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 those sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and enjoy the memories!
Prices drop as wireless companies compete for customers
NEW YORK-Competition among wireless carriers has driven down per-minute use charges by 6 percent on average, with some carriers slashing prices by more than a third, according to a new study by Paul Kagan Associates Inc., Carmel, Calif. A closer look at the most competitive markets for the first nine months of the year shows some wireless carriers launching aggressive first strikes in potential price wars. In Milwaukee, BellSouth Cellular Corp., doing business as Cellular One, chopped per-minute charges by 43 percent for very-high-use customers, said Richelle Elberg, a Kagan Associates analyst. Omnipoint Communications Services Inc. effectively cut its rate for customers in the New York metropolitan area by 33 percent when it raised to 30 from five the number of `free’ minutes included in its monthly plan, she said. With the overall 6 percent price reductions, the average price now ranges from 27 cents to 74 cents per minute for 100 minutes of use. For 300 minutes of use, the average per-minute charge is between 16 cents and 53 cents per minute. For 750 minutes of use, the blended cost-per-minute range is 13 cents to 47 cents. Nationwide, Sprint Spectrum L.P.’s Sprint PCS service in St. Louis offers the lowest rate for 30 minutes of use at $17, or 57 cents per minute, for a `security user plan’. Security user plans, which generally cover up to a half-hour of use per month, are geared toward customers who want their wireless handsets primarily for emergency or other urgent calls. At the high end, Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co. charged 74 cents per minute for its 100-minutes-of-use plan. The plan offering the lowest price per 100 minutes is the GTE Mobilnet Inc. PCS service in Cincinnati, at 27 cents per minute. … Read more
Motorola CDMA comes to China
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc.’s Cellular Infrastructure Group last week said it completed a new Code Division Multiple Access system for China’s first CDMA operator, Beijing Telecom Greatwall Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. Motorola said it is the only system supplier for the Beijing network, which has an initial capacity for 43,000 subscribers. … Read more
Nokia expands GSM networks in China
ESPOO,Finland-Nokia Corp. signed agreements to expand Global System for Mobile communications networks for two carriers in China. An agreement with Jiangxi Post and Telecommunications Administration China calls for Nokia to complete the third expansion of the Jiangxi GSM 900 MHz network, which will bring network capacity to 370,000 subscribers, said Nokia. Deliveries are scheduled to begin shortly and the network will be operational next fall. Under an agreement with Henan Post and Telecommunications Administration, Nokia is expected to complete the third expansion of Henan PTA’s GSM 900 MHz network. … Read more
800 MHz auction bidding winds down
WASHINGTON-With the numbers showing net revenues of $80.7 million at the end of round 142 last Wednesday, and with 14 new high bids garnered, there was hope at press time that the 800 MHz specialized mobile radio auction would be over by Thanksgiving. Sixteen bidders remain in the running during this latest Federal Communications Commission sale, down from an original 62. Nextel Communications Inc.’s bidding arm, Nextel License Acquisition Co., held high bids on 488 of 525 licenses in 175 markets, for a total net commitment of $75.6 million. Nevada Wireless had high bids on 10 licenses totaling $380,250; Southern Co. had pledged $1 million on seven licenses costing; Silver Palm Communications Inc. had four high bids for $69,550; Jamestown Communications Inc. spent $102,000 for two licenses; and High Tech Communications Services, North Sight Communications Inc., Communications Pacific Inc., Mountain SMR Group and Hawaiian SMR Co. each had one license. High bids on the remaining nine licenses are held among six other bidders. … Read more
Ericsson touts smallest PCS device yet
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.-Ericsson Inc. recently announced that shipments of its smallest personal communications services phone are under way this month. The CF 788 weighs 4.7 ounces and stands four inches tall. It provides three hours and 20 minutes of talk time and 60 hours of standby time, said Ericsson. The new phone also has two vocoders, including an enhanced, full-rate vocoder. Consumers can personalize the CF 788 by choosing between the reduced menu mode for the functions they use most, or the fully extended menu mode to access all the phone’s features. Users also can choose from 12 ring types, including seven melodies, or compose their own melody-a feature unique to Ericsson, said the company. The new phone supports short message service, caller ID, alternate line service, over-the-air activation and a subscriber identity module card for international roaming. It will store the phone numbers of unanswered calls and up to 97 speed-dial locations. … Read more
OfficeMax to sell PageMart pagers
DALLAS-PageMart Wireless Inc. announced it has reached an agreement in principle to provide pagers and paging services to more than 660 OfficeMax Inc. retail locations nationwide. The arrangement is aimed at the small office/home office market, OfficeMax’s primary demographic target and a market PageMart has wanted to reach for some time. Under the agreement, PageMart will provide Motorola Inc. pagers, including the Pronto, the Digitz, the Express Xtra FLEX and the Advisor Gold Elite. … Read more
Powertel launches GSM service in Atlanta
ATLANTA-Powertel Inc. launched its Global System for Mobile communications personal communications services network in Atlanta, bringing to 22 the number of metropolitan areas and major highway corridors in which the company provides service. Powertel is offering Atlanta customers rate plans ranging from $20 per month for 100 minutes to $90 per month for 1,000 minutes. The company also is offering long-distance service calling priced at 10 cents per minute to numbers within Powertel’s 12-state service region and 15 cents per minute outside the company’s service area. … Read more
Sprint PCS brings service to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES-Sprint Spectrum L.P. announced the launch of its personal communications services wireless network in Los Angeles, using Lucent Technologies Inc.’ Code Division Multiple Access network infrastructure equipment. Sprint PCS is offering its customers three rate plans. The Diamond Plan offers 750 “anytime” minutes for $75 per month and 15 cents per additional minute. The Crystal Plan costs $50 for 375 anytime minutes and 20 cents per additional minute, and the Prism Plan offers 20 anytime minutes for $20 and 40 cents per additional minute. All plans include caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, voice mail, three-way calling and first incoming minute free in the customer’s home service area. … Read more
General Magic introduces CDMA-equipped handheld tablet computers for enterprise
SUNNYVALE, Calif.-General Magic Inc. unveiled its first product in the DataRover family of handheld communications devices. The DataRover 840 is a handheld computer, weighing 18 ounces, in a tablet design. It uses General Magic’s Magic Cap 3.1 operating system, which is written specifically for mobile applications, the company said. The device can send and receive e-mail and faxes and can access the Internet and intranets via Cellular Digital Packet Data, Ricochet, Ardis, analog cellular and wireless ethernet connections. The device is aimed at vertical markets in the health care, utilities and transportation industries. General Magic said it will launch the Nightingale Tracker, a health care application designed to run on the DataRover family of products, with FITNE Inc., formerly the Fuld Institute for Technology in Nursing Education. The Nightingale Tracker allows nurses to collect and communicate patient data outside the hospital-at home or in community health care settings. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
