1997

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. only now is receiving the dual-band handsets necessary to make its vision of a Digital PCS nationwide network a reality. “Things will start happening pretty quickly,” …

WASHINGTON-Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) last week unveiled legislation to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from auctioning 12 megahertz of new private wireless spectrum, while allowing regulators to impose lease fees …

NextWave Telecom Inc. said it successfully made the $12.5 million second down payment on its new 10 megahertz licenses, and now the company wants a little respect for the network …

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-New Jersey-based personal communications services carrier Omnipoint Communications Inc. has entered into a partnership agreement with France Telecom that will allow Omnipoint customers to begin operational roaming while …

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-Omnipoint Communications Inc. initiated commercial roaming operations with Portuguese wireless operator Telecel S.A. The launch of roaming with Telecel via Subscriber Identity Module card technology makes a ninth …

DALLAS-PageMart Wireless Inc. entered into a five-year strategic alliance with First Cellular of Southern Illinois. Under the terms of the agreement, First Cellular will deploy additional paging transmitters on the …

WASHINGTON-Strong arguments voiced by the paging industry and other telecom sectors against public pay phone deregulation in federal appeals court last week could force the Federal Communications Commission to revise …

ProNet and its insurance carriers have entered into an agreement to pay $5 million to settle securities class action lawsuits pending against the paging company in state and federal courts. …

RICHARDSON, Texas-Pacific Bell Mobile Services launched its personal communications services network in San Francisco using Global System for Mobile communications technology. Ericsson Inc. supplied the GSM equipment and phones. Bo …

Dear Editor: Regarding this past Monday’s editorial, I have a couple of comments. First, Mercury PCS is based in Jackson, Miss., not in Texas. Second, while I did tell Debra …

WASHINGTON-“This is not an inscrutable, hard-to-figure-out issue,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at a hearing last week to discuss problems with his proposed Law Enforcement and Public Safety Telecommunications Empowerment …

MONROE, La.-Century Telephone Enterprises Inc. acquired a 19.5 percent interest in Wireless 2000 Inc. and agreed to construct and operate its personal communications services networks in Alexandria, Monroe and Lake …

WASHINGTON-The telecommunications industry is preparing to mount a fierce lobbying campaign to support renewing most-favored-nation trade status for China. The debate on China MFN, which has become a ritual this …

Union Electric Co., Honeywell Inc. and CellNet Data Systems teamed up to develop a wireless interactive home management system, which will begin a pilot program in more than 100 St. …

WILMINGTON, Mass.-Vanguard Cellular Inc. selected Priority Call Management Inc.’s Oryx platform as a framework to develop enhanced products and services in Vanguard’s Portland, Maine, market. Using Oryx, Vanguard said it …

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.,-Kenan Systems Corp. has introduced Arbor/OM, the first UNIX-based order entry and management system designed to support service providers in the converging communications industries worldwide, including wireline and wireless …

The House Budget Committee on Friday was expected to approve a balanced budget deal reached by Congress and the White House that anticipates $26.3 billion from spectrum auctions during the …

LONDON-According to information gathered for a recent report, The Strategis Group estimated the west and east European land mobile radio (LMR) market at 7 million private mobile radio (PMR) users …

The Mexican government will resume auctioning key service segments of wireless frequency bands, with three sets of auctions scheduled for the latter half of the year. The bands, to be …

ALLENTOWN, Pa.-Vanguard Cellular Systems Inc. and Xypoint Corp. are set to begin the nation’s first commercial trial of wireless enhanced 911 service in Allentown, Pa. “Wireless E911 saves lives. It’s …

C.J. Silas resigned as a member of Comsat Corp.’s board of directors for health reasons. He recently had open-heart surgery. Edwin Colodny was appointed to serve as chairman. Colodny has …

CHICAGO-Aerial Communications Inc. launched its second personal communications services network in Houston. The company also has a network up in Columbus, Ohio, and has networks under construction in Kansas City, …

AURORA, Colo.-Two people were arrested for their alleged involvement in a cellular telephone cloning scam. Sarkis Bitaryan and Eleanora Chepshyan were arrested, processed and released pending an additional investigation, said …

TAMPA, Fla.-Cliffco of Tampa Bay Inc., a distributor of cellular telephone accessories, acquired Batteries Batteries Inc. Cliffco said battery sales account for about 41 percent of its revenues. Batteries Batteries …

LONDON-Cable & Wireless plc and Hongkong Telecom formed a joint venture company with The Keppel Group and Singapore Press Holdings. The company was formed to bid on a fixed wire …