TODAY’S NEWS

Omnipoint offers new rate plans

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-Personal communications services operator Omnipoint Communications Inc. will announce today new service offerings that include bundled-minute rate plans. The company has long avoided offering bundled-minute plans.

Omnipoint introduced what it calls Custom-Tailored Wireless and No-Fee Prepay packages. The new offerings take effect Sept. 1 in all of the company’s operating regions.

The Custom-Tailored Wireless plan allows subscribers to select the appropriate bundled-minute plan based on their anticipated use, said the company. Plans will range from 20 or 30 minutes for $20 per month to the unlimited-minute plan at $300 per month. For an additional fee, customers can upgrade their bundled-minute plans to be used for domestic long-distance calls as well as local calls. Roaming rates have been reduced to 49 cents per minute, and data services are available at reduced rates.

The prepay package eliminates monthly service fees and charges one rate for all calls.

New antenna legislation ahead

WASHINGTON-Sens. James Jeffords (R-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will introduce new antenna-siting legislation after Congress returns in September, RCR learned late Friday.

David Carle, Leahy’s press secretary, said the new bill is an “updated” version of antenna-siting legislation previously introduced by Leahy, Jeffords and Reps. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.). Carle did not elaborate.

The current Vermont bill, which would repeal the health-related tower siting provision of the 1996 telecom act and bar any future federal pre-emption of local antenna-siting oversight, has not gained much ground this year.

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