WASHINGTON-Two seemingly unrelated national policy actions highlight how regulators and lawmakers may be overlooking and underestimating the value of wireless technology in the new telecommunications paradigm that stresses competition and connectability.Last month, the Federal Communications Commission created a new, $2 billion universal service fund...
Coherent Communications Systems Corp. announced its chief financial officer, Michael Gendron, has left the company to pursue other interests. Gendron's responsibilities will be assumed by Joan Cominski, corporate controller, while the company searches for a new CFO.Cellexis International Inc. promoted Gary Paisley to president...
WASHINGTON-In an effort to control paperwork and legal fees connected with compliance to certain Federal Communications Commission guidelines mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Personal Communications Industry Association submitted a petition for forbearance that deals with six sections of FCC strictures.Citing Section...
WASHINGTON-Personal Communications Industry Association President Jay Kitchen blasted the Federal Communications Commission last week for ignoring congressional requests to reduce paging carrier contributions to the $2 billion annual universal service fund."The commission's actions ... are clearly inequitable and discriminatory for PCS (personal communications services)...
WASHINGTON-Key wireless initiatives are caught in the grip of legislative inertia that has paralyzed Congress and the White House and shaken the foundations of both institutions in the aftermath of House Speaker Newt Gingrich's (R-Ga.) ethics violations and the Clinton administration's link to the...
WASHINGTON-Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Personal Communications Industry Association as part of the festivities surrounding the annual Eugene Bowler Award ceremony scheduled for April 29. At press time, this year's Bowler Award recipient was being decided by...
After a 1993 lawsuit charged a woman's brain tumor was the result of her cellular phone use, the wireless industry funded an independent research program to study any possible link between brain cancer or any other health maladies and the use of cellular phones....
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission's second report and order that codifies new auction rules for common carrier and private carrier paging along with partitioning of geographic licenses follows in most cases auction rules set up for other wireless commercial services.However, the commission order is designed...
The Personal Communications Industry Association has decided to contract out for more "been there, done that" expertise to help forward its wireless agenda on Capitol Hill. As of March 1, Jack Fields, former chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee, will be helping...
WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association announced last week it will hold an Asia-Pacific wireless trade show in Singapore every two years beginning next January.Wireless Showcase Asia will premier at the Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre in January 1998. PCIA expects 3,000 to 4,000...
Having problems?Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) wants to fill the GOP vacancy at Federal Communications Commission with Michael Powell, chief of staff in the Justice Department's antitrust division and son of retired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Colin Powell. But Senate...
The Personal Communications Industry Association filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission regarding universal service fund reform. PCIA agreed with the FCC that it must implement access charge and universal service fund reform concurrently to avoid local exchange carriers receiving double recovery of costs....
WASHINGTON-Commenting on a petition regarding moratoria on siting issues, the Personal Communications Industry Association last week submitted to the Federal Communications Commission a laundry list of criteria that should be included in any FCC-generated pre-emptive policy. The group also asked the commission to conclude...
NEW YORK-To address a widely acknowledged shortage of wireless technicians and appropriate training schools, the State University of New York at Canton hopes to launch in September a two-year degree program in collaboration with the wireless industry."It is very difficult to find technicians, and...
WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to grant an extension of the now-expired 120-day special temporary authority given to current Part 90 licensees to continue operation of their facilities until the commission grants their pending applications. The STA expired Dec....
WASHINGTON-Viking Dispatch Services Inc., whose 42 applications to build cooperative, non-profit private radio networks were rejected by the Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau June 7, continues to fight for a review of the decision based on facts it has uncovered since the decision.Following...
WASHINGTON-Commenters on both sides of the issue regarding the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to kill its finder's preference programs have one thing in common-their arguments all come down to money.Many of those who oppose the commission's plan first to do away with the preference...
WASHINGTON-The wireless telecommunications industry is leery of a new budget-driven, flexible-use auction proposal that could create more competition for carriers on Main Street and Wall Street.The auction of the 2305-2320 MHz and 2345-2360 MHz bands has to begin by April 15 and must be...
We're into week three of Clinton II unofficially and already seeing the president wobble and waffle on the big issues of the day: balanced budget amendment, Cabinet makeup and Bosnia peacekeeping to name a few.The wireless telecom industry is up in arms over the FCC's...
WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association have advised the Federal Communications Commission to take a more proactive role with individual states to ensure the success of wireless tower siting on state-owned property.In comments submitted earlier this month, PCIA noted...
WASHINGTON-Certain parts of the Federal Communications Commission's interconnection and local exchange rules dealing with negotiations between local exchange carriers and commercial mobile radio service operators will not be included in the current stay that prevents FCC pricing restrictions from being implemented.Responding to an emergency...
Centennial Cellular Corp. began marketing its cellular communications products and services under the name Centennial Wireless throughout its properties. The company formerly used the Cellular One trademark. Centennial is bolstering the name change with an advertising campaign including newspaper, radio and television advertising.TekNow Inc....
WASHINGTON-Any euphoria felt by wireless carriers following the recent adoption of new interconnection and local competition rules by the Federal Communications Commission should have melted away by now as the commission faces a long, uphill battle in federal court to defend the proxy-pricing aspects...
WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration's free Internet plan would discriminate against wireless carriers by forcing them to pay extra into the universal service fund without the likelihood of gaining access to monies to connect schools and libraries, say wireless industry executives.While policymakers say they want to...
