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To: engineer who wrote (32604)	6/18/1999 1:04:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Hot Off The Press> une 18, 1999 Dow Jones Newswires AirTouch Commun Completes Purchase Pact With Samsung DALLAS -- AirTouch Communications Inc. (ATI) completed a master purchase agreement for open interface CDMA infrastructure equipment from Samsung Telecommunications America Inc., a unit of Samsung Corp. (Q.SSG). Financial terms weren't disclosed. In a press release Friday, Samsung said AirTouch plans to install Samsung's Pico base transceiver station and base solution controller. AirTouch expects the first systems to be deployed this year. -Dave Copeland; 201-938-5400

To: engineer who wrote (32604)	6/18/1999 2:11:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

Cdma News> From the June 14, 1999, issue of Wireless Week Carriers Try Multi-vendor Approach Interoperable Systems Can Boost Competition, Lower Costs By Peggy Albright The code division multiple access industry is beginning to see fundamental changes in how its wireless networks are planned and built. The new approach--which enables carriers to select certain components a la carte, without having to buy the "whole enchilada" from a single vendor--is expected to produce substantial reductions in capital expenditures and spur competition and innovation among equipment vendors. AirTouch Communications Inc. announced the most recent development of this capability when it completed field trials of the multi-vendor approach on a temporary network near Modesto, Calif., last month. The program exceeded the carrier's expectations in cost and performance benefits, and the company is now building a similar network, in Reno, Nev., to benchmark customer satisfaction of the new system against existing equipment there. Expecting that it can reduce network costs by up to 50 percent with this approach, the carrier is now telling all network equipment vendors to design equipment that can work with components from other suppliers. The AirTouch trial was the culmination of work conducted over the past several years by AirTouch, PrimeCo Personal Communications LP, Sprint PCS and some equipment manufacturers, including Motorola Inc., to develop a precise specification for linking vendors' base station controllers to mobile switching centers. AirTouch, through its Modesto trial, has gone beyond the BSC-MSC focus to require interoperability between elements within the radio-frequency base station and between other network elements. "We really want to stir up the waters here and show that we can bring in vendors that are competitive and, if need be, put them in," said Brent Bettencourt, director of strategic technology at AirTouch. Its Modesto field trial used ultra-small, or "pico" base stations, supplied by Hyundai Electronics and Samsung Telecommunications America Inc., that can be installed on street light standards and thus are less expensive to purchase, operate, maintain and locate compared to conventional designs. The company also used network switching gear provided by computer telephony vendors Tecore Inc. and TELOS Engineering Ltd., whose equipment can connect with many different radio base station manufacturers. Other participants included Fujant Inc., which provided a new radio amplifier technology, and Celletra Ltd., which developed an integrated tower-top active antenna system designed to enhance the performance of compact cellular and personal communications services base stations. The specification for interoperability between CDMA base station and switching equipment recently adopted by the CDMA Development Group was developed under the leadership of Sprint PCS, said Jim Takach, advanced systems team leader at CDG. Sprint PCS completed its own laboratory tests of a multi-vendor approach a couple months ago using a Nortel Networks MSC and a Motorola base station subsystem, as well as a Lucent Technologies Inc. MSC and a Motorola base station subsystem. Sprint PCS will conduct field trials of an interoperable system later this year. "In a more competitive environment, even if you've already deployed a network, simply adding on will give more choices and translate to price reduction, and it provides incentive for vendors to offer new and enhanced features in timely fashion," said Dean Prochaska, director of wireless industry standards at Sprint PCS.