operator

NEW YORK-The American wireless marketplace needs a healthy dose of innovation jump-started by foreign intervention to drive user penetration, said Hans R. Snook, chief executive of Orange plc. At the moment, Orange is otherwise engaged, so it cannot put momentum …

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, …

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 …

ROSH HA’AYIN, Israel-Hoping to continue its strong growth potential in the future, Partner Communications Co. Ltd., the only Global System for Mobile communications operator in Israel, formed a new company that will identify opportunities for investment and cooperation with start-ups …

Telematics services, despite their slow start, are on the cusp of becoming standard features on millions of cars, but the kinds of services that will emerge as the most beneficial and applicable to consumers still remains to be seen. “I …

STOCKHOLM-Swedish emergency operator SOS Alarm AB said it signed an agreement to ally with Unwire, a subsidiary of CellPoint, to provide positioning, security and telematics services across Sweden. SOS Alarm already is working with Europolitan and Telia, two Swedish cellular …

When launched in November 1998, Iridium L.L.C. hoped the glare from its low-earth-orbit satellites would catch the attention of earthbound eyes and cause a stir. It soon will succeed in ways it never imagined. The company Friday shut down its …

ARLINGTON, Va.-AT&T Corp. affiliate TeleCorp PCS, which recently announced plans to acquire another AT&T affiliate Tritel Corp., and AT&T will acquire Wisconsin personal communications services operator Industar Digital PCS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Industar was trying to …

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 …

LISBON, Portugal-Portugal Telecom announced a bid to gain control of its Brazilian affiliate, Telesp Celular Participacoes S.A. TCP holds the A-band cellular license for the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Portugal Telecom said it would offer 30 Brazilian reais for …

NEW YORK-To simulate third-generation wireless before its deployment, Finland’s Sonera has just embarked on a new program, Sonera Mspace, said Kaj-Erik Relander, the company’s executive vice president. In partnership with content, service and technology providers, Mspace will conduct in Finland …

Finland L.M. Ericsson will supply a fully integrated solution for a third-generation Global System for Mobile communications system, including the company’s General Packet Radio Service system, to Finish operator Alands Mobiltelefon Ab. The contract includes a mobile network solution integrating …

SAUDI ARABIA L.M. Ericsson and Saudi Telecommunications Co. signed a letter of intent for a major expansion and upgrade of STC’s existing Global System for Mobile communications network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The agreement, valued at more than …

PARIS-Nortel Networks announced that U.K. operator One 2 One recently signed a series of orders valued at $100 million for expansion of the carrier’s national Global System for Mobile communications network. The orders include General Packet Radio Service equipment for …

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. …

GOTHENBURG, Sweden-Telia, the Swedish telecom company, said it formed a joint company with L.M. Ericsson and Volvo to deliver mobile e-services to the automotive industry. WirelessCar Corp. will develop and market complete solutions for mobile e-services to vehicle manufacturers and …

NEW YORK-Lucent Technologies Inc., the Murray Hill, N.J., telecom equipment company spun off from AT&T Corp. in 1996, announced plans last week to divest the slower growing parts of its business in an initial public offering later this year. The …

NEW ORLEANS-A standoff over 1XRTT technology enhancements began to brew at last week’s Wireless 2000 show, as Motorola Inc. challenged the business case of Qualcomm’s proprietary High Data Rate technology, introducing its own 1X enhancement for cdmaOne carriers to consider. …

HONG KONG-After courting competing bids for several weeks, Cable and Wireless plc accepted a $35.9 billion cash and stock offer for its Hong Kong wireless operator from Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd. The deal is one of the largest ever in …

NEW ORLEANS-Bell Atlantic and Vodafone AirTouch plc are on track to complete their joint venture April 1 with some aggressive plans for pushing wireless growth and a new nationwide brand. Chris Gent, chief executive of U.K.-based Vodafone AirTouch, told last …

The UMTS Forum said it welcomed proposals by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Conference Preparatory Group (APG) for adoption of the 2520-2670 MHz band to support the terrestrial component of IMT-2000. APG proposed that administrations make up to 160 megahertz of additional …

NEW DELHI, India-Countries in Asia and Southeast Asia specifically hit by economic crisis in the late 1990s are on the recovery path, paving the way for exponential growth in the wireless industry in the next two years. Early signs of …

DENVER, United States-Attention to wireless security concerns has emerged as several internationally recognized corporate security software firms stated their intentions to concentrate on the wireless industry going forward. “Everybody has made the leap that there’s going to be a wireless …

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