May 2000

One advancement in technology can change everything. Likewise, a change in policy can turn everything topsy-turvy. Witness the Clinton administration’s decision last week to no longer purposely degrade GPS signals, …

BELLEVUE, Wash.-Voice-Stream Wireless Corp. launched its Global System for Mobile communications-based personal communications services network in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., market. VoiceStream bought the infrastructure from Sprint PCS, after Sprint PCS|announced …

LONDON-Vodafone AirTouch plc announced it is testing an international Wireless Application Protocol system that would allow users to access WAP-based information when roaming between the United States, the Netherlands and …

BELLEVUE, Wash.-Voice-Stream Wireless Corp. reported closing its merger with Aerial Communications Inc. As a result of the merger, Aerial shareholders will receive 0.455 of a VoiceStream common share for each …

Web sites that offer comparison shopping for wireless phones and services appear to be a dime a dozen these days. Consumers go to these sites because they promise to be …

GENEVA-Xircom Inc. said it has bundled software from AvantGo Inc. in its wireless modem product for the Handspring Visor organizer, allowing devices equipped with Xircom’s modem to access AvantGo’s mobile …

PLEASANTON, Calif.-Positive Communications, which provides paging and wireless messaging services, launched an e-commerce portal offering wireless products and services targeted at mobile consumers in the top 75 U.S. markets. The …

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.-Excite@Home Inc. launched a wireless portal service called Excite Mobile for customized news, directions, weather and other personal information for users of Web-enabled wireless devices. The portal allows …

PARIS-Ericsson France and FinGO are working together to develop mobile Internet solutions dedicated to finance and e-brokerage services and to jointly prepare their evolution toward General Packet Radio Service and …

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.-Rural Cellular Corp. selected GiantBear.com Inc. as its provider of Web-to-wireless information services. RCC said it would host a friendly user trial later this year of the service. …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-Geoworks Corp. launched its Mobile Site service as a complement to its existing Mobile ASP solution. Mobile Site pulls data from a Web site and reformats it for wireless …

On the heels of press reports that the British government soon will require mobile phones to carry health warnings, a Swedish team of medical investigators released findings from a new …

LONDON-ICO Global Communications announced the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Delaware has approved ICO’s plan of reorganization. The plan and related plans of arrangement in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have …

Chile Nexus Telocation Systems Ltd. formed a joint-venture company in Chile to deploy communication and location services. The new company, Ubinet Telecom S.A., will offer two-way messaging, car and personal …

MILAN, Italy-Lucent Technologies Inc. said it is committing technical and business expertise in Italy to promote collaborative projects with government, industry and academia to accelerate development and introduction of third-generation …

Qualcomm Inc. appears to have gotten its way in Japan. DDI Corp., which plans to take over IDO and KDD in October, is expected to file for a third-generation license …

WASHINGTON-As the World Radiocommunication Conference opens today in Turkey, trade and spectrum issues governing third-generation mobile-phone technology remain heavily mired in controversies that are likely to play out in coming …

BCE Inc., Canada’s largest telecommunications company, finished the spinoff of its stake in telecommunications equipment supplier Nortel Networks Corp., closing a transaction valued at approximately $59 billion. BCE distributed its …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association Foundation on Tuesday night gave its Eugene C. Bowler Award to Dale Hatfield, chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology. “You cannot separate …

WASHINGTON-Wireless technology increasingly is seen as the end-all, be-all to the digital divide issue. But will it get here soon enough? The Clinton administration, through the National Telecommunications and Information …

HAYWARD, Calif.-Certicom Corp., an encryption technology company, completed its public offering of 1.25 million common shares at $46.30 per share on the Nasdaq National Market. The proceeds from the offering, …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry’s push to enter the populous Chinese market got a big boost last week as several undecided Democrats and Republicans announced they will vote for permanent normal trade …

WASHINGTON-Apparently not able to get a majority of the commission to agree with him, Federal Communications Commission Chairman William Kennard has directed staff to release proposed rules that would allow …

OKLAHOMA CITY-Dobson Communications Corp. completed its $125 million acquisition of Texas 9 Rural Service Area encompassing the towns of Brownwood, Stephenville, Hamilton and Hillsboro, Texas. “Texas 9 fits well with …

BOSTON-Research firm Strategy Analytics said it found commuters are spending increased time in their cars and consequently are placing a high priority on personalized advertising, information and entertainment that provides …