1999

NEW YORK-Judging by their investments during the third quarter, venture capitalists can’t seem to get enough of technology companies, including those involved in the wireless communications sector. “Investments in [the wireless/telecom] sector for the first three quarters of 1999 approached …

Wireless stocks became the darling of Wall Street this year. Just a year ago analysts were predicting the death of stand-alone wireless stocks as landline companies planned to fold their wireless assets in with the rest of their companies to …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. affiliate Triton PCS Inc. selected Transcept Inc. to help the carrier extend its personal communications services network using Transcept’s TransCell 1900TM PCS-Over-Microwave system. Trancept’s focus is on offering equipment that helps carriers deploy and improve their …

WASHINGTON-BellSouth Corp. announced last week that early next year it will begin testing high-speed wireless Internet access in Houma, La., using wireless communications service spectrum. “BellSouth realizes the importance of establishing a method of delivering high-speed Internet access to areas …

NEW YORK-Iridium L.L.C. said it received funding commitments for $20 million from current investors, led by Motorola Inc., allowing it to continue operations while conducting a financial restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Motorola is looking for others to participate …

It appears that since Dan Hesse’s appointment as president and chief executive officer of AT&T Corp.’s wireless business three years ago, AT&T has had a tenuous relationship with the man. Financial analysts last week were wondering why the man who …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc. announced an agreement to cooperate on third-generation technology and research with the Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China. Under terms of the agreement, Motorola’s Network Solutions Sector will cooperate with the Research …

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-Philips Semiconductors announced it signed a cooperation and development agreement with Ericsson Mobile Communications to develop and manufacture future Bluetooth applications and products. The agreement calls for Philips Semiconductors to use the Ericsson Bluetooth core.

The Jan. 10 issue of RCR will feature the “Top 20 Wireless Resellers,” which will include personal communications services and cellular resellers ranked by number of subscribers. If you would like your company to be considered for the list, please …

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Puma Technology Inc. said it plans to acquire NetMind Technologies Inc. for 5 million shares of Puma common stock in a pooling-of-interests transaction. Puma’s stock jumped almost $12 following the announcement. Puma provides mobile Web browsing and synchronization …

NEW YORK-Newtel AB, formed by the merger of Sweden’s Telia AB and Norway’s Telenor AS, announced Dec. 7 it will not sweeten its hostile cash bid of $1.59 billion to take over Esat Telecom Group plc, Ireland’s second-largest telecommunications carrier. …

WARSAW, Poland-France Telecom placed a binding offer for a strategic stake in Poland’s majority state-owned telecom operator Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA), Reuters reported. Following SBC Communications Inc.’s withdrawal from the tender last month, the French operator is the only bidder for …

NEW YORK-Diginet Americas Inc., Washington, D.C., a wireless broadband access provider in Latin America, signed a $100 million vendor supply and credit facility agreement with Lucent Technologies Inc. The company plans to serve as the Teligent Inc. or Winstar Communications …

In a move seen as strengthening their respective weaknesses in the wireless industry, L.M. Ericsson and Microsoft Corp. said they plan to create a joint venture designed to develop and market end-to-end solutions for wireless Internet services. In addition, Microsoft …

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.-Ameritech Cellular launched in Chicago, St. Louis and central Illinois ClearRate USA, a nationwide single-rate calling plan that eliminates both long-distance and roaming charges and includes a free wireless phone. The available plans offer 325 minutes per month for …

TORONTO-Pixo Inc. and Wysdom Inc. have joined the Wireless Application Protocol Forum. Pixo develops integrated software applications for wireless handsets, and said it joined the forum to accommodate WAP microbrowser technology as well as its own Hypertext Markup Language microbrowser. …

WASHINGTON-While industry this holiday season pushes family plans and makes pocket phones attractive to the younger crowd, questions linger in the scientific community about whether children are more vulnerable to possible health risks from phones than adults. “No, it (possible …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-GTE Corp. and Lucent Technologies Inc. said they signed a multimillion-dollar contract for Lucent to provide a personal communications services network based on Code Division Multiple Access technology to GTE PCS S.A., GTE’s Argentine subsidiary. GTE said CDMA …

VIENNA, Va.-Teligent Inc. said it launched its SmartWave high-speed data and Internet access service in Raleigh, N.C., and Hartford, Conn. The company serves business customers in 36 of the nation’s top metropolitan areas, and plans to expand its services to …

WASHINGTON-The collapse of World Trade Organization talks in Seattle has put the U.S.-China telecom agreement in potential jeopardy and has introduced a powerful political dynamic into the 2000 presidential and congressional elections. Labor, environmental and human rights advocates have been …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-China Unicom and China Mobile awarded Motorola Inc.’s Network Solutions Sector six contracts to upgrade their Global System for Mobile communications networks in China. The combined value of the contracts is $228 million, and the expansion is expected …

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands-KPN Telecom of the Netherlands and Telia of Sweden announced they will sell their stakes in Eircom, the Irish telecom operator that owns Eircell, Ireland’s largest wireless operator. The decision follows the European Commission’s requirement that the …

WASHINGTON-In a ruling both beneficial and potentially devastating for industry, the Federal Communications Commission ruled wireless carriers are not exempt from all state contractual and consumer fraud laws. The Nov. 24 ruling was prompted by a 1997 petition for declaratory …

WASHINGTON-The U.S. telecommunications market, including services and equipment, grew by more than 11.4 percent in 1999, said the Telecommunications Industry Association on Friday. This increase resulted in $517.6 billion in revenues, TIA added. TIA, which represents telecom manufacturers, said spending …

Latin America Millicom International Cellular S.A. said MIC Latin America recently commenced offering dial-up Internet and e-mail services to its mobile telephony customers in Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Paraguay. “In Colombia and Guatemala, we have already secured market …