Telefonica Internacional announced plans to launch public tender offers to buy 100 percent of the preferred and common stock of two Brazilian mobile wireless phone companies: Telerj Celular, in Rio de Janeiro, and Telest Celular, in Espiritu Santo.At the same time, Telefonica and its partner,...
In addition to adding towers to their portfolios, tower management companies also have started to bring wireless construction capabilities in-house in an effort to offer their carrier customers one-stop shopping.SpectraSite Holdings Inc., which recently secured a purchase lease-back and build-to-suit arrangement with Nextel Communications...
Confirming rumors that started when the company announced layoffs in March, voice paging provider Conxus Communications Inc. filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.The privately held company said it will continue its...
WASHINGTON-The cost of complying with law enforcement's demands for implementing the digital wiretap act is substantial, said the wireless industry last week.Responding to revenue estimates from five telecommunications manufacturers, the wireless industry told the Federal Communications Commission the costs of implementing the punch list...
One invention can boost customer satisfaction, make mobile phones more powerful and create higher revenue for carriers, a Norcross, Ga., company believes.Enrev Corp., formerly called Advanced Charger Technology Inc., has created and patented a battery operating system that charges wireless phone batteries five times...
In recent months, several alliances and partnerships have been formed among paging carriers that traditionally have been fierce competitors. But both analysts and carriers say this new teamwork in no way diminishes the competitive spirit among the industry players, but rather is a unified...
NEW YORK-The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York handed NextWave Personal Communications Inc. a big victory May 13, cutting its C-block license bid obligation to $1.023 billion from $4.744 billion."The court has provided a market-based solution upon which NextWave can...
To the Editor,I just read the May 3 issue of RCR and wanted to say thanks for the mention and to congratulate you on a good discussion of TDD versus FDD. I especially appreciate your candid discussion of the issues with the benefits of...
NEW YORK-All eyes are on Omnipoint Corp., which one investment banker has likened to a poster child for personal communications services.What will be the final chapter in Omnipoint's search for a strategic partner, and how soon will it be written? How might this conclusion...
WASHINGTON-Larry Irving, telecom adviser to President Clinton, last week said a 1993 bill transferring government spectrum to the Federal Communications Commission has been a failure."I don't know what happens to the spectrum. It goes into a dark hole. I don't know what the FCC...
WASHINGTON-MCI WorldCom Inc. last week halted talks to buy Nextel Communications Inc. after succumbing to differences over price, putting shares of the No. 2 long-distance telephone company and the last independent national wireless operator on a wild roller-coaster ride for weeks.Some Wall Street analysts...
Metrocall Inc. reported revenues for the first quarter ended March 31 of $145.2 million, a substantial increase from the $96.3 million reported for first-quarter 1998.Net loss for the quarter was $46 million, or $1.15 per share, compared with a net loss of $28.2 million,...
The market for broadband access services is on the verge of dramatic growth, and fixed terrestrial wireless systems are expected to play a big role, according to a new Strategis Group report titled, "World Wireless Broadband: LMDS, MMDS and Broadband WLL 1999-2008."Broadband wireless access systems...
CARROLLTON, Texas-CellStar Corp. announced it is consolidating its Latin America and North America regions into a new Americas region in an effort to increase growth in the U.S. market and to eliminate nonessential operating costs. The company also centralized the management of its Asia-Pacific...
As telecommunications carriers' revenues are under attack in light of increased competition, BellSouth Corp. has found a way to generate billions marketing its intellectual property to other companies."BellSouth is spending millions developing state-of-the-art technologies like Caller ID for traditional customers," said Scott M. Frank,...
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.-Arch Communications Group Inc. reported revenues for the first quarter ended March 31 of $94 million, only a slight decrease from the $94.7 million reported for first-quarter 1998.Arch experienced net losses of $49.6 million, or $2.34 per common share, compared with a net...
Faced with an uncertain future and many difficult questions, members of the Paging Leadership Association met last month in Florida to determine how the industry should position itself in a game that is moving in an increasing number of new directions."The big question is...
NEW YORK-Frequency Electronics Inc., Mitchell Field, N.Y., received what it called its first multiyear agreement for its rubidium synchronization product line, a contract with Motorola Inc. valued at $20 million over two years, Joseph P. Franklin, chairman of the board, said April 29.Frequency Electronics...
Iridium L.L.C.'s first full quarter of operation was marked with handset production delays, distribution problems, low subscriber numbers and a deepening net loss, the aftermath of which has led the company to re-evaluate its strategic focus and upper management team.Since launching in November, Iridium...
BANGALORE, India-Although cellular operators in India fear revenue losses of as much as 25 percent due to a sharp increase in the monthly rental, or service charge, from US$3.90 to US$15, many in the industry hope the new tariff structure will expand cellular usage...
If there is any hope second-generation CDMA technology will penetrate Europe, it may be through some struggling NMT 450 operators.The NMT MoU group, consisting of NMT 450 operators from Europe and Asia, wants members to vote at its October meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia,...
BANGALORE, India-Although the growth of South Asia's relatively new markets has temporarily slowed due to political and financial problems, increased competition and investment have made them extremely promising. With managed competition in India, minimal competition in Pakistan and a highly deregulated market in Sri...
Recently I have read a few opinions casting doubt on the value of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) in today's converging wireless and Internet industries. I consider these opinions to be under-informed because the authors of these criticisms missed the basic goal and motivations...
Nortele-mobility servicesNortel Networks introduced a portfolio of subscriber services, called e-mobility services, that provide rapid, flexible deployment of leading-edge voice and data capabilities optimized for the Internet Protocol environment. The services include Wireless Prepaid, Group Conferencing, Smart Mobile Access, Wireless Voice-Activated Dialing, Mobile Messaging...
