L.M. Ericsson said it has received an order to supply switches and base stations to Westel 900 GSM to expand the carrier’s Global System for Mobile communications network in Hungary. The new contract continues the relationship the two companies began in 1990 when Ericsson delivered the first digital cellular system in Hungary using the GSM standard.
Motorola Inc. announced its European Cellular Infrastructure Division will expand the mobile analog network in Scotland, under a contract with Cellnet. Motorola said it has already completed a major upgrade of Cellnet’s Glasgow cellular switch, which serves all of Scotland. The upgrade has resulted in increased capacity, including added voice channels to accommodate high volumes of subscriber traffic in areas such as inner Glasgow and central Edinburgh.
Orbcomm Global L.P. announced a new service license agreement with Orbcomm Canada Inc. Orbcomm said Orbcomm Canada is the first non-U.S. company authorized to offer satellite-based, two-way global messaging and positioning service using the Orbcomm low-earth-orbit satellite constellation. Orbcomm Canada’s business will primarily be focused in western Canada, centering around the natural resource industries.
Mtel International, a subsidiary of Mobile Telecommunication Technologies Corp., announced it has completed commercial agreements that will allow SkyTel branded paging and wireless messaging services to be provided in Shanghai, China. Mtel International said it will form a joint venture with Shanghai Guo Mai Communications Co. Ltd. called SkyTel Guo Mai Co. Ltd. The venture will supply proprietary technology, equipment and access to Mtel’s global messaging network. The new agreements allow the venture to work with the Shanghai Provincial Telecom Authority, which will operate the wireless paging network and provide SkyTel branded services in Shanghai and the surrounding areas. Operations are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Pacific Communications Sciences Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cirrus Logic Inc., announced it has provided a turnkey Cellular Digital Packet Data system to Otecel Inc., a national cellular operator and service provider in Ecuador. PCSI said the network, which was completed earlier this year, is fully operational in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador’s two major cities. Otecel plans to offer
CDPD coverage nationwide by the end of the year, PCSI said.
GTE Mobilnet said Digital TU-KA Chugoku Co. Ltd. will begin providing digital cellular service in Hiroshima and the Chugoku region of Japan in May. The company’s service area will cover 80 percent of the population of the Chugoku region at start up, GTE said. GTE owns a 4.5 percent stake in the company.
