Latest Blogs
Flurry of European network outsourcing announcements suggests turning point
If the last week is anything to go by running a network has become an increasingly optional component of a European mobile operator’s business.
In the space of one week we’ve seen four managed services announcements from European mobile operators. Four swallows don’t make a summer but it’s the calibre of the operators making these decisions that is just as significant as the number of contracts. Read more »
US mobile industry still robust despite doom and gloom
Is the recession forcing US mobile customers to drop their cell-phone plans en masse, and are the remaining subscribers switching from contract plans to prepaid? That’s what some critics contend, but industry metrics reveal that the economy’s impact on US mobile-subscription trends has been far less dramatic. Read more »
Global IPTV subscriptions exceed 20 million
According to research completed ahead of the IPTV World Forum, which opens at Olympia, London on Wednesday, Informa Telecoms & Media announces that global IPTV subscriptions reached the 20 million mark at the end of 2008. The 90 networks which have disclosed numbers to Informa Telecoms & Media account for 19.98 million subscriptions, and estimates for a further 20 networks take the total to 20.12 million. IPTV is now active in nearly 60 countries.
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Vodafone and Telefonica O2’s site sharing deal will go deeper over time
The deal announced by Vodafone and Telefonica O2 to share sites in European markets is just the first step to combining more elements of network infrastructure. The agreement announced today is less far-reaching than some had expected because it doesn’t cover actual equipment, such as base stations – that is, for now . . . Read more »
Ericsson looks to jump ship from SonyEricsson as handset vendor’s fortunes go from bad to worse
The news that Ericsson is reportedly considering jumping ship from its device-manufacturing joint venture with Ericsson will not come as much of a surprise to most of the industry. Ericsson is thought to be keen to offload the 50% stake to partner Sony, however given the imperilled financial state of the company, such a sale could prove difficult. Read more »
Australia’s NBN poker game reaches final round
Australia’s communications minister, Stephen Conroy, and Telstra are engaged in what feels increasingly like a high-stakes poker game over the country’s A$15 billion (US$9.7 billion) National Broadband Network.
When Conroy announced that the government would have already announced the winner of the contest to build and operate the NBN had the horrendous bush fires in Victoria not forced it to divert its attention there, he had a very small audience in mind for his comments: Telstra. Read more »
Voice won’t be Taiwanese WiMAX ops saving grace
The news that Taiwan’s yet to launch WiMAX licensees are badgering the National Communications Commission (NCC) to allow them to offer voice services alongside their mobile broadband offering is a sure sign that reality is dawning on the six licensees.
WiMAX operators demanding to offer voice services is nothing new, even South Korean giant KT has long argued – unsuccessfully so far - that it should be allowed to offer voice services in order to increase the attractiveness of its WiBRO network.
Read more »
Why IMS became a commercial disappointment
Vendors at this year’s Mobile World Congress were surprisingly quiet about IMS. After an initial marketing push that positioned IMS as the panacea for future service delivery and a means for operators to retain their coveted walled gardens, the acronym now seems to have entirely disappeared from vendors’ vocabularies.
So how did IMS fall out of favor, and are operators still deploying it?
Read more »
Can mobile TV become a ‘must have’ in a country like Iraq?
As operators and vendors bring out handsets featuring the latest applications dreamed up by technologists in their labs, the questions “nice to have, but would I want to pay for it?” and “what the hell for?” often spring to mind.
Read more »
Operators go twelve rounds but new ‘version’ of data roaming caps is still a defeat
Operators fought long and hard with European legislators in the hope of defeating the imposition of caps to data roaming tariffs, but in the end the vote by members of the European Parliament to approve a modified version of proposed caps on wholesale mobile data and SMS tariffs for subscribers roaming in the EU, will still be seen as a defeat. Read more »
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