BTC sales grow 10%

Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), the country’s incumbent fixed line operator, has reported revenues of BWP1.17 billion (USD145.9 million) for the twelve months ended 31 March 2012, an increase of 10.2% year-on-year, on higher data-related sales of BWP450 million. Local newspaper Mmegi Online reports that comprehensive income totalled BWP375.6 million for the 2011/12 fiscal year, compared to BWP227.4 million in the year-ago period, boosted by higher sales and a BWP138.7 million gain on property revaluation.

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OVETEL BTC sales grow 10%

Courts grants Clarin last-minute reprieve

Argentine media giant Grupo Clarin has been awarded a last-minute extension of an injunction against the country’s media law, under which the firm would be forced to divest some of its assets, Dow Jones Newswires reports. A federal court ruled that the injunction – which was due to expire on 7 December – will remain in place until the constitutionality of the media law is determined by the courts.

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OVETEL Courts grants Clarin last-minute reprieve

CRTC happy with Telus foreign ownership status

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has denied a request to review the level of foreign ownership in Telus Corporation, as it is satisfied that the full-service telco is following compliance rules. Rival operator Globalive Wireless (Wind Mobile) had requested a public review of shareholding structure at Telus in the interests of clarity, but the CRTC said it is satisfied with Telus’ mechanisms to comply with the foreign ownership cap of 33.3% which applies to Canada’s largest telcos including Bell, Telus and Rogers

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OVETEL CRTC happy with Telus foreign ownership status

ForthNet deploying pilot FTTH network, supported by Adtran

Adtran, a provider of next-generation networking solutions, reports that its GPON platform is enabling Greek alternative telecoms operator ForthNet to implement the first fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) pilot network in the metropolitan area of Athens. This platform will enable delivery of high-bandwidth triple-play services to residential and business subscribers in over 2,000 premises in the municipality of Nea.

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OVETEL ForthNet deploying pilot FTTH network, supported by Adtran

Spectrum fees dropping 20% in 2013

The Croatian Postal and Electronic Communications Agency (HAKOM) has issued a decision to reduce annual fees for the use of mobile radio spectrum by 20% in 2013. The regulator states that during the past four years spectrum fees have decreased by over 40% while other regulatory fees have been reduced by 22%, despite HAKOM relying solely on fees from operators for funding as it is not a direct recipient of the state budget.

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OVETEL Spectrum fees dropping 20% in 2013

Lawmakers propose to halt ‘indiscriminate’ sale of mobile lines

Peru’s Special Committee of Public Safety Multiparty Congress has approved legislative proposals to impose more stringent restrictions on the sale of mobile phones, La Republica reports.

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OVETEL Lawmakers propose to halt ‘indiscriminate’ sale of mobile lines

UTL hit by USD13m bill from Huawei

Chinese equipment vendor Huawei Technologies has filed a lawsuit against Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL), accusing the telco of failing to pay some USD13 million for equipment and services received between 2005 and 2009. The Daily Monitor reports that in 2011 UTL and Huawei had agreed upon the outstanding amount, but following a change in management at UTL, the telco has refused to settle the amount.

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OVETEL UTL hit by USD13m bill from Huawei

NBTC issues 3G licences; group of senators appeal

The five-member telecoms committee of Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has decided to formally issue the three 2100MHz 3G mobile licences to the winners of the auction held on 16 October, after four members voted in favour and one abstained. Committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan asserted that the 15-year concessions are effective from 7 December and that the three winners, Advanced Info Service (AIS), Digital Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Corp, will officially receive their licences at the NBTC’s premises this week.

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OVETEL NBTC issues 3G licences; group of senators appeal

T-Mobile’s LTE network boasts 99% coverage in Budapest

T-Mobile Hungary says its fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network is now available to 99% (outdoor coverage) of the residents of Budapest; indoor coverage has increased to 83%. Further, the LTE has been rolled out to over 60 towns and cities across the country, boosting 4G/LTE coverage to almost 27% of the population. The cellco also reports that it is now offering 4G-enabled smartphones for T-Mobile customers in the country and that from 1 January 2013 it will revamp its mobile internet packages to reflect the increased availability of ultra-high speed mobile broadband in Hungary

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OVETEL T-Mobile’s LTE network boasts 99% coverage in Budapest

Antitrust watchdog concerned about Kabel Deutschland-Tele Columbus deal

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has expressed concerns that cable operator Kabel Deutschland’s planned acquisition of indebted regional player Tele Columbus could have an impact on competition in the market. Reuters reports that in its preliminary legal assessment of the deal, the FCO stated that the proposed acquisition of Tele Columbus would eliminate a significant competitor to Kabel Deutschland and Unitymedia Kabel BW – the two dominant players in the regions of Germany where they are the incumbent operators – thereby cementing their duopoly and impacting on competition in the market. The FCO added that this applied to both competition for contracts from residential property companies and to the cable operators' purchasing power over TV broadcasters.

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OVETEL Antitrust watchdog concerned about Kabel Deutschland-Tele Columbus deal

Infratel IPO to fund expansion and acquisitions

Bharti Infratel, the infrastructure arm of Bharti Airtel is planning to use funds raised by its upcoming initial public offer (IPO) to back expansion work and finance potential acquisitions, the Economic Times reports citing the company’s chairman, Rakesh Bharti Mittal.

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OVETEL Infratel IPO to fund expansion and acquisitions

ATCI confirms 89.2% of SIM cards have been registered

Diemeleou Bile, the director general of L'Agence des Telecommunications de Cote d'Ivoire (ATCI), has announced that a total of 16.168 million mobile subscribers have registered their SIM cards, ahead of the 31 December 2012 deadline.

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OVETEL ATCI confirms 89.2% of SIM cards have been registered

No Cairo cakewalk as TI spurns investment approach from Sawiris

Telecom Italia (TI) has rejected a EUR3 billion (USD3.91 billion) investment offer from Egyptian telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris, Reuters reports. The heavily indebted telco said that its board had decided ‘not to proceed further’ with regards to an expression of interest from Sawiris, who had proposed to invest capital to engineer a strategic turnaround.*In other news, TI’s eight-hour board meeting also saw management urged to continue its investigation into a possible sale of a stake in its copper network to state fund Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP)

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OVETEL No Cairo cakewalk as TI spurns investment approach from Sawiris

Investment firm acquires majority stake in Omani MVNO

Oman Brunei Investment Company (OBIC) has acquired a majority stake in mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Renna Mobile, reports the Times of Oman. In return, OBIC will inject capital in the mobile service provider to further its expansion plans. ‘We have finalised an investment agreement with OBIC to secure our growth plans in Oman and beyond,’ commented Renna Mobile CEO Joakim Klingefjord, adding: ‘We are honoured by the fact that OBIC scrutinised several other similar investment opportunities before they decided in our favour.’ Meanwhile, without stating the size of the stake OBIC has acquired, or how much it capital it will be injecting in Renna, OBIC CEO Abeer Mohammed Al Abduwani said: ‘In our thorough due diligence, we were impressed by Renna Mobile's operation, and how it has built a strong brand and healthy customer base, while maintaining a very prudent and cost conscious approach to its operations.

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OVETEL Investment firm acquires majority stake in Omani MVNO

PM in talks with Digicel over future entry in market

Bahamian PM Perry Christie has been involved in talks with pan-Caribbean operator Digicel regarding the company’s possible entry into market once the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC’s) monopoly on the wireless sector ends in 2014. The Nassau Guardian quotes the prime minister as saying: ‘I’ve had a number of conversations with representatives of another major entity in the region who have made a formal request to see me with respect to doing business in the Bahamas.’ The PM added that he had some ‘specific ideas of how the Bahamas can also benefit from the presence of a new entrant’ but remained tight-lipped with any details, as the government currently holds a 49% stake in BTC: ‘I represent the 49% shareholder of BTC…There is an obligation… I do and say the right thing.’*As previously noted by CommsUpdate, Christie’s government has sought to regain majority control of BTC since taking office and although talks were described earlier as ‘fruitful’, Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) is reluctant to concede control of the operator back to the government.

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OVETEL PM in talks with Digicel over future entry in market

T-Mobile, MetroPCS reveal new pre-paid strategies

In separate reports, Fierce Wireless has revealed pre-paid plans earmarked to be introduced by both T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, the Texan pay-as-you-go specialist that it agreed to acquire in October this year. T-Mobile told the website that it is testing a new pre-paid brand, GoSmart Mobile, in ‘select markets’, and will be ‘using what we learn to make a decision about a potential national launch sometime in 2013’.

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OVETEL T-Mobile, MetroPCS reveal new pre-paid strategies

DISH to sell phones through Blockbuster

US satellite TV provider, and would-be wireless operator, DISH Network plans to start selling mobile phones through the retail stores of its wholly owned home entertainment chain Blockbuster, Bloomberg reports.

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OVETEL DISH to sell phones through Blockbuster

SFR may drop its IPTV service in favour of Canal+ offering

Reports from France suggest that domestic telco SFR is preparing to drop its IP television (IPTV) service and will instead offer its customers a similar package of TV channels from Canal+. According to a report from French news portal BFMTV, SFR has already presented the plan to trade union representatives, claiming that running its own IPTV service is unprofitable, and it makes more sense to offer the service provided by its sister company; both SFR and Canal+ are part of the Vivendi group

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OVETEL SFR may drop its IPTV service in favour of Canal+ offering

DT steps up investment in high speed networks, cuts dividend

German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom (DT) has unveiled plans to spend around EUR30 billion (USD39 billion) over the next three years as it steps up investment in broadband networks and products in order to improve its competitive position in the long term.

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OVETEL DT steps up investment in high speed networks, cuts dividend

Watchdog says Uninor asset swap not an intra-group transfer

India’s Competition Commission has approved the proposed sale of a 51% stake in Norwegian telco Telenor’s new Indian unit Telewings to Lakshdeep Investments and Finance but has ruled that the transfer of business from Uninor – Telenor’s ill-fated joint venture wireless operator with real estate firm Unitech – cannot be considered an intra-group asset transfer. Money Control cites a statement from the watchdog as saying that: ‘The proposed acquisition of 51% of the shares of Telewings by Lakshdeep is not likely to have any appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.’ As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Uninor had its licences revoked by the Supreme Court in February this year and, after an acrimonious split with former partner Unitech, Telenor opted to remain in the market, winning spectrum rights in six circles. *The transition from Uninor to Telewings was planned to take place in four steps: after being declared successful in the 2G auction, Lakshdeep would take a 51% stake in the company.

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OVETEL Watchdog says Uninor asset swap not an intra-group transfer