WORLD BRIEFS

Holland

Telesystem International Wireless acquired an additional 28-percent interest in the Dutch paging operator CallMax from Deustche Telecom MobilNet GmbH, bringing its participation in CallMax to 88 percent, said TIW. “The Dutch paging market has one of the highest penetration rates in Europe and is growing at over 15 percent” per year, said Paul Beattie, vice president of paging services for TIW. “We believe Holland is one of the most attractive markets in Europe and offers tremendous growth opportunities for the provision of messaging services,” Beattie added. CallMax is one of two paging operators in the Netherlands.

United Kingdom

Cable & Wireless Communications selected Brite Voice Systems to provide a voice-messaging service that offers customers a call-answering service without an answering machine. The service will inform customers when a message is waiting by activating their own line, dialing a nominated number or triggering a pager. It will take messages when the line is busy and take multiple messages at one time.

China

Brightpoint Inc. signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture with Guangdong Nanfang Communication Group Corp. and establish distribution operations in China, as the first phase of its planned presence in the country. Brightpoint anticipates supplying the joint venture with wireless communications products, accessories and related value-added services, and the joint venture proposes to supply retail locations in China, said Brightpoint.

Canada

Clearnet Communications Inc. launched its Clearnet PCS personal communications services in Calgary, Canada. “With our all-digital capability in both Calgary and Edmonton, Clearnet PCS clients pay less for far better service than they ever did with analog cellular,” said George Cope, Clearnet’s president and chief executive officer. Clearnet PCS uses Code Division Multiple Access technology.

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