L.M. Ericsson has signed a three-year contract with JT Mobiles Ltd. to supply digital cellular Global System for Mobile communications systems in India. Ericsson said it will supply and install complete GSM systems for JT Mobiles’ cellular operations in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Three of Ericsson’s GSM networks are already operating in India. JT Mobiles is a consortium comprising of Telia of Sweden, Jasmine ToT of Thailand and three Indian business houses. The company is expected to begin testing the system in early September.
Qualcomm Inc. has signed a multimillion dollar license agreement with Kenwood Corp. of Tokyo. Under the terms of the agreement, Kenwood has been granted a worldwide, royalty-bearing license to manufacture and sell Code Division Multiple Access subscriber products based on Interim Standard 95. “As a long-time leader in consumer electronics and communications equipment, Kenwood will be a respected supplier of CDMA handsets to the global wireless market,” said Qualcomm President Harvey White. Kenwood said it will create dual-mode phones that will offer enhanced sound quality, less power consumption and longer operating times.
Omnitel Pronto Italia announced it has signed up 300,000 Global System for Mobile communications subscribers to its digital cellular service since it first introduced commercial service in Italy about six months ago. The company also said it plans to activate international roaming agreements with eight additional GSM operators serving seven countries, including South Africa and Australia. With these markets, Omnitel will provide its customers with the ability to make and receive calls in 20 countries.
Motorola Inc.’s North Asia Cellular Infrastructure Division has been awarded a $68 million contract to expand the Jiangsu Posts and Telecommunications Administration’s analog cellular phone network in China. Jiangsu PTA has ordered the extensive expansion of its Total Access Communications System, including the deployment of additional Motorola LD TACS base stations and 12 electronic mobile exchange 2500 large-capacity switches, Motorola said. When completed by the end of the year, this fourth phase of the expansion project will increase the capacity of the existing Jiangsu PTA network from 230,000 to 500,000 commercial users, Motorola said.
BellSouth Corp. announced it has launched cellular telephone service in Panama using Time Division Multiple Access technology. The company was awarded a license in January to build and operate a cellular network in Panama’s Band A for a renewable 20-year period. The network will initially cover Panama City, but will extend to Colon and Transistmica Highway by the end of August, said BellSouth. The company will use an extensive distribution network of more than 40 authorized agents throughout Panama City.
