CommsUpdate
TeleGeography's free daily email summary of the world’s top telecom news stories.
11 Mar 2013
FEATURE
Amazon’s Cloud Iaas and PaaS investments pay off
New data from TeleGeography partner Synergy Research Group show that cloud infrastructure service revenues grew 15% between Q4 2011 and Q4 2012 to reach USD12.5 billion. Thanks to its significant... more
WIRELESS
KT Corp to build LTE network in Rwanda
South Korea’s KT Corp has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rwanda Development Board to establish a public-private joint venture company. The new partnership will develop, construct and... more
EMT expects 95% 4G population coverage by end-2013
Estonian mobile network operator Eesti Mobiiltelefon (EMT) has revealed that it expects to offer its LTE-based services to 95% of the country by the end of this year. With the... more
Zamtel planning LTE rollout as its calls on ZICTA for 4G licence
Zambia Telecommunication Company (Zamtel), which operators in the mobile sector via its wholly-owned subsidiary Zamtel Mobile (previously known as Cell Z), is said to be planning the rollout of an... more
Nepal Telecom to launch nationwide IP CDMA network
Nepal’s state owned telecoms operator Nepal Telecom (NT) has announced it is rolling out an upgraded CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev A network across the country, under the banner ‘Sky Pro’, which... more
President Macky Sall hints at fourth mobile licence award
Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, has asked his government to ‘take practical steps’ to facilitate to launch of a fourth mobile network operator in the country. According... more
CTU cancels 4G tender after bids spiral beyond USD1bn
The Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) has cancelled its auction of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile frequencies after bids rose beyond the USD1 billion mark, prompting concerns over the competitive... more
Indonesian cellcos win 3G spectrum, paper says
TMTFinance reports that Indonesian mobile operators PT Telkomsel and PT XL Axiata have each won frequencies in the final phase of bidding for 3G spectrum by the Ministry of Communication... more
Vodafone Ireland to refund EUR2m to overcharged customers
Irish fixed and mobile operator Vodafone Ireland is to refund almost EUR2 million (USD2.6 million) to over 50,000 customers which were overcharged for using its premium-rate phone services. The billing... more
TRC to establish IMEI register
Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has issued a call for expressions of interest in developing a central equipment identity register, to maintain a list of legal (‘white’), illegal (‘black’)... more
Rostelecom claims third 3G launch through ZAO
State-backed telecoms giant Rostelecom has announced that it has launched its third commercial HSPA+ network in the Ulyanovsk Oblast, through its regional subsidiary ZAO. Dmitry Proskura, the head of Rostelecom’s... more
Barclays helming tower outsourcing deal for Vimpelcom
Barclays Capital is working with Vimpelcom on an outsourcing deal for the Moscow components of its mobile tower business. According to TMT Finance Barclays is understood to be arranging asset-backed... more
SSTL wins CDMA spectrum in eight circles
Russian-backed CDMA-operator Sistema Shyam TeleServices (SSTL), which operates under the MTS India brand, has won spectrum in eight circles for a total of INR36.39 billion (USD667.54 million) reports Reuters. SSTL... more
Umniah tests LTE network, Orange ‘not part of the game’
Bahrain-backed cellco Umniah Telecommunications has successfully completed technical test of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, AME info reports, citing the company’s CEO Ihab Hinnawi. The new network currently... more
MIC set for more tower deals in Africa
International telecoms group Millicom International Cellular (MIC), which provides wireless and broadband services throughout Africa and Latin America under the Tigo brand, has announced plans to ink further mobile infrastructure... more
BROADBAND
Airspan selected for WiMAX network deployment
Airspan Networks has announced that South Sudanese service provider RCS-Communication has selected its Air4G solution for the deployment of a 4G WiMAX network. ‘We made the investment to upgrade our... more
Regulator calls on Eircom to meet wholesale NGA launch date of 20 May
SiliconRepublic reports that Ireland’s telecoms regulator ComReg has reverted back the original target date of 20 May for the launch of wholesale next generation access (NGA) broadband services, from 8... more
Brazilian president issues call for USD50bn, ten-year investment in fibre
The president of Brazil Dilma Rouseff has asked the Ministry for Communications to draw up a national project designed to extend the reach of fibre-optic network infrastructure to all Brazilian... more
Lebanon, Cyta sign Europa cable construction MoU, Alexandros capacity agreement
Lebanon’s Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) and Cypriot operator Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) have entered into an agreement to share capacity on Cyta’s Alexandros international submarine cable subsystem linking Cyprus–Egypt–France, under... more
MTN plots IPTV launch by 2013/14
MTN South Africa expects to launch a commercial IPTV service by late-2013/early-2014 as it looks to expand its existing product suite, TechCentral reports. Managing director Karel Pienaar commented: ‘If you... more
WIRELINE
Tanzanian telcos ink UCSAF contract to improve rural access
A number of telecoms service providers in Tanzania have won a contract under the Universal Communication Services Access Fund (UCSAF), designed to help improve access to services in rural parts... more
Iraq’s ITPC selects Ericsson for network upgrade
The Iraqi Telecoms and Post Company (ITPC) has tapped Swedish vendor Ericsson to upgrade and expand its wireline network, paving the way for the state-backed telco’s transition to an all-IP... more
FCC orders telcos not to pay termination fees to Pakistan
US regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has instructed US telcos not to pay termination fees of more than USD0.020 per minute to Pakistani long-distance carriers, on the basis that... more
CORPORATE/FINANCIAL
Etisalat looking to raise USD1.2bn for network upgrades
Etisalat Nigeria, the local mobile unit of UAE-based Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), is seeking to raise USD1.2 billion in funding, with Citi and First Bank Nigeria leading the financing, according... more
TE reports lower EBITDA on increased salary costs and backdated interconnection costs
Telecom Egypt (TE) has published its financial results for the year ending 31 December 2012, with the fixed line incumbent revealing a year-on-year drop in EBITDA and net profit in... more
Vibo Telecom targets turnover of TWD8.2-TWD8.3 bln in 2013
Taiwan’s Vibo Telecom has said it is aiming to increase turnover to between TWD8.2 billion and TWD8.3 billion (USD277 million-USD280 million) in 2013, according to DIGITIMES, which cities the operator’s... more
Telia pressured to look at divestment in Central Asia, sources reckon
Swedish telecoms heavyweight TeliaSonera is under ‘political pressure’ to consider potential sales of assets in Central Asia worth up to USD8.5 billion, unnamed sources were quoted as saying by TMT... more
AT&T linked with 25% Reliance stake
According to Reuters, AT&T Inc is considering acquiring a 25% stake in India's Reliance Infocomm, which is controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The rumours, which originated with the Times of... more
MISCELLANEOUS
Orange keen to enter satellite TV market
Orange Romania CEO Jean Francois Fallacher has revealed that the company is considering entering the local satellite TV market in a bid to satisfy an upsurge in customer demand for... more