Telecom Italia chairman Franco Bernabe has confirmed that the group’s Brazilian asset TIM Participacoes (TIM Brasil) will take part in the country’s upcoming auction of 4G mobile spectrum, despite concerns over the regulator, Anatel’s, auction process. With the auction of frequencies suitable for Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology set to start on 12 June, only last week Brazil’s leading cellcos TIM, Oi, Vivo, Claro and Sweden’s AINMT (which controls Net1), reportedly filed separate petitions to challenge Anatel’s auction plan
MTN Ghana inks USD276m syndicated loan for network expansion
MTN Ghana, owned by South African mobile telecoms group MTN, has secured a syndicated loan worth USD276 million to help finance its network expansion in the west African country. MTN Ghana managing director Michael Ikpoki told Reuters that 16 local banks, led by Stanbic Bank Ghana, will provide GHS410 million (USD216 million) of the total sum, while a further USD60 million is being raised via four foreign banks
Energy prices may put squeeze on Jordanian cellcos
Jordanian cellcos have warned that a planned increase in electricity prices would have a negative impact on the telecoms sector, the Jordan Times reports. Spokesmen from all three of the Kingdom’s cellcos – Jordan Telecom Group (Orange Jordan), Zain Jordan and Umniah – have protested against the planned pricing change, which would see costs for power increasing by between 8% and 40%. Due to the intensely competitive nature of Jordan’s wireless sector, operators are reluctant to raise tariffs to recoup the additional expenses, and the costs could instead eat into funds earmarked for future developments, to the detriment of the sector as a whole
Round the Bend? Oregon telco claims LTE launch
Regional US telco BendBroadband has announced that that its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network has gone live in Central Oregon, superseding its existing HSPA+ infrastructure, which is now set to be mothballed in June. Customers willing to take out a twelve-month LTE subscription before 31 May will be offered a free LTE router by Bend, which promises download speeds of at least 12Mbps
Sint Maarten introduces new exit code for international calls
According to the Today newspaper, Sint Maarten this week introduced the new ‘011’ dialling code for outgoing international calls. The process effectively signals the start of phase two of the country’s adoption of the North America Numbering Plan (NANP)
T-Mobile has no plans to introduce LTE handsets
T-Mobile Austria has no immediate plans to launch a Long Term Evolution (LTE) smartphone for its 4G customers, DerStandard.at reports.
Videotron delivers on 200Mbps promise
As promised in March, Videotron has launched its highest speed cable broadband package to date, offering 200Mbps/30Mbps download/upload connections under the ‘Ultimate Speed Internet 200′ banner in Quebec City. The DOCSIS 3.0-based package gives consumers monthly data transfer limits up to 200GB for downloads and up to 50GB for uploads, and costs CAD199.95 (USD197.20)
VTR launches mobile services, will use existing customer base to drive growth
Chilean cableco VTR has launched commercial voice and data services over its 3G W-CDMA network. The company’s chairman, Mauricio Ramos said that the telco would bring ‘more competition, more innovation and more convenience’ to Chilean mobile subscribers.
OTMT posts Q1 net profit of EGP995m
Without providing comparative figures for the year-ago period, Orascom Telecom Media and Technology (OTMT) reported net profit of EGP994.7 million (USD164.3 million) and revenues of EGP235 million for the first three months of 2012, reports Gulf Times.
Vivacom sale derailed by lawsuits, report claims
The Bulgarian government has lost the first of three lawsuits it filed against Viva Ventures, a unit of the London-based equity fund Advent International, which acquired a 65% stake in former monopoly operator Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) in 2004.
- TNL (Oi) sets aside USD3.25bn for 2012 CAPEX April 19, 2012
- Tata drops out of running for CWW April 19, 2012
- TeliaSonera’s EBITDA falls 0.7% on 3.5% revenue increase April 19, 2012
- Telia Denmark raises LTE upload speeds April 19, 2012
- STC reports 60% rise in Q1 net profit April 19, 2012
- CAT puts 3G plans on hold; TOT told to do same May 18, 2012
- Look before you Leap; cellco to expand LTE coverage to 65m people by 2014 May 18, 2012
- Videotron delivers on 200Mbps promise May 18, 2012
- T-Mobile has no plans to introduce LTE handsets May 18, 2012
- Antares to merge with mobile TV operator Dominanta? May 18, 2012
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