Aerial Communications Inc. launched digital personal communications services in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. Aerial service initially will be available to the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area as well as nearby St. Cloud, Minn., and Menomonie, Wis. At launch, Aerial will cover nearly 60 percent of the population in the entire Minneapolis major trading area. Within six months, Aerial expects to complete its buildout and will cover nearly 80 percent of the MTA’s population. Aerial also expects to launch service in its Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, Fla., markets during the remainder of the second quarter.
Computer City, a national computer retail chain, began offering business-oriented communications products in an attempt to attract corporate and small office companies. The retailer is offering personal communications services phones, cellular phones, executive boardroom-quality conference phones, multiline phones and pagers.
The Philadelphia Police Department will begin using Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile’s AirBridge Cellular Digital Packet Data service to provide real-time data to officers. Using AirBridge, officers can connect directly to national, state and federal databases, police computers, the National Crime Information Center and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. By June 1, 250 laptop computers will be installed in Philadelphia police cars, and by 2000, the city hopes all 800 of its police vehicles will be equipped. PRC Public Sector Inc. is providing the software and Sierra Wireless Inc. is providing the wireless modems.
Nextel Communications Inc. donated digital phones to two crime prevention programs in Snohomish County, Wash., through the company’s Providing Advanced Technology for Real-time Officer Links (PATROL) program. The recipients of the digital phones are the county’s neighborhood watch program and Mariner Teen Night. Both programs are supported by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Community Police Team.
Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile has launched DigitalChoice, a new advanced digital wireless phone service, in its New England market. DigitalChoice delivers increased call reliability, greater voice clarity, enhanced privacy and an array of service features, said the company. Bell Atlantic Nynex does not charge an activation fee for the new service and customers can sign up for monthly or one-year subscriptions.
Teletouch Communications Inc. launched a weather warning system in Arkansas that notifies subscribers of thunderstorm or tornado watches or warnings over alphanumeric pagers. The system was developed in response to extensive tornado damage last year in Arkansas, said Robert McMurrey, president of Teletouch. Weather information is provided by KARK-TV in Little Rock.
