2000

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. and Singapore mobile operator M1 plan to begin field trials of third-generation wideband Code Division Multiple Access technology. Nokia said it will use the trial to evaluate …

The CDMA industry recently chose to standardize Qualcomm Inc.’s High Data Rate technology, but industry analysts wonder when carriers will see a big enough business case to deploy the data-only …

FRANKFURT, Germany-WorldCom Inc. formally pulled out of the German auction for third-generation licenses. The company is the third bidder to withdraw from the process before the auction officially begins July …

NEW YORK-Streaming multimedia via portable devices may be down the road a bit, but the image of a handheld computer or cellular phone as a photograph viewer already is moving …

NEW YORK-InfoWave Software Inc. will make commercially available in July its new FirstHand server software package, which give devices enabled with Wireless Application Protocol access to Microsoft Exchange information. FirstHand …

WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court last week agreed to decide whether individuals who divulge illegally intercepted electronic communications are as liable as eavesdroppers themselves, setting a showdown between free speech and wireless …

BRUSSELS, Belgium-The mobile subsidiaries of Belgacom and Deutsche Telekom are partnering to jointly bid for a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System license in the Netherlands. The combined company, 3G Blue, will …

SINGAPORE-The dominant rise of prepaid cards compared with subscription-based accounts has been the defining element of Vietnam’s mobile phone environment during the last six months. Almost entirely due to the …

DENVER, United States-Rumors that Deutsche Telekom was preparing a US$32 billion offer to acquire U.S. GSM carrier VoiceStream Wireless circulated at press time. DT has been hunting for U.S. acquisitions …

BEIJING-The mobile Internet revolution is knocking on China’s door. With 60 million mobile-phone subscribers and only 10 million people surfing the Internet using personal computers, Web access through mobile phones …

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block the US$129 billion merger between WorldCom and Sprint, the second- and third-largest U.S. long-distance telecom carriers, respectively. The lawsuit, combined with …

BUCHAREST, Romania-At the end of May, the principle vendors of mobile telephones in Romania held a meeting to discuss the country’s black market for mobile handset sales. In the other …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Telecom regulatory authority, Anatel, said Brazil’s personal communications services (PCS) licenses will be auctioned later this year in three geographic areas, with up to three operators in each …

TORONTO-The major Canadian carriers are cautiously laying the groundwork for third-generation (3G) wireless networks. But true, full-blown 3G in Canada is at least three to four years away. “Canadian mobile …

BEIJING-China is still set to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the end of the year. Upon accession, foreign operators will be permitted a 25-percent share of Chinese mobile …

SINGAPORE-Governments in Asia will issue licenses of third-generation (3G) cellular networks to around 40 operators in 11 countries within the next year, representatives from several equipment vendors said at the …

TOKYO-Since NTT DoCoMo launched its iMode wireless data service in February 1999, the number of mobile Internet users in Japan-more than 10 million as of the end of May-has taken …

Alcatel. Benin. With Office des Postes et Telecommunications (OPT) for a GSM network, along with fiber-optic and switching equipment. Value: US$32.8 million Kenya. With KenCell for a 50,000-subscriber capacity GSM …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Cuba’s government decreed that the new millennium begins on 1 January, 2001, and to mark the event, grand celebrations are being prepared. In tone with the decision, the …

GENEVA-The sky-high third-generation (3G) license fees generated by the United Kingdom’s May auction are having serious repercussions for European operators seeking a pan-regional presence. Governments on the mainland are rejigging …

DUBLIN, Ireland-Trunked radio may be dismissed by some as the poor relation of GSM and an irrelevance in the world of multibillion pound Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license bids, …

HONG KONG-The government of Hong Kong is likely to be among the first in the Asia-Pacific region to clear spectrum and issue licenses for third-generation (3G) mobile phones, according to …

LONDON-The fixed wireless market in Israel is set for a period of heightened activity. The Communications Ministry submitted regulations to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in early May that will pave …

TOKYO-While the Japanese cellular phone market has been rapidly expanding, the paging industry is in decline. According to the Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA), an industry association, Japan had 1.8 million …

SEOUL, South Korea-South Korea said it would limit the number of licenses for operating much-coveted third-generation (3G) mobile services networks to three, adopt a modified “beauty contest” that will bring …