BellSouth

BellSouth Mobility Inc. introduced text and alphanumeric pagers with unlimited local service for as low as $10 per month in BMI’s one-stop-shop retail stores. “By adding paging to our product mix, we are able to combine a variety of telecommunications …

NEW ORLEANS-Independent tower companies hoping to cash in on the anticipated sale of tower assets by wireless carriers still are waiting for the first big deal to set the standard for future purchase/lease-back arrangements. Many attendees at last week’s 1998 …

EDI Telecom Ltd. and Tadiran Telecommunications Ltd. announced they signed an agreement under which the two will merge in a stock-for-stock transaction. Mobile Systems International, United Kingdom, and U.S.-based Metapath Software Corp. announced the two companies are merging. Both companies …

The Argentine government, in an attempt to proceed with the PCS auctions currently in judicial limbo, is considering selling two PCS licenses each for the northern and southern regions of the country, excluding the greater Buenos Aires area. This maneuvering …

WASHINGTON-The old adage maintains it’s all about location, that the success of an investment depends on locale. And Latin America has been the locale of choice for investors looking for incredible growth rates and high demand for service. With several …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and BellSouth Cellular Corp. have agreed to consolidate ownership of their jointly owned cellular properties in Los Angeles, Houston and Galveston, Texas, and have created a new management structure that will streamline operations, said the companies. …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week said personal communications services is a facilities-based competitor to wireline services. However, in an order rejecting BellSouth Corp.’s application to offer long-distance service in Louisiana, the FCC said PCS in Louisiana has not risen …

ATLANTA-Eric Ensor has resigned as president of BellSouth Mobility DCS, BellSouth Corp.’s Global System for Mobile communications operation, effective Oct. 31. Ensor will become president and chief operating officer of TWS Inc., an engineering and software company that is working …

WASHINGTON-The telecommunications industry, while failing to get the digital wiretap grandfather date statutorily changed, appears to have been successful in getting written assurances included in the end-of-the-year spending bill that this date should be changed to correspond to the compliance …

WASHINGTON-Cellular operators last week overwhelmingly opposed a revised consumer-group proposal to route 911 analog calls to the cellular carrier most likely to complete the call, but it remains unclear whether carriers are ready to embrace a new Telecommunications Industry Association …

In comments that may reflect competitive positions in today’s mobile phone market, mobile phone and mobile satellite service industries told the Federal Communications Commission more spectrum will be needed for third-generation services. Industry comments are in response to a Notice …

WASHINGTON-A confluence of factors are converging that may force the Federal Communications Commission to relax the commercial wireless 45 megahertz spectrum cap, an antitrust check that some feel has outlived its intended purpose and even may be hindering wireless industry …

WASHINGTON-Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Commerce Committee, has added his voice to those who believe that wireless, specifically personal communications services, is a substitute for wireline. Indeed, McCain said, “Congress intended that PCS networks could satisfy the requirements …

Competition is changing the customer satisfaction landscape in wireless markets, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 1998 U.S. Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study. Carriers who previously led in customer satisfaction changed in 10 out of 18 markets, said the study. “With …

INTERDIGITAL Gerard Pepenella was hired by InterDigital Communications Corp. as vice president and general manager of broadband Code Division Multiple Access technology. He will collaborate with Gary Lomp, chief technology officer, on growth and enhancement of the company’s technology and …

ORLANDO, Fla.-BellSouth Corp. reported the buildout of its Sao Paulo, Brazil, Time Division Multiple Access network is proceeding rapidly. The company is part of a consortium that in July 1997 won the B-band license to serve Sao Paulo City. The …

ORLANDO, Fla.-BellSouth Wireless Data disclosed in greater detail its distribution strategy for its Interactive Paging service at PCS ’98 last week, where the company also announced a strategic alliance and conducted a developer’s seminar. BellSouth released a list of 43 …

Wireless intelligent network deployments remain slow in the United States as mobile phone carriers have focused on building out digital networks and spending money on switching and radio-frequency infrastructure. That is about to change, indicate WIN vendors, as more competitors …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry is at a “watershed point,” and is now beginning to compete in earnest with wireline telephony, said Tom Wheeler, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. The industry is entering the fourth wave of its development, Wheeler …

WOODBURY, N.Y.-Comverse Network Systems announced it has agreed to supply BellSouth Corp. with universal messaging infrastructure for BellSouth’s Advanced Intelligent Messaging 2000 initiative. BellSouth hopes AIM 2000 will give customers the ability to send and reply to voice messages, receive …

WASHINGTON-NAACP President Kweisi Mfume last week called for a boycott of two top wireless firms-AirTouch Communications Inc. and AllTel Corp.-for inadequate representation of African Americans in employment and contracting practices, a backlash becoming more pronounced as a result of affirmative-action …

NEW YORK-Orbcomm USA L.P., Dulles, Va., a provider of low-earth-orbit satellite-based data and messaging communications, announced Sept. 10 it has signed reseller agreements with three companies serving different industrial sectors. American Millenium Corp., Tavares, Fla., will deliver Orbcomm’s two-way data …

In preparation for PCS ’98, RCR sat down last month with Jay Kitchen, president of the Personal Communications Industry Association to talk about the trade show, the wireless industry in general, and PCIA specifically. The following is a transcript of …

The Federal Communications Commission late Friday extended the compliance deadline for implementation of the digital wiretap act until June 30, 2000. Without the extension, telecommunications carriers were subject to possible fines of as much as $10,000 per day come Oct. …

MOBILEMEDIA MobileMedia Corp., dba MobileComm, promoted several people in management positions. Steven Gross was named executive vice president of sales and marketing. He joined MobileComm as senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, and since has been responsible …