TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AirTouch-Led Group Wins Spanish License: The Airtel Group won the bidding to set up a private cellular telephone system, where it will compete directly with the existing cellular system operated by the state-controlled telecommunications company Telefonica, said Jose Borrel, Minister for Public Works and Transportation. Airtel includes British Telecommunications and Spanish partners Banco Santander, Banco Central Hispano, the utilities Union Fenosa and Fecsa and the builder Cubiertas. San Francisco-based AirTouch is a cellular phone company that was spun off by Pacific Telesis early this year. Airtel had bid $640 million for the license. That made the cellular license the most expensive to be auctioned in Europe.