Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Lycamobile launches pre-paid mobile services in Germany

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Lycamobile has announced the successful launch of pay-as-you-go wireless ser ... http://bit.ly/w2hO4H

Zon shareholders agree to alter voting rights; is Sonaecom merger back on the table?

Shareholders of Portuguese cableco Zon Multimedia have voted their approval of a plan to lift voting rights beyond ... http://bit.ly/zaXk6i

MTN brought into Vodacom discussions; consultant awarded USD21 million by Kinshasa court

South Africa’s MTN Group is reportedly investigating options relating to the future of Vodacom’s Congolese oper ... http://bit.ly/yeNUjp

Verizon extends ‘Private IP’ service to Africa, Middle East

US giant Verizon Communications has announced that it has expanded its global enterprise network platform, enabling ... http://bit.ly/xxCnhn

China Telecom to launch CDMA-compatible iPhone

China Telecom, China’s smallest wireless operator by subscribers, will launch a CDMA-compatible version of Appl ... http://bit.ly/yHHFFx

Qatar makes direct approach for Oger Telecom

The State of Qatar has approached Dubai-based Saudi Oger with a view to acquiring a 55% stake in its UAE-based hold ... http://bit.ly/wAhhPC

Magyar mobile frequency auction raises USD197m

Dow Jones Newswires reports that the Hungarian government has raised a total of HUF43.9 billion (USD197 million) fr ... http://bit.ly/whHWOl

VNPT to merge MobiFone with overseas investment unit

State-owned national PTO Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) will merge its VNPT Global unit and its wholly ... http://bit.ly/yN7sE2

Court reinstates Econet’s 5% stake in Airtel Nigeria; Bharti to appeal

Bharti Airtel has said it will appeal a decision by the Federal High Court of Nigeria to reinstate Econet Wireles ... http://bit.ly/AqVmKl

LG Uplus outlines plans for increased LTE investment

LG Uplus, South Korea’s smallest mobile network operator in terms of subscribers, has reportedly said that it pla ... http://bit.ly/xgBjph

Nawras net profit hit by higher depreciation, amortisation charges

In a statement to the Muscat Securities Market, Oman’s second national telecoms operator Nawras Telecom has annou ... http://bit.ly/xkqriq

Status quo encore in Ecuador

Ecuadorian regulator Supertel reports that the country's mobile operators reached 15.8 million telephony subscriber ... http://bit.ly/yadK9q

LTE: Rogers rollout rolls on

Rogers Communications has notified its customers that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network is now availab ... http://bit.ly/z2PJgn

TNL (Oi) secures funding to complete mobile data network expansion

Unconfirmed reports in The Financial business journal say that KfW IPEX-Bank and Nordea bank have agreed a deal wit ... http://bit.ly/zLqsEi

BTC unveils Metro Ethernet network in Hamilton

Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC) has officially unveiled a Cisco-based fibre-optic Metro Ethernet network in the cit ... http://bit.ly/ylBUsd

eAccess completes tests of 300Mbps ultra-high speed data service

Japan’s eAccess has announced that it has successfully completed specification testing for Long Term Evolution (L ... http://bit.ly/vZXTrW

Mexico to push broadband via fibre auctions

The Mexican government aims to promote high speed internet adoption in part by the sale of concessions which will a ... http://bit.ly/xfx7uF

Telecom Commission approves 2G spectrum sharing only

India’s Telecom Commission, the apex decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has repo ... http://bit.ly/xC2lgO

Monday, January 30, 2012

yu adds 700,000 subscribers following ‘free calls’ tariff

Essar Telecom Kenya, which operates under the ‘yu’ brand name, reportedly gained more than 700,000 subscribers ... http://bit.ly/yaY74r

Rostelecom granted FAS approval to ‘Enter’ Siberia

Rostelecom has been granted permission by Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to acquire a 100% stake in ... http://bit.ly/Ar9JsC

‘Big Three’ allow mobile customers to make cross-network payments

Russia’s self-styled ‘Big Three’ wireless operators – Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Vimpelcom and MegaFon – h ... http://bit.ly/zYqLIA

No dividends from Germans once again for Slovakia

The Slovak Spectator reports that Deutsche Telekom has decided once again to withhold dividends from the Slovakian ... http://bit.ly/zokt7e

CRTC implements capacity-based ISP billing

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) confirms that the new wholesale rates for in ... http://bit.ly/zcR4sf

Ukraine launching first telecoms satellite

Ukraine will launch its first telecoms satellite in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the head of its space ... http://bit.ly/wVfO58

Tale of two segments: mobile voice up 65%, fixed down nearly 10%

Morocco’s Agence Nationale de Reglementation de Telecom (ANRT) reports that the country had 36.554 million mobile ... http://bit.ly/wsZo57

Tigo losing ground to Vodafone in Ghana

The National Communication Authority (NCA) of Ghana has published its market update for the end of December 2011, s ... http://bit.ly/znSCk1

Vodafone interested in cable network deal

German fixed and mobile network operator Vodafone Germany is looking to sign a network access partnership deal with ... http://bit.ly/yTKYKi

Arcep to check Free’s mobile network after rivals call foul

The French telecoms watchdog Arcep is launching an inspection of market newcomer Free Mobile’s infrastructure aft ... http://bit.ly/xx2Ngw

Movistar to bolster FTTH rollout

Spanish fixed line incumbent Telefonica de Espana, which offers it services under the Movistar banner, has revealed ... http://bit.ly/zpLWq8

NTA reports strong rise in telecoms users in Nepal

Figures published by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) show that the country was home to 15.034 million ... http://bit.ly/zieVq0

Carlos Slim’s America Movil secures control of Net

Mexico-based pan-regional operator America Movil (AM), owned by the tycoon Carlos Slim, last Friday confirmed it ha ... http://bit.ly/xF0XNp

Globe signs USD90m loan with China Bank to fund 2012 CAPEX

Globe Telecom of the Philippines has signed a ten-year USD90 million floating rate term loan facility with China Ba ... http://bit.ly/yBXg0O

Golan Telecom in negotiations for further site-sharing deals

Israel’s Golan Telecom, despite already having a roaming and site-sharing agreement with the market’s largest c ... http://bit.ly/wCpIN7

UCC to discuss network failings with telecom chiefs

The Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) will meet with representatives from the nation’s telecoms operators to ... http://bit.ly/wABqBC

Friday, January 27, 2012

Sercomtel targets DTH pay-TV launch by August

Brazilian regional telecoms operator Sercomtel hopes to use satellite DTH technology to launch its first pay-TV ser ... http://bit.ly/A5ruH3

PLDT, Meralco consider new equipment supplier for BPL project

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Filipino power utility Manila Electric Company (Meralco) are ... http://bit.ly/yoxmL1

Cogeco reports fiscal Q1 results

Canadian triple-play cable operator Cogeco Cable has reported its financial and operating results for its fiscal fi ... http://bit.ly/xboOPS

Bureaucracy and red tape stifling Nepal’s rural telecom development

The Himalayan Times reports that despite an increase in the number of telecoms providers contributing to Nepal’s ... http://bit.ly/xBvRLY

DoCoMo’s Q3 net profit slumps 29%; plans JPY160bn spend by 2015 to strengthen network

NTT DoCoMo today released its preliminary financial results for its fiscal third quarter to 31 December 2011, showi ... http://bit.ly/zsZtze

Aloha! Verizon confirms 2011 Hawaii investment

Verizon Wireless has announced that it invested more than USD41 million in Hawaii during 2011, providing new wirele ... http://bit.ly/wcr9Vw

RACSA looking into Cablevision tie-up

State-owned internet service provider (ISP) Radiografica Costarricense (RACSA) is involved in negotiations to purch ... http://bit.ly/A52rla

Internode reveals new fibre broadband tariff range

Australian alternative broadband operator Internode has announced the introduction of a number of new fibre-to-the- ... http://bit.ly/ybIaQt

New tax to hit Zain Sudan earnings in 2012

A new tax on telecoms operators introduced by the Sudanese government to make up for the loss of oil revenue from t ... http://bit.ly/yyepT5

Zesco rolling out broadband-capable fibre in Western Province

The Zambia Electricity Supply Company (Zesco) has reportedly begun the installation of a fibre-optic network in the ... http://bit.ly/zVYsHZ

Candid Mobily admits to LTE spectrum shortfall

Saudi Arabian telco Etihad Etisalat, which operates under the ‘Mobily’ brand name, has admitted that it lacks s ... http://bit.ly/AqGqcu

AT posts USD6.7bn loss on T-Mobile deal; 4Q sales up 3.6% to USD32.5bn

US telco ATT has reported consolidated revenues of USD32.5 billion for the three months ended 31 December 2011, a r ... http://bit.ly/zaF8ET

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Objection to Claro’s IPTV licence enters court

Puerto Rican triple-play cable network operators OneLink Communications and Choice Cable have brought a legal case ... http://bit.ly/Amrjyn

Clearwire poaches MVNE Simplexity from LightSquared

US WiMAX operator Clearwire has announced that mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE) Simplexity will resell its ser ... http://bit.ly/xx34wg

Allstream’s fibre reaches 2,388 buildings

Allstream, the national carrier division of Manitoba-based telco MTS Allstream, has reported its recent progress in ... http://bit.ly/xXFn2D

Anatel orders 10.78% cut in tariffs, starting 24 February

Brazil’s national regulator Anatel has ordered local telecoms operators to reduce tariffs by 10.78% starting from ... http://bit.ly/wuGhf6

ANCOM, MapN initiate public consultation regarding 800MHz, 1.8GHz and 2.6GHz frequency bands

Romanian telecoms regulator the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) and the ... http://bit.ly/wdqB3z

Omantel unveils unified brand for fixed, mobile ops

Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) has unveiled a new common brand for its fixed and wireless communication ... http://bit.ly/wHxUf4

Visafone invests in upgrade, expansion of data networks

To cope with surging demand for data services, Nigerian CDMA operator Visafone Communications plans to spend ‘bil ... http://bit.ly/zq75zo

Multimedia Polska reaps rewards of multi-play success

Polish cableco Multimedia Polska (MP) ended 2011 with over 400,000 broadband subscribers, and 195,000 pay-TV custom ... http://bit.ly/zeb6ZX

Cofeco reported to have nixed Televisa/Iusacell tie-up

Mexico’s antitrust authority, the Comision Federal de Competencia (Cofeco), is reported to have rejected the prop ... http://bit.ly/vZf8uX

Liberty’s German cablecos to retain individual brands, for now

German cable operators Unitymedia and Kabel BW, which are both owned by US company Liberty Global, will retain thei ... http://bit.ly/vZoB9N

State cellco splashes out

The wireless arm of state-owned telco Uzbektelecom, Uzmobile, will add 89 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A base transceiver s ... http://bit.ly/yzffpt

Telekom Austria: USD390m impairment charge in Belarus will impact ‘significantly’ on 2011 income

Former state monopoly Telekom Austria says a USD390 million impairment charge in Belarus – where it owns the coun ... http://bit.ly/yOauOD

Bakrie Brothers leading push to sell 30% stake in Bakrie Telecom

Dow Jones Newswires writes that Indonesian telecommunications, infrastructure, property and oil conglomerate, PT Ba ... http://bit.ly/x2LnRX

Orange’s Armenian investment tops EUR250m; plans new services for 2012

France Telecom-Orange has invested EUR250 million (USD325 million) in its Orange Armenia subsidiary since its comme ... http://bit.ly/w6LCd1

GNC-ALFA adds four more cities to Armenian footprint

Armenian alternative telecoms service provider GNC-ALFA has announced the extension of its countrywide 10Gbps bandw ... http://bit.ly/zQMrfP

Econet Wireless launches VoIP

Zimbabwe’s largest cellco and wireless internet provider Econet Wireless today launched voice-over-internet proto ... http://bit.ly/zJuZjG

Ultra-high speed connections reach 100,000, paper says

A report in Singapore newspaper The Straits Times says that the number of people subscribing to the city-state’s ... http://bit.ly/z9utGP

Cornish LTE trial extended by Everything Everywhere, BT Wholesale

Everything Everywhere, the joint venture between British mobile network operators T-Mobile UK and Orange UK, has an ... http://bit.ly/A3Pyo7

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Orange Armenia launches DC-HSPA+ network in three cities

France Telecom-Orange’s Armenian mobile unit Orange Armenia has announced the commercial launch of 3.5G mobil ... http://p.ost.im/p/emcxbq

ONE losing ground in Macedonia, report says

News portal Slovenska Tiskovna Agencija reports Telekom Slovenije as saying that its fixed and mobile asset in ... http://p.ost.im/p/emwhR9

FT publishes new 2012 reference offers, regulated wholesale tariffs

French behemoth France Telecom-Orange (FT) has cut its full unbundling tariffs from EUR9.00 to EUR8.80 (USD11.70 to ... http://bit.ly/wnwnA3

Bermuda CableVision selects Avail-TVN to provide VOD service

Cable TV and broadband internet provider Bermuda CableVision has migrated its video-on-demand (VOD) service to Avai ... http://bit.ly/AwbcEY

PT Telkom to spend USD150m this year on fibre-optic networks

Indonesia’s largest telecoms operator by subscribers and revenues, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (PT Telkom), plans ... http://bit.ly/zsqkVC

State-backed cellco launches in Equatorial Guinea

A third wireless operator has launched in Equatorial Guinea, joining Orange Guinee Equatoriale (GETESA), and HiTS E ... http://bit.ly/xSnjKC

Alvarion supplies Wavion Wi-Fi solution to Telecel

Israeli wireless broadband solutions provider Alvarion has announced that it is supplying base stations for high sp ... http://bit.ly/y2P4iR

Umniah sets start date for 3G service

Umniah, has announced plans to launch 3G services by September this year, reports the Jordan Times, citing the comp ... http://bit.ly/yCpXPl

Verizon reports highest y-o-y quarterly revenue growth in eleven-year history for 4Q11

US telecoms giant Verizon Communications has reported revenues of USD28.4 billion for the three months ended 31 Dec ... http://bit.ly/AuJMgc

Joint venture inks expansion deal with NSN and Huawei

NetWorkS!, the network sharing joint venture initiated by Orange Poland and T-Mobile Poland has signed agreements w ... http://bit.ly/xHOYYf

Sawiris targets 25% Telekom stake through Pecik partnership

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has said that he is keen to raise his indirect stake in Telekom Austria Group t ... http://bit.ly/zESGT7

Zamtel sale reversed as government retakes control of telco

The Zambian government has reportedly taken control of the country’s monopoly fixed line operator Zambia Telecomm ... http://bit.ly/z5Imjt

USD48m investment to drive 60% rise in True Wi-Fi subscribers

Thailand’s True Corp has announced that it will raise annual investment on its public Wi-Fi wireless broadband ac ... http://bit.ly/xpsnaM

Ukrtelecom reaches 790,000 3G mobile subscribers at year-end

Ukraine’s Ukrtelecom reports that its 3G mobile subscriber base increased in December 2011 by 4.5% or 34,000 user ... http://bit.ly/y6Fvp3

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Batelco’s group subscribers up 20% annually

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has reported its end-of-year results for its operations across seven c ... http://bit.ly/wpNHl3

Econet’s Liquid swallows ISP ZOL

ISP Zimbabwe Online (ZOL) has been acquired by southern African fibre backbone network operator Liquid Telecommunic ... http://bit.ly/Ac7GMo

Ukrtelecom pleased with broadband growth

Ukrainian fixed network operator Ukrtelecom has announced reaching a total of 1.343 million xDSL internet subsc ... http://p.ost.im/p/eujVyY

OUR looking to protect Claro customers

In the wake of Digicel Jamaica’s announcement that it will deactivate the network inherited as a result of its me ... http://bit.ly/yLVa0C

T-Mobile, AT seek FCC permission for frequency transfer

T-Mobile USA and ATT have filed a formal request with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for regulator ... http://p.ost.im/p/eurEdF

Uzbek cellcos outline spending for 2012

Three of Uzbekistan’s cellcos are planning to invest a combined USD118 million in infrastructure and network deve ... http://bit.ly/yrY1PR

US lobbyists seek to persuade MTN to abandon Iran

Prominent Washington lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has said that it is preparing a campaign to per ... http://bit.ly/wrRmIt

MegaFon cleared to acquire regional ISPs

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has reportedly cleared NetByNet, the broadband unit of mobile giant M ... http://bit.ly/ApSVuO

Number portability to be introduced in March

By the end of the first quarter of the year, mobile subscribers in Argentina will be able to retain their number if ... http://bit.ly/y1JjvQ

T-Mobile CR signs up 100,000 DSL subscribers, paper says

Czech operator T-Mobile CR has reportedly signed up more than 100,000 fixed (DSL) broadband internet customers, Tel ... http://bit.ly/yIWLLS

PNBL reaches 692 municipalities

The number of Brazilian municipalities covered by the country’s national fixed broadband plan (Plano Nacional de ... http://bit.ly/wEqJt2

TCRA to announce new telecoms rules soon, paper says

An unconfirmed report in the Tanzania Daily News says that the industry regulator, the Tanzania Communications Regu ... http://bit.ly/xfFcX5

Idea’s net profit drops as 3G investment continues

India’s fourth largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Idea Cellular, has released its financial results ... http://bit.ly/yAE27v

KPN books 63% fall in Q4 profit; lowers outlook, scraps buyback

Dutch incumbent operator KPN Telecom, or Royal KPN as it is also known, has reported a 63% year-on-year decline in ... http://bit.ly/AgGP41

Etisalat DB’s mobile network disrupted after RCOM halts access to its towers

Etisalat DB's mobile network, which spans 15 of India’s telecoms circles, has reportedly been disrupted in the wa ... http://bit.ly/xudX2d

KCom outlines FTTP rollout for Hull and East Yorkshire

KC, the internet service provider (ISP) unit of Hull-based KCom Group, is planning to offer fibre-to-the-premises ( ... http://bit.ly/znqaJN

Monday, January 23, 2012

Parliament reinstates mobile tax

Croatia’s parliament on Friday voted to reinstate a 6% ‘special tax’ on revenues generated by mobile network ... http://bit.ly/woBitu

Croatia begins public debate on LTE

Seenews.com reports that Croatia's telecoms regulator, HAKOM, has initiated a public discussion on changes to the c ... http://bit.ly/AebJaQ

OTE continues sell-offs with satellite business

Greek incumbent telco OTE has decided to sell its satellite division Hellas Sat as part of its attempts to offset r ... http://bit.ly/xMkINZ

Batelco and Ericsson demonstrate LTE HD video services

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has demonstrated high definition (HD) video services over a Long Term ... http://bit.ly/yGE39v

MNP stats reveal no big winners

Following Thailand’s introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) in December 2010, statistics for number port ... http://bit.ly/A1i4sn

Telstra will offer wholesale fibre service in South Brisbane

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra has reportedly agreed to provide open wholesale access to its in-deployment ... http://bit.ly/wvP9sa

Carl Icahn acquires USD300m LightSquared debt; is troubled LTE start-up close to collapse?

Self-styled ‘corporate raider’ Carl Icahn has reportedly purchased USD300 million worth of debt from LightSquar ... http://bit.ly/xjePmp

IP policy to quicken migration from circuit-switched networks

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has introduced a new policy designed to quic ... http://bit.ly/wQy9ar

Anatel launches consultation on 450MHz, 2.5GHz spectrum tenders

The board of Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel has put the finishing touches on the draft of the tenders for spec ... http://bit.ly/yMMOBz

Globe launches major network modernisation as it takes the fight to Smart

Filipino operator Globe Telecom has embarked upon a major network modernisation programme in preparation for the ex ... http://bit.ly/ye5C62

Internet Solutions enlists NTT as it seeks Asian expansion

Internet Solutions (IS), Telkom South Africa’s principal rival in the country’s wholesale broadband market, is ... http://bit.ly/ykKSKC

Kuwait’s HiTS Telecom targets Tanzania/Liberia expansion

Reuters writes that the Kuwaiti communications group HiTS Telecom is holding talks with mobile operators in Liberia ... http://bit.ly/xRUs8j

Vodafone Ireland hits 200,000 fixed line subs milestone

Vodafone Ireland’s fixed line division has signed up its 200,000th customer, three years after entering the Repub ... http://bit.ly/xbDp7u

Operators warned over service cancellation fees

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has asked the UAE’s two telecoms operators Etisalat and Du to s ... http://bit.ly/Ab1942

Free Mobile launch hitting MVNOs hardest, paper says

According to a report in the French newspaper Les Echos, the arrival of new competition in the shape of fourth mobi ... http://bit.ly/xRafai

NCA sets new interconnection rates covering 2012-2014

The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana has announced the setting of new telecoms interconnect termina ... http://bit.ly/xslBvf

On thin ICE; Sutel unhappy with network coverage

Costa Rican telecoms regulator Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (Sutel) has said that the network coverage of ... http://bit.ly/zGG68S

Cuba cuts mobile telephony charges

Mobile telephony services in Cuba are set to become more affordable following an announcement from the island’s M ... http://bit.ly/w3emrb

Qtel fibre broadband goes live

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has announced the commercial launch of its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) high speed broadband servi ... http://bit.ly/yISs7y

Bharti Airtel extends managed services deal with NSN for five years

India’s largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Bharti Airtel, has extended an existing managed services ... http://bit.ly/w0SAHL

Quad-play dawns for Swiss telco

Swiss broadband and wireless provider Sunrise officially launches its IPTV service today, having begun user tests i ... http://bit.ly/yeQtS3

Virgin examining options for next-gen wireless broadband service

UK cableco Virgin Media has reportedly carried out trials of next-generation mobile services using transmitters con ... http://bit.ly/wfYTcE

KT inks LTE rollout deal with NSN

South Korean mobile network operator KT Corp has reportedly selected Finland’s Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) as on ... http://bit.ly/xSp2PU

Telco Pay-TV Subscribers Approaching 100 Million

New data from TeleGeography show that at the end of Q3 2011 telcos worldwide had a total of 94 million pay-TV subsc ... http://bit.ly/AmmQKq

Friday, January 20, 2012

Zamtel Mobile passes the one million subscriber mark ‘in record time’

Zamtel Mobile, the wireless operating arm of national fixed line operator Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited ... http://bit.ly/zUDABu

Mobitel unit poised to acquire half of tycoon’s Rostelecom stake

According to Kommersant, Rostelecom's Mobitel unit is poised to buy more than half of Russian billionaire Suleiman ... http://bit.ly/wjaSto

Telcos reveal 4Q11 results to local bourse

In a series of announcements to the Saudi bourse, the Kingdom’s three mobile operators have announced their respe ... http://bit.ly/x5s8UN

FIPB grants security clearance to Verizon India for stake transfer

India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has reportedly granted security clearance to an application by ... http://bit.ly/yrnHx3

iPhone sales drive 3G for Unicom

China’s second largest cellco by subscribers, China Unicom has released operational information for December 2011 ... http://bit.ly/xQ2Mak

Minister sets two week deadline to solve competition crisis

Jamaica’s ICT minister Phillip Paulwell has announced that over the next two weeks he aims to have found a soluti ... http://bit.ly/yTM9A5

PLDT agrees to pay Digitel minority shareholders PHP600m; raises stake to 98%

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has agreed to pay a total of PHP600 million (USD13.82 million) to ... http://bit.ly/wT01Xj

Glo Mobile Ghana kicks off launch plan with ‘Number Reservation Campaign’

Ghanaian mobile start-up Glo Mobile has kicked off its launch programme by unveiling a ‘Number Reservation Campai ... http://bit.ly/woMEcA

Court rules that Vodafone is not liable for USD2.2bn Indian tax bill

The Associated Press writes that India’s highest court has ruled that UK-based Vodafone Group is not liable to pa ... http://bit.ly/z0dhei

ASSC-1, Huawei Marine Networks team up for Perth to Singapore cable

Private Australian submarine cable developer ASSC-1 Communications Group has announced the development of a new sub ... http://bit.ly/wcJaa7

Qtel eyes partner’s stake in Asiacell

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) is looking to purchase a private equity partner’s share of Iraq’s second largest mobile op ... http://bit.ly/xf3BkR

Vodafone Qatar’s revenues up 39%, swings to positive EBITDA

Vodafone Qatar has announced its financial results for the nine months ended 31 December 2011. Total mobile and fix ... http://bit.ly/yX7T15

Free Mobile said to be signing up 100,000+ new users per day

The French daily Les Echos reports that the number of people clamouring to sign up to the country’s latest market ... http://bit.ly/wfQWfO

Incumbent cellcos awarded frequencies in Hungarian auction, paper says

Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet reports that all three of the country’s incumbent mobile operators – Magyar T ... http://bit.ly/ya25yP

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Verizon LTE network goes live in five new markets

US mobile giant Verizon Wireless has announced that it has extended coverage of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) netwo ... http://bit.ly/Ac57t1

TWM FY11 revenues up 16% to TWD81.37bn

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) has reported consolidated revenues of TWD81.37 billion (USD6.04 billion) for the twelve months ... http://bit.ly/ACLE9j

Southern Cross Cable slashes wholesale prices by 44% after progress by Chinese rivals; Kordia denies management deal

The Southern Cross Cable Network, New Zealand’s only international submarine cable, has confirmed that it has cut ... http://bit.ly/zadaea

H1 Telekom IPTV now nationwide

Croatian alternative telco H1 Telekom has announced that its IPTV service now has nationwide coverage. As from 16 J ... http://bit.ly/zjQk6G

Singapore group sells 6.2% of Shin, meets stock market free float requirement

Cedar Holdings, an affiliate of Singapore’s state-backed investment group Temasek Holdings, has sold a 6.2% stake ... http://bit.ly/xTDe65

Vimpelcom abandons mobile TV project

Russian telecoms company Vimpelcom has sold its 75% stake in regional television operator Dominanta to Albion Partn ... http://bit.ly/xFesj6

Telecom Commission submits recommendations on new telecoms policy

India’s Telecom Commission, the apex decision making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has repo ... http://bit.ly/wiw5Rq

Cellcos extend 3G sharing agreement in Czech Republic

Telefonica O2 Czech Republic and T-Mobile CR have extended the remit of a network sharing agreement signed last yea ... http://bit.ly/yOVmXn

Smart’s 4G upgrade on track for mid-2012 completion

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) yesterday released a statement saying that work to upgrade its mo ... http://bit.ly/A20bBM

AEC releases market update to end-September 2011

On Monday, Macedonia’s telecoms regulator the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC) published its 3Q11 marke ... http://bit.ly/wCcSrF

Airtel Ghana launches HSPA+ service

Ghanaian mobile operator Airtel Ghana has launched a 3.5G HSPA+ service offering maximum download speeds of 21Mbps. ... http://bit.ly/xSEm4k

CTU to auction 4G spectrum, report says

Telecoms regulator the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) has revealed plans to auction 4G frequencies in the co ... http://bit.ly/ArI7j5

EU to assist Jordan with telecom reforms; NBN project resurrected

Jordan has launched a joint programme with the European Union (EU) to improve competition and quality of service in ... http://bit.ly/wKoDVH

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Ministry says CANTV's fixed lines reach 6.3m, 14.8m mobile users with Movilnet

Venezuela’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industries (MPPCTII) has given a presentation announ ... http://bit.ly/xUTQhm

Subtel launches MNP, 1,190 ports in first day

Chile’s telecoms regulator Subsecretaria de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) has announced the launch of mobile number ... http://bit.ly/yOAfQ8

Vodacom deadlock nearing end

A spokesperson for Vodacom has announced that the company is close to resolving a dispute that has prevented major ... http://bit.ly/yMVa0x

ETB merger delayed

The planned merger of state-owned telco Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota (ETB) with energy and water man ... http://p.ost.im/p/ea74Bf

International VoIP licensing by April, says BTRC

Bdnews24.com reports that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will start issuing new lice ... http://bit.ly/zTjJbq

Pecik’s ‘hostile takeover’ of Telekom continues; stake increased to 20.118%

Telekom Austria Group has confirmed that as of 16 January, 15.018% of its shares are now held directly and indirect ... http://bit.ly/xpB7Od

Megacom launches 3G network in Bishkek

Kyrgyz mobile operator Megacom has announced the commercial launch of its third-generation wireless network, offeri ... http://bit.ly/A41aBh

Ethio Telecom drops fixed call rates to boost traffic, subscriber numbers

Ethiopian fixed line incumbent Ethio Telecom has slashed the cost of calls for its fixed line voice customers in re ... http://bit.ly/wGAZcN

Axiata considering acquisition of stake in Indian broadband operator?

Malaysian telecoms group Axiata (formerly TM International) is reportedly in negotiations regarding the possible pu ... http://bit.ly/yOMvke

Hometown glory as Indian firm becomes 37th LightSquared partner

Open-access Long Term Evolution (LTE) start-up LightSquared has confirmed that it has inked a wholesale agreement w ... http://bit.ly/w4HMDm

Vox targets rural subscribers with satellite broadband

According to BusinessDay.co.za, South African broadband provider Vox Telecom plans to launch a ‘low-cost satellit ... http://bit.ly/AtKADK

Kerimov seeks to offload 6% Rostelecom stake

Russian tycoon Suleiman Kerimov is in the process of selling his recently acquired 6% stake in Russian national ope ... http://bit.ly/y5rpNs

Huawei to deploy TD-LTE network for Zoda Fones

Chinese equipment vendor Huawei has announced it has been selected by Nigerian company Megatech Engineering, which ... http://bit.ly/xVRFR9

Ministry says fixed lines reach 6.3m, 14.8m mobile users with Movilnet

Venezuela’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industries (MPPCTII) has given a presentation in whi ... http://bit.ly/AgVJ2D

GBI lands submarine cable in Iraq

Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI) has announced the successful landing of its submarine fibre-optic cable ... http://bit.ly/yD5PJ6

Omnitel boosts 4G network coverage

Omnitel, Lithuania’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced that it has expanded coverage of its L ... http://bit.ly/whrlA5

Clearwire, China Mobile agree TD-LTE interoperability partnership

US WiMAX operator Clearwire has announced that it has entered into an agreement with China Mobile, the world's larg ... http://bit.ly/z0VRYy

PTA confirms 3G auction plans; sale to take place on 29 March

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has finally confirmed the date for the long-delayed auction of third ... http://bit.ly/xymHvm

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Akep launches third 3G auction

Albania’s telecoms watchdog the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (Akep) has invited interested part ... http://bit.ly/wdWWxI

Turkcell interested in Vivacom stake

The sale of fixed line incumbent and triple-play provider Vivacom has attracted interest from Turkey’s largest mo ... http://bit.ly/AhwLm0

Tatung InfoComm set to be stripped of WiMAX licence?

Taiwanese WiMAX operator Tatung InfoComm is reportedly under pressure from the National Communications Commission ( ... http://bit.ly/wUo4ih

H3G ‘days away’ from Orange deal

Hutchison 3G Austria (H3G) is reported to be just days away from finalising an agreement to acquire rival mobil ... http://p.ost.im/p/eabQR5

Turkmen government working to bolster TM-Cell’s network

The Turkmen government continues to examine possible methods for expanding the capacity of the network of what now ... http://bit.ly/xZ8rMe

France Telecom-Orange, Bouygues ink deal on fibre deployment

France Telecom-Orange yesterday published a press release confirming it has entered into a partnership agreement to ... http://bit.ly/yMEZQ9

Aircom finally ready for network launch after twelve-year delay?

According to local media reports, Cote d’Ivoire mobile licensee Aircom is poised to launch commercial services th ... http://bit.ly/z8Bk3N

M1 Limited reports 4.5% rise in 2011 net income

Singaporean fixed and mobile operator M1 Limited (M1) says its net income for FY2011 climbed 4.5% year-on-year to S ... http://bit.ly/wMchIP

NMHH 900MHz auction could raise up to USD134.4m for state coffers

The Budapest Business Journal reports that the government’s auction of mobile frequency spectrum in the 900MHz ba ... http://bit.ly/zEtXxZ

Telcos launch low-latency 10Gbps wavelength service between Japan and Europe

The US operating subsidiary of KDDI Corp, KDDI America, has inked a deal with Russian national operator Rostelecom ... http://bit.ly/A8mLOz

NMHH reports 11.69m Hungarian mobile subscriptions

The Hungarian telecoms watchdog the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) says the total number of ... http://bit.ly/yCx9jK

MTN Liberia fined USD500,00 for network outage

MTN Liberia, formerly Lonestar Communications Corporation, has been fined USD500,000 by the watchdog, the Liberia T ... http://bit.ly/yd4cip

Brazil mobile base tops 242.2m at end-2011, Anatel says

According to the Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel, the country was home to more than 242.2 million mobile SIMs a ... http://bit.ly/zs57fx

Tele2 purchases Eesti Energia’s telecoms subsidiary

Swedish telecoms group Tele2 has today revealed that its Estonian subsidiary, Tele2 Eesti, is to acquire local tele ... http://bit.ly/x42H4f

ACCC faces mounting pressure over Telstra’s SSU

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has reportedly come under further pressure to reject the ... http://bit.ly/wou7Hn

Monday, January 16, 2012

Batelco users go faster upstream

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has announced the launch of what it claims is the fastest consumer bro ... http://bit.ly/Af3yKd

Court dismisses damages appeal against Telekom Slovenije

Seenews.com reports that a local high court has thrown out an appeal filed by Slovenian alternative telco Sinfonika ... http://bit.ly/w0r5TE

Cyta Hellas to launch MVNO, expand VDSL

Cypriot-owned, Greek alternative fixed line telco Cyta Hellas plans to enter the mobile telephony market as a mobil ... http://bit.ly/zlbnFZ

LightSquared at the end of the tunnel? LTE wholesaler urges regulatory rethink

Open-access Long Term Evolution (LTE) start-up LightSquared has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a ... http://bit.ly/x9JTZc

Delayed Airtel 3G network promised by end-March

Airtel Kenya chief operating officer Shivan Bhargava has responded to questions over the year-long delay surroundin ... http://bit.ly/xR9EKq

Nine firms seek IPTV licences

No fewer than nine different telecoms operators have applied for licences to offer IPTV services in Nepal and could ... http://bit.ly/yE8t2J

Softbank markets USD260m of bonds

Japanese telecommunications group Softbank Corp has launched the sale of more than JPY20 billion (USD260 million) w ... http://bit.ly/AANDQz

Bezeq calls on Alca-Lu for FTTP trial equipment

Israeli fixed line incumbent Bezeq has reportedly selected French-US vendor Alcatel-Lucent to implement its trial o ... http://bit.ly/AvGJn0

Attorney General opens investigation into alleged non-payment of taxes by Indosat

The Jakarta Globe reports that the Attorney General's Office is investigating allegations that the country’s ... http://p.ost.im/p/ea3Cwh

DT inks fibre-optic network deal with NetCologne

Following the signing of a network cooperation deal with Telefonica Germany (O2) last week, Deutsche Telekom (DT) h ... http://bit.ly/AryDgk

Lidl becomes latest Hungarian MVNO

Hungary’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market is welcoming its latest player with the news that German ... http://bit.ly/xIpeiy

Eircom confirms financial projections update is underway

Irish former monopoly fixed line operator Eircom issued an update on 12 January, confirming that it is in the proce ... http://bit.ly/xxMUY4

Russian group Rostelecom eying GNC-Alfa acquisition

Russian telecoms group Rostelecom reportedly plans to enter Armenia's broadband market by purchasing a stake of 75% ... http://bit.ly/zYbsYy

Smartphone tax exemption drives 3G growth

The number of subscribers using Zain Jordan’s 3G services reached 700,000 by the end of 2011, according to the co ... http://bit.ly/wYC2bc

Giraffe sticks neck out in WiMAX market

Ukraine’s Intellecom has revealed that its consumer WiMAX broadband internet service, ‘Giraffe’, reached cove ... http://bit.ly/A5EjPB

Iusacell could ‘disappear’ if investment from Televisa is ruled out

Should Mexican antitrust officials reject proposals put forward by mobile network operator Iusacell to accept an in ... http://bit.ly/w0w0e0

Friday, January 13, 2012

Telecel investing USD70m this year in network

Telecel Zimbabwe has announced plans to invest USD70 million this year to expand and upgrade its GSM and fledgling ... http://bit.ly/wGz1u2

FreshTel breezing into eight more regional centres

Ukrainian WiMAX operator FreshTel is continuing its expansion drive with a plan to launch its broadband services in ... http://bit.ly/yRVfrt

New government looking to reinstate mobile tax

Reuters reports that the Croatian government proposed on Thursday to reintroduce a 6% ‘special tax’ on mobile p ... http://bit.ly/xys7XB

CRAN, Telecom deny premature Leo takeover

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) is yet to receive a formal application from state-owned i ... http://bit.ly/w7nabw

Shaw’s cable revenues up 4%

Canadian triple-play cableco Shaw Communications has announced consolidated financial and operating results for the ... http://bit.ly/zcMD7m

KDDI to launch quadruple-play offer

Japan’s second largest telco by subscribers, KDDI Corp, is launching a low-cost quadruple-play offer on 16 Januar ... http://bit.ly/ySCzRu

Skinny launch takes rivals by surprise; NZ price war anticipated

Skinny, the new ‘no-frills’ sub-brand owned by Telecom New Zealand, has officially launched, according to local ... http://bit.ly/wrBfkq

VNPT revenue tops USD5.7bn in 2011

According to estimates from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), state-owned operator Vietnam Post ... http://bit.ly/xpcU8z

Korean smartphone users favour internet and apps over calls and texts

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Communications Commission and the Korea Internet and Security Agency, ... http://bit.ly/AhDOKQ

Eto’o not network operator, regulator says

Cameroon’s telecoms regulator, Agence de Regulation des Telecommunications (ART), has clarified that the mobile c ... http://bit.ly/w7mlSR

Chunghwa set to spend TWD100bn on fibre

According to the Taiwan Economic News, Chunghwa Telecom is poised to invest TWD100 billion (USD3.32 billion) in the ... http://bit.ly/wvGXlx

Ofcom tweaks LTE auction proposals

UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom has revised its plans for the country’s forthcoming LTE spectrum auction. The new prop ... http://bit.ly/yXCEqp

Vodafone Czech tests DC-HSPA in central Beroune, CTU report says

According to information in the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU’s) Monthly Monitoring Report for December 201 ... http://bit.ly/xuIBs6

Digicel to shut down Claro network

Digicel Jamaica has announced that it will shut down Claro’s cellular network on 1 March 2012, following the remo ... http://bit.ly/A8Ln7E

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Qtel announces domestic reorganisation

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has begun a corporate restructuring programme with the aims of improving its operational perfo ... http://bit.ly/z6mMLf

Megafon establishes Ukrainian long-distance branch

Interfax-Ukraine reports that Russian cellular and long-distance telecoms provider Megafon has formed a subsidiary ... http://bit.ly/z6UZdy

Conatel updates on progress of telecoms tax fund for education

Haitian ICT regulator, Conseil National des Telecommunications (Conatel), has released an update on its participati ... http://bit.ly/yc5rrt

AIS starting LTE test at end of month

Thailand’s mobile market leader Advanced Info Service (AIS) will begin testing its fourth-generation (4G) mobile ... http://bit.ly/yYlbO6

Algiers to acquire 51% stake in Djezzy?

The Algerian government has set its sights on a 51% in Orascom Telecom Algerie, which operates under the name Djezz ... http://bit.ly/zGt8OU

Kiselev offloads controversial 6% Vimpelcom stake to Ukrainian tycoon

Minor Vimpelcom shareholder Oleg Kiselev – who bought into the company shortly after the completion of the Russia ... http://bit.ly/zXAUSb

TelOne’s Zim-SA cable delayed until mid-year

Zimbabwean state-backed newspaper The Herald reports that national telco TelOne’s project to lay a fibre-optic ca ... http://bit.ly/zuygLF

XPress licence revoked

Jordan’s telecoms watchdog, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has revoked the licence of digital ... http://bit.ly/zODAIf

T-Mobile comes out fighting; considers cell tower sale to fund improvements

T-Mobile USA is reportedly finalising a new business plan which may include a sale of its wireless towers to help p ... http://bit.ly/wDoOrO

AZ sees latest bid for 3G licence scuppered by the appeals court

The Court of Appeals (CA) in the Philippines has reportedly denied AZ Communications Network Inc’s (AZ’s) lates ... http://bit.ly/wbxoxD

Committee to investigate armed forces deal

A committee has been formed to investigate whether or not an agreement between France Telecom subsidiary Jordan Tel ... http://bit.ly/wHUtdR

French mobile war hotting up: Orange, SFR to cut prices

The arrival of new competition in the French mobile market has sparked the established cellcos into announcing pric ... http://bit.ly/yWAZS2

DoCoMo tops table for net gains in December – breaks 21-month duck

Japan’s leading mobile operator by subscribers NTT DoCoMo reported the most net new additions in December 2011, t ... http://bit.ly/wuFj68

ETB, EEB, EAAB merger plan causes ‘economic panic’

Bogota’s new mayor, Gustavo Petro, intends to forge ahead with plans to merge ailing state-owned telco Empresa de ... http://bit.ly/wd6pyP

Africonnect Zambia calls on Airspan for WiMAX deployment

US-based Airspan Networks has announced that it has been selected by internet solutions provider AfriConnect Zambia ... http://bit.ly/y40nCu

iiNet and Primus ink wholesale broadband agreements with NBN Co

While a number of Australia’s internet service providers (ISPs) continue to hold out on finalising wholesale broa ... http://bit.ly/A9MBqP

Virgin Media outlines speed upgrade programme

The UK’s second-largest broadband provider by subscribers, Virgin Media, has stoked the fires of competition betw ... http://bit.ly/z9wOm7

BSNL eyes tower outsourcing, fibre bandwidth auction as options to cut costs and boost revenue

In a bid to turn around its current financial difficulties, state-owned Indian telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL ... http://bit.ly/xHBH8H

DT, Telefonica Germany ink network cooperation deal

Telefonica Germany (O2), the local unit of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, has signed a long-term agreement with ... http://bit.ly/wZnf5a

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Bayantel settles PHP536m in debt in December

The Business Mirror newspaper reports that Bayantel Telecommunications Inc (Bayan) settled PHP536 million (USD12.2 ... http://bit.ly/y5gnS1

Movitel achieves launch deadline on ‘an experimental basis’

Mozambique's third mobile phone operator, Movitel, has confirmed the official launch of its operations throughout t ... http://bit.ly/yNUZea

Qtel meets with Tunisian PM to discuss investment

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali has met with Qtel’s chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bin Saud al-Thani ... http://bit.ly/z3MinF

Alca-Lu snags STC LTE contract for eleven northern cities

French equipment vendor Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to deploy its Long Term Evo ... http://bit.ly/ws8k5X

Alca-Lu deploys 100G solution for BSkyB

French-US vendor Alcatel-Lucent has announced that it has upgraded the optical transmission network of British broa ... http://bit.ly/y3vtEU

450 leave T-HT in Q1

Croatian full-service telecoms operator T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT, part of the Deutsche Telekom group) has begun a r ... http://bit.ly/xAgFh9

Everything Everywhere finalising 1800MHz spectrum auction plans?

Everything Everywhere, the joint venture between Orange UK and T-Mobile UK, is reportedly preparing to launch a spe ... http://bit.ly/xPdEQb

France Telecom-Orange announces US placement of USD900m in 30-year notes

France Telecom-Orange announced yesterday the placement in the United States of USD900 million in 30-year notes, in ... http://bit.ly/zcT0d3

Transitional govt to review pan-African telecoms investments

Libya’s transitional government has indicated that it intends to review a number of pan-African telecoms investme ... http://bit.ly/zS1Qj6

Sierratel’s monopoly on international gateway set to end

The government of Sierra Leone has published a timeline outlining a series of steps towards the revision of the cou ... http://bit.ly/xM2SN7

Entel, GTD merger called off

The planned merger of Grupo GTD and Entel Chile has been called off after GTD’s controlling shareholder, Juan Man ... http://bit.ly/yK0JQR

Four bidders for 2.3GHz licences

Hong Kong's Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has announced four bidders in its auction of spectrum ... http://bit.ly/xVMihI

Viva full LTE launch by April

Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reports that Viva Bahrain – which launched a small-scale Long Term Evolution (LTE) netw ... http://bit.ly/yBCnca

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Lack of bandwidth causes problems for MTN 3G network

MTN Swaziland has admitted that users of its long-delayed 3G network are experiencing problems with the service due ... http://bit.ly/wzvdAL

Leap Wireless ponders Sprint LTE tie-up; Sprint halts LightSquared investment

San Diego-based mobile operator Leap Wireless International says it is considering expanding its current 3G wholesa ... http://bit.ly/wtv5sa

LAP Green to contest any challenge to ownership of Zamtel stake

Amid continued debate over the sale of Zambian fixed line incumbent of Zamtel to LAP Green Networks (LAP Green) of ... http://bit.ly/yuIBmS

NPT outlines frequency strategy for 2012-2014

The Norwegian Post & Telecoms Regulatory Authority (NPT) has announced that it has developed a new strategy for fre ... http://bit.ly/y8bbue

Telstra says future regional rollouts could require government funding

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra has reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to offering services in regional A ... http://bit.ly/wFmsFT

DT develops converged media platform with MobiTV

German telecoms company Deutsche Telekom (DT) has partnered with US-based MobiTV to develop a converged media platf ... http://bit.ly/ySspPT

Royal KPN switches on 500Mbps fibre service

Dutch incumbent Royal KPN has reportedly tweaked its fibre-optic triple-play packages, including the introduction o ... http://bit.ly/AmVLr2

Viettel to complete EVN Telecom deal by end-March

State-owned utility company Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) expects that the transfer of its telecom unit to military- ... http://bit.ly/zP3i9q

Brazil aiming to boost mobile uptake with PNBL-type plan

Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S Paulo reports that the government is hoping to launch a new mobile telephony offe ... http://bit.ly/w5ekid

Maroc Telecom begins Morocco-Spain cable laying

Morocco's Maroc Telecom, part of France's Vivendi Universal group, has started deployment of an international high ... http://bit.ly/zPxqcg

Iliad’s odyssey underway as Free Mobile finally launches

Free Mobile, the fledgling mobile start-up of French broadband service provider Iliad, today launched its long-awai ... http://bit.ly/xaBvCD

Vivacom to provide 100Mbps on fixed and wireless networks

Bulgarian triple-play provider Vivacom has been authorised by the Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC) to tri ... http://bit.ly/Ap7Z2f

International Call Traffic Growth Slows as Skype’s Volumes Soar

International long-distance traffic growth is slowing rapidly. Read the original: OVETEL International Call Tra ... http://bit.ly/xnLzgR

Monday, January 9, 2012

Wi-way or the highway for farmers

The Namibian newspaper reports that farmers in some southern areas of Namibia covered by a new WiMAX network have h ... http://bit.ly/Ag6LCF

Gamtel, Gamcel release financial figures for 2010

Gambia’s National Assembly has approved the annual reports and financial statements of state-run PSTN operator Ga ... http://bit.ly/ziNkIU

SKT reveals new technology allowing simultaneous use of two mobile networks

South Korean mobile network operator SK Telecom (SKT) has unveiled its Heterogeneous Network Integration Solution, ... http://bit.ly/wpjnc8

HCM City cracks down on SIM registration violators

Vietnam’s military-run telecoms company Viettel has been asked by authorities in Ho Chi Minh City to disconnect 1 ... http://bit.ly/wUjdSv

ATC snaps up more of Telefonica’s infrastructure

Spanish-owned Telefonica Moviles Chile, which offers mobile services under the Movistar brand, has announced the sa ... http://bit.ly/xywBzW

Digicel retaliates to FTC lawsuit

Digicel Jamaica’s head of legal and regulatory affairs, Richard Fraser, has responded to reports of a lawsuit fro ... http://bit.ly/xoRF2n

NTA reports 2.1m mobile additions in a month; amends Telecoms Regulations

Data published by the national regulator the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) shows that the mountain Kingd ... http://bit.ly/w9Abad

Viettel overseas revenue more than doubled in 2011

Vietnamese military-run telecoms company Viettel Corporation generated turnover of VND117 trillion (USD5.45 billion ... http://bit.ly/yhPEwx

Natcom signs half a million users in two months

Haiti’s new national full-service telecoms operator Natcom, a joint venture between Vietnam’s Viettel and the H ... http://bit.ly/x5egfk

Cellcom picks Ericsson for half of its 4G network upgrade

Swedish vendor Ericsson has been selected by Cellcom, Israel’s largest mobile network operator by subscribers, to ... http://bit.ly/wQlFkC

OPTA to hold frequency auction in October

The Dutch telecoms regulator OPTA will auction new mobile frequencies in October this year, in the process reservin ... http://bit.ly/ySAWZP

Vimpelcom signs MoU over sale of OTA

Vimpelcom and Algeria’s Ministry of Finance have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explor ... http://bit.ly/wXu0u6

Friday, January 6, 2012

Digitel improving data, voice services; 1800MHz band to augment 900MHz, enable future LTE

Luis Bernardo Perez, commercial vice-president for Venezuela’s third largest cellular operator Digitel, has given ... http://bit.ly/w5zYyG

International cable licences issued to six companies

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday issued six licences for the deployment of ... http://bit.ly/wWVhIi

Subtel orders unlocking of all handsets

Chile’s telecoms regulator Sub-secretaria de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) has announced that as part of its pl ... http://p.ost.im/p/e5DjuY

Uzbekistan adds subscriber tax

The Uzbekistan government is set to impose a fee on the use of active mobile numbers, according to Trend News. ... http://p.ost.im/p/e52JHk

Parliament demands Tigo/Rieder spectrum deal details from Conatel

According to ABC.com.py, Paraguay’s Standing Committee of the National Parliament has requested that the countr ... http://bit.ly/yaNMgj

Investigation into Umniah sale ordered

Jordan’s parliament has instructed that an investigation be carried out regarding the sale of local telco Umniah, ... http://bit.ly/Aki5oc

AT rolls out LTE in eleven new markets

US cellco ATT has announced that it has expanded the coverage of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to eleven ne ... http://bit.ly/wGdCvN

MetroPCS to enable live digital TV on mobile phones

US mobile operator MetroPCS has announced that it has partnered with Mobile Content Venture (MCV) to enable its sub ... http://bit.ly/yX5w2m

Sprint confirms Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio as first LTE markets

Speaking at the annual Citigroup Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference in San Francisco, Sprint CE ... http://bit.ly/znlwsr

DoT set to terminate six of Idea’s concessions?

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) looks likely to revoke licences held by Idea Cellular in six circl ... http://bit.ly/zfgxme

CNC examines mobile trio after claims of abuse of dominance

Spain’s Comision Nacional de la Competencia (CNC) has announced the launch of disciplinary proceedings against th ... http://bit.ly/xOsTQt

Vodafone leapfrogs Tigo to claim second place in mobile race

According to the latest statistics from the National Communications Authority (NCA), Vodafone Ghana has overtaken M ... http://bit.ly/wxJNBJ

Telefonica-Vivo boosts 3G coverage to over 2,500 municipalities by end-11

Telefonica-Vivo, the Brazilian fixed and mobile operator controlled by Spain’s Telefonica, says it closed out las ... http://bit.ly/xqycZ8

PLDT submits request to SEC to extend Digitel tender period

GMA News reports that Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is extending a tender offer for the remaini ... http://bit.ly/y5J5A6

Nigeria to introduce number portability from August

Telecoms regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it expects the introduction of number port ... http://bit.ly/zPZaBo

Celcom confident of meeting launch deadline

Malawian telecoms company Celcom Limited, which was awarded a dual fixed and mobile telephony licence by the Malawi ... http://bit.ly/xhGMIy

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Huawei fought the lawmakers (and the law won)

Six US lawmakers have urged the State Department to investigate whether or not China’s Huawei Technologies has vi ... http://bit.ly/zicOnA

Rwandatel assets attract potential bidders

According to Regis Gatarayiha, director general of the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), a number of telec ... http://bit.ly/wnnNZ1

Macau poised for full market liberalisation; government offers up two new wireline concessions

The Macau government launched a tender to award two new fixed line telephony concessions on 1 January, as the count ... http://bit.ly/wbybCA

MTN to boost service quality with USD1bn investment

Nigeria’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, MTN Nigeria, has confirmed it plans to invest USD1 billion in i ... http://bit.ly/yGTeDb

Competition watchdog to impose conditions on Entel/GTD merger

The National Economic Prosecutor (Fiscalia Nacional Economica) has submitted recommendations to anti-trust regulato ... http://bit.ly/x8BIiL

SKY Brazil acquires MMDS operator Acom, report says

SKY Brazil, a subsidiary of Latin American satellite TV provider DIRECTV, has snapped up local multichannel multipo ... http://bit.ly/xEGTSd

Belarus government clamps down on foreign website access

The government of the Republic of Belarus is poised to introduce a new law that will bar its citizens and residents ... http://bit.ly/zqvJAF

Vodacom boss plans USD100m investment to improve mobile data

The Citizen Correspondent quotes Vodacom Tanzania managing director Rene Meza as saying that his firm intends to sp ... http://bit.ly/AqWGpQ

China Telecom to launch UK MVNO over Everything Everywhere network

China Telecom will launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the UK in partnership with Everything Everywh ... http://bit.ly/wSlmeq

TOT to converge billing

Thai newspaper The Nation reports that state-owned telco TOT will consolidate the charges of all its telecoms servi ... http://bit.ly/wqs5zb

PTC12 — Meet TeleGeography

TeleGeography’s International Telecom Trends Workshop is one of PTC’s most popular sessions. This year’s work ... http://bit.ly/x9zsb4

DoT asks Law Ministry to examine policy proposals

In a move that looks likely to delay the final unveiling of India’s new telecom policy, local news source the Eco ... http://bit.ly/AyS74i

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

NetOne makes mobile broadband available to pre-paid users

Zimbabwean state-owned cellular operator NetOne has opened up its mobile broadband service to pre-paid subscribers, ... http://bit.ly/wppbcg

MinTIC to launch frequency tender

Colombia’s Ministry of ICT (MinTIC) has invited expressions of interest from industry players to participate in a ... http://bit.ly/Ak71yC

FTC looks to block Claro/Digicel merger

Jamaica’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit with the High Court seeking to scupper the planned merg ... http://bit.ly/yzw0XJ

Five companies ink fibre deal with Taipei City govt; 80% of capital to receive 100Mbps speeds by 2015

Five companies have signed a contract with the Taipei City government to deploy a total of 3,000km of fibre-optic c ... http://bit.ly/At5a0G

Verizon blames trio of LTE outages on ‘growing pains’

Verizon Wireless, the United States’ largest mobile operators in terms of subscribers, has attributed the recent ... http://bit.ly/yu6BnN

Telekom Slovenije ups ONE stake to 53.99%

Slovenian incumbent Telekom Slovenije has increased its equity holding in Macedonian alternative fixed line operato ... http://bit.ly/w3IVrW

Next Mobile investor inks supply contract with Huawei

Information Capital Technology Ventures Inc (ICTV), an investor in Filipino operator Next Mobile (formerly Nextel C ... http://bit.ly/wDYgCt

NMHH clears four to bid for 900MHz spectrum

Hungary’s National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) has pre-selected four companies to bid for 900MH ... http://bit.ly/Agl6Zf

Digital Star still conducting due diligence on Excell

Cambodian telecoms firm Digital Star Media has said it has not yet finalised the acquisition of CDMA mobile network ... http://bit.ly/yhtBA5

Nepal Telecom implements MSAN technology to improve internet access

State-backed national PTO Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (Nepal Telecom, or NT) is overlaying parts of its netwo ... http://bit.ly/xq3wRz

DBCDE seeking renewal fees from Telstra, VHA for 800MHz concessions

Australia’s Federal Government is reportedly proposing that mobile network operators Telstra and Vodafone Hutchis ... http://bit.ly/ylVEzK

Latvian quartet bag 2600MHz spectrum in PUC auction

Four companies have been awarded fourth-generation spectrum after the conclusion of an auction conducted by Latvi ... http://bit.ly/xnzEXW

SLT upgrades ADSL range

Sri Lanka Telecom has increased its ADSL broadband internet connection speeds up to 16 Mbps from 1 January 2012, wh ... http://bit.ly/xzhdqT

FreshTel increases WiMAX footprint

Ukrainian WiMAX broadband internet provider FreshTel has expanded its network coverage, Telecompaper reports. Con ... http://bit.ly/xzzVMe

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Cameroon scores third mobile operator

Cameroon is set to receive a third mobile operator following the launch of a new network backed by local footballer ... http://bit.ly/txdczg

Launch of fixed network sharing delayed

The United Arab Emirates’ Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced that the commercial launch ... http://bit.ly/ue3noc

OFTA consults on spare LTE spectrum auction

Hong Kong’s Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has issued a consultation paper on its proposals fo ... http://bit.ly/tDT88g

Movistar shuts down CDMA network

Telefonica subsidiary Movistar Ecuador announced the closure of its CDMA2000 1x mobile network on 31 December 2011, ... http://bit.ly/u6XeuW

Cellcos meet 800MHz coverage obligations in seven states

The German telecoms regulator, the Federal Network Agency (FNA, also known as Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA), has ann ... http://bit.ly/sr4OWy

Another 60 exchange areas get 1Mbps-plus services

Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star reports that state-run telco Ogero has begun the latest batch of upgrades to DSL ... http://bit.ly/urewWE

Government buys back OTE stake for EUR380 million

The Serbian government has signed an agreement with OTE to repurchase the 20% stake in fixed line operator Telekom ... http://bit.ly/tiEmow

TOT and AIS in THB1bn network access scheme; TOT readies new MVNO deals

Thai telco TOT will pay THB1 billion (USD32 million) to piggyback on Advanced Info Service’s (AIS’) 3G mobi ... http://p.ost.im/p/ePWMLg

T-Mobile, H3G to share 3G networks from July 2012

Mobile operators T-Mobile A¬ustria and Hutchison 3G Austria (H3G) are reportedly poised to unveil a network s ... http://p.ost.im/p/ePgTe6

SIM registration to begin on 1 March

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) will begin enforcing the registration of new and existing mobile phone u ... http://bit.ly/ufPWdO

Apax to buy Orange Switzerland for CHF2 billion

France Telecom (FT) will sell 100% of its Swiss operation, Orange Switzerland, to private equity firm Apax Partners ... http://bit.ly/tKn7FA

Carlos Slim to invest USD5.4bn in Brazilian units

Mexican regional telecoms powerhouse America Movil (AM), owned by billionaire Carlos Slim, plans to invest BRL10 bi ... http://bit.ly/v88oka

CAT’s formal launch of My 3G retail service confirmed for January

Thailand’s CAT Telecom has confirmed 10 January 2012 as the date for the official full commercial launch of its ... http://bit.ly/rpa8OA

Armenia’s VivaCell-MTS switches on 4G/LTE network

Online news journal PanArmenian.Net reports that Armenian mobile operator VivaCell-MTS has launched a commercial Lo ... http://bit.ly/tY22x1

Beltelecom reports 1.15m byfly users, 430k IPTV subs

Belarusian state-owned fixed line and broadband operator Beltelecom has reportedly signed up more than 1.15 million ... http://bit.ly/u7gABf

T-Mobile Hungary launches LTE network in Budapest

On 1 January T-Mobile Hungary launched a commercial 4G network based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in the ... http://bit.ly/ts8PvO

Viva Bahrain launches LTE for complex users; Batelco’s 4G trial successful

Two mobile operators in Bahrain have announced new developments in their rollouts of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) s ... http://bit.ly/ubJpWC

TM outlines CAPEX plans for 2012

Malaysian fixed line incumbent Telekom Malaysia (TM) has revealed that it has set aside up to MYR3 billion (USD945 ... http://bit.ly/sBAo31

KT finally begins introduction of commercial LTE services

South Korea’s second-largest mobile network operator by subscribers, KT Corp, is expected to launch commercial Lo ... http://bit.ly/sxkf6X

NBN announces 4,000 connections; prompts criticism by the Federal Opposition

In the wake of the announcement by NBN Co that it has now connected 4,000 homes and businesses to the in-deployment ... http://bit.ly/rwKvat

Operators invited to test LTE using TOT's spectrum

Thai newspaper The Nation reports that state-run fixed line and 3G cellular operator TOT will accept more offers fr ... http://bit.ly/sT2kzf