News
Regional APCO attracts record number of exhibitors About 1,330 attendees gathered March 15-17 at the San Diego Concourse to participate in the 29th Annual APCO Western States Regional Conference (WSRC). The conference featured 120 exhibitors, the largest number ever for a regional APCO conference.
The 1994 Western States Conference in Aneheim held the previous record at 98 exhibitors. “One of the committee’s goals was to break that record this year,” said Lyn Diebold, WSRC committee program chair.
Attendees participated in several sessions centering on the theme, “Telecommunications-the Wave of the Future,” ranging from Y2K to the future of W9-1-1. Favorites included the FCC regulatory, enforcement and border interference panel and Andy Seybold’s presentation, “21st Century Communications, the Facts vs. the Hype.”
Another highlight was humorist and satirist Stan Freberg’s presentation, “When Your Voice is All You Have,” highlighting some of his own experience and a few of his most well-remembered radio commercials from the 1950s. The presentation followed the opening breakfast at the Westin Hotel Ballroom and provided a lively and humorous warm-up for the sessions to follow.
John Clark, who now is a senior attorney in the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, spoke at the conference in his previous capacity as deputy chief of the division.
Clark gave the keynote speech at the opening breakfast, and he participated in the FCC Panel as well as in the session, “Y2K, What’s Really Likely to Go Wrong.” CPRA has often referred to Clark as “one of the best friends that public safety has ever had” because of all that he has done for the industry during his time in office.
The conference also included several special events. One of the favorites was the Family Fun Night at Sea World. APCO and sponsor GTE provided dinner and gave attendees and their families a chance to have exclusive use of the park during the event.
TriTech Software Systems provided a wine and cheese reception and Plant Equipment put on a St. Patrick’s Day boxed lunch. Sponsors of other events included Pacific Bell, Alcatel, Harris Communications, Xypoint, Nextel Communications, Lucent Technologies and Motorola.
Diebold said that the program committee had received mostly a positive response from the comment forms they had collected from registrants. “We have the advantage of a very active chapter, and the West coast has a huge population,” Diebold said, “I think it went great.”
APCO sponsors Y2K session at Motorola The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, International (APCO) is planning a Y2K Symposium May 20-21 in Schaumburg, IL, at the Motorola educational facility. The FCC, the President’s Council on Y2K, utility companies, public safety communications center directors, and manufacturers have been invited to present and moderate sessions.
For further information, contact APCO at 888-272-6911, ext. 250, or visit the APCO Web site at www.apcointl.org.
Transcrypt names CEO, wins Johnson contracts, ships Intek Global order Transcrypt International, Lincoln, NE, has selected a new chief executive officer. It also has won contracts to build two public safety radio communications systems. The company’s 1998 financial results included multimillion-dollar, one-time charges and an overall loss.
Transcrypt named Michael E. Jalbert, 54, as president and chief executive on March 1 with a $295,000-per-year salary and a $150,000 signing bonus. On March 25, the board elected him chairman, too. He previously headed Microdyne, Alexandria, VA, which was acquired by L-3 Communications. Micro-dyne manufactures signaling and telemetry products and provides technology out-sourcing services.
Former Chairman John Connor had served as interim chief executive since Jeffrey Fuller resigned last year. Connor, who is one of the largest individual investors in Transcrypt, remains a director and has agreed to a one-year consulting arrangement to assist Jalbert with the transition. He will also assist with matters facing the company including pending class action lawsuits and strategic initiatives.
The city of Waterbury, CT, has awarded the company’s EFJohnson Division a $4.7 million contract for a two-site, 800MHz, Multi-Net II, simulcast, trunked radio communications system. It will handle 500 portable and 150 mobile radios and will provide integrated communication for Waterbury’s police, fire and other public safety agencies. Staging is to begin in May with system completion in 2000. EFJohnson will assist Waterbury in training, project management and system maintenance.
Anderson, IN, has awarded EFJohnson a $1.3 million contract for a smaller, yet similar, system and for services. The backbone of the system will be an 800MHz Multi-Net II trunked radio switch. The system will handle communications for 17 city departments. It is scheduled for completion in late 1999, depending on the city’s completion of a new 9-1-1 facility.
EFJohnson has begun shipping product to New York-based Intek Global under an agreement to manufacture Intek’s 220MHz linear modulation (LM) land mobile radios. Transcrypt expects to ship the order, valued at about $1.8 million, between now and September.
Transcrypt ended 1998 with a loss of $22.3 million, compared to a loss of $10.9 million in 1997. The 1998 loss includes $10 million set aside for possible settlement of class action lawsuits arising from huge fluctuations in the company’s stock price. It also includes charges of $1.2 million connected with layoffs and other workforce changes, and $3 million for legal, audit and severance expenses associated with the company’s restatement of its financial statements, an audit committee investigation, class action lawsuits and a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation. The 1997 loss included a charge of $9.8 million for in-process research and development cost in connection with its acquisition of the E. F. Johnson Company.
AMTA adjusts dues, focuses on ‘bottom line’ The American Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), Washington, is redefining its mission to focus on the “bottom line” with its membership services. It is moving its magazine, Open Channels, to the World Wide Web. And it is reorganizing its membership to “strike a more optimum balance between large-, medium- and small-company members,” an AMTA statement said.
The association’s president, Alan Shark, explained that “balance” had meant a dues adjustment for the 14 members in the large-company category, including a reduction for some, so that all 14 now pay the same rate. It has meant a dues increase for some medium-size companies. Small-size companies’ dues are up slightly, but mostly unchanged. The result is a flatter dues structure, yet still proportional by size of company member.
“What we’re addressing is the consolidation of the marketplace,” Shark said. “There now are fewer, but stronger, companies.”
AMTA has a smaller trade show than those of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) and the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA), with an attendance of hundreds, not thousands. Although it has an advantage of focus, it lacks economy of scale.
AMTA does not receive income that compares with CTIA and PCIA. Nor does it receive income from frequency coordination services, as do PCIA and the Industrial Telecommunications Association. AMTA, Shark explained, relies heavily on membership dues for operating funds.
In addition to its annual trade show, AMTA sponsors several annual conferences. Through these conferences, the trade group will help members to position their businesses for the future and to respond to the changing needs of their customers, reflecting a focus on their members’ “bottom line.”
“We are different from any other trade association,” Shark added. “Most of our members emphasize business, not consumer, communications, even those with Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS)licenses.
“When we include players that are not CMRS, we are ‘non-consumer wireless.’ AMTA remains focused on small- and medium-size wireless business-to-business communications operators and manufacturers. Eight major manufacturers are on our board, sitting right beside our operator board members, making for a healthy exchange and dialogue for setting future direction and policy.”
In addition to adjusting its dues, AMTA has trimmed its staff as part of reducing costs. The trade group’s vice president of communications and association services, Louise P. Tucker, has exited, as has an administrative employee.
Shrinking Glenayre Technology divests businesses, including CNET Glenayre Technologies, Charlotte, NC, rode high during the wireless boom from mid-1995 to mid-1996. As its business declined, however, its stock price tumbled from a high near $50 in 1996 to $3.50 in March 1999. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services telecommunications equipment and software for wireless personal communications systems. Sales in 1998 decreased 11% to $399.9 million as compared to $451.7 million in 1997.
In 1997, Glenayre acquired Santa Clara, CA-based Wireless Access, a developer and marketer of two-way paging devices; Norwood, MA-based Open Development, a developer of database management systems providing applications for calling cards; and Plano, TX-based CNET, a developer of software including network management tools.
Wireless Access, acquired for $100.4 million, is a keeper, although it had problems starting up its products in the second quarter of 1998. Money had to be pumped in to rework the paging devices in the fourth quarter of 1998. With those problems behind it, Glenayre expects increased pager device production yields in the first half of 1999.
Open Development’s value proved to be much less than its $48 million purchase price, resulting in a write-off of about $27 million, although Glenayre has retained the business unit. Open Development originally targeted prepaid wireless, prepaid wireline and postpaid calling to deliver its platform products for database management by telephony network operators, and that strategy was reflected in the purchase price. Glenayre’s attempts to sell to the prepaid wireline and postpaid calling markets were not productive. In the fourth quarter 1998, after incurring significant operating losses from the business, Glenayre decided to focus on the prepaid wireless market and to accept the reduced revenue potential. The Open Development operating facility was closed in March, and research and development and administrative functions were relocated to Atlanta. Open Development’s products will be moved to Vancouver.
CNET was purchased for $7.7 million. It had $5.2 million in assets left when it was sold under a deferred payment plan in December 1998. The entire $5.2 million was written off as a loss. If the purchaser makes money with CNET, Glenayre will receive payment as much as $1 million. In the fourth quarter of 1997, Glenayre concluded that the market for CNET’s products had shrunk. Fewer uses for CNET network management tools existed than Glenayre had and development costs for RF propagation software were greater.
Glenayre has wanted to sell its microwave division, Western Multiplex, since September 1997. It acquired the company in April 1995. A sale would help Glenayre to focus on its core markets of paging and messaging.
In 1997, Glenayre began expansion of its Vancouver facility for research, development and service. The cost was expected to be $19 million. During the first quarter of 1999, construction was halted, and revised plans were made to complete only a parking facility and a 16,000-square-foot first level for $11.7 million.
Shrinking a business can be costly. Glenayre recorded a loss of $8 million to cut 10% of its workforce in 1998, to exit facilities offset the reduced value of other assets. On Feb. 1, 1999, it cut another 100 employees at a cost of $1 million. About 2,000 employees remain. Stan Ciepcielinski, chief operating officer of Glenayre, said, “This restructuring allows us to be more flexible and adapt quickly to the changing business landscape. We are committed to increasing shareholder value by focusing on the development of new markets and devoting rigorous attention to bottom line growth. We believe these actions help ensure the long-term viability of the company for our customers and especially for our employees.”
Toronto man settles with Motorola Ronen Katz, a Toronto resident, has settled a lawsuit brought against him by Schaumburg, IL-based Motorola for copyright and trademark infringement.
As part of the settlement, the Federal Court of Canada in Toronto entered a permanent injunction barring Katz from any unauthorized reproduction, use, sale or distribution of Motorola’s proprietary, copyrighted or trademarked materials, including copyrighted computer programs. The court also prohibited the defendant from aiding or abetting any other person or entity from engaging in any prohibited acts.
Neither Motorola nor Katz’s attorney, Samuel S. Marr, would disclose the settlement’s financial terms.Motorola claimed that Katz infringed on its copyrights and trademarks by possessing and using unauthorized copies of Motorola’s Radio Service software, which is used to reprogram the operating characteristics of Motorola’s microprocessor-controlled two-way radios.
Claims against Katz included the illegal possession and use of software system keys to program radios to operate on specific radio systems. Motorola also alleged that software was used illegally to duplicate the identifications of Motorola’s legitimate customers to obtain access to and use of trunked radio frequencies that are restricted to law enforcement, fire and related public service uses. It also claimed that, in his dealings with others, Katz used Motorola’s registered trademarks to create the false impression that the radios originated with or were approved and authorized by Motorola.
“The defendant in the suit programmed radios to operate on public safety and other shared radio systems and provided them to users who were not authorized to have access to these networks,” said Anthony J. Biell, software protection manager. “This action is part of a continuing effort to protect Motorola’s intellectual property rights against their unauthorized, illegal and illegitimate use. The unauthorized use of software and system keys can result in serious problems for our customers.”
Mobex supports evidentiary hearing on Nextel antitrust consent decree McLean, VA-based Nextel Communications’ request to vacate a 1995 antitrust Consent Decree that limits Nextel’s licenses in 14 markets is currently under investigation because of a Memorandum Opinion and Order of the court issued by Judge Thomas Hogan, U.S. Disdtrict Court judge for the District of Columbia. Mobex opposes lifting limits on Nextel’s ability to compete in the 14 markets. Mobex Communications said that it would stand by the judge’s ruling and provide input to expedite the evidentiary hearing.
“Mobex Communications will do everything possible to fight for the preservation of competition within the SMR industry,” said Frank Casazza, Mobex’s president. “We fully respect Judge Hogan’s decision to look further into the matter of monopolistic practices by Nextel and encourage other SMR providers to do the same. But in the end, we believe the investigation will confirm the importance of competition.”
The investigation will explore the 900MHz spectrum licenses held by SMR providers to determine whether the existing Consent Decree should be vacated. Mobex believes lifting the decree will allow one company to dominate the spectrum, eliminating competition.
On February 17, Mobex filed a motion asking for the enforcement of the decree after a Delaware bankruptcy court approved Nextel’s bid to purchase licenses held by Geotek Communications that were covered under the Consent Decree agreement. On March 5, Nextel Communications requested the judge to vacate the Consent Decree that would allow it to hold more 900MHz licenses in 14 major U.S. markets.
Intek targets Texas; inks TETRA pact, delays portable introduction Intek Global, New York, is taking steps to serve more 220MHz subscribers in Texas and to extend its technology agreements involving linear modulation (LM). In a move to make Texas one of its largest regional markets, Intek will broaden its dealer relationship with Dallas-based 2001 And Beyond, a unit of Blythe & Nelson Co. Because the Texas dealer has posted “robust sales” of LM products and services to mobile radio users in Dallas and El Paso, Intek will deploy substantial added 220MHz spectrum there. Also, it will activate new spectrum for a sales drive that the Texas dealer will launch in metropolitan Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
2001 And Beyond already has added 900 users. New customers for high-speed data and voice applications included transportation and field service firms, a large home maintenance operation and numerous dispatch companies. Intek is already delivering equipment and infrastructure to 1,465 additional customers as part of a total of 2,400 new Texas subscribers on the RoameR One airtime network. Sam Cagle, a partner with 2001 And Beyond, said: “Our association with Intek Global has been a winner from the start thanks to the remarkable capabilities of the state-of-the-art mobile radio systems we are selling to Texas mobile fleet operations. They have responded beyond our most optimistic expectations.”
Bob Kelley, another 2001 And Beyond partner, added: “This agreement with Intek Global gives 2001 And Beyond the opportunity to expand our Texas presence to include additional markets in Texas as well as the Southwest. Intek Global’s products and services are a perfect fit for our target markets.”
More than 60% of 2001 And Beyond’s sales to Texas fleet operators have included Data Express automatic vehicle location (AVL) tracking service.
Technology agreement Intek’s research and design subsidiary, Intek Global Technologies (IGT), Bath, UK, has signed a licensing agreement to design a UHF LM digital transmitter for Teltronic s.a., a Spanish land mobile radio manufacturer. The Cartesian-loop transmitter design will be used for Teltronic’s Trans-European Trunked Radio (TETRA) products.
Rick Hillum, IGT president, said: “Teltronic is one of Europe’s more forward-looking, innovative companies in the mobile radio sector, and we welcome this opportunity to introduce LM technology to another TETRA system manufacturer.” Vicente Aguado, Teltronic’s technical director, added: “IGT has made a genuine advance with LM technology, enhancing spectrum efficiency as well as the clarity, reliability and speed of data and voice transmission. We are eager to adopt it for our radio wireless products.”
Intek and TETRA Regarding Nokia’s use of LM in its Trans-European Trunked Radio (TETRA) products under a five-year technology, development and supply agreement announced in April 1998, Nokia has yet to begin using LM.
“We are not using linear modulation in our TETRA products,” said Pekka Blomberg, system marketing manager, TETRA Professional Mobile Radio at Nokia. “We do have a cooperation for the use of linear modulation, but that is only for our MPT analog trunking products.”
Hannu Vilppunen, manager of Actionet Product Marketing for Nokia, added: “Nokia is not using linear modulation narrowband technology in its current analog MPT1327 products. There have been some discussions with [Intek subsidiary] Linear Modulation Technology Ltd. about the feasibility of this technology, but no product decisions have been made, and we have no current activities around this issue.”
Although LM is not yet incorporated in the Nokia production line, a source close to Nokia said that IGT (the new name for Linear Modulation Technologies Ltd.) is developing an LM application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for Nokia. When ready, the chip would make it possible for Nokia to use LM with its TETRA products.
As an example of the large market that TETRA represents, Dolphin Telecom and Nokia signed a contract for the delivery of a TETRA network in France. The value of the contract is more than 150 million Euros ($168 million).
Nokia will deliver and implement a complete network including switches, base stations, dispatching equipment and a network management system. Mikko Heikkonen, president, Network Systems, Nokia Telecommunications, said: “We are looking for a successful partnership with Dolphin Telecom in building the first nationwide digital commercial professional mobile radio network in France, supporting advanced voice and data applications.”
Portable transceiver Although last year Intek stated that its portable 220MHz transceiver would be introduced by the end of first quarter, about 18 months behind the original schedule, that time came and went without units being made available for purchase.
“It’s close,” a company spokesman said. “But I won’t commit to an introduction date until production units have been tested.” The first production line units were due in the United States from the UK manufacturing facility during the last week of March.
Shiver contract Intek’s board of directors has extended Robert J. Shiver’s contract as chairman and chief executive officer to Sept. 8, 2001. He took that post on Sept. 8, 1997, having previously served as a board member.
Penske invests in Terion, originally FlashComm Penske Capital Partners and a group of other transportation industry companies recently made a substantial cast investment in Terion, becoming equity partners. Terion was originally incorporated in 1994 as “FlashComm,” with a mission to become a provider ofmobile information systems using proprietary two-way wireless communications. The assets of the company include patents and other inellectual property originally developed by Harris for the U.S. government. Terion has adapted the technology to commercial application and is focusing toward meeting the needs of transportation customers.
In addition to Penske Capital Partners, other new investors include Delphi Automotive Systems, Detroit, KteCom, LLC, a company controlled by Knight Transportation and Madison Venture of Vancouver, Canada. Madison Venture will participate in development of the Canadian market. These companies join Harris Venture First Associates of Melbourne as strategic equity partners.
In addition to gaining financial and management strength from the new investors, Terion will use the networks of companies affiliated with Penske Capital Partners, including Penske Truck Leasing.
Connecticut awards contract to Motorola The state of Connecticut has awarded a $36 million contract to Motorola for an 800MHz digital trunked simulcast radio system. The state’s existing system was designed in the 1940s.
The new system’s simulcast configuration is designed for the State Police to communicate reliably throughout the entire coverage area whether they are on foot or in a vehicle. Under the contract, Motorola will be providing a system that meets a standard of 98% voice coverage of the total land mass of the state in all seasonal conditions measured on a troop by troop and statewide basis.
Rock Regan, chief information officer for the Department of Information Technology said, “The Department has helped negotiate a contract putting the best proven technology available into the hands of our law enforcement officers. This technology meets an urgent need and supplies critical support to our state troopers. It will enable the swiftest possible response for their safety and that of the public.”
Henry Lee, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety said, “With the addition of this new 800MHz radio system, including the mobile data terminals, our troopers will be equipped with a vital 21st century crime fighting tool.”
Antenna assists in fighting 1998 forest fires Forest firefighters combating the extensive firestorms that swept through Florida last summer found a new ally in a relatively small piece of equipment: a cast-aluminum two-way antenna. The antenna enabled fire-fighters to communicate with one another during the tense and grueling natural disaster that devastated thousands of acres of forestland in Florida and Georgia in July and August last year.
STI-CO Industries, Orchard Park, NY, was the unit manufacturer for this special antenna. STI-CO specializes in a variety of mobile and non-mobile antennas that service the law enforcement, emergency vehicles, transit and fleet vehicles, as well as private industries.
Mike Stokes is president of Tim-Prep, a north Florida underground utility and earthwork contracting company in Baldwin that assists the Florida and Georgia Forestry Departments, in addition to providing heavy duty construction for utility and paper companies.
“We used the antenna on our bulldozer, and it did not fail us. It is vitally important for us to communicate with the Forestry people in the field during a firefight. Any product that can withstand the tremendous beating in that environment is a product we’ll continue to utilize in our operations,” Stokes said.
The STI-CO antenna, called the LP-1-150, has VHF frequency range of 150MHz-174MHz with a 3MHz bandwidth. It can handle 300W of power, and it is 4.2″ high. Other similar models have frequency ranges from 136MHz-1,000MHz and are also available with a strong ABS plastic radome. There are also low-band, UHF, cellular and GPS models in cast aluminum or radome versions.
Frankel replaces Brown as Datamarine chairman Datamarine International, Mountlake Terrace, WA, has a new chairman, Stephen Frankel, who has been a director since 1997. Following the company’s annual meeting on March 9, Frankel succeeded Peter Brown, who has been the chairman or a board member for more than a decade. Brown continues on the board of the marine and land mobile radio communications equipment manufacturer.
Frankel said that with the company’s marine communications products running at a record high backlog, and future purchase commitments for 220MHz systems continuing to develop, he is pleased to have the opportunity to help Datamarine to maximize its opportunities. The company’s fourth quarter report put the backlog at $865,000 worth of marine communications products as of January 2, with $228,000 booked for land mobile radio equipment and $128,000 for marine instrumentation.
In a statement issued March 24, Datamarine’s president, David Thompson, said that the backlog for 220MHz land mobile systems had exceeded $1 million and was growing. He set the marine equipment backlog at $1.7 million.
“This order placement is consistent with our expectations, as license winners in the 220 auction start to execute their plans to build out their systems,” Thompson said. “Waiting for the 220 service to start again has been difficult but there now clearly is movement.’ The statement said Thompson anticipated the issuance of the auction licenses by the FCC during the last week of March.
SEA, a Datamarine subsidiary, manufactures 220MHz mobile radios for voice and data transmission, portable radios and base station repeaters. It designs and develops 220MHz radio systems.
Frankel takes on a challenge because the company’s fourth quarter report states that, as of January 2, its principal sources of liquidity consisted of $225,000 in cash and equivalents. Its bank was not making any additional advances. Datamarine faces continuing operating losses and negative cash flow. The company has engaged an investment banker to raise about $3.5 million in subordinated debt to redeem existing debt and to provide working capital.
SCA, Ameritech create mobile data system Software Corporation of America (SCA) has formed an alliance with Ameritech, the Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois department of central management services (CMS). SCA is planning to install the largest number of wirelessly enabled computers in public safety history across Illinois empowering state and local police to access a driver’s criminal record using only the license plate number.
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority’s (ICJIA) area-wide law enforcement radio terminal system (ALERTS) mobile data network provides services for more than 3,000 users in middleware (TX emulation). ICJIA intends to replace its middleware with SCA’s Premier MDC software, creating a consistent middleware platform in Illinois on both ALERTS and Illinois Wireless Information Network (IWIN) CDPD networks.
SCA will provide Premier MDC, the mobile data communications software for IWIN, as the Illinois State Police (ISP) will initially equip 1,000 police officers with its wireless data system. Another 200 laptops that are already installed will also be configured to run on the system. IWIN could potentially support more than 5,000 mobile data computers by 2002.
Commission adopts NPRM to review auction authority The commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to evaluate the impact of the revised law on the commission’s auction authority for wireless telecommunications services. The notice seeks comment on the scope of the Balanced Budget Act’s exemption from competitive bidding for licenses and permits issued for public safety radio services.
The notice also seeks comment on a Petition for Rulemaking that proposes the establishment of a new radio serv-ice pool for use by electric, gas and water utilities, petroleum and natural gas pipeline companies. The notice seeks comment on implementation of Section 337c, which allows providers of public safety services that meet statutory criteria to apply for unassigned frequencies not otherwise allocated for public safety purposes without engaging in competitive bidding.
CIB fields 1,200 interference complaints in the past year During the past year, the Compliance and Information Bureau responded to over 1,200 interference complaints from public safety and emergency officials seekingassistance, many involving life-threatening emergency situations.
The bureau alerts and dispatches local FCC field office agents to locate and resolve the interference problems, giving priority to emergency situations involving potential harm to life and property. Of 1,200 requests, 674 were from state and local public safety emergency services.
Sacramento County requests waiver to obtain license for paging frequency The County of Sacramento, CA, files a Request for Waiver of a licensing freeze that currently governs frequencies in the 929MHz-930MHz band allocated for exclusive paging operations. Sacramento County requests the waiver to permit it to use the frequency 929.0125MHz for a local alert paging system that would support public safety services provided in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, both in California.
The frequency is currently unassigned in the Sacramento area, according to the county, except for co-channel licensee Stanford University Hospital. The county said that the hospital concurred with the county’s request to use the channel together, on a shared basis.
Tessco Technologies, Hunt Valley, MD, has launched the Tessco Magic Online Web Site with an Internet version of its printed buyers’ guide. (www.tessco.com) . The Personal Communications Industry Association wants the FCC to reserve the 2.11GHz-2.15GHz band for third-generation (3G) wireless. (www.pcia.com/advomnfr.htm) . Harrisburg, PA-based AMP has lifted registration requirements for its on-line catalog of 95,000 connector products. (www.connect.amp.com)
The Industrial Telecommunications Association supports an FCC waiver request by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and GPU Energy to give any public safety and power radio service eligibles access to public safety and industrial business channels that the requesters propose to share-but only if the commission lifts the inter-category freeze so all classes of industrial and land transportation radio service eligibles can use public safety frequencies when participating in non-profit, cost-sharing joint ventures with public safety agencies. (www.ita-relay.com)
On April 27, during the afternoon prior to the International Wireless Communications Expo in Las Vegas, Simulcast Solutions of Fairport, NY, is conducting a forum on wide-area communications. (www.simulcastsolutions.com) . In addition to its new power supplies, Coquitlam, British Columbia-based Samlex America offers factory direct reconditioned supplies. (www.samlex-america.com) . The Houston Police Department, which provides law enforcement services to the nation’s 10th largest city, is now making use of a new TDM Series console installation for radio and telephone communications in its main dispatch center, in addition to command and training operations. The console is made by Cinnaminson, NJ-based Orbacom Systems. (www.orbacom.com)
Kenonic Investments, Calgary, Alberta, has purchased Calgary-based BatteryPRO Systems. (www.battery-pro.com) . Carrollton, TX-based Hutton Communications distributes Uniden two-way radios, accessories and parts nationwide as an authorized Uniden Communications distributor under an agreement announced Feb. 1. (www.huttoncom.com).
Hutton Communications’ Atlanta sales and warehouse branch has relocated to a new 50,400-square-foot shared facility (with Andrew) in an Atlanta suburb. The new address is 775 Tipton Industrial Drive, Suite F, Lawrenceville, GA 30045; phone numbers are unchanged. (www.huttoncom.com) . CommScope, Hickory, NC, has purchased Texas Instrument’s clad-wire fabrication equipment and technology for production of coaxial cable center conductors. Brian D. Garrett, Commscope president, said: “Since clad wire-center conductors represent a significant portion of our raw material costs, this purchase represents another big step in our ongoing cost reduction program.” On January 1, Commscope bought Alcatel’s $35 million/year coaxial cable business in Seneffe, Belgium. (www.commscope.com) Allen Telecom, Beachwood, OH, has sold its Marta Technologies subsidiary to Environmental Systems Products. Marta operates centralized automotive emissions inspection programs in Ohio, Maryland and Florida. Robert G. Paul, president of Allen Telecom, said: “We are pleased with this transaction, which will provide continuity for Marta’s operations and allow Allen Telecom to focus on our core business of providing equipment and services to the global wireless telecommunications infrastructure market.
