Business Briefs
Star-Bulletin staff
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FAST FACTS HAWAII
Mobi PCS expanding calling area
Flat-rate cellular-phone provider Mobi PCS said yesterday it is expanding its local calling area to include the neighbor islands.
Effective tomorrow, Mobi customers will be able to use their phones on parts of Maui, Kauai and the Big Island at no extra charge. It launched its service on Oahu in January 2006.
"Expansion of the local calling area for our Oahu customers is a significant step in our statewide expansion," explains Bill Jarvis, president & CEO of Mobi PCS. "We plan to launch service for Neighbor Island residents in the very near future."
The company will be posting information on coverage in specific areas of each neighbor island at www.mobipcs.com.
BRIEF CASE
Pricier yet
China's consumer prices rose sharply in October, tying a decade-high monthly inflation rate of 6.5 percent, the government reported yesterday, adding to pressure for measures to cool a surge in food prices.
Bleak outlook
A bleak housing environment forced the Home Depot Inc. to diminish its financial outlook yesterday. Posting a 26.8 percent drop in third-quarter profits, it predicted a decline of as much as 11 percent in earnings per share from continued operations.
BUSINESS PULSE