NEW YORK-The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division gave its approval April 24 for Bell Atlantic Corp.'s $23 billion takeover of Nynex Corp. The Federal Communications Commission also must grant its approval before the companies can close the merger."The (Antitrust) Division has decided that...
A C-block enterprise created by two Alabama telephone companies is methodically slipping into position to rival big-name wireless players in the Gulf Coast area.The telephone companies believe if they are going to lose landline customers to wireless offerings, they want to lose business to...
WASHINGTON-As Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) examines replies due today from the Food and Drug Administration to questions on the agency's oversight of a cellular industry-financed cancer research program that has produced no bioeffects studies after four years and $17 million, the question of the...
NEW YORK-Preferred Networks Inc., a carrier's paging carrier headquartered in Norcross, Ga., announced April 15 an agreement to obtain between $15 million and $20 million in a private placement with five institutional investors that are its shareholders.Proceeds of the sale of redeemable preferred stock...
Tough competition from other operators has led to increased costs for cellular carrier Palmer Wireless Inc., fueling speculation that the carrier is up for sale.Fort Myers, Fla.-based Palmer won't comment on what it calls "a market rumor" that it is looking for a buyer....
Qualcomm Inc. signed a royalty bearing license agreement giving Kokusai Electric Co. Ltd. of Japan a patent and technical license to manufacture and sell Code Division Multiple Access subscriber equipment. "Kokusai will help meet the demand for CDMA products that will result from Japan's...
NEW YORK-Paging, a veteran wireless player, has to go back to the trenches and prove itself anew to the investment community.The "credibility gap" has three components, Sharon Armbrust, senior analyst for Paul Kagan Associates Inc., Carmel, Calif., said last week-technology, operations and finance.In the...
NEW YORK-MCI Communications Corp. and NextWave Telecom Inc. signed a master services agreement under which MCI will provide carrier services and back-office support to NextWave. MCI then will have access to NextWave's system to provide wireless local access.Part of the agreement calls for MCI...
A Western Wireless Corp. subsidiary has filed a lawsuit in Arizona U.S. district court against the city of Tucson, claiming the city's new zoning ordinance discriminates against the company and favors existing wireless providers.Western PCS BTA 1 Corp., which received its E- and F-block...
The lack of certain infrastructure testing equipment will slow the rate at which many digital wireless telecommunications providers roll out service, says a Maryland-based test equipment manufacturer."We'll probably see mass deployments (of digital services) come together at a slower pace than they potentially could...
NEW YORK-Amid an expanding arsenal of competing fraud detection and prevention options, just two radio frequency fingerprinting companies have staked out a potentially lucrative niche in the analog cellular arena.Cloning, the illegal interception and reuse of a legitimate cellular customer's electronic information, will cost...
WASHINGTON-Pentagon officials, in a highly public break with the Clinton administration, say further transfer of federal government frequencies to the private sector will compromise military combat capability.That the Department of Defense is going public with grievances about spectrum policy represents a marked shift in...
As equity capital markets have become weary for the wireless industry, carriers large and small are challenged to cut costs and increase per subscriber revenues. Larger, nationwide carriers hold the economies-of-scale advantage, but regional carriers report their own set of cost advantages.Major cost categories...
For a cellular carrier competing in a growing marketplace, value-added services translate into more revenue. A small Silicon Valley development firm plans to deliver on that concept.San Jose, Calif.-based Aeris Communications Inc., formerly known as Axion Logistics Corp., plans to position itself as a...
Marketing may be everything.The technical properties of cellular and personal communications services-some similar, some different-balance out when vying for customers. How carriers decide to exploit technical advantages to win customers is another issue."PCS carriers are making a conscious decision to go after certain types...
NEW YORK-"Why pay for cellular phone service if you only want it for emergency use?"That's the advertising slogan and the business concept for SOS Wireless Communications Inc., an Irvine, Calif., company that began selling its SOS Phone nationwide late last year.The handset, which runs...
NEW YORK-In a most serious transaction notwithstanding its April 1 announcement date, SBC Communications Inc. became the proud parent of Pacific Telesis Group in a $16.5 billion merger said to be the third largest in U.S. history.The merger creates the second largest telecommunications company...
A Dallas-based company has focused its efforts on assisting smaller wireless providers by offering a combination of products and services to help them survive in the increasingly competitive wireless arena."In terms of the way we're putting services together it is unique. We're looking at...
Nationwide Network Services has teamed with MTV Network and Motorola Inc. to create a nationwide paging initiative aimed at teenagers and young adults.The promotion follows the likes of a program created nearly a year ago by MobileComm, Motorola and Pepsi Co. called the Mountain...
Cellemetry Data Service has signed eight new contracts since it was launched almost a year ago, and now provides total coverage to 125 million pops in North America.The service was developed by BellSouth Corp. in the early 1990s, and launched commercially 10 months ago....
Timing, surprise and troop strength.These are the tools used by military leaders worldwide to fight a war, and the same methods should be expected from personal communications services carriers in their bloody battle for market share.First, you must know when to invade. Now is...
HOUSTON-Castle Tower Corp. said it is repairing towers and shelters it acquired from Pittencrieff Communications Inc. in 1995 as well as sites it acquired from Motorola Inc. in Puerto Rico. The clean-up program is expected to cost Castle $1 million.John Gwyn, senior vice president...
Like many wireless technologies, the motivation behind FLEX was to make more possible in less bandwidth. Such is the mastery of Bob Schwendeman, a career Motorola man who is proclaimed the "father of FLEX."The FLEX promise is one of improved speed, capacity and efficiency,...
