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---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Monday, August 07, 2000, 11:30 AM -0400
From: Faulkner Telecom Weekly <telweekly@faulknerinfo.com>
To: ???
Subject: Faulkner Telecom Weekly August 4, 2000



Scroll down for complete coverage of the telecom week in review. 

Telecom Weekly 

July 31, - August 4, 2000 

Top Story of the Week

Germany Kicks Off 3G Wireless Auction (08/01/2000) 
As the auction for third generation wireless licenses moves into the 60th
round, top bids on the table totaled over 9.8 billion marks ($4.5 billion).
The auction for third-generation (3G) wireless licenses began in Germany
Monday, with the companies involved initially taking a conservative
approach to their bidding. The auction went through the first six rounds of
bidding with the leading companies consistently increasing their bids by
the minimum 10 percent. Today, Mannesmann Mobilfunk, the German mobile
operation owned by Vodafone Group, is at the head of the pack with a high
bid of 864.6 million marks for one spectrum block. Deutsche Telekom's
T-Mobile, E-Plus-Hutchison, BT-backed Viag Interkom, and France
Telecom-backed reseller MobilCom are expected to win licenses, along with
Mannesmann Mobilfunk. The German government is auctioning 12 frequencies,
and it will issue between four to six licenses, depending upon the number
of frequencies each company bids for. In other auction news, RegTP, the
telecommunications regulatory authority in Germany, launched an
investigation into complaints that MobileCom and debitel, which is backed
by Swisscom, took part in collusionary activities .




Acquisitions, Mergers, and Divestitures
NTT Denies Withdrawal of Verio Offer (08/04/2000) 
NTT Communications ruled out the possibility of dropping its 5.5-billion
yen bid to acquire US ISP Verio. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the
US is still investigating the deal to determine if the transaction poses a
threat to national security. The agency has until August 14 to rule on the
deal. 

CenturyTel Acquires ISP (08/04/2000) 
CenturyTel purchased CSW Net, an Internet Service Provider in Arkansas.
With the acquisition comes 13,500  dial-up and dedicated Internet access
subscribers and Web site and domain hosting services. The transaction is
part of the company's expansion into the Arkansas market. 

Lockheed and COMSAT Close Deal (08/04/2000) 
After receiving authorization from the FCC and approval from Congress,
Lockheed Martin completed its $2.1 billion acquisition of COMSAT two years
after the deal was announced. The combined company will be named Lockheed
Martin Global Telecommunications and will provide network services,
satellite services, and systems and technology. With the close of the deal,
Lockheed Martin is seeking partners to strengthen its satellite businesses.
Earlier in the week, the FCC authorized the transfer of licenses between
the companies.

DT Looking to Acquire Stake in Andala (08/03/2000) 
Deutsche Telekom is reportedly seeking to re-establish itself in the
Italian telecom market by acquiring a stake in Andala, an Italian wireless
consortium headed by Tiscali. DT has lacked a presence in Italy since it
divested its stake in Wind. The company also failed in its attempt to
acquire Telecom Italia in 1999. In other news, the German telco has been
rumored to be interested in acquiring a 49-percent stake in Infostrada from
Vodafone Group. WorldCom and Wind are also reported to be interested in
bidding for the fixed-line operator. 

DT Acquires Dark Fiber from Global Crossing (08/03/2000) 
Deutsche Telekom announced that it will expand its T-GlobeNet network
platform through dark fiber acquired from Global Crossing. DT agreed to
purchase more than 3600 km of fiber that connects 15 cities in Europe.
Global Crossing also will provide DT with collocation and other services. 

AT&T, HP in Online Venture (08/03/2000) 
AT&T and Hewlett Packard agreed to develop hardware, software, and
networking solutions for e-companies. In an effort to offer end-to-end
solutions, the venture will build customized solutions for companies doing
business on the Internet. AT&T will support the e-business through its
global networking infrastructure and internet data centers; and HP will
offer e-services expertise, hardware and software products, consulting and
support services. 

Bulgaria Breaks Off Talks Over BTC (08/02/2000) 
The Bulgarian government ended talks with KPN and OTE over a sale of
state-owned telco BTC. The government said that it ended the talks because
legal concessions requested by KPN/OTE would have stood as potential
roadblocks for Bulgaria's admittance into the European Union. The
consortium offered to pay $600 million for a 51-percent stake in BTC. 

UPC Drops from Bidding for Lyonnaise Cable (08/02/2000) 
United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC) withdrew its bid for a 49-percent
stake in Lyonnaise Cable. UPC said it could not come to terms with the
cable company's parent firm, Suez Lyonnaise Eaux, and it will instead
pursue expansion in France through other channels. 

Telia Drops Plan to Sell Cable TV Unit (08/02/2000) 
Unfavorable market conditions forced Telia to drop its plan to sell com
hem, its cable television unit. Telia will float the business instead. 

AT&T Wireless Buys Hawaiian Licenses (08/02/2000) 
AT&T Wireless purchased licenses in Hawaii from United States Cellular. The
company is acquiring non-wireline licenses and other assets in Hawaii Rural
Service Area 3. The deal gives AT&T Wireless 141,000 subscribers in the
region. 

CenturyTel Buys Access Lines (08/01/2000) 
CenturyTel acquired 231,000 access lines from Verizon Communications in
Arkansas for $824 million and bought 127,000 access lines from Spectra
Communications Group in Missouri for $290 million. The company is using
these transactions to serve increased numbers of subscribers, including an
additional 275,000 local exchange customers in Arkansas, and to offer
Internet, wireless, and long distance services. 

Castle Harlan Dumps Iridium Bid (08/01/2000) 
Castle Harlan dropped its $50 million bid for Iridium because the company
believes that the satellite phone business is beyond resurrection. Iridium
is $4 billion in debt, and Castle Harlan believes that buying the company's
assets, even at such a low price, would be economically destructive. In
related news, Motorola agreed to delay plans to destroy the $5-billion
satellite system until August 9, giving the satellite company a chance to
pursue buyout options with other buyers. 

Verizon Wants to Sell GTE Cable Business (08/01/2000) 
Verizon Communications expressed interest in selling GTE's cable television
operations so it can focus on next-generation high-speed video services.
GTE's cable business serves approximately 123,000 customers in California,
Hawaii, and Florida. 

Bell Canada to Sell Stake in KG Telecom (08/01/2000) 
Bell Canada agreed to sell its 20-percent stake in KG Telecom to Koo's
Group, the parent company of KG, for T$15 billion, or T$50 per share. This
move will boost the Taiwanese Koo's stake in KG from 40 percent to 60
percent. 

Telefonica DataCorp Reels in Optel Telecom (08/01/2000) 
Telefonica DataCorp, a subsidiary of Telefonica, agreed to acquire 85
percent of Optel Telecomunicaciones de CV from the Mexican Principia group.
Once the deal is completed, Optel will operate as Telefonica DataCorp
Mexico. 

Telefonica Pondering Deal With BT? (08/01/2000) 
Now that Telefonica Chairman Juan Villalonga has stepped down, the Spanish
company is reportedly interested in sitting down with BT to talk about a
merger, reported The Times. The two companies have long been rumored to be
interested in a mega-merger, but Villalonga stood as an obstacle to the
deal. He opposed a marriage with BT in favor of a possible alliance or
merger with Deutsche Telekom, while Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
wanted Telefonica to look across the English Channel for a deal. Villalonga
also was reportedly willing to support a deal with BT only if he were
placed at the helm of the combined companies. The two companies could not
hammer out ownership structure when they held initial merger talks last
winter; but now the two companies have approximately equal value, a balance
which should make that issue easier to resolve. 

Cable &Wireless Interested in Equant (08/01/2000) 
Cable &

Wireless is, according to Sunday Business, interested in making a play for
global data network operator Equant. France Telecom and Global Crossing
each were interested in acquiring Equant, but they eventually found the
$10-billion price tag too high. A number of divestitures, most notably the
sale of HKT to Pacific Century CyberWorks, has left Cable &Wireless with a
full wallet. Equant could be a good fit for Cable &Wireless. C&W's strategy
of evolving into a company focused on Internet and data services, makes
Equant's extensive global network especially attractive. 

ALLTEL Buys Wireless Properties (07/31/2000) 
To expand its coverage areas along the Gulf Coast, ALLTEL agreed to buy
SBC's wireless properties in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA. The company
is paying $400 million for the two properties, which will add 160,000
wireless and 300,000 paging subscribers to its customer base. The agreement
also includes rural markets in Iberville, St. James, and Plaquemine
parishes. 


Alliances and Joint Ventures
C&W Teams With GUS for E-Commerce (08/03/2000) 
Cable &

Wireless and Great Universal Stores (GUS) announced a partnership that will
offer e-commerce services to retailers. The suite of services developed by
the alliance will include Web site design, Web hosting, warehousing, and
product delivery services. The alliance will market its products to
retailers seeking to expand their Web sites and e-commerce services into
new product lines and into new countries. 

DoCoMo and SK Telecom in Roaming Deal (08/03/2000) 
NTT DoCoMo and SK Telecom formed a roaming agreement. Subscribers will be
able to roam between the two networks only if they have a dual-mode
wireless phone. The two companies may expand this partnership by adopting
similar third-generation services. 

KPN and Perot Systems in Joint Venture (08/02/2000) 
KPN and Perot Systems formed a 50/50 joint venture that will develop
customer interaction applications. 

Motorola Contract Extended (08/02/2000) 
Korea High Speed Rail extended its contract with Motorola for the provision
of integrated digital communications for its rail projects. The contract is
valued at $73.5 million. 

Time Warner Selects Third-Party ISP (08/02/2000) 
Time Warner's cable division forged a preliminary agreement with Juno
Online Services, the first step in keeping its promise to provide open
access. Time Warner pledged to open its cable system to competing Internet
service providers to alleviate the FCC's concerns surrounding its pending
merger with AOL. Time Warner is currently in negotiations with Road Runner,
the only ISP available to Time Warner customers as of now, about
restructuring the current contract. Juno will be permitted to access the
network when a new contract is hammered out. 

CBS and EchoStar Reach Retransmission Agreement (08/02/2000) 
CBS Television and EchoStar Communications forged a multi-year agreement
under which CBS-owned television stations will continue to provide
programming to EchoStar's DISH Network customers.  

Ericsson Dons a Red Hat (08/01/2000) 
Ericsson formed a strategic alliance with Red Hat to develop consumer home
communications products and services using Red Hat's open source Internet
infrastructure. The two companies are combining Java and other technologies
such as Embedded Red Hat Linux, which will support new and evolving
technologies including Bluetooth. Products such as the Ericsson Cordless
Screen Phone and Internet services are being designed for
telecommunications carriers and for Internet and Application Service
Providers. 

Verizon Wireless Enters the Shack (08/01/2000) 
Verizon Wireless contracted with RadioShack to market nationwide cellular
rate plans. Verizon Wireless will set up a store-within-a-store to offer it
services in RadioShack's retail outlets. The agreement includes the
distribution of Verizon Wireless' services in 3700 RadioShack stores,
including those located in major markets such as Chicago, Boston, and
Atlanta. 

Interland Announces $28.5-Million Investment (08/01/2000) 
Interland announced a $28.5-million investment from strategic alliance
members, Verizon Communications, Microsoft, and Network Solutions to expand
its network infrastructure. The investment will also expand Interland's
domestic and global sales and marketing activities. 

BellSouth, Talk Visual Expand Agreements (08/01/2000) 
BellSouth announced the expansion of its agreements with Talk Visual for
the resale of ISDN services. The agreement allows Talk Visual to provide
customers in the BellSouth region with free installation of 128K-bps ISDN
services and a monthly fee no higher than $69.00, which includes 9600
minutes of free local ISDN calls. 

NTT DoCoMo, Sony to Bring i-mode to Playstation (08/01/2000) 
NTT DoCoMo and Sony Computer Entertainment formed an alliance that will
combine DoCoMo's wireless Internet offering, i-mode, with Sony's
Playstation game console. The services developed via this partnership will
allow customers to play games on both their Playstation and their i-mode
handset. The current bandwidth available for wireless Internet access
limits the services that can be developed by the alliance until
third-generation wireless services are launched. 

ITXC Adds to Network (07/31/2000) 
Jitong Network Communications agreed to send and receive international
calls through ITXC.net. ITXC added the company to its Internet telephony
network to boost the number of calls to and from China. Jitong is a major
carrier in China, one of the five authorized to provide IP services, and
operates the China Golden Bridge Network, which provides commercial
services to 45 cities. 

Nextel Investing in Israel (07/31/2000) 
Nextel Communications is investing $32 million in Net2Wireless, which
develops cellular Internet technology in Israel. 


Broadband/Cable Networking
Cox Deploys Best Data Modems (08/04/2000) 
Cox Communications will purchase Best Data DOCSIS cable modems. Best Data's
Smart One Cable Modem CMX110 is fully compliant with DOCSIS 1.1
specifications, enabling the delivery of high-speed Internet access, video
services, and telephony applications to offices and residential customers. 

Nokia Wins ADSL Contract (08/04/2000) 
Nokia received an order from Chile's Manquehue NET for an ADSL system that
the company is using to provide high-speed Internet access to its
customers. Initially the technology is being installed in Santiago and
Manquehue. 

360networks Sells Capacity to France Telecom, Intelig (08/02/2000) 
360networks sold capacity on its network connecting North America and South
America to France Telecom and Intelig. Both companies will receive 10G bps
capacity on the 17,400-mile network. 

Nokia Adds to D50 DSLAM (08/02/2000) 
Conexant's AutoBand technology is supported by the Nokia D50 DSLAMs. Nokia
offers faster connection times, quick recovery, and more SDSL equipment
with Conexant's ZipWire SDSL solutions included. 

Verizon Conducts VoDSL Trials (08/01/2000) 
Verizon Communications commenced a technical trial of VoDSL, a technology
that provides high-speed Internet access and up to 16 separate phone lines
on a single copper wire to homes and businesses. 


Financial News
Rising Revenues for Charter (08/04/2000) 
For the quarter ended June 30, 2000, Charter Communication's revenue grew
9.8-percent to $794.8. Net loss was $196 million, or $0.89 per share,
compared to a loss of $377.5 million, or $1.70, in the second quarter 1999. 

Intermedia Revenues Grow in Second Quarter (08/02/2000) 
Intermedia Communications announced that revenues for the first quarter
increased 13.6-percent over results from the same quarter in 1999 to $247.4
million. Net loss was $244.2 million, or $4.57 loss per share, compared to
$145.9 million, or $2.92 loss per share. 

Global Crossing's Net Loss Lower than Expected (08/02/2000) 
For the second quarter 2000, Global Crossing's revenues were $918.4
million, a two-percent drop from $932.7 million in the first quarter of
2000. Quarterly loss was $502.4 million, or 40.61 per share. The company
did not provide year-ago figures. Net loss for the first quarter was $343.7
million, or a per-share loss of $0.44. 

Loral Reports High Satellite Revenues (08/02/2000) 
For the second quarter 2000, Loral Space and Communications reported
revenues of $324 million, compared to $378 million for the same quarter in
1999; however, fixed satellite revenues rose 53 percent to $112 million.
Net loss was $110 million, or $0.37 per share, up from a loss of $50
million, or $0.17 per share. 

Tele Danmark Net Income Slips (08/01/2000) 
Tele Danmark announced that second-quarter revenues increased 19 percent
over results from the same quarter in 1999 to DKK 11 billion. Net income
was DKK 901 million, a per-share gain of DKK 4.16, compared to DKK 976
million, or DKK 4.51 gain per share. 

Equant Reduces Net Loss for Second Quarter (08/01/2000) 
Equant reported that revenues for the second quarter increased 47.3 percent
over results from the same quarter in 1999 to $343.8 million. Net loss was
$5.3 million, or a $0.03 loss per share, compared to $9.8 million, or a
$0.05 loss per share. 

RCN Revenues Climb 18 Percent (08/01/2000) 
RCN reported that sales for the first quarter increased 18 percent over
results from the same quarter the previous year to $79 million. Net loss
was $208 million, or $2.45 loss per share, compared to a net loss of $68
million, or $0.98 loss per share. 

Genuity Loss Widens (08/01/2000) 
Genuity announced that second-quarter revenues increased 62-percent over
results from the same quarter in 1999 to $257.9 million. Net loss was
$224.7 million, or $0.23 loss per share, compared to $153.3 million, or
$0.19 loss per share. 

PictureTel Reports Net Loss (08/01/2000) 
For the second quarter, PictureTel's net loss was $38 million, or $0.93 per
diluted share, compared to a net loss of $32 million, or a per-share loss
of $0.79, for the same period one year ago. Revenues dipped to $61 million
from $86 million. The company expects third quarter revenues to come in
between $70 million and $78 million, with fourth quarter expectations of
$75 million to $83 million. In addition, PictureTel expects to reduce
losses in the third quarter by 25-percent to 50-percent as compared to the
second quarter. 

Qwest CEO Files to Sell Shares (08/01/2000) 
Qwest Communications' CEO Joe Nacchio filed a registration statement with
the SEC to sell 100,000 common shares, valued at about $5.5 million.
According to the filing, he acquired the stock after exercising an option. 

Alcatel to Issue Tracking Shares (07/31/2000) 
Alcatel plans to release tracking shares in the fourth quarter 2000 that
will highlight the market value of the company's optronics unit. Alcatel
says it will be the first European company to follow the practice of such
American companies as AT&T and Sprint. The tracking shares will allow
Alcatel to separate key divisions that may be of different value than its
core business, while maintaining full control and avoiding the process of
spinning off assets. 


Internet/Intranet
BellSouth Launches RealPages Reminders (08/04/2000) 
BellSouth announced the launch of the BellSouth RealPages Reminders
service. With this online service, consumers can customize information to
fit their needs and can receive reminders for important events. In
addition, registered members receive electronic newsletters that provide
tips and product information for organizing and managing their lives. 

DT Contracts Siemens, ECI (08/04/2000) 
Deutsche Telekom contracted Siemens AG and Israel's ECI Telecom to supply
broadband access technology for the German telco's T-DSL technology. The
deals are reported to be valued in the triple digit millions of euros. 

BTopenworld to Get Two 3D Web Sites (08/01/2000) 
Worlds.com and BT agreed to construct two three-dimensional Web sites for
BTopenworld, BT's Internet unit. BT and Worlds.com will co-brand the sites. 


IXCs
Japan Telecom to Expand Services (08/03/2000) 
Japan Telecom said it will save as much as 25 billion yen over two years,
thanks to reductions in NTT's interconnection rates. The company plans to
cash in on these savings by developing local access services and a
corporate computing network. 

Telia Cuts International Rates in Half (08/01/2000) 
Telia cut the rates for all of its international fixed-line calls by an
average of 50 percent -- and up to 70 percent to 80 percent to some
countries. 

AT&T Customers View Bills Online (08/01/2000) 
AT&T residential customers can now view and pay their long distance phone
bills online at more than 150 Web sites in CheckFree's electronic billing
and payment network. Customers approve payment electronically; the amount
is automatically deducted from a designated bank account. 


Legal News
Motorola Sued Because of Brain Cancer (08/04/2000) 
Motorola and eight other telecommunications companies are being sued for
$800 million by a Maryland neurologist, Dr. Christopher Newman, who claims
that using a cell phone led to a malignant brain tumor. The lawsuit claims
that the public was uninformed of the health risks of using a cellular
phone caused by high levels of radio frequency radiation. Newman seeks $100
million in compensatory damages and $700 million in punitive damages. Other
companies and organizations named in the suit are Verizon Communications,
Bell Atlantic, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems,
Washington/Baltimore Cellular, SBC, the Cellular Telecommunications
Industry Association, and the Telecommunications Industry Association. 

Villalonga Cleared of Insider Trading Accusations (08/03/2000) 
The Spanish national securities commission ended its investigation into
allegations that Telefonica's former president and chairman, Juan
Villalonga, was involved in insider trading when the company was on the
verge of an alliance with WorldCom in 1998. The commission said that there
was insufficient evidence to support the charges. Villalonga resigned amid
those rumors and was replaced by Cesar Alierta, chairman of Altadis. 

US Takes Action Against Mexico (08/02/2000) 
The Clinton administration filed a complaint with the World Trade
Organization (WTO) against Mexico, saying that Telmex engages in
monopolistic practices. The filing with the WTO stems from a complaint
filed with the US Trade Representatives Office by AT&T and WorldCom. The
two telcos argue that Telmex's high interconnection rates and alleged
illegal activities prevent them from succeeding in the market there.
WorldCom operates in Mexico through its stake in Avantel, and AT&T does
business there though its holding in Alestra. 


Personnel and Organizational Changes
Bharti Enterprises Announces Restructuring Plan (08/03/2000) 
Bharti Enterprises, the largest private telco in India, plans to
restructure in order to keep pace with the industry. Bharti separated its
services unit, Bharti Telecom, from its manufacturing arm, Bharti Teletech.
These two companies were de-merged, and Bharti traded three shares of
Teletech for each 10 shares of Telecom in the move. Its international
operations were grouped under Bharti Global. The company also said that it
plans to begin offering long distance telephony and network services. 

Intermedia Appoints New Senior VP (08/02/2000) 
Intermedia Communications appointed Dave Howe Senior Vice President for
Customer Service Delivery and Operations. 

Covad Appoints CFO (08/02/2000) 
Covad Communications appointed Mark Perry CFO. 

Ericsson Opens CDMA Solutions Center (08/02/2000) 
In San Diego, Ericsson is launching a CDMA Solutions Center, a facility
demonstrating the capabilities of CDMA technology and its application to
the wireless communications industry, especially the wireless Internet. The
new facility will provide demonstrations of WebOnAir, streaming video, WAP,
Wireless LANs, and the cdma2000 Packet Core Network. 

Vodafone AirTouch Changes Name (08/02/2000) 
Vodafone AirTouch changed its name to Vodafone Group. The company is listed
on the NYSE under the symbol VOD. The name change comes after AirTouch was
merged with Bell Atlantic Mobile, PrimeCo, and GTE Wireless to create
Verizon Wireless. 

Citizens Appoints Pair of Directors (08/01/2000) 
Citizens Communications appointed Rudy J. Graf and Scott N. Schneider to
its board of directors. 

Embratel Appoints CFO (08/01/2000) 
Embratel Participacoes appointed Jose Maria Zubiria CFO. 

Qwest Consolidating Web Centers (08/01/2000) 
Qwest Communications is consolidating its data technology centers in
Colorado, Texas, and Ohio into a single center in Omaha, Nebraska. The
existing centers will be phased out over the next two years, and employees
in those centers will be allowed to continue working for the company in
other roles. The project is expected to cost $40 million. 

AT&T Broadband: East and West (07/31/2000) 
AT&T
Broadband introduced its new field leadership teams, dividing the entity
into Broadband East and Broadband West. The Broadband West group will be
led by Teresa Elder. Broadband East will be led by Jim Mazur. 


RBOCs
Verizon Rollouts Personal Toll-Free Service (08/04/2000) 
Verizon Communications launched a Personal Toll-Free Service. Customers can
subscribe to the long distance service and receive a toll-free number with
a private PIN number that they can give to family members or friends to
reach them free of charge. There is no charge for the plan; however, there
is a $0.25-per-minute fee. 

Verizon Declares 1 Million NY Long Distance Customers (08/04/2000) 
Verizon Communications announced that it signed its one millionth long
distance customer in New York. Verizon began offering long distance
services in the state in January 2000 and reached its goal of one million
subscribers five months ahead of schedule. Verizon was the first Baby Bell
permitted to offer long distance in its home market. SBC Communications
secured Section 217 approval to offer long distance in Texas last month. 

GTE Pays $2.7 Million Settlement (08/04/2000) 
GTE, now Verizon Communications, agreed to pay $2.7 million to settle an
FCC investigation into possible violations of hindering local telephone
competition. In addition to the fine, GTE agreed to automatic penalties if
its performance does not improve within six months. FCC rules require
larger telephone carriers to provide smaller, local carriers with equipment
space in their central offices. 

Verizon Receives Support to Offer Long Distance in NY (08/04/2000) 
A federal appeals court upheld the FCC's decision to allow Bell Atlantic,
now Verizon Communications, to offer long distance services in New York.
Bell Atlantic was the first Baby Bell permitted to offer long distance in
its own region. AT&T had contested the decision in January, arguing that
Bell Atlantic failed to implement two elements of a 14-point checklist
required by the FCC. The complaint accused Bell Atlantic of steering its
local customers to its own long distance service 


Regulatory News
Intelsat LLC Gains FCC Approval (08/04/2000) 
Intelsat LLC received approval from the FCC for the operation of C- and
Ku-band global satellite systems that provide services to the US. Intelsat
LLC will be acquiring its satellite systems from INTELSAT. The company was
granted US licenses for 17 satellites already in orbit, as well as for 10
replacement satellites and 13 orbital redeployments. 

Comcast Unveils Additional Channels (08/02/2000) 
Comcast Cable will be launching a new service, giving customers an
additional 33 channels as part of their digital cable service. The service,
Comcast Digital Plus, is priced at $14.95 per month, $5 more than the
existing digital service. Beginning in August, the service will be
available to customers in approximately 40 Comcast systems. 

AT&T Wireless Agrees with FCC (08/01/2000) 
Senior vice president and general counsel of AT&T Wireless issued a
statement in support of the FCC's delaying an auction for the 700MHz
spectrum until next year.  

C&W HKT/PCCW Deal Gets Final Approval (08/01/2000) 
The Hong Kong High Court gave its approval to Pacific Century CyberWorks'
pending acquisition of Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) from Cable &Wireless. The
court was the last regulatory hurdle prior to finalizing the purchase. This
$82.5-billion deal, the largest Asian corporate acquisition ever to take
place outside of Japan, is slated to close on August 17. 


Satellite Communications
Globalstar Brings Service to Russia (08/04/2000) 
Globalstar, through GlobalTel, launched commercial satellite telephone
service in Russia, a country where many regions lack basic telephone
service. Initially, the service will include basic phone service along with
voice mail and short messaging. Fax and data services will be added in the
next year. Using gateways in Moscow, Novosibirsk, and Khabarovsk, the
company hopes to bring services to nearly all parts of Russia. 

PanAmSat Launches New Spacecraft (08/01/2000) 
PanAmSat launched its PAS-9 spacecraft from the Sea Launch Pacific Ocean
Platform. The new spacecraft is the seventh high-power spacecraft for the
Atlantic Ocean region and will be used to provide broadcast, Internet, and
data services to the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. 


Wireless Communications
SBC Wireless Launches Start Talking (08/04/2000) 
SBC Wireless introduced Start Talking prepaid wireless service, which
eliminates the hassle of paying bills every month. Customers buy calling
cards that can be refilled in increments to replenish their wireless
minutes. The prepaid service is offered through SBC's wireless
properties--Pacific Bell Wireless, Southwestern Bell Wireless, SNET
Wireless, Nevada Bell Wireless, Ameritech Cellular and Cellular One. 

SBC to Sell Louisiana Wireless Properties (08/04/2000) 
SBC Communications agreed to sell its wireless properties in New Orleans
and Baton Rouge, La., to ALLTEL. The sale will resolve spectrum cap and
antitrust issues surrounding the proposed joint venture between SBC and
BellSouth Communication. The transaction is expected to close later this
year. 

Sprint PCS Intros Voice Command (08/04/2000) 
Sprint PCS introduced Sprint PCS Voice Command for its wireless customers.
Using a Sprint PCS phone, customers can access a personal Web page and can
manage their PCS services with voice commands. Customers can look up names,
manage and organize their address books, and perform other voice-enabled
tasks. Sprint PCS Voice Command is part of the company's telematics
services. Sprint PCS is collaborating with automotive partners such as Ford
to provide digital communications within vehicles, include Voice Command. 

Motorola Adds Remote Control to Applications (08/01/2000) 
Motorola integrated its CreataLink 2XT two-way wireless data transceiver,
remote control, and monitoring devices with a host of applications in the
fields of healthcare, automobiles, and refrigeration. Built on the ReFLEX
paging protocol from Motorola, CreataLink transmits commands to machines,
which then relay commands to other machines or people. Applications for the
CreataLink include use with health monitors, vehicle tracking modules, and
refrigerators. 

Nextel Adds to Online Services (08/01/2000) 
Nextel Communications added applications, portals, and search engines to
its Nextel Online Wireless Internet Services for business customers. The
additions are aimed at bringing finance, news, and other Internet-based
information to users. Among the additions include services from Ameritrade,
CNET News.com, LifeMinders, Google, and eXitSource. 

Ericsson Announces Mobile E-mail (08/01/2000) 
In cooperation with Microsoft, Ericsson will produce equipment for mobile
e-mail services. Ericsson's mobile phones can be used with the EPOC
operating system from Psion through the Microsoft Mobile Explorer Program
to provide e-mail services over the wireless Internet. 

Sprint Adds Speed to Wireless (07/31/2000) 
Sprint will be offering high-speed wireless access at 56K, which will allow
downloading e-mail and browsing at speeds nearly three times faster than
competitors. The company also plans to offer higher speeds when next
generation technology becomes available. 

ALLTEL's Service Went Out (07/31/2000) 
On July 28, ALLTEL customers experienced a wireless service outage from
lighting damage in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. 

Ericsson Adds New ARM (07/31/2000) 
Ericsson licensed the ARM7TDMI processor core from ARM for use in its
Bluetooth and high-speed Internet products. This licensing agreement is an
expansion of the two companies existing relationship that brings Ericsson's
products, with ARM's technology included, to market faster. 

QUALCOMM and Ford in Wireless Alliance (07/31/2000) 
Ford and QUALCOMM created Wingcast, a venture that will develop wireless
information services to be installed in cars and trucks. Ford customers
will have access to voice, entertainment, Internet, and safety services
from their Ford automobiles. Ford hopes to install the wireless service in
over a million cars and tracks by the end of 2002. 

Verizon Wireless into Messaging (07/31/2000) 
Verizon Wireless launched iWrite wireless e-mail for Motorola's T900
two-way messaging device. iWrite allows Verizon customers to send and
receive personalized text and Internet messages through www.MyAirMail.com.
The service provides a maximum of 20,000 characters for messages along with
assured message delivery for 96 hours after the message is sent. The
Motorola T900 features a full keyboard and lighted display for PC-like
messaging. 

Wireless Service in the West (07/31/2000) 
Western Wireless and Northeast Colorado Cellular are planning to offer
local wireless phone services in southeastern and northeastern Colorado,
respectively. Both companies plan to offer fixed wireless systems, which
will allow the cellular phone to replace the traditional home phone. 

Comments or suggestions about Telecom Weekly may be sent to Tammy Boyle. 
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