Culminating seven years of development and fine-tuning, American Mobile Satellite Corp. has launched the country’s first satellite for mobile communications, giving lift-off to a new form of wireless services. Hughes Communications Inc., a division of GM Hughes Electronics, built AMSC’s geostationary satellite, supporting mobile voice and data applications for a variety of users, including land [...]

WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration, ending the first phase of a long-range spectrum plan, projects land mobile communications services will require an additional 119 megahertz over the next 10 years. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a unit of the Commerce Department that advises the president on telecommunications policy and manages federal government spectrum, also forecasts mobile [...]

With the heavy lifting on telecommunicatins reform legislation nearly complete, it’s all politics from here on out. The Senate bill, engineered by Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler, R-S.D., is ripe for floor action as early as next week. In the House, Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Jack Fields, R-Texas, promises to introduce legislation the same week. Hearings [...]

Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about Craig McCaw’s ability to work wireless wonders for Nextel Communications Inc., whose quest to convert radio dispatch systems around the country into one nationwide digital network has been fraught with technical, financial and legal problems in recent years. Despite the setbacks, telecommunications analysts say the combination of a $1.1 [...]

As cellular carriers attempt to roll out nationwide coverage with new mobile data services, Los Gatos, Calif.-based Metricom Inc. is focused on establishing its Ricochet data network in two major computer industry centers-Silicon Valley and Seattle. The company just completed an agreement with the city of Palo Alto, Calif., to install and operate the network [...]

SEATTLE-McCaw Cellular Communications Inc. has visibly initiated its transition into AT&T Corp. with a few name changes. Its cellular businesses in Washington and Oregon, previously called Cellular One, and the U.S. operations of McCaw’s in-flight communications company, Claircom, now are being marketed under the AT&T Wireless Services name. McCaw is in the process of converting [...]

JACKSON, Miss.-In a partnership venture with Telemalta Corp.-the Republic of Malta’s state-owned telecommunications operation-Mobile Telecommunication Technologies Corp. has launched a satellite-based wireless messaging service to the country. The agreement gives Washington, D.C.-based Mtel a 15-year license to provide nationwide and international wireless messaging services to Malta, the nearby islands of Camino and Gozo and a [...]

Lin Broadcasting Corp. can take until mid-May to accept or reject the latest offer by AT&T Corp. to buy the last 48 percent of Lin for about $3.3 billion. The $127.50 per share price was assessed by Wasserstein Perella & Co., the third appraisal group to offer an assessment on the value of Lin stock. [...]

DALLAS-PageMart Inc. is extending its paging coverage in the Caribbean to meet the demand of travelers in the region, the company said. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas soon will receive new or expanded paging service from PageMart Inc. “Pick-Your-Cities” allows tourists and business people to extend local coverage to the two or [...]

AirTouch Communications, a partner in Globalstar L.P. – one of three low-earth-orbit statellites recently licensed by the government is pursuing satellite-based mobile communications in Japan through a joint venture with Japanese trading company, Itochu Corp. AirTouch has globalstar service provider rights in several countries including the United States, Japan, Indonesia, Belgium and Portugal, and plans [...]