verizon

Is Apple in over its head with the iPhone?

Amazingly, almost every product Apple has released over the past decade has performed extremely well and there's no debating the fact that the iPhone is one of them.

But unlike the computer industry or the PMP business, the cell phone industry judges success by how well a device can perform over the long-term and keep a steady revenue stream flowing for both the carrier and the manufacturer.

And while the computing industry has become quite competitive over the past few years, driving prices down and forcing companies to make more compelling products, there's no debating the fact that the cell phone industry is the most competitive and strangely unprofitable of them all. After all, who would have thought that Motorola -- one of the proven leaders in the industry -- may be getting out of the handset business for good?

Knowing this, has Apple gotten in over its head trying to play the same game it always has with its other devices without realizing that the cell phone industry is an entirely different beast altogether? Sadly, I think it has.… Read more

Verizon: We don't want to play copyright cop on our network

WASHINGTON--AT&T may be flirting with filters designed to ferret out pirated material on its network, but Verizon Communications isn't interested.

That's the message that company Executive Vice President Tom Tauke delivered during a luncheon discussion at an Internet policy conference here Wednesday.

It's not that Verizon doesn't believe that it's vitally important to protect intellectual property, said Tauke, who heads the company's public affairs, policy, and communications department. Rather, the company is concerned that inspecting individual packets, as rival AT&T is currently testing, poses potential dangers to consumer privacy and … Read more

Wireless and fiber add to Verizon growth

Wireless and the Fios fiber-to-the-home broadband network continue to fuel growth for Verizon Communications.

On Monday, the second-largest phone company in the U.S. reported profits were up 3.9 percent for the fourth quarter of 2007, as it added more wireless subscribers in its joint venture with Vodafone and nearly hit the 1 million subscriber mark for its Fios TV service.

Earnings met analyst expectations with net income coming in at $1.07 billion, or 37 cents a share. That was up from $1.03 billion, or 35 cents, a year ago. Profit, excluding items such as severance pay … Read more

Verizon's RIM BlackBerry Pearl now in pink

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Verizon Wireless has released a pink version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, making for a nice little mate to the silver model. We first caught wind of this blush-colored smartphone at CES 2008 when RIM, perhaps without Verizon's knowledge, showed it off at their booth, but all is rosy now. You can grab the pink Pearl starting today for $149.99 with a two-year contract and after discounts and rebates. We suspect Sprint's red BlackBerry Pearl won't be too far behind.

Sprint & Verizon to ride the patent gravy train

Sprint Nextel and Verizon Communications both see an opportunity to make a buck on their IP telephony patents after successfully suing Vonage Holdings last year.

On Thursday, Sprint Nextel said in a U.S. District Court in Wichita, Kan., that it was suing four small phone companies. Sprint alleges that Nuvox Communication, BroadVOX Holdings, Big River Telephone, and Paetec Communications are infringing on six of its patents.

Those patents, part of a larger portfolio of patents that cover voice over IP technology owned by Sprint, are the same ones used to successfully sue Vonage. The two companies eventually settled the … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 647: Oops, DELETED

EPISODE 647

Verizon Wireless: Calling all iPhone killers

WASHINGTON--Just a few months ago, Verizon Wireless was protesting "open access" rules requiring mobile operators to let their customers use whatever devices or applications they please.

Now it's inviting gadget developers to swap ideas at a two-day conference in New York City, scheduled for March 19 and 20.

It's all part of the company's new Open Development Initiative, which was unveiled after Thanksgiving. Seemingly in a nod both to regulatory pressure and movement by companies like Google in the mobile space, the No. 2 wireless carrier said it had decided to open up its network … Read more

FCC official: No need to mandate 'open' mobile networks...yet

Update at 10:05 a.m. PST Wednesday: A Copps aide called us on Wednesday to say that his boss didn't intend to give the impression that he opposes new regulations on the wireless industry. He pointed us to a sentence in Copps' speech (PDF) in which the Democratic commissioner said he would "enthusiastically support" the FCC's declaration of "general principles for open wireless platforms" at any time. Copps did then go on to say, as we reported Tuesday, that he would not "strongly object" to industry-led initiatives, "at least for … Read more

Verizon exec allays economic worries

A Verizon Communications executive said Thursday that his company hasn't been hit by a U.S. economic slowdown.

Dennis Strigl, chief operating officer for Verizon, addressed concerns about an economic slowdown impacting the No. 2 phone company's business during a Citigroup investor conference. Earlier this week, AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson spooked Wall Street by blaming a weak economy for a rise in residential broadband and landline customers who couldn't pay their bills during the fourth quarter of 2007.

Strigl said Verizon hasn't been affected in the same way. Specifically he said the company'… Read more

Pink and red BlackBerry Pearl 8130s spotted

Catching Verizon Wireless and Sprint off-guard, Research in Motion showed off some upcoming colored models of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 for the respective carriers at CES 2008. The red version will go to Verizon, joining the silver Pearl 8130, while the powder-pink model will land at Sprint along with the purple Pearl. No specific release dates were given, but I'd guess the launch dates aren't too far away--February at the latest.