1998

WASHINGTON-In a flurry of legislative horse-trading capping the close of the 105th Congress, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) got a provision tucked into the fiscal 1999 omnibus budget …

Ask any wireless carrier to name its goals, and most would mention they want to build brand loyalty with their existing customers. Yet research from Technology Trends Inc. indicates carriers …

WASHINGTON-Frustrated with failing to make progress after months of negotiations with European officials, Qualcomm Inc. last week declared war by formally invoking intellectual property rights to five third-generation wireless standards …

TAMPA, Fla.-BellSouth Corp. announced it launched its personal communications services network in the Tampa, Fla., market, offering bundled-billing wireless and local service, paging and wireless long-distance service. The Tampa Bay …

Patents are a common thread running through the great debates of the day concerning strongest/adequate signal, E911 federal land antenna siting, 3G, prepaid calling and other telecom issues. This should …

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. said it completed the final phase of its 1998 expansion in Canada with the launch of Fido personal communications services in London, Ontario. The PCS service, operating …

While many personal communications services licensees have become disillusioned with the PCS market in the United States and have opted to bow out of the game, Leap Wireless International Inc. …

Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co. introduced three SmartDigital U.S.A. rate plans offering wireless calls for 20 cents to 25 cents per minute without roaming fees in more than 7,000 cities …

While Nextel Communications Inc. remains the darling of the wireless industry these days, other specialized mobile radio operators are beginning to build successful businesses on plain old two-way dispatch voice …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Schlumberger Smart Cards & Terminals said Microcell Connexions Inc. has purchased several hundred thousand of its SIMflex dual-mode subscriber identity module cards. The thumbnail-sized SIM cards that hold …

Nextel Communication Inc.’s third-quarter operating results indicated it reached the financial milestone of achieving domestic positive operating cash flow, but investors clearly focused on other aspects of the financials, as …

IBM Corp.’s Microelectronics Division last week introduced its first standard, high-volume chip based on the company’s silicon germanium manufacturing process. The company said the new standard chips can be used …

PrimeCo Personal Communications L.P. has sold its major trading area license and operations in Hawaii to Sprint Corp.-a deal that PrimeCo says has been in the works for nearly 15 …

WASHINGTON-International Mobile Telecommunications Association President Alan Shark urged Malaysian telecommunications officials to adopt a flexible approach in wireless equipment standard requirements instead of restricting the types of technologies that can …

Philips Electronics NV could announce this week plans to scrap its consumer communications joint venture with Lucent Technologies Inc. A decision about the fate of Philips Consumer Communications is expected …

NEW YORK-NTT Mobile Communications Networks Inc. plans to raise $18.4 billion when its 545,000-share initial public offering begins trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Oct. 22. The carrier, which does …

SAO PAULO-BellSouth Corp. announced late last week that its BCP S.A. cellular operation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has wiped out its 1.8 million-person waiting list for cellular service, signing on …

NEW YORK-Cable & Wireless Optus, Australia’s second-largest multiservice telecommunications carrier, plans to raise about $600 million in a stock sale Nov. 16, its initial public equity offering. Merrill Lynch & …

SAN DIEGO-Willtech Inc. has licensed Qualcomm Inc.’s cdmaOne technology in a royalty-bearing agreement allowing the South Korea-based company to design and develop Code Division Multiple Access test equipment, said Qualcomm. …

DENVER-MobileMedia Communications Inc. again requested-and received-an adjournment of the bankruptcy court hearing to rule on its disclosure statement, scheduled for Oct. 14. MobileMedia spokeswoman Krista Grossman said the company’s lawyers …

WASHINGTON-An amendment that had the potential to change the outcome of the C-block auction has been killed. The C-block personal communications services amendment was attached to a slamming bill forwarded …

In comments that may reflect competitive positions in today’s mobile phone market, mobile phone and mobile satellite service industries told the Federal Communications Commission more spectrum will be needed for …

NEW YORK-At least in the short run, prospects for deployment of large-scale Code Division Multiple Access networks in the People’s Republic of China are on hold. However, the longer-term outlook …

VANCOUVER, British Columbia-Botting Systems Inc. announced the release of its Total Network Knowledge software suite designed to convert Signaling System 7 records into detailed call records for carriers. The system …

INDIANAPOLIS-Brightpoint Inc. announced that Iridium L.L.C. selected it to provide sales and fulfillment services for Iridium World Roaming Services. Under the agreement, Brightpoint services will include sourcing, packaging and programming …