AT&T

WASHINGTON-While Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt ratchets up pressure on local governments to break antenna siting gridlock around the country, regulators are working behind the scenes to craft guidelines to govern health-related siting disputes. The initiative is said by …

Telephone and Data Systems Inc. elected George W. Off to its board of directors. He replaces Robert J. Collins who retired Jan. 7. Off will become chairman of the company’s stock option compensation committee and its audit committee. Off is …

The separate statement by embattled FCC Commissioner Rachelle Chong on the 2.3 GHz (auction it till it hertz) ruling last week helps explain why President Clinton should reappoint her for a second term. Chong, expressing her support of the agency’s …

NEW YORK-Four wireless industry heavyweights and three universities announced Feb. 17 they had formed the Global Wireless Education Consortium to “attract and educate new technicians and engineers to the booming wireless industry.” Thousands of new wireless technicians and engineers will …

If demand for dual-band handsets can be measured by vendor contracts, carriers must only now be finalizing plans for multi-frequency roaming. The industry’s most prolific terminal manufacturers have yet to announce volume contracts for these expensive new phones, although some …

Vanguard Cellular Systems Inc. reported the first profitable year in the company’s 11-year history last week, although the victory was accompanied by a fourth-quarter net loss due to investments in two subsidiaries. Net income for 1996 was $6.4 million, or …

WASHINGTON-Despite carrier and Federal Communications Commission efforts to mitigate the situation, there still is plenty of confusion regarding wireless tower siting out in the suburbs. Many jurisdictions and their constituents either don’t understand new federal rules that mandate “no blocking” …

Wireless segments post strong growth FRAMINGHAM, Mass.-The cellular, personal communications services and paging industries had strong growth in 1996, according to a study conducted by IDC/Link Resources. Cellular growth was higher than in most sectors. However, the company said there …

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-“Until a few weeks ago, I was under the impression that the outlook for TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) was quite different than it is today,” said investment banker Brad Peery at last week’s TDMA Global Summit …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. has now signed its second franchise-like agreement with a wireless player whose holdings can fill in missing links in AT&T’s nationwide footprint. Indus Inc. holds the C-block license for Milwaukee, Wis. The Indus group is comprised …

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-Indus Inc., a new personal communications services company based in Milwaukee, announced Feb. 11 a vendor financing agreement with Hughes Network Systems Inc. and a roaming agreement with AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Indus is the first winner …

WASHINGTON-Several prominent wireless industry figures attended White House coffees, which along with telecom-related trade missions are tied to an escalating Democratic fund-raising scandal that last week prompted a flood of congressional subpoenas and threatened to sidetrack Senate confirmation of two …

Aerial Communications Inc. appointed John Foster and Thomas Wilson Jr. to its board of directors. Foster and Wilson both will serve on Aerial’s audit committee and on its stock option compensation committee. Foster is president and founder of Vedra International …

Since the passage of the telecom act, telecommunications providers have taken significant steps toward offering bundled services on one bill. Nearly a year ago, regional Bell operating companies’ cellular divisions began offering cellular long-distance service to their cellular customers and …

E.F. Johnson Co. last Friday spun off its E.F. Johnson Services wireless construction unit into a separate subsidiary in order to better court non-traditional customers. The services unit, in operation for 11 months, has been contracted for project management, engineering …

WALTHAM, Mass.-Lightbridge Inc. said it will use its Customer Acquisition System to streamline the customer acquisition process for eight of the 10 largest A- and B-block personal communications services license holders. Carriers that have signed contracts with Lightbridge include Aerial …

WASHINGTON-“The Telecom Act was an act of Congress and not an act of God, so it will not be immediately perfect,” commented AT&T’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Allen on the first anniversary last week of the landmark piece …

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.- DCN Wireless, a California-based wireless services reseller, will begin providing GTE Mobilnet Inc. service in the San Francisco area and Northern California. “Our decision to offer the service of both AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and GTE Mobilnet …

NEW YORK- The media and telecommunications industry was pronounced “generally healthy” by a panel of Wall Street officials discussing new equity and debt issues at an Institute for International Research conference, Jan. 29. The clean bill of health isn’t without …

A statement by minority owner Lee McDonald in a Jan. 27 story in RCR about the class action lawsuit against AT&T Wireless Services should have read, “The 1996 settlement proposal included the 1995 changes already in place.”

NEW YORK-CCPR Services, the principal subsidiary of Cellular Communications of Puerto Rico, was expected to privately place last week a $175 million issue of senior subordinated notes. The deal was trimmed from the $200 million issue originally planned. Donaldson, Lufkin …

NEW YORK-Esat Holdings Ltd., Dublin, plans to sell privately about $85 million in debt securities, partly to help finance buildout of a Global System for Mobile communications system that will provide Ireland’s second cellular service. Esat Holdings owns a 40 …

While one arm of U S West Inc. prepares to roll out pocket phone service later this year, another arm, U S West Media Group’s cellular division, is slated to disappear. The paradox highlights U S West’s jagged wireless communications …

WASHINGTON-A settlement is believed near that would have Teledesic Corp. pay to relocate Associated Communications L.L.C. fixed wireless facilities to the 24 GHz band, though it is unclear whether the deal will be voluntary or government-imposed. The two wireless startups …

WILSONVILLE, Ore.-Wireless reseller Northwest Communications, a division of Skylink Communications Corp., announced a prepaid wireless program called Pay-N-Talk. The service is available at grocery stores, gas stations and other consumer locations in 12 Western states, with 10 more to be …