… Kudos to AT&T Wireless for being the proud provider of PCS service that worked in D.C.’s Old Ebbitt Grill. The bartender said most pocket phones don’t work in Old Ebbitt because of lead in the windows. My AT&T PCS loan phone roamed like a champ in Cambridge, Mass., which is more than I can say for my Bell Atlantic Mobile phone. Hooray for choice!
… Now about all that competition the cellular industry touted when there were only two carriers per market. Wireless subscribers in the Bay Area received notice recently of a proposed $35 million settlement of a class action price fixing lawsuit against Bay Area Cellular Telephone Co. and GTE Mobilnet. Defendants deny any wrongdoing.
… Wireless insider predicts Congress will give E-911 lots of attention this year. Linking E-911 to antenna siting is one idea.
… Asian meltdown, owing to lackluster banking regulations and crony capitalism, may explain why Pacific Rim investors bet on C-block PCS auction high rollers when others walked away.
… Sen. James Jeffords (R-Vt.), in letter to Marshfield, Vt.’s Dale and Janet Newton, gives clue to why he’s behind legislation to repeal federal pre-emption of local and state siting regulations: As attorney general, Jeffords was a drafter of an environmental land use law called Act 250.
… Finally, a few trends to look for and a few to wave bye bye to in 1998:
In Out
wireless local loop PCS
bankruptcies IPOs
COD installment payments
global domestic
Nextel SMR
meltdown miracle
universal service interconnection
E-911 channels 60-69
Kennard Hundt
Powell Chong
Barrett seat Furchtgott-Roth
Quello Tristani
WHO WTR
WTO USTR
CALEA bill CALEA bull
LEOs GEOs
antitrust mergers
subpoenas questionnaires
oversight honeymoon
1919 M Portals
repeal pre-emption
Vermont Washington, D.C.
payback pay phone
surplus deficit
