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Date: Monday, August 21, 2000, 10:58 AM -0400
From: Faulkner Telecom Weekly <telweekly@faulknerinfo.com>
To: ???
Subject: Faulkner Telecom Weekly August 18,2000



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

Telecom Weekly 

  

August 14, - August 18, 2000 

Top Story of the Week

BT, AT&T Talking Merger (08/18/2000) 
AT&T chairman, C. Michael Armstrong, and British Telecommunications
chairman, Sir Peter Bonfield, have discussed the possibility of combining
the two companies' businesses. Although conversations have taken place,
investors and directors are not yet involved. AT&T and BT were involved in
similar informal talks last year when the companies created Concert. Such
discussions are motivated by the fact that AT&T's stock has dropped 39
percent in the past year, and BT is facing intense competition within the
UK phone markets. If the conversations between chairmen turn into
negotiations, the companies would have to overcome major regulatory
obstacles, especially if the approvals needed for Concert are any
indication. Concessions might include the disposal of some of their
trans-Atlantic phone capacity holdings.





Acquisitions, Mergers, and Divestitures
BT Doubles Stake in Viag Interkom (08/18/2000) 
BT agreed to shell out $6.7 billion to double its stake in Viag Interkom to
90 percent. The UK company will acquire the stake from E.On. This purchase
fits BT's third-generation wireless strategy, since Viag secured a 3G
license in Germany. E.On agreed to sell its stake in Viag so it could
concentrate on its energy operations. BT also offered to buy the remaining
outstanding 10 percent stake in Viag from Telenor, but the Norwegian
company has yet to make a decision. 

PCCW Completes Acquisition (08/18/2000) 
Pacific Century CyberWorks completed its $38-billion acquisition of HKT
from Cable &Wireless. The company said it will operate using an 8x3
structure, in which eight business units will be grouped into three
operating sectors. The three sectors and the eight units are:
Telecommunications Services (Telecommunications Services), Global
Communications Services (Connectivity Services and Mobility Services); and
Net Enterprises (Broadband Business to Consumer Services, Business to
Business Services, Data Centers/Web hosting services, and CyberWorks
Ventures). The Infrastructure Services unit will operate under each of the
sectors. 

Telia Enters Norway with NetCom Buy (08/18/2000) 
Telia's white-knight bid to acquire NetCom of Norway for $2.48 billion was
finally accepted by SBC Communications and Tele Danmark. Tele Danmark
originally launched a hostile takeover bid against the Norwegian carrier,
valuing NetCom at a mere $1.62 billion bid. The offer was rejected by
NetCom's board of directors, and Telia then swooped in with a counter
offer. SBC and Tele initially refused to sell their stakes, but they caved
in the day Telia's acquisition offer had been set to expire. SBC and Tele
Danmark jointly hold 40 percent of NetCom. 

Verizon Wireless Divests Overlapping Franchises (08/18/2000) 
Verizon Wireless agreed to sell overlapping franchises in Cincinnati, Ohio,
and Chicago, Illinois to BGV PCS, an independent wireless operator. Verizon
sought to divest the assets because they overlap with other existing
operations acquired when Bell Atlantic and GTE merged to create Verizon. 

IDT Closes Sale of Net2Phone Shares to AT&T (08/14/2000) 
IDT completed the sale of 14.9 million shares of its Net2Phone subsidiary
to AT&T for $75 per share, or about $1.1 billion. AT&T also acquired four
million newly issued shares in Net2Phone for about $300 million. 




Alliances and Joint Ventures
InsynQ Partners with Global Crossing (08/18/2000) 
InsynQ agreed to a deal with the Business Services Division of Global
Crossing North America under which it will bundle Global Crossing's
telecommunications products with its Web-based computing services and
proprietary Internet appliance deployments. The agreement will allow InsynQ
to deliver a complete "desktop-to-data center" business solution to
customers. 

Qwest Awards ONI Systems Contract (08/18/2000) 
Qwest Communications contracted with ONI Systems for the supply of optical
networking equipment to support its delivery of high-speed, local broadband
connectivity to consumers in major metro markets. Qwest plans to build 25
city networks by the end of 2001. 

Sprint Awards Lucent $200 Mln Contract (08/18/2000) 
Sprint awarded Lucent Technologies a $200-million contract to expand the
IXC's Internet business. Under the terms, Lucent will supply switches and
other data-managing gear to boost the Internet access capacity of Sprint's
network. 

MTV Strikes a Deal with Time Warner Cable (08/16/2000) 
MTV forged an agreement with Time Warner Cable for distribution of
Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH1 on all Time Warner Cable systems. Additional
distribution of TV Land, TNN, MTV2, and VH1 Classic will also be provided
under the agreement. It is expected that the agreement will add about
450,000 new VH1 subscribers, three million TV Land subscribers, and about
200,000 TNN subscribers. 

Siemens Unveils New Partners (08/16/2000) 
Siemens Networks forged distribution agreements with Ingram Micro and Tech
Data Group. Both companies will sell selected services from Siemens line of
OptiPoint IP telephones and HiPath-branded access points. The distribution
agreements provide easier availability of IP phones for companies
installing next-generation communication systems.  

Ericsson and CentreCom Join on VoIP (08/16/2000) 
Ericsson's Enterprise Systems formed a partnership with CentreCom to offer
VoIP telephone capabilities. CentreCom is using the WebSwitch 100 from
Ericsson to create a customer premise infrastructure need for IP services.
The WebSwitch 100 can be integrated into a corporate call-management system
and can be used by business customers in branch offices and by
telecommuters. 

Motorola Working on 3G Wireless Terminals (08/16/2000) 
Allgon Mobile Communications is working with Motorola's Semiconductor
Products Sector to develop third generation terminal antennas. Under the
agreement, Motorola's Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems and Radio Frequency
Integrated Circuits will be incorporated into Allgon's wireless terminal
antenna solutions, called the Digitally Controlled Antenna. 

QUALCOMM Brings Voice to Eudora (08/15/2000) 
QUALCOMM entered into an agreement with HearMe to include voice
communications in Eudora e-mail software. Under the agreement, HearMe voice
and text communications technology will be integrated with Eudora, allowing
users free access to live voice using HearMe VoiceCONTACT software. Live
voice sessions can be initiated by inviting others through an e-mail
invitation. 

BT, AT&T Internet Venture Still On (08/14/2000) 
British Telecommunications said that its plans to invest $2 billion in an
Internet joint venture with AT&T were still on, following a report in the
Financial Times that indicated that the deal was put on the back burner due
to shareholder concerns. A BT spokesperson said that the companies plan to
open 44 Web-hosting centers within three years. 

Motorola in GSM Partnership (08/14/2000) 
Motorola agreed to provide GSM equipment in China and the Asia-Pacific
region along with Huawei Technologies. Motorola is buying GSM switches and
other products from Huawei and integrating them into its base stations. The
two companies are also involved in a marketing agreement for their jointly
developed product. 

Nokia Bringing GPRS to New Zealand (08/14/2000) 
Vodafone New Zealand entered an agreement with Nokia for the provision of
Nokia's GPRS core network solution to be used for commercial services.
Vodafone New Zealand developed a new line of mobile services to be offered
with the GPRS mobile network, which includes the GPRS system and Nokia's
Connecting@Care support. 




Broadband/Cable Networking
AT&T Buying Cable Boxes from Phillips (08/18/2000) 
AT&T
Broadband agreed to purchase one million set-top cable boxes from Phillips
Electronics. The companies will market the boxes to consumers beginning in
2001. The boxes will offer electronic commerce, gaming, and video-on-demand
capabilities. 

Ericsson Receives LMDS Contract (08/17/2000) 
Telekomunikacja Polska selected Ericsson to supply it with a MINI-LINK
Broadband Access System. The Polish company will use Ericsson's technology
to offer high-speed data, Internet, and applications to business customers.
Initially, the company will roll out the technology in Warsaw and then
expand. 

Motorola in Broadband Agreement with AT&T (08/15/2000) 
Motorola's Broadband Communications Sector entered into a memorandum of
understanding with AT&T Broadband, naming Motorola as a primary supplier of
digital technology to AT&T. Under the agreement, Motorola will continue to
supply digital set-top terminals through 2003, and AT&T is launching
digital technology from Motorola in its major markets. 




Conferencing
AT&T Introduces Web Meeting Service (08/18/2000) 
AT&T combined its TeleConference Services with the Internet to create AT&T
Web Meeting Services, an interactive presentation and collaboration tool.
The service will allow users to upload and download files from each other,
to access other participant's computers, and to send electronic messages to
the entire audience. 




CTI and Call Centers
Telcordia Unveils Call Agent (08/14/2000) 
Telcordia unveiled the Telcordia Call Agent, a device which the company
defines as the  first Class 5 softswitch in production. The switch is
installed and running at 11 remote CTC Communications offices providing
voice connectivity and features through a VoIP network. As Telcordia
prepares for the rollout of its Next Generation Network voice services via
the Call Agent, the softswitch will serve as the foundation for CTC. The
Call Agent will also serve as the framework for CTC's IntelliNET, the
company's broadband network. 

CheckFree Provides e-Billing to SBC Companies (08/16/2000) 
CheckFree will provide its e-billing services to Southwestern Bell and
Pacific Bell, units of SBC Communications. The services will enable the
RBOCs' customers to access account information and to pay bills online from
any of the nearly 200 Web sites that offer CheckFree's electronic billing
and payment services. 

Ameritech Selects Princeton eCom for e-Billing (08/16/2000) 
Ameritech selected Princeton eCom, a provider of EBPP solutions, to employ
its electronic billing solutions which will allow Ameritech customers to
view their bills online. Customers will have the option of paying their
bills online or by phone. 




Financial News
Liberty Media Earnings up over 50% (08/18/2000) 
For the second quarter ended June 30, 2000, Liberty Media Group reported
revenues of $383 million, compared to $221 million in the same quarter
1999. Net income was $267 million, versus a net loss of $543 million in the
prior year. Operating income was $67 million in comparison with an
operating loss of $636 million. Liberty Media is the cable programming arm
of AT&T.

Qwest Sells $3 Bln in Bonds (08/18/2000) 
Qwest Communications completed the sale of $3 billion of bonds; 50 percent
more than planned. The company received more than $5 billion of bids. The
sale included $2.15 billion of six-year notes and $1.75 billion of 10-year
notes. The funds will be used to refinance short-term debt. 

UPC Net Loss Widens in Second Quarter (08/18/2000) 
United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC), the second-largest cable company in
Europe, reported that net loss for the second quarter was 368.2 million
euros, compared to a net loss of 72.9 million euros. The company's net loss
was due in part to its rapid expansion through acquisitions. Analysts had
expected UPC to experience a net loss for the quarter of 440 million, but
rising subscriber numbers and more streamlined operations helped the
company beat those predictions. Revenues increased 19 percent over results
from the same quarter the previous year to 238 million euros. 

Nextel Files IPO for International Unit (08/18/2000) 
Nextel Communications filed for an IPO for Nextel International. The IPO is
expected to raise $920 million. Nextel International has operations in
Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. 

Adelphia Grows Stronger (08/15/2000) 
For the second quarter ended June 30, 2000 Adelphia Communications reported
record revenues of $704.1 million compared with $218.8 million for the same
quarter in 1999. Net loss for the quarter totaled $85.3 million, or $0.66
per share, compared with $47.3 million, or $0.81 per share.  Adelphia
Business Solutions' revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2000
were $80.2 million. Net loss totaled $73.6 million, or $1.06 per share,
compared with $38.9 million, or $0.70 per share. 

Cablevision Posts Second Quarter Loss (08/14/2000) 
Cablevision Systems reported a second quarter net loss of $171.7 million,
or $0.99 per share, compared with a net loss of $167.8 million, or $1.10
per share in the prior year. Revenues rose to $1.08 billion, compared with
$946.3 million in 1999. The company plans to create a tracking stock called
the Rainbow Media Group that will reflect the performance of its cable
channels including Bravo, American Movie Classics, and the Independent Film
Channel. The stock will be listed on the NYSE under the symbol "RMG" in the
fourth quarter 2000. 




Internet/Intranet
AT&T Launches Web-Hosting Solution (08/18/2000) 
AT&T launched its fully managed bundled hosting service, AT&T
Business Ready Dedicated Hosting Service. The Web-hosting solution is
available to a number of Internet Data Centers and includes all the
hardware, software, tools, and professional services needed to launch
business applications on the Internet. 

Terminating SNARCS Available to Carriers (08/15/2000) 
ITXC is extending its ITXC.net to licensed carriers by making its
terminating SNARCs generally available to them. With a terminating SNARC,
ITXC.net telephone traffic is brought directly to a carrier and connected
to its local switch. ITXC had installed SNARCs on a limited basis in
Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the US, but is now offering its
commercial program to other carriers around the world. 

NetSpeak in VoIP Contract (08/15/2000) 
China Unicom awarded NetSpeak $1.9 million for the support of China
Unicom's VoIP network. As part of a plan to bring VoIP services to 311
cities, China Unicom is deploying the NetSpeak Voice over IP Network
solution as part of the initial roll out. With the network in place, China
Unicom will begin offering VoIP services to business customers. 




Legal News
Net Help Solutions Files Lawsuit Against SW Bell (08/18/2000) 
Net Help Solutions accused Southwestern Bell, a subsidiary of SBC
Communications, of decreasing Internet connection speeds without notifying
its customers. According to Net Help Solutions, Southwestern Bell
guarantees a minimum connection rate of 384K-bps for its DSL service, but
significantly slowed the rate to a maximum of 128K-bps. Net Help Solutions
is charging Southwestern Bell with fraud but has not specified a damage
amount. 

Cablevision Drops Lawsuit (08/18/2000) 
Cablevision dropped its lawsuit against Excite@Home over ownership changes.
Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, AT&T, and Cablevision each owned stakes
in the Excite@Home network. When Comcast and Cox agreed to sell their
stakes to AT&T, Cablevision sued, arguing that it should have been included
in the buyout agreement.  

GTE Settles Suit Against AT&T, Comcast (08/14/2000) 
An anti-trust lawsuit filed by GTE, now Verizon Communications, and
Genuity, formerly GTE Internetworking, against AT&T and Comcast was
dismissed after the parties agreed to an undisclosed settlement. In the
suit, GTE and GTE Internetworking claimed that the two companies
exclusivity deals with Excite@Home thwarted competition and violated US
anti-trust laws. 




Personnel and Organizational Changes
Verizon Employees Continue Contract Talks (08/18/2000) 
After Verizon employees threatened to abandon contract talks on August 17,
the company made major changes in the proposed contract and promised a new
contract offer by August 18. The union reported that it was finally making
progress and decided not to abandon contract negotiations. The strike
continues to affect services for business and residential customers along
the east coast. 

Clement Promoted to SVP of Cox (08/18/2000) 
Cox Communications promoted Dallas Clement to Senior Vice President of
Strategy and Development. Clement succeeds David Woodrow, Executive Vice
President of Business Development, who is retiring. 

US WEST Exec Finds New Home (08/18/2000) 
New Era of Networks (NEON) appointed Larry Thede vice president of investor
relations. Thede is a 26-year veteran of US WEST, where he held the
positions of vice president of investor relations, director of financial
planning and analysis, and director of business development. Thede was
among the many executives who left US WEST when it was acquired by Qwest
Communications. 

WorldCom Exec Joins SecureWorks (08/18/2000) 
SecureWorks named Jardon T. Bouska president and COO. Prior to accepting
the position at SecureWorks, Bouska had served as executive director of MCI
and WorldCom's Prepaid Division. 

Thousands of Telecom Workers to Strike in Taiwan (08/18/2000) 
Verizon Communications is not the only carrier facing striking employees.
More than 10,000 workers at Chunghwa Telecom, the government-owned telco in
Taiwan, are expected to walk off the job in protest of the government's
plan to privatize the company, reported the Central News Agency. The
Ministry of Transportation and Communications is expected to sell 289
million shares of Chunghwa stock by the end of the month. 

Nadir Mohamed is now "Mr. Rogers" (08/16/2000) 
Canadian-based Rogers AT&T Wireless named Nadir Mohamed president and COO.
Mohamed will be in charge of operation functions such as sales, marketing,
information technology, human resources, government, and business
development. Mohamed joins Rogers AT&T Wireless from TELUS Communications. 

Unglaub Named VP (08/15/2000) 
AT&T Broadband appointed Tom Unglaub to the position of Senior Vice
President for the Midwest Markets that include Iowa, Michigan, and
Minnesota. Prior to this post, Unglaub was the Group Vice President of
Marketing for the East. Unglaub will be responsible for the operations in
all Midwest Markets and will report to Jim Mazur, AT&T Broadband East
President. 




Regulatory News
C&W IDC Files for LD License (08/18/2000) 
Cable &Wireless
IDC filed an application to offer long distance services in Japan. C&W IDC
plans to roll out such services in December. The Japanese government plans
to eliminate dialing prefixes for customers who wish to receive service
from an alternate carrier in May 2001. 

German 3G Auction Concludes (08/18/2000) 
The auction for third-generation wireless licenses in Germany ended, with
six consortia shelling out a combined $45.9 billion for the ability to
provide the much-hyped 3G services. The winners were T-Mobil (Deutsche
Telekom), Mannesmann Mobilfunk (Vodafone Group), Viag Interkom (BT),
MobilCom (France Telecom), E-Plus Hutchison (KPN Telecom and Hutchison
Whampoa), and Group 3G (Sonera and Telefonica). In a surprising move,
Hutchison Whampoa quit E-Plus Hutchison soon after the consortium won a
license, saying that the price was too high. Hutchison said it now is
considering leasing spectrum from KPN or buying a stake in the Dutch
company. The bidding lasted 173 rounds over 13 days. 

China Forms New Carrier from Railway Ministry (08/18/2000) 
The Chinese government postponed plans to hand over control of a
telecommunications network operated by the Railway Ministry to China United
Telecommunications (China Unicom), said the Wall Street Journal. Now
instead of taking over the network, Unicom may be forced to compete against
it. The Chinese government tentatively plans to consolidate the Ministry's
telecommunications assets into a company called China Railway
Communications. 

Companies Line up for Norwegian 3G Sale (08/18/2000) 
Seven companies filed applications with the Norwegian government to take
part in the beauty contest for third-generation wireless licenses there.
Contenders include NetCom (Telia), Tele2, Broadband Mobile (Enitel and
Sonera), Orange Norge, Telenor, BusinessNet (Tele1 Europe and Western
Wireless), and a consortium comprised of a number of Scandanavian
companies. Norway's Post and Telecommunications Authority will issue four
licenses for $11.2 million each. Companies also will have to pay $2.2
million annually for a license. 

DIRECTV Adds Seven Markets (08/16/2000) 
Beginning in mid-August, DIRECTV will begin its rollout of seven additional
markets, bringing the total number of markets to 37. Portland, Oregon,
Nashville, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio will receive local channels from
DIRECTV's primary orbital slot. Memphis, San Antonio, and Kansas City will
require the use of a multi-satellite capable DIRECTV System in order to
receive local channels. 

AT&T Cable Gives Customers the Choice (08/16/2000) 
Through Digital Value Packs, AT&T Cable customers will be able to select
cable packages that most appeal to them. The Digital Value Packs are
offered at four levels of service in four price ranges: Bronze, Silver,
Gold, and Platinum. All four packages contain digital basic channels,
pay-per-view, digital music, an on-screen guide, and at least one set-top
box with remote. Rollout of the Digital Value Packs will begin within the
next few months. The deal is expected to be available in all AT&T Cable
Services systems nationwide by late 2001. 

Broadwing Files for CLEC Status (08/15/2000) 
Broadwing Communications filed to operate as a CLEC in Florida, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Washington, DC.  




Satellite Communications
Gilat to Play with the Big Boys (08/16/2000) 
Gilat Satellite Networks received investments from companies such as
Microsoft and EchoStar Communications to compete with major satellite
vendors such as Lockheed Martin and Hughes Electronics. In the fourth
quarter 2000, Gilat will be launching a two-way consumer satellite Internet
service in the US. The company will be the first to offer such a service, a
first that has proved attractive to investors. 

TV at German Gas Pumps (08/14/2000) 
In Germany, Hughes Network Systems' unit, HOT Telecommunications, is
providing audio-visual communications using DirecPC at 800 Shell Select
Shops and other gas stations and convenience stores through an agreement
with UnitedScreens. While waiting for the tank to be filled, customers will
be able to view advertising and programming on TV screens installed at the
pump. 

Intel Joins PictureTel (08/15/2000) 
PictureTel unveiled iPower, an architecture based upon PictureTel's
videoconferencing systems and Intel's hardware and chip experience. The
iPower architecture consists of an open PC platform that enables real life,
content rich remote communication. The PictureTel 900 Series is the first
line of services built based upon the iPower architecture. The 900 Series
combines videoconferencing, the PC, and the Internet enabling businesses to
share their information via these communication tools. 




Wireless Communications
WorldCom Files to Offer Fixed Wireless (08/18/2000) 
WorldCom filed an application with the FCC requesting permission to offer
fixed-wireless services in more than 60 markets in the US. The
fixed-wireless technology sends data, video, and voice services through the
air rather than over fiber-optic cables or copper wires. The company is
currently testing the fixed-wireless service in five markets and plans to
launch the service commercially by the fourth quarter of this year.
WorldCom will use the MMDS licenses it acquired with former merger partner
Sprint to offer the services. In light of WorldCom's recent announcement
that it will likely drop out of the consumer voice arena, the company will
focus its fixed-wireless efforts on business customers. 

Motorola Gives "Go-Ahead" to Deal with GoAhead (08/17/2000) 
Motorola entered into a five-year, $45-million deal with GoAhead for the
delivery of software for its wireless networks. Under the agreement,
GoAhead's SelfReliant Software is being integrated into Motorola's Aspira
wireless Internet end-to-end solutions. With the software, Motorola will be
able to provide next-generation communications platforms to services
providers offering applications for IP-based end-to-end systems. Motorola
plans to implement 99.999 percent availability in its networks through its
deal with GoAhead.

NTT Creating i-Mode Alliance (08/17/2000) 
NTT DoCoMo is in talks with BellSouth and SBC concerning its plans to buy a
stake in the two companies' joint wireless venture. The wireless venture
will create the second largest wireless carrier in the US behind Verizon
Wireless, and the addition of NTT DoCoMo will help the company expand. With
a minority stake in the wireless company, NTT DoCoMo will be able to use
the combined, national network as a platform for its i-mode technology,
which has already gained in popularity in both Asia and Europe. The deal
would have to receive regulatory approvals, which might prove problematic
given US officials' reluctance to okay the NTT/Verio deal because of the
Japanese government's stake in NTT. 

BellSouth and Home Wireless to Test AirWay Systems (08/16/2000) 
BellSouth will collaborate with Home Wireless Networks to test the AirWay
System, a wireless voice and data network designed for customers who work
from home or who own home-based businesses. The product can be ordered by
calling BellSouth's Work At Home center or online at the Work At Home
Website. 

QUALCOMM Completes CDMA Transmissions (08/16/2000) 
Using a CDMA wireless handset, a MSM5000 Mobile Station Modem chip and
software system, and a CSM5000 Cell Site Modem chip, QUALCOMM completed the
first third-generation CDMA 1x Multi-Carrier wireless data transmission.
The CDMA transmission features speeds of 153K bps on forward and reverse
channels. This 3G transmission will allow for such applications as two-way
videoconferencing, streaming video, chat, Web browsing, and FTP operations. 

Motorola Launches GPRS Network in Asia (08/15/2000) 
Along with China Unicom, Motorola is launching GPRS high-speed mobile data
on the China Unicom network in Shenzhen. The network, including the GPRS
network solution from Motorola, is part of an alliance between Motorola and
Cisco and is the first of its kind in Asia. China Unicom will use the GPRS
solution to provide high-speed Internet-based content through a mobile
terminal. 

Motorola Introduces Wireless Radio Systems (08/15/2000) 
Motorola introduced its third-generation digital wireless communications
system for public safety users through its Commercial, Government, and
Industrial Solutions Sector. Motorola's system, called the ASTRO 25, is
designed for integrated voice and data for digital trunked radio systems
with large regional capabilities. In addition, Motorola introduced a
portable radio, the XTS 2500, which is available in a dual band
configuration with two-way features. 

Sprint Brings Wireless to Carolina Towns (08/15/2000) 
Sprint PCS launched its wireless services in Sumter, SC, and in Outer
Banks, NC. Sprint PCS' service also includes Wireless Web, which provides
access to news, weather, sports, shopping, and e-mail from an
Internet-enabled phone. To promote the launch of its services in new
markets, Sprint PCS is allowing potential customers to make a free call at
any Sprint PCS retailer, such as Radio Shack or Staples. 

Verizon Introduces New Calling Plans (08/15/2000) 
Strengthening its position in Chicago and the Midwest, Verizon Wireless
launched new local and regional calling plans for its Chicago area wireless
customers. With the two new calling plans, Verizon's customers can choose
among SingleRate, a national calling plan; SingleRate Great Lakes, for
calling in an eight-state Midwest region; and DIGITALCHOICE, for calling
within the state of Illinois for as low as $19.99 per month for 75 minutes. 

Nextel Introduces i550plus Phone (08/14/2000) 
Nextel Communications introduced its Internet-capable phone, the Motorola
i550plus. The Motorola phone was specifically designed to accommodate the
services offered by the company. It features capabilities for cellular,
paging, two-way radio, and a Web browser for Nextel Online Wireless
Internet access. In addition, the phone features Caller ID, multi-language
display, missed call indicator, and an updated keyboard. 

SBC and i3 Mobile Enhance Wireless Internet (08/14/2000) 
SBC Wireless joined with i3 Mobile to enhance the information services in
SBC's InfoPak offering. Wireless technology services from i3 Mobile allows
SBC to provide a real-time quote alert service, weather information, and a
personal calendar service with reminders to its customers. These services
had already been made available by SBC Wireless, but the new agreement with
i3 Mobile provides enhancements, especially alerts sent to wireless phones. 

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

Should you have any questions, concerns or problems with your Telecom
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