MEXICO CITY-Grupo Iusacell S.A. de C.V. launched its new mobile Internet service based on Wireless Application Protocol in the Mexican states of Mexico, Morelos and Hidalgo.The company reported it will offer two versions of the service. The first, Iusacell Mobile Internet 1, will be...
NEW YORK-Telecom Italia Mobile, Europe's largest wireless carrier, sees the Subscriber Identity Module that links each customer to its network as key to its control over an expanding array of wireless and wireline services.SIMs, also known as smart cards, are getting even more intelligent,...
ChinaMotorola Inc.'s Network Solutions Sector was awarded a $14.5 million contract to install a Global System for Mobile communications 1800 network in China. The contract, signed with Shangdong Mobile Communications Corp., calls for Motorola to deploy the new network in four cities in Shangdong...
A growing number of operators, vendors and analysts are not convinced EDGE technology will make significant inroads in Europe."In Europe, I'm not expecting a major deployment of EDGE," said Lothar Pauly, head of Siemens AG's global wireless business.EDGE, or Enhanced Data rates for GSM...
BONN, Germany-Deutsche Telekom acquired a majority stake in Czech mobile phone operator RadioMobil for about $565 million. The German carrier's CMobil company increased its previously held 49-percent stake in the Czech company to 60.8 percent.DT is exercising an option established in the original 1996...
NEW YORK-The American wireless marketplace needs a healthy dose of innovation jump-started by foreign intervention to drive user penetration, said Hans R. Snook, chief executive of Orange plc.At the moment, Orange is otherwise engaged, so it cannot put momentum into this immodest proposal straight...
BOSTON-According to a new report by Ovum, potential mobile e-commerce providers should provide unique and compelling services, rather than hype about new technology that is purported to change the world, if they want to reach the buying public.Duncan Brown, co-author of the report, "Mobile...
SwitzerlandUnited Pan-Europe Communications announced its wireless communications division, Priority Wireless, won two national licenses to build and operate broadband fixed wireless access networks in the 3.5 GHz band in Switzerland and Spain. The Spanish license was awarded by the Ministry of Public Works and...
ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel-Hoping to continue its strong growth potential in the future, Partner Communications Co. Ltd., the only Global System for Mobile communications operator in Israel, formed a new company that will identify opportunities for investment and cooperation with start-ups with the potential to...
Telematics services, despite their slow start, are on the cusp of becoming standard features on millions of cars, but the kinds of services that will emerge as the most beneficial and applicable to consumers still remains to be seen."I think the big challenge for...
STOCKHOLM-Swedish emergency operator SOS Alarm AB said it signed an agreement to ally with Unwire, a subsidiary of CellPoint, to provide positioning, security and telematics services across Sweden.SOS Alarm already is working with Europolitan and Telia, two Swedish cellular operators, making it possible for...
When launched in November 1998, Iridium L.L.C. hoped the glare from its low-earth-orbit satellites would catch the attention of earthbound eyes and cause a stir.It soon will succeed in ways it never imagined.The company Friday shut down its 66-satellite constellation and began the process...
ARLINGTON, Va.-AT&T Corp. affiliate TeleCorp PCS, which recently announced plans to acquire another AT&T affiliate Tritel Corp., and AT&T will acquire Wisconsin personal communications services operator Industar Digital PCS.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Industar was trying to build a Time Division Multiple...
Since its exit from the highly competitive U.S. mobile handset market in late 1998, Siemens AG has vowed to return.The German manufacturer will make its comeback this summer, but to a mobile-phone market that is even more crowded and competitive than ever before. Rapidly...
LISBON, Portugal-Portugal Telecom announced a bid to gain control of its Brazilian affiliate, Telesp Celular Participacoes S.A. TCP holds the A-band cellular license for the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.Portugal Telecom said it would offer 30 Brazilian reais for every 1,000 TCP shares. The...
NEW YORK-To simulate third-generation wireless before its deployment, Finland's Sonera has just embarked on a new program, Sonera Mspace, said Kaj-Erik Relander, the company's executive vice president.In partnership with content, service and technology providers, Mspace will conduct in Finland "real life trials with consumers...
FinlandL.M. Ericsson will supply a fully integrated solution for a third-generation Global System for Mobile communications system, including the company's General Packet Radio Service system, to Finish operator Alands Mobiltelefon Ab. The contract includes a mobile network solution integrating GSM and 3G with Ericsson...
SAUDI ARABIAL.M. Ericsson and Saudi Telecommunications Co. signed a letter of intent for a major expansion and upgrade of STC's existing Global System for Mobile communications network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement, valued at more than $300 million, calls for Ericsson...
PARIS-Nortel Networks announced that U.K. operator One 2 One recently signed a series of orders valued at $100 million for expansion of the carrier's national Global System for Mobile communications network. The orders include General Packet Radio Service equipment for commercial launch later this...
After one week and 16 rounds of bidding, incumbent operator Orange plc led all third-generation license bids in the United Kingdom with a $632.9 million bid for License B. The auction for five licenses, which is expected to last another one to five weeks,...
MANILA, the Philippines-Globe Telecom, the second-largest cellular phone operator in the Philippines, announced a $2.3 billion merger with another Philippine wireless service provider, Isla Communications. The agreement allows Ayala Corp., Singapore Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to partner in the country.Globe Telecom is a joint...
GOTHENBURG, Sweden-Telia, the Swedish telecom company, said it formed a joint company with L.M. Ericsson and Volvo to deliver mobile e-services to the automotive industry. WirelessCar Corp. will develop and market complete solutions for mobile e-services to vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators, said Telia."For...
NEW YORK-Lucent Technologies Inc., the Murray Hill, N.J., telecom equipment company spun off from AT&T Corp. in 1996, announced plans last week to divest the slower growing parts of its business in an initial public offering later this year. The effort will allow the...
NEW ORLEANS-A standoff over 1XRTT technology enhancements began to brew at last week's Wireless 2000 show, as Motorola Inc. challenged the business case of Qualcomm's proprietary High Data Rate technology, introducing its own 1X enhancement for cdmaOne carriers to consider.Qualcomm has aggressively marketed HDR...
