April 1996

NEW YORK-Six class-action lawsuits have been filed seeking to block the proposed merger between Cellular Communications Inc., based in New York, and AirTouch Communications Inc., headquartered in San Francisco. CCI …

It seems to me the whole auction process has just continued the spirit of tainted opportunity that we have seen in America’s short history. It makes me think of the …

L.M. Ericsson and Motorola Inc. say they don’t expect to pull workers out of Lebanon at this time, where two digital wireless phone networks are under construction, despite escalating violence …

Sales of wireless network equipment in the United States grew more than 72 percent in 1995 to $5.44 billion, up from $3.16 billion the previous year, according to a new …

So there they were on one panel, George Gilder, Nicholas Negroponte and Peter Huber-the creme de la creme of spectrum seers-brought before the Senate Commerce Committee last Thursday to enlighten …

RICHARDSON, Texas-Ericsson Inc. will supply Omnipoint Corp. equipment for its New York-based personal communications services network, the companies said. The equipment is configured with Omnipoint’s Interim Standard-661 and Ericsson’s PCS …

ATLANTA-Preferred Networks Inc. announced three senior officers have purchased more than a half million shares of the company’s stock in a private transaction. Mark Dunaway, chairman and chief executive officer, …

Prepaid cellular represents a huge opportunity for carriers, as demonstrated by the flood of prepaid services inundating the marketplace. More significantly, however, prepaid cellular may prove in itself a new …

The quartet of three regional Bell operating companies and one former Bell announced two brand names it will use coast-to-coast in its personal communications service and cellular markets. Bell Atlantic …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has given the wireless community in general, and the public-safety arena in particular, an extra-long comment period to ponder the agency’s thoughts on the future spectrum …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. announced it has signed a multimillion dollar worldwide subscriber equipment license with Nippondenso Co. Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer and worldwide automotive component supplier. The license allows Nippondenso …

Repairing, remanufacturing, refurbishing and recycling cellular phones is the business of ReCellular Inc. The company brings phones sent in by carriers, dealers and other clients back to new condition. And …

WASHINGTON-A report in the May issue of Epidemiology cast doubt on whether pocket telephones pose fatal health consequences for consumers in the short run, but leaves open the question of …

Editor’s Note: The companies listed below represent the 20 largest cellular carriers in the United States. Rankings are based on the total number of subscribers for their majority-held or controlled …

Linda Noda Hobbs has been named president of The National Dispatch Center Inc. Hobbs will oversee all aspects of NDC’s day-to-day operations, including implementation of policies, systems and procedures. Since …

Telephone and Data Systems Inc. and Darien Telephone Co. announced that TDS’ Camden Telephone Co. affiliate of St. Mary’s, Ga., has acquired controlling interest in the Georgia rural service area …

Investment bankers expect to see more vertical marriages this year withing the wireless industry family, rather than the entrance of non-traditional players into the marketplace. Mark Kington, managing director of …

WASHINGTON-If a newly released notice of proposed rulemaking is adopted, private and commercial wireless telecommunications carriers will be subject to no change in their 1996 regulatory fee structure; figures have …

The arrival of spring weather in the nation’s capital seemed to coincide with the conclusion of a week filled with grief from the tragic deaths of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, …

Fujian Posts and Telecommunications Administration of China will trial Motorola Inc.’s fixed wireless telephone system using Fujitsu Ltd.’s switching system, announced Motorola’s Wireless Access Systems Division. The trial will be …

NEW YORK-The urge to merge struck again with an Easter weekend announcement that AirTouch Communications Inc. would pay about $1.65 billion to buy the 60 percent of Cellular Communications Inc. …

NEW YORK-Three-sixty Communications Co. and Alltell Mobile Communications Inc. announced a signed agreement for a joint marketing and technology alliance in the Carolinas and Georgia. The new alliance is designed …

After three enterprising decades at Motorola Inc.-during which he pioneered high-capacity paging and the first radiotelephone-succeeded by several telecom start-up firms, Martin Cooper was ready to hang up his spurs. …

President Clinton late Friday appointed U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor the new Secretary of Commerce. Kantor replaces Ron Brown who was buried last week following an airplane crash that killed …

PHILADELPHIA-Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile said it is offering TalkDial voice-activated dialing service to its Philadelphia tri-state region customers. The company said customers will be able to place cellular phone calls …