1. Jan. 6
NextWave awarded its PCS permits
In a decision almost surely headed for the appeals court, the Federal Communications Commission last Friday conditionally awarded NextWave Personal Communications Inc. its C-block licenses after NextWave submitted a plan to bring its foreign-ownership percentages into federal compliance.
2. Jan. 20
PCS auction over, nets $2.5 billion
Raking in a net total of $2.52 billion, the D, E- and F-block personal communications services auction closed Jan. 14 bidding farewell to the last of the broadband spectrum that will be sold by the Federal Communications Commission.
3. Feb. 3
MobileMedia files Chapter 11
MobileMedia Corp. sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, received a commitment to borrow $200 million and said its service to customers will not be affected as the company restructures finances and operations.
4. Feb. 17
Phones scrutinized due to accidents
A new study released last week from the University of Toronto concludes drivers face a four-fold increase in risk of having an injury-producing accident when using a cellular telephone.
5. March 24
AT&T to pull plug on pACT
AT&T Wireless Services Inc. reversed course in narrowband personal communications services, resolving not to deploy services using the personal Air Communications Technology advanced paging protocol.
6. March 31
FCC to change C-block schedule
The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to release a public notice that will modify existing C-block personal communications services installment payment plan notes by allowing one yearly payment.
7. April 7
Pocket files for bankruptcy
Citing the preservation of Pocket Communication Inc.’s assets coupled with a reorganization of its operations and financing, Chairman Riker sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 31 following unsuccessful negotiations with several of its investors Easter Sunday.
8. April 28
DoJ approves Bell Atlantic-Nynex
The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division approved April 24 Bell Atlantic Corp.’s $23 billion takeover of Nynex Corp.
9. May 5
Feds probe bid rigging claims
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has begun at least two civil investigations into possible “bid rigging and market allocation” that allegedly occurred during the PCS auctions.
10. May 24
NextWave shuts down two markets
NextWave Telecom Inc. shut down its Southeast and Midwest operations last week, the first wave of what could be a nationwide reduction in force that could cut the C-block personal communications services licensee’s 380-member staff significantly in the near future.
11. July 14
FCC leans toward PCS restructure
The bottom line regarding any C- or F-block personal communications services licensee getting a financial shot in the arm depends on how much the Federal Communications Commission is willing to cut licensee’s debt.
12. July 14
BellSouth snares Sao Paulo
The BCP consortium led by BellSouth Corp. won the coveted cellular license for Sao Paulo, Brazil, bidding nearly $2.5 billion-the most expensive mobile telephone license ever granted worldwide.
13. Sept. 8
No relief likely on tower siting stalls
After months of promises from Capitol Hill and great expectations in the industry for bills that would pre-empt antenna siting moratoria and fully fund digital wiretap implementation, the wireless industry faces the prospect of failing to secure legislative relief on either front this year.
14. Sept. 22
Compromise averts FCC war over C-block
A dramatic showdown at the Federal Communications Commission over C-block personal communications services debt restructuring may have been averted after Chairman Reed Hundt apparently bowed to congressional and collegial pressures.
15. Oct. 6
WorldCom’s offer eclipses BT bid
WorldCom Inc. last week made an unsolicited offer to merge with MCI Communications Corp. in a deal that would eclipse British Telecommunications plc’s planned acquisition of MCI, which has been in the works for nearly a year.
16. Oct. 20
WTR to skip some exposure tests
In a surprisingly candid admission, the head of the cellular industry’s cancer research project said he will leave the six-year, $28 million program in mid-1999 without conducting either short-term or long-term animal exposure studies.
17. Nov. 3
Kennard confirmed by Senate
The Senate last week confirmed Bill Kennard as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and approved three other agency nominees.
18. Nov. 3
2nd C-blocker files Chapter 11
Fourteen subsidiaries of Dallas-based General Wireless Inc., the third-ranked bidder at the C-block personal communications services auction last year, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
19. Nov. 10
Paging firms fight pay-phone fees
The paging industry is gearing up for a fight over what one industry executive termed “one of the most important issues affecting our industry at this point.”
20. Dec. 15
Nextel licenses cover all of U.S.
After 235 rounds of bidding, Nextel Communications Inc. ended up paying $88.8 million for 475 licenses covering 97 percent of the country in the 800 MHz specialized mobile radio auction.
