Malaysian telecoms group Axiata has released its financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2012, revealing a minor increase in net profit compared to the same period a year earlier, on improved contributions from domestic activities, which offset foreign exchange losses at its Indonesian and Sri Lankan subsidiaries.
State-owned national PTO Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) has been asked to submit its restructuring plan for final approval by the end of the year, according to a report by Vietnam Business News. The move forms part of a government plan to restructure state-owned companies in order to boost competition in certain markets.
TeliaSonera has partnered technology provider Samsung to launch a connected TV solution to replace IPTV set-top boxes in its Baltic and Scandinavian markets. Estonian subsidiary Elion will be the first to offer the new Smart TV solution to its subscribers before the end of this year, followed by Telia Sweden in Q1 2013 and Finland’s Sonera later that year. Once connected to the internet, the Smart TV will display the subscriber’s IPTV interface and configure settings automatically.
Irish communications minister Pat Rabbitte has announced a new national broadband plan, under which up to EUR175 million (USD219 million) of state funding will be spent to extend next generation high speed network access to the 30% of the population deemed non viable for commercial operators to serve.
State-owned telco Empresas Municipales de Cali (Emcali) has announced plans to invest USD460,000 in expanding public Wi-Fi throughout the city of Cali. RCR Wireless reports that the expansion work will see 140 more hotspots installed in the city’s parks, squares and public spaces.
Ting, the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) arm of webhosting company Tucows, has become the first reseller in the United States to offer its subscribers access to Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, GigaOm reports.
Indian telco Reliance Communications (RCOM) has said that in the last few months it has been awarded contracts with both central and state governments to supply IT and connectivity services worth a total of INR1.5 billion (USD26.95 million). The Times of India reports that RCOM secured contracts from the Department of Posts, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the Madhya Pradesh Border Checkpost Development Company Ltd, amongst others.
The BT Group has announced that it is set to expand its reach into Russia through a new network interconnection agreement with Rostelecom, Russia’s national telecoms operator. The agreement will significantly improve BT’s ability to serve its corporate customers across all regions of Russia with its BT Connect portfolio of intelligent network services
Kansas-based mobile giant Sprint Nextel has announced that it has expanded its in-deployment Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to cover Baltimore (Maryland), Gainesville (Georgia), Manhattan/Junction City (Kansas) and Sedalia (Missouri). Additionally, Sprint has confirmed that customers in Baltimore, Boston and Washington DC, are poised to receive the benefits of Sprint’s revamped 3G service, which it said will deliver ‘an exceptionally clear signal, better in-building coverage and fewer dropped/blocked calls’. *As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Sprint, the United States’ third largest mobile operator by subscribers, inaugurated its commercial LTE network on 15 July 2012 as per its previously announced schedule, with a total of 15 cities initially receiving coverage.
Indian regulator the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has called on state owned telcos Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) to prepare a plan for their merger within the next three months. As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, plans to combine MTNL and BSNL have been kicked around for almost a decade, having first emerged in September 2002.
According to Reuters, European Union (EU) competition regulators have extended the deadline to decide whether to clear a EUR1.4 billion (USD1.87 billion) bid by Hutchison 3G Austria (H3G) for France Telecom-Orange's Austrian mobile unit by three days to 30 November. A person familiar with the matter said that respondents to a European Commission (EC) request for feedback from third parties had asked the EU regulator for more time due to public holidays.*Earlier this month Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa and EU regulators reportedly agreed the basic principles of a competition concession that would allow Hutchison’s Austrian mobile unit H3G to take over its larger rival Orange Austria. H3G proposed opening up its mobile network to third parties as a way of encouraging new players to enter the market if it succeeds in its approach to buy Orange, which would cut the number of wireless operators in Austria from four to three.*In related news, Telecompaper reports that T-Mobile Austria has criticised the European regulators for not demanding conditions relating to the re-distribution of spectrum and antenna sites as part of its assessment of the projected merger
The Cook Islands must decide by the end of this year whether to connect to a newly announced submarine cable being planned by New Zealand-based Hawaiki Cable, or to stick to its satellite-based broadband connectivity plans, reports Cook Island News. Hawaiki aims to link the US to Auckland and Sydney via numerous Pacific islands in a project envisaged to be completed in late 2014, having gone public with its proposal due to the recent collapse of rival venture Pacific Cable, but its schedule is contingent on participant nations confirming their commitment by the end of 2012. Hawaiki claims to be offering a cheaper and more reliable option than broadband satellite service O3b, which Telecom Cook Islands is proposing to connect to early next year.
Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has released a draft decision, determining that the country’s youngest cellco Viva (owned by Saudi Telecom Company) holds significant market power (SMP) in the mobile wholesale network termination market. The draft decision bestows Viva with equivalent regulatory obligations to older rivals Batelco and Zain which were both determined to be SMP operators of interconnection services (voice and messaging) in a February 2010 TRA decision. TeleGeography's GlobalComms Database notes that since February 2010 Zain has been subject to mobile termination rate (MTR) regulation rather than just Batelco prior to that date
Israeli fixed line incumbent Bezeq has confirmed plans to invest billions of shekels in the upgrading of its fixed line infrastructure, with the operator outlining plans to replace its copper wire network over the course of the next five to eight years. According to Globes Online, Bezeq aims to roll out a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, with investment for the project to be approved in stages, depending on its ability to deploy the network coupled with customer demand. Initially it is understood that Bezeq will connect residential consumers in apartment blocks to the new infrastructure, extending cabling to individual apartments as required
Polish cableco Multimedia Polska has pushed back the deadline for first round bids by two weeks from 7 September to 21 September, reports Euroweek. The operator has drawn interest from private equity firms Permira and Cinven as well as US-backed cable operator UPC Poland, a subsidiary of Liberty Global. There is reportedly a fourth entity also considering entering a bid, though no details have yet been confirmed.
Spanish-backed telco Telefonica del Peru, which operates under the group’s Movistar brand, announced plans to invest PEN77 million (USD28.76 million) in the northern regions of Lambayeque and Piura. RCR Wireless reports that the funds will be used to improve infrastructure, including the expansion of mobile and fixed broadband networks
South Korea’s smallest mobile network operator by subscriber, LG Uplus, has launched voice-over-Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) services in partnership with Swedish vendor Ericsson’s local subsidiary LG-Ericsson. Ericsson confirmed that it had supplied an end-to-end VoLTE network to LG Uplus to facilitate the service launch, including LTE-RAN, Evolved Packet Core, and IMS Telephony Application Server
Slovenian incumbent Telekom Slovenije reported that its consolidated net income in the first six months of 2012 grew by 5% year-on-year to EUR26.5 million (USD33 million), despite revenues falling 3% in the period to EUR391 million. In a filing to the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, the fixed line, mobile and broadband group attributed the increase in profitability to cost cutting.
From next month wireless customers of Telekom Deutschland (TD), the domestic fixed and mobile division of German telecoms company Deutsche Telekom, will be able to access download speeds of up to 100Mbps using their smartphones. The new ‘LTE (Long Term Evolution) Speed’ option will be available with all of TD’s ‘Complete Mobile’ rates from 4 September for an additional EUR9.95 (USD12.5) per month. The new option is being launched alongside a number of new LTE-capable smartphones, such as the HTC One XL and Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE
According to the The Himalayan Times, a draft report has been published on the process of finding a strategic partner for Nepal Telecom (NT). The report concludes that it will take at least two years to complete the process, and that the government should remove the hurdles in the Public Procurement Act. NT has asked the government to facilitate the process of finding a strategic partner so that it can better meet the challenges of increased competition from private operators
According to Reuters, France Telecom is holding talks with rival mobile operators over the possibility of sharing its 3G network in order to cut costs. ‘There are discussions but no particular timing ,’ CEO Stephane Richard told Reuters on the sidelines of France's Medef employers annual meeting
The European Commission (EC) has called on Polish telecoms regulator the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) to amend its proposals regarding access to the fibre networks of incumbent Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) – which operates under the Orange brand. The UKE had proposed that wholesale access to TP’s fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure be omitted from price regulations as an incentive for the telco to continue rolling out further networks.
Pakistan’s senate sub-committee of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) has instructed sector watchdog the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to bar cellcos involved in the tax evasion scam from participating in a future auction of 3G concessions. The Business Recorder reports that the decision came after the committee heard the former Director General of the Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU), Ijaz Hussain Shah claim that he had been pressured by the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) into signing an agreement granting five telcos – National Telecommunications Corporation (NTC), Pakistan Telecommunications Mobile Company Ltd (PTML), Telenor Pakistan, Warid Pakistan and Mobilink (previously known as Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd, PMCL) – exemption from paying PKR47 billion (USD489.72 million) in back taxes that the operators owed to state coffers. *Further, Shah told the committee that a ‘leading telecommunication company’ was earning PKR80 billion-PKR85 billion annually, but had paid only PKR2.5 billion tax over the past five years
Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has repaid a USD3 billion loan facility using existing funds, it said in a bourse statement on Thursday, reports Reuters. The five-year syndicated term loan was signed in August 2007 through Barclays, BNP Paribas, DBS and RBS. In January the Qatari telecoms group said that its issue of USD2.75 billion in bonds in 2010 preemptively addressed the refinancing of the USD3 billion loan
Hi3G Access Sweden, offering mobile services under the ‘3’ brand, has selected Mavenir Systems to support voice services for its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network subscribers, using Circuit Switch Fallback (CSFB). CSFB allows voice calls to be delivered to/from LTE handsets via the operator’s 3G network, and acts as an interim technology solution ahead of the introduction of voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) – which delivers voice in IP packets alongside data, and is beginning to be implemented on a handful of networks worldwide. Mavenir stated that its VoLTE IWF (InterWorking Function) will enable Hi3G to introduce CSFB quickly and with minimal impact on its networks.
Telekom Austria Group is set to commence talks with Dutch telecoms group KPN to discuss possible synergies, its CEO Hannes Ametsreiter has revealed. Dow Jones Newswires reports that the plans have emerged now that the two companies have a common shareholder in the form of Latin American behemoth America Movil, which is owned by Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim. Earlier this summer, America Movil paved the way for its unexpected entrance into the European market by acquiring shares in both companies
The consortium owners of start-up mobile operator MPVI Mobil – state interests Magyar Posta, Hungarian Electricity Works (MVM) and Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) – have raised the company’s capital by HUF14.1 billion (USD62.6 million) through non-cash contributions, Econews reports. The majority state-owned company was established with registered capital of HUF500 million in April, which has now been raised to more than HUF14.6 billion via the capital increase which took place last month.*MPVI Mobil won the premium ‘A block’ of frequencies in an auction at the end of January, suitable for both internet and voice services, paying HUF10 billion, while Hungary’s three incumbent cellcos each secured spectrum from parts of the ‘B block’, which is better suited to provide mobile internet access in rural parts of the country.
US satellite TV provider DISH Network has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) not to shift its spectrum holdings in the 2GHz band and to approve rules for using satellite spectrum in terrestrial settings, Fierce Wireless reports, citing a regulatory filing. The document, which was published this week, notes that on 24 August Zachary Katz, chief of staff for FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, met with Jeffrey Blum, DISH's senior vice president and deputy general counsel. At the meeting, DISH warned that a mooted ‘5MHz upward shift at 2000MHz-2020MHz would needlessly inject serious regulatory and technical obstacles’ into the company’s plans to reinvent itself as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier
Russian mobile giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has announced the signing of an agreement with Scartel (Yota) to launch as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) over the latter’s network in Kazan.
Richard Branson’s international Virgin Mobile operation is reportedly eyeing up the Russian market for future expansion, RBC Daily reports. Speaking at the company’s recent press conference to announce the launch of mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Virgin Poland, Kristian Myrup, the head of the new Virgin Mobile Central and Eastern Europe division told reporters: ‘Virgin Mobile Central and Eastern Europe is a new regional company in the Virgin Group
China Telecom Corporation has announced plans to set up a new subsidiary in Hong Kong, dubbed China Telecom Global Ltd, to be tasked with boosting its overseas business, reports China Daily. The company, which has regional subsidiaries in 26 countries, said in a statement: ‘The establishment of China Telecom Global Ltd is an important strategic decision.
Ireland’s transport minister Leo Varadkar has revealed plans to have free public Wi-Fi services available across the country’s entire public transportation system next year. According to local news source The Journal, Wi-Fi has already been introduced on Irish Rail and Bus Eireann services, while trials are also underway on Dublin Bus and Luas, Dublin’s light rail transit system, with a view to a full rollout in the near future.
Candido Aguilera, a lawmaker based in the Guaira Department in Eastern Paraguay, has reported to the House of Representatives that there are plans afoot to bankrupt state-owned telecoms operator Copaco and sell it on for ‘beans and sticks’. According to abc.com.py Aguilera detailed a series of financial problems facing the organisation, while also hinting that the purchase of mobile Vox was a ‘failure’.
Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM), the country’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has announced it generated service revenue of MWK7.333 billion (USD26.8 million) in the six months ended 30 June 2012, an increase of 39% year-on-year.
Ghana’s telcos have agreed to co-share ducts to enable them to more easily lay fibre-optic cables across the country. Mobile operators in Ghana have shared towers to mount cell sites for some time, but when it came to fixed broadband each telco reportedly dug its own trench to lay its cables. The companies hope that the decision to move to co-share ducts will reduce costs, help the environment and reduce cable theft, a problem which has blighted the country’s fixed line sector
Private equity firm Seaport Capital is reviewing offers for cable operator MCV Broadband from three potential buyers, according to a report by Pacific Daily News which cites MCV Broadband’s CEO Craig Thompson. Seaport Capital acquired MCV Broadband, a supplier of cable television, telephony and high speed internet services in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), from United Micronesia Development Association in 2005
According to an unconfirmed report by Vedomosti, WiMAX-turned-Long Term Evolution (LTE) operator Scartel (Yota) has signed up around 600,000 LTE subscribers since inaugurating its commercial LTE network earlier this year. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Yota officially inaugurated its commercial LTE network in Moscow on 10 May, going on to offer the service in Krasnodar, Sochi, Ufa, Vladivostok, Samara and the Volga Region; further network launches have been pencilled in for St Petersburg and Kazan by end-2012.
Speaking at a press conference in Kinshasa last week Vodacom Congo director general Moza Godfrey announced that the Congolese mobile operator has commenced its USD25 million 3G network rollout. The first phase of the deployment, which is currently concentrated in capital city Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, will see around 350 3G base stations installed by 31 December 2012. *As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in July this year Vodacom was one of four local mobile operators – alongside Airtel DRC, Oasis Telecom (Tigo) and Africell – to pay USD15 million for a long-awaited 3G concession
Taiwanese multi-service provider Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has reported a 15.2% year-on-year decline in net income for the second quarter of 2012. The telco posted net profit of TWD11.27 billion (USD379 million) in the three months to end-June 2012, as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) fell by 3.6% to TWD22.58 billion.
Telekom Malaysia (TM) has released its financial and operational results for the six months ended 30 June 2012, with the fixed line incumbent revealing that profit after tax and minority interest (PATAMI) had more than doubled against the same period of 2011.
Latin America is a burgeoning bandwidth market. Data from TeleGeography’s Global Bandwidth Research Service reveal that international bandwidth usage grew nearly 9-fold between 2007 and 2011, from 659 Gbps to 5.6 Tbps. To meet this growing demand, submarine cable operators are adding capacity at a rapid pace.
Romania Cable Systems (RCS&RDS) has been named as one of four entities that has acquired the bulk of the shares in Hungarian telecommunications company TvNetWork, the Romanian Business Review reports. RCS&RDS was joined by fellow shareholders Carose, which is based in the Netherlands, Trumbull Capital Advisers and Sjor Capital Limited, both of which are registered in Cyprus, to acquire 99.61% of the company in a concerted buyout offer
One of the opponents of the ruling Kosovo government, the Self Determination movement (Vetevendosje), has railed against plans to sell state owned telco Post and Telecommunications Kosovo (PTK), claiming that the sale was only intended to line the pockets of government officials. Balkan Insight reports that Dardan Sejdiu, a spokesperson for the movement – which opposes all foreign involvement in Kosovo’s affairs – called the PTK sale a ‘robbery…hidden behind the name of privatisation.’
Hungarian incumbent telco Magyar Telekom, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, has agreed to sell its 100%-owned niche wireless network operator Pro-M for USD89 million to a government-owned firm, National Infocommunications Service Co, reports Reuters. Pro-M operates a professional mobile radio network used mainly by emergency services.
In reporting its second quarter 2012 results, Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has outlined a number of key figures related to the upcoming relaunch of services in Turkmenistan next month. Capital expenditures for resuming operations at the Russian company’s Turkmen subsidiary are expected to total USD1.5 million, while it has said that for the period 2012-2015 it expects to invest approximately USD40 million in the country. Setting targets for MTS Turkmenistan, its parent company has further revealed that it aims to have 440,000 customers on its books by the end of 2012, while it is hoping to generate revenue of TMT9.4 million (USD3.3 million) in 2012
Moscow-based telecoms giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has reported revenues of USD3.122 billion for the three months ended 30 June 2012, a rise of 3.6% year-on-year.
SmarTone yesterday became the latest Hong Kong cellco to launch commercial 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services for smartphone, tablet and computer users, claiming ‘territory wide’ coverage from the outset following a rollout in partnership with Ericsson of Sweden. Using exclusively 1800MHz band frequencies, in contrast to local rivals utilising 2600MHz bandwidth for 4G, SmarTone is highlighting superior indoor coverage of its chosen band over the 2600MHz range – echoing the claims of Hong Kong LTE trailblazer CSL which last week enhanced its LTE coverage via dual-band 1800MHz/2600MHz infrastructure, CommsUpdate reported
Puerto Rican CDMA and Long Term Evolution (LTE) operator Open Mobile has reported that since launching commercial LTE services in April this year, customers are migrating to the 4G mobile data platform at a rate of around 2,000 per month, whilst average LTE monthly data consumption stands at 6GB-7GB – a volume the company expects to reach 8GB-9GB, reports BNamericas. Previously, Open Mobile’s average mobile data customer using CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services was consuming around 3GB per month, according to the cellco’s network engineering director Luis Rivera, speaking yesterday
French operator Bouygues Telecom has posted revenue of EUR2.68 billion (USD3.4 billion) for the first six months of 2012, a 7% drop year-on-year reflecting the introduction of new price plans and a smaller mobile subscriber base. Sales from the company’s fixed broadband services were up 40%, albeit from a relatively low starting point. Operating income came in at EUR148 million compared with EUR331 million from the corresponding period last year following higher costs and amortisation expenses.
Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki has intervened for the second time in as many years to prevent the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) from lowering the existing mobile termination rate (MTR), Business Daily Africa reports.
Indian regulator the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has proposed that imports of telecom equipment from China be limited to devices and accessories such as dongles, reports Chinese news site ZDNet. Alluding to security concerns over Chinese infrastructure, the DoT has suggested leaving more strategic imports to ‘non-controversial countries.’ The watchdog highlighted the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Sweden and Finland as safer options for providing infrastructure and networks, whilst the US, Israel, Finland, Canada and Japan were recommended sources for security, encryption and surveillance technologies.
Sweden’s largest cableco Com Hem has reported that its total number of fixed broadband subscribers increased moderately in the twelve months ended 30 June 2012, when it had 545,000 cable modem internet customers, up from 537,000 at mid-2011. However, all other segments saw a year-on-year decrease in revenue generating units (RGUs) at the end of the second quarter, as fixed telephony subscribers fell to 360,000 (374,000) and digital TV households stood at 621,000 (624,000), while those taking a triple-play video, voice and web package decreased to 276,000 at end-June 2012 from 281,000 a year earlier.
Paraguayan regulator Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) has approved the acquisition of pay-TV firm Cablevision Paraguay by Millicom International Cellular (MIC)-owned Tigo, Ultima Hora reports, citing Conatel president Carlos Gomez Zelada. The completion of the deal is now expected to take place within the next 45 days
Alternative British broadband provider BSkyB has announced that it has unbundled its 2,000th exchange, ISPreview reports, with the telco having launched its on-net services in Wraysbury, Berkshire. In announcing the milestone, BSkyB claimed that it now offers unbundled services to 82% of the UK’s population, and looking ahead it now says it aims to increase that to 90% by 2015. Commenting on the development, Lyssa McGowan from Sky Broadband was cited as saying: ‘We’ve invested more than GBP1 billion (USD1.58 billion) in our network over the past six years to enable us to provide our customers with the best possible broadband service and offer value that’s second to none.
Albanian telecoms regulator, the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP), has launched an auction for two new 3G licences. The first concessions permits the use of the following spectrum: 1950MHz-1965MHz paired with 2140MHz-2155MHz as well as a further 5MHz (1910MHz-1915MHz). The second consists of 1965MHz-1980MHz paired with 2155MHz-2170MHz and an additional 5MHz (1915MHz-1920MHz)
The executive management of Celcom Limited, which was awarded a dual fixed and mobile telephony licence from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in May 2011, has resigned, putting into question the firm’s ability to meet the October 2012 launch deadline set by the regulator. Local newspaper The Nation cites Celcom chief executive officer Ted Sauti Phiri as saying that he had resigned from the company, along with other managers, although he declined to give reasons for the move
India’s Supreme Court has granted a reprieve to the cellcos affected by the mass cancellation of 2G licences in February this year, allowing them to continue operations until 18 January 2013, rather than 7 September 2012. Dow Jones Newswires reports that the extension followed confirmation earlier this week that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) would not meet its 31 August deadline for completing the re-auction of spectrum.
Luxembourg’s Millicom International Cellular (MIC) has announced that it has reached an agreement with the government of Senegal, ending the long standing dispute over the validity of MIC’s licence in the country.
Internet-based on demand services in Poland are to come under supervision of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), effectively meaning they must comply with the same rules as traditional TV channels, in line with other European markets, reports Broadband TV News. Legislative amendments to this effect have been agreed by the government, in compliance with the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
Following several delays, Azerbaijan mobile service users will gain access to mobile number portability (MNP) this October, according to a press statement from Jurgen Peetz, the CEO of local cellco Azerfon, Trend.az reports. Peetz announced that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had set the date as a final deadline for Azerfon and its two larger rivals Azercell and Bakcell to introduce MNP simultaneously
Greece’s largest alternative fixed broadband provider ForthNet has gained shareholder approval to hold a rights issue worth up to around EUR30 million (USD37.5 million), at an unspecified date. Following conversion to a new share structure, existing shareholders will be allowed to apply for a maximum of 15 new shares for every two shares held.
China's Huawei Technologies has been selected to provide its IP microwave backhaul solutions for the 4G LTE mobile networks of Movicel in Angola and Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) in Namibia. Movicel launched commercial LTE services in April 2012 (using Huawei as one of its suppliers) and MTC launched its 4G network the following month.
Last week Nigeria’s Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, made an official presentation to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the government’s plans for merging the country’s telecoms and broadcasting regulators, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). However, local newspaper This Day quotes NBC director general, Yomi Bolarinwa, as saying that the commission is unaware of such a move by the government. ‘NBC is a government agency, we have not been informed by government of any merger, when government writes us, then we will know.
Belgian mobile network operator KPN Group Belgium (including BASE) has inked a packet switched core network deal with Chinese vendor ZTE under which the latter will deploy equipment supporting unified radio access. Under the terms of the deal it is understood that ZTE will deploy its Uni-Core solution, which supports the seamless evolution from 2G/3G packet core to evolved packet core (EPC), and assists operators in supporting unified 2G, 3G and 4G access. The vendor has claimed that its solutions will help KPN Group Belgium ‘deliver differentiated services, further enhancing its service innovation capability and network competitive strength’.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics has been selected to provide the UK’s smallest cellco by subscribers, Hutchison 3G UK (H3G UK), with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Radio Access Network (RAN), as well as 3G/LTE core infrastructure solutions. In a press release confirming the development, the vendor noted that this marks its first commercial mobile network rollout in Europe, and it has confirmed that it will deploy LTE base stations, including all associated systems and network support services, across H3G UK’s existing infrastructure. It is understood that the solution will be trialled this year ahead of a full deployment and commercial launch in 2013.
Telstra has said that it plans to more than double the coverage area for its Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, with a view to extending its 4G footprint to some two-thirds of the country’s population. Having launched LTE commercially in September last year, Telstra has revealed that it aims to offer ‘ultra-fast mobile coverage’ across all capital cities over the course of the next ten months. With the first new LTE base stations commencing operation today in Bondi Beach and in the North Shore rail tunnel, Sydney, Brendon Riley, Telstra’s chief operations officer, claimed the expansion would ensure that the operator would meet increasing demand
Russian telecoms giant MobileTeleSystems (MTS) has announced that it has acquired a 100% stake in regional cableco Intercom from a private investor. According to MTS, Intercom, which is active in Volzhsk, the second largest city in the Mari El Republic, has a 99% market share in the local cable TV market and a 67% share of the broadband sector
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has published a memorandum outlining the details for the auction of spectrum in the 1800MHz and 800MHz ranges as ordered by the Supreme Court in February. Applications to participate in the tender are due by 19 October, with bidding for frequencies in the 1800MHz range to begin on 12 November whilst bidding for the 800MHz spectrum will start two days after the previous round of bidding ends. *10MHz of 1800MHz spectrum is up for auction in each circle, broken down into eight 1.25MHz blocks
US-Chadian infrastructure provider Societe d’Infrastructures des Communications Electroniques du Tchad (Sitcom) has announced that it has signed an interconnection agreement with Cameroon’s national operator CamTel, linking up the duo’s respective fibre-optic networks. The agreement will allow Chad to connect to the rest of the world via fibre, cutting its current dependence on satellite links. Sitcom also announced that the two telcos would provide backup services to one another over their fibre routes from North to South in order to improve network availability.
Swedish telecoms vendor Ericsson has confirmed that it has been selected by Telekom Austria Group to deploy a multi-standard radio access network for its subsidiaries A1 Telekom Austria and VIPnet (Croatia), paving the way for the smooth introduction of Long Term Evolution (LTE) across the cellco’s respective networks.
Costa Rican broadband operators Radiografica Costarricense (RACSA) has inked a deal with Swedish firm Via Europa to provide the telco with a fibre-optic access network. La Nacion reports that Europa will build, operate and maintain the network which is due to be operational in early 2013.
Dutch telco Tele2 NL has started offering customers in the cities of Leeuwaarden, Enschede, Hoofddorp and Almere the option to sign up for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services, ahead of switching on such connections later this year. According to Telecompaper, the operator is initially focusing on the introduction of FTTH connectivity in the four aforementioned cities in November 2012, although residents in other municipalities are also able to confirm their interest in fibre-based services, although activation dates for other areas have yet to be confirmed.
Zain has confirmed that it is close to signing a roaming deal with Vodafone. The agreement would give Vodafone subscribers lower roaming fees when accessing Zain’s networks across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Bahrain. ‘Zain Group is at an advanced stage in negotiations towards reaching a strategic partnership agreement with Vodafone,' the company said in a statement.
Morocco is to embark on a ten-year national plan to develop its broadband sector, reports local news source Magharebia. The National Telecommunications Regulation Agency (ANRT) says that the plan, which has been approved by the government, will give the country’s entire population access to fixed or mobile broadband by 2022.* *The first phase of the project will see the rollout of 4G mobile technologies from 2014 onwards and increased spectrum made available for Wi-Fi. At the same time, the ANRT plans to launch pilot projects to deploy fibre-optic cables to selected housing estates away from the main urban areas.* *The second phase will see service quality and connectivity between networks in different areas improved, as well as investigation into the use of alternative broadband technologies in order to boost coverage
French telco Iliad has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) under which it will borrow EUR200 million (USD250 million) in order to help finance the rollout of high speed broadband. Two-thirds of the funds will go towards improving the operator’s fibre-optic broadband infrastructure, while the remainder will used to boost ADSL-based speeds
Zimbabwe’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Econet Wireless, has been forced to reverse its decision to switch off interconnection with state-owned NetOne.
China Unicom has announced it generated operating revenue of CNY121.69 billion (USD19.2 billion) in the six months ended 30 June 2012, an increase of 20.0% compared to the same period a year earlier, while service revenue grew 13.3% year-on-year to CNY102.39 billion. The growth in sales helped drive a 12.5% increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to CNY36.04 billion for the first half of 2012 and a 31.9% year-on-year rise in net profit, which totalled CNY3.43 billion in 1H12.
Slovakia's apex court has ruled invalid a EUR47.8 million (USD60.0 million) fee issued to Slovak Telekom last year by the country’s telecoms regulator for renewal of its mobile licence, Reuters reports. The Deutsche Telekom subsidiary’s ten-year extension fee must now be recalculated by the Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic (TU SR), under orders of the Supreme Court, which called into question the watchdog’s calculation methodology
Telecom New Zealand has announced operating revenues of NZD4.576 billion (USD3.732 billion) for the twelve months ended 30 June 2012, down 8.6% on the NZD5.004 billion recorded a year earlier.
Bloomberg News says that the Brazilian government, through its national regulator Anatel, is considering auctioning spectrum in the 700MHz band – currently used by television broadcasters in the country – for 4G LTE services by December 2013. The report quotes Anatel president Joao Rezende as saying that the spectrum would be freed up by June 2016 after TV networks such as Globo Comunicacao e Participacoes SA and Grupo Record complete their switch to digital TV broadcasts. Brazil’s broadcasters must make the transition under a June 2006 presidential decree.
Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa and European Union (EU) regulators have agreed the basic principles of a competition concession that would allow Hutchison's Austrian mobile unit H3G to take over its larger rival Orange Austria, Reuters reports. H3G has proposed opening up its mobile network to third parties as a way of encouraging new players to enter the market if it succeeds in its EUR1.4 billion (USD1.87 billion) deal to buy Orange, which would cut the number of wireless operators in Austria from four to three. Citing a statement released by Hutchison, Reuters quotes the conglomerate as saying: ‘3 cannot reveal any details at the moment because the process is still ongoing and confidential, but can confirm that a model has been basically agreed with the commission, and is now being tested in the market’
Romania’s National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has confirmed that it has validated the initial bids submitted for its imminent spectrum auction, which is poised to commence on 10 September. Interestingly, the watchdog has revealed that the holding of primary rounds of bidding will be required because the initial bids exceed the number of available blocks in at least one frequency band. During the initial primary round, the price for each spectrum block will equal the reserve price for the respective category.
Hungarian alternative telecom services provider Invitel is considering a tie-up with mobile newcomer MPVI Mobil, with a view to becoming a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), business daily Napi Gazdasag reports. Invitel, which is wholly owned by Mid Europa Partners (MEP) and offers fixed telephony and broadband services in Hungary, could look to establish a consortium in partnership with MPVI Mobil, the paper says without revealing its sources.
Ayala-controlled Globe Telecom has announced plans to launch its fourth-generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) network in the Philippines next month, marking a significant change in strategy for the firm which previously adopted a wait and see approach to the ultra-high speed mobile technology. Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said that with its USD700 million network upgrade programme entering the final phase, the carrier plans to go live with LTE in key commercial and residential areas in Makati City
Telecom Personal, the mobile arm of Argentine fixed line incumbent Telecom Argentina, has doubled the capacity of its 3.5G network at 90% of sites in the northwestern city of Salta, with the aim of improving service quality in the region. TeleSemana reports that the cellco is also investing ARS97 million (USD21 million) in the rollout of a new fibre-optic cable between General Ballivian (Salta province) and Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena (Chaco), while a further ARS14 million has been spent on the launch of new sales office in Salta.
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Verizon Wireless' USD3.9 billion purchase of 20MHz of nationwide Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum from a group of cable companies known as SpectrumCo, as well as related deals which will see the mobile giant offload surplus frequencies to T-Mobile USA and Leap Wireless. However, the watchdog has attached several restrictions and conditions to the deals, primarily related to buildout requirements and data roaming obligations.
According to a Concord Times report, Sierra Leone will receive a USD15 million from China in order to complete its connection to the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) cable system project. The funds top up an earlier USD31 million line of credit to Sierra Leone from the World Bank. When complete, the 17,000km fibre-optic system will run along West Africa with connections to France and South Africa, connecting 23 countries.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has announced that it has cut services to NetOne. In a statement Econet claimed that the state-owned operator owes interconnection fees amounting to more than USD20 million since 2009.
The Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN) has berated the government’s heel-dragging over the slow pace of allocating WiMAX licences in the country, the Himalayan News Service reports.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has reportedly called an emergency meeting with the country’s mobile network operators with a view to blocking illegal pre-paid SIM cards. According to local news source The News, the regulator will meet with representatives from cellcos next week, with PTA chairman Farooq Awan overseeing the discussion
Airtel Zambia, the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, is aiming to invest more than ZMK20 billion (USD3.79 million) on boosting the number of 3.5G cell sites it has in operation, AllAfrica reports.
Hong Kong cellco CSL has launched what it claims is the world’s first commercial 1800MHz/2600MHz dual-band 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network for users of its premium brand ‘1O1O’, following an expansion and upgrade contract awarded to ZTE in May.
Peruvian regulator Organismo Supervisor de Inversion Privada en Telecommuniciones (Osiptel) has ordered former monopoly telco Telefonica del Peru (TDP) to cut the cost of 16 monthly fixed telephony packages. According to Osiptel’s website, the order, which applies to local and long-distance fixed telephony calling services, takes effect from 1 September, in accordance with the adoption of the regulator’s ‘quarterly rate adjustment’ for the incumbent covering September-November.
Zimbabwe is set to gain an additional link to international submarine high speed fibre networks via a route through Zambia and Namibia. The Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has announced that the country will extend a link to Zimbabwe via Zambia to grant access to the West Africa Cable System (WACS)
Canadian quadruple-play telco Telus has announced a new proposal to reform its legacy shareholding structure by exchanging its non-voting shares into common shares on a one-for-one basis, which it will put to a vote of all shareholders on 17 October 2012. The proposal will require approval from two-thirds of its non-voting shareholder votes cast, plus approval by a simple majority of common share votes cast. Telus currently has approximately 175 million common shares and 151 million non-voting shares issued and outstanding, so the exchange would result in a single class of approximately 326 million common shares
French telecoms regulator the Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes (Arcep) has initiated a public consultation on the proposed reduction in mobile termination rates (MTRs) in France’s overseas departments. This would see rates drop to EUR0.01 (USD0.012) per minute in the Antilles-Guyane region (encompassing French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe) and Reunion and Mayotte, from 1 January 2013
According to advanced-television.com, French parent company Altice Group intends to invest EUR500 million (USD623.5 million) in its recently acquired Portuguese cableco Cabovisao this year. The funds will largely be used to boost the number of TV channels offered by the company, and to expand its coverage in large cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Guimaraes
Macedonian mobile operator VIP Mobile, part of the Telekom Austria Group, has reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of EUR2.5 million (USD3.1 million) for the three months to 30 June 2012, up from EUR500,000 in the corresponding period of 2011, on revenue that rose 10.4% year-on-year to EUR14.6 million. Operating expenses decreased by 4.9% y-o-y, primarily driven by lower interconnection expenses, lower marketing costs and other cost savings
The Croatian Postal & Electronic Communications Agency (HAKOM) has received four bids in its public tender for the award of grants for rolling out broadband networks in designated areas including mountainous regions and islands. At the deadline of 20 August, HAKOM received bids from former monopoly telco and mobile operator T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT), cellco VIPnet, alternative telco H1 Telekom and VVISP. A decision on issuing grants will be given no later than 28 September 2012
The owners of Namibia’s second largest mobile operator Powercom (Leo) have brought an urgent case to the High Court in an attempt to clear the struggling cellco’s proposed merger with state-owned incumbent Telecom Namibia.
UK-backed mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Virgin Mobile yesterday launched a commercial pre-paid service in Poland over the networks of Orange Poland and P4 (Play).
The government of Botswana has approved the separation of fixed line incumbent Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) into telecoms service provider BTC Limited and a new infrastructure company, Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), paving the way for the firm’s privatisation.
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has officially confirmed the schedule for holding the country’s 2100MHz 3G mobile operating licence auction as 15-20 October 2012. The market’s three private sector cellcos, Advanced Info Service (AIS), Digital Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Move are expected to be the only participants, and are expected to each gain equal 2x15MHz concessions at minimum bid prices.
Kazakhstan’s state-owned CDMA operator Altel has enlisted St Petersburg-based Bercut, an international provider of end-to-end telecom solutions, to supply it with the software required to roll out its mooted Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the vendor has announced. As per the terms of the contract, Bercut has agreed to implement the mechanism of charging for data transmission and LTE subscriber services.
Canadian 3G mobile network operator Globalive Wireless (Wind Mobile), part of the Vimpelcom group, reported that it added 42,000 net new subscribers during the second quarter of 2012, growing its active customer base by 44% year-on-year to 457,000 at the end of June 2012. Blended monthly ARPU in the three months to 30 June was CAD27.7 (USD27.9), down slightly from CAD27.8 in the same period a year earlier. In 2Q12 Wind Mobile reported that it added primarily post-paid subscribers while continuing to carefully position its products as offering value for money.
Bosnia’s HT Mostar has been fined BAM120,000 (USD76,000) by local regulator the Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA) for the continued delays in implementing mobile number portability (MNP), Telecompaper reports. The development comes just over a month after it was claimed that HT Mostar, which is Bosnia’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers, was facing legal action from the local CRA, over its failure to introduce MNP fully. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, in July 2012 the CRA, having examined the state of implementation by all three of the country’s cellcos, found that HT Mostar had not yet made the service fully available to its customers; it was understood that ported subscribers at that date were able to make voice calls, but could not use SMS and MMS services
Swiss operator Sunrise has announced revenues of CHF513.8 million (USD533.5 million) for the second quarter, up by more than 5% year-on-year following a 16% hike in sales from landline services. The gains partly reflect the acquisition in November 2011 of NextiraOne Switzerland (now called Business Sunrise Enterprise Solutions). In organic terms, sales grew by approximately 2%, largely due to a 1.5% increase in revenues from the company’s mobile division.
Burkina Faso’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP) has said it has met with the country’s three mobile operators to discuss the revival of SIM registration to help tighten up security. The process was first carried out in 2010, but according to the regulator the results were ‘unsatisfactory’, with a high level of unregistered SIM cards still on the market, some of which are being used to commit offences. As such, ARCEP has said that from October 2012, mobile operators Telmob, Airtel Burkina Faso and Telecel Faso will no longer be able to sell unregistered or part-registered SIM cards.
Juan Manuel Arguello, the head of Telefonica Nicaragua, has revealed that the subscriber base of its cellular unit Movistar has reached 2.8 million, of which around 80% are on pre-paid contracts. In an interview with Confidencial.com.ni, Arguello noted that the cellco's network currently covers 85% of Nicaragua's territory, a figure which Movistar hopes to increase to 95% by year-end.
America Movil (AM), the regional mobile operator owned by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, is reported to be one of four groups looking to invest in Polish mobile operator P4, the Puls Biznesu paper reports citing unnamed sources as saying. Slim, who is establishing a foothold in the European market through the acquisition of stakes in Royal KPN of the Netherlands and in Telekom Austria, is also believed to be interested in Warsaw-listed fibre-optic infrastructure firm Hawe the news daily reports.
America Movil’s (AM’s) Brazilian mobile service provider Telecom Americas (Claro) is the first operator to nail its colours to the mast where 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services are concerned, announcing its intention to launch in the cities of Campos do Jordao (in Sao Paulo state) and Buzios and Paraty (both in Rio de Janeiro state) ‘probably’ before April 2013. BNamericas quotes Claro CEO Carlos Zenteno as telling the communications minister Paulo Bernardo and journalists that his firm is ‘ahead of the 4G schedule’ and as such is aiming to launch in some of FIFA's Confederations Cup football tournament host-cities prior to April 2013
Australia’s Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) and New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation have jointly released a draft report claiming that operators are making ‘excessive profits’ from trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges. In a press release announcing the publication of the report it was claimed that the investigation by the two watchdogs had provided a number of options for both governments to consider with a view to asserting downward pressure on mobile prices
Following talks with Gabon’s telecoms regulator ARCEP, the country’s incumbent fixed network operator Gabon Telecom has announced cuts in its fixed broadband internet rates. Its 256kbps ADSL monthly package cost dropped by 25% from XAF20,000 to XAF15,000 (from around USD37.6 down to USD28.2), while its 512kbps service fell in price by a third, from XAF29,500 to XAF20,000 (around USD55.5 to USD37.6). The monthly price for a 1Mbps connection also fell by a third, from XAF45,000 to XAF29,500 (around USD84.7 to USD55.5).
Canadian quadruple-play operator Rogers Communications has launched 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services in Moncton, New Brunswick, making it the first cellco to expand its commercial LTE network to the province.
China Telecom Corporation Limited (China Telecom) has released its operating results for the first six months of 2012. Consolidated fixed line, mobile and broadband revenues reached CNY138.021 billion (USD21.775 billion) in January-June 2012, up 14.8% year-on-year from CNY120.222 billion in H1 2011
According to a report by Kansas.com, Chit Chat Holdings, which owns a number of Chit Chat Wireless stores in Wichita, Missouri, Texas and New Mexico, has signed an agreement with Sprint Nextel to allow it to operate as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) under the ‘Chit Chat Mobile’ brand.
India’s Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has reportedly reserved its judgement on an appeal made by US-based Qualcomm related to a reduction in the length of its Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) concession, according to India’s Economic Times, having heard arguments from both the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Qualcomm. Qualcomm filed the appeal after the DoT in May 2012 reportedly reduced the validity of its wireless broadband licence from 20 years to 18, with the regulator at that date also trimming the operator’s rollout obligation period from five years to three and half years.
Despite indications to the contrary, the long-running ownership saga that has dogged Amsterdam-based telecoms group Vimpelcom in recent years shows no signs of abating, Reuters reports. The company's largest Russian shareholder Altimo, which is part of the Alfa Group, has now rebutted comments made by its fellow shareholder Telenor of Norway, suggesting that the dispute between the two parties was effectively over.
According to Agence Ecofin reports, the government of Cameroon has demanded XAF1 billion (USD1.9 million) from neighbouring Chad in order to connect the landlocked nation to the pan-regional Central African Backbone (CAB) network, which links Yaounde to two other capital cities, N'djamena (Chad), and Bangui (Central African Republic), and to submarine cables landing at Douala, Cameroon. The fibre link, which was inaugurated in March this year, will provide capacity to Chad-based telcos via the Cameroonian government’s Societe des Infrastructures de Transmission des Communications Electroniques (SIT-COM) network arm
Kyrgyzstan’s State Property Fund received no applications for participation in an auction for a 75% stake in state-owned Kyrgyz Mobile Company by the 17 August deadline, reports Tazabek. The auction of the start-up cellco, which holds a licence for the provision of GSM and W-CDMA mobile services in the country, was scheduled to take place on 21 August 2012, with a starting bid price of KGS152.5 million (USD3.2 million)
Everything Everywhere (EE), the joint venture between UK mobile network operators Orange UK and T-Mobile UK, has refuted suggestions that it is planning to drop its existing brands, although it has reportedly confirmed that it is aiming to introduce a third consumer brand that will exist alongside them. According to Marketing Week, the new brand is expected to be launched later this year, but EE has not revealed the name nor the target market yet, although it has confirmed that it will not use the Everything Everywhere name for this purpose. Mat Sears, head of PR and corporate communications for Everything Everywhere was cited as saying: ‘We’ve made the announcement today ahead of schedule to respond to concerns from customers that we are replacing both brands
Brazilian state-owned postal operator Correios do Brasil has reportedly confirmed plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business in the country in the second half of 2013. Online journal Convergencia Digital notes that under the remit of Provisional Measure 532, Correios’ permitted activities have been expanded to include entry to the local telephony market and that whilst no firm date has been decided, it is expected to launch in H2 2013. The postal firm’s intentions were highlighted by communications minister Paulo Bernardo in a recent interview, who said that Correios not only plans to resell capacity and SIM cards from a host network operator, but also that the operator is embarking on a mission to modernise the postal service using the internet.
More than four years since it last adjusted mobile interconnection rates, Paraguayan regulator Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) has confirmed that it has finally reduced the charges again, La Nacion reports. As per board resolution No. 1023/2012, from 1 October 2012 the interconnection rate will drop from PYG5 (USD0.00112) per second to PYG3, excluding VAT.
Etisalat Nigeria, the local unit of United Arab Emirates telco Etisalat, has expanded its ‘3.75G’ mobile broadband service to a further eight cities, namely Abeokuta, Jos, Ilorin, Calabar, Akure, Oshogbo, Uyo and Asaba, reports local newspaper Leadership. As noted in TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Etisalat launched its ‘easyblaze’-branded Dual Carrier-HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) network in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, Warri, Enugu, Aba, Awka, Nnewi, Onitsha and Benin in September 2011.
Bharti Infratel, the Indian passive infrastructure subsidiary of telecoms giant Bharti Airtel, is ‘soon’ likely to appoint banks to conduct its previously proposed initial public offering (IPO) of around 10% of its share capital, according to local reports.
Cameroon’s Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Jean-Pierre Biyiti bi Essam has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One Cable Company, to establish a landing station for the submarine cable system in the country, according to Investir Au Cameroun. Nigerian-owned Main One Cable Company was incorporated in November 2006 with the aim of installing a new fibre-optic cable system linking West Africa to Europe to increase capacity and lower costs for international and intra-Africa communications.
Spanish-backed integrated telecoms operator Telefonica Colombia (Movistar) has committed to new rollouts of fixed broadband lines to lower-income families under the Digital Home Project, an initiative of the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication (MinTIC), and part of the Compartel social programme, which aims to extend broadband internet access to the masses. As reported by CommsUpdate in July, the government has earmarked COP300 billion (USD165.5 million) per annum over the next two years for purchasing computers and subsidising internet access for families in the lowest two ‘strata’ – Colombia operates a system that gives areas a designation between one and six depending on its level of prosperity, strata one being the poorest areas and strata six the most affluent. 100,000 families receiving free housing from the government will also receive computers and free internet access; additional families in strata one and two that purchase broadband access will not be charged VAT on the service.
According to RBC Daily, a number of major investors are keen to acquire Rostelecom's preferred shares, although the national telecoms operator has yet to confirm its decision to convert them into ordinary shares. The newspaper reports that Gazprombank has offered all owners of preferred shares the opportunity to sell them through private brokers, although the premium being offered by the bank is believed to be minimal, prompting shareholders interviewed by the business daily to reject the offer. Gazprombank declined to comment on the issue, and a source close to the lender went on record to deny these claims.
A total of five operators have applied to take part in Argentina’s upcoming auction of wireless spectrum in the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, reports BNamericas, citing local newspaper La Nacion.
US-based microwave networking solutions provider Aviat Networks has announced the signing of a service level agreement (SLA) to provide mobile operator Etisalat Nigeria with a comprehensive suite of managed network services. Under the agreement, Aviat Networks will establish a network operations centre (NOC) in Abuja to operate 50 hops of Etisalat’s enterprise data network, comprising 100 radios of the Eclipse Packet Node microwave networking solution, on the mobile operator's network nationwide within Nigeria. The vendor will also implement its element management system ‘ProVision’ for network surveillance, fault escalation and reporting with up to six months of performance data stored for analysis, and implement its Comprehensive Spares Management Programme.
Verizon Wireless has indicated that as many as 64 companies have expressed an interest in buying its 700MHz Lower A and B Block spectrum, Fierce Wireless reports. The mobile giant has deemed the frequencies surplus to requirements, and seeks to offload them as soon as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) formally approves its long-running USD3.9 billion purchase of a nationwide allocation of AWS spectrum from SpectrumCo, a joint venture between cablecos Comcast Corporation, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. The deal was endorsed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) last week, on condition that the companies involved change their marketing agreements for selling each other’s services.
New Zealand’s telecoms providers are being asked for their input on the best way to deliver significant improvements in communications services for the Chatham Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 680km south-east of New Zealand. Chatham consists of about ten islands within a 40km radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island
The chief executive officer of Armenian telco Armentel, Anush Begloyan, has reacted swiftly to dismiss rumours that strategic investor Vimpelcom (Beeline) of Russia is planning to sell its fixed line business this autumn. Earlier this week, the Armenian Times newspaper reported that Beeline was looking to divest the unit, but speaking to Prime-Tass, Begloyan denied the suggestion, saying that its Russian investor does not plan to abandon the fixed line business in Armenia.
Polish telecoms regulator the Office of Electronic Communication (UKE) has announced plans to auction five blocks of spectrum in the 1800MHz band, suitable to support Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. Local press reports say the licences up for grabs will be valid until end-2027, will provide for national coverage, and use frequencies in the 1729.9MHz-1754.9MHz and 1824.9MHz-1849.9MHz bands. Interested parties will be allowed to make up to three offers for the spectrum on offer, with bids due by 22 October.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Communication in Colombia and the country’s spectrum agency (Agencia Nacional del Espectro, or ANE) have once again postponed the planned auction of spectrum licences suitable for the provision of Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in the country. RCRWireless reports that the latest delay was revealed by officials at the International Spectrum Congress this week via a document titled ‘4G Auction Analysis’, which set forth its new auction deadline and responded to criticism from operators and senators.
Regulations governing number portability (NP) in Bolivia are expected by the end of this year, local news source Los Tiempos claims.
Vodafone’s Dutch mobile unit has revealed plans to launch a new 3G femtocell to residential and business customers from 3 September to improve 3G coverage, Telecompaper reports. Branded 'SignaalPlus Plug & Play', the new device will connect to the user’s fixed broadband network to boost indoor capacity, affording femtocell coverage of around 30m, Vodafone said.
Cable & Wireless Seychelles has completed a nationwide fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) broadband access network, following a rollout which took two years. Furthermore, the company announced that the new higher speed local connections will be supported by the Seychelles East Africa System (SEAS) submarine cable network, which has now entered commercial service
The temporary ban on the sale of new mobile phones in some Brazilian states where service quality was deemed sub-par, has not surprisingly affected the pace of growth in July, the national regulator Anatel reports. In its latest market report, the watchdog said that total mobile phone users in Brazil climbed to 256.41 million last month, up just 0.11% (or 279,720 net new users) from June when growth reached 1.2 million net additions.
Macedonia’s VIP Mobile, part of the Telekom Austria Group, has been awarded radio spectrum for GSM-1800 and IMT-2000 (UMTS) services covering the territory of Macedonia. National regulator the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC) has reportedly issued VIP with licence authorisations in the 1720MHz-1730MHz (uplink) and 1815MHz-1825MHz (downlink) band, valid for ten years with the option to extend for a further ten. Concurrently, VIP Mobile has been awarded rights to spectrum in the 880MHz-890MHz and 1710MHz-1720MHz (uplink) and 925MHz-935MHz and 1805MHz-1815MHz (downlink) bands for GSM and UMTS services
The Turkmen subsidiary of Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) will re-launch commercial services at the end of this month, The Huffington Post reports. With MTS Turkmenistan now expected to begin offering customers service from 30 August 2012, the operator has however warned in adverts in the local press that customers may initially experience poor quality connections
According to local newspaper Echorouk, internet service providers (ISPs) in Algeria have asked the government to liberalise the national fibre network and Algeria’s international landing station. The operators say that such a move is necessary in order to bring to an end state-owned Algerie Telecom’s monopoly and the lack of development of online services under the telco. At the end of June 2012, Algeria was home to approximately 870,000 broadband subscribers, more than 99% of which are believed to be controlled by Algerie Telecom.
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa has revealed that offers by two of its associated companies to acquire a 75% stake in Israeli mobile network operator Partner Communications will not move forward. Persall Pte Ltd and Kelburgh Pte Ltd have reportedly terminated the conditional agreement entered into on 5 June 2012 to acquire from Suny Electronics Limited 50% and 25% respectively of the share capital of Israeli handset distributor Scailex Corp, which owns 44.5% of the share capital of Partner. In revealing the development, a press release issued by Hutchison Whampoa noted: ‘The termination by Persall and Kelburgh was in exercise of their rights under the agreement on the grounds that conditions under the agreement have not been fulfilled.’ In June 2012 CommsUpdate reported that, having sold its holding in Partner less than three years earlier, Hutchison Whampoa was set to pay USD125 million for 75% of Scailex from Suny.
The UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced that it has approved an application made by Everything Everywhere (EE) in which the latter sought permission to refarm its existing spectrum in the 1800MHz band in order to offer Long Term Evolution-based (LTE-based) service. In revealing its acceptance of the application, Ofcom noted that following a consultation on the operator’s request it had concluded that varying EE’s existing 1800MHz concession would ‘deliver significant benefits to consumers’, while also noting that it saw ‘no material risk that those benefits will be outweighed by a distortion of competition’.
