AT&T Corp’s close relationship with Philips Electronics NV did not evolve into a happy marriage, but Ma Bell has not forgotten her old partner: the AT&T Network Systems International this week announced that it had given Philips Kommunikations Industrie AG of Nuremberg a contract to supply base stations for AT&T to sell as part of its Groupe Speciale Mobile digital cellular equipment offerings. A completely open interface design resulting from the agreement is claimed to make AT&T’s system the most standards-compliant in the industry. AT&T will supply the base-stations in combination with its 5ESS switch, cellular network management software and systems integration capabilities to offer European and worldwide operators an entire implementation.
