As part of its drive to become India’s first private-owned 3G operator, Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) has stated that by the end of the year, it will have inaugurated 3G networks in all nine of the circles for which it holds 3G spectrum...

A new report that profiles major VAS providers in India also provides an in-depth look at the country’s VAS market. ‘Novonous VAS Tracker 2010’ has covered 77 companies, with a detailed SWOT analysis for each of the participating companies...

Nokia Siemens Networks has announced the establishment of its fifth Global Network Operations Centre (GNOC) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is the first GNOC in the Americas and it aims to serve a growing base of Latin American operators seeking to outsource network operations so that they can focus on core activities of their business. The GNOC will be established with an initial 15 million euro investment and host up to 300 expert technicians, responsible for managing up to 20 million subscribers. The centre will be operational from January 2011...

ITU has deployed 100 broadband satellite terminals in the flood-affected districts of Pakistan. In the aftermath of the disaster, ITU’s emergency telecommunications team has been working closely with the Pakistan administration to restore vital communication links. The satellite terminals are being deployed to restore communications and provide a platform from which telemedicine applications/services will be provided in remote areas that remain difficult to access and where medical attention is a priority in the aftermath of the disaster...

By any measure, Bangladesh is a country with one of the world’s lowest levels of access to telecommunications. And yet following a recent tour of the country which included visits to a number of cities as well as some of the most remote and inaccessible areas, it is clear that Bangladesh has, in a sense, already achieved near 100% ‘virtual’ market penetration rate for mobile communications services. So how do we reconcile this contradiction?

 Two of China’s largest operators have reported figures for the first three quarters of 2010 that suggest a slowing market...

ITU has deployed a hybrid of 40 broadband satellite terminals in an effort to restore vital communication links in the aftermath of a tsunami triggered by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and a volcanic eruption that hit the Indonesian archipelago in two separate incidents...

Eastern European revenue growth is set to outstrip Western Europe’s over the next few years, according to ABI Research’s Enterprise Mobility Market Data...

Competition in India’s 3G market is set to increase, as the major Indian operator Bharti Airtel has declared its aim to launch 3G services by the end of 2010. If it begins 3G operations by this deadline, Bharti will become the second privately-owned operator in India to do so...

 A new framework agreement between MTN Group and Cambridge Broadband Networks is set to provide microwave backhaul and access equipment across all 21 countries covered by MTN. Cambridge Broadband Networks’ VectaStar solutions have already been successfully deployed in several of MTN’s African markets...

 The collaboration between the Mexican media company Grupo Televisa and the mobile operator NII Holdings (Nextel) has come to an abrupt end, with GT scrapping its agreement to purchase a 30% stake in Nextel...

Thailand’s 3G auction process has become an ongoing saga within the telecommunications industry, and a legal dispute from the state operator hasn’t improved the situation. James Barton takes a look at the delays in the context of Thailand's political situation...

 In a move seemingly aimed at clearing its name in the Middle East with regard to security concerns, BlackBerry manufacturer RIM has announced a strategic alliance with mobile operators and regulators in the UAE...

Telecom Italia’s bid to increase its stake in Telecom Argentina’s controlling company has been approved by the Argentinean regulator. TI now has full control of Sofora Telecommunications after increasing its 50% stake to a majority 58%...

 China’s Zhenjiang city is set to undergo a transformation project by which it will support services such as remote healthcare, intelligent transport and e-energy solutions via wireless communications...

ITU welcomed new Directors of its Radiocommunication and Telecommunication Development Bureaux as François Rancy of France and Brahima Sanou of Burkina Faso were elected at the Plenipotentiary Conference taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico...

With only a few days left before it was due to be instated, the UAE’s proposed ban on BlackBerries has been cancelled...

Member States of the International Telecommunication Union have elected Dr Hamadoun Touré of Mali as Secretary-General of ITU for a second four-year term...

Developing Telecoms takes a look at the market potential of MVNOs in Latin America, where the model faces numerous difficulties despite the massive potential for growth in this burgeoning region...

The recent news of a merger between Orascom and VimpelCom has not dampened the Algerian government’s desire to nationalise Djezzy, Orascom’s Algerian branch...

Etisalat’s bid for a 46% stake in Zain could be a step closer to becoming a reality – and help has come from an unlikely source. Qatar Telecom (Qtel), a regional rival of Etisalat, has expressed an interest in purchasing Zain Saudi Arabia – a move which could facilitate Etisalat’s planned acquisition...

VimpelCom and Weather Investments – the owner of Orascom Telecom – have confirmed a merger between the two firms. The resulting entity will be the world’s fifth-largest mobile operator group...

Having recently looked to acquire a controlling stake in its Indian joint venture, the UAE operator Etisalat has now attempted to acquire a 46% stake in Kuwait’s Zain...

Due to a rigorous market regulatory policy and the 2009 economic slowdown, the value of the telecommunications market in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania) decreased by 14 per cent...

A fresh licensing dispute has arisen in India – but rather than the newer 3G, it concerns the country’s 2008 issue of 2G licences...

As an apparent reaction to the state-owned operator BSNL reporting its first ever annual loss earlier this year, the government of India has reneged on plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in the firm...

Bharti Airtel has confirmed Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei as the equipment suppliers for its upcoming 3G network, with the Swedish vendor appearing to have landed the role of main supplier...

Thailand’s beleaguered 3G auctions have now stalled indefinitely, following a decision by the country’s Supreme Administrative Court to uphold a complaint made by the state-owned operator CAT Telecom, which alleged that the Thai regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission, was not authorised to oversee the auctions...

ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré today challenged global leaders to ensure that more than half of all the world’s people have access to broadband networks by 2015, and make access to high-speed networks a basic civil right...

India’s mobile market may soon be opened up to MVNOs as the country’s government considers ways of bailing out the eight operators which won bids for mobile licences two years ago...

Thailand’s long-delayed 3G auctions have met with yet another setback, with the state-owned operator CAT Telecom filing a legal complaint in which it claims that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) does not have the requisite authority to hold the 3G auctions...

Vodafone has announced an agreement to sell its entire 3.2% interest in China Mobile, clarifying that the two companies will continue their commercial and technology cooperation. Vodafone expects the cash consideration to be approximately £4.3bn before tax and transaction costs...

The Indian government’s security concerns regarding the telecoms industry have been well publicised in recent weeks, with rumours of a ban on the import of telecoms equipment causing a stir amongst foreign vendors...