Lone personal communications services provider Pacific Bell Mobile Systems, regional cellular carriers, paging providers and rental companies will try to leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing wireless services to the estimated 35,000 participants of the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego.
Pacific Bell, the convention’s official provider of wireless services, activated its Global System for Mobile communications network July 1 for the convention that will begin Aug. 12 and end Aug. 15. The PCS provider said it will loan 500 GSM phones sporting red, white and blue stars and stripes to key members of the Republican National Committee. The service will protect these central people from electronic snoops, the company said.
“Candidates, delegates and security personnel can discuss confidential matters without worrying about eavesdroppers-a freedom they didn’t enjoy in Houston four years ago,” said Terry Valeski, Pacific Bell’s vice president.
L.M. Ericsson, Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. are providing the handsets that integrate the features of a phone, pager and personal digital assistant.
A roaming agreement with Washington, D.C.-based PCS provider American Personal Communications is in the works, however no formal agreement has been made.
GTE Mobilnet, San Diego’s A-side cellular carrier, will loan Motorola phones and pagers to members of the convention’s host committee. The company said it also is sponsoring a program in conjunction with the University of California at San Diego to provide pagers to 200 high school journalism students who will be matched up with television and print media members. The pagers will allow the students to keep in contact with team leaders.
The other cellular carrier, AirTouch Cellular, said it plans to donate phones to the host committee, delegates, media representatives and the California State Patrol.
SkyTel Corp. will provide its SkyTel 2-Way Pagers to each delegate to distribute updates and other information.
If participants are interested in renting wireless equipment, they can call InTouch USA’s toll-free number before the convention and receive their items in the mail and mail them back when the convention is over. InTouch said it can also give international visitors who own GSM cellular handsets temporary replacements and provide visitors with personal identification numbers that will allow them to use their cellular phones without a roaming agreement.
