November 14 - 10:25am EST   Cellphone manufacturer Motorola on Friday announced the new MOTO VE240 handset will soon be available to Cricket Communications and Metro PCS customers. The candy-bar phone promises to bring with it stereo Bluetooth support and MP3 capability with dedicated music keys. The VE240 has a microSD slot, enabling users to add up to 4GB of memory to the handset. Other than via wireless or wired headphones, the built-in speakerphone can playback music, which users transfer to the handset via a USB 2.0 connection. [full story]

August 11 - 2:55pm EDT   MetroPCS will use the same fourth-generation (4G) cellular data access as larger carriers, the company has revealed while discussing its latest quarterly results. Though small, the provider says it will switch its network from its existing CDMA format to the same Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard that will be used by AT&T, Verizon and the latter's recent buyout target Alltel. [full story]

February 7 - 10:50am EST   ZTE took its first fledgling steps into the world of US cellphones this morning with the release of the C88 on the MetroPCS network. The China-made clamshell is simpler than the D90 available through TELUS in Canada but is designed to offer more than just the basics: Bluetooth, a VGA camera, and Internet support for e-mail, IM, and the web are part of the core design. The C88 also holds 60MB of internal memory and comes preloaded with a variant of Sudoku to get the user started with mobile games. [full story]

January 29 - 2:15pm EST   Individual bids in the 700MHz FCC auction are nearing the amount needed to claim the key airwaves needed for mobile data, according to the communications body's's latest auction results. With almost $7.4 billion of total bids across the entire spectrum as of the end of the 10th round of auctions, the largest bid so far for the key nationwide "C block" license is now approaching $3.4 billion after less than a week of bidding, ensuring that at least one bidder is likely to meet the $4.6 billion mark needed to ensure open access for any device and software on a potential future wireless network. Bids for the just-begun 11th round will have to reach at least the $3.9 billion ... [full story]

January 15 - 12:15pm EST   The Federal Communications Commission today finalized its bidder list (PDF) for the expected 700MHz wireless auction and brings with it new surprises, according to the published document. The news confirms Google's expected bid but also confirms that several established wireless carriers have made the cut, including Alltel, AT&T, and MetroPCS. Verizon Wireless is also bidding in the auction under the CellCo Partnership brand. [full story]

December 19 - 11:30am EST   Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is one of those already confirmed as bidding in the upcoming FCC auction for the 700MHz wireless band, according to the list of accepted applicants (PDF). The former executive is using a proxy firm known as Vulcan Spectrum in an attempt to capture a slice of the soon to be free wireless spectrum, which has been eagerly sought after by telecom providers for its potential with long-range Internet and similar data. Neither Allen nor Vulcan has revealed the reasons behind the bid, though Allen is also a significant stakeholder in cable provider Charter. [full story]

November 30 - 2:05pm EST   MetroPCS on Friday boosted its unlimited-access cell plans with the release of the unusual Samsung R410. A handset with a horizontal slide-out QWERTY keyboard like many high-end smartphones, the Samsung is built for a younger audience more concerned with text messaging, instant messaging, and basic e-mail: the cost is trimmed to more affordable levels by using a VGA camera and legacy 1XRTT data in place of more expensive EVDO. Bluetooth with stereo audio support is present and adds rare support for wireless headphones and speakers to the device class. [full story]