February 1999

SAN FRANCISCO-Telstra MobileNet in Australia said strong December growth and increased migration of subscribers from analog to digital service increased its customer base to approximately 2.2 million Global System for Mobile communications customers and about 1 million analog customers. Telstra …

BURNABY, British Columbia-BC Telecom Inc. announced its shareholders voted almost unanimously in favor of a merger between BC Telecom and Telus Corp. Earlier, Telus shareholders also voted in very strong favor of the merger. BC Telecom said the merger was …

DALLAS-Texas Instruments Inc. announced it increased its earnings in the fourth quarter, bouncing back from a loss in the same period a year ago. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $189 million, or 48 cents per share, compared with a …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-TIBCO Software Inc. introduced a new information integration and e-business service for Internet companies, corporate Web sites and wireless telecom carriers, called TIBCO.net. The service allows users to gain access to information from third-party content providers and integrate …

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Several leading voice messaging companies in North America have formed the TeleMessaging Industry Association, aimed at better educating the public about the benefits of voice mail and messaging services, and thereby increasing their use. Founding members include Ameritech Corp., …

STOCKHOLM-Ericsson Inc. announced it signed a contract with German operator Deutsche Telekom MobilNet to implement General Packet Radio Service into T-Mobil’s Global System for Mobile communications network. The technology will allow T-Mobil to offer wireless Internet and other Internet Protocol-based …

MALVERN, Pa.-Triton PCS Inc., an AT&T Wireless Services Inc. network affiliate, announced it has begun providing commercial wireless service to customers in six markets in the Southeast. The company is marketing its service under the brand SunCom. Time Division Multiple …

RICHARDSON, Texas-Ericsson Inc. and Tritel Communications Inc. announced they signed a $300 million agreement for Ericsson to supply Time Division Multiple Access infrastructure equipment for Tritel’s personal communications services markets located in the southeastern United States. Ericsson said Tritel will …

SAN CARLOS, Calif.-The United Illuminating Co. Inc. and CellNet Data Systems Inc. announced a memorandum of understanding to provide network meter-reading services to 312,000 customers in UI’s 17-town service territory. Subject to a definitive project agreement, the UI-CellNet network will …

NEW YORK-In its fourth-quarter results released Jan. 27, Telephone and Data Systems Inc., Chicago, reported substantial increases in revenues and customers but a net loss per share of common stock. Revenues grew 28 percent to $495 million over the last …

EMERYVILLE, Calif.-Sybase Inc. and Symbol Technologies announced they jointly plan to develop a mobile enterprise platform, intended to create a new class of mobile business applications for the retail, manufacturing, warehouse distribution and health-care markets. The platform will combine Sybase’s …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission is expected to grant a request from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association not to enforce wireless number portability rules until at least November 2002. Portability refers to a customer’s ability to change carriers without having to …

WASHINGTON, D.C.-A new, 90-country survey conducted by TeleGeography Inc. reports competition allowed international callers to stay on the phone six billion minutes longer in 1997 for the same price they paid in 1996. Callers got more for their dollar mostly …

The third-generation technology debate is beginning to have a negative impact on the valuation of the world’s largest wireless carrier, Japan’s NTT Mobile Communications, which plans to become the first carrier in the world to deploy wideband Code Division Multiple …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson introduced its new T 28 dual-band mobile phone based on Global System for Mobile communications technology. The phone’s functions include voice control, automatic world clock and new batteries that use lithium polymer technology. The phone also includes …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission has named Kathleen Wallman chairman of the FCC’s Public Safety National Coordination Committee. In August, the FCC adopted rules calling for a new committee to develop technical standards for public-safety use of the spectrum in the …

ESCONDIDO, Calif.-Global Access Pagers Inc. announced it has backed off from its proposed merger with Phone Time Resources Inc. The two entered an agreement to merge on April 21. No reason was given for the change of heart.

WASHINGTON-The bankruptcy sale of Geotek Communications Inc.’s 900 MHz specialized mobile radio licenses continued to be embroiled in uncertainty last week as company officials and creditors struggled over whether to roll the dice with a higher-albeit uncertain-bulk bid rather than …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-Geoworks Corp. announced a net loss of $3.4 million, or 22 cents per share, for the the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with a net loss of $2.5 million, or 16 cents per share, reported for the corresponding previous …

NEW YORK-GTE Network Services, Irving, Texas, rolled out a program last month to move wireless directory assistance off the shoulder of the road and into the fast lane of the telecommunications revolution. GTE’s Wireless Directory Assistance is intended to take …

IRVING, Texas-GTE Corp. reported its net income for the fourth quarter increased 21 percent to $855 million, or 88 cents per share. Net income for the year totaled $2.17 million, or $2.24 per share, compared with net income of $2.8 …

WICHITA, Kan.-Citing a “persistent weakness in the global test equipment market,” IFR Systems Inc. announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 1999, which ended Dec. 31, of a net loss of $401,000, or 5 cents per share, compared with …

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill.-Illinois Superconductor Corp. said it became an approved vendor for a large cellular system manufacturer, which it declined to name. As an approved vendor, Illinois Superconductor can provide its product directly from the original equipment manufacturer to cellular …

Paging Network Inc. announced it is offering the Iridium World Page Service commercially in the United States as the country’s exclusive paging carrier offering Iridium service. The paging portion of Iridium’s 66 low-earth-orbit satellite system was activated in November, after …

Despite a five-week service launch delay and continued handset production problems, Iridium L.L.C. finished the fourth quarter with results that beat analysts expectations. The quarter, ended Dec. 31, marked the long-awaited launch of the company’s 66 low-earth orbit satellite global …