April 1998

DALLAS-BearCom Inc., a wireless equipment dealer and distributor, announced it has acquired Condor Communications. BearCom said the acquisition is part of its strategy to provide a worldwide sales and support network. Condor has offices in Caracas, Venezuela, and Prague, in …

WASHINGTON-The Indonesian government agreed last week to privatize state-owned telecommunications as part of a new, $43 billion rescue package negotiated with the International Monetary Fund. Last week’s accord, the third attempt in six months to help the fourth-largest nation avoid …

BERKSHIRE, England-Vodafone Group plc announced its parent company, Vodafone Europe Holdings BV, acquired 8.5 percent of CV Gemeenschappelijk Bezit Libertel from ING Bank Corporate Investments BV. The transaction gives Vodafone a 70-percent stake in Libertel, while ING will keep the …

VANCOUVER, British Columbia-Sierra Wireless Inc. announced the private placement of $15 million in preferred shares with institutional investors including Scotia Merchant Capital, Tera Capital and BCI Holdings. Sierra plans to use the new financing for working capital and strategic investments …

DALLAS-PageMart Wireless Inc. announced it is repositioning its strategic alliances business unit to better prepare for a second-quarter launch of its ReFLEX 25 narrowband personal communications services network. As part of the change, the unit has been renamed the Carrier …

NORMAN, Okla.-The University of Oklahoma’s EMC Center reported recent findings indicate that interaction may occur between a small number of wireless phones and some implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). ICDs are electronic devices inserted within a patient’s body to monitor and …

After years of delays and controversy, the Italian Ministry of Communications began accepting bids for the country’s third mobile phone license last week. The ministry set an April 15 deadline for interested parties to apply to participate in the auction …

NEW YORK-The communications industry took the lead in the domestic mergers and acquisitions market during the first quarter, with $26.1 billion in transactions announced, a huge leap from the $1.5 billion announced during the first three months of 1997. Communications …

The torrents of spring are up upon Bill Kennard. Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission for all of four months, stands at the vortex of an historical transformation of the telecommunications industry, whose powerful forces, the Democratic Clinton appointee …

Bell Canada International Inc. said it will acquire 29 percent of South Korean personal communications services operator Hansol PCS Co. Ltd. for $180 million. Hansol is one of three PCS operators in South Korea that launched service in October. The …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-LGC Wireless received patent approval for its LGCell distributed antenna system, which allows cellular and personal communications services carriers to provide in-building services. “We have been notified that all 30 claims under our patent were issued,” said David …

WASHINGTON-The National Telecommunications & Information Administration estimates that the liberalization of the global telecommunications marketplace has resulted in a $675 billion opportunity for carriers that want to pursue business overseas. While the World Trade Organization treaty has paved part of …

The March 16 article on Justice Department probes involving lobbyist Peter Knight should have stated that $230,000 was contributed by Portals Developer Franklin Haney to the Democratic Party and $300,000 was contributed to Democrats from Indian tribes in Minnesota and …

WETHERSFIELD, Conn.-Shared Technologies Cellular Inc. said the 305-percent expansion of its prepaid cellular business helped increase revenue 16 percent, from $20.9 million in 1996 to $24.2 million for the year ended Dec. 31. The company also cut its losses by …

Slam! Bam! Thank you, ma’am. Opening mail that accumulated during a week’s vacation was a test case in re-entry shock and a reality check. Fraudsters had forged my signature on an application for AT&T Corp. long-distance wireline telephony. Someone, possibly …

April 7-8 IGI Consulting. Holiday Inn, Washington, D.C. (800) 323-1088 or (617) 232-3111. Asian Consumer Electronics Show April 9-11 Kenfair International Ltd. Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong. (852) 2311 8216. Wireless Americas ’98 April 14-17 The Latin …

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.-InterDigital Technology Corp. will keep its patent on the Time Division Multiple Access wireless radio communications system used in Germany, said the company, after an appeal before the German Supreme Court challenging its validity was withdrawn by …

FORT LEE, N.J.-Beginning this month, MobileMedia Corp., dba MobileComm, no longer is charging a 50-cent fee to deliver an e-mail message to a subscriber’s pager. E-mail messages will count against the customer’s call account in the same way as self-dispatch …

MONROE, La.-To encourage safe driving, Century Cellunet is offering at no cost hands-free devices to customers who purchase a Motorola Inc. Profile 300E wireless phone, said the company. The hands-free accessory, normally priced at $30, includes an ear piece and …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Corsair Communications Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Subscriber Computing Inc., a privately held software systems supplier, in a pooling-of-interests transaction valued at approximately $70 million. Corsair provides distributed system solutions for the wireless industry. Its products …

CUPERTINO, Calif.-Cortelco Systems signed an original equipment manufacturer agreement with CTP Systems to promote and sell CTP’s wireless telephone products as part of its Orbit Communications System wireless solution, said CTP. Under terms of the agreement, Cortelco awarded CTP a …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Bell Atlantic Mobile said its AirBridge Wireless Retail Solutions Group, which is focused on providing wireless credit-card transaction processing, entered into a joint marketing agreement with U.S. Wireless Data Inc. Under the pact, the cellular carrier will distribute U.S. …

To the editor: In response to Kristen Beckman’s story “Pilots break no cell phone use” in RCR, March 16, 1998: I wonder if the fears of reduced revenue for cellular providers who have air phones installed in commercial airlines is …

To the Editor: I felt compelled to write after your recently published guest article by Reed Hundt (RCR, Feb. 23). Mr. Hundt, now unencumbered from tempering his personal beliefs and feelings, expresses why we, the two-way radio industry, have so …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. introduced wireless intelligent network software applications designed to lower costs and increase revenues for network service providers, as well as provide a solution for meeting upcoming regulatory requirements, Lucent said. The new applications for all …