Tanzania
Inmarsat announced Tanzania became its 85th member country. Adolar B.
Mapunda, managing director of the Tanzanian Telecommunications Co. Ltd., signed the Inmarsat Operating
Agreement at the International Maritime Organization’s office in London at the end of 1998. Tanzania is the 14th
African country to join Inmarsat.
Latin America
CHS Electronics Inc. and L.M. Ericsson’s American Mobile
Phones division announced they signed a letter of intent for CHS to provide distribution, inventory management and
logistics for Ericsson’s mobile phones and accessories in Latin America. Ericsson currently represents approximately
25 percent of the total market of phone sales in Latin America and is expected to grow an additional 13 percent in
1999, said CHS.
China
Xiamen Overseas Chinese Mobile Communications Equipment Corp. Ltd. introduced a
Global System for Mobile communications phone, which it said is the first mobile handset developed in China. The
Huaxia No. 1 is priced at about half the amount of handsets produced in foreign markets, said Xiamen. Company
President Guo Zeli said the phone ranks with middle- to top-of-the-range international models, but will be very
competitive in China because of its low cost. While Huaxia No. 1 is a step forward in China’s efforts to develop its own
mobile communications industry, Xie Linzhen, a Ministry of Information Industry official, said domestic
manufacturers must improve their performance-price ratio in order compete with foreign phone
manufacturers.
Mexico
LHS Group Inc. announced Pegaso Telecomunicaciones y Sistemas S.A. de C.V.
selected LHS’ Business Support and Control System for its customer care and billing and LHS InfoCell’s point-of-sale
solution, InfoCell ConVerge, to support its start-up wireless operations in Mexico. LHS said Pegaso holds nine 1900
MHz licenses which will allow it to provide personal communication services and wireless local loop services
throughout Mexico via a Code Division Multiple Access digital network. Pegaso will launch PCS services in Tijuana in
the first quarter and in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey throughout the rest of the year, said LHS.
