The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to move forward with a rulemaking on calling party pays service. While CPP service has been implemented with great success throughout much of the rest of the Americas, the United States has not yet moved on the issue.
Paging Network Inc. announced it will reorganize its U.S. operations during the next year and will reduce its work force by 30 percent. The move will cut about 1,800 employees from customer service, billing and accounting, order fulfillment and inventory management functions. PageNet is the largest paging carrier in the United States.
U.S.-based IBM Microelectronics Division and CommQuest Technologies Inc. announced a merger agreement, giving IBM an entree into the wireless industry via CommQuest’s experience in semiconductors for wireless applications.
Microcell Capital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications Inc. of Canada, said it has created GSM Capital L.P., an international venture-capital fund with more than US$137 million committed to private equity investment in companies developing new Global System for Mobile communications products and services. GSM pools resources from operators across Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia, including 15 institutional investors.
Lucent Technologies Inc. said it plans to acquire Hewlett-Packard Co.’s local multipoint distribution service business and launch a new Wireless Broadband Networks Division in Milpitas, Calif. Both companies are based in the United States.
Swisscom North America has received authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to operate as a facilities-based carrier providing service between North America, Switzerland and the rest of the world, said Swisscom. The company is the first non-U.S. carrier to be granted a license under the FCC’s Foreign Participation Order fulfilling the U.S. commitment to the World Trade Organization’s telecommunications agreement, according to Konnie Schaefer, chairman and chief executive officer of SCNA.
