Telefonica

One of the largest wireless companies in Latin America is considering a technology flip for the next generation. Sources close to BellSouth International Inc. say the carrier wants to convert …

MADRID, Spain-The Telefonica Group, comprised of the company’s many telecom holdings, reported increased revenue for the first half of 2000, led by large gains in the group’s wireless businesses. As …

Brazil’s national telecom agency Anatel said it received 35 proposed from companies, entities and individuals on the proposal of guidelines for implementation of the personal communications services (PCS), submitted to …

France France released details of its plan to award four 3G wireless phone licenses based on a beauty contest. Bidders, given a 31 January, 2001, deadline to submit proposals, will …

NEW YORK-The number of licenses awarded, not the prices paid for them, likely will lead Standard & Poor’s Corp. to downgrade the debt ratings of many winning bidders in Germany’s …

ROME-Eight groups stepped forward to vie for one of five Italian Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) licenses. The government will announce which bids are accepted by Sept. 2, and business …

LONDON-Yahoo! Europe announced two new wireless partnerships this week, including one with a handset manufacturer and one with a mobile operator. Yahoo! Europe and Trium, a Mitsubishi subsidiary, said Yahoo! …

In a surprise ending, six groups walked away with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses in Germany at a total cost of $45.85 billion, the largest amount raised yet in a …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Anatel should allow the current operators of cellular mobile service in Brazil the option of choosing the frequency for additional spectrum for operating PCS. Some operators want the …

Bids in the German auction of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses have jumped substantially during week two, with the total bid amount standing at around $22 billion at the end …

NEW YORK-Israeli wireless broadband equipment companies have been strutting their stuff on Wall Street lately. Floware Wireless Systems Ltd. sold its 4.5 million-share initial public offering Aug. 1. Credit Suisse …

GENEVA-Second-ranked Spanish carrier, Retevision, is taking to the air waves with plans to build one of the world’s largest networks based on point-to-point and point-to-multipoint fixed wireless access technology. The …

LISBON, Portugal-Portugal Telecom announced a contract with Telefonica International to swap Portugal Telecom’s stake in Brazil’s Telesp Particpacoes, a fixed-line carrier, for Telefonica’s stake in Telesp Celular Participacoes, a mobile …

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands-KPN, the former telecommunications monopoly in the Netherlands, plans to offer a new issue of shares to the public this year. The Dutch government currently holds a 43.5-percent …

NEW YORK-Merger and acquisition activity involving American companies shed some of its recent hyperactivity, slowing down last quarter to its lowest level since early 1998, Mergerstat L.P., Los Angeles, reported. …

MADRID, Spain-Telefonica Moviles and Terra Networks set up Terra Mobile, a new company charged with developing and operating the Telefonica group’s global mobile Internet portal. Telefonica Moviles will control 51 …

FRANKFURT, Germany-WorldCom Inc. formally pulled out of the German auction for third-generation licenses. The company is the third bidder to withdraw from the process before the auction officially begins July …

Germany WorldCom, Vivendi and Talkline, an SBC Communications and Tele Danmark joint venture, formally pulled out of the German auction for third-generation licenses, scheduled to begin 31 July. U.K. operator …

Europe is embarking on a third-generation license auction frenzy the rest of this year, and operators are not happy about it. Since the United Kingdom raked in a whopping $35 …

Chase Manhattan Bank filed papers in the U.S. District Court in Delaware June 9 alleging 17 members of Iridium L.L.C. have not met any reserve capital call obligations that secure …

MADRID-Telefonica denied reports that a virus is getting into the mobile phones of its customers and sending rude messages about the company to phone screens. U.S. computer specialists reported a …

WOODBURY, N.Y.-Comverse Network Systems, a division of Comverse Technology Inc., installed and launched systems enabling prepaid services for more than 1 million subscribers of Chilean mobile operator Telefonica Movil Chile. …

CAMPINAS, Brazil-Lucent Technologies Inc. provided Internet capabilities to the wireless companies owned by Telefonica S.A. in Brazil and Telesp Celular, a wireless operator covering the state of Sao Paulo. According …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with KPN Telecom, acquiring 15 percent of the voting rights in a newly formed holding company called KPN Mobile N.V. …

MILAN, Italy-The Italian government has proposed to use a two-stage process to award five Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses later this year. The proposal combines a “beauty contest” with an …