In The News

[pjw918]

Nokia to shutter B.C. plant amid global restructuring - Globe and Mail, June 15

Nokia Corp.’s small research and development facility in Burnaby, B.C., is caught up in a global restructuring of the Finnish mobile phone giant that will see 10,000 layoffs across the beleaguered company.

Stephen Elop, the firm’s chief executive officer, unveiled a number of dramatic changes on Thursday designed to reposition Espoo, Finland-based Nokia, once the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, as it struggles with slowing sales and a transition to a new Windows smartphone platform.

Amid news of executive resignations and thousands of layoffs, Mr. Elop announced the shutdown of the Burnaby facilities. A Finnish manufacturing plant and a facility in Ulm, Germany, will also be closed, and the company is selling its luxury phone division Vertu.

At the same time, it’s adding staff to its mobile phone and sales and marketing divisions, and purchasing the Swedish imaging company, Scalado AB, which licenses technology across the mobile industry.


Nokia to Cut 10,000 Jobs and Close 3 Facilities - New York Times, June 14 (detailed article)

BERLIN — Nokia said Thursday it would slash 10,000 jobs, or 19 percent of its work force, by the end of 2013 as part of an emergency overhaul that includes closing research centers and a factory in Germany, Canada and Finland, and the departures of three senior executives.
...
Pete Cunningham, an analyst at Canalys, a research firm in Reading, England, said the cuts by Nokia were not surprising given the intense competition from Apple, the global leader in smartphones, and Samsung, the South Korean rival that overtook Nokia this year as the world’s largest bulk maker of cellphones.

“It is an unfortunate but necessary action to streamline the business to ensure that it has the best chance of competing,” Mr. Cunningham said. “Apple and Samsung are really turning the thumbscrews on the rest of the market. Nokia is having to work very hard to make its Lumia handsets attractive due to the lack of traction that Windows Phone has in the market today.”

[pjw918]

FCC to Review Radiation Guidelines for Cell Phones - PhoneScoop, June 15

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski today plans to ask his fellow commissioners to open a formal inquiry to evaluate whether or not the agency's guidelines protect U.S. citizens from harmful cell phone radiation. The last time the agency examined its guidelines, which set the maximum amount of radiation that a cell phone may emit, was in 1996. "Our action today is a routine review of our standards," said FCC spokesperson Tammy Sun in an email to Bloomberg. "We are confident that, as set, the emissions guidelines for devices pose no risks to consumers." The scientific community is divided on the harmful effects of cell phone radiation, with some camps claiming it can lead to brain cancer and others suggesting no such link exists. Cell phone penetration in 1996 was a fraction of what it is today, so the overall amount of radiation to which U.S. citizens are exposed has increased exponentially. The FCC has yet to set a timeframe for this new inquiry, but any changes to the guidelines would impact every company that makes wireless gear for U.S consumers.

More detail in this Bloomberg article.

[pjw918]

RIM to pay Lazaridis, Balsillie combined $12-million after exit - Globe and Mail, June 15

Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who built Research In Motion Ltd. into a global smartphone giant before presiding over the company’s long slide, will receive a payout of around $12-million after having stepped aside as co-chief executive officers in January, according to a company document filed on Thursday.

The two men resigned as co-CEOs and co-chairmen of RIM’s board of directors in late January as Thorsten Heins was promoted to president and CEO of the Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone company, which has ceded vast amounts of market share to Apple Inc. and other device makers using Google Inc.’s Android software.

The company has shredded more than 75 per cent of its value over the past year as it lost share and released unsuccessful products such as the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. RIM’s share price currently sits around $11, down from a 52-week high of $35 -- and certainly down from its heyday several years ago when it was worth nearly $150. RIM recently issued a warning for its next quarterly results due on June 28, said it has hired investment banks to review strategic options, and is said to be gearing up for a significant restructuring that will include thousands of layoffs.
...
The management circular also notes what has been obvious to many RIM investors: Total shareholder returns have been undeniably brutal. The filing notes that if one had invested $100 in RIM on March 3, 2007, on the Toronto Stock Exchange, that the value of that investment on March 3, 2012, would have been $25.49.

[pjw918]

Nokia Siemens Says It Has Improved HSPA+ Performance - PhoneScoop, June 18

Nokia Siemens Networks today revealed that it has created a way for network operators to deliver better performance to devices on HSPA+ networks through something it calls Continuous Packet Connectivity (CPC). CPC is a standards-based, software-controlled network enhancement that Nokia Siemens Networks says reduces network interference, adds five times the uplink capacity, and lets network operators support more devices on a given HSPA+ cell. NSN also says CPC leads to a 15% improvement in device battery life and a 60% increase in data speeds. NSN proved the technology works using commercially available equipment in its laboratories. The company hopes to offer the Continuous Packet Connectivity to network operators and device makers to help improve HSPA+ performance.

more detail at Nokia Siemens Networks

[pjw918]

Mergers of European Mobile Carriers Expected to Grow - New York Times, June 18

BERLIN — European mobile telephone operators are primed to enter a long-awaited phase of consolidation.

As growth slows, and as the need to cut costs and pay out millions for new, faster networks grows, longtime rivals are joining forces in markets across Europe to reap the benefits of economies of scale.

“You are going to see this happen more and more,” said John Delaney, an analyst in London at the International Data Corporation. “Fundamentally, there are too many network operators. Revenues are declining in the core services of voice and text, and the rise in data revenue is not making up for the shortfall.”

European policy makers are supportive. Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for telecommunications, said that consolidation would help the Continent’s industry maintain its competitive position with rivals in the United States and Asia, where greater consolidation has allowed for faster adoption of new technologies.
...
The advantages of merging among carriers go beyond bigger customer bases and revenues and superior coverage of wireless network grids. Operators also stand to save millions building the next generation of wireless data networks based on Long Term Evolution, or LTE, technology...

[pjw918]

T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42Mbps network faster than Verizon's 4G LTE in 11 cities - phoneArena.com, June 18

In speed tests conducted by PC Magazine, T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42Mbps 4G network beat Verizon's 4G LTE network in 11 cities. What does PC Magazine think about T-Mobile's HSPA+ service? "It’s really fast, covers a lot of the country and is inexpensive," says the publication. Taking it even further, PC Magazine says that with this type of speed available to its customers, the nation's fourth largest carrier doesn't really need an LTE network except to have the additional spectrum and for marketing purposes...

[Loansharkie]

Ditto that... TmO on ST. For parctical purposes check you coverage area. TMO coverage is spotty relative to ATT In my area.

Sent from my LG-P999 using HowardForums

[pjw918]

Mobilicity to expand unlimited network - CNW, June 21

TORONTO, June 21, 2012 /CNW/ - Mobilicity today announced future plans to widen its unlimited network west of Toronto into Milton, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton to answer the growing demand for its affordable, unlimited talk, text and data service. East of Toronto, Mobilicity will launch in Pickering, Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa. In Ottawa, the carrier will focus on building out the network in Barrhaven, Orléans and Cumberland.

"We've spent the last year on network densification to provide a great network experience amidst tremendous growth in our existing service area," said Mobilicity President and Chief Operating Officer Stewart Lyons. "Now it's time to expand outward and bring Mobilicity's smart, affordable wireless service to more Canadians than ever."

Mobilicity also confirmed it is in the process of extending its unlimited network within the Greater Vancouver Area to include White Rock, Pitt Meadows and the Richmond-Surrey commuter corridors. In Edmonton, Mobilicity is expanding around St. Albert to the north and southward to the airport. The network updates will soon be reflected on the carrier's coverage map.
...
Last week, Mobilicity confirmed it will upgrade its HSPA+-enabled network to 4G later this year. The move will result in download speeds of up to 21Mbps, and will enable customers to leverage the full performance of cutting-edge 4G smartphones and browse the web, run apps and watch video clips on their smartphones with enhanced quality and speed.

[pjw918]

Telus, Globalive in another spat over foreign ownership - Globe and Mail, June 21

Wind Mobile's parent company, Globalive Wireless Management Corp., is in another scrapping match with Telus Corp. And this disagreement is all too familiar.

In a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission filing originally obtained by Bloomberg, Globalive claims that Telus has crossed the line on foreign ownership, and that 48 per cent of the company's voting shareholders reside somewhere abroad. Unfortunately, the maximum foreign control of telecom carriers allowed by Canadian law is 33.3 per cent...

Bloomberg article: Globalive Says Telus Breaks Canada’s Ownership Rules - June 20

--
first posted by kitwatuser and discussed in this WIND thread

[pjw918]

GSMA Convinces 24 Operators to Warn About Data Rates - PhoneScoop, June 21

The GSM Association today announced a new initiative aimed at preventing international travelers from suffering bill shock thanks to data roaming rates. A group of 24 wireless network operators, including AT&T and Verizon in the U.S., will alert travelers via SMS when they land in new countries that data roaming fees may be charged if they use data. Additionally, travelers will be able to set mobile data roaming limits and temporarily suspend access to data services if they reach their spending limit. This is but the first step being taken by the GSMA on behalf of international travelers, and the new measures go into effect at the end of 2012. The GSMA hopes to sign on more participating carriers between now and then.

[pjw918]

RIM’s latest foe: fickle youth - Globe and Mail, June 25

When Emily Davis bought her first smartphone, all of her friends had BlackBerrys, so she got one, too.

The 23-year-old, who recently graduated from business school at the University of New Brunswick, kept in touch with all of her friends through Research In Motion Ltd.’s highly addictive BlackBerry Messenger service. The application, more commonly known as BBM, is fast, reliable and has popular features like group chats.

About 56 million of the world’s 78 million BlackBerry owners use BBM. Ms. Davis, however, found that the messaging service didn’t make up for her BlackBerry’s frequent glitches and short battery life [ed.??]. Frustrated, she replaced it with an HTC smartphone running Google Inc.’s Android software.

“A lot of my friends still had (BlackBerrys) when I switched,” Ms. Davis said. “Throughout the last year, though, pretty much everyone’s switched.”

What happened to Ms. Davis’ circle of friends highlights the challenge facing the Waterloo, Ont., company as it attempts a comeback with a new line of phones: in North America, at least, the valuable youth market – from texting teenagers to recent college and university graduates – is abandoning the BlackBerry in droves.
...
Not only are fewer young people using BlackBerrys now compared to a year ago, but interest in purchasing a BlackBerry in the future is also greatly diminished.

New data from Toronto-based analytics firm Solutions Research Group, which tracks 1,000 Canadians in a quarterly survey, are particularly grim. The firm asked smartphone users between the ages of 12 and 24 what their next phone would likely be. In the most recent survey, only 12 per cent said a BlackBerry. That’s down from 31 per cent in the second quarter of 2011. (The survey found 71 per cent want Apple Inc.’s iPhone or an Android phone.)...

--
RIM shares plunge as analysts cite ‘volatile cocktail of a situation' - Globe and Mail, June 25

RIM below $10
Shares of Research In Motion Ltd. sank 7.5 per cent to below $10 on the Toronto Stock Exchange today, amid a stark downgrade, and in advance of the BlackBerry maker's quarterly results later this week.

Morgan Stanley analysts downgraded the shares to the equivalent of a "sell" rating, warning of continuing troubles.
...
“We believe the fundamental story at RIM is essentially broken," Morgan Stanley said. “In this volatile cocktail of a situation, and in light of our experience with Motorola prior to its strategic split 18 months ago, we are more comfortable rating the stock Underweight as after all the inevitable ups and downs to come in the stock, we believe the long-term value of the business, by the time anything strategic can actually be worked out, is still below the current level of the stock."

RIM reports results Thursday, and has already said it expects an operating loss, followed by several more troubled quarters...

[pjw918]

Rogers Communications lays off 375 - CBC, June 26

Rogers Communications Inc., Canada's largest telecom company with assets that include cable, internet and broadcast TV assets such as Citytv and Sportsnet, has announced 375 more layoffs.

“This was a very difficult decision,” company spokeswoman Patricia Trott said in a statement. “This is part of a comprehensive approach to cost management that we announced earlier this year.”

Employees were notified on Monday.

The cuts come on top of about 300 layoffs across its operations that the company announced at the end of March.
...
Rogers has been struggling with slowing growth in revenue from its mobile and wireline divisions.

It hopes to get increased revenues from its mobile banking initiative, Internet-connected devices such as parking meters and other business services...

[Insurge]

Official Nexus S Jelly Bean update out and it's freaking awesome. You can wait for the OTA or if you know how to use clockworkmod go ahead and get it here: http://android.clients.google.com/pa...o/9ZGgDXDi.zip

Note: If you're on a custom ROM you will have to reflash the factory 4.0.4 image using fastboot (it will reset all custom roms, kernels, basebands, etc and format sd card... basically mint 4.0.4) or you will get a status 7 error. Then reflash cwm (there's a new version 6 update for those still on 5) and follow the usual steps.

[Steveanderson13]

I just read an article that it was delayed. See The Verge

[Insurge]

I just read an article that it was delayed. See The Verge

That's a shame. Good thing one can install the official manually!


Update: OTA is out http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/07/20/wi...y-bean-update/