December 1998

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson announced Nov. 25 it signed a contract to provide a turnkey Global System for Mobile communications network to OOO Tomsk Cellular Communications in central Russia. The network, …

DALLAS-Paging Network Inc. announced it will be the exclusive provider of ESPN sports information to its paging subscribers, according to an agreement the two companies signed. Initially, PageNet subscribers will …

Palm Computing Inc., an affiliate of 3Com Corp., introduced the Palm VII personal digital assistant at the Palm Computing Platform Worldwide Developer Conference in Santa Clara, Calif., featuring out-of-the-box wireless …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association announced the formation of the PCIA Mobile Computing Advisory Group with Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Oracle and Philips Consumer Communications. The PCIA MCAG’s …

MELVILLE, N.Y.-Northeast Digital Networks Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Personal Communications Networks, announced it has received an equipment supply and vendor-financing offer from Nortel Networks. The offer is subject …

PREFERRED NETWORKS Preferred Networks Inc. announced its founder, president and director, Michael Saner, will retire Dec. 31. Saner previously held upper-management positions at several paging companies, such as Paging Services …

BOSTON-Iridium L.L.C. selected Paragren Technologies’ One-By-One Campaign Manager as a strategic customer marketing tool for the Iridium service, said Paragren. The campaign management tool, along with the One-By-One Application Server, …

DALLAS-JP Systems Inc. introduced a software package called InfoBeam that allows users of 3Com Corp.’s Palm III organizers to access Web-based information via an infrared link to an AccessLink II …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. announced it exercised its option to acquire the remaining 80 percent of WaveAccess Ltd. for about $50 million in cash. In May, Lucent acquired a …

NEW YORK-Moody’s Investors Service Inc. announced Dec. 1 it upgraded to A1 from B1 its rating on $400 million in convertible subordinated notes issued by DSC Communications Corp. Moody’s said …

WASHINGTON-U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky last week demanded that Mexico live up to World Trade Organization commitments to liberalize its telecommunications market. “We urge Mexican authorities to take immediate measures …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission on Friday named Thomas J. Sugrue chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau effective Jan. 19. Sugrue replaces Daniel Phythyon, who was slated to leave the …

GREENBELT, Md.-Cellular One here announced it is now offering an Information Services feature to its new Digital Edge wireless phone customers. Information Services includes hundreds of options for updates on …

NEW CANAAN, Conn.-Centennial Cellular Corp. and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe VIII L.P. lowered the value of their July 2 merger agreement by $60 million in cash considerations to be …

A move by the Chinese government is sure to develop a new wireless telecommunications landscape in China but also may create an uncertain future for foreign wireless infrastructure and handset …

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Canada-Clearnet Communications Inc. announced it launched personal communications services in Victoria. Clearnet PCS offers a Sony Corp. dual-mode PCS phone. Clearnet originally brought its PCS service to …

WASHINGTON-An embarrassing dispute has erupted over Final Analysis’ little low-earth-orbit satellite license, which has the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) clashing with the Federal Communications …

WASHINGTON-In an exclusive interview provided to RCR, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition plans to announce aggressive opposition against pending telecom mega-mergers at the Federal Communications Commission’s Dec. …

WOOD DALE, Ill.-Ericsson Inc. and Rockwell Electronic Commerce said they plan to form an alliance to cooperate in international marketing, distribution and integration development activities that will position both companies …

DENVER-Evolving Systems Inc. released a new version of its local number portability software, which will enable telecommunications carriers to streamline LNP processing, cope with telephone number exhaustion and provide enhanced …

DENVER-Formus Communications Inc. said it was granted a field trial license by the Hungarian Telecommunications Authority to provide data services to a test group of businesses in Budapest. Formus will …

NEW YORK-The failure Nov. 30 of a PanAmSat satellite used by Pasific Satelit Nusantara in Indonesia is the latest problem “in an unprecedented year for us,” said Chuck H. Noski, …

PLANO, Texas-Inet Inc. said it introduced its Spider II modem, a type II Cellular Digital Packet Data modem designed for Windows CE. Casio’s Cassiopeia personal digital assistant uses the modem …

Canada Research in Motion Ltd. announced it received a $1.3 million contract to supply its original equipment manufactured wireless modems to GMSI Inc.’s fleet management and communications systems. GMSI’s systems …

WASHINGTON-Justice Department antitrust czar Joel Klein, sending a mixed message, predicts Baby Bells will face local competition from wireless and wireline firms over time, even if mega-mergers among dominant telecom …