February 1999

Dinet Dinet Inc. announced an advanced keypad will be installed in all of its models of mobile data terminals. The keypad provides a more tactile feel as well as improved radio-frequency shielding. Testing of the new keypad showed no failures …

YPRES, Belgium-Advantra International announced its deal to acquire the paging manufacturing business of Philips Consumer Communications has been completed. The two signed a letter of intent late last year and the takeover went into effect Jan. 29. Financial details of …

SAN FRANCISCO-AirTouch Communications Inc. reported net income for 1998 totaled $608 million, or $1.07 per share, compared with income of $394 million, or 78 cents per share, for 1997. Net income for the fourth-quarter totaled $130 million, or 22 cents …

Standard & Poor’s Corp., New York, has placed the low-tier, speculative-grade CCC rating of $350 million in Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd. convertible preferred stock due 2011 on “CreditWatch with negative implications.” Proceeds of the convertible preferred stock are to be used …

WOODBRIDGE, N.J.-BellSouth Wireless Data L.P. announced it is offering Nettech Systems’ Smart IP product over its wireless data network. Smart IP allows Internet Protocol applications to run over non-IP-based wireless networks without modification. The agreement allows BellSouth to offer other …

TORONTO-Rogers Cantel Inc. announced it expanded and strengthened its distribution and presence across Canada through several transactions, as well as introduced international calling rates for its Cantel AT&T Pay As You Go service. The company also reduced the international calling …

NEW ORLEANS-The CDMA Development Group reported close to 23 million global Code Division Multiple Access technology subscribers for 1998 after adding about 15 million customers during the year. In North America, cdmaOne customers now total 6.8 million, growing 453 percent …

DALLAS-The Texas Instruments Inc. board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8.5 cents per share of common stock, payable Feb. 16 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 1. Texas Instruments, whose stock trades on the New York …

ALAMEDA, Calif.-Geoworks Corp. announced it added Tegic Communications’ text input technology to its Premion Interface+ solution. Geoworks said it included Tegic’s T9 technology so users more easily can enter address and e-mail information as well as promote more data use. …

NEW YORK-Perception equals reality for those who believe federal class-action securities fraud cases are filed almost daily against publicly traded companies. Last year’s tally of 235 companies named as defendants in this kind of lawsuit broke the prior record of …

BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Bell Atlantic Mobile said its strong fourth-quarter growth was fueled largely by the popularity of its digital service and SingleRate price plans. In September, the company launched SingleRate USA and SingleRate East, pricing plans with no roaming or long-distance …

REDMOND, Wash.-Data Critical Corp. announced it licensed a patent from Hewlett-Packard Co. for use in its MobileView System of remote access products for the health-care industry. HP’s technology will be combined with Data Critical’s own patented technology that allows waveform …

MURRY HILL, N.J.-Lucent Technologies Inc. said it has joined the Wireless Application Protocol Forum, the group formed to create a network-independent wireless protocol specification to extend Internet access to digital mobile phones.

Sprint PCS Chief Executive Officer Andrew Sukawaty declared his company now has the largest digital wireless footprint in the United States as the company ended 1998 having recorded $2.9 billion in capital expenditures. The nationwide personal communications services carrier added …

WEST POINT, Ga.-Powertel Inc. said it added 67,000 new personal communications services customers during the fourth quarter, ending 1998 with more than 295,000 customers. New PCS customers on post-paid service plans totaled approximately 28,000, while new prepaid customers totaled about …

KANSAS CITY-Sprint Corp. announced it has priced its previously announced public offering of Sprint PCS common stock. Sprint sold 21,220,000 shares at a price to the public of $28.75 per share. Salomon Smith Barney and Warburg Dillon Read L.L.C. are …

LOS ANGELES-Telemac Corp. said it has expanded its technology development and marketing agreement with Brite Voice Systems Inc. for exclusive distribution of the company’s BriteStar System in Europe. BriteStar is a prepaid program consisting of Telemac prepaid technology and Brite …

MOSCOW and NEW YORK-Vimpel-Communications announced its shareholders overwhelmingly approved the issue of 8.9 million shares of VimpelCom’s common stock to Telenor East Invest AS at $18.19 per share. As announced on Dec. 1, Telenor will acquire 25.7 percent of VimpelCom’s …

LONDON-Cable & Wireless announced its discussions with the main shareholders of Bouygues Telecom regarding the sale of Cable & Wireless’ 20-percent interest in Bouygues Telecom to them have not yet resulted in an agreement. The negotiations had been based on …

February 8-10 Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. (202) 785-2842. Post-CTIA ’99 February 10-12 Wireless Institute of Technology. Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. (210) 344-6660. Radio-frequency Site Safety Awareness Seminar February 9 Radiofrequency …

KINGSTON, Jamaica-Globalstar Caribbean Ltd. announced the Post & Telecommunications Department of Jamaica granted it approval to provide wireless services in Jamaica using the Globalstar satellite-based communications system. This license allows Globalstar Caribbean Ltd. to use the radio-frequency spectrum required by …

PETACH TIKVA, Israel-InnoWave Tadiran Telecommunications Wireless Systems Ltd. announced Lattelekom, the Latvian Post Telephone & Telegraph, placed a $2 million order for additional InnoWave MultiGain Wireless Systems. InnoWave said it shipped more than 12 tons of MGW equipment directly from …

NEW YORK-The Independent Committee of the board of directors of Intek Global Corp. said it retained Bear, Stearns and Co. Inc. to represent it in any potential dealings with Securicor Communications Ltd., Intek’s majority shareholder. Securicor Communications filed an amendment …

BEIJING-Lucent Technologies Inc.’s Microelectronics Group and China’s Ministry of Information Industry held a seminar last week at the Beijing Shangri-La Hotel to discuss Global System for Mobile communication handset technology solutions. More than 100 people from China’s government, universities, research …

China Metawave Communications Corp. announced it entered into an agreement with Shanghai Post & Telecommunications Administration and Shanghai New Globe Co. to develop and test a Metawave smart-antenna system for Global System for Mobile communication networks, and for the trial …