1996

WASHINGTON-C-block personal communications services bidders Antigone Communications L.P. and PCS Devco Inc. continued to put NextWave Personal Communications Inc.’s feet into the fire regarding its pending C-block licenses. This time it asked the Federal Communications Commission Dec. 6 to force …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Motorola Inc.’s Wireless Data Group is phasing out its Marco and Envoy personal digital assistants by the end of the year, said Cheryl Beck-Ruff, public relations manager. However, the Wireless Data Group will continue producing its Personal Messenger wireless …

Sprint PCS to announce launch Sprint Spectrum L.P. is expected to announce today its personal communications services launch. The company did not note the markets where it expected to launch service. Sprint announced earlier this month it was delaying its …

NEW YORK-Like the fabled elephant described by a group of blind men positioned near various points of its anatomy, equipment vendors at the recent “PCS-1900 in North America” conference gave widely different definitions of so-called “smart phones.” The closest thing …

WASHINGTON-If the wireless telecom industry has learned one thing in recent years, it is that rules for paging, cellular, specialized mobile radio, personal communications services, mobile satellite, microwave, wireless local loop and private wireless services are not made in a …

The end of the Cold War six years ago signaled the end of defense as a driver of technology creation. Engineers have since sought ways to apply defense designs to commercial services. “There’s a lot of novelty going on around …

WASHINGTON-AT&T Wireless Services Inc. will use the Cibernet On-line Roaming Database to administer and exchange carrier market data used in roaming. The database allows carriers to update their roaming data online for immediate use by roaming partners. CORD transfers data …

WASHINGTON-Trade ministers in Singapore reached agreement late last week to phase out tariffs on telecommunications and information technology products by 2000, a major victory for the United States that could boost chances for a global free-trade accord on telecommunications services …

DALLAS-Northern Telecom Inc. said it is syndicating about $1.1 billion of its $1.3 billion vendor credit facility with Sprint Spectrum L.P. through a group of major financial institutions. The syndication of participation rights and loan assignments is expected to be …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Telecommunications said it will supply Global System for Mobile communications infrastructure equipment to Societe Francaise du Radiotelephone. According to the agreement, Nokia will deliver base stations, base station controllers, operation systems and network implementation, optimization and maintenance related …

SANTIAGO, Chile-Entel, Chile’s monopoly long-distance provider, is the informal winner of two personal communications services licenses, but the company will forgo one of those licenses, reported Isabel Valenzuela, commercial counselor for the U.S. Embassy in Santiago. “Two licenses … are …

SEATTLE-Toll Free Cellular has announced plans for national expansion of its #800 free cellular calling services. The national expansion is propelled by an infusion of capital, provided primarily by limited partnerships affiliated with Goldman, Sachs & Co., and supported by …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-More than 3.5 million people sign up for digital wireless services each month, according to a study conducted by L.M. Ericsson. The company estimated 126 million people were wireless subscribers at the end of the third quarter 1996. Around …

Some letters sent to Santa somehow found their way to RCR’s Denver office. I took a peak before sending them on to the big bearded guy up north … Dear Santa, I have been a good boy all year. I …

WASHINGTON-Viking Dispatch Services Inc., whose 42 applications to build cooperative, non-profit private radio networks were rejected by the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau June 7, continues to fight for a review of the decision based on facts it has …

The latest radio acquisition by Harris Corp. puts the company in the position to compete for a multimillion dollar government contract upgrading airport radio systems. Harris is buying the Digital Radio Technology Inc. unit of California Microwave Inc. The Digital …

Qualcomm Inc. has granted Hitachi Ltd. rights to manufacture and sell Code Division Multiple Access infrastructure based on Qualcomm’s CDMA Interim Standard 95 technology. “We believe that this agreement with Hitachi, a major global telecommunications manufacturer, will further accelerate worldwide …

WASHINGTON-In an effort to move closer to gaining the C-block personal communications services licenses it won last summer and to circumvent any talk of collusion, Dallas-based GWI PCS Inc. has stated in no uncertain terms that neither South Korean-based Hyundai …

FORT WORTH, Texas-Uniden Corp. has formed a subsidiary, The Private Radio Communications Group, to specialize in research and development, manufacturing and sales of private mobile radio and specialized mobile radio products. Uniden said it created the group to better serve …

LONDON-Frost & Sullivan has predicted the network operators sector of the European radio paging market will grow at a higher rate than the hardware sector. Revenues for the radio pager hardware market were $1.47 billion last year, while network operator …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc.’s International Cellular Infrastructure Group signed a contract to expand a Global System for Mobile communications network in Kuwait. Motorola values the contract at $7 million. When the expansion is completed, the network will provide service for …

DALLAS-PrimeCo Personal Communications L.P. introduced its text messaging service and PrimeCo Lite Messaging software. The service allows subscribers to receive on their PrimeCo phone short text messages sent by a personal computer. “The text messaging service offers an additional option …

The transition from analog to digital handsets in the United States is finally taking off, says a new study published by Herschel Shosteck Associates Ltd. “After four years of false starts, the U.S. digital transition is finally underway,” said Jane …

Clinton II and greener pastures are generating more exits, some through the infamous revolving door. Bob McNamara, chief of the FCC’s Private Wireless Division, is leaving the agency after 21 years to join Nextel Communications Inc. in McLean, Va. FCC …

Sprint PCS said software problems by one of its two equipment vendors will delay the launch of personal communications service in some markets by year’s end, but the company still intends to roll out service in five to 10 markets …