WORLD BRIEFS

L.M. Ericsson said it surpassed the 1 million subscriber milestone in February for its CMS 30 system for Pacific Digital Cellular, making Japan one of the fastest growing markets for cellular telephony. The number of cellular subscribers in Japan has increased rapidly since deregulation, reaching 8 million, said the company. Ericsson said 3 million people subscribe to PDC systems. By 2000, Ericsson predicts Japan will support more than 19 million cellular subscribers with the majority using digital systems.

TCSI Corp. and its Korean distributor, SsangYong Information and Communications Corp., have signed contracts with Korea Mobile Telecom to supply TCSI’s Object Services Package and consulting services to develop integrated network fault management and configuration management systems for KMT. TCSI’s OSP 4.0 is an industrial-strength, distributed object development and runtime environment, TCSI said. OSP will provide greater flexibility to KMT’s Code Division Multiple Access-based cellular system in adapting to the rapid business change characterizing the cellular industry, TCSI said.

Shanghai Post and Telecommunications Administration, Sichuan PTA and Beijing PTA have awarded analog cellular phone network contracts totaling $82 million to Motorola Inc. The three-system expansion projects will increase network capacity to more than 400,000 subscribers, Motorola said. The expansion of the Total Access Communications System network by Motorola’s North Asia Cellular Infrastructure Division includes the deployment of additional LD TACS series cell site equipment and large-capacity electronic mobile exchange 2500 switches, Motorola said. The contract with Shanghai PTA represents the sixth phase of expansion to the TACS system originally deployed by Motorola in 1986. Sichuan PTA has signed a contract to initiate the third phase of its Motorola TACS system expansion covering a total of 22 cities. Motorola said Beijing PTA has contracted to incorporate a sixth phase of expansion to its analog mobile phone network.

Canadian-based Clearnet Communications Inc. announced a net loss of $9.5 million, or 39 cents per share, for the eight months ended Dec. 31, compared with a net income of $658,112, or 7 cents per share, for the same period the prior year. The company said its consolidated financial results include the business and assets acquired from Motorola Canada Ltd. in two transactions in October 1994 and December 1994. Clearnet said its enhanced specialized mobile network buildout efforts in the Ontario-Quebec coverage region are primarily focused on site acquisition and development and actual installation of completed cell site equipment. Clearnet has secured leases for about 95 percent of its total planned sites in the Ontario-Quebec region.

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