1999

WASHINGTON-Attorney General Janet Reno this week may decide whether to seek an independent counsel to probe allegations of political influence peddling by associates of Vice President Al Gore in connection …

NEW YORK-Written comments are due March 17 on a proposed Internal Revenue Service regulation to implement a 3-percent federal excise tax on prepaid calling cards and services. The proposed regulation, …

WASHINGTON-The National Park Service is weighing in on antenna-siting cases on land adjacent to its parks. In Cape Cod, Mass., Park Service officials commented a tower proposal probably won’t be …

Microsoft Corp. increased its ownership stake in SkyTel Communications Inc. Papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week disclosed that software megalith Microsoft bought 1.54 million shares of …

NEW YORK-Responding to a crescendo of allegations of improper inside dealing related to Sonera’s November initial public offering, the board of directors of the Finnish telecommunications carrier last week fired …

WASHINGTON-A federal court of appeals on Friday upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum cap. The decision comes as the FCC is examining whether to remove the restriction that limits carriers …

ARLINGTON, Va.-The Telecommunications Industry Association said it filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission strongly suggesting advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and …

Italy The Italian government requested a communications ministry committee be formed to oversee the auction of its planned fourth cellular license. The action marks the next step toward awarding that …

NEW YORK-Demands of the private placement and public issuance debt markets are likely to compel consolidation among lesser-known wireless companies as a condition of gaining access to this sorely needed …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Lucent Technologies announced it signed contracts totaling $340 million with Telesp Celular in Brazil to build wireless networks based on Code Division Multiple Access in the state of …

FORT LEE, N.J.-MobileMedia Communications Inc., dba MobileComm, announced it is offering e-mail delivery service and single-number access for its local wireless-messaging subscribers. MobileComm said its e-mail delivery service forwards e-mail …

CINCINNATI-Cincinnati Bell Inc. announced it has formed its joint venture with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. to provide personal communications services in the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, markets. Cincinnati Bell acquired …

Following an unannounced soft launch in November, Conxus Communications Inc. announced its long-awaited Pocketext text-messaging service is being rolled out market-by-market nationwide. The company began the service late last year …

WASHINGTON-A large contingent of telecommunications industry representatives was expected to meet with government officials Friday to present a proposal to change the rules governing how telecom carriers must treat customer …

CHESTERFIELD, Mo.-The cable TV and wireless industries are poised to dominate the high-speed Internet access market, according to Datacomm Research Co.’s report, “Bandwidth Bonanza: High-Speed Internet Access Technologies, Markets and …

Welcome to 1999 and woe to pols that haven’t discovered the digital age. No wonder House Commerce Committee Chairman Tom Bliley (R-Va.) counts cellular privacy as a top priority in …

of the Associated Press WASHINGTON(AP)-United States technology deals with China, including some with military significance, harmed national security, a House committee concluded unanimously. “These transfers are not limited to missile …

BETHESDA, Md.-Comsat Corp. announced it reached an agreement with ICO Global Communications Ltd., settling a standing dispute between the companies. Comsat originally was contracted to build and operate ICO’s satellite …

WASHINGTON-As Congress returns this week to begin the 106th Congress, members of the House Commerce Committee were given a preview of coming attractions in December by their chairman, Rep. Thomas …

Convergys Corp. announced it established a revolving credit facility for $600 million. The funds are to be used for general corporate purposes, financing acquisitions and to repay inter-company debt to …

Happy New Year from the Nation’s Capital. Only 361 days until the new millennium, at which time we will get to see if the millennium bug-also known as Y2K-really is …

WASHINGTON-Wireless policies initiated by William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, during his first year finally will be put in place by the end of the century, predicts the …

GREENSBORO, N.C.-RF Micro Devices Inc. announced it filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed public offering of 1.75 million shares of common stock …

ESPOO, Finland-Tecnomen, a designer and manufacturer of service and wide-area paging systems, reported it joined the Wireless Application Protocol Forum to strengthen its position as a leading supplier of unified …

Unified messaging is becoming a buzzword in the wireless industry, as the prospect of managing several communications options from one chosen device becomes more popular. Unified messaging allows users to …