Here are some of the Latest news in the mobile phone industry. Let's begin with the use of mobile phones during flights.

The FAA and FCC have currently placed a ban on cellular calls made during flights. But a bill has been proposed that would make the ban permanent and in-flight calling illegal. The bill that would ban using cellular phones for voice calls during flights in the U.S is called Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act.

According to itworld.com, the banning of in-flight cell phone use took a step forward when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the proposal. The bill will now go before the U.S. House of Representatives for debates. It will become a law if it has approved by the House, the Senate, and be signed into law by the US President.

However, all is not lost for those who want some entertainment from their handsets during those long, lonely and boring flights because the use of cell phones for sending text messages and accessing the Internet are allowed by the proposed bill.

Let's now move on to some important announcement from Motorola. The company has struggled for the last few years and the naming of a new Co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola’s Mobile Devices business
may help Motorola recover. The company has awarded Dr. Sanjay Jha the position of Co-Chief Executive Officer of Motorola and Chief Executive Officer of Motorola’s Mobile Devices business.

Here's a statement from Dr. Sanjay Jha concerning his new responsibilities,

“Motorola is the pioneer in mobile devices and I am honored to become Co-CEO of this Company and CEO of the Mobile Devices business. I welcome the opportunity to lead this Company into the future, while working to create a successful independent Mobile Devices company that will continue to innovate and grow for years to come. I look forward to working closely with Greg, the Board, the senior leadership team, and Motorola’s talented, hard-working and dedicated associates around the globe to build value for our stockholders.”

Dr. Sanjay Jha will be in charge of the the day-to-day operations of the mobile phone business and is charged with reviving the division. He served as chief operating officer of QUALCOMM Incorporated before joining Motorola.

Let's move on to some news about Verizon Wireless mobile phone network. Verizon is set to expand its wireless coverage by acquiring Rural Cellular, a regional network operator covering parts of New England, the Mid West, the South and the Pacific Northwest. The deal is said to be worth $2.67 billion. The FCC has given Verizon Wireless permission to acquire Rural Cellular Corporation. This looks like another solid acquisition for Verizon.

Tune in to this blog for more mobile phone news and updates.

Do you follow the news and happenings in the mobile phone industry? If you do , then you are probably aware that Motorola has been having problems. One of the problems that have trouble the company is a heated dispute with activist investor, Carl Icahn.

Icahn has engaged Motorola in a proxy dispute and is trying to force the company to hand over documents related to its money-losing mobile devices business. The activist aims to discover if Motorola's board failed in its duties.

Recently, Motorola has announced that they have managed to reach an agreement with Icahn and the dispute between both parties are over. To settle the dispute the company has agreed to seat an ally of that investor Carl Icahn on its board. Motorola has also nominated another Icahn ally for election at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

As part of the settlement, Icahn will also play a significant role on the selection of a CEO for Motorola's devices business. The activist investor will also play a big part The restructuring of the business into two publicly traded companies.

Carl Icahn also had to agree to Motorola's requests to complete the deal. He has to drop any current litigation against the company. He will also stop soliciting proxies and to support Motorola’s nominees with the vote of his 145 million shares.

Both parties are reportedly pleased with this development. Motorola can benefit from avoiding a costly and distracting proxy contest allowing the company to pursue its plans to restructure. Icahn was also pleased that the agreement will allow shareholder representatives to have “strong input” into the company’s future.

Things already seem to be looking up for Motorola as one of the largest consumer electronics maker in India is interested in buying the handset business. The Indian company has reportedly has retained the services of an investment bank to advise it on its bid and has began network operations. Motorola’s handset business is estimated at $3.8 billion.

HORSHAM, Pa., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Americans are gearing up for Thanksgiving -- turkey, getting together with family and friends ... and football. But a recent Motorola survey found that more people would rather watch the big game on a high-definition TV than in person.

Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT - News), maker of equipment and services that enable customers to receive high-definition programming, recently commissioned a survey among more than 1,000 adults nationwide and found that 45 percent would rather watch college or professional football on a high-definition TV than watch the game in person.

Only one in three respondents (or 32 percent) indicated they would rather watch a college or professional football game in person.

"The survey results really speak to the popularity of high-definition programming," said Doug Means, Motorola corporate vice president and general manager, Home and Networks Mobility. "The color, the clarity and the crispness of a sporting event delivered in high definition is almost like being there -- but from the comfort of your own home."

Continue reading Motorola Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Would Rather Watch College or Professional Football on a High Definition TV Than in Person