Europe Intelligence Wire articles from July 2007

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from July 2007

Romania - Orange Romania launches Business Start service plan.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Orange Romania has launched the Business Start service plan for business customers, costing EUR 4 a month. Customers get calls to five favourite Orange numbers anytime and to any Orange number over the weekend...

Spain - CMT defends Telefonica price margins to EU.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The CMT, Spanish telecommunications regulator, has said to the EU Commission that Telefonica is not shrinking the price margins of its rivals, reports Expansion. The CMT also said that the system deployed in...

Switzerland - Bakom plans independent arbitration post.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Switzerland's Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) plans to set up an independent arbitration post by 01 July 2008 to handle disputes between consumers and provides of telecommunications and value-added...

Croatia - B.net Hrvatska to launch one month earlier.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The merger process of the two biggest cable operators in Croatia has entered the final phase, one month earlier than expected. The result is that DCM and Adriatic Kabel will already be renamed B.net Hrvatska in...

Macedonia - MakTel to launch IPTV service in 2008.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Macedonian fixed-telephony monopoly Makedonski Telekomunikacii (MakTel) is planning to compete against cable operators, by offering a package of 40-60 IPTV channels, localised in the Macedonian language. The new...

Spain - Jazztel launches summer promotion offering free ADSL.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telecommunications operator Jazztel has launched an ADSL service which is free until October, offering 3 MB and 20 MB speed. Jazztel's offer is longer in terms of time period vs its rivals. The offer includes...

Netherlands - Tiscali Netherlands picks Digitalk for VoIP service.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) ISP Tiscali Netherlands has chosen the Digitalk Multiservice Platform in preparation for rolling out VoIP services. Tiscali will use the switching platform to roll out VoIP services for around 120,000 customers...

Spain - Telefonica, Yoigo in mobile infrastructure sharing deal.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telefonica has reached an agreement with Yoigo to share each another's mobile infrastructure. The move is aimed at improving the quality of the two companies' services and covering a larger number of customers,...

Slovakia - Nokia Siemens wins contract from Telefonica O2 Slovakia.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Slovakian mobile network operator Telefonica O2 has selected Nokia Siemens Networks as mobile network supplier. Under the framework agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks has provided a complete GSM, GPRS, EDGE radio...

Italy - Italian internet users reach 21.4 million in May.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The number of Italians using internet at least once during May totalled 21.4 million, with 8.3 million connecting from the office. The figures increase respectively to 22.8 million and 8.5 million if users of...

Greece - Vodafone launches ADSL services in Greece.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Vodafone has launched bundled fixed-mobile and ADSL packages in Greece, working with local operator HOL. The ADSL service offers speeds of up to 12 Mbps, with a basic package of 2 Mbps starting at EUR 18 per...

Germany - O2 Germany launches O2 LOOP Card summer promotion.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) O2 Germany has launched a summer promotion for its O2 LOOP Card pre-paid users. Customers buying an O2 LOOP card between 02 July and 30 September will be able to make free calls to the German fixed-line network...

Germany - Ecotel Communication acquires ADTG.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German business communications services provider Ecotel Communication has acquired ADTG Allgemeine Telefondienstleistungs, reseller of business communications services, retroactive to 01 January. Ecotel has also...

Macedonia - Cosmote, Nexcom win Macedonian WiMAX licences.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Greek mobile operator Cosmote and Bulgaria's Nexcom have been awarded national WiMAX licenCes in Macedonia. Cosmote offered EUR 1.5 million for the licence, while Nexcom's bid was for EUR 150,000, or EUR 50,000...

Germany - Vodafone Germany launches new HSUPA data card.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Vodafone Germany has announced the new Mobile Connect Card UMTS Broadband Express, a data card for notebook PC users that enables content to be downloaded from the internet at up to 7.2 Mbps. The card also...

Europe - EU gives spectrum priorities ahead of WRC.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The European Commission has laid out the EU's priorities for the next World Radiocommunication Conference, planned for 22 October to 16 November in Geneva. While EU member states negotiate individually at the...

France - Philips sells Ommic to Financiere Victoire of France.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Philips has sold its controlling stake in Ommic to Financiere Victoire of France for an undisclosed amount. Ommic develops and manufactures semiconductor wafers based on gallium arsenide technology for specific...

Europe - C&A launches self-payment checkouts with BT.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) C&A has launched two self-payment checkout stores from BT Expedite. Part of a renewed four-year contract worth GBP 2.75 million, the project will give customers more control over the payment process and speed up...

Sweden - Telia adds Wi-Fi to phone booths.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telia is establishing 700 new internet surfing zones in Sweden by equipping its telephone booths with fast wireless connections. The telephone booths will be transformed into surfing booths by equipping each...

Lithuania - TEO boosts international internet connection speed.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Lithuanian operator TEO has boosted the speed of its direct international internet channels by 1.5-times from 6 Gbps to 9 Gbps. Data from the national regulator shows the overall speed of the direct...

Czech Republic - Telefonica O2 CR prepares O2 Active promotions.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telefonica O2 Czech Republic (Telefonica O2 CR) has announced summer offers for users of its O2 Active mobile entertainment portal. Customers can use one news channel for free during July, or download two...

France - Phone House France announces summer mobiles.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Phone House France has announced a string of new releases for the summer, featuring the Sony Ericsson K7501 World Pocker Tour (WPT) handset. The EUR 199 phone comes with Texas Hold 'Em 2, animations and...

France - One in five French taxpayers files online.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) France's budget ministry announced that one in five French taxpayers now declares income tax online. Prompted by a EUR 20 tax rebate, the number of online tax form users rose by 30 percent to 7.4 million as of 26...

France - Priceminister launches WAP-based price comparison service.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French generalist e-commerce website Priceminister has launched a service allowing consumers to use their mobile phone to compare prices from their mobile phone with new or second-hand products. 01net reports...

Belgium - Belgacom TV launches 3rd season of football.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Belgacom TV's football channel 11 is launching its third season covering the local matches. From 3 August, subscribers will get two free matches per weekend as well as access to all the Saturday games on the...

Germany - 1&1 offers DSL/telephony packages without T-Com line.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German ISP 1&1 has started offering DSL/telephony packages without the need for a Deutsche Telekom telephony connection. The 1&1 Surf & Phone 2.000 Komplett package costs EUR 29.90 including a 2 Mbps DSL...

Europe - HTC develops P6300 PDA device for enterprise market.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Taiwanese smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) has unveiled the P6300 PDA device for the enterprise market. With the power of Windows Mobile, an intuitive, large 3.5-inch touch screen and various...

Italy - Vodafone Italia launches Vodafone Mail service.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Vodafone Italia has unveiled Vodafone Mail, a mobile e-mail service allowing users to manage the e-mail messages on their personal or corporate account directly from their mobile phone. Vodafone Mail offers users...

Netherlands - Bosch, Casema test alarm system.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Bosch Security Systems is working with Dutch cable operator Casema to test an alarm system running over Casema's telephony service. The partners looked at using Casema' network with the Bosch Easy Series alarm...

Germany - Strato offers mobile internet flatrate with DSL 3+ packages.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Freenet's subsidiary Strato offers all new DSL 3+ customers a mobile internet flatrate for EUR 9.90 per month. The offer comes with a BlackBerry Pearl 8100 device for free. The Strato DSL 3+ packages include a...

Germany - M-net offers 1.5 Mbps DSL/telephony pack for 33.90 a month.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German regional network operator M-net has launched a promotion for new DSL customers until 9 September. During that period, M-net offers customer who sign up for a MaxiKomplett package, a lower monthly fee...

Netherlands - Dutch hospitality industry adopts broadband plan.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The Dutch hospitality industry association Koninklijk Horeca Nederland has adopted a plan to help small businesses implement broadband ICT applications. The group is working with Nederland BreedbandLand, the...

Germany - Freenet doubles entry-level DSL speed for free.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German ISP freenet has increased the speeds of its DSL services without higher monthly fees. The bundled DSL and telephony offer freenetKomplett now includes 2 Mbps (instead of 1 Mbps) DSL connection, up to 1 GB...

Finland - Digita launches mobile TV service in Helsinki.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French broadcast transmission company TDF's Finnish subsidiary, Digita, has officially launched DVB-H mobile TV and radio services in Helsinki. Digita and its partners are broadcasting three TV channels and...

Germany - Regulator lowers DeTe's LLU, linesharing, leased line fees.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The German telecom regulator BNA has lowered three one time activation or transfer fees that Deutsche Telekom charges for access to its fixed network. From 1 July, the one time activation fee for the unbundled...

Netherlands - Net Insight upgrades media network for KPN.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) KPN Broadcast Services has placed orders to upgrade its Dutch media network. KPN's multi-service media network is based on Swedish networking equipment vendor Net Insight's Nimbra platform and has been...

France - Arcep publication on functional separation, annual report.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French telecommunication regulator Arcep has published a special edition of its newsletter in English on functional separation. The issue distinguishes functional separation from accounting separation, legal or...

France - French consumers not ready for all-in-one phones - survey.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French consumers are not ready yet for "all in one" handsets, according to a 1,000-person panel, aged 15 or older, suveyed in June by TNS-Sofres for Les Echos' Telecoms Forum. Some 36 percent prefer a single...

France - French court reduces mobile operators' collusion.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The French Court of Cassation has partially quashed a EUR 534 million fine imposed in 2005 for collusion by the Competition Council on Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom. Les Echos writes that the highest court in...

Germany - DeTe employees vote in favour of T-Service agreement.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Members of the services trade union ver.di employed by Deutsche Telekom who are switching to T-Service have decided with a 72.6 percent majority in favor of the collective settlement that had been hammered out...

Germany - Nokia Siemens Networks to cut 2,290 jobs in Germany.
July 2, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) As part of their negotiations, employer and employee representatives of Nokia Siemens Networks Germany have reached a first agreement. Following intense negotiations both parties agreed on the total headcount...

Croatia - Croatian bank offers package with T-Mobile tariff - report.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Zagrebacka banka (ZABA) in Croatia has launched a new service package called '1 FOR ALL' which includes the Mobil 100 tariff for the T-Mobile Croatia network, reports Croatia Today. The bank is offering Mobil 100...

Switzerland - Digital TV used by 13% of Swiss homes - survey.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Around 13 percent of Swiss homes use digital TV services, up from around 10 percent a year earlier, according to a survey by DemoSCOPE for industry group Swisscable. A total of 40 percent of respondents plan to...

Czech Republic - GTS Novera launches Novera managed office for SMEs.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Czech nationwide operator GTS Novera has launched the new Novera managed office service for SMEs to handle their internet connectivity security. Customers are provided with the features of an external mail server...

Portugal - PT loses 30 percent of voice traffic since 2000.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The Portugal Telecom (PT) group has given up nearly one third of its share of national voice traffic, measured in minutes, since 2000. According to the latest data published by Anacom for the first quarter of...

Italy - Telecom Italia wins MPS Group contract.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telecom Italia has been awarded the tender for the planning and realisation of a new integrated telecommunications network for Italian banking group Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS). The three-year contract, worth...

Germany - Vodafone Germany users can test DSL for three months.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Vodafone Germany is allowing customers to test its DSL service free of charge for three months. This promotion applies to customers selecting the DSL Comfort package by end-July. For three months, customers can...

Spain - Orange Espana launches new mobile data tariffs.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Orange Espana has launched a new mobile data service offering access to the internet at up to 3.6 Mbps. The company has also launched two products to allow access to the new HSDPA service - a card for the...

Hungary - Hungarian regulator to monitor EU roaming compliance.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The National Communications Authority (NHH) in Hungary will monitor compliance of Hungarian service providers with the new EU Directive on mobile roaming tariffs, which comes into effect on 04 July. The Directive...

Benelux - Belgium most expensive for mobile calls in Benelux.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Mobile calls in Belgium are 50 percent more expensive than in the Netherlands and twice the cost of calls in Luxembourg. The figures come from a study on the cost of mobile services in the EU, carried out by...

Europe - Patni acquires Logan-Orviss International.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) IT services provider Patni Computer Systems has acquired Europe-based Logan-Orviss International (LOI), a telecommunications consulting services company. The consideration includes a cash payment on completion of...

Spain - 90% of disabled people in Spain habitually use mobile phone.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Of disabled people in Spain, 90 percent habitually use a mobile phone, according to a joint study by Telefonica and Deusto University in Spain. Of disabled people who use a mobile, most do so because it offers...

Portugal - Vodafone Portugal gets approval for UMTS900 trial.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Portuguese communications regulator Anacom has approved a trial by Vodafone of UMTS900 technology. The three-month trial, which will see UMTS services offered in the 900 Mhz band usually used for GSM, runs from...

Germany - German online ad spend up 50% in H1 2007 - study.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Online advertising spend in Germany reached EUR 381 million in first half 2007, up 50 percent from EUR 253 million a year earlier, according to a study by Thomson Media Control for German industry group Bitkom....

Spain - Jazztel offers low-cost phone line rental charge in Spain.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Jazztel is offering a phone line rental charge of EUR 12.95 per month, claimed to be the cheapest such charge in Spain. Jazztel is also said to be offering the most competitive offer for ADSL users in terms of...

Germany - E-Plus lowers roaming rates for pre-paid users.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German mobile network E-Plus will lower its roaming rates for pre-paid customers worldwide from August. The new Prepaid International roaming model offers the new EU roaming prices, plus lower per-minute rates...

Scandinavia - Wipro eyes Nordic telecom operator business.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Indian software company Wipro aims to secure more business from Nordic telecom operators when they outsource IT operations, reports the Economic Times. In an interview with the media, P R Chandrasekar, head of...

Europe - Trustive launches unlimited Wi-Fi access plan.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) European hotspot access provider Trustive has launched a flat-rate Wi-Fi plan. The move comes in response to rival Bango's recent offer for unlimited worldwide access for a monthly fee of EUR 29. Trustive...

Turkey - Turkcell launches mobile internet portal using Volantis.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Turkish mobile operator Turkcell has launched its Turkcell-im mobile internet portal using Volantis applications. The Turkcell-im service allows subscribers access to a variety of mobile content via the internet...

Poland - Neostrada tp service is fashionable and desired brand.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) has been awarded a CoolBrand title from the Superbrands international organisation for its neostrada tp internet service. Superbrands designated neostrada tp as a fashionable and...

Poland - TP says Merrill Lynch report does not reflect its plans.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) has issued a statement relating to a report from Merrill Lynch, quoted by Thomson Financial News Agency, on alleged strategic plans of the company. TP says the information in the...

Germany - HFO Telecom launches mobile services.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) UPDATE German fixed and internet services provider HFO Telecom has launched mobile services as mobile service provider, using the network of O2 Germany. HFO Mobile will offer existing O2 services and mobile...

Europe - Consumer group calls for EU probe of DoubleClick takeover.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) European consumers group BEUC has called for the European Commission to investigate Google's proposed takeover of online advertising group DoubleClick, writes the Guardian. BEUC, backed by consumers in Germany,...

France - Resadia signs training agreement with Alcatel-Lucent.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French independent ITC integrators and resellers association Resadia has joined forces with Alcatel-Lucent for training purposes, writes reseaux-telecoms.net. New recruits will be trained by Alcatel-Lucent to...

Poland - TP buys back 2.09 million of its own shares.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) has purchased securities issued by TP as part of a share buyback programme launched on 14 June. Between 25 and 29 June, TP purchased 2.09 million of its own shares at a par value of...

Malta - Malta's GO Mobile launches new offers for summer.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) GO Mobile has unveiled new offers for summer 2007, including free calls, free SMS, free MMS and free video-calls. People who are already pre-paid subscribers will receive free SMS upon topping up with MTL 10 -...

Luxembourg - Luxembourg mobile revenues up 8.91 percent in 2006.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Luxembourg's mobile revenues rose by 8.91 percent to EUR 247.8 million in 2006, compared to a 16.1 percent rise to EUR 227.5 million a year earlier, according to regulator ILR. Voice and data communications...

Luxembourg - LuxGSM announces new tariffs, streaming TV.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Luxembourg mobile operator LuxGSM has announced new tariffs and updates on its streaming Mobile TV and HSDPA services. The new Relax tariff is based on a EUR 10 basic subscription offering unlimited on-net calls,...

Czech Republic - T-Mobile CR to launch EU add-on roaming tariff.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) T-Mobile Czech Republic (T-Mobile CR) will launch a roaming tariff conforming to new EU requirements on 01 August. This EU add-on will allow its customers to make calls from all 27 EU countries at favourable...

Germany - Kabel BW launches CleverKabel 10 promotion.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German cable network operator Kabel BW has launched a promotion for its bundled offer CleverKabel 10. Until the end of August, new CleverKabel 10 customers receive a start credit of EUR 25 plus a free...

Bulgaria - M-Tel launches SMS parking permit service in Sofia.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Bulgarian mobile operator Mobiltel (M-Tel) has launched an SMS parking payment service in Sofia. The first zones where customers can pay for parking using their mobile phones are the Alexander Nevski Cathedral...

Europe - Sipcall offers German, Swiss flatrate options.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) VoIP services provider sipcall has launched a flatrate option for its Swiss and German customers. The sipcall flat national option offers unlimited calls to Swiss and German fixed networks between 19.00 and 07.00...

Luxembourg - Luxembourg fixed revenues grow 5.1 percent in 2006.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Luxembourg's fixed line operators' turnover grew slightly in 2006, with broadband internet and data transmission services offsetting a fall in switched networks, according to regulator ILR. Fixed revenues rose...

Netherlands - Amsterdam library picks Alcatel-Lucent for IP-network.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The public library in Amsterdam has picked Alcatel-Lucent's to connect 28 branches in the city and 43 branches in the region via an IP network. Alcatel-Lucent will provide project management for the multi-vendor...

Netherlands - Arnhem to sign fibre roll-out agreement with GNEM.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The Dutch city of Arnhem and Fibre Network Exploitation Society GNEM will sign a letter of intent on 4 July. Under the agreement, the parties aim to roll-out fibre-optic connections to all houses in Arnhem, some...

France - SFR to launch music downloads without copy protection.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) SFR has announced that it will be the first French operator to launch a music download service without digital rights management (DRM) copy protection. The service, to be available on mobile phones and PCs in the...

Germany - Freenet investigates possibilities to sell - report.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German telecom service provider Freenet has contacted Morgan Stanley to investigate the possibilities of selling the company, report German newspapers Handelsblatt and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung citing...

France - Google tops website visits in France, eBay visitors up 7%.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Google sites had the most unique visitors in France in May, up 1 percent in one month to 17.81 million, according to comScore. Out of a total of 26.72 million internet users, Microsoft sites had 16.22 million...

Germany - Gematik deploys Cisco Healthcare Router.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The German association for telematics application for the healthcare cards, gematik, is deploying Cisco Healthcare Router, after a successful test period. The router will be deployed in the official test region...

France - Orange France signs Rewind TV deal with France Televisions.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Orange France has signed an exclusive partnership with public broadcaster France Televisions to provide a service called "Rewind TV" to its TV, PC and mobile TV customers by the end of the year. The multi-year...

Portugal - Portugal Telecom to launch EUR 750 million bond issue.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Portugal Telecom intends to make an offering of up to EUR 750 million in exchangeable bonds due 2014 to Portuguese and international institutional investors. The exchangeable bonds will be issued by Portugal...

France - France Telecom raises line rental price.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) For the third time in three years, France Telecom's line rental fee increased, by EUR 1 as of 3 July. The increase in rental fee is one of the factor's that has allowed the company to stem the loss of fixed-line...

Germany - NextiraOne deploys Alcatel-Lucent equipment in Estrel Hotel.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) European ICT systems integrator NextiraOne has enabled Berlin's Estrel Hotel and Conference Centre to further extend services to guests and delegates with a new telecommunications infrastructure. The new network,...

Germany - 1&1 switch to QSC to cause loss of mlns of DeTe DSL users.
July 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Deutsche Telekom is facing the loss of millions of DSL customers, because one of its largest DSL resale customers 1&1 has started marketing DSL connections from German DSL network operator QSC, reports German...