April 1997

WILKES-BARRE, Pa.-MCI Communications Corp. shareholders voted 77 percent in favor of the proposed merger with British Telecommunications plc during MCI’s annual meeting. The merger still must be approved by BT …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson and Lucent Technologies Inc. were among the vendors selected by NTT DoCoMo of Japan to develop an experimental “third generation” wireless communications system capable of delivering high-speed …

WASHINGTON-More than half of wireless subscribers and 40 percent of non-users expressed an interest in two-way wireless e-mail, representing a potential market of 44.3 million users, according to a study …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Ericsson Telecommunications Sdn Bhd received an order to expand Mutiara Telecommunications Sdn Bhd’s nationwide personal communications network in Malaysia. Ericsson values the contract at $130 million. Mutiara’s order consists …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson won a contract to supply three new Advanced Mobile Phone Service and Digital AMPS networks in Russia. The contract with Millicom International Cellular calls for Ericsson to …

WASHINGTON-A freshman Florida congressman concerned with constituent complaints about wireless tower proliferation is considering legislation to overturn the antenna siting provision of the 1996 telecom act. “I am … researching …

APRIL 7-11 Infocom ’97, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., Kobe, Japan. (714) 856-5474. 8-9 Wireless Interconnection ’97, by Bellcore. Hotel Royal Plaza, Orlando, Fla. (800) 832-2463. …

ST. LOUIS-Southwestern Bell Wireless began a program in St. Louis that enables cellular 911 calls to be automatically routed to the area’s largest police and sheriff’s departments based on the …

Xypoint Corp. named Jim Thornton chief financial officer with responsibility for all accounting, administration, human resources, risk management and treasury functions. Prior to joining the company, Thornton was president and …

Smith Micro Software Inc. introduced HotPage 2.0, a wireless messaging software that provides message management and transmission to alphanumeric and numeric pagers. The new version supports Windows 95 and Windows …

WASHINGTON-Generation X, a largely untapped wireless market today, will be one of the industry’s most sought after groups, according to the Strategis Group. Less than 7 million of the 60 …

Norway’s Ministry of Transport and Communications announced plans to award three national Digital Cellular System 1800 licenses, perhaps by this summer. However, the winners will not be required to build …

PHILADELPHIA-Sprint Spectrum L.P. launched service in Philadelphia on April 3, now the 20th market in which the carrier offers service. The Philadelphia major trading area license actually is held by …

WASHINGTON-Despite the optimism expressed fewer than two weeks ago by Daniel Riker, chairman and chief executive officer of Pocket Communications Inc., regarding the financial future of his C-block personal communications …

NEW YORK-Provision of flat rate, local call access to a plethora of wireless and wireline services is the driving force behind the acquisition of Voice-Tel Enterprises Inc., which Premiere Technologies …

DENVER-RCR Publications Inc. last week launched a World Wide Web site at www.rcrnews.com. Visitors to the Web site will have access to the latest industry news through daily updates as …

“This is a fight for the total telecommunication system, and we’re not going to play defense,” said John E. Rooney from his new office as president of Ameritech Consumer Services. …

NEW YORK-In a most serious transaction notwithstanding its April 1 announcement date, SBC Communications Inc. became the proud parent of Pacific Telesis Group in a $16.5 billion merger said to …

Competition began in earnest last week in Singapore when the nation’s second operator launched service. To try to ensure even more competition, the government announced it expects to call for …

NEW YORK-“Why pay for cellular phone service if you only want it for emergency use?” That’s the advertising slogan and the business concept for SOS Wireless Communications Inc., an Irvine, …

Marketing may be everything. The technical properties of cellular and personal communications services-some similar, some different-balance out when vying for customers. How carriers decide to exploit technical advantages to win …

WASHINGTON-Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) has drafted spectrum auction legislation designed to rein in what has become a high-stakes wireless licensing process driven increasingly by budget forces, possibly …

NEW YORK-Millicom International Cellular S.A. acquired a broadband fixed radio license consisting of 168 MHz of frequency within the 3.6 GHz to 4.2 GHz range from Great Universal American Industries …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson won two contracts to expand Advanced Mobile Phone Service analog cellular networks in Brazil. The first contract is with Telpe from the state of Pernambuco, and the …

WARREN, N.J.-Anadigics Inc. said it has shipped more than 1 million gallium arsenide integrated circuits for use in personal communications services handsets for the 1900 MHz Code Division Multiple Access …