March 1999

ARLINGTON, Va.-The Electronic Messaging Association announced the formation of the Wireless Messaging Group, designed to help bring wireless messaging mainstream. According to EMA, the WMG’s specific charter is “to promote …

Early cellular carriers did it. Early paging carriers did it. Mobile data carriers are doing it now, and according to analyst Tim O’Neil of SoundView Technology Group Inc., Iridium L.L.C. …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc. signed an $85 million contract to supply Code Division Multiple Access digital cellular phone equipment to Baja Celular Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Movitel del Noroeste S.A. …

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-Conductus Inc. announced it received multi-unit orders for its ClearSite front-end receiver systems from a large Japanese original equipment manufacturer and two U.S. cellular operators. Conductus sees the Japanese …

POWAY, Calif.-According to an economic model developed by Technology Trends, Technology Focus Inc., 1999 wireless revenue in the United States is likely to fall by approximately $1.50 per user. “The …

Reuters reported that Italy’s Ministry of Communications approved the auction process for a fourth cellular license there, scheduled to get underway in June or July. Next, the details of the …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. is expected to award Lucent Technologies Inc. a Time Division Multiple Access contract valued at more than $1 billion during the next three years, sources close …

HANNOVER, Germany-Lucent Technologies Inc. introduced a wireless platform that will enable TIme Division Multiple Access network operators to offer third-generation services such as seamless global roaming and converged voice, video …

Germany Siemens’ Information and Communication Networks Group, T-Mobil and Unwired Planet Inc. announced they will participate in a field trial to integrate Wireless Application Protocol compatible software from Unwired Planet …

Qualcomm decides to sell its infrastructure division to archrival Ericsson. VLSI rejects Philips’ takeover bid, but says it will explore others. Four Canadian carriers join forces. Cable & Wireless and …

FCC Chairman Bill Kennard now says the agency has an open mind on the question of private wireless auctions. It wasn’t always that way. The FCC, going back to the …

WASHINGTON-Rural America may be left out of the re-auction of personal communications services licenses. At the end of round six on Thursday, 37 percent of the C-block licenses had not …

WASHINGTON-As the private wireless industry prepares to enter the battle against auctioning spectrum, competing private wireless groups are fighting over how spectrum should be coordinated. At the middle of two …

Although Qualcomm Inc. and L.M. Ericsson announced resolutions to Code Division Multiple Access disputes and the standoff over third-generation intellectual property rights, the companies didn’t resolve key technical differences 3G …

Canada’s telecom market saw major changes last week, as its four smallest telecom companies agreed to merge into one company and Bell Canada formed a strategic partnership with U.S.-based Ameritech …

PEORIA, Ill.-Rohn Industries Inc. said its previously announced merger with PiRod Holdings Inc., which was expected to close in the first quarter, has been postponed because of current adverse industry …

BURLINGTON, Mass.-Lightbridge Inc. announced Sprint PCS will deploy Lightbridge’s Retail Management System and consulting services. According to Lightbridge, RMS will help Sprint PCS to incorporate a more efficient selling process …

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-Omnipoint Communications Inc. said it successfully demonstrated circuit-switched wireless data delivery at a connection speed of 14.4 kilobits per second on its Global System for Mobile communications network …

Modeling important in MPE solution Dear Editor, In your article, “Countdown to MPE rules” (RCR, March 15), the reader is left with the impression that field-testing is the ultimate solution …

CdmaOne vendors in China anxiously are awaiting official government word on whether China Unicom is allowed to deploy Interim Standard-95 technology. “It appears China Unicom has been told that they …

PALO ALTO, Calif.-Hewlett-Packard Co. introduced the HP TS-5530 mobile phone test platform, a tester that meets the demands of Code Division Multiple Access and Global System for Mobile communications cellular …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Iridium Brasil reports it has 1,000 subscribers and that next month it will reduce the cost of its Motorola satellite handset to make the service more attractive to …

CUPERTINO, Calif.-DSP Communications Inc. announced the D5361, a single-chip radio-frequency solution for the Personal Digital Cellular standard, which will be manufactured by IBM for DSPC using IBM’s Silicon Germanium technology. …

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a hamburger and French fries? Probably McDonalds. Think of a pair of tennis shoes, and you probably …

Globalstar L.P. announced it successfully launched an additional four low-earth-orbit satellites on a Soyuz-Ikar rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Globalstar now has 16 satellites in orbit. The total …