Cellular-News for Thursday 30th March 2006

Cellular-News -

[[ 3G ]]

Belarus MDC launches 3G network in test mode in Minsk

Belarusian mobile phone operator Mobile Digital Communications (MDC) has launched a 3G network in test mode in Minsk, First Deputy IT and Communications Minister Ivan Rak told reporters Wednesday. ...

Over 750,000 BWA/WiMAX subscribers in Brazil by 2010 - report

There will be 768,000 accumulated BWA/WIMAX subscribers in Brazil by

2010, of which two thirds will be WiMAX, according to the latest report from leading research firm Maravedis. The Brazilian players are anxiously awaiting the new 3.5 GHz auction to... [[ Financial ]]

AT&T Operating Chief: Telecom Industry Not Through Consolidation

The telecommunications industry is not through with its consolidation, although AT&T Inc. may not necessarily be a participant in the future deals, Chief Operating Officer Randall Stephenson said. ...

Ericsson Services Deal With Vodafone Smaller Than With 3

Ericsson's contract to take over operations for parts of Vodafone Group's Dutch unit is significantly smaller than previously announced deals with Hutchison Whampoa's 3 in Italy and the UK, an Ericsson executive told Dow Jones Newswires. ...

Boston Communications Licenses Products To Convergys

Boston Communications Group agreed to license some of its products to Convergys Corp. for an undisclosed number of years. ...

Radiomovel Opposes Sonaecom Takeover Of Portugal Telecom

Radiomovel, which operates mobile telecommunications in Portugal using CDMA, on Wednesday said it opposes Sonaecom SGPS' merger with Portugal Telecom. ...

Telenor Extends Deadline For Decision To Buy Kyivstar

Norway's Telenor said Wednesday it had extended to April 14 a deadline for Alfa Group and Vimpel Communications to consider a proposal to buy Kyivstar for $5 billion. ...

CEO confirms Vivo's importance for PT

Portugal Telecom (PT) greatly values its stake in Brazil's largest mobile phone operator Vivo and does not want to sell it, international press quoted PT's president Miguel Horta e Costa as saying. ...

[[ Handsets ]]

Lojas Renner, Leroy Merlin abandon mobile phone business

Brazilian clothes retailer Lojas Renner and local building materials company Leroy Merlin have stopped selling mobile phones, reported local financial newspaper Valor Econmico. ...

Multimedia, Data-Rich Phones Taking Market Share in Asia

Cutting-edge mobile phones -- phones integrated with various multimedia and rich-data functionalities -- are rapidly increasing their share of phones shipped in the Asia Pacific market, reports In-Stat. For example, with 252.3 million mobile phones s...

Motorola RAZR Doubles Market Share to Acquire Lead in Europe

Design innovation and the promising 3G user experience influenced European handset sales during the 2005 holiday season, according to Telephia. The company's Q1 2006 European Subscriber and Device Report (ESDR) shows Motorola RAZR posting higher mark...

[[ Legal ]]

Qualcomm Sues Broadcom Over Patent Dispute

Qualcomm says that it has filed a new complaint against Broadcom for trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement. The complaint, filed in federal court in San Diego, charges Broadcom with misappropriating trade secrets relating to Qualcomm'...

[[ Network Contracts ]]

Ericsson In Managed Services Deal With Vodafone Netherlands

Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson, Wednesday said it has signed a five-year managed services partnership deal with Vodafone Netherlands of Vodafone Group. ...

Alcatel Wins Chinese GSM Contracts

Alcatel has announced the signing of two contracts for a total of US$29 million with Shanxi Mobile Communication, a subsidiary of China Mobile. One of the contracts is the 11th GSM network expansion with this operator; the other is a GSM/GPRS network...

Ericsson Wins Palestine Network Contract

Ericsson has been awarded a US$23 million contract in Palestine, for GSM and GPRS expansions with added EDGE capabilities for the entire network. The expansion will enable Jawwal, to offer mobile broadband services to 1 million subscribers with EDGE ...

[[ Personnel ]]

SingTel's Australian Optus To Cut 200 Jobs This Week

Singapore Telecommunications's Australian unit Optus has informed 200 staff that they are to be made redundant, with the cuts to take effect March 31, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. ...

[[ Regulatory ]]

PRESS: FAS wants regulator to reconsider VimpelCom frequency bid

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has ruled that the State Radio Frequency Commission should reconsider a license application filed by Russia's second largest mobile operator VimpelCom seeking to get radio frequencies in the Far East Federa...

Government invites feedback on three new regulations

Three new telecoms regulations aimed at correcting perceived disparities in Ecuador's market will be opened for public comment in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca the second week of April, local daily Expreso reported. ...

Regulatory Issues Costing EU Telecoms Lost Investment

A new report from Strategy and Policy Consultants Network (SPC Network) has been published which examines how ineffective regulation of the telecommunications sector is costing Europe vital investment. The report says that effective, pro-competitive ...

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: Telecom Industry Front Groups

The US consumer group, Common Cause has released a new report exposing "Astroturf" lobbying groups and other allies created by the telecommunications industry to pressure lawmakers to enact industry-friendly policies as Congress debates critical issu...

[[ Reports ]]

Wireless Providers to Focus On Business Subscribers as Total Voice Revenue Declines

A report from IDC has concluded that the business market is poised to play an increasingly important role in the USA's wireless industry as total subscriber growth slows. With the consumer wireless market approaching saturation, service providers wil...

China Fixed-line Operators Face Challenges to Expand Subscriber Base

The China based research firm, Analysys International says, as PHS user growth slows down, fixed-line telecommunication operators face challenges to further expand the subscriber base. According to Analysys International, China fixed-line telecommuni...

Household Telecom Spending To Fall As Services Converge

The convergence of fixed line and mobile telecommunication services has this year begun in earnest with potentially severe repercussions for the European Telecom Services market, says the fifth annual research report, 'Facing Off on Convergence', fro...

[[ Technology ]]

Telemar develops Wi-Mesh pilot in Tiradentes

Brazilian fixed line operator Telemar is developing a Wi-Mesh wireless broadband pilot project for municipal authorities in the historic town of Tiradentes in Minas Gerais state, reported local newspaper Estado de S.Paulo. ...