CHINA
China Unicom reported it had more than 12.7 million wireless customers at the end of last year, an increase of more than 300 percent from 1999. China’s second largest wireless operator also said it added more than 1 million paging subscribers in 2000, bringing its total paging subscriber base to 44.5 million customers.
FRANCE
Lucent Technologies Inc. wants to supply third-generation mobile equipment, systems and services to one of the winners of four French UMTS telecom licenses, according to Reuters. France Telecom has shortlisted Alcatel, Ericsson and Nokia to supply its global 3G networks and equipment while Vivendi uses Lucent’s miLife 3G platform.
CANADA
Canadian wireless carrier Microcell Telecommunications Inc. said it will sell $66 million in common shares to help the company acquire the remaining 50 percent stake in fixed wireless operator Inukshuk Internet Inc. currently held by Look Communications Inc. The share offering will include 3.7 million Class B non-voting shares. Telesystem Ltd. and VoiceStream Wireless Corp., Microcell’s majority shareholders, are scheduled to purchase 1.6 million of those shares.
TMI Communications and Motient Corp. signed a joint-venture agreement under which TMI, Motient and its financial partners will create a new entity called Mobile Satellite Ventures, the companies announced. The agreement will integrate the two company’s mobile satellite operations, along with $50 million in new investment from Columbia Capital, Spectrum Equity Investors and Telcom Ventures L.L.C. Further terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Telesystem International Wireless Inc. announced it will offer a rights issue to holders of voting shares for proceeds of about $237 million. The offering involves ClearWave N.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of TIW, and after the offering, the company will maintain an interest in ClearWave ranging from 27 percent to 53 percent, depending on the number of shares issued.
