Telecom Asia articles from October 2003

Telecom Asia archives from October 2003

Carriers of the world, lighten up.(Inside Line)
October 1, 2003... One warm summer's day last month Andy Green packed his suitcase and took a flight to the other side of the world to meet some clients. Nothing unusual in this, except this is the CEO of BT Global Services, and he was hosting customer seminars...

50 ways to surf the Net.(Tanner)
October 1, 2003... The digital divide isn't just for underdeveloped nations anymore, according to a recent op-ed piece by sociologist Simson Garfinkel in the online version of the MIT Technology Review, which claimed that the so-called "net effect"--in which the...

Core router startups challenge Cisco and Juniper.(First Mile)
October 1, 2003... After two lean years, the core router space is poised for a comeback as Tier 1 carriers in Asia, North America and Europe shift spending to packet-based gear and reaffirm their commitments to IP/MPLS backbones. A report from Yankee Group last...

Farmers seek better service ahead of Telstra sell-off.(News Analysis)
October 1, 2003... With the Australian government's push to privatize Telstra facing a key political test in October, the carrier has renewed efforts to address the main obstacle to any sell-off--the quality of service in regional Australia. A bill for the...

Dream purchase: Telecom Fiji up for sale.(Resend: flashbacks, updates and nostalgia: Telecom Asia October 1998)( sale of Amalgamated Telecom Holdings )
October 1, 2003... SYNOPSIS: The Fiji government gives in to privatization fever as it bundles its fixed-line, international and cellular stakes into one entity--Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH)--with the intention of selling off 49% to a strategic foreign...

IPO in mind, Netcom spruces up.(News Analysis)
October 1, 2003... With an eye toward a listing next year, China's second-largest incumbent, China Netcom (CNC), is to restructure, creating two new subsidiaries. After establishing a Netcom North subsidiary in July, China Netcom Southern Communications...

Countering the mobile threat.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The fixed mobile substitution threat is real, says Forrester Research--average residential voice use at European telcos is 5% below 2000 levels--and fixed line telcos must respond. It's partly from new homeowners, partly from those who move and...

VoIP strategies. (Insight: one month's telecom research)).(VoIP strategies. (Insight: one month's telecom research))(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... VoIP has been widely adopted for business long-distance because it offers lower total cost of ownership and its ability to be integrated into other applications. Though many service providers are offering a range of standalone...

Voice the key to 3G.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Low-cost voice capacity will drive the take-up of UMTS, says the Shosteck Group. The UMTS air interface is more efficient than are the GSM-GPRS and EDGE interfaces, yet few operators are taking advantage of the capacity and cost strengths...

Optical set for small rebound.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The optical-networking equipment market declined 53% in 2002 to $10.1 billion, following a 29% slide in value from 2000 to 2001, according to a new report by optical specialist KMI. The optical networking gear market will fall another 6% in...

Targeting lucrative online customers.(Insight: one month's telecom research)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Less than 15% of mobile users say their online customers influenced Their choice of service, but these are among the most profitable. Forrester Research says because they sign up online, the cost of acquiring these customers is lower. More...

Beijing: China Netcom will set up two new subsidiaries.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Beijing: China Netcom will set up two new subsidiaries, China Netcom South, based in Shanghai, and China Netcom international in Beijing.

Beijing: China will allocate 600 million yuan ($72 million) this year to spur TD-SCDMA research.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Beijing: China will allocate 600 million yuan ($72 million) this year to spur TD-SCDMA research. The grant will be split between Datang Telecom and other local vendors.

Hong Kong: OFTA will extend waivers for one year for payment of performance bonds.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Office of the Telecommunications Authority)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Hong Kong: OFTA will extend waivers for one year for payment of performance bonds by Hong Kong's four 3G licensees due in the sixth and seventh years of their licenses.

Hong Kong: China Telecom reports a 9% interim profit rise on growing subscriber numbers.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Hong Kong: China Telecom reports a 9% interim profit rise on growing subscriber numbers. The company plans to acquire network assets in six more provinces from its parent by the end of this year.

Hong Kong: CSL steals a march on rival cellcos Hutchison Telecom and Peoples Telephone by launching Asia's first EDGE service.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Hong Kong: CSL steals a march on rival cellcos Hutchison Telecom and Peoples Telephone by launching Asia's first EDGE service. It comes ahead of Hutchison's long-delayed WCDMA launch, as well as Peoples' EDGE service, both slated for later this...

Bangkok: Thailand will introduce mobile number portability by the end of this year or early 2004.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Bangkok: Thailand will introduce mobile number portability by the end of this year or early 2004, says communications minister Surapong Suebwonglee.

Bangkok: Samart completes the restructuring of 6 billion baht ($147.4 million) in debt.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Bangkok: Samart completes the restructuring of 6 billion baht ($147.4 million) in debt. The company expects the gains to be realized in the third quarter of 2003.

Kuala Lumpur: Alcatel will invest more than $52 million.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Kuala Lumpur: Alcatel will invest more than $52 million over the next five years in Malaysia to develop 3G applications.

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia launches the second phase of its Multimedia Super Corridor (MSO) project.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia launches the second phase of its Multimedia Super Corridor (MSO) project, aimed at developing its own version of Silicon Valley.

Kuala Lumpur: Measat Global contracts Lockheed Martin.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Kuala Lumpur: Measat Global contracts Lockheed Martin to launch its third and latest communications satellite in 2005.

Jarkata: Telkom signs a $124 million loan with the Export-Import Bank of Korea.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Jarkata: Telkom signs a $124 million loan with the Export-Import Bank of Korea to finance a project between Telkom and Samsung Electronics to develop a fixed wireless CDMA system.

New Delhi: Indian operators begin offering mobile services in the nation.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... New Delhi: Indian operators begin offering mobile services in the nation's seven remote and insurgency-plagued northeastern states.

Pyongyang: North Korea launches a GSM mobile service.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Pyongyang: North Korea launches a GSM mobile service in its major cities and along its main roads, according to Yonhap news agency.

Seoul: the LG Group is making a last-ditch stand to prevent the AIG Group and others taking control of bankrupt broadband provider Hanaro Telecom for $500-million.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Seoul: The LG Group is making a last-ditch stand to prevent the AIG Group and others taking control of bankrupt broadband provider Hanaro Telecom for $500million. The LG Group lifted its stake in Hanaro to about 15% from 13%, just hours after...

Seoul: SK Telecom provides 120 billion won ($101.9 million) to help Hanaro Telecom.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Seoul: SK Telecom provides 120 billion won ($101.9 million) to help Hanaro Telecom repay maturing debt, averting a possible default.

Seoul: KT Corp plans to buy back $256 million.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Seoul: KT Corp plans to buy back $256 million of its own shares in the second half to boost the value of other shares.

Taipei: Far EasTone is still in discussions to buy smaller rival KG Telecom.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Taipei: Far EasTone is still in discussions to buy smaller rival KG Telecom, but says there is no schedule for new talks after a letter of intent expired in August.

Tokyo: J-Phone officially changes its name to Vodafone KK.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tokyo: J-Phone officially changes its name to Vodafone KK starting from this month.

Tokyo: Japan's telecoms regulator is considering the introduction of mobile number portability in 2005.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tokyo: Japan's telecoms regulator is considering the introduction of mobile number portability in 2005, an unnamed ministry source is quoted as saying.

Tokyo: NTT Com is in talks on VoIP interconnection with six other firms.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tokyo: NTT Com is in talks on VoIP interconnection with six other firms, including KDDI, PoweredCom, Japan Telecom and Fusion Communications, with plans to connect their IP networks as early as December.

Tokyo: NTT raises its stake in IIJ to 31.6% for 10.35 billion yen ($88 million).(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation's share in IIJ Media Communications increases)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tokyo: NTT raises its stake in IIJ to 31.6% for 10.35 billion yen ($88 million), making it the largest shareholder of the Japanese Internet service provider.

Canberra: the Australian government is set to unveil its plan for the A$30 billion ($20 billion) sale.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Canberra: The Australian government is set to unveil its plan for the A$30 billion ($20 billion) sale of its remaining stake in Telstra in October.

New Zealand: the Commerce Commission proposes the opening up of Telecom New Zealand's local loop.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... New Zealand: The Commerce Commission proposes the opening up of Telecom New Zealand's local loop. A final recommendation will go to the Minister of Communications in December.

Sydney: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have agreed to block the IMEI.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(International Mobile Equipment Identification)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Sydney: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have agreed to block the IMEI of lost or stolen mobile phones in a shared effort to discourage theft of handsets.

Singapore: C2C chief executive Tsunekazu Matsudaira has resigned from the struggling regional wholesaler.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Singapore: C2C chief executive Tsunekazu Matsudaira has resigned from the struggling regional wholesaler as talks continue with banks over restructuring of $592 million in loans. COO Hoh Wing Chee will serve as acting CEO until a replacement is...

Singapore: SingTel begins a free trial of 3G services.(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(3rd Generation Wireless Format)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Singapore: SingTel begins a free trial of 3G services, admitting it is unsure of the demand.

Singapore: StarHub plans to borrow S$600 million ($342 million).(News map: Asian telecoms this month)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Singapore: StarHub plans to borrow S$600 million ($342 million), partly to cover the cost of its 3G network over the next three years.

China Mobile, PCCW, M1, StarHub and SingTel join an IDA-Intel initiative.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... China Mobile, PCCW, M1, StarHub and SingTel join an IDA-Intel initiative to set standards for Wi-Fi hotspot roaming.

WorldCom moves closer to emerging from bankruptcy after clinching support from two groups of creditors.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... WorldCom moves closer to emerging from bankruptcy after clinching support from two groups of creditors who had originally opposed its reorganization plan.

Former WorldCom chairman Bernie Ebbers pleads not guilty in an Oklahoma court to 15 criminal charges.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Former WorldCom chairman Bernie Ebbers pleads not guilty in an Oklahoma court to 15 criminal charges, including securities fraud--the first criminal charges filed against Ebbers over his alleged role in the firm's demise, which cost state...

NTT DoCoMo is seeking an alternative partner in UK.(movements)(Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NTT DoCoMo is seeking an alternative partner in UK for its i-mode wireless Internet service as its 20%-owned JV, 3 UK has been reluctant to adopt i-mode.

Vodafone Group is seeking exclusive supplier deals for 3G phones.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Vodafone Group is seeking exclusive supplier deals for 3G phones. Sanyo Electric and Samsung Electronics are reported to be likely contenders.

Motorola unveils its first mobile phone powered by Microsoft's Windows software.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Motorola unveils its first mobile phone powered by Microsoft's Windows software, with Orange and AT&T Wireless Services being the first two mobile operators to sell the phone.

France Telecom will pay 7.1 billion euros ($7.8 billion) in stock to buy out minority shareholders of its Orange mobile subsidiary.(movements)
October 1, 2003... France Telecom will pay 7.1 billion euros ($7.8 billion) in stock to buy out minority shareholders of its Orange mobile subsidiary. FT will take full control of Orange upon completion of the deal, which is scheduled to be settled on October 24....

3Com plans to cut about 1,000 jobs.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... 3Com plans to cut about 1,000 jobs and close its only remaining manufacturing plant to counter weak technology spending.

Tellabs offers severance packages to employees who volunteer to leave the company.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Tellabs offers severance packages to employees who volunteer to leave the company, in an attempt to further reduce the workforce.

Inmarsat is in talks on a possible buyout with two teams of equity firms.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Inmarsat is in talks on a possible buyout with two teams of equity firms, who are offering between $1 billion and $1.3 billion for the company. Inmarsat has reportedly selected one for exclusive talks.

EchoStar Communications, which is attempting to bid for bankrupt Loral.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... EchoStar Communications, which is attempting to bid for bankrupt Loral, has accused Loral of withholding due diligence information EchoSter needs.

Cisco Systems.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Cisco Systems says its order backlog had increased 14% from last year, strengthening sentiment for a looming telecoms and IT recovery.

US RIAA.(movements)(Recording Industry Association of America files lawsuits)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The US RIAA takes its fight against online MP3 swapping to the users, targeting 261 individuals in lawsuits. Its first settlement, a $2,000 fine, is with a 12-year-old girl from New York.

The Beatles management company, Apple Corps, is seeking a court injunction against Apple Computer.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Beatles management company, Apple Corps, is seeking a court injunction against Apple Computer, insisting the computer maker's iTunes online music store breaches the band's trademark.

Infineon Technologies and Huawei Technologies team up to design low-end 3G handsets.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Infineon Technologies and Huawei Technologies team up to design low-end 3G handsets. Infineon will focus on the hardware, while Huawei would design the interface and applications.

Nortel Networks.(movements)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Nortel Networks will invest $200 million in research and development in China over the next three years, including the buildup of a large new campus in Beijing.

Asian broadband: is there a business out there yet?(Cover Story)
October 1, 2003... Whatever the future of broadband might be, Asia is the place it's surely being written. From near-saturation of Korea to the fast growth of China, if has markets in every stage of evolution. The one common thread is that operators in all...

IPV6: desperately seeking apps: the clock is ticking on IPv4 faster in Asia than North America. But even in northeast Asia IPv6 is in serious need of applications to drive adoption.(Internet)(Internet Protocol Version 6)(we need IPv6 compatible equipments to drive its acceptance)
October 1, 2003... The future, in general, is IP. The future, more specifically, is IPv6. The major issue of IPv6 has always been IP address availability. A mere 1 billion to 1.5 billion addresses left are unallocated worldwide. With less than 20% of the world's...

Telcos say it with color: Scitex Digital Printing's powerful printing solution delivers full-color--and more profit to carriers.(Advertorial)(color printing is generating profits)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Color is a natural part of our world, and its beauty and presence enriches our everyday lives. In the technology world, the advent of color has been a major milestone in every area in which it has emerged. In cinema and television, in...

The full-color breakthrough.(Advertorial)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Full-color printing with high-speed throughput and at low cost was not available until May 2000. Before that, the cost of digital color punting for high volume printing, such as direct mail and bills and statements, was extremely steep. ...

Eliminate pre-printed forms--and save.(Advertorial)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Many service providers still print their monthly bills and statements in conventional black and white on pro-printed forms. It's an expensive approach that involves multiple steps and inventory and postal costs. By comparison, digital...

See the difference.(Advertorial)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... In this example, the operator consolidates its transactional data and marketing data into a single high-quality statement printed in full color for Mr. Jame Kimmet, a heavy mobile phone user with a high proportion of long-distance and roaming...

China's challenge.(One-To-One)(Interview)
October 1, 2003... China Unicom might be the PRC's only full service carrier, but it is still a classic challenger, strong in mobiles and long-distance but marginal by its lack of direct access to the customer. In his first press interview since his appointment,...

Asian carriers outperform the rest.(Global Carrier Index)
October 1, 2003... Asian telecom companies continue to outperform the rest of the global industry, with seven fixed or wireless carriers finishing in the top 15 of the inaugural Telecom Asia Global Carrier Index. Topping out the rankings, which compare the...

China's telecom challenge to US national security.(Telecom Forum)
October 1, 2003... Chinese authorities have been quick to act upon a series of unexpected opportunities for acquiring international telecommunications assets. Since the telecommunications collapse of 2001, Chinese buyers have purchased several large networks in...

3D DBS-based switches.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Direct Beam Steering)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Cambridge-based Polatis has expanded its product portfolio with the inclusion of new smaller scale switches based on the company's 3D Direct Beam Steering (DBS) technology. The products, scaling from low port count switches through to 64x64...

Modem for SDH, LAN, point-to-point.(Premiere: latest products and services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Pandatel is offering a 2-wire G.SHSDL modem that will help facilitate the setup of connections to SDH networks as well as LAN and point-to-point connections. The BM-G modem supports data speeds between 192 kbps and 2.312 Mbps at the...

MPEG-4 encoder for enterprise video.(Premiere latest products and services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Optibase's recently announced MPEG MovieMaker 400 is a hardware video encoder designed for organizations that want to implement surveillance, training, videoconferencing and business TV solutions. With its small form factor, the video...

3G platform with grunt.(Premiere latest products and services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NEC has developed an advanced SGSN/GGSN product whose transmission capacity is ten times larger than conventional 3G gateways. With 1.5 Gbps throughput, the new platform is designed to handle large-volume 3G applications such as video...

5GHz wireless for broadband access.(Premiere latest products and services)(Internet )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Motorola has unveiled a 5GHz wireless Internet access solution to bring Internet access to under-served and unserved markets in Asia. The Canopy solution is designed to provide high-speed data connectivity in the local loop. It is suitable...

High sensitivity GPS smart antenna.(Premiere latest products and services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Sarantel's recently-launched integrated antenna-receiver is designed for OEMs to build GPS into their end-products. Operating on the GPS L1-band (1575.42MHz), the SmartAntenna Fo2 module combines Sarantel's omni-directional GPS antenna with...

The telecom bust? Get ready for the next one: this may be the first great telecom bust, but it won't be the last. We've quickly evolved from low-risk utility model to a business of violate high fixed-cost, inelastic demand and technology uncertainty.(Telecom Corporate)
October 1, 2003... Telecommunications are a vital infrastructure underlying society, and hence the present downturn is a serious matter. Overall telecom capital spending is down by two-thirds since 2000. For the new entrants it fell from 61% of revenues in...

ITU Telecom World 2003: the world's leading telecom event returns to Geneva.(ITU Preview)
October 1, 2003... The world's largest and most important telecommunications event, ITU Telecom World, is coming back to Geneva, Switzerland, from 12 to 18 October. Event organizer International Telecommunication Union (ITU) expects this year's ITU Telecom World...

The future on show.(ITU Preview)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Visitors to ITU Telecom World 200 can expect to see the very fates equipment and service solution from leading carriers and vendor as well as innovative new players. Without doubt, one of the focal point will be 3G, where the worldwide...

Helping the world communicate.(ITU Preview)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The ITU Telecom World 2003 will feature forums and roundtables where delegates and conference attends will have the opportunity to thrash out some of the top issues facing the telecoms sector. This year's forum opening session, to be held...

Spotlight on youth.(ITU Preview)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... New to ITU Telecom World 2003's the forum activities this year is the Youth Forum, which is aimed at giving leaders of the future the chance to be involved in discussing and shaping future directions of telecommunications. This new...

Conversation.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... CONVERSATION: Watch what you say if you're a customer of US VoIP provider Vonage. The carrier's terms of use explicitly rule out any phone calls which contain "obscene, sexually explicit, profane, racially or ethnically disparaging remarks or...

Haven.(Backpage Briefing)(mobile phones)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... HAVEN: UK company Iceberg Systems has developed an application that turns off the camera app in mobile phones over a prescribed area. The app, Safe Haven, will disable the camera but leave all other functions in the phone working normally. It...

Piracy.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... PIRACY: The Recording Industry Association of America's fight against illegal MP3 file-sharing arguably hit a new PR Low last month when it launched 261 lawsuits against individuals who share music files on their computers. In a sign that the...

High-speed.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... HIGH-SPEED: While one motor sport is trying to stamp out race-time wireless apps, the other one can't get enough cutting edge communications. Formula One racing has slapped a ban on the use of real-time telemetry and remote monitoring,...

Security.(Backpage Briefing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... SECURITY: Despite the recent spate of worm attacks like Blaster and Sobig.F, as well as the general level of elevated security awareness since 9/11, IT security is still low on the priority list for enterprise IT managers--not because they...