Joint Venture

Leap engages in job cuts and closes stores (USA)

On 03.10.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 180 jobs have been cut and 27 company stores nationwide have been shuttered by Leap Wireless which has described its restructuring as its changing priorities for the year. 90 of the jobs cut were field positions while 90 were corporate positions.

After the move, the number of employees in the company is 4200 and the number of company-owned stores is 42. The review of the stores was taken up by the company in February and the decision to close the stores was taken in early March. The closing is described as a part of normal repositioning that goes on in any retail business.

Recently, a joint venture has been announced by the company with regional, flat-rate wireless provider Pocket Communications to boost Leap’s position in south Texas, where Pocket has a significant presence.

Major Banks have been hired and special committee of its board has been formed to consider various strategic options, including selling the company or merging with another carrier. During its fourth-quarter earnings announcement, the plan of the company to launch a BlackBerry device from Research In Motion as well as a smartphone running Google’s Android platform was also disclosed.

Batelco JV ordered to shut down mobile network – India.

On 03.08.10, In Mobile, By admin

In a shocking move, the Indian Department of Telecom has asked a Bahrain Telecommunications Co (Batelco) JV in India to shut down its 2 month old operation. The company has approximately 500,000 subscribers who will be affected by this move.

S-Tel , a joint venture between the Siva Group and Bahrain Telecommunications Co (Batelco), had launched services in 3 circles in the country – Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar starting December 2009.

The government body sent the notice on Friday and has not spelt out the details of the security concerns leading to the order. Sources close to the situation cite one of 2 possible reasons:

1. ZTE a Chinese vendor is supplying the network equipment – India had made it mandatory for all telcos to get security clearance for setting up a mobile network using imported equipment.

2. Bahrain-based Batelco’s presence in the JV, and that may have flagged something to the Indian authorities. (surprising though!)

The company had earlier announced investments of close to $4 Billion in rolling out 2G services with a target of achieving 20 million subscribers by 2016 and EBITDA break-even by 2013.

Believe it or not, this is not the first time. Earlier in 2002, Koshika Telecom had its licenses revoked due to non-payment of dues and just last year, a Russian venture (ByCell) lost out because of security concerns over the company’s shareholding and source of funds.

Tagged with: Bahrain • Batelco • Department of Telecom • DoT • India • Joint Venture • S Tel • Siva Group • ZTE

Leap Wireless & Pocket Communications start joint venture (USA)

On 02.25.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Deal for a joint venture has been signed between Leap Wireless International Inc. and a Texas-based month-to-month mobile service provider, Pocket Communications Inc.

Under the deal, Leap will own 76% of the joint venture, which includes wireless spectrum and operating assets, while Pocket controls the rest besides buying some of Pocket’s assets for $38 million in cash.

Leap has expressed its wish to hold the controlling stake in the joint venture with an aim to strengthen its position in the South Texas area. The deal signifies an increased willingness for deals among low-end players that provide wireless service without a contract.

Tagged with: Joint Venture • Leap Wireless • Leap Wireless International • North America • Pocket Communications • spectrum • Texas • USA

Vodafone, Verizon join hands to boost M2M services

On 02.15.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an aim to simplify the remote management and monitoring of devices spread across European and US networks, Vodafone, Verizon Wireless and nPhase, a Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm joint venture, have announced to form an alliance.

Increased demand for M2M services on mobile networks across Europe and North America over the coming years is expected by the members of this alliance. It will become easy for the customers of Verizon Wireless and Vodafone to activate, monitor and pay for devices that are deployed across both European (GSM) and USA (CDMA) networks.

Besides, the move will enable firms to centrally manage and control the process of rolling out M2M devices across many countries. According to Steve Pazol, president of nPhase, business alliance removes many of the complexities by building on the tremendous capabilities and reach of Vodafone and Verizon Wireless to offer a single standard interface, and provide pre-certified global devices that can support both CDMA and GSM networks.

Tagged with: CDMA • Europe • GSM • Joint Venture • North America • nPhase • Qualcomm • USA • Verizon Wireless • Vodafone

Gamtel contracts Alca-Lu for fibre connectivity project

On 02.15.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A contract has been signed between Alcatel-Lucent and Gambia’s incumbent PSTN operator Gamtel as per which the former will roll out a terrestrial fibre-optic transmission network under its ‘Cross Gambia Project.’

Fibre links has been extended from Dakar through Kaolack, Karang, Barra, Banjul, Serrekunda, Yundum, Brikama to Seleti in Casamance to terminate on Sonatel’s fibre network under the joint venture project with Senegalese counterpart Sonatel.

An alternative route to the fibre link between Basse in Gambia and Velingara in Senegal will be provided by the new infrastructure. The new infrastructure will also improve serious problem of disruption to bilateral international traffic whenever the older fibre is cut besides increasing Gamtel’s international internet bandwidth.

Tagged with: Africa • Alcatel-Lucent • fibre-optic • Gambia • GamTel • Joint Venture • operator • PSTN • Senegal • Sonatel

Indian telco Idea to sell stake in Indus Towers

On 02.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 16% stake in Indus Towers valued at USD 600-800 million might be partially or wholly sold off by Indian telco Idea Cellular.

The stock of the company reached an all day high of Rs 58 and an all day low of Rs 56.60. In late 2007, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular pooled in their resources into an independent firm, Indus Towers which became the world’s largest tower company with 1,25,00 towers.

Before this joint venture, 42% stake was held by Vodafone and Bharti and 16% held by Idea.

Tagged with: ASIA • Bharti Airtel • Essar • Idea Cellular • India • Joint Venture • Vodafone • Vodafone Essar

France Telecom’s new CEO rules out major purchases

On 02.05.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Any possibility of making any major acquisitions in the short term has been ruled out by France Telecom’s (FT’s) incoming chief executive officer Stephane Richard, who will replace Didier Lombard from 1 March 2010. However, he also expressed his plan to seek out opportunities to grow in Europe through joint ventures.

According to Richard, the firm will soon publish its eagerly awaited plan for the deployment of high speed broadband networks in France.

Tagged with: Acquisitions • Europe • France Telecom • Joint Venture

10,000th 3G site deployed by 3 UK

On 01.29.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 10,000th 3G site has been activated by British mobile network operator Hutchison 3 UK this week with the connection of the 10,000th site in Shooters Hill, South-East London. The huge number is the result of the improved coverage provided to the existing customers besides the introduction of the service to new communities.

With the addition of the 10,000th site, the 3G population coverage in UK reached nearly 93% and there are hopes that the number of connection will reach 13000 this year.

The network roll out is accompanied by a new consumer-friendly policy designed to better advise people of their coverage opportunities and resolve issues if customers find they do not have coverage at home.

Through the Mobile Broadband Network Limited joint venture, 3 UK is in the process of consolidating its 3G network infrastructure with T-Mobile.

Tagged with: 3G • Europe • Hutchison • Joint Venture • London • operator • T-Mobile • UK

Fibre network management to be outsourced by Bharti & BSNL (India)

On 01.28.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Interested parties are invited by India’s Bharti Airtel to submit bids for the outsourcing of the management of its fibre-optic cable network with a view to completing a deal before the end of March 2010. State- owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has also decided to invite bids in February to outsource the management of its network.

According to Bharti’s CEO Manoj Kohli, joint venture will be formed and the company contracted by Bharti will have a stake in the company. Bharti deal is estimated to be worth as much as USD1 billion over a five-year period. BSNL expects to close a deal by the end of the second half of this fiscal year.

Tagged with: ASIA • Bharti Airtel • BSNL • India • Joint Venture • Outsourcing

Azerbaijan joins Iran and Russia to improve connectivity in Caspian region

On 12.05.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The largest stakeholder in Iran based Telecommunication Infrastructure Company, Iranmobin entered into a 50/50 equity joint venture with Russian C-Ring Telecom. C -Ring Telecom is a subsidiary of Russian long-distance operator Synterra while TIC is a unit of fixed line monopoly Telecommunication Company of Iran.

In order to rollout a new fibre-optic ring around the Caspian Sea to handle Europe-Asia voice, Azerbaijan’s AzTelekom forged an agreement with the new venture. The agreement also aims at improving internet service delivery in the Caspian region.

The agreement was signed at trade and economic cooperation summit held in Tehran by Russian and Iranian state and company officials. TIC also signed an agreement with Rostelecom, another Russian carrier, to share international transmission links.

Tagged with: Africa • ASIA • Azerbaijan • AzTelekom • Caspian Sea • economic cooperation summit • Europe • Iran • Iranmobin • Joint Venture • Long-Distance Operator • Rostelecom • Russia • Synterra • Tehran • Teleco • telecommunication infrastructure