March 1997

WASHINGTON-The World Trade Organization telecom pact could put the United States at a disadvantage with major trading partners and should be subject to legislation, some lawmakers said last week. The …

WASHINGTON-A University of Maryland economics professor who assisted the Federal Communications Commission in setting up parameters for simultaneous, multiple-round spectrum auctions, such as that conducted for C-block personal communications services …

After contemplating the matter for years, Motorola Inc. has decided to jump feet first into the global smart card business. The Schaumburg, Ill.-based manufacturer has created a new business unit …

WASHINGTON-In a March 12 letter to Federal Communications Commission chairman Reed Hundt, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) asked that an “immediate ruling requiring newly manufactured cellular phones to select the strongest …

SEOUL, South Korea-Korea Mobile Telecom reported strong growth in both its cellular and paging businesses in 1996, in addition to good interconnection revenue. According to KMT President Dr. Jung Uck …

RIGA, Latvia-Baltel Ltd., the second national mobile operator in Latvia, launched its Global System for Mobile communications network with switching, radio, transmission and microwave equipment provided by Northern Telecom Ltd. …

NEW YORK-American Tower Corp. plans to go public, and it could become the first independent company engaged solely in wireless communications tower site management to do so. The company, which …

Motorola Inc.’s Pan American Wireless Infrastructure Division will install an Advanced Mobile Phone Service cellular network in Brazil. Motorola values the agreement with Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A. at $63 …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. signed an agreement to supply a Digital Cellular System 1800 cellular network to Shanghai Post and Telecommunications Administration. Nokia values the agreement at $20 million. The DCS-1800 …

There are times when RCR staffers stop chasing stories and just sit around to debate the state of telecommunications. When the rumors about a Cable & Wireless takeover of Sprint …

WASHINGTON-Outgoing Overseas Private Investment Corp. President Ruth Harkin last week picked up bipartisan support from a congressional panel that is under pressure from some lawmakers to cut off the agency’s …

NEW YORK-Electric power companies have seen the future and it is wireless. The Electric Power Research Institute, a 700-plus member organization based in Palo Alto, Calif., recently established a Wireless …

Laws won’t stop traffic accidents Dear Editor: I am sure that law enforcement will want to lead the way to safer driving by laying down their mobile radio microphones while …

When confronted with the question of why there is no radio frequency radiation bioeffects research after four years and $15 million, embattled Wireless Technology Research L.L.C. head Dr. George Carlo …

Alan Dick & Co. (USA) Inc. debuted its cross polarized antennas available for messaging, cellular and personal communications services. The XP base station panel is a dual polarized antenna with …

NEW YORK-SBA Communications Corp., a tower site development and management company, announced March 14 it had raised $50 million to help it enter the site ownership business through acquisition and …

ATLANTA-BellSouth Corp. purchased a 61 percent interest in Otecel, one of two nationwide wireless telephone companies in Ecuador. BellSouth acquired the interest by buying all of the shares of the …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Manufacturer L.M. Ericsson said it has issued warnings to other European equipment manufacturers about the use of the Ericsson logo either on their equipment or on printed materials. “Such …

MANILA, Philippines-Lucent Technologies Inc. signed a contract with Pilipino Telephone Corp. to supply and install a Code Division Multiple Access network in the Philippines. Lucent values the contract at $23 …

WASHINGTON-At least one federal agency appears to be stepping up to the plate regarding expedited siting of new wireless towers and antennas in an effort to comply with the August …

In between the land of resellers and the land of licensed wireless providers lies a place where MCI Telecommunications Corp. lives all by itself. The company prefers not to be …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission issued two notices of proposed rulemaking at its monthly meeting March 12, one dealing with streamlining its authorization process for RF-related equipment and the other to …

WASHINGTON-Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) plans to introduce two separate pieces of legislation aimed at aiding the public-service industry in its quest to secure additional spectrum and new equipment to take …

ATLANTA-World Access Inc. will acquire Cellular Infrastructure Supply Inc. for a combination of cash and stock, according to a letter of intent. The transaction is subject to completion of a …

WASHINGTON-Congress has charged the Federal Communications Commission with raising $152.5 million in regulatory fees for fiscal year 1997, a $26.1 million (nearly 21 percent) hike above the amount the commission …