nextel

AT&T announced today that it is launching a trial program to test out its enhanced push-to-talk services (PTT), which aims to improve communication between work groups in the mobile field service.

Selected businesses that employ field agents and dispatchers in industries that include utilities, transportation, and manufacturing, will test out AT&T's wireless network and the carrier's mobile broadband speeds.

During this trial, AT&T will be collaborating with Kodiak Networks Inc. and Raytheon JPS to boost the capabilities of private mobile radio (PMR) systems in terms of greater coverage and faster connection speeds.… Read more

Wireless operator Clearwire's fourth-quarter results were fairly disappointing, but at least its longer term prospects are starting to brighten.

The company, which supplies Sprint Nextel with 4G WiMax wireless service, reported a fourth-quarter loss of $236.8 million, or 81 cents a share, compared with a year-ago loss of $128 million, or 79 cents a share.

Revenue, however, more than doubled to $361.9 million as the company started picking itself up off the mat.

Wall Street analysts were looking for Clearwire to lose 35 cents a share and post revenue of $356.7 million. The company released its revenue and customer growth figures early. … Read more

Pretty soon, the Nextel in Sprint Nextel isn't going to make much sense anymore.

Sprint's Nextel network won't completely shut down until next year, but the company is already working to turn off the iDEN network. During the company's quarterly conference call today, executives laid out plans to decommission cell sites this year and talked up the financial benefits to come.

Nextel merged with Sprint in one of the most ill-advised deals in corporate history, with consequences of the disaster still apparent seven years later. Today, the company reported yet another unprofitable quarter. Nextel, which at … Read more

Sprint Nextel saw its biggest surge in new customers in six years thanks to the iPhone, but that growth came at a hefty price.

Still, Sprint reported a loss of $1.3 billion, or 43 cents a share, on revenue of $8.72 billion in the fourth quarter. That compares with a loss of $929 million, or 31 cents a share, on revenue of $8.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The Q4 results included a loss of $241 million, or 8 cents a share, due to one-time costs related to asset charges on property, plant, equipment, as well as … Read more

After such a thrilling end to the Super Bowl, it's no surprise that a record number of sports fans e-mailed, text messaged, and called each other during the big game.

And the carriers weathered the surge in traffic despite a jump in usage. The wireless carriers may not always have the best record at big confabs--many fared poorly at the Consumer Electronic Show--but they stepped it up for the Super Bowl.

Ensuring adequate wireless coverage is crucial because the high-profile event garners so much scrutiny and attention. For Verizon Wireless, which is the official NFL wireless sponsor, the … Read more

Sprint Nextel said it will give LightSquared an additional six weeks to get approval to build its nationwide 4G LTE wireless network from the Federal Communications Commission or it will terminate its agreement with the company, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

A Sprint spokesman told Dow Jones that the company had given LightSquared until mid-March to resolve concerns that its network interferes with GPS receivers. Sprint had already given LightSquared a 30-day extension to get FCC approval at the end of 2011.

A LightSquared representative confirmed that an extension had been granted. And he reiterated LightSquared's commitment to completing … Read more

Could the wireless carriers actually be addicted to the iPhone?

By now, it's well understood that the iPhone is a double-edged sword for the wireless carriers. On one side, Apple's smartphone is a pricey device to carry, requiring an unusually high subsidy that carriers must pay to keep it affordable enough for the masses. On the other, it leads to more loyal customers who pay more each month.

Furthermore, the telecom companies get to wrap themselves in the hip vibe that Apple brings to its products and partners, and can you put a price on being cool?

Apparently, … Read more

It appears Clearwire's got some of its confidence back.

The 4G WiMax service provider has released select preliminary results from its fourth quarter, including revenue that was double that of a year ago--$362 million, compared with the year-ago $181 million. The upswing was primarily driven by growth in its wholesale business.

The figure exceeded analysts' average estimate of $355 million in revenue for the period, according to a survey taken by Thomson Reuters.

Clearwire is likely breathing a sigh of relief after several months of uncertainty over its ability to obtain the needed financing to continue its operations, … Read more

Sprint is making good on its promise to eliminate the controversial Carrier IQ software from devices on its network.

On Monday Android Central reported that the HTC EVO 3D, which runs on Sprint's network, will get a new firmware update that will wipe the Carrier IQ software from the device. HTC confirmed on Tuesday its move in a statement to The Verge. The company said that the maintenance software update would "remove Carrier IQ and provide security enhancements and bug fixes beginning in January."

CNET and others reported in December that Sprint said it would disable the software in devices running on its network. … Read more