USCI Inc. named Albert Bodamer senior vice president of Ameritel Communications Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of USCI. He will be responsible for all operational aspects of Ameritel. Bodamer previously served as vice president and general manager for PriCellular Corp.'s southern New York region....
In January, Greg Rosston and Jeff Steinberg released a staff working paper that clearly articulated how a market-based approach to spectrum management would maximize the public interest. That report informed my congressional testimony on spectrum management in February. The article below illustrates the principles...
What began as a Craig McCaw idea became a definitive project for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last week when the company announced plans to deploy a proprietary fixed wireless technology that could effectively cut into local home telephone service.The idea of bypassing the Bell...
Metawave Communications Corp. named Vito Palermo senior vice president and chief financial officer, with responsibility for the company's financial and administrative operations including accounting, treasury, financial planning, investor relations and human resources. Most recently, Palermo served as vice president and corporate controller for Bay...
The clear leader in innovation as honored at the third annual Mobile Insights Mobility Awards dinner was Palm Computing Inc.'s Pilot organizer, a diminutive device that currently has no wireless access.Jeff Hawkins, Palm's chief technical officer, was named industry Person of the Year for...
Four years ago Systems/Link Corp. introduced RoamEx, which "allowed carriers with fraud problems in big cities access to what was going on," said Diane Sammer, president of Systems/Link.Today RoamEx is rapidly becoming the ticket to global roaming.RoamEx exchanges caller data between different wireless carriers'...
Operators with new 1900 MHz personal communications services networks need add-on services that are meaningful revenue generators and offer something customers repeatedly need, says one such service provider."The cost of acquiring a subscriber can be as low as $300 to $400 these days," said...
WASHINGTON-While Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt ratchets up pressure on local governments to break antenna siting gridlock around the country, regulators are working behind the scenes to craft guidelines to govern health-related siting disputes.The initiative is said by one key agency official to...
Telephone and Data Systems Inc. elected George W. Off to its board of directors. He replaces Robert J. Collins who retired Jan. 7. Off will become chairman of the company's stock option compensation committee and its audit committee. Off is president, chief executive officer...
The separate statement by embattled FCC Commissioner Rachelle Chong on the 2.3 GHz (auction it till it hertz) ruling last week helps explain why President Clinton should reappoint her for a second term.Chong, expressing her support of the agency's decision not to apply the...
NEW YORK-Four wireless industry heavyweights and three universities announced Feb. 17 they had formed the Global Wireless Education Consortium to "attract and educate new technicians and engineers to the booming wireless industry."Thousands of new wireless technicians and engineers will be needed each year, at...
If demand for dual-band handsets can be measured by vendor contracts, carriers must only now be finalizing plans for multi-frequency roaming.The industry's most prolific terminal manufacturers have yet to announce volume contracts for these expensive new phones, although some expect to have agreements in...
Vanguard Cellular Systems Inc. reported the first profitable year in the company's 11-year history last week, although the victory was accompanied by a fourth-quarter net loss due to investments in two subsidiaries.Net income for 1996 was $6.4 million, or 16 cents per share, compared...
WASHINGTON-Despite carrier and Federal Communications Commission efforts to mitigate the situation, there still is plenty of confusion regarding wireless tower siting out in the suburbs. Many jurisdictions and their constituents either don't understand new federal rules that mandate "no blocking" rules or they don't...
Wireless segments post strong growthFRAMINGHAM, Mass.-The cellular, personal communications services and paging industries had strong growth in 1996, according to a study conducted by IDC/Link Resources. Cellular growth was higher than in most sectors. However, the company said there are signs the market's expansion...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-"Until a few weeks ago, I was under the impression that the outlook for TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) was quite different than it is today," said investment banker Brad Peery at last week's TDMA Global Summit here."Qualcomm (Inc.) has done...
AT&T Wireless Services Inc. has now signed its second franchise-like agreement with a wireless player whose holdings can fill in missing links in AT&T's nationwide footprint.Indus Inc. holds the C-block license for Milwaukee, Wis. The Indus group is comprised of Milwaukee business people who...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-Indus Inc., a new personal communications services company based in Milwaukee, announced Feb. 11 a vendor financing agreement with Hughes Network Systems Inc. and a roaming agreement with AT&T Wireless Services Inc.Indus is the first winner of Federal Communications Commission C-block...
WASHINGTON-Several prominent wireless industry figures attended White House coffees, which along with telecom-related trade missions are tied to an escalating Democratic fund-raising scandal that last week prompted a flood of congressional subpoenas and threatened to sidetrack Senate confirmation of two Clinton cabinet nominees.The Senate...
Aerial Communications Inc. appointed John Foster and Thomas Wilson Jr. to its board of directors. Foster and Wilson both will serve on Aerial's audit committee and on its stock option compensation committee. Foster is president and founder of Vedra International Associates. Before founding Vedra,...
Since the passage of the telecom act, telecommunications providers have taken significant steps toward offering bundled services on one bill.Nearly a year ago, regional Bell operating companies' cellular divisions began offering cellular long-distance service to their cellular customers and a few of the RBOCs...
E.F. Johnson Co. last Friday spun off its E.F. Johnson Services wireless construction unit into a separate subsidiary in order to better court non-traditional customers.The services unit, in operation for 11 months, has been contracted for project management, engineering and construction services to such...
WALTHAM, Mass.-Lightbridge Inc. said it will use its Customer Acquisition System to streamline the customer acquisition process for eight of the 10 largest A- and B-block personal communications services license holders.Carriers that have signed contracts with Lightbridge include Aerial Communications Inc., AT&T Wireless Services...
WASHINGTON-"The Telecom Act was an act of Congress and not an act of God, so it will not be immediately perfect," commented AT&T's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Allen on the first anniversary last week of the landmark piece of 1996 legislation. "Telecom...
