February 1996

WASHINGTON-Key GOP and Democratic lawmakers last week lambasted Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) plan to add broadcast auction language to debt ceiling legislation, a reaction that represents a widening schism in …

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Court of Appeals has rejected a petition to review mandatory relocation of public-safety entities from personal communications services frequencies to perceived lesser-quality channels. In an opinion written by …

Pacific Bell Mobile Services and Ericsson Inc., in conjunction with Self Help for Hard of Hearing People Inc., said they are developing and testing interim solutions to hearing aid interference …

COLUMBUS-Ameritech Cellular Services is combating cellular fraud by requiring all of its customers to use a personal identification number. Company spokeswoman Ellen Butler said cloning has become a big problem …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association urged the Federal Communications Commission last week to lift the freeze on paging applications, saying small carriers will suffer unproportionately as federal regulators attempt to …

WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) slammed the Federal Communications Commission last week for saying it cannot implement the telecommunications bill without adequate funding and accused the agency of …

WEST POINT, Ga.-InterQuest Inc. announced it is offering a new service that allows wireless carriers to offer unregistered roamers in their market to complete a cellular call. Instead of connecting …

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-The Wireless Data Division of AT&T Wireless Services and Ameritech Cellular Services have signed an intercarrier agreement that allows each carrier’s Cellular Digital Packet Data customers to use …

NEW YORK-American Portable Telecom Inc., the fifth largest licensee of personal communications services in the United States, registered Feb. 20 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell publicly its …

Eighty percent of major U.S. cellular carriers employ Systems/Link Corp.’s RoamEx product to fight cellular fraud, but until now the decade-old Jackson, N.J., company has kept its nose to the …

Cellular theft: A cellular phone is stolen from a legitimate customer and used before the theft can be reported. Subscription fraud: This type of counterfeiting occurs when a person signs …

“We will offer a clear alternative…*from the long-distance industry that for years has raised prices in lock step, pocketing savings they could pass on to customers…” -Steve Nowick, president of …

POMPANO BEACH, Fla.-Signal Communications Inc. announced it has signed an agreement to purchase three Motorola Inc. service facilities in south Florida and the related service contracts and customer bases. Signal, …

WASHINGTON-Are the prices being paid for C-block broadband personal communications services licenses getting to be too rich for even the richest blood? If the recent exit of U.S. AirWaves Holdings …

NEW YORK-Arch Communications Group Inc. plans a $200 million bond issue, which received a B3 rating Feb. 22 from Moody’s Investors Service, according to the agency. The bond issue will …

NEW YORK-Preferred Networks Inc., a wholesaler of one-way paging airtime, last Friday expected to launch its initial public offering of 3.3 million shares of common stock at $14 to $16 …

PITTSBURGH-AT&T Wireless Services announced its customers in western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio now have access to the AT&T CellCard, a smart card that extends the reach of …

Some big-city markets saw a decrease in cloning fraud last year after implementing personal identification numbers, but the effort hasn’t beat the bandits. Cloning criminals have hit the road, scanning …

Sprint Spectrum L.P. denies any discord among its member companies, despite revisions to the venture’s original plans to launch cable telephony with its wireless service. But telecommunications analysts are split …

At some point in most relationships, one partner looks at the other, and instead of seeing Prince or Princess Charming, sees a human … complete with flaws. The partners in …

PHOENIX-The U.S. District Court in Phoenix ordered One Line Cellular and Cell Phone Extensions to permanently discontinue altering, transferring, emulating or manipulating electronic serial numbers to create extension phones, U …

The specialized mobile radio industry grew 13 percent last year, but operators reported a steady increase in industry churn during 1995, says a new market study produced by Economic and …

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FORT WORTH, Texas-Motorola Inc.’s Advanced Messaging Systems Division announced three contracts for paging infrastructure equipment in China from Hunan Post and Telecommunication Administration, the Shaanxi PTA and the Hainan PTA. …

DALLAS-PageMart Inc. announced its wholly owned subsidiary, PageMart International, has teamed with Canadian partners to launch PageMart Canada Ltd., a new nationwide Canadian paging company that will operate on the …