SBC Communications

It’s all about connecting. The notion that telecommunications exists to connect people is no longer a simple yet catchy idea, but an obvious cliche that does little to sell communications services. Advertising agencies and wireless companies are looking to connect …

GroupServe GroupServe announced Tom Stroup, president, will also take on the role of chief executive officer. Stroup’s first task as CEO will be to oversee the commercial product launch of GroupPort. Stroup will also oversee the company’s business development, strategic …

SAO PAULO, Brazil-Opportunity sold its participation of 12.3 percent in the capital shares of Americel and Telet to Bell Canad International (BCI), one of the Telecom America members. Opportunity will receive about $9.7 million for the sale. Telmex and U.S.-based …

WASHINGTON-The Bush administration is unlikely to stem the tide of telecom mergers headed for the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in the next four years and may be reluctant even to block monopolistic market formations in the …

WASHINGTON-With the Federal Communications Commission having reaffirmed last month that state courts are not prohibited under the telecom act from awarding monetary damages in lawsuits against wireless carriers, the mobile-phone industry suddenly finds itself vulnerable to consumer litigation on a …

Telefonica takes control of four Mexican companies Telefonica Moviles announced it will take management control of Bajacel, Movitel, Norcel and Cedetel, four of Motorola Inc.’s operating companies in Northern Mexico. As a result of this agreement, Telefonica Moviles said it …

WASHINGTON-Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) told state regulators last week that the answer to how to get broadband services to rural American might be wireless. “We can’t wire rural America. … We have a lot of dirt between light bulbs. We …

Telcom Global Chris Carter was appointed Telcom Global Solutions Inc.’s senior director for engineering services. In his new position, Carter will be responsible for planning and managing the company’s global resource pool. Carter has more than seven years of experience …

WASHINGTON-Facing deadlines to implement location-based wireless 911 technology, two major vendors and an advocacy group presented wireless carriers a plan to give carriers extra time to deploy enhanced 911 Phase II service in exchange for providing disaster-warning alerts to the …

How it came to pass that AT&T let its cellular licenses slip away during its 1984 divestiture is the stuff of wireless industry urban legend. Some say AT&T was less-than-concerned about giving up its cellular business, believing industry forecasts that …

WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court last week agreed to decide whether wireless carriers have the right to attach antennas to utility poles under government-regulated rates, a case with major business implications for mobile-phone and fixed wireless operators that want to bring Internet-based …

With celebrity endorsements becoming common in advertisements for wireless carriers, Cingular Wireless knew it needed a recognizable figure to kick off the advertising campaign promoting its nationwide service. The country’s second-largest wireless operator, formed by the combination of BellSouth Corp.’s …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry last week suffered two stunning legal setbacks in health-related litigation, capped by the decision of wealthy Baltimore superlawyer Peter Angelos to take control of an $800 million mobile phone-cancer lawsuit in Maryland. It was an unprecedented week …

WASHINGTON-The Communications Workers of America signed a contract with employees of the newly formed Cingular Wireless Inc. in Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Maryland. “The negotiations between several CWA regions and Cingular management were very positive and a good effort. …

DENVER, United States-With AT&T Wireless Services’ announcement it will overlay its existing TDMA-based network with a GSM network supporting General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), the pressure is on other TDMA carriers, specifically the largest U.S.-based TDMA carrier Cingular Wireless, as …

At the end of each year, the RCR Wireless News editorial staff looks back on the new events that made RCR headlines and decides which were the most significant, industry-impacting stories of the past 12 months. Here are our picks …

A federal district judge in Baltimore dismissed on Thursday a radio-frequency health lawsuit against Verizon Communications, formerly Bell Atlantic Corp., and SBC Communications Inc., and it told the plaintiff, Christopher J. Newman, that he had until Jan. 16 to refile …

NEW YORK-As part of a joint venture agreement with AT&T Wireless Services, BellSouth Corp. redeemed its 55.6 percent partnership interest in AB Cellular Holding LLC, giving AT&T ownership of the venture’s Los Angeles cellular market. BellSouth will hold the remaining …

OSLO, Norway-The Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications announced the winners of the country’s four Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses, which were awarded through a beauty contest. The license winners are Broadband Mobile, an Enitel ASA and Sonera Corp. consortium; …

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 …

TAIPEI, Taiwan-Taiwan’s TransAsia Telecommunications said it is in talks with Far Eastone Telecommunications to sell a mobile-phone stake, according to international press reports. U.S.-based SBC Communications owns 43 percent of TransAsia. The Financial Times also reported NTT DoCoMo is set …

WASHINGTON-A major personal injury lawsuit is expected to be filed this week in Illinois against Motorola Inc. and possibly others by a former technician with the company who claims his brain tumor was caused by mobile-phone radiation. The suit, the …

NEW YORK-The major players’ rankings reflect the dynamic environment of telecommunications as some stalwarts held their ground, some newcomers joined the group, while still others showed substantial rises or falls in various categories. AT&T Wireless Group, listed this year as …

BIENNE, Switzerland-Two of the five companies left to bid in a Swiss third-generation license auction merged, causing the Swiss government to postpone the auction of four licenses. Four companies are left in a race for just four licenses. “Virtually all …

WASHINGTON-Qwest Communications International Corp. was able to emerge from the union negotiating table without agreeing to allow the Communications Workers of America to have access to its wireless employees, something that neither Verizon Communications nor SBC Communications Inc. were able …