AT&T

Craig McCaw and his crew at NextLink knew what they were doing, even if the rest of the world wasn’t as sure. Long characterized as a competitive local exchange carrier, NextLink is just beginning to be recognized for the full …

U.S. TDMA operators must make some critical decisions about competing in the wireless data market during the next year as they witness their CDMA counterparts begin to launch circuit-switched data services in large scale. Time Division Multiple Access operators-which in …

CHICAGO-Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. raised Rogers Cantel Inc.’s senior secured debt rating from “BB+” to “BBB,” and the rating of Cantel’s subordinated public debt from “BB-” to “BBB-.” Both ratings were removed from Rating Watch-Up and their outlook …

BELLEVUE, Wash.-Buyphone.com, a comparison shopping service for wireless phones, said it signed an Internet marketing agreement for nationwide marketing and distribution of wireless services with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Under terms of the agreement, Buyphone.com will market AT&T Wireless’ service …

LONDON-British Telecommunications plc and AT&T Corp. each acquired a 15-percent stake in Japan Telecom for a total of $1.9 billion, completing BT’s strategic and operational partnership with Japan Telecom and AT&T, which commenced in April. BT said it has taken …

WASHINGTON-A recent agreement by giant wireline telcos about how to reduce the charges long-distance companies pay to local exchange carriers to connect their customers’ calls may end up costing the wireless industry, said the Personal Communications Industry Association. “Wireless is …

NEW YORK-As the Internet accelerates the globalization of telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions among traditional and nontraditional players have eclipsed initial public offerings as the preferred strategy for retaining competitive advantage. “In the United States, the Internet economy generated $301 billion …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. introduced new pricing plans last week that could build on the success of the carrier’s Digital One Rate plan by adding more phones into the home. Bell Atlantic Mobile also introduced a group calling plan for …

Ericsson Inc. said last week its displacement from AT&T Wireless Services Inc. as the majority vendor hurt the company and conceded part of the reason it lost AT&T Wireless contracts was because of problems supplying equipment throughout the year. “It …

More than 660,000 U.S. and Canadian customers subscribed to GSM wireless service in the second quarter of 1999, according to the North American GSM Alliance. This brings the total number of GSM customers in North America to 4.2 million. Canada …

Amid increased media publicity over capacity problems in its New York City market, AT&T Wireless Services granted contracts to Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks that calls for the vendors to replace Ericsson’s equipment in the country’s two largest wireless markets, …

TORONTO-Canada has vast acreage and is sparsely populated in many areas, yet it has the most affordable wireless rates in the world, according to new research. A recent study by the Yankee Group, a Boston-based technology research firm, concluded that …

PCS carriers can be credited with spurring huge demand for wireless service in the United States, but they continue to struggle with brand awareness and perceptions customers have about coverage. “It’s a brand game and a consumer-marketing game,” said Andrew …

WASHINGTON-A plan from the U.S. Department of Transportation to institute a nationwide three-digit number for traffic information may be derailed by a call from MCI WorldCom Inc. for a complete rule making into how abbreviated numbers are allocated. The idea …

Wireless industry members agree smart phones will become a critical differentiating factor for handset vendors and mobile-phone operators within the next two years, but the proliferation of these devices remains relatively unknown. For handset providers, smart phones represent an opportunity …

SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. last week introduced a one-stop telecommunications and entertainment services package in what many speculate is a competitive strike against similar packages in the works at rival AT&T Corp. AT&T today offers its Personal Network package, which …

WASHINGTON-Three consumer groups have asked the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block AT&T Corp.’s planned acquisition of MediaOne. The Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America and Media Access Project jointly filed a formal document at the …

AT&T Corp. reportedly is revisiting the idea of issuing tracking stock for its cable and wireless businesses. The Street.com reported last week AT&T consulted with three investment banks about alternative tracking stock options. AT&T did not return calls for comment …

Amidst increased media publicity over capacity problems in its New York City market, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last week granted a contract to Lucent Technologies Inc. that calls for the vendor to replace Ericsson Inc.’s equipment in the country’s largest …

DENVER-Analysts speculate AT&T Wireless Services Inc. may add Nortel Networks as an additional supplier of Time Division Multiple Access equipment. Growth on the carrier’s networks has skyrocketed since AT&T Wireless introduced the Digital One Rate plan last May. The plan …

CHICAGO-A deregulated marketplace characterized by aggressive competition will bring new challenges to traditional telecommunications companies in the future, according to “Vision 2010: New strategies for communications enterprises,” an Andersen Consulting/Economist Intelligence Unit study. Companies will be compelled to embrace alliances, …

NEW YORK-Triton PCS Holdings Inc., Malvern, Penn., an AT&T Wireless Services Inc. affiliate, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Aug. 13 for an initial public offering of up to $125 million. Triton, which had 78,364 customers as of June …

SAN FRANCISCO-Charles Schwab Corp., San Francisco, plans to offer customers who trade securities more than 48 times each year access to this service over their pagers, mobile phones or handheld computers by Dec. 31. Schwab has 2.8 million active online …

SAN FRANCISCO-Just In Time Solutions, a San Francisco provider of Internet billing and interactive customer-care software, said earlier this month it had raised $10 million in a second round of private equity financing, bringing its total outside investment to $15 …

SAN DIEGO-Wireless Facilities Inc., a San Diego company that helps carriers plan, design and deploy wireless telecommunications networks, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission Aug. 18 to raise up to $70 million in an initial public offering. The company …