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, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
We start this week’s #TBT with the help of AT&T by taking a special look back to 1943 – well before RCR Wireless News started – with the first voice encryption system that was used for conversations between President Franklin Roosevelt and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Celebrating Encryption – from 1943 to 2015
It’s not often that we talk about World War II history on our blog, but today’s a special day. Seventy-two years ago today – July 15, 1943 – a revolutionary technology was deployed, enabling U.S. President FDR and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill to securely hold their top-secret World War II telephone conversations, without the German opposition listening in. This technology – the first voice encryption system – was developed by AT&T (then Bell Telephone Laboratories) engineers and provided the Allied Forces with a much needed technology to communicate and strategize during the war. In fact, over 3,000 encrypted messages were sent and received using this technology. … Read More
McCaw expands telecom empire
Continuing his vision to build a worldwide telecom powerhouse, Craig McCaw and his gaggle of companies have agreed to share the cost of building Level 3 Communications’ national fiber optic network by contributing $700 million. Newly formed Internext L.L.C., to be beneficially owned by competitive local exchange carrier Nextlink Communications Inc., Nextel Communications Inc. and Eagle River Investments L.L.C., made the agreement with Level 3. The agreement allows Internext access to 24 fibers and one empty conduit in the network that is expected to cover more than 15,000 route miles and connect almost every major city in the United States to data services. … 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
Brightpoint to enter repair and refurbishment business
Handset and accessory distributor Brightpoint Inc. said it plans to increase its presence in the outsourcing business by providing handset repair and refurbishment services. “This is a value-added service people have historically tried to avoid,” said John Sullivan, executive vice president with Brightpoint. “At times it is painful and not perceived as a glamorous part of the business. But it’s absolutely critical to the success of carriers and manufacturers that this area be dealt with.” Harry Blount, director of equity research with CIBC Oppenheimer, said the repair and refurbishment business is an area manufacturers want to exit. “Manufacturers make money on long product runs. Individual handset repair operations is not a game manufacturers want to get into or are good at,” he said. … Read More
Metrocall snags marketing contract with AOL
Metrocall Inc. announced a two-year interactive marketing agreement with America Online, by far the country’s largest Internet online service with more than 12 million members. Under the terms of the agreement, AOL will establish links to Metrocall’s Web site throughout the AOL service area and on its aol.com consumer site. At Metrocall’s Web site, users can send text or numeric messages to Metrocall subscribers as well as buy pagers, paging service and paging accessories. In return, Metrocall will send AOL guaranteed payments over the length of the agreement, as well as possible additional payments based on performance criteria listed in the agreement. … Read More
GSM group lobbies ITU
Some U.S. GSM and TDMA operators are irked at Qualcomm Inc. and its lobbying efforts within the U.S. government to frame the third-generation issue as a trade issue with Europe. They say that while Qualcomm is urging the State Department to take action against Europe over its refusal to consider cdmaOne technology, Qualcomm also is trying to convince the U.S. government to back W-cdmaOne technology. As a result, the GSM North American Alliance early last week sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to ask member governments to allow operators to choose the technology they prefer for third-generation wireless services rather than mandate any single technology as a requirement for licensing. … Read More
Iridium plan had room for slippages, but not many more
Iridium L.L.C. said two more of its satellites failed last week, adding to a list of concerns that caused the company’s stock price to fall about $8 following the disclosure. Of the 72 satellites placed in orbit to date, seven have failed. According to Michelle Lyle, senior manager of corporate communications at Iridium, the failures will not affect the company’s service launch, planned for Sept. 23. She said Iridium had planned for nine satellite failures in its initial business plan. “We are well within the failure rate we anticipated,” she said. In preparation of such failures, Iridium had reserved launch dates in August and October to replace satellites if necessary. Lyle said Iridium will use its August reservations to launch two satellites from a Long March rocket in China and another five from a Delta II. The two satellites from the Long March rocket will replace the two satellites that recently failed. Of the five being launched from the Delta II, two will fill two holes in the constellation, two will serve as in-orbit spares and the fifth will replace a failed spare in another plane. … Read More
Public safety not likely to get added spectrum any time soon
New public-safety spectrum will be denied to police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel well into early next century because of delays claimed by broadcasters in moving from analog to digital TV technology. The snafu is an embarrassment for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), who shepherded legislation through Congress in 1997 to reallocate 36 megahertz in TV channels 60-69 for public safety. McCain, a possible GOP presidential contender in 2000, vented his anger at a recent hearing when TV executives cited technical problems and gave other excuses to explain why they cannot return billions of dollars of analog spectrum by 2006. … Read More
McCain: FCC is running a do-nothing wireless bureau
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), turning the tables on the Clinton administration, has accused the Democratic-controlled Federal Communications Commission of running a do-nothing wireless bureau. McCain, angered specifically by the three years it took to sort out licensing issues connected with a dispatch radio application mill scandal and generally by the backlog of proceedings in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, demanded and has received from the FCC a compilation of all matters pending for one year or longer. … Read More
Consolidation, cash flow & competition concern industry
The success of the personal communications services industry has astounded industry analysts, PCS company executives and cellular carriers alike. The PCS industry is about two years old and already has penetrated the market, driven down prices and earned high revenues faster than anyone had expected. “It’s exceeded my expectations of a few years ago,” said Andrew Sukawaty, chief executive officer of Sprint Spectrum L.P., a nationwide PCS licensee. “The amount of financing the industry has pulled in is amazing. The continued growth rates are amazing. It’s a bright and early start for PCS businesses with heavy competition to have healthy cash flows and margins.” … Read More
Check out RCR Wireless News’ Archives for more stories from the past.
