1997

NEW YORK-As the new year approaches in the horse race that is commercial deployment of low earth orbit mobile satellite systems, “we’re still at the first half-mile, with the finish …

PRAGUE, Czech Republic-EuroTel Praha, a cellular operator in the Czech Republic, reported that growth increased 250 percent between third quarter 1996 and the third quarter 1997, ending the period with …

TULSA, Okla.-Arch Communications Group Inc. said it bought a fourth satellite channel from SpaceCom Systems to expand its transmission capacity. The company said it expects to require added capacity once …

INDIANAPOLIS-Brightpoint Inc.’s new subsidiary, Brightpoint (Ireland) Ltd., will supply Esat Digifone with “Digipacks” that will include fulfillment and distribution services, and wireless handsets and accessories. Ireland’s newest mobile phone operator, …

The use of mobile data products by police departments has gained such rapid acceptance across the country this year that it may be emerging as the most popular current application …

NEW YORK-The Federal Communications Commission adopted policies Nov. 25 that permit non-United States licensed satellites to provide services in this country. As a result, the FCC said it expects new …

ROME-A joint venture of France Telecom Group, Deutsche Telekom AG and the Italian electric company, Enel, was formed to bid for the third mobile license and create an alternative carrier …

DALLAS-Lucent Technologies Inc. announced its new wireless system, Short Message Service, has been installed in PrimeCo Personal Communications L.P.’s nationwide PCS network to give customers access to messaging and information …

OLYMPIA, Wash.-Several wireless carriers selected Illuminet’s Cellular Administration and Operations Support Service to manage seamless roaming in new markets and to establish roaming with other carriers, said the company. Companies …

PARIS-As a leading cellular service provider in France, with a 55-percent market share, France Telecom Mobile is hoping to have 3 million Itineris Global System for Mobile communications customers by …

With 1997 drawing to a close, the paging industry is readying itself to go out with a bang. Whether the achievement of the carrier, reseller or distributor, fourth-quarter sales traditionally …

WASHINGTON-The United States failed once again to secure spectrum below 1 GHz for little low-earth-orbit satellites at the World Radio Conference in Geneva, but succeeded in acquiring 100 megahertz worldwide …

NEW YORK-For handset manufacturers, next year likely will be a transition period as new entrants gear up to enter the rapidly expanding wireless marketplace, said Jeffrey Schlesinger, wireless technology analyst …

The International Mobile Telecommunications Association announced it is launching a campaign to oppose the regulations proposed by the cellular and personal communications services industries worldwide to restrict the commercial trunked …

BURLINGTON, Mass.-Saville Systems and Coopers & Lybrand signed a strategic agreement to provide end-to-end convergent billing to telecommunication service providers worldwide. Saville will provide customers with the convergent billing system …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-MobileMinutes, Bell Atlantic Mobile’s prepaid wireless service, now is available in the New York metropolitan and Philadelphia areas. The prepaid service has no monthly fees and does not require …

WASHINGTON-Public-safety wireless advocates have urged federal regulators not to license additional digital TV stations using frequencies that Congress this year reserved for police, fire and emergency medical service providers. The …

MONTVALE, N.J.-Geotek Communications Inc. reported continuing net losses for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, despite significant increases in revenues. Net loss for the quarter was $53.7 million, or 87 …

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada-Wi-LAN Inc. signed an agreement with Hutton Communications Inc. calling for Hutton to distribute Wi-LAN’s Hopper wireless modems and Hopper Plus wireless Ethernet bridges in the United States, …

LOS GATOS, Calif.-Metricom Inc. announced it expanded its Ricochet line of products, which provide unlimited wireless access to the Internet, intranets, e-mail and other online services. The Ricochet SX modem …

Dataradio introduced T-Base, a transparent integrated radio modem base/repeater unit. It features vir-tually no bit dribble and is compatible with most protocols, including Modbus binary, and also is capable of …

SAN DIEGO-Intelligent Technologies announced it purchased HM Electronics Inc.’s Battery Systems Division. Intelligent Technologies, or iTECH, supplies custom-designed and private-label battery systems, to companies including Federal Express and Motorola Inc., …

Jato Communications Corp., a small Denver-based company, has big plans in the Local Multipoint Distribution Services market. “We think that there is going to be a bandwidth scarcity and LMDS …

BURLINGTON, Mass.-Lightbridge Inc. announced it will not offer 2.5 million shares of its common stock for sale to the public. Lightbridge had previously announced its intention to file a registration …

ATLANTA-Scientific-Atlanta Inc. announced it sold its Microwave Instrumentation business to a private group of investors called Microwave Instrumentation Technologies L.L.C. “The sale of the microwave business completes our transition from …