BROWSING: UMTS

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 ... requirements to provide sufficient capacity...

Industry executives in February hailed the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue agreement as a major breakthrough in the 3G debate, but today it appears standards bodies have made little progress to pursue this framework, and political infighting among the 3G players remains.Executives in February agreed to...

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, but postponed its auction plans...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-If an Olympic games in cellular communications were ever staged, there is little doubt who would head the medals table. Finland would take gold in almost every event. The Finns take great pride in being first.Finland has been at the forefront of...

Lucent Technologies announced three technical initiatives designed to increase capacity in TDMA equipment. The company announced a series of software enhancements developed by Bell Laboratories to increase frequency re-use; as well as new PCS Minicell growth hardware designed to provide higher capacity for traffic-intensive...

The telecommunications authority in France is asking the mobile phone industry to comment on licensing procedures for third-generation mobile phone systems with the goal of issuing licenses by 2000.The French telecommunications regulatory authority said comments on the matter are due May 28. The agency...

The Finnish government moved swiftly to award four third-generation mobile phone licenses. All four companies plan to use the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's chosen 3G standard, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.Industry group The UMTS Forum announced the Ministry of Transport and Communications' decision, saying...

CANNES, France-Motorola Inc. and Global System for Mobile communications operator Vodafone Ltd. announced a collaborative agreement to implement Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems technology, a third-generation standard chosen by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.According to the agreement, Motorola is prepared to provide subscriber terminal equipment...

The Finnish government said it will be the first European country to grant third-generation mobile phone licenses by spring, and one company's bid to use cdma2000 technology remains.Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications said Vodafone Group plc and a consortium consisting of British Telecom,...

PARIS-Alcatel and Motorola Inc. announced a global agreement to work together to develop, market and deliver integrated Code Division Multiple Access network infrastructure to customers worldwide.The companies also have agreed to jointly develop a third-generation mobile switching center based on the UMTS 3G technology...

A Finnish Internet service provider will test the European Commission's claim it has not shut competing mobile phone technologies out of Europe.Clari Net Oy, wholly owned by Finnish ISP Saunalahden Serveri Oy, has applied for a license to operate a third-generation mobile phone network...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark-Reaching agreement on a single work item within a standards organization can be a long and laborious process. Reaching an agreement between five standards organizations across the world is nothing less than a minor miracle.The miracle happened on 4 December 1998 in Copenhagen,...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Second-generation cellular has not been an entirely satisfactory experience for the United States. "We pulled up the beaches and said we are Island America," said Tom Wheeler, chief executive officer of the U.S. Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. But since then the wireless...

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. said it completed the final phase of its 1998 expansion in Canada with the launch of Fido personal communications services in London, Ontario. The PCS service, operating on the Global System for Mobile communications platform, expands the Fido footprint to 16...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-Unseemly and ongoing disputes over intellectual property rights seem to have hijacked the current debate about third-generation (3G) cellular. Posturing by radio manufacturers continues to dominate the news in the air-interface standards-selection process. But the real issues lie elsewhere.The real issues are...

Qualcomm Inc. said it has clarified its stance with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute on intellectual property rights it claims to own for W-CDMA technology.In January, ETSI chose W-CDMA technology, based on a Global System for Mobile communications platform, as a third-generation technology choice...

OXFORD, United Kingdom-For a while it looked as if the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU's) original vision of a single global standard for third-generation mobile networks could be possible. Everyone was talking about harmonization, about submitting common proposals to the ITU's radio transmission technology selection...

Exploiting CostAllocation Strategies In TelecommunicationsJune 22-23Institute for International Research. Westin Horton Plaza, San Diego. (888) 670-8200 or (941) 365-2914.Wireless Local LoopJune 22-24IBC USA Conferences Inc. The Worthington Hotel, Fort Worth, Texas. (508) 481-6400.TDMA Technology Latin America '98June 22-24AIC Conferences. Hyatt Regency, Coral Gables, Fla....

TOKYO-NEC Corp. and United Kingdom-based ERA Technology Ltd. signed a joint-venture agreement to design and develop next-generation wireless network infrastructure based on the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) standard, said NEC.The venture, called Telecom Modus Ltd., will be located in Leatherhead, Surrey, United Kingdom....

Vendors and carriers have renewed hope that the world could have one standard in place for third-generation systems, but Europe holds one of the keys in making it a reality.The situation is as political as ever as vendors, carriers and interest groups work within...

DUBLIN, Ireland-The challenges faced by radio-access network providers have been underlined by the experiences of Ionica, a company established in June 1996 to provide a new wireless telephone service to households and small businesses in the United Kingdom.While its coverage now extends to more...

BRUSSELS, Belgium-The European Commission said it adopted a proposal for the coordinated introduction of third-generation, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System technology, in Europe.EC said the proposal responds to concerns from the European mobile sector for greater legal certainty given the scale of investments the...

European Telecommunications Standards Institute members last week reached a consensus agreement for a third-generation mobile phone standard, incorporating two major proposals that were on the table. The agreement came after members failed the day before to reach the 71-percent consensus vote required to approve...

PARIS-Sony Corp. joined the UMTS Alliance in support of its proposed next generation Universal Mobile Telecommunications System wireless standard, which combines key elements of Time Division Multiple Access and Code Division Multiple Access technologies, said the company.To date, the alliance is comprised of Alcatel,...