1998

NEW YORK-Consorcio Ecuatoriano de Telecommunicaciones S.A., Ecuador’s largest cellular carrier, announced last week it had scrapped plans to go public. Instead, the Quito-based company said it will seek to meet …

WASHINGTON-House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-Va.) said the privatization of the International Maritime Satellite Organization and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization being negotiated by the Clinton administration may be …

ROME-Three consortia have submitted bids for Italy’s third mobile phone license, due to be awarded mid-year. Two of the bids were expected for some time. Picienne-a consortium led by the …

Signaling the beginning of a global partnership, Telecom Italia said it will pay $2 billion for minority interests in Cable & Wireless plc’s international businesses. “I am pleased to welcome …

ISSAQUAH, Wash.-Western Wireless Corp. selected actress Jamie Lee Curtis to be the “voice of VoiceStream,” representing the company’s personal communications services products throughout 1998. Curtis will appear in Western Wireless’ …

NEW YORK-SCC Communications Corp., a Boulder, Colo., provider of emergency call services to wireline and wireless carriers, has registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission its intention to go public. …

After years of delays and controversy, the Italian Ministry of Communications began accepting bids for the country’s third mobile phone license last week. The ministry set an April 15 deadline …

The torrents of spring are up upon Bill Kennard. Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission for all of four months, stands at the vortex of an historical transformation of …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-LGC Wireless received patent approval for its LGCell distributed antenna system, which allows cellular and personal communications services carriers to provide in-building services. “We have been notified that …

The Federal Communications Commission’s International Bureau granted low-earth-orbit licenses to four companies, authorizing them to operate non-voice, non-geostationary mobile satellite systems, also known as little LEOs. E-Sat Inc., Final Analysis …

WASHINGTON-In two new probes that could intensify scrutiny of President Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign, the Justice Department is investigating sworn allegations that Hillary Rodham Clinton directed former Commerce Secretary Ron …

NEW YORK-Cellular and personal communications services carrier Western Wireless Corp., Issaquah, Wash., announced that its two largest investors planned to sell 10 million shares of their stock in a public …

In February, at CTIA’s Wireless ’98 convention and exposition in Atlanta, I talked with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) about many of the policy issues facing the U.S. wireless industry. We …

WASHINGTON-Wireless and wireline carriers last week tabled a plan to sue the FBI over implementation of the 1994 digital wiretap law, just as Rep. Bill McCollum (R-Fla.) was putting the …

Magellan Systems Corp., a maker of consumer-oriented Global Positioning System and navigation devices, said it will release its Global Satellite Communicator 100 late next month. The GSC 100 provides global …

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-General Magic Inc. introduced MagicTalk, the intelligent voice user interface platform for its integrated voice and data network, code named “Serengeti.” Based on a distributed VUI (voice user interface) …

FORT LEE, N.J.-MobileMedia Corp., dba MobileComm, announced it is building a new paging network in North and South Carolina. MobileComm said the new system is running in North Carolina and …

STOCKHOLM-Millicom International Cellular S.A. announced it will merge its combined Global System for Mobile communications 900 MHz and digital cellular system 1800 MHz license in Luxembourg and its nationwide prefix …

This year’s financial outlook appears gloomy for Motorola Inc., which released poor first-quarter results last week and told analysts this quarter’s results won’t look much better. “The primary factors likely …

NEW YORK-NEC Corp. announced it signed an agreement with ERA Technology Ltd. of the United Kingdom that established a joint-venture company to design and develop the next generation of European …

NEW YORK-Cellnet, a U.K. mobile phone network operator, has placed a contract with Nokia Telecommunications to expand its Global System for Mobile communications network. Nokia will supply equipment to cover …

COLUMBUS, Ohio-SmarTalk TeleServices Inc. estimated first-quarter revenues will be about $40 million, and earnings per fully diluted share are anticipated to reflect a loss of 5 cents. The company plans …

LONFON-Orange plc, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Orange Communications Ltd., said it submitted a bid for the third mobile phone license in the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom-based operator …

In response to a dispute between Redstone Network Services Ltd. and Vodafone Group plc, the U.K.’s Office of Telecommunications released a consultative document on personal numbering costs, which provides analysis …

Robinson-Humphrey Co. L.L.C’s latest quarterly survey of U.S. mobile phone prices indicates the pricing wars may be over. The Atlanta-based company said pricing decreased since December just .8 percent to …