Press Clippings: January 2009
Major Industry items you might have missed
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Embarq divests its Telecom Supply Unit.
Source: TelecomWeb.
Embarq has agreed to sell its money-losing supply chain, distribution and deployment subsidiary to smaller rival KGP Telecommunications.
As a result, this deal will create one of the country’s largest single-source, value-added distributors of equipment and integrated solutions to the telecom industry. The combined KGP/Logistics customer base includes ILECs, rural independent telcos, CLECs, contractors and other distributors.
Posted by Judith — 4:33 AM
Friday, January 30, 2009
Nortel exits WiMax business.
Source: Reuters.
Nortel has decided to abandon its WiMax wireless technology business as it restructures in bankruptcy protection.
Toronto-based Nortel said it will also end an agreement with Alvarion Ltd. Under that deal, struck last June, Nortel was to resell Alvarion’s WiMax access products and help it fund the development of the technology.
Posted by Judith — 3:30 AM
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Every UK home to get broadband internet connection.
Source: TimesOnline.
Every home in the UK will be entitled to have a 2-megabit broadband service under proposals announced to ministers.
A Digital Britain Green Paper confirms the scheme, which is expected to be paid for by a levy on the phone companies.
It also includes measures to crack down on illegal downloading, and internet providers will be required by law to warn customers when they are illegally downloading.
Posted by Judith — 9:21 AM
Verizon shutting down VoIP service.
Source: TeleGeography.
Verizon has contacted its existing VoiceWing VoIP service customers to say it is withdrawing the offering from 31 March 2009. Verizon has decided VoiceWing did not fit with its portfolio of products and services, having recently launched ‘The Hub’ a multifunction touch-screen home phone that connects to a broadband line. It is also planning to introduce a new VoIP package utilising its own fibre-optic connections.
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Tata wins US$100m. IT contract from UK mobile phone retailer.
Source: cellular-news.
UK mobile phone retailer, Phones4U has signed a US$100m. agreement with Tata Consultancy Services to provide a full range of managed IT services to 4uGroup, the holding company behind Phones 4u and other organisations in the UK telecommunication and financial services marketplaces.
Posted by Judith — 3:48 AM
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
CenturyTel and EMBARQ shareholders approve merger.
Source: Converge.
Shareholders of CenturyTel and EMBARQ have approved all proposals related to the CenturyTel/EMBARQ merger.
Combined, CenturyTel and EMBARQ will have an operating presence in 33 states, nearly eight million access lines, approximately two million broadband customers and more than 400,000 video subscribers.
Posted by Judith — 5:46 AM
Vodafone moves into UAE.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The world’s largest operator in terms of revenue, Vodafone,has announced a partnership with United Arab Emirates operator du, expanding its brand into the Middle East.
Under what Voda calls a “partner market agreement”, du will get access to the Vodafone’s products, services and exclusive devices, and Vodahpone will get its brand splashed across the UAE.
Posted by Judith — 3:48 AM
Verizon Business to team with Accenture.
Source: TELEPHONY.
Verizon Business will soon announce a new partnership with Accenture aimed at leveraging each other’s assets to improve sales of business telecom and professional services, first in the US and then globally.
Posted by Judith — 3:43 AM
Alestra buys Alianza’s Mexican division.
Source: TelecomWeb.
Alianza, a provider of hosted voice over WiMAX solutions, says it’s selling its entire GetFon division to Alestra.
Alestra, jointly owned by Grupo ALFA and AT&T, is one of the largest telecom providers in Mexico. Alestra’s network, whose fiber-optic core provides connectivity to 170 cities nationwide, also allows a clear access to the AT&T Global Network.
Posted by Judith — 3:16 AM
AT&T Wireless readies 3G femto assault.
Source: TelecomWeb.
AT&T Wireless will hit the market with what it says will be the industry’s first femtocell to support 3G wireless broadband, topping both Sprint Nextel and Verizon, which are selling a non-broadband femto.
Posted by Judith — 3:04 AM
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sprint looks for US$1.2bn. savings from job cuts.
Source: TeleGeography.
The loss-making US cellular operator Sprint Nextel has announced that it will cut its workforce by 13% as it streamlines its operations in an attempt to make annual cost savings of US$1.2bn. The latest redundancies come on the back of 4,000 job cuts made last year. Last month rival operator AT&T announced that it was axing 12,000 jobs - 4% of its workforce - in an effort to cut costs.
Posted by Judith — 4:26 AM
Vodafone seeking closer ties with China Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
Source: cellular-news.
Vodafone is seeking tighter cooperation between Verizon Wireless and China Mobile to cut network and handset costs, while also rolling out improved services for customers. Vodafone owns 45% of Verizon Wireless and holds a 3.3% stake in China Mobile.
Posted by Judith — 3:33 AM
Motorola partners with Starent on LTE solution.
Source: RCRWireless.
Motorola is teaming up with a Massachusetts company that specializes in multimedia services to boost its LTE network offerings.
Starent solutions will allow Motorola to offer an end-to-end network solution for its operator customers.
Starent Network technology is geared to provide CDMA 1X/DO-A and GSM/UMTS operators with a smooth transition to LTE, technology that has been selected by various major carriers for their 4G networks. Starent’s products also meet requirements defined in the Evolved Packet Core standards.
Posted by Judith — 3:02 AM
DT taps Edgecast for CDN initiative.
Source: Contentinople.
European carrier Deutsche Telekom is getting into the content delivery business through a reseller agreement with EdgeCast..
Through the deal, DT joins a number of global ISPs that have recently announced their entry into the CDN business, most of which have done so through partnership with smaller players.
Last November, Verizon teamed up with Velocix to begin offering CDN services over its network. Earlier in the year, Tata announced a partnership with BitGravity.
Posted by Judith — 2:57 AM
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mobile rates to fall further in the UK.
Source: BWCS.
The Competition Commission in the UK has ruled that mobile termination rates should be cut by more than the amount recently suggested by telecoms regulator Ofcom. The decision follows a successful appeal by BT and could mean that the amount each operator pays to connect a call to another’s network will have to be lowered significantly over the next two to three years.
Posted by Judith — 4:40 AM
BT mulling mobile telephony return.
Source: TeleGeography.
It is reported that BT is considering plans to launch mobile telephony services under a joint venture with T-Mobile and Hutchison Whampoa-owned 3. It is believed that BT is mulling the move in a bid to increase profits as customers increasingly migrate to mobile broadband services offered by other operators. BT exited the mobile sector in 2001, when it demerged its mobile subsidiary Cellnet.
Posted by Judith — 3:49 AM
U.S. House Committee refines broadband stimulus proposal .
Source: Converge.
The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved US$2.825bn. for wireless and wireline broadband as part of the economic stimulus program currently under discussion. The broadband package would authorize the National Telecommunications Information Administration to distribute these funds through a grant program.
Posted by Judith — 3:00 AM
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Verizon experiments with the home phone.
Source: TELEPHONY.
Verizon has introduced a new touch-screen home phone system designed to wow consumers into keeping their increasingly less-attractive landline service. The Verizon Hub integrates landline and wireless service, as well as VoIP, over a broadband connection.
Posted by Judith — 3:43 AM
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shared Technologies adds Avaya to partner roster.
Source: TelecomWeb.
Shared Technologies has joined the Avaya BusinessPartner program, saying it will sell and service Avaya’s unified communications systems and contact-center solutions for small, medium and large businesses.
Shared Technologies, a privately held Texas company with a presence in 48 U.S. markets, provides converged and IP telephony systems. It also partners with Nortel, NEC, Mitel, Microsoft, AVST, Tandberg and layerX technologies.
Avaya’s reseller program includes more than 2,500 companies around the world.
Posted by Judith — 3:19 AM
VeriSign to buy Canada’s Certicom.
Source: Reuters.
Internet security provider VeriSign has agreed to acquire Canada’s Certicom.
VeriSign will either pay about C$92m.(US$73m.), or C$50m.(US$40m.) net of Certicom’s existing cash and short-term marketable securities.
Posted by Judith — 3:14 AM
Irish Minister promises 100% broadband coverage by mid-2010.
Source: TeleGeography.
Ireland’s Minister for Communications has announced that the Republic would have 100% broadband coverage by September 2010 under the remit of the country’s National Broadband Scheme. EUR223m. (US$290m.) is being invested in the scheme to provide broadband access in remote and rural parts of Ireland currently without any form of high speed internet connection; approximately 33% of the country. Investment is coming from Exchequer funds, EU co-financing and service provider 3, which has been selected as preferred tenderer for the scheme.
Posted by Judith — 3:12 AM
Indian Government approves ISP licence for France Telecom.
Source: TeleGeography.
France Telecom is reported to have been granted government approval for an ISP licence in India. The French company has informed the Indian government that it wants to consolidate all of its operations in the country under a single licence. FT already holds a licence to offer national and international long distance operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary Orange Business Services; through the subsidiary it also owns a 74% stake in another company, Global One Indian. FT’s new application for an ISP licence however has been made by Equant Network Services, and it is understood that it will surrender its other licences following the approval of the new concession.
Posted by Judith — 2:56 AM
Thursday, January 22, 2009
AT&T sells 235 cellular towers .
Source: InformationWeek.
AT&Thas announced that it is selling 235 communication towers to Global Tower Partners for an undisclosed amount.
The towers are located across 24 states throughout the United States, and it expands Global Tower Partners’ coverage in urban locations. With over 3,000 towers in the U.S. market, the company offers outsourced wireless service to the likes of AT&T, Centennial Wireless, Cricket, MetroPCS, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Global Tower Partners is the third-largest U.S. tower company behind American Tower and Crown Castle.
Posted by Judith — 3:06 AM
NTT DoCoMo to complete Tata investment by March 2009.
Source: TeleGeography.
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo has announced that its US$2.7bn. investment in Indian wireline and mobile operator Tata Teleservices will be completed by March 2009. NTT has said that the acquisition of a 26% stake in TTSL has been held up as it awaits approval from local authorities. This is the second delay to the purchase.
Posted by Judith — 3:04 AM
Hong Kong wireless broadband auction raises US$198m.
Source: TeleGeography.
Hong Kong regulator OFTA has announced the completion of the bidding stage of its national wireless broadband licence auction, with three provisional winners named. China Mobile Hong Kong (a.k.a. Peoples), CSL (repesenting CSL New World Mobility) and Genius Brand (a joint venture of PCCW and Hutchison Telephone Company [3]) each won allocations of 6x5MHz in the 2500MHz-2690MHz frequency band for a combined price of US$198m.
Posted by Judith — 2:52 AM
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Hyundai to sell mobiles in UK.
Source: BWCS.
Korean car maker, Hyundai, keen to find another revenue stream to aid its auto business, is set to enter the UK market for mobile handsets. The new company, Hyundai Mobile UK, will work with telecoms specialists Advantage Cellular. Hyundai has been selling mobiles in the Asian markets for some time.
Posted by Judith — 4:12 AM
Riverbed to acquire Mazu for application management software.
Source: Converge.
Riverbed Technolog yhas agreed to acquire Mazu Networks, a privately-owned company that supplies WAN management software, for US$25m. in cash at closing plus up to an additional US$22m. in cash if certain sales targets are met.
Riverbed said the acquisition of Mazu Networks allows it to meet enterprise and service provider customer demands by extending its suite of WAN optimization products to include global application performance, reporting and analytics.
Posted by Judith — 4:05 AM
Judges block RIM’s hostile bid for Certicom.
Source: TelecomWeb.
The Ontario (Canada) Superior Court of Justice has handed down a permanent injunction blocking RIM’s US$52m. hostile takeover offer for Certicom.
RIM, saying it had first tried to negotiate a friendly takeover, made its bid for Certicom late last year, but Certicom insisted the offer wasn’t high enough. Instead, it went to the Canadian court, arguing RIM had improperly used confidential information it had received in the earlier, unsuccessful, friendly talks in order to launch its hostile bid.
The Canadian court, ruling with what appears to be unusual speed, has upheld Certicom’s arguments.
Posted by Judith — 3:50 AM
Ericsson to cut 5,000 jobs.
Source: Scotsman.com.
Wireless equipment maker Ericsson has announced that it is axing 5,000 jobs to cut costs.
The announcement came as the Swedish company posted a 31% drop in fourth-quarter profits, partly due to restructuring charges.
The Stockholm-based company is the world’s leading maker of mobile broadband infrastructure.
Posted by Judith — 3:50 AM
FCC probes Comcast’s phone practices.
Source: NYT.
Comcast, the nation’s biggest cable TV operator, is being investigated by the FCC over concerns that it is giving preferential treatment to its phone service at the expense of similar services from competitors.
In a letter to Comcast the FCC has asked Comcast to justify this ”disparate treatment.”
Posted by Judith — 3:27 AM
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
GBP9.2m. for joint India-UK research into next generation networks to boost digital revolution.
Source: BT.plc.
A BT backed team of UK and Indian scientists and engineers will head a GBP9.2m. research project to develop NGN, vital to pushing forward the digital economy.
This collaboration between the UK and Indian Governments, universities and ICT specialists in both countries will work to develop Next Generation telecom networks, ICT services and applications in the two countries, along with work on wireless sensor networks, which could aid healthcare and early warning weather systems in rural areas.
Posted by Judith — 4:48 AM
Tata ups stake in Neotel.
Source: TeleGeography.
India’s Tata Communications has increased its stake in South Africa’s second national operator Neotel by 30%, acquiring shares from government-backed entities Eskom and Transnet. Tata Communications and its local operating arm Tata Africa Holdings now have a majority shareholding in Neotel.
Posted by Judith — 4:23 AM
China to launch global satellite system.
Source: telecoms.com.
China is throwing its weight behind homegrown technologies once again, and is planning to have its own global satellite navigation system up and running by 2015.
The Compass system, also known as Beidou-2, is not an extension of China’s existing localised Beidou-1 system, but a whole new project.
In order to get its new system underway, China plans to send 10 navigation satellites into space between 2009 and 2010.
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Qualcomm buys AMD’s handheld graphics technologies.
Source: cellular-news.
Qualcomm says that it has acquired certain graphics and multimedia technology assets, intellectual property and resources that were formerly the basis of AMD’s handheld business - for around US$65m.
Posted by Judith — 3:04 AM
Monday, January 19, 2009
Microsoft exits Comcast.
Source: TeleGeography.
Microsoft has offloaded its 7.3% stake in the largest US cable operator Comcast. Microsoft acquired its interest in Comcast in 2002, with speculation at the time that it was hoping to make its mark in the set-top box market via an alliance with cable operators such as Comcast.
Posted by Judith — 6:00 AM
Bahrain carrier buys into India.
Source: Telecoms.com.
Bahrain’s principal fixed line carrier, Batelco, has announced that it has acquired a 49% stake in Indian mobile operator S Tel, via a joint venture with a Dubai-based private equity firm.
Posted by Judith — 3:48 AM
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Microsoft loses E.U. antitrust case.
Source: WashingtonPost.
The European Union has stated that Microsoft’s practice of selling the Internet Explorer browser together with its Windows operating system violates E.U. antitrust rules.
It ordered the software giant to untie the browser from its operating system in the 27-nation E.U.
Posted by Judith — 5:07 AM
Friday, January 16, 2009
Details emerge on Obama’s US$40bn. broadband stimulus.
Source: TELEPHONY.
President-Elect Barack Obama is likely to direct up to US$40bn. in grants and loans toward improving broadband availability and speeds as part of broader economic stimulus efforts, according to UBS analysts.
Obama’s economic stimulus plan is expected to include two main provisions for broadband: US$5 to10bn. in grants to expand broadband to unserved areas and US$30bn. in interest-free loans for boosting broadband speed.
Posted by Judith — 4:51 AM
Unlimited Boost offering.
Source: TeleGeography.
In a move that could launch a price war, Boost Mobile, the MVNO running on Sprint’s smaller Nextel network, is launching a US$50 per month unlimited mobile package. The offering will be in direct competition with Leap Wireless International and MetroPCS Communications, which both have similarly priced packages. Boost claims after some taxes and other charges are taken into account it will be cheaper than Leap and MetroPCS and substantially cheaper than Verizon Wireless and AT&T, which both offer unlimited voice services for US$99 per month.
Posted by Judith — 4:16 AM
Boingo users to access 20,000 Chinese hotspots.
Source: TeleGeography.
US-based Boingo Wireless has boosted its roaming network coverage with the addition of 10,904 China Telecom Wi-Fi hotspots in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. These locations are the first three of the 18 provinces and three municipalities in China that will be added to the Boingo network.
Posted by Judith — 4:13 AM
FCC chief Martin resigns, plans move to think tank.
Source: RCR Wireless.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has announced his resignation, marking an ending to a turbulent tenure in which he often found himself at odds with the mobile-phone industry and the Democratic-controlled Congress.
Posted by Judith — 3:11 AM
Thursday, January 15, 2009
AT&T settles civil contempt claim.
Source: Converge.
AT&T has agreed to pay more than US$2m. as part of a civil settlement with the Department of Justice. The payment resolves AT&T’s alleged violations of two court orders entered in connection with AT&T’s acquisition of Dobson Communications Corporation.
Posted by Judith — 3:44 AM
Motorola to cut 4,000 more jobs, primarily in the Mobile Devices.
Source: Converge.
Motorola will further reduce its workforce in 2009 by approximately 4,000 positions, including approximately 3,000 positions associated with its Mobile Devices business and approximately 1,000 positions associated with corporate functions and other business units. These latest job cuts are in addition to the 3,000 positions previously announced during the fourth quarter of 2008.
Posted by Judith — 3:07 AM
TeliaSonera gives Ericsson its first commercial LTE contract.
Source: TeleGeography.
Ericsson and TeliaSonera have announced the signing of a contract to build a commercial Long Term Evolution mobile network covering Stockholm. The contract is Ericsson’s first for a commercial deployment of the so-called 4G technology, which it says will provide data transfer rates around ten times faster than existing mobile broadband networks.
Posted by Judith — 2:49 AM
21Net heads west in Canadian deal.
Source: BWCS.
European WiFi on trains supplier 21Net has added Canada to its areas of operations. The satellite-to-train specialist has taken control of the WiFi on-board services offered on VIA Rail trains running between Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City. The move follows an agreement between 21Net and Parsons, which previously operated the Canadian service.
Posted by Judith — 2:29 AM
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Nortel to file for bankruptcy protection.
Source: Globe and Mail.
Former technology titan Nortel Networks is expected to file for bankruptcy protection as early as today, sources say, in a move that will likely see what was once Canada’s great corporate success story broken up and sold to foreign rivals.
Posted by Judith — 4:43 AM
Yahoo names new chief executive.
Source: BBC.
Yahoo has named Silicon Valley veteran Carol Bartz as its new chief executive.
Ms Bartz is a well-respected industry figure who led business software maker Autodesk for 14 years before becoming its chairman in 2006.
Her appointment follows a search for a replacement for the internet portal’s co-founder Jerry Yang.
Posted by Judith — 4:05 AM
Aircell adds United to WiFi carrier roster .
Source: BWCS.
The US carrier United Airlines has announced that it plans to introduce WiFi hotspot services on selected transcontinental flights. Should this prove successful, the company said it will look at rolling out the service across its entire fleet.
According to Aircell, its Gogo service turns an aircraft into a flying WiFi hot spot by using antennae on the fuselage of the aircraft to connect to cell towers on the ground.
Posted by Judith — 4:01 AM
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Genachowski lined up as FCC chairman.
Source: TeleGeography.
Reports from the US are suggesting that President-elect Barack Obama is likely to nominate his technology advisor Julius Genachowski as head of the FCC. Genachowski has worked at the FCC before as part of the Clinton administration. He has helped Obama formulate a technology strategy which favours affordable broadband internet access and net neutrality.
Posted by Judith — 5:11 AM
France to break up fourth 3G licence.
Source: Telecoms.com.
It looks increasingly like competition in the French mobile sector will increase with the introduction of a new 3G licensee.
At a press conference the French prime minister announced that the proposed fourth 3G licence will now be split into three 5MHz lots, with one lot reserved for a new entrant.
Posted by Judith — 4:48 AM
Etisalat wins third Iranian mobile licence.
Source: Telecoms.com.
United Arab Emirates-based Etisalat has announced that it has been awarded the third national mobile licence for Iran, under a partnership with local player Taameen Telecom.
Etisalat, which owns 49% of the consortium with Taameen, will pay Eur300m for the licence, allowing the UAE company to launch 2G and 3G services in Iran.
Posted by Judith — 4:35 AM
Monday, January 12, 2009
Intel writes down Clearwire investment.
Source: TeleGeography.
The US-based chip manufacturer Intel has announced that it will assume a US$950m. one-off charge in the fourth-quarter after writing down the value of its investment in US WiMAX operator Clearwire. Intel agreed to pump US$1.6bn. into Clearwire last year, but the telco’s share value has recently fallen to below US$5, forcing Intel to declare the write-down. However, Intel says it is still a strong supporter of WiMAX technology.
Posted by Judith — 3:31 AM
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Verizon Wireless completes US$5.9bn. Alltel buyout.
Source: cellular-news.
Verizon Wireless has announced that it has completed its US$5.9bn. purchase of Alltel, making Verizon the nation’s largest mobile phone company.
Verizon said Friday it will also take on US$22.2bn.n in Alltel debt.
Posted by Judith — 5:25 AM
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tata Communications aims to raise INR30bn. for acquisitions, spectrum bids.
Source: TeleGeography.
Indian fixed line and broadband operator Tata Communications (formerly VSNL) is planning to raise up to INR30bn. (US$605m.) through a combination of debt financing and a rights issue.The operator has approached the Indian government, which holds a 26% stake in the company, regarding the rights issue, which is expected to raise up to INR10bn.
It is understood that Tata Communications will use the funds raised to pursue acquisitions in both the US and the UK as part of its submarine cable projects. Additionally, Tata is expected to bid for Indian WiMAX spectrum when it is finally auctioned in the first half of 2009.
Posted by Judith — 3:58 AM
UK Watchdog exposes broadband speed rip-off.
Source: TimesOnline.
Millions of internet customers are getting less than half the broadband speed they are paying for, restricting their ability to download music, film and games.
About 60% of broadband customers pay a premium for super-fast packages, but a survey conducted for Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, suggests that a typical household is receiving only 45% of the speed advertised by their ISP.
Posted by Judith — 3:03 AM
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Verizon picks Microsoft search over Google and Yahoo.
Source: Reuters.
Verizon Communications has chosen Microsoft to provide Internet search services for cell phones, in what is seen as a blow to rivals Google and Yahoo.
The agreement follows more than a year of speculation on whom would become the default mobile search provider for Verizon Wireless, which is set to surpass AT&T Inc as the No. 1 U.S. mobile carrier after it closes its purchase of smaller operator Alltel later this week.
Posted by Judith — 4:04 AM
Yahoo unveils partners for Web TV push.
Source: Reuters.
Yahoo has unveiled a list of partners to aid its push to bring the Internet and television together, hoping their joint effort will finally connect with consumers.
Yahoo announced that it has forged deals with companies including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, Sony Corp and Vizio, which will make high-definition TVs that support Yahoo’s online service.
Posted by Judith — 3:38 AM
IPWireless stages management buyout.
Source: Telecoms.com.
The management of mobile broadband player IPWireless has bought back 75% of the company from former parent NextWave Wireless.
US wireless broadband vendor, NextWave purchased the UMTS-TDD kit supplier for $100m in April of 2007.
Under the deal, IPWireless returns to being a private company that will be led by the entire management team that originally went to NextWave. NextWave will retain a minority ownership stake in the firm.
IPWireless is one of the biggest proponents of TD-CDMA wireless broadband, also known as UMTS-TDD, with a customer base including T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica, and 3UK.
Posted by Judith — 2:51 AM
KPN introduces no-frills MVNO service in France.
Source: TeleGeography.
KPN of the Netherlands has revealed it is launching a no-frills, low-cost MVNO service in France under the brand name Simyo, leasing network capacity from Bouygues Telecom to piggyback the service.
Posted by Judith — 2:45 AM
iBurst spectrum grabbed by Telstra.
Source: TeleGeography.
Telstra has been confirmed as the unknown bidder that successfully snagged the wireless spectrum of now-defunct operator Personal Broadband Australia (iBurst). iBurst’s spectrum was reported to have been sold just five days after the wireless broadband operator’s network was shut down on 19 December. Telstra has announced that it won a competitive tender process for the 5MHz of radio spectrum in the 1.9GHz band and the licence is valid until 2017.
Posted by Judith — 2:02 AM
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
3G to officially come to China.
Source: BWCS.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has confirmed that it has issued three next generation mobile licences to the main players in the Chinese telecoms market.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, China Mobile has been given the challenge of working with the country’s domestically developed TD-SCDMA technology. China Unicom has been given the rights to build and operate national mobile systems based on the W-CDMA standard while China Telecom will receive a licence to work with the CDMA2000 system.
Posted by Judith — 4:40 AM
Convergys Leap.
Source: TeleGeography.
US cellular operator Leap Wireless International has awarded Convergys a long-term contract for the implementation and management of a new billing system. Leap has also extended its existing billing services agreement with current provider VeriSign to cover the transition period.
Posted by Judith — 4:03 AM
Sprint and iPCS continue WiMAX battle.
Source: TeleGeography.
A court in Illinois has ruled that Sprint Nextel and its affiliate operator iPCS must go to trial to decide whether Sprint is contravening the terms of their partnership agreement by offering WiMAX services through its Clearwire venture in iPCS franchise areas.
A hearing, which is due to begin on 30 March, will decide whether the exclusivity agreement should include Sprint’s WiMAX joint venture which operates under the Clearwire name. Sprint argues that the Clearwire venture is a separate entity and should not be covered by the terms of the affiliate deal.
Posted by Judith — 3:45 AM
Cisco adds social networking to its forte.
Source: c/net.
Two years after it first started courting big media companies, Cisco Systems will finally launch a new product to help these companies harness the power of social networking and connect their brands to fans.
Cisco will kick off the Consumer Electronics Show by announcing Eos, a hosted software platform that allows media and entertainment companies to create, manage and grow online communities.
Posted by Judith — 3:18 AM
Satyam chairman resigns amid US$1bn, fraud.
Source: TimesOnline.
One of India’s biggest-ever corporate scandals took a dramatic twist today after the chairman of Satyam, the IT services giant, resigned and admitted he had orchestrated a US$1bn. fraud (GBP669m.).
Posted by Judith — 2:56 AM
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Bidding to open in Hong Kong.
Source: BWCS.
In Hong Kong, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has declared that five companies have been shortlisted as qualified bidders for Hong Kong’s Broadband Wireless Access licenses. The five companies are China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL, Genius Brand, Hong Kong Broadband Network and SmarTone Wireless.
According to OFTA, the winning bidders will be allowed to provide fixed, mobile voice or data services or a combination of these services in the city. The telecoms authority said the bidding is due to begin on January 12th.
Posted by Judith — 3:52 AM
NI links up to underwater cable.
Source: BBC.
Northern Ireland is to be linked to an underwater transatlantic communications cable for the first time. The fibre optic cable connects North America with Europe.
A new 22-mile extension will be built from the existing cable and will come ashore near Portrush.
Access to the new telecommunications will be available in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Posted by Judith — 3:19 AM
MTNL shelves Suntel acquisition.
Source: TeleGeography.
Indian state-owned telco Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is reported to have suspended indefinitely its planned acquisition of Sri Lankan wireless in the local loop operator Suntel.
Posted by Judith — 3:02 AM
Monday, January 5, 2009
UIQ files for bankruptcy.
Source: Telecoms.com.
UIQ Technology, a mobile phone software company jointly owned by Motorola and Sony Ericsson, has filed for bankruptcy in a district court in Sweden.
The outlook for UIQ, which focuses on developing an open user interface, has looked bleak ever since the Symbian Foundation was formed last year and Nokia, which now fully owns Symbian, announced it would be adopting a royalty-free software model for the Symbian mobile OS.
Posted by Judith — 3:48 AM
BT to be freed from service obligations.
Source: The Register.
Communications minister Lord Carter is to free BT from its universal service obligations - its legal duty to run a phone line to every home in the country, as well as provide payphones and other basic services available at a reasonable cost.
Instead Carter is expected to call for universal broadband access, wireless or wired, for every home to be an obligation for the industry as a whole.
Posted by Judith — 3:31 AM
Orange and Vodafone consider cost cutting agreement.
Source: TeleGeography.
It is reported that mobile operators Vodafone UK and Orange UK are considering an agreement that would see the two companies share technology, engineering and maintenance costs. The two cellcos already share costs at some base stations in the country, but the new agreement is expected to integrate both operator’s 3G networks.
Posted by Judith — 3:10 AM
Saturday, January 3, 2009
US tops broadband revenues chart.
Source: Light Reading.
The U.S. was the largest broadband market by services revenues in 2008, ahead of Japan and Germany, according to a new report from Pyramid Research.
According to data compiled for the report, the U.S. generated more than US$32bn. in broadband revenues in 2008, a long way ahead of second-place Japan, which generated US$23bn.n in broadband revenues.
Germany was third in the chart, with more than US$11bn. in revenues, followed by China with US$7.9bn
Posted by Judith — 4:11 AM
Friday, January 2, 2009
Microsoft poised to announce job losses.
Source: TimesOnline.
Microsoft is preparing to announce the first widescale layoffs in its 32-year history, with up to 15,000 jobs at risk, according to some predictions.
Estimates of planned redundancies vary from 10 to 17% of the company’s 91,000 employees worldwide. MSN, the online division, is expected to be heavily affected.
Posted by Judith — 4:46 AM
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