operator

With AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s announcement that it will overlay its existing TDMA-based network with a GSM network supporting GPRS, the pressure is on other TDMA carriers, specifically the largest U.S.-based TDMA carrier Cingular Wireless, as to its future technology …

For a new company looking to succeed in business, producing wireless handsets would seem to be one of the tougher markets to crack. Beyond the big three producers, Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson, are plenty of smaller, capable companies scavenging for …

PORT-LOUIS, Mauritius-Mauritius Telecom said France Telecom will take a 40-percent stake in the currently state-owned operator for $261 million. The Mauritian government will retain 40 percent, and the state Bank of Mauritius will hold the other 20 percent. Mauritius Telecom …

SINGAPORE-StarHub Chief Executive Terry Clontz said end users would draw the short end of the stick because of the Singapore government’s decision to use the auction method of awarding third-generation licenses. He added any operator would expect to recoup the …

NORWAY Norway is expecting to raise between $2 billion and $2.7 billion in the initial public offering comprising 21 percent of state-owned Telenor. Shares will begin trading on Dec. 4 on the Oslo Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq index. NETHERLANDS …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson said Bolivian operator Entel Movil selected it to deploy Latin America’s first General Packet Radio Service network. The three-year $36 million agreement is for a full GSM/GPRS 1900 MHz system. Entel Movil is 50-percent owned by Telecom …

A week after announcing plans to eliminate as much as $14 billion in debt, British Telecommunications plc said it was selling its 34-percent stake in Swiss joint venture Sunrise to TeleDanmark, a partner in the deal, for $659 million. BT …

Just as Sprint PCS was quick to offer wireless Web services, the company is jumping head first into the voice-recognition market, signing a new agreement with voice portal provider BeVocal Inc. to test speech-activated applications powered by BeVocal’s Total Voice …

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Swedish operator Telia partnered with ForeningsSparbanken, a Swedish banking group, to develop secure solutions for payment, bank and e-commerce services using mobile phones. Telia said a series of applications, including the ability to check purchases and balances on accounts, …

PAKISTAN Millicom International Cellular SA announced it acquired Paktel Ltd., Cable and Wireless plc’s cellular operation in Pakistan. Millicom said Paktel is the No. 3 operator in the country. “MIC’s acquisition of Paktel will enhance the value of our investments …

Not one operator around the world has rolled out third-generation services yet, but discussion of fourth-generation technology is already under way. An industry that began offering a basic communications tool is evolving into something much flashier, much more futuristic and …

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc and France Telecom’s Orange both acquired stakes in the Swiss wireless market ahead of the country’s Universal Mobile Telecommunications System auction, set to begin next week. Vodafone Group acquired 25 percent of the equity of Swisscom Mobile …

BUCHAREST, Romania-Russian company RadioTel said it will test a Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) trunking network in the St. Petersburg area, using Motorola equipment for infrastructure and terminals. Motorola estimated the cost of constructing the TETRA network for the St.Petersburg area …

NEW YORK-Despite substantial increases in subscribers and revenues last quarter, VoiceStream Wireless Corp. experienced growing losses it attributed to rapid growth and expenses related to acquisitions. VoiceStream, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., posted a loss of $661.3 million, or $3.02 per …

BUCHAREST, Romania-Slovakian operator Globtel prefers a “beauty contest” process of licensing the country’s third-generation (3G) licenses. Eva Forraiova-Guttlerova, the company’s public relations manager, said the beauty contest system is more fair, because the monetary amount is influenced by service use. …

HELSINKI, Finland-In a new three-year agreement Nokia will supply its core GPRS solution, services and broadband switching system upgrades for Belgium-based operator Proximus Belgacom Mobile’s mobile network. Nokia said it has delivered more than 50 GPRS core networks to operators …

TOKYO-Seven regional companies of KDDI Group on 1 November merged to form a new company called “au.” KDDI decided to merge these regional companies to better compete with giant NTT DoCoMo. However, former IDO Corp., an operator covering the Tokyo …

Qualcomm Inc.’s much-battered stock received a vote of confidence last week as Lehman Brothers released an equity research report reiterating its “Buy” rating of the company’s stock, which has seen its value fall from a 52-week high of $200 per …

SINGAPORE-Singapore operator MobileOne (M1) accused rivals SingTel Mobile and StarHub of efforts to lure away its CDMA customers. An advertising war has been under way, with SingTel Mobile and StarHub taking out full-page advertisements in the Straits Times extolling the …

WASHINGTON-Neoworld Inc., a newcomer with a back-to-the-future wireless strategy, represents a new breed of dispatch operator forced by massive consolidation and other industry trends to exploit market niches with economic viability. Neoworld is looking to bridge the gap between traditional …

WASHINGTON-While most believe the specialized mobile radio industry seems to be disappearing along with its companion regulatory issues, one SMR operator believes that if this is true, it is the fault of the Federal Communications Commission. “Why is there less …

VIENNA, Austria-Europe’s fifth auction of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses ended after less than two days of bidding. All six participants gained licenses to operate UMTS systems in Austria, drawing about $728 million, much less than anticipated. The auction came …

PARIS-SkyPoint, a Spanish telecom operator with a wireless access license in the 26 GHz band, selected Alcatel to supply its local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) equipment. The initial phase of the project is valued at US$84 million. SkyPoint’s network is …

CAMBODIA In a joint venture with Cambodia’s Royal Group of Companies and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Millicom International Cellular launched an international gateway in the country, the company said. The license was awarded for 25 years, and it …

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.-More than 350,000 residents in Nevada will soon have access to Sprint wireless personal communications services, Sprint’s network partner UbiquiTel Inc. announced. The service covers Reno, Carson City and East Tahoe and brings UbiquiTel’s customer base to 850,000. …