MOSCOW—The second-biggest Russian carrier Vimpelcom (BeeLine) chose Alcatel as its equipment supplier for a third-generation (3G) network. The companies signed a memo of intent, which envisages that the KB Impulse, …
TOKYO—Matsushita Communication Industrial, the largest mobile handset manufacturer in Japan, announced it will cease production of handsets at its U.K. factories in March 2002. Upon ceasing its production at its …
PRAGUE, Czech Republic—All three incumbent mobile operators in the Czech Republic have refused to pay the minimum US$180 million price set for the country’s third-generation (3G) licenses, sending the licensing …
OSLO, Norway—Norway’s Telenor Mobile signed a final agreement to acquire 100 percent of Hungarian mobile-phone operator Pannon GSM for about US$905 million. Finland’s Sonera and the Netherlands’ KPN, two debt-laden …
LUXEMBOURG—Millicom International Cellular (MIC) confirmed it is in talks with Tele2 regarding the possible sale of MIC’s Russian cellular assets to Tele2. “It is no secret that our Scandinavian competitors …
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands—KPN Telecom and British Telecommunications are in talks regarding sharing their third-generation (3G) networks in the Netherlands, international press reports said. KPN said it was in talks with …
LONDON—Vodafone said adoption of the single Vodafone brand by Portugal’s Telecel Vodafone and Spain’s Airtel Vodafone is complete, ahead of the original early 2002 schedule. Both companies supported the single …
PARIS—Orange said it has conducted the first voice, data and video communications on the Orange Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network in Paris, with equipment from Alcatel. The pre-commercial network …
OSLO, Norway—Telenor said it is ready for Norway’s mobile number portability program, which began 1 November. The program will allow customers to switch operators without changing phone numbers. Telenor Mobile …
LONDON—IDC said its recent research shows that 2001 will be a landmark year for wireless Internet in Ireland.The company said mobile access is in its infant stage right now, with …
LOS ANGELES, United States—Oberthur Card Systems said it is partnering with French mobile operator Bouygues Telecom to provide Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) technology based on second-generation SIM technology. Oberthur’s SIMphonIC …
CALGARY—Wmode announced it is expanding into Europe by opening an office in Bern, Switzerland. Oliver Ruekgauer, who co-founded a venture fund and also worked for Swisscom, will head the expansion. …
SINGAPORE—Mobile operator M1 announced on 25 October that its shareholders will not go ahead with the planned sale of their shares in the company. The shareholders said they have decided …
BEIJING—China’s plans to reassign radio bands for third-generation (3G) mobile services will not affect the small but budding local wireless services offered by fixed-line carrier China Telecom. The service has …
TOKYO—J-Phone Group on 1 November consolidated four companies of the group into one company to compete with its two rivals NTT DoCoMo and KDDI. Due to the reorganization, the new …
NEW DELHI, India—Government-owned fixed-line and GSM operator in New Delhi and Mumbai, MTNL, has launched its wireless local loop (WLL) “limited mobility” service in Delhi. The service has been named …
BEIJING—Qu Weizhi, a vice minister of China’s Ministry of Information Industry, told a World Economic Forum meeting in Hong Kong that there is no decision yet on when to issue …
THE HAGUE, The Netherlands—Heavily indebted KPN Mobile said Singapore Telecommunications Mobile will purchase KPN’s 22.28-percent holding in Indonesia’s Telkomsel for US$601 million. SingTel Mobile will also settle KPN Mobile’s remaining …
BEIJING—Japan’s Toshiba is setting up a CDMA handset joint venture in China, together with the Nanjing Postel Telecommunication Company and Hong Kong’s Wong’s International (Holdings). The venture is to be …
TOKYO—Japanese wireless operator Tu-Ka launched wireless packet data services over its PDC system in the Kanto and Tokai regions, allowing subscribers to access Internet services at speeds up to 28.8 …
