September 1996

Telesp Celular, the cellular division of the telephone operating company for the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, announced plans to install a digital network by December 1997 to eliminate capacity problems of its current analog network. Telesp said it has …

ATLANTA-BellSouth Corp. announced it will begin repurchasing the company’s shares of stock on the open market. “At current trading levels, BellSouth’s stock represents an excellent investment opportunity,” said Ronald M. Dykes, executive vice president and chief financial officer. “Our decision …

A week after Mobistar launched Global System for Mobile communications cellular service in Belgium, sole incumbent Belgacom Mobile cut its cellular rates between 30 percent and 34 percent. However, Mobistar’s rates are equally competitive to Belgacom’s new rates, said Luca …

Several paging carriers planning to launch narrowband personal communications services report delays in receiving network equipment from Motorola Inc., significantly pushing back beta testing schedules and service launch dates. PageMart Inc. of Dallas was “expecting infrastructure equipment from Motorola easily …

The Federal Communications Commission was hit Friday with major challenges to its new hybrid radio frequency exposure guideline. Among those filing petitions for reconsideration/clarification are the Personal Communications Industry Association, the Electromagnetic Energy Association, Hammett & Edison Inc. (a consulting …

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.-The combined total of cellular and personal communications services devices will be in the hundreds of millions by 2000, said Allied Business Intelligence Inc. in its report, “The Wireless World Strategic Outlook.” The report evaluated six categories of …

BELMONT, Calif.-Western Multiplex Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glenayre Technologies Inc., supplied two license-free LYNX spread spectrum microwave radios for instant personal communications services at the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego. Pacific Bell Mobile Services was the official …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile and Transaction Network Services Inc. announced a pilot agreement that will allow TNS customers in remote locations to access its network through the company’s AirBridge Cellular Digital Packet Data services. In order to offer customers …

WASHINGTON-Only weeks after luring Alex Mandl away from AT&T Corp. for a reported $20 million in a much celebrated coup, Associated Communications L.L.C. now finds itself mired in controversy over the suddenly popular 18 GHz spectrum for local broadband wireless …

RALEIGH, N.C.-North Sight Communications Inc. of Levittown, Puerto Rico, has selected SmartLink Development L.P. to supply and install a multiprotocol trunking and networking system behind its 800 MHz channels throughout Puerto Rico. North Sight will use SmartLink’s trunking and networking …

Ameritech Cellular Services has joined several other carriers in deploying authentication technology to combat cloning fraud. Concurrently, Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile announced it has extended authentication fraud protection into its eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island markets. Authentication is seamless to …

VANCOUVER, British Columbia-Following successful completion of field trials of Northern Telecom Ltd.’s 800 MHz Code Division Multiple Access network, BC Tel Mobility has committed to move forward with full commercial rollout of its CDMA digital cellular service in British Columbia, …

Motorola Inc. unveiled a new open messaging software platform called Memos that is adaptable to all networks but optimized for the unique environment of wireless. “Motorola believes the establishment of standard software platforms will further expand the market,” said Doug …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola’s Cellular Infrastructure Group plans to begin implementing an emergency call location identification system called “Wireless E911,” during the second quarter of 1997. With Wireless E911, the public safety answering point will receive the location of cell sector …

NEW YORK-Millicom International Cellular S.A. has reached an agreement in principle to exchange its option to acquire 20 percent of Comviq GSM AB, the Swedish cellular telephone operator, in return for shares in NetCom Systems AB, Comviq’s publicly traded parent. …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-Metrocall Inc. announced it will reschedule a special meeting of shareholders concerning its merger with A+ Network Inc. The meeting, originally planned for mid-September, will be held in late October or early November, said the company.

As an embattled small business curmudgeon and wireless industry activist, I find it necessary to respond to Federal Communications Commission spokesperson Michele Farquhar’s recent letter that appeared in the July 29 issue of RCR. Ms. Farquhar excels in her newly …

WASHINGTON-The U.S. low-earth-orbit data satellite market may end up far less competitive than envisioned as policymakers struggle to craft rules around a smaller-than-anticipated spectrum allocation capable of supporting only a few licensees. The Federal Communications Commission delayed proposing rules last …

This paper will show that wireless local loop systems provide more capacity than mobile cellular systems. Code Division Multiple Access technology has proven to have higher capacity than other multiple access schemes. Industrial countries require quality and service features from …

WASHINGTON-Organized labor wants to make inroads in the wireless telecommunications industry as part of a broad makeover to regain political clout that has been waning for the past two decades. “It’s a major priority,” said Jeffery Miller, a spokesman for …

The abundance of new wireless licenses in Indonesia could have as much to do with politics as market opportunity, said a Pennsylvania State University college professor who specializes in international telecommunications. “Many of the ruling elite have recognized the value …

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-Safety tops the list of why customers use cellular phones, according to the Personal Wireless Communications Survey conducted by IDC/LINK, a division of International Data Corp. More than half of the respondents in a national survey of cellular users …

ATLANTA-Focusing attention on GTE Corp.’s corporate identity, GTE Mobilnet Inc. will start referring to the company as just “GTE” in some of its marketing efforts. Ron Grawert, executive vice president of operations for GTE Mobilnet Inc., said that “on a …

Some Personal Communications Services contenders are looking to differentiate themselves in the new age of wireless competition with data services based on the established Global System for Mobile communications standard. “We see this as a strong differentiator for us and …

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-The Wireless Messaging Group of Glenayre Technologies Inc. and Paging Network Inc., a wireless messaging company with 7.9 million subscribers, teamed up to install Motorola Inc.’s InFLEXion voice messaging system. During tests in San Francisco, voice messages were sent …