Telecom Asia articles from March 2008

Telecom Asia archives from March 2008

Thinking outside the clamshell.(TANNER)
March 1, 2008... One of the big questions raised by the iPhone last year was its I potential impact on handset design, what with its sexy touch screen and emphasis on user-friendliness. The answer: not much. Not yet, anyway. To be fair, design cycles aren't...

SD, not HD, could drive DVB-S2/MPEG-4.(FIRST MILE)
March 1, 2008... The next four years are expected to be stellar for MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video compression and DVB-S2 satellite modulation technologies, but while MPEG-4/DVB-S2 adoption is typically credited to growing demand for HDTV, much of that growth could...

Samsung overtakes Motorola in China.(STAT SNAP)
March 1, 2008... Similar to its performance in the global market over the past few quarters, Samsung has overtaken Motorola in China's handset market in the fourth quarter of 2007, claiming the No. 2 spot behind Nokia. According to Analysys International,...

Nokia and Samsung control 50% of market.(STAT SNAP)
March 1, 2008... Changhong 0.9% Haier 1.3% K-Touch 4.1% Gionee 1.7% Konka 1.6% LG 2.6% Amio 3% Bird 3% Sony-Erickson 3.8% Lenovo 6%...

Clear regulatory outlooks boosts Telstra.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2008... The change of government in Australia has so far proved beneficial to Telstra Corp, which has used the breaking of a long-running regulatory stalemate to roll out faster broadband services and entrench is market position. Up to 952...

Asia to drive mobile growth.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Asia, particularly the emerging South Asian markets, is seen driving the expansion of the global mobile subscriber base in the next four years. According to Portio Research, five of the top 10 growth markets from this year to 2011 will all come...

Consumers want convergence simplified.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
March 1, 2008... Despite the glut in digital devices in many modern homes, convergence does not seem to work as few of these gadgets are connected in useful or non-complex ways. The Economist Intelligence Unit suggests that consumer electronics firms focus on...

GPS-enabled handsets for less.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
March 1, 2008... By 2010, the days of having GPS capability in just smartphones or high-end feature phones will come to an end, as chipset producers come up with ways to reduce the cost of GPS integration in handsets. ABI Research says the wholesale price of...

Issues still hound mobile TV industry.(INSIGHT: ONE MONTH'S TELECOM RESEARCH)
March 1, 2008... While mobile TV in Asia is expected to pick up in the next few years, mobile operators, broadcasters and advertising agencies still need to overcome many issues before they can cash in on the market. A CASBAA-commissioned Tomorrow report states...

Technology hype takes backseat to experience and insight.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2008... For those attending the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, many commented on the conspicuous absence of a true "wow" topic like at past events. Last year, for example, mobile TV and HSDPA were almost ubiquitous at the Fira. ...

A telecom leap forward.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2008... After years of stasis, China's telecom industry must be dizzy from the excitement. Over the past four years difficult decisions, such as 3G licensing, introduction of TD-SCDMA and carrier reform, have been put on the backburner. But...

Wimax on the fast track.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
March 1, 2008... When Intel's chairman Craig Barrett was in India in 2006 and predicted that Wimax would address "the issue of a widening digital divide," he knew what was coming. India is now increasingly adopting Wimax to bring in more cost-effective...

The MII aims to provide broadband internet to more than 95% of villages and townships across the country by the end of 2008.(BEIJING)
March 1, 2008... The MII aims to provide broadband internet to more than 95% of villages and townships across the country by the end of 2008. Villages in central and eastern provinces should see 100% coverage by then.

China Telecom approves a proposed scheme to absorb 20 wholly-owned subsidiaries of the company.(BEIJING)
March 1, 2008... China Telecom approves a proposed scheme to absorb 20 wholly-owned subsidiaries of the company. The transformation of subsidiaries into branches by China Telecom is part of the preparation for the upcoming telecom industry reshuffle.

The government, carriers and vendors are set to spend more than 70b yuan ($9.8b) on a "next-generation broadband wireless mobile communications network" project.(BEIJING)
March 1, 2008... The government, carriers and vendors are set to spend more than 70b yuan ($9.8b) on a "next-generation broadband wireless mobile communications network" project, which will cover all kinds of wireless development over next 12 to 15 years,...

The National Telecommunications Commission is expected to issue long-awaited licenses for the 3G mobile services to private operators in May.(BANGKOK)
March 1, 2008... The National Telecommunications Commission is expected to issue long-awaited licenses for the 3G mobile services to private operators in May. The NTC is currently drafting qualification criteria for licenses.

AIS reports a better-than-expected 61% rise in quarterly earnings, as it started booking interconnection fees from other operators.(BANGKOK)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... AIS reports a better-than-expected 61% rise in quarterly earnings, as it started booking interconnection fees from other operators. AIS is expected to see strong earnings growth in 2008 helped by a recovery in consumer confidence.

CAT Telecom is preparing to abandon its money-losing CDMA business and migrate to GSM system.(BANGKOK)
March 1, 2008... CAT Telecom is preparing to abandon its money-losing CDMA business and migrate to GSM system. CAT has held talks with cellular partner Hutchison regarding the move.

Sri Lanka Telecom posts a lower-than-expected 4% rise in 2007 group net profit despite strong profits from mobile arm, Mobitel, as tariff changes hurt its final quarter.(COLOMBO)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Sri Lanka Telecom posts a lower-than-expected 4% rise in 2007 group net profit despite strong profits from mobile arm, Mobitel, as tariff changes hurt its final quarter. The company's net profit rose to 5.64b rupees ($52.25m) from 5.44b rupees...

Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group plans to invest $1b to upgrade the country's broadband internet network and keep pace with economic growth.(HANOI)
March 1, 2008... Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group plans to invest $1b to upgrade the country's broadband internet network and keep pace with economic growth. The carrier will expand and improve the network over the next two years.

Telekom Malaysia reports a marginal rise in fourth-quarter net profit as foreign exchange losses and other charges offset improvements in its overseas cellular businesses.(KUALA LUMPUR)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Telekom Malaysia reports a marginal rise in fourth-quarter net profit as foreign exchange losses and other charges offset improvements in its overseas cellular businesses. Net profit in the quarter through December rose 0.3% from a year earlier...

Motorola announces a 350m ringgit ($109m) reinvestment into Malaysia from 2007 to 2012.(KUALA LUMPUR)
March 1, 2008... Motorola announces a 350m ringgit ($109m) reinvestment into Malaysia from 2007 to 2012. The reinvestment will be put into the company's operations via Motorola Technology in Penang.

The government gives final approval to SK Telecom's proposed acquisition of Hanarotelecom, though not without conditions.(SEOUL)
March 1, 2008... The government gives final approval to SK Telecom's proposed acquisition of Hanarotelecom, though not without conditions. SK Telecom has proposed acquiring a 38.9% stake in Hanarotelecom for $1.2 b.

LG Telecom plans to move to the main stock exchange.(SEOUL)
March 1, 2008... LG Telecom plans to move to the main stock exchange. The move to the main bourse usually helps a company draw interest from funds and investors who choose not to buy Kosdaq shares due to price volatility and limited trading volume.

Japan's space agency launches an experimental communications satellite.(TOKYO)
March 1, 2008... Japan's space agency launches an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia.

NTT DoCoMo will offer 24-hour free calls between family members as it fights to keep users from switching carriers.(TOKYO)
March 1, 2008... NTT DoCoMo will offer 24-hour free calls between family members as it fights to keep users from switching carriers. The move is likely to hurt profit at DoCoMo, already struggling to keep pace with a price war triggered by Softbank.

Telstra's net profit for the six months to December 31 rose 13% to A$1.93b ($1.77b) from a year earlier, as it snared more market share from competitors.(SYDNEY)
March 1, 2008... Telstra's net profit for the six months to December 31 rose 13% to A$1.93b ($1.77b) from a year earlier, as it snared more market share from competitors. The better-than-expected result was boosted by a AS 100m ($92m) dividend from its 50%...

Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) says its full-year net loss narrowed last year when compared to the year before, and that it expects a turnaround in earnings before the end of 2008.(SYDNEY)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) says its full-year net loss narrowed last year when compared to the year before, and that it expects a turnaround in earnings before the end of 2008. Net loss for the year narrowed to A$285m ($263m) from...

ZTE warns that a brewing corruption scandal linking it to an allegedly overpriced deal and kickbacks in the Philippines.(MANILA)
March 1, 2008... ZTE warns that a brewing corruption scandal linking it to an allegedly overpriced deal and kickbacks in the Philippines could affect economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Department of Telecommunication signs 210 licensing agreements with nine new telecom operators for 23 circles across the country.(NEW DELHI)
March 1, 2008... The Department of Telecommunication signs 210 licensing agreements with nine new telecom operators for 23 circles across the country. Letters of intent were issued to new players in January, and they are expected to launch services this month.

The DoT awards Cable & Wireless licenses.(NEW DELHI)
March 1, 2008... The DoT awards Cable & Wireless licenses for international long distance and national long distance.

Google confirms its long-expected participation in the Asian bandwidth business with a stake in a new multi-terabit cable between Japan and the US.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Google confirms its long-expected participation in the Asian bandwidth business with a stake in a new multi-terabit cable between Japan and the US. The new cable, called Unity, is a hybrid club-private project backed by Google and five...

Bain Capital and Huawei abandon their $2.2b takeover of networking firm 3Com.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Bain Capital and Huawei abandon their $2.2b takeover of networking firm 3Com in the face of US political opposition.

Research In Motion (RIM) is suing Motorola.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Research In Motion (RIM) is suing Motorola over several patents used for wireless devices.

Siemens will cut 7,000 jobs from its corporate telecommunications unit Siemens Enterprise Networks.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Siemens will cut 7,000 jobs from its corporate telecommunications unit Siemens Enterprise Networks. The cuts will amount to about 40% of the telecom unit's worldwide work force of 17,500 people.

Nortel Networks will cut 2,100 jobs, about 6% of its work force, as it reported its fourth-quarter losses had widened, sending its shares tumbling.(movements)(Financial report)
March 1, 2008... Nortel Networks will cut 2,100 jobs, about 6% of its work force, as it reported its fourth-quarter losses had widened, sending its shares tumbling. The firm reported a loss of $844m, compared with a loss of $80m a year earlier.

Nokia Siemens Networks will cut 239 jobs in Finland.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Nokia Siemens Networks will cut 239 jobs in Finland. The company had started the talks at the end of January with the goal of cutting up to 250 jobs in Finland as part of a plan to slash costs.

Consortiums led by Bahrain Telecommunications, Hong Kong's PCCW and US-based Verizon Communications win final approval to operate new Saudi fixed-line phone networks.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Consortiums led by Bahrain Telecommunications, Hong Kong's PCCW and US-based Verizon Communications win final approval to operate new Saudi fixed-line phone networks. The Saudi cabinet approved the decision.

European data privacy regulators say that internet search engines based outside Europe must also comply with EU rules on how a person's internet address or search history is stored.(movements)
March 1, 2008... European data privacy regulators say that internet search engines based outside Europe must also comply with EU rules on how a person's internet address or search history is stored. EU rules that someone must consent to their data being...

France Telecom, Sagem Communications and Thomson launch a software joint venture that aims to compete with Microsoft.(movements)
March 1, 2008... France Telecom, Sagem Communications and Thomson launch a software joint venture that aims to compete with Microsoft. The venture, called Soft At Home, helps improve communications between set-top boxes, television sets, phones and other...

Reliance Communications acquires a telecom firm in Uganda.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Reliance Communications acquires a telecom firm in Uganda and will spend $500m over the next five years in the African country.

Two Linux-based mobile operating systems made their handset debuts at the Mobile World Congress.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Two Linux-based mobile operating systems made their handset debuts at the Mobile World Congress, pitting open-source LiMo (Mobile Linux) and the Google-led Open Handset Alliance's Android against Symbian and Windows Mobile.

Britain will impose legislation on internet service providers by April 2009 if they do not work with the music and film industries to curb illegal downloading, the government.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Britain will impose legislation on internet service providers by April 2009 if they do not work with the music and film industries to curb illegal downloading, the government. The government released a strategy paper to address the problem of...

US federal regulators say they are ready to discipline internet service providers that secretly favor certain types of data traffic.(movements)
March 1, 2008... US federal regulators say they are ready to discipline internet service providers that secretly favor certain types of data traffic, like web surfing, over others, like file sharing.

Cable & Wireless will eliminate about 100 jobs in Jamaica as part of a restructuring to better compete with competition in the Caribbean country.(movements)
March 1, 2008... Cable & Wireless will eliminate about 100 jobs in Jamaica as part of a restructuring to better compete with competition in the Caribbean country. The job cuts at the end of March will affect about 6% of the company's 1,600 workers in Jamaica.

Threat level elevated: the brave new world of managed security services: it's a jungle out there in cyberspace, and the threats grow more complex and challenging every day. As such, managed security services are in vogue, but service providers have had to seriously modify their game plan and their networks to keep up with customer needs as well as the bad guys.(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The internet, you no doubt have heard, is a dangerous place full of hackers, crackers, spammers, phishers, Trojans, viruses and who knows what else, all aiming to infect your PC, steal your data, run up your credit...

Balancing act: dual networks and partnerships: SK Telecom China Holdings' CEO Suk Hwan Lee explains the strategic role of its partnership on TD-SCDMA in tightening the link with China and reveals the importance and challenges of maintaining dual networks.(ONE-TO-ONE)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Telecom Asia: How is SK Telecom's partnership with China on TD-SCDMA progressing so far? Suk Hwan Lee: The market conditions for TD-SCDMA technology in China are similar to that of the mid-1990s, when SK Telecom was the first in the world...

Indian subscriber boom spawns new players: a ballooning subscriber base in India anticipates a rush of new operators, but consolidation looms even before the newcomers arrive.(INDIA FOCUS)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Expanding by eight million subscribers a month, the Indian market is poised to overtake the US as the second-largest mobile market by May this year. However, not all is well as operators scramble to boost ARPU and...

Internet outages raise terror fears: the recent widespread outages due to cut undersea cables raise concerns about sabotage, but experts insists fishing, anchoring and quakes are the only real threats.(NETWORK)
March 1, 2008... The security of international submarine cable networks has been called into question once again after cable cuts in the Mediterranean Sea severely disrupted internet and phone services between Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. In a...

Multimedia obstacles: multimedia services are being held back by a lack of education among subscribers about the services as well as fears over the anticipated cost.(SURVEY)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Multimedia is no novelty. It has been around for a few years now. While that is true, operators are still scratching their heads, trying to find the best way to encourage subscribers to use multimedia more and to...

The iPhone business model killer.(INDUSTRY VIEW)
March 1, 2008... Apple's grand entry into the mobile phone market last summer came as no surprise to most industry watchers--rumors of an Apple handset had been floating around for years. The company no doubt had spent much time studying how mobile phones have...

Cashing in on user-defined services.(FORUM)
March 1, 2008... Solicy and charging are critical to SLA assurance and subscriber service management in next-generation networks. With services becoming more IP-based, subscriber-centric policy represents a potential source of new revenue for operators where...

First SDR base station.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... ZTE has unveiled the world's first software defined radio (SDR) base station, the ZXGW B8036. The new base station supports GSM and W-CDMA simultaneously within software, eliminating the need for separate hardware components as in current...

High-accuracy caller location feature.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)(Geometrix Mobile Location Center )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Andrew Wireless Solutions has enhanced its Geometrix Mobile Location Center (MLC) platform for UMTS networks with the new hybrid caller location feature set. This improvement enables 3G UMTS networks to produce...

New microwave radio range.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... CableFree Solutions has launched a range of high performance, cost-effective microwave radios operating in the 6- to 38-GHz bands. The new microwave radios use a common flexible platform to transport mixed SDH, PDH and native IP/Gigabit...

Secure public safety communications.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... Exalt Communications has introduced high-capacity, carrier class 4.9-GHz wireless backhaul solutions for public safety applications, such as video surveillance. The EX-i and EX-r 4.9-GHz wireless backhaul solutions provide a unique combination...

Added RF spectrum analyzer option.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... Aeroflex has added a new RF spectrum analyzer option for the 3500 handheld 1-GHz radio test set. The new option allows users to see the signals they are receiving. Using an advanced Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm, the 3500 spectrum...

Integrated GPON fiber access gateway device.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... PMC-Sierra has started offering a Gigabit-speed, multi-service fiber access gateway device with an integrated ITU-T G.984 GPON interface. The MSP7160 integrates all of the functionality required for a GPON residential gateway, and...

Simplifying complex service pricing schemes.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... Redknee Solutions has released IP Rating and Charging (IPRC) 5.0, integrating advanced subscriber-based policy control with real-time rating and charging into one coherent solution for multimedia IP-based services. IPRC 5.0 also offers a...

Coverage for inaccessible locations.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... RadioFrame Networks' S-series picocell solution will power Orange's recently launched Onsite Coverage service, making it the first mobile solution to be widely deployed specifically for enhanced coverage in smaller remote and inaccessible...

Qualcomm taps GM for MediaFLO.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Qualcomm has appointed broadcast media veteran Neville Meijers as senior VP and GM to lead all functional groups of MediaFLO Technologies, the company's mobile broadcast business unit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Meijers was most recently...

Intelsat appoints VP.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Intelsat has hired Mark Daniels as VP of engineering and operations for its wholly owned subsidiary Intelsat General Corp. Apart from providing resource management and technical leadership to the engineering and operations groups, Daniels...

Leader for Nokia Artists' advisory council.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Nokia has tapped legendary musician, producer and songwriter Dave Stewart to lead The Nokia Artists' Advisory Council, which was formed by its newly created Nokia Entertainment and Communities Group. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RFS hires India operations head.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Radio Frequency Systems has appointed Bruno Paul as president of its Indian division RFS India Telecom. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based in New Delhi Paul will focus on developing RFS' long-term strategy for the Indian telecom market, its...

Ericsson appoints head of sales.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Ericsson has named Torbjorn Possne as SVP and head of the sales and marketing group. Possne, who joined Ericsson in 1979, was most recently head of the company's northern Europe market unit. He was also responsible for the Deutsche Telekom...

Redback CEO steps down.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Kevin DeNuccio is relinquishing his current position as chief executive to become vice chairman of Redback Networks, the data networking equipment unit owned by Ericsson. Redback VP Georges Antoun will replace DeNuccio.

Exec appointments at Sybase 365.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Sybase subsidiary Sybase 365 has promoted Howard Stevens to SVP of international operations from his previous VP for EMEA post. He will, however, continue to lead the EMEA region while being responsible for all Asia-Pacific field operations....

Telcogames taps new chair.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... European mobile games distributor Telcogames has appointed Juan Montes as chairman, replacing interim chairman Hans Lindroth.

Springboard Research gets new research director.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Springboard Research has appointed Bryan Wang as its research director for connectivity. Based in Beijing, Wang will be responsible for driving Springboard's presence in the critical telecom, mobility, and data communications markets.

Rohde & Schwarz appoints operations chief.(TELECOM CAREER)
March 1, 2008... Rohde & Schwarz has promoted Jack Cowper to the positions of president and COO to lead and manage all of the group's operational areas in North America. He will also retain the position of president of Rohde & Schwarz, Canada, which he has held...

Promotions at NetApp.(TELECOM CAREER)(Network Appliance Inc. appoints Tom Georgens and promoted Tom Mendoza)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... NetApp has appointed Tom Georgens to the newly created role of company president and COO, overseeing the company's product and field operations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tom Mendoza, who has served as president since 2001, has been...

Procera Networks' new CEO.(TELECOM CAREER)(Procera Networks promoted James Brear )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Procera Networks, a developer of network traffic and service management infrastructure equipment, has promoted James Brear to the positions of president and CEO. An industry veteran with more than 18 years of experience in the networking...

Mobility, lifestyle enhancement take center stage.(CommunicAsia 2008: Singapore Expo: 17-20 June 2008)
March 1, 2008... Leading-edge enabling technologies and business solutions designed to enhance enterprises' mobility and users' lifestyles will be highlighted at this year's CommunicAsia summit and exhibition. More than 1,700 companies from 60 countries...

Networking opportunities across Asia.(EVENTS CALENDAR)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... Networking opportunities across Asia Date Event Location Mar 18, 2008 CASBAA India Satellite New Delhi, India Forum Mar 18-20, 2008 Wimax World...

Missing out on games glory.(INSIDE LINE)
March 1, 2008... Nowhere is the 2008 Olympics more keenly anticipated than in the host nation. While athletes all over the world ready themselves for the 2008 Olympics, China has been beavering away on new communications technologies. Unfortunately, none of...

Your own handset counselor.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... What does this one do? With mobile phones approaching television remote controls for having too many buttons, Japan's telecoms ministry is helping beleaguered users. They are hiring phone guides who will help callers navigate phones that...

The whole truth.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(KT Freetel Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Don't try lying while talking on your cellphone in South Korea. Reuters reports that the "Love Detector" service from mobile operator KTF uses voice pattern analysis to determine the level of truthfulness, surprise,...

No buried treasure.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)
March 1, 2008... Digging on his property on a recent Sunday, a Texas resident cut a fiber-optic cable that cut phone and internet service for a wide swath of eastern Texas. About 25,000 customers were cut off for about eight hours. Long-distance phone...

Plug and play.(BACKPAGE BRIEFING)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In the future your cellphone might be powered by your breathing and your labors at the keyboard. The AFP reports that a team of scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology has created a nanofiber textile that generates electricity through...

Scalable app delivery controller.(PREMIERE: Latest products and services)
March 1, 2008... F5 Networks has launched VIPRION, a new modular, bladed chassis hardware system that it claims as the industry's first application delivery controller that scales seamlessly with an organization's business, without sacrificing manageability or...