A joint venture that Geotek Communications Inc. was trying to put together in Canada fell apart last week after the companies involved failed to reach a final agreement.
Canadian cable TV operator Cogeco Cable Inc. said it withdrew from negotiations to create GeoNet Canada Inc. because it couldn’t come to a consensus with Geotek and Canadian partner Techcom Inc., a specialized mobile radio operator.
Cogeco has about 460,000 subscribers in five Canadian provinces and is the fourth largest cable-TV operator in Canada. Cogeco also operates radio and TV stations in Quebec and publishes 30 weekly newspapers in Quebec and Ontario.
Geotek said it is in discussions with other Canadian operators regarding the venture, which is necessary if the venture is to meet Canadian foreign ownership requirements.
Geotek wants to establish a Frequency Hopping Multiple Access SMR network in Canada to compete with Clearnet Communications Inc.
Clearnet is Canada’s largest SMR operator with about 54,000 analog subscribers. The company’s current SMR coverage area includes 18.5 million total pops, about 61.9 percent of Canada’s total population, the company said.
Clearnet is building an enhanced SMR system in Ontario and Quebec using reconfigured integrated dispatch enhanced network technology by Motorola Inc. Clearnet acquired Motorola’s Canadian SMR business in 1994; consequently, Motorola holds 23.2 percent of Clearnet.
More than 27 percent of Clearnet is owned by U.S. ESMR operator Nextel Communications Inc. of Rutherford, N.J., which also is constructing an iDEN network and has an alliance with Motorola.
In other company news, Geotek has selected Dr. George Calhoun as vice chairman of the company’s strategy and technology. Calhoun joined Geotek in 1992 as president of wireless strategies. In his new job, Calhoun will be responsible for Geotek corporate strategy, new technology and strategic partnerships.
Calhoun formerly was with International Mobile Machines Corp., which is now InterDigital Corp. of King of Prussia, Pa. He was director of planning in 1981 when InterDigital’s Ultraphone was introduced and served as president of IMM’s intellectual property rights subsidiary.
Most recently, he was chairman of PowerSpectrum Technology, Geotek’s Israel-based engineering and manufacturing subsidiary.
