SBC Communications

% CHANGE 1996 1995 RANK/COMPANY ’95 TO ’96 REVENUE (000’s) REVENUE (000’s) 1 Associated Group Inc. 368.98% $20,035 $4,272 2 Teletouch Communications Inc. 265.75% $31,725 $8,674 3 PriCellular Corp. 171.34% $112,616 $41,504 4 Arch Communications Group Inc. 103.80% $331,370 $162,598 …

BOSTON-AT&T Corp. Chairman Robert Allen responded to rumors of a possible merger of SBC Communications Corp. and AT&T by saying the company would never consider a regional operating company merger that did not advance competition. “We have a firm policy …

WASHINGTON-Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, last week signaled his opposition to Justice Department antitrust nominee Joel Klein and added to growing congressional concern about how he will scrutinize telecommunications mergers allowed under the 1996 …

WASHINGTON-A merger between long-distance giant AT&T Corp. and local telco stalwart SBC Communications Inc. would raise wireless competition questions and face legal and regulatory hurdles that could prove insurmountable, according to antitrust policy experts. At $50 billion, an AT&T-SBC marriage …

NEW YORK-Barely finished with its acquisition of Pacific Telesis Group, SBC Communications Corp. is widely rumored to be exploring merger possibilities with AT&T Corp. Ruthlyn Newell, a spokesman for AT&T, headquartered in New York, declined to comment, citing company policy …

SAN FRANCISCO-Pacific Bell Mobile Services established four new regional headquarters in California to manage the company’s personal communications services markets. The new headquarters are located in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego. The office in the San Francisco …

When billionaire John Kluge of Metromedia International Group Inc. sold his company’s film and television properties last month, he said the transaction would allow Metromedia to focus on its new mobile phone and paging ventures in Eastern Europe and the …

WASHINGTON-The paging industry urged the Federal Communications Commission last week to reject SBC Communications Inc.’s application to enter the long distance market, citing failure of the regional Bell telephone company to comply with interconnection obligations mandated by the 1996 telecom …

WASHINGTON-Joel Klein, the Clinton administration’s choice for Justice Department antitrust czar, appears headed for Senate confirmation despite mild grilling at last week’s hearing for approving the Bell Atlantic Corp.-Nynex Corp. merger without the kinds of conditions imposed by some New …

WASHINGTON-The paging industry urged the Federal Communications Commission last week to reject SBC Communications Inc.’s application to enter the long distance market, citing failure of the regional Bell telephone company to comply with interconnection obligations mandated by the 1996 telecom …

NEW YORK-Mergers and acquisitions by U.S. companies appeared to be unaffected in the first quarter of this year by recent volatility in the equity markets and concerns about higher interest rates and inflation. The overall value of proposed transactions announced …

Ireland’s second mobile phone operator has launched service with two compact packages and a goal of acquiring 50,000 customers by the end of the year. Dublin-based Esat Digifone had hoped to be online by the end of 1996 with its …

IRVING, Texas-Nokia Corp. signed an agreement to supply personal communications services handsets to Pacific Bell Mobile Services. The companies value the agreement at $35 million. The one-year agreement calls for Nokia to begin delivering the phones this month. The phones …

NEW YORK-The current and potential impact of deregulation and competition on the telecommunications industry has caused Standard & Poor’s Corp. to review and modify its debt evaluation criteria, the credit rating agency announced March 31. As part of its announcement, …

NEW YORK-In a most serious transaction notwithstanding its April 1 announcement date, SBC Communications Inc. became the proud parent of Pacific Telesis Group in a $16.5 billion merger said to be the third largest in U.S. history. The merger creates …

ST. LOUIS-Southwestern Bell Wireless, a division of SBC Communications Inc., expanded its Missouri cellular airtime rates into Arkansas. The company said its customers can place and receive local cellular calls at their home airtime rates as far west as Kansas …

Brazil is in the wireless spotlight. Demand is high, penetration is low and growth in all sectors is being fueled by deregulation and a stronger economy. Brazil’s current annual cellular growth rate is about 70 percent. The number of subscribers …

Metromedia International Group Inc. announced its subsidiary, Metromedia Asia Corp., has acquired Asian American Telecommunications Corp., a company engaged in the development and construction of telecommunications systems in China, by an exchange offer for all of AAT’s common shares of …

NEW YORK-In a record-breaking year for domestic mergers and acquisitions, telecommunications transactions accounted for four of the five largest deals announced or concluded in 1996. This year also promises a great deal of M&A activity by carriers and other companies …

SAN FRANCISCO-The Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of SBC Communications Inc. and Pacific Telesis Group. The approval involved the transfer of wireless licenses from Pacific Telesis to SBC, including Pacific Telesis’ California and Nevada licenses. The companies said the …

While one arm of U S West Inc. prepares to roll out pocket phone service later this year, another arm, U S West Media Group’s cellular division, is slated to disappear. The paradox highlights U S West’s jagged wireless communications …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. and GTE Corp. have been awarded nationwide mobile phone licenses in Taiwan, beating competitors such as Sprint Corp. and France Telecom Group out of the prize. Also, a regional license covering southern Taiwan was won by …

Israel’s two cellular operators are working hard to sign up as many customers as possible while the government continues to ponder details for licensing a third cellular operator. “The (technology) standard of the third license hasn’t been determined yet. The …

The government of Taiwan delayed the award of new mobile phone licenses because of misgivings about the foreign ownership of several consortia. Taiwan is offering two nationwide personal communications network licenses and six regional licenses. Consortia applying for the licenses …

To the cynic, walking away from AT&T Corp. and the prospect of being chairman of the world’s biggest telecommunications company to head a wireless start-up with unproven technology was no big gamble for Alex J. Mandl. Start with a $20 …