BROWSING: British Telecommunications

JapanConductus Inc. announced it shipped a 16-pole ClearSite wireless subsystem to a major Japanese cellular operator for performance testing. The system will be used for testing within Japanese frequency bands for potential field deployment.SENEGALSENTELgsm launched Global System for Mobile communications 900 service in the...

WASHINGTON-Two telecommunications mega-mergers hit snags last week as the Federal Communications Commission said it had serious concerns about the SBC/Ameritech combination and the Virginia State Corporation Commission disapproved of the marriage between Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp., saying it lacked enough information to...

TOKYO-Anticipating the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU's) scheduled March decision regarding key characteristics for the third-generation cellular, IMT-2000, Japanese carriers are mounting efforts to be able to kick off their 3G businesses earlier than any other nation.Japan Telecom Co. (JT), in cooperation with Nissan Motor...

In a move designed to further its interests in the wireless environment, Microsoft Corp. announced it has formed an agreement with British Telecommunications plc to develop a set of services to make various types of Internet-and intranet-based applications and information available to mobile device...

LOS ANGELES-Telemac Corp. said it has expanded its technology development and marketing agreement with Brite Voice Systems Inc. for exclusive distribution of the company's BriteStar System in Europe.BriteStar is a prepaid program consisting of Telemac prepaid technology and Brite prepaid and service management solutions,...

Britain's Department of Trade and Industry cleared British Telecommunications plc to raise its stake in Cellnet above 60 percent and said the company can bid in auctions for third-generation mobile spectrum.According to Cellnet's Telecommunications Act License, which allows the company to operate a public...

NEW YORK-Millicom International Cellular S.A. announced it sold its interests in Bharti Cellular Ltd., Bite GSM UAB and Comliet UAB.The company sold its 13-percent interest in Bharti Cellular Ltd. in Delhi, India, for $25.9 million to British Telecommunications plc. Millicom also completed the sale...

Tele Danmark A/S announced the takeover of Millicom East Holding B.V., a Dutch holding company owning shares in the two Lithuanian cellular companies Bite GSM and Comliet. After the transaction, Tele Danmark will control 71.6 percent of Bite and 49 percent of Comliet. In...

SINGAPORE-Over the last few months, British Telecommunications plc has been on a buying spree that would put any seasoned shopaholic to shame-chalking up a bill of more than US$1 billion in the Asia-Pacific region alone.Having kept a relatively low profile in Asia for the...

SEOUL, South Korea-Despite the financial crisis in Asia, the wireless telephony market has performed better than expected in South Korea. The number of cellular and PCS subscribers in the country more than doubled from 5.6 million at the end October 1997 to more than...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Last July the European Commission identified 14 cases of excessive or discriminatory pricing of interconnect rates between fixed and mobile operators. In-depth investigations were launched, and half of those investigations have been closed or suspended following a flurry of rate-cutting and pressure...

NEW YORK-The boundaries between internal and external computer networks are disappearing due to the warp-speed incursion of the Internet, raising security concerns within enterprises that want to exploit this promising opportunity safely."Security is one of the inhibitors. It has been and always will be...

Telecom companies from around the world are dashing to the Asia Pacific region as they begin to find willing sellers that need cash to expand their telecommunications services."It's definitely a buyer's market right now because of the economic conditions in the market," said Edward...

More legal issues have fallen in the way of Venezuela's plans to tender a personal communications services license earlier this month.Conatel, Venezuela's telecom regulatory agency, was set to tender a license by Nov. 4, but protests from three cellular operators have stalled the process...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-The game of musical chairs between telecom operators vying for a stake in the lucrative German market seems to have slowed down. There is now some semblance of stability following the launch of E2, Germany's fourth mobile phone network, at the end...

Germany-based Mannesmann A.G. and Italy's Olivetti last week announced they will launch a joint-venture company, Mannesmann euro.map, to provide cross-border voice and data services using already-existing infrastructure in individual European countries. The new company is set to launch in first-quarter 1999, said Mannesmann.The announcement...

Applied Cellular Technology Inc.'s board of directors approved a strategic plan aimed at growing its earnings per share by 20 percent that calls for the divestiture of non-core business units and the repurchase of 5 million shares of its common stock. Applied also intends...

The quest for international partnerships continued in the summer as AT&T Corp. announced a US$10 billion joint-venture plan with British Telecommunications plc to more strongly position itself in the global market.AT&T and BT on 26 July said they agreed to pool their international operations...

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-The licensing of two additional cellular carriers in South Africa will represent the biggest opportunity for black empowerment in Africa-and for some, the last chance to become involved in the vibrant telecommunications market here.When the Department of Communications issues tender invitations later...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Conferences are an integral part of the mobile communications scene, an ideal platform for catching up with the latest developments and a chance to meet old friends and make new ones. But such networking opportunities have one inevitable consequence. A raging hangover...

NEW YORK-Telecommunications carriers broke records Aug. 6 in the debt markets, with WorldCom Inc. selling the largest corporate bond issue ever and a Bell Atlantic Corp. subsidiary, the biggest exchangeable note deal.The magnitude of the issues is all the more remarkable given a dicey...

CROWN COMMUNICATIONSJohn P. Kelly was named chief operating officer of Crown Communications, the domestic operating subsidiary of Crown Castle International Corp. Robert Crown will continue as president and chief executive officer of Crown Communications for the next several months, during which time Kelly will...

The quest for international partnerships continued last week as AT&T Corp. announced a $10 billion joint-venture plan with British Telecommunications plc to more strongly position itself in the global market.AT&T and BT July 26 said they have agreed to pool their international operations and...

WASHINGTON-The proposed marriage between Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp. was met with skepticism from Washington telecommunications policy makers, most of whom do not believe the companies' claims that the merger will lead to more competition.The pre-eminent telecom policy maker, William Kennard, chairman of...