Wednesday Telecoms Digest

Fixed:
* New licenses: third to Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA); UAE plans second license 2006
* LLU: Tiscali Germany trials, build-out from late 2005
* DSL: UK Online intros ADSL2+ (advertises 22 Mbps for 30 GBP/mo); West Kentucky Telephone (18k lines) intros ADSL2+
* WLR: UK lowers tariffs 9% for residents, 8% for businesses
* FTTx: Telstra plans FTTN, FTTP; BBned (TI) expects 2 new deals Nov/Dec 2005
* NGN: Telstra invests AUD 10 bn with Alcatel (IP, FTTN, FTTP)
* FTTx: BT protests new governments plan for no open access to DT’s new FTTN network
* BPL: Amperion (vendor; BPL for backbone, WiFi for last mile) aligns with SpanPro (construction)
* BiG: EarthLink studies Nethercomm’s technology

Wireless – cellular:
* 2.5G: Azercell intros EDGE
* 3G: Indigo (Tajikistan) plans W-CDMA with Siemens and Ericsson; Telstra plans W-CDMA with HSDPA from Ericsson nationwide in 2008
* 3.5G: O2 intros HSDPA in UK 06Q3 (3.6 Mbps, in 2008 7.3 Mbps, 10.2 Mbps late 2009); trial HSDPA at Vodafone Portugal
* Data: E-Plus intros Skype for flat-fee laptop users (40 EUR/mo); alliance of Vodafone and Universal Music Group (ringtones, music and videos on live!); Elisa intros video calls 18 November; Cingular intros radio service with Music Choice and MobiTV
* TV: Finland plans fourth digital broadcast license, dedicated to TV-o-W
* MVNO: Faith plans Voce on Cingular network Nov 2005 in NY and LA, aiming at high-end, 10 markets in 2006 (MVNE: Visage Mobile)
* Licenses: Japan plans 3 extra licenses for Softbank, eAccess and IP Mobile; Malaysia receives 3 offers for third 3G-license; Jamaica re-auctions fourth license
* Auction: MTC, Vodacom and Virgin plan bids for Vee Networks (Nigeria)

Wireless – short range broadband:
* WiFi: Cisco intros mesh networking gear (Aironet 1500); Tropos intros indoor self-install AP/CPE (MetroFlex\r\n2200, with multi-antenna technology BeamFlex from Ruckus)

Wireless – long range broadband:
* WLL: providers Pakistan threaten exit if mobility is outlawed
* WiMAX:
-- Irish Broadband launches in 14 cities with Alvarion for businesses and residents (up to 12 Mbps NLOS up to 5-8 km); Via Net.Works (= Solution24) launches in Geneva; Belarus starts trial late 2005 with Siemens and Ericsson; order M-Taiwan (mobilize) to Intel, $1.12 bn
-- over 150 trials and commercial deployments (WiMAX Forum); 13 commercial deployments (Intel)
-- Venturi launches ‘Fetish’ (all-electrical car) with Alvarion and Intel for M2M communication
-- Airspan, Aperto, Redline, Picochip, Sequans, Axxcelera, Wavesat demo interoperability in Beijing
* WiBro: Samsung intros handsets; plan trial TVA Sistema de Televisao (Brasil) with Samsung 06Q2
* UMTS TDD (TD-CDMA, 3G): license Japan to IPMobile in 2 GHz band, intro from October 2006 at maximum 5.2 Mbps, nationwide 2012 (8500 base stations) with IPWireless

IP, Convergence:
* F/M: Stoke Inc proposes software (in 2 trials) for linking handsets to cellular, WiFi or WiMAX, series B round VC from Kleiner, Sequoia, Pilot, Integral and Presidio (Sumitomo); TeliaSonera trials Ericsson’s Mobile@Home (VoIP over WiFi and cellular)
* VoIP:
-- IM use +19% (AOL survey)
-- Microsoft and Intel join ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) for SIP-based VoIP interoperability
-- Skype intros SkypeIn with local numbers in Germany with Telefonica Deutschland, 34.50 EUR/yr or 11.50 EUR/q
* wVoIP: Samsung intros OfficeServ Wireless for the 2.4 GHz band
* IPTV: China Telecom orders mVision from UTStarcom

Munibroadband:
* WiFi:
-- Folsom is advised to deploy a WiMAX backbone, and let entrepreneurs build their own WiFi; Cisco enters mesh market, Tropos intros self-install CPE with outdoor coverage
-- Hartford, CT, issues RfI; Macomb County, Mich, issues RfP; San Francisco issues formal RfP (26 interested)
-- Temecula selects WFI and Tropos for WiFi mesh
-- Google intros free service in Mountain View

Regulation:
* US Broadband Transmission Services (BITS) Act, draft 2, reduces video franchise negotiations and fees, current restrictions (must-carry, telco/cabel cross-ownership) subject to FCC for review and possible elimination, net neutrality
* SBC asks Illinois CC to classify local voice as competitive
* Bush nominates Deborah Tate (Rep) to fifth FCC position
* New German government (as of Nov 22) exempts DT’s new FTTN network form sharing for 2-3 years

Corporate:
* M&A: Swisscom/eircom, MTN/Mascom, Tele2/Lipetsk, Vimpelcom/URS, Kingston/Carlyle, FastWeb/Sky?, Telefonica/China Netcom, IDT/Net2Phone