Mobile Phones

China Telecom (Hong Kong) in late April announced the purchase of Jiangsu Mobile Communication for US$2.9 billion. China Telecom said the purchase gives it close to 4.8 million cellular subscribers in China, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jiangsu, one …

BEIJING-In the wireless world, China no longer is a forgotten backwater, but is rapidly moving to center stage. According to the new Ministry of Information Industry (MII), the country had a 92-percent growth rate last year, bringing total mobile users …

MELBOURNE, Australia-Australia’s long-awaited PCS spectrum auctions began at the tail end of April with nine bidders vying for 230 lots in the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum bands. Marking a key stage in Australia’s long-term plans to establish a …

SINGAPORE-What was to have been one of the most glorious moments in Singapore’s telecommunications history turned out to be a major fiasco in April when one of the tenderers for a new Singapore mobile phone license, United States-based GTE Corp., …

LONDON-After years of uncertainty and confusion, the Russian wireless telecommunications market finally seems set to come out of hibernation and deliver what investors and analysts have been expecting for some time. There’s certainly possibilities for growth following a slow start. …

OXFORD, England-More than a million mobile phone users in Switzerland are under surveillance. Swisscom secretly is storing historical data that can track the movements of its subscribers’ mobile terminals. These revelations of wireless snooping were made earlier this year by …

Nokia GSM phones Nokia Corp. introduced three new GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) phones operating on the 900 MHz frequency band. The Nokia 8810 has a protective slide cover and is accented with a touch of silver. It offers …

DENVER, United States-If all goes as planned, the world could have as many as 10 mobile satellite communications (MSS) systems operating in the next five years. By 2002, the MSS industry could be an US$8.5 billion market. The various service …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. experienced higher revenues and net income in all its business units during the first quarter ended March 31, reporting a slight overall revenue increase, from $2.7 billion in 1997 to $2.72 billion in the recent quarter. First-quarter …

WASHINGTON-A group that claims mobile phone transmitters pose a public health risk last week asked a federal appeals court in New York to stay the Federal Communications Commission’s implementation of a telecom act provision that pre-empts local regulation of antenna …

ROME-Three consortia have submitted bids for Italy’s third mobile phone license, due to be awarded mid-year. Two of the bids were expected for some time. Picienne-a consortium led by the Italian TV broadcasting company Mediaset and British Telecommunications plc-and Wind-comprised …

DENVER-The Colorado Public Utilities Commission scrapped a plan that would have provided a new area code for wireless phones and pagers only. Citing legal and financial implications, the commission has instead opted to retain an original plan calling for an …

NEW YORK-Ericsson Inc. Mobile Phones and Terminals announced it will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of Grammy Award winning singer Celine Dion for her 1998-1999 North American concert tour, “Lets Talk About Love.” Dion sings “My Heart Will Go On,” …

The Land Mobile Communications Council this week is expected to ask the Federal Communications Commission to allocate 15 megahertz now and more spectrum later for private wireless communications. The request will include opportunities for sharing with the federal government, a …

MALVERN, Pa.-Triton Cellular Partners reached a definitive agreement to acquire 12 wireless operating territories in Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi from U.S. Unwired for about $158 million. Triton’s strategy is to acquire rural wireless properties to develop regional rural service area …

CALABASAS, Calif.-Silverlake Communications Inc. announced it has completed software enhancements for AT&T Wireless Services Inc. with MessageFlash Text Messaging Software version 2.0 in AT&T Wireless’ digital mobile phone and paging services. MessageFlash 2.0 is a custom application combining the look …

Mobile phone accessory manufacturers and distributors say the accessory market has redefined itself since the onslaught of increased wireless carrier competition. Retailers no longer try to convince newly activated mobile phone subscribers that they need a leather case or a …

WASHINGTON-In a move that could reignite the debate over the wireless industry’s responsibility to physically challenged Americans, a Colorado-based maker of a device enabling hearing-impaired people to use mobile phones said it will file a complaint against Qualcomm Inc. this …

Embracing a nickname that employees have given its logo for years, Motorola Inc. launched a $100 million global branding campaign that unites all its business sectors’ consumer products under the moniker “Wings.” The effort marks the first time the company …

LONDON-The United Kingdom’s Office of Telecommunications announced it has ended its restrictions on how mobile phone operators may market and distribute airtime and products. The new regulation, which will go into effect after a year-long transition period, will give Orange, …

WASHINGTON-Despite all the hoopla surrounding antenna siting legislation, wireless anti-fraud, privacy and tax-repeal bills stand a far better chance of being passed by Congress and enacted into law this year. President Clinton is expected shortly to sign legislation that will …

Robinson-Humphrey Co. L.L.C’s latest quarterly survey of U.S. mobile phone prices indicates the pricing wars may be over. The Atlanta-based company said pricing decreased since December just .8 percent to 1.6 percent on average, the smallest price decrease the company …

LONFON-Orange plc, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Orange Communications Ltd., said it submitted a bid for the third mobile phone license in the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom-based operator is not in partnership with any other companies at this …

NEW YORK-Cellnet, a U.K. mobile phone network operator, has placed a contract with Nokia Telecommunications to expand its Global System for Mobile communications network. Nokia will supply equipment to cover both GSM 900 and GSM 1800 systems. Nokia will begin …

After years of delays and controversy, the Italian Ministry of Communications began accepting bids for the country’s third mobile phone license last week. The ministry set an April 15 deadline for interested parties to apply to participate in the auction …