Flexibility may be coming to a base station near you.Most base stations today are built to accommodate only one or two wireless technologies, but a relatively new concept may allow carriers to reconfigure base stations to support a variety of standards and applications.Software radios...
IsraelSamsung Electronics Co. Ltd. used the code-generation technology in Jerusalem-based Emultek Ltd.'s Rapid Plus software suite to build a fully functional Code Division Multiple Access cellular phone, said Emultek. The Rapid Plus solution is designed to reduce development costs and time to market of...
REDWOOD CITY, Calf.-Unwired Planet Inc. said Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. licensed its UP.Browser to integrate into the Code Division Multiple Access handsets of Samsung's Dallas-based subsidiary, Samsung Telecommunications America Inc.The deal calls for Unwired Planet to provide UP.Browser software releases and enhancements, enabling Samsung...
WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association has taken another stab at urging the Federal Communications Commission to become less regulatory and less burdensome."PCIA is continuing to find ways to press for deregulation," said Mary McDermott, PCIA senior vice president and chief of staff for government...
JERSEY CITY, N.J.-As the International Telecommunication Union wound up its meeting in South Korea July 24 to consider 15 third-generation wireless proposals, Telecom Analysis Systems convened a media briefing to evaluate the need for this technology."2G is barely rolled out, and a lot of...
RALEIGH, N.C.-The 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games announced Platinum sponsor Ericsson Inc. will supply mobile phones, two-way radios and telephone handsets for the Games.The '99 Games, June 26 to July 4, will bring nearly 7,000 athletes from 150 countries to North Carolina's Triangle...
Mobile phone sales during the second quarter gave Nokia Corp. a boost when it released its second-quarter earnings July 24, while its Swedish rival L.M. Ericsson suffered a plunge in its stock prices and several ratings downgrades on news its mobile phone sales were...
ALLENTOWN, Pa.-Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Microelectronics Group said its new Global System for Mobile communications handset design cuts development time by about 60 percent.Taiwan-based GVC Corp., Lucent's first GSM Reference Design customer, plans to begin shipping its initial line of handsets-featuring up to 200 hours...
Handset and accessory distributor Brightpoint Inc. said it plans to increase its presence in the outsourcing business by providing handset repair and refurbishment services."This is a value-added service people have historically tried to avoid," said John Sullivan, executive vice president with Brightpoint. "At times...
Signing one of its largest ever pacts, CommQuest Technologies Inc. said it will supply its GSM-XL chipset to Audiovox Communications Corp. for a new Global System for Mobile communications handset.Terms of the agreement call for CommQuest, a recent IBM Corp. acquisition, to supply its...
The CDMA Development Group announced it plans to conduct trials of location technologies as part of an initiative to meet Federal Communications Commission wireless enhanced 911 requirements.Phase II of the FCC's E911 mandate requires wireless carriers to be able to provide to public-safety answering...
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Three of Japanese cellular operator DDI Corp.'s regional service providers launched commercial Code Division Multiple Access service in Japan, according to Motorola Inc.'s Cellular Infrastructure Group.Service is available in 177 cities, including Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Naha, plus 440 towns...
The success of the personal communications services industry has astounded industry analysts, PCS company executives and cellular carriers alike.The PCS industry is about two years old and already has penetrated the market, driven down prices and earned high revenues faster than anyone had expected."It's...
WASHINGTON-Iridium L.L.C. reported second-quarter financial results of little surprise to anyone, fulfilling all expectations.Net loss for the quarter was $244.7 million, or $1.74 per class 1 interest. Its six-month net loss totaled $448.3 million, or $3.19 per class 1 interest.Costs incurred and capitalized for...
The personal communications services industry emerged almost unscathed in its quest for automatic roaming agreements with analog cellular carriers.Last year's lawsuit, which subsequently was dropped, brought by AT&T Wireless Services Inc. against Southwestco Wireless L.P. over in-market roaming, was thought to be a clash...
Analysts are indicating now is the time to buy some cheap Canadian wireless stocks, as the mobile phone market finally has rebounded from its 1997 growth slump.BT Alex.Brown Inc. expects Canada's mobile phone companies to add a total of 210,000 new subscribers during the...
NEW YORK-A Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association group is developing recommendations for handset manufacturers that would reduce fraud potential and facilitate over-the-air customer activations for non-Global System for Mobile Communications carriers.The CTIA Fraud Technology Assessment Group, charged with evaluating and recommending new fraud-prevention measures, has...
CITELCitel Inc. unveiled a new line of coaxial surge protectors that provide protection against lightning surges and electrical transients. They use gas tube technology, making them suitable for broadband applications. The new line includes: N, BNC, TNC, SMA and 7/16. P8AX coaxial protectors are available...
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-U S West Communications Inc. said it added features to its personal communications services handsets to give customers the benefits of their home and office phones.The service, renamed U S West Advanced PCS, includes a dial tone and data mail services that allow...
QualcommQualcomm Inc. announced its shipment of samples for its fifth-generation chipset, including the MSM3000 single-chip Mobile Station Modem and the IFT3000 and IFR3000 fully integrated Intermediate Frequency chipset. The new low-power chipset and software solution enables design of small form-factor handsets with very long...
WEST POINT, Ga.-Powertel Inc. has launched a summer-long promotion offering four digital handsets for $50 each. The company is waiving its $30 activation fee as well."Our research has clearly determined that consumers are more likely to purchase PCS services if they can minimize their...
As the digital revolution begins to move at a substantial pace, mobile phone manufacturers have some tough decisions to make.The demand for digital handsets is growing, especially in the CDMA arena, where carriers are screaming for more handsets. More cellular carriers aggressively are pushing...
Motorola Inc. last week announced its long-awaited plan for realigning the company along with another quarter of depressing financial results.Ending its "warring tribes" way of doing business, Motorola announced its communications-related businesses will be restructured under a single organization called the Motorola Communications Enterprise....
While the majority of wireless carriers are moving toward outsourcing their handset distribution needs, Powertel Inc. is moving in the opposite direction.The West Point, Ga.-based personal communications services company recently ended its relationship with Brightpoint Inc., a distribution and value-added logistics services provider, and...
