COMMUNICATIONS

AT&T; in Joint Cellular Phone Chip Venture: AT&T; said it has joined a Japanese firm, Mitsui & Co., and a small Berkeley-based American technology company, Teknekron Communications Systems Inc., to develop computer chips for next-generation digital cellular phones. Digital phones would transmit conversations in computer language, such as that used to record compact disks. Today’s cellular phones use older analog technology. Digital cellular systems should allow a far greater number of phone users in a particular area and provide a clearer signal. Financial terms of the venture were not disclosed.