The government of Reunion is looking to deploy a fibre-optic network covering 100% of the population within ten years of launching the build-out, with work due to start on the project in 2013. The outline of the ambitious plan, which is expected to cost in the region of EUR250 million (USD325 million), was presented to the government, regional authorities and the Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC).
State-owned Nepal Telecom (NT) is launching wireless broadband services based on WiMAX technology on 9 November, and is promising customers connection speeds of up to 27Mbps. The carrier has signed a USD10 million contract with a US vendor for the supply of new equipment and is now ready to go live next month
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is spending PHP1.4 billion (USD34.1 million) to upgrade its telecoms infrastructure in Palawan with a fibre-optic cable (FOC) to help support the island’s burgeoning tourism industry. In a statement PLDT said that, in partnership with its mobile division Smart Communications, work began this month on the construction of the new FOC cable transmission backbone to Palawan, which is expected to be completed in 1H13. A spokesman for the Filipino giant, Ramon S Isberto, added that the new link ‘will be connected to an existing fibre-optic cable in Iloilo’.
Malaysian-backed Bangladeshi mobile network operator Robi Axiata has established a subsidiary, Bangladesh Infrastructure Company (BCIL), with the purpose of undertaking ‘activities and operations related to telecommunication infrastructure,’ according to parent group Axiata’s statement to the stock exchange.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
China Mobile has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with retail firm D.phone to jointly promote China Mobile’s 3G network, phones and services. China Retail News reports that by utilising D.phones nationwide retail sites, China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA devices will become more readily available.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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’.
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)
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.
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.
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
News agency BelTA reports that the government of Belarus will launch a presentation on the 2 November 2012 to launch the state’s proposed sale of its 51% stake in its mobile joint venture with Russian powerhouse Mobile TeleSystems, MTS Belarus. According to Ella Chazova, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, the aim of the presentation is to identify potential buyers for the state’s equity – valued at around USD1 billion – with 49% shareholder MTS Russia seen as a likely bidder.
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
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
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.
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
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
Slovak Telekom has announced the pilot launch of commercial cloud computing services for all business customers. Using the TelekomCloud brand, Slovak Telekom, in cooperation with its subsidiary PosAm and technology vendors including Citrix, IBM, Microsoft, VMware, Cisco and Hitachi Data Systems, has launched a first-phase product providing infrastructure as a service (IaaS); other services being prepared for a wider launch are PaaS, SaaS and georedundancy.
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.
Telekom Slovenije has reported to the Slovenian stock exchange that its supervisory board has given the go-ahead to begin the initial stage of Long Term Evolution (LTE) network deployment, with a budget of EUR2.5 million (USD3.2 million) for the remainder of this year. The first phase will involve upgrading the operator’s mobile core network and 4G radio access coverage deployed using its existing 1800MHz frequency bands
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.
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
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and GMA Network Inc yesterday announced that talks over the former’s plan to acquire a controlling stake in the broadcaster have been terminated after both sides were ‘unable to arrive at mutually acceptable terms, despite the continual discussions and efforts exerted in good faith’. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database in June this year PLDT confirmed it was in talks with the country’s second largest TV broadcaster, with chairman Manuel Pangilinan confirming that negotiations were underway, and that he hoped a deal could be finalised ‘within the year’. Discussions between PLDT and GMA Network shareholders have taken place on various occasions over the past decade or so, although ultimately each time they broke down over disagreements on price.
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.
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.
Papua New Guinea’s National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NITCA) has published a retail service determination related to retail mobile service prices.
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
Telkom Mobile (8ta) has become the latest South African mobile operator to confirm its intentions to launch Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, IT News Africa reports. Customers within 8ta’s LTE coverage areas across the Gauteng region will be able to apply to participate in a free trial between 1 November 2012 and 31 March 2013. The LTE service will comprise a 50GB data bundle and an LTE-enabled device
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
Sweden’s TeliaSonera has appointed lawyers to investigate allegations of wrongdoing relating to its purchase of operating licences in Uzbekistan in 2007, reports Reuters.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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)
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), the archipelago’s monopoly wireless provider, has reported a jump in voice and data traffic since the launch of its 3.5G HSDPA network – which the operator markets as ‘4G’ – in December last year. Local paper The Tribune quotes BTC CEO Geoff Houston as saying that the cellco noted a 60% increase in voice traffic and an 800% increase in data use.
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
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
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.
Zain Jordan has selected Ericsson to upgrade its network with the Swedish vendor’s core switch technology and charging system solutions, paving the way for a future upgrade to 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE). AME Info reports that Zain has signed a five-year contract with Ericsson for the upgrade work. The new charging solution will allow Zain to deliver more personalised services and tailor packages and pricing to a customer’s usage.
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
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%.
Authorities in Iran have reopened access to Google’s Gmail e-mail service after it was blocked last week.
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.
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.
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’.
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.
Brazilian telco Oi SA has revealed it is looking to spend BRL1 billion (USD494.3 million) on the development of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in the country over the period 2012 to 2015.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Indian cellco Bharti Airtel has resumed its fight with regulators over the right to provide 3G services outside of its licensed circles, reports Business Today. Bharti has mounted a challenge in the Delhi High Court to notices from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) ordering all operators to cease providing 3G roaming services. The provider’s petition to the Delhi High Court argued that the DoT’s decision was not in the interest of customers, adding that the DoT’s action is: ‘arbitrary, has no rational basis, is illogical and contrary to the contract between the parties.’ Further, Bharti claimed that the action taken by the DoT was contrary to instructions from the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) preventing the watchdog from taking any coercive action against the related cellcos.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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)
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
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.
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’.
Kosovo’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ART) has issued state-backed telco Post and Telecommunications Kosovo (PTK) a EUR250,000 (USD321,360) fine for illegal use of the 900MHz band. According to local paper Kosova Press, PTK was fined EUR150,000 earlier this year for the same offence; using without authorisation the frequency bands 880.2MHz-889.8MHz and 925.2MHz-934.8MHz.
Indian regulator the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the upcoming 2G spectrum auction. The deadline for applications is 19 October, with pre-qualification to begin on 28 October
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
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.
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.
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.
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
T-Mobile USA has agreed to sell the rights to operate 7,200 of its wireless towers to Crown Castle International for USD2.4 billion to help fund a network upgrade and reduce debt at its parent Deutsche Telekom. Further, Crown Castle has the option to pay another USD2.4 billion to buy the towers outright from T-Mobile USA at the end of the lease term for each tower under the terms of the deal.
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.
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.
