December 1998

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association announced that Lucent Technologies Inc. joined the nearly 1,300 members of PCIA. Headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., Lucent designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, …

SEATTLE-Xypoint Corp., a provider of wireless intelligent network services for enhanced 911, asked the Federal Communications Commission to condition the mergers of SBC Communications and Ameritech Corp. and Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. on providing access to wireless E911 …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Watkins-Johnson Company announced it completed the repurchase of 3,500,000 shares authorized by its board of directors. The repurchased shares are also retired, leaving 6,547,687 current outstanding shares. Watkins-Johnson specializes in radio frequency and semiconductor equipment.

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission, in actions designed to foster domestic and global competition, last week proposed allocating spectrum for fixed wireless access and approved a spectrum plan for broadband wireless local loop and other commercial services. Under the FCC proposal, …

WASHINGTON-A majority of the board of directors of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association last week signed a letter to Bill Kennard, Federal Communications Commission chairman, strongly urging the FCC to adopt a wireless industry proposal to allow carriers to institute …

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-The number of cellular and personal communications services subscribers in Southeast Asia will grow from more than 8.5 million this year to more than 19.8 million by 2003, according to a Pyramid Research study, titled “Wireless Markets and Strategies …

WASHINGTON-Oral argument in the appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s 1996 radio-frequency radiation exposure guidelines has been postponed until February or March. The case, Cellular Task Force v. FCC, had been scheduled to be heard last June and, after numerous …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Motorola Inc. announced it signed a multiyear contract with United States Realty & Investment Co., New York, to provide antenna-site management for some of its properties. Under terms of the agreement, Motorola will manage exclusively any wireless communications equipment …

Inventors often have said people will find new uses for wireless products, whether they are data or voice, once they have a chance to play with them. The human factor will open many new horizons to functions the inventors couldn’t …

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department’s denial of Nextel Communications Inc.’s request to modify a 1994 antitrust consent decree kept the nation’s top dispatch radio operator from bidding on bankrupt Geotek Communications Inc.’s licenses last week, a potentially major setback that could stifle …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-In an agreement with IBM’s software group, Motorola Worldwide Data Solutions Division said it now will be able to offer IBM’s eNetwork Emulator Express, eNetwork Web Express and eNetwork Wireless Gateway and Mobile Client as part of its Private …

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.-Microwave Power Devices Inc. announced it was awarded an estimated $39 million consignment order to supply highly linear, single channel, cellular Code Division Multiple Access amplifiers to Lucent Technologies Inc. Lucent will use them predominantly in its CDMA telecommunications …

WASHINGTON-Did the Federal Communications Commission’s further notice of proposed rule making on implementing the digital wiretap act show the industry interim standard is deficient, as the government claims? Or did the notice show that law enforcement has overreached in its …

LITTLE ROCK-Alltel Corp. announced it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Aliant Communications Inc. in a deal valued at $1.5 billion. Under terms of the agreement, each share of Aliant will be exchanged for $39.13 of Alltel stock, …

A Utah state representative plans to introduce legislation next year that would ban the use of wireless phones while driving. Rep. Ralph Becker said his bill would be similar to one sponsored last year in Utah by state Sen. Robert …

LISLE, Ill.-Indian mobile network operator BPL-US West Cellular Ltd. said it again selected Tellabs’ MartisDXX managed transport network solution for the expansion of its Global System for Mobile communications digital cellular network. The contract was awarded through Motorola India. According …

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.-InterDigital Communications Corp. announced its broadband Code Division Multiple Access wireless local loop field trial with Pioneer Holdings L.L.C. and North West Rural Electric Cooperative is now operating in Iowa. The field trial uses radio frequencies for …

SEATTLE-Go to any trade show where mobile phone operators congregate, and you will hear grumbling about how AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s Digital One Rate pricing plan has wreaked havoc on business plans. The play for the high-end business user seems …

CUPERTINO, Calif.-DSP Communications Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Isotel Research Ltd., a Calgary, Canada-based developer of call-processing software and Java-based products and services. DSPC said the acquisition fits in with its goal of expanding its position as a …

DENVER-SpectraSite Communications Inc., a provider of site and tower development services, said it acquired certain tower assets of Airadigm Communications Inc., a provider of personal communications services. Under the terms of the deal, SpectraSite will lease back tower space to …

WARREN, N.J.-Anadigics Inc. has joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Anadigics manufacturers gallium arsenide integrated circuits for high-volume communications applications, such as mobile phones.

NEW YORK-MapInfo Corp., Troy, N.Y., agreed to acquire On Target Mapping, a Pittsburgh, Pa., provider of mapping data solutions for telecommunications companies, including AT&T Corp., Cable & Wireless plc, MCI WorldCom and Sprint Corp. On Target Mapping will add telecommunications …

WASHINGTON-Paging Network Inc. was expected last week to complete the last of 13 interconnection agreements with Bell Atlantic Corp. “We are pleased that PageNet and Bell Atlantic have been able to agree on interconnection terms in all of the states …

After months of aggressive buildout-beginning in late June with the Texas launch-PageMart Wireless Inc. announced its two-way, ReFLEX 25-based narrowband personal communications services network is available nationwide. The $310 million, Internet Protocol network upgrade adds two-way messaging capabilities to its …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vienna Systems, a privately held Internet Protocol telephony company of Kanata, Ontario, for about $90 million. Vienna Systems designs and manufacturers hardware and software products for voice, fax and video communications …