OXFORD, United Kingdom-In an effort to revive broadband wireless services in the United Kingdom, the government has outlined plans for an auction of the 3.4 GHz band that will carry the service. This move follows extensive industry consultation in April in an attempt to...
WASHINGTON-The Bush administration's top telecom adviser today refused to say how much longer a much anticipated report on frequency options for third-generation wireless systems and related legislation will be delayed. National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Nancy Victory, addressing a luncheon sponsored by...
WASHINGTON—The negotiators finally reached a settlement agreement on 14 November that will give the personal communications services (PCS) C- and F-block licenses of bankrupt NextWave Telecom to the re-auction winners, but it is unclear whether Congress will pass legislation, as called for in the...
WASHINGTON—The negotiators finally reached a settlement agreement Thursday that will give the PCS C- and F-block licenses of bankrupt NextWave Telecom Inc. to the re-auction winners. It remains unclear whether Congress will pass legislation, as called for in the agreement, by the end of...
HONG KONG—The Hong Kong telecom regulator announced the initial results of the first phase of its third-generation (3G) license auction.The successful bidders are Hong Kong CSL, a company jointly owned by Telstra and Pacific Century CyberWorks; Hutchison 3G HK, a company jointly owned by...
JAKARTA, Indonesia-Amid an unpredictable economic crisis, Indonesia's telecommunication sector is moving forward, with new regulation in effect since 8 September, 2000. The new regulation, which says any company can provide telecommunication services, has received positive market response. Many new players, mostly cellular and wireless...
TORONTO-The Canadian government may give a new meaning to the sounds of silence for wireless devices. Ottawa is considering changing its laws to allow restaurants, theaters, hospitals and churches to silence cell phones by jamming radio signals. Jamming devices work by sending out an...
AustraliaAustralia's third-generation (3G) spectrum auction fell well short of the federal government's budget forecasts of A$2.6 billion (US$1.3 billion). Six bidders paid a total of almost A$1.17 billion (US$577 million) for spectrum in the 2 GHz band. The auction felt an early blow when...
WASHINGTON-Jeb Bush, the Florida governor who figured big in the controversial electoral victory that proved decisive in getting his brother elected president, has entered the political fray over third-generation mobile-phone spectrum by urging the Federal Communications Commission to let schools keep frequencies sought by...
WASHINGTON-House and Senate budget leaders are at odds over President Bush's plan to delay auctions of valuable broadcast spectrum, a dispute that arises at a time when the mobile-phone industry desperately wants to secure additional frequencies for third-generation wireless systems.The Senate budget resolution embraces...
WASHINGTON-Last December, two months after President Clinton ordered government studies on spectrum availability for third-generation wireless systems and at a time when mobile-phone and Pentagon officials were intensely studying the issue, Senate Armed Services Committee member James Inhofe (R-Okla.) quietly directed the General Accounting...
Wireless industry insiders increasingly seem to be making the case that governments should consider "rebates" to carriers that bid too much money at spectrum auctions for third-generation wireless services. While they make some strong points, one has to wonder how many times this issue...
WASHINGTON-Whether the nation is plagued with daunting deficits or buoyed by gushing surpluses, spectrum auctions remain a lightning rod for controversy as the revenue-generating wireless licensing tool becomes inextricably intertwined in national budget policy.This was inevitable.Spectrum auctions grew out of a 1993 budget bill...
WASHINGTON-The wireless industry last week received the strongest indication to date that securing third-generation mobile-phone spectrum will be difficult if not impossible, as an eclectic mix of military, educational, religious and fixed wireless licensees voiced serious reservations about leaving their frequencies to make room...
TORONTO-The established Canadian wireless fraternity scooped up most of the available spectrum licenses contested in the February auction. All told, Industry Canada's auction for wireless spectrum in the 2 GHz band raised US$964 million for federal coffers.Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility were the two...
As the wireless industry is rocked with one huge acquisition, spectrum auction and technological development after another, a small-and often overlooked-market segment continues to operate just below radar. Resellers have quietly been activating wireless customers for the past few decades, but some say they...
As wireless carriers began bidding on 422 personal communications services licenses up for grabs in the government auction last week, investors were hoping carriers were not feeling extra generous due to the holiday season.Previous spectrum auctions have seen prices escalate rapidly-along with investor fears...
In stark contrast to the wildly successful Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service auction held in the United Kingdom this spring, the U.K.'s broadband fixed wireless access spectrum auction barely made a whimper as only 16 of the 42 available licenses were bought up by bidders....
OTTAWA-Seven companies will participate in a spectrum auction in Canada set to begin 15 January. Forty megahertz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band will be awarded.Mobile incumbent carriers Bell Mobility Inc., Microcell Telecommunications, Rogers Wireless Communications and Telus Corp. will all participate in...
MELBOURNE, Australia-The Australian government has raised just more than A$112 million (US$58.7 million) from the first of its third-generation (3G) spectrum auctions.The auction, conducted by the Australian Communications Authority (ACA), was divided into two principal blocks: the first covered 13 areas based around major cities;...
The Canadian government delayed its personal communications services spectrum auction for a second time until mid-January, giving officials enough time to respond to concerns about strategic alliances.The auction was supposed to take place some time in November, but Paul Lajoie, technical analyst at Industry...
WASHINGTON-With worries in some quarters that America will lose the third-generation mobile- phone market to Europe and Asia, the blame game has begun.Leading the finger-pointing is John Stanton, chief executive officer of VoiceStream Wireless Corp. and chairman of the Cellular Telecom-munications Industry Association.Stanton, addressing...
BOSTON-Telecommunications consultant Charles River Associates Inc. was selected to advise Switzerland's Federal Office of Communications on the implementation of the country's auction of IMT-2000/UMTS spectrum licenses for third-generation personal communications services.Ten applicants have applied to participate in the auction process, which will culminate in...
WASHINGTON-A congressional subcommittee and the wireless industry put pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to delay the upcoming 700 MHz auction, while private wireless wants the agency to go ahead with the guard-band auction.In addition, Verizon Wireless asked to delay the Nov. 29 re-auction...
