Business - Telecommunications

The Motorola Droid has been rooted, according to Hack a Day, paving the way for wireless tethering, customized UIs, multitouch support, and other features not specifically endorsed by Verizon on the Android 2.0 platform. The hack was posted by Zinx Verituse on the AllDroid forums, adding the Droid to the ranks of other rooted smartphones. Full Story »

Letstalk.com is offering the HTC Droid Eris for free (with free shipping), after the free activation of a two-year contract with Verizon. Full Story »

Though it's only been available for a few weeks, Verizon Wireless already has released an update package for the Motorola Droid, an Android-based smartphone. A Verizon spokesperson said the update started Monday and will continue for about a week. Full Story »

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Cisco and British telecom giant BT Group on Wednesday announced a partnership aimed at a growing hunger by businesses worldwide for Internet-based communications services. Full Story »

In the aftermath of a bruising advertising battle with Verizon Wireless that highlighted the limitations of AT&T's 3G network, an AT&T executive told investors that high-bandwidth iPhone users could face higher usage charges. Ralph de la Vega, AT&T's head of consumer services, told investors at a UBS conference in New York that people who consume a large amount of data could receive incentives to "reduce or modify their usage," the Associated Press reported. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of Sprint Nextel Corp. got a boost Wednesday after a Citi Investment Research analyst upgraded the telecommunications company and said a combination with T-Mobile USA in the next 12 months is more likely than not. Full Story »

SEATTLE - Dutch telecommunications company KPN NV said Wednesday it has extended its cash offer of $3 per share for stock of iBasis Inc., a Massachusetts-based wholesale international long distance carrier, until Dec. 18. Full Story »

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's government has missed a deadline for inviting bidders to take part in its long-awaited auction for third generation (3G) mobile telecom services. Full Story »

PARIS (Reuters) - Taking a page out of Apple's book, France Telecom's mobile phone unit Orange launched its own shop to sell downloadable videos, games, music and other content to its 130 million mobile phone subscribers. Full Story »

SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico Attorney General Gary King has asked state regulators to hold the line on rate increases sought by Qwest Communications International Inc. Full Story »

MELVILLE, N.Y. - Communications equipment maker Comtech Telecommunications Corp. said Tuesday that its first-quarter profit fell by more than half as revenue dropped sharply. However, the results were better than analysts expected, and its shares rose in late trading. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it is forming a panel to examine the reliability of a telecommunications network that broke down last month, snarling air traffic across the country. Full Story »

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Swedish telecom giant Ericsson said Tuesday it would cut 946 jobs in Sweden in an effort to downsize its production staff as it strives to improve efficiency. Full Story »

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 - WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two Florida executives of a Miami-Dade County-based telecommunications company, the president of Florida-based Telecom Consulting Services Corp., and two former Haitian government officials were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged roles in a foreign bribery, wire fraud and money laundering scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Acting U. S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Daniel W. Auer of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation's (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office. Full Story »

What will Verizon tell the FCC about its decision to double the early termination fee it charges customers who quit their wireless contracts early? Full Story »

NEW YORK - The Federal Communications Commission on Friday asked Verizon Wireless why it recently doubled the fees it charges customers when they break their contracts on "smart" phones. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Verizon Communications Inc. said Friday that it will pay a quarterly dividend of 47.5 cents per share, unchanged from the previous quarter, on Feb. 1 to shareholders of record on Jan. 8. Full Story »

Verizon is ramping up the testosterone in its newest ad campaign against the Big Man on Campus, Apple's iPhone. Falling just short of saying other phones are for girlie-men, Verizon's ads tout their phone's "racehorse taped to a Scud missile" speed as opposed to that of a "digitally clueless beauty pageant queen." Full Story »