Business - Telecommunications

After two years of often bitter debate, the European Parliament approved a raft of new telecom laws Tuesday. Full Story »

U.S. telecom firms have hit a ceiling as most Americans have a cell phone and Internet access. These firms can only dream of untapped potential in China, the world's largest mobile market. Full Story »

Verizon has challenged Sprint's marketing claim that its "America's most dependable 3G network." The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has asked Sprint to drop the slogan in response to the Verizon complaint, expanding the ongoing marketing battle between the leading mobile service providers. Full Story »

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Phone company Windstream Corp. announced Tuesday it would buy Iowa Telecommunications Services Inc. for $1.1 billion in cash and stock, and pick up a quarter-million subscribers in Iowa and Minnesota. Full Story »

NEW YORK - A national advertising watchdog is asking Sprint Nextel Corp. to drop its ads calling itself "America's most dependable 3G network." Full Story »

STRASBOURG (AFP) - The European parliament approved Tuesday a major overhaul of EU telecoms law aimed at boosting the rights of European mobile phone and Internet users and protection against access restrictions. Full Story »

Taiwanese 3G mobile operator Vibo Telecom launched a trial TD-SCDMA network on Tuesday, an event timed to coincide with a Chinese official's visit to Taiwan to discuss how Taiwan and China can work more closely on developing technology standards. Full Story »

Apple's jumping into the battle that sees Verizon Wireless and AT&T flaming each other in advertisements, but unlike AT&T's recent effort to defend itself, Apple's new pair of iPhone ads are actually good. Full Story »

On the heels of a judge's decision to allow Verizon to continue running commercials that attack AT&T's 3G network, Apple has a new an iPhone ad campaign that defends AT&T's capabilities. Full Story »

In a battle between AT&T and Verizon Wireless that never seems to end, AT&T's partner Apple now appears to be getting into the mix with two retaliatory iPhone TV ad that air Monday night. The ads comes hot on the heels of AT&T's TV ad campaign that aimed to "set the record straight" around Verizon's "there's a map for that" campaign. Full Story »

Is an iPhone an acceptable device for business users? Verizon Wireless and AT&T have been involved in a public multimillion-dollar spat over the question with dueling television advertising campaigns -- and a lawsuit to boot. Now Apple is stepping into the fray with its own ads. Full Story »

Verizon Wireless said Monday that it will begin shipping Samsung's Omnia II smartphone on Dec. 2. The new handset features Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0 user interface, which provides users with the ability to customize and personalize their devices in a number of different ways. Full Story »

BURLINGTON, Mass. - Dutch telecommunications company Royal KPN NV said Monday it has agreed to buy the outstanding shares of iBasis Inc., a Massachusetts-based wholesale international long distance carrier, for $3 each in cash. Full Story »

A month ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission began a proceeding to create formal net neutrality rules for broadband providers, and the proposals have generated serious debate in the telecom community. Full Story »

NEW DELHI (AFP) - British mobile phone giant Vodafone Group Plc has sought an extra two months to reply to a two-billion-dollar Indian tax claim over its purchase of India's third-largest mobile operator. Full Story »

PHILADELPHIA - Shares of ADC Telecommunications Inc. fell Friday after the company posted a net loss in the fourth quarter and warned that first-quarter earnings will come in lower than expected. Full Story »

For some reason, Luke Wilson is taking AT&T's side in the 3G coverage wars, appearing in a new ad that retaliates against Verizon Wireless' stinging assault. Full Story »

Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn will make a handset for China Mobile next year that supports software developed by the Joint Innovation Lab (JIL) joint venture, according to the head of China Mobile.JIL is a joint venture established by China Mobile, Vodafone, Verizon Wireless and Softbank Mobile to develop software and services for their 1.1 billion mobile phone customers. Full Story »