Telecom Asia articles from May 2004

Telecom Asia archives from May 2004

Me and my 3G.(Tanner)(third generation cell phone technology)
May 1, 2004... I have spent the last month on the vanguard of the 3G revolution, thanks to W-CDMA operator 3 HK supplying the Telecom Asia office with two NEC 616 handsets, separate 3G service accounts and the instructions: "Go play." I, for one, was more...

Voice trading goes semi-automatic.(First Mile)
May 1, 2004... The voice business isn't what it used to be. It's still growing in terms of minutes--somewhere in the range of 180 billion minutes worldwide as of last year. However, voice's commodity status has also resulted in prices dropping so fast that...

The price of broadband.(Stat Snap)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Are you getting the most broadband bits for your buck? You are if you live in Japan, Korea or Hong Kong, according to a broadband pricing study recently released by the International Telecommunication Union that determined, among other things,...

Broadband shoppers guide: broadband prices per 100 kbps as a percentage of monthly income.(Stat Snap)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... Broadband shoppers guide: Broadband prices per 100 kbps as a percentage of monthly income TOP 10 Japan 1 <0.01 South Korea 2 0.03 Belgium 3 ...

IDA likely to 'loosen up' on 3G contracts.(News Analysis)(Infocomms Development Authority, third generation cell phone technology)
May 1, 2004... Singapore's telecoms regulatory authority has started developing new measurement criteria for evaluating local operators' performance in rolling out 3G services. The Infocomms Development Authority (IDA), however, has made it clear that it is...

Fixed-line revenues rebound in AP.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Boosted by the success of WLL in India and booming broadband uptake in China, fixed-line spending in Asia Pacific (ex Japan) increased 8.6% to $37.3 billion in 2H 2003, says a report from IDC. Across the region, international data services...

Industry embraces Ethernet.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Demand for Ethernet infrastructure is expanding rapidly as more industries look to take advantage of the networks' high security, low cost of installation and ease of integration with existing networks. Venture Development Corp expects...

Airport hotspots ready for take-off.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Despite strong growth in public WLAN usage at airports, these hotspot operators should not expect a rapid return on their investments, according to a report from BWCS. The company found that airports are a long way ahead of other hotspot...

Billing and customer-care market 'past its prime'.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... With consolidation in the billing and customer-care market 75% complete and facing a significant slowdown, a Yankee Group report says the handful of incumbents are looking to expand horizontally into CRM OSS and business intelligence. The...

DSL providers push broadband gateways.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Worldwide sales of broadband gateways, which reached $290 million in 2003, are expected to climb to $1.53 billion by 2008, says ABI Research. The company found that many cable service providers have discouraged the Use of gateways, preferring...

BT brings multimedia call-center solution to Asia.(News Analysis)
May 1, 2004... To tap into the rapidly growing CRM market in Asia, BT has introduced its multi-channel contact-center system that enables companies to transform a traditional voice-based call center into a multimedia contact operation. The launch, announced...

Tales of the unexpected: a wireless PBX odyssey: flashback, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia, May 1998.(Resend)(private branch exchange)
May 1, 2004... SYNOPSIS: The wireless PBX continues to evolve, with cordless access technologies like DECT and PHS the latest primary technologies that promise to bring efficient mobility to the enterprise PBX--and possibly beyond, as wireless PBX vendors...

Korea faces new US trade row over HPi.(News Analysis)
May 1, 2004... US companies are leading the world in developing "portable Internet" technology, especially for the 802.20 standard, and have been enthusiastically promoting it round the world. No country has been more interested in the technologies of...

Hutchison Whampoa plans to spin off its Hong Kong telecoms assets and mobile units in seven emerging markets for a separate listing that could be valued up to $4b.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Hutchison Whampoa plans to spin off its Hong Kong telecoms assets and mobile units in seven emerging markets for a separate listing that could be valued up to $4b. The group will bundle its fixed-line, 2G and 3G business in Hong Kong as well as...

China Mobile's earnings grew 9% to $4.6b in 2003, compared to a 17% increase in 2002.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... China Mobile's earnings grew 9% to $4.6b in 2003, compared to a 17% increase in 2002. Analysts take it as signs of a slowdown in Chinas mobile sector amid tough competition and maturity in the urban markets.

China Unicom posts a net profit of $510m last year, down 8.3% from 4.6b yuan a year earlier.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... China Unicorn posts a net profit of $510m last year, down 8.3% from 4.6b yuan a year earlier, due to the write-off of its ailing paging assets and disposal losses from the sale of the division to its parent. Excluding these charges, the...

3 HK launches Motorola A835 handsets at a discounted price of HK$498 ($254) for subscribers who sign contracts up to 24 months.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... 3 HK launches Motorola A835 handsets at a discounted price of HK$498 ($254) for subscribers who sign contracts up to 24 months. The company also launches a new HK$123 monthly tariff plan which includes 300 inter-network minutes and 100 video...

Mobile carrier Sunday Communications reports its first ever net profit of HK$27m ($3.5m) for fiscal 2003.(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Mobile carrier Sunday Communications reports its first ever net profit of HK$27m ($3.5m) for fiscal 2003, compared with a loss of HK$117m the previous year.

AsiaSat signs up two new customers.(Hong Kong)(China Transport Telecommunication Broadband Network Service)(Traffic Management Bureau of CAAC and Shanghai Stock Communication)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... AsiaSat signs up two new customers. China Transport Telecommunication Broadband Network Service signs up a new lease agreement up for Ku-band capacity on AsiaSat 3S, while the Traffic Management Bureau of CAAC and Shanghai Stock Communication...

Hutch Thailand launches prepaid cdma2000 1x services with two handsets.(Bangkok)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Hutch Thailand launches prepaid cdma2000 1x services with two handsets--Palmax VS-7C for 5164 and Nokia 2280 priced at $128.

Shin Satellite confirms it will launch its high-speed satellite.(Bangkok)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Shin Satellite confirms it will launch its high-speed satellite, the $350m iPSTAR, by the third quarter of this year.

TelecomAsia officially changes its name.(Bangkok)(True Corporation to be new name)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... TelecomAsia officially changes its name to True Corporation.

The Indonesian government confirms that telcos will be allowed to increase fixed-line domestic call charges by a maximum of 9% this year.(Jakarta)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Indonesian government confirms that telcos will be allowed to increase fixed-line domestic call charges by a maximum of 9% this year. Incumbent telco Telkom says the move could raise its 2004 revenue projection by 3%--depending on how its...

Indosat reports net profit of 1.57 trillion rupiah ($183m) in 2003.(Jakarta)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Indosat reports net profit of 1.57 trillion rupiah ($183m) in 2003, compared with 336.25 billion rupiah the previous year.

Indosat is considering selling a minority stake in Cambodian Indosat Telecommunications and its 96.87% stake in Sisindosat Lintas Buana.(Jakarta)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Indosat is considering selling a minority stake in Cambodian Indosat Telecommunications and its 96.87% stake in Sisindosat Lintas Buana, a company that provides information technology development services.

State-owned Pakistan Telecommunication Company announces plans to cut both domestic and international long distance tariffs.(Karachi)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... State-owned Pakistan Telecommunication Company announces plans to cut both domestic and international long distance tariffs by another 15-25% in June.

DiGi Telecommunications awards a contract to Ericsson.(Kuala Lumpur)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... DiGi Telecommunications awards a contract to Ericsson to upgrade its mobile network to EDGE technology.

The Foreign Ministry will initiate talks with the US and the local telecoms sector.(Seoul)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Foreign Ministry will initiate talks with the US and the local telecoms sector to seek a solution to resolve a potential thorny trade issue arising from Korea's push for the compulsory use of WIPI, the home-grown mobile applications...

SK Telecom see its mobile market share decline for the third consecutive month after number portability was implemented.(Seoul)
May 1, 2004... SK Telecom see its mobile market share decline for the third consecutive month after number portability was implemented. Its market share fell to 52.7% in March from 53.3% in February. By contrast rival KT Ereetel raised its market share from...

Daum Communications is suing Microsoft and its Korean unit for alleged unfair business practices by bundling its Instant Messenger program to its Windows XP operating system.(Seoul)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Daum Communications is suing Microsoft and its Korean unit for alleged unfair business practices by bundling its Instant Messenger program to its Windows XP operating system. Daum says Microsoft's practice has caused significant damage to the...

Chunghwa Telecom posts a better-than-expected 1Q profits of NT$12.91b ($392m).(Taipei)
May 1, 2004... Chunghwa Telecom posts a bettor-than-expected 1Q profits of NT$12.91b ($392m), on the back of strong Internet and ADSL business.

NTT DoCoMo is set to name senior executive vice president Shiro Tsuda to replace Keiji Tachikawa.(Tokyo)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo is set to name senior executive vice president Shiro Tsuda to replace Keiji Tachikawa as its president when Tachikawa steps down later this year.

The Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) will earmark NT$200m ($6.1m) this year.(Taipei)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) will earmark NT$200m ($6.1m) this year for the establishment of an innovation and R&D hub in southern Taiwan.

NTT DoCoMo will launch W-CDMA/GPRS dual-mode handsets.(Tokyo)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NTT DoCoMo will launch W-CDMA/GPRS dual-mode handsets by the end of this year to enable its domestic FOMA users to enjoy global roaming before W-CDMA takes off in other countries.

The Australian government fails in its second attempt to fully privatize Telstra.(Sydney)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Australian government fails in its second attempt to fully privatize Telstra after the Senate rejects a bill that would have permitted the sale of the government's remaining 51% stake in the carrier.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission proposes in a preliminary decision to cut the price of mobile termination services.(Sydney)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission proposes in a preliminary decision to cut the price of mobile termination services to A$0.1a a minute by 2007.

Telstra launches a cash takeover offer for listed IT/outsourcing provider KAZ Group.(Sydney)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Telstra launches a cash takeover offer for listed IT/outsourcing provider KAZ Group for A$333m ($254m).

SingTel teams up with US-based SIPphone to offer a telephone service over the Internet in June.(Singapore)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SingTel teams up with US-based SIPphone to offer a telephone service over the Internet in June. The incumbent also partners with Yes Television to offer a video on demand service to SingTel's residential ADSL customers.

Smart Communications offers to purchase the debt of its sister mobile company Piltel.(Manila)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Smart Communications offers to purchase the debt of its sister mobile company Piltel, a move which would help Smart save $266m in taxes.

Bharti Tele-Ventures will invest $40m in the SEA-ME-WE-4 international fiber network linking Southeast Asia.(New Delhi)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Bharti Tele-Ventures will invest $40m in the SEA-ME-WE-4 international fiber network linking Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, due for completion by the third quarter of 2005. Separately the company signs an IT outsourcing deal with...

Bharti purchases a 67.5% stake in rival Hexacom.(New Delhi)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Bharti purchases a 67.5% stake in rival Hexacom for 4.3b rupees ($98.4m).

Globe Telecom slams a government proposal to impose an excise tax on SMS.(Manila)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Globe Telecom slams a government proposal to impose an excise tax on SMS, warning that such "counter-productive" move will eventually affect the country's mobile operators.

Lucent Technologies ousts its China operations president.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Lucent Technologies ousts its China operations president, chief operating officer, a marketing executive and a finance manager after an audit and investigation by outside counsel into the China operations unearthed "incidents and internal...

MCI will cut its workforce by 4,000 or 7%.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... MCI will cut its workforce by 4,000 or 7%, due to increased competition and the impact of a regulatory crackdown on telemarketing.

Vonage files a lawsuit against AT&T over its new VoIP phone service, "CallVantage".(movements)(Voice Over Internet Protocol)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Vonage files a lawsuit against AT&T over its new VoIP phone service, "CallVantage", complaining the name is too close to Vonage's brand name.

Alcatel wins a contract from technology concern Asre Danesh Azar to build Iran's first DSL network.(movements)(Digital subscriber line)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Alcatel wins a contract from technology concern Asre Danesh Azar to build Iran's first DSL network under a government plan for USL privatization.

Samsung will invest 255.2b won ($220.4m) to develop next-generation memory chips.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Samsung will invest 255.2b won ($220.4m) to develop next-generation memory chips used in computers and consumer electronics including mobile phones and digital cameras.

The US-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq establishes an independent regulator.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The US-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq establishes an independent regulator, the Iraq Communications and Media Commission, to encourage investment and deter state meddling in the burgeoning telecoms and media sector.

Russia's Vimpelcom wins a lawsuit against the state telecoms regulator.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Russia's Vimpelcom wins a lawsuit against the state telecoms regulator, which had challenged its right to sell services in Moscow.

Former Vodafone chief Chris Gent testifies in the Mannesmann case.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Former Vodafone chief Chris Gent testifies in the Mannesmann case that Vodafone's acquisition was determined by markets and not by bonus payments to Mannesmann's board.

The Ontario Securities Commission enforcement staff launches an investigation into accounting problems at Nortel Networks.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Ontario Securities Commission enforcement staff launches an investigation into accounting problems at Nortel Networks. The investigation relates to Nortel's restatement of results last year.

Aliant asks the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to lift restrictions on the prices, terms and conditions of local phone service.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Aliant asks the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to lift restrictions on the prices, terms and conditions of local phone service in areas of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Italy's Pirelli exercises an option to buy 0.46% of Telecom Italia.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Italy's Pirelli exercises an option to buy 0.46% of Telecom Italia for 100 million euros.

The United Arab Emirates and South Korea agree to cooperate more closely in the information technology sector.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The United Arab Emirates and South Korea agree to cooperate more closely in the information technology sector. The two countries also agree to sign a formal accord on IT cooperation at the ITU Telecom Asia conference to be held in Busan in...

Ericsson China president Jan Malm dies of a heart attack.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Ericsson China president Jan Malm dies of a heart attack while exercising on a treadmill.

Yahoo will launch online auctions in China by mid-year as the company renews its push into the market.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Yahoo will launch online auctions in China by mid-year as the company renews its push into the market. The auctions target individuals and small- and medium-sized business and will be run through a joint venture Yahoo formed in January with...

Philips Electronics returns to a net profit of 550m euros ($658.5m) in the first quarter.(movements)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Philips Electronics returns to a net profit of 550m euros ($658.5m) in the first quarter, boosted mainly by strong demand for computer chips and LCD screens.

Hewlett-Packard will set up an RFID center in Taiwan.(movements)(Radio Frequency Identification)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Hewlett-Packard will set up an RFID center in Taiwan, the first in the Asia-Pacific region.

Fixed-mobile convergence: this time they mean it! The buzz on fixed-mobile convergence has waxed and waned over the years. Now it's back and unlike before, it's not chiefly about intelligent cores--it's as much about broadband access and convergence at the terminal. Warning: feelings of deja vu may occur.(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... Around ten years ago, the telecoms industry was buzzing--as it does--about fixed-mobile convergence. Billed as the "ultimate telecoms merger," FMC envisioned a future where there was little or no difference between fixed-line and mobile phone...

C&C08 ESN: adding new value to your network.(Advertorial)(Huawei's)(Enhanced Service Node)
May 1, 2004... As competition heats up in the telecommunications marketplace, fixed-line operators are in dire need of killer services that sharpen their edge and expand revenues. Huawei's C&C08 built-in Enhanced Service Node (ESN) provides a...

Unified communications finds hope in convergence: unified communications has found a new lease on life in the enterprise, thanks to the growing popularity of converged enterprise voice/data IP networks that give UC complementary features like instant messaging, presence and mobility. But can it make the leap from "nice idea" to "must-have"?(APPS)
May 1, 2004... For years, unified communications has been touted as a "killer app" for consumers and corporates alike, allowing them to access and manage various message formats, including voice, fax and email, from a single electronic inbox. With free...

Lucent's road to recovery.(One-to-One)(Interview)
May 1, 2004... After several years of floundering in the wake of the telecoms meltdown, Lucent Technologies found its way back to profitability late last year. While worldwide growth this year will be modest, Asia-Pac remains a major hive of activity,...

Tag blocking and counter blocking.(Telecom Forum)
May 1, 2004... Back in 1998, at the height of America's Monica Lewinsky scandal, the president's plane, Air Force One, disappeared from the nation's radar screens for a few minutes during its final approach into Washington. When questioned by the media...

Radio communications made simple.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The new MTP750 TETRA portable radio from Motorola provides operational users in mission-critical environments with improved tactility and ergonomics that facilitate more intuitive usage and fast response time. The device, developed after...

Proactive fault notification service.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Equinix, a provider of network-neutral data centers and Internet exchange services, has launched Equinix Command Center. The service provides customers with device and application monitoring with fault notification services to ensure their IT...

Protection from network-based attacks.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Sheer Networks has unveiled Sheer E-mmune)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Sheer Networks has unveiled a solution with improved network security and stability to protect next-generation IP networks against malicious network-based attacks. The Sheer E-mmune solution is developed based on the Sheer BOS technology...

Metalink, Fujutsu Access in broadband partnership.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Metalink and Fujitsu Access will join forces to develop and provide 100-Mbps VDSL products to the Japanese broadband market. Under the partnership, Fujitsu Access will incorporate Metalink's VDSLPlus fourth-generation chipset into its...

Off-site Wi-Fi planning tool.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Ekahau has released planning software designed to accelerate Wi-Fi network design and deployment. The Ekahau Planner provides Wi-Fi network operators with an off-site tool to plan initial access point network placement, even before...

UMTS/GSM acoustic and audio test platform.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Rohde & Schwarz has launched a test platform addressing the need to measure acoustic and audio characteristics of UMTS and GSM user equipment. The platform, consisting of the R&S UPL16 audio analyzer and the R&S CMU200 radio communication...

Tri-band GPRS modules.(Premiere: latest products and services)(General Packet Radio Service )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The ITM320 series of tri-band GPRS modules from TTPCom consists of two approved product variants. The ITM3208 supports 850-, 1800- and 1900-MHz frequency bands, and the rTM3209 supports 900-, 1800- and 1900-MHz bands. Both modules are GPRS...

NEC opts for Ericsson Bluetooth software.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NEC has entered a license agreement with Ericsson for its core Bluetooth B-C1 and B-C3 software. Stack B-C1, based on Bluetooth v1.1, comprises headset and dial-up support. NEC is using it in its new 616 3G phone. Stack B-C3, the...

Vertically challenged: as carriers flock to the expanding enterprise market, they are struggling with how far to go in understanding a client's business and developing tailored solutions. It's hard to cut it these days with standardized products, but are carriers going too far?(Telecom Corporate)
May 1, 2004... After several slow years, a transformation is beginning in Asia's enterprise services markets. Companies are investing slightly more in IT and telecoms, not necessarily because the good times are back, but because one of the most substantial...

SingTel appoints second Australian director.(Telecom Career)(Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Graham Bradley has been named non-executive, independent director of SingTeL. Bradley is the second Australian to join the board after John Powell Morschel, who was appointed in September 2001. Bradley recently resigned as chief executive of...

NTTDoCoMo mobile society research institute MD.(Telecom Career)(Yamakawa, Takashi )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Takemochi Ishii, professor emeritus of The University of Tokyo and chairman/CEO of the Tokyo Marine Research Institute, has been appointed as managing director to lead NTT DoCoMO's newly established mobile society research institute, which will...

HGCH executives.(Telecom Career)(Hutchison Global Communications Holdings)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Hutchison Global Communications Holdings, the listed Hong Kong fixed-line arm of Hutchison Whampoa, has named Peter Wong as CEO and Frankie Kan as CFO. Wong and Kan also serve the company as executive directors. HGCH has also appointed...

Motorola India president.(Telecom Career)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Motorola has appointed vice president Amit Sharma as country president of Motorola India. Sharma will continue to serve Motorola as cluster president for Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Separately, Motorola has named...

Arbinet-thexchange HK head.(Telecom Career)(Hong Kong)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Arbinet-thexchange has appointed Kenny Wan to head the company's new Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Arbinet-thexchange, Wan was vice president/general manager for IBasis in Asia.

Avaya SMBS marketing manager.(Telecom Career)(Small and Medium Business Solutions)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Avaya has named Andy Hurt as Asia Pacific small and medium business solutions (SMBS) marketing manager, based in Sydney. Previously Hurt worked with the Avaya SMBS team as a marketing contractor.

SmartTrust Asia-Pacific director.(Telecom Career)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SmartTrust has appointed Joseph Thum as regional managing director, Asia Pacific. Thum joins SmartTrust from Hughes Network Systems, where he spent over three years as the company's Asia-Pacific regional managing director.

Syndesis global sales head.(Telecom Career)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Syndesis has appointed Christopher Swan as senior vice president, worldwide sales. Swan comes to Syndesis from Spirent Communications.

Premiere Conferencing Asian marketing manager.(Telecom Career)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Premiere Conferencing, a provider of enhanced, audio and Web-based conferencing solutions, has promoted Joanne Rigby to the position of marketing manager for Asia Pacific. Rigby will be based in the Sydney regional head office and will report...

McDATA Japan head.(Telecom Career)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... McDATA, a provider of multi-capable storage networking solutions, has hired Ryutaro Ishimoto as the country manager in Japan. Prior to joining McDATA, Ishimoto spent ten years in various sales and operations roles with SunMicrosystems in Japan....

Star appoints CTO.(Telecom Career)(Chief Technical Officer)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... News Corp-owned Star Group has named Dr. Guo Xiao Yong CTO to oversee all technical and engineering matters for the company. He reports to COO Steve Askew.

Asurion Asia-Pacific CEO.(Telecom Career)(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Mobile value-added services developer Asurion Asia Pacific has promoted Dan Currie to president and CEO, based at the regional headquarters in Singapore.