Telecom Asia articles from July 2004

Telecom Asia archives from July 2004

Doing PoC the old-fashioned way.(Tanner)(push-to-talk over cellular)
July 1, 2004... By now it's given that the future of mobile data won't depend on a killer app, but a whole bunch of killer apps. It also seems to be a given that one of these killer apps within the next year or so is going to be push-to-talk over cellular...

Data centers on the comeback trail.(First Mile)(growth of data centers)
July 1, 2004... The data center market was one of the more high-profile casualties of the dot-com blowout, after tens of thousands of square feet of rack space built in anticipation of sky-rocketing demand remained largely empty. By 2002, the data center...

Not your father's DSL.(Stat snap)(Digital subscriber line)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DSL is not only the broadband access technology of choice in Asia and elsewhere, it's also starting to diversify in terms of demographic and revenue options according to analyst firm Ovum. For a start, the broadband landscape is charging,...

Questions remain over Reach's long-term viability.(News Analysis)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Telstra and PCCW's 26 cents on the dollar settlement with bankers has resolved the immediate future of the Reach joint venture, but the long-term viability of the company may be another matter. Australian financial analysts were positive...

Regulating regulators.(Letter To Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I read Robert Clark's very straight column on the role of the telco regulator and must say I agree very much. Having practised telco law in Singapore and HK, most of the regulators have undergone a period of soul-searching for their...

Business DSL prices drop sharply.(Insight)(Digital subscriber line)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Prices for symmetrical DSL (SDSL) services have fallen sharply in the last year, particularly in Europe. Data from Point Topic show significant price cuts, plenty of new products and some large comparative price differentials emerging. Many...

Handset OEMs shift focus to branding.(Insight)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Leading handset OEMs are increasingly relying on contract manufacturers to assemble their products as well as ODMs for design Last year contract manufacturers produced more than a third of mobile phones, and Visiongain predicts this will rise...

Bright spot for fixed-line telcos.(Insight)(Gartner)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Internet access revenues in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) jumped 32% to $8.8 billion last year while the number of ISP accounts grew 16% to 64.5 million. Internet and broadband access revenues accounted for 11% of the fixed-line market in Asia...

Strong enterprise demand for WLAN.(Insight)
July 1, 2004... The wireless LAN market expanded 7% to $537 million in the first quartet of the year according a report from Dell'Oro Group, Enterprise access point was the strongest segment, growing 33% compared to the same period in 2003. Cisco grew 55% as...

Chunghwa's rivals press for easing of loop unbundling restrictions.(News Analysis)
July 1, 2004... Chunghwa Telecom has finally agreed to break the bottleneck on Taiwan's local loop, but the state-owned former monopoly shows little concern that it will soon be burdened by increased competition. Shortly after reaching a local-loop...

Datacasting: how TV might take the telco broadband market: flashbacks, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia, July 1999.(Resend)
July 1, 2004... SYNOPSIS: The rise of the Internet, broadband and satellite technologies are threatening the cozy world of traditional free-to-air TV broadcasters whose top-down model is becoming increasingly passe. However, their salvation may be in...

Cisco's new core router: raising the bar or playing catch-up?(Cisco Systems Inc.)
July 1, 2004... What would you do with 92 Tbps? If you're Cisco Systems, you would put it in a new core router that represents the future architecture of IP networks--and a chance to claw back market share in the core router space. The CRS-1, announced at...

KT's one-Phone adds to cellco woes.(News Analysis)(KT Corp. introduces new service)
July 1, 2004... KT Corp's One-Phone service, the latest converged concept to hit the market, may prove attractive to subscribers, but so far it has been met with a distinctly cool, if not hostile, reception from the country's three mobile operators and the...

Raising the success rate of ADSL installation.(Advertorial)(asymmetric digital subscriber line )(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... ADSL is now one of the most popular types of broadband access worldwide. However, it is common for an operator to encounter problems such as slow network access, frequent connection breaks or installation failure, which can lead to complaints...

Asian telecoms this month.(News Map)
July 1, 2004... BEIJING: China will be ready for a full commercial launch of TD-SCDMA--from the chips to the handsets to the base stations by June of next year, according to Zhang Qi, a senior official at the Ministry of Information Industry. In May or...

Eight international mobile operators form the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) to build a framework of requirements for a handset platform that better serves their needs.(movements)
July 1, 2004... * Eight international mobile operators form the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) to build a framework of requirements for a handset platform that better serves their needs. Founding members include by Orange, NTT DoCoMo, mm02, Smart...

Telekom Malaysia and SBC Communications reduce their joint stake in Telkom South Africa by half to 15%.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Telekom Malaysia and SBC Communications reduce their joint stake in Telkom South Africa by half to 15%. Originally Telekom and SBC collectively owned 30% of Telkom SA through a JV company called Thintana Communications.

The GSM Association signs a cooperation agreement with the TD-SCDMA Forum, under which the two groups will promote interoperability and international roaming in order to maximize economies of scale.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * The GSM Association signs a cooperation agreement with the TD-SCDMA Forum, under which the two groups will promote interoperability and international roaming in order to maximize economies of scale. Both technologies are being standardized...

Russian security software developer Kaspersky Labs discovers the world's first ever mobile phone virus, Cabir, which is transmitted over a Bluetooth connection and only infects phones running Nokia's Series 60 operating system.(movements)(mobile phone virus )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Russian security software developer Kaspersky Labs discovers the world's first ever mobile phone virus, Cabir, which is transmitted over a Bluetooth connection and only infects phones running Nokia's Series 60 operating system. The worm was...

The Open Mobile Alliance issues new mobile specifications to drive global interoperability.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * The Open Mobile Alliance issues new mobile specifications to drive global interoperability. These specifications, developed collaboratively by OMA member companies around the world, include OMA Web Service 1.0, OMA Mobile Locations Protocol...

Asia Netcom president and COO Bill Barney says capacity carriers in Asia must dump their old business models.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Asia Netcom president and COO Bill Barney says capacity carriers in Asia must dump their old business models and learn to partner if they want to survive.

Dr Himanshu Pant, a Bell Labs network planning expert.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Dr Himanshu Pant, a Bell Labs network planning expert, says Asian telecoms carriers are vulnerable to terrorist attacks or other network crashes as they take too narrow a view of security, adding Asian operators need to adopt holistic "best...

Motorola increases its share in Korean handset maker Appeal Telecom to more than 99%.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Motorola increases its share in Korean handset maker Appeal Telecom to more than 99%, in a move to strengthen its position in the CDMA development and supply business in the region.

Intel and Proxim will jointly develop and deliver WiMAX solutions for fixed and portable broadband wireless access.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Intel and Proxim will jointly develop and deliver WiMAX solutions for fixed and portable broadband wireless access. The agreement includes the development of base station and subscriber unit access points that deliver fast wireless access for...

German competition authorities approve Psion's proposed sale of its 31% stake in Symbian to Nokia, completing the formal clearance process for the transfer.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * German competition authorities approve Psion's proposed sale of its 31% stake in Symbian to Nokia, completing the formal clearance process for the transfer. The transaction has already been approved by Psion's shareholders and by the...

Motorola joins the WiMAX Forum as a principal member, bringing expertise in RF technology, mobility and mass-market consumer electronics to WiMAX.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Motorola joins the WiMAX Forum as a principal member, bringing expertise in RF technology, mobility and mass-market consumer electronics to WiMAX. Meanwhile, Nokia rejoins the forum after having declined to renew its membership earlier this...

Russia is likely to hold an auction later this year or in the beginning of next year for three or four 3G licenses.(movements)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * Russia is likely to hold an auction later this year or in the beginning of next year for three or four 3G licenses. All three national mobile operators, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), VimpelCom and MegaFon, have already installed and tested some...

Can local loop business be attractive enough for private investors?(Advertorial)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... In almost all developed countries, state-owned telecom monopolies have given way to a number of privately run operations. The privatization process in these countries has been largely successful and in the majority of cases, subscribers have...

Choosing Asian telecom's best.
July 1, 2004... New faces dominated this year's Telecom Asia Awards, held for the seventh time. Telecom New Zealand claimed the Best Carrier prize while Globe Telecom of the Philippines scored the double of Best GSM Carrier and Best CEO. It was the first...

Financial performer.(Best Asian Telecom CEO: Gerardo Ablaza, Globe Telecom)(Interview)
July 1, 2004... Last year was the year the comfortable duopoly between the two main mobile operators in the Philippines cracked. Smart and Globe met price competition from a new rival, Sun Cellular. So Globe's achievement last year in increasing subs by 35%...

Focused on the core.(Best Telecom Carrier: Telecom Corp New Zealand)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Telecom Asia: Your planned launch of 3G services by Christmas is quite aggressive. What segment and services are you targeting? The reason that it's a relatively modest spend and relatively fast timeframe is because we're actually upgrading...

Playing to WIN.(Best CDMA Carrier: KDDI Corp)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Telecom Asia: What are the hot apps for 1x and 1X WIN services at the moment? EZ Chaku-Uta has been one of the most powerful driving forces of KDDI's 3G success. EZ Chaku-Uta allows users to download about 30 seconds of a song's chorus...

Transformed incumbent.(Best Emerging Market Carrier: PLDT)(telecommunications)
July 1, 2004... PLDT's profile might look like any other Asian incumbent--it has 80% of the voice and 65% of the data markets but its results are not. Working in one of Asia's more difficult markets, PLOT last year tripled its net income and market cap to...

Keeping one step ahead.(Best Broadband Carrier or ISP: KT Corp)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Telecom Asia: With the current instability in the market and continued downward price pressure, what has KT done to maintain margins? To overcome these challenges, we are developing niche products and services, expanding the business domain...

Partnership strategy.(Best Satellite Operator: PanAm Sat)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Telecom Asia: It's probably too early to talk about PanAmSat's soon-to-be new owners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, but what do yon think it means for PanAmSat? To me, it's a big yawner. I've been here 15 years, and it's not the first time...

Tech investment the key to global services.(Best Managed Services Provider or Wholesaler : AT&T)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Telecom Asia: Despite the turmoil in the global carrier space, AT&T has come out of it comparatively unscathed. What's your secret? [Laughs] Well, I don't know if it's a secret. But AT&T is a solid company with a very long history. We're...

True diversification.(Best Competitive Carrier: True Corp)
July 1, 2004... It's an unforgiving business, the competitive carrier market. You're the challenger up against the champion, you're playing on his home turf, and it's never a level playing field. It was the efforts of Thai carrier True Corp--the company...

Best tech: VoIP.(Most Innovative Technology or Service: Voice over IP)
July 1, 2004... VOIP won out against camera-phones and 1X EV-DO as the hottest technology for 2004, as voted by the Awards judging panel. The award is for technology or service, not necessarily new this year, that had the biggest impact on its market. ...

Broadband's next move.(Broadband Supplement)
July 1, 2004... Broadband remains hot, hot, hot, having cresting the 100 million mark globally at the end of 2003, according to analyst firm RHK. Ovum estimates that will grow to 140 million this year, while Yankee Group says that number could well pass 325...

Metro Ethernet: into the metro and beyond!(Broadband Supplement)
July 1, 2004... Despite the list of benefits promised by metro Ethernet vendors--reduced capex and opex, multivendor interoperability, service differentiation and provisioning flexibility--metro Ethernet services are the exception to the broadband rule. ...

IP wireless: giant hot spots ahead.(internet protocols)
July 1, 2004... One of the challenges facing 3G systems today is changing user expectations regarding broadband. Current data speeds from 2.5G and even most 3G systems do not impress compared to DSL or cable modems. There's Wi-Fi, of course, but what Wi-Fi...

FTTH: the return of the king.(Broadband Supplement)(Fibre To The Home )
July 1, 2004... A DSL and cable modems may currently dominate the broadband landscape, but that dominance is considered by a growing number of believers to be a stop-gap to the ultimate Fixed-line broadband technology: fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), a.k.a....

VDSL/ADSL2+: got video? Just wait ...(Broadband Supplement)
July 1, 2004... If video is the end-game of broadband, then plain old 1.5-megabit ADSL is already obsolete, because it can't realistically deliver broadcast-quality video channels. According to Yankee Group, an MPEG-2 video stream needs at least 2 Mbps; a...

cdma2000 1x EV-DO: tales of the unexpected.(Broadband Supplement)
July 1, 2004... What's a 3G technology doing in a list of broadband access technologies? Providing some unexpected competition--at least potentially, according to numerous CDMA equipment vendors. And not just in obvious CDMA-friendly markets like Korea, Japan,...

Biometric identity crisis.(Telecom Forum)
July 1, 2004... When Internet-based email first came to Australia, I remember being told repeatedly to change my passwords at least once a month. Yet I must admit that I've used the same four passwords for at least the last half decade without problems. And...

Networked storage solution.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... EMC Corp has launched a new customer-installable networked storage system for small to medium-sized businesses. Based on EMC's patent-pending design and technology, the EMC CLARiiON AX100 stores up to 3 terabytes of information with...

Grooming and cross-connect solutions.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... TranSwitch has unveiled its new Virtual Tributary Cross Point (VTXP) family of carrier-grade grooming and cross-connect solutions for access and metro networks. The VTXP series adopts a special "Switchless Switching" architecture that...

Automated trouble-shooting toolset.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Datacraft Asia has launched a family of tools that it says can automatically and accurately identify the root cause of all types of problems threatening business uptime in complex network environments. The network troubleshooting toolset is...

Easy-to-connect ADSL router/gateway.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Aztech Systems has enhanced its ADSL router/gateway family with the addition of Easy Connect technology, providing users with plug-and-play experience. The technology, the company says, is particularly suitable for users with mobile...

Point-to-point solutions.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Microwave Data Systems has released new point-to-point solutions and microwave radios. The MDS 5800 point-to-point solution can be used for network aggregation, backhaul or to extend an existing network. It is license free and easily...

Distributed wireless solution.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SonicWALL has unveiled its new distributed wireless solution that enables secure, centrally-managed and cost-effective wireless network deployment for businesses of all sizes. The system integrates wired and wireless LAN security and...

Ciena adds Layer 2 packet switching capabilities.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Ciena has introduced integrated Layer 2 packet switching capabilities in both its CN 4300 managed optical transport and switching platform and its CN 2300 managed optical services multiplexer. The company's new data networking solutions...

NetTest's performance monitoring solutions.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NetTest has launched a new portfolio of network performance monitoring, troubleshooting and optimization solutions. These products include the MasterQuest, an advanced end-to-end monitoring system for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS networks; the...

Cross-platform SSL VPN product.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... F5 Networks has released a new version of its FirePass Controller, which it claims is the industry's first SSL VPN solution with complete cross-platform support. The product extends full network access to Macintosh and Linux clients and...

Wi-Fi location tag.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Ekahau T101 Wi-Fi tag development kit, a new release from Ekahau, enables real-time tracking of people and assets over standard Wi-Fi networks. The tags include five battery-powered Wi-Fi tags and the Ekahau Positioning Engine (EPE)...

iaSolution to deploy ARM's Swerve client 3D technology.(ARM Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... iaSolution and ARM have signed an agreement to integrate ARM's Swerve client into its iaSolution's iaJETJava VM platform, enabling JSR 184 compliant 3D gaming capabilities in a broad range of Java technology-capable handsets. The Swerve...

IT/network integrated solution.(Premiere)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NEC has launched a new IT/network integrated solution that it says helps bring evolutional communication methods, business efficiency and high service quality to enterprise users. The solution comprises six packages: IP Telephony, Unified...

CommunicAsia's big rebound.(trade shows)
July 1, 2004... With the telecoms and IT industries showing signs of a sustained recovery, CommunicAsia2004 and EnterpriseIT2004 bounced back, attracting more than 33,000 visitors from 79 countries. Foreign participation increased 6.4%, with 44% of visitors...

TAC CFO.(Telecom Career)
July 1, 2004... Thai mobile operator TAC has hired Petr Furberg to succeed Grant Fergusson who left the company after three years as CFO.

TCNZ loses director.(Telecom Career)(Telecom Corp of New Zealand)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Lindsay Pyne has resigned as a director of Telecom Corp of New Zealand. TCNZ chairman Roderick Deane says the company will soon announce a replacement to Pyne, who will stay on as a director until September.

Wi-Fi Alliance's new chair.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Bill Carney of Texas Instruments has been elected as chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance, succeeding Dennis Eaton of Conexant. Carney has served as vice chair of the organization since 2003 and is currently senior director of strategic marketing...

Nokia Networks Asia-Pacific VP.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... John Stefanac has joined Nokia as vice president of Nokia Networks, Asia Pacific. He will be managing Nokia Networks' business with operators in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Previously...

NEC's new China head.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NEC has appointed Brian Lu to head its newly established business structure, NEC Telecommunications (China), which will concentrate mainly in the mobile business and will integrate Xi'an NEC Radio Communications Equipment and Guilin NEC Radio...

CASBAA Singapore GM.(Telecom Career)(Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has appointed Henry Middleton as general manager for Singapore and Southeast Asia. Middleton will be responsible for developing relationships with government, member organizations...

Symantec Asia-Pacific VP.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Symantec has named Michelle Amery as vice president to lead its sales, marketing and operations across Asia Pacific. Previously Amery was vice president of global sales planning and operations at Symantec.

Avaya South Pacific sales director.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Avaya appoints Gavin Jones to lead its South Pacific sales team based at Avaya's South Pacific headquarters in North Ryde, Australia. Previously Jones was a regional account director of Avaya.

Former deputy PM joins Nortel.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... John Manley, former deputy Prime Minister of Canada, has joined Nortel Network's board as a director.

RSA Security Asia-Pacific VP.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... RSA Security has appointed Sebastian Moore as area vice president for Asia Pacific, replacing Richard Turner, who is now working in RSA Security's corporate headquarters in the US as VP of worldwide channels.

Acterna Asia-Pacific sales VP.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Acterna has hired John J. Jones, IV to head its sales operations in Asia Pacific. Jones replaces Jim Platner, who has completed a four-year assignment as vice president of Asia-Pacific sales and services. Jones will be based in Acterna's...

Veritas Greater China president retires.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Veritas Software announces that PW Pong will retire as Greater China president effective at the end of this year. Pong joined Veritas in 2002 and has more than 25 years of management experience in the Greater China region.

Sybase SE Asia MD.(Telecom Career)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Sybase has named Dr Andy Woo managing director of its Southeast Asia operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Woo reports directly to Raymond Teh, the company's SVP and GM for Asia Pacific.

CSR names Bluetooth VP.(Richard Ord)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... UK-based CSR has hired Richard Ord as vice president of the company's Bluetooth business unit. Previously Ord was a vice president at VLSI Technology and Philips Semiconductor.

Former Ericsson executive joins Opera.(Opera Software A/S, Dr Nils Rydbeck)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Web browser technology developer Opera has appointed Dr Nils Rydbeck, the former CTO of Ericsson's mobile phones unit, to the company's board of directors.

War of attrition as India slowly cracks open: foreign carriers, which have engaged in these battles all around the world, know how it will play out, but it's an endurance test.(Insideline)
July 1, 2004... The rise and rise of the Indian outsourcing business has been as good for Indian telcos as for IT companies, as US companies fall over each other to place functions on the subcontinent. Too bad you can't say the same for foreign carriers....

Governance.(case against Xavier Niel, chairman of Iliad, for financing a prostitution racket)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... GOVERNANCE: It's always been taken as read that sex was going to be one of the killer apps of broadband. In the case of Iliad, France's second biggest broadband service provider, sex is proving to be something of a liability--at least on its...

Prohibited.(usage of mobile phones)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... PROHIBITED: From the "I told you it was a bad idea" department: the North Korean government last month banned the use of mobile phones--again--after a recent explosion on a train, which authorities suspect may have been detonated by a...

Community service.(employment in call centers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... COMMUNITY SERVICE: The call center business is evolving in more ways that one. Apart from being a hot item and increasingly IP-enabled, it's also becoming a new source of employment for visually impaired people. The Singapore Association...

3G.(product introductions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... 3G: The good news--3G is finally on its way to the big time in Japan. After years of painful investment, the country's three 3G operators--NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone (which both run W-CDMA services) and KDDI (EV-DO)--are starting to see serious...

Size.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SIZE: NTT is still the world's biggest telco--if you go by its sales figures. PriMetrica's GlobalComms database--which profiles 80 telecoms companies around the world--reported last month that the Japanese incumbent posted FY2003 revenues of...