NEW YORK-Shareholders of VoiceStream Wireless Corp., Omnipoint Corp. and Aerial Communications Inc. have "overwhelmingly approved" the merger of the three Global System for Mobile communications carriers.The VoiceStream-Omnipoint merger is expected to close "shortly," while the Aerial-VoiceStream merger is anticipated to close during the second...
Approximately 318.6 million new cellular connections will be added in Europe by 2007, of which 160 million will be Global System for Mobile communications connections, according to The Strategis Group's report, "Western European Cellular/3G Markets 2000-2007."As a result of these new customers, the average...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson reported it won what it says is the first-ever agreement for a commercial end-to-end third-generation system. Finnish 2G Ltd. chose Ericsson as the main supplier of a nationwide mobile network integrating Global System for Mobile communications and 3G technology.Ericsson plans to...
Agilent TechnologiesAgilent Technologies Inc. introduced a number of new test-solution products and made improvements to others. The Agilent 84000 RFIC series model A20E is a low-cost test solution developed specifically for high-volume semiconductor manufacturers that make radio-frequency power-amplifier integrated circuits used in cell phones...
The Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and Omnipoint Corp. last week and noted the Department of Justice and the FBI delayed its decision, a problem that may grow as U.S. operators hook up with international carriers.The DOJ and the...
MexicoMexican wireless company Unefon launched initial service Feb. 10 in Toluca, a city outside Mexico City. The company plans to begin services in 20 cities during the next year and plans to go public by mid-2001. The company expects to have 1.5 million users...
CAIRO, Egypt-Orascom Telecom, which owns stakes in Egypt's largest mobile provider, agreed to buy 80 percent of Telecel International, a pan-African telecommunications company that holds 12 Global System for Mobile communications licenses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The deal is worth $213 million and is the...
VoiceStream Wireless Corp. announced plans to invest in Canadian Global System for Mobile communications operator Microcell Telecommunications Inc., a move that sets the stage for a seamless North American footprint.VoiceStream will invest $275 million to purchase 9.59 million newly issued Class A shares of...
Public skirmishes over third-generation technology died last year when the wireless industry embraced a harmonized CDMA-based standard, but old feelings between camps die hard it seems.The CDMA Development Group, the interest group that represents Interim Standard-95 carriers, said it is testing just how much...
Alcatel is banking on the next generation of wireless systems to make inroads in the U.S. Global System for Mobile communications market.With a GSM foothold in Europe and several General Packet Radio Service trials running there, the French manufacturer decided to enter the U.S....
NEW YORK-Publicly held long-term debt set an unwelcome record in 1999 as 147 corporate and sovereign issuers defaulted on $44.6 billion in bonds, more than double the $21.2 billion of defaults during 1999.Moody's Investors Service Inc., which released its year-end 1999 bond default report...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson announced that Per-Arne Sandstrom, currently head of the business unit for Global System for Mobile communications systems, has been appointed executive vice president, head of the North American market area and member of the corporate executive team.Sandstrom is replacing Bo Dimert,...
General Packet Radio Service technology is a powerful proposition for Global System for Mobile communications operators anxious to comb in the huge revenues packetized wireless Internet access promises. That's why they want GPRS handsets this year.Product delays have been part of the wireless industry...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson signed two deals providing increased capacity to wireless telecommunications providers.A $300 million contract with Mannesmann Mobilfunk will provide Global System for Mobile communications system equipment to optimize infrastructure and to multiply current capacity for the German mobile provider.A major portion of...
Although some rumblings continue over Geoworks Corp.'s licensing program for Wireless Application Protocol technology, WAP-related announcements continued making news at last week's GSM World Congress in Cannes.Phone.com Inc. announced it formed a WAP interoperability testing lab, a software upgrade preview center and the latest...
CANNES, France-Motorola Inc. and Turkish Global System for Mobile communications operator Telsim announced they signed a $1.5 billion contract calling for Motorola to provide infrastructure, handsets and associated services to expand the countrywide GSM network in Turkey.The contract also calls for Motorola to implement...
CANNES, France-At odds with some in the wireless industry, the keynote speaker at the GSM World Congress 2000 is not a proponent of convergence. In fact, Keith McCurdy, chief executive officer of Experts-Exchange.com, said convergence is not happening and wireless professionals should promote moving...
BEIJING-Nortel Networks said it won awards totaling $132 million to build or significantly expand Global System for Mobile communications networks in six of China's provinces during the next year.When completed, the networks will collectively offer capacity for more than 3 million GSM subscribers, according...
CANNES, France-At the GSM World Congress in Cannes, France, Motorola Inc. showcased a range of location-aware solutions delivered directly to the mobile handset. The solution is enabled by combining key technologies over the new General Packet Radio Service data network.According to Motorola, the new...
SWINDON, England-Motorola Inc. and T-Mobil, Germany's leading Global Standard for Mobile communications network operator, have signed a multimillion dollar contract to bring high-speed data service availability to all subscribers on T-Mobil's T-D1 network.Motorola has supplied T-Mobil's GSM system solutions since 1993, with the first...
CANNES, France-interWAVE Communications International Ltd. released its compact wireless Internet Protocol network system, WAVE-IP, based on the company's WAVEXpress product family.According to interWAVE, the new system offers seamless IP extension of the public Global System for Mobile communications network, providing wireless IP networking and...
CANNES, France-France Telecom unveiled new features for its Itineris Global System for Mobile communications system at the GSM World Forum in Cannes.The company announced it will propose roaming coverage for its Itineris GSM cellular customers via the Globalstar satellite system.The company said Itineris customers...
CANNES, France-The GSM Association, encompassing 400 wireless operators from 143 countries, awarded Czech wireless operator EuroTel Praha the "GSM in the Community" humanitarian award at the GSM World Congress in Cannes, France.EuroTel was honored for coming to the aid of refugees from Kosovo being...
CANNES, France-According to a report by EMC, a research and marketing company for the wireless industry, Global System for Mobile communications subscribers reached more than 254 million at the end of 1999. This represents more than 54 percent of the total worldwide cellular subscriber...
