Editor’s Note: The RCR Wireless News Time Machine is a way to take advantage of our extensive history in covering the wireless space to fire up the DeLorean and take a trip back in time to re-visit some of the more interesting headlines from this week in history. Enjoy the ride!
FCC motives questioned in auction delay
The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to delay until June 7 the auction of broadcast spectrum has raised questions about the agency’s motives and intentions. The spectrum, freed up as a result of TV broadcasters transition from analog to digital technology, is known as 60-69 because of its place on the TV dial. There is a total of 60 megahertz available. Congress allotted 24 megahertz to be used for public-safety operations and 36 megahertz for commercial uses and said all the revenue from the commercial wireless auction must be in the bank before Oct. 1. … Read More
China may become world’s largest wireless data market
Despite problems the written Chinese language poses for Internet communications, China may nevertheless become the largest wireless data market in the world. China Telecom Hong Kong, which had 38 million subscribers at the end of 1999, “is closely following and preparing for wireless data,” Li Ping, vice chairman and chief operating officer, said in a recent presentation here. In a populous country with a proportionately low number of wireline phones and personal computers, “wireless data is one of the most promising sectors,” he added. … Read More
Players square off on data enhancements
Nokia threw its support behind Motorola Inc.’s 1X Plus proposal last week and said it is evaluating making cdmaOne-based infrastructure equipment. Motorola announced earlier this month plans to challenge Qualcomm Inc.’s proprietary High Data Rate technology, introducing its own 1XRTT enhancement for cdmaOne carriers to consider. Virtually all Code Division Multiple Access carriers plan soon to migrate to 1X technology, which offers extra voice capacity and higher data speeds of about 144 kilobits per second. … Read More
Long anticipated Angel flies in Fort Worth
After years of anticipation fueled by talk of a new technology still shrouded in secrecy, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. announced last week it is offering commercial digital wireless broadband service to residential customers in Fort Worth, Texas. The new service, long known under the guise of Project Angel and most recently, AT&T National Wireless Local Exchange Carrier, will deliver always-on high-speed Internet access up to 12 times faster than traditional dial-up modems, as well as long-distance service. Customers will be able to choose their own local service provider, AT&T said. … Read More
UK UMTS auction climbs to billions
NTL Mobile closed out the latest round of bidding in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System auction last week in the United Kingdom with a $1.7 billion bid for license A, an increase of more than $855 million from the highest bid the week prior. None of the 13 original companies that submitted deposits of about $82.3 million to enter the auction more than 65 rounds ago had withdrawn. Vodafone AirTouch plc bid $1.63 billion for license B, a number that went unchallenged the rest of the week after BT3G made a much-anticipated move to usurp Vodafone AirTouch during round 62 Tuesday with a bid of $1.56 billion. … Read More
Hype vs. reality and the wireless data future
The hype surrounding the possibilities of wireless Internet services has reached an all-time high following Wireless 2000 in New Orleans last month. But in the wake of this fevered pitch has come a backlash from analysts determined to draw a firm distinction between hype and reality. Few are dismissing the market altogether. In fact, most feel wireless data acceptance will be significant. But many caution that despite the lightning speed at which the Internet world travels, its technology has yet to catch up to the ideas of the human mind. … Read More
Metrocall hands over 45 percent of company in several transactions
In a series of transactions, paging carrier Metrocall Inc., Alexandria, Va., has turned over 45-percent control of the company to AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Aether Systems Inc., PSINet Inc. and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. For a collective investment of about $51 million to purchase outstanding common stock, Aether Systems, PSINet and Hicks, Muse now own approximately 9.5 percent of Metrocall each. … Read More
Trade group repositions, renames conference
The Personal Communications Industry Association announced another initiative last week to turn the association around in the midst of dwindling membership and public-relations problems surrounding its annual trade show. PCIA said it is repositioning and renaming its annual conference and trade show PCIA GlobalXChange to reflect the hottest topic in the wireless industry today-the wireless Internet. … Read More
Study finds over half billion in unused loans for rural telcos
As Congress mulls tax breaks and legislative changes to bring advanced telecommunications to rural Americans who lawmakers fear will be left behind in the Information Age, a new report finds many rural telcos are financially strong enough to borrow from commercial sources other than the federal government and that more than a half billion dollars in loans to rural telcos have gone unused during the past five years. Among other things, the study identified $1.8 billion in government loans to more than 400 financially fit rural telcos that could have obtained financing from other sources or could be graduated to other credit sources. It also found $602 million in unused loans to rural telcos for the past five years. … Read More
U S West shareholders file lawsuit against Qwest
An unspecified number of U S West shareholders filed a lawsuit against Qwest Communications International Inc. March 17, alleging Qwest deflated U S West stock prices through its recent merger negotiations with Deutsche Telekom AG, which are now defunct. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware on behalf of the U S West shareholders by New York law firm Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach, named Qwest and its chief executive officer, Joseph Naccio. … Read More
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