Vimpelcom reorganises Ukraine assets; Kyivstar holds 100% of URS

Ukrainian mobile and fibre network operator Kyivstar has taken a direct 100% ownership stake in its sister company in the Vimpelcom group, Ukrainian Radio Systems (URS). URS and another sister operation Golden Telecom (Ukraine), had previously been integrated, firstly with each other and subsequently with Kyivstar, the country’s largest cellco by subscribers and itself a wholly owned part of Vimpelcom, with the two smaller divisions’ customer bases and ‘Beeline’ branded services transferred under the Kyivstar brand and management. The transaction involved Kyivstar’s Cyprus-based affiliate companies Wintop Management, Cradel Investments, Cellcroft Holdings, Crayola Properties and Crisden Holdings, each selling their 20% stakes in URS, according to a disclosure from URS to the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market, as reported by the Kyiv Post.

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OVETEL Vimpelcom reorganises Ukraine assets; Kyivstar holds 100% of URS

Tanzania to build submarine cable link to Uganda

Kampala-based newspaper the East African Business Week writes that the government of Tanzania has signed a contract with its counterpart in Uganda for the construction of an undersea cable, via Mutukula on the border, to alleviate problems with existing internet infrastructure breaking down.

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OVETEL Tanzania to build submarine cable link to Uganda

Unnamed Turkish telco eyes Hungarian investment, trade group says

An as yet unnamed Turkish telecoms operator is poised to invest between EUR250 million and EUR300 million (USD325 million and USD389 million) in the Hungarian communications sector, according to the president of the Turkish-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Suat Karakus. The official added that if realised, the deal would mark the biggest single investment by a Turkish company in the country to date – eclipsing Celebi Ground Handling Ltd’s EUR45 million investment in operating services at Budapest International Airport. Karakus declined do be drawn on the name of the company involved, but industry watchers note that Turk Telecom CEO Hakam Kanafani has expressed an interest in further expansion in central and eastern Europe.

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OVETEL Unnamed Turkish telco eyes Hungarian investment, trade group says

PTA face Lahore court over blasphemous film

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been called upon by the Lahore High Court to present a report regarding measures being taken to block blasphemous material on the internet and TV. Local paper The News reports that a petition filed with the court has accused the regulator and sister watchdog the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) of criminal negligence for not preventing the distribution or viewing of an anti-Muslim video that sparked riots across the country last month

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OVETEL PTA face Lahore court over blasphemous film

EU set to give UK’s rural broadband plan its blessing?

Following reports in July 2012 that the UK’s rural broadband rollout strategy had been placed on hold while European regulators examine it, the Financial Times is today reporting that the European competition watchdog has given its approval to the plans. The news source claims that Joaquin Almunia, the European Commissioner for Competition, has suggested he is happy for state funds to be used to support the initiative, on the proviso that some small changes are made to the design of the government scheme. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the scheme was paused after confirmation that just two companies – fixed line incumbent BT and Japanese technology firm Fujitsu – had been selected to receive funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), a team within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) set up to deliver the government’s broadband strategy.

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OVETEL EU set to give UK’s rural broadband plan its blessing?

Genachowski: FCC is on track to free up 300MHz of frequencies by 2015

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has promised that the watchdog is on track to exceed its goal of freeing up 300MHz of spectrum for wireless use by 2015, Fierce Wireless reports.

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OVETEL Genachowski: FCC is on track to free up 300MHz of frequencies by 2015

UK Broadband launches commercial LTE in Southwark, Reading

UK Broadband (UKB), Hong Kong-based PCCW’s British broadband unit, has announced that it has inaugurated commercial Long Term Evolution-based (LTE-based) services in the Southwark district of Central London, along with the town of Reading. With the operator offering its services under the ‘now Broadband’ moniker, UKB has confirmed that its high speed wireless broadband product is available for both personal and business customers in the aforementioned areas, at downlink speeds of up to 40Mbps and upload of 5Mbps.

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OVETEL UK Broadband launches commercial LTE in Southwark, Reading

Kuwait licenses 4G services in 1800MHz band

The government of Kuwait has authorised the country’s mobile operators to begin offering services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G wireless technology. The trio of existing cellcos – Zain, Viva and Wataniya Telecom – are permitted to deploy LTE networks utilising their current spectrum allocations in the 1800MHz band, upon payment of a KWD250,000 (USD888,099) licence fee, local news agency KUNA reports. Separately, the Ministry of Communications has announced that it is to re-align the frequency assignments for mobile operators in the 900MHz band.

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OVETEL Kuwait licenses 4G services in 1800MHz band

ACCC issues final access determination for non-NBN local bitstream access

Three months after having made a preliminary ruling, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced a final access determination (FAD) for the declared local bitstream access service (LBAS), a wholesale access service for fixed line network built or upgraded after January 2011. The watchdog has confirmed that the FAD will apply for a three-year period ending 5 October 2015, while the determination contains price and non-price terms and conditions for a 25Mbps/5Mbps up/down LBAS service.

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OVETEL ACCC issues final access determination for non-NBN local bitstream access

DoT rejects request for 100% FDI

The Department of Telecommunications has rejected a proposal to increase the ceiling on foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector to 100% from its current maximum of 74%, reports the Business Standard. The DoT blocked the move, saying that telecommunications was a security-sensitive sector

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OVETEL DoT rejects request for 100% FDI

Minister says seat on TeliaSonera board a possibility

Sweden's Minister for Financial Markets, Peter Norman, indicated last Thursday that the government could consider taking a seat on TeliaSonera’s board of directors, as he criticised the current board for a lack of expertise in the areas of human rights and anti-corruption. As reported by newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Norman, whose ministerial portfolio covers state ownership steering, was commenting on the potential fallout from allegations that part of the fee TeliaSonera paid for a 3G mobile licence in Uzbekistan in 2007 effectively went to the family of dictator Islam Karimov as a bribe.

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OVETEL Minister says seat on TeliaSonera board a possibility

Cubic Telecom signs deal with Woolworth Mobile

Irish mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Cubic Telecom has signed a deal worth ‘tens of millions of dollars’ with Australian retailer Woolworths. Cubic, which runs a low-cost roaming MVNO business dubbed MAXroam, will use its virtual SIM (multi-IMSI) technology to power a new global roaming product being offered by the retail giant’s own MVNO, Woolworth Mobile. In an interview with TechCrunch, Cubic Telecom director of product and innovation Pat Phelan said that the deal was ’enormous’ for the company

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OVETEL Cubic Telecom signs deal with Woolworth Mobile

Softbank leads Japan net adds for ninth straight month

The Japanese cellular operator Softbank has once again reported the highest monthly net subscriber additions, with 320,000 net adds in September taking its customer total 30.36 million at the end of the month.

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OVETEL Softbank leads Japan net adds for ninth straight month

Wind calls for national wholesale LTE network

According to Reuters, Wind Telecomunicazioni (Wind Italy) – Italy's third largest mobile operator by subscribers – has called for its rivals to pool their resources to help roll out national wholesale Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Speaking on the sidelines at a conference in Capri, chief executive Maximi Ibarra commented: ‘I believe there is awareness among all mobile operators that there is the need to place, into a specifically created company, frequencies and networks

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OVETEL Wind calls for national wholesale LTE network

Vivendi hiring advisers to review potential sale of Maroc Telecom

French conglomerate Vivendi has begun negotiations with bankers Lazard and Credit Agricole with a view to hiring advisers to assess a potential sale of its 53% stake in Morocco’s Maroc Telecom, according to the Financial Times citing several people familiar with the situation. The review of its options in Morocco – potentially including a sale worth roughly EUR4 billion (USD5.2 billion) – forms part of a wide-ranging strategic overhaul begun in April, under which Vivendi is actively seeking buyers for its Brazilian telecoms unit GVT, and, according to industry sources, has also received ‘highly preliminary’ interest in its flagship French telco division SFR, but the Financial Times’ sources added that there is no pressure to sell any of the units.

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OVETEL Vivendi hiring advisers to review potential sale of Maroc Telecom

Airtel to curtail Kenyan investment after MTR deadlock

According to a report by AllAfrica, Shivan Bhargava, managing director of Airtel Kenya, has cast doubts over the cellco’s previously announced plans to roll out its 3G network to 85% by the end of the year. Bhargava has suggested that the company may have to scale back its planned investments due to continued delays in reducing mobile termination rates (MTRs) in the country.*As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in August Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki intervened for the second time in as many years to prevent the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) from lowering the existing MTR; critics accused Kibaki of acting at the behest of mobile market leader Safaricom and state-owned Telkom Kenya (Orange).*Bhargava notes that the company has invested over KES8.5 billion (USD98.9 million) in support of network expansion initiatives during the last two years, but plans for further investments have now been put on

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OVETEL Airtel to curtail Kenyan investment after MTR deadlock

StarHub unveils 100Mbps/150Mbps fibre service for heavy data users

Singapore’s second largest telecoms service provider by revenues StarHub has launched two ultra-high speed fibre broadband packages targeting gamers and other high-demand users. The telco’s MaxInfinity LVL99 100Mbps plan promises a maximum 100Mbps/50Mbps (downlink/uplink) connection and lower latency for gamers, as well as ‘free’ in-game items from the likes of partner Asiasoft Games each month, for SGD69.90 (USD56.9) per month

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OVETEL StarHub unveils 100Mbps/150Mbps fibre service for heavy data users

CAT needs another month to amend True contract

Thai state-run telco CAT Telecom has requested permission to postpone the deadline for amending its 3G network operating partnership contract with True Corp for a month, as it needs more time to gather details and make the contract language as clear as possible to ensure the agreement is legally secure. As reported by the Bangkok Post, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will submit CAT's postponement request to its telecoms committee this Thursday. In June the NBTC ordered CAT to alter key points in the HSPA wholesale/retail agreements signed in January 2011, and CAT was required to finalise the amendments for NBTC approval by the end of last week.

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OVETEL CAT needs another month to amend True contract

Confusion over fake phones hits phone dealers

Mobile phone dealers in Uganda have complained that the regulator’s crackdown on fake handsets has injured business. New Vision reports that mobile phone dealers are struggling to sell phones marked as made in China, as customers believe that most Chinese phones are fakes. In late September 2012, the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) began a campaign to end the use of fake phones, calling on customers to check that the handset has a legitimate International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) before making a purchase.

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OVETEL Confusion over fake phones hits phone dealers

Altimo strikes back with Vimpelcom share purchase

Altimo, the telecoms arm of Russian financial and industrial conglomerate Alfa Group, has increased its voting stake in Amsterdam-based international telecoms firm Vimpelcom Group from 40.5% to 41.9%, the Prime-Tass news agency reports. Altimo vice president Yevgeny Dumalkin told Prime: ‘We have seized the moment and bought Vimpelcom’s shares at an attractive price, as we believe the company to be of interest to investors’.

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OVETEL Altimo strikes back with Vimpelcom share purchase

ETECSA calls for subscribers to update fixed line contracts

Cuba’s state-owned telecoms monopoly Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) has given its residential fixed telephony subscribers until the end of September 2013 to update their contracts in line with new legislation, Cubasi.cu reports. Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) Resolution 82 of 25 May 2012 amends the conditions under which ETECSA fixed telephony users can transfer ownership of their landline connection

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OVETEL ETECSA calls for subscribers to update fixed line contracts

Nepal’s regulator to draw up m-commerce legislation this year

National telecoms regulator the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) plans to prepare draft rules on the regulation of mobile commerce services in the country during the current fiscal year, the Himalayan News Service writes. The watchdog notes that technological advancements have made it possible to offer a range of financial transactions on mobile devices, including e-ticketing, e-banking and location-based services (LBS)

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OVETEL Nepal’s regulator to draw up m-commerce legislation this year

Qtel raises Wataniya stake to 92.1%; Kuwaiti sovereign fund offloads entire interest

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has concluded a mandatory tender offer for additional shares in its Kuwait-based subsidiary National Mobile Telecommunications (Wataniya Telecom), resulting in its controlling stake rising from 52.5% to 92.1%. Qtel made a USD2.2 billion offer to minority shareholders of Wataniya Telecom on 4 September 2012 for the 47.5% of shares it did not own, and at the offer’s expiry date of 4 October it had received acceptances for 199.65 million shares, representing a 39.61% stake, costing KWD519.1 million (USD1.84 billion) at a price of KWD2.60 per share

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OVETEL Qtel raises Wataniya stake to 92.1%; Kuwaiti sovereign fund offloads entire interest

NICTA issues retail price determination

Papua New Guinea’s National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NITCA) has published a retail service determination related to retail mobile service prices.

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OVETEL NICTA issues retail price determination

MTS mulls selling CDMA network

Ukraine’s second largest cellular operator by subscribers, MTS, is considering selling or leasing its CDMA-450 wireless broadband network, according to CEO Ivan Zolochevsky, who was quoted in a report from Kommersant-Ukraine. MTS, with a main focus on GSM-based network services, has over 300,000 internet subscribers on its CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A-based secondary network, but Zolochevsky indicated that a lack of devices in the 450MHz band could be a potential reason for offloading its CDMA network assets, which are estimated to be worth USD200 million.

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OVETEL MTS mulls selling CDMA network

FT-Orange bucks trend with plan to hire 4,000 staff by 2015

France Telecom-Orange (FT-Orange) has revealed it is looking to take on an additional 4,000 full time employees by 2015, bucking the current trend for telcos to cut down on staffing levels. In a statement, FT-Orange said the commitment was being made despite the difficult local economic climate and the launch of a new market entrant – Iliad’s Free Mobile – which had further depressed the operating environment and put a squeeze on profit margins. Further, on top of the new staff it is hiring, FT-Orange is considering plans to develop its work-study placement programme for school leavers, with the aim of placing up to 5,000 people a year on work experience

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OVETEL FT-Orange bucks trend with plan to hire 4,000 staff by 2015

BSNL rolls out fibre infrastructure in TN

State-backed telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has announced plans to roll out 1,140km of optical fibre in the Tamil Nadu circle to improve connectivity for voice and data services, Business Line reports.

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OVETEL BSNL rolls out fibre infrastructure in TN

Clearwire may delay network buildout; Comcast converts stake ahead of potential sale

Dow Jones Newswires reports that Clearwire is considering delaying the rollout of its Time Division Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) network, although it remains confident that it can meet its self-imposed June 2013 phase one deployment deadline. The company seeks to overlay TD-LTE infrastructure at 5,000 of its existing WiMAX sites in densely populated urban areas by that date.

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OVETEL Clearwire may delay network buildout; Comcast converts stake ahead of potential sale

You know when you’ve been Tango’d; cellco becomes first LTE operator in Duchy

Tango Luxembourg, the Grand Duchy’s second largest mobile operator by subscribers, has confirmed that it started offering commercial services over its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network this week, as planned. At launch, the 4G network is said to cover around 60% of the population, principally in the south and centre of the country, plus all of the main cities in the north. Tango expects to expand the network to 90% of the population by the end of 2012

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OVETEL You know when you’ve been Tango’d; cellco becomes first LTE operator in Duchy

MTel inks long-term deal with Spacecom for DTH services

Hungary’s Magyar Telekom (MTel) has signed a USD7 million long-term agreement with Spacecom, the operator of the Amos satellite fleet, for the supply of its T-Home SatTV DTH (direct-to-home) service, Telecompaper reports without citing its sources. The deal will provide MTel with more bandwidth enabling it to expand the number of channels it broadcasts and create new bouquets of packages to help drive the growth of its customer base. Deutsche Telekom-backed MTel currently broadcasts over 100 channels throughout Hungary and Slovakia, including offering seven HD channels and one in 3D.

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OVETEL MTel inks long-term deal with Spacecom for DTH services

Sprint seeks to hijack T-Mobile, MetroPCS merger

Sprint Nextel is in the early stages of evaluating a rival bid for MetroPCS Communications, with a view to countering an offer from Deutsche Telekom (DT), Bloomberg reports, citing three people familiar with the situation. The news agency reports that Sprint began reconsidering its position on a deal for MetroPCS before the T-Mobile merger announcement was made public and could decide as soon as next week on whether to lodge a competing offer.

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OVETEL Sprint seeks to hijack T-Mobile, MetroPCS merger

Telenor renews drive to sell off Uninor assets

Norwegian-backed telco Telenor has appealed to the Delhi High Court to set aside the decision of the Company Law Board (CLB) preventing it from auctioning the assets of Uninor, its joint venture with Indian real estate company Unitech. The two partners have been at odds and looking to split since the cancellation of Uninor’s operating licences in February this year. Telenor’s appeal centred on the alleged deception and criminal acts of Unitech committed prior to the Norwegians’ involvement in the company

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OVETEL Telenor renews drive to sell off Uninor assets

Court rejects Bharti Airtel plea to set aside Econet compensation award

Econet Wireless has announced in a press release on its website that the High Court in Lagos has dismissed an application by Bharti Airtel which sought to set aside an award made by an international commercial arbitration tribunal in favour of Econet Wireless. The judgement paves the way for the matter to be referred back to the international tribunal to set the amount of damages and compensation that Bharti must pay to Econet Wireless. The Indian telecoms operator inherited the ongoing legal case as part of its USD9 billion acquisition of Zain’s Africa operations in June 2010, including 65% of Zain Nigeria (since rebranded Airtel Nigeria)

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OVETEL Court rejects Bharti Airtel plea to set aside Econet compensation award

Paltel and HOT cooperate to bring fibre to Gaza

Israelis and Palestinians have reportedly ceased hostilities for a couple of days in order to work together in the laying of 15 fibre-optic cables aimed at bringing the first high-speed internet service to Gaza. According to The Jerusalem Post, over the two-day period work was carried out along a half a kilometre stretch of the Gaza fence to install the infrastructure, but it is understood that it will take a further two weeks before the service is actually up and running. Major Adam Avidan, head of the foreign relations department for the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip was cited as saying of the development: ‘It will allow Gazans to connect to the world, and hopefully to peace.’ Presently, Palestinians in Gaza are using an old internet system dating back to the 1990s, and the new equipment is expected to increase reliability and enhance speed

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OVETEL Paltel and HOT cooperate to bring fibre to Gaza

MP sale off the books

Shareholders in Polish cableco Multimedia Polska (MP) have decided to retain their investment in the company, following an analysis of the business’ options. Dow Jones reports that JP Morgan Chase & Co had launched a review of the company’s strategic options in February this year, leading to speculation that the company would be sold. Following the review however, the cableco’s shareholders concluded that the best way to increase the value of MP was implement the company’s current growth strategy

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OVETEL MP sale off the books

Viettel Global buys 65% stake in Tanzania’s EGOTEL

Viettel Global Investment (Viettel Global) has purchased a 65% stake in Tanzanian firm Epocha & Golden Ocean (EGOTEL) for USD18 million as part of a plan to invest up to USD337.7 million in the country.

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OVETEL Viettel Global buys 65% stake in Tanzania’s EGOTEL

Vodafone, KPN wade into Orange-Hutchison merger debate

UK-based Vodafone Group and KPN of the Netherlands have criticised European Union (EU) antitrust regulators who are scrutinising Hutchison Whampoa’s proposed EUR1.40 billion (USD1.87 billion) bid for France Telecom-Orange’s Austrian mobile unit, suggesting that the EU watchdog’s intervention has a narrow focus which could block future mergers and investments in the sector. EU competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia has been one of the most outspoken critics of the long-running merger attempt, but now Reuters reports that the chief executives of Vodafone, KPN and Orange have all waded into the debate. The CEOs have urged a regulatory re-think on consolidation, arguing that more mergers are needed in Europe in order to meet the need for investment and spur economic activity across the continent

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OVETEL Vodafone, KPN wade into Orange-Hutchison merger debate

Alaska Communications to launch LTE in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau

According to the Alaska Journal, Alaska Communications (ACS) is poised to inaugurate its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in parts of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau imminently, and is currently taking pre-orders for LTE-compatible phones. In addition, ACS will launch HSPA+ services in a number of other markets, including parts of the Mat-Su, much of the Kenai Peninsula, Sitka and Ketchikan.*As reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, last month US mobile giant AT&T Mobility announced that it had switched on its LTE network in Anchorage, Alaska, beating chief rival Verizon Wireless to the punch

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OVETEL Alaska Communications to launch LTE in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau

Infosat Telecom allowed to trial Super Wi-Fi

The French communications operator Infosat Telecom has been given permission by the country’s industry regulator Arcep to trial new IEEE 802.22 wireless technology known as ‘Super Wi-Fi’. Tests will be conducted in the Seine-Maritime region, Telecompaper reports, using the 590MHz-598MHz band. Although the trial permit runs for a year, Infosat will be ordered to halt its testing if there is interference with digital terrestrial television (DTT) services, which use adjacent bands

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OVETEL Infosat Telecom allowed to trial Super Wi-Fi

Ministry urged to speed up 4G licensing

A delay in issuing licences for 4G services could cause problems for the country’s mobile users when it comes to using new smartphone devices such as the Apple iPhone 5, the Kuwait Times reports. With the country’s Ministry of Communications still to decide on the frequencies to be used for Long Term Evolution (LTE), retailers in Kuwait have been importing two different models of iPhone 5 which both operate in different spectrum bands, meaning that some customers may find that their handset does not work with future 4G networks in the country. The Ministry is being urged to speed up the process of frequency allocations to settle the matter

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OVETEL Ministry urged to speed up 4G licensing

FT-Orange sees 4G as vital to improving ARPU

France Telecom-Orange (FT-Orange) chief executive Stephane Richard has revealed that he sees the launch of 4G mobile services as crucial to bringing in higher average revenues per user (ARPU). The French telco is spending EUR1 billion (USD1.3 billion) on the deployment of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks over the next six to seven years, and plans to launch the technology commercially early next year

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OVETEL FT-Orange sees 4G as vital to improving ARPU

EE confirms LTE launch date

Hot on the heels of the announcement of a deal between the UK’s mobile network operators which regulator Ofcom heralded as representing ‘the significant progress that has been made in moving forward the delivery of competitive 4G mobile services across the UK’, EE has formally dated its introduction of commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) services. Announcing the development, EE CEO Olaf Swantee said: ‘We are delighted to announce that the official launch of our new customer brand, EE, offering the UK’s first superfast mobile 4G and fibre broadband service, will take place on the 30th October 2012

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OVETEL EE confirms LTE launch date

Seven companies interested in new licences, including ICE and Xinwei

Orlando Castillo, the head of Nicaraguan telecoms regulator Telcor, has confirmed that a total of seven companies have paid the USD3,000 registration fee to participate in the government’s upcoming tender for two new mobile licences. Although Castillo was not willing to disclose the identities of the parties interested, he did confirm local press speculation implicating Beijing-based research and development firm Xinwei Telecom Enterprise Group and Costa Rica’s state-owned power and telecoms company Grupo Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (Grupo ICE), which offers mobile services in its domestic market under the ‘ICE Celular’ brand. The tender is expected to take place in mid-November, and interested parties will be permitted to form consortia to improve their chances of being selected.

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OVETEL Seven companies interested in new licences, including ICE and Xinwei

Viettel/Vox tie-up plans back on the agenda?

According to unconfirmed local press reports Viettel Corporation, the telecoms company backed by the Vietnamese military, has restated its intention to invest in a Paraguayan mobile operator, rumoured to be Hola Paraguay (Vox), which has been owned by the government since July 2010. The news follows speculation that unnamed Viettel executives have been spotted in the country. As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in March 2011 Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo visited Viettel’s offices in Hanoi as part of a broader visit to discuss the two countries’ bilateral cooperation

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OVETEL Viettel/Vox tie-up plans back on the agenda?

T-Mobile, MetroPCS sign definitive USD1.5bn merger agreement

Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Texas-based MetroPCS Communications have announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to combine T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS under the T-Mobile name. DT’s supervisory board and MetroPCS’ board of directors unanimously approved the transaction, which will be structured as a recapitalisation, in which MetroPCS will declare a one for two reverse stock split, make a cash payment of USD1.5 billion to its shareholders, and acquire all of T-Mobile’s capital stock by issuing to DT 74% of MetroPCS’ common stock on a pro forma basis. *The transaction, which is subject to MetroPCS’ shareholder approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close in 1H13

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OVETEL T-Mobile, MetroPCS sign definitive USD1.5bn merger agreement

90% of pre-paid subscribers behind on phone registration

Colombian telecoms watchdog the Communication Regulation Commission (CRC) has reported that 90% of pre-paid subscribers have not yet registered their handsets with operators. The government has launched a programme to reduce mobile phone theft that calls for wireless subscribers to register the International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) of their phones on a national database.

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OVETEL 90% of pre-paid subscribers behind on phone registration

Philippines passes new cybercrime prevention act

President Aquino of the Philippines signed the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 into law on 12 September, sparking public protests and media concern over the possibility of a crack down on the freedom of speech. The controversial law targets online crime and is intended to protect the young by barring online child pornography, as well as helping to prevent cybersex, block identify theft and reduce spamming. However, critics of the Cybercrime Prevention Act are concerned that its measures also make libel a ‘cybercrime’ punishable by a term of up to twelve years in prison

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OVETEL Philippines passes new cybercrime prevention act

TeliaSonera launches internal investigation into Uzbek allegations

Sweden’s TeliaSonera has appointed lawyers to investigate allegations of wrongdoing relating to its purchase of operating licences in Uzbekistan in 2007, reports Reuters.

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OVETEL TeliaSonera launches internal investigation into Uzbek allegations

Telecom eyes DC-HSPA+ launch by year-end

Telecom Mobile, the mobile arm of former fixed line monopoly operator Telecom New Zealand, plans to upgrade parts of its network to Dual Carrier (DC)-HSPA+ technology by Christmas this year, reports the National Business Review. According to Telecom Retail CEO Chris Quin, around 2,500 people in Auckland have been trialing the technology ahead of a commercial launch concentrated on Auckland and Wellington later this year.

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OVETEL Telecom eyes DC-HSPA+ launch by year-end

Delhi court upholds Bharti complaints on 3G roaming

The Delhi High Court has granted Bharti Airtel’s request for a stay order halting a direction from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the operator to cease offering 3G services outside of its licensed areas, the Business Standard reports. As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Bharti, along with Reliance Communications (RCOM), Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, is involved in a dispute with regulators over rights to offer 3G services in areas that they do not hold spectrum rights via roaming agreements

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OVETEL Delhi court upholds Bharti complaints on 3G roaming

NPT updates LLU and WBA obligations for Telenor

The Norwegian Post & Telecoms Regulatory Authority (NPT) has announced it will continue to impose specific obligations on fixed line incumbent Telenor Norge for wholesale (physical) network infrastructure access (including shared or fully unbundled access) at a fixed location (market 4) and wholesale broadband access (market 5). In unveiling its decision the NPT noted that, having conducted an updated analysis of the wholesale markets in question, it had concluded Telenor still held significant market power (SMP) in both. Moreover, the NPT has also revealed that it will make some changes to regulations, the most notable of which is that access to Telenor’s fibre network will now be controlled.

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OVETEL NPT updates LLU and WBA obligations for Telenor

Craig Wireless lifts Woosh stake to 75%

California-based telecoms firm Craig Wireless Systems has announced that it has increased its interest in Woosh Wireless Holdings Limited, the parent company of New Zealand broadband provider Woosh Wireless, from 51% to 75% after acquiring additional equity held as treasury stock. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, Craig Wireless Systems agreed to buy Woosh Wireless in September 2011 for a total consideration of USD5.5 million, which included the latter’s pre-existing debt.

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OVETEL Craig Wireless lifts Woosh stake to 75%

DoCoMo Pacific launches LTE on Guam

DoCoMo Pacific, a subsidiary of Japanese telecoms company NTT DoCoMo, has announced the launch of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services in Guam. Coverage of the firm’s 4G network, which operates in the 700MHz band, is supplemented by HSPA+ technology, deployed across the island in November 2011, thereby assuring customers faster speeds throughout Guam as they move in and out of LTE areas. *TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database states that IT&E launched what it claimed to be Guam’s first Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband network in July 2012, following an initial investment of USD8 million.

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OVETEL DoCoMo Pacific launches LTE on Guam

MTS Belarus launches new smartphones and unlimited internet offer

Belarus’ leading mobile operator by subscribers, MTS Belarus, has announced the launch of two own-brand smartphones – the MTS Fit and MTS Viva – and is encouraging users to buy the handsets by offering them three months ‘free’ internet access on its ‘Unlimited 2.0’ plan, if they buy between 1 October and 30 November 2012. MTS Fit is based on the Google Android 2.3.6 operating system, has a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen with a resolution of 320x480, 800MHz processor, 256MB of RAM and a 3.2-megapixel camera

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OVETEL MTS Belarus launches new smartphones and unlimited internet offer

Telefonica confirms 4Q12 for IPO of German unit

Spanish telecoms group Telefonica has confirmed that it plans to list its German unit on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by the end of this year. In a company press release, Telefonica, which is struggling to cut its debt burden amid falling revenue and profit in its domestic market, said it will remain the majority shareholder of Telefonica Germany (O2). The company has not yet confirmed what percentage of capital it will list, although recent press reports have suggested that it is aiming to raise as much as EUR1.5 billion (USD1.8 billion) from the sale of a potential 20% stake in Telefonica Germany

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OVETEL Telefonica confirms 4Q12 for IPO of German unit

UPC takes the 150Mbps plunge in Cluj, Bucharest, Timisoara, Ploiesti

According to the Romanian Business Review, cableco UPC Romania has introduced improved ‘Fiber Power’ downlink transmission speeds of up to 150Mbps in four Romanian cities, namely Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Ploiesti and Timisoara. According to CEO Severina Pascu, from next year the service will be expanded on a national level. The price of a monthly 150Mbps subscription is RON50 (USD14.26)

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OVETEL UPC takes the 150Mbps plunge in Cluj, Bucharest, Timisoara, Ploiesti

Cell C is latest mobile operator to confirm LTE commitment

Following similar announcements from its domestic rivals MTN and Vodacom, South African mobile operator Cell C has confirmed that will also switch on a 4G network based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology before the end of 2012, but stopped short of indicating where the network will be rolled out, or how many towers will be supported. Nevertheless, in an interview with TechCentral, CEO Alan Knott-Craig says that instead of each of the operators building out independent LTE networks, it would make much more sense for them to work together to build one wholesale network whose prices are regulated

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OVETEL Cell C is latest mobile operator to confirm LTE commitment

Zain Iraq aims for stock market float by early 2013

According to Reuters, mobile operator Zain Iraq plans to go ahead with its long-delayed bourse listing in Baghdad by early 2013 at the latest.

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OVETEL Zain Iraq aims for stock market float by early 2013

Robin Hood regulator stops telcos overcharging the poor

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has set a ceiling on processing fees levied on pre-paid vouchers, the Indian Express reports. The TRAI has ruled that processing fees for pre-paid vouchers should not exceed 10% of the value of the coupon, or INR3 (USD0.06), whichever is less.

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OVETEL Robin Hood regulator stops telcos overcharging the poor

UK cellcos reach agreement on 4G, as Ofcom speeds up spectrum clearance

Just a few weeks after the UK government stepped in to broker a ‘stand-still agreement’ ensuring no legal action would be undertaken for a month while negotiations continued between the country’s mobile operators regarding 4G deployments, a more permanent deal has now reportedly been reached. Following crunch talks held between the four cellcos – EE, O2 UK, Vodafone UK and Hutchison 3G UK – plus the new secretary of state for culture and media, Maria Miller, and regulator Ofcom, the latter has welcomed what it claimed was ‘the significant progress that has been made in moving forward the delivery of competitive 4G mobile services across the UK’. The regulator has revealed that under the terms of the deal reached between itself and mobile operators, it will still launch its 4G auction as planned at the end of this year, but now Ofcom expects that competitive fourth-generation services will be operational in the first half of 2013, rather than by the end of that year

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OVETEL UK cellcos reach agreement on 4G, as Ofcom speeds up spectrum clearance

Deutsche Telekom, MetroPCS confirm merger negotiations

Deutsche Telekom (DT) is close to a deal to merge its T-Mobile USA unit with Texas-based MetroPCS, Bloomberg reports. According to the news agency, the German company’s board is scheduled to meet in Bonn tomorrow to approve the deal, which could be announced the same day

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OVETEL Deutsche Telekom, MetroPCS confirm merger negotiations

BSNL sets sights on INR300bn revenues

State-backed telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is aiming to book total revenues of INR300 billion (USD5.735 billion) for the year ending 31 March 2013. Business Today reports that the telco recorded revenues of INR279.34 billion in 2011-2012 and INR296.88 billion a year earlier. The company has seen a steady fall in sales, dropping from INR401.77 billion in the twelve months to end-March 2006, though chairman and managing director Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay was optimistic about the target adding: ‘Apart from pure telecom services, we are working out additional scheme which should act as additional sources of revenue for BSNL.’ BSNL has also selected Alcatel Lucent and ZTE to carry out work to expand coverage and increase the capacity of the operator’s GSM network by 14.37 million, Upadhyay said

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OVETEL BSNL sets sights on INR300bn revenues

KDN seeks strategic investor to provide cash injection

Kenya Data Networks (KDN) has revealed that it hopes to offload a significant equity stake to a strategic investor in December as a way of securing a much needed cash injection, and to help it recover from financial losses. KDN’s chief executive Shahab Meshki has indicated that the search for an investor has attracted a number of local and foreign firms, commenting: ‘We have identified a number investors and the matter will be made public within the next two to three months as the firms are still conducting due diligence’.*According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, KDN is currently owned by the Sameer Investment Group (39.2%) and Altech (60.8%). South Africa-based Altech acquired a 51% stake in KDN plus controlling stakes in ISP sister companies Infocom (Uganda) and Swift for a total of USD75 million in March 2008, before upping its stake in September 2009

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OVETEL KDN seeks strategic investor to provide cash injection

Sonitel union seeks end to duplicate fibre rollouts

The union of Niger’s state-owned national PTO Societe Nigerienne des Telecommunications (Sonitel) and its mobile arm SahelCom has criticised the country’s private operators for rolling out fibre-optic infrastructure in areas where such networks have already been deployed by the incumbent. Afriquinfos reports that after parliament voted to keep Sonitel in government hands (abandoning a renewed attempt to find a buyer for the telco) in May 2012, Niger granted the company exclusivity on international calls and the rollout of fibre-optic infrastructure for a period of five years, although this was later withdrawn following protests from Orange and Airtel. The government subsequently awarded Sonitel a contract to deploy a 900km fibre-optic backbone from the capital Niamey to Dosso, which began in August 2012.

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OVETEL Sonitel union seeks end to duplicate fibre rollouts

Play looks to close national roaming deal with PTC

Polish cellco P4, which operates under the ‘Play’ banner, is finalising a national roaming agreement with Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC, T-Mobile Poland) according to Rpkom. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that the cellco has an existing deal with Polkomtel, signed in 2006 to patch up gaps in its network coverage on its entry into the market. A further agreement was then signed with Orange Poland (previously known as PTK Centertel) in 2010

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OVETEL Play looks to close national roaming deal with PTC

Oi SA rolls out LTE network in Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian telco Oi SA, formed through the restructuring of Telemar Participacoes’ former operating divisions Brasil Telecom, Tele Norte Leste Participacoes, Coari Participacoes and Telemar Norte Leste, has deployed its first Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in the city of Rio de Janeiro, BNAmericas writes citing a statement by the company. Oi SA is planning to trial the 4G technology in Rio until December, at which date it will move towards full commercial deployment with a ‘soft launch’ phase. By the end of this year the carrier aims to extend LTE pilot tests to other localities in Rio, as well as expanding its footprint to Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte

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OVETEL Oi SA rolls out LTE network in Rio de Janeiro

First-round bids received for E-Plus towers, report says

The mobile phone towers of German wireless operator E-Plus have drawn first-round bids from infrastructure investors and private equity firms, Reuters reports, citing people familiar with the process.

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OVETEL First-round bids received for E-Plus towers, report says

PLDT to spend PHP560m to triple internet gateway

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is spending an additional PHP560 million (USD13.5 million) to triple the capacity of its internet gateway. Having already completed a major PHP67.1 billion modernisation programme, Rolando Pena, head of the technology group of PLDT-Smart Communications, confirmed that the additional investment is designed to cater for an anticipated rise in broadband subscribers in the next few years, as well as increased demand for data usage stemming from the deployment of Smart’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and the fibre-to-the home (FTTH) technology being rolled out by PLDT.

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OVETEL PLDT to spend PHP560m to triple internet gateway

Telekom Slovenije sale being considered

Local newspaper Delo reports that the Slovenian government is considering selling its 74% stake in incumbent telco Telekom Slovenije, with an unnamed source suggesting that Deutsche Telekom is viewed as a likely buyer. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, the government launched an international tender for 49.1% of directly and indirectly held Telekom shares in August 2007, but despite shortlisting seven strategic bidders the government cancelled the sale at the beginning of March 2008 after none could satisfy its expectations. Further attempts to sell smaller stakes of 10% and 1.49% in December 2008 and June 2009 respectively were also unsuccessful.

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OVETEL Telekom Slovenije sale being considered

DTAC expects to spend USD1.3bn on 3G

DTAC has revealed that it expects to spend THB40 billion (USD1.3 billion) on 3G during the next three years, assuming it secures spectrum in the forthcoming 2.1GHz auction to be held on 16 October, reports The Nation newspaper. Of the total, up to THB20 billion is expected to be spent on bidding for spectrum, while a further THB10 billion will be used to deploy a 3G network covering 50% of the population within two years

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OVETEL DTAC expects to spend USD1.3bn on 3G

TU SR launches tenders for FWA concessions

The Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic (TU SR) has launched tenders for the allocation of frequencies in the 10GHz band for the establishment and operation of fixed wireless access (FWA) networks in ten localities. The locations are Detva, Ilava, Partizanske, Poprad, Prievidza, Ruzomberok, Spisska Nova Ves, Topolcany, Trencín and Zlate Moravce. In a statement on its website, the regulator specified that there would be a minimum one-off payment of EUR665 (USD859) for the assignment of a frequency block, with multiple blocks available in the different locations

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OVETEL TU SR launches tenders for FWA concessions

Local access prices not as unpredictable as they seem

Data from TeleGeography’s new Local Access Pricing Service reveal that local access prices do not follow the same patterns as wholesale IP transit or data transport prices. Local access circuits are used to connect a corporate customer’s building to its service provider’s network point of presence (PoP) within a given city.

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OVETEL Local access prices not as unpredictable as they seem

XL Axiata poised to sell 8,000 telecoms towers, report says

Investment news portal Kontan.id quotes Hasnul Suhaimi, the president and CEO of Indonesian mobile operator XL Axiata, as saying that his firm is looking to sell 8,000 of its telecoms towers for approximately IDR14 trillion (USD1.47 billion). XL Axiata currently owns and operates around 10,000 mobile towers and according to Hasnul, if the plan is realised, the cellco will hire back the use of the towers once they are sold to a third party.

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OVETEL XL Axiata poised to sell 8,000 telecoms towers, report says

Consolidation in Japan as Softbank moves for eAccess

Japan’s third largest cellular operator by subscribers, Softbank Mobile, has made a move to acquire smaller rival eAccess in an all-stock deal which values eAccess at around JPY180 billion (USD2.3 billion). If it does complete, as expected, in February 2013, the acquisition would enable Softbank to close in on the current second-placed operator, KDDI. The combined Softbank/eAccess claimed around 33.8 million customers at the end of June, while KDDI had 35.7 million, but Softbank has been garnering more net new users than KDDI in recent quarters so the battle for second spot in the market would be very close

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OVETEL Consolidation in Japan as Softbank moves for eAccess

EcoCash attracts 1.7m users in first year

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has confirmed that it now has over 1.7 million users of its mobile payment service EcoCash one year after its launch. The company said in a press release that this makes it the second fastest-growing mobile money transfer service in the region after Safaricom Kenya’s M-Pesa. Rival operator Telecel recently revealed that it had phased out its own mobile money service after slow subscriber take-up

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OVETEL EcoCash attracts 1.7m users in first year

Stricken Essar ordered to pay Airtel KES474m in site-sharing debt

A commercial court judge has ordered Essar Telkom Kenya (yu) to pay rival operator Airtel Kenya a lease debt of KES474 million (USD5.5 million), pending the resolution of a site-sharing contract by an arbitrator. According to Business Daily Africa, the dispute first arose after Airtel took Essar to court for non-payment of the leasing fees, only to see its rival raise a counter claim of KES2 billion, on the grounds that base station failures had hampered its operations

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OVETEL Stricken Essar ordered to pay Airtel KES474m in site-sharing debt

MetroPCS sizes up DISH, T-Mobile and Sprint as potential partners

Texas-based mobile carrier MetroPCS has embarked on a renewed attempt to secure a partner for a potential merger, DealReporter reports, and has lined up T-Mobile USA, Sprint Nextel and DISH Network, a satellite TV operator with aspirations to reinvent itself as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) provider, as potential suitors. The story, which cites an unnamed source close to the matter, said that MetroPCS's conversations with some of the companies have been ongoing, while others were merely ‘off and on’. None of the parties involved has commented on the report, and fully-fledged negotiations are still believed to be some way off

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OVETEL MetroPCS sizes up DISH, T-Mobile and Sprint as potential partners

Lycamobile expands to Portuguese mobile market

European pre-pay mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Lycamobile has launched its low-cost wireless services in Portugal, according to a report by PrepaidMVNO. ‘Launching into the Portuguese market is a milestone. It cements our coverage of the European population and puts us on track to reach our goal of being in 25 countries by 2013,’ commented Lycamobile Group chairman and founder Subaskaran Allirajah, adding: ‘Our EUR150 million investment over the past decade has enabled us to move fast.

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OVETEL Lycamobile expands to Portuguese mobile market

Govt renews Wi-Tribe Telecoms’ franchise

Filipino president Benigno S Aquino III has signed into law a new edict renewing wireless broadband provider Wi-Tribe Telecoms’ operating concession in the country for a further 25 years. Online news journal Tempo notes that in the same ceremony the president granted franchises to five other firms, namely: Reliance Broadcasting Unlimited Inc, Telecommunication Technology Solutions Inc, TV Maria Foundation Philippines Inc, Cultural Foundation of Davao del Sur Inc, and Nueva Vizcaya State University.

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OVETEL Govt renews Wi-Tribe Telecoms’ franchise

Entel Movil achieves coverage of all 339 municipal capitals

Bolivian president Evo Morales has announced that Entel Movil, the wireless arm of the country's former monopoly domestic and international long-distance (DLD and ILD) service provider Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Entel), has achieved coverage of all of the country’s municipalities.

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OVETEL Entel Movil achieves coverage of all 339 municipal capitals

GP Investments to pay USD250m for 2,000 mobile towers

Brazilian private equity group GP Investments is buying approximately 2,000 mobile telephone towers from an as yet unnamed telecom operator in Brazil for BRL503 million (USD250 million), CellularNews reports. Going forward, the new towers will be managed by a new operating company, BR Towers, which will derive the bulk of its revenues from leasing assets, including the towers themselves, to other carriers.

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OVETEL GP Investments to pay USD250m for 2,000 mobile towers

SCM reportedly eyes Ukrtelecom stake

Local newspaper Kommersant reports that the controlling shareholder of Ukrtelecom, the Austrian company EPIV, is in talks with SCM Holding over the sale of a stake in the Ukrainian incumbent. SCM already owns fixed line operator Vega and has 42.5% stake in the cellco Astelit, which provides services under the life:) brand name. In a phone interview with Bloomberg, SCM spokesman Anatoliy Yevtushenko said that the company is aware of the possible sale of the Ukrtelecom stake but could not comment on ‘hypothetical deals’.

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OVETEL SCM reportedly eyes Ukrtelecom stake

Gmail returns in Iran but YouTube still blacklisted

Authorities in Iran have reopened access to Google’s Gmail e-mail service after it was blocked last week.

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OVETEL Gmail returns in Iran but YouTube still blacklisted

Leap, T-Mobile complete AWS spectrum swap

US mobile operator Leap Wireless has announced that it has completed an exchange of radio spectrum in various markets with T-Mobile USA, in a bid to improve wireless coverage in certain areas.

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OVETEL Leap, T-Mobile complete AWS spectrum swap

MCMC publishes review of access pricing

Malaysian telecoms operators may be required to review prices for those wholesale services currently regulated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Bernama reports. The suggestion comes after the MCMC issued a public inquiry paper entitled ‘Review of Access Pricing’, which examines the cost to telcos of providing services; the report forms part of the regulator’s efforts to create a level playing field among operators.

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OVETEL MCMC publishes review of access pricing

Ownership deadlock rumbles on; Telenor confirms stake deal, but Vimpelcom postpones share registration

Norway’s Telenor Group has completed its purchase of an increased stake in Russia's Vimpelcom in the face of opposition from Russian co-owner Altimo and Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The purchase of the disputed 3.5% stake from Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris’ Weather Investments unit, which raises Telenor's stake to 42.95%, is the latest episode in a long-running campaign by Telenor to secure what it regards as an equal holding in the Russian company alongside Altimo.

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OVETEL Ownership deadlock rumbles on; Telenor confirms stake deal, but Vimpelcom postpones share registration

Tele2 agrees EUR74 million loan for Norwegian network expansion

Sweden’s Tele2 has announced that it has inked a EUR74 million (USD95 million) loan agreement with Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) ‘for the complementary financing of the Tele2 mobile network expansion in Norway’. Funds from the eight-year maturity loan will be utilised to help Tele2 boost the capacity of its mobile infrastructure in Norway, and the company has claimed the financing represents ‘a further step towards diversification of the funding sources for Tele2’.

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OVETEL Tele2 agrees EUR74 million loan for Norwegian network expansion

AMCU puts Kyivstar and MTS under the spotlight

The Kyiv Post has reported that the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) may fine MTS Ukraine and Kyivstar for setting roaming tariffs too high and for having a policy of ‘double standards’. ‘A case on roaming is being finished.

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OVETEL AMCU puts Kyivstar and MTS under the spotlight

Stormy weather ahead? LightSquared suggests weather balloon scheme to get LTE project back on track

Much-maligned open-access Long Term Evolution (LTE) venture LightSquared is hoping to use weather balloon spectrum to get its 4G network up and running, Fierce Wireless reports. The company, which sought to build out a nationwide hybrid LTE network using terrestrial and satellite networks, and encompassing non-traditional spectrum in the 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz bands, saw its hopes dashed in February this year when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared that its mooted frequencies interfered with GPS satellite navigation devices and aircraft flight safety equipment. Subsequent weeks saw the stricken company beset with myriad financial and legal problems, before being forced into bankruptcy in May.*Despite its well-documented problems, the company has now propositioned the government with a view to combining its existing 1670MHz-1675MHz L-Band satellite spectrum with 1675MHz-1680MHz frequencies utilised by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration weather balloons

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OVETEL Stormy weather ahead? LightSquared suggests weather balloon scheme to get LTE project back on track

MakTel cuts telephony fees for business users by 40%, paper says

Macedonian incumbent Makedonski Telekom (MakTel) has cut the cost of its standard monthly subscription fees for telephony services for all business users by more than 40%, Telecompaper reports. From October, businesses will pay MKD399 (USD8.39) per month excluding VAT for a standard PSTN line (with one voice channel), or MKD694 for a monthly subscription with two voice channels.

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OVETEL MakTel cuts telephony fees for business users by 40%, paper says

Globe launches ‘Tattoo Black’ LTE service; unveils 4G smartphones

Filipino operator Globe Telecom has unveiled its new Long Term Evolution (LTE) service, ‘Tattoo Black’, at a press conference in Makati City, and says the formal launch of commercial services will take place on 28 October. At that date, Globe intends to offer subscribers two LTE options: Tattoo Black Plan 1799 and Tattoo Black Elite 2499. The former will include a free USB dongle and offer a maximum download speed of 28Mbps, while Tattoo Black 2499 promises speeds of up to 42Mbps.

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OVETEL Globe launches ‘Tattoo Black’ LTE service; unveils 4G smartphones

Hondutel share sale deadline looms large

With the 15 October deadline for the sale of 49% of government-owned national PTO Hondutel fast approaching, state officials are waiting to receive expressions of interest from potential bidders, Honduran newspaper La Tribuna reports.

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OVETEL Hondutel share sale deadline looms large

Wolves at the door and they’re hungry: Magyar Telekom to lay off staff to cut costs

Hungarian carrier Magyar Telekom (MTel) is laying off 500 of its workforce before the end of this year at an estimated cost of HUF6 billion (USD27.1 million) in a bid to cut costs, the firm said in a statement.

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OVETEL Wolves at the door and they’re hungry: Magyar Telekom to lay off staff to cut costs

Millicom confirms closure of Cablevision deal

Millicom International Cellular (MIC) has announced that it has now received all necessary documentation to complete the transaction to acquire 100% of Cablevision Paraguay. MIC will now assume management control of Cablevision Paraguay and will consolidate the operation’s results from 1 October 2012.

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OVETEL Millicom confirms closure of Cablevision deal

Rogers expands LTE network

Canada’s largest cellco by subscribers, Rogers, announced yesterday that it has extended its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to cover an additional 18 cities and regions. The company’s 4G infrastructure now covers almost 60% of Canada’s population, and additional rollout later this year and into 2013 will lift coverage above 60%.

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OVETEL Rogers expands LTE network

NBTC may offer 1800MHz spectrum for 2G and 4G after 3G auction

According to The Nation newspaper, the subcommittee preparing for the approaching end of two 1800MHz operating concessions may advise the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to auction off the spectrum rather than renew the terms of the existing concessions. Both licences are due to expire in September 2013, and members of the subcommittee are said to have proposed the idea that 12.5MHz of True Move's 1800MHz spectrum should be auctioned off with a view to it being used for 4G services for a 20-year term, while 12.5MHz of the 1800MHz spectrum held by DPC, part of AIS, should be auctioned off for 2G services for a five year term. The NBTC reportedly hopes to auction the two 1800MHz blocks after the separate auction of 3G spectrum in the 2.1GHz band that is due to take place on 16 October

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OVETEL NBTC may offer 1800MHz spectrum for 2G and 4G after 3G auction

POTRAZ looks at LRIC model for mobile tariffs

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has revealed plans to introduce a new cost-based pricing model for the country’s mobile operators. According to a report from TechZim, which cites local newspaper The Herald, the Long Run Incremental Cost (LRIC) method will be adopted by the watchdog

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OVETEL POTRAZ looks at LRIC model for mobile tariffs

Telefonica/Vodafone UK network merger given OFT approval

The UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has cleared the proposed joint venture between the local subsidiaries of Spain’s Telefonica and mobile giant Vodafone Group under which the pair will strengthen their network partnership. As noted in TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, June 2012 saw the announcement that the two groups’ subsidiaries – O2 UK and Vodafone UK – would jointly operate and manage a single network grid running two competing mobile voice and internet networks, with both retaining complete control over their own wireless spectrum, intelligent core networks and customer data. In order to facilitate the project, a new 50/50 joint venture company is to be created via the consolidation of the existing basic network infrastructure of each cellco, including towers and masts; upon completion both operators should have access to a single grid comprising around 18,500 masts, a figure that reportedly represents an increase of more than 40% for each of them.

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OVETEL Telefonica/Vodafone UK network merger given OFT approval

Vodacom reaffirms commitment to DRC operation

South Africa’s Vodacom Group no longer plans to exit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and instead is seeking to resolve the longstanding dispute with its local associates and capitalise on the fast-growing market. The company’s new chief executive Shameel Joosub told Reuters: ‘We are working with the local partner to resolve the issues.

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OVETEL Vodacom reaffirms commitment to DRC operation

Russian LTE round-up: MegaFon to roll out services in 40 cities; Osnova targets 2013 launch

According to an unconfirmed report by Vedomosti, Russian mobile operator MegaFon plans to introduce Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in 40 cities by the end of the year; the information was said to be included in a bond prospectus. The Russian business daily has also suggested that MegaFon has ambitious plans to sign up some 37.3 million subscribers by the same date, or 60% of its current overall subscriber base.*In other news, controversial start-up Osnova Telekom, which is partly owned (25.1%) by Voentelecom – which is itself controlled by the Ministry of Defence – plans to hold a tender for the supply of LTE equipment imminently, as soon as a shortlist of candidates has been drawn up. The mobile firm, which was quietly granted Russia’s second LTE licence earlier this year, just days before Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) was awarded a much-publicised LTE concession covering Moscow, hopes to initiate test operations in five or six cities by the end of the year, before launching commercial operations in the first or second quarter of 2013.

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OVETEL Russian LTE round-up: MegaFon to roll out services in 40 cities; Osnova targets 2013 launch

Telefonica Mexico eyes LTE launch this month

Telefonica’s Mexican wireless unit has revealed that it has nearly completed the rollout of the first stage of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. In a press release Telefonica Mexico announced that initially its 4G network will be available in three locations, those being: the Polanco area of the capital Mexico City; Zapopan in the state of Jalisco; and the city of San Pedro in Nuevo Leon. The new service is expected to launch sometime this month.

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OVETEL Telefonica Mexico eyes LTE launch this month

Biznet director calls for island-wide fibre network for Bali

News portal Bali Discovery.com quotes the director of Indonesian metro Ethernet fibre-optic provider Biznet Networks, Adi Kusma, as saying that the island of Bali urgently needs an ‘island-wide fibre-optic telecommunications system’ if it is to maintain its position as a leading world tourism destination.

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OVETEL Biznet director calls for island-wide fibre network for Bali

SaskTel told it can keep wireless broadband spectrum until March 2014

Canada’s federal government has told SaskTel that it will not take back the broadband spectrum the company uses for its wireless internet service until the end of March 2014. Previous reports indicated that the frequencies might be reclaimed at the end of 2012, ahead of 4G licence re-auctioning in 2013/14

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OVETEL SaskTel told it can keep wireless broadband spectrum until March 2014

Myanmar hands international voice and data licence to Hutchison Global

Hutchison Global Communications Limited (HGC), the international fixed-line business division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong, has revealed that it has been granted permission to provide international data and voice services in Myanmar through co-operation with the country’s state-owned telco Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT). HGC's newly-awarded permission means it becomes the first foreign telecoms operator to provide Myanmar with data and voice services. These include International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC) and the introduction of technology-neutral Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) for the provision of Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP-VPN) data services.

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OVETEL Myanmar hands international voice and data licence to Hutchison Global

Belgacom to offer wholesale VDSL2 to KPN Group Belgium

KPN Group Belgium, which offers services under the BASE banner, has announced that it has inked a five-year commercial wholesale agreement with local fixed line incumbent Belgacom for the provisioning of fixed broadband and associated services. Under the terms of the deal Belgacom will reportedly provide VDSL2-based broadband to KPN Group Belgium in a move which the latter claims will allow it to ‘upgrade and enlarge its current fixed portfolio and to fulfil and anticipate the growing customer demand for highly valued fixed services’. A timeframe for the commercial introduction of services using the high speed broadband technology has, however, yet to be announced by KPN; the operator has said it expects to provide launch dates ‘later’.

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OVETEL Belgacom to offer wholesale VDSL2 to KPN Group Belgium

Alcatel-Lucent supporting e-government project in Ghana

Alcatel-Lucent has announced that it is working in partnership with Ghana’s National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to bring a range of online services to government offices in remote areas of the country. Under the so-called e-Ghana project, the vendor will design and implement a 600km fibre-optic backbone network which will provide high-speed data links between central government functions and remote and rural locations. In addition, Alcatel-Lucent will provide a national data centre facility to support the network and will also manage network operations of Ghana’s entire ‘e-government’ programme for three years, commencing November 2012

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OVETEL Alcatel-Lucent supporting e-government project in Ghana

Zain Saudi extends USD2.6bn loan

Saudi Arabia’s third mobile operator Zain Saudi has extended the maturity of a USD2.6 billion loan for a further two months as it looks to sign a new long-term financing agreement to replace the current facility. Zain has already extended the joint Murabaha loan once, from July to 27 September, and the new agreement expires on 28 November, Reuters reports. Zain Saudi Arabia (originally known as Saudi MTC) won an auction for the Kingdom’s third national mobile licence in March 2007 with its bid of SAR22.91 billion (USD6.11 billion), according to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database

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OVETEL Zain Saudi extends USD2.6bn loan

On top of the world: Etisalat claims 300Mbps LTE test speeds

Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), the United Arab Emirates’ incumbent telecoms operator, has announced that it has achieved mobile broadband speeds of up to 300Mbps during tests of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. ‘I am delighted to announce that Etisalat has successfully completed the test for the highest 4G LTE speed in the world which reached 300Mbps thanks to the latest MIMO 4x4 technology,’ the Khaleej Times cites Etisalat’s CEO Saleh Al Abdooli as saying.

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OVETEL On top of the world: Etisalat claims 300Mbps LTE test speeds

Indosat launches ‘Super WiFi’ service

Indonesia’s second largest telecoms group by subscribers PT Indosat has launched a new service that enables its mobile customers to connect to the company’s hotspots automatically, TechInAsia reports. The new ‘Super WiFi’ service is enabled via the introduction of Indosat’s new SIM card technology – Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

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OVETEL Indosat launches ‘Super WiFi’ service

Clean sweep as all five FCC commissioners vote to review spectrum holdings

US telecoms regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to initiate a review of its rules regarding how much spectrum a carrier should be able to hold, Fierce Wireless reports. The five FCC commissioners voted unanimously in reviewing the proposed rule changes, which will be opened for public comment in due course. The review will likely have a large impact on how carriers approach spectrum acquisitions, and signal a shift to a more transparent process, which will benefit smaller carriers.

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OVETEL Clean sweep as all five FCC commissioners vote to review spectrum holdings

Claro’s proposed acquisition of Digicel rejected by antitrust body

El Salvador’s competition regulator, the Superintendencia de Competencia (SC), has announced that it has denied the proposed acquisition of Digicel El Salvador by Mexican mobile giant America Movil’s (AM’s) local unit Claro. On 28 March 2012 AM initiated a new procedure to acquire Digicel El Salvador, after deciding to discontinue the process the previous December following a decision by the SC to impose a number of conditions on the deal. In July 2012 the SC accepted the new application for further analysis, but pursuant to a technical, legal and economic analysis carried out by the antitrust body, the board of directors has decided to block the proposed deal on the grounds that it would have an adverse affect on competition and consumer welfare in the fixed and mobile markets.

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OVETEL Claro’s proposed acquisition of Digicel rejected by antitrust body

UTL dismisses speculation over network fault

Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) has issued a statement that disruption in service last week was the result of a breakdown on its central network, reports the Observer.

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OVETEL UTL dismisses speculation over network fault

AIS, DTAC and True all to bid for 3G spectrum in October

Thailand’s three major mobile operators – AIS, DTAC and True Corp – will be the only bidders to participate in the country’s 3G spectrum auction in October. Tantawan Telecommunications also submitted an application, but this was rejected by telecoms regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) citing a lack of some required documents. According to local newspaper The Nation, the watchdog will hold a mock auction on 12 and 13 October and open the auction proper on 16 October.

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OVETEL AIS, DTAC and True all to bid for 3G spectrum in October

Telefonica set to kick off German IPO, report says

Spanish telecoms group Telefonica will reportedly kick start the initial public offering (IPO) of its German unit this week with a pitch to investors based on the strength of the local mobile market, Reuters reported on Friday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Telefonica, which is struggling to cut its debt burden amid falling revenue and profit in its domestic market, is aiming to raise as much as EUR1.5 billion (USD1.8 billion) from the sale of a potential 20% stake in Telefonica Germany (O2), according to reports

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OVETEL Telefonica set to kick off German IPO, report says

Conatel awards additional spectrum

Telecoms regulator Conatel has confirmed that it has awarded additional spectrum to Venezuelan cellcos Movilnet, Movistar and Digitel. The exact frequencies from within the 1800MHz and 1900MHz bands were not announced

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OVETEL Conatel awards additional spectrum