Niraj Sheth

Newest Cellphone Ads Crave Entire Screen

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on August 6, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

Marketers are turning to more immersive—and possibly intrusive—mobile ads, in a gambit to make more money from advertisers who have been skittish about using cellphones. For years, marketers have talked up the potential to mint money in mobile advertising. They tried their hand at small banner ads, usually at the top or bottom of a cellphone screen, but advertisers balked at shelling out money for the hard-to-notice spots.

Shortages of Phone Hindering Sprint 4G

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on July 12, 2010 at 12:20 am PT

Sprint Nextel Corp.’s big bet on its super-fast 4G network is running into stronger-than-expected head winds, Chief Executive Dan Hesse said in an interview. Sprint is still the only U.S. carrier with a 4G network, which offers users faster speeds for data and video.

The Incredible Slipping Delivery Date

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on May 26, 2010 at 12:00 am PT

Verizon Wireless’ newest flagship phone, HTC’s Droid Incredible, is living up to the name: It’s incredibly hard to find in stores. Impossible, actually. The phone sold out soon after hitting shelves on April 29 and has been on back-order for over a week. Even more frustrating for Droid fanatics, the date for when it will ship has been a moving target, getting pushed further and further back as orders pile up.

Silicon Valley Rebound Pressures Tech Hiring

Joe Light and Niraj Sheth, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News on May 24, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

The pickup in tech hiring is spreading beyond Silicon Valley, forcing companies outside the big tech center to rethink their recruiting tactics. Companies in second-tier tech locations such as Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, N.C., had an easier time recruiting talented employees during the slump. But now that Silicon Valley firms have started aggressively hiring, and the general economy is improving, competition is stiffening.

Verizon Wireless Is Working on Tablet With Google

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on May 11, 2010 at 3:27 pm PT

Verizon Wireless is working with Google Inc. on a tablet computer, Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said Tuesday, as the company works to catch up with iPad host AT&T Inc. in the area of devices that connect to wireless networks.

Sprint Nextel Adds Prepaid Cellphone Brand

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on May 7, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

Sprint Nextel Corp. is pushing even further into low-cost, prepaid cellphone service as the U.S.’s third-largest wireless carrier by subscribers fights to hang on to traditional contract customers. The carrier plans to launch a new and cheaper prepaid-cellphone brand, its fourth, in coming weeks and to start selling new, lower-priced plans from another of its prepaid labels.

FCC Takes a Jab at Verizon CEO Over Spectrum

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on April 8, 2010 at 4:05 pm PT

For the FCC, it’s starting to get personal. The agency took a rare shot at Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg on Thursday, calling him out by name for comments earlier this week that cast doubt on whether carriers need as much spectrum as the government wants to give them.

AT&T Prepares Network for Battle

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on March 31, 2010 at 1:30 pm PT

With a new version of the iPhone in the works, the clock is ticking for AT&T Inc. to get its much-criticized network ready for the looming battle.

Sprint Nextel Brings Back TV Ads With CEO Hesse

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on March 1, 2010 at 5:13 pm PT

As Sprint Nextel Corp. feels the heat to break even, it’s putting CEO Dan Hesse back on TV for an extra push. The struggling telecom’s most public face, Mr. Hesse, returns to a Sprint television ad for the first time since last September, when the company launched its “Any Mobile, Anytime” offer.

Carriers Try Software to Handle Data Flood

Niraj Sheth, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on February 2, 2010 at 10:13 am PT

Facing a deluge of Web and video traffic that is pushing the limits of their networks, big wireless carriers are resorting to software shortcuts and other tricks to streamline data traffic until they install more cellular towers and roll out next-generation networks.