Editor’s Note: RCR Wireless News goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the top headlines from the past. Fire up the time machine, put on the sepia-tinted shades and enjoy the memories!
Nextel reprimands sales force to stop pressure tactics
Nextel Communications Inc., admonished by the Federal Communications Commission for alleged marketing misrepresentations that could-if continued-lead to hefty fines or revocation of licenses, has ordered its sales force not to use pressure tactics or make misleading statements to sign up customers on its digital wireless networks. “The FCC has stated that, if we do not take greater care in representing and selling our services, they will take measures against Nextel such as imposing multimillion-dollar fines or revoking of frequency licenses if additional instances of misconduct come to their attention,” Nextel told employees in a July 9 bulletin. … Read More
Private wireless users keep pressing for spectrum
The users of private wireless communications recently stressed their support for more spectrum. The reply comments were in response to a petition filed by the Land Mobile Communications Council on April 22 asking the Federal Communications Commission to allow them access to various blocks of spectrum. The specific spectrum requests LMCC made in its petition are not set in stone but rather were a starting point for discussion, said John M. Kneuer, executive director for government relations for the Industrial Telecommunications Association. ITA often speaks for LMCC. “I am worried we will debate this [on the petition] over the [specific spectrum] bands instead of core issues,” Kneuer said. Other issues include the needs of private wireless users and whether private wireless users should be assessed lease fees for any additional spectrum assigned to them. … Read More
PageMart expanding ReFLEX 25 into 15 states this month
PageMart Wireless Inc. announced an aggressive rollout schedule for its facilities-based ReFLEX 25 guaranteed messaging service, with commercial service planned for areas of 15 additional states in August as well as expansions in the inaugural state of Texas. States expected to have service this month include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington and Wyoming. The two-way, ReFLEX 25 narrowband personal communications services network first was launched in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, last June, making PageMart the first ReFLEX 25 carrier and the second ReFLEX operator next to SkyTel Communications Inc., which operates a ReFLEX 50 network. … Read More
AT&T to partner with BT
The quest for international partnerships continued last week as AT&T Corp. announced a $10 billion joint-venture plan with British Telecommunications plc to more strongly position itself in the global market. AT&T and BT July 26 said they have agreed to pool their international operations and form a new company, yet to be named, to provide telecom services to multinational corporate clients. The announcement follows recent moves by AT&T in the United States to position itself in domestic local markets. In June, AT&T announced its proposed $48 billion acquisition of cable TV giant Tele-Communications Inc. AT&T also has agreed to buy Teleport Communications Group Inc., which provides local-loop services to businesses. … Read More
Policy makers ask if merger will lead to competition
The proposed marriage between Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. was met with skepticism from Washington telecommunications policy makers, most of whom do not believe the companies’ claims that the merger will lead to more competition. The marriage, worth at least $52.5 billion, would create a telecommunications giant with a presence in 40 states. It would top the merger between SBC Communications Inc. and Ameritech Corp. announced in May. The two mergers, along with an announced alliance between AT&T Corp. and British Telecommunications plc, show the telecom industry is moving toward more consolidation, not more competition, many policy makers said. … Read More
Smaller proportion of new wireless phone users are buying for safety
Safety and security may be becoming a smaller factor for wireless subscribers. Fewer than half of respondents to an IDC/Link survey of current users reported they used their phone primarily for security or safety. Last year, 54% of respondents said safety and security was the primary use of their phone. Respondents reported making about two emergency calls last year from their cellular or personal communications services phone. The remaining respondents were evenly split – 27% each – between using their phone mainly for business and mainly for convenience. … Read More
Growth rates slowing as APRU starts climbing
Total paging subscribers will reach 68.9 million by year-end 2002, according to The Strategis Group report, “The State of the U.S. Paging Industry: 1998.” Of that number, 60.5 million are expected to be one-way subscribers and 8.4 million advanced messaging and narrowband personal communications services customers. The latter figure was further broken down to 55 percent being guaranteed messaging alphanumeric users and the remainder split between full two-way and voice-messaging subscribers. … Read More
Brazil privatization nets $19 billion
The government of Brazil received premiums of more than 200% over minimum bid requirements on some of the cellular properties it auctioned off last week. The sealed-bid auction last Wednesday that split Telecomunicacoes Brasileiros S.A. (Telebras) among several international and local players earned the government nearly $19 billion. The government’s controlling stakes in Telebras’ eight cellular properties, three local landline properties and its long-distance property were sold as part of the company’s privatization. … Read More
3G choice could sting U.S. firms
The Clinton administration, encouraged but apparently not swayed by assurances in Brussels that Europe will be open to multiple third-generation wireless standards, is growing increasingly worried that American mobile phone technology will be locked out of the 15-nation European Union in the next century. “We are concerned about how the standards-development process in Europe affects U.S. telecom manufacturers and potential services providers,” said David Aaron, Commerce Department undersecretary for international trade, in written testimony given to the House Ways and Means subcommittee on trade last week. … Read More
Dobson Communications to buy Sygnet Wireless
Dobson Communications Corp. signed an agreement to acquire Sygnet Wireless Inc., which has been looking for a buyer since April. The agreement will expand Dobson’s wireless footprint to include Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Dobson’s wireless networks already cover Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, California and Arizona. Terms of the agreement call for Sygnet shareholders to receive $337.5 million, or $34.51 per share, on a fully diluted basis. Dobson also will assume all of Sygnet’s long-term debt, which totaled about $310 million on June 30, said the company. … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
Photo courtesy of the Marconi Society.
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