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Wireless Federation » archive for October, 2007

Google set to unveil mobile phone plans - report

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 3:11 pm

Google is expected to unveil in the next two weeks new software and services for mobile phones. People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the new products are expected to enable handset makers to bring Google-powered phones to market by the middle of next year. In recent months Google has approached several US and foreign handset manufacturers about the idea of building phones tailored to Google software, with HTC and LG Electronics seen as potential contenders. Google is also seeking partnerships with mobile operators. In the US, T-Mobile USA is seen as a likely partner, while in Europe Google is pursuing relationships with Orange and 3 UK, according to the paper’s sources. A Google spokeswoman declined to comment. The Google-powered phones are expected to bring together several Google applications, including its search engine, Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail. The main point of its mobile strategy though is to make the phones with open software, including the operating system, so that independent software developers would get access to tools to build additional phone features.

   

Jazztel partners with Orange for MVNO launch (Spain)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 3:09 pm

Spanish internet provider Jazztel has signed an agreement with France Telecom Espana (Orange) to further assess the possibility of offering virtual mobile services through Orange’s network. The agreement will be developed by both companies allowing Jazztel to launch its mobile services in the next few months.

   

Ericsson, MTN start first Millennium Village project (Rwanda)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 3:07 pm

Ericsson and mobile operator MTN have unveiled the first services in their Millennium Village project, in Mayange, Rwanda. Part of a partnership with Colombia University’s Earth Institute, the Millennium Village project aims to improve mobile and internet connectivity in rural areas in Africa, supporting social services and economic development. In Rwanda, MTN is upgrading its GSM network to EDGE to increase broadband connectivity and equip community health workers with communication tools. One initiative to improve health services is a new toll-free phone service that can be used in medical emergencies to connect patients with on-duty medical personnel. Other initiatives include a mobile learning tool to train community health workers and applications to collect and share basic household health information. Sony Ericsson has also provided mobile phones to the Millennium Village health clinics and community health workers. Together with Ericsson, it has developed and will provide a new Solar Village Charger capable of recharging at least 30 mobile-phone batteries per day and eight phones simultaneously for each village cluster. Small-business entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to sell shared voice and data services to villagers, thanks to a partnership with the GSM Association’s Development Fund.

   

Huawei shows 100 Mbps LTE application (China)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 3:04 pm

Huawei Technologies has demonstrated its 100 Mbps LTE mobile application at PT/Expo Comm China. The equipment maker showed multiplex HDTV services and mutual gaming with a transmission speed of 100 Mbps using the next-generation technology base station platform. Huawei recently joined the Long Term Evolution / System Architecture Evolution Trial Initiative. It expects to have LTE products on the market in 2009.

   

Arcor launches IPTV service in 51 German cities (Germany)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:47 pm

Vodafone’s German fixed network operator Arcor is open for orders for its ITPV service called Digital TV, which is available in 51 German cities. The service will commercially launch on 1 December and include 110 TV channels and Video on Demand service. Arcor Digital TV also includes a electronic program guide, which is developed together with the editors of TV Movie. Customers will have more than 50 free digital TV channels and can choose from more than 60 pay TV channels as well. Digital TV Basic costs EUR 9.95 per month and the pay TV packages costs start at EUR 5.95 per month. The installation costs EUR 49.95, while the digital TV set-top box also costs EUR 49.95. The minimal contract time is 24 months. The IPTV service is only available in combination with an Arcor 6 Mbps DSL connection, which costs EUR 34.95 per month and further includes a telephony connection plus DSL and telephony flatrates.

   

Ericsson faces lawsuit over profit warning (USA)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:42 pm

Ericsson is facing a potential class-action lawsuit from shareholders over its recent profit warning. US-based law firm Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins started the suit in US District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors who purchased Ericsson stock between 11 September and 15 October this year. The complaint charges Ericsson and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the US Securities Exchange Act, alleging that the company issued materially false and misleading statements regarding its business and financial results. The suit alleges that Ericsson knew that it was experiencing declining sales in its networks due to lower sales of expansions and upgrades of mobile networks, sales in Western Europe were declining due to operator consolidation in several markets, and as a result, it lacked a reasonable basis for positive statements about the company’s business. The day of the profit warning Ericsson’s shares closed down 24 percent.

   

Teo buys DTT broadcaster (Lthuania)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:37 pm

Lthuanian operator Teo has agreed to acquire UAB Nacionaline Skaitmenine Televizija. Spun off from cable operator UAB Mikrovisatos TV, the company has two licences for broadcasting TV channels over DVB-T networks. Teo said it hopes to expand the development of digital terrestrial TV in Lithuania and is prepared to make significant investments in the service. Teo expects to complete the takeover by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approval. Financial details were not released. Teo already started offering IPTV services in 2006.

   

Qwest Q3 net profit hits USD 2 bln on tax benefit (USA)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:33 pm

US operator Qwest reported third-quarter net profit of USD 2.046 billion, up from USD 246 million a year earlier thanks to a tax benefit worth USD 2.149 billion. Revenues fell 1.5 percent to USD 3.434 billion, hurt by a slowdown in business sales and lower wholesale revenues. EBITDA improved to USD 1.151 billion from USD 1.134 billion a year ago thanks to a 6 percent drop in operating expenses. That excludes a one-time charge of USD 353 million for settling shareholder lawsuits. Capex in the year to date reached USD 1.164 billion, and Qwest expects the annual total to match 2006. It has authrosied an additional USD 300 million spending on raising broadband speeds. Its access line base fell to 13.032 million at the end of September from 14.037 million a year earlier. Broadband subscribers increased by 111,000 in the quarter to a total 2.516 million.

   

Debitel to replace CEO on 1 December (Germany)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:28 pm

Germany-based European telecom service provider debitel has appointed current marketing director Oliver Steil as its new CEO per 1 December. The current CEO Axel Rueckert will leave the company, which decided to focus on Germany under his direction. All foreign operations except those in the Netherlands were sold and German mobile service provider Talkline and German telecom retailer Dug telecom were acquired under Rueckert’s direction. Rueckert will return to France, where he lives with his family and is expected to find a new job over there. The supervisory board of Debitel said that the replacement is part of a long-term plan under which Rueckert would only temporarily have the helm at Debitel.

   

Panama govt unveils terms for PCS mobile tender (Panama)

  • October 31st, 2007
  • 2:26 pm

The Panamanian government has issued the specifications for the tender to allow two new mobile phone firms to offer PCS services in Panama, reports La Prensa. There are so far six interested companies - Luxembourg-based Millicom, Jamaica-based Digicel, Mexico-based America Movil and Iusacell, and France’s Orange. Panama-based fixed-line service firm Cable Onda also wants to take part. The winning bidders will need to invest at least USD 55 million, and will need to set up their own infrastrcture. The 20-year licences will be extendable.