January 2001

Almost a month after the apparent demise of TSR Wireless L.L.C., which was the nation’s fourth-largest paging carrier before it suddenly closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy, there is …

NEW YORK-Extent Technologies is beta testing a new generation of software designed to help wireless carriers rate and bill multiple kinds of wireless services as customers are using them. The …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. announced a joint research effort aimed at improving multimedia delivery and network applications over fourth-generation wireless broadband networks. The companies are calling their 4G …

In the story “Nokia to ship Lutris Enhydra 3.5 with mobile developer tools,” (Dec. 18, page 6), the headline and copy should have stated that Lutris Technologies Inc. will ship …

OSLO, Norway-Telenor said it would exercise its option to sell its 10-percent stake in German operator Viag Interkom GmbH to British Telecommunications plc. The transaction, expected to be completed in …

TOKYO-Toshiba Corp., Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd., and IBM Japan Ltd. said they will establish a joint-venture company to authorize the use of the Bluetooth logo in Japan, which is mandatory …

WASHINGTON-Baltimore superlawyer Peter Angelos confirmed he may take over mobile phone-cancer litigation in Maryland that was dealt a major legal setback recently, but he distanced himself from press reports last …

HONG KONG-“Third-generation services are here,” proclaimed the advertisements from Qualcomm at International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom Asia 2000. “The wait is over.” Korea’s SK Telecom was the first operator to …

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-Five countries in the Eastern Caribbean have passed legislation on telecommunications liberalization and set up a regulatory body to oversee competition in the new year. But while this is …

TORONTO-Rumors continue to swirl in the wireless sector here that Microcell Telecommunications of Montreal is for sale. Microcell operates the Fido brand GSM personal communications services (PCS) network and started …

The talk throughout 2000 centered on third-generation (3G) technology-its high costs, functionality, risks and mostly its promise. But 3G has different meanings in different circles. Because 3G is something that …

SEOUL, South Korea-South Korea awarded much-coveted third-generation (3G) mobile service licenses to SK Telecom, the country’s largest mobile carrier, and state-run Korea Telecom on 15 December. The race, however, is …

NEW DELHI, India-The Indonesian cellular phone market, which witnessed strong growth during 2000 despite political turmoil, is set for further expansion in 2001 when two more GSM players join the …

HONG KONG-Hong Kong’s usually efficient telecom regulators are struggling in their efforts to license third-generation (3G) spectrum, while avoiding the damaging costs of European-style spectrum auctions. The Office of the …

TOKYO-KDDI, the second-largest carrier in Japan, has decided to launch its third-generation (3G) services based on High Data Rate (HDR) technology. KDDI will launch its HDR services initially using the …

PRAGUE, Czech Republic-During the 11 years since the fall of communism in Central Europe, the region’s countries have rapidly embraced mobile telephony, including the ubiquitous GSM networks now blanketing the …

DENVER, United States-Like the harmony of opposites, caution and adventure characterize the journey to the wide-scale rollout of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Vendors are playing starry-eyed idealists, while operators …

The millennium is off to a good start for Vodafone Group. The U.K.-based carrier began 2000 with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann, parent of its rival Orange, and continued with …

TOKYO-KDDI, the sole cdmaOne operator in Japan, has been expanding its international roaming services, fully using its universally standardized cdmaOne technology. In January, KDDI launched international roaming services in Canada …

LONDON-State regulators in Europe are gearing up to promote the 40 GHz-43.5 GHz band for fixed-wireless telecom services, which will enable new entrants to compete against dominant operators such as …

GENEVA-Europe is set to witness an explosion in the number of mobile base stations, as operators gear up for the imminent launch of third-generation (3G) services in early 2002. A …

HONG KONG-“This time it’s for real,” stated Robert Mao, president of Nortel Networks China. But Irwin Jacobs, chairman of Qualcomm, was rather more sanguine. “I’ve gone from being cautiously optimistic,” …

Dear Editor: I have found your Global Wireless news to be quite edifying. I, however, must correct you on the “First Caribbean CPP provider emerges” article in the September-October 2000, …

AirNet United States. With MBO for a GPRS system. Value: Undisclosed Alcatel Gambia. With Gamtel for a turnkey GSM network to be installed in the greater Banjul area. Value: Undisclosed …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo has been gearing up its global strategy, concluding one investment agreement after another. Since December 1999, it has invested in carriers in Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Britain. …