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Geotek, IBM enter into nationwide licensing agreement Geotek Communications, Montvale, NJ, and IBM Availability Services have entered into a nationwide marketing agreement that will allow IBM to market Geotek’s integrated suite of voice and packet data services to customers in conjunction with its own services. IBM will also provide customer support in all Geotek’s U.S. markets.
The agreement is part of an ongoing relationship. Last year Geotek signed an agreement with IBM to provide turnkey site construction and project management for Geotek’s digital wireless networks.Conxus Communications triples company’s spectrum capacity
Conxus Communications, Greenville, SC, has acquired or signed options to buy about 40 specialized mobile radio (SMR) properties in the United States during the last 18 months. The acquisitions more than triple Conxus’ spectrum capacity for offering mobile voice messaging and data messaging services via its narrowband PCS network, which is expected to be operational in mid 1997.
Conxus, formerly known as PCS Development (PCSD), became one of five original 50kHz/50kHz nationwide narrowband license holders in the FCC auctions held in November 1994. Conxus president Bill deKay said that combined with the original FCC license, the SMR properties give the company the equivalent of a 175kHz/175kHz two-way nationwide network. He said that the purchases and option agreements give Conxus coverage of 37 of the top 50 markets in the United States, about 70% of the population.
E.F. Johnson wins contract to build McLean public safety system E.F. Johnson, Burnsville, MN, has been awarded a $28 million contract to build a Multi-Net II trunked radio system for McLean County, geographically the largest county in Illinois.
The 800MHz three-site simulcasting system will serve seven public safety agencies in the county, including the McLean County Sheriff’s Department and police and fire departments in the cities of Bloomington and Normal. The system will use more than 500 Multi-Net mobile and portable radios, as well as touchscreen consoles for a new dispatch center.CTIA board votes on several issues
In December, CTIA’s board of directors took action on four issues: 1) In a unanimous vote, the association agreed to stand fast in its commitment to the principle that the industry should establish the technical standards for meeting the legal requirements of court-ordered wiretaps. The principle was laid out by Congress in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. In the past year the FBI has urged technical standards on the industry that go beyond the scope of this act of Congress, says the CTIA, including the capability of using wireless phones as tracking devices. 2) In October, research regarding the interaction of wireless phones on pacemakers was completed and presented to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The research was funded through the CTIA’s research program but carried out at a variety of independent facilities. Although the research showed that the chance of interference is slight and that pacemaker manufacturers are now taking steps to insulate their products, the board voted to require that product information about such interaction must accompany all phones before they can receive CTIA certification. 3) CTIA is funding a five-year, $25 million research program to study any bio-effects that may be associated with wireless telecommunications. The board agreed to the outline of a contract with Wireless Technology Research for reimbursing WTR’s legal expenses through insurance and other means. 4) Finally, the board voted to begin work on establishing a dispute resolution mechanism for the wireless industry, possibly in the form of a mediation panel or system.TekNow, Motorola develop open standard for two-way message entry
TekNow, Phoenix, and Motorola’s Advanced Messaging Systems Division, Fort Worth, TX, have formed a strategic alliance for producing integrated products that will improve the performance of Motorola’s next generation wireless messaging system. Using the new products, developers will be able to create applications that send and receive data to and from subscribers in an advanced messaging system that includes Motorola’s Wireless Message Gateway (WMG). TekNow’s advanced messaging data entry products for the WMG paging terminal will be developed in accordance with industry standard protocols published by the PCIA. Products will include a Telocator Message Entry (TME) Server, TME Client and Software Development Kit and an Internet gateway for E-mail-based paging.
Xypoint drafts E9-1-1 proposalto present to state legislations Xypoint, Seattle, has released model state legislation designed to help wireless carriers provide enhanced 9-1-1 services to customers as mandated by the FCC. Xypoint developed the model legislation with assistance from many wireless carriers to help implement the FCC mandate requiring carriers to provide the first phase of E9-1-1 services to customers by April 1, 1998. In the first phase, carriers must provide a wireless caller’s 10-digit phone number and cell-site location to emergency dispatchers.
The FCC’s order, released in July, determined that both cost recovery and indemnification_two key political issues_should be resolved by state and local governments. The FCC said, however, that wireless carriers are not required to provide the improved E9-1-1 service if a local public safety community does not have the necessary cost recovery mechanisms in place to reimburse carriers for the cost of the service.
The key elements of Xypoint’s model are 1) wireless carriers deserve the same broad immunity from liability for providing E9-1-1 services that wireline providers enjoy through their tariffs; 2) the primary purpose of creating cost recovery mechanisms is to implement the FCC mandate and enable public safety officials to reimburse carriers for the cost of the services; and 3) cost-recovery mechanisms must be statewide in scope rather than locally structured to ensure efficient administration
Motorola offers iDEN technology in 900MHz frequency band Motorola’s Land Mobile Products Sector, Schaumburg, IL, will offer its iDEN technology in the 900MHz band. The new offering allows commercial radio service operators to maximize the dispatch capacity of their 900MHz channels and provides the flexiblity to add optional services such as full-duplex telephone interconnect, alphanumeric paging and data and fax communication services.
iDEN technology is available in the 800MHz and 1.5GHz bands and uses a variety of advanced technologies, including vocoders, M16QAM modulation and TDMA.
In the 900MHz band, iDEN will combine pairs of 12.5kHz channels to create a 25kHz channel. Using TDMA, the paired channels will be split into six time slots, tripling the RF capacity of each 900MHz channel. The technology is targeted to be available late in the fourth quarter in 1997.Metawave receives antenna patent
Metawave Communications, Redmond, WA, has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent Office for a narrowbeam antenna system with angular diversity. The multibeam antenna system improves the performance of CDMA systems, using increased antenna gain and narrow angle antenna beams to reduce interference. The system also eliminates the need for space diversity antennas.
PanaVise moves to new office PanaVise Products, Reno, NV, has moved to a custom 58,000 square-foot factory, a move that capped the company’s 40th anniversary year. The company manufactures communications mounts and accessories. The new address is 7540 Colbert Drive, Reno, NV 89511. Tel. 702-850-2900; Fax 702-850-2929.
