ROW Update

More spectrum to hit the auction blockIndustry Canada has announced plans to auction off radio frequencies that can be used to provide high-speed Internet access to businesses and consumers in all regions of the country. Spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands is expected to be on the block next year. More details. Poor capital markets blamed for B.C. MDS rollout delayMDS licensee SkyCable Pacific has been granted an extension by the CRTC to implement its wireless cable offering in British Columbia. The original deadline of July 6, 2001 has been extended for 12 months. SkyCable Pacific, a subsidiary of Craig Wireless International Inc, which also owns and operates the SkyCable MDS system in Manitoba, blames poor capital markets for the need for an extension. "The capital markets for competitive BDU (broadcast distribution) undertakings, specifically for MDS video networks, experienced a market downturn beginning in the later part of 2000," the company wrote in a letter last month to the CRTC. "At this time and for the foreseeable future it is virtually impossible to finance the start-up of an MDS video network either with debt or private equity." Fellow MDS operator Look Communications Inc, which operates in Ontario and Quebec, has had its own problems accessing capital. The company has until Aug. 25 to seek new financing or face the prospect of asset sales or ceasing operations. More details: Decision CRTC 2001-470 Look announces agreement with BCE and Telesystem Norigen Communications in receivershipNorigen Communications Inc is the latest telecom victim in the unrelenting market, which has pushed the company into receivership. A company spokesperson has confirmed reports of the receivership and PricewaterhouseCoopers will serve as interim receiver while possible solutions to the company’s financial woes are sought. The July 9/01 edition of Report on Wireless reported that Norigen recently shelved its deployment plans for 24 GHz and 38 GHz spectrum. More details. Stream continues to battleStream Intelligent Networks Corp, the only national LMCS provider seemingly unscathed by difficult market conditions, has inked a deal with O&Y Properties to offer tenants access to a hybrid fibre/wireless broadband network in the Greater Toronto Area and across the country. More details. Telesystem invests in Mobile Computing CorpMobile Computing Corp has received a $ 5-million infusion of cash giving the Toronto-based company enough money to expand operations. Money came from various sources including Charles Sirois’ Telesystem Ltd. Separately, MCC also entered into an agreement with Telesystem whereby it can gain access to an additional $5 million if it meets certain targets for Q2 and Q3 2001. More details. Surprise demand for Nortel bondsNortel Networks Corp appears to be a good buy these days. A bonds offering that was valued at US$1 billion was increased by the company to $1.5 billion to meet demand by eager buyers. More details: Nortel Networks expects to raise US$1 billion through convertible senior note offering Nortel gets cash from bond, but also deeper debt RFID company SAMSys reports strong revenue and earningsToronto-based SAMSys Technologies Inc, one of the world’s up and coming RFID players, continues to improve its financial position, posting a strong increase in revenue of about 20 per cent in its most recent quarter. Q3 revenue was more than $1 million, which makes up nearly half of the nine-month revenue to date demonstrating that the earnings position for the company is becoming more solid. More details. FCC to begin search for more spectrum for 3GLate last week, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to explore the possibility of freeing up more spectrum to support the introduction of advanced wireless services. But the wireless industry has heard this before with little results. The FCC has explored the upper broadcasting channels and the MDS frequencies but in the end neither of those proposals were considered acceptable. In this round, the FCC has identified several bands including radio frequencies it recently granted to the MSS industry only a few weeks ago as a possible solution to support advanced wireless services. More details. MSS players may be able to introduce terrestrial componentThe FCC has agreed to look at the issue of allowing mobile satellite players introduce a terrestrial wireless component to their vast wireless communications. New ICO and Motient, two MSS providers in the U.S., had asked for the right as a way to better serve remote and rural areas. The terrestrial mobile wireless industry is vehemently opposed to the idea. They say that MSS players, who get their spectrum for free, would have an unfair advantage over them. More details. WAP 2.0 introducedThe WAP Forum has released the next version of the WAP protocol that aims to deliver a more rich wireless Internet experience to mobile phone users. The much-maligned protocol hasn’t received the support its proponents believe it deserves and only time will tell whether this version wins over the naysayers. More details: WAP Forum specifications undergoing public review WAP Forum specifications PDF

ROW Update

News | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

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