Telecom Asia articles from February 2005

Telecom Asia archives from February 2005

The true value of communication.(Tanner)(tsunami disaster)
February 1, 2005... I was recently having lunch with a colleague, and inevitably the conversation turned to the tsunami disaster at the end of December. "Inevitable" because in the first weeks following the tsunami, it was hard to talk about anything else. It was...

Wi-TV threatens to pre-empt WiMAX's UHF aspirations.(First Mile)
February 1, 2005... A new wireless broadband technology under development by the IEEE is potentially promising a new headache for WiMAX. The technology 802.22--whose IEEE working group officially commenced work in October last year--is planned to utilize spectrum...

MMS: good revenues, shame about the user experience.(Stat Snap)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... MMS is expected to generate $42.5 billion for mobile operators this year--more than double the figure for 2004 (just over $20 billion), according to a new report from Juniper Research. That's the good news. The bad news is that MMS, while now...

Reach turns focus toward partners' needs.(News Analysis)(Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd.)(Telstra Corporation Ltd.)
February 1, 2005... The saga of troubled undersea cable venture Reach has passed a new turn, with partners Telstra and PCCW announcing the company will divest its data customers and end services to third parties to free up capacity for its parent companies. ...

Partnerships key in battle for digital home.(Insight: one month's Telecom research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Ten industries are battling for control of the digital home. Although some industries are better positioned for success, according to a report from Forrester Research, the players must focus on establishing key cross-industry partnerships and...

Global broadband base expands by 50m.(Insight: one month's Telecom research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Based on current growth rates worldwide, Point-Topic expected the number of broadband lines to surpass 150 million by the end of 2004-50% growth compared to a 65% increase in 2003. Though three of the top four countries in the league are in the...

Compliance drives enterprise security growth.(Insight: one month's Telecom research)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2005... The enterprise security market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) posted its strongest growth in Q3 2004, expanding 27% to 420 million euros compared to the same period in 2003. Research firm Canalys noted that the increasing...

Australia plays catch-up.(Insight: one month's Telecom research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... With an estimated 5.6 million Internet subscribers and 283% penetration at the end of June 2004, Australia lags well behind most North American and western European countries where Internet penetration stands at between 40% and 60%. A report...

Chinese telcos test the waters in broadband TV.(News Analysis)(China Netcom Corp.)(China Telecom Corporation Ltd.)
February 1, 2005... China's two major fixed-line carriers, China Telecom and China Netcom, are jumping on the IP TV bandwagon with plans to crack into the country's lucrative video market. Earlier last month incumbent China Telecom said it will launch...

Internet crackdown: Asian governments combat Net content through its users: flashbacks, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia, February 1999.(Re Send)
February 1, 2005... SYNOPSIS: Internet censorship is nothing new in Asia, or anywhere else, but the governments of China and Malaysia are going beyond the usual blocking of "undesirable" content and actively going after political dissenters taking their views...

Beijing: the China Education and Research Network Information Center (CERNIC) launches an IPv6-based network that will link 25 universities spread across 20 cities and towns.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BEIJING: The China Education and Research Network Information Center (CERNIC) launches an IPv6-based network that will link 25 universities spread across 20 cities and towns. The network, called CERNET2, is the largest network in the world,...

The China Tietong (China Railcom) records 50% growth in its core business in 2004.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The China Tietong (China Railcom) records 50% growth in its core business in 2004. By the end of 2004, revenues topped lob yuan ($1.2b). The company added 5.45m new fixed-line subscribers, expanding its total to 12m while boosting its Internet...

Shenzhen: China Telecom and Lenovo will provide joint broadband network solutions starting in Shenzen, one of the first areas in China to adopt ADSL broadband services.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SHENZHEN: China Telecom and Lenovo will provide joint broadband network solutions starting in Shenzen, one of the first areas in China to adopt ADSL broadband services. The two companies will combine their marketing and technology competencies...

China Development Bank.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China Development Bank offers Huawei Technologies credit financing of Slob to support its international expansion.

Hong Kong: Hutchison Telecommunications International (HTIL) cuts its Hong Kong workforce by 20%, or 750 jobs, as part of a cost-cutting move that could save the company up to HK$300m ($38m) a year.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... HONG KONG: Hutchison Telecommunications International (HTIL) cuts its Hong Kong workforce by 20%, or 750 jobs, as part of a cost-cutting move that could save the company up to HK$300m ($38m) a year. Some 270 HTIL workers will lose their jobs...

OFTA shortens the advance notice required from PCCW to adjust prices--from seven days to one--granting the fixed-line operator the freedom to change prices without prior approval.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Hong Kong Office of the Telecommunications Authority)(Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... OFTA shortens the advance notice required from PCCW to adjust prices--from seven days to one--granting the fixed-line operator the freedom to change prices without prior approval. The regulator will issue a new license to PCCW, which scraps the...

Bangkok: the National Telecom Commission (NTC) begins the interview process for the post of secretary general, considering 16 candidates for the position.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BANGKOK: The National Telecom Commission (NTC) begins the interview process for the post of secretary general, considering 16 candidates for the position. The NTC is expected to appoint the secretary this month for a five-year term.

Hanoi: VNPT expects to install 3.5m new telephone lines this year, a 12% year-on-year increase.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... HANOI: VNPT expects to install 3.5m new telephone lines this year, a 12% year-on-year increase. The company also aims to provide telephone access to 100% of communities across the country.

Jakarta: Telkom estimates the December 26 tsunami caused over $17m is losses for the company.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... JAKARTA: Telkom estimates the December 26 tsunami caused over $17m is losses for the company. Almost 60% of Telkom's infrastructure, including 98,900 telephone lines, was damaged in Aceh. Meanwhile, Indosat estimates the tsunami damage at $2m....

Indosat sells its 97% stake in Sisindosat to Aneka Spring Telekomindo for Rp40b ($4.4m).(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Indosat sells its 97% stake in Sisindosat to Aneka Spring Telekomindo for Rp40b ($4.4m), as part of its strategy to focus more on its core cellular business

Seoul: South and North Korea agree to set up cross-border telephone lines to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, just north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SEOUL: South and North Korea agree to set up cross-border telephone lines to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, just north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). KT says it has reached an agreement that will result in the first private telecom gateway...

KT plans to invest 2.5 trillion won ($2.4b) in capex this year.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(KT Corp.)(capital expenditure)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... KT plans to invest 2.5 trillion won ($2.4b) in capex this year. For all of 2005, the company plans to invest about 340b won in its "strategic" businesses, including the WiBro-based wireless broadband Internet, a home-networking and a Web-based...

TU Media, a unit of SK Telecom, launches a trial of its much-awaited mobile television service via satellite.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... TU Media, a unit of SK Telecom, launches a trial of its much-awaited mobile television service via satellite. The new service promises to offer high-definition digital TV programming for handsets and in-vehicle mobile equipment.

Taipei: the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which owns 65% of the Chunghwa Telecom.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI: The Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which owns 65% of the Chunghwa Telecom, plans to sell a stake as large as 16% in 2005.

Taiwan's three major cellcos are set to launch 3G services in mid-2005. FarEasTone and Chunghwa Telecom are both expected to launch 3G services at the end of June.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)
February 1, 2005... Taiwan's three major cellcos are set to launch 3G services in mid-2005. FarEasTone and Chunghwa Telecom are both expected to launch 3G services at the end of June, followed by Taiwan Cellular later in Q3. Chunghwa is testing several 3G phones,...

Tokyo: Japan launches a teleworking pilot program, in hopes of having 20% of the country's workforce teleworking by 2010.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... TOKYO: Japan launches a teleworking pilot program, in hopes of having 20% of the country's workforce teleworking by 2010. Starting this year, Telecommunications Ministry employees will be encouraged to spend at least one day a week working from...

Matsushita Electric Industrial, Sony Corp and Mitsubishi Electric.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Matsushita Electric Industrial, Sony Corp and Mitsubishi Electric will establish a new organization to draw up specifications for power-line communications.

Sydney: the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission begins to arbitrate a dispute between Hutchison Telecom and Vodafone over the prices that Vodafone is charging to terminate calls on its network.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission begins to arbitrate a dispute between Hutchison Telecom and Vodafone over the prices that Vodafone is charging to terminate calls on its network, and a similar dispute between PowerTel...

Manila: Smart Communications increases its stake in Meridian Telekoms, the country's broadband wireless data services provider, to 49%.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Meridian Telekoms Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... MANILA: Smart Communications increases its stake in Meridian Telekoms, the country's broadband wireless data services provider, to 49%. Smart, which intends to buy the entire MTI by end of 2005, at the latest, bought 40% of the company early...

New Delhi: reliance-owned global carrier FLAG Telecom plans to initiate arbitration proceedings against VSNL, alleging that the Tata group company is blocking access to FLAG Europe Asia's (FEA) cable at its Mumbai landing station.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI: Reliance-owned global carrier FLAG Telecom plans to initiate arbitration proceedings against VSNL, alleging that the Tata group company is blocking access to FLAG Europe Asia's (FEA) cable at its Mumbai landing station. The action is...

BSNL will spend $184m to expand its network capacity to 1.2m fixed and wireless lines over the next three years.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BSNL will spend $184m to expand its network capacity to 1.2m fixed and wireless lines over the next three years, representing a 200% increase in network capacity since independence.

India unveils a broadband policy that aims to have nine million subscribers online by 2007 and 20 million subscribers by 2010.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... India unveils a broadband policy that aims to have nine million subscribers online by 2007 and 20 million subscribers by 2010, which would amount to a penetration rate of 1.7%. The policy favors mutual commercial arrangements for using...

Reach, the undersea-cable joint venture Telstra and PCCW, will stop selling new data capacity to third-party customers.(movements)
February 1, 2005... Reach, the undersea-cable joint venture Telstra and PCCW, will stop selling new data capacity to third-party customers. Reach says capacity take up from PCCW and Telstra is expected to consume its data capacity, and the company has no plans to...

Hutchison Whampoa plans to list in Milan toward the end of 2005.(movements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Hutchison Whampoa plans to list in Milan toward the end of 2005. The company is also planning to list its subsidiaries in UK and India on the Local stock markets.

The FCC will auction new wireless spectrum for 3G services beginning in June 2006.(movements)(Third generation wireless technology services)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The FCC will auction new wireless spectrum for 3G services beginning in June 2006. The spectrum will cover 1710-1755 MHz, 2110-2155 MHz and 1432-1435 MHz.

Orange is considering outsourcing some 1,500 call-center jobs to India.(movements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Orange is considering outsourcing some 1,500 call-center jobs to India. The company reportedly has started trials with two India based subcontractors, Convergys and Vertex, in which 215 call-center workers in Delhi will answer customer service...

Mobile phone maker Kyocera Wireless plans to cut about 600 jobs in San Diego.(movements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Mobile phone maker Kyocera Wireless plans to cut about 600 jobs in San Diego as it moves manufacturing and repair work to other countries to cut costs.

Nortel Networks slashes its audited profit for 2003 by 40% while reporting that a dozen senior executives would repay $8.6m in bonuses and five board members would resign.(movements)
February 1, 2005... Nortel Networks slashes its audited profit for 2003 by 40% while reporting that a dozen senior executives would repay $8.6m in bonuses and five board members would resign. Profits for 2003 totaled $434m rather than the $732m reported a year...

Mike Zafirovski has resigned as president and COO of Motorola.(movements)
February 1, 2005... Mike Zafirovski has resigned as president and COO of Motorola, a year after being passed over for the top job at the group.

Nokia completes the consolidation of its four production joint ventures.(movements)
February 1, 2005... Nokia completes the consolidation of its four production joint ventures. The new joint venture, named Nokia-Capitel Communication, has become the largest manufacturer and export production enterprise in China's telecom industry.

Cisco Systems acquires Airespace for around $450m in stock.(movements)
February 1, 2005... Cisco Systems acquires Airespace for around $450m in stock and assumed options in a move to strengthen its offerings of wireless LAN products.

Former Sonera CEO Kaj-Erik Relander along with five other employees have been charged with gross violation.(movements)(communications secrecy laws)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Former Sonera CEO Kaj-Erik Relander along with five other employees have been charged with gross violation of Finland's communications secrecy laws.

Intel and South African carrier Telkom are testing WiMAX technology.(movements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Intel and South African carrier Telkom are testing WiMAX technology in hopes of providing a last-mile broadband alternative.

China Telecom signs an agreement with local TV set maker Changhong Electric to develop computer.(movements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... China Telecom signs an agreement with local TV set maker Changhong Electric to develop computer, communication and consumer electronic products, such as video telephones and Internet protocol televisions.

Connected through tragedy: communications are critical in an emergency. The tsunami disaster was no different, but this time it was the bloggers who stepped forward to break news and link needy communities with donors. Meanwhile, the debate continues about how to set up tsunami warning systems.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... When disaster strikes, telecoms matters. In normal times, voice, data and mobile services are the electronic bindings of a society. In time of emergency, they become critical; not as critical as water, shelter and medical care, but...

Meshing with the metro: wireless mesh is emerging from under the radar as a viable wireless broadband alternative for metropolitan areas and campus environments--especially for people who can't wait for WiMAX.(Technology)
February 1, 2005... Wi-Fi's strength as a broadband access technology has always been offset by its poor range. For all its early plaudits as a 3G killer, the truth was that Wi-Fi simply didn't have the signal range to compete with W-CDMA and ix EV-DO. Even as a...

Preview: where the growth is.(Business)
February 1, 2005... It's that time of year again, when analysts, strategists and yes, tech journalists, return to the office and plot the year ahead. The question: where's the growth--the real, revenue-generating, to-the-bottom-line growth--coming from this year?...

Transitioning toward value.(One-To-One)
February 1, 2005... Price pressure is nothing new to telcos--Hong Kong operators have been fighting to keep their heads above water for almost a decade. New World Telecom COO William Kwan tells group editor Joseph Waring how the operator is leveraging its new IP...

Making storage simpler.(Case Study)
February 1, 2005... Back in early 2003, PLDT faced a dilemma--rapid data growth meant it needed to expand its storage capacity but found it was burdened by an infrastructure that managed islands of information running on more than 20 applications. Over the...

Asia telecom transactions index.(Telecom Corporate)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2005... Asia telecom transactions index Seller Buyer Hitachi KDDI AT&T Siemens Ericsson Telstra Nokia Smart Cape Range Wireless Peoples Siemens ...

Strong 2004 results lift AIS.(Telecom Corporate)(telecoms stocks )
February 1, 2005... In its third consecutive month moving into positive territory, the TA30 closed 1.6% higher at 1,194 points. Most Asian telecoms stocks traded higher, with two-thirds moving up between 0.5% and 18.6% during the period. Leading the gain was...

Not so confidential.(Telecom Forum)
February 1, 2005... As a journalist, I get swamped by hundreds of spares each day. So a few months ago I opened a new email account through a major Australian telecoms operator (not Telstra) exclusively for personal and business correspondence. For various...

Networking opportunities across Asia.(Events Calendar)(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... Networking opportunities across Asia Date Event Feb14 - Feb 17, 2005 3GSM World Congress 2005 Feb21 - Feb 25, 2005 21st Century Communications World Forum Mar03 - Mar0 4, 2005 Network Security India 2005...

Security service enables better controls of VPN access.(Premiere)(Virtual private networks)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... iPass has released a device-based authentication service that enables IT managers to apply tighter access controls and enforce compliance with endpoint security policies across network connections. The new security service, called DeviceID,...

Paraxip unveils new IP products.(Premiere)(Paraxip Technologies)(internet protocol)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Paraxip Technologies has launched a new version of its gateway product and a SIP-based call recording solution for call centers and contact centers. The Paraxip Gateway 1.1 is a software solution based on open, off-the-shelf hardware...

Ethernet switches with resilient framework technology.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Huawei-3Com has released a new line of premier multi-layer switches catering to the needs of the fast growing industries and enterprises. Using the intelligent resilient framework technology, the new Quidway S3900 series allows enterprises...

ContentGuard adds five DRM patents.(Premiere)(ContentGuard Inc.)(digital rights management )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ContentGuard has added five digital rights management (DRM) patents to its IP portfolio. US patent 6,824,051, issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office, describes a rights management system for managing the use of items by authorized...

Where the business of technology comes to life.(CommunicAsia 2005)
February 1, 2005... CommunicAsia, which filled six halls at the giant Singapore Expo centre last year and presented the forefront of industry trends in the telecommunications industry worldwide, already looks set to dazzle with a strong line-up of market leaders...

CommunicAsia 2005.(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2005... Upcoming Highlights at CommunicAsia Summit CEO Perspectives is a high-powered daily plenary anchoring CommunicAsia Summit, which features armchair discussions with top Asian industry leaders. Titled tongue-in-cheek as "Coffee with The...

3G looks for right connection: until now the 3G buzz has been about low-cost voice. That's fine, but it's hardly going to set off the mobile multimedia revolution.(Inside Line)(Third generation wireless technology)
February 1, 2005... Telecom pundits have spent a lot of time in recent years taking the temperature of those two notoriously over-capitalized and over-supplied sectors, 3G mobile and long-haul bandwidth. The inventory of telecom and tech analysis since 2000...

War.(Backpage Briefing)(Iraqna Technology)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... WAR: 2004 saw the launch of Baghdad's first mobile network, Iraqna, but the escalating security situation has prompted Naguib Sawiris--chairman of Egypt-based Orascom Telecom, which owns 63% of Iraqna--to seriously consider withdrawing from the...

Rumor.(Backpage Briefing)(Google Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... RUMOR: Is Google searching for a way into the telecoms sector? That's the scuttlebutt from a column Last month after spying a want ad posted by Google in the Yahoo jobs database. According to a "Headcount" column from Light Reading,...

Security.(Backpage Briefing)(Tiny Force Field Wireless)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SECURITY: Worried about drive-by hackers tapping into your corporate wireless LAN or home network via signals leaking out into the street? You might try a new coat of paint. Not just any old paint, of course, but paint laced with aluminum...

Return.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... RETURN: Gift-giving is a hallmark of the holiday season, and telcos are no different. For example, lucky corporate and govt clients of Telecom New Zealand got complimentary iPods. Unfortunately for the govt departments, they've been instructed...

VoIP.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VOIP: The start of the new year means a raft of predictions for telecoms in 2005. One of the more commonly cited trends for the year will be the further development of VoIP, especially in light of the recent rise of local IP telephony services...