June 2001

NEW YORK-Vodafone Group plc introduced international roaming for its prepaid mobile-phone customers on its networks across Europe. The service, already available to Vodafone’s postpaid customers, follows the launch of Vodafone …

ATLANTA-Cingular Wireless introduced its national wireless micropayment billing service, Cingular DirectBill, allowing customers to bill purchases made by wireless phones or from the Internet to their current wireless phone bill. …

TOKYO-Japanese telecom firm KDDI Corp. has agreed to cooperate with China Unicom Ltd. on mobile-phone and Internet access technologies, according to international press reports. KDDI uses CDMA technology, and China …

WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association said it supports Nextel Communications Inc.’s waiver application from enhanced 911 Phase II requirements. “Nextel has documented the process by which it arrived at …

NEW YORK-To help wireless carriers assess the quality of service as it is delivered to their customers via the Internet, Agilent Technologies Inc., Fort Collins, Colo., introduced at Supercomm its …

NEW YORK-ISeg Technologies Inc., McLean, Va., expects to release commercially by mid-June a software package that allows wireless carriers to monitor in real time customer use of different services and …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Aeris.net, a Web-to-wireless telemetry network operator, and American Innovations, a supplier of remote monitoring systems, have teamed up to offer what they say is a surer way to …

Under an agreement announced last week between messaging carrier Arch Wireless Inc. and entertainment company Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc., TV sets sold next year will be-in essence-really big pagers. The …

ScoreBoard likes to keep the networking slate clean of errors. The company, which specializes in network management and optimization for the mobile communications industry, helps operators to improve network quality …

If the debate over third-generation mobile-phone spectrum depended solely on financial lobbying clout, the well-heeled cellular industry would be awash in radio frequencies by now. Case closed. Complete, total victory. …

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Glenayre Technologies Inc. slapped back at Research In Motion Ltd., which recently filed a patent lawsuit against the company’s unified message distribution service. Glenayre said it filed an answer …

MEXICO CITY-U.S.-based Williams Communications said it entered an agreement with America Movil, the wireless arm of Mexican telecom giant TelMex, to sell its 19-percent interest in Brazilian wireless provider Algar …

BRAMPTON, Ontario-Standard and Poor’s has lowered its outlook on Nortel Networks Corp. to “negative” from “stable” as the company warned that the downturn in the market may lead to a …

NEW YORK-Motorola Inc. said it has agreed to conduct an eight-week trial of Emblaze Systems’ technology using a scaled-down version of a cdma2000 1xRTT network. It is designed to test …

NEW YORK-To celebrate World Environment Day, a group of telecommunications carriers, equipment vendors and industry associations formed the Global e-Sustainability Initiative last week, an alliance billed as the first of …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. said it expects its third-quarter sales to be better than during the second quarter. Lucent Chairman Henry Schacht said the company is confident in its …

NEW YORK-Global semiconductor sales dropped 4.7 percent in April to $13.72 billion from $14.4 billion in March, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. The deepest dives were in the Americas …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Semotus Solutions, a wireless application service provider and infrastructure architect, recently acquired Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Application Design Associates Inc., a provider of equipment-centric integrated tracking systems for the …

ATLANTA-IBM Corp. announced it is now delivering location services over its WebSphere Everyplace Server 2.1 software. IBM has partnered with SignalSoft Corp., a provider of location management infrastructure, to get …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless signed an agreement with Rural Cellular Corp. Minnesota Inc. to acquire a 10 MHz personal communications services license covering the southern Oregon Basic Trading Areas of Medford-Grants …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Wireless and Motorola Inc. introduced two new wireless handsets that, with an optional headset, also serves as an FM radio. The FM functionality on the Motorola V120c and …

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Sprint PCS and Extensity Inc. reported a marketing and technology integration agreement allowing business customers the ability to wirelessly manage expenses and travel, track project time and facilitate …

TORONTO-Wireless application service provider Asia MobileNet launched a new financial services application based on technology from 724 Solutions Inc., the companies announced today. The application will give Hong Kong brokers …

WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association announced election results for the 2001-2002 board of directors and executive committee. Rick Ekstrand of Rural Cellular Corp. will serve as chairman, Tim Donahue …

BOSTON-Mobile services company Sonera Zed U.S. Inc. announced it plans to offer a variety of ring tones and icons in addition to its WAP and short message service offerings for …