DoT may auction more bandwidth for wireless broadband services (India)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India may reportedly auction more bandwidth in an attempt to provide wireless broadband services, post the government’s decision on a pricing policy. According to reports, India’s telecom secretary, R. Chandrashekhar said that there is one chunk of bandwidth for wireless broadband services available in 15 of India’s 22 service areas; however, the government may not complete the auction process within this fiscal year. Reports reveal that the Government of India had raised about $ 8.23 billion with the auction of two slots of wireless broadband bandwidth.
As per sources, Chandrashekhar has also said that state-run telecom companies Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. have sent proposals to the government to offer voluntary retirement to employees to save costs. Industry sources claim that BSNL hopes to offer retirement schemes to about 100,000 employees, in an attempt to save up to US$ 6.73 billion by March 31, 2027. BSNL and MTNL have been facing stiff competition from private players such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, which has been affecting their overall profit margins.
Orange launches HSPA+ DC in Poland
Orange Poland has launched wireless broadband services using HSPA+ DC technology in 24 cities and towns across the country.
With the launch, the operator is offering up to 42 Mbps download capacity to subscribers. The service is currently accessible in Poznan, Wroclaw, Katowice and Szczecin, covering 12% of the population.
The operator is also planning to raise coverage to 60% by the end of the year. The services will in the future also be launched in Warsaw, Lodz, Bydgoszcz, Torun, Bialystok and Lublin.
AT&T in talk with Qualcomm for licence to 4G (India)
Global telecom giant, AT&T is reportedly in talks with chip maker Qualcomm for a possible partnership in India. Qualcomm holds the licence and spectrum to offer fourth generation or 4G wireless broadband services in four telecom circles in India.
AT&T had exited Indian mobile telephony market in 2006, when it divested its stake in favor of its partners — the Tata group and the Aditya Birla Group — and failed in its attempt to gain an entry in 2008.
In the May 2010 auctions conducted by India’s Department of Telecommunications, Qualcomm won spectrum urban circles in New Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala for around US$ 1 billion.
Qatar Telecom eyes higher stake in Philippine telco
As per the chairman of Qatar Telecom, Qtel is interested in raising its stake in the Philippines’ Liberty Telecoms and is in talks with partner San Miguel Corp to expand the venture.
As per Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saud Al-Thani at a conference, Qtel was committed to its investments in the Southeast Asian country and was seeking to expand its presence in Asia.
Qtel holds 32.7% of Liberty and San Miguel holds 33%. Liberty, which was a dormant listed firm prior to Qtel and San Miguel’s investment, last year, focuses on wireless broadband services. Liberty has a market value of nearly US$110 million.
According to Al-Thani, Qtel created a good bond between the two companies. Qtel is exploring with them more and more investments in telecoms and in the future of the technology. It’s not only the mobile business but into more of the IT and the telecoms sector. Qtel is in discussion and hopefully would come to an understanding of what’s the plan for the future.
The company doesn’t see that there is anything stopping them from partnering and exploring more business with San Miguel. It’s not the financials, but it’s about what the opportunities are and the working environment.
Vodafone to invest US $1.3 billion in Italy network
Vodafone Group PLC is planning to invest more than US$1.3 billion in Italy in order to complete its coverage of the country for wireless broadband services.
According to Paolo Bertoluzzo, head of Vodafone’s Italian operations, the mobile phone giant wants to reach in three to four years an estimated 12% of the population that still don’t have adequate Internet access. It aims to offer speeds of at least two Mbps using the mobile technology HSPA+. This population,of about seven million people, lives in remote or rural areas, adding that those living in about 1,800 towns don’t have broadband at all.
Italy falls back the rest of Europe in broadband diffusion, Vodafone and other operators have been debating with the government over how to help the country catch up, such as building a fiber-optic network.
According to Bertoluzzo, Vodafone’s latest project was separate from its plans to help build this network. The company confirms the commitment. Vodafone will continue to discuss the rules and follow this course (toward an eventual agreement to build a fiber-optic network).
Earlier this year, Vodafone joined other alternative operators to plan a fiber-optic network of their own.
According to Vodafone spokeswoman, the operator would announce a deal with China’s Huawei Technologies Co. to set up a research center in Milan. The deal will be announced when Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao meets the Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi.
With 30 million users, Vodafone is one of the biggest of the four mobile phone operators in the country.
