

MANSFIELD, Vt.—The EMR Network asked the Federal Communications Commission to launch a rulemaking to re-examine radiation safety guidelines for mobile phones and base stations. “The pertinent regulations were revised in 1996-97. However, the supporting scientific and medical studies are no …

HELSINKI, Finland—Nokia announced plans for a wide-ranging test of mobile commerce products and services, moves that include making secure credit card payments using a mobile phone wallet application. Nokia is teaming with IBM, Visa International, local banking and technology companies …

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—MoviStar Puerto Rico, a joint venture between Clearcomm and Telef

HELSINKI, Finland—Nordic telecom companies Sonera and Telia have met, in separate talks, with representatives of the government of Belarussia to discuss a possible participation in applying for the former Soviet-bloc country’s second GSM network. Sonera’s and Telia’s interest in the …

TOKYO—NTT DoCoMo, the leading mobile carrier in Japan, and IBM Japan have jointly developed key technologies for streaming service over mobile phones, both firms announced on 18 September. According to the firms, users of the technologies will be able to …

NEW YORK—Any plans to take the J-Phone wireless business of Japan Telecom public must wait until the performance of its parent improves, said Chris Gent, chief executive of Vodafone Group, which recently announced its offer to acquire a controlling interest …

RALEIGH, N.C.—High Speed Net Solutions Inc. said it has demonstrated its Bluefuel Image module designed to enable image applications on mobile phones and other wireless devices, featuring full-color sports images on Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless platform. “The live, over-the-air …

TOKYO, Japan—Phone vendor Mitsubishi Electric said it is pulling out of the cell-phone business in the United States as well as closing its sales offices all over North America. Sharp, however, said it may begin manufacturing mobile phones for other …

KISTA, Sweden—Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia, founders of the Wireless Village initiative, said they have successfully demonstrated interoperable mobile instant messaging and presence services. The companies said that in the demonstration, three different mobile phones connected with two different mobile instant …

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission’s rejection of the cellular industry’s request to waive the Sept. 30 deadline packet-data wiretap deadline for all mobile phone carriers has drawn mixed reactions from service providers and equipment manufacturers. “The technical evidence in our submission …

KISTA, Sweden—Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia, founders of the Wireless Village initiative, said they have successfully demonstrated interoperable mobile instant messaging and presence services. The companies said that in the demonstration three different mobile phones connected with two different mobile instant …

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission today is expected to reject the cellular industry’s request to indefinitely suspend the Sept. 30 deadline for meeting packet-data wiretap requirements, but a government source said the agency likely will give mobile phone carriers an additional …

PRAHA, Czech Republic—Eurotel Praha on 14 September began offering all of its Eurotel GSM banking customers access to bank services through a mobile telephone. New, more up-to-date and safer multibanking technology used by Eurotel GSM allows access to up to …

WASHINGTON—Cingular Wireless said has donated 1,500 mobile phones and dispatched portable base stations to aid search and rescue operations in connection with terrorist attacks in New York and the nation’s capital on Tuesday. Clay Owen, a spokesman for Atlanta-based Cingular, …

WASHINGTON—Nextel Communications Inc. said it donated 1,500 mobile phones to public safety and law enforcement officials in New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston in the aftermath of terrorist strikes Tuesday that destroyed the World Trade Center and inflicted heavy damage …

WCities Location-based information service provider WCities launched a geo-coded wireless service that provides location-specific information to individual users’ cell phones. According to Tan Rasab, the company’s chief executive officer, with the service, cell-phone and PDA users can find whatever they’re …

WASHINGTON—The Bush administration tomorrow plans to ask Congress for legislation that would postpone next year’s scheduled auction of third-generation mobile phone licenses for two years. However, Nancy Victory, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said the government intends …

BEIJING, China-Amid slowing subscriber growth worldwide, China still shows a healthy increase in mobile-phone users. The country’s two mobile-phone operators are each offering new services-one General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), the other CDMA. Handset manufacturing is also soaring, with domestic …

Mobile technology today looks roughly like the Internet did in 1995. There is huge growth-or at least predictions of it-and lots of discussion, tire-kicking and dreams of dominating a new, worldwide customer interface. Eventual globalization of mobile technology, although up …

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-Jamaica’s cellular market could be engaged in a fierce competition for the consumer soon. A new provider, Centennial Digital Jamaica Ltd., is set to become the third operator by year-end 2001, with promises of bringing newer technology options and …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Like rival Motorola, L.M. Ericsson said it has started licensing its GPRS and third-generation handset technologies to other manufacturers of mobile phones and wireless devices.“Ericsson technology platforms will include complete component specifications, printed circuit board layouts and software,” said …

LONDON—Smart-phone operating-system maker Symbian could run out of money as soon as next year, according to the company’s largest stakeholder Psion plc.Psion issued the drastic news as part of its earnings release for the six months ended June 30. According …

KUNGSBACKA, Sweden—Flextronics said it has signed an agreement to make Elanders a preferred supplier of Ericsson mobile phones in Europe.“Elanders will set up a production facility in Hungary connected to Flextronics’ product completion center from where Ericsson’s mobile phones will …