Globe Telecom selected Nokia Corp. to supply infrastructure equipment and wireless local loop subscriber terminals for a fixed telephone project in the Philippines. Nokia’s Global System for Mobile communications infrastructure and PremiCell WLL equipment will be used in the initial phase of trial applications in Cavite and Batangas in southern Luzon. Globe Telecom currently is laying fully digital fixed telephone infrastructure that makes use of both wired and wireless technologies, said Nokia.
Motorola Inc.’s Advanced Messaging Group selected Singapore as the site for its Asian-based two-way technology research-and-development program. The program, partially funded by Singapore’s National Science and Technology Board, aims to produce the first Asian-manufactured two-way data pager and the first Asian voice pager capable of operating in the 280/900 MHz frequencies, said the company.
Tecore Inc. won a contract to establish a nationwide cellular network on the Caribbean island of Antigua. The network, owned by Observer Publications Ltd., will incorporate Tecore’s scalable, distributed mobile switching center approach. Integrated with Advanced Mobile Phone Service base stations, Tecore’s MSC will allow Observer to match the network’s start-up costs with the growth of its customer base, said Tecore.
Iusacell, Bell Atlantic Corp.’s wireless venture in Mexico, entered an agreement with the Mexican government regarding commercial use of spectrum in the 450 MHz band. The agreement outlines terms and conditions under which Iusacell could secure the frequencies once 450 MHz spectrum auctions in Mexico are completed later this year. The agreement also allows Iusacell to expand its current wireless local loop offering to serve 50,000 customers.
“We’re pleased to finally resolve this spectrum authorization issue,” said Tom Bartlett, president and chief executive officer of Iusacell.
Octel Communications Corp. said it signed a contract with the Digital Phone Group in Japan to provide free voice-mail service to cellular subscribers of Tokyo Digital Phone and Kansai Digital Phone. The cellular services will add Octel’s voice mail service as a free service as a “strategic weapon for market differentiation and growth in the future,” said Yoshikazu Muramoto, in charge of voice-mail product planning at TDP. According to Octel, this is the first offering of its kind in Japan.
Northern Telecom Ltd. agreed to increase the capacity of the Global System for Mobile communications network operated by the Tianjin Posts and Telecommunications Administration Bureau. The contract will expand the switching capacity of Tianjin’s GSM network to 360,000 subscribers, said Nortel. Nortel signed another contract in China recently with The Hebei Post and Telecommunications Administration. In Hebei, Nortel will install a GSM network to cover the southern portion of the province.
