ROW Short Takes

Canada’s national wireless operators experienced healthy subscriber additions in the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2003. While the chart above clearly demonstrates that Bell Mobility captured the lion’s share of net additions, Telus Mobility and Rogers Wireless Inc. posted substantial gains. Microcell Telecommunications Inc. also experienced a significant jump in subscribers throughout the year, but its Q4 net additions were higher than total 2004 net additions. Source: Data compiled by Report on Wireless from carriers’ year-end financial reports. Microcell Telecommunications obtains bank financingMicrocell Telecommunications Inc. has received bank financing commitments for $450 million for its operating subsidiary Microcell Solutions Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Credit Suisse First Boston led the financing. The proceeds will be primarily used to repay senior secured credit facilities, but added flexibility in this new arrangement provides Microcell with an additional $100 million in cash to fund capital expenditures and for general corporate purposes. In other Microcell news, its Inukshuk Internet Inc. subsidiary has publicized seven learning projects, all in the province of Quebec, to which Inukshuk contributed $700,000. Bell introduces VoiceTunesBell Mobility has announced that it is the first carrier in Canada to offer ringtones based on Disney’s popular characters, dubbed VoiceTunes. Instead of hearing a popular melody, Bell subscribers can choose to have their favourite Disney character tell them they are receiving calls. Goofy, Tigger and Buzz Lightyear are examples of the VoiceTunes. In other Bell Mobility news, the company has released a suite of ruggedized data products and services for a number of vertical markets such as public safety, distribution/logistics, telematics, transportation, fleet management and others. Aliant launches five-location hotspot trial Aliant Telecom has launched a six-month trial of five hotspots. The trial, which began on February 17, users will be able to receive free broadband wireless Internet access at the following locations: Halifax International Airport, Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre, St. John’s International Airport, Greater Moncton International Airport and the Atlantic Technology Centre in Charlottetown. Aliant is working with Nortel Networks Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. Rogers releases Nokia deviceRogers Wireless Inc. and Nokia Canada have released the 3100 handset series that combines a colour screen, glow-in-the-dark cover accents, ringer-activated flashing lights and more. Grace Belmont, director of marketing for Nokia Products Ltd., said in a news release that the 3100 delivers great value that few handsets can match. Rogers is offering the 3100 for $99.99 with a two-year service contract. In other Rogers Wireless news, the company has announced that it has completed a private placement of US$750 million in senior notes due in 2014. The notes will be used to retire a series of notes previously issued and due in 2007 and 2008. Rogers Wireless has also launched a new mobile chat application developed by Ottawa-based ZIM Technologies International. Rogers Desktop TXT allows computer users to chat in real time with Rogers Wireless subscribers. NovAtel achieves milestone in development dealCalgary-based NovAtel has achieved a first major milestone in its cooperation agreement with Switzerland-based Leica Geosystems, announcing the release of the System 1200, believed to be the world’s first universal GPS system. The two companies have been working together since inking an agreement in 2002, when the two agreed to develop new Global Navigation Satellite System technologies. HP and Ericsson team up for unified communicationsHP and Ericsson have announced a worldwide agreement under which the two companies will deliver a unified communications solution for business customers. The system brings together both telephony and information technology infrastructures as well as service provider and private enterprise networks. The system is designed for companies of all sizes and is aimed at providing employees seamless voice and data services whether they are in the office or traveling. As an example, employees can request a single phone number for both mobile and fixed line services. SR Telecom closes financingMontreal-based SR Telecom Inc. has closed a $40-million financing comprised of the sale of more than 5.7 million units at $7 each. The previously announced financing was led by a syndicate of underwriters including Desjardins Securities Inc., TD Securities Inc. and CIBC World Markets Inc. Concurrent with the closing of this funding, the company has also closed a private placement of 570,000 units with Global Telecom LLC. The private placement netted SR Telecom more than $4 million. Net proceeds of the financing and the private placement will be used for general corporate purposes, working capital and may be used to pay down the company’s debt. Infowave increases amount of private placementInfowave Software Inc. has increased the size of a previously announced private placement from $6.5 million to $8 million. The additional amount will be held in escrow and is subject to Infowave shareholder approval at the company’s shareholder meeting on March 25. Each unit consists of one common share and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Each full warrant entitles the holder to acquire a common share at $0.29 for two years after the closing of the private placement. Sierra Wireless to use Zi predictive text systemSierra Wireless Inc. will be the first handset manufacturer to use Zi Corp.’s latest predictive text technology, dubbed the Input Method Editor (IME). Sierra Wireless has licensed Zi’s eZiText Chinese and eZiTap English, and embedded the IME in its new line of Voq professional phones. Shipments of the Voq handset are expected to begin in the first half of this year. Zi worked with Microsoft Corp. to reengineer its predictive text technologies to work with the Windows Mobile operating system for smartphones. Atsana launches multimedia processor for handsetsAtsana Semiconductor Corp. has launched its J2211 media processor system-on-a-chip. The J2211 resides on the handset and functions as a companion processor to the handset’s primary baseband processor. Sample quantities of the chip are currently available with volume production beginning in April 2004. C-COM Satellite ships latest iNetVu antennaC-COM Satellite Systems Inc. has started to ship the iNetVu 950 mobile antenna, the latest generation in the company’s antenna products family. According to the company, the 950 complements the presently deployed 740 and 1200 models. C-COM has already received multiple orders for the new antenna from companies in Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East. The 950 offers the ability to deliver higher upload and download speeds, which have been typically made available using larger antennas. Ignition Point releases Q1 2004 resultsIgnition Point Technologies Corp., the parent company of hotspot operator Fatport Corp., has posted stellar first-quarter financial results. Revenue for Q1 ended Dec. 31, 2003 skyrocketed 165% from $77,359 in Q1 2003 to $307,497. While the company still posted a net loss of nearly $350,000, that was a decrease of 33% from $520,487, the net loss recorded in the year earlier quarter. During Q1, Fatport grew its hotspot base to more than 100 sites across Canada, and accounted for more than 4,000 unique paying customers. Ignition Point had $6.1 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter. Agilent debuts low-cost calibration serviceAgilent Technologies Inc. has introduced a new low-cost calibration service for electronic test equipment used in general-purpose applications. The addition of this service gives Agilent one of the most comprehensive calibration service portfolios in the industry. The service is targeted at companies that need calibration services for general purpose applications from research and development to manufacturing to field service. CSI Wireless receive more fixed phone ordersCalgary-based CSI Wireless Inc. has received additional orders for its fixed wireless telephone, the Motorola-branded FX800t. The order from Brightstar Corp. represents a significant jump in demand for the fixed wireless phone compared to volumes shipped in the last two quarters of 2003. Since launching the phone in 2002, CSI has become the leading supplier in Mexico.

ROW Short Takes

News | 02/25/2004 5:00 am EST

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