Vodafone

LONDON-MSN Mobile in the United Kingdom launched a new picture text messaging service through a partnership with FunMail Inc. and conVISUAL. The service will be available to subscribers of Orange UK, Vodafone UK, MmO2 and T-Mobile UK. “We think FunMail …

NEW YORK-Fitch Ratings affirmed its A+ senior unsecured rating for Verizon Global Funding and A+ implied senior unsecured rating of Verizon Communications Inc., noting progress Verizon made last year in delevering its balance sheet as well as further prospects for …

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands-According to international press reports, MmO2 is in talks with several operators, including Vodafone Group plc and T-Mobile International, for the sale of its Dutch subsidiary. The unit is reported to be worth around $210 million, although the …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-The frustration of trying to find a London taxi cab should shortly be greatly reduced, according to the makers of the vehicles, Manganese Bronze Holdings, who say they have reached agreements with Vodafone and MmO2 to introduce the …

The exit of Sir Christopher Gent from the chief executive post at Vodafone marks a milestone for the company and the industry. Unlike many of his counterparts, Gent is stepping down from his post rather than being forced out. Gent, …

TOKYO-J-Phone said it has requested permission from the Japanese regulator to unify its regional company price plans into six national price plans and seven discount services for its PDC networks, which will be nationally unified beginning Feb. 1. All price …

TOKYO-J-Phone said it has requested permission from the Japanese regulator to unify its regional company price plans into six national price plans and seven discount services for its PDC networks, which will be nationally unified beginning Feb. 1. All price …

The exit of Sir Christopher Gent from the chief executive post at Vodafone certainly marks a milestone for the company and the industry. Unlike many of his counterparts, Gent has chosen to step down from his post rather than being …

LONDON-Following on a promise he made earlier this year, Vodafone Group plc chairman and former RCR Wireless News Person of the Year Christopher Gent said he would retire from the world’s largest wireless company on July 30 immediately following Vodafone’s …

TOKYO-J-Phone said it has requested permission from the Japanese regulator to unify its regional company price plans into six national price plans and seven discount services for its PDC networks, which will be nationally unified beginning Feb. 1. All price …

NEW YORK-Walker Wireless, which owns spectrum throughout New Zealand, has contracted with U.S.-based IPWireless to build a broadband wireless network that covers the country’s three largest cities and about half its population. IPWireless did not disclose a dollar amount for …

LONDON-Vodafone U.K. has chosen Redknee to supply a comprehensive prepaid data solution for enabling General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) services. Using the technology, Vodafone can offer pricing for prepaid data services using real-time routing and mediation capabilities.

SAN JOSE, California, United States-Swedish mobile operators TeliaSonera and Vodafone Sweden have entered into a price battle over their recently launched multimedia message services (MMS) services. The newly merged TeliaSonera has set the pace by announcing prices that undercut Vodafone …

HELSINKI, Finland-Orange Sweden, the Stockholm-based mobile subsidiary of debt-troubled France T

OSLO, Norway-Ericsson’s mid-November confirmation that its sweeping restructuring and job slashing would lead to a 50-percent reduction in its research and development (R&D) staff struck a raw nerve in Sweden. By the end of 2003, Ericsson will halve its R&D …

MELBOURNE, Australia-Vodafone indicated this week it is interested in buying Hutchison Telecommunications’ A$3 billion (US$1.7 billion) third-generation (3G) mobile-phone network in a bid to get an early foothold in Australia’s wireless data market. The managing director of Vodafone Australia, Grahame …

DUBLIN, Ireland-There was some bad news this week for supporters of greater competition in the Irish mobile-phone market, when the latest sectoral report revealed that third operator Meteor has lost market share, even though the overall number of subscribers has …

DUBLIN, Ireland-The majority backers of Portuguese Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) hopeful OniWay have decided to pull the plug on the venture. However, two other shareholders-Telenor, which controls 20 percent, and Spanish utility Iberdrola with 8 percent-have refused to support …

TOKYO-J-Phone, a Vodafone Group company in Japan, will launch third-generation (3G) service in Japan on 20 December, J-Phone announced. By launching a dual terminal that will be able to be used for both GSM and W-CDMA services, J-Phone is aiming …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Having deployed several thousand Panasonic GD87 cell phones, Vodafone Germany has confirmed the handsets can make billable calls without users being aware. The company said the software bug within the device could lead to fraud or unwanted charges. …

PARIS-Vivendi Universal said it plans to buy BT Group’s 26-percent stake in Cegetel for $3.985 billion, removing control from Vodafone. In response, Vodafone withdrew its previous $6.75 billion offer to buy Vivendi’s 44-percent interest in Cegetel.

In spite of mammoth debt, operators are beginning to loosen their purse strings to buy equipment again, according to a report by market research firm Dell’Oro Group. The report said Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) equipment revenue jumped fourfold to …

In spite of mammoth debt, operators are beginning to loosen their purse strings to buy equipment again, according to a report by market research firm Dell’Oro Group. The report said UMTS equipment revenue jumped fourfold to about $800 million in …

NEW YORK-CKW Wireless Pty Ltd., an Australian subsidiary of ArrayComm Inc., San Jose, Calif., has launched a pre-commercial trial in Sydney of the i-Burst personal broadband system. ArrayComm’s patented IntelliCell technology, based on fully adaptive smart antennas, is the foundation …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-In an attempt to bring some order into the chaotic and extended fight over mobile payment standards, the European Union (EU) has stepped in and said it will fund a large-scale trial of a system with the backing …