Mobile Phones

WASHINGTON-The United States will enter the World Radiocommunication Conference in Istanbul next month without global or even regional support for its multiband proposal on third-generation mobile-phone service. The situation is embarrassing for the Clinton administration because it could lead to …

BONN, Germany-Deutsche Telekom acquired a majority stake in Czech mobile phone operator RadioMobil for about $565 million. The German carrier’s CMobil company increased its previously held 49-percent stake in the Czech company to 60.8 percent. DT is exercising an option …

SANTA CLARA, Calif.-Yahoo! Inc. launched second-generation services for wireless Yahoo! users as part of the company’s “Yahoo! Everywhere” strategy. The new services allow consumers with Wireless Application Protocol-enabled mobile phones and devices to access Yahoo! Auctions, Movies, the Yahoo! Directory …

China Unicom’s planned deployment of Code Division Multiple Access technology remains delayed as Unicom works on sorting out the paper work with both the Ministry of Information Industry and the State Development Planning Commission, vendors in China say. Chinese Premier …

The Personal Communications Industry Association announced another initiative last week to turn the association around in the midst of dwindling membership and public-relations problems surrounding its annual trade show. PCIA said it is repositioning and renaming its annual conference and …

WASHINGTON-Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that controls the Federal Communications Commission’s purse strings, last week signaled he would like the FCC to waive spectrum cap and small business eligibility rules for the re-auction of bankrupt NextWave …

BOSTON-According to a new report by Ovum, potential mobile e-commerce providers should provide unique and compelling services, rather than hype about new technology that is purported to change the world, if they want to reach the buying public. Duncan Brown, …

NEW YORK-Despite problems the written Chinese language poses for Internet communications, China may nevertheless become the largest wireless data market in the world. China Telecom Hong Kong, which had 38 million subscribers at the end of 1999, “is closely following …

One press article after another has asserted that the European Union’s single standards regime for wireless services has given Europe an enormous “lead” over the United States. These stories, however, do not present a complete picture regarding the global leadership …

Switzerland United Pan-Europe Communications announced its wireless communications division, Priority Wireless, won two national licenses to build and operate broadband fixed wireless access networks in the 3.5 GHz band in Switzerland and Spain. The Spanish license was awarded by the …

Real estate owners told a House Judiciary subcommittee that forcing private building owners to give access to all telecom service providers would violate constitutional rights of landowners. The Real Access Alliance, comprised of 11 real estate trade associations, has mounted …

WASHINGTON-The chairman of the largest Internet service provider in the world last week called on Congress to give China permanent normal trade relations in an effort to reform China. “Here in the United States, Congress is considering whether to extend …

MADRID, Spain-A Vivendi-led consortium and Spain’s three incumbent mobile phone operators won Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses in Spain. The third-generation licenses were awarded through a selective tender process. The Xfera consortium plans to invest about $4.8 billion in its …

Since its exit from the highly competitive U.S. mobile handset market in late 1998, Siemens AG has vowed to return. The German manufacturer will make its comeback this summer, but to a mobile-phone market that is even more crowded and …

U.S. Wireless The board of directors of U.S. Wireless Corp. announced the appointment of Dale Stone as president, chief operating officer and member of the board of directors. Stone is the former president of Qualcomm Inc.’s infrastructure division. Tellabs Richard …

SYDNEY, Australia-Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Ltd. joined three Australian mobile phone incumbents in securing spectrum in the 1800 MHz band. Proceeds of the spectrum auction totaled more than $809.5 million for the Australian government, with One.Tel Ltd., Telstra Corp. and Vodafone …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry has won several key court cases involving antenna siting, liability and health protection, but litigation is expected to continue well into the future as pagers and mobile phones further penetrate the consumer market. That some federal courts …

The Feb. 28 article, “Angelos, Carlo join to head research program,” should have stated that AT&T Corp. holds a 19.9 percent stake in Metrocall Inc. In addition, due to incorrect information provided by the Food and Drug Administration, RCR reported …

After spending 10 years and $5.8 billion building and launching a constellation of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites to provide mobile voice and paging services worldwide, Iridium L.L.C. is facing a new countdown-toward extinction. If the company doesn’t find someone to replace …

British Telecom plc unveiled its mobile Internet strategy last week, setting up a new unit to offer global mobile Internet services by extending its existing Genie Internet services to Wireless Application Protocol-enabled phones. BT said it will invest $250 million …

WASHINGTON-In new research not yet published, a prominent Motorola Inc.-sponsored scientist has found genetic damage from mobile-phone frequency radiation that may support similar findings by Wireless Technology Research L.L.C. After making the discovery last year, Dr. Joseph Roti Roti, a …

WASHINGTON-Two key Senate lawmakers, backed by industry, state and local leaders, said they see no obstacles to passing legislation that would simplify the way mobile phone calls are taxed. “It is so imminently sensible,” said Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), a Senate …

SigmaOne SigmaOne Communications Corp., a provider of location systems and services for wireless carriers and the wireless Internet, reported the development of the company’s wireless location system for Global System for Mobile communications carriers in the United States and Europe. …

After one week and 16 rounds of bidding, incumbent operator Orange plc led all third-generation license bids in the United Kingdom with a $632.9 million bid for License B. The auction for five licenses, which is expected to last another …

MANILA, the Philippines-Globe Telecom, the second-largest cellular phone operator in the Philippines, announced a $2.3 billion merger with another Philippine wireless service provider, Isla Communications. The agreement allows Ayala Corp., Singapore Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to partner in the country. …