Telecom Asia articles from July 2008

Telecom Asia archives from July 2008

Net neutrality is dead.(TANNER)
July 1, 2008... It's been several years since the general public first began seeing and/or hearing the words net neutrality in the headlines. And the debate is far from over. At the end of last month, the US Senate Commerce Committee passed its version of...

Helping base stations go green.(FIRST MILE)
July 1, 2008... Whether their motives are cutting opex or fighting climate change, mobile operators in India and other emerging markets are going green with power-saving technologies. At last month's CommunicAsia event, Indian start-up Acme Power Tele...

Consumers still wary of m-commerce.(STAT SNAP)
July 1, 2008... The cellphone is practically universal, with more than 3.3 billion subscribers worldwide, yet 71% of all consumers surveyed in 14 countries will not consider using a mobile device to bank or shop online, according to a study by Unisys. The...

The true cost of the iPhone.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2008... The widely anticipated iPhone has finally made its way to Asia. The new 3G model was scheduled to make its debut in 22 countries, including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, on July 11, and expanded to 70 countries across the globe...

Revenue not always linked to rise in connections.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Asia Pacific, driven by huge growth in China and India, will continue to be the strongest mobile market by the number of connections added, but this will not automatically mean higher revenues for operators. According to Ovum, global...

Telecom to encounter 'regulatory headaches'.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
July 1, 2008... Current telecom regulation may be unsuited for overseeing and encouraging the construction of next-gen network architecture, an Analysys report reveals. Existing regulation has been designed mainly to introduce competition into an existing...

The struggle to be customer-centric.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)(Survey)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... While executives know that they should put customers first, many are struggling to understand customers' needs. An Economist Intelligence Unit report says companies are recognizing the need to increase focus on the customer, particularly with...

Pressure's on for IPTV providers.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... While the IPW market will continue to gather momentum over the next four years, it will face increasing pressure from other video delivery platforms. Research from Canalys shows that the number of worldwide IPW subscribers has increased from...

Mobile OS war escalates.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2008... The battle for next-generation mobile operating system is escalating, with Nokia and its partners launching a new initiative to make Symbian open-sourced. The handset giant announced last month plans to acquire all shares in Symbian from...

Correction.(NEWS ANALYSIS)(Correction notice)
July 1, 2008... In the June coverage story on "The path to NGN", we incorrectly stated the amount that the IDA will provide to the successful NetCo bidder. The sum should have been S$750 million. Our apologies.

DoCoMo rebrands to face new threats.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
July 1, 2008... With its market share slipping below 50% and an increasing feeling of vulnerability to number portability as it recently has trailed in overall sub additions, NTT DoCoMo has just initiated what most pundits must have believed impossible--a bold...

China Telecom is courting foreign investors to help fund its plan to buy China Unicom's CDMA business.(BEIJING)
July 1, 2008... China Telecom is courting foreign investors to help fund its plan to buy China Unicom's CDMA business, and has been approached by four or five companies, including Sing-Tel, SK Telecom and Qualcomm.

A study by VeriSign shows that registration for internet addresses ending in China's ".cn" overtook those for the global ".net," in the first quarter of 2008.(BEIJING)
July 1, 2008... A study by VeriSign shows that registration for internet addresses ending in China's ".cn" overtook those for the global ".net" in the first quarter of 2008. ".cn" registrations grew 23% from the previous quarter and were triple those in the...

Alcatel-Lucent wins a $1b contract to provide mobile core network solutions.(BEIJING)
July 1, 2008... Alcatel-Lucent wins a $1b contract to provide mobile core network solutions, wireless network solutions, TD-SCDMA equipment, applications, transmission and IP router equipment, and the related services for China Mobile in 2008.

PCCW will group its main telecoms services.(HONG KONG)
July 1, 2008... PCCW will group its main telecoms services, media and IT solution divisions into a new firm called HKT Group Holdings, and invite proposals from bidders to acquire up to 45% of the new company.

3 Hong Kong will start selling Apple's 3G iPhone.(HONG KONG)
July 1, 2008... 3 Hong Kong will start selling Apple's 3G iPhone in July in Hong Kong and Macau later this year.

Advanced Info Service intends to invest 20b baht ($600m) on its 3G network this year.(BANGKOK)
July 1, 2008... Advanced Info Service intends to invest 20b baht ($600m) on its 3G network this year. The company plans to take loans to fund the 3G network, which will have an initial capacity of around 10m users--about 40% of its total subscriber base.

Total Access Communication will not be able to launch its 3G network until early next year at the earliest due to regulatory problems.(BANGKOK)
July 1, 2008... Total Access Communication will not be able to launch its 3G network until early next year at the earliest due to regulatory problems. The company had formed a partnership with sate-owned CAT Telecom to deploy a 3G network on its existing radio...

The government of Vietnam plans to sell a 30% stake in MobiFone.(HO CHI MINH)
July 1, 2008... The government of Vietnam plans to sell a 30% stake in MobiFone via an initial public offering by end of this year.

Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group awards Motorola a $28m contract for the expansion of the Vinaphone GSM network.(HO CHI MINH)
July 1, 2008... Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group awards Motorola a $28m contract for the expansion of the Vinaphone GSM network across 12 northern provinces.

Local telecoms operators, including Telkom Indonesia.(JAKARTA)
July 1, 2008... Local telecoms operators, including Telkom Indonesia, demand the government limit the number of new entrants to the industry, citing limited resources and growing investment risk.

Idea Cellular is acquiring a 40.8% stake in smaller rival Spice Communications for 21.8b rupees ($507m).(NEW DELHI)
July 1, 2008... Idea Cellular is acquiring a 40.8% stake in smaller rival Spice Communications for 21.8b rupees ($507m), and will merge with Spice through a share-swap arrangement, under which Spice shareholders will get 49 Idea shares for every 100 Spice...

Tata Communications agrees to buy a further 30% stake in South Africa's No.2 fixed-line operator Neotel from two South African state-run firms for an undisclosed amount.(NEW DELHI)
July 1, 2008... Tata Communications agrees to buy a further 30% stake in South Africa's No.2 fixed-line operator Neotel from two South African state-run firms for an undisclosed amount. Upon the implementation of the agreement, Tata Communications together...

SK Telecom denies market speculation that it was seeking to buy local set-top-box.(SEOUL)
July 1, 2008... SK Telecom denies market speculation that it was seeking to buy local set-top-box maker Humax.

South Korean authorities are mulling several possible penalties.(SEOUL)
July 1, 2008... South Korean authorities are mulling several possible penalties, including a three-month suspension of business, for No. 2 broadband provider hanarotelecom, which is suspected of disclosing customer information to telemarketing companies.

Chunghwa Telecom plans to launch telecom services in Cambodia, through a $30m joint venture it set up in May with Vietnam's Viettel.(TAIPEI)
July 1, 2008... Chunghwa Telecom plans to launch telecom services in Cambodia, through a $30m joint venture it set up in May with Vietnam's Viettel. A specific timeline for when the services will be launched or any investment figures were not disclosed.

NTT DoCoMo agrees to pay $350m to buy a 30% stake in Bangladeshi mobile operator TM International.(TOKYO)
July 1, 2008... NTT DoCoMo agrees to pay $350m to buy a 30% stake in Bangladeshi mobile operator TM International. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

KDDI and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ will jointly set up an online bank that will target busy people with 24-hour services.(TOKYO)
July 1, 2008... KDDI and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ will jointly set up an online bank that will target busy people with 24-hour services. Account holders of the "Jibun Bank" will be able to make online payment through their mobile phones or PCs when the...

Macquarie Group withdraws its bid for the Australian government's national broadband network tender, after its subsidiary, Macquarie Capital Advisers, had been appointed financial consultants for Telstra's bid for the network.(SYDNEY)
July 1, 2008... Macquarie Group withdraws its bid for the Australian government's national broadband network tender, after its subsidiary, Macquarie Capital Advisers, had been appointed financial consultants for Telstra's bid for the network. The decision...

SingTel Optus signs a three-year contract with the Tasmanian government to provide an array of mobile voice and data services.(SYDNEY)
July 1, 2008... SingTel Optus signs a three-year contract with the Tasmanian government to provide an array of mobile voice and data services including mobile internet and email to all eligible government agencies in the state.

Vodafone New Zealand plans to spend NZ$50m ($37.8m) to provide fixed-line services to a quarter of the country's population by October.(WELLINGTON)
July 1, 2008... Vodafone New Zealand plans to spend NZ$50m ($37.8m) to provide fixed-line services to a quarter of the country's population by October, using recent government changes that have forced Telecom New Zealand to open its network to competitors.

Singapore is to launch a S$20m ($14.9m) program to ensure authentication to support next-gen services.(SINGAPORE)
July 1, 2008... Singapore is to launch a S$20m ($14.9m) program to ensure authentication to support next-gen services. The Infocomm Development Authority will issue a call to the industry in the second half of this year to develop an authentication framework.

StarHub signs a MoU with NTT DoCoMo to pilot the Japanese operator's mobile wallet service in Singapore, its first implementation outside of Japan.(SINGAPORE)
July 1, 2008... StarHub signs a MoU with NTT DoCoMo to pilot the Japanese operator's mobile wallet service in Singapore, its first implementation outside of Japan. The operator is also working with EZ-Link on exploring the integration of the EZ-Link purse, a...

Nokia will pay $410m for the remaining 52% shares in Symbian and establish a foundation.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Nokia will pay $410m for the remaining 52% shares in Symbian and establish a foundation with Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DoCoMo to make the software available royalty-free for all members of the foundation.

Nortel and Alvarion agree to jointly create an end-to-end Wimax solution that combines Alvarion's mobile Wimax radio products with Nortel's core network solutions, backhaul solutions, applications and professional services.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Nortel and Alvarion agree to join@ create an end-to-end Wimax solution that combines Alvarion's mobile Wimax radio products with Nortel's core network solutions, backhaul solutions, applications and professional services. Nortel will now focus...

Yahoo announces five partnerships with Asian mobile operators--India's MTNL, Hong Kong CSL, Vibo Telecom of Taiwan, Philippines' Smart Communications and Sun Cellular.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Yahoo announces five partnerships with Asian mobile operators--India's MTNL, Hong Kong CSL, Vibo Telecom of Taiwan, Philippines' Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, under which the operators will offer Yahoo oneSearch on their respective...

Mobile phones under development by Google and its partners face slipping delivery schedules.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Mobile phones under development by Google and its partners face slipping delivery schedules, with the first Android-based phones not likely to arrive until the fourth quarter, compared to the originally target of the second half.

The three largest ISPs in the USA are planning to impose surcharges on heavy internet usage.(movements)
July 1, 2008... The three largest ISPs in the USA are planning to impose surcharges on heavy internet usage. Time Warner last month kicked off its "internet metering" trial asking customers to select a monthly plan and pay surcharges when they exceed their...

Thuraya launches its latest and third satellite.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Thuraya launches its latest and third satellite, Thuraya-3, giving the UAE-based mobile satellite operator coverage over much of Asia and effectively doubling the market size and population covered by the Thuraya system.

Nokia agrees to buy social networking start-up Plazes.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Nokia agrees to buy social networking start-up Plazes in a deal that will allow the company to extend its context-based service offering with social presence and time-based activity planning features.

Virgin Mobile USA is acquiring the Helio, the US MVNO controlled by SK Telecom.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Virgin Mobile USA is acquiring the Helio, the US MVNO controlled by SK Telecom. The new entity will be known as Virgin, and SK Telecom will own about 20% of the merged business, which is thought to be worth about $50m.

US federal judge orders Microsoft to pay Alcatel-Lucent $511.6m in damages and interest, letting stand a jury's decision that the software maker infringed on two patents.(movements)
July 1, 2008... US federal judge orders Microsoft to pay Alcatel-Lucent $511.6m in damages and interest, letting stand a jury's decision that the software maker infringed on two patents. Microsoft vows to appeal the decision, which marked the latest move in a...

The TeliaSonera board of directors decides unanimously to reject a $51b bid from France Telecom.(movements)
July 1, 2008... The TeliaSonera board of directors decides unanimously to reject a $51b bid from France Telecom, saying it "substantially undervalues the company."

Canadian technology licensing company Wi-Lan launched a new round of patent infringement lawsuits.(movements)
July 1, 2008... Canadian technology licensing company Wi-Lan launched a new round of patent infringement lawsuits, alleging that mobile devices and other equipment of Motorola, Research In Motion and UTStarcom infringe Wi-Lan patents.

The US House approves a compromise bill setting new electronic surveillance.(movements)
July 1, 2008... The US House approves a compromise bill setting new electronic surveillance rules that effectively shield telecommunications companies from lawsuits arising from the government's terrorism-era warrantless eavesdropping on phone and computer...

Putting the 'back' in 'backhaul': the good news: mobile users are ready for high-speed mobile internet. The bad news: most of the word's cellular backhaul links are not, and the window for devising an upgrade strategy and migration path is closing fast.(Cover story)
July 1, 2008... For years now, cellcos have been waiting for 3G to make good on its promise of high-speed mobile data services and the revenues that--ideally--come with them. Seven years after the first 3G licenses were issued, the wait appears to be over....

Small and flexible: Sunzay Passari, VP of value-added services and devices at BPL Mobile in India, tells group editor Joseph Waring why the operator's size gives it options not available to the major players and why value-added services are slow to take off.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Telecom Asia: As one of the smaller players in India (operating in three circles), but one with the highest ARPU, what is your biggest challenge? Sunzay Passari: One of the bigger challenges is always getting a set of good subscribers....

Shakeout on the horizon: while Asia Pacific is now the leading indicator for mobile trends worldwide, the region is ripe for consolidation as scale, reach and depth of content will determine the winners of the future.(VIEWPOINT)
July 1, 2008... Asia Pacific is leading other markets in mobile technology and services, but the proliferation of too many service providers is expected to lead to consolidation as firms face challenges related to infrastructure and economies of scale. ...

Best of the best in Asia telecom: both global and emerging companies were among the top winners in the this year's Frost & Sullivan ICT awards, which recognized excellence in 23 service provider and vendor categories.(FROST & SULLIVAN ASIA PACIFIC ICT AWARDS)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... For the fifth straight year, the cream of the crop among Asia-Pacific's ICT players in 23 different categories were honored at the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards in Singapore in late May. Leading the pack of this year's...

The mobile side of unified communication.(ANALYST VIEW)
July 1, 2008... Much has been said about unified communications (UC) initiatives in terms of platforms, software collaboration and integrations with IP telephony systems. However, mobility seems to be the missing link in most discussions about UC, which always...

Mobile gifts a hit with SK subscribers.(SERVICE INNOVATIONS)
July 1, 2008... People across the world commonly exchange gifts, but tech-savvy South Koreans are now turning to mobile phones to do that thanks to the new converged m-commercial service launched by SK Telecom. The service, dubbed Gifticon, combines...

OMA appoints officers.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... The Open Mobile Alliance has appointed Fred Harrison, head of standards at Telefonica Europe, as its new chairman. Getting appointments as vice chairs are Timo Perala, head of services standardization for Nokia Siemens Networks, and Ileana...

New execs at Telecom NZ.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Telecom New Zealand has assigned Alan Gourdie as retail group CEO and Frank Mount as group chief transformation officer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gourdie--who has extensive experience working in senior leadership and consumer marketing...

DoCoMo names new president.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... NTT DoCoMo has promoted VP Ryuji Yamada to president, replacing Masao Nakamura who will now assume the post of consultant. Yamada took up the post in June, after serving as VP of DoCoMo's parent, NTT Group.

HTIL gets new CFO.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Chris Foil will take over the CFO position at Hutchison Telecommunications International as Tim Pennington steps down at the end of August to return to the UK. Foll was CFO for the Hutchison Essar India operations for seven years, before...

Ericsson appoints networks chief.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Johan Wibergh, former head of Ericsson Brazil, has taken over the position of SVP and head of the company's networks business unit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] He replaces Kurt Jofs, who will remain an EVP in Ericsson until the end of the...

New UTStarcom head.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Peter Blackmore has joined UT-Starcom as CEO, replacing Hung Liang Lu who has become the company's executive chairman of the board. Blackmore assumed his new role in July I, also effectively joining the company's board. Former chairman...

Optus appoints execs.(TELECOM CAREER)(Peter Bithos)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Andrew Buay has taken the role of MD of products and delivery at Optus. Prior to this assignment, Buay led the Optus wholesale and satellite team for more than a year. Vicki Brady takes over from him as MD of his team. Meanwhile, Tay Soo...

Intelsat CFO resigns.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Intelsat has tapped its CEO David McGlade as acting CFO, replacing Jeffrey Freimark, who left the company in May. McGlade will continue to serve as CEO. In another development, Kay Sears has been named chairman and president of Intelsat...

T-Systems' new APac ICT operations head.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... John Lee has joined T-Systems as SVP of ICT operations in Asia Pacific. He will be responsible for driving growth in the region and developing the Malaysia location into a point of production as part of the company's global ICT expansion...

OpenCloud names VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... OpenCloud, a supplier of real-time application servers for next-gen services, has named Kelvin Ng VP for Asia Pacific to oversee the company's sales operations in the region. Ng has more than 15 years of experience in the telecom industry and...

Emagine hires new officers.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... Australia-based Emagine International has hired Allan Brackin as chairman and Tony Kalcina as non-executive director. Brackin will be advising Emagine on overall growth strategies, including acquisitions, while Kalcina will advise Emagine...

CPCNet gets security VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
July 1, 2008... CPCNet Hung Kong has named Wilfred Wong VP of security solution. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prior to joining CPC-Net, Wong held senior positions at DMX Technologies, Equator One, NetTasking, Hewlett Packard and Datacraft Asia. ...

Networking opportunities: across Asia.(Table)
July 1, 2008... Networking opportunities across Asia Date Event Jul 15 - 18, 2008 Broadband World Forum Asia 2008 Jul 22 - 24, 2008 Expo Comm Wireless Japan 2008 Jul 23 - 24, 2008 SE AsiaCom 2008 Jul 23 - 24, 2008 ...

Nokia and friends take Symbian open-source.(INSIDE LINE)
July 1, 2008... Symbian has come full circle plus. Nokia last month fully acquired the handset platform company, then announced it would hand its IPR assets over to the new Symbian Foundation. Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DoCoMo will do the same with their...

Global decision makers flock to Singapore.(SHOW REPORT: CommunicAsia 2008, Singapore Expo, 17-20th June 2008)
July 1, 2008... Asia's largest infocomm and media trade exhibition--CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia--attracted some 67,500 visitors during the four-day conference and expo last month, with more than half the attendees coming from outside Singapore. With...

Busted by the contraband.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Alison DeLauzon's camera emailed her from Florida where she had days before lost it in a restaurant while on vacation. It sent her pictures via her Eye-Fi memory card in the camera. It also emailed pictures of the perpetrators--employees of the...

IM empowered.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
July 1, 2008... Flying in the face of all that seems logical, researchers have determined that instant messaging at work can increase productivity. Slashdot.org, a tech website, claims that Ohio State University and the University of California researchers...

Virtual outdoors.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... State parks in Ohio had to upgrade their facilities to attract the younger set. According to the Columbus Dispatch, their visitors are not happy just lolling amid the butterflies and fawns but need their cellphones and wireless laptops to fully...

The medium is the message.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The US Defense Intelligence Agency has turned to videogames to teaching its next generation of spies to analyze complex issues. Given a choice between a droning classroom lecture or a videogame, the best method for...