Orange

LONDON-Orange plc in its results for the first half of 1999, ended June 30, said its loss before tax dropped 35 percent to $52.2 million (

NEW YORK-Deutsche Telekom, which bought England’s One-2-One last month, considers its 10-percent stake in Sprint Corp. too minuscule a toehold in the burgeoning and beckoning American market, company executives said at a press conference Sept. 9. Make no mistake, the …

The U.K. government has decided to appeal a recent court decision that determined the Department of Trade and Industry could not force existing wireless operators to grant roaming rights to a new entrant under proposed third-generation licensing rules. Such a …

Austria The Austrian telecom control and licensing authority has started consultations with telecom providers on introducing third-generation systems. Austria must license at least one 3G standard to the UMTS specifications, according to an EU directive. The authority has not decided …

Australia The Australian government will auction a further 30 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 1.8 GHz band early next year. The auction, which will be conducted by the Australian Communications Authority (ACA), is expected to reap up to $200 …

The U.K. government is determined to keep its third-generation licensing time frame despite a ruling from a London High Court judge, who said the government could not force existing wireless operators to grant roaming rights to a new entrant. The …

HONG KONG-Smart-card solution provider Schlumberger said Hong Kong mobile operator Sunday plans to upgrade its subscribers’ phones to user-programmable multiservice terminals using Simera 32 Java-compatible subscriber identity modules and an Aremis application management server, both from Schlumberger. The system would …

France France Telecom said it signed a partnership agreement with the Sonae group in Portugal. The two already have a working relationship as stakeholders in Optimus, the third mobile operator in Portugal. The new partnership would be held 43.33 percent …

Western Wireless Corp. reported revenues for the second quarter ended June 30 of $136.6 million, an increase from the $98.4 million reported the same time the previous year. The company recorded a net loss of $47.9 million, or 63 cents …

JERUSALEM-Hutchison Whampoa is considering listing its Israeli mobile phone unit, Partner Communications Co. Ltd., in London or on the Nasdaq National Market to secure financing to expand its network, according to a report in the Financial Times. GSM 900 operator …

LEXINGTON, Mass.-Wildfire Communications Inc. announced Orange plc Group has launched the Wildfire virtual personal assistant in the United Kingdom.In conjunction with the launch, Orange said it will conduct a $15.5 million marketing campaign to promote the service, featuring 60-second ads …

Second-quarter subscriber growth in the U.K. mobile-phone market exceeded analysts’ expectations as prepaid services continue to provide a growth engine for the industry. “The market has been ahead of expectations since the fourth quarter” when carriers introduced aggressive prepaid pricing …

NEW YORK-In a move apparently intended to get ahead of the crowd, Hutchison Telecommunications Australia Ltd., Sydney, announced July 12 it plans to sell 29.5 percent of the company in a $215 million initial public offering next month. The Australian …

DUBLIN, Ireland-One of the most common complaints from telecommunications companies competing with former monopoly operators is cross-subsidization by the incumbent, particularly in countries where the incumbent also controls a major cellular operator. However, regulators across Europe have been tackling this …

Albania Albania said it plans to issue a public tender to sell a majority stake in Albanian Mobile Communications, the sole cellular provider in the country. The government also plans to offer a license for a second GSM operator at …

Phone.com Inc., formerly Unwired Planet, has been tied to several announcements in the weeks preceding its impending initial public offering that have served to elevate the company to new levels of recognition. Most recently, Phone.com has been mentioned in conjunction …

NEW YORK-Moody’s Investors Service, London, assigned a speculative grade rating of Ba3 to Orange plc’s planned private placement of $562 million in 10-year senior notes. “The Ba3 rating factors in the risks associated with Orange’s funding of its capital … …

ORANGE, Calif.-World Wide Wireless Network Inc., a provider of high-speed business connectivity in Southern California, expanded its wireless network to include 13 points of presence. Prior to the expansion, World Wide Wireless Networks’ subsidiary, Global Pacific Internet, had eight sites. …

The U.K. government now plans to auction five third-generation mobile phone licenses early next year, explaining that more competition will drive down prices and spur innovative services. Last year, the United Kingdom plans to auction four 3G licenses by mid-1999, …

In the wake of the deadly tornadoes earlier this month that ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas, the idea of using wireless technology as a warning system for natural disasters is receiving renewed attention. Douglas “Bud” Weiser, who heads a volunteer …

Belgium KPN Orange launched GSM 1800 service in early April as the third mobile operator in Belgium. Ireland Esat Telecom Group confirmed it accepted an offer to acquire a pro rata share of 9 percent of Ireland’s GSM operator Esat …

DUBLIN, Ireland-In the wake of the phenomenal success of “ready-to-go” prepaid packages, many European mobile phone subscribers are concerned they are paying more than they need to for their service. This issue came to a head earlier this year in …

Germany Siemens’ Information and Communication Networks Group, T-Mobil and Unwired Planet Inc. announced they will participate in a field trial to integrate Wireless Application Protocol compatible software from Unwired Planet into Global System for Mobile communications infrastructure. Under the agreement, …

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J.-Omnipoint Communications announced it is offering the Nokia 5190 and 6190 Global System for Mobile communications handsets. Among other things, the Nokia 5190 features the NaviKey, a one-button navigation tool for easy, one-handed use and changeable color plates …

HANNOVER, Germany-Orange plc made several announcements from CeBIT ’99, the European trade show. Orange signed an agreement with Nokia Corp. to begin a major trial of its Wireless Application Protocol Gateway. The Nokia WAP Gateway enables WAP terminals to use …