If the recent consolidation activity among independent tower companies is any indication, size is perceived to be an important element to a tower company in attracting deals with wireless carriers.The rapid consolidation of the industry was jolted into high gear in November when American...
LISLE, Ill.-Tellabs announced its echo cancellation original equipment manufacturer division, Coherent, won a $3 million, three-year global contract with Nortel Networks to provide its echo canceller technology."With technology from Tellabs' Coherent OEM division integrated into our Digital Multiple Switch Spectrum Peripheral Module, we can...
NEW YORK-Electric Fuel Corp.'s consumer battery division introduced a new line of zinc-air disposable batteries for L.M. Ericsson, Motorola Inc. and Nokia Corp. cellular phones.The new line includes 2,900 mAh batteries for the Nokia 5100 and 6100 series, the Ericsson 300, 600 and 800...
TAMPA, Fla.-UniSite Inc. plans to acquire 66 telecommunications towers in 12 states in two separate transactions. Financial details of the arrangements were not disclosed.The company is buying 27 towers in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri from Charles W. McCullough, Jo-Carroll McCullough and Stateline Communications Inc....
PEORIA, Ill.-Rohn Industries Inc., which makes tubular towers and equipment enclosures, announced it is merging with Pirod Holdings Inc., a specialized telecommunications equipment manufacturer.Under terms of the agreement, Pirod will be merged into Rohn. Up to 52.5 percent of the outstanding Rohn shares will...
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission urging it to refrain from creating a separate radio service pool for oil companies, utilities and railroads' safety needs.PCIA said it argued that every kind of private radio system has important...
Following months of negotiations, Omnipoint Corp. secured much-needed financing from two of its vendors and one unnamed investor.Some analysts had speculated Omnipoint could run out of money sometime this year in the absence of additional financing, and the company has been named as a...
Advanced Radio Telecom Corp. is offering high-speed Internet services to businesses in the Phoenix metropolitan area. More than 25 companies in the Phoenix area have signed contracts with ART. The offering combines a high-speed connection to the Internet or company intranet with enhanced services...
An informal group of MobileMedia Communications Inc. unsecured creditors has formed to oppose the company's proposed merger with Arch Communications Inc., saying it is unfair for them to finance Arch's merger effort.The bondholders in question have hired investment manager firm New Generation Advisers Inc....
WASHINGTON-Iridium L.L.C. gave itself an early Christmas present on Dec. 23 when it announced it was buying Claircom Communications Group Inc. from AT&T Corp. and Rogers Cantel for $65 million in cash and debt.Seattle-based Claircom is the second largest provider in the United States...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission's 1998 review of its regulations, with an eye toward eliminating those that were unnecessary, was insufficient, said FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth."The official 1998 review had shortcomings ... the did not clearly review all of the rules required under ,...
WASHINGTON-The wireless industry last month urged the Federal Communications Commission to look at options other than local number portability to conserve telephone numbers.The ever-increasing exhaust of numbers has caused many in industry and government to look for ways to conserve numbers without having to...
IRVINE, Calif.-AirTouch Cellular announced its new, all-in-one phone and service product, the AirTouch PrePaid Phone In a Box, is now available at hundreds of locations throughout Southern California, including AirTouch Cellular stores and participating Circle K convenience stores."We wanted to reach out to our...
WASHINGTON-As Congress returns this week to begin the 106th Congress, members of the House Commerce Committee were given a preview of coming attractions in December by their chairman, Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-Va.). Two of those priorities are of particular interest to the wireless industry....
of the Associated Press WASHINGTON(AP)-United States technology deals with China, including some with military significance, harmed national security, a House committee concluded unanimously."These transfers are not limited to missile satellite technology, but cover militarily significant technology," said Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), chairman of a...
ATLANTA-Cellemetry L.L.C. said it extended its wireless data capabilities to rural areas in Louisiana, Texas and Virginia.Cellemetry signed agreements with three cellular carriers, including MobileTel Inc., a wireline carrier in the Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes in southern Louisiana; XIT Cellular, which covers 7,500 square...
Following a declaratory ruling issued by the Federal Communications Commission, California Gov. Pete Wilson issued an executive order directing the state's Department of General Services and the California Highway Patrol to implement a more efficient procedure for handling wireless 911 calls."This is a very...
NEW YORK-Start-up American companies searching the financing firmament for venture capital might do better by setting their sights upward toward the hidden realm occupied by angels.Angel investors are high-net-worth people whose small, patient investments in fledgling companies play a unique and critical role at...
BRUSSELS-A newly formed company recently announced it plans to buy the paging business of Philips Electronics Inc., following that company's termination of its joint venture with Lucent Technologies Inc.Advantra International was formed recently by Page+ and Acyclon Electronics, and hopes to become the world's...
Paging Network Inc.'s share price fell 25 percent last week and several financial analysts abandoned their Buy ratings on the company after PageNet disclosed it anticipates fourth-quarter results below analysts' expectations.The company's stock price was sliding slowly from a two-month high of $7 on...
At the end of each year, the RCR editorial staff looks back on the news events that made RCR headlines and decides which were the most significant, industry-impacting stories of the past 12 months. Here are our picks for 1998.1. March 16IPR issues spark...
LITTLE ROCK-Alltel Corp. announced it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Aliant Communications Inc. in a deal valued at $1.5 billion.Under terms of the agreement, each share of Aliant will be exchanged for $39.13 of Alltel stock, within a range of .67...
SEATTLE-Xypoint Corp., a provider of wireless intelligent network services for enhanced 911, asked the Federal Communications Commission to condition the mergers of SBC Communications and Ameritech Corp. and Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. on providing access to wireless E911 service.Xypoint issued the request...
PALO ALTO, Calif.-Watkins-Johnson Company announced it completed the repurchase of 3,500,000 shares authorized by its board of directors.The repurchased shares are also retired, leaving 6,547,687 current outstanding shares.Watkins-Johnson specializes in radio frequency and semiconductor equipment.
