February 1999

SAN FRANCISCO-Telstra MobileNet in Australia said strong December growth and increased migration of subscribers from analog to digital service increased its customer base to approximately 2.2 million Global System for …

BURNABY, British Columbia-BC Telecom Inc. announced its shareholders voted almost unanimously in favor of a merger between BC Telecom and Telus Corp. Earlier, Telus shareholders also voted in very strong …

DALLAS-Texas Instruments Inc. announced it increased its earnings in the fourth quarter, bouncing back from a loss in the same period a year ago. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-TIBCO Software Inc. introduced a new information integration and e-business service for Internet companies, corporate Web sites and wireless telecom carriers, called TIBCO.net. The service allows users to …

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Several leading voice messaging companies in North America have formed the TeleMessaging Industry Association, aimed at better educating the public about the benefits of voice mail and messaging services, …

STOCKHOLM-Ericsson Inc. announced it signed a contract with German operator Deutsche Telekom MobilNet to implement General Packet Radio Service into T-Mobil’s Global System for Mobile communications network. The technology will …

MALVERN, Pa.-Triton PCS Inc., an AT&T Wireless Services Inc. network affiliate, announced it has begun providing commercial wireless service to customers in six markets in the Southeast. The company is …

RICHARDSON, Texas-Ericsson Inc. and Tritel Communications Inc. announced they signed a $300 million agreement for Ericsson to supply Time Division Multiple Access infrastructure equipment for Tritel’s personal communications services markets …

SAN CARLOS, Calif.-The United Illuminating Co. Inc. and CellNet Data Systems Inc. announced a memorandum of understanding to provide network meter-reading services to 312,000 customers in UI’s 17-town service territory. …

NEW YORK-In its fourth-quarter results released Jan. 27, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., Chicago, reported substantial increases in revenues and customers but a net loss per share of common stock. …

EMERYVILLE, Calif.-Sybase Inc. and Symbol Technologies announced they jointly plan to develop a mobile enterprise platform, intended to create a new class of mobile business applications for the retail, manufacturing, …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is expected to grant a request from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association not to enforce wireless number portability rules until at least November 2002. Portability refers …

WASHINGTON, D.C.-A new, 90-country survey conducted by TeleGeography Inc. reports competition allowed international callers to stay on the phone six billion minutes longer in 1997 for the same price they …

The third-generation technology debate is beginning to have a negative impact on the valuation of the world’s largest wireless carrier, Japan’s NTT Mobile Communications, which plans to become the first …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson introduced its new T 28 dual-band mobile phone based on Global System for Mobile communications technology. The phone’s functions include voice control, automatic world clock and new …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has named Kathleen Wallman chairman of the FCC’s Public Safety National Coordination Committee. In August, the FCC adopted rules calling for a new committee to develop …

ESCONDIDO, Calif.-Global Access Pagers Inc. announced it has backed off from its proposed merger with Phone Time Resources Inc. The two entered an agreement to merge on April 21. No …

WASHINGTON-The bankruptcy sale of Geotek Communications Inc.’s 900 MHz specialized mobile radio licenses continued to be embroiled in uncertainty last week as company officials and creditors struggled over whether to …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-Geoworks Corp. announced a net loss of $3.4 million, or 22 cents per share, for the the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a net loss of $2.5 million, …

NEW YORK-GTE Network Services, Irving, Texas, rolled out a program last month to move wireless directory assistance off the shoulder of the road and into the fast lane of the …

IRVING, Texas-GTE Corp. reported its net income for the fourth quarter increased 21 percent to $855 million, or 88 cents per share. Net income for the year totaled $2.17 million, …

WICHITA, Kan.-Citing a “persistent weakness in the global test equipment market,” IFR Systems Inc. announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 1999, which ended Dec. 31, of a net …

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill.-Illinois Superconductor Corp. said it became an approved vendor for a large cellular system manufacturer, which it declined to name. As an approved vendor, Illinois Superconductor can provide …

Paging Network Inc. announced it is offering the Iridium World Page Service commercially in the United States as the country’s exclusive paging carrier offering Iridium service. The paging portion of …

Despite a five-week service launch delay and continued handset production problems, Iridium L.L.C. finished the fourth quarter with results that beat analysts expectations. The quarter, ended Dec. 31, marked the …