HELSINKI, Finland-Scandinavia has long been the most fertile and concentrated spawning ground for technology innovation in Europe. The torchbearers for this culture have been led by global names such as Nokia, Ericsson, Benefon and Europolitan.In 1985, Nokia's main claim to fame was as one...
HELSINKI, Finland-For a market with a well-deserved reputation as the most dynamic and innovative of Europe's telecom sectors, one could easily think that traditional Scandinavian confidence is in a state of early winter hibernation. The customary drone of deals, domestic and cross border, has...
AlcatelChina. With China Mobile for GSM network expansion contracts by Shanghai Mobile and Jilin Mobile.Value: US$70 millionMalaysia. With Telekom Cellular to expand its existing GSM 1800 MHz capacity and ready it for GPRS.Value: US$85 millionPhilippines. With Digitel to roll out its mobile network by...
MOSCOW—Sonic Duo, which has the third GSM license in Moscow, will finally start operating in the capital in late November under the Megafon trademark.Besides Sonic Duo, the pan-Russian Megafon project also unites St. Petersburg-based North-Western GSM and six regional carriers. North-Western GSM is to...
HELSINKI, Finland—Danish competition officials, reacting to confidential information of cartel arrangements within the mobile telephone sector, have staged raids on the head offices of the country's largest mobile phone operators, including TDC, Orange, Sonofon and Telia Danmark. Regulators confirmed they are investigating claims that...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Telia launched Finland's first General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) service, called Telia Mobile Online. The service provides a continuous connection tot he Internet and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services.Corporate customers can access the service for an e8.25 (US$7.5) entrance fee and a monthly...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Telia Mobile announced it is streamlining its mobile portal business by phasing out its various existing platforms and replacing them with one joint technical platform.The company said it will take a third-quarter writedown of $14 million, and that the move will lead to...
CINCINNATI, United States—Convergys announced it has been chosen by Denmark's Telia Telecom A/S for its Geneva active revenue management (ARM) software to support its business growth and innovation.Telia plans to integrate Geneva software with its front-end and mediation systems and use it to rate...
HELSINKI, Finland—Nordic telecom companies Sonera and Telia have met, in separate talks, with representatives of the government of Belarussia to discuss a possible participation in applying for the former Soviet-bloc country's second GSM network.Sonera's and Telia's interest in the second Belarussian license is strategic...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—The Danish telecom agency awarded four third-generation (3G) licenses for US$118 million each after receiving bids from five companies.Incumbent operators TDC Mobile, Telia Denmark and Orange each won a license, along with newcomer Hi3G Denmark. Norway's Telenor, which is the majority owner of...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—The Danish telecom agency awarded four third-generation licenses for $118 million each after receiving bids from five companies.Incumbent operators TDC Mobile, Telia Denmark and Orange each won a license, along with newcomer Hi3G Denmark. Norway's Telenor, which is the majority owner of Denmark's...
MOSCOW—The St. Petersburg-based North-Western GSM and the Moscow-based Sonic Duo carrier, as well as six Russian regional operators merged into a new company, which would deal with the pan-Russian Megafon project of the Telecominvest holding.The deal, which market experts dubbed as "the merger of...
HELSINKI, Finland—The government of Iceland has set out a timetable for its sale of a 49-percent equity stake in state-run telecoms group Landssimi Islands, in an offering that values the company at more than US$700 million. The move represents the largest privatization in Iceland's...
HELSINKI, Finland-There is an old saying in Norway that declares "true arrogance is a city inhabited by Swedes." However generalized and over the top that expression may be in the 21st century, it still retains general currency status as to how Sweden's Nordic neighbors,...
AlcatelChina. With China Unicom for CDMA equipment for a national network.Value: US$157 millionChina. With Gansu Mobile, Shanxi Mobile and Ning Xia Mobile for GSM expansion contracts.Value: UndisclosedThailand. With CP Orange for a nationwide GSM 1800 MHz network.Value: US$332 millionDatangChina. With China Unicom for CDMA equipment for a...
As European telecom companies pant under spectrum's debt burden and fret over possible third-generation rewards, a market research firm thinks the future is worthy of the torture."Mobile operators will share in a mobile voice and data market of $1.5 trillion-with cumulative 3G revenues exceeding...
HELSINKI, Finland-Kaj-Erik Relander, president and chief executive officer of Sonera Corp., has resigned effective Aug. 1. He will continue as an adviser to the chairman of the board of the company until the end of 2001.The Finnish operator is currently in discussions with Sweden's...
LONDON-Sweden's Telia is now in discussions with TeleDanmark (TDC) about a potential takeover of the Danish carrier, following a breakdown in talks between TDC and Norway's Telenor last week.SBC Communications Inc. holds a 41.6-percent stake in TDC, which the company is reported to be...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Swedish mobile operator Telia said it will provide GPRS access to its 3 million wireless customers by September."Our tests have been a great success, and once the summer is over we'll be offering GPRS to all 3 million of our mobile customers," said...
OSLO, Norway-Norwegian telecom operator Telenor said it has had talks with SBC Communications Inc. concerning SBC's stake in TeleDanmark, the Danish telecom operator, and such talks may or may not continue. The talks are reported to be part of a possible merger between Telenor...
If teens remain `talkaholics' and have fun doing it, Voyant Technologies wants to provide the fuel.With an instant voice-messaging solution in a next-generation environment, the company thinks it is ready to bring new spice to voice communications when it launches the product by the...
UkraineThe Ukrainian State Communications Committee designed the procedure for issuing third-generation licenses. "The committee has already designed the licensing terms," Committee Chairman Oleg Shevchuk said. He did not elaborate and said the procedure was yet to be approved by the Economics Ministry. The number...
