Europe Intelligence Wire articles from November 2007

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from November 2007

Norway - Tele2 Norway deploys CellVision's mBOSS Self-Care system.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Tele2 Norway has chosen CellVision's mBOSS Self-Care solution to enable customers to view the coverage of its MVNO network via its website. The coverage maps delivered to Tele2 form part of the CellVision mBOSS...

France - French ISPs protest law on free help lines.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French ISPs have written the government to protest its plans for legislation to limit the cost of customer help lines. The government is expected to propose in December consumer legislation requiring free waiting...

Czech Republic - Vodafone Czech Republic expands handset portfolio.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Vodafone Czech Republic has added two mobile devices to its portpoflio: the LG KU380 and Samsung L400V handsets. The Vodafone live! LG KU380 costs CZK 3,977 including VAT, with the Loaded 700 tariff it can be...

France - NordNet revamps broadband packages.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French ISP NordNet has revamped its broadband packages, offering higher speeds. Its basic package offers internet at up to 18 Mbps for EUR 24.90 per month, or EUR 29.90 to include a wireless router. The Confort...

Eastern Europe - CME revenues grow 55%, net loss is USD 18.8 mln.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) TV broadcasting group Central European Media Enterprises (CME) reports a 55 percent increase of revenues to USD 174.8 million in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2006. The operating...

Ireland - Eircom reaches half million broadband customers.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Irish incumbent Eircom has announced the milestone of 500,000 broadband subscribers. The 500,000th customer was given a year's free subscription and will also be the first to trial the operator's new 12 Mbps...

Bulgaria - Bulgaria to have mobile number portability in 2008 - CRC.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Bulgarian mobile phone users will be able to take their number to another mobile operator from 1 January 2008, according to Valentin Haralambov, deputy chairman of the Bulgarian telecommunications regulator CRC...

Greece - On Telecom raises EUR 16 mln.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Greek operator On Telecom has raised EUR 16 million through the issue of a five-year convertible loan. Arranged by Proton Bank, the loan will be used for ON Telecom's investment plan. After launching commercial...

Bulgaria - BTC revenues grow to BGN 245.1 mln, net profit drops.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Bulgarian telecommunications operator BTC reports revenues of BGN 245.1 million for the third quarter of this year, compared with BGN 244.2 million in the same period in 2006. The revenues during first nine...

Turkey - Avea picks Alcatel-Lucent for IP network.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Alcatel-Lucent has won a contract from Turkish mobile operator Avea to start migrating voice, signaling and networking services onto a IP/MPLS-based network built with Alcatel-Lucent equipment. The converged...

Germany - 3U Telecom starts trading as 3U Holding to reflect strategy.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German fixed network services provider 3U Telecom has started operating under the new name 3U Holding. The change of the name reflects the strategic reorientation to become a management- and investment holding...

Germany - Jamba! lowers mobile data tariff to EUR 0.49 per MB.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German mobile discount service provider Jamba! has send a SMS message to its users to announce a decrease of its mobile data tariff, reports teltarif.de, which also received confirmation from Jamba!'s press...

Spain - BBVA cuts stake in Telefonica to 5.47%.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Spanish bank BBVA has cut its stake in dominant telephony operator Telefonica to 5.47 percent. In a statement to the US stock exchange regulator, the SEC, BBVA said it sold 73.34 million shares, the equivalent...

Portugal - PTM entrusts new identity to My Brand.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The CEO of PT Multimedia, Rodrigo Costa, has decided to entrust to My Brand the task of defining the future brand and institutional image of the cable operator. The marketing consultancy will design the entire...

Italy - 3 Italia inaugurates new TV studios in Milan.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Italian mobile media company 3 Italia has inaugurated its new TV studios in Milan, what it claims are the most technologically advanced in the country. The structure hosts two recording studios for the...

Austria - Mobilkom austria unveils Christmas promotions.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Mobilkom austria has unveiled the Christmas promotions for its prepaid (B-Free) and postpaid (A1) customers. A1 customers receive a voucher for call credit with a value up to EUR 100 if they sign a 24 months...

Netherlands - Quarter of Dutch internet users make VoIP calls.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Around one-quarter of Dutch internet users make VoIP calls, according to the Central Bureau for Statistics. That includes users of online programmes such as Skype and MSN Messenger for internet telephony. Two...

France - Free SIP users lose international service, get huge bills.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French ISP Free's SIP telephony customers have been unable to make international calls for several days, writes UniversFreebox. A few subscribers have been asked to pay bills of over EUR 800 and a number report...

Romania - Orange Romania launches fixed telephony service.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Orange Romania has launched a bundled telephony/broadband service targeting business and residential customers. The so-called Home & Office Packs provide fixed line telephony and broadband internet access via...

France - Apple, wholesalers stop two French iPhone vendors.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Apple and its wholesalers have forced the two main unauthorised vendors of the iPhone in France to stop selling unlocked versions of the touchscreen smartphone, writes ZDNet.fr. Phneandphone stopped selling the...

Switzerland - Swisscom upgrades network to HSPA, 90% coverage in 2008.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Over the coming months, Swisscom will expand its mobile data network, in a series of stages starting with upgrading its complete network to HSPA, offering up to 7.2 Mbps for receiving and up to 1.4 Mbps for...

France - Manche Telecom to build two FTTH networks in Northern France.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Manche Telecom will deploy two FTTH networks with 26,000 connection points before 1 September 2009 in Cherbourg and Saint-Lo. Half of the residents of the two cities will have access to PONs offering 50 to 100...

Netherlands - KPN to face limits on T-DAB spectrum.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Dutch operator KPN should not be allowed to acquire all three of the T-DAB frequencies to be auctioned next year, market regulator Opta said in its advice to the government. Ahead of the auction, the economic...

Germany - Court orders Arcor to stop calling former call-by-call users.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) The state court in Frankfurt am Main has ordered Vodafone's German fixed network operator Arcor to stop calling one time users of its call-by-call service as part of marketing campaigns. The court case was...

Croatia - B.net Croatia increases internet access speeds.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Croatian telecom operator B.net has announced it will nearly double the access speeds for all broadband customers during the month of November. Users of the basic flat-rate package Mistral Light will see their...

Spain - Abertis becomes leading shareholder in Hispasat.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Spanish infrastructure provider Abertis has become the leading shareholder in the Spanish satellite operator Hispasat. Through its telephony subsidiary Abertis Telecom, the group is buying stakes from Enfaseca...

Germany - Ewe Tel offers discount of DSLmini package.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German regional telecom operator Ewe Tel offers its DSLmini package for EUR 24.90 per month instead of the usual EUR 29.80 to customers, who sign up before 28 November. Ewe Tel's DSLmini package includes an...

Slovenia - Tusmobil starts operations in Slovenia.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Slovenia's third mobile operator Tusmobil starts providing mobile telephony services on 31 October. Until it completes its own network, it will use a roaming service from the country's biggest operator Mobitel....

Europe - Meetic to provide dating service across AOL Europe portals.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French-headquartered online dating group Meetic has signed a partnership agreement with AOL to become the exclusive dating website for various AOL portals across the continent. All of Meetic's services will be...

France - Safran trade union call strike to protest sale of comms unit.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French high tech conglomerate Safran's trade unions have called a strike on 8 November to protest the planned sale of the Sagem Communications subsidiary to US investment fund Gores Group, writes AFP. An...

Germany - Debitel starts marketing Vybemobile's tariff.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) German mobile service provider Debitel has started offering the tariffs from German mobile music service Vybemobile. Vybemobile's Top 10 tariff includes 10 free mobile music downloads from the vybe top charts...

Bulgaria - BTC launches ADSL-based video surveillance service.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Bulgarian telecommunications operator BTC has launched a IP video surveillance service for its residential customers. The service is called BTC ADSL Eye and includes an IP camera connected to the user's ADSL...

Europe - AFP sells 85% of satcom unit Fileas to Telespazio.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Agence France-Presse (AFP) has sold 85 percent of satellite telecommunications subsidiary Fileas to Telespazio. The remaining 15 percent will be kept by AFP. Telespazio said that the acquisition came within the...

Italy - Fastweb net loss narrows, revenues reach EUR 1.07 bln.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Swisscom subsidiary and Italian broadband network operator Fastweb saw its revenues for first nine months of this year grow by 19 percent to EUR 1.068 billion, compare with the same period in 2006. Business...

France - SFR launches international pilot for border region residents.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) French mobile operator SFR has launched a transfrontier pilot service called "Pass-frontieres" aimed at French residents who live in the border regions with Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg or Belgium, and...

France - Google, Microsoft, Orange top September web visits in France.
November 1, 2007... (From Telecompaper Europe) Google was the most visited website in France in September, with 18.9 million unique visitors, reaching 69 percent of the total French internet audience, reports comScore. It was followed by Microsoft Sites,...

Oddbins to Nicolas switches complete.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Castel has completed its conversion of selected Oddbins stores to the Nicolas fascia. The specialist retailer's estate now stands at 173 Oddbins shops and 82 branches of Nicolas, said Oddbins sales director Andy...

Shops face hardline stance on tobacco.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Rebecca Evans Shops could be banned from selling cigarettes for up to a year in the government's toughest crackdown yet on under-age sales. Magistrates are to be given powers to stop shops selling...

In Brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Teenagers threaten assistant A teenager threw a bottle of wine at a shop assistant's head before stealing alcohol from the store. The youth, who is thought to be about 15, entered the Threshers in Basingstoke with...

Diageo takes new tack in TV ad push for sensible drinking.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Rebecca Evans Diageo is planning a another burst of responsible drinking TV ads this month, this time focusing on both the "positives and negatives" of alcohol. While details have not yet been...

Times ranks Booze 30th in its class.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Bargain Booze is Britain's 30th-largest mid-market private company, according to the Sunday Times Top Track 250 league table. With annual sales of AGBP336 million to April 2006 , the Crewe-based franchised...

No bargain beers from web blunder.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Asda almost topped all price deals on beer last week when an error on its website meant it was offering bottles for just half a penny each. For 12 hours, the retailer was offering 20 packs of Heineken for 10p,...

Be a part of what makes OLN tick.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Would you like to review new products for OLN? Share your opinion on the latest hot topic? Sign up to OLN's reader panel and you could feature in our news pages, regular features and on our website at...

Holter on the loose.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Negative licensing for tobacco retailing has some sort of logic to it, but we should be worried about the detail of the scheme - which basically assumes that anybody is responsible enough to sell cigarettes until it...

Lobby MPs to make supermarkets put brakes on.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) I agree with the theme of the letter from John Hesketh (OLN, Oct 19) that there isn' a level playing field between what supermarkets sell and what is distributed to the off-licence/convenience/independent sector....

EU wine must change its ways.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) The Commission has put forward serious and long-overdue proposals for reform of a wine sector which faces ever-increasing competition from New World producers. The present system is not only a burden on the EU...

Sainsbury's shake-up 'madness'.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Taking out buying headcount in a supposed "destination" category where your major competitor is doing the exact opposite seems madness (Sainbury's new-look BWS team, OLN, Oct 19). It is simply about cutting...

Let the festive numbers games begin.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Last year, about this time, I wrote about the crucial importance of Christmas to the drinks trade. Given that the festive season is rapidly approaching, I thought it appropriate to look at last year's article again....

The good, the bad and the plain disgusting.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) I like to think that being a retailer makes me a good customer. Whenever I buy anything elsewhere, I try to be polite, friendly and, although I make sure whoever is serving me remembers who is the customer and where...

Buying into the enemy within.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Being caught out by a test purchase organised by your own employers may be the off-trade equivalent of being shot down by friendly fire. But with the stakes so high in drinks retailing and Trading Standards stings...

Opting for a traditional look.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Q Recently a customer entered the shop who was clearly plastered. A younger assistant was about to sell him some whisky when I intervened and told the man we could not serve him. After the predictable abuse and...

Am I entitled to help clearing graffiti?
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Q The side wall of my shop is constantly covered in graffiti. It seems that as soon as I clear it off, more reappears. It's got to the point where I can' be bothered to wast e my time painting over it. Am I entitled...

the forum.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Q I have a customer who clearly knows very little about wine but loves to stop and talk nonsense about the subject. Should I pick him up on his errors or just tolerate his factual inaccuracies? A We all have...

Health coalition calling for even higher duty on drinks.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Laura Clark Retailers and trade bodies have attacked calls by a lobbying group for an increase in alcohol duty. The push by the Alcohol Health Alliance - a coalition of health organisations and...

Western Wines faces packaging fine.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) A hefty fine could be imposed on representatives of Western Wines for a breach of packaging recycling standards. Representatives of the company failed to meet the Environment Agency's new rules on packaging,...

Global beer industry watching S&N.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) As OLN went to press, the brewing world was waiting for the next development in the Scottish & Newcastle takeover saga. Last week, Scottish & Newcastle rejected a "highly conditional" takeover offer from...

In Brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Get the World's Best Wines The World's Best Wines 2007 is now available free to subscribers as a supplement to the current issue of OLN's sister magazine Wine & Spirit. it is also available to buy in branches of WH...

The harsh reality of the freebies.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Is wine journalism corrupt? The question may sound a little blunt, but a friend in Florida has just forwarded me something that appeared on the USA Today website which puts us hacks in the stocks, or whatever the...

Thresher revamps Radcliffe's and expands organic offer.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Rebecca Evans Thresher Group is planning to expand its Origin Organics range from eight to 12 wines. Head buyer Jonathan Butt, speaking at the retailer's recent winter tasting, said sourcing organic wine...

Niche Sardinian wines showcased.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) More than 30 Sardinian producers showcased their food and wines at the Sardinia in London exhibition last week. The event was organised by the Italian Trade Commission, and director Fabrizio di Clemente has promised...

News in brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) l Champagne Pommery has added two new products to its POP range especially for Christmas. Gold POP Vintage 2002 comes in a 20cl gold bottle with an rrp of AGBP12.99. A "Bling" gift pack featuring a 20cl bottle of...

Fetzer rewarded for fight to save planet.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Californian winery Fetzer Vineyards has won an award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the steps it has taken to help reduce global warming. Fetzer was one of 10 winners in the Organisation,...

Fantasy Rugby World Cup.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) England succumbed to South Africa in a pulsating climax to the Rugby World Cup 2007. A tournament full of outstanding performances and upsets closed with South Africa prevailing 15-6 against a rejuvenated England,...

Thierry's gift range puts it into words.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Thierry's has created a range of wines designed to be given as gifts. The range, called A Wine to Say, features messages such as Happy Birthday, Happy Valentine's Day and Thank You on the labels, accompanied by...

Get a taste for Tuscany as regions show off wares.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) More than 70 wineries from Tuscany will be showing a selection of their wines at the Tuscany Tasting later this month. Organised by the Toscana Promozione and the Italian Trade Commission, the event at London's...

Quality Fairtrade from Co-op.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Laura Clark The Co-op is launching what it says is the UK's first own-label reserve quality Fairtrade wine range. The pair - a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa and an organic Malbec from Argentina...

FSC first for private Spanish cork grower.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Spanish cork grower Oret Sybericultura Group has been granted Forest Stewardship Council certification. OSG is the first private producer to be awarded the certificate, in recognition of high standards of...

News in brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) l Blossom Hill is adding a drier style rosA to its portfolio to take advantage of growing interest in the category. The Blossom Hill Shiraz rosA will be launched later this month in the off-trade by distributor...

Light up the festive feast.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) If my local supermarket's display is anything to go by, Christmas started some time in early September, just after the official end of the barbecue season (which wasn' much cop this year in any case). The sale of...

VOX SHOP.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) "My personal favourite is a nice Scotch like Black Bottle . My least favourite would be Warninks advocaat. Why? I don' know, just the look I think. I've tried it once and I didn' like it ." Raj Bhambra Bodyfuel...

Thresher tactics may include shadowing rival Castel stores.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Rebecca Evans Thresher Group could follow rival retailer Castel around the UK, opening branches of Wine Rack in locations where there is a Nicolas , OLN has learned . The tactic is one possible...

Shop displays pictures of its 'most unwanted'.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) An off-licence plagued by drug-taking shoplifters is displaying CCTV images of unwelcome customers in its front window. The Hop Inn, a chain of four off-licences in Reading, has experienced a wave of problems at...

Watch out for suspicious bubbly.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Wine supplier Wine & Spirit International ha s warned retailers to be on the look out for suspicious sources of Maxim's Champagne. The company has been the victim of a fraud, in which an individual ordered a...

Saddle up for National ride.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Christine Boggis Scottish & Newcastle UK is giving 10 members of the public the chance to train as jockeys and ride in a charity race at the Grand National for the second time next year. This year's...

Peroni picks winners for promotions.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) The general manager of Makro in Nottingham has won a trip for two to Rome after wowing judges with a display for Peroni Nastro Azzurro. Jez Larkin and his team created the winning display from POS material...

Beer in brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) l Estonian beer Viru, which comes in a distinctive conical brown bottle, has had its label and case packaging redesigned. The new look features an art deco font on the label - harking back to 1918, when Estonia...

Aspall expands cider business to meet anticipated growth.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Emma Eversham Suffolk cider producer Aspall has announced plans to double the size of its business over the next five years to meet growing demand for premium cider. The company's site at Debenham...

Wine-sized bottle for Innis & Gunn.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Scottish brewery Innis & Gunn is launching its first wine-sized bottle for its original 6.6 per cent abv Oak Aged Beer. The 75cl bottle will be available from this month in Sainsbury's and Waitrose and will cost...

Big Apple takes Camra accolade.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) A Herefordshire group which promotes English orchards, apples and cider has won the Campaign for Real Ale's Pomona Award, which recognises groups, businesses or individuals who work to establish real cider and perry...

Pernod's Christmas belles.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Pernod Ricard is rolling out a series of ad campaigns, gift packs and sponsorship deals in the run-up to Christmas. Malibu will be supported by an outdoor poster push designed to encourage consumers to mix it...

Vodka spots opportunity to save cats.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Wildlife charity Snow Leopard Trust is to benefit from sales of Polish brand Snow Leopard Vodka. Created by Stephen Sparrow, former global vice president of Allied Domecq, Snow Leopard Vodka donates 15 per cent...

Coca liqueur will give a real 'buzz'.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Babco Europe is launching a Bolivian herbal liqueur in the UK. Agwa is made from coca leaves harvested in Bolivia and shipped to Amsterdam where they are distilled and blended with guarana and ginseng. Coca...

Peated interest growth catered to.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) Tomintoul Distillery has released two new expressions of its single malt. Joining the existing range of 10, 16 and 27 Year Old s is a single peated malt which will be branded: Tomintoul, The Gentle Dram With a...

In brief.
November 2, 2007... (From Off Licence News) l Bacardi is launching the second burst of its AGBP15 million global advertising campaign for Superior Rum. A TV ad designed to encourage consumers to mix Bacardi with cranberry juice will screen from now until...