T20 weighs 127.5 gramms, works in GSM 900/1800 standard, has voice dialing functions, games, SMS and WAP. MP3-player and FM-tuner are among the accessories. The phone is shipped in four color schemes, with the battery capable of 200 hours of idle mode or 10 hours of conversation.

T20 It will be manufactured in Malaysia, China, Romania and the Great Britain.

To show, that 3G phone coming is not far off, it is enough to know, that Agilent Technologies Inc., the developer of control and measuring equipment, has presented the first commercial system for testing 3G mobile phones of IS-2000 for CDMA standard.

The system is intended to test functioning of application programs, receive and send modes and sound quality during development and manufacture of the first 3G mobile phones.

The system includes E1962A IS-2000 set for mobile applications tests that costs $13500 and E5515T set for wireless communication device tests that costs $48500. The prices do not seem so high in view of how many operators spend to receive 3G licenses.

And, at last, news from Comdex 2000 exhibition. Swedish Anoto company has presented "digital paper " – a new development with functions of paper, organizer and text editor. The device was shown for the first time about half a year ago and since then there were no real shifts in its progress, it is just simple future research, companies try to foresee what will be actual tomorrow. But let's freshen in memory the opinion of Anoto vice-president Andrews Tormod and the features of the device.

"Pen and paper till now remain the most popular interface in the world so we have decided to integrate them into digital world".

The digital paper looks exactly as a usual sheet, but has practically imperceptible point layer forming unique figure which serves as the identifier for each separate "page" in text editor. The information from page is transferred by means of Bluetooth to any device working with it, including mobile phones, pocket computers or PCs. The dot layer in any way is not connected to other images on a paper, therefore any trademarks, headers and other information may be placed on it.

The pen looks like the most usual pen, just thicker. It is equipped with Bluetooth transceiver, microcamera, image scanning system and, certainly, ink. The camera scans appearing text, and this "mini-film" is sent to any of the devices listed above.

In mass production digital paper and the pen may appear in the third quarter ‘2001, and the development was considerably sped up with that fact, that Bluetooth technology wins popularity.

As Andrews Tormod has noted, first of all new development is brought to attention of 9 brand office goods manufacturers which may integrate this technology into paper products. Tormod is sure, that support and interest of manufacturers will make it possible to lower cost of a novelty down to quite reasonable and to start its mass production.

One of the most interesting news of month: Nokia has presented the next model from Communicator gamma - 9210 Communicator based on the same EPOC platform from Symbian. It has hi-res color (4096 colors) screen, Java, WAP support, capability of working with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. As to the telephone part, it is dual-band GSM phone with usual lithium-ion battery, with gross weight of 244 gramms. Release is planned to first half ‘2001, the price is unknown.

New services.

Siemens has announced new web-service for WAP mobile phone users.

The new internet application allows to create your own WAP-pages by means of the computer, placing necessary resource links on them, various addresses and contacts and then to work with the given information with the help of WAP-phone, that greatly simplifies work with mobile Internet.

The basic part of the new application are virtual versions of Siemens C35, S35, M35 and IC35 WAP-phones, that allows user to choose the form, most convenient for him.

And the truth is that mobile devices integration does not give rest not only to equipment manufacturers, but also cellular communication operators. Qwest Communications International Inc. began to present voice Internet navigation services by means of commands given by user to mobile phone. Service covers news sections beforehand designated by user, airport information, weather, exchange quotations. Services are given in eight states in the west of USA. Service cost in a view of progress will be established during the nearest three months as $4,95 (per one month). Qwest is not the first company giving voice Internet access - TellMe and America OnLine have begun to offer same service before.

In the meantime Philippines have felt heavy steps of progress on themselves. In their cellular telephones domestic animals have appeared. The main country cellular operator Globe Telecom has started original HandyPet service - "virtual domestic animals in the mobile phone".

These creatures are named Globe HandyPet and exist in two realizations: "Handycat" and "Meowisha". Actually they are not absolutely pocket electronic creatures, they live not in telephones, but somewhere on the cellular operator server. And they only contact with owner by phone. And, it is necessary to pay for each dialogue session with telephone cat or dog. In the rest HandyPet and a well-known Japanese tamagotchi are similar: it is necessary to feed the virtual pupil, give him water, clean after him and in every possible way of humour. Sometimes these creatures give out foggy philosophical sayings like: "Future is sad" or "Image is nothing".

Cost of one communication session with the pupil is 2,50 peso (about 5 cents). It is little more, than cost of short text message transfer, but is cheaper than usual conversation. At initialization of the registered animal the user should load its symbolic picture which will appear at each communication session with virtual creature. Registration costs 25 peso (50 cents), and for Globe Telecom advance payment card owners the company gives 20-percentage discount.

Globe Telecom expects, that similar entertainment will involve new users and will increase broadcasting time of old ones It is possible not to doubt the last - for a "decent" care of the virtual pupil it is necessary to satisfy its needs approximately 100 times a day, that turns out to be 250 peso (about 5 dollars).

Now the company carries out polling on their site, whether users wish to care of HandyPet or not. The amount of interested persons exceeds indifferent user amount almost 2 times.

Sprint PCS trying to involve young consumers is beginning to offer new service - now, having pressed some buttons, it is possible to buy a disk with a song which is playing on radio at the moment.

The access ConneXus *CD service it is necessary to type *23, then telephone code of local radio station and number of a credit card.

Service also is available via any Sprint PCS phone connected to the Internet. In some regions service will be available via a local telephone line, Internet or minicomputers.

Opening by SMSboy.com company of the first web-portal, whence it is possible to send SMS messages to mobile GSM-phones users in any European country free-of-charge has became really significant event for Internet users.

The company management considers that SMS-messages are much more distributed, than the messages sent with WAP-phones which will keep high tariffs even with appearance of new phones of the following generation. Also it is supposed, that new service will be very popular among young subscribers.

English Genie company has released the first-ever common abbreviations dictionary for short messages system transmitted via a cellular telephone.

The book of a "pocket" format contains some thousand abbreviations for all occasions: from salutatory RUOK (Are you okay?) to farewell IL B L8 (I'll be late).

Such abbreviations are accepted not only among mobile phone users. Originally the system of most common phrases abbreviations and code designations has been developed in the environment of shortwave communication fans, then it has partly passed to the Internet, having been changed and even having created some rules: for example, the English pretext "for" is always replaced with number 4. Thus, 4u it is deciphered as "for you".

In opinion of experts, it is completely natural that abbreviation system will be taken as advantage by the majority of mobile phone users in the near future. As against Internet messaging, mobile users are limited not only by time, but also by the maximal length of the message - 160 letters.

The company plans to offer site visitors a free-of-charge copy of the dictionary.

Another interesting news of past month: Israeli WhiteCell company has announced the technology named CellF-Shield which is intended to protection mobile phones against virus attacks.

Till now the problem of virus attacks on mobile devices had not stood too critical, there were only separate examples of them. However many information technology experts predict, that anti-virus protection will need to be paid more attention as PDAs and mobile phones will receive information from Internet.

CellF-Shield technology protects mobile devices as effectively as anti-virus programs protect the PC. CellF-Shield is based on SMSafe technology developed before by the same company for mobile communication network operators, but, as against SMSafe, protection functions are carried out in the mobile device itself.

Besides CellF-Shield provides SMS-message spam protection, and is also capable of blocking any undesirable traffic, that becomes more actual every day.

Activity of cellular subscriber positioning systems announcements has gone on a loss and all brand were noticed in this area last month. British Cambridge Positioning Systems (CPS) company, the developer of Cursor technology, that allows to determine GSM mobile subscriber position by the difference in signals from the nearest base stations, has signed the first contract on shipping this technology to USA.

The technology has recently met approval and recommendation for using in all GSM-operators from the American Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Now system tests will be carried out on Voicestream company networks in Houston, Texas, and by the end of the next year the technology will be actively used by several operators in different states.

Acceptance of Cursor system in USA was promoted by the conclusion of CPS license agreements with Ericsson, Nortel and Siemens - companies that provide 78% of all worldwide GSM-communication infrastructure.

In connection with high-grade color screen phones appearance (read about it in above market novelties section), TV-signal to phone transfers have become actual. Japanese Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS) company has informed about successful tests of new service - for transferring digital TV to mobile phones. Experiment was carried out by NTT DoCoMo Inc., NTT Data Corp., TBS and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. New service will be available in following generation mobile phones of IMT-2000 standard.

Digital TV signals were sent from Tokyo television tower to the antenna located on the TBS building, whence they were transferred to the server via the wireless DoPa packet data transfer network that belongs to NTT DoCoMo.

But while large players develop new technologies, online trade and shipping service Kozmo.com is going to start internet cellular telephones distribution to its clients via its internet site. For this purpose the appropriate agreement with the mobile phones distributor InPhonic company is already made. The purpose of such "charity" is to increase sale volumes from Kozmo site. It is supposed, that clients will consider it convenient for themselves to order cosmetics, videotapes and food somewhere on the road, and then to receive them soon after arrival home.

InPhonic company is going to earn on percentage deductions from each Internet-purchase made with its phones.

And American QUALCOMM Incorporated company has announced commercial release of OmniExpress mobile communications system and about the first contracts on shipping these systems to Averitt Express and Hub Group, Inc companies.

OmniExpress system allows to operate a park of lorry convoys, carrying out a real time bilateral radio communication and moving vehicle observation with use of satellite global positioning system. OmniExpress is constructed on a basis of widely used OmniTRACS system. Sprint PCS's wireless communication network is used for data transfers.

More interesting application of remote monitoring was found by Nokia. It will carry out testing of network for the patient health state remote control in a private Mehiljajnen clinic, Helsinki, Finland. The system carries out two important functions - human body key parameter measurement (pulse, blood pressure, electrocardiograms) and wireless communication. The information about state of health is sent to coordinating center via mobile network of GSM standard.

Sonera company will participate together with Nokia in this project, as well as Uniqmed, the developer of medical measuring equipment. The purpose of test is to start a network to receive information necessary for the further "mobile public health services" concept development.

Bluetooth Devices.

Xerox and Compaq have presented their joint development at Comdex 2000 exhibition – a system of wireless computer & printer communication.

They has shown an opportunity of printing documents on laser Xerox DocuPrint P1210 printer that has received a command from Compaq Armada notebook, using a PC card supporting Bluetooth technology. The distance between the printer and notebook was 30 ft (9 meters).

Xerox also has shown about 30 various products and solutions with use of own MobileDoc wireless communication technology which provides electronic documents transfer from mobile phones, pagers or pocket computers to the nearest faximile, PC or printer.

You have your right to ask, why such news are presented here in the mobile digest? I shall explain it like that - as soon as Bluetooth technology will appear in desktop PCs, it will appear in phones also, but not earlier. It is my opinion and it has received confirmation in the recent research report which has been carried out by Meridien Research which concludes that popularity of Bluetooth close radio communication technology will not achieve the certain critical level before ‘2002. And the reason of such situation is high price of Bluetooth chips.

Nowadays Bluetooth chipset costs about $27, and for mass production it should fall in price down to $10-15. However, in opinion of Meridien analysts, such price fall is not expected in the near future.

But popularity of Bluetooth technology grows even in these conditions, and it is being applied not only to domestic networks. For example, MeritaNordenbanken Scandinavian bank now negotiates with Nokia company about shipping of the equipment for the system allowing to make payments with the help of mobile phones and wireless POS-terminals by means of Bluetooth communication.

But analysts say that Bluetooth close radio communication technology will win the world when chipset cost for the similar equipment will be lowered below $5. Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) company approves, that it can overcome this level next year.

CSR has announced the beginning of single-chip BlueCore01 Bluetooth chipset mass production. This year it plans to manufacture 50 thousand of these devices, and in ‘2001 it is going to make more than 5 million chipsets. And then five-dollar Bluetooth-chipset from CSR becomes real in ‘2001. To decrease manufacture cost CSR is going to pass to inexpensive EIII-TECHNOLOGY chip cultivation. CSR also informs, that it has already received orders for shipping of 100 thousand BlueCore01 chipsets from different manufacturers.

Xircom, Fujitsu Media Devices, ALPS, Alcatel and Mitsumi have already announced intention to use BlueCore01 chipsets. It will be used in pocket computers, cellular telephones, digital cameras, PCs and notebooks.

And again at COMDEX/Fall exhibition Qualcomm together with Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and Ericsson Microelectronics for the first time has presented wireless communication technology of a notebook with Bluetooth module with the mobile CDMA-phone via switched Bluetooth-network.

Bluetooth Radio (PBA 31304) module from Ericsson Microelectronics, notebook from Toshiba America Information Systems and the mobile phone with built-in MSM3300 Mobile Station Modem (MSM), and also Qualcomm's software have been used for demonstration. Such solution allows to carry out web-surfing with notebook and the phone using it as wireless modem for Internet connection.

And Motorola has announced the intentions to present PC boards next year, combining analog modem and Bluetooth capabilities. In the beginning, these products will be aimed at notebook market where they are more necessary. Accordingly, they will have mini-PCI form-factor. But we shall not overlook, that mini-PCI is very close to PCI.

I shall remind, that Intel and Microsoft plan to build Bluetooth support into Windows by the middle of ‘2001, and in one and a half or two years, in Motorola's opinion, all notebooks will contain software-modem/Bluetooth controller in the standard shipping. In Cahners In-Stat Group opinion, 1.4 milliard devices with Bluetooth interface will be present in the world by ‘2005.

And ELSA AG (Neuer Markt Frankfurt: WKN 507 360), one of the world's brand suppliers of Internet access and computer graphic solutions, has announced the strategic agreement with Peiker acustic company, the leader in the market of microphones, loud-speakers, mobile phones, and also radio receivers and radio telephones accessories.

The purpose of the given cooperation is the development and progress of new products on the basis of Bluetooth technology on the automobile market.

Another example, Ericsson, one of brand Bluetooth technology developers, has informed about intention to create the new company where all directions concerning this problem will be incorporated. The purpose of new company will be new Bluetooth technology products creation and licensing created technologies to other companies. Jurgen Neckmar has been appointed the director of new company to the period of organization that "collect" about 100 persons by the end of October.

In the meantime technology develops and Rainbow Technologies Inc, Consumer Direct Link Inc (CDL) and Acer Inc. have entered the partnership agreement in development of safe financial services and retail trade systems on the basis of Bluetooth technologies. Acer's computer equipment, virtual private networks coding technology from Rainbow Technologies Inc. and Bluetooth software along with user mobile commerce network creation systems from CDL will be used in joint development.

Mobile brands market standings.

Taiwan manufacturers (that are OEM for Europe and America) predict good prospects in mobile communications – as they say, in only the next year volume of their shippings will be doubled and if to pass to particulars there figures are even more impressive: Compal Electronics assumes 900 percentage growth in comparison with the last year - from 500 thousand up to 5 million, Arima Communication, being OEM for Ericsson, expects 10 millions next year figure (with 2 - in it), and in August this company has already made tests of GPRS models. Quanta also plans to manufacture GPRS phones in the first quarter ‘2001 and predicts 400 percentage growth next year (up to 5 million), Acer awaits 16-20 million mobile phones next year. So, we'll demand boost or price fall. Maybe both. But it's interesting to observe such optimism of Taiwan companies as a background of adverse forecasts from Motorola and Ericsson.

The government of Taiwan is going to support development of wireless telecommunications equipment manufacture. The government has developed the project of this sector development which provides manufacture growth up to a 6 milliard level by ‘2005. The initial stage of wireless communication development will be carried out, in particular, it concerns GPRS systems development and WAP transfers. Besides the government will support new mobile phone and wireless information device manufacturers.

Favorable conditions will be created for foreign investments in the wireless communications equipment sector, and brand foreign manufacturers, including Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia will get the opportunity of research, test and license centers in Taiwan.

At a past seminar on portable devices manufacture in Taiwan, analysts have marked wide experience of the Taiwan manufacturers in assembly manufacture, avoiding product deficiency or surplus, and acting with nature (including earthquakes), low production costs (that is more important for mobile devices manufacture, than PC manufacture).

At the same time eleven Chinese mobile phones manufacturers, have informed about intention to generate a production association with the purpose to increase output and to strengthen opportunities of competitive struggle against the foreign companies that are dominant at the present in the Chinese market.

This initiative has got encouragement of China Mobile brand cellular communication operator. The Chinese government is also going to help - both with own investments, and interdictions on the investment in other mobile phones manufacturers on the country territory. For the first half-year of ‘2000 only 10 % of 28 million mobile phones manufactured in China were made by the local licensed manufacturers.

But now Taiwan is far below the top three manufacturers, and so we'll talk about European market. Siemens was very active in November and has every other day announced the new agreement or new service. In November the company has informed about financial activity results for the year that has finished on September, 30. Company profit has grown by 81% and has reached $2,9 milliard level.

Sales have grown by 14% and have made up 78,4 milliard euro. The group of mobile communications got the best results, it's "untaxed" profits have grown from 334 million up to 758 million euro for one year. Quote dividends will be paid at the level of 1,4 euro (the last year dividends were 1 euro).

The company has informed, that there won't be such significant growth the next year, and it has resulted in quote cost fall by 2,7%, despite the impressing results of financial activity. Nevertheless, the company creates its future already today, so Siemens and the Dutch mobile communication operator KPN have won $106 million contract for creation of GSM-communication network for railways in Holland. Work on replacement of existing Telerail communications network will be carried out by MobiRail VOF joint venture of both companies. The customer is NS RIB (Nederlandse Spoorwegen Railinfrabeheer) company, the Dutch railway communications operator. The work are planned to finish by ‘2002. Siemens was the first company to develop a mobile GSM-communication network specially for use on railways in 1998.

And a new strategic partnership. Siemens has informed about negotiating with Japanese Toshiba corporation concerning the agreement on manufacture of next generation mobile phones, capable to transfer and receive videostreams and usual data as well, with much more higher speed than modern cellular telephones. As Siemens says, such agreement is supposed to be concluded already in the near future. In analysts opinion, the phones developed within this alliance will be sold under each company's trademark.

These phones will support the W-CDMA standard of cellular communication which is used in Japan, and also in some regions of Asia and Europe. Sales are supposed to begin in second half of ‘2001.

Siemens and Toshiba are still far behind market leaders such as Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola. By the end of March ‘2000, they own 7% of this market. However Siemens have already repeatedly announced the desire to take the third place in the list of brand mobile phones manufacturers, but it's not even in the first five. However, in opinion of Merck Finck & Co private german bank analyst Theo Kitz, even in the union with Toshiba Siemens will not be higher than the fourth place. Well, we'll see.

Siemens's "daughter" Fujitsu Siemens Computer company has informed about intention to invest 750 million euro ($637,2 million) in development of equipment manufacture for mobile commerce communication infrastructure within three years. Fujitsu Siemens will strengthen works in the field of new servers and information storage systems creation, marketing and consulting operations, will expand existing communications with software and services providers. Together with communications and networks branch of parent Siemens company development of new mobile devices will be conducted. The president of the company has announced, that in the first half-year of existence Fujitsu Siemens Computer has substantial damages, now however company receives steady profits and in the current year is going to achieve a break-even sales level of about 6,5 milliard euro.

Other attribute describing Siemens intentions is the contract about shippings of microprocessors for cellular telephones with Analog Devices company. Conditions of the bargain are unknown, however Analog Devices president has informed, what even for his company having 2 milliard profits in USA last year, it is a very significant sum.

Also it is possible to tell, that with appearance of GPRS networks in Europe, phones demand will smoothly begin to increase. The English Vodafone UK company, a mobile communication operator, has announced that one of key technologies suppliers for construction of its GPRS-communication network will be Lotus Development company.

Lotus is the developer of Lotus Notes messaging system and group work, and also technologies of Lotus Sametime short messages instant exchange. The mentioned products will be tested in the near future in the structure of Vodafone UK GPRS-network. This network is designed for high-speed (up to 115Kbit/sec) information transfers with the help of the personal computer, electronic organizer or the phone, supporting GPRS technology.

Another strategic partnership has became an expansion of Microsoft and Compaq cooperation boundary. Joint efforts of partners are directed on possibility for mobile networks operators and corporate customers to create and develop complex mobile applications and services. Microsoft and Compaq plan joint marketing and sales of mobile Internet-service and software from Microsoft on Compaq ProLiant servers, and also to expand functionalities of iPAQ Pocket PC pocket computers.

Offered services will present calendar and contacts manager based on Microsoft Exchange, personalized Web-content with multimedia support. Besides, Microsoft and Compaq closely cooperate for commercial expansion of solutions based on Microsoft Internet Cellular Smart Access (ICSA) platform which allows to present various additional services mobile networks subscribers, including email. Beta-testing of recently announced Microsoft Mobile Information 2001 Server product, known under the "Airstream" codename has begun.

Canon Inc. And Canon Europa N.V. ("Canon") have signed the contract with Ericsson Mobile Communications AB ("Ericsson") about strategic cooperation in the field of digital images transfer management from digital cameras to cellular communication devices. Canon Research Centre France S.A also takes part in direct participation in new technological solutions development. In the contract about strategic cooperation of Canon and Ericsson is presented the intention to develop and expand standards of wireless digital data transfers that will allow to involve customers, and also applications suppliers in partnership. Result of joint efforts will be the introduction of new high technologies and development in the field of digital images on the consumer market of wireless devices.

All new decisions for the consumer market will be developed with reference to GSM, GPRS, EDGE and 3G with an opportunity of Bluetooth devices connection and WAP applications. Canon Group unites more than 300 companies. Cumulative commodity circulation has exceeded 25 milliard dollars in 1999. The greatest part of sales is owned by two brand segments of Canon production: printers and computer peripherials (37%) and photocopiers (30%). Telecommunication equipment, photo- and videocameras have 12% and 11% accordingly to total realization amount.

Ericsson has estimated components for the telecommunication equipment purchased on Taiwan this year in 310,75 million, as Taiwan Commercial Times has informed, that it confirms prospects of the Taiwan manufacturers. To the present components for about $186 million have been shipped. Ericsson has recently informed about the contract on purchase of 3G cellular telephones components from Arima Communication Corp. In process of PC world market saturation, Taiwan manufacturers pay greater attention to development of telecommunication components and mobile phones manufacture. Many have already received orders from Motorola Inc., Philips and Ericsson. The most active among manufacturers are Acer Group, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Quanta Computer Inc., DBTel Inc. and Inventec Group. Acer, Quanta and DBTel make significant amount of mobile phones (according to Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute, this year it will be 16,6 million), TSMC together with Alcatel develops chips for Bluetooth technologies, and Acer Communications and Multimedia Inc. plans creation of 3G mobile communication base stations manufacture.

Ericsson has announced intention to grasp the biggest share of 3G cellular networks systems market even before inevitable equipment price decrease forthcoming. Ericsson reprofiles its activity according to this strategy.

According to the head of company's 3G-networks division Mats Dahlin, Ericsson now concentrates efforts to decrease manufacture expenses, sales escalating and marketing development of these products to be prepared for price decrease which will take place in ‘2003-2004. Mass distribution of a 3G-telephony is supposed to begin then.

However Ericsson doesn't overlook today about 2G mobile communication systems development, namely, about GSM technology. As Ericsson forecasts, the GSM-communication market fastest growth will take place in the near future in Asia, Latin America, the East Europe, Russia and USA. Ericsson experts consider, that prospects of GSM-communication technology are now underestimated, and it will live about 10-15 years more. Nowadays only in China each month brings another 2,5 million new GSM-communication networks users.

In the rest Ericsson operates the "Soviet" methods and after last quarter's bad results strengthens unprofitable division with new managers. The Consumer Products Division of Ericsson has announced three new managers for strengthening mobile phones release direction of the company. Nikolaus Frank will start work in the company in ‘2001 and will be responsible for mobile phones design. He has 13-year experience of design work. Anders Franzen will begin to work on December, 1 as the supplier. He made purchases for Volvo Car Corporation before. The third manager - the expert in consumer market Philip Vanhoutte, has already begun working.

Another participant of the big three, Motorola Inc. has informed about plans to release 1 milliard liabilities with repayment in November ‘2010. The offer will be carried out by Chase Securities Inc., Goldman, Sachs and Co., Banc of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Salomon Smith Barney and UBS Warburg LLC under Merrill Lynch & Co management. It's true that things were not good recently, and the failure of Iridium global satellite system has it's effect as well.

Quotes of another satellite telephony company - Globalstar (index: GSTRF) have fallen more than by 60% ($3.62) down to $2.38 after 3-rd quarter financial results were published. Losses have made $219 million or $1/quote that is much more than last year's 3-rd quarter result - $48.1 million. The analysts questioned by First Call/Thomson, assumed that losses will make 90cents/quote. The quarter profit has increased from zero in 3rd quarter last year up to 1.2 million.

Globalstar has informed, that the number of its clients was doubled in the last quarter and has made 21300, the company said that it is a rather low parameter and it should be increased due to marketing policy and attempts to sell satellite phones to big companies and the governmental agencies.

40% of Globalstar quotes belongs to the Loral Space & Communications satellites manufacturer, and Qualcomm also own some part.

But losses do not frighten the investor consortium headed by Alcatel Space, because it should finish developing the plan of creation of satellite communication network covering all African continent by the end of year.

Geostationary satellite launch, gateway stations creation, and also 500000 inexpensive terminals working on a solar energy are supposed. Services of satellite communications will be available in all 53 countries of Africa.

The services package includes intercity and international connections, multimedia information transfer to country areas and digital TV transfer.

British Telecommunications, the largest television operator, has some financial difficulties as well. It is going to sell a number of capacities and quotes to decrease the debt by $14.2 milliard (?10 milliard). With this step company also hopes to lift quote level that has fallen twice this year.

The former state monopoly that has become private 16 years ago, will sell a quarter of quotes in BT Wireless and Yell Service of Catalogues until the next year. Probably, BT will sell quotes via the high-speed Internet-network. The executive director of british telecommunication giant Peter Bonfield is going to reduce the company's debt down to $28.6 milliard by the end of ‘2001.

Nevertheless British Telecommunications has announced some radical restructuring by the end of month which will result in division into five separate companies. This step has caused various reactions from investors, some of them consider that the share market of telecommunication companies is already full. The company management counts division necessary to decrease the debt by 30 milliard down to 20 milliard pounds by the end of the next year. Among the nearest steps there are 25% quote sale of mobile communication branch and creation of company that will possess an infrastructure of communication networks. British Telecommunications hopes, that the british government will reduce the role of state regulation in telecommunication services for population and corporations.

There were some investment funds created in November, one of them is the Qualcomm Ventures risk investments fund which will be engaged in strategic investments into beginner companies worldwide. Directions of investments are CDMA technologies and Internet mobile access development, in particular, telecommunications devices and applications, wireless communication infrastructure and components, Internet infrastructure, content and services, auxiliary communication technologies. Within four years fund will have $500 million.

Jeff Jacobs, the senior vice-president on business development of Qualcomm company, will supervise the fund. The company considers, that mobile communication and Internet convergence will create opportunities for new products, applications and services development,.

Sun Microsystems has also informed about the development strategy in Internet mobile sphere. The company is going to create a fund of risk investments with the capital of $100 million intended to wireless communication company investments. The company management counts 3G wireless communication development as the important stage in changing to new Internet access methods for each consumer and is going to develop new directions concerning mobile communications with Internet access. For this purpose the new company's department and also Wireless Excellence Center in Stockholm are now created.

Active cooperation with telecommunications networks operators, network equipment manufacturers, wireless communication software developers is supposed. Sun has already invested in Graviton, Everypath, WhereNet and Nuance before.

Sun has named subscriber positioning technologies, streaming video transfer and wireless networks safety among investments priorities.

Activity in the field of the mobile Internet technologies was also shown by Nokia that has informed about introduction of the sixth version of the Internet data transfer protocol (IPv6) into GPRS system. Now mobile communication operators can use the additional opportunities given by the new protocol, such as almost unlimited amount of new Internet addresses, and also data transfer quality and safety improvement.

Both new IPv6 and old IPv4 protocols can simultaneously operate in mobile communication networks during transition period.

After this the announcement of Nokia Mobile Internet Technical Architeture global initiative which is undertaken with the purpose of mobile Internet technical architecture creation has followed.

Participation of developers, communication services providers, operators and other interested organizations in creating conditions which might provide Internet mobile device users with mutual various networks, communication standards and ways of access compatibility is supposed.

The created architecture should give users standardized Internet access solutions distinguished by simplicity and a variety of opportunities.

The company has posted a special section devoted to this problem on www.forum.nokia.com forum.

And some unusual news. The Singapore M1 operator has made decision to pass to standard GSM after two years of CDMA mobile communication network operation. More than 50 thousand subscribers will hand over the mobile phones the next year and will receive new ones in exchange. The company has announced, that this is made due to external circumstances as the government demands to release frequency range for 3G mobile communication.

M1 is one of three Singapore operators that can really pretend to get 3G mobile communication license in the future.

3G communication licenses.

As the world only prepares for the future 3G networks, in the city of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state, India, everything is ready to the launch of 4G mobile communication network test segment. The project will be started in three months, it is known only that its author, Charmed Technology Inc. is going to use the lowermost frequencies from 1GHz range, having chosen at least three 20 MHz blocks separated from each other by at least 250 KHz. One of key conditions is that communication range from a point chosen as the operational center, should be not less than 50 kilometers.

Nevertheless, 3G licensing has its "dark sides" as well. Holland telecommunication market regulating comittees have started investigation of negotiations between local VersaTel company and its Telfort competitor, belonging to British Telecom, carried out during July UMTS-communication licenses auction. Financial Times says that, Telfort may be deprived of licenses and results of auction may become void in case if companies will be convicted in arrangement of auction participation tactics. British Telecom denies tactics discussion and insists that the negotiations hadn't concerned the auction. Five UMTS-communication licenses were given out during the Dutch auction, costing $2.29 milliard to participants.

In middle of November Dutch investigatory committees have conducted a search in two offices of Telfort and Versatel companies and have withdrawn some documents which may give the answer to suspicions arisen at investigation concerning probable companies' arrangement with the purpose of understating the license cost. Auction has been stopped, when Versatel company has announced refusal in the further participation, and five remaining participants have received five licenses. The meeting between Telfort and Versatel the day prior to auction has served as an occasion to start investigation. If suspicions will prove to be true, both companies will be fined, Telfort will return the license, and auction will be carried out anew.

And the Swiss government has made decision to postpone 3G licensing auction in some minutes prior to the beginning after some companies have simultaneously refused to participate, and there turned out to be four licenses for four participants.

Government says that licenses will be sold to the remaining participants, or a new competition will be arranged. The decision will be made in the beginning of December.

Swiss Diax company, the third mobile communication operator is going to find the partner to participate with, prior to the beginning of 3G license auction.

Among probable partners there are Telecom Italia and Spanish Telefonica. Diax's auction competitors, Swisscom and Orange Communications companies have already found investors who will help them receive licenses. Swisscom has agreed with British Vodafone upon 25% sale, and Orange has strengthened the positions due to 42,5% Orange's quotes purchase by France Telecom from german Eon company. Nine participants will compete for four licenses. Diax has 675000 mobile communication subscribers. Besides it presents Internet access services and stationary telecommunication in Sweden. Company expects to receive income at a level of 1 milliard Swiss francs ($562 million) at the end of the year.

The Spanish government plans to announce the tender for two new GSM licenses in first half of ‘2001, allowing new operators to start services by the end of ‘2002. The head of the Spanish Ministry of Technologies has announced, that licenses will be given to new operators for communication services in 1800 MHz range.

Now there are three GSM operators in Spain - Telefonica, Airtel and Amena.

Plans on distribution of three more 3G licenses for wireless stationary access systems operation and creation have been announced in Ireland. Competition for two 28GHz frequency communication licenses and for one 10,5GHz frequency license will be carried out in March ‘2001. In the previous competition there were seven participants, eircom, Esat Telecom, Formus Communications Ireland and Chorus has become broadband communication license owners, and eircom, Esat and Chorus have received licenses for narrow-band communication.

This time the companies can not participate in two categories at once. Winner "elections" will be carried out on the basis of business plan and economic parameter comparison.

The Australian government has announced forthcoming 3G license auction rules. They provide participation of at least four competing operators offering services in cities and country areas. According to the statement of Richard Alston, the minister of communications, information technologies and arts of Australia, auction that will be held in first half of ‘2001, will be very favourable to consumers. The competitive environment will provide speed of 3G mobile communication services and the lowest prices.

NEC will receive the right to use Qualcomm's technologies and patents for 3G systems development, manufactures and sales of subscriber devices and the equipment for 3G mobile communication infrastructure of CDMA standards (i.e. cdma2000, WCDMA and TD-SCDMA) and 1xEV (HDR). NEC will pay license deductions for use of any CDMA technology under rates of working nowadays cdmaOne technology.

Statistics.

In the report of Econ One company, conducting markets researches, there's the analysis of USA cellular communication subscribers charges status for last 12 months (by 30 of September ‘2000).

For this period average charges for mobile phone usage have fallen by 7,6%. The analysis was carried out in 25 cities of USA, and only Tampa, Florida was registered in charges growth. The users of "600 minute conversations per month" category, began to pay $62,20/month instead of $69,22 or 10,3% less.

It is typical for those who speak less than 30 minutes per month, charges have even grown by 0,6%. The company predicts, that in the foreseeable future mobile communication usage will grow steadily (one year growth has made 50%), and charges will fall. Communication charges were reduced most of all for Dallas (20,4%), Chicago (15,5%) and San Francisco (14,9%).

According to other recent research that has been carried out by Research Centre of Bornholm company, there would be twice more mobile phone owners than Internet users in the world by the end of ‘2000. 56% of people, and in ‘2003 - 69% will have a cellular telephone in the western Europe by the end of ‘2000. About 41% of Europeans will have Internet access in 3 years, and 20% will use WAP-services for mobile Internet-access.

As to Asia, China will become the world leader in mobile phone amount by the end of ‘2002. USA are already far behind Europe in mobile phone distribution, this year the number of the American users will increase by 10% and will make 41% of the population in total. And, USA are one of few countries in the world where there are more Internet users, than mobile phones owners.

On a global scale, by the end of ‘2000, the number of mobile phones users will reach 690 million people, and in ‘2002 - 1 milliard. Note: average life of the mobile phone makes up 20 months.

And another interesting "Digital Planet 2000: The Global Information Economy" research that has been published by World Information Technology and Services Alliance association - results of development forecast in the sphere of telecommunications and information technologies from the point of charges for these branches in different countries. Total expenses of all world countries have made up $2,1 trillion last year, and by ‘2004 they should increase by 50%. These forecasts are based on International Data Corp. information. The mentioned sum makes now 6,6% of all world total gross output. In 1999 USA was in the lead in expenses ($762 milliard), then Japan ($362 milliard) and Germany ($139 milliard). Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, China, Brazil and Australia are also in top ten countries leading in this parameter. Since 1997 this list has remained constant, however China has moved from 10th to 8th place. The most fast-growing information and communication technologies market appeared to be in Vietnam where average annual charges growth for last seven years is 35%. Some more countries like Poland, Columbia, India, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have shown growth exceeding 10% per year.

In the World Cellular Database review of Iceland's EMC company there are results of mobile communications cover in the different countries of the world. Finland has conceded leadership in number of mobile phones per capita to Iceland for the first time for last years. By the data for the end of September, cover of the population by mobile communications in Iceland now makes 75,8%, while in Finland it is 73,7%.

And for the end, the report by Strand Consult company which asserts that more than 4/5 WAP users use WAP-portals for navigation. It is reported that despite all disputes concerning WAP, whether it will be a successful way of mobile Internet access or not, it depends exclusively on its users. The company has questioned 1825 WAP users and it has been revealed that the average respondent uses mobile Internet access for about eight minutes per day. It's interesting that 2/3 of them said that it's their employer who pays for WAP. As a result, 46% use WAP for business. Business users say that WAP has replaced the usual Internet in many situations. The basic advantage of the protocol is the opportunity to access fresh information from any place.

Other.

The Federal Communication Commission of USA (FCC) has released the application for probable changes in rules of granting wireless communication frequency ranges. The companies who own such radio frequency ranges, can sell and rent them without the reference to FCC. The head of FCC Willam Kennard has announced, that this will create the secondary market by analogy to the fixed communication lines.

An in the end, the subject of cellular telephones safety. Recently Motorola marketing manager Rainer Lischetzki has told New Scientist, that speeds of GPRS mobile communication high-speed technology which has come to replace GSM, probably are to be limited to remain within the radiating safety requirements. As he said, , it's possible to overheat the phone at speeds of 27 Kbit/sec up to 86Kbit/sec, and its radiation level may surpass the maximum allowed by European rules.

However, Motorola now approves, that article in New Scientist was a mistake because Lischetzki "was not authorized" to discuss technical side of GPRS though he's a GPRS technical marketing manager of Motorola. And ZDNet has been refused to interview him. According to Motorola's PR director Mark Durrant, the company is not ready to risk "another wrong article". Instead Motorola has announced that "though first GPRS phones appeared in the market may not work at speeds close to a theoretical maximum, it is not connected to those problems which are observed by New Scientist". Motorola does not explain, why the maximal speeds are not achieved.

However it has been confirmed in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, that the maximal frequencies are potentially dangerous. "Potentially GPRS devices... may exceed radiation levels, specified in the Recommendations by the Europe Council". The technical representative of National Radiation Protection Management (NRPB) Simon Mann also confirms it. As he said, though mobile phone manufacturers should observe the rules limiting cellular telephone radiation, it is quite possible, that some GPRS devices, designed for the uppermost level of the market in particular, may exceed maximum permissible values.

The question is that whether GPRS phones will work at speeds advertised by manufacturers. Usually they assert that GPRS devices transfer data approximately in three-five times faster than modern mobile phones, though in common opinion, these figures are overestimated. In analog mobile phones there is a transmitter that is on during all conversation so one phone uses the radiochannel undividedly. GSM phones share channels: up to eight devices transfer short data packages via the same channel. It means, that though the maximal GSM device output signal capacity makes 2 Wt, it actually radiates one eighth of this energy, a quarter of watt. Often even less. To save energy and to increase number of the phones capable to simultaneously work in the system, the signal capacity is automatically reduced down to minimal necessary for reliable communication with the base station.

GPRS supports the same scheme, but the phone may use more than one time interval (slot) for data transfer. Thus, three-slot GPRS channel working at speed of 30-40Kbit/sec, radiates 3/4 Wt in maximum. It is approximately as much as the analog phone radiates during a voice call, but GSM radiation level is often below maximal, especially in places where there are many base stations or few buildings.

The average radiation level is even lower, as GPRS is a packet system: the transmitter works only during data transfers and for the rest of time it's switched off. The transmitter works constantly during file transfer from the phone to base station; it works seldom during text message transfer or web-browsing and that reduces radiation down to several milliwatts.

The consumer association has condemned Motorola for refusal to reply. Association representative has said that consumers pay much attention to the questions of health, and she thinks that Motorola's actions will not help it in any way. Clearness is necessary in such questions, and it disturbs many customers very much.

And Scotland has decided to "reinsure". Sam Galbraith, minister of Scotland Environment has announced that mobile communication operators in Scotland will probably have to get the appropriate sanction to plan mobile communication antennas building.

This question will be solved after discussion with the companies and also in view of a public opinion. In process of mobile phone owner amount growth more and more masts are required. One object to their construction for some aesthetic reasons, others consider that it may negatively influence health. The government commission of Great Britain has informed, that it can't exclude presence of mast negative influence on people health.

Nowadays it is possible to build masts up to 15 meters in Great Britain without the appropriate sanction.

Other good news from "Foggy Albion". Despite the inconsistent research results of mobile phones influence on people health and the absence of official conclusions about any harm, Ministry of Health of Great Britain finishes warning labels preparation. Warnings that it's not recommended for children to talk long by mobile phones, will be dispatched by the end of the year in all british phone shops, as Silicon Valley News informs, referring to British Independent newspaper. Ministry of Health representative has announced that "still there are fears about probable harmful mobile phones influence, and we shall warn consumers about it". In Great Britain there are 25 million mobile communication users that makes almost half of the country population in total. A quarter of them is younger than 18 years. Gerard Hyland , the doctor of physics from Warwick university, is among those who think the phone to be harmful. In his opinion, the usage of mobile phones by people younger than 18 years results in headaches, memory losses and sleeplessness. However, there's no final conclusion yet, and the government of Great Britain is going to carry out additional researches of this problem.

Bonus.

For those who read this "opus" to the end I have some funny pictures. Thanks Alecs for them.

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