Daily Telecom News: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Subtel allocates 4G spectrum

Chilean regulator Sub-Secretaria de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) has awarded 4G frequencies to Claro Chile, Entel PCS and Movistar Chile.

Government considers offering unified licences for new market entrants

The Mozambican government is reportedly studying the viability of unifying the licences offered to new mobile operators and internet service providers (ISPs) wishing to enter the country’s telecoms market, AllAfrica reports. Interviewed by Maputo-based daily newspaper Noticias, Paulo Zucula, minister of transport and communications, suggested that the issuance of several different licences for the provision of telecoms services has ceased to be rational, commenting: ‘We are working hard on technological convergence.

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OVETEL Government considers offering unified licences for new market entrants

Peru knocks back 900MHz auction

Peru’s Private Investment Promotion Authority (ProInversion) has postponed a planned spectrum auction for frequencies in the 900MHz range until mid-August, reports RCR Wireless. The Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) is looking to award concessions for the use of the 899MHz-915MHz and 944MHz-960MHz bands in Lima and Callao, and 902MHz-915MHz and 947MHz-960MHz bands for the rest of the country

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OVETEL Peru knocks back 900MHz auction

MTS suspension extended

Embattled cellco MTS Uzbekistan has had its licence suspension increased from ten days to three months by Uzbek authorities. Reuters reports that the operator had requested to resume operations but had been denied, as the Uzbekistan Agency for Communications and Information (UzACI) claimed to have found further violations

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OVETEL MTS suspension extended

Islamabad finally agrees Etisalat-PTCL deal

Pakistan’s government has drawn a line under its long standing dispute with UAE-backed Etisalat over payment for a 26% stake in Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL) dating back to 2006. The Tribune reports that the two parties agreed for Etisalat to pay USD700 million of the outstanding USD800 million, which had been withheld due to the non-transfer of 136 properties. To date, not all of the properties have been transferred, and the USD100 million reduction represents the value of the outstanding properties.

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OVETEL Islamabad finally agrees Etisalat-PTCL deal

PLDT hopes to recoup PHP2.125bn from CURE investment

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) hopes to recoup PHP2.125 billion (USD50.83 million) from its investment in Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprises Inc (CURE, trading as Red Mobile), more than double the figure it originally expected, the BusinessMirror reports. The paper quotes Enrico Espanol, head of legal affairs at PLDT subsidiary Smart Communications as telling the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC): ‘Please note that the cost recovery amount to which the PLDT Group is entitled, cannot be less than to enable the PLDT Group to recover its investment in CURE.’ Espanol says the sum it is looking for includes the cost of its investments in the unit, as well as advances from Smart for operational costs and other funds received from stockholders and associated funding. Proceeds from the sale of CURE will be used by PLDT to partly bankroll operating expenses it added.

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OVETEL PLDT hopes to recoup PHP2.125bn from CURE investment

Rostelecom poised to offload minor stake in SMARTS

Russian national operator Rostelecom has announced that it is considering selling its 2.95% stake in Samara-based mobile operator SMARTS Group back to the latter’s controlling shareholders. According to Rostelecom, on 29 June the structural reorganisation of SMARTS Group was approved at its annual general meeting (AGM), and the current business will be divided into four private limited liability companies. Although Rostelecom did not participate in the AGM, in accordance with Clause 1 of Article 75 of the federal law on Joint Stock companies, it has the right to submit all or a part of its shares to SMARTS for a mandatory buyback.

Competition Commission directed to examine BT’s appeal of wholesale service price controls

With UK telecoms regulator Ofcom having formally set the new pricing structure for a number of wholesale fixed line services provided by BT’s wholesale division Openreach in March 2012, an appeal by the fixed line incumbent over the changes has been referred to the Competition Commission, according to TechWeek Europe. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the revised charges took effect from 1 April 2012, and as per the new pricing regime the annual cost of a fully unbundled line fell to GBP87.41 (USD138.16) per year, down from the previous cost of GBP91.50. Looking forward, this fee will decrease further in the next financial year (from 1 April 2013), with the reduction calculated using the formula of retail price index (RPI) -5.9%

life:) loses 600k subscribers in 1H12

Mobile network operator Belarusian Telecommunications Network (BeST), which is 80%-owned by Turkish telecoms company Turkcell and trades under the banner life:), lost a net 600,000 subscribers in the first six months of this year, e-Belarus.org reports. The cellco closed out 2011 with a total of 1.8 million connections but after a tough first semester, it reported just 1.2 million customers at 30 June 2012 – including the loss of 500,000 lines in the April-June period alone.

Telkom Indonesia books 8% rise in H1 2012 net profit to IDR6.43tn

Indonesia's largest telecoms operator by subscribers, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), says first-half net profit rose 8% year-on-year to IDR6.43 trillion (USD677 million), driven by higher revenue and lower financing costs.

Regulator set to launch next month

An autonomous and independent regulatory authority for Cambodia’s telecoms industry, separate from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Cambodia (MPTC), is expected to launch next month, reports the Phnom Penh Post. The Telecom Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), which was approved in a sub-decree by Prime Minister Hun Sen in February 2012, will assume the responsibility for promoting fair competition in the market, the licensing of operators, spectrum management, interconnection regulation, universal access, monitoring and regulating tariffs, and numbering, among other things

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OVETEL Regulator set to launch next month

Ziggo to sell off another 14.5% stake in secondary offering

Shareholders in Dutch cable operator Ziggo have announced plans to sell off another 14.5% stake in the firm via a secondary public offering, Telecompaper writes without citing its sources. The announcement comes four months after the cableco’s IPO, when majority owners Cinven and Warburg Pincus sold 25% of the company

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OVETEL Ziggo to sell off another 14.5% stake in secondary offering

OnMobile rapped for operating without a licence

Bangalore, India-based OnMobile, which describes itself as a leading supplier of ‘white-label’ data and value added services (VAS) for mobile, landline and media providers, has been censured by the government of Tanzania for operating in the country without a trading licence. The government has reportedly clipped its trading wings after it was revealed that OnMobile had struck up partnership deals with Vodacom and Airtel before even receiving the requisite licence. Tanzania’s deputy minister for communications, science and technology, January Yusuf Makamba, has now instructed OnMobile – through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) – to wait until it receives a legal trading licence

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OVETEL OnMobile rapped for operating without a licence

TIM Brasil: Q2 net income falls short of market forecasts

Brazilian telecoms operator TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil), which is owned by Telecom Italia, booked net profits of BRL346.8 million (USD170 million) for the three months ended 30 June 2012, broadly unchanged year-on-year, but below the BRL397 million average estimate forecast by a Reuters’ survey of analysts.

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OVETEL TIM Brasil: Q2 net income falls short of market forecasts

VelaTel says Balkans project on track

US-based VelaTel Global Communications (formerly ChinaTel) has announced that the equipment purchased to deploy and expand wireless broadband networks of its Balkan subsidiaries has arrived in Croatia and Montenegro on schedule.

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OVETEL VelaTel says Balkans project on track

Modern Times acquires Zitius open fibre network

Broadcaster Modern Times Group (MTG) has agreed to acquire 80% of Swedish Open Access telecoms network provider Zitius Service Delivery from Quadracom for an undisclosed sum, with an option to acquire the remaining 20% in 2016, reports Broadband TV News. Zitius is reportedly Sweden’s largest independent Open Access communications provider, with a fibre network connecting approximately 150,000 households, roughly a third (around 50,000) of which subscribe to a service via the Zitius network. Open Access networks pass approximately 750,000 Swedish households, typically in multi-dwelling apartment buildings, allowing end-users to sign up to internet, TV, telephony and other services offered by multiple service providers which hold agreements with the Open Access network provider

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OVETEL Modern Times acquires Zitius open fibre network

Optus launches LTE services for SME, government users in Perth and Sydney

Australia’s second largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Optus, has announced a raft of network-related developments, the most notable of which is arguably the launch of commercial Long Term Evolution-based (LTE-based) services for SME and government customers in Sydney and Perth from today. As the next stage of its 4G rollout, Optus has confirmed the expanded availability of services offered over its in-deployment Frequency Division Duplex LTE (FDD-LTE) network, noting that customers in the two aforementioned cites will able to connect either via USB mobile broadband dongles or mobile Wi-Fi hotpots.

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OVETEL Optus launches LTE services for SME, government users in Perth and Sydney

Court closes door on Libercell for failure to stump up licence fees

Liberian mobile operator Atlantic Wireless (Libercell), majority owned by Kuwaiti based African investment vehicle HiTS Telecom Holding, has been ordered to close by the country’s tax court, for its failure to pay its licence fees. The cellco owes the government around USD1.5 million in unpaid fees and has been shut down until it clears its debts. Libercell CFO Abdallah Sbeiti says that talks are under way with HiTS Telecom’s African holding firm to have the monies sent and could take about three days.

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OVETEL Court closes door on Libercell for failure to stump up licence fees

Comium Liberia sold for USD18m, paper says

The Heritage newspaper reports ‘credible’ sources as saying that Liberian mobile network operator Comium Liberia has been sold to Lebanese businessman Mr George Abou Joaude for USD18 million. The unconfirmed source says that the influential entrepreneur, who works in Liberia, has close ties to the country’s ‘first family’, and that in fact Abou Joaude is acting as a ‘front’ for the first family in the alleged sale. The paper goes on to say that the sale of GSM operator Comium Liberia includes the assumption of local debt

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OVETEL Comium Liberia sold for USD18m, paper says

MTS to launch LTE in Moscow on 1 September

According to local press reports, Russian wireless giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) is set to launch its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network on 1 September, replacing its existing WiMAX service in the process. In an unconfirmed report that cited company representative Dmitry Solodovnikov, Vedomosti suggested that the in-deployment LTE network will have a far larger scope than its WiMAX predecessor, with some 2,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) expected to be constructed by end-2012, compared to just 200 WiMAX BTS currently in operation, serving around 70,000 wireless broadband subscribers in and around Moscow. LTE modem sales will commence on 7 August, although no price has been disclosed thus far; rival MegaFon’s LTE-suitable E392 modem is priced at RUB2,990 (USD92.90).

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OVETEL MTS to launch LTE in Moscow on 1 September

Qtel’s EBITDA climbs 8.2%; profits dip 11.8%

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has posted its consolidated results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2012, in which it noted an 11.8% year-on-year drop in half-year net profit to QAR1.352 billion (USD371 million), caused largely by foreign exchange losses in Indonesia and Algeria. The company added that, excluding FX impact, ‘operational results showed growth of around 9%.’ The Doha-based group’s six-month revenues grew by 6.1% to QAR16.387 billion, driving EBITDA up by 8.2% to QAR7.796 million in January-June 2012, as Qtel’s total customer base climbed by 8.0% year-on-year to 83.7 million mobile, broadband and fixed line subscriptions

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OVETEL Qtel’s EBITDA climbs 8.2%; profits dip 11.8%

Monday, July 30, 2012

Fishy frequencies; CBI finds more irregularities with handling of spectrum

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India were given additional spectrum in ‘undue haste’ in January 2002, the Business Standard Reports. The CBI claimed that the then-communications minister, Pramod Mahajan, had bypassed the opinions of wireless advisor, the finance ministry and the Telecom Commission to allocate spectrum to the two cellcos beyond 6.2MHz. The CBI accused the minister of undercharging for the spectrum, leading to losses to state coffers of some INR5.08 billion (USD91.88 million)

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OVETEL Fishy frequencies; CBI finds more irregularities with handling of spectrum

Virgin to start Polish MVNO by end of summer

UK-based cellco Virgin Mobile is expected to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Poland as part of a move to expand its footprint into Central and Eastern Europe. Having signed an agreement to use the infrastructure of P4, which operates under the Play banner, Virgin expects to launch commercial services by the end of the summer this year, rpkom reports.

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OVETEL Virgin to start Polish MVNO by end of summer

TDSAT orders DoT to cough up

India’s Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has instructed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to return bank guarantees submitted by defunct cellco Etisalat DB at the time of its spectrum allocation. According to the Business Standard, Etisalat argued that its guarantees should be refunded, as it had complied with the terms of its licence by meeting rollout targets before the cancellation of its concessions in February this year.

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OVETEL TDSAT orders DoT to cough up

FIPB defers Uninor rights issue decision

In response to protests from Unitech and queries from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Foreign Investment Promotion Boad (FIPB) has deferred a decision on Uninor’s application to raise funds through a rights issue.

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OVETEL FIPB defers Uninor rights issue decision

LTE on the horizon for Chariton Valley Wireless

Chariton Valley Wireless, part of the Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation, which has serviced customers in rural Missouri for around 60 years, has indicated that its long-anticipated introduction of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology is now imminent.

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OVETEL LTE on the horizon for Chariton Valley Wireless

Smartphones and data boost NTT DoCoMo's Q1 results

NTT DoCoMo has posted net income for the quarter ending 30 June 2012 of JPY164.3 billion (USD2.1 billion), up 3.5% year-on-year on the back of 2.4% growth in sales to JPY1.07 trillion. The cellco pointed to increased sales of smartphones (up 92% year-on-year) and higher data revenue (up 9% year-on-year) as being key drivers behind the positive results.

IT launches LTE; GTA boosts network coverage

IT&E, a provider of telecommunications services in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), has launched what it claims to be Guam’s first Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband network. According to the operator, the service provides maximum download speeds of up to 20Mbps and is available ‘from Yigo to Agat’, although coverage does not yet extend to the villages of Talofofo, Inarajan, Malesso and Umatac. In May 2012 Swedish telecoms equipment vendor Ericsson announced a series of deals to deploy 4G LTE networks for a number of small-scale rural mobile operators, including IT&E

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OVETEL IT&E launches LTE; GTA boosts network coverage

Rostelecom concludes SkyLink takeover; regional rebranding underway

Russian national operator Rostelecom has completed a long-gestating deal to acquire a 100% stake in sister company SkyLink, Bloomberg reports. Under the terms of the previously agreed deal, Rostelecom’s Mobitel unit exchanged a 1.91% stake in its parent company, worth around RUB9.4 billion (USD290.1 million), for a 50% stake in SkyLink, with Rostelecom owner Svyazinvest. Mobitel already held a 50% stake in the mobile operator after the first stage of Rostelecom’s plan to buy out its sister company was approved by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) in November 2011.

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OVETEL Rostelecom concludes SkyLink takeover; regional rebranding underway

Nawras net profit hit by higher depreciation costs, lower EBITDA

Oman’s second national telecoms operator Nawras has announced its unaudited financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2012, posting a 0.7% year-on-year decline in revenue to OMR48.4 million (USD125.4 million) from OMR48.8 million in the year-ago quarter. Turnover for the first six months of 2012 fell 1.7% year-on-year to OMR95.3 million

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OVETEL Nawras net profit hit by higher depreciation costs, lower EBITDA

Mobile data drives 13% rise in Du’s Q2 revenue

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (Du), the United Arab Emirates’ second national telecoms operator, has announced it generated revenue of AED2.45 billion (USD666.8 million) in the three months ended 30 June 2012, an increase of 12.9% from AED2.17 billion in the year-ago quarter. Growth was primarily driven by a 14.0% year-on-year rise in mobile revenue to AED1.9 billion, of which mobile data accounted for AED278 million, an increase of 84.8% from AED151 million in Q2 2011. Du said that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) jumped 36.6% year-on-year to AED941 million in the second quarter of 2012, while net profit before royalty increased 57.1% to AED651 million, compared to AED414 million in Q2 2011

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OVETEL Mobile data drives 13% rise in Du’s Q2 revenue

T-HT’s first-half revenues fall 6%

Croatian telecoms group T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT), part of the Deutsche Telekom group, has reported that its consolidated revenues in the first half of 2012 dropped by 6% year-on-year to EUR484 million (USD596 million), while EBITDA fell by 2.9% to EUR215 million and net profit dipped by 2.5% to EUR107 million. The company blamed tough competition, a harsh macro-economic environment and the impact of regulatory measures for the decline in sales and profitability. T-HT’s residential (fixed and mobile network) division saw revenues driven down 6.5% in January-June 2012 by lower mobile and fixed voice turnover.

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OVETEL T-HT’s first-half revenues fall 6%

Batelco’s net profit, EBITDA, revenues fall

Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) has reported its financial performance for the first six months of 2012.

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OVETEL Batelco’s net profit, EBITDA, revenues fall

Anatel adds ninth digit to Sao Paulo mobile numbers to boost capacity

Brazil’s national telecoms regulator Anatel has added a ninth digit to mobile numbers in the state of Sao Paulo to protect future growth in the region. The move, which came into effects on 29 July, affects 64 municipalities in Brazil’s largest single market – including the state capital Sao Paulo. The regulator had been aware of the problem of exhausting number capacity on ‘area code 11’ since 2008 and says the move to nine numbers doubles the limit to over 80 million

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OVETEL Anatel adds ninth digit to Sao Paulo mobile numbers to boost capacity

Vodafone increases Dutch network investment

Dow Jones Newswires reports that UK-based giant Vodafone Group has announced plans to increase its investment in the Netherlands. The news comes not long after the Dutch network operator, the country’s second largest player by subscribers, experienced a major fire in its Rotterdam network centre in April which damaged its infrastructure and disrupted services for a large number of Vodafone NL users. The UK parent declined to put a figure on the CAPEX, saying only that it will go in improving network reliability and quality

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OVETEL Vodafone increases Dutch network investment

Etisalat may allow foreign share ownership, report says

The United Arab Emirates may soon allow foreign investors to buy shares in the country’s leading telecoms operator, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat). The National cites Etisalat’s chief executive, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, as saying that that the operator has provided recommendations to the government and the Emirates Investment Council on amending the law to lift the ban on foreign ownership of the company’s shares, but he did not say how many shares overseas investors would be allowed to own.

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OVETEL Etisalat may allow foreign share ownership, report says

PLDT hands over CURE 3G licence

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has relinquished to the telecoms regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the 3G licence owned by its unit, Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprises Inc (CURE, trading as Red Mobile).

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OVETEL PLDT hands over CURE 3G licence

Telmex’s bid for pay-TV licence stumbles, as appeals court rules against it

Mexican fixed line incumbent Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) has reportedly failed in its legal challenge aimed at forcing the government to award it a concession for the provision of pay-TV services. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, which cites El Universal columnist Maricarmen Cortes, an appeals court has ruled that the Secretario de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) did hold the authority to reject Telmex’s request for a pay-TV licence.

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OVETEL Telmex’s bid for pay-TV licence stumbles, as appeals court rules against it

Anrceti opens 4G licensing public consultation

Moldova’s regulator Anrceti has launched a public consultation on the recently published draft document on the use of frequencies in the 2500-2690MHz band; according to the proposals license holders would have the right to use one of the 40MHz sub-bands (i.e. 2500-2520MHz/2620-2640MHz; 2520-2540MHz/2640-2660MHz; and 2540-2560MHz/2660-2680MHz) for the provision of 4G services. The consultation period lasts until 17 August

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OVETEL Anrceti opens 4G licensing public consultation

Maxis Communications’ largest shareholder reduces stake

Ananda Krishnan, Malaysia’s second-richest man and the majority stakeholder in local telecommunications provider Maxis Communications, has reportedly divested around 375 million shares in the company, worth around MYR2.35 billion (USD740.5 million). According to Reuters, which cites a source familiar with the deal, the shares were priced between MYR6.21 and MYR6.34 per share, with CIMB and Credit Suisse understood to have been the joint bookrunners on the stake sale.

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OVETEL Maxis Communications’ largest shareholder reduces stake

Arcep to cut Iliad's termination rates advantage

France’s telecoms regulator Arcep has announced that it will cut the length of time that new mobile operator Iliad is allowed to charge higher termination rates than its rivals. Reuters reports that charges for calls into Iliad’s network will stay higher than those for its rivals only until mid-2013, six months earlier than the previous target of end-2013.

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OVETEL Arcep to cut Iliad's termination rates advantage

Potraz eyes new licensing regime to boost mobile sector

The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reports that the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) is considering changing licensing regulations in order to pave the way for the introduction of new mobile operators.

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OVETEL Potraz eyes new licensing regime to boost mobile sector

Friday, July 27, 2012

25% Tunisiana stake up for grabs

The Tunisian government has announced its intention to sell off the 25% stake in Tunisiana previously held by Sakher Materi, the son-in-law of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, via Princess Holdings. Reuters Africa reports that the 25% share in the telco was confiscated by the new government following the overthrow of Ben Ali last year.

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OVETEL 25% Tunisiana stake up for grabs

PUC, GT block price cut, Digicel ready to go toe to toe in the courts

Guyanese telecoms regulator the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has ordered Digicel Guyana to remove all advertisements featuring the recently lowered rates for international calls. According to local press reports, the incumbent Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) has also secured an injunction against Digicel from going ahead with its plan to offer reduced rates on international calls. As reported by CommsUpdate earlier this week, Digicel interpreted a High Court ruling against GT&T to mean that the telco’s monopoly on international voice services was illegal and void.

Telefonica to float German unit in Q4

Spanish telecoms group Telefonica has said it plans to list its German unit on the stock exchange in the fourth quarter of the year. ‘We have decided swift action including preparation for an initial public offering (IPO) of Telefonica Germany in the fourth quarter,’ Reuters cites company chairman Cesar Alierta as saying during an analyst conference call. Last week it was reported that Telefonica had hired UBS and JP Morgan Chase & Co to prepare an IPO for Telefonica Germany, which provides services under the brand O2.

NCC set to force Chunghwa to offer last-mile access at cost price

Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday passed an amendment of the Telecommunications Act requiring full service telecoms provider Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) to allow access to its last mile to rivals at cost price. According to the China Post, the Executive Yuan (the executive branch of the government) is set to review the amendment by the end of this month, before submitting it to the Legislative Yuan by the end of the year. For its part CHT has argued that, having spent a significant amount of money on developing its infrastructure, the proposed legislation is unfair.

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OVETEL NCC set to force Chunghwa to offer last-mile access at cost price

Sprint Q2 revenues up 6% to USD8.8bn; confirms LTE launch in four new markets

US cellco Sprint Nextel has reported net operating revenues of USD8.843 billion for the three months ended 30 June 2012, a 6% improvement on the USD8.311 billion booked in 2Q11.

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OVETEL Sprint Q2 revenues up 6% to USD8.8bn; confirms LTE launch in four new markets

Forex loss dents America Movil’s profit in 2Q12

Latin American telecoms giant America Movil (AM) has revealed that, on the back of comprehensive financing costs that increased more than six-fold year-on-year, net profit for the three months ended 30 June 2012 totalled MXN13.252 billion (USD993 million), representing a 45.5% decline against the same period a year earlier.

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OVETEL Forex loss dents America Movil’s profit in 2Q12

TTCL picks NEC Corp to provide last mile connectivity, paper says

Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) has selected NEC Corp of Japan to provide it with ‘last mile connectivity’ communication equipment, local paper The Guardian reports, citing the communications, science and technology minister Prof Makame Mbarawa as saying.

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OVETEL TTCL picks NEC Corp to provide last mile connectivity, paper says

Telebras mulls plan for US-Fortaleza cable link

Brazilian state owned telecoms operator Telebras is in talks to set up a new consortium tasked with rolling out a fibre-optic cable linking the United States with the northeastern Brazilian city of Forteleza, BNAmericas quotes the carrier’s president Caio Bonilha as saying. The submarine cable project is part of a wider plan the company is championing to improve Brazil’s internet connectivity with the US, Europe, Africa and the Southern Cone. A consortium will be created for each of the five planned network branches, it said

NP on the horizon

IT minister Philip Paulwell has announced that number portability (NP) will be available within the next twelve months, reports the Jamaica Information Service. Following consultation with the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), Paulwell noted in a speech to parliament that NP would, ‘with the cooperation of the telecoms players, become a reality within a year.’

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OVETEL NP on the horizon

MTS confirms plans to relaunch services in Turkmenistan

Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has revealed that it is resuming operations in Turkmenistan, more than a year and a half after going offline. As noted in TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, following the one-month suspension of MTS’ licence in December 2010 the cellco was quick to claim that it concession was not due to expire until February 2012.

Clearwire Q2 revenues drop 2%; subscriber base approaches eleven million

US WiMAX operator Clearwire has reported revenues of USD316.9 million for the three months ending 30 June 2012, down 2% from the USD322.6 million generated one year earlier.

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OVETEL Clearwire Q2 revenues drop 2%; subscriber base approaches eleven million

Something strange in your ‘Fiberhood’? Who you gonna call? Google!

Google Fiber, the project to build an experimental 1Gbps fibre-optic broadband network in Kansas City, is poised for launch, Milo Medin, vice president of access services, has confirmed in a post on Google’s official blog. Medin announced: ‘Google Fiber is 100 times faster than today’s average broadband. No more buffering

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OVETEL Something strange in your ‘Fiberhood’? Who you gonna call? Google!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

TarinNet completes first phase of WiMAX deployment

TarinNet, a telecoms operator based in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan (also known as Kurdistan Region), has seen the first phase of its in-deployment WiMAX network constructed by local firm KITS Telecom Company.

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OVETEL TarinNet completes first phase of WiMAX deployment

Marshall Islands’ NTA sells satellite bandwidth to bemobile

According to Radio New Zealand International, bemobile, the Solomon Islands’ second mobile operator, has signed a deal with the Marshall Islands’ National Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to purchase excess satellite bandwidth no longer required by the government-owned telco. In March 2010, Majuro and Kwajalein were connected to the HANTRU-1 submarine cable (named after owner Hannon Armstrong Capital and operator Truestone), which also connects to Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, before linking to the regional telecoms hub of Piti, Guam.

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OVETEL Marshall Islands’ NTA sells satellite bandwidth to bemobile

Turkcell 2Q12 revenues up 12.5% to TRY2.565bn

Istanbul-based telecoms group Turkcell has reported group revenue of TRY2.565 billion (USD1.404 billion) for the three months ended 30 June 2012, representing a 12.5% rise year-on-year. Turkcell’s domestic revenues accounted for the lion’s share of sales, up 9% y-o-y to TRY2.149 million, with revenue provided by subsidiaries growing by 37% to TRY416 million. EBITDA for 2Q12 increased 8.0% y-o-y to TRY779 million, whilst net income rose to TRY534.2 million, compared to a loss of TRY21.4 million posted during the corresponding period one year earlier.

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OVETEL Turkcell 2Q12 revenues up 12.5% to TRY2.565bn

Unitech and Telenor come to blows (again)

The two joint venture partners in beleaguered Indian cellco Uninor, Unitech Ltd and Telenor of Norway, have become embroiled in another legal battle over the future of the company, the Economic Times reports.

Oi SA presents investment plan, but no increase in funding in the pipeline

The Wall Street Journal reports that Brazilian carrier Oi SA has presented its investment plan to the regulator Anatel in order to lift the suspension of sales of new mobile phones in some states, but that it is not planning on increasing its planned CAPEX over the next four years. At the start of last week the watchdog imposed a ban on the sale of new mobile plans in certain states by Oi SA, TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil) and Telecom Americas (Claro) amid a raft of complaints from consumers over poor service quality. Anatel has given each cellco 30 days to present their investment proposals to redress the issue, and has warned them they will be fined up to BRL200,000 (USD98,000) per state, for each day they overrun the deadline

Vodacom Tanzania bemoans TCRA decision to levy frequency charges in US dollars

Tanzania’s Daily News quotes the managing director of Vodacom’s mobile operation there, Rene Meza, has questioned why the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) stipulates that mobile frequency fees be charged in US dollars, arguing it is responsible for the rising cost of doing business there.

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OVETEL Vodacom Tanzania bemoans TCRA decision to levy frequency charges in US dollars

European woes continue to drag down Telefonica results

Amid what it called ‘the difficult trading environment in key countries, including adverse economic conditions, intense competition and the negative effects of regulation’, Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica has released its financial results for the three-month period ended 30 June 2012.

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OVETEL European woes continue to drag down Telefonica results

UCC told to bring telcos to heel

Ugandan telecoms regulator the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has been given a two month deadline by the government to rein-in telcos over unsolicited messages. According to local news sources, MPs described the messages, which usually advertise lotteries and sales promotions, as an ‘invasion of privacy’ and have called for the UCC to revoke the concessions of repeat offenders. One MP, Odonga Otto, said: ‘Telecom companies need to be regulated.

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OVETEL UCC told to bring telcos to heel

Etisalat may increase Mobily stake

Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), the United Arab Emirates’ incumbent telecoms operator, is considering boosting its holding in Saudi subsidiary Mobily. Speaking to Reuters, Etisalat CEO Ahmad Julfar said that the company had below-50% stakes in units in the fast-growing markets of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan, and that it may look to raise its shareholding in all three. Etisalat is currently undertaking a review of all its operations across the 17 countries in which it operates

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OVETEL Etisalat may increase Mobily stake

Moscow pressures Tashkent over MTS issue

Russia’s foreign ministry has officially informed the Uzbek government of its concerns regarding the recent suspension of MTS Uzbekistan’s operating licences and the arrests of MTS officials. Fox Business reports that the ministry’s missive described Tashkent’s decision to take into custody the general director of the Russian-backed cellco and Russian citizen, Radik Dautov, as a ‘severe sanction.’ As previously noted by CommsUpdate, the Uzbek government has suspended MTS’s operating licences, citing a number of technical violations as well as a number of more serious crimes, such as money laundering. The accusations follow a similar pattern to previous government shakedowns, where foreign-owned businesses in Uzbekistan have been forced to close down, with their assets handed off to a member of the nation’s ruling elite.

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OVETEL Moscow pressures Tashkent over MTS issue

Telefonica deploys Acme Packet signaling core solutions

Telefonica Germany (O2), a unit of Spanish telecoms group Telefonica, is deploying Acme Packet’s solutions for the next generation signaling core, including the Net-Net Session Router and Net-Net Diameter Director, to support its fixed line voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP), 3G mobile network and future Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. The solution will protect Telefonica Germany’s core IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Diameter servers from overloads, assuring service availability, while solving incompatibility challenges between vendors and networks with programmable interworking features

Internet Gabon teams up for rural internet access

Gabonese internet service provider (ISP) Internet Gabon has launched its ‘Triple Net’ project, a partnership between itself, the European Satellite Company (SES) and Hughes Advantage, that aims to expand internet access and satellite TV to rural areas of Gabon, reports Africa Info. The trio intend to expand the USD12 million project to rural areas throughout francophone southern Africa. Internet Gabon claims to have already installed VSAT equipment to 500 sites, and set up 50 wireless in the local loop (WiLL) towers

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OVETEL Internet Gabon teams up for rural internet access

Nine firms interested in third mobile licence

An upcoming tender for Cameroon’s third mobile network operator licence has attracted interest from nine potential bidders, the Cameroon Tribune cites a statement from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications as saying. A government committee is expected to draw up a shortlist of the pre-qualified applicants within two weeks, after which bidding for the new licence will be opened

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OVETEL Nine firms interested in third mobile licence

SmarTone unveils commercial LTE launch date

Hong Kong’s SmarTone Telecommunications has revealed that it plans to launch commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) services on 28 August 2012, Engadget China reports. In confirming the date for the introduction of the technology, SmarTone also noted that in terms of pricing, existing tariffs would apply for the new service.

Beltelecom targets two million Byfly and IPTV subscribers by September

Belarusian state-owned national PTO Beltelecom hopes to have signed up two million internet subscribers by September 2012, online news portal e-Belarus.org quotes its managing director Sergei Popkov as saying. The Beltelecom official says that by that date his firm will have more than 1.4 million broadband subscribers while, taken overall, the total will reach two million including IPTV interactive TV users. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database reports that at 31 March 2012 Beltelecom had 1.211 million high speed internet customers, and an estimated 460,000 IPTV users

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OVETEL Beltelecom targets two million Byfly and IPTV subscribers by September

Jamaica plans LTE and fibre-optic cable auctions

Jamaican telecoms minister Phillip Paulwell has announced that the government is planning to launch a spectrum auction for frequencies in the 700MHz range, reports Stabroek News. The tender is intended to give operators the option to introduce 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services, which will allow ‘video-sharing, surveillance, conferencing and streaming in higher definition than is possible with existing 3G technologies.’ Paulwell added that the auction will have a reserve price, but gave no further details

Etisalat Q2 sales, profit boosted by overseas ops

In a statement to the Abu Dhabi Securities Market, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has reported consolidated revenue of AED8.254 billion (USD2.25 billion) for the three months ended 30 June 2012, an increase of 4% from the AED7.929 million posted in the year-ago period. Turnover generated by the company’s international business totalled AED2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2012, an increase of 14% year-on-year and contributing 28% of Etisalat’s total revenue for the period (up from 26% a year earlier). The rise in overseas sales helped to offset a 0.4% year-on-year and 3% quarter-on-quarter decline in domestic revenue, which fell to AED5.643 billion amid rising competition in its home market from rival Du.

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OVETEL Etisalat Q2 sales, profit boosted by overseas ops

Tough competition at home hits FT-Orange results

France Telecom-Orange (FT-Orange) has posted second quarter revenue of EUR10.9 billion (USD13.2 billion), down 2.1% year-on-year on a comparable basis, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) slipped 6.5% to EUR3.6 billion. The company was hurt in its domestic market by intense competition triggered by the arrival of Iliad’s Free Mobile, a new low-cost cellco

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OVETEL Tough competition at home hits FT-Orange results

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Nawras partners Tata Communications for global services

Oman’s second national telecoms operator Nawras has announced it has partnered with Tata Communications to offer a full suite of international services, including what it claims to be the first Global Virtual Private Network (GVPN) in Oman.

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OVETEL Nawras partners Tata Communications for global services

TP arrests broadband decline, wireless suffers

Telekomunikacja Polska (TP), which operates under the Orange Poland banner, has announced a 1.1% year-on-year slide in revenues for Q2 2012, with slight declines in both the fixed and wireless segments. Total revenues for the three month period were PLN3.67 billion (USD1.05 billion), compared to PLN3.71 billion a year earlier. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were PLN1.295 billion, whilst EBITDA margin was 35.3% for the period under review.

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OVETEL TP arrests broadband decline, wireless suffers

Commerce Commission unveils new TDL list; up to 29 companies identified for inclusion

The New Zealand Commerce Commission has released its final notification of the companies potentially liable for the NZD50 million (USD39.45 million) Telecommunications Development Levy (TDL) for the 2011/12 financial year. The levy will fund telecommunications service obligation (TSO) charges, rural networks and upgrades to emergency calling services.

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OVETEL Commerce Commission unveils new TDL list; up to 29 companies identified for inclusion

Peru enforces net neutrality, looks to roll out fibre backbone

The Peruvian government has announced that it will support the deployment of a national fibre-optic backbone for broadband access, Andina reports.

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OVETEL Peru enforces net neutrality, looks to roll out fibre backbone

BT reports lower revenues amid tough conditions in Europe and at home

British fixed line incumbent BT has revealed that in the three months to end June 2012 it recorded a 6% decline in group revenue, which it said reflected ‘the tough conditions in Europe and the financial services sector, the impact of regulatory price reductions and lower revenue from calls and lines’. For the company’s first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year it generated turnover of GBP4.484 billion (USD6.96 billion), with BT noting that transit revenue had fallen by GBP67 million (including mobile termination rate reductions of GBP60 million) against the corresponding period a year earlier. Further, the operator said that it had seen a GBP56 million negative impact from foreign exchange movements in 1Q13, a drop it largely attributed to the weakening of the euro, while it also recorded a GBP13 million impact from disposals.

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OVETEL BT reports lower revenues amid tough conditions in Europe and at home

High court ruling rocks the boat

Guyanese telco Digicel Guyana has seized on a ruling from the High Court to challenge the monopoly of fixed line incumbent the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), reports Stabroek News. Last week, Guyana’s High Court ruled against GT&T in a case brought by one of its DSL subscribers. The customer had had their internet access blocked by GT&T for utilising voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) services, contending that the service was illegal as it circumvented GT&T’s monopoly on international telephony

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OVETEL High court ruling rocks the boat

Billionaire owners set to sell FreshTel to TTK?

According to an unconfirmed report by Kommersant, Icon Private Equity, which is co-owned by Russian tycoon Suleiman Kerimov and Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk, is preparing to sell WiMAX operator FreshTel to TransTelecom (TTK), the national fixed line telecoms operator which is wholly owned by Russian Railways, in a deal valued at USD300 million. FreshTel currently has a presence in both Russia and Ukraine, where it utilises spectrum in the 3.5GHz band to provide wireless broadband services

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OVETEL Billionaire owners set to sell FreshTel to TTK?

Mauritel reports 11% increase in first-half revenue

Mauritel, the Mauritanian subsidiary of Maroc Telecom, has posted a solid rise in revenue for the first six months of this year, Telecompaper reports without citing its sources. The PTO booked an 11.1% increase in H1 sales to MAD667 million (USD73.8 million) fuelled by a 20% rise in turnover from mobile services, which reached MAD505 million.

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OVETEL Mauritel reports 11% increase in first-half revenue

Vodacom jumps on rural expansion bandwagon

Mobile operator Vodacom Tanzania has announced plans to expand its rural coverage, matching a trend from rivals such as Zantel which has also targeted improved coverage of more remote parts of Tanzania to boost uptake. Vodacom Tanzania CEO Rene Meza is quoted by Daily News as saying that although mobile penetration in urban areas is currently at over 80%, by comparison rural coverage languishes at a much lower 25%

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OVETEL Vodacom jumps on rural expansion bandwagon

Israel’s MoC orders blocking of automatic international roaming

Israel’s Ministry of Communications (MoC) has ordered mobile operators to block roaming on the networks of cellcos in neighbouring countries for those subscribers which have not specifically requested such a service. According to Globes Online, the MoC is introducing the new regulation with a view to ensuring that consumers do not find themselves being unwittingly billed for calls at international rates.

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OVETEL Israel’s MoC orders blocking of automatic international roaming

TIM Brasil to double investment to improve QoS

Telecom Italia’s Brazilian telecoms operator TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil) is doubling the amount of money it spends on service quality to BRL451 million (USD221 million) per annum between now and 2014, in response to a decision by Anatel to suspend the sale of new mobile phones amid a wave of complaints over patchy coverage and dropped calls. Following Anatel’s ruling which was implemented last week, TIM Brasil has been barred from selling plans in 19 states; Oi SA has been prohibited from signing up new users in five; and Telecom Americas (Claro) has been served a desist order in three states.

Lycamobile eyes Canadian market

European pre-pay mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Lycamobile is in talks with a number of Canadian wireless companies to enable it to expand its low-cost services to the Canadian market, reports The Globe and Mail. Lycamobile’s low cost international mobile services are predominantly aimed at immigrants and other ethnic consumers who regularly call and text family and friends living abroad

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OVETEL Lycamobile eyes Canadian market

Bell Aliant Q2 revenue slips 0.7%

Atlantic Canadian telco Bell Aliant has posted a slight drop in operating revenue to CAD688 million (USD675 million) in the second quarter of 2012, from CAD693 million in the year-ago period. The company attributed the 0.7% drop to a fall in local and long distance revenues driven by lower network access services (NAS), but the triple-play network operator said the declines were largely offset by growth in all other major revenue categories, led by TV and broadband internet, and helped by the ongoing rollout of fibre access infrastructure

Subscriber growth boosts Wataniya's top-line

Wataniya Telecom has posted revenues of KWD368 million (USD1.3 billion) for the first six months of 2012, up 4.5% year-on-year, on the back of total subscriber growth of 8.3% to 18.3 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) stood at KWD154 million, down 1%, while consolidated net income came in at KWD47.4 million compared with KWD322 million last year

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OVETEL Subscriber growth boosts Wataniya's top-line

TDC signs IPTV deal with Agama Technologies

TDC and its subsidiary YouSee have inked a deal with Agama Technologies for the latter to support the Danish operators’ nationwide IPTV service in terms of problem discovery, impact analysis, data mining and SLA management. The IPTV offering, which is available under the TDC brand, has approximately 200,000 subscribers.

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OVETEL TDC signs IPTV deal with Agama Technologies

Rogers reports second quarter results

Rogers Communications has posted revenues for the second quarter of CAD3.11 billion (USD3.05 billion), largely flat year-on-year, while net income for the period slipped by 2% to CAD400 million. Sales from the company’s wireless division were virtually unchanged year-on-year at CAD1.76 billion, although within that segment data revenue rose 13% on the back of smartphone and tablet growth. Rogers said it activated 629,000 smartphones during the quarter compared to about 591,000 activations in the same period last year

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OVETEL Rogers reports second quarter results

Maroc Telecom's net income down on voluntary redundancy costs

Maroc Telecom has recorded net income of MAD3.13 billion (USD344 million) for the first six months of 2012, down 22% year-on-year following voluntary redundancy costs and declining sales in its home market. Revenue in Morocco slipped 5.3% to MAD11.9 billion in the wake of increased competition, although this was almost entirely offset by a 21% gain in sales from its subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mali and Mauritania. The provision for the redundancy programme launched in June came in at MAD800 million, and has to date seen 800 employees leave the company.

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OVETEL Maroc Telecom's net income down on voluntary redundancy costs

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Vimpelcom reportedly eyeing Myanmar

According to ComNews, Vimpelcom is planning to enter Myanmar’s telecoms market.

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OVETEL Vimpelcom reportedly eyeing Myanmar

Tanzanian incumbent to sell NICTBB bandwidth to neighbours

Tanzania’s state-owned fixed line PTO Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) is looking to strike deals with neighbours such as Mozambique and landlocked Burundi, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, to sell them internet bandwidth on its National Information Communications Technology Broadband Backbone infrastructure (NICTBB).

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OVETEL Tanzanian incumbent to sell NICTBB bandwidth to neighbours

Eion Wireless to develop wireless IPTV in Brazil

Canadian firm Eion Wireless has teamed up with the Santa Catarina-based Quest group to jointly develop wireless IPTV services in Brazil using WiMAX technology operating in unlicensed frequency bands. With a specific focus on rolling out IPTV to rural areas, the pair hope to finish their new business model by 31 December 2013

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OVETEL Eion Wireless to develop wireless IPTV in Brazil

Telefonica eyes new LTE test in western Slovakia; plots 3G expansion

Telefonica Slovakia (O2) is poised to test its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in three villages in the west of the country, according to a report by local website MobilMania.

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OVETEL Telefonica eyes new LTE test in western Slovakia; plots 3G expansion

Ofcom reveals timetable for 4G auction; issues legal instrument draft

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that it expects to kick start the auction of what it calls the country’s ‘largest ever auction of spectrum for mobile services’ before the end of this year, with the development expected to allow the country’s cellcos to launch 4G services in 2013. According to a press release issued by Ofcom on the plans, it noted that the auction will offer the equivalent of three quarters of the mobile spectrum currently in use

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OVETEL Ofcom reveals timetable for 4G auction; issues legal instrument draft

EU regulators suggest MVNO compromise to smooth Hutchison/Orange deal

According to Austrian business daily Wirtschaftsblatt, European Union (EU) regulators are willing to allow Hutchison Whampoa’s H3G Austria unit to take over France Telecom-Orange's Austrian subsidiary, as long as the combined entity allows other local operators to access its network as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

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OVETEL EU regulators suggest MVNO compromise to smooth Hutchison/Orange deal

Virgin Media records solid second quarter results

Reporting its financial results for both the first half and second quarter of 2012, British cableco Virgin Media has revealed an increase in turnover on the back of a number of factors, including continued improvements in its customer base mix, increased subscriber numbers and higher revenues from its mobile voice services.

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OVETEL Virgin Media records solid second quarter results

Virgin MVNO hits 36,000 subscribers

UK-based mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Virgin Mobile Chile is reportedly growing at a rate of 20,000 subscribers per month, according to the company’s CEO Juan Antonio Etcheverry as quoted by TeleSemana. The MVNO launched operations in April this year, having signed an agreement with the Chilean unit of Spain’s Telefonica. Virgin is set to capitalise on Chile’s competition regulations – which from January this year prevented cellcos from locking handsets to a single network – and the recent introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) by concentrating on SIM sales.

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OVETEL Virgin MVNO hits 36,000 subscribers

Telenor outlines ‘sound operational performance’ in 2Q12

Norwegian telecoms group Telenor has released its financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2012, revealing what it claimed was ‘sound operational performance’, with the company reporting a 5% year-on-year increase in turnover on an organic basis. For the quarter under review Telenor posted total revenues of NOK25.357 billion (USD4.16 billion), while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) before other income and expenses rose to NOK8.041 billion, up from NOK7.457 billion in the same period a year earlier

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OVETEL Telenor outlines ‘sound operational performance’ in 2Q12

Ukrainian regulator issues three operators with WiMAX spectrum

Ukraine’s National Commission for the State Regulation of Communications and Informatization (NCCIR, or locally abbreviated to NKRZI, and previously NCCR), has reportedly issued a number of new WiMAX licences, Telecompaper reports. The watchdog is understood to have allocated concessions allowing three regional operators to offer wireless broadband services in the 5GHz band. The first of those, Farlep-Invest, has reportedly been given 40MHz of spectrum in the Lugansk region, while TiPiSi and Magic Line have each been handed 20MHz blocks in the capital Kiev

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OVETEL Ukrainian regulator issues three operators with WiMAX spectrum

Tunisiana rounds out 3G trio

Qatar-backed cellco Tunisiana has announced the launch of its 3G network, becoming the last of the nation’s trio of providers to offer the service. CommsMEA reports that the network’s footprint currently covers 48% of the population – in Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, Djerba, Cap Bon, Hammarnet and Nabeul – but the cellco expects to have completed work expanding the network to 71% of the population by the end of the year and reach 87% in early 2013. The HSPA+ network operates in the 900MHz and 2100MHz frequency bands.*Commenting on the launch, Tunisiana’s CEO Ken Campbell said: ‘With this network, we are able to provide a quality 3G offering that will deliver the best customer experience in Tunisia.

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OVETEL Tunisiana rounds out 3G trio

Ready, Set’Mobile, go! MVNO goes live in Cameroon

Set’Mobile, the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) owned by Cameroonian footballer Samuel Eto’o, has officially launched commercial services, reports local technology news site TIC Mag. Around 50,000 customers have subscribed to the service since it was first unveiled in December 2011. The new company aims to bring cheap mobile voice and data services to the market, in which South Africa’s MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroun of France are the sole network operators

Grim battle slows Idea’s revenue growth to 2.5%

Idea Cellular has reported total revenues of INR55.04 billion (USD985.82 million) for the three months ended 30 June 2012, up from INR45.21 billion a year earlier.

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OVETEL Grim battle slows Idea’s revenue growth to 2.5%

PLDT picks Ciena for PHP1.3bn network upgrade

Dow Jones Newswires reports that telecoms giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has today announced the signing of a PHP1.3 billion (USD30.9 million) contract with Ciena Corporation to upgrade the carrier’s fibre-optic infrastructure in the country. Under the plan, the vendor intends to upgrade PLDT’s network with 100 gigabit technology – a first for the Philippines – enabling it to increase bandwidth capacity and putting its services on par with those of regional neighbours such as Japan and Singapore. In a news conference, PLDT president Napoleon Nazareno said the upgrade will allow the firm to offer next generation services such as fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), amongst other advanced services

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OVETEL PLDT picks Ciena for PHP1.3bn network upgrade

E-Plus towers attract interest, report says

The mobile phone towers of German wireless operator E-Plus are drawing interest from infrastructure investors and buyout firms, according to a report by Bloomberg which cites four people familiar with the matter. Earlier this month E-Plus’ Dutch parent KPN Telecom reportedly hired UBS for a sale of thousands of its German unit’s base stations, in a deal that could raise around EUR300 million (USD363 million)

KPN’s Q2 net profit, revenue down; firm cuts dividend

Under pressure Dutch telecoms operator KPN Telecom (or Royal KPN) has reported a sizeable fall in net income for the three months ended 30 June 2012, forcing it to slash its dividend to EUR0.35 (USD0.42) per share in 2012, down from the previous figure of EUR0.90 a share; it paid a dividend of EUR0.85 in fiscal 2011. Amid fierce conditions in its home market, the Dutch carrier booked net profit of EUR315 million in the three months under review, down sharply from EUR414 million is the corresponding period of 2011, impacted by weak margins – particularly in its home mobile (consumer) business

MoPT announces draft proposals for 3G/4G spectrum auction

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MoPT) in Bangladesh has released a draft outline of its planned auction of licences to offer six combined 3G and 4G/LTE licences in the country.

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OVETEL MoPT announces draft proposals for 3G/4G spectrum auction

Hondutel in government shake-up; CEO removed as firm restates urgent need for investment

The government of Honduras has intervened to take control of the country’s ailing state-owned PTO Hondutel (Empresa Hondurena de Telecomunicaciones), replacing its CEO Romeo Vasquez Velazquez with a special committee headed by finance minister Hector Guillen. BNAmericas, citing a report in local paper Proceso, says that the government has designated Hondutel to be in a ‘financial crisis’, impairing its ability to even pay salaries, and as such has appointed a team to take interim charge of the beleaguered firm. Vasquez Velazquez’s troubled period at the helm will end at the end of this month, it said.

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OVETEL Hondutel in government shake-up; CEO removed as firm restates urgent need for investment

Brazilian federal court upholds Anatel’s mobile phone sale ban

Dow Jones Newswires reports that a Brazilian federal judge yesterday upheld a ban imposed by the national telecoms regulator Anatel, preventing three leading cellcos from selling new mobile phones until they improve their quality of service (QoS) in a number of states across the country. As reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, last week Anatel ordered TIM Brasil, Oi SA and Telecom Americas (Claro) to stop selling new cellphone plans in certain states, in response to a rising tide of customer complaints over poor service quality, including dropped calls and patchy coverage.

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OVETEL Brazilian federal court upholds Anatel’s mobile phone sale ban

Mobilis to spend USD1.7 billion in quest for 45% market share

Saad Damma, CEO of Mobilis, says that his company will invest DZD142 billion (USD1.7 billion) over the next five years in order to upgrade its infrastructure and increase its share of the Algerian mobile subscriber market to 45%. At the end of March 2012 the cellco claimed a 26.8% share, some way behind market leader Djezzy with 49.4%. Mobilis will provide 87% of the finance required from its own funds, while the rest will be funded through bank credits

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OVETEL Mobilis to spend USD1.7 billion in quest for 45% market share

MNP chalks up first birthday in Ghana

Ghana’s National Communication Authority (NCA) has published a report to coincide with the first anniversary of the introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) in the country. By 6 July some 370,107 mobile numbers had ported successfully, representing 1.6% of the total active mobile numbers in the market. The watchdog says that such a figure is reasonably comparable to markets in which MNP is considered successful

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OVETEL MNP chalks up first birthday in Ghana

NTT DoCoMo's LTE subscriber base passes four million

NTT DoCoMo has announced that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) subscriber base passed four million on 22 July. The cellco’s ‘Xi’ service, which offers maximum downlink speeds of 75Mbps, is growing rapidly, having claimed 1.1 million subscribers at the end of 2011, and 2.2 million as at end-March 2012

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OVETEL NTT DoCoMo's LTE subscriber base passes four million

Tricom protests at network deployment block in San Cristobal

TeleSemena reports that Tricom is initiating legal action against the mayor of San Cristobal. The operator alleges that Mayor Raul Mondesi arbitrarily told city officials to prevent the company from deploying fibre optic and coaxial cable infrastructure

Monday, July 23, 2012

EGoM grants some relief to cellcos

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) overseeing the re-auction of 2G frequencies has reportedly improved conditions for telcos by reducing the base price for airwaves, cutting spectrum usage fees and approving a deferred payment scheme.

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OVETEL EGoM grants some relief to cellcos

NTA recommends MoIC to adopt new interim frequency policy

The Himalayan Times reports that the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has recommended the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) to endorse its new 2012 interim frequency policy, adding that it has suggested the adoption of a plan to auction GSM mobile frequencies, and an administrative pricing system to allocate link frequencies or microwave frequency. Under the NTA’s draft proposal, it is recommended that the ministry set aside 2x6MHz of 900MHz spectrum for mobile services, 2x2.5MHz for CDMA (limited-mobility) services and 2x2.4MHz for limited-mobility under the GSM standard

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OVETEL NTA recommends MoIC to adopt new interim frequency policy

T-Mobile USA discontinues ‘America's largest 4G network’ tagline

T-Mobile USA, the United States’ fourth largest mobile operator by subscribers has ceased advertising its HSPA+ service as ‘America's largest 4G network’, Fierce Wireless reports. Company spokeswoman Danielle Hopcus told Fierce: ‘With the breadth of T-Mobile's nationwide 4G network well established, we recently moved to a claim that reflects the network's performance and reliability, particularly with the USD4 billion investment we are making and recent accolades like the PC Magazine ‘Fastest Mobile Networks’ test, which showed T-Mobile's 4G network to be very competitive with current LTE networks. T-Mobile became the first nationwide 4G network and began using 'America's largest 4G network' in marketing more than 18 months ago

Reliance scraps Globalcom IPO

Reliance Communications has shelved the initial public offering (IPO) of its submarine cable arm, Reliance Globalcom due to unfavourable market conditions, Reuters reports. The telco had been looking to raise around USD1 billion through the IPO to reduce its debt burden. The company said that the IPO failed to attract enough interest from investors, despite Reliance extending the bookbuilding period twice

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OVETEL Reliance scraps Globalcom IPO

TM reaches 400,000 UniFi subscriber target five months ahead of schedule

Malaysian fixed line incumbent Telekom Malaysia (TM) has reportedly surpassed its self-imposed target for take-up of services offered over its High Speed Broadband (HSBB) network.

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OVETEL TM reaches 400,000 UniFi subscriber target five months ahead of schedule

Questions raised in Sint Maarten after controversial UTS payment to Curacao govt

Roland Tuitt, finance minister for the government of Sint Maarten, has promised that he intends to raise questions relating to the decisions behind United Telecommunication Services’ (UTS’s) ANG11.7 million (USD6.4 million) dividend payment to the government of Curacao, announcing: ‘I want to know how these calculations were made and I want to know who made them’. The controversial payment points to the still-simmering tensions between the two islands, which were granted autonomy from the Netherlands Antilles on 3 November 2006

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OVETEL Questions raised in Sint Maarten after controversial UTS payment to Curacao govt

Late flurry covers Zain Saudi's rights issue

Saudi Fransi Capital, the lead manager of Zain Saudi’s USD1.69 billion rights issue, says that the issue was oversubscribed by 105.4%.

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OVETEL Late flurry covers Zain Saudi's rights issue

Telenor completes HSPA+ upgrade

Norwegian-backed cellco Telenor Serbia has completed upgrade work on its 3G network, more than a month ahead of schedule. The provider upgraded all of its 3G base stations – covering around 70% of the nation’s territory – to Dual Carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+), allowing customers access to theoretical download speeds of up to 42Mbps

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OVETEL Telenor completes HSPA+ upgrade

TDP spends PEN672m in 1H2012

Telefonica del Peru (TDP), the Andean nation’s largest operator by subscribers, has invested PEN672 million (USD248.63 million) in H1 2012, up 13% from the previous year reports La Republica, citing the company’s CEO Cesar Linares.

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OVETEL TDP spends PEN672m in 1H2012

TDSAT halts TRAI MNP regulations

India’s Telecoms Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has halted a direction of the Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) removing the 90-day processing period for mobile number portability (MNP) for those operators that had their licences cancelled in February, reports the Hindu Business Line. By removing the minimum 90-day period that customers must stay with an operator before porting to an alternative cellco, the TRAI was looking to limit the impact of the mass licence cancellation on customers by allowing them to move away from cellcos that would be closing. However, the TDSAT said that the move discriminated against providers which may choose to repurchase concessions when they go up for auction later this year.

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OVETEL TDSAT halts TRAI MNP regulations

BTRC to award new VoIP licences

National telecoms regulator the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has invited applications from companies wishing to secure new voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) termination licences.

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OVETEL BTRC to award new VoIP licences

Vivacom sale imminent

The sale of the Bulgarian fixed line and cellular operator Vivacom appears set to finally go ahead after the company’s creditors agreed to a deal with Bulgarian lender Corporate Commercial Bank (CCBank) and Russian bank VTB. ‘The tie-up between CCBank and VTB Capital was picked as preferred buyer by the senior creditors' committee,’ Tsvetan Vasilev, chairman of the supervisory board of CCBank, told Bulgarian newspaper Capital Daily, adding: ‘But many details are yet to clarified.’ Vivacom said in a statement that CCBank and VTB have offered to pay EUR130 million (USD158 million) for a majority of the equity, with EUR588 million of reinstated loans and a minority of the equity to be allocated to senior unsecured lenders

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OVETEL Vivacom sale imminent

Government establishes infrastructure management company

The government of Equatorial Guinea has created a new body, dubbed the Management and Maintenance of Telecommunication Infrastructures Organisation in Equatorial Guinea (GITGE), to manage and improve the nation’s telecom infrastructure. According to the government’s press service, part state-owned operator Equatorial Guinea Telecommunications Company (GETESA) was the first provider to sign an agreement with the new body, giving the telco access to GITGE’s Ceiba-1 submarine cable linking Bata on the mainland with Malabo on the island of Bioko.

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OVETEL Government establishes infrastructure management company

Hello, is what NST is looking for

Nepalese alternative operator Nepal Satellite Telecom (NST) has announced its ambitions to relaunch the Hello Nepal brand in the mountain Kingdom. The ownership of NST is the subject of some speculation

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OVETEL Hello, is what NST is looking for

T-Mobile strides ahead: expands LTE footprint again

T-Mobile’s Hungarian mobile subsidiary has issued a press release confirming that it has expanded its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage to Gyor and the settlement of Gyorujbarat. The cellco says the new ultra high speed network provides a signal to 88% of the population (outdoor coverage) and 61% (indoors). Customers in the two regions wishing to use 4G can sign up to T-Mobile’s Net&Roll 4G mobile internet package, which is based on 4G USB modems or Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE tablets

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OVETEL T-Mobile strides ahead: expands LTE footprint again

True Corp argues for cut in 3G reserve price

According to the Bangkok Post, Thai mobile operator True Corporation has asked the regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), to reduce the auction reserve price for third-generation (3G) mobile frequencies in order to support domestically-owned players. The wholly Thai owned operator, says that lowering the reserve price of spectrum will allow it to better compete with foreign-based mobile operators, the paper quotes True’s CFO Noppadol Dejudom as saying. The official's comments are no doubt a hint towards the current market leader Advanced Info Service, which is controlled by Singapore's Temasek Holdings and SingTel, and the second-placed operator Total Access Communication (DTAC), majority owned by Telenor of Norway.

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OVETEL True Corp argues for cut in 3G reserve price

CableVision inches closer to commercial launch of ultra-high speed broadband

Cable services provider Bermuda CableVision says it is finalising plans to begin offering ultra-high speed residential broadband services on the island.

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OVETEL CableVision inches closer to commercial launch of ultra-high speed broadband

Volia internet subs top 500,000

Ukraine’s largest cable network operator Volia has announced that its internet subscriber base exceeded 500,000 in the first half of 2012. In a press release, the company also revealed that the number of its customers subscribing to both cable TV and internet services will soon reach 400,000. Volia, which is majority owned by US-based private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, has upgraded its cable network to the DOCSIS 3.0 standard in a number of cities, including Kiev and Lviv, allowing internet access at peak download speeds of up to 150Mbps

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OVETEL Volia internet subs top 500,000

HTAL reports financial and operational results for VHA

Hutchison Telecom Australia (HTAL) has posted a net loss of AUD131.3 million (USD136 million) for the six months ended 30 June 2012 from its share in Australian mobile network operator Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA). Meanwhile, HTAL’s share of VHA’s total turnover fell by 9% year-on-year to AUD1.035 billion, with its share of the cellco’s service revenue also falling, by 15.8% y-o-y to AUD874.9 million. HTAL’s slice of VHA’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) stood at AUD112 million, representing a drop of more than 20% against the same period a year earlier.

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OVETEL HTAL reports financial and operational results for VHA

Airtel launches HSPA+ in Malawi, Madagascar

Airtel Malawi, a subsidiary of Indian telecoms operator Bharti Airtel, has upgraded parts of its network to HSPA+ technology, boosting the maximum download speed available across its 3.5G infrastructure from 7.2Mbps to 21Mbps. IT News Africa reports that Airtel’s HSPA+ network is currently available in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Mangochi, Karonga, Kasungu, Salima, Zomba and Kasungu

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OVETEL Airtel launches HSPA+ in Malawi, Madagascar

Friday, July 20, 2012

CWC issues performance update for 1Q2012/13

Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) has released an interim management statement for the three months to end-June 2012, with the UK-based company noting that group trading performance remains in line with the outlook it had set out in its FY2012 results and saying that it was continuing to focus on improving cash flow generation and increasing returns on invested capital.

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OVETEL CWC issues performance update for 1Q2012/13

Indonesia’s Bakrie fails to secure funding for debt repayment

Indonesian CDMA wireless operator PT Bakrie Telecom has failed to raise enough funds to repay IDR650 billion (USD69 million) of loans that mature in August 2012, The Jakarta Post reports. The news is a blow to the operator which recently had its debt put on a negative watch rating by Fitch amid concerns about its ability to service and roll over its debt. By the start of the second quarter of this year, Bakrie could only bank on liquid assets of IDR215 billion (in cash and equivalents) and has since failed to raise sufficient additional funding.

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OVETEL Indonesia’s Bakrie fails to secure funding for debt repayment

TDP books PEN11.2m profits for Q2 2012

Triple-play provider Telefonica del Peru (TDP) has reported revenues of PEN970 million (USD364.5 million) for the three months ended 30 June 2012, up 1.4% from PEN957 million in the corresponding period of 2011. Net profits for the period were PEN11.2 million.

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OVETEL TDP books PEN11.2m profits for Q2 2012

ACCC authorises deal for transfer of Optus’ HFC customers to NBN

Having issued a draft determination on the matter back in May 2012, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has now confirmed the approval of an agreement between NBN Co and SingTel Optus for the migration of the latter’s cable subscribers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the decommissioning of parts of Optus’ hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) network.

New regulations tighten hold on web freedoms

Chinese telecoms regulator the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued amendments to the draft Regulation on Internet Information Services altering the obligations of internet information service providers (IISPs) and internet access service providers (IASPs). Data Guidance reports that IASPs would be required to retain published information for a period of six months, whilst IISPs and IASPs would record log information, and hold the data for twelve months. Regulations would also require providers to ensure that web users wishing to post public content first register with their true identity.

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OVETEL New regulations tighten hold on web freedoms

Roskomnadzor retracts statement on MegaFon’s illegal LTE network in Vladivostok

According to an unconfirmed report by Telecompaper, Russian telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor has distanced itself from a statement issued by one of its regional branches regarding the validity of MegaFon’s recent LTE launch. Earlier this week local media reports suggested that MegaFon’s commercial launch in Vladivostok, the administrative centre of the Primorsky Krai, had fallen foul of Roskomnadzor’s regional branch.

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OVETEL Roskomnadzor retracts statement on MegaFon’s illegal LTE network in Vladivostok

PLDT expects second-quarter core profit to be in line with expectations

Filipino telecoms giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) expects its 2Q12 core profit to be in line with its 2012 full year guidance, of PHP37 billion (USD889.5 million), its chairman Manuel Pangilinan is quoted as saying. The official told reporters that the company also has ‘no contemplation’ of needing to raise funds through equity or debt.

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OVETEL PLDT expects second-quarter core profit to be in line with expectations

Maldives mobile subs top 550,000

According to the latest figures from the Communications Authority of Maldives, the island nation ended June 2012 with a total of 549,934 mobile subscribers, up from 535,200 twelve months earlier. Pre-paid customers accounted for the majority (86.9%, or 477,877) of wireless customers at 30 June 2012

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OVETEL Maldives mobile subs top 550,000

Econet says it is owed USD85 million by NetOne and TelOne

According to local press reports, Econet Wireless is fighting to recover approximately USD85 million worth of interconnection fees from fellow cellcos NetOne and TelOne. Econet CEO Douglas Mboweni told the a parliamentary committee that the company may be forced to cut off its state-owned rivals if they fail to pay.

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OVETEL Econet says it is owed USD85 million by NetOne and TelOne

GVT under the spotlight as Vivendi considers divesting Brazil asset

The French media and communications group Vivendi is reportedly mulling the sale of its Brazilian telecoms asset, fixed and broadband provider Global Village Telecom (GVT), as it looks to shore up its faltering share price.

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OVETEL GVT under the spotlight as Vivendi considers divesting Brazil asset

Telecom’s takeover of Leo clears hurdle with executive reshuffle

Government-owned incumbent PSTN operator Telecom Namibia’s managing director Frans Ndoroma has resigned as CEO of state holding company Namibia Post and Telecommunication Holdings Limited (NPTH), in order to satisfy one of the conditions of Telecom’s proposed takeover of cellco PowerCom (Leo) stipulated by the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC). TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database says that in December 2011 Telecom agreed in principle to purchase 100% of Leo, and in May 2012 the NaCC gave its conditional approval pending compliance with ownership requirements aimed at ensuring fair competition.

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OVETEL Telecom’s takeover of Leo clears hurdle with executive reshuffle

Antitrust body to review Claro-Digicel merger application

El Salvador’s competition regulator, the Superintendencia de Competencia (SC), has accepted for further analysis a new application from Mexican mobile giant America Movil’s (AM’s) local unit Claro to acquire rival operator Digicel El Salvador.

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OVETEL Antitrust body to review Claro-Digicel merger application

Anatel to consider ending mobile sales ban in 20 days

Bloomberg reports that Brazil’s telecoms watchdog is considering lifting its ban on new mobile subscriptions by three leading cellcos – TIM Brasil, Oi SA and Telecom Americas (Claro) – in a number of states in around 20 days, Bloomberg quotes a government official familiar with the matter as saying. It is believed that the national regulator will need approximately two weeks to review the investment proposals of the three firms involved, the source said, who declined to be named due to the confidential nature of the discussions

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OVETEL Anatel to consider ending mobile sales ban in 20 days

Iliad sues SFR over subsidies

Iliad, owner of the French mobile phone newcomer Free Mobile, has sued rival cellco SFR claiming that the Vivendi-owned company’s offer to subsidise handsets for customers committing to a one-year to two-year contract constitutes unfair competition. Iliad says that subsidies are essentially hidden consumer loans with interest rates of between 300% and 400%. SFR’s press office has yet to comment on the matter

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OVETEL Iliad sues SFR over subsidies

Omnitel expands LTE, HSPA+ network coverage

Omnitel, Lithuania’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced that it has expanded coverage of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband network to the Baltic coast resorts of Palanga and Nida. The TeliaSonera subsidiary has also announced the upgrade of its 3G network to HSPA+ technology, which supports maximum download speeds of 21Mbps, in Kretinga, Sventosios, Palanga and the Curonian Spit

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OVETEL Omnitel expands LTE, HSPA+ network coverage

Vodafone’s revenue in 1Q 2012/13 dented by difficulties in southern Europe

UK-based Vodafone Group has released its financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2012, revealing a 7.7% year-on-year drop in reported group revenue and an 8.1% decline in group service revenue, as its operations in its home territory, Spain and Italy struggled. In the first quarter of its 2012/13 fiscal year Vodafone Group posted a total group revenue of GBP10.77 billion (USD16.9 billion), with the company noting that on an organic basis this represented a 1% increased from the same period a year earlier. Group service revenue for the quarter meanwhile stood at GBP9.98 billion, which the company said equated to an increase of 0.6% on an organic basis

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OVETEL Vodafone’s revenue in 1Q 2012/13 dented by difficulties in southern Europe

Verizon 2Q12 revenues up 3.7% to USD28.6m; 3.2m LTE connections added

US telecoms giant Verizon Communications has reported revenues of USD28.6 billion for the three months ended 30 June 2012, an increase of 3.7% year-on-year. Consolidated operating income for 2Q was USD5.7 billion, up from USD4.9 billion on an annualised basis. Consolidated EBITDA totalled USD9.8 billion in the April-June period, compared to USD9.0 billion one year earlier

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OVETEL Verizon 2Q12 revenues up 3.7% to USD28.6m; 3.2m LTE connections added

BC Partners, Canadian pension fund agree Suddenlink takeover

Canadian private equity firm BC Partners has joined forces with the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board and US cable industry veteran Jerry Kent to buy US-based Suddenlink Communications from Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Quadrangle and Oaktree Capital Management, Reuters reports. The deal, which is worth around USD2.50 billion, includes a USD1.99 billion equity investment, along with incremental debt of USD500 million.

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OVETEL BC Partners, Canadian pension fund agree Suddenlink takeover

Thursday, July 19, 2012

PLDT, Bayan ink interconnect deal in Negros, Albay, Leyte

ANC Dateline Philippines reports that the country’s biggest telco Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has signed a network interconnect agreement with fellow operator Bayantel Telecommunications (Bayan), covering the areas of Negros, Albay and Leyte. Under the terms of the contract Bayan’s fixed telephony subscribers in the three provinces will no longer have to pay a surcharge to call a PLDT number. The interconnect deal, which was completed at the offices of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), follows the signing of a similar agreement covering Cebu and Camarines Sur last year

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OVETEL PLDT, Bayan ink interconnect deal in Negros, Albay, Leyte

NBTC approves draft foreign dominance regulations

The board of Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday approved the draft of revised regulations aimed at preventing foreign dominance in the local telecoms industry, the Bangkok Post reports. The regulations will take effect next week, said Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the NBTC's telecom committee, who stated that the rules are designed to help local telecoms operators avoid breaching the Telecommunications Business Act and the Foreign Business Act, preventing possible foreign dominance, with overseas shareholdings capped at 49%.

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OVETEL NBTC approves draft foreign dominance regulations