CommsUpdate
TeleGeography's free daily email summary of the world’s top telecom news stories.
19 Jun 2013
FEATURE
Local access prices vary widely – even among major business centres
Local access circuits, which connect a customer’s building to its service provider’s local network point of presence (PoP), are a key factor in the total cost of enterprise communications networks,... more
WIRELESS
Magyar telcos call on govt to reverse plan to increase taxes
Dow Jones Newswires reports that telecommunication services providers and IT companies in Hungary have called on the government to halt plans to increase telecoms-related taxes in the country, amid concerns... more
Orange Senegal cuts cost of voice calls and internet access
Following a one-year consultation with its customers, Senegalese mobile operator Orange Senegal, a wholly owned subsidiary of fixed line incumbent Sonatel, itself a 42.30%-owned subsidiary of France Telecom-Orange, has announced... more
Mobile internet subs grew 11% in Q1 2013
Nigeria ended March 2013 with a total of 34.471 million mobile internet subscribers, up 11.4% from 30.939 million three months earlier. According to figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),... more
PTC, P4 belatedly receive 1800MHz spectrum
Poland’s Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) has announced that the winners of the 1800MHz spectrum auction earlier this year will be authorised to offer wireless broadband services nationwide, and have... more
Huawei chosen for Myanmar rollout
Chinese vendor Huawei has been selected to work with state-backed telco Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT) to expand wireless networks in the country, local news portal Eleven Myanmar writes, citing... more
Beeline Tajikistan calls on Ceragon for backhaul solution
Hardware vendor Ceragon Networks has announced a deal with Tajik mobile network operator Beeline Tajikistan. Under the terms of the agreement between the two companies, Ceragon will provide its Evolution... more
Vimpelcom Moscow tower sale gathers pace
Russian operator Vimpelcom’s plans to offload its mobile towers in Moscow is still on track, TMT Finance reports, with a series of prospective buyers expressing an interest in the portfolio.... more
MNP testing scheduled for September-November
Russia’s regulatory authorities plan to test the country’s planned mobile number portability (MNP) database between 11 September and 1 November, Prime business news agency reports. In accordance with laws introduced... more
FNB considering MVNO tie-up with Cell C?
South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) is in discussions with local wireless operator Cell C to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), MyBroadband.co.za reports. Citing ‘two independent sources’, the... more
Free 4G access for Vodafone users until end-October
Vodafone Greece has announced the full launch of its 4G LTE network – which has offered limited services since Q4 2012 – by offering LTE access at no additional charge... more
Max Telecom selects Nokia Siemens Networks to supply LTE equipment
Bulgarian WiMAX operator Max Telecom has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to build its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network overlay, with commercial services set to launch in the fourth quarter... more
Tech Mahindra and Surf Line ink USD20mn deal
Indian network technology and business solutions provider Tech Mahindra has reportedly wrapped up a USD20 million deal to deploy the network of new Ghanaian wireless provider Surf Line, the Hindu... more
BROADBAND
MTN unveils new range of WiMAX plans
MTN Cameroon, the local subsidiary of South African telecoms operator MTN Group, has officially launched a new range of mobile WiMAX tariffs for high speed internet access. The new ‘MTN... more
Mexico to launch Centenario satellite by mid-2014
Mexico plans to launch a new satellite designed to provide communications services to unserved rural and remote areas in the first half of 2014, BNamericas reports. It is understood that... more
NBN fixed-wireless rollout delays not due to network interference, minister says
Both NBN Co and communications minister Stephen Conroy have refuted claims by the shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull that the rollout of the fixed-wireless element of the National Broadband Network... more
PTS copper access report finds no discrimination by Telia
Sweden’s Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) has published a report on the oversight of markets for broadband network infrastructure and bitstream access in the first half of 2013, focusing on... more
WIRELINE
Togo telcos ink deal with Ministry to improve rural telecoms access
Togo’s incumbent fixed line operator Togo Telecom and mobile network operators Togo Cellulaire (Togocel) and Atlantique Telecom (Moov Togo), have inked an agreement with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications,... more
SPTC poised to re-launch fixed-wireless service
The Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Company (SPTC) has announced that the 50,000 users of its ill-fated ‘FixedFone’ fixed-wireless service will see the technology re-launched imminently, now that the controversial handsets... more
CORPORATE/FINANCIAL
Madagascar’s Telma mulls Comoros move
Madagascar’s fixed line incumbent, Telecom Malagasy (Telma), is understood to be holding talks over a possible entrance into neighbouring Comoros, where the African island nation’s government is currently holding an... more
Vodafone ups offer for Kabel Deutschland?
Vodafone Group has increased its preliminary offer for Germany’s largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland to around EUR7.5 billion (USD10 billion), according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter. Last... more
DoT calls for security matters to be considered for FDI changes; Telewings stake approved
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly called for the views of the defence and home ministries be taken into consideration regarding plans to lift the cap on foreign direct... more
Maxcom starts restructuring, capital injection talks with private equity firm
Mexican alternative fixed line provider Maxcom Telecomunicaciones has confirmed it is in negotiations aimed at restructuring its debt and arranging a capital injection, with the telco said to be using... more
Vimpelcom attracts ‘concrete’ buyer for unwanted African assets; Laos deal imminent
Amsterdam-based international telecoms group Vimpelcom is said to be close to concluding a deal to sell its assets in sub-Saharan Africa, TMT Finance reports, with U-Com Burundi, Telecel-RCA (Central African... more
True hires advisers for USD1bn infrastructure fund listing
Reuters reports that Thai quadruple-play telco True Corp has hired Credit Suisse and UBS as advisers for a planned USD1 billion infrastructure fund listing in Bangkok which could be launched... more
Rothschild to lead Numericable’s IPO
Cinven, Caryle and Altice Group, private equity owners of French cable company Numericable, have hired Rothschild to lead an initial public offering (IPO) of their jointly owned company on the... more
CTM takeover by Citic approved
Chinese state-backed Citic Telecom International Holdings has received approval from the government of Macau for its takeover of the territory’s incumbent telco Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM). Macau Business... more
MISCELLANEOUS
Viettel to pump USD33m into Viettel America Company
According to various Vietnamese media reports, the country’s prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung, has approved Viettel Group’s plan to set up a new US-based offshoot, called Viettel America Company. The... more
Congress is yet to approve Hondutel budget
Honduras' National Congress is yet to approve a budget proposal of HNL3.2 billion (USD157.8 million) for 2013 to keep afloat struggling state telco Hondutel, BN Americas reported. According to the... more
Viva secures USD270m for network upgrades
Kuwait’s third largest telco in terms of subscribers Kuwait Telecom Company (Viva) and National Bank of Kuwait Group (NBK Group) signed a multi-currency financing agreement worth USD270 million on 17... more