December 1998

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson announced Nov. 25 it signed a contract to provide a turnkey Global System for Mobile communications network to OOO Tomsk Cellular Communications in central Russia. The network, with a first-phase capacity of 3,000 subscribers, will permit OOO …

DALLAS-Paging Network Inc. announced it will be the exclusive provider of ESPN sports information to its paging subscribers, according to an agreement the two companies signed. Initially, PageNet subscribers will get general sports information updates and limited customization of categories, …

Palm Computing Inc., an affiliate of 3Com Corp., introduced the Palm VII personal digital assistant at the Palm Computing Platform Worldwide Developer Conference in Santa Clara, Calif., featuring out-of-the-box wireless connectivity to the Internet, World Wide Web and instant two-way …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association announced the formation of the PCIA Mobile Computing Advisory Group with Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Oracle and Philips Consumer Communications. The PCIA MCAG’s main goal will be to promote wireless mobile computing. The …

MELVILLE, N.Y.-Northeast Digital Networks Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Personal Communications Networks, announced it has received an equipment supply and vendor-financing offer from Nortel Networks. The offer is subject to, among other things, the company securing an irrevocable commitment …

PREFERRED NETWORKS Preferred Networks Inc. announced its founder, president and director, Michael Saner, will retire Dec. 31. Saner previously held upper-management positions at several paging companies, such as Paging Services Inc., a paging repair, maintenance, installation and sales company he …

BOSTON-Iridium L.L.C. selected Paragren Technologies’ One-By-One Campaign Manager as a strategic customer marketing tool for the Iridium service, said Paragren. The campaign management tool, along with the One-By-One Application Server, will be used to support Iridium’s global marketing campaigns in …

DALLAS-JP Systems Inc. introduced a software package called InfoBeam that allows users of 3Com Corp.’s Palm III organizers to access Web-based information via an infrared link to an AccessLink II pager. Users enter information requests on the personal digital assistant …

MURRAY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. announced it exercised its option to acquire the remaining 80 percent of WaveAccess Ltd. for about $50 million in cash. In May, Lucent acquired a 20-percent stake in the company. The acquisition will provide Lucent …

NEW YORK-Moody’s Investors Service Inc. announced Dec. 1 it upgraded to A1 from B1 its rating on $400 million in convertible subordinated notes issued by DSC Communications Corp. Moody’s said it based its upgrade on the decision by Alcatel S.A., …

WASHINGTON-U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky last week demanded that Mexico live up to World Trade Organization commitments to liberalize its telecommunications market. “We urge Mexican authorities to take immediate measures that will benefit consumers and service providers in both our …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission on Friday named Thomas J. Sugrue chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau effective Jan. 19. Sugrue replaces Daniel Phythyon, who was slated to leave the post on Dec. 1 for special project assignments within the …

GREENBELT, Md.-Cellular One here announced it is now offering an Information Services feature to its new Digital Edge wireless phone customers. Information Services includes hundreds of options for updates on sports scores, financial markets, weather forecasts, maritime reports, world news …

NEW CANAAN, Conn.-Centennial Cellular Corp. and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe VIII L.P. lowered the value of their July 2 merger agreement by $60 million in cash considerations to be received by shareholders. The amendment calls for the transaction share …

A move by the Chinese government is sure to develop a new wireless telecommunications landscape in China but also may create an uncertain future for foreign wireless infrastructure and handset vendors selling equipment there. The Chinese government is urging the …

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Canada-Clearnet Communications Inc. announced it launched personal communications services in Victoria. Clearnet PCS offers a Sony Corp. dual-mode PCS phone. Clearnet originally brought its PCS service to British Columbia with Clearnet PCS in the Lower Mainland last …

WASHINGTON-An embarrassing dispute has erupted over Final Analysis’ little low-earth-orbit satellite license, which has the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) clashing with the Federal Communications Commission. Dingell, in a Nov. 18 letter to NTIA head …

WASHINGTON-In an exclusive interview provided to RCR, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition plans to announce aggressive opposition against pending telecom mega-mergers at the Federal Communications Commission’s Dec. 14 meeting if negotiations with company executives on the AT&T …

WOOD DALE, Ill.-Ericsson Inc. and Rockwell Electronic Commerce said they plan to form an alliance to cooperate in international marketing, distribution and integration development activities that will position both companies for rapid growth and increased market share. “The more we …

DENVER-Evolving Systems Inc. released a new version of its local number portability software, which will enable telecommunications carriers to streamline LNP processing, cope with telephone number exhaustion and provide enhanced area code split functionality, said the company. Version 1.3 of …

DENVER-Formus Communications Inc. said it was granted a field trial license by the Hungarian Telecommunications Authority to provide data services to a test group of businesses in Budapest. Formus will supply the service using a fixed-wireless technology that transmits voice, …

NEW YORK-The failure Nov. 30 of a PanAmSat satellite used by Pasific Satelit Nusantara in Indonesia is the latest problem “in an unprecedented year for us,” said Chuck H. Noski, president of Hughes Electronics Corp. Hughes, based in Germantown, Md., …

PLANO, Texas-Inet Inc. said it introduced its Spider II modem, a type II Cellular Digital Packet Data modem designed for Windows CE. Casio’s Cassiopeia personal digital assistant uses the modem in a product combination to offer a complete wireless access …

Canada Research in Motion Ltd. announced it received a $1.3 million contract to supply its original equipment manufactured wireless modems to GMSI Inc.’s fleet management and communications systems. GMSI’s systems are sold to taxi, trucking and transit companies and are …

WASHINGTON-Justice Department antitrust czar Joel Klein, sending a mixed message, predicts Baby Bells will face local competition from wireless and wireline firms over time, even if mega-mergers among dominant telecom players are approved. Pointing to forces of deregulation, technology and …