Besieged by doubts over the very existence of a market for satellite-based voice services, low-earth-orbit carriers are starving for some kind of positive development to feed investors and customers alike.The bankruptcies of LEO carriers Iridium L.L.C. and ICO Global Communications L.P. have reduced confidence...
STOCKHOLM-L.M. Ericsson announced it signed a $1.5 million contract to expand China Unicom's Global System for Mobile communications network in the Jilin province.The infrastructure will be provided by the Ericsson joint venture, Beijing Ericsson Mobile Communications Co. Ltd., and will increase the capacity in...
WEST POINT, Ga.-Powertel Inc. said it has added international roaming to its selection of calling options.The international plan is available in 30 countries outside of North America, said Powertel."International roaming agreements with other countries are in the works," said Rod Dir, chief operating officer...
STOCKHOLM-Anatel, the Brazilian telecom regulatory agency, awarded Mirror S.A. of Brazil and L.M. Ericsson a $200 million wireless access equipment contract for what Ericsson said is the largest planned wireless local loop deployment in Latin America.The cdmaOne (Code Division Multiple Access) network will help...
DENVER-VeloCom Inc. said its consortium in Brazil, Canbra Telefonica, awarded a $200 million, five-year contract to Ericsson Inc. to supply 1.6 GHz Code Division Multiple Access wireless infrastructure equipment.Ericsson will supply base station equipment and cell site materials to Canbra, which will deploy telephone...
When Wireless Knowledge L.L.C. announced its intention to create a service linking wireless devices to information based behind corporate firewalls, regardless of airlink standards, analysts had only one comment-"show me."But it seems the company is unable to meet that request just yet. In January,...
NEW YORK-As the Internet accelerates the globalization of telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions among traditional and nontraditional players have eclipsed initial public offerings as the preferred strategy for retaining competitive advantage."In the United States, the Internet economy generated $301 billion in 1998 and will generate...
AT&T Wireless Services Inc. introduced new pricing plans last week that could build on the success of the carrier's Digital One Rate plan by adding more phones into the home. Bell Atlantic Mobile also introduced a group calling plan for the Southeast.AT&T Wireless unveiled...
Ericsson Inc. said last week its displacement from AT&T Wireless Services Inc. as the majority vendor hurt the company and conceded part of the reason it lost AT&T Wireless contracts was because of problems supplying equipment throughout the year."It hurts," said Gary Pinkham, vice...
More than 660,000 U.S. and Canadian customers subscribed to GSM wireless service in the second quarter of 1999, according to the North American GSM Alliance. This brings the total number of GSM customers in North America to 4.2 million.CanadaBell Canada announced plans to purchase...
Ericsson signed a US$100 million contract with Diginet Americas to build out Diginet's fixed wireless networks throughout Latin America. The agreement makes Ericsson the preferred supplier to Diginet to provide ATM and IP-based equipment and services for the first pan-Latin America fixed wireless broadband...
Amid increased media publicity over capacity problems in its New York City market, AT&T Wireless Services granted contracts to Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks that calls for the vendors to replace Ericsson's equipment in the country's two largest wireless markets, New York and Los...
Aether Systems Inc. announced it will acquire mobeo Inc., a company that provides financial news and stock updates on wireless devices such as pagers.Formerly called DocuPro Inc., mobeo delivers quotes on more than 150,000 stocks, options, futures, treasury, foreign exchange and other market data...
MCLEAN, Va.-LCC International Inc. said Ericsson Inc. will acquire the assets of LCC's product divisions for approximately $22 million. Closing is expected to occur on or about Sept. 30.The cash deal calls for Ericsson to assume the rights to all of LCC's field measurement...
Wireless industry members agree smart phones will become a critical differentiating factor for handset vendors and mobile-phone operators within the next two years, but the proliferation of these devices remains relatively unknown.For handset providers, smart phones represent an opportunity to extend their products, boost...
Amidst increased media publicity over capacity problems in its New York City market, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last week granted a contract to Lucent Technologies Inc. that calls for the vendor to replace Ericsson Inc.'s equipment in the country's largest wireless market.Ericsson-AT&T Wireless' main...
DENVER-Analysts speculate AT&T Wireless Services Inc. may add Nortel Networks as an additional supplier of Time Division Multiple Access equipment.Growth on the carrier's networks has skyrocketed since AT&T Wireless introduced the Digital One Rate plan last May. The plan eliminates long-distance and roaming fees....
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -L.M. Ericsson reported July 29 that German cellular operator T-Mobil has now deployed its Ericsson General Packet Radio Service system for testing. The T-Mobil-Ericsson GPRS contract was the first announced in the world back in January.The Ericsson GPRS packet-switching equipment, installed in...
Finnish operator Sonera Ltd. agreed to purchase 9.1 percent of GSM operator Powertel Inc. last week, giving Powertel a financial partner to pursue strategic acquisitions.Sonera will acquire 100,000 Powertel shares from Ericsson Inc. for $122.7 million, throwing another player into the Global System for...
The Ginger Media Group, owners of U.K.-based Virgin Radio, is collaborating with L.M. Ericsson in early trials of wireless third-generation technology that would allow local or national radio stations to reach global audiences, said Ericsson.The manufacturer's concept is to allow anyone, anywhere in the...
STOCKHOLM-L.M. Ericsson signed a contract valued at $80 million with Guangdong Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. to expand the carrier's Global System for Mobile communications network in the Guangdong province.Nanjing Ericsson Communications, one of Ericsson's eight joint ventures in China, will provide the equipment.The project,...
OWNINGS MILLS, Md.-Aether Technologies Inc. announced it will join L.M. Ericsson's new Wireless Internet Solutions unit to co-market and develop wireless data services specifically targeting the online financial investment community.Under the agreement, Ericsson will deliver wireless data network solutions for a variety of platforms,...
FranceFrance Telecom said it signed a partnership agreement with the Sonae group in Portugal. The two already have a working relationship as stakeholders in Optimus, the third mobile operator in Portugal. The new partnership would be held 43.33 percent by France Telecom and 56.67...
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.J.-Ericsson Inc. announced it formed Ericsson Wireless Internet Solutions, a new unit that will marry Ericsson's knowledge in wireless technologies and the Internet, and offer an array of wireless Internet solutions tailored to benefit cellular operators, service providers and enterprises.Separately, GoAmerica...
