BellSouth

LAS VEGAS-OmniSky Corp., formerly OpenSky Corp., introduced its first product last week at Comdex-a wireless Internet and e-mail service solution for Palm V users that integrates hardware, software and Internet access from several partner providers. OmniSky is the venture formed …

ATLANTA-BellSouth Cellular Corp. and wireless-location company SigmaOne Communications Corp. announced an agreement calling for BellSouth to conduct a market trial of SigmaOne’s Sigma 5000 Advanced Mobile Phone Service/Time Division Multiple Access network-based location system. SigmaOne’s location technology combines time difference …

LAS VEGAS-While the growing convergence between the computer and wireless industries has made headlines in wireless industry press and generated great excitement at wireless trade shows, the issue remains somewhat of a footnote within the computer industry. At last week’s …

Is paging dead? The wireless industry has been debating that unflattering statement for a few years now. When you look at recent statistics and stories in RCR and from around the world via our sister publication, Global Wireless, things ain’t …

WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration, bowing to industry pressure here and across the Atlantic, last week signaled for the first time a willingness to consider supporting global harmonization of third-generation mobile spectrum at next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference in Turkey. “We’ve started …

In a deal loud with industry-shaking repercussions, the nation’s top two paging carriers announced their intention to merge last week, raising the consolidation bar to a level as yet unseen in industry’s history. Arch Communications Group Inc., the second-largest paging …

CARACAS, Venezuela-Venezuelan regulatory agency Conatel expects to award an additional cellular operating license early next year, according to a Reuters report. There currently are three other cellular carriers operating in Venezuela, with two others licensed. The dominant operator is Telcel, …

LOS ANGELES-Econ One Research’s latest monthly survey of wireless-phone service prices showed that some carriers charge up to twice as much for the same service in one city as they charge in another. The economic research and consulting firm’s October …

Tessco Tessco Technologies Inc. appointed Kevin P. Demery vice president and unit director of product and brand development. He will be responsible for electronic commerce, product management, strategic planning and all marketing communications. Demery has held senior sales and marketing …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Paradigm4 unveiled SmartPartner Pager, a new wireless data service that provides law enforcement officers with the ability to access critical information from local, state and federal criminal databases via the RIM Inter@ctive Pager 950. Operating in a manner …

NEW YORK-For strategic and financial investors, many domestic wireless carriers possess a strong desirability quotient because they own scarce spectrum in a huge and growing market. Lehman Brothers Inc. projects that wireless penetration in the United States will reach 50 …

While most tower companies have been focusing their attention on the domestic market, Crown Castle International Corp. has cast its net overseas. Crown, through its Crown Castle UK Ltd. subsidiary, controls 1,800 towers in the United Kingdom, including the BBC’s …

SAN ANTONIO, Texas-SBC Communications Inc. said it agreed to acquire Radiofone Inc., which serves more than 200,000 wireless customers in Louisiana and Michigan. Once the transaction is completed, SBC said it will begin deploying digital wireless services in Radiofone service …

Some confusion exists in the wireless industry over whether mobile-phone-component shortages are affecting the handset supply in the United States. Major handset suppliers say they aren’t struggling with component shortages, but one major carrier said its lower subscriber additions in …

NEW YORK-The irony inherent in the proliferation of communications devices and technologies is the difficulty of getting them to interact with home base. Therein lies a business opportunity for MobileSys Inc., a Mountain View, Calif., start-up that provides middleware. Its …

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Following guidelines laid out during the PCS auctions in Argentina, mobile phone operator Miniphone ended operations on 1 October. Its 800,000 customers were divided between operators Unif

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-Most foreign investment in the wireless market in South America has been directed at Brazil, Argentina and Chile in recent years based on their high wireless demand. However, several other countries in the region are experiencing strong wireless …

Finland. Sonera began offering High Speed Circuit Switched Data services to its data customers 6 September, but without available handsets. Sonera said it wanted to be ready when handsets are available later this year. France. At Telecom ’99 in Geneva, …

Wireless location-based services have been talked about for years and few carriers have deployed them, but reality should begin to set in within the next few years. The Federal Communications Commission’s revised enhanced 911 rules released in September have put …

ARMONK, N.Y.-Melard Technologies Inc. introduced the Scout HPC, a ruggedized full-screen wireless handheld computer powered by the Windows CE operating system. The Scout HPC contains two type III PC card slots for wireless modems to connect to networks owned by …

ATLANTA-A BellSouth Corp.-led consortium won a $26 million license to provide nationwide wireless communications service in Guatemala. BellSouth and its Panama-based partner, Multi Holding Corp., expect to begin service in Guatemala, the largest Central American nation with a population of …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Riverbed Technologies said it formed a strategic relationship with Aether Systems Inc. under which the two will cross-license their technologies to develop new wireless solutions for the mobile computing market. Riverbed said it will incorporate the Aether Intelligent …

NEW YORK-France Telecom last week proceeded toward its goal of becoming a pan-European provider of seamless mobile, wireline and Internet communications through an agreement to acquire controlling interest in E-Plus, Germany’s third-largest wireless carrier. After the E-Plus acquisition, France Telecom …

BellSouth Corp. last week announced plans to restructure the company to better position itself to provide bundled services. The move comes just weeks after BellSouth failed in a bid to acquire Sprint Corp., which agreed instead to merge with MCI …

ORLANDO, Fla.-Wake up prepaid department, meet fraud. While cloning was the most urgent wireless fraud issue a few years ago, today the focus has shifted to subscription fraud, which can impact the prepaid business, said Konnie Sheen, manager of fraud …