News
SoftBank Ups Sprint Bid, Sprint Puts Dish in the Corner
June 11, 2013 10:03 am | by Ben Munson | CommentsSoftBank late Monday raised its bid to acquire Sprint to $21.6 billion from $20.1 billion, or $7.65 per share. Under the new agreement, SoftBank would take a 78 percent stake in Sprint, up from the 70 percent promised in the previous offer.
Dish: Bid for Sprint Still Under Consideration
June 10, 2013 4:31 pm | CommentsDish Network's $25.5 billion bid for Sprint is still in play, according to a statement released today. Dish released the statement, saying it was "in response to media inquires about the current state of play regarding its proposal to merge with the Sprint Nextel Corporation.
Apple Unveils iOS 7, OS X Mavericks and More at WWDC
June 10, 2013 3:31 pm | by Ben Munson | CommentsAfter months of grinding away in the rumor mill, Apple CEO Tim Cook took a little more time building up to the iOS 7 unveil. He was pleased to announce 600 million iOS devices sold. “But it’s not what drives us,” Cook said, putting the focus on mobile web share and time spent with devices, both categories lead by Apple.
First News Briefs for June 10, 2013
June 10, 2013 10:52 am | by Wireless Week Staff | CommentsBirch Communications, an IP-based communications and cloud services provider to small- and medium-sized businesses, announced today that it has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the client base, accounts receivable and physical assets of Ernest Communications.
AT&T Rolling Out Wi-Fi-Enabled Push-to-Talk Feature for iPhone
June 10, 2013 10:50 am | by Ben Munson | CommentsAT&T today announced a new iOS app for its business customers that will enable push-to-talk (PTT) features on the iPhone 4S and 5. The service will run over AT&T’s network but will also operate via Wi-Fi, which should provide improved in-building coverage for the service.
Report: Google Offers $1.1 Billion to Acquire Mapping Service Waze
June 10, 2013 10:18 am | CommentsGoogle is offering $1.1 billion to acquire the crowd-sourced maps company Waze, according to a Bloomberg report. The news comes after earlier reports that Apple had been interested in Waze. Waze's mobile app for iOS and Android gathers map information from its 40 million users...
AT&T Bumps Upgrade Wait From 20 Months to Two Years
June 10, 2013 10:00 am | by Ben Munson | CommentsAT&T has extended the waiting period for upgrades on phones from 20 months to two years. In a blog post Sunday, the company said the new upgrade policy will apply to new contracts and any existing contracts ending March 2014 and later.
Is Big Data Turning Government into 'Big Brother'?
June 10, 2013 9:42 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | CommentsWith every phone call they make and every Web excursion they take, people are leaving a digital trail of revealing data that can be tracked by profit-seeking companies and terrorist-hunting government officials. The revelations that the National Security Agency...
Music Service, Mobile Software Expected from Apple
June 10, 2013 9:34 am | by Anick Jesdanun, AP Technology Writer | CommentsApple is expected to reveal a digital radio service and changes to the software behind iPhones and iPads on Monday as the company opens its annual conference for software developers. Apple hasn't said what it will unveil at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco...
Report: SoftBank Could Buy Deutsche Telekom’s Stake in T-Mobile
June 7, 2013 4:33 pm | by Ben Munson | CommentsSoftBank might be interested in buying Deutsche Telekom’s (DT) 74-percent stake in T-Mobile USA, if the Japanese carrier’s $20.1 billion bid for Sprint falls through. Reuters is citing three sources familiar with the situation saying that the talks—a continuation of preliminary negotiations between SoftBank and DT that began last year—have recently ramped up in light of Dish’s competing bid of $25.5 billion for Sprint.
First News Briefs for June 7, 2013
June 7, 2013 10:37 am | by Wireless Week Staff | CommentsAT&T and IBM today announced a business agreement to deliver a new eCommerce solution that can help retailers provide a consistent shopping experience for customers whether they are shopping online, via a mobile app or in-store.
Report: NSA Collects Data From AT&T, Sprint, Google, Apple and More
June 7, 2013 10:01 am | by Ben Munson | CommentsAfter yesterday’s public reveal of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) demands for Verizon customers’ data, more information is coming out suggesting the NSA’s casting a much bigger net. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the NSA’s operations, reports that the same initiative targeting Verizon data is also collecting similar information from AT&T and Sprint.
AT&T Projects 500K Postpaid Wireless Adds in 2Q
June 7, 2013 9:58 am | by Andrew Berg | CommentsAT&T released numbers Thursday showing improved customer additions in the second quarter. In a release, the company specifically pointed to stronger U-verse broadband and TV subscriber growth versus the year-earlier quarter, and said it expects postpaid wireless net adds of approximately 500,000....
Motorola Mobility Says It Has Settled with TiVo
June 7, 2013 9:37 am | by Associated Press | CommentsMotorola Mobility said Thursday that it has reached a settlement with digital video recording pioneer TiVo Inc. ahead of a patent trial that was to start in a Texas court next week. "We're pleased that all parties involved have reached an agreement to resolve pending litigation...
AT&T Sells $564 Million in Shares of America Movil
June 6, 2013 10:59 am | by Ben Munson | CommentsAT&T has sold $564 million of its shares in America Movil (AMX), a Mexico City-based telecom owned by billionaire Carlos Slim. Bloomberg reports that AT&T lowered its stake in AMX by about 7.5 percent, taking it to 9 percent ownership, still the second-largest for the company behind the Slim family.
