October 1998

Paging carriers are showing signs that they have taken to heart analysts’ warnings that information services must be customizable and have real value in order to convince customers to pay …

BELLSOUTH BellSouth Corp. appointed Nancy Humphries vice president of investor relations. For the past seven years, Humphries served as executive director of investor relations for BellSouth, responsible for communicating the …

SONY Sony Electronics’ Personal Mobile Communications-America announced the availability of a dual-mode 800 MHz analog/Code Division Multiple Access version of its D-Wave Zuma wireless handset. The lithium ion battery provides …

PRINCETON, N.J.-Nettech Systems Inc. launched the Nettech Developer Program, a support program for mobile application developers. The program offers developer partners-such as systems integrators, corporate developers and independent software vendors-various …

WASHINGTON-Boeing Co.’s Sea Launch program has received the go-ahead from the Department of State for a proposed launch early next year, Boeing announced last week. The State Department “has terminated …

Motorola Inc.’s recently formed Internet and Connectivity Services Division introduced a new application programming language that allows consumers to access the Internet using their own voice. The VoxML Voice Markup …

WASHINGTON-Like the communications industries it regulates, the Federal Communications Commission is converging. Last Thursday, FCC Chairman William Kennard announced the FCC would reform itself along function, not technological sector, lines. …

NEW YORK-The share price for Swisscom’s partial privatization initial public offering was expected to be set during the week of Oct. 4. The Swiss government hopes to raise as much …

The campaigning efforts in Washington, D.C., are set to heat up within the next few months as the International Telecommunication Union enters the decision-making process for third-generation technology. The CDMA …

ORLANDO, Fla.-Unwired Planet Inc. released its UP.Link Platform Version 3.1 with Wireless Markup Language support at PCS ’98. The platform, which includes the UP.Link Server and UP.Browser, now can deliver …

CHICAGO-USN Communications Inc. launched cellular services in Midwest markets, where the competitive local exchange carrier already offers local and long-distance services. Small and medium-sized businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio …

CHS Electronics Inc., an international distributor of microcomputer products, announced an agreement to purchase BrightStar Corp., a start-up wholesale distributor of cellular phones and accessories, the companies said. CHS will …

ORLANDO, Fla.-L.M. Ericsson launched an open wireless intelligent network platform, called Jambala, initially available to Time Division Multiple Access Interim Standard 136 providers. Jambala is the first telecom platform to …

WASHINGTON-For all of the grumbling that some in the communications industry do about the Federal Communications Commission, what would happen if it didn’t exist? One leading telecommunications policy maker is …

Citing in part its superior response to the Galaxy IV satellite outage, the U.S. Department of Defense said it will replace Paging Network Inc. with SkyTel Communications Inc. as its …

VANCOUVER-Clearnet Communications Inc. announced the Vancouver launch of its the Mike personal communications services network in the greater Vancouver area. Mike offers all the benefits of Clearnet PCS, including per-second …

NEW YORK-CellStar Corp., Carrollton, Texas, announced a significant slide in net income for the third quarter ended Aug. 31, to $2.4 million from $16.2 million posted during the same period …

NEW YORK-Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt accused Corporate America of “manipulation” and “illusion” when accounting for certain costs. “In the zeal to satisfy consensus earnings estimates and project …

ORLANDO, Fla.-Sprint Spectrum L.P. contracted Brite Voice Systems to expand its prepaid calling capacity to support the personal communications services carrier’s expansion into new markets, according to Brite. Sprint PCS …

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.-Arch Communications Group Inc. announced it completed the second phase in selling its site management business to OmniAmerica Inc. The three-part transaction is valued at about $38 million. In …

WASHINGTON-On the same day that the House Commerce Committee was voting to delay the auction of licenses for the general wireless communication service (GWCS), the Federal Communications Commission was releasing …

ORLANDO, Fla.-The public stock markets may be a bit shaky for now, but “there never has been more private capital available,” David Golden, co-director of investment banking at Hambrecht & …

Electronic Data Systems said it signed a five-year systems management agreement with Motorola Inc., under which EDS will manage the technology infrastructure for Motorola’s Systems Solutions Group and Satellite Communications …

INDIANAPOLIS-Brightpoint Inc. said it plans to eliminate its trading division during the fourth quarter in an effort to emphasize relationships with wireless equipment manufacturers and network operators. The trading division …

WASHINGTON-A confluence of factors are converging that may force the Federal Communications Commission to relax the commercial wireless 45 megahertz spectrum cap, an antitrust check that some feel has outlived …