2000

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 …

When most broadband-based Internet service providers encounter problems with bandwidth capacity, the most common remedy is to open the company checkbook and purchase more. But what is most common might …

GENEVA-As WRC-2000 delegates prepare to pack their bags and head off for four grueling weeks of debates and technical deliberations in Istanbul, Turkey, Europe’s Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) lobby …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-In early January, by starting operations as a “mirror” company of fixed-line carriers Telefonica and Telemar, Vesper faced a challenge in the Brazilian market. The company planned to …

DENVER, United States-The United States’ official position going into the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) supports designating three frequency bands-1710 MHz to 1885 MHz, 2500 MHz to 2690 MHz and 698 …

BEIJING-China agreed in its negotiations with the United States for entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that foreign operators would be allowed a maximum 49-percent stake in mobile telephone …

GENEVA-With auction prices of the United Kingdom’s five third-generation licenses beating even the most inflated analyst forecasts, all eyes are now on Italy, which is set to allocate five 15-year …

TOKYO-In early February, some 300 telecom experts from 25 nations in the Asia-Pacific region met in Tokyo to compile their proposals for WRC-2000. Based on the five-day meeting, the Asia …

GENEVA-Despite the best efforts of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary General Yoshio Utsumi, the reform process designed to drag the 135-year-old telecommunications standardization body into the 21st century has once …

TOKYO-J-Phone Group, Japan’s second-largest mobile phone company, plans to merge its nine member firms into three companies later this year. The announcement follows the company’s application for a third-generation license …

South Korean mobile phone carrier Hansol M.com said talks to sell a controlling stake in the company to either Korea Telecom or the LG Group had broken down. The problems …

KPN Telecom is said to be in discussions with Spain’s Telefonica regarding a possible US$54 billion merger. At press time, international reports said the companies had agreed in principle to …

Egypt Egypt plans to sell 10 percent of Telecom Egypt, its fixed-line telecommunications monopoly, in June. The aim of the partial privatization is to reduce red tape and improve competitiveness, …

Israel Riots and injuries occurred during protests against the installation of cellular masts in a Druze Arab village in March, according to international press reports. Reports said seven police officers …

LONDON-The wireless sector in the Middle East is still widely accepted as a vibrant and growing market, with the wireless Internet and several wireless trade shows coming on the scene. …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-The commercialization of mobile data services continues its headlong rush as cellular operators look to differentiate themselves in the market. The heavy promotion of an ever-increasing portfolio of …

BUCHAREST, Romania-The Moldova republic, a former Romanian region, is a small country with a population of 4.3 million and a small economy. The mobile market is not currently dynamic, reflecting …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-In tone with the wave of competition that has taken Argentina by storm, Nextel has decided to extend its iDEN digital wireless services network, connecting Buenos Aires with …

SANDTON, South Africa-Nigeria’s promising telecommunications environment has been clouded by the government’s failure to accelerate the licensing of GSM operators. Nigeria, with one of the lowest teledensities in the world, …

BUCHAREST, Romania-Due to the analog transmission and the lack of value-added services, NMT 400 systems in Eastern Europe-which enjoyed great success during the last two decades-have suffered in recent years. …

CAIRO, Egypt-Orascom Telecom (OT), which owns stakes in Egypt’s largest mobile provider, agreed to buy 80 percent of Telecel International, a pan-African telecommunications company that holds 12 GSM licenses in …

DUBLIN, Ireland-After decades of tight state control, Eastern European telecommunications markets are waking up to the reality of telecommunications liberalization. But even though many of these countries accept that liberalization …

In March 1999, when Ericsson and Qualcomm ended their intellectual-property-rights deadlock over CDMA patents and jointly agreed to support approval in standards bodies of the tri-mode CDMA third-generation standard, industry …

Bulgaria KPN Telecom and Greece’s Ote raised their offer to US$600 million for a 51-percent stake in Bulgarian Telecommunications Co. The companies previously offered US$510 million, Reuters reported. If the …

Throughout the world, wireless providers tend to suffer from a common myopia: Too many carriers see their customer care operations as a simple safety net for agitated customers. While this …