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!
Nokia announced latest innovation in smartphone technology
The Big Mac of wireless devices has arrived. Shaped like a regular cellular phone, the Nokia 9000 Communicator opens to expose an interactive digital world of voice, data, fax, e-mail, computer, on-line and organizer features to appease the cravings of today’s business professionals. Nokia Mobile Phones said the 9000 tops the new “smartphone” product category. Most smartphones, or superphones, in the market today feature voice, paging and short message services and operate on cellular and personal communications services frequencies. The 9000 runs on Geoworks’ GEOS 3.0 operating system and uses microprocessor technology and flash memory from Intel Corp., which allows for a high level of integration and power efficiency, said Intel. The 9000 won’t reach the United States until more digital networks are up. Nokia plans to launch 9000 in 89 countries this summer, including New Zealand, Australia and parts of Europe and the Far East, which are equipped with Global System for Mobile communications networks. First to market in broadband PCS, American Personal Communications, branded as Sprint Spectrum, offers all-in-one PCS handsets that provide its Washington, D.C./Baltimore customers alphanumeric paging and fax capabilities as well as voice, said spokeswoman Anne Schelle. Sprint Spectrum distributes smartphones from Nokia, Ericsson Inc. and Motorola Inc. The GSM digital phones start at around $100 retail, added Schelle. … Read more
C-block bidders turn to street fights over rules
WASHINGTON-The gloves finally are off in the fight for the most desirable C-block broadband personal communications services markets. Instead of taking the battle outside to duke it out, certain C-block bidders are using the Federal Communications Commission as the venue of choice. In a March 12 letter to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, GO Communications Corp. President Steve Zecola urged the commission to investigate “illegitimate bidders” who are causing the rapid rise in marketplace values. “Bona fide C-block entrepreneurs are faced with a `prisoners dilemma’ requiring a choice between falling out of the auction or paying escalating prices,” Zecola wrote. Without naming names, Zecola pointed a finger at rival NextWave Telecom Inc.-which GO backed to the hilt recently when the competing bidder warned the commission in a similar letter to watch out for rulebreakers-by making thinly veiled accusations regarding NextWave’s foreign-ownership limitations. “Now GO has learned that the most aggressive auction participant has approached the FCC regarding a waiver of the 310(b) ownership restrictions while simultaneously bidding billions in such a manner as to drive out numerous legitimate small businesses,” Zecola added. In a reversal of its opinion two weeks ago that nothing should stop the C-block auctions, even temporarily, GO asked the FCC to “halt the auction if it concurs with GO that several bidders are disqualified under FCC rules … these parties should be disqualified from the auction before it is restarted.” … Read more
Spring ‘no bid’s FTS 2000, calls it too limiting
WASHINGTON-In a move that could chill other potential bidders, Sprint Corp. has taken itself out of the running for a multiyear federal government wireless provision contract that could be worth “a few hundred million” because it claims the General Services Administration already has decided on a cellular-only format.
The carrier, which recently spent billions on personal communications services licenses, currently is a co-provider with AT&T Corp. of government-wide voice, data and video services under the Federal Telecommunications Services 2000 contract that runs out in December 1998.
GTE Corp., AT&T, Motorola Inc. and the regional Bell holding companies remain the probable contenders for the upcoming wireless contract. The multivendor deal could be awarded as early as March 1997, but the process is approximately six months behind. The actual request for proposals is due to be circulated sometime this summer, and potential bidders have until March 29 to indicate whether they are in or out.
The RFP originally was geared to attract all categories of wireless service providers-cellular, paging, PCS and enhanced specialized mobile radio-but when the preliminary text was released late last fall, the emphasis was on the provision of cellular-only systems because those networks already are in place. However, the RFP did not take into account that while many PCS and ESMR networks still are being built, they could be up and running by the time the new government contract was set to transition-December 1998. … Read more
Unless countries open up markets, trade talks could collapse
WASHINGTON-U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor warned that World Trade Organization telecommunications talks will collapse unless more countries agree to open their markets, a development that could complicate efforts to ease foreign ownership restrictions in this country at a time when American firms are scraping for capital to buy and build wireless franchises sold by the government. Kantor, in a March 4 letter to WTO Director General Renato Ruggiero, said high-level meetings of the Negotiating Group on Basic Telecommunications “will soon be in serious trouble” if a critical mass of nations do not come forward with serious offers to open telecommunications markets. In addition, Kantor threatened to take off the table a U.S. proposal to open local telecom markets in the United States to overseas carriers and to allow foreign officers and directors on American companies that get licenses from the Federal Communications Commission. WTO telecom talks are expected to wrap up at the end of April in Geneva. The current law limits foreign investment in telecommunications firms to 25 percent and forbids U.S. firms from putting foreign officers on their boards. Foreign ownership is the subject of debate in Congress. While there is general agreement among lawmakers and the Clinton administration to liberalize foreign ownership limits here, there is dispute over how to structure the policy. … Read more
Three firms to merge wireless businesses
LOS ANGELES-Intek Diversified Corp. of Los Angeles, Simmonds Capital Ltd. of Toronto and Surrey, England-based Securicor Group plc announced they have signed a letter of intent to combine parts of their wireless communications businesses and related technology. The agreement will combine Intek’s Roamer One airtime services business with the U.S. Land Mobile Radio business of Midland International Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of SCL, and the narrowband wireless technology and manufacturing operations of Securicor Radiocoms Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Securicor. As a result, Intek will become an integrated wireless company providing airtime services, product distribution and manufacturing for the wireless land mobile radio market, the companies said. … Read more
Check out the RCR Wireless News Archives for more stories from the past.
