This release is a bit dated, but I don't think it was posted previously:
TELE2 UK EXPANDS ITS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Founding Member Peter Scrope Appointed As Chairman Kjell Nilsson Joins As Managing Director
Reading, UK, 20 May 1999, Tele2 (UK), the new high-speed wireless data communications company, has strengthened its management team with two significant appointments. Peter Scrope, formerly Managing Director, is now Chairman and Kjell Nilsson joins from Tele2 Europe as Managing Director.
Scrope, who has been Managing Director since Tele2 UK launched in 1998, will be taking a more strategic role in his new position, concentrating on business development, as well as national and regulatory issues within the IT and telecommunications markets.
Nilsson has been involved in the telecommunications sector since 1985. He joins the company from Tele2 Europe, the national and international long distance telephony services company, where he was Managing Director of Tele2 Germany. Nilsson has been in the Millicom/Kinnevik group since 1990 in various senior management positions at Netcom Systems in Sweden and Denmark, as well as Tele2 Europe.
Scrope commented: "The growth of Tele2 UK has facilitated the need for my role to become more strategic. Kjell's expertise and insight will provide the strong leadership necessary to fulfil the company's network roll-out across the UK."
Nilsson said: "Our priority now is to roll out the network as quickly as possible across the UK. We have now completed phase 1 - the pilot phase in the Reading area - and can see a tremendous sales growth in this area. Customers like the 'Always On' concept and the fact that we are able install subscriber units within one week from order.
"The next phase involves the roll-out of the network, to provide high-speed Internet services to an additional four or five larger regions in the UK. By the end of year 2000, we intend to cover at least 10 major regions. We are currently targeting the service to small and medium businesses, as well as home workers. On completion of phase 2, we will prepare to extend our service to the residential market."
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Sounds like Wi-LAN's first real market test is going very well.
I have enjoyed reading this thread, and the good information provided. However, the recent debate about standards is I think a bit misguided. The real potential I see for Wi-LAN is in wireless local loop applications, such as that in the UK, and similar emerging licences throughout the world. For these applications, having a "standard" is not particularly meaningful, as the service is provided by one operator to each residence/business. There is no mobility, as is the case with cellular (making standards important there), and the CPE is not mass-marketed, given it is based upon the operators service (nothing like VHS/Beta situation). Providing wireless links for every electronic device is long down the road, the real market for Wi-LAN is in WLL which will be a multi-billion dollar market over the next few years. (Look at the contracts already won by Nortel for example). |
