SBC Communications

As 1996 drew to a close, we took a look back at some of the most impacting and industry- defining stories of the year. Here are the RCR editorial department’s picks for the Top 20 stories of 1996. 1. Jan. …

BOULDER, Colo.-SCC Communications Corp. announced the successful demonstration of wireless 911 with location information in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s Phase II mandate regarding 911 services. Cellular calls were placed from a 15-square mile area along a highway in …

WAKEFIELD, Mass.-Boston Technology Inc. said it will provide hardware, software and services to SBC Communications Inc. for enhanced telecommunications services. According to the agreement, Boston Technology will supply its Access NP and CO Access Network Services Platforms, associated software and …

Only weeks since the tender deadline, the recipients of three nationwide personal communications services licenses in Chile are almost certain, based on preliminary ratings by government telecom authority Subtel, said International Technology Consultants Inc. Of four bids submitted, the leaders …

WASHINGTON-In an amici curiae brief submitted by four members of Congress, the Federal Communications Commission is taken to task for taking telecommunications law into its own hands in the currently stayed interconnection and local competition order. And speaking at a …

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Supreme Court has closed the book on any further appeal to vacate a stay of certain interconnection and local competition rules adopted last August by the Federal Communications Commission. The court last week denied for the second time …

WASHINGTON-Certain parts of the Federal Communications Commission’s interconnection and local exchange rules dealing with negotiations between local exchange carriers and commercial mobile radio service operators will not be included in the current stay that prevents FCC pricing restrictions from being …

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Department of Justice said last week the scheduled merger between SBC Communications Inc. and Pacific Telesis Group does not violate federal anti-trust laws. In addition, two other mergers are nearing final approval. Shareholders of Bell Atlantic Corp. …

Estimated Equipment/ Date and market cost to handset service was Markets planned Company Ownership Technology build network vendors launched for launch AT&T Wireless Services Inc. AT&T Corp. TDMA N/A Ericsson, Lucent/ N/A All markets Ericsson, Lucent, Nokia in 1997 Airadigm …

NEW YORK-The new federal telecommunications law unleashed a flurry of mergers and acquisitions, but the true test of success will be profitability, not size. “The trend began three years ago, but as predicted by many, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 …

WASHINGTON-Antitrust policy is adapting to sweeping pro-competitive, deregulatory telecommunications reforms mandated by Congress, but not abandoning traditional oversight safeguards, one of the nation’s top regulators said. The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission are …

Sixteen wireless operators have made the cut to be considered possible partners for Greece’s government telephone company. Watching the success of the country’s two private cellular providers, the government has awarded a third mobile license to its own landline entity, …

HighwayMaster Communications Inc. announced it reached an agreement with SBC Communications Inc. for a $20 million equity investment in HighwayMaster. The company said SBC’s initial investment will be in preferred stock, which is convertible into common stock at the rate …

MORRISTOWN, N.J.-Bellcore said its board of directors has not yet approved the sale of the company, although a California defense contractor is believed to be close to making the buy. Bell Communications Research Inc. was created in 1984 by the …

Dennis Miller is the new president of Midwest Wireless Communications, the company taking over management of Cellular 2000. The transition between MWC and Cellular 2000’s current management company, Pacific Telecom Cellular, is expected to be complete by the end of …

WASHINGTON-More regional holding companies filed petitions for review at various courts of appeals of the Federal Communications Commission’s local competition and interconnection order in hopes of killing, or at least delaying, commission rules that they view as being anti-states’ rights. …

WASHINGTON-The Senate Judiciary Committee last week scrutinized pending mergers involving four of the seven regional Bell telephone companies, setting the stage for a broader debate on whether the new telecommunications law is fostering competition or limiting it. There are strong …

WASHINGTON-Organized labor wants to make inroads in the wireless telecommunications industry as part of a broad makeover to regain political clout that has been waning for the past two decades. “It’s a major priority,” said Jeffery Miller, a spokesman for …

The Chilean supreme court recently dismissed a lawsuit regarding spectrum regulations, which means the government is on track to issue three personal communications services licenses. Isabel Valenzuela, commercial specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, said the PCS licenses are …

WASHINGTON-Only weeks after luring Alex Mandl away from AT&T Corp. for a reported $20 million in a much celebrated coup, Associated Communications L.L.C. now finds itself mired in controversy over the suddenly popular 18 GHz spectrum for local broadband wireless …

NEW YORK-After many delays, Brazil’s B-band cellular license auctions, which will be open to foreign bidders, are likely to begin early next year. The Brazil Senate last month ratified telecommunications deregulation legislation already approved by the House, thereby opening satellite …

AT&T Wireless Services Inc. has acquired the Little Rock, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., 1900 MHz personal communications services licenses from SBC Communications Inc. In addition to acquiring the two major trading area licenses, AT&T said it also will gain control …

Teletouch Communications Inc. announced it has completed its acquisition of laPAGEco of Baton Rouge, La. laPAGEco is a privately owned paging company that provides services to about 6,700 pagers on 157.74 MHz, Teletouch’s main paging frequency. Teletouch said the acquisition …

The prospect of taking SkyTel 2-Way messaging service from a workable technology to a marketplace product is at the crux of John Stupka’s new role as president and chief executive officer of paging giant Mtel. In taking the helm at …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Trade Commission said cost savings should be considered regularly in antitrust analysis of high-tech mergers, such as the multimillion dollar deals sweeping the telecommunications industry. But it is not clear whether the policy changes being contemplated will help …