July 2000

SINGAPORE-The dominant rise of prepaid cards compared with subscription-based accounts has been the defining element of Vietnam’s mobile phone environment during the last six months. Almost entirely due to the …

DENVER, United States-Rumors that Deutsche Telekom was preparing a US$32 billion offer to acquire U.S. GSM carrier VoiceStream Wireless circulated at press time. DT has been hunting for U.S. acquisitions …

NEW DELHI, India-The Thai government has approved the start of a new 1900 MHz mobile-phone system. Three state agencies-the Telephone Organization of Thailand, the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) and …

NEW DELHI, India-High handset prices in Thailand have become a bone of contention between operators and government authorities. Operators are offering huge airtime promotions, while keeping handset prices high, attracting …

MEXICO CITY-Telefonos de Mexico and Bell Canada International announced they will form a new company with an initial capitalization of US$3.5 billion to target the South American market. Telmex and …

I am becoming a bore. I wrote about the health issue in the last edition of Global Wireless. I wrote about it in the first issue of the year. Now …

MOSCOW-CDMA technology has been battling for a spot in Russia’s mobile market for two years, but it lost the war as Communications Minister Leonid Reiman, an opponent of the technology, …

Two-way messaging equipment Motorola Motorola introduced its Talkabout T900 two-way messaging device, featuring a full Qwerty keyboard with a flip-top screen and a four-line, 80-character display. It supports two-way messaging, …

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo announced it entered arrangements with Hutchison Whampoa and KPN Mobile for cooperation regarding European third-generation (3G) mobile networks. The agreements cover four European markets-the United Kingdom, Germany, France …

SANDTON, South Africa-The wave of liberalization and privatization that has been sweeping the African economic markets has spread to communications, revealing rich untapped potential for future investment. Cellular markets have …

BEIJING-The mobile Internet revolution is knocking on China’s door. With 60 million mobile-phone subscribers and only 10 million people surfing the Internet using personal computers, Web access through mobile phones …

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block the US$129 billion merger between WorldCom and Sprint, the second- and third-largest U.S. long-distance telecom carriers, respectively. The lawsuit, combined with …

SEOUL, South Korea-South Korea said it would limit the number of licenses for operating much-coveted third-generation (3G) mobile services networks to three, adopt a modified “beauty contest” that will bring …

TOKYO-While the Japanese cellular phone market has been rapidly expanding, the paging industry is in decline. According to the Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA), an industry association, Japan had 1.8 million …

LONDON-The fixed wireless market in Israel is set for a period of heightened activity. The Communications Ministry submitted regulations to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in early May that will pave …

DUBLIN, Ireland-Trunked radio may be dismissed by some as the poor relation of GSM and an irrelevance in the world of multibillion pound Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license bids, …

GENEVA-The sky-high third-generation (3G) license fees generated by the United Kingdom’s May auction are having serious repercussions for European operators seeking a pan-regional presence. Governments on the mainland are rejigging …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Cuba’s government decreed that the new millennium begins on 1 January, 2001, and to mark the event, grand celebrations are being prepared. In tone with the decision, the …

Alcatel. Benin. With Office des Postes et Telecommunications (OPT) for a GSM network, along with fiber-optic and switching equipment. Value: US$32.8 million Kenya. With KenCell for a 50,000-subscriber capacity GSM …

TOKYO-Since NTT DoCoMo launched its iMode wireless data service in February 1999, the number of mobile Internet users in Japan-more than 10 million as of the end of May-has taken …

SINGAPORE-Governments in Asia will issue licenses of third-generation (3G) cellular networks to around 40 operators in 11 countries within the next year, representatives from several equipment vendors said at the …

BEIJING-China is still set to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the end of the year. Upon accession, foreign operators will be permitted a 25-percent share of Chinese mobile …

TORONTO-The major Canadian carriers are cautiously laying the groundwork for third-generation (3G) wireless networks. But true, full-blown 3G in Canada is at least three to four years away. “Canadian mobile …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Telecom regulatory authority, Anatel, said Brazil’s personal communications services (PCS) licenses will be auctioned later this year in three geographic areas, with up to three operators in each …

BUCHAREST, Romania-At the end of May, the principle vendors of mobile telephones in Romania held a meeting to discuss the country’s black market for mobile handset sales. In the other …