Friday, March 30, 2012

STC remains interested in Lebanon

The CEO of international operations at Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Ghassan Hasbani, said yesterday that his compan ... http://bit.ly/H0mmdt

National fibre upgrade to be finished ‘within months’

Lebanon’s Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) promised yesterday that a project to upgrade state-owned PSTN oper ... http://bit.ly/H2ZV4f

MetroPCS delays VoLTE launch until 2H12

MetroPCS has pushed back its planned launch of voice-over-Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services to the second half o ... http://bit.ly/Hm7Nl4

SSTL looks to raise INR60bn; leaders expect amicable resolution

Russian-backed cellco Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL) is looking to raise INR60 billion (USD1.147 billion) th ... http://bit.ly/HoUDCM

Eircom Group submits application for examinership

Dublin-based telecoms firms Eircom Group has announced that three of its subsidiaries – Eircom Limited, Meteor Mo ... http://bit.ly/Hm7KWB

Parliament fears illegal networks are ‘mushrooming’

India’s telecoms watchdog, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been criticised by a parliamentary comm ... http://bit.ly/HrFS2l

ACCC launches discussion on creation of Independent Telecommunications Adjudicator

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced the release of a discussion paper in which ... http://bit.ly/H2AhQv

No plans for third operator, regulator says

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued a statement saying that it does not, at this time, hav ... http://bit.ly/GZzF9J

PVT launches LTE in New Mexico, Texas under ‘Fuego’ banner

New Mexico-based Penasco Valley Telecommunications (PVT) has announced that it is poised to launch Long Term Evolut ... http://bit.ly/H0mj1j

Sprocket Wireless taps Alca-Lu for Oklahoma LTE rollout

Cross Wireless, doing business under the ‘Sprocket Wireless’ brand, has announced that it has enlisted French-U ... http://bit.ly/H2AkM9

Vodafone, Tata given more time for CWW bid

UK-based Vodafone Group and India’s Tata Communications have been awarded an extra three weeks to decide whether ... http://bit.ly/H2x0xG

Mixed messages as MTN reveals it is not opposed to SPTC entering mobile market

According to the Times of Swaziland, MTN Swaziland has said that it is not opposed to the Swaziland Post and Teleco ... http://bit.ly/H2AkM2

Telekom starts Deutsche Annington fibre rollout project

Deutsche Telekom, which provides fixed and mobile services under the banner Telekom Deutschland, has announced it h ... http://bit.ly/H1i7NQ

Nepal’s regulator considers plan for national roaming regulation

The mountain Kingdom’s industry regulator the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing to establish ... http://bit.ly/HrFQYr

Taiwanese cellcos to drop calling rates from 1 April

Taiwan’s five largest mobile network operators are set to reduce rates for domestic calls from 1 April 2012, Focu ... http://bit.ly/H7SnPr

BT unveils Deddington as location for first fibre-only exchange

British fixed line incumbent BT has revealed that Deddington in Oxfordshire will be the first pilot location for it ... http://bit.ly/Hm7Kpn

3 Group’s EBITDA up 21%; Hutch Asia narrows EBIT loss by 56%

Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa has reported its telecoms segment results for the year ended 31 Dece ... http://bit.ly/H6IbTk

Vivendi’s SFR prepares ‘urgent’ review to tackle Iliad threat

French media and telecoms group Vivendi is to implement an ‘urgent’ cost-cutting plan at its domestic mobile su ... http://bit.ly/H1i6cC

Telefonica’s appeal against antitrust fine slapped down

Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica has lost its appeal against a EUR152 million (USD202 million) antitrust fine whic ... http://bit.ly/H2wYpy

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Sprint contemplates rural LTE tie-ups; RCA attracts more major players

Sprint is considering partnering with as-yet-unidentified regional wireless providers to extend the reach of its in ... http://bit.ly/Hr11Gp

Triatel begins EV-DO Rev B2 upgrade project

The Latvian CDMA cellular operator Triatel has begun a USD4 million network upgrade programme in the Riga area unde ... http://bit.ly/Hr4TZw

Vodacom could lose control of Congolese unit as dispute rumbles on

South Africa’s Vodacom Group may lose control of its wireless unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bloomberg ... http://bit.ly/Hmm7Jp

Federal Competition Authority says No! 3, Orange merger derailed by concerns over divestment of MVNO Yesss!

The takeover of Orange Austria by Hutchison Whampoa’s H3G Austria unit has reportedly fallen foul of the countr ... http://bit.ly/Hmm3JH

Goodbye, Hallo MVNO? Would-be virtual operator calls on MoC to enforce contract

International calls carrier 015 Hallo has reportedly called on Israel’s Ministry of Communications (MoC) to order ... http://bit.ly/H3DqxL

NetAmerica Alliance expects second LTE network to go live this week

NetAmerica Alliance, the association of rural operators which formed last year to give smaller companies the econom ... http://bit.ly/GXs7nH

MTN Zambia to invest USD3 million on connection to EASSy

MTN Zambia has reportedly said it plans to invest around USD3 million connecting to the Eastern Africa Submarine Ca ... http://bit.ly/H0fkX8

Five 3G licences to be awarded (not four); September auction targets USD1.5bn

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday submitted its final draft 3G licensing guid ... http://bit.ly/HiERV2

NBN Co outlines rollout plans for next three-year period

Construction of the fibre-optic component of Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) will be underway or com ... http://bit.ly/Hr4Tc5

EU reaches preliminary deal on European mobile roaming charges

The European Parliament and representatives of the Council and the European Commission (EC) have reached a prelimin ... http://bit.ly/H2ZhS0

NZ MNP approaches fifth birthday; half a million mark looms

The New Zealand Telecommunication Forum (TCF) has announced that the country’s mobile number portability (MNP) in ... http://bit.ly/Hmm6VV

StarHub once again reaches out to help OpenNet

The Straits Times reports that Singaporean telco StarHub has reached out to offer help to OpenNet, the company resp ... http://bit.ly/H34QU7

CTU to force incumbent cellcos to allow MVNOs, report says

The Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) could force the country’s incumbent mobile operators – Telefonica O2 C ... http://bit.ly/GXs6A5

Vimpelcom’s Algerian unit Djezzy hit with USD1.3bn fine

The Russian telecoms group Vimpelcom says its subsidiary in Algeria, Orascom Telecom Algeria (OTA), which offers mo ... http://bit.ly/HrSBNV

The sound of the underground

Passengers on Tokyo’s underground subway system will be able to access cellular services for the first time from ... http://bit.ly/H0wH9B

India may relax VoIP laws

India’s Telecom Commission has reportedly approved measures that will allow the provision of voice-over-internet ... http://bit.ly/H34QTS

Timor Telecom’s monopoly set to end

The government of Timor-Leste has reached an agreement with Timor Telecom (TT) to end the monopoly held by the Port ... http://bit.ly/H3Dmy2

Telecoms act faces review

Switzerland’s cabinet, the Federal Council, has announced plans to partially review the current Telecommunication ... http://bit.ly/HrSAcB

Unitech shares frozen; Telenor presses for compensation

India’s Income Tax department has frozen the shares owned by Unitech in its joint venture Uninor, reports the Eco ... http://bit.ly/Hr0YdN

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Cofeco confirms Telcel’s dominant status in mobile termination sector

An appeal by Mexican telecoms giant America Movil (AM) against a ruling that it is dominant in the market for mobil ... http://bit.ly/HcWjQS

MetroPCS claims half a million LTE subscribers; eyes additional spectrum purchase

US mobile operator MetroPCS has notched up around 500,000 Long Term Evolution (LTE) subscribers, Fierce Wireless re ... http://bit.ly/H05rpZ

Jazztel outlines Canary Islands xDSL coverage expansion

Alternative Spanish telco Jazz Telecom (Jazztel) has announced that it is to deploy 27 new xDSL exchanges in the Ca ... http://bit.ly/HcWjQZ

Deadline for consultation on Everything Everywhere’s 1800MHz 4G plans extended

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced an extension to the consultation period regarding mobile network operator ... http://bit.ly/GXJhav

Two Verizon rural LTE partners nearing launch; scheme gains two new operators

Two regional mobile operators participating in Verizon Wireless' ‘Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Rural America’ p ... http://bit.ly/HcWmw8

Fifth US operator introduces LTE; US Cellular 4G launch proceeds as planned

Chicago-based mobile operator US Cellular reportedly launched its long-rumoured Long Term Evolution (LTE) network l ... http://bit.ly/HmivFE

Congress grants Enatrel approval to expand fibre-optic network

According to BNAmericas, Nicaragua's Congress has authorised state-owned electricity transmission company Enatrel t ... http://bit.ly/HdIjA9

Tunisia scoops 3G and fixed line licence

Tunisia’s largest cellco by subscribers, Tunisiana has been issued a new telecommunications licence by the Minist ... http://bit.ly/H05kL7

ZTE limits its business with Iran

The Chinese equipment manufacturer ZTE has said it is halting its expansion in Iran, following similar moves by riv ... http://bit.ly/GWkhdK

Tigo targets corporate clients with new business unit

Tigo Guatemala, the country's largest mobile operator by subscribers, has launched a new business division focusing ... http://bit.ly/GVDMYK

Sierra Leone gets Thuraya satellite service with Africell

The Sierra Leone mobile operator Africell has announced the launch of Thuraya satellite-based services in the count ... http://bit.ly/HcWiwi

Bulgarian cellcos have installed 593 illegal base stations

Bulgaria’s Minister of Regional Development, Lilyana Pavlova, has criticised the country’s mobile operators for ... http://bit.ly/HgHig9

Russian diplomats might swing case for SSTL

Following talks between Indian and Russian government officials yesterday, the revocation of licences held by Siste ... http://bit.ly/Herx8c

BellTel files request for extension to operating permit

The Business Mirror newspaper reports that Filipino telco Bell Telecommunication Philippines (BellTel), owned by lo ... http://bit.ly/Hixz6z

Telkom looking to build USD163m Manado-Papua fibre-optic project

Vivanews reports that Indonesia’s state-run operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom Indonesia) is looking to ... http://bit.ly/GVDMHX

Tanzanian communications minister updates on NICTBB rollout

Tanzania’s Minister for Communications, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa Mnyaa, says that the build-ou ... http://bit.ly/GWkgGS

ArmenTel launches Hi-Line Optic FTTB service

Armenian fixed and broadband operator ArmenTel, which offers services under the Beeline banner, has announced the c ... http://bit.ly/GWAtgC

Vodafone Hungary selects Tellabs for mobile backhaul solution

Vodafone’s Hungarian subsidiary has picked US-based Tellabs to modernise its current mobile backhaul network. Und ... http://bit.ly/GWkfCD

Digicel to build Haiti submarine cable link; leaving BTC treading water?

Jamaica-based Digicel Group yesterday announced a plan to deploy an undersea fibre-optic cable connecting Haiti to ... http://bit.ly/HkUhZx

TRA clarifies LTE plan, government yet to decide on new foreign entrants

Mohamed Mahmood, technical director at Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), has clarified det ... http://bit.ly/HfgGIC

TNM posts 24% rise in service revenue

Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) has announced it generated service revenue of MWK12.26 billion (USD73.2 million) in t ... http://bit.ly/HdIhYX

Amdocs gets nod from TIM Brasil for new CES products

Brazilian telecoms operator TIM Brasil has selected Amdocs to supply it with its Customer Experience Systems (CES) ... http://bit.ly/HdIefR

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

TM targets 400,000 UniFi subscribers by end-2012

Malaysian fixed line incumbent Telekom Malaysia (TM) is reportedly aiming to increase the number of subscribers sig ... http://bit.ly/GTOOwz

Medvedev orders Svyazinvest, Rostelecom merger to be completed within twelve months

Outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has this week ordered a merger between state-owned telecoms holding comp ... http://bit.ly/GVY1zw

MTN finally issued with 3G licence

MTN Cote d’Ivoire has reportedly been granted a 3G licence by L'Agence des Telecommunications de Cote d'Ivoire (A ... http://bit.ly/GQNVSP

MTN Benin wins 3G licence for USD99m

South African-backed MTN Benin has announced that it is the first to receive a 3G mobile operating licence amongst ... http://bit.ly/GQNU1o

New Cell C CEO seeks to ‘rewrite the rule book’ and double market share

Incoming Cell C CEO Alan Knott-Craig has indicated that he wants to double the cellco’s market share within the n ... http://bit.ly/GQNVCx

Tunisiana in line for 3G concession

Tunisian wireless operator Tunisiana, which is majority owned by Qatar Telecom (Qtel) through Kuwait-based Wataniya ... http://bit.ly/HdGHqR

H3G UK’s rumoured network upgrade to allow for legal action over 4G auction rules?

David Dyson, the CEO of Hutchison 3G UK (H3G UK), Britain’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers, is e ... http://bit.ly/GVY1zi

Vandalism continues to plague GT

Guyana’s fixed line incumbent, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has appealed for the police to tr ... http://bit.ly/GWgPPJ

True Move H contract might be scrapped, hints ICT minister (but admits it could take years)

The 3G network contracts signed by True Corp and CAT Telecom in January 2011 are ‘tainted with irregularities’ ... http://bit.ly/GVY0eO

URCA reverses decision on 700MHz band

The Bahamian telecoms watchdog, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has reversed its earlier ... http://bit.ly/GWVVUK

Orange may block Free roaming traffic to ease peak-time congestion

Orange France is threatening to cut mobile network access for customers of roaming partner Free Mobile at peak time ... http://bit.ly/GXkDUf

Maroc Telecom on the acquisition trail?

Maroc Telecom is to ask a shareholders’ assembly next month to vote on a plan to raise its capital by issuing up ... http://bit.ly/Hgl3F8

DoT to issue notices over 3G roaming; TRAI recommends keeping operator’s cash

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reportedly plans to issue show-cause notices to wireless operators ... http://bit.ly/GTylpS

Etisalat ‘eLife’ subscribers reach 400,000

Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has announced that the number of subscribers to its fibre-to-the ... http://bit.ly/HbyN5P

Network sharing expected by mid-year

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has said it is working on the establishment of a fair wholesale p ... http://bit.ly/GSJ9mS

MTN awards network upgrade contract to ZTE

Chinese equipment and network solutions provider ZTE Corporation has signed a contract with MTN Nigeria, a subsidia ... http://bit.ly/GTszIT

Sercomtel and Copel Telecom ink deal to provide broadband services in Parana

Brazilian regional telecoms operator Sercomtel last Thursday signed an agreement with Copel Telecom to provide high ... http://bit.ly/HdGuUk

Monday, March 26, 2012

MTC allows Alfa roaming

Lebanese mobile operator MTC Touch has enabled subscribers of the country's other cellco Alfa to roam on the MTC ne ... http://bit.ly/GRFSmv

NBN Co inks deal for completion of rollout in Tasmania

NBN Co, the public-private operator overseeing the construction and management of the National Broadband Network (N ... http://bit.ly/H8eEZF

Expresso expects ACE cable landing soon

Expresso Ghana has confirmed that it is preparing to land a new international undersea cable in Accra. The CDMA ope ... http://bit.ly/GQn2Pq

O2 UK expresses concerns over Everything Everywhere’s 1800MHz refarming plans

UK mobile network operator O2 UK has reportedly echoed the displeasure voiced by a number of other operators regard ... http://bit.ly/GNzwH8

UPC upgrades former Aster infrastructure

US-backed cableco UPC Poland has upgraded its broadband network in Zielona Gora, acquired as part of its takeover o ... http://bit.ly/GPUR68

Eastlink does 200Mbps in Nova

Canadian triple-play cableco Eastlink has launched new ‘super-fast’ cable broadband internet service packages u ... http://bit.ly/GQoKEi

PLDT abandons BPL project; group now boasts 65m mobile users

After three years of testing to assess the possibility of introducing broadband services over power lines (BPL), Ph ... http://bit.ly/GS5lSX

3G licensing guidelines finalised

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has finalised draft guidelines for awarding 3G mobile ... http://bit.ly/H8eEsK

Jamaica plans for ‘super regulatory body’

Jamaica’s Minister for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell has announced plans to create a ... http://bit.ly/GRrVtu

Free Mobile has 2.2m subs says Bouygues

The CEO of French mobile service provider Bouygues Telecom is claiming that France’s newest cellular network oper ... http://bit.ly/GSLa1t

Kabel Deutschland interested in Tele Columbus?

In the wake of Liberty Global’s purchase of Kabel BW last year, German cableco Kabel Deutschland is eyeing compet ... http://bit.ly/H2X8vy

Central Telegraph to launch Moscow MVNO under the ‘Qwerty’ brand

According to Prime Tass news agency Moscow-based telecoms operator Central Telegraph is poised to launch as an mobi ... http://bit.ly/GU4hvC

Rural Cellular Association blasts Verizon spectrum claims

Verizon Wireless' planned USD3.6 billion acquisition of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum from cableco cons ... http://bit.ly/GPUNmY

Etisalat, Du launch CPS on commercial basis

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced the commercial launch of carrier pre-selection (CPS ... http://bit.ly/GRFOmy

Vodafone, Tata seek extension to CWW bid deadline, report says

UK-based Vodafone Group and India’s Tata Communications are reportedly looking to extend the 29 March bid deadlin ... http://bit.ly/GQoGVh

Digitel reports rising revenue in 2011

Filipino fixed and mobile operator, Digital Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel), which is now majority owned b ... http://bit.ly/GRrRKl

Huawei reportedly excluded from bidding in NBN tenders

Australia’s Federal Government has banned Chinese vendor Huawei from bidding in any tenders for the supply of equ ... http://bit.ly/H4cr0G

VIPnet launches LTE: second or first in Croatia?

Croatian cellco VIPnet, a subsidiary of Telekom Austria, has announced the commercial launch of Long Term Evolution ... http://bit.ly/GPUMzu

Friday, March 23, 2012

Telefonica reduces Zon shareholding below 5%

Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica has confirmed that it has reduced its shareholding in Portuguese cableco Zon Mult ... http://bit.ly/GQadqC

New network rollouts stalled

New entrants to Costa Rica’s wireless market, Claro Costa Rica and Movistar Costa Rica (subsidiaries of Mexico’ ... http://bit.ly/GI0QXs

Sistema set to be reimbursed for loss of Moscow frequencies

According to Dow Jones Newswires, Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema has reached an agreement with the government to ... http://bit.ly/GQWPTy

Indotel working on two broadband-related projects

Indotel, the telecoms regulator for the Dominican Republic, is reportedly collaborating with a number of local oper ... http://bit.ly/GVtIN1

DTAC promises 5,000 3G BTS this year; LTE test in Q3

Digital Total Access Communication (DTAC) has confirmed that it is on track to achieve a target of expanding its 3G ... http://bit.ly/GIs7rf

FCC takes steps to address 700MHz interoperability; MSS spectrum

United States telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to investigate the technical ... http://bit.ly/GLN9Iz

Bouygues Telecom reveals LTE plans

Bouygues Telecom has unveiled plans for the deployment of a pilot LTE network in Lyon in June. The company says tha ... http://bit.ly/GHiLxa

Trio of cellcos win 2.6GHz spectrum licences

Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has announced that the country’s three mobile network ope ... http://bit.ly/GKrN12

Dialog completes Suntel purchase

Sri Lanka’s largest cellco by users, Dialog Axiata, has completed a deal worth LKR4.5 billion (USD34.5 million) t ... http://bit.ly/GK3P3A

TRA mulls licensing of new service providers in 2015

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly considering plans to open up the telecommunications sector to new players in ... http://bit.ly/GHiJp5

Drillisch, Deutsche Telekom end legal dispute

German mobile services provider Drillisch has announced it has settled a dispute with Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T ... http://bit.ly/GRLeRQ

Airspan expanding WiMAX with Netpage

Broadband wireless access technology provider Airspan Networks has revealed that it is providing equipment and solu ... http://bit.ly/GQFpRz

T-HT launches LTE in four cities

Croatia’s T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT) today launched the country’s first commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G ... http://bit.ly/GIViy4

Versatel revenue down 13% on lower wholesale, mass market sales

German fixed network operator Versatel Communications has announced it generated revenue of EUR631.2 million (USD83 ... http://bit.ly/GQKTQx

Unicom annual profits jump 20%

China Unicom has reported a 20% year-on-year rise in net profit for the year ended 31 December 2011 to CNY4.212 bil ... http://bit.ly/GJdVPf

MinTIC kicks off 4G auction

Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technology and Communication (MinTIC) has launched a tender for 4G spectrum, s ... http://bit.ly/GQ9Z2R

Impairment charges lead to slump in net profit for Partner in 2011

On the back of impairment charges totalling ILS311 million (USD83 million) Israeli operator Partner Communications ... http://bit.ly/GIc3um

FT-Orange plans to roll out LTE across EU markets by 2015

In a speech to the European Commission (EC) France Telecom-Orange CEO Stephane Richard said that the company plans ... http://bit.ly/GIrYUN

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Free Mobile suffering from congestion

The newly launched fourth cellular network operator in France, Free Mobile, has been suffering from network congest ... http://bit.ly/GMef3P

Stricken Telkom seeks KES10.9bn bailout to ease crippling debt

Telkom Kenya, which is co-owned by France Telecom-Orange (51%) and the Kenyan government (49%), has reportedly aske ... http://bit.ly/GMegEU

Trio interested in bidding for Jaring?

There are at least three companies believed to be finalising possible bids for Malaysian broadband provider Jar ... http://p.ost.im/p/eX73Gc

Australia’s universal service reform legislation passed

Australia’s Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced ... http://bit.ly/GLjqzu

OTE looks at further wage cuts to offset losses blamed on regulation

Greek incumbent telco OTE is planning deeper wage cuts to help reduce its labour costs over the next three years by ... http://bit.ly/GLjrUl

i-Cable, Wharf T revenues up 5%, 4%

Hong Kong group The Wharf (Holdings) Ltd has reported its annual results for 2011, including its two telecoms units ... http://bit.ly/GMXbWC

Virgin Islands telco deploys ‘Innovative’ VoIP solution

Innovative Telephone, the largest telco by subscribers in the Virgin Islands (US), has announced that it has select ... http://bit.ly/GLfZeu

MTN Cyprus debuts HSPA+

Cellular operator MTN Cyprus has announced the launch of a HSPA+ network offering peak mobile data speeds of 21Mbps ... http://bit.ly/GGjHo1

SPTC offers to withdraw contentious mobile, fixed-wireless services

The Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) has reportedly made an offer to withdraw its ‘ONE ... http://bit.ly/GOJcm7

NTT’s Xi 4G service hits 2m subs

NTT DoCoMo has announced that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G cellular service Xi (pronounced ‘crossy’) hit th ... http://bit.ly/GMsvqO

TRA announces 2600MHz, other spectrum auctions

Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced a plan to award licences for paired spectru ... http://bit.ly/GH0yom

NBTC approves master plan; spectrum conditions favour TOT

The board of Thailand’s National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday approved the final ... http://bit.ly/GMsz9N

Finland cuts stake in TeliaSonera to 11.7%; bond sale could reduce holding to 9.5%

The government of Finland, via state fund Solidium, has cut its holding in Scandinavian telecoms giant TeliaSonera ... http://bit.ly/GPxhTn

Djezzy valuation completed; government and Vimpelcom now in talks

The Algerian government has decided on a valuation for Russian-owned firm Vimpelcom’s local cellular operator, Dj ... http://bit.ly/GMecVu

Sunrise revenues dip 1.8%

Swiss triple play provider Sunrise has reported revenues of CHF1.984 billion (USD2.178 billion) for the full year 2 ... http://bit.ly/GFmwUQ

Airtel and Idea accused of wrongly refusing port requests

Executives from Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular have joined Loop Mobile bosses called to appear before a Delhi Cour ... http://bit.ly/GGHoHZ

Ericsson to deploy 900MHz HSPA network for Softbank

The Japanese cellular operator Softbank Mobile has awarded Ericsson a contract to deploy a 900MHz evolved HSPA radi ... http://bit.ly/GMecVq

Polkomtel profits drop by 9.9%

Poland’s largest cellco by subscribers, Polkomtel has seen revenues for the full year 2011 slump by 4.7%, falling ... http://bit.ly/GFHTI4

IPKO reports EUR70 million revenues for 2011

Kosovar fixed line and mobile operator IPKO has announced revenues of EUR70.363 million (USD93.160 million) for 201 ... http://bit.ly/GIcbYU

Cubic and Vooz positive on IPTV; Buddy more cautious

Supersak na Nakhonphanom, the CEO of IPTV service provider Cubic Associates Group (Thailand), claims that the local ... http://bit.ly/GEuQmP

Watchdog cuts spectrum usage fees by 60%

The Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic (TU SR) has published a binding regulation which reduces usage ... http://bit.ly/GGjEJ3

CAIW picks Netadmin open access management platform

Dutch cable TV, broadband and telephony operator CAIW has selected Netadmin Systems to implement an open access man ... http://bit.ly/GMX1P1

Digicel Samoa launches ‘4G’ mobile broadband service

Digicel’s Samoan operating subsidiary has announced the launch of its new 4G mobile broadband network in the coun ... http://bit.ly/GLFTbS

EU unhappy at OPTA decision on FTTB access

Dow Jones Newswires writes that the European Commission (EU) is launching an investigation into a decision by the D ... http://bit.ly/GMeawS

Tata completes round-the-world cable network ring

India’s Tata Communications has announced the completion of what it claims to be the world's first wholly-owned r ... http://bit.ly/GFmvQI

Cisco and Avaya tighten their grip on the enterprise voice market

New data from TeleGeography partner Synergy Research Group show that enterprise voice equipment revenues reached US ... http://bit.ly/GMWWuK

EU racks up pressure on Hungary over contentious telecoms tax

The European Commission (EC) is expected to refer the government of Hungary to the European Court of Justice over i ... http://bit.ly/GMsvXE

SMC units looking to expand Filipino operations

Filipino telco Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc (ETPI) and its subsidiary Telecommunications Technologies ... http://bit.ly/GMWYTo

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Saudi regulator expects 12% growth in ICT spending this year

Saudi Arabia’s telecoms regulator, the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), has estimated ... http://bit.ly/GD9K9m

TelBru, govt set to collaborate on FTTH initiative

Brunei residents will be able to enjoy minimum download speeds of 5Mbps by 2013, following a joint fibre-to-the-hom ... http://bit.ly/GCQScY

Zero hour for ‘freemium’ WiMAX firm; free 4G access for one year up for grabs

Self-styled ‘freemium’ 4G provider NetZero has announced the launch of its pre-paid mobile WiMAX service, which ... http://bit.ly/GCIbMS

Get in Djibouti: PTO signs accord with Level 3 for internet services

Djibouti’s national fixed and mobile operator Djibouti Telecom (DT) has reportedly signed an accord with US-based ... http://bit.ly/GDiBeE

DTAC’s Wi-Fi service goes commercial

Thailand’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers DTAC has announced the launch of commercial Wi-Fi public ... http://bit.ly/GEiJLm

Velcom owner selects Procera for Belarusian fixed and mobile deployment

Telekom Austria Group (TAG), which owns Belarusian cellular operator Mobile Digital Communications (Velcom), has in ... http://bit.ly/GCGvBF

Fixed voice domestic, international traffic down 11%, 13%; mobile traffic up 1%

Slovenia’s Statistics Office has reported that fixed line voice traffic on domestic networks decreased by 11% to ... http://bit.ly/GDi1H4

Filipino cellcos predict surge in smartphone sales in 2012

The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes that the country’s main mobile operators are expecting a surge in sales of s ... http://bit.ly/GD9HKF

Ziggo sets IPO price at top end of range; aims to raise USD1.06bn

Dutch cableco Ziggo (Zesko Holding) has set the price of its initial public offering (IPO) at EUR18.50 (USD24.47) p ... http://bit.ly/GGraPs

Spectrum policy addresses 4G needs, but no timetable

Qatar’s telecoms regulator The Supreme Council for ICT (ictQATAR) has issued its Radio Spectrum Policy, under a r ... http://bit.ly/GGrcqo

Hondutel to benefit from USD10m Laticom investment

US-based IP telecoms company Laticom International plans to invest approximately USD10 million in Honduras’ state ... http://bit.ly/GDi45y

Rwandan government outlines latest phase of long-term ICT strategy

The government of Rwanda has launched the third phase of its National Information and Communication Infrastructure ... http://bit.ly/GGXcP7

Ministry shelves plans for Great (Fire)wall of Pakistan

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, Technology and Telecommunication (MITT) has reversed plans to install a URL b ... http://bit.ly/GDixf5

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Czech government looking to raise USD494m from mobile frequencies auction

The government of the Czech Republic hopes to raise a minimum CZK9.2 billion (USD494 million) for state coffers thr ... http://bit.ly/GAR10P

Eaton snatches up Warid infrastructure

Warid Telecom Uganda is reportedly planning to follow in the footsteps of rival cellco Orange Uganda and sell on it ... http://bit.ly/GAqjlp

HTHKH grows annual profits by 35%

Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings (HTHKH) has reported a 35% jump in annual net profits to HKD1.02 bi ... http://bit.ly/GCcCnK

CCK reports sluggish uptake as MNP anniversary approaches; just 54,616 numbers ported in 2011

According to AllAfrica.com citing statistics from the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), just 54,616 mobile ... http://bit.ly/GCFzhr

Antares to start testing LTE in Moscow?

Unknown Russian operator Antares is poised to commence testing of Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Moscow, according to ... http://bit.ly/GCpAkU

MVNO aims to put the ‘Chat’ amongst the pigeons

AppChat, the mobile voice specialist founded by former ECN Telecommunications CEO John Holdsworth, will launch as a ... http://bit.ly/GBV6S2

STC upgrades and expands with NSN

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has contracted Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to expand its nationwide 4G network and upg ... http://bit.ly/GApsos

Zayo Group snaps up AboveNet for USD2.2bn

Colorado-headquartered Zayo Group, a national provider of fibre-based bandwidth infrastructure and network-neutral ... http://bit.ly/GApsEV

Algar Telecom posts 10.2% rise in 2011 profits

Brazilian telecoms operator Algar Telecom has reported a 10.2% year-on-year rise in net profit to BRL144.4 million ... http://bit.ly/GAtJ89

Taiwan’s NCC sets out broadband development targets

National Communications Commission (NCC) chairperson Su Herng has outlined targets deemed necessary for ensuring th ... http://bit.ly/GBvIb7

LAP Green lodges petition with high court over seizure of Zamtel stake

In a petition filed in the Lusaka High Court LAP Green Network, the Libyan Investment Authority’s international t ... http://bit.ly/GBvFME

Vinaphone, MobiFone set to merge

State-run national PTO Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) is to merge its two wholly owned mobile ne ... http://bit.ly/GBV1xF

Globe Telecom plans to upgrade Davao 2G network to 3G/4G

The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes that Ayala Corp-backed Globe Telecom has launched a pilot programme designed t ... http://bit.ly/GAvYu7

TOT proposes 2.3GHz LTE, tower sharing strategies

Thai state-owned telco TOT has made a proposal to the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) ... http://bit.ly/GAIPrQ

Myanmar telecoms sector revamp on the cards

The government of Myanmar is considering opening up its telecoms market to foreign investment for the first time wi ... http://bit.ly/GB3Oyk

RCOM eyes submarine cable IPO

Reliance Communications (RCOM) has applied to list its submarine cable arm, Reliance Globalcom, on the Singapore bo ... http://bit.ly/GB3OOE

Monday, March 19, 2012

Brodacom introduces new unlimited on-net tariff

The Zimbabwean internet service provider (ISP) Brodacom is offering a new tariff which provides unlimited on-net vo ... http://bit.ly/zHSte8

Regulator sets MTRs for trio of French operators

The French telecoms regulator Arcep has submitted its proposed mobile termination rates (MTRs) for three operators ... http://bit.ly/AfWT2i

Bouygues fights back in French mobile price war

The French cellco Bouygues Telecom is lowering the price of some of its mid-range price plans in the face of stiff ... http://bit.ly/wg5hgy

IZZI hit with copyright non-payment lawsuit

The Latvian cable operator IZZI is facing legal action by the Latvian Performers and Producers Association (LaIPA) ... http://bit.ly/wHcnOV

Price may not be right for mobile market consolidation in Denmark

The Scandinavian telco TeliaSonera has been linked with a possible takeover bid for Danish mobile operator Hi3G Acc ... http://bit.ly/zJVUlM

Ghana wins African internet speed test

The US-based internet diagnostics firm Ookla has ranked Ghana as Africa’s number one country for internet downloa ... http://bit.ly/zE3Zwx

Russian railway telco makes a stop in HK

Russian long-distance network operator TransTeleCom (TTK) has set up a subsidiary in Hong Kong, with the intention ... http://bit.ly/ytGYuk

ER-Telecom concludes first phase of backbone rollout

Russian broadband provider ER-Telecom has reportedly completed the first stage of deployment of its independent bac ... http://bit.ly/FPHPmi

Ziggo increases size of IPO

Dutch cableco Ziggo (Zesko Holding) is increasing the number of shares it plans to sell during its upcoming initial ... http://bit.ly/FRdPJV

Communications minister reaffirms Tanzania ICT hub plan

Tanzania’s Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Makame Mbarawa, has reaffirmed plans to estab ... http://bit.ly/zQ8Zyn

Banglalion continues expansion, reaches Munshiganj

Bangladeshi WiMAX operator Banglalion Communications has announced the continuation of its network expansion in a p ... http://bit.ly/xbmX3q

Bell agrees CAD3.4bn takeover of Astral

Telecoms and pay-TV group Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) has agreed to acquire broadcasting content provider Astral ... http://bit.ly/yAjrxs

Bharti moves to eliminate dependence on diesel generators in Africa

The African arm of India’s Bharti Airtel has announced plans to eliminate dependence on diesel generators at its ... http://bit.ly/xBHjPo

TRAI moves against Loop for MNP infraction

The Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has moved to prosecute Loop Mobiles for rejecting customer reques ... http://bit.ly/AoVJdQ

ICT Ministry labels CAT, True 3G deal ‘illegal’

Thailand’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has decided that a 3G network deal made in Januar ... http://bit.ly/xo1rbh

Sprint pulls the plug on LightSquared tie-up; LTE firm tells FCC ‘we are not going away’

Sprint Nextel has confirmed that it has officially terminated its multi-billion dollar network-sharing agreement wi ... http://bit.ly/ygGoOV

Pecik keen to raise Telekom stake; shrugs off rumoured Telenor, China Mobile interest

An international consortium led by Viennese tycoon Ronny Pecik and Egyptian telecoms entrepreneur Naguib Sawiris ha ... http://bit.ly/FQMSVM

CTU to impose cut in termination fees in July, paper says

National telecoms watchdog the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) plans to cut termination fees for domestic tele ... http://bit.ly/zHaMAY

Anatel to launch study on use of 700MHz spectrum

Brazil’s telecoms regulator Anatel is looking to launch a study on the possible uses of the 700MHz spectrum in th ... http://bit.ly/FPATac

MTML Mauritius to launch 3G this year; government mulling Mauritius Telecom listing

Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) Ltd (MTML), the Mauritian mobile unit of India’s Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (M ... http://bit.ly/wSHGcH

Government to boost broadband take-up with digital initiative

The government of Antigua & Barbuda has announced its ‘Connect Antigua and Barbuda Biz’ initiative, which it ho ... http://bit.ly/wSVVEH

PLDT in push for SME customers, paper says

Filipino newspaper the Business Mirror writes that the country’s dominant operator, Philippine Long Distance Tele ... http://bit.ly/FVLmMn

Ireland inches closer to 4G wireless spectrum auction

SiliconRepublic reports that Ireland’s national telecoms regulator ComReg has revealed further details about the ... http://bit.ly/yuStEy

Etisalat launches 3G network in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has reportedly seen the launch of its first 3G network according to local news source Outlook Afghanist ... http://bit.ly/AnpPmQ

NCC looks to free up 2.5GHz spectrum

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is seeking to reclaim unused spectrum in the 2.5GHz band from the Nati ... http://bit.ly/FPHMqz

Friday, March 16, 2012

Korek anxious for 3G frequencies

Iraqi mobile operator Korek Telecom has bemoaned the slow progress of national telecoms regulator the Communication ... http://bit.ly/Awxx9k

Videotron to trump Bell with 200Mbps service in May

Canadian cableco Videotron has announced that it will launch a new, faster broadband service with download speeds o ... http://bit.ly/xi22hh

HAKOM holds tender for remote broadband rollouts

The Croatian Postal & Electronic Communications Agency (HAKOM) yesterday announced a public tender for the award of ... http://bit.ly/zYi2nr

PLDT’s Smart unit secures PHP5.5bn loan for debt refinancing

Smart Communications, the mobile arm of Filipino telecoms powerhouse Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PL ... http://bit.ly/wwmVJV

DT teams up with Airbus, Alca-Lu to test LTE-based in-flight services

German telecoms operator Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced it has successfully carried out tests of direct data c ... http://bit.ly/xS1qBI

NCC chair calls for asymmetrical legislation for Chunghwa

Su Herng, chairperson of Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) has reportedly claimed that issues ove ... http://bit.ly/yIpO3w

Judge dismisses RCN submarine cable landing plan

Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN) has lost the court case relating to its attempt to obtain a submarine cable l ... http://bit.ly/xWkNY4

VHA to be offered for sale?

Australian mobile network operator Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) could be put up for sale, The Australian repo ... http://bit.ly/AlG4gr

Optus concludes Bendigo 700MHz LTE trials

Australian mobile network operator Optus has announced that it has concluded a trial of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE ... http://bit.ly/w2NUxP

DoT issues ISP licence to Qualcomm

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has finally issued US-based chipmaker Qualcomm with a long-delayed ... http://bit.ly/xsq8Uv

Metroweb outlines 30 city FTTH scheme costing EUR4.5bn

Milan-based metropolitan fibre-optic operator Metroweb has told a parliamentary committee that it plans to initiate ... http://bit.ly/xnNkqo

Telcel LTE goes commercial next month

Mexican mobile network operator Telcel, a unit of Latin American telecoms giant America Movil (AM), is expected to ... http://bit.ly/xTF3hM

Netpage launches WiMAX wireless broadband service

Netpage has launched a new WiMAX-based wireless broadband service in Gambia, under the banner ‘4G Max Evolution ... http://bit.ly/wRAO71

Second LTE mobile network in Japan launched by eMobile

Japanese telecoms group eAccess, which offers wireless services through its recently reintegrated eMobile unit, has ... http://bit.ly/zeUzJ7

Thursday, March 15, 2012

TM details plans for second phase of HSBB rollout as it inks deal with REDtone

Malaysia’s fixed line incumbent Telekom Malaysia (TM) has revealed that it is planning to roll out the next phase ... http://bit.ly/xEXiMF

ancotel chosen by CWW as EPEG terrestrial landing station

Network neutral interconnection company ancotel has announced that its data centre in Frankfurt, Germany has been s ... http://bit.ly/zx2KuA

Bezeq cites MTR reductions as primary driver for revenue declines in 2011

Israeli telco Bezeq has released its financial results for the financial year ended 31 December 2011, revealing a 5 ... http://bit.ly/zDqEBf

Azerfon extends Vodafone partnership to Nar Mobile brand

Azeri mobile operator Azerfon is extending its partnership agreement with UK-based telecoms group Vodafone to incor ... http://bit.ly/xJsmId

Cricket Communications goes in to bat for Clearwire; five-year LTE wholesale deal agreed

US WiMAX-turned-Long Term Evolution (LTE) operator Clearwire has confirmed that Cricket Communications, the budget- ... http://bit.ly/yc3gZU

Kentucky fried IPTV feud rumbles on: Mediacom points the finger; AT licks its wounds

According to FierceIPTV, Mediacom Southeast's running battle to stop ATT Inc from deploying its ‘U-verse’ IPTV ... http://bit.ly/Avvy74

Sale process update: Eircom backs senior lenders’ proposal ‘in principle’

Ireland’s under pressure former monopoly operator Eircom yesterday released a sale process update, announcing tha ... http://bit.ly/xUSOC2

PLDT, Smart announce completion of Pampanga, Bulacan network modernisation

Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company (PLDT) and its mobile arm Smart Telecommunications have announced th ... http://bit.ly/whCxhw

ANCOM reveals price-tags for LTE spectrum; final documents expected by 1 May

Romanian telecoms regulator the National Authority for Management and Regulation of Communications (ANCOM) has decl ... http://bit.ly/wVC6ww

No winter of discontent for MegaFon, Rostelecom; duo set to be awarded LTE spectrum for 2014 Olympics

According to an unconfirmed report by Vedomosti, the Russian government is considering issuing MegaFon and Rostelec ... http://bit.ly/x0lSOT

Frequency fracas as Safaricom threatens to quit LTE consortium

The Kenyan government’s plans to roll out a national ‘open access’ Long Term Evolution (LTE) network have bee ... http://bit.ly/yjCbp3

Netia sees growth on the back of 2011 acquisitions

Poland’s third largest broadband provider, Netia has reported fourth-quarter and end-year results for 2011, recor ... http://bit.ly/yiPxw0

Orange Uganda inks leaseback deal with Eaton

France Telecom (FT) subsidiary Orange Uganda has signed a 15 year leaseback deal with African towerco, Eaton Towers ... http://bit.ly/z1q5ov

Industry wants less taxation to reward telco investment

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications is calling for tax incentives for the telecoms industry to avoid market sta ... http://bit.ly/y0YfdK

Zain inks global Wi-Fi deal with iPass

The Kuwait-based mobile communications group Zain has signed a deal with Wi-Fi hotspot roaming aggregator iPass whi ... http://bit.ly/xqCPVE

CWC completes sale of its 49% stake in FINTEL

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) today announced that it has completed the sale of its 49% stake in Fiji Inter ... http://bit.ly/AmAPHW

FASTtelco to debut IPTV in Kuwait

The Kuwaiti operator FASTtelco has launched a new Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service using Apple's H ... http://bit.ly/AzWxa7

Telia introduces LTE tablets

Telia Denmark has announced the launch of its first Long Term Evolution (LTE) compatible tablet computer on its net ... http://bit.ly/zAt7xf

EU antitrust body to question five major telcos, no investigation as yet

Reuters reports that European Union (EU) antitrust regulators yesterday announced that they have requested informat ... http://bit.ly/zpTy9c

STI buys stake in Bakrie Telecom

Indonesia’s fourth largest telco by subscribers Bakrie Telecom has sold a 10% stake in the company to Sampoerna ... http://bit.ly/ADDH7y

TCRA reports 25.83m fixed and mobile users at end-2011

Data just released by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) shows that the country was home to a ... http://bit.ly/wdmM2c

T-Mobile CR launches DC-HSPA+ service

T-Mobile’s Czech subsidiary has unveiled dual-carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) technology on its 3G networks in the count ... http://bit.ly/yzvYjA

Number portability to kick off on 30 March

Argentina’s president Cristina Kirchner has said that number portability (NP), which enables a subscriber to reta ... http://bit.ly/ADbTIc

Government allows full foreign ownership of smaller telcos; sets 4G spectrum cap for auction in H1 2013

Canada’s Industry Minister, Christian Paradis, yesterday announced that the federal government will remove foreig ... http://bit.ly/wxwxLj

US remains at forefront of LTE service adoption

New data from TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database reveal that the United States remains at the forefront of Long ... http://bit.ly/Amg42n

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Optus calls on Huawei for Newcastle LTE rollout

Australia’s second largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Optus, has selected Chinese vendor Huawei Tech ... http://bit.ly/zB0Lxc

DoCoMo hits subscriber milestone

Japan’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, NTT DoCoMo, has announced that its customer base passed the 60 mi ... http://bit.ly/ADaAOd

Dirty dozen? AT set to clean up with twelve new LTE markets

US cellco ATT has announced that it intends to expand the coverage of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to twel ... http://bit.ly/wPMVJy

Openreach reveals plans to introduce 80Mbps FTTC downlink speeds from April

Openreach, the infrastructure arm of British fixed line incumbent BT, has announced that it expects to double the d ... http://bit.ly/xSaMe0

Mobily deploys M2M solution from Gemalto

Saudi Arabian telco Mobily has signed a contract with digital security firm Gemalto for the provision of machine-to ... http://bit.ly/yloaz6

MTN Ghana targets 11m subs this year

Cellular operator MTN Ghana has announced plans to invest USD134 million this year to expand its infrastructure as ... http://bit.ly/A4hySu

Congolese court rejects Vodacom appeal; SA firm ordered to pay consultant USD21m

South Africa’s Vodacom Group has been ordered to pay former consultant Moto Mabanga USD21 million after losing an ... http://bit.ly/wrIlCm

Telecom NZ inks Christchurch UFB wholesale deal with Enable

Telecom New Zealand has announced that it has signed a wholesale services agreement with Enable Networks to re-sell ... http://bit.ly/zeG4B3

Taiwanese Cabinet ratifies 4G timetable

Having set out its provisional timeline for the issuing of fourth-generation concessions last month, Taiwan’s Nat ... http://bit.ly/z1rLyZ

DT partners with energy provider for fibre network in Chemnitz

Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced it is teaming up with municipal energy provider eins energie in sachsen for the ... http://bit.ly/AwWwOb

UPC keen to take over Multimedia

Liberty Global, parent company of Polish cableco UPC Poland is interested in snapping up another rival, Multimedia ... http://bit.ly/AwNK2m

ArmenTel reports rising mobile, broadband subscribers

Armenian fixed and mobile operator reported strong subscriber gains in both mobile and fixed broadband users, helpi ... http://bit.ly/yAWLI6

China Mobile to take part in Pakistan’s 3G auction

China Mobile has reportedly confirmed its interest in participating in Pakistan’s long-delayed 3G spectrum auctio ... http://bit.ly/wPlGnR

Telefonica to halt marketing of Alice TV

Telefonica Germany (O2), the local subsidiary of Spanish telecoms group Telefonica, has decided that it will no lon ... http://bit.ly/zvWKLS

Ofcom backs Everything Everywhere plan to use 1800MHz band for LTE

Hot on the heels of reports earlier this week that saw Everything Everywhere declare it could be ready to launch 4G ... http://bit.ly/xaqzfs

Bell switches on FTTH across Quebec City

Bell Canada has announced that fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services are now available across Quebec City following an ... http://bit.ly/xx7G9W

Tele2 tests LTE in Omsk; anxious to hitch a ride on the 4G bandwagon as auction looms

Swedish-owned mobile operator Tele2 Russia has announced that it has commenced testing of Long Term Evolution (LTE) ... http://bit.ly/ygC2FX

Unitech told to buy-out or sell-out

India’s Company Law Board (CLB) has given Unitech until 19 March to decide either to sell its 33% stake in Uninor ... http://bit.ly/y6mvV3

Djibouti Telecom, TI Sparkle restore global internet access following recent triple submarine cables outage

In a press release, national PTO Djibouti Telecom (DT) and TI Sparkle have announced that they have been able to qu ... http://bit.ly/zeEZGR

ComReg Q4 report highlights ‘strong growth in take-up of smartphone and tablet PCs’

Ireland’s national telecoms regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), yesterday released ... http://bit.ly/zanimU

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

WiMAX operator Enforta poised to test LTE in Kemerovo?

According to an unconfirmed report by Telecompaper, Russian WiMAX operator Enforta will start to test Long Term Evo ... http://bit.ly/ysMwB2

Ad agency attracts controversy for using homeless people as Wi-Fi hotspots at SXSW

According to US website Pitchfork.com, advertising agency BBH has caused a stir at the annual SXSW music festival i ... http://bit.ly/vZUBzh

PT confirms LTE launch

Portugal Telecom (PT) has announced the launch of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, with CEO Zeinal Bava makin ... http://bit.ly/yLKbYe

Clearwire unconcerned by rumoured China Mobile TD-LTE licensing issues

US WiMAX-turned-Long Term Evolution (LTE) operator Clearwire has confirmed that its plans to deploy a Time Division ... http://bit.ly/zrBzaT

Vimpelcom FY11 revenues up 7% to USD23.46bn; subscriber base up 13% to 205 million

Amsterdam-based telecoms group Vimpelcom has announced revenues of USD23.46 billion for the twelve months ended 31 ... http://bit.ly/z7n3jt

Etisalat looking to offload stake in Indonesia’s XL Axiata, sources say

Reuters quotes unnamed sources as saying that UAE-based telecoms group Etisalat is planning to sell its 13.29% equi ... http://bit.ly/ypQmIg

CLB to arbitrate Uninor row

India’s Company Law Board (CLB) will today hear cross petitions from Norway’s Telenor and its local partner Uni ... http://bit.ly/wx20sy

Forthnet’s Q4 revenue falls 1.7%, but FY11 figure up y-o-y

Forthnet, Greece’s largest alternative broadband provider by subscribers, says that despite the bad macroeconomic ... http://bit.ly/zu8ehJ

Alcatel-Lucent to roll out 3G network for CNT

Alcatel-Lucent has announced the deployment of a new 3G network for Corporacion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT ... http://bit.ly/A4flJ7

PLDT looking to save PHP8bn in CAPEX through Digitel purchase

The Manila Standard Today quotes Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) president Napeleon Nazareno as s ... http://bit.ly/y5Q20Z

DoT sketches timeline for 2G tenders

A spokesperson for India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said that the regulator expects to be in a ... http://bit.ly/wICmKE

Bharti set to launch 4G by end-March?

India’s largest cellco by subscribers, Bharti Airtel, may launch 4G services in Kolkata by 20 March, according to ... http://bit.ly/AkjNMa

Globacom awards wireless backhaul contract to Ceragon

Ceragon Networks has announced the signing of a USD6 million contract with Nigerian mobile operator Globacom for th ... http://bit.ly/yzNsDn

1.5 million SIM cards deactivated as part of registration process

Ghana's telecoms regulator, the National Communication Authority (NCA), has confirmed that more than 1.5 million mo ... http://bit.ly/z7W8ey

Asset management group linked to Eircom bid

The Irish Independent newspaper writes that the asset management firm Blackstone Group is preparing to table a bid ... http://bit.ly/AjKuZZ

United Internet FY11 revenue up 9.8%

United Internet, which provides internet access under the brand name 1&1, has reported a 9.8% year-on-year rise in ... http://bit.ly/yY6O7L

Irancell: talks between MTN and Turkcell collapse

The South African mobile operator group MTN has accused Turkish firm Turkcell of making ‘extortionate demands for ... http://bit.ly/wiD2Aj

LIME refreshes wireless sector with ‘4G’ rollout

UK-based wireless operator LIME has announced a limited rollout of ‘4G’ services in Jamaica. Original post:O ... http://bit.ly/Ash1yS

Azerfon brings 3G to parts of the Baku Metro

Azeri mobile operator Azerfon, which provides mobile services under the Nar Mobile brand, has announced the launch ... http://bit.ly/zTgdIF

MTS posts strong 2011 results

Russian giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has posted revenues of USD12.3 billion for the year ending December 2011, up ... http://bit.ly/AoVPXa

Monday, March 12, 2012

GrameenPhone fine story inaccurate

Bangladesh’s largest mobile operator by subscribers GrameenPhone has pointed out that an online report (12 March ... http://bit.ly/y35HDE

Iran and Iraq discuss telecoms ties

Communications ministers from Iran and Iraq have met to discuss the possibility of strengthening cooperation betwee ... http://bit.ly/yomejt

CCB leads bidding for Vivacom report suggests

The Bulgarian financial institution Corporate Commercial Bank (CCB) and its UK-based partner VTB Capital are though ... http://bit.ly/Ai61GY

Econet gets a million mobile money users

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has revealed that it has signed up one million users to its EcoCash mobile money service, ... http://bit.ly/zFbdZw

FT-Orange invests in venture capital partnership

France Telecom-Orange has announced that it is joining with global advertising group Publicis to jointly acquire a ... http://bit.ly/zNCWDf

Copaco abandons rumoured Cablevision tie-up; Tigo linked with USD150m bid for 80%

According to La Nacion, Paraguayan state-owned telco Copaco has distanced itself from the mooted acquisition of loc ... http://bit.ly/w7wRaz

USAID helps CCK develop broadband, universal service plans

The US government will extend technical assistance to Kenya in developing ICT strategies relating to broadband depl ... http://bit.ly/wRZlIh

Ghana gives unregistered mobile users a one-month reprieve

Ghana’s telecoms regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), has given unregistered mobile phone user ... http://bit.ly/Az87hy

FT and Vodafone deny 3G rumours

Several foreign telcos, previously tipped as potential bidders for Pakistan’s 3G licences have quashed the rumour ... http://bit.ly/xFmIV5

Are LTE licences set to be awarded on 20 March? Optimus network up and running

Portuguese business daily Economico has reported that national telecoms regulator ANACOM is set to belatedly distri ... http://bit.ly/yzp8rg

CTM forecasts Cloud development

UK-owned Cable & Wireless Communications’ unit in Macau, Companhia de Telecomunicaçoes de Macau (CTM), has coll ... http://bit.ly/AcF79u

MTN agrees to pay UGX19 billion tax bill

South African-based cellco MTN Uganda has agreed to pay UGX19 billion (USD7.65 million) to the Uganda Revenue Autho ... http://bit.ly/xYoRgP

Anatel commissioner targets 80% fall in mobile rates by 2018

Bloomberg quotes Emilia Ribeiro, commissioner of Brazil’s telecoms watchdog Anatel, as saying that mobile interco ... http://bit.ly/xcgp6y

CRTC tightens up VoIP regulations

In a decision issued last Wednesday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has tol ... http://bit.ly/wbm0HL

GrameenPhone gets another VoIP fine

Bangladesh’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, GrameenPhone (GP) has been fined USD24.5 million for illegal ... http://bit.ly/x7dKmh

Eircom to plough on with EUR400m broadband plan; ailing firm seeks white knight

The Irish Independent newspaper reports that ailing former monopoly Eircom hopes to avoid implementing another roun ... http://bit.ly/w6XV4J

UPC crosses the RubiCom with Hungarian purchase

Liberty Global’s Hungarian pay-TV, broadband and fixed voice subsidiary UPC Hungary, has been given the green lig ... http://bit.ly/wK9smr

Vodafone given more time to decide on CWW bid

Vodafone has been given until 29 March to decide whether to bid for Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), reports Reute ... http://bit.ly/zmWeYZ

Nawras demos LTE

Oman’s second national telecoms operator Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company, also known as Nawras, has publi ... http://bit.ly/y0DyLk

Everything Everywhere seeks permission to launch 1800MHz LTE

Everything Everywhere has declared that it is ready to launch 4G services in the UK before the end of 2012, providi ... http://bit.ly/zJBlFG

Friday, March 9, 2012

C Spire to launch LTE in 20 Mississippi markets in September

Regional wireless operator C Spire Wireless (formerly Cellular South) will launch Long Term Evolution (LTE) service ... http://bit.ly/wUooik

PTA pushes 3G auction back

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has postponed the planned tender of 3G licences, though the explanat ... http://bit.ly/xsRelA

TRAI releases consultation paper on 2G auction

Indian telecoms watchdog the Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper inviti ... http://bit.ly/xE3ImI

MTN Group targets ‘bolt-on’ deals inside ‘comfort zone’; Angola and Ethiopia pinpointed

South African mobile giant MTN Group has declared its intention to expand its footprint in Africa and the Middle Ea ... http://bit.ly/Aw42Zl

Government still at loggerheads with RCN over submarine cable; court decision slated for 14 March

According to the Sint Maarten Daily Herald, a judge will make a decision on Wednesday 14 March regarding the case b ... http://bit.ly/xEDtIH

Iliad’s Free Mobile to up FY12 network spend

French start-up Free Mobile, backed by the Iliad Group, says it will invest EUR250 million (USD336 million) in its ... http://bit.ly/yyP8Vy

Ziggo sets out its stall for IPO; aims to raise up to EUR745m

Dutch cable TV and broadband internet provider Ziggo (Zesko Holding) is launching an initial public offering (IPO) ... http://bit.ly/wR37BX

La Usina is latest co-op to launch Nuestro MVNO service

Usicom, a unit of an Argentine public services cooperative La Usina which operates in the city of Tandil in Buenos ... http://bit.ly/xrTTMh

ComReg’s auction of 4G spectrum ‘imminent’, but telcos’ frustration grows

Ireland’s national telecoms regulator ComReg says it will soon auction 28 blocks of spectrum for new wireless lic ... http://bit.ly/wHMIpK

TeliaSonera reaches 100,000 LTE users; prepares for upsurge this year

Swedish group TeliaSonera has reached over 100,000 users of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband netwo ... http://bit.ly/ynKnEJ

CST launches 3G network

Portugal Telecom’s subsidiary in Sao Tome and Principe, Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes (CST), has annou ... http://bit.ly/yDSMcG

Ventelo announces organisational restructure

Norwegian telecoms operator Ventelo has announced a corporate restructuring which will see it break its operations ... http://bit.ly/AbNXaT

LG Uplus eyes voice-over-LTE launch in October 2012

South Korea’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers, LG Uplus, has said that it expects to launch voice ... http://bit.ly/xUAaff

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Credit Suisse pays more than expected for Google’s 6.5% Clearwire stake

Zurich-based financial services company Credit Suisse Group h?? acquired Google Inc’s minority stake ?n US WiMAX ... http://bit.ly/yFbPUA

Brown on all sides: Cooks to stir up interest, feed appetite for telecoms

Cook Islands telecoms minister Mark Brown has met with service providers, retailers and user groups to discuss ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCPKAH

MVS claims its rejected spectrum renewal bid was worth USD340 million

Mexican media company MVS Telecomunicaciones has claimed that it offered the government USD340 million with a view ... http://bit.ly/ydnnAd

P1 unveils three-year development plan

Malaysian WiMAX operator Packet One Networks (P1) has revealed plans to launch fixed line fibre-optic based broadba ... http://bit.ly/wDxgwh

Ofcom confirms new wholesale fixed line charges

Having last month notified the European Commission (EC) regarding provisional new charge controls for a number of w ... http://bit.ly/xcAZke

Softbank gets green light for 900MHz network plan

The Japanese telco Softbank has received approval for its plan to deploy base stations operating in its newly-licen ... http://bit.ly/AlbsIt

Uganda to return Libyan assets

The Ugandan government has announced that Libyan assets that were seized last year in line with UN sanctions agains ... http://bit.ly/zj0WK4

CAT’s 3G wholesale business the mainstay of revenue growth strategy

Thai state-run CAT Telecom is targeting a rise in total revenues from approximately THB51.3 billion (USD1.7 billion ... http://bit.ly/watfmN

FT commits to USD150 million spend at Orange Dominicana

Orange Dominicana, the France Telecom (FT)-owned operator in the Dominican Republic (DR), is set to spend around US ... http://bit.ly/zAr36T

NTP to be reviewed by cabinet; irks US traders

The final version of India’s National Telecom Policy 2012 (NTP) is expected to be presented to the cabinet for ap ... http://bit.ly/w4weFp

UKE sketches plans for 2013

The president of Polish telecoms regulator the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), Magdalena Gaj has said th ... http://bit.ly/wTyKj0

SFR could cut jobs to offset losses from Free Mobile migrations

France’s second largest cellular operator by subscribers SFR has said that it may need to cut up to 500 jobs to c ... http://bit.ly/wwNXQi

MTC reaches 2m users; sales up 3.2%; 4G ‘in next few months’

Namibia’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Mobile Telecommunications (MTC), has announced that it reac ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCNBmH

Vivendi’s Philippe Capron forecasts 35% rise in GVT revenue this year

Vivendi chief financial officer Philippe Capron says he expects the group’s Brazilian asset Global Village Teleco ... http://bit.ly/xwZyLk

Vimpelcom slashes international roaming rates in 62 countries

Russian mobile giant Vimpelcom has announced that it has cut international roaming charges in a total of 62 countri ... http://bit.ly/A7U4Gx

Frustrated MTN boss lashes out at ICASA over LTE spectrum stalemate

MTN South Africa MD Karel Pienaar has publicly voiced his dissatisfaction over telecoms watchdog ICASA’s handling ... http://bit.ly/zXsinG

Ireland poised to get More Mobile, but will anyone want it?

Prepaidmvno.com reports that another newcomer could be preparing to enter the Republic of Ireland’s crowded mobil ... http://bit.ly/yTeU4I

StarHub inks improved roaming deal with Vodafone

Singaporean integrated fixed and mobile operator StarHub will be able to offer its customers improved data roaming ... http://bit.ly/y0FWpq

Azerbaijan segment of EPEG close to completion

Construction of the Azerbaijani segment of a new fibre-optic international gateway system, which links Oman to Fran ... http://bit.ly/w0aQT3

Regulator concludes 4G licensing evaluation; aiming for fourth operator

The Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic (TU SR) has presented its evaluation of operators’ responses ... http://bit.ly/xYLgwd

Irish altnet Digiweb launching 30Mbps broadband

Irish broadband provider Digiweb is launching a high speed 30Mbps internet service covering an addressable market o ... http://bit.ly/wp5PYt

Telebras provides details of new submarine cable network

Brazilian state-controlled telecoms group Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras (Telebras) has provided details of a new sub ... http://bit.ly/A1VHAq

Iliad posts 4.1% sales growth in 2011

The French telecoms group Iliad has announced a 4.1% rise in revenues in 2011 to EUR2.12 billion (USD2.87 billion), ... http://bit.ly/zoK6Yz

DT achieves 512Gbps over fibre-optic network

German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced that researchers at its Telekom Innovation Laboratories ( ... http://bit.ly/xlENrw

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Rwandan government moves to protect internet connectivity

Rwanda’s telecoms watchdog, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), has moved to assist internet us ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCL2rt

CMT stands its ground regarding MTR reduction plan

Spain’s Comision del Mercado de las Telecomunicacinoes (CMT) has rejected a call by the European Commission (EC) ... http://bit.ly/xB0box

Egypt’s telecoms minister says MVNO licence sale likely within four weeks

The Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mohamed Salem, has reportedly indicated that th ... http://bit.ly/AywE3p

Telstra inks Definitive Agreements for NBN participation

Australian fixed line incumbent Telstra has announced that it has finalised its Definitive Agreements with NBN Co a ... http://bit.ly/z8aWJp

Regulator enforces decision on 35% fixed network interconnection reduction

The Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic (TU SR) has imposed a final decision (originally issued on ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCkKBc

ArmenTel slashes internet prices for corporate users

National fixed and broadband operator ArmenTel, which offers services under the Beeline banner, has announced a ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCP289

Government close to finalising valuation of Djezzy stake

The Algerian government has revealed that it is hoping to have fixed a valuation on the country’s largest mob ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCNyJ4

int@j pushes government to increase internet penetration

The ICT Association of Jordan (int@j) is calling for the government to raise awareness of the potential of the inte ... http://bit.ly/AvrF2i

STC would welcome MVNO partner

Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the dominant fixed line and wireless operator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has reve ... http://bit.ly/yJ56HG

Nawras secures USD149m funding deal

Oman’s second national telecoms operator Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company, also known as Nawras, has annou ... http://bit.ly/ylGnLx

Verizon targets rural customers with ‘HomeFusion’ LTE solution; anticipates five-fold increase in LTE data traffic by 2015

Verizon Wireless has announced the introduction of ‘HomeFusion Broadband’, a new service that leverages its Lon ... http://bit.ly/xSbhdR

Sistema expands 3G footprint

Russian-backed telco Sistema Shyam TeleServices, which operates under the MTS India brand, has expanded its wireles ... http://bit.ly/A6e0KD

Neotel confirms LTE trial in Midrand

According to MyBroadband.co.za South Africa’s second national operator (SNO) Neotel is currently testing a number ... http://bit.ly/zCHTQF

PLDT will return CURE 3G licence by July

Napoloen Nazareno, the president of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), says his firm is on course t ... http://bit.ly/xdUGS5

Turkcell confirms Vivacom bid

The Turkish mobile operator Turkcell has confirmed that it has entered a bid to acquire a 93.99% stake in the Bulga ... http://bit.ly/yIR9Iw

Embratel jumps on the corporate restructuring bandwagon

Brazilian telecoms group Embratel Participacoes yesterday revealed plans to embark on a major corporate restructuri ... http://bit.ly/xBhQr6

MTN Liberia launches mobile internet drive

The New Dawn newspaper reports that MTN Liberia (formerly Lonestar Communications) has launched its ‘Internet for ... http://bit.ly/z1nEEM

MTN FY11 revenues increase 6% to ZAR121.9bn; consolidated subscriber base reaches 164.5m

South Africa-based MTN Group has unveiled its financial results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2011, repor ... http://bit.ly/wXrxrY

Sprint poised to terminate network-sharing deal with stricken LightSquared

US telecoms giant Sprint Nextel plans to end a multi-billion dollar network-sharing agreement with struggling open- ... http://bit.ly/zdD4OS

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

True aims to quadruple 3G base in 2012

Thailand’s True Corp ended 2011 with a 3G mobile subscriber base approaching roughly 900,000, revealed the chief ... http://bit.ly/zGwqSF

UCC launches SIM registration scheme

Uganda’s telecoms watchdog, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched a SIM registration progra ... http://p.ost.im/p/eC97dV

Une looks to sign up 180,000 LTE subscribers in first year

Colombian state-owned cellco Une-EPM expects to sign up between 120,000 and 180,000 customers to its Long Term Evol ... http://bit.ly/xDwa4a

Future is Orange for Solidere

Lebanon’s Daily Star reports that France-based Orange Business Services and Beirut property developer and fib ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCULUf

Israeli MoC eyeing reduced internet access prices?

Israel’s Ministry of Communications (MoC) is reportedly set to launch a public hearing ahead of issuing a dec ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCrufX

Telstra reaches first Next G wholesale agreement

Telstra, Australia’s largest mobile network operator by subscribers, has revealed that it has inked the first ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCkFvK

Aptics launches WiMAX and VoIP in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a new internet service provider (ISP) and voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony operator i ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCMPwg

Cyta expects slump in profits in 2012

The state-owned Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta), which is the dominant fixed line and wireless opera ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCxgD3

Osnova sounds LTE battle-cry; is MoD-backed start-up now armed with a 4G licence?

According to unconfirmed local press reports, controversial Russian start-up Osnova Telekom was quietly granted ... http://p.ost.im/p/eCDvfY

Splashdown for big MVNO in a small ‘Pond’

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) start-up Pond Mobile has confirmed that it has launched services in Russia, ... http://bit.ly/xhvoU2

France Telecom in line for Free payday

France Telecom-Orange says it may receive more than the expected EUR1 billion (USD1.32 billion) roaming revenue ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQEPh4

ICASA bows to operator pressure; postpones 800MHz, 2.6GHz spectrum auction until further notice

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has postponed the licensing of spectrum suitable f ... http://bit.ly/yXvMWb

Telia, Vodafone follow Tele2’s LTE handset launch

TeliaSonera Sweden (Telia) has announced the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone on its 2600MHz Long T ... http://bit.ly/xFDQhE

Du revenue up 25% in 2011 on growing subs, data usage

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (Du), the UAE’s second national telecoms operator, has announced i ... http://bit.ly/AvDw5J

Telefonica Brazil to rebrand as Vivo from April

Telefonica Brazil (including Telesp), part of Spanish-owned Telefonica Group, has announced that it will change its ... http://bit.ly/A5prvJ

Indosat reports a 29% rise in 2011 net profit

Indonesia’s second largest telecoms service provider by subscribers and revenue, PT Indosat, has reported a 29% i ... http://bit.ly/whRwSy

Minister calls for radical overhaul of CTU

Online news journal CzechPosition.com reports that Czech industry minister Martin Kuba is calling for structural ch ... http://bit.ly/yNzhnU

PLDT Q4 net income plummets 87%

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), the country’s largest telco by subscribers and revenue, says n ... http://bit.ly/x4J4mI

Monday, March 5, 2012

DoT challenges Supreme Court 2G ruling

Indian telecoms regulator the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has submitted a review petition to the Supreme ... http://bit.ly/AqXhBd

SingTel announces corporate shake-up; acquires mobile advertising firm Amobee

Southeast Asia's largest telecoms company by subscribers and revenue, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel), h ... http://bit.ly/w835VO

Namibia’s MTC says fibre permission delays dog 4G plans

Namibian cellco Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) says it is facing further obstacles in its already-delayed plans to ... http://bit.ly/yLRG1h

MCMC eyes 50% broadband penetration in Pahang by end-March 2012

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has said that it is confident of meeting its self-imp ... http://bit.ly/Ap3CvH

Triple T earns 67% of Jasmine’s revenues

Thai communications group Jasmine International has released its audited financial statement for 2011, which sh ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQTJK9

Digicel drops cross-network tariffs, further squeezing LIME

Jamaica’s largest cellco by subscribers Digicel Jamaica has cut cross-network tariffs to JMD8.99 per minute f ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQsXsJ

World gone sour? Media pressure forces LIME to reveal HSPA+ transition plans

In an emailed statement to Virgin Islands News Online, LIME Virgin Islands (UK) general manager Sean Auguste ha ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQ7kYX

Aquiva launching VoIP in April

Zimbabwean ISP Aquiva Wireless will become the latest company to launch voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) tel ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQ3bE5

Turkcell saga has another twist in the tail; British Privy Council quash costly Caribbean ruling

Mehmet Emin Karamehmet, owner of Turkey’s Cukurova Holding, has regained the upper hand in his tug-of-war wit ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQsYwQ

Vivendi chief criticises Orange/Free Mobile roaming deal

The chief executive of French media and communications group Vivendi has criticised France Telecom-Orange’s roami ... http://bit.ly/wIjjmK

2m WiMAX users at UQ Communications

Japanese mobile broadband provider UQ Communications has announced reaching two milestones in its WiMAX-based o ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQseKa

Turkcell denies USD1.4 billion Bulgaria bid

The Turkish mobile operator Turkcell has still to decide on whether it will bid for a stake in the Bulgarian telco ... http://bit.ly/zgZ9KH

MoIC decision on new fibre-optic programme coming ‘soon’

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) of Nepal says it is close to making an announcement concernin ... http://bit.ly/xCxB92

T-Mobile CR to shut down UMTS-TDD service from 31 May

T-Mobile’s Czech unit has announced that it is shutting down operations of its UMTS-TDD network, offered under th ... http://bit.ly/zut0MD

NTC gives Honduran mobile users 80 days to complete SIM registration

Honduras’ newspaper La Prensa writes that all mobile users in the country must register their mobile cell phone n ... http://bit.ly/w3ddzy

FCC places DISH spectrum waiver on the backburner

US telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has confirmed that it is delaying its decision on ... http://bit.ly/zGpNbA

Qtel consolidated profit up 11.6%

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has posted an 11.6% rise in annual net profits, reporting a consolidated figure of QAR2.6 bill ... http://bit.ly/ApiuAi

Friday, March 2, 2012

Concession reform faces opposition from telco unions

The Bangkok Post reports that Thai state-run telco TOT's labour union is seeking 12,000 employee signatures by ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQGjFA

No more PHS services, concludes OFTA

Following a consultation, Hong Kong regulator OFTA has concluded that the frequency allocation for PHS services ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQENck

Telekom Slovenije EBITDA up 3% on 2% sales drop

Slovenian and southeast Europe communications group Telekom Slovenije has posted a 3% increase in annual consolidat ... http://bit.ly/yIDmur

Indebted TT’s net loss narrows; fixed line revenues continue to slide

TTT, the Thai provincial fixed line operator currently undergoing a debt restructuring programme, has posted a ... http://p.ost.im/p/eQ3kk4

TRA invites expressions of interest in unallocated 1900MHz-2170MHz

Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued an invitation for expressions of interest in p ... http://bit.ly/xmNaut

TeliaSonera acquires open network provider Svenska Stadsnat

TeliaSonera Sweden has acquired all shares in Svenska Stadsnat, a company providing fibre capacity to municipalitie ... http://bit.ly/wyxIgE

Qtel inks framework deal with ZTE

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with China's ZTE, covering the provision of new n ... http://bit.ly/xnKNGs

Hi3G expands LTE with ZTE

ZTE Corporation has announced that it will deliver the next stage of Long Term Evolution (LTE) network rollout for ... http://bit.ly/yzD5Mr

Fourth bidder for Vivacom appears

A fourth bidder for indebted Bulgarian telco Vivacom has been revealed, after Telekom Austria dropped out of the ru ... http://bit.ly/wu2qOA

ITC upgrades VSAT services

Saudi Arabia’s Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) has announced that it has enhanced its enterprise VSAT services w ... http://bit.ly/wurVFH

Vimpelcom, Telekom Austria CEOs wade into EU price regulation debate

Dow Jones Newswires has reported that Telekom Austria CEO Hannes Ametsreiter has joined a chorus of telecoms execut ... http://bit.ly/w0mOxr

MTNL launches FTTH services

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), India’s third largest internet service provider (ISP) by subscribers, has a ... http://bit.ly/xc5uiQ

VTL looks to weather 2G storm

Videocon Telecommunications Ltd (VTL) has announced that it intends to continue operations in India, and will parti ... http://bit.ly/wOrAxz

SIT confirms Guatemalan mobile market passed 20m mark in 2011

According to local press reports Guatemalan telecoms regulator Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SIT) has ann ... http://bit.ly/wPUpBH

MegaFon FY11 revenues increase 12.6% to RUB242.6bn

MegaFon, Russia’s second largest cellular operator by subscribers, has reported consolidated revenues of RUB242.6 ... http://bit.ly/xYNM5l

freenet post-paid subscriber loss less than expected

German mobile service provider freenet has announced its preliminary financial results for the year ended 31 Decemb ... http://bit.ly/zRGhnt

FT completes sale of Swiss arm

France Telecom (FT) has completed the sale of its Swiss operating arm Orange Switzerland to Matterhorn Mobile, a co ... http://bit.ly/w1dhox

OTMT shareholders vote to sell Mobinil stake to France Telecom

Shareholders of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology (OTMT) have voted in favour of selling the majority of the com ... http://bit.ly/wuNDdw

URSEC warns Claro over fibre broadband service

Uruguay’s telecoms regulator Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (URSEC) has ordered Claro Uruguay t ... http://bit.ly/yak5LE

Nigeria gives go-ahead for NITEL liquidation

The federal government of Nigeria has approved the adoption of a guided liquidation strategy for ailing fixed line ... http://bit.ly/zKSXlJ

UCOM extends broadband coverage to Achapnyak, Yerevan

Armenian broadband access provider UCOM LLC has expanded its network to Achapnyak district in the capital Yerevan, ... http://bit.ly/yseDD8

SingTel prices five-year USD700m bond; offer four times oversubscribed

Southeast Asia's biggest telecom group by subscribers and revenue, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), today co ... http://bit.ly/zijjXg

Belgacom sees revenues and EBITDA falling

Belgacom has posted revenues of EUR6.4 billion (USD8.5 billion) for 2011, down 3% year-on-year in the wake of regul ... http://bit.ly/w2UcU5

Virgin Media to double broadband speeds

Virgin Media has announced that over the course of the next 18 months the company will double broadband internet ac ... http://bit.ly/wqhCID

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Three UK outlines plans to boost mobile broadband speed

The UK’s smallest mobile network operator, Hutchison 3G UK, which trades under the ‘Three’ banner, has announ ... http://bit.ly/wxsRpd

Up, up and away: iiNet unveils NBN satellite tariff

Australian broadband provider iiNet has confirmed plans to offer services via the interim National Broadband Networ ... http://bit.ly/yBDHcp

Vivendi reports slight decline in sales for 2011, but profits are up 9.4%

The French media and communications group Vivendi has reported revenues of EUR28.81 billion (USD40.17 billion) for ... http://bit.ly/x1mOPT

Jazztel’s net profit soars as revenues, EBITDA increase in 2011

Alternative Spanish operator Jazz Telecom (Jazztel) has revealed that net income increased more than seven-fold in ... http://bit.ly/wKMzBW

Zain in talks to refinance USD2.5bn loan

The Saudi Arabian cellular operator Zain Saudi is thought to be in talks with lenders aimed at refinancing a USD2.5 ... http://bit.ly/yuN5oC

Telenor and Telia get green light for network sharing

Denmark's Competition Council has approved a plan by local service providers Telenor and Telia to share their 2G, 3 ... http://bit.ly/w91ouT

Zain Bahrain deploys ip.access femtocell

Provider of small cell mobile solutions, ip.access, has announced that cellular network operator Zain Bahrain will ... http://bit.ly/xFBhE4

AT, China Mobile, Telenor linked with seventh Romanian mobile licence

According to an unconfirmed report by Romanian website ProTV News, a number of international telecoms players have ... http://bit.ly/zynefD

Movicel orders 100,000 3G tablets; vendor expects 4G contract

Datawind has received an order for 100,000 3G-enabled tablets from Angolan cellco Movicel, valued at USD10 million, ... http://bit.ly/xeRD4b

Cogeco offloads Cabovisao to Altice for cut-price EUR45m

Canada’s Cogeco Cable has announced the sale of its Portuguese subsidiary Cabovisao to the European Altice group. ... http://bit.ly/zCfLgS

Videotron reports 12% mobile, 2% broadband growth in Q4

Quebec-based cableco Videotron reports that its cable broadband subscriber base grew by 2% quarter-on-quarter in th ... http://bit.ly/y8iSFq

Swinging both ways: profit, loss for True in Q4, FY

Thai quadruple-play telecoms group True Corp swung to an annual net loss in 2011 of THB2.69 billion (USD89 million) ... http://bit.ly/AtOHHM

TD-LTE network expands to three more cities

China Mobile has announced plans to ramp up the development of its preferred 4G platform Time Division Long Term Ev ... http://bit.ly/y0Zk7C

Nepal’s regulator to get tough on illegal VoIP providers

National telecoms watchdog the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing new regulations in a bid to cr ... http://bit.ly/yFquJA

Tata considering bid for CWW?

Indian telecoms firm Tata Communications is reportedly examining a potential bid for UK-based Cable & Wireless Worl ... http://bit.ly/ys62sB

Airtel Nigeria unveils DC-HSPA+ network

Airtel Nigeria, the local unit of Indian telecoms group Bharti Airtel, has launched a Dual Carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) ... http://bit.ly/xhr7Mj

UK Broadband inaugurates LTE network

Hong Kong-based PCCW’s British broadband unit, UK Broadband (UKB), has announced the switch-on of what it claims ... http://bit.ly/xqiDUa

GVT reports 41% spike in revenues in FY11

Brazilian broadband and telephony provider Global Village Telecom (GVT), owned by French media and telecoms conglom ... http://bit.ly/xZcCmk