The America's Intelligence Wire articles from September 2007

The America's Intelligence Wire archives from September 2007

Friday.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Regions A REFUNDING PULLED FROM the market late last month by Texas' Spring Branch Independent School District may be back in the money today. If it is, officials say they could sell as much as $147 million of...

Michigan's Hard-Luck Plan.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Elizabeth Carvlin Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed a host of tax increases, including some on services, and some $300 million of spending cuts yesterday as she laid out plans for a $23 billion...

Puerto Rico Agency to Sell $1.75B.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Michelle Kaske The Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority Wednesday will sell roughly $1.75 billion of refunding and new-money revenue debt to help finance its construction program, a sale that...

SIFMA to Drop Suit After Connecticut Eases Law.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Lynn Hume Connecticut will no longer require the public release of the names of the principals of broker-dealers and other state contractors or their spouses and children under legislation approved by the...

In Brief: Jobless Claims Rise 3,000 to 311,000.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Lynn Hume First-time applications for state unemployment claims rose 3,000 to 311,000 in the week ending Feb. 3, according to data released by the Labor Department yesterday. The seasonally adjusted...

In Brief: Wholesale Inventories Decline, Sales Increase.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Craig T. Ferris Merchant wholesalers posted the first significant decline in inventories in nearly three and a half years in December, while growth in sales continued, according to data released yesterday...

Munis Unchanged; Treasuries Muted After Data.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Michael Scarchilli & Matthew Posner The municipal market was unchanged with a slightly firmer tone yesterday, while Treasuries showed a muted response to economic data. "If anything, I think some...

Colorado Gov. Ritter to Name Transportation Finance Panel.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Elizabeth Albanese Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter is expected in coming weeks to announce the members of a blue-ribbon panel charged with determining the slate of transportation funding tools available to the...

Airports: Proposal to Fund FAA Does Not Include Bonds.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Humberto Sanchez A White House proposal to renew expiring legislation that governs and funds the Federal Aviation Administration does not include a provision to authorize bonds financing the upgrade of...

Enforcement: IRS to Issue Preliminary Guidance On Excise Tax for Listed Transactions.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Alison L. McConnell The Internal Revenue Service plans to issue guidance in the coming months on the applicability of a new excise tax to tax-exempt entities party to "listed" transactions, according to an...

Transportation: Congressional Panels Criticize Plans to Cut Amtrak Funding.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Humberto Sanchez Two congressional panels yesterday criticized a fiscal 2008 White House proposal to cut funding for Amtrak to $900 million, a $400 million decrease from 2006, and lower funding for airport...

Texas School District Prepared to Come to Market With Deal After Delay.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Elizabeth Albanese A refunding pulled from the market late last month by Texas' Spring Branch Independent School District may be back in the money today. If it is, officials say they could sell as much as...

Chicago Lines Up $80 Million of Debt For Cash-Flow Purposes, City Colleges.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Yvette Shields Chicago plans this month to sell $40 million of general obligation tender notes for cash flow purposes and $40 million of GO bonds for the City Colleges of Chicago, finance officials said....

Moody's Removes New Orleans Hospital System From Watch List.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Tedra Desue Moody's Investors Service this week announced it was removing Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans from its watch list for a possible downgrade. The action affects about $318 million...

Yields: Weekly Indexes Decline as Economic Data Prompts Firmness.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Michael Scarchilli The Bond Buyer's weekly yield indexes declined this week, as a slate of economic data that was largely positive for bonds prompted firmness in the Treasury and tax-exempt bond markets....

Oklahoma City Mulls Private Partnership for Downtown Redevelopment Plan.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jim Watts Oklahoma City is considering a plan that would turn a rundown industrial area on the southern verge of downtown into a vibrant gateway into the city through a partnership with private...

Deal in Focus: Misplaced Drain May Trigger $100M'Judgment Deal' in California County.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal A major courtroom loss by San Bernardino County could soon result in a $100 million-plus bond issue to finance the judgment. The dispute stems from the construction of a storm drain and a flood...

Deal in Focus: Far West Invisible Supply.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Approval Underwriter Expected Issuer and purpose Amount* status choice sale date CALIFORNIA Golden State Tobacco refunding $4,000 A Bear Stearns/Goldman Feb./March Bay Area Toll Authority rev....

Visible Supply by State.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Feb. 8, 2007 Feb. 1, 2007 State Issues Amount Issues Amount Chg in Amt Alaska 0 $0 0 $0 $0 California 12 1,958,695,000 7 1,975,755,000 -17,060,000 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 0 Idaho 0 0 1 29,500,000...

Plain/Insured GO Yield Curves for Feb. 7, 2007*.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Oregon Aa3/AA-/AA- 3.62 / 3.62 3.72 / 3.70 3.87 / 3.85 4.20 / 4.18 Montana Aa2/AA-/NR 3.66 / 3.65 3.72 / 3.68 3.87 / 3.86 4.18 / 4.18 Idaho...

CALIFORNIA: S&P Critiques Budget Plan.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's initial budget proposal for fiscal 2008 contains both risks and rewards, according to a special report Standard & Poor's released Monday. The budget proposal...

CALIFORNIA: Cedars-Sinai Raised.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Moody's Investors Service Wednesday upgraded the underlying rating for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center revenue bonds to A2 from A3. The outlook for the Los Angeles hospital's debt is now stable....

CALIFORNIA: Health Board's New Faces.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday announced two appointments to the nine-member board of the California Health Facilities Financing Authority. The CHFFA serves as a conduit bond issuer...

CALIFORNIA: Santa Clara Moves on 49ers.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Although the San Francisco 49ers football team is about two months away from submitting a formal proposal on possibly moving from San Francisco to Santa Clara, the suburban city's Board of...

HAWAII: Eminent Domain Fight.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Sen. Sam Slom, R-Honolulu, is pushing a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban the state and counties from using eminent domain for private development. Slom's bill offers a local...

HAWAII: Plot Purchase Plan Pushed.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Sen. Mike Gabbard, R-Oahu, is sponsoring a bill that would authorize $50 million of special purpose revenue bonds to buy a 500-acre plot of land from the U.S. Navy. The decommissioned...

OREGON: Allen Eyes Arena.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Rich Saskal Questions over the long-term fate of the Portland Trail Blazers professional basketball team may be nearing an answer, after the team's owner announced Friday a letter of intent to buy its...

WASHINGTON: Transportation Ballots Set.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Investment District, greater metropolitan Seattle and Tacoma's road and rail authorities respectively, have...

Competitive Bond Offerings.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Letter F next to the issuer's name signifies the Official Notice of Sale is available on the internet! Go to www.bondbuyer.com A letter "P" signifies that a link to the POS is on the Bond...

Competitive Note Offerings.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Tentative dates for negotiated sales of $1 million or more. Letter F next to the issuer's name signifies the Official Notice of Sale is available on the internet! Go to www.bondbuyer.com A...

Negotiated Bond Offerings.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen Tentative dates for negotiated sales of $1 million or more. ISSUER ST DESCRIPTION AMOUNT ($000s) LEAD MANAGER FINANCIAL ADVISER INSURER MDY'S S&P FITCH FIRST APPEARED Friday, February 9...

Results of Negotiated Sales.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen ALABAMA Central Elmore Water and Sewer Authority Feb 1, 2007 $9,445,000 Water Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2007 (bank qualified) (book entry) Dated Feb 1, 2007. Due Jul 1, 2013 to...

Results of Competitive Sales.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen CALIFORNIA Oxnard School District Feb 8, 2007 $32,000,000 General Obligation Bonds Election 2006, Series A (book entry). Dated Feb 22, 2007. Due Aug 1, 2009 to 2036. Callable Aug...

Rating Changes.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jackie Cohen ISSUER AMOUNT CHANGE BOND ($000S) TO FROM NAME COMMENTS Alamo Community College District, Tex., rcombined fee revenue bonds n.a. AA-minus A-plus S&P Continued strong growth in tax base,...

Florida Schools: New Charter Oversight May Hurt Ratings.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Some Florida public school officials believe that their bond ratings could be damaged because an appointed commission now oversees the approval of charter schools. Local school boards in...

Municipal Market Data General Obligation Yields.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Aaa Aaa (pure) (ins) Aa A Baa 2008 3.60 3.66 3.66 3.71 3.87 2012 3.62 3.73 3.71 3.83 3.96 2017 3.76 3.87 3.85 4.00 4.13 2022 3.89 4.01 3.99 4.13 4.26 2027 4.00 4.11 4.09 4.22 4.32 2032 4.05...

U.S. Securities Prices.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Prices as of 3 p.m. ET. Source: GovPx Inc. Treasury Bills Yesterday's Prev. Day's Yesterday's (in percent of discount) Bid/Offer Bid/Offer Bid Yield 1M -- 3/8/2007 5.055/030 5.050/045 5.145 3M...

Short-Term Tax-Exempt Yields.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Feb 8, 2007 Feb 7, 2007 Feb 9, 2006 Selected MIG-1/SP-1+ Notes California Rans 4 1/2s (June 07) 3.50 3.54 3.22 Los Angeles Co Trans 4 1/2s (June 07) 3.50 3.54 3.22 Michigan GO 4 1/4s (Sept 07)...

Market Indicators.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Dollar amounts are in millions Day's 2007 2007 Daily Yesterday Change High Date Low Date Municipal Bond Index 116-15 +7/32 116-26 (1/4) 114-24 (1/29) 40 Average Dollar Price 100.80 +0.19 100.97...

Weekly Yields of 20-Bond GO Index and Treasury Securities.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Latest Previous Year 12-Month Week Week Ago High Low 20-Bond Index 4.21 4.31 4.42 4.71 4.03 10-Year Treasury Note 4.73 4.84 4.54 5.21 4.46 30-Year Treasury Bond 4.84 4.93 4.64 5.26 4.51 Basis...

Bond Buyer Indexes.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Average Municipal Bond Yields -- Compiled Weekly 20-Bond 11-Bond 25-Bond 10-Year 30-Year GO Index1 GO Index1 Revenue2 Treasury3 Treasury3 2007 FEB 8 4.21 4.15 4.53 4.73 4.84 1 4.31 4.25 4.59...

The Credit Calendar.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo MONDAY, February 12 The Treasury raises $1.010 billion at its regular weekly auction of three-month and six-month discount bills by selling $34 billion to replace $32.990 billion in maturing...

New-Issue Balances.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo (,000 Omitted) *Since initial reoffering +Revised upward since last report Amount Date NEW OFFERINGS Sold Balance $16,934 2/8 New Bedford, Mass. $16,934 All Sold 12,815 2/8 Vernon, Conn. 10,060...

Reoffering Yields.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo NRO - Not Reoffered; S.B. - Sealed Bid; SNA - Sold, Not Available Offer Amount Date ($Mil) RECENT OFFERINGS 1 Year 5 10 15 20 25 30 Aaa -- AAA 1/30 35.7 Travis Co., Tex. 3.71 3.86 4.07 4.42...

State and Local Government Series Rates.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Friday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Feb 2 Feb 5 Feb 6 Feb 7 Feb 8 Overnight* 3.98 3.98 3.98 3.98 3.98 Three Months 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.14 5.14 Six Months 5.15 5.14 5.15 5.15 5.15 Nine Months...

Municipal Bond Prices.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo These 40 Bonds are evaluated and priced daily by Standard & Poor's Securities Evaluations Inc. All figures are rounded to the nearest eighth when reported in this table. "Change in...

Municipal Bond Index.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Shelly Sigo Current Day Previous Day Week Ago Month Ago Year Ago The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index 116-15 116-08 115-10 115-24 114-15 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Maturity Par Call Dollar Conversion...

Northwest Airlines Reviews Aid Plan Offered by Twin Cities Airport Agency.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Yvette Shields Bankrupt Northwest Airlines said yesterday it was reviewing the aid package approved this week by the Minnesota Metropolitan Airports Commission that provides Northwest with $240 million in...

Connecticut Governor Floats $36B Budget Plan With $3.5B of Bonds.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Jonna Stark Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell's two-year, $35.8 billion budget plan calls for roughly $3.5 billion of bond-funded capital spending through fiscal 2008-09. Under the proposal the Republican...

Illinois Transit Authority Unveils Strategic Capital Proposal.
September 2, 2007... (From The Bond Buyer) Byline: Yvette Shields The Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois yesterday unveiled a long-awaited strategic proposal that seeks legislative support for $10 billion of capital investments over the next...

US - Verizon Wireless launches V CAST Mobile TV in Corpus Christi.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Verizon Wireless has launched V CAST Mobile TV in Corpus Christi, Texas. V CAST Mobile TV offers live shows and mobile television content 24 hours a day from several entertainment brands and enables customers...

US - NBC drops TV series from iTunes.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) US broadcaster NBC has decided to stop offering its TV series on Apple's iTunes downloads store. The company decided to not renew its licensing agreement with Apple, meaning shows from the upcoming season will...

US - JumpTV closes purchase of XOS Network.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) JumpTV has closed its acquisition of XOS Network, the Broadband Network unit of XOS Technologies, disclosed on 17 July. The consideration for the sale was USD 60.25 million in cash and up to 3 million retention...

Mexico - Cablestar to acquire most of Bestel in Mexico.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Cablemas, Mexico-based cable TV operator, has announced that Cablestar has signed an agreement to acquire the majority of the assets of Bestel, a Mexico-based privately held, facilities-based telecommunications...

US - FCC opens up long-distance market.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The US Federal Communications Commission is loosening requirements on local and regional carriers for offering in-region long-distance services. Currently fixed-line carriers like AT&T, Qwest and Verizon are...

Canada - Bell Canada launches HTC 5800 smartphone.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Bell Canada has launched the lightweight HTC 5800 smartphone. The device operates on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6, offering customers mobile access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook Mobile applications. The...

US - Net Insight to supply Nimbra platform to network operator.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) A media network operator has ordered Net Insight's Nimbra platform to upgrade its terrestrial media network. The equipment will be delivered during the third quarter of 2007. The Nimbra platform is a...

US - Megasoft completes acquisition of Boston Communications.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) India-based software services company Megasoft has completed its acquisition of Boston Communications Group. Upon the closing of the merger, all remaining outstanding BCGI shares are converted into the right to...

Dominican Republic - Indotel unveils video images system via cellphone.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Indotel, Dominican Republic telecommunications regulator, has unveiled a videoconferencing-type system in which cellphone users will be able to use Bluetooth technology to view images on their cellphone whilst...

Ecuador - Ecuador's Pacifictel sets up new works council.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Ecuador-based phone firm Pacifictel has set up a new works council, to be presided by Giancarlo Bermudez, reports El Universo. Maria Mercedes Toral is vice-president, Joquin Cortez is secretary, and Paola...

Venezuela - Venezuela sees fixed-line customers grow to 4.5 mln.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Venezuela had 4.5 million fixed-line customers at end-June, up from around 2.5 million in 2000, according to figures quoted by Jesse Chacon, the country's telecommunications & IT minister. The growth is due to...

Venezuela - Venezuela govt unveils protocol for DTT tests.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The Venezuelan government has made a public presentation of the protocol for tests on the digital terrestrial TV (DTT) standard in Venezuela. The tests will help to evaluate which standard to choose. The...

Colombia - Most internet users at Colombian telecentres see low incomes.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Of internet users at the Colombian communications ministry's Compartel telecentres, some 53 percent receive less than the minimum monthly wage, according to a study by Universidad de los Andes, for the...

Bermuda - Azea wins equipment, management system contract from C&W.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Cable & Wireless International has selected Azea Networks to provide its NX10 terminal equipment and management system service. The service will be used for the route which will link Bermuda with the US. This...

Canada - Canada's Datacom Wireless concludes Vigil GPS acquisition.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Datacom Wireless, Canadian specialist in mission-critical vehicle fleet management and theft prevention and recovery solutions, has completed the acquisition of substantially all the assets and business...

Peru - Peru govt compels telcos to retain emergency capacity.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The Peruvian transport & communications ministry (MTC) has issued a decree compelling all telecommunications operators to deploy emergency network capacity to ensure communication does not fail if there is a...

Brazil - Brazil to get first HDTV channel in November.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Brazilian thematic channel producer Globosat, owned by the country's leading broadcaster TV Globo, is to launch a High Definition pay-TV channel on November 1. The HDTV channel, the first of its kind in...

US - Zayo launches regional fibre-based service.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Zayo Bandwidth has launched a regional fibre-based service for tier two and three markets. Zayo has acquired two regional networks and will buy two more serving a total of 830 buildings with 8,400 fibre route...

North America - Subex Azure wins two OSS deals in North America.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) OSS services provider Subex Azure has won two new tier-1OSS contracts in North America. Subex Azure will deploy its Moneta Revenue Assurance software enterprise-wide to a US-based, tier-1 telecommunications...

Costa Rica - Costa Rica's phone cable theft rises to 650 cases in 2006.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The number of incidents of phone cable theft in Costa Rica was 650 in 2006, up from 29 in 2003, according to figures from Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). The theft has left communities isolated...

Canada - EastLink offers SMB internet security, adds Setana Sports.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Canadian cable operator EastLink has launched a new range of Internet Security Services for small and medium business (SMB) customers. These include anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and spam control...

Caribbean - C&W Caribbean launches faster broadband services.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Cable & Wireless Americas & Caribbean is providing upgrades in speed to its broadband customers throughout the region. Customers will receive service which is up to four times faster, with the lowest-end...

Canada - Nokia, Fido launch Nokia 6070 handset in Canada.
September 3, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Nokia and Fido have launched the Nokia 6070 handset in Canada. The device is a tri-band GSM handset with various messaging options. The device features a 65,000-colour screen, large keys, an integrated stereo...

Mexico - Digital TV transition in Mexico faster than expected.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The transition to digital TV in Mexico is progressing more quickly than expected, reports El Universal. The Mexican government has already made 36 'mirror frequencies', 20 percent higher than the set target....

US - Verizon Wireless unveils plans for senior citizens.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) US mobile network Verizon Wireless has launched the America's Choice 65 Plus calling plans for customers aged 65 years and over. There are two plan options available: America's Choice 65 Plus Single Line Plan,...

Latin America - Latin American satellite capacity to rise to USD 940 mln.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Latin America's market for satellite capacity is forecast to be worth over USD 940 million in 2012, according to a report from Signals Telecom Consulting. The growth will be helped by economic recovery in the...

Trinidad and Tobago - TATT issues request for proposals on free-to-air TV services.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) is adopting a competitive authorisation process for additional national, major territorial and minor territorial TV broadcasters. The process will...

Brazil - Claro to launch 3G before Christmas.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Brazilian mobile telephony operator Claro is working to launch its 3G network in time for Christmas, anticipating the tender that telecom regulator Anatel will announce by the end of the year. According to...

Dominica - C&W Dominica upgrades Xnet high-speed internet service.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Cable & Wireless Dominica has unveiled a number of enhancements to its Xnet high-speed internet service. The company has applied for approval of modifications which will raise the speed that residential XNet...

US - Siemens partners with Intecon.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Siemens Communications and Intecon have entered into a partnership that will enable each party to service customers in the public and private sectors. Intecon is a provider of information technology and...

US - INX acquires Select.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) INX has acquired professional networking services company Select. The acquisition closed on 31 August and was structured as a purchase of all the outstanding stock of Select by INX. The purchase price consisted...

Peru - Osiptel proposes payphones-to-mobiles charge in Peru.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) Osiptel, Peruvian telecommunications regulator, has proposed a PEN 0.50 per 40-seconds charge for all calls made from public payphones to mobiles in Peru. The proposal forms part of a project to set limits on...

US - MetroPCS proposes merger with Leap Wireless.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) US mobile operator MetroPCS has proposed an all-stock merger with rival Leap Wireless. The offer of 2.75 shares of MetroPCS stock for each Leap share values the company at around USD 5.5 billion, plus USD 2.0...

US - AT&T introduces mobile parental controls.
September 4, 2007... (From Telecompaper Americas) AT&T is introducing a service for parents to oversee their children's mobile phone use. AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless allows a parent to set usage limits on a child's talk time, text messages, instant messages...