AT&T Corp.’s McCaw Cellular Communications unit has signed a master-agent agreement with Wireless Telecom Inc. to distribute its data services. WTI provides a specialized sales channel for mobile data products and services. Under the agreement, it will sell both McCaw’s AirData cellular digital packet data service as well as its circuit-switched cellular service in all of the carrier’s market service areas except New York and Florida. “By expanding our AirData Solutions Program to include master agents such as WTI, potential (value-added resellers), systems integrators or network integrators can now work directly with WTI for hardware, software and service needs,” said Tom Gonser, director of channel development at McCaw’s wireless data division.
Oracle Corp. said Cellular One of Ohio and Michigan will use its Oracle7 data warehousing technology to help develop new marketing strategies. Cellular One will use the Oracle7 database and client/server development tools to create a warehouse for storing large amounts of historical reference data. This will allow Cellular One to create targeted marketing campaigns by analyzing demographic trends, said Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle.
MobileComm, the paging subsidiary of BellSouth Corp., will conduct a market trial of a two-way wireless messaging service to test customer reaction to the company’s proposed narrowband personal communications services offering. The MobileComm Response Messaging service will let subscribers reply to various types of messages from a set of as many as 128 preprogrammed responses. The test will be conducted via the two-way wireless data network operated by RAM Mobile Data USA L.P. It will begin during the third quarter of 1995 with customers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York and Atlanta.
Iridium Inc. has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed public offering by Iridium expected to take place in September. Iridium may offer senior subordinated discount notes with gross proceeds of approximately $300 million. The offering will be underwritten by Goldman, Sachs & Co. Proceeds from the offering will be used to fund payments for the development and construction of the Iridium system, a network of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites to provide worldwide pocket telephone communication. Estimated cost of the system is $3.4 billion; commercial service is scheduled for the second half of 1998. Iridium, an international consortium funding the development of the system, was formed by Motorola Inc. four years ago to commercialize the project.
The Grayson Electronics Division of Allen Telecom Group Inc. said it will design and manufacture cellular digital packet data test modules for Hewlett-Packard Co.’s HP 8921A family of cell site test sets. The jointly developed CDPD test capabilities will offer service providers a tool for mobile data base station verification, installation, maintenance and radio frequency system performance analysis. Grayson specializes in RF communications equipment, including range extension and wireless measurements products for the cellular, personal communications services, paging and land mobile markets.
