CommsUpdate
TeleGeography's free daily email summary of the world’s top telecom news stories.
4 Mar 2013
WIRELESS
Czech regulator to introduce symmetric MTRs from 1 April
Czech telecoms regulator the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) has opted to postpone the introduction of new mobile termination rates (MTRs) for Telefonica Czech Republic and T-Mobile Czech Republic by one... more
Telkom backtracks over 8ta withdrawal plans
In the wake of press reports suggesting that Telkom South Africa intends to phase out the ‘8ta’ name used by its mobile unit, the telco has issued a statement to... more
Zain to reinvest 15% of revenues in 2013 to deploy 3G network
Zain Iraq, the country's largest mobile operator by subscribers, has revealed that it plans to roll out a 3G network as soon as it receives the necessary spectrum from the... more
B-Mobile expands 3G footprint to new locations
Bhutan Telecom (BT) has announced that its subsidiary B-Mobile has extended its 3G network to encompass Rinchending, including the College of Science and Technology (CST), as well as the town... more
H3G Ireland publishes draft RIO document
Irish mobile network operator Hutchison 3G Ireland (H3G Ireland) has published a draft of its reference interconnect offer (RIO), pursuant to the national regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation’s (ComReg’s),... more
FNA’s mobile termination rate proposal blocked
The European Commission (EC) has suspended the mobile termination rate (MTR) proposal submitted by German telecoms regulator the Federal Network Agency (FNA, also known as Bundesnetzagentur), on the grounds that... more
MTS yet to agree LTE MVNO terms with Yota
According to an unconfirmed report by online portal Pre-paid MVNO, Russian cellular giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has yet to sign a formal mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) contract with Long... more
Regulator approves MNP draft regulations
Ukraine’s National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Informatization (NCCIR, or NKRZI) has announced on its website the approval of draft regulations on the provision of number portability (NP).... more
BROADBAND
80 illegal IPTV providers, says broadcast regulator
The National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting says that as of late-February 2013 it had issued 38 companies with a total of 55 IPTV operating licences, whilst... more
Dominica establishes IXP, DANIX
According to a report in the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, Dominica has become the latest Caribbean country to establish an internet exchange point (IXP), with the announcement that three local... more
Biznet to invest USD50m in internet and multimedia data
Indonesia’s Supra Primatama Nusantara, which offers fixed line internet and multimedia services in the country through the Biznet Networks brand, plans to invest about USD50 million to build a data... more
NBN Co calls on Arianespace for satellite launch
NBN Co has selected France-based Arianespace to launch the National Broadband Network’s (NBN’s) satellites into space in a deal worth up to AUD300 million (USD306 million) following a two-year procurement... more
National fibre backbone progress ongoing
Rwandan newspaper New Times reports that Broadband Systems Corporation (BSC) has begun offering fibre-based services for businesses and institutions in the country. Under the first two phases of the project,... more
WiMAX
NT finally launches WiMAX in far-west development region
MyRepublica reports that Nepal’s state-owned national PTO Nepal Telecom (NT) has finally launched broadband internet WiMAX services for business and residential users, in the country’s far-western development region. The telco... more
CORPORATE/FINANCIAL
Qtel’s annual profit climbs 12.6% on 6.2% revenue increase
Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has reported that its annual consolidated group net profit climbed by 12.6% in 2012 to QAR2.94 billion (USD807 million), up from QAR2.61 billion in 2011, on total... more
freenet exceeds full year guidance
German mobile service provider freenet has reported its preliminary results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2012, announcing group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of EUR357.8... more
Cyta privatisation a possibility, indicates new finance minister
New Cypriot finance minister Michalis Sarris has left the door open to the privatisation of national full-service telco Cyta to help pull the country out of financial malaise, reports the... more
Government abandons plans to sell 9% stake in BTC
Bahamian PM Perry Christie has confirmed that the government will not be selling any of its shares in incumbent operator Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), drawing a line under speculation that... more
Telekom Srpske reports 2% increase in net profit for 2012
Bosnia’s Telekom Srpske, which offers services under the m:tel banner, has reported what it termed ‘excellent business results’ for the year ended 31 December 2012, with the operator saying that... more
FT-Orange distances itself from Maroc Telecom speculation, outlines expansion plans
Elie Girard, France Telecom-Orange’s executive director of strategy and development, has revealed that the French communications giant is eyeing up deals for unspecified carriers in Togo, Burkina Faso and Benin,... more
Drillisch posts 20% rise in FY EBITDA
German mobile service provider Drillisch has announced its provisional consolidated financial results for the year ended 31 December 2012, reporting a 7.3% year-on-year decrease in revenue to EUR323.7 million (USD426.6... more
MISCELLANEOUS
DDC launches Tier 3 data centre in East Africa
The Djibouti Data Center (DDC), a joint venture between Djibouti Telecom and Djibouti Data Center SARL, a group of local and international investors, has announced the commercial launch of a... more