Vodafone

Most analysts expected the Federal Communications Commission’s auction of 422 personal communications services licenses to finish up late last week. Instead, there were 37 eligible bidders placing 27 new high …

MELBOURNE, Australia-In a part of the world that still relies on word of mouth as a means to keep in touch, cellular communications-both digital and analog-is continuing to spread through …

Bulgaria Ote Telecom won Bulgaria’s third mobile-phone license for US$135 million, beating out Telecom Italia Mobile through an auction. Ote plans to partner with Bulgarian Telecommunications Co. (BTC), the country’s …

DUBLIN, Ireland-When companies with international aspirations make their cases for being allowed to own mobile networks across a number of countries, one argument put forward is that pan-European operators will …

PARIS-France Telecom announced plans to float up to 15 percent of its mobile subsidiary, Orange SA, in an effort to reduce its debt. The float will take place by the …

MEXICO CITY-U.K.-based Vodafone Group purchased a 34.5-percent stake in Iusacell, Mexico’s second-largest mobile operator, in an effort to expand into the Latin American wireless market, according to international press reports. …

LONDON-Hutchison Whampoa plc is selling $2.5 billion in exchangeable notes, which can be converted for part of its 3.47-percent stake in Vodafone Group plc, according to international press reports. Vodafone’s …

TOKYO-KDDI, the sole cdmaOne operator in Japan, has been expanding its international roaming services, fully using its universally standardized cdmaOne technology. In January, KDDI launched international roaming services in Canada …

The millennium is off to a good start for Vodafone Group. The U.K.-based carrier began 2000 with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann, parent of its rival Orange, and continued with …

MELBOURNE, Australia-The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) will hold the keenly awaited auction of third-generation (3G) spectrum in the 2 GHz radio-frequency band in early March. The new 3G mobile services …

WASHINGTON-Baltimore superlawyer Peter Angelos confirmed he may take over mobile phone-cancer litigation in Maryland that was dealt a major legal setback recently, but he distanced himself from press reports last …

At the end of each year, the RCR Wireless News editorial staff looks back on the new events that made RCR headlines and decides which were the most significant, industry-impacting …

LISBON, Portugal-Portugal’s Institute for Communications of Portugal awarded four Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses. The license winners are the country’s three incumbent mobile carriers-TMN, owned by Portugal Telecom; Telecel, majority …

HOUSTON-Crown Castle International Corp.’s Australian subsidiary will purchase 669 wireless communications towers for about $130 million from Vodafone Australia. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of next …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-In a surprise announcement, the Swedish government awarded four Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses on Dec. 16, dismissing a proposal from Telia, the country’s current mobile leader. Sweden’s other …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Vodafone Group plc and Ireland’s Eircom plc reached an agreement calling for Vodafone to acquire the business of Eircell, Eircom’s mobile operator, for about $4.1 billion in stock. According …

Chris Gent has had quite a year. For the chief executive of Vodafone Group plc, 2000 began with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann AG, parent of its rival Orange plc, …

Extolling them as “wings of light,” Nortel Networks hopes to illumine the wireless Internet space with four new initiatives. Basking in a 55-percent third-quarter growth, the Internet and communications company …

TOKYO-British Telecommunications plc is in the process of increasing its current 15-percent stake in Japan Telecom Co. Ltd., according to Reuters. The move comes at the same time BT rival …

SOFIA, Bulgaria-Five companies have submitted applications to bid for a 15-year GSM license in Bulgaria. The minimum price for the license, to be awarded Dec. 15, is $40 million. Vodafone …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-SnapTrack Inc., a Qualcomm Inc. subsidiary, announced a year-long test of its position-location technology is over and the results are positive. The tests of SnapTrack’s Wireless Assisted global …

The strategic alliance announced between NTT DoCoMo and AT&T Wireless Inc. is fairly simple on the surface, but may have long-term implications for the global wireless industry. DoCoMo will invest …

CHELMSFORD, Mass.-In a US$40 million deal, Vodafone Group will use Sycamore Networks’ intelligent optical switching and transport products and services. Sycamore will supply its SN 16000 optical core switch, SN …

NEW YORK-The major players’ rankings reflect the dynamic environment of telecommunications as some stalwarts held their ground, some newcomers joined the group, while still others showed substantial rises or falls …

A week after announcing plans to eliminate as much as $14 billion in debt, British Telecommunications plc said it was selling its 34-percent stake in Swiss joint venture Sunrise to …