Wednesday Telecoms Digest

Fixed:
* Flat fees:
-- intro by KPN at 6.75 EUR/mo and Tele2 at 5.75 EUR/mo for unlimited off-peak in the Netherlands
-- Verizon intros 2 options at 30 $/mo for nationwide of 35 $/mo including 3 features
* LLU:
-- Infostrada (Wind) intros full LLU Nov 1
-- Carphone Warehouse plans intro market UK (1000 exchanges = 67% of pops at 35-45k GBP/CO)
* FTTH:
-- Amsterdam proposes Citynet, to be built with BBned (TI)
-- EC checks Appingedam project for state-aid
-- Paris intros in 15th arrondissement (triple play: 49 EUR/mo for 20 Mbps or 59 EUR/mo for 100 Mbps and extended TV offering)
-- Foothills Rural Telephone intros (overbuild all 16k lines)
* UPLC asks FCC to throw out petition from ARRL which seeks to end Manassas deployment
* DOCSIS: Cablevision upgrades (to 15 Mbps) and introduces 30 (15 $/mo for digital phone subs) and 50 Mbps service (no pricing yet)

Wireless – cellular:
* 2.5G: LG (Korea) and KDDI (Japan) plan launch EV-DO late 2006
* 3G: 3GPP approves TD-SCDMA standard
* 3.5G:
-- Vodafone KK intros HSDPA with Ericsson in Tokyo
-- NEC readies HSDPA equipment
-- Motorola publishes Euro trial findings
* Budget, SIM-only, online: intr easyMobile in Germany on T-Mobile network
* Data:
-- Google intros Google Maps Local for mobiles
-- Yahoo! plans Nokia-handset for Cingular; Disney acquires Living Mobile (games developer)
* TV-o-W:
-- intro full-length movies by 3 Italy Nov 7, 9 EUR/movie, streaming
-- Nokia launches N92 (with DVB-H)
-- Sling Media plans Windwos Mobile OS version late 2005
* P2T: Sprint Nextel intros pictures over P2T

Wireless – broadband short range:
* WiFi: Dayton (Ohio) RfP for muninetwork, Houston plans

Wireless – broadband long-range:
* BWA: Sprint Nextel + MSOs explore use of 2.5 GHz spectrum
* LMDS: XO focuses on spectrum in 28 GHz and 31 GHz bands in 70 US markets (sells fixed and name to Icahn)
* WiMAX:
-- Wevoli.com (Netherlands) plans 802.16e service using Versatel’s license
-- Sequans and Wavesat stimulate CPE developmen
-- ITC (Saudi-Arabia) starts trial with Redline, Cisco
-- Johannesburg (SA; with Alvarion) and Duesseldorf plan muninetworks
-- Golden Lines and Barak (Israel) request trial licenses for business market
* WiBro: Reigncom plans iRiver game-player
* xG Technologies demos technology 1000 times more efficient than WiMAX (1 station v. 98 for WiMAX for the same performance; 7.4 Mbps/MHz/Watt v. 0.0058 for GSM and 0.0085 for EV-DO), expects commercially ready product 06H2
* UMTS TDD: Sprint Nextel joins Global Alliance (IPWireless, T-Mobile CZ, Maxis)
* DAB: analogue-digital transition Netherlands in 2015

IP, convergence:
* IMS: BellSouth orders from Lucent for VoIP over DSL
* VoIP:
-- IPO Cbeyond, Vonage plans IPO or selling out
-- Microsoft acquires media-streams.com (applications for unified comms)
-- Dutch regulator OPTA approves KPN’s cost-based VoIP tariffs, plans intro 05Q4
-- VON Coalition starts ‘Internet Voice Campaign’ (EarthLink, Google, Pulver.com, Sonus, Skype)
-- United Online intros ‘NetZero Voice’ (VoIP over dial-up narrowband)
-- Verso Technologies scores trial at Tier 1 Chinese mobile operator
-- Yak Communications plans worldwide intro with client from CounterPath (formerly Xten)
-- Level 3 provides Cable One
-- FCC relaxes E911 demands (no cut-off after 28 Nov deadline but no new sign-ups)
-- Accton launches WiFi handset ‘SkyPhone’ (no PC needed), plans WiFi/GSM handset
* IM: intr video add-on for Google Talk by Santa Cruz Networks
* UMA: Nokia completes trial calls (data and voice)
* IPTV:
-- TI intros Alice in France
-- HomeChoice (= Video Networks) plans to go to other metro areas, coverage from 10m to 40m homes
-- KPN plans trial December 2005, intro 06Q1
-- SBC receives state-wide franchise license in Texas
-- Telegraaf plans intro (narrowcasting)
* Quadruple play, unified messaging, BWA: plan intro 2006 by Sprint Nextel + 4 MSOs (Comcast, TWC, Cox, Advance/Newhouse)

ICT:
* BT acquires TNS

Munibroadband:
* FTTH: plans Amsterdam, Appingedam, Paris
* WiMAX: plans Johannesburg, Duesseldorf
* WiFi: RfP Dayton, plan Houston

Corporate:
* State:
-- Telefonica withdraws from Tunisie Telecom auction (35%)
-- Jordan plans sale of remaining 41.5% stake, FT is interested
* Auctions: Kazakhstan plans third mobile license 2006 in 1800 MHz band
* IPO:
-- Cbeyond @ $12, starts trade at 12
-- 3 Italy (December 2005, valuation EUR 12 bn, raise EUR 2.5 bn) rumoured to plan delay, 3 UK rumoured to be delayed or sold to T-Mobile
* Chapter 11: McLeodUSA