Telecom Asia articles from August 2005

Telecom Asia archives from August 2005

From Advanstar to Questex Media.(PUBLISHER LETTER)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2005... The question for any business planning ahead is: "What will the industry look like in ten years time?" More specifically for us as trade media: "How will our content evolve, and what benefits can we deliver to our customers, across which media...

Who wants inflight mobile?(TANNER)
August 1, 2005... NOW that Wi-Fi has taken to the skies via Connexion by Boeing, the race is on to deliver cellular phone services to airline passengers. Last month, for example, Siemens signed an exclusive contract with Airbus to jointly develop an inflight GSM...

China gears up for HD broadband Olympics.(FIRST MILE)
August 1, 2005... The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing won't just be about sport. It'll be about broadband. That's the word from China NetCom president Zhang Chunjiang, who says that broadband will feature heavily in the 2008 Games, more so than previous events....

Asian satellite environment 'unsustainable'.(STAT SNAP)
August 1, 2005... The state of the global satellite industry is, on the whole, good. In Asia, however, it's a somewhat different story. That's according to separate reports recently released by the US-based Satellite Industry Association and French aerospace and...

Stuck in a glut.(STAT SNAP)
August 1, 2005... Stuck in a glut Breakdown of Asian transponder supply at year-end 2004 * 2,134 Trx (36 MHz eq.) Others 19% Shin Satellite 3% Korea Telecom 3% PT Telekomunikasia 3% SCC ...

Trujillo is quick to focus on cost-cutting.(NEWS ANALYSIS)(Solomon Trujillo - New Telstra)
August 1, 2005... New Telstra chief Solomon Trujillo has begun his new job with the sacking of up to 90 executives in an early sign that cost-cutting will be his focus in the run up to the company's A$32 billion ($24 million) privatization. Trujillo also...

Japan's FTTH subs to reach 4m this year.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2005... The number of FTTH subscribers in Japan is forecast to reach four million this year as the country embarks on a government-assisted, nationwide rollout of fiber-optic cables. This number is 60% higher than last year's 2.5 million subscribers,...

Obstacles to telco TV rollouts.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2005... A study from ABI Research found that content providers' concerns over the susceptibility of IP networks to hacking has affected license arrangements with telcos wanting to distribute their content. Also, cable operators that fear encroachment...

Awareness key to VoIP uptake.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2005... People already familiar with VoIP are 50% more likely to subscribe to the service than those who are unfamiliar with it, with 76% of online households even willing to completely replace their existing landline service after subscripting to...

Base station market to hit 3.5m by 2009.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2005... The macro cellular base station market is expected to expand to 3.5 million units by 2009, almost doubling from 1.8 million in 2004. Driving the market are a combination of new technology, base station upgrades and increases in needed capacity,...

Korean operators push for lower-cost FTTH.(NEWS ANALYSIS)(KT Corp.)
August 1, 2005... Korea's ambitious plan to develop and deploy the world's first NGN calls for nationwide 100-Mbps service for ten million wired subscribers in just five years--as well as ten million wireless subscribers over the same period. Some versions...

Correction.(Correction notice)
August 1, 2005... Last month's Awards issue featured an incorrect picture on p.18 for Rajan Mittal, joint MD of Bharti Tele-Ventures. Also, John Tanners column "Hacking the old fashioned way" (p.4) said that Citibank's loss of customer data Occurred because...

Asia gets landline SMS.(RESEND: Flashbacks, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia, August 2002)
August 1, 2005... SYNOPSIS: Hoping to cash in on the success of text messaging in the mobile sector, a growing number of telcos in Asia are following the lead of some European telcos by offering landline SMS (also called fixed-line SMS). Globe Telecom was the...

Beijing Netcom completes the construction of the nation's first intelligent optical metro network with Alcatel Shanghai Bell.(BEIJING)
August 1, 2005... Beijing Netcom completes the construction of the nation's first intelligent optical metro network with Alcatel Shanghai Bell. The capacity of the new network's first-phase project is 1.5 times that of current network owned by Beijing Netcom.

China's four biggest telecom operators.(BEIJING)
August 1, 2005... China's four biggest telecom operators have so far attracted a combined $25.2b in foreign investments.

OFTA gives green light to PCCW's acquisition of Sunday Communication.(HONG KONG)
August 1, 2005... OFTA gives green light to PCCW's acquisition of Sunday Communication, saying that the regulator will not investigate the acquisition on the grounds that the deal is unlikely to reduce competition in the city's mobile market.

Hutchison Global Communications and pay TV operator Supersun.(HONG KONG)
August 1, 2005... Hutchison Global Communications and pay TV operator Supersun reach an agreement to bundle Supersun's pay TV service and HGC's broadband service for customers at HK$248 ($32) per month.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry rejects TOT's business plan in preparation.(BANGKOK)
August 1, 2005... The Information and Communications Technology Ministry rejects TOT's business plan in preparation for its listing on the local stock exchange because the plan is "unrealistic."

TOT finally completes a deal to buy out the shares of CAT Telecom in Thai Mobile for 4b baht ($95.8m).(BANGKOK)
August 1, 2005... TOT finally completes a deal to buy out the shares of CAT Telecom in Thai Mobile for 4b baht ($95.8m). TOT will take full ownership of the 1900-MHz bandwidth and all assets of Thai Mobile.

Indosat plans to conduct a 3G test next month.(JAKARTA)
August 1, 2005... Indosat plans to conduct a 3G test next month to support its bid for a license and attract customers.

Telkom signs a network upgrade deal with Siemens and NEC.(JAKARTA)
August 1, 2005... Telkom signs a network upgrade deal with Siemens and NEC for a turn-key contract for an optical-fiber network.

The Malaysian government requests proposals to boost its broadband penetration to 30%-40% by 2008.(KUALA LUMPUR)
August 1, 2005... The Malaysian government requests proposals to boost its broadband penetration to 30%-40% by 2008. The previous target was just 10% three years from now.

Maxis Communication will spend another 200m ringgits.(KUALA LUMPUR)
August 1, 2005... Maxis Communication will spend another 200m ringgits ($52m) to roll out 3G to more areas in Malaysia by year-end.

The Philippine government will tap Intel to help develop broadband wireless networks capable of connecting remote rural communities to the Internet.(MANILA)
August 1, 2005... The Philippine government will tap Intel to help develop broadband wireless networks capable of connecting remote rural communities to the Internet. Intel will provide training and technical updates on to various agencies for WiMAX.

SK Telecom plans to spend 155.6b won ($152.4m) to upgrade its mobile network.(SEOUL)
August 1, 2005... SK Telecom plans to spend 155.6b won ($152.4m) to upgrade its mobile network infrastructure by the end of this year.

The Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior kicks off an NT$30b ($958m) project.(TAIPEI)
August 1, 2005... The Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior kicks off an NT$30b ($958m) project to construct a 6,000-km communication compact box passage network for broadband services across Taiwan.

FarEasTone debuts its 3G service and has a goal of attracting 50,000 customers.(TAIPEI)
August 1, 2005... FarEasTone debuts its 3G service and has a goal of attracting 50,000 customers by the end of this year.

Vodafone acquires a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7 GHz band.(TOKYO)
August 1, 2005... Vodafone acquires a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7 GHz band. Vodafone currently offers 3G service on the 2-GHz band.

NTT DoCoMo completes its 1-Gbps real-time packet transmission tests on 4G radio access.(TOKYO)
August 1, 2005... NTT DoCoMo completes its 1-Gbps real-time packet transmission tests on 4G radio access. This is the latest achievement in DoCoMo's ongoing development of key radio access technology for 4G mobile communications.

Telstra has appointed consultants Bain & Co to review the carrier's costs.(SYDNEY)
August 1, 2005... Telstra has appointed consultants Bain & Co to review the carrier's costs. Telstra's expenses have risen more than sales over the past five years. It is also struggling to maintain profit margins. The Australian federal government commits...

SingTel is closely watching investment opportunities in China.(SINGAPORE)
August 1, 2005... SingTel is closely watching investment opportunities in China and is likely to invest in the country's mobile market within two to three years.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India relaxes quality benchmarks across various parameters, including fault incidence and call completion rate, for fixed-line operators.(NEW DELHI)
August 1, 2005... The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India relaxes quality benchmarks across various parameters, including fault incidence and call completion rate, for fixed-line operators. The call completion rate has been relaxed to 55% from over 65%...

BSNL is floating a tender for the procurement of GSM equipment worth over $5b. It is inviting bids for 60m lines, 40% more than India's existing GSM subscriber base.(NEW DELHI)
August 1, 2005... BSNL is floating a tender for the procurement of GSM equipment worth over $5b. It is inviting bids for 60m lines, 40% more than India's existing GSM subscriber base.

VSNL completes its acquisition of Tyco Global Network for $130m.(NEW DELHI)
August 1, 2005... VSNL completes its acquisition of Tyco Global Network for $130m. The agreement was finalized after an eight-month negotiation process that included seeking the approval of regulatory bodies in the US and other countries for the acquisition.

A US federal judge sentences 63-year-old Bernard Ebbers.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * A US federal judge sentences 63-year-old Bernard Ebbers, ex-CEO of WorldCom, to 25 years in prison for orchestrating the $11 billion accounting fraud that toppled the telecommunications firm three years ago.

FCC staff recommend approving Sprint's $35b acquisition of Nextel.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * FCC staff recommend approving Sprint's $35b acquisition of Nextel. No timetable, however, was given for the final approval. Sprint and Nextel announced the proposed merger in December.

Deutsche Telekom is facing a tough decision on whether to sell its mobile unit.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Deutsche Telekom is facing a tough decision on whether to sell its mobile unit, T-Mobile USA for about $30b or spend up to $10b for technology upgrades. The high cost attached to the upgrade is reported not a likely choice.

Federal regulators signed Alltel's $4.4b acquisition of Western Wireless.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Federal regulators signed Alltel's $4.4b acquisition of Western Wireless, a move that would make Alltel the fifth largest US cellular operator.

Qualcomm.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Qualcomm is suing chip-maker Broadcom for alleged patent infringement in the latest of a series of legal disputes between the two companies.

Motorola.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Motorola opens two research and design centers in Bangalore and Taipei, which will focus on developing solutions for seamless mobility in telecom switching, embedded communications, broadband and ultra wideband wireless solutions.

Taiwan's Compal Electronics.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Taiwan's Compal Electronics receives contract for 3G handsets from Motorola. Compal will be contributing to the mechanical design of the handsets and on the manufacturing side.

Celebrity businessman Steve Vizard faces hefty fines and a ban from company management after being accused of misusing his position as a Telstra director to trade shares.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Celebrity businessman Steve Vizard faces hefty fines and a ban from company management after being accused of misusing his position as a Telstra director to trade shares. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has started civil...

The United Nations is working with the scrap industry.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * The United Nations is working with the scrap industry, mobile operators and handset makers toward a worldwide agreement on mobile phone recycling.

KPN Telecom.(movements)
August 1, 2005... * Dutch carrier KPN Telecom will use Huawei Technologies' Windows driver model to build out its next-generation network.

Tech jobs: hot but edgy: tech staff posted solid salary gains last year and more employers are boosting headcount. despite a strong recovery, however, there is a distinctive edginess in the market due to outsourcing and the sharply changing nature of the IT profession.(SALARY SURVEY 2005)(Cover story)
August 1, 2005... The job market for Asia's tech professionals is indeed hot, with salaries rebounding and more companies planning to hire than a year ago. Yet there's an uneasiness in the air as employees work longer hours to keep up with surging demand and...

VDSL2 and the new math of broadband TV: VDSL2 is officially a global standard--and not a moment too soon for telcos, according to industry players who say that between home networks, P2P and high-definition TV, old-school ADSL just isn't going to do the trick.(NETWORKS)
August 1, 2005... Not that DSL technology needs a boost these days, but it got one anyway in late May with the ITUT's finalization of G.933.2--better known as VDSL2 (very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2)--which promises throughput speeds on copper access...

Cisco's telecoms gambit.(ONE-TO-ONE)(Interview)(Company overview)
August 1, 2005... With cable companies, carriers and start-ups expected to spend some $70 billion this year worldwide on equipment, technology and infrastructure, Cisco Systems has shifted into high gear to grab an increasing share of that business. President...

Entry-level IPTV set-top box for Asia Pacific.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
August 1, 2005... Pace Micro Technology's hardware H.264 decode set-top box, the IP215, provides telcos and operators an entry-level solution for IPTV in the region. Using the latest silicon technology, it enables MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression decoding...

New revenue stream from DirectAxcess.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Arbinet's DirectAxcess service enables its member-operators to buy and sell termination to branded networks in a transparent, non-anonymous environment. Participating sellers can take advantage of a new low-cost revenue stream from their...

New chip boosts performance fourfold.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... The next-generation version of Redback Networks' SmartEdge Service Gateway Platform provides four times the throughput and processing power over the current system. The company said this stronger performance is attributed to its new Broadband...

High performance with smaller requirements.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)(Tundra Semiconductor)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Building on the recently launched Tsi568A technology, Tundra Semiconductor's Tsi564A serial RapidlO switch has the power, performance and configurability that allows embedded designers to build reliable, high performance communications systems...

Reach's new CEO.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Reach has named Dr Beng Yeoh as CEO to replace Dick Simpson, who left the company in February. Yeoh is currently vice president of network services and applications for Motorola Networks, Asia-Pacific. He will take over the new position at...

Thrunet appoints interim CEO.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... South Korean broadband ISP Thrunet has appointed Kwon Soon-yeop as its interim CEO. Kwon is senior VP of Hanarotelecom, which earlier acquired Thrunet. He will serve as Thrunet's CEO until the end of this year, when the acquisition process...

BT hires customer service VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... BT has appointed Douglas Peris as VP of customer service to head the company's operations in Asia Pacific. Most recently Peris was the Asia-Pacific regional director of global managed services at Avaya.

Retail VP for Wharf T&T.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Hong Kong fixed-line carrier Wharf T&T has named Magdala Hoi as VP responsible for retail customers in the business sector. Previously Hoi worked with MCI WorldCom Asia as general manager for Hong Kong and China.

RAD names Asia sales director.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Motti Holler has joined RAD Communications as director of sales in India and the Far East. Previously Holler worked with Tadiran Telecommunications as a sales manager.

China.com names multimedia GM.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... China.com has appointed Chen Xiawei as GM of multimedia. Most recently Chen was a media industry consultant at McKinsey.

NWT marketing VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Hong Kong fixed-line carrier New World Telecom has hired York Mok as VP of marketing. Mok comes to NWT from local ISP HKNET, where he was the deputy managing director. He currently serves as the chairman of the Hong Kong Internet Service...

Intelsat's interim CFO.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Intelsat has named J. Robert Medlin as acting CFO to replace William Atkins who resigned in June. The company is in the process of finding a permanent successor. Medlin is currently a senior managing director of FTI Palladium Partners, a...

Visto's SVP for Asia.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Push mobile email provider Visto Corp has appointed Antoine Blondeau as SVP and GM for Asia Pacific as it expands its footprint into the region. Blondeau, to be based in Tokyo, will head the company's operations in the region, including...

Juniper taps enterprise VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Julian Gordon has joined Juniper Networks as VP for enterprise sales in Asia Pacific. Gordon comes to Juniper from Sun Microsystems where he spent the past five and a half years as director for financial services and director for industry...

Intel appoints VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Intel has named Ian Yang Xu to VP of its sales and marketing group. Yang has also been promoted to co-general manager of Intel's Asia-Pacific region, and will be jointly responsible for all sales and marketing in the region. Most recently...

RIM names Asia VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Research In Motion (RIM) has promoted Norm Lo to VP of Asia Pacific. Based at the company's Hong Kong office, Lo will lead a team to drive BlackBerry adoption and customer satisfaction in the region.

Dilithium adds director.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Wireless multimedia solutions provider Dilithium Networks has tapped former Cisco executive and board member Ed Kozel to join the company's board as a director. Kozel currently holds positions on the boards of Yahoo!, Reuters PLC and Red Hat.

Micron Technology appoints director.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2005... Micron Technology has appointed Mercedes Johnson to its board as a director. Johnson most recently worked with Lam Research Corp, serving for seven years as its SVP of finance and CFO. Contacting TelecomCareer Advertising: Gigi Chan...

Networking opportunities across Asia.(Events Calendar)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... Networking opportunities across Asia Aug 17 - Aug 18, 2005 China Billing & Beijing, Customer Care China Aug 18, 2005 IDC's Asia/Pacific Kulua Lumpur, ...

Fixed, mobile set-stage for IMS battlefield.(FUTURE WIRELESS)
August 1, 2005... In an age when stealing wireline minutes is on the first page of the cellular playbook, it's no surprise to see fixed-line carriers attempting to thieve one back. IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) was developed originally for mobile networks...

Asia telecom transactions index.(TELECOM CORPORATE)
August 1, 2005... Asia telecom transactions index Seller Buyer China Netcom Telefonica UTStarcom China Telecom Equant STMicroelectronics UTStarcom China Netcom Amdocs Acer Siemens Qtel Nokia ...

TA Index extends growth by 2.1%.(TA30 TELECOM STOCK INDEX 14 JUN-14 JUL, 05)
August 1, 2005... The TA Index moved higher for the second consecutive month, gaining 2.1% as Asian markets finished mostly higher on the back of better-than-expected US economic data and easing world oil prices. Top mover Dacom of South Korea climbed 19.7%...

Going abroad.(INSIDE LINE)(Telecommunications industry's international exposure)
August 1, 2005... Ever since deregulation began, it's been the dream of incumbent telcos to take their business abroad. Why not? They're market leaders, they have experience, expertise and massive resources. As we know, many have felt themselves called to this...

VoIP goes lo-tech.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
August 1, 2005... Recently spotted on eBay: a genuine TC-04 Sysco IP phone from BubbaTel. No, that's not a typo. That's Sysco as in the foodservice industry vendor, not Cisco as in the router guys. It may look lo-tech, but it's jam-packed with features,...

Crime.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
August 1, 2005... CRIME: Former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison for his role in the WorldCom accounting shenanigans scandal. Even worse, he's been forced to give up many of the assets he acquired from his stint at...

Internet.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
August 1, 2005... INTERNET: The Internet has proven a little too popular for some 2.5 million young people in China who stay glued to the PC in chat rooms or playing video games. The problem is large enough that Beijing has licensed a clinic specifically to...

Rats.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(communications cable damaged)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... RATS: It's been rough going for fiber cables in recent weeks. Pakistan, for example, lost its only international fiber link on June 27 after the SEA-ME-WE-3 subsea cable that connects the country the global grid was damaged by a dragging boat...