Harris Joint Venture For China Telecoms 09/20/95
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1995 SEP 20 (NB)-- US telecommunications specialist
Harris Corp. has formed a joint venture with the Guangzhou Wire
Communications Equipment Factory to provide telecommunications systems
and services throughout China. The deal is the latest in a number of
joint ventures and technology transfers that Harris has formed in the
past decade to address China's fast-growing telecommunications market.

The joint-venture company, Guangzhou Harris Telecommunications Ltd.,
will be based in Guangzhou and will employ about 320 staff providing
research and development, manufacturing, sales, and support for digital
telephone switches and other telecommunications systems and services.
Sales and service offices have already been established in 13 Chinese
cities and are expected to expand to 25 offices in 1995.

The Guangzhou Wire Communications Equipment Factory is a major supplier
of digital systems for public and private telecommunications networks
in China. The country is the largest and fastest growing market for
telecommunications systems in the world, according to recent government
and industry surveys. With a population of more than 1.2 billion, China
has plans to greatly expand its telecommunications services during the
coming decade.

"The Chinese market represents one of the strongest growth opportunities
for Harris' communications products and services," said Matt Heidecker,
vice president of China operations for the Harris Corp.'s Digital
Telephone Systems Division. "This joint venture will greatly enhance
our ability to develop and sell products and services specifically
geared for this unique market."

Harris has been providing a wide range of telephone, wireless,
television, and radio broadcast products and services in China for
more than 20 years.

(Nigel Armstrong & I.T. Daily/19950920)


Sweden's Ericsson In $250Mil Philippines Telecom Deal 09/20/95
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1995 SEP 20 (NB) -- Ericsson has signed a contract
with Smart Communications, the Filipino telecoms operator. Terms of
the US$250 million contract call for the expansion of Smart's
existing Cellular Mobile Telephone Network (CMTN) and the construction
of a fixed network for the local exchange service areas.

Ericsson will supply all the necessary equipment to build the new
network and in the first stages of the contract, which is valued at
US$180 million, the Swedish telco will provide 280,000 telephone
lines, which Smart is committed to under its operating license from
the Philippines National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

According to Orlando B. Vea, Smart's chief executive officer (CEO),
in the second phase of the contract, which is valued at US $70 million,
Ericsson will be responsible for the expansion of Smart's Cellular
Mobile Telephone Network to around 300,000 subscribers.

"The signing of these agreements again demonstrates Smart's commitment
to accelerate the provision of telecommunications services in the
Philippines," he said.

Ericsson's AXE system will be the main platform for Smart's fixed and
cellular networks. Smart will be able to take advantage of network-
wide facilities such as intelligent networks, for example, ISDN
(integrated services digital network), and Centrex facilities.

According to Ericsson, the provision of an international gateway
switching facility and DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephony)
wireless telephony in the local loop trial system is also covered by
the contract. On the equipment side of the deal, Ericsson will supply
switching and transmission facilities, radio base stations, network
management systems, billing and customers services and system support
facilities.

Most of Smart's cellular network is made of Ericsson's switches and
radio base stations. The two companies have been collaborating since
1993, when Ericsson received its first contract from Smart
Communications. In 1994, the Smart TACS (Total Access Cellular System)
analog cellular network was launched in the Philippines and has
connected more than 85,000 subscribers over the last year, making it
the fastest growing cellular system in the Philippines.

(Sylvia Dennis/19950919/Press Contact: Per Pedersen, Ericsson
Telecommunications, +63-2-895-2902)


MFS Communications Expands Into Switzerland 09/20/95
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, 1995 SEP 20 (NB) -- MFS Communications has
announced the launch of its business telecoms services into the fifth
European financial center -- Zurich, Switzerland. Plans call for MFS
to offer Swiss companies international telecoms services (to and
from Zurich) beginning next month.

"Zurich is one of the largest and most important financial centers in
Europe. Expansion to Zurich is another step towards completing our
strategy of offering the same high quality services to our customers
in all major European financial centers," explained Marc Destree,
vice president of MFS International.

Like many European countries, Switzerland is dragging its heels
somewhat in allowing foreign telcos into the marketplace. Under
European Commission (EC) rules, however, the country must open up its
telecoms market by January 1, 1998. Before that date, however, the
Swiss Government must allow private telcos, such as MFS, to set up
operations in the country, to prepare the way for offering telecoms
services.

According to MFS, its Swiss operation will soon be in the position of
offering customers a wide range of high quality, hi-tech telecoms
services by voice, data, and video media. MFS officials note that the
Swiss Government has been obliged to license telecoms service
operators in Switzerland since July of this year.

Presently, MFS provides service or is in the process of opening new
centers, in London, Frankfurt, Paris, Stockholm, and 42 North American
metropolitan areas. Within the next three years, the company plans to
widen its services coverage to 90 cities, including 25 international
financial centers.

To strengthen its position in the Swiss telecoms market, MFS has
signed an agreement with Telekurs, a Swiss banking industry service
company. Under the terms of the deal, MFS will be responsible for
the implementation of its system electronics in Telekurs facilities,
while Telekurs will provide operational and customer service support.

(Sylvia Dennis/19950919/Press & Reader Contact: MFS Communications
Europe, +32-2-655-0211)


MCI Completes Nationwide Cellular Deal 09/20/95
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1995 SEP 20 (NB) -- MCI Communications Corp.
(NASDAQ:MCIC) will complete its friendly takeover of Nationwide
Cellular Service Inc. (NASDAQ:NCEL) today. Nationwide shareholders
have already approved the deal, which runs around $190 million in
cash, or $18.50 per share.

Under the terms, Nationwide stockholders will get the $18.50 for each
share they hold. Also today, Nationwide will distribute the
previously declared dividend of the common stock of Cellular Technical
Services Company Inc. (NASDAQ:CTSC) (CTS), which equates to .385
shares of CTS stock.

Nationwide is the nation's largest cellular reseller, bringing in
$213 million in revenue in 1994. The company provides wireless
services to 300,000 customers in 10 major cities, including Chicago,
New York City, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Washington DC.

With the Nationwide deal, and agreements with companies like GTE
Mobilnet, BellSouth, and AT&T, MCI said it will have access to more
than 75 percent of the US population in the top 100 business markets.

Newsbytes first reported on the deal last May. At the time, MCI
officials said the Nationwide acquisition was the "first step of
(MCI's) strategy to provide national wireless services integrated with
other MCI services for both consumer and business customers." This
strategy is already paying dividends for MCI, with recent bundling
announcements of cellular, long distance, paging, and other services
for the company's business and consumer channels.

MCI officials also said the company will begin to shy away from owning
local transmission facilities with this deal. Instead, it will resell
other companies cellular services under the MCI name, which MCI said
is cheaper than building and maintaining local installations.

Eventually MCI will sell Nationwide's services under the more-familiar
MCI brand name. For now, though, the Nationwide name will remain in
the marketplace.

(Bob Woods/19950919/Press Contacts: Kevin Inda, MCI Communications,
202-887-2028; Joe Pititto, Nationwide Cellular Service, 516-887-0399)


New Jersey Utility Deploys Packet Cell Technology 09/20/95
NEWARK, N.J., U.S.A., 1995 SEP 20 (NB) -- The wireless lane on
the information superhighway is getting its largest test yet.
Public Service Electric & Gas of Newark, N.J., is equipping more
than 750 field service workers with pen-based computers that
will communicate with cellular digital packet data (CDPD)
technology over the Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile cellular network.

CDPD is a technology that transmits short bursts of packets of
data over the cellular infrastructure, just as the Internet uses
data packets over the telephone wires. The PSE&G deployment is
the largest application of CDPD technology to date.

PSE&G tested several wireless services for picking Bell Atlantic
Nynex's CDPD. The utility says CDPD offers an open standard
based on the Internet's TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol) protocol and has inherent encryption.

The field service workers in the utility's gas service business
will use the computers to send and receive real-time information
on repair requests and customer orders over the cellular network
under the Air Bridge Packet name.

"There will be significant cost savings in the time we're
spending on paper processing," said Stan Kosierowski, PSE&G
director of the gas service business. "We'll be able to better
serve more customers because access to real-time information
will reduce the number of recurring orders, provide better
resource management and support our service guarantee
commitments."

Under the old system, service calls are transmitted by radio
from one of two call centers to regional dispatchers and to
field personnel who write down details repair calls and orders.
Once a job is completed, a time sheet is filled out and the
information called into a dispatcher, who manually enters it
into the database. The call and dispatch centers cannot track
customer calls.

The new system will let field personnel directly receive
real-time information on customer orders, repair requests and
existing maintenance contracts and previous problems. Once a
job is completed, the field service technician can enter details
on the pen-based computer and send it back in real time to the
appropriate databases.

"For a relatively new technology, CDPD has proven itself a
viable, industrial-strength service that has widespread
potential," says Lonnie Lauer, Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile vice
president. "The technology is already working for law
enforcement agencies, including the Bridgewater Police here in
New Jersey and others along the Northeast Corridor." Lauer said
that "utility companies throughout the region and across the
nation will be watching this system."

PSE&G is New Jersey's largest energy utility, serving 2.2
million customers, including 1.5 million gas customers.

(Kennedy Maize/19950920/Press Contacts: Frank Centore, PSE&G,
201-430-5980; Lynette Viviani, Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile,
201-283-9228)