SBC Communications

LOS ANGELES-Econ One Research’s latest monthly survey of wireless-phone service prices showed that some carriers charge up to twice as much for the same service in one city as they charge in another. The economic research and consulting firm’s October …

The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) had the biggest coming-out party of its 20-month lifespan during Telecom ’99 in Geneva, with more than 100 carriers, vendors and content providers displaying WAP and WAP-related products-warts and all. While WAP’s momentum has grown …

WASHINGTON-U S West Corp. and AirTouch Paging have signed an interconnection agreement that pays terminating compensation at U S West end-office rates to AirTouch for local traffic originated by U S West. The 27-month contract will be effective in each …

The Wireless Application Protocol had the biggest coming-out party of its 20-month life span during Telecom ’99 in Geneva, with more than 100 carriers, vendors and content providers displaying WAP and WAP-related products, warts and all. While WAP’s momentum has …

CHICAGO-Cellular One of Chicago, north central Illinois and northwest Indiana introduced Digital Edge Midwest and Digital Edge USA-new regional and national wireless rate plans that include free long-distance and roaming services, said SBC Communications Inc./Ameritech Corp., which operates as Cellular …

WASHINGTON-The merger train rolled through the Federal Communications Commission last week as the FCC reacted to a number of telecommunications industry-changing mergers. The FCC does not officially review mergers but has to review the transfer of licenses, considered to be …

MCI WorldCom Inc. and Sprint Corp. last week agreed to a definitive merger agreement that will combine the second- and third-largest U.S. long-distance carriers and give MCI WorldCom a much-needed nationwide wireless presence. According to the agreement, each share of …

NEW YORK-Bell Atlantic Corp. confirmed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Sept. 13 its engagement in discussions to forge a mobile telephony alliance with Vodafone AirTouch plc. Bell Atlantic at first refused to comment on this possibility when the …

Moving on its promise to step up promotion of Time Division Multiple Access technology worldwide, the Universal Wireless Communications Consortium said it recently met with Chinese government officials to promote TDMA technology. “This was an introductory meeting for different organizations …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association last week urged regulators to question certain aspects of an agreement by giant wireline telcos on how to reduce the amount long-distance companies pay local exchange carriers to connect their customers’ calls. The agreement by …

WASHINGTON-The saga of the NextWave Telecom Inc. bankruptcy, like a hurricane in the ocean, kept churning last week as a variety of activities here and in New York had players of all sizes scrambling to keep up. On the business …

NEW YORK-The Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce is engaged in a monumental juggling act with significant implications for levies on telecommunications in general, judging by comments at its two-day hearing last week. Charged by Congress with recommending whether and how …

NEW YORK-Vodafone AirTouch plc confirmed Sept. 7 its intentions to forge a mobile telephony alliance with Bell Atlantic Corp., which has refused to comment on this possibility. Other options for Vodafone include buying wireless operators in markets that would fill …

WASHINGTON-A recent agreement by giant wireline telcos about how to reduce the charges long-distance companies pay to local exchange carriers to connect their customers’ calls may end up costing the wireless industry, said the Personal Communications Industry Association. “Wireless is …

Albania In the country’s largest move to privatize to date, the Albanian Privatization Ministry said it is prepared to sell between 51 percent and 85 percent of Albanian Mobile Communications, the state mobile phone monopoly, to investors, according to a …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communi-cations Industry Association and Paging Network Inc. last week submitted proposals to the Federal Communications Commission to take the proposed conditions of the SBC-Ameritech merger, “currently `wireless-free’ and make them helpful not only for wireline competitors, but for …

WARSAW-Poland only received two bids by the Aug. 23 preliminary bid deadline for a 25-percent to 35-percent stake in government-controlled Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA), according to press reports. The two bidders apparently are SBC Communications Inc. and France Telecom. Along with …

IRVING, Texas-GTE Corp. continued to prepare financially to buy Ameritech Corp.’s wireless properties by selling off 126,410 wireline access lines to Telephone USA of Wisconsin L.L.C. and Century Tel Inc. for $365 million. Telephone USA of Wisconsin is a private …

WASHINGTON-The most powerful telecommunications policy members of the House of Representatives are questioning the process used by the Federal Communications Commission to review mergers. Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-Va.), chairman of the House Commerce Committee, told FCC Chairman William Kennard in …

INDIANAPOLIS-The Indiana state Supreme Court said on Friday the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission does not have authority to review the proposed merger of Ameritech Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. because the Indiana commission only has the authority to regulate Indiana …

WASHINGTON-The telecommunications industry has come out against the Federal Communications Commission’s proposal to impose truth-in-billing rules on commercial mobile radio service carriers. Additionally, both long-distance carriers and local exchange carriers oppose certain aspects of the truth-in-billing requirements. The CMRS industry …

CHICAGO-Ameritech Corp. reported 8-percent subscriber growth during the second quarter to reach a total of 3.7 million customers. The company’s second-quarter earnings grew 20.9 percent to $840 million, or 76 cents per share, from $695 million, or 63 cents per …

WASHINGTON-The American Association of Retired Persons released the results of a $30,000 study conducted by Economics and Technology Inc. that reports SBC Communications Inc. and Bell Atlantic Corp. did not keep promises made when they merged with Pacific Telesis Corp. …

The U.S. Department of Justice cleared the planned global venture between AT&T Corp. and British Telecommunications plc, said AT&T. In July 1998, AT&T and BT announced their intentions to form a global venture to serve the communications needs of multinational …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission saw its review of telecommunications mergers curtailed by a Senate committee last week just as it was succeeding in extracting 26 merger conditions from SBC Communications Inc. and Ameritech Corp., and it approved the transfer of …