Vodafone

Longtime wireless modem maker Sierra Wireless announced a significant new business direction with the unveiling of its Voq phone-a device that marks the arrival of a new smart-phone player and another Microsoft Corp. backer. Investors seemed cheered by the bold …

PARIS-Media giant Vivendi Universal is considering merging its French fixed-line and wireless companies into one telecom holding, according to international press reports. Vivendi would combine Cegetel, its fixed-line company, and SFR, its French mobile subsidiary. Both units are minority owned …

By rolling out services in two U.S. markets, Verizon Wireless has triggered momentum for CDMA2000 1X EV-DO technology, barely two years since the first launch of CDMA2000 1X services in the world. The EV-DO launches, which took place in San …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. finally hit the 1 million mark for the number of users of its FOMA third-generation W-CDMA service, two years after launching the service and much later than original estimates. After sluggish uptake for its 3G services, DoCoMo …

A Russian operator has begun a trial of CDMA2000 1X technology at 450 MHz using equipment from Nortel Networks Ltd. The trial is being conducted in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, by UralWestcom, a joint venture between Russian Telecommunications Development Corp. …

LONDON-In the second such European alliance aiming to gain power in numbers, nine second- and third-tier mobile operators joined forces in a new mobile alliance to provide seamless, enhanced voice and data solutions for businesses and consumers across the Continent. …

LONDON-Vodafone U.K. said it and rival operator 3 have jointly secured the FA Premier League mobile rights in a three-season deal. The rights begin with the 2004/2005 season and run through the 2006/2007 season and give customers access to all …

SYDNEY, Australia-Portal Software said it is the official billing partner of Personal Broadband Australia, the Australian wireless broadband company backed by U.S.-based Arraycomm Inc. The portal solution for the Australian firm includes end-to-end rating, billing and customer management to support …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. finally hit the 1 million mark for the number of users of its FOMA third-generation W-CDMA service, two years after launching the service and much later than original estimates. After sluggish uptake for its 3G services, DoCoMo …

LONDON-In the second such European alliance aiming to gain power in numbers, nine second- and third-tier mobile operators joined forces in a new mobile alliance to provide seamless, enhanced voice and data solutions for businesses and consumers across the Continent. …

SINGAPORE-Wireless streaming video company RealNetworks Inc. announced two Asian carriers purchased the company’s Helix server and technology, a move to offer streaming video services to wireless users. MobileOne Ltd. (M1) of Singapore and PT Indosat Multimedia Mobile (IM3) of Indonesia …

LONDON-European carrier Vodafone Group plc announced a deal with video game company Eidos for the exclusive rights to the Tomb Raider game across 22 countries, a deal that further shows the growing market for exclusive wireless content and downloadable wireless …

SYDNEY, Australia-Australian mobile operators Vodafone Australia and Telstra Wholesale announced a network-partnering trial that will see the operators share mobile base-station infrastructure in areas where duplicate coverage exists. If the pilot project in central regional Victoria is successful, Vodafone will …

LONDON-European carrier Vodafone announced a deal with video game company Eidos for the exclusive rights to the Tomb Raider game across 22 countries, a deal that further shows the growing market for exclusive wireless content and downloadable wireless games. Under …

SYDNEY, Australia-Australian mobile operators Vodafone Australia and Telstra Wholesale announced a network partnering trial that will see the operators share mobile base station infrastructure in areas where duplicate coverage exists. If the pilot project in central regional Victoria is successful, …

INGAPORE-Wireless streaming video company RealNetworks Inc. announced two Asian carriers purchased the company’s Helix server and technology, a move to offer streaming video services to wireless users. MobileOne Ltd. (M1) of Singapore and PT Indosat Multimedia Mobile (IM3) of Indonesia …

The mobile commerce industry saw several new announcements and partnerships in conjunction with the Mobile Commerce World Europe 2003 event in London, but the most notable event included a teaming of perhaps the biggest names in the wireless and commerce …

Jeffrey Glass could be considered a player in the mobile-commerce industry, although you won’t find the “m-commerce” designation in any of the literature about his company. However, as president and chief executive officer of M-Qube Inc., Glass for almost three …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. said it plans to offer FOMA video-phone handsets beginning Oct. 1, allowing users to make international video phone calls and 64 kilobit per second data transmissions to the United Kingdom with technology partner Hutchison 3G U.K. The …

GLEN COVE, N.Y.-Acclaim Entertainment Inc. announced it will develop and license interactive entertainment content for mobile gaming platforms under the new publishing label Acclaim Connected. “Mobile gaming represents an opportunistic market that we believe is additive to our core publishing …

TOKYO-Japanese mobile operator J-Phone Co. Ltd. announced that its board of directors proposed a resolution to change its name to Vodafone K.K., which will completely rebrand the mobile operator under its U.K.-based parent’s name. K.K. stands for Kabushiki Kaisha, J-Phone …

WASHINGTON-A consortium with investors from Iraq, the United States, South Korea and the United Kingdom applied last week to construct U.S.-engineered CDMA technology mobile-phone networks in Iraq, according to sources, despite indications the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority and new telecom …

MUNICH, Germany-L.M. Ericsson and Siemens AG both signed agreements with Panafon Greek Telecommunications Co. to supply its UMTS network. The companies did not release the values of the contracts. Ericsson will supply the core network and engineering and consultancy services. …

ALEXANDRIA, Minn.-Rural Cellular Corp. signed a five-year deal with Ericsson Inc. to provide CDMA2000 1x and GSM/GPRS core and radio infrastructure and services as part of the carrier’s previously announced overlay of its legacy TDMA network. Rural Cellular said the …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc announced it agreed to sell Japan Telecom Co. to an affiliate of RHJ Industrial Partners, a Ripplewood Holdings L.L.C. fund. Japan Telecom will receive $2.2 billion for the company, $1.9 billion in cash and the remainder in …