2002

TOKYO—DDI Pocket, Japan’s largest PHS operator, is going to launch a 128 kilobits per second (kbps) data transmission service on 26 March, the carrier announced on 17 January. DDI Pocket, …

WASHINGTON—Telecom regulator Conatel has postponed by 60 days the pre-qualification process for the concession of cellular and personal communications services (PCS) licenses in Honduras. The new deadline is expected to …

ATLANTA, United States—BellSouth agreed to pay US$150,000 in fines after a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint alleged that managers at Telcel, BellSouth’s Venezuelan wireless subsidiary, paid nearly US$11 …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina—The auction of eight sets of frequencies for 2.5-generation (2.5G) and third-generation (3G) licenses in Uruguary, planned for 28 January, was postponed until May due to a request …

BOSTON, United States—Bankrupt paging company Arch Wireless has filed a reorganization plan highlighting the efforts it will take to pull itself out of its US$2 billion debt. Arch said it …

ATLANTA, United States—Cingular Wireless reported it has begun field testing GAIT technology, which would allow customers to roam seamlessly between its TDMA and GSM networks as part of its network …

SAN JOSE, California, United States—Netro will acquire AT&T Wireless’ “Project Angel” fixed-wireless assets, including the company’s development team, a license to intellectual property, equipment and proprietary software assets for US$16 …

WASHINGTON—Bankrupt U.S. personal communications services (PCS) carrier NextWave Telecom received a 14-day extension on the deadline to file its opposition to the U.S. government’s Supreme Court appeal of a federal …

BEDMINSTER, New Jersey, United States—Verizon Wireless acquired 10 megahertz personal communications services (PCS) licenses from Carolina PCS I Limited Partnership and its subsidiaries, covering about 3.4 million people in the …

MONTREAL—Microcell Telecommunications laid off 180 employees in its offices across Canada as part of its strategic reorganization following the recent completion of its financing. The layoffs follow a previous “adjustment” …

TORONTO—Rogers AT&T Wireless has become the first wireless carrier in Canada to offer ICQ two-way short message service (SMS) messaging on its network. The deal with America Online, which owns …

ST. LOUIS, United States—Telia Mobile Denmark will use billing system provider Amdocs’ Ensemble product for its convergent customer care and billing system, the companies announced. The billing platform combines voice, …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Ericsson has won a contract to deliver wireless broadband access network for Telia Group company, Skanova. “We have chosen the supplier that has the best combination of technical performance, …

BERLIN, Germany—Germany’s MobilCom said it will sell its fixed-line assets to Freenet, an Internet service provider (ISP) in which MobilCom holds a majority stake. The company is planning to focus …

PRAGUE, Czech Republic—Eight companies have submitted bids for a majority stake in Cesky Telecom. Cesky Telecom owns 51 percent of EuroTel Praha, the country’s largest mobile operator. The government did …

MILAN, Italy—Hutchison Whampoa’s Italian third-generation (3G) subsidiary, announced it secured about e4.2 billion (US$3.7 billion) in financing to build its 3G network in Italy. An underwriting group of 11 banks …

CALGARY—Wi-Lan said it is participating in Wi-Comm Communications, a joint venture in Beijing, created to accelerate Wi-Lan’s penetration into the Chinese market. Wi-Lan said it granted Wi-Comm a nonexclusive license …

BEIJING—Technology and handset issues have forced Chinese mobile operators to postpone trials of TD-SCDMA, China’s proprietary third-generation (3G) technology. The trials will commence in the third quarter of this year, …

HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s telecom regulator has asked for comments on its proposal to reduce mobile carrier license fees beginning in May. The country’s Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau has proposed …

TOKYO—A governmental advisory body for the telecommunications ministry on 16 January decided to revise the telecom regulation to let operators use the OFDM system for their wireless local area network …

TOKYO—Japanese mobile-phone shipments in November 2001 dropped by 24.2 percent to 3.22 million units, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) announced. It is the sixth consecutive decline …

LONDON—Vodafone, a Vodafone Group subsidiary, exercised its option to sell to Siemens its 50-percent stake, minus 2 shares, in the Atecs Mannesmann engineering and automotive businesses for US$3.3 billion.

OSLO, Norway—Telenor announced it completed the acquisition of Comsat Mobile Communications, making Comsat the new U.S. subsidiary of Telenor under the name Telenor Satellite Services. The final purchase price is …

LONDON—Marconi said it plans to cut 4,000 more jobs as part of its strategy to pare down its annual operating expenses to US$1.2 billion. The additional cuts, according to the …

SWINDON, U.K.—Lucent Technologies and Qualcomm said they have collaborated to place a series of voice calls employing Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) technology in compliance with the 3G Partnership Program …