Vodafone

In these early days of wireless entertainment, it appears content providers have effectively deployed a variety of Digital Rights Management solutions to protect their wares. But many believe all those “solutions” are actually a problem. Behind-the-scenes haggling over royalties continue …

SYDNEY-Australia’s Telstra Corp. launched its network transformation strategy, announcing new contracts with Alcatel Alsthom, Cisco Systems Inc. and L.M. Ericsson. Telstra said its five-year agreement with Alcatel is valued at $2.55 billion and will migrate the Australian carrier’s traditional voice …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc e announced it has launched a mobile e-mail service in the United Kingdom under its own brand of Vodafone Business Email. The company said the service is available in hosted and “behind the firewall” versions to business …

The hottest trend in video games has nothing to do with 3-D graphics, big-brand tie-ins or real-time multiplayer. It’s advertising. And it’s coming to mobile gaming. In-game advertising is rapidly attracting the attention of brands looking to get face time …

LONDON-Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. stepped into the global supply-chain limelight, announcing it has signed an agreement with U.K.-based Vodafone Group plc to supply mobile network infrastructure equipment to many of Vodafone’s networks worldwide. “Huawei has successfully fulfilled the selection criteria …

JAPAN Access Co. Ltd. said it completed its acquisition of PalmSource Inc., which provides the Palm OS operating system for mobile devices. PalmSource now is a wholly owned subsidiary of Access. Each outstanding share of PalmSource common stock has been …

After years of hype and billions of dollars in network upgrades, the time has come for the worldwide W-CDMA market to take off. Perhaps the best indication that W-CDMA technology has reached the tipping point comes from Vodafone Group plc, …

Like European missionaries of centuries past, Bango came to U.S. shores last week preaching the gospel. The Cambridge, U.K.-based company held events in Southern California and New York to tout the benefits of branded, off-deck mobile portals. Wireless operators, mobile …

MEXICO CITY-Latin American wireless provider America Movil S.A. de C.V. signed an international roaming agreement with Vodafone Group plc covering 53 countries. The deal initially includes voice and GPRS roaming services, and preferred roaming and virtual home environment. A second …

SYDNEY-Australia’s Telstra Corp. launched its network transformation strategy, announcing new contracts with Alcatel, Cisco Systems Inc. and L.M. Ericsson. Telstra said its five-year agreement with Alcatel is worth $2.55 billion and will migrate the Australian carrier’s traditional voice and broadband …

Opinions are not hard to come by in the ongoing debate between proponents of GSM and CDMA technologies. It’s easy to get caught up in questions about which technology is better, which one is growing faster, which one will take …

TOKYO-Japan hopes to stoke competition in its hard-to-penetrate mobile-phone market by allowing three new entrants to offer wireless services. The country’s telecommunications ministry opened the door for Softbank Corp., eAccess Ltd. and IPMobile Inc. to introduce new handsets and services. …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-Visto Corp. hopes a whopping $70 million financing round can propel it to the forefront of the white-hot wireless e-mail space. The developer added to its already-fat wallet with the latest round, which was led by DFJ ePlanet …

TOKYO-Japan hopes to stoke competition in its hard-to-penetrate mobile-phone market by allowing three new entrants to offer wireless services. The country’s telecommunications ministry opened the door for Softbank Corp., eAccess Ltd. and IPMobile Inc. to introduce new wireless handsets and …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-Visto Corp. hopes a whopping $70 million financing round can propel it to the forefront of the white-hot wireless e-mail space. The developer added to its already-fat wallet with the latest round, which was led by DFJ ePlanet …

SEOUL-LG Electronics Co. Ltd. said it will sell a mobile phone running SavaJe Technologies’ Java-based operating system. The move is notable since SavaJe counts Vodafone Group plc, T-Mobile International and Orange S.A. as financial backers. SavaJe launched several years ago …

Consolidation hit the European wireless market as Spanish telecommunications provider Telefonica said it plans to acquire U.K.-based 02 plc, and Swedish operator Telenor announced plans to acquire rival Vodafone Sweden. Telefonica said it reached an agreement to acquire 02 for …

TOKYO-NEC Corp. said its High Speed Downlink Packet Access technology is ready for commercial use worldwide after the company tested the technology on Vodafone K.K.’s network in Japan over the summer. NEC said its HSDPA technology will be in commercial …

Nokia Corp.’s Preminet offering gained another backer last week as Tira Wireless said it is offering its porting technology to content providers using the delivery platform. Tira has made its Jump software available to developers and publishers looking to deliver …

TOKYO-NEC Corp. said its High Speed Downlink Packet Access technology is ready for commercial use worldwide after the company tested the technology on Vodafone K.K.’s network in Japan over the summer. NEC said its HSDPA technology will be in commercial …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Post-och telestyrelsen, the Swedish National Post and Telecom Agency, said that in order to ensure that there are no adverse effects for Swedish consumers, it has decided not to allow third-generation operators Hi3G, Tele 2/Telia and Vodafone Group plc …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc announced an agreement to acquire 10 percent of India’s leading mobile operator, Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd., for about $1.4 billion in cash. “This transaction is consistent with Vodafone’s strategy of developing our global footprint in growth markets, where …

TOKYO-Japanese credit card companies and carriers are working together to allow consumers to use their phones as payment devices. Operators KDDI and Vodafone Group’s Japan unit have teamed with JCB and other financial companies to promote a standard and build …

L.M. Ericsson and Nokia Corp. announced they might offer GSM products for the 450 MHz band. The move-albeit somewhat delayed-is an attempt to provide a GSM alternative to CDMA offerings in the 450 MHz range. Several carriers in European and …

NORWAY Alcatel Corp. signed an agreement with NextGenTel, a service provider in Norway, to conduct its first field trial of pre-WiMAX equipment in Oslo and Bergen, Norway. Under the terms of the agreement, Alcatel will supply, install and support NexGenTel …