The nation's largest independent cellular carrier last week entertained bids from two potential acquirers in what could become a global bidding war.AirTouch Communications Inc. last week confirmed it was in discussions with Bell Atlantic Corp. for a possible tie-up and later confirmed it had...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Competition in the South African wireless telecommunications sector is likely to be fierce this year, with two new cellular operators scheduled to enter the arena. This will delve a blow to existing operators MTN and Vodacom, which have had exclusive preserve of...
OXFORD, United Kingdom-Iridium L.L.C. launched its global mobile satellite service last November, and demand for the service reportedly is high, but so far largely unfulfilled. Shortage of handsets is being cited as the main culprit.Such a situation is not uncommon in the early days...
The United States's largest independent cellular carrier in early January entertained bids from two potential buyers in what could become a global bidding war.AirTouch Communications Inc. confirmed it was in discussions with Bell Atlantic Corp. for a possible tie-up and later confirmed it had...
WASHINGTON-CIA officials last week were expected to appear before a federal grand jury here in connection with new revelations that intelligence officials may have broken the law by contacting Hughes Electronics Co. about the Senate Intelligence Committee's probe of high-tech exports to China, which...
With the Nov. 1 commercial activation of Iridium L.L.C.'s satellite-based global mobile phone network, the mobile satellite services industry proved it is technologically possible to extend cellular communications to virtually any point on the planet.With this validation behind it, the industry faces another, equally...
SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. said it combined its Wireless Infrastructure Division with its Communication Systems Division to form the new Wireless Systems Division.The combined unit will focus on Code Division Multiple Access infrastructure for mobile and fixed wireless services, as well as for the satellite-based...
While Iridium L.L.C. continues work to improve the technical prowess of its low-earth-orbit satellite-based global phone service, the company also must turn its attention to its global sales and marketing effort.In the first week following the system's commercial activation, several of Iridium L.L.C.'s international...
Analysts say the launch of Iridium L.L.C.'s mobile satellite service has positioned Globalstar L.L.P. to be a low-cost provider when it offers service around 2000.After losing 12 satellites in a rocket launch accident in September, Globalstar's general partner, Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd., has seen its...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Uganda has one of the lowest penetration rates of telephone services in the world. As of July 1995, the Uganda Posts & Telecommunication Corp. (UPTC) had an installed capacity of just under 70,000 lines and approximately 42,000 subscribers. The result is a...
News that Globalstar L.L.P. lost 12 satellites late last week in a failed rocket launch left mobile satellite service investors uneasy. An announcement from Iridium L.L.C. indicating it plans to postpone commercial service because of technical delays didn't help investors' confidence either.The glitches are...
Iridium L.L.C. announced it will delay its initial Sept. 23 service launch date to Nov. 1, citing the need to "improve operational stability of the network," according to Ed Staiano, the company's vice chairman and chief executive officer.In a briefing with reporters last week,...
If all goes as planned, Iridium L.L.C.'s vision of a global wireless phone network-based on a constellation of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites interconnected to several terrestrial-based networks-will begin commercial service on 23 September.While the company continues to put the finishing touches on the satellite network,...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Iridium, the first GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite) system is set to become commercial worldwide on 23 September, but will not have a signal over South Africa."If we do not receive a license to operate ground facilities and services by...
NEW YORK-The Federal Communications Commission could propose by early next year rules governing eligibility for applicants seeking access to the part of the 2 GHz spectrum allocated for mobile satellite systems in this country.The commission set a late-August deadline for comments on a petition...
NEW YORK-Loral Space & Communications Ltd., New York, announced July 6 it had closed on its purchase of 4.2 million partnership interests in Globalstar L.P. from founding service provider partners DACOM, Daimler-Benz Aerospace, Hyundai, TESAM and Vodafone Group plc.Early next year, Globalstar plans to...
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-High on the agenda of issues raised by African ministers at Africa Telecom '98 held here in May was using satellite technology for boosting African economies and low telephone-penetration rates.Africa presents an ideal candidate for Mobile Satellite Services (MSS). The continent is...
LONDON-ICO Global Communications Ltd. announced last week that it filed registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of $100 million worth of ordinary shares and $50 million of high-yield senior notes.ICO is a spinoff of Inmarsat, established...
NEW YORK-Led by dramatic expansion of television, mobile telephony and multimedia services, global satellite industry revenues will skyrocket to $171 billion in 2007 from $38 billion in 1997, according to projections by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., New York.Within the next year...
WASHINGTON-The Republican congressional leadership plans hearings to investigate Clinton-administration approval of commercial satellite technology transfers from U.S. wireless firms to China that Pentagon and intelligence officials say were converted to improve Beijing's long-range nuclear missile capability.House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and House Majority Leader...
Trying to compete with satellite-industry giants, Celsat America Inc., a small, domestic player in the mobile satellite services arena, filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission opposing the allocation of any new spectrum to applicants that already have licenses."According to the FCC public notice,...
Globalstar L.P.'s original service providers have until the end of today to decide if they want to take up Loral Space & Communications' recent offer to buy a portion of their holdings in the satellite partnership.In a series of complex transactions announced April 24,...
The Inmarsat Council reached an agreement to privatize Inmarsat with a target date of 1 January 1999. According to Inmarsat, its signatories, parties and management have worked together for three years to design and develop the framework for a new Inmarsat comprising a public...
DENVER, United States-If all goes as planned, the world could have as many as 10 mobile satellite communications (MSS) systems operating in the next five years. By 2002, the MSS industry could be an US$8.5 billion market.The various service providers will comprise four different...
