Slovenia, Romania
Omnipoint Communications Inc. said it signed roaming agreements in Slovenia and Romania, with Mobitel d.d. Slovenia and Mobilrom S.A., respectively. Both countries are new territory for Omnipoint’s roaming footprint. The company has roaming agreements throughout Europe and parts of the Middle East, Africa, South America and the Pacific Rim.
Egypt
AirTouch Communications Inc. announced it began cellular service in Egypt. The Misrfone joint venture, operating as Click GSM, received its Global System for Mobile communications nationwide license in May. Only five percent of Egypt’s population has wireline service and less than one percent has cellular service, said Arun Sarin, president and chief operating officer of AirTouch. Click GSM began service in the greater Cairo region and plans to expand to Alexandria and along the Nile.
Portugal
Reuters reported Portugal’s communications regulatory authority granted Iridium World Communications Ltd. a license to operate its mobile satellite mobile services there.
Malaysia
Nokia Corp. and Telekom Cellular announced they signed a contract under which Nokia will supply a complete Global System for Mobile communications 1800 network for Telekom Cellular, a mobile operator in Malaysia. The multiyear contract is valued at more than $50 million. Installation of the network will begin immediately in high-density areas of Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor area. The agreement includes Nokia’s mobile switching centers, home location registers, base station controllers, base stations and the Nokia network management system.
Brazil
Brazilian operator Telemig Celular S.A. announced it selected Nortel Networks to expand its statewide cellular network over the next three years. The $154 million contract calls for delivery of Nortel Networks DualMode Radios, DMS-MTX SuperNode digital switching systems and other equipment and services. Scheduled to begin before year end, the Telemig network expansion will extend the benefits of Time Division Multiple Access Intermim Standard-136 digital technology to new customers throughout the state of Minas Gerias.
