Orange

LONDON-Standard & Poor’s said it lowered its long-term ratings on Mannesmann AG from A to BBB, and its short-term ratings from A-1 to A-2, following Mannesmann’s announcement that it has …

Vodafone AirTouch plc Friday launched a hostile takeover bid for Mannesmann AG after the German company flatly rejected an earlier all-stock bid of about $106 billion. “We made a friendly …

LONDON-Vodafone AirTouch plc acknowledged speculation circulating last week that it was interested in making a bid for Germany’s Mannesmann AG and hinted that a future tie-up of the two could …

United Kingdom British Telecommunications plc is close to a deal with Viag, the German utility, that would give it access to the Austrian telecom market and more control in Switzerland, …

Following Orange’s launch of a $15.5 million promotional campaign in July of the Wildfire voice-activated personal assistant, the carrier said 20,000 subscribers have signed onto the service. Orange, the United …

DUBLIN, Ireland-Northern Ireland is a complex country with an intriguing cellular industry. As part of the United Kingdom, it is covered by the same mobile networks (BT Cellnet, Vodafone AirTouch …

LONDON-Orange, the United Kingdom’s third-largest mobile operator, announced just prior to Global Wireless press time that it is offering a new prepaid package, called Just Talk, that makes clear all …

During the last five weeks, merger and acquisition announcements have flooded the telecommunications arena. Carriers in Asia, Europe and North America continue to jockey for positions in an industry that …

LONDON-Orange, the United Kingdom’s third-largest mobile operator, announced it is offering a new prepaid package, called Just Talk, that makes clear all conditions and charges upfront and offers existing prepaid …

Mannesmann AG, parent of Germany’s top mobile communications company, confirmed last week it made a bid to buy U.K. mobile carrier Orange plc, which Orange’s largest shareholder accepted. The bid …

United Kingdom British Telecommunications plc announced it licensed PocketScience Inc.’s PocketMail mobile e-mail service via a revenue sharing agreement that allows BT’s Internet and Multimedia Services Division to exclusively license …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Most cellular operators now recognize that to ensure their businesses continue to experience breakneck growth, they must compete more directly with fixed operators. According to industry analysts, this …

Contrary to what many equipment developers proclaim, Hans Snook, chief executive officer of U.K.-based cell phone operator Orange, says that things were not simpler in 1995. He claims that it …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-The phrase on everyone’s lips within the cellular industry at Telecom ’99 will be value-added services, a world apart from the talk at the 1995 exhibition. This simple …

LONDON-Orange plc in its results for the first half of 1999, ended June 30, said its loss before tax dropped 35 percent to $52.2 million (

NEW YORK-Deutsche Telekom, which bought England’s One-2-One last month, considers its 10-percent stake in Sprint Corp. too minuscule a toehold in the burgeoning and beckoning American market, company executives said …

The U.K. government has decided to appeal a recent court decision that determined the Department of Trade and Industry could not force existing wireless operators to grant roaming rights to …

Austria The Austrian telecom control and licensing authority has started consultations with telecom providers on introducing third-generation systems. Austria must license at least one 3G standard to the UMTS specifications, …

Australia The Australian government will auction a further 30 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 1.8 GHz band early next year. The auction, which will be conducted by the Australian …

The U.K. government is determined to keep its third-generation licensing time frame despite a ruling from a London High Court judge, who said the government could not force existing wireless …

HONG KONG-Smart-card solution provider Schlumberger said Hong Kong mobile operator Sunday plans to upgrade its subscribers’ phones to user-programmable multiservice terminals using Simera 32 Java-compatible subscriber identity modules and an …

France France Telecom said it signed a partnership agreement with the Sonae group in Portugal. The two already have a working relationship as stakeholders in Optimus, the third mobile operator …

Western Wireless Corp. reported revenues for the second quarter ended June 30 of $136.6 million, an increase from the $98.4 million reported the same time the previous year. The company …

JERUSALEM-Hutchison Whampoa is considering listing its Israeli mobile phone unit, Partner Communications Co. Ltd., in London or on the Nasdaq National Market to secure financing to expand its network, according …

LEXINGTON, Mass.-Wildfire Communications Inc. announced Orange plc Group has launched the Wildfire virtual personal assistant in the United Kingdom.In conjunction with the launch, Orange said it will conduct a $15.5 …