TOKYO—Fujitsu, a leading telecom vendor in Japan, is planning to launch a mobile carrier business renting PHS networks owned by DDI Pocket. The vender is planning to launch the service targeting corporate users in July at the earliest. The firm is also considering launching...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Several groups are lining up to bid for Italian company Blu, the country's smallest mobile operator.Sweden's Tele2 AB partnered with Star Capital Partners and has made an offer to purchase Blu. The company said it will serve as a technical and industrial partner,...
PARIS—A French newspaper reported European mobile operator Orange is interested in launching a branded service in the United States and is currently in talks with a U.S. operator. Orange has denied the reports.The report said Cingular is currently the most likely partner after talks...
ORLANDO, Fla.—The Yankee Group and Sentori Inc. announced an emerging niche within the MVNO wireless market space during a press conference at CTIA Wireless 2002 earlier this week.The new niche players, mainly affinity and specialty channel MVNOs, offer billing and customer care options to...
MAISONS-LAFFITTE, France—Webraska said it will supply Chinese and English location-based services to Shell Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service in Hong Kong targeted at motorists. Motorists will be able to purchase subscriptions to a range of location-enabled Subscriber Identity Module-Toolkit services from...
HONG KONG—The Hong Kong mobile market is set for a transformation, with four third-generation (3G) mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) established, based on the requirements of Hong Kong’s four 3G license holders. The first 3G MVNO services are set to begin at the end...
HONG KONG—Indian company Lifetree Convergence said it supplied its billing and operations system for Shell, which launched a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service in Hong Kong in February. The joint venture between mobile operator Sunday Communications and Shell Hong Kong will introduce an...
HONG KONG—Indian company Lifetree Convergence Ltd. said it supplied its billing and operations system for Shell, which launched a mobile virtual network operator service in Hong Kong in February. The joint venture between mobile operator Sunday Communications Ltd. and Shell Hong Kong Ltd. will...
HELSINKI, Finland—Tele2, the Stockholm-based Swedish mobile communications group, has emerged as a strong contender to secure one of Ireland's four third-generation (3G) mobile licenses. The deadline for final submission of applications to the Irish regulator is 27 March.Ireland plans to announce the winners of...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Tele2 announced a mobile virtual network operator agreement in Germany with Viag Interkom. Tele2 will use Viag's mobile network to provide the air interface for Tele2's fixed-line customers.The agreement will allow Tele2 to offer combined fixed and mobile services. The service is expected...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Tele2 announced a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement in Germany with Viag Interkom. Tele2 will use Viag's mobile network to provide the air interface for Tele2's fixed-line customers.The agreement will allow Tele2 to offer combined fixed and mobile services. The service is...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Tele2 announced a mobile virtual network operator agreement in Germany with Viag Interkom. Tele2 will use Viag's mobile network to provide the air interface for Tele2's fixed-line customers.The agreement will allow Tele2 to offer combined fixed and mobile services. The service is expected...
HELSINKI, Finland—Tele2, the Swedish mobile telecom headquartered in Stockholm, has reinforced its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) strategy in Europe through the launch of MVNO services in the Netherlands. Tele2 is purchasing network capacity from the Dutch mobile operator Telfort, which is a subsidiary...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—The staff at Deutsche Telekom-owned One 2 One, one of the United Kingdom's four cell-phone operators, has been warned that a major strategic review is under way within the company and this would lead to job cuts. While the company has denied...
SINGAPORE—Virgin Mobile launched service in Singapore on Friday, the first Asian market in which it has launched its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service.Virgin Mobile partnered with SingTel Mobile last year to provide MVNO services in Singapore and other Asian markets. Virgin Mobile currently...
LONDON—The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model has arrived in the United States.Sprint and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group officially announced their teaming, a saga that has been in the works for several years. Virgin Mobile USA will offer its popular pay-as-you-go wireless...
During the past 15 months there has been growing interest in the United States around mobile virtual network operators, best known as MVNOs. The idea behind MVNOs is that companies with strong brands, powerful distribution or compelling content/applications (ideally all three) negotiate wholesale access...
While lawyers have spent the past four years wrangling over the fate of Nextwave Telecom Inc.'s 93 C- and F-block licenses, the wanna-be telecom company has been moving ahead with its plans to build out and launch its network. With the U.S. Court of...
OXFORD, United Kingdom-Carrefour, the giant French hypermarket firm, has appointed KPMG to advise it on plans to become a mobile virtual network operator. The company is reported to have approached the three mobile operators in France and was said to have conducted in-depth discussions...
BUCHAREST, Romania-Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are a new and hopeful concept in the European communications market. The region's mobile market is growing, with strong potential for new operators.The largest problem faced by European operators hoping to break into new markets is limited available...
As the wireless industry is rocked with one huge acquisition, spectrum auction and technological development after another, a small-and often overlooked-market segment continues to operate just below radar. Resellers have quietly been activating wireless customers for the past few decades, but some say they...
GENEVA-The sky-high third-generation (3G) license fees generated by the United Kingdom's May auction are having serious repercussions for European operators seeking a pan-regional presence. Governments on the mainland are rejigging their own forthcoming Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license allocations to take advantage of...
Driven by the collision of wireless and the Internet, wireless e-commerce represents the single most powerful market disrupter of this decade. It will entice new "virtual" operators that will help redefine both the nature of wireless competition and the business and operational models required...
DUBLIN, Ireland-Service providers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are viewed by many network operators as parasites feeding off their infrastructure investment. At the same time, many consumers view them as developers of value-added services that drive down costs in the market.Service providers do...
