Press Clippings: August 2010
Major Industry items you might have missed
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Clearwire introduces pay-as-you-go 4G service.
Source: TeleGeography.
US mobile WiMAX network operator Clearwire has unveiled the country’s first pay-as-you-go 4G mobile broadband service. Branded ‘Rover’, the new service is aimed at ‘digitally addicted youth who refuse to settle for long-term contracts, overpriced internet service, or speeds slower than what they’ve become accustomed to at home’. Rover will be available in all 49 of Clearwire’s 4G markets across the United States.
Posted by Judith — 5:04 AM
RIM averts BlackBerry ban in India with two month security test.
Source: Businessweek.
RIM have averted a ban on its BlackBerry services in India that would have affected more than a million users and halted the Canadian company’s expansion in the world’s second-largest mobile-phone market.
India’s telecommunications department will test RIM’s monitoring solution for 60 days to see if it allows security agencies to tap its messenger- and enterprise-mail services.
Posted by Judith — 3:30 AM
Telecoms firms urge US to ease trade restrictions on Cuba.
Source: TeleGeography.
Telecoms companies Nokia, AT&T and Verizon Communications are reported to be urging the US government to loosen its 47-year-old trade embargo with Cuba that bars them from operating on the island. US mobile operators AT&T and Verizon are appealing to regulators to make it easier for US companies to directly connect calls to and from Cuba, while Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, which is barred from selling handsets to Cuba as its unit that exports to Latin America is based in Miami, is urging the US to ease the embargo to allow it to do business with the island.
Posted by Judith — 3:11 AM
Google and Skype could be hit by India data curbs.
Source: BBC.
India has toughened its scrutiny of telecoms firms with a directive demanding “access to everything”.
The move follows high-profile talks with RIM about ways to allow Indian security forces to monitor data.
The government is also likely to target virtual private networks, which give secure access to company networks for employees working away from their offices.
Posted by Judith — 3:06 AM
Canada’s small Internet providers get higher speed.
Source: Reuters.
Canada’s established telecom carriers must allow smaller Internet providers access to their high-speed fiber networks at the same speed they offer to their own customers, the telecom and broadcast regulator ruled on Monday, but it said they can charge a 10% mark-up for doing so.
The mark-up will not apply to access to existing Internet services, which the carriers, such as Bell Canada and Telus must continue to provide to the smaller ISPs.
Posted by Judith — 2:00 AM
Monday, August 30, 2010
Intel to buy Infineon’s mobile unit for US$1.4bn.
Source: Reuters.
Intel is to buy German chipmaker Infineon’s wireless unit for US$1.4bn., enabling the U.S. chipmaker to boost its presence in the smartphone market.
The cash transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011 and the mobile unit will remain as a standalone business.
Posted by Judith — 2:37 AM
Nokia and Siemens confirm seeking investor for NSN joint-venture.
Source: cellular-news.
Nokia and Siemens have confirmed previous reports that they are seeking an outside investor in their Nokia Siemens Networks joint venture. The move could be a prelude to a stock market floatation in 2013.
The existing deal between Nokia and Siemens expires in 2013, when the two companies would have to renegotiate their agreement. The introduction of additional shareholders would almost certainly require the renegotiation of the existing agreement.
Posted by Judith — 1:47 AM
Vodafone to begin global retreat with GBP4bn. China sell-off.
Source: Scotsman.
Vodafone is planning to sell its shares in China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile phone operator, to raise more than GBP4 billion.
Vodafone owns 3.2% of China Mobile, which has 550 million customers.
If the proposal gets the formal boardroom green light, the Chinese sell-off is expected to be the first in a flurry of planned disposals by the British mobile telecoms giant.
Posted by Judith — 1:36 AM
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Paul Allen sues tech giants over ‘patent violations’.
Source: BBC.
The co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, is suing several high-tech giants for infringing patents held by a firm he founded in the 1990s.
The legal action against Apple, Yahoo, Facebook, Google and eBay, as well as six other firms, asserts that web technologies first developed by Interval Licensing have been infringed.
The patents are key to how e-commerce and search websites worked.
Posted by Judith — 2:07 AM
Friday, August 27, 2010
India says BlackBerry must give access or face ban.
Source: Reuters.
India has insisted that it would block some BlackBerry services next week if the smartphone maker did not address security concerns, though government officials said they were hopeful for a solution soon.
Time is running out for Canada’s Research In Motion to give India the means to track and read its secure email and instant messaging services that officials fear could be misused by militants and to create political instability.
Posted by Judith — 4:24 AM
HP trumps Dell again as 3PAR bidding war escalates.
Source: Reuters.
Hewlett-Packard has raised its bid for data storage company 3PAR Inc to US$1.8bn., dealing a blow to Dell’s US$1.6bn. effort to win a rapidly escalating bidding war.
HP’s counteroffer of US$27 a share came just hours after Dell raised its previous bid by a third.
Posted by Judith — 3:53 AM
eircom Wholesale launches carrier ethernet across Ireland.
Source: Converge.
eircom Wholesale has launched its NGN Ethernet wholesale telecom service, providing connectivity with speeds from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps across Ireland.
Posted by Judith — 1:40 AM
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Google offers free voice calls via Gmail.
Source: BBC.
Google is taking on internet telephone companies like Skype by allowing users to call from its free web-based email service.
The service allows users to make calls to landlines and mobiles from inside their Gmail account.
Phoning anywhere in the US and Canada will be free until the end of the year, while calls to the UK, France, China and Germany will cost 2 cents a minute.
Posted by Judith — 4:02 AM
Yahoo: Microsoft’s Bing starts to power its U.S. Internet search.
Source: Reuters.
Yahoo web, image, and video search experiences on both desktop and mobile devices are now powered by the Microsoft platform in the U.S. and Canada.
Both Bing and Yahoo lag behind market leader Google in the Internet search business. They have formed a partnership to increase their combined market share to win more ad search dollars.
Posted by Judith — 2:36 AM
Telenor, Opera to cooperate on mobile internet.
Source: Telecompaper.
Telenor Group and Opera Software have agreed on a non-exclusive global frame agreement aiming to stimulate rapid growth of mobile internet services across Telenor’s business units. Under the terms of the agreement, Telenor’s business units can co-brand, distribute and run the Opera Mini mobile browser across its mobile handset and subscriber portfolios.
Posted by Judith — 2:16 AM
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
CenturyLink and Qwest shareholders OK takeover.
Source: cellular-news.
Shareholders have approved the US$10bn. takeover of Qwest Communications by CenturyLink.
CenturyLink, the fifth-biggest local phone company in the U.S. is buying Qwest, the third-biggest, as both struggle with the decline of landline phone use in favor of cell phones.
Posted by Judith — 3:18 AM
Qualcomm forms incubation lab to launch mobile services.
Source: cellular-news.
Qualcomm has set up a subsidiary company to help develop new mobile services. Designed to operate as an incubator, the company, Qualcomm Services Labs (QSL) will explore new ideas, technologies and service models that can have an immediate impact in the marketplace, as well as drive the adoption of Qualcomm’s technologies.
Posted by Judith — 2:45 AM
Liberty only bidder for taking over ITI in India.
Source: Telecompaper.
India-based footwear company Liberty Group is learnt to be the only company to have mounted a bid for taking over telecommunication equipment maker Indian Telephone Industries after the fourth deadline to find a buyer for the ailing state-owned company expired on 23 August.
Posted by Judith — 1:50 AM
RIM buys mobile content vendor.
Source: cellular-news.
According to a statement on the front of their website, the mobile content and billing vendor, Cellmania has been brought by RIM.
RIM has been known to be seeking to bolster its mobile applications capability through acquisitions and Cellmania gives it access to a billing and distribution platform.
Cellmania’s apps store platforms are in action on 4 continents with companies such as Orange, Telstra, Qwest Communications, Virgin Mobile USA and Sprint.
Posted by Judith — 1:18 AM
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mistrust in USA and India impacts Chinese telecom equipment suppliers.
Source: cellular-news.
Concerns are rising in the United States and India over perceived security risks associated with using Chinese-made telecommunications equipment, potentially slowing global sales growth for China’s major gear makers.
A group of U.S. senators last week asked the Obama administration to review a bid from China’s Huawei Technologies to supply telecommunications gear to Sprint Nextel, citing concerns over espionage. Meanwhile, Huawei and fellow Chinese equipment maker ZTE reported that the Indian government have started blocking purchase orders placed with them.
The stakes are enormous, with the combined global market for wired and wireless infrastructure telecommunications gear expected to amount to exceed US$83bn. in 2014.
Posted by Judith — 3:29 AM
Tata Teleservices awards 3G contract to Nokia Siemens.
Source: Telecompaper.
Tata Teleservices has awarded a contract to NSN for rolling out its 3G network. The network, based on WCDMA 3G and including HSPA+, will allow TTSL to offer mobile broadband with the frequency licences it won in May.
Posted by Judith — 2:18 AM
China’s Tencent buys Google-backed social-networking co.
Source: Reuters.
China’s largest Internet company Tencent has bought a Google-backed Chinese social networking company for more than US$60m.
Tencent, China’s No.1 online game operator and its largest instant messaging provider, had bought Comsenz, a Beijing-based social-networking provider. Comsenz is backed by Google, Sequoia Capital and Morningside Ventures.
Posted by Judith — 1:41 AM
Monday, August 23, 2010
Vodafone NZ to buy retail partner.
Source: Telecompaper.
Vodafone New Zealand has entered a conditional agreement to acquire one its two retail partners and make it a wholly-owned subsidiary. Vodafone plans to buy First Mobile, which operates 77 stores around New Zealand. Once the deal is completed, 32 First Mobile stores will be directly run by Vodafone while the remaining 45 will continue to be managed by franchisees. Vodafone already owns 25% in its other retail partner, DigiMobile.
Posted by Judith — 3:19 AM
HP launches bid for 3PAR, countering rival Dell.
Source: Reuters.
Hewlett-Packard has launched a US$1.6bn. bid for data storage company 3PAR, countering a week-old offer by technology rival Dell.
HP said it had bid US$24 a share for 3PAR, or about 33% more than Dell planned to pay in a proposed deal announced a week ago.
Posted by Judith — 3:15 AM
China Mobile tops 554m. customers.
Source: Converge.
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator has reported healthy momentum in the first half of 2010, although subscriber growth rates have slowed due to increasing mobile penetration rates and intensifying industry competition.
The total customer base at the end of June 2010 was 554 million. Monthly net adds averaged 5.29 million for the year, which is below the rate of growth from a year earlier.
Posted by Judith — 2:49 AM
ZTE signs USD254m deal to build mobile network for Telenor Hungary.
Source: TeleGeography.
Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer ZTE has reportedly won a US$254m. supply contract to build a mobile network for Telenor Hungary, marking another success for the vendor in terms of its growing presence in Europe. The Chinese company will build a mobile network capable of supporting up to 4.5m. customers.
Posted by Judith — 2:16 AM
Softbank rival to offer SIM card for use in IPhone 4.
Source: Businessweek.
Softbank, Japan’s only provider of Apple’s iPhone, is losing part of that exclusivity as Japan Communications starts offering chips that let the smartphone access another network.
Softbank remains the only carrier that sells the iPhone in Japan, where handsets are locked, meaning they will not accept SIM cards from other providers. Japan Communications’ SIM cards will work with unlocked iPhone 4 models that can be purchased online or outside Japan.
Posted by Judith — 1:59 AM
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Chilean Govt, Entel to invest US$100m. in rural broadband project
Source: Telecompaper.
The government of Chile and domestic operator Entel will launch a rural broadband project in September.The project involves overall public and private investments of nearly US$100m. and will bring mobile phone and broadband connections to approximately 1,474 remote rural communities.
Posted by Judith — 2:57 AM
Friday, August 20, 2010
BofA and Visa to test cell phone payments.
Source: Reuters.
Bank of America and Visa plan to begin a test program next month that lets customers use smartphones to pay for purchases in stores.
The program, to run from September through to the end of the year in the New York area, is the biggest step yet by the two companies toward creating a “digital wallet” with a host of financial capabilities built into the latest, most sophisticated mobile phones.
Posted by Judith — 3:20 AM
Flint poised to introduce new MVNO.
Source: TeleGeography.
Flint Telecom Group has revealed plans to enter the US pre-paid wireless market as a nationwide MVNO. Using the ‘Flint Mobile’ brand name, the company will offer tariff plans based on both GSM and CDMA technologies.
Posted by Judith — 3:01 AM
China’s ZTE expands in U.S. with Verizon accord.
Source: Businessweek.
ZTE, China’s second-biggest maker of telephone equipment, is expanding in the U.S. with an agreement to sell a handset through Verizon Wireless.
Executives unveiled the phone, the Salute, yesterday in ZTE’s first handset agreement with a top-three U.S. wireless carrier. Verizon Wireless is the largest mobile-services provider in the U.S., with more than 92 million subscribers.
Posted by Judith — 2:48 AM
Tech industry holds closed door talks on open internet.
Source: BBC.
An industry body representing some of the biggest names in technology has hosted a closed-door meeting to discuss the future of the open internet.
The meeting follows the publication of a controversial plan by Google and Verizon that could allow net providers certain types of internet traffic to be given priority over others.
This latest meeting conducted by the Information Technology Industry Council in Washington was held to try and find a way forward.
It was said to involve representatives from Verizon, AT&T, Skype, Microsoft, Cisco and the Communications Workers of America.
Posted by Judith — 2:41 AM
Intel in US$7.68bn. McAfee takeover.
Source: BBC.
The world’s biggest chip maker, Intel, has agreed to buy the security technology firm, McAfee.
Through buying McAfee, a leading security technology firm, Intel intends to build security features into its microprocessors which go into products such as laptops and phones.
Posted by Judith — 1:48 AM
Nokia buys mobile analytics firm.
Source: cellular-news.
Nokia has signed an agreement to acquire Motally, a privately-held US-based company. Motally’s mobile analytics service offers in-application tracking and reporting, and is designed to enable developers and publishers to optimize the development of their mobile applications through increased understanding of how users engage.
Posted by Judith — 1:24 AM
AAPT fibre upgrade to move ahead.
Source: TeleGeography.
Telecom New Zealand has announced that it will press forward with an upgrade of its Australian unit AAPT’s fibre-optic network with a view to ensuring the subsidiary remains competitive.
The first phase of the project - a coastal link upgrade between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - has already been completed.
Posted by Judith — 1:03 AM
Thursday, August 19, 2010
HTC plans big push into Indian smartphone market.
Source: cellular-news.
HTC has announced that its plans to strengthen and expand its Indian operations in order to support future growth in the Indian smartphone market. As part of its efforts, HTC will be working with its national fulfillment distribution partner, Brightpoint India and new dedicated distribution partner for modern trade, Ingram Micro to increase its efforts in large franchise retail chain stores.
Posted by Judith — 3:12 AM
PCCW drops plan to invest in Vivacom.
Source: TeleGeography.
Hong Kong-based PCCW has abandoned plans to invest in heavily indebted Vivacom, Bulgaria’s largest telco. It was reported in June that a deal for the sale of Vivacom, to Richard Li, chairman of PCCW, had been expected to be finalised shortly.
Posted by Judith — 2:29 AM
Lightsquared, Inmarsat start deploying LTE network.
Source: Telecompaper.
US wholesale-only integrated wireless broadband and satellite network provider LightSquared has delivered notice to mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat triggering Phase 1 of a cooperation agreement originally signed in December 2007. The agreement increases the amount of contiguous spectrum available to both parties and provides LightSquared enhanced operational flexibility for deployment of its LTE integrated terrestrial and satellite network.
Posted by Judith — 1:49 AM
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Windstream agrees to buy Q-Comm in US$782m. deal.
Source: Businessweek.
Windstream, the local phone company that’s made four acquisitions in the past year, agreed to buy Q-Comm Corp. in a US$782m. deal to add high-speed fiber-optic services for government and business customers.
The deal more than doubles the amount of fiber Windstream owns, helping it target businesses and high-speed Internet subscribers.
Posted by Judith — 2:19 AM
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Yahoo Japan buys location-based mobile ad company Cirius.
Source: mocoNews.
Japan has purchased Cirius Technologies, the Japanese mobile ad technology company behind the AdLocal mobile ad network. The ad network, which debuted in the U.S. late last year, lets advertisers target their ads based on the physical location of mobile phone users.
Posted by Judith — 3:46 AM
Televisa-Nextel consortium wins Mexican mobile tender.
Source: Telecompaper.
The consortium comprising media group Televisa and Nextel Mexico, a unit of NII Holdings, has won Mexico’s second mobile spectrum auction. Mexican telecoms regulator Cofetel declared the consortium the winner of a nationwide licence that aims to increase competition on the local market.
Posted by Judith — 2:22 AM
Intel to acquire Texas Instruments cable modem unit.
Source: Telecompaper.
Intel has signed an agreement to acquire Texas Instruments’ cable modem product line. The purchase enhances Intel’s focus on the cable industry and related consumer electronics market segments. Intel plans to combine Texas Instruments’ Puma product lines with the Docsis technology and Intel SoCs to deliver advanced set-top box, residential gateway and modem products for the cable industry.
Posted by Judith — 1:40 AM
China Unicom signs NFC development deal.
Source: TeleGeography.
The Chinese mobile operator China Unicom has signed a US$1.5bn. five-year deal with the Chongqing Municipal Government to make the region the centre for its development of Near Field Communication (NFC) services. The regional government will in turn set up a series of tax breaks and other incentives to encourage other NFC developers to move into the area.
Posted by Judith — 1:05 AM
Monday, August 16, 2010
T-Mobile USA ‘will not launch 4G for at least two years’.
Source: TeleGeography.
T-Mobile USA, the United States’ fourth largest cellco by subscribers has announced that it has no intention of building a 4G network in the US for at least two years. The CEO of T-Mobile USA’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, stated that the company has no plans for a 4G network in the US in the foreseeable future.
Posted by Judith — 4:19 AM
Eircom to launch new mobile service over Meteor network.
Source: TeleGeography.
Former Irish monopoly Eircom plans to launch a new ‘Eircom mobile’ branded service later this year over the network of its subsidiary Meteor. It is understood Eircom’s new service is aimed full-square at the same market segment already being targeted by Meteor and unclear what the announcement means for the latter’s long term future.
Posted by Judith — 3:21 AM
Verizon delivers VoIP for Siemens Enterprise Communications.
Source: Converge.
Verizon Business is providing an integrated communications and networking solution to Siemens Enterprise Communications. Verizon’s solution for upgrading the company’s communications infrastructure integrates VoIP with centralized, multicountry and multisite IP Trunking to link the company’s Munich headquarters with operations across 10 European countries.
Posted by Judith — 2:57 AM
GMT, VSS sell German cable operator Pepcom to Star Capital.
Source: Telecompaper.
Private equity investors GMT Communications Partners and Veronis Suhler Stevenson have sold German cable network operator Pepcom to UK-based investor Star Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. Pepcom is Germany’s sixth-largest cable network operator, with more than 630,000 subscribers of video, broadband and voice services.
Posted by Judith — 1:51 AM
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Oracle sues Google over Android.
Source: Reuters.
Oracle has sued Google, alleging patent and copyright infringement in the development of the popular Android smartphone software.
The suit, filed in California, claims that Google “knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle’s Java-related intellectual property” in developing Android.
Posted by Judith — 3:04 AM
Friday, August 13, 2010
ChinaTel, ZTE sign MoU.
Source: TeleGeography.
Chinese-US joint venture ChinaTel, which has WiMAX investments in China and Latin America, has issued a press release announcing the signing of an MoU with Chinese telecoms equipment vendor ZTE. The strategic partnership is designed to advance both parties’ interests in delivering telecoms solutions to individual, enterprise and government consumers worldwide.
Posted by Judith — 4:15 AM
LightSquared chooses Siterra to manage LTE rollout.
Source: TeleGeography.
LightSquared, the US$7bn. LTE open-access mobile network that will utilise satellite spectrum acquired by New York investment firm Harbinger Capital, has chosen software management firm Siterra to manage the deployment, installation, operation and maintenance of its new 4G network.
Posted by Judith — 3:04 AM
India says Google, Skype, RIM must meet security needs.
Source: Reuters.
India will go after any company, including Google, after cracking down on BlackBerry in its quest to keep the world’s fastest growing mobile phone market safe from militants and cyber spying.
India has given RIM until August 31 to comply with a request to gain access to encrypted corporate email and messaging services or those services will be shut.
Posted by Judith — 2:11 AM
LIME to spend US$600m. over next five years.
Source: TeleGeography.
The Caribbean unit of Cable & Wireless Communications, LIME, has announced plans to invest US$600m. in its business over the next five years.
Jamaica will be cemented as hub of LIME’s regional operations, and 25% of the investment capital will be directed into the island, which is LIME’s most lucrative market.
Posted by Judith — 1:28 AM
Thursday, August 12, 2010
China Mobile, Xinhua to form search engine firm.
Source: Reuters.
China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless carrier by user, has signed a framework agreement with China’s official Xinhua news agency to establish a search engine company.
The joint venture would compete against other search giants, such as Baidu and Google in China’s rapidly growing search engine market.
Posted by Judith — 3:25 AM
Orange launches Open quad-play plans in France.
Source: Telecompaper.
France Telecom has confirmed the launch of its quad-play offers, recent approved by the market regulator. Branded under the name Orange Open, the plans offers fixed and mobile telephony, broadband and TV on a single bill with unified customer service.
Posted by Judith — 2:59 AM
Bharti Airtel to acquire Telecom Seychelles.
Source: Converge.
Bharti Airtel will acquire 100 % of Telecom Seychelles Limited, the incumbent operator of Seychelles, for US$62m.
With this acquisition, Bharti Airtel will expand its African footprint to 16 countries and its overall presence to 19 countries.
Posted by Judith — 2:50 AM
OTE local loop fines upheld.
Source: TeleGeography.
The Administrative Court of Appeals of Athens has upheld a National Telecommunications and Post Commission decision fining OTE for infringement of Greece’s electronic communications legislation and for abuse of its dominant position. The decision was based on ‘unjustified delays’ in OTE’s provision of local loop copper pairs to rivals. However, the appeal court reduced the fine amount to a total of EUR5.7m. (US$7.4m.) from the previous EUR9m.
Posted by Judith — 2:35 AM
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
DoCoMo likely to invest US$1bn. in Tata Tele-media.
Source: Reuters.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo is likely to invest an additional US$1bn. in Tata Teleservices, a move that would help India’s No. 5 cellphone operator better compete in a fast-growing but cut-throat market.
Posted by Judith — 1:36 AM
Magazine will cater to mobile readers.
Source: NYT.
A small group of former magazine journalists and editors plan to publish a weekly digital magazine this fall, seeking to create content specifically for mobile technology.
The magazine, called Nomad Editions, will feature the work of freelance journalists with expertise in a specific area. Every Friday, starting in October, subscribers will receive through a mobile application what amounts to a mini-magazine, focused on their area of interest. Each edition is expected to each take 20 to 30 minutes to read.
Posted by Judith — 1:33 AM
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Skype files for US$100m. US flotation.
Source: BBC.
Internet phone firm Skype has filed for an initial public offering in the US.
The Luxembourg-based company hopes to raise up to $100m (£63m) in the stock market flotation.
Skype will sell American Depositary Shares - which represent shares in foreign companies - and expects to trade on the Nasdaq index.
Posted by Judith — 2:43 AM
Verizon, Google propose net neutrality legislation.
Source: Telecompaper.
Verizon and Google announced a proposal for net neutrality rules in the US. The proposed legislation centres on ensuring non-discriminatory access for web services over broadband networks, for the moment extending only to fixed and not mobile networks.
Posted by Judith — 1:46 AM
Monday, August 9, 2010
Pakistani mobile operators ink MoU on infrastructure sharing.
Source: TeleGeography.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the country’s mobile network operators are understood to have inked an MOU. The agreement between the regulator and cellcos will be valid for a three-year period. Under the terms of the deals signed, all five of the country’s cellcos - Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan, Warid Telecom, Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile Ltd and CM Pak (Zong) - have said that they will look to strike commercial deals with other operators.
Posted by Judith — 4:09 AM
Saudi Arabia, RIM reach preliminary deal on BlackBerry.
Source: Telecompaper.
Saudi Arabia’s telecommunications watchdog and mobile operators have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement with RIM over the handling of BlackBerry data that will involve setting up a server in the country.
Posted by Judith — 3:03 AM
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Vodafone Greece discards 5% of pre-paid users failing to register.
Source: TeleGeography.
Vodafone Greece has announced that 95% of its pre-paid mobile customer base registered their personal details in the country’s recent compulsory registration scheme for all new and existing pay-as-you-go SIMs. The UK-backed cellco said the remaining unidentified pre-paid mobile phone numbers will be disconnected from its network.
Posted by Judith — 2:59 AM
Friday, August 6, 2010
Net neutrality talks stall in US.
Source: BBC.
US regulators have halted closed-door meetings intended to find a way to make sure all web data is treated equally.
The FCC began the meetings after a court limited its net regulation powers.
The FCC decision follows reports that Google and Verizon hatched a separate deal to allow faster speeds for web sites that pay for the privilege.
Posted by Judith — 3:17 AM
U.S., Canada work with RIM as bans on BlackBerry service loom.
Source: BusinessWeek.
The U.S. and Canadian governments have started talks with authorities in countries including the United Arab Emirates to try and head off possible bans on the use of Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry.
RIM faces growing scrutiny over its BlackBerry e-mail and messaging services in countries from the U.A.E and Saudi Arabia to India and Lebanon.
Posted by Judith — 2:26 AM
Embratel offers US$2.6bn. for Brazil’s Net Servicos.
Source: Telecompaper.
Brazilian operator Embratel, controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, has offered BRL4.58bn. (US$ 2.61bn.) to acquire all the preferred stock it does not already own in Brazilian cable operator Net Servicos de Comunicacao.
Posted by Judith — 1:17 AM
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Clearwire announces plans for LTE trials.
Source: Telecompaper.
US Wimax operator Clearwire announced plans to test a LTE network. The tests will be run with Huawei Technologies, which has already deployed a commercial LTE network in Europe using the same frequency band as Clearwire, 2.5-2.6GHz.
Posted by Judith — 2:18 AM
Telefonica confirms Tuenti stake acquisition.
Source: Telecompaper.
Telefonica has acquired a stake in Spanish social networking company Tuenti. Via the Tuenti acquisition, Telefonica plans to expand its reach into internet-based communication technologies.
Posted by Judith — 1:51 AM
Google drops Wave because of lack of users.
Source: BBC.
Google is waving goodbye to Wave, a product which the company said would transform the way people communicate online.
It blamed poor take-up by users of the service, which was launched to great fanfare just one year ago.
It combined e-mail, instant messaging and features that allowed people to collaborate on documents in real-time.
Posted by Judith — 1:14 AM
Wholesale Applications Community sets course.
Source: Converge.
The Wholesale Applications Community, which was formed earlier this year by global telecommunications operators looking to build an open alternative Apple’s iTunes and similar storefronts, has taken its first steps.
WAC is ‘a not for profit, open global alliance of twenty-four of the world’s leading telecom providers and three leading device manufacturers that will establish a simple route to market for developers.’
Posted by Judith — 1:02 AM
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Cricket Communications inks MVNO Deal with Sprint Nextel.
Source: cellular-news.
USA based mobile network, Cricket Communications has entered into an MVNO agreement with Sprint, which will allow Cricket to offer its products and services over Sprint’s 3G network throughout the United States.
Posted by Judith — 6:27 AM
Telecom Italia, Unions sign agreement to cut 3,900 jobs.
Source: BusinessWeek.
Telecom Italia has signed an agreement with labour unions on cutting 3,900 jobs as the country’s biggest phone company seeks to trim costs and debt.
The reductions will be carried out on a voluntary basis through 2012.
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Vonage friends Facebook.
Source: Forbes.
In a bid to expand the audience for its Internet-based phone service, Vonage is launching a mobile application that will let users make free calls to their Facebook friends.
Vonage views the application as a platform that will eventually include a wide range of voice and messaging services.
Posted by Judith — 2:16 AM
NZ government finally agrees to regulate MTRs.
Source: TeleGeography.
The New Zealand government has confirmed that it will take steps to regulate mobile termination rates within the country’s wireless market. ICT minister Steven Joyce has accepted a Commerce Commission recommendation on the regulation of MTRs, and will add the subject to schedule 1 of the Telecommunications Act.
Posted by Judith — 2:15 AM
Wananchi Online inks East African triple-play deal with Cisco.
Source: TeleGeography.
Kenyan ISP Wananchi Online has signed a contract with US technology solutions firm Cisco to rollout triple-play services across nine countries in East Africa. The deal is supported by East Africa Capital Partners and Cisco Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco.
Posted by Judith — 1:51 AM
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Kordia suspends nationwide Wi-Fi plans.
Source: TeleGeography.
State-owned telco Kordia has abandoned its plans to provide targeted Wi-Fi coverage in every city in New Zealand by the end of this year. Kordia CEO Geoff Hunt admitted that when it began building the network two years ago the ‘model’ was fuelled by strong demand for Wi-Fi access from those with laptops, but this is no longer the case.
Last week Kordia also scrapped long-term plans to construct a trans-Tasman cable, in the wake of Pacific Fibre’s announcement that it is partnering with Pacnet to build a new international cable connecting New Zealand, Australia and the US.
Posted by Judith — 2:52 AM
Monday, August 2, 2010
NTT Docomo to acquire Packetvideo.
Source: Telecompaper.
Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo has reached an agreement with US mobile broadband company NextWave Wireless to acquire the remaining 65% equity interest in PacketVideo, a subsidiary of NextWave Wireless for US$111.6m.
Posted by Judith — 2:45 AM
Qualcomm sells 26% stake in Indian operation.
Source: TeleGeography.
US-based Qualcomm has announced that it is to divest a 26% stake in its Indian broadband unit to local firms Global Holdings and Tulip Telecom for an estimated US%58m.
Posted by Judith — 2:42 AM
Intel, MTN ink partnership deal to boost broadband in Africa.
Source: Telcompaper.
Intel and MTN Group have signed an MOU which will see the companies collaborate to accelerate the deployment and penetration of broadband access in Africa and the Middle East.
Posted by Judith — 2:00 AM
BlackBerry users in UAE and Saudi may have services cut.
Source: Reuters.
More than a million BlackBerry users may have key services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut off after authorities stepped up demands on smartphone maker Research In Motion for access to encrypted messages sent over the device.
BlackBerry’s Messenger application has spread rapidly in the Gulf Arab region but because the data is encrypted and sent to offshore servers, it cannot be tracked locally.
Posted by Judith — 1:36 AM
Vimpelcom acquires Foratek for US$46m.
Source: TeleGeography.
Russian telco Vimpelcom, has acquired Russian fixed line provider Foratek for RUB1.4bn. (US$46.43m.), including debt. Since 2009 Vimpelcom has been actively expanding in the fast-growing broadband sector, helping to offset mobile market saturation and comparatively low fixed line usage.
Posted by Judith — 1:00 AM
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