Telecom Asia articles from August 2006

Telecom Asia archives from August 2006

Oh no, not another gratuitous World Cup column.(TANNER)(Column)
August 1, 2006... The World Cup is a done deal, and as Italy spends the next few months celebrating its victory over France in the final, the rest of us can spend the next few months trying to adjust to the fact that it really is over. For tech-journos in Asia,...

Fibre Channel still rules the SAN.(FIRST MILE)
August 1, 2006... Internet SCSI (iSCSI)-based storage will outpace all existing storage types over the next five years, but early adopters are unlikely to use it as a replacement for Fibre Channel storage area networks. That's according to Graham Penn,...

Mobile TV standards wars: the preview.(STAT SNAP)
August 1, 2006... With the World Cup reputedly having kick-started mobile TV, Informa Telecoms & Media is expecting other sporting events like the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Cup (along with increasingly cheaper handsets) to help push the global...

Rival fiber plan raises stakes in Aussie access battle.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
August 1, 2006... With negotiations on Telstra's wholesale broadband access regime at a regulatory impasse, nine rival Australian telcos led by SingTel Optus have proposed a plan to build their own rival A$4 billion ($3.01 billion) fiber-optic network. ...

APAC telcos face increasing risks.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2006... Telcos in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to face increasing risks due to changing business profiles, including deregulation, a shift in revenue mix to lower-margin new services, higher capital spending requirements and declining market...

Japan telecom sector gains steam.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2006... The expansion of 3G services, the uptake of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services, the increasing use of VoIP and the rollout of triple-play services are driving growth in the Japanese telecom sector this year. According to a Budde.com report, the...

Cellphone-related crimes hound young owners.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2006... Mobile phone theft and other forms of cellphone-related crimes are becoming more prevalent, particularly among the youth. According to Juniper Research, 70% of the 5-to 20-year-old respondents to its recent survey have admitted to having been a...

Rise of triple-play signals Vonage's demise.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
August 1, 2006... New triple-play strategies from telcos and cable operators, particularly those that offer voice services for free as an element of a voice-video-data package, will prove catastrophic for US-based Vonage. Following "one of the worst IPOs in...

BT edges in on Japan's $90b outsourcing market.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
August 1, 2006... BT is getting back into the global services business in Japan, but the scale of the investment will be a fraction of that just a few years ago. From 1999 to 2003 BT owned 20% of Japan Telecom, and one of its avowed objectives was to create...

PCCW, Telstra shuffle the pack.(RESEND: Flashbacks, updates and nostalgia)
August 1, 2006... SYNOPSIS: PCCW sells its 40% state in cellco Hong Kong CSL to Telstra, giving the Australia-based telco 100% ownership. The deal, valued at $1.3 billion, not only marks PCCW's exit from HK's hypercompetitive cellular market, but also heralds...

A group of major music companies are preparing to sue Yahoo China over complaints the popular search engine.(BEIJING)
August 1, 2006... A group of major music companies are preparing to sue Yahoo China over complaints the popular search engine violates copyrights by linking to Web sites that offer pirated music.

The Ministry of Information Industry reports that China's production of mobile phones in the January to May period.(BEIJING)
August 1, 2006... The Ministry of Information Industry reports that China's production of mobile phones in the January to May period rose 66% from a year earlier to 173.91m units.

China Mobile announces new billing rules for value-added services such as text messaging on a monthly basis rather than a per-message basis.(BEIJING)
August 1, 2006... China Mobile announces new billing rules for value-added services such as text messaging on a monthly basis rather than a per-message basis, a move which the carrier's partners, Tom Online and Sohu.com, say could have a negative impact on their...

Philips launches China's first near field communication (NFC) trial together with Nokia, China Mobile's Xiamen office and Xiamen e-Tong Card.(XIAMEN)
August 1, 2006... Philips launches China's first near field communication (NFC) trial together with Nokia, China Mobile's Xiamen office and Xiamen e-Tong Card. The trial will involve 100 participants who will use a Nokia 3220 mobile phone to conduct secure...

Richard Li agrees to sell a 23% stake in PCCW to local financier Francis Leung for $1.2b, quashing hopes of sale of PCCW's core telecom assets and media operations to Australia's Macquarie Bank or US investment firm Texas Pacific Group.(HONG KONG)
August 1, 2006... Richard Li agrees to sell a 23% stake in PCCW to local financier Francis Leung for $1.2b, quashing hopes of sale of PCCW's core telecom assets and media operations to Australia's Macquarie Bank or US investment firm Texas Pacific Group. Leung...

The Hong Kong government proposes wide-ranging laws to crack down on unwanted spam emails.(HONG KONG)
August 1, 2006... The Hong Kong government proposes wide-ranging laws to crack down on unwanted spam emails, with fines of up to a HK$1m ($128,000) for offenders.

True Move mounts a strong defense against rival DTAC's promotional push into the prepaid customer market.(BANGKOK)
August 1, 2006... True Move mounts a strong defense against rival DTAC's promotional push into the prepaid customer market by announcing it will allow customers to receive calls for two years without any top-up refill requirement.

Viettel expands its GSM network and signs a deal with Ericsson for the nationwide rollout of core network nodes.(HANOI)
August 1, 2006... Viettel expands its GSM network and signs a deal with Ericsson for the nationwide rollout of core network nodes, radio base stations, microwave transmission equipment and service layer upgrades.

Telekom Malaysia awards a $88m 3G contract to Alcatel.(KUALA LUMPUR)
August 1, 2006... Telekom Malaysia awards a $88m 3G contract to Alcatel, which will provide 3G/UMTS network equipment for Celcom, a wholly-owned company of Telekom Malaysia.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission awards Asia Telecoms a network service provider license to offer mobile services as a MVNO.(KUALA LUMPUR)
August 1, 2006... The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission awards Asia Telecoms a network service provider license to offer mobile services as a MVNO. The license will also allow Asia Telecoms to operate its own switching center, issue proprietary...

India's launch of the INSAT-4C communications satellite on a domestic rocket ends in disaster when the GSLV booster crashes into the Bay of Bengal.(BANGALORE)
August 1, 2006... India's launch of the INSAT-4C communications satellite on a domestic rocket ends in disaster when the GSLV booster crashes into the Bay of Bengal. The Indian Space Research Organisation is investigating.

The National Internet Advisory Committee proposes new measures allowing parents to monitor what their children are viewing online through their mobile phones amid concerns they could be accessing obscene material.(SINGAPORE)
August 1, 2006... The National Internet Advisory Committee proposes new measures allowing parents to monitor what their children are viewing online through their mobile phones amid concerns they could be accessing obscene material. The new measures will require...

South Korea plans to launch a military communications satellite in August.(SEOUL)
August 1, 2006... South Korea plans to launch a military communications satellite in August. The Mugunghwa 5 satellite, also designed for civilian use, will be launched from a vessel in the South Pacific and would be used for enhancing the communications network...

Broadcom and Texas Instruments file a complaint against Qualcomm alleging it abused its dominant market status in South Korea.(SEOUL)
August 1, 2006... Broadcom and Texas Instruments file a complaint against Qualcomm alleging it abused its dominant market status in South Korea. The country's antitrust regulator is reviewing the complaint.

Chunghwa Telecom plans to invest NT$100b ($3.1 billion) over the next five years.(TAIPEI)
August 1, 2006... Chunghwa Telecom plans to invest NT$100b ($3.1 billion) over the next five years to upgrade its network and further develop applications and services.

Taipei expects to have 200,000 people using wireless Internet phones by the end of this year.(TAIPEI)
August 1, 2006... Taipei expects to have 200,000 people using wireless Internet phones by the end of this year, with the launch of a new Internet phone system that will connect hundreds of elementary and high schools by the end of August.

KDDI and BT agree to set up a 50-50 joint venture to offer global managed services and network-centric outsourcing solutions to Japanese multinational companies.(TOKYO)
August 1, 2006... KDDI and BT agree to set up a 50-50 joint venture to offer global managed services and network-centric outsourcing solutions to Japanese multinational companies. Upon launch, the new venture will have 100 employees transferred from BT and KDDI....

Japan Telecom, an international telephone service company, forms a new mobile business division.(TOKYO)
August 1, 2006... Japan Telecom, an international telephone service company, forms a new mobile business division, aligned with the corporate sales unit of Japanese mobile operator Vodafone K.K., in order to jointly conduct business activities.

An advisory panel is to look into a government proposal to mandate that incumbent NTT.(TOKYO)
August 1, 2006... An advisory panel is to look into a government proposal to mandate that incumbent NTT should provide rival access to its high-speed Internet network.

Smaller fixed-line telcos threaten to build their own high-speed broadband network unless incumbent Telstra clarifies plans for its fiber-to the-node network.(SYDNEY)
August 1, 2006... Smaller fixed-line telcos threaten to build their own high-speed broadband network unless incumbent Telstra clarifies plans for its fiber-to the-node network. The nine fixed line rivals propose building a shared FTTN network with the help of...

Broadcast Australia Group completes testing mobile TV services in Australia.(SYDNEY)
August 1, 2006... Broadcast Australia Group completes testing mobile TV services in Australia. The firm claimed that the tests revealed a high level of consumer interest in the service, with 80% of participants expressing interests in subscribing.

Vodafone New Zealand introduces an SMS safety service that enables the network to record the location of subscribers.(WELLINGTON)
August 1, 2006... Vodafone New Zealand introduces an SMS safety service that enables the network to record the location of subscribers. The personal tracking service also allows subscribers to send a free SMS, informing Vodafone New Zealand of their current...

Millicom International Cellular calls off takeover talks following "prolonged discussions".(movements)
August 1, 2006... Millicom International Cellular calls off takeover talks following "prolonged discussions" with China Mobile after deciding that the China cellco could not make a firm offer.

French telecommunication regulator Arcep awards Maxtel.(movements)
August 1, 2006... French telecommunication regulator Arcep awards Maxtel, a group including motorways operator APRR and Iliad's Altitude Telecom, 13 of the country's 22 regional WiMAX WLL licenses.

Paris plans blanket wireless Internet coverage by the end of 2007 in a bit to make the city the most connected capital city in the world.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Paris plans blanket wireless Internet coverage by the end of 2007 in a bit to make the city the most connected capital city in the world. Under a new plan, the city aims to set up 400 free Wi-Fi access points next year and allow ISPs to install...

Intel sells its division that makes processors for handheld gadgets to Marvell Technology Group for $600m in cash.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Intel sells its division that makes processors for handheld gadgets to Marvell Technology Group for $600m in cash, as the world's biggest semiconductor maker focuses on its main business of supplying chips for PCs and computer servers.

Flag Telecom wins a $35m bandwidth contract from China Netcom.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Flag Telecom wins a $35m bandwidth contract from China Netcom, under which Flag will provide 50-Gbps bandwidth to the Chinese carrier, linking China to the US west cost.

Verizon Wireless and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile secure regulators' approval to participate in an August sale of valuable wireless licenses.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Verizon Wireless and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile secure regulators' approval to participate in an August sale of valuable wireless licenses. The firms were among 81 applications accepted by the FCC to participate in the sale.

Research In Motion (RIM) posts $129.8m profit in its latest quarter as the maker of BlackBerry wireless devices and services added 680,000 users.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Research In Motion (RIM) posts $129.8m profit in its latest quarter as the maker of BlackBerry wireless devices and services added 680,000 users, boosting revenue by 35%.

Motorola plans to invest $100m to build a mobile phone and telecom equipment plant in Madra.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Motorola plans to invest $100m to build a mobile phone and telecom equipment plant in Madra, a move aimed at countering rival Nokia's dominance in the Indian market.

Klausner Technologies sues Internet phone company Vonage Holdings for alleged patent infringement.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Klausner Technologies sues Internet phone company Vonage Holdings for alleged patent infringement, seeking damages and royalties it said were worth $180m.

French lawmakers gave final approval to a government-backed legislation.(movements)
August 1, 2006... French lawmakers gave final approval to a government-backed legislation that could force Apple to make its iPod music player and iTunes online store compatible with rivals' offerings.

Intel's venture capital arm bares plans to invest $600m in a wireless Internet services company as part of a $900m deal that also includes Motorola.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Intel's venture capital arm bares plans to invest $600m in a wireless Internet services company as part of a $900m deal that also includes Motorola. Intel would finance US-based start-up Clearwire, which offers wireless Internet services in 200...

Nokia files a civil suit against Shenzhen Telsda Mobile Communication Industry Developing.(movements)
August 1, 2006... Nokia files a civil suit against Shenzhen Telsda Mobile Communication Industry Developing and Song Xun Da Zhong Ke Electronic for allegedly copying the Nokia 7260 mobile phone model.

VoIP security: cause for alarm? A recent high-profile hacking case involving VoIP operators has once again focused attention on security issues. How widespread the problem becomes, however, could be dictated by service providers' attention to IP security in general.(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... Warnings about inherent vulnerabilities in VoIP services are not new, but until recently they were more theoretical than "in the wild". That all changed in June, however, when two alleged high-tech thieves were charged with defrauding unwitting...

WiMAX's developing business case: WiMAX deployments are underway across Asia, and the search for a viable business model is leading some industry players and market watchers to developing and underserved markets. But spectrum issues and skepticism remain serious challenges.(BUSINESS)
August 1, 2006... After years of hype as the Next Big Thing in wireless broadband, WiMAX has shifted from the talk phase to the action phase. With 802.16-2004 (a.k.a. fixed WiMAX) equipment now being certified by the WiMAX Forum and the specs for mobile WiMAX...

Mobile scene set for change: Peter Erskine, CEO of European mobile operator O2, talks to, Ian Channing, editor of TelecomsEurope, about the impact of the company's recent acquisition by Spanish carrier Telefonica and how he sees developments such as fixed-mobile convergence and triple-play impacting on the European mobile market in the future.(ONE-TO-ONE)
August 1, 2006... Telecom Asia: Has O2's acquisition by Telefonica changed the way in which the company operates or what its strategic goals are? Peter Erskine: Our strategic goals remain the same, only that they have been bolstered by being part of an...

Connecting to the world.(COUNTRY FOCUS: VIETNAM)
August 1, 2006... After years of negotiation, Vietnam now looks set to join the WTO no later than December. This step should turn the telecom and IT sectors into growth engines, connecting them and the country more tightly to the rest of the world. The...

Anything but neutral.(FORUM)
August 1, 2006... There has been much debate globally, and particularly in the US, over what has been called net neutrality. The debate has been mostly polarized so far with opposite sides taking extreme positions. Network providers have made statements that the...

LDMOS technology for WiMAX base stations.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)
August 1, 2006... Royal Philips Electronics has introduced its next-generation LDMOS (laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor) solution for WiMAX base stations at frequencies up to 3.8 GHz over an 802.16e mobile WiMAX network. According to the company,...

Enhanced LNP, ENUM.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)(local number portability)(Tekelec)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Tekelec has expanded its local number portability (LNP) capacity and launched a new private ENUM solution to help operators port subscribers seamlessly in both today's networks and future IP multimedia subsystem (IMS)-based networks. ...

Help for mobile Internet users.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)
August 1, 2006... ChangingWorlds has released version 2.0 of its ClixSmart Recommender product, which offers enhanced features to help mobile Internet users discover relevant and compelling content services. According to the company, ClixSmart Recommender...

New Quik Q24 wireless CPUs.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Wavecom has extended its Quik Q24 series of wireless CPUs, adding the Q24 Classic, Q24 Plus, Q24 Extended and Q24 Auto, to address a variety of new wireless devices. The new Q24 family offers a choice of five different radio connectors and...

Extended 3G, HSPA indoor coverage.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)
August 1, 2006... Nokia's Pico W-CDMA base station allows operators to fully leverage the performance benefits of HSPA and capture more indoor network traffic. With this new solution, which extends Nokia's W-CDMA indoor coverage solutions portfolio,...

Wireless E1/T1 tech collaboration.(PREMIERE: Latest products services)
August 1, 2006... US-based MemoryLink and Singapore's smartBridges have forged a technology alliance to address growing worldwide demand for a highly reliable, low-cost wireless E1/T1 solution. The alliance focuses on MemoryLink's TDM over IP multi plexer...

Networking opportunities across Asia.(EVENTS)(Table)(Calendar)
August 1, 2006... Networking opportunities across Asia Date Event Location Aug 14-Aug 15, 2006 IT Asia Congress 2006 Jakarta, Indonesia Aug 22-Aug 23, 2006 Successful 3G Growth Singapore ...

Telecom NZ wholesale GM.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Telecom New Zealand has appointed Matt Crockett as GM of telecom wholesale. He moves to the post from his previous stint as GM of the company's wired division. He succeeds Tim Lusk, who retired last month.

BT taps Asia VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... BT has appointed Bill Lam as VP for Northeast Asia, responsible for BT's business operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and China. At the same time Lam will also retain his current role as president and CEO for BT Infonet China, a wholly-owned...

PCCW deputy chair resigns.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Francis Yuen Tin Fan has resigned from his post as deputy chairman and executive director of PCCW Limited and of Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited, the Hong Kong carrier's property arm. Yuen will instead focus on being executive...

Nortel India MD.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Nortel has appointed Ravi Chauhan as MD for its India operations, replacing Ashoka Valia who has moved back to Canada to serve as VP for corporate development. Chauhan was previously Nortel India's VP of enterprise solutions. Before...

New appointments at Vodafone KK.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... The Vodafone KK board of directors has appointed Masayoshi Son as president and CEO and Ken Miyauch as COO and senior EVP in charge of marketing. The company also named Junichi Miyakawa CTO, Kazuhiko Fujihara CFO, Fumihiro Aono human...

Cambridge Broadband appoints sales head.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Alice Weng has joined Cambridge Broadband as regional sales executive for Southeast Asia. She will be based at Cambridge Broadband's Kuala Lumpur office, and will be responsible for the company's sales activities in Singapore, Thailand and...

MapInfo names MD for APAC.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... MapInfo Corp. has named Jonathan Wright as its MD for Asia Pacific. Wright has been with MapInfo's management team in Asia for more than ten years, initially as finance director and more recently as commercial director. Meanwhile, Sean...

Industry veteran joins Tandberg.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Tandberg Television has appointed industry veteran Michael Adams as VP of system architecture. Adams joins Tandberg Television from Terayon Communications Systems where he served as VP of video architecture and technology.

CacheLogic has new CEO.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... CacheLogic has named current director Pat Chapman-Pincher as CEO. Chapman-Pincher's more than 30 years of senior management experience in the global telecom sector include having served as president of UUNET International and SVP at...

New Mobile 365 head.(TELECOM CAREER)
August 1, 2006... Mobile 365 has hired Gino Picasso as its new CEO. He joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. Prior to the appointment, he was president and CEO of Iridium. He also held various senior positions at...

Mobile devices head for Motorola HK and Taiwan.(TELECOM CAREER)(appointment of Kinson Loo Kin Sang as vice president and general manager)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Motorola has hired Kinson Loo Kin Sang as VP and GM of its mobile devices business for Hong Kong and Taiwan. He will also serve in the capacity as president of Motorola Hong Kong. Prior to joining Motorola, Loo was VP of the Ericsson Group...

MSV hires VP for engineering.(TELECOM CAREER)(Mobile Satellite Ventures L.L.C. appoints Mike Yglesias)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Mike Yglesias has joined Mobile Satellite Ventures as VP of RF engineering. He will be responsible for the overall design segment of the MSV terrestrial radio frequency network. Contacting TelecomCareer Advertising: Gigi Chan Tel:...

Asia telecom transactions index.(TELECOM CORPORATE)
August 1, 2006... Asia telecom transactions index Value Seller Buyer Deal (US$) Pacific Century Francis Leung Acquisition of a...

TA Index rebounds.(TA30 TELECOM STOCK INDEX JUN 14-JUL 12, 2006)(Statistical table)
August 1, 2006... The Index rose 5% or 65 points as most stock markets in Asia regained lost ground from the previous month's sharp slump. Gainers outnumbered decliners 23 to 5, with two closing flat. The top gainer was Pacific Internet, which surged over...

Ending the operators' roaming holiday.(INSIDE LINE)
August 1, 2006... The intransigence of Europe's mobile operators has helped make the unthinkable possible; they've made a eurocrat into a folk hero. Even traditional Euro-bashing British and German tabloids have got behind Information Society commissioner Vivien...

Net neutrality: down the tubes.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
August 1, 2006... One or me biggest stories on me Web last month was about the Internet itself--as described by a US senator making a case for opposing legislation on Net neutrality. Senator Ted Stevens (Republican-Alaska)--who heads the Senate Commerce...

Policy.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
August 1, 2006... POLICY: The US military won an important victory last month: the right to continue making VoIP calls from South Korea. The Ministry of Information and Communication was poised to block the 12,000 US servicemen of US Forces Korea (USFK) from...

Fiber.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Google Inc. building of Fiber optic networks)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... FIBER: Rumors that Google is planning to build its own fiber backbone network are being replaced with rumors that it's given up on the idea, according to Light Reading. Google has never confirmed or denied rumors that surfaced last year...

wVoIP.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(implementation of VoIP (Network protocols) in the city of Taipei)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... wVoIP: The city of Taipei, having already covered itself with a Wi-Fi mesh network, is taking the next step of launching a VoIP-based voice service that will use dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellphones. Ten companies are pushing the "Taipei Easy Call"...