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OXFORD, United Kingdom-Independent mobile dealers feel threatened in many countries in Europe. Those that have not been swallowed up by the national retail chains or taken over by a cellular network operator increasingly feel isolated and poorly served. Many now …

SEOUL, South Korea-Despite the financial crisis in Asia, the wireless telephony market has performed better than expected in South Korea. The number of cellular and PCS subscribers in the country more than doubled from 5.6 million at the end October …

Cellcom Israel completed a trial using Nortel Networks’ multi-beam antenna and array processing technology aimed at reducing the per-subscriber cost of mobile radio access infrastructure by increasing base station capacity. The carrier, which operates a TDMA IS-136 network from Nortel, …

SINGAPORE-Over the last few months, British Telecommunications plc has been on a buying spree that would put any seasoned shopaholic to shame-chalking up a bill of more than US$1 billion in the Asia-Pacific region alone. Having kept a relatively low …

Tele Danmark A/S announced the takeover of Millicom East Holding B.V., a Dutch holding company owning shares in the two Lithuanian cellular companies Bite GSM and Comliet. After the transaction, Tele Danmark will control 71.6 percent of Bite and 49 …

LONDON-The Baltic region covers an area of 174,000 square kilometers, with approximately 8 million people generating US$13 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). But while Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania may seem similar countries to an outside eye, in reality they …

The United States’s largest independent cellular carrier in early January entertained bids from two potential buyers in what could become a global bidding war. AirTouch Communications Inc. confirmed it was in discussions with Bell Atlantic Corp. for a possible tie-up …

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa-As Africa enters the threshold of the African Renaissance and progresses toward privatizing and liberalizing its telecommunications sectors, powerful alliances are being forged in the wireless arena. “The rapid privatization of the telecommunications sector in east African countries …

The International Telecommunication Union’s 31 December deadline passed without resolution in the intellectual-property-right stand-off over third-generation technology, but the ITU has indicated it may push ahead anyway. The ITU warned the wireless industry in December it may only consider proposals …

Telephone and Data Systems Inc. said Friday it would pursue a spinoff of its personal communications services business Aerial Communications Inc., a segment that has been a continual drag on its cash flow and earnings. TDS opted to withdraw its …

LISLE, Ill.-Indian mobile network operator BPL-US West Cellular Ltd. said it again selected Tellabs’ MartisDXX managed transport network solution for the expansion of its Global System for Mobile communications digital cellular network. The contract was awarded through Motorola India. According …

WASHINGTON-The Justice Department’s denial of Nextel Communications Inc.’s request to modify a 1994 antitrust consent decree kept the nation’s top dispatch radio operator from bidding on bankrupt Geotek Communications Inc.’s licenses last week, a potentially major setback that could stifle …

SINGAPORE Motorola Inc.’s Cellular Infrastructure Group signed a contract valued at $23 million to upgrade M1’s digital wireless telephone network in Singapore. In addition to its SC 4852 base transceiver station, Motorola CIG will install two new base station types …

SEATTLE-Go to any trade show where mobile phone operators congregate, and you will hear grumbling about how AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s Digital One Rate pricing plan has wreaked havoc on business plans. The play for the high-end business user seems …

NEW YORK-Olivetti S.p.A. and Mannesmann AG commenced a tender offer of $65.75 per share for all of the outstanding shares of Cellular Communications International Inc.’s common stock. Olivetti and Mannesmann Dec. 11 announced plans to purchase Cellular Communications through Kensington …

BOSTON-The success of wireless value-added services depends on the region where the services are being offered, according to a Yankee Group report on value-added services, including call management, voice mail, advanced messaging, personal number services and short message service. Of …

Slovenia, Romania Omnipoint Communications Inc. said it signed roaming agreements in Slovenia and Romania, with Mobitel d.d. Slovenia and Mobilrom S.A., respectively. Both countries are new territory for Omnipoint’s roaming footprint. The company has roaming agreements throughout Europe and parts …

Olivetti S.p.A. and Mannesmann AG last week signed an agreement to acquire U.S.-based Cellular Communications International Inc., giving the companies an increased stake in Italian mobile operator Omnitel-Pronto Italia S.p.A. Cellular Communications’ primary asset is a nearly 15-percent interest in …

WASHINGTON-Marcia Spielholz, the California woman whose emergency 911 cellular phone call went unanswered in 1994 during an attempted auto theft in which she was shot in the face, plans to amend her class-action lawsuit against Los Angeles Telephone Co. next …

Get ready, the wireless world as we know it is going to change-again. When we look back at 1998 in wireless to see which announcements impacted the industry, it may very well be the recent alliances in wireless data were …

NEW YORK-The recent privatization of Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala S.A., doing business as Telgua, was the largest such transaction in Central America to date and offers encouragement for similar plans contemplated in nearby Nicaragua and Honduras. “Obviously, Telgua would be interested …

Some analysts are expecting Code Division Multiple Access infrastructure spending to taper off in 1999 as cdmaOne infrastructure deployments in China remain questionable. “I think China is the lynch pin for CDMA infrastructure going into next year and to a …

ADC Telecommunications Inc. completed its acquisition of Teledata Communications Ltd. for $15.75 per share, or about $200 million in cash. Omnipoint Communications Inc. launched commercial roaming with NPI Wireless of Traverse City, Mich. NPI operates Global System for Mobile communications …

With the Nov. 1 commercial activation of Iridium L.L.C.’s satellite-based global mobile phone network, the mobile satellite services industry proved it is technologically possible to extend cellular communications to virtually any point on the planet. With this validation behind it, …

L.M. Ericsson disclosed its corporate vision for the future last week, a large part of which involved a new strategy for enterprise customers that focuses on converging communication networks with Internet Protocol technology. Recently, Ericsson announced reorganization plans to better …