Editor’s Note: The RCR Wireless News Time Machine is a way to take advantage of our extensive history in covering the wireless space to fire up the DeLorean and take a trip back in time to re-visit some of the more interesting headlines from this week in history. Enjoy the ride!
Prepaid growth in Western Europe likely to decline
The rapid growth of prepaid wireless services in Western Europe will not continue unchecked, according to a report published by Strategy Analytics. The availability and adoption of prepaid wireless services in Western Europe has increased dramatically during 1998, with an expected 15 million customers opting for prepaid service during the year compared with 12 million customers selecting postpaid options. Prepaid cellular tariffs in Western Europe offer low-use customers average savings of 40 percent compared with postpaid subscription alternatives, according to Strategy Analytics. … Read More
Prepaid service has its critics
The rapidly growing prepaid wireless sector offers carriers a means to reduce customer acquisition costs and capture market segments otherwise out of reach. Nevertheless, prepaid has its problems and its critics. Proponents of prepaid, however, argue solutions are readily available to smooth the bumps. “The overall response to prepaid has been very positive. It has a role in the market, but it’s not the Holy Grail and there’s always an element of trial and error,” said Kent Olson, a consultant with The Strategis Group, Washington, D.C. … Read More
CDMA expansion may taper off, analysts say
Some analysts are expecting Code Division Multiple Access infrastructure spending to taper off in 1999 as cdmaOne infrastructure deployments in China remain questionable. “I think China is the lynch pin for CDMA infrastructure going into next year and to a certain extent greater Asia,” said Crispin Vicars, equipment analyst with the Yankee Group in Boston. “Technology upgrades are going slow.” China is at a standstill in deploying cdmaOne technology. Though China Telecom Great Wall is operating a test cdmaOne system, the Chinese government will not allow it to expand commercially since the People’s Liberation Army owns 50 percent of the network. The government since summer has been trying to push the PLA out of commercial affairs, including telecom, in an effort to eliminate corruption the government says is associated with the army. The PLA is not budging so far. … Read More
AOL connection could boost Metrocall’s role in e-commerce
The wireless implications of America Online Inc.’s acquisition of Netscape Communications Corp. and its related strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems Inc. continue to reverberate as more attention has been given to the possible role paging carrier Metrocall Inc. may play in AOL’s long-term strategy. On July 17, Metrocall and AOL entered into an interactive marketing arrangement that called for AOL to promote and sell Metrocall’s services through an exclusive online campaign and e-commerce site, which AOL began doing last week by adding Metrocall links to its member home page as well as to its Web site. Additionally, Metrocall launched a new Web site Monday, featuring an online store of its own. … Read More
APCO says digital-only rule will leave spectrum fallow
he current Federal Communications Commission plan for public-safety digital-only operations in the 700 MHz band (746-806 MHz) will lead to unused spectrum for as long as seven years, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International warned last week. The FCC adopted rules in September that required that a federal advisory council, known as the National Coordination Committee, become accredited through the American National Standards Institute and then develop technical standards to operate digital equipment in the 700 MHz band all within four years. … Read More
Pac Bell calls on Wildfire
After more than a year of testing, Pacific Bell Wireless announced it will offer the Wildfire electronic personal assistant from Wildfire Communications Inc. to its personal communications services customers in Los Angeles, making it the first U.S. carrier to license the technology. Using text-to-speech and voice recognition technology, the Wildfire service answers subscribers’ calls and relays various types of messages when given verbal commands from the user. Other services include voice dialing, voice-controlled voice mail, incoming call alert and an address book capable of storing up to 150 contacts. … Read More
Excitement grows for smart phones, but mainstream still a challenge
Ever since Nokia Mobile Phones Inc. introduced the first in a new class of mobile phones with its Nokia 9000 Communicator, the excitement surrounding the idea of devices that combine wireless voice and data has been growing. Nokia last week manufactured its 100 millionth mobile phone-a Nokia 9110 second-generation Communicator-almost three years since the first Communicator was introduced. Other manufacturers have followed Nokia’s lead, introducing products or plans for smart phone products that promise to increase subscriber minutes of use and battle declining handset prices. Most recently, Qualcomm Inc. announced market trials of its pdQ smart phone, which integrates 3Com’s Palm Computing platform with its Code Division Multiple Access technology. Samsung Telecommunications America Inc. and Sony Electronics Inc. also have announced plans to introduce smart-phone products within the next year. … Read More
Orbcomm constellation complete with 28 satellites in orbit
Orbcomm Global L.P. announced its $500 million constellation of 28 low-earth-orbit satellites is complete and able to offer full commercial service worldwide. Orbcomm has offered limited service capabilities for more than two years on the two satellites it launched in 1995. However, those two satellites were only in view for several minutes at a time, meaning coverage was available less than 5 percent of the day. With the constellation complete, Orbcomm said it now can offer its services anytime, anywhere. “Clearly, that was only a first step,” said Scott Webster, Orbcomm president and chief executive officer. “This is a real milestone for us. Here we are 10 years later with just the right technology.” … Read More
3Com’s Palm VII logs onto the Internet
Palm Computing Inc., an affiliate of 3Com Corp., introduced the Palm VII personal digital assistant at the Palm Computing Platform Worldwide Developer Conference in Santa Clara, Calif., featuring out-of-the-box wireless connectivity to the Internet, World Wide Web and instant two-way personal communications. Through various partnerships with wireless data and Internet companies, the Palm VII gives users the ability to obtain Internet information such as flight schedules and news headlines, as well as conduct online transactions like stock trades and ticket purchasing. BellSouth Wireless Data will provide the underlying wireless data network, reselling the service to Palm. The company also created the wireless subscriber management function, which allows for over-the-air service activation. … Read More
China encourages local equipment buys
A move by the Chinese government is sure to develop a new wireless telecommunications landscape in China but also may create an uncertain future for foreign wireless infrastructure and handset vendors selling equipment there. The Chinese government is urging the country’s wireless operators to purchase equipment from local manufacturers when possible and has said it will stop approving new joint ventures between Chinese and foreign manufacturers to give Chinese-based vendors more of an advantage in the market. Existing joint ventures have been told to speed up technology transfers to local Chinese plants. … Read More
