March 1999

JACKSON-SkyTel Communications Corp. announced it has added information services from Fortune and USATODAY.com to its advanced messaging Customer Newscast line. Under the agreements, Fortune will provide business news, while USATODAY.com …

WASHINGTON-A federal court of appeals has denied an emergency motion for a stay filed by Small Business in Telecommunications designed to stop the 800 MHz relocation process, which began on …

Ireland Esat Telecom Group plc confirmed it accepted an offer to acquire a pro rata share of 9 percent of Ireland’s Global System for Mobile communications cellular operator, Esat Digifone, …

INDIANAPOLIS-Inadequate product supply in the Asia-Pacific region, price instability and the devaluation of the Brazilian real will cause Brightpoint Inc.’s quarterly and annual net income to fall below expectations, said …

The state of Utah awarded Applied Cellular Technology Inc.’s Communications Infrastructure division a $6.1 million contract to provide infrastructure and construction improvements for the 10 buildings on the University of …

WASHINGTON-Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and James Jeffords (R-Vt.), reacting to persistent complaints that federal law inadequately addresses the impact of antenna proliferation on property values, aesthetics and health, plan to …

Polson on target regarding public’s RF perception Thank you for Peter Polson’s excellent article “Public opposition expected to rise about RFR radiation,” Feb. 8 in RCR. I agree that there …

OTTAWA, Ontario-Nortel Networks said it has developed and demonstrated an order of magnitude increase in the coverage radius of 800 MHz cdmaOne base stations to improve the economics of rural …

DENVER-Telecom Italia Spa has received permission from its board of directors to merge with its mobile phone operator subsidiary, Telecom Italia Mobile, as a defensive measure against a hostile takeover …

Resistance to unsightly towers has prompted many wireless carriers to site their antennas on existing structures such as buildings and water towers to reduce the visual impact of their equipment. …

WASHINGTON-The cellular industry apparently knew what it was doing when it waited for Reed Hundt to retire as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission before asking that the spectrum cap …

SAN DIEGO-Contrary to persistent rumors, Nextel Communications Inc.-the largest specialized mobile radio operator-will remain a member of the American Mobile Telecommunications Association for at least another year, AMTA board members …

WASHINGTON-In a policy paper presented to the Rural Task Force on universal service, Western Wireless Corp. reiterated that rural local exchange carriers should not get special treatment from regulators. Gene …

WASHINGTON-House telecommunications subcommittee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.) this week kicks off the first in a series of hearings on Federal Communications Commission reform. All five FCC commissioners are expected to …

SAN DIEGO-If you are a small specialized mobile radio operator, which trade association, if any, should you belong to? Three trade associations, all based in the Washington, D.C., area, purport …

NEW YORK-A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., which holds a minority stake in both Orange plc and Western Wireless Corp., plans to issue $547 million in Euro-denominated bonds …

Aether Technologies announced it is joining BellSouth Wireless Data L.P. and Research in Motion Ltd. to bring financial market data via wirelessly connected handheld and laptop computers to the Atlanta, …

In what may be the beginning of a trend, BellSouth Wireless Data L.P. and Paging Network Inc. entered into a strategic alliance last week under which PageNet will resell BellSouth’s …

GREENVILLE, S.C.-Bell Atlantic Mobile’s DigitalChoice customers who receive or make many calls to other Bell Atlantic Mobile customers now can travel throughout most of the Carolinas and make an unlimited …

ORLAND PARK, Ill.-Andrew Corp. said it expects results for the second quarter ended March 31 will fall short of analysts’ expectations because of lower-than-anticipated revenue in January and February. The …

BOSTON-American Tower Corp. completed its acquisition of TeleCom Towers L.L.C. In connection with the transaction, American Tower issued about 3.9 million shares of class A common stock, paid $60.1 million …

PARIS-Alcatel, the telecommunications equipment company based in Paris, last week announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs, or about 10 percent of its work force, during the next two years. Some …

ISLETA PUEBLO, N.M.-After determining traditional telephone landlines would be too expensive, Excel Communications Corp. and Solectek Corp. suggested the Native American community of Isleta, N.M, use a wireless solution to …

SARASOTA, Fla.-Pinnacle Towers Inc. said it purchased 85 wireless towers located in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee, in a series of five transactions. These towers add …

NEW YORK-L-3 Communications signed an agreement to acquire Aydin Corp., under which L-3 Communications will purchase all of the outstanding common stock of Aydin for $13.50 per share in cash. …