Glenayre MVP gives PrimeCo PowerBand a boost >BY Jason Meyers, Wireless Networks Editor

PrimeCo Personal Communications announced last week that $3.7 million worth of network gear from Glenayre Technologies will help the network operator provide enhanced services in its personal communication services markets.

PrimeCo will deploy Glenayre's Modular Voice Processing (MVP) system throughout its 11-market PCS footprint and will offer enhanced voice messaging services as a standard feature of its PowerBand service brand, which PrimeCo expects to begin offering in some markets later this year.

Enhanced services platforms such as the MVP are proving to be of particular appeal to PCS providers, latecomers to the wireless service marketplace. The flexibility that the platforms offer can give carriers the edge they need to distinguish themselves.

"PCS carriers are looking from the get-go to offer something a little bit different from cellular," said Michael Gulledge, director of marketing at Glenayre, Charlotte, N.C.

The MVP system can provide a variety of services (see box), including the company's Constant Touch one-number service. According to PrimeCo, the range of features available is one of the reasons it selected the platform for use in its network.

Glenayre featured the MVP system at Supercomm '96 last week.