RCR Wireless News back issues from March 2006:
Stock Watch: February 23-March 2.(Wireless Metrics)
Mar 06, 2006 ... table: Stock Watch: February 23-March 2 * 3 graphs: ...
Martin's reorganization hopes stalled at other commissioners' desks.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: HEATHER FORGREN WEAVER Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to convince his colleagues to reorganize the FCC with a new homeland security and public-safety bureau, he told the House Appropriations commerce subcommittee. "Before we ...
Burns asks FCC to auction smaller 700 MHz chunks.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER Spectrum being reclaimed from broadcasters as part of the digital TV transition should be auctioned in smaller chunks than is contemplated today, Sen. Conrad Burns told Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin in a letter. ...
Wireless Toyz plans 250 stores by year's end, doubling footprint.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Wireless franchise Wireless Toyz said it nearly doubled the number of stores it operates last year and plans to double its footprint again this year. The company grew from 65 stores to 124 stores last year and is targeting 250 locations by the end of the year ....
Crown Castle posts stronger 4Q, but weaker full-year results.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Crown Castle International Corp. reported increased site rental revenue and improved its net loss for the fourth quarter. The company noted that site rental revenue came in at $155.4 million, up 11.2 percent from the $139.8 million posted during the fourth quarter of 2004. Site ...
N.J. Senate passes stricter talking, driving law.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The New Jersey Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to crack down on drivers already subject to a statewide ban on handheld cell-phone use by operators of motor vehicles. The state Senate passed 35-to-0 a bill that would make a violation of ...
Dobson signs deal with WorldCell.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Dobson Communications Corp. said it signed an agreement with WorldCell Inc. to expands international service options for Dobson wireless customers. The companies said the ...
Commerce open to significant spectrum reform; Fed speaker notes disconnect between economics, gov't policy.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Bush administration signaled it is open to bold reforms on government use of the airwaves, a possible shift that could meet resistance from federal agencies at a time when the president's struggling spectrum-policy initiative remains very much a work in ...
AAT sale could fetch $1 billion.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JONI MORSE Tower circles are buzzing with speculation as to who will walk off with AAT Communications Corp. and its 1,900 or so towers, in effect pushing aside fourth-quarter results from Crown Castle International Corp. and American Tower Corp. that provided few ...
CFIUS as Sisyphus, and echoes of Ernest Hollings.(Opinion)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: Jeffrey Silva As if warrantless domestic spying, Hurricane Katrina, Harriet Myers, Jack Abramoff and Scooter Libby haven't caused enough heartburn and disunity within the GOP, along comes the Dubai port deal. Indeed, port politics has replaced pork politics on ...
Yahoo, Mforma spar over 7 new hires; Complaint includes instant-messaging conversations.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Yahoo Inc. filed a lawsuit against Mforma Group Inc., claiming the mobile game-maker is stealing company secrets as it hires seven former Yahoo employees. The Internet giant is suing both Mforma and the former workers, saying it will seek an ...
RCR hires Carson to cover handset, chips beats.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... RCR Wireless News is pleased to announce it has hired Phil Carson as a reporter covering the wireless handset beat, including the chipset industry. Carson has worked as a reporter and editor since 1986, including stints in the wireless industry, science and technology, business ...
Calif. senator vows bill-of-rights battle not over, plans to press legislation.
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA California state Sen. Martha Escutia (D) last Friday vowed to pursue a law creating a bill of rights for telecom consumers similar to the one utility regulators approved in 2004, but that was overhauled last week. "Six years of effort and this ...
Va. legislature OKs flat tax.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Virginia state legislature last week passed a bill creating what is believed to be the first statewide communications flat tax in the nation, but Gov. Tim Kaine (D ) did not immediately indicate whether he would sign the measure. The ...
Wireless a shining spot in VC market.(Wireless Metrics)
Mar 06, 2006 ... The overall decline in venture-capital investments hasn't touched the wireless industry, according to new research from telecom industry research firm Visiongain. Indeed, the firm found wireless-directed investments have maintained strong growth and are expected to hit an all-time high ...
Site buys from Sprint hurt Global Signal's 4Q.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Global Signal Inc. blames its fourth-quarter net losses of $18.8 million on costs from integrating and financing the sites it acquired from Sprint Corp. in May 2005. In 2004, the company posted fourth-quarter net losses of $4.1 million. "2005 was a transformational year for ...
Infrastructure Awards.(Wireless Metrics)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Following are infrastructure contracts announced in February: Alcatel Congo: With Vodacom Congo to deploy a complete EDGE-ready GPRS mobile data solution in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Value: Undisclosed Ericsson Austria: With ...
T-Mobile USA relishes AWS auction amid strong 4Q results.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: KELLY HILL T-Mobile USA Inc. recorded a banner 2005 and posted the best overall performance of T-Mobile International's wireless subsidiaries, while parent company Deutsche Telekom AG's full-year profit for the year showed solid gains and the company declared its ...
Shentel to restate 2 years' of financials due to tower leases.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Shenandoah Telecommunications Co. announced that it plans to restate its financial results for the years 2003 and 2004, plus the first three quarters of 2005, with a cumulative net pretax impact of about $2.1 million. Shentel, which is a Sprint Nextel Corp. CDMA affiliate, had ...
Nokia's top handset designer steps down, replaced by team.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Frank Nuovo, the designer who helped Nokia Corp. attain the world's largest market share of the mobile handset business, will turn over his primary duties to a new design team, the company announced today. Nuovo has worked for Nokia for 16 years, and is credited with Nokia's ...
DE rules misguided, CTIA contends.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The mobile-phone industry said the Federal Communications Commission is misguided in proposing to limit small-business bidding benefits to top carriers at this June's advanced wireless services auction. CTIA, the mobile-phone carrier ...
Broadband, universal service pop up in assorted Hill venues.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The issue of broadband availability for all Americans was a reoccurring theme on Capitol Hill last week as lawmakers of all political stripes and from all parts of the country weighed in on whether and how the universal-service program should be ...
UbiquiTel hints at prepaid plans to vie with MetroPCS, Leap.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: KELLY HILL UbiquiTel Inc. touted its solid fourth-quarter results last week and company officials spoke of future plans for a prepaid product and possible benefits from Sprint Nextel Corp.'s joint venture with several cable companies-even though analysts expect that the ...
U.S. Cellular pushes back reporting financials again.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: KELLY HILL U.S. Cellular Corp. and its parent company, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., again delayed reporting their third-quarter 2005 results and financial restatements dating back to 2000. The American Stock Exchange granted the companies their fourth filing ...
TD-SCDMA handset ready, pending Chinese 3G permits, network buildout.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... In the parallel 3G universe occupied by China, the world's largest mobile-phone market, the cart apparently comes before the horse. The first video phone destined for the country's TD-SCDMA technology-a dual-mode Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. handset with guts by Royal Philips ...
Fox gets deeper into content game; Even as analysts question ringtone's longevity.
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Fox Mobile Entertainment is joining the ranks of wireless aggregators, unveiling a Web site that hawks music, games and images for mobile phones. But analysts say the News Corp. subsidiary may be lumbering onto a shrinking playground. ...
Carriers face antitrust appeal targeting selling practices.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA A federal court in New York erred and abused its discretion in rejecting a class-action suit alleging Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. violated antitrust laws by agreeing to tie cell phone sales to the ...
SunCom postpones reporting financials.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Regional operator SunCom Wireless Holdings Inc. pushed back its fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 financial report by two weeks. The company had been slated to make its results public on March 2, but now says it plans to make its announcement on March 16 before the market opens. ...
Vodafone to file $48B charge.(Global Wireless)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Vodafone Group plc said it expects to file a $48 billion charge to its assets related to the value of goodwill, or the difference between an asset's value and how much the company paid for it. Most of the goodwill charge is expected to be attributable to Vodafone Germany; ...
Sony shows picture-sharing program.(Global Wireless)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Sony Corp. revealed new details about a digital photo program that is expected to allow users to view, upload and share pictures via various devices, including their televisions, computers and Web-enabled camera phones. The Share Everywhere product is scheduled to be available ...
Proposed e-waste ban in California draws on EU model.
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: PHIL CARSON A proposed law introduced in the California legislature last week would require makers of electronic equipment to phase out the use of hazardous materials in all devices sold in that state by 2008. Assembly Member Lori Saldana (D) introduced Measure AB 2202, ...
Too much, too little.(Opinion)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: Dan Meyer I love cell phones. In my book they are one of humanity's greatest advancements-along with Red Bull and break dancing-of my lifetime and I would rather leave my house without my wallet, keys or pants before forgoing my nifty mobile. However, the ...
Helio sets lofty goals for MVNO.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: KELLY HILL Head honchos from soon-to-launch mobile virtual network operator Helio L.L.C. have been talking up their MVNO the past few weeks, speaking to groups at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Wireless Forum and Jefferies Wireless Conference last week and also making an ...
Vodafone seeks to unload lethargic Japanese assets.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Vodafone Group plc shares surged more than 9 percent on the London Stock Exchange Friday when the company confirmed reports that it is in talks to sell its Japanese operations to broadband Internet provider Softbank. "Vodafone has been struggling with its Japanese unit for some ...
Russian trojan cited as proof-of-concept threat to mobile security.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: PHIL CARSON In the wake of reports that a mobile trojan dubbed Redbrowser.A had been encountered in Russia, the major security firms working in the mobile space issued cautious alerts to their clients and made restrained public statements. The muted response seemed to ...
Ads get mobile, mobile gets ads.(Focus)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Mobile advertising has come a long way since the early days of "American Idol.'' The hit show is credited with catalyzing text messaging in North America, generating more than 13 million messages during the 2004 season from fans voting via their ...
UMA gets following.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: JONI MORSE It may seem like Unlicensed Mobile Access has only recently burst onto the wireless scene, but the Third Generation Partnership Project standard that enables handovers between GSM-based cellular networks and Wi-Fi hot spots has been in development since the ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Mar 06, 2006 ... James Baldinger should have been identified as the TracFone Wireless Inc. lawyer quoted in ...
$612.5M magic number in RIM, NTP settlement.
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: MIKE DANO BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. and patent-holding company NTP Inc. announced they ended their long-running legal quarrel under an agreement that calls for RIM to make a one-time payment to NTP of $612.5 million. The amount is only slightly ...
Wall Street cool to American Tower's 4Q losses.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Citing accounting changes and an increase in outstanding shares, American Tower Corp. posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $87.3 million on revenues of $307.6 million. For the same period in 2004, the nation's largest tower owner and operator reported a loss of $74 million on revenues of ...
Sony Ericsson unleashes high-end camera phone, broadens portfolio.(Global Wireless)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: PHIL CARSON Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P. presented six new handsets including the K800, a high-resolution camera phone that carries Sony Corp.'s CyberShot brand, an extension of the company's own brand for its digital cameras. Sony Ericsson is a joint venture ...
724 Solutions shareholder proposes $17 million takeover.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... 724 Solutions Inc. says its minority shareholder, Austin Ventures L.P., has offered to buy the company's 5.5 million outstanding shares of common stock for about $17 million, or $3.07 per share. News of the proposal came after the financial markets closed Feb. 27, but the ...
DCB-H market gains chip support from Qualcomm, backing from Microsoft.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... Byline: PHIL CARSON Call it hedging your bets. Qualcomm Inc. said it is developing chipsets based on a rival mobile television standard-Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld, or DVB-H-even while it works to complete its own MediaFlo network in the United States. ...
Court orders firm to stop unlocking TracFone handsets.(News)
Mar 06, 2006 ... A federal court has ordered a Florida firm to immediately halt "unlocking'' TracFone Wireless Inc. prepaid cell phones. Unlocked phones can be used on cellular networks other than those affiliated with the prepaid wireless provider. TracFone, the nation's largest prepaid cell ...
RCRNews.com.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Who will "own" the wireless Internet user? Will it be Cingular, Verizon and the rest of the nation's wireless carriers? Or will it be ...
The big elephant in the room.(Opinion)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: Jeffrey Silva It's an old worn story, but the drum beat seems to be getting louder and the momentum growing for a greater accounting of federal government spectrum-how much agencies have and how they use it. A cloud of intrigue has hung over government ...
Qualcomm's TD-SCDMA patent claims bear more weight as China moves closer to deployments.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: JONI MORSE Now that the Chinese government has sanctioned its homegrown TD-SCDMA technology as the preferred third-generation technology of the land, and with precious 3G licenses about to be granted to Chinese operators, Qualcomm Inc.'s claims on TD-SCDMA products bear ...
Justice Department joins Gabelli auction fraud suit.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The Justice Department last week asked U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty for permission to join the auction fraud lawsuit against Wall Street telecom magnate Mario Gabelli, upping the stakes of the litigation at a time when federal regulators are scrambling ...
House panel progresses on cell-phone privacy bill.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: HEATHER FORSGREN WEAVER The House Commerce Committee last week quickly passed a bill making the sale of telecommunications customer call records illegal. The bill also gives the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission added tools to restrict ...
BlackBerry maker unveils WLAN plan for on-campus use.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled its push into the wireless local area network space with the launch of its BlackBerry WLAN Solution. The service includes a WLAN Solution platform and a Wi-Fi enabled handset, the BlackBerry 7270. The company's WLAN offering is aimed at ...
NTT DoCoMo to sell simplified 3G handsets with large fonts.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... As handset vendors and network operators worldwide spend untold resources to provide advanced functionalities and services to capture end users' imagination with 3G services, NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced it will sell a new line of basic, compact handsets for customers who do not need or ...
Flipping back to AT&T brand; The new Ma Bell?
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: KELLY HILL When Cingular Wireless L.L.C. closed on its purchase of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. in late 2004, the company poured out an estimated $300 million in marketing during the fourth quarter of that year, sending out everything from a "wedding'' invitation touting ...
TI, Qualcomm project healthy chip sales.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Texas Instruments Inc. honed its financial estimates for the first quarter, projecting a narrower range of solid sales, from $3.22 billion to $3.35 billion, compared with its earlier projection of $3.11 billion to $3.38 billion. TI also estimated earnings per share from ongoing operations ...
Unity Wireless raises $2.2 million.(Global Wireless)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Unity Wireless Corp. said it closed a $2.2 million three-year debt financing by institutional investors. The company, which develops wireless subsystems and coverage solutions, said it plans to use ...
Orlando carries on with Wi-Fi odyssey; City entices with free service, but expects cut of commercial revenues.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: JONI MORSE Free Wi-Fi in Orlando is coming around again. Sort of. Orlando experimented with free Wi-Fi in early 2004 in one square mile of its downtown business district. But barely anyone used it. A city official said the network averaged about 44 users per ...
Disney Mobile begins free phone promotion before service launch.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Walt Disney Internet Group is making more noise in advance of the launch of its planned mobile virtual network operator service this summer. In February, the company launched a registration Web site for its Disney Mobile service. The site allows interested consumers to sign up ...
Nokia headlines CeBIT with T-Mobile HSDPA contract.(Global Wireless)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: JONI MORSE Nokia Corp. announced that its HSDPA network equipment has been launched by T-Mobile International Inc. in Hanover, Germany, during the CeBIT 2006 conference. Later in the year, the service is expected to be rolled out in England and the Netherlands. ...
Iraq issues tenders for mobile-phone licenses.(Global Wireless)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Iraq officially launched the first mobile-phone license tender under the new government, a competition intended to result in four national wireless carriers. "After decades of oppression under the Saddam, Iraqis are keen to express themselves via all forms of telecommunication ....
CellStar to install SmartVideo on phones.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... SmartVideo Technologies said it signed a distribution agreement with CellStar Corp. covering the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. SmartVideo offers video services for cellular phones, including live broadcasting, on-demand and download-and-play TV ...
Verizon Wireless signs voice/data pact with restaurant chain.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Verizon Wireless inked a two-year deal to provide wireless voice and data services for Chick-fil-A Inc. As part of the deal, the Georgia-based fast-food chain has purchased 1,000 handsets, Verizon Wireless said, including Plam Inc.'s Treos and personal digital assistants. ...
States, feds attack cell-phone driving from all angles; Even as new study finds other activities cause greater distractions.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: JEFFREY SILVA The lawyer for a 20-year-old Michigan man charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with a fatal car crash initially attributed to driver cell-phone use claims politicians want to make a high-profile example of his client to boost chances of ...
Gaming adoption stagnates.
Mar 13, 2006 ... Byline: COLIN GIBBS Analysts continue to predict big things for mobile gaming. But for now, at least, would-be gamers are staying away in droves. Consumption of mobile games in the United States has stagnated during the last six months, according to figures released ...
Verizon Wireless prepaid service sold at Wal-Mart.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... Verizon Wireless inked a major retail distribution deal for its wireless service, agreeing to sell its INpulse offering through 2,300 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. locations nationwide. The news marks a potentially substantial opportunity for ...
RadioShack joins Brightstar, others in phone-buying group.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... RadioShack Corp. reported plans to team with three other phone resellers to form a purchasing alliance that the companies said expects to resell more than 50 million phones a year. Brightstar Corp. of the United States, European distributor Dangaard Telecom and Middle Eastern ...
Verizon Wireless exclusive carrier for TiVo Mobile.(News)
Mar 13, 2006 ... TiVo Inc. took another small step toward wireless, inking a deal to allow Verizon Wireless subscribers to use their wireless phone as a TiVo remote control. The companies unveiled a downloadable BREW application that can be used to program TiVo's digital video recording service ....