CommsXpress

FCC Releases Wireless Apps For The Public

editor — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:58:29 +0000

Looking for real-time data of its own, the FCC (yes, the regulatory body in Washington, D.C.) has released a mobile app for iPhone and Android. Don’t worry, the feds aren’t interested in listening to your phone conversations, rather they say the purpose of the app is to provide “Americans with additional information about heir mobile data connection and to create awareness about the importance of mobile broadband connection quality.”

Topics: 3G, Android, carrier, T-Mobile, broadband, Verizon, telecom, Satio, iPhone, wireless

Sprint Taking Some Hits on Wholesale VoIP Service

editor — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:54:26 +0000

At one point in early 2009, cable companies using Sprint’s wholesale IP voice service passed 31 million homes, servicing 4.5 million of them with VoIP service.

Topics: VoIP, Sprint, telecom

3G Hopes For India

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:09:09 +0000

Voice & Data Online
3G service will attract huge investments in wireless product, infrastructure, IP backhaul, terminal, and VAS. Industry experts say that the Indian market will be driven by two things-continuous expansion of GSM and the advent of 3G-over the next two years.

Topics: wireless, 3G, telecom, WiMax, India

Mobile Rate Proposal Puts 2degrees Plans in Doubt

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:58:40 +0000

New Zealand Herald
2degrees says it may rethink plans to expand its national cellular network if the Government accepts a Commerce Commission proposal on the termination rates the mobile phone operator pays competitors Telecom and Vodafone.Communications…

Topics: 2degrees, cellular, Commerce Commission, government, New Zealand, New Zealand Telecom, telecom, termination, Vodafone

New Zealand’s Internet Filter Goes Live

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:52:55 +0000

Stuff.co.nz
The Department of Internal Affairs’ (DIA) internet filter is now operational and is being used by internet providers (ISPs) Maxnet and Watchdog. Thomas Beagle, spokesperson for online freedom lobby Tech Liberty, says the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) refuses to say which other ISPs will be joining the filter, claiming the right to negotiate in secret.

Topics: Australia, Internet, internet filter, ISP, MAxnet, New Zealand, Orcon, telecom, Telstra, Vodafone

Boosting 3g Mobile Phone Services Around The World

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:52:53 +0000

Scoop NZ – New Zealand
Users on so-called third-generation (3G) mobile telephones are set to receive a boost in worldwide compatibility, international roaming capability and greater access to high-speed data services from a new United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard announced today.

Topics: 3G, New Zealand, New Zealand Telecom, telecom, telecommunications, telephone

Egypt Telecom Regulator Extends Bidding Deadline Again

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:40:18 +0000

Reuters South Africa
Egypt’s telecom regulator has extended the deadline for bids for two restricted licences to supply cable, voice and internet services to residential compounds by one month, after requests from potential bidders.

Topics: Africa, Egypt, telecom, telecommunications, regulation

Mexican Telecom Tycoon Carlos Slim World’s Richest Man

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:37:52 +0000

AFP
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim has dethroned Microsoft founder Bill Gates as the world wealthiest person and China is fast catching up with the number of US billionaires on the annual Forbes rich list. The new annual list saw the 70-year old Slim catapult from third place last year to the top spot, thanks to the success of his America Movil company, Latin America’s biggest mobile phone operator.

Topics: telecoms, telecom, Mexico, America Movil, wireless

Beijing Faces ‘Triple Play’ Rivalries

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:31:32 +0000

Financial Times
Regional trials are to start as early as this year and convergence is set to be completed between 2013 and 2015, according to the State Council, the country’s chief administrative authority. While the push into so-called ‘triple play’ is approaching in many countries, analysts say China offers different opportunities and challenges.

The habit of content consumption as we know it in pay-TV elsewhere doesn’t exist here, partly because the government is keeping such tight tabs on television programming

- Fang Meiqin, associate director at BDA, a telecoms consultancy in Beijing

Topics: telecom, regulation, China, telecommunications

Windstream Double-Play Trims Line Loss

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:31:12 +0000

Light Reading
Windstream is offering consumers a $59.99 double-play offer with 3-Mbit/s Internet access and unlimited local and long-distance calling that has a “for life” price guarantee. As a result, Windstream CFO Tony Thomas told the Credit Suisse Global Media and Communications Conference today, broadband penetration is up and access line losses in 2009 were below 5 percent.

Topics: ILEC, Windstream, broadband

Experts on Plans for Pacific Fibre Undersea Cable

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:22:02 +0000

Scoop.co.nz

As New Zealand only has one high-capacity link into the country today, I know major global data centre operators have not considered NZ as a suitable location, despite the fact that we have lower power prices, and greener power, than most of the other countries bidding. But we haven’t had redundant capacity and the low cost structures people are looking for.

- Brett O’Riley, CEO of NZICT

Topics: telecommunications, telecom, Australia, New Zealand, broadband, NZICT, launch

Liberty Exec Details D3’s ‘Sweet’ Economics

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:14:17 +0000

Light Reading
Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY) is spending on average about $20 per home passed for its rapid network buildout of Docsis 3.0, the platform the operator is using to deliver downstream speeds of 100 Mbit/s or more in portions of Europe.

Topics: Docsis 3.0, Liberty Global

Telstra Unveils New SatCOW Mobile Base Station

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:00:52 +0000

iTWire
Telstra has unveiled a new transportable mobile network base station called a Satellite Cell on Wheels (SatCOW) using satellite transmission to fuel a Next G mobile network connection. The telco says it can be packed in cases and transported in a station wagon, shipped as air freight, or carried in light aircraft.

Topics: Australia, SatCOW, satellite, telecom, Telstra

New AT&T, CWA Contract a Cushy Deal in Weak Economy

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:50:31 +0000

Phone+ News, USA
When AT&T Inc. (T) and its Communications Workers of America (CWA) wireline union members in the Southeast agreed to a new contract last week, they did so after making some changes to a tentative deal that was voted down on Jan. 29. And those adjustments still come off as cushy when you compare the terms to many workers’ benefits.

Topics: telecommunications, AT&T, USA, CWA, Communications Workers of America, telecom

Is Optus pushing the limits of ‘unlimited’?

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:47:49 +0000

iTWire
With VHA making much of its new ‘post paid plans with ‘unlimited’ on-net calling and with Virgin Mobile countering by pointing out that it has offered the same ‘for years’ it seems that Virgin’s parent, Optus, it seems, couldn’t resist getting in on the act by announcing new prepaid offerings that it claims are ‘virtually unlimited’.

Topics: Australia, Optus, pre-paid, telecom, USA, Virgin Mobile

NBN ‘dead’ without Telstra: Minchin

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:45:59 +0000

The Australian
THE opposition has continued its assault on the federal government’s plan to legislatively dismember Telstra as the telco’s rivals ramp up efforts to lobby cross-bench senators to vote in favour of the bill.

Topics: Australia, broadband, NBN, telecom, telecommunications, Telstra

MTN: net profit slips despite 9.2% growth in revenues

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:42:32 +0000

Telegeography
South African mobile group MTN has posted net profit of ZAR14.65 billion (USD1.97 billion) for the full year ended 31 December 2009, down from ZAR15.32 billion a year earlier. CEO Phuthuma Nhleko said: ‘Movements in exchange rates in the year, mainly in the South African rand and Nigerian naira, had a substantially negative impact on the group’s financial results.’

Topics: telecom, Africa, Satio, MTN, Iran

Telstra shares hit all-time low after CEO says ‘very concerned’ over draft NBN powers

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:40:31 +0000

The Australian
TELSTRA said today it was “very concerned” by draft legislation released by the government last week that could give Canberra the power to allow the planned $43 billion national broadband network to become a retailer in some circumstances.

Topics: Australia, BigPond, broadband, Canberra, government, legislation, NBN, networking, Sydney, telecom, Telstra, wireless

Pacific Fibre plans international fibre cable connecting Oz, NZ and US

editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:33:10 +0000

A newly formed company called Pacific Fibre is seeking funding to build a 5.12Tbps capacity fibre-optic cable connecting Australia, New Zealand and the USA which is planned to be ready for use in 2013. The initial proposal is for a cable which will deliver five times the capacity of the existing Southern Cross system.

Topics: Australia, telecom, Vodafone, USA

First International Telecom Granted WiMAX License

editor — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:42:30 +0000

NASDAQ
Taiwan’s telecommunications regulator said Wednesday it granted a WiMAX service license to First International Telecom Inc., which will launch the service in northern Taiwan in six months.

Topics: Taiwan, WiMax, wireless, telecom, Hong Kong, broadband