Bell Atlantic Mobile agreed to acquire the remaining minority interests in the cellular license for the Reading, Pa., metropolitan area, covering a population of 350,000 for about $20 million. Bell Atlantic already owned 51 percent of the Reading area license, and now has purchased another 39 percent from Berks and Reading Area Cellular Enterprises, and has plans to acquire the remaining 10-percent interest from Virginia Metronet Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of 360 Communications Co. Bell Atlantic has managed and operated the Reading area cellular network from the outset.
ADC Wireless Systems Group signed an agreement with China’s Topper Electric Corp. allowing ADC to market its Global System for Mobile communications products in the country. ADC is a business unit of ADC Telecommunications Inc. The company said it expects to generate more than $40 million in the first two years from the deal.
An affiliate of Dobson Communications Corp. acquired Cellular 2000 Cellular Telephone Co., said Daniels & Associates, which represented Cellular 2000 in the transaction. Cellular 2000 provides cellular service to the California 4 rural service area, which serves a population of 363,000 in central California.
Omnipoint Communications Inc. broadened its roaming capabilities in Europe to include the Slovak Republic through a new roaming agreement with EuroTel Bratislava, the company said.
The Telecommunications Industry Association published two new interim standards, “Number Portability Network Support,” or TIA/EIA/IS-756, which details the network impact of wireless number portability, and “Personal Wireless Telecommunications Standard.”
