Press Clippings: November 2007

Major Industry items you might have missed

Friday, November 30, 2007

Verizon set to begin trials of 4G network.

Source: FT.com.

Qualcomm and Intel were dealt a blow when Verizon Wireless said it would start trials in 2008 of a rival fourth-generation network standard.
Verizon is backing the Long Term Evolution standard, which is being developed by suppliers including Ericsson, Sony-Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens and Nortel, dubbed the Third Generation Partnership Project. This grouping also includes mobile operators Vodafone, China Mobile, Orange and T-Mobile

Posted by Judith — 4:42 AM


Ofcom sets new deadline for mobile number porting.

Source: The Register.

Mobile phone networks must allow consumers moving to a rival network to take their mobile number with them and consumers must be able to receive calls on that number within two hours of moving to the new network, under new rules coming into force in 2009.
Consumers can currently wait for up to five days for number porting under Ofcom rules. A target for reducing that period to two days by 1 April 2008 had been set previously. Today, the communications regulator said two hour transfers must now be implemented by 1 September 2009.

Posted by Judith — 4:38 AM


Sprint is reported to have rejected offer by investors and SK Telecom.

Source: NYT.

Sprint Nextel has rejected an offer from Providence Equity Partners and SK Telecom of South Korea to replace management and invest US$5bn. in the company.
Providence and SK Telecom, along with Timothy M. Donahue, the company’s former executive chairman, wrote to James H. Hance Jr., nonexecutive chairman of Sprint’s board, asking to meet to discuss an offer that would install Mr. Donahue as the new chief executive.
In the letter the two companies wrote that they would address the “key operating challenges facing” Sprint and significantly cut costs by jointly purchasing handsets and examining network infrastructure.
The board declined to meet with them, according to those briefed on the matter.

Posted by Judith — 4:18 AM


EU backs Galileo satellite navigation project.

Source: InformationWeek.

A majority of European Union countries have agreed on an industrial plan for the bloc’s Galileo satellite navigation program, voting to move the multi-billion euro project ahead despite opposition from Spain.
Galileo, a rival to the U.S. Global Positioning System, has been plagued by years of doubts about its viability and cost despite European Commission arguments that it would create thousands of jobs and ensure independence from the U.S. service.

Posted by Judith — 3:06 AM


Shoogle shakes up phone interaction.

Source: Telecoms.com.

Boffins at Glasgow University have come up with a novel way for mobile phone users to tell how much battery life is left in their phone, or how many messages they have, simply by shaking it.
The Shoogle interface [apparently named after a Scots-English word for shake] uses a “vibrotactile display and realistic impact sonification” to tell users what’s ‘inside’ their phone.
Basically this means a user could tell how much battery life is left by shaking the device and listening to how much liquid is sloshing around inside.

Posted by Judith — 2:45 AM

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Heavyweights invest in mobile ad company.

Source: BWCS.

Telefonica and Vodafone are reportedly both investing in a US-based mobile advertising company in a bid to fend off the threats from online companies such as Google and Yahoo muscling into the mobile market. The two mobile companies said they had taken minority stakes in mobile ad solutions company Amobee. The San Francisco-based technology company has already been working with Vodafone in Greece, the Czech Republic and Spain.

Posted by Judith — 4:54 AM


Canadian cellphone giants lose stranglehold.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

Big changes are ahead for the wireless industry after Ottawa decided to intervene and help new cellphone entrants break into the market.
In next year’s auction of new spectrum for wireless services, Industry Canada said it will reserve 40MHz of spectrum for new entrants to buy. That means they won’t have to bid against the ruling cellphone carriers, Bell Canada, Rogers Wireless, and Telus Corp. for wireless spectrum.
The remaining 65 MHz of spectrum is open to all companies.

Posted by Judith — 4:44 AM


EU governments agree to open GSM radio spectrum.

Source: Reuters.

European Union telecom ministers have backed proposals to open radio frequencies allocated exclusively for GSM mobile phone services to other technologies, such as 3G mobile data.

Posted by Judith — 4:20 AM

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Verizon Wireless to open its network.

Source: NYT.

Verizon Wireless has stated that it plans to give customers far more choice in what phones they could use on its network and how they use them.
While there are technical limitations involved, the company’s move could lead to an American wireless market that is more like those in Europe and Asia, where a carrier’s customers can use any compatible phone to easily reach a wide array of online services — and take their phones with them when they switch companies. The move, which surprised industry watchers because Verizon Wireless is known to be highly protective of its traditional business, is part of a larger shift in the communications world.

Posted by Judith — 4:42 AM


Cable wins compromise on FCC plans.

Source: NYT.

In the face of a lobbying blitzkrieg by the cable television industry, the FCC has drastically scaled back a proposal by the agency’s chairman to more tightly regulate the industry.
The compromise was a significant, though not total, victory for the cable industry, whose executives and lobbyists had worked to erode support on the commission for the agenda of the chairman, Kevin J. Martin. Among other things, the commission agreed to postpone for months the decision Mr. Martin had hoped would be made on Tuesday, over whether the cable television industry had grown so dominant that the agency’s regulatory authority over it should be expanded.

Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM


Mobile payment system for London commuters.

Source: BWCS.

UK mobile phone operator O2 and Transport for London have announced a “groundbreaking” method of paying for journeys using mobile phones. The two companies are working with Nokia to trial a new system for using mobile handsets as Oyster-style swipe cards. It is expected that other mobile companies and financial backers will join the trial.

Posted by Judith — 4:08 AM


Europeans hang up on fixed lines.

Source: BBC.

Almost a fifth of European households use a mobile as their only phone.
Lithuania heads the nations who have turned against landlines with 48% of households replacing a fixed phone with a mobile. Finland was second with 42%. There are now 95 mobile phones for every 100 Europeans.
Older members of the EU, such as the UK (13%) and Germany (11%), tended to have fewer mobile-only homes compared to newcomers such as the Czech Republic which has 42%.
A partial explanation for the difference could be that fixed line penetration in many newer, former communist, EU members was never as high as it was in nations such as France and the UK.

Posted by Judith — 4:00 AM


Swisscom opens exchanges to competitors as part of LLU initiative.

Source: Digital Media Europe.

Swiss incumbent Swisscom has inked 45 contracts with 20 alternative providers to share telephone exchanges as part of its local loop unbundling initiative.

Posted by Judith — 3:54 AM


NTT and VNPT to set up joint venture.

Source: TeleGeography.

NTT Communications, a subsidiary of Japanese incumbent NTT, and state-owned telco Vietnam Posts and Telecoms Group are to form a new joint venture, Global Data Service in Hanoi early next year. GDS will provide data services and plans to set up data centres in Hanoi by mid-2008 and Ho Chi Minh City in early 2009.

Posted by Judith — 3:40 AM


Blockbuster in talks with mobile phone makers.

Source: Reuters.

Movie rental chain Blockbuster is in talks with all the major mobile phone makers about partnerships aimed at making it easier for consumers to watch movies on the go.

Posted by Judith — 3:03 AM

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

FCC studies USF.

Source: TeleGeography.

The FCC is recommending a new cap on the size of the Universal Service Fund (USF) which provides resources for the provision of telecoms services in rural areas. It is reported that the FCC is acting on the advice of a joint federal-state advisory board which says the USF should be capped at approximately US$4.5bn. and that separate USF accounts be set up to cover cellular and broadband services.

Posted by Judith — 6:00 AM


Microsoft to hire 1,000 engineers in China.

Source: Reuters.

Microsoft Corp has announced that it will hire 1,000 engineers in the current fiscal year, joining the current 5,000 staff in China.
The comments come after Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said earlier this month that the Chinese market was important to Microsoft but Beijing needed to do more to protect intellectual property rights.

Posted by Judith — 5:57 AM


UK Minister pushes broadband agenda.

Source: BBC.

The UK government is to draw up a battle plan on the best way to roll out next-generation broadband networks.
It will share best practice from high-speed pilots around the UK as well as lay out the business case for future investment in high-speed networks.

Posted by Judith — 5:55 AM


Alcatel-Lucent wins EUR750m. contracts from Chinese telcos.

Source: TeleGeography.

Alcatel-Lucent, via its Chinese subsidiary Alcatel Shanghai Bell, has forged agreements to sell EUR750m. worth of mobile equipment to China Mobile (EUR600m) and China Unicom(EUR150m.)

Posted by Judith — 4:04 AM


Dubai fund takes stake in Sony.

Source: FT.com.

Dubai International Capital has continued its thrust into Asia by unveiling a “significant investment” in Sony.
The high-profile Gulf investor has been trying to raise the Asian component of its portfolio to 30% as it seeks to diversify its holdings away from Europe, the US and the Middle East.

Posted by Judith — 2:47 AM

Monday, November 26, 2007

AT&T launches commercial operations in Vietnam.

Source: TeleGeography.

It has been reported that AT&T has launched its commercial business in Vietnam. The initiation of operations follows the telco’s agreement made twelve months ago to collaborate with military-owned provider Viettel. AT&T has already set up an office in Hanoi and plans to set up a second in Ho Chi Minh City by the year-end. Under the agreement between AT&T and Viettel, initial services to multinational customers will include VPN and frame relay.

Posted by Judith — 5:56 AM


China Mobile: EDGE network nearing completion.

Source: TeleGeography.

China Mobile is reported to have almost completed a nationwide upgrade of its network to support EDGE services. The company has reportedly spent some RMB35bn. (US$4.7bn.) on the upgrade. China Mobile is believed to have already launched EDGE services in all major Chinese cities, offering datacard customers speeds of between 60kbps-120kbps.

Posted by Judith — 5:38 AM


UK net numbering project starts.

Source: BBC.

Staying in touch via phone or web could soon get easier as work starts on a way to unite the internet and the telephone network.
When finished the UK’s national Enum directory will make looking up net phone numbers like finding a website.
Initially the directory will target the UK’s net telephony networks so calls can cross between them more easily.
But the directories are expected to one day hold details of the many different ways almost anyone can be contacted.

Posted by Judith — 5:34 AM


Qualcomm vs Nokia patent case starts in Britain.

Source: Reuters.

Nokia has stated that it was confident it had not infringed the two technology patents U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm had sued it for in Britain.
Qualcomm is seeking an injunction that would stop Nokia selling products using the patents in Britain.
Qualcomm has sued Nokia over the same or similar GSM patents in the United States, Germany, France, Italy and China. None of the cases has reached a verdict or settlement.

Posted by Judith — 5:28 AM


O2 tunes in to mobile radio service.

Source: BWCS.

Spanish-owned Irish mobile operator, O2 Ireland, has begun a trial of Spodtronic Radio which enables its 3G customers to listen in live to over 200 FM, AM and online radio stations on their mobile phones. O2 believes the trial is the first of its kind in Europe and said that its users will have access to 50,000 audio podcasts.

Posted by Judith — 5:02 AM


UK ‘slow’ on ultra-fast internet.

Source: BBC.

Broadband industry leaders are to meet ministers to discuss how to stop the UK dropping into the internet “slow lane”.
More than half of all UK homes now have a broadband connection, at an average speed of 4Mbps.
But the broadband summit will hear other countries are moving more quickly to build ultra-fast networks that can deliver speeds of as much as 100Mbps.

Posted by Judith — 4:52 AM

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Deal signed for ‘super-satellite’.

Source: BBC.

British engineers have been asked to build the payload for what will become one of the biggest commercial telecoms satellites ever launched.
London-based Inmarsat has signed a contract with industrialists to construct the Alphasat I-XL mission.
The six-tonne satellite will deliver high-bandwidth services, such as mobile internet, to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. It will have five times the capacity of current space platforms.

Posted by Judith — 4:58 AM

Friday, November 23, 2007

UK Broadband gets mobility upgrade to WiMAX licence.

Source: TeleGeography.

Ofcom has confirmed it will amend the WiMAX spectrum licence of UK Broadband to allow for the provision of mobile services. UK Broadband acquired 15 regional licenses for the 3.4GHz-3.6GHz spectrum in July 2003. At the time, the licences were restricted to fixed and nomadic use for wireless broadband. UK Broadband is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong telco PCCW.

Posted by Judith — 4:00 AM


France Telecom wins Niger licence.

Source: TeleGeography.

Niger’s government has awarded a consortium led by France Telecom a telecoms licence permitting the provision of fixed, mobile and internet services in the west African nation. The consortium, in which the Gallic incumbent joined forces with Nigerien businessman Mohamed Rissa and Orange Mali investor Moctoar Thiam, offered EUR48m.(US$71.3m.).
France Telecom is already present in twelve African countries, and plans to launch services in Niger under its Orange brand.

Posted by Judith — 3:58 AM


Saudi Zain IPO to raise US$1.9bn.

Source: TeleGeography.

Saudi Zain, the Saudi Arabian unit of Kuwait’s Zain Group (formerly MTC), plans to raise US$1.9bn. in an IPO early next year to fund its launch of mobile services in the Kingdom. It will offer 700 million shares, or 40% of the company, within the next two to three months.

Posted by Judith — 3:56 AM

Thursday, November 22, 2007

U.S. Court upholds US$1bn. award for Motorola.

Source: InformationWeek.

A U.S. appeals court upheld a US$1bn. punitive damages award to Motorola against the Uzan family of Turkey.
The punitive damages had been awarded against certain members of the Uzan family, which ran Turkey’s second-largest mobile phone operator, Telsim, and a media and banking empire.
Rakoff had concluded that the defendants fraudulently obtained loans from Motorola for more than US$2bn. and from Nokia for about US$800m.

Posted by Judith — 4:45 AM


Qualcomm wins a round in patent battles with Nokia.

Source: Reuters.

Qualcomm Inc. has won a round in its patent battles with wireless phone maker Nokia as a U.S. trade court tossed out a lawsuit asking for Qualcomm’s chips to be barred from the United States.
The U.S. International Trade Commission dropped the Nokia lawsuit due to pending arbitration.
Nokia had alleged infringement of patents on technology that made its telephones smaller and more efficient. Nokia had requested the ITC bar the importation of the infringing chips.

Posted by Judith — 4:36 AM


T-Mobile to open up iPhone sales.

Source: BBC.

T-Mobile is to start allowing German customers to buy Apple’s iPhone without a contract to its network, as it moves to comply with a court injunction.
Its announcement comes after rival Vodafone went to a German court to challenge T-Mobile’s exclusive tie-up with the iPhone in Germany.
T-Mobile will now sell people just the handset for EUR999 ($1,477; GBP719).
This is a significant premium over the EUR399 price for those who also take out a two-year T-Mobile contract.

Posted by Judith — 4:31 AM


Sub-Saharan Africa: The US$50bn. investment.

Source: Telecoms.com.

The GSM Association announced that the mobile industry plans to invest more than US$50bn. in sub-Saharan Africa over the next five years to provide more than 90% of the population with mobile coverage.
The investment will be used to extend the reach of GSM mobile networks, enhanced with GPRS, EDGE and HSPA technologies, to provide a rich suite of mobile multimedia services, including Internet access.

Posted by Judith — 3:58 AM


Construction of SEACOM submarine cable begins.

Source: TeleGeography.

The construction of the US$650m. SEACOM undersea fibre-optic cable connecting south and east Africa with India and Europe is set to begin this week. The 15,000km cable in the Indian Ocean will link South Africa to India and France through Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania. It is expected to provide broadband access to countries in east Africa which are currently relying on satellite connections. SEACOM is a consortium of Venfin, Convergence Partners and the Shanduka Group of South Africa, and Herakles Telecom of the US.

Posted by Judith — 3:55 AM


U.S. panel urges FCC to cap rural phone subsidies.

Source: InformationWeek.

A government advisory panel has recommended that the FCC cap the fast-growing subsidies the government allots to providers of telephone service in rural America and allow some of the funds to be used for promoting broadband service.

Posted by Judith — 3:51 AM


Nuetel communications & BT announce strategic agreement.

Source: BTplc.

Nuetel communications, the main alternative telecommunication provider in Bahrain, has announced today the award of a multi-million dollar operations, marketing and consultancy contract to BT.
Under the agreement, BT will operate Nuetel’s infrastructure for the next three years and provide technical support, monitoring and roll-out of leading converged services.

Posted by Judith — 3:42 AM

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

AT&T remains silent on Echostar bid.

Source: FT.com.

As one might expect, AT&T, the world’s largest telecoms group, is skilled in the art of communications. But on the persistent rumours that the company might bid for Echostar, the company has remained tight-lipped.
Wall Street rumours about a potential takeover of the second-biggest US satellite operator have swirled around both companies for several years. However, they peaked this week after reports in Barron’s and the financial website TheStreet.com said that AT&T was preparing a takeover bid worth as much as US$26bn (GBP12bn) and that both companies have been in talks.

Posted by Judith — 11:57 AM


Vodafone wins iPhone court ruling.

Source: CNN.com

Deutsche Telekom AG’s mobile unit said Wednesday it would offer Apple Inc.’s popular iPhone without a contract to comply with a court injunction issued after Vodafone challenged T-Mobile’s exclusive lock on the handset.
The iPhone will go on sale contract-free in Germany for 999 euros.

Posted by Judith — 11:43 AM


UK broadband use reaches new high.

Source: BBC News.

Almost nine out of 10 UK net users are connecting via broadband services, official figures reveal.
Information gathered by National Statistics (ONS) for September show that 88.4% of Britons are choosing to use broadband rather than dial-up.
The statistics show that 49.2% of those connections are for services advertised at two megabits per second or faster.
But analysis of the figures suggest the broadband market is static, which could mean tough times for service suppliers.

Posted by Judith — 11:40 AM


It’s Chile This Time of Year.

Source: BWCS.

Chile is hoping to attract would-be investors from Asia, Europe and the US as it prepares to put the country’s fourth mobile operating licence up for sale. With 90% of the population touting a mobile handset, Chile currently boasts the highest level of mobile phone and broadband penetration in Latin America. The market is set to reach saturation by 2010. However, the government seems convinced that this will not deter new investors from entering the market..

Posted by Judith — 11:10 AM


ITU allocates post 2015 frequencies.

Source: The Register.

The World Radio Conference, discussion forum of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has allocated five frequency blocks for use by future mobile telephony technologies, with member countries signed up to the blocks they like the look of and aren’t using for anything else.

Posted by Judith — 10:53 AM

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Germany iPhone deal irks Vodafone, Debitel.

Source: Reuters.

Deutsche Telekom’s mobile unit T-Mobile is coming under fire from competitors over its exclusive sales deal for Apple’s iPhone in Germany.
A German court has granted British telecoms group Vodafone a preliminary injunction designed to stop sales of the iPhone linked to a 24-month T-Mobile contract.
German mobile phone operator Debitel also said it had lodged a complaint with Germany’s telecoms regulator about T-Mobile’s iPhone deal.

Posted by Judith — 12:11 PM


AT&T Buys Ingenio for Pay Per Call Technology.

Source: Internet News.

AT&T on Monday announced the purchase of privately-held Ingenio and plans to integrate the company’s pay-per-call advertising platform into its local directory search and Yellowpages.com network. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Pay-per-call is designed to help businesses better manage ad programs and generate more phone leads. Founded in 1999, Ingenio describes itself as a leader in “live-search commerce.” The company’s main product, called Pay Per Call, is a pay-for-performance advertising service that enables the purchase of live customer phone call leads generated through Ingenio’s online and mobile search advertising network.

Posted by Judith — 12:07 PM


Report: Internet Outages Could Occur By 2010 As Capacity Stalls.

Source: Information Week.

Booming demand for Internet services combined with insufficient infrastructure investment could leave the Web vulnerable to brown outs within three years, a study released Tuesday predicted.
Nemertes Research said Internet providers need to invest from US$42bn to US$55bn — or 60% to 70% more than current plans call for — to stave off interruptions to the digital economy that could happen if the ‘Net bogs down. “The next Google, YouTube, or Amazon might not arise” if the situation isn’t fixed, Nemertes said.

Posted by Judith — 12:00 PM


Orange and The Cloud hook up for Wi-Fi.

Source: The Register.

Orange has done a deal with hotspot aggregator and operator The Cloud, which will make an extra 7,500 Wi-Fi hotspots available to is customers.
The deal gives Orange the largest reach of Wi-Fi between the UK mobile phone operators (10,000 hotspots), though the world of Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly complicated as the deals between companies allow customers of one network to connect to another.

Posted by Judith — 11:48 AM


Deutsche Telekom in talks to acquire EDS.

Source: TeleGeography.

The Financial Times Deutschland reports that incumbent telco Deutsche Telekom (DT) is in talks regarding the possible acquisition of US IT vendor EDS. The revelation follows a year of DT unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer for its IT services provider and business customers division T-Systems. EDS is said to be the second largest IT service provider in the world with a market capitalisation of around EUR7bn (US$10.3bn).

Posted by Judith — 11:41 AM


Nokia Siemens sees profit from “greener” networks.

Source: Reuters.

Nokia Siemens Networks aims to cut the energy consumption of some of its mobile base stations by up to 40 percent by 2010 in a move that should also boost profits, the telecoms network group said on Tuesday.
With new technology and software, fewer base stations would also be needed for the most power-hungry part of a mobile telecom network, it added.
By the year 2010, it said it would reduce energy consumption of its GSM and WCDMA base stations to 650 watts and 300 watts respectively, from the current levels of 800 watts and 500 watts.

Posted by Judith — 11:40 AM


Aria Tunes Into PBT.

Source: Light Reading.

A small British startup has jumped aboard one of the carrier Ethernet sector’s hottest bandwagons — providing network management for Provider Backbone Transport (PBT).
Aria Networks Ltd. , which specializes in network planning and service fulfillment tools for multiple technologies, has developed a module for its intelligent Virtual Network Topologies (iVNT) product suite specifically to help carriers “plan, activate and operate their Provider Backbone Bridging, Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) based Ethernet transport networks.”
PBB-TE (Provider Backbone Bridging - Traffic Engineering), or 802.1 Qay, is the name given to PBT in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) standards process. PBT is the controversial new flavor of Ethernet that’s being championed mainly by BT Group plc.

Posted by Judith — 10:45 AM

Monday, November 19, 2007

Vodaphone Sees China Growth.

Source: Technorati.

Vodafone is seeking to increase its presence in China through a government-led restructuring of the country’s telecommunications industry.
Arun Sarin, Vodafone’s chief executive, told the Financial Times that the UK mobile phone group’s US$13bn stake in China Mobile, China’s leading wireless operator, was a “kitty” that could be used to take advantage of opportunities.
The Chinese government is planning a restructuring of the country’s telecoms sector that may reduce China Mobile’s dominance of the world’s largest mobile market.

Posted by Judith — 12:53 PM


After Global Agreement, Companies May Bid Higher at Wireless Auction in U.S.

Source: New York Times.

When and if Google, Apple, Yahoo and the other potential bidders participate in the auction for wireless licenses in the United States in January, the prices they offer could be the first measure of the impact of the monthlong global radio-frequency spectrum conference that ended in Geneva on Friday.
The companies’ willingness to bet large amounts of money on the licenses will demonstrate, in part, their confidence in the global commercial market for services in a particular part of the spectrum, the versatile 700-megahertz band of ultra-high frequencies.

Posted by Judith — 12:09 PM


Mobily plans US$1 billion expansion.

Source: TeleGeography.

The Saudi cellular operator Mobily says it is investing SAR4bn (US$1.07bn) over the next two years to expand and upgrade its wireless broadband networks. The firm recently acquired WiMAX operator Bayanat al-Oula and is committed to enlarging both its 3G cellular and its WiMAX systems.

Posted by Judith — 11:46 AM


Government to withdraw 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum.

Source: TeleGeography.

The Malaysian government has said it will withdraw the 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum licences that were given out on a trial basis to telcos in 2005. The move follows Kuala Lumpur’s decision two months ago to encourage the industry to concentrate on 2.3GHz WiMAX, 3G and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) platforms, to boost broadband take-up in the country. ‘Those [trial licences] without customers will be immediately withdrawn, while those with customers will be given five years to do so under the MCMC regulations,’ said Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

Posted by Judith — 10:44 AM


AlcaLu Identifies Deep Packet Potential.

Source: Light Reading.

The IP team at Alcatel-Lucent plans to develop its own deep packet inspection (DPI) capabilities that can be integrated into the vendor’s edge routers, according to Basil Alwan, president of the vendor’s IP business.
Alwan, who has just been handed additional responsibilities following a revamp of AlcaLu’s Carrier Business Group, told Light Reading “there’s good reason to invest” in DPI capabilities. “Investing in [DPI] makes a lot of sense and is part of our roadmap. We are going to do a lot with that technology,” though nothing has yet been officially announced, he added.

Posted by Judith — 4:48 AM

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Tech firms alert for U.S. slowdown spread to Europe.

Source: Reuters.

The technology sector is alert for signs that effects of a U.S. spending slowdown will spread to Europe but has not seen evidence of that yet, companies at a Barcelona conference said this week.
IT service providers in particular, for whom the financial sector is an important source of business, told the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference they were staying vigilant but so far had experienced no downturn.

Posted by Judith — 5:54 AM


Radio Spectrum Division Seen Spurring Innovation.

Source: Information Week.

Mobile phone operators will be able to bid for a bigger share of the world’s radio waves in a new international treaty that could spur innovation in wireless technology.
Delegates from 164 countries agreed on Friday to earmark new sections of the finite spectrum for mobile phones and other wireless products at the end of a month-long diplomatic meeting in Geneva, also attended by observer companies including Boeing , AT&T, Sharp and Intel.
Most notably, the pact made room for mobile operators in coveted Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) bands now used by television broadcasters, some of whom resisted sharing the space.

Posted by Judith — 5:42 AM


Wireless gives business an option.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

U.S. Consumers chafe at having only two choices — phone line and cable — for high-speed Internet service. For businesses, there are often even fewer options — the offerings of the phone company — due to the limitations of cable.
That’s changing, at least in major cities. Internet service providers that use wireless technology to bypass the phone companies’ near-monopoly now appear to be gaining traction after a false start at the height of the Internet boom.
The difference between then and now is WiMax, an emerging technology sometimes described as a cousin of the Wi-Fi standard used at home and coffee shop hot spots. WiMax, however, is capable of much greater range, in the tens of kilometres, and higher speeds.

Posted by Judith — 5:06 AM


US$1 billion discovered under Rok.

Source: The Inquirer.

The company which brought mobile TV to your handset without requiring 3G - Rok Entertainment Group - is set to make a US$1bn from its US float.
INQ readers will be familiar with Rok’s steady roll out of its technology worldwide - entering the crucial Chinese market, for example.
Rok mareketing director, Bruce Renny, explained that the money will help to create a war chest to speed up deployment of its products as well as to fund further acquisitions.

Posted by Judith — 4:47 AM

Friday, November 16, 2007

Vonage to pay US$120mn to settle patent dispute.

Source: TeleGeography.

Vonage Holdings Corp has been ordered to pay US$120mn to settle its patent dispute with Verizon Communications after a federal court ruling yesterday denied the VoIP provider’s request to revisit the case.

Posted by Judith — 11:09 AM


Google prepares $4.6bn for US spectrum auction.

Source: Times Online.

Internet giant’s multi-billion-dollar plans for US airwaves could hold implications for UK.
Google has indicated it is likely to press ahead with a multi-billion-dollar bid for a slice of the US airwaves in order to launch a nationwide wireless broadband network.
In July, Google pledged to meet the $4.6 billion reserve price for part of America’s 700MHz spectrum in an auction process run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as long as four “open access” conditions were met.
Today a spokesman told Times Online that the group was taking “all necessary preparations to become an applicant in the auction”.

Posted by Judith — 11:02 AM


FCC Approves AT&T’s Acquisition Of Dobson.

Source: Information Week.

AT&T announced the US$2.8bn cash deal in June, saying Dobson shareholders would receive US$13 a share.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday it approved AT&T”s acquisition of Dobson Communications.
The FCC said it approved the transfer of licenses from Dobson to AT&T in connection with the deal, but also required the companies to divest licenses and some network facilities in a handful of areas.
Last month AT&T got the Justice Department’s endorsement of the deal after agreeing to sell assets in rural areas in five states.
FCC commissioners said on Thursday the deal was in the public interest because it would bring rural customers new wireless technologies and services available on AT&T’s network.

Posted by Judith — 11:00 AM


FT Adds to African Assets.

Source: Light Reading.

A consortium led by France Telecom SA has won the race to take control of African incumbent operator Telkom Kenya , paying US$390mn to the Kenyan government to buy a 51 percent stake in the operator.
The French giant beat out rival bids from India’s Reliance Communications Ltd. , South Africa’s Telkom SA Ltd.
FT says the move fits strongly with its “strategy of targeted development in fast growing markets.” The carrier already holds stakes in seven African operators and has been acquiring new licenses to expand its operations on the continent.

Posted by Judith — 10:59 AM


Truphone phones a friend.

Source: The Register.

Expansys, the first port of call for the technically-literate UK gadget buyer, has launched their own VoIP service in something of a departure from their core business, though on closer examination it’s a branded version of Truphone.
Expansys VoIP will come as a pre-installed application on Nokia handsets sold by Expansys, at least those with a Wi-Fi capability. The user just runs the application on the handset, it then collects their information and configures the phone’s SIP client to use Truphone’s VoIP network.
Many users who would gain from Wi-Fi VoIP services are put off by the complexity of installing software or configuring the service, and Truphone has gone a long way to simplifying that process. Pre-installing the client removes a major step, and should encourage more customers to try VoIP on their mobile, but getting an operator to pre-install Truphone would be difficult to say the least.

Posted by Judith — 10:04 AM

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Verizon Business Upgrades Network Backbone To 40 Gbps.

Source: TechWeb.

Verizon Business is upgrading network circuits in the U.S. and rolling out an optical transport network to connect major European cities.
Verizon Business moved to expand the speed of its backbone network circuits in the U.S. and at the same time said it will begin rolling out an optical transport network connecting major European cities.
Both projects are designed to deliver speeds of 40 Gbps. The U.S. effort will connect traffic among Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York City via Juniper Networks T-series core routers. The backbone routers have been designed to carry Internet traffic between Washington and Chicago and voice, data, and video traffic between Washington and New York City.
Noting that the upgrade calls for a jump from 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps, Verizon Business said it plans to deploy the higher speed spans and circuits on its U.S. network into 2008.
The European deployment, announced on Thursday, will include ultra long-haul gear on core backbone routes among Verizon Business’ hubs in London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and Brussels. The first phase of the deployment is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. The company has already deployed more than 25,000 miles of ultra long-haul networking in the U.S.

Posted by Judith — 2:01 PM


Mexico’s Telmex To Spin Off International Business.

Source: Information Week.

The largest fixed-line telephone operator in Mexico said it wants to free the faster-growing international operations from the slow-growth parent company.
Telmex, the largest fixed-line telephone operator in Mexico, said Wednesday it will spin off its faster-growing international operations, freeing them from the slow-growth parent company.
Telmex , with a market capitalization of more than US$22bn and controlled by billionaire tycoon Carlos Slim, said the new company will be called Telmex Internacional and will trade on the Mexican and U.S. stock markets.

Posted by Judith — 1:32 PM


Qualcomm Wins A Patent Case Against Nokia In Holland.

Source: Information Week.

However, as many as 20 additional disputes between Qualcomm and Nokia remain unresolved.
The marathon patent litigation between Qualcomm and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) reached a waypoint of sorts Wednesday when a Dutch court dismissed a Nokia claim against Qualcomm. However, as many as 20 additional disputes between the two mobile providers remain unresolved. According to Qualcomm, the District Court in the Hague dismissed the Nokia complaint.

Posted by Judith — 12:41 PM


Huawei, Telecom Italia claim world’s first with HSUPA net.

Source: The Inquirer.

Chinese telecom’s giant Huawei broke open the champagne today to celebrate teaming up with Telecom Italia.
The assembled dignitaries included HE Dong, the Chinese ambassador to Italy, and an array of local politicians, representatives from Huawei and Telecom Italia.
Telecom Italia and Huawei have replaced the infrastructure in the island to HSUPA (high speed uplink packet access). This lets the network be used at extremely high speeds - 1.92Mbps for uplink and 7.2Mbps for download. Huawei wouldn’t say the amount that passed hands, but handsets are included in the deal.

Posted by Judith — 12:34 PM


SEACOM closes financing, starts construction.

Source: TeleGeography.

African investors have taken a significant majority stake in SEACOM’s undersea broadband cable, joining hands with an international partner to link southern and east Africa with India and Europe. The investors have given the green light for construction of the state-of-the-art cable, committing financing for the broadband link from Mtunzini in South Africa to Mumbai in India and Marseille in France via Mozambique, Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania. ‘This is a major milestone in the development of advanced broadband infrastructure for Africa by Africans’, said SEACOM President Brian Herlihy. ‘Ten years ago, very few believed African markets were capable of the tremendous growth experienced in the mobile industry. Today, we see the dawn of a similar revolution in the growth of data communications.’

Posted by Judith — 11:49 AM


Nortel Preps New PBT Switch.

Source: Light Reading.

The question for Nortel is not “What’s new?” but “What’s MetroNext?”
Nortel is taking its carrier Ethernet campaign to the next level with the development of a new switch, codenamed MetroNext, that will be optimized for Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) and include support for multicast services such as IPTV.
Though not yet publicly announced, Nortel has confirmed that the MetroNext platform is in development, but it’s keeping some of the finer technical and timing details quiet as it looks to stay at the forefront of PBT developments.

Posted by Judith — 11:41 AM

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

All Eyes on Norwegian Spectrum Sale

Source: BWCS.

Norway has become the first European country to successfully auction off “technology neutral” licences. The Norwegian government sold off five blocks of spectrum in the 2.6GHz band for a total of NKr228.9mn (US$ 42.43mn). The five winning bidders are: Telenor, Arctic Wireless, Craig Wireless Systems, Hafslund Telekom and NetCom and Telenor.

Posted by Judith — 12:37 PM


BT and Swisscom redefine their partnership.

Source: BTplc.com.

Swisscom and BT are set to redefine their partnership to better respond to the future needs of their customers. Those who stand to benefit most from the move are companies in Switzerland requiring global ICT solutions and services. Swisscom customers will in future be offered services from the global BT portfolio.

Posted by Judith — 12:19 PM


Vodafone Ireland purchases fixed line and broadband operator Perlico.

Source: TeleGeography.

Vodafone Ireland yesterday announced it has purchased domestic fixed line and broadband provider Perlico Communications for a figure thought to be in the region of EUR80 million (US$116.8 mn). Vodafone Ireland will pay about EUR30 mn in cash while the remainder will be paid as part of an ‘earn-out’ clause over a number of years. The deal will enable Vodafone to offer its customers a triple-play offering of mobile, fixed line and broadband communications service in the Republic.

Posted by Judith — 12:16 PM


The EU Delays Google’s Ad Buy.

Source: Business Week.

European officials want more time to review the proposed DoubleClick deal, and critics in the U.S. hope the FTC is paying attention.
Sheer size has helped Google dominate much of the world’s US$30bn online advertising market. But the search giant’s massive reach is proving to be a liability in Europe. On Nov. 13, the European Union’s antitrust authority held off on approving Google’s proposed US$3.1bn acquisition of online ad company DoubleClick, opting instead to subject the transaction to further review.

Posted by Judith — 12:11 PM


Qualcomm To Buy Firethorn To Boost Mobile Services Effort.

Source: Information Week.

Firethorn connects financial institutions and wireless operators in a platform that in turn links to consumers’ wireless devices.
Qualcomm moved to beef up its mobile phone services Wednesday by acquiring mobile banking provider Firethorn Holdings for about US$210mn in cash.
While Qualcomm’s expertise has traditionally centered on its intellectual property and its core networking offerings, it has been moving recently toward improving its services features

Posted by Judith — 12:06 PM


AT&T to Sell Equipment to Monitor Workplaces.

Source: New York Times.

AT&T plans to introduce a nationwide program today that gives owners of small- and medium-size businesses some of the same tools big security companies offer for monitoring employees, customers and operations from remote locations.
Using a Java-enabled mobile device or a personal computer connected to the Internet, the owner would be able to view any of the images in real time, control room lighting and track equipment temperatures remotely. All the images are recorded on digital video, which can be viewed for up to 30 days.

Posted by Judith — 12:02 PM

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

India to opt for 3G auction.

Source: TeleGeography.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has confirmed that it will auction 3G spectrum in the 2100MHz band, and that foreign companies will be entitled to take part as long as they receive security clearance. ‘The government has decided to release 3G spectrum for broadband wireless access. Auction has been decided for 3G spectrum,’ Andimuthu Raja, the telecoms minister, said. Winners will be required to pay 0.5% of total adjusted gross revenue to the state on an annual basis for the first three years of operation, rising to 1% thereafter. Firms will not be permitted to trade or resell the spectrum, and they will not be allowed to merge in the first five years after the grant.

Posted by Judith — 1:07 PM


Yahoo expands mobile carrier deals across Asia.

Source: Reuters.

Yahoo Inc has struck new deals to offer mobile phone Web services through nine network operators across Asia, bolstering its increasing lead in the fastest growing regional market for mobile services by users.
The Silicon Valley-based Internet company also said on Tuesday that it was introducing a mobile service called Yahoo Go in traditional Chinese in Taiwan. These deals build on six earlier Asian carrier partnerships announced in June.

Posted by Judith — 12:54 PM


EU proposes new powers to split up telco operators.

Source: Reuters.

The European Commission proposed on Tuesday giving national telecoms regulators major new powers to split dominant operators in a shake-up of European telecoms rules immediately opposed by Germany and incumbents.
Under “functional separation”, regulators could force a split of the network and retail arms of operators, with no divesture of assets, in the event of persistent competition problems, and after checking the impact on investments in networks and getting the green light from the EU executive.
The plan must be agreed by EU governments and parliaments to become law and analysts expect it to run into strong opposition.

Posted by Judith — 12:08 PM


Roaming, Roaming, Gone.

Source: eWEEK.com.

The U.S. branch of T-Mobile charges .99 cents per minute for roaming in Europe, for both incoming and outgoing calls.
GSM cell phone users can replace their SIM cards with United Mobile’s cards. Using the networks of 300 companies in 140 countries, United Mobile transparently negotiates the cheapest rate for its dialers by sidestepping roaming fees altogether: it’s as if your call connects within the same network.
And it does so by using a 15-year-old technology that has been all but abandoned—call-backs.

Posted by Judith — 11:29 AM


O2 chief dampens iPhone hype.

Source: The Register.

Peter Erskine, CEO of UK operator O2 said it’s “early days” for the iPhone in the UK - and shot down some of the larger sales numbers being touted for the device.
So how well did the iPhone really do at the weekend?
Carphone Warehouse, with over 1,000 stores in the UK, did most of the heavy lifting. O2 has 300 high street shops here and Apple just 12. A channel source tells us that Carphone took stock of 50,000 but only shifted around 11,000.

Posted by Judith — 11:16 AM

Monday, November 12, 2007

Vodafone to boost HSDPA speeds in December and launch HSUPA.

Source: TeleGeography.

Next month Vodafone will become the first UK wireless network operator to upgrade its network to support speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. Not only will the operator up the speed of its HSDPA network, but it will also be the first to switch on high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), making it faster for users to send files.

Posted by Judith — 1:32 PM


Firm pledges first 400Mb/s powerline product early 2008.

Source: The Register.

European networking hardware company Comtrend has pledged to begin selling powerline Ethernet adaptors capable of a maximum throughput of 400Mb/s - double the speed of today’s offerings - “early next year”.
Comtrend’s kit uses technology developed by European semiconductor maker DS2 and is compatible with DS2’s 200Mb/s chips, the company claimed.
DS2’s powerline technology forms the basis for the Universal Powerline Alliance (UPA) standard, an incompatible rival to the US-led HomePlug Alliance (HPA) 200Mb/s standard, HomePlug AV.

Posted by Judith — 1:03 PM


Disney to enter Japan cellphone market in spring.

Source: Reuters.

Walt Disney Co (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the No.2 U.S. entertainment company, plans to launch mobile phone services in Japan early next year to become the newest entrant in an ultra-competitive market.
Disney, which plans to halt its U.S.-based mobile phone service in December, is now eyeing demand for its online contents in the world’s biggest market of third-generation phones, officials said on Monday.

Posted by Judith — 12:46 PM


Virgin Mobile abandons pre-paid only strategy.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

Virgin Mobile Canada is abandoning its prepaid-only strategy and intends to provide service through subscriber plans next year.
Mr. Branson said on Monday Virgin now intends to offer “a simpler, more transparent and fairer postpaid option.”

Posted by Judith — 11:37 AM

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Intel Moving Ahead with WiMax Plans.

Source: eWEEK.com.

Intel may seek new markets and partners in the wake of the collapse of the Sprint-Clearwire deal.
Intel will continue plans to build WiMax technology into its silicon despite news of Sprint Nextel and Clearwire ending plans for a nationwide WiMax network.
An Intel spokesperson said that news of the Sprint-Clearwater decision was disappointing, but that the chip maker is still prepared to move ahead with plans to build more of the wireless technology into its microprocessors and hardware platforms.

Posted by Judith — 4:56 AM


FCC seen to issue report on cable share.

Source: Reuters.

The Federal Communications Commission, is expected to soon issue a report concluding that the cable industry’s market share has passed a key threshold that will give the agency broad power to ensure that there is sufficient diversity on the airwaves, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Posted by Judith — 4:10 AM

Friday, November 9, 2007

Cisco Buys Mobile WiMax Equipment Maker Navini.

Source: WiMax Networking News.

Navini bought by Cisco for US$330m: The deal puts late-entrant Cisco yet again into the fray of another wireless “revolution.” Cisco bought Airespace in 2005 to assume one of the top positions in the wireless LAN switch market. The Navini acquisition gives them worldwide customers of mobile WiMax technology before the big rollout here in the US by Sprint Nextel (we still assume) and Clearwire.

Posted by Judith — 2:12 AM


The Net Neutrality Squad.

Source: The Register.

Beware, Comcast. Here comes the Net Neutrality Squad.
Earlier this week, an ad hoc collection of tech gurus - including internet founding father Vint Cerf, programming pioneer David Farber, and security specialist Bruce Schneier - announced a new plan to mobilize everyday net users in the fight against nefarious ISPs.
The organization’s latest project is a reaction to recent revelations that two big-name US internet service providers are furtively toying with user traffic.Comcast is throttling BitTorrents, and Verizon is hijacking web browsers.

Posted by Judith — 2:04 AM


BT books US$456m charge to cover cost of restructuring.

Source: Independent.co.uk.

A major restructuring charge has taken the shine off BT’s dominance of the UK broadband sector after the telecoms giant said that more than 2,000 managers have left the company over the past six months.
BT has booked a US$456m (GBP216m) restructuring charge as part of a US$949m (GBP450m) investment in sharpening up its systems and processes over the next few years.

Posted by Judith — 1:14 AM


Verizon hijacks your browser.

Source: The Register.

Verizon is shamelessly hijacking web browsers on its new fiber-optic internet service.
With posts to the online forums at BroadbandReports and WebmasterWorld, FIOS subscribers claim that when they carelessly mistype web addresses, Verizon redirects their browsers to its very own ad-driven search pages.

Posted by Judith — 1:05 AM

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Cisco And Aruba Begin Clash Of The Wi-Fi Titans.

Source: Information Week.

The two companies have invested millions in new 802.11n gear which is becoming attractive in the enterprise as a wireless alternative.
With its announcement of new wireless LAN hardware this week, Aruba Networks becomes the last of the major enterprise wireless-LAN vendors to announce gear for systems based on the emerging 802.11n spec for Wi-Fi networks.
The advent of 802.11n is seen as a major transition point for enterprise wireless networking — particularly for companies that have not yet deployed Wi-Fi networks in their offices and campuses.
A new version of the Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n will offer five times the throughput of existing Wi-Fi networks plus increased stability and reliability.

Posted by Judith — 2:21 PM


Is Sprint getting cold feet about Pivot and Xohm?

Source: The Register.

Sprint Nextel announced another disastrous quarter, its problems only highlighted by the strength of Verizon and AT&T, and appears to be in danger of sacrificing its only routes out of its “also-ran” rut, as a peace offering to understandably angry but short termist investors.
The carrier is pulling back on Pivot, the important joint venture with four major cablecos that gives it a shot at powering a converged operation; and is once again weighing up the options for its Xohm WiMAX division, with a deeper relationship with Clearwire and possible total spin-off two possibilities.

Posted by Judith — 2:04 PM


Big Two Team up as iPhone Looms.

Source: BWCS.

Nokia has joined forces with global mobile operator Vodafone to launch a raft of integrated services from both companies. According to a statement from the handset maker, the services will offer customers a greater choice of communications, Internet services, content and browsing through a range of premium handsets on 3G networks.

Posted by Judith — 2:01 PM


New Bahraini telco launched by Saudi group.

Source: TeleGeography.

A new corporate-focused telecoms provider, Rawabi Telecom, has been launched in Bahrain this week by its 95% shareholder, Saudi Arabia’s Rawabi Holding Group. Rawabi Telecom, which is 5% owned by a Bahraini company, has acquired three licences from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for international telephony, ISP and value added services. ‘The launch of the new company is part of a strategic movement globally directed on behalf of its parent group,’ Rawabi Telecom COO Maro Simatovic told the Gulf Daily News.
He added ‘Our partners include Redline communications, Nextone, Paybox and Verscom, who will be critical to providing us with up-to-date expertise in emerging technologies to help our clients remain at the cutting edge of an ever-changing market.’

Posted by Judith — 1:40 PM


Merger talks between ultra-fast Internet networks end.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

The on-again, off-again talks to merge two ultra-fast nonprofit Internet networks have ended again — for good this time, it appears.
Internet2 and National LambdaRail serve many of the nation’s universities and research institutions by offering fast Internet connections that physicists, astronomers and other researchers need to exchange large amounts of data.

Posted by Judith — 12:35 PM


Mobily embarks on secondary 3.5G rollout.

Source: TeleGeography.

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has launched the first phase of the second expansion of its 3.5G network across Saudi Arabia in order to expand its reach to new cities and provinces, a company statement reads. The cellco has allocated around US$276m for the secondary expansion programme, which has already begun in collaboration with three international technology vendors, Ericsson of Sweden, Finland’s Nokia and Chinese firm Huawei. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database.

Posted by Judith — 11:39 AM

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Do androids dream of an open OS?

Source: The Register.

As the reality of Google’s Android mobile phone operating system starts to sink in, the industry is asking those not involved in the Open Handset Alliance why they decided to stay away.
Google matters a lot in the USA, and to the FCC thanks to the interest it’s shown in the upcoming 700MHz auction. In Europe, Nokia’s opinion is considered more important.
Kari Tuutti, of Nokia’s multimedia unit, told Reuters that membership of the alliance is “not ruled out at all. If we would see this as beneficial we would think about taking part in it”.
But Nokia has an enormous investment in Symbian, not to mention its own Linux project.

Posted by Judith — 1:23 PM


AOL buys another ad company.

Source: The Globe and Mail.

AOL’s acquisition binge of online advertising companies continued Wednesday as it announced plans to buy Quigo and its services for matching ads to the content of Web pages.
The acquisition follows AOL’s September purchase of Tacoda, a leader in behavioral-targeting technology, and comes as AOL tries to boost its online advertising revenue to offset declines in Internet access subscriptions.

Posted by Judith — 12:25 PM


AT&T Readjusts U-verse Forecast

Source: Light Reading.

In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today, AT&T Inc. has once again reiterated: This fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) stuff is hard to predict. The company, in its filing, said it will spend about $500m more to reach 1 million fewer homes by the end of 2008 than was originally projected.
The carrier says it’ll have a more comprehensive update on those plans at its Analyst Conference on December 11.

Posted by Judith — 12:20 PM


Bluetooth opts for Wi-Fi while waiting.

Source: The Register.

The Bluetooth special interest group (SIG) is prepared to embrace Wi-Fi as a high-speed connection option while it waits for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) to become available on phone handsets, according to presentations by SIG chair John Barr.
Bluetooth has long been looking for a high-speed channel for transferring large files or streaming multimedia content, and last year decided to adopt WiMedia Alliance’s version of UWB. But the wait for UWB-supporting handsets has become too much for some, who are now looking to Wi-Fi as a fast alternative if some of the Bluetooth profiles can be layered on top of it.

Posted by Judith — 11:41 AM


Mobile broadband modem offers built-in software.

Source: The Inquirer.

Broadband internet anywhere is what Sony Ericsson is promising with a new USB modem for PCs and Macs. It supports no fewer than four flavours of GSM-style data.

Posted by Judith — 11:08 AM


Cisco Flips Switch on Campus Communications Fabric.

Source: Internetnews.com.

At the heart of Cisco’s dominance of the enterprise networking landscape is the Cisco Catalyst switch. As the name implies, Catalyst switches enable traffic to flow across an enterprise as part of the Cisco Campus Communications Fabric.
Now the Campus Communications Fabric is about to get faster, thanks to a set of new features that enterprises can upgrade piece by piece without sacrificing their infrastructures.
The new Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Virtual Switching System (VSS) 1440 will enable Cisco users to combine multiple Catalyst 6500 switches to provide as much as 1.44 terabits per second.

Posted by Judith — 10:01 AM


Google at the gas pump.

Source: CNN.com

As part of a partnership to be announced Wednesday, the online search leader will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the country beginning early next month.

Posted by Judith — 9:30 AM

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Dell to acquire storage company for US$1.4bn.

Source: NYT.

Dell has announced that it is to acquire EqualLogic for US$1.4bn. in a move to claim a larger share of the data storage market.
The deal, Dell’s largest acquisition to date and its fourth this year, comes as the company is trying to stage a corporate turnaround and reclaim ground lost to more nimble competitors.

Posted by Judith — 5:04 AM


Alltel funding outlined.

Source: TeleGeography.

The leveraged buyout of Alltel is being part-funded with around US$8bn. of loans and bonds. Underwriters Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Barclays and RBS have revealed that there will be US$6bn. of bank loans, with another US$2m. worth of bonds on offer. Alltel had earlier revealed that it intended to offer up to US$5.2bn. in traditional notes plus up to US$2.5bn. in pay-in-kind toggle notes. Alltel is being acquired by equity groups TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners in a deal worth around US$27bn., which includes almost US$3bn. of debt.

Posted by Judith — 3:44 AM


iPhone launch helps to bring 300 jobs to Scotland.

Source: Scotsman.com.

More than 300 jobs are being brought to Scotland to cope with demand for the iPhone following its UK launch this week.
O2, which has an exclusive contract with Apple to sell the device in the UK, has taken on about 100 extra retail staff north of the Border and an additional 200 iPhone-designated staff at its Glasgow Skypark call centre.

Posted by Judith — 3:15 AM

Monday, November 5, 2007

Profits down at Embarq.

Source: TeleGeography.

The US wireline carrier Embarq has reported a 2% fall in third-quarter net profits to US$157m. The decline in the voice sector is being brought about by the continued spread of cable-based VoIP services, which Embarq says are now available to around 60% of all households in its operating area.

Posted by Judith — 1:17 PM


Google to unveil mobile technology.

Source: Reuters.

Google Inc has announced plans to unveil a mobile phone technology platform with support from more than 30 companies including wireless service providers and handset makers.
Google said it would hold a conference call later in the day to discuss the system with speakers from T-Mobile, Motorola, High Tech Computer and Qualcomm Inc.
It said the system, known as Android would be “the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices.”

Posted by Judith — 10:28 AM


MetroPCS turns back on Leap Wireless bid.

Source: TeleGeography.

MetroPCS Communications has abandoned plans to purchase fellow wireless communications provider Leap Wireless International, citing its rival’s unwillingness to participate in ‘meaningful’ discussions as the reason. MetroPCS’s all-stock deal, valued at USD5.2 billion, was rejected by Leap Wireless as too low.

Posted by Judith — 5:41 AM


T-Mobile completes EDGE upgrade in seven federal states.

Source: TeleGeography.

T-Mobile Deutschland has announced the completion of the first phase of its project to upgrade its mobile network. Swedish vendor Ericsson has modernised a total of 10,000 base transmitter stations across the Federal Republic over the last two years. The upgraded BTSs feature EDGE technology, used by the Applie iPhone handset, which T-Mobile will be exclusively marketing in Germany from 9 November.

Posted by Judith — 5:37 AM


Britons sending 1bn. texts weekly.

Source: BBC.

Britons are now sending more than one billion text messages per week according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association. The figure is 25% higher than a year ago.

Posted by Judith — 4:54 AM


eircom to restructure EUR4bn. debt.

Source: TeleGeography.

Irish former fixed line monopoly eircom is planning to restructure its EUR4bn. (US$5.8bn.) debt for the third time in two years. The company’s 57% majority shareholder, Babcock & Brown Capital (B&B), will most likely implement the refinancing plan in early 2008, subject to an improvement in the world’s debt markets following the recent credit crunch. B&B is understood to favour another debt restructuring following its recent move to sell off EUR150m. of its phone masts, and the sale and leaseback of buildings that are now surplus to requirements.

Posted by Judith — 3:44 AM

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Sprint cuts could delay 4G rollout.

Source: FT.com.

Sprint Nexte has slowed its capital spending in an effort to boost its free cash flow - a move that could delay the planned commercial deployment of a 4G wireless broadband network based on WiMax technology.
The capital outlay cutbacks, which could also hit Sprint Nextel’s telecommunications equipment suppliers, comes as the company struggles to stem a loss in subscribers and continues its search for a new chief executive to replace Gary Forsee, who resigned under pressure from the board last month.

Posted by Judith — 6:00 AM


Consumer Groups ask F.C.C. to halt Comcast’s file-sharing delays.

Source: NYT.

Comcast could be the biggest test for FCC policies on ‘net neutrality,’ if a coalition of consumer groups has its way. The coalition has formally asked the FCC to halt Comcast’s practice of treating file sharing differently from other web traffic; two of the groups, according to AP, are seeking fines of US$195,000 for every affected subscriber.

Posted by Judith — 5:44 AM


MySpace and Bebo join Google.

Source: TimesOnline.

Google ramped up the pressure on Facebook last night, announcing that MySpace and Bebo had joined the broad alliance of social networking sites it has assembled that will offer a cross-site platform for software developers.
The decision by MySpace, which has 110m. users, and Bebo - the most popular networking site in the UK - to sign up to Google’s initiative, called OpenSocial, is likely to put pressure on Facebook to drop its own, similar, platform and join up too.

Posted by Judith — 5:12 AM

Friday, November 2, 2007

FCC expands local number portability to VoIP.

Source: Converge.

The FCC voted to expand LNP rules to VoIP services, giving consumers the right to keep the same, familiar phone number when switching to a new provider.
The FCC made clear that the obligation to provide local number portability extends to interconnected VoIP providers and the telecommunications carriers that obtain numbers for them.

Posted by Judith — 6:39 AM


Boingo acquires Sprint’s Wi-Fi in 7 U.S. airports.

Source: Converge.

Boingo Wireless has acquired seven airport Wi-Fi networks from Sprint and is converting them to Boingo hotspots.
Sprint customers will retain Wi-Fi access in these seven airports and will gain access to 16 additional airports where Boingo provides Wi-Fi services directly. Additionally, the companies have entered into a roaming agreement that will provide Sprint customers access to Boingo’s global hotspot network.

Posted by Judith — 6:37 AM


Mobile music gauntlet goes down.

Source: Telecoms.com.

The battle for mobile music market share started in earnest in the UK on Thursday, as both Vodafone and Nokia unveiled their offerings.
Vodafone has struck an exclusive agreement with mobile music shop Omnifone to offer unlimited track downloads straight to the mobile.
Nokia also stepped up its push into the service space with the launch of its UK-based Nokia Music Store. The company will make millions of tracks from major artists and independent labels available alongside interactive features such as personal track recommendations and a favourite artists search and discovery function.

Posted by Judith — 6:16 AM


Vodafone targets international workers with MVNO.

Source: Telecoms.com

Vodafone UK notched up its second MVNO contract in as many weeks on Wednesday, announcing the launch of Lebara Mobile, which is targeting the UK’s 1.5 million strong migrant worker community.
The SIM-only prepay service will be provided to customers under the Lebara brand and will be made available through outlets targeted specifically at the migrant community.
Customers will be supported by own language customer service before and after the purchase.

Posted by Judith — 6:10 AM

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Verizon wins Indian LD licences.

Source: TeleGeography.

US-based Verizon Communications has received Letters of Intent from India’s Department of Telecommunications for national and international long-distance licences, which will allow it to begin offering communication services to India-based multinational companies.

Posted by Judith — 6:00 AM


Thousands to lose jobs at BT as company plans shake-up.

Source: TimesOnline.

Unions and analysts are gearing up for thousands of job cuts at BT after a radical shake-up of the telecoms giant.
The company is expected to reveal a significant reduction in its headcount at its second-quarter results next week. It comes after an announcement in April about a restructuring aimed at making the company more efficient and helping it to compete better in Britain’s telecoms and broadband market.

Posted by Judith — 5:59 AM


VSNL to be renamed Tata Telecommunications.

Source: TeleGeography.

The Board of VSNL has approved a proposal to change the name of the company to Tata Communications Limited. The new name and identity will, it is hoped, help the company ‘to leverage the brand equity that has come to be associated with the Tata Group’.

Posted by Judith — 5:58 AM


Job cuts at Alcatel-Lucent.

Source: Scotsman.

Alcatel-Lucent said it would cut a further 4,000 jobs by 2009 as it trimmed full-year revenue growth expectations yet again after seeing fresh signs of a slowdown, particularly in North America.

Posted by Judith — 5:49 AM


Wi-LAN files infringement suit against 22 firms.

Source: Reuters.

Wi-LAN Inc has announced that it has initiated litigation against 22 technology companies in two actions claiming patent infringement.
Wi-LAN, which licenses patents for telecom products, said the suits against chip suppliers, equipment vendors and electronics retailers have commenced in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.

Posted by Judith — 3:38 AM

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