TOKYO-Japan's dominant wireless carrier, NTT DoCoMo, is in talks with SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. about taking a minority stake in the combined mobile venture between the two U.S. carriers, according to a report in the Aug. 17 edition of the Financial Times.The...
In a surprise ending, six groups walked away with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses in Germany at a total cost of $45.85 billion, the largest amount raised yet in a third-generation spectrum auction, hitting the ceiling of most analyst predictions.Each of the winners-Deutsche Telekom...
WASHINGTON-A little known government panel could play a big role in the coming years as new trade rules free up foreign firms to buy U.S. wireless companies, a trend that some in Congress claim is a national security threat.The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment...
Everypath Inc, a wireless application services provider and technology enabler, collected $60 million in series C financing, bringing the total amount raised to $76 million. Amerindo Investments led the funding. Other investors include Ignition Corp., E*Trade, Raza Ventures, Texas Pacific Group, Redwood Ventures, Robertson...
WASHINGTON-While Verizon Communications workers strike in part to make it easier for its wireless workers to join unions, union issues have been largely settled at other companies.Before its workers began striking Aug. 6, Verizon Communications said it did not believe it was in a...
VoiceStream Wireless Corp. last week reiterated its confidence in its merger with German operator Deutsche Telekom as both companies' stock values dropped since the merger announcement.By press time, the deal was valued at about $45.3 billion, or $171 per VoiceStream share, compared with $50.7...
The Federal Communications Commission has extended by 45 days the deadline by which carriers must report their telephone number utilization. A coalition of telecommunications trade associations had urged the FCC to extend the Aug. 1 deadline by 90 days.The FCC told the chairman of...
Just yesterday, it seems wireless carriers and resellers were at legal odds in front of the Federal Communications Commission.Resellers fought for mandatory access to carriers' networks, while carriers battled that effort, coming up with a concession that would end mandatory reselling two years from...
With a little help from concerned consumer groups and government researchers, voice technologies are forging ahead as a safe alternative to dialing while driving, while at the same time opening new revenue channels for advertisers and wireless carriers.Voice technologies include portals, which can be...
WirelessNorthPersonal communications services carrier WirelessNorth named David Charles president of the company. Charles served as director of operations with Montana Power Co., where he was responsible for 120 employees serving 110,000 electric and natural gas customers in the Missoula division, covering Western Montana. In...
Price Communications Wireless, a wholly owned subsidiary of Price Communications Corp., signed its 500,000th subscriber and reported it added 42,162 net new cellular subscriber during the first six months of this year. Price also reported its average penetration rate is 15 percent, with a...
WASHINGTON-While international attention is focused on Deutsche Telekom AG's $50.3 billion bid for VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and the fireworks it has set off in Congress, merger and acquisition activity in the coming months is expected to be dominated by smaller wireless transactions as large...
The upcoming U.S. spectrum auctions present some interesting times for the wireless industry.Auctions in the past were more predictable, primarily reserved for veteran executives experienced in running wireless networks.Today, the story is much different. Wireless has caught the attention of many powerful and nontraditional...
ARLINGTON, Va.-SiteSafe L.L.C. signed a two-year agreement to provide its PeopleSafeT software and classroom radio-frequency compliance training to BellSouth Mobility.The PeopleSafeT course on RF site safety provides an understanding of how non-ionizing radio waves operate on towers and rooftops where licensed carriers place radio...
BellSouth Wireless DataMichael McGarry was appointed regional vice president, Central Region, for BellSouth Wireless Data L.P. McGarry's team will be responsible for selling Interactive Messaging PLUS and industry solutions to Fortune 1000 companies. Prior to joining BellSouth, McGarry held vice president of sales positions...
BOGOTA, Colombia-Celumovil BellSouth acquired 100 percent of the shares of Cocelco, a wireless provider in Colombia, through a purchase on the Bogota stock exchange. BellSouth said the transaction creates the first nationwide mobile cellular operator in Colombia.Completion of BellSouth's acquisition of an additional 16...
ATLANTA-BellSouth Corp. reported a 9.8-percent increase in both second-quarter earnings and consolidated revenue compared with the same quarter last year and an increase in both domestic and international wireless revenue.The company's reported earnings per share increased from 51 cents per share in 1999 to...
WASHINGTON-Thomas Sugrue, chief of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, has begun preparing for the likelihood that many mobile-phone carriers will not meet upcoming deadlines governing location-based 911 wireless emergency service rules.Meanwhile, Sugrue and his staff are mired in other prickly 911 policy issues dealing...
WASHINGTON-Sprint PCS last month became the first wireless carrier to ask a state commission to base the amount BellSouth Corp. pays Sprint PCS for connecting calls on the costs Sprint PCS incurs rather than an amount set by BellSouth."Sprint PCS is entitled to receive...
ATLANTA-Stephen Carter was named president and chief executive officer of the joint-venture company that will be created with the merger of SBC Communications Inc.'s and BellSouth Corp.'s wireless operations.Carter was president of SBC Wireless, and was responsible for the company's U.S. wireless operations.Mark Feidler...
Sprint PCS affiliate IWO Holdings filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $173 million in an initial public offering. The company said it would use proceeds from the offering to expand its network. IWO serves more than 56,000 subscribers in...
WASHINGTON-The joint venture between BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. to create the sixth nationwide wireless carrier hit a speed bump in its cruise for approval last month when a small Michigan cellular operator objected.Thumb Cellular L.P. filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission...
The Federal Communications Commission gave final approval to Qwest Communications International Inc.'s acquisition of U S West Inc. after Qwest agreed to sell off its long-distance business serving a 14-state territory where U S West also operates local telephone service.The FCC said the sale...
WASHINGTON-An uncertain wireless industry realignment could be in store as a result of Justice Department's rejection last week of the WorldCom Inc.-Sprint Corp. merger and new legislation forbidding foreign government ownership of U.S. telecommunications firms."Instead of two wireless players for international buyers, you now...
