TELECOM

Ofcom crackdown on BT line access

The European Commission has adopted a raft of proposals that will see Europe's telecommunications infrastructure dramatically shaken up.

China Telecom, together with its strategic partner IBM, successfully launched Innovation Works. IBM's Innovation Factory solution has enabled our researchers to be more productive in generating new ideas. We look forward to the next phase of collaboration.

Enterprise Computing, Personal Lifestyle, and Platforms.

Six of the world's largest telecommunications companies have officially launched a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a common mobile Linux software platform. Founded by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone, the LiMo Foundation is inviting membership and participation from application and middleware developers.Spread the word:digg this storyThe collaboration of giants now known as the LiMo Foundation was first announced in mid-June of last year. The group's goals and official name remained a mystery until today, while the sheer stature of the companies involved led to much speculation about their intentions.NTT DoCoMo is the world's largest telecommunications company, and indeed, one of the largest companies in the world. Motorola is the world's second-largest handset vendor, behind Nokia. Motorola, Panasonic, NEC, and Samsung may well rank first, second, third, and fourth in terms of the volume of Linux-based phones shipped to date. Thus, the LiMo Foundation could have the power to unify the Linux mobile phone market in a way that standards bodies -- and there are many working to standardize Linux for mobile phones -- can only dream of.The LiMo Foundation says it aims to create the "world's first globally competitive, Linux-based software platform for mobile devices." It aims to achieve this by defining:An API specificationAn architectureReferences to open source codeNew source code-based reference implementation components (to be developed and contributed by Foundation members)Specifications for referenced third party software

Vidiator Powers Hong Kong's Mobile Music Service By Rhonda WickhamJanuary 25, 2007 Vidiator, a provider of mobile multimedia solutions, announced that its Xenon Music is being used by PCCW to power a new music service — MOOV on mobile. The service provides customers with eight preset lists that refresh every 15 minutes on 3G handsets and allows them to compile their own playlists via a personal computer. The Xenon Music platform consists of Streamer Pro, Offline Encoder Pro and Live Encoder Pro with features that include enhanced encoding and streaming capabilities,billing and authorization interfaces and personal playlists with loop, shuffle and fast-track switching. This platform provides operators, content providers and handset manufacturers with the tools they need to create and launch advanced 3G multimedia services such as music, TV and on-demand video and audio. The Xenon Platform supports 3GPP standard streaming to be compatible with any standard mobile device.

Verizon Rejected iPhone Deal, Prior To Cingular Posted by Rafat Ali Sun 28 Jan 2007 08:02 PM PST Time will tell whether Verizon made a huge mistake, or was rational: Verizon Wireless passed on the chance to be the exclusive distributor of the iPhone almost two years ago, balking at Apple’s rich financial terms and other demands, this USAT story says, quoting Jim Gerace, a Verizon Wireless VP. Among other things, Apple wanted a percentage of the monthly cellphone fees, say over how and where iPhones could be sold and control of the relationship with iPhone customers, the story says. All of these have been agreed to by Cingular, at least in parts. The problem on distribution control? While Apple and Verizon stores would have it, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and other Verizon distributors could have been left out. “That would have put our own distribution partners at a disadvantage” to Apple and Verizon stores, Gerace said. Customer care responsibilities were also a big hitch.

 Like this report? See more from News Bulletins27-01 Titan Inds: Diamonds to drive margins  27-01 Man Inds' order book at Rs 1300 cr  27-01 Holcim eyeing 10-12% growth in India    Editor's Pick 25-01 Is this the end for STAR TV? 24-01 Mira Nair to direct 'Shantaram' 24-01 Get rich: Get, Set, Go-al 25-01 How Mr. Singh lost Rs 24 lakh 22-01 Woman, make money matters clear  Latest Stories 29-01 Aditya Birla Nuvo Q3 net profit at Rs 52.7cr 29-01 Dishman Pharma Q3 net at Rs 48 crore 29-01 Simplex Infra Q3 net profit at Rs 17.3cr 29-01 Accumulate Nagarjuna Construction: Emkay 29-01 IVRCL Q3 net profit at Rs 32.1cr International telecom players are dialing into the Indian long distance telephony market. With the entry of big names like AT&T, British Telecom and Verizon, the sector is set for an explosive growth. Domestic players may soon start feeling the heat.   Calling in on corporate India now are international telecom operators like Verizon, AT&T and British Telecom. They are all set to offer international long distance telecom services to their global clients with dedicated set-ups in India.   Industry watchers say this new competiton to existing players like VSNL, Bharti and Reliance will help improve quality of service. But this may not result

The Tokyo-based mobile carrier, which is Japan's largest by subscribers, said in a press release the two companies will invest in Fidatone Mobile Technology and Service Co. to enter the corporate mobile solutions market in China. -By Jay Alabaster, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2929; jay.alabaster@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires

Verizon 4Q Profit Drops 38 Percent; Wireless Sales Up; Data ARPU Increases 63 Percent Posted by David Kaplan Mon 29 Jan 2007 08:58 PM PST Updated below, with details from conference call: Verizon (NYSE: VZ) on Monday reported a 38 percent drop in 4Q profit after divesting several businesses, but the telco added 2.3 million net wireless subscribers during the last three months of 2006. Including the 2.3 million net customers added, the company’s Verizon Wireless business saw its U.S. subscriber base reach 59.1 million, up 15 percent from the same time a year ago. Other highlights included: -- The telecommunications giant had net income of $1.03 billion, or 35 cents a share, for the quarter, down from $1.66 billion, or 59 cents a share, a year ago. -- Verizon’s broadband FTTP network—over which customers receive FiOS Internet and FiOS TV services—passed a total of more than 6 million premises by the end of 2006. -- Revenue in the latest quarter rose 26.1 percent to $22.6 billion. -- On the data side (which includes mobile content, among other things) revenues doubled over the previous year, contributing $4.5 billion in revenues in 2006.  In Q406, data revenues were 15.8 percent of all service revenues, up from 9.8 percent in Q505.  Data service ARPU in Q4 increased by 63 percent over the year-ago quarter.  The company had 34.3 million retail data customers in December—a 44 percent increase over Q405. -- Data made up $7.91 of total service ARPU, up substantially year over year, and $0.75 sequentially. -- About 35% of data revenue comes from business-focused applications. Revenues from its Internet access and e-mail products increased 120% year over year, and more than 50% of its data revenue growth comes from services other than messaging, primarily EVDO-based. -- During Q4, Verizon Wireless customers exchanged 17.7 billion text messages—which it says is a company and industry record (not sure why they claim that)—and 353 million picture/video messages.  Customers also completed more than 78 million downloads of games, ringtones, ringback tones and exclusive content.

tch) -- Verizon Communications plans to move more aggressively in 2007 to sign up customers for its new fiber-television se

SK forecasts 2007 revenues up at KRW 11 trillionPublished: Monday 29 January 2007 | 02:11 PM CET Print | Comment | Mail South Korean mobile operator SK Telecom has forecast 2007 revenues of KRW 11 trillion, up from KRW 10.6 trillion in 2006. Wireless internet is expected to account for 29.5 percent of total revenues. Capital expenditure this year is estimated at KRW 1.55 trillion, of which KRW 610 billion will go HSDPA investments. The operator aims to maintain a market share over 50 percent this year. Shareholder returns for the year are expected to be at a similar level to last year including a KRW 8,00 dividend and KRW 200 billion share buyback.