September 2000

The downward trend that has been under way in the messaging industry since 1998 is unfortunately continuing in most markets around the world. The good news is that subscriber numbers …

Dear Editor: Several times I have read articles about the paging industry in Colombia with incorrect information. TAS does not own a 900 MHz license. Only four companies in Colombia …

GENEVA-The outcome of World Radio Conference (WRC)-2000 on International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT)-2000 standards was positive for the wireless industry and its customers. The conference granted sufficient spectrum for third-generation (3G) …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-In a cash-strapped society and an environment where wireless technology is expected to supplant fixed telephony, prepaid has become a panacea for new African operators-so much so that …

DUBLIN, Ireland-The myth that prepaid cellular users are by definition low-value customers has been firmly discredited, and prepaid services did much to increase GSM penetration among the young and cost …

BOSTON, United States-Europe’s wireless service market saw consumer prices fall an average of 20 percent this year compared with last year, led by Germany’s 45-percent drop and Denmark’s 38-percent reduction …

U.K. wireless handset manufacturer Sendo announced a global strategic partnership with Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile will be the first operator to offer Sendo’s phones to consumers later this year. Virgin …

Ericsson Canada. With Microcell Connexions for a GPRS network. Value: Undisclosed China. With China Unicom for GSM expansions in Jilin, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei provinces. Value: US$176 million Laos. …

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-Trinidad and Tobago, a multiethnic Caribbean island off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, has become the first country in the Caribbean to introduce calling party pays (CPP). Apart from …

Telecom Italia is in advanced talks to buy a stake in Digitel, a wireless operator in Venezuela, according to a Reuters report. Digitel, a GSM 900 MHz operator, is the …

Canada Fuzion Wireless Communications said it launched its fixed wireless broadband services network in Ontario, Canada. Serving businesses in Toronto and other locations, Fuzion said it will deliver Internet connectivity …

Millicom International Cellular said it was awarded a nationwide license to provide wireless data, Internet access and fixed telephony services in Peru. The 20-year license covers 100 percent of the …

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-With Ireland-based Mossel Jamaica preparing to offer mobile communications competition to Cable & Wireless Jamaica early in the new year, negotiations on an interconnection agreement between the two networks …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Two issues characterized the Brazilian cellular market during the first half of the year-an increase in subscriber numbers and the rollout of more advanced services. Latin America in …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Although cellular telephony client bases doubled last year in Uruguay and Paraguay, at this point it seems only Paraguay will be able to achieve this objective again in …

Wireless Internet technology Integra Micro Systems Indian software company Integra Micro Systems introduced a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browser for the PalmOS platform, allowing Palm devices to access Wireless Markup …

NEW DELHI, India-The Southeast Asian region is set to enter a new era of wireless data within the next two years. Many operators in the region have already introduced wireless …

DENVER, United States-Instant messaging is considered a key element to what the wireless industry calls pervasive messaging, meaning the ability to send a text message from any device-a computer, pager …

DENVER, United States-As wireless Internet services gain subscribers around the globe, wireless application service providers (WASPs) will become even more important. A traditional ASP model is the implementation of an …

TOKYO-Advertising on mobile terminals, including the popular i-mode-enabled terminals, has established itself as a lucrative business in Japan. The number of Japanese users who access the Internet via cellular terminals …

MEXICO CITY-Since paging services started in Mexico in 1993, carriers have made large investments in advertising and marketing strategies. Biper, the country’s largest messaging company, has focused its marketing efforts …

DENVER, United States-With services already up and running in the Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tucson, Sprint said it filed a series of applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), …

TORONTO-The consolidation trend in the North American wireless sector is intensifying. The prevailing wisdom is that it is no longer good enough to be merely a regional or national carrier …

DENVER, United States-Qualcomm and Ford Motor Co. perpetuated the marriage between wireless communication and mobility, creating a new company called Wingcast, which will develop and deliver wireless mobility and information …

Brazil’s national telecom agency Anatel said it received 35 proposed from companies, entities and individuals on the proposal of guidelines for implementation of the personal communications services (PCS), submitted to …