Friday, December 23, 2011

OeIAG wants government to retain Telekom Austria stake

Markus Beyrer, the head of Austria’s state holding company OeIAG, has declared that the government should retain ... http://bit.ly/sdRQyi

AT receives approval for spectrum acquisition

ATT has received approval from US regulators for the purchase of spectrum in the 1700MHz band worth USD1.93 billion ... http://bit.ly/vE3pOr

Ofcom reports on telco complaints

UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom had published results showing the number of complaints made in the last year against eac ... http://bit.ly/rsIjSy

Authorities move to improve interconnection

Telecoms authorities from Chile and Peru have met to discuss improvements to cross-border coordination of the commu ... http://bit.ly/uedCpp

NSN expands Polkomtel 3G footprint

Polish telco Polkomtel, which offers its wireless services under the Plus brand, has expanded the footprint of its ... http://bit.ly/uJKlth

ArmenTel cuts internet prices

National fixed line operator and broadband provider ArmenTel, which markets services under the Beeline banner, has ... http://bit.ly/ssEqIi

Here we Glo again: start-up commits to 19 January launch

Myjoyonline reports that Ghanaian would-be cellular services provider Glo Mobile has announced it will officially l ... http://bit.ly/u6Qxhx

India to block 3G roaming agreements?

Reuters quotes a senior Indian government official as saying that the telecoms ministry may ban mobile operators fr ... http://bit.ly/tF1KdN

PTA instructed to complete 3G auction within next three months

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology has directed the nation’s telecoms regulator the Pakistan Telecom ... http://bit.ly/rsPLfC

Bell Canada and Bell Aliant to stop throttling in March

Bell Canada and Bell Aliant will cease the practice of slowing download and upload speeds of customers using peer-t ... http://bit.ly/rIsJzv

France raises EUR2.64bn in 800MHz 4G auction

The government of France has raised a total of EUR2.64 billion (USD3.45 billion) from the second round of its aucti ... http://bit.ly/s2Y1Uc

True Move budgets USD735 million for network expansion

Thai cellco True Move has budgeted THB23 billion (USD735 million) for network expansion in 2012, of which more than ... http://bit.ly/vAfNuE

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Bakcell boosts rural network coverage

Bakcell, Azerbaijan’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced the expansion of its wireless ... http://bit.ly/rUuFd0

Rumours on the Wind: Mobilicity to be acquired by rival, or is it the other way round?

Merger and stock market listing rumours surround Canadian cellular newcomers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity in the ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyK9L4

GBI Cable System completed

Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI) and TE SubCom have announced the completion of construction of thei ... http://p.ost.im/p/ef6t82

Digicel and GT continue row over reforms

The imminent introduction of a new parliament in Guyana has ignited a row between the country’s two wireless ... http://p.ost.im/p/efFhSY

Apax, Providence and Xavier Niel front-runners for Orange Switzerland

France Telecom-Orange has revealed three of the five parties battling for its Swiss wireless arm, Orange Switze ... http://p.ost.im/p/efjgvY

Albania to award third 3G licence by February 2012

Albania’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology has announced plans to award a third 3G conces ... http://p.ost.im/p/efLHAk

CWC unit starts deploying Maldives cable system

Dhiraagu, the Maldives business of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), has begun the rollout of a new fibre- ... http://p.ost.im/p/ef6UYu

KPN to sell French Simyo business to Bouygues

KPN of the Netherlands today confirmed that it has agreed terms to sell its Simyo-branded French mobile virtual net ... http://bit.ly/rrY1rm

Telefonica-Vivo sign up one million broadband users under PNBL

Fixed, broadband and mobile operator Telefonica Brazil (including Vivo Participacoes) has signed up one million hig ... http://bit.ly/sWbzU8

Tanzanian govt keen to cling on to Airtel stake

The government of Tanzania has said that it has no plans to sell its 40% stake in Airtel Tanzania – the local ope ... http://bit.ly/v05Kak

NEC inks Asia Pacific Gateway deal with Asian telcos

Japan’s NEC Corp has been awarded a construction and maintenance deal contract by a consortium of telcos – incl ... http://bit.ly/rU70Kn

NTT Com says Japan-US backbone upped to 600Gbps

Japan’s NTT Communications Corp.(NTT Com) has announced a data transmission expansion on its global IP network li ... http://bit.ly/w4T37I

BSNL mobile tender draws major equipment vendors

A mobile equipment tender for Indian state-run telecoms company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has attracted bids ... http://bit.ly/twaOY6

Arcep slaps EUR5m fine on Numericable

Bloomberg reports that the French telecommunications regulator, the Autorite de Regulation des Communications Elect ... http://bit.ly/uLlnba

Cablevision accused of anti-competitive practices

Argentine police have raided the headquarters of local cable company Cablevision to enforce a court order following ... http://bit.ly/t2bEYt

EQT acquires Ventelo for USD305m

Swedish private equity firm EQT VI has agreed to acquire Norwegian telecoms provider Ventelo from six regional powe ... http://bit.ly/sFbeXV

Swisscom selects Ericsson for LTE upgrade

Switzerland’s largest mobile operator and fixed line incumbent, Swisscom, has signed a five-year contract with Sw ... http://bit.ly/uAEw5e

iiNet and Internode are two ISPs in a pod

The third- and fifth-largest Australian broadband ISPs are set to merge following the announcement that Perth-based ... http://bit.ly/taidD3

Leap launches LTE

Leap Wireless has launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services in Tucson, Arizona, with further exp ... http://bit.ly/ucqxI2

TeliaSonera increases Kcell ownership, eyes IPO

TeliaSonera has announced that it has signed an agreement with Kazakhtelecom to acquire 49% of the shares in mobile ... http://bit.ly/vEotna

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Saudi operator receives green light for share issue

Etihad Atheeb Telecom has received regulatory approval to launch a share issue worth USD310 million, paving the way ... http://bit.ly/v6sLnF

TC inks cooperation agreement with VNPT

State-owned incumbent fixed line operator Telecom Cambodia (TC) has signed a business cooperation agreement with Vi ... http://bit.ly/s0TuBf

Hits Telecom eyes two acquisitions in 2012

Hits Telecom reportedly plans to make two acquisitions during the first half of 2012, reports Bloomberg. According ... http://bit.ly/sEBwLk

Yota tests LTE in Novosibirsk

Russian operator Yota (Scartel) has begun the testing of an LTE network in Novosibirsk in Siberia. The company ... http://p.ost.im/p/efSQdR

Sabafon claims government attacks caused ‘exodus’ of customers

Yemeni wireless operator Sabafon claims to have been the victim of repeated attacks from government forces, as a re ... http://bit.ly/rH6vhm

Pre-paid registration scheme to be completed at end-2012

In an announcement dated 19 December 2011, Morocco’s National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT) has ... http://bit.ly/rK27Ce

Sudan to boost telecoms tax to 30%

In a bid to make up for the loss of oil revenue from the newly independent South, the government of Sudan plans to ... http://bit.ly/w5g91T

Omantel, Nawras seek new spectrum amid rising data usage

Surging demand for mobile data services has prompted Oman’s two telecoms companies, incumbent Oman Telecommunicat ... http://bit.ly/vQjGmU

Major mobile operators set up Japanese NFC consortium

Japan’s big three mobile network operators – NTT DoCoMo, KDDI Corp (au) and Softbank Mobile – have establishe ... http://bit.ly/tz4Aae

OPTA to scrutinise KPN more closely amid anti-competition concerns

The Associated Press reports that the Netherlands' national telecoms regulator, the Independent Post Telecommunicat ... http://bit.ly/vzLaDq

NSN to upgrade PT Telkom submarine connection

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is providing a capacity boost for Telekomunikasi Indonesia’s (PT Telkom’s) 354km J ... http://bit.ly/s9FHrz

TelOne has 2,600 ADSL subscribers; wireline users decreasing

Zimbabwe’s Post & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) director general, Charles Sibanda, has disclos ... http://bit.ly/uXASD8

Pristina to restart PTK sale in Q1 2012

The Kosovan government will restart its attempt to sell 75% of state-owned telco Post and Telecommunications Kosovo ... http://bit.ly/rK6WuT

3 to trial LTE in Thames Valley

UK mobile operator 3 is to conduct tests of next generation mobile services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) tech ... http://bit.ly/vzZqEK

SaaS-Based Systems Dominate the Web Conferencing Equipment Market

New data from TeleGeography partner Synergy Research Group show that the market for web conferencing equipment grew ... http://bit.ly/rSKGgO

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Global Mobile launches dual-mode 3G/WiMAX handset

According to local press reports, Global Mobile has launched Taiwan’s first dual-mode 3G/WiMAX handsets, called 7 ... http://bit.ly/rHAn8H

Telekom Slovenije awards fraud management deal to Subex

Telekom Slovenije has signed a deal with the business support systems (BSS) solutions provider Subex for the ex ... http://p.ost.im/p/ey9Gbj

VelaTel to acquire 51% of Serbian ISP

San Diego-headquartered VelaTel Global Communications has announced that it has signed an agreement with Cyprus-bas ... http://bit.ly/rRihUb

SIM registration exercise to be investigated

Nigeria’s House of Representatives is looking to launch an investigation into the country’s SIM registration pr ... http://bit.ly/uJHFMg

Sisteer of France becomes Brazil’s third MVNO

The Brazilian telecommunications regulator Anatel has given French mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) Sisteer a ... http://bit.ly/w592Fi

Telstra extends deadline for completion of NBN deal

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra is reported to have extended the deadline for completing the deal under whi ... http://bit.ly/ujExyZ

MobiNil negotiating with NTRA over international gateway licence

Egypt’s second largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil), ha ... http://bit.ly/slmRZ0

Commerce Commission reports on MTR cut

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has revealed that consumers are starting to benefit from the cut in mobile term ... http://bit.ly/tM49NR

Telecom Americas (Claro) to spend USD1.88bn on HSPA+ expansion

Business News Americas reports that Brazilian mobile operator Telecom America (Claro), a unit of Mexico’s America ... http://bit.ly/titZv6

NSN inks five-year deal with Vodacom Tanzania

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) revealed this week that it has won a five-year contract from Vodacom Tanzania to moder ... http://bit.ly/uDvfgZ

Airtel boosts minimum fixed broadband speeds to 2Mbps in select areas

With the deployment of third-generation networks now in full swing by Indian cellcos, and with suggestions that 4G ... http://bit.ly/vuOROI

SingTel Mobile launches LTE for business, consumer segments

SingTel Mobile, the wireless arm of southeast Asian telco Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel), yesterday unv ... http://bit.ly/u0ZUwe

AT ends pursuit of T-Mobile USA

ATT has dropped its bid for T-Mobile USA following fierce regulatory opposition. Continue Reading: OVETEL ATT e ... http://bit.ly/uIvv79

Monday, December 19, 2011

Pioneer Cellular confirms completion of rural LTE testing

Pioneer Cellular, one of 13 participants in Verizon’s ‘Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Rural America’ programme, ... http://bit.ly/vvPmfs

95% of exchanges to receive improved DSL soon

The director general of Lebanon’s state-owned PSTN operator Ogero, Abdel Mouneum Youssif, said in a statement ... http://p.ost.im/p/ey7Sse

Canal Digital stays with Telenor group as sale to Com Hem cancelled

Following last month’s antitrust court action launched by the Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket), a ... http://bit.ly/uuP2WI

BTC privatisation pushed back to 2012

The privatisation of incumbent fixed line telecoms operator Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), whic ... http://p.ost.im/p/ey5jvV

LTE services made available to Etisalat subscribers

UAE-based telecoms operator Etisalat has announced the commercial launch of Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile br ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyCLLy

Bhutan inaugurates nationwide fibre-optic network; end-users not yet able to benefit

Bhutanese daily Kuensel Online has reported that the Bhutan Information Communications & Media Authority (BICMA) ha ... http://bit.ly/veXkY3

Bladna launches Arabic-friendly MVNO in Italy

According to MVNOnews.com, Bladna Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) owned by Saudi Mobile Services, ... http://bit.ly/uryt47

DoT issuing show cause notices for cancellation of 35 mobile concessions

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is reported to be in the process of issuing show cause notices whi ... http://bit.ly/uniC1B

Rostelecom postpones LSE listing

Russia’s state-controlled telecoms giant Rostelecom has postponed its imminent listing on the London Stock Exchan ... http://bit.ly/vdlehA

Serbia agrees price for Srbija stake

Serbia has agreed to pay EUR380 million (USD495.4 million) to buy back a 20% stake in state-run telco Telekom Srbij ... http://bit.ly/uCflCK

Digicel’s long-distance service given the green light by Supreme Court

Digicel Bermuda says it is ‘delighted’ with the Supreme Court’s ruling which clears it to offer international ... http://bit.ly/uRAHLb

Vivo extends 3G network to 2,000 municipalities with Nova Santa Barbara rollout

Brazil's largest mobile operator by subscribers Vivo Participaoes, owned by Telefonica of Spain, last week confirme ... http://bit.ly/viepyG

EMC to deploy new IT infrastructure for Paltel

US-based EMC Corporation has revealed that it has been selected by Palestinian fixed line incumbent Palestine Telec ... http://bit.ly/vZ7Ufq

Regulator warms to Eircom’s latest interconnection rate cut

Ireland’s national telecoms regulator the Commission for Communications Regulation, or ComReg as it is also known ... http://bit.ly/usosb6

Une-EPM launched LTE service

Colombian telco Une-EPM has launched Long Term Evolution (LTE) services following network rollouts from Swedish ven ... http://bit.ly/upfnQI

Cox offloads AWS licences to Verizon for USD315m

Verizon Wireless has agreed a USD315 million deal with Cox Communications for the purchase of its 20MHz block of Ad ... http://bit.ly/vQ2bod

Euskaltel sets aside EUR240 million for investment over next five years

Spanish cableco Euskaltel will spend more than EUR240 million (USD312 million) over the next five years, Telecompap ... http://bit.ly/uf8QOO

Zamtel Mobile details 3G rollout progress

Zamtel Mobile, Zambia’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers and a wholly-owned unit of fixed line ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyTDMF

CRC issues three new licences

Bulgaria’s Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) has awarded three licences for the use of vacant spectrum i ... http://bit.ly/sCKqCW

Friday, December 16, 2011

Rogers beta launch of Live TV on tablets

Rogers Communications has announced the beta launch of its ‘Rogers Live TV’ application which streams live TV c ... http://bit.ly/unLmCV

USD110m pledged for mobile networks

Lebanon’s telecoms minister Nicolas Sehnaoui yesterday pledged a USD110 million investment to upgrade the country ... http://bit.ly/uTHNWa

Verizon’s new division consolidates corporate, wholesale, government operations

Verizon Communications has announced that it is establishing a new division to serve its enterprise, government and ... http://bit.ly/sNqtgk

CRTC opens local telephony competition in far north

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has opened Canada’s Yukon, Northwest Terri ... http://bit.ly/sWTuYf

ZTE wins DWDM contract with PT

China’s ZTE has been selected by Portugal Telecom (PT) as its exclusive equipment provider to build a DWDM metro ... http://bit.ly/uTbgK0

TdA plans ARS10bn investment in 2012-14

Following on from total investment of ARS2.6 billion (USD607 million) this year, Argentine incumbent telecoms opera ... http://bit.ly/vUZvn6

LGI announces new USD1bn stock repurchase programme

US-based cable operator Liberty Global Inc (LGI) yesterday announced the authorisation of a new USD1 billion st ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUTeac

AT round-up: lawsuits suspended to 12 January; Qualcomm decision within six months

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it will decide within the next six months whether or not to ap ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyjNmp

UTL to receive cash injection to end debt woes

Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) will receive capital from the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio Green Network (LAP Green N ... http://bit.ly/sdOJaT

LIME Jamaica launches 100Mbps FTTH service

Cable and Wireless Communications Jamaica (CWC) has announced the commercial launch of services over the country’ ... http://bit.ly/tV7yCY

KCC rejects would-be WiBro player applications

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has once again rejected an application from Korea Mobile Internet (KMI) t ... http://bit.ly/uM7G2e

ACCC reverses Telstra wireline regulation exemptions

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has revoked a ruling which exempted fixed line incumbent ... http://bit.ly/tAsKrs

Eircom creditors reject STT restructuring plan, sources say

Eircom’s principal creditors have apparently rejected the latest restructuring proposal put forward by majority s ... http://bit.ly/uoXKeM

China’s Huawei tests ‘Giga DSL’ prototype system

Cable360.net reports that Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies has successfully deployed a prototype Giga digital sub ... http://bit.ly/s0WRyd

NSN wins KDDI deal to implement CSFB technology overlay

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has been selected to supply an upgrade for Japanese mobile operator KDDI Corp, that wi ... http://bit.ly/vWLg6e

Four line up for France’s second 4G licence auction

The French telecommunications regulatory authority Arcep says it received a total of four bids for 4G mobile licenc ... http://bit.ly/thGE1c

Antitrust body clears Liberty’s purchase of Kabel BW

Germany’s antitrust body, the Bundeskartellamt, has announced it has cleared Liberty Global’s acquisition of th ... http://bit.ly/u4Av9g

SKT LTE subscriber base passes 500,000

South Korea’s largest cellco by subscribers, SK Telecom (SKT), has announced that in the first four months of off ... http://bit.ly/sHPgrt

Ministry considering revoking Transact licence, paper says

The Royal Gazette writes that Bermuda’s Ministry of Business Development and Tourism is ‘actively considering ... http://bit.ly/rPTXnP

LightSquared refutes report claiming 4G network interferes with GPS

An official report has confirmed that LightSquared’s proposed nationwide wireless broadband network could cause i ... http://bit.ly/ujmcc7

3 claims first FDD/TDD LTE network in the world

Hutchison Whampoa’s Swedish mobile subsidiary Hi3G Access Sweden (3, or Tre) has launched 4G Long Term Evolution ... http://bit.ly/tvoa33

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Oni upgrades Portugal-Spain link to 100G

Alcatel-Lucent and Portuguese telco Oni Communications have established a 100Gbps connection over a fibre-optic ... http://p.ost.im/p/eydBrH

Bulgaria to amend communication law

Bulgaria’s parliament is this week expected to approve a set of amendments to the Electronic Communications A ... http://p.ost.im/p/eySmbp

Tele2 trims Russian subscriber forecast

Swedish telecoms group Tele2 yesterday cut its forecast for end-year mobile subscriber numbers in Russia, its m ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyLCv3

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea press for first claim to 900MHz spectrum on licence renewal

Three of India’s largest mobile network operators – Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular – are ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUTj89

STC ups stake in UAE digital media group Intigral

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) says it has acquired an additional 20% stake in United Arab Emirates (UAE) digital ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyFtmC

ICASA sets mobile broadband licensing targets

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has proposed a framework for the licensing of ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyJxn4

Bezeq to trial FTTP services in Petah Tikva

Israeli incumbent fixed line provider Bezeq has revealed plans to launch the first tests of its fibre-optic network ... http://bit.ly/w3pz3u

Visionstream Australia selected by NBN Co for transit network construction

NBN Co, the public-private company tasked with the management and construction of Australia’s National Broadband ... http://bit.ly/rKgias

FPT revises full year pre-tax profit target

Vietnamese software and technology company the Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology (FPT) will miss i ... http://bit.ly/vIhAji

Government completes fibre-optic loop in Douala

Households and business in Douala are set to enjoy new services and applications based on high speed broadband inte ... http://bit.ly/uhhDON

Dialog Axiata buying Suntel for USD34m

Sri Lankan mobile market leader Dialog Axiata has agreed to buy 100% of local fixed-wireless operator Suntel. Dialo ... http://bit.ly/seLDVd

Beltelecom: no rise in internet traffic costs in 2012

Online news portal e-belarus.org quotes the director of Belarus’ national PTO Beltelecom, Andrei Soborov, as sayi ... http://bit.ly/sQzuph

Telecom Namibia to acquire Leo

Namibian state-owned incumbent Telecom Namibia has agreed to purchase 100% of the country’s second largest mobile ... http://bit.ly/vkNMr9

Verizon boosts LTE coverage with addition of seven new markets

Verizon has announced that the rollout of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network has reached another milestone, with ... http://bit.ly/t5dpdL

Greek telecom market makes small gains after steep decline

Greece is among the countries hardest hit by the Eurozone monetary crisis, and data from TeleGeography’s GlobalCo ... http://bit.ly/up49kr

Telstra extends Asian footprint with Singapore, Japan licences

Australia’s Telstra is strengthening its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and to that end has secured telecom ... http://bit.ly/rrO7ve

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

TNM calls off talks with potential strategic equity partner

Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), the country’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced in ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyh9UK

Cablevision selects Alca-Lu’s 100G optical solution

Alcatel-Lucent has announced that Argentine cable network operator Cablevision will deploy its advanced 100G op ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyePj8

FastWeb USD1.3bn writedown for parent Swisscom

Bloomberg reports that Swisscom's full-year 2011 net income will be cut by USD1.3 billion due to a writedown on ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyjUxf

PNA unveils governmental communications and IT strategy

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has outlined its strategy for the introduction of up-to-date communica ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyJG8r

DNA outlines DC-HSPA+ and LTE coverage expansion plans

Finnish cellco DNA Finland has announced that it expects to offer what it terms ‘4G speeds’ in some 130 mun ... http://p.ost.im/p/eyrhbA

TTSL and Aircel halt 3G roaming deal

Indian mobile network operators Tata Teleservices (TTSL) and Aircel have reportedly terminated an agreement all ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUEVvx

Viva to list more shares on Kuwait bourse

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has announced that it is set to list an unspecified number of shares in its Kuwaiti sub ... http://bit.ly/rrNCH3

Privatisation no longer an option for state-owned mCel

Mozambican communications minister Paulo Zucula has confirmed that the government has ruled out the possibility of ... http://bit.ly/uGF9Cb

Clearwire rakes in USD715.5m from shareholders

US WiMAX operator Clearwire has announced that it has raised USD715.5 million from its shareholders to fund ongoing ... http://bit.ly/v6Hw6K

DISH offers T-Mobile potential wireless lifeline

US satellite TV giant DISH Network has indicated that it is keen to form a strategic partnership with T-Mobile USA ... http://bit.ly/vWMqth

SKY Brazil launches 4G wireless network based on TD-LTE technology

Business Wire reports that SKY Brazil, a subsidiary of Latin American satellite TV provider DIRECTV, today launched ... http://bit.ly/ujnNZP

Eircom releases pessimistic earnings warning

Ailing Irish operator Eircom has published a statement warning that its earnings for fiscal 2011 will be significan ... http://bit.ly/rPtqvh

Arcep clears Iliad for mobile launch

The French telecoms regulator Arcep yesterday confirmed that having audited Iliad’s Free Mobile network, the newc ... http://bit.ly/ukfI1h

Five bidders for Orange Switzerland

Reuters reports that France Telecom-Orange has received five offers in its auction of its Swiss unit, although it d ... http://bit.ly/sEOYGx

Antel teams up with Alca-Lu to launch LTE network

Uruguay’s state-owned incumbent telecoms operator Antel has partnered with Alcatel-Lucent to launch a Long Term E ... http://bit.ly/s0lGmf

Rogers shutting down WiMAX service in March

Canada’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Rogers Communications, has decided to discontinue its ‘Portabl ... http://bit.ly/rX3Wus

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

NDRC requests more detailed reform plans

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has reportedly told China Telecom Corporation and China ... http://bit.ly/uIdlgX

NTC takes cellcos to task for failure to cut SMS rates

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in the Philippines has filed proceeding against the country’s th ... http://bit.ly/vHOSmq

Digicel Vanuatu launches 3G; Port Vila, Luganville connected

Digicel Vanuatu has inaugurated its new 3G network in the towns of Port Vila and Luganville; the network supports 3 ... http://bit.ly/rMbmbV

No such thing as a free Luchshe; MegaFon snaps up ISP

Russian mobile operator MegaFon has announced its acquisition of 100% of Luchshe.net, an internet service provider ... http://bit.ly/tW8Gix

CSL in M2M alliance with Jasper

Hong Kong cellco CSL has announced a strategic alliance with Jasper Wireless to connect and support a host of emerg ... http://bit.ly/ss9Gvh

TNM partners EMS to introduce BlackBerry services

Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), the country’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has partnered with Du ... http://bit.ly/vRlmba

American Tower to buy 2,500 Mexican towers from Telefonica subsidiary

US-based American Tower has reportedly entered into a definitive agreement to acquire around 2,500 towers from Pega ... http://bit.ly/u1QAwn

TDSAT directs fixed line duo to pay part of fine for ILD licence violation

India’s Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has ordered fixed line operators Bharti Airtel ... http://bit.ly/sYksgP

Wananchi Group seeks USD100m for East African expansion

Kenya’s Wananchi Group, which offers triple-play services – comprising cable TV, broadband internet and voice-o ... http://bit.ly/si2oTX

Openreach names 178 new exchanges for fibre rollout

Openreach, the network arm of British fixed line incumbent BT, has announced the latest phase of its fibre deployme ... http://bit.ly/vikP7N

France Telecom-Orange launches ‘Fibre Pro’ for professionals

France Telecom-Orange has announced the launch of its ‘Fibre Pro’ offer, which enables SMEs and business profes ... http://bit.ly/txvqFA

CIAA tells NTA to abandon unified licensing and stop issuing 3G frequencies

Myrepublica.com reports that Nepal’s Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has ordered the co ... http://bit.ly/uLwe3m

Netia gets green light for acquisitions

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has approved fixed line operator Netia’s acquisi ... http://bit.ly/ryyXqA

Eircom to consider up to three restructuring proposals

The single largest shareholder in Irish former telecoms monopoly Eircom, Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT), ha ... http://bit.ly/soQ2gm

Axiata plans to offload Iranian unit to unknown party

Malaysian telco Axiata is reportedly in talks to sell its 49% stake in Iran's Mobile Telecommunications Company of ... http://bit.ly/u2gEWw

Monday, December 12, 2011

MCMC reconfirms intention to allocate 2.6GHz spectrum

More than a year after first announcing plans to hand a number of operators spectrum in the 2.6GHz band, the Malays ... http://bit.ly/uugeQw

Smart Mobile widens network coverage

Cambodian wireless operator Smart Mobile has expanded network coverage to the provinces of Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vi ... http://bit.ly/tHvjWo

DoJ seeks to postpone AT, T-Mobile court hearing; is deal dead in the water?

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) reportedly intends to file a motion this week that will see it postpone the cour ... http://bit.ly/tozohY

NetOne inaugurates new switching centre

Zimbabwean state-run cellco NetOne has commissioned a new mobile switching centre in Bulawayo in the south of the c ... http://bit.ly/uWAEhy

Osnova Telekom goes on the offensive over LTE spectrum

Osnova Telekom, the controversial start-up company which is partly-owned (25.1%) by Voyentelekom, a holding company ... http://bit.ly/uDuzFr

Competition watchdog favours lower termination rates for MVNOS, paper says

The French competition authority has lined up behind national regulator Arcep in supporting its proposal for lower ... http://bit.ly/rCPv3f

ComCom raises minimum transmission speed, lowers maximum price

Switzerland’s telecoms regulator, the Federal Communication Commission (ComCom) has increased the minimum transmi ... http://bit.ly/vOMuwz

Umniah plans for 3G launch in 2012

Jordanian cellco Umniah Telecommunications and Technology Company has announced plans to launch 3G services in the ... http://bit.ly/tIIGn3

BT outlines Scottish fibre plans

British fixed line incumbent BT has pledged to spend around GBP2.5 billion (USD3.92 billion) on improving next-gene ... http://bit.ly/u4ius8

LAP Green flags launches in Sierra Leone, Togo, South Sudan; pursuing acquisitions in Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea

In a cryptic update of the ‘operational footprint’ included on its company website, Libyan telecoms holding com ... http://bit.ly/rsbJUV

NMHH reveals bidders for new Hungary mobile licence

Hungary’s telecoms regulator the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) last Friday published a l ... http://bit.ly/ssrDxt

Banglalion signs up 200,000 WiMAX subscribers

Bangladeshi WiMAX network operator Banglalion Communications has announced that it has reached 200,000 wireless int ... http://bit.ly/tA0XFz

Friday, December 9, 2011

ComCom lowers ULL, other wholesale prices

Switzerland’s Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) has reduced wholesale prices for unbundled local loo ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUYv6L

ANRT chops interconnection rates, unifies MTRs in January 2013

On 6 December 2011 Morocco’s National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT) made downwards adjustmen ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUMawn

Unicom unveils new mobile internet strategy

Chinadaily.com reports that China Unicom has revealed a new mobile internet strategy, called the ‘Wo-plus Opening ... http://bit.ly/v2PC4f

One 3.5GHz county licence sold out of 13 offered; 2.3GHz auction next autumn

On 8 December 2011 Swedish telecoms regulator the PTS proceeded with an auction offering 13 county-based technology ... http://bit.ly/vrKLUs

Thumbs-up to TD-LTE tests over WiMAX network

Alvarion has reported a successful test of its '4Motion' solution supporting TD-LTE on WiMAX infrastructure operate ... http://bit.ly/rDb4o0

European court rules against FT in state aid appeal case

The European Union’s (EU's) Court of Justice yesterday ruled that France Telecom-Orange benefited illegally from ... http://bit.ly/u31Y80

Rostelecom 3Q11 revenues up 8%; broadband subscriber base grows to 7.9m

Russia’s state-owned telecoms giant Rostelecom has reported consolidated revenues of RUB73.86 billion (USD2.35 bi ... http://bit.ly/voS5cw

VelaTel snags 75% stake in Balkan WiMAX duo

US-based VelaTel Global Communications has announced that it has entered into an agreement with the shareholders of ... http://bit.ly/s3Jw92

Clearwire abandons Alaskan market

Cash-strapped US WiMAX operator Clearwire has reportedly withdrawn from the Alaskan telecoms market, and will no lo ... http://bit.ly/t4ePyM

American Tower and MTN Group to form Ugandan tower joint venture

US-based American Tower and the MTN Group of South Africa had reportedly entered in to a definitive agreement to es ... http://bit.ly/vh0tB6

ACCC confirms receipt of revised SSU from Telstra

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has confirmed the receipt of a revised Structural Separat ... http://bit.ly/tlTntb

MTel to bid for spare 900MHz frequency blocks

Hungary’s leading operator by revenues and subscribers, Magyar Telekom (MTel), has submitted an application to bi ... http://bit.ly/tNQMBS

Plan unveiled for Ireland-France telecoms cable

The Irish Times writes that backers of a proposed USD15 million telecoms cable between the Republic of Ireland and ... http://bit.ly/rRVRM9

Telematics boom in China

According to a Shanghai Daily report, revenues in China's telematics segment will expand rapidly in the coming few ... http://bit.ly/uDd19u

Anatel confirms plans for more wireless auctions in 2012

Joao Batista de Rezende, the president of Brazil’s national telecoms regulator Anatel, says the country is prepar ... http://bit.ly/s2IFe6

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Regulator revises Batelco's wholesale rates

Bahrain's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued a draft order revising the wholesale rates f ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUSuAx

Shaw trials new Wi-Fi network

Canadian cableco Shaw Communications has launched trial services over its new Wi-Fi internet hotspot network, initi ... http://bit.ly/uMuOPr

Orange extends 43.2Mbps speeds to four more cities; hopes to delay ANCOM spectrum shake-up

Orange Romania, the country’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced that it is poised to exte ... http://p.ost.im/p/eD73Lp

Regional players eye up two of Saudi’s three MVNO concessions

Middle Eastern mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) Renna Mobile and FRiENDi Group have both expressed inte ... http://p.ost.im/p/eURBU9

MCIT to establish framework for OFC use

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) has issued a request for expression ... http://p.ost.im/p/eULVbR

NP goes live in Arica; MNP due in January 2012

Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Pedro Pablo Errazuriz, has announced the launch of fixed number portab ... http://bit.ly/rRVAVJ

3G auction likely in late-2012

Thailand’s National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has revealed more details of its progress ... http://bit.ly/uHRsf3

BSNL’s offer to hand back BWA frequencies accepted in-principle by DoT

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is understood to have accepted an offer from state-owned telco Bha ... http://bit.ly/stXFDj

TCRA rules against retail pricing regulation; end user costs rising as inflation bites

The Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) will not intervene in regulating retail prices, arguing that ... http://bit.ly/uVMoJT

2G or not 2G; Korean courts orders KT to continue service

KT Corp, South Korea’s second largest mobile network operator in terms of subscribers, has encountered yet anothe ... http://bit.ly/sFObqP

Altimo freezes 2.7% stake in Vimpelcom over Kyrgyz cellco dispute

Altimo, the telecoms arm of Russia's Alfa Group, has frozen 2.7% of its 31.4% stake in Vimpelcom against any furthe ... http://bit.ly/vE0vM8

DT conducts tests of LTE network in Munich

German incumbent Deutsche Telekom (DT) has begun testing of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband network ... http://bit.ly/tKHwVD

Regulator rubber stamps MTI’s acquisition of Bayan

The Business Mirror newspaper reports that the Filipino regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ... http://bit.ly/vCCKYl

Telkom to invest USD233m in ‘True Broadband’ network

Indonesian telecoms powerhouse PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) plans to invest IDR21.19 trillion (USD233 milli ... http://bit.ly/vIKNSt

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Iusacell and Nextel call off legal wrangling over 2010 auction

Mexican mobile network operators Grupo Iusacell and Nextel de Mexico have reportedly withdrawn lawsuits previously ... http://bit.ly/uGBoFO

Econet claims 1.7m mobile broadband users

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s chief commercial officer of broadband services, Leon de Fleuriot, announced that the c ... http://bit.ly/rEjk3r

DRC orders SMS embargo to curb election violence

Cellcos in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reportedly been told to block SMS messages until further ... http://p.ost.im/p/eD3JAB

Unhappy Christmas? MoC confirms annual cut-off for wireline debtors

According to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), industry regulator and sole fixed line operator, the Ministry of Co ... http://p.ost.im/p/eU8nQP

Vibo reveals TWD2bn 3G expansion plans

Taiwanese cellco Vibo Telecom has confirmed that it intends to invest TWD2 billion (USD65.8 million) in the dev ... http://p.ost.im/p/eUAtUX

Zamtel Mobile aims for 700 base stations by end-2012

Zamtel Mobile, the wireless arm of Zambian fixed line incumbent Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) has said ... http://bit.ly/tZaBOD

India’s Finance Ministry to step in over spectrum vacation issues

India’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) is to review the progress made in the construction of a dedicated fibre-optic n ... http://bit.ly/vbELrZ

DT selects Celeno solution to support IPTV service

Celeno Communications, a provider of semiconductors for multimedia Wi-Fi home networking applications, has announce ... http://bit.ly/vd457x

Bermudan government: Digicel’s long-distance service is breaking the law

The legal battle over Digicel Bermuda’s long-distance service has intensified following a government ruling that ... http://bit.ly/uty5V4

NT books revenue of NPR8.25bn in fiscal first-quarter

State-owned telecoms operator Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (Nepal Telecom, or NT) booked revenue of NPR8.25 bi ... http://bit.ly/vpJ7og

IIJ to launch as LTE virtual operator in February 2012

Japanese internet access and network solutions provider Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) has revealed plans to offer ... http://bit.ly/thDjQu

NMa raids cellcos’ offices in price-fixing investigation

The Dutch competition authority, Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), has visited the headquarters of the count ... http://bit.ly/sGAl8t

TelOne nearing comprehensive ADSL launch

Zimbabwe’s state-owned fixed telephony operator TelOne says that its ongoing network upgrade programme is aimed a ... http://bit.ly/t5l2kg

Brazil airwaves auction raises USD132m

Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel has raised a total of BRL237.8 million (USD132 million) through the governmen ... http://bit.ly/siTJdS

First phase of NetCity to be completed by March

The first phase of Bucharest’s controversial ‘NetCity’ fibre-optic project is expected to be completed by Mar ... http://bit.ly/sSiJcz

State-backed consortium to enter Hungarian mobile market, report says

Dow Jones Newswires, quoting Hungarian business daily Napi Gazdasag, reports that a group of three state-owned comp ... http://bit.ly/rON6Wa

Movitel reveals 8 January date for full commercial launch

Movitel, which was awarded Mozambique’s third mobile concession in November 2010, having tendered a USD29 million ... http://bit.ly/vUNrDj

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Cash-strapped Clearwire to offer up USD300m of Class A shares to fund LTE rollout

US WiMAX operator Clearwire has announced plans to offer USD300 million worth of Class A common stock in a regi ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDUQww

BTC launches 3.5G services

UK-backed and part state-owned cellco, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), has celebrated the commercial ... http://bit.ly/ukIr7t

‘DISH of the day’ tickles Sprint’s tastebuds

Sprint Nextel has backed down from its previously-stated opposition to US satellite TV provider DISH Network's prop ... http://bit.ly/vtWf4T

TIM Brasil to launch TIM Fiber next year

Brazilian fixed and mobile operator TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil), which acquired AES Atimus group for EUR700 mill ... http://bit.ly/uzJSVw

Viettel-EVN Telecom deal to receive green light?

According to a report by Saigon GP Daily, which cites an unnamed source from the Ministry of Information and Commun ... http://bit.ly/utiSOs

AIS, TOT LTE trial given go-ahead

Thailand’s National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has approved a plan by the country’s mo ... http://bit.ly/tCwKiA

Telecom and Unicom look for an early end to anti-trust investigation

China Unicom and China Telecom have reportedly submitted applications to China’s National Development and Reform ... http://bit.ly/tBqc79

ADSL upgrade reaches 56 regions

Lebanon’s PSTN operator Ogero has reported that progress continues in its upgrade of ADSL speeds across the count ... http://bit.ly/vnf5tu

HiTS Telecom inks USD43m loan with Global Emerging Markets

Kuwait-based telecommunications provider HiTS Telecom Holding Company has secured a USD43 million loan with Switzer ... http://bit.ly/uPo7jF

NT jumps into BTS vans to circumvent GSM bottlenecks

Myrepublica reports that state owned incumbent operator Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (Nepal Telecom, or NT) pl ... http://bit.ly/u0BJel

CMT unveils MTR proposals for 2012-2014

Spain’s Comision del Mercado de las Telecomunicacinoes (CMT) has announced the launch of a public consultation re ... http://bit.ly/uG6i3r

TDSAT tells DoT to reconsider fines against Idea Cellular

India’s Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has reportedly set aside a previous decision b ... http://bit.ly/t6gsnY

GVT allocates USD56m to extend network to 13 new municipalities

Brazilian telecoms operator and internet service provider Global Village Telecom (GVT), owned by the French media a ... http://bit.ly/vIAPsg

NBN Co files special access undertaking with the ACCC

NBN Co, the public-private company set up to oversee and manage the construction of the National Broadband Network ... http://bit.ly/uZzofE

PLDT to migrate PSTN base to NGN by 2013

Filipino operator PLDT plans to migrate its entire fixed telephony subscriber base to its new next generation netwo ... http://bit.ly/uGaVLL

FRiENDi expects to launch IPO within two years

Dubai-based mobile services provider FRiENDi Group plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) within two year ... http://bit.ly/vI6bRD

Monday, December 5, 2011

Cape Verde awards 3G licences

Cape Verde’s National Communications Agency (ANAC) has announced the winners of its 3G licence auction. See the ... http://bit.ly/sIW7RQ

Vodafone plots swoop for 10% Metroweb stake

Vodafone Italy is reportedly interested in buying a 10% stake in Milan-based metropolitan fibre-optic operator Metr ... http://bit.ly/vi7bTi

Digicel records strong growth

Pan-Caribbean operator Digicel has announced year-on-year revenue growth of 16% for the six months ending 30 Se ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDaVmR

Mobile broadband users up 7.2% to 332,000; IPTV nears 350,000 subscribers

Croatia’s total number of mobile broadband subscribers reached 332,500 at the end of September 2011, up by 7.2% y ... http://bit.ly/s2kau9

Batelco looks at selling towers to raise over USD200m acquisition capital

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) is examining a plan to sell and lease back its mobile network tower in ... http://bit.ly/vMhT9f

Licence extension awarded to Indochina Telecom

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has agreed to extend the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO ... http://bit.ly/t06E4o

Telstra to shut off Wi-Fi hotspots

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra is to discontinue it national wireless hotspot service from next year, acco ... http://bit.ly/vYbyh0

BSNL to lease tower infrastructure to private operators

State-owned Indian telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is to lease out spare capacity on its tower network to pri ... http://bit.ly/tteAfT

Unitymedia adds mobile telephony to product range

German cable network operator Unitymedia, which is owned by US company Liberty Global, has announced the addition o ... http://bit.ly/uo5j94

MoTC directs NPT to reconsider MTRs rate ruling

The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority (NPT)has said it will consider a request made by Network Norway ... http://bit.ly/vqqVRk

Telefonica scoffs at Czech unit sale rumour

Spanish giant Telefonica has reached swiftly to rebut claims in the local press suggesting it is considering sellin ... http://bit.ly/rxlCou

Eircom backers abandon investment plan amid eurozone jitters, papers say

A number of Irish news sites are reporting that two of the main shareholders in troubled national carrier Eircom, S ... http://bit.ly/uxuSTn

Digitel to increase capitalisation to PHP25bn

Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc (Digitel), the telecoms group which was recently acquired by the country ... http://bit.ly/vqcLXj

Cablecos offload spectrum to Verizon in USD3.6bn deal; Sprint props up Clearwire with USD1.6bn injection

US telecoms giant Verizon Wireless has announced that it has acquired a total of 122 Advanced Wireless Services (AW ... http://bit.ly/uXf957

Subtel announces 4G tender

Chilean telecoms watchdog, Sub-Secretaria de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) has announced the launch of a tender for f ... http://bit.ly/uHz3Ox

Vietnamobile becomes fifth 3G service provider

Vietnamese mobile operator Vietnamobile has commercially launched its HSPA+ network, becoming the fifth wireless op ... http://bit.ly/ulHC8e

Arcep reports strong fibre growth

Data from the French telecoms regulator Arcep shows that approximately 600,000 homes were subscribing to fibre-opti ... http://bit.ly/tkcT0z

Friday, December 2, 2011

Etisalat launches mobile banking in Afghanistan

Etisalat Afghanistan has announced the launch of its mobile money service, dubbed mHawala. Read more here: OVET ... http://bit.ly/vq3Hys

Committee investigates illegal VoIP

The Bangladeshi government has formed a new committee to investigate illegal voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) ca ... http://bit.ly/tUGiOp

OTE to resume VDSL services in six months following wholesale regulatory decision

Greek national PSTN operator OTE can relaunch its retail VDSL broadband internet services in June 2012 following a ... http://bit.ly/vEqWS2

Sunrise stirs Swiss sale

Private equity firm CVC, owner of Swiss telco Sunrise, has reportedly held talks with Providence Equity Partners wi ... http://bit.ly/uc2DwU

ANCOM poised for 2013 spectrum shake-up

Romanian telecoms regulator ANCOM has initiated a consultation regarding the use of frequencies in the 880MHz-915MH ... http://bit.ly/ud74i8

IST and KMI target WiBro launch

Korea IT Times reports that Internet Space Time (IST) and Korea Mobile Internet (KMI) have recently submitted bids ... http://bit.ly/twI4Fz

Over one third of households and businesses covered by 100Mbps broadband

Danish telecoms agency the National IT and Telecom Agency (also known as Telestyrelsen) has published its ‘Broadb ... http://bit.ly/vepeve

Celcom Axiata and PLDT to set up MVNO

Malaysian cellco Celcom Axiata has signed a shareholder agreement with PLDT Global (PGC) of the Philippines to set ... http://bit.ly/vegSfl

Polkomtel launches LTE; 22% of population covered at launch

Poland’s largest operator by subscribers, Polkomtel, which operates under the moniker Plus, has announced the lau ... http://bit.ly/snN8OR

KPN contemplates offloading ‘difficult’ French asset

Dutch operator KPN (or Royal KPN as it is also known) is considering whether or not to keep or sell off its French ... http://bit.ly/tZrS5U

Yota announces LTE rollout covering major regional centres of Belarus

Yota Bel, part of WiMAX Holding which is the owner of Russian operator Scartel (operating under the Yota brand), sa ... http://bit.ly/vsxFIP

AM, Digicel agree asset swap in Jamaica and Honduras; El Salvador deal rumbles on

Mexico-based LatAm mobile powerhouse America Movil (AM) has reportedly agreed a deal with rival regional operator D ... http://bit.ly/rX5wjx

Thursday, December 1, 2011

M-Tel to launch LTE in 2012

Telekom Austria-backed cellco MobilTel (M-Tel) has announced plans to roll out Long Term Evolution (LTE) networ ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA3cVC

ANACOM rakes in EUR372m on first day of LTE auction

According to local press reports, Portuguese telecoms regulator ANACOM earned a total of EUR372 million (USD497 ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDrte9

Uzmobile to expand 3.5G network in 2012

Uzmobile, the wireless subsidiary of Uzbekistan’s state-owned telco Uzbektelecom will spend USD9.1 million to ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA3UJ4

Govt to approve Svyazinvest liquidation?

The Russian government is believed to have given its preliminary approval for the liquidation of state-controll ... http://p.ost.im/p/eD6fen

FAS approves Rostelecom’s SkyLink takeover

According to Total Telecom, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has approved Rostelecom’s approach ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDeUU3

Rostelecom given belated clearance for LTE rollout

Russia’s Ministry of Defence is believed to have granted permission to state-owned national operator Rostelec ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA799F

CCP takes legal action against operators for aggressive commercial practice

Bulgaria’s Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP) has filed class action law suits against the country’s ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAn3QM

KT 2G subscribers launch class-action suit over network switch-off

Just over a week after the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) finally approved a revised request for approval to ... http://bit.ly/s9E3Zg

Threat to Golan’s network rollout, as MIRS blocks deal with NSN

Israeli mobile operator MIRS Communications has reportedly blocked Finnish vendor Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) from ... http://bit.ly/ukAamk

Mauritius Telecom cuts ADSL prices by up to 50%

From today, incumbent fixed line operator Mauritius Telecom is cutting the cost of its residential ADSL Home tariff ... http://bit.ly/tjHxaB

CommComm hints at cut in TFL’s retail telecom rates

Consumers in Fiji could soon benefit from a reduction in their phone bills, following a strong hint from the chair ... http://bit.ly/w4WzPu

Axiata reports lower profit in 3Q11 despite revenue gains

Malaysia-based telecoms group Axiata has revealed its financial results for the three months ended 30 September 201 ... http://bit.ly/sdPFZN

PLDT to recoup up to PHP1bn from sale of CURE 3G frequencies

Malaya Business Insight writes that dominant operator Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) says it exp ... http://bit.ly/uJlGzu

LAP Green denies rumours of sale

The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) has denied that it has completed a deal to sell its telecoms unit LAP Green N ... http://bit.ly/sKGVYx

Telefonica brings LTE to the city; fibre network sharing deal expected by year-end

Telefonica Germany (O2), the local unit of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, plans to expand its Long Term Evoluti ... http://bit.ly/v8xd3T

Liberty Global offers more concessions for Kabel BW deal

US cable company Liberty Global has offered further concessions to help smooth the way for regulatory approval of i ... http://bit.ly/sWN8pp

Claro makes clear LTE launching this month

Claro Puerto Rico has revealed that it is ready to launch commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband ser ... http://bit.ly/rt7SmC

Telecom Namibia, NSN sculpting WACS works

Telecom Namibia has chosen Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to provide it with a fibre-optic dense wavelength division ... http://bit.ly/thmoyx

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

East meets West as Libyana reconnects section of network after eight months

According to Middle Eastern business website Zawya.com, Libyana, Libya’s largest mobile operator in terms of subs ... http://bit.ly/sY5gv9

STC expands LTE: deploys 200 base stations across five cities

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has announced that it has launched its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in five ne ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDJJCh

Yota requests Moscow LTE examination; hints at new MegaFon tie-up

Russian WiMAX operator Scartel (Yota), which received regulatory approval from telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA3wmn

NSN sells WiMAX unit to NewNet

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has announced it has agreed to sell its WiMAX business to NewNet Communication Tec ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDLmMp

Vodafone targets 100,000 TV subs by year-end

Vodafone Germany aims to increase the number of subscribers to its hybrid television offering Vodafone TV from ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDrEgD

Lawmakers want GSM operators to list on bourse

A bill seeking to compel GSM service providers in Nigeria to sell a proportion of their shares to the public is to ... http://bit.ly/uIdLNt

Zain yet to discuss licence fee in South Sudan

Kuwaiti telecoms group Zain has yet to agree on the fee for a mobile licence to operate in the newly independent co ... http://bit.ly/ucTAN9

Japan Communications to partner Marubeni in MVNO joint venture

Japan Communications is reportedly planning to enter into a joint venture agreement with Japanese trading company M ... http://bit.ly/sbgxgD

ETB says MVNO service will launch in January

Colombian state-owned telco Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota (ETB) has announced that despite missing its or ... http://bit.ly/tuYW3A

Orange France passes one million ‘Open’ quad-play users mark

DigitalTV Europe reports that Orange France has signed up more than one million subscribers to its quadruple-play ... http://bit.ly/vyent5

North Rock jumps on 10Mbps bandwagon; alters pricing

Bermudan ISP North Rock Communications has launched a 10Mbps residential broadband service priced at BMD129.95 (USD ... http://bit.ly/s0Hn4H

PTCL loans mobile unit PKR11 billion for network investment

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has reportedly injected PKR11 billion (USD182.6 million) in its m ... http://bit.ly/udmjCN

President signs decrees to reform regulator

The Ukrainian president, Victor Yanukovych, has signed two decrees permitting the restructuring of the country's te ... http://bit.ly/v1Lb8G

EMT expands LTE footprint

Estonian cellco Eesti Mobiiltelefon (EMT), a subsidiary of Sweden’s TeliaSonera, has announced that it has extend ... http://bit.ly/viOvZV

Multimedia gateways drive mobile internet infrastructure market growth

According to data from the Mobile Internet Infrastructure research service from TeleGeography partner Synergy Resea ... http://bit.ly/sx62mL

Chilean operators to merge

Grupo GTD and Entel have signed an agreement under which the two companies will merge their operations. Pending the ... http://bit.ly/tlS0QV

MTS Allstream developing 100Gbps services

Canadian telco MTS Allstream has announced that it has chosen equipment from Ciena to upgrade its national optical ... http://bit.ly/rRn1Mk

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

T-2’s debt restructuring plan approved, altnet avoids receivership

The Maribor District Court has approved Slovenian alternative telco T-2’s debt restructuring plan under which the ... http://bit.ly/rKy9Ew

CAT’s commercial ‘My’ 3G launching for post-paid users in January

State-run Thai operator CAT Telecom will launch a full commercial version of its ‘My’ branded retail 3G W-C ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDePDy

Four million smartphones to be sold this year, says AIS marketing man

Gross sales of smartphones in Thailand are projected to reach approximately four million units this year, up fr ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAE3Rv

PT, Optimus distance themselves from Cabovisao chatter

Portugal Telecom (PT) and Optimus have both declared that they are not interested in purchasing Portuguese cabl ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDRfgL

Pecik increases Telekom stake to 15.8%; Omani investors circle govt stake

The Telekom Austria Group has confirmed that as of 25 November, approximately 15.012% of its shares are now hel ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAcBN3

CAT’s plans taking shape to transfer network ownership to private operators

Thai newspaper The Nation reports that state-owned CAT Telecom’s board will next week hear proposals from the ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDL5Gm

FastTelco buys advance capacity from GBI

Kuwaiti broadband provider FastTelco has confirmed that it has signed a capacity purchase agreement with Gulf B ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAE9YC

Regulator to trim FT’s unbundling rate from 1 January, paper says

The French telecoms watchdog Arcep is readying itself to announce the introduction of a 5% to 10% cut in France ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAnhrV

OTE seeks to sell Serbian stake

Beleaguered Greek telco OTE says it is in talks to sell its 20% stake in Telekom Srbija back to the country’s ... http://p.ost.im/p/eDd5pn

Vodacom to invest TZS150bn on Tanzanian network upgrade

Vodacom Tanzania has earmarked investment of TZS150 billion (USD89.97 million) in the next few years to expand ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAwgCe

Uruguay prepares mobile spectrum auction

The government of Uruguay has issued two decrees ordering the launch of an auction for wireless spectrum in the 900 ... http://bit.ly/tUHusx

Drillisch accuses DT executive of market manipulation

German mobile services provider Drillisch has asked public prosecutors to investigate alleged stock market manipula ... http://bit.ly/uTiDJw

Three bidders for Afghanistan's first 3G licence

Telecompaper reports that the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has received three bids for the count ... http://bit.ly/uV4fNz

NCC registers 93m SIMs, will begin disconnection from 1 January

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has so far registered around 93 million mobile lines over the course o ... http://bit.ly/siQKZu

DoT and operators to meet over 3G roaming issue

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to meet with leading mobile operators shortly with a v ... http://bit.ly/thRBfo

LG Uplus confirms LTE network expansion/development plans

South Korea’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers, LG Uplus, has outlined its plans for the developme ... http://bit.ly/sNP9aw

LTE tender gets underway; MVNO Zon not participating

According to local press reports, Portugal’s long-rumoured auction for Long Term Evolution (LTE)-suitable frequen ... http://bit.ly/tXCaZJ

Mobile auction cancelled after no bidders

The Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) of Bulgaria has announced that it has cancelled an auction to grant ... http://bit.ly/v4iTKG

BIPT reveals 4G auction winners

The Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) has announced the closure of its 4G spectrum auction, ... http://bit.ly/tLuj3o

Monday, November 28, 2011

Telstra submits revised Structural Separation Undertaking to ACCC

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra has reportedly handed a revised draft of its structural separation undertak ... http://bit.ly/uEkmlP

TIME dotCom sees profit almost double in 3Q11

Malaysia’s TIME dotCom (TdC) has released its financial results for the three months ended 30 September 2011, rev ... http://bit.ly/uK5ZiQ

Airtel expands managed services deal with Ericsson

India’s Bharti Airtel has expanded its managed services agreement for its domestic operations with Swedish vendor ... http://bit.ly/v25cm7

MIC to tighten rules on sales promotions

Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is looking to place stricter regulations on packages a ... http://bit.ly/u1lfiA

Teletalk talks of 1.7m 3G trial capacity

Bangladeshi state-owned mobile operator Teletalk, which is scheduled to launch 3G trial services on 26 March 2012, ... http://bit.ly/tJCw8l

Globe inks PHP5bn loan for CAPEX with RCB

Globe Telecom of the Philippines has signed a PHP5 billion (USD114 million) loan with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp ... http://bit.ly/v9mDlD

TIM Brasil unveils ‘Fixed Unlimited’ call plan

Brazilian fixed and mobile operator TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil) has announced the launch of a new unlimited fixe ... http://bit.ly/vHN3ZO

Smart beta testing LTE service in Metro Manila

Smart Communications, the mobile division of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is launching public ... http://bit.ly/rIuIfh

TEPCO mulling USD2.4bn KDDI sale plan

Reuters reports that Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) is reportedly looking to offload its roughly ... http://bit.ly/uRU2Nw

AT unveils ‘plan B’ to divest 40% of T-Mobile

In an effort to salvage its controversial USD39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA, ATT is reportedly considering the ... http://bit.ly/sLJRMw

More details of LAP Green takeover emerge

Additional details have emerged regarding the proposed takeover of Libyan investment portfolio LAP Green Network, w ... http://bit.ly/sC8KKW

Hutchison tables EUR1.4bn bid for Orange

Hutchison 3G Austria (H3G) is reported to be close to finalising an agreement to acquire rival mobile operator Oran ... http://bit.ly/vEuTDF

The U.S. leads the way in LTE

With the growth in mobile data usage continuing unabated, an increasing number of operators are looking towards 4G ... http://bit.ly/srDQaW

Friday, November 25, 2011

Telecel Zimbabwe in USD70m investment drive

Egypt’s Orascom Telecom (part of the Russian Vimpelcom group) has reinforced its commitment to its majority-o ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAmaPK

Digicel Barbados launches HSPA+

Digicel’s 3.5G HSPA+ mobile network has gone live in Barbados. The Barbados Advocate reports that the network ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAVnVC

Com Hem’s purchase of Canal Digital cable business challenged by competition authority

Dow Jones Newswires reports that the Swedish Competition Authority has decided to go to court to block Sweden ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAyAb9

WASACE submarine cable aims to serve four continents

Multinational start-up WASACE Cable Company Worldwide Holding (WASACE) has launched a project aimed at building ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAu9Cb

Telekom Slovenije EBIT climbs 75%

Telekom Slovenije generated EUR37.7 million (USD50.4 million) in group net profit in the first nine months of 2 ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAfNfP

Cogeco seeks international buyer for Cabovisao

Canada's Cogeco Cable is reportedly in the process of contacting a number of Portuguese and international telecoms ... http://bit.ly/uo4iOg

OFTA proposes refarming PHS 1900MHz frequencies for mobile data services

Hong Kong’s Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has proposed that the 1895MHz-1906.1MHz band, curre ... http://bit.ly/usYFa9

Alfa, Telenor agree to adhere to Vimpelcom agreement… for now

Vimpelcom has confirmed that its warring shareholders, Telenor of Norway and Alfa Group-owned Altimo, have agreed t ... http://bit.ly/tKtajo

XL Axiata puts towers up for sale; plans USD1bn CAPEX for 2012

Dow Jones Newswires writes that Indonesian cellco PT XL Axiata plans to sell up to 8,500 transmission towers and sh ... http://bit.ly/vi15d3

AEC issues tender for 4G licences, report says

According to an unconfirmed report from Alfa TV in Macedonia, national telecoms regulator the Agency for Electronic ... http://bit.ly/uLmD4U

Sunrise to launch IPTV in 2012

Swiss telco Sunrise has announced plans to launch an IPTV service in early 2012. The telco, which currently offers ... http://bit.ly/tbsvRk

Arcep warns seven WiLL licence holders for failing to meet rollout terms

The French telecoms regulator Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes (Arcep) has ord ... http://bit.ly/uznleJ

Algar Telecom (CTBC Celular) to launch HSPA+ next week

Brazilian telecoms group Algar Telecom (CTBC Celular) has confirmed its intention to start commercial operation of ... http://bit.ly/tkAr68

Digicel owner buying Gaddafi telecom assets?

According to unconfirmed reports, Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien has snapped up a number of African telecoms ass ... http://bit.ly/v8A04j

DT may sell UK asset if US deal fails

According to Reuters, Deutsche Telekom (DT) may sell its 50% stake in UK joint venture Everything Everywhere if the ... http://bit.ly/t0AmQl

DoCoMo ups PLDT stake to 20%

The Manila Standard Today reports that Japanese mobile group NTT DoCoMo has regained its 20% equity stake in Philip ... http://bit.ly/tCbEYK

Third cellco launches 3G; Azercell applies for 4G licence

Bakcell, Azerbaijan’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced the commercial launch of its t ... http://bit.ly/vvBYew

Open 3G auction set for June 2012

A national 3G UMTS mobile licence auction will be held in June 2012, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory C ... http://bit.ly/u0q74Q

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Colombia-Telefonica joint venture faces axe

The Colombian government has warned that it will be forced to liquidate its joint venture with Spain’s Telefo ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSgh9C

PCCW Hong Kong IPO raises USD1.2bn, below original expectations

Hong Kong telecoms group PCCW, has raised around HKD9.3 billion (USD1.2 billion) in its initial public offering of ... http://bit.ly/sr9I9T

Vimpelcom and MTS may team up to purchase Ukrtelecom’s 3G mobile business

Bloomberg, quoting the Russian Vedomosti newspaper, writes that rival Russian telecoms groups Mobile TeleSystems (M ... http://bit.ly/udgpNF

Failing fixed line offsets Sunrise’s smartphone-driven growth*Failing fixed line offsets Sunrise’s smartphone-driven growth

Switzerland’s Sunrise has reported a 4.3% drop in total revenues for the third quarter of 2011, with increasing m ... http://bit.ly/totkB7

Cetinje becomes second city to receive LTE coverage

Telenor Montenegro has expanded its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network - the first of its kind in the country - ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA834h

UOKiK issues PLN113.7 million in anti-trust fines

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has issued fines totalling PLN113.7 million (U ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSbdTL

Tele2 swoops in to seal Silver Server deal

Swedish telecoms giant Tele2 has announced that its Austrian unit has acquired Vienna-based corporate internet ... http://p.ost.im/p/eA6URt

NCC and Chunghwa reach long-distance compromise

Taiwanese telecoms regulator the National Communications Commission (NCC) has indicated that Chunghwa Telecom h ... http://p.ost.im/p/eANpfT

Kyivstar FTTB in 127 towns; fibre users reach 320,000; wireless modems top 700,000

Ukrainian mobile and fixed broadband network operator Kyivstar, part of the Vimpelcom group, has announced that it ... http://bit.ly/rM8w5t

AT and DT withdraw application for FCC approval

ATT Mobility and Deutsche Telekom have reportedly withdrawn their application for Federal Communications Commission ... http://bit.ly/tmHgJd

NBTC adopts draft frequency master plan

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has adopted a draft master plan for man ... http://bit.ly/trqFmC

USOF misuse claims being examined by Indian state

The Indian government is reportedly examining complaints regarding alleged misuse of the country’s Universal Serv ... http://bit.ly/vZZQs0

Forex loss in 3Q11 dents TM’s net profit

Malaysian fixed line incumbent Telekom Malaysia has released its financial results for the three months ended 30 Se ... http://bit.ly/vRY9X2

Antel to launch LTE in Punta del Este, eyes 700MHz spectrum

Uruguay’s state-owned incumbent telecoms operator Antel plans to launch Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in the ... http://bit.ly/uALshH

Starcomms denies acquisition talks

Nigerian CDMA operator Starcomms has denied speculation that it has entered into talks with another operator on the ... http://bit.ly/rUeEaL

Zain inks USD650 million Iraq network deal with Ericsson

Kuwaiti telecoms firm Zain Group has announced the signing of a USD650 million network outsourcing agreement betwee ... http://bit.ly/vbBGQg

Etisalat to install 1,000 BTS in 2012

The Nigerian unit of UAE-based telecoms operator Etisalat plans to roll out around 1,000 base transceiver stations ... http://bit.ly/s3mH7f

NTT, NTT Com implement 100Gbps and 40Gbps plug-and-play field tests

Japan’s Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NTT) and its subsidiary NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com ... http://bit.ly/rvpg0K

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

China Mobile steps up TD-LTE development

China Mobile will expand its 4G networks in 2012, adding between 10,000 and 20,000 additional base stations, report ... http://bit.ly/t6pPb8

Iran unveils surprise third mobile operator

Iran has officially introduced a third national mobile phone operator, named Ritel, the Tehran Times reports, witho ... http://bit.ly/uBAI0p

FastWeb clinches deal to buy 11.1% of Metroweb

Italian broadband provider FastWeb has confirmed that it has signed an agreement to acquire 11.1% of Milan-base ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSTRuH

Algerie Telecom makes Djibouti call

According to TMT Finance, Algerie Telecom is considering implementing an alliance with fellow state-owned telco ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSn64W

Invitel publishes 9M11 financial results

Invitel, which claims to be the number one alternative and the second largest fixed line telecoms provider and ... http://p.ost.im/p/eAJQeh

Vivo rolls out HSPA+ in Sao Paulo

Brazil’s leading mobile operator by subscribers, Vivo, has launched its first HSPA+ service in metropolitan S ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSnPmn

Bakcell eyes 4G licence

Azerbaijan’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers Bakcell has applied to the Ministry of Communicati ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSnTkb

Globe to upgrade 50% of cell sites next year to support HSPA/LTE

Globe Telecom of the Philippines is looking to upgrade half of its existing cell sites with fibre next year, to ... http://p.ost.im/p/eS3CuT

Regulator reports steady rise in broadband subs

According to preliminary data from Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT), the number of broad ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSTmap

Operators call on PM to intervene in 3G roaming issue

The top executives of three of India’s larger mobile network operators have reportedly called on the prime minste ... http://bit.ly/tyeWRV

TdC minority shareholders okay acquisition plan

Minority shareholders in Malaysia’s TIME dotCom (TdC) have reportedly approved the telco’s proposed acquisition ... http://bit.ly/sXvt0b

KCC approves KT’s 2G switch-off plan

With South Korea’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, KT Corp, having resubmitted a request for appro ... http://bit.ly/ueNZzI

We don’t need Vodafone to stay afloat, says Wind CEO

Greek mobile, broadband and fixed line operator Wind Hellas will survive regardless of whether a proposed merger wi ... http://bit.ly/w14L40

TM signs up 200,000 UniFi customers ahead of schedule

Telekom Malaysia (TM) has revealed that it has surpassed the 200,000 subscriber target it had previously set for en ... http://bit.ly/sz3pxy

Aero’s WiMAX bubble burst?

Ukrainian telecoms watchdog the National Commission on Communications Regulation (NCCR) has permitted WiMAX license ... http://bit.ly/tquQPh

Virgin expands LatAm MVNO footprint

Virgin Mobile Latin America (VMLA) has received permission to launch services as a mobile virtual network operator ... http://bit.ly/t0tPq2

FCC demands full hearing over AT, T-Mobile deal

US mobile giant ATT’s ongoing attempt to secure a USD39 billion deal for T-Mobile USA has been dealt a significan ... http://bit.ly/u3HOAv

U:fon files for insolvency but keeps trading

IHNED.cz reports that the Czech Republic’s fourth mobile network operator MobilKom (U:fon) has filed a petition t ... http://bit.ly/u8HwLI

Early Xmas cheer as Free Mobile hits coverage target

French newspaper Le Figaro reports that mobile start-up Free Mobile has already deployed its new network to 27% of ... http://bit.ly/uLgc69

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Vodacom taps Huawei for USD16 million network upgrade

Vodacom Mozambique (VM), the country’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has confirmed that it inten ... http://bit.ly/smdr6Q

PTK head resigns amidst corruption scandal

The chief executive of Kosovan fixed line provider, Post and Telecommunications Kosovo (PTK) has resigned after his ... http://bit.ly/uFBTMW

Telenor upgrades mobile networks in Hungary

CellularNews writes that Telenor Hungary (formerly Pannon) has extended the reach of its HSPA+ 42Mbps (maximum down ... http://bit.ly/s3N0wX

Brazil’s Oi to offer wholesale broadband in eastern Paraguay

Rio de Janeiro-based Telemar Norte Leste (TNL), which trades as Oi, has been authorised to provide wholesale broadb ... http://bit.ly/t6YQhy

Macau residents to get ultra-high speed broadband

Cable & Wireless Communications today published a press release confirming that its business in Macau, CTM, has lau ... http://bit.ly/rA7Lov

AT, AM use each other’s networks to develop multinational corporate services

Mexican telecoms group America Movil (AM) and US counterpart ATT have signed a strategic memorandum of understandin ... http://bit.ly/uWaVk8

NTT Europe extends reach of Tier 1 IP network

NTT Communications’ NTT Europe subsidiary has extended the reach of its parent company’s Tier 1 global IP netwo ... http://bit.ly/rBYSCX

Telstra to expand 100Mbps-capable HFC footprint

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra is expected to move forward with plans to upgrade its hybrid-fibre coaxial ... http://bit.ly/spiUk5

Denmark consults on digital dividend auction

The Danish Telecommunications Authority has launched a public consultation on draft documents for the auction of sp ... http://bit.ly/vgD4Bo

Revised LTE tender deters Chinese vendors, some local ISPs

A number of telecoms equipment vendors and internet service providers have opted not to pursue their previously-exp ... http://bit.ly/s185XZ

BTC sees profit drop as expenses mount and revenues fall

Bulgarian triple-play provider, Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) has unveiled its financial results for t ... http://bit.ly/unMsMj

MTS 3Q11 revenues up 12.5%

Moscow-based telecoms giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has reported revenues of USD3.275 billion for the three months ... http://bit.ly/t7Qyun

Monday, November 21, 2011

Wind turns nose up at 700MHz auction

Canadian mobile operator Globalive Wireless (Wind Mobile) is unlikely to enter the country’s upcoming auction of ... http://bit.ly/sPcDBk

Viva Bahrain completes nationwide DC-HSPA+ rollout

Viva Bahrain, a unit of Saudi Telecom Company (STC), has announced the completion of its nationwide rollout of 42Mb ... http://bit.ly/uuseIO

Vodafone-Wind merger will happen, thinks OTE

Dow Jones Newswires quotes the CEO of Greek incumbent telco Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), the own ... http://bit.ly/uOSX8n

Huawei and Bakrie conduct CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B phase II trial

Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies and Indonesian wireless operator Bakrie Telecom, which offers CDMA-based service ... http://bit.ly/t5EsCO

Telefonica hopes Moviltalk pushes customers’ buttons

Movistar Venezuela, a subsidiary of Spain’s Telefonica, has launched a push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) service u ... http://bit.ly/rHoN5i

Claro hints at consortium plan to bid for 1800MHz spectrum

Brazilian mobile operator Telecom Americas (Claro) has confirmed that, working with fellow America Movil sister com ... http://bit.ly/ryRIeS

ACE submarine cable lands in Abidjan

The USD700 million Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable has landed in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, two weeks a ... http://bit.ly/u1yQ15

Cooperation on EUROPA Cyprus-Lebanon cable confirmed

Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) and Lebanon’s Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) have confirmed thei ... http://bit.ly/rQdXRR

Government passes telecoms amendments to strengthen IDA’s powers

The parliament of the city-state of Singapore has passed a number of amendments to the country’s Telecommunicatio ... http://bit.ly/u4YiJP

Vodacom Congo sale back on the cards

Congo Wireless Networks (CWN) has withdrawn its petition to block the sale of Vodacom’s 51% stake in its Democrat ... http://bit.ly/rOczX0

Liberty posts widening Q3 losses on higher OPEX

Liberty Telecom, the holding company of Filipino WiMAX operator Wi-tribe Telecoms Inc, has posted a 26.2% rise in n ... http://bit.ly/ulQTDU

Telcel offers lower MTRs to both fixed and mobile rivals

Telcel, the Mexican wireless subsidiary of Latin American telecoms giant America Movil (AM), has reportedly agreed ... http://bit.ly/tfdtmM

Eircom extends restructuring deadline

The independent directors of struggling Irish former monopoly operator Eircom have extended the deadline for propos ... http://bit.ly/vUHpNR

NT installs new equipment to improve ADSL service

Nepal’s state-owned incumbent operator Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (Nepal Telecom, or NT) is deploying broa ... http://bit.ly/rKKIrT

Licensing to be based on quality of service

Uganda’s cellcos have been warned that quality of service (QoS) will, from next year, form the basis of licence r ... http://bit.ly/vFRvxm

Azercell launches 3G services

Azerbaijan’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Azercell, launched 3G services on Friday, just over two week ... http://bit.ly/u8gQKi

Verizon has no objections to AT, T-Mobile merger

US mobile giant Verizon Wireless – the market’s largest wireless operator in terms of subscribers – has broke ... http://bit.ly/vuUh8S

iiNet confirms TransACT acquisition

Alternative Australian broadband provider iiNet has confirmed the purchase of rival operator TransACT, less than a ... http://bit.ly/tuBnMl

Virgin Mexican MVNO launch approved

Virgin Mobile Latin America (VMLA) has reportedly been given the nod by Mexico’s Secretario de Comunicaciones y T ... http://bit.ly/sj4PiG

Friday, November 18, 2011

Changing roams; Entel splashes out on makeover for cell towers

Entel Chile will spend USD45 million to improve the appearance of 400 of its towers in urban, residential areas ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSHVhy

Jamii spreads FTTH to Nairobi suburb

Kenyan broadband provider Jamii Telecom Ltd (JTL) has confirmed that it has launched its first fibre-to-the-home (F ... http://bit.ly/szaRUB

Claro upgrades to HSPA+

Mexican-backed cellco Claro has launched an HSPA+ network in Peru, reports Next Wireless LATAM. The company has ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSCquP

TDC may boost mobile investment to stay on top

Henrik Poulsen, the chief executive of Denmark’s incumbent telecoms operator TDC, has said the company may ha ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSQvmQ

KPN sees value in German consolidation

The CEO of Dutch telecoms company KPN has said that a merger between its German subsidiary E-Plus with Telefoni ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSymQW

New telecoms policy expected in January

India’s telecoms secretary R Chandrasekhar has told reporters that the country’s new telecoms policy should ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSBe2W

RACSA reduces FTTH plans after losing partner

Plans for state-owned Radiografica Costarricense (RACSA) to roll out fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSCxQa

KPN rumoured to be looking for buyers for Simyo Spain

Following initial local media reports, an unnamed source has confirmed to Reuters that KPN is in talks with prospec ... http://bit.ly/rBi8Vy

Indosat maintains 2012 CAPEX level at USD721m

Indonesian telecoms operator PT Indosat will keep its capital expenditure level for fiscal 2012 at around IDR6.5 tr ... http://bit.ly/vFXd6A

House of Representatives seeks to cage Chinese telecoms ‘gorilla’

A key US House of Representatives committee has confirmed that it has launched an official investigation into the n ... http://bit.ly/unin2b

Digicel Bermuda throws down gauntlet with BMD25 internet offer

Digicel Bermuda has announced the launch of a new fixed broadband service priced from BMD25 (USD25) per month for a ... http://bit.ly/vuWXvf

Vodafone Hungary sets Spring 2012 deadline for network renovation

Vodafone Group’s Hungarian mobile subsidiary has said it will complete the renovation of its entire national netw ... http://bit.ly/sYkIuZ

Zamtel sale to LAP Green Networks may be reversed

Zambia’s president, Michael Sata, announced yesterday that the sale of Zamtel to LAP Green Networks of Libya may ... http://bit.ly/s1A3A9

DoCoMo to up PLDT stake by buying JG Summit shares

Japanese mobile group NTT DoCoMo is looking to pay around PHP11.41 billion (USD263 million) to acquire 4.56 million ... http://bit.ly/tt8mPD

Orange to host MVNO Ortel Mobile on its French network

France Telecom-Orange today announced it has signed a partnership with Ortel Mobile to host the MVNO on its mobile ... http://bit.ly/vyEZ6n

Elisa to expand LTE network to 100 cities by the end of the year

Finnish service provider Elisa has revealed that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network will be available in 100 cit ... http://bit.ly/shkVli

LTE voice stop-gap: ZTE and CSL demonstrate Circuit Switched Fallback

ZTE Corporation and Hong Kong mobile network operator CSL have successfully demonstrated a solution to provide voic ... http://bit.ly/ujktHa

Tele2 ‘on acquisition trail’ in central Asia

Swedish telecoms group Tele2, having come to the end of a phase of divestments, is once again on the lookout for ac ... http://bit.ly/vlJPwV

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Rostelecom ramps up Volga broadband investment plan

Russian national operator Rostelecom plans to increase its investments in the Volga Federal District by 33% in 2012 ... http://bit.ly/uRNfu5

NBTC hints at potential changes to foreign ownership regulations

Thailand’s newly formed telecoms regulator, the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has ... http://bit.ly/t6oCql

MCIT plans to license first three MVNOs in 2012

Saudi Arabian communications minister Muhammad Jameel Mulla has announced that the Ministry of Communications and I ... http://bit.ly/vofVbf

DoCoMo to invest USD11bn in 4G, LTE smartphones

Japan’s NTT DoCoMo will invest a total of JPY880 billion (USD11 billion) in the rollout of Long Term Evolution (L ... http://bit.ly/v48dj0

CRC establishes forum for NGN deployment

Colombia’s telecoms watchdog, the Comision de Regulacion de Comunicaciones (CRC) has formed an industrial gro ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBWF2h

Openreach set for commercial PIA launch as product trials prove successful

Openreach, the network arm of UK fixed line incumbent BT, and Japan’s Fujitsu have announced that ‘strong progr ... http://bit.ly/tN7tc9

ArmenTel to offer customers ‘alternative’ fixed line tariffs from next year

ARKA News Agency reports that Armenian incumbent fixed line operator ArmenTel will offer its subscribers ‘new alt ... http://bit.ly/u9uLZF

U-Com Burundi secures USD25m loan for network expansion

U-Com Burundi, formerly Telecel-Burundi but now offering services under the brand name leo, has secured a USD25 mil ... http://bit.ly/vKhD9U

Minister announces telecoms ‘revamp’

Ghana’s minister of communications Haruna Iddrisu has reportedly announced policy initiatives designed to revamp ... http://bit.ly/vlxY56

Cox Communications abandons wireless unit after just one year

Cox Communications, the third largest cable broadband operator in the United States, has announced that it disconti ... http://bit.ly/thyEZi

AT Puerto Rico beats local competitor in race to launch LTE

US cellular giant ATT has revealed that it will launch commercial 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband ser ... http://bit.ly/vEYsiR

PLDT begins construction work on ASE submarine project

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has begun work on the construction of its portion of the new Asia ... http://bit.ly/t2emot

MTS opts out of buying state’s 51% stake in MTS Belarus

Dow Jones Newswires reports that Russian mobile group Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has decided not to purchase the 51% ... http://bit.ly/vNxSTU

Going for a no Glo everybody: start-up postpones launch

Ghanaian start-up Globacom has postponed today’s scheduled launch of its Glo Mobile service, citing ‘logistical ... http://bit.ly/u1q7lE

Mexican judge orders cancellation of Nextel’s 1700MHZ licence

A Mexican judge has reportedly ordered the Secretario de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) to revoke the mobile co ... http://bit.ly/sNUWZh

Tata, Nawras launch TGN-Gulf cable system

India’s Tata Communications and Omani telecoms operator Nawras have announced the launch of the Tata Global Netwo ... http://bit.ly/uMAjLx

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

ZTE keen to snag Safaricom fibre deal

Chinese telecoms equipment vendor ZTE is one of a number of international firms to have expressed an interest i ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBpgC6

Strong demand for LTE prompts SKT to push up rollout plans

South Korea’s largest mobile network operator in terms of subscribers, SK Telecom (SKT), has said that it has wit ... http://bit.ly/v6bdeQ

CRTC’s new usage-based wholesale ISP billing model is based on capacity not volume

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has reached a decision to impose a new whole ... http://bit.ly/sbI1dq

AR Telecom abandons residential sector

Lisbon-based fixed line operator AR Telecom has confirmed that it intends to exit the residential sector by the ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSdqcA

Denis O’Brien’s Digicel ends Eircom interest

Reuters reports that Jamaica-registered Digicel Group, the regional mobile phone company run by Irish billionaire D ... http://bit.ly/t73thR

BTC passes 4G milestone

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the Bahamas’ sole provider of wireless services, has reported that ... http://bit.ly/uDSR9P

GVT 9M11 revenues jump 47%, driven by broadband sales

Brazilian telecoms operator Global Village Telecom (GVT), owned by French conglomerate Vivendi, booked revenues of ... http://bit.ly/voVif3

SFR 9M revenues down on VAT and MTR cuts

Vivendi-backed French fixed and mobile operator Societe Francaise du Radiotelephone (SFR) said a new VAT legal stan ... http://bit.ly/vAL3uj

Bouygues Telecom reports 3% rise in 9M sales

French fixed and mobile operator Bouygues Telecom has reported a 3% annualised rise in revenue for the first nine m ... http://bit.ly/unf00V

Digiweb to upgrade network backbone with BTI solution

Dublin-based alternative operator Digiweb has selected BTI Systems to replace its network backbone with a multi-ser ... http://bit.ly/rz3MqP

PLDT to deploy Cisco routers as core component of its IP NGN

The Philippines’ leading telco by subscribers and revenues, Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), has picked ... http://bit.ly/rLzOcK

PCCW launches IPO

Quadruple-play operator PCCW has today launched a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) of shares in its core tel ... http://bit.ly/s7dFTX

TI launches 100Mbps fibre offer; secures Milanese Metroweb deal with F2i

Telecom Italia (TI) has reportedly introduced fibre-based download speeds of 100Mbps in selected areas of Milan, Ro ... http://bit.ly/t6CEw5

USD410m rural broadband fund announced by USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has pledged funding worth USD410.7 million for a total of 28 rur ... http://bit.ly/uEkJDy

Mobile broadband users up 32.5% year-on-year, total cellular users down by 1.7%

Venezuelan telecoms regulator Conatel reports that there were 28.64 million mobile telephony subscribers in the cou ... http://bit.ly/uoJhV9

Hutchison to launch LTE in Vienna on 18 November

Hutchison 3G Austria (H3G) has confirmed that it will launch its long-awaited Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in ... http://bit.ly/w3nabf

Qtel ups StarHub stake

Reuters reports that Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has purchased shares equivalent to a further 7.45% of StarHub, Singapore' ... http://bit.ly/u83JRI

BT inaugurates commercial FTTH offering

The UK’s fixed line incumbent BT has announced the launch of what it says is its ‘fastest-ever’ broadband, un ... http://bit.ly/szDT0i

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Minnows attempt to void Tele2 licences

Two Russian regional mobile operators – Strimton and Geocom – have filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration ... http://bit.ly/rXWV4v

Cellular duo formally awarded 3G licences

Mozambican mobile operators mCel and Vodacom Mozambique (VM) have been formally issued with national 3G licence ext ... http://bit.ly/tgRV0J

NZ media chews the fat on ‘Skinny’ rumours

According to the National Business Review (NBR), Telecom New Zealand is poised to launch its long-rumoured, no- ... http://p.ost.im/p/eB3cu2

National holding company to manage seized assets

Tunisiana and Orange Tunisia are to be partly controlled by a national holding company set up by the Tunisian g ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBnx8f

ZTE installs iVAS for Vodacom DRC

Chinese vendor ZTE has announced that it has installed an integrated value added platform solution (iVAS) in Ki ... http://p.ost.im/p/eSLc4m

Bouygues Telecom picks Alca-Lu for IP upgrade

French fixed and mobile operator Bouygues Telecom has selected Paris-based equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent to fa ... http://p.ost.im/p/eB7TxQ

O2 unveils LTE pilot plans for London

British mobile network operator O2 UK has announced the launch of what it claims are the first trials of Long Term ... http://bit.ly/tPiITG

HTC against Viettel’s proposed acquisition of EVN Telecom

Hanoi Telecom Company (HTC) has submitted a letter to the Competition Administration Department within Vietna ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBTkrd

Cableco Blizoo announces USD4.8m network investment

Macedonian cable operator Blizoo, which was formed through the amalgamation of regional players CableTEL and Euroco ... http://bit.ly/vpskc6

Golan picks NSN for network rollout

Golan Telecom, which finally emerged as one of the two winners of an Israeli 3G concession in August 2011 after a n ... http://bit.ly/uZaqLZ

Indosat holds talks with Tower Bersama over USD500m sale plan

Indonesia’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, PT Indosat, is reportedly in exclusive talks with Towe ... http://bit.ly/sJpqps

Kabel Deutschland 6M revenue up 5.6% on rising RGUs

German cable operator Kabel Deutschland has announced it generated revenue of EUR830.1 million (USD1.1 billion) in ... http://bit.ly/t9KHbo

Electrosul inks deal with Telebras to expand PNBL provisioning

Power utility Electrosul, part of the Brazilian state-run holding group Eletrobras, has inked a deal with Telebras ... http://bit.ly/t6R4bA

CAT’s full HSPA launch delayed

Due to Thailand’s widespread flooding, state-run CAT Telecom has delayed plans to launch full commercial packages ... http://bit.ly/tLBQoO

Iliad (Free) reports 5% rise in Q3 sales

French alternative broadband, TV and telephony provider Iliad (Free) says revenue for the three months to 30 Septem ... http://bit.ly/tIhpYd

France Telecom-Orange, SFR strike agreement to roll out fibre to less densely populated areas

France Telecom-Orange has announced an agreement with fellow operator SFR to deploy optical fibre technology coveri ... http://bit.ly/t46Gen

AM boosts Telmex stake to almost 93%

Latin American telecoms giant America Movil (AM) has reportedly revealed that, on the back of preliminary results o ... http://bit.ly/sXK14K

Govt resumes Djezzy talks with Vimpelcom

Algiers is in the midst of renewed talks with Vimpelcom aimed at resolving the future ownership of lucrative mobile ... http://bit.ly/uo8VkS

Three cellcos pay EUR380.5m for 900MHz, 1800MHz frequencies

Greece’s National Telecommunications & Post Commission (EETT) yesterday completed the auction of mobile operating ... http://bit.ly/saNQUB

On-Net VPN availability shows room for improvement

According to data from TeleGeography’s Global Enterprise Networks research service, there is a significant differ ... http://bit.ly/vhdLtq

Monday, November 14, 2011

True Corp’s net loss due to financial costs

Thai quadruple-play operator True Corp (including True Move) has reported a year-on-year swing to a net loss of THB ... http://bit.ly/u5nAJf

OFTA invites bids for 2.3GHz wireless broadband licences

Hong Kong’s Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has invited interested parties to participate in th ... http://bit.ly/sBsa85

Orange subsidiary Yesss! launches smoking hot MVNO with Tobaccoland

PrepaidMVNO.com has reported that Orange Austria’s budget-priced offshoot Yesss! has teamed up with national ... http://p.ost.im/p/eB9rxf

Telekom Austria Group Q3 revenues drop 6.2%; net income grows 32.5%

Telekom Austria has reported group revenues of EUR1.111 billion (USD1.528 billion) for the three months ended 3 ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBQv95

Uganda’s cellcos fail to meet QoS requirements

Uganda’s wireless operators are all failing to meet minimum quality of service (QoS) requirements, according ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBrnA8

Net profit slumps for OTH in 3Q11 after significant gains in year-ago period

Egypt’s Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) has unveiled its financial results for the three months ended 30 Septem ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBx3Tk

Du given green light to market HSPA+ service as 4G

The UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has lifted a restriction on the country’s second na ... http://p.ost.im/p/eB6pPG

Omantel posts 25% rise in Q3 net profit

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has announced it generated total group revenue of OMR109.9 million (U ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBrchq

Vimpelcom Q3 revenues increase 116%; consolidated customers pass 200 million

Russian telecoms group Vimpelcom has announced revenues of USD6.093 billion for the three months ended 30 September ... http://bit.ly/vf7XmN

Telia’s LTE reaches 161 cities

TeliaSonera Sweden (Telia) has announced that its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services now cover ... http://bit.ly/vVlTFL

Liquid lights first phase of Zambian fibre network

London-headquartered Liquid Telecom, backed by Zimbabwean-owned Econet Wireless, has completed the first phase of a ... http://bit.ly/tbNv8I

TOT opts for 3G trial while flooding persists

State-run telco TOT, faced with continuing delays to its nationwide 2100MHz 3G mobile expansion programme caused by ... http://bit.ly/sdoKEO

150,000 islanders say 'Wi Not'

The Barbados Nation reports that over 150,000 Barbadians are currently accessing free Wi-Fi internet around the isl ... http://bit.ly/sMqeuI

Hungarian broadband connections pass two-million mark in Q3

Latest data published by the Hungarian telecoms regulator, National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), ... http://bit.ly/sxKRjE

NBN Co inks rollout deal for South Australia and Northern Territory with Syntheo

NBN Co, the public-private company set up to oversee the construction and management of Australia’s National Broa ... http://bit.ly/vkrFsw

Swisscom resolves fibre contract trouble for Basel

Swiss incumbent Swisscom has announced that it is in a position to begin the development of Basel’s fibre-optic n ... http://bit.ly/tes5h8

eAccess kicks off LTE trial

Japanese telecoms group eAccess, which offers cellular services via its eMobile brand, has launched a trial of four ... http://bit.ly/rJrq3Q

Friday, November 11, 2011

Unicom and Alca-Lu ink fibre deal

China Unicom and French-US vendor Alcatel-Lucent have unveiled plans to expand the Chinese telco’s fibre-opti ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBS6xa

Swisscom profits decline as data prices fall

Price erosion in its domestic market has seen the net revenue of Switzerland’s incumbent telco, Swisscom, decline ... http://bit.ly/uuUMyI

Slovak Telekom’s sales, profits slip in 9M11

Slovak Telekom has reported a 5% year-on-year drop in revenues to EUR667 million (USD905 million) in the first ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBrshs

Versatel Q3 revenue slips 15% y-o-y

German fixed network operator Versatel Communications has reported its revenue for the three-month period ended ... http://p.ost.im/p/eB5KVr

UOL says net profit dipped in Q3, even as revenues climbed 52%

Universo Online (UOL), a leading internet services provider (ISP) in Brazil, said revenues for the three months to ... http://bit.ly/thHAl1

freenet improves guidance for FY 2011

German mobile service provider freenet has reported group revenues of EUR2.375 billion (USD3.2 billion) in the ... http://p.ost.im/p/eBMbEd

Kabel BW posts 11% rise in 9M revenue

German cable operator Kabel BW has announced it generated revenue of EUR456.4 million (USD619 million) in the first ... http://bit.ly/uJQX7n

Safaricom six-month revenues up 5.3%; EBITDA, profit slump badly

Safaricom, Kenya’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, has reported revenues of KES49.63 billion (USD511 mill ... http://bit.ly/rqlBq3