Press Clippings: November 2006
Major Industry items you might have missed
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Europe says 3G auction inflates UK mobile prices.
Source: The Register.
The European Commission has called on Ofcom to discount the massive costs paid by operators for 3G phone licences when calculating call costs. The proposal could cut mobile call charges by up to a third.
Posted by Judith — 4:43 AM
O2’s little blue book.
Source: Telecoms.com.
UK mobileco O2 has launched a free remote storage service which will eventually allow subscribers to store their files and data in a web accessible account.
From the offset, My bluebook will enable customers to upload text messages picture messages or video clips by sending them to a free dedicated shortcode.
The information can also be shared by forwarding a link to the password-protected site. From early next year any text or picture message created by My bluebook subscribers will be automatically uploaded to the site.
Posted by Judith — 4:38 AM
Google to cancel Google Answers service.
Source: FT.com.
Google has said that it will end its Google Answers service, marking a rare decision by the search company to trim its rapidly-expanding portfolio of services.
The admission of defeat also points to an area where Yahoo, though widely seen as still lagging Google in search, has outstripped its arch-rival.
Posted by Judith — 4:03 AM
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Comcast starts offering wireless phone service.
Source: Reuters.
Comcast Corp. has become the first U.S. cable operator to take on telecommunications providers in the cell phone market, having begun marketing the service to consumers in Boston.
Posted by Judith — 4:41 AM
DoCoMo, others plan multimedia for cellphones.
Source: Reuters.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc., Fuji Television Network Inc., Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. and other firms will team up to develop new broadcast services for cellphones.
The partnership will include satellite broadcaster Sky Perfect Communications Inc. and trading house Itochu Corp.
Posted by Judith — 4:35 AM
BT fires up 21CN.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The UK’s incumbent carrier BT has started transferring the first customer lines over to its next generation 21st Century Network.
21CN will allow the introduction of new voice, data, broadband and multimedia services and will enable them to be delivered quicker and cheaper than before, including planned broadband speeds of up to 24Mbps.
Posted by Judith — 4:32 AM
3Com takes the H3C plunge.
Source: Light Reading.
The implied valuation of the Huawei-3Com (H3C) joint venture is US$1.8bn. now that 3Com Corp. has offered US$882m. to acquire the 49 percent owned by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.
That valuation may have been too much for the private equity firms that were reportedly running their rulers over H3C for a possible buyout. It was also reported earlier this month that Juniper Networks Inc. and Nortel Networks Ltd. may have been interested.
But instead of landing a deal with outside parties, 3Com announced that it would bid for Huawei’s share of H3C.
Posted by Judith — 4:13 AM
Increased Cloud coverage across Europe.
Source: TeleGeography.
Wi-Fi operator The Cloud has unveiled plans to extend its network of city-wide Wi-Fi hotspots across Europe. According to the firm it will roll out hotspots across more than 30 European cities over the next two years. By 2008 it is estimated that there will be more than 160m. Wi-Fi-enabled devices in Western Europe, representing around a third of mobile consumers in the region.
Posted by Judith — 4:12 AM
EU Commission approves AOL takeover.
Source: TeleGeography.
Telecom Italia’s takeover of ISP AOL Germany, which reportedly served just over 1m. broadband customers at the end of June 2006, has been approved by the EU Commission under its merger regulation. The Commission concluded that the takeover would not significantly impede competition within the EU.
Posted by Judith — 4:09 AM
Verizon Wireless gains YouTube wireless debut.
Source: RCR Wireless.
Video-sharing phenomenon YouTube.com has selected Verizon Wireless for its first mobile distribution agreement. Verizon Vcast subscribers will be able to use their handsets to watch and share YouTube user-generated videos.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Nokia, Ericsson win T-Mobile USA deals
Source: Telecoms.com.
Nokia has announced that it is one of the vendors selected by T-Mobile USA to supply 3G equipment and services for the operator’s WCDMA deployment in the US.
T-Mobile is the only US operator yet to deploy 3G due to a lack of available spectrum. But last month, the operator paid over US$4bn. at the Advanced Wireless Services spectrum auction in order to get the frequencies needed to rollout 3G infrastructure.
Posted by Judith — 4:52 AM
BT to launch IPTV next week.
Source: Telecoms.com.
BT has confirmed it is to launch its long-awaited internet television service next Monday. The BT Vision service will provide television over broadband into people’s homes for the first time in the British incumbent’s history.
Posted by Judith — 4:44 AM
Ofcom under fire over mobile charges.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The European Commission has attacked Ofcom, accusing the UK communications watchdog of keeping wholesale mobile prices artificially inflated because of the high price of 3G licences.
The EC claims that Ofcom’s approach would be detrimental to fair competition in the UK mobile market and lead to higher consumer prices.
Posted by Judith — 4:41 AM
NeuStar acquires Followap for mobile IM capabilities .
Source: Converge
NeuStar has acquired Followap, a UK-based provider of mobile instant IM products in Europe and Asia, for approximately US$139m.
Followap delivers interoperability between operators and Internet portals in five different functional areas.
Followap has a customer base of 17 mobile network operators (MNOs) that have over 160 million subscribers. Customers include Vodafone, Turkcell, 3 Group (Hutchison), Wind and Mobinil.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
NZ Telecom split.
Source: TeleGeography.
A New Zealand government select committee is recommending that dominant telco Telecom New Zealand divide its operations into separate units for retail, wholesale and fixed networks. NZ Telecom had hoped that an accounting separation of its wholesale and retail operations would suffice, but the committee said in its report that it would be difficult to guarantee a ‘Chinese Wall’ between entities that are not operationally separate.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Monday, November 27, 2006
TELUS scraps income trust plan; BCE expected to follow suit.
Source: TeleGeography.
Canada’s second largest telephone provider TELUS Corp, has announced that it has abandoned plans to convert itself into an income trust, because of the federal government’s recent decision to tax trusts in a similar manner as corporations.
Bell Canada Enterprises had also recently announced plans to become an income trust, but is currently reviewing that decision, and is expected to come to a similar conclusion.
Posted by Judith — 7:45 AM
Motorola and MTS at the EDGE in Moscow.
Source: TeleGeography.
Motorola has won a contract to upgrade the Moscow mobile networks of Russia’s largest cellco MTS. The upgrade will improve voice and data quality, increase network capacity and enable MTS to introduce new features via the deployment of EDGE technology.
Posted by Judith — 4:43 AM
UK Telecoms watchdog puts internet phone providers on the line.
Source: TimesOnline.
Internet phone providers such as Skype, Tesco and BT will be forced to tell customers about the limitations of their services under new rules.
Suppliers will have to provide information at the point of sale detailing deficiencies, such as the inability to call 999, the phone line going dead in power cuts and the service not working when the buyer’s computer is turned off.
Despite opposition from the companies providing the high-tech service, Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, is understood to be preparing to forge ahead with plans for a mandatory code of practice.
Posted by Judith — 4:37 AM
RIM buys Epoch Integration.
Source: Telecoms.com
Blackberry maker Research In Motion, has bought Epoch Integration, a wireless network firm.
Customers of the BlackBerry will be familiar with Epoch Integration’s NeedText product, a set of software tools for managing the BlackBerry’s enterprise server.
Posted by Judith — 4:34 AM
Friday, November 24, 2006
Canadian number portability spurred on by government contract.
Source: TeleGeography.
The federal government in Ottawa is poised to become the first beneficiary of its own mobile telephony regulations, which stipulate the introduction of mobile number portability. Ottawa is looking for a better deal for government workers from cellular network operators and will cut its three main providers down to two with a new contract that starts in March, the same time that MNP is scheduled to take effect. The government currently buys wireless services from Bell Mobility, TELUS and Rogers Wireless.
Posted by Judith — 5:29 AM
Ericsson to expand ties with Sony to mobile TV.
Source: Reuters.
Ericsson’s director of product strategy and portfolio management has stated that they will expand their cooperation with Sony beyond cell phones to mobile and broadband TV.
The companies will develop software together to link their products through wireless networks.
Posted by Judith — 4:36 AM
Cell phone owners getting new rights.
Source: CNN.com.
Cell phone owners will be allowed to break software locks on their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers under new copyright rules.
In granting the exemption for cell phone users, the Copyright Office determined that consumers aren’t able to enjoy full legal use of their handsets because of software locks that wireless providers have been placing to control access to phones’ underlying programs.
Posted by Judith — 4:31 AM
888 bets on mobile future.
Source: BWCS.
Troubled online gambling company, 888, is reportedly on the verge of signing a series of major deals with some of Europe’s largest mobile operators. According to reports, the contracts will allow the mobile service providers to offer their customers gambling over their handsets.
Posted by Judith — 4:12 AM
Ban on MP3 transmitters is lifted.
Source: BBC.
Ofcom is legalising the use of FM transmitters that allow iPods and other MP3 players to play through car radios.
The use of these deviceswas banned in the UK as their transmissions can interfere with broadcasts by legal radio stations.
Now certain FM transmitters, which can be tuned to spare frequencies, will be legal from 8 December.
Posted by Judith — 4:03 AM
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Fury in Germany over DT’s regulation vacation.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The German government agreed minor amendments to the country’s telecoms bill on Tuesday, paving the way for a ”regulatory holiday” for incumbent carrier Deutsche Telekom while threatening to stifle competition in the broadband market.
Posted by Judith — 6:55 AM
DoCoMo steps up Super 3G plans.
Source: Telecoms.com.
NTT DoCoMo has announced that it has selected local vendors NEC and Fujitsu to deliver prototype and commercial equipment for the deployment of Super 3G.
Super 3G is DoCoMo’s own proposal for the evolution of 3G and has been submitted to the 3GPP working group for consideration as part of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.
Posted by Judith — 6:53 AM
Vodafone in talks to sell back its stake in Swisscom Mobile.
Source: TeleGeography.
Vodafone is reported to be in talks with Swisscom, Switzerland’s dominant telecoms group, over the sale of its stake in Swisscom Mobile. Swisscom said yesterday that it had begun talks over the intended re-purchase of the 25% of Swisscom Mobile that it sold to the British mobile group six years ago. The stake is expected to raise in the region of GBP1.8bn. (US$3.4bn.).
Posted by Judith — 6:31 AM
Equity group shows interest in Telecom Italia.
Source: TeleGeography.
US-based private equity firm Blackstone Group has revealed that it would be interested in acquiring a stake in Telecom Italia if shares were to be made available. Dow Jones quotes Blackstone’s chairman Tony James who said:”If the shareholders are willing to sell we would be interested.”
There has been much speculation over Telecom Italia’s future ownership following its controversial announcement in September that it was to reorganise its businesses to concentrate on broadband and media operations.
Posted by Judith — 6:09 AM
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
MySpace seeks European mobile links.
Source: BW.CS
The News Corp-owned online music/personal networking site, MySpace, is said to be lining up deals with mobile service providers to promote itself in Europe.
The company is said to be focusing on mobile, video and international expansion. In the US, the company has deals through Cingular Wireless and Helio to offer mobile services.
Posted by Judith — 4:45 AM
European Lab will share thoughts on mobile and IT.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Twenty European cities including London, Barcelona and Helsinki have got behind a new network for sharing information in mobile and IT.
Dubbed ”Living Labs Europe”, the project is designed to allow private companies, research institutes and investors collaborate on joint projects and share technical information on testing and development of next-generation technologies and mobile services.
Posted by Judith — 4:21 AM
Mobile sales continue on the up.
Source: BWCS.
Latest figures from Gartner Group show that global mobile handset sales rose by 21.5% to 251m. in the three months to the end of September 2006. The research company claimed the main driver for the strong rise was growth in India and continued strength in China.
Posted by Judith — 4:16 AM
ITV rejects $8.9bn. NTL bid.
Source: Light Reading.
British broadcaster and TV program maker ITV plc today turned down a cash and stock bid worth GBP4.7bn. (US$8.9bn.) from U.K. cable giant NTL group ltd., saying in a statement that the offer ”materially undervalues” the company.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
GSMA backs NFC initiative.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Members of the GSM Association (GSMA) have stated that they are coordinating an initiative to encourage a common approach to the implementation of Near Field Communications (NFC) on mobile phones.
NFC is a short range wireless technology that enables a range of ‘contactless’ applications, such as payments or location based services for the mobile market.
Posted by Judith — 4:19 AM
BT sells satellite broadcast unit.
Source: Telecoms.com.
After paying GBP67m. for broadband player PlusNet, BT has agreed to sell its satellite broadcast business to Arqiva for GBP25m. in cash.
Broadcast network owner Arqiva said it would acquire BT’s Satellite Broadcast Services customer contracts and operations in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the US.
Posted by Judith — 4:14 AM
Court OKs broad Web libel immunity.
Source: CNN.
The California Supreme Court has ruled that Web sites that publish inflammatory information written by other parties cannot be sued for libel.
The ruling in favor of free online expression was a victory for a San Diego woman who was sued by two doctors for posting an allegedly libelous e-mail on two Web sites.
Some of the Internet’s biggest names, including Amazon.com, America Online Inc., eBay Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., took the defendant’s side out of concern that a ruling against her would expose them to liability.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Monday, November 20, 2006
AT&T trials mobile WiMAX.
Source: TeleGeography.
AT&T has revealed that it has been operating a mobile WiMAX trial in Nevada for several months. It has been reported that the firm is using pre-certification mobile WiMAX technology from Soma Networks for its pilot trials. AT&T is currently using the network as a fixed wireless broadband system, providing an alternative to wired high speed technologies such as cable and DSL.
Posted by Judith — 5:19 AM
Nortel to install Iraq fibre-optic backbone.
Source: TeleGeography.
Iraq’s wireline incumbent, the Iraq Telecommunication and Post Company, has contracted Nortel to install a 5,000km fibre-optic backbone covering 35 major cities and linking to the existing network that was installed, also by Nortel, in 2004 between Baghdad and Basra.
Posted by Judith — 5:11 AM
Boost Mobile and loopt launch social mapping for mobiles.
Source: Converge.
Boost Mobile, a division of Sprint Nextel, and loopt, a start-up based in California, launched a location-based social mapping service that enables young mobile phone users to share their location, status messages, photos and other on-the-go experiences with friends from their Boost Mobile phone.
Boost loopt also brings geo-tagging capabilities to a major U.S. wireless carrier for the first time.
Posted by Judith — 4:19 AM
Branson mounts legal challenge to Murdoch’s ITV stake.
Source: Independent.
Sir Richard Branson, the biggest shareholder in cable group NTL, will this week appeal directly to competition regulators to block the 18 per cent stake that Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB took in ITV.
Posted by Judith — 4:15 AM
Saturday, November 18, 2006
New Congress likely to support Net Neutrality.
Source: Information Week.
Internet neutrality proponents believe that the recent change in Congress is likely to boost their efforts to push legislation that would prohibit tiered access to the Internet.
U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who proposed legislation supporting their cause, is set to lead telecommunications policy for the House majority in 2007. So is U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, who said he would propose a telecommunications reform bill with public interest and net neutrality in mind.
Posted by Judith — 5:13 AM
Bush approves Alcatel Lucent merger.
Source: Light Reading.
Alcatel and Lucent Technologies Inc. have announced that they have received final approval for their merger from U.S. President George W Bush, and expect to complete their merger on November 30.
The duo say they have “received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States”.
Posted by Judith — 4:25 AM
Reding restates call for super regulator.
Source: Telecoms.com
Viviane Reding, the European Union’s Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has restated her call for a pan-European super regulator.
Reding has proposed a system under which national regulators would continue to act as direct contact points with operators and directly analyse the market but would have to operate as a system and in line with guidelines and decisions at a supranational level.
Posted by Judith — 4:23 AM
Friday, November 17, 2006
Telstra share sale performing strongly.
Source: TeleGeography.
The sale of the Australian government’s final stake in Telstra (T3) has enjoyed a late boost, with demand now ensuring that up to AU$13bn. (US$10bn.) worth of stock will be offloaded, compared with the government’s initial mandate to sell AU$8bn. worth of shares. Institutional investors will put in their final bids tonight, in turn determining the final price that all T3 investors will pay for shares.
Posted by Judith — 5:33 AM
BT buys PlusNet in cash deal.
Source: Telcoms.com.
British incumbent, BT announced on Thursday it is to buy PlusNet for GBP67m. in cash to strengthen its position for broadband services.
The company said it would pay 210p a share for PlusNet, a premium of 17pc to its closing price on October 11. PlusNet has around 200,000 broadband customers and BT said that under the deal it would retain its brand.
Posted by Judith — 4:48 AM
Wikipedia unblocked in China after year-long ban.
Source: CNN.
Online encyclopedia Wikipedia was accessible again in China on Thursday after being blocked for more than a year. China routinely blocks access to Web sites it deems subversive and filters Internet pages for sensitive words.
It was unclear why Wikipedia, blocked since October 2005, was again accessible.
Posted by Judith — 4:18 AM
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Sprint to put Microsoft search on its mobile phones.
Source: Reuters.
Wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. said on Wednesday it will place Microsoft Corp’s search engine on its mobile phones, marking the software maker’s most significant step to gain a U.S. foothold in the budding mobile Internet search market.
Posted by Judith — 4:31 AM
Orange and BBC World announce global deal.
Source: The Register.
Orange and BBC World have extended their current mobile distribution offering by signing a ground-breaking global deal which will allow Orange mobile phone customers in eight new countries to watch the channel live.
BBC World, the BBC’s 24-hour international news information service will be the only English language news channel to be streamed live to mobiles in Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Portugal, Jordan, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic.
Posted by Judith — 4:29 AM
O2 loses Irish roaming deal.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Irish mobile operator Meteor is reported to have signed a three year roaming agreement with Vodafone Ireland, giving former partner O2 the cold shoulder.
As a result, O2 Ireland is reported to be Eur10m. per year out of pocket. The contract will start from February.
Posted by Judith — 4:28 AM
Mobile internet ‘upgrade’ launch.
Source: BBC.
Mobile firm 3 has agreed a tie-up with top internet firms in a move it claims will make the mobile internet work properly for the first time.
It is launching a partnership with internet firms including Skype, Google and eBay.
The promise is that users will be able to make free internet phone calls, watch their home television on their phone and tap into their home computers on the move.
Posted by Judith — 4:22 AM
Bell Industries buys into paging with purchase of SkyTel from Verizon.
Source: RCR Wireless.
Verizon Communications Inc. is selling off a paging and wireless telemetry unit that it acquired when it purchased the former MCI Inc. earlier this year.
Bell Industries Inc. agreed to purchase Verizon Communications’ subsidiary SkyTel Corp., which provides paging, telemetry, two-way messaging and e-mail to business and government customers.
Posted by Judith — 4:21 AM
Clearwire prepares for Seattle lift-off.
Source: TeleGeography.
US wireless broadband operator Clearwire is expanding its operations to Seattle. The firm, which uses pre-WiMAX technology will deploy networks covering around two million people across the city.
Having recently received more than US$1bn. of backing from Intel and Motorola, it is likely that Clearwire will eventually upgrade its systems to mobile WIMAX technology, of which both Intel and Motorola are strong supporters.
Posted by Judith — 4:18 AM
US consumers file early termination suit.
Source: TeleGeography.
T-Mobile USA has been hit with a class-action lawsuit over the fees it has charged for the early termination of wireless contracts. T-Mobile charges customers US$200 if they cancel their mobile contract early, but opponents say that this practice violates as many as 13 consumer protection laws since there is no allowance for how long the customer had been with T-Mobile or what quality of service they had received.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Cingular plans mobile banking service for 2007.
Source: Reuters.
Cingular Wireless said on Wednesday it is talking with banks about letting its customers manage their money by cell phone as part of a push to expand phone use beyond talking.
The wireless venture of AT&T Inc and BellSouth Corp. said a wireless banking application it is testing would let customers of participating banks view account balances, transfer funds and pay bills on their cell phones.
Posted by Judith — 4:14 AM
Big two team up for free calls deal.
Source: Telecoms.com.
A day after Google said mobile calls should be free and supported by advertising, Vodafone has announced it is to offer cheaper calls if they accept adverts from Yahoo.
Vodafone has signed an agreement with the internet search firm, making it its exclusive display advertising partner in the UK.
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Motorola buys Netopia for ‘seamless mobility’.
Source: RCR Wireless.
Motorola Inc. announced the latest in its string of acquisitions, this time an agreement to purchase broadband gateway provider Netopia Inc. The deal, valued at US$208m., is expected to close early next year.
Netopia makes wired and Wi-Fi modems, routers and gateways. The company sells to individuals, businesses and carriers, and has deals with BellSouth Corp., Covad Communications, EarthLink, Hong Kong Telecom/PCCW, SBC Communications Inc., Swisscom, Verizon Communications Inc. and others.
Posted by Judith — 4:05 AM
Alcatel seals C&W deal.
Source: Light Reading.
Alcatel has announced that it is included in the Cable & Wireless plc next-generation network buildout.
Alcatel announced today that it’s deploying 200 to 250 nodes for C&W during the next two to three years. C&W’s NGN is comparable to the BT Group plc 21CN rollout as they both involve building a new, unified network for handling traffic.
Posted by Judith — 3:56 AM
Canadian Government to block CRTC plans on VoIP regulation.
Source: TeleGeography.
The Canadian government will announce today its intent to rewrite the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC’s) ruling on Internet-based telephone services, in a highly unusual move that could mark a big step toward a more open and consumer-friendly sector. Industry Minister Maxime Bernier is expected to say in a speech today that the Conservative government will once again block the CRTC’s repeated efforts to regulate VoIP services.
Posted by Judith — 3:47 AM
Japan sets up panel to study Net neutrality.
Source: Reuters.
The Japanese government has set up a panel to discuss Internet network neutrality — a concept that has stirred heated debate in the United States — and study how the surging popularity of free file-sharing services such as YouTube.com is impacting the infrastructure.
Posted by Judith — 3:46 AM
Vodafone indicates interest in buying 3.
Source: TimesOnline.
Vodafone, the world’s biggest mobile phone operator, surprised investors yesterday by signalling an interest in buying its rival 3, in a return to a more adventurous acquisition strategy.
Mr Sarin said that the time ”may be ripening” for consolidation in markets such as the UK.
Analysts value 3 UK at about EUR4bn. (US$5.12bn.)
Posted by Judith — 3:41 AM
TMN (Portugal) goes for Napster.
Source: TeleGeography.
Portugal Telecom’s mobile arm TMN has signed a deal with Ericsson and the US-based file sharing firm Napster which will bring file sharing to cellular users. The Napster Mobile offering gives cellular subscribers access to more than two million full-length music tracks. Ericsson, which helped develop the Napster Mobile platform, is providing a range of personalised content for handsets and is also hosting the Napster service for TMN.
Posted by Judith — 3:39 AM
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Cisco acquires Greenfield.
Source: Light Reading.
Cisco Systems Inc. has announced that it has acquired the Ethernet chip vendor Greenfield Networks for an undisclosed sum.
Greenfield was founded in 2001 to produce Ethernet switching chips however, Greenfield’s pitch was that its parts were better suited for metro Ethernet, whereas the best-known Ethernet chips were aimed primarily for the enterprise market, not for carriers.
Posted by Judith — 5:01 AM
Nokia, Siemens Get OK From EC.
Source: Light Reading.
Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG are on course to create their infrastructure joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, before the end of this year, after gaining regulatory approval from the European Commission today.
The EC’s decision marks the final major regulatory hurdle for the 50-50 joint venture, which now has antitrust clearance from both Europe and the U.S.
Posted by Judith — 4:24 AM
BT heads for India, creates 6,000 jobs.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Intent on exploiting the opportunities of one of the world’s fastest growing communications markets, BT has announced that it has lodged applications with the Indian Department of Telecommunications for national long distance and international long distance licences.
BT has also formed a joint venture company, BT Telecom India, to offer services for the first time directly to corporate customers in the Indian market.
Posted by Judith — 4:17 AM
Free broadband users ‘less happy’.
Source: BBC.
”Free” broadband deals have resulted in a downturn in customer satisfaction levels, a report has said.
According to the uSwitch Customer Satisfaction Report, most providers fail to match rising customer numbers with improved services and technology.
The survey of more than 11,000 customers found a 9% drop in broadband satisfaction levels.
The report also says consumer trust in their internet suppliers is currently at an “all time low”.
Posted by Judith — 4:14 AM
BT to levy new charge on rival broadband providers.
Source: TimesOnline.
BT is to impose a new penalty charge on rival broadband operators whose customers defect to another provider.
The ”cessation” charge, which is likely to face fierce opposition from other internet providers, is part of a wider pricing shake-up within BT’s wholesale division. The overhaul is designed to help it to compete against the cheap offerings of rivals such as Carphone Warehouse.
Posted by Judith — 3:58 AM
Monday, November 13, 2006
Motorola to buy rival of BlackBerry.
Source: NYT.
The cellphone maker Motorola said on Friday that it would buy Good Technology, a rival of BlackBerry, in a deal that should improve the prospects for its new Q hand-held device.
The deal underscores efforts by Motorola to sell more mobile devices that offer access to e-mail and other business-oriented services.
Motorola said Good Technology, a privately held firm which provides computing software and services for the Treo and other smartphones, will join its mobile devices unit.
Posted by Judith — 5:04 AM
easyMobile and TDC to part company.
Source: TeleGeography.
The low cost MVNO easyMobile, which operates in the UK and Germany over T-Mobile’s networks, has terminated its brand licence agreement with Danish company TDC. easyGroup, the parent of the MVNO, said that the easyMobile brand would be at risk if it stays in the hands of TDC, which it accuses of breaching terms of their agreement. TDC is now contractually obliged to stop using the easyMobile brand within a month.
Posted by Judith — 5:01 AM
Vodafone joins broadband brigade.
Source: BBC.
Vodafone is to become the latest mobile phone group to move into the broadband market with the launch of its At Home service.
The service, which should be available to most of the UK, will be available to contract customers from 8 January.
Unlike many rivals, Vodafone will rent internet access from BT rather than build its own broadband network.
Posted by Judith — 4:52 AM
ntl prepares GBP5bn. bid for ITV.
Source: TeleGeography.
The UK’s largest cable network operator ntl Inc is reported to be meeting shareholders of broadcaster ITV to discuss a GBP5bn.(US$9.58bn.) bid for the ailing company. ITV is the UK’s largest commercial television group but it has struggled in the country’s increasingly competitive multi-channel market. This year ntl completed takeovers of rival cable firm Telewest and MVNO Virgin Mobile transforming it into a quad-play service.
Posted by Judith — 4:50 AM
Friday, November 10, 2006
Movistar launches mobile TV.
Source: TeleGeography.
Leading Argentine cellco Movistar, a subsidiary of the Spanish giant Telefonica Moviles, has launched video and audio services over its data network. Movistar boasted 9.3 million subscribers at the end of June 2006.
Posted by Judith — 4:36 AM
Microsoft will integrate VoIP into Vista.
Source: Telecoms.com.
As Microsoft’s forthcoming flagship operating system, Windows Vista, was released to manufacturing, the company’s CEO revealed that VoIP would be an integral part of the platform.
Although Microsoft has offered various software packages with VoIP functionality in the past, the company will include internet telephony at the operating system level and will combine it with email, video and instant messaging.
Posted by Judith — 4:22 AM
Vodafone and Orange to share Spanish rural 3G rollout.
Source: TeleGeography.
Mobile operators Vodafone Spain and France Telecom Espana have struck a 3G network sharing agreement covering rural Spain.
In early 2004 Spain’s Telecommunications Market Commission agreed to let operators share their 3G networks in a bid to cut infrastructure costs.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
German Regulator orders cellcos to cut inbound rates.
Source: TeleGeography.
German regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, has ordered three of Germany’s cellcos (T-mobile, E-plus and O2) to cut their charges for connecting calls from fixed lines to mobiles after it received complaints that it cost far more to reach a mobile from a landline than vice-versa. The order applies for twelve months. No decision has been reached yet on the charges that can be levied by Germany’s number two cellco, Vodafone.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Thursday, November 9, 2006
NTL Telewest gives birth to Virgin Media.
Source: Telecoms.com.
It has been announced that Cable firm NTL Telewest will be re-branded Virgin Media early next year.
NTL, which bought British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin mobile phone business last year for £1bn confirmed that Virgin Mobile will continue as a separate brand but remain part of the Virgin Media group
Posted by Judith — 4:12 AM
Vista to hit the shops in January.
Source: BBC.
Microsoft’s Windows Vista will be available to retail customers from 30 January 2007, the company has said.
The news comes days after the firm said the next version of the Windows operating system would be available to corporate customers from 30 November.
Vista will be Microsoft’s first new versions of Windows for the PC market since 2001.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
BT broadband hits key milestone.
Source: BBC.
British Telecom has been celebrating a somewhat unusual milestone - handing over control of one million of its telephone lines to its competitors.
Regulator Ofcom has forced BT to open up its exchanges to rivals to give the UK a more competitive broadband market.
When the telecoms giant has handed over 1.5 million lines, it will be allowed to cut broadband prices.
Posted by Judith — 4:05 AM
Robert Redford backs short films for cell phones.
Source: Reuters.
Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute will commission independent filmmakers to make short films for mobile phones.
Six independent filmmakers will be the first commissioned to make short films especially for the medium.
The deal was reached with telecoms industry group GSM Association, which represents 700 mobile phone operators in 215 countries.
Posted by Judith — 3:50 AM
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Verizon and YouTube in content talks.
Source: Telecoms.com.
According to reports, America’s second largest telecommunications company, Verizon, is in talks with online video service YouTube to put its wares on mobile phones.
The report comes days after YouTube announced its intention to create a service specifically designed for wireless devices.
Posted by Judith — 4:14 AM
Vodafone goes for three pronged assault.
Source: Telecoms.com.
UK cellco Vodafone has added the third prong to its three platform handset strategy, cutting a deal with Microsoft for the development of Windows Mobile devices.
The deal forms part of Vodafone’s wider strategy of streamlining its platform portfolio to deliver greater cost efficiencies across the group
Posted by Judith — 4:12 AM
FT gets into the film business.
Source: TeleGeography.
France Télécom has set up a film rights division to produce films and purchase libraries. The subsidiary will be set up in the first quarter of next year.
FT has already stated its intentions to ramp up its presence in the video-on-demand segment and signed a deal with members of the French film industry last December. FT’s move is considered by many to be logical given the trend towards market convergence in the country.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
Xfera awards Ericsson managed services contract
Source: TeleGeography.
Spanish start-up mobile operator Xfera Moviles has awarded Ericsson a three-year managed services contract covering the operation, management and maintenance of its 3G network, ahead of its commercial launch in December.
Xfera will offer nationwide coverage based on a combination of its own 3G network and roaming over the network of Vodafone Spain. Services will be offered under the brand name ‘Yoigo’.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Yahoo in image advertising test on mobile phones.
Source: Reuters.
Yahoo Inc. is to begin delivering graphical ads to mobile phones as part of a test of how it can extend corporate brand marketing on the Web into the wireless market.
The brand advertising trial comes a month after Yahoo began a parallel test to deliver relevant text advertisements tied to searches phone users can perform on mobile Web browsers. That test is taking place in the United States and Britain.
Posted by Judith — 4:26 AM
NTP sues Palm.
Source: Globe and Mail.
NTP Inc., which successfully sued the maker of BlackBerry devices for infringement of wireless e-mail patents, has stated that it is suing Palm Inc., maker of the Treo smart phone.
The lawsuit alleges that Palm’s products, services, systems and processes have improperly used NTP’s wireless e-mail technology.
Posted by Judith — 4:10 AM
BT expands its Latin American operations.
Source: BTplc.
BT has announced that it is expanding its activities in Latin-America. In order to support this growth, BT is investing in infrastructure and will be more than doubling the number of employees currently based in Latin-America.
The company has also expanded its MPLS (Multi- Protocol Label Switching) network throughout the region, deploying seven new points of presence in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Uruguay and Venezuela in the first quarter 2006, thereby providing coverage and connectivity in 20 Latin American countries.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
ZigBee to win mesh market?
Source: BWCS.
Research company In-Stat, says it believes the new short-range wireless standard, ZigBee, will win the battle to dominate wireless mesh networking technology. The US based technology research outfit argues that the standard’s “clarity” plus the strength of the industry alliance backing it, which contains some of the largest wireless chip-makers, will ensure ZigBee’s success.
Posted by Judith — 3:56 AM
Monday, November 6, 2006
China selects six 3G cities.
Source: BWCS.
The Chinese government has announced plans to launch six, 3G trial networks within a year. The move, which will see half a dozen major cities set up test systems, is designed to ease the launch of next generation mobile services in the country before the 2008 Olympics.
According to news sources within China, the cities where tests will be set up are: Tianjin, Shanghai, Qingdao, Qinghuangdao, Shenyang and Hong Kong. It seems that all six will involve trials of the home-grown 3G standard, the TD-SCDMA system.
Posted by Judith — 6:43 AM
Vodafone first to standardize software.
Source: Reuters.
Microsoft has said that Vodafone was the first mobile carrier to standardize the software on its handsets, but that the software giant was working with other operators on similar deals.
Microsoft Windows Mobile was one of just three core software platforms selected by Vodafone for future consumer handsets, in an attempt to cut costs in offering services to subscribers. The other two are Linux and Symbian Series 60.
Posted by Judith — 6:30 AM
DoCoMo’s 3G user base passes 30m. mark
Source: TeleGeography.
Japan’s leading mobile operator by subscribers, NTT DoCoMo, says the number of people signed up to its 3G mobile network FOMA has topped the 30 million mark. DoCoMo launched the network on 1 October 2001.
Posted by Judith — 6:15 AM
Oger promises London breakthrough.
Source: TimesOnline.
A Dubai based telecoms enterprise that controls the main telecoms group in Turkey is on course to become one of the largest listed companies in London, as it puts the finishing touches to an initial public offering that could value it at up to US$8bn. (GBP4.2bn.)
Oger Telecom, which has operations in South Africa as well as Turkey, is planning to raise about $1bn. in a move that banking sources believe will value the group at between US$7and 8bn.
Posted by Judith — 6:03 AM
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Hotspot deployments to grow by 50%.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The number of commercial wifi hotspots worldwide is forecast to grow almost 50 per cent during 2006, as a strong growth curve emerges in the Asia Pacific region.
Figures published predict that the number of commercial wifi hotspots will grow by 47 per cent worldwide to 143,700.
While almost three quarters of these sites are still found in North America and Europe, deployment in the Asia Pacific region are growing rapidly.
Posted by Judith — 4:51 AM
Vodafone Italia and TI square up for a fight.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Vodafone’s Italian arm is suing Italy’s largest telecoms firm, Telecom Italia (TI) for allegedly stalling negotiations on an innovative new fixed-line offer.
Vodafone’s new service allows customers to use their landline numbers on their mobiles without having to pay TI’s fixed-line charges.
Posted by Judith — 4:45 AM
Friday, November 3, 2006
2 Giants in a deal over Linux.
Source: NYT.
Microsoft acknowledged the influence of the Linux operating system on Thursday by striking a deal with Novell, a longtime rival, to ensure that Novell’s version of Linux could operate together with Windows in corporate data centers.
Posted by Judith — 3:55 AM
AT&T-BellSouth merger vote delayed for third time.
Source: C|NET.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday delayed for a third time a vote on whether to allow AT&T to acquire BellSouth—a postponement that’s due to the commissioners’ inability to agree on conditions of the deal.
The vote was scheduled for Friday during the commission’s open meeting. But the agency sent a notice late Thursday removing the item from the agenda.
Posted by Judith — 3:51 AM
Carphone profits tumble 62% as Ofcom pays rapt attention.
Source: TimesOnline.
The sale of broadband by Carphone Warehouse is being ”closely monitored” by the telecoms regulator after a deluge of complaints about its service, it emerged yesterday, as Europe’s biggest mobile retailer announced a 62 per cent fall in profits.
The problems with TalkTalk, which are posing a serious risk to the reputation of a group that has prided itself on its good service, came amid growing concerns from investors about the future of the group’s core high street mobile phone distribution business.
Posted by Judith — 3:38 AM
Nortel ramps up China R&D staff.
Source: The Globe and Mail.
After two years of slashing jobs at home, Nortel Networks Corp. has revealed another big increase in its engineering staff in China, accelerating a trend that has seen it shifting to lower-cost countries for its manufacturing and R&D.
Nortel disclosed Thursday that its R&D staff in China has grown by almost 30 per cent in the past year. The company now has about 1,800 research and development employees in China, compared with about 1,400 last year. This means that China now accounts for 15 per cent of Nortel’s worldwide R&D jobs, up from 12 per cent last year.
Posted by Judith — 3:20 AM
Thursday, November 2, 2006
YouTube reveals major mobile plans.
Source: BWCS.
Popular online video repository YouTube Inc, has announced it plans to go mobile “within a year”.
As it stands, many of the home-made clips seen on the site originate from mobile phones. Hurley’s idea is to introduce a way for these to be shared within a peer group without having to upload them from their home pcs.
Posted by Judith — 4:37 AM
Sistema wants a piece of DT.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Russian investment house Sistema is reportedly seeking to take a 10 to 20% stake in German carrier, Deutsche Telekom, in exchange for the Russian company’s telecoms portfolio.
Sistema’s telecoms portfolio includes Russia’s leading mobile operator, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), smaller CDMA player Sky Link and fixed line operations MGTS and Comstar.
Posted by Judith — 4:10 AM
Cingular confirms music plan for U.S. cell users.
Source: Reuters.
Cingular Wireless has agreed to team up with XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc and Web music subscription services Napster Inc., Yahoo Inc. and others, to let its customers play songs on their cell phones.
Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM
Smart loses battle with ComReg.
Source: The Register.
Smart Telecom has lost its High Court battle with ComReg, with the court ruling that the troubled telecoms firm should not have been offered a 3G mobile licence.
The ruling comes as Smart Telecom shareholders voted to approve the sale of the troubled telecoms firm to a Brendan Murtagh-owned company for EUR1.
Posted by Judith — 3:52 AM
Andrew to buy EMS Wireless for US$50.5m.
Source: RCR Wireless.
Consolidation among communications vendors continued as Andrew Corp. announced plans to spend $50.5m. in cash to buy the wireless division of EMS Technologies Inc.
Other network infrastructure vendor consolidation agreements set to close by year’s end include Alcatel Inc.’s merger with Lucent Technologies Inc. and Nokia Corp.’s merger with Siemens S.A.’s network division.
Posted by Judith — 3:40 AM
Wireless hi-definition group formed.
Source: Telecoms.com.
A number of major consumer electronics manufacturers have banded together under the banner of the WirelessHD special interest group to develop a specification for shifting high definition content around the home wirelessly.
LG Electronics, Matsushita/Panasonic, NEC, Samsung, SiBEAM, Sony and Toshiba form the group that has tasked itself with developing a specification for a wireless high definition digital interface (WirelessHDT or WiHDT).
Posted by Judith — 3:33 AM
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Google acquires wiki tool developer.
Source: The Globe and Mail.
Google Inc., expanding its efforts at providing software that helps users create and post their own materials on the Internet, has acquired the California startup JotSpot that develops on-line collaboration tools known as wikis.
Posted by Judith — 4:44 AM
AT&T set to expand its U-verse.
Source: Light Reading.
AT&T Inc. has said it will roll out its U-verse broadband video service, which includes high-definition television, in 15 to 20 markets before the end of 2006.
The project is a huge move for AT&T, which up until now has offered service to 30,000 people in San Antonio and held one, limited HDTV trial in Houston
Posted by Judith — 4:17 AM
Hate your phone’s OS? Just install a different one.
Source: RCR Wireless.
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced that, in partnership with Intel Corp., it has developed specifications for mobile handsets that will allow users to install their own operating system, one that would run side by side with a pre-installed OS.
DoCoMo said its specification allows a handset to be switched from one ”domain,”containing a pre-installed OS and applications, to another ”domain,” which could support a separate operating system and custom applications.
Posted by Judith — 4:14 AM
BT: Regulator extends high-speed inquiry.
Source: TimesOnline.
A competition investigation into BT over past pricing of its high-speed internet access has been extended by the regulator, leaving the former telecoms monopoly open to the threat of a multimillion-pound fine.
BT had expected a four-year competition investigation by Ofcom and its predecessor, Oftel, into whether it had abused a dominant position in its pricing of its household broadband products to conclude around now, but Ofcom has sent to BT a fresh ”statement of objections” over the case.
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Nokia gains new Bharti deal.
Source: Light Reading.
India’s largest mobile carrier, Bharti Airtel Ltd. , has awarded a US$400m. network expansion and managed services contract to Nokia Corp. as part of its plan to roll out wireless services to rural India.
The three year deal covers eight regions of the carrier’s 23-region national network, and builds on earlier agreements between the two companies that had a combined value of US$400m.
Posted by Judith — 4:05 AM
Comstar acquires DG Tel, Technological Systems.
Source: Digital Media Europe.
Russian telco Comstar UTS has acquired a 100 per cent stake in two Ukrainian operators, DG Tel and Technological Systems, for US$4.7m in cash.
DG Tel is an alternative fixed-line telecommunications company and Technologic Systems is an internet service provider.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
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