Portugal Telecom announced the consortium, Medi Telecom, won the second Global System for Mobile communications license in Morocco.The Medi Telecom consortium, led by Telefonica and including Portugal Telecom, the Moroccan groups Banque Marrocaine du Commerce Exterieur and Afriquia, offered $902 million for the license,...
U S West Wireless recently completed field tests of Qualcomm Inc.'s High Data Rate product, saying it was impressed with the solution, but didn't indicate plans to deploy the technology commercially.
"We were able to show proof of the concept and that it does provide...
After nearly two years of fits and starts, the government of Argentina finally awarded six personal communications services licenses for a total consideration of about $850 million.The government awarded two PCS licenses each in the northern and southern regions of Argentina, as well as...
DALLAS-Nokia Corp. received a $165 million order from Telefonica Celular in Brazil to supply Nokia's 6180 and 5180 Code Division Multiple Access cellular handsets.Deliveries are expected to begin this month, according to the Dallas-based Nokia division.
MADRID, Spain-Telefonica Moviles, part of the Telefonica Group S.A., Madrid, Spain, announced it gained 822,487 new customers during the first quarter of this year, more than triple the net additions posted during the same period a year ago.The Spanish wireless carrier had 5.72 million...
Telefonica Internacional announced plans to launch public tender offers to buy 100 percent of the preferred and common stock of two Brazilian mobile wireless phone companies: Telerj Celular, in Rio de Janeiro, and Telest Celular, in Espiritu Santo.At the same time, Telefonica and its partner,...
BrazilTelemig Celular said it plans to invest R$200 million-R$220 million (US$118 million-US$130 million) during 1999 to expand its services in the state of Minas Gerais, according to the Jornal do Comercio. Telemig is owned by Telesystem International Wireless and local partners, the same group...
MCI WorldCom seems to be signaling it is not interested in acquiring trunked radio giant Nextel Communications anytime soon, if ever, despite recent speculation. "We don't think it's imperative we do something in wireless right now, but in the next couple of years, we...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Chile, which became the first country in Latin America in 1998 to implement PCS, has just felt the tremor of three new events in its market that could impact growth and market positioning.Calling party pays (CPP) was introduced 23 February, BellSouth bought...
SAO PAULO, Brazil-A little more than one year after auctioning B-band cellular licenses and less than a year after the Telebras privatization, the Brazilian government already is dealing with agreements and acquisitions that will change the country's wireless market profile.The movement started early this...
AustraliaThe Australian Communications Authority said it will complete its PCS auction of 800 MHz and 1.8 MHz spectrum, with the final 800 MHz lot covering Central Australia to be brought to auction for the third time. No time frame has been given, though the...
MADRID, Spain-The consortium led by Telefonica InterContinental received notification it has prequalified to take part in the bidding for a second Global System for Mobile communication telephone license in Morocco, said Telefonica.The consortium includes Portugal Telecom Internacional and the Moroccan group Banque Marocaine du...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil-Motorola Inc. signed a $188 million contract with Brazil's Telefonica Celular to provide its StarTAC ST7760 and MultiTAC SC3160 Code Division Multiple Access dual-mode 800 MHz phones.Telefonica Celular provides A-band services in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Bahia...
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala-Telefonica Centroamerica, a member of Telefonica Group, said it acquired the 15-megahertz band B license for personal communications services in Guatemala for $33 million.The company recently acquired a Guatemalan telecommunications company, which already had all the necessary licenses (except one in cellular...
NEW YORK-Millicom International Cellular S.A. said it is underwriting a $10 million capital increase in Celcaribe S.A., its cellular operator in the northern region of Colombia, and purchasing an additional 2.5-percent stake in Telefonica Celular de Bolivia S.A., its cellular operator in Bolivia, from...
CARROLLTON, Texas-CellStar Corp. said it received contracts from Telefonica Del Peru S.A. and BCP Telecomunicacoes of Brazil to distribute prepaid cellular cards.In Brazil, CellStar will be the primary distributor in the northeastern region, covering six states. Prior to launching service in northeastern Brazil, CellStar...
NEW YORK-The Federal Communications Commission announced it has permitted the takeover of Puerto Rico's government-run "principal local exchange service provider by a well-financed and experienced company," GTE Holdings L.L.C.In its decision, the FCC granted a transfer to GTE Holdings from the Puerto Rico Telephone...
JapanTu-Ka Phone Kansai Inc., based in Osaka, Japan, said it selected Brite Voice Systems and Marubeni, a large Japanese trading company, to launch an intelligent network-based version of BriteDebit, Brite's prepaid service. Brite said it will help Tu-Ka Phone Kansai with all aspects of...
Companies already are feeling the pinch from Brazil's falling currency, which, at RCR press time, had lost about 20 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar since Brazil's central bank first moved to devalue the real.BellSouth Corp. said it will record a foreign...
MADRID, Spain-Telefonica and Lucent Technologies Inc. announced they signed a memorandum of understanding that strengthens their relationship by recognizing Lucent as a preferred global supplier of telecommunications systems to Telefonica.Lucent said it will provide solutions in such areas as next-generation data networks and Global...
OXFORD, United Kingdom-Last July the European Commission identified 14 cases of excessive or discriminatory pricing of interconnect rates between fixed and mobile operators. In-depth investigations were launched, and half of those investigations have been closed or suspended following a flurry of rate-cutting and pressure...
NEW YORK-The recent privatization of Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala S.A., doing business as Telgua, was the largest such transaction in Central America to date and offers encouragement for similar plans contemplated in nearby Nicaragua and Honduras."Obviously, Telgua would be interested in reviewing these as opportunities...
SAO PAULO, Brazil-Despite its drive for a competitive and liberalized market, Brazilian regulatory agency Anatel finally succumbed to market pressures and postponed to Jan. 15, the tender of licenses to operate one long-distance and three fixed-line "mirror," or competitive, companies because of the financial...
PolandPoland may call tenders for three new mobile phone licenses for Global System for Mobile communications 900 MHz and 1800 MHz systems during the first half of next year. Reuters reported that the country's telecommunications minister Marek Zdrojewski said the tenders would be issued...
