EDI Telecom Ltd. and Tadiran Telecommunications Ltd. announced they signed an agreement under which the two will merge in a stock-for-stock transaction.
Mobile Systems International, United Kingdom, and U.S.-based Metapath Software Corp. announced the two companies are merging. Both companies provide software-based applications and services to the wireless industry. The new company will be called MSI Metapath Software International.
Northern Telecom Ltd. announced it changed its brand name to Nortel Networks as of 29 September. The company also said it completed its US$7 billion-plus acquisition of Bay Networks. In addition, it announced in mid-September it would lay off about 3,500 employees worldwide, affecting all divisions except data networks.
French vendor Alcatel has finalized its acquisition of DSC Communications Corp., United States.
Test-equipment makers Wandel & Goltermann Management Holding GmbH, Germany, and U.S.-based Wavetek Corp. announced the closing of their merger.
U.S.-based Tellabs Inc. and Ciena Corp. have scrapped their merger plans after a spate of bad news for Ciena.
Qualcomm Inc. completed the spinoff and distribution to its stockholders of shares of Leap Wireless International Inc., which now owns Qualcomm’s previous stakes in wireless operations in Australia, Chile, Mexico, Russia and the United States.
U.K.-based Orange plc announced it is licensing its brand name in Israel to GSM operator Partner Communications, whose owners are Hutchison Telecommunications plc, Matax, Elbit and Tapuz.
GSM clearing institution Multinational Automated Clearing House (MACH S.A.) has opened MACH Asia, a Singapore-based subsidiary.
Sweden-based Telia sold its 28.23-percent stake in Ecuador’s cellular operator Otecel S.A. to BellSouth Corp., United States. BellSouth already was the majority owner and with the sale now has 90 percent of Otecel’s shares, according to a Reuters report.
British Telecommunications plc announced it will acquire 23.46 percent in South Korean operator LG Telecom for US$359.1 million.
The Federal Communications Commission has extended the implementation date for wireless number portability in the United States from 30 June, 1999, to 31 March, 2000.
