Mobile Phones

Yet another European-based company is entering the U.S. digital handset market, trumpeting its communications and manufacturing expertise, particularly in Global System for Mobile communications technology. A U.S. division of Siemens A.G. hopes to eventually grab a double-digit slice of market …

LEXINGTON, Mass. – Wildfire Communications Inc. signed 12 new authorized service providers for its electronic assistant and inked expansion agreements with two companies already offering the product. The Wildfire Electronic Assistant is now available through 34 providers in more than …

Telesp Celular, the cellular division of the telephone operating company for the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, announced plans to install a digital network by December 1997 to eliminate capacity problems of its current analog network. Telesp said it has …

A week after Mobistar launched Global System for Mobile communications cellular service in Belgium, sole incumbent Belgacom Mobile cut its cellular rates between 30 percent and 34 percent. However, Mobistar’s rates are equally competitive to Belgacom’s new rates, said Luca …

Using cellular and intelligent satellite technologies, Telecel International Ltd. of New Canaan, Conn., is on track to rehaul communications in Africa. The company was first to introduce cellular service in Africa 10 years ago, said Justin Dudley, Telecel’s vice president …

ZK Celltest Inc. announced narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service measurement capability on the ZK-SAM/DX, a system access monitor. The company said the device interfaces with Motorola Inc.’s MicroTac dual-mode NAMPS phone and displays and collects NAMPS and enhanced AMPS call …

NEW YORK-Aided by strong growth in its mobile phones and telecommunications business groups, Nokia Corp. reported strong second-quarter net sales Aug. 8 of nearly $1.9 billion, a 17 percent increase from the same period 1995. Operating profits for the quarter, …

Lucent Technologies Inc. said it doesn’t expect to renew its original equipment manufacturer contracts with Nokia Mobile Phones and Oki telecom at the end of the year when the agreements expire. Lucent said it is making good progress on establishing …

3607 Communications Co. launched its Code Division Multiple Access digital cellular phone network in Las Vegas and is offering the service to new and existing customers. The system, which covers 85 percent of the company’s analog traffic areas, will allow …

Although LHS Communications Systems Inc. was formed only a year ago, the company is not new. The U.S. operation, which provides billing and customer care systems to wireless carriers, is an offspring of LH Specifications, started in Germany six years …

Germany, one of Western Europe’s most developed mobile telephone markets, is preparing to license a fourth operator to further stimulate competition. Parties interested in the E-2 nationwide 1800 MHz digital personal communications network license must submit bids by Oct. 15, …

CTIA President Tom Wheeler called it the biggest issue facing the wireless industry in 1996. Last Thursday, he simply said, “Hooray.” The Federal Communications Commission revamped interconnect agreements last week as part of sweeping rule changes aimed at bringing competition …

LE MANS, France-Philips Electronics North America Corp. has appointed Osmo Hautanen president of Philips Consumer Communications Co., a seven-month-old Le Mans, France-based subsidiary of Philips Electronics. Hautanen will oversee Philips’ launch of telecommunications devices, including cellular and wireline phones, answering …

ESPOO, Finland-Nokia Mobile Phones K.K. (Japan) has introduced the Nokia Digital Data/Fax Card to the Japanese digital cellular networks. The card enables wireless data transmission linking Nokia’s digital mobile phones and portable computers with the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card …

Not wanting to be elbowed aside by rival new suitors, cellular carriers are beginning to serenade subscribers with their own chorus of “Digital! Digital! Digital!” But unlike emerging personal communications services networks that are digital by design, incumbent cellular carriers …

American Technologies Inc. announced the availability of the MicroTracker remote tracking module, a vehicle location system that combines a global positioning system receiver, radio transceiver and radio frequency modem in one unit. ATI said the module can be easily installed …

Nokia Mobile Phones announced it has teamed with computer manufacturer Psion to enable wireless users to send and receive short messages over a Global System for Mobile communications-based PCS-1900 network using a Nokia PCS phone, Psion’s palmtop computer and Palmtop …

NEW YORK-3607 Communications Co. announced it plans to begin offering Code Division Multiple Access digital cellular service commercially early next month in Las Vegas. The company also announced second quarter earnings. The Las Vegas CDMA launch, available to existing and …

U.K. wireless operator Orange plc claimed victory last week after a High Court judge dismissed a complaint made by Vodafone Group plc following the launch of a comparative ad campaign by Orange. “It’s good to win the court case, but …

Comcast Cellular Communications Inc. has entered into an agreement with Paging Network Inc. to offer PageNet’s wireless messaging services, including the company’s line of alphanumeric and numeric pagers. PageNet will provide Comcast with customized equipment and other turnkey programs that …

NEW YORK-Vodafone Group plc said it is paying $52 million to buy the 67 percent of reseller Talkland International (UK) Ltd. that it doesn’t already own from Companie Generale des Eaux of France. Talkland is one of the United Kingdom’s …

A stern letter from the European Commission has gone out to dozens of wireless operators and phone manufacturers in Europe about the use of SIM card locks. “With this pressure, we are trying to head off any agreements or the …

CellStar Corp. said it has a tentative Fortune 500 buyer for its kiosk business located in 347 Sam’s Club stores nationwide, the expenses of which led to the company’s disappointing first-quarter results. The investment community had estimated CellStar’s net income …

Just when every conceivable type of transmission site on earth and in orbit seems to have been recruited for wireless telecommunications, the industry now is taking to the stratosphere with lighter-than-air platforms. Sky Station International Inc. of Chantilly, Va., applied …

Great Britain’s Office of Telecommunications said it is exploring the possibility that wireless phone operators Vodafone plc and Cellnet are charging local telephone operator British Telecommunications plc unfair interconnect rates. “Oftel is concerned that Cellnet and Vodafone may be exploiting …