The United States fell to second place in app revenue last year for the first time, overtaken by an emerging leader whose smartphone market is rapidly accelerating: Japan. Mobile app analytics and market intelligence firm App Annie has published an in-depth analysis of Japan’s complicated mobile market, highlighting how the smartphone surge has forced domestic … Read more

Research In Motion (RIM) may face a legal challenge from a software development company after announcing its new BlackBerry platform, BBX. BASIS International says it must protect its long-standing trademark for “BBx” — a language, database and toolset — and claims RIM’s BBX announcement has caused confusion among BASIS’ BBx users. The company warns the … Read more

As we pass the 18-month milestone of the COVID-19 pandemic, the extraordinary consequences of the public health crisis are well known. Less visible, but equally damaging, is a parallel digital pandemic that has inflicted large-scale harm across businesses and public services. Cybercrime cost an estimated $945 million in 2020, a figure that has climbed nearly … Read more

SpaceX has successfully demonstrated its new Direct to Cell capability by exchanging text messages between standard mobile phones on Earth using satellites in orbit. On 2 January 2024, SpaceX launched six satellites specifically configured to connect directly with unmodified mobile devices. Within a week, the company put those satellites into service and transmitted text messages … Read more

A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Huawei challenging a federal ban that prevents government personnel from using the company’s devices. Huawei originally filed the suit in 2018, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional. Since then, the company has faced growing scrutiny led by the United States and echoed by some allies, on … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Petar Chernaev) The telecommunications market is evolving rapidly. Not only have communication service providers (CSPs) changed how they deliver services, but customers’ expectations and perceptions have shifted as well. Delivering a seamless, consistent customer experience across multiple channels is now a top priority for operators competing in this dynamic environment. Customer Experience Management … Read more

The incoming CEO of Sprint, Michel Combes, has taken a noticeably optimistic stance on 5G, breaking from a recent industry pattern of cautious expectations. In recent weeks, several operators and equipment vendors have publicly tempered forecasts for 5G, a conservative approach many consider prudent: better to under-promise and over-deliver than the reverse. However, speaking at … Read more

(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Kritchanut) Three has filed a claim alleging EE failed to provide access to roughly half of the mast sites it was promised under a sharing agreement tied to the merger of T-Mobile and Orange, which formed EE — now owned by BT. According to the agreement, Three should have been able to use … Read more

ABI Research’s new report predicts that telecommunications companies could save as much as $1.2 billion on customer care management by 2022 by adopting “telcobots”—telco virtual assistants designed to automate and improve customer service interactions. The report, titled “Artificial Intelligence in Telecom Networks,” finds that a growing number of telecom operators are investing in artificial intelligence … Read more

Last month, Neelie Kroes used her Mobile World Congress 2013 address to call for a single European telecoms market. In her role as Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda, Kroes’s position carries significant influence. How has the telecoms industry responded to the proposal? The final legislative proposal remains scheduled for October, … Read more