1999

LUTHERVILLE, Md.-Americom Wireless Services opened its fourth wireless handset repair and refurbishment center located in Hartford County, Md. The 33,000-square-foot facility in the Lakeside Business Park just north of Baltimore …

WASHINGTON-AT&T Corp. said Chairman C. Michael Armstrong was elected head of the U.S.-Japan Business Council, a 75-member group that promotes improved business and economic ties between the two countries. Armstrong …

The supply contract between Research In Motion Ltd. and BellSouth Wireless Data L.P. ends next month and the two companies are already in negotiations to renew the deal. The outcome …

WASHINGTON-Legislation to extend the digital wiretap act grandfather date to June seems to be on a fast track to nowhere because proponents don’t have a strategy to get it passed …

BETHESDA, Md.-Comsat Mobile Communications signed a three-year agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentina’s national passenger airline, to provide fax, data and voice communications via satellite for both crew and passengers. Under …

NEW YORK-In a move apparently intended to get ahead of the crowd, Hutchison Telecommunications Australia Ltd., Sydney, announced July 12 it plans to sell 29.5 percent of the company in …

CARROLLTON, Texas-CellStar Corp. said it agreed to provide a variety of value-added services to Telerj Celular S.A. and Telest Celular S.A., two wireless operators in the Brazilian states of Rio …

ORLANDO, Fla.-Brite Voice Systems Inc. said it received a $10 million order from a major European communications provider. The provider wants to expand its capacity to add subscribers and enhanced …

LONDON-British Telecommunications plc said it will buy Control Data Systems Inc., a software company based in Arden Hills, Minn., for $340 million. The purchase will expand British Telecom’s service offering. …

LINCOLN, Neb.-Transcrypt International Inc.’s information security business segment will officially be named Transcrypt Secure Technologies, said the company. Michael E. Jalbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Transcrypt International, …

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 …

NEW YORK-Globalstar L.P. announced it launched four more low-earth-orbit satellites on July 10, bringing the total number of satellites in orbit to 28. The four satellites were launched on a …

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 …