| News for wireless telecommunications professionals |  |
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- Samsung agrees to dismiss some patent suits vs. Apple
Samsung Electronics said that it will drop patent claims against rival Apple in five European countries: Germany, France, the U.K., Italy and the Netherlands. The company said the move was a unilateral one, adding that it would prefer to compete in the marketplace rather than in court. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh is weighing Apple's request for additional damages in the aftermath of its August jury verdict over Samsung. Koh this week refused to ban Samsung devices. Also, a U.S. International Trade Commission judge cleared Apple of violating Motorola Mobility's patents regarding a sensor designed to stop phones from hanging up accidentally. Bloomberg Businessweek
(12/19), Bloomberg Businessweek
(12/18), The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires
(12/18)      
| Company News | | |
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- FCC gives AT&T nod on WCS spectrum licenses
Federal regulators on Tuesday gave their approval to AT&T's purchase of 608 spectrum licenses in the Wireless Communications Services band from four companies, including Comcast, the Federal Communications Commission announced. The carrier had earlier reached a deal with satellite radio provider Sirius XM to avoid potential interference issues on the frequencies and now must convince phone makers to develop handsets that support WCS spectrum. Bloomberg
(12/18), The Verge
(12/18)
- Elop: "Urgency" in changing Nokia corporate culture
Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop said the cellphone maker's employees have embraced the need to make cultural changes to turn around the company's flagging fortunes by becoming more sensitive to consumer demand and moving with more alacrity in the development and production of Lumia smartphones. "There's been a marked shift toward this 'challenger' mindset. We have to move with urgency," he said in an interview. Employees said they had full confidence in Elop and his vision for the company. CNET
(12/18), CNET
(12/18)
| Mobile In Industry | | |
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- Fleet managers are turning to M2M to keep an eye on trucks
Fleet-management systems are increasingly using machine-to-machine technology to keep track of their trucks on the road, according to a published report that says governments have joined private enterprise in turning to connected devices to monitor fleet operations and oversee their maintenance. For example, Wireless Matrix has received Verizon Wireless certification on its Reporter 30, which automatically plugs into a vehicle's diagnostics to track data. ConnectedWorldMag.com
(12/18)
| Technology | | |
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- AT&T, BT are among carriers testing new Wi-Fi roaming standard
AT&T has joined a group of global carriers that have agreed to test a new standard aimed at making it easier for phone users to find Wi-Fi hot spots in countries around the world. Boingo Wireless, Britain's BT and China Mobile also began testing the Wireless Broadband Association's international roaming standard with a goal of going live in the late spring. The technical issues center on user authentication, network selection and billing mechanisms. Computerworld/IDG News Service
(12/18)
- Android spammers employ bots to spread SMS spam through phones
Carriers now have to worry about a new twist on Android malware: Companies have developed a botnet that hides their origin by sending spam through text messages via infected handsets, a move that makes the victims foot the bill and points to them as the culprits, according to security vendor Cloudmark. The Federal Communications Commission said it is trying to fight the spread of malware by releasing Tuesday a Web-based application, the "Smartphone Security Checker," that provides users with prevention guidelines based on the type of phone they are using. CIO.com/IDG News Service
(12/17), VentureBeat
(12/18)
| Trends & Research | | |
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- Report: Samsung to surpass Nokia as top cellphone maker
Samsung Electronics will end the year as the global cellphone manufacturer, toppling Nokia's 14-year run at the top, according to a report from the IHS iSuppli research firm. IHS predicts Samsung will hold a 29% worldwide share at the end of 2012 compared with 24% for Nokia, which slid from 30% in 2011. Samsung, which grew largely on the backs of its Galaxy smartphone sales, had held a 24% market share a year ago. While global cellphone shipments edged up by 1%, smartphone shipments increased by 35% to 654 million units. Network World/IDG News Service
(12/18)
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