1999

To the Editor, Use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited in hospitals, planes and other specific areas because they may interfere with the normal functioning of the electronic or magnetic …

NEW YORK-The government of Portugal said its sale of a 13.5-percent equity stake in Portugal Telecom plc and an associated share rights issue raised $1.62 billion. Contributing to the capital …

HOUSTON-Easterly Investor Relations announced Crown Castle International Corp. and Quanta Services Inc. have been added to the Russell 3000 Index, which measures the performance of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed moving wireless heart monitors to two different sets of spectrum blocks where the devices would be primary users. The blocks of spectrum include 608-614 …

Third-generation technology standards groups say they accept the tri-mode Code Division Multiple Access standard recommended by mobile-phone operators worldwide. The 3G Partnership Project 2, a standards group established in North …

WASHINGTON-The Telecommunications Industry Association last week urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject petitions on how to structure spectrum sharing between satellite earth stations and terrestrial fixed users in the …

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-USA.NET Inc. has joined the Phone.com Inc. Alliances Program with plans to offer a new Web-based e-mail service for UP.Browser-enabled phones. With more than 11 million customers, USA.NET …

WASHINGTON-The United States Telephone Association still is not satisfied with legislation to restrict the Federal Communications Commission’s merger review and is worried a bill pending in the Senate could lead …

NEW YORK-BellSouth Corp. said the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has ranked it the top telecommunications company for the second straight year. The NAACP’s Telecommunications Report Card …

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-Ericsson Inc. selected Natural MicroSystems’ products and services for the first integrated wireless network that enables carriers to combine dispatch and group communications within their standard Global System for …

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-Omnipoint Communications Inc. announced the launch of its 100th international roaming agreement through the inauguration of service with Portuguese operator TMN. “Presently our customers can use their clear, …

NEW YORK-Compania de Telecomunicaciones de Chile S.A. has raised about $204 million in euro-denominated bonds due 2004. The bonds received a speculative grade rating of Baa1 from Moody’s Investors Service …

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.-Motorola Inc.’s Network Solutions Sector and RadioMobil of the Czech Republic signed a contract to deploy a General Packet Radio Service system on RadioMobil’s Paegas Global System for …

Pannon GSM Tavkozlesi RT, Budapest, Hungary, was expected last week to place privately about $123 million in euro-denominated bonds it plans to use to refinance outstanding debt. Pannon, which operates …

NEW YORK-Millicom International Cellular S.A. announced it added 163,879 net new subscribers in the second quarter. As of June 30, MIC’s worldwide cellular subscriber base increased 72 percent to approximately …

ELite Logistic Services Elite Logistic Services Inc. introduced its PageTrack control module, a wireless automotive security, control and monitoring solution. The system uses SkyTel Communications Inc.’s two-way ReFLEX network, the …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. announced an agreement to jointly develop and promote standardization of a technology for locating the point of origin of an emergency wireless phone …

BOSTON-The wave of flat-rate pricing plans carriers have been introducing during the last year has helped force the wireless industry to go after higher average-revenue-per-user customers, according to Kelly Quinn, …

Every year about this time, I long to live in Europe, where holiday lasts for a month. I’m on the beach on the Riviera (because in fantasies, one can always …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week rejected a telecommunications industry proposal to use a product-line approach to make telecom products accessible to the estimated 54 million Americans with disabilities. The …

Wireless carrier marketing efforts during the last year have largely focused on new pricing schemes, but that may be about to change. AT&T Wireless Services Inc. kicked off the trend …

PARIS-France Telecom Group said it will sell all of its shares in Deutsche Telekom next year, valued at about $2 billion. Jean-Louis Vinciguerra, France Telecom’s executive vice president of finance, …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association is expanding the membership of its Wireless Broadband Alliance to any person or entity, including partnerships and corporations, holding a license from the Federal …

During its second-quarter earnings conference call, Motorola executives said Iridium L.L.C. could face liquidation if it fails to bring in the revenues and subscribers originally planned. At the same time, …

Second-quarter subscriber growth in the U.K. mobile-phone market exceeded analysts’ expectations as prepaid services continue to provide a growth engine for the industry. “The market has been ahead of expectations …