Though Motorola UK Ltd has won the initial equipment order in Cellnet Ltd’s UKP400m project to implement a digital cellular network (CI No 985), there is no guarantee that the Schaumberg, Illinois based company will be Cellnet’s sole supplier: the initial order is for infrastructure validation equipment and testing will commence in the first quarter of 1989 prior to the digital network opening in 1991; Motorola will supply three base stations, some mobiles and a small switch but Cellnet has ordered two base stations from other unnamed suppliers to make sure its supply lines remain open in the future; Motorola is the sole supplier to Cellnet’s existing system but managing director Colin Davis says he believes competition is necessary and would like to have a number of suppliers for the European project.
