Western Wireless Corp. reported revenues for the second quarter ended June 30 of $136.6 million, an increase from the $98.4 million reported the same time the previous year. The company recorded a net loss of $47.9 million, or 63 cents per basic common share, compared with a net loss of $53 million, or 70 cents per basic common share, for second-quarter 1998. Western said subscribers increased by 42,100, including 5,200 from the $96 million acquisition of the Rio Grande Valley, to 737,600 during the quarter. Internationally, operations in Latvia, Georgia and Iceland continued their growth. Service in Croatia was launched July 1, and Western said it plans to launch service in Haiti in the third quarter.
Vodafone AirTouch plc said it will assume full ownership of Cellular One’s wireless operations in western Missouri and Kansas in October and change the name of the service to AirTouch early next year.
Telstra Corp. Ltd. of Australia announced it is working with CNN Interactive to offer Telstra’s digital mobile customers the newly launched CNN Mobile news service. CNN Mobile will be available to customers this year.
The Transport and Communications Ministry of the Czech Republic said Friday there are so far 12 serious bidders in the tender for the country’s first Global System for Mobile communications 1800 mobile license, according to a Reuters report. The tender began on July 12 and is scheduled to close August 17. Interested companies, said Reuters, include U.S.-based Western Wireless International Co., Telesystem International Wireless Inc. of Canada, Orange plc of the United Kingdom, Norway’s Telenor and Mannesmann AG of Germany.
Orbcomm Global L.P. introduced a satellite-based weather information service for aviation pilots, in conjunction with Echo Flight Inc., an
Orbcomm value-added reseller and mobile services provider for the aviation industry. The service will provide hourly NEXRAD weather radar images to pilots flying in the contiguous 48 states. The NEXRAD availability is a function of Echo Flight’s StratoCheetah Flight Manager III system, which is equipped with an Orbcomm satellite data communicator. Besides receiving hourly weather data, pilots can use it to request other weather data, transmit position reports and send and receive in-flight e-mail.
