1996

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 …

WASHINGTON–The Federal Communications Commission may delay implementation of the new hybrid radio frequency safety guideline that’s scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, according to an official. “I think there’s definitely merit to some of the arguments,” said Robert Cleveland, senior …

CINCINNATI-Cincinnati Bell Information Systems Inc. rolled out its Precedent 2000 customer care and billing solution for PrimeCo Personal Communications L.P.’s personal communications services launch in 16 markets. Earlier this year, PrimeCo signed an agreement with CBIS to deploy the Precedent …

Tektronix Inc. added an Advanced Mobile Phone Service option for its CMD80 digital radio communications test set. The AMPS Option 17 makes the CMD80 a “one-box” test solution for digital cellular and personal communications services mobile phone equipment, the company …

Hewlett Packard Co. announced it has made enhancements to its parallel cell/traffic generator and analyzer system, designed to speed up the verification process of asynchronous transfer mode designs. The HP E4829B is a verification tool built for the new generation …

I’ve noted before that vendors of the personal Air Communications Technology protocol-one of the newest contenders for two-way paging and messaging systems, and being implemented by AT&T Wireless Services Inc. over its nationwide two-way channels-have their work cut out for …

Bouygues Telecom chose the partnership of Nokia Telecommunications and Dassault A.T. of France to provide a DCS 1800 cellular system in northern France. Nokia and Dassault will provide base stations, base station controllers, operation systems, cellular transmission equipment and antennas. …

FCC employees were caught abusing cellular phone privileges. Big surprise. Actually, the FCC employees were doing the very thing that cellular carriers count on when customers sign up for wireless service-they were finding out just how handy the derned things …

JACKSON, Miss.-A C-block licensee bidding in the D-, E- and F-block auction will consider using Global System for Mobile communications in the markets it hopes to win. Eldorado Communications L.L.C. has been bidding for D, E or F properties in …

ATLANTA-Electromagnetic Sciences Inc.’s wireless division will provide its DualPol antennas throughout Sprint Spectrum L.P.’s personal communications services network. The DualPol antenna uses polarization diversity to provide the performance equivalent of several traditional cellular antennas in a single compact enclosure, the …

NEW YORK-Horizon Cellular Group, a Malvern, Pa., wireless carrier, is getting out of the cellular business, but its top management is seeking a new play in personal communications services. Backed by many of the same investors who cashed out of …

CRANBURY, N.J.-Comcast Cellular One, a division of Comcast Cellular Communications Inc., opened retail stores in North Brunswick and Edison, N.J. The company said it expects the new outlets to generate 25 jobs immediately, and several more positions next year. “We’re …

WASHINGTON-Incoming House telecommunications subcommittee head Billy Tauzin (R-La.) said he’s irked by the Federal Communications Commission’s 2.3 GHz auction plan. “It’s a real serious problem,” said Tauzin, in an interview with RCR. Tauzin has met with FCC Chairman Reed Hundt …

PLEASANTON, Calif.-Pacific Bell Mobile Services will let its San Diego subscribers roam free of charge for the next six months in New York City, Honolulu, Portland, Ore., Salt Lake City, Knoxville, Tenn., Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. Those are all cities …

NEW YORK-Cox Enterprises Inc. and Omnipoint Corp. seem likely to meet their December 1999 deadlines to deploy new technologies, a condition of their Federal Communications Commission pioneer’s preference licenses for 2 GHz broadband personal communications services. “Cox has said it …

NEW YORK-The flow of venture capital into domestic companies in wireless-related industries reached $192 million during the third quarter, a $30 million increase compared with the prior quarter, according to Price Waterhouse Technology Industry Group, Dallas. Venture capital raised during …

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif.-International Billing Systems Inc. will provide statement presentment services to Metrocall, according to a five-year agreement. Metrocall will use IBS’ statement design, graphics and targeted inserting capabilities to provide easy-to-read statements to its paging customers. “After a …

Bill Clinton is fond of telling us he feels our pain. His compassion is seemingly endless, a surface virtue that sells well with core Democrats and swing voters. His detractors would rather Clinton save it, stifle it; they’ve heard it …

CARMEL, Ind.-Ritron Inc. and Trident Micro Systems announced plans to codevelop and jointly market trunking products and systems. The alliance will integrate Trident’s PassPort npNTS trunking protocol and LTR expertise with Ritron’s family of RF communications products. The companies plan …

SAN DIEGO-Sony/Qualcomm CDMA sales, a division of Qualcomm Personal Electronics, will supply Sony CM-D500 handsets for GTE Inc.’s launch of Code Division Multiple Access digital service in Austin, Texas. The dual-mode phones use Sony’s lithium ion battery technology to increase …

WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration has balked at a congressional request to make available classified National Security Council documents possibly tied to telecommunications trade and U.S. encryption policy that were removed from the Commerce Department after former Secretary Ron Brown’s death in …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Communications has halted 900 MHz private wireless licensing in a move that the industry suspects could lead to auctions, according to sources. A representative in the FCC’s licensing division in Gettysburg, Pa., said the agency was “reevaluating …

Powertel Inc. added three new executives to its management team. Michael C. Lothspeich is the new vice president of sales in the company’s corporate office. He will be responsible for Powertel’s sales and distribution strategy through mass retailers, company-owned retail …

ARDMORE, Pa.-A class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey against MobileMedia Corp. and certain of its former and current executives. It is the second class action lawsuit filed since the company made serious financial …

WASHINGTON-President Clinton, with help from Japan, Canada, Australia and the European Union, snatched victory from defeat in winning support from Asia-Pacific leaders to end tariffs on telecommunications and information technology products by 2000. The accord, culminating the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation …