operator

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 …

BUCHAREST, Romania-Although most of the third-generation (3G) licensing attention in Europe is focused on Western Europe, Eastern European countries are also moving forward with licensing plans. The region, with lower wireless penetration rates than many Western European countries and improving …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-Orascom Telecom (OT) is emerging as the winning titan in the conquest of cellular operations in Africa and the Middle East. With GSM cellular licenses firmly secured in the last few weeks in the Cameroon and Niger, Orascom …

CHICAGO, United States-One of the first commercial deployments of Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology could be in Mexico next year based on presentations and interviews at the PCIA GlobalXchange event in late September. Mexico’s largest wireless carrier, …

The controversy surrounding European third-generation (3G) spectrum auctions reached a new peak with Dutch and Italian competition authorities launching investigations in early November into possible collusion between rival bidders. These moves put further pressure on the European Community (EC) to …

ROME-The results of the Italian third-generation license auction are unfortunate for the Italian government and British Telecommunications plc, while most opportune for the five companies that have unofficially won licenses at prices much lower than anticipated. After just two days …

Gigabit Wireless of San Jose, Calif., is taking a new name and at the same time, taking its first steps in the wireless broadband market with a non-line-of-sight technology that should speed the deployment and boost the capacity of multichannel …

ATHENS, Greece-The Greek government has invited 11 international telecom operators to express interest for a strategic stake in OTE, a Greek telecom operator. OTE owns 66 percent of GSM 1800 MHz operator CosmOTE. The invited operators include British Telecom, France …

SAN DIEGO-While many at the CDMA’s Development Group’s Americas Congress reminisced about how far the technology had come in such a short period of time, the big buzz on the show floor was about CDMA’s future. And what better place …

BEIJING-Zhang Fan, head of mobile communications at China Unicom, this week said his company would definitely build narrowband networks based on the CDMA standard. After Qualcomm Chairman Irwin Jacobs recently met Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and China Unicom Chairman Yang …

BUCHAREST, Romania-Bulgaria, a small country in Eastern Europe, has been shaken during the last few months by a scandal in the communications market. The mobile communications market in Bulgaria, a country with more than an 8 million inhabitants, last year …

NEW YORK–With the debut of its Arch Message Center in November, Arch Wireless Holdings Inc. plans to simplify the lives of its customers by allowing them pager access to electronic mail from varied sources. Available for a 90-day free trial …

MADRID, Spain-Telefonica Moviles and Microsoft Corp. extended their current agreement to deploy next-generation mobile Internet services for corporate and consumer customers. The companies are establishing a joint executive advisory team to assess and plan new mobile products and services for …

Radio data network operator Cue Corp. made several announcements at last week’s Convergence 2000 show in Detroit, furthering its position as an international traffic and navigation information provider. Cue said it will use U.S. Wireless Corp.’s RadioCamera system to distribute …

BETHESDA, Md.-Qualcomm Inc. became a shareholder and limited partner in low earth orbit satellite operator SkyBridge L.P., the companies said. Financial details were not disclosed. “SkyBridge will now have access to important Qualcomm intellectual property and can benefit from the …

ROME-The Italian auction for five Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses began last Thursday. Italy is Europe’s largest cell-phone market, with six groups participating in the auction process, which is expected to raise around $21 billion. The German UMTS auction, which …

MOSCOW-Russia finally returned cellular frequencies to two major carriers after Communications Minister Leonid Reiman canceled the orders stripping Mobile Telesystems (MTS) and Vimpelcom (BeeLine) of the spectrum. Earlier, Reiman suspended the orders of the frequency control agency Gossvyaznadzor that annulled …

NEW YORK-The CreataLink 2XT wireless data transceiver has garnered positive corporate reception and connections since its debut in late summer, said Scott H. Davis, director of telemetry for the Motorola Inc. Advanced Messaging Group, Boynton Beach, Fla. Based on Motorola’s …

MONTREUX, Switzerland-The GSM Association held its first roundtable of chief executive officer’s and industry leaders from within its operator and supplier membership, with the specific intention of discussing the future direction of the Association and accelerating its activities relating to …

PARIS-Alcatel said it will supply and implement its wireless broadband network in Poland through operator Pro Futuro for US$36 million. The network will initially cover Lublin and surrounding areas and will be nationwide within four years, Alcatel said. Alcatel will …

HELSINKI, Finland-Italian telecommunications operator Wind selected Nokia Corp. as a turnkey supplier of a third-generation wireless communications system, including the supply of Nokia’s mobility core network, radio access technology and mobile terminals. Wind expects to launch 3G mobile Internet services …

HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Networks selected ABB, Bovis Lend Lease, MKI and Wireless Facilities Inc. as its main partners for turnkey implementation of third-generation and GSM networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nokia said its partners will help with network …

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Having sold its cell-phone business to Bosch three years ago, the U.K.-based consumer electronics manufacturer Amstrad said it is preparing to re-enter the market with a low-priced handset. The company admitted it is in talks with a number …

SAN DIEGO-Qualcomm Inc. entered a subscriber unit research and development agreement with Chungwha Telecom Labs, the technology development group of the state-owned telecommunications operator in Taiwan. The agreement calls for Chungwha to develop and evaluate prototype subscriber units based on …

SINGAPORE-Mobile-phone operator M1 might be listed in Singapore as early as the last quarter of 2000, according to Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation Managing Director Ng Eng Ho. The company is in the process of choosing among six merchant banks, including …