Recent CellTeks News

Verizon Adds 2.2 Million Subscribers, But Posts Loss
March 9, 2010
Verizon said it added 2.2 million wireless subscribers, showing resilience in the face of tougher consumer spending, despite posting a fourth-quarter loss due to its shrinking landline business.

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier said it added 2.2 million customers -- up from the 1.4 million added last year -- for a total of 91.2 million subscribers. However, it posted a $653 million loss in the quarter, much of it due to a $3 billion charge related to layoffs in its landline sector.

"We focused on expanding wireless data and set the stage to deploy a nationwide 4G network later this year," said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon's Chief Executive. "We're facing some more significant headwinds than we thought we would face from the economy."

The company has struggled to keep up with rival AT&T, which has exclusive rights to the popular iPhone, despite pushing the Motorola Droid as an alternative during the holiday season.

But analysts speculate that AT&T may lose its exclusive hold on Apple's popular handset, and Verizon might sell a version of the device, later this year.

Regardless, competition between the two companies has heated up in recent months with a barrage of commercials accusing each other of misleading viewers with TV ads.

Last week, Verizon slashed the price of its unlimited voice service to $70 a month from $100. AT&T quickly followed suit.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Microsoft to Sell Own Smartphones for Verizon This Summer
March 9, 2010
Microsoft is aiming to launch two smartphones for Verizon in May or June, targeting teenagers who use social network sites.

The Redmond, Wash.-based company said the new phones, developed under the code name "Project Pink," are designed with keyboards for sending texting with a focus on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

But most likely, they will run Windows Mobile 6.5 instead of its new mobile platform.

These new "Pink" phones are developed entirely by Microsoft, which like Google and its new Nexus One device, challenges the delicate relationship with wireless operators and handset makers as it attempts to release its own devices.

The software giant, which competes in the wireless industry by selling its Windows Mobile software to handset vendors, is hoping to regain lost market share from rivals Apple's iPhone, newcomer Google's Android devices and others.

Microsoft said the devices will be made by Sharp, which also makes its Sidekick phones, and carry both Microsoft and Verizon brands.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Rapid Rise of Children With Cell Phones Concerns Researchers
March 9, 2010
The number of children using cell phones has nearly doubled since 2005, an increase driven by more kid-friendly phones, concerning many researchers who warn that young adults are more vulnerable to the potential risks from electromagnetic radiation.

Market research company Mediamark said that while girls still have more handsets than boys -- 21.8 percent compared to 18.3 percent -- that gap has shrunk by half as both genders increasingly use wireless devices.

"This large increase in cell phone ownership, particularly among boys, comes as more wireless providers are targeting parents through feature-rich, kid-friendly phones," said Anne Marie Kelly, an executive with Mediamark.

The research firm said 20 percent of children, aged six to 11 years old, now own handsets.

While the potential risks of tumors from electromagnetic radiation have been hotly debated, researchers agree that children should keep wireless usage to a minimum, since their brains are still developing.

"Some countries are already banning cell phones over health concerns, with France saying children in elementary schools can only use them for texting," said Lloyd Morgan, a director of the U.S. Brain Tumor Registry. "Cell phones can be used appropriately and have a certain usefulness, but I fear we will see a tsunami of brain tumors, although it is too early to see that now, since the tumors have a 30-year latency."

Earlier this month, lawmakers in Maine held a hearing to require handsets sold in that state to carry warnings, informing buyers of the potential hazards of handset usage, much like cigarettes have labels about smoking and lung cancer.

Last year, the U.S. Senate Health Committee started an investigation into the wireless industry, concerned that studies disproving the brain tumor connection may be similar to the cigarette-lung cancer case that was denied by tobacco companies for decades.

For a list of radiation emissions, including rankings for the lowest and highest rated handsets, visit our site at CellRisk.com.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Facebook to Become Location-Aware in April
March 9, 2010
Starting next month, the more than 400 million Facebook users could begin seeing a new kind of status update flow through their news feed: the current locations of their friends.

Facebook plans to take the wraps off a new location-based feature in late April at f8, the company’s yearly developer conference, according to several people briefed on the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss unannounced services.

In preparation for the introduction, Facebook updated its privacy policy last November. The new policy states: “When you share your location with others or add a location to something you post, we treat that like any other content you post.”

At that time, the company also offered some foreshadowing of the new feature: “If we offer a service that supports this type of location sharing we will present you with an opt-in choice of whether you want to participate.”

Facebook has been working on a location-based tool for close to a year, but decided to wait until the product was completely ready for mainstream adoption before announcing it, said the people with knowledge of the project.

Meredith Chin, a Facebook spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the company wasn’t ready to discuss any possible location-based features. “We’re constantly experimenting with new things around here, but we don’t have any details to share right now,” she said in an e-mail message.

The new location feature will have two aspects, according to the people familiar with Facebook’s plans. One will be a service offered directly by Facebook that will allow users to share their location information with friends. The other will be a set of software tools, known as A.P.I.’s, that outside developers can use to offer their own location-based services to Facebook users.

In the past, the company has relied heavily on its strong developer community to create innovative content around new tools and features. This community has also been instrumental in spreading Facebook Connect, which allows smaller Web sites to give their customers the option of signing in using Facebook and tapping their existing social networks.

Of Facebook’s more than 400 million users, about 50 percent log in to the site at least once a day, and 100 million people access the service from mobile devices. That makes the location feature an area of strong focus for the company.

The staggering number of users on the site has also brought a heightened level of internal scrutiny to the project, according to the people familiar with it. Facebook has been trying to figure out how to add location data to its service without raising potential privacy concerns or negative feedback from its users, as it has in the past with new features and redesigns.

One of the people familiar with the project said that the company was not trying to beat the smaller location-based social networks, such as Loopt, Foursquare and Gowalla. Instead, Facebook wants to go head-to-head with Google in the fight for small-business advertising. Facebook redesigned its business pages last year, with the hope of offering more features for small-business owners. According to Facebook, the Web site currently hosts more than 1.5 million local businesses from around the world.

In 2009, Google started Google Latitude with the pitch to let users “See where your friends are right now.”
Twitter, another Facebook competitor, has also added an option to include location data with messages

Source: (www.nytimes.com)
NFL Mobile Touches Down on Verizon Wireless
March 9, 2010
The NFL and Verizon Wireless today announced a four year deal that will bring NFL Mobile programming and the NFL RedZone channel to Verizon Wireless phones. Specific phone and pricing information for the new service will be available in August, close to the start of the next NFL season, but Verizon's new service will be live in time to offer coverage of the NFL Draft on April 22-24. Subscribers will be able to watch NFL games live on Sunday and Thursday night, and will have access to live radio broadcasts of every regular season and playoff game from both home and away teams. Sprint representative Mark Elliott says Sprint passed on extending the NFL sponsorship because the high price tag had the carrier questioning its return on investment. Sprint will still offer some sort of football application that will provide professional and college football coverage. Verizon Wireless notably used the announcement opportunity to tout its upcoming 4G network launch, saying the NFL Mobile experience will become increasingly rich as the LTE network launches in 25 to 30 markets this year. With today's announcement, Verizon Wirleess will also become the official wireless service sponsor for the NFL.

Source: (www.phonescoop.com)
AT&T Says 'No' to Texting While Driving
March 9, 2010
AT&T today announced a campaign aimed at curtailing the unsafe practice of texting while driving. The carrier hopes to raise awareness about the risks of texting and driving and remind all wireless consumers, especially youth, that text messages can, and should, wait until after driving.

The national campaign features true stories and the text message that was sent or received before someone's life was altered, or even ended, because of texting and driving. By featuring real stories, the campaign will demonstrate how insignificant a text message is compared to the potentially dire consequences of reading or responding while driving.

In one of the television spots, the text "Where u at?" flashes on the screen and a mother says, "This is the text my daughter was reading when she drove into oncoming traffic." The ad also includes the message "No text is worth dying over" and the campaign's tagline, "Txtng & Drivng ... It Can Wait."

"We explored several campaign concepts but we didn't have our 'aha!' moment until we asked one of our focus groups to take out their devices and read the last text they received," said Cathy Coughlin, senior executive vice president and global marketing officer for AT&T, in a statement. "When we asked if that particular message was worth the potential risk of reading while driving at 65 mph, you could have heard a pin drop. That's when we realized the message 'it can wait' was effective in educating consumers about the dangers of texting while driving."

The new campaign will roll out in the coming months and will span print, radio, TV and online advertising. In addition, parents, high school educators and youth can now visit AT&T's online resource center. The site includes downloadable information about texting while driving, as well as parent-teen pledges, a brochure and safety tips.

Source: (www.wirelessweek.com)
iPad Debut: April 3, 2010
March 5, 2010
Put all the rumors of shortages and massive production delays to rest, the iPad will indeed cometh, if a few days later than originally announced.

Cupertino today said that both versions of the iPad – Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi+3G – will be up for pre-order beginning March 13. The Wi-Fi only version will be available in the United States on Saturday, April 3. Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April. The company had originally said the iPad would be available by the end of March.

Additionally, the company said all models of the iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, U.S. customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple's online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

"iPad is something completely new," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, in a statement. "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

No change on pricing for the device was announced. According to a press release, the iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the U.S. for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the U.S. through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and select Apple authorized resellers.

Source: (www.wirelessweek.com)
AT&T CEO Warns That Metered Pricing On the Way
March 5, 2010
Comments made by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson during a recent investor conference indicate that metered data pricing is likely in the firm's future. Stephenson didn't say exactly how data pricing would be altered, nor when any change would take place, but he did say that the company will charge heavy users of its mobile data network more than those who use it infrequently. Stephenson also said that Apple's iPhone will be a key product for AT&T for "quite some time," which calls to question just how long the exclusive distribution agreement will last between Apple and AT&T. Stephenson reiterated that the company is taking measures to shore up its existing 3G network and believes HSPA will serve for several more years. "We're not in a tremendous hurry on LTE," Stephenson said. Competitor Verizon Wireless plans to trial two LTE markets late this year, with preliminary launches taking place in 2011.

Source: (www.phonescoop.com)
Sony Developing PlayStation Phone
March 5, 2010
Today the Wall Street Journal reports that Sony is going to develop "a smartphone capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games" in order to combat Apple's growing hold on the mobile gaming market. The smartphone (along with a second multimedia device alo in development) will be able to connect with Sony's online gaming and media platform, which will go live in the U.S. later this month. The Sony Online Service will offer much of the same content being offered by Apple's iTunes Music Store, but Sony believes that it can differentiate by permitting a range of devices (not just phones) to access its catalog of games. Sony says the games will mostly include older games that are compatible with the original PlayStation. Sony is working more actively with Sony Ericsson to develop the handset, which is expected to launch later this year. Sony has indicated that smartphones are going to play a much more strategic role in the company's future. Details about the smartphone, such as price and features, weren't shared.

Source: (www.phonescoop.com)
Motorola Backflip Ditches Google Search for Yahoo
March 2, 2010
AT&T's first Android handset is the Motorola Backflip. AT&T has removed all the embedded Google search widgets and apps that are part of the Android platform and replaced them with Yahoo instead. The Yahoo search widget leaves out some major features that are included in Google search. First, there is no voice search of any kind. The Backflip also provides no way to alter the way the Yahoo search app behaves. Google's search app lets users fine-tune how searches are conducted across the web and the device itself. AT&T spokesperson Warner May explained to Phone Scoop, "Yahoo is the default search engine on the Backflip. However, you are of course free to access and use Google search if that is what you prefer. Google doesn’t currently make available a widget or app that would let you do Google search directly from your phone’s home screen." The Backflip's Android browser also defaults to Yahoo search, and doesn't offer Google, Bing or any other alternative within the browser software. The only way to perform Google searches are by directing the browser to Google.com and then performing a normal web search from the Google Mobile home page. AT&T wouldn't comment if its future Android devices will also include Yahoo search in favor of Google Search.

Source: (www.phonescoop.com)
Motorola admits to the CLIQ update that turned some units to bricks
March 2, 2010
There were some unhappy campers after the latest Motorola CLIQ update went live – it caused some people to find their usually happy smartphone turn into a worthless paper weight; expensive one actually. In any case, these bricked Motorola CLIQ handsets were probably the last thing that most owners expected to see. It seems that Motorola has gone on the record to finally acknowledge the problems that occurred with the CLIQ 1.3.18 update. Now that the damage is done, Motorola is setting their eyes on making things right for the affected owners. Let's just hope that future updates from Motorola are smoother with less headaches as we've seen recently. The following statement from Motorola was made available to the blog These Are the DROIDS:

Last week, the CLIQ 1.3.18 over-the-air software update began rolling out to consumers. While the vast majority of updates were successful, a very small number of consumers reported a date error and found that, after factory resetting their device, their phone was not functioning properly. We have identified a workaround solution for these consumers, which can be found on the Motorola support forum (http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/us/support/tmo/index.html).

"To our consumers, we apologize and are working swiftly to reconcile the situation. We are also revising the over-the-air software update so that this workaround solution is no longer needed. Consumers will be notified on their device when the revised update is available.
If you would like to provide more guidance to your readers, below is additional information for consumers:

To our consumers who downloaded the update and their device is working properly, no further action is needed. To our consumers who never received a notification to download the update, please do not take further action. You will be notified on your device when the revised update is available to you. To consumers who received an error or whose device date reads December 31, 1969, please visit the support site listed above for assistance."

Source: (www.phonearena.com)
Sprint to Launch First 4G Phone in Summer
March 2, 2010
Sprint said it will sell a smartphone that runs on its super-fast fourth-generation network as soon as this summer, as part of a plan to win back customers by separating itself from rival carriers.

The Overland Park, Kan.-based company said the new phone will be able to send data up to 10 times faster than current networks by using 4G technology known as WiMax. It already sells WiMax products such as a portable hotspot router that creates a mobile Wi-Fi cloud and high-speed USB modems.

Coverage is still spotty in urban areas where 4G is available, so the new handset will be compatible with both WiMax and cellular technology.

Clearwire, in which Sprint owns majority interest, has slowly rolled out the network in a few dozen cities -- such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. It said it plans to expand service to more locations -- including Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- later this year.

Paget Alves, Sprint's head of business markets, said he sees WiMax as a multi-billion dollar opportunity. Several companies and government agencies are using it to deliver wireless service for their products -- to track gadgets, transmit medical images and even download ebooks.

Sprint is betting that the new smartphones will give it a head start over rival Verizon, which just started testing its own 4G network using a competing standard called Long-Term Evolution. AT&T and T-Mobile are still planning their LTE networks.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Palm Blames Verizon for Poor Sales, Plans for AT&T
March 2, 2010
Palm warned its Pre and Pixi smartphones weren't selling as well as hoped, partly placing the blame on Verizon, after the company bet its survival on the devices a year ago.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company took a beating as its stock price plummeted 34.5 percent after it projected a third-quarter revenue of $300 million to $320 million, "well below" the $420 million estimate analysts had expected.

Sales of Palm's Pre and Pixi smartphones, which hit store shelves two years after the launch of the iPhone, stalled amid strong competition from Apple, Research in Motion and newcomer Google.

In addition, an exclusive deal with Sprint -- a smaller U.S. carrier that was dealing with high subscriber defections -- had limited the company's sales reach.

By the time the struggling handset maker began selling the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus with Verizon, competition within the smartphone sector had intensified.

In an email to employees last week, Palm's chief executive Jon Rubinstein implied that some of the blame lay with Verizon, but that the carrier planned to add more advertisements and nearly 200 staffers to train Verizon sales representatives.

"Verizon acknowledged that their execution of our launch was below expectations and recommitted to working with us to improve sales," said Rubinstein.

Still, Palm is making contingency plans, people familiar case say, by prepping the Pre and Pixi for an AT&T launch in the next few months.

However, some analysts now see the company -- with its large portfolio of patents -- as a potential takeover target.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Apple Sues Google-Phone Maker HTC for Stealing iPhone Technology
March 2, 2010
Apple today filed a lawsuit against mobile devices maker HTC. The suit claims infringement of 20 patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture, and hardware.

In the release, Steve Jobs says, "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it...We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."

Taiwan-based HTC was the first company to manufacture a cell phone based on Google's Android operating system, which has emerged as a significant competitor to the iPhone, AP reports. It's also making the Nexus One phone that Google is selling directly to consumers.

It looks like the Nexus One, and other HTC phones, may have hit too close to home for Steve Jobs.

Earlier, we supposed that Apple's multi-touch user interface could be the basis for the lawsuit. But after examining the complaint, it appears that Apple is NOT suing over multitouch, but rather a bunch of other software. (When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, he touted its multitouch screen, then said, "And boy, have we patented it.")

Meanwhile, Apple is already tied up in a patent lawsuit with Nokia, claiming Nokia is stealing Apple technology. Nokia says Apple is stealing its technology. Kodak is also suing Apple claiming technology theft.

Basically, Apple's patent lawyers are going to be busy for the next year or so.

Source: (www.finance.yahoo.com)
Verizon slapped with lawsuit over $1.99 data charges
March 2, 2010
It was bound to happen some time with plenty of customers boiling over due to data charges on their monthly bills, but Verizon Wireless is being hit with a class-action lawsuit over its $1.99 data fees. Some feature phone customers allege that they've been improperly charged and have taken the matter to a higher authority – it comes three months after the FCC asked Big Red to respond to accusations surrounding the $1.99 charges that customers saw as they inadvertently accessed mobile web services on their non-smartphone device. The lawsuit was filed by Goldman Scarlato & Karon P.C. in a New Jersey federal court and aims to reimburse people and businesses for the erroneous $1.99 charges. Back in November, there was a New York Times articles that pointed out how Verizon's handsets were designed to purposely get customers to accidentally access the web on their mobile phones. Verizon fired back by stating the the home Web key on its handsets is prominently placed because it seems like it is a frequently used item among its subscribers. There are always two sides to every story – we'll see how it all ends up in the judicial system.

Source: (www.phonearena.com)
Cricket Launches Joint Venture with Pocket Communications for South Texas Network Expansion
February 24, 2010
Leap Wireless has announced that it has formed a joint venture with Texas-based Pocket Communications in order to expand coverage in southern Texas. Currently, both companies provide pre-paid wireless services in the area.

The yet unnamed venture will take control of both Leap’s and Pocket’s assets and operations in South Texas region from San Antonio to Laredo and in the Rio Grande Valley. The venture will cover more than 4.4 million points of presence and Leap will control 76% of the joint venture with Pocket Communications controlling 24%. Both operators believe the joint venture will lead to operational cost savings 12 months after the joint venture launches.

Source: (www.phonenews.com)
Sprint commits to a greener future in the wireless industry
February 23, 2010
As technology continues to advance, there is one wireless provider that makes it their priority in becoming more green friendly. With that in mind, Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse testified to members of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet about some of their commitments surrounding sustainability initiatives they plan on taking up – with the obvious focus on the wireless technology industry benefiting the environment. There are many key initiatives that they are aggressively being developing right now for their sustainability goals.

First and foremost, Sprint is setting a green product guideline for all of its manufacturing partners which is basically a list of green design criteria that manufacturers must meet or exceed. Dan Hesse said, "We are in the midst of a new 'green' era. U.S. consumers and the members of this legislative body are sending a 'call to action' to corporations to act in the best interests of our people and our planet. Sprint is proud to embrace this opportunity as we make environmental responsibility a cornerstone of our company.” The wireless provider definitely has shown in the past how they are actively doing what they can to be more green friendly – for example, their corporate headquarters gets 80 percent of their power from Kansas wind farms. We've already begun to see handsets that are built with the planet in mind – such as the Samsung Reclaim.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
AT&T to Launch LG Arena, Mobile TV Phone for $200
February 23, 2010
AT&T will sell the LG Arena, a touch screen handset that streams full-length television shows and movies, starting this Friday for $200 with a two-year contract.

The Atlanta, Ga.-based carrier said the Arena can show real-time television programs from popular networks -- including Comedy Central, ESPN, MTV and NBC News -- beginning at $10 a month for 14 channels.

Launched in Europe last year, the North American version of the handset is watered-down, but still retains a 3.0-inch touch screen, 5.0-megapixel camera, music player with Dolby Mobile technology and access to Facebook and Twitter.

The broadcast -- called AT&T Mobile TV -- was introduced in 2008 to compete with rival Verizon's VCAST Mobile TV service, both of which are operated by Qualcomm.

The company also has another mobile video service -- called CV -- but unlike Mobile TV, subscribers can only watch short clips on demand rather than live programming.

AT&T said it will begin selling the Arena for $200 with a two-year service contract on February 26.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Sprint to Launch First 4G Phone in Summer
February 23, 2010
Sprint said it will sell a smartphone that runs on its super-fast fourth-generation network as soon as this summer, as part of a plan to win back customers by separating itself from rival carriers.

The Overland Park, Kan.-based company said the new phone will be able to send data up to 10 times faster than current networks by using 4G technology known as WiMax. It already sells WiMax products such as a portable hotspot router that creates a mobile Wi-Fi cloud and high-speed USB modems.

Coverage is still spotty in urban areas where 4G is available, so the new handset will be compatible with both WiMax and cellular technology.

Clearwire, in which Sprint owns majority interest, has slowly rolled out the network in a few dozen cities -- such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle. It said it plans to expand service to more locations -- including Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- later this year.

Paget Alves, Sprint's head of business markets, said he sees WiMax as a multi-billion dollar opportunity. Several companies and government agencies are using it to deliver wireless service for their products -- to track gadgets, transmit medical images and even download ebooks.

Sprint is betting that the new smartphones will give it a head start over rival Verizon, which just started testing its own 4G network using a competing standard called Long-Term Evolution. AT&T and T-Mobile are still planning their LTE networks.

Source: (www.mobiledia.com)
Feds allow prison phone jamming test
February 17, 2010
Equipment that jams cell phones will get its first federally sanctioned test inside a prison in Maryland this week, as state officials try to show Congress how the technology can prevent inmates from using the contraband devices to commit crimes, a governor's spokesman said Tuesday.

The state wants to show the equipment can be used without interfering with emergency response and legitimate signals outside the prison perimeter, said Shaun Adamec, Gov. Martin O'Malley's spokesman.

The Federal Communication Commission can only allow federal agencies — not state or local authorities — permission to jam cell phone signals. But a bill that passed the Senate and awaits action by the House would allow states to petition the FCC to block the use of cell phones from prisons.

Testing is set to begin Wednesday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Adamec said. The governor has strongly backed allowing states to use the jamming technology to battle the growing problem of cell phone use in prisons.

A bipartisan measure sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., was approved by the Senate in September. A companion bill is in the House.

"I think all of this can help Senator Mikulski in her efforts to pass a bill, and hopefully if the FCC sees it coming they might just do it by regulation," O'Malley said.

The tests are being conducted to provide more information about the technology as the legislation is being considered.

Prisons around the nation have been trying to stem rising problems from prison inmates using cell phones to coordinate criminal activity from behind bars. Officials in New Jersey even intercepted a conference call among gang members from different prisons who were plotting retaliation against another gang member.

In Maryland, a Baltimore drug dealer used a cell phone from the city jail to plan the killing of a witness in 2007. In Texas, a state senator's life was threatened by a death row inmate who had a cell phone.

O'Malley and Mikulski asked the federal government last year to allow the testing to better inform Congress about the technology. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration agreed to hold the test this week. NTIA shares responsibility for managing the nation's communications network with the Federal Communications Commission, which has denied previous requests from states to test the technology.

In July, corrections directors in 26 states signed a petition to the FCC asking federal regulators' permission to jam cell phone signals inside state penitentiaries.

The FCC has authority over non-governmental radio communications, while the NTIA has authority over federal uses of the radio spectrum.

States have resorted to other ways of tracking illegal cell phones in prison, including the use of specially trained dogs to sniff out phones.

O'Malley expressed frustration that it has taken so long to get permission from the NTIA to conducted the test.

"We didn't need to get their permission to train all the dogs that we trained to sniff out cell phones, but they make us jump through a lot of hoops — no canine pun intended," O'Malley said.

Critics of cell phone jamming have expressed concerns that the technology could interfere with emergency response and legitimate cell phone use near prisons.

Source: (www.news.yahoo.com)