nextel

Sprint Nextel and C-Spire today agreed with AT&T to hold off on their lawsuit until AT&T has a chance to re-evaluate its options, following similar steps taken by the Department of Justice yesterday.

Sprint and the regional wireless carrier have sued to block AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA, drafting behind the larger--and more relevant--Justice Department lawsuit. But with AT&T reconsidering its strategy, Sprint and C-Spire have agreed to a delay until January 18.

The actions kicked off on Thanksgiving, when AT&T withdrew its merger application from the Federal Communications Commission. … Read more

Apple's iPhone sales this holiday quarter could exceed even the most optimistic forecasts.

Yesterday, AT&T said it is poised to shatter its record for fourth-quarter smartphone sales, largely due to pent-up demand for the iPhone. As a result, a number of Wall Street firms have raised their already lofty estimates on iPhone sales for the quarter, with some warning that they may still be too conservative.

The raised estimates are a clear illustration that while the Android OS may dominate the smartphone world, the iPhone remains a massive draw for consumers. Also helping out are promotions, such … Read more

Clearwire expects to raise $350 million in its stock offering next week, an increase over its previous plans to raise $300 million.

The money-losing mobile broadband provider and wholesaler plans to sell 175 million Class A shares at $2 in an offering expected to close on December 13, the company said in a statement today. Clearwire said it plans to use the proceeds from the offering to continue to operate and upgrade its existing WiMax network to a newer technology called LTE.

Sprint Nextel, the majority shareholder in Clearwire, will buy about 172 million shares of the company's Class … Read more

HTC may be showing cracks.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer said today that it saw November sales fall nearly 30 percent to NT$30.9 billion (roughly $1 billion) from a year ago. That follows its warning from last month that it wouldn't see any sales growth in the fourth quarter.

Those are just the latest cracks in a company that over the past year has seen its Android crown seized by a rival as support from its carrier partners receded, all while suffering several legal setbacks in its patent battle against Apple. While HTC still enjoyed strong performance for … Read more

Clearwire is on its way to shoring up its coffers.

The mobile broadband provider and wholesaler said it is planning a public stock offering of $300 million. It's unclear how many shareholders are willing to re-up on a stock that has fallen 60 percent this year.

The funds are critical to Clearwire's continued ability to operate and upgrade its existing WiMax network to a newer technology called LTE. Last week, Sprint Nextel swooped in and saved the company by committing up to $1.6 billion in financing. Sprint, along with being the majority shareholder, is also Clearwire's … Read more

Sprint Nextel may want to have another look at how Apple's iPhone operates on its network.

Enthusiast site AppleInsider conducted a test of how well the iPhone performed on the three main U.S. carrier networks. For AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the results weren't surprising: if you want speed, go with AT&T; for reliability, choose Verizon. That largely backs up their respective claims for the iPhone.

But AppleInsider found connection and speed issues with the Sprint iPhone, echoing some of the complaints from its customers. In particular, the speed of the network has been … Read more

Clearwire made good on a $237 million interest payment due today and announced it has finalized a funding and resale agreement with Sprint Nextel worth up to $1.6 billion to keep the company afloat.

For months, Clearwire's future has been anything but clear as the company scrambled to line up cash to fund daily operations and finish a nationwide 4G wireless network. Last month, the company said it might miss its scheduled debt payment due to its tight financial situation. It had been unclear whether Sprint, Clearwire's largest investor and also its biggest wholesale customer, would bail … Read more

Sprint Nextel gave Dish Network the nod on its plans to acquire spectrum and build its own 4G LTE network, reversing its position from just a month ago.

Sprint said in a recent filing that Dish's proposed network does not interfere with its own operations, according to Fierce Wireless. The two companies will use spectrum that are adjacent to each other, and Sprint had been concerned over potential interference issues.

But Sprint disclosed in the filing that it has signed a deal with Dish in a resolution of the issue, clearing the path for Dish to get government approval … Read more

With AT&T's deal to acquire T-Mobile USA on life support, T-Mobile may need to start considering a Plan B.

By itself, T-Mobile is a wireless operator struggling to keep its best customers from leaving. Over the past several months, the carrier has aggressively cut prices and made itself a haven for bargain seekers--all for the sake of sparking a little growth. As a result, it resembles more of large prepaid carrier than one of the traditional national players.

But with the promised breakup fee from AT&T if the deal isn't approved, including $3 billion … Read more